King Obama Signs Indefinite Detention

New Year's Eve saw President Barack Obama sign a bill allowing indefinite detention of Americans without charge or trial.  Give the man his King George crown.

"2012 is going to be a better year. It has to be," said one New Year's reveler.

Nothing has to be, not in the global race to the bottom.  2012 is the new 1776.

Update 1-1-12:  Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX) voted yes on the the bill King Obama signed.   Only four Texas Congressional reps voted no or did not vote.  Congressman Ron Paul missed the vote on Dec. 14.  Did Congress sign its own arrest warrants?

Update 1-29-12:  Reporter Chris Hedges filed a lawsuit challenging indefinite detention of U.S. citizens.  Meanwhile, America's federal government continued usurping individual freedom via Homeland Secuity's targeting anonymous free speech, one of many freedom reduction targets.  Washington Blog reported "DHS has hired and instructed General Dynamics to monitor political dissent and the dissenters. The range of websites listed as being monitored is quite impressive."

U.S. Israel Set Triggers for War

What war will launch first, Israel's Round 2 on Gaza or Uncle Sam's blistering of Iran's military and nuclear capabilities?  Three years ago President Elect Obama sat on his backside as Israel pummeled Gaza.  This time he'll be in the Commander in Chief's seat, i.e. chief world tamperer.   

Decisions are made by these people like Panetta, Hillary, Donilon at the national Security Council and General Petraeus. And I think this is a very aggressive group right now.

Is Thomas Jefferson Rolling in His Grave?

Much changed between the third President of the United States and the forty fourth.  President Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, would decry the hackles placed on citizens by the federal government.  The war on terror would allow Americans in the U.S. to be detained indefinitely, renditioned, sent to Guantanamo Bay, or assassinated. 

"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Religion, 1776. Papers 1:548

"As revolutionary instruments (when nothing but revolution will cure the evils of the State) [secret societies] are necessary and indispensable, and the right to use them is inalienable by the people." --Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 1803. FE 8:256

The Executive Branch claims the right to label Americans as terrorists and dispose of them in the manner seen fit by the President.  Sounds King Georgish.  Congress paired with President Obama on this move, purposefully excluding court remedies for U.S. citizens.

Update 1-29-12:  Obama's Executive Branch decided the Supreme Court's right to anonymous free speech does not apply.  Homeland Security is in the business of monitoring dissent, through contractor General Dynamics.  I wondered why General Dynamics showed up in my blog readers.

Israel Still Building: U.S. Support Implicit

As Israel announced settlement expansion of over 1,000 homes, President Obama bragged of his Israel bona fides.  Not even a faint protest to echo the long sounding refrain...

Update 12-21-11:  Top Jewish fundraisers stick with Obama.  Does this give Israel a free pass?

Ehud Barak's War Framing

Haaretz reported:

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak suggested that the Libyan conflict could have taken a different course if Muammar Gadhafi had declared at the outset that "he has three or four nuclear devices."

Gadhafi gave up his nuclear aspirations in return for legitimacy from the West.  Gadhafi hired D.C. based lobbying firms, while money men courted Libya's cheap oil and billions for investing.  Western politicians like Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson freed the Lockerbie bomber in return for oil deals.

So what is Barak trying to do with his fiction?  He's saying Iranians won't have their Persian Spring if Iran gets a handful of nuclear devices.  When he wasn't joking about female soldiers singing, Barak went on to say the clock is ticking.

Earlier this month, Barak said that an Israeli attack on Iran was not imminent. He has also said there were several months left in which to decide on such action.

For those keeping track of the PNAC score, here it is:

Iraq - check
Libya - check
Syria - in process
Iran - up next
North Korea - nobody wants it, no oil.

Gaza is back on Israel's radar.  They did discover oil and gas offshore.

Update 3-19-24:  The current razing of Gaza prompted a suggestion from Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner that waterfront property be developed.  Of course the Palestinians would have to go.  Does that mean offshore oil/gas rights go to the new waterfront property holders?

Libyan Justice for Gadhafi's Kid

Reuters reported the capture of Muammar Gadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam, and the quandary of bringing him to justice:

Saif may know a lot of secrets that could damage the reputations of some in the NTC and the West.

For this reason Saif will end up like Manuel Noriega, shuttled from jail to jail, or like Saddam Hussein, broken, secluded and eventually executed.  Western businessmen and their purchased politicians plotted with the Gadhafi's on access to Libya's billions in cash and oil resources.  Those stories must remain untold.  America's Government-Corporate Monstrosity will not tolerate having the curtain pulled.

It also won't put up with any American Spring.  There will be no Tafir Square on public or private U.S. land.  America's free speech doesn't include what Egyptians staked out under U.S. backed strongman Hosni Mubarek (now under threat from the ruling army).

Saif Gadhafi's free speech days are over.  The question is how long he lives, after he is broken.

Update 3-23-14:  As for why the U.S. took down Gadhafi, the meme of an African Union with its own currency keeps rearing its head.

Peculiar Iran Update

From The Jerusalem Post's Iranian Threat section:

A senior US military official said on Friday Iran had become the biggest threat to the United States and Israel's president said the military option to stop the Islamic republic from obtaining nuclear weapons was nearer.

The National Post cited the odd anonymity for the American military official:

“The biggest threat to the United States and to our interests and to our friends … has come into focus and it’s Iran,” said the U.S. military official, addressing a forum in Washington. Reporters were allowed to cover the event on condition the official not be identified.

Israeli President Simon Peres called Iran the greatest danger to Israel and beyond:

"Iran is the greatest danger, both for Israel and for the entire world," he told Druze leaders while visiting a northern Israeli village.

The list of "greatest danger" seers includes Frances Townsend, Condi Rice, Rep. Michael McCaul and Ret. Army General John Keane.  Keane attended this summer's annual Bilderberg meeting, where war with Iran was a topic.

With an IAEA report due on Iran's nuclear weapons development, how far off are hostilities?  Will Israel lead the attack or will it be the entire world?  Stay tuned.

Update:  WaPo says Iran at threshold of nuclear capability.  WaPo Publisher Donald Graham is a regular Bilderberg attendee. 

Netanyahu & Obama: Churchill Brothers?

Now that NATO wrapped a bow around Libya, who's next for Western intervention?  There's oil fields to tap and markets to open. 

Some believe Iran is on deck, given Israel's recent prisoner swap which set the teams for the next conflagration. 

“When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war. War settles nothing.”

 Dwight David Eisenhower quotes

Bush had Iraq, Obama's got Libya.  Reds and Blues like war, selling it as the preventive kind (WMD, massacre of the people).

“I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”

 Dwight David Eisenhower quotes

Rather than get out of the way, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may be looking for his inner Churchill.  Israel at least faces interim bomb attacks, albeit not from a mighty power.

Bibi's Churchill stance would drag Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama into any conflict.  That is if Obama isn't seeking his Churchill, as America doesn't normally change presidents mid war.  Coincidentally, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton trotted out that Iran is morphing into a military dictatorship.

Two evil dictators, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadhafi down, one rising military dictatorship to go.  Nobody spins a narrative like the Western greed and power boys, and now girls.

Update 10-30-11:  President Obama will build troop levels in the Persian Gulf, according to NYT. 

Middle East Freedom Update

A number of news stories reflect the dire state of the Middle East, at least on the Palestine-Israel front.. In one story a Palestinian official called Quartet Representative Tony Blair useless. Blair leaked a peace deal in December 2008, before Israel razed Gaza.  After the white phosphorous and dime bombs settled, Blair pushed economic peace for Palestinians, implying that participation in the global economy would bring about conditions for peace. 

The second story has the U.S. blocking $200 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority.  The withhold is in retribution for Palestine requesting statehood from the United Nations.  Stopping aid will drive the Palestinian Authority where in its search for aid?

Egypt and Libya have new governments with their hands full meeting domestic needs.  Lebanon wants to avoid a repeat of Israel's brutal attack in summer 2006.  Syria is in the midst of a low grade rebellion.  That leaves three major players in the region, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Gaza's Hamas wants the Palestinian Authority to  fight Israel in order to form a state.  Which way will Mahmoud Abbas go?  It has massive implications for the next war, currently in the planning stages. As for Blair, he has economic peace in spades.

Update 10-2-11:  The Arab League said it would fill the U.S. funding gap.  Israel continues pushing its Jewish state.

Two Faced Biden Faces Lack of Sleep

The Economic Times reported:

The United States today pledged never to forget the enemy which was responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks in the country 10 years ago and said it will not rest till al-Qaeda is completely destroyed.

"We will not stop. You will not stop until al-Qaeda is not only disrupted, but completely dismantled and ultimately destroyed," Vice President Joe Biden told US soldiers at the 9/11 observance ceremony at the Pentagon.

That's odd, given America's role in growing al Qaeda by funding Bin Laden and the Afghan mujaheddin in their fight against the Russians.

"And along with the intelligence community and the law enforcement community, they relentlessly took the fight to al-Qaeda and its affiliates.  They were prepared to follow bin Laden to hell's gate if necessary and they got him," Biden said.

Part of that relentless fight involved capturing al Qaeda on global battlefields and rendering them to Syria and Libya.

Biden's comment seem odder given America's partnership with al Qaeda  in taking down Libya's Muammar Gadhafi.

One European official cited the dangerous combination.  AFP reported:

Al-Qaeda's north African branch has acquired a stockpile of weapons in Libya, including surface-to-air missiles that are threatening air travel, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator said Monday.

Add that a key Libyan rebel army leader was one of the rendered.  NPR reported

The top commander in the Libyan capital is Abdel Hakim Belhaj, whose Tripoli Brigade had a key role in taking the city.

Belhaj was eventually captured by the CIA in Thailand and was sent back to Libya, where he says he was imprisoned and tortured.

Belhaj has played down his Islamist roots, although he has said he deserves an apology from the CIA for sending him back to Libya.

The United States will not rest?  Two faced VP Joe Biden faces many sleepless nights.

Israel Leader Warns of Looming Multi-Front War

The Jerusalem Post reported:

“After the ‘Arab Spring’, we assess that a winter of radical Islam will arrive and as a result the possibility for a multi-front war has increased including the potential use of weapons of mass destruction,”
OC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Eyal Eisenberg revealed.

War with Syria could derive from an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.  Israel drilled on a multi-front war in April and will drill again with the U.S. on a major missile attack in early 2012.

Quartet Envoy Tony Blair gave this bold assessment regarding Israeli-Palestinian peace (Haaretz):

Blair said it was imperative for the parties involved to find a "framework for negotiations that will give both sides the sense that they are credible." 

That's a low bar, even for Tony, who said Ehud Olmert had a peace agreement right before Israel razed Gaza.

"It is not in anyone's interest to carry on in conflict, when together in peace we can create so much for Israelis and Palestinians."

 
That's odd, given Blair's close ties to Western capitalists, who make plenty from war.  Blair did push economic peace which capitalists love, especially the government subsidized version.  New markets and energy resources can be obtained by force.  Pro-Western leaders can be installed.  Even those with a terrorist background will do, if they fit the current need.  Next move?

Free to Rely on Russians

The AP reported:

An unmanned Russian supply ship bound for the International Space Station failed to reach its planned orbit Wednesday, and pieces of it fell in Siberia amid a thunderous explosion, officials said

NASA is officially out of the space supply business, having eliminated the Space Shuttle program.  Russia is the only supplier at this time.   NASA lost space craft as well.  After the Challenger explosion, NASA took an extended break to fix design problems.  The question is how long before the Russians are ready to fly again.

How long before American-branded space contractors can do what NASA did?  That remains to be seen.