July 14, 2005 In the News - Comments by Doug Bracewell

Bush Problems
President Bush is having trouble coming up with a replacement for Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court while he’s being distracted by the chance that Karl Rove could go to jail for leaking a CIA’s agent name to the press. So the President is going to solve both problems at once by nominating Rove!

NHL Lockout Over
The NHL owners and players union have finally agreed on a new deal to end their 301-day team lockout. However, the league’s ticket prices are expected to lockout most hockey fans for another several years.

“UNITED STATES”

US Casualties in Iraq Double Pentagon Claims, Says Paul Harvey

Pressure grows as Pentagon misses deadline on troop levels

Guantanamo inmate forced to wear bra, act like a dog says US Military Report CBC

military investigators said Wednesday, a suspected terrorist was forced to wear a bra, dance with another man and behave like a dog during his interrogation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

U.S. military balked at punishing Guantanamo chief

Military investigators who looked into FBI accounts of Guantanamo Bay detainee abuse urged that a former commander of the prison be reprimanded, but U.S. Southern Command declined to do so, sources familiar with the probe said on Tuesday.

National Guard criticized for anti-Islam poster

Islamic leaders and peace groups are criticizing the California National Guard for a flier posted in its headquarters suggesting the United States should execute Islamic terrorists with bullets dipped in pig's blood to deny them entry to heaven.

THESE ARE THE GENTLEMEN WHO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

BUSH INTEL CHIEF DOING INTEL FOR CNOOC

James C. Langdon, Jr., while serving as the chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Panel lobbied Beijing-based Goldman Sachs executive William Wicker to help him secure a lobbying contract with China National Offshore Oil Company for his law firm

JUST BUSINESS, FOLKS … MOVE ALONG

Bolton May Accept Recess Appointment

AND BYPASSES AWKWARD ANSWERS

Chief Justice Rehnquist hospitalized

suffering from thyroid cancer, was hospitalized overnight

Chertoff to Overhaul Homeland Security

Chertoff said he would name a director to centralize intelligence information gathered by 11 bureaus under his control. This official would seek to improve the department's standing among U.S. intelligence agencies. Chertoff also said he would create a chief medical officer to oversee bioterrorism policy and coordinate responses to biological attacks.

The Dangerous Comfort of Secrecy

"The Bush administration is classifying the documents to be kept from public scrutiny at the rate of 125 a minute. The move toward greater secrecy has nearly doubled the number of documents annually hidden from public view - to well more than 15 million last year, nearly twice the number classified in 2001 - as bureaucrats have invented more amorphous categories like 'sensitive security information...

THIS SECRECY IS TO MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY STRONGER

Medicaid co-pays would hit poor hard, groups say

A proposal by state governors to adopt Medicaid co-payments widely would seriously degrade medical care for the poor and burden hospital emergency rooms, two public policy groups said on Tuesday.

U.S. Berated Over Indians' Treatment

In a scathing rebuke of the federal government's treatment of Native Americans, a federal judge yesterday ordered the Interior Department to include notices in its correspondence with Indians whose land the government holds in trust, warning them that the government's information may not be credible.

Saddam Hussein and Usama Bin Laden Link? FOX NEWS

A year ago, Stephen Hayes of our sister publication, the Weekly Standard, published a book documenting connections between Saddam Hussein's regime and Islamic terrorism, including Al Qaeda.

Now he reports in the new edition of the Weekly Standard there is more evidence on the subject. And he joins me here now.

ROVE-ING BLUSTER

Rovegate links to AIPACgate.

The word is that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has more than the Plame leak on his hands -- that his investigation now encompasses the criminal investigation of the Niger document forgeries and AIPACgate.

BOTH ARE INVOLVED WITH THE SAME OVERALL PROJECT

GOP talking points on Rove seek to discredit Wilson SCAN OF DOCUMENT

RAW STORY has obtained an exclusive copy of Republican talking points on Bush adviser Karl Rove's leaking the name of a CIA agent to a reporter, circulated by the Republican National Committee to "D.C. Talkers" in Washington. The talking points mirror a release by Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman earlier Tuesday

GOP on Offense in Defense of Rove

Republicans mounted an aggressive and coordinated defense of Karl Rove yesterday, contending that the White House's top political adviser did nothing improper or illegal when he discussed a covert CIA official with a reporter.

GOP congressman says media should be 'shot' over Rove focus

REP PETER KING (R-NY): And Joe Wilson has no right to complain. And I think people like Tim Russert and the others, who gave this guy such a free ride and all the media, they're the ones to be shot, not Karl Rove. Listen, maybe Karl Rove was not perfect. We live in an imperfect world. And I give him credit for having the guts.

FOX News anchor John Gibson just said onair that he thought Karl Rove deserves a medal

Plamegate: Victoria Toensing leaps to Robert Novak's defense

WRH COMMENTS: Left unsaid in this article is that Toensing and NOvak are close personal friends.

“ISRAEL”

US to give Israeli settler families $1M each to relocate?

"I read in the papers today that Ariel Sharon has just asked the United States for an extra $2,200,000,000.00 to cover the cost of relocating Israeli 'settlers' away from the Gaza Strip.

I got out my calculator. If the U.S. gives Sharon 2.5 billion dollars to help move 9,100 settlers, that's $241,758.24 each! For a family of four, that's $967,032.96 per family.

Israel to set up 2 permanent trade centers in China

WHILE ASKING US FOR $2B FOR PULL-OUT - CHUTZPAH !

Abramoff duo quits U.S. for Safehaven in Israel

Two former associates of Jack Abramoff, the embattled lobbyist, left the country Monday night en route to a new life in Israel. The relocation comes as a Justice Department taskforce presses forward with an investigation into potential criminal wrongdoing stemming from Abramoff’s business dealings.

SHARON/ISRAEL HAVE A STATED POLICY OF HARBOURING CRIMINALS

‘Israel to respond harshly’

The suicide bombing, which followed months of relative quiet, ended a period of guarded optimism over the prospect of coordinating the disengagement plan with the Palestinian Authority.

Iran could be behind Israel bomb blast: Rumsfeld

RECALL: Suicide Bomber Came From a Village Under Israeli Security Control

RECALL: Bomber stole army truck, ties himself to steering wheel

Israeli Roots of Hamas Are Being Exposed LAROUCHE JAN 18/02

Speaking in Jerusalem Dec. 20, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer made the connection between the growth of the Islamic fundamentalist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and Israel's promotion of the Islamic movement as a counter to the Palestinian nationalist movement. Kurtzer's comments come very close to EIR's own presentation of the evidence of Israel's instrumental role in establishing Hamas, and its ongoing control of that organization.

Hamas history tied to Israel JUNE/02

By Richard Sale - UPI Terrorism Correspondent

“MIDDLE EAST”

Italy sets date to pull troops out of Iraq

Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, yesterday confirmed that he would start pulling his country's troops out of Iraq within two months.

Salvador president mulls sending fresh troop contingent to Iraq

100,000 Iraqi Civilian Deaths in 28 Months

An international research organization in Switzerland said US troops killed 39,000 civilians since the beginning of the war

Iraqis sell their blood to survive

Donors are approached by so called 'negotiators' who pay them between US $ 15 - $20 per blood bag. At a time when unemployment stands at 33 percent and most of the country is still dependent on food rations, the sale of blood may be an attractive option for many.

RECALL: Iraq: Focus on illegal organ trade JULY 8/05

Tortured bodies of 11 Sunni Arabs found in Baghdad

Bomb hits Sunni mosque in Iraq

Russia sets dates for controversial Iranian N-plant

FLASHBACK: 'Undercover Mossad agents' in UN team NOV 3/98

A UK MP has said that four members of the United Nations weapons inspection team in Iraq are Israeli spies. Unscom's former chief of inspectors, Scott Ritter, has alleged the organisation received substantial aid from Mossad.

EXCELLENT ARTICLE

Iraq: The Phony 'Withdrawal' Justin Raimondo

It's all about permanent bases – and the next war

Remember that leaked memo detailing plans for an Anglo-American drawdown? The withdrawal of troops from Iraq, far from being a sign that peace is about to break, could augur a fresh conflict.

The present situation is "untenable," which is why it is thought necessary to move troops "out of harm's way" – without, of course, Washington "abandoning its broader goals in the Middle East." If we're going to take cover and await further orders – perhaps a move into Syria, or even Lebanon, and surely a clash with Iran somewhere down the road – then let's do it in impregnable fortresses, where we don't have to engage the insurgency.

As an unsigned analysis coming out of Stratfor.com in May of last year, said the "strategic goal" of the Bush administration was "to acquire projection capabilities from within Iraq that would allow Washington to pressure the entire Middle East, from Iran to Saudi Arabia to Egypt." Thomas Donnelly, Clausewitz-in-residence over at the American Enterprise Institute, so subtly put it: "The operational advantages of U.S. bases in Iraq should be obvious for other power-projection missions in the region."

The American goal of establishing permanent bases in Iraq has not received the degree of attention required by the relative importance of the subject. The troop numbers may be reduced, but those remaining will retreat to permanent bases that are already being built. GlobalSecurity.org has identified 106 bases, the plan is to consolidate U.S. forces in anywhere from 14 to 4 hardened "enduring" bases. Also construction of the world's largest embassy, occupying 104 acres, housing 1,020 staff and 500 guards, and commanding a budget of some $20 billion.

Once these bases put down roots they take on a self-sustaining economic and political dynamic that ensures their enduring character (like rocks in the rushing stream). Leaping from the homeland to American bases in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, U.S. military units can project American power anywhere on earth.

Think of that shattered country as a launching pad, and our policymakers as scientists involved in a great experiment. They are tinkering with the rocket design, experimenting with different fuels, and just beginning to build the facilities they need to make their project soar. Another noted that "To maintain its empire, the Pentagon must constantly invent new reasons for keeping in our hands as many bases as possible long after the wars and crises that led to their creation have evaporated."

Think of the American Empire as a series of lily-pads strung across the great Pond of the world. Our agile forces can leap, froglike, from one pad to another, to and fro, back and forth, over oceans and across continents in pursuit of the Bad Guys. Whether it be the sudden need for "regime change" in the Middle East, or assistance to yet another "peoples' revolution" inside the former Soviet Union, these fortresses of Empire are the essential infrastructure of our strategic doctrine of military preemption.

The goal of that doctrine is world hegemony, and the immediate objective is the Middle East. Those Iraqi installations going up at great cost are just the forward bases for our next strike, which is even now being whispered about in the corridors of power. What withdrawal? We're only getting ready for the next war.

“FOREIGN AFFAIRS”

Bastille Day
This is Bastille Day, the French holiday marking the storming of the infamous Paris prison. It was the last time a large group of French people attacked something that wasn't American.

UN to take over Nepal, hold polls

King Gyanendra and the Maoist insurgents have agreed for the UN to administer Nepal for a year within which internally-monitored elections will be held, and the scheme presented to UN secretary general Kofi Annan by US secretary of state Condoleezaa Rice was structured by India while the UK and Belgium co-sponsored it.

Venezuela Oil Deal Ruffles Caribbean Unity
Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister blasted his regional colleagues for signing an accord that he said had the potential to ”erode the economy” of his country, which provides 60,000 barrels of oil daily to the region -Peter Richards/IPS

RECALL THAT VENEZUELA IS PUTTING A US POLITICAL AGENT ON TRIAL

Russia to Increase Cooperation with Venezuela – MP
A senior Russian parliamentarian told a Venezuelan supreme court judge Tuesday that Russia wanted to increase bilateral cooperation with Venezuela.-RIA Novosti

US Rejects UN Security Council Enlargement Proposal
The United States has rejected a bid by four countries to add more permanent members to the U.N. Security Council, and urged postponement of any vote on council expansion. The General Assembly heard a second day of heated debate on the expansion issue –VOA

KEEP OUT … THIS IS MY SANDBOX

AND PICADILLY PLAYS ON …

PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENTS AT WORK…

Xymphora: The birth of the London bomb Official Story

Don't believe the 'suicide bombers' crap JO GRABBE

On July 12, The Times of London revealed that the explosives used in the London Transport bombings were military-grade explosives and investigators emphasized they believed the bombers were British and worked in small cells. Furthermore, although the British police are putting out information that suicide bombers were involved in the London bombings, Vince Cannistraro, the former CIA counter-terrorism chief, told The Guardian that "two unexploded bombs" were recovered along with "mechnical timing devices." It goes without saying that suicide bombers would not have been using timing devices.

Four bombs in 50 minutes - Britain suffers its worst-ever terror attack GUARDIAN

Furthermore Vincent Cannistraro, the former head of the CIA's counter-terrorism centre, told The Guardian that "two unexploded bombs" were recovered as well as "mechanical timing devices".

British suicide bombers carried out London attacks, say police GUARDIAN

The documents of the 30-year-old, whose body was found at Edgware Road station, were discovered both at the scene of that explosion and at the Aldgate bomb scene, where another of the four dead suspects' remains were found.

WRH COMMENTS: Re-read that one carefully… How do the personal documents of a man who supposedly blew himself up at Edgeware show up not only at Edgware but at Aldgate? This is the story that proves documents are being planted.

The British police have already announced that there is no need for DNA tests because of the found documents.

How the Government Staged the London Bombings in Ten Easy Steps

ALEX JONES - PAUL WATSON

CENTRAL ASIAN CHESS

RECALL: Pipelineistan's biggest game begins

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) - conceived by the US as the ultimate Western escape route from dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf - is finally in business .

THE POLITICS: BTC makes little sense in economic terms. BUT from the point of view of Washington BTC is a masterpiece of power politics. In terms of no-holds-barred power politics and oil geopolitics, BTC is the real deal - a key component in the US's overall strategy of wrestling the Caucasus and Central Asia away from Russia - and bypassing Iranian oil and gas routes.

Instead of the dreams of a new Kuwait oilfield, the Caspian may hold only 32 billion barrels of oil (like the small Gulf producer of Qatar), ie: it may hold less than 10% of the total, known Middle East reserves.

What really matters is positioning in the New Great Game. The Caucasus, the Caspian and Central Asia are up for grabs, but the Russian counterpunch will come: Putin will not cease to seduce the European Union with loads of Russian, Caspian oil - plus strong protection - in return for loads of European Union investment.

Kyrgyz to Reconsider US Base in the Country

Urmanbek Bakiyev who was elected Kyrgyzstan President in the elections held on June 10, following the velvet revolution in March, said in his first press conference that the US presence in Kyrgyzstan would be reconsidered.

Moscow to double air base forces in Kyrgyzstan

The base was set up in 2003 with some 300 troops and several Sukhoi fighter jets just a few kilometres (mile) away from a US base at Bishkek's Manas airport. The US military has some 2,000 troops at Manas,

No comment from US on base withdrawal timeframe from Kyrgyzstan

US mulls cutting aid to Uzbeks

Cold War Rivalry Reviving in Central Asia

Washington is on the verge of losing its toehold -- and access to a pivotal Uzbek military base -- because of tensions that have led Tashkent to turn recently to Moscow and Beijing. The stakes are high, since the United States has relied on the Uzbek base at Karshi-Khanabad, known as K-2, for missions in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan, which was one of the first republics to ask Russian troops to leave after the Soviet Union collapsed, has reflected new U.S. influence in Central Asia.

Deadline expected of anti-terrorism military presence People's Daily, China

From a military perspective, the necessity of the anti-terrorism coalition's military presence in the Central Asian region no longer exists. However, the US military has shown no sign of making its way home, acting in a manner as if it will stay permanently. The US behavior cannot but make one feel that there are other explanations for the US military's reluctance to leave Central Asian. In seeking permanent military presence in Central Asia the United States wants to comprehensively expand its political and economic influence there and secure control of the region.

RECENT EVENTS COMPENDIUM:

JUNE 24/05

Unprecedented bloodshed in Afghanistan Shatters Pakistan Alliance

JUNE 27/05

Bush warns Blair he must boost UK forces

Britain is coming under sustained pressure from American military chiefs to keep thousands of troops in Iraq - while going ahead with plans to boost the front line against a return to "civil war" in Afghanistan.

JULY 1/05

'New weapon' downed US Chinook in Afghanistan

The Taliban claims to have used a new weapon to shoot down a US military helicopter in a remote region of Afghanistan.

JULY 5/05

World order should be based on partnership relations - SCO

SCO wants US-led forces withdrawal from Central Asia

Aref: Iran ready to cooperate with SCO

SCO to Bleach Color Revolutions

Hu Jintao Meets with Tajikistan and Iran Leaders

JULY 6/05

Brits Plan Major Iraq Troop Withdrawal

The Ministry of Defense has drafted plans for a significant withdrawal of British troops from Iraq over the next 18 months and a big deployment to Afghanistan.-Financial Times

Pressure builds on Australia to send more troops to Afghanistan

Russia to save its neighbors from export of revolutions

Karimov's choice: Moscow and Beijing, not Washington

Iran's membership in SCO as observer approved

US Rejects Setting Central Asia Withdrawal Date

Kyrgyz diplomat wants to know when US troops will leave

JULY 7/05

UK seeks to free troops for Afghanistan

Australia considers to send more troops to Afghanistan

MAJOR RUSSIA-KAZAKHSTAN OIL PRODUCTION-SHARING AGREEMENT SIGNED

Uzbeks Threaten to Evict US From an Air Base Near Afghanistan

JULY 8/05

Duma to ratify agreement on Russian airbase in Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan Wants US to Pay for Airbase

China and Russia Issue Joint Statement on New World Order

JULY 9/05

Moscow calls for boosting ties with Iran

JULY 10/05

Rice rejects call for US troops to leave Central Asia

JULY 11/05 UK in talks to hand Iraq role to Australia

BRITAIN is negotiating with Australia to hand over military command of southern Iraq to free up British troops for redeployment to the front line in Afghanistan. An announcement is expected within weeks

US Troops to Leave Kyrgyzstan Gradually — Kyrg Envoy

Kyrgyz ambassador: US base must go, Russia's should stay

JULY 12/05 Germany wants to send more troops to Afghanistan

More U.S. Forces Headed to Afghanistan

About 700 members are expected to deploy from Fort Bragg, within two weeks. The unit returned from Iraq in March after deploying there in December.

US Has No Comment On Future Of Kyrgyzstan Base

JULY 13/05

Afghanistan Says It Still Needs International Coalition's Support

US house bill may halt Central Asia aid

Sorcha: Russia and China Activate Ten Combat Divisions to Counter United States

Russian Intelligence is reporting today that both Russia and China have ordered the immediate activation of 10 Combat Divisions to counter moves by the US in the Caspian Oil Regions of Central Asia. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have ordered the US to abandon their bases while Russian and Chinese Special Forces were ordered to surround the US bases.

Uzbekistan was the first to call for withdrawal as we can read in "Uzbekistan steps up pressure on U.S. to close base" (JULY 9) and which says, "Uzbekistan is stepping up pressure on the United States to withdraw its air base set up in the Central Asian country for operations in neighbouring Afghanistan.”

Kyrgyzstan followed as we can read in "Kyrgyz ambassador: U.S. base must go, Russia's should stay" (JULY 11) and which says, "The United States' military base near the Manas Airport, in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, must go and Russia's, at Kant, should stay, the Kyrgyz Ambassador to Russia said Monday at a press conference here."

Angering President Putin also has been the United States pressuring the European Union to attempt to take away Russia’s vast oil resources, and as we can read as reported by the Moscow Times News Service in their article titled "Putin’s Aide Warns of Finno-Ugric Conspiracy to Seize Russia’s Oil Assets" (JULY 12) and which says, "The deputy head of Russia’s presidential administration, Vladislav Surkov, has said that foreigners are accusing Russia of oppressing provinces that are home to Finno-Ugric nations and “strategic resources” of oil..Speaking at a meeting with Russian businessmen, Vladislav Surkov said, “Today, Finland, Estonia and the European Union have become markedly more intense on the topic of Finno-Ugric nations. It turns out that we oppress them somehow. They allegedly have no rights in our country. Regions where those nations are dominant have strategic resources of our oil. Surkov added that Russia and Europe are not enemies but “competitors” and that “it is better to be enemies than ambiguous friends.”.”

THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE UKRAINE IS STEALING RUSSIAN GAS AS WELL

Moscow Officials further report that upon hearing of these latest moves by the United States against Russia President Putin remarked, “Then let’s see how well they are prepared when the UN orders them (the Americans) to return California to Mexico.”

To the Western peoples it still appears that they believe this American War upon the World is based on ‘terrorism’, but to the rest of the World it has long been known what the Military Leaders of the United States were planning, and even to as far back as 1998 were the warnings of these wars being reported, and as exampled by one such warning issued by the World Socialist Web Site News Service in their article titled "New Caspian oil interests fuel US war drive against Iraq" and which had said;

"As a "senior American official"--most likely Secretary of State James Baker--told the New York Times within days of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in August of 1990: "We are talking about oil. Got it? Oil, vital American interests."

This struggle recalls the conflict between Britain and Russia at the end of the nineteenth century for control in the Middle East and Central Asia that became known as the Great Game. Germany made its own thrust into the region with its decision to build the Berlin to Baghdad railroad. The resulting tensions played a major role in the growth of European militarism that erupted in World War I. This time American imperialism is the major protagonist. The Caspian region has emerged as the world's newest stage for big power politics. The nation or alliance that controls pipeline routes could hold sway over the Caspian region for decades to come."

What is perhaps most insane about these Western peoples reactions to these true things is their not caring to know that both Russia and China are not going to lose Central Asia, or the Middle East, by anything other than Military defeat. The suddenness of this Wars escalation will surprise these Westerners, even as their Military Forces had been the ones who started it, and as we can read as reported by the Washington Post News Service in their article titled "The Undeclared Oil War" (Paul Roberts, June 28, 2004); and which says;

"Asia's undeclared oil war is but the latest reminder that in a global economy dependent largely on oil, "energy security" means far more than hardening refineries and pipelines against terrorist attack. At its most basic level, energy security is the ability to produce enough fuels and electricity at affordable prices that every nation can keep its economy running, its people fed and its borders defended. A failure of energy security means that the momentum of industrialization and modernity grinds to a halt. And by that measure, we are failing.

In the "emerging" economies, such as Brazil, India and especially China, energy demand is rising so fast it may double by 2020. And this only hints at the energy crisis facing the developing world, where people are condemned to a medieval existence that breeds despair, resentment and, ultimately, conflict.

We are on the cusp of a new kind of war -- between those who have enough energy and those who do not but are increasingly willing to go out and get it. This will be the dominant geopolitical theme of the 21st century."

“MILITARY / INTELLIGENCE / SECURITY”

Government Waste
The House aviation subcommittee alleges that several employees of the Transportation Safety Administration are doing “useless jobs” despite getting salaries that pay more than $100,000 annually. In fact, the only government employees performing a more useless job for that kind of money are the members of the House aviation subcommittee.

Video: The Secret Government

Bill Moyers, documents U.S. support of terrorist regimes and the brutality of Americas foreign policy.

Downloadable Jihad
According to a report on the website of the Northeast Intelligence Network, a US-based private organization engaged in analyzing terrorism, over the past 10 days or so there has been a "very significant spike in the dissemination of online terrorist training originating in Islamic countries in the Middle East but intended for widespread use." According to the report, "The amount of instructional training has risen to unprecedented levels."-Asia Times

THIS SPIKE CAME -AFTER- LONDON ?

REPORTS ARE THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC BEFORE THE BOMBING

Soviet WMDs Possibly Hidden in U.S. — Report MOSNEWS

Polish and Czech officials told the U.S. authorities of the possible existence of Russian “suitcase nukes” in New York City soon after the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks, the WorldNetDaily website wrote quoting a report by Gordon Thomas and former CIA operative David M. Dastych. Reporter, author of several books and former FBI consultant Paul L. Williams had earlier published a report on how Al Qaida had purchased some post-Soviet mini-nukes and hired Russians to help them operate those weapons.

US close to testing massive "bunker-busting" missile: New Scientist

Traditional bunker bombs are streamlined bombs whose sheer weight enables them to force through soil, rock or concrete before they detonate. The new design is different, the report says. The principle for the weapon comes from a new generation of high-speed torpedoes, which create a gas bubble around themselves called a supercavity. A Russian torpedo of this kind, called Shkval, can move through the water at 360 kilometers (225 miles) per hour because it is essentially moving through water vapour rather than water, and resistance is thus very low.

Successful Firing of Area Denial Weapon System

TO REPLACE LANDMINES

MUCH LIKE THE DEVICES USED IN THE MOVIE “ALIEN”

The Technology

Metal Storm technology is an electronically initiated, stacked projectile system that removes the mechanisms required to fire a conventional weapon. Effectively, the only parts that move in Metal Storm’s technology are the projectiles contained within the barrels. Multiple projectiles are stacked in a barrel. The technology allows each projectile to be fired sequentially from the barrel.

UPI: 'Metal Storm' weapons - - STARTLING

Defense Review: Metal Storm CEO's Update

“ECONOMICS”

Mainland surplus may top US$100b

The Chinese mainland's trade surplus for 2005 could climb to a record high of US$100 billion. This could trigger more intensified trade rows with its major trading partners, said an economist.

Russia to repay 40% of debt to France early

Philippines hit by ratings blow

Political uncertainty in the Philippines has led two ratings agencies to cut their outlook on the country to "negative" from "stable". Standard & Poor's said it doubted the country's ability to reduce its debt due to the "ongoing political crisis".

Ebbers Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for $11 Billion Fraud

Ebbers, the founder and former chief executive of WorldCom, was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for his role in the record $11 billion accounting fraud that brought down the telecommunications company in 2002.

Mexico Electrolux Plant Opens, 2,700 Americans to lose jobs

US Clothing maker plans to close factory in Mexico, moves to lower-cost countries

OUTSOURCING HITS MEXICO

“DEMOCRACY / FREEDOM”

EU takes up British challenge on anti-terror moves
Britain challenged the European Union on Wednesday to overcome civil liberties concerns and agree to new anti-terrorism measures such as the compulsory storage of phone and Internet usage records.Home Secretary Charles Clarke told reporters before chairing a special meeting of EU justice and interior ministers that last week's London bombings had given increased urgency to enacting security measures that were already in the EU pipeline

EU agrees crackdown on terrorist finances
Gordon Brown today called for anti-terror measures to be stepped up with sanctions against countries that fail to crack down on terrorist financing.The Chancellor said that money-laundering was a key element in stopping the financing of terrorist groups, of the type suspected of planning and carrying out Thursday's London bombing -London Times UK

“SOCIETY”

Top 5 Worst Places to Live in America
5) Neverland Ranch child guest room
4) Anywhere within earshot of Tom Cruise
3) Next door to Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers on the day you try out your new digital camera
2) In between Rosie O’Donnell and the Cheeto factory
1) Any place in Florida

Rip Off Report

Rip-off Report.com is a worldwide consumer reporting Website & Publication, by consumers, for consumers, to file & document complaints about companies or individuals who ripoff consumers.

Universe 'too queer' to grasp

Professor Dawkins, the renowned Selfish Gene author from Oxford University, said we were living in a "middle world" reality that we have created. in a session called Meme Power, explored the ways in which humans invent their own realities to make sense of the infinitely complex worlds they are in; worlds made more complex by ideas such as quantum physics which is beyond most human understanding.

SEE SCIENCE SECTION BELOW

More younger children are having sex – survey SOUTH AFRICA

One out of every three children is having sex at the age of 10, and 17 out of 100 will deliberately spread the virus if they know they are HIV-positive. Some of the other disturbing findings included that, at 18, two out of every three children had had sex. Two out of 10 pupils did not believe condoms prevented pregnancy or other sexually transmitted diseases. One in 10 said they believed sex with a virgin could cure HIV/Aids, and one in 10 had been raped in the past year. Three out of every 100 pupils thought that girls liked sexually violent boys and one out of every 10 thought that girls who got raped, asked for it, according to the study.

DISTURBING

“HEALTH / SCIENCE / TECH”

NASA Scrubs Launch
NASA scrubbed yesterday’s launch of the Shuttle Discovery because of a faulty fuel tank… which is the nice way of saying they have to wait until gas prices go down.

Soft Drink Warnings
A consumer group is calling for health warnings on soft drink cans. They want labels that tell consumers that soda can lead to diabetes, tooth decay, and excessive belching.

Brain scans back up benefits of Lorenzo's oil

Treatment halts the progression of debilitating genetic disorder. The literature convinced them that giving their son a different fatty acid, an oily liquid known as oleic acid, would inhibit the synthesis of long chains of saturated fats. It works simply by keeping enzymes busy making chains of unsaturated fats instead.

ANALOGOUS TO THE EFFECTS OF HEMP OIL

Doctor who faked research now heads research at Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical

EU laws on sale of vitamins 'valid'

Controversial new European laws which could outlaw thousands of vitamin and mineral supplements were upheld by European Court judges.

Thousands of vitamin products threatened by ruling

Campaigners for Britain's millions of vitamin and supplement users have reacted with dismay to a ruling that could sweep up to 5,000 products off the shelves.

WHO Says Children Should Use Hands-Free Cell Phones

Repacholi, who leads the World Health Organization’s EMF project, has just told CTV that the “WHO recommends that children should use hands-free headsets.” In its last fact sheet on mobile phones, No.193 revised in 2000, the WHO stated: “Present scientific information does not indicate the need for any special precautions for use of mobile phones.”

Why Microsoft's anti-spyware is untrustworthy
Users have to trust the product. And you just can't trust a product that tells you to ignore the fact that Claria's GAIN software is installed on your system. Claria's is not the only adware that has been recently reclassified with an "Ignore" recommendation. So have WhenU, Wehhances, eZula.TopText and New.net.

Just what is this here spyware thang?

Using precautionary rule for health makes sense

In the United States alone, some 80,000 chemicals are in routine use. More than 3,000 of these are produced at the rate of more than a million pounds per year, with more than a billion pounds of known or suspected neurotoxins added to the environment annually.

Unfortunately, there is very little scientific understanding of potential consequences. Less than 1 percent of the most ubiquitous chemicals have been studied well enough to derive reasonably sounds conclusions regarding human or ecological impact. This is not the result of scientific failure, but instead a direct byproduct of political choices to favor industry over public health, and to avoid or minimize environmental health research.

WHO DO OUR POLITICIANS WORK FOR

Did you know that Painters die young (er)?

WRH COMMENTS: Absent any regulatory controls (look how the US Government stonewalled the Thimerasol scandal) corporations are using ever more dangerous chemicals in products because they are cheaper. For years my wife has suffered from severe joint pain that gave her difficulty walking and impeded her ability to perform as a musician. I cannot even begin to total up the time and money spent with foot specialists, joint doctors, orthoticists, or the discomfort my wife suffered from the side effects of various medications she was put on.

Then, a few weeks ago, following the discovery that artificially scented dryer softener sheets were triggering my migraine headaches, we took a close look at the issue of environmental contaminations, and carefully studied everything my wife was using for cosmetics, hygiene and household. Imagine our surprise to discover at least three chemicals commonly used in cosmetics, soft soap, liquid detergents, etc. that are considered "formaldehyde donors" in that they contain trace amounts of that compound as contamination from the manufacturing process.

Formaldehyde is, of course, embalming fluid, highly toxic, a suspected carcinogen, and in people sensitive to that chemical it provokes several symptoms, among them joint pain!

Two weeks ago we threw out all artificially scented products and all those we could identity as containing imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, and DMDM (dimethylolmethyl) hydantoin. My wife began to recover immediately and over the last few days has started taking long afternoon walks, and is able to play her keyboards and harp without pain.

I am ecstatic at her recovery and angry at the corporate and medical industries that allowed her to suffer for so long while charging exorbitant prices for treatments that never worked. The lesson is clear; doctors want to add things to your life for a fee, and it seldom occurs to them to take things away (which they cannot charge you for).

A RULE OF THUMB: IF IT (ARTIFICIALLY) SMELLS NICE - IT IS DANGEROUS

Clues To Mysterious Interior of Neutron Stars

Neutron stars are the dense, rapidly spinning cores of matter that result from the crushing collapse of a star that has depleted all of its nuclear fuel and exploded in a cataclysmic event known as a supernova. The collapse is so crushing that electrons are forced into the atomic nucleus and combine with protons to become neutrons. The resulting sphere of neutrons is so dense—packing the mass of the sun in a sphere only 10 miles in diameter—that a spoonful of its matter would weigh billions of tons on Earth. Artist’s conception of the December 27, 2004 gamma ray flare expanding from SGR 1806-20 and impacting Earth’s atmosphere. Click here to view animation (no audio). Credit: NASA

Sea urchin sperm are synchonized swimmers

Sea urchin sperm on a flat surface organise themselves into vortices of 10 cells, swimming clockwise in a circle around a central point, a new study reveals. These vortices of synchronised swimming sperm are themselves arranged in an array, and all this is achieved by tiny hydrodynamic forces, without chemical signalling.

“INFECTIOUS - DISEASES”

Defense Logistics Agency Spends $58m on Tamiflu

AGAINST SOME STRAINS OF BIRD FLU

“ENVIRONMENT / EARTH”

France lands record EU fine for 20 years of flouting fishing rules
Paris was fined €20 million (£13.75 million) by the European Court of Justice yesterday after it found the French Government guilty of allowing fishermen to catch and sell small, immature fish in defiance of EU efforts to conserve fish stocks -London Times UK

“WEATHER”

Hurricane Toll Rises: Cuba's Entire Citrus Crop Lost, Castro Refuses Aid From both US and EU

Tropical Storm Emily is season's fifth named storm

Emily's formation late Monday was the earliest date on record for five named storms to develop, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Four dead, seven missing in Romanian floods

Floods sweep Bulgaria, ruined grain crops threaten to hike up bread prices

Drought wreaks havoc in Spain, Portugal; France rations water

France extended water rationing to more than half the country yesterday as the severe drought that has wreaked havoc in Spain and Portugal expanded its reach from Morocco to the French capital. As temperatures across France began to rise again yesterday, the ministry warned of possible disruptions to domestic drinking water supplies. The French government curbed crop irrigation to 50 of the country’s 96 mainland departments

Emergency wells are being drilled for the tourist resorts of southern Spain and Portugal, where drought is the worst since records began in the 1940s. In Portugal, the environmental damage is huge — fish are dying in dried up rivers and in one Spanish region, 80 million trees could die.

Farmers are also warning of big losses. Crops in Spain and Portugal have more than halved, prompting the EU to agree to an unprecedented transfer of surplus grain from central Europe. In Spain, farm unions have estimated losses at 1.8bn euros and say some farmers may now leave the land altogether.

ONTARIO IS ALSO IN NEAR-DROUGHT CONDITIONS

CORN HEIGHT IS 1/3 OF NORMAL

GROUND CRUMBLES TO DUST

One in Six Countries Facing Food Shortage

One in six countries in the world face food shortages this year because of severe droughts that could become semi-permanent under climate change. The chairman of the UN food and agriculture organisation's climate change group, said the droughts that have devastated crops across Africa, central America and south-east Asia in the past year are part of an emerging pattern. The food and agriculture organisation and the US government, both of which monitor global food shortages, agree that 34 countries are now experiencing droughts and food shortages and others could join them. Up to 30 million people will need assistance.

Severe droughts have also badly affected crops in Cuba, Cambodia, Australia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Morocco, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. According to the UN's famine early warning system, 16 countries, including Peru, Ecuador and Lesotho, face "unfavourable prospects" with current crops. The situation in Malawi and Zimbabwe is giving particular cause for concern. In Zimbabwe, the effects of drought have been exacerbated by a deteriorating political situation, but neighbouring South Africa had a surplus this year, although distribution in the politically volatile circumstances may be hard. In Europe, one of the worst droughts on record has hit Spain and Portugal and halved some crop yields. Researchers are reporting a general drying of the land and growth of desertification in the Mediterranean region.

THIS IS RELATED TO GLOBAL WARMING AS WELL AS OCEANIC CURRENT CHANGES - SEE WEATHER SECTION

Part of the Ministry of Doug Bracewell