[February 18 2009] Travus T. Hipp Morning News & Commentary: Side Notes On The Cancellation Of The San Francisco Blues Festival - The Mass Cattle Festivals - Where Music And Freedom Are Primary Forces No More - Бесплатное архивное аудио

In The News: President Obama has been in office for 30 days and his policy actions are STILL making up most of the news cycle. The economic stimulus bill passes and "Even as Obama was signing the bill, Republicans were denouncing it as a waste of money.", but that was yesterday. He'll be in Arizona today explaining how he's going to save the housing market, which will be a trick. Details of that plan. The war... President Obama has authorized 17,000 US troops for the War on Afghanistan. Eight thousand Marines from Camp Lejeune immediately. It's a pre-staging for the spring offensive. More. Still more from Juan Cole @ Informed Comment:

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Obama Orders 17,000 US Troops to Afghanistan President Barack Obama has decided to send 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, on the grounds that "the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention". Civilian deaths from political violence increased about 40% in 2008 over 2007, reaching over 2000. They will be sent to the Pushtun south and east of the country, where guerrilla fighting is expected to pick up with the advent of warm weather. . . . McClatchy reports that the new troops will mainly be sent to Helmand Province, a major poppy-producing areas, and will have poppy eradication as a major mission. If this report is true, it is very troubling. There is reason to think that forcible poppy eradication has produced the growing insurgency. Poppies are used to make heroin, and exports of the drug account for over a third of Afghanistan's gross domestic product. But many Afghan farmers are destitute after 30 years of war, and this crop is their one hope of escaping poverty. They grow irate when someone comes in with helicopters and torches to destroy the crop.[In Full]

Also see this International Crisis Group analysis:

Training and Equipping Afghan Security Forces: Unaccounted Weapons and Strategic Challenges 12 February 2009 Washington, D.C. Strategic incoherence and inadequate coordination here in Washington and in Kabul within the U.S. military, between the military and civilian government agencies and between the U.S. and its international partners in Kabul are fatal to success in confronting the Taliban insurgency. The results of that strategic chaos have played out across Afghanistan over the past seven years. [In Full]

GM and Chrysler have delivered a 9 billion dollar now and 7 billion dollar later plan for recovery to the US treasury. The EPA is preparing for a re-examination of regulations and approval processes regarding coal-fired power plants and their emissions. On Capitol Hill... NO one's home. But they're still up to no good... More. [After the commentary, Dave Alvin, and the Guilty Men, up to no good blues down at the Ash Grove. Courtesy of the respective artists and KPIG radio Freedom California, Earth]

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"All The News You Never Knew You Needed To Know ...Until Now." Travus T. Hipp - Cabale News Service Recorded by The Buffalo Amongst Wolves @ My Buffalo River Home Courtesy of Cabale News Service and KPIG Radio

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