The Secret to Why We Have Not Been Attacked

(Compiler's note: This author "gets it" -- a must read article. rca.)

By: Ronald Kessler

The biggest secret in American political life is why we have not had another terrorist attack since 9/11.

The media and liberal politicians will tell you it’s an accident or a matter of luck. They are wrong.

Terrorists haven’t attacked during the past seven years because of the work of the FBI, the CIA, and our military, as well as the sweeping changes President Bush instigated in the intelligence community.

When Bush proclaimed that any country harboring a terrorist would be considered a terrorist country, Arab countries began cooperating in the war on terror, turning over thousands of terrorists and leads.

He also made the FBI become more prevention-oriented. Although the bureau’s mission always included stopping terrorist plots, and it often did so, it usually closed the case when it got the bad guys, as it did in the first World Trade Center bombing. Now every case becomes the basis to develop new sources, and these informants may be run out for years to infiltrate terrorist groups.

As FBI official Art Cummings told me for my book “The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack,” “Pre-9/11, the first consideration was, I got an indictment in my pocket. ... Slap it down on the table, pick the guy up, you throw him on an airplane. You bring him home, you put him in jail, and you go, ‘Okay, I’ve done a great job today.’”

[Editor's Note: Get “The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack” — Go Here Now].

If that were to happen today, “I would have told my agents they basically just put Americans more in jeopardy rather than less in jeopardy. It’s a completely different approach and bears little resemblance to the previous one,” says Cummings, who heads the FBI’s international counterterrorism operations.

Now, Cummings tells agents, “Your objective is not to make the arrest. Your objective is to make that suspect our collection platform. That guy now is going to tell us just how big and broad the threat might be. He now becomes a means to collection, instead of the target of collection. I want you to understand his entire universe.”

The media will tell you that the FBI and CIA still don’t talk to each other. But in 2005, Bush established the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va., where 200 analysts from the CIA and FBI sit side by side analyzing threats 24 hours a day. Secure video conferences three times a day include representatives from all parts of the intelligence community and the White House analyzing threats and parceling out leads.

Bush’s Patriot Act tore down the so-called wall that Attorney General Janet Reno imposed, a wall that prevented FBI agents from sharing information with each other and with the CIA. The act, although maligned in the media, allowed the FBI to wiretap terrorists, regardless of what phones they happen to use, as the FBI could in organized crime cases.

The National Security Agency (NSA) intercepts that Bush ordered also opened a window for the FBI on terrorist activity within the U.S.

Since 9/11, the FBI, the CIA, and the military have rolled up about 5,000 terrorists worldwide. Every few months, the FBI announces new arrests of terrorists. Thus, many plots are never hatched because terrorists have been killed, arrested, or sent back to their own countries and imprisoned.

Instead of hailing the efforts to connect the dots, the media demonize those who are trying to protect us, portraying the tools that uncover clues to plots as “spying on innocent Americans.” When a plot is quashed, the media minimize it.

In June 2007, when the FBI foiled a plot to blow up John F. Kennedy International Airport, The New York Times buried the story. In the dream world of the Times editors, such threats to America are less important than the fact that 75-year-old Andrea Mosconi’s job is to play violins in a museum in Italy to keep them in shape, a feature the Times played on page one the same day.

The media have even managed to portray Saddam Hussein as benign. But as revealed in “The Terrorist Watch,” during seven months of secret debriefings, Hussein admitted to FBI agent George Piro that he had planned to resume his weapons of mass destruction program, including developing nuclear weapons, within a year.

Many in the media could not bear to hear that Bush might have done something right in removing Hussein. Few newspapers reported the story.

When the media and politicians run out of ways to deny Bush credit for making us safer, they will claim that al-Qaida has chosen to space out its attacks. But al-Qaida’s attempt to blow up nine American airliners crossing the Atlantic in 2006 and the alleged role of an al-Qaida affiliate in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto are reminders that al-Qaida is constantly on the attack.

While the media underplay the threats, distort descriptions of the measures needed to uncover the next plot, and mischaracterize the progress in the war on terror, they also undermine it by revealing secrets of how the FBI and CIA are trying to stop the next attack.

Without a reliable way to get information about this secret war, Americans are at the mercy of the media’s slanted portrayal. Yet, we face a critical choice in the 2008 presidential election: Given that al-Qaida is intent on wiping out the U.S. with nuclear weapons, as FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III has told me, do we continue on the offense, dealing with threats before they materialize, or do we return to the pre-9/11 approach?

Back then, because of politically correct rules the Clinton administration imposed, FBI agents were not allowed to follow suspects into mosques that are open to the public. CIA officers had to get special permission to recruit sources with so-called human rights violations. FBI agents could not look at public online chat rooms to develop leads on people who might be recruiting terrorists or distributing information on making explosives, even though any 12-year-old could go on them.

Sen. Barack Obama has made it clear that, if he were elected president, he would roll back the clock and take away tools necessary not only to connect the dots but also to find them in the first place. In fact, he twice voted against — and eventually voted for — revising the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to allow the NSA to continue to monitor foreign terrorists’ calls without a warrant, even if all parties are foreigners situated overseas.

Like a Rip Van Winkle who is unaware of recent history, Obama has cited the government’s prosecution of those responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as the correct way to deal with terrorism.

Apparently, Obama missed learning that the 9/11 hijackers wanted to be martyrs and were prepared to be jailed or killed. No threat of prosecution would have deterred them.

When the Rev. Rick Warren asked Obama whether evil exists, he said it does and named three examples, none of them the biggest threat to our safety.

In contrast, Sen. John McCain cited al-Qaida as evil, declaring, “And we must totally defeat it.”

In this election, the choice is clear: Do we continue to protect ourselves, our families, and our country with an aggressive approach? Or, blinded by media distortions, do we leave ourselves wide open to more attacks as Obama weakens our national security?

U.S. had permission for Pakistan attack

The United States, despite public outrage in Pakistan over recent military attacks into its tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, may have had permission from officials there for their work targeting terrorists, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Well-placed Pakistani sources are reporting the U.S. quietly worked out a deal with Pakistan to allow U.S. special operations troops to attack terrorist sanctuaries inside the country.

The sources said the tacit agreement was reached when Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani and Rehman Malik, Gilani's internal security adviser, were briefed on a change in U.S. engagement rules during an official visit to Washington, D.C., in late July. ....

Survey: Nation Not Prepared For ‘Dirty Bomb’ Terrorist Attack

The Radiological Threat Awareness Coalition (R-TAC) recently released a national survey on homeland security preparedness, showing that at least 81 percent of those polled said the threat of a "dirty bomb" is serious, yet less than one third (32 percent) feel prepared for a terrorist attack.

The national survey of public sentiment finds that a majority of likely voters would not know what to do in the event of a "dirty bomb" attack, and have not taken steps to make themselves more prepared.

"Seven years after 9/11 proved that America was vulnerable, the American people know the danger of a dirty bomb, but they don't know what to do about it," said R-TAC chairman James P. Pinkerton. "The sense of urgency that sparked R-TAC will help deploy much-needed support to federal, state, and local responders to address the threat of a dirty bomb. This is the best way to honor their efforts and protect America."

Among the findings:

• 81 percent said they consider the threat posed to the United States by the possibility of a "dirty bomb" attack by terrorists to be serious.
• A majority (56 percent) said they were not confident they would know what to do in the event of a "dirty bomb" attack.
• 63 percent said they do not feel prepared in the event of a terrorist attack on their community.
• Only 34 percent of voters agreed the government was doing a good job informing people about preparedness for a terrorist attack.

The nationwide survey of 502 likely voters was conducted August 25-28.

Congress Should Establish EMP Recognition Day

by Jena Baker McNeill and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.

The threat of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack against the United States is credible. Such a strike could have a devastating impact on the nation by disabling electrical systems, grinding the economy to a halt, and possibly resulting in the deaths of millions. Yet other than establishing a commission to study the problem and holding a handful of hearings, Congress has done virtually nothing to address the issue. Such inaction could change virtually overnight, however, if Congress held even one EMP Recognition Day.

The Darkest Hour

An EMP attack is produced by detonating a nuclear weapon launched by a ballistic missile. Such a detonation—occurring high above the earth—produces a massive pulse of ionized particles that could damage many electrical and information systems. An attack would disrupt telecommunications, banking and finance, fuel and energy, food and water supplies, emergency and government services, and more, threatening millions of lives.

If, just for one day, Congress simulated even a fraction of the impact such an attack would have, the scope of the danger would be clear. Here is a short list of what could happen on EMP Recognition Day on the Hill. Congress could:

1. Close all cafeterias. After an attack transportation networks would grind to a halt and no food would be delivered.
   
   
2. Walk to work. Traffic lights would no longer function, so all roads would be gridlocked. The computer systems operating mass transit would be inoperative.
   
   
3. Turn off members' Blackberries. Satellites in low-earth and many of the communication support systems will be disabled. Devices such as Blackberries and GPS would not work.
   
   
4. Shut off the lights. Critical computers that direct the national electrical grid would be inoperative.

Congress should take just these four steps for one day—and then all the members would understand the magnitude of the dangers posed by an EMP attack.

A Day to Remember

In a speech on March 23, 1983, Ronald Reagan detailed his plans for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). SDI was aimed at ensuring America's safety against a nuclear missile attack by implementing land and space-based defense systems. Reagan's vision was never completely realized, but the missile threats against the United States have never dissipated, and the need for such a system grows more pressing. A little over 20 years later, a congressionally chartered commission led by Dr. William Graham released a report that detailed an unappreciated dimension of the missile problem: an EMP attack. Thus, March 23 would be an excellent candidate for Congress's EMP Recognition Day.

A Call to Action

EMP Recognition Day would be about more than putting Congress in the dark. It could promote several tasks the Congress could take now, including:

1. Fund comprehensive missile defense. Building a comprehensive missile defense system will allow our nation to intercept and destroy a missile bound for the United States regardless of the launch point or whether the attack is aimed at destroying a city or engaging in an EMP attack on the nation.
   
   
2. Demand the Administration develop a National Recovery Plan. In order to minimize lives lost and property destroyed, the United States needs a plan that will address its ability to recover quickly after an attack. The EMP Commission emphasized that our nation must first improve the infrastructure on which all other sectors are dependent, specifically citing electric power and telecommunications. This risk-based approach recognizes that certain infrastructure is key to post-EMP attack recovery. EMP should also be added to the list of 15 disaster scenarios.
   
   
3. Require more research on the EMP threat. More research is needed in order to ensure that the United States fully understands the scope of the danger and cost-effective countermeasures.

Need for Congressional Action

Before Congress ends its session this year, its members should agree to make March 23 EMP Recognition Day. Even if Congress does not stop feeding its staff, turn off the lights, or hitchhike to work, simply recognizing the EMP threat would go a long way toward better preparing America for this grave threat.

Jena Baker McNeill is Policy Analyst for Homeland Security in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is Assistant Director of the Davis Institute and Senior Research Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security in the Allison Center at The Heritage Foundation.

Cybersecurity is crucial to protecting nation's water supply, official says

By Gautham Nagesh

The greater use of computer systems to monitor and control the U.S. water supply has increased the importance of cybersecurity to protect the country's utilities, a top official for a large water company said on Monday.

"There are new vulnerabilities and threats every day of the week," said Bruce Larson, security director for American Water, one of the country's largest water service companies. "The technology has advanced, along with the threat's access. A keyboard in Afghanistan can talk to computers in the U.S. We need to take a look at this."

Larson discussed the issue during an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of National Preparedness Month.

The industrial control systems water and other utility companies use run on common technology platforms such as Microsoft Windows, which leaves them vulnerable to attacks from hackers or enemy states seeking to disrupt the country's water supply. In addition, a major natural disaster such as a hurricane could shut down servers, forcing a disruption in the supply of water and wastewater services.

"We're taking the full-spectrum, all-hazards approach," said Larson. "We need to bake security into the next generation of control systems.

Most of the nation's water supply infrastructure is privately owned so the Homeland Security Department must work with industry as well as state and local agencies to help protect critical infrastructure. To that end, the American Water Works Association released a roadmap earlier this year detailing its plans to secure all water control systems. Part of the difficulty is water companies vary greatly in terms of size and mission; while many have fully staffed IT departments, others rely on only a handful of people or are without a dedicated tech specialist.

Larson said ensuring continuity of control systems was crucial to protecting the nation's water supply. He suggested that agencies and companies have backup servers, computers and parallel IT infrastructures in place in the event of an attack or natural disaster to prevent disruption of service. For guidance, Larson said the water sector was turning to other public utility industries, which have been working on similar issues for years.

"The threats and risks are common with other sectors, so we gain a little commonality," he said. He mentioned the oil, gas and electrical industries along with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as examples of groups grappling with similar challenges. "They're doing the same stuff, it's very similar; we just have to personalize it to our sector," Larson said.

OBAMA TRIED TO STALL GIS' IRAQ WITHDRAWAL

(Compiler's note: Clearly a jail term for Obama would be in order here along side "Hanoi Jane" Fonda.)

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

"However, as an Iraqi, I prefer to have a security agreement that regulates the activities of foreign troops, rather than keeping the matter open." Zebari says.

Though Obama claims the US presence is "illegal," he suddenly remembered that Americans troops were in Iraq within the legal framework of a UN mandate. His advice was that, rather than reach an accord with the "weakened Bush administration," Iraq should seek an extension of the UN mandate.

While in Iraq, Obama also tried to persuade the US commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus, to suggest a "realistic withdrawal date." They declined. ....

Wilbur Ross: Possibly a Thousand Banks Will Close

In an exclusive interview with CNBC.com, Wilbur Ross, chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co., says he sees possibly as many as a thousand bank closures in the coming months. And this will create opportunities for investors.

"I do think a lot of the regional ones will (close), just as they did in the last savings and loan crisis in the 1990s," Ross said. (Watch the full CNBC.com exclusive interview with Wilbur Ross on the left)

Ross says he will be looking to pick up smaller distressed institutions. "There will be opportunities, but we will need federal assistance in them, because what we're mainly looking for is stable sources of deposits, not so much the loan portfolio."

Ross feels that there will be too many people willing to provide capital to the large financials, which makes them less of a bargain than smaller banks.

Let them eat yellowcake

Iran 'loses' significant quantities of enriched uranium, U.S. spies trouble

Experts responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear program have discovered enough enriched uranium to make six atom bombs is missing from the country's main production facility at Isfahan, according to the Telegraph in London.

U.S. spy satellites have identified a number of "suspicious sites" Iranians have not declared to nuclear inspectors. Intelligence officials believe the sites are being used for covert nuclear research.

Meanwhile, reports coming from Israel continue to suggest it may be preparing for a military strike on Iran. ....

Petraeus: more than troops needed in Afghanistan

BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. Gen. David Petraeus said Sunday that experience in Iraq shows it will take political and economic progress as well as military action to tackle increased violence in Afghanistan.

"You don't kill or capture your way out of an industrial strength insurgency," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

His comments come as a debate over the need to redeploy troops from Iraq to Afghanistan has become a central issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. .... "Political, economic and diplomatic activity is critical to capitalize on gains in the security arena," he said.

Sharia courts operating in Britain

Sharia courts have been operating in Britain to rule on disputes between Muslims for more than a year, it has emerged.

Five sharia courts have been set up in London, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester and Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The government has quietly sanctioned that their rulings are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through the county courts or High Court. Previously, the rulings were not binding and depended on voluntary compliance among Muslims.

Lawyers have issued grave warnings about the dangers of a dual legal system and the disclosure drew criticism from Opposition leaders. ....

Meet Obama's new Bill Ayers associate

By Aaron Klein

Mike Klonsky

JERUSALEM – The official campaign website of Sen. Barack Obama has completely scrubbed a series of user-generated blog postings on the candidate's site by a former top communist activist who is an associate of former Weathermen terrorist leader William Ayers.

The move has raised questions regarding Obama's relationship with the deleted blogger, Mike Klonsky, who runs an education organization that was founded by Ayers and that received a substantial grant from a group directed by Obama.

Obama's official site allows registered users to form groups and post content in online "community" blogs. The site boasts tens of thousands of such community blogs. Obama's spokesmen previously have stated the campaign does not monitor all content posted on the blogs, but it promptly removes any content brought to its attention that is deemed inappropriate or hateful.

Klonsky posted several blog pieces on Obama's site on education policy that did not contain what can be described as hateful material, but his postings were entirely deleted in June after several independent bloggers noted Klonsky's connections to Obama and Ayers.

Klonsky is director of the Small Schools Workshop, an outreach program founded in 1991 by Ayers with the stated goal of providing support for teachers who want to create smaller learning environments. Ayers reportedly recruited Klonsky to head the Workshop.

The Small School Workshop was originally associated with the University of Illinois in Chicago, where Klonsky previously taught in the education department alongside Ayers. The group was headquartered for a time inside the university's department of education building.

In 1995, with Obama as its chairman, the newly formed Chicago Annenberg Challenge, or CAC, a school reform organization, gave the Workshop a grant of $175,000. The CAC provided another $482,662 to the Workshop over the next few years.

Ayers was one of the original grantees of the CAC and was co-chairman of the Chicago School Reform Collaborative, one of the two operational arms of the CAC. ....

Google search finds seafaring solution

Graphic: how Google's databarges will work

Google may take its battle for global domination to the high seas with the launch of its own “computer navy”.

The company is considering deploying the supercomputers necessary to operate its internet search engines on barges anchored up to seven miles (11km) offshore.

The “water-based data centres” would use wave energy to power and cool their computers, reducing Google’s costs. Their offshore status would also mean the company would no longer have to pay property taxes on its data centres, which are sited across the world, including in Britain. ....

Saudi cleric wants death for TV "sorcerers"

RIYADH, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A senior Saudi cleric has said purveyors of horoscopes on Arab television should face the death penalty, a paper said on Sunday, days after another cleric argued death for TV owners. "Sorcerers who appear on satellite channels who are proven to be sorcerers have committed a great crime ... and the Muslim consensus is that the apostate's punishment is death by the sword," Sheikh Saleh al-Fozan told al-Madina daily. "Those who call in to these shows should not be accorded Muslim rites when they die," the prominent cleric added. Many of the hundreds of Arab satellite channels have sprung up in recent years specialise in horoscopes and other advice to callers on solving problems that is seen as "sorcery". In their capacity as judges, clerics of Saudi Arabia's austere form of Islam often sentence "sorcerers" to death. ....

Finalists Reach for $1 Million Pentagon Power Prize

By Noah Shachtman

169 teams originally signed up for the Pentagon's million-dollar, wearable power competition. Now, the field has been winnowed to just 48 teams. They'll square off on October 4th, to claim the seven-figure prize.

Soldiers today are lugging around more and more electronics. And that means an increasingly-heavy load of batteries. The Defense Department figures the typical grunt could be carrying around 20 pounds' worth of power on a 96-hour mission. So they started a contest last year, to see who could trim that burden the best. $1 million goes to the folks who can come up with "a wearable system that provides 20 watts (avg.) of electrical power for 96 hours, weighs less than 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds), attaches to a standard military vest, and operates autonomously," the Defense Department notes.

The finals of the competition, in Twentynine Palms, California, features giant defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, as well as hobbyists, working on their off-hours. (Ares has profiles of many entrants.) The finals start with a "92-hour bench load test that has demands comparable to the military’s current and future power requirements," GCN notes. "Systems that last... take part in a final four-hour 'wear-off.'"

Rush on Lehman Brothers:

FROM TODAY'S SHOW -- "When the federal government is involved in regulation and bailouts, it eliminates the notion of risk. It's risk that causes responsibility. Today, Senator McCain said we need more regulation. No, Senator, with all due respect, we need accountability for a change."

Our current financial crisis was caused by too much government regulation, not too little. Banks were forced to give mortgages to deadbeats who couldn't afford them, under the assumption that government would bail them out. This is not a free market anymore, and central planning does not work.

"Where is the special prosecutor? Why is it we know Ken Lay's name but not the names of all the people involved in this scandal? I'll tell you why. Because the names of people involved in this scandal are names like Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson and Henry Waxman."

I taught Sarah to shoot and butcher a moose ... Washington won't scare her

....essica Steele, the creator of Sarah’s much admired hairdo, lives here too. She said Alaska’s governor could easily mix politics, children and highlights.

Jessica, owner of the Beehive Beauty Shop in Wasilla, said: “We would talk about pedicures and manicures and moose and politics, all while Sarah was having foils in her hair and holding my baby on her lap. We worked on putting her hair up in a move to TONE DOWN her sexy image and make her seem taller.

“We would talk a lot about how if she looked too pretty or too sexy, people wouldn’t listen to her.”

Until Sarah was named as McCain’s running mate, her neighbours could walk right up to her front door.....

Surprise!... ACORN Busted- Faking Voter Registrations Again

The radical anti-capitalist group ACORN was busted again this week for turning in bogus voter registration applications- this time in Michigan.
Freep.com reported:

Several municipal clerks across the state are reporting fraudulent and duplicate voter registration applications, most of them from a nationwide community activist group working to help low- and moderate-income families.

The majority of the problem applications are coming from the group ACORN, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which has a large voter registration program among its many social service programs. ACORN's Michigan branch, based in Detroit, has enrolled 200,000 voters statewide in recent months, mostly with the use of paid, part-time employees.

"There appears to be a sizeable number of duplicate and fraudulent applications," said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State's Office. "And it appears to be widespread."

Chesney said her office has had discussions with ACORN officials after local clerks reported the questionable applications to the state. Chesney said some of the applications are duplicates and some appear to be names that have been made up. The Secretary of State's Office has turned over several of the applications to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Barack Obama's Ties to ACORN--
According to Stanley Kurtz from National Review Online, ACORN (The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is the key modern successor of the radical 1960’s “New Left,” with a “1960’s-bred agenda of anti-capitalism” and is closely linked to the Obama Campaign. Barack Obama has had an intimate and long-term association with ACORN. During the period of Obama’s service on the boards of two charitable foundations, the Woods Fund and the Joyce Foundation, he helped direct tens of millions of dollars in grants” to various liberal organizations, including Chicago Acorn. Obama also helped train leaders of this anti-capitalist organization in Chicago. According to Kurtz, "Obama’s ties to Acorn — arguably the most politically radical large-scale activist group in the country — are wide, deep, and longstanding."
Are you really surprised?

Atlas has more on this latest ACORN scandal.

Who’s Hoarding America’s Oil?

(Compiler's note: Must read. rca)

Opponents of domestic energy production constantly say that America “uses 25% of the world’s oil, but only has 3% of the world’s oil reserves.” This talking point is misleading, at best, and its trumpeters get away with it because the federal government has made it illegal to explore for and expand our reserves.

We will never increase our oil reserves if we can never look. A huge amount of acres are owned by the federal government off our shores and onshore, principally in the western states, but instead of addressing that problem and helping to bring down energy prices, politicians have been making up stories and trying to fool Americans with wild allegations. The truth is, over 96% of the lands that belong to the taxpayer haven’t even been leased by the government so that energy exploration might occur. Consumers are paying for this failure at the pump and in utility bills. Some are even paying for it with their jobs.

But instead of opening new areas to energy exploration and production, some in Congress have taken to diversionary tactics. Take, for example, the mysterious “68 million acres” myth. As the story goes, 68 million acres have been leased to energy companies by the government but are allegedly not producing oil or natural gas to help bring down energy prices. This is a legend that originated in a recent report entitled “The Truth About America’s Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits,” which was prepared by the staff of the Committee on Natural Resources in the U.S. House of Representatives with this caveat: “This report has not been officially adopted by the Committee on Natural Resources and may not therefore necessarily reflect the views of its Members.”

The unofficial staff report correctly states that the government has leased 47.5 million acres of onshore lands and 44 million acres of offshore (Outer Continental Shelf or “OCS” lands) to oil companies. That’s a total of 91.5 million acres under lease. Of that, however, only 13 million onshore acres and 10.5 million acres offshore are currently producing energy. That’s 23.5 million acres, currently producing a total of 1.6 million barrels of oil per day. By simple subtraction then, the staff is able to conclude that conclude 68 million acres under lease are not currently producing. All true. No arguments.

From here, however, the staff report jumps from simple arithmetic to quantum fibbing. Because companies are currently producing energy on just 25.6% of the government lands leased to them, the staff concludes that “Big Oil” must be “stockpiling” the plots to drive up energy prices and increase record profits. Then they “extrapolate” that another 4.8 million barrels of oil per day if the companies would just drill those leases. This argument has even made it into this year’s presidential campaign, and is repeated as talking points by those who oppose more American drilling.

So if this report says we can double American production and get that energy to consumers, why hasn’t the Committee endorsed the report? Or held hearings? Or asked for input from experts? Surely the analysis is good enough to withstand the scrutiny and focus of hearings. Right?

Wrong. You’ll have a hard time finding energy experts who can talk about the report without shaking their heads or rolling their eyes in disgust. Imagine being told that the “Big Solar” companies were “stockpiling” energy supplies by deliberately refusing to produce power at night. That’s absurd -- everyone knows that the sun doesn’t shine at night. Unfortunately, not everyone knows the ins and outs of energy development on federal lands, which is exactly what proponents of the “68 million acres” claim are counting on.

According to the U.S. Interior Department, which overseas energy production on federal lands, “The views contained in the report are based on a misunderstanding of the very lengthy regulatory process. The existence of a lease does not guarantee the discovery of, or any particular quantity of oil and gas.”

Translation: The lease is the first of many steps, and being able to look for oil doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to find it. In fact, according to the Department, “In shallow water, approximately one in three wells results in a discovery of a quantity of oil and/or natural gas sufficient to produce economically. In deeper water, one well in five is economical….For onshore leases, the well success rate is about 10 percent for new areas.”

So, if the chances of finding oil under leases in various categories of lands are 33%, 20% and 10%, it probably makes sense that they’re only producing oil on 25.6% of the leases they hold. In fact, that’s pretty good, and well within the historic range of lands producing versus lands leased. The problem is the government is leasing much less land than it did several decades ago. If oil explorers could look in more places for oil and gas, the chances are they would find more of it. With more supply, prices would come down.

Environmental lawsuits also add to delays and, in some cases, prevent production indefinitely. Appeals filed against federal energy leasing have increased a whopping 706% on since 2000, according to the Bureau of Land Management. Most of these appeals have been filed by the same anti-energy groups that are now perpetuating the “68 million acres” myth. If an area is open for leasing, they’ll sue to stop production. If the area is closed for exploration and production, they’ll sue to keep it that way.

If that doesn’t outrage consumers struggling to pay for gas, maybe the government’s contribution (or lack thereof) to our energy production will. Taxpayers own 1.76 billion acres of offshore and 700 million acres of onshore federal lands that could be leased for energy production. That’s 2.46 billion acres. Yet, despite $4 gasoline, record-high natural gas and home heating oil prices and rising rates for gas-fired utilities, government policies have led to only 91.5 million acres being leased for energy exploration and production. More than 2.3 billion acres are not even being looked at for energy. In total, that’s an amount of land larger than China or Brazil.

So while opponents domestic energy production clamor about “68 million acres” and point fingers at each other, ask yourself who’s doing more to help bring down energy prices -- companies that are producing oil and natural gas at record-high 25% success rate, or your government, which refuses to establish policies that contribute any more than 3.7 percent of your land to help lower prices.

The problem is simple: we need to start looking on this huge amount of lands currently off limits for the energy we need to run our country and put our people to work and generate new money right here at home. But most of the proposals fall far short. In a recent letter to Congress, the Institute for Energy Research detailed the problems with a bipartisan scheme called the New Energy Reform Act, or better known as the “Gang of 10” proposal. Their answer: reduce the amount of lands off limits in the OCS from 85% to about 78%....leaving about three-quarters of our lands still untouched. They then proceed to add new taxes and fees of all kinds to come up with $84 billion to spend on earmarks and pet projects and whatever the latest fad in energy proposals is. Nothing on ANWR. Nothing on oil shale. Nothing about the 10 billion barrels of oil right off the coast of California that their bill ignores. In the end, American consumers get little or no new energy supplies, but have to swallow a huge new set of taxes and mandates and limits on their liberties so politicians can say they are doing something about energy prices. It’s the same old Washington game, and the results will be the same….increased imports and prices for Americans. The best thing Congress could do at this point is nothing…if they pass nothing, the embargo of American supplies stops on October 1 and we can start drilling for energy once more in America. We have the energy supplies -- the government has to get out of the way and let them come to market.

---

Mr. Kish is senior vice president for policy at the Institute for Energy Research (IER). With more than 25 years of experience on Congressional committees, Kish�s primary focus is access to conventional and unconventional energy resources on federal government lands and in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf.

The Myth of Posse Comitatus

HERE ARE THE AMERICANS BEING SACRIFICED

We need your new faxes and phone calls to your two U.S. Senators immediately Monday morning and through the day.

202-224-3121

Just as we had seemed to push back attempts for massive increases in foreign workers by the U.S. House, we now learn the danger has risen to Orange Alert level in the Senate.

While voices are raised behind closed doors in the Senate to give away hundreds of thousands more jobs to another round of imported foreign workers, consider these stunning statistics:

In August, 592,000 additional Americans were added to the official unemployment rolls. Total number of Americans who are officially unemployed, looking for a job and can't find one? 8.28 million! Current official unemployment rate (highest in 5 years)? 6% Official unemployment rate considerably higher for Hispanic women: 8.7% Rate twice as high for Black American men: 12.3%! It has been hard enough to understand Sen. Menendez' callous attitude toward these unemployed Americans. But can you believe there are others on Capitol Hill who are this out-of-touch? Or this ruthless in efforts to appease special interest lobbyists? Our message to every Senate office has to be: 1. No increase in immigration and foreign workers of any kind. 2. Re-authorize E-Verify without any strings -- just like the House did a month ago. Friends, Congress will try to get out of town in just two weeks. There will be incredible pressures to pass all kinds of terrible immigration measures for this country. I beg you to watch for our Alerts, to read them and respond to them even if they come daily -- even several times a day. This next two weeks is a time of dire danger for the nation, and especially for the nation's unemployed, the nation's blue-collar and service workers and for the nation's information technology workers and nurses (as well as students seeking to enter those fields).

Who Speaks For Islam

(Compiler's note: must read. rca)

by Dinesh D'Souza

Who Speaks for Islam, written by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, is one of the most important books on the War on Terror. In the seven years since 9/11, we have been subjected to all kinds of ignorant pontification--much of it from the left, but some also from the right--on "why they hate us." This book, written by a leading scholar of Islam and the head of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, brings a wealth of real data to bear on this important subject.

....Esposito and Mogahed is to put a mountain of data behind these conclusions. Over six years their group has conducted tens of thousands of face-to-face surveys of Muslims in more than 35 countries making what they rightly call "the largest, most comprehensive study of contemporary Muslims ever done."

....What can we conclude from this book? First, that the values of the cultural left are an important source in alienating Muslims worldwide. Second, that Muslims don't reject modernity or the West: rather, they embrace what may be termed "1950s America" while rejecting the libertine values of the 1960s. Third, America can build alliances with traditional Muslims by showing them the face of traditional America, so that they see that Hollywood values aren't necessarily American values. Finally, left-wing groups like International Planned Parenthood and Amnesty International should stop pushing feminism, gay marriage and libertine values in the Muslim world.

....Pundits like Chalmers Johnson love to say that American intervention in Iraq and elsewhere has produced a "blowback" of terrorism from the House of Islam. Wrong! It is in Iraq that America is allowing an elected Muslim government to rule according to Muslim interests and Muslim values. Iraq is the only country in the Middle East where the Muslim population actually chose its own rulers. Iraq is not the problem. Rather, it is the values of the cultural left, and the cultural imperialism that seeks to impose those values on reluctant Muslims, that is the real source of Muslim rage, and the best recruiting tool of the radical Muslims.

Uncle Jay explains LIPSTICK

Former bin Laden bodyguard to establish "jihad think-tank" in Yemen

But he pledged not to use violence inside Yemen (Osama bin Laden's orders), and claims to have government backing.

Friend, Ally, and jihadist "bus station" Update. "Jihad think-tank to be established in Yemen," by Nasser Arrabyee for the Yemen Observer, September 13:

The former bodyguard of al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, said he is preparing to establish a think-tank on jihad in the Yemeni capital Sana’a where he lives under loose house arrest.

“We’ll study the history of jihad. We’ll look at how it started and how the concept can be applied now,” Nasser al Bahri, told Yemen Observer, in an interview in Sana’a.

The 33-year old al Bahri, who is also called Abu Jandal, joined al Qaeda in 1996 and spent four years in Afghanistan. The sincere and strong young man had orders to kill bin Laden, if his sheikh (boss) was on the brink of being captured.

A strapping young lad -- you needed to know that, didn't you? And all his friends probably think he's a decent guy.

Asked if the think tank would endorse violence in Yemen, he said, “No. It is the sheikh Osama bin Laden’s word that Yemen should not be a battleground.”

Abu Jandal, who is working as a trainer in a human development institute in Sana’a to support two wives and five children, is now looking to receive funds for his new venture, which he says has the backing of the Yemeni authorities. He is one of al Qaeda members who are in truce with the Yemeni government.

He is very critical of the splinter of al Qaeda cells who have been behind a wave of renewed terrorist attacks, which targeted western interests, government installations, and western tourists.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh says he is in a difficult position, juggling American demands for co-operation on counter-terrorism with the Yemeni public opinion, which is hostile to the US-led invasion of Iraq and the oppression of the Palestinians.

Note how casually that last bit was dropped in.

“Nothing will change after the American presidential elections. Barack Obama might make a difference in internal matters for American citizens, if he’s elected, but foreign policy will stay the same no matter who wins.”

Abu Jandal was arrested at the airport of Sana’a where he was in his way back to Afghanistan for suspicion of being involved in the suicide bombing of the American destroyer USS Cole in September 2000.

He was jailed in Sana’a for one year and ten months and he was questioned by the FBI officers.

He was released in 2002 along with other al Qaeda members after making a pledge with the government that he would not involve himself any armed activity inside Yemen.

The fit hits the shan on Wall Street

By Michelle Malkin

Welcome to another Black Monday.

Or rather, Red Monday — red for all the hemorrhaging taking place on Wall Street.

Lehman Brothers is filing for bankruptcy; Bank of America Corp. is buying Merrill Lynch & Co. For once, they didn’t get straight-out bailouts from Washington. But the Fed took several actions “to provide additional support to financial markets, including enhancements to its existing liquidity facilities.”

And there may be more on the way. U.S. automakers are pushing for $25 billion in government-backed low-interest loans. Naturally, the auto industry denies it is asking for a bailout, but taxpayers will be on the hook if the automakers fail to repay the loan. Insurance giant AIG also wants a government hand-up, if not a direct handout.

And now is the time where I get to say, “See, I told you so.” From March 17, 2008, as the Bear Stearns bailout was underway:

I warned from the start of stimulus-palooza that we were headed in this direction. Both political parties support these massive government interventions–from empowering judges to meddle with private contracts to backing billions in mortgage securities. This isn’t the last step. It’s the first. And you know who will end up getting screwed: The responsible and the frugal.

***

More from Business Week:

“Mondays better not get any more manic than this. Wall Street expected to spend today trying to contain the damage from a bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers (LEH) after the fourth-largest investment bank failed to find a buyer for its broken balance sheet over the weekend.

And that’s not all. There’s the distressed sale of Merrill Lynch (MER) to Bank of America (BAC) for approximately $44 billion, and a radical restructuring plan for American International Group (AIG), the insurance giant which became a major player in mortgage-related securities and derivatives.

…The plunging prices of Merrill and AIG raised the possibility that the market had figured out that the two are harboring big new losses from mortgage-linked securities. Worse, if Merrill and AIG lost a lot of capital, Wall Street sees fewer ways to replace that capital since the Fannie and Freddie deals. Terms of the government’s takeovers of Fannie and Freddie trashed the value of their preferred stock.

Until now, preferred stock has been a prime tool for daring investors to inject new capital into a company needing rehabilitation. The Fannie and Freddie deals indicated that preferred investors could lose big, along with common stock investors, in distressed takeovers. Both Merrill and AIG raised new capital early this year by issuing securities similar to preferred. Lehman also raised money from preferred investors, who are now likely to be wiped out in a bankruptcy. So now big issues of preferred securities may not be available to fill holes in balance sheets from new losses.

After a bad week, a working weekend, and a manic Monday, Wall Street can only hope the credit storm is at its worst.

MI6 spy-turned-author John Le Carre reveals: 'I was tempted to defect to the Soviet Union during the Cold War'

U.S. to Sell Israel 1000 Bunker-Busters, May Be Used in Strike on Iran

Fresh From the Archives: Barack Obama Cites Job Given to Him by Bill Ayers as a Qualification for His Election to US Senate

How did Obama's time on the Annenberg Challenge board go from being a key bullet-point in his resume -- by his own accounting -- to one the media refuses to even mention?

Thanks to Uncle Milty.

Egyptian American Author Nonie Darwish Tells of Her Jihad Indoctrination as a Child in Gaza

DHS border security projects still in peril

In July, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told lawmakers securing the border couldn't be done without a fiscal 2009 budget.

Now, less than three weeks before the start of 2009, DHS may have to shut down its highest profile border security program, the Secure Border Initiative, if Congress doesn't help with funding.

DHS submitted a request Sept. 9 to the appropriations committees to reprogram funding from other accounts.

And Ralph Basham, Customs and Border Protection commissioner, today told the House Homeland Security Committee that work will stop on SBI unless they get money.

Jayson Ahern, the CBP's deputy commissioner, told lawmakers that the technology piece of the Secure Border Initiative, known as SBInet will run out of funds by the end of October, further delaying the problematic program.

The potential funding shortfalls adds to the already stunted SBInet program.

The Government Accountability Office found that two years into the project, DHS still has not fully addressed basic program management requirements.

Randy Hite, GAO's director of information technology, architecture and systems issues, says DHS has not effectively managed or defined SBInet's requirements or testing strategy, and not defined what capabilities are to be delivered and by when.

"SBInet scope and schedule as well as its lifecycle management approach for far too long have been in a state of flux," Hite says.

"To the point that it is still unclear what technology capabilities will be delivered when and where and how they will be delivered."

He adds that lower level requirements such as those that govern the common operating picture are not fully defined and approved.

And DHS's own assessment of higher level operating requirements, which is what should drive the lower level requirements, are unverifiable and unaffordable.

"Without well defined and managed requirements, the chance of delivering a system solution that performs as intended are not good," Hite says.

"The overall SBInet test management approach is missing key information such as an accurate up-to-date test schedule and roles and responsibilities for all entities involved in testing."

Hite says he is cautiously optimistic because GAO says DHS agrees with 7 of 8 the audit agency's recommendations to fix SBInet.

Additionally, GAO found that land acquisition issues of more than 300 properties and the increased costs of fuel and construction material have further placed the SBI program in peril.

Richard Stana, GAO's director of homeland security and justice, told lawmakers that all land projects are in jeopardy if the land acquisition issues are not settled in three weeks.

"Construction of fencing segments usually take 90 to 100 days to complete," Stana says. ....

Obama-Biden: Which disabled war vets will they insult next?

By Michelle Malkin

What a week for the Gaffe Twins.

First, Joe Biden bone-headedly urges a disabled veteran in a wheelchair to “Stand up” during a campaign rally.

Next, Barack Obama mocks John McCain for not using a computer to send e-mail — despite mainstream media articles dating back to 2000 that report he can’t type because of the war injuries inflicted by his Vietnamese torturers.

Who will their next victims be?

Keep these bunglers away from Walter Reed.

Reader Matthew Fritch e-mails:

Michelle,

I just thought I would share this letter to the editor I sent to the Seattle Times and the Olympian in regards to Obama’s latest ad:

As a Disabled Veteran and as an American I was utterly disgusted by the latest campaign ad by Sen. Obama. The ad in which I speak makes the following claim:

“He admits he still doesn’t know how to use a computer, can’t send an e-mail”

The ad shows one of two things; either Sen. Obama has absolutely no scruples about attacking Sen. McCain’s disability he suffers from due to the torture he received as a POW or he and his campaign lack the basic skills to do research prior to releasing this tasteless ad. I did a bit of checking and found the following quote in a Boston Globe article by Mary Leonard dated 3/4/2000 which states,

“McCain’s severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes.”

Perhaps instead of mocking Sen. McCain’s injuries, the Sen. Obama should be reaching out to the disabled community. I see this as just one more reason that Sen. Obama has been slipping in the polls in our great state as well as nationally.

Matthew Fritch

How Obama's Church Remembered 9-11

How the attacks on 9-11 were remembered at Trinity United Church of Christ--

Do you remember the hateful God-D*** AmeriKKKa sermon by Obama's Pastor Jeremiah Wright?

After clips of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's hatefilled sermons made their way into mainstream media earlier this year Barack Obama complained that the videos were just "cherry-picked" to make Wright appear as a anti-American racist.

This sermon was actually given by Jeremiah Wright to his congregation the week after the 9-11 attacks. The speech was played in full on the Bill Moyers show when he interviewed his friend Wright:

Obviously, the entire rant was filled with distorted anti-American hate speech.
Obama later dismissed himself from Wright's church-- but only after his pastor was outed as an anti-American racist.

Five years after the 9-11 attacks Jeremiah Wright's church published this poem in the September 17, 2006 edition of their newsletter, The Trumpet.
Sweetness and Light dug it up and re-posted it on this year's anniversary:

Before I start this poem,
I’d like to ask you to join me in
a moment of silence
in honour of those who died
in the World Trade Centre
and the Pentagon
last September 11th.

I would also like to ask you
a moment of silence
for all of those who have been
harassed, imprisoned, disappeared,
tortured, raped, or killed
in retaliation for those strikes,
for the victims in both
Afghanistan and the U.S.

And if I could just add one more thing…
A full day of silence
for the tens of thousands of Palestinians
who have died at the hands of
U.S.-backed Israeli forces
over decades of occupation.

Six months of silence
for the million and-a-half Iraqi people,
mostly children, who have died of
malnourishment or starvation
as a result of an 11-year U.S. embargo
against the country.

Before I begin this poem:
two months of silence
for the Blacks under Apartheid
in South Africa,
where homeland security
made them aliens
in their own country.Nine months of silence

for the dead in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, where death rained
down and peeled back
every layer of concrete, steel, earth and skin
and the survivors went on as if alive.

A year of silence
for the millions of dead
in Vietnam–a people, not a war for
those who know a thing or two
about the scent of burning fuel,
their relatives’ bones buried in it,
their babies born of it.

A year of silence
for the dead in Cambodia and Laos,
victims of a secret war … ssssshhhhh ….
Say nothing .. we don’t want them to
learn that they are dead.

Two months of silence
for the decades of dead
in Colombia, whose names,
like the corpses they once represented,
have piled up and slipped off
our tongues.

Before I begin this poem,
An hour of silence
for El Salvador …
An afternoon of silence
for Nicaragua …
Two days of silence
for the Guatemaltecos …
None of whom ever knew
a moment of peace

45 seconds of silence
for the 45 dead
at Acteal, Chiapas
25 years of silence
for the hundred million Africans
who found their graves
far deeper in the ocean
than any building could
poke into the sky.
There will be no DNA testing
or dental records
to identify their remains.
And for those who were
strung and swung
from the heights of
sycamore trees
in the south, the north,
the east, and the west…

100 years of silence…
For the hundreds of millions of
indigenous peoples
from this half of right here,
Whose land and lives were stolen,
In postcard-perfect plots
like Pine Ridge,
Wounded Knee,
Sand Creek, Fallen Timbers,
or the Trail of Tears.

Names now reduced
to innocuous magnetic poetry
on the refrigerator
of our consciousness …
So you want a moment of silence?

There's more.
Barack and Michelle Obama sat in this church listening to that anti-American filth for 20 years. They only left this toxic community when they had to.

And, yet the American media wants to drill Sarah Palin and distort her Christian beliefs!

Warriors

(Compiler's note: Absolutely a "must read"/watch video. -- click on the title above. If this trailer doesn't bring a swelling of pride and maybe even a tear then ..... This is a group who are telling the story of our young warriors and using the funds to help their families. As Americans, we must remember that "Our freedom is NOT free." rca)

We have always had warriors, from as far back in history as one can go — warriors are timeless.

Warriors have a moral code and are not simply trained killers (as they are all too frequently portrayed).

If we did not have warriors, we would undoubtedly be speaking another language, German, Japanese, Chinese, or Russian.

Warriors are born, they are not created. Certainly they are trained, but to be a warrior is a calling.

We should be forever grateful to our warriors and to their families who are all so courageous.

We should honor our warriors. Warriors are NOT, as they are commonly portrayed, victims with no where else to go but the military.

This project will show people what intelligent, honorable, and brave people we have standing in the way of the free world’s demise.

Will government bailouts spell end of dollar?

....If we think the government is capable of bailing everything and everyone out of every financial mess that may occur then we are fools. And perhaps we are being viewed as such by very hostile nations that would welcome the deterioration of our position on the world stage and would not flinch at our total demise.....

Growing Divide in American Society Reflected in Media Follies

...considering recent events, can the mainstream media still be considered a neutral referee thoughtfully moderating our national dialogue?

Honor Killings in Islam

....What kind of an ideology causes a man to show no remorse for murdering his own daughter, but rants and raves at being served ham sandwiches while in prison? ....

Next US Terror Attack Could Be By Westerners

United States counterterrorism experts believe that terrorists with an “American face” will conduct any future attack, The Telegraph reported on Thursday.

Referring to reports of Westerners in terrorism training camps in Pakistan, the report quoted experts saying dozens of Westerners have undergone training, as terrorists try to recruit non-Middle Eastern Asians, particularly Caucasians, because they are less likely to attract the attention of security forces.

Al Qaeda’s recent decision to release videos in English and a similar change on extremist websites have also been cited of evidence of a new strategy to find foreign recruits, according to the report. Such concerns were sharpened last week after the arrest of three Germans over an alleged plot to destroy a club used by US servicemen. The Germans had allegedly been trained in camps in Waziristan.

Egyptian Cleric Zaghloul Al-Naggar: The Old And New Testaments Are Forgeries

IAEA report raises new concerns over Khan ring

The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency has given a clean bill of health to Libya in a new report that raises fresh concerns about the smuggling network that supplied illicit nuclear technology and know-how to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

The smuggling ring led by A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, had access to "a substantial amount of sensitive information related to the fabrication of a nuclear weapon," says the confidential IAEA report, a copy of which was obtained by Nukes and Spooks.

Agency investigators looking into Libya's now-defunct nuclear weapons program determined that the materials included documentation on how to shape highly enriched uranium metal into the explosive core of a warhead. The information was "more up to date than . . . a related document found in Iran," the report said.

"Much of the sensitive information coming from the network existed in electronic form, enabling easier use and dissemination," said the report. "Clearly this is a matter of serious concern to the Agency."

Officials involved in Iran's uranium enrichment program have confirmed to IAEA investigators that they had extensive dealings with the Khan ring. But they insisted that they never asked for or used weapons-related information that that it provided, and Tehran contends that the program it kept hidden for 18 years is strictly for peaceful purposes.

IAEA investigators began working to confirm details of Libya's nuclear weapons program after the Tripoli government renounced the effort in 2003. The latest report, which provides the most detailed description to date of the Libyan effort, is the first on the subject produced by the agency since 2004.

"Libya has stated that it took no concrete steps in connection with the information made available to it on weapons design and fabriation" said the report. "Based on an assessment of Libya's industrial capabilities, and on all other information available to the Agency, the Agency has concluded that Libya's statement in this regard is not inconsistent with the Agency's findings."

The report is to be discussed by the IAEA's 35-nation board later this month. Another agenda item will be an update on Iran's nuclear program. One thing about that report is certain: there is no chance of Iran getting a cleaning bill of health.

Read the new IAEA report: http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2008/09/12/16/800-Landay-Libya.source.prod_affiliate.91.pdf

US hits compound in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio

The US military conducted another airstrike inside Pakistan's lawless tribal agencies. The target of the strike was an al Qaeda-linked group called Al Badar, which is run by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Unmanned Predator aircraft launched several missiles in the early morning at a target in the village of Tol Khel on the outskirts of Miramshah, the administrative seat of North Waziristan. Twelve members of Al Badar (or Al Badr) were reported killed and 14 were reported wounded in the attack, according to AFP.

Al Badar is a Kashmiri terrorist group supported by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The group "is reported to have training camps in the Manshera area of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan, Kotli and Muzaffarabad," according to the South East Asia Terrorism Portal. Kashmiri terrorist groups have flocked to the Northwest Frontier Province and have actively participated in operations against Coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Hekmatyar runs the Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin, a radical Taliban-linked faction fighting US forces in Afghanistan. He has close links to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, as well as the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's military intelligence agency.

The US targeted a Hekmatyar compound in South Waziristan on Aug. 13. Taliban commanders Abdul Rehman and Islam Wazir, three Turkmen, and "several Arab fighters" were reported killed in the strike. Reports indicated up to 25 terrorists were killed in the attack.

The US has conducted eight airstrikes and raids in North and neighboring South Waziristan since Aug. 31. Five of the strikes have been aimed at compounds in North Waziristan. Four of them were operated by the Haqqani Network.

The last attack in Pakistan occurred on Sept. 8, when US forces launched several missiles at the notorious Manba Ulom madrassa and an adjacent home in the town of Danda Darpa Khel. Several members of the Haqqani family were reportedly killed in the strike.

The madrassa has both an operational and a symbolic value. The Manba Ulom madrassa was established by Jalaluddin Haqqani, the notorious mujahideen commander who is closely allied to Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. The madrassa was used in the 1980s to train mujahideen to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

After the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Haqqani family used the Manba Ulom madrassa as a training center and meeting place for senior al Qaeda leaders, and has been described as "a center of jihadi activities."

The Haqqani Network attacked Pakistan forces based in North Waziristan after the madrassa was hit. More fighting has been reported today between Pakistani and Haqqani forces in North Waziristan.

The Haqqanis are closely allied with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and have close links with the Inter-Services Intelligence. The Haqqanis run a parallel government in North Waziristan and conduct military and suicide operations in eastern Afghanistan. Siraj Haqqani, Jalaluddin's son, has close ties to Osama bin Laden and is one of the most wanted terrorist commanders in Afghanistan.

Pakistan protests attacks

The attack comes as the Pakistani military and government said it would defend its territorial integrity from all attacks. The Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani and Minister of Defense Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar both said the country would do what is needed to defend itself from outside attacks. Pakistan closed the vital Torkham border crossing into Afghanistan to NATO traffic on Sept. 6 to send a message to the US, Mukhtar said. The crossing was reopened the next day.

President George Bush is said to have authorized the increased air and ground strikes inside Pakistan in an effort to root out al Qaeda and Taliban forces. There have been 15 cross-border strikes in Pakistan this year alone, compared to just 10 in 2006 and 2007 combined.

The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied terrorist groups have established 157 training camps and more than 400 support locations in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.

The Taliban has organized some of its fighters into military formations. Al Qaeda has reformed the notorious 055 Brigade, the Arab legion of al Qaeda fighters that was destroyed during the initial US assault in Afghanistan in late 2001. Additional al Qaeda brigades have been formed, intelligence officials informed The Long War Journal.

Foreign al Qaeda fighters have flocked to the Pakistani border regions. On July 23, Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani and his cabinet were told that more than 8,000 foreign fighters were operating in the tribal areas.

Petraeus 'Hopeful' on Final Battlefield Tour as Commander in Iraq

By Bret Baier

But as Petraeus greeted locals in Arabic and shook hands Wednesday, he was on his final battlefield tour of the country before handing over command of U.S.-led forces in Iraq next week and taking on a new job as head of Central Command.

Petraeus gave his final U.S. interview before the transition to FOX News, and expressed optimism -- significant coming from a commander often cautious about signs of progress in Iraq.

"There's a lot left to be done. You'd like to complete everything but that's not possible," he said. "It's been very, very hard. There’s been nothing easy about this … In the beginning we said it was hard but not hopeless. I think now it’s still hard but it’s hopeful."

As Petraeus walked with minimal security -- no helicopters overhead, no flak jackets and no helmets -- the commander said much has changed since the start of the troop surge. ....

FDA: Melamine found in baby formula made in China

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting Asian and ethnic markets across the USA that infant formula made in China may be contaminated.

The FDA is working with state health agencies across the country to make members of Chinese-American communities aware of the danger.

Chinese newspapers report that some infant formula has been linked to kidney problems and kidney stones in babies in China because the formula contains melamine — the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year.

Sanlu Group, the major Chinese dairy that produced the formula, has recalled 700 tons of the product, state Xinhua News Agency reported today.

No baby formula approved for use in the USA is manufactured in China, the FDA says. ...

Terrorism takes backseat to economy

(Compiler's note: Based on the material outlined below, more people need to follow this blog. rca)

Seven years ago today, the roar of exploding planes and the spectacle of collapsing buildings riveted the nation's attention on a single topic, terrorism - and in the terrible aftermath, it seemed that focus would never waver.

But it has. Just 2 percent of Americans identified terrorism as their nation's top problem in a Gallup survey in early August - the lowest level since the 2001 attacks. And in new poll results released Wednesday, just 38 percent of respondents said they were at least somewhat worried that they or their families would become victims of terrorism - a nine-point drop since the question was asked last year and the lowest level since mid-2005.

"The majority of Americans are now not fearful of terrorist attack," said Frank Newport, Gallup's editor in chief. "Americans do not report to us that terrorism is the top issue for them in this election. It is the economy."

In a separate question in the most recent poll, when asked to pick from a short list of issues the one that would be most important in deciding their vote for president, about 42 percent of people picked the economy, Newport said. Just 12 percent picked terrorism, putting it in a tie with the Iraq war, health care and energy. ...

...."The next president ... must prevent al Qaeda, or a Qaeda imitator, from gaining control of a nuclear device and detonating it in America," Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in a recent opinion piece in the New York Times. "Everything else - Fannie Mae, health care reform, energy independence, the budget shortfall in Wasilla, Alaska - is commentary." ....

On-the-job injuries, deaths plague oil workers

....At least 598 workers died on the job between 2002 and 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During that period, the number of deaths per year rose by around 70 percent, from 72 victims in 2002 to 125 in 2006 and a preliminary count of 120 in 2007. ....Workers at drilling sites are surrounded by heavy machinery that can kill or maim in an instant. About half the workers who die are struck by equipment or are killed in motor vehicle accidents. Others fall from catwalks, are crushed by falling loads or are burned in explosions. ....Many experienced oilfield workers left the industry in the mid-1980s during the oil bust, when a barrel sold for less than $10. Now, with prices over $100 a barrel, many drilling companies are hiring workers with little or no experience. ....

Wall Street's $300 billion scandal

A federal grand jury in Brooklyn indicted two former Credit Suisse Group brokers last week in the unfolding crisis with auction-rate securities issued by major financial institutions, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The criminal indictments are expected to be the first of many, as federal authorities and the Securities and Exchange Commission try to establish responsibility in what is yet another Wall Street credit mess.

As Red Alert previously reported, the crisis with auction-rate securities has left thousands of individual investors without retirement savings and scores of institutional buyers and charities with losses yet to be measured. ....

Iran renews nuclear weapons development

By Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher

Nuclear experts responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme have discovered that enough enriched uranium, which if processed to weapons grade level could be used to make up to six atom bombs, has disappeared from the main production facility at Isfahan.

American spy satellites have identified a number of suspicious sites, which the Iranians have not declared to nuclear inspectors, that intelligence officials believe are being used for covert research.

The new discoveries emerged as it was revealed that Israel had asked America for military supplies, including "bunker buster" bombs and re-fuelling planes, suitable for an attack on Iranian nuclear installations.

The Israeli paper Haaretz reported yesterday that Israel has also asked for permission to use an air corridor through Iraqi airspace, currently controlled by America, to Iran.

So far the requests have been turned down by Washington, which is currently not as keen as Israel to consider a military strike against Iran.

But concern that Iran has resumed work on building atom bombs has deepened following the revelation that large quantities of uranium has gone missing from Iran's conversion facility at Isfahan.

The Isfahan complex, which enriches raw uranium "yellow cake" into material that can be used for either nuclear power or atomic weapons, is supposed to be subject to close supervision by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But the Iranians only allow IAEA inspectors access to the final stage of the production process, where the uranium in gas form - UF6 - is stored.

By conducting a careful study of the amount of material stored at Isfahan, and the amount of "yellow cake" known to have been processed at the plant, nuclear experts believe between 50-60 tons of uranium - which if enriched to weapons grade level would be sufficient to produce five or six atom bombs - has gone missing from the plant.

IAEA officials believe the Iranians have deliberately removed the uranium at a stage in the production process that is not under their supervision. "The inspectors only have limited access at Isfahan, and it looks as though Iranian officials have removed significant quantities of UF6 at a stage in the process that is not being monitored," said a nuclear official. "If Iran's nuclear intentions are peaceful, then why are they doing this?" Nuclear inspectors have also been concerned to discover that Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, recently ordered scientists to increase the amount of UF6 being diverted from Isfahan to another storage facility.

IAEA officials have no idea where the missing uranium is being stored, but suspect it could be held at one of several suspicious installations that have been spotted by American spy satellites.

The Iranians will be asked to give a full account of the missing enriched uranium when the IAEA's board of governors meets in Vienna later this month to discuss the continuing crisis over Iran's nuclear enrichment programme.

The mounting concern over Iran's nuclear intentions has intensified Israeli efforts to prepare for a possible pre-emptive strike on Iran, which has led Jerusalem to presenting Washington with a "wish list" of military equipment.

In the past America has been prepared to provide Israel with "bunker buster" bombs, known by their serial number GBU-28. They weigh over two tons each and are designed to penetrate deep underground, even through reinforced concrete, before detonating.

Israel used them in unsuccessful attempts to take out the leadership of Hizbollah, the militant Shia group, during the war of 2006.