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Is it the guy who asks you after the meeting about how the antiwar movement needs to get "serious" and asks you lots of questions about terrorism and "fighting back"? Jennifer Van Bergen reports, first-hand. Part 2 of our series on what really happened on 9/11/2001: the physics of collapse, and how not to make a "pancake" by Manuel Garcia, PLUS Engineer Pierre Sprey on why "controlled demolition" theories are off target. What you just missed, but can still get, in our last newsletter: Paul Craig Roberts on the Collapse of America. CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation towards the cost of this online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! |
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Today's Stories October 18, 2006 Tom Barry October 17, 2006 Michael Neumann Manuel Garcia,
Jr. Stephen S.
Pearcy Sharon Smith Al Krebs David Underhill Daniel Wolff James Brooks Website of the Day
October 16, 2006 Gary Leupp Patrick Cockburn David Wilson Robert Fisk Robert Jensen Ingmar Lee
/ Krista Roessingh Mike Whitney Jake Whitney Sanho Tree Website of
the Day
Uri Avnery John Walsh Jean Bricmont Jennifer Van Bergen Ralph Nader Floyd Rudmin Mark Weisbrot Laura Carlsen Hani Shukrallah Dr. Susan Block John Chuckman Lucinda Marshall Don Monkerud Missy Comley
Beattie Ron Jacobs Website of
the Weekend
October 13, 2006 Jorge Mariscal Stephen Philion John Blair Col. Dan Smith Alastair Crooke / Mark Perry Stephen Fleischman Charles Perroud Anne E. Brodsky Website of the Day
October 12, 2006 Jonathan Cook Norman Solomon M. Shahid Alam Paul Craig
Roberts Meredith Schafer / Chris Kutalik Carl Gelderloos Alastair Crooke / Mark Perry Charles Sullivan William S. Lind CP News Service Website of
the Day
October 11, 2006 John Feffer Dave Lindorff Jackson Katz April Howard / Ben Dangl Michael Carmichael Ken Couesbouc Gregory Afghani Alexander Cockburn Website of
the Day
October 10, 2006 Paul Craig
Roberts Robert Robideau Joshua Frank Dave Lindorff Dave Zirin Heather Gray James Knotwell Missy Beattie Mike Whitney David Rosen Website of the Day
Robert Fisk Norman Solomon Ron Jacobs Gideon Levy Walter Brasch Mickey Z. John Holt Lucinda Marshall Saul Landau Website of the Day
October 7 /
8, 2006 Alexander Cockburn Peter Kwong Ralph Nader Mark Donham Dave Lindorff Peter Bosshard Ron Jacobs Lawrence R.
Velvel Fred Gardner David Green Jim B. Missy Beattie Michael Donnelly Jackson Thoreau Jon Hung CounterPunch
News Service Tom D'Antoni Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
Alison Weir Tiffany Ten
Eyck / Mark Brenner Corporate Crime Reporter Juan Antonio
Montecino Walden Bello Christopher
Brauchli Brynne Keith-Jennings Jonathan Cook Website of the Day
John Walsh Carol Norris Paul Craig Roberts Ricardo Alarcón James Abourezk Nicola Nasser Kirkpatrick Sale Uri Avnery Website of the Day
Elizabeth Terzakis Paul Wolf Sean Penn Dave Lindorff Diane Farsetta Sharon Smith Felice Pace Sara Roy Website of
the Day
Jennifer Van
Bergen Greg Moses Stan Cox Niranjan Ramakrishnan Evelyn Pringle Fred Wilhelms Michael Abelman Gary Leupp Website of the Day
October 2, 2006 Eric Hazan Mike Whitney Norman Solomon Assaf Kfoury Missy Beattie Arthur Neslen Paula J. Caplan Website of the Day
Sept. 30 /
0ct. 1, 2006 Paul Craig
Roberts Marjorie Cohn Ben Tripp Ron Jacobs Ralph Nader Mike Whitney Christopher Reed Seth Sandronsky Fred Gardner Mokhiber /
Weissman Michael Dickinson Alan Gregory Poets' Basement
September 29, 2006 Bruce Jackson Michael J.
Smith Emira Woods William S.
Lind David Swanson Jonathan Cook Website of the Day
Sen. Russ Feingold Ron Jacobs Mokhiber /
Weissman Lee Sustar Robert Jensen John Chuckman Evelyn Pringle Nicola Nasser Uri Avnery Website of the Day
Patrick Cockburn Camilo Mejia Ben Terrall Ridgeway /
Ng Joe Allen Andrew Wimmer Franklin C. Spinney Website of
the Day
Hani Shukrallah William Blum Niranjan Ramakrishnan Barbara Becnel Paul Rockwell Dave Lindorff Rich Gibson Anthony Papa Nate Mezmer Uri Avnery Website of the Day
Patrick Cockburn Jonathan Cook Joshua Frank Paul Craig
Roberts Robert Jensen Dave Lindorff Norman Solomon Dr. Charles
Jonkel Michael Dickinson Alexander Cockburn Website of
the Day
September 23
/ 24, 2006 Jonathan Cook Jeffrey St.
Clair Dr. Anon Tom Barry Carl G. Estabrook Laura Carlsen Todd Chretien Dr. Charles
Jonkel Debbie Nathan Fred Gardner Fred Wilhelms Seth Sandronsky Ralph Nader Rev. William
Alberts Jon Van Camp Heather Gray David Vest Jeffrey St.
Clair Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend Video of the Weekend
September 22, 2006 Patrick Cockburn Michael Donnelly Ramzy Baroud Evo Morales Stanley Howard Sarah Leah
Whitson JoAnn Wypijewski Website of the Day
Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad Justin E. H.
Smith Mike Roselle Amira Hass Deborah Rich Mickey Z. Saul Landau Website of
the Day
Sharon Smith Christopher
Reed John Ross Joshua Frank Arthur Neslen Norman Solomon Michael Carmichael Evelyn Pringle Hugo Chavez Website of the Day
Patrick Cockburn Jeff Leys Brian M. Downing Col. Dan Smith Liaquat Ali
Khan Ron Jacobs Nik Barry-Shaw
/ Yves Engler Lucinda Marshall Saul Landau Photo of the Day Website of
the Day
Carl Boggs Uri Avnery Mike Stark / Jim Bullington Joshua Frank John Murphy Ramzy Baroud Dave Lindorff Bill Quigley Website of the Day
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October 18, 2006 Will the Democrats Blow It?Bush's FoleyBy SAUL LANDAU Less than one month before the November congressional elections, the Great Scriptwriter in the Sky directed Republicans to stage a disruptive sex scandal--for the benefit of the Democrats. Mark Foley, a Florida Republican stalwart sent lurid emails to underage pages. House Speaker Dennis Hastert apparently ignored warnings given to him in 2003 by Kirk Fordham, a senior aide. Fordham said he alerted Hastert's office about "worrisome conduct by Rep. Mark Foley toward teenage pages long before officials have acknowledged becoming aware of the issue." (AP Oct 4) Subsequently, Hastert got other warnings from House Republicans. This information conflicts with the Speaker's "shocked" response when ABC first published evidence of Foley's "classical" form of older man-young boy relationship. As scandal news spread, Democrats called on Hastert to resign. A desperate Hastert turned to his trusted constituency. He made appearances on the Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other right wing talk shows. The former wrestling coach, however, gave bad radio: one-word answers and unconvincing denials. The Enquirer will feature salacious headline. Millions of supermarket customers will read them while waiting to have their groceries checked. Add to pedophilia on the internet, the less sexy bribery convictions of Republican Congressmen Randy "Duke" Cunningham ( of California) and Robert Ney (of Ohio). Spice the mix with Jack Abramoff's offering dirty money to buy from Republicans sleazy favors for sleazy clients (ranging from gamblers to sweat shop owners). Hey, the Democrats have a good chance to win back the House! Candidates in really close races could even refer to the Iraq War and Bush's supposed war on terrorism as well. Bush has protected known terrorists like Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch who co-authored the sabotage of a Cuban airliner blown up over Barbados in October 1976. Seventy-three passengers and crew members died. Bosch continues to plot terrorism in Cuba as he recently told a reporter--in between visits to his proctologist and gerontologist. Posada, who also conspired
to bomb Cuban tourists sites in the 1990s, one of which resulted
in the killing of an Italian tourist, remains in a U.S. In five years, Bush's much trumpeted war on terrorism -- can you picture terrorism surrendering? -- has yet to result in the conviction of a Guantanamo inmate. Bush has, nevertheless, demanded and gotten congressional authorization to abandon Constitutional guarantees, including some that date back to the Magna Carta. Congress also gave him permission to torture as well. None of this has helped him with his terrorist war, but he does label the Democrats who opposed these fascist measures "weak." Will congressional candidates also highlight Bush-Cheney lies and distortions about reasons for going to war and "staying the course?" Bob Woodward's new book State of Denial presents a portrait of the White House top staff in a state of doubt and despair while the President paints himself publicly as steadfast and certain. Democrats might point out similarities that Bush shares with Foley, whose House job was to protect children. The now ex Congressman who just admitted to being gay, reverted to ancient Greek forms of child "protection"--known as pederasty, Bush adapts a less ancient French practice called chicanery. As the daily carnage in Iraq escalates--between October 1-4, 22 U.S. soldiers died and dozens more were wounded--Bush behaves as if he had a coherent victory strategy. Insurgent attacks have grown to some 800 a week, according to Woodward, but the increasingly huffy Bush, who ran away from even National Guard service, had the chutzpah to accuse his rivals of "cutting and running" instead of staying his disastrous course. (September 30 radio address) Aspirant for an Illinois House seat Tammy Duckworth answered Bush's "cut and run" speech on the Democrats' radio response. The former helicopter pilot and army captain lost her legs in Iraq. "I did not cut and run," she replied to Bush. "Like so many others, I proudly fought and sacrificed." Duckworth criticized Republicans in Congress for failing to hold the Bush administration accountable for his Iraq policy. "We need a Congress that will ask the tough questions, and work together for solutions, rather than attacking the patriotism of those who disagree," she added. After 9/11, Bush has repeatedly referred to himself as a war time president. He extolled sacrifice--for others. Bush should make the Guinness Record book for most vacationing president in history. In response to White House charges of their being weak, Democrats could show photos of Bush on holiday at his Crawford ranch for five days while bodies floated through the flooded streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck. Then cut to shots of Bush leisurely reading "My Pet Goat" for seven minutes to Florida second graders after an aide had informed him a hijacked jet hit the World Trade Center. The Democrats have yet to rub Bush's and Cheney's faces in the panoply of public evidence of their deception; nor have they forced Republican candidates to confront the Party's role in Jack Abramoff's bribery schemes. Indeed, the President has set his theme -- his reputed strength versus Democratic weakness -- for the November congressional elections. Despite his low poll numbers, Bush confidently states that he and his Party stand for toughness against terrorism while his opponents are possibly traitors. He even had the cheek to try to sell the public on the idea that his critics are "buying into enemy propaganda." "You do not create terrorism by fighting terrorism," Bush lectured the Reserve Officers Association in Washington. "If that ever becomes the mindset of the policymakers in Washington, it means we will go back to the old days of waiting to be attacked and then respond." (Douglas Stanglin, USA Today, 9/29/06) Bush, whose then National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice had ample warning about the 9/11 attack and did nothing to avert it, picked a military audience to deliver his severe warning. Don't believe the critics, Bush demanded. He didn't quite know how to explain a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) from his own Administration that concluded that fighting the war in Iraq has made America less safe. Someone leaked the NIE to the New York Times. Following that, Bush declassified portions of the report. The idea that the Iraq War had served as a base for jihadists to recruit ever more members, he insisted, came from a misreading of the classified NIE on the war against terrorism. Pretending he had actually read the document, Bush claimed that "some of them selectively quoted from the document to make the case that by fighting terrorists, by fighting them in Iraq, we are making people less secure here at home. This argument buys into the enemy's propaganda that the terrorists attack us because we're provoking them." "Their war against us," Bush averred, "is because they hate the very thing that America stands for," he said. "And we stand for freedom." He repeats the word, but each "fighting terrorism" act strips away traditional freedoms. Bush can now order the indefinite detention of any U.S. citizen, resident alien or foreign national in a military prison either in the U.S. soil or abroad. Arrested persons have no recourse to the courts or lawyers. Torturers can descend on them as well, just because Bush or his underlings decided to arrest him. On this issue, the Democrats did not stand tall and filibuster in the Senate or demand extensive hearings. This is the real test of what Bush called the "ideological struggle of the 21st century." What does Bush mean by freedom, if it doesn't include the most traditional rights? He has seriously reduced civil liberties at home and made hideous messes abroad. Bush claims it's worth the blood and destruction because Iraq and Afghanistan have democracy now. In reality, other than thus far meaningless elections and a U.S.-guarded stock market, Iraq and Afghanistan have little to show for their freedom other than body counts, unemployment and non functional infrastructures. Five years after the October 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban or rowdy war lords have recaptured much of the country. Newsweek labeled "Jihadistan," the sanctuary that has emerged across thousands of miles of Afghan-Pakistan border land. This "autonomous quasi state of religious radicals, mostly belongs to Pashtun tribes who don't recognize the Afghan-Pakistan frontier. [They] openly recruit young men to fight in Afghanistan, and they hold Islamic kangaroo courts that sometimes stage public executions." (Newsweek, October 2, 2006) Bush has no funds to invest for his promised Afghan reconstruction. He delivered "$67 a year per Afghan." (Beth DeGrasse U.S. Institute of Peace) Bush has given U.S. government wealth in the form of tax cuts to the already super wealthy. He refers to a nation sacrificing for war, while those who benefited from the war support his fiscal largesse. They make no sacrifices. Bush the "uniter not divider" runs a nation more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Foley at least tried to unite his generation with the current crop of teens. But that's not in the Democrats' victory script, nor should it be. In this "Whom do you believe" November congressional election campaign, the public must decide between the man God told to invade Iraq and the lying documents produced by his intelligence experts. Saul Landau's new book, A BUSH AND BOTOX WORLD, will be published by Counterpunch Press. He can be reached at: slandau@igc.org
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from CounterPunch Books! The Case Against Israel By Michael Neumann  Grand Theft Pentagon: Tales of Greed and Profiteering in the War on Terror by Jeffrey St. Clair          Sick of sit-on-the-Fence speakers, tongue-tied and timid? CounterPunch Editors Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email beckyg@counterpunch.org.  The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn                        |
jail for "illegal entry"--not terrorism.
The Justice Department has thus far not filed serous charges
against him and has refused Venezuela's extradition request.