I am however most grateful for one man that believed in the truth before it was even realized.

An inconvenient task: Bush to honour Gore (click here)
THE former vice-president Al Gore plans to return to the White House next week, apparently for the first time since leaving office, to be honoured by the man who beat him seven years ago.
The US President, George Bush, will host five American winners of this year's Nobel Prizes in the Oval Office on November 26, including the winner of the Peace Prize, who fell 538 votes short of hosting the event himself.
Mr Bush regularly invites Nobel laureates for a handshake and photograph and decided this year would be no different, even if they include his vanquished rival from 2000.
The Gore camp said the White House went out of its way to accommodate the former vice-president's schedule, even moving the event when there was a conflict with the first proposed date.
Mr Bush personally telephoned Mr Gore on Friday to finalise the arrangements. A Gore adviser acknowledged the awkward nature of the event.
"It's unusual, that's for sure," he said. "But the conversations were good, and the White House has been very gracious about it."
Mr Bush and Mr Gore have never reconciled the bitterness from their showdown, and the adviser believes that Mr Gore has not been back to the White House since leaving as vice-president.
Mr Gore has been a vocal critic of Mr Bush's policies, while the president has been dismissive of his former opponent's work against global warming.
Asked once whether he would see Mr Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, Mr Bush had a curt response: "Doubt it".
This could be the chance to change that. "I'm sure he would love to give the slide show to the president," the Gore adviser said.

I am grateful for a strong dollar and even stronger economy.

Recognize this one? No? It's been taken out of circulation. It's the USA Silver Certificate.


Australia Dollar Rises; OPEC May Consider Non-U.S. Dollar Sales (click title to entry)
By David McIntyre
Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The Australian dollar rose a second day as the U.S. dollar weakened on speculation oil producing nations are considering selling the fuel in other currencies.
The local dollar gained after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries summit in Riyadh on Nov. 18, where Iran and Venezuela attempted to get the group to discuss pricing oil in other currencies. Separately, an official said the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar, will jointly consider a revaluation in December.
``There were a number of events over the weekend, including the talk about a move away from a U.S. dollar peg and OPEC discussing pricing in other currencies, that caused the U.S. dollar to be weaker,'' said Sue Trinh, a senior currency strategist in Sydney with RBC Capital Markets. ``That helped the Australian dollar higher.'' ...

I am grateful for world peace.

OPEC stresses link between peace and oil prices (click title to entry)

OPEC summit pledges adequate, timely oil supplies @K= Iran submits proposals to OPEC
RIYADH (Agencies) - Leaders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries stressed the importance of world peace for the stability of oil prices, according to a final summit statement obtained by AFP on Sunday.
""We insist on the importance of world peace to guarantee investments in the energy sector and the stability of the market,"" said an Arabic copy of the statement translated by AFP.

OPEC heads of state also pledged to provide ""adequate, timely and sufficient"" oil supplies to the market at the end of a summit, Reuters reported. "

"We affirm our commitment ... to continue providing adequate, timely and sufficient oil to the world market,"" said the final declaration issued at the end of the summit.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi later told a news conference: ""Fluctuations in the market have nothing to do with OPEC,"" adding there were many other factors affecting prices.

The group also called for more action to fight poverty and expressed concern over global climate change.

Kuwait, UAE pledge $300 million to climate fund

OPEC's backing for the fight against global warming came as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar each pledged $150 million towards research into climate change and the environment, and Saudi Arabia said it would give $300 million....

I am grateful for American Conservation.

You know the fact remains that Newt Gingrich was never an enemy to any Conservation Protection Act in his contract with America. It took a Bush to seek to destroy the Endangered Species Act and attempt to log every national park designated as pristine and precious and a heritage. Just you don't recognize it, this is mountain top mining. There should be precious forest standing there and not a whole in the Earth.

Conservative Group Slams Speaker Newt Gingrich's Environmental Record (click title to entry)
A press release issued June 24, 1996 by The National Center for Public Policy Research202/543-4110, (202) 543-5975, http://www.nationalcenter.org.
Contact: David Ridenour (202) 543-4110, dridenour@nationalcenter.org
House Speaker Newt Gingrich is the single greatest threat to needed reform of environmental laws, announced the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research on June 24. The Speaker's efforts to stymie meaningful reform of the Endangered Species Act, his support for legislation that would threaten private property and subvert efforts to base legislation on sound science, and his efforts to give the environmental establishment veto power over all environmental legislation mean the Speaker should be the poster boy of the environmental movement -- not its villain -- says the group.
In recent months, environmental groups have been attempting to use the Speaker's waning popularity to sink regulatory relief efforts. But Newt Gingrich and the environmental movement are like two peas in a pod. In fact, says the group, Newt Gingrich has staked out environmental positions that are so radical that some of the staunchest environmentalists appear moderate by comparison. For example, Gingrich recently blocked changes to a dolphin protection measure that had been given the green light not only by environmental establishment Republicans like Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), but by environmental groups like Greenpeace. In May he also urged Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (R-KS) to abandon eforts to pass property rights legislation -- a measure supported by over two-thirds of the electorate.
"Given the Speaker's apparent contempt for private property rights, his penchant for 'junk science' and his indifference to the plight of Americans suffering under unreasonable regulations, he ought to be the environmental movement's poster boy -- not its villain," said David Ridenour, Vice President of The National Center for Public Policy Research. Ironically, at the very time Speaker Gingrich has been villified by the environmental movement, he's been working to ensure that they have greater say in the nation's policies. Recently, Gingrich established a House Task Force on the Environment designed to give environmentalists veto power over all environmental legislation. Gingrich appointed Representative Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) to co-chair the Task Force, one of the House of Representatives' most rabid environmentalists -- Democrat or Republican. Boehlert received a 92% score in the League of Conservation Voters' environmental scorecard -- higher than 53% of House Democrats.
For informational materials/interviews contact David Ridenour at The National Center for Public Policy Research at (202) 543-4110.
-30-

Matt Jones
Legislative Republicans Flunk Environment 101, League of Conservation Voters Says in 2007 Environmental Scorecard (click here)

November 13, 2007
California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) Releases Annual California Environmental Scorecard (click here)
Ratings for Schwarzenegger & Legislature for 2007 Find Heroes, Villains, and Freshman Hopefuls
Schwarzenegger Scores Highest Rating of his Governorship — 63%
Oakland - The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) — the political arm of the environmental movement in America’s leading environmental state — announced the release of its annual California Environmental Scorecard today, revealing highlights of the 2007 legislative session. Governor Schwarzenegger’s 63% represents the highest score of his tenure, and Assembly Democrats led the pack with 29 members earning perfect 100% scores. In a year when global warming was on everyone’s mind, the legislature approved several alternative energy measures but left the two most important greenhouse gas emission bills — SB 375 and SB 974 — to be decided in 2008....

I am grateful for the most popular president in history.

October 22, 2007
George W. Bush's Job Approval Rating Drops to 25% (click at title to entry)
George W. Bush's overall job approval rating has dropped to 25% as nearly seven in ten Americans say the national economy is getting worse according to the latest survey from the American Research Group. This matches the lowest approval rating for Bush recorded by the American Research Group.
Among all Americans, 25% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 67% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 23% approve and 67% disapprove.
Among Americans registered to vote, 26% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 67% disapprove. When it comes to the way Bush is handling the economy, 25% of registered voters approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 67% disapprove.
Approval among Republicans has dropped back to 67%. In September, 80% of Republicans approved of the way Bush was handling his job. In August, 66% of Republicans approved of the way Bush was handling his job.

I am grateful to have the best prepared miltiary in the world. In the wrong place with the wrong war, but, prepared.

US Army desertion rates rise 80 percent since 2003 Iraq invasion; highest rate since 1980 (click title of entry)

WASHINGTON: After six years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, American soldiers are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980. The number of US Army deserters this year shows an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
The totals remain far lower than they were during the Vietnam War, when conscription was in effect, but they show a steady increase over the past four years and a 42 percent jump since last year.
"We're asking a lot of soldiers these days," said Roy Wallace, director of plans and resources for Army personnel. "They're humans. They have all sorts of issues back home and other places like that. So, I'm sure it has to do with the stress of being a soldier."
The Army defines a deserter as someone who has been absent without leave for longer than 30 days. The soldier is then discharged as a deserter.
According to the Army, about nine in every 1,000 soldiers deserted in fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30, compared with nearly seven per 1,000 a year earlier. Overall, 4,698 soldiers deserted this year, compared with 3,301 last year....

I am grateful for American justice.

Charges Uncertain in Blackwater Inquiry (click here)
By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 4 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government has not decided whether to prosecute Blackwater Worldwide bodyguards for the September shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
The FBI is continuing its investigation of the Sept. 16 shootings, and prosecutors are far from reaching conclusions necessary to decide whether criminal charges might be filed in the case.
"This is an ongoing investigation and, therefore, it is inappropriate to discuss or speculate on any decisions with respect to possible prosecutions," Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said. "We have not yet reached that juncture."
It's not clear whether the Justice Department will ever be able to bring criminal charges. Blackwater guards involved in the shooting at Nisoor Square in west Baghdad initially were given limited immunity from prosecution by State Department investigators in exchange for their statements about what happened.
Several officials spoke in response to reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post that the FBI has concluded that the shootings of 14 of the 17 victims were an unjustified use of deadly force. Additionally, ABC News obtained a statement by one of the shooters, identified only as "Paul," who described several instances where he "engaged the individuals and stopped the threat."
"There has been a lot of chatter that one guy really lost it. I have seen these reports consistently," said one U.S. official, adding that at least one Blackwater guard — and maybe more — likely will be found to have violated rules of engagement on the scene.
One senior FBI official close to the investigation said he was aware of evidence that could indicate 14 of the shootings were unjustified. However, the official said that number was highly speculative and ultimately unreliable because it remains too early in the inquiry to draw any conclusions.
It's also still possible that criminal charges will be brought on behalf of all 17 of the victims, Justice Department officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the investigation....




...In a pre-emptive strike against government prosecutors, home run king Barry Bonds* today announced that he had hired Scooter Libby to head the team defending him against charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. This will be Libby's second case of perjury and obstruction of justice, and his first case as an attorney since leaving the White House.
"Like 'Bo knows baseball', I think Libby knows more than just a little bit about perjury and obstruction of justice, and how to avoid punishment for those charges" said Bonds*. "I am honored to have someone with Scooter's background in this field heading my defense team. That he alone shares a moniker with another of baseball's legends, Phil Rizzuto, is just icing on the cake."
"This will be an easy case", said Libby. "The charges against Bonds* are the second most ridiculous perjury charges in history. Bonds* was too busy and his mind distracted by other more important matters. When a Cuban like El Duque tries the brushback by hurling a projectile at you at 90-100mph from a small hill just 60'6" away, what else would you call that but an act of terrorism?"...

I am grateful to have the best health care in the world yet unavailable to many Americans.

Canadian system might be prescription for U.S. (click at title)
BY JIM LANDERS Dallas Morning News
Article Last Updated: 11/17/2007 03:13:51 AM CST
EDMONTON, Alberta - Linda Littlechild, 56, had quadruple bypass heart surgery in October. Had she been living in the U.S. instead of Canada, she might still be struggling for breath, hoping to make it to 65 and Medicare.
Or worse.
"In the States, I'd a probably been dead. I couldn't afford an operation like this," she said recently from her hospital bed at the University of Alberta Hospital.
On the other hand, if Littlechild had health insurance, she would have gone into a U.S. operating room soon after tests showed the blockages in her heart's arteries. In Edmonton, she waited three months.
Dr. Brian Day, president of the Canadian Medical Association, argues that access to a waiting list is not access to health care. "Canadian patients are suffering and dying on waiting lists, yet we are one of the richest countries in the world," said the Vancouver orthopedic surgeon.
These are the two faces of the Canadian health system: All 33 million Canadians, regardless of income, get hospital and doctor care as a civic right. But the health program leaves patients waiting - sometimes more than a year - for surgeries, diagnostic tests and appointments with specialists.
One in seven Americans lacks health insurance and faces falling into a medical and financial abyss if they become seriously ill. That is not a worry in Canada.
Though rare, some Canadians have faced deadly consequences while waiting for medical care. That is usually not a worry for insured...

I am grateful to have a nation dedicated to excellence in science.

Bush, Jesus and Darwin: In Defense of Good Science (click at title)

During the last few decades, the U.S. has seen increasing conflicts between good science and two special interest groups. The first group is composed of the American industries that are opposed to all environmental regulations and restrictions that reduce corporate profits. The second group is composed of right-wing religious fundamentalist sects that oppose science in general.
Charles Darwin was an environmentalist, a naturalist, a biologist, a geologist, an ecologist and a botanist. He grew Orchids in his flower garden. He spent most of his life at his country home, Down House (Downe village, England) studying the mysteries of nature. His books include: The Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species, The Fertilization of Orchids, The Domestication of Plants and Animals, The Descent of Man, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, The Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants, The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilization in Plants, Different Forms of Flowers, The Power of Movement in Plants, The Formation of Vegetable Mould and the Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs.
Darwin took the time to behold the Lilies of the field. He was a meticulous scientist that loved nature. He studied and understood the ecological interaction between plants, animals and their environment. When the balance of nature is upset, many species of plants and animals may become extinct. Natural Selection is an inescapable law of nature. Those species that carelessly destroy their own environment, destroy their own future.
There is now a general consensus among scientists and environmentalists that human activities are upsetting the balance of nature. Darwin acknowledged this. George W. Bush has denied this. ...

I am grateful for compassionate immigration reform, which makes legal citizens instruments of civil disobedience.

More vow to resist immigration reform (click here)

See NewsOK's immigration issues continuing coverage page, housing all related stories, video and documents.
About HB 1804
House Bill 1804, most of which went into effect Nov. 1, ends most state benefits for illegal immigrants, makes it a felony to harbor or transport someone not here legally and will punish employers who hire undocumented workers.
On NewsOK.com: More on the state's immigration reform
Staff Reports
Some members of Oklahoma's faith community continue to voice their opposition to the state's new immigration reform law.
The Rev. Lance Schmitz, a social justice minister with Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene, said more signed copies of a Pledge of Resistance are to be delivered to Gov. Brad Henry's office at noon Monday.
Schmitz co-wrote the pledge with Rex Friend, a Quaker and immigration attorney, as a way for faith community clergy and lay leaders to express their opposition to the law, which went into effect Nov. 1.
The pledge was adopted by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, whose leaders presented signed copies to Henry's office in the days before House Bill 1804 became law.
No other option
More than 1,000 members of the heavily Hispanic Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Oklahoma City signed copies of the pledge.
Schmitz said Monday's presentation is an effort "by people of faith and conscience to continue to shed light on this law.”
He said the signed pledges come from various faith communities in Oklahoma and include a wide variety of Christian traditions as well as other religious faiths, including Judaism and Buddhism.
"We regret and grieve the direction that Oklahoma has taken with the advent of this immigration law,” Schmitz said in a prepared statement. "This law leaves us no other acceptable option in light of our faith, conscience and deepest values but to practice divine obedience to the higher law of love.”
Schmitz said clergy and laity are invited to meet on the state Capitol's south pavilion at 11:45 a.m. Monday before the signed pledges are presented.

I am grateful for the best educational system in the world.

National SAT scores dip again; state's decrease not as steep (click at title)

State's decrease not as steep
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

Average math and reading SAT scores nationwide fell four points for the high school class of 2007 to their lowest mark since 1999. In Washington state, the same scores fell two points.
Last spring's graduating seniors scored, on average, 502 out of a possible 800 points on the critical reading section of the country's most popular college entrance exam, down from 503 for the class of 2006 nationally. Math scores fell three points, from 518 to 515.

This year's declines follow a seven-point drop last year for the first class to take a lengthened and redesigned SAT, which included higher-level math questions and eliminated analogies. The College Board, which owns the exam, insisted the new exam wasn't harder and attributed last year's drop to fewer students taking the exam a second time. Students typically fare about 30 points better when they take the exam again.

The College Board's score report, released Tuesday, did not offer an explanation why this year's scores were even lower, but it did note that a record number of students -- just short of 1.5 million -- took the test. The cohort of test takers also was the most diverse ever, with minority students accounting for 39 percent: There has been a persistent gap between the scores of whites and the two largest U.S. minority groups, Hispanics and blacks.

In New York, 89 percent of students took the exam, up from 88 percent last year. Maine recently became the first state to use the SAT to meet its Grade 11 assessment requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and 100 percent of students took the exam there, compared with about three-quarters in the class of 2006.

In Washington, 53 percent of students took the SAT, one percentage point lower than a year earlier, and the average scores were 526 in reading and 531 in math, each down one point from 2006. The state's average scores were the highest among states in which more than 30 percent of eligible students took the test.

At the University of Washington, students admitted to this year's freshman class had a higher average SAT score, 1251 compared with 1231 from the previous year. Though officials won't know the average SAT score for the new class until school actually begins this fall, admissions director Philip Ballinger said he would be surprised if the number fell below last year's.

"I'm not sure we're going to track the national trend," he said.

The national and statewide decrease could be explained by looking at demographics, he added. Those populations that typically do well on the test -- such as white students -- are diminishing while groups that tend to have lower scores are growing.

Although the growing number of test takers is considered a sign more people are interested in college, it can also weigh down average scores, because the pool of test takers expands by including, on average, more lower-scoring students.

The number of black students taking the SAT rose 6 percent, and the number of test takers listed as "Other Hispanic, Latino or Latin American" (a group that does not include Puerto Ricans or Mexican-Americans) rose more than 25 percent.

Average scores also slipped from 497 to 494 on the writing portion of the SAT, which debuted with the class of 2006. Many colleges are waiting to see results from the first few years of data on the writing exam before determining how to use it. In Washington, the writing score was 510, a one-point decline.

Figures released earlier this month on the rival ACT exam showed a slight increase -- from 21.1 last year to 21.2, on a scale of 1 to 36 -- for the class of 2007.
The SAT has historically been more popular on the East and West coasts, while the ACT has been more popular in the Midwest and inland Western states. But more and more students are taking both exams to try to improve their college resumes.
P-I reporter Christine Frey contributed to this report.

I am grateful for a world free of nuclear threats.

Review: 'Arsenals of Folly' recalls nuclear threat (click title to entry)
BY SCOTT McLEMEE Special to Newsday
November 18, 2007
ARSENALS OF FOLLY: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race, by Richard Rhodes. Knopf, 400 pp.

While Richard Rhodes was working on "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" - a book that would win three major awards following its publication in 1986 and establish him as the definitive popular historian of the nuclear age - the world very nearly came to an end.

Rhodes did not know it at the time. Very few people did, until recently. And it can still be rather difficult to wrap one's mind around the literal truth of that statement. The incident is worth recalling as part of the context for the story Rhodes tells in "Arsenals of Folly," the third volume in what has become an epic work of nonfiction narrative. ("Dark Sun," from 1995, recounted the story of the H-bomb.)

It all happened in the fall of 1983. NATO was conducting a war game called Able Archer, in which military officers played out their response to a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe. This was a routine exercise. But the timing was almost literally disastrous. Spooked by Ronald Reagan's saber-rattling, the Kremlin suspected that the Americans might be trying to trick them. They feared that a first strike might be launched under the cover of a simulation.

This was mistaken but not entirely paranoid. Such a fake-out scenario had been worked up by Western strategists, as the KGB probably knew. As Able Archer unfolded, the Soviets' tensions escalated to a point just shy of blind panic.

Buttons were almost pushed. Only well afterward did the CIA get some clue that the situation had nearly gone to the point of no return.

"The United States and the Soviet Union, apes on a treadmill, inadvertently blundered close to nuclear war in November 1983," Rhodes says. "That, and not the decline and fall of the Soviet Union, was the return on the neoconservatives' long, cynical and radically partisan investment in threat inflation and arms-race escalation."

The neocon wiz kids play an important part in "Arsenals of Folly." Figures such as Richard Perle and Dick Cheney appear on the scene, bearing bogus estimates concerning the enemy's weaponry, as if to perfect their craft. But they are not quite at the center of the book, even as villains. That role is played, rather, by the weapons themselves....

There is so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Like a country free of toxins in food, water, pet foods and children's toys.

Lawmaker hopes to revive stalled food safety bills (click at title)
Three measures would regulate state's lettuce and spinach industry
By Steve Lawrence
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Article Launched: 11/18/2007 03:09:09 AM PST

SACRAMENTO -- State Sen. Dean Florez is hoping a little legislative detour will help build momentum for his stalled bills seeking to regulate the lettuce and spinach industry.
The three measures were introduced in February after officials linked leafy green vegetables from the Salinas Valley to E. coli outbreaks last year that killed at least three people and sickened about 300 across the nation.
The bills would have prohibited growers from using certain practices that could result in contaminated produce, such as placing portable toilets in the fields or using uncomposted or untreated manure as fertilizer.
They also would set up a field inspection program, establish a code system to trace and recall potentially contaminated produce, and give the California Department of Public Health a primary role in implementing the legislation.
Supporters of the bills see the Department of Public Health as a tougher enforcer than the state Department of Food and Agriculture.
The bills passed the Senate but stalled in the Assembly in June after an acrimonious hearing in the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The committee rejected one of the measures, 5-2, and didn't vote on the other two.
Florez is planning to bring the bills back next year and ask Assembly leaders to send them first to the Health Committee, a more liberal panel that also had been scheduled to consider the legislation....

The 2008 Military Choice for Calender Girl

It's Sunday Night

Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . .

.
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain


We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace
But Jesus, would You please . . .

Morning Papers - It's Origins

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

Who will bring the troops home and return dignity to the USA? And as a side note, end the potential for World War 3, Bush's sequel to his presidency?

..."The question comes down to this: Are you going to go in the direction of a much stronger central government to make your decisions for you or are you going to go in the direction— as I will if I'm president of the United States — of giving more authority, more money and more decision-making to the people." The former New York City mayor was speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at the Federalist Society's annual convention in Washington. The society is made up of conservative lawyers who believe in limited government and judicial restraint.


A spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee said Democrats agree that there would be a big contrast between a Giuliani presidency and a Democratic one.


"He represents four more years of President Bush's failed priorities," said DNC press secretary Stacie Paxton. "Americans want change. They want out of Iraq, they want health care for kids, they want to restore America's moral authority in the world."...

President-General Musharraf has been primarily ineffective to the unrest in his country. Bush/Negropointe are attempting to maintain USA interests...

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – About 3 thousand participants invoked “an Islamic revolution” at the funeral of the radical leader killed in the military assault on Lal Masjid, Islamabad’s “red mosque”. Abdul Rashid Ghazi, 43, was buried in his native village in the province of Punjab yesterday; under heavy police surveillance (click here).

... in the face of militant encroachment. Bhutto needs to come to leadership to help establish a legitimate government of the people of Pakistan to end the radicalization. The people of Pakistan are turning to radicalized strategies because of the Bush backed Musharraf regime.

Sectarian Clashes Kill 30 in Northwest Pakistan (click title to entry)

Pakistani officials say at least 30 people have been killed and more than 100 others wounded in sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims in northwestern Pakistan.
Officials Saturday say the clashes began Friday when unidentified gunmen opened fire in Parachinar, the main town in the Kurram tribal region near the Afghan border. The officials say armed men have been attacking each other since, with assault rifles and other weapons....

Basically what this boils down to, is that Bush and the Neocons don't care about regime change in Pakistan so long as they feel they have control. They have sacrificed Pakistani democracy and oppressed the will of the people for a President-General that will pander to the White House in the regional status of "The Ultimate War Lord." Bush hasn't been honest in his dealing in Pakistan. The reality is that although Musharraf has been cooperative, there has been no reason for him not to be, while he insured his dictatorship over the country of Pakistan. Bush's administration has insured a dictator that is a puppet while seeing an asset to Bush/Cheney Hegemony.

Negroponte delivers 'strong message', Musharraf refuses to yield (click here)
Islamabad (PTI): The US on Saturday delivered a "strong message" to beleaguered Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to lift emergency but the defiant military ruler refused to yield saying the measure was needed to fight terrorism and conduct free and fair elections.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte during a two-hour-long meeting with Musharraf here conveyed a "strong message" to the General to end emergency and doff his uniform immediately, western diplomatic sources said.
Deputy army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, who will replace Musharraf as army chief once he gives up his military uniform, was also present at the meeting. Negroponte had earlier separately met Kiyani.
The visit by the second highest ranking US official to Pakistan is the latest push by the Bush administration to persuade Musharraf to end emergency imposed on November 3, quit as army chief and restore fundamental rights to facilitate free and fair polls.
The US embassy refused to comment on the parleys but Pakistani official sources said Musharraf made it clear that the emergency would be lifted only when the law and order situation improves....

Meeting between Negroponte, lawyers urged (click here)

By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: Athar Minallah, a lawyer who was on the forefront in the struggle for the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, on Saturday requested the American Embassy to arrange a meeting of the members of the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Pakistan Bar Council with US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.“Now that it is no more a secret that John Negroponte is deeply involved in the domestic and internal matters of Pakistan and is scheduled to meet different players involved in the crisis, it would be in the interest of US and Pakistan to at least meet and hear the representatives of the SCBA and the PBC,” he said in a letter written to US Political Secretary.Mr Minallah urged Mr Negroponte to ensure that he was aware of the facts before formulating future US policy on Pakistan.The letter stated that the draconian Nov 3 proclamation of emergency targeted two segments of the society: the legal fraternity and the media with the sole purpose of attacking and annihilating the independence of the judiciary.The letter termed it unfortunate that the very forces which were determined to fight extremism and terrorism had become victims of the war on terror.It said that committed people like Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, Muneer A. Malik, Ali Ahmed Kurd, Tariq Mehmud and thousands of others remained incarcerated, harassed and tortured.

Morning Papers - continued...

American Tax Dollars at work...are they really working?

The latest in war gaming - Mine Resistant Ambush Protected


Basically it has the potential for a safer ride, but, the 'workability' of the vehicle once outside of it is impossible to accommodate the needs of battle. It's like a tank with a back door. It still has tires and is very vulnerable. It's just the next hurdle for any opposition forces to figure out. What works on any armored vehicle will work on this unworkable new Super-Humvee.


What soldiers don’t like (click here)
-Difficult to fit an injured soldier on a stretcher in the smaller models.
-Lack of exterior lighting.
-Height makes it difficult to load and unload equipment out the back.
-Difficult to tie down equipment that may move around.
-There are more blind spots for drivers.

The cost is one half million US dollars 'each.'

The cost of acquiring a MRAP vehicle fleet will be significant. However, it is militarily and financially less expensive to acquire MRAP vehicles than to continue to suffer casualties in excess of Vietnam's historical loss rates. Protecting people is cheaper than replacing them in an all-volunteer service. Research by the Math and Statistics branch of the Naval Safety Center incicates that the financial costs associated to casualties should be adjusted upward no less than 250% from its current 1988 baseline to account for the real dollar costs of care and replacement. Adjusted enlisted casualties average $500,000 dollars while officers, depending upon their military occupation range from one to two million dollars each. This means the average light tactical vehicle with one officer and four enlisted personnel is protecting 2.5 million dollars of the DOD's budget. This $2.5 million is real O&M dollars. The argument that "we can't afford armored vehicles" is specious. The opposite is true, at 2.5 million dollars of precious cargo each, the Corps cannot afford UN-armored vehicles.


BAE Systems is the major contractor for this vehicle and I don't know if it's been "Rat Claw" tested. (click here)


The Arab News

Global Oil Market Needs Fundamental Reforms
Giacomo Luciani
GENEVA, 17 November 2007 — OPEC heads of state gather in Riyadh today for the third summit meeting of the organization, at a time when oil prices are close to the psychologically important threshold of $100 per barrel. The summit is a political, not a technical meeting — and as such is unlikely to make specific decisions on prices or production — but a strategic statement on oil markets and prices seems a certainty.
OPEC heads of state are likely to disagree on the desirable level of prices. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are of the opinion that the present level is too high, but other member countries with less abundant reserves might be quite happy with current circumstances.
That said, all OPEC members should be wary of volatility, because the latter is a threat to rational policy making for all — producers, companies and importers alike. The price of oil was $50 per barrel in January this year and is now double that — a 100 percent increase in a span of just 10 months.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=103651&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Delinking Oil From Dollar ‘Sensitive’
Raid Qusti, Arab News
RIYADH, 17 November 2007 — Ministers openly debated yesterday whether oil should continue to be valued in US dollars considering the weakening currency. The topic was raised by the Iranian and Venezuelan delegations to the third OPEC summit beginning in the Saudi capital today.
The foreign ministers left the closed-door session after almost three hours of debate. Sources close to the discussions told Arab News that the currency proposal would not be added to the final communiqué.
Calling the topic “sensitive” and cautioning against hasty decisions, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal warned of the “consequences” of officially tabling such a proposal. He said that such speculation at an OPEC summit could itself further weaken the US currency and hurt the interests of OPEC member states.
“The very announcement to put this case for study could make the dollar descend even further,” said the minister. “Hence, it would add to the problems for our countries.”

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=103653&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Global Refining Capacity Shortage: One Way Out
Ibrahim A. Al-Mutrif, tariqmutrif@hotmail.com
Global energy needs are likely to grow steadily for at least the next 25 years. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that if the world continues with the current energy-related policies, its energy needs would be more than 50 percent higher in 2030 than now. Over 60 percent of that increase would be in the form of oil and natural gas; much of this demand would be centered on gasoline and distillates.
Despite this ever-rising demand, the global refining capacity has been steadily shrinking. The capacity has decreased to 103 percent of the total oil demand in 2004, down from 109 percent in 1990 and 107 percent in 2000. Prime reasons for this trend are traditionally low profit margins and stiff regulations.
The soaring demand and the resulting spiraling higher prices of oil products prompt for huge investments. A global investment of $3 trillion has been projected by the IEA for the period 2001-2030, mostly to maintain current production levels.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=103677&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Criminals Exploit Expat’s Fear of Authority
Badea Abu Al-Naja & Muhammad Al-Juaid, Arab News
MAKKAH, 17 November 2007 — The scam works like this: An Arab man (not always a Saudi) will approach an expatriate, claim to be an undercover police officer and then, in the process of a fake interrogation that exploits common fears harbored by foreign workers, shake his victim down for cash.
The ruse is quite common in Saudi Arabia, often because expatriates are unaware of their rights to demand that these crooks prove the authority they claim. Few victims of this scam seem to be aware that, for example, they are not compelled to show their iqamas (work/residency visas) to any official who does not positively identify himself.
An inventory of recent reports illustrates the ubiquitous nature of this crime, including several arrests recently of men posing as police officers. In Taif, police arrested two Saudi men posing as cops who had set up a fake checkpoint to stop drivers and attempt to extract bribes from them. Two Yemeni nationals with perfect Saudi accents were also arrested recently in Jeddah posing as undercover cops hoping to get money from their victims.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=103654&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Jordan’s Poll Drive in Full Swing
Abdul Jalil Mustafa, Arab News
AMMAN, 17 November 2007 — The campaign for Jordan’s parliamentary elections peaked yesterday, the last weekend before the polling day on Tuesday, as King Abdallah issued strict directives to the government to ensure fairness of the ballot process.
During a visit to the Prime Ministry, the monarch reaffirmed the government’s “commitment to ensure that the polls are conducted in an atmosphere of freedom, fairness and transparency,” according to a royal court statement.
“These elections should reflect our vision to bolster democracy and produce a Parliament capable of dealing with all challenges in the forthcoming stage,” he said.
The king made the remarks as main streets, public gathering areas, road tunnels, even hospitals and schools turned into billboards with flashy posters of smiling candidates and slogans worded to grab attention and support.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=103661&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Swiss Group to Clear Mindanao of Land Mines Under Manila-MILF Deal
Arab News
MANILA, 17 November 2007 — The Philippines and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group have agreed to allow a team of Swiss demining experts to recover tons of unexploded ordnance in conflict areas in the south, officials said yesterday.
Rodolfo Garcia, a retired general and the government’s chief peace negotiator, told Reuters the recovery of unexploded rounds of mortar, howitzer and aerial bombs was among issues the two sides had agreed in two days of talks in Malaysia this week.
“Both sides agreed that these unexploded ordnance pose real dangers to civilians in Muslim communities in the south,” Garcia said, adding the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would also draft an agreement on the demining activities.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=103649&d=17&m=11&y=2007&pix=world.jpg&category=World



Sree Chitra Institute Develops Oral Insulin
Mohammed Ashraf, Arab News
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 17 November 2007 — The city-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology is getting ready to conduct clinical trials on an oral insulin preparation that it has developed and successfully experimented on mice.
Though insulin injections have been around for eighty years, an alternative method failed to emerge as insulin digests like other proteins in the food and proteins are quickly denatured.
Some of the Type 2 diabetics take medication to enhance their body’s limited ability to produce insulin and in many cases, the ability deteriorates over the time, eventually making injecting insulin necessary. The oral insulin is expected to limit further deterioration.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=103667&d=17&m=11&y=2007&pix=world.jpg&category=World



More Space for Women at Prophet’s Mosque
Fatima Sidiya, Arab News

JEDDAH, 17 November 2007 — Madinah officials are gearing up for the forthcoming Haj, where pilgrims visit the Prophet’s Mosque on their way to the pilgrimage.
Abdul Wahid Hattab, spokesman at the Presidency of the Prophet’s Mosque Affairs, said that new arrangements are being drawn up to accommodate women in Al-Rawda area after night prayers.
Al-Rawda is a very special area in the heart of the Prophet’s Mosque, which extends from the tomb of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to his pulpit.
“During peak time women are getting a wider area in Al-Rawda,” Hattab said. “We have also added a night period to make it easy for women to go in at night. The night period starts after Isha prayer until 12 a.m. This is beside the morning period and the noon period.” The morning period is from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. while the noon period is from 1.30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=103656&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Editorial: Nuke Worries
17 November 2007
Iran continues to challenge the international community over its nuclear program. Yesterday’s update from the International Atomic Energy Agency states that while Tehran was finally being more cooperative on the history of its nuclear drive, it continues to withhold information on its current uranium-enrichment activities while defying the UN Security Council by pressing on with the construction of a heavy water reactor.
Iran’s failure to allow fuller inspection of its nuclear facilities comes despite assurances it would. The IAEA nevertheless reports that the Iranians now have almost 3,000 centrifuges, the key number that atomic experts say is necessary to enrich enough uranium to make a nuclear weapon within one or two years.
Yet the Iranians continue to protest that their nuclear program is for power generation alone. They are not trying to acquire atomic weaponry. As King Abdullah observed on his European tour, if that is indeed the case, then Iran has no reason to fail to comply with the IAEA inspection rules, to which as an IAEA member it is clearly subject.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=103647&d=17&m=11&y=2007



Iran and Iraq - In realizing Iran and Iraq are now allies, there won't ever be another Iran-Iraq War. It's called stabilizing the Middle East.


Deaths
As of Saturday, 3,867 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. Identifications as reported by the U.S. military and not previously published:


-Army Sgt. Derek R. Banks, 24, Newport News, Va.; explosion Oct. 25 in Baghdad, died Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas.
-Army Spc. Jermaine D. Franklin, 22, Arlington, Texas; explosion Nov. 9; Jisr Naft.
-Army Sgt. Christopher R. Kruse, 23, Emporia, Kan.; explosion Tuesday; Mukhisa.
-Army Pfc. Casey P. Mason, 22, Lake, Mich., small-arms fire Tuesday; Mosul.
-Army Spc. Peter W. Schmidt, 30, Eureka, Calif.; explosion Tuesday; Mukhisa.
-Army Spc. Ashley Sietsema, 20, Melrose Park, Ill.; vehicle accident Monday; Kuwait City.
-Army Sgt. Joseph M. Vanek, 22, Elmhurst, Ill.; small-arms fire Monday; Baghdad.
[Last modified November 18, 2007, 02:14:58]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/18/Worldandnation/Last_week_in_Iraq.shtml



Iran unlikely to threaten U.S. territory in next 10 years
15:13
08/ 11/ 2007
MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) - Iran has no capability to build nuclear weapons that could reach U.S. territory within the next seven to 10 years, a Russian military expert said on Thursday.
"Iran may develop primitive nuclear weapons, but not weapons capable of reaching the United States in the next seven to 10 years," said Col. Gen. Varfolomei Korobushin, first vice president of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences.
He said the Iranian threat cannot be used to justify U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe.
Iran has been under international scrutiny over its nuclear research, which Tehran says is aimed at generating energy, but Western nations suspect the Islamic Republic of pursuing a clandestine weapons program.
The U.S. announced its Central European missile defense plans earlier this year, claiming the facilities were needed to counter possible threats from so called rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. Moscow considers the plans a threat to national security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier warned that if Washington ignores Russia's concerns and deploys interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, Moscow could be forced to adopt countermeasures.
Speaking at a news conference following the October Russia-EU summit in Portugal, President Putin said the plans were reminiscent of the political crisis caused by the Soviet Union's nuclear missile bases in Cuba in 1962.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20071108/87175363.html



Ahmadinejad says U.S. remains Iran's enemy
15:44
12/ 11/ 2007
TEHRAN, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the resumption of talks with Washington on security issues in Iraq did not reflect any changes in Tehran's attitude toward the U.S.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini earlier said that Tehran was ready to continue talks with the U.S. on Iraq security after the successful completion of negotiations last summer.
"The talks with the Americans are related to security in Iraq and are being held at the request of the Iraqi people and government," Ahmadinejad said, addressing a group of students at the Science and Industry University in Tehran.
"Our position toward the United States remains unchanged, however - the U.S. is conducting a vengeful and hostile policy against the interests of the Iranian people," he said.
The first round of official negotiations between Tehran and Washington took place in Baghdad in late May, and were the first direct talks between the two countries for 27 years. The main issues discussed were the situation in Iraq and the release of Iranian diplomats seized by the U.S. in January in Iraq on suspicion of aiding Iraqi militants.
The second round was held in July, also in Baghdad, and the three sides agreed to set up a trilateral committee on Iraqi security.
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said at the time that Tehran might consider consultations between the countries deputy foreign ministers "if the United States files an official request".
However, Iran remains the subject of international concern over its controversial nuclear program. The U.S. and Europe suspect Iran of pursuing a clandestine weapons program. Tehran says it needs the program for energy.
Two sets of UN Security Council sanctions are currently in place against Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment that could be used in both electricity generation and weapons production. A further round of more stringent sanctions has been blocked by China and Russia so far.
Ahmadinejad, who has recently faced growing domestic criticism over his no compromise attitude, largely seen as to blame for subsequent U.N. Security Council sanctions, called on Monday his critics "traitors," and pledged to expose them if they continued to apply pressure over Tehran's nuclear enrichment.
"We are not exposing them right now because of some sensitive issues, but upon closure of the nuclear issue, we will reveal everything," Ahmadinejad said.
"These people are traitors," he said without specifying any names.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20071112/87659421.html



Iraq Credits Iran for Helping to Curb Attacks by Militias
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Published: November 18, 2007
BAGHDAD, Nov. 17 — The Iraqi government on Saturday credited Iran with helping to rein in Shiite militias and stemming the flow of weapons into Iraq, helping to improve the security situation noticeably.
Reach of War
The Iraqi government’s spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, speaking at a lunch for reporters, also said that the Shiite-dominated government was making renewed efforts to bring back Sunni Arab ministers who have been boycotting the government for more than four months.
Speaking about Iran, he said that that government had helped to persuade the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr to ask his Mahdi militia to halt attacks. Mr. Sadr ordered his militia to stop using weapons in early September, and officials say that the militia’s relative restraint has helped improve stability. They say it also seems to have helped decrease the frequency of attacks with explosively formed penetrators, a powerful type of bomb that can pierce heavy armor.
Mr. Dabbagh’s comments echoed those of the American military here, who in recent days have gone out of their way to publicly acknowledge Iran’s role in helping to slow the flow of weapons into the country.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/world/middleeast/18iraq.html



Iraqi gov't: Teheran showing 'more restraint' in support for militants
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Iraqi government said Saturday that Iran has shown increasing restraint in its alleged support for militants and urged Teheran and the US to take advantage of the situation to hold a new round of talks on stabilizing Iraq.
The comments by government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh came on the heels of similar assertions by US officials who seem to be softening their stance against Teheran in Iraq amid a decline in violence.
"Iran is showing more restraint in sending people and weapons to destabilize Iraq," al-Dabbagh said during a wide-ranging discussion with reporters at his compound in the heavily guarded Green Zone in central Baghdad.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195127526388&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Iraqi President vows to halt PKK threat
Thursday, November 15, 2007 09:09 GMT
As tension rose again on Iraqi-Turkish borders reaching its peak with the Turkish air raid against military targets in Northern Iraq, visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani vowed from Cairo to deploy all efforts possible to halt the threat of Kurdistan Workers party, saying that terrorism poses threat to both Iraq and Turkey. In a meeting with Egyptian Newspapers Chief editors, Talabani revealed that special Turkish Forces are present in Iraq to track PKK activities with the support of Kurdish authorities in Northern Iraq. He added that any PKK action against Turkey from Iraqi territories is "hostile" against the Iraqi people. Iraqi President’s statements have coincided with reports about a Kurdish delegation heading to Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders in order to reach a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the PKK issue. Kurdistan Alliance MP Abdul Khaleq Zankana clarified that a Kurdish delegation including Secretary-General of Kurdistan Islamic Union and official of Kurdistan Democratic Socialist Party headed to Turkey with a series of proposals and notes to solve the crisis. Zankana reiterated Kurds’ rejection of a Turkish incursion into North Iraq in order to attack PKK bases. He explained that Kurds refuse as well PKK activities that would threaten Turkey’s security. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government reiterated its commitment to vows taken in Istanbul Conference. In this context, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki’s advisor Yassin Majid confirmed that some measures announced by Al Maliki in Istanbul Conference have begun to be implemented as the Iraqi Government shut down many PKK offices in addition to offices of parties in cooperation with Kurdistan Workers Party.
On the other hand, Othman Ojlan, the party’s leader brother in Turkey said that thousands of PKK fighters stationed in Northern Iraq have moved to Iran in fear of an expanded attack by the Turkish Army on their bases.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-10202-Iraqi-President-vows-to-halt-PKK-threat.html



PKK's Violent Struggle for Kurdish Independence Approaches 24 Years
By Margaret Besheer
Washington
16 November 2007
Tensions continue along the Turkish-Iraqi border as Turkish security forces pursue rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who have used safe havens in northern Iraq to launch attacks inside Turkey. VOA's Margaret Besheer has more on the rise of the group considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and Europe.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-16-voa60.cfm



Kurds in remote village fear Turkish attack on elusive rebels
2 days ago
KHIZAVA, Iraq (AFP) — Nervous Iraqi Kurds in the impoverished village of Khizava along the border with Turkey are awaiting a Turkish attack on Kurdish rebels, although many believe the guerrillas will prove elusive.
In Khizava, anxiety was palpable when the humming of a US drone filled the sky above, prompting residents to strain their ears and look up.
"I'm sure the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) fighters are not up there. They have left. They will not wait to be bombed," said Khaled Hassan, 32.
Hassan and two of his cousins crouched by the side of the main road leading out of Khizava and onto the mountain summits, which the PKK use as hideouts because they are difficult to penetrate.
Iraqi Kurdish policemen and soldiers manned checkpoints nearby, allowing only villagers to drive through.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iAIhhgAfn1xWhB5iw3ch-Osi4ybA



Goading Ankara to overreach
Nov 15th 2007
From The Economist
AFP
Come and get me
SINCE the late 19th century Turkey's Kurds have rebelled repeatedly against their Turkish masters. But no uprising has been as violent or long-lasting as that launched in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in its bid to unite the 25m Kurds scattered across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Turkey's latest threat to clobber the rebels in their haven in northern Iraq has again raised the spectre of regional war. It has also concentrated attention on the PKK: who are these indomitable fighters and what is their true goal?
“Blood and Belief” offers unusual insight into the rebels' shadowy universe and, by extension, into Turkey's festering Kurdish problem. Aliza Marcus, an American journalist who was put on trial in Turkey for her reporting on the Turkish army's abuses against ordinary Kurds, charts the origins and evolution of the movement. Her scholarly, gripping account is based on interviews with, and the unpublished diaries of, former PKK militants.

http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10130690



Democrats' bill to fund war in Iraq is rejected
Minnesota's senators were in opposition as the Senate blocked military spending linked to a deadline for troop withdrawal.
By Kevin Diaz, Star Tribune
Last update: November 16, 2007 – 11:07 PM
WASHINGTON - The latest spending skirmish over the Iraq war ended in stalemate Friday, dividing Minnesotans in Congress along party lines.
As they returned home for Thanksgiving, Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar cast opposing votes on an ill-fated Democratic proposal to provide $50 billion linked to the start of troop withdrawals.
Coleman, a Republican who has voiced muted criticism of President Bush's war strategy, voted against the proposal, underscoring his consistent opposition to a congressionally mandated pullout date.
Klobuchar, elected last year as an anti-war Democrat, voted for the measure, which would require U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq within 30 days. It set a goal of Dec. 15, 2008, for most troops to leave Iraq.
The House approved a similar plan on Wednesday by a vote of 218-203.
All three Minnesota Republicans voted against it, including Rep. Jim Ramstad, who had been among 17 Republicans supporting a resolution last February opposing Bush's troop surge.
Coleman, facing reelection next year, accused Democrats of "political theater" in staging a vote on a bill that would have no chance of being signed by the president.
The Democratic proposal got 53 votes, seven short of the 60 needed to proceed to final passage.
Coleman instead supported a Republican effort to allocate $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no troop withdrawal requirement.
Democrats, calling that a "blank check," voted it down.

http://www.startribune.com/10223/story/1556995.html



Head of British army says Iraq and Afghan conflicts are damaging his forces
3 hours ago
LONDON - The head of the British army believes conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are damaging Britain's armed forces, a newspaper reported Saturday.
Years of underfunding and excess demand have left British troops feeling "devalued, angry and suffering from Iraq fatigue," the Sunday Telegraph newspaper quoted Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt as saying in an official report.
The newspaper said it had received a copy of an official report in which Dannatt wrote that current trooping levels are unsustainable and increasing numbers of troops are disillusioned.
Simultaneous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are damaging and "mortgaging the goodwill of our people," Dannatt allegedly said.
Dannatt rose to prominence in Oct. 2006, when he told a British newspaper that his forces' continued presence in Iraq "exacerbates the security problems" for Britain worldwide.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiUCcFkhbmHoBbfdK4MpiXbygO-Q



Poland to withdraw Iraq troops
The new Polish government has said it is to withdraw all of its 900 troops from Iraq next year. It is one of the first announcements made by the ruling liberal party which was voted to power last month and sworn in yesterday. Poland deployed a total of 2,600 soldiers to Iraq following the US-led invasion in 2003. That number was reduced to 1,500 in 2005, then to 900 a year later.
Polish troops lead a multi-national division in Central South Iraq, where they are primarily involved in training local security forces. Since their deployment 22 of Poland's soldiers have been killed in action. Prime minister Donald Tusk made troop withdrawal a pledge of his electoral campaign. A study in June suggested that 80 percent of Poles were against a national military presence in Iraq.

http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=454412&lng=1



Iraqi MPs debate fate of oil hub
11 hours ago
BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraqi lawmakers on Saturday hotly debated the issue of Kirkuk, with some warning that a deadlock on a stipulated referendum concerning the northern oil hub could lead to new civil strife.
"If the issue of Kirkuk is not solved, it will lead to hell," Hadi al-Ameri, a parliamentarian from the powerful Shiite party the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) told AFP.
Kirkuk, an ethnically volatile city, is claimed by both Arabs and Kurds.
In 1988, then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched a brutal campaign against Iraqi Kurds living in northern Iraq, evicting large number of Kurds from Kirkuk and handing their homes and jobs to Arabs.
The Kurds, who hold a strong sense of identity, now want Kirkuk to be incorporated into their autonomous northern regional government.
The Iraqi constitution, however, stipulates that the fate of the city, which houses vast oil reserves, must be decided by a public referendum before the end of 2007.
But with Iraq still battling a sectarian strife and insurgency, it seems highly unlikely that a referendum would be held by the deadline.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j9oA2TSeHVnN3Xq9_F7-wK47lgGA



Reliance’s problems in Iraq are just the tip of the iceberg
D.Murali
Chennai: The latest difficulties confronting Reliance Industries in Iraq are just the tip of the iceberg for any foreign contractor hoping to enter Iraq’s oil sector, says Mr Roger Howard, author of ‘Iran Oil’ (www.vivagroupindia.com).
As reported earlier, Iraqi Oil Minister said on November 15 that Reliance’s deals with Kurdish Region have no standing. And also that the companies which have signed the contracts with the Kurdish Region may compromise their chances of getting future contracts in Iraq. Reliance has said that the two exploration blocks in the Kurdish Region for which it has signed the agreements are within the legal framework.
“There will be numerous more obstacles – political and legal – rather than just technical ones lying ahead,” foresees Mr Howard, in an e-mail interaction with Business Line.
Excerpts from the interview.
What is the core problem?
Ethnic tensions in Iraq. The country has of course always been a very artificial amalgam of different cultures and religions. As a result, the questions of who owns the northern oil-bearing regions around Kirkuk and Mosul, and who has rights to the revenue the fields generate, have been extremely complex and controversial. Both the Arabs and the Kurds have been staking their claims, and Saddam Hussein tried hard to alter the local demographic balance in favour of the Arabs.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200711171377.htm



U.S. accused of killing Sunni allies in battle
ARMY CAN'T CONFIRM ACCOUNT OF TRIBAL LEADER
By Tina Susman
Los Angeles Times
Article Launched: 11/17/2007 01:38:55 AM PST
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The frantic phone call came late at night to the Sunni tribal sheik. It was his brother, shouting that he was under attack from the U.S. forces he was trying to help.
Hours later, Sheik Shadhir Abid Salim Assaf says, his brother was dead, along with dozens of other men the sheik had recruited to bolster U.S. troops fighting insurgents around Tarmiya, 25 miles north of Baghdad.
U.S. military officials said Friday they could not confirm what Assaf and other Iraqis allege was a mistake in which U.S. troops attacked friendly fighters.
The violence, which began late Tuesday and ended early Wednesday, left at least 25 people dead. The military says they were suspected insurgents who attacked U.S. forces pursuing members of the group Al-Qaida in Iraq.
Asked Friday about the allegations that friendly Iraqi forces were hit, Maj. Winfield Danielson III, an American military spokesman, said the military had no confirmation of this.
"I can only say that we had personnel on the ground who engaged a hostile force that fired on them and whom they suspected of being terrorist affiliates," Danielson said.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. military commander in Iraq, said officials were continuing their investigation.

http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_7490471



Mass Grave Found in Southern Baghdad
By ROBERT H. REID – 10 hours ago
BAGHDAD (AP) — Remains of possibly dozens of people believed slain in sectarian violence were unearthed Saturday from a mass grave in a former al-Qaida stronghold in southern Baghdad — the third such find in Iraq this month.
Also Saturday, an Iraqi television station reported one of its reporters had been kidnapped — the latest in a grim series of attacks that has made Iraq among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists.
The badly decomposed remains were found in Baghdad's mostly Sunni Dora neighborhood by Sunnis who have turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, police said. They were discovered in an area overlooking the main highway leading to Shiite shrine cities in the south.
Sunni extremists would often waylay travelers along that road, kidnapping and killing Shiites.
The remains were placed in black plastic bags and transferred to a Shiite mosque in Dora, according to a police officer at the mosque. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD8SVJQLG2

continued...

Morning Papers - continued...

According to United Auto Workers Union president Ron Gettelfinger, he is not expecting a disagreement with Ford Motor Corp.

Detroit Free Press

Early presidential primary on brink of death
State loses in a higher court
November 17, 2007
BY DAWSON BELL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
LANSING -- A divided Michigan Court of Appeals refused Friday to overturn a lower court ruling that effectively bars the state from holding its presidential primary on Jan. 15.
By a 2-1 decision, the appeals panel sided with an Ingham County Circuit Court judge who ruled last week that the presidential primary law illegally restricted access to the lists of voters who participated in the election to the two major political parties.
It was not immediately clear whether Friday's decision is the final nail in the primary's coffin or not.
Minutes after its release, Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis called on the Legislature to approve a bill pending in the state House designed to restore the primary. Lawmakers are tentatively scheduled to convene Tuesday, but may not act.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071117/NEWS06/711170373/1001/NEWS



Student admits to hanging nooses at CMU
November 17, 2007
By Emilia Askari
Free Press staff writer
A male Central Michigan University has admitted to hanging some nooses in a university classroom earlier this week, campus police said Saturday.
The student called police late Saturday morning to confess to fashioning the hate symbols from flexible compressed gas line used for laboratory work.
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Another student found the nooses in the university’s Engineering and Technology Building on Nov. 12. The nooses were made from flexible compressed gas lines that are used for laboratory work.
“Whether it was meant as a prank or not, it was still the type of action that we find deplorable,” CMU spokesman Steve Smith said Saturday. “We will use this as an opportunity to continue discussions about diversity and inclusion of everybody in America.”

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Station owner killed in gas war
Dispute over price brings out handgun
November 17, 2007
BY AMBER HUNT
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The two gas stations had rivaled for years. They stood across an intersection from each other on Fort Street in Detroit, where even a penny's difference was enough to lure customers.
And so came the price war: One station dropped a cent or two, and the other grudgingly followed.
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But the seemingly petty back-and-forth escalated Friday, ending with a fatal bullet in BP station owner Jawad Bazzi's head over what police say was a 3-cent difference in the cost of regular gas.
"It's crazy," said a red-eyed Hafed Bazzi, the victim's nephew. "There had been conflicts before but never like this."
Here's what police said happened:
The Marathon station on Fort near Springwells dropped its price to $2.93. That angered Jawad Bazzi, whose regular gas was priced at $2.96.
Bazzi walked across the street with a couple of employees to confront the Marathon owner and his posse.
The groups argued, then began throwing punches. One of Bazzi's employees hit a Marathon employee with a baseball bat, injuring him.
That's when the Marathon owner grabbed a handgun and fired three or four times. Bazzi, 45, of Dearborn Heights was shot in the head.
The Marathon owner, whose name wasn't released Friday, was arrested. He's identified as a 51-year-old Warren man.

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IN OUR OPINION
How were FBI and CIA deceived?
November 16, 2007
It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the war on terror when an illegal immigrant from a family suspected of having terrorist ties can get a job at the FBI and the CIA, one that includes reviewing government files and doing covert work overseas. Covert from whom?
OK, she got caught, and the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit and federal law enforcement agencies here deserve credit for bringing this case to light and getting Nada Nadim Prouty to plead guilty to marriage fraud and illegally accessing an FBI computer system. But that cannot be the end of it. Federal authorities need to establish how she got into such sensitive positions, how much information she got out, and where it went.
Authorities say Prouty, 37, a resident of suburban Washington, was trying to find out if she and family members were being investigated by the FBI and to learn details of a Detroit-based investigation of Hizballah, which the federal government lists as a terrorist group.
A former waitress at the Dearborn-based La Shish restaurant chain who later obtained advanced degrees, Prouty went from FBI agent to covert CIA operative in a span of about eight years with no one in either agency realizing that her U.S. citizenship was based on a fraudulent marriage for which she never made an agreed-upon payment to a downriver man. Through a sister's marriage, Prouty became sister-in-law to La Shish owner Talal Chahine, who is currently a fugitive under indictment on tax charges.
The worst fear is that Prouty's years in government service in Washington were part of a plot to plant someone in highly secret federal operations. Equally important is learning how government agents did not, in routine background checks, discover the sham marriage to a man who never had a relationship with Prouty. Shouldn't he have been interviewed?
For the sake of their future integrity, the FBI and CIA need to know what happened. For the sake of national security, they also need to determine how much damage has been done.

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QUICK HIT: Editorial
November 17, 2007
DON'T FALL: Mild weather has kept leaves on trees weeks longer than usual. There ought to be a rule that if you're not on the ground by Thanksgiving, you have to stay up all winter.

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More than 140 nations agree on warming plan
Guide due out at climate conference
November 17, 2007
BY ARTHUR MAX
ASSOCIATED PRESS
VALENCIA, Spain -- Delegates from more than 140 nations, including the United States, agreed Friday on a scientific guide for policy-makers, stating more forcefully than ever that climate change has begun and threatens to irreversibly alter the planet.
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal," a summary begins in a statement meant to dispel any skepticism about climate change, said participants in the meeting.
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In a startling and much-debated conclusion, the document warns that human activity risks causing "abrupt or irreversible changes" on Earth, including the widespread extinction of species and a dramatic rise in sea levels before the end of this century, they said on condition of anonymity because the details are supposed to remain confidential until today.

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GROWING GREEN: Christmas tree farm's environmentally friendly ways lauded
November 17, 2007
BY L.L. BRASIER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Genovese family of Oxford has been growing Christmas trees on their 18-acre farm for 32 years.
But they are not just raising evergreens -- these are very green evergreens.
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Their Candy Cane CHRISTmas Tree Farm is gaining state recognition for its environmentally friendly practices and received a prestigious ecology award this week from the Michigan Farm Bureau.
"We decided early on that we have to live in concert with the Earth," said Cathy Genovese, who owns the farm with her husband, Frank. "We want to leave it a better place; to farm so that we do no harm."
Among their green practices, they plant each tree by hand -- there are thousands -- using an electric auger, rather than the large tractors found on most farms. The Genovese farm, among the first of the 780 Christmas tree farms in the state, uses a precise drip irrigation method that saves water and energy compared with overhead sprinkler systems.

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Japan Fleet Sets Off to Hunt Humpbacks
By HIROKO TABUCHI
Associated Press Writer
SHIMONOSEKI, Japan (AP) -- Japanese whalers set off into the South Pacific on Sunday with orders to kill humpback whales for the first time in decades. The hunt is certain to inflame tensions in the standoff between anti-whaling forces and Japan.
Angry environmental activists have pledged to chase Japan's whalers to the Antarctic.
"The Japanese government's scientific whaling program is a sham," said Karli Thomas, expedition leader aboard the Greenpeace boat Esperanza, waiting outside Japanese territorial waters to confront the fleet. "Whaling has no place in Antarctica - it's a place of peace and science, and this is not science."
International Whaling Commission, or IWC, allows Japan's annual research whaling mission, but anti-whaling activists call it a cover-up for a commercial hunt. Meat from Japan's scientific catch is sold commercially.
The large-scale hunt for up to 50 humpbacks is believed to be the first for the species since a 1963 moratorium that put the whales under international protection.
Scientists say the knobby-headed humpback whales - a favorite among whale-watchers - are intelligent creatures that communicate through lengthy "songs."

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'Heroes' star Hayden Panettiere took a stab at being a real-life hero when she and some animal rights activists tried to prevent a dolphin hunt in Japan. (Nov. 2)

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US Envoy: Pakistan Must End Emergency
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Washington's No. 2 diplomat delivered a blunt message to Pakistan's military ruler, telling him that emergency rule must be lifted and his opponents freed ahead of elections.
Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte's visit was seen as a last best chance to avoid political turmoil in Pakistan. He met for more than two hours Saturday with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan's deputy army commander, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani.
"I urged the government to stop such actions, lift the state of emergency and release all political detainees," Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told a news conference at the U.S. embassy Sunday at the end of his trip. "Emergency rule is not compatible with free, fair and credible elections."
But there was no immediate sign that Musharraf would heed that advice. An official in the president's office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the media, said Musharraf told Negroponte the emergency was needed to hold a successful vote.

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Strong Cyclone Kills 1,784 in Bangladesh
By PARVEEN AHMED
Associated Press Writer
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- Hundreds of thousands of survivors were stuck Saturday behind roads blocked by fallen trees, iron roofs and thick sludge as rescue workers fought to reach towns along Bangladesh's coast that were ravaged by a powerful cyclone that killed at least 1,784 people.
Tropical Cyclone Sidr, the deadliest storm to hit the country in a decade, destroyed tens of thousands of homes in southwest Bangladesh on Thursday and ruined much-needed crops just before harvest season in this impoverished, low-lying South Asian country. More than a million coastal villagers were forced to evacuate to government shelters.
The official death toll rose to 1,784, and authorities feared the figure could rise further as the country works to recover.
The government scrambled Saturday to join international agencies and local officials in the rescue mission, deploying military helicopters, thousands of troops and naval ships.

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Ca. Fire Documents Conflict With Reports
By AARON C. DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Several aircraft were able to fly in strong winds on the first full day of last month's Southern California firestorms, contradicting officials' earlier claims that the weather had grounded virtually all aircraft, according to documents released Saturday.
Twenty-eight of 52 aircraft the state was tracking for firefighting efforts remained grounded that day, and high winds were not listed in the documents as the reason.
The documents attempt to answer charges by federal lawmakers, military officials and others that the state did not effectively marshal all its available air resources as a series of blazes began roaring out of control, eventually destroying more than 2,000 homes and killing at least 10 people.
An earlier Associated Press investigation revealed that military helicopters sat grounded for days, in part because of a shortage of state fire "spotters" who are required to be on board military aircraft used for firefighting.

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McCain Says He'll Respect Clinton
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer
COLEBROOK, N.H. (AP) -- Republican presidential hopeful John McCain on Saturday said he won't follow his rivals' lead in taking personal shots at Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, and that voters seeking a candidate who will do that should look elsewhere.
"I think people want a respectful debate and a respectful discussion. And if they don't, then obviously, I'm not the person to be their candidate," McCain told reporters in response to questions about criticism of Clinton by Republican rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.
"Legitimate policy differences, those should be debated and discussed," McCain said. "But I don't think you should take shots at people, like imitating her voice. I'm serious, I'm not sure what you gain by doing that."

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Michigan's Band of Brothers

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Today, they'll be home
April 29, 2007
BY BEN SCHMITT
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Sandy Leshinsky has the 13-pound turkey thawing in the refrigerator, presents around a small tree and cookies and ice cream in the freezer.
Her husband, Joseph, a sergeant major in the Marines, is coming home from Iraq.
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"He doesn't know it yet, but we're going to have Christmas in May," Leshinsky said Friday. "I feel excited, anxious, nervous and relieved.
"My rock is returning."
Julie Kolomjec's hometown of Grosse Pointe Farms is planning a surprise welcome home -- complete with a police and fire escort -- when her husband, Maj. Christopher Kolomjec, rolls into town.
"All of this is so overwhelming," she said. " I didn't know that so many people cared."
For nine months, the Free Press has chronicled the journey of the more than 900 members of the 1st Battalion of the 24th Marine Regiment, their families and the impact of their service in Iraq. The regiment includes about 700 Michigan Marine reservists.
Each of the 1/24th's five companies returns to Michigan today. Many will land at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.

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Around the world
November 17, 2007
TEHRAN, IRAN: Leader demands apology from Bush
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday that an International Atomic Energy Agency report disproved U.S. allegations that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and he called on the Bush administration to apologize for making false accusations.
The United Nations agency said in its report Thursday that Iran had been generally truthful about its past uranium enrichment, which Iran says is intended to generate only fuel for nuclear reactors.
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The nuclear watchdog also said restrictions Iran placed on inspectors mean the agency can't eliminate the possibility of a weapons program.

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Across the nation
November 17, 2007
ATLANTA: Plan aims to help parched South
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed Friday to reduce the flow of water from Lake Lanier, the main water source for Atlanta and the focal point of a three-state water fight during a serious drought in the Southeast.
After the agency decided that federally protected mussels can live with less water from Lanier, the Army Corps of Engineers cut the flow of water to Florida by 5%.
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Florida and Alabama have said that reducing the flows downstream could cripple their economies. Federal officials said the states have promised to collaborate on a long-term water pact.

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Suit follows Gipp's exhumation
November 17, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TRAVERSE CITY -- Relatives of George Gipp filed a lawsuit against another family member, ESPN and a sports writer over the exhumation of the football legend's body to determine whether he fathered a child out of wedlock.
The lawsuit, officially filed Friday, also targets the medical examiner who authorized the Oct. 4 removal of Gipp's remains from a grave near his Upper Peninsula hometown for DNA testing. An ESPN crew filmed the exhumation for a planned program.
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Test results made public last week showed the Notre Dame star was not the father of his former girlfriend's daughter, born five days after Gipp's death in 1920 from pneumonia and a strep infection.
The suit -- filed on behalf of Karl Gipp, who says he and George Gipp are first cousins once removed, and another cousin, Ronald Gipp -- contends remains of the sister, Bertha Isabelle Gipp Martin, were disturbed because workers initially dug in the wrong spot.

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Abuse Risk Seen Worse As Families Change
By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Six-year-old Oscar Jimenez Jr. was beaten to death in California, then buried under fertilizer and cement. Two-year-old Devon Shackleford was drowned in an Arizona swimming pool. Jayden Cangro, also 2, died after being thrown across a room in Utah.
In each case, as in many others every year, the alleged or convicted perpetrator had been the boyfriend of the child's mother - men thrust into father-like roles which they tragically failed to embrace.
Every case is different, every family is different. Some single mothers bring men into their lives who lovingly help raise children when the biological father is gone for good.
Nonetheless, many scholars and front-line caseworkers interviewed by The Associated Press see the abusive-boyfriend syndrome as part of a broader trend that deeply worries them. They note an ever-increasing share of America's children grow up in homes without both biological parents, and say the risk of child abuse is markedly higher in the nontraditional family structures.

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Sex offender sweep nets 397 arrests statewide
November 17, 2007
DETROIT -- Law enforcement officers have arrested 397 people during a recent sweep of the state for violators of Michigan's sex-offender registry law.
The Michigan State Police says the effort also resulted in 658 additional arrest warrant requests.
Offenders must register with the state and notify police when they move. The Lansing State Journal says more than 130 law enforcement agencies took part in the 40-day sweep that ended November 9th.
The Ann Arbor News reports the effort was the state's fourth coordinated sex-offender sweep.
There were 41,942 names on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry as of November 1st.

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Mom offered child for sex to others, cops say
November 17, 2007
BY ZACHARY GORCHOW
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
A Taylor mother shopped her 7-year-old daughter for sex not just once, but three times, police say.
The twist in the case was revealed Friday when law enforcement announced the arrest of Chad Gorzela, 32, of Saginaw on five child-sex felonies after uncovering evidence in the investigation of the Taylor mother earlier this year showing e-mail conversations between the woman and Gorzela to allegedly arrange sex between Gorzela and the 7-year-old.
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"The chats are very graphic," said Sheriff Warren Evans.

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SATURDAY STARTERS: Some points you can raise to get a conversation flowing this weekend
November 17, 2007
Beat the clock on state tax rate
The State of Michigan took in $587.1 million in income taxes in October, a 4.4% jump from October 2006. The tax rate increased Oct. 1 from 3.9% to 4.35%, but the state Treasury wasn't sure how many employers had made the switch, since the boost wasn't enacted until the month was a few hours old. Enough, apparently.
The opportunity and résumé gap
For all those folks trying to earn an income in Michigan so they can pay taxes, the state Department of Labor and Economic Growth has revamped its Web site that contains information for job-seekers and a central repository for online resumes. Check out the improved Michigan Jobs & Career Portal at www.michigan.gov/careers to learn about employment and training opportunities, advanced education, job and career fairs, even starting your own business. A sign of the times: As state unemployment hit 7.7% in October, the Michigan Talent Bank part of the Web site, where applicants and prospective employers can both search, had 675,228 résumés posted last week but just 36,561 jobs.
Farmers not so awash with water
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We all know what a disaster Michigan has been economically for the past few years, but this week the federal government made it official, at least for farmers. All 83 counties in the state were declared disaster
areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of drought conditions since April. The decision enables farmers to qualify for low-interest emergency loans -- and it also ought to send a message to those folks from the southern and western states who think places like Michigan have water to burn, so to speak.
And the rich get ... farm subsidies
Speaking of farming and the federal government, the Grand Rapids Press reported this week that Dick DeVos, the multimillionaire west Michigan business owner who waged the most expensive run for governor in Michigan history last year, received about $6,000 in farm subsidies from 2003-05 for growing corn. The issue appears to have more to do with ridiculous federal farm policies than with DeVos, since subsidies also went to the likes of David Rockefeller and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, both of whom are loaded even by DeVos standards. A DeVos spokesman told the Press the former candidate bought the cornfield to protect it from development and was not even aware the farm was getting federal subsidies. Still, a guy who wanted to get rid of the waste in state government shouldn't be on the receiving end of it from the feds.
Expect billions more to go to war
While the White House, predictably, dismisses the report as "partisan and political," it also seems entirely plausible that the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan really is $1.6 trillion, about double the $804 billion the Bush administration has run through Congress to date. The estimate came from Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee in Congress, who said they figured in "hidden costs" such as interest payments on borrowing for war bills, disruptions in the oil market and long-term health care for injured veterans. The report figured Michigan's share of the cost at $77.1 billion. And while the news from Iraq has of late been encouraging, with murders and mayhem on the decline, there are surely billions more American dollars to be spent there before the country is stabilized.

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