Armageddon a cometh. And doggonit, if it doesn't then Bush will 'bring it on.'

1100

Pat Robertson wants a way to extend the culture of fear into September. I think the man is one of the most crude evangelicals on Earth. Doesn't care about preaching and ministering, but, just like Bush sensationalism is his forte'. Last time it was bench pressing 2000 pounds or some ridiculous notion.

The execution of Saddam Hussein

MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM CALDWELL, U.S. ARMY SPOKESMAN, COALITION FORCES IN IRAQ: And we had absolutely nothing to do with any of the procedures or any of the control mechanisms or anything from that point forward.

I think that is exactly the point. The people that should have mentored the executioners and the witnesses DIDN'T !!!

However, the government is saying that this guard that they have detained was actually already on site. He was already at the facility where Saddam was executed. And they're suggesting that he was somehow able to sneak into that facility, sneak into the execution chamber itself, with that cell phone and take that video, going undetected. I think it's fair to say, though, that that is something many Sunnis aren't going to buy.

The Sunnis aren't going to buy it? No kidding. They aren't alone. The videographer was aided by whomever was in the rooom to get all he could on digital. If he wasn't supposed to be in that room how did he manage to take a picture of Saddam after the death. I really think there was a consensus about the events. And maybe culturally some of the yelling can go on. It's not the USA and if Bush and the USA military are washing their hands of it, then no one has a right to criticize the actions of a different culture. Iraq is not Little America.

AL-RUBAIE: I believe the Western media has been played by the -- some of the Arab rulers, and that this incident has been blown out of proportion, to -- to be used against Iraq. And they capitalize this to make even further division between the Sunni and Shiite. And we should stop this immediately.

I believe we should concentrate on a new page. This is a closure. This is meant to be psychological healing and rehabilitation for our people, those -- for the victims, especially. And we -- we need to close this chapter and forget about it and forgive the -- the rest. And we need to go forward for -- to build and reconstruct our country together, the Shia and Sunni and Kurds.

Not bad. I am concerned about one very profound statement by one of the men, "...you have destroyed us." That came from his own experience. I am concerned that the hatred Saddam had of the Shi'ites, especially the party that now leads in Iraq, actually did a great deal of damage to them in a way they feel is irreparable harm.

That statement more than anything else that transpired bothers me. It is as if they have nothing to live for. As if their holy lineage was ravaged. When Cleric al Sadr makes it clear that he is in lineage to an Ayatollah, I sometimes wonder that it is more his desire to 're-establish' the hope of the Shi'ites than any other purpose. I am concerned for a people so brutally treated and a minority in Islam as a whole regardless the majority status in Iraq, that there is no bridging that gap.

One thing that justice, in this case an execution, can provide is a feeling of vindication. I am concerned no matter how much justice, as defined by The West, is done in Iraq, it will never be enough because in all efforts to reconstruct, there is actually never going to be enough reconstruction of their lineage for them to feel safe and whole. I hope I am wrong about all that but that statement, "...you have destroyed us..." is one I cannot reconcile.

The Girls Triumph over Trump

And Barbara Walters enters the fight between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell. Now is it a three-way battle?

I am really happy about that. What an alliance. That is absolutely wonderful. Barbara is a journalist, she knows the value of 'the spoken/written word.' Congratulations to them both, it is going to be 'the good fight.' Hey, First Runner Up was cheated.

COOPER: And does it have real repercussions on the ground in Iraq? I mean, we have seen Sunnis demonstrating in Jordan and elsewhere. There are those who say, well, look, well, Sunnis have plenty other reasons to be angry, and -- and this just adds to it. But -- but does it go beyond that?

The repercussions are more extensive than the ground war. You are focusing on that to bolster the 'idea' that more troops are needed. The execution of Hussein at least according to Mubarak reaches beyond Iraq into the leadership of the nations of Arabia. Hussein's execution may actually quell the violence, at least that is the hope, but it may also build a ground swell of uprise against established leadership in the way Osama bin Laden wanted them diminished and removed from their capacities.

It's a worry.

The long range vigiliance will be required for at least two generations more to come to understand what the events of Saturday has actully caused. That doesn't mean the USA should occupy the entire of Arabia either, but, it needs to be a focus of concern for the United Nations and monitoring the outcomes of elections and the tone of the campaigns.

To put it plainly, Arabia's 'street' may hold surprises for us just at the very time we were getting to know them better. It would be helpful, Anderson, if you reached beyond the 'glitz' of anchoring a 'show' and actually rose to scholarly pursuit in your interviews. That, sir, requires dedication and insight beyond the camera lens. It is more than experience. It is a desire to be correct and bring that correctness to your clients/readership/viewership. I suppose I would be considered to be 'talking past you' as a defense to yourself, but, I am not, I giving you some very good advise.

This is two examples of the misguided rhetoric that Anderson Cooper 360 stands behind. Did you ever explore the possiblity that Iran actually NEEDS nuclear energy to it's people and govenrment due to poor infrastructure? Did you?

Iran says will soon launch industrial nuclear fuel cycle

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070103/58364901.html\

While everyone is screaming about Iranian potential for atomic weapons did anyone at AC 360 do anything to bring the entire picture to the American people? No. They simply want to focus on bolstering war. Others have gone to Iran to speak to the people and explore the reasons behind an unreasonable president. But, not here. No. Here all anyone wants to due is support war and more of it. Was it Ted Kopple that I heard on MSNBC, that had a conscience about what he was actually 'backing' in the way of contributing to the dialogue. He came home with a view of Iranians rarely shared in The West and certainly not engaged by many. Iran needs reassurance their country will have energy without enrichment otherwise they just might step outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty to simply gain their right to nuclear power and defend it and Shia Islam at the same time. Sanctions may not help with a country that is thristy for energy with an infrastructure in complete disrepair. I don't disagree with sanctions, but, I do disagree with a 'picture' of any aspect of international judgement as a consumer of information in the USA with a president chronically on the trigger finger that is tainted and/or incomplete. The illegal war in Iraq can happen again simply because people are kept misinformed and stupid to 'the truth.' What a convenience that would be for someone like Bush and Cheney.

Russia increases gas exports to Turkey after Iran cuts supplies

http://en.rian.ru/business/20070104/58420699.html

ANKARA, January 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's energy giant Gazprom has increased its daily natural gas exports to Turkey by 14 million cubic meters to 84 million cubic meters following a cutoff in supplies from Iran, Turkish state-run pipeline company Botas said Thursday.
Iran announced Wednesday it suspended gas supplies to Turkey to meet its own domestic demand, which dramatically increased due to unusually cold weather, but promised to resume them in 10 days.
Under a contract, signed in 1996, Iran supplies Turkey with 27 million-28 million cubic meters of gas per day via a 2,500-km gas pipeline. But in late December gas supplies via the pipeline were reduced 10-fold to about 2.5 million cubic meters before being stopped completely.

A simple change says Taxpayers Union president Berthoud, if you are convicted of any felony while in office, you forfeit your right to get paid.

In office? Once they've retired, you mean they should be exempt from living an ethical life to uphold the dignity of the country. Heck, if the Taxpayers Union wants to make a difference than they have to extend penalties to 'conditions' of the pension. The pensions are enough to 'insure' ethical living and dignity to the definition of Congressman or woman, it should not be an option.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emerging from his first cabinet meeting of the year, President Bush didn't even mention Iraq, but once again framing it as part of the war on terror.

He is too busy shifting people and seats inside the Cabinet Meeting Room to talk about Iraq. One thing about Bush, he always can look at the news media, stone cold and be concerned about "The War on Terror" while holding his fingers crossed behind his back. Come on, get over this mess already. Bush is no one to even seek opinion from, he is a chronic liar. When is everyone going to wake up to that fact. He has done nothing but lie. He could not care less about what happened on September 11th except it gave him a reason for his Neocon agenda no matter where it would take him.

GERGEN: That's a darned good question. And they obviously are not trying to put Iraq front and center, except through the hearings process. I felt that they might get the job that they in effect passed a resolution embracing the Baker-Hamilton report, that that will be a fairly straightforward thing for the Democrats to do, get themselves on record. Instead, what they're going to be is mostly the beginner party, they're going to be, you know --if, as the president -- you reported here on CNN the president recommends 20,000 to 40,000 troops, he's going to face a lot of opposition from Democrats, but he's also going to face a lot of opposition within his own party.

So, it is -- Iraq, very quickly, and we'll see where we go next week, but Iraq is, as you know, is taking up all the oxygen of politics, so it's somehow -- I mean, it has made this whole Congressional effort, 100-hours agenda somewhat secondary, I think in the voters' minds. But, you know, they can still have a constructive beginning, but I think your question is a good one. Should they not have taken a tougher stand on Iraq than they have.

It would be a political 'cop out' to simply endorse the Iraq Study Group. They made recommendations that were supposed to be started when they were announced. The recommendations weren't meant to be studied and discussed and debated, that all happened when the Study Group met.

By endorsing a 'dead issue' the Democrats would appear to have no real ideas or leadership of their own. It's not a matter of being clever. Bush was supposed to take the Iraq Study Group seriously. They were commissioned by Congress. He didn't. He is negligent AGAIN. So, what is left to do? Investigate. Call hearings and find out what the heck it takes to deal with the circumstances including a president that will only hold to 'the same course' or a varied one with no real research or validity behind it. It was like he and Condi and Gates met and Bush said, "Look guys we are 4th and 10 here, come up with something."

Where did this number 20 to 40 thousand come from? There is a huge difference between 20 and 40 thousand anyway. Is Bush saying 20 thousand is enough? No? 40 thousand enough? Or we actually have a plan that reflects EXACTLY what needs to be done. Bush has none of that. Prime Minister Maliki has been having success with his 'call up' of the elements of Iraq's political party. I don't believe Maliki is actually interested in Bush's ideas at all.

To say it would be better to embrace a 'timed out' Iraq Study Group recommendation is to say, well we did what we could and I guess Bush is just a lame duck. The Democrats can't do that, both politically and the fact that they need to form a solution to this mess; al Qaeda is still alive and well. It's left up to the Democrats to actually resolve Iraq and return to defense of this country, the president is no longer capable.

enough

U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 3,000

Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The death of a Texas soldier, announced Sunday by the Pentagon, raised the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq to at least 3,000 since the war began, according to an Associated Press count.

The grim milestone was crossed on the final day of 2006 and at the end of the deadliest month for the American military in Iraq in the past 12 months. At least 111 U.S. service members were reported to have died in December.

Spc. Dustin R. Donica, 22, of Spring, Texas, was killed Thursday by small arms fire in Baghdad, the Defense Department said. Donica was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

His death was not announced by U.S. military authorities in Baghdad.

At least 820 U.S. military personnel died in Iraq in 2006, according to the AP count.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=8824


Peace group stages rally to mark 3,000th casualty

By Jenn McDowell / Nashua Telegraph
NASHUA – NashuaPeace.Org activists weathered cold temperatures and a little snow Saturday to commemorate the nearly 3,000 American troops who have been killed in the Iraq war thus far.

About 40 people lined Main Street between 11 a.m. and noon bearing signs with statistics about the war, including the costs incurred on the country – both human and financial.

As the snow began to fall around 11:15, Joan Donahue of Nashua and Suzanne Hodge of Hudson remained on the corner of Main and Park streets, waving to passing motorists and eager to explain their views on the death toll, which stood Saturday at 2,998, according to an Associated Press tally.
“They’re all our family and friends,” Donahue said about the troops fighting in Iraq. She pointed to the more than 40 soldiers with New Hampshire connections who have died in action, and said she believes even more than the nearly 3,000 in the official count have died in hospitals as they tried to recover from injuries.

According to news reports, events to memorialize the 3,000th U.S. death will be held across the country in the coming days.

After the bloodiest month of the year – with more than 100 hundred U.S. soldiers killed in December – the 3,000 mark seems to be an appropriate point for re-evaluating the nation’s involvement in the war, protesters said.

“It’s no longer America’s war in Iraq. We are fighting the Iraqi civil war,” Donahue said.
President Bush is expected to announce a new Iraq strategy after the New Year.
Paula Van De Werken of Nashua said she believes the execution of Saddam Hussein will not provoke change in the Iraq region, and she held a sign asking people to think about whether “Hussein’s neck” was worth 3,000 dead soldiers, 25,000 maimed soldiers, 655,000 dead Iraqis and more than $300 billion U.S. dollars.

Van De Werken said she had a son-in-law in Iraq who was “gung-ho” for the war at first, but has since changed his views.

“He can’t say anything, but I can and I do,” she said.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=8825

DO SOMETHING

"Not one more death, not one more dollar."

http://www.afsc.org/3000/

Looking around 'the television' last night...

... I stopped in a couple of places.

CNN had free prizes for identification of newsworthy political figures.

Seacrest (click on) was the surrogate for Dick Clark. Clark looked good. Remarkable recovery from his stroke.

It was facsincating to see Mayor Bloomberg with his American Flag Sweater 'mingling' with Seacrest for political volleys. Seacrest hosts American Idol, also known as "The Place for the No Talent Bumbs in the Country that haven't got a Clue." It was all too obvious that the good Mayor was making a splash with Seacrest and his FOX constituency.

I didn't appreciate the pictures of the 'Crystal Ball' as it came down. It was too close up and the effect of changing colors and designs was to be viewed at a long distance. It took away from the moment and the effect.

The New Year was marked with the 3000th death of American soldiers in Iraq. Not a mention to any party that I saw. Just didn't count. Would have ruined the 'party spirit' I suppose.

There was a remarkable display of concern and respect for our troops by The New York Times. It was pleasingly astounding, at the top of the page, at midnight on their website:

"Faces of the Dead"

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/us/20061228_3000FACES_TAB1.html

I didn't see any other display of such patriotic concern except at Michael Moore dot calm; and the Associated Press where Mike turns for his imforation at times; where he was the first to note the event of the 3000th dead American.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

It is the silver ball above. It is that dicotomy that is dangerous to this country. While traditions like The Times Square Moment is vital to the USA, it isn't 'all' of the aspects of The New Year of the USA. It's a worry.

When this country responded to the attacks of September 11th, we did it with great trepidation for the heroes that 'wear the uniform.' The legitimate campaign went fairly well in Afghanistan although completely obvious it was also underestimated and under manned. The USA had a justified reason for the invasion into that country. We had more reason to occupy that country until it was secure enough to prevent any rise to power again of the Taliban or permit any threat by al Qaeda.

It was squandered for an oil war in Iraq and revenge killing of Saddam, carried out by surrogating the legitimate issues of the Kurds. It may have been a mistake to hang Saddam, certainly it was from the standpoint that he did not stand trial for all his crimes, which some might include some murders of Sunnis, before he was executed.

This is obviously a reaction to the execution.

Prisoners clash with guards in Iraq jail

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO157796.htm

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Prisoners in a jail in Iraq smashed cell doors, burned furniture and broke cameras during a riot on Monday that began when visitors told inmates that Saddam Hussein had been executed.
At least seven guards and three inmates were injured before Iraqi police and army ended the fighting.
The clashes in Padush prison in northern Iraq broke out during visiting hours as inmates reacted to news of Saddam execution, a witness in the prison said.
"Visitors brought the news of Saddam's execution and this ignited the unrest," the witness told Reuters.
Images of Saddam being taunted by Shi'ite officials during his hanging on Saturday have outraged Saddam's fellow Sunni Arabs, who have expressed anger at the Shi'ite-dominated government.
Iraq's overcrowded prisons hold many Sunni Arabs suspected of being Saddam supporters and insurgents. Sunnis complain of being victimised by Shi'ite-dominated security forces.
The unrest took place in a wing housing around 300 inmates, who attacked guards with sticks and batons. Police and army from the nearby city of Mosul were sent in and witnesses reported hearing gunbattles inside the prison.
Prison director Ali Mahmud said no inmates escaped, though some had tried to get away in the chaos. Mahmud said seven guards and three inmates were injured, but witnesses said one visitor had died in the clashes.
The family of one man in the region who has been in prison for 15 years said he had escaped. Mahmud said all inmates were accounted for.
The United Nations has voiced disquiet over the conditions of Iraq's prisons, and U.S. forces have uncovered clandestine prisons were Sunni inmates have been held and tortured.

The importance of our mission in Afghanistan has been diminished by the incompetent authority in Washington, DC. As a nation, and one with scars still lingering all too clearly in New York City, we cannot lose site of the real mission of our military in Afghanistan.

Currently, Russia is concerned over increasing the size of NATO. All this is due to the fact there has been such gross incompetence by the USA 'high command' in securing Afghanistan and fighting an appropriate war. I don't know of any American that would not stand behind a strong effort in Afghanistan, it is just that we cannot condone any actions by the USA under this administration because their agenda is very covert and when they execute power it is always 'under done' to propagate military presence and spending and corporate profits than to legitimately win wars.

We have seen the change of another year on the calender. Calenders are important. Soon the year 2008 will present itself and again the USA is looking to elect a president. This time we have to focus on competency and not personality, policy and not '...smoke 'em out...' Hollywood style politics and a complete resolve to Afghanistan's strife which is giving way to the return of the Taliban which once sheltered al Qaeda. We as a country are allowing the worse to happen with the power of our military and compromising ourselves and our allies.

In all honesty, I don't see that NATO's size should be increased as this has resulted from Bush/Cheney incompetence and the real goals of increasing NATO is skeptical. We also cannot allow NATO to be a surrogate to issues best resolved by the USA military. We need a change in policy and diplomacy in Washington, DC before anyone, including Russia, can say this is unnecessary or imprudent. Unfortunately, the stress that the Brits and NATO are facing will not wait and for that reason I would appeal to the United Nations Security Council and other countries of the region to seek the best outcome for the defeat of al Qaeda and oppression of the Taliban with perhaps participation by Russian/Chinese troops as well.

For a better new year.

Shalom.

NewsNight with Aaron Brown Transcripts

Recently I noticed the transcripts of NewsNight have been removed from the CNN electronic pages. I have most of them if not all of them saved in one place or another. Over time it is my intention to find all of them and place them here in chronological order.

Aaron Brown was a unique voice among the anchors. He was given the freedom that cable gives a news anchor and his focus included 'the news industry' which was completely unique. David Bohrman was a very, very unique producer and enjoyed playing a part at the end of the program during "Morning Papers." I consider myself lucky to have been a part of that news team through the magic of the internet.

Synergy, right David?

These men are my heroes and I am not about to allow the transcripts of "NewsNight with Aaron Brown" to be gone from the public rhelm forever.

I also don't want to hear how CNN is offended simply because they make profits from the archieves.

Too bad.

Aaron belongs to the public and NOT CNN, regardless of the meaningless contracts that might exist. A contract is supposed to mean something other than money, it suppose to uphold the worth and dignity of the parties. CNN violated it's side of the contract. The public suffers because of it.

The Fallout

1000

It didn't sound as though Mr. Cooper was interested in the reaction to all this. That is where I would want my cameras focused. What was occurring in that execution room was the business of the Unity Government.

Being 48 hours out from the execution it is a bit of a hindsight issue, but, I would think a news channel with connections all over the world would have been attentive to the reaction from all corners. Or maybe that would have been to 'honest' an experience for the 'focus' of this news team.

Two dead and 25 injured when six bombs went off in Bangkok and suburb on the New Year’s eve

http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/3940

Bangkok, 01 January, (Asiantribune.com): Two persons were killed and at least 25 injured, as a series of bombs or grenades exploded in at least six areas in Bangkok, capital of Thailand and in the neighboring province on New Year's Eve.

Bangkok authorities ordered all public New Year's Eve parties cancelled. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin appeared at the huge Bangkok Countdown 2006 venue at the downtown Central World shopping complex and told the crowd to "go home and stay in peace."

Reports revealed that, at least six bombs exploded across the city in the early evening, leading to quickly intensified security on the two light rail systems, the MRT Sky train and the MRTA subway, and cancellations of varied celebrations.

...Subsequently a third bomb went off at a traffic police post near busy Saphan Kwai-Skytrain overpass intersection injuring 17 people, two seriously. Police cordoned off the area for further investigation and a squad of 20 soldiers was dispatched to the scene to ensure no further untoward incident.

A fourth bomb went off at a police box on Sukhumvit Road Soi 62. No one was injured. A police traffic post near a major intersection in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok was also hit by a bomb but no casualties were reported.

The fifth bomb went off in the compound of the Tesco Lotus superstore at Prachachuen, while the sixth bomb was planted in a waste bin at Seacon Square Shopping Mall, in eastern suburban Bangkok, but a bomb-disposal squad defused the device before it exploded....

...The explosions took place as Bangkokians are celebrating the upcoming New Year. It was not immediately clear if the bombs had anything to do with the military coup of September 19 that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, or with continuing insurgency violence in the Muslim-predominant southern border region which has left more than 1,900 people dead since 2004.

In this case, do I believe this has to do with the execution? I don't think it helped but this probably would have occurred anyway. This is a continuing issue with recent unrest. The case wtih Madrid is different though:

Anger on streets of Spain after ETA bomb attack

A minute's silence has been held in Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country after yesterday's ETA car bomb attack at Madrid's main airport. The blast left two men missing presumed dead, and 19 slightly injured. The Spanish government has now suspended planned dialogue with the armed Basque separatist group.

http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=398651&lng=1

There was a ceasefire intact, especially since the past elections. It was honored up to the point where there was the execution. I think it was a reaction. There was no indictation previous to this of that level of unrest. This is not a 'gee isn't that too bad' moment either. There are two people dead in reaction to the execution.

And even though some are saying the Iraqis had no clue about the execution, there seemed to be plenty of opportunity to know. There is even a video tape that has been on the net. So, this is definately related. It's attacks on the Shia.

Three car bombs exploded in quick succession in the mainly Shia neighbourhood of Hurriya, killing 36 people and wounding 77, an Interior Ministry source said

http://www.itv.com/news/8601f0ea2907f2380445445e3ad75e70.html

Police in Kufa, near the Shia holy city of Najaf, said 36 people were killed and 58 wounded by the car bomb at a market packed with shoppers ahead of the week-long Eid al-Adha holiday.

No doubt there will be retaliations. Here we go again. The vigilence at Saddam's grave is interesting. This isn't what one would anticipate of a person executed for crimes. It's not a private ceremony. For as much as that man deserves to be dead, I don't know if that was an appropriate outcome.

Jeers and Taunts for Saddam

...“I condemn the way he was executed and I consider it a crime,” said 45-year-old Salam Hassan Al-Nasseri, one of Saddam’s clansmen who attended the burial in the village just outside Tikrit, 130 km north of Baghdad. Some 2,000 Iraqis traveled to the village....

...The reference is to Moqtada Sadr, a Shiite leader whose uncle Mohammed Bakr Sadr was murdered in 1980 by Saddam’s agents, and who has risen to prominence since Saddam’s fall as a politician and militia leader. One of the execution party calls: “Long live Mohammed Bakr Sadr!”...

...Hundreds of mourners flocked to his freshly-dug tomb inside the marble-floored hall in Awja yesterday. Many poured out their anger against the Americans and the Iraqi government. “I can’t believe it. By God, we will take revenge,” said one man from the northern city of Mosul....

...A previously unknown group of Iraqi Baathists pledged allegiance to Saddam’s fugitive deputy Izzat Ibrahim and named him the “legitimate president of Iraq,” a statement issued by the group said yesterday. The statement was distributed in Amman at the Jordan branch of Saddam’s Baath party where dozens of people came to pay condolences for the former president. The statement was apparently sent from the Baath party in Baghdad....

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=90550&d=1&m=1&y=2007


Saddam Hussein Hanged for the Wrong ReasonGwynne Dyer, Arab News

It was not the Iraqi government but its American masters that chose to execute Saddam Hussein in a great rush as soon as the first sentence was confirmed, thus canceling all the other trials on far graver charges that awaited him. The current Iraqi government had nothing to hide if those trials went ahead; the United States government did.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=90555&d=1&m=1&y=2007

And the Haj is proceeding without a glitch.


Tents Offer Hint of Pilgrims’ StatusGalal Fakkar, Arab News

The other tented city, packed into any available space, provides a modicum of privacy for many of the pilgrims. (AN photo by Emad Al-Salehi)

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=90545&d=1&m=1&y=2007

MINA, 1 January 2007 — The official figure for the number of pilgrims this year was reported to be 2.38 million, a six percent increase from last year, according to the government. But walking around the holy sites one can observe that many pilgrims are camping not in the large tents of Mina — the official accommodations provided by the Haj tour operators that pilgrims are required to go through — but in smaller portable tents, the kind you might see at any campsite.

ALL THAT is from The Arab News, a long standing and well recognized newspaper of Saudi Arabia.

COOPER: Gentlemen, and -- and Aneesh and Arwa, stand by. I also want to bring in Michael Scharf to this conversation. He's a law professor from Case Western Reserve University. He actually helped train some of the Iraqi judges who took part in this trial. Michael, we appreciate you joining us. What do you make -- there was a last-minute attempt by Saddam's attorneys to stay this execution. It -- it failed within the last hour. Were you surprised by that? It seemed kind of a last-ditch effort.

MICHAEL SCHARF, PROFESSOR, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: No, I wasn't surprised.

I mean, the legal case they presented in D.C. was very weak. Their theory was basically that Saddam Hussein was a POW, and that the Geneva Conventions say you can't turn a POW over to their enemy. First of all, Saddam was no longer a POW. He hasn't been since 2004, when sovereignty shifted to Iraq. And, secondly, the Iraqi is not an enemy state, like Iran. It is his own government. They had a trial. And it's perfectly acceptable for him then to face the consequences of that.

So, I wasn't surprised at all.

THAT statement is a matter of technicality. Saddam was in USA custody as a POW the entire time he was being tried.

Saddam still in US custody

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-12/29/content_771204.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein's half brothers visited him in his jail cell and he gave them his will, Iraqi officials said Friday, indicating his execution may be approaching. But they said he had yet to be transferred to Iraqi custody.

The former president is being held at Camp Cropper, an American military prison where he is expected to remain until the day of his execution, at which point he is to be transferred to Iraqi authorities.

SO, IT he was transferred at all, it was only to carry out the execution. There is probably something procedurally wrong with that but the guy is dead, so anything that is shadey is an issue after the fact. I suppose anyone can challenge the Chinese view of this, but, why would they bring it up if it wasn't a matter of international law? No one else did.

There is too much overlap between the USA military and the civil/criminal courts of Iraq. Bush has disregarded the Geneva Conventions for a reason. The real question is, will he be allowed to get away with it in the long run or will the world seek retribution to teach subsequent American Presidents a lesson?

Cooper you are such a propagandist

CNN has not been able to independently verify that. We are monitoring this situation very closely. And we are trying to verify this on our own, as well as checking out any other networks who may be able to -- to verify this. We will bring that all to you as we know it.

Michael Moore had the execution on his website long before 10PM, don't put on such an act. The Drama Queen.

See, Anderson, everyone else knew before you did.

COOPER: On Iraqi state television right now, they are looking at an image we showed you moments ago. We'll show you that image again right now. Dearborn, Michigan. People dancing in the streets, displaying Iraqi flags.

This image -- you'll hear some of the announcers in the background speaking Arabic. This is taken from Iraqi state television, them showing Iraqis, Muslims in America, in Dearborn, Michigan.

... and it goes on and on and on....

enough

December 28, 2006

Amman, Jordan

Photographer states :: Snow storm ... view of my house. 

December 28, 2006

Snow on Jerusalem

Back to selling Bush's Culture of Fear

1000

Chad Myers - The focus could be a little more honest. Americans are creating their own severe weather circumstances under a dense blanket of carbon dioxide. When is the media going to relay to them the brevity of this issue. People are dying because of severe weather. Katrina was due to Human Induced Global Warming. It is the obligation of the American media to put forth not JUST THE NEWS but the consequences of a society's decision to neglect their well being. Warnimg the public about severe weather is necessary, but, if that is all the weather media in the USA is doing then they are condoning the deaths due to weather induced by high levels of carbon dioxide. I wish it were indictable. I am not sure it isn't.

Saddam Hussein - the last the Iraqis should do is broadcast the hanging live, but, it is what Bush will demand. There should be witnesses and a reporting of those witnesss and then a display of the body as his sons were displayed to let everyone witness the corpus.

PERRY: A report on the problem presented to the U.S. Congress confirms the desperation of Iraq's electricity minister, quoting him as saying: "Every day, I send repair teams, but they can want get to the area. There are too many insurgents. I have spoken to everyone. No one can help."

BUSH set up Iraq for failure. He allowed people with designs on money and not the dedication to the interests of the Iraqi people to come in as exiles to run the country. There are a lot of them that have probably embezzled Iraq for billions. This man was able to pay his way out of Iraq with the monies he stole. Iraq is corrupt. al-Samaraie has a home in Chicago. He never cared about the Iraqi people. Chalabi is the same way and he managed to con lots and lots of money from the Cheney/Bush deception machine. Then the USA leaves Iraq the opportunity to exploit not only the Iraqi treasury will stop, but the USA treasury besides. Long about now, I wish Iraq was completely divided and Kurdistan was making it's own international contracts and the Shi'ite nation doing that as well. The sooner these peoples declare their Independance of Iraq the sooner they will have control of their borders and treaties with their neighbors regarding those borders and whom crosses the. They are already running the border crossings now. They may as well do it under the soveriegny of a nation that seeks control of those borders and the crossing incomes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_iraq_escaped_official

In 2003, al-Samaraie became a member of the transitional Iraqi government that was set up after U.S.-led forces overthrew Saddam Hussein' dictatorship. He was detained in August, convicted of corruption and sentenced to two years imprisonment. The charges concerned an estimated $2 billion in missing funds for contracts on rebuilding Iraq's electrical infrastructure.

On Dec. 19, al-Samaraie called the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times and said that a "multinational" group had helped him escape from a police station inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. He gloated about the escape, saying he got away "the Chicago way" — a reference to the 1987 film about Al Capone called "The Untouchables."

Iran - there was a report in the New Zealand Herald today that thwarts any theory by Bush that Iran is an oil nation that can run well without nuclear power. That doesn't seem to be the case.

Iran's oil problems deep-seated
Wednesday December 27, 2006
WASHINGTON - Iran's nuclear ambitions are motivated not just by a desire for regional supremacy but by a potentially devastating crisis in its oil industry, a researcher said.Iran's image is of a muscular oil producer with plentiful reserves, but in fact it could soon face its own energy crunch owing to failing infrastructure and lack of investments, Professor Roger Stern at Johns Hopkins University said.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the professor of geography and environmental engineering said Iran's oil problems have the potential to topple the clerical regime. "The regime's dependence on export revenue suggests that it could need nuclear power as badly as it claims."

Generous domestic subsidies for petrol mean that Iran's national oil company cannot make money at home and so needs to export as much as it can. But rapid population growth means that domestic demand is rising, while authorities have let their refineries and pipelines fray.

Despite being the second-biggest exporter in Opec behind Saudi Arabia, Iran has to import oil products like petrol to cope with demand. Since 1980, energy demand in Iran has risen 6.4 per cent, exceeding supply growth of 5.6 per cent. Exports have stagnated. For at least 18 months, Iran has failed to meet its quota for oil production.The strong suggestion is that oil production is now falling.- AFP

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10416872

This is from the New Zealand Herald, an ally to the USA. It is quoting the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an American Institution. Where the heck is Bush getting his INFORMATION FROM? Where is CNN getting theirs? What does it take to keep everyone honest here?

This reminds me of the Judith Miller phenomena where everyone believes the information coming from the White House is actually factual. CNN simply reports everything coming out of this White House as fact. It isn't. Not by a long shot and they report it without question and without dissent. That isn't journalism, that is stenography.

This reminds of the same 'intelligence' manipulations that went on before the invasion into Iraq. There were reports in the American Chemical Society environmental journal, I think it was June of 2002 and then repeated in the November or December 2002 issue of Nature that known chemical agents like VX gas were breaking down to neutral elements within hours of exposure to air, sunlight and concrete. These were experiments conducted by the USA Department of Defense to test a chemical agent meter to determine the level of contamination of cities, etc., should an exposure take place. At the time these reports were released Bush was demanding proof of disposed inventories of these agents. The Hussein government was stating they had no proof because they had no inventory to report. They didn't have an inventory because the darn stuff degraded in the Iraqi desert. Saddam didn't have the darn stuff. It was that 'believed' threat that Bush acted on and when the inventories were proven not to be there, he was completely a fool. The UN inspectors hadn't found anything. And these reports were known to the USA Department of Defense. Nature is a British scientific journal. This issue as present by the National Academy of Science is history repeating itself.

No one is going to argue that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. I don't believe they are after that, espcially now with this information before all of us. The President of Iran has stated he is interested in nuclear energy and has no intention of weapons. I believe the intent to create nuclear weapons and Iran's disregard of the Non-Proliferation Treaty should be entrusted to the IAEA and the integrity of Dr. Elbardei. No doubt in my mind.

If Anderson Cooper is going to be reporting this topic he needs to report on all of it and not just cherry pick his favorite political position. The Judith Miller Syndrome. To be avoided at all costs.

James Brown - His five year old child needs a home and an income with his mother.

SHARPTON: He was a pioneer in black entrepreneurship. He was the first black artist to buy several radio stations.And then the song in '68, "Say it Loud; I'm Black and I'm Proud," literally changed blacks from calling themselves Negroes to black. James Brown raised the consciousness of a whole downtrodden community. And because he came from nothing, and because he wasn't tall and strapping and light-skinned, which was the -- the accepted tone of black entertainers at the time, people could relate to him, because he was one of us that made it on his own terms.

It's winter. Not a good time to climb no matter the climate. What are these people trying to do? You do this in the summer months when there is less chance of severe weather at the peaks. Are they finding the snow to sparse in the summer? That doesn't mean the sun's traverse of the planet has changed and the winds have diminished. This is not a good idea. Someone needs to stop this silliness. If the snow is sparse in the summer than that's too bad.

U.S. Climbers Missing in China May Be Roped Together (Update1)
By Demian McLean
Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The body of a missing American alpinist spotted on a remote Chinese peak may be roped to its climbing partner, said a friend who's coordinating search efforts from the U.S.
The unidentified mountaineer, whose legs and boots are poking through deep snow, is likely Christine Boskoff or her boyfriend, Charlie Fowler, said Arlene Burns of Telluride, Colorado. The pair was last seen alive more than a month ago.
Spotters are waiting to unbury the body till they've talked with Chinese authorities in Chengdu, southwest China, Burns said in a phone interview. They may identify the corpse tomorrow morning local time.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aYSskixePNm8&refer=asia

Donald Trump is like Halliburton, living off of ill gotten gains in a cash flow that could crash if the next lawsuit didn't pay off. Halliburton has government contracts and not lawsuits. If Donald Trump sold all his holdings and paid all his bills he wouldn't be able to afford the price of a used car out right.

This was September 15, 2005 and Katrina hit on August 29 as a Cat 3 pushing a Cat 5 storm surge in front of it because it didn't diminish it's strength until just before landfall. It hit with all the power of a Cat 5 but the winds were less.

This was darn decent of the Trump Orgnaization. I hope the building is coming along. It will serve to give the New Orleans residents jobs during the construction and after it's built. It will be a jewel in the New Orleans skyline. The thing about it is that he never toots his own horn about this.

Trump Will BuildTower in New Orleans

Less than three weeks ago, Donald Trump announced he would help develop the tallest building in New Orleans, a 70-story luxury condo/hotel hybrid.
Now, Trump's organization says it wants to go ahead with the tower. Allen Levin, president of Island Resorts Development Inc., of Pensacola, Fla., who is teaming with Mr. Trump to build the tower, said he remains committed to the project, though it might be delayed.
"We have no doubt we are going to do it," Mr. Levin said, adding that construction probably wouldn't start for about 2½ years. Mr. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., also agreed. "We still intend on going forward," he said. "We are in no way abandoning the city. When the time is right, we will be there."
Like many cities, New Orleans was enjoying a boom in condo building and conversions, says Randy Crochet, a vice president of GMAC Commercial Mortgage and a 45-year resident of the city. Large numbers of new high-end projects and conversions, especially in areas like the relatively elevated Warehouse District, had gotten under way or finished in the last couple of years.
The Trump tower would be a $200 million bet on the future of big business in New Orleans since it would rise in the downtown central-business district.
With his partners, Mr. Trump would build about 650 units -- 200 of which would be traditional condos and the rest would be so-called condotels, which have out-of-town owners who allow their condos to be rented out while they're away

http://www.realestatejournal.com/columnists_com/plotsploys/20050915-plots.html

The guy is not all bad. I don't like the name calling with Rosey. It's very unbecoming and Mr. Trump should never resort to such things.

The second hour:

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, "THE HUFFINGTON POST": Well, no, I don't buy it's our responsibility in the sense that we can actually do something about it. Because after all, Iraq is made to choose to have a democratic government that works. We cannot impose a democratic government on them. And that is a key distinction. In fact, many military analysts on the ground keep telling us that we are making things worse by being seen as the occupier. We are actually exacerbating a lot of the conflicts going on. And we need to redeploy our forces as fast as possible. There are many in this country who have been arguing for that for over a year now. And it's amazing how slowly we are moving ahead towards the right solution.

enough

The worst heat for the North - West Troposphere is (drum roll please) ICELAND ! Amazing and no one cares . 

Rescue Insurance

1000

That was a great moment:

SIMON: Because most of the search crews are volunteers, the burden to taxpayers is low. Still, despite the tragedy, some have suggested victims and their families should pay for mountain rescues. Mount Hood has no such requirement. And most here believe rescuing climbers should be a free public service.

No insurance, no rescue. Good, real good. You guys are so warped on this program. I was once a member of a mounted search and rescue. It was rewarding, we practiced and had training sessions and became experts. We kept in shape and our horses were endurance trained. Get over it Anderson, there are just some people who give a damn without collecting a paycheck and you ain't one of them. What next?

Don't you all care about the immorality of money? Money is grossly immoral especially when someone is going to send you a bill for a failed rescue no matter how much they tried. Morality is not a concept well developed on AC 360.

Buffalo, NY in an average winter gets about well over 100 inches.

Here is your raw data, Bubba.

Pat Shingleton for Dec. 18

Arnold Finklin is a retired meteorologist who has researched 100 years of snowfall data to determine the snowiest cities in the Lower 48. The snowiest “inhabited” site is Blue Canyon, Calif. At a 5,280-foot elevation on the Sierra Nevada, its annual average is 241 inches. Soda Springs, Calif., near the Donner Pass, averaged 393 inches each year from 1931 to 1957. Alta, Utah, logged an annual average of 513 inches from 1951 to 2000. Mount Rainier National Park averages 682 inches per year. The snowiest Western town: Crested Butte, Colo., at 233 inches. In the rest of the country, Marquette, Mich.; and Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y., have averaged between 129 and 161 inches. Fastcast: Warm.Chris, one word) additional weather information: Chris Stevens will provide the fastcast and additional weather information through December 26. 336-2394, 336-2363, 505-0583, 709-0174

http://www.2theadvocate.com/columnists/pat/4941302.html

BUSH: I'm going to make you this promise: My administration will work with Republicans and Democrats to fashion a new way forward that can succeed in Iraq.

THAT IS A DESPERATE MAN.

... and the quote of the day ...

BUSH: Victory in Iraq is achievable. It hadn't happened nearly as quickly as I hoped it would have.

... ah, go ahead make a prediction... say something clever like, "... in the year 2007 we are finally going to smoke'em out."

BUSH: I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq.

Let's get up to speed. It would seem the Chinese have more reverence for the USA military dead than Bush does. I think once recognized the NUMBER of dead once. He doesn't talk about it too often.

US death toll nears 3,000 in Iraq(Reuters)Updated: 2006-12-23 09:35

BAGHDAD - The US military on Friday reported the deaths of five more soldiers in Iraq as Defense Secretary Robert Gates ended a visit aimed at finding a new strategy to curb violence and allow US troops to withdraw.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-12/23/content_765983.htm

Let's see, what is Mike's latest update?

December 22nd, 2006 2:31 pm5 U.S. troops die west of Baghdad

By Christopher Torchia / Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgent attacks killed five more American troops west of the Iraqi capital, the military said Friday, making December the second deadliest month for U.S. servicemen in 2006.

This month, 76 American troops have died in Iraq, the same number that were killed in April. With nine days remaining in December, the monthly total of U.S. deaths could meet or exceed the death toll of 105 in October.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew back to Washington on Friday to give President George W. Bush his advice on transforming U.S. policy in Iraq after holding three days of talks in the war zone with military and political leaders. Gates was scheduled to see Bush at the mountain retreat of Camp David on Saturday morning.

The White House said Bush would meet his full National Security Council next Thursday during a stay at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. That session was designed to whittle down the options rather than make final decisions, said Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman.

Bush is considering whether to quickly send thousands of additional U.S. troops to the country to control the violence. There are 140,000 American troops in Iraq.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=8726

20,000? More? NO ! You didn't do good with the first 160,000 we gave you !!! Besides, Bush is such a flyin' liar.

COOPER: Well, John, how do the Democrats play into all this? I mean, how are they -- you know, there was a lot of talk about bipartisanship and -- and consulting one another. How is that going?

You all have to know that bipartisanship isn't going to exist. Not really. We can't trust the Republicans. They raped this country. Carpetbaggers, every one. I don't see anyone being bipartisan. Why? If the Democrats collaborate with the Republicans they will be as dirty as they are. I just don't see it. The Democrats have completely different values than the Republicans. They won't starve the troops but at the same instance they aren't the puppets the Republican legislature is. I don't see any Democrat covering Bush's tracks either. No Senator Spector moments or any of that. Basically, if Bush wants to do something NOBLE in his last two years the best he'll do is sign on the dotted line of well written and moral legislation. Cost effective, too. Might include some tax increases and rollbacks like subsidies to Halliburton and Dick Cheney. You know, those sort of things.

Insurgents offer U.S. 30-day truce to get out of Iraq

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/22/iraq.main/index.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The leader of an umbrella organization for Iraqi insurgent groups is offering the United States a one-month truce to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq and turn over its military bases "to the mujahedeen of the Islamic state."

In an audiotape posted on Islamic Web sites Friday, a speaker identified as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Mujahideen Shura Council, said that if U.S. forces begin withdrawing from Iraq immediately and leave their heavy weaponry behind, "we will allow your withdrawal to complete without anyone targeting you with any explosive or anything else."
"We say to Bush not to waste this historic opportunity that will guarantee you a safe withdrawal," al-Baghdadi said on the audiotape.

Oh, yeah. I find that whole concept of a 'Ceasefire' very interesting. The Iraqis are actually saying they are in control of a ceasefire. Interesting. You have to know that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is a generic name for the leader of the Baghdad rebels. He exists but that is like a code name. It's not real. I would love to know whom these men were. Iraqi police, maybe? Hm. So, according to this the rebels are rebels because we are there. Bush should accept the offer, it would allow an entire month to exit Iraq while cleaning up the munitions. Sounds like a good deal.

Yep.

I think I'll turn on the tube for awhile.

1000

"Across the country and around the world, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360" !!

Why us !

Mount Hood - I don't believe we will see those men again. They should release the pictures. It might be too painful to the families but they probably have already seen them. It would give the public who waited and hoped for so long to come to terms with what they were facing and why their climb went so much better than their return. They made it to the top. That was no minor accomplishment. It's upsetting to realize the hardest part was yet to come.

"The MLU was born out of tragedy right here at Mount Hood."

There needs to be some kind of regulation. To realize the loss of human life and the cost that went out to try to rescue these men is to realize a better way. I don't believe Mt. Hood is a national or state park. Probably wrong about that, but, there is a website that is somewhat troubling given the events of the last week or so.

Virtual Mt. Hood Climb

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2483/virthood.htm

The pictures of the virtual climb are interesting BUT when one looks at the provisions that are stated are needed it gets a little upsetting.

Climb Smart!

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/2483/smart.htm


1. Topographic Map
2. Compass, altimeter
3. Flashlight/Headlamp, spare bulb & batteries
4. Food
5. Insulating Clothing layers & wind proof shell
6. Space blanket or bivy sack
7. Sunglasses
8. First aid, sunblock, & medications
9. Pocket Knife
10. Matches/Lighter
11.Helmet
12.Ice Axe
13.Crampons/snowshoes/skis
14.Water

That is a very sparse list. There is no tent, sleeping bag, ground cover and list goes on from there. Water supply, duct tape, there is no mention of climbing gear itself, not even a rope, a back pack capable of carrying 60 pounds of gear in potential weather conditions like this and it makes no mention of an MLU. $5.00 to rent one and somehow it's not required to climb that mountain. If I were going up the mountain there would be no doubt in my mind about not only renting one but making sure it was in good working order and what it took to keep it working well the entire trip. No doubt that this would be a necessity.

It's nearly impossible to stop people from embarking on a dangerous hike/climb up a mountain if they are that intent on it, but, at the same time when folks come into a store for equipment there needs to be some kind of certification before they purchase materials such as these. Crampons and ice axes aren't just your usual walk in the woods. If one is to scuba dive there has to be classes and certifications in order to purchase or rent equipment to facilitate that, it needs to be the same here...

There is The American Safe Climbing Association

http://www.safeclimbing.org/

...and they are backed by high end product manufacturers like Black Diamond. It's the only way to fly. These guys know what they are doing, you know?

The Iraq War

We never belonged in that country and we don't belong there now. There is some reality today that all of a sudden the Sadr folks are more powerful than al Qaeda in Iraq. That is bulloney. There is nothing different today than a year ago. The Shi'ites have armed themselves because they became a majority with power. To them that was security against being killed. I don't blame them. At all. 50,000 people were killed in 2002 and the Saddam jerks cut off the water to them and their wetlands. That is being completely at the hands of lunatics and there were pictures of Rumsfeld shaking Saddam's hand while instilling him into power. Then the USA invades the country illegally. What did Bush think would happen? Then he attacks the Mosque No forethought, just knee jerk Texas '...smoke 'em out...' lunacy.

And not to leave out the Sunnis, the USA military simply leveled Fallujah with complete abandon. What the heck was that all about and it sure didn't seem to accomplish anything.

Gates needs to realize an exist strategy for the troops and hold to it. He better do a good job, too. No 'last soldier out' scenario either, that dies on the rooftoop !!!

Ben Wedeman

Pretty scary in Palestine, huh? The 'authorities' are stating there is a cease fire. Abbas claims this time it's for real. It sure doesn't look that way on the Palestinian street, does it? You know the Hamas leader got caught at the border with a few suitcases full of cash and all of a sudden Abbas states there is a ceasefire that will hold. Ya, right. You think maybe he's trying to convince The Arab League to turn over the cash, Ben?

Here ya go, straight from Dubai. Our friendly neighborhood American Ports management firm. Way to go, Jihad, huh, babe:

Jihad will 'liberate Palestine'

Dubai - Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri said in a video aired by Al-Jazeera television on Wednesday that only jihad can bring about the liberation of occupied Palestinian territory.
"Any road other than jihad will only lead to loss. Those trying to liberate the land of Islam through elections based on secular constitutions or on decisions to surrender Palestine to the Jews will not liberate a grain of sand of Palestine," said Osama bin Laden's right-hand man.
On the contrary, "their attempts will lead to choking jihad and besieging the mujahedeen", he said.
Muslims will not win the West's approval if they retreat, irrespective of their skills in manoeuvring and talking, Zawahiri said.
It was not immediately clear when the videotape was recorded, and its authenticity could not be independently confirmed.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,9294,2-10-1462_2047199,00.html

Hey, ya know, when the going gets tough and it looks like The West might be right, call al Qaeda.

Fred Goldman

When it this ludicrous mess going to stop? When are women going to be safe in this country from violence and when will nice guys finish first? Ron was a nice guy.

It's Florida. What else is there to say? The illegal fortune of the Bush Family has to be safe somewhere. Maybe not that Jeb is out there might even be some reform to the laws that victimize families like the Goldmans.

Brook Anderson

Any relation to Pam, Andy?

You know what her new title is, don't you? Some circles are calling her "Mistress USA."

enough

Behold the rare lifelong Seattleite (click on)

When I do come across others who spent their formative years in the area, we tend to swap big knowing smiles like long-lost childhood pals. "You went to Camp Orkila too?" We nod and take turns trading local references from our childhood and teen years. Our transplanted peers, clueless about the Seattle of the '80s, let alone the '70s, watch in silence as we whisper in a secret code of bygone Seattle: "Almost Live! with Ross Shafer." "Aaron Brown on the local news." "Food Giant."

Aaron Brown

U.S. anchor discusses his Judaism

By JENNA ROSMAN
CJN Intern


TORONTO - When former CNN anchor Aaron Brown was 13 years old, his rabbi in Minneapolis, Minn., told him that a reporter’s job is “to give voice to the voiceless.”

“Think of our history and all of those centuries when no one heard us,” said the rabbi, whom Brown counts as a significant figure in his life. “Think of how different Jewish history would be if in all the times we had been stifled, someone heard us.”

It’s a principle the veteran U.S. journalist said has guided him throughout his career – and particularly as he’s covered the Middle East, even if it’s sometimes alienated him from his fellow Jews.

Both Palestinians and Israelis are entitled to a voice, he told the annual UJA Federation donor dinner, May 4 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

“I’ve done that knowing that neither side would embrace me, and that the rejection of one side, particularly, would be especially painful,” he said in a 30-minute speech to 450 guests. “In the end, we all want the love of our families, and I’m no exception. I want to be embraced by my people, because I’m one of them.”

Brown – who was once CNN’s lead anchor and host of Newsnight with Aaron Brown, but was replaced last year by Anderson Cooper – said he has often felt pressured by other Jews to stifle what could be seen as criticism of Israel.
“There is no tougher issue to report on than the Middle East,” he said.

Brown recalled doing a story about checkpoints in Israel that examined both the Israeli and the Palestinian positions.
Soon afterward, he received two e-mails almost simultaneously. The first was from “someone of Arab descent,” who wrote, “You are a Zionist pig. Just another tool of the Israelis.”

The second came from a Jewish doctor, in Denver, Colo. “‘You are,’ he said to me, ‘not better than a concentration camp kapo, selling out his people for money.’”

Brown wrote back: “‘At worst, what we have here is an editorial disagreement about the decision I made. That’s the worst thing that we have here, and your words were offensive beyond the pale.’ And to his credit, he wrote back and apologized, and we remain in touch today.”

Brown also spoke of growing up in Hopkins, Minn., near Minneapolis, as one of only a few Jews. “We weren’t particularly theologically Jewish, but we understood what it meant.”

His maternal grandparents came to the United States from Ukraine and settled in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
He said he’s made it a tradition to take his 17-year-old daughter each year to Ellis Island in New York City, where they sit in the Great Hall and talk about how his grandparents “came here, how they lived, how they made their lives, what it must’ve been like, the courage that they had, the fierceness it must have taken.”

He added, “Someday, I hope, she will take her children there and tell the story of her great-grandparents that she never knew.”

Referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Brown said that “the Israeli side is easier to understand,” since Israelis “see their future not in a pipe dream of a greater Israel, but in a two-state solution that will ultimately provide the security that they need and that they deserve.”

He said Hamas’ victory in recent Palestinian elections was not about most Palestinians favouring Israel’s obliteration, but rather about a desire for change in the Palestinian Authority, which was “rife with corruption, slow to deliver social services, health care, education… and had no security.”

Brown said the Palestinians voted for Hamas because of their situation, which they felt could not be worse.
“Of course, Hamas could be worse. And they turned out to be worse,” he said.

“How can it be that young Arabs find more hope in a suicide belt than in democracy?” he asked. “Hamas understands really well what it means not to be in power. Now all of a sudden, they own a store – they have keys to the store. They don’t know how to run foreign policy and they don’t know how to run a country either. They do know how to run social services, however, and they certainly know how to run suicide bombers.”

Speaking of the anti-Americanism, that is rampant in the Middle East, Brown said the Arab world hates the West because of its foreign policy, but not because of its freedom.

He noted that the United States has supported corrupt governments that have denied citizens basic rights.
“And that has to change,” he said.

Brown added that Iran has become further radicalized since 9/11, and “whacking Iran will make attacking Iraq seem like child’s play.”

In an interview after his speech, Brown said both Palestinians and Israelis have a common desire for peace, but “no one is quite willing to start the process.”

He added: “The end is quite clear. The Palestinians will get most of the West Bank and it will be less contiguous than it probably ought to be, certainly than they want. East Jerusalem needs to be dealt with. But by and large, I think both sides know what the final map will look like.

“It’s totally backwards to how every negotiation works. In every negotiation, starting is easy and ending is hard. This one, you know the end and you can’t start it.”

http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=9291

Now is not the time for weak wills. It is too easy to kill people in Iraq. It takes guts to pursue diplomacy

1000

So, Frankenstein still works there, huh? That's a shame.

World leaders light candles for Hanukkah

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3341803,00.html

The survival of the other two men is sadly in question as their families face holidays without them. I admire them as people and their dedication to each other. They loved the life they shared.

Photos Raise Survival Concern For Men Stranded On Mt. Hood



http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=5835160&nav=0s3d

We are back to a clear understanding of a troposphere with an Arctic Ocean vortex that due to the curve of the Earth reaches primarily to 36 North latitude. There is some 'break through' moisture from the equator across the warmer terra firma of Mexico, southern USA. The water vapor map below is worse. This clear demarkation is a separation of moisture and turbulence with drought conditions persistenting to the equator below 36 N.

The same pattern can be noted here but the vortices are more easily discerned. They are huge and very strong. It contriubed to the severe wind on Mt. Hood that caused such harsh weather at high elevations. 

I am sure I don't have to go through the squamous cell carcinoma thing. I have great concern for the First Lady's health and the attention she deserves. I am confident every effort to eradicate any further threat to her life has been taken and she will be fine. I wish her and her family health and happiness for the holidays.

Not much in the news these days about Senator Tim Johnson. Reports sort of stopped about the 16th when it would seem his recovery was very hopeful. I hope his family is finding solice this holiday in realizing his recovery may very well be remarkable and he'll be able to continue this chapter as a USA Senator after all.

Defense Secretary Gates.

I don't have much hope for his role in this administration. It's a thing left over from Reagan and Iran-Contra. I think the guy has the "W"rong idea about the region. He needs to focus on the fact that radicalizing Shi'ites by killing off those that rather seceed from the Unity Government is a very bad idea. That is not a threat either. These people have suffered for a long time. This isn't a grab for power in order to carry out some grandiose plan as Osama bin Laden did from AFGANISTAN.

The Shi'ites although more than unsophisticated in their approach to international recognition have been an oppressed reality of the Islamic faith. As far as I am concerned it is a foregone conclusion that Middle East leadership not tied to a geneological tree leading to Mohammad is stimuli to and for rebellion.

It is why the Shah of Iran fell to the Ayatollah Khomeini. Prior to the Khomeini take over the Shi'ites were on their way to having their religious leadership distroyed. The lineage to their savior, if you will, was broken and they were upset about it. It is why the hostage situation that destroyed Carter's presidency that lead to the failed attempt at rescue by American helicopters in the desert.

Iran today is a direct reflection of a radicalization that has taken place because AGAIN the Shi'ites are feeling threatened. Before the Iraqi invasion by the USA, the 'tone' in Iran was very different and moving toward a more moderate government and a representative one. That has been put 'on hold' while the Shi'ites of the entire region reassess their future and the tenuousness of their ties to their religious lineage.

It is a huge mistake to kill any religious men as it not only indicates complete disregard for their religious importance but also places the very basis of their existance spiritually at a genocide proportion. I am confident when examing the definitions of genocide under the UN Charter there is a clear understanding of cultural genocide that adheres to the laws of World Court proceedings.

Putin and Assad Talk Middle East Peace

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/12/20/003.html

Syrian President Bashar Assad, meeting Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, welcomed Russian efforts to play a bigger role in the Middle East.
"Our strategic dialogue with Russia is based on Russia playing a more effective role in the Middle East," Assad said at a news conference after meeting behind closed doors with Putin. "Russia has begun playing a real role in the region."
Assad plans to be in Russia for three days.
Fighting between Palestinian factions and the political crisis in Lebanon topped the agenda at the Assad-Putin meeting; Russian officials declined to comment on the talk. Russia has weighed in on both the Palestinian quagmire and Lebanon as it has sought to reassert its regional presence.
Assad, speaking at the news conference at the President Hotel, called the meeting "successful and constructive" but declined to offer any details.
Putin, for his part, noted that he had recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

Lebanon Still Reeling From War, Assassinations

http://voanews.com/english/2006-12-19-voa51.cfm

The past year has been a particularly troubled time in Lebanon. The country wrestled with political instability following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, and the subsequent mass protest movement that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops. 2006 was supposed to be a landmark year, when Lebanon was finally run by its own government, on its own terms. But the sudden outbreak of war in July shattered Lebanon's fragile stability and exposed political rifts that had long lingered under the surface. Middle East Correspondent Challiss McDonough looks at Lebanon's problems in this VOA yearend report.

The arm sales to Syria is a direct result of Bush's escalating 'war chant.' Bush's war presence in the Middle East is a hazard in every way and will threaten the well being of Israel for some time to come. Bush is not a good ally to Israel. In the conflict over Southern Lebanon he was unable to arm Israel through the resistance of the British. If Bush cannot assure Israel wtih confidence WHICH HE CAN'T then Israel is better off negotiating with Russia as an intermediary to bring about peace between all the other nations of the region. I am sure Jordan and Egypt would welcome a continued summit to that effect.

Moscow and Damascus discuss Middle East

http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=396886&lng=1

An internationally isolated Bashar al-Assad is visiting Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin. Syria and Russia have long-standing political and economic ties. Last year, Moscow wrote off nearly three quarters of Syria's 10 billion euro debt. On the agenda are peace efforts in the Middle East, interfactional tensions among Palestinians and the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon.They will also discuss Russian arms sales to Syria which are strongly criticised by Israel. It says many of these weapons ended up in the hands of Hezbollah fighters during the recent conflict in Lebanon. Assad's visit follows Putin's talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.He claims to have secured Russia's backing in his struggle against the pro-Syrian opposition which continues to stage daily protests in Beirut demanding the government resign. Some are concerned opposition calls for early elections could complicate efforts to end the country's worst political crisis since the civil war.

By providing support to Syria's military, Russia is placing itself in a position of influence in an alliance that is stated to be based in a goal of peace. There is absolutely nothing to make me believe differently. The UN Peacekeepers are on the ground between Lebanon and Israel and there has been a peace maintained through those efforts. However, if these arms mean anything it is not about Israel so much as the potential border war with an escalation of violence in Iraq as Bush pushes his agenda of confrontation 'Surge.'

Israel needs to be prepared to defend itself at any rate. If the Shi'ites in Iraq are attacked there is no predicting the outcome elsewhere.

Joe Johns had a somewhat interesting message, but, it would have been better if the rest of the program reflected the economy of the country, the influence the USA has on it's economy in the policies it generates and the direct adverse effect those policies play. It is not just a matter of getting cheap sugar for the USA recipes for the season at hand, it is a matter of changing policy to reflect fairness in the market place. If there was fairness in the market place there would be room to complain to the conditions these people sustain to make some kind of living. This is not a consumer issue. It is a Bush administration issue.

The program goes on with a lot of Christian stuff and typical for the bigotry of this network. So, good of you all to mention Hanukkah at the beginning of the show to CYA. Will there every be a program that won't be some kind of Christian theme where Israel is actually the focus?

enough

I want an apology, Cooper, for your 'Death Warmed Over' show

Reid: Sen. Johnson 'going to be just fine'

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/17/johnson.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Tim Johnson has shown significant improvement after brain surgery and doctors say "everything is going to be just fine," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Sunday.

Yet when asked whether the 59-year-old South Dakota Democrat was conscious, Reid said in a television interview: "I'm not a doctor. I have heard and talked to his family. You should talk to them. It's not appropriate to talk to me about that."

Reid, who has visited Johnson frequently after the surgery Wednesday following a brain hemorrhage, said "he's doing very well. ... His improvement has been significant."
Johnson has responded to voices, opened his eyes and moved his limbs, a spokeswoman for senator Johnson's office said.

Surgeons at the George Washington University Hospital have said Johnson was experiencing post-surgery swelling in his brain, but they said that was normal. (What happened in Johnson's brain? )

"Doctors tell us everything is going to be just fine," Reid said.
Johnson's spokesman, Noah Pinegar, said Sunday the senator remained in critical condition. "The goal has been rest," Pinegar said. He said he could not answer whether Johnson is conscious or sedated.

HE UNDERWENT a repair. He will more than likely fully recover with significant rest. I am sure you also understand 'PRIVACY RIGHTS' although Americans have so little these day. Reid or anyone else has no right to comment on his health or outcome as a matter of privacy. I hope the good Senator strides out of the hospital to some respite for the holidays and never says a word to anyone except 'thank you for your kind support.'

Jerks.

And no matter how much your try, Copper, you won't be able to raise Bush or the USA military to a status of respectful. The conditions Iraqis, after three long years of war are living under is anyone's guess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9A_vxIOB-I&mode=related&search=

This is disgraceful. These are all young men in Baghdad racing for a bottle of clean water. What do they normally drink that they are so willing to run for to the point of their hearts' bursting open? This is one of the most horrible footages I have ever witnessed. Besides this one where the children are harassed for amusement.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/U.S._soldiers_lead_Iraq_children_in_1214.html

Additionally, General Abuzaid is using the Iraqi Civil Courts as war tribunals of POWs? This is one of the most disgraceful militaries of our times. There is nothing here that elevates any of the misdeeds above that or Vietnam, as a matter of fact it's far worse. Don't even try it, unless of course you like making a fool of yourself..