Pentagon Whistleblower on the Coming War with Iran

Karen Kwiatkowski, a veteran of the Pentagon with firsthand experience of the administration’s cherry picking of intelligence, reveals why Bush thinks he can win a war with Iran, why few politicians are serious about withdrawal and why “when they call Iraq a success, they mean it.”

Excerpt:

Joshua Scheer: Now, you’re talking about these political appointees and pushing us into war, why haven’t people like Paul Wolfowitz—I mean these seem to feather their own nests…

Karen Kwiatkowski: [laughs] That’s an understatement.

Joshua Scheer: Yeah, but they lead us into war—Marc Zell, Doug Feith’s partner was in bed with Chalabi and it falls apart, and it seems that these guys disappear into the woodwork. What happens?

Karen Kwiatkowski: Well, a big part of what happens is these guys have top cover. The names of the top cover are Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. These guys like what Wolfowitz has done, and here’s the other thing: while we as American citizens do not like being lied to, particularly being lied into a stupid quagmire that makes no sense, we don’t like being lied to—Congress doesn’t like being lied to. However, many in Congress, and certainly in this administration, agree—and this is Democrats and Republicans—like the idea that we have gone into Iraq.

We have built four megabases, they are complete. Most of the money we gave to Halliburton was for construction and completion of these bases. We have, probably, of the hundred and 50 or 60 thousand troops, we have in Iraq—probably 110,000 of those folks are associated with one of those four megabases, safely ensconced behind acres and acres of concrete, to operate there indefinitely, no matter what happens in Baghdad, no matter who takes over, no matter if the country splits into three pieces or stays one—no matter what happens, we have those megabases.

And there’s many in Congress, and certainly in this administration, Republican and Democrat alike, that really like that. Part of the reason I think that we went into Iraq was to reestablish a stronger foothold than we had in Saudi Arabia, but also a more economical, a more flexible—in terms of who we want to hit—If you want to hit Syria, well can you do it from Iraq? Of course you can, and now you can do it from bases that will support any type of airplane you want, any number of troops in barracks, I mean we can do things from Iraq, and this is what they wanted. Yeah, we don’t like being lied to, but quite frankly, many people in the Congress, and certainly this administration, when they call Iraq a success, they mean it and this is why.

We’re in Iraq to stay, and can we strike Iran from Iraq? Well, I don’t know if we’ll do that next week, but we can.

Isn't always what they, the Bush Administration, is NOT saying that is what is really what they are up to.

Boycott ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is spearheading efforts to open America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. It is sabotaging efforts to slow global warming and refusing to put its huge profits to good use developing clean, renewable energy or supporting fuel efficiency. The company is still trying to get out of paying the full amount it owes fishermen and Native Americans hurt by the 1989 Valdez spill, which killed hundreds of thousands of seals, otters, birds, fish and whales -- despite raking in a historic $25 billion profit in 2005.

It's time to hold ExxonMobil responsible for putting corporate profits over protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat. Join Defenders of Wildlife and other leading conservation groups in boycotting ExxonMobil. Sign our petition to let ExxonMobil know that you WILL NOT BUY ExxonMobil gasoline unless -- and until -- ExxonMobil takes meaningful action to curb global warming, to invest in renewable energy, and to pay for the damages done by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.


Click on image above to sign petition.

Rep Ron Paul's weekly column

Hypocrisy in the Middle East

February 26, 2007

Hundreds of thousands of American troops already occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, a number that is rising as the military surge moves forward. The justification, given endlessly since September 11th, is that both support terrorism and thus pose a risk to the United States. Yet when we step back and examine the region as a whole, it’s obvious that these two impoverished countries, neither of which has any real military, pose very little threat to American national security when compared to other Middle Eastern nations. The decision to attack them, while treating some of region’s worst regimes as allies, shows the deadly hypocrisy of our foreign policy in the Middle East.

Read all at link above.

Buck's new (23 yr old) Liver

Here's the scoop on Jesse's (Buck's) transplant. Thanks so much for all your support in so many ways. We have been greatly blessed. Here's a link to his Got Liver? site.

I have had a liver transplant!!

Yes, it's true. After a scare when they needed to do more tests on my heart (I now know I have a small congenital defect.) - they placed me on the list on January 24th. I was feeling pretty bad and in fact my nephew, Darron, came over on Saturday the 27th to take me over to Self Memorial to get checked out because I was having trouble with shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. As I was getting ready to go out the door, the phone rang. It was the Transplant Coordinator at MUSC telling me they had a liver for me and to come on to Charleston. I was shocked and Michael and I took off for Charleston and MUSC immediately.

Everyone at MUSC was so nice to me. I had my transplant on the 28th (exactly 6 months before my birthday!). There was an initial scare as they discovered I was losing blood somewhere. The thinking was that one of the vessels was leaking. So, it was back to surgery for an exploratory and to fix the leak if that is what was happening. When they went in they found lots of clotting - indicating I'd been bleeding - but no active bleeding. So whatever was leaking had sealed itself off. I spent the next 4 days in the ICU. At first I felt so bad and I really thought things were not going well - although the doctors kept saying that tests showed the liver was working fine. We did have a little trouble getting my kidneys to work but they bounced back and are now in as good a shape as before I was diagnosed with liver disease last July.

After being transferred to the Transplant Floor on 6 East I got some great physical therapy to help me with walking and getting up and down. My first walk I made it all the way down the hall to the nurses' station. It was the same distance I couldn't walk when I came in for the transplant the week before! They have a tradition that when you make it to the nurses' station the first time you ring a brass bell they have hanging there. It lets everyone know that another patient has made that key first step to recovery. So, I got to ring the bell.

On Sunday - exactly 1 week post transplant I was discharged from MUSC and allowed to go to the extended stay hotel. I had a home health nurse, Kelly, who came each night to check my vitals and make sure I was doing OK. Every morning I had to go have blood drawn at MUSC to check drug levels, my CBC, and liver function. I had clinic on Monday and Thursday and was told I was doing wonderfully. I had a little trouble with ascites but they adjusted my Lasix dosage and that cleared up by my last clinic visit this Monday.

I'm back down to 200 pounds and losing more. I still don't have a very big appetite and I have to intake a lot of protein over the next few weeks to assist in healing. I've actually come to like Ensure and Ensure High Protein. :-)

On Monday, February 12th, they let me go home to Newberry. I will have to have blood work done once a week at our hospital here and then go to Charleston once a week for clinic.

I'm currently taking about 18 pills each morning! What a breakfast! I then take 8 at night. Of course, that changes now and again as they adjust dosages on the immunosuppressents. I'll be on most of those the rest of my life, so I'm having to get used to being sort of rigid about getting my meds at the right times.

Michael was wonderful, he was by my side through everything and pushed me when I needed it (which has been often). He really stepped up to bat with medicines and other less seemly chores. I'm so lucky to have him.

So, I'm home again and doing well. I'll be going back for clinic on Monday.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to heal from the surgery.

Ringtone( My First)

Abwoon3

"Abwoon d'bashmaya" is the first part of what we now call the "Lord's Prayer". It however does not mean "Our Father who art in Heaven". Not quite. Aramaic is very poetic and multi-layered with many meanings, (those that have ears let them hear). "Abwoon" is the Creator and the Sound of Creation and d'bwashmaya is creation recognizing that Creator within itself and everywhere creation IS. WOW. It's happening even NOW. What IS is and always will be!!!!! Eternal Ecstasy!

So when you pick up your phone remember it's a new creative opportunity to witness to God's and Creation's Boundlessness in all things including you!

Romancing The Wind

Saw this at The Fat Lady Sings

Awesome!!

Martin Luther King

How great it is to be reminded that we live in the time when Martin Luther King uttered his famous "I have a Dream" speech. I can't hear it without getting shivers up and down my spine and floods of emotion pouring over me. It reminds me of what my teacher and companion John wrote about love in his "Love Sermon" from the "Eternal Ecstasies": That love is most easily seen in the darkest places, that love defies math, for as it is divided it multiplies.

I'm placing a link here to Martin Luther's Speech, one of the greatest utterances in human history.

Here's to that day when we as one live in love, which is who we are.

On the Route

This morning I was pleased to see some old friends in the sky. I first noticed Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, then Ursa Minor. To the east, looking to the right, was Cygnus, the Swan and Lyra just above it. Looking at the sky chart I see that Hercules is just above Lyra and so I'll be watching for him. Then to the south was Sagittarius, which Cygnus sort of points to.

In the past, the astrological sign of Sagittarius was strongly associated with higher learning, philosophy, human progress, religion, life hereafter, and God.

Since giving up the country route I have not been seeing the constellations very often. It was one of the best parts of my "job", although certainly not part of the "job."

I was pleased to remember Lyra, which took a little while to recall the name and then to see Sagittarius again after so long, and it was one of my most interesting and challenging to figure out.

I enjoy the night sky and wish I had the opportunity to see more and more. I remember in the Andes and in the jungles of Peru how bright the stars were and how I didn't recognise any of them, being in the Southern Hemisphere. I also recall the night in Arizona in the White Mountains near Payson, how the sky was absolutely drenched in stars, like nothing I had ever seen before or since.

It's refreshing and therapeutic to commune with these things in nature. How vast and awesome is the universe and how mysterious and glorious to be a part of it.

See the side links for Interactive Sky Chart and Constellations.

Bush's 2008 Budget Proposal (so unnews worthy)

Maybe We Deserve to Be Ripped Off By Bush's Billionaires by Matt Taibbi, RollingStone.com.

from the article:

"On the same day that Britney was shaving her head, a guy I know who works in the office of Senator Bernie Sanders sent me an email. He was trying very hard to get news organizations interested in some research his office had done about George Bush's proposed 2008 budget, which was unveiled two weeks ago and received relatively little press, mainly because of the controversy over the Iraq war resolution. All the same, the Bush budget is an amazing document. It would be hard to imagine a document that more clearly articulates the priorities of our current political elite."

"Not only does it make many of Bush's tax cuts permanent, but it envisions a complete repeal of the Estate Tax, which mainly affects only those who are in the top two-tenths of the top one percent of the richest people in this country. The proposed savings from the cuts over the next decade are about $442 billion, or just slightly less than the amount of the annual defense budget (minus Iraq war expenses). But what's interesting about these cuts are how Bush plans to pay for them..."

Read all at link above.

Rep Ron Paul

The obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people.
– Ron Paul





"This resolution, unfortunately, does not address the disaster in Iraq. Instead, it seeks to appear opposed to the war while at the same time offering no change of the status quo in Iraq. As such, it is not actually a vote against a troop surge. A real vote against a troop surge is a vote against the coming supplemental appropriation that finances it. I hope all of my colleagues who vote against the surge today will vote against the budgetary surge when it really counts: when we vote on the supplemental."



Hear him speak about the Iraq War Resolution. Click on Picture above.

Greenest Vehicles of 2007

The Greenest Vehicles of 2007


1. Honda Civic GX
2. Toyota Prius
3. Honda Civic Hybrid
4. Nissan Altima Hybrid
5. Toyota Yaris
6. Toyota Corolla
7. Toyota Camry Hybrid
8. Honda Fit
9. Kia Rio / Rio 5
10. Hyundai Accent
11. Hyundai Elantra
12. Honda Civic


The Prius gets a lot better gas mileage: 60 mpg, in town and 51, Hwy.


Found this in an email from the Sierra Club.

Quote for Peace

Today the real test of America's power and wisdom is not our capacity to make war but our capacity to prevent it.

Dale Turner




Antiwar.com

Some Quotes for Presidents' Day

As I read these quotes and others I found, I thought of how they might be applied to our current President and Administration and how our legistators speak and act today.
Remembering that all is well, and that we are evolving towards greater consciousness, even though on the surface things may seem bleak, dismal and utterly up-side-down. It is, as they say, always darkest before the dawn. What is, is and cannot be changed by what seems to be. Therein lies my rock, my foundation on which I build my house, my beliefs. Peace to you all.



"The United States is in no sense founded upon the Christian doctrine."

"The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure."

"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."

"It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it."

"The Nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest."

"It is our true policy to steer clear of any permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world."

"As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."
George Washington




"I believe it is an established maxim in morals that he who makes an assertion
without knowing whether it is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the
accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him."

"Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars,
pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was
the object."

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all
mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each
man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while
with others, the same word many mean for some men to do as they
please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are
two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name
- liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties,
called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny."

Abraham Lincoln



"I'm the commander — see, I don't need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president."
George W. Bush

Faith in America

Faith In America Inc., a non-profit advocacy group founded in 2005, has launched a nationwide effort to challenge the injustice of religion-based bigotry against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people in America. The mission of Faith in America Inc. is to end legal and spiritual discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people in America and to gain full and equal rights for those citizens. A web site (www.faithinamerica.com) has been established to provide information about religion-based bigotry and its historic expressions, and to help people become active with other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organizations.

I found this website by reading a post at Pam's House Blend, via Shakespeare's Sister.

Geo Quiz and Indigenous music

NPR's "The World" has a segment called "Geo Quiz". This one included audio of Tibetan children singing on the streets. It was fantastic and reminded me of the childen I heard and sang for in Peru.



Here's part of the quiz:

The name of the city we're looking for literally means the place of the gods. It's perched high up -- as in, 12,000 feet high up, on the snow-covered Tibetan Plateau. The area is sometimes called the "roof of the world".

Here's the mp3 of the program.

Blast from the Past

I was in the backroom of the newspaper today and heard "Black Water" on the radio. It's from the mid 70s, my end of high school, going to college days. I couldn't remember the name of the song or who wrote it and performed it. So I googled some key words. Oh, black water, keep on rolling, Mississippi moon goin' keep on shining on me...and then the acapella part at the end:

I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty momma come and take me by the hand, by the hand, take me by the hand, pretty momma, come and dance with your daddy all night long.

To my surprise it was the Doobie Brothers. What a memory, but then it's been affected by THC no doubt. Those were the days I always had reefer. Sometimes hashish. That's when I also began to listen to Bach and Beethoven and Brahms. I also had a whole bunch of albums, mostly rock, some jazz, and a few Classical.

The Doobie Brothers were not always one of my favorites back then as I liked the harder rock bands. But I did enjoy those guys at least till Michael McDonald came around, not that I knew who he was, I just knew that I like a few of their songs. Same thing with Fleetwood Mac before Stevie Nicks joined them , although she had one or two songs I liked. (Landslide) or as I call it the avalanche song. Remember Space Opera? Back then everyone knew that Freebird was my song. Do you remember Wishbone Ash? "Throw down the sword" was one of my favorites. I heard them live at the Coliseum in Madison Wisconsin, also heard Frank Zappa there and many others, including Grand Funk Railroad, then a three man rock band from Flint Michigan.

Soup was the local favorite, not always reliable in concert, and
eventually never made the big time. They were also a three man
band and very very loud. What stoner wouldn't have loved that? I remember going to hear them when I was in eighth grade and in a band of my own called Hash. We played at the young people's dances and we were loud, and sometimes in tune, and generally well received. Thank God for "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", (Iron Butterfly)
which assured us of having more than enough songs for a 2 or 3 hour gig. Iron Butterfly, Led Zepplin (heavy) (hehe)


Most pop music is too predictable, repititous and lame compared to the classics. You might have to be a student of the art to know what I mean. But for what it is it can be creative and fun at times and sometimes, yes, sometimes profound. And who dances to classical music? Oh yeh, ballet dancers and ice skaters.

You can hear the Doobie Brothers here. My favorites are Black Water, China Grove, and Long Train Runnin'.

Great Blue Heron

Valentine's Day

What did the boy rabbit say to the girl rabbit on Valentine's Day? See answer in comments.

More jokes and riddles here.

Click on pictures above for links.


One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.
Sophocles

Truthout watching the Watada Trial

Click on image.

Don Americo

My thoughts have been with Don Americo often as I meditate on my condition, my teacher, my illness, my challenge: cancer. It was he who placed his hand on my lower back and as he did a warmth and healing spread throughout my body, a much appreciated healing that he shared that day in Peru just outside Cuzco. So, let me introduce you to him here, perhaps for the second time.

Filaments of Light from Don Americo

"Let’s imagine ourselves like filaments, just filaments of light, just that. These filaments are going directly into the beak of the great eagle of the universe. We are nothing else but filaments of light that are feeding the great consciousness of the universe. When we arrive at this state of consciousness --superior, different, and with humility, -- then we can vision these filaments. And if we can finally vision these filaments and acquire this experience with our energy body, we become just like children sitting in the lap of a great mother, which is the Pachamama."

"What is the cosmovision of the Andean people? The Andes is filled with spirits. All the Andean world is populated by spirits, making clear that 'spirit' is a subtle and vital energy that warms life and taking into account that the being of the universe is life. LIFE! Everything has spirit. The water has a spirit, the mountain has a spirit, the stars have spirits, the wind, the father sun, the mother moon, all have spirits. And, do you know, they are families just like us! And they all have a participation in the real world. We are all implicated in Reality."

"Consciousness is not born, it never grows up, never gets old and it never dies. It is perpetual and eternal. We already know that the body gets born, grows up, does a lot of things ... and then it dies. But not consciousness. That's why in all the ancient traditions 'awakening to consciousness' is getting connected with the feeling of the eternal and of the transcendental This is the most important part of all this work. Because all the things we talk about, all the learnings we achieve, all the things that we do. . . the wind will take away. . like the leaves of autumn."

Read more here.


My friend Marilyn has recently returned from Peru and is sending me a waeving loaded with healing intent from Don Americo and herself. I'm very excited about it.

When humans are so very fine

Pam and Randy Cope's all American world fell apart one day in 1999 when their son Jantsen, just 15, died of heart problems. In lieu of flowers they asked for donations for a legacy for their son. Casting around for something to do with the money they hit upon saving children from impoverished situations around the world.

For $3,600 they transformed the world for 7 children in Ghana.

I found this story here. Go there to read an inspiring story.

Back from Charleston

After two weeks, a little over two weeks, we are back in Newberry. It's been very stressful yet a lesson in allowing and accepting and finding inner peace. Buck has his new (used) liver and all is going very well. In the hospital for a week and at a hotel, kitchenette for a week and that was it. It may have been longer but lately the transplants have been going well at MUSC. From what we were able to find out his donor was a 23 year old male, in excellent shape. So we guess he may have been in an accident when he died.

Thanks for all the support of you loving people. Your thoughts are energy that I feel have accelerated the healing process. May you be blessed also as any good thing done is done forever and the reward follows therefrom forever.

Peace in the Isness, the Eternal Ecstasy, the you of you, the we of we.



me in the EE

Industrial Hemp Farming Act introduced in Congress

An Article by Mike Sheehan
Published: Tuesday February 13, 2007

An act to legitimize hemp farming has been introduced in Congress, according to a press release.

"For the second time since the federal government outlawed hemp farming in the United States," the release states, "a federal bill has been introduced that would remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp."

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), a maverick 2008 presidential candidate, is the chief sponsor behind the bill, H.R. 1009. Nine co-sponsors, including fellow White House hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), are all Democrats.

Read all at link above and then go here.