4um: Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway

Title: Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway
Source: Rense.com
URL Source: http://www.rense.com/general72/mex.htm
Published: Jun 14, 2006
Author: Jerome H. Corsi
Post Date: 2006-06-14 06:26:04 by Zoroaster
Ping List: *The Border*
Keywords: None
Views: 450
Comments: 23

Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway By Jerome R. Corsi Human Events 6-14-6

Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.

Once complete, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the United States through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman's Union in the process. The Mexican trucks, without the involvement of the Teamsters Union, will drive on what will be the nation's most modern highway straight into the heart of America. The Mexican trucks will cross border in FAST lanes, checked only electronically by the new "SENTRI" system. The first customs stop will be a Mexican customs office in Kansas City, their new Smart Port complex, a facility being built for Mexico at a cost of $3 million to the U.S. taxpayers in Kansas City.

As incredible as this plan may seem to some readers, the first Trans-Texas Corridor segment of the NAFTA Super Highway is ready to begin construction next year. Various U.S. government agencies, dozens of state agencies, and scores of private NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have been working behind the scenes to create the NAFTA Super Highway, despite the lack of comment on the plan by President Bush. The American public is largely asleep to this key piece of the coming "North American Union" that government planners in the new trilateral region of United States, Canada and Mexico are about to drive into reality.

Just examine the following websites to get a feel for the magnitude of NAFTA Super Highway planning that has been going on without any new congressional legislation directly authorizing the construction of the planned international corridor through the center of the country.

* NASCO, the North America SuperCorridor Coalition Inc., is a "non-profit organization dedicated to developing the world's first international, integrated and secure, multi-modal transportation system along the International Mid-Continent Trade and Transportation Corridor to improve both the trade competitiveness and quality of life in North America." Where does that sentence say anything about the USA? Still, NASCO has received $2.5 million in earmarks from the U.S. Department of Transportation to plan the NAFTA Super Highway as a 10-lane limited-access road (five lanes in each direction) plus passenger and freight rail lines running alongside pipelines laid for oil and natural gas. One glance at the map of the NAFTA Super Highway on the front page of the NASCO website will make clear that the design is to connect Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. into one transportation system.

* Kansas City SmartPort Inc. is an "investor based organization supported by the public and private sector" to create the key hub on the NAFTA Super Highway. At the Kansas City SmartPort, the containers from the Far East can be transferred to trucks going east and west, dramatically reducing the ground transportation time dropping the containers off in Los Angeles or Long Beach involves for most of the country. A brochure on the SmartPort website describes the plan in glowing terms: "For those who live in Kansas City, the idea of receiving containers nonstop from the Far East by way of Mexico may sound unlikely, but later this month that seemingly far-fetched notion will become a reality."

* The U.S. government has housed within the Department of Commerce (DOC) an "SPP office" that is dedicated to organizing the many working groups laboring within the executive branches of the U.S., Mexico and Canada to create the regulatory reality for the Security and Prosperity Partnership. The SPP agreement was signed by Bush, President Vicente Fox, and then-Prime Minister Paul Martin in Waco, Tex., on March 23, 2005. According to the DOC website, a U.S.-Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning has finalized a plan such that "(m)ethods for detecting bottlenecks on the U.S.-Mexico border will be developed and low cost/high impact projects identified in bottleneck studies will be constructed or implemented." The report notes that new SENTRI travel lanes on the Mexican border will be constructed this year. The border at Laredo should be reduced to an electronic speed bump for the Mexican trucks containing goods from the Far East to enter the U.S. on their way to the Kansas City SmartPort.

* The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is overseeing the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) as the first leg of the NAFTA Super Highway. A 4,000-page environmental impact statement has already been completed and public hearings are scheduled for five weeks, beginning next month, in July 2006. The billions involved will be provided by a foreign company, Cintra Concessions de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A. of Spain. As a consequence, the TTC will be privately operated, leased to the Cintra consortium to be operated as a toll-road.

The details of the NAFTA Super Highway are hidden in plan view. Still, Bush has not given speeches to bring the NAFTA Super Highway plans to the full attention of the American public. Missing in the move toward creating a North American Union is the robust public debate that preceded the decision to form the European Union. All this may be for calculated political reasons on the part of the Bush Administration.

A good reason Bush does not want to secure the border with Mexico may be that the administration is trying to create express lanes for Mexican trucks to bring containers with cheap Far East goods into the heart of the U.S., all without the involvement of any U.S. union workers on the docks or in the trucks.

Without specifically saying "I told you so," best-selling author Jerome Corsi has pointed out that the warnings he gave in his 2005 release "Atomic Iran" are proving to be worryingly accurate.

"The time when Iran will have a bomb is imminent ... no matter how many times they swear their intentions are entirely peaceful," Corsi wrote in an April 2005 column.

"When I wrote "Atomic Iran," I predicted that the negotiations with the EU-3 would fail," Corsi told WND. "I wrote that Iran's continued efforts to develop atomic weapons secretly would leave no alternative except to take Iran before the Security Council for additional sanctions. I also predicted that the United Nations would not be able to do anything effective to stop Iran.

"What will happen next?" Corsi asks. "Iran will make an atomic bomb. They already have proved their Shahab-3 missile is solid-fuel ready. This reduces the launch time to virtually nothing, making the Shahab-3 harder to hit by the Patriot and Arrow anti-missile systems we and the Israelis have in place. A missile is most reliably downed immediately after launch. Hitting a missile when it is in the final stages of heading to earth is like hitting a bullet with a bullet – almost impossible. The Shahab-3 will easily reach Tel Aviv."

In the April column as well as in his book, Corsi revealed the Islamic Republic of Iran had announced the results of a successful test of the Shahab-3, which flew 1,700 kilometers fast and accurately in March 2005. Today, CBS and the AP report "experiments with high explosives, possibly linked to future weapons tests, were carried out as recently as 2003 in Iran."

Corsi argues that the current buzz surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions "is not alarmist fear-mongering." And the proof comes straight from the mouth of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In recent months, Ahmadinejad made headlines for claiming the Holocaust was a "myth," and by announcing: "We don't shy away from declaring that Islam is ready to rule the world."

Nuclear capabilities and a radical desire to rule the world do not mix. In October, Ahmadinejad declared his desire for Israel to be "wiped out from the map of the world." The remarks were not a flippant off-the-cuff comment. The hard-line Iranian president was speaking before "The World Without Zionism" conference. Following his speech, 3,000 students in attendance began chanting "Death to Israel!" and "Death to America!"

As if the conference's harsh rhetoric were not enough, Iran has recently promised immediate retaliation if Tehran is referred to the U.N. Security Council. Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, told the Guardian that any military action by the U.S. or Israel against Iran would have "severe consequences" and would be countered "by all means" at Iran's disposal.

Wednesday, Britain, France and Germany, along with U.S. support, submitted a draft resolution asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council. As a result, all members of the Security Council agreed not to take action or impose sanctions until the IAEA presents its report regarding Iran's nuclear program in early March.

Yesterday, the IAEI Board of Governors began its two-day emergency session after "reaching an impasse in negotiations with Iran when the Islamic state announced last month that it had broken IAEA sales on its nuclear facilities," according to CNN. A vote on the EU3's draft resolution is expected to take place today.

Meanwhile, U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte told Congress yesterday that while Iran probably does not have nuclear weapons or the material necessary to produce them, they remain a matter of "highest concern."

"Iran was able in four months to open Isfahan and solve the technical problems necessary to produce uranium hexafluoride gas. Now Natanz has been opened. Iran will need only a few more months to solve the technical problems of enriching uranium. We are not years away from Iran's ability to have a nuclear weapon; we may only be months away.

"Iran has turned over to the military the operation of its nuclear program. The IAEA has disclosed documents that show Iran has explored the process of turning highly enriched uranium into the metalized form whose only purpose is to make nuclear weapons. Again, Iran buys more time, since Security Council action to impose sanctions on Iran is by no means certain. The world is playing a dangerous game of nuclear chicken with radical religious leaders who continue to export terror and proclaim their desire to wipe Israel off the map."

Related special offer: "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians"

Whistleblower magazine: "'MOST DANGEROUS NATION ON EARTH: Why America must wake up now and deal with Iran's imminent threat"

Reports: U.S. preparing military strike on Iran Assassination attempt on Iran's Ahmadinejad?

Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News);
8/26/2005

Aug. 26--A company was selected Thursday to develop a system so that motorists can pay their way on Trans-Texas Corridor toll roads without stopping at a booth.

Meeting in Austin, the Texas Transportation Commission selected Raytheon Co. as the prime contractor for the system. The first leg of Trans-Texas is a planned toll road that would be an alternative to Interstate 35 from Dallas- Fort Worth to San Antonio. Construction is expected to be under way by 2007 and be completed by 2015.

Eventually, toll roads, rail lines and utilities would crisscross the state, according to Gov. Rick Perry's vision of Trans-Texas. The type of toll collection system is still on the drawing board. But in general, state officials envision a system that gives motorists choices to pay their tolls. Motorists who have TollTags, which are commonly used on Dallas-area toll roads, might still be able to use their windshield-mounted transponders on Trans- Texas.

Drivers without TollTags or similar devices might be mailed a bill after their vehicle is identified by its license plate. Raytheon has built electronic toll collection systems around the world, including the all-electronic 407-ETR highway in Toronto

Along with speeding tickets if you happen to get from point A to point B too quickly. They'll also notify your insurance company for you to make sure you're paying enough in insurance to speed.

'Black boxes' in cars are the new eyewitness.(News)

Byline: Erin Holmes Daily Herald Staff Writer

Think you're alone in your car? Think again.

The "black boxes" that long have defined the aftermath of airplane crashes have hit the highway on four wheels, and there's a good chance there's one in your car.

Event data recorders - also called recordable airbag modules and installed by automakers to monitor air bag deployment - can be a perfect eyewitness to traffic accidents, with the ability to take clear snapshots of what happened before a crash.

That includes how fast you were driving, whether you accelerated through that red light, whether you buckled your seatbelt and if and when you braked.

The accurate accident account provided by one such device is being called solid evidence in the case against a hearse driver who last fall crashed into Arlington Heights Police Officer Charles Tiedje's squad car.

The hearse driver, Aleksandr Babayev, pleaded guilty to running a red light when the Oct. 13 collision occurred, but insisted he had blacked out beforehand and remembered nothing.

The hearse's data recorder has proved otherwise, tracking events for 5 seconds before the crash and, as the devices have begun to do, playing a key role in accident reconstruction.

About the size of a deck of cards, the small silver box typically sits under the driver's seat, in the passenger compartment or under the dashboard. But few drivers even know they're there.

"People know that when there's an airplane crash, (the black box) will be looked at ... Eventually people will find that out about automobiles, too," said Illinois State Police Sergeant John Clark, a certified crash reconstructionist.

Since airbag modules are the triggers that decide when to inflate an airbag, all vehicles with air bags have some sort of that device. They've been a part of cars for more than 20 years, but not until the late 1990s were they able to record pre-crash data.

"The information that can be downloaded tells a lot more than the witnesses can remember because these crashes happen so quickly," said Terry Rhadigan, safety communications manager at General Motors.

The recorder gathers information when airbags are deployed or nearly deployed - usually during a collision, when the change in velocity is at least 20 mph. They don't record information when you're simply traveling down the highway.

Only devices in some models made by General Motors allow crash investigators to download the data, said James Kerr, associate programs manager at Vetronix Corp., which provides the software. Data from recorders in some Ford vehicles will become accessible sometime this year, he said.

Other companies surely will follow, as the devices become more standard in automobiles and develop reputations as reliable tools that could revolutionize accident reconstruction.

"It's going to enhance what we do," Clark said. "It can't tell us everything, but it's really a step in the right direction."

Hindering the progress is the fact that data gathered from the boxes is tricky to interpret, software to download the information is expensive and few officers have been adequately trained in the process.

But in the Tiedje case, the little black box few knew about is making its way into civil court, with an intricate look at the seconds before Babayev's hearse nearly took an officer's life.

The device's data, downloaded with the help of General Motors engineers, says Babayev actually accelerated in the seconds before the collision, reaching a peak speed of 63 mph - nearly 20 mph faster than the posted speed limit - and then, one second before the crash, braking.

"This black box is such a breath of fresh air because it disputes completely what (Babayev) said," said Tim Tiedje, Charles Tiedje's brother. Tim Tiedje had seen a television story on event data recorders months before his brother's accident, and suggested lawyers check out whether the hearse had one on board.

It did.

And Tim Tiedje said it proved a blessing, because his brother couldn't remember anything from the crash and eyewitness accounts can't be considered flawless.

"Lucky for my brother, he had in fact the best witness you could have on this planet, something that isn't affected by the elements and doesn't lie," Tim Tiedje said. "In this case, it proved my brother ... was as innocent as innocent can be when that hearse changed our lives forever."

The evidence will be used in a lawsuit filed by the Tiedje family against Babayev, which seeks more than $50,000 in damages and names his company, Weinstein Family Services Inc. and Weinstein Brothers Inc., as defendants.

"He claims he had blacked out ... well the black box shows he was in control of the motor vehicle," Arlington Heights Police Captain John Fellmann said. "It would be hard to conclude someone unconscious would be able to perform these maneuvers."

Attorney Robert Clifford, representing the Tiedje family , said this is the first time he's seen a car's black box data used in an actual case - and said the pre-crash information on Babayev's acceleration and braking should make the case an easier one.

"It's a coincidence of life," Clifford said. "I've said it before - someone was looking over Chuck Tiedje's shoulder."

But while it proved beneficial in this case, the event data recorder has stirred questions about privacy issues, especially since many drivers don't know they're being "monitored."

But since the devices largely are used by automakers to test whether airbags are deploying correctly, the "black box" isn't necessarily something everyone needs to know about, Clark said.

And intrusive or not, Tim Tiedje always will consider the event data recorder information a savior.

"It's a touchy thing, but it's the truth," Tim Tiedje said. "If a piece of equipment can help get to the truth, good or bad for whichever party, then I think it's a good thing."

The lawsuit is in the early stages of litigation. Clifford does not expect it to reach trial until at least 2002.

- Daily Herald staff writer Graham Buck contributed to this report.

GRAPHIC: Your car's black box

Though the devices have been around for awhile, few drivers know they exist - and many don't know how they work.

Some things they can tell investigators

- Vehicle speed (5 seconds before impact)

- Engine speed (5 seconds before impact)

- Brake status (5 seconds before impact)

- Throttle position (5 seconds before impact)

- State of driver's seatbelt switch (On or Off)

- Change in velocity

What it said about Tiedje's crash

- Hearse was traveling nearly 20 mph faster than speed limit

- Hearse driver accelerated before collision

- Hearse driver braked fully one second before collision

Source: Vetronix Corporation, Daily Herald research

This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.

In the very near future, your vehicle will only take you to two destinations: Poorhouse, jail.