Antarctica Ice Chime
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Severe weather pounds parts of Texas with hail, 70 mph winds
April 24, 2008
0415z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite (12 hour loop)
The central longitude of North American is experiencing an heat transfer from the Equator, beginning to infuse with added moisture from the Gulf.
April 23, 2008
Kansas City, Kansas
Photographer states :: A nice blend of neon and the grandeur of a storm front!
April 24, 2008
0415z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of USA (12 hour loop)
April 23, 2008
Colby, Kansas
Photographer states :: Looking at Colby with light rain, dust and 51 mph winds
Passenger plane crash-lands in Bucharest
April 19, 2008
Timisora, Romania
http://www.chinaview.cn/
2008-04-23 04:01:25
BUCHAREST, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane of Romanian airliner Carpatair on Tuesday evening ran off the landing strip on the Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest, because of the unfavorable weather conditions.
According to Catalin Radu, director of Civil Aviation Department with Transport Ministry, the BAE-146 plane coming from western city of Timisoara had some 60 passengers on board, and no passenger was injured.
"While attempting to land, because of the strong wind and the wet runway, the plane overrun the track, but the none of the passengers was hurt," Catalin Radu said, adding that all passengers left the plane safely.
Editor: Yan Liang
April 19, 2008
Timisora, Romania
Photographer states :: A view from my window.
That cloud formation is extremely similar to the edge of a hurricane, not a thunder storm.
The weather in Antarctica is (Crystal Ice Chime) cold and dark again.
SCOTT BASE WEBCAMS
These images are sent from video cameras situated at Scott Base. The first camera is located in the Hillary Field Centre briefing room, looking towards the vehicle hitching rail and the Pressure Ridges on the Ross Ice Shelf, with White Island in the distance, while the second is at the Arrival Heights Research Laboratory.
Updated Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:16pm AEST
A New Zealand energy company plans to transport three wind turbines to Antarctica.
Meridian Energy is sending the turbines to help provide power for its research bases.
Company spokeswoman, Claire Shaw, told the ABC the turbines will help reduce the use of diesel fuel.But she says setting them up will be a challenge.
"There's a lot of major challenges and often it's the logistics and the environment that get us," she said.
"We're quite happy with the technology, [but] obviously it's an isolated continent so we're going to have some real expert project managers there."
Australia established wind turbines at its Mawson base in 2005.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
April 24, 2008
0107 gmt
South Pole Satellite
Exhibits chronic issue with heat transfers of the Southern Hemisphere. Noted a huge heat transfer at 4 o'clock.
April 22, 2008
1200 AM
Wind Satellite of Antarctica (24 hour loop)
Exhibits same wind patterns as noted previously. Onshore winds at lower altitudes on the seacoast with higher velocities and lower wind speeds at the higher altitudes primarily generated by heavier air masses falling off the Antarctica plateau.
April 22, 2008
0600
Still exhibits arrivals of heat transfers regularly.
The Coldest Reporting Stations
Vostok, Antarctica
Elevation: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Local Time: 11:09 AM VOST
Lat/Lon: 78.4° S 106.9° E
Temperature :: -86 °F / -66 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Humidity: 32%
Dew Point: -93 °F / -70 °C
Wind: 7 mph / 11 km/h from the WNW
Wind Gust: -
Pressure: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Siple Dome, Antarctica
Local Time: 5:12 AM GMT
Lat/Lon: 89.7° S 148.8° W
Temperature: -36 °F / -38 °C Wind: Calm
Wind Gust: -
Pressure: 28.53 in / 966 hPa
The Warmest Reporting Stations
Base Arturo Prat, Antarctica
Local Time: 5:15 AM GMT
Lat/Lon: 62.5° S 59.7° W
Temperature :: 34 °F / 1 °C
Conditions :: Partly Cloudy
Humidity: 81%
Dew Point: 30 °F / -1 °C
Wind: 21 mph / 33 km/h / from the SSW
Wind Gust: -
Pressure: 28.71 in / 972 hPa (Rising)
Visibility: 6.0 miles / 10.0 kilometers
Clouds: Mostly Cloudy 6890 ft / 2100 m Elevation: 16 ft / 5 m
King Sejong, Antarctica
Local Time: 5:17 AM GMT
Temperature :: 33 °F / 0 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Humidity: 94%
Dew Point: 32 °F / 0 °C
Wind: 15 mph / 24 km/h / from the SW
Wind Gust: -
Pressure: 28.68 in / 971 hPa (Rising)
Visibility: 6.0 miles / 10.0 kilometers
UV: 0 out of 16
Elevation: 33 ft / 10 m
NW (Australia) on cyclone watch - 22nd April 2008, 7:45 WST
A cyclone watch has been issued for Christmas Island as a tropical low heads towards the Indian Ocean outcrop.
At 5.45am today the Bureau of Meteorology said a developing tropical low was 160km north west of Christmas Island and 850km east of Cocos Islands, moving east southeast at 25kmh.
The tropical low may develop into a tropical cyclone during the day with periods of heavy rain possible.
Gales with gusts to 100kmh may develop at Christmas Island during the day, the Bureau said.
Tides will be higher than expected with large swell likely to develop later today or tomorrow.
The Christmas Island Emergency Management Committee advises that Christmas Island is on Blue Alert and residents should be taking precautions.
PERTH AGENCIES
Drought hits millions in Thai rice region: government
1 day ago - April 21, 2008
BANGKOK (AFP) — More than 10 million people in parts of Thailand's rice bowl region have been hit by drought, the government said Monday, causing further concerns as prices of the staple grain soar.
Thailand's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation department reported that 55 of the kingdom's 76 provinces were struggling with drought, mostly in the central, north and northeastern regions.
More than 151,000 rai (60,000 acres) of farmland has been affected, they said in a statement, including half of the key central rice growing provinces.
Vichien Phantodee, a member of the Thai Farmers Association, said rice farmers have been trying to exploit soaring prices and an increased global demand for the grain.
"Farmers want to plant more rice because the price is so good," Vichien told AFP. "But the drought does affect rice production, particularly for farmland outside the irrigation areas."...
BANGKOK (AFP) — More than 10 million people in parts of Thailand's rice bowl region have been hit by drought, the government said Monday, causing further concerns as prices of the staple grain soar.
Thailand's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation department reported that 55 of the kingdom's 76 provinces were struggling with drought, mostly in the central, north and northeastern regions.
More than 151,000 rai (60,000 acres) of farmland has been affected, they said in a statement, including half of the key central rice growing provinces.
Vichien Phantodee, a member of the Thai Farmers Association, said rice farmers have been trying to exploit soaring prices and an increased global demand for the grain.
"Farmers want to plant more rice because the price is so good," Vichien told AFP. "But the drought does affect rice production, particularly for farmland outside the irrigation areas."...
Drought-hit Cyprus signs deal to ferry water from Greece
A boat tows large empty water transport balloons to the open sea at Bozyazi in 2004. Turkey has been using the large floating balloons to transport water in the coming days to drought-plague northern Cyprus. Drought-hit Cyprus has signed an agreement with a Cypriot shipping firm to ferry eight million cubic metres of water from Greece to help ease the island's water crisis. (AFP/EPA/File)
04-21-2008
15h43
NICOSIA (AFP)
NICOSIA (AFP)
Drought-hit Cyprus on Monday signed an agreement with a Cypriot shipping firm to ferry eight million cubic metres of water from Greece to help ease the island's water crisis.
Most households on the Mediterranean island, a major tourist destination, have water only four days a week after the government last month reduced supplies to local authorities by a third to try to tackle the shortage.
The aim is for the additional water to start arriving from June to help the island endure a long hot summer.
"The shortage is in the order of 16 million cubic metres until the end of the year," said Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis after signing the deal with Ocean Tankers....
Most households on the Mediterranean island, a major tourist destination, have water only four days a week after the government last month reduced supplies to local authorities by a third to try to tackle the shortage.
The aim is for the additional water to start arriving from June to help the island endure a long hot summer.
"The shortage is in the order of 16 million cubic metres until the end of the year," said Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis after signing the deal with Ocean Tankers....
Nature's main threat isn't an earthquake
April 22, 2008
New Bladen, Illinois
Photographer states :: Strong 40kt gust front blew stuff everywhere (large cloud on right of picture) with a lot of turbulence directly behind. Precip from storm also brought split pea sized hail.
It's been an interesting Earth Day, but, before the day is over let's recap Earth's symptoms of Human Induced Global Warming
USA GOVERNMENT AGENCIES PREDICT DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF HUMAN INDUCED GLOBAL WARMING.
DO NEOCONS LISTEN TO ANYONE BESIDES THEIR WAR GENERALS ???
FROM Los Alamos (click here)
Abstract: Los Alamos computer models of ocean and sea ice circulation are enabling forecasts of Arctic sea ice melting and its possible impact on global climate change. Those forecasts project that, unless steps are taken now to reduce greenhouse gases, the Arctic Ocean will, by 2040, be ice-free for part of each year, bringing devastation to Arctic wildlife and altering ocean circulation and regional climate patterns.
DO NEOCONS LISTEN TO ANYONE BESIDES THEIR WAR GENERALS ???
FROM Los Alamos (click here)
Abstract: Los Alamos computer models of ocean and sea ice circulation are enabling forecasts of Arctic sea ice melting and its possible impact on global climate change. Those forecasts project that, unless steps are taken now to reduce greenhouse gases, the Arctic Ocean will, by 2040, be ice-free for part of each year, bringing devastation to Arctic wildlife and altering ocean circulation and regional climate patterns.
The weather at Glacier Bay National Park is (Crystal Wind Chime) balmy !
Time :: 6:15 PM AKDT
Date :: April 22, 2008
Elevation :: 33 feet / 10 meters
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Temperature :: 57 °F / 14 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Humidity :: 36%
Dew Point :: 30 F / -1 C
Wind :: 8 mph / 13 km/h / 3.5 m/s from the WSW
Pressure :: 30.06 in / 1018 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1. kilometers
UV :: 1 out of 16
Clouds :: Clear
Let's see. Canada states there is open water in many areas where there was once ice all year round.
But.
The USA EPA can't see to it that Polar Bears are protected. What was that Bush was stating about Global Warming? Huh?
Ice Is So Thin That Daylight Will Melt It In Most Places (click here)
Toronto (eCanadaNow) -- In times past the Arctic Ice Mass was a reality, even in the middle of summer, but that has changed in the last twenty years. Now, many places that formerly had ice year round are faced with open water for a significant part of the year.
Arctic Sea Ice is now so thin that in most areas a bright sunny day causes it to melt completely away. Research has shown that the Arctic Ice reduction is linked to warmer than average temperatures, temperatures that thought to be linked to human greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have not seen this strong an effect on sea ice until now,” said Jennifer Kay. Ms. Kay is a scientist on the U.S. led research team.
“Now that ice is tending to be thin, we often have a chain reaction of melting,” said Ms. Kay.
The current research has shown that the lack of summertime Arctic Ice and the warmer temperatures can both be traced to the overall rise in greenhouse gases made from human actions.
Readings taken annually by United States Military Submarines has shown a reduction in Arctic Sea ice by as much as 40 percent since 1960.
Time :: 6:15 PM AKDT
Date :: April 22, 2008
Elevation :: 33 feet / 10 meters
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Temperature :: 57 °F / 14 °C
Conditions :: Clear
Humidity :: 36%
Dew Point :: 30 F / -1 C
Wind :: 8 mph / 13 km/h / 3.5 m/s from the WSW
Pressure :: 30.06 in / 1018 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1. kilometers
UV :: 1 out of 16
Clouds :: Clear
Let's see. Canada states there is open water in many areas where there was once ice all year round.
But.
The USA EPA can't see to it that Polar Bears are protected. What was that Bush was stating about Global Warming? Huh?
Ice Is So Thin That Daylight Will Melt It In Most Places (click here)
Toronto (eCanadaNow) -- In times past the Arctic Ice Mass was a reality, even in the middle of summer, but that has changed in the last twenty years. Now, many places that formerly had ice year round are faced with open water for a significant part of the year.
Arctic Sea Ice is now so thin that in most areas a bright sunny day causes it to melt completely away. Research has shown that the Arctic Ice reduction is linked to warmer than average temperatures, temperatures that thought to be linked to human greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have not seen this strong an effect on sea ice until now,” said Jennifer Kay. Ms. Kay is a scientist on the U.S. led research team.
“Now that ice is tending to be thin, we often have a chain reaction of melting,” said Ms. Kay.
The current research has shown that the lack of summertime Arctic Ice and the warmer temperatures can both be traced to the overall rise in greenhouse gases made from human actions.
Readings taken annually by United States Military Submarines has shown a reduction in Arctic Sea ice by as much as 40 percent since 1960.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Bush and Rice answer the call to end Human Induced Global Warming - Middle East Nuclear Fuel - No chance of any WMD here !
Let's just reflect a moment on the amount of SOLAR DAYS that exist in one year in the UAE.
Hello?
Peaceful Nuclear Technology in the Middle East is about Global Warming?
NOT !!!!
02/19/2007 12:45
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The first solar plant in Gulf region in Abu Dhabi (click here)
The plant should be completed by 2009 and provide electricity to 10,000 homes. The emirate, which holds 90 per cent of the country’s oil reserves, wants to set up a special economic zone for the alternative-energy industry....
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Condoleezza Rice welcomed plans to establish a $100 (about Dh360) million agency to look into developing nuclear energy.
UAE and US sign agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy
AgenciesPublished: April 21, 2008, 12:33
Manama: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, on Monday signed in Bahrain a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Shaikh Abdullah said: "The UAE-US MoU represents an excellent example of cooperation the UAE hopes to forge with responsible nuclear supplier states in the area of peaceful nuclear energy." There are potential mutual benefits to both parties from deepening cooperation in the development of the UAE's domestic nuclear energy sector."
Rice welcomed the arrangement and said: "We are very supportive of what you are trying to do. As you know we think access to nuclear energy is very important. The UAE is a responsible partner and a responsible power."
The UAE has said it plans to establish a $100 (about Dh360) million agency to look into developing nuclear energy to satisfy rising electricity demand.
The UAE has promised to draw up laws to govern the sector and establish a nuclear regulatory authority and an international advisory board of nuclear experts as well as to seek assistance from other governments.
Shaikh Abdullah has said the UAE will work closely with the UN atomic energy watchdog, the IAEA, for its planned nuclear programmes to assure the world it remains peaceful. It has already signed a nuclear cooperation deal with France.
Later Rice was set to meet ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council - an alliance of six Gulf Arab states.
The GCC has said it is studying a joint nuclear energy programme.
Hello?
Peaceful Nuclear Technology in the Middle East is about Global Warming?
NOT !!!!
02/19/2007 12:45
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The first solar plant in Gulf region in Abu Dhabi (click here)
The plant should be completed by 2009 and provide electricity to 10,000 homes. The emirate, which holds 90 per cent of the country’s oil reserves, wants to set up a special economic zone for the alternative-energy industry....
Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Condoleezza Rice welcomed plans to establish a $100 (about Dh360) million agency to look into developing nuclear energy.
UAE and US sign agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy
AgenciesPublished: April 21, 2008, 12:33
Manama: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, and Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, on Monday signed in Bahrain a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Shaikh Abdullah said: "The UAE-US MoU represents an excellent example of cooperation the UAE hopes to forge with responsible nuclear supplier states in the area of peaceful nuclear energy." There are potential mutual benefits to both parties from deepening cooperation in the development of the UAE's domestic nuclear energy sector."
Rice welcomed the arrangement and said: "We are very supportive of what you are trying to do. As you know we think access to nuclear energy is very important. The UAE is a responsible partner and a responsible power."
The UAE has said it plans to establish a $100 (about Dh360) million agency to look into developing nuclear energy to satisfy rising electricity demand.
The UAE has promised to draw up laws to govern the sector and establish a nuclear regulatory authority and an international advisory board of nuclear experts as well as to seek assistance from other governments.
Shaikh Abdullah has said the UAE will work closely with the UN atomic energy watchdog, the IAEA, for its planned nuclear programmes to assure the world it remains peaceful. It has already signed a nuclear cooperation deal with France.
Later Rice was set to meet ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council - an alliance of six Gulf Arab states.
The GCC has said it is studying a joint nuclear energy programme.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What does a 'good day' in Iraq look like? It's up to them now. The USA needs to leave that country.
Under the supervision of American forces, workers began building a wall to partition the Sadr City area of Baghdad on Thursday. (click here)
The wall worked for a while with the Palestinians, maybe it will work in Baghdad long enough to call a truce ! Worth a try, right?
Oh. The military is supposed to know what to do with USA Tax Dollars and personnel. I see. No. That isn't what happened when the USA military is used as an instrument of American politics under Neocons that can't get a grip of their own abuse of power !
FACTBOX: Security developments in Iraq, April 19 (click here)
BAGHDAD - A U.S. helicopter gunship fired a missile, killing two gunmen in eastern Baghdad on Saturday, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed one U.S. soldier when it struck his vehicle on Friday just north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said in statement.
SALAHUDDIN PROVINCE - A car bomb blast killed one U.S. soldier when he was conducting a patrol on Friday in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded two people on Friday in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - One Iraqi soldier was killed and four others wounded when a roadside bomb struck their patrol in Yarmouk district, in western Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two bodies were found in different districts of Baghdad on Friday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A mortar bomb killed one person on Friday in al-Nidhal street, central Baghdad, police said.
MUSSAYAB - One body was found with gunshot wounds in Mussayab, 60 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
(compiled by Aws Qusay; editing by Noah Barkin)
My one complaint about American Propaganda has FINALLY been examined. TALKING HEAD GENERALS. What will you believe about your country?
How are your Tax Dollars spent?
Telling 'the truth' or giving reason for Active Duty Generals to retire?
Cleric Suspends Battle in Basra by Shiite Militia (click here)
...The substance of Mr. Sadr’s statement, released Sunday afternoon, was hammered out in elaborate negotiations over the past few days with senior Iraqi officials, some of whom traveled to Iran to meet with Mr. Sadr, according to several officials involved in the discussions.....
Why do the newspapers in the USA lie?
The Iraqi military are patrolling in Basra. There was no confrontation, no bloodshed. The presence of the Iraqi military, if not met with resistance is simply a return to 'status quo' yet the American newsprint insists there was this dominating battle that has surmounted any resistance and the people of Basra are now dominated. Propaganda in the Western Media of the USA is the only result of the days in Basra, nothing else. Give them something to believe.
Basically, the Mahdi Army in Iraq just hasn't gotten around to picking up their weapons today. Maybe they won't bother. Ah. It must be the smell of napalm in the morning that did it.
...“One of the grossest of US errors in Iraq was to try to marginalise him (click here) and his movement,” writes Cockburn. “Had he been part of the political process from the beginning then the chances of creating a peaceful, prosperous Iraq would have been greater. In any real accommodation between Shia and Sunni, the Sadrists must play a central part.”...
Blood in Basra and beyond (click here)
Apr 17th 2008From The Economist print edition
Three accounts of the war in Iraq are defined by anger and wry humour
AT ITS worst, Iraq's rhythm of violence was so predictable that Oliver Poole, the Daily Telegraph's correspondent, reckoned he could tell the time in Baghdad by the nature of the explosions: mornings started with a “dull pop” as patrols were hit by roadside bombs planted overnight. Then came the suicide-bombers. Afternoons were the turn of the mortar teams who liked harassing the Americans in the protected Green Zone. Finally after sunset came the gunfire from military operations and extra-judicial killings.
Mr Poole's vivid “Red Zone” is one of several first-person British accounts that complement recent American books dissecting how the war went wrong. A fellow journalist, Jonathan Steele, has written a strong polemic against America's occupation of Iraq, while Britain's former man in the south, Sir Hilary Synnott, provides an insider's account of the hopelessness of trying to administer the country....
Five people killed, 18 wounded by bombings in northern Iraq today (click here)
23 hours ago
BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials say bombings have killed at least five people in northern Iraq.
A spokesman says a roadside bomb meant for a U.S. patrol in Mosul missed its target and killed two civilians and injured 12 other civilians.
Police also say one civilian was killed and four others were wounded in a parked car bombing in Kirkuk.
They say a roadside bomb elsewhere in the city killed one Iraqi policeman and wounded two.
Police in the Diyala province say another roadside bomb killed a schoolboy in Baqouba.
Today's attacks cap a violent week that has raised concerns that suspected Sunni insurgents are regrouping.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Carter in the Middle East - The Unconventional Road Map - It's about Human Rights
Palestinian mourners carry the body of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana, 23, during his funeral in Gaza City on Thursday. A medical examination showed that metal darts from an Israeli tank shell that explodes in the air caused the death of Shana on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, doctors said (Reuters photo)
The confusing aspect of diplomacy that the Neocon White House refuses to 'deal in and with' is that there are two faces to war. There is the conflict itself whereby soldiers die and there is the human side whereby people survive regardless of the war itself.
The Neocons value death. Tit for tat. Eye for an eye, kind of stuff. It is why the Bush/Cheney White House fails in war and views torture as a legitimate method to some kind of 'truth serum.'
War is a result of failed diplomacy. Diplomacy does fail, but, it is almost as though it is destined to fail in order to succeed.
In any attempt 'at reason' in what seems unreasonable circumstances, the parties involved lay out their demands and seek to find common ground between their differences, hopefully to resolve them, resulting in a compromise that sustains into generations. War is simply a way of saying at the diplomatic tables, "We mean it." Bush/Cheney use war as an end, to that result is genocide.
The concept behind diplomacy is that it is the higher value of ourselves. In other words, diplomacy distains war for the sheer brutal outcome of soldiers and citizens. To completely fail at diplomacy results in what exists now in Iraq and between Israel and Palestine; armed factions at each others throats forever. A better example of that was the civil war between the Irish Catholics and Protestants and British.
At any rate, diplomacy can achieve a peace and whether anyone wants to state it or not, except for every Bush/Cheney blunder on Earth whereby they insist on war; there is peace with nations such as Russia and China. The point is diplomacy is a dynamic that is necessary if the world is to succeed to peace and the better of our civilizations results.
The lack of diplomacy in Neocon administrations, insures war. It insures an economy of war to the detriment of, in this case, the USA's politically dominated economy. Oh let's face it, Bush tampered with the Housing Credit Market to float an economy that would win him a second term. Hello?
No nation can sustain itself as a war nation. It is not possible. War produces huge demands on a nation's economy and in the case of the war in Iraq there is no support for it internationally, again because of failed diplomacy by the USA, and the burden for the cost of the war has crippled the USA treasury as the deficit to end all prosperity for generations.
What people like Jimmy and Roselyn Carter realize is that killing is not a means to an end. War begets war, but, attempts to find 'in roads of WILLINGNESS' is a step in a direction that ultimately will result in civil treatment of people.
Former President Carter and his spouse are attempting to bring balance to the issue of Human Rights in the Middle East. Israel has complete control of the accesses to Gaza and the Palestinian Territories and use that to pressure Hamas and other Palestinian elements to succumb to demands of disarmament. The result of that strategy is human suffering to the point where resolve is extreme.
To put it plainly, the people that are Hamas simply accept their fate at the hands of Israel and have resolved to fight and die until they are completely gone as a people. That is an 'inflicted genocide' and human rights abuse. Unless people like the Carters expose the cruelty for what it is and bring about a more civilized face to Hamas, the Neocons will simply allow the suffering.
The former President has been at the center of controversy before and it resulted in peace initiatives that the Bush/Cheney administration has never produced. There certainly is hope in this attempt by Carter.
Abbas calls for Middle East conference in Moscow (click here)
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called for a Middle East peace conference in Moscow “as soon as possible”, saying this was needed to spur talks with Israel that were moving too slowly.
“We want the Moscow conference to be held as soon as possible and we hope it will succeed in pushing the peace process forward,” Abbas said in a lecture to Moscow university students.
Confirming that discussions were still under way on a date, Abbas said a new impetus was needed to follow up a conference last November hosted by US President George W. Bush in Annapolis, Maryland.
“I regret to say that there are obstacles hindering the application of what was agreed upon in Annapolis,” said Abbas, whose visit was intended to lay the ground for the new conference.
“The negotiations are not advancing at the required pace or yielding the progress necessary for us to reach the agreed objectives by the agreed dates.” Palestinian officials have mentioned June as a possible date for the conference, but Russia’s foreign ministry confirmed that the timing had not been finalised, Interfax news agency reported.
Abbas was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday....
While Putin has maintained a profile in the Middle East, peace promoter was never a headline in Pravda.
Jimmy Carter Lays a Wreath at Arafat's Tomb (click title to entry)
By Julie Stahl
CNSNews.com
Jerusalem Bureau Chief
April 15, 2008
Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter laid a wreath of red roses at the grave of Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat during a visit to the West Bank City of Ramallah on Tuesday. "
He and Mrs. Carter and his son Jeff wanted to pay their respects to President Arafat," Carter's trip director Rick Jasculca told Cybercast News Service. But the former president didn't make any comments there, he said.
Dubbed the "godfather of terrorism," Arafat was linked to the deaths of two American diplomats in the Sudan in 1973 -- one of many terror acts laid at his feet. (See earlier story)
Twenty years later, Arafat became the first PLO leader to sign a peace agreement with an Israeli Prime Minister -- Yitzhak Rabin -- in 1993. He was considered Israel's peace partner (although many Israelis never believed it) until the beginning of the violent Palestinian uprising in September 2000. Arafat managed the terror war against Israel until his death in 2004.
U.S. officials have emphasized that Carter is visiting the Middle East as a private citizen and not as a representative of the U.S. government.
On Tuesday, the Israeli government refused Carter's request to visit Hamas-controlled Gaza. The former U.S. leader has angered the Israeli government over plans to meet Hamas's top leader, Khaled Mashaal, in Syria on Friday.
Most visiting American dignitaries -- including President Bush -- have avoided Arafat's tomb. Michaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem that handles Palestinian affairs, told Cybercast News Service that no active U.S. Executive Branch member had ever laid a wreath on Arafat's grave....
Carter arrives in Damascus for more talks (click here)
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived Friday in Syria where he is due to meet the exiled leader of Hamas a day after he had asked senior officials from the militant Palestinian group he met in Egypt to stop rocket attacks into Israel.
Carter is scheduled to meet Friday with Syrian President Bashar Assad before he sees Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas leader. He also plans to meet with Syrian businessmen.
Carter's meetings with Hamas officials in Egypt and Palestinian territories have sparked criticism in both Israel and the United States, which consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
But Carter has defended his controversial meetings with Hamas officials, saying it was necessary to talk to all parties to achieve peace in the Middle East.
Carter arrived at Damascus airport on a small private plane from Cairo....
Carter, Hamas discussed Gaza truce at Egypt meeting (click here)
2 hours ago
GAZA CITY (AFP) — Former US President Jimmy Carter and Hamas leaders discussed the possibility of a truce in the Gaza Strip during their talks in Cairo, a leader of the Islamist group said on Friday.
Carter, who was due to meet exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Damascus on Friday, also raised the issue of an Israeli soldier seized in 2006 just outside the Palestinian territory, said Mahmud Zahar, who took part in Thursday's meeting in Cairo.
"We had common points of view and the talks will continue today during the meeting with the political leadership of Hamas in Damascus," Zahar said in a telephone interview.
"President Carter talked of humanitarian proposals linked to the truce," he said in reference to attempts to halt the bloodshed in Gaza, where 18 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed in the latest explosion of violence on Wednesday.
The discussions also centered on a crippling embargo against Gaza which Israel imposed in retaliation for rocket and mortar fire from the territory....
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Morning Papers - continued...
Gaza Hamas leaders in Egypt for talks with Jimmy Carter (click here)
...Carter, who is scheduled to arrive in Egypt later Wednesday, has drawn criticism from the US and Israel for meeting Hamas officials.
22 killed on day of bloodshed in Gaza (click here)
By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
Last Updated: 2:11am BST 17/04/2008
At least 19 Palestinians died in military operations in Gaza on Wednesday in a day of bloodshed sparked when militants ambushed and killed three Israeli soldiers....
Due to a fuel shortage, Palestinians use carts pulled by donkeys for transport in Gaza City, Monday, April 14, 2008. Israeli officials said Sunday that the fuel terminal that pipes the only fuel that reaches Gaza was closed to allow authorities to investigate last week's attack of the terminal by Gaza militants, that left two Israeli workers dead. Israel immediately shut down the terminal and launched raids that have killed 16 people since, including at least six civilians. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa) - (click at title to entry)
Photo Credit: AP Photo
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
"America will not stand for a Secretary of State who approved torture and then misled Congress."
Condi Must Go: Groups Launch Campaign to Remove Secretary of State
New TV Ad to Air around Presidential Debate to Pressure Politicians to Join Call for Rice's Resignation
WASHINGTON — TrueMajority.org, Brave New Films, and Democracy for America are launching CondiMustGo.com and a new television ad campaign calling for the resignation of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. This week Americans were outraged by the news that Condoleezza Rice personally oversaw meetings where top Bush administration officials selected specific torture techniques.
The new site CondiMustGo.com will feature a petition demanding Secretary Rice's resignation and a new video by Brave New Films documenting her involvement in torture and how she lied to Congress and the nation. The petition reads, "America will not stand for a Secretary of State who approved torture and then misled Congress. We call on the Presidential candidates to ask Secretary of State Rice to resign."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=998
"They brought him to the doctor, and when he came back he had no fingers left."
From Inside a Cage at Guantanamo
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2008-04-16 15:19.
By David Swanson
The guards at Guantanamo are terrified. Even a man with no legs (amputated after being intentionally exposed to extreme cold by American guards in Afghanistan) is treated as a horrifying threat:
"The bandages wrapped around Abdul's stumps were never changed. When he took them off himself, they were full of blood and pus. He showed the bandage to the guards and pointed to his open wounds. The guards ignored him. Later I saw how he tried to wash the bandages in his bucket of drinking water. But he could hardly move his hands, so he wasn't able to. And even if he had, where would he have hung them up to dry? He wasn't allowed to touch the fence. He wrapped his stumps back up in the dirty bandages.
"When the guards came to take him to be interrogated, they ordered him to sit with his back to the door and put his hands on his head. When they opened the door, they stormed in as they did with every other prisoner. They hit him on the back and pushed him to the ground. Then they handcuffed and bound him so he could no longer move. Abdul howled in pain."
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/32784
Ask Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama to join us in calling on Secretary of State Rice to resign.
http://www.condimustgo.com/
April 16th, 2008 4:46 pm
People at Virginia Tech remember mass shooting of 1 year ago
By Kristen Gelineau / Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. — A sea of people wearing orange and maroon flowed onto the main lawn at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, some clutching single roses, to remember the victims of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
They gathered on the same field where a white candle lit at midnight began a day of mourning for the 32 people killed a year ago by a student gunman who shot himself as police closed in.
"We remain deeply and profoundly saddened by the events of that tragic day," Virginia Tech President Charles Steger told the crowd. "Indeed, all our lives were changed on that day."
While this close-knit campus of 27,000 has worked hard to move on, the anniversary of the killings has left many struggling to cope. Some weren't sure how best to honor the dead.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11308
April 16th, 2008 2:28 am
Iraq vigils become monthly event
Candlelight displays urge council, others to action
By Meera Pal / Tri-Valley Herald
PLEASANTON, CA — Feeling as if their local, state and federal governments were not listening to their concerns about the Iraq war, a group of Pleasanton residents has decided to do something on their own.
That something has turned into a monthly candlelight vigil held in downtown Pleasanton in front of the Museum on Main, where people from all over the Tri-Valley first gathered March 19 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
On Wednesday, Pleasantonians 4 Peace will gather for their third vigil. They are planning to make it a standing event.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11305
April 15th, 2008 1:41 am
Lawmaker lobbies for bill to impeach Bush
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — To boost her campaign for a bill that would call for the impeachment of President Bush over the Iraq war, an 87-year-old great-grandmother drummed up support Monday from the whistleblower who leaked secret Pentagon documents during the Vietnam War.
It's unlikely that HR24 would pass, but Betty Hall, a Democrat and longtime representative from Brookline, is hopeful. Hall is the only sponsor of the bill, which is scheduled for debate on Wednesday.
"We are trying to make history by being the first Legislature to forward a petition to Congress under Section 603 of the Jefferson Manual," she said. "I'm feeling very good about it."
Hall was referring to the "Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States," written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11296
April 15th, 2008 2:06 am200 flock to rally for impeachment
State representatives to vote on resolution
By Lauren R. Dorgan / Concord Monitor
Calling President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "domestic enemies," Pentagon Papers icon Daniel Ellsberg headlined a rally in Concord last night calling for their impeachment.
The rally, which drew more than 200 people to the Capitol Center for the Arts, was aimed at the New Hampshire House, which is considering a resolution that would call on Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney. The resolution may come to a vote on the House floor tomorrow.
A pre-rally reception for the House members who will vote on the resolution drew a couple of dozen, among them a few who said they were on the fence about the resolution. Rep. Betty Hall, the 87-year-old Brookline Democrat who is the measure's lone sponsor, was bullish, pumping her arms at a press conference and saying: "I think it's gonna pass."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11297
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
New Hampshire Impeachment Efforts Get Final Boost Before Vote ...
by Dan DeWalt
On April 14, close to 500 legislators and citizens packed the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord NH and sat through more than three hours of words and music making the case for the N.H. House to send an impeachment investigation resolution to the U.S. Congress. The vote will take place in the state capital on March 16.
Speaking on behalf of representative Betty Hall's HR 24 was a plethora of informed and passionate advocates; Daniel Ellsberg, John Nichols, Granny D, Phil Burk, Bob Bowman, and Paul Noel Stookey joined Hall and other regional activists in making the case that not only is it not too late to impeach, but that the danger of not impeaching would bode ill for the last months remaining of the Bush administration as well as being a severe disservice to the future of the nation.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=997
TODAY! Help pass New Hampshire's HR-24, a bill to tell Congress to Impeach (Mail list & sample message included)
by John Kennedy
We must have Impeachment Hearings before the Election. HR-24, is a resolution that will be voted on in the New Hampshire House on Wednesday, April 16th and is probably our last chance this year to have a State Legislature send a directive to Congress telling them to get busy and Impeach.
Due to special rules
April 15th, 2008 8:58 pm
Money in the Military
KOMU 8
COLUMBIA - Members of Missouri-Pro Vote and Peaceworks met outside the post office to hand out pamphlets explaining and explain how much money is spent on the American military.
For every dollar collected from the federal income tax for 2007, 43 cents was used for the military. Only 20 cents of every dollar went to health care, including Medicaid and parts of Medicare. Other areas include responses to poverty, interest and governmental operations. Education, jobs, diplomacy and foreign aid fell at the bottom of the list.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11301
April 15th, 2008 9:00 pm
Anti-war groups take to St. Louis streets to mark Tax Day
By Jo Mannies / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
While the rest of us political junkies spend Tax Return Day contemplating who will report what in their campaign-donation reports also due today, some of opponents of the Iraq War plan to spend lunch time downtown conducting what they call a “penny poll.”
“As War and Occupation takes lives in Iraq and Iran and the Bush Administration Threatens Iran with War, St. Louisans are Joining the 2008 War Tax Boycott,” one group of protesters say in a release just sent out.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11302
April 15th, 2008 9:02 pm
Peace activists withhold taxes
By Elizabeth Ganga / Journal News
Two aspects of American foreign policy in the past few years pushed Ethan and Rima Vesely-Flad to step up their protests against the government's militarism.
One was the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, when the Israelis used American-made cluster bombs in civilian areas, they said. Another was the continuing occupation of Iraq and their sense that there was no way to influence U.S. policy there.
"We've been out and marched and protested and contacted members of Congress, did all the things we were supposed to do as citizens of our democracy, and it wasn't having any effect," said Ethan Vesely-Flad, 40, who works at Fellowship of Reconciliation in Upper Nyack, a peace-and-justice group committed to nonviolence.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11303
April 15th, 2008 2:09 pm
Bush Defeats Truman
Tough But Familiar Numbers for Bush: High Disapproval on Job Performance, Iraq and Economy
By Gary Langer / ABC News
At 39 months in the doghouse, George W. Bush has surpassed Harry Truman's record as the postwar president to linger longest without majority public approval.
Bush hasn't received majority approval for his work in office in ABC News/Washington Post polls since Jan. 16, 2005 — three years and three months ago. The previous record was Truman's during his last 38 months in office.
Truman's problems included both economic recession and the war in Korea, which, in October 1952, 56 percent of Americans said was not worth fighting. Bush's approval, likewise, has suffered overwhelmingly because of the unpopular war in Iraq; his job rating correlates almost perfectly with views of the war.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11298
April 16th, 2008 2:19 pm
War and opinions collide at Inland peace vigil
By Julia Glick / Press-Enterprise
PALM SPRINGS, CA — Two groups of Vietnam-era veterans squared off at a peace vigil on the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, with bikers who support the war snatching an American flag from anti-war demonstrators in Palm Springs.
In the tumult, a war supporter stomped on the peace group's symbolic cardboard coffin and one peace activist says he was badly bruised. Both sides say they were verbally abused. And an older woman running across the street to intervene in the struggle for the flag was hit by a pickup truck. She was not seriously hurt.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11306
April 16th, 2008 2:22 am
HAFB investigating incident where F-16 fired on soldiers' SUV
By Matthew D. LaPlante / Salt Lake Tribune
Two Army soldiers, whose combat duties include working to prevent "friendly fire" mishaps, narrowly avoided harm when an F-16 fighter jet from Hill Air Force Base opened fire on their SUV while driving at the Utah Test and Training Range.
The incident occurred during a nighttime training mission April 8 in which the fighter pilot was practicing shooting at ground targets. The soldiers were not hit, but did suffer minor injuries "while exiting the vehicle in rough terrain," according to a statement from the base. The sport utility vehicle, a rental from Avis, was damaged in the incident, but base officials declined to say whether it was hit by the jet's 20mm cannon fire or crashed after the soldiers jumped out.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11304
April 15th, 2008 7:54 pm
Five Years On, Fallujah in Tatters
By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail* / IPS
FALLUJAH - Fallujah remains a crippled city years after the November 2004 U.S.-led assault.
Unemployment, and lack of medical care and safe drinking water in the city 60 km west of Baghdad remain a continuous problem. Freedom of movement is still curtailed.
Fallujah has suffered more perhaps than any other city through five years of occupation. But it got a great deal worse in 2004.
The city suffered two devastating U.S. military attacks during 2004. Many of the buildings were destroyed, or heavily damaged. Several collapsed under the heavy bombing, and were never rebuilt. The heaps of concrete slabs and piles of rubble remain where they were.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11299
Rock 'n' Recruiters Show Kids How Much the Military Rocks!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDQuZnmHwQ&eurl=http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Monday, March 24th, 2008
So? ... A Note from Michael Moore
Friends,
It would have to happen on Easter Sunday, wouldn't it, that the 4,000th American soldier would die in Iraq. Play me that crazy preacher again, will you, about how maybe God, in all his infinite wisdom, may not exactly be blessing America these days. Is anyone surprised?
4,000 dead. Unofficial estimates are that there may be up to 100,000 wounded, injured, or mentally ruined by this war. And there could be up to a million Iraqi dead. We will pay the consequences of this for a long, long time. God will keep blessing America.
And where is Darth Vader in all this? A reporter from ABC News this week told Dick Cheney, in regards to Iraq, "two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting." Cheney cut her off with a one word answer: "So?"
"So?" As in, "So what?" As in, "F*** you. I could care less."
I would like every American to see Cheney flip the virtual bird at the them, the American people. Click here and pass it around. Then ask yourself why we haven't risen up and thrown him and his puppet out of the White House.
The Democrats have had the power to literally pull the plug on this war for the past 15 months -- and they have refused to do so. What are we to do about that? Continue to sink into our despair? Or get creative? Real creative. I know there are many of you reading this who have the chutzpah and ingenuity to confront your local congressperson. Will you? For me?
Cheney spent Wednesday, the 5th anniversary of the war, not mourning the dead he killed, but fishing off the Sultan of Oman's royal yacht. So? Ask your favorite Republican what they think of that.
The Founding Fathers would never have uttered the presumptuous words, "God Bless America." That, to them, sounded like a command instead of a request, and one doesn't command God, even if they are America. In fact, they were worried God would punish America. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington feared that God would react unfavorably against his soldiers for the way they were behaving. John Adams wondered if God might punish America and cause it to lose the war, just to prove His point that America was not worthy. They and the others believed it would be arrogant on their part to assume that God would single out America for a blessing. What a long road we have traveled since then.
I see that Frontline on PBS this week has a documentary called "Bush's War." That's what I've been calling it for a long time. It's not the "Iraq War." Iraq did nothing. Iraq didn't plan 9/11. It didn't have weapons of mass destruction. It DID have movie theaters and bars and women wearing what they wanted and a significant Christian population and one of the few Arab capitals with an open synagogue.
But that's all gone now. Show a movie and you'll be shot in the head. Over a hundred women have been randomly executed for not wearing a scarf. I'm happy, as a blessed American, that I had a hand in all this. I just paid my taxes, so that means I helped to pay for this freedom we've brought to Baghdad. So? Will God bless me?
God bless all of you in this Easter Week as we begin the 6th year of Bush's War.
God help America. Please.
Michael MooreMMFlint@aol.comMichaelMoore.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=224
Register to Vote
http://www.credomobile.com/registertovote/?source=govote
State Presidential Primary and Caucus Dates
http://www.votesmart.org/election_president_state_primary_dates.php
SDS Call to Action: Endorse and Participate in Shutting Down the RNC
Friday, March 28 2008 @ 01:09 PM PDTContributed by: activateViews: 2,197
Over the past year, organizing against the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC)--which will take place from September 1 through 4 in St. Paul--has grown at a considerable pace. At our 2007 national convention, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) passed a proposal endorsing the work of groups organizing against the RNC and encouraging folks within SDS to organize against both the RNC and the DNC.
SDS Call to Action: Endorse and Participate in Shutting Down the RNC
Over the past year, organizing against the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC)--which will take place from September 1 through 4 in St. Paul--has grown at a considerable pace. At our 2007 national convention, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) passed a proposal endorsing the work of groups organizing against the RNC and encouraging folks within SDS to organize against both the RNC and the DNC.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080328130926247
Those opposed to war in Iraq invited to join vigil
04/15/2008
Ever since Feb. 15, 2003, local residents have stood on the Messalonskee Bridge on Kennedy Memorial Drive every Sunday as a way to publicly support a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Iraq.
The March 16 vigil was planned by Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice and Colby College League of Progressive Voters. It marked the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion and occupation.
It was also an opportunity to show support for the soldiers testifying at the "Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan" hearings (www.ivaw.org) at which they shared their experiences in the field and after their return.
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/view/letters/4944269.html
Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622
The Impeachment Project
http://www.freewayblogger.com/impeachment_project2.htm
FOR THE RECORD: Charlton Heston in 'Bowling for Columbine'
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/president_of_NRA.php
Michael Moore winning an Oscar® and blasting Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Is43K6lrg
Gun control advocates hold lie-ins on Drillfield and at Richmond's Capitol Square
Updated 4:40 p.m.
BLACKSBURG — They lay down on the grass of the Drillfield, roughly halfway between the places where two groups of victims lay one year ago in Norris and West Ambler Johnston halls.
In silence, the 50-some protestors stayed down for three minutes, about the time they said it takes to buy a gun.
Unlike the other vigils and ceremonies held on campus and around the region to mark the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, this one did more than commemorate the dead: It appealed to the living to do something about the ease with which guns are purchased in America.
“I have no fear of firearms,” said Peter Read, a U.S. Air Force veteran whose daughter, Mary, was one of the 32 victims of last year’s shootings on the Tech campus.
“But I am afraid of what can happen in this country when we don’t take the most simple, common sense precautions,” said Read, who spoke to about 100 people attending the protest.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/158419
On Virginia Tech anniversary, Saugus mom lobbies for changes
By Mike Gaffney/mgaffney@cnc.com
Wed Apr 16, 2008, 11:40 AM EDT
Saugus - A year after she tragically lost her son Ross in the Virginia Tech shootings, Lynnette Alameddine is fighting to support legislation that would require universities to issue campus emergency notifications in 30 minutes or less.
This Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the massacre at Virginia Tech. One of the 33 victims of the deadliest school shooting in this country’s history was Ross Alameddine, 20, a Saugus resident and college sophomore known for his sharp wit and uncanny ability to make people laugh.
In a recent interview with the Advertiser, Lynnette Alameddine declined to reflect upon Ross’s death and its affect on her family for personal reasons.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/saugus/news/x1632296582
US military deaths in Iraq at 4,036
By The Associated Press – 18 hours ago
As of Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at least 4,036 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,291 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is one higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 176 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, South Korea, one death each.
Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 29,780 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:
_ No deaths reported.
___
The latest identifications reported by the military:
_ Army Spc. Arturo Huerta-Cruz, 23, Clearwater, Fla., was killed Monday in Tuz from wounds sustained from an explosion; was assigned to the 10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
_ Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III, 27, Lafayette, La., was killed Monday in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an explosive; was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), located at Fort Polk, La.
_ Two Marines were killed Monday during combat in Anbar province. Both were assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Milwaukee.
Killed were Cpl. Richard J. Nelson, 23, Racine, Wis.; and Lance Cpl. Dean D. Opicka, 29, Waukesha, Wis.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqgQCcv26kB1dkgZRZNHmbn_1J8gD902MNM81
Explosions kill dozens in 2 cities
Attacks linked to al Qaeda in Iraq leave at least 40 dead in Baquba and 13 in Ramadi
Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
(04-16) 04:00 PDT Baghdad - --
Bombs in two provincial capitals killed more than 50 Iraqi civilians Tuesday, underscoring the continuing threat posed by Sunni Muslim insurgents as they try to regain power in former strongholds.
Coinciding with military efforts to curb the strength of Shiite militias in Baghdad and southern Iraq, the new attacks also portend the potential hurdles ahead for the Iraqi government as U.S. troop levels decrease through the summer. Iraqi troops will take on more responsibility for holding on to security gains made in the past year, and the challenge will be formidable if both Sunni and Shiite extremists are active.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/04/16/MN9G1066IF.DTL
Nearly 60 are killed in attacks; Al-Qaida in Iraq is suspected
By ERNESTO LONDONO, Washington Post
Last update: April 15, 2008 - 11:39 PM
BAGHDAD - Two bombings killed nearly 60 people Tuesday in parts of Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi forces have claimed significant success in combating Sunni insurgent groups.
A car bombing in central Baqouba, the capital of northeastern Diyala Province, killed at least 47 people, an Iraqi military spokesman said. A suicide bomber in Ramadi, west of Baghdad in Anbar Province, killed at least 10 people at a restaurant frequented by police, according to local officials. Bombs also exploded in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul, but the U.S. command said those blasts did not cause fatalities.
http://www.startribune.com/world/17761944.html
20 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in Gaza clashes (click here)
Last update: April 16, 2008 - 7:26 PM
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - In a surge of fighting between Israeli forces and militants in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, 20 Palestinians, including a TV cameraman, and three Israeli soldiers were killed, medical officials and the Israeli army said.
The violence came after a relatively quiet month and threatened to unravel an Egyptian effort to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
continued...
...Carter, who is scheduled to arrive in Egypt later Wednesday, has drawn criticism from the US and Israel for meeting Hamas officials.
22 killed on day of bloodshed in Gaza (click here)
By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
Last Updated: 2:11am BST 17/04/2008
At least 19 Palestinians died in military operations in Gaza on Wednesday in a day of bloodshed sparked when militants ambushed and killed three Israeli soldiers....
Due to a fuel shortage, Palestinians use carts pulled by donkeys for transport in Gaza City, Monday, April 14, 2008. Israeli officials said Sunday that the fuel terminal that pipes the only fuel that reaches Gaza was closed to allow authorities to investigate last week's attack of the terminal by Gaza militants, that left two Israeli workers dead. Israel immediately shut down the terminal and launched raids that have killed 16 people since, including at least six civilians. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa) - (click at title to entry)
Photo Credit: AP Photo
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
"America will not stand for a Secretary of State who approved torture and then misled Congress."
Condi Must Go: Groups Launch Campaign to Remove Secretary of State
New TV Ad to Air around Presidential Debate to Pressure Politicians to Join Call for Rice's Resignation
WASHINGTON — TrueMajority.org, Brave New Films, and Democracy for America are launching CondiMustGo.com and a new television ad campaign calling for the resignation of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. This week Americans were outraged by the news that Condoleezza Rice personally oversaw meetings where top Bush administration officials selected specific torture techniques.
The new site CondiMustGo.com will feature a petition demanding Secretary Rice's resignation and a new video by Brave New Films documenting her involvement in torture and how she lied to Congress and the nation. The petition reads, "America will not stand for a Secretary of State who approved torture and then misled Congress. We call on the Presidential candidates to ask Secretary of State Rice to resign."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=998
"They brought him to the doctor, and when he came back he had no fingers left."
From Inside a Cage at Guantanamo
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2008-04-16 15:19.
By David Swanson
The guards at Guantanamo are terrified. Even a man with no legs (amputated after being intentionally exposed to extreme cold by American guards in Afghanistan) is treated as a horrifying threat:
"The bandages wrapped around Abdul's stumps were never changed. When he took them off himself, they were full of blood and pus. He showed the bandage to the guards and pointed to his open wounds. The guards ignored him. Later I saw how he tried to wash the bandages in his bucket of drinking water. But he could hardly move his hands, so he wasn't able to. And even if he had, where would he have hung them up to dry? He wasn't allowed to touch the fence. He wrapped his stumps back up in the dirty bandages.
"When the guards came to take him to be interrogated, they ordered him to sit with his back to the door and put his hands on his head. When they opened the door, they stormed in as they did with every other prisoner. They hit him on the back and pushed him to the ground. Then they handcuffed and bound him so he could no longer move. Abdul howled in pain."
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/32784
Ask Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama to join us in calling on Secretary of State Rice to resign.
http://www.condimustgo.com/
April 16th, 2008 4:46 pm
People at Virginia Tech remember mass shooting of 1 year ago
By Kristen Gelineau / Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. — A sea of people wearing orange and maroon flowed onto the main lawn at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, some clutching single roses, to remember the victims of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
They gathered on the same field where a white candle lit at midnight began a day of mourning for the 32 people killed a year ago by a student gunman who shot himself as police closed in.
"We remain deeply and profoundly saddened by the events of that tragic day," Virginia Tech President Charles Steger told the crowd. "Indeed, all our lives were changed on that day."
While this close-knit campus of 27,000 has worked hard to move on, the anniversary of the killings has left many struggling to cope. Some weren't sure how best to honor the dead.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11308
April 16th, 2008 2:28 am
Iraq vigils become monthly event
Candlelight displays urge council, others to action
By Meera Pal / Tri-Valley Herald
PLEASANTON, CA — Feeling as if their local, state and federal governments were not listening to their concerns about the Iraq war, a group of Pleasanton residents has decided to do something on their own.
That something has turned into a monthly candlelight vigil held in downtown Pleasanton in front of the Museum on Main, where people from all over the Tri-Valley first gathered March 19 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
On Wednesday, Pleasantonians 4 Peace will gather for their third vigil. They are planning to make it a standing event.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11305
April 15th, 2008 1:41 am
Lawmaker lobbies for bill to impeach Bush
Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — To boost her campaign for a bill that would call for the impeachment of President Bush over the Iraq war, an 87-year-old great-grandmother drummed up support Monday from the whistleblower who leaked secret Pentagon documents during the Vietnam War.
It's unlikely that HR24 would pass, but Betty Hall, a Democrat and longtime representative from Brookline, is hopeful. Hall is the only sponsor of the bill, which is scheduled for debate on Wednesday.
"We are trying to make history by being the first Legislature to forward a petition to Congress under Section 603 of the Jefferson Manual," she said. "I'm feeling very good about it."
Hall was referring to the "Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States," written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11296
April 15th, 2008 2:06 am200 flock to rally for impeachment
State representatives to vote on resolution
By Lauren R. Dorgan / Concord Monitor
Calling President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "domestic enemies," Pentagon Papers icon Daniel Ellsberg headlined a rally in Concord last night calling for their impeachment.
The rally, which drew more than 200 people to the Capitol Center for the Arts, was aimed at the New Hampshire House, which is considering a resolution that would call on Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney. The resolution may come to a vote on the House floor tomorrow.
A pre-rally reception for the House members who will vote on the resolution drew a couple of dozen, among them a few who said they were on the fence about the resolution. Rep. Betty Hall, the 87-year-old Brookline Democrat who is the measure's lone sponsor, was bullish, pumping her arms at a press conference and saying: "I think it's gonna pass."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11297
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
New Hampshire Impeachment Efforts Get Final Boost Before Vote ...
by Dan DeWalt
On April 14, close to 500 legislators and citizens packed the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord NH and sat through more than three hours of words and music making the case for the N.H. House to send an impeachment investigation resolution to the U.S. Congress. The vote will take place in the state capital on March 16.
Speaking on behalf of representative Betty Hall's HR 24 was a plethora of informed and passionate advocates; Daniel Ellsberg, John Nichols, Granny D, Phil Burk, Bob Bowman, and Paul Noel Stookey joined Hall and other regional activists in making the case that not only is it not too late to impeach, but that the danger of not impeaching would bode ill for the last months remaining of the Bush administration as well as being a severe disservice to the future of the nation.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=997
TODAY! Help pass New Hampshire's HR-24, a bill to tell Congress to Impeach (Mail list & sample message included)
by John Kennedy
We must have Impeachment Hearings before the Election. HR-24, is a resolution that will be voted on in the New Hampshire House on Wednesday, April 16th and is probably our last chance this year to have a State Legislature send a directive to Congress telling them to get busy and Impeach.
Due to special rules
April 15th, 2008 8:58 pm
Money in the Military
KOMU 8
COLUMBIA - Members of Missouri-Pro Vote and Peaceworks met outside the post office to hand out pamphlets explaining and explain how much money is spent on the American military.
For every dollar collected from the federal income tax for 2007, 43 cents was used for the military. Only 20 cents of every dollar went to health care, including Medicaid and parts of Medicare. Other areas include responses to poverty, interest and governmental operations. Education, jobs, diplomacy and foreign aid fell at the bottom of the list.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11301
April 15th, 2008 9:00 pm
Anti-war groups take to St. Louis streets to mark Tax Day
By Jo Mannies / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
While the rest of us political junkies spend Tax Return Day contemplating who will report what in their campaign-donation reports also due today, some of opponents of the Iraq War plan to spend lunch time downtown conducting what they call a “penny poll.”
“As War and Occupation takes lives in Iraq and Iran and the Bush Administration Threatens Iran with War, St. Louisans are Joining the 2008 War Tax Boycott,” one group of protesters say in a release just sent out.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11302
April 15th, 2008 9:02 pm
Peace activists withhold taxes
By Elizabeth Ganga / Journal News
Two aspects of American foreign policy in the past few years pushed Ethan and Rima Vesely-Flad to step up their protests against the government's militarism.
One was the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, when the Israelis used American-made cluster bombs in civilian areas, they said. Another was the continuing occupation of Iraq and their sense that there was no way to influence U.S. policy there.
"We've been out and marched and protested and contacted members of Congress, did all the things we were supposed to do as citizens of our democracy, and it wasn't having any effect," said Ethan Vesely-Flad, 40, who works at Fellowship of Reconciliation in Upper Nyack, a peace-and-justice group committed to nonviolence.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11303
April 15th, 2008 2:09 pm
Bush Defeats Truman
Tough But Familiar Numbers for Bush: High Disapproval on Job Performance, Iraq and Economy
By Gary Langer / ABC News
At 39 months in the doghouse, George W. Bush has surpassed Harry Truman's record as the postwar president to linger longest without majority public approval.
Bush hasn't received majority approval for his work in office in ABC News/Washington Post polls since Jan. 16, 2005 — three years and three months ago. The previous record was Truman's during his last 38 months in office.
Truman's problems included both economic recession and the war in Korea, which, in October 1952, 56 percent of Americans said was not worth fighting. Bush's approval, likewise, has suffered overwhelmingly because of the unpopular war in Iraq; his job rating correlates almost perfectly with views of the war.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11298
April 16th, 2008 2:19 pm
War and opinions collide at Inland peace vigil
By Julia Glick / Press-Enterprise
PALM SPRINGS, CA — Two groups of Vietnam-era veterans squared off at a peace vigil on the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, with bikers who support the war snatching an American flag from anti-war demonstrators in Palm Springs.
In the tumult, a war supporter stomped on the peace group's symbolic cardboard coffin and one peace activist says he was badly bruised. Both sides say they were verbally abused. And an older woman running across the street to intervene in the struggle for the flag was hit by a pickup truck. She was not seriously hurt.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11306
April 16th, 2008 2:22 am
HAFB investigating incident where F-16 fired on soldiers' SUV
By Matthew D. LaPlante / Salt Lake Tribune
Two Army soldiers, whose combat duties include working to prevent "friendly fire" mishaps, narrowly avoided harm when an F-16 fighter jet from Hill Air Force Base opened fire on their SUV while driving at the Utah Test and Training Range.
The incident occurred during a nighttime training mission April 8 in which the fighter pilot was practicing shooting at ground targets. The soldiers were not hit, but did suffer minor injuries "while exiting the vehicle in rough terrain," according to a statement from the base. The sport utility vehicle, a rental from Avis, was damaged in the incident, but base officials declined to say whether it was hit by the jet's 20mm cannon fire or crashed after the soldiers jumped out.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11304
April 15th, 2008 7:54 pm
Five Years On, Fallujah in Tatters
By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail* / IPS
FALLUJAH - Fallujah remains a crippled city years after the November 2004 U.S.-led assault.
Unemployment, and lack of medical care and safe drinking water in the city 60 km west of Baghdad remain a continuous problem. Freedom of movement is still curtailed.
Fallujah has suffered more perhaps than any other city through five years of occupation. But it got a great deal worse in 2004.
The city suffered two devastating U.S. military attacks during 2004. Many of the buildings were destroyed, or heavily damaged. Several collapsed under the heavy bombing, and were never rebuilt. The heaps of concrete slabs and piles of rubble remain where they were.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11299
Rock 'n' Recruiters Show Kids How Much the Military Rocks!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDDQuZnmHwQ&eurl=http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Monday, March 24th, 2008
So? ... A Note from Michael Moore
Friends,
It would have to happen on Easter Sunday, wouldn't it, that the 4,000th American soldier would die in Iraq. Play me that crazy preacher again, will you, about how maybe God, in all his infinite wisdom, may not exactly be blessing America these days. Is anyone surprised?
4,000 dead. Unofficial estimates are that there may be up to 100,000 wounded, injured, or mentally ruined by this war. And there could be up to a million Iraqi dead. We will pay the consequences of this for a long, long time. God will keep blessing America.
And where is Darth Vader in all this? A reporter from ABC News this week told Dick Cheney, in regards to Iraq, "two-thirds of Americans say it's not worth fighting." Cheney cut her off with a one word answer: "So?"
"So?" As in, "So what?" As in, "F*** you. I could care less."
I would like every American to see Cheney flip the virtual bird at the them, the American people. Click here and pass it around. Then ask yourself why we haven't risen up and thrown him and his puppet out of the White House.
The Democrats have had the power to literally pull the plug on this war for the past 15 months -- and they have refused to do so. What are we to do about that? Continue to sink into our despair? Or get creative? Real creative. I know there are many of you reading this who have the chutzpah and ingenuity to confront your local congressperson. Will you? For me?
Cheney spent Wednesday, the 5th anniversary of the war, not mourning the dead he killed, but fishing off the Sultan of Oman's royal yacht. So? Ask your favorite Republican what they think of that.
The Founding Fathers would never have uttered the presumptuous words, "God Bless America." That, to them, sounded like a command instead of a request, and one doesn't command God, even if they are America. In fact, they were worried God would punish America. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington feared that God would react unfavorably against his soldiers for the way they were behaving. John Adams wondered if God might punish America and cause it to lose the war, just to prove His point that America was not worthy. They and the others believed it would be arrogant on their part to assume that God would single out America for a blessing. What a long road we have traveled since then.
I see that Frontline on PBS this week has a documentary called "Bush's War." That's what I've been calling it for a long time. It's not the "Iraq War." Iraq did nothing. Iraq didn't plan 9/11. It didn't have weapons of mass destruction. It DID have movie theaters and bars and women wearing what they wanted and a significant Christian population and one of the few Arab capitals with an open synagogue.
But that's all gone now. Show a movie and you'll be shot in the head. Over a hundred women have been randomly executed for not wearing a scarf. I'm happy, as a blessed American, that I had a hand in all this. I just paid my taxes, so that means I helped to pay for this freedom we've brought to Baghdad. So? Will God bless me?
God bless all of you in this Easter Week as we begin the 6th year of Bush's War.
God help America. Please.
Michael MooreMMFlint@aol.comMichaelMoore.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=224
Register to Vote
http://www.credomobile.com/registertovote/?source=govote
State Presidential Primary and Caucus Dates
http://www.votesmart.org/election_president_state_primary_dates.php
SDS Call to Action: Endorse and Participate in Shutting Down the RNC
Friday, March 28 2008 @ 01:09 PM PDTContributed by: activateViews: 2,197
Over the past year, organizing against the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC)--which will take place from September 1 through 4 in St. Paul--has grown at a considerable pace. At our 2007 national convention, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) passed a proposal endorsing the work of groups organizing against the RNC and encouraging folks within SDS to organize against both the RNC and the DNC.
SDS Call to Action: Endorse and Participate in Shutting Down the RNC
Over the past year, organizing against the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC)--which will take place from September 1 through 4 in St. Paul--has grown at a considerable pace. At our 2007 national convention, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) passed a proposal endorsing the work of groups organizing against the RNC and encouraging folks within SDS to organize against both the RNC and the DNC.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080328130926247
Those opposed to war in Iraq invited to join vigil
04/15/2008
Ever since Feb. 15, 2003, local residents have stood on the Messalonskee Bridge on Kennedy Memorial Drive every Sunday as a way to publicly support a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Iraq.
The March 16 vigil was planned by Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice and Colby College League of Progressive Voters. It marked the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion and occupation.
It was also an opportunity to show support for the soldiers testifying at the "Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan" hearings (www.ivaw.org) at which they shared their experiences in the field and after their return.
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/view/letters/4944269.html
Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622
The Impeachment Project
http://www.freewayblogger.com/impeachment_project2.htm
FOR THE RECORD: Charlton Heston in 'Bowling for Columbine'
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/wackoattacko/president_of_NRA.php
Michael Moore winning an Oscar® and blasting Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7Is43K6lrg
Gun control advocates hold lie-ins on Drillfield and at Richmond's Capitol Square
Updated 4:40 p.m.
BLACKSBURG — They lay down on the grass of the Drillfield, roughly halfway between the places where two groups of victims lay one year ago in Norris and West Ambler Johnston halls.
In silence, the 50-some protestors stayed down for three minutes, about the time they said it takes to buy a gun.
Unlike the other vigils and ceremonies held on campus and around the region to mark the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, this one did more than commemorate the dead: It appealed to the living to do something about the ease with which guns are purchased in America.
“I have no fear of firearms,” said Peter Read, a U.S. Air Force veteran whose daughter, Mary, was one of the 32 victims of last year’s shootings on the Tech campus.
“But I am afraid of what can happen in this country when we don’t take the most simple, common sense precautions,” said Read, who spoke to about 100 people attending the protest.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/158419
On Virginia Tech anniversary, Saugus mom lobbies for changes
By Mike Gaffney/mgaffney@cnc.com
Wed Apr 16, 2008, 11:40 AM EDT
Saugus - A year after she tragically lost her son Ross in the Virginia Tech shootings, Lynnette Alameddine is fighting to support legislation that would require universities to issue campus emergency notifications in 30 minutes or less.
This Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the massacre at Virginia Tech. One of the 33 victims of the deadliest school shooting in this country’s history was Ross Alameddine, 20, a Saugus resident and college sophomore known for his sharp wit and uncanny ability to make people laugh.
In a recent interview with the Advertiser, Lynnette Alameddine declined to reflect upon Ross’s death and its affect on her family for personal reasons.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/saugus/news/x1632296582
US military deaths in Iraq at 4,036
By The Associated Press – 18 hours ago
As of Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at least 4,036 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,291 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is one higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 176 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, South Korea, one death each.
Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 29,780 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:
_ No deaths reported.
___
The latest identifications reported by the military:
_ Army Spc. Arturo Huerta-Cruz, 23, Clearwater, Fla., was killed Monday in Tuz from wounds sustained from an explosion; was assigned to the 10th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
_ Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III, 27, Lafayette, La., was killed Monday in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an explosive; was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), located at Fort Polk, La.
_ Two Marines were killed Monday during combat in Anbar province. Both were assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve's 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Milwaukee.
Killed were Cpl. Richard J. Nelson, 23, Racine, Wis.; and Lance Cpl. Dean D. Opicka, 29, Waukesha, Wis.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqgQCcv26kB1dkgZRZNHmbn_1J8gD902MNM81
Explosions kill dozens in 2 cities
Attacks linked to al Qaeda in Iraq leave at least 40 dead in Baquba and 13 in Ramadi
Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
(04-16) 04:00 PDT Baghdad - --
Bombs in two provincial capitals killed more than 50 Iraqi civilians Tuesday, underscoring the continuing threat posed by Sunni Muslim insurgents as they try to regain power in former strongholds.
Coinciding with military efforts to curb the strength of Shiite militias in Baghdad and southern Iraq, the new attacks also portend the potential hurdles ahead for the Iraqi government as U.S. troop levels decrease through the summer. Iraqi troops will take on more responsibility for holding on to security gains made in the past year, and the challenge will be formidable if both Sunni and Shiite extremists are active.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/04/16/MN9G1066IF.DTL
Nearly 60 are killed in attacks; Al-Qaida in Iraq is suspected
By ERNESTO LONDONO, Washington Post
Last update: April 15, 2008 - 11:39 PM
BAGHDAD - Two bombings killed nearly 60 people Tuesday in parts of Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi forces have claimed significant success in combating Sunni insurgent groups.
A car bombing in central Baqouba, the capital of northeastern Diyala Province, killed at least 47 people, an Iraqi military spokesman said. A suicide bomber in Ramadi, west of Baghdad in Anbar Province, killed at least 10 people at a restaurant frequented by police, according to local officials. Bombs also exploded in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul, but the U.S. command said those blasts did not cause fatalities.
http://www.startribune.com/world/17761944.html
20 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in Gaza clashes (click here)
Last update: April 16, 2008 - 7:26 PM
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - In a surge of fighting between Israeli forces and militants in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, 20 Palestinians, including a TV cameraman, and three Israeli soldiers were killed, medical officials and the Israeli army said.
The violence came after a relatively quiet month and threatened to unravel an Egyptian effort to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
continued...
State of emergency in Colorado as 3 die in wildfires
April 15, 2008
Divide, Colorado
Photographer states :: Winds whipped wild fires in several areas of Colorado on Tuesday. This fire is on the Ft. Carson base in Colorado Springs
Brush fires burning in Colorado ( click here for video )
Thousands evacuated; firefighting plane crashes during battle, killing pilot
by Audra Ensign, News2
April 16, 2008
ORDWAY — At least two people died when a wind-driven wildfires swept across the plains and forced 1,110 residents to evacuate from this southeastern Colorado town Tuesday, and a pilot was killed after a single-engine plane crashed while fighting a fire at Fort Carson Army post...
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Lightning kills horse rider as weather pounds north
South Pole Satellite
April 15, 2008
1920 gmt
New Zealand at 8 o'clock. The vortex flow is significant and it is right over the Northern Island. These vortices are ionic. They are no joke.
April 16, 2008
0025 gmt
Pacific Ocean Global Satellite
New Zealand to be noted at 7:30. it is caught in a vigorous vortex flow from the tropical Pacific to Antarctica. That has got to be a cyclone in Southeast Asia.
West Pacific Global Satellite
April 16, 2008
0015 gmt
New Zealand Satellite
April 16, 2008
0017 gmt
Six students, teacher die in raging river (click here)
...PARENTS suffered a drive through the night in New Zealand's North Island last night to discover whether their children were among seven dead in a canyoning disaster....
Kayaking on sit-on-tops down the Mangatepopo River
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)