The Latest Exposure

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CIA admissions that the agency destroyed at least two videotapes documenting harsh interrogations -- amid court and congressional inquiries on the matter -- underline how high a cost the U.S. has paid since 9/11 for trying to fight terrorism with methods only fit to be hidden.

Current and former government officials tell the New York Times the videotapes showed CIA agents using severe interrogation techniques on Abu Zubaydah and other captured al Qaeda operatives in 2002. The tapes were destroyed in 2005 by the then-head of the agency's Directorate of Operations and apparently without the knowledge at the time of then-CIA chief Porter Goss, the Times reports. But they were still around when lawyers for the agency told investigators for the 9/11 commission and the judge in the trial of terror suspect Zacarias Moussaoui that the CIA didn't possess such recordings. Law professor Daniel Marcus, who served as the commission's general counsel and dealt with discussions about interviews with al Qaeda leaders, tells the Times he had heard nothing about tapes being destroyed. If that happened, he adds, "it's a big deal, it's a very big deal," because such destruction, essentially the withholding of evidence in a criminal matter, could amount to obstruction of justice.

Several officials tell the Times the tapes were destroyed in part out of concern that exposure of the video depicting harsh interrogation posed legal risks for agency officials. Current CIA Director Gen. Michael V. Hayden said in a statement to staffers yesterday that the tapes were destroyed because they no longer had intelligence value, but also because if they became public they'd expose CIA officials "and their families to retaliation from al Qaeda and its sympathizers," as the Times reports. But it is the fear of such retaliation against American personnel that so many formerly senior American military officers and congressional critics have cited in opposing the use of such methods in the first place.

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… That Doesn't Bolster U.S. Counterterror
The CIA's admission came the same day "House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement on legislation that would prohibit the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics by the CIA and bring intelligence agencies in line with rules followed by the U.S. military," the Washington Post notes. And it will undoubtedly affect that debate, at a time when many Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates support the use of such tactics as necessary to protecting the U.S. from terrorism, and with President Bush threatening to veto any bill that tries to ban them. The Times says it informed the CIA Wednesday evening that it was about to publish an article on the tapes, and Gen. Hayden acknowledged he was informing CIA employees about the matter "because the press has learned" about it. That line of reasoning has been a theme of late in Washington. Newsweek cites current and former U.S. intelligence officials saying the release of the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iran this week came in part because "some officials feared leaks and accusations of a cover-up."

Allegations of misuse of intelligence and intelligence tactics and a long-held penchant for secrecy have played against the administration in Mr. Bush's second term. The leaders of France and Germany, for example, are still promoting an international effort to shut down parts of Iran's nuclear programs, as the Times reports, but they face an uphill battle at the United Nations thanks to a perceived disconnect between what the NIE says and White House rhetoric. The U.S. also now faces rising opposition to the planned installation of a missile-defense system in Europe -- a pressure point in quarrels with Russia -- thanks to the NIE, as the Associated Press reports. The Supreme Court face-off over trials at Guantanamo is all about bringing terror prosecutions into the open. And the U.S. rendition program and once-secret participation by allies in Europe shoved public opinion on the Continent even farther away from sympathy with Washington when it was made public, in part because of how it clashed with principles shunning what the BBC calls "the unhindered use of government power."

Lacking geopolitical capital, the administration has reversed itself on what The Wall Street Journal describes as "numerous foreign-policy fronts," most notable yesterday through Mr. Bush's letter directly to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Addressing a regime he once grouped in the "axis of evil" and a man he said he loathed, Mr. Bush was asking for greater "cooperation in implementing a pact to dismantle its nuclear arms in exchange for full normalized relations," the Journal notes. The University of Maryland professor of Middle East studies Shibley Telhami once argued that "In every conflict, the extent to which a party can muster domestic support and international support, and the extent to which its public will withstand higher thresholds of pain, is very much a function of the degree of international legitimacy for that cause." The righteousness the U.S. wielded following 9/11 was an important asset in counterterror efforts, at home and abroad. And it's one directly affected by admissions like yesterday's from the CIA.

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Strauss-Kahn Plans Layoffs at the IMF
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund, tells The Wall Street Journal that as part of overhaul and budgetary mending of the institution he plans to cut about 15% of the staff, the first significant series of layoffs since the IMF's founding in 1945. In addition to shoring up its financial deficit, Mr. Strauss-Kahn is trying "to keep the IMF relevant at a time when developing nations are growing rapidly, often have fat reserves and have little need for IMF aid," the Journal notes. "The cuts are also part of his strategy to win U.S. and European backing for a plan to sell part of the IMF's gold hoard and invest in income-producing assets, to put the IMF on a sounder financial footing." But as Mr. Strauss-Kahn himself notes, "all this is possible only if ... I have the commitment by different governments" to boost IMF income. "If not," he adds, "nothing is done."

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William McGuire's $418 Million Surrender
A year after he was ousted from one of the highest paid chief-executiveships in corporate America, former UnitedHealth Group CEO William McGuire agreed to give up at least $418 million to settle claims that he improperly benefited from back-dated stock options. Coming on top of some $198 million he had already agreed to return to UnitedHealth, the payment is one of the largest a corporate leader has ever had to relinquish, as the backdating scandal continues to resonate in boardrooms -- and courtrooms -- across the country, the New York Times notes. The returned money is part of separate settlements Mr. McGuire reached with the Securities and Exchange Commission and UnitedHealth shareholders. "The forfeitures are the first time regulators have successfully employed corporate governance rules put in place after the collapse of Enron that force executives to disgorge ill-gotten gains," the Times adds. Compensation consultant Brian Foley tells The Wall Street Journal he believes Dr. McGuire's total repayment represents the largest such giveback due to executive-compensation abuses in history. "You have to applaud the sheer magnitude," Mr. Foley says. "On the other hand, he still walks away with a lot."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119701245980817016.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Stressors in Interpersonal and Personal Development

Interpersonal and personal development is often slowed due to stress that builds up and blinds people from seeing what they need to do to finish the process of growing.

Many people lose strength with developing personal development skills, so the first step is to learn some techniques to manage stress. Stress is the leading cause of much illness and will often cause failure. Therefore, we all must learn to thrive on stress, rather than allow it to take us under.

Stay in control by learning some focus techniques. Build a strong mind by practicing techniques that helps you build awareness. You want to build awareness of self and everything around you. The recent articles published on the Internet, Thrive on Stress will help you learn some techniques that will assist you with managing stress.

Take a tour on the net to find guides to manage stress as well. You will find a wide assortment of articles on this subject by using your search engine.

You want to learn about you. This is your goal. When you learn about you it helps you to find answers and to take hold of new ways that encourage personal and interpersonal development. You can discover your inner feelings by searching your subliminal mind. So be sure to look for articles that help you find techniques for subliminal learning.

The subliminal mind stores information over the course of your lifetime. Some of this information produces negative thoughts, which affects your behaviors. You can use meditative techniques to challenge this area of your mind. This will help you find your inner thoughts and feelings.

Mediation will help guide you by encouraging relaxation. In addition, you welcome the opportunity to explore the subliminal mind. Practice mediation to relax and build your focus skills.

Writing is a great technique. When you feel stressed write down your feelings on paper and search your notes to find subliminal messages. Try to keep an objective mind. Search for ways to turn your negative feelings into positive. Develop your positive attitude through meditation and subliminal learning.

Review your goals. Your first goal in personal and interpersonal development is to find you. After using techniques to discover problems, consider setting a few small goes to make constructive changes.

Making constructive changes is a great tool that will lead you to success. You need to have a positive attitude and be willing to make constructive changes. Stress often develops at the thought of change. Therefore, learn to accept change.

Stressors are things we all build along our way in life. Stressors are bills, family problems, personal problems, work related problems and so forth. Learn to reduce stressors to relieve stress also. If you are struggling with debt, take some time to read guides at your library that will help you manage your income, bills, etc.

Reduce all stressors that you possibly can to eliminate stress. This will help you in your goal to personal and interpersonal development.

In the new age we are moving toward natural healing. Go on the Internet to find articles that will help you with stress management and relaxation. We all need relaxation to accomplish any goal we set.

Take some time to discover the benefits of subliminal learning. If you find this technique difficult, perhaps you can benefit from some accelerated learning courses.

Learn the processes of meditation. Take some yoga classes if you find it hard to meditate. If you cannot afford yoga classes, go online now to learn some other techniques. Try aromatherapy.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=45009

How to Find Your Life Purpose & Ideal Life

Asking the Right question is more powerful than providing the right answer.

Q Why is that important?

I always have this in my mind when i coach. I believe we all have the answers within us, it is not the coaches job to tell you his or her opinion/solution of your life issue. A good coach will enable you to find the answers within yourself.

Q Why is that important?

Because we are made in the image of God (defined as the ultimate universal pure energy.) Our spirit thoughts and feelings are what make us who we are.

Q Why is that important?

The factor that determines if we are happy and fulfilled about life is not external its how we think and feel about our current situation that makes it pleasure or pain to us.

We all have different gifts and talents which create a special feeling inside of us when we are performing them. No one can think or feel how we think or feel, that is our sixth sense our intuition, we all use it whether we realise it or not.

Q Why is that important?

Only you can ultimately know what makes you tick and gets you going, for each person it is different the external result is the end result of an internal process, when your external life and activities represent you inner self and desires, fulfillment is found. For one person that may mean being a gardener for another that may mean being a lawyer.

Q Why is that important?

If someone born to be a lawyer was a gardener and someone born to be a gardener was a lawyer they would both be unfullfilled not because the job is bad, just because it is not the ideal job for them.

Q Why is that important?

No one can say to you, "I don't think this is the right job for you" only you can know that for sure by your intuition, talking about your dreams and aspirations will help formulate the answers to what will bring you fulfillment...

In closing an analogy

We are all millionaires with money in the bank, but we never see it,

We are like millions of individual credit and debit cards going through everyday life, when we want something we go the cash machine, of the universal bank to withdraw some money the problem is we have forgotten our PIN numbers and are standing there getting frustrated trying all kinds of number combinations with no success,

Debit card holders

1) Some people just give up and make do with what they have

2) Some people will go away and quiet their mind (meditation) in order to remember their unique PIN numbers

3) Some people contact the bank and ask to be reminded of their PIN number (Spiritual disciplines)

Credit card holders

1) Don't even go to the Bank ATM believing there account is empty - hence the credit card (not realising their power)

2) Have a mentality of lack - hence the credit card (i will never have enough it has always been the same)

3) Have a bill at the end of the month ( life sucks, a negative feeling is created around money/ life)

4) Are at the mercy of the lenders (Those in power able to affect, government, polices, stock market, neighbourhood)

Once the unique PIN number is remembered and the person is made aware, they can confidently go back to the ATM and take out whatever sum they want. (Creating your own reality and ideal life, through an awareness of how the universe works)

Each PIN is unique but the process of withdrawing the money is the same. This is how someone who has knowledge

in this area, can help people from different backgrounds with different PIN numbers. You can see it is the process thats important, once the process and method is put into practice the PIN number will come.

This has the added benefits of;

• Being able to change your PIN number
• Checking your balance
• Being able to take out extra money for those around you
• Telling family and friends how you got access to your PIN number so that they to can have abundance

Explanation of terms

The bank represents our universal supply

Money represents mental, physical, spiritual and creative power

The Debit card represents those who believe and or have awareness of a higher power

The Credit card represents those who are not aware of the power they possess, an focus to much on the externals of life in turn giving their power to create over to the seen world people and the economy in the belief that it is the external stuff of life that validates why they are in the situation they are in.

The PIN number represents - Our DNA, gifts talents, life purpose, universal laws

A W A R E N E S S and D E S I R E are two important keys in getting to this place, Don't settle for less, realise that you can BE DO and HAVE what you want. Find out for yourself how to reclaim and use your unique PIN.

If you have been using a Credit card realise you don't need one, you have money in the bank get the right card with the PIN number and use it.

To find out more about the Coaching service I offer, and an informal chat with no obligations, contact me using any of the details below. FREE 15min taster sessions are also available Roger Millar - Life, Success, Spiritual Coaching

Tel no. 020 8357 9294

Website http://www.7ask7.co.uk/