Military Religious Freedom

Dominionist Christians Attitudes:
1. Of ten thousand recognized religions ours is the only true religion.
2. All other faiths are completely false.
3 Our reward is we and only we get eternal life
4. Others, including most other Christians are damned and will burn eternally in hell for having the wrong faith.
5 We must use every fiber of our physical, emotional and spiritual being to convert others.
6. If you're a nonbeliever, if you don't convert, we must dissociate and marginalize you because you're not righteous. You are darkness and we are light.

Dowd on Blackwater

John Cusack and Naomi Klein

Sean Smith spent two months embedded with US troops in Baghdad and Anbar province.

from: United States v George W. Bush, et. al by Elizabeth De La Vega

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )  Criminal No.
Plaintiff,         )
   )  Conspiracy to Defraud
  v.  )    the United States
   )
GEORGE W. BUSH,   )  18 U.S.C. Section 371
RICHARD B. CHENEY,  )
CONDOLEEZZA RICE,  )
DONALD M. RUMSFELD, and         )
COLIN POWELL,   )
 Defendants )

INDICTMENT

THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:

Introductory Allegations

At times relevant to this Indictment:

1. The primary law of the United States Federal Government was set forth in the U.S. Constitution ("Constitution"), which provides that the first branch of government is the Legislative Branch ("Congress"). Pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Congress has certain powers and obligations regarding oversight of foreign affairs, including the powers to: (1) declare war; (2) raise and support the armed forces; and (3) tax and spend for the common good.

2. Article II of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch. The Executive Power of the United States is vested in the President, who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Services.

3. Defendant GEORGE W. BUSH ("BUSH") has been employed as President of the United States since January 20, 2001. On that day, BUSH took a constitutionally mandated oath to faithfully execute the Office of President and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. BUSH is also constitutionally obligated to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

4. As Chief Executive, BUSH exercised authority, direction, and control over the entire Executive Branch, which includes the White House, the Office of the Vice President, the Departments of State, Defense, and others, and the National Security Council.

5. Defendant RICHARD B. CHENEY ("CHENEY") has been employed as Vice President of the United States since January 20, 2001.

6. Defendant CONDOLEEZZA RICE ("RICE") was employed as the National Security Adviser from January 2001 to January 2005, when she became Secretary of State, a position she holds as of the date of this indictment. As National Security Adviser, RICE exercised direction, control, and authority over the National Security Council, which coordinates various national security and foreign policy agencies, including the Departments of Defense and State.

7. Defendant DONALD M. RUMSFELD ("RUMSFELD") has been employed as Secretary of Defense since January 2001.

8. Defendant COLIN M. POWELL ("POWELL") was employed as Secretary of State from January 2001 through January of 2005.

9. Before assuming their offices, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD and POWELL took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.

10. As employees of the Executive Branch, BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, and POWELL were governed by Executive Orders 12674 and 12731. These Orders provide that Executive Branch employees hold their positions as a public trust and that the American people have a right to expect that they will fulfill that trust in accordance with certain ethical standards and principles. These include abiding by the Constitution and laws of the United States, as well as not using their offices to further private goals and interests.

11. Pursuant to the Constitution, their oaths of office, their status as Executive Branch employees, and their presence in the United States, BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, and POWELL, and their subordinates and employees, are required to obey Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which prohibits conspiracies to defraud the United States.

12. As used in Section 371, the term "to defraud the United States" means "to interfere with or obstruct one of its lawful government functions by deceit, craft, trickery, or at least by means that are dishonest." The term also means to "impair, obstruct, or defeat the lawful function of any department of government" by the use of "false or fraudulent pretenses or representations."

13. A "false" or "fraudulent" representation is one that is: (a) made with knowledge that it is untrue; (b) a half-truth; (c) made without a reasonable basis or with reckless indifference as to whether it is, in fact, true or false; or (d) literally true, but intentionally presented in a manner reasonably calculated to deceive a person of ordinary prudence and intelligence. The knowing concealment or omission of information that a reasonable person would consider important in deciding an issue also constitutes fraud.

14. Congress is a "department of the United States" within the meaning of Section 371. In addition, hearings regarding funding for military action and authorization to use military force are "lawful functions" of Congress.

15. Accordingly, the presentation of information to Congress and the general public through deceit, craft, trickery, dishonest means, and fraudulent representations, including lies, half-truths, material omissions, and statements made with reckless indifference to their truth or falsity, while knowing and intending that such fraudulent representations would influence Congress' decisions regarding authorization to use military force and funding for military action, constitutes interfering with, obstructing, impairing, and defeating a lawful government function of a department of the United States within the meaning of Section 371.

The Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

16. Beginning on or about a date unknown, but no later than August of 2002, and continuing to the present, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, the defendants,

GEORGE W. BUSH,
RICHARD B. CHENEY,
CONDOLEEZZA RICE,
DONALD M. RUMSFELD, and
COLIN M. POWELL,

and others known and unknown, did knowingly and intentionally conspire to defraud the United States by using deceit, craft, trickery, dishonest means, false and fraudulent representations, including ones made without a reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to their truth or falsity, and omitting to state material facts necessary to make their representations truthful, fair and accurate, while knowing and intending that their false and fraudulent representations would influence the public and the deliberations of Congress with regard to authorization of a preventive war against Iraq, thereby defeating, obstructing, impairing, and interfering with Congress' lawful functions of overseeing foreign affairs and making appropriations.

17. The Early Months of the Bush-Cheney Administration: Prior to January of 2001, BUSH, CHENEY, and RUMSFELD each demonstrated a predisposition to employ U.S. military force to invade the Middle East, including, specifically, to forcibly remove Saddam Hussein.

18. Since 1992, CHENEY has endorsed a "bold foreign policy" that includes using military force to "punish" or "threaten to punish" possible aggressors in order to protect the United States's access to Persian Gulf oil and to halt proliferation of weapons of mass destruction ("WMD"), a term that is customarily used to describe chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.

19. On or about January 26, 1998, RUMSFELD and seven other future BUSH-CHENEY administration appointees signed a letter sent by a conservative policy institute named "Project for a New American Century" ("PNAC") to then President William Clinton, which called for U.S. military action to forcibly remove Saddam Hussein from power.

20. In January 1999, BUSH named RICE and her future Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley ("Hadley"), as his presidential-campaign foreign-policy advisers, along with future Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz ("Wolfowitz") and four others who had publicly advocated forcibly removing Saddam Hussein.

21. On or before September 2000, 12 future BUSH-CHENEY administration appointees, including Wolfowitz, former Assistant to Vice President CHENEY, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and Rumsfeld's long-term aide Stephen Cambone, participated in drafting "Rebuilding America's Defenses," a PNAC policy statement which asserted that the "need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein." PNAC acknowledged that its goals would take a long time to achieve "absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event--like a new Pearl Harbor."

22. Once BUSH became the Republican candidate in the 2000 presidential election campaign, he and CHENEY informed the general public that they would be reluctant to use military force and did not believe that the United States should engage in "nation-building."

23. On and after January 20, 2001, BUSH and CHENEY caused to be appointed as senior foreign policy advisors and consultants, at least thirty-four persons who had publicly endorsed the PNAC principles of United States global preeminence and use of force to "punish" or "threaten to punish" emerging threats from weapons of mass destruction ("WMD") or impediments to United States access to oil in the Middle East. Of those appointees, eighteen had also publicly advocated forcibly removing Saddam Hussein.

24. In late December 2000, BUSH and CHENEY advised outgoing President William J. Clinton and others that, among potential foreign policy issues, BUSH's primary concern was Iraq.

25. On February 11, 2001, BUSH ordered the first airstrikes since 1998 to be conducted outside of the United Nations ("UN") agreed-upon No-Fly zones, to get Saddam Hussein's "attention."

26. The Attacks of September 11, 2001. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four commercial airplanes. They crashed two planes into the World Trade Towers in New York City and another into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. In total, nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the September 11, 2001, attacks ("9/11").

27. Shortly afterward, United States intelligence agencies determined that 9/11 was the work of the terrorist organization al Qaeda, spearheaded by Osama Bin Laden. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, two from Yemen, and two from Lebanon. This information, along with the conclusion that no evidence linked Saddam Hussein to the attacks or al Qaeda, was immediately communicated to BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, POWELL, and others.

28. BUSH-CHENEY administration members began discussing an invasion of Iraq immediately after 9/11. BUSH, RUMSFELD and others also assigned various subordinates, including former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke, CIA Director George Tenet, and General Richard Meyers to look for intelligence that could justify attacking Saddam Hussein's regime.

29. On September 17, 2001, BUSH secretly ordered the formulation of preliminary plans for an invasion of Iraq, while admitting to his aides that no evidence existed to justify an attack.

30. On or about September 18, 2001, in response to BUSH's request, Clarke sent RICE a memo that stated: (a) the case for linking Hussein to 9/11 was weak; (b) only anecdotal evidence linked Hussein to al Qaeda; (c) Osama Bin Laden resented the secularism of Saddam Hussein; and (d) there was no confirmed reporting of Saddam cooperating with Bin Laden on unconventional weapons.

31. On September 20, 2001, BUSH informed British Prime Minister Tony Blair that after Afghanistan, the United States and Britain should return to the issue of invading Iraq.

32. U.S. Intelligence Community Assessments of Risk from Iraq in Effect on November 2001. On occasion, Executive Branch officials request assessments of current intelligence on risks posed by WMD in a given country. Although such assessments are coordinated by the Central Intelligence Agency ("CIA"), the final product incorporates the analyses, including dissenting opinions, of the intelligence branches of the Departments of State, Energy, Defense, the National Security Agency, and others, which are collectively called the Intelligence Community ("IC").

33. As of November 2001, the most recent assessment on Iraq was a December 2000 classified Intelligence Community Assessment ("ICA") called "Iraq: Steadily Pursuing WMD Capabilities." This ICA was a comprehensive update on possible Iraqi efforts to rebuild WMD and weapons delivery systems after the 1998 departure of International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") representatives and UN weapons inspectors, who are collectively referred to as the United Nations Special Commission ("UNSCOM").

34. Regarding Iraq's possible nuclear program, the December 2000 NIE unanimously concluded that:

(a) The IAEA and UNSCOM had destroyed or neutralized Iraq's nuclear infrastructure, but Iraq still had a foundation for future nuclear reconstitution;
(b) Iraq was continuing low-level theoretical research and training, and attempting to obtain dual-use items that cold be used to reconstitute its nuclear program;
(c) if Iraq acquired a significant quantity of fissile material through foreign assistance, it could have a crude nuclear weapon within a year; if Iraq received foreign assistance, it would take five to seven years to produce enough weapons-grade fissile material for a nuclear weapon; and
(d) Iraq did not appear to have reconstituted its nuclear weapons program.

35. Escalation of Military Activity and Planning for Invasion of Iraq. On November 21, 2001, BUSH secretly ordered preparation of a formal war plan for invading Iraq. Thereafter, for sixteen months, the BUSH-CHENEY administration expended substantial U.S. government funds in military activity and planning for invasion of Iraq, all without notice to, or approval by, the U.S. Congress.

36. BUSH did not receive an extensive briefing about possible WMD in Iraq before ordering a war plan, nor did he discuss the legitimacy of grounds for war with anyone. BUSH received no such briefing until December 21, 2002.

37. On or about November 27, 2001, RUMSFELD asked General "Tommy" Franks, head of Central Command, which supervises Middle East operations, to immediately prepare an Iraq war plan in response to BUSH's order.

38. Thereafter, Franks discussed numerous revised Iraq war plans with RUMSFELD. Between December 2001 and August 2002, BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, POWELL, and others held at least five lengthy meetings about Franks' plans. In August, BUSH ordered Franks to prepare to invade Iraq using the "Hybrid Plan," a combination of the "Running Start" and "Generated Start" plans developed previously.

39. During 2002, the United States and Great Britain increased air strikes in order to degrade Iraqi air defenses and began deploying troops to areas around Iraq.

40. On or about July 30, 2002, without approval by, or notice to, Congress, BUSH caused the diversion of $700 million from Afghanistan war funds into Iraq invasion preparations.

41. On September 5, 2002, without approval by, or notice to, Congress, BUSH caused approximately 100 United States and British aircraft to launch ballistic missiles at Iraq's major western air-defense facility.

42. By September 12, 2002, without approval by, or notice to, Congress, BUSH had caused the movement of 40,000 military personnel and over 350,000 tons of equipment to areas around Iraq. Franks also ordered Central Command to be moved to Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar.

43. Behind-the-Scenes Strategizing with British Officials: On or before March 2002, BUSH, RICE, Wolfowitz, and others secretly began discussing ways to persuade the public and foreign allies to accept Bush's goal of invading Iraq, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair ("Blair") and his advisers.

44. On March 12, 2002, in Washington, DC, RICE met with Blair's Foreign Policy Adviser Sir David Manning and informed him of BUSH's problems with persuading "international opinion that military action against Iraq was necessary and justified."

45. On March 17, 2002, in Washington, DC, British Ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer advised Wolfowitz that the two countries should "wrongfoot" Saddam Hussein by seeking a UN resolution that would require the readmission of weapons inspectors with the expectation that Saddam would create a justification for war by obstructing the inspections.

46. On April 6, 2002, in Crawford, Texas, BUSH and Blair discussed strategies to sway public opinion regarding military action in Iraq. Blair agreed to support a United States invasion if the two countries obtained a UN resolution first.

47. In mid-July, 2002, in Washington, DC, White House officials discussed Iraq with visiting British officials. Upon their return to London, these officials reported the talks to Blair in a meeting at 10 Downing St. on July 23, 2002. Among other things, Blair's advisers suggested that he urge BUSH to devise a more realistic political strategy for attacking Iraq, because a desire for "regime change" would not justify military action under international law.

48. In mid-July, 2002, in Washington, DC, CIA Director Tenet and others talked about the Bush administration's intentions regarding Iraq with Sir Richard Dearlove, the head of British Intelligence.

49. On July 23, 2002, during the Downing St. meeting described above, Dearlove informed Blair that in the United States "Military action was now seen as inevitable. BUSH wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

50. On July 23, 2002, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also noted that BUSH had "made up his mind to take military action." Straw said he would urge POWELL to persuade BUSH to seek a UN resolution requiring Saddam Hussein to readmit weapons inspectors, in effect, suggesting the "wrongfooting" strategy that Meyer had described to Wolfowitz.

51. Behind-the-Scenes Efforts to Fix Intelligence Around the Policy. Within weeks after learning from Clarke, Tenet, and others that Iraq and Saddam Hussein had no involvement with either 9/11 or al Qaeda, RUMSFELD caused Deputy Undersecretary for Defense Douglas Feith ("Feith") to secretly create the Counter Terrorism Group ("CTEG"), a small unit of political appointees whose mission was to find links between Iraq and al Qaeda by reviewing raw intelligence that previously had been discarded as unreliable. CTEG reported weekly to RUMSFELD's long-term associate Stephen Cambone, and occasionally presented information directly to Wolfowitz, thereby circumventing standard IC procedures.

52. At some time in 2002, Feith also designated political appointees to work under his supervision in the newly-created Office of Special Plans, whose purpose was to develop and package information for use in marketing the President's plan for an invasion of Iraq. In the fall of 2002, this group presented information directly to RUMSFELD, to RICE's office, and to CHENEY's office, thereby circumventing standard IC procedures.

53. In the spring of 2002, CHENEY and his former aide, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, began visiting CIA headquarters to question CIA agents' assessments about Iraq. RUMSFELD and Deputy National Security Adviser Hadley also repeatedly pressed CIA Director Tenet and his subordinates to present a stronger case against Iraq.

54. Bush's Creation of the White House Iraq Group. By the summer of 2002, domestic and international support for BUSH's plan to invade Iraq was lukewarm. At the same time, Bush's chief political strategist and Senior Adviser Karl Rove and Kenneth Mehlman, head of the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, were beginning to coordinate the President's involvement in the November 7, 2002, congressional election. Their overall goal was to gain Republican majorities in both houses of Congress so that the President would have the greatest possible support for his policies. Rove had specifically recommended that Republicans "focus on war" as a way to win elections. Consequently, in the summer of 2002, BUSH's efforts to win support for an invasion of Iraq and his efforts to assist Republican congressional candidates became inextricably intertwined.

55. In the summer of 2002, BUSH caused the creation of the White House Iraq Group, which was cochaired by BUSH's long-term political operatives Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, who remained BUSH's close associate even though she had resigned her position as Counselor to the President. This team, also called WHIG, was largely a political and public-relations entity that included RICE, Hadley, President's Chief of Staff Andrew Card, President's legislative liaison Nicholas Calio, CHENEY's key aide and veteran Republican political strategist Mary Matalin, CHENEY's senior adviser Libby, and James Wilkinson, another Republican campaign consultant.

56. On or about September 6, 2002, Rove and Card publicly announced that: (a) the BUSH-CHENEY administration was beginning to "roll out" its case for an invasion of Iraq; (b) its public-relations campaign was specifically directed at forcing Congress to pass a resolution authorizing the President to use military force in Iraq; (c) BUSH wanted the resolution passed in about five weeks, before the 2002 election; and (d) in the end, it would be difficult for any legislator to vote against it.

57. The Defendants' Massive Fraud to "Market" an invasion of Iraq. On or about September 4, 2002, BUSH staged a photo opportunity with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, after which he falsely and fraudulently announced that Iraq posed a serious threat to the safety of the United States and the world, while concealing from Congress and the American people the material facts that: (a) he had no reasonable basis whatsoever for his assertion; (b) he had never discussed the legitimacy of the grounds for an attack against Iraq with anyone; (c) he had never extensively reviewed existing intelligence regarding any possible threat from Iraq; (d) he had not requested an updated intelligence assessment on Iraq; (e) the United States intelligence assessment then in effect stated that Iraq had neither nuclear weapons nor a nuclear weapons program; and (f) the IC had consistently reported that Iraq had no involvement in 9/11 and no relationship with al Qaeda.

58. On September 4, 2002, BUSH also falsely and fraudulently claimed he was beginning an "open dialogue" with the American public, with Congress, and with United States allies to decide how to respond to Iraq, while concealing the material facts that he: (a) had requested a formal plan to invade Iraq nearly a year before; (b) had been conducting significant military and nonmilitary planning and attacks against Iraq for a year; (c) had directed significant military deployment to areas around Iraq; (d) was planning a massive air assault against Iraq's air defense facility for the next day; and (e) intended to work with the UN only to create a justification to use military force against Iraq.

59. Thereafter, the defendants and WHIG executed a calculated and wide-ranging strategy to deceive Congress and the American people by making hundreds of false and fraudulent representations that were only half-true, or literally true but misleading; by concealing material facts; and by making statements without a reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to their truth, regarding, among other things:

(a) their true intent to invade Iraq;
(b) the extent of military buildup and force used against Iraq without notice to or approval by Congress;
(c) their true purpose in seeking a Congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq;
(d) their true intent to use their involvement in seeking a UN resolution requiring Iraq to cooperate with weapons inspectors as a sham; and
(e) their claimed justifications for invading Iraq, including but not limited to:
* The alleged connection between Saddam Hussein and the attacks of September 11, 2001;
* The alleged connection between Iraq and al Qaeda;
* The alleged connection between Saddam Hussein and any terrorists whose primary animus was directed towards the United States;
* Saddam Hussein's alleged intent to attack the United States in any way;
• Saddam Hussein's possession of nuclear weapons and the status of any alleged ongoing nuclear weapons programs;
* The lack of any reasonable basis for asserting with certainty that Saddam Hussein was actively manufacturing chemical and biological weapons; and
*The alleged urgency of any threat posed to the United States by Saddam Hussein.

60. Congressional Joint Resolution to Authorize Use of Force Against Iraq. As a result of the defendants' false and fraudulent "marketing" of the President's plan to invade Iraq, on October 11, 2002, the U.S Congress, acting pursuant to its Article I constitutional authority to oversee and authorize use of military force, passed a Congressional Joint Resolution to Authorize Use of Force Against Iraq ["the Resolution"] which stated:

The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to--
(a) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and
(b) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.

61. The Resolution required the President to, either before or within 48 hours after exercising the authority to use force, make available to the Senate and the House of Representatives his determination that:

(a) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (1) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (2) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq; and

(b) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

62. The Resolution also required the President to, at least every 60 days, present Congress a report on "matters relevant to this joint resolution."

63. In furtherance of the above-described conspiracy, the defendants and their coconspirators committed and caused to be committed the following overt acts:

Overt Acts

A. On December 9, 2001, CHENEY announced on NBC's Meet the Press that "it was pretty well confirmed" that lead 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta had met the head of Iraqi intelligence in Prague in April 2001, which statement was, as CHENEY well knew, made without reasonable basis and with reckless disregard for the truth, because it was based on a single witness's uncorroborated allegation that had not been fully investigated by U.S. intelligence agencies.

B. On July 15, 2002, POWELL stated on Ted Koppel's Nightline: "What we have consistently said is that the President has no plan on his desk to invade Iraq at the moment, nor has one been presented to him, nor have his advisors come together to put a plan to him," which statement was deliberately false and misleading in that it deceitfully implied the President was not planning an invasion of Iraq when, as POWELL well knew, the President was close to finalizing detailed military plans for such an invasion that he had ordered months previously.

C. On August 26, 2002, CHENEY made numerous false and fraudulent statements including: "Simply stated there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us," when, as CHENEY well knew, this statement was made without reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to the truth in that the IC's then prevailing assessment was that Iraq had neither nuclear weapons nor a reconstituted nuclear weapons program.

D. On September 7, 2002, appearing publicly with Blair, BUSH claimed a recent IAEA report stated that Iraq was "six months away from developing a [nuclear] weapon" and "I don't know what more evidence we need," which statements were made without basis and with reckless indifference to the truth in that: (1) the IAEA had not even been present in Iraq since 1998; and (2) the report the IAEA did write in 1998 had concluded there was no indication that Iraq had the physical capacity to produce weapons-usable nuclear material or that it had attempted to obtain such material.

E. On September 8, 2002, on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, RICE asserted that Saddam Hussein was acquiring aluminum tubes that were "only suited" for nuclear centrifuge use, which statement was deliberately false and fraudulent, and made with reckless indifference to the truth in that it omitted to state the following material facts: (1) the U.S. intelligence community was deeply divided about the likely use of the tubes; (2) there were at least fifteen intelligence reports written since April 2001 that cast doubt on the tubes' possible nuclear-related use; and (3) the U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons experts had concluded, after analyzing the tubes's specifications and the circumstances of the Iraqis' attempts to procure them, that the aluminum tubes were not well suited for nuclear centrifuge use and were more likely intended for artillery rocket production.

F. On September 8, 2002, RUMSFELD stated on Face the Nation: "Imagine a September 11th, with weapons of mass destruction. It's not three thousand, it's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children," which statement was deliberately fraudulent and misleading in that it implied without reasonable basis and in direct contradiction to then prevailing intelligence that Saddam Hussein had no operational relationship with al Qaeda and was unlikely to provide weapons to terrorists.

G. On September 19, 2002, RUMSFELD told the Senate Armed Services Committee that "no terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people than the regime of Saddam Hussein," which statement was, as Rumsfeld well knew, made without reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to the truth in that: (1) Hussein had not acted aggressively toward the United States since his alleged attempt to assassinate President George H. W. Bush in 1993; (2) Iraq's military forces and equipment were severely debilitated because of UN sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War; (3) the IC's opinion was that Iraq's sponsorship of terrorists was limited to ones whose hostility was directed toward Israel; and (4) Iran, not Iraq, was the most active state sponsor of terrorism.

H. On October 1, 2002, the defendants caused the IC's updated classified National Intelligence Estimate to be delivered to Congress just hours before the beginning of debate on the Authorization to Use Military Force. At the same time, the defendants caused an unclassified "White Paper" to be published which was false and misleading in many respects in that it failed to include qualifying language and dissents that substantially weakened their argument that Iraq posed a serious threat to the United States.

I. On October 7, 2002, in Cincinnati, Ohio, BUSH made numerous deliberately misleading statements to the nation, including stating that in comparison to Iran and North Korea, Iraq posed a uniquely serious threat, which statement BUSH well knew was false and fraudulent in that it omitted to state the material fact that a State Department representative had been informed just three days previously that North Korea had actually already produced nuclear weapons. The defendants continued to conceal this information until after Congress passed the Authorization to Use Military Force against Iraq.

J. Between September 1, 2002, and November 2, 2002, BUSH traveled the country making in excess of thirty congressional-campaign speeches in which he falsely and fraudulently asserted that Iraq was a "serious threat" which required immediate action, when as he well knew, this assertion was made without reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to the truth.

K. In his January 28, 2003 State of the Union address, BUSH announced that the "British have recently learned that Iraq was seeking significant quantities of uranium from Africa" which statement was fraudulent and misleading and made with reckless disregard for the truth, in that it falsely implied that the information was true, when the CIA had advised the administration more than once that the allegation was unsupported by available intelligence.

L. In a February 5, 2003, speech to the UN, POWELL falsely implied, without reasonable basis and with reckless disregard for the truth, that, among other things: (1) those who maintained that Iraq was purchasing aluminum tubes for rockets were allied with Saddam Hussein, even though POWELL well knew that both Department of Energy nuclear weapons experts and State Department intelligence analysts had concluded that the tubes were not suited for nuclear centrifuge use; and (2) Iraq had an ongoing cooperative relationship with al Qaeda, when he well knew that no intelligence agency had reached that conclusion.

M. On March 18, 2003, BUSH sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate which asserted that further reliance on diplomatic and peaceful means alone would not either: (1) adequately protect United States national security against the "continuing threat posed by Iraq" or (2) likely lead to enforcement of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, which statement was made without reasonable basis and with reckless indifference to the truth in that, as BUSH well knew, the U.S. intelligence community had never reported that Iraq posed an urgent threat to the United States and there was no evidence whatsoever to prove that Iraq had either the means or intent to attack the U.S. directly or indirectly. The statement was also false because, as BUSH well knew, the UN weapons inspectors had not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and wanted to continue the inspection process because it was working well.

N. In the same March 18, 2003 letter, BUSH also represented that taking action pursuant to the Resolution was "consistent with continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001," which statement was entirely false and without reasonable basis in that, as BUSH well knew, Iraq had no involvement with al Qaeda or the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

Washington Post's take on Vice President Cheney and some video

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson makes the case for impeachment

It's possible and desirable to love God and one's neighbor with all one's heart and yet courageously decline to drink the Biblical Kool-Aid that flows through our times. It is vital to reject the fear system that supports war, the plundering of our U.S. treasury and the forces that would cultivate a Soviet-style secrecy in our governmental affairs. Americans must let go of all our associations of God and hell and begin to cleanse our minds with honesty and humility. Hell is a human-created state of mind that ultimately manifests as war and the unequal distribution of resources.

Jesus is available to help with this cleansing of the mind. Hell is not a thought of God and is not consistent with Jesus' teaching. Jesus gives us a simple and bold, useful and direct way of living in A Course in Miracles. The Course teaches: There is nothing to fear. Please join us each Wednesday evening on the front porch from 7 - 8:30 PM at 1911 W. Cleveland Avenue in Spokane for our Study Group. We are focusing on the Workbook from A Course in Miracles. The group is free of charge and open to all. This is an open group which you are invited to attend on any Wednesday. You don't need to attend each week, but can drop in when and as often as you're able.

Would you have any interest in God if you didn't believe in Hell. Check out the Heretic on This American Life.

Wonderful singing from Great Britain

Sherman Alexie on Tavis Smiley

Jon Stewart on Bill Moyers

Charlie Hill Humor

Hillary's War

Women's Vote Makes the Difference

A Sleepin' Bee

30 Resignations?

Stand Up and We Stand Down

Above the Law

Did Rosie Call Our Troops Terrorists?

Dated: 2007-05-23Did Rosie Call Our Troops Terrorists?
The is directly from the transcripts of The View for May 17th:
O’DONNELL: …… I just want to say something. 655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?HASSELBECK: Who are the terrorists?O’DONNELL: 655,000 Iraqis — I’m saying you have to look, we invaded –HASSELBECK: Wait, who are you calling terrorists now? Americans?O’DONNELL: I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?HASSELBECK: Are we killing their citizens or are their people also killing their citizens? O’DONNELL: We’re invading a sovereign nation, occupying a country against the U.N.
I just watched Chris Matthews and his panel of journalists including Howard Feinman, Jill Zuckman, and Jonathan Capehart. Matthews asked the panel after replaying that segment of the show if she in fact said that our troops were the terrorists. They unanimously agreed with Matthews that she did call our troops terrorists. That conforms with the majority of journalists who have reported on this comment.
Rosie does not mention the troops at all in that segment of the show. She poses a rhetorical question. “Who are the terrorists?” “I’m saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?”In both of her rhetorical questions she refers to the “United States” and “us.” The policy of the United States or “our” policy in Iraq is not the responsibility of the soldiers who are ordered to execute the policy. It is obvious that state supported terrorism can only be implemented by those who have the responsibility of doing the fighting and dying. But, it is not the soldiers who are the terrorists in that hypothetical. And she was not calling the soldiers terrorists.
It is absolutely absurd that these journalists agreed with the interpretation that Matthews and the majority of the MSM had concluded.These journalists who are supposed to be experts on language and communication certainly know that she meant that the U.S. policy was the villain here and not the soldiers. Yet they persist in accusing the accusers who do not fit into their elite club. People like Rosie and others who have been branded as eccentric and outside the main stream are always fair game. They do it with many others who speak truth to power by carefully portraying sound bites out of context. They have done that to Noam Chomsky and Gore Vidal for years.
The truth is that it was the elite reporters like the Hardball panel aforementioned who aided and abetted the rush to war in Iraq and fostered the terrorist policy that has resulted in this catastrophe. So it is not Rosie who is the villain. It is journalists like these who have to rationalize their lack of courage and appropriate skepticism of a “policy” that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of our soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Long Way Home

Michelle

Why?

Are we reduced to nostalgia for the days when Ashcroft was AG?

Can a film bring down a democracy?

Living Memories

General Lynch Predicts Rise in Casualties in Iraq, including Americans

Republicans Questioning the President's Approach on Iraq?

Let the healing begin

Cheney with a prostitute? Remember when presidential escapades were impeachable? Where is the mainstream media coverage?

General Retires in Protest; Free to Speak His Mind

Endangered mountains?

No sarcasm or irony. I really appreciate the life journey of Tammy Faye. Please say a prayer for her divine healing.

Medication and Depression

A Course in Miracles documentary

Bhagavad Gita: The Celestial Song

Rich Chocolate Cake from the Post Punk Kitchen ppk.com Submitted by Isa

prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 25 minutes | makes 12 slices

Well the name says it all. This is the richest chocolate cake around. To make it a 2 layer cake, multiply the ingredients by one half and divide into 2 seperate springform pans. If you don't have springform pans, cover the bottoms in parchment paper or it will stick.

Equipment: springform pans, 2 good sized bowls, a wisk, saucepan Ingredients 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup all purp unbleached flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup good cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup plain soymilk 1/2 cup canola oil 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Sift together flours and baking powder and baking soda. In a saucepan, heat the soymilk on low-medium heat. When it is slightly bubbling, add the cocoa powder and wisk well until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Combine the other liquid ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Add the cocoa mixture and combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Pour batter into prepared pan, bake at 350 F for 25 minutes until a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean. Let cool completely and frost with your favorite frosting.

Buying the War, Bill Moyers

Another thoughtful documentary from Adam Curtis/BBC

Castaneda: Interesting how cult leaders grow to believe their fictions, as in The Power of Nightmares

Pride in Competent Leaders

or, If You Want to Cut Government: Hire Incompetents Whose Bungling Will Convince Everyone that Government Can't Work

The Power of Nightmares (three part BBC documentary available online)

Miraculous Marines: Focus on Relationships in Iraq

Do we just demand accountable, transparent government from non-Republicans?

Concerned about Troop Morale?

Why are Iraqi's disillusioned with Americans?

Need some hope for ending the war in Iraq?

Mercenary Christians and the U.S. Taxpayer

Roseanne Barr and Tibetan Meditation

What goes up...

Mental health care for the Troops

Healing: Anchors Aweigh

Sending the Injured Back to Iraq? Maybe we do need a Plan B.

The face of war

Are you already against the next war? See the roll out for the last one

The Great Moral Issues of Our Time

This is from an old college friend who has started up a nonprofit called Class Action. Do you have any friends who are in a different class than you?

3/7 ACIM Cancelled

I have a chance to go to Seattle for a few days next week so I'm going to cancel the next ACIM group for Wednesday, March 7.

I'll be back in town for the study group the following Wednesday, March 14. I didn't get an email address for everyone so share the news if you can, David

"Truth is restored to you through your desire, as it was lost to you through your desire for something else." ACIM Text p. 441

Tired of checks and balances?

Here's how dictionary.com describes the term fascism: "A form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion." [Robert O. Paxton, "The Anatomy of Fascism," 2004]

If you have been kicking yourself for missing the lies in the President's build-up to war in Iraq, then now is the time to catch up with the bouncing ball on his plans for Iran.

Newsweek interview with Dennis Kucinich

Boy soldier

Reality of American support for Troops

Al Gore speaks

Makes the war in Iraq look small by comparison

A conversation with Walter Cronkite and Dennis Kucinich on his proposed Department of Peace

My Daily Bread

Children pay the tab?

Mariela's Road

When Jonny Came Home

New Temple built by Project GANESH!

Paul started a nonprofit organization a few years ago to sponsor the restoration of temples, education and economic development in Indian villages. Since 2004, Project GANESH has donated three village shrines, steps to a hilltop temple, school teacher salaries, benches, tables and other support, and a dining hall for a high school. Project GANESH also gave emergency food and shelter following the 2004 tsunami disaster, and later provided fishing nets to help restore villagers' livelihoods.

During his latest trip to India, Paul and his co-director, Richard Stocker, broke ground for a new shrine at an ancient temple complex in the village of Kadalur, in Tamil Nadu. This shrine will house a statue of Ganesh, the Hindu god of auspicious beginnings. The statue of Ganesh is currently sitting on the ground in another shrine because there was no building for it. This is a view of the nearly-completed shrine sponsored by Project GANESH.

To learn more about Project GANESH and how you can support its work in India, visit their web site at www.projectganesh.org

Joni

‘When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.’–Sinclair Lewis

from ShirleyMaclaine.com

Cherokee legend

“The battle is between two wolves inside each of us. The evil wolf is anger, envy, jealousy, fear, greed, sorrow, regret, arrogance, self-pity, lies and ego.

The good wolf is joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, compassion, generosity, truth, love and faith.”

The child asks his Grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The wise old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

Need a Recipe?

Beautiful good food. Jewish Vegans
NYTimes Punk Vegans with an internet show
..............
Here's a recipe I tried from vegfamily.com

Vegan Barbecue Ribz

Submitted by Lucky

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of water
• 2 Tbl spoons soy butter
• 3 Tbl spoons peanut butter
• 8 Tbl spoons wheat gluten
• 7 Tbl spoons nutritional yeast
• 9 Tbl spoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• spices to taste (onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, etc)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat soy butter and add the peanut butter, mixing it so that it's consistent throughout.

Mix the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, wheat flour and spices in a dry bowl. Add the water and knead until almost all of the dry powder is absorbed. Do not over-knead. This dough is really sticky.

Form the dough into a flat shape about one-half inch thick. Add one-half of the peanut butter mixture to the top of the flattened dough. Use your fingers to poke the peanut butter mixture deeply into the dough. Do this for about 30 seconds. Turn the dough over and pour the remaining half of the peanut butter mixture onto the dough, again using your fingers to poke into the dough.

Use a pizza cutter to cut one-half inch strips of dough. Make them as long or as short as you like them. Lay out on a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, use a spatula to turn the "ribs" over. Spoon or brush on BBQ sauce and return to the oven.

Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and turn the ribs over again. Spoon or brush on some more BBQ sauce.

Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and enjoy your hot, sweet and sticky "ribz!"

Makes enough for four.

Comments: Wheat gluten is high in protein (80% by weight, I think), so combined with whole wheat flour, this dish can offer up quite a bit of protein in one meal. I'm not a nutritionist, but I belive this to be correct. Someday, I'd like to plug this recipe into one of those fancy recipe software programs and view the nutritional analysis.

Defend the Constitution or the President?

Army Lieutenant Ehren Watada is the first American officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq on the grounds that he thinks the war is illegal. He is joined by one of his lawyers, Eric Seitz, a civillian. Watada is now being court-martialed for his refusal, and for statements he made opposing the war and the Bush administration's leadership.

Senator Jim Webb's response

Senator Webb reportedly tore up a speech provided him by the Democratic Leadership and wrote his own response to the Presidents State of the Union address.

"Happiest Man"

Meditation makes him the happiest man in the world

Miracles Group

A friend from work and I have been meeting to read A Course In Miracles whenever we get the chance. We decided this past week that we would do better to commit to a regular day and time and place. With that resolved we can now invite people in the Spokane area to join us.

We'll be at 1911 W Cleveland Avenue in Spokane every Wednesday evening from 7 - 8:30PM. This group is offered free of charge.

A group I tried to get started a while back drew a lot of evangelical fundamentalists. Somehow they thought we would be studying The Holy Bible.

I just want to clarify that the Course is not the Bible. The Course is a three volume set of books. Perhaps you have heard some of the people who have popularized it? Jerry Jampolsky, Marianne Williamson, Hugh Prather, Wayne Dyer...

The Course was channeled by Helen Shucman who heard inner dictation from Jesus. The Course uses Christian terms and concepts in ways that are distinct from the various forms of Christianity that survive today. Jesus corrects a few of the quotes attributed to him in the Bible, and also provides a correcting emphasis and clarification for some well-known Bible sayings.

But the Course has a much bigger vision for our lives than just correcting errors from our hoary "Christian" past. The Course is a comprehensive spiritual path in which Jesus instructs and counsels us along the path to peace. Jesus chose a channel with a PhD in psychology, a love for Shakespearean iambic pentameter and logical argument building to unfold a framework that updates Christianity for our times. Interestingly, Ms. Shucman saw herself as an atheist at the time that Jesus began the inner dictation, so the Course uses reason for people who have the least interest or need for God.

I've been studying the Course for over two decades now and this study has accompanied some astonishing developments in my own life which you can read about here on the blog and at our Ennave website.

So please feel free to join us. You don't need to attend every week and it doesn't matter what Wednesday you start. One benefit of working with eternal truths is that everyone can understand them at whatever level they're at, and any repetition regular participants hear when new people come is helpful to review the fundamentals.

Jesus, January 5, 2007

Jesus, January 5, 2007

My Brothers and Sisters,

All are beloved of me. There is none upon this earth that I do not love dearly, and all are equal before my sight. You may see differences betweeen yourselves and others, and between others, but I do not see these differences as significant. You are much more alike than you are different, and every living thing in your world is blessed and beloved by God.

All of your conflicts in your world are caused by a belief that difference exists and is significant. There has never been a conflict in your world that was not caused by this belief, and there has never been a conflict in your world that has brought peace to those who were conflicted.

Shun the belief in difference, my friends, for you are all aspects of one human family and you are all representatives of the possibilities inherent in the human incarnation. Understand that your similiarities are paramount and that your differences are neglible. No one has ever truly gone astray by seeing and acting upon the similarities among the human family, but many have often gone astray by valuing and exagerrating the differences.

I urge you to believe that you are all one family and that your most important qualities are shared in common among you, and that you have much affinity with all living things, for you are all of one Creator, and all is holy, holy, holy.----------------------------------------------------This message is copyrighted 2007 by Ennave Institute. All rights reserved. Unauthorized publication is not permitted without express written consent. Inquiries about the authenticity of this message may be addressed to Ennave Institute at Ennave@aol.com

http://www.ennave.org

Heretic on This American Life

This American Life is a great public radio program. This episode is a profile of a traditional Baptist minister who began to read the Bible critically after being raised to see it as literal and inerrant. It's very interesting to think about how religion would work without the concept of Hell.

Vegan CRONey

Here's a nice vegan CRON blog. Lots of recipes and appetizing photos.

The Holy Mother, January 7, 2007

The Holy Mother, January 7, 2007

Holy Mother, Come to Us
Fill Us with Your Love
Let Us Feel Your Light
Take Away our Weights
And Make us Free

Your Earthly Mother

My Beloved Children,

I offer to you the fruit of life with one hand, and with my other hand I bless you and extend to you my protection. With neither hand do I threaten you, curse you or berate you. I am your Holy Mother, and I want only what is best for you at all times.

Your earthly mother is an expression of my presence, but like all human beings is an imperfect representation of the divine. This does not mean that your earthly mother has many flaws or that you should emphasize the ways in which she is unlike me. Indeed, my children, I am the most powerful force within your earthly mother, and my qualities extend from her if you would see them. When you consider your mother, you should think of me in the same instant.

It is true that there are many times that your earthly mothers could have done better, just as it is true that there are many times when you could have done better. It is apparent to me that you concentrate upon the failings of others, and that you concentrate upon your mother more than most others. The combination of these concentrations causes you to view your own mother in a less than objective way.

I would like you to remember that your mother is an expression of my own power and my love. Indeed, your earthly mother cannot be distant from me, for she is my child as you are my children, and all of you are near me.

I will give you the strength and the courage to respect your mother as a holy being. This will bring you humility and happiness, and it will also bring you nearer to me, my beloved children.----------------------------------------------------This message is copyrighted 2006 by Ennave Institute. All rights reserved. Unauthorized publication is not permitted without express written consent. Inquiries about the authenticity of this message may be addressed to Ennave Institute at Ennave@aol.com

http://www.ennave.org

Positive Psychology

How do you find authentic happiness? Not sure? The news could surprise you.

An Acquired Taste

You have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate Larry Kramer. This is a nice profile from the New Yorker. There's a lot of power in taking what happens in the world very personally.

Time to Look Back

A talent that's reached so far in to so many hearts that it's difficult to gain enough perspective to make a proper tribute: Barbra Streisand celebrated by the BBC. This is only available for a few days online, for free anyway.

To Eat or Not to Eat

Food and the lack thereof is very emotional for people. I've been curious about these new Calorie Restriction for Optimal Nutrition people and this article is a nice summary and introduction. Personally, I feel a bit sad for people who are afraid of dying, which appears to be the predominant motivating factor for CRONies. I'm also a bit apalled that people who want to live forever rely on meat and dairy, but that's just me. There's a bit of an overlap of CRONies and vegans and I'm looking for their recipes and anything that simplifies life. I'm always interested in cults and this has some cult features that should be watched. Why live forever with an enslaved mind?

Frank Barney

Barney Frank just gets better and better.

Borat

Sacha Baron Cohen is so much fun!

Awaken in the Dream

This is a wonderful view into the metaphysical challenge that the W. Bush presidency provides. Paul Levy's work shows us what W. means to us from a Jungian and Buddhist perspective. There's a good online radio interview with Paul on the home page of his site.

Don't call President Bush evil and dismiss him. See, instead, how he embodies an ego very familiar to each of us and speak out compassionately for truth, justice and the American way.

The Shadow of Bush's Smile

Keith Olberman comments on Bush's attitude about sacrifice in Iraq. Senior military staff say the Surge and Accelerate plan is more motivated by Politics than Military necessity.

Calorie Restricted Diets

Here's a nice blog that gives a day-to-day look at the life of a woman on a calorie-restricted diet by April Smith.

Creation and Science

Here's a wonderful article/interview about Creationism and Science and the overhyped conflict/battle between the two.

Julia Sweeney

Julia Sweeney is so wonderful. Here's some promotional efforts for her new show.
Fresh Air Interview Julia on Craig Ferguson New York Times Review

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks to Allison at Mizuna's

2 cups flour
1 cup maple syrup grade b
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup oil
2 cups vegan chocolate chips

press cookies on greased sheet with fork bake 350 degrees 12 minutes

Stephen Colbert with the President

It was so encouraging to see Stephen Colbert take his act to the Correspondent's Dinner. Part One Part Two Part Three Letterman Debrief

Joni Mitchell

Tribute/interview to Joni Mitchell and a short feature.

Jesus' Christmas Message

Jesus, December 25, 2006

My Friends,

I am a member of your family, for I am brother to all that live on this Earth. You are each my brother or my sister, and I love you as a brother should love a brother or a sister. I will guide you and I will free you from your agonies and your mistaken perceptions, if you wish me to do so. This is my purpose among you, and I have never altered my actions, for my purpose has always been with me and I have embraced it as my very self. All is holy, holy, holy.----------------------------------------------------This message is copyrighted 2006 by Ennave Institute. All rights reserved. Unauthorized publication is not permitted without express written consent. Inquiries about the authenticity of this message may be addressed to Ennave Institute at Ennave@aol.com

http://www.ennave.org

The Holy Mother

The Holy Mother, December 24, 2006

When You See Yourselves as I See You, You Will Love Yourselves as I Love You

My Darling Children,

I have always told you that I love you dearly, and this is true. It is the truest of the true, and it will always be true. My love for you is permanent, eternal and unchanging. I love you day and night, in all seasons and at all times of your lives. I love you when you do well to one another and when you do ill. I love you when you are generous and when you are self-centered. I love you when you are kind and when you are cruel. I always love you.

The ego will object to my declaration of love, and will say that loving you when you do poorly toward each other is a sign of weakness on the part of your Holy Mother. They will say that it destroys meaning and encourages unhelpful behaviors. My children, when I say that I love you I mean that I love all parts of you, including your persistent egos. I am not troubled by your judgments about me, if you have any judgments about me. My concern is to persuade you that you cannot lose my love and that you need not despair.

In times of your own weakness, when you would judge yourselves as being "bad" or as "failing" to live as you would want to live in your hearts, I tell you that my love is the answer to your weakness and your difficulties. My love does not excuse any shortcomings among the human race. Instead, it is the energy that can turn everyone to the highest. My love is a force for good, and when you show me less than perfection I love you very much at that time, for I know that you can never be perfect while you live in the human world, and I know that all your "good" and "bad" behaviors are merely demonstrations of your simultaneous will toward God and your confusion on Earth.

I do not categorize the human race by saying that this one is good and this one is bad, or that you individually are good today and bad tomorrow. I see all of you in your struggles to understand yourselves and to be better, and to listen to your heart and to your soul. It is easy for me to love you, because I know you. If it is hard for you to love yourselves or to love one another, it is merely because you do not yet fully know yourselves. When you see yourselves as I see you, you will love yourselves as I love you.----------------------------------------------------This message is copyrighted 2006 by Ennave Institute. All rights reserved. Unauthorized publication is not permitted without express written consent. Inquiries about the authenticity of this message may be addressed to Ennave Institute at Ennave@aol.com

http://www.ennave.org

Ford on Iraq

President Ford's comments two years ago on Bush's Iraq intervention

Oprah's School in Africa

Why shouldn't African girls have 200 thread count sheets? I've never tried such sheets. Are they really something?

I wish a lot of celebrities would stop demolishing one mansion and constructing a new one and spend a couple million on more such schools. I'm sure the dollar builds a lot of building there.