THE FLASHLIGHT, June 28 - July 4, 2008
THE FLASHLIGHT
June 28 – July 4, 2008
No Peace without Justice, No Justice without the Facts
Mary K. Matossian, Editor
Iraq
CNN 6-27. In the first half of 2008, 700 Iraq civilians were killed, which was higher than in the first half of 2007.
It was announced that four international oil companies: British Petroleum, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Total, had signed no-bid oil contracts with the central government of Iraq.
PBS 6-30. These are technical support contracts. 6 oil and 2 natural gas fields were opened in the hope of raising production by 60% by the use of better technology. The foreign oil companies will not have any equity ownership in the oil fields, making this a typical contract for the Middle East. The contracts have not yet been approved by the Iraqi Parliament.
However the Kurds, contrary to wishes of the Central Government, offered foreign companies some equity ownership.
CNN. 7-2. 64% of Americans want US troops to leave Iraq. Obama will visit Iraq before the November election.
NYTimes 7-3. Rep. Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, revealed that in September, 2007 Bush Administration officials knew that Hunt Oil, a Texas company with close ties to President Bush, signed an oil deal with the regional Kurdish government that would give stockholders of Hunt equity ownership in Kurdish oil. The US State Department did nothing to discourage the deal. The deal was counter to US policy, and undercut the central government of Iraq. Iraq’s Oil Minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, condemned the deal as illegal. Iraqi officials were infuriated
Iran
Inter Press Service, ips.net. 7-2. On 6-30 Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist, contrasted the claims of the government of Israel that Iran is strong and dangerous, with the claims pro-Israel analysts in the US that Iran is weak and his little power to retaliate if attacked. Both the Israeli government and the pro-Israeli hawks are arguing in favor of a pre-emptive strike against Iran.
BBC and Chicago Tribune 7-2. According to Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an Israeli attack on Iran was high risk and might destabilize the region. He also said that if the US participated in such an attack it would be “extremely stressful” for the American armed forces, who have their hands full in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thomas Powers, “Iran: Threat,” New York Review of Books, 7-17, pp. 9-11.`The Pentagon is resisting the efforts of Bush and Cheney to organize an attack on Iran before the end of their term in office. The Pentagon leaders believe such an attack would be practically difficult and strategically unnecessary.
Robert Gates, Sec. of Defense, and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, argue that the US does not have the military resources, the political support at home, or the agreement of allies abroad to carry out an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, much less to invade and occupy Iran. But Bush has a history of ignoring such realities when obsessed by a dream.
Seymour Hersh, “Preparing the Battlefield.” The New Yorker, July 7 and 14, 2008, pp. 61-67.
Through Special Operations of the military, which do not have to be reported to Congress, the Bush Administration is intensifying operations within Iran to collect intelligence, kidnap an Iranian nuclear scientist, murder key figures in Iran’s elite commandos, and contact armed groups among Iran’s minorities, notably the Baluchi in the south and east. The Baluchi are Sunni fundamentalists with ties to Al-Qaeda. But no matter, they are hostile to the Shia government in Teheran. A former senior intelligence official says that there is fierce resistance within the intelligence community to waging a covert war inside Iran.
In addition, Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq has said that Iraq is not willing to be a staging area for covert operations inside Iran.
US Politics
CNN 6-30. In the House of Representative this fall, the Democrats have 12 seats open, while the Republicans have 36.
CNN 7-1. Obama tells evangelical Christians that he favors faith-based initiatives to help the poor and protect the environment.
BBC 7-2. The Senate is investigating the finances of televangelists. One owns a $20 million dollar private jet. When challenged by reporters he said, “It’s mine and you can’t have it!”
CNN 7-2. The McCain campaign is going through a shakeup on account of its lack of message discipline, faulty personnel vetting,
et al. McCain has just hired some Bush campaign veterans as his campaign advisers. He is handicapped by the fact that the sitting Republican President has a 71% disapproval rate among women, and a 75% disapproval rate among Independents.
US Economy
CBS 6-27. The Dow-Jones Index went down 20% in the month of June.
PBS 7-2. The Dow-Jones is firmly in bear territory. This is a recession.
PBS 7-3. The four-day work week is spreading. It saves energy for both employers and workers. However, air-conditioning systems have to run 7 days to prevent mold formation, and police and fire services also work 7 days.
Guns
NYTimes 7-2. The Supreme Court voted that it is constitutional for an individual to keep a loaded gun in his home to defend against intruders. However, that right is conditional: criminals and psychotics do not have it. Moreover, on account of the growing efficiency and safety of stun guns and other non-lethal weapons, states are passing laws prohibiting the use of lethal weapons when non-lethal ones are available.
June 28 – July 4, 2008
No Peace without Justice, No Justice without the Facts
Mary K. Matossian, Editor
Iraq
CNN 6-27. In the first half of 2008, 700 Iraq civilians were killed, which was higher than in the first half of 2007.
It was announced that four international oil companies: British Petroleum, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Total, had signed no-bid oil contracts with the central government of Iraq.
PBS 6-30. These are technical support contracts. 6 oil and 2 natural gas fields were opened in the hope of raising production by 60% by the use of better technology. The foreign oil companies will not have any equity ownership in the oil fields, making this a typical contract for the Middle East. The contracts have not yet been approved by the Iraqi Parliament.
However the Kurds, contrary to wishes of the Central Government, offered foreign companies some equity ownership.
CNN. 7-2. 64% of Americans want US troops to leave Iraq. Obama will visit Iraq before the November election.
NYTimes 7-3. Rep. Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, revealed that in September, 2007 Bush Administration officials knew that Hunt Oil, a Texas company with close ties to President Bush, signed an oil deal with the regional Kurdish government that would give stockholders of Hunt equity ownership in Kurdish oil. The US State Department did nothing to discourage the deal. The deal was counter to US policy, and undercut the central government of Iraq. Iraq’s Oil Minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, condemned the deal as illegal. Iraqi officials were infuriated
Iran
Inter Press Service, ips.net. 7-2. On 6-30 Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist, contrasted the claims of the government of Israel that Iran is strong and dangerous, with the claims pro-Israel analysts in the US that Iran is weak and his little power to retaliate if attacked. Both the Israeli government and the pro-Israeli hawks are arguing in favor of a pre-emptive strike against Iran.
BBC and Chicago Tribune 7-2. According to Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an Israeli attack on Iran was high risk and might destabilize the region. He also said that if the US participated in such an attack it would be “extremely stressful” for the American armed forces, who have their hands full in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thomas Powers, “Iran: Threat,” New York Review of Books, 7-17, pp. 9-11.`The Pentagon is resisting the efforts of Bush and Cheney to organize an attack on Iran before the end of their term in office. The Pentagon leaders believe such an attack would be practically difficult and strategically unnecessary.
Robert Gates, Sec. of Defense, and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, argue that the US does not have the military resources, the political support at home, or the agreement of allies abroad to carry out an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, much less to invade and occupy Iran. But Bush has a history of ignoring such realities when obsessed by a dream.
Seymour Hersh, “Preparing the Battlefield.” The New Yorker, July 7 and 14, 2008, pp. 61-67.
Through Special Operations of the military, which do not have to be reported to Congress, the Bush Administration is intensifying operations within Iran to collect intelligence, kidnap an Iranian nuclear scientist, murder key figures in Iran’s elite commandos, and contact armed groups among Iran’s minorities, notably the Baluchi in the south and east. The Baluchi are Sunni fundamentalists with ties to Al-Qaeda. But no matter, they are hostile to the Shia government in Teheran. A former senior intelligence official says that there is fierce resistance within the intelligence community to waging a covert war inside Iran.
In addition, Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq has said that Iraq is not willing to be a staging area for covert operations inside Iran.
US Politics
CNN 6-30. In the House of Representative this fall, the Democrats have 12 seats open, while the Republicans have 36.
CNN 7-1. Obama tells evangelical Christians that he favors faith-based initiatives to help the poor and protect the environment.
BBC 7-2. The Senate is investigating the finances of televangelists. One owns a $20 million dollar private jet. When challenged by reporters he said, “It’s mine and you can’t have it!”
CNN 7-2. The McCain campaign is going through a shakeup on account of its lack of message discipline, faulty personnel vetting,
et al. McCain has just hired some Bush campaign veterans as his campaign advisers. He is handicapped by the fact that the sitting Republican President has a 71% disapproval rate among women, and a 75% disapproval rate among Independents.
US Economy
CBS 6-27. The Dow-Jones Index went down 20% in the month of June.
PBS 7-2. The Dow-Jones is firmly in bear territory. This is a recession.
PBS 7-3. The four-day work week is spreading. It saves energy for both employers and workers. However, air-conditioning systems have to run 7 days to prevent mold formation, and police and fire services also work 7 days.
Guns
NYTimes 7-2. The Supreme Court voted that it is constitutional for an individual to keep a loaded gun in his home to defend against intruders. However, that right is conditional: criminals and psychotics do not have it. Moreover, on account of the growing efficiency and safety of stun guns and other non-lethal weapons, states are passing laws prohibiting the use of lethal weapons when non-lethal ones are available.
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