Summaries of 2006, our fifth year: HomeGuard News

For these articles see: First Quarter, 2006

January 2006 ... 01/07/06 ... Lots of news: Bush has said, often enough, "when the job is finished" measurements show lack of progress, yet we slowly withdraw from Afghanistan ... working on Syria's new leaders ... Israel's Likud wants to "bomb Iran" and the Turks want in on it ... a sorry milestone in Iraq ... sectarian violence more to the fore ... Iraq's fault lines show the clearer for the election ... Bush tells McCain "Ill follow the law when it suits me and won't when it doesn't ... South America leaves the US sphere of influence while Bush does what? ... Abramoff's scandal simmers on ... Bushwhacky shows how to sign a law and evade it at the same time .. 1/14/06 ... sabre rattling against Iran ratchets up, sanctions that bite, meaning oil embargoes, won't happen ... Iran's NAZI past and our connections ... another layer of chaos in Iraq, as if we need one ... many helicopters lost ... Which city in Iraq is both the "safest" and a "hotbed of resistance." No bang for our homland security buck ... Ecology and climate changes show more and more ... We get our own Kyoto ... and Bush's Alito has a thing for the "Unitary Power" of the presidency ... 1/21/06 ... Gotta keep this short: Afghantistan violence on the uptick, we'are on the downdraw ... Iran: don't forget China's role, the fact that they DO have oil in a "drum tight" market, and the link between it and Israel and nuclear weapons ... Bremmer's excuse for a book or book of excuses, yellow cake AGAIN! Goofing up in Pakistan, how our media just don't want to "get it" that they're part of the problem, to busy shooting off mouths ... US insecure over foreign dollars ... the housing bubble and a couple of items from/about Dr. King ... 1/28/06 ... What's new about border troubles around Pakistan? Nothing ... before we "strike Iran" do you not think we should consider the "blow back factor" like we did not do with Iraq? ... Energy wars and an article on "Peak Oil" ... In what other war would a 30% increase in enemy attack be "a good thing"? ... The terror war, what we don't do makes the difference ... Homeland Security is after students and old folks ... the press leaving Iraq ... the future looks uncomfortable for the US and, I'll bet, the Dems become the fall persons ...

 February 2006 ... 02/04/06... Iran, the situation continues, tension increases, but the leadership in Iran seems to have made "popular" choices, nukes included ... a new section, the energy wars not including Iraq and Iran .. Tony Blair on global warming... another "Downing Street" is revealed but does it matter how criminally Bush acts? ... segregation and sectarianism in Iraq and "everyone" seems to want us out, even us ... we are loosing our "voice to the world" the scoop on Haiti, a bit of recent history and insight - not pretty... the US recovery that isn't ... the new wave of Christian radical, uh, debaters, no really ... involuntary servitude and what it means for the US army ... 02/26/06 ... Does it seem only to get worse? Lebanon has rumors of sectarian strife, Iraq blew up over the couirse of the week, no end in sight overall ... we cannot seem to effectively isolate Hamas, not from Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the Chinese for that matter ... now forming an "Alliance of Arabs"? ... China and Iran cutting deals? ... The cartoon controversy continues to take lives ... Bird Flu: the problem grows ... poor coverage by the press and the war on terror gets short shrift ... Gitmo, oh well, more on that sorry assed tale but there are a couple of hopeful stories,yup so it's not all bad.

 March 2006 ... 03/04/06... Well, the words "civil war" keep getting used, casualties continue, terrorist threats mount, India keept its nukes to itself, Iran continues to "go its own way" and, in a now, certainly, multi - polar world, varied interests are at play throughout south asia. From Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, even India, as I've said, to Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Israel, as well as from Sudan, the Subsaharea to the suburbs of Paris, or so it would seem, that instability, mismanagement, and the firey mix that the "old hands" call the acronym "G.O.D." standing for Gold, Oil and Drugs, and, now, ironically, a certain religious foment which has I ran and the US in the hands of "true believers" who belive the end times are near and that a prophet's rebirth is at hand. Bush' main fault is that he has presided over the greatest loss of American influence and power to date, bar none. Prior to his "installation" the world was near unipolar. Gradually, there was a lending of support to US leadership, globally, no one comapred to u s in terms of favorable view, the number of alliances, the interconnectedness of economy, the total value of funding for socially beneficial causes and so forth. The cold war was costly to the US, we did dirty our hands, however, it was a "good fight". However, as I have said, Bush has all but assured that the US supremecy over the world was damaged, and I believe dangerously so. It is, further, my contention that the Blue portions of the US publicly dissassociate themeslves from the federal governmenet, that they announce to the world that they no longer support the Bush policies. I assert that because Bush has endangered the public, because the electoral system was so flawed as to give Bush the election unfairly, because this polcies have endangered the public, and because the people have been swindled out of thier votes, that the blue states ccease supporting the Iraq war by discontinuing the participation of their National Guard units. These and otehr volunteers should stay in their home states to be stationed as need be for purposes of serving the public when in need. The world needs to see that we do not support Bush. To not do so is to now invite danger only to mount. Bush cannot be trusted to keep us safe, he has, in fact only increased the risks that each and every American faces, on a daily basis. Further, additional corps of volunteers need be organized into militias so as to keep the public order, maintain peace, and guarantee the support for constitutional law. Oh, well, I rant on, check out the stories.... 03/11/-6 ... Israel and Hamas settle into irreconcilable positions, surprised anyeon? Is Russia helpful here?... Iraq's government seems to be "irrelevant" to the situation ... civil war? ... Iran and the US also continue their dance of danger with neither side voicing hints of compromise or accomodation ... Pakistan fighting breaks out here, there ... Oil wars in Nigeria, friction between Japan and China and what is a petrodollar? ... Global warming, North Korea wants attention and voting problems revisited in Alaska of all places 3/18/06 ... people prepare for civil disruption, war etc... Sadr ascends to broader and broader roles ... Hamas and Israel what will "give" there? ... magic batallions, how we fight a battle - against no one ... only rumors of an attack on Iran ... water wars? ... and greenhouse gasses has 2004 as a record breaker ... press blamed for the war? ... Oh well. 03/25/06 ... left a lot of stories out of this issue, sectarian violence continues in Iraq ... American terrorist gets caught with his leg blown off, but is rescued from justice by the FBI ... more but it's just sick.

For these articles see: Second Quarter, 2006

 April 2006 Saudi's after the bomb with Pakistani help? ... global warming gets acceptable, Iran sports a new missile ... nukes smuggled into the US ... tyranny at home ... another memo ... and more. 4/08/06 ... a 12 part article on the threat to oceanic stability and viability even ... So if Hamas does not get funding from the West, who will it turn to? What will happen if it falls into chaos? ... Shooting ourselves in the foot in Iraq, Condigirl out of touch, again ... Iraqi resistance movements achieving the impossible, thanks to us ... Iran's war games and bluster ... One professor recommends killing off 90% of humanity to solve problems, I wonder if he thinks it is a "final solution" 4/15/06 ... Wunnerful in taxication day no? We've another estimate of how many hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's have died during our "visit" there, no government, casualties up, generals complain, we silence those who expose ... and I say, what IS our Iran plan? ... What cards do Russia and China hold in that game? ... Mother Nature continues to wildly signal while we're asleep at the fuckin' wh eel ... and last, the loss of the good will from nearly everyone south of the Rio Grande hints at something else, is there a connection between the newly "liberated" anti- US region and the large scale protests regarding immigration? Do we have a potential for repeating something like what happened in France? Interesting thought that 4/22/06 ... WHAT its only April? ... Saudis kiss up big to China ... thousands leave Iraq ... a new force there does what it wants ... Russia plays nice with its Palestinian pals ... a new axis of terror is named ... is somenoe playing Pakistan against India? ... Global warming shows in various ways ... some quotable quotes from the "run up to the war" ... Russians believe the US is a global danger ... and aome 9/11 articles regarding the science of the collapse of the towers 4/29/06 ... the term "civil war" is being applied to Palestine, along with "chaos" It looks like our plan is working ... Sunni and Shia in other areas, besides Iraq, look at each other differently ... armed forces move into Kikurk, no indiginous militias, I mean ... Iran must like the "hot seat treatment" But doesn't seem to give a fig ... China makes deals in Saudi Arabia ... Bush's idea of what "Earth Day" is all about ...

 May 2006 05/06/06 ... Turkey and Iran boost border deployments along Iraq's border, shelling is occasional ... Afghanistan's hand off begins, our new infastructure crumbles and annoys ... US admits sectarian violence exists in Iraq ... will it be the US versus Iran, China and Russia? ... Pakistan's most recent set of troubles ... Nigeria's oil war ... about half US streams polluted ... global warming's side effects ... freedom of the press, globally, is not waxing strong ... gang activity in the US forces in Iraq ... South America's "Axis of good" 05/13/06 ... EU, Caribean and South American nations prepare for a "free trade zone" ... what do we owe the American Indians, yank a fair judge of the case and we'll find out ... millions of Americans have thier data ... uh ... well ... not looked at ... filed ... not searched , really ... and its only for the bad Americans anyway ... Diebold machines back in the news ... how the press "covers" Iran ... and don't even think about US policy regarding Israel, it's not on the menu ... destroying Iraq to save it ... all hail Egypt's progress toward democracy truncheons and water cannons make for happy happy ... 05/20/06 Iran must be happy with the choice of Iraq's prime minister - who else is? ... Egyptian democracy takes a step backwards ... uptick in Afghan violence continues for over a year ... Battle of Baghdad continues as do retaliatory Moque bombings ... We change our mind on North Korea, sort of ... HIV AIDS in Russia, China's dust, African meltdowns ... we ignor the world because we can and don't seem to know much about it. 05/27/06 ... China makes moves, sips new oil ... the debacle in Palestine worsens, and worsens and worsens .... US and Israel: how do they come to "agree so much" ... Iraq: a new Abu Graib, a civil war, corruption, and starting on the very wrong foot regarding police etc... the Iranathon continues ... Pakistan's forgotten war ... polar ice dissapearing at an even faster pace than thought .

June 2006 06/04/06 ... How we've "blown"the terror war a three part special ... Hamas and Israel sitting in a tree, but they ain't kissing, no chance of that in our life time, or so it seems ... Iraq has a new scandal, but it does not seem to be "rare" to the Iraqis at all, insurgent attacks significantly up and new battles brewing for cities we already hold, sort of ... Iran's hand vis a vis that of the US in the stand off ... the sadness of Darfur is also complex ... this may be the year even Americans wake up to "global warming" ... Daddy's girls help on the world stage of HIV/AIDS ... backtracking US military and government lies in Korea and election 2000, 2004 and 2006 portending 2008 yippee!!!! 06/10/06 ... Palestinians face starvation, a financial crisis amd Hamas calls off the cease fire ...in Iraq 21 billion dollars is missing, Zarqawi's death was a done deal? ... yellow cake lies ... how trucking oil funds the resistance and, well anything ... An Iranian woman, nobel laureate, and persecuted by her government, speaks out on the nuke issue and a deadline comes into view ... Bush Boy gets a pass on the wiretap flap ... 06?17/06 China makes moves ... Kazakhstan's new "space city" ... more global warming "stuff" ... horrible stats for Palestinian children ... the "lost" Iraqi oil ... The quadrille: Iran, US, Russia and China continues ... more Pakistani's volunteer for Afghanistan's jihad ... troubles for the "terror" war and Bush gets a big fat "F"

For these articles see: Third Quarter, 2006

July 2006 07/01/06 ... Election fraud past, present and yet to come ... terror war flops, flips and goof offs ... Hurricane victims 10 months later - tens of thousands homeless, teacher union busted up and a fortune in fresh water wasted daily ... Palestine and Israel the tragedy that keeps on giving ... troop levels in Iraq depend on, you guessed it, the election cycles over here in the US ... exporting political trickery to help Mexico elect a "good choice" ... Updates on the Bird Flu ... Ohio's candidate for governor gets to count the votes ... and more than you'll ever want to know 07/08/06 ... the "Israeli Conflict flares ... numerous failures in Iraq a much touted "control of Basra" a hint of Shia resistance and Iraqi sectarian media is not helping ... Iran continues on the back burner with friends China and Russia ... What happened to the George Washington of Afghanistan? ... China's hand in Africa ... victory in Mexico despite fraud and missing ballots ... Guantanamo suicide plot is a national security matter, seriously folks ... maybe global warming's first big shock will come from the oceans ... airport safety needs work as does the WOT the man replacing Zarqawi, with 5 mil on his head can be found in an Egyptian jail ... Russia and a "different drummer" 07/15/06 A new war in the middle east, just what I always wanted ... you shouldn't have, thanks! ... Russia and the US have disagreements ... Iran's advantages in the area ... "all restraint" if there was any, is gone now, it seems in Baghdad, an exodus begins as does house by house "resettlement" if that's what it can be called ... Afghanistanis are finally getting organized, at least amid the resistance movements - any end in sight there? Bumper crop of poppy's I hear ... Korea, what more can I say? Warmest year on record puts the US continental region 3.5 degrees closer to the next notch up . 07/21/06 ... the focus on Lebanon, of course, lots of stories, milk factories and aid convoys bombed, cries for help and Bush, the dumbbell, gives Israel a week or so to do what it needs to do ... more evidence for global warming and why Africa will be hit hardest ... two new wars aborning, one in the horn of Africa the other may involve Turkey attempting to "secure" its border with the Kurdish region of Iraq ... the lull in Afghanistan waits for only a brief while ... Jihadi's in Pakistan, the unanswered factor in many of the regional "equations" otherwise called wars 07/29/06 ... Iraqi banking goes to the dogs, peace efforts creak to a sitting start as the threat of a widening war remains or grows ... Israel has problems with this operation, calls up thousands of reserves ... Hezbollah's survival puts "stable" Arab governments at risk ... Iran allows volunteers to go ... even as our long standing plans for Iran see the light of day ... A bad year in Afghanistan ... Mother Nature is on the move, big time these days, one wonders when we will be forced to notice ... what is imperial impotence?

August 2006 ... 08/05/06 ... Most of the coverage is on Lebanon, the fierce struggle the changing goals given by Israel, speculation on what they might want, historically speaking ... Iran's involvement ... cluster bombs and phosphorous weapons used - Geneva convention anyone? US laws violated as well by Israel's use of our weaponry in "this kind" of war ... another report on the "troubled waters" that are our oceans ... Syria is on alert ... An interesting notion of why Saddam "had to go" ... Afghanistan had a bad year, and now it's NATO's turn, casualties take an uptic ... A new source of "terrorism waaaaay south of the Rio Grande ... speaking of that Mexico's election ... 08/12/06 ... UN agreement but the details are fuzzy, Iran has a role ... It's a mess that may have a glimmer of hope now ... Will this mean Iraq gets back in the news? What about Afghanistan? Dead Zones and Global warming take a toll... 08/19/06 ... Israeli violation of the cease fire ... No one is rushing in for "Lebanon duty" even France is slow ... Iraq is back and with bad news ... still there is talk abouit n attack on Iran's nukes ... Afhanistan's bad month ... our goof up on the terror war ... Mexico shouws the US how to protest a questionable election ...A guilty Bush 08/27/06 ... How long will Iran yank the US chain? Lebanon's peace holds, CondGirl's birth pangs has created something new alright, but not what we want, by far ... Afghanistan heats up ... I wonder who will ask "who lost Somalia?" ... the effects of climate change become more widespread and impact a wide range of natural cycles ... the US press is still a lapdog for anyone but the people ... bungling the war on terror and China plays it's hand the world over.

September 2006 ... 09/02/06 ... the news from Iraq is bad, attacks up, casualties up, sectarian attacks up and people are leaving by the thousands ... but all is not bad, some like the region in chaos - it serves their purposes ... spill over into Turkey ... how those in charge now appeased Saddam before ... Iran gets the blame, bad press, and is drooled upon by neo-con nutjobs who happen to be running things ... the bird flu threat is matched by a tuberculosis strain that is very resistant ... don't blow the whistle in New Orleans ... Mexico gets dicier as protests continue and tempers fray ... 09/09/06 ... China's relationship with Sudan and the Darfur humanitarian crisis, can you spell O - I - L? ... half of Afghanistan is lost, NATO's forces there want reinforcements meanhile Pakistan cuts a sweetheart deal with Taliban run Waziristan returning weapons and setting free many, many prisoners ... Gaza should be on life support, but it's not ... a joyful farmer in Greenland welcomes global warming and they hope to raise cattle up there some time soon ... down in the mid latitudes droughts are now more than annoying ... Election time in the US so we get another Bin Laden tape ... and voting rights being curbed in the US in oh so many ways 09/16/06 ... Blair to get the boot ... how much is the Iraqi oil worth these days anyway? ... on loosing Anbar province ... now that Lebanon has simmered down Afghanistan takes its place Brits say it is a botched job thanks to the US ... ramping up for an Iran gambit and losses in Somalia ... Arctic news: its warmer than ever and more is to come ... Bin Laden and 5 years after ... China in Africa as unusual as cattle in Greenland ... I have my bets for this fall's elections, Repuglicans hold on and the Democraps crap out, again ... what a mess. 09/23/06 ... Israels nearer enemies beging to chat it up ... Russian nukes being left behind ... The mysterey of Darfur is spelled O - I - L ... US goverment wants it both ways Saddam liked/dis not like Al Qaida ... Afghanistan heats up, NATO calls for help ... a bit of Iran/US history ... border fencing and the South American revolution continues ...9/30/06 ... Saudi's want to fence off Iraq ... polls of Iraqi's, the rates of attacks, casualties and sectarian violence and our own evaluations of the situation provide enough bad news for everyone ... carving up Iraq is on the Iraqi agenda, but if and when it occurs it will be after GW is out of office, how nice ... Afghanistan heats up and we may have a ten year timeline - IF all goes well ... China in Africa - more than meets the eye ... oh and global warming breaks a million year record ... and a loss of even MORE constitutional rights

For these articles see: Fourth Quarter, 2006

October 2006... 10/07/06 ... North Korea gets ready to detonate a bomb? ... the squeeze on Palestine constricts via money and gasoline ... A hero in Iraq and bloody days continue ... Sudan and the UN face off while China watches from the wings ... and its "CondiGirl" but not to the rescue it seems - did she loose her mojo or her makeup bag? ... a five day bombinhg plan for Iran ... and, just in time for elections, it is the 9/1`1 saga and one wonders why the election is getting coverage - the fix is in in IMHO. 10/14/06 ... We "bust a move" on North Korea but China softens the blow, they did detonate a nuke ... casualties up in Iraq, attacks too and instability ... A Brit says their forces are a cause for much of the chaos ... the "Caspian Contest" for oil and influence ... Foley's "member" is what gives Repuglcians a run for their money ... 10/21/06 ... Nasty details about how Krazy Kim got the bomb ... misstatements in the press regarding how the Korean Crisis evolved ... Iraq hundreds of thousands dead, the naton slowly splitting up, sectarian caxulties at "civil war" levels and our casualty rates climbing ... Action in the Horn of Africa ... the "oil politics" of the Iraq invasion ... and how we've just lost essential civil rights - anyone can be accused and disappeared in the US now - it is legal to do so. Election hype has a dem tide, but the worms are working and, though I hope I am wrong, I believe the election will see no substantial change in its results. 10/28/06 ... lots of stories about Dems gaining ground ... I'll believe it when I see it - even more so if they make a difference ... we stay in Iraq because of the blood bath that will happen if we leave - too early that is ... and BOY am I glad Bush has never been a "stay the course" kind of guy ... RumDum and CaseLoad both say Iraq isn't in a civil war, by their definition the US never had one either ... then, if we only had a strong man to run Iraq ... oil heats up the struggle and chaos in Chad and Sudan ... the US still leads in small arms distribution ... the math has it that we're on track to loose both Iraq and Afghanistan

November 2006... 11/04/06 ... Haliburton pulls out of Iraq, is it a coincidence that the money has run out as well, to bad most of the work wasn't done ... or is it? ... the disparity between what they say about Iraq when no one is expected to hear and what they shout from the rooftops ... a visit to a "secure" town ... a slew of stories about Pakistan my "favorite" for instability ... China plays a subtle hand in Africa - can anyone spell neo-colonialism? ... the "democratic tide" gets press coverage, but even then it is qualified ... expect little however and I still mean that - even though there is a nagging sense of hope ... 11/11/06 ... Pakistan's truce with its own "wild west" falls apart ... US elections prove me wrong, I'm glad, but will wait for the "magic of March" to see what is what ... has Isreal lost the deal with a truce? ... big mouths in Israel talk about attacking Iran and "homogonizing" the Israeli population ... meet "Riverbend" a blogging woman from Baghdad, she's been referenced before but she's worth the visit ... China's hand in a continental plan ... 11/19/06 ... Blair busts a move on the ME peace "thingy" and gets played and goofed as the street kids would put it ... Palestine has just a trace of civil war, Lebanon's government shows divides and the US again on the short end of its own ... uh ... "stick" ... A retiring "top" marine commander of our Iraq mission talks abouit why it went so WRONG ... surrounding nations get nervous ... the US approach to Iran might be called that if it wasn't, um, chaotic ... and does it help that NATO is "on the line" in Afghanistan? 11/25/06 ... LA times now calls it civil war, no one else does .... Iraq government threatend with collapse as Boy George meets Maliki in Jordan ... Iran wants to host a meet up with Syria and Iraq and probably representatives from Lebanon - the US is not enthused regarding this ... Lebanon takes steps toward what? Polarization is making headlines there, assassinations and power plays ... a few thousad are forced to move daily, few thousand leave the country daily, and a few thousand die each month with US casualties up, it may be the worst month in the occupation's short history... luckily we have six options ... meanwhile there are still voices in the US governemt talking about an attack on Iran ... 2000 bombing sorties in Afghanistan compared to 88 in Iraq a sign of things going well?

December 2006 12/02/06 ... European nations WERE involved with extraordinary rendition ... surprised? ... Carter says we've made a huge blunder in Iraq, I think he's understated it ... Saudi Arabia and Iran begin to duke it out in Lebanon and, if the truth be told, in Iraq ... self immolation in Chicago ... A summit with Maliki goes nowhere ... Iran's "lookin' good" ... US planning to withdraw from Anbar and reetake Baghdad, this time for sure, I would guess ... Condi says we can ignore Russian preferences when it comes to Iran and sanctions ... Afghanistan, loosing is slow but sure? ... Whose side are the "Paks" as Boy George calls them, on? ... Sudan's crisis spreading ... Limbaugh, the "turd with lips" speaks 12/09/06 ... The Baker Commission makes its report public, and it is a big yawn, Bush rejects vital parts and reviews are, well, "mixed" ... Mid East leaders in a panic ... Saudis and Iranians vie for Iraq ... Lebanon's capital divides, reports of brawls and fights, the first death in what no one will call sectarian strife or civil war, of course ... The "turning point" in the Iraq war was years ago, a few days into the mess ... strange bedfellows give the Taliban a substantial boost in Afghanistan ... the US military has "readiness problems, supply problems, manpower shortages, and a back log of repairs , sound sound to you? 12/16/06 ... fast flies the old year US and the Brits disagree on things ... a history of the Durant Line ... Saudi give a thumbs up for an Iran strike ... Israel's leader admits nukes ... Gaza's civil war is just getting under way, happy holidaze ... ethnic cleansing speeds up in Baghdad, the US considers taking sides in the civil war and the government is threatened from within ... Pakistan the only stable country that is not truly stable ... and a piece on Iraq's new oil law and how we've tied ourselves in knots. 12/23/06 ... US influence ebbs in Asia, the southeast looks more to China, the central region is more and more in play, see Kzyrgistan, and Turkmenistan ... how that pizza, years ago, fuels an ugly Republican's WH dreams ... stories about the draft keep circulating, annoying yes? ... the dollar's dive? ... our economy's linchpin, or keystone, the "housing industry" may be in for some shock and awe in 2007 ... Gaza and Palestine, the US and Brits foment divisive factions and their attacts, civil war anyone? CandyGirl goes wild with her new push on the Middle East. Are we weeks or a scant number of months away from an action in Iran? 12/30/06 ... Stories from around the world mark 2006 as a year of evident global warming, the world begins to take note ... Iraq devolves, one man's story regarding why he'll start his own militia ... "Jackass Joe" Lieberman wants to attack Iran ... The "great game" continues ... Pakistan's fence makes good sense? ... Somalia, the capital falls to the Ethiopian backed warlords, oh, I mean government ... US helps out ... the Dollar's danger signs cause wonder, or ennui ... Why Ford is not fondly rembered in Timor ... and Ann Coulter takes the cake, no, don't ask how, please ...