Take heed republicrats, wealthcare reform is not a liberal or conservative issue. Both parties are guilty of selling out to private insurance companies. Politicians should be required to dress like race car drivers displaying their Big Pharma, Big Insurance and Big Banking sponsors on their jackets
Do police officers, firefighters and teachers qualify as socialists? So why isn't medical care a government run, not for profit system as well? At the very least a reform bill should include the Kucinich amendment allowing states to decide for themselves on a single payer plan, without facing litigation from private companies.
For more information on viable health care reform visit: http://www.singlepayeraction.org/Take heed republicrats, wealthcare reform is not a liberal or conservative issue. Both... more
The idea of an Asian pacific community is intended as a forum involving Asian and Pacific nations cooperating on matters of security, politics and the economy.
This has become a pet project for Rudd, who says "An Asia-Pacific community could also provide a vehicle for discussion and cooperation across the range of challenges with transnational reach, such as climate change, resource and food security, bio-security and terrorism"
Countries that are seen as vital to his effort are the United States, China, Japan, India, Indonesia and Russia.
This 'Forum' is said to differ with Japan's East Asian Community's in that the United States will be allowed a role, The United States is a starter in Rudd's proposal, as opposed to Japan which potentiality leaves USA out. The Asia-Pacific community could also include Russia.
Also it is better that a smaller power such as Australia introduces this, as opposed to major powers such as Japan, China or the United States. If a major power does so, smaller countries may suspect there may be some hidden or self-serving agenda.The idea of an Asian pacific community is intended as a forum involving Asian and... more
A recent U.S. intelligence assessment has raised the estimated number of full-time Taliban -led insurgents fighting in Afghanistan to at least 25,000, underscoring how the crisis has worsened even as the U.S. and its allies have beefed up their military forces, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The U.S. official, who requested anonymity because the assessment is classified, said the estimate represented an increase of at least 5,000 fighters, or 25 percent, over what an estimate found last year.
On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry assured Afghans that America would continue to fight until "extremists and insurgents" were defeated in the war-torn nation.
The new intelligence estimate suggests that such a fight would be difficult. Not included in the 25,000 tally are the part-time fighters -- those Afghans who plant bombs or support the insurgents in other ways in return for money -- and also the criminal gangs who sometimes make common cause with the Taliban or other Pakistan -based groups.
The assessment attributed the growth in the Taliban and their major allies, such as the Haqqani Network and Hezb-e-Islami, to a number of factors, including a growing sense among many Afghans that the insurgents are gaining ground over U.S.-led NATO troops and Afghan security forces.
"The rise can be attributed to, among other things, a sense that the central government in Kabul isn't delivering (on services), increased local support for insurgent groups, and the perception that the Taliban and others are gaining a firmer foothold and expanding their capabilities," the U.S. official said.
"They (the insurgents) don't need to win a popularity contest," said Michael O'Hanlon , a military analyst at the center-left Brookings Institution in Washington . "They are actually doing a good job in creating a complex psychological brew. The first part is building on frustration with the government. The second part is increasing their own appeal or at least taking the edge off of the hatred that people had felt for them before. But on top of that they are selectively using intimidation to stoke a climate of fear. And on top of that they have momentum."
James Dobbins , a retired ambassador who served as the first U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan , said the new estimate shows how the war, which entered its ninth year this month, has been intensifying.
"It tells you that things are getting worse, and that would suggest that the current (U.S.-led troop) levels are inadequate," Dobbins said. "But it doesn't lead you to a formula that tells you what the adequate troop levels should be."
The estimated increase in the insurgents' ranks occurred as the numbers of U.S., British and other Western troops also increased, possibly suggesting that the growth in international forces is bolstering an impression among many Afghans that they're under foreign occupation.
The new estimate comes as the Obama administration debates its new strategy for Afghanistan amid public divisions between senior officials and military commanders.
Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal , the U.S. commander in Afghanistan , is seeking as many as 45,000 additional U.S. troops, which would bring the number of U.S. soldiers to more than 100,000. There are 39,000 forces from other countries and an effort is under way to double the size of the Afghan army to 134,000 by 2011.A recent U.S. intelligence assessment has raised the estimated number of full-time... more
The United States is the most admired country globally thanks largely to the star power of President Barack Obama and his administration, according to a new poll.
It climbed from seventh place last year, ahead of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan which completed the top five nations in the Nation Brand Index (NBI).
"What's really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States for 2009," said Simon Anholt, the founder of NBI, which measured the global image of 50 countries each year.
He believes that during the previous administration of George W. Bush the United States suffered in the world ranking with its unpopular foreign policies but since Obama was elected, and despite the recent economic turmoil, the country's status has risen globally.
"There is no other explanation," Anholt said in an interview, referring to the impact of Obama.
The global survey, conducted by GFK Roper Public Affairs & Media, involved 20,000 people in 20 rich and developing countries around the globe. They were asked to rate 50 nations in categories such as culture, governance, people, exports, tourism, landscape and education.
Canada took the biggest hit in the latest survey, falling to seventh from fourth place, while China climbed several spots to 22nd, which Anholt believes in due in part to the successful staging of the Olympics.
What follows is simply my oppinion:
I don't know about you, but one of the reasons people voted for Obama was to change how America was viewed in the world and something that has been much derided as apologism on the right has actually been a success in shaping Americas image as not only a positive force in the world but one that is now admired again rather than resented. There can be no doubt that the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Global Financial Meltdown, Torture, and Freedom Fries hurt our global image. There can also be no doubt that Obama has succeeded in improving how other nations view America for the positive.
I think that this is an important acknowledgement this week, when people in our own nation are so up in arms over our leader being awarded a global honor and accusations he has done nothing to earn it.
Since taking office global approval of America rose faster than the approval of any other country in this studies history. France, Russia, and China came to the table in real negotiations with Iran which opened itself up to weapons inspectors and shared uranium enrichment, real progress away from a nuclear armed Iran. Russia came back to the table for renewal of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and further nuclear nonproliferation treaty. The G20 under Obama gave one trillion dollars for economic aid to the IMF as well as allowing the IMF to create and sell bonds for the first time to offer economic development to the third world to help weather this recession and aid in the fight against global warming there.
Ask yourself what the right did in that time? Ask yourself why a nobel peace prize for our president is an insult? Why is it bad that Americas image abroad hasn't just returned to what it was before Bush but has actually improved by leaps and bounds? Why is it that when America was a symbol of hope under Kennedy or even Reagan it was camelot and a shining city on a hill but under Obama it's socialist? Ask yourself simply why?From Reuters:
The United States is the most admired country globally thanks... more
US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".
The committee highlighted Mr Obama's efforts to strengthen international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament.
There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize. Zimbabwe's prime minister and a Chinese dissident had been among the favourites.
The laureate - chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor ($1.4m).
"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the Norwegian committee said as the prize was announced.
"His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Committee... more
ATHENS (AP) — Greece's opposition Socialists won an early election by a landslide Sunday, initial results indicated, with voters angered by scandals and a faltering economy ousting conservative Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.
Official results from 39.66% of votes counted showed former foreign minister George Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, ahead with 43.66%, compared to 35.29% for Karamanlis' New Democracy party. If the figures remain unchanged, the result gives PASOK a comfortable majority of about 158 seats in the 300-member parliament, bringing the party back to power after five years of conservative governance.
Papandreou, 57, now follows in the footsteps of his father, party founder Andreas Papandreou, and grandfather and namesake George Papandreou, both of whom served several terms as prime ministers.
PASOK's victory, along with a recent election win by socialists in Portugal, bucks a European trend that has seen a conservative surge in the continent's powerhouse economies, including most recently in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel won re-election last week.
"This is a historic victory for PASOK, which means great responsibility for us," senior party official and former minister Evangelos Venizelos said outside party headquarters, surrounded by jubilant supporters lighting flares and waving PASOK flags depicting the party's symbol of a green rising sun.ATHENS (AP) — Greece's opposition Socialists won an early election by a landslide... more
UK, September 17, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- Could anyone imagine as a result of your own actions you are killing your own troops and your own population? This is now the case in Israel.
Many weapons used by the IDF in Gaza contained uranium components and upon impact set off huge volumes of aerosol particles that then drifted back over the border into Israel with devastating results.
It has been some time since the Israelis bombed Lebanon and the Gaza Strip and in both cases the weapons used left behind a trial of misery for all those that lived downwind. We can now start to see the results of those actions and I must say the term "What goes around comes around" rings true in the ears of the residents of Israel. Some interesting health statements have been released that prove when you play with dirty weapons it can all come back to you. It would now appear that we have a situation whereby Israelis are killing Israelis.
In May this year we saw the following headline appear in the Haaretz:
"Quality of Israeli sperm down 40% in past decade" The quality of Israeli sperm has declined alarmingly in the last decade, according to recent research conducted at Jerusalem's Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus. The cause for the decline is not known, but it's believed by some researchers to be connected to the exposure of children and pregnant women to hormones and other contaminants in food and water.
This month started to see some more statistics appear out of Israel which again indicates that contamination by DU may well be the cause. The next headline was even more alarming: "More women diagnosed with cancer in Israel than in Europe" Israel's health ranking is dropping compared to those of developed European nations, the Israel Medical Association said yesterday. Israel lags behind the European average in disease prevention.
The report gave a clear message that something in the environment may be causing these dramatic increases. The comparison gave the number of new female cancer patients as follows: 290 per 100,000 compared to an average of 179 in Europe. The report went of the say that for men the average was much the same but again was showing a steady rise since 2005.
When you think you have heard the last of the bad news you are then confronted with another shocking headline from the IMA: Hodgkin's lymphoma is a distinct primary solid tumour of the immune system that shows wide variation in incidence among different geographic regions and among various races. It was previously suggested that susceptible people living in certain parts of Israel had a higher risk of HL because of exposure to unidentified environmental factors in these regions. Compared with other parts of Israel, these regions were characterized by a higher proportion of Israeli-born Jews.
A total of 4812 Jewish cases of HL were reported to the Israel Cancer Registry during the study period 1960-2005. There has been a persistent increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of HL, all subtypes pooled, in Israeli-born Jews in both men and women. The age distribution pattern in both genders was bimodal in all periods. The highest incidence was observed in the 20-24 year age group: for women (9.13 per 100,000 per year) during the period 1988-1996, and for men (6.60 per 100,000 per year) during the period 1997-2005.UK, September 17, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- Could anyone imagine as a result of your own... more
Oh yes, the entire world's fate regarding food now rests in the hands of Hillary Clinton, Monsanto's point woman in the Obama administration, the World Bank, The Gates' and Rockefellers ties to GMOs, and governments lining up with Big ag to make a killing on Gm demonseeds. Watch the slight of hand very closely on this as they use policy to exploit the poor with lies. And just one comment about Cheryl Mills's comments: You used a lot of words to say nothing. Only when food sovereignty and seed saving to preserve biodiversity and soil rests in the hands of those small farmers in not being slaves to companies like Monsanto will we see food security in our world. Monoculture will NOT solve this crisis.Oh yes, the entire world's fate regarding food now rests in the hands of Hillary... more
The US Senate voted Thursday to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to roughly 1.5 billion dollars per year through 2014 in a bid to build trust and cooperation with a key ally against extremism.
Senators unanimously approved the measure, which could go through the House of Representatives as early as Friday and from there to US President Barack Obama's desk to be signed into law.
Supporters of the legislation -- an updated version of a bill backed by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when they were senators -- say the measure aims to banish any doubts that Washington has made a long-term commitment to helping Pakistan.The US Senate voted Thursday to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to roughly 1.5... more
Its not just about Politics, though Politics is also important here.
Its not just about numbers, though Numbers are important too..
It’s about Faces, So many of them…..
Faces who have seen too much in too little a time. …
Here you see many slums , but no millionaires.
You will find travellers but no destination….
These are internally displaced People of SWAT.
Many of them settled in IDP camps established..
at Mardan, Nowshehra and other areas,
while the majority chose to stay independent.
A large portion of these displaced people arrived at Karachi
where they are living with their relatives, or rented houses
with high rents. This is there story.
Bonier is situated around 60 miles from Islamabad.
An idyllic place with a history full of traditions, simplicity and peace.
All this changed one fine morning….
The terror had finally arrived Taliban’s.
They came with colourful Promises.
The promise of quick justice,
Divine Law, Sharia.
Soon the terror removed its masks and unveiled its true face.
The recent Operation by Pakistan against Taliban forces
For them this was a ray of light, a glimmer of hope.
But everything comes with a price.
The army needed space,
the collateral damage too much a political baggage;
they had to be removed from the war zone.
With in few days more than 1.5 million people left their houses…
and settled for different parts of Pakistan.
Even here, their miseries are far from over.
The new place offers them nothing but a reminiscence
of what they have left behind.
What could have been theirs?
These children are a product of fear;
these faces the faces under terror.
These faces need to be seen,
these voices be heard,
for they tell a story not covered in any of the debate rooms.
They tell why a combination of poverty, ignorance, deception and ultimate terror alters the course of human lives in such a short span of time.
These faces need to be helped.
Because in the end, they are all human faces.
Kazim Raza, Karachi. PakistanIts not just about Politics, though Politics is also important here.
Its not just... more
Every morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible for the karachiets to ignore baggers, children with car screen wipers and drug addicts. But unfortunately hardly seen some one talking to them to share there grievan...ces, to know what turns them into a LIFE without SOUL.....
Directed and Produced by Kazim RazaEvery morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible... more
The youth of our age, surrounded by a swarm of difficulties and problems is in search of a solution, but what he eventually finds is more and more of difficulties and disappointments. When unemployed and poverty numbs all his senses, paralyzes all his muscles, he feels life is nothing but a futile effort, a bottomless pit of poverty and indigence. According to one estimate, in past 10 years, around 10 thousand Pakistanis have been killed by security forces, crossing Greece-Turkey border illegally. In pursuit of an ever evading happiness, who are these ill-informed people and who are the traffickers involved in this heinous trade of human trafficking. The real issue is how come the educated ones of our country fall prey to these human traffickers. Poverty and related problems are the main reasons behind human trafficking and illegal immigration. Your pursuit of happiness can bring this much misery and suffering, one can only know by meeting the people under Custody of FIA, who have recently been deported from the Turkey Border. It seems an obvious enough advice to have a safe albeit simple life at home, than to a have risky prosperous life abroad. But mired deeply in the troubled waters, it’s only dreams of a happy living that make these people go through all sorts of troubles.
I just pray that my country Pakistan finds a leader, a person who can improve the situation in our country, so that no one thinks about leaving this country and going through this humiliation This heinous crime of Illegal immigration, despite efforts by the State, is flourishing. One obvious contributors of this crime are the people who become a victim of agents’ treacherous promises, lost their lives’ savings and became a victim of dark alleys.
The question that haunts us all is till what time these traffickers would dupe the gullible of their livelihoods and till what time the carcasses of the youth of our country would be feasted by the beasts in unknown wildernesses.
Directed and Produced By
Kazim Raza
Masmedia Productions
Pakistan
923333705114Sans Papiers
The youth of our age, surrounded by a swarm of difficulties and... more
Amongst the most beautiful regions of the world, the picturesque valleys of Swat and Buneir used to be huge tourist attraction. The people of this land were remembered for their ethereal beauty and generous hospitality.
But all this changed in a short span of time. These valleys soon became a symbol of terror and insecurity for the tourists. Even the locals started feeling insecure in their homeland.
With a population of around 5 millions, these valleys became a burning inferno right in front of the eyes of the world, fuelled by religious bigotry and fanaticism.
To eliminate the menace of terrorism, Pakistan Army started its operation in the troubled region, the subsequent resistance by Taliban forces turned this halcyon patches into a war zone.
Lush green fields turned into deadly bunkers, happy faces suddenly plagued by death stricken silence. The ensuing uncertainty culminated into the biggest exodus of human history. Around 3 million people left their homes to taste the bitter tastes of homelessness, settling in the Tent Villages at Mardan, Naushehra and Swabi.
Leaving the war zone was an unavoidable decision, the migration inescapable, but in these testing times, the true essence of people came out. Armed with the sense of compassion, sacrifice and devotion came out the helping hands. And pretty soon many a new shelters started appearing. The sense of homelessness started giving way to a glimmer of hope, peace and security.
A huge contingent of IDPs in Swabi was welcomed b y Mr Liaquat Taraki, the chairman of Tarakai group and Head of Liaquat Khan welfare trust. The aim and mission of Trakai trust is to make Swabi a prosperous district, and to help elevate the living standard of Swabi people by eradicating poverty and backwardness.
Directed and Produced By " Kazim Raza"Amongst the most beautiful regions of the world, the picturesque valleys of Swat and... more
Penn and Teller are making catholics angry by telling the truth. A recent episode of their Showtime program The Penn & Teller “Bullshit!” show, which goes out on the Showtime premium cable channel (owned by CBS), was an all-out attack on the Vatican and the catholic religion.Penn and Teller are making catholics angry by telling the truth. A recent episode of... more
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Former FBI Language Specialist Sibel Edmonds finally gets to testify under oath, after being hit with a gag order.
Bombshells Under Oath: INCLUDE: CONGRESS MEMBERS NAMED IN ESPIONAGE, BRIBERY, SEXUAL BLACKMAIL SCHEMES; NEW BREWSTER JENNINGS / VALERIE PLAME DISCLOSURE...
Long gagged under the "state secrets" privilege by the Bush Administration, the Obama Administration's DoJ chose not to re-invoke privilege, paving the way for this information to finally make its way on to the unclassified public record.
Fighting For Your Beliefs
Turning eighteen in Israel means growing up very quickly and becoming a soldier. Two Israeli teenagers have very different views about military service in their country. Both of them have to fight for their beliefs.
Omri is part of a new Israeli movement called Refuseniks. These are people who refuse to military service on political grounds. There is currently no exemption from military service on political grounds. You can be exempt if you are a pacifist, but you have to object to all warfare and not just Israel's own conflicts. Omri paid a high price for his beliefs and aged eighteen was imprisoned. After five days solitary confinement he was released and then re-draughted. Again he refused and was imprisoned. This process was repeated until eventually Omri was released on medical grounds.
Uri was initially refused entry into the army because of a medical condition with his eyes. For Uri military service in Israel is a rite of passage. Not only are you doing your duty for your country but you are also securing a better future for yourself. Job opportunities are more restrictive to those who have not done their military service. As well as complusory draughting, the Israeli Defence Force run a volunteering scheme. These recruits will not see combat. Uri having been accepted as a volunteer, had just finished his basic training. http://current.com/items/89310699_fighting-for-your-beliefs.htm
Afghanistan's upcoming presidential election has been looking increasingly American — with posters, rallies, Web sites and music.
The country's biggest musical star is performing a series of concerts aimed at "rocking the vote."
A concert Tuesday night in Kabul drew about 30,000 excited fans. They were divided, Afghan-style, between men and women.
Most of the young men pumping their fists in the air on the soccer field were in Western dress, — but some are more traditional. Owl Meer, who was wearing a starched, foot-high turban, brought with him a dozen of his young friends who are from a border province in the east where the Taliban is strong. But none of them were thinking about that last night.
They were there for the message and the music.
"The population of Afghanistan is 68 percent young generation," he says. "Why we should be afraid of insecurity and war? Why shouldn't we get together? We should all work for stability and peace in Afghanistan. That's why we are here."
There were plenty of women and girls in attendance and ready to swoon at the sight of Farhad Darya.
The name "Farhad" has a great romantic connotation: Farhad is the "Romeo" in Afghanistan's version of Romeo and Juliet.
But the concert had a serious side, too: He is hoping to convince Afghans to get out and vote.
Darya himself fled the bloody civil war that destroyed Kabul in the early 1990s, when warlords fought over who would rule the country. He didn't come back from his home in the United States until after the Taliban were driven out. As a result, he has as many sad memories as anyone in the audience.
He is acutely aware, for instance, that Kabul Stadium, the site of his concert, became infamous as the place where the Taliban conducted public executions and dismemberments — and particularly of women.
"I had my first concert here after 2001, here in this same stadium. People saw me singing about love and new life and giving them hope. People were crying. I'm trying to heal the painful past here," he saysAfghanistan's upcoming presidential election has been looking increasingly American... more
While Ottawa distracts public opinion with allegations of a Russian threat in the High North, NATO is busy deploying and mobilizing its troops there. While Ottawa blares out about its sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, it readily buckles under when Washington decides to regard it as an international strait. According to Rick Rozoff, Canada’s shenanigans aim to exclude Russia from the Arctic region and to complete its encirclement.
Continuing the pattern by top Canadian federal officials over the past year of issuing blunt and bravado statements aimed at Russia over the Arctic, on August 1 Defence Minister Peter MacKay was paraphrased as "warn[ing] Russia that Canuck fighter jets will scramble to meet any unauthorized aircraft" as a mainstream Canadian news agency less than delicately phrased it, and thundered that "Canadian fighter jets would scramble to ’meet’ any Russian aircraft ’approaching’ Canada’s airspace." [1]
MacKay said that "We’re going to protect our sovereign territory," [2] though transparently the message was directed solely against Russia, which in no manner endangers Canada’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and not the United States, which does.
In another account of MacKay’s comments, this time indicating that he was speaking in response to a report that Russia plans to drop a small detachment of paratroopers almost a year from now in a part of the Arctic it has internationally recognized rights to, the defence chief was quoted as saying "We have scrambled F-18 jets in the past, and they’ll always be there to meet them." [3]
He appears to have grabbed what passes in Ottawa as a rhetorical flourish from the wrong context, however, that of "protecting Canadian airspace" from Russian long-range bombers flying in international airspace in a fashion that doesn’t violate either Canada’s territory or any treaty or law. Though the same report concedes that "MacKay said there have been no recent intrusions of Russian bombers." [4]
MacKay’s latest saber rattling is fully in keeping with a string of comparable diatribes from the trio of Canada’s prime, defence and foreign ministers going back a year to the five-day war between Georgia and Russia, revealingly enough.While Ottawa distracts public opinion with allegations of a Russian threat in the High... more
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday the United States would present a Middle East peace plan within weeks and Israel should accept it.
"In the coming weeks, their plan will be formulated and presented to the parties," Barak said, according to a spokesman for Israel's parliament who briefed reporters on the defense chief's remarks to its Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
"I believe that Israel must take the lead in accepting the plan," Barak was quoted as saying.
Barak has held a series of meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, on Washington's demand for a Jewish settlement freeze that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been resisting.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded a halt to settlement activity, as stipulated by a U.S.-backed 2003 peace "road map," before negotiations suspended since Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip last December can resume.
Israeli media have speculated the Obama administration would put forward new peace proposals to try to break the stalemate reached in talks Israel and the Palestinians launched at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland in November 2007.
Asked at a daily briefing in Washington on Monday when a peace plan might be announced by Mitchell, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said: "I think it will be in a matter of weeks."
He gave no specifics.JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday the United... more
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in a TV interview that the F-22 fighter jet is needed because the U.S. may need to bomb India. He then clarified that – oops – he didn't mean India; he meant we may need to bomb China. China?
Cornyn may not be a geography whiz, but just because both China and India have the letters "I", "N" and "A" in them doesn't mean they are interchangeable as potential bombing sites for the United States military.
Last week, the Senate backed the White House and the Pentagon and rejected funding for more F-22s. The Bomb Brouhaha started when Cornyn did a TV interview defending production of the F-22 because it is "important to our national security because we're not just fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." OK, that makes sense so far.
He went on to say that "we have graver threats and greater threats than that, from a rising India with increased exercise of their military power, Russia, Iran that's threatening to build a nuclear weapon, with North Korea shooting intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting American soil."
We may need to bomb Russia, Iran, North Korea and .... India?
The media in India immediately picked up on this slip and ran national news stories asking why a top U.S. senator was calling India a national security threat and possible target for bombing.
Crisis communication ensued on Capitol Hill with Cornyn's spokesman Kevin McLaughlin sending this statement to the Times of India: ''Senator Cornyn misspoke saying 'India' when he meant to say 'China.'" Cornyn is one of the biggest proponents of US-India relations in the Senate.Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in a TV interview that the F-22 fighter jet is needed... more
