#4
I wonder if he calls the publisher "Pinch" or "pinche". ;)
(Note to non-Spanish speakers....pinche is an all purpose adjective/adverb, meaning something sort of in between "damn" and the f-word. Usually closer to the f-word, actually.)
KINSHASA, Congo -- More than 1,500 Rwandan troops crossed the border into eastern Congo on Tuesday to join Congolese forces in an effort to oust Hutu rebels who participated in Rwanda's genocide and have long been at the heart of the region's conflict, officials said.
Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said the Rwandan forces arrived Tuesday morning and that the joint military operations would last 10 to 15 days. "We have officially asked the Rwandan army to participate in the disarmament operations of the Interahamwe (Hutu militia) which have begun," Mende said. A Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said there was concern that Hutu militiamen might retaliate against civilians.
In a rare move, Congo and Rwanda have agreed to step up efforts against the Rwandan Hutu militants who have long destabilized the region. Still, neither country has been able to eradicate the Hutu rebels since they fled to Congo in 1994. The Hutu fighters, who helped carry out the genocide in which more than 500,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed, have remained in Congo untouched, heavily armed, and in control of lucrative mines in remote hills and forests. The militia has terrorized civilians, given Tutsi rebels a reason to fight and also are the reason why Rwanda invaded Congo previously in 1996 and 1998.
Continued on Page 49
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said the time is ripe for the party men to stand corrected and undergo self-realisation and reflection, if needed. "We have to think about what we say; if they are right or wrong; we have to take a vow to rectify our mistakes, if any," Khandaker Delwar said at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club.
Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sanskritik Sangstha (Jasas) organised the meeting to mark the 73rd birth anniversary of late president Ziaur Rahman. Delwar dismissed any involvement of Ziaur Rahman with the brutal killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Speaking as the chief guest the BNP leader said Ziaur Rahman played a role to bring Sheikh Hasina back to her motherland and then Ziaur Rahman was assassinated within a few days of her coming back.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2009 00:00 ||
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United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Renata Lok Dessallien yesterday said the UN is ready to assist Bangladesh in trying war criminals. Yeah, they've been tearin' 'em up in Cambodia, haven't they?
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2009 00:00 ||
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In an interview shown in the past week on the Spanish-language network Univision, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said that Venezuela's firebrand president, Hugo Chavez, has hindered progress in Latin America, and he expressed concern that Chavez's leftist government has assisted Colombia's biggest guerrilla movement, a group the United States considers a terrorist organization. Chavez responded this weekend by saying that Obama had "the same stench" as President Bush, a frequent target of Chavez's remarks.
"There is still time" for Obama to correct his views, the Venezuelan leader said, but he added: "No one should say that I threw the first stone at Obama. He threw it at me."
The interview with the president-elect, shown in two segments that aired Sunday and last Tuesday, included Obama's most extensive comments to date about Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico -- countries that are expected to require swift attention from the new administration. Mexico is convulsed by drug violence that is spilling into the United States; Cuba's longtime leader, Fidel Castro, is suffering from a serious undisclosed illness; and Chavez's government is reinforcing ties with such U.S. adversaries as Iran and, authorities in Bogota say, Colombian rebels.
Obama said his administration is open to starting talks with Chavez to improve relations, which have frayed badly since the Bush administration celebrated Chavez's brief overthrow at the hands of rebellious military officers in 2002. But in the 13-minute interview aired by Univision, Obama said Chavez had "been a force that has interrupted progress in the region."
He then raised the issue of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a 45-year-old rebel group loathed by Colombians for carrying out selective assassinations, attacks on civilian targets and mass kidnappings. Last year, Colombian authorities released internal rebel documents that outlined how Chavez and his close allies had assisted the group in an effort to isolate Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, the Bush administration's closest ally in Latin America. The Chavez government denies it helps the FARC, as the group is known.
"We need to be firm when we see this news, that Venezuela is exporting terrorist activities or supporting malicious entities like the FARC," Obama said. "This creates problems that are not acceptable."
Chavez reacted Saturday and earlier in the week to Obama's remarks, which were seen in Venezuela on Univision's Web site. The network did not release a transcript of the interview, in which Obama's answers are simultaneously translated into Spanish.
"He said I'm an obstacle for progress in Latin America," Chavez said in a speech to supporters in Caracas. "Therefore, it must be removed, this obstacle, right?"
The Venezuelan leader said that Obama is following orders from dark forces inside "the empire," as he refers to the United States. "If he doesn't obey the orders of the empire, they'll kill him," Chavez said, without offering details or proof.
According to a script repeated in Chavez's frequent speeches, the United States has a diabolical plan to topple his government and steal the country's immense oil reserves. The Venezuelan government accuses leading opponents of being in on the plan.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
IIRC, GWB didn't ever mention Chavez in public.
#2
it was subtext in his "Axis of Evil and Sons of Wh0res" speech
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/20/2009 8:44 Comments ||
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#3
Couldn't just carry the big stick and remain silent with his newly found knowledge. He had to plunge it into the honeypot early on. The two are so much alike, it was bound to happen sooner or later. My thanks to the Klingons for pooping him up on the threat. He obviously loves to appear wise, learned, and powerful.
#6
The problem Chavez has is only Nixon could go to China. Only Obama could order Chavez's assassination and not create a world-wide socialist uproar. Watch it Hugo.
Fox news video of Bush leaving Washington for Andrews. Looks like Bambi and Michelle are there to make sure he doesn't steal the silverware or something.....
#2
Looks like Bambi and Michelle are there to make sure he doesn't steal the silverware or something.....
No, it looks like the new president is showing respect to his predecessor by walking Mr. and Mrs. Bush to their transportation, which is as it should be. It would be very nice if President Obama and his people copy the Bushs' example when it's time for them to leave, rather than the Clintons'.
#4
I watched the AP live feed of Marine 1 departing. It was very poignant...they didn't cut away.
George and Laura made their good-byes on the stairway for the last time. Then Marine 1 buttoned up, ran up the rotors and headed out. A long sweep over the Capitol and the White House, and the camera stayed with it as it slowy dwindled in the atmospheric distance.
#5
I watched it live from my balcony. Saw the take off and when the guy said they were headed west toward VA, Mrs. Billy and I went out the balcony. They continued to just about the Lincoln, turned south and no doubt gave W a good view of Arlington. Turned southeast toward the Jefferson and we watched til they were beyong visual. God's Speed Sir
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
01/20/2009 23:50 Comments ||
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From ABC yet
...The biggest group of donors were none other than the recently bailed-out Wall Street executives and employees.
"The finance sector is well represented, despite its recent troubles," Ritsch said. "Those who worked in finance still managed to pull together nearly $7 million for the inauguration."
Correction - my read was that government employees outnumber MANUFACTURING employees in the US. That leaves out service and other employees not government or manufacturing.
So... No, Government employees do not outnumber all other employees.
My opine - however many government employees we have - there are to many!
Another scoop for PressTV Iran...
President Bush's last day in office faced with anti-war protesters, hurling shoes outside the gates of the White House to express their anger.
The event was sponsored by the Washington Peace Center, the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and other groups.
About 500 people marched to the White House on Monday and threw about 40 pairs of shoes at the gate. Supporters said that they were acting in solidarity with Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December.
The event was sponsored by the Washington Peace Center, the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and other groups, AP reported.
Peace through violence ...
Organizer Jamilla El-Shafei said the event allowed protesters to express their anger over Bush, who she said is 'leaving with no accountability for eviscerating our constitution'.
In the latest poll conducted by New York Times/CBS News poll last week, 73% of Americans disapproved of President George W. Bush's conduct. Only 22% of the surveyed individuals approved of his 8-year performance in the White House.
The most unpopular president in US history, whose term ends on January 20, will leave behind a legacy of two costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a financial crisis for his successor Barack Obama.
We'll check the polls again in four years ...
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
there was a lot he did I didn't agree with - weak on illegal immigration, prescription drug plan, the bank bailout, however, the wars were not some of these things. I think he got the wars pretty much right. I supported them before and I still support a victory in both places. Hussein was long over due to be ventilated & W definitely got the surge right - though very few people give him credit for that. We haven't been messed w/on our own soil since 9/11 and I think he deserves a lot of credit for that as well.
IMHO, one of his negatives was that he wasn't a very good communicator, or he didn't do it enough. Not a very good public speaker. I admired his steadfastness & he often didn't cave to the political winds like his predecessor. At times I thought W was too good/nice of a guy for the job - & probably didn't micromanage some people enough. Unfortunately, he was also a big victim of a celeb media culture that places too much value on style over substance - i.e. see our new pres. I hope history treats W better than the present has - he was a decent guy who did what he thought was right during a rough period of history.
he Lebanese government might warn Noble Energy Inc., a US corporation which is part of the consortium that discovered the Tamar 1 gas reserve off the shores of Haifa, that the reserve may be in part in Lebanese territorial waters, according to Al Liwaa, a Lebanese paper.
In a meeting of the Energy, Infrastructure and Public Works Committee in the Lebanese Parliament, Chairman Muhammad Kabbani said Israeli media reports on the recently discovered natural gas reserve raise the possibility that the reserve extends to Lebanon's territorial waters. "We should take every legal measure possible in order to preserve Lebanon's right," the paper quoted Kabbani as saying.
Kabbani added that he was concerned of the possibility that Lebanon would lose because "Israel is the only country which is not a signatory to [international] maritime agreements."
According to Al Liwaa's report, Lebanon has a desire to draw the borders of its territorial waters vis-à-vis neighboring states, including Israel. The country is therefore expected to ask Noble Energy for confirmation that drilling does not reach Lebanese territory, and also to warn the company that as long as it works for "the Israeli enemy" and the issue is not resolved, it must avoid producing gas in order to preserve any quantity of natural gas that might be found to belong to Lebanon.
Seriously, there may actually be a legal issue here, but I doubt Lebanon can put enough pressure on ANYONE to force their own judgment to be accepted over those of Israel. International laws governing national borders state that the borders extend outward from the littoral equally between the two nations. IF there are gas deposits in Lebanese waters, Lebanon has equal right to tap the deposits within their territorial waters as Israel has to tap reserves found in THEIR territorial waters. I don't think Lebanon is going to be pleased with the international decisions made regarding these deposits, but that's life.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
01/20/2009 21:44 Comments ||
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Posted by: ed ||
01/20/2009 12:17 ||
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#1
This is a false comparison for many reasons, the most glaring of which is looking at recessions as being of a fixed duration from start to finish. The actual onset of this recession won't be determined except in retrospect, and most of the major bubble collapses haven't even happened yet.
After the stock market crash of 1929, the year 1930 appeared to have no fewer than three recoveries before the hammer really came down.
#2
Moose, those graphs are a snapshot to date w/ comparisons to historic recessions. Despite the hysterics, the recession is milder so far than the historical median. While unemployment has grown to the median figure and will likely grow, economic output has not dropped yet, even with the dismal auto market. I attribute that to exporting the recession overseas where most of our nonfood consumer goods are produced. Chinese, Japanese, Korean and German economic figures will be interesting to see.
As for fixed length of recessions: The 10 previous postwar recessions have ranged in length from 6 months to 16 months, averaging about 10 1/2 months.
Posted by: ed ||
01/20/2009 16:05 Comments ||
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#3
Despite this new recession, many CHINESE + ASIAN NETTERS are highly optimistic about their regions eventually taking over economic and world leadership or domination from the US-WEST, TO INCLUD RUSSIA [Chinese SIberia-Far East]???
MANY HAVE INDIC THEIR NEW RECEPTIVITY TOWARDS CLOSER SINO-JAPANESE COOPERATION IFF NOT INTEGRATION, ascribing same as VITAL for Chinese and Asian aspirations.
#4
ed: At this point, my conjecture is that the recession has barely begun in one part of the economy, enough to create the impression that it is throughout the economy. But until it is in full swing, it follows the rules of a regional recession, not a national recession.
And when it does break at the national level, it shows signs of being a factor or two greater than any of the postwar recessions. For comparison, I've been looking to some of the great collapses of the 19th Century.
#2
Ahaha! lets see if Fiat can pull the same marriage game it made with GM. I Advise for Chrysler to have a pre-nup. Last time GM had to pay Fiat 2B$ to get them out of marriage...
Posted by: Jonathan ||
01/20/2009 7:09 Comments ||
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#5
Last time, Chrysler allied with Mercedes Benz. Instead of Chryslers built like Benzes, we got Benzes built like Chryslers. So this time, do we get Fiats with Chrysler build quality, or Chryslers with Fiat build quality? And would we notice the difference?
Posted by: Mike ||
01/20/2009 8:30 Comments ||
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#6
I expect we'll get UAW workers that take longer breaks and demand espresso
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/20/2009 8:41 Comments ||
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#7
...and don't forget to shut down the plants in August for vacation.
#8
whatcha get when you pile two steaming heaps of shiat together? crap!
Posted by: Herman Jusotch7734 ||
01/20/2009 12:25 Comments ||
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#9
I had a '97 Jeep Cherokee that I hated to give up. Sold it to my brother, he gave it to his daughter and it's still running fine. Not all Chrysler products were shit.
Crude oil futures fell, approaching $35 a barrel in New York, on forecasts faltering global economic growth will drive down fuel consumption for a second year.
Goldman Sachs Group, while forecasting a recovery in prices later this year, said demand will decline by 1.6 million barrels a day. That's more than three times the drop forecast by the International Energy Agency last week.
Goldman Sachs Group, while forecasting a recovery in prices later this year, said demand will decline by 1.6 million barrels a day. That's more than three times the drop forecast by the International Energy Agency last week.
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) may have to cut output again should prices fall further, Algerian Oil Minister Chakib Khelil said over the weekend.
"The world recession is continuing to dampen demand," said Christopher Bellew, a senior broker at Bache Commodities Ltd. in London. "Cuts by Opec members will probably stabilise the market, but it may take some time before they translate into any upward price move."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
Wasn't Goldman Sachs among those chirping about $250/bbl oil back in July?
#5
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) may have to cut output again should prices fall further, Algerian Oil Minister Chakib Khelil said over the weekend.
When will these guys stop dicking around and just go with the market? They are about to run out of floating storage, having already run out of terminal storage. I even read on piece about them filling up old pipelines and using them as storage. I guess when you are out of storage, you DO need to cut production, but not to support prices, because you have nowhere to put it.
#8
Anguper,
We've been taking advantage of low gasoline (& other refined product) prices and demand to do necessary or desired maintainance on a lot of our refineries. If you are going to have to postpone making a gallon of gas doesn't it make more sense to postpone it when demand is low and the revenue you would get from it is low, and then have it available to sell later, when demand will presumably be higher, and thus revenues higher? The likely effect will be somewhat smaller price increases in May and June than would otherwise have been the case.
#11
In California the price today at Shell in sacramento was $2.14/gal. It has been steadily rising in the past month. Can someone check the re-emergence of the hedgefunds? If they are back in this, Obama, how about some SEC oversight right out of the gate?
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.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday said the time is ripe for the party men to stand corrected and undergo self-realisation and reflection, if needed. "We have to think about what we say; if they are right or wrong; we have to take a vow to rectify our mistakes, if any," Khandaker Delwar said at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club. 
United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Renata Lok Dessallien yesterday said the UN is ready to assist Bangladesh in trying war criminals.
In an interview shown in the past week on the Spanish-language network Univision, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said that Venezuela's firebrand president, Hugo Chavez, has hindered progress in Latin America, and he expressed concern that Chavez's leftist government has assisted Colombia's biggest guerrilla movement, a group the United States considers a terrorist organization. Chavez responded this weekend by saying that Obama had "the same stench" as President Bush, a frequent target of Chavez's remarks.
Crude oil futures fell, approaching $35 a barrel in New York, on forecasts faltering global economic growth will drive down fuel consumption for a second year.
