The most important news and reports on global events. A comprehensive look at the plans and progress of the global power structure.

Endless Reckless Slaughter

Nato ‘covered up’ botched night raid in Afghanistan that killed five. “They killed our family, then they brought us money”.

Jerome Starkey, Khataba

A night raid carried out by US and Afghan gunmen led to the deaths of two pregnant women, a teenage girl and two local officials in an atrocity which Nato then tried to cover up, survivors have told The Times.

The operation on Friday, February 12, was a botched pre-dawn assault on a policeman’s home a few miles outside Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, eastern Afghanistan. In a statement after the raid titled “Joint force operating in Gardez makes gruesome discovery”, Nato claimed that the force had found the women’s bodies “tied up, gagged and killed” in a room.

A Times investigation suggests that Nato’s claims are either willfully false or, at best, misleading. More than a dozen survivors, officials, police chiefs and a religious leader interviewed at and around the scene of the attack maintain that the perpetrators were US and Afghan gunmen. The identity and status of the soldiers is unknown.

The raid came more than a fortnight after the commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan issued new guidelines designed to limit the use of night raids. Special forces and Western intelligence agencies that run covert operations in Afghanistan have been criticised for night raids based on dubious or false intelligence leading to civilian casualties.

The first person to die in the assault was Commander Dawood, 43, a long-serving, popular and highly-trained policeman who had recently been promoted to head of intelligence in one of Paktia’s most volatile districts. His brother, Saranwal Zahir, was a prosecutor in Ahmadabad district. He was killed while he stood in a doorway trying to protest their innocence.

Three women crouching in a hallway behind him were hit by the same volley of fire. Bibi Shirin, 22, had four children under the age of 5. Bibi Saleha, 37, had 11 children. Both of them, according to their relatives, were pregnant. They were killed instantly.

The men’s mother, Bibi Sabsparie, said that Shirin was four months pregnant and Saleha was five months. The other victim, Gulalai, 18, was engaged. She was wounded and later died. “We had already bought everything for the wedding,” her soon-to-be father-in-law, Sayed Mohammed Mal, the Vice-Chancellor of Gardez University, said.

On the night of the attack about 25 male friends and relatives had gathered at Commander Dawood’s compound in Khataba, a small village, to celebrate the naming of a newborn boy. Sitting together along the walls of a guest room, the men had taken turns dancing while musicians played. Mohammed Sediq Mahmoudi, 24, the singer, said that at some time after 3am one of the musicians, Dur Mohammed, went outside to go to the toilet. “Someone shone a light on his face and he ran back inside and said the Taleban were outside,” Mr Sediq said.

Lieutenant-Colonel Zamarud Zazai, the Gardez head of police intelligence, said: “Both sides thought the other group was Taliban.” Commander Dawood ran towards the family quarters with his son Sediqullah, 15. Halfway across the courtyard they were shot by a gunman on the roof. Commander Dawood was killed. Sediqullah, his uncles said, was hit twice but survived.

The shooting stopped and the soldiers shouted in Pashto for everyone to come outside. Waheedullah, an ambulance driver, said that their accents sounded Kandahari.

Nato said that the troops were part of a joint “Afghan-international” force but, despite new rules requiring them to leave leaflets identifying their unit, the family said they left nothing. US troops denied any involvement.

In the hallway on the other side of the compound, women poured in to tend to the casualties. Commander Dawood’s mother said: “Zahir shouted, ‘don’t fire, we work for the Government’. But while he was talking they fired again. I saw him fall down. I turned around and saw my daughter-in-law and the other women were dead.”

Mohammed Sabir, 26, the youngest brother of Commander Dawood and Zahir, was one of eight men arrested and flown to a base in neighbouring Paktika province. They were held for four days and interrogated by an American in civilian clothes who showed them pictures of their suspect. “I said, ‘Yes, it’s Shamsuddin. He was at the party. Why didn’t you arrest him?’ ” Sabir said. After they were released without charge Shamsuddin — who had spent five months fixing generators at the local American base — turned himself in for questioning. He, too, was released without charge.

Nato’s original statement said: “Several insurgents engaged the joint force in a firefight and were killed.” The family maintain that no one threw so much as a stone. Rear Admiral Greg Smith, Nato’s director of communications in Kabul, denied that there had been any attempt at a cover-up.

He said that both the men who were killed were armed and showing “hostile intent” but admitted “they were not the targets of this particular raid”.

“I don’t know if they fired any rounds,” he said. “If you have got an individual stepping out of a compound, and if your assault force is there, that is often the trigger to neutralise the individual. You don’t have to be fired upon to fire back.”

He admitted that the original statement had been “poorly worded” but said “to people who see a lot of dead bodies” the women had appeared at the time to have been dead for several hours.

The family were offered, through local elders, American compensation — $2,000 (1,300 punds) for each of the victims.

“There’s no value on human life,” Bibi Sabsparie said. “They killed our family, then they came and brought us money. Money won’t bring our family back.”
===========================
Stop NATO

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato

Blog site:

http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/

By Debbie Morgan, staff writer, www.TakeBackWashington.com

Is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) running damage control for the Federal government?  In Popular Mechanics denial fashion, its Spring 2010 newsletter and newest article are all but rejecting the widespread evidence about FEMA camps and they are taking potshots at a new documentary that includes information about FEMA.  Considering the plummeting approval rating of the new President and Congress, the government must be feeling the pressure of anxiety among US citizens, especially with the outright anger caused by last year’s “leak” of the now-infamous MIAC (Missouri Information Analysis Center) report, the CNN attack piece on the Oath Keepers, and the fall 2009 release of the new film Camp FEMA, it seems likely that damage control is exactly what is going on.

After reading the recent rhetoric by SPLC, I think one has to ask, “What is an organization that is ‘dedicated to fighting for civil rights and against bigotry’ doing suppressing information about the interning of US citizens and FEMA’s roll?”  After all, “FEMA camps,” as they are endearingly referred to by many, are for relocating US citizens from their homes in cases of Government-declared national emergency.  Shouldn’t the “civil rights” group be advocating the rights of free US citizens to stay in their homes, if they so chose?  Also, how does the film, Camp FEMA, figure as a hate or bigotry-filled film?  For that matter, how does the position of the Oath Keepers and Restore the Republic fall into that category?

The William Lewis Films/Gary Franchi production opens with newsreel footage from the World War II era explaining the internment of Japanese Americans.  At that time, the facilities were not referred to as “FEMA camps” (for those with questions, research REX 84), but were called War Relocation communities, as there was no Federal Emergency Management Agency at the time.  What is revealed by the first two minutes of the film, however, is that of those relocated to these “communities,” more than two-thirds were American citizens, a fact that sets the stage for the rest of the well-documented film.

In its March 11, 2010 offering, the SPLC also takes aim at Denver Public Television’s KBDI for airing Camp FEMA during its most recent fund drive.  The station’s Executive Producer, Shari Bernson, told SPLC that calls about the controversial documentary were “overwhelmingly positive.”  Bernson and KBDI are known for presenting programming that is not your typical public television fare. But then, shouldn’t ”public television” be about informing the public rather than “government approved” programming?  Again, the film is well documented.

Camp FEMA boasts a collection of interviews with several in the forefront of revealing government corruption and sheds light on legislation and other information about FEMA. And, while the mainstream media would have you believe that some of the guests are “wacko conspiracy theorists,” more than one mainstream news talk show host has had to admit that these people have been right on the money with some of their information.  In fact, many of these people are well ahead of mainstream news outlets at getting important information to the public.

SPLC’s spin is less than impressive, however.  From FEMA’s inception, its mission statement, its absorption by the Department of Homeland Security to the National Guard ad seeking Internment Specialists (all exposed in Camp FEMA), it is really mind-blowing how the SPLC is able to overlook the interesting array of information readily available to the public.

SPLC also claims that William Lewis Films, Oath Keepers, Restore the Republic and a host of other “patriot-minded” people are militia and conspiracy minded, and, by planting the suggestion in the minds of their readers, that they might even have their roots in “white supremacy” (directly from SPLC:  “Though some Patriot movement beliefs have roots in white supremacy”); yet they are nothing of the sort.  If the Center had done their proper homework they would find that these people and groups only want the government to be held accountable for its egregious legislation and actions against the American people and to return to a government that is aligned with our Founding Documents:  the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.  How, may I ask, is that “militia or conspiratorial minded” or “white supremacist?”  Readers need to realize that these are the tools our government, and apparently SPLC, is using to create doubt in the minds of people unfamiliar with what is truly going on.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, the federal government and anyone else who thinks liberty-loving people looking out for their best interests are a threat need to re-read the Bill of Rights (including paying special attention to the Second Amendment) and the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration of Independence clearly states:

“…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

What these people and groups want to do is to merely inform the public about reprehensible government activity and keeping the government in line; making the government live up to the dreams and desires of our Founding Fathers…Freedom…Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for all.

After the SPLC and anyone else has read that, they
need to answer some questions:

• Why DOESN’T the SPLC and our elected-by-the-people government
  understand our inherent rights as US citizens?
• Why are YOU labeling freedom-loving, law-abiding United States citizens
  who question your motivations militia-minded or conspiracy theorists?
• Do you need the general public to be in constant fear?

Those of us who hold fast to our inherent rights to freedom are no threat to anyone.  That is the reason this country was founded…after all, it is our right and duty to watch our government, and to “provide new Guards for [our] future security…” if need be.

My suggestion is that all US citizens do a little research.  READ the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and take a look back at our history.  Look at the list of questions provided on the Camp FEMA website. Look at the mission statement of the Oath Keepers, an organization that merely wants to abide by its oath to protect and defend the Constitution (something Congress and the President still haven’t figured out how to do!). Look at the information provided on the Restore the Republic website.  Ask yourself what you would like to see on your television Public television.  All that will be left to do after that is to ask yourself why the SPLC weighed in on this debate.

Endnotes:

Camp FEMA

www.CampFEMA.com

Fear of FEMA, Intelligence Report, Spring 2010, Issue
Number: 137

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/spring/fear-of-fema

The Unlikeliest Conspiracy-Monger: Colorado Public Television

http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2010/03/11/the-unlikeliest-conspiracy-monger-colorado-public-tv/#more-3805

CNN Slams “Patriot Movement,” Misrepresents FEMA
Camp Evidence

http://www.policestate21.com/CNN-Slams-Patriot-Movement.html

MIAC Report

http://www.news-leader.com/assets/pdf/DO131242323.PDF

REX 84

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~lf14/conspire/rex84.html

Oath Keepers

http://oathkeepers.org/oath/

Restore the Republic

http://restoretherepublic.com/

The Declaration of Independence

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

The following is Part III of David DeGraw’s report, “The Economic Elite vs. People of the USA.” AlterNet previously ran Part I and Part II.

“It has now become evident to a critical mass that the Republican and Democratic parties, along with all three branches of our government, have been bought off by a well-organized Economic Elite who are tactically destroying our way of life. The harsh truth is that 99% of the US population no longer has political representation. The US economy, government and tax system is now blatantly rigged against us.Current statistical societal indicators clearly demonstrate that a strategic attack has been launched and an analysis of current governmental policies prove that conditions for 99% of Americans will continue to deteriorate. The Economic Elite have engineered a financial coup and have brought war to our doorstep. . . and make no mistake, they have launched a war to eliminate the US middle class.”

***

Part III: Exposing Our Enemy: Meet the Economic Elite

I don’t view the Economic Elite as a small group of men who meet in secrecy to control the world. They do feature elements of conspiracy and are clearly composed of secretive organizations like the Bilderberg Group — this is not a conspiracy theory, this is a conspiracy fact – but as a whole the Economic Elite are primarily united by ideology. They’re made up of thousands of individuals who subscribe to an ideology of exploitation and the belief that wealth and resources need to be concentrated into the fewest hands possible (theirs), at the expense of the many.

That being said, there are some definite lead players in this group and it is important that we are not too vague and expose the individuals who publicly lead them. Focusing on the fundamental structure of the US economy, we have people like Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner, Ben Bernanke, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Alan Greenspan, Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Dimon, John Mack, Vikram Pandit,and  John Thain.

In total, the Economic Elite are made up of about 0.5% of the US population. At the center of this group is the Business Roundtable, an organization representing Fortune 500 CEOs that is also interlocked with several lead elite organizations. Most Americans have never heard of the Business Roundtable. However, in my analysis, it is the most influential and powerful Economic Elite organization.

“The Business Roundtable joined the Business Council at the heart of both the corporate community and the policy-formation network and now has the most powerful role…. The Roundtable’s interlocks with other policy groups and with think tanks are presented [below].” G. William Domhoff, Who Rules America?

The Roundtable’s first year of operation was 1972, which coincided with the beginning of the CEO salary explosion, and has been the driving force behind the unprecedented concentration of wealth since their inception. Their dominance over the US economy and government is unparalleled. Their members are a Who’s Who of everything that is wrong with our economy. Here is a partial list of some of their lead members:

——-Lloyd C. Blankfein, Goldman Sachs

——-James Dimon, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

——-James P. Gorman, Morgan Stanley

——-Vikram S. Pandit, Citigroup, Inc.

——-Brian T. Moynihan, Bank of America

——-Brendan McDonagh, HSBC

——-Robert W. Selander, MasterCard Incorporated

——-Kenneth I. Chenault, American Express Company

——-Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation

——-Glenn A. Britt, Time Warner Cable Inc.

——-Philippe Dauman, Viacom, Inc.

——-Jeffrey R. Immelt, General Electric Company

——-Brian L. Roberts, Comcast Corporation

——-Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft Corporation

——-John T. Chambers, Cisco Systems, Inc.

——-Randall L. Stephenson, AT&T Inc.

——-Ivan G. Seidenberg, Verizon Communications

——-David G. DeWalt, McAfee, Inc.

——-Steven R. Loranger, ITT Corporation

——-Paul T. Hanrahan, AES Corporation, The

——-Riley P. Bechtel, Bechtel Group, Inc.

——-W. James McNerney , Boeing Company, The

——-Rex W. Tillerson, Exxon Mobil Corporation

——-Marvin E. Odum, Shell Oil Company

——-John S. Watson, Chevron Corporation

——-James J. Mulva, ConocoPhillips

——-John B. Hess, Hess Corporation

——-James E. Rogers Duke Energy Corporation

——-J. Larry Nichols, Devon Energy Corporation

——-Ronald A. Williams, Aetna Inc.

——-David Cordani, CIGNA

——-Jeffrey B. Kindler , Pfizer Inc.

——-Angela F. Braly, WellPoint, Inc.

——-John C. Lechleiter, Eli Lilly and Company

——-Edward B. Rust, Jr., State Farm

——-Andrew N. Liveris, Dow Chemical

——-James W. Owens, Caterpillar Inc.

——-Ellen J. Kullman, DuPont

——-Edward E. Whitacre Jr., General Motors Company

——-Michael T. Duke, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Go on to page two – the_business_roundtable:_the_most_powerful_corporate_business_club_most_americans_have_never_heard_of