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POPSWars sending U.S. into ruin. Obama’s Afghan “surge” of 30,000 new troops will cost an additional $33 billion — more than Germany’s total defence budget. Military and intelligence spending relentlessly increase as unemployment heads over 10% and the economy bleeds red ink. America has become the Sick Man of the Western Hemisphere, an economic cripple like the defunct Ottoman Empire. The Pentagon now accounts for half of total world military spending. Add America’s rich NATO allies and Japan, and the figure reaches 75%. China and Russia combined spend only a paltry 10% of what the U.S. spends on defence. There are 750 U.S. military bases in 50 nations and 255,000 service members stationed abroad, 116,000 in Europe, nearly 100,000 in Japan and South Korea. Military spending gobbles up 19% of federal spending and at least 44% of tax revenues. During the Bush administration, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — funded by borrowing — cost each American family more than $25,000.
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POPSUS hopes to route Taliban in new front on Afghan War KABUL (AP) -- A new and possibly decisive chapter of the Afghan war is unfolding. The U.S. is preparing a major attack on the Taliban, the militants are being squeezed in their Pakistani sanctuaries, and the Afghan government is trying to draw them into peace talks. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/02/06/2010-02-06_us_hopes_to_route_the_taliban_in_new_front_on_the_afghan_war.html#ixzz0es9am7cH
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POPSTaliban make children plant IEDs to thwart Army snipers A senior Army source said: ‘The Taliban know that if they get caught in the sights of our snipers, they don’t last long, so they have resorted to hiding behind compound walls and directing children to plant bombs for them. ‘Lots of home-made IEDs detonate before they have even been laid, but the Taliban don’t seem to care whether a child gets killed or maimed. Some boys are as young as 12.’
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POPSTreo the dog awarded animal VC "The medal is recognised throughout the world as the animals' Victoria Cross and is the highest award any animal can receive for bravery in the line of duty. Treo is, without doubt, a worthy recipient." The award was introduced by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943. Treo will be the 63rd animal to receive the medal, following in the footsteps of 26 other dogs, 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.
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POPS4Troops: Band Of Brothers-In-Arms The idea came from Sony executives, who asked Hurtado to create an ensemble that could sing, tour and raise money for veterans groups. A percentage of proceeds benefit a range of charities, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Read more: http://nosheepleshere.blogspot.com/2010/02/4troops-band-of-brothers-in-arms.html#ixzz0ekSLpytU
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POPSstealing a nation yep- another example of our far reaching gifts of freedom- and democracy- we should be ashamed- instead we pick up guns and bibles- and tell ourselves- we are giving people a better life.....what people? this links to a video
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POPSUS citizens may be murdered by their government WTF ? What about innocent until proven guilty ? I seem to remember western law has been based on protection from arbitrary punishment since The Magna Carta or there abouts. It`s particularly alarming as a top US military chap in Afghanistan said that most of their intelligence was `fantasy`. And people complain about Iran and Venezuela ?
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POPSLAW ENFORCEMENT VS TERRORISM McConnell said that eight years after the September 11 attacks, the nation is continually reminded of the need to remain vigilant. “In September we learned of a plot to bomb the New York City subway,” McConnell said. “Soon after that, there was the tragic massacre at Ft. Hood. Then, on Christmas Day, there was the failed attempt by a foreign-born terrorist to kill nearly 300 innocent civilians in a commercial airliner in the skies over Detroit. “Our elected leaders have no greater duty than that of protecting the American people from harm, The Obama administration’s policy of having the FBI read the Miranda rights to terrorists captured on the battlefield in Afghanistan is “outrageous,” Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) told CNSNews.com. “To me, this is the most outrageous notion I have ever heard,” said Inhofe. “These people are terrorists, they don’t have rights, they don’t belong to a country that is identifiable.”
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POPS"In the Clutches of the American Monster."
A QUOTE: "From here we start our struggle to get our sister released from the clutches of the American monster." is how this article ends, referring to the guilty verdict for a Pakistan scientist, mother of three. As we now know (right?) people are held in U.S. secret prisons for years and years, without trials, tortured, and murdered (one murder conviction thus far, for beating a general to death). Aafia Siddiqui, according to many reports, was one of those victims, held for years in jail, a secret prison, tortured and raped. After escape she was hunted down, arrested by Afghan authorities, and when U.S. troops showed up to take her away she grabbed a gun from one of the guards and shot them down. TYPICALLY, we haven't heard much about this trial: evidence, Q&A, what she said when she was on the witness stand --- but we get a lot of commentary about it. Humm...We're suppose to believe she was also plotting to blow up the Statue of Liberty. But we've managed to do th