Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Alien Tentacles
This is the model for the next freaky space alien on the Simpsons. =)
Passiflora photographed at Strybing Arboretum
Passiflora photographed at Strybing Arboretum
Afghan father sets high price for sons killed in U.S. accident / He invokes Shariah code for compensation that no American commander could grant
Afghan father sets high price for sons killed in U.S. accident / He invokes Shariah code for compensation that no American commander could grant: "You give either 90 camels or 2 women. So for the 2 boys, 180 camels or 4 women. Or the driver.' "
Blogger Thought: I know this is no laughing matter....
Blogger Thought: I know this is no laughing matter....
Gutless Politicians Still Won't Answer 9/11 Questions; Truth Rally Calls For Treason And Murder Indictments Against Bush And Cheney
Articles, government corruption, freedom of speech, truth
Gutless politicians still continue to avoid the truth about 9/11, as this week in New York former 9/11 commissioner and Congressman, Timothy Roemer, avoided answering questions, running away like a scared rabbit when confronted by William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor who heard explosions in the North Tower basement and wanted to know why his testimony was omitted in the final report..
New York City – The 9/11 truth will be told. Bush and Cheney will be indicted for treason and murder. And immediately stop the killing and illegal war in Iraq.
These were the strong and poignant words ringing through the streets of New York Sunday as more than 250 9/11 truth protestors marched carrying “Impeach Bush” and “9/11 Inside Job” signs, the rally starting at the New York Times building and ending at the United Nations.
Organized by members of www.ny911truth.org, the rally was called to vent anger and make the public aware of the concerted effort by the mainstream media and the government to keep the truth about what really happened on 9/11 from the American people.
Although the corporate-elite media came out earlier in the day in force to cover the Ground Zero activities in honor of the 9/11 victims on the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, the media was predictably absent from protest rally just like it has been purposely absent for four years in covering compelling stories that contradict the flimsy government official account..
Protestors picked the New York Times building for a starting point, passing by the FOX, CNN and NBC buildings, to emphasize their feelings that media suppression has been primarily responsible for keeping the America from the truth about 9/11 and largely responsible for allowing government officials to get away with the murder of 3,000 fellow citizens at Ground Zero.
At the Sunday rally, William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor and last survivor of the North Tower, told the crowd his story about hearing and feeling explosions emanating from the sub level basement of the tower, prior to the plane striking the upper floors, has been systematically suppressed by the government, mainstream media and 9/11 Commission,
“They have done everything in their power to ignore my statements which directly contradict the government story,” said Rodriguez as the crowd chanted “let the truth be told.”
“I have at least 27 other people who are ready to testify that they also heard explosions, all who have been completely ignored by the 9/11 Commission. Also, the last drop of water fell from the glass and I realized all hope was lost to get at the truth when, the testimony I gave the commission behind closed doors last year, was omitted from the final report.”
This weekend, however, Rodriguez and his compelling story showing a controlled demolition took down the towers broke new ground as for the first time in four years a major news outlet carried his story.
Although he still hasn’t broken the television network barriers, his story aired on a one hour pre-recorded special for ABC radio and its nationwide affiliates. The story aired on the east coast Sunday evening at 7pm along with comments made by author David Ray Griffin who has written a scathing report about at least 101 lies presented in the final 9/11 Commission report.
Griffin, who also has been relegated for years to the alternative press, finally received a national audience for his scholarly efforts at revealing the truth about 9/11. Previously, Griffin, who has written two books about government lies and its cover-up of 9/11, said the 9/11 Commission report that received a national book award should have been declared a “”national disgrace.”
After Rodriguez finished speaking, former Lt. Col. USAF Dr. Robert Bowman gave the crowd a rousing political speech, calling for the immediate removal of Bush, Cheney and their cronies on charges of treason and murder.
The former fighter pilot who flew over 100 Vietnam combat missions and directed the Star Wars program under President Ford and Carter, said he took a solemn oath to protect his country from enemies both foreign and domestic, including defending against a rogue President like Bush.
“9/11 is based on a pack of lies. It wasn’t misjudgment, it was treason,” said Dr. Bowman as he called from the immediate removal of what he called the mob and crooks in the White.
Saying he received a kiss on the cheek by a family member who lost a loved one at 9/11 while walking in the march, Dr. Bowman reassured the audience those seeking truth about 9/11 and the illegal war in Iraq were “doing the right thing.”
“The entire Bush administration is based on deception and lies. They are needlessly killing off the youth of this country in the name of freedom and democracy when it is really for nothing but oil and greed.”
One of the final speakers at the rally, Donna Marsh, a mother who lost her pregnant daughter at Ground Zero, gave the most heart-felt emotional appeal, as tears came to her eyes and the eyes of many in the crowd, when she recalled how her daughter perished at the hands of what she called “criminals in the White House.”
“My daughter called after the first plane hit at 8:46a.m and said she was told not to leave the South Tower because it was safe. In fact she was told not to leave or she would be fired,” said Marsh to the crowd as well as repeating her statements on a Monday morning radio show called The Power Hour on Genesis Broadcasting Network..
“Where was NORAD? What really happened in those buildings? Why did they collapse so quickly like a controlled demolition? There are just so many unanswered questions the government refuses to answer, what other conclusion can be made other than our own government was involved in killing my daughter and 3,000 other Americans.
“I want George W. Bush as of this day forward he can no longer use my daughter’s name to spread war and killing throughout the world. From this day forward, I want my daughter’s name removed permanently from the official 9/11 victim’s list.”
After the rally lasting two hours, protestors doubled in size as they congregated at St. Marks Church where more speakers, including Pastor Frank Morales, attorney Phil Berg, who has filed a federal RICO conspiracy lawsuit against Bush, and attorney Mimi Rosenberg of WBAI radio, assured listeners they were in the movement “for the long haul, adding no longer can we as a people live in fear of our government.
They added that the 9/11 truth movement is just as important as the Revolutionary War in terms of preserving American freedoms and protecting against a tyrannical dictatorship bent on the ultimate destruction of America.
“As Americans we can no longer live in fear of George W. Bush and his band of criminals who all belong behind bars in jail,” said Berg, as he promised to work for people like Donna Marsh, who lost her daughter and William Rodriguez, a true American hero, adding he wouldn’t stop fighting for their freedoms until he put the entire neo-con gang behind bars.
“I promise I will never stop searching for the truth and one day the truth will be told.”
Earlier Saturday, 9/11 family members, survivors and victims held their own rally outside Ground Zero in what they called “Take Back the Memorial” in order to block government plans to build the International Freedom Center on the WTC site.
Family members say the government proposal seeks to honor America’s freedoms in general, including remembering such things as the holocaust and other wars, which minimizes the significance and long term remembrance of the victims who lost their lives at Ground Zero.
“All of those who were killed on 9/11 need to be remembered at a place that will pay homage to their story and show reverence to their memory,” said James Slevin, vice president of Legislative and Political Affairs of the 22,000 strong Uniformed Firefighters Association.
Although he wasn’t opposed to memorializing the great story of American freedom, he said Ground Zero wasn’t the appropriate place and should be left solely for the memory of those who perished on 9/11.
“We owe to all of the lives lost and to future generations, who will seek to learn of the day’s events (9/11), to have a memorial that conveys homage, without the revisionist history that cultural institutions like the International Freedom Center will attempt to portray.”
Other family members placed the blame for the government’s misguided idea of a memorial squarely on the shoulders of New York Gov. George Pataki.
“Governor, you have lost your way, you have lost sight of what is most important at Ground Zero and if you think your advisors including Tom Bernstein know better than the American people, think again,” said Patricia Riley, who lost her sister Lorraine Lee on 9/11, to the group of more than 1,000 family members and survivors gathered for the Saturday rally.
Other family members, many carrying pictures of their lost loved ones, openly denounced the Bush administration, calling them a criminal gang of thugs who needed to be removed from office.
“Many of us know that the government was involved in 9/11 and that they have never told us the truth from day one,” said Eileen Torres, who lost family member and firefighter Manuel Del Valle when the North Tower collapsed. “All we ever wanted was the truth regarding how our loved ones died and it’s something even four years later we have never heard.”
After the rally family members took their protest to an organized day of conferences and discussions about the proposed family-backed memorial and other 9/11 related issues regarding the fourth anniversary.
During the conference, former 9/11 commissioner and Congressman, Timothy Roemer, addressed family members, saying his goal despite criticism was to get at the real truth behind 9/11.
However, after the meeting, he appeared to immediately contradict himself when he skirted questions posed by William Rodriguez, the WTC Janitor, who asked him point blank why hoi story regarding explosions in the North Tower was ignored by the Commission.
When Rodriguez attempted to push the issue, Roemer made a quick exit to the elevators in the Marriot Hotel hallway, looking like a scared rabbit in a den of foxes and again showing the true gutless quality of politicians running our country today.
“You see, even after four years,” said Rodriguez, “they still won’t answer my questions or deal with the truth of how the towers really collapsed.”
Gutless politicians still continue to avoid the truth about 9/11, as this week in New York former 9/11 commissioner and Congressman, Timothy Roemer, avoided answering questions, running away like a scared rabbit when confronted by William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor who heard explosions in the North Tower basement and wanted to know why his testimony was omitted in the final report..
New York City – The 9/11 truth will be told. Bush and Cheney will be indicted for treason and murder. And immediately stop the killing and illegal war in Iraq.
These were the strong and poignant words ringing through the streets of New York Sunday as more than 250 9/11 truth protestors marched carrying “Impeach Bush” and “9/11 Inside Job” signs, the rally starting at the New York Times building and ending at the United Nations.
Organized by members of www.ny911truth.org, the rally was called to vent anger and make the public aware of the concerted effort by the mainstream media and the government to keep the truth about what really happened on 9/11 from the American people.
Although the corporate-elite media came out earlier in the day in force to cover the Ground Zero activities in honor of the 9/11 victims on the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, the media was predictably absent from protest rally just like it has been purposely absent for four years in covering compelling stories that contradict the flimsy government official account..
Protestors picked the New York Times building for a starting point, passing by the FOX, CNN and NBC buildings, to emphasize their feelings that media suppression has been primarily responsible for keeping the America from the truth about 9/11 and largely responsible for allowing government officials to get away with the murder of 3,000 fellow citizens at Ground Zero.
At the Sunday rally, William Rodriguez, the WTC janitor and last survivor of the North Tower, told the crowd his story about hearing and feeling explosions emanating from the sub level basement of the tower, prior to the plane striking the upper floors, has been systematically suppressed by the government, mainstream media and 9/11 Commission,
“They have done everything in their power to ignore my statements which directly contradict the government story,” said Rodriguez as the crowd chanted “let the truth be told.”
“I have at least 27 other people who are ready to testify that they also heard explosions, all who have been completely ignored by the 9/11 Commission. Also, the last drop of water fell from the glass and I realized all hope was lost to get at the truth when, the testimony I gave the commission behind closed doors last year, was omitted from the final report.”
This weekend, however, Rodriguez and his compelling story showing a controlled demolition took down the towers broke new ground as for the first time in four years a major news outlet carried his story.
Although he still hasn’t broken the television network barriers, his story aired on a one hour pre-recorded special for ABC radio and its nationwide affiliates. The story aired on the east coast Sunday evening at 7pm along with comments made by author David Ray Griffin who has written a scathing report about at least 101 lies presented in the final 9/11 Commission report.
Griffin, who also has been relegated for years to the alternative press, finally received a national audience for his scholarly efforts at revealing the truth about 9/11. Previously, Griffin, who has written two books about government lies and its cover-up of 9/11, said the 9/11 Commission report that received a national book award should have been declared a “”national disgrace.”
After Rodriguez finished speaking, former Lt. Col. USAF Dr. Robert Bowman gave the crowd a rousing political speech, calling for the immediate removal of Bush, Cheney and their cronies on charges of treason and murder.
The former fighter pilot who flew over 100 Vietnam combat missions and directed the Star Wars program under President Ford and Carter, said he took a solemn oath to protect his country from enemies both foreign and domestic, including defending against a rogue President like Bush.
“9/11 is based on a pack of lies. It wasn’t misjudgment, it was treason,” said Dr. Bowman as he called from the immediate removal of what he called the mob and crooks in the White.
Saying he received a kiss on the cheek by a family member who lost a loved one at 9/11 while walking in the march, Dr. Bowman reassured the audience those seeking truth about 9/11 and the illegal war in Iraq were “doing the right thing.”
“The entire Bush administration is based on deception and lies. They are needlessly killing off the youth of this country in the name of freedom and democracy when it is really for nothing but oil and greed.”
One of the final speakers at the rally, Donna Marsh, a mother who lost her pregnant daughter at Ground Zero, gave the most heart-felt emotional appeal, as tears came to her eyes and the eyes of many in the crowd, when she recalled how her daughter perished at the hands of what she called “criminals in the White House.”
“My daughter called after the first plane hit at 8:46a.m and said she was told not to leave the South Tower because it was safe. In fact she was told not to leave or she would be fired,” said Marsh to the crowd as well as repeating her statements on a Monday morning radio show called The Power Hour on Genesis Broadcasting Network..
“Where was NORAD? What really happened in those buildings? Why did they collapse so quickly like a controlled demolition? There are just so many unanswered questions the government refuses to answer, what other conclusion can be made other than our own government was involved in killing my daughter and 3,000 other Americans.
“I want George W. Bush as of this day forward he can no longer use my daughter’s name to spread war and killing throughout the world. From this day forward, I want my daughter’s name removed permanently from the official 9/11 victim’s list.”
After the rally lasting two hours, protestors doubled in size as they congregated at St. Marks Church where more speakers, including Pastor Frank Morales, attorney Phil Berg, who has filed a federal RICO conspiracy lawsuit against Bush, and attorney Mimi Rosenberg of WBAI radio, assured listeners they were in the movement “for the long haul, adding no longer can we as a people live in fear of our government.
They added that the 9/11 truth movement is just as important as the Revolutionary War in terms of preserving American freedoms and protecting against a tyrannical dictatorship bent on the ultimate destruction of America.
“As Americans we can no longer live in fear of George W. Bush and his band of criminals who all belong behind bars in jail,” said Berg, as he promised to work for people like Donna Marsh, who lost her daughter and William Rodriguez, a true American hero, adding he wouldn’t stop fighting for their freedoms until he put the entire neo-con gang behind bars.
“I promise I will never stop searching for the truth and one day the truth will be told.”
Earlier Saturday, 9/11 family members, survivors and victims held their own rally outside Ground Zero in what they called “Take Back the Memorial” in order to block government plans to build the International Freedom Center on the WTC site.
Family members say the government proposal seeks to honor America’s freedoms in general, including remembering such things as the holocaust and other wars, which minimizes the significance and long term remembrance of the victims who lost their lives at Ground Zero.
“All of those who were killed on 9/11 need to be remembered at a place that will pay homage to their story and show reverence to their memory,” said James Slevin, vice president of Legislative and Political Affairs of the 22,000 strong Uniformed Firefighters Association.
Although he wasn’t opposed to memorializing the great story of American freedom, he said Ground Zero wasn’t the appropriate place and should be left solely for the memory of those who perished on 9/11.
“We owe to all of the lives lost and to future generations, who will seek to learn of the day’s events (9/11), to have a memorial that conveys homage, without the revisionist history that cultural institutions like the International Freedom Center will attempt to portray.”
Other family members placed the blame for the government’s misguided idea of a memorial squarely on the shoulders of New York Gov. George Pataki.
“Governor, you have lost your way, you have lost sight of what is most important at Ground Zero and if you think your advisors including Tom Bernstein know better than the American people, think again,” said Patricia Riley, who lost her sister Lorraine Lee on 9/11, to the group of more than 1,000 family members and survivors gathered for the Saturday rally.
Other family members, many carrying pictures of their lost loved ones, openly denounced the Bush administration, calling them a criminal gang of thugs who needed to be removed from office.
“Many of us know that the government was involved in 9/11 and that they have never told us the truth from day one,” said Eileen Torres, who lost family member and firefighter Manuel Del Valle when the North Tower collapsed. “All we ever wanted was the truth regarding how our loved ones died and it’s something even four years later we have never heard.”
After the rally family members took their protest to an organized day of conferences and discussions about the proposed family-backed memorial and other 9/11 related issues regarding the fourth anniversary.
During the conference, former 9/11 commissioner and Congressman, Timothy Roemer, addressed family members, saying his goal despite criticism was to get at the real truth behind 9/11.
However, after the meeting, he appeared to immediately contradict himself when he skirted questions posed by William Rodriguez, the WTC Janitor, who asked him point blank why hoi story regarding explosions in the North Tower was ignored by the Commission.
When Rodriguez attempted to push the issue, Roemer made a quick exit to the elevators in the Marriot Hotel hallway, looking like a scared rabbit in a den of foxes and again showing the true gutless quality of politicians running our country today.
“You see, even after four years,” said Rodriguez, “they still won’t answer my questions or deal with the truth of how the towers really collapsed.”
her paws
if you view in large size you can see the kind of wear and tear this dog puts on her fat feet.
hurricane ophelia's rain
Out my front door: Sept. 13 in the A.M. Rain bands alternating with lots of sun. My driveway is already beginning to flood.
Falltime reflections on the Rio Grande
Rio Grande River reflecting sky blues with Sandia Mountain backdrop before sunset...New Mexico, USA
The Raw Story | Investigation finds Red Cross agreed to withhold Orleans aid, operates in tandem with Homeland Security
The Raw Story Investigation finds Red Cross agreed to withhold Orleans aid, operates in tandem with Homeland Security
Jennifer Van Bergen
Top Red Cross official Bush appointee, donor
New information surrounding relief efforts by the American Red Cross in New Orleans raises questions about whether the organization provided adequate relief and whether funds are actually being directed to Katrina victims, RAW STORY has found.
Previous investigations have shown that the Red Cross mishandled its 9/11 fund, attempting to divert more than half into a "war fund" before Congress intervened, and moved $10 million from a fund in 1989 for earthquake victims towards other uses. Allegations of similar holdbacks following the Oklahoma City bombing and several later disasters, coupled with the discovery that the Red Cross, mandated by its Code of Conduct to remain independent of government, is officially part of the Bush Administration's national security apparatus, led RAW STORY to dig deeply into the Red Cross and its recent disaster relief efforts.
Why did the Red Cross not enter New Orleans?
While many were outraged that the Red Cross failed to enter New Orleans, unsafe conditions and reports of shootings and lootings may have informed the decision. The Red Cross is not chartered to conduct search and rescue operations.
We "will not put [our] own workers in harm's way," Red Cross spokesperson Renita Hosler told RAW STORY.
Hosler explained that the Red Cross was "at the table" with "Emergency Management" numerous times while conditions deteriorated in New Orleans and that a decision was reached that if the group set up shop within the city, it might encourage others to come back, creating a secondary crisis.
Hosler confirmed that authorities turned down repeated offers by the Red Cross to enter New Orleans with supplies. New Orleans, she asserted, was considered too unsafe for the Red Cross to enter.
The Emergency Management Team, Hosler says, was comprised of city, state, and federal officials.
The Associated Press reported Sept. 8 that Col. Jay Mayeaux, deputy director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security asked the Red Cross not to enter the city at least for the first 24 hours after the storm in order to have to time to "set up a feeding station to feed a large number of people." By Saturday, there was a large-scale evacuation under way.
New Orleans artist Daniel Finnigan told RAW STORY there were helicopters everywhere, mostly military.
"That's what confused us," Finnigan said, "there was such a huge presence of military in the air but nothing on the ground."
Amid reports that thousands were trapped in the Superdome and the Convention Center, the Red Cross did not distribute or drop supplies to either location. The group's explanation that its presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city mirrors a National Guard decision not to drop food supplies, saying they did not want to spark riots.
The Red Cross is still not distributing supplies in the city.
Hosler says that although the city is now fully occupied by the National Guard, the Red Cross remains outside the city and is not distributing supplies, largely because of the decision to forcibly evacuate those who remain.
Some residents have been forced to travel at least 17 miles for water.
"Goods that the government personnel are bringing in are for their own forces," one eyewitness report states. "They are not distributing provisions to people who desperately need them… Thousands of troops are in New Orleans but water is premium and still not available."
New Orleans resident and construction worker Mark Klar confirmed this account.
Klar managed to stay in his Garden District home in until Sept. 7, when he was handcuffed and forcibly removed by police. Klar's home is above flooded areas and he was able to gather water and distribute to those in need, in the absence of relief from officials.
Humanitarian imperatives first?
The Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement declares that humanitarian imperatives come first, that "the prime motivation of our response to disaster is to alleviate human suffering" and that "the need for unimpeded access to affected populations is of fundamental importance in exercising that responsibility."
The Red Cross was incorporated by Congressional Charter in 1905 in order to "provide volunteer aid in time of war to the sick and wounded of the armed forces" in accordance with the spirit and conditions of various treaties, among which were the Geneva Conventions.
Unknown to most Red Cross donors, Congress incorporated the Red Cross to act "under government supervision" and eight of the fifty members of the Board Governors are to be appointed by the President, seven of whom are federal officials.
Though not a government agency, the Red Cross may purchase supplies from the armed forces and use government buildings for its offices and storage. Its employees may in some cases be provided meals and housing while serving with the Army. Commissioned officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force may be detailed for duty with the Red Cross.
While courts have considered the Red Cross a "government instrumentality" immune from state taxation, they have not viewed it as such for purposes of religious discrimination or Freedom of Information Act claims. In other words, the Red Cross obtains the tax benefits of being a "government instrumentality," but is exempt from the obligations that government carries.
One federal court noted that, "Close cooperation with government is essential to the work of the Red Cross. A perception that the organization is independent and neutral is equally vital."
The Supreme Court has found that "time and time again, both the President and the Congress have recognized and acted in reliance upon the Red Cross' status virtually as an arm of the Government."
Questionable affiliations
In recent years, affiliations between the Red Cross and federal agencies have grown. Prior to 9/11, the Red Cross was a key organization in what is known as the Federal Response Plan, enacted in 2000.
The Federal Response Plan could only be triggered by a request for support by a governor and a declaration of emergency by the President. In providing relief and assistance under the Act, the President was given authorization to utilize the personnel and facilities of the Red Cross and to enter into agreements with it to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
In 2002, the Federal Response Plan was superseded by the similarly-named National Response Plan. This Plan was created under the 2002 Homeland Security Act. FEMA and the Red Cross were brought under the Department of Homeland Security.
The Red Cross again became a signatory.
The National Response Plan "establishes multi-agency coordinating structures at the field, regional and headquarters levels" which "execute the responsibilities of the President."
Under the Plan, the Red Cross "provides relief at the local level and also coordinates the mass care element" to include mass care, disaster housing, and human services. It is obligated to timely deliver these resources.
The Red Cross is an active participant and works closely with federal agencies to formulate disaster responses.
Who runs the Red Cross?
The day-to-day activities of the Red Cross are run independently of the government. The Board of Governors is, by the Congressional Charter, the governing body. President Bush has appointed six persons to the Board.
The Red Cross' leading officers are Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chair of the Board, and Marsha J. Evans, the President and CEO.
McElveen-Hunter was appointed by Bush in June 2004. Her Red Cross bio says she is the "former U.S. Ambassador to Finland (2001-2003) and the CEO and owner of Pace Communications, Inc., the largest private custom publishing company in the United States. The company's clients include such Fortune 500 companies as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, AT&T, Carlson Hotels, and Toyota."
McElveen-Hunter donated more than $130,000 to the Republican Party since 2000, RAW STORY has found. Her largest donations were $25,000 to the Republican National Committee in April 2004 and $100,000 in July 2000. In May 2000, she gave $1000 to "Bush for President, Inc."
Marsha J. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross, is a Rear Admiral in the Navy and the Director of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., a global investment bank serving the financial needs of corporations, institutions, governments and high-net-worth investors worldwide, according to the corporation's web site. Evans also sits on the boards of the May Department Stores Company and Weight Watchers International and was recently elected to the board of the Huntsman Corporation, a large chemical and plastics manufacturer. She is also a presidential appointee to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy.
Evans donated $500 to the Republican National Committee in 2004.
Red Cross mishandling donations?
As of Sept. 11, 2005, the American Red Cross estimated that it had received $578 million in gifts and pledges for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
During previous disaster relief efforts, however, the Red Cross has withheld funds intended for victims and placed them into a reserve fund for future use, including for what one Red Cross president described as a “war fund."
The Red Cross has repeatedly been cited for poor handling of donations for disaster victims. Some have even referred accused them of "bait-and-switch fund raising."
An investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight panel after 9/11 revealed that while pledging that 9/11 donations (minus overhead) would all go to victims, the Red Cross held back more than half of the $543 million it had raised.
The Red Cross says they funneled these monies to prepare for terrorist attacks.
"We had planned for a weapon of mass destruction attack," former Red Cross President Dr. Bernadine Healy said, saying funds were diverted to a "Liberty Fund."
"The Liberty Fund is a war fund," Healy added.
During the oversight panel's hearings, Representative Bill Tauzin (R-LA), declared: "What's at issue here is that a special fund was established for these families. It was specially funded for this event, September 11. And it is being closed now because we are told enough money's been raised in it, but we're also told, by the way, we're going to give two-thirds of it away to other Red Cross needs."
The subcommittee asked the Red Cross to provide the exact language of its television and newspapers appeals for donations to determine whether it had intentionally deceived the public. The Red Cross responded by refocusing the Liberty Fund back to meeting the needs of 9/11 relief.
Red Cross holdbacks were also evident after the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, where it was alleged that the Red Cross turned over to victims only $10 million of the $50 million raised, keeping the difference for future disasters and organizational expansion. According to one researcher, critics also protested holdbacks following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Red River flooding in 1997 and a San Diego fire in 2001.
Red Cross spokesperson Janine Moss says the organization has always had two ways to contribute. People may contribute to a specific relief fund (such as the Katrina Relief Fund) or to a general Disaster Relief Fund.
Moss told RAW STORY that the Red Cross has always had these options but that the 9/11 hearings brought the issue out into the open more. According to Moss, all Katrina-designated donations to the Red Cross will be used only for Katrina victims.
Moss said she was uncertain how funds obtained through supermarkets and other local donation boxes would be used.
Jennifer Van Bergen
Top Red Cross official Bush appointee, donor
New information surrounding relief efforts by the American Red Cross in New Orleans raises questions about whether the organization provided adequate relief and whether funds are actually being directed to Katrina victims, RAW STORY has found.
Previous investigations have shown that the Red Cross mishandled its 9/11 fund, attempting to divert more than half into a "war fund" before Congress intervened, and moved $10 million from a fund in 1989 for earthquake victims towards other uses. Allegations of similar holdbacks following the Oklahoma City bombing and several later disasters, coupled with the discovery that the Red Cross, mandated by its Code of Conduct to remain independent of government, is officially part of the Bush Administration's national security apparatus, led RAW STORY to dig deeply into the Red Cross and its recent disaster relief efforts.
Why did the Red Cross not enter New Orleans?
While many were outraged that the Red Cross failed to enter New Orleans, unsafe conditions and reports of shootings and lootings may have informed the decision. The Red Cross is not chartered to conduct search and rescue operations.
We "will not put [our] own workers in harm's way," Red Cross spokesperson Renita Hosler told RAW STORY.
Hosler explained that the Red Cross was "at the table" with "Emergency Management" numerous times while conditions deteriorated in New Orleans and that a decision was reached that if the group set up shop within the city, it might encourage others to come back, creating a secondary crisis.
Hosler confirmed that authorities turned down repeated offers by the Red Cross to enter New Orleans with supplies. New Orleans, she asserted, was considered too unsafe for the Red Cross to enter.
The Emergency Management Team, Hosler says, was comprised of city, state, and federal officials.
The Associated Press reported Sept. 8 that Col. Jay Mayeaux, deputy director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security asked the Red Cross not to enter the city at least for the first 24 hours after the storm in order to have to time to "set up a feeding station to feed a large number of people." By Saturday, there was a large-scale evacuation under way.
New Orleans artist Daniel Finnigan told RAW STORY there were helicopters everywhere, mostly military.
"That's what confused us," Finnigan said, "there was such a huge presence of military in the air but nothing on the ground."
Amid reports that thousands were trapped in the Superdome and the Convention Center, the Red Cross did not distribute or drop supplies to either location. The group's explanation that its presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city mirrors a National Guard decision not to drop food supplies, saying they did not want to spark riots.
The Red Cross is still not distributing supplies in the city.
Hosler says that although the city is now fully occupied by the National Guard, the Red Cross remains outside the city and is not distributing supplies, largely because of the decision to forcibly evacuate those who remain.
Some residents have been forced to travel at least 17 miles for water.
"Goods that the government personnel are bringing in are for their own forces," one eyewitness report states. "They are not distributing provisions to people who desperately need them… Thousands of troops are in New Orleans but water is premium and still not available."
New Orleans resident and construction worker Mark Klar confirmed this account.
Klar managed to stay in his Garden District home in until Sept. 7, when he was handcuffed and forcibly removed by police. Klar's home is above flooded areas and he was able to gather water and distribute to those in need, in the absence of relief from officials.
Humanitarian imperatives first?
The Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement declares that humanitarian imperatives come first, that "the prime motivation of our response to disaster is to alleviate human suffering" and that "the need for unimpeded access to affected populations is of fundamental importance in exercising that responsibility."
The Red Cross was incorporated by Congressional Charter in 1905 in order to "provide volunteer aid in time of war to the sick and wounded of the armed forces" in accordance with the spirit and conditions of various treaties, among which were the Geneva Conventions.
Unknown to most Red Cross donors, Congress incorporated the Red Cross to act "under government supervision" and eight of the fifty members of the Board Governors are to be appointed by the President, seven of whom are federal officials.
Though not a government agency, the Red Cross may purchase supplies from the armed forces and use government buildings for its offices and storage. Its employees may in some cases be provided meals and housing while serving with the Army. Commissioned officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force may be detailed for duty with the Red Cross.
While courts have considered the Red Cross a "government instrumentality" immune from state taxation, they have not viewed it as such for purposes of religious discrimination or Freedom of Information Act claims. In other words, the Red Cross obtains the tax benefits of being a "government instrumentality," but is exempt from the obligations that government carries.
One federal court noted that, "Close cooperation with government is essential to the work of the Red Cross. A perception that the organization is independent and neutral is equally vital."
The Supreme Court has found that "time and time again, both the President and the Congress have recognized and acted in reliance upon the Red Cross' status virtually as an arm of the Government."
Questionable affiliations
In recent years, affiliations between the Red Cross and federal agencies have grown. Prior to 9/11, the Red Cross was a key organization in what is known as the Federal Response Plan, enacted in 2000.
The Federal Response Plan could only be triggered by a request for support by a governor and a declaration of emergency by the President. In providing relief and assistance under the Act, the President was given authorization to utilize the personnel and facilities of the Red Cross and to enter into agreements with it to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
In 2002, the Federal Response Plan was superseded by the similarly-named National Response Plan. This Plan was created under the 2002 Homeland Security Act. FEMA and the Red Cross were brought under the Department of Homeland Security.
The Red Cross again became a signatory.
The National Response Plan "establishes multi-agency coordinating structures at the field, regional and headquarters levels" which "execute the responsibilities of the President."
Under the Plan, the Red Cross "provides relief at the local level and also coordinates the mass care element" to include mass care, disaster housing, and human services. It is obligated to timely deliver these resources.
The Red Cross is an active participant and works closely with federal agencies to formulate disaster responses.
Who runs the Red Cross?
The day-to-day activities of the Red Cross are run independently of the government. The Board of Governors is, by the Congressional Charter, the governing body. President Bush has appointed six persons to the Board.
The Red Cross' leading officers are Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chair of the Board, and Marsha J. Evans, the President and CEO.
McElveen-Hunter was appointed by Bush in June 2004. Her Red Cross bio says she is the "former U.S. Ambassador to Finland (2001-2003) and the CEO and owner of Pace Communications, Inc., the largest private custom publishing company in the United States. The company's clients include such Fortune 500 companies as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, AT&T, Carlson Hotels, and Toyota."
McElveen-Hunter donated more than $130,000 to the Republican Party since 2000, RAW STORY has found. Her largest donations were $25,000 to the Republican National Committee in April 2004 and $100,000 in July 2000. In May 2000, she gave $1000 to "Bush for President, Inc."
Marsha J. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross, is a Rear Admiral in the Navy and the Director of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., a global investment bank serving the financial needs of corporations, institutions, governments and high-net-worth investors worldwide, according to the corporation's web site. Evans also sits on the boards of the May Department Stores Company and Weight Watchers International and was recently elected to the board of the Huntsman Corporation, a large chemical and plastics manufacturer. She is also a presidential appointee to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy.
Evans donated $500 to the Republican National Committee in 2004.
Red Cross mishandling donations?
As of Sept. 11, 2005, the American Red Cross estimated that it had received $578 million in gifts and pledges for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
During previous disaster relief efforts, however, the Red Cross has withheld funds intended for victims and placed them into a reserve fund for future use, including for what one Red Cross president described as a “war fund."
The Red Cross has repeatedly been cited for poor handling of donations for disaster victims. Some have even referred accused them of "bait-and-switch fund raising."
An investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight panel after 9/11 revealed that while pledging that 9/11 donations (minus overhead) would all go to victims, the Red Cross held back more than half of the $543 million it had raised.
The Red Cross says they funneled these monies to prepare for terrorist attacks.
"We had planned for a weapon of mass destruction attack," former Red Cross President Dr. Bernadine Healy said, saying funds were diverted to a "Liberty Fund."
"The Liberty Fund is a war fund," Healy added.
During the oversight panel's hearings, Representative Bill Tauzin (R-LA), declared: "What's at issue here is that a special fund was established for these families. It was specially funded for this event, September 11. And it is being closed now because we are told enough money's been raised in it, but we're also told, by the way, we're going to give two-thirds of it away to other Red Cross needs."
The subcommittee asked the Red Cross to provide the exact language of its television and newspapers appeals for donations to determine whether it had intentionally deceived the public. The Red Cross responded by refocusing the Liberty Fund back to meeting the needs of 9/11 relief.
Red Cross holdbacks were also evident after the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, where it was alleged that the Red Cross turned over to victims only $10 million of the $50 million raised, keeping the difference for future disasters and organizational expansion. According to one researcher, critics also protested holdbacks following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Red River flooding in 1997 and a San Diego fire in 2001.
Red Cross spokesperson Janine Moss says the organization has always had two ways to contribute. People may contribute to a specific relief fund (such as the Katrina Relief Fund) or to a general Disaster Relief Fund.
Moss told RAW STORY that the Red Cross has always had these options but that the 9/11 hearings brought the issue out into the open more. According to Moss, all Katrina-designated donations to the Red Cross will be used only for Katrina victims.
Moss said she was uncertain how funds obtained through supermarkets and other local donation boxes would be used.
Press Conference with President Bush and PM Talabani Live on Fox News
Press Conference with President Bush and PM Talabani Live on Fox News
I would never have believed that there could be people like "chickenhawk Warmonger" if there wasn't evidence like this. This should be an Onion article, but it's real!
I would never have believed that there could be people like "chickenhawk Warmonger" if there wasn't evidence like this. This should be an Onion article, but it's real!
9/11 Story (from 10/21/2004)
Boulder Weekly | NewsandViews | CoverStory
Blogger Thoughts: A good friend of mine (a skeptic) thought this article was well written.
Blogger Thoughts: A good friend of mine (a skeptic) thought this article was well written.
Bush Takes Responsibility for Failures in Storm Response - New York Times
Bush Takes Responsibility for Failures in Storm Response - New York Times
Blogger Thoughts: Bush PR team must have run out of talking points.
Blogger Thoughts: Bush PR team must have run out of talking points.
Capitol Hill Blue: Bush Lied When Asked About Brown's Resignation
Capitol Hill Blue: Bush Lied When Asked About Brown's Resignation
Blogger Thought: I would spectulate that this story is accurate. Have no way to know. This certainly wouldn't be as destructive as other treasonous lies Bush has told.
Blogger Thought: I would spectulate that this story is accurate. Have no way to know. This certainly wouldn't be as destructive as other treasonous lies Bush has told.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)