War On Reality Part 82 ; 5 Years Of This & How Things Can Be Different

The fifth anniversary of the US led invasion and occupation of Iraq has thrown up a lot of numbers. The deaths, military and civilian, money wasted, attacks, the list is pretty endless. But there is one thing, above everything that we have learned and it's illustrated on the cover of today's Independent, shown above.

The one lesson we never learn is that of history. Human's have very short memories. From the constant meddling by other people and other countries in the Middle East since the dawn of time to the ignorance of federal officials of the mathematical vulnerability of a below sea-level city to the affects of a hurricane's winds and flood waters.

But instead we bury our heads in the sand and claim ignorance, when the lessons of history surround us, like the elephant in the room. This happened the last five years and still we are there, fighting for what exactly?

According to today's news from London, it's against a shadowy collection of loosely affiliated groups that are all around us and all out to get us.

But, look deeper, with more attention to detail and you'll find that things are not like that, the threat has been exaggerated. Using that report as an example, the UK of the 1970s was a far more dangerous place to exist than today's version. In 1972, 470 people were killed by terrorists (the legacy, mostly of the IRA) and in 2007, that number was three (the last fragments of violence in Northern Ireland).

The politics of fear has been almost fine-tuned these past seven years. We've seen the fake terror threats. We've seen the linking of any criminal activity to al-Qaeda. Yes, that includes those people at work who offer you pirate copies of DVDs, they're on a hotline to Osama Bin Laden and are planning the next big attack. We've seen the hyping of non-existent or paper thin intelligence on the next country to attack.



Then to top all that, President Bush, today, on this most sobering of dates, claims victory in Iraq. His Vice President goes one better and responds to a question about two thirds of the US public being against the war, Cheney responded with "so?".

But, things don't have to be like this and recent movements since the start of the year indicate they won't be soon. The interest by Americans and others around the World in the nominees for President has never been seen before in recent times. Every speech, every primary, every stand on an issue is devoured and analysed by media, but equally by the public.

To take things back from the brink of another seven years of what we've just been through, get involved, become an active citizen, get informed and keep informed on what elected officials are doing, even if it's only locally in your town or city. Become a member of a party, attend rallies, investigate those you are considering voting for.

Tell The Truthiness ; We have lived as if in a trance, we have lived as people in fear. That nightmare, that has become daily life for too many of us, is coming to an end. We are waking up from it and it's up to us, not only to move onto a new era of citizen, grassroots led governance, but to promise we shall not let future generations repeat our mistakes.

Road To Tehran 9 ; Bush Says 'No No No' I'm Right

President Bush has bragged (apparently to reassure) the Israeli Prime Minister that he doesn't actually take any notice of the intelligence community's evidence that Iran has no current nuclear weapons programme.

Indeed, we'll repeat it again, the last time they had a programme was back in 2003, nearly five years ago. The National Intelligence Estimate however has been brushed off in public and totally dismissed as fiction in private by Mr Bush.

Is this an attempt to ratchet up the 'big bad wolf' image of Iran that Bush is desperate to maintain. Or, are these comments the final steps toward a full out invasion before the President's term expires?

Tell The Truthiness ; Someone please stop him. Anyone.

Road To Tehran 8 ; Hormuz Boat Incident A Fake

The Pentagon has backtracked on the exact details of Sunday morning's boat incident between the US and Iran.

Iran was the first to produce evidence that discounts the US claims. Authorities showed footage they said didn't show any of their boats approaching US vessels. Then, the US Navy admitted the voice on the US released tape may not have been Iranian in origin.

Plus, Pentagon officials are also saying the threatening voice on the videotape was recorded separately and added to the tape later.

Tell The Truthiness ; A poorly executed 'false-flag' operation, carried out by an inept government. Expect the actual plan for this to be published tomorrow, written badly on the back of a cheap bar napkin. Just three-hundred and seventy-five days of this administration to go.

Road To Tehran 7 ; Meanwhile, A Well-Timed Confrontation For The Bush Administration

On the eve of President Bush's (do you remember him?) visit to the Middle East, a convenient 'confrontation' that seems eerily familiar to the UK sailor hostage situation is being reported.

Looking for anything that could be used as pretext for a strike on Iran, the story of a confrontation between boats US Navy and Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats, is just what the administration has needed. The suggestions that the administration is not beyond a 'Gulf Of Tonkin' style incident is grounded in truth, with the January 2003 story about shooting down a drone aircraft over Iraq, painted in UN colours, as grounds for invading Iraq, discussed between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair.

Tell The Truthiness ; Remember, Iran does NOT have an active nuclear weapons programme. They shut it down in 2003. So no matter how much they might scratch the varnish on the US Navy's rowing boats, it's not a reason at all for Iraq : 2 - The Bad Sequel. Are you listening George?

War On Reality Part 80 ; CIA Takes Out A Trash Bombshell

A snugly dropped bombshell into the public domain on this weekend, just before Christmas, the CIA has taken out the trash.

Back when the 9/11 commission were requesting information to compile their very watery report in 2003, repeated requests were made to the CIA on interrogation of al-Qaeda suspects.

This footage is the same footage that was later revealed to exist, but was then reported to have been erased. So for about the eight-hundredth time in the last four years, public confidence in the CIA is shattered and the flawed commission report has another swiss cheese-like hole shot through it's authority which is big enough to fly a plane through.

Tell The Truthiness ; Once again, the real news is 'dumped' at a time of year when it will get the least coverage and analysis by the papers and networks. Take out the trash, sounds like something out of The West Wing, oh, it is, click here.

Bush On Iran No Nukes ; How Long Might He Have Been Lying For?

We know a bit more know on the process of the release of info on the 'Iran stopped it's nuclear programme'. George Bush was told there was new information on Iran's nuclear programme several months ago.

However, it's then said that he didn't know what the information was. Plus it's not been confirmed whether the Director Of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell told the President that all previous intelligence could be considered invalid.

Tell The Truthiness ; So, did the President know? If he did, how long ago did he know? If the intelligence was faulty, was Mr Bush told this, or did he choose to continue ratcheting up the non-story on Iran in absence of any valid information? Mr Bush, you couldn't stop talking on Monday, want to talk out the answers to these questions? We're ready to listen.

Has Morgan Spurlock Found Bin Laden?

In an intriguing and bizzare story, Osama Bin Laden may have been found.

Found by a documentary film maker, the man behind 'Super Size Me', Morgan Spurlock. His new film, 'Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?' , Spurlock went to try and seek the big man and it's rumoured, he's found him.

The film is to be shown at the Sundance Festival in January, we'll find out then.

Tell The Truthiness ; You just never know, could he really?

War On Reality Part 79 ; Bush Tries For 'Iraq 2' With Iran

President Bush went on TV this morning and decided to say that nothing has changed and that instead Iran is still a threat.

Despite the National Intelligence Estimate, parts of which were made public yesterday indicates that Iran shut down, of it's own accord, it's nuclear weapons programme.

So spin has taken over and the President has done his own revisionism of current events and has ignored yesterday's report.

Tell The Truthiness ; Have they been telling us the truth, or has the President and administration been determined to go into Iran as long as they've had the same wish about Iraq? So is the President lying, again?

War On Reality Part 79 ; Fox Denies Anti-Bush Advert Airtime

A pro-constitution advert has been denied airtime by Fox News. The advert is critical of George Bush's interpretation of the law post-9/11, especially regarding torture and rendition.

Tell The Truthiness ; Since we are not Fox News and we believe in freedom of speech, we here, post that advert.

War On Reality Part 74 ; Dems On The Brink With Iraq Withdrawal Bill

Democrats in the US House of Representatives are rounding up votes tonight for a war spending bill which stipulates for troop withdrawals from Iraq.

A reduction in troop numbers would have to start within thirty days of it's passage.

The symbolism is important if nothing else in the bill, since the White House has said the President will veto the bill if it gets passed.

Tell The Truthiness ; Democrats and those Republicans that have seen the light, symbolic actions are fine, but we need to see some real, physical ones to get actual change.

War On Reality Part 73 ; Former Soldiers & Their Former Rights

This report is last years UK ceremony of remembrance in London.

The parallels between what happens on the 11th of November in the US and other countries to honor the fallen war dead is telling, especially this year in 2007.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and continental Europe the day is called Remembrance Day. People wear red poppies, a symbol of a fallen solider. The red flowers were the first things to grow on the muddy trenches in northern France after the end of the First World War. People stand for two minutes, at 11:00 in silence. In streets, offices, airports, stations, shops, squares, parks and government buildings. A chance to stop and think.

It is done in silence, with no speeches, no 'celebration', just diginifed, sombre reflection for the dead of past conflicts and those of the present day.

Those in charge of the Veteran's Day events in Long Beach California prevented those veterans taking part who are against the Iraq War because they didn't have the right "spirit".

Tell The Truthiness ; Anyone who's gone off to fight on our behalf and has been lucky enough to come back alive has earned the right to say whatever they like. Regardless of what they say, whenever they wish to say it, censoring them contradicts the very reason they go off to fight.

War On Reality Part 72 ; Veterans Good For War Mongering, Little Else

George Bush was recently playing video games with veterans, which gave his image a bit of a shake, just before Veterans Day, but away from the photo-ops, things are quite different.

He also said during his radio address that he will never forget what is owed to them.

The man is either deceptive or has a short memory. Because today he vetoed a Labor, Health and Education bill which would have included money for veterans support. More shocking are the results of a survey which shows that one in four of the number of people homeless are veterans.

Tell The Truthiness ; We'd forgive you for not playing video games with wounded troops in the future, as long as you give them the money they need when they come back home.

War On Reality Part 71 ; Waterboarding Whitewash

How many more people, of any rank in US government, are there left to be made to tow the line and prop up the President? Recent events indicate not that many.

Daniel Levin, the acting assistant attorney general in 2004, asked to experience the method of torture and reported that "torture is abhorent" in a memo, which was later leaked. He was later pushed out of his job by Alberto Gonzales. Now, Malcolm Nance, a former Navy interrogation instructor has told a house committee that waterboarding is torture.

Tell The Truthiness ; "Physical pain and sheer panic" described the marine in the reconstruction shown in the video of how waterboarding felt. Enhanced interrogation techniques equals torture, plain and simple.

War On Reality Part 70 ; Blair's 'Pathetic' Iraq Backdoor

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was given a last-minute 'get out' on the eve of the Iraq invasion, but didn't take it.

George Bush was concerned about the effect the military action would have on his "closest ally" and the UK government. The President was given advice by the United States London embassy that the war vote prior to the invasion could bring down Mr Blair's government.

The reason Mr Blair didn't take the offer from the President? He thought it would look "pathetic".

Tell The Truthiness ; Since 2003 there's been 1,220,580 war casualties in Iraq. What looks more "pathetic" now Mr Blair?

Special Comment Video Here

In two parts.



The second.

Road To Tehran 5 ; Threatening Threats Are Threatening

The US moved to the next stage of painting Iran as the next big bad enemy by imposing sanctions.

Aimed at three banks and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps to "confront the threatening behaviour of the Iranians". This is despite the lack of any new evidence the country poses a threat to it's neighbours and US interests.

Tell The Truthiness ; President Putin's comment on the sanctions "mad people wielding razor blades" seemed very apt for the action of the US administration at the moment.

Next step to war ? A third UN resolution to be tabled for November.

Road To Tehran 4 ; It's World War Three

In today's Presidential News Conference, Mr Bush said a number of real zingers.

He said that dealing with Iran was important to prevent "World War Three."

Tell The Truthiness ; That's nice and reassuring then for a country which you have yet to prove poses a threat to the United States. You're not trying to talk up a war are you Sir?

9/11 Truth Part 1 ; NIST Says Collapse Of Twin Towers Unexplainable

The National Institute for Standards and Technology has been made to admit that the collapse of the twin towers cannot, after a lengthy study, be explained.

A 10,000 page report has revealed also that the temperature of the steel would only have reached, at the most 500 degrees, nowhere near the 1000 degrees needed to weaken and further still from the 1,500 degrees needed to melt it.

So the ability of the towers to collapse at freefall speed is not possible because of the fire. The only other option that has yet to be fully investigated is a controlled demolition using explosives.

The NIST has no word on World Trade Center Building 7, which collapsed at 5.20pm, at freefall speed also, which had minor fire damage and was hit by far less debris from the falling towers than other buildings which remain standing to this day. The NIST promised to look at controlled demolition for Building 7 in August 2006, but has yet to report. When it does, we will let you know the results.

Tell The Truthiness ; We need a new, broad investigation. And we needed it six years ago.

Al -Qaeda In Space!!! Giuliani Takes 9/11 To A Galaxy Far Far Away

Rudy Giuliani said he plans to keep us safe from alien attack.

Tell The Truthiness ; It's true! Really!!! Click here and read!!!

PS We'll post the video of him being asked the question about alien protection as soon as it's beamed down.

Is There Anything He Doesn't Say?

You might think he just keeps talking in the hope that someone listens, but this time he really has wadded into the debate on torture, in a big way.

We don't a video of this, but here's the Daily Show's take on the word game the government is playing.



Former President Jimmy Carter has said (ok, he is promoting his book, so we take that he's in the news at all, for any reason, as a given) he is convinced the US is involved in torture that breaks international law and said President Bush has created his administration's own definitions of torture and human rights to allow them to get away with it.

When questioned on CNN Mr Carter said he doesn't "think" he "knows" Bush's government tortures.

The White House continued to hold the line that "we do not torture".

Tell The Truthiness ; Keep saying it and eventually Bush will deny it was ever said, remember like "stay the course"?