Less than a week after over a hundred countries came together in Oslo to sign a far-reaching ban on the use of cluster bombs, Germany's role in the agreement is being closely examined...German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has made clear that he sees Germany as a leader on the cluster-bomb issue....the government has long delayed passing a cluster bomb deal that might negatively impact German munitions manufacturers such as the Düsseldorf firm Rheinmetall or Diehl, which is based in Nuremberg. In the past, the two munitions companies benefitted from large orders for the bombs from the German army. The stockpiles were never used. But the companies have developed a new generation of so-called "intelligent" cluster munitions, and the German government was able to prevent the new "smart" bombs from falling under the cluster munitions ban. Berlin argued for an exception of such munitions that can be programmed to hit pre-determined "point targets."
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has made clear that he sees Germany as a leader on the cluster-bomb issue.
...the government has long delayed passing a cluster bomb deal that might negatively impact German munitions manufacturers such as the Düsseldorf firm Rheinmetall or Diehl, which is based in Nuremberg.
In the past, the two munitions companies benefitted from large orders for the bombs from the German army. The stockpiles were never used. But the companies have developed a new generation of so-called "intelligent" cluster munitions, and the German government was able to prevent the new "smart" bombs from falling under the cluster munitions ban. Berlin argued for an exception of such munitions that can be programmed to hit pre-determined "point targets."
Despite appeals from the United Nations for peacekeeping troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the European Union is hesitant to commit. Germany, in particular, prefers a diplomatic solution...."It is urgent that we take a decision on such a bridging force (to DR Congo), which to my mind is absolutely necessary," said Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht....Some 250,000 civilians have been displaced in the east of the DR Congo since the summer as a result of renewed clashes between government forces and Tutsi rebels led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda.De Gucht said an EU mission would need up to 3,000 heavily-armed soldiers, which would fill in immediate shortages.Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said the EU should consider deploying its battle groups...."If we don't send them to Congo, where do we send them?" Stubb asked.
..."It is urgent that we take a decision on such a bridging force (to DR Congo), which to my mind is absolutely necessary," said Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.
...Some 250,000 civilians have been displaced in the east of the DR Congo since the summer as a result of renewed clashes between government forces and Tutsi rebels led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda.
De Gucht said an EU mission would need up to 3,000 heavily-armed soldiers, which would fill in immediate shortages.
Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said the EU should consider deploying its battle groups.
..."If we don't send them to Congo, where do we send them?" Stubb asked.
Perhaps into a lost war in Afghanistan?... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
European foreign ministers are divided over calls to send troops to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Belgium urged the deployment of a "bridging" force but other members of the bloc were lukewarm on the idea. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the EU on Friday to send in troops until UN reinforcements arrive. The Brussels meeting came as the first direct talks between representatives of the Congolese government and CNDP rebels were held in Kenya.
European foreign ministers are divided over calls to send troops to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.
Belgium urged the deployment of a "bridging" force but other members of the bloc were lukewarm on the idea.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the EU on Friday to send in troops until UN reinforcements arrive.
The Brussels meeting came as the first direct talks between representatives of the Congolese government and CNDP rebels were held in Kenya.
Germany's foreign intelligence agency has said it spied on the office of a German food aid organization in Afghanistan to glean information on the country's security situation and on possible terror attacks. The agency is threatening legal action and has called for a government inquiry.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana weighed into the debate... "The moment has arrived to put on the pressure for Mugabe to step down and give the opportunity once again to the people of Zimbabwe to get their life together and begin to move the country forward," Solana told reporters as he arrived for talks with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday. "The important thing is the political pressure now," he said. The US has also called for Mugabe to step aside, as have several African nations including Kenya and Botswana.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana weighed into the debate...
"The moment has arrived to put on the pressure for Mugabe to step down and give the opportunity once again to the people of Zimbabwe to get their life together and begin to move the country forward," Solana told reporters as he arrived for talks with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
"The important thing is the political pressure now," he said.
The US has also called for Mugabe to step aside, as have several African nations including Kenya and Botswana.
The self-styled mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and four co-defendants told a military judge at Guantanamo they wanted to confess and plead guilty. A note to the judge said the defendants made the decision on 4 December, which was the day Barack Obama was elected to become the next US president... Several of the defendants had said at previous hearings that they welcomed martyrdom, and they may have felt that opportunity slipping away with Obama's election.
The self-styled mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and four co-defendants told a military judge at Guantanamo they wanted to confess and plead guilty.
A note to the judge said the defendants made the decision on 4 December, which was the day Barack Obama was elected to become the next US president...
Several of the defendants had said at previous hearings that they welcomed martyrdom, and they may have felt that opportunity slipping away with Obama's election.
Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four co-defendants have said they want to plead guilty at a pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo Bay. But Mr Mohammed said he would postpone entering his plea until an investigation into the mental state of two of his co-defendants was complete. Military Judge Col Stephen Henley had ordered the probe into whether the two were mentally competent to stand trial. The five men face death sentences if convicted of roles in the 2001 attacks. Correspondents say no trial date has been set and there seems little chance that one will begin before President-elect Barack Obama takes office. He has said he is opposed to the military tribunal and has pledged to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.
Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four co-defendants have said they want to plead guilty at a pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo Bay.
But Mr Mohammed said he would postpone entering his plea until an investigation into the mental state of two of his co-defendants was complete.
Military Judge Col Stephen Henley had ordered the probe into whether the two were mentally competent to stand trial.
The five men face death sentences if convicted of roles in the 2001 attacks.
Correspondents say no trial date has been set and there seems little chance that one will begin before President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
He has said he is opposed to the military tribunal and has pledged to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.
The five men, who face a variety of charges including manslaughter in relation to the killing of 17 people, gave themselves up following prolonged legal action with their lawyers claiming that it was a "politically motivated prosecution". The guards, however, gave themselves up in Utah, their home state, and want the case tried at Salt Lake City where, their legal teams hold, they can find a generally conservative poll of jurors supportive of the Iraq war. The prosecution had been demanding that the surrender takes place in Washington where trials for alleged crimes abroad are normally tried and will ask a Federal judge to ensure the trial takes place in the US capital.
The five men, who face a variety of charges including manslaughter in relation to the killing of 17 people, gave themselves up following prolonged legal action with their lawyers claiming that it was a "politically motivated prosecution".
The guards, however, gave themselves up in Utah, their home state, and want the case tried at Salt Lake City where, their legal teams hold, they can find a generally conservative poll of jurors supportive of the Iraq war. The prosecution had been demanding that the surrender takes place in Washington where trials for alleged crimes abroad are normally tried and will ask a Federal judge to ensure the trial takes place in the US capital.
US guards indicted over the 2007 fatal shooting of 17 Iraqis used machine guns and grenade launchers against unarmed civilians, prosecutors have said. The guards, from the US security firm Blackwater, were contracted to defend US diplomats. The firm says its guards acted in self-defence. The five men are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, as well as weapons violations and attempted manslaughter. A sixth guard has pleaded guilty to killing at least one Iraqi. The Iraqi government has welcomed the move to hold "criminals accountable". The killings, which took place in Nisoor Square, Baghdad, have become a central issue in Iraq's relationship with the US and raised questions about the oversight of US contractors operating in war zones. Witnesses and family members maintain that the shooting on 16 September 2007 was unprovoked.
US guards indicted over the 2007 fatal shooting of 17 Iraqis used machine guns and grenade launchers against unarmed civilians, prosecutors have said.
The guards, from the US security firm Blackwater, were contracted to defend US diplomats. The firm says its guards acted in self-defence.
The five men are charged with 14 counts of manslaughter, as well as weapons violations and attempted manslaughter.
A sixth guard has pleaded guilty to killing at least one Iraqi.
The Iraqi government has welcomed the move to hold "criminals accountable".
The killings, which took place in Nisoor Square, Baghdad, have become a central issue in Iraq's relationship with the US and raised questions about the oversight of US contractors operating in war zones.
Witnesses and family members maintain that the shooting on 16 September 2007 was unprovoked.
The 2004 amendment to 18 USC Sec. 3267 incorpoates the following wording:
As used in this chapter: (1) The term "employed by the Armed Forces outside the United States" means - (A) employed as - (i) a civilian employee of - (I) the Department of Defense (including a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department); or (II) any other Federal agency, or any provisional authority, to the extent such employment relates to supporting the mission of the Department of Defense overseas; I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears
Pakistan appears to be moving more forcefully against extremists based in the country. Pakistani authorities have arrested several members of an aid organization with ties to the radical Islamist rebel group Laskhar-e-Taiba in connection with the terrorist attacks on Mumbai. Reports suggest that between three and 15 men have been detained.
Ghana's two main presidential candidates are running neck-and-neck as votes continue to be counted a day after the country's peaceful elections. It is a public holiday and people are glued to their radios and television sets as the results trickle in. A number of ministers have lost their seats in the parliamentary elections. Poll officials reported a huge voter turnout and monitors hailed the exercise as a shining example of democracy in action for Africa. President John Kufuor, 70, is stepping down in January after serving the maximum two terms.
Ghana's two main presidential candidates are running neck-and-neck as votes continue to be counted a day after the country's peaceful elections.
It is a public holiday and people are glued to their radios and television sets as the results trickle in.
A number of ministers have lost their seats in the parliamentary elections.
Poll officials reported a huge voter turnout and monitors hailed the exercise as a shining example of democracy in action for Africa.
President John Kufuor, 70, is stepping down in January after serving the maximum two terms.
The main opposition party in Thailand has called for an emergency session of parliament to prove it has sufficient support to form a new government. The Democrat Party will propose that its leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, becomes the next prime minister. Thailand's ruling party was dissolved last week by the courts, after being found guilty of electoral fraud. But some of its members have formed a new party, Phuea Thai, and insist they can also form a new government. The BBC correspondent in Bangkok says any administration that emerges is likely to be a messy coalition.
The main opposition party in Thailand has called for an emergency session of parliament to prove it has sufficient support to form a new government.
The Democrat Party will propose that its leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, becomes the next prime minister.
Thailand's ruling party was dissolved last week by the courts, after being found guilty of electoral fraud.
But some of its members have formed a new party, Phuea Thai, and insist they can also form a new government.
The BBC correspondent in Bangkok says any administration that emerges is likely to be a messy coalition.
The authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Xintai have been abducting citizens who make complaints, according to a state newspaper. These people are held in mental hospitals until they withdraw their grievances, the Beijing News reports. An investigation found that at least 18 people had been detained in this way, after trying to take complaints about local officials to higher authorities. Some of those held were reportedly forced to take powerful drugs.
The authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Xintai have been abducting citizens who make complaints, according to a state newspaper.
These people are held in mental hospitals until they withdraw their grievances, the Beijing News reports.
An investigation found that at least 18 people had been detained in this way, after trying to take complaints about local officials to higher authorities.
Some of those held were reportedly forced to take powerful drugs.
上访者被强送精神病院
Using Google Translate, you may be able to get the jist:
Petitioners Forcibly Sent to Mental Hospital Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
This is hurting me very much, and not because the Blue Angels flew over Frisco every year. This hurts because exactly twenty years ago TODAY, a US military jet crashed into the town where i've lived the past seven years. With much controversy.
One of my best friends there has her family scarred for life. Her one year old son lost an eye, and she lost five of her neighbors, in horrible circumstance that i won't describe here.
The cancer cluster that emerged is still being debated. The cover-up by the US military with the complicity of the German government is a horror show of power against citizens.
She tells me as the house began to roar and shake, she ran to the front door to get one of her sons. She swears she could see the eyes of the pilot as he swerved at the last minute and hit the house next door.
This is not funny, and whether it's a training run in San Diego or a bombing run in Baghdad or Kabul, the end result is still a horror that we pay for with our taxes.
Twenty years ago exactly!
This woman's work as a designer of the first sustainable industry centers in Germany for the state gov is top rate, as opposed to the rain of destruction from the powers that be elsewhere. I'm so pissed and shaken.
FAKT german version "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
Can't translate, but remembers the six (plus pilot) who lost their lives, and then mentions all the cancer deaths. It mentions the suspicions, but says there's no explanation yet for the many cancer deaths.
I know a story which even includes evidence being taken and "lost" by the german courts. I know the US military sealed off the area for days. I know there was much money spent to calm the citizens, like building a new soccer ground.
I know another of her sons is now in Berlin studying to be a wind engineer, having written the authoritative paper on the decade long events for his graduation.
I can't believe this happened twenty years to the day. It's too late to call, but this must be very hard to handle for the family, and the families of all in Remscheid who suffered.
Shit. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
Here the rescue crew describes the "munitions" exploding during the rescue action.
I'm really shook, i'll stop now. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
I feel better having spoken with her this AM. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
Osama bin Laden...Remember him? Seven years after President Bush pledged to capture bin Laden "dead or alive," he is still at large. Or is he? We'll spend the hour talking about a man, who conspicuously, isn't in the news lately and ask the question, "Is Osama bin Laden "Dead or Alive"? Forensics Expert Examines Authenticity of bin Laden Tapes Hany Farid -- Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College; Specializes in digital imaging forensics Is bin Laden Still Alive and Does it Matter? Robert Baer -- Former C.I.A. Officer stationed in the Middle East; Author of the book See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism AND most recently, The Devil We Know: Dealing With the New Iranian Superpower Robert Baer's November 18, 2008 Time magazine article "When Will Obama Give Up the Bin Laden Ghost Hunt?"
Forensics Expert Examines Authenticity of bin Laden Tapes
Hany Farid -- Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College; Specializes in digital imaging forensics
Is bin Laden Still Alive and Does it Matter? Robert Baer -- Former C.I.A. Officer stationed in the Middle East; Author of the book See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism AND most recently, The Devil We Know: Dealing With the New Iranian Superpower
Robert Baer's November 18, 2008 Time magazine article "When Will Obama Give Up the Bin Laden Ghost Hunt?"
Professor Hany Farid is totally unconvincing when trying to rebut the host's evidence that the latest bin Laden video (from 2007) suggests bin Laden is dead. Later in the interview, he admits that he also works for federal law enforcement agencies.
Robert Baer also said he believes Bin Laden is dead in this video, though I did not transcribe that section of the interview.
After listening to this Worldview broadcast, I am seriously starting to believe that bin Laden is dead, or if not, completely incapacitated by his illness. Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
That should be: in this interview Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
