Nexus - 1501 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

of 2005, Senator Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions of dollars to her husband's firms. From 1997 through the end of 2005, Feinstein's husband Richard C. Blum was a majority shareholder in both URS Corp. and Perini Corp. She lobbied Pentagon officials in public hearings to support defence projects that she favoured, some of which already were, or subsequently became, URS or Perini contracts. From 2001 to 2005, URS earned $792 million from military construction and environmental clean-up projects approved by MILCON,; Perini earned $759 million from such projects. In 2003 hearings, MILCON approved various construction projects at sites where Perini and/or URS are contracted to perform engineering and military construction work. URS's military construction work in 2000 earned it a mere $24 million. The next year, when Feinstein took over as MILCON chair, military construction earned URS $185 million. Beginning in 1997, Michael R. Klein, a top legal adviser to Feinstein and a long-time business partner of Blum, routinely informed Feinstein about specific federal projects coming before her in which Perini had a stake. (Source: Peter Byrne, "Senator Feinstein's Iraq Conflict", North Bay Bohemian, January 24, 2007, http://www. bohemian.com/metro/01.24.07/dianne-feinstein-0704.html) http://www. globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle& code=NOR20070120&article Id=4527; Information Clearing House, "Full Text: The President of Iran's Letter to President Bush", May 9, 2006, translated by Le Monde, http://www. informationclearinghouse.info/article12984.htm) w--- p--y-- -- => = subsequently became, URS or Perini contrac “From 2001 to 25. Who Will Profit from Native Energy? 2005, URS earned $792 million from military construction and Energy on Native American land is becoming big business. environmental clean-up projects approved by MILCON,; Perini According to the Indigenous Environmental Network, 35 per cent earned $759 million from such projects. of the fossil fuel resources in the US are within Indian country. In 2003 hearings, MILCON approved various construction The Department of the Interior estimates that Indian lands hold projects at sites where Perini and/or URS are contracted to undiscovered reserves of almost 54 billion tons of coal, 38 trillion perform engineering and military construction work. URS's cubic feet of natural gas and 5.4 billion barrels of oil. Tribal lands military construction work in 2000 earned it a mere $24 million. also contain enormous amounts of alternative energy. The next year, when Feinstein took over as MILCON chair, According to Theresa Rosier, Counselor to the Assistant military construction earned URS $185 million. Secretary for Indian Affairs, "increased energy development in Beginning in 1997, Michael R. Klein, a top legal adviser to Indian and Alaska Native communities could help the Nation Feinstein and a long-time business partner of Blum, routinely have more reliable homegrown energy supplies". This, she says, informed Feinstein about specific federal projects coming before is "consistent with the President's National Energy Policy to her in which Perini had a stake. secure America's energy future". (Source: Peter Byrne, "Senator Feinstein's Iraq Conflict", The idea that "America's energy future" should be linked to North Bay Bohemian, January 24, 2007, http://www. having "more reliable homegrown energy supplies" can be found bohemian.com/metro/01.24.07/dianne-feinstein-0704.html) in native energy-specific legislation that has already passed into law. What this line of thinking fails to consider is that Native 24. Media Misquotes Threat from Iran's President America is not the same as US America. The domestic "supplies" Across the world a media story has in question belong to sovereign spread that Iran's President nations, not to the United States or its Ahmadinejad has threatened to energy sector. destroy Israel, by saying that "Israel must be wiped off the map". So far, government plans to deregulate and step up the Critics charge, however, Contrary to general belief, this that large energy companies development of domestic (native) statement was _ actuall a . . . energy resources is being spun as a misinterpretation. However, it was are simply looking to establish way to pro luce clean, effi ont energy the Islamic Republic News Service in lucrative partnerships with while helping Native Americans gain Iran that first mistranslated the quote. tribal corporations which are greater economic and _ tribal Iran's Foreign Minister attempted to 3 sovereignty. Critics charge, however, clarify the statement, but the quote largely free of regulation and that large energy companies are ended up having a life of its own. . simply looking to establish lucrative Amid heated wrangling over Iran's federal oversight. partnerships with tribal corporations, nuclear program and the threat of pre-emptive strikes by the US, the and federal oversight. quote has been continually used to America's native peoples may attain reinforce the idea that Iran is being run by extremists seeking the a modicum of energy independence and tribal sovereignty through which are largely free of regulation total destruction of Israel. the development of wind, solar and other renewable energy So what did Ahmadinejad actually say? To quote his exact infrastructure on their lands. But, according to Brian Awehali, it words in Farsi: Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods won't come from getting into bed with, and becoming indebted to, bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad. Rezhim-e is the word the very industry currently driving the planet to its doom. "regime", pronounced just like the English word with an extra (Source: Brian Awehali, "Native Energy Futures", LiP "eh" sound at the end. Ahmadinejad did not refer to Israel the Magazine, June 5, 2006, http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/ country, the landmass, but the Israeli regime. Ahmadinejad did featawehali_nativefutures.htm) © not even refer to Israel by name, but used the specific phrase rezhim-e ishghalgar-e gods ("regime occupying Jerusalem"). About Project Censored: A similar statement by Ahmadinejad in December 2006—"As Project Censored is a national research effort launched in the Soviet Union disappeared, the Zionist regime will also vanish 1976 by Dr Carl Jensen, Professor Emeritus of and humanity will be liberated"—has also been misinterpreted. Communications Studies at Sonoma State University, In May 2006, President Ahmadinejad published an open letter California, USA. Upon Dr Jensen's retirement in 1996, to President Bush, clearly asking for peace and the mutual respect —_ leadership of the project was passed to Associate Professor of of human rights. He warns that the Western media, through Sociology and media research specialist Dr Peter Phillips. contrived and deceptive information, have intensified the climate The aims of Project Censored are to inform the public, of fear that leads to attacks on innocent peoples. The letter was advocate for independent journalism and strive to spark not reported in the US news media. debate on current issues involving media monopoly. The (Sources: Arash Norouzi, "Wiped Off The Map—The Rumor yearbook compilation Censored 2008 is available from the of the Century", Global Research, January 20, 2007, — Project Censored website, http://www.projectcensored.org. Critics charge, however, that large energy companies are simply looking to establish lucrative partnerships with tribal corporations, which are largely free of regulation and federal oversight. About Project Censored: Project Censored is a national research effort launched in 1976 by Dr Carl Jensen, Professor Emeritus of Communications Studies at Sonoma State University, California, USA. Upon Dr Jensen's retirement in 1996, leadership of the project was passed to Associate Professor of Sociology and media research specialist Dr Peter Phillips. The aims of Project Censored are to inform the public, advocate for independent journalism and strive to spark debate on current issues involving media monopoly. The yearbook compilation Censored 2008 is available from the Project Censored website, http://www.projectcensored.org. NEXUS + 19 DECEMBER 2007 — JANUARY 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com