The U.S. Family Network, a public advocacy group that operated in the 1990s with close ties to Rep. Tom DeLay and claimed to be a nationwide grass-roots organization, was funded almost entirely by corporations linked to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to tax records and former associates of the group.
During its five-year existence, the U.S. [...]
Posts from ‘December, 2005’
The DeLay-Abramoff money trail
The Murray Documents
Blair Watch broke the story about US/British complicity in torture in Uzbekistan by publishing documents from former Ambassador to that nation, Craig Murray. They printed these documents at considerable legal risk to themselves too.
Craig Murray’s site and Blair Watch are Ground Zero here. Go to their sites for the latest in this fast-breaking story. [...]
Dubya to attack Iran?
From AmericaBlog
German Press reports Bush getting ready to attack Iran
Should get interesting when 350,000 Irani army members come swarming across the border into Iraq as a counterpunch.
This is why you don’t start frivolous wars, so you’re ready and able to fight the ones that matter. I don’t necessarily have a problem taking out Iran’s nuclear [...]
Big Island valley
We went on a Cessna ride yesterday, piloted by a friend, from Maui to the Big Island, which about 50 miles across the channel. As you can see, the scenery is amazing. This valley is on the Hilo side of the Big Island.
Volcanic vent
A large portion of a cliff collapsed on the Big Island recently, sending lava directly into the ocean
Old Hawaiian village ruins
East side of Maui, circa 600-700 years ago.
Lava flow
East side of Maui. Not sure how old it is.
Hawaii
1) Friday morning, today, we go flying in a private plane, down the Hana Highway, then to the Big Island to view, among other things, lave flowing from a crater, and out of a cliff into the ocean. I should have some spectacular photos up by Saturday.
Then, sadly, it’s back to LA. Sigh…
2) We saw [...]
The fast rise and steep fall of Jack Abramoff
This lengthy WaPo article details Abramoff’s life of fixing and sleaze quite admirably. A few tidbits:
The nonprofit Capital Athletic Foundation, for example, allowed him to schmooze with Washington’s movers and shakers at charity affairs.
The foundation was ostensibly created to help inner-city children through organized sports. There is no evidence money went to city kids, but [...]
IMF approves loan for Iraq:
Let the oil drilling begin
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $685 million loan for Iraq on December 24. Now the country’s war torn economy will be fully integrated into the global economy—indefinitely. The reconstruction of Iraq will soon be open to even more industrialized nations and interests.
Iraq will not be sovereign or independent in [...]
India’s water supplies
Are we to decide the importance of issues by asking how fashionable or glamorous they are? Or by asking how seriously they affect how many? - Nelson Mandela.
This two-part article explains in depth the problem of poor water supply in Delhi, India, using examples from other countries showing why water privatization hurts more than it [...]
Maui Petroglyphs
1/2 mile in on the road to Lahaina by the general store. There’s probably many more in the West Maui mountains, however these are easily accessible.
Craig Murray’s site is down
It might be sabotage. Chris Murray is the writer with the documents about UK/US complicity in torture in Uzbekistan that Blair Watch posted today (see following post.)
Blair Watch has the post from Craig Murray’s blog online.
The story is seeping into mainstream media. Chris Floyd has a news scraper with all the latest.
Calling all bloggers
These documents need publishing
Blair Watch now has documents online showing British and US government complicity in torture in Uzbekistan. The British government doesn’t want these documents made public. Blair Watch, at some risk to themselves, has published them and is asking other blogs to do the same and to host them on their servers, thus [...]
