A 20-year-old girl was auctioned at village Badani Bhutto of Taluka Kashmore in consideration of Rs2,70,000 on Saturday.
Azizan, daughter of late Allah Bux Bhutto, was divorced on the allegation of Karo-kari some time back. She is stated to be mother of two children and was residing with her brother who held the open auction for her sale at village Badani Bhutto.
A large number of villagers showed interest in the auction that started with Rs50,000 and ended at Rs270,000. Bilawal Bhutto, 50, of the same village purchased her for the said amount. Initially he paid Rs210,000 for the girl.
Maulana Azizullah Bhutto performed their nikah later.
It is irony of the situation that no one condemned the inhuman act. The groom will take the bride to his house after paying the rest of the amount. The auction money was distributed equally among all the brothers of the girl.
#1
Hey man, I had a bid on the broad at E-Bat for 275,000 RedShingles. And I had plans for her to perform nikad at 4:30PM at the Naked Mountain Winery in Virginia. What Gives ?
The infamous shoe thrower who took aim at President Bush during a press conference in Iraq apparently did it for the money. Muntazer al-Zaidi says in an article printed in the UK Guardian "I blame the media because they said I would become rich for doing what I did, that I would become a multi-millionaire". He went on to say "Though I thank them for their concern for me, all the promises about gifts I heard when I was in prison were just empty." from his house in Switzerland that a benefactor has bought for him but he can not furnish.
"In the long run we can't continue to spend as if deficits don't have consequences, as if waste doesn't matter, as if the hard earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like monopoly money, that's what we've seen time and time again, Washington has become more concerned about the next election than the next generation." Frankly, I'm speechless.
Your U.S. House & Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises.
1. They voted to not give you a S.S. cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.
2. Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and you will not get the 3% COLA or $660/yr. Your total 2-yr loss and costis $1,600 or $3,200for husband and wife. Plain enough???
3. Every member of Congress will get an added $10,000 which is putting them very close to $ 200,000 per year. Sounds like an elite class to us.
4. Do you feel SCREWED? They vote themselves a raise and better benefits. They only care about WE THE PEOPLE on election day, right? You never did anything about it in the past. The time for action is near!!!!
5. Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barnie, et al, care about you? SEND THE MESSAGE-- You're FIRED.
*** THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICAL PARTIES! IN 2010 YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GET RID OF THE ENTIRE SITTING CONGRESS, Up to 1/3 OF THE SENATE, AND 100% OF THE HOUSE.
The election in 2010 will be a sea-change to the mindset of any member of Congress who may survive.
MAKE SURE YOURE STILL MAD IN NOVEMBER 2010 AND REMIND THE REPLACEMENTS NOT TO SCREW UP LIKE THE GUYS THEY ARE REPLACING.
#5
MAKE SURE YOU'RE STILL MAD IN NOVEMBER 2010 AND REMIND THE REPLACEMENTS NOT TO SCREW UP LIKE THE GUYS THEY ARE REPLACING.
No problemo Besoeker!
These guys have screwed up the economy. Despite the numbers these guys put out; I don't have any confidence in the market. My retirement took a huge hit. Retired elders lost trillions in retirement they had worked for all their lives. They have tried to destroy capitalism. The President has bowed to every tin-horned dictator he meets. He has not apologized to the American people once. The country has vast belts of empty factories and stores. Unemployment is probably much greater than reported because you cannot trust Washington politicos to tell anything close to the truth. It's not in them.
#7
I suppose that means that the president will therefore be vetoing the profligate, wasteful, and corrupt 'health reform' bills when they reach his desk.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/21/2009 19:10
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#8
Mitch H---That is a presumptuous assumption on your part. Heh.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/21/2009 20:27
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#9
I thought they took Ghettopoly off the market DMFD. At least they can find a use for all the unsold games...
#10
PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > YOUTUBE > {Glenn Beck Show on FOXNEWS Channel] UNITED STATES DEBT OBLIGATIONS NOW EXCEEDS WORLD GDP. MONETARY COLLAPSE LOOMING [World GDP = US$78.4Trilyuhn for 2008].
Lest we fergit, CHIN BLOGS > US "TRUE/REAL DEBT" MANY TIMES EXCEEDS ITS "OFFICIAL" DEBT???
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > CHINA WARNS OBAMA/US ON DEFICIT SPENDING.
#1
ION WAFF > ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE:TURKEY HAS NO PLACE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. Opined that Turkey is not the same country it was in the near past + contemnpor Turkey may ultimately prove to a covert Muslim "Trojan Horse" that destroys Europe???
* SAME > INSURGENT ATTACKS FOLLOW A UNIVERSAL PATTERN OF TIMING AND CASUALTIES [UoMiami Pert + Team believes Insurgency as a form of Human Behavior can be "measured" or quantified unto RELIABLE PREDICTIVE MODEL???
A career criminal massacred three members of a family in their apartment but fell to his death when he tripped over his own baggy pants.
The massacre occurred Thursday afternoon near a string of upscale shops on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Police said the attack apparently stemmed from botched drug ripoff.
"There is a significant amount of heroin found in the apartment," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told the Daily News.
Police said Hector Quinones, 44, shot and killed Carlos Rodriguez Sr., 52, and his 24-year-old son, Carlos Rodriguez Jr., then stabbed to death the younger Rodriguez's grandfather, Fernando Gonzalez, 87, according to reports in the Daily News and the New York Post.
The elder Rodriguez's wife, Gisela Rodriguez, 49, and her daughter, Leyanis, 28, walked in on the carnage. Quinones heard keys in the lock and opened the door for the women, police said.
He shot the mother, who was grazed on the head by a bullet but managed to run from the apartment. The killer was just about the grab the daughter when his low-slung pants fell down and he tripped, the Post said. That gave the young woman the chance to run into a back room, where she found the bodies of her brother and father.
Quinones yanked up his pants and scrambled after Leyanis Rodriguez, who climbed onto a fire escape, screaming for help to construction workers on the roof of a nearby building, the Post said. The attacker followed her onto the fire escape, but once again his drooping pants fell and he tripped, plunging three stories to his death.
Estella Carrino, who manages a street-level bicycle store in the building, said she heard the body hit the ground.
"He had no jacket on and his pants were down. He was very dead," she told the Daily News.
#4
"He had no jacket on and his pants were down. He was very dead,"
There's dead and then there's "very dead." In this particular case I think she is referring to the absence of involuntary muscle movement, twitching, etc, along with oozing, sticky grey matter on the sidewalk. Just my guess. Thank you Lord for positive outcomes.
#6
I think the difference between 'dead' and 'very dead' is that with dead, you don't have to wash the deceased's splattered brains off of your pants legs.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/21/2009 19:07
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#8
Miracle Max: There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
Inigo Montoya: What's that?
Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.
Nelson did it all for Nebraska, right? Seems like the governor doesn't see it that way:
Gov. Dave Heineman today made the following comment regarding Sen. Ben Nelsons statements on the so-called Reid-Nelson amendment. Sen. Nelson is reported as saying, Well, you know, look, I didn't ask for a special favor here. I didn't ask for a carve out. What I said is the Governor of Nebraska has contacted me, he said publicly he's having trouble with the budget and this will add to the budget woes. And I said, look, we have to have this fixed.
Gov. Heinemans statement follows:
Nebraskans did not ask for a special deal, only a fair deal. Under no circumstances did I have anything to do with Senator Nelsons compromise. I, along with Governors all across America, have expressed concern about the unfunded Medicaid mandate. I have said all along that this bill is bad news for Nebraska and bad news for America. Additionally, I criticized Senator Reid when he got a special deal for Nevada that didnt apply uniformly to all states. Senator Nelson negotiated this special deal, rather than a fair deal for both Nebraska and America. The responsibility for this special deal lies solely on the shoulders of Senator Ben Nelson.
#2
Sen Dorgan (D-ND) had a 75% fav rating back in 2006 and is in deep, deep trouble in 2010.
Nelson had about 70% back then but I can hardly wait to see the latest poll. Once the sunlight shines on the actual Senate votes the state voters are less easily glad-handed.
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/21/2009 19:37
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IRANIAN authorities are continuing to hold several members of Osama bin Laden's family.
Abdul Rahman bin Laden told news network Al Jazeera today that his sister Eman, one of his stepmothers and five of his brothers have been prevented from leaving by the authorities in Tehran since 1997.
He claimed Eman managed to escape several weeks ago and he then advised her to take shelter in the Saudi Arabian embassy.
Abdul Rahman bin Laden told Al Jazeera that he was concerned for his sister's health.
He called on Tehran to release his relatives and on the Saudi government to ensure his sister's departure from the country.
#2
So, let me see.
Al Qaeda is enemy of Saudia and friend of Iran.
Bin Laden's family are doing (very) well in Saudia, and are prisoners in Iran.
I gotta be missing something.
#1
PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > US SPECIAL FORCES MOUNTED SECRET PAKISTANI RAIDS IN HUNT FOR AL QAEDA, FORMER NATO NIGHT OFFICER REVEALED SECRET NIGHT OPERATIONS IN WAZIRISTAN BORDER REGIONS.
* SAME > US FIGHTER JETS INTRUDE INTO PAKISTANI AIRSPACE, + US CURRENTLY HAS 189,000 PERSONNEL IN AFGHANISTAN [68,000 US milfors + 121,0000 Paid Contractors > numbers of combined Mil-Contractor Personnel may rise to possib 225,000 tote in 2010].
Ex-communicated Roman Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has rejected the decision by Benedict XVI to unfrock, describing it as "invalid" and said he wanted the Roman Catholic Church to pay him pension for the 23 years he worked in Italy.
Speaking in Lusaka, Milingo said he did not accept the decision by the Vatican to strip him of his titles, which he had held for about 50 years, insisting he would always be a priest. He also said the letter addressed to him is "not valid" because it did not have the emblem of and seal from the pope.
"I don't accept that," said 79-year-old Milingo, a Zambian national.
Milingo demanded his pension from the Vatican.
"The frontline of the Catholic church are the priests...let people not think I am going to give up, my dear lord," Milingo said.
"I was assigned by the late Pope John Paul to work in Italy. I worked for 23 years and now the church wants to take advantage of marriage to deny me my pension," Milingo said.
Milingo said his Vicar General in the USA would respond on issues pertaining to his dismissal.
The Vatican announced on Thursday that Pope Benedict dismissed Milingo from the clerical state, the most extraordinary penalty that can be imposed on a bishop. Defrocking entails dismissing a priest from the clerical state and prohibits such individuals from donning clerical attire and strips them of priestly rights and duties.
In 2001, Milingo shocked the Catholic establishment by marrying a Korean acupuncturist in a mass "Moony" wedding ceremony in New York presided over by the founder of the Unification Church himself, Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
Milingo also claimed that he was aware that the church had in the past executed clerics that came up with intentions of marriage whilst serving as priests.
"I know a lot about the church than those condemning me. The church twice executed those who came up with such intentions and I know where they are buried in Rome," Milingo said.
#2
Milingo also claimed that he was aware that the church had in the past executed clerics that came up with intentions of marriage whilst serving as priests.
#4
I still believe that the RC Church doesn't want the cost of 'additional dependents' as the true reason for not allowing priests to marry.
You can say it's all 'scriptural', but I believe we'll see female clergy before we see married ones.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/21/2009 16:31
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#5
Actually, Richard, there are a few married Roman Catholic priests. The parish I belonged to a few years ago had one as a parochial vicar (assistant pastor). He had been a minister and converted and was ordained a priest. He needed special permission from the pope.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/21/2009 17:41
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Harry Reid got his 60. Ben Nelson resorted to the typical Washington expedient in such situations and bought into a few window-dressing compromises, in exchange for an enormous Medicaid benefit to his state. The Cornhusker Kickback joins the Louisiana Purchase as the latest evidence that theres nothing like a hundred million or so in federal dollars to alleviate a senators deeply held concerns about the substance of Obamacare. Nelsons sellout is a gigantic step toward the passage of the bill, but its not over yet. Here are five obstacles that still stand between Reid-Pelosi and a White House signing ceremony: Go read the rest of it.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/21/2009
09:38 ||
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#1
Well, that was sheery, and the really good news is that all the cheer is bad news for progressives!
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/21/2009 12:09
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#2
Cheery, not sheery, Sheesh!
Posted by: Bobby ||
12/21/2009 12:16
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#3
"The unions hate the Cadillac tax, since they enjoy such plans themselves, the fruit of collective bargaining. If the House gives in, it will create even more unrest on the Left."
The Left will not hold up this Bill but their votes will come at a price. Unions are their meal ticket. Look for Card Check and Immigration Reform to percolate to the top of the legislative docket early next year in the House.
#4
1) Public revulsion doesn't seem to be slowing the Democrats down any. The timeline is exactly what Reid wanted.
2) The Stupak dozen don't matter. The House vote was 220 in favor because Pelosi let some of her votes go 'no' to save them. But she can get them back if she needs them.
3) Payment will get resolved in the way Landreau and Nelson were taken care of -- the unions will get an exemption and the rich will be told to suck it up.
4) Blue Dogs are going to take the hit. Pelosi and Axelrod think they can save their majority by ramming this through and then spending the next year hand-waving and blaming everything that is bad on George Bush. Why not -- it's worked since 2006. But there are a lot of liberal Dems who would be happy to pass the health care bill, take a 'temporary' hit in the House, and plan on winning in 2012.
5) The Left has nowhere to go. They could sit on their hands like libertarian-Repubs did in '06 and '08 (how'd that work out for you, Bill Quick?) but generally they're smarter about those sorts of things. And regardless, ACORN and the SEIU will be rustling every vote they possibly can. So the Dems can reasonably count on little defection from the Left.
Unfortunately this sucker is going to get through. God help us all.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/21/2009 12:46
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#6
Unless the Donks are going to pass this and then use it to claim that the republicans are going to take way all healthcare. They did it before - claiming that a 7-8% increase was a social-security slash which would force seniors to eat catfood, etc... It was a lie. The MSM knew and admitted it wasn't the truth - and then went and continued the claim.
I can hear it now:
"The republicans are going to take away your health insurance! The republicans are going to take away your health insurance! YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!"
With the MSM harping this from the rooftops for 6 months
Written by Former US Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen.
The money shot: ....the doctrine of "mutual assured destruction" might be taken as a promise, not a threat. We could wind up in a nuclear showdown with Iran, similar to the Cuban missile crisis, without the benign outcome.
#4
Not to compare apples to oranges here, because that's exactly what I'm about to do, but my guess is that The 0ne will follow the same blueprint, more or less, that he established with his Afghanistan decision. In other words, he will wither and waver in an effort to make it look like he is soberly weighing all available options sans emotion. Then, in the final hour, my guess is that he will green light Israel's use of military force to take out Iran's nuclear facilities-- because let's face it, they are going to do it with or without our blessing, anyways-- on the condition they they take the lead militarily while the US plays a secondary role (as far as appearances are concerned).
#7
Year 2010-2020 Next Decade > I don't anticipate or foresee Radical Islam letting up on its Jihad in any way - in fact, I expect the violence to worsen as the Islamists move beyond AFPAK. MORESO IFF IRAN DECLARES ITSELF TO BE A NUCWEAPS STATE COME 2012, as it technically already is a NucPower = NucState wid its low-yield nucmats.
IMO YEAR 2012 AND BEYOND > NUCWEAPSTATE IRAN = ADVENT OF NUCLEAR MILITANCY-TERRORISM AGZ THE US-WORLD.
Lest we fergit, RADICAL MULLAHS > BETTER THE WORLD TO BE DESTROYED THAN FOR ISLAM/ISLAMISM TO NOT RULE.
Also, IIRC QURANIC VERSE [paraph] > BEFORE WE ANNIHILATE A COMMUNITY OR PEOPLE, WE EMPOWER OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VAST CORRUPTION(S) WITHIN.
IOW, Radical Islam believes it can win becuz, among other, the "powers that be" in the US-WEST FEAR LACK OF PCORRECTNESS, ETC. MORE THAN REALITY OR PROTECTING THEMSELVES + THEIR OWN.
#9
ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > STRATFOR: THE IRANIAN INCURSION IN CONTEXT|IRAN's NUCLEAR GAME. ARTIC > SOURCES indic that Tehran deliber ordered this action, as Iran at this time cannot allow the USA [or even Israel] to initiate hostilitiesagz it, hence cannot allow same to control the tempo, timeline of events. Iran wants Washington DC = Obama Admin to know that
* Iran will NOT wait for Washington to consider all possible scenarios: +
* Iran knows how to raise OIL PRICES.
ARTIC > US per se is unlikely to attack Iran widout first
* SECURING OIL SHIPMENTS, ETC. THRU STRAITS OF HORMUZ = PERSIAN GULF in face of Iranian-specific Mines, fast gunboats, tacair + missles.
* SECURING IRAQ + IRAQ'S BORDERS FROM ANY AND ALL IRAN-CONTROLLED MILITIA GROUPS OR IRANIAN MILITARY, IRGC UNITS LOC INSIDE IRAQ OR ALONG IRAQ-IRAN BORDERS.
* DESTROYING OR CONTAINING HIZBOLLAH, ETC. IRAN-SUPPOR/CONTROLLED LEBANON-BASED MILITIA GROUPS.
* SAME > RUSSIA: WEST USING REBELS [e.g. Chechen] TO DESTROY THE [Russian]FEDERATION.
#10
Back in 04, Obama supported option 2. He is so full of himself he thought he could get the Russians and Chicoms to go for option 1, but failed. I agree he may well be forced into option 2. However, Cohen is wrong about there being 3 options. A 4th is preemptive nuke strikes as some have said. The logic of the situation could push us there. Unlike the colld war, the Assured Destruction is not mutual. We might want to remind the Iranians of this "asymmetrical" capability.
#11
IRAN > at this time is in a "Use-It-or-Lose-It" Scenario agz US-Israel, or at least agz the USA as ISRAEL itself believes it cannot Iran to strike first.
#12
TOPIX > MULLEN: MILITARY FORCE MAY NOT PREVENT IRAN FROM DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, BUT MUST REMAIN AN OPTION; + MULLEN: US MUST READY ALL OPTIONS AGZ IRAN.
The weapons laden Il-76 jet transport seized last week turned out to be the third such aircraft to pass over Thailand recently. U.S. intelligence has been tracking cargo transports flying out of North Korea, and an increasing number of these flights take the southern route (rather than via China and Central Asia.) A more thorough inspection of the cargo on the seized Il-76 found components for North Korea's Taepodong-2 ballistic missile. This weapon has three times the 2,000 kilometer range of Iran's current largest missile. If Iran is building their version of the Taepodong-2, they will be able to hit targets throughout Europe. The Il-76 apparently planned to make stops in Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine, before delivering the missile parts to Iran.
Posted by: ed ||
12/21/2009
08:16 ||
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The money shot (re: Global "whatever"): If the impact of our behaviour on humanity at large is much greater or more rapid than ever before then we shall have to find ways of dealing with that which do not involve sacrificing the most enlightened form of government ever devised. There is a whiff of totalitarianism about this new theology, in which the risks are described in such cosmic terms that everything else must give way.
C.K. MacLeod, "Hot Air" This is IMPORTANT. Please read it all.
The history of Western democracy includes some truly stunning partisan wipe-outs, but we dont need to dwell on what today seems a remote political possibility (as remote as, say, a ca. 60-Democrat Senate seemed in 2002). Dismantling, impeding, nullifying, and, in the end, fully repealing this bill does not require 60 Republicans or 60 conservatives: Greater legal, legislative, and historical minds than mine must already be studying the precedents and gaming the scenarios, but we can observe here that, if passing popular legislation in the Senate always required partisan super-majorities, we wouldnt have had a major piece of legislation signed since 1979. We dont know yet how the final votes in the Senate or for final passage after a House-Senate conference may go, but reversing them down the road would merely require a popularly backed majority joined by a passel of fence-sitters, perhaps including Democratic senators who in the current session vote for cloture but against final passage, perhaps including a few changes of heart. It could be as simple as that.
Looking further ahead, speculatively, the President himself would likely remain a roadblock to formal repeal, but, even prior to the election of 2012, the damage control that Instapunk describes, involving excision of particularly obnoxious elements of the bill, might effectively impede its implementation. Moreover, its well worth keeping in mind that removing the budgetary heart of the bill can be achieved via the Senate reconciliation process on a simple, unfilibusterable 51-vote majority (especially easy to justify if Obamacare finally passes on party line votes as narrow as Pelosicares in the House). If virtual repeal on this basis looks achievable as early as, say, 2011, the President might veto an O-care-destroying budget, while hoping for a re-play of the Clinton-Gingrich government shutdown confrontation of 1995, but such a battle could unfold in many different ways. After Obama is gone, a conservative president and conservative majority, at the crest of a continuing or revived conservative wave, could much more easily achieve effective or formal repeal.
The only reason to consider such outcomes impossible would be belief that the public will change its mind, that we do not face a looming fiscal and economic crunch, and that entitlement programs, once enacted, cannot ever be rescinded.
The first two propositions are at minimum debatable, and the tides of opinion and economic projection currently seem in conservatives political favor . . . As for the third point, on the supernatural immortality of entitlement programs, we hear and read variations on it frequently sometimes offered with a knowing laugh, lately from conservatives who have been attempting to gin up opposition to O-care but, if and when the bill passes and is signed, the embrace of this perspective would be defeatism pure and simple.
It would also remain an exaggeration, because entitlements or their equivalent have repeatedly been cut or eliminated around the world and throughout history though frequently, it must be admitted, only as a result of economic or political breakdown. The modern European welfare state has indeed been extremely difficult to unravel, but it hasnt been around for very long. For most of the time that it has been in existence, progressivism, socialism, and their variants were historically new and on the rise, and were further supported by economic and political contingencies (including military and economic support from the US of A) that cannot last forever.
As for this specific entitlement, what makes anyone believe that any guarantee it entails or calculation it depends on will be sustainable for very long, much less become permanent? We will soon have to make some difficult fiscal choices on an almost incomprehensible scale, or have them made for us via national bankruptcy under which latter situation all such entitlements would merely entitle the citizen to go searching with devalued dollars or theoretical guarantees for scarce to non-existent goods and services. The crisis of debt-supported, obligation-deferred, risk-displaced welfare state capitalism that exploded last year is not over. Its hardly even in abeyance, and Obamacare promises to deepen and accelerate it.
Before the next reckoning is reached, a coherent political force can achieve things that previously seemed politically impossible. That sort of change, believed in or not, has happened before in history, several times in our own history, and sometimes far ahead of the schedule set by the change agents themselves. Furthermore, as has been pointed out by many observers ever since the polls turned decisively against Obamacare, no legislation this sweeping, partisan, and unpopular has ever before been passed. To use one of the Obama Administrations favorite words, enactment of Obamacare would be truly unprecedented. We should therefore consider that unprecedented events tend to imply unprecedented responses, and unprecedented political events require and ensure unprecedented political responses: The only real question is how long the equal and opposite reaction can be denied and suppressed.
If Obamacare, on its own terms or as implicated in approaching fiscal catastrophe, remains anywhere near as unpopular over the coming years as it is now, there is no fundamental reason why it cant be rescinded piece by piece or all at once. I therefore remain convinced that the proper response by conservatives to its passage cannot and must not be despair certainly not yet, certainly not while a popular wave against the prime perpetrators is rising, and not while the tools of democratic self-government are still within reach. . . .
Posted by: Mike ||
12/21/2009
08:05 ||
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#1
After Obama is gone, a conservative president and conservative majority, at the crest of a continuing or revived conservative wave, could much more easily achieve effective or formal repeal.
#2
As I mentioned on another post, what one Congress enacts, another can rescind. The crisis of debt-supported, obligation-deferred, risk-displaced welfare state capitalism that exploded last year has a mathematical necessity about it that cannot be avoided regardless of politicians. The only questions are who will suffer, how much, and when?
#3
Jesus said we should pray for our leaders. In Psalm (I can't remember wich one) there is a prayer I say every day for Obama. "May his days be short and his leadership soon taken over by another".
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/21/2009 11:41
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#5
It might be a nice start if we could have massive protests around the country on the day of Obama's State Of The Union address, to help set the tone for the year. It needs to be made clear to our elected officials that the turmoil and strife is not going to fade into the background once the bill is passed. Let no member of Congress (or the administration) feel secure enough to say, "We've settled the health care issue, now we can put that aside and go back to business as usual".
Of course the DoD statistics will never see the light of day, but I wish the American taxpayer knew how much money, time, and medical resources were being spent spent through the deployment of female soldiers into combat zones.
#4
Pregnancy has been seen by many as a 'ticket home' Uncle Phester. Once home and the ticket is no longer needed, many choose abortion. Been going on like that for several years. I had a friend during DS/DS, he was a helo pilot. He got assigned flying a chair in a REPO DEPOT in Riyadh processing preggies back to CONUS. He kept very, very busy and generally quite pi**ed off.
#5
What do you do about the boys who can't keep it zipped, Phester?
Or are we to have two standards?
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/21/2009 9:40
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#6
A little history. Prior to the 70s, women served in auxiliaries, WAC, WAVE, WAF which provided supplements to manpower requirements usually in administrative or personnel fields. They operated in a segregated organization with limitations in job and promotion opportunities, but were also exempted from duties and responsibilities normally associated with full military service. With the Equal Opportunity push in the 70s, the auxiliary formations were done away with and females were directly integrated into the ranks. Somewhere around the late 70s, the standing policy that any pregnant female be automatically discharged with full benefits, to include maternity coverage, was discontinued and individuals were retained on the rolls until they chose to separate or a long record of sub-performance allowed command authorities to discharge or bar from reenlistment.
Hundreds of thousands of women have and do serve with integrity, honor, and skill. Unfortunately, there have been others who play the system. The problem of using pregnancy to get out of danger or hard duty has been abused for decades. It generates resentment that has been compounded for those decades by a command structure that has chosen to look the other way. For thousands of years, male warriors whoâve sought to avoid danger by self inflicted wounds that maim but are not fatal have faced severe punishment to include death for such acts. The act destroys good order and discipline necessary for a viable military [not to be confused with âpalace guardsâ who look good wearing uniforms but are only useful in dealing with unruly civilians].
These are not victims. It is a voluntary military. Equal opportunity has responsibility. Without responsibility it simply becomes privilege that creates inequality for others. That the problem has reached such a level that the theater commander must do this means that severe hardship is occurring in unit integrity and cohesion. It is not something requiring a âtouchy feelyâ or political solution. This is what separates military from civilian. Whoa to those whoâd undermine the battlefield needs of the commanders to Political Correctness. History does not smile on those who do. This also points out another fundamental difference between civil society and the military. The military must discipline its ranks for sexual behaviors that the civil society does not. That applies to all variations thereof.
Art. 115. Malingering
Any person subject to this chapter who for the purpose of avoiding work, duty, or serviceâ
(1) feigns illness, physical disablement, mental lapse or derangement; or (2) intentionally inflicts self-injury;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
Equality can be a bitch. And any sperm donor is a principal or accessory to the fact.
#8
Well said Procopius2k. I might add, the job of the United states military is to DEFEND democracy, not participate in it. In addition to it's having become a social petri dish for our estranged leadership in Washington, therein may lie some of the difficulty.
#9
Under the new policy, troops expecting a baby face court martial and a possible prison term and so do the men who made them pregnant.
That's the second line of the article. This one is being applied fairly... although I assume there will have to be a lot of lab tests to confirm paternity.
#10
Given the political leanings of those now running the Beltway circus, I suspect there's a Pentagon broom closet now being configured for imminent use as MG Cucolo's office. And I sure hope he saved the receipt when he bought those 3-star insignias at the PX...
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
12/21/2009 11:10
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#11
This has been a big problem for a long time. Always bustin the TOE numbers prior to/during deployments.
#12
there will have to be a lot of lab tests to confirm paternity. Posted by trailing wife
Very costly, also medical professional's valuable time away from wounded soldiers I might add. Not to mention Courts Martial time and expenses, unit leadership statements and testimony, paternity suits, establishment of dependent (newborn) benefits, custody, childcare, meds, confinement, appeals, etc.
#13
I assume there will have to be a lot of lab tests to confirm paternity.
I believe all service members now have DNA on file for remains identification. So, it's a matter of checking the kids DNA against an existing data base. CSI: Paternity. Maybe we can contract it out to Maury. Oh, and that little bit about not using the DNA for 'other purposes', goes right next to my Social Security tab from the 50s which said my SSN would never be used for any other identification purposes.
#14
Heh, got the recruiting poster for WACs at the span filter.
Excellent comment P2K. I understand that the Marines did not have a women's auxiliary prior to the 70s but did have women Marines. Could you or someone else inform me of how the Marines organized their female members and how they handled such situations prior to the 70s? Thank you.
#15
Cant happen soon enough for me. This was a huge problem for my units both overseas and stateside. Women were popping up pregs left and right, and often the other female soldiers ended up taking on their duties while they were shuttled to and fro, from doctor appointment to doctor appointment, or given limited duty, ie: 2 -4 hour shifts. And ofcourse, if they become pregnant while deployed they get shipped CONUS. I noticed some of the Medical Units made sure to issue b.c to soldiers. It seems sensible to make this mandatory for all females.
#16
I noticed some of the Medical Units made sure to issue b.c to soldiers. It seems sensible to make this mandatory for all females. Posted by GirlThursday
Yes GirlThursday, I saw the same thing in addition to boxes of condoms in the MEDAC. Oh wait...GO-1 ???
#17
Right? With Nuva Ring, Depo shots, etc., there are more virtually foolproof methods available than ever. Its high time the military cleans up its act. We had mandatory shots all the time one of the shots should be a depo shot for female soldiers going to war. It also protects the female if she were to become pregs, at least she could produce her shot record and say "see, heres when I got a depo shot" as some legal protection. I have heard of women being the 1/2 half of one percent that do get pregs on depo, but at least if precautions were taken, she'd have less to fear from an unhappy chain of command.
#19
Well, theoretically everyone loves babies is what it is. Its just that female soldiers on board to deploy shouldn't be having them, I firmly believe. Several female soldier friends of mine have become pregnant and dropped out of the military or been sent to the rear. I have felt torn at several points between feeling supportive, and feeling angry at them for not being upstanding and taking contraception. It is a huge problem. Also, men should be made to be responsible. If youre grown up enough to fight in the military, you should be shown the way to being a responsible man, and that means becoming a father at a moment of your choosing, not by a "whoopsie daisy" moment. The military having taken women into their ranks, doesn't seem to have caught their own policies up to the time. But this was inevitable because on average I guesstimate about 20% of the units I was in were pregnant at any given time. 20%!!!!
#20
Could you or someone else inform me of how the Marines organized their female members and how they handled such situations prior to the 70s? Thank you.
WM's (Women Marines), at least most of the ones I knew had their own natural built in birth control. It was their looks. Oh, and the fact that most of them preferred each other.
Of course, if the Jar Heads were organizing a Dog Show®, anything could (and usually did) happen! Woof! Woof! 8-)
#21
Speaking of fugly...You dont need to be a spelling bee contestant finalist to figure that in the present day military, it was some of the homeliest or less "principled" females that were getting pregnant.
We knew of one at AIT that bragged about getting freaky with a guy behind a dumpster due to lack of bunk space. And my compatriots that got pregnant that were winning beauty contests, werent winning spelling bees, or vice versa.
But theres no semi finalist weeding out phase for winning in the reproduction round. UNFortunately, quality of bloodlines and scarcity of offspring arent a characteristic of careless couplings in the military.
#24
Except we interpret the male participation as part of the act.
Art. 77. Principals
Any person punishable under this chapter whoâ
(1) commits an offense punishable by this chapter, or aids, abets, counsels, commands, or procures its commission; or
(2) causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him would be punishable by this chapter;
is a principal.
#25
In fairness I've known a number excellent female soldiers, probably of, or close to the calibre of GirlThursday. I wouldn't have traded them for any man-snuffy.
#26
BP
Right you are.
Although I dislike the "I told you so" animosity I feel towards some of the recruits who went for it, instead of going into battle with junior in their stomachs, women should go into battle with a nuva ring in their stomachs, a depo shot, or not at all.
#29
So basically you are asking young men and women not to have sex for how many months? (Accidents will happen)
Get real
Posted by: European Conservative ||
12/21/2009 21:42
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#30
Thats right folks, people in the military do it. Maybe its the death anxiety.
1 each, US-issue Army grunt is going to run you over $250k MIMIMUM from day one of basic to deployment time. Cost is NOT amortized the longer they serve because they will advance in rank and pay and specialized training, all which cost BIG MONEY. So, it stands to reason, give each female soldier in a unit a shot of depo every 3 months, its less than like fifty bucks per, the cost pales by comparison to the alternatives.
(ANSA) - Rome, December 18 - The United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen is a ''mountain giving birth to a mouse,'' a Catholic Church emissary to the UN said Friday.
Predicting meagre results from the summit as it wound down on Friday, Msgr. Celestino Migliore said deadlock at the conference illustrated that ''massive international meetings have outworn their usefulness as a format for addressing the world's problems''.
The Vatican nuncio to the UN, Migliore said the summit was hamstrung from the outset by disagreement over ''what is causing climate change and how to stop it''.
''Without consensus for the diagnosis, it's going to be hard to agree on a cure,'' he said.
#5
China and India seemed to see the whole thing for what it was--so much B.S. and posturing by morons. I for one am very glad the results of the conference were meager. "Climate Change" is a case of misplaced priorities. There are more significant problems--like just about any problem one can imagine. The whole thing was a shell game.
Sri Lanka Navy under the direction of Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is escorting the largest LTTE ship to the Colombo port.
The confiscation of the seized LTTE arms carrier - MV Princess Cristina is the first step of the government's initiative to acquire the assets belonged to the LTTE. The 89 meter long arms smuggling floating warehouse that is being escorted into the Colombo Port today by the Navy is the largest LTTE owned ship, the Defence Ministry said.
According to intelligence sources the ship has been utilized for arms smuggling and human trafficking during the war. The Defence Secretary said the seized LTTE assets will be used for the development of the country as those belong to the people of the country.
The Sri Lankan Navy destroyed eight LTTE arms smuggling ships during the war aiding the troops immensely to eliminate the LTTE.
#8
Actually Mojo, the average time interval is 600-700 thousand years, the last at about 645000 ago. Statistically we're in the zone but I agree, the odds are with us...never the less, the north end of the lake is rising indicating uplift due to magma injection. If we see harmonic seismic quakes, time to watch out..
#9
I figure when the next Alvarez dinosaur killing asteroid hits, it'll set off sufficient seismic disturbances to trigger Yellowstone, Tambora and Santorini creating a solar occluding shroud that will move the whole place back into another Ice Planet state. So, don't sweat the small stuff.
#10
Guys, Yellowstone blowing up won't be a earth ending event. It went 600,000 years ago, and life on North America survived. A super volcano went off in NZ some 70,000 years ago and shrunk the human population to some 5-10,000 people. There will always be survivors. Life will just really suck for them.
#11
Pro2K - Does this mean my carbon offset investments are worthless? Dang! and ALGore just talked me into buying more 'cause Hopenhagen used up so many
#13
Gonna ask my prog friends:
"We have the technology not only to delay, marginalize, or even prevent a volcanic eruption of catastrophic proportions and at the same time generate a massive amount of clean geothermal energy. However in order to do so, the infastructure and equipment necessary would for all practical purposes will section and level nearly all of Yellowstone NP. What should be done?"
#6
I believe the best preparation is water cooled machine guns on the border. Wouldn't want Global Warming to overheat the barrels.
Posted by: ed ||
12/21/2009 16:38
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#7
World must prepare for mass climate migration? So the friggin sky is falling; so what? Ya Da Ya Da Ya Da. So far the biggest migration problem is illegal latinos coming from the warmer climates of Mexico to the colder climates of the U.S. I guess this means Obama and minions will define this migration as a problem. The next reform will be immigration reform. Dear God please spare us what this might be.
#3
TW, they aren't. The religion borrows from ancient Mithraism, a little Christianity, some Sufi Islam, and lots of other sources. But one of the holy beings in the religion is identified with Satan by Islam. The problems seem obvious.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
12/21/2009 20:15
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#4
Actually they are one of the oldest religions predating Zoroastrianism, maybe Judaism, definitely Christian and Muslim likely Buddhism but likely not Hindu.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/21/2009 21:39
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#5
TOPIX > THE TIMES: IRAN WORKING ON TESTING FINAL NKEY COMPOMENT FOR NUCLEAR BOMB ["nuclear initiator" device].
* ION SAME > RUSSIA, THE US, AND TURKEY TO COOPERATE ON MISSLE DEFENSE? Russia willing to consider reloc a MD radar from Azerbaijan to Turkey as part of multi-nation regional missle defense; + RUSSIA, BELARUS, AND KAZAKHISTAN TO BUILD UNIFIED ECONOMIC SPACE?
Sir, Perhaps it would be letting Schrödinger's cat out of the bag to suggest that there was a special reason for selecting the Danish capital for the forthcoming conference on global climate change. Each participant will be able to leave with a "Copenhagen interpretation", where climate change can both exist and not exist at the same time. This is not dissimilar from the synonymous problem that has plagued quantum physics.
[Maghrebia] Terrorists presumed to be from al-Qaeda's Sahel wing kidnapped two Italian nationals and their Ivoirien driver on Friday night (December 18th) in the Mauritanian town of Mneyssiratt, some 900 km east of Nouakchott, Journal Tahalil reported. "Passengers on a minibus heading towards the Malian border were kidnapped by armed men. Their bus remained on site, bearing visible bullet holes," a security source was quoted as saying. Italian state television identified the victims as a 65-year-old man and his 39-year-old wife.
The incident marks the second abduction of westerners in Mauritania within one month. Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for kidnapping three Spanish humanitarian workers on the Nouadhibou-Nouakchott road on November 29th. The two men and one woman are allegedly being held at AQIM training camps in northern Mali.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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For the first 18 months after the September 11 attacks, US officials charged that Saudi Arabia, shell-shocked by the fact that a majority of the perpetrators had been Saudi nationals, was dragging its feet on implementing measures to prevent Saudis from funding militant Islamic groups like al Qaeda.
It took a series of al Qaeda attacks on Saudi targets in 2003 and 2004 to persuade the kingdom to pay more than lip service to the need to halt funding of terrorist groups.
US and European officials acknowledge that the Saudi government has introduced strict monitoring of bank transactions and banned the transfer abroad of charitable funds without government approval. They also note that some 100 suspected terrorism financiers have been arrested in the kingdom over the past two years, approximately 20 of which were prosecuted. Most recently, Saudi authorities said that they had arrested a charity official for directing funds to extremists.
A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report concludes that "Saudi individuals and Saudi-based charitable organizations continue to be a significant source of financing for terrorism and extremism outside of Saudi Arabia." It quotes US Treasury officials as saying that "Saudi-based individuals are a top source of funding for al Qaeda and associated groups, such as the Taliban." The report says Saudi individuals and charities circumvent Saudi restrictions by employing couriers to transfer cash to militant organizations.
US President Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan has in recent months repeatedly complained that Saudi funding may be as important to the Taliban as drug revenues as a source of income. "In the past there was a kind of feeling that the money all came from drugs in Afghanistan. That is simply not true... [the Taliban] get a lot more money out of the Gulf, according to our intelligence sources," Holbrooke recently told a news conference in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
A recent Pakistani police report accused Saudi Arabia's Al Haramain Foundation of donating $15 million (10 million euros) to militants responsible for suicide bombings in Pakistan and the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The US and Saudi Arabia jointly as well as the United Nations have designated in recent years several foreign branches of Al Haramain as terrorist organizations. However, Al Haramain continues to operate legally in Saudi Arabia although the US Treasury last year put the foundation as a whole, including its Saudi headquarters, on its list of designated terrorist organizations.
Similarly, Indian officials say Lashkar e Tayiba, the Pakistani group responsible for last year's attacks in Mumbai, continues to operate in Saudi Arabia. Indian police recently arrested Lashkar leader Muhammad Omar Madni shortly after he had visited the kingdom on a fundraising trip. Indian police said they had also recently found a large amount of Saudi riyals during a raid on a Lashkar safe house in Mumbai.
LONDON — The only passenger rail link between Britain and the rest of Europe has been shut down indefinitely, Eurostar said Sunday, promising more travel misery for thousands of stranded passengers just before Christmas.
Services have been suspended since late Friday, when a series of glitches stranded five trains inside the Channel Tunnel and trapped more than 2,000 passengers for hours in stuffy and claustrophobic conditions. More than 55,000 passengers overall have been affected. Eurostar commercial director Nick Mercer said three test trains sent through the Channel Tunnel on Sunday ran successfully, but that it became clear that the especially bad weather meant that snow was being sucked into the trains in a way "that has never happened before." this sounds screwy- I don't see how ventilation systems can 'suck snow into a train' unless they are designed to do this
"The engineers on board have recommended strongly that, in light of further snowfalls that are happening tonight, we make some modifications to the trains on snow shields to stop snow being ingested into the power car," he told the BBC.
Ok — indefinitely means until the weather clears. Not at all the same as no more trains forever.
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/21/2009
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#1
in depth from SeriousTopics - a City of London based chat (No comments by me here):
RE: The Eurostar debacle.
Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said the trains failed as they left the cold air in northern France and entered the warmer air inside the tunnel.
This is a quote that appears in much of the UK Press, and yet reader response is generally hysterical and scapegoating. Other than the pathetic staff response, Eurostar probably aren't to blame, at least not directly. It appears to be an engineering problem.
The Class 373 (UK designation)
When built, all train sets were tri-voltage being able to operate on 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (LGVs, Eurotunnel, High Speed 1, UK overhead electrified lines) and 3 kV DC (Belgian classic lines) using pantographs and 750 V DC (UK third rail network) using third-rail pickup shoes. The shoes were retracted when operating from overhead power, and prototypes were used for testing.[25] After the opening of High Speed 1, overhead electricity is available throughout the core network between London and Paris / Brussels and the third rail shoes became redundant and were removed. The railway links to the new London-based depot facilities at Temple Mills and to the East Coast Main Line and West-Coast Main Line are 25 kV overhead. Five of the SNCF-owned sets are quadri-voltage, being able to operate from 1500 V DC (French lignes classiques) in the south of France; these sets are used for LondonAvignon and ski services.
British-designed asynchronous traction motors are used. There are four powered axles in each power car and one additional bogie in the adjacent passenger carriage. This layout was also used on the original SNCF TGV Sud-Est (PSE) sets. The six powered bogies therefore contain a total of twelve powered axles to haul the rake of eighteen carriages. Drawing up to 12 MW of power, the train has the lowest power-to-weight ratio of any train in the TGV familya SNCF TGV Réseau set has eight powered axles, but is only required to haul eight passenger carriages.
The train design is able to cope with five different standards of overhead catenary: domestic catenary in each of Belgium, France and the United Kingdom; fixed-height catenary for the LGV lines and the taller catenary used within the Channel Tunnel. The Eurotunnel catenary is much higher as the tunnel is designed to accommodate the double-deck car-carrying trains and roll-on roll-off heavy goods vehicle trains. The train driver is required to lower and then raise the pantograph during the change from each catenary system.[...]
British Rail Class 373
My immediate suspected cause? Temperature inversion tripping temperature sensors. Solid State is infamous for a condition called "thermal runaway". Devices or mechanisms with this much power inversion (AC>DC>AC, different voltages, different reconstitutions, in some cases unfiltered DC>AC>DC>AC) is rife with temperature sensors. The multitude of devices would be very favourably cool due to atmospheric conditions, and then, into a warm tunnel? What the sensors are registering into a ;ogic circuit, is the device suddenly overheating. It is instructed to shut-down.
There should be manual over-rides...but...???
It is very preliminary to jump to any conclusions, but obviously the design was not tested for these conditions...and it was madness to keep sending units into the tunnel when two had already failed with exactly the same symptoms.
I'd start looking at the locos, most likely in the power inverters. It might even be as simple a fix as the software, but most likely, it is a hardware device sensitivty and threshold setting. (That may be addressable in the software).
Just a hunch....
I suspect there will be an engineering fix within the week. Or at least a 'patch'. What must be eliminated (and UK third rail has already) is the multiplicity of standards of current supply. What is glaring in this case is that the TGVs have not displayed this problem, and yet the 373s have. The difference? Multiple current supply types
Edit: There might also be a complicating factor of current source. As the 373 transits various isolated supply sections, there might be spikes in the line that exacerbate the sensors incorrectly detecting faults. If that is the case, it will take a lot longer to get a perma-fix. A patch might be possible in short order, but massive re-engineering might also be required.
The US North-East corridor ran into similar problems with the DC lines approaching Boston. I'll Google before writing any more on that. The locos were Montreal built based on TGVs! (This was a horror-story of it's own, requring a sports-car to be built like a truck, due to US federal safety standards being applied to what was a springter by nature. By the time they were finished meeting safety specs, the locos weighed twice their design spec! That caused brake problems, which caused...which caused....which caused being sued...and so-on.
Let's step back until we get some engineering answers.
#2
Alternative theory:
in the face of global warming operation in snow/ice conditions was not factored into the engineering spec. comments about snow being sucked into train could mean that snow was accumulation amongst the electrical components, then melting and causing shutdown.
just ban AlGore from the continent, and forgo any additional climate change conferences and all should be ok
Posted by: abu do you love ||
12/21/2009 1:03
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#3
So, how being "post-industrial" works out for you chaps?
#4
Not the first time. In the mid-50s, there was a snowstorm with finer-than-normal snowflakes that got sucked through the cooling intakes on the Pennsylvania Railroad's GG-1 electric locomotives in a way that hadn't been anticipated and shorted out some of the systems. They had to redesign the louvers to get the engines back in service.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/21/2009 6:40
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#5
Very strange. The A3985 never experienced this type of difficulty.
#6
That Challenger is lovely, Besoker, but I think ventilation issues would preclude its use in the Chunnel.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/21/2009 11:27
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#7
Here is another alternative locomotive design. The Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2 cab forward was designed for heavy snows, tunnels, and snow sheds. The only problem for the Chunnel would be ventilation, which will take a bit of doing. However train bums need to stay off the monkey deck behind the exhaust. Mud and steam cooked the uneducated.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/21/2009 11:29
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#8
It sucks when global warming affects the train service. Where are the Brits going to get cheap booze and smokes?
#11
I'm of the opinion that the key reason the Challengers and the cab forwards ( lovely little things) worked in tunnels and the Eurostar doesn't is really simple: The steam locomotives didn't have Lucas ( Prince of Darkness) aboard.
I thought there was a sternly-worded UN resolution to prevent that ...
Even as North Korea struggles under UN sanctions and is in the midst of a controversial currency reform aimed at breaking the back of a nascent free market, the reclusive country is apparently in the process of changing laws in order to attract more foreign investment, an expert said Wednesday. It is even offering foreign companies wages cheaper than those paid to North Korean workers at the joint-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex, according to Jack Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington D.C.
Pritchard, who visited Pyongyang last month along with Scott Snyder, director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy at the Asia Foundation, told reporters in Washington. The North Korean trade department official they met there told them there are no strikes among North Korea's skilled workers and were very aggressive in luring foreign investment. He added North Korean officials offered wages of 30 euros a month (around US$44), which was lower than the average $57 paid to workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
The officials said they were also willing to offer various incentives to foreign companies interested in taking part in the construction of 100,000 homes in Pyongyang. North Korea appeared to be changing its attitude toward foreign countries as part of its goal to become a strong and powerful nation by 2012, he said.
In an article for Global Security, the Internet-based provider of military and intelligence information, Snyder wrote, "North Korean colleagues at the Ministry of Trade appeared genuinely surprised and dismayed when we mentioned that UN Security Council Resolution 1874... contains provisions prohibiting companies from making new investments in North Korea."
Oh yeah, that UN resolution ...
Snyder said North Korea's interest in foreign investment as part of its goal to become a "strong and powerful nation" by 2012 is a new development and one that could play a role in resolving the nuclear stalemate.
But efforts to attract foreign investment and capital over the past 25 years have been a disaster. North Korea announced new regulations in September of 1984 to allow businesses from capitalist countries to operate there. It set up special economic zones in Rajin-Songbong in 1991 and in Sinuiju in 2002. But the Sinuiju project never got beyond the ground-breaking stage due to conflict with China, while empty factories litter Rajin-Sonbong.
North Korea aimed to attract $7 billion worth of foreign investment into Rajin-Sonbong, but actual investment amounted to only $140 million. According to the South Korean government and other sources, there are an estimated 400 foreign businesses operating in North Korea. Most of them are small businesses run by Chinese or North Korean residents in Japan. The shining exception is the Egyptian telecom company Orascom, which offers mobile phone services in the North. "It's more accurate to say that there are no major foreign businesses operating in North Korea," said Cho Dong-ho, a professor at Ewha Woman's University.
North Korea forged its first pact guaranteeing foreign investment with Denmark in September 1996 and signed similar pacts with around 20 countries, including China, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland, as of 2008. There have been consistent reports that businesses in Europe and Southeast Asia were interested in doing business in the North, but hardly any made the move.
Cho Myung-chul, a professor at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, who taught economics at Kim Il Sung University in North Korea, said, "The reason why no listed foreign companies are operating in North Korea is because they may end up on the list of businesses subject to U.S. sanctions." This is one of the reasons why North Korea has tried so desperately to be removed from the U.S. list of terrorism-sponsoring countries.
And even if foreign businesses are interested in investing in North Korea, its lack of infrastructure, including steady power supply and adequate roads and ports, make it impossible to operate factories there. Cho Young-ki, a professor at Korea University, said, "You have to build a power plant if you want to build a factory in North Korea. Cheap labor does not mean businesses will profit there." The electricity used by the Kaesong Industrial Complex is provided by South Korea, while Hyundai Asan operates its own generator at the North Korean resort in Mt. Kumgang.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/21/2009
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#1
"The reason why no listed foreign companies are operating in North Korea is because they may end up on the list of businesses subject to U.S. sanctions."
I knew if I read long enough I would discover that the fault lies with the U.S. and universally recognized and never violated trade and economic sanctions. Maybe Barry's recent secret memo gave them hope for the future.
#5
Wouldn't have anything to do with most foreign corporations not wanting to take the PR hit from being known to employ slave labour, would it? I know I was looking closer-than-usual at this in expectation of spotting a new Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/21/2009 13:42
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[Bangla Daily Star] Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday claimed that banned Islamist militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) now has no suicide squad.
They're all dead ...
"Information we're gathering through our intelligence says that now JMB has no suicide," Rab Additional Director General (ADG) Col Mizanur Rahman Khan told a press conference at its headquarters yesterday. I've noticed that usually within a few days of that kind of statement somebody detonates in a crowded market.
Rab's has claimed this though even a few months back it claimed that they had arrested members of JMB suicide squad.
Which could possibly be why there is no suicide squad now. These finicky little temporal details can make quite a difference.
He briefed the newsmen about the arrest of five members of JMB, which made a number of attacks that left 71 people dead and 582 others injured since the JMB's clandestine activities began in the country.
Rab in an anti-militant drive from 6:30pm on Saturday to 5:30am yesterday held the five JMB men from Mymensingh, Narsingdi and Jhenidah districts. The Rab ADG also said JMB activities have almost come to a halt as its command system has been almost broken down and limited to only invitational programmes.
The honour of your presence is requested
for a suicide bombing
at half after three o'clock
on Friday, the thirteenth of December
at the village bazaar.
RSVP
black tie and suicide vest
He also said JMB's capability to carry out any subversive activity has been diminished to a great extent. [Sob!]
"Wossa motta, Mahmoud?"
"I just can't subvert anymore!"
[Pat pat!]
"There, there, buddy! It happens to all of us sometime!"
Replying to a question, Col Mizan, however, said JMB is trying to reorganise again through invitational activities. "Since JMB is trying to regroup again, we are launching drive against them and nabbing them," he said.
About the present JMB Chief Moulana Saidur Rahman, the Rab ADG said they are closing in on Saidur but yet to arrest him as he shifts his shelter quite frequently.
The Rab also recovered 20 books on jihad, 50 CDs, four cellphone sets, three lethal weapons and some bomb-making materials during the drive. The arrestees in helmets were paraded at the press conference. The Rab ADG said since 2005 they have arrested 12 majlish-e-shura (highest policy-making body) members, 44 eshar, 22 gayeri ehsar members and 90 JMB activists.
In addition to all the encounters, of course.
This article starring:
ABU RAIHAN BIN SADEK
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
HARMUZ ALI ALIAS ASGAR ALI
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
MOHAMAD HUSEIN
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
MOHAMAD KAWSAR JINNURAINE ALIAS LALTU
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
MOHAMAD YUSUF
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
MULANA SAIDUR RAHMAN
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Posted by: Kelly ||
12/21/2009 11:56
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#6
The REAL hero of the rescue must surely be the skipper of the Bainbridge (DDG-96) Cmdr. Frank Castellano, the man who gave the order to FIRE! Lots of kudos at the time for the crew of the Bainbridge. Not so much for the skipper.
Muslim police chef defeated in 'bacon roll' tribunal faces £75,000 legal bill
A Muslim chef who lost a claim of religious discrimination against Scotland Yard after complaining he was forced to cook sausages and bacon faces a legal bill of more than £75,000.
Hasanali Khoja accused the Metropolitan Police of failing to consider his Islamic beliefs when he was asked to handle pork products as a catering manager at a police station. The £23,000-a-year chef claimed suggestions by his bosses that he should wear gloves and use tongs left him 'stressed and humiliated'. Muslims are banned from eating pork under Islamic law.
But Mr Khoja, 62, lost his claim in May after a police employee told an employment tribunal how she saw Mr Khoja eat bacon rolls and sausages.
My goodness -- the man's a liar!
Mr Khoja, from Edgware, North London, who is still employed by the Met, claimed at a hearing in Watford that he could afford to pay only £80 a week as he has little income, lives in rented property and is struggling with £30,000 legal bills of his own. But the court discovered he had sold another home last year, splitting profits of almost £200,000 with his wife and two sons.
A pants-on-fire liar at that!
The decision is another setback for the police chef, who believed he was on course for a large settlement when he launched his case in 2007.
The poor darling.
Mr Khoja, who sits on a Foods Standards Agency advisory committee on Muslim issues, decided to take action after Scotland Yard chiefs placed him on unpaid leave for a year after his refusal to work with pork. He said he was then given work in a different building but his role was downgraded.
But his case fell apart when another caterer, Mary Boakye, told the court she served him bacon rolls 'two or three' times at the Met canteen at Heathrow in West London. When she told him she was surprised because his religion banned him from eating pork, Mr Khoja allegedly replied: 'I eat them once in a while.' Another chef said he saw Mr Khoja once happily eat a sausage dish and told the court 'he was not as strict as some Muslims'.
Judge Southam also heard how Mr Khoja had made 'wild and baseless' allegations about a human resource manager, allegedly making racial facial gestures.
Racial facial gestures? What a delicate way of putting whatever-that-means.
[Dawn] Unidentified men blew up a private school in Dak Kalay area of Mathra, on the outskirts of Peshawar on Sunday.
According to police, the main gate and boundary wall of the school were completely destroyed, while the building of the school was partially damaged.
Police said some unidentified men planted a time-device inside the Mohsin Public School and detonated it.
The school's watchman left the building at the midnight and no one was present inside when the explosion occurred. No casualty has been reported.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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[Bangla Daily Star] The Supreme Court in its full judgement of Bangabandhu murder case vehemently criticised the moves by subsequent governments after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for barring trial of the heinous crime and rather promoting the killers to higher or diplomatic posts.
The apex court termed the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members a great crime against humanity, mankind and civilisation.
"A murderer is always a murderer and a terrorist is always a terrorist and is enemy to mankind and humanity and an offender in the eye of the law. To protect and shelter such killers is a great crime, a great sin and sin spares none," said Justice Md Abdul Aziz of the five-member SC bench, which dealt the historic criminal case, in his portion of the 412-page judgment.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Does anyone have insight into this case who is not from Bangladesh since private Americans have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending Maj (Lancer) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed (who claims to have been part of the coup, but not the murders...he was extradited (via a 9th Circuit ruling) from the US, so that says a lot)?
Posted by: Jack Salami ||
12/21/2009 10:25
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#2
Putting it into real simple terms, Sheikh Mujib was a genuine hero, from what I understand. There were multiple influences on the group who bumped him off, jealousy among them, but I'm guessing it was primarily Pak influence that put together the cabal who killed him. They couldn't come right out and ask to become part of Pakistain again, but they could -- and did -- chill Bangla's relations with India and institute a "forgive and forget" policy toward the collaborators from the 1971 war. Hence the ascendency of the BNP and the loathing with which the ANP leadership, headed by Mujib's daughter, views their political rivals, who're in my opinion damaged goods.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009 12:14
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#3
Fred:
appreciate the view
Posted by: Jack Salami ||
12/21/2009 19:21
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[Al Arabiya Latest] A year after Israel's devastating air, land and sea assault on the impoverished Gaza Strip, Kamal Awaja's family is still living in a tent on the rubble of their home and a few miles away the Sawafieri family is raising chickens by hand after Israeli bulldozers crushed tens of thousands of birds in their cages, systematically destroying a fully-automated farm.
During the three-week assault, which Israel launched on Dec. 27, the Awaja's were trapped behind the front lines when ground troops backed by tanks and aircraft stormed into northern Gaza in what would prove to be the deadliest Israeli attack ever launched on the coastal territory.
Awaja and his wife were wounded as they tried to flee and it was four days before they were able to get to a hospital, he says.
Their eight-year-old son Ibrahim was shot dead as their home was destroyed.
Now the smiling boy with curly black hair stares down from memorial posters hanging on the family's tent, which has been cobbled together from canvas shelters donated by aid groups, dingy plastic tarps and wool blankets.
Israel has sealed Gaza off from all but vital humanitarian aid and the limited amount of cement and iron smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt is beyond the financial means of the vast majority of the territory's 1.5 million residents, most of whom rely on foreign aid.
Perhaps they should complain to their government, which they elected.
Some 6,400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed during the war, according to United Nations figures. Most of those who lost homes now share crowded apartments with relatives or huddle under tents supplied by aid groups.
Next time don't start a war. It always ends badly for the common people.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#2
And after all the Palestinians have been doing to fix the problem - mainly bitching about how mean the Juice are, demanding that the EU, US, UN, Israel, and everyone else fix it for them.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/21/2009 2:38
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#3
That was just the flowers. Next time the fruit.
An Iranian lawmaker says based on United Nations estimates Baghdad still owes Tehran up to a trillion dollars in compensation for wartime damages. "According to UN evaluations, Iraq must pay us one thousand billion dollars for initiating the [eight-year] war against Iran," a leading member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said on Sunday. "Iran, however, is a country that has turned a blind eye to many of issues such as this concerning Iraq. Till now, we have never brought up these matters and naturally we will never enter into quarrel with Iraq," Hossein Ebrahimi told Mehrnews on Sunday.
The cleric made the comments as he responded to a question about US media reports that Iranian forces had taken control of an oil well within Iraqi borders in the Fakkeh region.
Ebrahimi said that the misunderstanding would "definitely" be cleared up through diplomatic channels, as Iran did not plan to let anything disrupt its relations with Iraq.
The lawmaker made the remarks as an Iranian border official announced that his country's forces resumed their former position after taking down a barricade recently built by Iraqi soldiers near the disputed oil well.
"Iranian forces returned to their previous posts last night after removing the new barricade that Iraqi soldiers had build next to the disputed oil well in a Thursday operation," the official who was speaking on condition of anonymity told Press TV's correspondent.
"Iraqi forces had erected the now disassembled barricade next to the No. 4 oil well in Fakkeh," said the official.
Comments made by the Iraqi deputy interior minister also confirm that officials in Baghdad believe that the site is in a disputed area.
"This news is not true. This field is disputed and now it is neglected by both sides. There was no storming of the field, it's empty, it's abandoned, it is exactly on the border between Iraq and Iran," Ahmed Ali al-Khafaji was quoted as saying.
Iran and Iraq have agreed to set up an arbitration commission to clear up the misunderstanding.
I'd love to see Iraq file a counterclaim for damages subsequent to the 2003 invasion resulting from Iran-supported terror activities by various Shiite groups, Al Qaeda in Iraq, etc.
In a Saturday telephone conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari decided that setting up such a commission would be the best way to approach the problem.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Not to worry. Their reparations from WWII will cover it...
Now that the enviro nuts have finished handing out their "Fossil of the Day" and "Colossal Fossil" awards, unfairly smearing Canada at the just-completed Copenhagen climate summit, let's return the favour with some well-deserved honours of our own.
Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, we present the Copenhagen Flatulence Awards, honouring those who raised the art of generating hot air and gassy emissions to new intensity levels during the UN-sponsored festival of indignation.
The "I'm Not Really A Climatologist, I Just Play One on TV" Flatulence Award:
To Al Gore, who, having made a career out of mocking opponents for "getting the science wrong" on global warming, gets the science wrong on the melting of the polar ice cap, according to the scientist he says he got the science from.
The "That Old Man River, He Just Keeps Rolling Along" Flatulence Award:
To David Suzuki, for suggesting during a CBC interview -- twice -- that anyone worried about lost jobs if Canada's oil sands are shut down, would also have endorsed slavery in the American south.
The "I'm The King Of The World, Baby, King Of The World!!!" Flatulence Award:
To David Miller, who accepted two Canada-mocking fossil awards in Copenhagen and pronounced himself embarrassed on behalf of all Canadians, apparently unaware that a lame-duck Toronto mayor who would have been slaughtered in the next municipal election -- had he had the stones to run -- is about as fossilized as you can get.
The "Yes, I'll Have My Gateaux and Eat It Too" Flatulence Award:
To Quebec Premier Jean Charest, for going medieval on Alberta's oil sands, apparently unaware that oil money from Alberta helps to pay for Quebec's cradle-to-grave social programs.
The "Pay No Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain" Flatulence Award:
To Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, for having his environmental thingy in Copenhagen lambaste Stephen Harper for not doing enough to lower greenhouse gas emissions, days after Ontario's environment commissioner lambasted McGuinty for not doing enough to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The "Somebody Has to Change Their Irresponsible, Carbon-Spewing Lifestyle To Save The Planet, But It Ain't Gonna Be Me" Flatulence Award:
To the Copenhagen delegates who booked 140 private jets and 1,200 limousines -- five of them hybrids -- to fly into and tool around the UN conference.
The "Okay, Now It's Just Getting !@$#%$ Stupid" Flatulence Award:
To UN Copenhagen delegates who applauded Third World thug Robert Mugabe and Venezuela's loopy Hugo Chavez, for demanding more money from the West for fighting global warming, as if it won't go down exactly the same sinkhole our foreign aid does now.
The "We'll Tell You What's News, You Miserable Little Peons" Flatulence Award:
To all those Canadian media outlets, and you know who you are, who kept insisting climategate wasn't a real story, without ever explaining what climategate was.
And in conclusion, some positive examples of those who took the high-flying, hypocritical gas bags in Copenhagen down a notch:
The "Is That An Iceberg In Your Pocket Or Are You Happy To See Me?" Award:
To Danish sex trade workers, who, angered by a warning from Copenhagen's mayor to conference delegates not to make use of their services, offered free sex to anyone who could produce their conference identity card, plus a copy of the mayor's warning that was sent to local hotels.
The "My Government Went to COP 15 And All I Got Was This Lousy Economy" Award:
To the Washington-based National Center For Public Policy Research, which handed out free T-shirts in Copenhagen featuring the above motto -- along with a photo of a soup line during the Great Depression.
And finally, overheard at newsbusters.org: "Climate scientists today said 2000 to 2009 is the warmest decade on record ... And they have the manipulated data to prove it!"
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Sen. Ben Nelson, (D-Neb.) the crucial 60th vote in the health care reform debate, said Sunday that having so much leverage hasn't been a situation he created and that the intensity of negotiations has been as "harsh..and unforgiving as I've ever seen it in my nine years."
Nelson has been at the center of the abortion language and struck a deal that will prevent federal funds from subsidizing plans that cover abortions. The compromise has angered people on both sides of the abortion debate.
"We tried to pass the Stupak language earlier in the Congress last week....It didn't get enough votes, the choice was do nothing or try to do something. What we were trying to do was find a way to solve the issue," Nelson said on CNN's "State of the Union." "If you think it's fun having both sides on an issue mad at you when you're trying to do something in a good faith, just think if i'd gone home and gotten bit by the family dog...Who enjoys that?"
Nelson said that without the compromise, reconciliation probably would have been more likely.
"I put together what I thought was appropriate and I'm sorry that both sides didn't enjoy it," he said. "That's the way it works. I'm an independent type of person."
Commenting on the fact that most of the major changes don't take effect until 2014, Nelson said, "It's unfortunate that there is that lag...the majority of this doesn't take affect until sometime in the future."
"The criticism is there, it's valid....but you have to move into this incrementally," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
"If you think it's fun having both sides on an issue mad at you when you're trying to do something in a good faith, just think if i'd gone home and gotten bit by the family dog...Who enjoys that?"
That's right Ben, it's all about your... feel good factor and has little to do with the unborn or the will of the American people. That you for this revealing peek into your thought process and inner man.
#2
You know, Ben, when the winds are swirling and shifting from one direction to another it helps to have a little bit of courage, integrity and faith in your own convictions. That way you know what to do in spite of all the people screaming at you to do otherwise. But I can see how it might be tough if you're nothing but a spineless little weasel.
[Ma'an] Palestinian fighters said on Sunday that they traded gunfire with Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday.
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the
"We claim joint responsibility for shooting three Israeli soldiers east of Beit Hanoun."
National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), claimed joint responsibility for an attack. "We claim joint responsibility for shooting three Israeli soldiers east of Beit Hanoun. The Israeli army retaliated by shooting with heavy weapons," the two groups said in a statement.
An Israeli military representative said that an an Israeli patrol came under fire on in recent hours near the Nahal Oz crossing. The official said no injuries or damage resulted. It was not clear if this was the same incident reported by the PFLP and DFLP.
The armed groups' statement added that the attack was "in response to the crimes of the occupation."
The statement also reaffirmed "the right to resist the occupation ... in order to defend our people, land, identity and principles."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
TOPIX > EHUD BARAK: ISRAEL'S TARGET IS LEBANON, NOT HEZBOLLAH [claims Tel Aviv has bigger thingys in mind than simply the Hezzies Huzzies Hizzies]; + JIHADISTS CALL FOR ATTACKS OVER EGYPT'S SECURITY FENCE [Gaza-Sinai].
Of course the link is that makes this news so delicious.
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal Monday to review a lower court's dismissal of a case brought by four British former Guantanamo prisoners against former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the detainees' lawyers charged Tuesday that the country's highest court evidently believes that "torture and religious humiliation are permissible tools for a government to use." I read reports linked to the discussions: one of the treatments rises to mis-treatment or torture. That is what is so insane about the contentions by those who would disarm us: They want us to believe that a prisoner refusing water is torture.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
12/21/2009 8:43
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#2
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., had ruled that government officials were immune from suit because at that time it was unclear whether abusing prisoners at Guantanamo was illegal.
As I understand it, this is patently untrue. There was always a long list of things our people could not do, hence there were no thumb-screws or iron-maidens at Guantanamo.
These clowns changed what was on the abuse/no-go list, and now want to say the changes are retroactive.
[Dawn] Interior Minister Rehman Malik has rejected corruption allegations against him and other politicians. "No, no! Certainly not!"
Malik says the cases are politically motivated and until proven guilty no one can say that the charges are true. 'Allegations are always there, allegations are on our judiciary. Allegations are on our leadership,' he said. 'Well, fine. If the Supreme Court wants us to go a second time to the court, yes, we'll go, we'll clear it. But until proven guilty, nobody can say they are the right charges.'
Pakistan's interior minister has defiantly characterized himself and other politicians facing corruption charges as victims of politically motivated opponents, in an interview with CNN.
Rehman Malik said he does not fear his day in court because he has done nothing wrong.
'The allegations are false, therefore, I'm not worried at all,' Malik told CNN's Arwa Damon in an interview Saturday.
'We think that it's good that we go through that process and clear our names, though our names are already clear.'
Malik is among thousands of bureaucrats and politicians who were granted amnesty by the now-nullified National Reconciliation Ordinance, which saved them from having to face corruption charges.
Many Pakistanis viewed the ordinance as protecting the elite at the expense of the poor, and local media largely hailed the decision, saying it was long awaited accountability and justice.
But Malik said the amnesty was fair. 'This was basically an agreement between all the political leadership that any politically victimised person should be given a leave immediately so we can get all the political leadership in Pakistan to take part in election,' he said.
He rejected as propaganda criticism of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and calls for President Asif Ali Zardari to step down.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run defense think tank has concluded that North Korea is capable of achieving the technology needed to miniaturize its nuclear warheads, an informed military source said Sunday.
How are they doing on bicycles?
In its report on 2009 military trends in Northeast Asia scheduled to be published next month, the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses (KIDA) concluded that the North at the moment does not have the technology to fit a nuclear weapon on a missile, according to the military source who asked to be unnamed. But KIDA has determined that it is only a matter of time before the North becomes capable of successfully producing a small nuclear warhead, considering its possession of a high-explosives test site, a large number of experts and its concentration on nuclear development.
The think tank also concluded that the North's nuclear program has been overseen by at least 28 state agencies operating under the ruling Workers' Party and the National Defense Commission, with an estimated 3,000 government employees involved in the country's nuclear development, said the source.
All of whom get to eat at least one real meal each day.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Unfortunately clean water, indoor plumbing, and three hots per day are still huge challenge.
#2
Practically speaking, the achievable weight of a nuclear weapon that a 3rd world country could put on a missile is a little over 1000lb. From that point it is a missile tech problem.
Both Nork and Iran have long had missiles that could carry half a ton. The real villainy comes when Russia and others provide them with more advanced missile tech to help them penetrate anti-missile defenses.
#3
While in the 'advanced' category that Moose mentions, Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) are another problem as well. A day of reckoning regarding the problem is not far off I'm afraid.
#5
I thought their last nuke test was considered a fizzle. I foyu can't have a big boom then why start miniaturizing?
Posted by: chris ||
12/21/2009 13:20
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#6
ION WMF > more on HOW THE US LOST THE YEAR 2015 ANTi-CARRIER NAVAL BATTLE AGZ CHINA > SINK THE US AIRCRAFT CARRIER? ON THE PREMISE OF CHINA'S INVASION OF JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA.
* SAME > THE OPERATING RANGE OF CHINA'S STRATEGIC H-6 BOMBERS CAN IMPROVED TO FOUR TIMES ITS DISTANCE, AND CAN EASILY THREATEN OR DETER THE US BASE ON GUAM ISLAND.
* PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > INDONESIAN WARSHIPS WILL BE ARMED WID CHINESE MISSLES.
[Dawn] Seventeen bodies of militants and tribal elders were found in Darra Adamkhel and Orakzai Agency on Saturday. One of the bodies has been identified to be that of local commander Ehsan.
Bodies of four associates of Ehsan -- Bashir, Qayyum, Hadiullah and Raj Mir -- have also been found.
The identity of the other victims has yet to be ascertained. All of them are said to be in their thirties.
Six militants and two lashkar men were killed in a clash over deployment of a Frontier Corps platoon in the Storikhel area of upper Orakzai Agency.
Taliban militants opened fire on tribesmen for welcoming the deployment, killing two volunteers.
Six militants were killed when the lashkar retaliated and attacked the Taliban.
Seven bodies were found in Jawaki and Darra Adamkhel on Friday. The Tehrik-i-Taliban claimed that the bodies belonged to people who had been arrested by security personnel.
It is common for the security forces personnel and TTP men to trade allegations over the death of tribesmen.
A pro-government tribal elder, Malik Fazal Mohammad, was killed in Ghaljo area in upper Orakzai Agency on Friday evening. Two bodies of elders were recovered from Dabori area in the lower part of the agency.
The killings triggered panic among tribesmen in Darra Adamkhel, where a military operation has been going on for more than a year.
Tags
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > PAKISTAN LOSES 30 UNDERCOVER AGENTS IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN [Talibs beheading-killing anyone they think is a spy].
* SAME > YOUTUBE - [ABCNEWS]TALIBAN MUJAHIDEEN ATTACK AND CAPTURE US BASE IN NURISTAN PROVINCE.
Twelve Guantanamo detainees have departed the ominous detention facility for their homelands in Afghanistan, Yemen and Somaliland, says the US Department of Justice.
The last I heard, the recidivism rate of Guantanamo graduates was 14%. I wonder what it is now?
The Justice Department announced in a statement on Sunday that six Yemenis, four Afghans and two Somali prisoners have been transferred over the weekend to their home countries.
"These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and relevant foreign authorities to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures," the Justice Department said in its statement.
"Consultations with foreign authorities regarding these individuals will continue," the statement added, AFP reported
The US seeks to relocate 116 detainees to their home, or third countries willing to accept them.
The number of those likely to return to their old, bad ways is left as an exercise for the student. Do not forget to take into account that the best-behaved were released long ago.
Around half of the 200-plus prisoners at the notorious detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are from Yemen. Washington fears that lack of the security resources in the Middle Eastern nation would pave the way for Guantanamo returnees to join armed groups.
But what else is there for a lad to do in Yemen, except join the army and massacre Houthis?
Should the relocation go as planned, US authorities would be prepared to transfer more Yemeni detainees.
US President Barack Obama admitted in November that he would not be able to keep his promise and shutter the prison in January.
He has pledged to close the controversial detention center in 2010, and announced last week that many of the detainees would be transferred to a prison in the US state of Illinois.
According to the US officials, some of the prisoners will stand trials in US criminal or military courts, while others are expected to be transferred abroad.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
#1
Gitmo 'Recidivism' Claims Don't Stand Scrutiny
James Joyner | January 16, 2009
Earlier this week, I reported on the U.S. Defense Department's claims that as many as 61 former Guantanimo detainees had returned to terrorism. My friend Steve Hynd, who blogs at Newshoggers and elsewhere, passes along a rather convincing rejoinder from Michael J. Ricciardelli of the Seton Hall Law Center for Policy & Research.
#3
Any chance there are a few GPS trackers sewed into their underwear?
Posted by: Karl Rove ||
12/21/2009 10:20
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#4
There has just been a second DoD report on recidivism issued since the article to which badanov links, one in May that was leaked to the New York Times, and one this month, which remains unleaked. And we've had reports here at Rantburg of Guantanamo graduates captured, killed, or otherwise actively involved in terror activity, so we know recidivism is real. It's quite possible the DoD does not want to reveal sources of information about individuals whose activities were not reported in the open press, and therefore chose to restate numbers on that basis... I have no idea. But it's something to think about.
#5
You'd think the possibility that some of these guys will kill some of our guys would be a consideration for our Dear Leader. But apparently it's not.
#6
I hope "return" means a plane lands, taxis to the end of the runway, opens a door, and folks onboard toss out the dead bodies of the "returnees". The plane then returns to the States and gets another load. Maybe we need to include a few "journalists" from the Times and WAPO, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, and maybe even the Minneapolis Star/Tribune for similar treatment.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/21/2009 15:54
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Saudi warplanes have carried out fresh airstrikes on northern Yemeni villages, killing more than 50 civilians, Houthi sources say.
The Shia fighters said on Sunday that Saudi jets fired more than one-thousand missiles at the region along its border with Yemen, Arabic language Al-Menpar news website reported.
"There has been a massacre committed by the Saudis in the district of Razeh in the (northern) Sa'ada province, this morning (Sunday)," a fighters spokesman who identified himself as Ali was quoted by AFP as saying.
"The town of Al-Nadheer was targeted by air strikes and 54 civilians, including women and children, were killed," he added.
According to Al-Menpar "US-made weaponry" is now being used by the Saudi army against the civilians in the region.
Although Riyadh insists that its raids are only aimed at targeting Houthi positions, Saudi warplanes continue to target civilian areas in northern Yemen.
Meanwhile, the US special forces have reportedly been sent to Yemen to provide the national army with training services. The US Air Force is also said to have been sporadically pounding the northern areas since Monday.
The Houthis said US attacks on Thursday killed 120 civilians, among whom were women and children. Also on Saturday, a report on the Houthis' website said that three civilians, including a woman and a child, had been killed in fresh air raids carried out by US warplanes.
The attacks have so far left scores of Shia civilians killed in the war torn region and thousands of others displaced since Yemen launched its offensive against the fighters in August.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
What? No fuzzy bunnies and puppies?
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/21/2009 0:12
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#2
And no Green Helmet. You gotta have a Green Helmet!
#3
PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > YEMEN: BATTLEGROUND FOR PROXY WAR BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND SAUDI ARABIA| YEMEN: PENTAGON'S WAR ON THE ARABIAN PENINSULA. Yemen = new US excuse to concentrically expand its imperialism from outside of AFPAK, into the ME + Africa???
* STRATFOR: ETHIOPIA: AL-SHAHAAB PREPARING FOR "ALL-OUT WAR".
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez launched a federal police force on Sunday that he hopes will change the overwhelmingly negative image most Venezuelans have of their public security forces while reducing crime in one of Latin America's most violent countries.
And why would they have such a negative view in the first place?
"We are going to defeat crime," Chavez told uniformed cadets belonging to the newly formed National Bolivarian Police Force during his weekly television and radio show. "We are tackling one of our population's most sensitive problems: crime prevention."
Every politician promises to reduce crime ...
But what will the newly formed police think constitutes a crime they are meant to prevent?
The 950-agent force will initially operate in the capital's most crime-ridden neighborhoods, but the government plans to boost the number of officers to 6,000 and extend its reach beyond Caracas by the end of next year.
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said the nascent police force would seek to reduce crime through preventative rather than repressive measures and embrace the socialist ideals of Chavez's "Bolivarian Revolution," a political movement named after 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar.
Ah, now we see what's meant by a 'federal police force' ...
"The National Police will impose a culture of peace in the barrios to eliminate the violence of the capitalist, bourgeois model that we've inherited," El Aissami said.
Do as you're told, Pablo, and your mother keeps her monthly check from Hugo ...
Armed robbery, kidnapping and murder are widespread in this poverty-stricken South American country,
Certainly the first two are crimes of personal enrichment, although not in the capitalist model of willingly exchanging one's funds for an offered good or service.
and polls consistently show that most Venezuelans view violent crime as the nation's most pressing problem. Police figures released by the Justice Ministry show there were 12,257 homicides nationwide in the first 11 months of 2009 -- more than eight times higher than in Texas, which has roughly the same population as Venezuela.
Almost as bad as Messico ...
Venezuelans are generally distrustful of the country's police. Many citizens were not surprised when El Aissami revealed earlier this month that police are involved in 15 to 20 percent of all crimes, particularly kidnapping and murder.
Goodness, that's worse than Belgium!
In its annual report released this month, the local Provea human rights groups said police were responsible for more than 200 slayings over the last year, including 55 people who died of excessive force or torture.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Who wants to bet that they have a very interesting definition of "crime"?
#2
ION WAFF > BREAKING NEWS: COLUMBIAN FORCES BEGIN MASSING ON VENEZUELAN BORDER| CHAVEZ THREATENS WAR [threatens the "Bourgeois of Columbia"]; + HUGO CHAVEZ ORDERS MILITARY TO SHOOT AT US AIRCRAFT.
A nice summary of reported activity since 1999, including three in the final quarter of 2009. No doubt there were other incidents that didn't make the newspapers or the blogs. Most of those listed I think have been reported here at Rantburg, but it's useful to see it all in one place. Hattip Lucianne.com
#2
From the time I joined the Air Force in 1964 until I retired in 1991, several hundred thousand members of the US military retired or separated every year. Most of those retired or separated military members have some quite legitimate bare-hands combat skills. Almost all of them can handle a knife, and more than half are competent with handguns, rifles, and other weapons. Maybe what the airlines need to do is to offer half-price seats for up to five such men, allow them aboard with openly-visible weapons, and seat them throughout the aircraft cabin. A box-cutter isn't even remotely capable up against a K-bar or .303 Winchester, or against a seat-belt extender. Encourage anyone who is willing to take free training to act as "unofficial," volunteer sky marshals, complete with photo id and black leather jacket, so everyone aboard will know they're there. The ACLU will become apoplectic, but maybe that would be a good thing. Perhaps we could even induce a few non-fatal but career-ending heart attacks...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/21/2009 16:50
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Iranian troops have withdrawn partially from a disputed oil well claimed by both Tehran and Baghdad, the Iraqi government spokesman said on Sunday.
Ali al-Dabbagh said a small group of Iranian troops who had taken over an oil well in a remote region along the two countries' border last week were no longer in control of the well, which Iraq considers part of its Fakka oilfield.
"The Iranian flag has been lowered. The Iranian troops have pulled back 50 meters, but they have not gone back to where they were before.
I've read elsewhere they pulled back to a nearby hill. And the Iraqi army/police are staging 1km away, awaiting orders. I don't know how accurate that is, though.
The Iraqi government asked for the troops to go back to where they were," Dabbagh said.
On Friday, global oil prices climbed after Iraq's state-owned South Oil Co. in the southeastern city of Amara said that an Iranian force had arrived at the field and taken control of the Well 4.
Baghdad demanded that "Tehran pull back the armed men who occupied Well No 4" and condemned the incident as "a violation of Iraqi sovereignty."
Iran rejected allegations it had occupied an Iraqi oil well.
The border flare-up kicked off a storm of emergency meetings and bilateral phone calls, with Baghdad calling for an immediate withdrawal yet also seeking to contain damage to its important relationship with neighboring Iran.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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[Ma'an] After a wave of criticism, the finale of the first-ever Miss Palestine pageant has been postponed indefinitely by the Palestinian Authority.
The Ramallah Governorate announced on Sunday, "According to the requirements of the public interest, we decided to freeze and delay indefinitely of the coronation of Miss Palestine 2009 that was scheduled to be held on 26/12/2009 in Ramallah."
The statement said the decision was made out of respect for the anniversary of the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza, which will be marked on 27 December.
But, the statement added, "We encourage such ideas that promote beauty that is committed to age-old Palestinian traditions and values."
The Miss Palestine pageant generated controversy when it was announced by the Trip Fashion Company earlier in December. Islamist politicians denounced the competition as not in keeping with traditional values.
The project originally had support from the Palestinian Authority. Officials from the ministries of Information and Culture were to help judge the contest, its organizers said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Pity. The first Miss Palestine pageant could have been an explosive event.
#5
Officials from the ministries of Information and Culture were to help judge the contest, its organizers said.
More judging of women at the ministerial level? Could have been bad for the runner ups and also rans. Spend the money on clean water and indoor plumbing instead please.
[Iran Press TV Latest] Yemeni forces have "indiscriminately" killed at least 49 civilians in airstrikes described as attacks against 'al-Qaeda operatives' in the south, a local official says.
Some 23 children were among the victims, said the official from the Al-Mahfed region, in which Al-Maajala village -- where the airstrikes took place -- is situated, AFP reported Sunday.
"The raid was carried out indiscriminately and killed 49 civilians, including 23 children and 17 women," said the official on the condition of anonymity.
A tribal leader from the Al-Kazam tribe has also confirmed the civilian deaths, saying that "in total, 49 civilians were killed."
"Al-Qaeda has chosen to build its training center on land where Bedouin nomads
pitch their tents, and the government forces believe the nomads harbor al-Qaeda forces," said the leader, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
But we all know how fiercely warlike the Bedouins are, so if the al-Qaeda forces remain there, it must be with permission, right?
The Yemeni government is accused of killing at least 60 other civilians in the southeastern province of Abyan on Friday.
Along with the southern areas, northern regions of the country are also scenes of joint Saudi-Yemeni raids against civilians.
Saudi forces that have joined the government offensive against Shia fighters in November have killed scores of civilians in their attacks on northern villages.
Earlier on Sunday, fresh Saudi air strikes on border regions left over 54 civilian killed.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Unless "the Army" has Juice advisors---who cares?
#2
ION TOPIX > SOMALIA CHAOS SPREADING FAR BEYOND ITS FRONTIER AND COASTLINES, + [Daily Times.PK]WEST WARNS SOMALIA IS BECOMING A HAVEN FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS.
US-NATO-Local pressure in AFPAK + Iraq is inducing 00's of foreign fighters to come to Somalia instead to fight the UNO + US-backed local Govt. GROWING WEST-PERCEIVED TIES BETWEEN AL-SHABAAB + AL QAEDA. However, at the same time there are rifts dev between local Jihadist Nationalists [Somalia-only] + many foreign fighters whom desire to expand or broaden the insurgency to the next higher level???
[Dawn] Security forces on Sunday killed at least four militants at Kalangi area located along the Malakand-Bajaur border.
According to security officials, the militants were trying to enter into Malakand from Bajaur when the security forces intercepted them at Kalangi check post.
The militants opened fire at the security forces, which led to a gun battle during which the militants were killed.
Security forces recovered a rocket launcher, four small machine guns, sixteen magazines and six grenades.
The security forces last night also killed eight militants in Buner and recovered a heavy amount of arms and ammunition.
Meanwhile, at least six suspects have also been arrested during a search operation in Lakki Marwat.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) concedes that Republican senators won't be able to stop Democratic health care reform legislation from passing the Senate before Christmas. We guessed that.
"We will fight until the last vote," McCain told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace. "We owe that to our constituents, because we must do everything -- we must look back and say we did everything to prevent this terrible mistake from taking place."
Democrats recently reached a deal with hold out members of their own caucus to cobble together the 60 votes necessary to pass the bill - and McCain, in response to a Wallace question, said there's "probably not" anything the GOP can do to block the bill. "But what we can do is continue winning the battle of American public opinion."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
So from where is the Senate Democrats getting the 60 votes ?
Did Ted Kennedy "phone" his vote in from the great beyond ?
Posted by: Ulenter Oppressor of the Faith9084 ||
12/21/2009 2:43
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#2
The People decided on this course of action, they need to learn to live with the current and future funemployment rate.
#3
Spot on Snowy Mtn. Evidently the American people wanted a Chicago machine style gov't at the national level. It's not like the Chicago and Cook County Democratic pay-for-play system has been a well kept secret for the past 100 years or so. One should be careful what one asks for.
#5
Betcha that what this Congress can pass the next Congress can't quite unpass. We're going to be stuck with this mess for years and years, and once it's started it's going to grow, until it eats all the money we can lay hands on, including all we can borrow.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009 11:11
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#6
We're going to be stuck with this mess for years and years We're already in a big financial mess that will last for years and years. Passing Obamacare will be like the Titanic hitting a 2nd iceberg.
#7
The congress is too divided. The parasites have almost taken over the host. I see no easy way out of this. We will be bankrupt and collapse economically, going Zimbob, if you will, before this gets sorted out, if it ever does. We are committing national suicide.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/21/2009 11:34
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#8
The parasites have almost taken over the host.
This must surely be a leading entry for Congressional snark of the month. Still wiping coffee from my keyboard.
#10
Time for a third party based on fiscal soundness. Unfortunately none of the current batch are serious enough to step up and a shake and bake instant party is unlikely to grab hold.
Perhaps if enough people are disgusted we might see some migration of pols into the third party giving it strength and credibility but that's unlikely. The current batch are pretty elitist in that regards.
Perhaps the threat of such a move coming out of the Tea Parties will get the Republicans to reform.
#11
I think the charitable thing to assume about McCain is that he spent so many years adhering to Senate rules by calling Democrat senators "gentlemen" that he finally came to believe that they are gentlemen. In fact they are a pack of rats. McCain has made a career of dealing with these people, compromising with them to "get things done". Then in the 2008 election they put on brass knuckles and beat the crap out of him. He should have known better than to let it happen. He should have hammered away at Obama's associations with people like Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright. He should have screamed bloody murder about Acorn, Bawney Fwank, Chris Dodd and CRA. He should loudly and proudly voted against TARP and all the other bailouts and stimuli. He should have opposed amnesty instead of championing it. What a fool. Either that or he's just as crooked as they are.
#15
The Republicans forfeited their right to stop health care because they became corrupt and unresponsive to the voters. They gave up their conservative roots and any notion of fiscal responsibility. The donks will get thrown out for the same reasons. So where do we go from there?
That's the question Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is asking as he threatens next month to lead a second attempt to strip the Harlem Democrat of his powerful post as Ways and Means Committee chairman.
"Every tax attorney in the country will tell you that if a normal taxpayer committed the violations of Chairman Rangel, they would be assessed serious penalties and interest, if not charged with criminal tax evasion," Carter said.
"This is about defending the rule of law itself."
Carter led the charge but failed to oust Rangel in October.
The House Ethics Committee began its probe of Rangel's alleged ethics breaches in September 2008 after The Post reported he had not disclosed income from a Dominican Republic beachfront villa he owns.
At the time, Rangel said he would eventually disclose his tax returns, but has not yet done so.
Rangel's office did not return calls seeking comment.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
For 2010 election, this is a situation where the tea party types need to really energize the disinterested proles, and set aside petty differences to unseat a monstrosity. Unite all the disaffected behind one candidate - in this particular case, almost any breathing human being would be preferable - and get this bit of housecleaning accomplished. If any opposition candidate gets anything close to a clear plurality, the other opposition should concede and encourage their voters to back the most potent opposition candidate.
Get this ass-clown tossed out on his rump. Then - use the 2012 election to go back to infighting.
I know this is wishful thinking - but somebody local needs to get energized.
Rather than have the entrenched political elite trying to unseat Rangel from a committee chair, the broader electorate should be sending this guy on a permanent vacation.
#2
Rangel represents his districts and constituency much the same way Pelosi represents hers. Why would they want to kill the goose that lays the stolen golden eggs. 7.62mm
Iron-clad rule at Rantburg: we do not threaten Americans. Period. I'm sure you won't make that error again, Angoth Platypus4042. A pity, because the rest of your comment was quite good.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Sunday defended his nominees for ministerial posts and promised that all members of his cabinet will be accountable as he fights to eradicate corruption.
Karzai is facing extreme pressure from his Western backers to tackle graft, which observers say fuels a Taliban-led insurgency and is a major reason for the government's unpopularity.
Amid threats from backers, including the United States and NATO allies with more than 100,000 troops deployed to fight the insurgency, Karzai used the cabinet list as evidence of his commitment to fighting corruption.
The poor man is being required to produce fine porcelain dishes out of common riverbank clay.
The 23 out of a total of 25 ministerial nominees who presented themselves to parliament on Saturday face an arduous approval process.
"Of the new cabinet we presented to the parliament, almost 50 percent of them are new," he told a press conference with visiting Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme.
"I can say with confidence that the new ministers, as well as those from the last cabinet, will be accountable for anything relating to corruption," he said, adding: "I will be accountable."
The nominees are individuals "who can work, serve the people and achieve goals we have for the people of Afghanistan," Karzai said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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#1
Personally, TW, I'd be satisfied with a fired pitcher that didn't leak.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/21/2009 16:33
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I quite agree, Old Patriot. But our president does not.
#3
TOPIX > THE NEWS.PK > [Afghan]TALIBAN CLAIM CONTROL OF OVER 80% OF AFGHANISTAN + US WRONGLY CONSIDERS TALIBAN. US-NATO-Kabul wrong in thinking that Talibs need to flee over borders into neighboring countries???
* SAME > US TROOPS, TALIBAN COMPETE FOR AFGHANS LIVING IN REMOTE DISTRICTS BESET BY POVERTY | US TROOPS, TALIBAN RACE TO SET UP LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
* SAME > BALOCHISTAN A NEW TARGET IN DRONE WAR AGZ TALIBAN [USGovt = CIA wants to expand oper radius of UAV armed missions].
[Al Arabiya Latest] The condition of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan sentenced to life imprisonment for the Lockerbie bombing and repatriated in August, has deteriorated and the cancer that afflicts him has spread through his body, a medical bulletin said early Sunday. "A scan has shown a worsening of the disease which has spread more than before," said the bulletin from the Tripoli Medical Center where Megrahi is being treated for terminal cancer.
The bulletin received by AFP said Megrahi, 57, arrived at the hospital on Saturday coughing and vomiting.
He was also suffering from "secondary effects of the sessions of chemotherapy" that he has been undergoing, including a weight gain, high blood pressure and sugar in the blood along with muscular fatigue.
Or, he was bled, had his head shaved and was given cotton-candy to eat just before the blood draw ...
"His condition was examined Saturday by a team of European experts who agreed on the continuation of chemotherapy sessions while also administering other medicaments to treat the disease," the hospital said in its first bulletin released since Megrahi's return in August.
No doubt in the very near future that fine team of Europeans will step up to the television cameras to report for themselves, thus settling any doubts about the truth of the hospital bulletin.
Last week the Scottish authorities charged with supervising the Lockerbie bomber said they had contacted him in Tripoli on Wednesday, following concerns about his whereabouts.
Under the terms of his release from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds, Megrahi cannot leave Tripoli or change his address and must keep in regular contact with East Renfrewshire Council.
They were unable to contact the Libyan on Tuesday, while The Times newspaper could not track him down at either his house or the hospital where the terminal prostate cancer sufferer has had treatment. "We have now spoken to Mr Megrahi, who is in his house. There is no cause for alarm, he is in his house," said a spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council in western Scotland.
Megrahi is the only person convicted over the December 1988 bombing of a New York-bound Pan Am Boeing 747 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, which killed 270 people.
He was freed on Aug. 20 after doctors said he had only three months to live, and returned to a hero's welcome in Libya, who support Megrahi's claims that he was wrongly accused and is innocent of the Lockerbie bombing.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/21/2009
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I thought he was missing? Did they use a geiger counter to find him?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/21/2009 7:41
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"His condition was examined Saturday by a team of European experts who agreed on the continuation of chemotherapy
I recommend the dosage be doubled and vinegar added until the coughing subsides.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
"In the long run we can't continue to spend as if deficits don't have consequences, as if waste doesn't matter, as if the hard earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like monopoly money, that's what we've seen time and time again, Washington has become more concerned about the next election than the next generation."
Ex-communicated Roman Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has rejected the decision by Benedict XVI to unfrock, describing it as "invalid" and said he wanted the Roman Catholic Church to pay him pension for the 23 years he worked in Italy.
For the first 18 months after the September 11 attacks, US officials charged that Saudi Arabia, shell-shocked by the fact that a majority of the perpetrators had been Saudi nationals, was dragging its feet on implementing measures to prevent Saudis from funding militant Islamic groups like al Qaeda.
Sen. Ben Nelson, (D-Neb.) the crucial 60th vote in the health care reform debate, said Sunday that having so much leverage hasn't been a situation he created and that the intensity of negotiations has been as "harsh..and unforgiving as I've ever seen it in my nine years." 
SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run defense think tank has concluded that North Korea is capable of achieving the technology needed to miniaturize its nuclear warheads, an informed military source said Sunday.
Twelve Guantanamo detainees have departed the ominous detention facility for their homelands in Afghanistan, Yemen and Somaliland, says the US Department of Justice. 
Saudi warplanes have carried out fresh airstrikes on northern Yemeni villages, killing more than 50 civilians, Houthi sources say. 
[Iran Press TV Latest] Yemeni forces have "indiscriminately" killed at least 49 civilians in airstrikes described as attacks against 'al-Qaeda operatives' in the south, a local official says. 
"Al-Qaeda has chosen to build its training center on land where Bedouin nomads 
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) concedes that Republican senators won't be able to stop Democratic health care reform legislation from passing the Senate before Christmas. 
That's the question Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) is asking as he threatens next month to lead a second attempt to strip the Harlem Democrat of his powerful post as Ways and Means Committee chairman. 
[Al Arabiya Latest] Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Sunday defended his nominees for ministerial posts and promised that all members of his cabinet will be accountable as he fights to eradicate corruption.
[Al Arabiya Latest] The condition of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan sentenced to life imprisonment for the Lockerbie bombing and repatriated in August, has deteriorated and the cancer that afflicts him has spread through his body, a medical bulletin said early Sunday. "A scan has shown a worsening of the disease which has spread more than before," said the bulletin from the Tripoli Medical Center where Megrahi is being treated for terminal cancer.
