Nobel laureate estimates wars' cost at more than $3 trillion

WASHINGTON — When U.S. troops invaded Iraq in March 2003, the Bush administration predicted that the war would be self-financing and that rebuilding the nation would cost less than $2 billion.

Coming up on the fifth anniversary of the invasion, a Nobel laureate now estimates that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are costing America more than $3 trillion.

That estimate from Noble Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz also serves as the title of his new book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War," which hits store shelves Friday.Read more..
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/28891.html

WHAT ABOUT THE HIDDEN COST OF PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES? WHAT ABOUT THE COST TO THIS NATION THAT IS BEING TAXED TO DEATH, FOR THE SAKE OF PUTTING MORE MONEY IN THE ACCOUNTS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, THEY'RE JUST SMART ENOUGH TO PUT IT IN OFF SHORE ACCOUNTS. THE WAR IS ABOUT OIL, POWER AND CONTROL, NOTHING ELSE. IT'S A DIS-EASE

Up to 70% of US aid to Pakistan 'misspent'

America's massive military aid package to Pakistan has come under scrutiny after allegations that as much as 70% of $5.4bn in assistance has been misspent.

Since 2002, the US has paid the operating costs of Pakistan's military operations in the tribal belt along the Afghan border, where Taliban and al-Qaida fighters are sheltering.

Pakistan provides over 100,000 troops and directs the fight; the US foots the bill for food, fuel, ammunition and maintenance. The cash payments — averaging $80m a month — have been a cornerstone of US support for President Pervez Musharraf.

But over the past 18 months, as militants seized vast swaths of the tribal belt and repelled a string of Pakistani offensives, the funding has come under the microscope.

American officials processing the payments at the US embassy in Islamabad have concluded that the Pakistani expense claims have been vastly inflated, two western military officials told the Guardian. Read more..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/27/pakistan.usa


THIS SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE..REMEMBER THE MISSING MONEY IN IRAQ, THE LOST MONEY IN IRAQ? WHEN YOU CAN PRINT YOUR OWN MONEY AND SELL OFF YOUR DEBT TO OTHER COUNTRIES, YOU WOULD BE CARELESS TOO. MISSING MONEY...YEAH RIGHT. DRUG MONEY MISSING TOO?

Obama and Clinton raise 80 MILLION In February

Congress Moves To Seize Control Of All U.S. Water

935 False Statements Made By Bush Administration After 9-11

WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat. Read more..
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/misinformation_study

Why Does Johnny Come Marching Homeless?

Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran. Read more..
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4159240

Primary Season Election Results, Ron Paul Left Out Again

The Presidential Candidates Handlers

Thousands protest in Gaza against "vampire" Bush

GAZA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brandishing placards showing George W. Bush as a vampire swigging Muslim blood, thousands of Hamas supporters protested in Gaza on Wednesday against the U.S. president's visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Some 20,000 members of the Islamist group, shunned by the West for refusing to renounce violence, set U.S. and Israeli flags alight. Bush was a "butcher" whose first presidential visit to the Holy Land was skewed towards helping Israel, they said.

"In his first words Bush talked about Israel, its security, its democracy and the right of America and Israel to defend themselves," senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters at the rally.

"He did not talk about settlements or the assaults against our people." In Jerusalem, Jewish families waved Israeli and American flags and cheered Bush, who hopes his visit will invigorate efforts to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before he leaves office.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL09301499

The Israeli Defense Firm That Tallies The Iowa Caucus

The Iowa caucus is only a few days away and the nation's attention will be directed to the results, which signify the beginning of the U.S. presidential race. But does anyone watch who tallies the results of the Iowa caucus?

The Iowa caucus results were tallied in 2004 by a company that is headed by a man whose company was bought by Elron Electronics, the Israeli defense firm. I suspect that it will be the same this year. Don't expect to see any grassroots political activists doing the tally in Iowa. The Israeli defense establishment takes care of that part of the American "democratic" election process.

VOXEO

In the summer of 2004, I first learned that a foreign and out-of-state company using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology tallied the Iowa caucus results.

The system used to tally the 2004 Iowa caucus results was provided by a company called Voxeo, which was apparently based in Orlando, Florida. (Yellow flag goes up in the mind of those familiar with Orlando and electronic vote fraud history. See Bollyn article on Wang below.)

The calls from the nearly 2,000 caucus centers in Iowa went to a Voxeo call center in Atlanta, Georgia.

On January 31, 2005, I wrote to Michelle Bauer, Iowa's Secretary of State with some questions about the use of Voxeo, a foreign company located in Florida, to tally the results of the Iowa caucus:

Subject: How was the Iowa Caucus Tallied? Read more....

http://rense.com/general79/sis.htm

Is This a joke?

Ex-President Bush becomes a rare amateur to win highest USGA honor
George H.W. Bush will receive the Bob Jones Award for emulating the golf attitude and spirit of amateur great Bobby Jones.

FAR HILLS, N.J. (AP) -- Former President Bush has been chosen to receive the Bob Jones Award from the USGA, the golf organization's highest honor. The award is for distinguished sportsmanship in golf, and recognizes a person who emulates the golf attitude and spirit of amateur great Bobby Jones.

"I'm very flattered to receive this award," Bush said in a statement. "Golf has meant a lot to me. It means friendship, integrity and character. I grew up in a family that was lucky enough to have golf at the heart of it for a while. My father was a scratch player and my mother also was a good golfer. It's a very special game."

Bush's grandfather, George Herbert Walker, was president of the USGA in 1920 and inspired the Walker Cup, biennial matches for amateurs between the United States and a team from Britain and Ireland. His father, Prescott Bush, was USGA president in 1935 and helped establish the USGA Museum and Archives.

It was only the second time the award was given to a nongolfer. The USGA recognized Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in 1978.

Bush will be honored Feb. 9 at the USGA's annual meeting in Houston.

Seize the Land, Chain the Peace Activists

While Homeland Security announced the forced occupation and takeover of Lipan Apache lands in Texas for the border wall, I was at the Arizona border once again being bullied by the US Border Patrol.

All along the border, Homeland Security's Border Patrol is intimidating and harassing the people who have lived here all their lives.

The Tohono O'odham have lived here since time immemorial. Now their land has been seized and taken over by the Border Patrol, the contractor Boeing and the invading National Guardsmen, for construction of the border wall. The graves of O'odham ancestors have been dug up, according to the traditional O'odham now speaking out against the militarization and abuse.

In Texas, Margo Tamez, Lipan Apache/Jumano Apache, called for immediate support, when Homeland Security announced the occupation of lands where Apache land title holders are refusing to sign NSA waivers for the border wall.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the United States will seize private lands in south Texas for the border wall, using the law of eminent domain.

$100 Million for Worldwide, Instant Strike Weapon

The Pentagon's plan to hit anywhere on Earth, in just an hour or two, just got a $100 million boost from Congress. As the Washington Post notes, "the House-Senate conference report on the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations bill" provides a hundred large for a "'prompt global strike' program that could deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours."

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/100-million-for.html#more

White House press secretary admits she didn't know what Cuban Missile Crisis was

History has a way of repeating itself.

White House press secretary Dana Perino has been front and center of the White House's push to continue to label Iran a rogue state for its pursuit of uranium enrichment technology.

This comes against the backdrop of a new intelligence estimate positing that the Islamic state abandoned its nuclear weapons in 2003.

Turns out she doesn't know quite so much about nuclear weapons as she supposes. And we're not talking about Iran.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_press_secretary_admits_she_1210.html

Wolfowitz Returns To Bush Administration As WMD Adviser

Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff reports that Iraq war architect Paul Wolfowitz has been rewarded with a new position in the Bush administration which will allow him to oversee classified intelligence and inform policies on WMD issues:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/12/03/wolfowitz-returns/

John Edwards & NC Democrats Will Pay Price for Illegal Immigration

Come one illegal aliens, come ALL... From the State that brought you the first North American Union approved drivers license, or National ID, if you will, the Governor/Dictator (without due democratic process) has now decided to grant illegal aliens in-state status and FORCING the Community College system of NC to admit illegals, without a Social Security card, without a drivers license, without even a green-card, they still have to accept them into an already over-crowded college system.. Welcome to the North American Union, now take a number and have a seat..

"The Governor and his minions are out of line with a huge majority of North Carolinians," says William Gheen of ALIPAC. "This misstep combined with the fact that NC Democrats have pushed for in-state tuition for illegal aliens, given hundreds of thousands of licenses to illegal aliens, blocked almost all immigration enforcement bills, and are funding front groups for La Raza like El Pueblo with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars will cost them dearly at the polls in 2008."
http://www.alipac.us/article-2760-thread-1-0.html