News (Page 2) -- March 15, 2006

Secret US plans for Iraq's oil - "Using the Freedom of Information Act, a joint request from Palast, Newsnight and Harper's magazine exposed a plan by oil companies, our government, and Britain, to force a coup d'etate in Iraq. Apparently, this was to take control of Iraq's oil fields, so that OPEC would have competition in the region. Most disturbing is that this planning took place even before September 11, 2001!"

Saddam Silenced For Fingering US In Iraq Bombings - "After the murder of Slobo Milosevic prevented the true Butchers of Serbia, Wes Clark and Bill Clinton, from being brought to justice, on the very first day of Saddam Hussein's testimony the judge turned off his microphone and ordered all media to leave following Saddam's comments that the civil war in Iraq is being deliberately fueled by the US."

Judge deals blow to Moussaoui death penalty case - "The judge in the trial for Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui issued a devastating blow to the prosecution's death penalty case Tuesday, barring key witnesses after she learned a government lawyer had improperly shared information with them."

Economic Suicide - "These two reports make clear the dire financial straits the federal government is facing, but its financial position is even worse than it appears. The $8.2 trillion debt limit -- that has proven inadequate to meet the federal government’s borrowing needs -- covers only its direct liabilities. In other words, this $8.2 trillion is the total amount of dollars owed to all the holders of US government debt instruments. Excluded from this total debt are all of the federal government’s other liabilities, which total another $38 trillion. In “The 2005 Financial Report of the United States Government”, US Comptroller General David Walker reported that “the federal government’s fiscal exposures now total more than $46 trillion, up from $20 trillion in 2000.” Yes, it’s insane."

General: long-term bases? - "The United States may want to keep a long-term military presence in Iraq to bolster moderates against extremists in the region and protect the flow of oil, the Army general overseeing U.S. military operations in Iraq said Tuesday."

Will order Google's surrender of data, judge says - "Although the Justice Department said it doesn't want any personal information now, the victory would likely encourage far more invasive requests in the future, said University of Connecticut law professor Paul Schiff Berman, who specializes in Internet law. "The erosion of privacy tends to happen incrementally," Mr. Berman said. "While no one intrusion may seem that big, over the course of the next decade or two, you might end up in a place as a society where you never thought you would be."" -- And we've been on this road for awhile now.

Shocker: Senate Republicans Screw Veterans Again - "In case you missed it in the Senate yesterday, Daniel Akaka (D-HI) proposed a bill to increase Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2007 and Republicans shot it down with extreme prejudice. The kiss of death for America’s Veterans was the fact that the additional funding was to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes, which ensured that the GOP-dominated Senate would take care of its corporate donors before worrying about those who truly serve our nation."

Study: Most Get Mediocre Health Care - "Startling research from the biggest study ever of U.S. health care quality suggests that Americans — rich, poor, black, white — get roughly equal treatment, but it's woefully mediocre for all."

Child porn ring transmitted acts live on Web: US - ""We see child molestation on demand through streaming to chat rooms," she said. "The children are getting younger and the images are getting more and more violent and graphic.""

Several states weigh ban on gay adoptions - "Currently, Florida, Mississippi, and Utah have laws that ban gay adoption explicitly, although a few other states - including Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, and New Hampshire - have de facto policies or laws restricting gays from adopting or becoming foster parents. Seven states introduced bills last year that would prevent gays or lesbians from adopting, and a few states - Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee, among others - have indicated a willingness to introduce constitutional amendments in future years. A bill in Arizona would force the state to give priority to married couples adopting. Ohio is considering a bill that would ban gays from being either adoptive or foster parents."