US to crack down on "terror bankrolls"
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Jul 18, 2007 11:02amThe Bush administration announced a new tool Tuesday to freeze financial assets of those who want to destabilize Iraq.
President Bush unveiled a new executive order that allows the administration to block bank accounts and any other financial assets that might be found in this country belonging to people, companies or groups that the United States deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq.
Bush cited the "unusual and extraordinary threat" to national security and foreign policy of the United States "posed by acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people."
No person, company or group was designated under the order on Tuesday.
The order seeks to fill a gap in U.S. authority to use financial sanctions to go after such offenders.
Oh boy, there's a whole bunch of red flags on this one. Bank accounts IN THIS COUNTRY that are deemed to threaten the peace and stability of Iraq? What peace and stability? How many ways can you see this being abused?
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Now they don't even have to work to steal it. They just declare it "terrorist" related and claim it as their own.
This is exactly the sort of power you'd want to declare if you intended to become a dictator. If it were any other group, I'd scoff at the suggestion, but these guys are practically royalists and completely untrustworthy.
I guess this means that Bush ain't goin' back to th' ranch anytime soon.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html
If you have a bank account and (a) you oppose the Bush Administration or (b) you want the troops to come home, watch out.
"to threaten stability in Iraq"
Are they going to freeze the US Governments assets? Talk about starving the beast, or whatever neocons have called whet they wished to do to the US government for decades.
Wow, that list would comprise almost half the country....
Nicole, you realize that by posting this, you could be deemed "working to threaten stability in Iraq". This new stunt is just a little bit further down that slippery slope we've been on since Bush and Cheney took office. It's just the way they like it - vague and sweeping.
Seizing bank accounts without due process, now there's a new way to offset the Federal deficit!
I guess this means Bush is freezing Cheney's bank account.
Sorry to drop this into this thread randomly, but I have been looking all over C&L for that clip of Will Ferrell as Bush during his first two weeks of office, the sketch from 2001. It was linked here a few months ago. Why can't I find that? Did NBC yank clips from here too?
They've used (abused) RICO to shut down comic book stores so I guess we're next.
Enhance the peace and stability of Iraq ...impeach Bush.
"The Bush administration announced a new tool Tuesday to freeze financial assets of those who want to destabilize Iraq."
Well except for his. And Cheney's (Dick would just kill him] And Halliburton's. And Blackwater. And Exxon...
Actually, he's not going to do it at all, else the cronies come after him...
Let’s see, bush now chooses to follow the money to stop terrorism though when investigating the 9/11 false flag event he chose not to.
Lies upon lies, its all a bullshit smoke screen.
Its time to reopen the 9/11 investigation, WTC 7 the real perpetrators need to follow the same fate as of Saddam.
One more nail in the coffin for NYC's hopes to regain the title of World's Banker. Watch the money flow to London where cooler heads prevail. What Muslim with dual citizenship and millions in wealth would be stupid enough have Cheney/Rove as his banker?
ie, anything that interferes the privatization of oil assets in Iraq
This is all starting to resemble Deutschland Uber Ugliss.
So does that mean they'll be shutting down the Black water mercenaries and the rest of the private "security" groups operating in Iraq?
The story of the Jenna Six received some attention here and at The Daily Kos (‘Nooses, attacks and jail for black students in Jena Louisiana’ - by blueintheface )
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/28/144445/384
And except for Rick Perlstein
http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/black_high_school_students_louisiana_th...
not much anywhere else.
ColorOfChange.org is organizing a petition to Gov. Blanco to intercede and prevent the sentencing of Mychal Bell. Take a minute and sign on.
http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=2131-109826
Thanks
Thom Hartmann is currently on his show talking to Paul Craig Roberts about this very order and others. Mr. Roberts if very concerned that a "dictatorial police state" is in place ready to go. He said it is wrong for the Dems to play politics counting on the self distruction of the repubs via Bush to win the future elections with such a system in place ready to be used. Basically, he is concerned that the 08 election will not come.
Mr. Robert's has a piece at counterpunch.org
How does Bush just give himself new powers? Aren't these things called laws? Aren't laws created by the house or representatives?
Just look for the accounts that had 1000 $9000.00 deposits of cash made to them in early 2004
You need to look below the surface on this move. What the whitehouse is trying to do is find a way to sieze Iranian assets.
Could criticism of the war then morph into the elements that this decree is targeting?
Should web sites that criticize the maladministration's war policy best keep what little cash they have stuffed in a mattress?
Should the New York Times, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and the other large networks move their cash to overseas banks?
Since when does the maladministration take it upon itself to take private assets without a law to back it up?
Where is our congress today? Should they not respond promptly and stomp upon this nonsense decree, post haste?
DNey you might try politicalhumor.about.com for the Will Ferrell clip, last time I looked it was still there. As for the sweeping powers being pursued I don't imagine Bush-Cheney are going to seize the bank accounts of American citizens, but maybe they will siphon off 1/4 of a cent from everyone a little bit at a time.
Yeah, sh@dow, you know what's up.
We'll all be terrorists soon. Now that most people (including myself) use only debit cards and online banking, the international banking cartel has us right where they want us.
Not to worry Shrub has our interest at heart Now he can take the whole thing not just the interest Lookout for the next announcement declaring himself EMPEROR FOR LIFE
Wow- guess this explains the explosion of large cash withdrawls and panicky redemptions that started coming in yesterday from all over the place.
CafeenMan @ 22:
Not in a dictatorship, no, they aren't.
I may be missing something here, but all these threads are criticizing Bush and the War in Iraq, etc. OK, I'm firmly against the War as well. Then WHY IN THE HELL WON'T THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS SIMPLY DEFUND THE WAR, WHICH THEY HAVE THE POWER NOW TO DO!!!
Beyond that, this is all masterbatory nothingness.
Well, I guess I'd better get the $50.36 out of my checking account now. I voted for Kerry and this might have to last me until January 2009.
Time to shut down Bu$h's government is NOW. Do not give this man one more way to abuse the system.
I'm guessing Media Matters, Michael Moore, and Selected Dems, in selected states, selected by specially selected US Attorneys,you know, the ones who have proven their loyalty does not lie with the country but rather with the leader of their party.
Man, I must be getting jaded. I read the first sentence as
Folks, it's time to stop thinking about saving the world. It's much, much too late for that.
Save yourselves. It's all you can do now.
Jeez, time to revive the time-honored tradition of putting savings in my mattress. Hey, why doesn't Bush save a little time and just convene a congressional panel to investigate abuses of his new power now?
sh@dow, well, if the Democrats in Congress "are in on it", what the hell good are they? Vote them out as well!!!???
What are we to do?
all accounts of registered democrats and democratic politicians!
well then that explains haliburtons moveing to dubi dont it ?
Ryoko, Iranian assets were EXACTLY what I was thinking of.
We're Doomed !!
Oh, and George, I'm usually home at night if you want to arrest my butt.
Why did I spend 20 years defending what he's now turned into a piece of ......?
Depressed,
There is a huge threat to not only liberty, but democracy as sick as it is right now.
I can totally see someone use this new found power to cut off the finances of groups who donate to the opposition party. These evil men may say that this will never happen as long as that party doesn't fund anything Iraq related, but there is no reason they can't make shit up as an excuse, saying something like
"members of the ACLU have been accused of funding Al Queda! Yes! Here's the proof! These members formally worked for a firm that had previously invested in a company whose board of directors in their previous job used to sell tents to friends of someone accused of (but vindicated of course) being Al Queda's suppliers before 9/11, but only this one time (back in 1979 when they were fighting the Soviets)."
"I, as President, have hereby have suspended all further operations of the ACLU altogether. The ACLU will be disbanded and henceforth shall be reorganized into the BDU, the "Bush Dictatorial Union"."
What the fuck....
Freeze Blackwater's assets?
sh@dow @ 14:
Absolutely CORRECT... hit the streets people, in droves, en masse!
HOLY SHIT'th!
HOLY SHIT'th!!
HOLY SHIT"THa
sh@dow, what specifically do you mean? What specifically should we do? What do you mean, revolt?
I'd be worried, but thanks to Bush's policies, I don't have any money for them to seize.
Wanna see the future? Look into the past.
Do an internet search for "Smedley Butler" and see what you find.
I'm promising that you won't like it.
sh@dow, when you say "Forget the 08 elections", are you saying don't vote? You said "revolt"; what do you mean exactly we should do?
Oversight = A quaint and extinct application....
If I was Ted Kennedy I'd make sure I had a goodly amount of cash on hand and well hidden.I am sure that , having made the no-fly list, he'll make this one too.
Common misconception there. Dems have majority, true. But, they don't have enough of a majority to override a presidential veto. So, they can pass a bill that says to defund the war, then Bush just vetoes it.
sh@dow, can you say what we should do, succinctly, in your own words. Merely quoting the Declaration of Independence won't help me to understand, exactly we should do, on the ground. Please be specific; and don't use abstractions.
I've posted this elsewhere and I hate going off topic, but I feel strongly about this.
I’m beginning to fear some of you are directing your hatred at bush rather than seeing the entire picture. I dislike the bush administration as anyone else on this site, but I cant help but feel like some on the writers and posters on this site are turning into bizarro fox news. Please post intelligent articles and comments. We know you hate bush. The majority of the nation disagrees with the administration. Now, rather than pointing out the obvious flaws with your current administration (and how you think ann is a man, how much you hate so and so, and why somebody is a douche) isnt it about time we… you know… discussed what we as citizens can do about it? Don’t let yourselves sink to their level. Pointing fingers and whining is a complete waste of time. We now, more than we have been in the past decade or so, have the ability to make some long term changes and it’s sad to think this opportunity wont last forever, but it’s true. C&L has served its purpose, but now it’s just beating a dead horse. It’s time for changes people.
sh@dow, strikes? Should we get everyone or advocate to everyone to stop working? Shouls we go to Washington DC to protest, or use sites such as this to encourage a mass protest in DC?
Shut down terror bankroll?
They can't shut down Wall Street and
the Federal Reserve can they?
Revolt means take a bunch of guys with guns, and go physically remove the corruption from the capital.
Very much related article by Paul Craig Roberts.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/paul-craig-roberts.html?columnsName=pcr
Even Hitler didn't go that far...
Congratulations, the United States now have a Dictator with full powers.
Thanks to all the couch potatoes...
sh@dow, I'll march, as you say, but where?
Dictatorship by stealth. How do you prove a negative; i.e., that you are not contributing to the instability of Iraq? We've heard bush say, You're either for us or against us ...
wait a minute, this isn't news, this is old news. I remember right after 9-11 he claimed they were going to "root out" the funding of the Terrists and cripple them.
So if he is unrolling a "new" executive order that just means that he didn't finish the job in the first place!
baby jesus wonders what it's going to take? baby jesus is giving the little humans all the clues so they can do the right thing with bush and the neocons and yet nothing is done?
baby jesus will soon give up on the US and begin to inhabit New Zealand
Stonicus, what you say would be a criminal offense akin to treason. You can't be advocating the forceful overthrow of the USA government with arms? Are you?
" ... deems are working to threaten stability in Iraq."
The Bush administration is working to stabilize Iraq.
The democrats are trying to wrest control of government from the Bush Admin., therefore, the democrats are trying to prevent the Bush administration from stabilizing Iraq.
Therefore, the democrats are actively making Iraq LESS stable.
Ergo, the Bush administration can, within the scope of this executive order, block bank accounts and any other financial assets.
You can substitute ACLU, Cindy Sheehan, The Quakers etc. for democrats.
How to take over a country: invasion based on deliberately false information, let tens of thousands of innocents be killed, millions flee the country with no aid or compensation, blame it all on somebody else, suck out the country's wealth, and install a puppet government to rule the remaining rubble-ocracy.
The article doesn't mention it but a seizure of assets under the "working to threaten stability" clause requires the person/entity to have committed or pose a "significant risk" of committing an act or acts of violence.
The sh@dow knows how truly screwed we are.
I'm glad at least one other person who posts on this site is aware. Everybody else it seems still wants to play the game by the Globalist Elite's rules.
"Democrats vs. Republicans" is the best, well-scripted reality teevee show going today.
Stonicus @ 62:
That's not how to do it. You simply don't pass funding bills and they never make it to the president to veto.... and he never gets funding.
sha@dow 60
A better adaptation of the Declaration.
http://myfightfordemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-declaration-of-indep...
stonicus, WRONG, there would be nothing to Veto. Simply the Democrat Congress NOT BRING UP AND/OR NOT VOTE A WAR BUDGET!!! They, the Democrat Congress, have the power to accomplish that right now with their simple majority!!!
Lets freeze the Saudi accounts and take Bandar Bush's Colorado retreat
no one has destabilized iraq more than the cheney junta.... dibs on his ranch!!!
If the Democrats in Congress simply will not stop funding the Iraq War, the rest is all masterbatory BS! All talk, but no action!
I feel like a Kaiser roll about now.
I was simply defining the word revolt, since you don't seem to know what it means and kept asking.
And of course revolt is treason. When America first revolted against England, it was treason. It's part of the definition.
Stonicus, so you're saying we should commit treason?
No. You have asked several times what it means, so I told you.
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 41:
After reading this article, and having picked my jaw off the floor, this is one time I'll have to agree with you.
Now, if ever, this is the time to get your money out of the banks(brick & mortor, and online), figure out a very secure spot/s at home or close by, and stash your money. I
would suggest starting by cashing your checks, but no longer deposit the money in your accounts. Or deposit less than you have been. Build a "bank" system of your own. Coins, paper currency. Start investing in gold or silver coins as soon as possible. I am posting this link to the article from Rense.com. Please read the article and study the charts.
http://www.kitco.com/ind/Kirtley_Sam/jul172007.html
I may be wrong, but I don't think this particular article is fearmongering, not if you connect the dots to all the other
crap that has been happening recently in the financial world.
I was just about to put the finishing touches on an online business I was setting up and open a brick & mortor account, then a paypal account. Since this morning, I have pulled back and am seriously re considering...
sh@dow, how would you suggest we begin the revolt? What specifically do you suggest as the first steps?
The Democrats and the Republicans both have the same bosses. They won't bite the hand that feeds them. And their bosses are not the People of the United States...
That's why nothing is done and will never be done to change things.
If you can afford one party why not buy both of them? Then you have absolute control...
The Prussian education system installed in the USofA in the late-1800s has truly done its job rather effectively.
This new "dictaor law" should include Halliburton, as they are a foreign company, helping to destroy Iraq, that is what is left of it.
Animal excrement is no longer vulgar enough to describe the actions of this administration.
We have now reached a new level of offensiveness that can only be described as Bushit!
Kinda reminds me of that South Park episode when people start crapping out of their mouths.
Bushit! - noun; any excrement released from the mouth. Origin: fictional bodily function introduced by the TV show South Park, with the first documented human case performed by U.S. President George W. Bush, followed shortly thereafter by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and the rest of the Bush Administration.
sh@dow, please be specific what we should do to revolt, beside "marching", "protesting" and advocating "striking". Are you saying that is all that is required?
Betsy @ 58:
They are going to steal the next election again anyway. You mark my words. And even though more and more people are fed up with this incompetent and stupid administration, the repubs will AGAIN steal all elections saying that the "people" want them to continue to "bullsh*t" them. I believe we are in DEEP trouble folks and I HATE IT!
My guess:
Since the Sauds still have $2 trillion in US bank accounts and stocks which they only keep there as part of a wonderful deal started with Reagan (being the brilliant shining president that he was) that also binds the US to continue buying oil from them. Since it's obvious that us attacking Iran would be very detrimental to our oil supply, and since it's also obvious that Bush is going to attack Iran before his presidency is over, I'm guessing they're going to expand this new XO to their entire bullshit neverending war on terrorism, then use it to freeze Saudi assets because they're aiding the terrorismists in some ridiculous way.
It's a great way to wage war on the entire fucking world and keep all of their money invested in your country. Way to go 'Mer'ca!
sh@dow @ 85:
Um, okay.
sh@dow, when you say “Forget the 08 elections”, are you saying don’t vote? You said “revolt”; what do you mean exactly we should do?
I'm with you sh@dow and I'm also revolting!!!!!
Oh...like isn't this something that they should have addressed like say FIVE YEARS AGO? This is just rehash crap. But his 22% should love it and the infamous 47.
sorry, couldn't resist.
Not only is revolt treason, so is striking, according to the Patriot Act.
Thanks, Congress.
Stonicus @ 90:
maybe i am arguing against webster's dictionary (Ooooooo!) but i would strongly argue that 'revolt' is not by definition 'treason'. i think a mr. thomas jefferson would agree.
in fact, i would say that when our govt succumbs to a depostic ruler who then attempts to take apart what is guarenteed in the constituion it would be treason NOT to revolt. are we there yet? i'd say we are pretty friggin close. hopefully it won't come to that, and that we'll start to right our ship of state, but revolution (as is often said these days) is still on the table.
the problem: the media. the MSM is desperate to keep us distracted, content and shopping. everything is ok as long as entertainment tonight has some new paris hilton footage to dangle in front of our slack jaws.
Look up treason in the Totalitarian Dictionary.
There must be some lying around in Germany or old USSR.
Betsy @ 34:
Well because if the Democratic Congress were to do such a thing now, Bush would snatch up their bank accounts, boats, cars, planes, and gold cards at the local whore houses silly.
Douglas Lute is our generation's answer to Smedley Butler.
Only, I don't think Lute will blow the whistle as did Butler.
they use "terra" to ram down unitary executive theory blackshirtism down our throats. 4 amendment be damned
sh@dow @ 117:
This is the only answer.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/paul-craig-roberts.html?columnsName=pcr
This is an Executive Order; no Senate review, no judicial review. Hmmm. Well.
I for one welcome our new overlords.
Ken Brockman @ 119:
kodos and kang would be an improvement.....
freejack @ 20:
I, too have blogged about this yesterday, the day before and the day of....
http://edschultz.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=29892
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/18/iraq_and_the_def...
What does it take to make people aware of what is happing here...Travel the net...read -post - inform others.!
sh@dow Says:
70% of the nation wants the same thing!
possibly even higher.
the problem is that our economy is dependent on war, and the politicians only pay lip service to the will of the people and continue to push for the expanse of imperial america. although the GOP is more guilty of this, both wings of the corporatist party (dems and reps) are guilty.