The German-ordered air strike that led to civilian casualties in Afghanistan in early September was more than an aberration by a Bundeswehr officer. The German government and the military leadership have long supported taking a tougher approach against the Taliban. He said nothing about the crux of the matter. German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was standing in the German parliament, the Bundestag, giving a speech that was filled, as usual, with well-made sentences, and yet it resolved nothing. His appearance in the Bundestag last Wednesday had been preceeded by reports that morning that Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the former inspector general of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, had accused the defense minister of "not telling the truth."
He said nothing about the crux of the matter. German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was standing in the German parliament, the Bundestag, giving a speech that was filled, as usual, with well-made sentences, and yet it resolved nothing.
His appearance in the Bundestag last Wednesday had been preceeded by reports that morning that Wolfgang Schneiderhan, the former inspector general of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, had accused the defense minister of "not telling the truth."
The secretary general of NATO sought Tuesday to address fears that international forces would leave Afghanistan too soon, saying that the 43-nation coalition would stand by Afghanistan until the country was ready to stand on its own. In his remarks at a joint news conference with the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO secretary general, tried to reassure those who fear a premature withdrawal would leave the Afghan people and government vulnerable. "I know some are wondering how long international forces will stay; they are worried we will leave too soon," Mr. Rasmussen said. "Let there be no doubt the international community will stand with you and help in rebuilding your country until you are ready to stand on your own and ensure that terrorism will never take root again." The NATO commitment is particularly important to the United States both because it gives international legitimacy to the war in Afghanistan, but also because the European members of the coalition face considerable domestic opposition to having their troops in harm's way and at times in the past year have seemed on the brink of reducing the numbers fighting in the country.
"I know some are wondering how long international forces will stay; they are worried we will leave too soon," Mr. Rasmussen said. "Let there be no doubt the international community will stand with you and help in rebuilding your country until you are ready to stand on your own and ensure that terrorism will never take root again."
The NATO commitment is particularly important to the United States both because it gives international legitimacy to the war in Afghanistan, but also because the European members of the coalition face considerable domestic opposition to having their troops in harm's way and at times in the past year have seemed on the brink of reducing the numbers fighting in the country.
The second is probably telling the truth. If you want oil, the countries to the south are the places to be. As Jerome is fond of pointing out, the only oil-based justification, TAPI, is so beset with negatives that it will never happen. keep to the Fen Causeway
Monday saw tens of thousands of regime critics marching in Iran for the funeral of a senior dissident cleric. Mourning turned to chants of "death to the dictator," and German commentators believe there is more to come. Tens of thousands of anti-regime protestors marched through the streets of Iran's holy city of Qom on Monday. They had gathered for the funeral procession of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the most senior of the regime's critics, who had died in his sleep Sunday at the age of 87. The event reportedly turned into the largest civil protest since those that followed the contested re-election in June of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which left an unknown number of protestors dead. In Monday's demonstration, protestors chanted "death to the dictator" and carried slogans voicing their support for the opposition leaders to whom Montazeri had given his support. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the head of the opposition Green Movement, and Mahdi Karroubi, a prominent protest leader, also took part in the demonstration.
Tens of thousands of anti-regime protestors marched through the streets of Iran's holy city of Qom on Monday. They had gathered for the funeral procession of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the most senior of the regime's critics, who had died in his sleep Sunday at the age of 87.
The event reportedly turned into the largest civil protest since those that followed the contested re-election in June of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which left an unknown number of protestors dead. In Monday's demonstration, protestors chanted "death to the dictator" and carried slogans voicing their support for the opposition leaders to whom Montazeri had given his support. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the head of the opposition Green Movement, and Mahdi Karroubi, a prominent protest leader, also took part in the demonstration.
Even as the Senate took a significant step toward passing its version of a sweeping overhaul of the health insurance system before Christmas, Democrats were grappling Monday with deep internal divisions over abortion, the issue that most complicates their drive to merge the Senate and House bills and send final legislation to President Obama. In the House, advocates and opponents of abortion rights and conservative Democrats have made clear that they object, for different reasons, to the Senate's compromise language on abortion. Interest groups on both sides of the spectrum -- Planned Parenthood on the abortion rights side, Catholic bishops for the anti-abortion rights camp -- also oppose the abortion provision in the Senate bill, leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a challenge in rounding up the votes she needs in the House. Ms. Pelosi's room for maneuvering is limited because any changes to the language in the Senate bill could unravel the deal that provided Democrats with the 60 votes they need to get the legislation through the Senate.
In the House, advocates and opponents of abortion rights and conservative Democrats have made clear that they object, for different reasons, to the Senate's compromise language on abortion. Interest groups on both sides of the spectrum -- Planned Parenthood on the abortion rights side, Catholic bishops for the anti-abortion rights camp -- also oppose the abortion provision in the Senate bill, leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a challenge in rounding up the votes she needs in the House.
Ms. Pelosi's room for maneuvering is limited because any changes to the language in the Senate bill could unravel the deal that provided Democrats with the 60 votes they need to get the legislation through the Senate.
Dutch Socialist MP Harry van Bommel has claimed that US spy planes are using an airbase on the Netherlands Antilles island of Curaçao. Mr Van Bommel has asked Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen whether he is aware that a Boeing RC-135 aircraft has been making regular reconnaissance flights from the Caribbean island's Hato airport over the past few weeks.
Mr Van Bommel has asked Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen whether he is aware that a Boeing RC-135 aircraft has been making regular reconnaissance flights from the Caribbean island's Hato airport over the past few weeks.
Naw, couldn't be. "Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne
Perhaps it's a secret military holiday resort.
Israel will find itself diplomatically sidelined and militarily muzzled as the United States pursues a nuclear deal with Iran next year, according to a closed-door wargame at Israel's top strategic think-tank. Not even a warning shot by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- the simulation featured an undeclared Israeli commando raid on Iran's Arak heavy water plant -- would shake U.S. President Barack Obama's insistence on dialogue. Israel's arch-foe, meanwhile, will likely keep enriching uranium, perhaps even winning the grudging assent of the West. "The Iranians came out feeling better than the Americans, as they were simply more determined to stick to their objectives," said Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security adviser who played Netanyahu in the November 1 wargame at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
Not even a warning shot by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- the simulation featured an undeclared Israeli commando raid on Iran's Arak heavy water plant -- would shake U.S. President Barack Obama's insistence on dialogue.
Israel's arch-foe, meanwhile, will likely keep enriching uranium, perhaps even winning the grudging assent of the West.
"The Iranians came out feeling better than the Americans, as they were simply more determined to stick to their objectives," said Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security adviser who played Netanyahu in the November 1 wargame at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).
The only empirical evidence to date consist of the two weapons used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Almost all atmospheric tests were conducted in deserts where there was little combustion. Who knows what the effects would be if Israel tried to knock out Iran or Iran's nuclear weapons program. I don't think that has been modeled. But, as JFK said long ago: "We all breathe the same air." As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
Seventy-three Saudi soldiers have been killed, 470 wounded and 26 are missing since fighting broke out in November between Saudi forces and Yemeni rebels, a Saudi minister said Tuesday. "The confrontation on the southern border" has resulted in "73 martyrs and 26 missing" soldiers, said Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan in comments broadcast on television from a media conference in Al-Khoba in the southern Jizan province. "We believe that 12 of (the missing soldiers) were killed, while we do not know about the fate of the other 14," Prince Khaled said.
"The confrontation on the southern border" has resulted in "73 martyrs and 26 missing" soldiers, said Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan in comments broadcast on television from a media conference in Al-Khoba in the southern Jizan province.
"We believe that 12 of (the missing soldiers) were killed, while we do not know about the fate of the other 14," Prince Khaled said.
Killings of anti-government protesters perpetrated by Guinean security forces in Conakry in late September amount to "crimes against humanity," according to a report by a UN inquiry panel released Monday. The commission said it was able to confirm the identity of 156 people killed or missing and said at least 109 women were subjected to "rapes and other sexual violence, including sexual mutilations and sexual slavery." "It is reasonable to conclude that the crimes perpetrated on September 28 and the following days can be described as "crimes against humanity," it noted.
The commission said it was able to confirm the identity of 156 people killed or missing and said at least 109 women were subjected to "rapes and other sexual violence, including sexual mutilations and sexual slavery."
"It is reasonable to conclude that the crimes perpetrated on September 28 and the following days can be described as "crimes against humanity," it noted.
DR-CAFTA's progress amid recession November 26th 2009 ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), which has the goal of expanding free trade and facilitating trade flows between the US and Central America as well as within the sub-region, has had a generally positive impact on economic growth. Increased trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) have been the most obvious benefits of the trade agreement. Inward FDI as a percentage of GDP in the sub-region rose from 3.4% in 2005 to almost 5% in 2008, while increased remittance inflows and tourism arrivals from the US have also played a role in raising incomes and economic growth. On the negative side, a reliance on the US for a majority of trade, investment and remittance inflows has increased the vulnerability of the DR-CAFTA countries-Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua-to the US recession. These countries are bearing the brunt of the US economic downturn. They are also suffering from rising crime and violence (mainly related to the spread of drug trafficking and organised crime); weakening democratic institutions (highlighted by the recent coup in Honduras and political scandals in Guatemala); and a lack of competitiveness (which could worsen as a result of lower government revenue and slowing progress on reform).
The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), which has the goal of expanding free trade and facilitating trade flows between the US and Central America as well as within the sub-region, has had a generally positive impact on economic growth. Increased trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) have been the most obvious benefits of the trade agreement. Inward FDI as a percentage of GDP in the sub-region rose from 3.4% in 2005 to almost 5% in 2008, while increased remittance inflows and tourism arrivals from the US have also played a role in raising incomes and economic growth.
On the negative side, a reliance on the US for a majority of trade, investment and remittance inflows has increased the vulnerability of the DR-CAFTA countries-Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua-to the US recession. These countries are bearing the brunt of the US economic downturn. They are also suffering from rising crime and violence (mainly related to the spread of drug trafficking and organised crime); weakening democratic institutions (highlighted by the recent coup in Honduras and political scandals in Guatemala); and a lack of competitiveness (which could worsen as a result of lower government revenue and slowing progress on reform).
However, only 39 Republicans voted against passage. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) was the Republican who missed the vote. On C-Span this morning, a caller wondered if perhaps Coburn's prayer request had "backfire[ed]" against his own party: CALLER: Yeah doctor. Our small tea bag group here in Waycross, we got our vigil together and took Dr. Coburn's instructions and prayed real hard that Sen. Byrd would either die or couldn't show up at the vote the other night. How hard did you pray because I see one of our members was missing this morning. Did it backfire on us? One of our members died? How hard did you pray senator? Did you pray hard enough? [...] When Coburn asked Americans to pray that a Senator miss these crucial health care votes, he never specified Republican or Democrat.
On C-Span this morning, a caller wondered if perhaps Coburn's prayer request had "backfire[ed]" against his own party:
CALLER: Yeah doctor. Our small tea bag group here in Waycross, we got our vigil together and took Dr. Coburn's instructions and prayed real hard that Sen. Byrd would either die or couldn't show up at the vote the other night.
How hard did you pray because I see one of our members was missing this morning. Did it backfire on us? One of our members died? How hard did you pray senator? Did you pray hard enough?
[...]
When Coburn asked Americans to pray that a Senator miss these crucial health care votes, he never specified Republican or Democrat.
On December 14, 2009, an inauguration took place that deserves more attention than it received because it marks an economic power shift to the benefit of three Central Asian countries and China and to the detriment of Russia. The presidents of China - Hu Jintao, Turkmenistan - Gurlanguly Berdymukhamedov, Kazakhstan - Nursultan Nazarbayev, and Uzbekistan -Islam Karimov, inaugurated the Central Asia-China gas pipeline that links Turkmenistan's natural gas fields on the Caspian Sea to the Western Chinese border in the Xinjiang province. This pipeline then connects with the West-East Gas Pipeline that crosses China and supplies cities as far as Shanghai and Hong Kong. 13 billion cubic meters (bcm) are supposed to transit through this pipeline in 2010, 30bcm by the end of 2011 and over 40bcm by 2013. Ultimately that pipeline could supply China with more than half of China's present day natural gas consumption. .... Turkmenistan is the big winner with this new pipeline as this new export route for its gas production frees it from the diktats of Gazprom: about 70% of its natural gas production used to exit the country through the Gazprom network. Turkmen President Berdymukhamedov stated, "The successful implementation of this project could become a prototype for all international energy partnerships," adding that "this pipeline will have a positive impact across the entire region and beyond, and it will become a major contributing factor to security in Asia." Other winners are Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan that will also be able to supply the pipeline with their own gas production, notably from the Karachaganak, Kashagan and Tengiz fields in Kazakhstan. The Central Asia-China gas pipeline is a US$7.3bn project, 1,833 km long with 188 km going through Turkmenistan, 530 from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, and 1,115 km from Kazakhstan to China. The West-East Gas Pipeline crossing China is over 4,500 km long, making of the joint pipelines the longest in the world.
This pipeline then connects with the West-East Gas Pipeline that crosses China and supplies cities as far as Shanghai and Hong Kong. 13 billion cubic meters (bcm) are supposed to transit through this pipeline in 2010, 30bcm by the end of 2011 and over 40bcm by 2013. Ultimately that pipeline could supply China with more than half of China's present day natural gas consumption.
....
Turkmenistan is the big winner with this new pipeline as this new export route for its gas production frees it from the diktats of Gazprom: about 70% of its natural gas production used to exit the country through the Gazprom network. Turkmen President Berdymukhamedov stated, "The successful implementation of this project could become a prototype for all international energy partnerships," adding that "this pipeline will have a positive impact across the entire region and beyond, and it will become a major contributing factor to security in Asia." Other winners are Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan that will also be able to supply the pipeline with their own gas production, notably from the Karachaganak, Kashagan and Tengiz fields in Kazakhstan.
The Central Asia-China gas pipeline is a US$7.3bn project, 1,833 km long with 188 km going through Turkmenistan, 530 from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, and 1,115 km from Kazakhstan to China. The West-East Gas Pipeline crossing China is over 4,500 km long, making of the joint pipelines the longest in the world.
An American Airlines plane has overshot the runway on landing in the Jamaican capital Kingston, injuring more than 40 people, officials say.Flight AA 331 from Miami, with about 150 people on board, is reported to have broken apart after the incident at Norman Manley International Airport. Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz said 44 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
An American Airlines plane has overshot the runway on landing in the Jamaican capital Kingston, injuring more than 40 people, officials say.
Flight AA 331 from Miami, with about 150 people on board, is reported to have broken apart after the incident at Norman Manley International Airport.
Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz said 44 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
