Opposition legislators jeered President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday as he opened Zimbabwe's parliament, singing and chanting and sometimes drowning out his voice.
The rare show of defiance -- broadcast live on national television -- set the stage for a combative legislature, even as Mugabe and his political foes try to negotiate a power sharing arrangement after disputed elections.
Mugabe's speech could sometimes not be heard over the jeers of his opponents, who clapped and sang songs deriding him and the ZANU-PF. "ZANU is rotten. You are great liars," they sang. "We are tired of you," they shouted.
Looking annoyed, Mugabe first raised his voice then raced through the final lines of a speech railing against the West for sanctions it has imposed on people and companies linked to him, including travel bans and asset freezes.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
The High Court (HC) yesterday granted a four-month ad interim bail to detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in the "Zia Orphanage Trust" fund embezzlement case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The HC granted anticipatory bail to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case until the trial court concerned accepts the charge sheet of the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
The HC also granted ad interim bail to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, former parliamentary affairs adviser to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and Giasuddin Al Mamun, friend of Tarique Rahman, in separate criminal cases.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
A special court yesterday sentenced Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju to 13 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
WASHINGTON - U.S. military planners have begun pondering the thorny question of how Georgia's shattered armed forces might be rebuilt without provoking a Russian backlash that could risk direct confrontation with Moscow.
With Russian tanks and troops still occupying parts of Georgia, U.S. officials have said openly that Washington will consider new military assistance for the former Soviet state turned Western ally that has staunchly supported the U.S. war on terrorism and aspires to NATO membership.
U.S. Gen. John Craddock, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said during a recent visit to Tbilisi that Washington would probably provide military help. But defense officials have since steered away from the issue, instead emphasizing the Pentagon's humanitarian aid mission to Georgia. "Down the road we will be looking at what may be required to rebuild the Georgian military," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "Right now, the mission of the United States military is to provide humanitarian assistance."
U.S. military officials emphasized that the Georgian government has not yet requested military assistance and that any concrete U.S. planning could be a ways off. But one official said U.S. and Georgian officials have begun a dialogue about the country's potential military needs and that the U.S. side was awaiting a Georgian assessment of the damage sustained during the Russian onslaught.
The U.S. Defense Department had about 130 people in Georgia to train its forces in counterinsurgency techniques for missions in Iraq when Russian armor and warplanes swept aside Georgia's military after the Aug. 8 invasion. Pentagon officials say the number of U.S. personnel has since fallen to about 100 but that military training ceased after the invasion as the U.S. focus shifted to aid.
Analysts said the United States could help Georgia's military over time by providing shorter-range anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems that would not provoke Russia. U.S. assistance could also provide training in infantry tactics and small arms, as well as more modern equipment including body armor, they said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/27/2008 22:22 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
(CNN) A U.S. Coast Guard ship carrying relief supplies is scheduled to dock Wednesday in Batumi, Georgia, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Georgia said.
The cutter Dallas will bypass the Georgian port of Poti, where Russian troops set up checkpoints after invading Georgia this month.
News reports said the Dallas planned to dock in Poti, but officials decided Wednesday to send it to Batumi after considering various ports, the spokesman said.
The cutter is to deliver aid as part of a larger U.S. program that has delivered supplies worth at least $20 million to Georgia since Russian troops invaded.
Western powers reacted angrily on Tuesday to Russia's declaration recognizing the rebel Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.
Russia's parliament passed a nonbinding motion calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to support the independence bid by Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Monday. Later in the day, Medvedev announced that he had signed a decree under which Russia formally recognizes the Georgian regions as independent states.
"Abkhazia and South Ossetia are a part of the internationally recognized borders of Georgia and are going to remain so," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday. "As to the Russian apparent intention to recognize two parts ... I think it is regrettable," she said at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah after holding talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
"It puts Russia of course in opposition to a number of Security Council resolutions to which it is party. It simply means that the Russian president continues not to honor the commitments that the Russians have signed onto," Rice said.
"The ceasefire also talked about the importance of moving forward to an international way to deal with these sorts of conflicts, so to preempt those international discussions is extremely unfortunate," said Rice who wrapped up a 24-hour visit to Israel and the West Bank.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also condemned the Russian move as "unacceptable" and "contrary to international law."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
"The ceasefire also talked about the importance of moving forward to an international way to deal with these sorts of conflicts, so to preempt those international discussions is extremely unfortunate,"
I feel for the English to Russian translators working for Vlad.
The Kremlin decision to recognize two breakaway Georgian regions as independent states was justified because Georgia's attack on South Ossetia negated U.N. resolutions guaranteeing Georgian territorial integrity, a Russian envoy said Tuesday.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's military actions had created a "new reality" both for South Ossetia and another separatist Georgian province, Abkhazia.
Moscow's announcement earlier Tuesday drew strong criticism from Georgia, the United States and the European Union, but Churkin said he didn't think Russia's move would lead to a new Cold War with the West. "I'm sure there's going to be a rather difficult period in our discussions," he said. "If it goes in the direction of aggravating relations it's not going to be our choice. But I want to remind you that Cold War was a completely different beast, when we were really at each other's throats in a big way internationally, and this is not going to happen under any circumstances."
Churkin met with reporters to read a statement from Russia's Foreign Ministry explaining the decision to back independence for the two regions. Asked later how the action squared with U.N. Security Council resolutions supported by Russia affirming Georgia's territorial integrity, Churkin said: "Their use of force against South Ossetia clearly dashed all of those previous resolutions and created a completely new reality."
Churkin said Russia is "only reinforcing the desire of the people in Abkhazia and South Ossetia to obtain their independence."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Or South Ossetia attacks on Georgia, whichever way you want to play it.
I'd be keeping careful notes of these arguements if I were Israel.
Prosecutors indicted a 34-year-old North Korean female defector Wednesday on charges of spying for the communist nation. The woman, identified as Won Jeong-hwa, allegedly relayed military secrets she obtained from Army officers with whom she was having sexual relations over the past five years to the North.
She is the first female spy to be arrested since Lee Sun-sil, a key figure in North Korea's Communist Party, was apprehended on espionage charges in 1992, and the first defector to violate the National Security Law. Prosecutor Kim Kyeong-su said this was also the first case of spying uncovered since the two Koreas held a historic summit in 2000. If she is convicted, the case would confirm concerns over infiltration by agents posing as refugees.
According to prosecutors, Won confessed that she was a trained North Korean spy.
Originally, the suspect fled the North after stealing tons of zinc, which is a capital crime there. Won returned to the North in 1998 after hiding in northeastern China for years and later became a spy for North Korea's National Security Agency, they said. How do you steal tons of zinc?
Her mission ¯ based in China ¯ was to kidnap defectors there for repatriation.
She later pretended to be an ethnic Korean Chinese woman and married a South Korean factory worker before coming to the South in 2001. After her arrival, she reported herself as a North Korean defector and worked as a lecturer on anti-communism at military camps nationwide.
According to investigators, she maintained romantic relations with three to four officers and even shared an apartment with an Army First Lieutenant Hwang. The 27-year-old Hwang reportedly suspected that his partner was a spy, but ignored the fact and handed her classified military information. Oooh, isn't he a smart guy...
Won's main mission here included establishing the whereabouts of North Korean defectors such as the former secretary of the North Korean Workers' Party Hwang Jang-yop, a key architect of Pyongyang's Juche (self-reliance) theory and the highest-ranking defector in the South in 1997. Waaay up there on the "human scum" list, I'm sure...
However, investigators said she failed.
The joint investigation team of the prosecution, police, Military Intelligence Agency and the National Intelligence Service said Won was even ordered to poison some South Korean agents but also failed.
The prosecution also detained Hwang for collaborating with her, and a 63-year-old man named Kim, who relayed military secrets Won obtained to the North. Kim is said to be her stepfather and a relative of North Korea's titular leader Kim Young-nam. Authorities said Won received operational funds from Kim, who went to China in 1999 and came to Seoul as a defector in late 2006 through Cambodia. Won had visited China 14 times over the past five years. Investigators said Won had been under deep stress after adjusting to life in the South and took tranquillizers on a regular basis out of concern that a North Korean agent might kill her.
Prosecutors indicated that their investigation could expand to other North Koreans here as they believe more spies might have entered the South as defectors.
Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee expressed ``deep regret'' over the incident involving military officers and apologized to the people. He said the ministry would investigate the case further, and pledged to take measures to prevent a recurrence. ``The ministry will take additional security measures on personnel and facility management, communications, computer systems and confidential military documents,'' Lee added.
#3
TW that woudl certainly be the cover you'd want to play with if you were the SKors. It produces doubt as to the veracity of any information she obtained, and will cause a lot of reasessment and doubt up north.
#4
Pic at the link is classic, looks like it is right out of a Singles ad:
"SKF, new in town, seeks companion for romantic dinners, long walks on the beach, and discussion of military secrets. Officers a plus."
Posted by: Carl in N.H. ||
08/27/2008 15:49 Comments ||
Top||
#5
How do you steal tons of zinc?
Answer, two ways,
the hard way, get a truck and load it, then drive away.
The easy way, type up documents sending a shipment to a different shipping point, where your friends do the hard work. (See#1)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/27/2008 16:41 Comments ||
Top||
Ukraine ready to restore territorial integrity of Georgia
Ukraine is ready to take an active part in restoring the territorial integrity of Georgia. President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko said this in a statement on Russia's recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The statement recalls that on August 26 of the current year, President of the Russian Federation Dmytriy Medvedev, neglecting position of the international community, signed the decree on recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The Ukrainian President stressed: "The tragedy of the Georgian, and, in particular, of the South-Ossetian nations, the military conflict between Russia and Georgia, became a tough challenge not only for the Caucasian region, but also for the whole civilized world".
Victor Yushchenko stressed that the Moscow's move threatens peace and stability in our region and at the European space, undermines the existing international order, violates the integrity of principles of the UN Statute as well as of other international legal documents, is an illegal change of state borders, and a sign of pressure and force interference.
Ukraine condemns the Russia's recognition of independence of the separatist regions and calls on the Russian leadership to return to international legal norms and to follow the ceasefire principles. According to the Ukrainian President, Ukraine expects the international community will join forces in restoring the territorial integrity of Georgia, and claims about its readiness to actively take part in this process. A little sabotage goes a long way? Fire broke out at ammunition depot in Kharkiv Oblast
A fire broke out at an ammunition depot of the Southern Operations Headquarters of the Ukraine Armed Forces situated near Lozova city of the Kharkiv Oblast on Wednesday. The evacuation of residents of the local military town has started.
According to an UNIAN's sources from law-enforcement agencies, the fire broke out at 16.30. According to the information of the source, the fire spread over from grass to open ammunition depots, where there are kept 90 thousand tons of ammunition, including 80-mm mines and 150-mm missiles.
The situation is aggravated due to the hot weather and strong winds. At present, only two fire tanks are operating at the scene, others have not arrived as yet.
#3
This depot fire is in line wid my belief that RUSSIA COVERTLY DENIABLY WANTS THE US-NATO/EU TO SET UP A MIL PRESENCE IN GEORGIA AND OTHER STRATEGIC FORMER SSRS, AS "COVER" TO HELP RUSSIA ISOLATE AND CONTAIN ITS ALLY FUTURE NUCLEAR IRAN/ISLAMISM. RUSSIA > IMO, desires a formal US-NATO/EU milfor presence, NOT A MILITARILY STRONG ANTI-RUSS GEORGIA.
Iff Georgia plays it cards right, it may get both desired modern national development + NATO-RUSS mil protection agz the LT threat of Radical Islam = Nuclear Iran, etc. DITTO FOR OTHER FORMER SOVIET SSRS.
* ION INTERFAX [paraph]> RUSSIA - NATO MAY NOT HAVE/KEEP AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF WARSHIPS IN THE BLACK SEA; + EX-RUSS NAVY COMMANDER: NATO CAN STAY ONLY THREE WEEKS IN THE BLACK SEA.
#4
We must get them in Nato formally, NOW. Stop the foot dragging, get the paperwork signed, and station a brigade each of US, Polish, and German armor there with dutch/belgian/danish F-16 sqaudrons and a couple NATO squadrons (US Raptors, German and Brit Tornado ADV), with patriot missiles, logistics, etc.
#6
FOTSGreg, it's kavyl, a type of sturdy brushy grass that by this time is quite dry. It is also much denser and twice as tall than elsewhere, up to 2m , due to chernozem--5-10 ft of rich black soil that covers a large portion of Ukraine. Ignited, it can create quite a hell and firestorms. Kiev burned down completely several times throughout history because it.
The question is whether, in this case, the fire was helped, initially.
#8
Germans and Belgians, OldSpook? What on earth would they do there, besides be off duty? I know it isn't the fault of the troops, who are hamstrung by politician-imposed rules of engagement, but still. Separately, do the British, Danes and Dutch have any troops available for this kind of thing?
#10
OS, if you mean NATO as a kind of deterrent, it may work some, but probably not much. Pooty did a trial baloon via Georgia, and now he is convinced NATO is a paper kitten, not even a tiger.
Ukraine needs to get her shit together, stop squabbles between different parties and build up it's military. If there is some chance that NATO may actually do something, nice, but self-reliance is a must.
Read an article from Anatoliy Gritsenko, former minister of defense of Ukraine to get some insight what is the current situation (long but worth the time):
http://otherside.com.ua/news/detail.php?id=50066
#12
Ukraine needs to be reminded that Crimea is actually Russian. Dissolution of the USSR should have automatically voided the 1954 transfer of the territory to then Ukranian SSR. And that's the legal position that the Russians should take.
And forget about taking the Black Sea fleet out of Sevastopol . . . that stays right where it's at.
#15
GC, actually, it should be Tatars' if you wanna split hairs. Not Russian. They were forcibly removed from there and displaced into several bantustans inside Russia.
#16
Dissolution of the USSR should have automatically voided the 1954 transfer of the territory to then Ukranian SSR.
But it wasn't then, and now it is too late. Then was too late, too, because when national boundaries are readdressed, then forcible population transfers ought to be readdressed and made right, those who ordered unjustified purges and other violations of human rights found and punished, KGB files opened and published for all the world to see...
It's just like dealing with small children after all, General Comment. Never, ever try to drill down to solve the original problem -- it makes too many new problems.
#17
Some people bs a lot about "international law." Politicians love to use the phrase left and right, especially when they say that somebody is violating an agreement under international law.
Ever seen one of those international law agreements?
Just supposing for a second that a U.S. court would have a jurisdiction to consider one in the case of actual controversy. Most, if not all of such agreements would be considered so vague and indefinite as to be stricken in their entirety.
Now stepping back to enforcement or lack of it. There is no one to actually enforce an agreement under an international law. So, there is no such thing is international law. There is such thing as a U.S. law. Or a Russian law. Not an international law.
The Russia-Georgia cease-fire agreement was probably just one of those prepared by incompetent Sarkozy and his french compatriots.
#18
#15. Tatars: that's an interesting question. Yes, they could stay in Crimea, but they never were the dominating and numerous population there.
Russians were in Crimea since the dawn of civilization, since the Byzantine empire, and since the Greek colonies in Hersones. Whatever evoleved from there was mostly what is now Russia.
Stalin (to whom our friend Saakashvili worships to) did deport tatars from Crimea, allegedly because they collaborated with Nazi Germans. Some very small minority (relative to the whole population) of Ukranians did collaborate too.
#19
Trailing_wife: you assume that there is some statute of limitation applicable to those transfer agreements. Why should it be so? And why is it too late now? Maybe it is not too late. Maybe Yushenko thinks it is too late, but maybe some people disagree. Let's revisit the issue of the 1954 transfer, conduct a referendum, if needed, and then see whom Crimea wants to be with. They have been screaming for years they want to reunite with Russia.
#20
GC, you need to ask your school for money back, seems that they skipped some history.
1. Ever heard of Golden Horde?
2. There were NO Russians before 9th century CE, and at that time, the Rus Rulers (Volga river, not Crimea) were actually Vikings. The Kievan Rus folks were not Russians either, raher a Slavic core that split into Ukrainian and Russian elements at the time when Muscovian duchy was established, if my memory serves correct, mid-13th century. You can speak of Russians then, but really not before. The Russians were nowhere near Crimea until either Peter the Great or Catherine, I think the later.
#22
Also, i did not mean to imply that the russian civilization evolved from Crimea, only the fact that slavic ancestors always appear to hang around there. Tatars are mongols, not slavic. They were in Crimea too, but so what. Now there are 2 mil. people living there, pretty much all russians. Even tatars do not speak Ukranian, they speak tatar and russian.. BTW, russian is spoken evrywhere in Crimea, not Ukranian.
#23
GC, it was not me claiming that Russians lived in Crimea since dawn of time, was I?
If there was no justified suspicion that Kremlin wants to recreate the USSR empire (Pooty says so), then I am sure Ukraine would be quite accommodating to hosting Black Sea Fleet as the rent payments would stimulate local economy.
But with the belligerent tone coming out of Kremlin... it's a different story.
#24
GC, no, Slavic ancestor of Russians were not hanging around Crimea. South Slavs, yes (Serb, Croat, Bulgarian ancestors), around Crimea, but never inside. There were always some other folks in the way.
#25
I fail to see how is that suspicion that "Kremlin" want to recreate USSR justified? Justified by what? This is a paranoia of enormous proportions. The USSR has split. There is no coming back. (Except Crimea). But the dinky republics (Ukraine is not so dinky) have a complex of being somehow dominated. Also, whatever comes back comes to a different country having no communist ideology and thus no fundamental difference with the West.
#26
What Putin said was that "dissolution of the USSR was a geopolitical catastrophe." And he is absolutely right, look around. He meant the ensuing instability in the whole Eastern/Southern Europe and Near Asia; catastrophe for Russia the most.
#27
GC, I don't have time for link search, but Pooty did not just stay with the catastrophe message. Another time, when I find the relevant utterances of Batyushka Gossudar Putin.
#28
GC, the fundamental difference is not that pronounced yet, but we're heading there.
Democracy vs. Authoritarian Totalitarianism.
If you don't see it, bog s teboy.
It is not just me, there is enough Russian voices (so far escaping the "righteous" Pooty's wrath) expressing the same concern.
DENVER - Thousands of people, led by members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, streamed from the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday in an anti-war protest march to the Pepsi Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being staged. A sit-in was planned at the convention site.
Iraq Veterans Against the War wants Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to agree to an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. They also want full health care benefits for returning troops and veterans, and reparations to the Iraqi people for damage caused by the war. The group sent a letter to Obama on Monday.
The protest march began after a reunited Rage Against the Machine ended a concert that drew an estimated 9,000 people to the coliseum. Dozens of veterans, some in uniform, began the march in formation, chanting "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." It is about 4 miles from the coliseum to the Pepsi Center.
People on motorcycles and bicycles joined those on foot. Some people held signs that said "US out of Iraq" with red handprints and "No War on Iran." A few had the numbers of lawyers written on their bodies in case they were arrested. Behind the veterans, protesters yelled: "Troops out now!"
Jan Critchfield, 24, of Seattle said he served in Iraq in 2004, and after returning home, came to believe that the war was an "unlawful, immoral occupation."
He said now that he's back in the U.S., he thinks about what it's like for Iraqis living with U.S. forces in their country. "I just can't imagine driving through my neighborhood at home and seeing a security checkpoint."
Critchfield said he joined the Army at 17 without much thought about the implications.
Protest organizers repeatedly urged the crowd to stay peaceful. Anyone willing to be arrested at the Pepsi Center sit-in was directed to find a place near the front of the march line. Protesters were told by organizers not to react to the police presence or risk getting hit with pepper spray.
Critchfield said the veterans' group is committed to being nonviolent, but they'll be arrested if they have to.
With temperatures in the 80s, at least one business along the march route was selling juice, and several people could be seen stepping out of line to get one of the drinks before rejoining the crowd.
About 8,000 free tickets were handed out by lottery for the concert, sponsored by Tent State University and Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Rage Against the Machine also plans a concert Sept. 3 in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention, which takes place just across the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
#2
Show us your deployment orders along with your campaign ribbon orders along with your DD-214. Most likely, they are mostly fakers along with the dumbshits that were forced out.
DENVER (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple.
The stage, similar to structures used for rock concerts, has been set up at the 50-yard-line, the midpoint of Invesco Field, the stadium where the Denver Broncos' National Football League team plays.
Some 80,000 supporters will see Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of Washington's Capitol building or even the White House, to accept the party's nomination for president.
He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.
The show should provide a striking image for the millions of Americans watching on television as Obama delivers a speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.
Politicians in past elections have typically spoken from the convention site itself, but the Obama campaign liked the idea of having their man speak to a larger, stadium-sized crowd not far from where the Democratic National Convention is being held, at the Denver pro basketball arena.
Obama was taking a page from the campaign book of John Kennedy in 1960 when the future president delivered his acceptance speech to 80,000 people in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Once Obama speaks, confetti will rain down on him and fireworks will be fired off from locations around the stadium wall.
Democratic convention organizers said the theme for the evening is "Change We Can Believe In," which has been a consistent message of Obama's presidential campaign.
Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem that night.
#5
I saw the picture and thought, "Hey, I've seen something like this before." Then I remembered and found a picture (though designed and built by better people than this) of the temple and sports arena.
#10
I think this will play more into the growing idea with the American public that this guy is all flash and little substance and he thinks very, very highly of himself.
It will be interesting to see how the polls react after this bizarre little coronation scene/superbowl halftime show. I'm betting no change or even negative territory, with stories in the media about how it doesn't matter.....blah blah blah.
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields ||
08/27/2008 16:44 Comments ||
Top||
#12
Swamp Blondie, a small price to pay for a laugh.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/27/2008 16:49 Comments ||
Top||
#13
Chicago BO and the Temple of Doom...opening Thursday.
#16
This guy's really starting to buy into his own hype. How long will it be before he decides he must have more power and gets the Senate and House to grant him unconditional authority to rule by decree?
There are more than a few people in his corner who'd be willing to grant him the authority of a Roman Caesar which seems to be what he's modeling himself after.
How long after that until some people start calling him the AntiChrist?
Michigans deeply unpopular governor Jennifer Granholm explained that she was chosen to moderate Tuesday nights energy panel from the convention stage because of the Wolverine States efforts in renewable power. The idea that windmills will rescue one of Americas great manufacturing states is absurd on its face, but she persisted in spinning a fairy tale that Michigan is perfectly positioned to take advantage of alternative energy manufacturing because of the "Five Ws" (Im not making this up) in abundance in the state: "Wind, water, waste, workforce and wood."
Manufacturers must be howling at that one at least the ones who havent already fled for cheaper, right-to-work states.
#1
Of course the windmills will kill millions of bats (low pressure of the blades causes their lungs to explode) which will significantly increase the number of mosquitoes, which will drive the tourists crazy and stop them from coming to Michigan, thus ending another revenue stream for the state. Atta girl!
#2
she's a pathetic idiot...we have one Nuke plant Fermi II down river...we should be talking about building more in Detroit thus creating cheaper/cleaner energy and providing jobs and econ stimulus...it's no surprise why most dems were lawyers and not from business backgrounds. It's even worse that Jenny is from canuckistan...
#3
Well, at least she can't run for President, then.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
08/27/2008 17:26 Comments ||
Top||
#4
"Last eight years of Bush and Big Oil" . AS IFF OLE HENRY FORD, THE "BIG FIVE" AUTO COMPANIES, + even the TEAMSTERS/AFL-CIO HAD NOTING TO DO WID ANYTHING LAST CENTURY. That being said, I don't think the believers of a FUTURE OWG GREAT LAKES-HUDSON BAY FREE TRADE/SPEC ECON ZONE, etal. HAD THE "FIVE W'S" FOR THEIR ULTIM END-GAME. INCLUD THE CANADIANS.
Speaking of OWG-NWO and the future OWG FASCIST[Limited Commie]USR = FULL COMMIE USSA, WHEN IS DUBYA GOING TO SEND IN THE MARINES TO CONQUER GREENLAND AND ICELAND, TO SAVE THE ESKIMO BIKINI BABES FROM ISLAMIST GLOBAL WARMING???
Tensions are running high at MSNBC, at least surrounding veteran host Joe Scarborough who seems to be increasingly discontented at his network's decision to market itself as the cable net of choice for Bush haters. That hasn't sat well with the likes of the far left Keith Olbermann who has played a large role in getting MSNBC to pursue this strategy
The Democratic convention seems to have only exacerbated those tensions. Last night saw Olbermann caught on an open mic blurting out profane disgust at Scarborough, prompting the latter to verbally call him out while fellow MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews sat back mortified at the intra-family dispute.
Things don't appear to have been smoothed over either as Scarborough was involved in another altercation this morning with liberal correspondent David Shuster on today's "Morning Joe." Scarborough ultimately accused Shuster and his MSNBC colleagues of being Democrats, their independent political registrations notwithstanding.
A news segment about Iraqi President al-Maliki's call for the withdrawal of US troops set off the skirmish. Shuster snidely suggested to Joe that "your party, the Republican party" mocks those who call for withdrawal. All hell ensued. The entire seven-minute exchange is worth viewing, but the highlight was Scarborough's challenge to Shuster and MSNBC at large over their independence.
PRINCETON, NJ -- It's official: Barack Obama has received no bounce in voter support out of his selection of Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.
Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 23-25, the first three-day period falling entirely after Obama's Saturday morning vice presidential announcement, shows 46% of national registered voters backing John McCain and 44% supporting Obama, not appreciably different from the previous week's standing for both candidates. This is the first time since Obama clinched the nomination in early June, though, that McCain has held any kind of advantage over Obama in Gallup Poll Daily tracking.
The race for president has been virtually tied since mid-August. In this period, Obama's support from national registered voters has consistently ranged from 44% to 46%. The 46% currently supporting McCain is technically his best showing since late May/early June, but is not a statistically significant improvement over his recent range from 43% to 45%. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.)
An analysis of historical election poll trends by Gallup Poll Managing Editor Jeff Jones shows that recent presidential campaigns have enjoyed a small (though short-lived) bounce from the running mate announcement. This includes a four percentage point bounce for John Kerry in 2004 after selecting John Edwards, a 5-point bounce for Al Gore in 2000 with his announcement of Joe Lieberman, and a 3-point bounce for George W. Bush in 2000 upon choosing Dick Cheney. Bob Dole received an extraordinary 9-point bounce in 1996 after bringing Jack Kemp onto his ticket.
All of these bounces occurred before the respective party's convention began, and in most cases the candidates received an additional boost in the polls upon completion of the convention. Thus, any increase in Obama's support in the coming days would seem to be more the result of the star-studded and well publicized Democratic national convention than the apparently lackluster Biden selection.
The official Gallup records will show that support for Obama declined by two percentage points in Gallup Poll Daily tracking (from 46% to 44%) conducted immediately before and after the Aug. 23 Biden announcement. (Because the announcement was made at 3 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, all Gallup interviewing conducted that day can be considered post announcement.)
Today's Gallup Poll Daily tracking result includes interviewing on the first night of the Democratic National Convention (Aug. 25). However, much of this interviewing, particularly in the East and Midwest, was conducted before the prime time convention speeches by Sen. Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama. The Gallup Poll Daily tracking results reported tomorrow may start to indicate whether voters are impressed enough by what they are seeing at the convention to give Obama the bounce that typically occurs as a result of a party's convention.
#2
No surprise here. Biden never got any traction when he tried to run for president. Outside Delaware he's not very popular and not well known. There are two likely explanations: 1) He's not Hilary. 2) Obama thinks Biden will help him carry Pennsylvania because he was born in Scranton.
We'll just have to see if McCain can do any better.
#3
I read in the MSM where Ted Kennedy "electrified" the convention.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 12:01 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Biden is a grade A asshole and the more he shows up and opens his fat, stupid trap the more people will be put off by him. Combine that with Obama's complete lack of being able to articulate anything without a teleprompter, and the dhimocrat's campaign will come crashing down.
#9
If Obama is worried about Pennsylvania then he's in big trouble. PA is generally Dhimmicratic in a presidential election -- GWB won it neither time. Polls show Obama with a 3 to 5 point lead there today.
I suspect Obama took Biden because 1) Bayh didn't want the job 2) Biden is safely liberal enough for most of the nut-roots 3) he's not Hillary and 4) gullible newspaper columnists think Biden has chops in foreign policy.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/27/2008 13:53 Comments ||
Top||
#10
He's gonna play the blue collar, beer swiggin', in-your-face Mr.-Fancypants-Guy-in-a-Suit ordinary Joe.
#11
Is that going to work with all your bitter Bible clinging, gun loving, xenophobic relatives?
I suspect Biden is equally intended to put the Philly suburbs over the top for The Obamessiah. I never thought I would see Delaware and Chester counties go donk.
#12
Obama got not bump from Biden because Obama is so polarizing already that most people have made up their mind. ONly a HIllary choice would have been reflected in the polls.
Now McCain is another story. A good (or bad) pick could really send the polls bouncing.
#13
Choosing Joe Biden has to be the dumbest move any Presidential candidate has EVER made. Joe has never pulled more than three or four percent of the Democratic vote in any of the many times he's run for President. Who in their right mind would believe that people would find him more acceptable in the number two slot? Obama must have been turned down by a LOT of people, which is an indication of their opinion of his chances.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/27/2008 22:11 Comments ||
Top||
Old videos appear to show a radical Muslim named Khalid Al-Mansour helped Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama gain acceptance into Harvard Law.
Civil rights activist Percy Sutton recalled being solicited by a man named Dr. Khalid A-Mansour to write a letter of recommendation to help Obama gain acceptance into Harvard Law in this undated television interview (available Here).
"I was introduced to him [Obama] by a friend who was raising money for him and the friends name was Dr. Khalid al Mansour from Texas," Sutton said. "He is the principle adviser to one of the world's richest men. He told me about Obama. He wrote to me about him and his introduction was 'there is a young man that has applied to Harvard and I know that you have a few friends left there because you used to go up there to speak, would you please write a letter in support of him?'...I wrote a letter in support of him to my friends at Harvard saying to them I thought there was a genius that was going to be available and I sure hoped they would treat him kindly."
There are many videos available on the internet featuring a man named Khalid Al-Mansour, who describes himself as an author, scholar and businessman, blasting the Jewish culture and Christianity and preaching the virtues of Islam, reminiscent of the controversial clips discovered of Obama's longtime friend and former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright that rocked headlines earlier this spring.
In one of the videos, titled "Christians Designed Discrimination" uploaded by a YouTube user named IslamStudios, Al-Mansour said, "White people don't feel bad, whatever you do to them, they deserve it, God wants you to do it and that's when you cut out the nose, cut out the ears, take flesh out of their body, don't worry because God wants you to do it."
He also draws lines between whites and African Americans. "The Christianity that white people got and the Christianity that black people got was not the same," he added.
In this video, Al-Monsour said white people fear Islam. "The whites are saying we can't take over Islam, we are going to destroy it. They don't care if you become a Buddhist, they don't care if you are a Confuscist, you can be a Christian, you can be anything in this world you want, the only thing they are afraid of is Islam because there is 1 billion 200 million, they don't want you with that league!
#1
What I'd like to know is: how can Obama possibly qualify fora Top Secret security clearance - considering a personal background filled with questionable associations, relatives, and foreign influences.
There should be no way that he can qualify for a top-level security clearance - and a such, he should be disqualified from being eligible for consideration to become Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces.
#3
There are many videos available on the internet featuring a man named Khalid Al-Mansour, who describes himself as an author, scholar and businessman, blasting the Jewish culture and Christianity and preaching the virtues of Islam ....
Why would a radical Muslim Christian-hater assist a young Christian in securing admission to Harvard? Seems out of character to me.
#4
"How can Obama possibly qualify for a Top Secret Security Clearance" > PROB FOR THE SAME REASONS AS USDOD-CIA would use and protect the SWISS NESTLE cmpany as per WMDS, PENN STATE, + 9-11. etal.???
As congressional elections become more and more expensive, a handful of wealthy ZIP codes are increasingly picking up the tab.
As of this writing, the 2008 congressional candidates have already raised close to $1 billion for their campaigns (about $700 million in the House and $300 million in the Senate). By November's election, that total could top $2 billion.
It's a lot of money, and given the geographical distribution of wealth in America, an oddity emerges: many candidates who represent places in the United States without much disposable income raise the millions necessary to run for office these days.
Increasingly, theyre not bothering to ask the folks whom they are actually paid to represent for campaign cash. Instead, they are flocking to a handful of super-wealthy ZIP codes in places like Hollywood; the Upper East Side of Manhattan; Greenwich, Conn.; and suburban Washington, D.C. - the "political ATM's" of the campaign trial.
While one can find occasional media coverage of these kinds of high-dollar fundraisers, a recent study by three political scientists is the first to document the extent to which congressional candidates of both parties now depend on out-of-district donors to help them finance their campaigns.
According to an analysis by University of Maryland political science professors James G. Gimpel and Frances E. Lee and graduate student Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, as of 2004, more than 2 out of 3 U.S. House campaign contributions (70.2 percent) came from somewhere outside the district. Thats a steady increase from 54.5 percent in 1996 and 63 percent in 2000. RTWT. Via Instapundit.com
Posted by: ed ||
08/27/2008 06:42 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The Donks like taxes right?
So contributions of over, say, 10,000 dollars to an individual or committee/front [profit or non-profit], singularly or in combination, during the period of time of one year from the election day carries with it a 100% matching federal tax. You want to buy it, then you pay for it as well.
#2
For the large donors, political favors are bought cheap even with a 1000% surcharge. Better if only citizens donations are limited to only $100-200 per election season. Then Joe Sixpack and Joannie Walmart's dollars have a chance to match that of a Soros or Tereza Heinz-Kerry. Much closer to the One Man, One Vote ideal than the Donating For Dollars system we have now.
Posted by: ed ||
08/27/2008 8:43 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Increasingly, they're not bothering to ask the folks whom they are actually paid to represent for campaign cash.
Actually they are - therein lies the problem. They are asking the people who they will actually represent (instead of their actual district).
Sen. Ted Kennedy declared there was "new hope" for the nation in his surprise Democratic National Convention appearance, while Michelle Obama addressed critics of her patriotism.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
House Democratic leaders and protesters waving McCain signs had a war of words Tuesday at a press event outside an old train station. The demonstrators interrupted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with chants of Drill here! Drill now! Pelosi paused and asked the group, Right here? Is she trying to be funny? It ain't workin'.
Seeming to enjoy the back and forth, she followed with another question: Can we drill your brains? Another good one.
She went on to refer to the protesters, who continued to chant sporadically, as handmaidens of Big Oil. Arguing that increased offshore drilling would reduce gas prices by only a couple of pennies a decade from now, she referred to the demonstrators as the 2-cents-in-10-years-crowd. She's really too ignorant to be allowed out by herself.
Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer swiped at the demonstrators, too, saying that sophomoric chanting wont solve the energy crisis and that all thinking Americans know stressing the word "thinking" and looking at the crowd that America doesnt have a quarter of the words fossil fuels yet uses a quarter of the worlds energy. Another bugwit chimes in. Hey, Steny, the Democrats policy of no new refineries, no new oil fields, and no new nuclear plants won't solve the energy crisis either. Most "thinking" americans, something like 73%, want to get off foreign oil and the quickest way to do that is open up domestic areas for drilling.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
A lot of her supporters are big fans of self trepanation.
#2
Perhaps she is short on brains and needs to import some. Especially after several Archbishops blasted her and demonstrated that she is a lying jerk when it comes to the Catholic Church that she claims to be a member of (in spite of violating its precepts repeatedly and unabashedly).
#6
Seems the proposed Alaska-Canada-Midwest America pipeline should be built as soon as possible. It seems California's leaders don't believe they need oil anymore. Plus I think Pelosi shouldn't be allowed to take anymore private jet trips to CA at taxpayer expense. The 5,000 gallons saved on each trip could be donated to needy SUV drivers.
Posted by: ed ||
08/27/2008 6:15 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Funny how trite slogans are serious and full of meaning when uttered by leftists, and crazy simple phrases when spoken by anyone else. It's like there's some sort of double standard in reporting.
#8
Ye Gods! Nancy Pelosi is a Night of the Living Dead zombie!
Drill your brains. Braaaaains. Braaaaaiiins.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/27/2008 8:17 Comments ||
Top||
#9
It doesn't matter what new technology is proposed to settle the energy "crisis". Some group will come along with the reason (and law suits) to stop it.
Even wind farms.
The enviro-Luddites must be defeated.
Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats ||
08/27/2008 8:50 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Pelosi: Braaaains!
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
08/27/2008 9:08 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Pelosi wants to drill somebody's brains out?
Well, it is a convention.
The recent turmoil in Pakistan has only heightened western anxiety over the countrys nuclear weapons programme.
Yet, thanks to security measures put in place during the nine-year rule of President Pervez Musharraf, who was recently forced to resign, controls over the countrys nuclear activity have never been firmer, according to both Pakistani and western officials.
This may provide some reassurance to the west, but paradoxically could dent Islamabads hopes of following the faltering path on which India has embarked to international acceptance of its own nuclear energy programme. The Nuclear Suppliers Group, the global cartel of nuclear material suppliers, is to resume consideration of Indias agreement to buy US nuclear technology this week .
The Pakistani military has taken full control of the nuclear programme and now hold the keys to this project. They have gone out of their way to demonstrate to all of us that they are firmly in charge, says a senior western diplomat in Islamabad who tracks Pakistans nuclear developments.
Mr Musharraf focused on improving nuclear controls after revelations in 2004 that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of the countrys nuclear programme, had traded know-how and technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea. Mr Khan has remained virtually under house arrest since then, with Pakistan denying repeated requests for western investigators to interview him.
Please understand our sensitivity. As the president of Pakistan, I would be foolish if I accepted any foreigners intruding into our nuclear [assets]; we guard them very jealously, Mr Musharraf declared earlier this year.
Amid the disclosures about Mr Khan, Mr Musharraf strengthened the military-run Strategic Plans Division (SPD), responsible for securing the 60 to 70 uranium bombs and three to five plutonium bombs that western intelligence believes have been produced.
The SPD set up a human reliability initiative to track the activities of up to 2,000 technical experts at the heart of the nuclear facilities, with knowledge that could assist with nuclear weapons production.
Other new safeguards included establishing a clear chain of command within the military under a three-star general who oversees the bombs in storage. The government, through agencies such as the SPD and the Nuclear Command Authority headed by the president, receives regular updates on frequent checks carried out to certify the safety of the nuclear weapons.
Mr Musharrafs downfall, say analysts, has had no impact on control of Pakistans nuclear programme, which remains firmly with the military.
There is no indication that the military does not exercise full control over Pakistans nuclear assets, says Tanvir Ahmed Khan, a former Pakistani diplomat and head of the government-run Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS). While the arrangement falls short of the civilian control generally held up by western states as best practice, Mr Khan says: Responsibility is with an institution, which is reassuring.
Western diplomats warn that the military must help with the creation of oversight mechanisms involving elected politicians to improve future prospects in areas such as securing civilian reactors from the western world. Pakistan is keen to seek a deal with the US similar to Indias ambitious initiative to secure a supply of US nuclear reactors.
So far, US officials have denied Islamabads requests, citing the risk of technology leakages to other countries. Even if the military is firmly in charge of Pakistans nuclear programme, where is the civilian component in decision-making? asks one senior US official.
Ultimately, there will have to be evidence of a strong civilian oversight for the world to accept that we are moving in to a new and more reassuring phase. Maybe after President Musharraf, politicians gain enough clout in time that they become full partners in managing and securing the nuclear programme, the official added.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 13:23 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
India's strategic establishment has begun the countdown to two important milestones. In late June, a modified Akula-II class nuclear-powered attack submarine, the Chakra, began harbour acceptance trials at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in the Russian far east.
In the next few months, the Russian submarine, formerly the Nerpa (Seal), is to sail into the Pacific Ocean off Vladivostok for full-fledged sea trials with a Russian crew. If the trials are successfully concluded, say officials, the Chakra will be commissioned at Vladivostok with an Indian crew who will sail it to India by August 15, 2009.
The choice of date is not accidental. The second milestone, too, has been timed with a national event. On January 26, 2009, the sluice gates of an enclosed dry-dock in Visakhapatnam are to be opened and the world will take its first look at India's first nuclear-powered submarine, the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), as it enters the waters.
Nuclear submarines are powered by a nuclear reactor which produces enormous heat that runs steam turbines. They can stay underwater almost indefinitely and stealthily launch ballistic missiles from under the sea. The national maritime doctrine unveiled last year calls a nuclear-armed missile submarine the "most credible of all arsenals in a second strike" and "most preferred" for small nuclear forces".
The aim is to field three submarines equipped with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles-the so-called third leg of the nuclear triad comprising air, land and sea-launched weapons-on "deterrent patrols" (to deter a potential adversary from launching a nuclear first strike) by 2015.
India's ATV is based on the Russian Akula-I class submarine, but is powered by a single indigenously-built nuclear reactor and equipped with 12 K-15 ballistic missiles or 16 of the Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Three ATVs are under construction, and hull fabrication and integration of the nuclear reactor on the first submarine have been completed. Like the Chakra, it will begin harbour trials in a specially made, enclosed anchorage in the Ship Building Centre at Visakhapatnam.
Here, all the onboard systems, including the reactor and steam turbines, are to be fully tested before it can sail out for sea trials in the Bay of Bengal. ATV is expected to join the navy after a two-year shakedown period. Due to its design commonality with ATV, the Chakra is being leased primarily to train crews to man ATVs. With its cruise missiles and torpedoes, it will also be used for sea-denial missions in the Indian Ocean.
The under construction 12,000-tonne Chakra was to be completed and leased to India for 10 years under a $650-million deal signed in 2004. It was to be inducted into the navy on August 15 this year, but was delayed by a year, following technical snags. "Project India", as the classified lease programme is called, seems to be back on track after being seemingly caught in last year's freeze in Indo-Russian defence ties over escalating costs of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya's refit.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 12:20 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I would recommend that the Indians check the reactor room for radiation leaks. Most submarine sailors receive extra pay for being on submarine duty. In the Soviet Navy, it was known as "childlessness pay", since the radiation supposedly rendered many of them sterile.
Posted by: Rambler in California ||
08/27/2008 12:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
India operated a Russian built nuke sub before.. the Charlie class K43 'Chakra' leased for a few years.
There are credible reports that at least one Indian scientist died from radiation exposure from the K43
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 12:45 Comments ||
Top||
#3
The Indian SSBN are not as much for Pakistan as they are to get China's attention.
JOHANNESBURG: A powerful lobby group here has urged the South African government to oppose India's bid to buy nuclear fuel and technology when the issue comes up at the next meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group early September.
"I am writing to you to urge you to oppose an exemption for India from the rules of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)," Dominique Gilbert of the Pelindaba Working Group (PWG), a member of the national Coalition Against Nuclear Energy, wrote in a letter shared with media. South Africa is one of the 45 members. The group takes its name from South Africa's first nuclear energy research centre at Pelindaba, north of here.
"As you know, the NSG operates by consensus, so by blocking such an exemption South Africa can prevent grave damage being done to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," Gilbert said.
Regime. Interesting choice of word ...
PWG said India was seeking an exemption so that it could conclude a nuclear agreement with the US. However, an exemption from NSG rules would enable trade in nuclear materials, equipment and technology not only between India and the US, but also with other nuclear supplier states, including France and Russia.
"The US-India nuclear agreement effectively grants India the privileges of nuclear weapons states (NWS), despite the fact that India developed nuclear weapons outside the Nunclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. The agreement doesn't even require India to accept the same responsibilities as other states, i.e. full-scope IAEA safeguards for non-NWS and a commitment from NWS to negotiate in good faith for the elimination of nuclear weapons," the letter continued.
PWG accused India of not offering to take any positive steps towards nuclear disarmament.
Because it has a wacky neighbor to the west and a threatening neighbor to the north ...
"It continues to produce highly enriched uranium and plutonium for nuclear weapons and retains the option to test nuclear weapons again in the future. Under these circumstances, an exemption for India offers no benefits. It will only serve to set back efforts for nuclear disarmament and undermine the international non-proliferation regime."
PWG made the plea to the South African government ahead of a meeting of the NSG scheduled early next month after an inconclusive meeting in Vienna last week at which several countries expressed concern over the US-India pact.
There was no comment from the foreign affairs ministry on the letter, but analysts here claim that it is unlikely to have any impact on a South African government decision.
South Africa, one of India's strongest allies because of a shared history of colonial domination and protest politics by Mahatma Gandhi, is believed to have assured India of its unconditional support on the issue.
India, facing a critical shortage of uranium for its nuclear energy programme, has been fighting for several decades now against its exclusion from international nuclear trade resulting from its unwillingness to sign the NPT.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 11:11 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
I can certainly see why Indi wouldn't want to sign the NPT, but doesn't this make a joke out of the whole damned thing? Why not just scrap it if we want to do things like this, cause this one of primary situations it is designed to prevent.
#2
The NPT does not bar non signatories from buying nuclear fuel or technology.
It only requires that all such transfers be under IAEA safeguards.
Those who accuse Bush of disregarding the NPT are being dishonest.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 11:35 Comments ||
Top||
The ruling coalition has fallen apart within a week of Pervez Musharraf's resignation as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Monday formally announced its decision to sit on the opposition benches in parliament, thus ending its six-month-old tenuous alliance with the Pakistan People's Party.
"After long deliberations with the Central Working Committee (CWC) and the parliamentary party, I announce with a heavy heart to part ways with the PPP," said PML-N leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif while addressing a crowded press conference here at the Punjab House.
Nawaz Sharif said the PML-N after going to the last limit and seeing no further ray of hope decided to end its coalition with the PPP. "We were rather forced by the attitude of our major coalition partner to end our coalition and sit on the opposition benches," said Nawaz Sharif who was flanked by party President Shahbaz Sharif and other central leaders.
Nawaz Sharif said when written agreements are violated there remains no trust and when there is no trust, there is no use of remaining in a coalition. "It was very painful for me that the agreements reached with us were violated thrice," Nawaz Sharif lamented.
The PML-N leader showed to the media the two-page written agreement with PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, which was signed on August 7, 2008 in Islamabad. Sharif said both pages of the agreement, according to which resolution was to be submitted in the National Assembly to restore the judges to the November 2, 2007 position within 24 hours of the impeachment or resignation of Pervez Musharraf, bear his and Zardari's signatures.
Reading out the agreement, Nawaz Sharif said according to a clause of the agreement, it was agreed that in pursuance of the Murree Declaration, both parties had decided that an executive order would be issued instantly upon passing the resolution by the National Assembly.
He said transfer of official protocol to the chief justice of the Supreme Court and chief justices of high courts was to be made instantly with the issuance of an executive order. Nawaz Sharif said the PPP leadership had also agreed to evolve a consensus amongst coalition partners on the name of new president.
According to the agreement, Nawaz Sharif said, it was agreed that in case the office of the president retained the powers acquired under the 17th Amendment, a nationally respected, non-partisan and pro-democracy figure acceptable to coalition partners would be put forward as a consensus candidate for the office of the president.
He said it was also agreed that in case the 17th Amendment was repealed and the powers of the president were restricted to those enshrined in the original 1973 Constitution then the PPP would have the right to put forward its own candidate.
Recalling details of the agreements with Asif Ali Zardari, the PML-N leader said the two parties signed the Murree Declaration on March 9, 2008 according to which the deposed judges were to be restored to the November 2, 2007 position within 30 days of the formation of coalition government.
"We also assured Mr Zardari of demanding no ministries in the cabinet but, on his insistence, the PML-N took the bitter pill of its ministers having been sworn in by Pervez Musharraf," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
WASHINGTON - The US says the principal focus of its policy right now is how to get its civil nuclear deal with India through the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and then present it to the Congress early September. The India deal and not the one with Russia is the current focus of Americas nuclear commerce policy, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told reporters on her way to Tel Aviv, according to a transcript released by the State Department.
As you might imagine, our principal focus right now has been on the India civil nuclear deal, working through the NSG - or having worked through the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), now working through the NSG, and still trying to get into a position tomake the appropriate presidential determinations in early September, she said. So thats our focus right now on the civil nuclear side, Rice said when asked whether developments in Georgia will affect the US-Russia civilian nuclear deal.
The White House too made similar comments Monday about the agreement with India taking precedence over the one with Russia that was submitted to the US legislature last May. I think, we have another civil nuclear agreement in the queue ahead of that, that were really focused on right now, and thats the India civil nuclear agreement, White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters at in Crawford, Texas, near President George W. Bushs ranch. And thats generating a lot of work and time and energy on our part to get that done, he said when asked if the administration will still press Congress for the agreement with Russia to go forward, or withdraw it in the wake of Russias action in Georgia.
We were able to work that (the India deal) through the IAEA, and now working with the Nuclear Suppliers Group and trying to get that through the Nuclear Suppliers Group and eventually for presentation to our Congress, he added. Asked if he anticipated the Russian agreement being completed this year, Fratto said: I cant speculate on when or how that would get done.
Like I said, were focused on the other civil nuclear agreement (with India) right now. The comments from Rice and the White House came as Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon wrapped up a days hectic diplomacy to save the deal in the face of objections from some nuclear suppliers.
There was no official word from either side on what transpired at Menons daylong meetings Monday first with his counterpart, US Undersecretary of State William Burns, and then with President Bushs acting National Security Adviser James Geoffrey. But the focus of Menon-Burns talks was apparently fine-tuning the language of the exemption that will accommodate concerns of sceptical NSG countries as well as interests of India before it is discussed at the second NSG meeting next month.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
Asean members expressed no objections to the plan by three of its members -- Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam -- to develop nuclear power plants, an official here said.
Chairman of the Asean Technical Working Group on the Establishment of Nuclear Power Plants Ad Hoc committee, Prof Carunia Firdausy, said the nuclear power plant development for Indonesia was part of an effort to reduce the country's dependence on oil and coal. Firdausy added that oil and coal had negative impact on the environment and contributed to global warming.
So Vietnam will build nuclear power plants and the Dhimmicrats won't?
He was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying that Indonesia would develop only four per cent of nuclear energy from the national energy mix in 2025, while 96 per cent of it would rely on coal, oil, gas, water energy, geothermal, biofuel and other sources.
Meanwhile, the National Nuclear Energy Board deputy chief Adi Wardoyo said Asean foreign ministers at their ministerial meetings also supported nuclear technology development in the region in anticipation of fossil fuel scarcity. "Indonesia's philosophy in developing nuclear energy is merely for peaceful purpose, with security and safety on top of its priorities," he said.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/27/2008 11:23 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
(AKI/Jakarta Post) - Indonesia's two biggest political parties are reviving attempts to establish a coalition for the 2009 presidential race. They could pose a serious threat to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla's chances of re-election on a joint ticket.
Key figures from the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) held a rare meeting in Jakarta on Monday to explore the possibility of temporarily linking forces - the third such meeting in the past two years.
PDI-P chief patron Taufik Kiemas led the party's delegation in the meeting with Golkar's national and regional boards of patrons in Ancol, North Jakarta. Among other PDI-P key figures in attendance were party secretary-general Pramono Anung and deputy chairman Panda Nababan.
On the sidelines of the meeting, they held closed talks Golkar heavyweights led by Kalla (Photo) who is party chairman. Kalla was accompanied by Golkar chief patron Surya Paloh, House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono and deputy party chairman Theo Sambuaga.
Yudhoyono was invited to the meeting as chief patron of his Democratic Party, but declined to attend. He instead received Swaziland King Mswasti III at the State Palace and later in the evening attended a closed meeting with his own party's board of patrons.
Taufik, the husband of PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, stressed the need for his party and Golkar to form a coalition for the presidential race before the legislative elections in April next year. "We have to start it now, because it will be difficult to form a coalition after the (legislative) election," he was quoted as saying by Antara.
Surya Paloh welcomed Taufik's request, saying Golkar needed a strategic alliance with PDI-P.
Theo Sambuaga said the meeting had brought the two parties a step closer to forming a coalition. "It is not an ordinary gathering. This is a meeting of the country's two biggest parties, so we did talk about the possibility of forming a coalition. But we just think it will be better if we form a coalition after the legislative election," he told The Jakarta Post.
Theo said Golkar needed to know the results of the legislative election before making a commitment to any parties.
Taufik, however, said the PDI-P would announce which parties it would form a coalition with as well as a running mate for Megawati in November.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has scored a big victory in a key Malaysian by-election on Tuesday, enabling the country's best known politician to challenge for power.
The ruling coalition, meanwhile, declared defeat against Ibrahim who will return to parliament after a decade-long absence. "Yes of course we have lost... we were the underdogs going into this race," said Muhammad Muhammad Taib, information chief of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition.
Anwar's Keadilan party, which leads a three-member opposition alliance, claimed a "landslide" victory. It said Anwar had garnered at least 65 percent of the ballot and that the figure could rise as high as 70 percent. "We declare victory, the margin is very huge," said Keadilan information chief Tian Chua.
Muhammad said UMNO had been hampered by internal disagreement over the choice of its candidate in the by-election, Arif Shah Omah Shah, and was distracted by upcoming internal leadership polls. "There are factors that we have to be practical about but this does not mean that he is enjoying full support elsewhere in the country," he told AFP.
Anwar, whose campaign to win the seat vacated by his wife has been dogged by new charges of sodomy, has said he will start talks with MPs from the governing coalition to initiate a confidence vote to topple the government.
Victory had been widely predicted for the man who was once deputy prime minister and seemed destined to become UMNO leader and prime minister. Anwar's meteoric rise to power ended abruptly when he was imprisoned in the late 1990s on what he says were trumped up sodomy and corruption charges.
Anwar denies the new sodomy charges made by a 23-year old male aide and says if he wins power he will sweep away economic and social privileges for ethnic Malays in education and the civil service, policies he endorsed when in power.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[12 views]
Top|| File under:
An Iranian cleric accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of betraying the people and called on reformers to unite to defeat him in next year's elections, according to an interview in a German newspaper quoted by Reuters, Wednesday.
"Ahmadinejad is not complying with the will of the people," The Financial Times Deutschland quoted Grand Ayatollah Bajat Sanjani as saying. "This is a major threat, a big danger," the cleric added in an unusually direct personal attack.
The newspaper also said Sanjani accused Ahmadinejad's government of breaking the law, seriously violating personal freedom and illegally empowering the Revolutionary Guard.
Ahmadinejad is expected to run for a second term in Iran's next presidential election, slated to take place early in 2009. His reformist rivals are expected to attack him especially on his economic policies.
Iran suffers from a rising consumer price index, high percentage of unemployment and an inflation of 26 percent.
Oil prices swung rapidly higher yesterday as Hurricane Gustav threatened major oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
After falling close to $112 per barrel in overnight trading, light, sweet crude for October delivery spiked $2.33 to $117.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a $5 swing. In London, October Brent crude rose 1 cent to $114.51 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
Already adding support to oil prices was Russia's recognition of independence for two breakaway provinces in Georgia, which is likely to enflame tensions with the west.
Oil prices switched directions several times during Tuesday's session, with the dollar swings seen as mostly responsible for the fluctuations.
"The Dollar Index ... has shown that it can at time override the oil fundamentals ... and will probably dominate until Gustav defines a more definitive path," said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland. Oil prices typically rise when the dollar falls, as investors buy commodities as a hedge against inflation and weakness in the U.S. currency.
Although the dollar was still stronger Tuesday than Monday, by the afternoon in Europe it gave back some of its gains from earlier in the session against the euro. The euro had fallen below $1.46, a six-month low, but later climbed back to $1.4635. At the same time, the dollar also lost some ground within the session against the Japanese yen, to 109.55 yen compared with 109.78 earlier, but still up from 109.35 on Monday.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under:
NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Times Co. said Tuesday that its July revenue from continuing operations fell 10.1 percent this year as advertising revenue slipped 16.2 percent. Overall revenue dropped to $235.9 million in July from $262.3 million in July 2007, the publisher said.
A continuing drop in classified ads and cutbacks in spending by movie studios, car companies and hotels were offset only partially by a rise in revenue from media, financial services, advocacy and health care ads for a net drop of 16.2 percent.
The company's flagship The New York Times paper had 15.3 percent lower ad revenue. At its New England media group, which includes The Boston Globe, July ad revenue dropped 24.5 percent.
Hey, why not raise prices -- that'll fix the problem!
Total online ad revenue rose 0.9 percent in the company's News Media Group, and circulation revenue fell 0.5 percent. The company said its overall Internet revenue rose 2.6 percent with online ad revenue adding 5.5 percent, boosted by gains at its About.com Web site.
For the year to date, total revenue from continuing operations has fallen 6.1 percent to $1.73 billion. The company said online advertising for its News Media Group is rising in August with improvement in display advertising revenue at NYTimes.com.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/27/2008 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#3
Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of idiots, charlatan's and bozos.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
08/27/2008 9:34 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Gannett's was down 12%. This is an industry-wide decline due to the current economic slump. Financially-strapped companies don't have ad dollars to spend. Note that newspaper sales revenues only fell 0.5%.
#5
Financially-strapped companies don't have ad dollars to spend.
...wildly without any validation of effectiveness.
If O'man tanks after all the sale and buzz by the usual suspects, I expect a similar review of return on investment created by this environment for the MSM as a whole.
#8
NYT deserves every dollar they Loose!
Can you imagine they still tout themselves as a Fair Rag!
And you can't tell the Editorial Section from the Newsy Side except that the Newsy Side was even more RADICAL LEFT!
from Potemkin Village, way back....
In 1931, the New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty gave us the Potemkin village, Duranty was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. ...
*eeewww* *spit* *bleah*
to Whittaker Chambers "NYT does full blown denial",
the Rosenbergs "NYT does full blown denial",
Kennedy Clan especially John F. NYT does Camelot in the Maximum Supine position and to this day remains enthralled with the Kennedy Clan.
NYT, Cuba worship, with a full blown Homo-erotic Love Affair with Fidel Castro.
*eeewww* *spit* *bleah*
Vietnam,
NYT Does a Back Stabbing for over 10 years; CoxSuckers! They Betrayed every USA Serviceman and Servicewoman in uniform.
WaterGate: Re-Manufactured that political Shenanigan into a Capital Crime against America.
The NYT Hate for Nixon knows no bounds, just like their opposite LOVE for the Kennedy's.
NYT hated Ronald Reagan,
and of course they hated Reagan kicking Castro out of Grenada.
And Panama, NYT didn't approve of RR dislodging that maniac Noriega..
Clarence Thomas:
actively campaigned against him.
ETC. ETC. ETC.
And "All the News Thats Fit to Print" *SPIT*
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
08/27/2008 15:47 Comments ||
Top||
#9
"All the news that's fit to print"
LIKE HELL
"All the news we can twist to OUR ends" is a helluva lot more accurate.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/27/2008 16:55 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Interesting post, Jason. The Taz comment as well. The thing is, the New York Times and other major newspapers have been trending strongly downward for years now such that, if I recall the numbers correctly, the value of the New York Times conglomerate some months ago had sunk to the value of the properties it holds, not even including the value of equipment. Not good, especially given the recent fall in property values accompanying the current mortgage crisis. Clearly you're much better at matters financial than I; would you be kind enough to see if my understanding is anything close to correct?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Opposition legislators jeered President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday as he opened Zimbabwe's parliament, singing and chanting and sometimes drowning out his voice.
The High Court (HC) yesterday granted a four-month ad interim bail to detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in the "Zia Orphanage Trust" fund embezzlement case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
DENVER - Thousands of people, led by members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, streamed from the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday in an anti-war protest march to the Pepsi Center, where the Democratic National Convention is being staged. A sit-in was planned at the convention site.
PRINCETON, NJ -- It's official: Barack Obama has received no bounce in voter support out of his selection of Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.
WASHINGTON - The US says the principal focus of its policy right now is how to get its civil nuclear deal with India through the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and then present it to the Congress early September. The India deal and not the one with Russia is the current focus of Americas nuclear commerce policy, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told reporters on her way to Tel Aviv, according to a transcript released by the State Department.
Oil prices swung rapidly higher yesterday as Hurricane Gustav threatened major oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Times Co. said Tuesday that its July revenue from continuing operations fell 10.1 percent this year as advertising revenue slipped 16.2 percent. Overall revenue dropped to $235.9 million in July from $262.3 million in July 2007, the publisher said.
