tagged w/ Kuwait
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Richard Patrick, Filter’s (hybrid) driving force, is frustrated. With one man down (the Webmaster of a fan site), and an ex-band member currently on the frontline in Iraq, what’s going on in the Middle East is less remote for him than for most. So, while supporting our troops, he’s speaking out against the war, but feels his cries of protest on Filter's May 2008 album release Anthems For The Damned are lost on a nation that downloads everything and values little.
In 2002 General Motors ironically launched their gas-guzzling H2 to the sounds of Filter’s “The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way).” In 2003, to fuel a hunger for democracy –– and oil ––America invaded Iraq. With our government, economy, environment –– and music industry –– in crisis, Richard talks about how he reconciles his need to make a living with his own value system. But let’s take care of the prerequisite business first:
Click link above for full interview:Richard Patrick, Filter’s (hybrid) driving force, is frustrated. With one man... more
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Kuwait's premier has accepted an invitation to visit Iraq, in what would be a first since the forces of dictator Saddam Hussein invaded the Gulf emirate 18 years ago.
Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh delivered the invitation to Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Sunday during a visit to discuss debt and war reparations, according to an official statement on Monday.
"The premier accepted the invitation and its date will be determined soon through diplomatic channels," said the statement, quoted by the state-run KUNA news agency.
It said the emirate was awaiting the return to Baghdad of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani who is convalescing in the United States following heart surgery last month.
Sheikh Mohammad said that during the visit, Kuwait's newly appointed ambassador, former army chief Ali al-Momen, would present his credentials -- becoming the first ambassador to Baghdad since the 1990 invasion.
The two neighbours have yet to settle a number of issues related to debt and war compensation estimated at tens of billions of dollars.
Kuwait has claimed damages from Iraq for the invasion and the seven-month occupation by Saddam's forces, which were expelled in 1991 by a US-led coalition.
Iraq is required to pay five percent of its oil revenue into a fund created by the UN Security Council to pay compensation for war damage linked to the Kuwait occupation.
Iraq in April called on Gulf states to waive compensation and debt. The United Arab Emirates last month waived seven billion dollars that Baghdad owed and other states have promised to do the same.
Figures released at the time showed the UN compensation fund has received claims worth 354 billion dollars, but had approved payments of just over 52 billion dollars, including around 45 billion dollars for Kuwait.
The fund had paid out more than 21 billion dollars, including around 11 billion dollars for Kuwait.
Saddam was toppled after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and executed for crimes against humanity in December 2006. Kuwait's premier has accepted an invitation to visit Iraq, in what would be a... more
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Perhaps McCain’s surprising selection of Sarah Palin as VP was motivated by the desire to appeal to a, uh, younger male demo? I thought originally it was to win over angry Hillary supporters, but after reading about Palin’s curious fascination with the brutal and controversial sport of ”Arial Safari” I’m beginning to wonder.
Here’s how it goes. You get in a plane and fly into protected wilderness. Then you shoot large animals (like wolves and bears as they attempt to run from the plane) with extremely high-powered long distance rifles, blowing your prey into pieces all over the freshly fallen snow.
Sound fun? Well Sarah Palin thinks so. Palin won a “victory” a few days ago for the small constituency that is in favor of this bloody and un-sportsmanlike sport, by funneling $400,000 of taxpayers money to a large-scale marketing campaign.
I’m not opposed to hunting, but it seems that there is usually a purpose—i.e. saving the animal to eat, or at least a trophy?? In this case the animal is left to die and that’s the whole game.
This seems in keeping with her strong affiliation with NRA and her thoroughly anti-environmental politics. Going against even the extremely conservative Bush position, she feels that science is wrong when it comes to the facts of melting sea ice, polar bear habitats and global warming.
Palin has also allegedly broken the law in order to defeat a Clean Water ballot measure this summer. It is against the law for a governor to officially advocate for or against a ballot measure. But Palin took what she calls “personal privilege” to discuss one of this year’s most contentious initiatives.
Palin also used state Department of Natural Resources resources to lobby for defeat of the Clean Water Initiative under the pretense of creating a state run website to “educate” citizens. The citizen group Alaskans for Clean Water is filing suit.
But one thing you can say. Sarah Palin knows how to handle a gun. Watch the recently circulated video which is gaining hits like mad, showing Palin at a gun practice in Kuwait.
She not only wants to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, but actually vowed to sue the EPA if it dared to declare polar bears an endangered species. It's hard for most people to understand this sort of hatred for the great mammal species struggling to hang on at the edges of this continent. (alternet.org)
Perhaps McCain’s surprising selection of Sarah Palin as VP was motivated by the... more
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Moopak
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added this
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3 years ago
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One of Britain's leading hospitals has made more than £4million by giving livers from UK donors to private foreign patients.
Over the past five years, surgeons from King's College Hospital in South London have performed 50 liver transplants, with each patient paying around £80,000.
Of these, 22 came from the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
However, it has emerged that at least one foreign government is now monitoring the progress of its patients amid fears they are being given inferior organs.
Under UK law, British-donated livers can only be given to non-EU private patients if the organs have already been turned down for those on UK and EU waiting lists because of problems with their age or size.
This has forced many transplant centres - including St James's University Hospital in Leeds - to stop treating non-EU patients because of quality concerns.
The Royal Free Hospital in North London, which has treated only one non-EU private patient in the past five years, has now written to Dr Yaqoub Altammar, of the Kuwait Embassy in London, saying the chance of a UK liver being transplanted into a Kuwaiti patient was 'almost nil' because UK and EU patients have priority.
Dr Altammar said: 'We know and agree with the transplant system here and we need that system.
'But that doesn't mean we agree with the fact a liver deemed unsuitable for a UK or EU patient is then given to a Kuwaiti. If that's the case, we have real concerns.' One of Britain's leading hospitals has made more than £4million by giving... more
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A group led by Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chief executive of Boston Properties, a publicly traded real estate company, is buying the General Motors Building and three other Midtown towers from the financially troubled Macklowe family for $3.95 billion.
The deal, which has been brewing for months as the Macklowes sought to get out from under more than $7 billion in debt, is a victory for Mr. Zuckerman, owner of The Daily News, and his partners, Goldman Sachs and the nations of Qatar and Kuwait, who paid about $2.9 billion for the 50-story, white marble G.M. Building on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street. It is the highest price ever paid for an American office tower.
The sale of the building represents the loss of the crown jewel of the Macklowe real estate empire. The travail of the Macklowes and the fate of the G.M. Building have been closely watched by real estate and banking executives, both for the family drama and as an indication of the real estate market’s health.
A group led by Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chief executive of Boston Properties, a publicly... more
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Kuwait has warned that it will deport foreigners who instigate gatherings and strikes and will arrest and prosecute the participants.
"The ministry has noticed recently that some Arab and foreign communities resort to gatherings and strikes for various reasons, which are illegal actions and undermine security," the interior ministry said in a statement cited by the official KUNA new agency.
( Another repressive U.S backed regime)
Kuwait has warned that it will deport foreigners who instigate gatherings and strikes... more
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A former Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah, has died in Kuwait City at the age of 78 after a long illness, state television reports.
Sheikh Saad ruled Kuwait for nine days in January 2006 before being removed by parliament because of ill health.
Born in 1930, he was the eldest son of the late Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah, known as the father of independence and the constitution.
Sheikh Saad became crown prince in 1978 and was prime minister until July 2003.
In 1997, Sheikh Saad spent seven months abroad for treatment and recuperation from colonic bleeding.
He will be buried on Wednesday, state television said. A former Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah, has died in Kuwait City at... more
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kushan
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added this
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4 years ago
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Camp Buehring is a staging camp for US Forces located in an isolated area of Kuwait. Many units pass through here on the way to Iraq. This set consists of concrete blast barriers that have been painted (mostly) by the units passing through. Representations of the esprit de corps of our fine military units as they prepare for operations in Iraq. Themes vary but unit crests, mottoes, and history are important elements. Reserve and Guard units often focus on where they are from. The units mission is often a key element in the painting. Throw in a large dose of martial machismo and a little subversive humor (they are Americans after all) and you have barrier art. Mostly it says we were here.Camp Buehring is a staging camp for US Forces located in an isolated area of Kuwait.... more
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An order has been sent to foreign nationals living in Lebanon to leave inside of 48 hours, which is normally because the intelligence agencies have spotted something they don't like and are concerned about the security situation.
Following the assassination of a prominent Hezbollah commander, the violence in the region was raised considerably. Israel have begun air strikes in Gaza killing at least 61 on Saturday and a total of 93 since Wednesday. For more details on this check Journalist_pals posts, he lives in the Gaza strip and does an amazing job of keeping current up to date on what is happening there.
http://current.com/items/88856794_the_number_of_people_killed_in_gaza_since_wednesday_has_reached_93_including_61_killed_on_saturday
The orders from these three large countries to pull their nationals out of Lebanon could be seen as evidence for the break out of wider spread violence. Hezbollah just two weeks ago responded to the assassination of their commander with strong words,
"Zionists, if you want this type of open war then let the whole world hear: let it be an open war,"
http://current.com/items/88842493_hezbollah_if_israel_want_open_war_so_it_will_be
Is this all just heat that will die down or is this a warning of things to come?An order has been sent to foreign nationals living in Lebanon to leave inside of 48... more
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happynews.com today reports that law director Brian Reali will voluntarily give back over half of his yearly salary to his employer when deployed to Kuwait next year. The money will be spent on employees who are looking after his usual duties, whilst he is acting as a staff judge advocate with the Guard's 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in the Arabian state. Umm...why, though?
happynews.com today reports that law director Brian Reali will voluntarily give back... more
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Dow Chemical and a unit of Kuwait Petroleum said on Thursday they will form a petrochemicals joint venture to link the Middle East company's vast energy supply with Dow's industry-leading market reach.
The joint venture will manufacture and sell chemicals used in products ranging from plastic bottles, compact disks and computers to agricultural compounds.
"By selectively investing in downstream petrochemical businesses, we are maximizing the value of Kuwait's hydrocarbons resources while diversifying our national economy and increasing job opportunities," Saad Al-Shuwaib, chief executive of Kuwait Petroleum, said in a statement.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, we're all downstream.Dow Chemical and a unit of Kuwait Petroleum said on Thursday they will form a... more
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Oh man, this is SO 21st century: a new Kuwaiti hedge fund aims to take some of those Persian Gulf millions and invest them in a way that complies with Sharia -- Islamic law. Barclays is starting one soon, too.
So what makes a hedge fund Sharia-compliant? Well, for starters, Islam forbids gambling, and some kinds of short-selling -- that is, selling an asset because you think its price will fall -- come pretty close.
I don't know about all this. I invest a bit in one of those socially-responsible mutual funds and, you know what? It doesn't make me feel any better about anything.Oh man, this is SO 21st century: a new Kuwaiti hedge fund aims to take some of those... more
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sloan
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added this
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4 years ago
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In 2005, Army Lt. John Prettyman documented in intimate detail what life is really like for his fellow soldiers in Iraq. In this installment, eager soldiers find that simply getting to their destination in Iraq is a battle in itself.In 2005, Army Lt. John Prettyman documented in intimate detail what life is really... more
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