Spinning Syria

The amount of hypocrisy coming out the Bush administration regarding Syria is truly mind boggling. How a country can be condemned on one hand for supporting "terrorism" and on the other hand be a convenient resource for the provision of torturing services on demand is amazing. It helps if you have a compliant media that overlooks these and other apparent contradictions and creates a citizenry that's still more interested in what might have happened to Anna-Nicole Smith and Brittany's current state of consciousness. Jacob Hornberger puts well,

"But how does something like this happen? Doesn't it almost defy credulity? Why, here you have a regime that the president repeatedly condemns as a state sponsor of terrorism and with whom the U.S. government simply is not going to communicate. Meanwhile, CIA officials, somehow or other, cut a deal with Syrian officials to torture a citizen of Canada on behalf of the U.S. government."

The case of Maher Arar is particularly egregious. In case you hadn't heard he is a Canadian citizen kidnapped in the U.S. and sent to Syria for torture, eventually released,and returned to Canada where the government at least had the decency to apologize and also investigate the RCMP"s role in this sordid affair.Fat chance anything similar will ever occur in the U.S.

Foreign Intelligence Reports Suggest Iran Attack Near

Russian military sources report that American force levels near Iran are growing and that naval deployment is reaching levels not seen since the attack on Iraq.Ealier today I watched a so-called interview with a CNN news model and the current American commander in the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, in which the news model demanded to know what the U.S. was "going to do" about Iran. To a casual observer it would appear that even a cursory discussion regarding the wisdom of such action was apparently unnecessary.

Dermockracy Russia and America

Old habits die hard and none are more evident than the American habit of either wanting to blame or save the Russians for or from the same problems that they themselves have. A good example would be the the recent concern for Russian democracy shown by this link that my friend Mark at Norwegianity felt compelled to bring to attention.

Now I would not deny that Vladimir Putin has consolidated and centralized power as much as possible, but criticism coming from a country where the ruling party has cleansed, purged, disenfranchised, gerrymandered, and otherwise screwed with the electoral process to the point that no country in their right mind would look to them for guidance rings more than a bit hollow.

One of the recurring themes of this intermittant excercise I call a blog is the bizzaro parallel universe quality of Russian-American relations. It is interesting to think that the largest and most dangerous nuclear powers in the world are both potential economic basket cases on any given day. I probably don't need to go into detail about America's amazing weakness in this area, however this article in the Exile shows an uncanny likeness to what Madeline Albright liked to call the world's "Indispensible Nation" and its citizens on the verge of insolvancy. Nukes apparently don't make the house payments. For further information I highly recommend americanempireproject.com to see what the future probably holds.

Russia America or Both

Uzbek Prison Conditions Improving with Organized Crime's Help

In what I gather would qualify as prison reform, an Uzbek prison warden hiding in Kazakhastan has been murdered on orders of organized crime. The warden, Alihaydar Kulumbetov, according to UZNEWS was known for torture and abuse of prisoners.

"Credit for this goes to the criminal underworld and the international community," Surat Ikramov said. He added that this may sound absurd, but even the criminal underworld is outraged with the level of abuses in Uzbekistan, and those tortures and harassment, which officers of prisons and colonies subject their charges to."

What War on Terrorism

The Bush administration's so-called war on terrorism suffered yet another credibility attack when Spain released their frusrations about having to deal with a recalcitrant U.S. during a trial against figures in one of the biggest terrorist attacks in Europe post 911.

"The al-Qaeda leader who created, trained and directed the terrorist cell that carried out the Madrid train bombings has been held in a CIA "ghost prison" for more than a year.

Spanish officials told The Times last night that they are furious to have been denied access to Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, a Syrian-born terrorist who has been part of the al-Qaeda leadership since the late 1980s.

"This is Spain's most wanted man in the terrorist world - it is galling to know that he is in the hands of an ally and they will not help us," a Spanish official said."

I think the petty political concerns of the current administration have hijacked legitimate security concerns that we all have and that we must stand up and speak out before it is too late.

If we don't allow our friends to help our enemies only benefit.

"Spanish intelligence agents were said to have been allowed to question inmates of Guantanamo Bay about Setmarian in 2002. But access to suspects in US custody was blocked after Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq following the Madrid bomb."

Russians to Monitor Human Rights in U.S.

Russia announced their intention to safeguard Human Rights in the U.S. and Europe today thus freeing up at least half the world and perhaps allowing democratic elections in a part of the world long deprived of such. The 2008 elections tenatively scheduled in the U.S. may take place if the right and left wings of the ruling junta can come to a non-binding agreement regarding the present attempt to take over the world.

The Clock is Ticking.....

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announced the signifigant movement of their historic clock. For the first time non-nuclear issues, namely climate concerns, have pushed things along in addition to the obvious nuclear concerns.The most recent issue of their journal gives a sobering look at issues confronting humanity, nukes, climate, biologicals, pollution, and emerging technologies.Anyone you might vote for should have coherent answers to these issues. Don't settle for less.

Anti-War Protests Big and Small

Across the country Americans voiced their opposition to the fiasco in Iraq. Huge demonstrations took place in larger cities. Smaller towns however had their own observances and mine was no exception. There were about 30 or 40 intrepid individuals with the audacity to exercise freedom of speech assembeled in our local downtown. There was an interesting mix of ages and backgrounds including veterans, young people, elderly, and a young man from Hanoi.

Whether any of this will alter the arguably psychopathic administration's behavior is debatable however to be free act free.

Criminality Central

Via Vyzglyad and Der Spiegel, the Vatican is the most criminalized per capita city in the world, beating out such contenders as Compton, the south Bronx, and Lyubertsi. Admittedly fleeing across the border to avoid the law is not that difficult.

The Other Surge: Oil Profits Out of Iraq

The timing of GWBs latest twist in Iraq makes more sense when one considers legislation about to be introduced (rammed through) the Iraqi parliment. This legislation refers to several unusual points including "production sharing agreements" which allow foreign companies access to Iraqi oil for upto 30 years, slice of the profits while costs are recovered amounting to 60 to 70 per cent, and 20 per cent afterwards. Iraq's ability to dispute agreements would be limited to international arbitration rather than Iraqi courts. The agreement preserves the appearance of national sovereignity while giving control of the revenue stream and development to the Western ( American and European) oil Goliaths.

Much in the manner of the U.S. Part D medicare benefit this jewel of legislation was developed by those who will benefit most, notably groups representing U.S. financial and petroleum interests. In this case a spin off of KPMG, BearingPoint , which so far has made 240 million on its Iraq work.

If this doesn't unite the Shias and Sunnis I don't know what will.

The Disappearing Arctic and Oil

Two seemingly unrelated events point towards what may be the dystopian future resulting from diminishing carbon based energy and the global warming resulting from the unrestrained use of such energy.

A 42 square mile chunk of the Ayles ice shelf detached itself from Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2005.

Meanwhile officials in Kuwait announced that the 2nd largest oil field in the world, Burgan, in Kuwait has passed its prime, giving increased credence to the concept of "peak oil". The uncertainty of the actual supply of petroleum reserves in the mideast was the subject of "Twilight in the Desert" by Mattew Simmons and argued that many of the oil industry's predictions regarding supply are optomistic to put it mildly.

The world is increasingly confronted by the specter of a sudden catastrophic climate change or "climate crash" and a simultaneous depletion of petroleum.Unfortunately for Americans the current government is uniquely unqualified to deal meaningfully with either of these problems.

Satan Flies Niyazov Dies

It was with some sadness I read of Saparmurat Niyazov's unexpected demise. Besides being a post-communist despot in the best tradition of central asian newly liberated Soviet Republics, he was an author offering free advice in his latest book which I, myself helped hype. It was with a sense of frustration that I looked for a copy in our local library.Hopefully in the future we can understand what he really meant.

In the meanwhile Satan flies again in the skies of Siberia. SATAN in this case is a NATO designation of the most feared Russian ICBM, a true killer of worlds which contains 10 multi-megaton warheads on each rocket. Five of them would take out every state capitol in the U.S. or all of Texas. Merry Christmas.

Mega-Tsunamis

Recent articles detail how huge deluges caused by (take your pick) meteorites, asteroids, or comets occur every 5000 years or so and destroy huge swaths of land. So much for geological gradualism, catastrophism seems much more likely and scientifically more believeable than the usual apocolyptic religious stuff trotted out by the the worlds' monotheistic death cults.

What's Next?

There is much talk about the ramifications of the recent Democratic resurgence in America and what it actually might mean. Some see this as an "adjustment" to the center, a mid-course correction without meaningful change. The same corporate interests continuing to milk the ever diminishing middle class, no real boat rocking, no radical reform of the electoral process, health care system, or American foriegn policy.

For Americans' sake and the world one can only hope more is afoot here. A little noticed article released days before the election detailed the continuing concentration of wealth in America. I can only hope that the ever downtrodden members of America's middle class have begun to realize that the only force with their interest at heart is they themselves. Forget the so-called "culture wars", the phony tax cut benefits, and the phony wars on "terrorism" "drugs" and "Islamofacism". Don't let the Democrats default to "Republicanism Lite".

Xenophobia International

I never cease to be amazed at the "parallell universe" quality of Russian and American societies. The latest example is the march today in Moscow by a variety of groups headed by the "Movement Against Illeagal Immigration". This group with tacit support from the government is headed by a fellow named Alexander Byelov , who states,

"The rights of Russians are being infringed in their own land and we intend to stop it."

If this guy isn't a soul brother to the American Minutemen group I don't know who is.He should probably be made an honorary member. Everyday Americans and Russians seem to have more in common, massive numbers of nukes, nationalist (neo-con) kooks, failed wars, and a curious indifference to their own civil liberties and democracies. Привет Товарищ по несчастью!

Heretical Thoughts

I love the article in Asian Times Online by Nicolai Petro, former special assistant for policy for the Soviet Union under George the Elder.The nerve of Putin to suggest that Russia does things that the West has done for years as normal business as usual has upset not only the typical hysterical Russophobes in the U.S. but also the even bigger hypocrites in Europe.As a consumer I don't know why it's worse to be ripped off by Lukoil rather then say by Exxon Mobil. Hey, if they charged less I'd be first in line. If only Canada had a more proprietary interest in its resources.

Lastly the effects of the latest Korean crisis documented by Arms Control Wonk is interesting to say the least. There's always been something phallic about missiles and bombs.

Excuse Me While I Vomit......

Condoleeza Rice, in an act of stomach churning hypocrisy and political opportunism, castigated the Russians over the recent tragic murder of Anna Politkovskaya and concern over the state of Russian media. Coming from a country that doesn't find itself rolling back individual freedom and protection from the government, plus being in a war which arguably has been based on lies from the outset, these comments might carry some weight. Instead the self-serving nature of of Dr. Rice's visit is apparent to even the most brain-dead Russian alkofan.

An administration that can't meet the mother of a dead soldier and benefits quite nicely from media concentration here in the U.S. is not the source of moral rectitude in the world when it comes to these matters anymore. Instead it's painfully obvious that the oiligarchy's failure to cash in on Russian and Central Asian energy deals has more to do with the current state of U.S.-Russian relations than an army of dead soldiers or anti-war reporters.

The Exile, as usual, has the most coherent take on the whole disturbed situation.Meanwhile I need to get some compazine.............

Forgotten Afghanistan

It's easy to forget about the escalating conflict in Afghanistan when compared to the on going fiasco in Iraq.The fighting there however is as harrowing as can be imagined. The following article from The Independent gives a rare glimpse into a less well known horror story.

"We headed off to what can only be described as the Wild West." Those are the words, not of a beleaguered British squaddie, but of a Canadian officer in a unit sent to help rescue our troops in the lawless Afghan province of Helmand. His account, emailed to family and friends back in Canada, is the most detailed to emerge from what commanders have called the most desperate fighting British troops have seen since the Korean War." more....

Anna Politkovskaya Murdered in Moscow

Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist for Novaya Gazetta , has been found murdered in the elevator of her apartment building in central Moscow Saturday night. Her murder has the hallmarks of a professional asassination with the murder weapon being left at the scene with expended cartridges.

Sadly her death comes as no surprise as she had established a reputation for journalistic courage and integrity with her unflinching work documenting abuses committed by the Russian military in its lenghty campaign in Chechnaya. As a result she was recipient of numerous threats against her life.

She has a number of works published in English including "A Dirty War" , "A Small Corner of Hell", which document the most recent Chechen conflict. Her latest book,"Putin's Russia", subtitled Life in a Failing Democracy took aim at a broad slice of unsavory aspects of Russian life and laid the blame on Putin's doorstep.

Unfortunately she joins a lenghty list of now deceased Russian reformers including Galina Starovoitova, Andrei Kozlov, Paul Klebnikov, and Dmitri Kholodov The International Press Institute has a depressing list of murdered journalists for those interested.

What's On Tonight

Nils Petter Molvaer has a great new album of remixes that is well worth the time to check out. If I could have become a transcendent trumpeter, which was quite unlikely in 1971 in the Franklin Jr. High band in Des Moines, this is how I'd like to sound now.