Fears mount as Israel's 'Berlin Wall' threatens to imprison the West Bank
The eight-metre-high wall is made out of huge, grey, concrete slabs and has watchtowers built into it every 300 metres or so. On either side of it are military roads, complete with tanks and armoured Jeeps, trenches, some six metres wide and four metres deep, barbed wire, cameras, motion sensors, electrified fencing and exclusion zones of between 35 and 50 metres. In parts, special material will be laid to detect infiltrators' footprints. In all it is about 100 metres wide and has been and will continue to be built entirely on Palestinian land.

It's difficult to say exactly how long the finished wall will be as Israel has not released complete maps. Israeli and Palestinian human rights organisations have had to deduce its path using military orders for land seizures and lists of which illegal Israeli settlements will be to the west of the wall. Their conclusion is that it will run the entire 220-mile length of the West Bank and could even encircle it and be built not just on the border between the West Bank and Israel, but on the border between the West Bank and Jordan as well, effectively making the West Bank a huge open-air prison .

German TV airs documentary charging American war crimes in Afghanistan
US State Department denounces broadcast

The US State Department has reacted angrily to the showing of a documentary on German television alleging that US soldiers were involved in war crimes in Afghanistan. The film, Massacre in Afghanistan—Did the Americans Look On?, was produced by Irish filmmaker Jamie Doran. It was shown December 18 on one of the main German public channels—ARD. The 45-minute documentary had previously been shown by the British Channel 5 and the Italian station RAI.

Prior to the German broadcast, a spokesman for the US State Department, Larry Schwartz, declared: “It is a mystery to us why a respected television channel is showing a documentary in which the facts are completely wrong and which unfairly depicts the US mission in Afghanistan.”

In fact, the allegations in Doran’s film have been public for over half a year and the US government has refused to make any statement or advance any argument to refute its detailed evidence of complicity by US soldiers in war crimes. The film makes the point that the Pentagon has refused numerous requests by Doran for an interview or comment on the events that it depicts. [MORE]

Top Ten Conspiracy Theories of 2002

from Alternet

For about thirty minutes after his chief of staff told him that America was under attack, George W. Bush continued to sit in an elementary school classroom listening to a second-grader tell a story about a pet goat. He did a marvelous job of looking completely unsurprised. Meanwhile, four hijacked jumbo jets were able to fly off-course across several states without encountering any opposition from the most powerful and responsive air force in the world.

Click here to vote for your favorite on LibertyForum.

LibertyThink Honorable Mention:

1.) Jeb Bush's 7 September 2001 martial law declaration in Florida (Executive Order 01-261).

2.) George W. Bush's Executive Order W199I-WF-213589 ordering Federal agents to "back off the bin Ladens"

3.) FOXNews Spy Story

Annan Sees No Reason Yet for Military Action Against Iraq

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan says he sees no reason for military action against Iraq at this time. In an interview with Israel's Army Radio, Mr. Annan said U.N. inspectors should be allowed to finish their work.

Kofi Annan said the U.N. inspectors are in Iraq to ferret out banned weapons or weapons programs Iraq may have. He told Israel's Army Radio it was agreed that the inspectors should report their findings to the U.N. Security Council January 27.

Therefore, he said there is no basis for further action now, since Iraq has cooperated with the inspectors. "Iraq is cooperating, and [the inspectors] are able to do their work in an unimpeded manner," said Mr. Annan. "Therefore I do not see an argument for a military action now."

Meanwhile Back at the ranch: A little insider info from a source that formerly served as a Pentagon advisor- "The US is leaning so far forward (a reference to the economic and political ramification of the current mid-east military build-up) that war is inevitable no matter the outcome of the inspections." One could even say that the US has been marching off to war from the beginning.

PROGRESS REPORT: The OSX installation seems to have worked, but I haven't got the internet connection to happen yet, so I'm back here in the dead of night, revisiting 9.2, with my sense of reality skewed beyond easy redemption. Off to bed now, and a good long think in the morning before anything else happens.... I am so glad that I don't have to go through anything like this more often than every year or two...

methylsalicylate: be bold, baby

Background on Rael
Then a French journalist signed up for the week-long nudist Sensual Meditation Camp, and covertly taped couples making love in the tents. This was played over the radio, and subsequent news stories presented the Raelian Movement as an unbridled sex orgy where brainwashing was perpetrated and perversions were encouraged.

Likud corruption scandal rocks Israel. A sordid tale of vote-buying, secretary sex and organized crime
The police have since decided to investigate leading Likud members and MPs with regard to how the primaries were conducted and the methods by which candidates won high places in the Likud’s list. The scandal began after Knesset member (MK) Nehama Ronen, who failed to win a realistic slot in the Likud Knesset list, revealed that during her campaign four Central Committee members had asked her for payoffs of between NIS 1,000 (US$200+) to NIS 1,500 (US$250+) per head in return for votes in her favour. Ronen rejected all the requests for money.

In addition, a secretary for a candidate who ran in the Likud primary has alleged that her boss had asked her to hint to Likud Central Committee members that she would be willing to have sex with them in return for their votes.

Labour Party General Secretary Ophir Pines-Paz called for the formation of a special committee to investigate Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and all the Likud candidates, to put a stop to the connection between politics and organised crime. “The new testimony about extortion and attempted bribery in the Likud raises questions about the vulnerability of democratic rule in Israel. The danger of criminals slipping representatives into the Knesset and influencing senior ministers requires enacting immediate far-reaching laws,” Pines-Paz said.

Ha'aretz has also been doing some good reporting on the Likud party scandals

The daily news service of the Progressive Review, Washington's most unofficial source
The Progressive Review is published by Sam Smith, an indie publishing hero who has been doing it online and off for years. His pioneering style, intelligence, and love of exposing bullshit makes him a formidble force in the underground news scene. All hail Sam!

Happy New Year According to Whose Calendar?

Here's a little ditty from William Burroughs that goes down good this time of year.

To achieve independence from alien domination and to consolidate revolutionary gains, five steps are necessary:

1. PROCLAIM A NEW ERA AND SET UP A NEW CALENDAR*
   
2. REPLACE ALIEN LANGUAGE
   
3. DESTROY OR NEUTRALIZE ALIEN GODS
   
4. DESTROY ALIEN MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT AND CONTROL
   
5. TAKE WEALTH AND LAND FROM INDIVIDUAL ALIENS.
   

In his The Revised Boy Scout Manual from which the above quote is from, William S.Burroughs is exploring 'revolutionary tactics and weapons'. He is referring to the Ruling Class as 'Aliens' and shows examples and strategies how to overthrow them. For a period of time he appears to have been actually convinced that the Earth was run by agents from Venus. He was right. (There's also some nice calendar based ruminations in Book of Breething: Text and Conception, but this one is harder to find.)

*Obviously this means abolishing the Christian Calendar. It's high time the final death blow is dealt to the cultural domination of this scum. There will be no more saint days or any of this bullshit; there will hardly be need for holidays as everybody does what s/he wants to do all the time anyway. Important big festivals can be held at certain days or at random. On the whole the 20th century and all the centuries before will be remembered as dark ages, when people had to work, were controlled, brainwashed and oppressed. Even the most sophisticated mind control techniques of the Old Rulers will be pale remnants of idiocy compared to the "delirious freedon and splendid poetry" that will fill the vacuum they will have left behind.

Happy New Year? Whatever...

George vs. Saddam

Will the competition never end. Dubya is now claiming that Saddam could cripple the U.S. Economy — Would he do a better job of it than George has already done.

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush warned on Tuesday that a major attack on the United States by Iraq or a group working on its behalf could cripple the U.S. economy.

Irrational Reactionism: The Last War on Terror
by valis

How has G.W. Bush's reaction to the attacks on September 11th, 2001 differed from that of Hitler's reaction to the attacks of February 27th, 1933? Sadly, not by much. Both implemented policies that were previously planned, such as pre-emptive strikes on sovereign nations, using the attacks as a pre-text. In both cases, governments used “national security” as an excuse to launch an assault on Constitutional freedoms, one under the guise of "Homeland Security", the other under "Fatherland Security".

Originally published in my weekly column at PrisonPlanet.com
Also see: The LibertyThink Originals Archive

Most Over-Hyped and Under reported Stories of the year

"Middle East's Only Democracy"...for some
After allowing the candidacy of pro-ethnic cleansing parties and candidates, Israel's election committee is poised to bar virtually all Arab candidates and parties from upcoming elections. While Israeli racism and disenfranchisement against its minority Christian and Muslim population is well known and well-documented, even by the US State department, rarely does it present itself so egregiously, as PR is one of the main weapons of the state. Don't look for this story in your local paper or television news, as it is vital to maintain the mask of "democracy" that Israel wears for the US market.

yah, i know the lie...
the government has our best interests at heart alla' time, eh?
if we had any real glimpse of the truth re U.S. involvement
in these things, perhaps we'd have a more attentive and aware
electorate?
Nah, who am I kidding...
(from the L.A. Times)
Nun's piercing memoir of torture and her quest for the truth;
bullshit bullshit bullshit...
White House Cuts Estimate of Cost of War With Iraq.
I can hear el residente at breakfast,
alongside cohorts Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, et al...
"fuck you Kofi, I'm a'gonna slam Saddam & you can kiss my ass"
oh yah, merry frikkin' new year...

GNN's Spin of the Year

We tried to pick just one Spin of the Week story to feature as our Spin of the Year, but we couldn't. The U.S. government's propaganda machine was in overdrive in '02, trying to rally support for an invasion of Iraq here in the States, and to prop up the image of America the Brand in an increasingly hostile world. Following every twist and turn was a full-time job. Luckily, GNN partners PR Watch were on it. We'd like to thank them for helping our Guerrillas keep track of Bush's War on Tru... I mean, Terror. Here's the lowlights.

"It is arguable that the success of business propaganda in persuading us, for so long, that we are free from propaganda is one of the most significant propaganda achievements of the Twentieth Century"

- Alex Carey

Also see: John Stauber GNN video on propaganda

Rep. Rangel Calls for Reinstatement of Draft

Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel called yesterday for the reinstatement of the draft, saying it would give legislators pause before authorizing military action.

Rangel, a strident opponent of war against Iraq, said the United States has been "too cavalier" in its foreign policy. Its willingness to place troops in harm's way, the Democrat said, is tied to the fact that many soldiers are volunteers recruited from low- and moderate-income families.

"Realistically, when you talk about a war, you're talking about ground troops, you're talking about enlisted people, and they don't come from the kids and members of Congress," Rangel said on CNN's "Late Edition."
[MORE]

More Americans seeking refugee status in Canada post-9/11
The number of Americans making refugee claims in Canada has skyrocketed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board.

From January to the end of October this year, 191 filed refugee claims citing persecution in the U.S., compared to 81 in 2001, an increase of 135%.

Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, said there have been some outrageous human rights abuses in the U.S., including arrests without charges and psychological torture.

in short, you will not be allowed to exercise your conscience...
you will obey and continue to dominate, expel, starve & humiliate
an entire people...
Soldiers Cannot Refuse to Serve, Israeli Court Rules

The media (r)evolution marches on

Two media activists & artists from C-Supreme Studios in NY, have created a hip-hop-rock song dealing with the unanswered questions concerning the Sept. 11 attacks. The song is based on info gleaned from www.unansweredquestions.org and www.gnn.tv.

Listen to entire MP3

Also check out this one

U.S. Had Key Role in Iraq Buildup
Although this story was reported (and linked on AmSam) months ago, the Washington Post is finally picking it up and running with it. Will the result be the same? Will lily-livered reporters now have the guts to ask Rummy some hard questions? Only time will tell...

' ... If each of the individuals who are about to die has an average of thirty-years of life ahead, this would be three million years snuffed out. More than a billion days. Let's say two hundred million moments of lovemaking, three-quarters of a billion bursts of laughter, and the same number of tears. A half-billion personal epiphanies, and six billion dreams ... '

Via Unknown News.