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The surge is working? Hardly
A Guardian journalist returns home to Iraq to find that far from what we hear in the US, the surge has produced nothing approaching normalcy or peace, but rather ghettos seething with violence, with nothing but makeshift walls dividing the increasingly hostile warring factions.
“US claims that the military surge is bringing stability to Iraq. By traveling through the heart of Baghdad its easy to see by enclosing the Sunni and Shia populations behind 12ft walls, the surge has left the city more divided and desperate than ever.”
Check out parts 2 & 3 of this amazing report. It’s undoubtedly the most realistic and candid view of Iraq you will ever see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woxu5dwCSX0&feature=...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRA3QdvY9rQ A Guardian journalist returns home to Iraq to find that far from what we hear in the US, the surge has produced nothing approaching no... more -
Il governo britannico progetta la stangata
Arrivano indiscrezioni scovate dal Guardian che parlano di un piano ufficialmente da tenersi segreto (ma già è fallito sotto tale aspetto) finalizzato a ridurre la pirateria britannica di musica e di film, che ad ora coinvolge circa 6 milioni e mezzo di persone, almeno dell'80%.
La prova di un simile piano è una lettera di Baronessa Vadera, il ministro degli affari britannico, a cui il giornale ha avuto accesso senza esserne autorizzato. Il documento sarebbe incentrato principalmente sull'accordo (noto a tutti) che il governo ha messo nero su bianco con gli ISP e l'industria musical/cinematografica.
L'accordo in questione prevede una riduzione della pirateria da realizzarsi in primo luogo inviando centinaia di migliaia di lettere di avvertimento a chi scarica illegalmente per metterli a conoscenza delle possibili conseguenza delle loro azioni, procedendo poi in caso di violazioni ripetute a sospendere l'account fino a che l'utente non si impegni in maniera scritta a non commettere più violazioni e infine, in caso di ulteriori violazioni, si procederebbe alla totale cancellazione dell'account. Arrivano indiscrezioni scovate dal Guardian che parlano di un piano ufficialmente da tenersi segreto (ma già è fallito sotto tale aspe... more -
L'italia e il nuovo fascismo
Anche se e' gia' stato postato, rinnovo l'invito a leggere questo articolo del Guardian.
Ci ricorda che episodi come il G8 di Genova dimostrano come lo Stato, in caso di minaccia, si possa arrogare il diritto di sospendere la legge e i gli stessi diritti umani per tornare fascista. Anche se e' gia' stato postato, rinnovo l'invito a leggere questo articolo del Guardian. ... more -
Wanted: Neo Nazi with typing skills. Why is the Guardian advertising BNP jobs?
"Fancy a career as a neo-fascist? Want to boast Nick Griffin as a friend of a friend? Think fellow traveller would look good on your CV? Then I hope you are reading the Guardian," says Daniel Finkelstein, a Times newspaper blogger, on hearing that the Guardian's jobs pages are carrying advertisements for positions at the BNP, a notoriously hateful British political party which describes itself as "the foremost patriotic political party in Great Britain".
Ok, so its a rival newspaper slating the Guardian, and quite why the BNP would target Guardian readers for its recruitment campaign I don't know, but is the Times blogger wrong to be so incensed?
Should anyone - hateful, racist, fascist or not - be able to advertise a job anywhere? Did the Guardian do the right thing in running these ads? Free speech is one thing, but by publishing this job advert the newspaper presumably had to make sure it passed their editorial standards, and as a publisher it has control over content, and doesn't have to publish just anything...? "Fancy a career as a neo-fascist? Want to boast Nick Griffin as a friend of a friend? Think fellow traveller would look good on y... more -
Guardian, 19 milioni di euro per un'azienda di blog - Scienza & Tecnologi...
L'azienda che fa capo a Paidcontent.org, blog americano curato da giornalisti, è stata acquistata da Guardian Media Group (l'editore britannico che pubblica The Guardian e The Observer per circa 30 milioni di dollari (19 milioni di euro). Cifra non comunicata in modo ufficiale, ma riportata come sicura da Reuters e altre fonti ben informate. L'azienda che fa capo a Paidcontent.org, blog americano curato da giornalisti, è stata acquistata da Guardian Media Group (l'... more
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Russia warns of retaliation after Prague signs US 'star wars' pact
Dmitry Medvedev today warned Russia may take retaliatory steps after being "extremely upset" by a US defence pact with the Czech Republic.
The Russian president reacted angrily yesterday after the Bush administration capped a five-year campaign to extend its controversial "star wars" missile shield project from the US to Europe by signing a deal to build a radar station south of Prague.
The first formal agreement between the US and central Europe on the defence scheme instantly prompted threats from Moscow that it would retaliate militarily if the agreement is ratified.
Speaking at a news conference at the G8 summit in Japan, Medvedev said Russia was still open to talks with the US.
"We will not be hysterical about this but we will think of retaliatory steps ... We are not closed to further negotiations and we will continue these.
"It is completely obvious that, after the signing of the agreement a new stage in implementing the idea of the missile shield has started. We are extremely upset by this situation".
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by Ian Traynor, Europe editor, and Angela Balakrishnan// guardian.co.uk
Photo: AP Dmitry Medvedev today warned Russia may take retaliatory steps after being "extremely upset" by a US defence pact with the C... more -
Robot babies
The idea of a machine that could produce a copy of itself has intrigued some of the greatest minds in history. Rene Descartes heads a list of philosophers, mathematicians and physicists who have long pondered the potential of a self-replicating machine. As have writers of science fiction, who have been also quick to warn of the dangers of unleashing such a powerful technology upon the world. But for both sets of thinkers, the reality of a self-replicating machine has lain somewhere just beyond our reach.
Sitting in his office at the University of Bath, Dr Adrian Bowyer doesn't look like an evil mastermind. Bowyer is a quietly spoken, slightly podgy, twinkle-eyed 55-year-old senior lecturer at the school of mechanical engineering and inventor of the RepRap machine. Earlier this month at Cheltenham's Science Festival, Bowyer and New Zealand scientist Vik Oliver unveiled a RepRap that had the majority of its working parts "printed out" from an earlier prototype. Although the RepRap was first assembled in 2006, this was the first time a parent and child machine had appeared side by side.
Technically, the RepRap is a form of rapid prototyper, the kind used by designers and engineers to streamline everything from aircraft to hairdryers, but it's easier to think of it as a printer of three-dimensional objects. Essentially, the RepRap works like the desktop printer you might have at home, but instead of printing on paper, the RepRap makes hard copy in three dimensions out of plastic from models designed on a computer.
Even before you get into the benefits of self-replication, the RepRap is already an impressive achievement. Bowyer and an army of international helpers - all operating under an open-source license that lets them adapt and develop the blueprint collectively - have managed to scale down the cost of rapid prototypers from tens of thousands of pounds to around £250.
Bowyer describes his RepRap as "potentially an extremely powerful technology" that could "give everybody - ultimately - the ability to make virtually anything for themselves in return for being helped to reproduce". For the moment it makes crude plastic knick-knacks (sandals, coat hooks, door handles and fly-swatters), but it has the potential to develop into something that could make much more sophisticated artifacts, including the ability to lay its own circuitry.
The RepRap itself is a humble thing to see. It's small, little bigger in volume than a portable television, barely more than a frame assembled from long pieces of screw-grooved studding and a large number of plastic parts. At its heart is the all important extruder, which is poised to squeeze out a small film of molten plastic from a nozzle that is fed from a coil of white filament. It looks vaguely like a cut-price textile machine.
Bowyer sets the nozzle to work, producing a simple coathook. Line by line, layer upon layer, the RepRap begins its task. It is an agonizingly tedious process that will take it almost two hours to "print out" each small part. It will take hundreds of hours to make the parts for a "child" machine. Not that that should temper your enthusiasm. If you think back, the first digitised images took hours to process. Now, 20 years later, such things are commonplace, done in a flash on a mobile phone.
The RepRap needs to get much faster before it can even begin to realize its potential, but it is still early days for a device - even though it has been dreamt of since the dawn of the enlightenment - and Bowyer is not done yet. Soon, he plans to design a shredder for the machine, so old items created on the RepRap can be returned to granules of plastic to be reused. Think about it, he says: "You could shred your milk bottles and make a pair of sandals. What's more, when the child grows out of the shoes, you shred them, add another milk bottle, rescale the design and you have a new pair." If nothing else, the RepRap could be the ultimate recycling machine. The idea of a machine that could produce a copy of itself has intrigued some of the greatest minds in history. Rene Descartes heads a ... more -
Obama: Nader's just trying to get attention
Responding to Ralph Nader's comments that Barack Obama is "talking white" and trying to appeal to "white guilt," Obama said it's a shame people may forget about the famed consumer advocate's contributions to society.
"Ralph Nader is just trying to get attention," Obama said. "Ralph Nader is someone whose campaign ... hasn't gotten any traction."
Nader, who in February started his fourth run for president, is credited with helping popularise auto seatbelts and airbags, and for standing up for consumers against corporations for decades, initially through his group Public Citizen. He was instrumental in the founding of government agencies that protect citizens from corporate environmental pollution and workers from unsafe working conditions. He gained repute with the publication in 1965 of his book "Unsafe at Any Speed," which detailed safety defects in American cars.
In an interview published today, Nader criticised Obama for not speaking out on payday loans and predatory lending, lead poisoning and asbestos. He wondered if Obama won't take up those issues and cry out about the plight of the inner cities because he doesn't want to sound like Jesse Jackson. Responding to Ralph Nader's comments that Barack Obama is "talking white" and trying to appeal to "white guilt,�... more -
News from Glasto
Guardian's 'Mudcast' podcast updates us on last night's headliners and their worries about playing the main stage, and Edwyn Collins tells us he's not really bothered about the whole thing. Listen at the link. Guardian's 'Mudcast' podcast updates us on last night's headliners and their worries about playing the main stage,... more
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Obama opens up his iPod
The Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama showcased his diverse musical taste, ranging from Bob Dylan to Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen, after revealing the playlist on his iPod.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, to be published this Friday, the Illinois senator said he had "pretty eclectic tastes".
The list of bands reads like the acts at a summer music festival, with the Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow and Ludacris all in the mix. Obama said that, growing up, he listened to Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire but that Stevie Wonder was his ultimate musical hero during the 70s.
The Stones' track Gimme Shelter topped his favorite songs from the band. His selection also contained 30 songs from Dylan. "One of my favorites [for] the political season is [Dylan's] Maggie's Farm. It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric." In the song, Dylan sings about trying to be himself, "but everybody wants you to be just like them".
The jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker were also included in the compilation. Many of the musicians on Obama's iPod, such as Bruce Springsteen, are supporting his White House bid.
Earlier this month, Dylan said he believed Obama was redefining politics in the US and could bring change to a nation in upheaval. "I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable," Obama said. "Those guys are icons."
Obama said he had not met Springsteen but that the two had talked over the phone. "Not only do I love Bruce's music, I just love him as a person," Obama said. "He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front." He added that, when speaking to the singer, he addressed him by his moniker the Boss. "You've got to," Obama said.
The candidate said he thought rap music was also helping to break down barriers within the music world. Indeed it was reported last month that Obama will make a cameo performance[siiic] on the rap singer Q-Tip's next album. However, he expressed concern over his daughters – Malia, nine, and Sasha, seven – listening to some rap songs.
"I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he said, "but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music."
He said the hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and the rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris were "great talents and great businessmen".
"It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying they were getting bad images of themselves," he added.
Obama appears on the cover of the Rolling Stone issue. The magazine endorsed him for president in March The Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama showcased his diverse musical taste, ranging from Bob Dylan to Jay-Z and Bruce Spring... more -
Bush calls for Alaska oil drilling ban lifted
George Bush, responding to public alarm over soaring petrol prices, yesterday proposed overturning decades-old bans on drilling for oil off the US coast and in the pristine Alaskan wilderness. "There's no excuse for delay," the president told a White House press conference. America was too dependent on countries abroad, many of them in unstable regions.
"Congress must face a hard reality: unless members are willing to accept gas prices at today's painful levels, or even higher, our nation must produce more oil. And we must start now," he said.
Expanding oil extraction off the coast would provide 18bn barrels, enough to supply the US for more than two years. As for Alaska, he said advances in technology meant that oil could be extracted from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with "virtually no impact" on the land or wildlife.
His other proposals included extraction of oil from shale in the Green River Basin that lies in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming - a move opposed by environmentalists. Finally, he wants more oil refineries in the US, to reduce imports of refined oil.
The plan has almost no chance of being adopted. Congress, which is controlled by the Democrats, has consistently blocked exploration, for environmental reasons.
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, accused Bush of cynicism, saying the US could not drill its way out of the problem. "The math is simple: America has just 3% of the world's oil reserves, but Americans use a quarter of its oil," Reid said.
Bush's proposals are primarily political in a presidential election year in which petrol prices are one of the top issues. The Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, told oil executives in Houston on Tuesday that the ban on oil drilling in coastal waters should be lifted. This is the first major example of McCain and the White House working in tandem.
The Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, opposes the plan, saying it would take a decade before the predicted oil flow would begin. "This is not something that's going to give consumers short-term relief and it is not a long-term solution to our problems," Obama said.
The issue is politically risky for both Obama and McCain. A Reuters/Zogby poll released yesterday showed 60% of Americans support more oil drilling and refinery construction, but the same percentage also say they favour conservation.
In states such as California, where oil companies would like to drill offshore, polls in the past suggest more than 60% are opposed to drilling, with a serious oil spillage in 1969 still remembered. In Florida, one of the key swing states, oil drilling is a sensitive issue too. A poll published yesterday put Obama ahead in the state for the first time, on 47% to McCain's 43%.
Speaking to reporters, Bush, who has close family and business links with the oil industry, said: "Families across the country are looking to Washington for a response." He blamed Democratic opposition for the high petrol prices. "I know the Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider."
Obama was scheduled to hold his first meeting later in the day in Washington with a working group on national security, advisers who will meet regularly until the election and will form a pool from which he could pick foreign specialists for his administration. The group includes Bill Clinton's former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, and Obama's two main foreign affairs advisers, Tony Lake and Susan Rice. He is to meet afterwards with about 40 former admirals and generals to discuss Iraq, Afghanistan and other potential conflicts. George Bush, responding to public alarm over soaring petrol prices, yesterday proposed overturning decades-old bans on drilling for oi... more -
Mccain, like Bush, calls for lifting US ban on coastal oil drilling
Arizona Senator John McCain plans to call today for lifting the ban that prevents offshore oil and gas drilling along much of the US coastline - but would give states like Florida veto power over opening up their shores.
McCain, who plans to unveil his proposal in detail today, said yesterday that lifting the decades-old moratorium should be a "very high priority" with gasoline prices soaring.
He said that allowing states to explore for gas and oil "and perhaps providing additional incentives for states to permit exploration off their coasts ... would be very helpful in the short term in resolving our energy crisis".
House Republicans are waging an increasingly aggressive push to lift both a congressional and a presidential ban that prevent exploration of the coastline. An effort to lift the ban was defeated along partisan lines Wednesday in a House subcommittee meeting, but its sponsor plans to try again this week.
Democrats assailed McCain's proposal. Hari Sevugan, a spokesman for Barack Obama, said McCain's "plan to simply drill our way out of our energy crisis is the same misguided approach backed by President Bush that has failed our families for too long and only serves to benefit the big oil companies".
Florida lawmakers have long opposed any efforts to open the coastline to drilling and Senator Bill Nelson said that "any approach to weaken the moratorium on coastal oil drilling is irresponsible".
"There isn't enough oil in the US to make even the smallest dent in world oil prices, which largely are being run up by unregulated traders and speculators, including the oil companies," the Democratic senator said.
Ken Lundberg, a spokesman for Senator Mel Martinez, a Republican who has worked with Nelson to fend off efforts to explore the coast, said Martinez was "very sympathetic to the desire to increase domestic production" and was interested in seeing the details of McCain's plan.
Congress has approved bans on offshore oil and gas leasing since the 1980s, allowing exploration only in the far western Gulf of Mexico and some parts of Alaska.
There's also a presidential ban on exploration or drilling, which lasts until 2012.
Facing similar pressure to open up more of the coastline to exploration, Florida's congressional delegation in December 2006 reached a compromise to give up eight million acres in the Gulf of Mexico in exchange for the state getting at least a 125-mile buffer zone from drilling.
House Republicans have pushed an effort to allow for drilling within 50 miles of the coastline; McCain said yesterday that the distance should be the "subject of negotiation and discussion".
"I'm not dictating to the states that they drill or they engage in oil exploration," he said at a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. "I am saying that the moratoria should be lifted so that they have the opportunity to do so."
McCain came under fire in Florida recently for opposing a national catastrophe insurance pool and voting against a bill that included money for restoring the Everglades, and his campaign stressed today to reporters that his push to open the coastline would allow states to make the call.
But he did not offer details on whether it would be up to state governors or legislatures. And it remains uncertain whether state officials would remain united in opposition to drilling, given the pressure.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who has endorsed McCain, sidestepped the issue last week when asked whether he would support oil drilling off Florida's coast.
"Number one, I don't like it," he said, "But nor do I like the price of gas and I don't think the people of Florida are enjoying it either." Arizona Senator John McCain plans to call today for lifting the ban that prevents offshore oil and gas drilling along much of the US c... more -
Israel calls for Lebanon peace talks
Israel said today it wanted to open "direct, bilateral" peace talks with Lebanon, as officials confirmed they have agreed a ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas due to begin in the Gaza Strip from dawn tomorrow.
The talks with Lebanon would include discussions over the Shebaa Farms, an area of land held by Israel and claimed by the Lebanese.
The overture appears to have been encouraged by the US administration and comes after indirect talks between Israel and Syria were re-started for the first time in eight years.
The approach to Lebanon may indicate that an agreement is close at hand with the Lebanese group Hizbullah over the return of two Israeli soldiers captured at the start of the 2006 Lebanon war and who are now feared dead. Israel is reportedly ready to release some Lebanese prisoners in return.
Today Israeli officials were cautious about how long the Gaza ceasefire might last, warning that the agreement was fragile and a military invasion still an option.
Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli defence official who was the envoy on the ceasefire negotiations, said: "This is not a peace agreement."
"A calm means that there is no type of terror, there is no difference if it comes from 'a' or 'b,"' he told Israel's Army Radio. "It's clear that if there won't be attacks on us, the army activity will be in accordance."
Palestinian militants fired rockets and mortars into southern Israel today and there was gunfire towards Israeli communities, but there were no reports of injuries.
Islamic Jihad said it carried out the attacks in response to the killing of 10 militants in Gaza this week.
"Thursday will be the beginning we hope of a new reality where Israeli citizens in the south will no longer be on the receiving end of continuous rocket attacks," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister. "Israel is giving a serious chance to this Egyptian initiative and we want it to succeed."
Others, even in the Israeli cabinet, spoke out against the decision to accept the ceasefire, which has been arranged after weeks of mediation by the Egyptians.
"A calm brings a great accomplishment for Hamas," Meir Sheetrit, an Israeli cabinet minister, told Army Radio. "They prove that their determination and the war and the continued attacks on Israel help them achieve what they want."
The ceasefire will develop in stages, with Israel gradually easing its economic blockade of Gaza if the ceasefire holds.
Funerals were held in Gaza today for militants killed in an Israeli air strike yesterday, among them Moataz Dogmush, a senior leader in the Army of Islam.
The small but extreme militant group was responsible last year for kidnapping the British BBC reporter Alan Johnston and also played a role in the capture in June 2006 of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who remains in captivity in Gaza. Israel said today it wanted to open "direct, bilateral" peace talks with Lebanon, as officials confirmed they have agreed a ... more -
Third bathroom for transvestites in Thailand public schools
A Thai school has introduced toilets for its transvestite students after a survey revealed that 200 cross-dressing students felt uncomfortable using the male toilets but were not always welcome in the female loos.
Kampang school, attended by 2,600 pupils in the rural north-eastern province of Sisaket, unveiled the toilets when the new academic year began in May. The symbol for the loos shows a figure split in two, the male half in blue and the female in red.
Three transvestite pupils applying powder to their faces in the new toilets told a Thai news channel they were delighted with the innovation. "I'm so happy about this," said Vichai Sangsakul, a teenager with hair held in place by a pink band. "It looks bad going to female toilets. What would other people think?"
Rural Thais tend to be conservative, but like most people in Thailand, they tolerate the highly visible phenomenon of transvestites who often work in the make-up business, cabaret or the sex industry.
"These students want to be able to go to the bathroom in peace without fear of being watched, laughed at or groped," said the school director, Sitisak Sumontha. "[Pupils] don't have problems with transvestites. But going to the same private area, like a toilet, makes them uneasy A Thai school has introduced toilets for its transvestite students after a survey revealed that 200 cross-dressing students felt uncom... more -
Stem cells used on dogs in the US
Maggie Mae is running a lot more these days and even gets on the couch without help.
The 11-year-old Australian shepherd appears to be getting around easier since a Maitland, Florida, veterinarian injected stem cells into her arthritic joints in May.
The novel therapy has been given to 700 dogs throughout the US to ease arthritis. Scientists think the cells can grow into new tissues and may be a treatment for many conditions in the future.
Maggie Mae is helping test the theory. Her owner, Terry Hays of Longwood, Florida, could feel how "crunchy" the dog's hips and other joints had become. She was eager to find relief for the playful and protective shepherd.
Hays was taking Maggie Mae to acupuncture treatments and learned of the stem-cell option during one of those appointments.
"If this is something that works, it could help many people and many animals someday," Hays said. "I'm just thrilled to think (Maggie Mae has) been a part of it."
The stem-cell treatment starts with surgery to remove about 50 grams of fat, typically from the dog's abdomen, explained Dr Jacek de Haan from Affiliated Veterinary Specialists in Maitland.
He said all tissue holds some stem cells, and veterinarians use fat because it's typically plentiful and easy to remove.
The dogs must be healthy enough to have the surgery, which requires the animals to be put under general anaesthesia. Because anaesthesia comes with risks, de Haan said dogs with other major health issues - such as heart disease or kidney failure - are not good candidates.
It's more for dogs that are generally healthy aside from their arthritis.
After the fat is removed, it is sent to the California company that has been using it to help horses recover from tendon and other injuries since 2003.
Vet-Stem began offering the treatment for dogs with arthritis earlier this year. De Haan said the cost is about $2,500.
The company takes the fat sample, isolates the stem cells and returns the solution to the veterinarian, who then injects arthritic joints. There are no guarantees that the dogs will get relief, but many owners report seeing improvements within a month of the treatment, de Haan said.
He has treated seven local dogs so far.
"Usually, activity level improves, they're able to run more and be more active. If they weren't able to jump on furniture before, they are about to do it afterward," he said.
The treatment - because it involves removing and replacing cells from the same animal - is not controversial and not regulated by the government, said Dr Julie Ryan Johnson, a veterinarian and vice-president at Vet-Stem.
That also means it hasn't been tested in large-scale, rigorous studies before it hit the market.
But one study sponsored by the company compared dogs that were given stem cells with those that received placebo injections.
The researchers found that the stem-cell group had significant improvement in their walking and trotting. The animals also had less pain when their joints were manipulated and had greater range of motion.
What exactly are the stem cells doing? Short answer: No one knows.
Johnson said X-rays of the animals' arthritic joints don't show marked differences after treatment, suggesting that the stem cells are working in subtle ways.
"They may be signalling other cells to come in and do different things - to reduce pain and inflammation or build new tissue," Johnson said.
"The X-rays may not look any better, but there's definitely something going on there."
About this articleClose This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Wednesday June 18 2008. It was last updated at 15:22 on June 18 2008. Maggie Mae is running a lot more these days and even gets on the couch without help. ... more -
Bush calls for lifting of ban on Alaska oil drilling
George Bush, responding to public alarm over soaring petrol prices, yesterday proposed overturning decades-old bans on drilling for oil off the US coast and in the pristine Alaskan wilderness. "There's no excuse for delay," the president told a White House press conference. America was too dependent on countries abroad, many of them in unstable regions.
"Congress must face a hard reality: unless members are willing to accept gas prices at today's painful levels, or even higher, our nation must produce more oil. And we must start now," he said.
Expanding oil extraction off the coast would provide 18bn barrels, enough to supply the US for more than two years. As for Alaska, he said advances in technology meant that oil could be extracted from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with "virtually no impact" on the land or wildlife.
His other proposals included extraction of oil from shale in the Green River Basin that lies in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming - a move opposed by environmentalists. Finally, he wants more oil refineries in the US, to reduce imports of refined oil.
The plan has almost no chance of being adopted. Congress, which is controlled by the Democrats, has consistently blocked exploration, for environmental reasons.
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, accused Bush of cynicism, saying the US could not drill its way out of the problem. "The math is simple: America has just 3% of the world's oil reserves, but Americans use a quarter of its oil," Reid said.
Bush's proposals are primarily political in a presidential election year in which petrol prices are one of the top issues. The Republican presidential candidate, John McCain, told oil executives in Houston on Tuesday that the ban on oil drilling in coastal waters should be lifted. This is the first major example of McCain and the White House working in tandem.
The Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, opposes the plan, saying it would take a decade before the predicted oil flow would begin. "This is not something that's going to give consumers short-term relief and it is not a long-term solution to our problems," Obama said.
The issue is politically risky for both Obama and McCain. A Reuters/Zogby poll released yesterday showed 60% of Americans support more oil drilling and refinery construction, but the same percentage also say they favour conservation.
In states such as California, where oil companies would like to drill offshore, polls in the past suggest more than 60% are opposed to drilling, with a serious oil spillage in 1969 still remembered. In Florida, one of the key swing states, oil drilling is a sensitive issue too. A poll published yesterday put Obama ahead in the state for the first time, on 47% to McCain's 43%.
Speaking to reporters, Bush, who has close family and business links with the oil industry, said: "Families across the country are looking to Washington for a response." He blamed Democratic opposition for the high petrol prices. "I know the Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider."
Obama was scheduled to hold his first meeting later in the day in Washington with a working group on national security, advisers who will meet regularly until the election and will form a pool from which he could pick foreign specialists for his administration. The group includes Bill Clinton's former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, and Obama's two main foreign affairs advisers, Tony Lake and Susan Rice. He is to meet afterwards with about 40 former admirals and generals to discuss Iraq, Afghanistan and other potential conflicts. George Bush, responding to public alarm over soaring petrol prices, yesterday proposed overturning decades-old bans on drilling for oi... more -
The difference between U.S. and European Politics: Reverance.
A funny article by Armando Innanuci (Scottish comedian and prolific producer of comedy shows) On the beatification of Politicans in U.S. and how there won't be too many statues of Ted heath or Gordon brown, i the future, Yet it's likely Obama's bust will be everywhere in the US in 50 years. A funny article by Armando Innanuci (Scottish comedian and prolific producer of comedy shows) On the beatification of Politicans in U.... more
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Bush and Murdoch meet while thousands protest outside
Inside apparently it was informal and relaxed, as George Bush arrived at Downing Street for a private dinner hosted by Gordon Brown and attended by Rupert Murdoch, a clutch of ministers and a mini-faculty of historians.
But out on the streets of Westminster, it was an edgier affair, as police in riot gear faced down protesters determined once again to voice their anger at the arrival in Britain of the US president.
Crowds often turn out in Britain for the farewell tours of famous American names and yesterday was no exception. Some 2,500 had gathered in Parliament Square hours before the big event was due to start, and there plenty of T-shirts and memorabilia on sale.
But despite non-stop chants of his name, the star of the show made no appearance in front of the crowds. The fact that the chants were "George Bush terrorist" and "Arrest George Bush" may have had something to do with it. Certainly the noise was loud enough to be heard above the polite conversation 200 yards away at 10 Downing Street.
The trouble began after a few cans and placards were lobbed over police lines. Several protesters were injured in the clashes and 25 were arrested. Protesters blamed the authorities for not allowing a letter to be handed in to Downing Street. Police blamed demonstrators for trying to dismantle barriers.
Numbers may have been fewer than those that greeted Bush on his November 2003 visit to London, when anger over the Iraq war was still raw. But every generation was represented yesterday, from babies wearing "Arrest Bush" stickers, to Tony Benn who left behind his parliamentary career to "spend more time in politics".
Before things turned ugly, the mood was vibrant. Whistles were blown, drums were banged, and some carried handcuffs on the off-chance that Bush might present himself for a citizen's arrest. "The war in Iraq was a war crime," said Benn. "Over 1 million Iraqis have died and the Americans are spending $400m a day on it while people are starving in Ethiopia." But nor was the past forgotten. A loudspeaker played Love is All You Need and one T-shirt read: "I still hate Thatcher." Inside apparently it was informal and relaxed, as George Bush arrived at Downing Street for a private dinner hosted by Gordon Brown an... more -
Iran is offered deal to stop nuclear programme
Frantic diplomatic negotiations took place in Tehran yesterday as Iran weighed up a package of trade inducements offered by world powers in exchange for the abandonment of its uranium enrichment programme.
European foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Tehran with the offer of the last-ditch deal on behalf of Britain, the US, Germany, Russia, France and China. Tehran is being given a month to agree to suspend enrichment of uranium in exchange for economic, technological and political incentives or face further punitive measures, including the prospect of unilateral sanctions by the EU.
Almost as soon as Solana arrived, a senior Iranian government spokesman insisted that the suspension of Iranian enrichment demanded as part of the deal was not 'debatable'. 'Iran's stance is clear. The precondition of a halt and suspension of nuclear activities cannot be brought up,' said Gholam Hossein Elham.
Several hours later a second government official offered a cautiously optimistic account of the talks saying that they had opened 'a new diplomatic path' in the efforts to resolve the long-running nuclear dispute.
Speaking off the record, he said: 'Both sides have reached a preliminary agreement on common points in the two packages,' referring to separate proposals put forward by the two sides. 'This will be a basis for fresh nuclear talks.'
Contributing to the sense that a deal may yet be possible, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the powerful Expediency Council headed by former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said: 'I think the negotiations should continue to enable the two sides to find rational and legal settlement. All disputes can be resolved through negotiations.'
The apparent contradictions in the Iranian position reflect divisions in the ruling clerical elite - and between messages designed for a domestic audience and those for external consumption.
The visit by the delegation headed by Solana comes amid a ratcheting up of the rhetoric against Iran over its nuclear ambitions - not least in Israel where Shaul Mofaz, a member of the government and former defence chief, stated recently he believed an attack on Iran was 'inevitable.'
President George Bush, in France on the penultimate leg of his European tour, expressed disappointment that Iran had not immediately accepted the 'generous offer' presented by Solana. The package is a reworked and apparently improved version of an initiative rejected by Iran in 2006.
Bush said Iran was isolating its people and endangering the world by continuing its enrichment programme. Iran denies trying to build a nuclear bomb and insists its programme is strictly for electricity generation. A US intelligence report in December concluded, however, that Iran did have a warhead programme but shelved it in 2003. For its part the International Atomic Energy Agency complained earlier this month that Iran had not been sufficiently 'transparent' Frantic diplomatic negotiations took place in Tehran yesterday as Iran weighed up a package of trade inducements offered by world powe... more -
Afghan forces hunt fugitives after Taliban jailbreak
A huge manhunt was under way today for at least 870 fugitives, including 390 Taliban militants, who were sprung from Kandahar's main prison in an audacious assault last night.
An investigation has been launched to find out whether any government officials were involved in the commando-style attack by several dozen Taliban fighters.
None of the prisoners had yet been tracked down, the deputy justice minister, Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai, told Reuters.
"It was a very unprecedented attack and, together with foreign forces, an operation has been launched to track down and arrest the prisoners," he said.
The police chief of Kandahar province, Sayed Agha Saqib, said 390 Taliban prisoners were among the 870 inmates who fled the prison during the attack late Friday.
A Nato spokesman put the number of fugitives at around 1,100.
"We admit it," Brigadier General Carlos Branco said. "Their guys did the job properly in that sense, but it does not have a strategic impact.
"We should not draw any conclusion about the deterioration of the military operations in the area. We should not draw any conclusion about the strength of the Taliban."
Prison staff said the assault began when a tanker full of explosives was detonated at the Sarposa compound's main entrance, wrecking the gate and a police post and killing the officers inside.
A short time later, a suicide bomber travelling on foot blasted a hole in the back of the prison.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers attacked the prison, and claimed militants had been planning the assault for two months.
"Today, we succeeded," he said, adding that the escaped prisoners were "going to their homes".
Mohammad Hiqmatullah, a shopkeeper who sells vegetables near the jail, said he saw fleeing prisoners disappear into nearby pomegranate and grape groves.
Witnesses said rockets were fired at the prison during the 30-minute battle.
A local politician said 15 policemen were killed in the storming of the prison and subsequent clashes.
Today, security forces were checking vehicles and motorcyclists on key roads in Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city. Some houses were searched where authorities suspected some escapees had hidden, residents said.
Nato-led troops were supporting the Afghan security forces in cordoning off the area in the hunt for the prison inmates, said an alliance spokesman in Kabul.
Dozens of police and army soldiers were deployed outside the badly damaged prison. A pile of rubble lay where two towers of the jail had collapsed.
Wali Karzai, the president of Kandahar's provincial council and the brother of the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said the prison held about 350 suspected Taliban fighters.
"There is no one left," he said.
Violence continued elsewhere today. Four US soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded in western Afghanistan.
Kandahar was the Taliban's former stronghold and its province has been the scene of fierce fighting in the past two years between insurgents and Nato troops primarily from America and Canada.
The US military has handed over an unspecified number of suspected Taliban fighters to Afghan custody under a programme agreed last year to transfer all Afghan prisoners from US detention.
Last month, 200 Taliban suspects at the prison ended a week-long hunger strike after a parliamentary delegation promised their cases would be reviewed. A huge manhunt was under way today for at least 870 fugitives, including 390 Taliban militants, who were sprung from Kandahar's m... more
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