This is really great! Road Worrier, Bob Kittel visits members of the Small House Movement.
Not Everything is Big in Texas!
Great viewing.
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Thousands of US troops in Jordan for Major Military Exercise
Thousands amass in Jordan for major military exercise
Editor’s Note: Barbara Starr is in Amman, Jordan covering the Eager Lion 2012 exercise. By Barbara Starr
U.S. Department of Defense photo
It couldn’t come at a more delicate time in the Middle East. No one will say it publicly, but the Eager Lion 2012 exercise – and the 12,000 multinational forces gathering in Jordan – are sending a not-so-quiet message to others in the region: they are ready for whatever comes.
From now until the end of May, one of the largest multinational military exercises the region has seen is taking place in Jordan. There are more than 19 nations, including the United States and a number of Arab and European allies, gathering to practice their combat skills, just in case.
Several U.S. military officials say while it’s not the primary intention, the exercise is meant to be noticed by Syria and Iran especially. The message: even with the United States out of Iraq, and winding up the war in Afghanistan, there is a formidable U.S. presence in the region, and other countries are capable of filling in the gaps.
The U.S. Navy already is keeping two aircraft carriers in the next-door Persian Gulf region, and stepping up the presence of minesweepers in those waters. The Air Force has sent half a dozen F-22 fighters to the United Arab Emirates. The Joint Special Operations Command has conducted several deadly drone strikes against al Qaeda in Yemen.
But Eager Lion is taking it one step further. Marines will train in southern Jordan on their amphibious landing and warfare skills. But there will also be a number of the most elite U.S. Special Operations troops, training with Jordanian special forces units in counterterrorism and other assault operations.
The exercise is part of the overall U.S. military strategy to support Jordan as that country grows increasingly concerned about the unrest across its northern border with Syria. Jordanian officials are especially concerned about the potential for Syria to forces tens of thousands of its Palestinian refugees into Jordan, as well as Syrians escaping the fighting.
There is concern in a worst case scenario that the Syrian regime could lose control of some of its chemical or biological weapons stocks and they could somehow illicitly come into Jordan.
So a major portion of the exercise will also be devoted to training together on dealing with refugee flows and managing a chemical or biological weapons crisis.
Officials quietly acknowledge all U.S. military training in the region now could be useful in the event of action against Iran. But officials strongly say Eager Lion is not aimed at either country, only at “realistic threats” in the region as one Pentagon official described it to CNN.
“Training events such as Eager Lion provide our forces with an opportunity to practice their language skills, immerse themselves in the culture, learn different tactics, techniques and procedures,” Maj. Gen. Ken Tovo, head of the U.S. Special Operations Forces, said.
U.S. Special Operations Forces is expected to take on an increasing role in Middle East, both conducting drone operations in places including Yemen, but also emphasizing training with U.S. allies in the region’s countries so they can take military actions when needed themselves.
Closed doors TPP meeting ‘crashed’ by protesters
Two dozen rogue “delegates” disrupted the corporate-sponsored welcome gala for the high-stakes Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations yesterday with a fake award ceremony and “mic check.” Other activists, meanwhile, replaced hundreds of rolls of toilet paper (TP) throughout the conference venue with more informative versions, and projected a message on the venue’s facade.
The first action began when a smartly-dressed man approached the podium immediately after the gala’s keynote speech by Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative and former mayor of Dallas. The man (local puppeteer David Goodwin) introduced himself as “Git Haversall,” president of the “Texas Corporate Power Partnership,” and announced he was giving Kirk and other U.S. trade negotiators the “2012 Corporate Power Tool Award,” which “Haversall’s” partner held aloft.
The crowd of negotiators and corporate representatives applauded, and “Haversall” continued: “I’d like to personally thank the negotiators for their relentless efforts. The TPP agreement is shaping up to be a fantastic way for us to maximize profits, regardless of what the public of this nation—or any other nation—thinks is right.”
DALLAS PARTY ENDS BADLY FOR U.S. TRADE REPS AND FEDERAL AGENTS
Article
Two dozen rogue “delegates” disrupted the corporate-sponsored welcome gala for the high-stakes Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations yesterday with a fake award ceremony and “mic check.” Other activists, meanwhile, replaced hundreds of rolls of toilet paper (TP) throughout the conference venue with more informative versions, and projected a message on the venue’s facade.
The first action began when a smartly-dressed man approached the podium immediately after the gala’s keynote speech by Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative and former mayor of Dallas. The man (local puppeteer David Goodwin) introduced himself as “Git Haversall,” president of the “Texas Corporate Power Partnership,” and announced he was giving Kirk and other U.S. trade negotiators the “2012 Corporate Power Tool Award,” which “Haversall’s” partner held aloft.
The crowd of negotiators and corporate representatives applauded, and “Haversall” continued: “I’d like to personally thank the negotiators for their relentless efforts. The TPP agreement is shaping up to be a fantastic way for us to maximize profits, regardless of what the public of this nation—or any other nation—thinks is right.”
At that point, the host of the reception took the microphone back and announced that the evening’s formal programming had concluded. But Mr. Haversall confidently re-took the microphone and warmly invited Kirk to accept the award.
Kirk moved towards the stage, but federal agents blocked his path to protect him from further embarrassment. At that point, a dozen well-dressed “delegates” (local activists, some from Occupy Dallas) broke into ecstatic dance and chanted “TPP! TPP! TPP!” for several minutes until Dallas police arrived.
Fifteen minutes later, another dozen interlopers from Occupy Dallas interrupted the reception with a spirited “mic-check.” Outside, activists projected a message on the hotel, and throughout the night, delegates discovered that hundreds of rolls of custom toilet paper had been installed in the conference venue.
The activists disrupted the gala to protest the hijacking of trade negotiations by an extreme pro-corporate agenda. “The public and the media are locked out of these meetings,” said Kristi Lara from Occupy Dallas, one of the infiltrators. “We can’t let U.S. trade officials get away with secretly limiting Internet freedoms, restricting financial regulation, extending medicine patents, and giving corporations other a whole host of other powers allowing them to quash the rights of people and democracies, for example by offshoring jobs in ever new ways. Trade officials know the public won’t stand for this, which is why they try to keep their work secret—and that’s why we had to crash their party.”
There is mounting criticism of the U.S. role in pushing the negotiations forward in secrecy, despite the public’s overwhelming disagreement with TPP goals. (“Buy American” procurement preferences are supported by over 85% of Americans, but U.S. trade negotiators are preparing to accept a ban on such preferences. Two weeks ago, 69 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama asking him not to accept that ban.)
Many are calling the Obama administration duplicitous: while the administration publicly hypes a plan to revitalize American manufacturing and create jobs in the U.S., U.S. trade officials push for new “investor rights” that would make it easier for American companies to lay off domestic workers and open plants overseas.
“The TPP has been branded as a trade ‘negotiation’ by its corporate proponents, but in reality it’s a place for big business to get its way behind closed doors,” said Pete Rokicki of Occupy Dallas. “This anti-democratic maneuver can be stopped if the public gets active—just look at the movement that killed the ill-advised SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) law a few months ago. That’s why Obama’s trade officials lock the public, the press and even members of Congress from the trade negotiation process.”
“We’re really happy to know that even in their most private moments, US trade reps are reminded that a vast majority of the public stands opposed to corporate-friendly, closed-door trade deals like the TPP,” said Sean Dagohoy from the Yes Lab, who assisted in the actions.
Bilderberg Group – Tax Returns Uncovered
Mark Dice finds the Bilderberg tax filings. Due to the type of entity they register under it is released as public domain by the IRS.
Listed are roles and even some contibution donors and amounts:
Henry Kissinger, Rockefeller, Coca-Cola, Microsoft…
Watch on…
Santorum says Iranian Scientist Assinations are Great – Watch your back
Assassination is not diplomacy.
Even as it remains a CONSENSUS among the 16 US intelligence agencies that there is NO evidence that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon (article included) one of our own Presidential candidates is busy undermining any sense of diplomacy by basically announcing ‘We will kill you.”
It is the height of murderous arrogance to not only threaten the citizens of foreign countries with assassination, but also to brag that the US is willing assassinate its OWN citizens.
It is also important to note that Anwar al-Awlaki, the US citizen assassinated by a drone strike in Yemen, dined at the Pentagon with the Secretary of the Army just months after 9/11 (article also included). No mere citizen, al-Awlaki may have also been an asset…
U.S. Agencies See No Move by Iran to Build a Bomb
New York Times
February 24, 2012
WASHINGTON — Even as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said in a new report Friday that Iran had accelerated its uranium enrichment program, American intelligence analysts continue to believe that there is no hard evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb.
Recent assessments by American spy agencies are broadly consistent with a 2007 intelligence finding that concluded that Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program years earlier, according to current and former American officials. The officials said that assessment was largely reaffirmed in a 2010 National Intelligence Estimate, and that it remains the consensus view of America’s 16 intelligence agencies.
read more here
Al Qaeda leader linked to 9/11 hijackers ‘was invited to the Pentagon for lunch after attacks’
UK Daily Mail
An Al Qaeda leader who is one of the most wanted men in the world was invited for lunch at the Pentagon in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a new report has claimed.
New documents have been obtained which apparently detail how Anwar Al-Awlaki, the first American on the CIA’s kill or capture list, rubbed shoulders with high-ranking military personnel just months after the atrocities.
Fox News claim to have acquired documents that state that Awlaki was taken to the U.S. Department of Defense’s headquarters as part of the military’s outreach program to the Muslim community in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
Read more here
U.S. Agencies See No Move by Iran to Build a Bomb
