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US Wasting Billions While Tripling No-Bid Contracts After Decade of Afghan, Iraq Wars |
| Uploaded by democracynow on 2 Sep 2011 DemocracyNow.org - As the war in Afghanistan approaches its 10th anniversary, a pair of new reports reveal how the Pentagon has squandered tens of billions of dollars while tripling the amount of no-bid contracts. The bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting concludes that between $31 billion and $60 billion spent on projects in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 10 years has been lost to waste and fraud. In Afghanistan, the commission found the United States is indirectly funding the Taliban as money diverted from U.S.-backed projects is paid out to militants to ensure safety. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's use of no-bid contracts has tripled since the United States was attacked on 9/11, in spite of promises to reform the controversial practice. A new investigative report from the Center for Public Integrity says no-bid spending has ballooned from $50 billion in 2003 to $140 billion in 2011. Watch Part 2 of 2: http://youtu.be/7awabwdOOk4 Democracy Now! speaks with Charles Tiefer, a member of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan and a professor of government contracting at the University of Baltimore Law School; and with Sharon Weinberger of the Center for Public Integrity, author of the investigative series "Windfalls of War." "There are as many contractors in the war zone as there are soldiers. But we haven't adjusted our thinking for it, [and] we haven't adjusted our structure for it," Tiefer says. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 09:34:44 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 890 - Votes: 1 - Rating: 5 |
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Dick Cheney Zombie Stalking the Earth |
| Uploaded by RussiaToday on 2 Sep 2011 |
| Date: 2011-09-02 09:26:21 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 856 - Votes: 4 - Rating: 5 |
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Is BPA changing the Gene Code? |
| Uploaded by TheBigPictureRT on 2 Sep 2011 Bisphenol A or BPA is a chemical that they body reacts to as if it were a synthetic estrogen. It's commonly used in polycarbonate plastic and resin-lined food and beverage containers here in the United States, where it's still legal - it's been outlawed in Europe. It can be found here in almost anything packaged in flexible soft plastic or lined with plastic - from baby bottles to lunch containers and even soda cans and energy drinks. But a new study shows pretty solidly that BPA can trigger hormone-responsive gene changes in people. The authors of the study have concluded that BPA is active in humans and that it can be linked biologically to hormone signaling and related disorders in humans and that includes things like diabetes, thyroid disease and obesity. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 09:20:27 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 861 - Votes: 1 - Rating: 5 |
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How the War Machine Works: Wikileaks war crime was reported in Iraq - not the US |
| Uploaded by TheBigPictureRT on 2 Sep 2011 Raed Jarrar, Iraqi-American blogger and political analyst joins Thom Hartmann. So much for shock and awe - a new Wikileaks release details shock and horror in Iraq. One of the latest leaked state department cables - alleges that back during Bush's presidency in 2006 - U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians - including 5 children - and 4 women - and then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence. At the time - Bush's military officials denied the incident. But as this Wikileaks release shows - a U.N. special investigator uncovered evidence to the contrary, noting that morgue reports showed that all victims were handcuffed and shot in the head execution style. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 09:12:29 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 876 - Votes: 4 - Rating: 5 |
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Law Gives All Mistreated Americans Right To Open Casino |
| Uploaded by TheOnion on 25 Aug 2011 Congress has awarded every victimized subgroup gaming rights as way to "pull themselves back up." |
| Date: 2011-09-02 07:59:54 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 798 - Votes: 0 - Rating: 0 |
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FBI Uncovers Largest Credit Card Scam In History After Raiding Visa Headquarters |
| Uploaded by TheOnion on 22 Aug 2011 Nation's students to give American education system yet another chance, man overcomes alcoholism without Jesus by his side, and study shows: 96% of humans would rather be an animatronic bear. It's the week of August 15th, 2011. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 07:54:32 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 841 - Votes: 1 - Rating: 5 |
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Bush official advised Gaddafi on how to stay in power as late as August |
| From Al Jazeera: Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on 31 Aug 2011 Secret Libyan documents reveal how Americans were trying to help Gaddafi beat the revolution: an Al Jazeera exclusive. The US has played a key role in the battle to end Muammar Gaddafi's rule over Libya, but Al Jazeera uncovers evidence that influential Americans have been trying to help Gaddafi cling to power. One is a member of congress - the other is a former ambassador. The documents were found in the offices of Libyan intelligence. The building was abandoned as Libyan fighters took over Tripoli. Al Jazeera's Jamal El Shi-yal has this exclusive report. From The Raw Story: msnbc_ed_rubio_110901a gaddafifiles-screen World owoc_spill_growing_110830a Science/Tech hariss-perry-screengrab msnbc_maddow_thurston_110823a current_ko_pima_raffle_110901a stonedsantorum-screengrab blaze_carson_hanging_110830a Bush official advised Gaddafi on how to stay in power as late as August Posted on 09.1.11 By Stephen C. Webster Categories: Featured, World Documents discovered by Al Jazeera reporter Jamal El Shayyal, who scoured the Gaddafi compound after rebels overran Tripoli, reveals that a former Bush administration official was advising the deposed leader as late as August 2 on what strategy he might take to remain in power. One of the documents showed the minutes of a meeting with David Welch, the former assistant secretary of state from 2005-2008, who now works for government contractor Bechtel. During his time at the State Dept., Welch was instrumental in brokering the U.S.-Libya Comprehensive Claims Settlement Agreement, which restored diplomatic and commercial ties between the countries after 25 years on hiatus. According to Shayyal, Welch was still advising Gaddafi as late as August 2, 2011, suggesting that the former dictator funnel information about Al Qaeda connections to the nation’s rebels through Israeli, Egyptian, Moroccan or Jordanian intelligence agencies to give it greater prestige in U.S. intelligence circles. He also reportedly told Gaddafi that if he would “step aside” from command of the Libyan government, he could potentially cling to some of his power. Shayyal’s report also noted that Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) had communicated with an intermediary for one of Gaddafi’s sons, asking for intelligence on possible Al Qaeda links to Libya’s rebels, in an effort to bring the U.S.-led NATO bombing campaign to an end. Kucinich was one of the most vocal opponents of NATO’s efforts to aid Libya’s rebels, going so far as to call the bombing campaign an “impeachable offense.” This video is from Al Jazeera, broadcast Wednesday, August 31, 2011. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 07:39:14 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 922 - Votes: 1 - Rating: 5 |
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Michele Bachmann Makes Radical PSYCHO Talk! |
| September 01, 2011 MSNBC |
| Date: 2011-09-02 07:36:55 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 802 - Votes: 0 - Rating: 0 |
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UN report on Israel's flotilla raid fuels Turkish wrath |
| Published on 2 Sep 2011 by Euronews Turkey's dispute with Israel over its refusal to apologise for a raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla has erupted into a fresh round of diplomatic sanctions. Ankara has expelled the Israeli ambassador and senior embassy staff after it emerged that a UN report said Israel had used unreasonable force in the assault. Turkish diplomats are also being withdrawn from Israel, and military agreements between the two countries suspended. |
| Date: 2011-09-02 07:00:01 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 788 - Votes: 2 - Rating: 5 |
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Maude Barlow: Why I Joined the Tar Sands Action |
| Uploaded by StopKeystoneXL on 1 Sep 2011 http://www.tarsandsaction.org/ Video by Steve Liptay |
| Date: 2011-09-01 08:00:52 - Added by: KMC |
| Views: 777 - Votes: 1 - Rating: 5 |
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