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The 4,000th U.S. Death in Iraq - Press TV, Tehran & Baghdad

2008-07-25T19:31:21Z

Afshin Rattansi interviews Press Tv's correspondent, Amanda Lindhout in Baghdad.

BAGHDAD, March 24 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. soldiers to die in Iraq has reached 4,000, the U.S. military said on Monday, just days after the fifth anniversary of a war that President George W. Bush says the United States is on track to win.

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Iraq's Prime Minister Implies U.S. Troops Should Go Home

2008-07-25T19:11:06Z

Nouri Al-Maliki and the European Commission President speak at a joint press conference in Brussels and Maliki says that Iraqi forces are capable of dealing with those outside the law - a condition he sets for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The conference takes place, days after President Bush rules out a drawdown on U.S. troops

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The Iraq Security Pact - Tehran and London

2008-07-25T19:04:34Z

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is facing growing opposition to a proposed security agreement that would set out how long American forces and military bases stayed in Iraq.
Moises Saman for The New York Times
Supporters of the cleric Moktada al-Sadr displayed his image and burned an American flag on Friday in Baghdad, during a protest against a long-term American presence in Iraq.
Some senior Iraqi political leaders said they had serious concerns over the central issues under negotiation, including what sort of military operations and arrests of Iraqis the American troops could carry out without Iraq's permission, legal immunities sought for American troops and security contractors and what the Iraqi officials characterized as demands for a long-term American military presence. Afshin Rattansi interviews Sayed Mohammed Musawi from the World Islamic League.

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The U.S. recession, the dollar and why Bush wants to bomb .

2008-07-25T19:04:07Z

From Paris, Max Keiser, journalist and broadcaster speaks to Afshin Rattansi in Tehran.

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Betting on a war with Iran

2008-07-25T19:04:07Z

Pioneer of predictive real-world markets, Max Keiser, in Paris talks to Afshin Rattansi in Tehran about oil, the U.S. economy and changing financial probability markets on the chance of an airstrike on Iran

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Former Senator Mike Gravel Celebrates Pentagon Chief Robert Gates

2008-07-25T18:48:01Z

Afshin Rattansi in Tehran interviews former 2008 Presidential candidate and senator for Alaska about congressional approval of General Petraeus at CENTCOM, Admiral Fallon's strategy, Maliki's opposition to SOFA, more news of atrocities committed by Odierno's troops in Fallujah and Karl Rove's contempt of Congress.

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Second Biggest Bank Failure in History

2008-07-25T18:48:01Z

Afshin Rattansi talks to Prof. Peter Morici from the University of Maryland about how Americans have government intervention to worry about and other Hayekian themes, even as America's biggest lenders hit the buffers and IndyMac Bancorp becomes the biggest bank failure in history.

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Russia and China use their veto on Zimbabwe at the UN

2008-07-25T18:48:01Z

Afshin Rattansi interviews Zimbabwe's Ambassador to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku, minutes after China and Russia veto sanctions against Zimbabwe at the UN Security Council.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and China vetoed on Friday a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe for holding a violent presidential poll that was boycotted by the opposition candidate.

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Betting on War with Iran IIa - Geneva, Solana, Gallach, Keiser and Rattansi

2008-07-25T18:47:59Z

Hours before the meeting in Geneva between EU Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, and Iranian nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili (together with "listener", U.S. Undersecretary of State, William Burns), Afshin Rattansi in Tehran interviews Solana's spokeswoman, Cristina Gallach about war and peace. And then there's analysis using the latest markets about why there won't be a U.S.-backed war with Iran - some say.

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Betting on War with Iran IIb - Geneva, Solana, Gallach, Keiser and Rattansi

2008-07-25T18:47:59Z

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Gerentes em panico

2008-07-25T18:42:25Z

Desembarque na plataforma, gerentes na cesta. Tempo bom, mar nem tanto. Guindasteiro com muita dificuldade.

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James P. Hoffa's Speech at the Environmental Summit

2008-07-25T18:44:16Z

Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa gives speech at the Environmental Summit in Oakland, California. July 23, 2008

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John McCain: Town Hall Meeting 07/22/08

2008-07-25T20:35:56Z

John McCain
Town Hall
Rochester, NH - 07/22/08

TRANSCRIPT:
QUESTIONER: "Senator, we entered the Iraq war illegally, immorally, and against international law. According to a poll in the Washington Post in May of this year, 81 percent of U.S. voters believe our country's on the wrong track. A majority of Americans prefer a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and now the Prime Minister of Iraq, in response to pressure from the Iraqi people is also calling for a timeline for withdrawal. Given the $720,000,000 million dollars a day we're spending in Iraq, the fact that neither Americans nor Iraqi's support the occupation, that our presence there is in fact enflaming the Muslim world and creating more terrorists, that our money, our tax dollars, [interrupted by boos]

[...]

As I said, our tax dollars are needed here for healthcare, for funding education, infrastructure repairs, and real energy alternatives to combat real climate change. Isn't it time to end the occupation Senator?

MCCAIN: "[...] When I took the position that we needed to have 30,000 additional troops over there, those numbers were a lot worse than the ones you cite. Because my first obligation is my country not my political ambitions. [inaudible due to applause] [...] And again, I respect your view, and I think I understand it. Because for nearly four years this war was badly mishandled. And we failed. And Americans made great sacrifices as you know. I believed that a change in the strategy and the surge would succeed. And indeed it did. Now Senator Obama said that he wanted us out of Iraq and that the surge would not succeed, and it would fail, and he's still saying that it failed. Now I respect Senator Obama's view, I just think it's wrong. The facts on the ground [inaudible due to applause]. [...] the most important part of my response to you is the future. I think the future is very clear. We have succeeded in Iraq and we are winning this conflict. [...] Let me just say to you what I'm confident of, is that we will reduce Iranian influence in the region. We will have a stable and democratic nation there that's flawed but functioning. We will have a Middle East that does not have the disruptive influences that would have resulted from a failure and defeat in Iraq, which then would have encouraged others to do the same thing. And I'm confident that victory, which we are winning and we have succeeded, will bring about a change, not only there but also in the entire region. And it will all be for the benefit of the people of Iraq and the people of this country. And I understand, as you do, the enormous sacrifice that has been made.

QUESTIONER: I believe that you are [inaudible] against international law. The deaths that have happened, those of our dear soldiers there, and Iraqi civilians, are tragedies and may even be criminal because we invaded that country. Now the idea that we might someday have a stable democratic government there is not ours to impose on that country. [...] We need to leave that country, the people of that country are asking us to leave, the Prime Minister of that country is asking us to leave, why do we have the largest embassy in the world there and all kinds of military bases there if we're not there to try to steal their oil.

MCCAIN: Thank you very much, first of all, in all due respect I think that is something that's not what American's are fighting for, in all respect. But the fact is that, everybody recognizes, including Prime Minister Maliki, that we have to have conditioned based withdrawal. And we're going to withdrawal. We will withdrawal. The fact is, whether we withdrawal with victory or whether we withdrawal with defeat. And again, you and I have different prisms, we have succeeded. In Sadr City it is safe, Mosul is safe, Basra is safe, the people of Iraq, and I've been there, are now leading normal lives. [inaudible due to applause]. There will be continue to have spectacular attacks. If I thought that al-Qaeda was completely defeated I would say all of should come home right away. They are not completely defeated. They have been set back enormously, but we have to continue what we are doing with this strategy which has succeeded.
[...]

QUESTIONER: Don't you believe that we are in the inflaming the Muslim world by our presence there?

MCCAIN: Thank you. I do not. I believe that if we had been defeated in Iraq that the radical elements in the Muslim world would have been dramatically encouraged. [inaudible due to applause]

If you'd like to acquire a high resolution version of this clip, visit:
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In U.S., Economic Problems Eclipse All Others

2008-07-25T20:38:38Z

Six in 10 Americans (61%) name an economic issue as the most important problem facing the country, which together continue to eclipse Iraq and other non-economic issues.

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Thanks to you, impeachment will be heard Friday

2008-07-25T18:43:14Z

A message from Congressman Dennis Kucinich. July 22 2008

logon to: kucinich.us to sign the petition.

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Mexico accepts US fuel migrants - 21 Jun 08

2008-07-25T18:45:40Z

With riding fuel prices causing American's too feel the pinch, many have begun driving to Mexico looking for a better deal. With gas prices heavily subsidized there, US motorists are taking home as much gas as they can. Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras has more from Tijuana, Mexico.

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The geo-politics of oil

2008-07-25T18:44:45Z

More at therealnews.com
Aijaz Ahmad: What would a rational American foreign policy look like? Pt 6

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BRAVE NEW REVIEW: Blood & Oil

2008-07-20T03:30:21Z

(Blood & Oil – documentary – 52 min – directed by Jeremy Earp – narrated by Michael T. Klare)

If you want to understand how the US got into the predicament we're in with oil and the wars we fight to get it, Blood & Oil, the Media Education Foundation's newest documentary, is required viewing.

(Full Disclosure: Jeremy Earp and his team at MEF were instrumental in the making of FOX ATTACKS! Iran. They provided much of the early FOX footage during the lead up to the Iraq war, and I'll always be grateful for their assistance.)

Last year, I reviewed MEF's terrific documentary, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, and was mightily impressed with the long, non-partisan view of how the media and the US government convinces Americans of the "necessity" of going to war. After seeing Blood & Oil, I now realize that this long view might be MEF's signature strength. Narrated by Michael T. Klare, correspondent for the Nation and one of the world's top experts on energy and security issues, B&O takes you through the complete history of America and oil, from when the US produced nearly 100% of its own oil (and used it to win World War II) up to the embarrassing, self-destructive mess we now find ourselves in, where more and more of our paychecks go towards buying an increasing amount of oil from governments that don’t like us.

While WME did a fantastic job of smashing the myth of a “liberal” media that is oddly enthusiastic about repeating the government’s warmongering propaganda, B&O dispels the right wing myth that the US never goes to war for oil. From FDR to Jimmy Carter to the Bushes to Bill Clinton, America’s hunger for and pursuit of oil has been at the heart of US foreign policy for the past 60 years. Like WME, B&O lets no party or administration off the hook. The film contains footage, declassified documents, and excerpts from presidential doctrines to show that the US government has long believed that control over the world’s dwindling supply of oil is worth sacrificing countless American lives and dollars while supporting some of the world’s most repressive, anti-democratic regimes.

The idea that the US goes to war for oil is not a liberal conspiracy theory — it’s America’s officially-stated foreign policy. In most cases, America’s foreign policy and energy policy are virtually indistinguishable. The problem is that Americans overwhelmingly do not view oil as a suitable reason to go to war, which is why “freedom”, “new Hitler”, and “WMDs” becomes the justification while we give billions of dollars a year to a country that forbids women to drive.

Naomi Klein vs Fox Business News

2008-07-23T23:59:33Z

The Shock Docrtine author Naomi Klein debunks Bush's offshore drilling plan on Fox Business News' Happy Hour Program.

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6º Gemini

2008-07-18T11:20:10Z

6º GEMINI is an experimental short film about the insatiable drive for the power, wealth and domination of oil. The films' title comes from the Sabian Symbol system, which is a set of 360 images, one for each degree of the celestial circle. The Sabian symbol for 6º GEMINI, an image of grimy workmen drilling for oil, represents the avidity of knowledge, ensuring wealth and power at any cost, even that of human sacrifice.

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Riz Khan - Population Explosion - 17 July 08 - Part 2

2008-07-24T06:46:46Z

With so many people increasingly competing for the same resources is population growth the biggest threat to our planet rather than war?

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Riz Khan - Population Explosion - 17 July 08 - Part 1

2008-07-24T14:52:25Z

With so many people increasingly competing for the same resources is population growth the biggest threat to our planet rather than war?

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Stop Oil Speculation Now

2008-07-22T21:11:51Z

Guess what? Gas is expensive. Expensive gas impacts almost everything in Americans’ day-to-day lives by making almost everything we do or consume more costly. One of the large contributors to the high cost of fuel is speculation, which in simple terms means to buy something you have no purpose for other than to make money off of its unstable price.

Well, the argument against excessive speculation, especially on commodities like oil, has brought together groups of citizens, organizations, and companies that oftentimes are at odds with one another. The Stop Oil Speculation Now effort has caused many to join in a call for smarter, more responsible government regulation and an end to one of the major drivers if high gas prices.

Thou Shalt Not Steal

2008-07-17T22:02:29Z

If you do it the government will be after you?

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Larry Craig: Don't Jerk Us Around by the Gas Nozzle

2008-07-25T18:45:23Z

Yes, you heard that right! In speaking about energy independence on the Senate floor, Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) said that America needs to start producing oil once again so that foreign countries won't "jerk us around by the gas nozzle."

Now, I'm no expert on energy independence, but I would think that Bush, McCain, and the rest of the Republicans pushing for offshore drilling wouldn't want Craig and his scandalous past to come anywhere near a campaign with soundbytes like this that could be misconstrued as innuendo. But that's just me.

What's also funny about this clip is that Craig somehow thinks that offshore drilling will suddenly fix our economy and national security, as well as allay the xenephobic fears that he and his cronies have been implanting for years. Oil, the magical cure-all. Gas nozzle!

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