Slate reports: Last week, New York officials warned that they had received a credible threat about terrorist hiding explosives in baby strollers, though federal officials doubted the authenticity of the tip. Now, it seems that the feds were right and the threat was just a hoax. The reactions to this news seem to fall into a few categories: "better safe than sorry," "I knew it all along," or "the government's trying to screw us."

(CNN/Money) - Southwest Airlines kicked a woman off one of its flights over a political message on her T-shirt, the airline confirmed Thursday, and published reports say the passenger will sue.

Lorrie Heasley, of Woodland, Wash., was asked to leave her flight from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore., Tuesday for wearing a T-shirt with pictures of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a phrase similar to the popular film title Meet the Fockers.

via metafilter.

"Bush made the claim when he met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and then foreign minister Nabil Shaath in June 2003, the ministers told the documentary series to be broadcast in Britain later this month. The US leader also told them he had been ordered by God to create a Palestinian state, the ministers said. Shaath, now the Palestinian information minister, said: " President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God.

'God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'.'

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq...' And I did.

"'And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East.' And by God I'm gonna do it'," said Shaath."

Story at yahoo.com

Update: White House denies Bush God claim

The fall of Bushie

"Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.

The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media."

Forget about "Fahrenheit 9-11"! This is the best documentary you will see this year and it's also one of the most important films made after 9/11! It has all the facts and it will scare the shit out of you. This is the BBC and not Michael Moore or some other lunatic making the opposition in the US look like a bunch of fools.

Story in der "Frankfurter Rundschau".

Official site

For legal reasons, it's not available on dvd, but all three parts of this series are available for free as a download or stream at archive.org

You can also get Torrents in various formats to burn on a dvd or watch on your computer.

Reserve some space on your harddrive and three hours of time and don't dare to miss this one, sucker!

"Boeing and its joint-venture partner Bell Helicopter apologized yesterday for a magazine ad published a month ago — and again this week by mistake — depicting U.S. Special Forces troops rappelling from an Osprey aircraft onto the roof of a mosque.

"It descends from the heavens. Ironically it unleashes hell," reads the ad, which ran this week in the National Journal and earlier in the Armed Forces Journal. The ad also stated: Consider it a gift from above."

->Seattle Times

Nicknames granted by President George W. Bush.

He calls Blair "Landslide" and his wife "Bushie"?

via metafilter

It's all open to the public on the internet, but nobody is watching! Torture is commmon practice for the CIA and all their friends. The National Security Archive Posts CIA Training Manuals from 60s, 80s, and Investigative memos on earlier controversy on human rights abuses.

The National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 122 makes clear that Cheney was informed of "objectionable" Interrogation Guides in 1992" which were "Inconsistent with U.S. Government Policy".

Uh, ugly!

"The US military wants to buy large quantities of anthrax, in a controversial move that is likely to raise questions over its commitment to treaties designed to limit the spread of biological weapons.

A series of contracts have been uncovered that relate to the US army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. They ask companies to tender for the production of bulk quantities of a non-virulent strain of anthrax, and for equipment to produce significant volumes of other biological agents.

The US renounced biological weapons in 1969, but small quantities of lethal anthrax were still being produced at Dugway as recently as 1998…"

Full story in The new Scientist

"Emergency preparedness guidance from the US Department of Homeland Security, lists and explains specific threats and response."

Remember: "September is National Preparedness Month"

Yeah, right!

Unfortunately ready.org is not working!

Bobby Deth, Wall Street Journal: "I hope, Margaret Merkel will win, so that Germany will supply us with cheap troops for our future wars."

Via Elektrosmog

"To assist with the recovery and disposition of the victims of Katrina, FEMA has hired Kenyon Worldwide Disaster Management, a Houston-based company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Service Corporation International (SCI), another Houston-based corporation, which bills itself as the "dominant leader in the North American death care industry."

SCI is not only closely associated with the president (which is not surprising since the company is based in Houston), they were also at the center of what is probably the best-known scandal during Bush's six years as governor of Texas: the so-called 'funeralgate' case."

Full story at talkingpointsmemo.com'

"'They've got people here who are search-and-rescue certified, paramedics, haz-mat certified,' said a Texas firefighter. 'We're sitting in here having a sexual-harassment class while there are still [victims] in Louisiana who haven't been contacted yet.'(...) But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas." Here is the story in the Salt Lake Tribune from Utah everyone is referring to right now.

"Note the total sensory deprivation (goggles, nose and mouth muzzle, ear muffs and lack of provisions for bathroom functions (each prisoner has a towel under them to soak up urine)

photos leaked to the Art Bell show

Stolen from oilempire.us

VitW was formed in 1996 to nonviolently challenge the economic warfare being waged by the US against the people of Iraq. Voices continues its work today, acting to end the US occupation of Iraq.

Go here...

A message from G7 Welcoming Committee Records: "It’s Noam Chomsky vs. the Bush Regime in this much-anticipated spoken-word release. Recorded in November 2004, just after the reelection of George W Bush, Chomsky pinpoints the principle commitments of the current administration." more...

You can also get free MP3s by Mr. Chomsky and lots of other folks recording for the label. Try Warsawpack!

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reporting that no aircraft over New Orleans has been fired on over New Orleans or anywhere else in the area. Are the reports of shots being fired at aircrafts an attempt by the Bush administration to purposely delay the arrival of relief to the city's homeless and dying poor?

President Clinton threatened to physically assault House Speaker Dennis Hastert for his comments about bulldozing New Orleans.

"The once respected United Press International (UPI), now owned by the loonie Moonie Unification Church of megalomaniac Korean 'Reverend' and ex-convict Sun Myung Moon, continues to refer to Americans from New Orleans as "refugees." A Sep. 6 story stated, 'troops scouring New Orleans for survivors and victims reported finding at least 40 mutilated bodies in the Convention Center refugee center.' Webster's Dictionary's definition of a refugee: 'one who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution.' So, in other words Louisiana, 'Welcome to America!'" -> waynemadsenreport.com

Have you ever heard of the Presidential Prayer Team? Well, have a look, it helps understand the US-Kompetenzteam!

I like the section called "ADDITIONAL LEADERS TO PRAY FOR THIS WEEK". It includes some folks who might really be grateful for some help from above: Director of FEMA—Michael D. Brown Director of Homeland Security—Michael Chertoff Secretary of State—Condoleezza Rice Deputy Secretary of State—Robert Zoellick

Make him sell the ranch!

The talking heads on CNN have become little rebels here and there! The New York Times has a look at the political fallout while it looks like a good possibility for a new civil rights movement in the US.

"We wanted soldiers, helicopters, food and water,' said Denise Bottcher, press secretary for Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana. 'They wanted to negotiate an organizational chart.'

Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans expressed similar frustrations. "We're still fighting over authority," he told reporters on Saturday. "A bunch of people are the boss. The state and federal government are doing a two-step dance." (...) 'Why did it happen? Who needs to be fired?' asked Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, south of New Orleans.

Far from deferring to state or local officials, FEMA asserted its authority and made things worse, Mr. Broussard complained on "Meet the Press."

When Wal-Mart sent three trailer trucks loaded with water, FEMA officials turned them away, he said. Agency workers prevented the Coast Guard from delivering 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and on Saturday they cut the parish's emergency communications line, leading the sheriff to restore it and post armed guards to protect it from FEMA, Mr. Broussard said.

Nearly every emergency worker told agonizing stories of communications failures, some of them most likely fatal to victims. Police officers called Senator Landrieu's Washington office because they could not reach commanders on the ground in New Orleans, Mr. Sharp said. (...) Dr. Ross Judice, chief medical officer for a large ambulance company, recounted how on Tuesday, unable to find out when helicopters would land to pick up critically ill patients at the Superdome, he walked outside and discovered that two helicopters, donated by an oil services company, had been waiting in the parking lot. (...) Mayor Nagin said the root of the breakdown was the failure of the federal government to deliver relief supplies and personnel quickly. 'They kept promising and saying things would happen," he said. "I was getting excited and telling people that. They kept making promises and promises."

Lots of stories. People are supposed to contact their loved ones online and all that. The people in charge who got a lot of money are still not available.

Still the same picture!

What happened to that federal campaign "September: Preparedness Month" by the way? How much money did you get for that one again?

According to the BBC, russian military planes have dropped food in new Orleans early last week already. There were pictures of people holding food-packs with russian letters on it. It's not clear what those planes were doing in the US.

"Diddy was left floored after he tried to crowd surf at a concert and was dropped by his fans.

The rapper, formerly known as P. Diddy, was performing at top Ibiza nightclub Space when the embarrassing mishap took place.

According to revellers, the hip-hop star got so excited during the performance he leapt into the crowd, but instead of catching him they moved out of the way and let him hit the floor." ->monstersandcritics.com

"President George W. Bush pays back the good Christian Americans who elected him despite his illegal act of slaughter in Iraq by sitting in his Texas ranch for two days after the most horrific suffering was visited on the area around New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.

After two hundred billion dollars were spent in destabilising Iraq, slaughtering up to one hundred thousand innocent civilians, blasting the legs and arms off defenceless children and leaving the country and region in utter chaos, the best he can do is a brief flyover of the region and a belated visit, hurriedly put together only because of the protests."

Read the Pravda

"New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin blasted the slow pace of federal and state relief efforts in an expletive-laced interview with local radio station WWL-AM: 'They don't have a clue what's going on down here. They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn -- excuse my French everybody in America, but I am pissed.'"

Full transcript

"NEW ORLEANS—(BNW) So, a bunch of fools are looting for greed, and as a result, New Orleans’ officials have called off the search-and-rescue mission of tens of thousands of poor people who are dying in their flooded homes in that grief stricken city. It’s obvious that Mayor Ray Nagin is putting white property over Black life, and he's Black!

And, I am sick and tired of the images over and over again of the Nigger who was stealing the plasma TV, and didn’t have electricity to play it. Consider this; when it comes to the Blacks in the country, even in a disaster like this, the press always goes negative on the issue, even when innocent Black people are dying.

The desperation of the poor must not be over looked; it’s immoral to punish good people for the lawlessness of a few thugs when thousands of people are in a live or die situation. People have even been complainting that the cops are doing most of the looting to feed their families. Consider this; if the stuff that is being looted is contaminated in the first place, what is wrong with the poor people taking advantage of it to survive? The insurance companies are going to pay for the shit anyway."

Noble Johns in Black News Weekly

Check their site! The top-story has got a picture of Bushie with a caption saying:"President George W. Bush meets Maryland Transportation Authority police officers, following his address to an audience Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at the Port of Baltimore in Baltimore, Md., where he encouraged renewal of Patriot Act provisions."

Nothing about Katrina yet! What did they do with all that money after 9/11?

The European CNN just had an interesting chart to explain that New Orleans was basically just a city of stubborn negroes not accepting the fact that the president couldn't care less.