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Why Hillary Clinton has Always Been a Republican In the first of a series of profiles, Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair chart the formative years of Hillary Clinton. Watch her as she zigzags from Nixon campaigner and vote-fraud investigator in 1960 to Goldwater Girl and President of Young Republicans at Wellesley to her internship for Gerald Ford and campaigner for Nelson Rockefeller. Witness her reaction to the student protests at Yale and the demonstrations at Grant Park during the Democratic Convention in 1968. Learn how she and Bill vowed to "remake" the Democratic Party--using the Nixon model HRC learned about as a member of the House impeachment staff. And much more! Plus: David Price on anthropologist Andre Gunder Frank, the FBI and the Bureaucratic Exile of a Critical Mind.
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Today's Stories July 18, 2007 Col.
Dan Smith Martha
Rosenberg Conn
Hallinan Tom
Johnson Paul
Craig Roberts
July 17, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Marjorie
Cohn Evelyn
Pringle David
Rosen Susan
Miller Franklin
Lamb Don
Monkerud Harvey
Wasserman Russell
Hoffman Dave
Lindorff Dave
Zirin Website
of the Day
July 16, 2007 Gary
Leupp Ellen
Cantarow Paul
Craig Roberts Allan
J. Lichtman Dan
Bacher Patrick
Cockburn Manuel
Garcia, Jr. James
Brooks Liaquat
Ali Khan Julie
Flint Website
of the Day
July 14 / 15. 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Andy
Worthington Ralph
Nader Robert
Fantina Ron
Jacobs Joshua
Frank Conn
Hallinan Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD John
Ross Fred
Gardner Rannie
Amiri Charles
Modiano Anthony
DiMaggio China
Hand Missy
Comley Beattie Dr.
James J. Murtagh, Jr. Kenneth
Rexroth Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
July 13, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Winslow
T. Wheeler Imran
Khan Todd
Chretien Sam
Husseini Dr.
Herman Mindshaftgap Anthony
Papa D.
K. Wilson David
Michael Green Website
of the Day
July 12, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Robert Jensen Dr. Susan Block Joshua Frank John Chuckman Corporate Crime
Reporter Mike Whitney Nicola Nasser Richard Rhames William S.
Lind Website of the Day
July 11, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Richard
Neville Debra
McNutt John
V. Walsh Scott
Liebertz George
C. Wilson James
McEnteer Philip
Rizk Johnny
Hazard Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
July 10, 2007 James
Ridgeway Tariq
Ali Javed
Hussein William
Blum Ralph
Nader Jay
Arena Anthony
DiMaggio Eva
Liddell Jerry
Kroth Alice
Woodward Nikolas
Kozloff Paul
Shannon Website
of the Day
July 9, 2007 Fidel
Castro Diana
Johnstone John
Walsh Uri
Avnery Ramzy
Baroud John
Ripton Stephen
Lendman Bruce
Jackson Michael
Donnelly Doug
Giebel Website
of the Day
Saul
Landau Ismael
Hossein-zadeh Fawzia
Afzal-Khan John
Ross Pat
Williams Rannie
Amiri Farzana
Versey Bart
Gruzalski Paul
Rockwell Reza
Fiyouzat Monica
Benderman Kenneth
Couesbouc Dave
Lindorff Charles
Modiano Missy
Beattie Dal
LaMagna Jean
Gerard Anne
Dachel Ron
Jacobs Poets'
Basement Website
of the Day
Daniel
Ellsberg Gary
Leupp Harvey
Wasserman Omer
Subhani Marjorie
Cohn Christopher
Brauchli David
Michael Green China
Hand Renee
Saucedo Corporate
Crime Reporter Website
of the Day
July 5, 2007 Andy
Worthington Mike
Stark Norman
Solomon Michael
Schwartz Susie
Day Jacob
Hornberger Bill
Hatch Don
Fitz John
Wright Website
of the Day
July 4, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Vijay
Prashad Carl
G. Estabrook Ron
Jacobs David
R. Dow Claudia
Johnson William
S. Lind Gregory
Afghani Paul
Edwards D.
K. Wilson Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Thomas
Jefferson Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
Bill
Quigley Gary
Leupp Lynda
Brayer Richard
Thieme Helen
Redmond David
Swanson Jacob
Hornberger Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Franklin
Lamb Ray
McGovern Kevin
Zeese Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
Andy
Worthington Nina
Serrano Jack
Hirschman Paul
Craig Roberts Bill
Williams Anthony
Papa Sonja
Karkar Louay
Safi Anthony
Gregory Monica
Benderman Website
of the Day
June 30 / July 1, 2007 John
Ross Alan
Farago Peter
Quinn Christopher
Brauchli Robert
Fisk Uri
Avnery Judith
Siers-Poisson Saul
Landau Abbas
Zaidi Ron
Jacobs Ralph
Nader Donald
Worster Mike
Whitney Jacob
Hill Kenneth
Couesbouc Missy
Beattie Mohammad
Kamaali Ramzy
Baroud Leonard
Peltier Phyllis
Pollack Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 29, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Brian
Cloughley Patrick
Cockburn Gilad
Atzmon Dave
Lindorff Jennifer
Matsui / Kevin
Zeese Daniel
Klimek David
Michael Green John
Chuckman Website
of the Day
June 28, 2007 Bill
Quigley Vijay
Prashad Margaret
Kimberley Winslow
T. Wheeler Philip
Rizk D.
K. Wilson Bill
Williams Mahmoud
El-Yousseph Richard
Rhames Paul
Krassner Website
of the Day
Marjorie
Cohn Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD Alan
Farago Carla
Blank Matthew
Abraham Sunsara
Taylor Russell
D. Hoffman Robert
Weissman Sen.
Russ Feingold Paul
Buchheit Website
of the Day
June 26, 2007 Jonathan
Cook Ralph
Nader Corporate
Crime Reporter Ron
Jacobs Martha
Rosenberg John
Chuckman Denny
Haldeman Anthony
DiMaggio Stephen
Fleischman William
S. Lind Website
of the Day
Paul
Craig Roberts Jennifer
Loewenstein Bob
Anderson Robert
Pollin Patrick
Cockburn Eva
Liddell Dan
Bacher Larry
Atkins Mark
Brenner James
Rothenberg Website
of the Day June 23 / 24, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeff
Taylor Oren
Ben-Dor Gary
Leupp Robert
Fisk David
Rosen Russell
Mokhiber Alison
Weir Robert
Fantina D.
K. Wilson Nicole
Colson Stephen
Soldz, Steven Reisner and Brad Olson Dave
Lindorff Benjamin
Dangl Michael
Dickinson Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 22, 2007 Andy
Worthington Sherwood
Ross Eliana
Monteforte Robert
Weissman Richard
Rhames Christopher
Brauchli Ramzy
Baroud Ehud
Krinis, David Shulman and Neve Gordon David
Michael Green Kathryn
Webber Website
of the Day
June 21, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Natsu
Saito Ron
Jacobs Saree
Makdisi John
Stauber Scott
Liebertz Tom
Clifford Robert
Jensen Michael
J. Smith Jeb
Sprague Website
of the Day
Omar
Barghouti Andy
Worthington Margaret
Kimberley Robert
Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Rannie
Amiri Stephen
Lendman Dave
Lindorff David
Swanson Anne
Dachel Website
of the Day
June 19, 2007 Ralph
Nader Dr.
Shepherd Bliss Bill
and Kathleen Christison Jeff
Leys Dave
Zirin Chris
Floyd Ben
Terrall Anthony
Papa VIPS Linda Flores Website
of the Day
John
Ross Paul
Craig Roberts Martha
Rosenberg Norman
Solomon Don
Santina Isabella
Kenfield James
Brooks Eva
Liddell Sam
Husseini Akiva
Eldar Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn John
Halle Robert
Fisk Andy
Worthington Uri
Avnery Fred
Gardner Saul
Landau P.
Sainath Missy
Comley Beattie Alan
Gregory Walter
Brasch Website
of the Weekend
June 15, 2007 Alan
Farago Andy
Worthington Michael
Simmons Franklin
Lamb Gary
Leupp John
Ross Website
of the Day
June 14, 2007 Michael
Donnelly
Faisal
Kutty Harry
Browne Charles
Jonkel Steven
Higgs Bruce
Dixon Bruce
K. Gagnon
Website
of the Day June 13, 2007 Glen Ford Marjorie Cohn Bill Christison Charles Jonkel Silvia Cattori Richard Gott Firmin DeBrabander William S. Lind Keith Rosenthal Website of the Day June 12, 2007 Jeffrey St.
Clair Paul Craig
Roberts P. Sainath Ralph Nader Omar Waraich Dave Lindorff Harvey Wasserman Malini Johar
Schueller Ramzy Baroud Website of
the Day
June 11, 2007 Patrick Cockburn Paul Craig
Roberts Uri Avnery Norman Solomon Eva Liddell Rannie Amiri Rachel Voss Christopher
Brauchli D. K. Wilson Website of
the Day
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July 18, 2007 A Boeing / Israeli Joint VentureSpy Towers on the US BorderBy BRENDA NORRELL ARIVACA, Ariz. Boeing has enlisted the aid of Elbit Systems, Israel's major defense contractor, to construct high-tech surveillance along the border of the U.S. and Mexico. So far, the high-tech fiasco is not working and Arizona residents are organizing a lawsuit to halt government spying on U.S. citizens. Arivaca resident Margaret Keoppen is among those opposing the 98-foot spy tower in her community, part of Project 28 of the Secure Border Initiative. With a spy viewing range of 10 miles, the spy tower is pointed at the good folks of Arivaca. "This system is entirely experimental with unknown results and I don't wish to be used as a guinea pig with resulting harm to me, my family, my animals, area wildlife," Keoppen told Project 28. In Tucson, the search for the biggest joke in town--the environmental assessment of the spy towers -- began at the public library. "That's odd," said a research librarian, "there are no copies of it here." Diligent, the librarian plowed through the web and made a phone call. A copy of the environmental assessment for the new high-tech border surveillance was finally located at the Arivaca library. In Arivaca, the draft copy of the assessment arrived on a Saturday in April, with no public notice. A typed cover letter from U.S.Customs and Border Protection said residents had four days to respond, April 14 -- 18. The library was closed two of those days. Without phone calls from the librarians, no one would have known it was there. Few people had a chance to even read it. Driving down from Tucson, the earth is scorched from the 114 to 118 degree temperatures. Contrary to the frenzied hype of television news, a drive along the border, through Three Points, then down the road to Sasabe and finally to Arivaca, reveals three Wackenhut buses--all empty -- waiting to be loaded with migrants. There wasn't a migrant in sight. (Wackenhut, with its history of human rights violations, is now on contract to transport migrants rather than Border Patrol. Wackenhut is now Geo Group, but the buses are labeled Wackenhut.) A stop at a bird walk near Arivaca proves more desolation. Two men with hunting dogs arrive in separate vehicles. One man takes off quickly for another site, both men wearing plain clothes. In this no-man's land, strangers are assumed to be undercover border agents or Minutemen. In Arivaca, residents are fighting mad about the spy tower, which was built without consulting them, less than a mile from town. "You can not see the border
from that spy tower, because of the mountains. The only thing
you can see is Arivaca," says one woman living in this community
of 2,500. The spy tower has the good folks of Arivaca in clear sight. It is a community of artists and ranchers, popular with birdwatchers and nature lovers. The people here savor their privacy. They have selected Arivaca because it is off the beaten track and ensures a quiet life, far from the prying eyes of anyone. Now, without any consultation, there is a spy tower on the edge of town, with its camera pointed at them. Worse, the Boeing equipment list for Project 28 calls for radar, infrared, lasers, microwave, iris biometrics and facial biometrics. "Iris biometrics?" Arivacans ask. In the environmental assessment, there is no research concerning the health effects of the lasers, microwave, iris biometrics and other technology, on humans. The environmental assessment concludes Project 28 will have "no significant impact." However, the assessment lists the endangered, threatened and sensitive life forms, including the Pima pineapple cactus, masked bobwhite habitat, desert tortoise, burrowing owl and lesser long-nosed bat. There's also Santa Cruz stripe agave, Huachuca golden aster and Lumholtz nightshade. In Pima County, there's 20 species, including the Chiricahua leopard frog, cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl and southwestern willow flycatcher. The conclusion for all: The towers will have "no significant impact." Arivaca is the territory of migrating bats, including a large population on the move from the nearby ghost town of Ruby. In the assessment, there's nothing more than a little mumbo-jumbo about the bats. Local residents wonder if the spy tower's radar will effect the bats' ability to hunt. In the white wash of the environmental assessment, it says, "Tower radar is not expected to impact echolocation of lesser long-nosed bat because recent studies determined that some species of bats avoided the frequencies of radar to which they were exposed," the assessment says. So, they're guessing that the bats won't be impacted. Here in the Sonoran desert, bats, hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are the major pollinators. Without pollinators, there will be no saguaro, yucca or desert plants. In the assessment, there's only brief mention of the endangered jaguar, Panthera onca. It is the largest cat in the Southwest. There's also the endangered Sonoran pronghorn and the threatened bald eagle. The environmental assessment is clearly a joke, no one could have manufactured this document with serious intent. After listing the threatened and endangered species here, including bats and jaguars, the environment assessment concludes that wildlife will not be harmed by the spy towers. Wildlife, it says, is "expected to stay away." This is Saturday Night Live funny. It is easy to image the cartoon, as CorpWatch has also imagined and posted on its website, with horns sounding out alerts in the desert. One horn could be honking: "Wildlife -- that includes you birds--you're expected to stay away!" On the serious side, the assessment admits that warning lights on towers can disorient migrating birds and cause them to fly in circles, resulting in fatal collisions. Red lights attract more birds than white ones. So, the Boeing solution is: "loud hailer horns." The assessment talks much more about grasses and birds than it does of spying on U.S. citizens, which it does not address. Unwarranted spying on U.S. citizens can have dangerous, even deadly consequences. With the spy towers, Border Patrol agents will be able to sit in their cars and watch local residents on their laptop computers, if and when the spy towers begin functioning. Arivacans have asked Homeland Security about privacy. However, no one in Homeland Security can assure them that normal citizens will not be spied on. Border residents ask: What about the occasional Border Patrol agent who is a pedophile, stalker, rapist or murderer. Border Patrol agents are now charged with the crimes of rape and murder. What would prevent a Border Patrol agent from keeping tabs on the young man or woman they are attracted to with their spy apparatus? With thousands of border agents, and new recruits arriving constantly, there are no guarantees. There are two spy towers already built on the Tohono O´odham Nation, as a result of cooperation between the Tohono O´odham tribal government and Homeland Security. Because of the cooperation between Homeland Security and the previous tribal chairwoman, Vivian Juan-Saunders, there are two migrant detention centers on tribal land, which O´odham human rights activists like Ofelia Rivas say violates the Him'dag, the O´odham way of life. Tohono O'odham tribal land is a place where a large number of migrants die of dehydration and heat every year. Although Mike Wilson, O'odham, puts out water for migrants in a few areas, his efforts are not supported by the tribe. Derechos Humanos Coalition in Tucson said more migrants are dieing this year along the border than last year, because of failed immigration policies forcing migrants into more dangerous and desolate crossing areas. Tohono O´odham, who were not consulted about the spy towers on tribal land, now ask if Border Patrol agents will be watching them in their outdoor shower stalls. Here temperatures range from 114 to 118 in the hottest part of the summer. Further, O'odham interviewed did not have any idea that an environmental assessment had been released or how to find a copy. As if that wasn't enough cause for alarm, along with the privacy lawsuit now being organized, there are even more troubling facts about the spy towers. Boeing has entered into a contract with Elbit Systems, Israel's primary defense contractor, to help construct this virtual high-tech border wall. Elbit is involved with building the Apartheid Wall in occupied Palestine. Elbit provides surveillance and spy products around the world, from infrared spy technology on the Canadian border to surveillance to European countries. Elbit now has subsidiary companies in the United States. Elbit is currently the subject of a lawsuit involving satellite images. Elbit is a major shareholder in ImageSat International. Minority stockholders at ImageSat have filed suit against the company because of loss of revenues, which they say is based on politics. Among the allegations: ImageSat refused to turn over spy satellite images to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Boeing, the recipient of the $20 million contract for securing the 28-mile stretch of border here, itself is the subject of a new lawsuit. The American Civil Liberties Union alleges Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan provided dozens of CIA torture flights to secret prisons. Back to the spy towers at the Arizona border, those aren't working. After failing to meet a start-up date in June, Boeing was chastised by Congress and Boeing stocks declined. There's no official explanation of the failure of the spy towers to function and no new startup date was announced. Boeing has admitted that it is using regular Wi-Fi, the same band used at your favorite coffee shop, for communications. Project 28 local broadband wireless uses an unlicensed band at 5.85 GHz. That came as a joke in Arizona. In these rugged desert mountains, even cell phone service is spotty. In the environmental assessment, Boeing does say it has decided against using the unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) as planned. It does not explain that a multi-million dollar drone crashed near Nogales, Ariz., in 2006. The Border Patrol stopped using the drones at that point. Earlier, when the unmanned aerial vehicles were hovering above, no one told Arizona residents on the ground, including the Tohono O'odham, of the danger of the lasers onboard. If the drones flew too low, or crashed as one drone ultimately did, the lasers could blind or cause other injuries to people on the ground. Once again, in the drones' environmental assessment, those lasers were considered to have "no significant impact." The drones were simply expected not to fly too low. In the spy towers' environmental assessment, there are comments, including this one from Luke James Brannen of Arivaca. "You have alienated Arivacans enough with your harassment. You need to protect the border, do it at the border. "Schutzstaffel tactics do not work in a liberal democracy. You can secure our homeland by leaving it alone," Brannen said referring to Hitler's secret police. Mary Scott had more to say. "The citizens of Arivaca have been on the front line of the border war for many years. We are sickened by the environmental degradation of our fragile desert, the loss of human life and the constant intrusions of enforcement cars, vans, trucks, buses and helicopters on our lives." Scott points out that the tower is in a sacred area, the Desert Light Labyrinth, a place of walking meditation and prayer, memorial services and healing ceremonies. The loud hailer horns, with 100 to 130 decibels, would make prayer and meditation impossible. Alan Wallen, owner of a small wireless Internet provider service, saw trouble coming from the time the environment assessment draft was first quietly left at the local library. Wallen immediately notified Project 28, there would be problems with Wi-Fi interference for locals, since Project 28 was using the public band. Those problems are still unresolved. In a statement just released, Brannen says, "The tower of power is illegal." Brannen said it is a violation of the Fourth Amendment which guarantees the right of U.S. citizens "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures." "Some think just because residents of Arivaca live near the border, this particular location makes the Tower of Power legal. This is not true, in carrying out any and all of its powers, the government must follow The Constitution," Brannen said. "It may not search citizen's effects or discriminate against them without a warrant. There might be a probable cause to search a person upon entering the country, but not when a resident citizen is living lawfully within the country. If the government does not respect the supreme law of the land, then the government and its 'elected' officials become illegitimate. "The U.S. Constitution implores the US government to be faithful to the honored Constitution, and in turn respect its citizen's liberties, rights and the rights of the citizens of the world with due process within the U.S.'s Law." In other areas of the Arizona border where spy towers are planned, including the Douglas/Naco area, residents are also organizing to halt spying on community members. All along the border, residents point out this fact: Once they've got the photos or the video on you, what's to stop them from using it against you in any way they please -- including for political reasons. There's another point they are quick to point out: Even if they worked, the spy towers would not stop border crossers. Migrants headed north would find a way to cross. Brenda Norrell is Human rights editor for U.N. OBSERVER
& International Report. She also runs the Censored
website. She can be reached at: brendanorrell@gmail.com 
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