ΩΩThe US and Israel have worked like fiends to prevent other nations from getting the same nuclear arms the US and Israel possess. On top of this, Israel uses the US to hide their own nukes while using the US to scream about hidden nukes which is particularly pathetic as well as demented. Now that the US is getting its wish to disarm the Middle East, after signing the treaty, complained that it was a bad thing because it singles out Israel! Well, DUH! There is no other nuclear power in the Middle East to disarm!
Click here to see live feed of the flotilla to Gaza: IHH Insani Yardim Vakfi – live streaming video powered by Livestream. The Israelis are trying to stop this feed.
ΩΩOf course, Japan has our nuclear arsenal in a de facto way just as South Korea and this doesn’t bring peace, it leads to confrontations. Everyone at this point knows that Israel has a significant nuclear arsenal and has the reputation of being one of the most war-like nations on earth, run on a hair trigger reaction time scale that is most dangerous. The flotilla to deliver medicine and other life sustaining goods to Gaza is being verbally attacked by Israel and the US is behind the scenes, twisting arms to insure none of our allies in Europe assist this humanitarian effort.
ΩΩNo one in the media is quizzing Obama or his staff about the status of this unarmed civilian humanitarian operation. The entire issue is buried deeper than the oil leak in the Gulf. The disgraceful way the US signed the nuclear treaty which our allies demanded is typical here. By the way, the US has no treaty of alliance with Israel, it is all de facto and like over the counter trades, is a dark pool, not something out in the open with rules and restrictions.
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US Signs, Then ‘Regrets’ Call for Nuclear Free Mideast — News from Antiwar.com
The Obama Administration’s somewhat bipolar position on nuclear disarmament was in full view today, as the administration publicly signed an NPT declaration calling for a nuclear-free Middle East, then publicly condemned the same deal.
But almost immediately after agreeing to the pact, US Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher expressed “deep regrets” over the deal, saying it “singled out Israel.”
Yet how could it be any other way? Israel is simultaneously the only nuclear weapons power in the Middle East and the only nation in the region which has refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty.
ΩΩAll the Arab OPEC nations demanded the US sign this treaty and begin the first efforts, feeble as they are, to disarm Israel’s nuclear weapons. The US can’t promise to protect Saudi Arabia from Israeli nukes because the Zionists control our political and military systems at this point in time. The need to protect Israel’s illegal nuclear arsenal is proving to be immensely expensive for our diplomatic capital in the world. The latest sign of this is the rising US battle to crush Turkey and Brazil, two allies, for daring to cooperate with Iran in following US demands to send nuclear materials out of the country to be processed.
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Turkey, Brazil Lash US Over Iran Hypocrisy — News from Antiwar.com
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has conceded that there is a “very serious” split with Brazil over the third party enrichment deal on Iran, saying it is her belief that Iran will only negotiate once the sanctions are in place. The hypocrisy of the US position, and the absurdity of Clinton’s claims considering Brazil and Turkey just finished negotiating successfully with Iran is not lost on either nation, and both have taken the US and other members of the P5+1 to task for their sudden opposition to diplomacy.
“Who are they to talk against the idea of having nuclear weapons,” Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council all have significant nuclear weapons arsenals.
ΩΩThe number of peace prizes given to war leaders who have nuclear weapons is long and ugly. This is why I think it should be called the Nobel Warmonger Prize. When warmongers get tired of fighting, they make ‘peace’. And then run off to Norway to pick up their consolation prizes.
ΩΩIt is amazing that the US is willing to alienate two very important allies all so we can have this dyspeptic relationship with the Zionists in Israel. The Jews there can kick our President and VP in the teeth, insult them openly, defy even timid requests to stop breaking international laws, demand endless funds for Israel, etc and get away with it. When real allies do as we request and use their own diplomatic capital to implement something we demand, only to be slapped silly by the US Zionists for this….it is just amazing.
ΩΩThe blow up here reveals to the world outside of the US which sees little real news, that the entire demands of the US on behalf of Israel, were fake. The US hoped Iran would not do as we demanded and thus, give us another excuse to attack (similar to US demands on North Korea, by the way) and when allies did what we demanded, they get punished.
ΩΩThis farce is part of the dynamics destroying our nation and our sense of honor. This whole business is totally dishonest. It gets much worse.
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W.H. pushes back on letter leak – Laura Rozen – POLITICO.com
The White House is trying to dismiss as “selective leaking” the publication of President Barack Obama’s April letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, where he seems far more open to a potential Iranian fuel swap deal than Secretary Clinton and other administration members have been since Iran reached just such a deal with Brazil and Turkey last month.
The White House has not disputed the authenticity of the letter, first published by a Brazilian website on Thursday. In it, Obama discusses acceptable terms for a fuel swap deal that are very similar to the actual agreement reached last month that the U.S., European allies and Russia have all rejected as insufficient.
ΩΩGood gods. The Brazilian President released legal documents signed by Obama, himself. They did this to defend themselves from calumny of the US media and government which is lying like crazy about the matter of Turkey and Brazil cooperating with Iran to ship nuclear materials to Russia or Brazil, to be processed. So the latest excuse for this betrayal of a major ally is, the letter the President of Brazil released to the public was ‘selective’. Of course, the solution here is laughably simple: release ALL the letters! I would love to read every one of them!
ΩΩOf course, the US dare not release all the letters about the US/Israel push to disarm Iran! This would destroy our entire gambit and show how illicit and illegal the US/Israel efforts really are. And that these efforts are aimed at destroying Iran, not protecting anyone except for Zionists.
ΩΩRussia was going to work with Turkey and Brazil until Clinton rushed off to the Kremlin and cut a secret deal. Indeed, Clinton has been using up all our diplomatic pull by making gross backroom deals with everyone on earth, selling off all our sovereign needs in this quest to render Iran helpless.
ΩΩTo keep our wretched military imperial system going, we have told all who cooperate with our military might will be allowed to flood our nation with aliens, their export goods and no barriers to shipping US jobs to these countries will interfere with this transfer of US domestic economic wealth.
ΩΩThus, our empire is costing us double: we pay more than the entire planet for this foreign military system and on top of it, to keep it overseas, we are willing to destroy our non-military economy here at home! A sure fire way for an empire to die.
ΩΩNow, here is the actual letter sent to the President of Brazil, in full: Obama’s Letter to Lula Regarding Brazil-Iran-Turkey Nuclear Negotiations | Política Externa Brasileira
THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON April 20, 2010
His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Brasilia
Dear Mr. President:
I want to thank you for our meeting with Turkish PrinIe Miuister Erdogan during the Nuclear Security Summit. We spent some time focused on Iran, the issue of the provision of nuclear fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), and the intent of Brazil and Turkey to work toward finding an acceptable solution. I promised to respond in detail to your ideas. I have carefully considered our discussion, and I would like to offer a detailed explanation of my perspective and suggest a way ahead.
I agree with you that the TRR is an opportunity to pave the way for a broader dialogue in dealing with the more fundamental concerns of the intemational community regarding Iran’s overall nuclear program From the beginning, I have viewed Iran’ s request as a clear and tangible opportunity to begin to build mutual trust and confidence, and thereby create time and space for a constructive diplomatic process. That is why the United States so strongly supported the proposal put forth by former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General EIBaradei.
The IAEA’s proposal was crafted to be fair and balanced, and for both sides to gain trust and confidence. For us, Iran’s agreement to transfer 1,200 kg of Iran’s low enriched uranium (LEU) out of the country would build confidence and reduce regional tensions by substantially reducing Iran’s LEU stockpile. I want to underscore that this element is of fundamental importance for the United States. For Iran, it would receive the nuclear fuel requested to ensure continued operation ofthe TRR to produce needed medical isotopes and, by using its own material, Iran would begin to demonstrate peaceful nuclear intent. Not withstanding Iran’s continuing defiance oftive United Nations Security Council resolutions mandating that it cease its enrichment of uranium, we were prepared to support and facilitate action on a proposal that would provide Iran nuclear fuel using uranium enriched by Iran — a demonstration of our willingness to be creative in pursuing a way to build mutual confidence.
During the course of the consultations, we also recognized Iran’s desire for assurances. As a result, my team focused on ensuring that the lAEA’s proposal contained several built-in measures, including a U.S. national declaration of support, to send a clear signal from my government of our willingness to become a direct signatory and potentially even play a more direct role in the fuel production process, a central role for Russia, and the IAEA’s assumption of full custody of the nuclear material throughout the fuel production process. In effect, the IAEA’s proposal offered Iran significant and substantial assurances and commitrnents from the IAEA, the United States, and Russia. Dr. EI Baradei stated publicly last year that the United States wouId be assuming the vast majority ofthe risk in the IAEA’s proposal.
As we discussed, Iran appears to be pursuing a strategy that is designed to create the impression of flexibility without agreeing to actions that can begin to build mutual trust and confidence. We have observed Iran convey hints of flexibility to you and others, but formally reiterate an unacceptable position through official channels to the IAEA. Iran has continued to reject the IAEA’s proposal and insist that Iran retain its low-enriched uranium on its territory until delivery of nuclear fuel. This is the position that Iran formally conveyed to the IABA in January 2010 and again in February.
We understand from you, Turkey and others that Iran continues to propose that Iran wouId retain its LEU on its territory until there is a simultaneous exchange of its LEU for nuclear fuel. As General Jones noted during our meeting, it will require one year for any amount of nuclear fuel to be produced. Thus, the confidence-building strength ofthe IAEA’s proposal would be completely eliminated for the United States and several risks would emerge. First, Iran would be able to continue to stockpile LEU throughout this time, which wouId enable them to acquire an LEU stockpile equivalent to the amount needed for two or three nuclear weapons in a year’ s time. Second, there would be no guarantee that Iran would uItimately agree to the final exchange. Third, IAEA “custody” oflran’s LEU inside ofIran would provide us no measurable improvement over the current situation, and the IAEA cannot prevent Iran from re-assuming control of its uranium at any time.
There is a potentially important compromise that has already been offered. Last November, the IAEA conveyed to Iran our offer to allow Iran to ship its 1,200 kg ofLEU to a third country — specifically Turkey·- at the outset ofthe process·to be held “in escrow” as a guarantee during the fuel production process that Iran would get back its uranium if we failed to deliver the fuel. Iran has never pursued the “escrow” compromise and has provided no credible explanation for its rejection. I believe that this raises real questions about Iran’s nuclear intentions, if Iran is unwilling to accept an offer to demonstrate that its LEU is for peaceful, civilian purposes. I wouId urge Brazil to impress upon Iran the opportunity presented by this offer to “escrow” its uranium in Turkey while the nuclear fuel is being produced.
Throughout this process, instead of building confidence Iran has undermined confidence in the way it has approached this opportunity. That is why I question whether Iran is prepared to engage Brazil in good faith, and why I cautioned you during our meeting. To begin a constructive diplomatic process, Iran has to convey to the IAEA a constructive commitrnent to engagement through official charmels — something it has failed to do. Meanwhile, we will pursue sanctions on the timeline that I have outlined. I have also made clear that I will leave the door open to engagement with Iran. As you know, Iran has thus far failed to accept my offer of comprehensive and unconditional dialogue.
I look forward to the next opportunity to see you and discuss these issues as we consider the challenge of Iran’s nuclear program to the security of the international community, including in the U.N. Security Council.
ΩΩThe ‘compromise’ mentioned in this letter is the one that Turkey and Brazil fulfilled. They met all the conditions set by the Zionists running our government. The Zionists have to pretend they are doing all these things to spare the world more wars. Being rank warmongers, this is all a lie, of course. Note the demand of ‘unconditional dialogue’. This is very similar to ‘unconditional surrender’ since the US is much, much more powerful and bigger than Iran and this is obvious arm twisting, not some nation struggling to bring peace to this planet.
ΩΩAlso lurking behind everything is this horrible truth: the US got the UN and the IAEA to inspect all of Iraq most carefully and many threats were made that Saddam would be attacked if he refused to disarm so he disarmed himself and was instantly attacked! His country was invaded and pretty much destroyed. Why on earth would any country on earth disarm based on UN or US promises?
ΩΩJust like US promises to Brazil and Turkey were dumped the instant the two didn’t play the dishonest games the Zionists wanted to play, so it is with any disarmament of any country: only a fool would believe any promises by the US and disarm! The world’s #1 military power has to disarm! Not all the little guys who barely have a firecracker compared to the immense and dangerous US arsenals.
ΩΩNeither Turkey, Brazil or Iran are invading anyone. The chaos of the US invasion of Iraq is harming Turkey by encouraging ethnic tribal warfare within Turkey, for example. Brazil has to worry about military putsches sponsored by our beloved CIA and the School for the Americas (aka: pre-Gitmo torture training sessions).
ΩΩRelease all and every single letter and document of the US push to isolate and punish Iran! It would be most revealing since much of it will be all about the US destroying ourselves in desperate attempts at bribing ‘allies’ to join us in this latest dirty job that will repeat the Iraq invasion experience.
ΩΩWe could use these letters while impeaching not only Obama and his crew but also the GOP leaders, Bush and Cheney and of course, the old spider Kissinger, too. These diplomatic deals are far more important than anything I can think of, if we wish to see clearly how our government really works and who it works for (hint: not US sovereign citizens!).
Culture of Life News 
ems:
Really splendid analysis. All this needs to be said over and over, though I’m afraid it’s about like whispering in a dry well.
Independent journalist Tanaka Sakai hypothesizes about what may have happened on the night of March 26 and after:
Drawing on ROK TV and press reports and photographs, some of which were subsequently suppressed, Tanaka places at center stage a range of factors, some fully documented, others speculative, that have been missing, distorted, or silenced in US and ROK narratives: they include the fact and location of the US-ROK joint military exercise that was in progress at the time of the incident and the possibility that the Cheonan was sunk by friendly fire. Tanaka presents evidence suggesting the possibility that a US nuclear submarine was stationed off Byaengnyong Island and that a US vessel may have been sunk during the incident. He also considers anomalies in the role of US ships in the salvage and rescue operations that followed, including the death of an ROK diver in the attempt to recover that vessel.
At stake are issues that could rock the ROK government on the eve of elections, and could impinge on the US-ROK military relationship as the US moves to transfer authority over command to ROK forces by 2012, and to expand the role of China in the geopolitics of the region. There are implications for tensions between North Korea and the US/ROK on the one hand, and for the permanent stationing of US nuclear, and nuclear-armed, submarines in South Korean waters. Above all, there is the possibility that renewed war may be imminent in the Korean peninsula at a time when the ROK has cut off all trade with the North and is moving toward demanding the imposition of UN sanctions.
Tanaka’s analysis, published on May 7, was among the earliest attempts to engage important anomolies in early ROK official accounts. We publish the full original contribution while noting that some of its suppositions were subsequently disproved. This includes the hypothesis that the USS Columbia was sunk, while leaving open the possibility of the loss of anothr US ship. The USS Columbia subsequently returned to Hawaii. Core issues that Tanaka raised, however, remain unresolved and ignored in media accounts. In locating the incident in the context of the US-ROK military exercise Foal Eagle, held provocatively close to North Korea, the author invites readers to consider the plausibility that North Korea’s primitive ships could have sunk the radar- and sonar-equipped Cheonan and escaped to North Korea at a moment of maximum ROK-US readiness. And, if it did, that the ROK would remain silent about the event in the immediate aftermath. He reflects on possible motives for an attack by North Korea, but also consider the attractions of claims of a North Korea attack for the ruling ROK party interested in undermining the credibility of the North and exciting nationalist passions among voters on the eve of a major election. These are but a few of the issues raised in the article that follows, and in the investigations of other researchers appended to this article below.
http://tinyurl.com/3xnuc8s
Great stuff, Elaine.
Real Gaza news is missing in the Jazi MSM.
@ Elaine,
Re: …The world’s #1 military power has to disarm!…
…Thus, our empire is costing us double: …
…BP Gulf oilwell leak…
Great analysis…if only Washington would listen to its fine citisens such as you.
Hopefully, enough nations work together to bring your government back to its senses.
The US and Israel are capable of bring the Temple roof down on all of us!
It seems the live feed maybe a distraction because there could be a greater leak from the same well discovered by a US research vessel:
Some readers previously mentioned the succesful use of nuclear explosions to pinch off the leak.
Now there is talk the US government may resort to this nuclear option – see above video.
I hope they put responsible BP and others including government enablers in jail and punish the corporations harshly.
The entire story is another result of a dysfunctional culture as is GFC that Elaine has described is so many ways.
Elaine, this is analysis at its best. You are in top form here.
I tried to post earlier in
the day but the site would
not take it.
Yeah, the Russians have
used nukes in the past
to close blowouts.
Hell, in the past, everyone with nukes talked a lot about using them to make big holes, work on dams, etc! This hole in the bottom of the sea reminds me of this song from my youth:
There’s a hole, there’s a hole, there’s a hole in the bottom of the sea, there’s a boat in the hold in the bottom of the sea, there is….(you keep adding on stuff until EVERYTHING in in the hole in the bottom of the sea!).
This may be our Hubbert Oil Peak black hole that destroys everything event. I shudder to think that…this is most amazing.
Click on this to hear the Danny Kaye version of this bizarre song.
Checklist from David Knox Barker’s book The K- Wave:
“Trends During Winter: Stocks Down, Bonds Up, Commodities Down”
I believe that the bust in commodities in 2008 was associated with this trend change and that since the 2009 lows, commodities have also been in bear market rallies.
“Interest Rates Spike In Early Winter Then Decline Throughout”
In June 2004 the Discount rate was at 2.00%. By June 2006 it was at 6.25%, and in August 2007 the Fed once again began to cut the Discount rate. This too fits.
“Economic Growth Slow or Negative During Much of Winter”
I doubt that many will argue this point at this time.
“Commercial and Residential Real Estate Prices Fall”
This obviously began back in 2006 and is still ongoing.
“Bankruptcies Accelerate and High Debt Eliminated by Bankruptcy”
This has obviously begun and was no doubt been related to the housing and credit bubbles. But I suspect it will worsen as the Phase II decline and the deflationary forces take hold once again.
“Social Upheaval and Society Becomes Negative”
Just wait!
“Banking System Shaken and New One Introduced”
The banking system was shaken in 2008, but there should still be more to come.
“Free Market System Blamed and Socialist Solutions Offered”
Just wait, we have only seen the beginning!
“National Fascist Political Tendencies”
More to come.
“Debt Level Very Low After Defaults and Bankruptcy”
This has not happened.
“Trade Conflict Worsen”
It’s coming.
“View of the Future at a Low Ebb”
When the cheerleading on CNBS stops, we will be there.
“New Work Ethics Develop Since Jobs are Scarce”
If I can assure you of one thing, it is that this has not happened.
“Greed is Purged from the System”
I can absolutely assure you that this has not happened yet.
“Real Estate Prices Find Bottom”
This has not happened.
“There is a Clean Economic Slate to Build On”
Not happened yet.
“Investors are Very Conservative and Risk Averse”
Again, this has absolutely not occurred.
“Interest Rates and Prices Bottom”
Not happened.
“A New Economy Begins to Emerge”
Has not happened
“Stock Markets Reach Bottom and Begin New Bull Markets”
Again, we aren’t there yet.
Tim W. Wood
http://tinyurl.com/1w56
Just stopped by to see Elaine kick the zionists in the ‘nads – keep it goin!
We don need no stinkin friends – get lost Brazil and Turkey – we are happy slaves
Finally you talking about my Brazil ! Meu Brasil Brasileiroooo ! 🙂
If,
Sorry for the delay, but I live off the grid, offline, no cell phone coverage, blah, blah…
I disagree with the commodity bust you’ve declared. The boom began in 2001. Commodity booms typically last around 18 years, and are generally associated with monetary policies. The peak and valley you describe of 2008 are also pretty typical, as commodity cycles are usually quite volatile (especially with todays speculative dipshits, and central banking parasites).
I would also suggest that in response to defaults on credit, the dolts in charge have put the M3 floodgates WFO (that’s wide #@&%$* open). The banksters are ensuring that there’s no loss on their balance sheets due to defaults, fraudulently. The price of gold (in ALL global currencies) seems to confirm this. But when that digital money ‘trickles down,’ it’ll be a disaster for all of us. I suspect MZM and the price of all commodities will skyrocket as a result.
Being a guy who leans towards Von Mises and Austrian Economics, I’d opine we’re definately in a very inflationary time (inflation defined in strict monetary, not price terms), and that there’s lots of time for this to run.
There’s a lot left unsaid here…boiling it down I’d say We The People aren’t gonna be able to afford so much going forward, at least not like what we’re used to. Start a garden NOW. Protect those you love. Wealth redistribution, revolt, power shift and war lie immediately ahead…I’d bet on it (and have personally).
My biggest fear is that war shows up on our shores, finally. My second biggest is that the American People won’t wake up and gather necessary resolve until they’re on their knees. The public is generally pretty clueless and self-centered already, no insult to anyone reading along intended (I suspect most readers at this fine blog know this also anyway).
I hate putting it like that, but it’s how I see it, and I can say that I’m glad I’m getting old!
I have mixed feelings about saying this: I believe you and I have already witnessed the peak of North American civilization. Whether there will be another peak many generations away, or whether Homo Sapiens become extinct before too long has yet to be seen. From strictly a geological perspective, I would expect us to become extinct. It’s been 2 million years for us (one week to Mother Earth); exponential growth only goes so far. Sadly, many other perspectives are supportive of the geologic.
It is helpful to not take life too seriously! We all go sometime. HAHAHHAAAAAAA Why not laugh about it? Eh? Why not? Really!!! Even Keynes had some famous words about this!
Cheers, and I thank you for your valuable additions to the dialog, whether we agree or not! (we usually do)