Government of 'national salvation' set to rule after pro-Western Saad Hariri fails to claim decisive victoryThere will be no Islamic Republic of Lebanon. Nor will there be a pro-Western Lebanese republic. There will, after yesterday's vote - for the Hizbollah-Christian coalition and for the secular Sunni-Christian alliance - be a government of "national salvation" in Beirut, run by an ex-army general-president with ever-increasing powers. Washington would have preferred that Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated ex-prime minister, came out with a clear win. But out of the shadows will come the same crippled, un-healable Lebanon; delightful, unworkable, poor old Lebanon, corrupt, beautiful, vanity-prone, intelligent, democratic - yes, definitely, democratic - and absolutely outside our powers to reform.The electoral system - a crazed mixture of sectarianism, proportional representation and "list" fixing - means that no one ever really "wins" elections in Lebanon, and yesterday was no different. The "anti-Syrian" parties - the Sunnis, the Druze, half of the Christian community - made sure that their votes prevented a Hizbollah takeover, while the huge Shia vote - for Hizbollah and the Amal party and the Christians who follow the lead of the raving Christian ex-general Michael Aoun - made certain there would be no clear win for America's friends in the country.
There will be no Islamic Republic of Lebanon. Nor will there be a pro-Western Lebanese republic. There will, after yesterday's vote - for the Hizbollah-Christian coalition and for the secular Sunni-Christian alliance - be a government of "national salvation" in Beirut, run by an ex-army general-president with ever-increasing powers.
Washington would have preferred that Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated ex-prime minister, came out with a clear win. But out of the shadows will come the same crippled, un-healable Lebanon; delightful, unworkable, poor old Lebanon, corrupt, beautiful, vanity-prone, intelligent, democratic - yes, definitely, democratic - and absolutely outside our powers to reform.
The electoral system - a crazed mixture of sectarianism, proportional representation and "list" fixing - means that no one ever really "wins" elections in Lebanon, and yesterday was no different. The "anti-Syrian" parties - the Sunnis, the Druze, half of the Christian community - made sure that their votes prevented a Hizbollah takeover, while the huge Shia vote - for Hizbollah and the Amal party and the Christians who follow the lead of the raving Christian ex-general Michael Aoun - made certain there would be no clear win for America's friends in the country.
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration signaled Sunday that it was seeking a way to interdict, possibly with China's help, North Korean sea and air shipments suspected of carrying weapons or nuclear technology. The administration also said it was examining whether there was a legal basis to reverse former President George W. Bush's decision last year to remove the North from a list of states that sponsor terrorism. The reference to interdictions -- preferably at ports or airfields in countries like China, but possibly involving riskier confrontations on the high seas -- was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the highest-ranking official to talk publicly about such a potentially provocative step as a response to North Korea's second nuclear test, conducted two weeks ago. While Mrs. Clinton did not specifically mention assistance from China, other administration officials have been pressing Beijing to take such action under Chinese law.
The administration also said it was examining whether there was a legal basis to reverse former President George W. Bush's decision last year to remove the North from a list of states that sponsor terrorism.
The reference to interdictions -- preferably at ports or airfields in countries like China, but possibly involving riskier confrontations on the high seas -- was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was the highest-ranking official to talk publicly about such a potentially provocative step as a response to North Korea's second nuclear test, conducted two weeks ago.
While Mrs. Clinton did not specifically mention assistance from China, other administration officials have been pressing Beijing to take such action under Chinese law.
A court in North Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labour, adding to the pressure on the US Government to respond to weeks of unanswered provocation by the isolated dictatorship. A terse report on North Korea's state news agency today announced the outcome of the closed trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested in March close to the border with China. "The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing," it said, ". . . and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour." Before the announcement of the verdict, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, suggested that Washington might once again designate North Korea officially as a sponsor of terrorism. "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release," the White House said in a statement. Two months after a long-range rocket test, and two weeks after Pyongyang's second nuclear test, both the US Government and the international community are struggling to formulate a meaningful response.
A court in North Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labour, adding to the pressure on the US Government to respond to weeks of unanswered provocation by the isolated dictatorship.
A terse report on North Korea's state news agency today announced the outcome of the closed trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were arrested in March close to the border with China. "The trial confirmed the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing," it said, ". . . and sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labour."
Before the announcement of the verdict, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, suggested that Washington might once again designate North Korea officially as a sponsor of terrorism. "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release," the White House said in a statement.
Two months after a long-range rocket test, and two weeks after Pyongyang's second nuclear test, both the US Government and the international community are struggling to formulate a meaningful response.
Hillary Clinton refused yesterday to rule out a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran. It was the first time that a senior member of the Obama Administration had openly discussed such a possibility. The US Secretary Of State, speaking a few days before elections in Iran that will determine the fate of President Ahmadinejad, also warned that the country would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel. As President Obama extends "an open hand", seeking direct talks with Tehran in his attempt to halt its nuclear programme, Mrs Clinton appeared ready to unnerve the Iranian leadership with talk of a pre-emptive strike "the way that we did attack Iraq". She said that she was trying to put herself in the shoes of the Iranian leadership, but added that Tehran "might have some other enemies that would do that [deliver a pre-emptive strike] to them". It was a clear reference to Israel, where Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, has talked about the possibility of military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme -- something he views as a threat to the Jewish state.
Hillary Clinton refused yesterday to rule out a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran. It was the first time that a senior member of the Obama Administration had openly discussed such a possibility.
The US Secretary Of State, speaking a few days before elections in Iran that will determine the fate of President Ahmadinejad, also warned that the country would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel.
As President Obama extends "an open hand", seeking direct talks with Tehran in his attempt to halt its nuclear programme, Mrs Clinton appeared ready to unnerve the Iranian leadership with talk of a pre-emptive strike "the way that we did attack Iraq". She said that she was trying to put herself in the shoes of the Iranian leadership, but added that Tehran "might have some other enemies that would do that [deliver a pre-emptive strike] to them". It was a clear reference to Israel, where Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, has talked about the possibility of military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme -- something he views as a threat to the Jewish state.
I'm disappointed that despite the lack of evidence challenging that view, it becomes Obama's. There is now, and never has been, any reason for Israel to attack Iran except to continue to justify its own internal state of fear and tension. That sense of being in imminent danger that allows it to postpone indefinitely any genuine move towards peace with its neighbours. keep to the Fen Causeway
"...would face retaliation if it launched a nuclear attack on Israel."
"...with talk of a pre-emptive strike 'the way that we did attack Iraq'."
"...has talked about the possibility of military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme..."
Did PreEmptiveRetaliationTM just enter the language? Did PreEmptiveRetailiation for using nuclear weapons that one doesn't have by using nuclear weapons that one doesn't admit to having, just enter without any front page news or editorial wondering how pointing out that the US Secretary of State delivered the message for the alleged client state?
Why isn't that the most embarrassing thing that the US could possibly do, not to mention playing into the hands of Ahmadinejad...as if they want to have him elected? Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
For 7½ years, These were the digits assigned to him when he arrived at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, swept up in a post-Sept. 11 dragnet and accused of plotting to blow up the U.S. and British Embassies in Sarajevo. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Boumediene said the interrogators at Gitmo never once asked him about this alleged plot, which he denied playing any part it. "I'm a normal man," said Boumediene, who at the time of his arrest worked for the Red Crescent, providing help to orphans and others in need. "I'm not a terrorist." The 43-year-old Algerian is now back with his wife and two daughters, a free man in France after a Republican judge found the evidence against Boumediene lacking. He is best known from the landmark Supreme Court case last year, Boumediene v. Bush, which said detainees have the right to challenge their detention in court.
For 7½ years, These were the digits assigned to him when he arrived at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, swept up in a post-Sept. 11 dragnet and accused of plotting to blow up the U.S. and British Embassies in Sarajevo.
These were the digits assigned to him when he arrived at the detention center at
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Boumediene said the interrogators at Gitmo never once asked him about this alleged plot, which he denied playing any part it.
"I'm a normal man," said Boumediene, who at the time of his arrest worked for the Red Crescent, providing help to orphans and others in need. "I'm not a terrorist."
The 43-year-old Algerian is now back with his wife and two daughters, a free man in France after a Republican judge found the evidence against Boumediene lacking. He is best known from the landmark Supreme Court case last year, Boumediene v. Bush, which said detainees have the right to challenge their detention in court.
Global military spending reached a record $1,464 billion last year with the United States taking up by far the biggest share of the total, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday. Arms shipments were up 4 percent worldwide from 2007 and 45 percent higher than in 1999, the think tank said in its annual study of the global arms trade. "The idea of the 'war on terror' has encouraged many countries to see their problems through a highly militarised lens, using this to justify high military spending," Sam Perlo-Freeman, head of the Military Expenditure Project at the think tank said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost $903 billion in additional military spending by the USA alone." The United States accounted for 58 percent of the worldwide increase between 1999 and 2008. China and Russia both nearly tripled their military spending over the decade, SIPRI said. Other countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Algeria and Britain also contributed substantially to the total increase. The institute, which conducts independent research on international security, armaments and disarmament, said last year's military spending comprised about 2.4 percent of global gross domestic product, corresponding to $217 per capita.
Arms shipments were up 4 percent worldwide from 2007 and 45 percent higher than in 1999, the think tank said in its annual study of the global arms trade.
"The idea of the 'war on terror' has encouraged many countries to see their problems through a highly militarised lens, using this to justify high military spending," Sam Perlo-Freeman, head of the Military Expenditure Project at the think tank said in a statement.
"Meanwhile, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost $903 billion in additional military spending by the USA alone."
The United States accounted for 58 percent of the worldwide increase between 1999 and 2008. China and Russia both nearly tripled their military spending over the decade, SIPRI said.
Other countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Algeria and Britain also contributed substantially to the total increase.
The institute, which conducts independent research on international security, armaments and disarmament, said last year's military spending comprised about 2.4 percent of global gross domestic product, corresponding to $217 per capita.
And we thought that Cold War was a crazy arms race?
