International Press

2007-01-19T04:04:00.000-05:00

Saddam’s memoirs to be published by secretive Middle Eastern media tycoon.
August Riis
19 January 2007

The book to be released in the coming months will provide a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s last dictators. Following the hanging of Iraq’s former dictator some fear that this book will elevate Saddam to the rank of political martyr.

Excerpts sent to International Press, which we have had translated, appear to be the writings of a collected man, this is clearly not an exercise in self-aggrandizement. This is a man looking upon his role in world history, with humility and objectiveness. Readers however will be shocked by some of the revelations which the book is said to cover. The publishers tell us that Saddam wrote in great details about the almost “mafia-like” ways of conducting world politics which the West used for decades when dealing with him.

He recounts the numerous meetings he had with American administration officials throughout the 70’s and 80’s; meetings which he recalls reminded him of being back at school as a child.

“As he crossed the room, followed closely by his assistants, I could see that he was trying to turn his sneer into a smile. As we shook hands I knew that this meeting would be most disagreeable. We sat us down in each our armchair, but the man sat on the edge of his, leaning forward, spitting out his words in my direction and every now and then rubbing his nose; the translator could hardly keep up. I raised my hand to ask for him to relax and maybe speak slower so that the translator could follow, but the man just stood up and towering above me told me in an icy way which I could not fail to understand that I was never to interrupt him again. This is the same man who now treats his countrymen to great phrases full of air like “They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.” Since that first meeting I just let him play his little game. He knew I had no choice but to follow his instructions and depended on him to procure our great nation with the weapons necessary to defeat our enemies. Knowing how the man thought however, it came as no surprise to see the venom with which he proceeded to vilify our country prior to the invasion. The profound hypocrisy of the United States never fails to amaze me. I have repeatedly failed to understand, how it is possible for the government of that great and free country, to constantly change the public’s perception of reality, without the use of constant propaganda.”

In what could be called “The world according to Saddam” we are treated to his ideas and opinions on a wide range of subjects. As with his recounting of his first meeting with Donald Rumsfeld then Special Envoy to the Middle East where he muses about the role of the MSM in the United States, Saddam peppers is narrative with such questions. This gives the impression that the man is plagued with uncertainties about the world and his role in it. In one passage, Saddam goes on to compare himself and his country to Yugoslavia under Tito, anticipating that the power vacuum created after his fall from power will only lead to the disintegration of Iraq, as the post Tito era ushered in the break-up of Yugoslavia. Following this comparison to Tito, he cannot help but draw parallels to the ousting of Slobodan Milosevic and his subsequent trial at The Hague. As with Milosevic, Saddam feels wronged by his accusers and questions the authority of the court appointed to try him, he however seems willing to be tried by the International Court of Justice instead of what he calls “an assembly of traitors and collaborators.”

Although no date has been set for the publication of Saddam’s memoirs, the publishers inform us that they also plan to have the book available for download on the internet in several languages. "Its wide availability will ensure that this book will survive any attempts to censor or ban it. We have also taken precautions with regards to foreign agents trying to derail our efforts to get Saddam's memoirs out to the public. We have contacts with printers and distributors in many countries, especially in the Middle East and we are currently working with English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Russian translators and hope to have these translations on the Internet to be downloaded on the same day as the printed tome."

From the excerpts that we were able to review, we envisage that Saddam's memoirs will prove of interest to many, as it will offer a seldom insight into the mind, of one of recent history's last dictators.

2006-09-26T23:26:00.000-04:00

Workplace Torture Goes Corporate

Applications for Private Sector Offered

Dominic Debs & August Riis
International Press Investigative Reporters

(NYC 9/25) The business world is ready for a return to the days of harsh discipline and top-down authority. Corporate America is getting on the torture band wagon A new company, Corporate Applications for Torture, Inc. (“CAT”) is about to issue a prospectus for investors and also open it’s doors for new customers.

Torture is a hot news item lately. Last week President Bush stopped denying the existence of secret administration torture chambers around the world. He stole the news initiative from his critics in a major press conference. He not only announced the torture program, he offered a vigorous defense.

Congress embrased this new secret weapon in a bill to redefine “affront to human dignities,” a key concept in the Geneva Convention on the treatment of war prisoners. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R, OH, rose up and mounted a stiff attack on Democrats who oppose the bill. He said that their position is "just one more in a long line of troubling actions that weaken our ability to wage and win the Global War on Terror."

The bill appears headed for passage. Its rumored President Bush will have one of his famed signing statements attached that broadens his powers of prisoner abuse in ways no one has yet anticipated.

Time to go private.

Seizing the moment, a new privately held company will offer torture services to US and foreign corporations. The company, Corporate Applications for Torture, Inc. (CAT), says its motto is “Make them behave.” Founder and CEO Larry von Sacher is excited about the prospects and sees the market as virtually unlimited.

“There’s a real negative reaction to all this employee assistance nonsense that corporate America is forced to offer,” von Sacher said. Sacher is referring to employee assistance programs (EAPs). Most of corporate America offers some form of EAP program where employees can get free short term counseling on issues related to work problems, family issues, and concerns like depression. Von Sacher made it clear that:

“This Mr. Nice Guy crap is over. It’s time to tell employees either shape up or there will be consequences. Right now they just sit in some counselor’s office and whine for several hours. The CAT techniques are designed to get quick compliance and send a message – do the damn job and shut up.”

CAT Services Get Up Close & Personal

“We’re very discreet but we’re meticulous and quick,” said Von Sacher. “Occasionally we have to get up close and personal with recalcitrant employees, but we always get the information.” Von Sacher welcomed the government’s efforts to legalize torture. He sees the broad media attention as positive for his company.

We got really excited about Air Force Secretary Mike Wynne’s statement. He want’s to use microwave weapons on American citizens before overseas deployment. I sent Mike a short email with these words, “We’re ready. Bring it on.” We offer a test bed that can also deliver profits to defense contractors and other concerns. It’s Wynne – Win.

CAT plans to offer multi level torture applications. Level I called “Snap to” is for smaller companies or firms which plan to use corporate torture only for internal employee issues. A company will be able to buy “disciplinary solutions,” as they’re called in quantities of 1 to 10, 11 to 20 and so on. CAT director of marketing Linda Stern said, “We want people to have a method of learning about our services through a measured entry strategy.” She says “Once they see the results of “disciplinary solutions” they’ll be read for the next level.

Level II, known as “Corporate Beat Down” (CBD) is where the real marketing effort goes. Stern says, the subscription to CBD offers a wrap around torture application for company employees and difficult individuals outside the company. It’s rumored that disgraced Hewlett Packard CEO Patricia Dunn was just days away from being the first Level II customer. She hoped that CAT could persuade board members not to remove her after it became apparent that Dunn had ordered the wire tapping of board member phones and internet accounts.

Here’s how it works according to von Sacher:

You sign up for an annual subscription. That will run about $1.0 million a year. Your services up to the first million are charged against that base fee. They you get discounts off of additional services. For example, if you have difficult outside auditors or pesky reporters bothering you, we can take them on a little vacation to a summer resort and shape them up. It doesn’t take long and some of them even like it.

One senior industry watcher had high praise for the entire approach. “The idea of private enterprise driven truth extraction operations like CAT's represents the best kind of outside the box creativity in the war on corporate inefficiency” said Dr. Daniel D. Portado, President of the Hispanic interrogation firm, Border Grill.

Stern says that the company is looking for talented employees. She reports recruiting trips to countries that comprised the former Soviet Union and its client states, Paraguay, and Argentina.

CAT will announce a public offering with a year based on performance. One can only imagine what those share holder meetings will be like.

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2006-07-09T06:56:00.000-04:00

Purging the Un-Patriotic for a

New American Century

August Riis with Domenic Debs

Do you feel like you’re being watched? Have you noticed that your neighbor is always carrying a little notebook wherever he goes? Chances are, you are being watched, spied on in your own neighborhood.
Something is stirring behind the curtains.

They’re not with the KGB or the FBI. They are most likely enrolled in a secret unit of the NSA hidden until this exclusive International Press Report. The same people who brought us illegal warrant-less wiretaps are now focused on the infiltration and domestic (as in your home) spying game. Think of these new spies as government informants similar to the bad old days in the Soviet Union and East Germany. Members of this patriot militia are convinced that reporting your lack of patriotism makes them patriotic. Nowadays this includes mundane things like buying the NYT, watching Keith Olbermann, or going to see Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

August Riis of International Press was contacted by a man claiming to be a member of this patriot’s militia under the command of the NSA. Calling himself Smith, he said he had been a closet liberal who was drafted into service by one of his colleagues, a staunch right-winger. At first he was shocked, “Why me? How could what I do be of interest to anybody?” Smith later found out that the best way to control elements that present uncertain dedication to the nation (e.g., liberals, free thinkers and the like) was to approach them with the concept of fighting anti-patriotism. If the target was unwilling to sacrifice some time to the task, he would quickly become a confirmed target. Every approach by recruiters produced either a new member or an object of investigation. The efficiency was truly breath taking. Smith said, “Everybody in the country is in play.”

Smith explained that at first he thought that the whole affair was nothing more than tough talk that would lead nowhere. He quickly found out that this was nothing but serious business. Within a week of his initial approach, he was invited to his first Patriot Surveillance Unit meeting. He then realized the full extent of the Unit’s recruitment effort. That night, the leader of the local hive, as they call themselves, explained to the recruits that there was no going back: “You’re either with us or against us. There is no other choice. Make the right choice now and all future choices are easy.” The penalty for public disclosure through “whistle blowing” or talking to the press is summary assignment to a detention camp said to make Guantanamo look mild. The Unit’s perverse logic is simple. Once informed of its existence, the informed could not refuse to participate for fear of being imprisoned.

Smith went on to explain how he was pushed to provide information about his neighbors and even members of his own family. He admits that he went along with these requests out of fear for his own safety when he learned that every spy had their own designated spy. He ended up spying on the colleague who had recruited him. In his time in the Unit our contact said that he witnessed people suddenly disappearing without explanation but none who were on his target list.

At one point he was asked to inform on his brother in law, a history professor at the local university. The unit described his brother in law as a peace radical and an obsessed environmentalist. In the records provided on his brother in law, Smith noticed that his name and those of his parents came up more than once. The records stretched back more than 20 years and seemed to start around the time Smith’s sister first met her future husband at University. The fact that she was now a typical soccer mum seemed to exclude her from further investigation.

Thanks to Smith, we had enough evidence on the organization to start our investigation. This eventually led us to an administration official who admitted to the program’s existence bragging about how great it was “to keep all these sheep in check”. He loved the simplicity of the concept which fully exploited the fear of the unknown to make people do things they would not normally do. “You know what this is,” he bellowed, “just an expansion of good old Christian guilt.” The anti-anti-patriotic crusade was developed by a member of the inner circle at the WH and made legal by the president in one of his increasingly bizarre signing ceremonies (the subject of a future IP investigative report).

The administration official would not tell us the full extent of the program but he said that the Unit had hives in every state with the majority of current members in Red states. “We’re like the Russians in their pursuit of a warm port, son. This can go on for centuries. We’ll stop when we’re done.”

Since we at International Press discovered the Unit’s existence, our research tells us that we have uncovered the most widespread spying organization our nation has ever witnessed. Most frightening is the Unit’s vague definition of un-patriotism. Un-patriotism is defined as any deviation from true patriotism. What is true patriotism? It is simply mixture of White House press releases and talking points from right-wing radio and television written down on a few typed pages. The secrecy surrounding the Unit and the fear of incarceration for its traitorous members reminds us of the way a cult works. In this case we are well aware that the exalted leader is none other that George W Bush.

Smith concluded our interview with these chilling words, “In a very real sense the genius of this program relies on the single minded adherence to the will of a madman. I’m so ashamed. God help us all.”

Copyright Riis-Debs. Permission to reprint in part or whole with attribution.

###

2006-05-25T03:57:00.000-04:00

George Bush:

Tragic Hero of the Environmental Movement

Domenic Debs & August Riis

In the minds of most Americans, the words George Bush and environmental awareness are entirely incompatible. Bush pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Treaty, carefully crafted to rapidly reduce global warming. Bush cut funds (in real dollars) for alternative fuel initiatives. He appointed an environmentally hostile Secretary of the Interior, Gayle Norton who rivals Reagan’s choice of evangelical extremist James Watt. Watt, you may recall, said that there was no point in keeping nature in tact because the end of the world was near. Norton never said that, she just behaved as if it were true. At every opportunity, Bush has contributed to global warming and stuck his finger in the eye of activist and ordinary Americans on this issue.

International Press reporters Domenic Debs and August Riis recently completed an in depth investigation that will stand all this on its head.

“Everything you know is wrong!”

Far from a scientifically challenged, catastrophe generating lout, Bush emerges as one of the most prescient of all presidents on environmental and human ecology issues.

How could this be? Wasn’t it Bush who blew off every warning of global warming offered by his advisors? Didn’t Bush dismiss the 2003 Pentagon report that pointed to eco catastrophes as the greatest threat? The answer is yes to both of those questions and many others that seemingly indicate an indifference to environmental concerns. This report allows readers to step back and reevaluate President Bush for who he is: the man who will save the world.

“The Population Bomb”

Campaign aficionados will recall the lost Bush month during his Air National Guard tour in 1972-1973. He left his Texas Air Force Base under questionable circumstances and ended up in Alabama working for the campaign of Republican running for the United States Senate. Critics refer to this period as “missing movement,” a military term indicating “that the accused missed the movement (of his military unit) through design or neglect.” While technically true, the missing movement of 1972-1973 is having a profound effect on our world today.

The Presidents intellectual life had been a barren wasteland up to that point despite earning a masters degree from the Harvard School of Business (or, as some say, perhaps because of it). Before leaving Texas, brother Jeb gave the future president a copy of “The Population Bomb” by Stanford Professor Paul Erlich, Ph.D. This book was causing a sensation at the time. It extended and popularized the dismal conclusions of famous economist Robert Malthus: as resource availability grows arithmetically, population expands geometrically. For the first time in his young life, Bush was taken by a theoretical concept and the proof provided.

True Believer

This was the beginning of Bush’s life-long obsession with the world population explosion. He had waking visions and frequent dreams of tens of millions of starving humans wandering the earth in search of food and water, and supplies that they would never find. His vision was a combination of the Israelites in lost in the desert and “Night of the Living Dead,” (a popular film at the time).

During a pointless drive through the Mississippi Delta, Bush had a sudden calling: it was he who would solve the civilization ending problems created by the world’s population explosion. He would do what ever it took, including stealing an election or two, to get to the White House and implement his rescue plan.

Fast Forward: Green is Good

Shortly after his inauguration, Bush was presented with dire predictions on the impact of global warming by outgoing Clinton staffers. The President attended this briefing personally; the only time he showed any interest in the Clinton team’s collective knowledge. He listened attentively and thanked the staffers for their time and the numerous documents they amassed.

The Clinton EPA and National Academy of Science researchers presented a grim picture. The worlds population was expanding at an alarming rate and the resources available to feed and shelter them were diminishing. With China and India coming on line as first world economies, the problems would magnify rapidly over a “dreadful decade,” the first of the New Millennium. Polar caps would melt at alarming rates and there would be a 20 foot rise in sea level finishing off, finally, the entire Netherlands, London, New York City, Bangladesh, all of South Florida, and New Orleans (a partial list).

The Clinton team urged immediate ratification of Kyoto with a follow up round within a year accompanied by full exposure of the truth about future certainties.

Kelp and Lots of It, Raw

The chart above represents the
near perfection kelp as a nutrient.

While on his path of learning, Bush discovered that kelp, seaweed, was the near perfect food. It has the optimum balance of nutrients and grew at phenomenal rates, aided by warmer ocean environments. Importantly, it could be eaten raw which relieved any need for energy production in food preparation or service, a phenomenal energy savings.

A Simple Plan: The Bush Paradox

All along, George W. Bush knew he would feed the roving bands of starving people, the wretched of the earth as one of his favorite authors termed it. Sometime during the Clinton staff transition team presentation, he had an epiphany.

Giant Kelp: a Nutritional Bonanza

“We don’t stop global warming. We accelerate it. We may lose some cities but the people will simply move. Through the expansion of ocean mass, we will produce enough kelp to feed all the people on earth.” George W. Bush, 02.25.01

Bush quickly left the briefing and called his good friend, Warren Mitofsky, a respected quantitative public opinion pollster of some accomplishment and long time trusted Bush family friend. He asked that Mitofsky produce a population growth model through the next 50 years, which Mitofsky promised to finish promptly. He then called Don Rumsfeld and asked that the best quantitative modeling team available run density numbers on ocean mass required to produce sufficient kelp for Mitofsky’s population model.

The conclusion fit Bush’s conceptual model perfectly. To achieve sufficient kelp to feed the population explosion which would peak in 2050, Bush needed to institute environmental policies that would melt every drop of ice on both polar caps. The 20 foot rise in sea level plus the warming effect would generate a powerhouse of nutrient production. Harvesting would be simple; the food just washes up on shore or lingers off coast lines accessible to nearly anyone who can swim.

Faced with the possibility of starving hoards and infectious disease on a massive scale that would fell the healthy versus retaining a few obscure species and polar ice caps that produced nothing other tan obstruction for much needed fossil fuel, the choice was easy. Global warming became the official policy of the Bush administration, a policy deliberately designed to save the world’s population

Thus, George W. Bush became the first tragic hero of the environmental movement; willing to take the derision, contempt and mockery of the intelligentsia in order to serve mankind.

Copyright Riis-Debs. Permission to reprint in part or whole with attribution

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2006-05-12T13:31:00.000-04:00

What are you hiding?

Mass Spying on Americans treats citizens like terrorists:

bureaucratic failure or clever plan?

August Riis with Domenic Debs
May 13, 2006, New York City

Several months ago, the New York Times revealed that the government was spying on the conversations of US citizens without getting a warrant or any other type of clearance. At the time White House and other government representatives fired back that they needed to listen to terrorists and track their calls to stop “the next attack.”

The executive office denied any warrant less spying beyond that reported to Congress. The issue settled a bit until this week’s revelations. We now know that the National Security Agency (NSA) collected “transaction” records on all calls across the country except in areas served by Qwest Communications (formerly Mountain Bell). These transactions are the to-and-from records of every call you make: cell, land line, or otherwise.

August Riis found a strong connection between the terrorist surveillance program and the recent discovery of mass snooping. ECHELON, America's Secret Global Surveillance Network, is rumored to be the backbone for a new “monitor everybody” spy system. This is a radically new concept emerging in English speaking countries, lead by the United States and Great Britain. The concept stipulates that “every single citizen” is a potential enemy.

Riis booked an exclusive interview with Robert Malkmus, PhD, Professor of Politics and Ethic at the New York University Center for Advanced Strategic Studies. Author of over 40 scholarly texts, 200 articles, and former head of the President Clinton’s Cyber Ethics Initiative, Malkmus is considered the leading authority on citizen surveillance and government intrusion into private affairs.

August Riis Interviews Professor Malkmus

August Riis: We are trying to understand why the government feels that it has to spy on its citizens. Are there any antecedents to what we are witnessing now?

Professor Malkmus: Of course, domestic spying has been a hallmark of all governments dating back to ancient Greece. In those days one wasn’t able to listen in on a conversation unless one was in ear shot. Nowadays spies and government agencies have the ability to listen in on millions of conversations automatically using computers that can analyze the content of these conversations and record and archive them for review.

AR: You mean to say that the image of the FBI agent sitting in a van with headphones on, is long and gone.

PM: Yes, I have been doing research on governmental spying practices since the end of the Cold War and we are now witnessing an intensifying of spying activities tied to the so-called war on terrorism. The political will to use the technology against Americans is new however; there has always been some activity by government agencies targeted at dangerous political extremists and organized crime. Now, however, anyone can be a suspect and the target of wiretapping, the justification for this is that 9/11 could have been prevented had there been a more wide ranging wiretapping operation before the attacks. This is simply a way for the government to scare us into accepting its unconstitutional actions.

AR: You seem to be saying that there is much more than the fight against terrorism behind the NSA’s programs.

PM: Yes, you asked me earlier why the government feels that it needs to spy on us. Well, the answer is simple: control. By spying on us, the people in power know what we know without us knowing. In many countries the government spies on its political opponents to keep them in check. In the former USSR the apparatchik stayed in power for so long because of the KGB’s constant spying and the fear in everyone that no-one could be trusted. The loss of the freedom of expression is what kept the USSR and many other dictatorships going for so long. You only need to look at North Korea to understand how this process works. There, everyone is a potential government informer anything you say against the regime could lead you to labor camp.

AR: But we don’t live in a dictatorship and people here are free to say pretty much what they want without fear of ending up in jail.

PM: That is where you are wrong. The Patriot Act has in effect turned this country into a dictatorship. This coupled with Presidential signing orders which allow the White House to be the only governmental entity with any power over decision-making and you have a country where people can be imprisoned indefinitely without charge and even end up disappeared in Guantanamo. It is only now with the discovery of these NSA operations that people are becoming suspicious of the government’s actions.

AR: Well people will say, “I haven’t done anything wrong so why should I be a target of domestic spying?”

PM: Actually because of the technology used no one is a target and everyone is. The system that is in place allows the NSA or any other government agency to, for example, intercept any conversation be it on the phone or in an e-mail that has the word Osama in it. Or it could be a combination of words, like AK47, cocaine, bomb, environmental etc…
When ECHELON was first discovered there was an internet campaign to try and flood the system by incorporating a list of words that were supposedly picked up by the system, into e-mails. This was way before 9/11 and I definitely wouldn’t do it now, because NSA agents are not known for their sense of humor.

AR: So you believe that anything we say on the phone or in an e-mail can be picked up by the government, which leads us back to my original question, why?

PM: Well fear has worked at galvanizing public opinion in a tremendous way since 9/11, it made the president into a very popular figure who was seen to be steadfastly protecting us against marauding terrorist hoards hell-bent on destroying our way of life. It made us forget what an incompetent man he really was … until now. It is now, the government needs this domestic spying program, its survival depends on it. It allows it to be informed of its political opponents every move and it can keep in line the members of its own party.

AR: Excuse me, but you seem to be saying that the government not only spies on the Democrats but also on the Republicans.

PM: Yes. The parallels with other regimes like those of Hitler, Stalin and Mao for example are very clear. They all rose to power on the back of some great crusade against an enemy that threatened them and then followed up by installing an autocratic form of government which relied on its secret service and overall public paranoia to survive.

What we have witnessed here since 9/11, the Pearl Harbor of the PNAC, is simply a repetition of history. Of course, if the great dictators of the past had television numbing the minds of the masses the way it does now, they probably would have survived a lot longer. The growth of the internet however has somewhat diverted the public’s attention away from the television and more and more people are keeping informed in other non regulated ways. The threat for the powers that be, is that the populace becomes too well informed and organized. That is why they are trying in any way they can to take control of the internet, they realize its potential to disrupt their well laid plans.

But I digress, yes the White House is spying on Republicans, and like other dictatorial regimes it realizes that the real threat is from within. The RNC cannot be trusted to control its members. That is why I believe all Republicans members of congress are tightly monitored by the White House. Not only are their communications intercepted in order to find out where they stand on certain issues but their behavior is also investigated. Another reason why they are spied on is that their actions can sometimes lead them to being blackmailed, thereby insuring that they do not stray too far from the party line.

I believe we are witnessing the beginning of a very dangerous period in our nation’s history, where the people in charge are trying to use any means at their disposal to stay in power. The falling poll numbers, the state of the war in Iraq, the dissent of Republicans and the impending indictment of Karl Rove lead me to believe that the White House is planning something to avoid the elections in November. My worst scenario is an attack on Iran followed by reinstating conscription and eventually martial law. But we will see, maybe the internet will save us all.

Copyright Riis-Debs. Permission to reprint in part or whole with attribution.

2006-04-28T22:59:00.000-04:00

Murdoch to Make a Hard Left Turn

Replacements Ready and Willing

August Riis with Domenic Debs

April 29, 2006, New York City

Olberman mocked the secrecy of the Murdoch – Democrat deal, saying,
“Shhh…I’m headed back home." He was a Fox Sports reporter who was paid
not to report due to conflicts with management there

Image from www.Olbermann.org

Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel is about to stun the political world. Fox will take a hard left turn in its political coverage. Long known as the first choice among right wing Republicans, Murdoch hopes the move will place Fox just ahead of the rapidly changing trends of American politics. International Press investigative reporter August Riis has worked for weeks cultivating an insider who has been with Murdoch publications from the origins in Australia through the current media empire.

Instead of doing this gradually, the plan is for a sudden switch from the current format to a centrist at first and then clearly Democratic leaning organization. The insider said “Look to the Sun.” Riis did and found evidence to support the insider’s claims.

Just before the 1997 British general election, Murdoch took the decision to steer his London Sun sharply to the left, the populist newspaper at the time suddenly proclaiming its support for Blair. This dramatic editorial decision is to be repeated if our insider is correct. Already replacements for the American Fox cable news operation editorial staff are waiting in the wings as this article goes to press.

Murdoch has been following the polling done for Fox by Opinion Dynamics. The most recent 33% Bush approval rating was a shocker. Murdoch told our source, “There’s nowhere to go for this dipstick (Bush). He’s fouled Iraq, blown the oil possibilities, and people are rightfully fed up.”

Murdoch is making the changes out of fear and pure pragmatism. Fox has been very high profile in attacking Democrats and anyone else opposing Bush. Fox realizes that a huge Democratic win in 2006 (predicted by their own polls) means an angry Democratic majority in both houses. The attitude and environment could turn suddenly hostile.

There are a number of senior Democrats who remember Murdoch’s expedited citizenship granted by the Gingrich led Republican Congress (necessary to own American media at the time). One long time Congressional aid said, “When we win, and we will, it’s pay back time. We’re going to nail this bastard to the wall.” It’s this attitude that Murdoch believes he must quell in order to survive in America.

The quid pro quo is simple. Murdoch will make the switch in the next 30 days. The Democratic leadership will guarantee no hostile investigations following the 2006 elections. Fox will move quickly with a mea culpa and then focus on the many Bush Administration scandals.

The first major move of talent into Fox will include Keith Olberman taking over from O’Reilly. Fox will force O’Reilly to debate Olberman on O’Reilly’s show and then award the show to the MSNBC favorite who worked for Fox years ago. Our source asked Murdoch if he was worried that O’Reilly might actually win the debate. Murdoch responded, “Rubbish, O’Reilly is a gallah (an idiot, a clown), a bully who backs down when forced to stand on his own.”

One Democratic insider pointed out that the party plans to get rid of media monopolies. This is a bold move by Murdoch to avoid being lumped in with Clear Channel, CBS, NBC, and ABC as a Bush collaborator. History makes strange bed fellows, predicting history makes for stranger alliances.

Copyright Riis-Debs. Permission to reprint in part of whole with attribution.

2006-04-10T05:12:00.000-04:00

EXCLUSIVE

David and Goliath:
How Chavez plans to bring the

to its knees.

IP gets an interview with a highly placed Venezuelan official

Highlights Chavez's plans

August Riis
International Press Senior Correspondent
April 11, 2006

Through an exclusive interview with a Chavez administration official, International Press investigative reporter August Riis, learns how the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez plans to inflict great damage on the USA, and cause chaos around Election Day 2006.

Polls now show the Democrats as prohibitive favorites to win back congress. By 50 to 30% margin, the public prefers a Democratic controlled congress.

Not many people are aware of the fact that a Venezuelan company, Smartmatic, purchased one of the big three US voting equipment manufacturers. Several months ago DeLaRue, the right wing British information conglomerate decided to “shed” Sequoia Voting Systems. The mysterious Venezuelan information firm, Smartmatic stepped unto the plate. While America insisted that Dubai not guard its ports, a voting machine manufacturer was sold to a nation at odds with America’s vision for the world (including the Bush vision of ending the Presidency of Hugo Chavez).

International Press correspondent Autust Riis recently made contact with a senior official in the Chavez government who had startling revelations on their plans for “Attack on Democracy: American Chaos 2006” as their effort is called.

According to the official the attack will be carried out in two phases.

The first is the most insidious, it involves the Venezuelan government owned voting machine manufacturer Sequoia in what can only be called an attack on democracy. The second will be the switch to the Euro for sales of Venezualan oil.

August Riis (AR): Why should we take you seriously about controlling our elections?

Senior Administration Official (SO): Sir, you should take us seriously because we can and we will decide the results of the elections in November. Through the work Sequoia and Smartmatic have carried out we are confident that we can do it. During the bidding process in many cases we have had close contact with our competitor’s equipment and had time to access their vulnerabilities.

Correspondent Riis with Senor Official somewhere in Caracas

AR: What are you saying exactly?

SO: Not only can we affect the results on our machines but we have devised a way of accessing the other machines with very little effort. Americans scoff at their Latin brothers as though we’re children but our electronics industry is truly major league and your election machine businesses are not even semi-pro.

AR: But what do you intend to gain by rigging the coming elections?

SO: We have two approaches. We will make sure that whichever party leads before the polls open is actually the loser. If the Democrats are behind, then they win and we do too. The Republicans keep hatching plots to throw us out and imprison our president in Gitmo. That would be a relief. On the other hand, if we find the Democrats ahead, we’ll be just as happy with a Republican victory. Another two years of Republican control of Congress and the United States will be bankrupt. That would serve our ends just as well. America laughs at us now but we will be the power broker for the Western Hemisphere after November 2006.

AR: Why have the leader in the polls lose the election?

SO: Chaos! In some ways, we will probably need to cause a Republican victory. That would outrage the nation and lead to civil insurrection. One of our senior strategists wants us to take financial control of Gallup and Rasmussen so we can actually show a Republican comeback, causing us to make the Democrats the winners. Another advisor pointed out that these organizations will do that any way, so why bother. We won’t be investing in American polling companies.

AR: Why the need for control?

SO: We have seen what has happened in recent elections and we feel that we can not let the coming elections take place without our intervention. In order to carry our switch to the Euro, which will strengthen our nation's position on the world stage; we need to have a government which will not threaten us with war like they did to Iraq after their switch. If the Republicans win, the country will be in chaos. If the Democrats win, well, they won’t bother with us. But by making the loser the winner, the party behind emerge as the leader, America will be so preoccupied with its own problems, it will be impotent.

At this point, the Senior Administration Official said he had to excuse himself. He asked that we not reveal his identity.

Somewhere in Caracas Venezuela, August Riis reporting.

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2006-04-07T02:13:00.000-04:00

American Workers Accepting “Chinese Work Day” Challenge

Chicago Teamsters cheer the adoption of Chinese Work Day.
Say they will meet competition head on.

By Dominic Debs
International Press Staff Writer
Thursday, April 8, 2006

Chicago. (IP) Workers from the “city with broad shoulders,” Chicago, IL, are starting what they hope will be a trend. “Chinese Work Day” is an attempt to make American workers more competitive and keep jobs in the United States. The announcement was made at the Teamster Union, Local 43 April 5, 2006.

Members of local 43 will take one day each month and work day similar to their bother workers in China. “Chinese Work Day” will entail 12 hours of challenging manual labor with only one break, 15 minutes for lunch. During this replica of Chinese working conditions, workers will be pressed hard by their bosses, not allowed customary “smoke” breaks, and pushed to the limits of their physical ability. They will receive the prevailing Chinese worker wage of $0.85 an hour with comparable Chinese health and worker’s compensation benefits.

A spokesman for the Teamsters said, “We’re in a dog fight to keep jobs right here in America. ‘Chinese Work Day’ is our way of showing that we have the brightest, most adaptable, and motivated work force in the world.” This second-to-no-one spirit was echoed by union worker, Ned Yablonski who said, “I take a back seat to no one. I can work a month of Chinese Work Days if I have to…and I may.”

The idea is spreading rapidly with several Southwestern state union locals jumping on board. In Texas, Dallas local Brotherhood of Electrical Workers president, Doug “Skeets” Christianson announced that the local will adopt Chinese Work Day. The local is also contacting Chinese worker groups in Shanghai about an exchange program. Christianson said, “I want to see first hand what we’re competing with. No place better to find out than the horses mouth.”

Bush Labor Department undersecretary for globalization, E. Douglas Pillsbury, III, gave a strong endorsement of Chinese Work Day. His written press release noted, “We may not like it but we live in a global not a gated community. Workers here can’t expect to compete with the Chinese or other low wage work forces unless they’re willing to make a real effort. Understanding and mirroring major foreign competitors might just keep jobs here in America.”

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