MarlinAddict

The Washington Times is a conservative paper, yet: Last week, it emerged that both Dubai Ports World and Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., the seller, specified that an agreement by the U.S. government not to make a formal investigation as a condition for the deal. This is exceedingly odd Washington Times -and- In addition, Mr. Bush late last month appointed David Sanborn, who runs DPW's European and Latin American operations to head the U.S. Maritime Administration. The shipping source said what is more disconcerting than the port deal is that foreign businesses and governments are sitting down with Homeland Security officials to create cargo security regulations Washington Times This isn't passing the "sniff test."

Now Islam desires the same protection as the Holocaust. I'm all for it as soon as all the Islamic nations pass and enforce laws to protect Christianity and Judaism. Oddly, that didn't get mentioned as part of the OIC's elimination of a double standard. Pakistan Published: 02/22/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) OIC asks EU to legislate to protect Islam By Shahid Hussain, Correspondent Islamabad: Citing the jailing of a British historian in Austria for denying the Holocaust, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu here on Tuesday urged Europe to legislate similar safeguards against maligning Islam in the name of freedom of expression. "We need the same protection from European law," the chief of the 57-nation Islamic body said while talking to reporters following a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Right-wing historian David Irving was sentenced to three years in prison by an Austrian court on Monday on charges he had denied extermination of six millions Jews by the Nazis during World War II. There "should be no double standards", he said, referring to the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the European newspapers that triggered outrage and violent protests across the Muslim world. Meanwhile, shopkeepers shut their doors in Barwand town in South Waziristan tribal region to protest the cartoons. About 2,000 people chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Denmark" as they rallied and burned flags of Denmark, where the caricatures were first printed. Ihsanoglu said the Muslim community wanted European laws to protect their feelings and sensitivities so that freedom of expression was not abused for mud-slinging on their faith and the Prophet. Prime Minister Aziz said after the meeting that he had formally requested the secretary-general to convene an extraordinary session of foreign ministers of OIC member states to evolve a common strategy to combat the defamation of Islam. Aziz said Pakistan would send a bipartisan parliamentary delegation to Brussels to meet members of the European parliament to mobilise support for appropriate legislation against attempts to ridicule religions and prophets. The delegation on its way back would stop at Jeddah to brief the OIC secretary-general about discussions in Brussels. "We genuinely believe in interfaith harmony and feel Islamophobia will not help the cause of anyone in the world," the prime minister said. Ihsanoglu and Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri also held separate talks on restructuring the OIC and implementing a programme focusing on combating Islamophobia. With additional inputs from AP Gulf News

Also, UAE may likely to undermine any sanctions against Iran. These aren't the guys we need controlling our ports. Business Economy Published: 02/22/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) Iranians pin hopes on UAE By Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter Dubai: Visiting Iranian companies say they will survive a possible UN-sponsored economic boycott, partly due to healthy trade relations with the UAE. All trade with Iran may be blocked by most countries if it is formally referred next month to the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear energy programme, which Iran insists is for civilian purposes only. The Iranian companies say they have "considered all possibilities" in their nation's diplomatic row with the West, and expect business as usual because it will still be possible to indirectly import goods through tax-free havens like Dubai. They are also banking on strong domestic demand for their products to see them through a potential ban on Iranian exports. The export manager for Gasso, a maker of kitchen equipment, was confident he would be able to maintain relations with his European suppliers, be it on a different level. "We can still import indirectly through other countries if Italy, France and Germany are asked to stop sending us [machine parts]. They can be imported and even re-exported through Dubai without tax," said B. Azad. "I don't think Dubai can afford to support [sanctions on us] there are too many [iranian] government companies here and private investors' money, both in Dubai and passing through." Another manufacturer of food-processing machines, Omidi Industrial Machinery, does not expect a possible ban to apply to its main market, the CIS, or Commonwealth of Independent States. Omidi Industrial Machinery's marketing manager Shabnam Omidi said: "Close to half of our international market is the CIS. I don't believe that area will be affected. In any case, we can re-route [machines] through free zones here." An Iranian sweets seller, Oghab Halva, is not worried about the future. Its export manager, Elham Talebian, said, "We have our own markets now. Domestic demand is high. We're not worried about it." "Sanctions of any kind can happen anytime but when you're a merchant, you have to do your job and find a way to continue. We are self-sufficient with 60 per cent of the business concentrated in Iran. We currently export to the US, Canada, Germany and Iraq." Their comments were made at the Gulfood 2006 exhibition in Dubai. There was no national pavilion for Iran and the firms denied there were any political reasons for the low turnout. "We are businessmen, not politicians," Azad said. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog auditing Iran's nuclear ambitions, will submit on March 6 a report that may place the controversy in the Security Council's hands. Economic sanctions are a possible outcome if Iran defies calls to halt the programme. Gulf News

Today our shipping ports, tomorrow our airports? Dubai sets up $15 dollar aerospace facility AFP, DUBAI Feb 21: The booming Gulf emirate of Dubai is to set up a 15-billion-dollar aerospace enterprise aimed mainly at providing worldwide maintenance services, the civil aviation chief said recently. The new facility will provide aircraft maintenance at world airports and lease planes, as well as set up an aviation academy, said Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum, who is also chairman of Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates. Announcing the formation of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), Sheikh Ahmad said that "within 10 years, DAE will become an integral part of the global aerospace industry". "Here in the UAE we are right at the heart of the most dynamic developments in the industry. "This region is in a position to shape the trends that will decide the future of the global industry," he told an audience led by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum, the driving force behind the emirate's ambitious projects. DAE's operations will be divided between six subsidiaries, the first of which is "Airport Development and Operations". It will focus on developing and extending existing airport infrastructure and target the rapidly emerging markets of China and India, DAE said in a statement. Independent Bangladesh I have a huge problem with a foreign government, which supported the Taliban and it's harboring of Al Qaeda, is financially linked to the recent strengthening of the Taliban forces in Pakistan and Afganistan, which does not recognize Israel, which served as a financial and operational base for the 9/11 attacks, provided 2 of the hijackers, etc. having anything to do with our ports. They will be in full control over which cargo loads are serviced and when, who has access, all maintenance, opening and closing the ports, and the security policies under which our Coast Guard and policing agencies operate. The only reasons I can see for this, and it is not legitimate, is the money trail. The article is dated Dec 12, and states that the bond issue would be listed in two months, about the same time as this stupidity. It's may be the start of the money trail that lead to this secret assignment. I wonder if somebody has interest in the sukuk that will convert to equity at the time of the IPO that is set for PCFC. With control over the world's most important port, somebody stands to make billions. Published: 12/12/2005 12:00 AM (UAE) World's largest sukuk to list on new bourse By Saifur Rahman, Staff Reporter Dubai: World's biggest-ever Islamic bond, the Dh10.27 billion ($2.8 billion) sukuk for Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), is likely to be listed on the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) in two months, a senior official said. "We plan to list a Dh10 billion sukuk on DIFX within the next two months," Fadi Ghosaini, head of business development at DIFX, told a meeting hosted by Dubai Property Group on Sunday. He, however, did not reveal the identity of the issuer. Currently PCFC's Dh10.27 billion sukuk is the only Islamic instrument of that size that is being offered for subscription. The listing of the sukuk would boost the profile of Dubai's newest exchange which witnessed less than expected trading during the initial weeks of its launch. "This will be followed by the listing of a major real estate investment trust fund on the exchange," he said. "We expect between three to five initial public offerings (IPOs) within the next few months with a combined capital offering of more than Dh3.67 billion." As many as 15 further IPOs are planned by the end of 2006, he said. PCFC's sukuk has been launched to finance a ?3.3 billion acquisition by its international port management arm, Dubai Ports World, of British ports, ferries and property group, Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O). Ghosaini said, DIFX has identified the property sector as one of the major growth areas for the exchange. "Dubai's real estate boom has attracted local, regional and international investors into the burgeoning property market," said Ghosaini. "The DIFX will provide a perfect platform for developers and real estate investors to raise capital by utilising a multitude of fund raising tools currently available. Such tools, which include debt and equity products, can help real estate companies expand their operations or finance projects in a more effective manner," he added. The size of the region's Islamic bond market is valued less than Dh10 billion. "If we can tap at least 25 per cent of the $300 billion Swiss funds that are looking for Islamic instruments, it will fetch us $75 billion worth of Islamic funds," he said, explaining the opportunities available in the market. The DIFX opened on September 26 this year with five listed securities. These are structured products issued by Deutsche Bank, which cover the US S&P 500, the German DAX 30, the Japanese Nikkei 225, the EuroStoxx 50 and the Stoxx 50. Expectation Issue likely to be oversubscribed The Dh10.27billion sukuk for Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), lead-managed by Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) and Barclays Capital (BC), has received an excellent response, and is likely to be oversubscribed by at least 50 to 75 per cent, with an expected book size of between $4 billion to $5 billion, officials said. Dr. Mohammad Khalfan Bin Kharbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), said, "DIB will break its own previously-held record of lead managing the world's largest sukuk. "The PCFC sukuk is the largest and also the first-ever convertible sukuk issue. It is convertible to 30 per cent equity shares of the PCFC entities when they go for the IPO within the next three years." "The unique structure of the sukuk, with its convertible element, along with the attractive potential yield ranging from 7.25 per cent to 8.25 per cent per annum have made this a highly sought after instrument. If the IPO does not happen, then the yield of the Sukuk will become over 10 per cent per annum," he added. Gulf News

Easy Access to Water Causes Baby Boom A shorter trip to get water boosted the birth rate in Ethiopian villages. Improving access to clean water can cause unexpected health problems, suggests a study in Ethiopia. Cutting down a woman?s long trek to get water can boost her fertility. But bumping up birth rates worsens childhood malnutrition overall, nature.com reveals. It is widely accepted that a cleaner water supply will enhance the health of those in developing countries. But few studies have tested how such installations affect a village as a whole. Two researchers examined what happened after water taps were plumbed into several rural villages in southern Ethiopia between 1996 and 2000. They gathered information on children?s births and deaths before and after the water supply arrived, and compared the data to that collected from settlements without a new tap. As they expected, the taps slashed the death rate among children by half, at least partly because they cut infectious diseases spread in dirty water. More surprisingly, the researchers found that women were, each month, three times more likely to give birth in the years after the tap was introduced. The increase in birth rate did not seem to be explained by factors such as changes in the women?s age, overall health or prosperity. The researchers suggest that the women?s fertility may have soared because they had stopped burning up energy trekking to and from distant water supplies. The women had previously spent up to six hours per day fetching water in extremely heavy clay pots. The women?s fertility may have been partly dampened by this strenuous exercise, much as athletes often experience a drop in fertility from excessive training. When the women had to walk only 15 minutes to a village tap, their fertility shot up. This boost in birth rate takes a toll on children?s health. The investigators found that kids were more likely to be malnourished, based on their height and weight, in villages with taps than in those without. This could be simply because families are sharing their scarce food between more children. Or perhaps low birth-weight babies, who previously would not have survived the trauma of birth, are now surviving but not thriving. Iran Daily I would have anticipated the enhanced life expectancy, but would not have anticipated the dramatic increase in the birth rate. I surely wouldn't have anticipated the increased malnourishment that resulted. Hopefully this study will lead to a more comprehensive approach.

Syria's switch to the Euro is only surprising in that it did not happen sooner (we froze their US assets in 2004). Iran switches next month. By switching to the Euro, foreign countries make themselves less vulnerable of being influenced by our policies. This is becoming more and more common. I expect this conversion to accelerate in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. This is shaping up to be Bush's legacy. And Greenspan has made sure that we are exceedingly vulnerable. Syria Decides to Replace US Dollar By Euro for Trade Deals By Middle East and North Africa Business Report, Amman, Jordan Feb. 14--Syria has decided to replace the US dollar by the Euro for its deals to cover its overdue exportation, importation and services payments. According to Kuna, the country's Prime Minister, Mohammed Naji Al-Otri issued a notification in this regard to avoid any obstacles the banks overseas might practice within the framework of imposing sanctions on Syria. Director General of the Commercial Bank of Syria, Dureid Dargham, said in a press release that this move was very important as there are threats from the USA against Syria which would result in complicating the banking procedures and the transfer operations into the country from corresponding banks in Europe. He added that the notification of the premier comes as a precautionary measure. Sources claim that this latest Syrian decision was considered an attempt to safeguard the national economy, especially when the American laws stipulate that any financial transactions in the US$ have to pass through the US banking system. Red Orbit

Isn't the US dollar the weakest its been in a long time? It hit a 6-month high this morning against the Euro, and yesterday set an all-time high against the Chinese yuan.

Cheney shooting victim suffers heart attack Tue Feb 14, 2006 1:54 PM ET173 HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Texas lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a weekend quail hunt suffered a minor heart attack on Tuesday when some of the birdshot migrated close to his heart, a hospital spokesman said. Harry Whittington, 78, has been moved into intensive care and will have to stay in the Corpus Christi, Texas hospital where he is being treated for at least another seven days to monitor his condition, said Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital spokesman Peter Banko. Dr. David Blanchard, the hospital's emergency room chief, said at a news conference Whittington underwent cardiac catheterization after doctors noted an irregular heartbeat due to a minor heart attack. "We are very, very optimistic that with Mr Whittington's strong heart ... he will do very well," Blanchard said. Whittington took pellets in his cheek, neck and chest when Cheney fired his shotgun while aiming for a bird during a hunt in southern Texas on Saturday, and was taken to hospital in nearby Corpus Christi. Reuters

The most surprising thing about the 2005 trade deficit is that we even had a trade deficit in the food sector. We are no longer the world's food bank. I'm still trying to find out how that happened. Where this affects us is in that we have trouble exporting our goods as the dollar is too strong. That makes it easier for us to buy cheap foreign goods, and difficult for us to export our products as they are more expensive for foreign countries. The most recent Fed rate hike was one of Greenspan's more spectacularly stupid moves (and he made plenty of them), as it only purpose was to strenghten the dollar even more. Most estimates are that there are 3 million Americans out of work (and several times that under-employed) due to Greenspan's disregard of international monetary policy and his falsely inflating the value of the dollar. But what can you expect from somebody who did not meet the requirements for the degree he purchased from NYU and a Fed Chairman and who lead us to 2 market crashes and a recession, and has set us up for the deepest recession most of us have ever seen? He left his position with a yield inversion, and forced us to issue 30-year bonds for the first time in decades. Our economy is in shambles, with plant closings and layoffs the likes we've never seen, a growing housing crisis, a rapidly more oppressive system of taxes, etc. Then just days after he resigns, takes a $250,000 speaking engagement [read: bribe] and illegally informs Lehman Brothers and 15 of its largest clients of upcoming Fed moves. If the trade deficit was cut in half, our GDP would increase by about $300 billion. That comes about $2,700 per American household. However, the savings from cheaper foreign goods saves the average American household about $1,000 per year. If the deficit were elilminated, adding a total of $5,400 per annually to the average American household, and we were to forgo the savings that are the benefit of the trade deficit, the average American household would be better off by a net $4,400 each year. Since the Clinton administration signed an irrevocable normal trade agreement (formerly known as a most favored nation trading status agreement) with China 2000, our deficit with China has grown by 250%. But at least Clinton's buddy Bernard Schwartz made billions due to Clinton's waiver which allowed Loral to sell all its space and missile technology (resulting cold war coming out of remission with a vengance). Now some in Congress are proposing legislation to revoke the irrevocable treaty. We are blaming China for our own stupid policies. We need to right our own ship. Getting rid of Greenspan goes a long way towards doing that. There is a huge push internationally for for the Euro to replace the dollar as an international trading standard. Several Middle Eastern countries are pushing for it, and Russia, China, and India are talking about converting to it. We have set ourselves up for a huge economic crisis. If the world markets start to dump $US, we're done. The trade deficits have made us vulnerable, which make it easier for Al Qaeda and others who desire to defeat us economically, to do so. I don't know if Bernanke is the guy to take over the Fed. He has an impressive resume, but hasn't written very much. Based on past appointments, I'm not overly impressed with Bush's ability to pick qualified candidates, and this guy has provided very little information about the way he thinks. I've been heding that the $US is near its peak, and been increasing hedging with Euros. However, if Greenspan's leaks to Lehman are true, there is still more a lot more damage to come with an even more rapidly increasing trade deficit due to the Fed continuing idiocy to strengthen the dollar, set us up for a fall, and put more Americans out of work. We are getting near the point where the markets forces make the correction to the $US without us having any controll over the freefall, as opposed to us setting forth policies to have a controlled adjustment our economy. It's going to be an interesting spring.

CIA counter-terror chief forced to quitAdd to Clippings [ Wednesday, February 08, 2006 07:42:01 pmREUTERS ] WASHINGTON: The head of the CIA's counter-terrorism centre has been forced to step down as part of efforts by the spy agency to bolster its pursuit of Al-Qaida, current and former intelligence officials said on Tuesday. Robert Grenier, 51, told colleagues in an e-mail on Monday that he had been asked to move on from the helm of the unit that plans and executes CIA counter-terrorism operations and provides analysis on terrorism issues. It was not clear whether Grenier planned to leave the spy agency and there was no immediate word on who would succeed him in the counter-terrorism post. The CIA has been criticised for failing to track down Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahri. Time of India I haven't found this in any US papers yet, and the sited source, Reuters, isn't currently carrying it on it US site. If true, this is a pretty serious shake-up. Porter Goss is the one I'd have liked to seen fired.

What percentage of the budget was devoted to the military and defense during Vietnam, WW2, and Korea? Even still, how much was education cut? Those cuts are ridiculous. The Department of Education probably wasn't cut much back then, since it didn't even come into existence until 1979.

?I was never told that I couldn?t wear that shirt into the Congress,? Sheehan wrote. ?I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things. ... I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later." The Capitol Police Chief says that Sheehan did ignore instructions. She was also vocal, said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer, and after she ignored instructions to close her jacket and quiet down, she was led out and arrested. Demonstrating in the House gallery is prohibited. Washington Post He said/she said. But, like with her previous arrest, she met her goal which, of which this thread is a part. Also, why is demonstrating in the House gallery prohibited, yet lobbyists are allowed full access anywhere, including the spa, with an open invitation? Seems that if you aren't paying off a Congressman, you aren't allowed to be heard. If you are bribing a Congressman, you're a lobbyist. If not, you're a protester not worthy of a voice. Frankly, I think she's looney tunes (no offense, Bugs). But she isn't as much a loon as those who make these rules. But G*d forbid that she loses her voice. If that happens, we've all lost.

"The rumor is that Iran will carry out a nuclear experiment in March... Published: 1/29/2006 Teheran is getting ready to counter a ?preemptive strike? by USA and Israel. The Air Force Command of the Revolutionary Guard has ordered its Shahap-3 Missile Units to keep their mobile missile ramps in motion in preparation for such an attack. Responding to this order, in darkness of the night the primary missile ramps have been moved to Kirmanshah and Hamedan, and the reserve ramps to Isfahan and Fars regions. The above actions are the basis for the efforts of the USA to attract Russia and China, as well as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to its side, and for commenting that a military intervention is always on the table. These actions are also the basis for Israel?s overt preparation for a possible offensive action and for making authoritative announcements that it ?will not permit Iran? to proceed with its nuclear plans. Suddenly, all these activities have created a renewed global atmosphere of war. They are spreading anxiety and paranoia. Israel is the only nuclear power in the Middle East. It has never accepted any international agreement on nuclear weapons, and has never allowed inspections of its nuclear facilities. Yet, it is aggressively beating the war drums as if Iran is the country involved in nuclear development in the area. What kind of innocence is this? Attacks to selected centers in Iran are foreseen to take place sometime in March-June. Even the Pope called upon Russia and China, requesting that they reconsider the subject of Iran. Iran can do what the Arab countries cannot: withdrawing its funds deposited at Western banks and moving them to Asian banks. Somehow, big steps are seemingly being taken toward a war. According to them, just two months remain. Within the next two months, confusing allegations will resonate as to how much of a threat Iran has become. So, why was the month of March chosen? What is behind the prediction that Iran will carry out a nuclear experiment in March? In other words, why are the USA and Israel drawing global attention to the month of March? Why are Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia being pushed into a race of weapons build-up by bringing up the possibility that they may also acquire nuclear weapons? Because, there is another event expected to occur in March, which could have an impact on the economy of the USA equivalent to a nuclear attack: in March, Teheran will implement its 2004 decision that it will start using the Euro instead of the Dollar in its petroleum trade, establishing a petroleum market, and breaking the ?petrodollar? monopoly. Iran will open its petroleum market in March. Euro will replace Dollar in the petroleum trade. This will constitute a major attack on a vital component of the American Empire. Once the decision is implemented, a real debate will start on this doomsday scenario for the American economy. Thereafter, the monopoly of USA/United Kingdom in international petroleum trade will collapse. The petroleum markets in New York and London will receive a heavy blow. The International Petroleum Market in London and the New York Mercantile Exchange controlled by the Americans are in a state of panic. The Iranian position is being supported by the Chinese. The Japanese are also inclined to switch to Euro; this way, they could lower their Dollar reserves. What are the implications of the widespread switch to the Euro, and the preference of Russia, European Union, Japan and some of the Arab countries to use the Euro in petroleum trade? What would happen if Russia that has major trade relations with Europe, China and Japan were to start using the Euro in the energy market? What would happen if the petroleum-producing Arab countries would also see the Euro as the alternative to compensate for the loss of Dollar?s value? Indeed, loss of Dollar?s value will force many countries to prefer the Euro. This scenario will progressively lead to a profitable business. If these issues were to lead to an escape from the Dollar, and dramatically reduce the flow of money to the USA, what will be the shape of the American economy? There lies the wisdom of the month of March. This danger hides behind the hullabaloo that Iran will conduct a nuclear experiment in March. An Iranian petroleum market that is indexed on the Euro is more dangerous for the USA than any nuclear weapon. The USA, which is working on controlling global petroleum markets under the label of ?fighting terrorism? is actually fighting an economic war. However, as it becomes more and more aggressive, it is sinking deeper and deeper... Turkish Press Oddly enough, last week China opened Arab banks - I wonder if that is where Iran moved their billions? While I think (or at least hope) that this doomsday senario is quite extreme, there is a potential threat. Because of the relative stability of our economy, the US dollar is used in international trade. Currently, there are a total of about $11 trillion in US currency (about 75% of our $100 bills) is held offshore. This is significant because when our treasury issues new currency, it also purchases interest-bearing notes to cover those securities. Those notes are not paid until the currency is taken out of circulation. Now, if the US dollars are returned, and have no future offshore home, they will be taken out of circulation. If that happened in a short or intermediate term, we're screwed. The EU wants part of this benefit, and thus introduced its 500 euro note. The EU would probably be in some support of this. However, to kill our ecomony would likely lead to the destruction of the EU economies. They might want to knock us down, but I doubt they want to take us out. The Saudis have been openly seeking to decrease their dependence on exports to the US, and last week entered agreements with both China and India to tremendously increase their imports of Saudi oil. I also wonder if the Saudi desire to reduce dependence on our imports of their oil is also due to their desire to convert to the euro? Also, China is foregoing all markets and purchasing their oil directly. There are a few indicators in place that support the conversion of trade from the US dollar to the euro, and that would be a disaster for us.

Pakistan Published: 01/30/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) Pakistan 'delay' let Bin Laden escape US strike The Telegraph Group Karachi: Prevarication by the Pakistani Government cost America the chance to kill Osama Bin Laden in an airstrike near the Afghan border two years ago, the Sunday Telegraph has said. A CIA lead that the Al Qaida leader was hiding in a remote province was squandered because the Pakistani Government delayed giving permission for the attack on its soil, according to a senior Western diplomat. By the time US officials got the go-ahead, Bin Laden had left the suspected hideout in Zhob, in the Balochistan province of south-west Pakistan. The near-miss was cited by the diplomat as the reason why America chose not to consult Islamabad before the US missile strike in Pakistan's Bajaur region two weeks ago. The January 13 attack, prompted by a tip that Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman Al Zawahiri, was hiding in a local village, killed 13 civilians. Speaking of the Zhob attack, the diplomat said: "For unknown reasons, Pakistani officials delayed in giving permission ... which ultimately gave these militants time to move to an unknown location." According to his account, which was backed by sources within Pakistani intelligence, the CIA picked up electronic traffic suggesting that Bin Laden and his bodyguards had sought temporary shelter in Zhob, which is dominated by Pathan and Baloch tribesmen sympathetic to Al Qaida and the Taliban. Fearing that a commando raid would cause massive casualties to both sides, with no guarantee of success, the US decided to launch a strike by laser-guided missiles, fired from Predator drones. Violation The reason for the delay is not clear. While Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has vowed to eliminate terrorists operating within his country, elements within Pakistan's ISI intelligence service may have sought to protect Bin Laden. If he was in Zhob at the time it would have been the first known occasion that he had been firmly in America's sights since his escape from Tora Bora in Afghanistan, where he slipped through a cordon of US troops in 2001. Musharraf last week described the strike against Al Zawahiri as a "violation" although he said other Al Qaida figures had died in the raid. Al Zawahiri is thought to have cancelled his visit, possibly after spotting CIA drones in the area. Gulf News - United Arab Emirates

There was evidence of Iraqi WMD. Maybe not nuclear, but chemical weapons were used against the Kurds at the end of the Iraq/Iran war. That is evidence enough for me(not to mention that we had guys get hit with chemical blister agents...a mortar dispersed it and the cloud just kind of stayed there), so dont say there were no WMD there. There have been years of evidence pointing to the fact that there was. Except it wasn't exactly recent evidence. And as I'm sure you will recall, we kind of hammered Saddam's war machine pretty effectively in about a month during Desert Storm. Before 1991, Iraq had the most powerful military of any Arab country in the region. After, international sanctions kept Saddam from rebuilding any of his military programs. His only way to get money after that was by scamming the U.N. through the Oil for Food program. It appears that he put that money back into his own pocket, rather than worrying about his special weapons programs. IF Saddam still had some weapons left, as this general claims, it couldn't have been very much. If you find a disassembled rifle in a brief case, is it a weapon? We have found 1.7 tons of uranium 235 that was 93% enriched. We also found 25,000 centrifuges used in the enrichment process to create fissile material. These centrifuges were only one of the four methods for which we have found the paraphernalia for the enrichment process (we also found electrical/chemical, computer modeling, and petrochemical methods were being tested). The centrifuges alone were capable of creating enough fissle material to create a couple nuclears missles a year. Further, Saddam had, in recent years, illegally tested its ballistic missiles beyond the UN limit of 150km (several were tested at twice that range). Also, we've found UAVs that were designed for carrying biological and perhap (though unlikely) chemical weapons. To those with enough intellect to recognize the parts that we have indeed found for what they are, the estmates are that Iraq would have been a nuclear power somewhere between 2005-2009.

According to some friends in Montreal, the total failure of the criminal justice system also played a huge roll. I found several US sources with this story, but this source is from a Canadian governmental agency. Rezac shocks media with B.C. crime statistics September 8, 2004 Rezac B.C. has a "worrisome" crime rate, says Rezac "The public needs to become aware of the crime problem we have in British Columbia," said Darcy Rezac, managing director of The Vancouver Board of Trade, to the Vancouver media today. Rezac shocked several members of the media, including CKNW?s Jennifer Mather, by pointing out that Canada?s overall crime rate was twice that of the United States and that B.C.?s crime rate was almost three times that of the U.S. "People here like to think of Canada as a kinder, gentler place, and that just isn?t the case," said Rezac, citing the British Columbia Progress Board?s Third Annual Benchmarking Report, which shows B.C.?s overall crime index per 100,000 as second only to the District of Columbia compared to all provinces and states in North America. "The violent crime rate in B.C. is particularly worrisome," said Rezac. "Violent crime per 100,000 is more than twice as bad as the worst state in the U.S." Pointing out that the U.S. was the destination for 80 per cent of Canadian exports, Rezac said that B.C.?s crime could negatively affect Canada?s trading relationship with the U.S. "Canada is dependent on the United States as a trading partner. The Board of Trade has been working for over 20 years to open up the border between our nations. Now, the United States is hiring more officers to protect the border from criminals in Canada." When asked what we should do about the crime problem, Rezac said, "We need to ensure that the public knows about these numbers." He went on to say that once the public is made aware of how bad the crime problem is, then public pressure can be placed on politicians to ensure that our laws and sentencing guidelines are appropriate and that repeat offenders are kept off the streets. Vancouver Board of Trade I'm glad to find out that we are hiring "more officers to protect the border from criminals in Canada." In the past it didn't matter what a government did with human rights, or a country's crime rate. All they had to do was import North Carolina tobacco, and Jesse Helms, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made sure they had most favored nation trading status (now called Normal Trading Relations status). While Richard Lugar isn't anywhere near as predictable as Helms, I doubt Lugar will let Canada's crime rate interfer with their US trading status.

While we are in a rebuilding mode, I wish he'd just go and the surgery. I'd rather him sit a couple months now than miss a year+ later on when the rest of the team becomes more competitive. It will hurt a whole lot less having him out this year.

It will be nice to have a spring training with a plan. The 2004 and 2005 STs under McKeon were a joke.

Don't let the facts get in the way: For 2005, new student loans provided under the Federal Family Education Loans and Federal Direct Loans programs will grow from $52.2 billion to $56.9 billion, an increase of $4.7 billion or 9 percent. US Department of Education

It looks like China will be doubling it's imports of Saudi oil withing two years. It will be interesting to see how this affect the rattling of sabres between China and Japan over Japan's drilling in the China sea (and China's attempts to economically isolate Japan by getting trade agreements with all its Asian neighbors). Chinese-Saudi energy deal expected By Chris Oliver, MarketWatch Last Update: 6:34 AM ET Jan. 23, 2006 HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign an energy-cooperation deal this week, marking a milestone in relations between the two nations as King Abdullah begins a three-day visit to Beijing. The Saudi king, who arrived in Beijing Sunday, was due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday. China's Foreign Ministry said the two leaders would oversee the signing of several contracts, without specifying a date, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency. The deal is likely to include a memorandum of understanding calling for increased bilateral cooperation and investment in oil, natural gas and minerals, according to a report in the Asian Wall Street Journal, which cited an unnamed Saudi official. It's Abdullah's first official overseas visit since taking the throne in August. And the visit is the first by a Saudi ruler since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990. Analysts said the meeting will likely address China's technical ability to handle increased imports of heavy and sour crude oil -- the two main types of petroleum that China exports from Saudi Arabia. China's coastal refineries can only handle about 500,000 barrels of sour crude daily, not far above the 400,000 barrels of Saudi crude it now imports a day. The deal comes as Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil supplier with the largest known reserves, seeks to diversify its economy and move away from too great a dependence on the United States, analysts said. "In the coming years China will be the incremental buyer for Saudi crude along with India," said energy analyst Gordon Kwan, at Hong Kong brokerage CLSA. "So they want to make sure that Chinese refineries have the technology to process the type of crude oil that Saudi will be producing." Abdullah's China visit is part of a four-nation Asian tour that will also include stops in India, Malaysia and Pakistan. Members of his delegation include Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi. China's oil imports from Saudi Arabia have doubled in recent years from 12.5 million tons in 2002 to 22 million tons for the first 11 months of 2005. China's consumption, currently 7 million barrels per day, is growing at about 5% a year, spelling additional daily demand of 350,000 barrels. Kwan estimates if China turned to Saudi Arabia for half its growing oil consumption, daily imports from the kingdom could double to 1 million barrels per day within two years, not far behind U.S. current daily imports of 1.2 million barrels per day. "So even though in absolute size of purchase China is really only one-third that of the U.S., when it comes to incremental growth, China is a big player," Kwan says. Analysts said the talks between the two leaders will also focus on terrorism and the potential for Chinese troops in Saudi Arabia. Daniel Chan, chief investment strategist of DBS bank in Hong Kong, said in addition to crude oil, the talks will focus on boosting the import of refined oils in the form of diesels and other ready-to-use fuels. "At this moment, I don't think there will be a specific deal," Chan said. "I think the important element is the commitment between the two governments. China has an interest in sourcing long-term oil reserves directly from the Middle East." Chinese and Saudi oil companies have already signed several deals. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, is drilling for natural gas in Saudi Arabia. Sinopec, China's second-biggest oil producer by volume, is also working with Saudi Aramco and Exxon Mobil to build a refinery in the southern province of Fujian. Aramco is also doing engineering work for another Sinopec refinery in China's northeast. Market Watch

At this point, it doesn't sound like OPEC is going to be influenced by Iran to cut production any further than it would without the recent tensions. In the spring in the northern hemisphere, production is usually cut as demand lessens during the warmer weather for the bulk of the world's oil-consuming population. So, we can expect a cut in production, but probably nothing out of the ordinary. Last Update: Sunday, January 22, 2006. 3:12pm (AEDT) Iranian tensions may hit OPEC OPEC, which is to set its production policy for the coming months at the end of January, risks being dragged into a conflict pitting Iran against Western oil consuming nations. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which pumps about 40 per cent of the world's oil, is due to meet on January 31 in Vienna. There it will decide whether or not it should cut its output in the second quarter, when demand usually eases as warmer weather comes in the northern hemisphere. However, the decision will not be easy to take with oil prices only $US2 away on Friday from an all-time high of $US70 and amid uncertainty about global oil demand. OPEC's task could be made all the more difficult as tensions between the West and Iran, the cartel's second-biggest producer, heat up over the Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions. Iran has asked OPEC to reduce the cartel's oil production quota by 1 million barrels per day from April. "OPEC should not postpone the issue of output reduction," Iran's OPEC representative Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said. "Iran has called for carrying out discussions and making decisions for a 1 million bpd of oil output cut in the second quarter. "If OPEC continues its current production, the [current] excess 2 million bpd of oil supply will lead to an excessive stockpile. Mr Ardebili says the stockpile is not affect oil prices at the moment because demand is high. "But in the second quarter, this heap of [oil] snow will fall down on the oil price as an avalanche," he added. Sanctions decision The remarks come as Western countries aim to gather support for referring Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. The editor of industry journal Arab Oil and Gas, Francis Perrin, says Iran's call for an output cut "can be interpreted as a way to send a message to Western countries". However, he says Iran would have no easy job convincing its partners in OPEC, which says it is an apolitical organisation, to go ahead with a production cut. So far no other OPEC country has shown signs of taking the call seriously. Algeria and Venezuela have openly said they were against a cut. Nigeria and Indonesia have also given similar indications, according to the Paris-based International Energy Organisation. The US has weighed in to urge other OPEC member states to make up for any shortfall if Iran stops pumping. ABC News/Austrailia - the ABC New/US didn't carry this story

Makes no sense as 70% of US oil comes from places other than the Middle East. I think you have that backwards. No, he's basically correct. Actually, as of 2004 (I haven't seen the 2005 totals yet), the Middle East accounted roughly 24% of our imports - far less than the 32% we import from Canada and Mexico. Nonetheless, it's the price of oil world-wide that would be affected. What the article ignores is that production has been increasing in Iraq, and would increase throughout all producing counntries once the prices start to rise. On the other side, the article is also ignoring China's rapidly increasing thirst for oil, which the vast majority of analysts attribute to being the majority factor in upward pressure on oil prices. Yesterday, Saudi King Abdullah arrived in Beijing for meetings reguarding China's oil imports.

The Bush administration changed the focus of MSHA towards prevention, and removed a full layer of administration. Also, compared to 2000, the frequency of inspections has increased by nearly 100%. West Virginia Mining Law 22A-1-35 requires that each operator provide emergency response teams for each underground mine, which may also be outsourced. For the last 13 years, this law has become increasing lenient in its interpretation. Under Governor Joe Manchin, this law has been even losely interpreted, continuing to allow the mine operators to maintain a single team in the state to cover all their operations. Further, under Manchin, the same outsourced team can be the ERT for several operators. This lose interpretation probably had a disasterous impact on the Sago mine accident, as it took the ERT several hours to assemble at the mine, and only two individual members, out of all member of all the ERTs, had ever served in, or was familar with, the Sago mine. For what it's worth, in the last 80 years, every presidential administration has been able to recognize a drop in the average number of coal mine fatalities. While the average number of deaths dropped during the Kennedy administration, it is the only administratin to suffer and increase in the death rate (deaths/miners). However, the Johnson administration, while seeing and improvement in both the number of deaths and death rate over the Kennedy years, still had a higher death rate than the Eisenhower administration. Even including the 13 miners this month in the five years of the current administration, the death rate has fallen by 19% compared to the Clinton administration (which had a 21% drop from Bush I). Further, along with Nixon, Ford, and Carter, the current administration has seen a decline in both the average number of deaths and death rate with also seeing an increase in the number of miners. The increased number of inspection by the current administration has resulted in a reduction in the injury rate in all classifications but one - injuries related to machinery - which is the root cause of the most recent two fatalities. These injuries, which are about 9% of all coal mine injuries, have increased at about a 25% rate. While inspections of the mines themselves has shown results in all other areas, apparently the inspectors do not/can not properly inspect the equipment. There is still a lot more that can be done, especially in the area of prevention of lung disease, for the miners. The Personal Dust Monitors (PDM) still are not available for the miners.

Didnt the democrats used to want more government and beurocrats? Now it seems they flip flopped and the republicans are that group once more. I don't have any facts or figures, but it seems a lot of Republicans have changed their voter registration for that reason. A lot more, who might not have formerly changed their registration, are fed up wondering what this administration and congress are doing acting like the old Dems. Has Bush yet vetoed anything?

Invite him to the bargaining table. But just him, his best solider, and Bush. The meeting will be at a small Italian restaurant. Then have Cheney hide a gun in the bathroom where Bush can sneak in during a bathroom break and get it. Then Bush shoots both of them, drops the gun, and walks out casually. But would Bush have the testicles to do that? Surprisingly, Chirac would: France would use nuclear weapons against terrorism Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:56 AM ET166 By Elizabeth Pineau BREST, France (Reuters) - France said on Thursday it would be ready to use nuclear weapons against any state that carried out a terrorist attack against it, reaffirming the need for its nuclear deterrent. Deflecting criticism of France's costly nuclear weapons program, President Jacques Chirac said security came at a price and France must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state's centers of power and its "capacity to act". He said there was no change in France's overall policy, which rules out the use of nuclear weapons in a military conflict. But his speech pointed to a change of emphasis to underline the growing threat France perceives from terrorism. "The leaders of states who would use terrorist means against us, as well as those who would consider using, in one way or another, weapons of mass destruction, must understand that they would lay themselves open to a firm and adapted response on our part," Chirac said during a visit to a nuclear submarine base in northwestern France. "This response could be a conventional one. It could also be of a different kind," said Chirac, the first time he had so clearly linked the threat of a nuclear response to a terrorist attack. Chirac, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, said all of France's nuclear forces had been configured with the new strategy in mind and the number of nuclear warheads on French nuclear submarines had been reduced to allow targeted strikes. Chirac, 73, did not say whether France would be prepared to use pre-emptive strikes against a country it saw as a threat. SECURITY TIGHT France has had nuclear weapons since the 1960s and experts believe it has some 300 nuclear warheads. "Against a regional power, our choice would not be between inaction or annihilation," Chirac said in his first major speech on France's nuclear arms strategy since 2001. "The flexibility and reactivity of our strategic forces would enable us to exercise our response directly against its centers of power and its capacity to act. France has tightened security since Islamist suicide bombers killed more than 50 people in attacks on London transport last July, and following the Madrid bomb blasts which killed more than 190 people in March 2004. Despite its strong opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, France remains a target for Islamist militants because of its intelligence links with the United States and Britain. Last July, national police service chief Michel Gaudin said a radical Algerian Islamist group, the GSPC, had been in contact with al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, about launching attacks in France. France's Communist opposition party and disarmament groups said Chirac's comments were irresponsible. "Far from ridding France of nuclear weapons, the president is, on the contrary, considering the actual use of nuclear bombs," the Sortir du Nucleaire group said. Communist deputy Jacques Brunhes said Chirac's position was extremely dangerous: "It can only encourage states which have signed the non-proliferation treaty to opt for military uses of nuclear technology." With the end of the Cold War, critics have questioned the use of the French nuclear deterrent, which accounts for some 10 percent of the overall defense budget. Chirac's government is under pressure to cut spending as it struggles to bring its public deficit below the European Union's deficit limit of 3 percent of gross domestic product. "Our country's security and its independence have their price," Chirac said. Reuters