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wimbartelds

Last seen: 2 hours ago

Wim is a 46 year old guy from The Hague, Netherlands

Hi, I'm Wim. I work as an investigative journalist (intelligence, terrorism -I used to work in govt. intel and am unable to lose the investigative habit, haha), have a penchant for poetry, Irish whisky, blues and Bach, and I've given up my attempt to quit smoking.

  • Created Sep 11 •


    Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth     -Albert Einstein

    Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither -Benjamin Franklin

    We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence.. by the military-industrial complex... We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes -Dwight. D. Eisenhower

    Mankind lets some 25,500 children below the age of five die of malnutrition, curable diseases, and starvation -every day.
    In the last ten minutes alone, 177 very small, innocent children have died.

  • Resources - i2 Limited

    Rated 12:32pm • 1 review • i2.co.uk


    Interesting stuff, this, for visualization of information analysis.

  • From EFF's Secret Files: Anatomy of a Bogus Subpoena |...

    Rated 10:28am • 3 reviews • eff.org

    Anatomy of a bogus subpoena

    From the page: "The report describes how, earlier this year, U.S. attorneys issued a federal grand jury subpoena to Indymedia.us administrator Kristina Clair demanding “all IP traffic to and from indymedia.us" [indymedia.us"] ; for a particular date, potentially identifying every person who visited any news story on the Indymedia site. As the report explains, this overbroad demand for internet records not only violated federal privacy law but also violated Clair’s First Amendment rights, by ordering her not to disclose the existence of the subpoena without a U.S. attorney’s permission.    "

  • Twenty Years After the Fall | STRATFOR

    Rated 04:55am • 1 review • stratfor.com



    Twenty years after the Fall

    From the page: "The current decisions the Russians face can only be understood in the context of events that transpired 20 years ago. The same issues are being played out, and the generation that now governs Russia was forged in that crucible. The Russian leadership is trying to balance the possible outcomes to find a solution. They cannot trade national security for promised economic benefits that may not materialize or may not be usable. And they cannot simply use the security apparatus to manage increased military spending -- there are limits to that."

    Very good analysis of Russia's current situation, by Stratfor's George Friedman.

  • Obama Regime: Toss NSA Warrantless Wiretapping Lawsuit

    Rated Nov 06 • 1 review • inteldaily.com

    Obama Regime: Toss NSA Warrantless Wiretapping Lawsuit

    From the page: "Antifascist Calling reported at the time that the Obama administration has argued that under provisions of the disgraceful USA PATRIOT Act, the state is "immune from suit under the two remaining key federal surveillance laws: the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act.""

    Anyway, I can go on repeating over and over that Obama talks nice but continues Bush' policies, but I'll try to restrain myself and post more things that don't have to do with that.


  • Israeli Navy Intercepts Arms Ship - Military - NYTimes.com

    Rated Nov 04 • 1 review • middle east • nytimes.com

    Israeli Navy Intercepts Arms Ship - Military

    From the page: "Israel Radio's military affairs correspondent identified the vessel as the Francop, a 137-metre (450-ft)-long container ship, and said it was docked at Ashdod port, south of Tel Aviv.

    Israel's Channel 10 television said Israel had advance information about the vessel. Military sources said naval commandos stormed the ship in international waters.

    The defence ministry said it was boarded near Cyprus."

    It may simply be true, these things happen.

    But somehow it's more probable that this was something wonderfully orchestrated. By whom?

  • Obama Resuming G.W. Bush's "Extraordinary Renditions"

    Rated Nov 04 • 1 review • crime • inteldaily.com



    Obama Resuming G.W. Bush's "Extraordinary Renditions"

    From the page: "Even though Barack Obama, the candidate, pledged to end "the practice of shipping away prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far-off countries," his FBI has been rendering kidnap victims to the U.S. The practice is still kidnapping, however; and it's still illegal."

  • BBC NEWS | Europe | Italy school crucifixes barred

    Rated Nov 03 • 1 review • bbc.co.uk

    The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against the use of crucifixes in classrooms in Italy.

    It said the practice violated the right of parents to educate their children as they saw fit, and ran counter to the child's right to freedom of religion.

    Cool! At least every now and then the integrity of some element of a European nation-state remains intact.

    Sad, isn't it, that this kind of thing has become news that basically shocks no-one; ain't it normal?

  • BBC NEWS | South Asia | Karzai vows to battle corruption

    Rated Nov 03 • 2 reviews • bbc.co.uk

    Karzai vows to battle corruption

    Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to remove the "stigma" of corruption, a day after winning a new five-year term. In his first remarks since being declared winner on Monday of August's fraud-marred poll, he also pledged to lead an inclusive government.
    (...)
    The Taliban said in a statement it would continue its fight and called Mr Karzai "a puppet".

    For once the Taliban are really right.

    Look at the shameless arrogance of  Karzai (effectively the criminal warlord who controls Kabul and who, through his US 'support', has some clout in some parts of the country), and the equally shameless way the U.S. Administration is supporting this 'presidency' with complete bullshit aimed at making it sound more 'legal'.

    Change, eh?

    I fear that the man in the White House, whose whole promise was built on the notion of change away from the Bush Years, is a 'great communicator' of perhaps reaganesque or clintonesque quality; he can appeal to basic feelings of sympathy. Part of him being this guy who means well, is not acted. He means reasonably well, probably a lot better and less cynical than a lot of previous U.S. Presidents.
    I saw a rerun of Letterman recently, where President Obama was The Guest. It was a nice, and funny, and intelligent interview. Obama talks wonderfully, there even is some real sincerity in his presence and his talk, and the man is highly intelligent.

    Why isn't there real change, then, a year or so after the elections?

  • FBI documents reveal secret CIA prisoners 'manacled to...

    Rated Nov 02 • 2 reviews • rawstory.com

    FBI documents reveal secret CIA prisoners ‘manacled to the ceiling’

    From the page: "Hundreds of pages of documents partially declassified by the Justice department on Friday reveal that the FBI was conducting an investigation of overseas CIA prisons.
    The documents were released as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Judicial Watch, a Washington-based advocacy group. Many of them were previously released but some of the censoring has been removed."

  • Fried testicles | Head Rambles

    Rated Oct 25 • 1 review • ireland • headrambles.com



    Fried testicles

    From the page: "Now, Mr O'Connor, who owns the shop doesn't quite see the joke and is getting a little tired of mopping up their recycled beer and kebabs, and quite frankly, I don't blame him."