ICH: US, Allies Weigh Punishment for Russia?

The free press is the mother of all our liberties and of our progress under liberty: Adlai E. Stevenson

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Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost: Thomas Jefferson

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"No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue." -- George Mason. (1725-1792), drafted the Virgina Declaration of Rights, ally of James Madison and George Washington

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It is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one intrepid enough, in the face of opposition to stand up for it: A. A. Hodge

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Think truly, and thy thoughts Shall the world's famine feed. Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed. Live truly, and thy life shall be A great and noble creed: Horatius Bonar, D.D.

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The institutions founded "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" haver failed. Since the end of world war 2, some thirty million people have been killed in armed conflict. Most of them were civilians: George Monbiot's - "The Age of Consent"

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Read this newsletter online http://tinyurl.com/dy6yy
 
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Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered Since The U.S. Invaded Iraq  "1,252,595"
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html
 
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Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In America'sWar On Iraq 4,138
http://icasualties.org/oif/
 
The War And Occupation Of Iraq Costs
$544,507,752,171
 
See the cost in your community
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
 
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Russians Have Introduced Ballistic Missile Launchers Into South Ossetia.

Democracy Now Interviews Col. Sam Gardiner, retired Air Force Colonel. - Transcript and Audio

The Russians put into their doctrine a statement, and have broadcast it very loudly, that if the United States were to use precision conventional weapons against Russian troops, the Russians would be forced to respond with tactical nuclear weapons.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20492.htm

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From his office in clouded cuckoo land:

Cheney: "Russian Aggression Must Not Go Unanswered"

"The vice president expressed the United States' solidarity with the Georgian people and their democratically elected government in the face of this threat to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Cheney's office said in a statement.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20491.htm

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Propaganda And Presstitute Alert

McCain Accuses Russia of Bidding to Wipe Out Georgia

By AFP

Republican White House hopeful John McCain said Monday Russia appears bent on extinguishing Georgia's independence as he demanded a united Western front to protect the former Soviet republic. - "In the face of Russian aggression, the very existence of independent Georgia and the survival of its democratically elected government are at stake," the Arizona senator said.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20494.htm

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A Path to Peace in the Caucasus

By Mikhail Gorbachev

What happened on the night of Aug. 7 is beyond comprehension. The Georgian military attacked the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali with multiple rocket launchers designed to devastate large areas. Russia had to respond. To accuse it of aggression against "small, defenseless Georgia" is not just hypocritical but shows a lack of humanity.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20493.htm

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US, Allies Weigh Punishment for Russia

By MATTHEW LEE

Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of powerful nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20497.htm

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Propaganda And Presstitute Alert:

Brzezinski: Russia's Invasion of Georgia Is Reminiscent of Stalin's Attack on Finland:

By Nathan Gardels:

Fundamentally at stake is what kind of role Russia will play in the new international system. Unfortunately, Putin is putting Russia on a course that is ominously similar to Stalin's and Hitler's in the late 1930s. Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has correctly drawn an analogy between Putin's "justification" for dismembering Georgia -- because of the Russians in South Ossetia -- to Hitler's tactics vis a vis Czechoslovakia to "free" the Sudeten Deutsch.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20496.htm

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The Reality Behind Western Propaganda Regarding War In Georgia

By Damian Lataan

Georgia would not have made any such move into South Ossetia without the backing of the US. It now seems, though, that both the US and Georgia have badly misjudged the Russian reaction and the US are unable to move.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20495.htm

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Jewish International Opposition Statement Against Attack on Iran

By International Jewish

Efforts to beat the drums of war for an attack on Iran's nuclear reactor facilities are promoted in both the USA and Israel scenes. The recent New York Times opinion piece of July 18th, written by the Israeli historian Benny Morris, serves to consolidate those political forces. The Jewish opposition here expresses our outrage in order to forestall this horrendous proposal. 
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20498.htm

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Taliban: 'Open war' in Pakistan as bomb kills 14: -

The Pakistani Taliban declared ''open war'' Tuesday in response to military offensives in the northwest, saying it staged a bombi g that destroyed an air force truck and killed up to 14 people, including a child.
http://tinyurl.com/69pu7p

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Pakistan army kills 10 militants in tribal region:

The army, backed by helicopter gunships, pounded militants' hideouts in Bajaur tribal agency, killing 10 militants and injuring 14, private Geo TV channel reported.
http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/393414/cs/1/

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Musharraf locked in battle to avoid impeachment as allies turn away:

Pakistan's government is finalising a "charge-sheet" against Pervez Musharraf as battle lines are drawn in the bitter struggle over the President's future.
http://tinyurl.com/582m6r

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Six militants, two NATO occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan:

A Canadian and a Latvian soldier serving in NATO forces were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan while the Afghan Defence Ministry said Tuesday that its soldiers killed six insurgents and arrested a Pakistani militant.
http://tinyurl.com/6qrm7e

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One British occupation force soldier, 4 civilians die after Afghan attack:

A British soldier and four civilians have died after being wounded in a suicide attack in Kabul, NATO and British forces said Tuesday, a day after the blast killed three Afghans outright.
http://tinyurl.com/6jd7z7

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Afghan attacks kills 2 NATO occupation force soldiers, wounds 16:

Roadside bombing and conflicts in the war-torn Afghanistan has left two occupation force soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) dead and 16 people including three ISAF soldiers injured, said an ISAF statement released here on Tuesday.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/12/content_9207826.htm

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Iraq: At least 12 killed as US occupation grinds on:

A suicide bomber killed two people and wounded seven others after detonating an explosive vest near a convoy carrying the governor of Diyala province, police said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSANW22158020080812

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Iraq governor survives attack, curfew imposed:

Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew on the capital of restive Diyala province on Tuesday after the governor survived a suicide bomb attack on his convoy
http://tinyurl.com/6p322w

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Report: Iraq contracts have cost billions:

The United States has paid $85 billion to contractors in the Iraq theater for work ranging from food service to guarding diplomats, according to a report released Tuesday.
http://tinyurl.com/67s2ut

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Roadside bombing in Turkey kills 9 soldiers:

A roadside bomb exploded in eastern Turkey on Monday, killing nine soldiers who were on their way back from an operation against Kurdish rebels, an official said. Two other soldiers were wounded.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/11/international/i031248D73.DTL

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US slaps more sanctions on Iran:

'These five nuclear and missile entities have been used by Iran to hide its illicit conduct and further its dangerous nuclear ambitions,' said Stuart Levey, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
http://tinyurl.com/6h8mqn

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Three major US naval strike forces due this week in Persian Gulf:

Military sources note that the arrival of the three new American flotillas will raise to five the number of US strike forces in Middle East waters - an unprecedented build-up since the crisis erupted over Iran's nuclear program.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5499

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Persian Gulf blockade 'a matter of time':

Khathor commented, "The closure of the strait of Hormuz is something that is going to happen and will happen many times... it might happen very soon with this issue but either way, it will repeat again in the future."
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NTk0MjM0Nzk=

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Iran warns against 'surprise attack':

Iran's Defense Minister Mohammad-Najjar has warned that its response to a surprise enemy attack would be a greater surprise for the aggressor.
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=66379&sectionid=351020104

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Russia 'ends Georgia operation':

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, the Kremlin says. He told officials that the safety of Russian citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia had been restored
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7555858.stm

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Kremlin accepts Sarkozy ceasefire deal for Georgia:

President Sarkozy won the Kremlin's agreement today on the conditions for a cessation of hostilities in Georgia that would see both sides return to their initial positions before fighting erupted last week.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4516025.ece

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Russia leaves open chance of further strikes into Georgia :

Russia also used a show of military force to warn Georgia against taking strategic advantage of Moscow's decision to end hostilities. Within an hour of the order to halt action, the Daily Telegraph witnessed Russian helicopter gunships launch missile strikes deep inside undisputed Georgian territory.
http://tinyurl.com/63pj6b

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Georgian army flees in disarray as Russians advance:

The Georgian Army was in complete disarray last night after troops and tanks fled the town of Gori in panic and abandoned it to the Russians without firing a shot.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4509692.ece

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Georgian troops fire at refugees:

Authorities in South Ossetia say Georgian troops have shelled the road being used for evacuating people from the conflict zone, according to Russian Interfax news agency. Attacks are continuing in the South Ossetian region, despite claims from Georgia that it was imposing a ceasefire.
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/28838

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Bush warns Russia to pull back in Georgia :

Bush warned Russia in his strongest comments since the fighting erupted over Georgia's separatist South Ossetia region last week to "reverse the course it appears to be on" and abandon any attempt it may have to topple Georgia's pro-western government.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D92GC5G80&show_article=1

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U.S. troops still in Georgia:

The U.S. European Command said on Monday that there were no plans at this time to withdraw the U.S. military trainers from the country. There are still 127 U.S. trainers in Georgia, where the American forces had been preparing the Georgian army
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56704

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Russia angered by Israeli drone sale to Georgia:

Georgia has credited Israeli military assistance after claiming the destruction of at least 11 Russian combat aircraft and 50 main battle tanks.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/eu_georgia0419_08_11.asp

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Israeli Has $1 Billion Invested in Georgia:

The Jewish state and private investors have provided military assistance and advisors to Georgia, where pipelines pump oil destined for Israel. A new pipeline is being built to bypass Russian territory.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/151211

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Israel Requests C-130J-30 Aircraft:

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of C-130J-30 Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $1.9 billion.
http://tinyurl.com/58lr36

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Israeli candidate for prime minister Shaul Mofaz would end "peace" process:

Shaul Mofaz, a leading candidate to succeed Ehud Olmert as Israel's prime minister, will halt the current peace negotiations with the Palestinians if he gains top office, a close aide has said.
http://tinyurl.com/6bfhnu

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Need a laugh? :

Report: Israel Proposes West Bank Deal:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed an agreement with the Palestinians that would allow Israel to annex about seven percent of the West Bank as part of a final peace deal. The Ha'aretz daily says Israel would in turn give the Palestinians "alternative" land in the Negev desert, adjacent to the Gaza Strip
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-08-12-voa33.cfm

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Israel stages war games on occupied Golan: -

Israel launched large-scale military exercises on Tuesday on the occupied Golan Heights along the Syrian border on Tuesday in the presence of senior political and military officials.
http://tinyurl.com/5ezvbn

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Hezbollah backed over Shebaa farms:

Lebanon's new government has won a vote of confidence, approving a policy statement recognising Hezbollah's right to use all means possible to regain Israeli-occupied land claimed by Lebanon.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/08/2008812134739450855.html

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London's Jewish radio station closes after George Galloway sues:

London's only Jewish community radio station has been forced to cease broadcasting after losing a High Court libel case brought against it by the Respect MP George Galloway.
http://tinyurl.com/5sw5n9

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If OPEC Dumps the Dollar:

OPEC members formed a working group to study the dollar's effect on oil prices and to "investigate the possibility of a currency basket" as a means of offsetting declining dollar-based reserves.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/90569-8-ways-to-profit-if-opec-dumps-the-dollar

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The next wave of mortgage defaults:

More borrowers with good credit are defaulting on their home loans, and that's going to make it even harder for the staggering housing market to recover.
http://tinyurl.com/6nzy9d

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US central bank auctions funds:

The move marks the Reserve's latest attempt to shore up the nation's struggling banking system, as the fallout from the US's mortgage crisis continues.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/08/200881215369736616.html

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Let Us Work towards Peace & Joy

Tom