[cia-drugs] Don't blame me. It's THEIR fault
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2006/12/neocons200612?currentPage=3 ... Richard Perle: "Huge mistakes were made, and I want to be very clear on this: They were not made by neoconservatives, who had almost no voice in what happened, and certainly almost no voice in what happened after the downfall of the regime in Baghdad. I'm getting damn tired of being described as an architect of the war. I was in favor of bringing down Saddam. Nobody said, 'Go design the campaign to do that.' I had no responsibility for that." Kenneth Adelman: "The problem here is not a selling job. The problem is a performance job.… Rumsfeld has said that the war could never be lost in Iraq, it could only be lost in Washington. I don't think that's true at all. We're losing in Iraq.… I've worked with [Rumsfeld] three times in my life. I've been to each of his houses, in Chicago, Taos, Santa Fe, Santo Domingo, and Las Vegas. I'm very, very fond of him, but I'm crushed by his performance. Did he change, or were we wrong in the past? Or is it that he was never really challenged before? I don't know. He certainly fooled me." Eliot Cohen, director of the strategic-studies program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and member of the Defense Policy Board: "I wouldn't be surprised if what we end up drifting toward is some sort of withdrawal on some sort of timetable and leaving the place in a pretty ghastly mess.… I do think it's going to end up encouraging various strands of Islamism, both Shia and Sunni, and probably will bring de-stabilization of some regimes of a more traditional kind, which already have their problems.… The best news is that the United States remains a healthy, vibrant, vigorous society. So in a real pinch, we can still pull ourselves together. Unfortunately, it will probably take another big hit. And a very different quality of leadership. Maybe we'll get it." __._,_.___ Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM SPONSORED LINKS Independent broker dealer Independent director Central intelligence agency Central intelligence agency employment Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___
[cia-drugs] Contractors Rarely Held Responsible for Misdeeds in Iraq
The lobbying firm that hired and failed to supervise Abramoff is the same firm hired to keep contractors in Iraq from being accountable and having to return the money made off the war. Could it be that Abramoff was working for the shareholders of the major contracting firms? My guess is that the banks which control the Federal Reserve are the biggest shareholders in Halliburton, Blackwater, Parsons, et al. Linda ~ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR2006110301585_2.html?referrer=email Contractors Rarely Held Responsible for Misdeeds in Iraq *** A similar case against the private military firm Blackwater USA has been allowed to proceed in North Carolina. But Blackwater has fought the case to the Supreme Court, enlisting high-caliber legal talent along the way -- including former Pentagon inspector general Joseph E. Schmitz and Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth W. Starr. One contractor that had its day in court was Custer Battles LLC. Whistle-blowers claimed the firm used an elaborate string of shell companies to drive up profits, and last year a jury returned a $10 million verdict against the firm. But in August, a federal judge in Virginia overturned the ruling, saying the court did not have jurisdiction. Critics think that many cases are never raised because of spotty oversight. The Pentagon has spent about $250 billion in Iraq, yet the Defense Department's inspector general's office has only two investigators and a half-dozen auditors working there. As recently as last year, it had none. "There's never been a time in our country's history when we've shoved so much money out the door with so little oversight," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), who blames Republican indifference for the lack of accountability. The special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, Stuart W. Bowen Jr., has nearly 60 auditors and investigators based in Baghdad and has won bipartisan praise for his work. But the office, which was set up to be temporary, has an October 1, 2007, deadline for completing its mission. A group of Democratic and Republican senators have said they think the office should remain open beyond then, and they say they intend to push legislation after Tuesday's elections that would make that happen. Bowen, a Republican, has overseen investigations resulting in the convictions of several people in connection with a bribery scheme. His office estimates that its audits have saved the government more than $400 million. For example, auditors reviewed 14 projects by one contractor, Parsons Corp., and found that 13 had serious defects. Among the problem contracts was one to build 142 health clinics. Only six have opened. Yet Parsons will not have to return any of its profit, nor is it likely to face any kind of formal punishment. Its contracts were what are called "cost-plus" deals, widespread in Iraq, in which the government bears much of the risk. Bowen said the government should have been willing to fire contractors when it realized that projects were going awry. "I started pushing for terminations for default, which is how you hold underperforming contractors responsible, in the summer of 2005," Bowen said. But his calls were rarely heeded. The reason? "Litigation fear," he said. "It was viewed as too much trouble." Frederick F. Shaheen, an attorney with the firm Greenberg Traurig LLP who represents contractors, said firing a contractor is difficult because the military is so dependent on them. If an official were to try to cancel a meal-service contract, for example, "some colonel is going to be on the phone to you ripping your lips off saying, 'Why aren't my troops being fed?' " Shaheen said. The threat of canceling a contract "is normally the sharpest quiver in the bag of the contracting officer. But there's no arrowhead on it any more," Shaheen said. "So the checks and balances are gone. The system is broken." __._,_.___ Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM SPONSORED LINKS Independent broker dealer Independent director Central intelligence agency Central intelligence agency employment Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___
[cia-drugs] Sandinistas' Ortega poised for comeback
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2006/11/04/sandinistas_ortega_poised_for_comeback/ Sandinistas' Ortega poised for comeback Nicaraguan could regain presidency By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Globe Staff | November 4, 2006 MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Nearly three decades after coming to power behind the barrel of a gun, Washington's Cold War-era nemesis Daniel Ortega has joined hands with former battlefield enemies, changed his campaign colors from revolutionary red to peace-loving pink, and could be on the verge of an electoral comeback. The mustachioed, 60-year-old Sandinista leader now preaches accommodation, not communism. Promising relief for the poor and protection for the rich, the former guerrilla leads in most published polls with 30 percent or more going into tomorrow 's five-way presidential contest. Adding to the surreal nature of the campaign in this humid low-rise capital, former White House aide and retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, who oversaw covert arms sales to Iran to raise money for the anti-Sandinista Contra rebels, recently came to town to denounce the leader President Ronald Reagan dubbed "the little dictator." Ortega left office in 1990, voted out by Nicaraguans fed up with rationing, 30,000 percent hyperinflation, and suppression of opponents. But his present-day supporters say that the past 16 years of corruption and an unfettered free market have brought nothing better for the masses, and for some, that message is working. Dogged by voters' memories of the 1980s Contra war and allegations that he sexually abused his stepdaughter, Ortega failed in bids to return to power in the last two elections. But a divided opposition is giving him a shot at the margin needed for victory. Ortega's chances are also boosted by his efforts to turn his campaign into a big tent, making room and deals for erstwhile enemies, from leaders of the Contras and Indians who took up arms against him to the Catholic Church he once suppressed. His running mate is the former Contra negotiator whose six-bedroom home Ortega once confiscated and still lives in today. The bold red-and-black stripes of the Sandinista flag have been replaced by a soothing pink and turquoise motif on campaign posters, and John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" blares from speakers at his campaign rallies. On the stump, he calls Jesus his inspiration and quotes Pope John Paul II. Like his opponents, he promises jobs, education, and health care. "Daniel has an incredible capacity to listen," said Aldo Díaz Lacayo, a former ambassador to several Latin American nations under the Sandinista government. "He feels others' needs as his own, he's got an iron will, and a great negotiating ability." But critics ranging from one-time loyalists to old enemies say Ortega's purported reinvention from communist revolutionary to a kindler, gentler social democrat is cynical political theater. "He talks out of both sides of his mouth -- he says one thing to the poor and another to the rich, one thing to the church and another to feminists," complained Sofía Montenegro, former editorial page editor of the Sandinista newspaper. "He has no scruples, no values. In the 1980s, the United States saw Ortega as a proxy for Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the Soviet Union, and backed the anti communist Contra forces against the Sandinistas, who had toppled rightist dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979. The Contra war that followed killed 30,000 people, destroyed agricultural and livestock production and, along with a US-imposed embargo, left the economy in shambles. Ortega's election prospects, detractors maintain, say less about his genuine transformation since that painful era than about the desperation and enduring fault lines in Nicaraguan society. "Sure Daniel could win . . . because the anti-Daniel forces have governed in peacetime and never achieved anything," said a rival candidate for president, Edén Pastora. Better known as "Commander Zero," Pastora led the Sandinista rebels who triumphed in Managua. But when the Sandinistas embraced Marxism, Pastora became a renegade Contra. Pastora says he believes Ortega has genuinely changed and perhaps learned from his mistakes, but that, more important , Nicaragua and world geopolitics have changed. "He's not going to be Mother Teresa, but he's not the same Daniel who had control of the army, the police, mass organizations, the media, the support of the Soviet Union and Europe," he said. While even critics agree that a new Ortega administration would be very unlikely to bring a return to property confiscations and repressive policies, they say his contradictory discourse makes him a candidate who cannot be trusted. "Obviously, there's desperation from the population to solve their problems, and when a messiah figure appears and promises to solve their problems with zero unemployment and free health and education, they think this i
[cia-drugs] Fw: [GATA] China needs more derivatives, govt. financial official says
- Original Message - From: Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 9:45 AM Subject: [GATA] China needs more derivatives, govt. financial official says China needs more derivatives, govt. financial official says Submitted by cpowell on 07:45AM ET Saturday, November 4, 2006. Section: Daily Dispatches By Christina SoonBloomberg News ServiceSaturday, November 4, 2006 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=axDuYFWDf0xw BEIJING -- China needs derivatives products, including a deepening forwards market, to help companies hedge against risks as the yuan appreciates against the dollar, Vice Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said. "We need products to hedge against risks," Lou told a conference in Beijing today. "Yuan gains will have a certain risk for companies. We should have a yuan forwards market." The yuan rose for a second week on speculation the central bank will let the currency strengthen further to prevent exports from increasing China's record trade surplus and foreign-exchange reserves. The yuan this week rose 0.23 percent to 7.8716 against the U.S. currency as of 5:30 p.m. in Shanghai, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange banned banks operating in the country from trading yuan derivatives in the offshore markets, according to a document dated Oct. 25 issued to lenders. Foreign banks have been using offshore forwards to make bets on the yuan and avoid restrictions placed on onshore trades by the central bank. Domestic lenders have also been using the contracts, which are standardized and traded between global banks outside of an exchange. The document doesn't specifically refer to forwards trades or give a reason for the limits. Forwards are agreements in which assets are bought and sold at current prices for future delivery. Yuan forward contracts are non-deliverable as they are settled in dollars and not local currency. Derivatives are financial instruments used to hedge risks or for speculation. They're derived from stocks, bonds, loans, currencies and commodities, or linked to specific events like changes in the weather or interest rates. Options and futures are the most common types of derivatives. * * * Join GATAat theNew Orleans Investment ConferenceWednesday-Sunday, November 15-19, 2006 http://www.neworleansconference.com When you register for this conference online, PLEASE help GATA by designating us as the organization through which you heard about the conference. There's a window at the bottom of the Internet registration form for designating us as your recommender, and the conference will pay GATA a commission for each GATA supporter who attends. * * * Help Keep GATA Going GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at www.GATA.org. GATA is grateful for financial contributions, which are federally tax-deductible in the United States. Contact GATA [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee7 Villa Louisa RoadManchester, Connecticut06043-7541 USA www.gata.org Recommended Sites Recommended Internet sites for daily monitoring of gold and precious metals news and analysis. Free sites: http://www.jsmineset.com http://www.cbs.marketwatch.com http://www.mineweb.com/ http://www.gold-eagle.com/ http://www.kitco.com/ http://www.usagold.com/ http://www.usagold.com/amk/usagoldmarketupdate.html http://www.GoldSeek.com/ http://www.GoldReview.com/ http://www.capitalupdates.com/ http://www.DailyReckoning.com http://www.goldenbar.com/ http://www.silver-investor.com http://www.thebulliondesk.com/ http://www.sharelynx.com/ http://www.mininglife.com/ http://www.financialsense.com http://www.goldensextant.com http://www.goldismoney.info/index.html http://www.howestreet.com http://www.depression2.tv http://www.moneyfiles.org/ http://www.howestreet.com http://www.minersmanual.com/minernews.html http://www.a1-guide-to-gold-investments.com/euro-vs-dollar.html http://www.goldcolony.com http://www.miningstocks.com http://www.mineralstox.com http://www.freemarketnews.com http://www.321gold.com http://www.SilverSeek.com http://www.investmentrarities.com http://www.kereport.com (Korelin Business Report -- audio) http://www.plata.com.mx/plata/home.htm (In Spanish) http://www.plata.com.mx/plata/plata/english.htm (In English) http://www.resourceinvestor.com http://www.miningmx.com http://www.prudentbear.com http://www.dollarcollapse.com http://www.kitcocasey.com http://000999.forumactif.com/ http://www.golddrivers.com/ http://www.goldpennystocks.com/ http://www.oroyfinanzas.com/ Subscription sites: http://www.lemetropolecafe.com/ http://www.goldinsider.com/ http://www.hsletter.com http://www.interventionalanalysis.com http://www.investmentindicators.com/ Eagle Ranch di
[cia-drugs] A Wartime Love Story: MAUREEN DOWD
A Wartime Love Story: MAUREEN DOWDBy MAUREEN DOWD - The New York Times - Saturday, Nov. 04, 2006 - Dowd: A Love Story - W. is the hood ornament, but Cheney & Rummy are the chitty chitty bang bang engine of this administration. THE COMPLETE ARTICLEOP-ED COLUMNIST A Wartime Love Story By MAUREEN DOWD Published: November 4, 2006 At the heart of every administration, there is one relationship above all others that shapes history. Ron and Nancy. Poppy Bush and James Baker. Billary. Cheney & Rummy. W. is the hood ornament, but Cheney & Rummy are the chitty chitty bang bang engine of this administration. Their four-decade friendship stretches from Nixon to Bush II, from Vietnam to Vietnam II. Its a beautiful love story, really, even more touching than Ted Haggard, the evangelical preacher and Bush White House adviser, asking a male prostitute for crystal meth, or Borat putting a bag over the head of a squealing Pamela Anderson and carrying her off. http://mparent.livejournal.com/14264049.html And More http://mparent.livejournal.com/ MARC PARENT CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS http://mparent.livejournal.com/ Homepage http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/14409 Archived http://www.dailykos.com/user/ccnwon Archived mparent MARC PARENT CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS http://mparent.livejournal.com/ http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/14409 http://www.dailykos.com/user/ccnwon All new Yahoo! Mail - Get a sneak peak at messages with a handy reading pane. __._,_.___ Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM SPONSORED LINKS Independent broker dealer Independent director Central intelligence agency Central intelligence agency employment Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___
[cia-drugs] Single currency should retain the dollar peg
http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Comment_and_Analysis/10079962.html Single currency should retain the dollar peg By Jasim Ali, Special to Gulf News The planned unified currency of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) should be pegged to the US dollar. The GCC states plan to issue the currency at an unspecified future date as part of implementing their monetary union by 2010. While the date for carrying out the ambitious monetary union is several years away, still, debate rages over whether to link the planned currency to the US dollar or a basket of currencies including the dollar, the euro and the yen. Yet, another option calls for floating the currency in the future, suggested as five years following its circulation. I argue for linking the unified currency to the greenback as the practice would give investors the confidence in dealing with regional economies. Small investors, who are the majority, tend to seek instability. In other words, the link allows the GCC countries to avoid unnecessary volatility associated with floating currencies. The GCC economies would possibly not be able to absorb the sort of consequences connected with the short experience of the euro. The euro has appreciated in value by nearly a quarter since its formal launch in 2002. In fact, a line can be drawn from upheavals experienced in regional stock markets over the past year or so. The rise and subsequent decline of performance indexes caused losses to investors throughout the region. There were also reported cases of deaths amongst few investors, who were traumatised on hearing news of a substantial plunge in values of their investments. In addition to the stability factor, the link uniquely fits the nature of GCC exports, which are priced in the US dollar. GCC merchandise exports primarily comprise crude oil, petroleum products such as diesel, petrochemicals, aluminum goods and textiles. Needless to say, oil receipts are the major contributor to treasury income in all the GCC states including Bahrain, which is the least dependent on the hydrocarbons sector. The petroleum sector contributed 76 per cent of actual budgetary income of Bahrain in 2005, as opposed to 71 per cent from the projected, on the back of strong rise in oil prices. Also, services such as financial services are likewise priced in the dollar. Additionally, a sizable amount of imports are priced in the dollar, notably products from the US and China, to name a few. The GCC states must complete two arrangements prior to implementing a monetary union. At the moment, member states are bound to carry out details related to the customs union. The GCC commenced customs union status at the start of 2003 hoping to complete the requirements by 2005. However, implementation has been delayed until 2007 due to numerous obstacles, such as finding solutions to matters related to fair distribution of customs revenues amongst member countries. The common external trade policy with non-members remains a concern, though it was resolved during the Abu Dhabi summit in 2005 with the adoption of a document calling for a standard external trade policy. In addition, the GCC aims to become a common market by the end of 2007. The common market notion requires free movement of factors of production. In this respect, the GCC countries have a long way to go to remove all sorts of restrictions. Last year, member states agreed to extend the economic scope of activities. The three additions are: recruitment offices, car rentals and most cultural activities. In many respects, the talk of monetary union is somehow premature, as the GCC states have yet to complete requirements of customs union and a common market. Nevertheless, officials should avoid sending mixed signals about the nature of unified currency, if only to avoid confusing investors. The experience of pegging regional currencies to the US dollar has a proven record of success. The writer is head of the Economic Research Unit, University of Bahrain. __._,_.___ Complete archives at http://www.sitbot.net/ Please let us stay on topic and be civil. OM SPONSORED LINKS Independent broker dealer Independent director Central intelligence agency Central intelligence agency employment
