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April 5, 2004

Today's Quote
"I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won; there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall."
Mahatma Gandhi, 18-Mar-03

DAY: 1244
     

Never Having to Say 'Sorry'
Robert Parry writes: "One could argue there is stiff competition for the most-incredible-comment-from-the-mouth-of-Condoleezza-Rice award, but the winner may be her assertion that she can think of nothing more that the Bush administration could have done to prevent the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001... While Rice says she can't think of anything she might have done differently, former counter-terrorism coordinator Richard Clarke has offered a detailed set of actions that should have been undertaken, including 'shaking the tree' by having high-level officials from the FBI, CIA, Customs and other federal agencies go back to their bureaucracies and demand any information about the terrorist threat... In Against All Enemies, Clarke contrasts President Bill Clinton's urgency over the intelligence warnings that preceded the Millennium events with the lackadaisical approach of Bush and his national security team."

Clarke vs. the Corrupt Media: The White House Has the Last Laugh
Sidney Blumenthal writes: "Within hours of the testimony of Richard Clarke, the former counterterrorism chief, before the 9/11 commission... Bush acknowledged that Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction - the rationale for the war - remained absent. Bush's admission took the form of a comic monologue before about 1,000 black-tied members of the Radio and TV Correspondents' Association gathered for its annual dinner. The lights dimmed and Bush presented a slide show of himself peering out of windows and looking under furniture in the Oval Office. 'Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere ... nope, no weapons over there ... maybe under here?'... [Earlier] Republican members of the 9/11 commission waved the paper at [Clarke], and much time was taken up by his explanation of how, as a staffer, he had been acting properly, like a lawyer representing a client, and why his briefing was not at odds with his information now."

Alliance with Bush Hurts Yet another Global Leader - This Time Indonesia's Megawati
Spain's Jose Aznar paid a stiff price for supporting Bush against the wishes of his people. Now it looks like Bush supporter Indonesia President Megawati is experiencing the same backlash. Crosswalk.com reports: "Opinion polls suggest, however, that Megagawati Sukarnoputri's position ahead of the July presidential vote is looking shaky.An IFES poll placed her almost seven points behind her former security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was regarded as one of the most effective cabinet ministers in a government otherwise seen as uninspiring."Furthermore, Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is expected to lose many seats to the Golkar party of the dictator Suharto - a negative backlash that could mean trouble for the US later. They don't call him G.obal W.reckingball Bush for nothing!

Is Chalabi Blackmailing the US? Just How Far Will Bush Go to Buy His Silence?
Bush apparently will do anything - ANYTHING - to keep Ahmed Chalabi happy, including showering him with billions to dispose of as he sees fit and, probably, the title of Prime Minister. Why? Says Insight: "Chalabi holds the ultimate weapons -- several dozen tons of documents and individual files seized by his Iraqi National Congress (INC) from Saddam Hussein's secret security apparatus." We suspect the contents of those files - which no doubt contain volumes of inside info on Bush I, Rummy, Cheney, and others, is why Chalabi is being paid off - paid off in TAXPAYER dollars and American and Iraqi lives. Insight notes: "Chalabi is still on the Defense Intelligence Agency's budget for a secret stipend of $340,000 a month. The $40 million the INC has received since 1994 from the U.S. government also covered the expenses of the Iraqi military defectors' stories about weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime's links with al-Qaeda." Sweet deal, eh?

Only 39% of Americans Think Tax Cuts Should be Permanent, While 55% Want them repealed for the Rich
Bush is trying to whip up voter anger against Kerry by charging that Kerry might overturn the tax cuts initiated in 2001. But this, like most of Bush's political moves of late, is backfiring loudly. A new survey reveals that only 39% of Americans think the tax cuts should be permanent.61% think a balanced budget trumps tax cuts; 59% say the cuts were either ineffectual or actually hurt the economy; and, in the biggest blow to Bush and his rich pals: 55% of Americans think the tax cuts should be REPEALED for people making over $200,000.

Florida Rights Group Files Charge that Bush Policy Toward Haitian Refugees Violates International Law
The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children and other human rights groups have demanded a change in U.S. policy towards Haitian refugees seeking protection in the US.. The groups charge that current policy violates international law and in most case forces Haitians to return without a chance to voice their asylum claims.Reports US Newsire: "Just Friday, the commission and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center filed a petition with the UN asking its human rights group to investigate the way Haitians are detained in the US and declare that the government's detention policy violates international law. In February, 1,000 Haitians were intercepted at sea and forcibly returned to Haiti; most were not given an opportunity to voice their fear of political persecution and request asylum. More recently, 7 Haitian women were deported - - one was 5 months pregnant -- despite the continued insecurity and political violence throughout the Caribbean nation."

Hijack Prevention Measures Could Have Prevented 911
Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), who is also a pilot, said before 911 the FAA "did things like allow fairly open access between the cabin and the cockpit based on that theory--'Let the hijackers come in and we'll talk about it; get the plane on the ground.' I think that once this administration understood the degree of vulnerability we had from a new use of airplanes as weapons of mass destruction, they had an obligation to tell the FAA and the commercial aviation industry of this so that they could have gone about the business of redeploying their past practices in order to meet this new threat. Now, would that have avoided September 11? I don't know. But it would have been an intelligent thing to do in any event." The FAA could also have ordered the airlines to "harden" cockpit doors to prevent hijackings.

From 1/20/01 to 9/11/01, Busheviks Said 'Al Qaeda' Exactly ONCE
Progress Report: "While the Bush administration maintains it was focused extensively on terrorism, our analysis of 557 public statements reveals only one mention of al Qaeda by the administration over the 8-month period. Notably, this single mention of al Qaeda was found in a signed notice from President Bush continuing an executive order - issued by President Clinton - prohibiting transactions with the Taliban. Osama bin Laden was mentioned only 19 times during the same period, 17 of which occurred in the context of press briefings or questions from journalists. The record clearly shows that terrorism and the threat from al Qaeda were not on the list of priorities for the Bush administration in early 2001. At a time when al Qaeda was finalizing its plans to attack America, the Bush administration was focused on Iraq and national missile defense rather than the threat from extremist terrorist groups."

Bush's Biggest Lie: Al Qaeda Was at the Top of His List
"While the Bush administration maintains it was focused extensively on terrorism, our analysis of 557 public statements reveals only one mention of al Qaeda by the administration over the 8-month period. Notably, this single mention of al Qaeda was found in a signed notice from President Bush continuing an executive order - issued by President Clinton - prohibiting transactions with the Taliban [But in Spring 2001 Bush gave the Taliban $43 million to curtail poppy production, which is now booming!]... bin Laden was mentioned only 19 times during the same period, 17 of which occurred in the context of press briefings or questions from journalists. The record clearly shows that terrorism and the threat from al Qaeda were not on the list of priorities for the Bush administration in early 2001. At a time when al Qaeda was finalizing its plans to attack America, the Bush administration was focused on Iraq and national missile defense rather than the threat from extremist terrorist groups."

Condoleezza's Crimes
From Black Commentator: "Although the 9/11 Commission will not lay a glove on her, Condoleezza Rice is finished as a Black political asset of the White Man's (War) Party. Colin Powell, a much smarter and cagier opportunist, will likely escape this administration still clutching his devalued aura, having hoarded some small measure of political capital for himself. This is not true for Condoleezza Rice. Her complete and abject identification with her master leaves Rice with nothing of her own to claim."

Bush Started to Suck Blair into His Iraq Scheme Just 9 Days After 9/11
Houston Chronicle: "Bush made clear at a dinner with Tony Blair 9 days after the Sept. 11 attacks that he wanted to confront Iraq, the former British ambassador to the US" told Vanity Fair. "The president raised Iraq at a White House meeting on Sept. 20, 2001," says Meyer," 'Rumors were already flying that Bush would use 9/11 as a pretext to attack Iraq,' Meyer, who attended the dinner, said. 'On the one hand, Blair came with a very strong message -- don't get distracted; the priorities were al-Qaida, Afghanistan, the Taliban.'' "Bush said, `I agree with you, Tony. We must deal with this first. But when we have dealt with Afghanistan, we must come back to Iraq."" This story has hit an international nerve, big time. It has made headlines around the world, from India to Las Vegas. We wonder how long Blair will remain PM after this bombshell!

Bush Admin Breaks Promise, Fails to Provide Promised Tuition Reimbursement to Returning Soldiers
KGW.com: "National Guardsmen returning from Iraq are finding that the funds promised them for tuition reimbursement are in short supply. The federal program that is supposed to defray up to 75% of their college expenses is short of funds, and until recently had no new funds in sight. ..New enlistees are still being promised this benefit when they sign up. "This could not have happened at a more critical juncture," wrote Brig. General Raymond C. Byrne Jr. on 3/22. Col. Cameron Crawford said that if the shortfall in the tuition program goes unfixed, it could impact the Guard's ability to retain experienced troops. "It's fair to say that we have a grave concern that many of our folks will choose not to re-enlist. Long term, that's not healthy. These are the people we want to re-enlist, because they have the most experience and training," Crawford said. "It just affects our overall ability to stay viable. By not keeping this promise to our soldiers, it sends a real negative message."

Karen Hughes Caught in Two Lies on Meet the Press
On Sunday, Bush brought out his "big gun" - his nanny. Yep, Karen Hughes, Bush's on call nose-wiper pleaded her ward's case and plugged her book on Meet the Press. But she flubbed her lines, reports the NY Daily News: "Hughes emphatically denied yesterday that Bush had opposed creating the 9/11 panel in 2002, saying instead he simply had 'concerns.' The White House vigorously fought against its creation. Hughes flubbed a critical fact in claiming 'unprecedented cooperation.' She said that four commissioners and two staffers had been given access to secret CIA briefings on Al Qaeda given to Bush before Sept. 11. [in fact] Only three panel members were." Hughes also hinted that the 9/11 report may not be released before Nov. because they must make sure no intelligence agent is compromised. What a joke! The White House proved in the Valerie Plame case that they do not give a rat's behind about the security of intelligence agents! You'll have to do better than that, Nanny Hughes!

Karen Hughes Revealed as Disempowered Woman
Karen Hughes book and recent interviews not only reveals a woman whose hero worship of Bush borders on the bizarre, but a woman from a joyless military family whose father was at least somewhat emotionally abusive (see the "promised horse" anecdote). Hughes comes across not as the "powerful woman" of her fantasy, but as a frightened and disempowered woman hiding behind, and basking in, the reflected power of male authority figures. Observes the Star Telegram: "Deeply religious like her boss, Hughes similarly sees a world of black and white and good vs. evil -- and perhaps even a presidency preordained by God to fight the war on terrorism. Drawing inspiration from the Old Testament on Sept. 11, 2001, she wonders whether Bush had won one the closest elections in American history and 'come to a royal position for such a time as this.'" Sad - and scary.

The Guantanamo Archipelago
America's global gulag stretches from "Guantanamo, the prison camps of Iraq, the holding areas of Bagram Air Base and Diego Garcia, the grim torture cells of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Thailand and other compliant lands." Its victims number at least 14,600 and probably well over 20,000. It violates the Geneva conventions and all internation law, and includes many of the exact offenses committed by King George III and denounced in the Declaration of Independence. " It is coming home to roost with Bush's nomination of former General Counsel for the Pentagon William Haynes - the man who approved the creation of this gulag - to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. So why is Tom Engelhardt the only writer who is sounding the alarm?

Democrats.com's Democratic Candidates Poll #46

Here are the results of the Democratic Candidates Poll (aka Reality Poll) #46:

Dennis Kucinich 97
John Kerry 55
John Edwards 42
Al Sharpton 1

Since John Edwards has ended his campaign, he will be removed from all future DDC polls. Vote in DDC Poll #47!

Bubble-Boy Bush is Trying to Pull Us All into His Bubble
Maureen Dowd writes, "By holding back documents, officials, information, images and the sight of returning military coffins, by twisting and exaggerating facts to fit story lines, by demonizing anyone who disagrees with its version of reality, this administration strives to create an optical delusion. There was always something of the boy in the bubble about George W. Bush, cosseted from the vicissitudes of life, from Vietnam to business failure, by his famous name. In the front yard of the Kennebunkport estate, he blithely announced his run for president knowing virtually nothing about foreign affairs, confident that Poppy would surround him with the protective flank of his own Desert Storm war council. But now Mr. Bush is trying to pull America and Iraq into his bubble. In briefings delivered in the bubble of their own security bunkers, Paul Bremer and military officials continue to insist that democracy and stability are taking root in Iraq."

BushRice's 911 Alibi is Pathetic
In order to deflect blame away from the Bush administration for its monumental 911 failures, the NY Times has cobbled together a pathetic alibi. Exhibit A is a meeting on 7-5-01 of the FBI, FAA, INS, and Customs to focus on a possible terrorist attack on the US. This meeting is offered as proof that Condi was focused on preventing an attack - but SHE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO ATTEND! Meanwhile, Bush got 40 different warnings from George Tenet about an Al Qaeda attack, but he still went to Crawford for the longest vacation in Presidential history! No wonder Bush refuses to testify without his White House "minder" - Dick Cheney.

Bush and Blair Made Secret Pact for Iraq War
"George Bush first asked Tony Blair to support the removal of Saddam Hussein from power at a private White House dinner nine days after the terror attacks of 11 September, 2001. According to Sir Christopher Meyer, the former British Ambassador to Washington... Blair told Bush he should not get distracted from the war on terror's initial goal - dealing with the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan... Bush, claims Meyer, replied by saying: 'I agree with you, Tony. We must deal with this first. But when we have dealt with Afghanistan, we must come back to Iraq.'"

Bushevik Takes Top Post at NBC to Help Bush Steal a Second Term
"Anna Perez, who recently directed communications at the National Security Council, will become chief communications executive for NBC, the network announced yesterday. Ms. Perez will take up the post of executive vice president for communications, but her duties will expand when NBC becomes NBC-Universal after the expected completion of the network's merger with entertainment units of Vivendi Universal. The deal is expected to be approved by June. Ms. Perez will start at NBC on May 1. She left the White House in December, where her titles included counselor for communications to Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice." Will NBC (and MSNBC) become a 24x7 anti-Kerry attack machine for Karl Rove? We have NOT forgotten that NBC was the second network - after FOX - to erroneously call Florida for Bush at 2 a.m. on election night, when it was much too close to call. That declaration by FOX and NBC made it impossible for Al Gore to get a fair recount.

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