Today we talked about the situation in Honduras, the American troop pullback in Iraq, the Iranian militia attacking motorcycles because there are no protesters out to beat, and the extreme media coverage of Michael Jackson's death.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
9/11 Families: 'Sad Day For Justice'
A group of relatives of those who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks are calling the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to deny their appeal of a lower court ruling dismissing their claims against five Saudi defendants for allegedly providing material support to the terrorists, "a sad day for justice."
"The high court's decision only further denies us our day in court while enabling members of the ruling family to evade accountability," the group 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism in a released statement.
"We respect the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter of legal matters in our system of government; nevertheless, we find this result a travesty of justice and a betrayal of the 9/11 families and others whose lives are impacted" by the attacks.
The group fears that the court is sending a signal to others overseas who might fund terrorism in the future that they are beyond the reach of U.S. laws.
"The high court's decision only further denies us our day in court while enabling members of the ruling family to evade accountability," the group 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism in a released statement.
"We respect the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter of legal matters in our system of government; nevertheless, we find this result a travesty of justice and a betrayal of the 9/11 families and others whose lives are impacted" by the attacks.
The group fears that the court is sending a signal to others overseas who might fund terrorism in the future that they are beyond the reach of U.S. laws.
Notes From A Correspondent In Iran: The World Needs To Know
The correspondent's name and location and other identifying information are being withheld for security reasons.
The situation is tense. A demonstration was schedule for Tajrish, a neighborhood on the northern edge of Tehran today. The plan was to link a chain of people from Shemiran on the northern part of Tehran all the way to the south of the city but the security forces have closed all the roads. All the major streets are blocked and security is out in force. There seems to be no organization to the protests.
The protesters are getting tired and hopeless and quiet. But they can't stay quiet for too long. There has to be strong support in the streets. I hope they get strong leadership soon before they get cold feet.
Soldiers won't allow people to stand in one place for more than a few seconds. If there are more than a couple people together they break them up.
There are also continuing problems using the Internet. Most sites are extremely slow and most in the United States won't open. Both sides are involved in a technological cat and mouse game to see who can find ways to open up the Internet while the government keeps working to block and censor traffic.
There's a cat and mouse game on the streets too because many of the security forces are not wearing uniforms and are dressed like normal people.
The crackdown isn't just affecting protesters. Other people are afraid to venture out as well. Buses, which are usually full of people, are empty.
I am hearing reports of shooting along the Chaar Rah Parkway. Also, security forces are using motorcycles to run through the crowds at [location deleted].
People with guns are demanding to know who is taking pictures from behind the windows of homes. People are afraid to be seen with a camera in their hands. They have shot at windows and have ordered everyone to stay away from the windows so there are no witnesses to what they are doing to the people in the streets. People are also afraid to be seen on their computers, the security forces are quick to shoot now.
The world needs to know how the government is treating the people.
The situation is tense. A demonstration was schedule for Tajrish, a neighborhood on the northern edge of Tehran today. The plan was to link a chain of people from Shemiran on the northern part of Tehran all the way to the south of the city but the security forces have closed all the roads. All the major streets are blocked and security is out in force. There seems to be no organization to the protests.
The protesters are getting tired and hopeless and quiet. But they can't stay quiet for too long. There has to be strong support in the streets. I hope they get strong leadership soon before they get cold feet.
Soldiers won't allow people to stand in one place for more than a few seconds. If there are more than a couple people together they break them up.
There are also continuing problems using the Internet. Most sites are extremely slow and most in the United States won't open. Both sides are involved in a technological cat and mouse game to see who can find ways to open up the Internet while the government keeps working to block and censor traffic.
There's a cat and mouse game on the streets too because many of the security forces are not wearing uniforms and are dressed like normal people.
The crackdown isn't just affecting protesters. Other people are afraid to venture out as well. Buses, which are usually full of people, are empty.
I am hearing reports of shooting along the Chaar Rah Parkway. Also, security forces are using motorcycles to run through the crowds at [location deleted].
People with guns are demanding to know who is taking pictures from behind the windows of homes. People are afraid to be seen with a camera in their hands. They have shot at windows and have ordered everyone to stay away from the windows so there are no witnesses to what they are doing to the people in the streets. People are also afraid to be seen on their computers, the security forces are quick to shoot now.
The world needs to know how the government is treating the people.
The Iranian Recount Sham
So they're going to "recount" 10 percent of the vote, and they've extended by five days the deadline for candidates to file complaints in the Iranian presidential "election."
Notice I put in quotation marks the terms recount and election, much the way Dr. Evil would put quotation marks around the word laser in the Austin Powers movies. At least Dr. Evil acknowledged he was BSing about the laser.
This is, of course, all a sham on the part of the Iranian government. So they can declare that they recounted the vote and offered opposition candidates opportunity to complain. The government will seize on the fact that since the failed candidates aren't dignifying this with complaints and claim that's proof that the protests were much ado about nothing.
It's not the biggest of the government's boldfaced lies. They're also claiming that Neda wasn't shot near any demonstrations but in an alley and that, therefore, it couldn't have been done by government agents. None were in the area, Tehran has declared.
Anyone who believes any of the above should email me. I have a bridge that links Manhattan and Brooklyn for sale. At a good price.
The world needs to remember all this the next time Ahmadinejad claims Iran isn't developing a nuclear bomb.
--
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/3668935363/
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Detroit Corruption Continues As City Council Member Who Is Wife Of Congressman Pleads Guilty To Bribery Charge
Detroit city councilwoman and wife of Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) Monica Conyers pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery before United States District Judge Avern Cohn.
According to records filed at the time of the plea, Conyers, 44, admitted to misusing her office of Detroit City Council president pro tem and her position as a trustee of the City of Detroit General Retirement System pension for personal gain.
According to the records, Conyers and an aide received payments from people who sought contracts, money and/or favorable treatment from the City Council or the pension fund. One example of this was in 2007, when Conyers admitted to receiving cash payments from Rayford Jackson knowing that the payments were made to influence votes in favor of a $1.2 billion contract with Synagro Technologies. She now faces the possibility of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to records filed at the time of the plea, Conyers, 44, admitted to misusing her office of Detroit City Council president pro tem and her position as a trustee of the City of Detroit General Retirement System pension for personal gain.
According to the records, Conyers and an aide received payments from people who sought contracts, money and/or favorable treatment from the City Council or the pension fund. One example of this was in 2007, when Conyers admitted to receiving cash payments from Rayford Jackson knowing that the payments were made to influence votes in favor of a $1.2 billion contract with Synagro Technologies. She now faces the possibility of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
News Talk Online June 26, 2009: The Terrifying Story Of A Woman Held By Al Qaeda For Ransom In Russia
Bornstein
In January 1992, the unimaginable happened to Yvonne Bornstein, a wife, mother and businesswoman.
While on a business trip to Moscow, she was kidnapped, tortured, and starved for 11 horrifying days. Held for $1.6 million ransom, chances were slim that she would survive. However, an unprecedented collaboration between the FBI and Russian intelligence led to her safe release.
While it was originally thought that Yvonne’s captors were part of the Russian mob, it was only in 2002 that a key player in the rescue put together by the FBI and the MVD (an off-shoot of the former KGB) amazingly linked the kidnappers to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.
Bornstein’s harrowing and life-altering true story comes vividly to life in New York Times bestselling author David Hagberg’s Burned, a fictional account of her ordeal. The book delves into what she felt during those desperate days and the strength she found within herself to survive.
Bornstein lived through an event that would cause many other women to falter. She now travels the world sharing her intense story and the lessons she has learned — lessons that can speak to anyone who has trouble in their life. She and Hagberg joined me as guests on today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
News Talk Online June 25, 2009: Supporting The Iranian People
It's called the Derafsh-e Kavian, the ancient Persian banner, or flag. And it will be raised again at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ, overlooking the Statute of Liberty this Saturday afternoon, in support of the Iranian people who are struggling with the regime for their freedoms.
It is just one more symbol by the ex-pat Iranian community, said spokesman "Babak," tying them in with the people who are putting their lives on the line in Iran.
It is just one more symbol by the ex-pat Iranian community, said spokesman "Babak," tying them in with the people who are putting their lives on the line in Iran.
Internet Talk Show Host Arrested For Allegedly Threatening Judges
Hal Turner, an intermittent Internet radio talk show host and blogger, was arrested today by FBI agents at his home in North Bergen, N.J. for allegedly threatening to assault and murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago for their recent ruling upholding handgun bans in Chicago and a suburb.
Internet postings on June 2 and 3 proclaimed “outrage” over the June 2, 2009, handgun decision by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer, of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed,” Turner allegedly said in his posting. The postings included photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers of these judges, along with a photo of the building in which they work and a map of its location.
Turner, 47, is charged with threatening to assault and murder three federal judges with intent to retaliate against them for performing official duties.
“We take threats to federal judges very seriously.” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the complaint affidavit, several lawsuits were filed challenging handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the Second Amendment entitles handguns at home for self-protection. On June 2, 2009, the 7th Circuit issued an opinion affirming a district court’s decision to dismiss the cases challenging the local handgun bans. The unanimous decision was written by Chief Judge Easterbrook and joined by Judges Posner and Bauer.
On June 8, 2009, law enforcement agents were directed to postings on a web site. The front page of the site contained an entry dated June 2, 2009, that was titled: “OUTRAGE: Chicago Gun Ban UPHELD; Court says ‘Heller’ ruling by Supreme Court not applicable to states or municipalities!”
After describing the decision, a lengthy entry followed, which is contained in the complaint affidavit. In addition to proclaiming “These judges deserve to be killed,” the entry notes that it was the same 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that decided the case of Matt Hale, a white-supremacist who was imprisoned after being convicted of soliciting the murder of a U.S. District Court judge in Chicago. The entry further noted that the same judge’s mother and husband were murdered by a gunman in her home. The posting then stated:
“Apparently, the 7th U.S. Circuit court didn’t get the hint after those killings. It appears another lesson is needed.”
The complaint charges that the posting was updated the next morning on June 3, 2009, with the following content:
“Judges' official public work addresses and a map of the area are below. Their home addresses and maps will follow soon. Behold these devils.”
Below this headline, the entry listed the names, photos, phone numbers, work addresses and room numbers of the three judges involved in the handgun decision, as well as a photo of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago and a map. The photo of the building had been modified to include arrows and a label referencing “Anti-truck bomb barriers,” according to the affidavit.
Turner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine in convicted.
Internet postings on June 2 and 3 proclaimed “outrage” over the June 2, 2009, handgun decision by Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer, of the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed,” Turner allegedly said in his posting. The postings included photographs, phone numbers, work address and room numbers of these judges, along with a photo of the building in which they work and a map of its location.
Turner, 47, is charged with threatening to assault and murder three federal judges with intent to retaliate against them for performing official duties.
“We take threats to federal judges very seriously.” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the complaint affidavit, several lawsuits were filed challenging handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the Second Amendment entitles handguns at home for self-protection. On June 2, 2009, the 7th Circuit issued an opinion affirming a district court’s decision to dismiss the cases challenging the local handgun bans. The unanimous decision was written by Chief Judge Easterbrook and joined by Judges Posner and Bauer.
On June 8, 2009, law enforcement agents were directed to postings on a web site. The front page of the site contained an entry dated June 2, 2009, that was titled: “OUTRAGE: Chicago Gun Ban UPHELD; Court says ‘Heller’ ruling by Supreme Court not applicable to states or municipalities!”
After describing the decision, a lengthy entry followed, which is contained in the complaint affidavit. In addition to proclaiming “These judges deserve to be killed,” the entry notes that it was the same 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that decided the case of Matt Hale, a white-supremacist who was imprisoned after being convicted of soliciting the murder of a U.S. District Court judge in Chicago. The entry further noted that the same judge’s mother and husband were murdered by a gunman in her home. The posting then stated:
“Apparently, the 7th U.S. Circuit court didn’t get the hint after those killings. It appears another lesson is needed.”
The complaint charges that the posting was updated the next morning on June 3, 2009, with the following content:
“Judges' official public work addresses and a map of the area are below. Their home addresses and maps will follow soon. Behold these devils.”
Below this headline, the entry listed the names, photos, phone numbers, work addresses and room numbers of the three judges involved in the handgun decision, as well as a photo of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago and a map. The photo of the building had been modified to include arrows and a label referencing “Anti-truck bomb barriers,” according to the affidavit.
Turner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine in convicted.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
24 MS-13 Gang Members, Associates Indicted
Two dozen members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been indicted on racketeering charges in Los Angeles. Among those charged is the executive director of a non-profit gang intervention organizations.
Charges range from murder to conspiracy to commit murder and extortion to narcotics trafficking.
The unsealed 16-count federal indictment covers a period of 15 years and alleges that the gang was responsible for seven murders and eight conspiracies to commit murder during since 1995.
Five of the defendants are charged with conspiring to murder a veteran LAPD Gang Unit detective. The indictment also charges Alex Sanchez, the executive director of "Homies Unidos," a non-profit organization which purports to use the public and private charitable contributions it receives for gang intervention efforts, with, among other things, conspiracy to murder.
“Today, in Los Angeles, where the MS-13 gang was formed, we are holding its leaders accountable for the violence and intimidation they have used to bring terror to the citizens living and working within the gang’s territory,” said Thomas P. O’Brien, the United States Attorney in Los Angeles. “We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners, both local and federal, to ensure that this gang’s leaders’ are held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
The indictment announced today is a result of a three-year investigation by the FBI and the LAPD which focused on the leadership of multiple cliques of the MS-13 gang, spanning from 1995 to the present. MS-13 members and associates allegedly used violence and intimidation to control narcotics sales and distribution within its claimed territory and to collect extortion payments or "rent" from gang members and non-gang members who conducted business, including legitimate concerns, within its territory.
Los Angeles is the birthplace for MS-13, or "Mara Salvatrucha-13," formed by immigrants who fled the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980s. The number "13" relates to the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, or "M," a known to reference "La Eme," or the Mexican Mafia, a California-based prison gang that exercises control over MS-13 members and other street gangs whose members pay taxes in exchange for protection. The gang is estimated to have several thousand members in numerous U.S. cities, as well as throughout Central America and Mexico, and is known for its brutality.
If convicted of the federal racketeering charges, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty ranging from 25 years to life in prison.
In addition to the 24 defendants listed in the indictment, at least 15 other people were arrested for charges unrelated to the federal indictment. Three children were also taken into protective custody.
Charges range from murder to conspiracy to commit murder and extortion to narcotics trafficking.
The unsealed 16-count federal indictment covers a period of 15 years and alleges that the gang was responsible for seven murders and eight conspiracies to commit murder during since 1995.
Five of the defendants are charged with conspiring to murder a veteran LAPD Gang Unit detective. The indictment also charges Alex Sanchez, the executive director of "Homies Unidos," a non-profit organization which purports to use the public and private charitable contributions it receives for gang intervention efforts, with, among other things, conspiracy to murder.
“Today, in Los Angeles, where the MS-13 gang was formed, we are holding its leaders accountable for the violence and intimidation they have used to bring terror to the citizens living and working within the gang’s territory,” said Thomas P. O’Brien, the United States Attorney in Los Angeles. “We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners, both local and federal, to ensure that this gang’s leaders’ are held accountable for their criminal conduct.”
The indictment announced today is a result of a three-year investigation by the FBI and the LAPD which focused on the leadership of multiple cliques of the MS-13 gang, spanning from 1995 to the present. MS-13 members and associates allegedly used violence and intimidation to control narcotics sales and distribution within its claimed territory and to collect extortion payments or "rent" from gang members and non-gang members who conducted business, including legitimate concerns, within its territory.
Los Angeles is the birthplace for MS-13, or "Mara Salvatrucha-13," formed by immigrants who fled the civil war in El Salvador in the 1980s. The number "13" relates to the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, or "M," a known to reference "La Eme," or the Mexican Mafia, a California-based prison gang that exercises control over MS-13 members and other street gangs whose members pay taxes in exchange for protection. The gang is estimated to have several thousand members in numerous U.S. cities, as well as throughout Central America and Mexico, and is known for its brutality.
If convicted of the federal racketeering charges, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty ranging from 25 years to life in prison.
In addition to the 24 defendants listed in the indictment, at least 15 other people were arrested for charges unrelated to the federal indictment. Three children were also taken into protective custody.
News Talk Online June 24, 2009: Brutality In Iran
Brutality in Iran, what was described by one witness as a "massacre" with people being thrown off a pedestrian overpass and security militiamen using machetes or axes in addition to bullets and riot batons on protesters was the topic of today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.
Guest Hooman Sarshar, a scholar of Iranian studies, said the people in the resistance know they now must follow this through to the end or face severe retribution - up to and including death - from the regime if they do not. But he says there are some encouraging signs, including clerics who are siding with the protesters, creating a conflict among the security forces. What to do about that? Can the attack imams? And if clerics are with the demonstrators, then which side should they really be on?
Sarshar also commended President Obama's handling of the affair. He believes the president is playing by the mullah's rules - not giving them reason to blame what is clearly a natural, internal uprising on the United States.
Guest Hooman Sarshar, a scholar of Iranian studies, said the people in the resistance know they now must follow this through to the end or face severe retribution - up to and including death - from the regime if they do not. But he says there are some encouraging signs, including clerics who are siding with the protesters, creating a conflict among the security forces. What to do about that? Can the attack imams? And if clerics are with the demonstrators, then which side should they really be on?
Sarshar also commended President Obama's handling of the affair. He believes the president is playing by the mullah's rules - not giving them reason to blame what is clearly a natural, internal uprising on the United States.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
New Jersey Man Sentenced For Providing Material Support To Hezbollah
A 56-year-old man from Matawan, NJ has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for providing material support to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
Saleh Elahwal was sentenced by Federal Judge Richard Berman following his guilty plea. He was accused of providing satellite transmission services to a Lebanon-based TV station operated by Hezbollah. He was paid thousands of dollars for providing the feeds.
Elahwal was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. A co-defendant, Javed Iqbal, was previously sentenced to 69 months after he also pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist organization.
Saleh Elahwal was sentenced by Federal Judge Richard Berman following his guilty plea. He was accused of providing satellite transmission services to a Lebanon-based TV station operated by Hezbollah. He was paid thousands of dollars for providing the feeds.
Elahwal was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. A co-defendant, Javed Iqbal, was previously sentenced to 69 months after he also pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist organization.
News Talk Online June 23, 2009: Psychological Terror In Iran
Much as been said about the physical attacks on the Iranian people by a repressive regime bent on suppressing the freedom movement that arose following the disputed presidential election there. But little has been said about the psychological toll the people have suffered.
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a well known psychologist who regularly appears on CNN has traveled to Iran to train hospital personnel in ways to help people who have suffered trauma and stress. My guest today on News Talk Online on Paltalk, Dr. Judy says the government of Iran has psychologically tortured an entire population.
Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a well known psychologist who regularly appears on CNN has traveled to Iran to train hospital personnel in ways to help people who have suffered trauma and stress. My guest today on News Talk Online on Paltalk, Dr. Judy says the government of Iran has psychologically tortured an entire population.
Is Comparing The Iranian Election To 2 Recent U.S. Presidential Elections Fair?
By Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
Iran's ayatollahs have just admitted that in some 50 cities there were as many as 3 million more votes cast than there were voters in the recent presidential election.
But, they say, that's not enough to change the outcome. So, like Florida in 2000 and Ohio 2004, there will be no total recount and no new election. Election theft should be opposed, whether it's sanctioned by a supreme ayatollah or the U.S. Supreme Court.
It's as if the Iranian government is being advised by Ohio's former Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, who, in 2004, purged hundreds of thousands of voters, and allegedly stole, switched and disappeared enough votes to put George W. Bush in the White House for a second term. The dubious Iranian tallies look very similar to the inflated Bush outcomes in 12 Republican southwest Ohio counties, most notably Warren, Clermont and Butler. They are reminiscent of the vote counts in two precincts in Perry County that reported turnouts of 121% and 118% of registered voters.
The chief difference between Iran 2009 and Ohio 2004 and Florida 2000 is in the opposition. Iran's Mir Hussein Moussavi has vowed martyrdom. John Kerry, trailing in Ohio by just 130,000 votes with more than 250,000 yet to be counted, walked away less than 12 hours after exit polls showed him a clear victor. Gore fought a little, but instead of embracing martyrdom, opted for boredom, and for making sure there was no challenge in the U.S. Senate to the votes stolen.
Nationwide, Bush's alleged 3 million-vote nationwide margin in 2004, and 600 votes in Florida 2000, were as fictional as those ballots the ayatollahs now admit should not exist.
Moussavi believes he has a date with destiny. But Kerry apparently had one on the golf course. Gore's failure failure to effectively respond in Florida 2000 remains an inconvenient truth.
Blackwell, Florida's Jeb Bush and Iran's Revolutionary Guard used registration tampering, disinformation, intimidation and fraud to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters before the balloting.
Blackwell and Bush then used a lethal mix of black box machines, faulty scantrons and hijacked ballots to finish the job. Votes cast electronically are believed to have disappeared or switched at around 2 AM election night. Just before he was to testify about what really happened, high-tech IT henchman, Michael Connell, died in a mysterious plane crash.
The New York Times seems to finally understand the problem. In an editorial, How to Trust Electronic Voting, the Times said, "In paperless electronic voting, voters mark their choices, and when the votes have all been cast, the machine spits out the results. There is no way to be sure that a glitch or intentional vote theft – by malicious software or computer hacking – did not change the outcome. If there's a close election, there's also no way of conducting a meaningful recount."
Saddled with paper ballots that may or may not still exist, the Iranian authorities have simply trashed the whole election. "I don't think they actually counted the votes," one observer told the New York Times.
Because the American people did not take to the streets in the Iranian model, our democracy was subverted.
Thanks to Kerry and Gore, the public follow-up in Ohio and Florida was ineffective. As in Iran, the primary reporting has been largely limited to the Internet. The results - eight years of George W. Bush - speak for themselves.
But in the U.S., a nationwide election protection movement has arisen that protected the results in 2008, and that could make all the difference for the future of American democracy.
The Iranian people are speaking for themselves, and for the finest principles of democracy. For confirmation and inspiration, they need only look at America 2000-8 to see the consequences of an unelected government.
--
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection. Bob's Fitrakis Files are at FreePress.org, where this article first appeared. Harvey Wasserman's History of the U.S. is at www.harveywasserman.com.
Iran's ayatollahs have just admitted that in some 50 cities there were as many as 3 million more votes cast than there were voters in the recent presidential election.
But, they say, that's not enough to change the outcome. So, like Florida in 2000 and Ohio 2004, there will be no total recount and no new election. Election theft should be opposed, whether it's sanctioned by a supreme ayatollah or the U.S. Supreme Court.
It's as if the Iranian government is being advised by Ohio's former Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, who, in 2004, purged hundreds of thousands of voters, and allegedly stole, switched and disappeared enough votes to put George W. Bush in the White House for a second term. The dubious Iranian tallies look very similar to the inflated Bush outcomes in 12 Republican southwest Ohio counties, most notably Warren, Clermont and Butler. They are reminiscent of the vote counts in two precincts in Perry County that reported turnouts of 121% and 118% of registered voters.
The chief difference between Iran 2009 and Ohio 2004 and Florida 2000 is in the opposition. Iran's Mir Hussein Moussavi has vowed martyrdom. John Kerry, trailing in Ohio by just 130,000 votes with more than 250,000 yet to be counted, walked away less than 12 hours after exit polls showed him a clear victor. Gore fought a little, but instead of embracing martyrdom, opted for boredom, and for making sure there was no challenge in the U.S. Senate to the votes stolen.
Nationwide, Bush's alleged 3 million-vote nationwide margin in 2004, and 600 votes in Florida 2000, were as fictional as those ballots the ayatollahs now admit should not exist.
Moussavi believes he has a date with destiny. But Kerry apparently had one on the golf course. Gore's failure failure to effectively respond in Florida 2000 remains an inconvenient truth.
Blackwell, Florida's Jeb Bush and Iran's Revolutionary Guard used registration tampering, disinformation, intimidation and fraud to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters before the balloting.
Blackwell and Bush then used a lethal mix of black box machines, faulty scantrons and hijacked ballots to finish the job. Votes cast electronically are believed to have disappeared or switched at around 2 AM election night. Just before he was to testify about what really happened, high-tech IT henchman, Michael Connell, died in a mysterious plane crash.
The New York Times seems to finally understand the problem. In an editorial, How to Trust Electronic Voting, the Times said, "In paperless electronic voting, voters mark their choices, and when the votes have all been cast, the machine spits out the results. There is no way to be sure that a glitch or intentional vote theft – by malicious software or computer hacking – did not change the outcome. If there's a close election, there's also no way of conducting a meaningful recount."
Saddled with paper ballots that may or may not still exist, the Iranian authorities have simply trashed the whole election. "I don't think they actually counted the votes," one observer told the New York Times.
Because the American people did not take to the streets in the Iranian model, our democracy was subverted.
Thanks to Kerry and Gore, the public follow-up in Ohio and Florida was ineffective. As in Iran, the primary reporting has been largely limited to the Internet. The results - eight years of George W. Bush - speak for themselves.
But in the U.S., a nationwide election protection movement has arisen that protected the results in 2008, and that could make all the difference for the future of American democracy.
The Iranian people are speaking for themselves, and for the finest principles of democracy. For confirmation and inspiration, they need only look at America 2000-8 to see the consequences of an unelected government.
--
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection. Bob's Fitrakis Files are at FreePress.org, where this article first appeared. Harvey Wasserman's History of the U.S. is at www.harveywasserman.com.
Monday, June 22, 2009
News Talk Online June 22, 2009: Crisis In Iran
The continuing crisis in Iran was the topic of today's News Talk Online on Paltalk.com
How Iran And China Use Western Technology To Censure, ID Dissidents
According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran and China are likely using Deep Packet Inspection technology to monitor and control the Internet.
This spring, a Free Press.org report, Deep Packet Inspection: The End of the Internet as We Know It?, argued that DPI technology poses a major threat to the open Internet, giving network providers unprecedented power over Internet users. The use of DPI by U.S. companies like Comcast and Cox has already sparked widespread concern about abuses of net neutrality and online privacy.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Iranian government appears to be using this same technology "to not only block communication but to monitor it to gather information about individuals, as well as alter it for disinformation purposes." The Chinese government is believed to be using DPI to implement its "Great Firewall," "widely considered the most advanced and extensive censoring in the world" -- an "arrangement that depends on the cooperation of all the service providers."
In a May speech, President Obama said, "Our pursuit of cyber security will not -- I repeat, will not include -- monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic. We will preserve and protect the personal privacy and civil liberties that we cherish as Americans. Indeed, I remain firmly committed to Net Neutrality so we can keep the Internet as it should be -- open and free."
"DPI technology is America's sleeping giant," says Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press and a previous guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com
"It has been widely deployed by Internet service providers across the country, and could be secretly put to use without our knowledge or consent."
Silver is concerned that the same technology that's being used to block free speech in Iran and China could be employed in the United States.
This spring, a Free Press.org report, Deep Packet Inspection: The End of the Internet as We Know It?, argued that DPI technology poses a major threat to the open Internet, giving network providers unprecedented power over Internet users. The use of DPI by U.S. companies like Comcast and Cox has already sparked widespread concern about abuses of net neutrality and online privacy.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Iranian government appears to be using this same technology "to not only block communication but to monitor it to gather information about individuals, as well as alter it for disinformation purposes." The Chinese government is believed to be using DPI to implement its "Great Firewall," "widely considered the most advanced and extensive censoring in the world" -- an "arrangement that depends on the cooperation of all the service providers."
In a May speech, President Obama said, "Our pursuit of cyber security will not -- I repeat, will not include -- monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic. We will preserve and protect the personal privacy and civil liberties that we cherish as Americans. Indeed, I remain firmly committed to Net Neutrality so we can keep the Internet as it should be -- open and free."
"DPI technology is America's sleeping giant," says Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press and a previous guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com
"It has been widely deployed by Internet service providers across the country, and could be secretly put to use without our knowledge or consent."
Silver is concerned that the same technology that's being used to block free speech in Iran and China could be employed in the United States.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Dispatch From Iran
The author's name is being withheld for obvious security reasons.
TEHRAN - There are various reports from across town, the best way of communication is word of the mouth because cell phones and Internet are shot down time to time, but they can't keep it off line too long cause fortunately there is no way to partially shot these systems down and the government needs to use it as well.
iolence toward innocent people was extreme yesterday, the reports are unbelievable. Innocent demonstrators were shot by sharpshooters while walking in the street. One young girl was shot right in the throat another one was shot in the chest announced dead in the scene. Up to now most people used their cell phones and personal cameras to capture the scenes but yesterday they began beating up anyone take out their cell phone. They use the batons and electric bats to hit the wrest and arms. Many people have broken wrists and arms and hospitals have been ordered to not treat these patients.
Last night the sound of Allahoakbar was louder and longer than last few nights. There were also screams of Down with Dictator!
People believe there's no way back out now. Let's hope and pray there won't be that much more bloodshed.
TEHRAN - There are various reports from across town, the best way of communication is word of the mouth because cell phones and Internet are shot down time to time, but they can't keep it off line too long cause fortunately there is no way to partially shot these systems down and the government needs to use it as well.
iolence toward innocent people was extreme yesterday, the reports are unbelievable. Innocent demonstrators were shot by sharpshooters while walking in the street. One young girl was shot right in the throat another one was shot in the chest announced dead in the scene. Up to now most people used their cell phones and personal cameras to capture the scenes but yesterday they began beating up anyone take out their cell phone. They use the batons and electric bats to hit the wrest and arms. Many people have broken wrists and arms and hospitals have been ordered to not treat these patients.
Last night the sound of Allahoakbar was louder and longer than last few nights. There were also screams of Down with Dictator!
People believe there's no way back out now. Let's hope and pray there won't be that much more bloodshed.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
From Iranian Blogger: 'Maybe I Will Be One Of The People Who Is Going To Get Killed'
This is a repost from an Iranian blogger. It was posted yesterday, referring to today's demonstrations. The original blogging site has been taken down:
I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow! There are a few great movie scenes that I also have to see. I should drop by the library, too. It’s worth to read the poems of Forough and Shamloo again. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children…”
I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to get killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow! There are a few great movie scenes that I also have to see. I should drop by the library, too. It’s worth to read the poems of Forough and Shamloo again. All family pictures have to be reviewed, too. I have to call my friends as well to say goodbye. All I have are two bookshelves which I told my family who should receive them. I’m two units away from getting my bachelors degree but who cares about that. My mind is very chaotic. I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so they know we were not just emotional and under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mongols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children…”
Friday, June 19, 2009
News Talk Online June 19,2009: Iran At The Crossroads
The pronouncement today by the supreme leader of Iran that the results of the presidential election are final and that any further street protests will result in retribution is placing that nation at a crossroads.
Today's guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, Pooya Dayanim, president of the Iranian Jewish Public Affairs Committee, says if opposition candidate Hossein Mousav tells his people to continue protesting in defiance of the ayatollah the resistance will be viewed simply as an attempt to get the vote re-counted. But if Mousavi tells his supporters to stay off the streets on Saturday and they demonstrate regardless, the game plan changes. Leading, he believes, to an attempt at a regime change.
Dayanim says, whether they have the tools to do that and whether they have a leader to fill the vacuum should they succeed is another story altogether.
Today's guest on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com, Pooya Dayanim, president of the Iranian Jewish Public Affairs Committee, says if opposition candidate Hossein Mousav tells his people to continue protesting in defiance of the ayatollah the resistance will be viewed simply as an attempt to get the vote re-counted. But if Mousavi tells his supporters to stay off the streets on Saturday and they demonstrate regardless, the game plan changes. Leading, he believes, to an attempt at a regime change.
Dayanim says, whether they have the tools to do that and whether they have a leader to fill the vacuum should they succeed is another story altogether.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
News Talk Online June 18, 2009: Iran's National Day Of Mourning
Roya Teimouri of Persian Radio was the guest on today's News Talk
Online on Paltalk.com. With information about today's protests in the
streets of Tehran - silent protests on what was declared a National
Day of Mourning in remembrance of those who have been killed
demonstrating against Iran's stolen presidential election.
Teimouri reports 5,000 of the security forces on the streets of Iran
are not Iranians but Lebanese and Palestinian, brought in, she says,
by the government to try to forcefully put down the demonstrations.
She predicts that Friday's planned demonstrations following Muslim
prayers will likely pit pro and anti-regime Iranians against one
another and says violence is probable. She also says that if the
demonstrators really want regime change the first institution they
will attempt to take over will be the Media Center which controls the
flow of information both within Iran and to the outside world.
Online on Paltalk.com. With information about today's protests in the
streets of Tehran - silent protests on what was declared a National
Day of Mourning in remembrance of those who have been killed
demonstrating against Iran's stolen presidential election.
Teimouri reports 5,000 of the security forces on the streets of Iran
are not Iranians but Lebanese and Palestinian, brought in, she says,
by the government to try to forcefully put down the demonstrations.
She predicts that Friday's planned demonstrations following Muslim
prayers will likely pit pro and anti-regime Iranians against one
another and says violence is probable. She also says that if the
demonstrators really want regime change the first institution they
will attempt to take over will be the Media Center which controls the
flow of information both within Iran and to the outside world.
News Talk Online June 18, 2009: Iran's National Day Of Mourning
Roya Teimouri of Persian Radio was the guest on today's News Talk
Online on Paltalk.com. With information about today's protests in the
streets of Tehran - silent protests on what was declared a National
Day of Mourning in remembrance of those who have been killed
demonstrating against Iran's stolen presidential election.
Teimouri reports 5,000 of the security forces on the streets of Iran
are not Iranians but Lebanese and Palestinian, brought in, she says,
by the government to try to forcefully put down the demonstrations.
She predicts that Friday's planned demonstrations following Muslim
prayers will likely pit pro and anti-regime Iranians against one
another and says violence is probable. She also says that if the
demonstrators really want regime change the first institution they
will attempt to take over will be the Media Center which controls the
flow of information both within Iran and to the outside world.
Online on Paltalk.com. With information about today's protests in the
streets of Tehran - silent protests on what was declared a National
Day of Mourning in remembrance of those who have been killed
demonstrating against Iran's stolen presidential election.
Teimouri reports 5,000 of the security forces on the streets of Iran
are not Iranians but Lebanese and Palestinian, brought in, she says,
by the government to try to forcefully put down the demonstrations.
She predicts that Friday's planned demonstrations following Muslim
prayers will likely pit pro and anti-regime Iranians against one
another and says violence is probable. She also says that if the
demonstrators really want regime change the first institution they
will attempt to take over will be the Media Center which controls the
flow of information both within Iran and to the outside world.
Man Who Thought He Was Kidnapped As Child In Unsolved Case Mistaken
Andrew G. Arena, special agent in charge of the FBI in Detroit says the DNA results of samples collected from John Barnes of Kalkaska, Michigan and Pamela Damman Horne of Kansas City, Missouri show they do not share the same mother.
All interested parties have been notified of the DNA test results.
All interested parties have been notified of the DNA test results.
Tennessee Man Sentenced For Trying To Sell Stolen Government Uranium Enrichment Equipment
U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan today sentenced Roy Lynn Oakley, 67, of Harriman, Tenn., to six years in prison for trying to sell parts of uranium enrichment equipment that he had stolen from a U.S. Department of Energy facility in Oak Ridge.
Oakley had illegally taken this equipment while employed at a building formerly known as the K-25 plant. The K-25 building, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, was operated by DOE to produce highly enriched uranium used in the manufacture of atomic weapons.
Oakley pleaded guilty in January after being charged with trying to sell the equipment for $200,000 to a person he thought was an agent of the French government. FBI agents launched an undercover investigation in 2007 after learning that Oakley had taken the equipment and was offering to sell it to a foreign government.
Oakley told the undercover agent that while he did not want to sell the materials to a country like North Korea, he was willing to sell them materials to the French government as he thought they might benefit from it. During a meeting with the FBI undercover agent as part of a “sting” operation, Oakley handed over the equipment and was paid $200,000 in cash. He was immediately arrested.
At no time did any real representative of the French government talk to Oakley.
Oakley had illegally taken this equipment while employed at a building formerly known as the K-25 plant. The K-25 building, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, was operated by DOE to produce highly enriched uranium used in the manufacture of atomic weapons.
Oakley pleaded guilty in January after being charged with trying to sell the equipment for $200,000 to a person he thought was an agent of the French government. FBI agents launched an undercover investigation in 2007 after learning that Oakley had taken the equipment and was offering to sell it to a foreign government.
Oakley told the undercover agent that while he did not want to sell the materials to a country like North Korea, he was willing to sell them materials to the French government as he thought they might benefit from it. During a meeting with the FBI undercover agent as part of a “sting” operation, Oakley handed over the equipment and was paid $200,000 in cash. He was immediately arrested.
At no time did any real representative of the French government talk to Oakley.
DEA/ICE Announce Alliance
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration today entered into a new inter agency agreement to increase the number of agents targeting international drug traffickers, improve and enhance information and intelligence sharing, and promote effective coordination between the agencies.
DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton today signed the agreement describing the new measures both agencies will implement.
The agreement allows ICE agents to investigate narcotics violations both in the United States and overseas in coordination with the DEA.
The agreement takes immediate effect.
DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton today signed the agreement describing the new measures both agencies will implement.
The agreement allows ICE agents to investigate narcotics violations both in the United States and overseas in coordination with the DEA.
The agreement takes immediate effect.
2 Countries, 3 Elections, 2 Reactions
By Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
The parallels between the stolen Iranian election of 2009 and the American of 2000 and 2004 are tragic. The histories---and futures---of the two nations are inseparable. Bound up in their tortured half-century of crime and manipulation are the few glimmers of hope for lasting peace in the Middle East. In both countries, a right-wing fundamentalist authoritarian with open contempt for human rights and the Geneva Convention has come up a winner, with catastrophic consequences. In both countries, the blow back of two George Bushes loom large.
In the U.S., two “defeated” candidates---Al Gore and John Kerry---said and did nothing in the face of two stolen elections. But an unprecedented voter protection movement arose from the ashes of those defeats to assure the 2008 victory of America's first African-American president.
In Iran, the “defeated” candidate---Mir Hussein Moussavi---is fighting back, along with massive grassroots resistance. How far they get will define the Iranian future---as well as that of the Middle East.
In a fluid and unpredictable situation, here are some indisputable facts:
1) A half-century ago, the people of Iran attempted a democratic revolution led by a moderate progressive, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, whose social-democratic inclinations have been revived by Moussavi.
2) Prime Minister Mossadegh was overthrown by the Eisenhower administration and its Central Intelligence Agency, which wanted to wall in the Soviet Union and protect western oil interests.
3) Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. (father of the Gulf War general of the same name) used a suitcase full of US taxpayer dollars to bribe Iran’s anti-democratic sympathizers and help overthrow Mossadegh.
4) They installed the pro-U.S. general Fazlollah Zahedi, who handed control of Iran to the brutal and vicious Shah. The dictatorial Shah ruled through the infamous secret terror/torture police force Savak, which Schwartzkopf helped train.
4) A prototypical CIA asset, the Shah used his iron torturer’s hand to “westernize” the country and make it more user-friendly to US oil interests.
5) Among other things, the U.S., France and other western powers were moving to provide the Shah with up to 36 atomic power plants designed to provide electricity and, ultimately, radioactive materials with which to build his own atomic bombs.
6) Despite his ostensible commitment to human rights, President Jimmy Carter made a point of spending a high-profile New Year’s with the Shah, evoking the bitter hatred of millions of Iranians.
7) The Shah’s overthrow by fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini led to the 1979-80 hostage crisis that finally sank Carter’s presidency. Amidst indications of a secret deal involving past and future CIA Directors George H.W. Bush and William Casey, the release of the hostages was delayed long enough to guarantee Carter’s defeat, thus inaugurating the Age of Ronald Reagan, with 12 of its 28 years under the two George Bushes.
8) Secret dealings between Reagan/Bush and the Iranians led to the Iran-Contra Affair, when covert operatives like Oliver North funneled arms to the Iranians and laundered cash and drugs through the reactionary Contra forces fighting revolution in Nicaragua.
9) The Contras in turn flooded the US with cocaine, feeding a horrific crack epidemic that has crippled the black and Hispanic communities here for two decades.
10) Those U.S.-financed arms were used to fight the Iraqis and Saddam Hussein, whom the US also supported, and whom Donald Rumsfeld publicly embraced in the early 1980s. The American goal seems to have been to weaken both Iran and Iraq through a horrifying war that claimed at least a million casualties, ultimately infuriating the citizens of both countries.
After a half-century of dictatorship under the Shah and the CIA, followed by the Ayatollah and the fundamentalists, the Iranian public appears desperate to return to the social-democratic vision of Mossadegh, denied so long ago.
In the U.S. in 2000 and 2004, the corporate/religious right put George W. Bush in the White House---and then kept him there---with a sophisticated election theft machine built around elimination of voter registrations, manipulation of the vote count, and a wide array of supporting tactics. The US Supreme Court set it all in stone with its infamous Bush v. Gore decision, which prevented a true vote count in Florida 2000. History repeated itself in Ohio 2004.
In Iran 2009, the ruling fundamentalist elite has barely pretended to count the votes at all, merely rushing to announce a predetermined outcome. The reigning Ayatollah has played the role of the US Supreme Court by certifying the outcome before a real ballot tally could possibly occur. Blank spaces in the texts of Iranian newspapers and an electronic blackout created by official censors reflect the on-going vacuum in the US corporate media, which has yet to seriously report what was done to the American elections of 2000 and 2004.
What will happen next in Iran is anyone’s guess. George W. Bush fueled its fundamentalist right by calling it a “terror state” whose nuclear weapons ambitions are fueled with materials produced by the “Peaceful Atom” Eisenhower inaugurated in 1953, around the time he was disposing of Mossadegh.
Bush’s counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is now turning the state terror apparatus---reminiscent of the Shah’s---against those who would mention the illegitimacy of his rule.
Thus tragedy looms at the brink of opportunity. That democracy in Iran so clearly won at the polls is a sign of great courage and hope on the part of the Iranian people. They are fighting terrible odds, not of their own making. Should they break free, the storm would re-shape the Middle East---and much more.
In the meantime, perhaps their American counterparts, instructed by the ghost of Mossadegh, might finally face up to the true price of sowing such cynical, lethal whirlwinds.
--
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection. The Fitrakis Files are available via www.freepress.org, where this article first appeared. Harvey Wasserman's History of the United States is at www.harveywasserman.com.
The parallels between the stolen Iranian election of 2009 and the American of 2000 and 2004 are tragic. The histories---and futures---of the two nations are inseparable. Bound up in their tortured half-century of crime and manipulation are the few glimmers of hope for lasting peace in the Middle East. In both countries, a right-wing fundamentalist authoritarian with open contempt for human rights and the Geneva Convention has come up a winner, with catastrophic consequences. In both countries, the blow back of two George Bushes loom large.
In the U.S., two “defeated” candidates---Al Gore and John Kerry---said and did nothing in the face of two stolen elections. But an unprecedented voter protection movement arose from the ashes of those defeats to assure the 2008 victory of America's first African-American president.
In Iran, the “defeated” candidate---Mir Hussein Moussavi---is fighting back, along with massive grassroots resistance. How far they get will define the Iranian future---as well as that of the Middle East.
In a fluid and unpredictable situation, here are some indisputable facts:
1) A half-century ago, the people of Iran attempted a democratic revolution led by a moderate progressive, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, whose social-democratic inclinations have been revived by Moussavi.
2) Prime Minister Mossadegh was overthrown by the Eisenhower administration and its Central Intelligence Agency, which wanted to wall in the Soviet Union and protect western oil interests.
3) Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. (father of the Gulf War general of the same name) used a suitcase full of US taxpayer dollars to bribe Iran’s anti-democratic sympathizers and help overthrow Mossadegh.
4) They installed the pro-U.S. general Fazlollah Zahedi, who handed control of Iran to the brutal and vicious Shah. The dictatorial Shah ruled through the infamous secret terror/torture police force Savak, which Schwartzkopf helped train.
4) A prototypical CIA asset, the Shah used his iron torturer’s hand to “westernize” the country and make it more user-friendly to US oil interests.
5) Among other things, the U.S., France and other western powers were moving to provide the Shah with up to 36 atomic power plants designed to provide electricity and, ultimately, radioactive materials with which to build his own atomic bombs.
6) Despite his ostensible commitment to human rights, President Jimmy Carter made a point of spending a high-profile New Year’s with the Shah, evoking the bitter hatred of millions of Iranians.
7) The Shah’s overthrow by fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini led to the 1979-80 hostage crisis that finally sank Carter’s presidency. Amidst indications of a secret deal involving past and future CIA Directors George H.W. Bush and William Casey, the release of the hostages was delayed long enough to guarantee Carter’s defeat, thus inaugurating the Age of Ronald Reagan, with 12 of its 28 years under the two George Bushes.
8) Secret dealings between Reagan/Bush and the Iranians led to the Iran-Contra Affair, when covert operatives like Oliver North funneled arms to the Iranians and laundered cash and drugs through the reactionary Contra forces fighting revolution in Nicaragua.
9) The Contras in turn flooded the US with cocaine, feeding a horrific crack epidemic that has crippled the black and Hispanic communities here for two decades.
10) Those U.S.-financed arms were used to fight the Iraqis and Saddam Hussein, whom the US also supported, and whom Donald Rumsfeld publicly embraced in the early 1980s. The American goal seems to have been to weaken both Iran and Iraq through a horrifying war that claimed at least a million casualties, ultimately infuriating the citizens of both countries.
After a half-century of dictatorship under the Shah and the CIA, followed by the Ayatollah and the fundamentalists, the Iranian public appears desperate to return to the social-democratic vision of Mossadegh, denied so long ago.
In the U.S. in 2000 and 2004, the corporate/religious right put George W. Bush in the White House---and then kept him there---with a sophisticated election theft machine built around elimination of voter registrations, manipulation of the vote count, and a wide array of supporting tactics. The US Supreme Court set it all in stone with its infamous Bush v. Gore decision, which prevented a true vote count in Florida 2000. History repeated itself in Ohio 2004.
In Iran 2009, the ruling fundamentalist elite has barely pretended to count the votes at all, merely rushing to announce a predetermined outcome. The reigning Ayatollah has played the role of the US Supreme Court by certifying the outcome before a real ballot tally could possibly occur. Blank spaces in the texts of Iranian newspapers and an electronic blackout created by official censors reflect the on-going vacuum in the US corporate media, which has yet to seriously report what was done to the American elections of 2000 and 2004.
What will happen next in Iran is anyone’s guess. George W. Bush fueled its fundamentalist right by calling it a “terror state” whose nuclear weapons ambitions are fueled with materials produced by the “Peaceful Atom” Eisenhower inaugurated in 1953, around the time he was disposing of Mossadegh.
Bush’s counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is now turning the state terror apparatus---reminiscent of the Shah’s---against those who would mention the illegitimacy of his rule.
Thus tragedy looms at the brink of opportunity. That democracy in Iran so clearly won at the polls is a sign of great courage and hope on the part of the Iranian people. They are fighting terrible odds, not of their own making. Should they break free, the storm would re-shape the Middle East---and much more.
In the meantime, perhaps their American counterparts, instructed by the ghost of Mossadegh, might finally face up to the true price of sowing such cynical, lethal whirlwinds.
--
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection. The Fitrakis Files are available via www.freepress.org, where this article first appeared. Harvey Wasserman's History of the United States is at www.harveywasserman.com.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Coming Up NEXT On News Talk Online - Obama LIVE On Federal Regulatory Reform 12:30 PM NY Time
President Obama will lay out his agenda for reshaping regulation of the nation's financial institutions - a program that is expected to give a lot of power to the Federal Reserve.
We're carrying it LIVE on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com with coverage starting at 12:30 PM New York time.
New Defiant, Silent Protests In Iran
Despite a continuing government banning of protests, new, silent protests are taking place across Iran including one that, according to an Iranian tweet, has attracted as many as 2 million people.
Traditional news media sources have fallen largely silent over a government admonition to not report. Foreign correspondents whose visas have expired are being ordered out of the country immediately. Those with bureaus in Iran have been confined to their hotels, apartments or offices and have been ordered to not cover the demonstrations.
This has left it up to the Iranian people to tweet reports to the outside world. People have been encouraged to tweet videos and still images that others have been reposting. Some of those images have appeared on this blog.
There is an increasing chorus from the GOP in the United States urging the White House to be more forceful in its condemnation of the attacks on Iranian people by security forces. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) says in an op-ed piece in USA Today that the United States has a "duty" to speak out.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Plea From Iran: Please Pray For Us
An Iranian-born woman vacationing in her homeland sends this dispatch with a plea for prayer. Her name is being withheld for her protection.
I am currently in Iran for vacation! What a vacation???!!! I feel like obligated to give you a report about what is happening in Iran and ask you to pray for us and pray for justice and freedom.
Ahmadinejad has cheated in the election and whole Iran is in the streets! Ahmadinejad supporters are mostly poor BUT also uneducated and fanatic people. You can see and feel that they are less than 10% of our people.
People are VERY angry. They feel cheated, insulted and humiliated.
You can see even very religious people with Chador and a complete Islamic hijab fighting for their rights in the streets, supporting Mousavi. Police men are beating people whenever they can. They insult people badly and you can see from their language what kind of people they are.
The interesting thing is that many police men are speaking Arabic and they can even not speak Farsi???!!!!? People believe that the government has brought fanatics from Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq , Syria etc. probably mostly from fanatic groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas to fight with our own people as Iranians are mostly not ready to beat Iranians.
I have seen Iranian police defending the people as much as they can but once the special force is there, they will join them to not to be punished. Some of them told me that they have voted for Mousavi themselves and if they weren't in police uniforms they would join us.
You can see riots in every part of Tehran and as we hear in the news also in the rest of Iran . In my part of the city, People are going to the streets every night, shouting
“Down with Dictator”
‘Mousavi, Mousavi get my vote back for me”
“Mousavi Mousavi take my flag back”
“Doctor (Ahmadinejad) go to doctor”
“Down with Dictatorship”
“I will kill the one who killed my brother”
“Down with this cheating government”
“Allah o Akbar”
“liar”
“We don’t want potatoes, we don’t want dictators!” (a reference to reports that Ahmadinejad gave poor people potatoes to vote for him)
“Nuclear dictator, go and sleep, you are tired”
“Brother, street cleaner, please take 'doctor with you”
“2 + 2 = 16” (a reference to the way the government counted the votes)
As police attack the crowds, even children and old women, people are going to their apartments and continue to shout the slogans from their windows having all their lights off! They shout “Allah o Akbar” from their windows, or in the streets, which is a reminder of the demonstrations 30 years ago, in the time of the revolution.
--
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60053005@N00/3632970822/
Economic Times Prompt Call For More Bankruptcy Judges
The federal courts need additional bankruptcy judges in the face of near-record case levels to alleviate overcrowded dockets and to assure that the bankruptcy system operates efficiently, Judge Barbara Lynn today told a House subcommittee. Judge Lynn, a district court judge in the Northern District of Texas, is chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System. She appeared before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law in support of the Judicial Conference's 2009 bankruptcy judgeship recommendations.
"Our judicial resources are strained," Judge Lynn said. "And the cost to society of an overburdened bankruptcy system, especially in this economic climate, is enormous."
The Judicial Conference recommends 13 additional permanent bankruptcy judges in 10 judicial districts, the conversion of 22 existing temporary bankruptcy judges to permanent in 15 judicial districts and the extension of two existing temporary bankruptcy judges for five years.
Lynn called the need for the judges "critical."
--
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asurroca/3597049290/
The Latest Images From Iran - Watch For Updates
McCain condemns muted White House response:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Monday, June 15, 2009
Images From Iran
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/3629001721/
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/3629001721/
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/3629096111/
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/3629097479/
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/3629911968/
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isle_of_paradise/3627580226/
We'll be discussing the developing situation at 5 PM New York time on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com
Sunday, June 14, 2009
First Hand Account From Tehran
The identity of our correspondent in Tehran has been removed from this dispatch for his protection.
All of a sudden in the middle of discussion in your room, I disconnected from Paltalk and my laptop yield itself to intruders. Whereas I assumed this disruption could be designed and engineered by tough and stiff monitoring by our telecommunication system authorities in my country, in order to avoid any further ramification such as disruptor breaking into my place, I immediately left my home and sought shelter at my sister’s residential who happened living just few minutes away from me.
Still under stress, I received a call from my son’s friends, "he is fainted," they said. I rushed to him, I even don’t know how! When I got to him he was till unconscious! However, he finally gained his conscience and my heart calmed down. Why it happened to him, still no one has answered. Nevertheless, I am thinking due to heavy pressure, physical and mental activities that he has endured in the past four weeks during the process of election caused him to enter such situation. I took him to my mother and asked her to look after him till he soundly returns to full health. Happily he is OK now.
It was supposed be a peaceful gathering in the streets of Tehran by Mr. Mosavi’s supporters today, it didn’t take form, since the legal permission wasn’t granted. Nonetheless, I heard Mr. Mosavi has obtained legal permission for peaceful demonstration from Minster of Interior for tomorrow, Monday at 16:00 local time. He has urged his supporters to hold full civilized demonstration. As well he added, he will pursue effort to annul the result of election.
While Iran has plunged into shock and despair deception and humiliation, Ahmadinejad today shamelessly celebrated his election and called himself victorious. In the meantime he forget to mention how ruthlessly humiliated, deceived and mocked Iranian honest people. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Of course, if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had learned anything from history, he'd know that if the past is any indication of the future, he will once again attempt to discredit and intimidate the opposition.
We Iranian people want to say to Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, we will use every medium available to us. We will use the Internet. We will use telephones. We will use radio and newspapers. We will do whatever we can make you to yield yourself to genuine will and desire of Iranian people. You have unfairly shutdown in this unfair campaign all telecommunications for us Iranian. You shutdown our presidential candidates sites and means of communications. But remember these are all evidence you stole 21 million votes which were for Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi. We Iranians voted for Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi and you counted to your name!
We Iranians want to live our lives as we see fit. We can’t do that while Mahmoud still has the ability to quash other people's opinions, so our train of hope and democracy has started moving slowly but steadily. And we know we will reach the destination!
Netanyahu Accepts Palestinian State Concept
In a departure from his previously stated policy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that he accepts the concept of a Palestinian state. And while he says negotiations should begin immediately without preconditions, he places two preconditions right at the outset.
First, he says the Palestinians must recognize the state of Israel. Fair enough. But, secondly, he says that a Palestinian state must be disarmed. That's certainly a non-starter for the Palestinians.
As I suggested last week, if the Palestinians form their own nation they will be responsible both for its security, and, perhaps more importantly from Israel's point-of-view, they will be responsible for stopping terrorists from using the new country as a launch pad for attacks on the Israelis. How, reasonably, can they do that if they are demilitarized?
Ahmadinejad Discounts Protests, Detention Of Main Opponent
With a straight face, Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discounted the election protests in his nation by comparing those who have taken to the streets to soccer fans disappointed that their team has lost a game. And he downplayed concerns about the well being of opposition leaders, including his main rival in the disputed election, by saying that the missing Hossein Mousavi, who has not been seen in public since the balloting, was simply fined for violating traffic laws.
He also denied that opposition newspapers have been shutdown. "There are hundreds of dailies (newspapers) published," he said. Foreign reporters "should not be worried" about a few papers that closed a few days.
He also admonished western journalists for their reporting of the election and its after math, claiming that they are trying to mislead the world. Ahmadinejad claimed that the foreign reporters are only seeing and reporting what they want, and admonished them for their "mistakes" in coverage.
"Freedom here," he asserted with a straight face, "is close to absolute."
His comments came during a wide-ranging hour-and-a-half news conference at which he was treated with absolute deference by Iranian journalists who asked questions preambled with statements supporting Ahmadinejad's propaganda line. But who was challenged by western journalists who come from a tradition of critical reporting.
One British reporter emotionally questioned the public execution of a girl. Ahmadinejad''s response was nothing less than astounding.
"We oppose execution of human beings," he said. "We oppose the killing of an ant. We also become upset when an execution is committed."
But he claimed that the Iranian judiciary is independent. So the way to stop these executions, he asserted, is that people stop committing crimes.
Ahmadinejad also brushed off concerns that the United States or Israel might attack Iran, presumably over its nuclear program.
"The Iranian nation is a powerful nation," he said, that "will make the aggressive remorseful."
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