Follow on TwitterMSNBC: Did Intelligence Agents With Alternative Agenda Withhold Info So Christmas Bomber Could Strike?
In one of the more disturbing reports I’ve seen in some time (and there’s been a hell of a lot lately), Richard Wolffe told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann last night that the White House is investigating the attempted Christmas bombing of Flight 253 to answer this question:
“The question here is why didn’t the centralized system of intelligence that was set up after 9/11, why didn’t it work? Is this conspiracy or cockup?” He said the White House sees the situation “more as an intelligence lapse than a situation of airport security faults.”
“Conspiracy or cockup?” — That’s a pretty shocking statement when you think about it. After all, most 9-11 conspiracy allegations are predicated on similar theories — that some in the government may have had ulterior agendas; that they intentionally allowed such a major traumatic event to occur in order to generate so much fear that they could easily unleash their extreme ideologies upon the nation and the world.
Wolffe adds:
“Is it a case of the agencies having so much rivalry between them that they were more determined to stymie each other or the centralized system rather than dealing with the terrorist threat or was it just that there were so many dots no one could connect them because it was all too random to figure out,” Wolffe said.
“Seems that the president is leaning very much towards thinking this was a systemic failure by individuals, who maybe had an alternative agenda.”
“The question is was this information that was shared, remember there was some sharing of information … that information why wasn’t it shared fully. The question there is again, cockup or conspiracy? Was there a reason these agencies were at war with each other that prevented that intelligence from being shared?”
If the President does suspect this system failure was caused by individuals with an alternative agenda, as Wolffe stated in bold above, I doubt Obama would EVER reveal that much to the country. I suspect the government is more interested in protecting the integrity of the system as perceived by the electorate, than in revealing a truth that might lead the masses to question everything the government says or does in the future.
As vividly demonstrated by Obama — in trying to cover up Bush war-crimes — the government is more about self-preservation, than enforcing the rule of law — no matter how sinister and diabolical the crime.
Here’s the clips of Richard Wolffe speaking first to MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and then to Rachel Maddow:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhQkS7Myqs[/youtube]
U.S. Pushing Mideast Peace Deal ‘Guaranteed’ To Be Completed in 2 Years
Several news sources are reporting that the US Administration is about to propose a new Middle East peace initiative whereby Israel and the Palestinians would resume final status talks — suspended since Operation Cast Lead (Israel’s military excursion into Gaza) last year. The proposal would be based on the following parameters:
1. The issue of permanent borders would be the first line of discussions, and this would be hammered out within nine months’ time.
The nine-month time limitation is being tied to Israeli’s temporary settlement freeze — set to expire in nine months’ time. By mandating that permanent borders are established by the end of that moratorium, Israel will only be permitted to continue expansion within the areas that had been agreed upon by both parties.
The negotiations would be based upon the principles of ‘land swaps’ — something that had been prominent in previous peace negotiations. Israel would be permitted to keep some of their illegal settlements in exchange for lands on the Israeli side of the 1967 borders.
2. The remaining discussions would be devoted to the contentious issues of Jerusalem and of Palestinian ‘right of return’ to Israel proper. And these would be completed within what remains of the two-year time frame.
Common Dreams, sourcing Agence France Presse, reports:
To entice both sides to agree to the deal, Washington is preparing letters of guarantee.
The Palestinians will get a letter guaranteeing that the two-year deadline will be final, with no delay. “If no agreement is reached, the Palestinians will request U.S. backing for their demand to receive an area equal in size to the territory under Arab rule prior to 1967,” Maariv said.
The Israelis will receive a note ratifying a letter that former U.S. president George W. Bush wrote to then Israeli premier Ariel Sharon in 2004, in which he said that a final status agreement will be based on the principle of land swaps that will allow Israel to keep its major settlement blocs.
Arab diplomats in Cairo told AFP last week that U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration was drafting letters of guarantee, but did not provide details.
I’d be curious to know how this ‘guarantee’ ultimately determines ‘appropriate’ land swaps should the two sides remain at an impasse beyond the two-year deadline.
After all, if they can’t reach an agreement, then what exactly is the U.S. guaranteeing them? — That the U.S. government would arbitrarily decide on land swaps for both parties? If that’s the case, I doubt the Palestinians — knowing full well the U.S. is not a fair and ‘good faith’ mediator — would agree to that.
The U.S. might arbitrarily give Israel everything it wants (i.e. E. Jerusalem, and deny the Palestinians their lawful ‘right of return’), and in return just leave the Palestinians more waterless, contiguous, desert land to the already picked over bantustans upon which they currently reside. And Israel, knowing their Lobby can guarantee U.S. political complicity, might find it in their best interest to let the two-year deadline pass, so they can get exactly the terms they want — not accorded to them at present, under international law.
Sounds like a Trojan Horse to me — i.e. get the Palestinians to agree to an evasive ‘guarantee’ that will ultimately work in Israel’s favor.
Yahoo News is reporting that the Palestinians, unlike their Israeli counterparts, were left out of the loop on this Obama Administration proposal:
“We have not received, neither officially nor in any other form, a plan from the American administration to bring about peace in the region,” Nimr Hamad, an aide to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, told AFP.
“Israel is trying with these media leaks to pressure president Abbas to enter into negotiations without a complete halt to settlements across all the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.”
Stay tuned …
Watch: The Cars Perform ‘Heartbeat City’ @ Live Aid 1985
Here’s a favorite Cars song of mine — not as recognizable as some of their hits, although it should be. I was in Paris when Live Aid was happening, and my brother and I were watching a rabbit-ear antenna’d static-prone TV set in a hotel — unable to understand the French dialogue between the songs, but nonetheless ecstatic to watch some of our favorite groups perform.
The quality of this video is damned good. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this song, I think you’re really going to like it.
Enjoy!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz-0bitY7Pw[/youtube]
The Cars’ “Heartbeat City” can be downloaded here: 
Israel’s Dahiya Doctrine Undermines Its ‘Collateral Damage’ Claims In Gaza
It’s been a full year since Israel unleashed ‘Operation Cast Lead’ against the people of Gaza, leaving 1,400 dead (mostly civilians). Israel and Egypt continue to blockade the 1.5 million inhabitants confined within the war-torn ghetto, restricting the flow of food, fuel, and other essential items, and thus making reconstruction and recovery virtually impossible. The […]
Max Blumenthal Attended Pro-Israel Rally In NYC Celebrating Gaza Attack
Max Blumenthal attended a Pro-Israel rally in New York City in celebration of the annihilation of Gaza (Operation Cast Lead). He interviewed many of the rally attendees to get their perspective on what had just happened. He reran this video on his blog today, under the title: ‘Gaza, Never Forget’ in memory of the Gaza […]
Happy Holidays To The World! Band Aid Perform ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Whoever you are, whatever your beliefs, whatever is your situation, I wish every single one of you happiness and good health this Holiday Season, and beyond! Please don’t forget to notice those who’ve fallen on hard times — the less fortunate amongst us — and don’t allow them to become the invisible. Please help them […]
Watch: Dylan Ratigan Blasts Debbie Wasserman-Schultz For Spinning Health Care Bill
This is quite entertaining! Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) goes on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Meeting’ with Dylan Ratigan, and starts reciting all the White House talking points in support of the ‘Liebercare’ health bill in the Senate. She says she is going to “jump at this chance to pass it” in its current state. Ratigan then embarks […]
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