We're Screwed!http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=16014

'Do you believe everything the government tells you? Economist and statistician John Williams sure doesn't. Williams, who has consulted for individuals and Fortune 500 companies, now uncovers the truth behind the U.S. government's economic numbers on his Web site at ShadowStats.com. Williams says, over the last several decades, the feds have been infusing their data with optimistic biases to make the economy seem far rosier than it really is. His site reruns the numbers using the original methodology. What he found was not good.'

The 20,000 Snooper Army: Vast Number of Town Hall Bureaucrats Get Power to Enter Your Home Without a Warranthttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1238800/The-20-000-snooper-army-Vast-number-town-hall-bureaucrats-power-enter-home-warrant.html#ixzz0axxOT3PV

'As many as 20,000 town hall snoopers have assumed powers to enter people's homes without a warrant and search for information, a survey revealed last night. The research details for the first time how a raft of intrusive laws has allowed council staff to barge into homes and businesses uninvited.  The bureaucrats are benefiting from the 1,043 state powers of entry in primary and secondary legislation – more than 400 of which have been created by Labour. These include checking for fridges which do not have the correct eco-friendly energy rating, making sure a hedge is not too high and inspecting a property to ensure 'illegal or unregulated hypnotism' is not taking place.

The truth behind the US-Colombia Military Agreementhttp://www.periodico26.cu/english/opinion/sept2009/military-bases110909.html

The Air Force document emphasizes the necessity to improve "full spectrum" military operations throughout South America – not just in Colombia – in order to combat "constant threats" from "anti-U.S. governments" in the region.

Canadian Mining in Latin America: Paramilitaries, Assassinations, and Impunityhttp://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2280/1/

Latin Waves is a weekly syndicated radio program focused on building community across borders. The show was started as a resource to educate the public about the extraordinary changes and social movements that are happening in Latin America. Host Sylvia Richardson talks to Upside Down World editor Cyril Mychalejko about Canadian Mining in Latin America, violence associated with mining projects in the region, and the urgent need for reforms to be passed in Canada.

Colombia to be a threat in 2010: Chavezhttp://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/7469-colombia-to-be-a-threat-in-2010-chavez.html

Threat to Venezuela in 2010 will come from Colombia, 'the Israel of South America', says Chavezhttp://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/latinoamerica/presidente-de-venezuela-hugo-chavez-hace-un-llamado-a-venezolanos-para-defender-soberania_6845247-1

The President of Venezuela expressed in 'Lines Chavez' that "the agents of international reaction are preparing the script to reverse the process of emancipation that is taking place in our (south)American lives."  He explained that one of the most important factors in that script will be the permanent presence of U.S. troops in Colombia.  "See the fledgling imperial threat against Venezuela from Colombia: Colombia our sister nation has turned into the Israel of South America," Chavez said in his letter.

He warned that this situation of uncertainty arises from the confirmation that U.S. foreign policy has not changed with the Government of Barack Obama over that of his predecessor George W. Bush.  "Do not be fooled: the illusion is over Obama, and the blatant intervention of the new administration proves this gringas(north americas) intentions" argued the president

FARC deny having security guarantees to release hostageshttp://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/7467-farc-deny-having-security-guarantees-to-release-hostages.html

History of US Rule in Latin America: Resistance to the Coup in Hondurashttp://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/december/27/centam-09122701.htm

The United States has had four presidents who received the Nobel Peace Prize. I haven't checked, but I presume that's a record for heads of state. All four have left their imprint on Latin America, "our little region over here that has never bothered anybody."

Castro Condemns Honduras 'Farce'http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/december/27/centam-09122703.htm

Colombia-2009: Games overshadow Uribe government spieshttp://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/opinion/1599/colombia-2009-juegos-de-espias-ensombrecen-gobierno-de-uribe/

The Colombians were seen this year from one of the most notorious scandals in the country's institutions, following in early 2009 revealed that the Department of Administrative Security (DAS) conducted illegal spying. Judges, politicians, former government officials, opponents, journalists, human rights activists and NGOs were subjected to illegal surveillance by the secret police, directly subordinated to the presidency.  The disclosure of interception of telephones and emails were made by the Week magazine in February. Since then its been exposed over the year the controversy on the aims pursued by the DAS agents to commit such unlawful and even the need to transform or even to remove the body.  The opposition is in full swing and several victims of the espionage directly blamed the problem on President Álvaro Uribe, who rejected the allegations, but the no doubt persists since it appears he was who ordered the wiretapping communications.  Amid the controversy, the authorities claimed that DAS was infiltrated by drug mafias and paramilitary groups and even, in the version of the then defense minister and now presidential candidate, Juan Manuel Santos, to foreign governments benefited from the leakage information.  Meanwhile, concerns increased by Colombian society after it was disclosed with the passing weeks and months new evidence on these systematic practices illegal,came to ligth and the truth gained in intensity.  Several legislators took the case to the Organization of American States and UN bodies to the seriousness of the problem, described by many as the worst scandal in the democratic history of Colombia.  According to the opposition Liberal Party, there were hundreds of Colombians who for more than five years have been subjected to surveillance, inspection and control without any legal authorization by the DAS.  In their persons, in their homes and family relationships have been followed. members of the opposition and judges,an atrocity which he said that the party policy was  to denounce to the international community.  He even claimed that the presidential campaign of 2006 was subjected to a systematic dirty war cited by the intelligence agency.  Consistent with the revelations, the candidates of the last presidential campaign were the subject of continuous monitoring, to the point that their phones activated an alarm to the DAS agents began to intercept.  The scandal became so great in resonance in Colombia it forced the government to undertake to ensure the integrity and security of the judges of the High Courts and prevent the recurrence of incidents such as the wiretapping done against some of the judges and politicians.   Uribe called for intelligence reform the institution in an attempt to alleviate the concerns and dilute the scandal amid soaring Colombian reality.  However, some analysts and the media did not escape the fact that the president didnt seek to eliminate the organism .It produced within days , one statement made by the U.S. State Department on the issue of illegal wiretapping.  Previous to that statement, the Colombian president had not seemed interested in removing the intelligence service, but in preserving it. The truth is that DAS, created at the end of the decade of the 50s of last century, and is directly answerable to the presidency, is still active.  While some heads began to roll in the body, some managers resigned and hundreds of officers were called as witnesses, and even investigated by the prosecution, so far it is unknown who is behind what is known here as chuzudas'''' .  Scandal that permeated even the national border in recent weeks, following complaints from neighboring countries like Ecuador and Venezuela around several of its institutions were illegally infiltrated and monitored by DAS agents, raising diplomatic tensions.  For many analysts and observers consulted by Prensa Latina, all indications lead to the head of state because a surveillance operation of such magnitude requires a direct order from the Casa de Nariño, which the image and credibility of the government is challenged before the national and global public opinion.

Weapons to defend sovereignty is a priority, says MoD reporthttp://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/armamento-para-defender-la-soberania-es-prioridad_6846927-1

If Colombia is not updated in the purchase of weapons deterrent over the next five years, will remain at high risk of facing a foreign military attack, reveals the document.

The document sets forth also a kind of 'shopping list' unavoidable: "We must move forward in strengthening the capacities for surveillance, border control and satellite monitoring, as well as mobility and coverage contramovilidad (...) Buying equipment against chemical and biological weapons and air defense, including weapons, surveillance equipment and early warning. " Also covers aircraft and frigates upgrade engines, acquiring defensive capability against armored vehicles and even a 'surgery' to the present organization of the Armed Forces: Moving from the Divisions and Commands Set to "theaters of operations that would be activated only in case of aggression external ".

The blog of the future of the Armed Forces also appear peacekeeping missions abroad (such as those already in the Sinai and Haiti) and operations such as multinational forces under negotiation for Afghanistan.

comment-incredible the uribe and us gov are openly arming colombias rigthwing gov wich in turn it is destabilizing all its neighbors ,then they cook a report playing victim ,claiming they need more us military hardware to defend itself against regional threats.lol uribes government and us governemnt are the agressors in the region,not the victims!!!!!!

In Yemen, Saudi jets Bomb Civilian Areashttp://presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114757&sectionid=351020206

'Houthi fighters in Yemen say Saudi warplanes have carried out several attacks on residential areas in the country's beleaguered north. In a statement released on Sunday, the fighters said that Saudi jets launched over 30 airstrikes on villages in the northern parts of the country. Saudi forces have also fired some 660 rockets and artillery rounds at civilian areas along the border, websites close to the fighters reported.'

comment-the us,yemni government,and saudi government,are all breaking geneva conventions,by failing to protect civilian centers,this is also colective punishment.several international laws are being violated.What else is new?

The massacre at Kunduz and the policy of targeted killingshttp://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/dec2009/pers-d28.shtml

German military commanders and politicians are intent on using the recent massacre at Kunduz to circumvent restrictions imposed on the German army following the crimes it committed in the Second World War and permit “targeted killings.”

Just 16 Ships Expel as Much Pollution as All the Cars in the Worldhttp://www.naturalnews.com/027803_pollution_ships.html

Large shipping vessels owned by globalist corporations are used to deliver slave labor goodies from China 'Large shipping vessels have become commonplace in today’s global marketplace as goods are imported and exported across the world. While the high levels of pollution they create are something that most people don’t think too much about, some scientists are beginning to evaluate their environmental effect. One of the most disturbing facts discovered about these giant ships is that a mere 16 of them emit as much sulfur as do all the cars in the world combined.'

Gaza One Year On: 'Punish, humiliate, terrorize'http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/gazaoneyearon/2009/12/20091217144217514772.html

As the one year anniversary of Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip is marked, it is vital to re-examine Operation Cast Lead within the wider context of Israel's approach to both Gaza and the Palestinians. There is a danger that the scale of the devastation and the international protests which followed the war can deflect attention from the broader Israeli policies of collective punishment and deliberately-engineered socio-economic collapse. The first important part of this context for both before - and since - Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip is the crippling blockade.

Is Al Jazeera English, Another Fox News?http://www.paltelegraph.com/opinions/editorials/3345-is-al-jazeera-english-another-fox-news

Shockingly, the report seemed to me to be very "FOX NEWS" in its style. Ayman put much emphasis on the Palestinian military group Hamas and its military wing, Ez Eldin Al Qasam brigades in terms of rockets made in Gaza.

“Population Reduction Is The Best Method to Stop Global Warming”http://euro-med.dk/?cat=5

Fabian Socialist Double Speak - Common Purposehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeNSdAPxXO4

Northwest Bomb Plot 'Oddities'http://www.legitgov.org/northwest_bomb_plot_oddities.html

'Write a book critical of the CIA -- you cannot fly. Carry explosives (allegedly from Yemen) on board when the US is trolling for an excuse to invade and occupy Yemen for its oil -- yes you can! The US needs false flags to provide cover for illegal invasions and occupations. The 9/11 terrorist attacks (aka inside job, six ways to Sunday) worked well for the US government; the security-industrial complex made billions and US corporaterrorists were able to negotiate the wholesale theft of Iraq's oil.'

Brain Scanning May be Used in Security Checkshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/10/biometric-scanning-brain-security-checks

'Distinctive brain patterns could become the latest subject of biometric scanning after EU researchers successfully tested technology to verify identities for security checks. The experiments, which also examined the potential of heart rhythms to authenticate individuals, were conducted under an EU-funded inquiry into biometric systems that could be deployed at airports, borders and in sensitive locations to screen out terrorist suspects.

Islamophobia and the American Presidencyhttp://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/69878

"The Islamophobic discourses underlying the 2008 election weren’t novel or newfangled, but they did reinvigorate dormant or tacit narratives of American nationhood as a domain of restricted access. These narratives of nationhood are replete with nostalgia and the implicit belief that a true American is somebody who is white and Christian. Islamophobia has become an acute element of America’s national identity."

Jay Rockefeller Trying To Give President Emergency Control Of Internethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xm6PgEcZeM

9/11 firefighter hero Jim Ryan dies of pancreatic cancerhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/12/27/2009-12-27_the_other_victims_of_911_li_firefighters_death_and_the_renewed_call_for_bill_to_.html

"We Can Make Him Disappear": Immigration Officials Are Holding People In Secret, Unmarked Jailshttp://www.alternet.org/rights/144656/%22we_can_make_him_disappear%22:_immigration_officials_are_holding_people_in_secret

"If you don't have enough evidence to charge someone criminally but you think he's illegal, we can make him disappear." Those chilling words were spoken by James Pendergraph, then executive director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of State and Local Coordination, at a conference of police and sheriffs in August 2008.

The FBI Deputizes Businesshttp://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-infragard-the-fbi-deputizes-business/

Absurd Florida lawsuit against Colombian rebelshttp://www.fightbacknews.org/2009/12/16/absurd-florida-lawsuit-against-colombian-rebels

In a bizarre twist, the lawsuit also targets about 100 Colombians who are alleged to be FARC members, including Ricardo Palmera and Anayibe Rojas Valderrama, (also know as Sonia.) Ricardo Palmera is the well-known FARC peace negotiator, who is currently being held in the Colorado Super Max. Sonia is being held in a Texas prison. The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera has campaigned for the immediate release of both prisoners. "The mercenaries went to another country to fight in a civil war. They were helping to keep Colombia's death squad government in power and ending up getting caught. They now are using the U.S. court system to attack the FARC, an organization that is fighting for freedom and justice in Colombia," says Tom Burke.

The Religious Right And World Vision's "Charitable" Evangelismhttp://www.swans.com/library/art15/barker39.html

"We analyse every project, every programme we undertake, to make sure that within that programme evangelism is a significant component. We cannot feed individuals and then let them go to hell."  —Ted Engstrom (former president of World Vision International)

Israel army fail to stop embarrasing video reporthttp://undercurrentsvideo.blogspot.com/2009/12/israel-army-fail-to-stop-embarrasing.html