French Intel's Inflitration of Al-Qieda made it "Transparent"

Hello everyone, I'm back, and I'm slowly coming out of vacationing (its just go FUN) but this story, however, prompted my return. The following is from the Liberal site The Democratic Underground, about a story who was extremely mistranslated by Newsweek from a French Magazine has been challenged, and the poster gives the blockbuster news that that story REALLY contained. It shows we more than likely recieved info before 9/11 that something was coming. And when this story ponits out the same french paragraph, and shows how the "mis" translation went, it is ludcirous. Here is the original post on the DU:

"I assume it's because so few Americans read French. I guess a wire service wrote a blurb about the French story, and American papers are summarizing the blurb rather than the original le Monde story.

I'm amazed at this Newsday "translation," of the Le Monde report that appeared Monday:





"But the French warning hinted at a plot in Europe, not the United States, and there was no suggestion of suicide attacks or multiple planes. One former official said al-Qaida may have leaked misinformation to divert intelligence agencies from the bigger, deadlier plot to come on Sept. 11, 2001.

The warning was another example of how intelligence agents sensed al-Qaida was hard at work in the months leading up to Sept. 11 but were unable to piece together fragmented warnings into a coherent plot.



Now compare that to what the Le Monde article actually says. I’ve tried to translate the French into idiomatic English so that it is easier to understand it. Words in brackets <> are either inserted to make sense or alternative translations of specific words:



Dès janvier 2001, la direction d'Al-Qaida se montre néanmoins transparente aux yeux – et aux oreilles – des espions français. Les rédacteurs détaillent même les désaccords entre terroristes sur les modalités pratiques du détournement envisagé. Jamais ils ne doutent de leur intention. Provisoirement, les djihadistes privilégient la capture d'un avion entre Francfort et les Etats-Unis. Ils établissent une liste de sept compagnies possibles. Deux seront finalement choisies par les pirates du 11-Septembre : American Airlines et United Airlines (voir fac-similé). Dans son introduction, l'auteur de la note annonce : "Selon les services ouzbeks de renseignement, le projet d'un détournement d'avion semble avoir été discuté en début d'année 2000 lors d'une réunion à Kaboul entre des représentants de l'organisation d'Oussama Ben Laden…"

By January 2001, Al-Qaida’s direction, however, has become transparent to the eyes - and the ears - of French spies. The writers even detail the operational disagreements between terrorists about how they envision the hijackings. They never doubt the intentions. For a while, the jihadists focus on hijacking a plane between Frankfurt and the United States. They draw up a list of seven possible airline companies. The pirates of 9/11 finally chose two: American Airlines and United Airlines (see facsimiled). In his introduction, the author of the note announces: “According to the Uzbek service’s information, the hijacking project seems to have been be discussed at the beginning of 2000 at a meeting in Kabul between representatives of Usama Bin Laden’s organization…”

Des espions ouzbeks renseignent donc les agents français. A l'époque, l'opposition des fondamentalistes musulmans au régime pro-américain de Tachkent s'est fédérée dans le Mouvement islamique d'Ouzbékistan, le MIO. Une faction militaire de ce parti, emmenée par un certain Taher Youdachev, a rejoint les camps d'Afghanistan et prêté allégeance à Oussama Ben Laden, lui promettant d'exporter son djihad en Asie centrale. Des livrets militaires et des correspondances du MIO, trouvés dans des camps afghans d'Al-Qaida, en attestent.

The Uzbek spies thus inform the French agents. During this period, Islamic fundamentalist opposition to the pro-American policy of Tachkent, united to form the Islamic Movement of Ouzbékistan, the MIO. A military faction of this party, created by a certain Taher Youdachev, joined the camps in Afghanistan and pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden, promising him to export jihad to Central Asia . Military records and correspondences of the MIO, found in Afghan Al-Qaida camps, confirm this.

Alain Chouet a gardé en mémoire cet épisode. Il a dirigé jusqu'en octobre 2002 le Service de renseignement de sécurité, la subdivision de la DGSE chargée de suivre les mouvements terroristes. Selon lui, la crédibilité du canal ouzbek trouve son origine dans les alliances passées par le général Rachid Dostom, l'un des principaux chefs de guerre afghans, d'ethnie ouzbek lui aussi, et qui combat alors les talibans. Pour plaire à ses protecteurs des services de sécurité de l'Ouzbékistan voisin, Dostom a infiltré certains de ses hommes au sein du MIO, jusque dans les structures de commandement des camps d'Al-Qaida. C'est ainsi qu'il renseigne ses amis de Tachkent, en sachant que ses informations cheminent ensuite vers Washington, Londres ou Paris.

Alain Chouet recalls this episode. Until October 2002, he was the director the Security Information Service, the subdivision of the DGSE charged with tracking terrorists' movements. According to him , the credibility of the Uzbek channel originated in the past alliances of General Rachid Dostom, one of the principal Afghan warlords, who is also an ethnic Uzbek, and who was then fighting the Taliban. In order to please his protectors in the Uzbek security service, he infiltrated some of his men in the heart of the MIO up to the very command structure of the al Qaeda camps. Thus, he informed his friends in Tachkent with the knowledge that his information would proceed onwards to Washington, London or Paris.

La formulation de la note française de janvier 2001 indique clairement que d'autres sources corroborent ces renseignements sur les plans d'Al-Qaida. Selon un dispositif bien huilé en Afghanistan, la DGSE ne se contente pas d'échanges avec des services secrets amis. Pour percer les secrets des camps, d'une part elle manipule et "retourne" des jeunes candidats au djihad originaires des banlieues des grandes villes d'Europe. D'autre part, elle envoie des hommes du service action auprès de l'Alliance du Nord du commandant Massoud. Sans compter les interceptions des téléphones satellitaires.

The formulation of the French note of January 2001 states clearly that other sources corroborate this information within Al-Qaida. According to the well oiled machine in Afghanistan, the DGSE was not satisfied with exchanges with friendly secret services. In order to pierce the secrecy of the camps, it on the one hand, manipulated and “turned” young male applicants for jihadist from the suburbs of large European cities, and on the other hand it stationed with the Northern Alliance commander Massoud . Not to mention intercepting satellite telephones.



The revelation here is the level of penetration into al Qaeda. The French have Uzbeks posing as jihadists in the command structure of al Qaeda; they have European born or based Muslims posing as jihadists in the al Qaeda camps; they are listening to their satellite conversations.

They have such sweeping and deep penetration of al Qaeda, that al Qaeda had become “transparent” to French intelligence. They even listen in to the jihadists debates about which airlines to strike and which airline routes to hijack. Their eyes and ears are there when it is decided months before 9/11 to hit American Airlines and United Airlines.

This is almost the complete opposite of the English language description of the article, which claims that the French had some information, but couldn’t put the pieces together.

All of this information was passed to the CIA Station Chief in Paris, Bill Murray, one of the highest ranking overseas CIA officers, one who is embedded in the heart of NATO’s intelligence structure – and incidentally who apppears to be a stand up guy who later would try to quash the Niger yellow cake hokum, a guy who thereafter retired (or was retired) from the agency, but is reluctant to talk to the press because his CIA “contracts” could be withdrawn in revenge.

Also unprecedented in the French report is the disclosure that the forces of Northern Alliance warlord General Rashid Dostum were a significant source of intelligence on al Qaeda before 9/11. You may recall that Gen. Dostum has been a destabilizing force in post Taliban Afghanistan, and was responsible for the massacre of surrendered Taliban forces after the seige of Kunduz, in which up to 1,000 surrendered insurgents were loaded in shipping containers and allowed to die of thirst and exposure, and many of the remainder were raked with machine gun fire when they screamed for water.

Other aspects of the English language translation and summary of the French news story are laughable. The Newsday version is that "But the French warning hinted at a plot in Europe, not the United States, and there was no suggestion of suicide attacks or multiple planes."

The original French version is that "And initially a surprise: the high number of notes devoted only to the threats of Al-Qaida against the United States, in the months before the suicide attacks in New York and Washington. Nine reports/ratios entirely on this subject between September 2000 and August 2001.

Do they think that we're that stupid? That everyone in the United States is too lazy to look at Le Monde's website, and that even if we did, not one of us can read French?

Now for my own speculation about why this Le Monde report is so important. If both French intelligence and the lowly Uzbek intelligence service and a Northern alliance warlord, Rashid Dostum, have penetrated al Qaeda up to the command structure, and if other friendly middle eastern intelligence services also warned the US of the 9/11 attacks, is it reasonable to believe these other intelligence agencies also penetrated al Qaeda so completely?

Is it reasonable to assume that Egyptian, Jordanian, Saudi or even Palestinian Authority intelligence might also have slipped some operatives into the Afghan al Qaeda camps to keep an eye on what was going on there? Might the Mossad during the closing era of good feelings between the Barak administration and the Palestinian Authority have slipped an operative or two into the al Qaeda camps? Wouldn't the Russians have slipped in a few "turned" or make believe Chechens and the Chinese a few fake Uyghurs? Might actual penetration of al Qaeda have been the source of the many warnings by foreign intelligence agencies about the impending attacks, and if so, were they more concrete than we have been led to believe?

Considering that even the lone American, John Walker Lindh, was able to walk into the training camps and get training, can we conclude that prior to 9/11 al Qaeda recruited indiscriminately and that its counter intelligence capacity was pathetic?

If Uzbek intelligence was so good, and the Uzbekistan was in the tight embrace of the US, what intelligence might the US have been receiving in Tachkent?

Also note that the French story completely discredits assertions by both the Clinton and Bush administrations that they had no human intelligence on the ground, in the camps. Apparently, the west did. This makes sense as disinformation: of course both administrations would not want to disclose to the enemy that they had intelligence sources fairly high up in the al Qaeda structure, because such operatives might have been outed and killed, and al Qaeda would have taken counter measures to avoid such infiltration.

This might explain away one of the raps against the Clinton administration -- namely, that when they had bin Laden located in the camps, the military had to get clearance at the highest levels (ie the president) in order to launch cruise missiles. The Le Monde reporting explains why: a missile could easily have killed friendly intelligence operatives within the camp command structures. If my speculation is correct, an errant cruise missile would have slaughtered a virtual United Nations of friendly intelligence operatives.

The Le Monde report does not disclose what is in the French intelligence reports closer to 9/11. So, I suspect that there will be follow up reporting by the author, Guillaume Dasquiéfrom, on the 328 page dossier.

Also of interest is why someone in French intelligence leaked this dossier now. A post in the other thread asks why the mainstream media is picking up on this old news. It's not old news. Someone in French intelligence has decided to drop a bombshell now.

The set up of the French article is almost funny: Guillaume Dasquié walks into the office of Emmanuel Renoult, private secretary of the director of French intelligence, plops down the 328 page dossier, and the private secretary deplores this breach of intelligence and refuses to comment. Dasquie then confronts the former private secretary of the director of central intelligence with the 328 page dossier, who (presumably gulps hard first and) blurts out something to the effect of, but of course no one could have imagined that hijacked planes would be used as missiles ... The western press duly reports in English that the Le Monde news story confirms that prior to 9/11 no one in French intelligence suspected that planes would be used as missiles. My capacity to grasp French irony in print may be limited, but I don't think that's the meaning Dasquie had in mind.

I wonder if someone in French intelligence finally smells blood in the water across the pond in Washington."

Out for a Bit

Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been on a much needed break, but I will be back shortly. Love ya guya!
Chris

BREAKING: Atty General Shopping

Washington Insiders have confirmed that the White House is shopping around for "possible" canditates.  Also, a real good source told me more emails are coming out and they believe the Attorney General will be gone by the end of the week.....start circulating that resume my friend!

technorati tags:Attorney, General, Gonzolaz, Resign, Removed, Fired

Blogged with Flock

President's Speech: Something Missing

Here is the following, in its whole, the speech President Bush made marking the start of the fifth year of the Iraq war.  See if you can find something that stands out.....because its NOT there!

 
     THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Four years ago today, coalition forces 
  launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to remove Saddam Hussein from power.  They 
  did so to eliminate the threat his regime posed to the Middle East and to the 
  world.  Coalition forces carried out that mission with great courage and 
  skill.  Today the world is rid of Saddam Hussein and a tyrant has been held to 
  account for his crimes by his own people. 
   
  
  
 
     Nearly 12 million Iraqis have voted in free elections under a democratic 
  constitution that they wrote for themselves.  And their democratic leaders are 
  now working to build a free society that upholds the rule of law, that 
  respects the rights of its people, that provides them security and is an ally 
  in the war on terror. 
   
  
  
 
     At this point in the war, our most important mission is helping the Iraqis 
  secure their capital.  Until Baghdad's citizens feel secure in their own homes 
  and neighborhoods, it will be difficult for Iraqis to make further progress 
  toward political reconciliation or economic rebuilding, steps necessary for 
  Iraq to build a democratic society. 
   
  
  
 
     So with our help, Iraq's government is carrying out an aggressive plan to 
  secure Baghdad.  And we're continuing to train the Iraqi security forces so 
  that they ultimately take full responsibility for the security of their own 
  people. 
   
  
  
 
     I've just received an update on the situation from Iraqi Prime Minister 
  Maliki.   My conversation with the Prime Minister followed a briefing earlier 
  this morning that included Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates, along with 
  General Petraeus and Ambassador Khalilzad, who participated by video 
  conference from Iraq. 
   
  
  
 
     Prime Minister Maliki and General Petraeus emphasized that the Baghdad 
  security plan is still in its early stages, and success will take months, not 
  days or weeks.  Yet, those on the ground are seeing some hopeful signs.  The 
  Iraqi government has completed the deployment of three Iraqi army brigades to 
  the capital, where they've joined the seven Iraqi army brigades and nine 
  national police brigades that were already in the area. 
   
  
  
 
     The Iraqi government has also lifted restrictions that once prevented 
  Iraqi and coalition forces from going into areas like SadrCity.  American and 
  Iraqi forces have established joint security stations.  Those stations are 
  scattered throughout Baghdad and they're helping Iraqis reclaim their 
  neighborhoods from the terrorists and extremists. 
   
  
  
 
     Together, we've carried out aggressive operations against both Shia and 
  Sunni extremists; carried out operations against al Qaeda terrorists.   We've 
  uncovered large caches of weapons and destroyed two major car bomb factories 
  that were located on the outskirts of Baghdad. 
   
  
  
 
     I want to stress that this operation is still in the early stages, it's 
  still in the beginning stages.  Fewer than half of the troop reinforcements we 
  are sending have arrived in Baghdad.  The new strategy will need more time to 
  take effect.  And there will be good days, and there will be bad days ahead as 
  the security plan unfolds. 
   
  
  
 
     As we help the Iraqis secure their capital, their leaders are also 
  beginning to meet the benchmarks they have laid out for political 
  reconciliation.  Last month, Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a law that 
  would share oil revenues among Iraqi people.  The Iraqi legislature passed a 
  $41 billion budget that includes $10 billion for reconstruction and capital 
  improvements.  And last week, Prime Minister Maliki visited Ramadi, a city in 
  the Sunni heartland, to reach out to local Sunni tribal leaders. 
   
  
  
 
     There's been good progress.  There's a lot more work to be done, and 
  Iraq's leaders must continue to work to meet the benchmarks that have set 
  forward. 
   
  
  
 
     As Iraqis work to keep their commitments, we have important commitments of 
  our own.  Members of Congress are now considering an emergency war spending 
  bill.  They have a responsibility to ensure that this bill provides the funds 
  and the flexibility that our troops need to accomplish their mission.  They 
  have a responsibility to pass a clean bill that does not use funding for our 
  troops as leverage to get special interest spending for their districts.  And 
  they have a responsibility to get this bill to my desk without strings and 
  without delay. 
   
  
  
 
     It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best 
  option is to pack up and go home.  That may be satisfying in the short run, 
  but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating.  If 
  American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, a 
  contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country.  In time, 
  this violence could engulf the region.  The terrorists could emerge from the 
  chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they had in Afghanistan, 
  which they used to plan the attacks of September the 11th, 2001.  For the 
  safety of the American people, we cannot allow this to happen. 
   
  
  
 
     Prevailing in Iraq is not going to be easy.   General Petraeus says that 
  the environment in Iraq is the most challenging that he has seen in his more 
  than 32 years of service.  He also says that he has been impressed by the 
  professionalism and the skill and determination of our men and women in 
  uniform.  He sees in our troops "a true will to win and a sincere desire to 
  help our Iraqi partners achieve success." 
   
  
  
 
     Four years after this war began, the fight is difficult, but it can be 
  won.  It will be won if we have the courage and resolve to see it through. 
  I'm grateful to our servicemen and women for all they've done and for the 
  honor they brought to their uniform and their country.  I'm grateful to our 
  military families for all the sacrifices they have made for our country.  We 
  also hold in our hearts the good men and women who've given their lives in 
  this struggle.  We pray for the loved ones they have left behind. 
   
  
  
 
     The United States military is the most capable and courageous fighting 
  force in the world.  And whatever our differences in Washington, our troops 
  and their families deserve the appreciation and the support of our entire 
  nation. 
   
      Thank you. 
   
      END 
      11:38 A.M. EDT 
   
  
  

 
  
Well, what would it be my friends?  SHOULD have been in the very first paragraph. 
 
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.still no?
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.WMD!  Weapons of Mass Destruction, Mushroom Cloud, Biological and Chemical Weapons, ANY of these would have been correct (as well as all of them). 
  

technorati tags:Bush, Speech, Something, Missing

Blogged with Flock

White House Now Issuing "Hopes"

Today, White House Spokesman Tony Snow, when asked wether embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez would stay on during the entire Bush term, Tony issued a weak little "Well, we hope so." Now, since members of the Cabinet, after confirmed by the Senate, serves at the pleasure of the President (although I'm sure right about now, that phrase sends chills down his back as many times as we have heard it in the past few days), then either Bush and/or the rest of the Cabinet (or majority) do NOT have confidence in him anymore OR they are worried about impeachment of Gonzalez. The "Texas Click" finally seems to be thinning....rather rapidly.

technorati tags:Gonzales, Alberto, Attorney, General, Impeachment, Prosecutors

Blogged with Flock

A Constitutional Question: Someone Please Clarify

Since the major news broke Monday about Sibel Edmond's case (that, I mind you, is extremely explosive, but nevertheless it has been blacklisted my every major TV, Print, and Internet (with the exception of Raw Story, LOVE YA!), I have been thinking (and you don't understand, when I set my mind to think about an issue, I try to see it from every possible angle, which can be time consuming, and in the midst of my thinking (which can be dangerous sometimes :-D) a Constitutional question came up about Sibel Edmonds and similar Whistleblowers cases concerning Congress. It is my understanding that Congress (The House of Representatives as well as the Senate) is one of three EQUAL branches of Government. It is also my understanding that it is the Constitutional requirement, in which they all take a vow to protect and defend, to have oversight of the Executive Branch, the second Separate but Equal Branch of Government who, if I'm not mistaken, has a wide scope in the control of ALL Classified Information, and the third Separate but Equal Branch being the Judicial System, basically being an arbitrator and interpreting the laws, as well as the Constitution, and making sure justice is administered. In Edmonds case, it seems that there has been a total breakdown (but there is a light at the end of the tunnel still burning bright) of the system. The Executive Branch, through then Attorney General John Ashcroft, eventually placed three separate rarely used "State Secret Privilege" to issue a gag order and deny her the Justice she is entitled to, as an American Citizen who has valiantly served her country, under our Constitution. Before we go any further, I would like to divert your attention to the State Secret Privilege for a minute. This privilege, conferred onto the Executive Branch by the Judicial Branch is not even a law, but an interpretation of a case, to be specific United States v. Reynolds. Since the Wikipedia article explains it much better than I ever could, and any Wikipedia article is copyright free, so here it is in full (its short, don't worry):

United States v. Reynolds

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States v. Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1 (1953) is a landmark legal case in 1953 that saw the creation of the State Secrets Privilege, an unofficial but judicially-recognized extension of presidential power.

The widows of 3 crew members of a B-29 Superfortress bomber that had crashed in 1948 sought accident reports on the crash, but were told that to release such details would threaten national security by revealing the bomber's top-secret mission.

In 2000, the accident reports were declassified and released, and were found to contain no secret information. They did, however, contain information about the poor state of condition of the aircraft itself, which would have been very compromising to the Air Force's case. Many commentators have alleged government misuse of secrecy in the landmark case.

Now, isn't it amazing how there were in fact no secrets in their, the government got this abusive privilege by covering up an embarrassing Air Force accident. Okay, back to my question: How can the Executive Branch of Government block Sibel Edmonds from speaking with any Member of Congress, especially the Intel Committee Members who would definitely have the clearance. Although she has talked some in classified sessions, that's the problem, Congress is being complicit in the cover up by not holding pubic hearings (yet!). And, if there is a Member of the House of Representatives who knows any of the gagged material that Sibel Edmonds cannot legally tell, he or she may reveal this information on the Floor of the House without fear of persecution, no matter what is said. So, I guess I'm asking am I right in all of my aspects of Constitutional analysis, since I am no Constitutional expert.

White House Says VETO for Whistleblower Protection

And of course, it is obviously to save their own embarrassment and possible criminal conviction of many in our Government, elected and un-elected, and that would just be too shameful for our Country (oh yeah, and its also to "protect certain US Business Interests" although I wonder if a majority of the citizens benefit from this "business protection" or if its the people with the money (DUH!)). I received this email from Sibel, and it is basically a statement issued by the Executive Office of the President Office of Management and Budget, stating all these unconvincing reasons why they disagree with the material of the bill and states that "senior advisers to the President will recommend a veto" which is basically a confirmation of a veto. Here is the text, in full:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503



March 13, 2007

(House)

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

H.R. 985 – Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007

(Rep. Waxman (D) CA and 24 cosponsors)



The Administration supports accountability and transparency in the
implementation of Federal programs. However, the Administration
strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 985 because it could compromise
national security, is unconstitutional, and is overly burdensome and
unnecessary. Rather than promote and protect genuine disclosures of
matters of real public concern, it would likely increase the number of
frivolous complaints and waste resources. If H.R. 985 were presented
to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the
bill.



H.R. 985 would expand, for the first time, whistleblower protections
to employees at national security agencies who disclose classified
information to Congress. H.R. 985 would permit an employee to make an
individualized determination – without further review and perhaps
without all relevant information – to disclose classified information.
Such an independent, uncoordinated decision to disclose classified
information could jeopardize not only national security programs, but
also the security of the people involved in such programs. The
President now has the necessary authority to control the circumstances
under which others receive classified and national security
information to ensure such information is not disclosed or used in a
way that would jeopardize national security. By vesting subordinate
Executive branch officials with a right to disclose classified
information outside of the Executive branch without receiving official
authorization from the President or his official designee, the bill
would impede the President's necessary coordination function. In
addition, in any litigation concerning a whistleblower, if the
government invokes the state secrets privilege, H.R. 985 would require
that the matter at issue be resolved in favor of the plaintiff. This
essentially would require the agency to choose between protecting
national security information in court or conceding lawsuits.
Finally, H.R. 985 would allow administrative and judicial review of
Executive branch security clearance determinations, a prerogative that
must be within the Executive branch's discretion for the protection of
national security programs and personnel.



The expanded definition of protected disclosures in H.R. 985 also
would upset the delicate balance between whistleblower protection and
the ability of Federal managers to manage the workforce by permitting
employees to bring a whistleblower complaint in response to almost
every adverse employment action. The existing protections guaranteed
by the Whistleblower Protection Act are sufficient to promote and
protect genuine disclosures of matters of public concern by offering
protection from adverse personnel actions to employees who report
government wrongdoing to those in a position to remedy the problem.
The proposed expansive definition has the potential to convert any
disagreement over an issue or contrary interpretation of a law between
employees, no matter how trivial or frivolous, into a whistleblower
disclosure. The proposed expansive definition also would permit
employees to impede legitimate investigations (even those by
Inspectors General) by arguing that such investigation itself was an
adverse action against the whistleblower. Instead of providing
further protection to those with legitimate claims, who are covered by
the existing law, the proposed definition likely will increase the
number of frivolous claims of whistleblower reprisal, compromise
legitimate investigations into wrongdoing, and create protections for
disgruntled employees whose jobs would not otherwise be secure.



H.R. 985 also would permit employees to engage in judicial forum
shopping in having their claims resolved. Whistleblowers already have
the right to seek corrective action for an unlawful personnel action
from the Merit Systems Protection Board, and are afforded judicial
review before the Federal Circuit. H.R. 985 would allow employees to
have their claims heard de novo in any federal district court, which
could result in two trials (rather than one) for each employee's
complaint, and might result in divergent local district court
interpretations and split circuit court decisions.



* * * * *


Well, Mr. President, may I ask if you and your Administration so disapprove of this bill, but you do support Whistleblower protection and Government transparency (which, I'm not sure if you've been notified, but your Administration has been the MOST non-transparent Administration in history, especially when it comes to National Security Whistleblower Sibel Edmond's case, who has been gagged with a state secrets gag order an unprecedented THREE times), then I ask that you and your Administration get in a little meeting and draw up COMPREHENSIVE National Security Whistleblower Protection as well as increased Government Transparency Bill, and release it for all of us to see who are pretty well informed of your antics in these issues, as well as other Professionals, and see if it musters up (I'm very doubtful though, but the offer is there).

A Drop of Water in the US-Iran Diplomatic Freeze

It seem's like maybe a DROP of water fell off the big ice block that is U.S.-Diplomatic relations. US and Iranian diplomatic enjoys spoke to each other directly, one-on-one, (if I'm not mistaken, the VERY frist time this has happened since the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979) even though the talks were confined to Iraq's security, which U.S. officials say Iran is playing a huge role in supplying weapons to Iraqi Insurgents. This one on one session is a potentional HUGE breakthrough in US-Iranian relations (although, if you put it in the context of history, Japan was talking "peace" with us, even giving us a medal from their country, all the while planning, and finally executing the attack on Pearl Harbor, but, that is diplomacy for you) This conference happened in Baghgdad and gathered all the regional powers, and the US of course, and the conference's theme was "How to End Iraq's Violence." Here is a dencently lenghtly quote from the AP article:

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he exchanged viewswith Iranian delegates "directly and in the presence of others" at thegathering led by Iraq's neighbors and the five permanent members of theU.N. Security Council.

He declined to give details of the contacts - calling them only"constructive and businesslike and problem-solving" - but noted that heraised U.S. assertions that Shiite militias receive weapons andassistance across the border from Iran.

Thechief Iranian envoy, Abbas Araghchi, said he restated his country'sdemands for a clear timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces,which he insisted have made Iraq a magnet for extremists from acrossthe Muslim world.

"Violence in Iraq is good for no country in the region," said Araghchi,deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, at apost-meeting news conference.

Araghchi said he did not meet privately with Khalilzad, but that alld ialogue "was within the framework of the meeting" - which he said had"very good interaction by all the delegations."

Even our Ambassador is quoted as agreeing that this is the first step in unfreezing relations (however, if you intend to get that Ice really melting, your going to have to bring how a big fire (and NO, I don't mean a bomb) and really start using the State Department for what it is for: diplomacy betweeen the US and ALL (Reminder to Secretary of State Rice as well as all those others that work there under her: ALL means talking to your enemies as well, infact, talking to your enemies, in my opinion, is more important than talking to old, rock solid allies).

Here is one more quote that the AP through in to give us ALL some hope (and when I say ALL, I mean everyone without the mentality of Ann Coulter "Let's invade their countires, kill their leader's and convert them to Christianity," you know, the normal people not a member of the American Enterprise Institute): "The discussions were limited and focused on Iraq and I don't want to speculate after that" Ambassador Khalilzad said."

technorati tags:Iran, US, Relations, Unfreezing, Iraq, Baghdad, Tehran, Khalilzad

Blogged with Flock

Open Letter to ANY Major Media Outlet

To whom it may concern:

There was a time in our history where the newspapers (and if there were the internet and such back then, I'm sure they would be included too) and later on, TV news stations, was the watchdog for the people, the one's who kept tabs on our Government and exposed the officials/agencies who did wrong. They used their first amendment right to the fullest, and it didn't matter what party the fallout of a story would effect. Today, I hate to say, the media are in the pockets of the very people they are supposed to be watching. The media still has a total blackout on the blockbuster story of the two FBI Whislteblowers coming foward, revealing that the FBI abused FISA warrents and confirmed the story of FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds. Its amazing that no one will touch this story. I just want to know why!

Washington Rocked, Libby Convicted

Former Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor for Vice President Dick Cheney, "Scooter" Libby, has been convicted on 4 of the 5 charges stemming from the Valarie Plame Investigation, more on this story as it develops....

FBI Illegally Wiretaps Top US Officials, Sibel Edmonds Story is Confirmed

This is the news we have ALL been waiting for! It looks like the Sibel case is finally starting to roll at a faster and faster pace and we WILL NOT let it slow down. Below, I am THRILLED to bring you this Press Release sent to Off The Record from The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition. I have a feeling there are many federal officials (probably quite a few in the FBI) that are trembling in their boots right now:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- March 5, 2007



Contact: Sibel Edmonds, National Security Whistleblowers Coalition, sedmonds@nswbc.org or William Weaver, wweaver@nswbc.org







Two FBI Whistleblowers Confirm Illegal Wiretapping of Government Officials and Misuse of FISA



State Secrets Privilege Was Used to Cover Up Corruption and Silence Whistleblowers



The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC) has obtained a copy of an official complaint filed by a veteran FBI Special Agent, Gilbert Graham, with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG). SA Graham’s protected disclosures report the violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in conducting electronic surveillance of high-profile U.S. public officials.

Before his retirement in 2002, SA Gilbert Graham worked for the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) Squad NS-24. One of the main areas of Mr. Graham’s counterintelligence investigations involved espionage activities by Turkish officials and agents in the United States. On April 2, 2002, Graham filed with the DOJ-OIG a classified protected disclosure, which provided a detailed account of FISA violations involving misuse of FISA warrants to engage in domestic surveillance. In his unclassified report SA Graham states: “It is the complainant’s reasonable belief that the request for ELSUR [electronic surveillance] coverage was a subterfuge to collect evidentiary information concerning public corruption matters.” Graham blew the whistle on this illegal behavior, but the actions were covered up by the Department of Justice and the Attorney General’s office.



Click here to read the unclassified version of SA Graham’s Official Report.



The report filed by SA Graham bolsters another FBI whistleblower’s case that became public several months after Graham’s official filing with the Justice Department in 2002. Sibel Edmonds, former FBI Language Specialist, also worked for the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO), and her assignments included the translations of Turkish Counterintelligence documents and audiotapes, some of which were part of espionage investigations led by SA Graham. After she filed her complaint with the DOJ-OIG and Congress, she was retaliated against by the FBI and ultimately fired in March 2002. Court proceedings in Edmonds’ case were blocked by the assertion of the State Secrets Privilege by then Attorney General John Ashcroft, and the Congress gagged and prevented from investigating her case through retroactive re-classification of documents by DOJ. To read the timeline on Edmonds’ case Click here.



Edmonds’ complaint included allegations of illegal activities by Turkish organizations and their agents in the United States, and the involvement of certain elected and appointed U.S. officials in the Department of State, Pentagon, and the U.S. Congress in these activities. In its September 2005 issue, Vanity Fair ran a comprehensive piece on Edmonds’ case by reporter David Rose, in which several former and current congressional and Justice Department officials identified former House Speaker Dennis Hastert as being involved in illegal activities with the Turkish organizations and personnel targeted in FBI investigations. In addition, Rose reported: “…much of what Edmonds reportedly heard seemed to concern not state espionage but criminal activity. There was talk, she told investigators, of laundering the profits of large-scale drug deals and of selling classified military technologies to the highest bidder.” In January 2005, DOJ-OIG released an unclassified summary of its investigation into Edmonds' termination. The report concluded that Edmonds was fired for reporting serious security breaches and misconduct in the agency's translation program, and that many of her allegations were supported by convincing evidence.



Another Former Veteran FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Specialist at FBI Headquarters in Washington DC also filed similar reports with DOJ-OIG and several congressional offices regarding violations of FISA implementation and the covering up of several espionage cases involving FBI Language Specialists and public corruption cases by the Bureau. The cases reported by this whistleblower corroborate those reported by SA Graham and Sibel Edmonds. In an interview with NSWBC investigators the former FBI Specialist, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: “…you are looking at covering up massive public corruption and espionage cases; to top that off you have major violations of FISA by the FBI Washington Field Office and HQ targeting these cases. Everyone involved has motive to cover up these reports and prevent investigation and public disclosure. No wonder they invoked the state secrets privilege in Edmonds’ case.”



William Weaver, NSWBC Senior Advisor noted that,”These abuses of power are precisely why we must pay attention to whistleblowers. Preservation of the balance of powers between the branches of government increasingly relies on information provided by whistleblowers, especially in the face of aggressive and expanding executive power. Through illegal surveillance members of Congress and other officials may be controlled by the executive branch, thereby dissolving the matrix of our democracy. The abuse of two powers of secrecy, FISA and the state secrets privilege, are working hand in hand to subvert the Constitution. In an abominably perverse arrangement, the abuse of FISA is being covered up by abuse of the state secrets privilege. Only whistleblowers and the congressional and judicial oversight their revelations spawn can bring our system back into balance.”



Several civil liberties and whistleblowers organizations have joined Edmonds and NSWBC in urging congress to hold public hearing on Edmonds’ case, including the supporting cases of SA Graham and other FBI witnesses, and the erroneous use of state secrets privilege by the executive branch to cover up its own illegal conduct. The petition endorsed by these groups is expected to be released to public in the next few days.





About National Security Whistleblowers Coalition

National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC), founded in August 2004, is an independent and nonpartisan alliance of whistleblowers who have come forward to address our nation’s security weaknesses; to inform authorities of security vulnerabilities in our intelligence agencies, at nuclear power plants and weapon facilities, in airports, and at our nation’s borders and ports; to uncover government waste, fraud, abuse, and in some cases criminal conduct. The NSWBC is dedicated to aiding national security whistleblowers through a variety of methods, including advocacy of governmental and legal reform, educating the public concerning whistleblowing activity, provision of comfort and fellowship to national security whistleblowers suffering retaliation and other harms, and working with other public interest organizations to affect goals defined in the NSWBC mission statement. For more on NSWBC visit www.nswbc.org



© Copyright 2006, National Security Whistleblowers Coalition. Information in this release may be freely distributed and published provided that all such distributions make appropriate attribution to the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition.

# # # #

Prince Harry to be Targeted

This is thanks to the Druge Report:

"AL-QAEDA TARGET HARRY: Terror chiefs have vowed to target Prince Harry for kidnap or assassination when he fights in Iraq... Developing..."

More on this story as it becomes avaliable.

Blogged with Flock

U.S. Building 21st Century Nuke

It has now been told that the United States Government, while at the same time trying to get Iran and North Korea to "denuclerize", is developing a "21st century" upgraded version of the Nuclear Weapon (umm, btw, this is the VERY first time a new nuclear weapon has been make/investigated since the COLD WAR!).  The US claims this is not to boost its article, but to "replace" it...hmmm, wonder what the difference is, replace the older, less powerful bombs AND the new one OR the whole fleet of our nuclear weapons being bigger and bettter!

technorati tags:Nulcear, Weapons, US, Iran, North, Korea

Blogged with Flock

Army General Fired for Walter Reed Conditions

The following is quoted by CNN:

"Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey resigned Friday in the wake ofrecent reports of substandard conditions at Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter, a key facility treating troops wounded in Iraq."

However, from my military sources, it went just a little bit differently.  Infact, Army Francis Harvy did not OFFER his resignation, it was DEMANDED of him, and he was none too happy about it and did not believe he should take the fall for it (I mean come on people, he only RUNS the place, how could ANYTHING be HIS fault, HEH!).  If his resignation wasn't tendered, one would have been tendered for him, and if he refused to go along with that, he would have been publically fired.  More on this as it develops...........

technorati tags:Walter, Reed, Hopsital, General, Removed, Relieved, Resigned

Blogged with Flock

Anna Nicole Died of Pneumonia

Preliminary autopsy reports confirm that Anna Nicole infact died of Pneumonia, not a drug overdose as WIDELY reported in the press. The Press should be ashamed and apologize and her mother should surely say she's sorry! R.i.P Anna may you finally have peace!

I'm Sorry, but I have a Suprise!

Okay, let me answer all the emails I have been getting about my lack of postings and health. First, I have not been posting because I have been practicing and making demo podcasts, inwhich I will try my hand at via Off the Record Blog (called, the Off The Record Podcast Show) and I will have my first one up in the very near future. Also, when there is MAJOR breaking news, I will do a "Breaking News Podcast", so basically, I am trying to turn my plain blog into a News Media Center, so please bear with me as I try to get all this set up, and any help is welcome (as well as guest podcasts! Just ask and present your podcast, and I will make my decision). As far as my health is concerned, I am fine now, although I did really almost die TWICE within the past week, so its been rough, and I thank you all for your get well wishes, I read every single one. Anyway, keep checking back for the very first Off the Record Podcast Show!

My Unfortunate Leave of Absence

Hello my faithful readers!  I sincerely apologize to everyone for not updating my blog, however, i have been hospital for about a week.  Just so everyone knows, my potassium levels were so low they were terrified I was going to die before they infused (via IV) me with IV potassium (I went through 16, 1000ml bags of potassium.  Anyway, thanks for you well wishes and I hope to be back blogging in full swing shortly.  If you wish to inquire further, feel free to email me a theliberalone (at) gmail (dot) com.  I sincerely love you guys and can't WAIT to be back full time, and I am sorry I couldn't update my breaking news blog from my hospital, but I promise, I will make it up to you.

Love you all sincerely,

Chris

technorati tags:Editor, Out, of, Service, Hosptialization, Deadly, Potassium, Levels, Updates

Blogged with Flock

Whistleblowers Coalition to Testify in House

Government Whistleblowers are going to get to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. They have petitioned the new Congress to pass a REAL bill to FULLY protect Whistleblowers on National Security concerns and other just causes from repraisials from their Employer or the Government. Here is the following Press Release issued by the National Security Whislteblower's Coalition, the Coalition of Government Whistleblowers founded by Sibel Edmonds. Maybe we will finally hold our Government to account and not be able to hide evidence under the disguise of the "State Secrets Privliege":

NSWBC to Testify Before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee

The Hearing on Meaningful Legislation to Protect Whistleblowers

WHAT: The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform will hold a hearing on the need for meaningful & enforceable protection for government whistleblowers.

Where: The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. (Room Number: TBD)

When: 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 13, 2007

BACKGROUND: The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC), together with partner whistleblowers coalitions and supporting organizations, welcome the efforts and initiations taken up by the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform under the leadership of Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) to bring to light the ineffective and failed existing “protections” for government whistleblowers.

Recently, NSWBC led an action campaign to urge the new congress to put in place comprehensive, meaningful, and enforceable legislation to protect whistleblowers and enable congressional oversight and accountability (To read the petition signed by hundreds of whistleblower members and supporting organizations ‘click here’).

The petition specifically urged the congress to provide the following provisions in any whistleblower protection legislation; the proposed legislation should:

· Provide a cause of action for recovery of monetary damages for all employees, including those in intelligence and law enforcement agencies, federal contractors or subcontractors, and corporate employees who are retaliated against for reporting national security concerns, threats to public health and safety, or fraud, waste, mismanagement or violations of law to their employer, the Government Accountability Office, or Congress.

· Provide the right of jury trial for government whistleblowers, and appeals from whistleblower decisions in cases at law should be all courts review rather than being limited to the Federal circuit.

· Limit the effect in civil cases of the State Secrets Privilege, dubious classification of potential evidence, and any other privilege that prevents the discovery or use of evidence. If the government asserts the State Secrets Privilege, then the factual matters at issue covered by the privilege should be resolved in favor of the whistleblower. If the government asserts the privilege as the basis to dismiss a case, then judgment should be made for the plaintiff.

· Criminalize acts that knowingly initiate, further, facilitate, or cause to be carried out reprisal against employees seeking to report violations of law or for contacting or attempting to contact members of Congress.

· Guarantee the right of all employees to report, without fear of criminal prosecution or loss of security clearance, violations of law, policies that endanger national security, waste, fraud, and abuse to members of Congress.

The coalition also requested a series of congressional hearings designed to supply an integrative and comprehensive picture of retaliation against whistleblowers, the damage done to national security by allowing such retaliation to take place, the cost to taxpayers for ineffective restraints on the treatment of whistleblowers, the chilling effects of retaliation on other employees who might otherwise have been emboldened to come forward, and the costs to Congress’ duty of oversight for not having yet enacted comprehensive protection for whistleblowers.

Sibel Edmonds, the Founder & Director of National Security Whistleblowers Coalition states: ‘As it stands now, a government employee has to choose between career and conscience when confronted with agency wrongdoing. We need to adopt protections for employees that allow them to be secure in their jobs and encourage them to report waste, fraud, and abuse of power. Many lives, our national security, and the health of our democracy, may hinge on whether or not Congress is brave enough to provide meaningful and effective protection for national security whistleblowers. After three decades of half-hearted attempts to provide general protection to whistleblowers it is time to do the job right. Existing “protections” are more dangerous than no protections at all, since they often beguile people into believing that they will be safe if they report illegal activity, fraud, abuse, and dangerous policies. And national security whistleblowers are excluded from even this illusory protection. The “system of protection” is a catastrophic failure.

Write and call your Representative and Senators until they have to hire a personal assistant just to deal with your mail, email, and phone calls (and personal visits if at ALL possible). Urge protection for those who risk EVERYTHING (career, life, family, going to prison) just to expose something that puts US, the American people, at risk. And on behalf of everyone, let me say THANK YOU Sibel Edmond's and all other Whistleblowers, I am fully confident that you can and will get Congress to pass this NECESSARY law.

technorati tags:NSWBC, Sibel, Edmonds, United, States, National, Security, Whistleblowers, Hearings, Testify

Blogged with Flock

BREAKING: Drugs found with Anna

According to multiple sources that are close to the investigation, there were both illegal narcotics as well as prescription medication found in her room; An employee pulled back the sheets and found Anna, who had apparently choked on her own vomit.....DEVELOPING

technorati tags:Anna, Nicole, Smith, Drugs, Death, RIP

Blogged with Flock

Anna Nicole Smith Dead at 39

Playboy Playmate, actress, and Worldwide Celeberity Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead at a hospital in Hollywood, Florida after being found unresponsive on her sixth floor hotel room at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.  An in-depth look at the Shakesperian Tragedy tomorrow.  Off The Record sends our condolences to Anna's family and let everyone know we are truely saddened by her loss ourself.

technorati tags:Anna, Nicole, Smith, Dead, RIP, Hollywood, California, Hard, Rock, Casino, Hotel

Blogged with Flock

How Rich are YOU?

You may be suprised to find out, I know I was:

How rich are you? >> I'm loaded. It's official. I'm the 557,241,151 richest person on earth!

Bird Flu is the New Terrorism

It's sort of like saying pink is the new red. Now that our dear precious Government who would NEVER do anything just to cause general fear and panic to the general public, has figured out they can no longer work us up on the danger of terror on Main Street, USA, so they have found a new (well, old, but they are just now starting full blast) way to get us worked up and terrified: The Avian (Bird) Flu. The Center for Disease Control issued guidelines today in case of the "Great Flu" outbreak of 2007. Here are a few of the guidelines issued by the CDC (WHO in the hell hires people to come up with these points, I could have done this list):

• Cities and towns could close schools for up to three months. “No one’s arguing that by closing all the schools, you’re going to prevent the spread,” says Dr. Merkel, "but if you can cut cases by 10 or 20 or 30 percent and it’s your family that’s spared, that’s a big deal.” (before you kids go getting all giddy, other experts think differently, such as Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health: “We’ll be facing the same problem, but without the teaching,” referring to the kids (as well as adults) who often behave in ways that are nearly as contagious as being in school, such as being sent to a day care center and gathering at the mall. Dr. Redlener added expertly (to the groans of children around the world): "They might as well be in class."
• All ball games and movies are urged to cancel until the "wave" (a normal flu "wave" lasts about two weeks, experts tell me) is over.
• Stagger the working hours of the general public so that the subways and buses aren't as congested.
• All families, sick and well, are urged to stay home for 7 to 10 days (this one really irks me, if a family member of mine gets the flu, I want to help them out and make them feel better, but to be "quarantined" with them and those germs for 7 to 10 days....sounds like population control to me).
• It is urged, in case of a pandemic, to NOT close state borders or airports, otherwise you would cut off delivery of critical supplies (medicine, food, etc.).
• This year's guideline's put forth by the CDC did not suggest using the United States Military for enforcing the quarantines (it seems even the CDC is trying to "check and balance" Bush's power, it was Bush who suggested back in 2005 that he would consider using the military to enforce quarantines when he first mentioned the avian (bird) flu.)
• Dr Levi stated that it may not be a bad idea to have the National Guard help set up temporary medical clinics and/or moving pharmaceutical supplies to the needed location, as many of them are well trained at doing. Unfortunately, however, Dr. Levi pointed out “But they’re not there, the people who know how to run field hospitals are in Iraq.”

Now, at first glance, these guidelines may seem helpful and innocent, however it would not be hard (AT ALL these days) to see some (not to mention any names/agencies like the United States Government...oops!) one/agency taking advantage of the situation if it got this bad. Anyway, more to come your way today, and to let everyone know, I'm working on a vblog (video blog), to be posted on YouTube, about who exactly Sibel Edmonds is, whats so facinating about her, and why she is the definition of a patriot if there ever was a living example.

Exclusive: Tony Blair on his way OUT!

EXCLUSIVE: British officials, who are in a position to know such things, say there is an "operation" underway, by Tony Blair's Labour Party, to oust him as Prime Minister, possibly within weeks, (and electing Gordon Brown to succeed him) because of the cash for honours scam, in which Prime Minister Tony Blair has been questioned twice (the is the first time a sitting Prime Minister has EVER been questioned by police in a criminal investigation). There has been no comment from the Prime Minister's office as of publication time. More on this story as it becomes available.

State Department at Odds with Embassy over Iran Intel Presentation

Apparently, the United States Department of State is stating that absolutely NO information will be presented proving Iran's involvement in the chaos that is Iraq. This is a direct contradiction to what the U.S.'s new Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said that he would present a detailed presentation on Iranian involvement in Iraq. The reasoning the State Department is using: they do not want "faulty intelligence" spread widely like was the case in the build up to the Iraq War, which to me seems a covert admission there IS a build up to go to war with Iran, they just don't want to be embarrassed by "faulty intelligence" so they have decided not to release anything. Click here to see all of what ABC News has to say on this issue.

Republicans Force Democrats Over Pay Raise

Republicans have blocked the COLA (Cost Of Living Adjustment) that Congress usually gives itself every year or so. Last year, before the elections, Democrats blasted Republicans for being for a pay raise and against raising the minimum wage (and that attack was a very successful one), however, the Democrats seemingly supported the COLA when Republicans blocked it. Now, our poor Congressmen and women will now have to do without that 1.7% raise, is anyone angry? I think there may be oh, about 535 people who aren't happy (btw, that is the number of people in Congress). I have to say, whether it was a political move or not, I have to applaud the Republicans for this (mark this down, this could be a once in a lifetime event).

Breaking: Secret US Military Report Blames Iran

A Secret U.S. Military report, first reported by NBC News, and confirmed independently by Off The Record, that Iranian personnel was likely behind an ambush in the Iraqi city of Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead. Also detailed in the report is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is providing sophisticated weapons, as well as intelligence on Iraqi and U.S. military forces to Shiite extremists. More on this developing story as it becomes available.

BREAKING: Third Battleship to the Gulf

Off The Record has confirmed with Pentagon officials that infact, the USS Ronald Reagan has left the United States on its way to the Persian Gulf. Military personnel have been told to keep a pretty tight lid on this, and have been instructed to tell any one inquiring that the Battleship is going there to support Iraq War Operations. My friends, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but it was revealed here a month ago that the U.S. was sending a second Carrier to the region as a warning against Iran, and my sources then told me to be on the look out for the third (Three Battleships are the key number specified in the still classified Iran War Plans that Off The Record has obtained partial copies of), and that third is on its way. Only one of my sources would come out and say this could be a direct provocation and final threat to Iran before military actions, even if it is just air strikes (which this certain official believes would lead to full scale war).........More of this major developing story as it becomes available.

Off The Record Hits YouTube

I have recently decided to compliment my blog, I will start doing regular "newscasts" on YouTube. To view my profile, click here. My ultimate goal is to start a user generated newscast with contributions from anyone who thinks they are up to par. If you would like more information on this project, or would like to be included in this project please email me using the links on the left side bar. If you are interested in becoming one of the faces of the ONLY user generated new casts on YouTube, email me (I would like you to have an audition tape with an audition for the segments you would be interested in covering, videos must be under 100 megabytes and less than 10 minutes long). Anyway, please view my web newscasts, and tell me what you think of them, and I hope to get some of you interested in to the contribution process as well. Thank you!

Ann Coulter's STILL Trying to be Relevant

Oh, oh, oh, the musings of one Ann Coulter, the endless joy you can get from just laughing at this poor, pathetic media whore. Her latest "opinion" (like anyone gives a rats ass) piece is titled "I'm a Woman, Hear Me Bore" now, is it just me, or does Ann the man just HATE women? Remember, this article comes from the woman who also stated that women in the United States should not have the right to vote, but who was caught voting in the wrong district (which, by they way, is a FELONY, the same charge she makes aganist one President Bill Clinton), so...why is she not practicing what she preaches and NOT voting, find a husband (well, THAT may be a problem), and be little Miss Betty Crocker and spare us here idoitic, hate filled rants. Oh yeah, and, please, take this quote from her newest op-ed piece:

"Mrs. Clinton's acolytes are floating the idea of Hillary as another Margaret Thatcher to get past the question, 'Can a woman be elected president?' "

I would like to remind Miss Coulter that the article she referred to came out of a paper owned by none other than one Rupert Murdoch (who, at least at one time, was her employer when she appeared of Fox News). Oh, please, stick with me for at least ONE more insane quote from this bitch:

"But the most urgent question surrounding Hillary's candidacy is: How will the Democrats out-macho us if Hillary is their presidential nominee? Unlike their last presidential nominee, she doesn't even have any fake Purple Hearts."

Well, Miss Coulter, let me remind you that MOST of the TOP leadership (and some of your favorite talk radio personalities (one Rush Limbaugh) didn't even GO to
Vietnam, they used their high powered connections to keep them out of the war, so, they didn't have the chance to even WIN a Purple Heart, "fake" or otherwise. Yes, the above quote, to me at least, reveals that Ann Coulter has a vendetta aganist women, I have one Question for Miss Coulter: Do you not like being a woman? Are you angry

Kerry Running for the Senate in 2008

John Kerry has come to his senses and has decided he will not run for the Presidency in 2008, an top aide citing Kerry's "botched" joke late last year, however, he WILL seek re-election to his Senate seat next year. He is taping a response to e-mail to his supporters (there are still some of those out there? hehe, whats up with this year and online video, its like they just discovered the web). Go here for all the details.

Racism and the Black Caucus

Freshman United States Representative Steven Cohen (D-TN) has been denied entry into the Congressional Black Caucus, because he is white. It does not seem to matter to Caucus members that an overwhelming majority of his constituency is black, and this was not a political move by Cohen, it was a move he thought would, if successful, help his constituents. It is a sad state of affairs when, in the year 2007, a group, especially within the United States House of Representatives, denies a person entry because of skin color alone. Can you imagine the outrage if there was a Congressional White Caucus created, I can see the media orgasm already: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Co. would race to the nearest television camera, condemn the creators of the group, and demand their resignation, now, I ask, if they are really for racial equality, why not do the same thing in this instance? It's the perfect definition of hypocrisy.

State of the Union Drinking Game

Here is the George W. Bush State of the Union Survival Guide/Drinking game. The game is below, in full (by: Will Durst):

What you Need to Play:

Four taxpayers: One rich white guy wearing a Suit. Cuff links are nice. Two people wearing jeans, one in a blue work shirt, the other in a white shirt. One person wearing clothes rejected by the Salvation Army. (Belt and shoelaces removed.)

One shot glass per person. Everybody brings their own from home and places it on table. Suit gets first pick for use during game. White shirt picks next, then Blue shirt. Suit takes last shot glass as well, and Rags has to beg a glass from other players when necessary, or drink out of own cupped hands.

Twenty buck ante for everybody, except Suit who tosses in a quarter.

One pot of Texas chili and one bowl of guacamole, in middle of coffee table with tortilla chips nearby. Rags has to prepare and serve the chili and guacamole.

A large stash of beer. Rags gets the cheapest stuff available. Suit gets whatever import he likes. White and Blue Jeans get any domestic brand as long as it's no more expensive than Bud. Jeans pay for all the beer, the chips and the ingredients for the chili and guacamole.

Rules of the Game:

1. Whenever George W uses the phrases "defending liberty," "enormous progress" or "challenges ahead," last person to knock wood has to drink 2 shots of beer. If he actually says "there are those who envy our freedoms and seek to destroy us," everybody drinks a whole beer.

2. The first time George W mentions the tragic events of 9/11, the last person to eat one dollop of chili off a tortilla chip must drink three shots of beer. The second time George W mentions the tragic events of 9/11, the last person to eat one dollop of guacamole off a tortilla chip must drink three shots of beer. Continue to alternate. If you mischip, drink two extra shots of beer.

3. If George W mispronounces Iraqi President Al- Maliki's name, drink two shots of beer. If he even attempts to pronounce the name of Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad, first person to stop laughing is exempt from drinking three shots of beer.

4. If George W makes up a word like "9/11ers or "deterrencism," last person to yell out "Strategerie!" drinks two shots of beer.

5. Every time senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama are shown in the audience, Suit drinks one shot of beer.

6. The first time George W talks about immigration, last person to finish three chips of guacamole has to drink three shots of beer.

7. If either the Vice President, Secretary of State or First Lady are caught napping, last person to make snoring noises drinks two shots of beer. If Senator Robert Byrd is shown awake, Blue and White drink two shots of beer.

8. Everybody drinks two shots of beer if President Bush mentions Scooter Libby. Three shots of beer if he mentions Jack Abramoff. Four shots of beer if he mentions Osama bin Laden.

9. Whenever George W quotes the Bible, last person to sing the first eight bars of "Amazing Grace" has to drink two shots of beer.

10. If George W smirks during a standing ovation, take turns throwing chips of chili and guacamole at TV. First person to hit Bush's head exempt from drinking three shots of beer.

11. If George W tells a folksy Texas tale with a deeper meaning about not leaving before the job is done, Suit has to drink out of beer-filled hands of Rags, who gets to dry his hands on Suit's jacket.

12. Predict the number of applause breaks. After the speech, drink number of shots of beer equal to the difference between your estimate and the real number.

EXTRAS:

Anybody who can identify the person giving the Democratic Response doesn't have to watch it.

If George W uses a heartfelt story about one of our brave troops, White gets to kick everybody once. Twice if the brave troop is a woman. Rags gets to kick Suit if Bush reveals the subject of the anecdote is in the audience. Twice if the brave troop is sitting next to an astronaut.

Suit takes home the $60.25.

Leftover beer, chili and guacamole go home with Rags, after he/she is finished washing the dishes.

Political Comic Will Durst is going to try and sneak into the event disguised as an astronaut. Listen to Durst's twice weekly commentaries at audible.com/willdurst.