News (Page 2) -- July 27, 2006

Israel's star-spangled arsenal - "Much has been made in the US media of the Syrian- and Iranian-origin weaponry used by Hezbollah in the escalating violence in Israel and Lebanon. There has been no parallel discussion of the origin of Israel's weaponry, the vast bulk of which is from the United States. The US is the primary source of Israel's far superior arsenal. For more than 30 years, Israel had been the largest recipient of US foreign assistance, and since 1985 Jerusalem has received about US$3 billion in military and economic aid each year from Washington. US aid accounts for more than 20% of Israel's total defense budget. Over the past decade, the US has transferred more than $17 billion in military aid to this country of just under 7 million people."

Mysterious wounds from Israeli shells in Gaza - "Doctors say they have never before seen such specific burn injuries, concentrated so much on the lower body and causing such a high propensity of amputations."

Bush cites Iran's role in Lebanon conflict - ""Hezbollah attacked Israel. I know Hezbollah is connected to Iran," Bush said tersely at the end of Oval Office meetings with Romanian President Traian Basescu. "Now is the time for the world to confront this danger," Bush said." -- Just like they "knew" where the WMD were in Iraq. We've been down this road before, oh little boy who cried wolf way too many times.

Fox News Says Hezbollah 'Certain' To Nuke Major City - "Following the ceaseless bombing of Lebanon, Fox News has gone thermonuclear in its mission to drive fear into the hearts of Americans by insisting that Hezbollah's use of a nuclear device in a major US or Israeli city is inevitable and that only increased surveillance of Americans can stop it."

India could make 50 warheads under nuclear deal with Bush - "The US House of Representatives was set to vote yesterday on a nuclear deal with India that threatens to fuel a nuclear arms race in Asia. The deal, a centrepiece of the Bush administration's foreign policy, comes as the US is pressuring Iran and North Korea to halt their nuclear programmes."

Bullies - "President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told us they are making our world safer from the terrorists. Who are they kidding? If anyone views the world as a safer place today than when they took office, insanity has replaced reality."

Mr. Bush, What about Israel's defiance of UN Resolutions? - "As we watched your speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 12, 2002, we were struck by the ironic proximity of the Israeli and Iraqi delegations. Ironic, because many of the accusations you leveled against Iraq could, with ample justification, be directed toward Israel."

Sparks fly as ExxonMobil profit tops 10 billion dollars - "The soaring profits of ExxonMobil and other oil groups have generated fierce criticism about the industry profiting from consumer misery, prompting some US lawmakers to call for a "windfall" profits tax. The oil industry has countered by saying its profit margins are lower than many other sectors, and that much of the earnings are reinvested in new production."

Waste, abuse in Homeland Security contracts: report - "A dependence on no-bid contracts and inadequate oversight have contributed to extensive waste and misspending at the Department of Homeland Security, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing a congressional investigation."

Psychologists' Group Under Fire - "The American Psychological Association is under fire from some of its members and other professionals for declaring that it is permissible for psychologists to assist in military interrogations. ... The unrest stems from an APA policy, issued last year, that says that while psychologists should not get involved in torture or other degrading treatment, it is ethical for them to act as consultants to interrogation and information-gathering for national security purposes."

I'M NOT FILMING UP SKIRTS I'M SPYING ON AL-QAEDA - "A DETECTIVE was arrested for allegedly filming up women's skirts with a hidden camera. The married anti-terrorist officer told police he was working undercover to video al-Qaeda suspects. But back at the station they found his camera had close-ups of bottoms and knickers."

NBC/WSJ poll: U.S. pessimism on increase - "With congressional midterm elections less than four months away, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that candidates will be facing a public that has grown increasingly pessimistic, as nearly two-thirds don't believe life for their children's generation will be better than it has been for them, and nearly 60 percent are doubtful the Iraq war will come to a successful conclusion. And there's more pessimism: Among those who believe the nation is headed on the wrong track, more than 80 percent say it's part of a longer-term decline."

VeriChip's human-implatable RFID chips clonable, sez hackers - "In case anyone needed more proof that we're all living in a Philip K. Dick novel, a pair of hackers have recently demonstrated how human-implantable RFID chips from VeriChip can be easily cloned, effectively stealing the person's identity."

Doctors test anti-smoking vaccine - "Doctors are testing a radical new way to help smokers quit: a shot that "immunizes" them against the nicotine rush that fuels their addiction."

Common pollutant eyed in cancer study - "Growing scientific evidence suggests the most widespread industrial contaminant in drinking water — a solvent used in adhesives, paint and spot removers — can cause cancer in people."

Pay raises struggle to outpace inflation - "The bad news: this year will be another year of modest pay increases. The worse news: inflation might eat up those gains."