As the west African country of Niger prepares for the uranium mineral-rush its leaders hope will lift the nation out of dire poverty, Tuareg-led rebels are waging a guerrilla war to demand a larger share of reserves, believed to be the among the largest in the world.
In the latest round of fighting, the rebel group this week killed 17 government soldiers in the remote north, where uranium is mined. It has killed at least 44 troops since February.
The Niger Movement for Justice launched its uprising in the desert wastes of the Sahara, which stretches across northern Niger, to demand a better deal for the Tuareg nomads.
The majority of Niger's 12 million people are black African Hausas, who dominate the economy and politics and live in the south, near the Niger River, away from the uranium riches. The people of landlocked Niger are, despite the uranium reserves, among the poorest on earth: Niger is bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index. The light-skinned Tuaregs number about two million. Historically, they raided the south and captured Hausas as slaves.
In 1998, the Tuareg were promised greater autonomy by the Niamey-based government in southern Niger, but all promises have since been broken, fuelling Tuareg anger as the south has profited from the uranium mines. Uranium comprises more than 70 per cent of the country's exports.
The government of the former French colony has awarded prospecting permits to companies from the UK, China, India, Canada, Russia, Australia, South Africa and France, and has repeatedly claimed it is in control of the region.
To date a total of 89 uranium licences have been handed out by President Mamadou Tandja's government since it started to open up the reserves to foreign competition. Mining had been dominated by French nuclear reactor maker and utility Areva, but the government has diversified prospecting permits in an attempt to break France's semi-colonial control of the trade.
The rebel MNJ said a large convoy of military vehicles had advanced towards the town of Iferouane on Monday, prompting Tuesday's encounter.
"There was a clash, and 17 of them were killed and six vehicles destroyed," the rebels said in a statement. Government officials in Niamey admitted one soldier was killed in a four-hour battle.
Iferouane is a small oasis town of about 5,000 people more than 620 miles north of Niamey. But Tuareg grazing grounds around it have been disturbed by modern roads driven through to get at the uranium reserves.
President Mamadou's government dismisses the group as bandits and drug traffickers and has accused Libya and Areva of backing the revolt. Areva has since increased the royalties it pays to Niamey for the uranium it mines in the north.
The government last weekend accused unidentified "rich foreign powers" of paying mercenaries to lay mines in the region. A mine explosion killed four military police officers and seriously wounded three more on Monday near the ancient Saharan trading town of Agadez, the government said.
A special court for dealing with graft cases yesterday sentenced Mahbuba Sultana, wife of political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, to eight years' imprisonment for committing two offences including evasion of taxes.
Mahbuba was awarded five years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) under section 166 of the Income Tax Ordinance 1984 for evading tax. She was also fined Tk 1 crore 58 lakh in default of which she has to suffer one more year of RI. The court sentenced her to three years' simple jail under section 165 of the same ordinance for providing false information about her wealth and concealing information on property.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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A submarine-like vessel filled with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cocaine was seized off the Guatemalan coast, U.S. officials said.
Four suspected smugglers were operating the self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel when it was located and seized on Sunday evening by officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, the Border Patrol said in a news release Wednesday. When the suspects realized they had been spotted by drug-surveillance aircraft patrolling the eastern Pacific, they scuttled the vessel but were unable to escape.
Coast Guard officials, guided by the reconnaissance plane, intercepted the vessel and detained the reputed smugglers, who were transporting approximately 5.5 tons of cocaine worth $352 million, the Border Patrol said. That's a lot of coke
Several drug-carrying submarines operated by Colombian drug cartels have been discovered in recent years. For the kind of $ they apparently have, I'm surprised they haven't bought a used real sub somewhere.
Just ask the Norks, they'd do it for the right price.
#1
they shouda painted it to look like a whale.. The Greens woulda given it a guarded escort.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
08/23/2007 13:52 Comments ||
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#2
Can you imagine the number of these home made things that must have sunk in the last few years?
The Coast Guard catches what - 10 percent ?
I'm sure at least 80% of the "subs" go to the bottom
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 14:27 Comments ||
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John, any vessel can be a submarine - once. The challenge is to resurface.
#5
From the archives of history, the Great Lakes shipping industry many years ago had a vessel called the 'Whale Back;' rode low in the water, and had ( supposedly) watertight hatches. the premise was that rather than fight the waves, they would just let the water roll over the ship. problem was the water tight hatches. often times they weren't. if the drug runners re-invented that concept they might be able to ship ( sink) more drugs at once, especially if they used the not-so-watertight-hatch-system.
#6
5 tons! It takes 2000 pounds of raw coca to make 1 pound of cocaine. And 1 coca plant will typically hold about 4 ounces of leaves. There is no way that all that product could be manufactured and shipped without bribery of government officials. I spent time in Columbia and the coca fields of Bolivia, thus, I ain't shocked.
Posted by: Large Ebbeager6136 ||
08/23/2007 16:44 Comments ||
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Gunmen hunted down and killed five farmers in a Colombian region plagued by violence and drug trafficking in an attack authorities blamed on the nation's largest rebel group.
Community leader Carlos Beer said at least 70 gunmen went house-to-house in the village of Currulao with a list of names late Tuesday, killing three women and two men with shots to the head. Eleven othes were injured in the attack, which took place near the port of Turbo, 470 kilometers northwest of the capital, Bogota. "There is a strong FARC (guerrilla) presence in the region," said Beer. "The guerrilla group gave the community a warning when they murdered a farmer on the outskirts of Currulao a week ago."
In an interview with Caracol radio on Wednesday, Mayor William Palacio blamed the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for the killings. He said the victims were deserters from the leftist insurgency and ex-members of far-right paramilitaries.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's would-be assassin, a female member of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), has been captured in the southern province of Caqueta, the military announced on Tuesday.
Smith Duarte, a 30-year-old woman, was arrested on charges of rebellion and terrorism. The woman, also known as Aura Maria Morales, is accused of attempting to kill Uribe on April 21, 2005, when the president was touring the city of Neiva, capital of Huila province in southwestern Colombia. Duarte and two other suspects fired a rocket at Uribe's plane on landing at Neiva airport, but failed to hit the target. The would-be assassins immediately fled the scene after the attack. Military police later searched a house close to the airport and found a U.S.-made M72 rocket.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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NEW DELHI: Ahead of the biggest naval wargame to be hosted by India in the Bay of Bengal, a top American military official on Thursday scotched China's fears that the exercise involving US, Australia and Japan was aimed at isolating the communist country.
US Navy's Pacific Commander Timothy J Keating observed that Indo-US military ties had become "more robust" but side stepped questions about opposition from the Left parties to the upcoming Malabar exercise, merely saying, "It is what democracy is all about."
The four-day Malabar exercise beginning on September 4, which will see the biggest congregation of warships in the Bay of Bengal since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, is a reflection of the "shared interest" of India, US, Australia and Singapore, Keating told reporters.
At the same time, he said, "We want to minimise the potential areas of misunderstanding and confusion between all of us and China."
The manouvres are not aimed at forming a "quadilateral front" against China, said Keating, who is on a four-day visit here to discuss ties between the navies of India and the US.
"Let me emphasise, there is is no effort on our part or any of these other countries (participating in the exercises) to isolate China or put Beijing in a closet," Keating said.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 12:31 ||
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#1
Australia - frigate Adelaide, tanker Sirius
Singapore - frigate Formidable
Japan - destroyers - Oonami and Udachi
USA - carriers - Nimitz and Kitty Hawk, cruisers - Princeton and Higgins, destroyers - Chaffe, Pickney, Curtis Wilbur, Mustin and John Paul Jones and tankers - Ericcson and Rainer
aircraft - F/A-18 and F-14, P3 AWACS, anti-submarine helicopters
India - carrier Viraat, destroyers - Ranvijay and Ranjit, frigates - Kurmak and Kuthar and tanker - Aditya.
aircraft - TU-142 ASW, maritime strike Jaguars, Sea Harriers, Sea King helicopters and Kamov AEW helicopters
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 13:01 Comments ||
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#2
Meanwhile in Ladakh, Kashmir (just across the border from China)...
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 13:27 Comments ||
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#3
Troops in the first photo are Ladakh Scouts, the 'Snow Warriors', a commando unit of the Indian army raised from Ladakh Buddhists and Tibetan refugees.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 14:13 Comments ||
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John: the Tomcats are all retired, but i wish they were still there. only offensive aircraft is the lawn dart; all the rest are support. defense.
#5
Missed that...
also submarines
India - Shishumar
US - Chicago and one other
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 14:40 Comments ||
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NEWS > CHINA'S NAVY/PLAN BEGINS ITS LONG MARCH ["Blue-Water SSBN's + Carrier(s)?]. *OTOH, PACIFIC STARS-N-STRIPES > Departing Japanese ambassador argues for USA to close down MCAS FUTENMA ASAP. NOSI > In response to resumption of Cold War-style bomber flights by Russia, NATO is closely watching/reconnoitering movements of Russia's latest sub design [Amur-class].
#7
john frum---re#2 comment. The geologic layering looks interesting in the bottom pic. Wonder what the potential for minerals is up there.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/23/2007 21:18 Comments ||
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Supposedly rich in copper, gold etc.
Area is high alitude and remote.
Ecologically sensitive as well... the Indian Supreme Court has fined companies that painted their logos on the sides of hills there and ordered them to pay for the restoration.
Also under Article 370 of the Indian constitution, no non-Kashmiri may purchase land in Kashmir state.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 21:53 Comments ||
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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Wednesday for a "broader Asia" partnership of democracies that would include India, the United States and Australia, but omit the region's superpower, China.
Abe's comments came in an address to a joint session of India's parliament at the start of a visit that aims to boost trade between Asia's largest and third largest economies, and counter China's growing strength.
"This partnership is an association in which we share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and respect for basic human rights as well as strategic interests," Abe said.
"By Japan and India coming together in this way, this 'broader Asia' will evolve into an immense network spanning the entirety of the Pacific Ocean, incorporating the United States of America and Australia."
His speech did not mention China in relation to the "broader Asia." While Abe has improved ties with Beijing, he has also stressed the need to forge closer links with democracies in what analysts have called a tacit criticism of Beijing.
Tokyo's navy is due to take part for the first time in U.S.-India exercises in the Bay of Bengal next month.
India also used the visit of Abe and 200 businessmen to woo investors for infrastructure projects ranging from transport to nuclear power.
New Delhi is aiming to seal an economic partnership agreement &0151; expected to include a free-trade accord &0151; by the end of this year, Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath said. Abe pledged to double bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2010.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is facing a political crisis because leftist allies are trying to block a civilian nuclear deal with the United States that the government says is crucial for India's economic development.
The communists say the government should not push ahead with the deal which will entail talks with the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) of which Japan is a member.
"My sincere hope is that when the matter comes forth to the Nuclear Suppliers Group that we will have the support of the Japanese government," Singh told a joint news conference.
The Japanese premier said he understood the plans of India &0151; armed with atomic weapons &0151; to use nuclear energy to cope with global warming and help meet its fast-growing economy's demand for power.
"But, at the same time, as the only nation to suffer an atomic bombing, we attach special importance to nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament," Abe said.
"From that perspective we have to carefully look at its effect on the nuclear non-proliferation framework."
India's poor transport network and frequent power shortages are the Achilles' heel of its economy, hindering its ability to compete with China.
Tokyo is considering offering low-interest loans to help build a high-speed freight rail link between New Delhi and Mumbai as well as funds for a $90 billion industrial corridor between the two cities, Japanese officials said.
"These projects are critical to India's aspirations of wresting the manufacturing space that at present is dominated by China," said a report prepared by KPMG consultancy group and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 10:17 ||
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#1
the region's superpower, China.
There is nothing like a "regional superpower". This is plain nonsense.
There are superpowers, great powers and regional powers.
China is a regional power. It has decades to go before it has either the economic or military force projection capability to class itself as a great power.
Superpower is yet another leap.
The biggest dog in Asia, after the US, is Japan.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/23/2007 10:22 Comments ||
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#2
partnership of democracies that would include India, the United States and Australia, but omit... China
#9
It's extremely gratifying to see Japan make all the right moves as it trends back towards being a military power. Couching their diplospeak so as to purposefully exclude China and specifically include India is the sort of smackdown that China needs on a regular basis. Japan has everything to lose by not correctly identifying the Chinese threat. Far more than India does, in fact.
#1
Quick! Spend it before someone gets the idea to return it to those who earned it.
Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds ||
08/23/2007 8:53 Comments ||
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#2
But they can't afford more 'lift' for their troops in Afghanistan. It's the mentality you get when you live for 60 years on military welfare paid for by the American people.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan came under fire on Wednesday for calling on Turks who refused to accept Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as their next president to leave Turkey.
Turkey, a Muslim country with a strictly secular constitution, is polarised over whether or not Gul, a respected diplomat with a past in political Islam, should become the next head of state. Top-selling Turkish newspapers, non-governmental organisations and opposition parties described as undemocratic Erdogans attack on Hurriyet newspaper columnist Bekir Coskun. The people who say that Gul is not my president, must renounce their citizenship, Erdogan said on television late on Monday, according to Hurriyet, the countrys largest daily. Youre this countrys citizen, the president is your president, the prime minister is your prime minister. From now on no one can speak of a secular state ... political Islam has taken another step forward, Coskun had written in a column on Aug. 15.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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...Since the late 1930s, the Court has generally taken a very expansive view of the extent of the powers delegated to the federal government, and accorded it great authority to legislate in areas traditionally considered the domain of the states. When the federal government acts, state policy must take a back seat to congressional prerogatives. In several recent cases, however, the Supreme Court has shown a willingness to reexamine, or at least
qualify, its pro-federal doctrine in this area... In short, Thomas has created the thesis that based on history, FDR's radical expansion of federal power with the Commerce Clause of the Constitution is unconstitutional. Perhaps 50% of the federal government is *based* on this radical expansion.
#1
By destroying the foundations of much of the federal government, Thomas may be setting up the SCOTUS to systematically disassemble much of the government.
It would have to be based on a State or States suing the federal government, as that is directly heard by the SCOTUS, and cannot be blocked by Congress, as can other appellate cases. The Supremes would then order the President to delete the unconstitutional government agency.
A similar order happened to Andrew Jackson, and he just refused to do so. However, this would give the Congress the opportunity to stop funding said agency (though it would probably continue to do so).
But the real zinger is that the SCOTUS, and subordinate federal courts, would no longer recognize *any* legal precedent in support of the prohibited agency. The agency would also have no standing in court, as such. And thus, anyone who sued the prohibited agency would win.
So the States could ignore said agency, and organizations and individuals could sue it to death.
#2
Yeah, those who support a 'living' [we make this up as we go along] Constitution seem rather blind to -
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
It's there for a reason.
Yes, it does lead to inefficiencies and some injustice. However, as history was understood by the writers, the consolidation of power is even a greater threat to liberty and justice in the end. The temper tantrums from the left since the gain of power by the Republicans is all about that someone else having control of the power they consolidated. That was the whole point of weakening the central authority. No matter who gets it, they can't do anything destructive with it. Its a feature, not a bug.
#3
I have been arguing for years that the states have no rights anymore and is allowing the US government to abuse its power. While, I am nervous about rolling back every federal program, I am happy to see that congress and its alphabet agencies might be told to take a freakin' hike and have the legal statues to back it up.
#4
If you think about it, the entire notion of a "living constitution" is at odds with a written constitution. What's the point of writing anything down if one party can change it on a whim by fiat? Imagine if your cell phone contract was like that.
#5
This is one of those debates that's been going on for years--it was a week-long topic in my Con Law I class 20 (gasp!) years ago. Justice Thomas isn't making a "new" argument, though he seems to be doing a better job of stating the case than most.
Posted by: Mike ||
08/23/2007 12:51 Comments ||
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#6
Cool your jets, Boys - this article is ten years old!
Posted by: Bobby ||
08/23/2007 13:01 Comments ||
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#8
States Rights were gravely wounded in 1865 and essentially destroyed in 1913 with the 17th Amendment. FDR just recognized the opportunity and exploited it.
#9
#8 States Rights were gravely wounded in 1865 and essentially destroyed in 1913 with the 17th Amendment. FDR just recognized the opportunity and exploited it. Posted by: Glenmore 2007-08-23 13:20
Amen, Glenmore. The whole reason for appointing Senators was to have THEM represent the States, while the Congress represented the People. Today, both groups are wholly-owned subsidiaries of whoever buys them at the highest price. Rescinding the 17th Amendment would go a long way toward returning the government of the United States to what the Founding Fathers envisioned, and reducing the power of the federal government. LOTS of people would be put out of "work", but the nation as a whole would be greatly improved.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
08/23/2007 14:33 Comments ||
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#11
Unless my history classes were off, OP, the problem with the Senate is that it did represent the state government, which were largely wholly owned and operated by local political machines doing the bidding of individuals or groups, be it the Railroad or Oil Trusts or things like the KKK. It was a lot cheaper back then to 'own' the State legislatures which did exercise considerable amount of power. As it evolved, the levels of corruption just escalated and moved towards Washington with the 'reforms'. So instead of most of the states generally running corrupt governments, we now allow the power brokers to get a discount by moving the resources to one point instead of several.
#12
I see many good things with the Federal Government, very many. But it is the largest and most powerful government in all of history. It costs 3 Trillion a year to operate and employs 20 million people.
When one single political party has held it in lockstep for so long, 40 years or so, you lose it's ability to actually do it's job by Constitutional definition. This coupled with the fact that this particular political party wants to do nothing but expand it's power shows that there needs to be a limit.
I can drive to the state legislature, but it is far harder to drive to DC. Direct representation mattered at the state level at one time, but now, everyone treats the federal government as a city hall and so the people are no longer directly represented, rather lobbied into a mass of voters.
This could be a very hard subject for US, I know it is hard for me.
Thomas - A FINE Judge for sure. A Black Man saving America.
They could go off and do something productive for the economy for a change. Like folding paperclips or something. But wait a minute, if all these government bureacracies went away, there would be far less need for paperclips . . . .
As P.J. O'Rourke wrote:
"It takes hard work and carefull planning to waste that much money."
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
08/23/2007 16:45 Comments ||
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#15
Cool your jets, Boys - this article is ten years old!
I told you the debate had been going on for quite a while!
Posted by: Mike ||
08/23/2007 17:26 Comments ||
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#16
Lest we fergit, the infamous US NINTH declared the USA to be an ILLEGAL AND UN-CONSTITUTIONAL NATION, a decision TMK the Ninth has NOT revoked but has only un-enforced. Thus Dubya = USA has and had no standing/right vv the Ninth to invade Iraq or even go after the leadership of Radical islam, etal. OTH foreign policies as a consequence for 9-11. THE NINTH'S DECISION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS ANTi-US CONSPIRACY THEORISTS ARGUE THAT 9-11 WAS A US SET-UP, THAT THE USA FALSELY ATTACKED ITSELF ON 9-11 + KILLED 000's OF ITS OWN PEOPLE, + AQ IS A USG TERROR PROXY.
#17
Joseph, I believe I understand your point, but you are getting into the ranting bit a little much ;).
Anyone with a brain that works can completely ignore the Ninth Circus in the hope that they will keep the damage done isolated in the West. For as long as most Westerners will put up with it.
#18
The whole reason for appointing Senators was to have THEM represent the States, while the Congress represented the People.
Word, OP! Very good point. I can't believe how plainly our Founding Fathers wrote down the guiding principles and rules of our Federal (not National) gov't. And, yet, how it's all been twisted to further the power trip and money syphon that is D.C.
And, someone else has recently brought up the idea of making the Senate represent the States (not the people) again, and it was a Democrat. Of course, he campaigned and spoke for Dubya at the 2004 RNC Party...Zell Miller. As explained, the way Senators used to be chosen was by each State Legislature. That Senator was to represent the State (not the people by direct vote) in D.C. A fairly interesting concept, especially when you have 40+ year "sitting" Senators anyways....Byrd, Kennedy et al.
Posted by: BA ||
08/23/2007 22:03 Comments ||
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(Xinhuanet) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said in an op-ed piece Tuesday in the Miami Herald that he thinks the United States should ease restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit the island or send money home. "Senator Obama feels that the Bush administration has made a humanitarian and a strategic blunder," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday in an e-mail. "His concern is that this has had a profoundly negative impact on the Cuban people, making them more dependent on the Castro regime, thus isolating them from the transformative message carried by Cuban-Americans."
While the U.S. embargo has limited who can travel to Cuba and what can be sent there since the early 1960s, restrictions added by the Bush administration in 2004 made visiting and shipping gifts to Cuba more difficult. Most Cubans in the U.S. can only visit the island once every three years and can only send quarterly remittances of up to 300 U.S. dollars per household to immediate family members. Previously, they could visit once a year and send up to 3,000 dollars. The U.S. also tightened restrictions on travel for educational and religious groups.
The Miami-Dade Democratic Party is in favor of lifting the restrictions last week. Obama will speak at a fund-raiser for the chapter Saturday at the Miami-Dade Auditorium, the same Little Havana site where Ronald Reagan won over many in the Cuban community more than 20 years ago. Joe Garcia, the group's chairman, praised Obama's proposal. "It shows courage, and it shows commitment to move beyond the status-quo politics of rhetoric, which is all the Cuban-American community has received from any party for the last half century," said Garcia, a former head of the Cuban-American Foundation.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Effing brilliant. Prop up the Western hemispere's last Cold War communist regime just as it enters its death throes. Is this man a total flaming genius or what?
#2
The honourable senator appeared on Comedy Central's The Daily Show last night. Mr. Wife commented it confirmed his decision not to vote for the gentleman.
#8
As dictatorships go, Cuba's is not all that bad (before y'all jump down my throat on that, compare statistics like political imprisonments and executions per capita, or ratio of dicator's wealth to average person's wealth with wonderlands like Iran or ZimBobWay.) Unilateral sanctions have not done anything to damage Castro (he's been in power 57 years or so), just the regular folks. This issue isn't a big deal in the real world, except for Miami. In fact, since 57 years of sanctions haven't gotten us anywhere, maybe we ought to try something else - like buying the whole place. How much could it cost?
#11
I think a lifting of the sanctions is a good thing. for the week or two it would take to buy and ship all the 55-57 Fords and Chevvies and other potential refugee boat conversion donors(think back to the 59 buickboat last year) back to the US.
Dorian Paskowitz, a retired doctor who has been surfing for 75 years, donated 12 surfboards to Gaza's small surfing community on Tuesday in a novel gesture to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "God will surf with the devil if the waves are good," Paskowitz said. "When a surfer sees another surfer with a board, he can't help but say something that brings them together."
Here's something the surfers can say to each other: "Didja ever see Mo on a surfboard?"
Tanned and shirtless, Paskowitz emerged grinning at the Israel-Gaza border crossing after handing over the dozen boards to Palestinian surfers waiting on the other side. He said he was inspired after reading a story about two Gaza surfers who could not enjoy the wild waves off the coastal strip because they had only one board to share between them. "So I said to my son 'come, we'll go to Israel and get them some boards,'" Paskowitz told AP Television News. He described his mission as a "mitzvah," Hebrew for a "good deed."
During his visit, Paskowitz said he wanted to "do something spectacular, like getting all the surfers and paddling around into the waters of Gaza." But those plans were scuttled because of security concerns. Arthur Rashkovan, a 28-year-old surfer from Tel Aviv, said Paskowitz's project was part of a larger effort called "Surfing for Peace," aimed at bringing Middle Eastern surfers closer together. He said eight-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, who is of Syrian descent, is expected to arrive in Israel in October to take part in the drive. "We want Palestinians to enjoy the surfing experience until a fatwa outlaws it. We believe it brings people together," Rashkovan said. "The idea is for people to forget about the violence and follow the journey to peace on the waves."
Paskowitz is venerated by Israeli surfers as the man who brought the sport to the Jewish state five decades ago. Rashkovan called him a "guru" to Israeli surfers. Paskowitz said he first arrived in Israel in 1956 during a war between Israel and Egypt. He tried to join the Israeli military but was turned down. So he surfed off the coast of Tel Aviv instead, he recounted, and was mobbed by Israelis charmed by the strange sight of a man riding the waves standing upright on a board.
The father of nine served in the Navy during World War II, practiced family medicine for more than half a century and has published books on surfing and health. He said he has surfed for 75 years all over the world, and he ranks the waves off the Israeli and Gaza coasts as among the world's best. "I'm 86 years old. I can't stand up very well, I have a piece of titanium in my hip. But I still love it," he said.
The man is trying to use the tools he has for peace. It won't work, but I respect his accomplishments and WWII service. Good luck, and may the "surfing lessons" not end up providing cover for Syrian frogmen attaching mines to things.
Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds ||
08/23/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Surfing is fun. That pretty much makes it un-Islamic as far as I can tell.
#2
Wasn't Patrick Swayze in a movie where they attacked on surf boards? I was reminded of this, with a fun visual ;) although I don't remember the name of the movie.
Posted by: Jan ||
08/23/2007 1:16 Comments ||
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#3
That explains the Lebanese bikini babes on DRUDGE.
#5
Patrick Swayze Movie---Point Break, 1991. They also don Nixon and Reagan masks to rob the bank. I can picture it redone with a terrorism plot. Might be on next summer's list.
Posted by: NOLA ||
08/23/2007 4:18 Comments ||
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#6
Thanks, NOLA. Patrick Swayze's childhood dance classes have paid off for him in a number of interesting ways.
Separately, what's the over/under betting on how long will the Gazan surfers (and I'm sure there are more than the two in the story who would like to try this) be able to use the boards peacefully before the newly constituted Hamasistan Shore Police stop the fun?
Actually, there is a good surfing spot in Hazuk near the Gaza - Israeli border. There are even "kosher" surfing lessons and boards "shaped" in Israel. I believe there is a number of Paleo surfers. The ultimate "your so radical, dude".
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
08/23/2007 9:32 Comments ||
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#13
I was in Israel in 1984 and saw a lot of surfers off Tel Aviv. And a lot of hot Israeli surfer girls. Surf was about 5 feet that day.
Posted by: Steve ||
08/23/2007 9:52 Comments ||
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As a longtime surfer, I believe this could be some of the best news to come out of the Middle East in a long, long time. If a guy gets stoked from riding waves (I said stoked, not stoned) it will give him something to live for so he won't want to die making jihad. After several hours in the water he will be too tired to be bothered with jihad. Yes, the clerics are certain to be unhappy with it because it is fun and it might make them forget about one or more of their five daily prayers. But then, the clerics should be shot for perpetuating superstition.
The Gaza strip with its Mediterranean climate and nice beaches could be one of the nicest places on the planet. Much of the disrespect I have for Palestinians is they don't understand what they have or what they could be doing with it. They should be surfing. They should be building resort hotels to generate some revenue and jobs. Then if you were a young Palestinian you could get a job as a waiter working the lunch shift from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That would give you time in the morning for surf. After your shift is over you go home for something to eat and a nap. Then you could go back into the water for the evening glass off (wind goes down and the waves get smooth and glassy). Later on you go to the nightclub for some dancing with the local hotties. There you have perfection.
That's what the Lebanese do (or at least it's what the Lebanese do when they're not fighting knucklehead Palestinian refugees or Hezbollah idiots).
But, no, they want to make jihad. They want to kill the Jews who could be the best friends they ever had...the Jews who want to give them surfboards because it's a mitzvah.
Of course the Jews surf. Jews are civilized and surfing is one of the most civilized things you can do.
Take this surfboard, my brother. May it serve you well.
#16
Don't do Portugal for surfing. The best surfing in Europe is Lahinch, Co. Clare, Ireland. No kidding. In fact, the Euro championships are held there regularly. You can play golf in the morning on the most funky links golf in the world and then go down to O'Looney's and watch the riders come in on big long sets in Liscanoor Bay. Nothing better than Guinness, Galway Bay Oysters and watching the sun set over Liscanoor Bay with the surfer babes all lathered up.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
08/23/2007 17:06 Comments ||
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U.S. Navy officials have told the Taiwanese government that European firms have been found who will collaborate with the U.S. to build eight diesel-electric submarines for Taiwan.
No European country was willing to build subs directly with Taiwan, for fear of offending China. But China is vulnerable right now, with the Olympics coming up next year in Beijing, and much international tumult because of bad manufacturing practices for Chinese exports.
The U.S. stopped building diesel-electric subs half a century ago, but American and Europeans sub builders know each other, and a sale is a sale, no matter how many middlemen it has to go through. I think it would be just peachy if the US was to buy or build two or three dozen advanced diesel boats, not to float, but to keep inland as a quickly deployable fleet. They would need to be somewhat modular, maybe not even completely assembled, so each year they could be upgraded and refitted with more advanced systems. The idea being that if needed, in a few months time, they could be finished and "sent down the river."
Try fuel cell. Try electric drive. Apply our nuc technology and quieting.
Tie all that together wiht solid crews and training, and that give you have something that gives the "water wing" types nightmares.
Basically, we can put together a conventional boat that would run the Collins types out of business, and if you don't know about those, read up about the Aussies using one to get close enough to put one up the poop chute of one of our carriers.
Following a successful high-volume run of its new breakthrough solar panels, International Automated Systems, Inc. IAUS has been conducting tests to identify the parameters of its new product. The new panels have delivered an exciting performance that is in line with preliminary expectations.
IAUS's unique thin-film solar panels have a solar insolence transmittance efficiency of nearly 92%- virtually the highest transmittance physically possible of any material. These breakthrough solar panels have shown a conversion of solar energy from the sun into temperatures of over 1,300 degrees F.
Initial IAUS data has demonstrated that IAUS's new solar panels focus as high as 30% more solar energy onto its receiver than traditional solar power trough systems typically achieve. Recent advancements will likely increase this number again to more than 50%. IAUS's solar panels have an estimated life-span of greater than fifty years when properly maintained, and are inexpensive to replace.
IAUS's unique thin-film solar panel can be produced at a fraction of the cost of today's traditional photovoltaic solar panels. IAUS believes its new product is the first solar power technology with legitimate potential to compete with gas and other fossil fuels. Low-cost energy produced by IAUS's new patented and patent-pending solar technology can be used to generate electricity or produce clean fuels such as hydrogen and green methanol (gasoline replacements) at a competitive price. Many experts had predicted that no solar power technology would likely accomplish this milestone before the year 2025.
During its first high-volume run, nearly 1,000 Kilowatts of IAUS's solar panels were manufactured in a short 24-hour period. On a 24/7 operating schedule, an estimated 350 Megawatts of IAUS panels can be produced annually. In comparison, a traditional photovoltaic (PV) solar module manufacturing plant with a yearly capacity equal to IAUS would cost an estimated $840 Million to construct.
The world's energy market is a staggering $3 trillion per year. This is two times larger than the world's agricultural market. Less than 1% of this energy comes from solar power. Yet, every hour the sun radiates more free energy than the entire human population uses in a whole year. For real or fake? With a stock price of .74, it is a good question.
#1
In general, I expect there's a fair amount of 'hype' in any of these kinds of reports. However, there is usually also at least a kernal of substance.
Significantly, this is at least the third independent development of what appear to be 'significant' (not radical, earth-shattering, but meaningful) advances in solar power that I have seen in the past month or so. As one would expect, the large and sustained increase in oil prices has given a big boost to R&D in fields of alternative energy like solar. As solar energy efficiencies rise and costs decline, more and more 'fringe' applications will be economically favorable for solar: for years low load, geographically isolated locations have employed solar power; we will see application for ever higher loads and less isolated locations attracting it now. As the use increases we should see economies of scale build, further enhancing the economics of the market and fueling even more R&D and competitiveness.
While I might or might not buy THIS company's stock, I would certainly invest in a basket of companies with promising solar (and battery or other storage) technologies.
#2
Suppose they had the perfect solar panel. Right now about the only use I see would be to heat up the hot water or something! Practically speaking nobody is going to do the battery thing, it's too consuming and too expensive. Nobody's going to do the "thermal mass" thing, there are too many pre-existing houses out there. Can the power created by these panels be efficiently converted to something that can be pumped back out your power meter and thereby sold to your neighbor or to that power-hungry business down the street? That would be the killer app for these, I feel. That and running my A/C during the summer! :-)
And we'd still need some serious surge capacity for cloudy days, eclipses, or places that have more power consumption than production.
This would be great for reducing CO2. And there could be no issues with "waste heat" or whatever that the environmentalists would cook up next because all that energy produced from this technology would normally go into heating up my rooftop anyway, it's just that this way we take advantage of it along the way, much like water falling over a dam.
#3
As solar energy efficiencies rise and costs decline
That's MSM-worthy. Report that A (rising efficiency) is occuring. Imply a relationship with B (declining costs, which is what matters). Then continue as if you had shown B (declining costs) was occuring.
Sorry to pick on you, Glenmore, but this is just a press release feeding the general ignorance surrounding the subject. Wake me up when they produce a rooftile sized solar panel that costs just the same as a clay rooftile. Or even better a rooftile that absorbs sunlight below 20C and reflects it above 25C. That would produce huge savings in home heating and air conditioning costs and indeed change the world.
#4
I saw a study once that said that a 10% efficient panel that costs $4/watt to buy and install and has $0.01/watt/yr maintenance costs would be a super purchase (something like 1.3 NPV) by shopping mall owners in the SW of the US.
#5
SCIENCE > SUN SOUNDS/WAVES CAN CAUSE EARTHQUAKES, + HUGE HOLE FOUND IN UNIVERSE, SCIENTISTS PUZZLED.
*D ***nged CARS PLUS, D ***ng PRINCE, HIS PURPLENESS IS LEACHING AND STAINING THE PACIFIC AND OUTER SPACE. RUINING COMETS AND AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY CLEAN, PAUL SIMON NECKTIE, MOUDIAN APOCALYPSE! Yet another Oliver Stone production of almost a Lindsay Lujan = Lohan film, NOT starring JLo or Carmen Electra??? Ya see what your McDonald's Double Big Macs did, Moriarty!?
...Obviously this is far too late, and at the end the NJAG still can't resist hinting that her cops might be used as BushHitlerChimpyMcHaliburton stooges - but we all pretty much knew that crimes of these magnitudes would be necessary before the idiots would ever start pulling the illegal amnesty laws - Mike
TRENTON, N.J. - After a review driven by three brutal slayings, the state attorney general on Wednesday ordered New Jersey law enforcers to notify federal immigration officials whenever someone arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving is found to be an illegal immigrant.
Attorney General Anne Milgram reviewed the state's policy in light of the execution-style killings Aug. 4 of three Newark college students and the wounding of a fourth victim. One of the six suspects was an illegal immigrant who had been granted bail on child rape and aggravated assault charges without immigration officials being alerted to his existence.
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
08/23/2007 14:50 ||
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Link ||
[5 views]
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#1
The directive, however, prohibits officers from checking the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses or people seeking police assistance.
How stupid is this. Let them do their job for cripes sake.
Posted by: Jan ||
08/23/2007 16:03 Comments ||
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#2
So how are the police supposed to check the immigration status of someone is arrested? Ask them? I don't carry my passport or birth certificate with me at all times to prove that I am a citizen.
#3
It was my understanding that a person is always supposed to have ID on them. Usually most carry a drivers license, and proof of insurance if driving. Most carry a wallet with their insurance card or other cash cards of some type of information.
Aren't Green cards supposed to be carried by immigrants?
If not driving, I often have my work pass ID slung around my neck to and from work. The only place that I don't have my ID with me is while I'm swimming, but then I have my keys on me and everything is in my shoe, car or locker.
I don't expect they would identify everyone, but it would be a start, and they would probably ID a good number I would bet.
Aren't there alot of abilities available with the computer trackers in the police cars? Man they have the ability to pull up a person's history for driving infractions way back, you'd think they would be able to get some info on folks. This I've learned from a friend of course ;)
I don't mean to put all of the responsibility on the policemen, but it's as though their hands are tied with the sanctuary policys of looking the other way. We're not talking about the homeless, most folks have a wallet on them with some form of ID.
I know a driver's license isn't the best ID, but it's a start. I don't agree that driver's licenses should be given to immigrants. When I went to Europe, I got an International drivers license and insurance too in order to drive in other countries.
Bottom line, if not on the street, citizenship most definitely should be checked in the court room.
Posted by: Jan ||
08/23/2007 16:48 Comments ||
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#4
#3: "It was my understanding that a person is always supposed to have ID on them."
Not for a American citizen, Jan - at least not yet. That was decided by a court case in California, of all places.
Foreigners are supposed to carry identification - some kind of proof they're here legally. This is a federal law, which our feckless federal gummint refuses to enforce.
As far as I am concerned, we need to ship as many illegals as possible out of the states and into D.C. Maybe if the congressassholes get inconvenienced enough, they'll insist the laws already on the books be enforced. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/23/2007 18:15 Comments ||
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#5
I enjoy my freedoms, but I would be willing to carry ID in a public place, to show authorities. As I have nothing to hide and if it would catch a bad guy I'm all for it.
On my own property however, this is a different animal.
If the illegals didn't have ID would they say that they were citizens not needing ID's? Or would the Policemen be charged with profiling, Oh Brother.
It's kind of like our guys being charged with murder for war crimes against the Iraqi civilian, "Oh I'm not a terrorist".
We need to put all of the illegals caught in this jail: Joe Arpaio's jail
Posted by: Jan ||
08/23/2007 19:18 Comments ||
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#6
3 Felony murder counts, he's illegal, and only $1 million in bail is required? How about NO bail for illegals, who are committing a crime by their very presence
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/23/2007 21:18 Comments ||
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#7
After a review driven by three brutal slayings, the state attorney general on Wednesday ordered New Jersey law enforcers to notify federal immigration officials whenever someone arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving is found to be an illegal immigrant.
Jeebus, these guyz are gonna be busy with the phone calls. My County has a web-based system where you can be notified of anyone who's arrested from your zip code (they live in your zip code, not where the crime is committed). I get an e-mail probably 3x/week with 8-10 folks arrested, and I'd guess 75-80% of them are illegals, based upon appearances and their citations. LOTS of public drunkeness, driving w/o a license, driving w/o insurance, expired tag, hit and run, etc.
I'm in metro Atlanta (NE toward the "Poultry capital of the world"). Of course, it's a good money-making scheme for the County (tons of money from all the driving citations) and they're fairly easy to spot (just pull over any 1980s domestic van w/ 15 ladders on top and you've got 'em).
And, Rambler, our local police (Gwinnett County and Cobb County) just had a few of their officers "deputized" by ICE. They had to go through a few-day training w/ ICE, and then the County Police are allowed access to ICE's database in order to check their immigration status. I'd imagine ICE's database is not 100% accurate either, but it's a start. At the very least, it gives the locals "probable cause" to investigate their status further and call ICE in on the job. Of course, I'd rather have them sitting in the local jail based upon the original CRIME, instead of released into ICE's "Catch and Release" program. But, as more and more of these type VIOLENT crimes pop up, the politicos are really gonna have a hard time ignoring the "will of the people" on this issue.
Posted by: BA ||
08/23/2007 22:18 Comments ||
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#8
Illegal aliens murder 12 Americans daily Twelve Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens, according to statistics released by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. If those numbers are correct, it translates to 4,380 Americans murdered annually by illegal aliens. ...
While King reports 12 Americans are murdered daily by illegal aliens, he says 13 are killed by drunk illegal alien drivers for another annual death toll of 4,745.
That's over 9000 people each year.
Posted by: ed ||
08/23/2007 22:40 Comments ||
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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.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan came under fire on Wednesday for calling on Turks who refused to accept Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as their next president to leave Turkey. 
(Xinhuanet) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said in an op-ed piece Tuesday in the Miami Herald that he thinks the United States should ease restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit the island or send money home. "Senator Obama feels that the Bush administration has made a humanitarian and a strategic blunder," campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday in an e-mail. "His concern is that this has had a profoundly negative impact on the Cuban people, making them more dependent on the Castro regime, thus isolating them from the transformative message carried by Cuban-Americans." 
