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The only way to be sure Iraq does not become the threat it was posited to be before the war, a safe haven for terrorists, is to raise the standard of living and the expectations of the people, creating a country of "haves" who don’t tolerate terrorists and thugs, and who have confidence their government and security force will back them up. by Pamela Hess
UPI Pentagon Correspondent Baghdad (UPI) Oct 05, 2005
"I don’t know if I have the moral authority to send troops into combat (…)

The separation of the Bush political machine from organized crime is often like the thin layer of rock between a seemingly ordinary surface and volcanic activity rumbling below. Sometimes, the lava spews forth and the illusion of normalcy is shattered.
In the weeks ahead, a dangerous eruption is again threatening to shake the Bush family’s image of legitimacy, as the pressure from intersecting scandals builds.
So far, the mainstream news media has focused mostly on the white-collar (…)

Tularemia (Rabbit fever) bacteria detected on Washington Mall during recent anti-war protest
October 5, 2005 — Bush, Bird Flu, and Martial Law. At a White House Rose Garden press conference yesterday, George W. Bush responded to a question about the danger of a bird flu pandemic by stating he wants the authority to use the military to enforce mandatory quarantine zones in areas infected by the virus. Bush wants Congress to overturn the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, originally enacted to (…)

October 5, 2005
Liberal Guilt? How the Neocons Took Over By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
[Editors’ Note: The CounterPunch editors, of course, are the French Revolution’s most enthusiastic defenders in America. A medallion of Robespierre adorns Cockburn’s BBQ pit, while a print of Saint Just hangs above St. Clair’s smoldering Macintosh. Neither of them had much use for liberals. Just ask Danton.—AC/JSC]
Balint Vazsonyi was a concert pianist and a historian. A person who had tasted life both (…)

By ERIC SCHMITT
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 - An Army captain who has reported new allegations of detainee abuse in Iraq met Tuesday with Senator John McCain and staff aides on the House Armed Services Committee and gave them additional accounts of abuse in Iraq that other soldiers had sent him in recent days, Congressional aides said.
The officer, Capt. Ian Fishback, in a brief interview after his half-hour meeting with Mr. McCain declined to describe the new information he gave the senator or, (…)

We have no idea whether the Senate is going to confirm Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. For once, it may actually be up to the Democrats, who right now are too busy watching and laughing at conservatives and their cat fights to be bothered with taking a stand. And that may take a while, considering that it’s still three years and counting for any type of Democratic position on Iraq.
We do know that’s there’s a lot of head fakes going on right now. Miers is a conservative...but wait, (…)

Incredibly stupid and ignorant Americans caught on tape!
During the past 30 years Americans in general have been seriously dumbed-down by the USA educational system. This is one reason why the Bush Administration warmongers are getting away with their war crimes in Iraq. Below is a video tape showing a number of Americans being randomly interviewed on the street. They were asked, "In terms of the war on terrorism, which country should the USA invade next?" Their answers will astound you! (…)

Italy orders further CIA warrants The cleric is said to have been flown out of the US base in Aviano An Italian court has issued three more arrest warrants for suspected CIA agents accused of helping to kidnap a Muslim cleric in 2003. The authorities have already ordered the arrest of 19 people suspected of being involved in the abduction of Egyptian Osama Mustafa Hassan.
The suspects are accused of abducting Mr Hassan, also known as Abu Omar, and flying him to Egypt for (…)

Tuesday, October 04, 2005
The occupation of Iraq by U.S. forces "fuels the insurgency." What’s more, the U.S. military occupation of Iraq foments terrorism throughout the entire Middle East.
Think those are the conclusions of some Bush-hating, pinko-commie liberal? Perhaps, but think again. In fact, those were the assessments of Army General George Casey during his testimony to Congress on September 29, 2005. In his prepared remarks to the Senate Armed Services Committee, the top U.S. (…)

The so-called war against terrorism is unwinnable. It was designed to be unwinnable so that it can be carried on for an indefinite duration and thus support the vast military-industrial-anti-terrorism complex. The end of the Cold War scared this complex half to death. It can only survive with an enemy at the gates.
Conventional wars can be won because they are fought against governments. Either the enemy government can be destroyed or it is made to pay such a high price in casualties and (…)