Cold and Snow - NASA Earth Observatory (click here)...Latitude is not the only thing that influences temperature and snow cover. Arcs of cold blue and snow cut across otherwise warm, snow-free areas in Asia, Europe, and Africa. These seemingly out-of-place cold areas are mountain ranges. The Alps curve across the boot-shaped Italian peninsula like a cuff; the Pyrenees separate Spain and France; a single line of snow in northern Africa follows the Atlas Mountains; the Caucasus Mountains connect the Black and Caspian Seas in western Asia; and the Himalaya and the Tian Shan form an oval in central Asia. Higher elevations are cooler than lower elevations because of adiabatic heating....BASICALLY, while Rutgers is counting snow cover that extends around Earth it does not discriminate in regards to where snow falls 'traditionally' without Human Induced Global Warming. Although mountain tops may have snow, the quantity available as 'normal' is grossly diminished. This effects more than recreation, but, also water supply. In fact, the loss of snow is also a loss of water supply. The reality is, simply, the loss of snow is far greater where it impacts on human activity than anyone is stating in brevity.
The Philadelphia Inquirer with a focus on the less talked about aspects of Iraqi politics
2007 a Year of Weather Records in U.S.
SETH BORENSTEIN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - When the calendar turned to 2007, the heat went on and the weather just got weirder. January was the warmest first month on record worldwide , 1.53 degrees above normal. It was the first time since record-keeping began in 1880 that the globe's average temperature has been so far above the norm for any month of the year.
And as 2007 drew to a close, it was also shaping up to be the hottest year on record in the Northern Hemisphere.
U.S. weather stations broke or tied 263 all-time high temperature records, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. weather data. England had the warmest April in 348 years of record-keeping there, shattering the record set in 1865 by more than 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
It wasn't just the temperature. There were other oddball weather events. A tornado struck New York City in August, inspiring the tabloid headline: "This ain't Kansas!"
In the Middle East, an equally rare cyclone spun up in June, hitting Oman and Iran. Major U.S. lakes shrank; Atlanta had to worry about its drinking water supply. South Africa got its first significant snowfall in 25 years. And on Reunion Island, 400 miles east of Africa, nearly 155 inches of rain fell in three days , a world record for the most rain in 72 hours.
Individual weather extremes can't be attributed to global warming, scientists always
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_ap_2007ayearofweatherrecordsinus.html
New-home sales in Nov. drop to a 12-year low
One bright spot: Philadelphia-area builders say conditions here are better than in trouble spots such as Florida and California.
By Harold Brubaker
Inquirer Staff Writer
Nationwide new-home sales in November slid to their slowest pace in more than 12 years and were more than 50 percent off their peak in July 2005.
Philadelphia-area home builders said conditions were not as bad here, cautioning that trouble spots - such as Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California - were driving the national numbers.
"Things aren't as good as they once were," but the current numbers look so bleak only because the peaks of two or three years ago were so high, said Craig Poff, owner of MJJ Investments, a Chester County developer.
Overall home sales in a 13-county region around and including Philadelphia peaked in 2005 at 96,082 units. Sales were 87,468 in 2006 and 73,186 through November of this year, according to Trend, a data service used by the residential real estate industry. The figures include existing and new homes and some multifamily units.
The national numbers released yesterday by the Census Bureau included only newly built single-family houses. Last month's annual rate of 647,000 was down 9 percent from October and off 34 percent from a year ago. The peak rate in July 2005 was 1.39 million.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/homepage/20071229_New-home_sales_in_Nov__drop_to_a_12-year_low.html
Bush rejects defense measure
With Congress away, he used a "pocket veto," saying the bill could expose Iraq to costly lawsuits. Democrats fumed.
By Ben Feller
Associated Press
CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush used a "pocket veto" yesterday to reject a sweeping defense bill because of a provision that he said would expose the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era.
In a statement, Bush said the legislation "would imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts." The provision at issue was sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.).
The overall legislation sets defense policy for the coming year and approves $696 billion in spending, including $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also mandated in the bill are improved benefits for veterans and tighter oversight of contractors and weapons programs.
The pocket veto means troops will get a 3 percent raise Jan. 1 instead of the 3.5 percent authorized by the bill.
Bush's decision to use a pocket veto, announced while he was vacationing at his Texas ranch, means the legislation will die at midnight Dec. 31. This tactic for killing a bill can be used only when Congress is not in session.
The House last week adjourned until Jan. 15; the Senate returns a week later but has been holding brief, often seconds-long pro forma sessions every two or three days to prevent Bush from making appointments that otherwise would need Senate approval.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_Bush_rejects_defense_measure.html
U.S. toll in Iraq
Saturday, December 29, 2007
As of Friday, at least 3,901 members of the U.S. military had died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The latest deaths reported by the military:
Tutten, Bryan J., 33, Army Sgt., St. Augustine, Fla.
Inman, Rowdy J., 38, Army Capt., Panorama Village, Texas.
Portell, Benjamin B., 27, Army Sgt., Bakersfield
For a list of all U.S. troops who have died in Iraq, see sfgate.com/ZCQ.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/29/MNG9SU6NJG.DTL
Stable, secure Iraq, Iran's priority
Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:59:46
Iran's deputy foreign minister has said that reinforcement of stability and security in Iraq is among priorities of the Islamic Republic.
"Enemies are unable to damage amicable ties between the Iranian and Iraqi nations. Iran has always supported the democratically elected Iraqi government and has urged that others follow the Islamic Republic's favorable view of the government and people of Iraq," Mohammad-Reza Baqeri told IRNA Saturday.
Pointing to recent remarks allegedly made by the Iraqi President, Jalal Talebani, on the 1975 Algiers Accord, he added that Talebani's office had already issued a statement to the effect that his words had been distorted.
Baqeri, who is Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, said that Talebani himself had stressed the indisputable validity of the accord between the two neighbors. The Iraqi president stated that the interests of the two nations would be ensured by mutual respect for the accord.
The 1975 Algiers Accord is legal and has been duly validated by the United Nations, international legal institutions and the Iraqi and Iranian governments, the Iranian official noted, adding that it forms the basis for the stable border ties between the two countries.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=36738§ionid=351020101
Iraqi president retracts criticism of 1975 border accord with Iran
2007-12-28 18:50:15 -
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani took back his earlier statement that he does not recognize the 1975 Algiers border
accord with Iran, saying on Iranian state television Friday that the treaty remains valid.
«In my view, this agreement is not nullified,» Talabani said in Persian, the language spoken in Iran. «I'm calling
for a long-term strategic agreement between Iran and Iraq.
Talabani made the comments in an interview with the Iranian
Friday after a meeting with Iranian ambassador to Baghdad Hasan Kazemi Qomi.
The official IRNA news agency also quoted a statement released by Talabani's office Thursday as saying that the Algiers Accord was «valid» but Iraq had some «reservations» about it and wanted mutual talks with Iran for an agreement.
The fresh statements by Talabani are in sharp contrast with his earlier remarks saying he didn't recognize the Algiers Accord because it was signed between the former Shah of Iran and Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein and not between Iran and Iraq.
http://www.pr-inside.com/iraqi-president-retracts-criticism-of-r364862.htm
Iraqi govt. says Algiers Agreement still in force, seeks alternative
Voices of Iraq
Baghdad, Dec 27, 2007 (VOI) – An Iraqi presidential statement on Thursday said that the Iraqi-Iranian 1975 Algiers Accord is still in force, denying any intention by the government to cancel it, while an official spokesman said that the government is seeking an alternative to the agreement which "violates" Iraq's sovereignty.
"President Jalal al-Talabani's improvised comments were not meant to cancel the Algiers Accord between Iraq and Iran," read a presidential statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The current agreement is valid and no single party has the right to cancel or tear it up…This is a fact known by the president," the statement indicated.
"We have remarks on some items of the agreement, which will be mutually discussed by the Iranian and Iraqi sides," the statement added.
Meanwhile, an official government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, reiterated Iraq's commitment to all previously signed international agreements and revealed his government's intentions to come up with an alternative agreement.
"The Iraqi government is seeking a better alternative to the agreement, which violates Iraq's sovereignty," al-Dabbagh said.
http://uruknet.info/?p=m39593&s1=h1
IRI envoy in Baghdad calls President Talabani's remarks surprising
IRI Ambassador to Baghdad said here Wednesday Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's remarks on 1975 Algiers Agreement between Iran and Iraq are surprising.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi added, "In accordance with international norms and laws, that agreement is an official international document and such matters as regime changes, fundamental political changes in countries, and even wars cannot annual, or breach any part of them." Qomi who was speaking with Iranian media reporters in Baghdad added, "The 1975 Agreement is the foundation stone for the two countries' relations and the entire issues related to bilateral cooperation are defined keeping in mind its articles as unalterable rules."
He added, "There are many agreements, including bilateral border acts and those on officially confirmed international pathways that are included in that comprehensive agreement, annulling which would lead to the emergence of many problems."
Kazemi Qomi said, "The remarks of his eminence, who is one of Iraqi leaders that are determined to further boost comprehensive Tehran-Baghdad relations, and has a long record of combat against Saddam's tyrannical rule and objection against his war against Iran, have truly surprised many commentators, not only in Iran, but also in Iraq. --IRNA
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=575983
Man is charged in slaying of cabdriver
Ramir Steve was arraigned in the shooting of Gregory Cunningham.
By Susan Snyder
Inquirer Staff Writer
Upper Darby police yesterday charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of a cab driver on the day before Christmas, and said he boasted of the killing over the taxi's radio.
Ramir Steve was arraigned yesterday morning in the shooting of Gregory Cunningham, 42, of Clifton Heights. He was held without bail on homicide, gun and robbery charges, and his preliminary hearing was scheduled for Friday.
Police believe that the shooting, about 3 a.m. Monday, was the result of a botched robbery attempt, and that Steve fled taking only the cab driver's cell phone. The driver was found with $700 in his pocket.
"We believe it was a robbery, but apparently the cab driver resisted," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "After he shot him, he panicked and he ran."
Steve admitted shooting the driver in a written statement to police, according to the arrest affidavit. He also told police that he then drove the cab to an area near his residence and "got rid of it."
Chitwood said Steve brashly used the cab driver's two-way radio after the killing to report that Cunningham would not be showing up for his next assignment.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_Man_is_charged_in_slaying_of_cabdriver.html
Ex-Delco school supt. enters no-contest plea
She gets fine, house arrest, parole & will testify against alleged co-conspirator
By WILLIAM BENDER
Philadelphia Daily News
benderw@phillynews.com 215-854-5255
Leslye Abrutyn, the former superintendent of the Penn-Delco School District, arrived at a Media courthouse yesterday morning dressed in black with a sullen face to match.
Her attire was appropriate. A felony conviction can be death to your career.
Abrutyn, once among Delaware County's most distinguished school administrators, pleaded no contest to a serious violation of the state ethics act and agreed to testify against former school board President Keith Crego at his upcoming trial.
She admitted to giving Crego a $10,000 cash payment in the parking lot of Pennell Elementary School in 2005 to become a silent partner in Quick Start Preschools. The company ran day-care programs for Penn-Delco children - and allegedly provided Crego with an undisclosed source of income.
Standing before Judge Barry Dozer, Abrutyn mustered only a five-word apology: "I am very, very sorry."
"Anything else?" Dozer asked.
She had nothing to add.
"You have failed your oath of office," Dozer scolded her. "You have violated your public duty."
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_Ex-Delco_school_supt__enters_no-contest_plea.html
Council asks court to stop city casino A petition to the state Supreme Court seeks to halt SugarHouse from building on the riverbed.
By Jeff Shields
Inquirer Staff Writer
City Council has joined a group of state legislators in an attempt to block SugarHouse Casino from building over state-owned land underneath the Delaware River.
Council's petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court mirrors one filed by seven state legislators from Philadelphia on Wednesday - saying Mayor Street's Commerce Department improperly licensed SugarHouse to build on submerged state land.
The petition asks the court to stop SugarHouse immediately from building on the state-owned riverbed and piers, which take up 12 of SugarHouse's 22 acres on Delaware Avenue at Shackamaxon Street on the Fishtown-Northern Liberties border.
SugarHouse has not started construction but says it plans to by mid-January.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_Council_asks_court_to_stop_city_casino_A_petition_to_the_state_Supreme_Court_seeks_to_halt_SugarHouse_from_building_on_the_riverbed_.html
New window on hope
By Robert Moran
Inquirer Staff Writer
Lucky, a docile pit bull mix, took a tour of the new pet adoption center in Old City and seemed most fascinated by the windows - more precisely, by what was on the other side.
People. Cars. Dogs on leashes. Life, basically.
And the people strolling by the storefront at Second and Arch Streets couldn't help but stop and check out the cute doggie in the window.
That's the idea.
Next month, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) will open what it hopes will be the first of several "boutique" sites around the city designed to encourage pet adoptions.
As people peered through one of the large windows on Arch at Lucky and his wagging tail, PAWS chief executive officer Tara Derby could barely contain her excitement.
"This is why the adoption center is very cool," she said.
PAWS is the fund-raising and outreach arm of the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association, which is contracted by the city to cage and euthanize stray and unwanted animals.
The association has been successful in boosting the number of adoptions in the last few years. In 2004, it recorded 3,433. So far this year: 7,475 through November.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20071229_New_window_on_hope.html
Advice: No shame in helping police.
Hoops star can relate to Evans' gang fears
By Keith Pompey
Inquirer Staff Writer
College basketball star Tyrone Lewis knows about gang violence and the dangers that accompany it.
A potential target in a gang-related incident in 2006 while he was in high school, Lewis has some advice for Tyreke Evans, the American Christian high school star immersed in his own gang-related drama.
"I can tell him, 'Don't be ashamed,' " Lewis, a sophomore guard at Niagara University in New York, said of Evans' cooperating with the Chester Township police investigation. "As far as the gangs, watch who you hang out with."
Lewis, who was forced to miss his high school graduation because of gang-related death threats, also advised Evans to ignore the idea that snitching on family or friends involved in crimes is wrong.
"If he just stays positive and doesn't worry about that situation, he'll be fine," Lewis said. "My best advice I can tell him as far as family members [blaming Evans], you are supposed to trust and feel safe around them."
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071229_Advice__No_shame_in_helping_police_.html
The bells: One more time
What a fine dining year it's been: A maturing Philadelphia scene enjoys confident second restaurants, exciting neighborhood action, Belgian pubs, and more tasty surprises.
By Craig LaBan
Inquirer Restaurant Critic
This was the year of the second restaurant, the Vetri offspring, and the Belgian bistro boom. The plates got smaller. The wines came by the glass. And pork bellies became the new short rib.
No, none of the new stars were able to quite crack the city's four-bell restaurant elite. But 2007, in many ways, was a year in which Philadelphia's dining scene grew in significant ways. With the usually noisy Stephen Starr machine momentarily quiet, the next generation stepped to the fore with big ambitions.
Jose Garces, whom I am tagging my Chef of the Year, proved with the exquisite small plates at Tinto (his smash-hit Rittenhouse pintxo bar) that Amada was no tapas fluke. We'll be hearing much more from this young Latin maestro soon, as he expands his empire to West Philadelphia and beyond (like his hometown, Chicago).
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/20071230_The_bells__One_more_time.html
Zoo says tiger wall 4 feet lower than advised
By Jordan Robertson
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO - The director of the San Francisco Zoo, where a teenager was killed by an escaped tiger, acknowledged yesterday that the wall around the tiger's pen was just 12 feet, 5 inches high - well below the height recommended by the main accrediting agency for U.S. zoos.
The zoo director, Manuel A. Mollinedo, also said it was becoming increasingly clear that the 350-pound Siberian tiger leaped or climbed out of her open-air enclosure Christmas Day, perhaps by grabbing onto a ledge.
"She had to have jumped," he said. "How she was able to jump that high is amazing to me."
Mollinedo said investigators had ruled out a theory that the tiger escaped through a door behind the exhibit.
According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the walls around a tiger exhibit should be at least 16.4 feet high. But Mollinedo said the wall at the zoo's big-cat enclosure was 12 feet, 5 inches, with a moat 33 feet across.
He said safety inspectors had examined the wall, which dates to 1940, and never raised any red flags about its size.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/20071228_Zoo_says_tiger_wall_4_feet_lower_than_advised.htmlcontinued...
Prisoner of fear David Hicks walks free but is plagued by fears his life is in peril.
Freedom ... David Hicks being driven away from Yatala Labour Prison yesterday morning at the completion of his sentence.Photo: Shannon Morris
David Hicks released from prison
2007-12-29 12:39:25
Hicks's lawyer read a statement from the convicted terrorism supporter as he left prison in Adelaide today(02:11)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=34308The Sydney Morning Herald interspersed with The International Herald Tribune
Scores missing after Java landslides
2007-12-30 10:07:14
Rescuers in Indonesia's Central Java Province search through rubble and mud after landslides leave many dead or missing.(01:11)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=34312
Mother and baby among dead pulled from mud of Indonesian landslides
The Associated Press
Published: December 28, 2007
LEDOKSARI, Indonesia: Rescuers pulled the lifeless bodies of a mother clutching her baby from an Indonesian village devastated by landslides, causing exhausted onlookers to break down in tears Friday, witnesses said.
At least 87 people were killed or feared dead after torrential rain sent hillsides crashing in several districts on Java island Wednesday. Burst river banks forced tens of thousands more to flee their homes.
Soldiers, police and villagers have worked around the clock to recover bodies. With flooding blocking heavy equipment from reaching the disaster zone, most were using their bare hands or shovels to dig.
"We hope to finish soon," said Heru Aji Pratomo, the head of the local disaster coordinating agency, as six more bodies were pulled from beneath crumpled homes in the hardest hit village of Ledoksari.
A 24-year-old mother clinging to her 7-month-old baby were among them, witnesses said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/28/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Landslides.php
Campers queue to flee island as storm nears
Eamonn Duff, Sarah Price and AAP
December 30, 2007
THOUSANDS of campers fled Fraser Island yesterday in an attempt to beat the 90kmh winds and big swells expected to lash the Queensland coastline.
An intense low-pressure system about 480kilometres east-north-east of Fraser Island is forecast to produce abnormally high tides of up to six metres on the island today. Beaches on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast were also expected to be hit.
Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts asked Fraser Island's 3000 campers to make an "orderly exit". Police were prepared to remove stragglers forcibly if necessary, he said.
Anita Cope, 30, was staying with eight others in a holiday house. Word reached them on Friday of the impending storm. "The caretaker came to the door and informed us that police were recommending we all depart immediately," she said.
"They said that if we left it to Saturday, tides could be too high and we might not get off the island in time. As we left, we could see everyone packing up. There was a massive line for the barges."
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gavin Holcombe said the low was expected to remain off Fraser Island until lunchtime today, then drift north-west, parallel to the coast.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/29/1198778769202.html
We're using less water than in 1974
Lisa Carty
December 30, 2007
SYDNEYSIDERS, take a bow - you're using less water now than you did way back in 1974 despite a booming population.
Startling new Sydney Water figures show its customers - the people of Sydney, the Illawarra and Blue Mountains - have had amazing success at cutting their water use, despite a population increase of 1.2million.
In 1974, daily use per person was 464litres. In 2006-07, it was 328litres.
In 2006-07, Sydney Water supplied households and businesses with 510billion litres, ninebillion litres less than it supplied in 1974.
Water Utilities Minister Nathan Rees praised the efforts of residents who have taken water conservation so seriously.
"We're using the same amount of water as we did a generation ago and that's testament to Sydneysiders' water awareness and sensitivity," Mr Rees said.
"There's been a major turnaround in the last 10 years from people thinking restrictions were an impost to people being very aware and supportive.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/sydney-takes-water-use-seriously/2007/12/29/1198778767616.html
Debtors face loss of home
Daniel Dasey
December 30, 2007
CONSUMERS who default on their post-Christmas credit-card bills could swiftly be declared bankrupt and have their homes auctioned to meet their debts as the banking sector tightens the screws.
Advocacy group, the Consumer Credit Legal Centre, has seen a rise in the number of cases where banks are shunning traditional ways of retrieving money, such as garnishing pay and repossessing goods.
Instead many lenders are immediately starting bankruptcy proceedings against defaulting customers, whose houses are seized and sold.
"It scares the hell out of me," said Katherine Lane, principal solicitor of the Consumer Credit Legal Centre. "If debt-collection practices become harsher, we're just going to see more desperate people."
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/12/29/1198778769217.html
2007 - the year for weak house prices in Sydney, especially out west
Sarah Price
December 30, 2007
AUSTRALIAN residential property prices continued to climb in 2007 but Sydney was a weak performer against other capital cities, with Adelaide and Brisbane outstripping it by more than double.
Nationally, house prices increased by 11.97percent over the past year to November and unit prices grew by 14.25percent, figures released by RP Data show.
In Sydney, house prices grew by 7.79percent while prices for units grew by 9.23percent. The eastern suburbs, inner city, lower northern Sydney, the North Shore and the northern beaches had the highest growth. But in Liverpool, Fairfield and outer western Sydney, prices remained flat, which RP Data attributed to "ongoing financial pressures in mortgage-belt areas".
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/property-a-weak-performer/2007/12/29/1198778769173.html
Cyprus to join euro zone
2007-12-30 10:26:05
Cyprus joins the euro on January 1 but Cypriots have mixed views about the new currency.(01:29)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=34314
Cyprus' isolated north will be enthusiastic — if unofficial — euro users
The Associated Press
Published: December 28, 2007
NICOSIA, Cyprus: Cyprus' adoption of the euro on Tuesday will not officially apply to Turkish Cypriot clothing merchant Kemal Altuncuoglu — or to anyone else living in the breakaway north of the Mediterranean island.
But Altuncuoglu and his compatriots, chafing at decades of isolation, will be among the euro's most enthusiastic new users, even as the Turkish lira remains their primary currency when the Greek-speaking south adopts the euro on Jan. 1.
"We can give change in euros, no problem," the 44-year-old Altuncuolgu said, tapping on his calculator to convert the price of a blouse from lira to euros.
"We don't feel like we're being left out," Altuncuoglu said at his shop, tucked within the 16th-Century walled old city of Nicosia, the divided capital of both communities. "We feel European."
Businesses in the north — many of which already take euros or Greek Cypriot pounds, particulary the casinos — are taking a euro-friendly stance. Some have even called for unilaterally adopting the euro, which also goes into use in Malta on Jan. 1 to bring the number of countries using the currency to 15.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/28/business/EU-FIN-Cyprus-Euro.php>
Maltese still hoarding local currency ahead of euro adoption
29 December 2007, 23:59 CET
(VALLETTA) - Some 466 million euros (680 million dollars) in Maltese liri is being hoarded in people's homes, Malta's bank chief said Saturday, just two days before the island nation enters the eurozone.
Central bank governor Michael Bonello said one of the difficulties Malta had on its way to joining the euro was "the high volume of money in circulation."
"However from a high of 1,165 million euros worth of Maltese liri in circulation in 2005, over 656 million euros have entered again into the system," he said.
Joseph Zahra, chairman of the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC), said he was satisfied even if "sometimes there was tension in the Committee between representatives of the consumers and those of the retailers."
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198938722.01
Kenya's opposition claims victory
2007-12-30 10:22:49
Delays in Kenya's presidential election poll ignite ethnic violence and rows over vote rigging.(02:11)
http://media.smh.com.au/?category=Breaking%20News&rid=34314
Riots erupt across Kenya as rivals declare victory
By Jeffrey Gettleman
Published: December 29, 2007
NAIROBI, Kenya: With the results from Kenya's closely contested elections still up in the air and evidence growing of election mischief, riots erupted across the country on Saturday.
Columns of black smoke boiled up from the slums ringing Nairobi, the capital, as supporters of Raila Odinga, the leading presidential challenger, poured into the streets to protest what they said was a plot by the government to steal the vote.
The demonstrators clashed with police officers in riot gear and tore apart metal shanties with their bare hands. The scene replayed itself in Kisumu, Kakamega, Kajiado, Eldoret and other towns across Kenya, with several people killed.
Just 12 hours before, Odinga, a flamboyant politician and businessman, had been cruising to victory, according to preliminary results. He was leading Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, by about one million votes in an election that was predicted to be the most fiercely fought in Kenya's history and perhaps the greatest test yet of this young, multiparty democracy.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/29/africa/30kenya.php
Men told to get a wriggle on and end the sperm drought
Louise Hall Health Reporter
December 30, 2007
INFERTILE couples desperate to have children are facing agonising waits for donated sperm. The Royal Hospital for Women has had no new sperm donors for more than 12 months.
Reproductive specialists say attracting enough men to satisfy demand has always been difficult, and waiting lists are longer because of the growing number of childhood cancer survivors rendered infertile by treatment. The dwindling stocks are also sought by single women and same-sex couples.
The director of the hospital's department of reproductive medicine, Stephen Steigrad, said at least 20 men who had undergone aggressive cancer treatments requested donor insemination for their partners every year. Without new donors, the service would have to be stopped within six months.
The Centre for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick says one in 900 Australians aged between 16 and 45 has survived childhood cancer.
Changes to NSW legislation this month requiring donors to register their names on a mandatory central register had turned potential donors off, said Professor Michael Chapman, from IVF Australia, which has a waiting list of two years.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill guarantees children access to their father's name, date of birth, education and medical information once they turn 18. It may also require details of the donor's partner and other children to be listed.
"Previously men could donate knowing there was no way they were going to get a knock on their door," Professor Chapman said. "Now men are less likely to donate."
Dr Anne Clark, from Fertility First Hurstville, said the sperm shortage would be compounded by the new laws, which legislate that one man's sperm can go to only five families, down from 10.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/men-told-to-get-a-wriggle-on/2007/12/29/1198778769196.html
Swim with sharks in bite-proof suit
Taste test … sharks investigate the Neptunic C steel-mesh suit designed by Jeremiah Sullivan.
Photo: Austral Press
Advertisement
Frank Walker
December 30, 2007
IT'S the latest in high-tech shark protection for divers - and it's only $US20,000 ($22,886).
The makers of the Neptunic C Suit, made from steel mesh, titanium and hybrid laminates, say it can withstand shark bites. But they warn a bite may still cause broken bones.
This is not the first attempt at a shark-proof suit. In the early 1980s, famed Australian shark experts Ron and Valerie Taylor had a suit made from the steel mesh that butchers use to protect their hands.
The Neptunic's creator, diver and photographer Jeremiah Sullivan, said he consulted the Taylors, among others, early on in the project and they "took part in some preliminary trials".
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/swim-with-sharks-in-biteproof-suit/2007/12/29/1198778769208.html
Rebels keep rescue teams guessing on hostages
Nelson Bocanegra Villavicencio, Colombia
December 30, 2007
VENEZUELAN helicopter rescue teams, which include filmmaker Oliver Stone, were waiting at the edge of a Colombian wilderness yesterday for permission from Marxist rebels to pick up three hostages held for years in secret jungle camps.
After weeks of promising to release two former politicians and the infant son born to one of them in captivity, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has still not revealed their location.
President Hugo Chavez of neighbouring Venezuela sent two helicopters into Colombia on Friday, but they remain grounded in Villavicencio, at the foot of the Andes in central Colombia.
Stone, who is making a documentary about Latin America, is with Mr Chavez to observe the mission. Although wary of Mr Chavez and his goal of uniting South America under socialism, Colombia's conservative Government let him fly Venezuelan aircraft painted with the colours of the Red Cross deep into its territory to collect the hostages.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/rebels-keep-rescue-teams-guessing-on-hostages/2007/12/29/1198778769280.html
Bhutto assassination adds to global jitters
Robert Gavin
December 29, 2007
The assassination of the Pakistani Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is adding to recession fears already shaking investors in global financial and commodity markets.
With the US economy viewed as dangerously close to recession, analysts said any new shocks, such as another surge in energy prices, could tip it over the edge.
Ms Bhutto's killing in Pakistan on Thursday is another reminder of global instability helping to send fuel prices higher and stocks sharply lower.
"People want to believe the economy is going to be OK," said Nigel Gault, the US economist at Global Insight. "But any hint of bad news and fear takes over very quickly."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged nearly 200 points, or 1.4 per cent, on Thursday following Ms Bhutto's death at the hands of a suicide bomber and reports of weakness in US business spending and hiring.
http://business.smh.com.au/bhutto-assassination-adds-to-global-jitters/20071228-1jcz.html
Gold price to continue rising in 2008
December 29, 2007 - 7:27AM
The price of gold is set to remain high in 2008, putting it on track to break $US1,000 an ounce for the first time, as the yellow metal continues to offer investors a safe haven from volatile financial markets and supply remains tight.
During 2007, the price of gold has traded in a $US243.50 range, from a low of $US601.90 in January and a high of $845.40 in November, as investors sought a hedge against rising global inflation and equity, debt and foreign exchange markets wobbled.
In 2008, gold is tipped to rise to a 28-year high of $US850 in the first quarter as financial markets jitters prevail, and could reach as high as $US1,100 by December, market watchers say.
http://news.smh.com.au/gold-price-to-continue-rising-in-2008/20071229-1jev.htmlcontinued...
Exclusive Video: Benazir Bhutto (click here for interview while placed under house arrest). "There is a great danger to nuclear armed Pakistan. There is a great danger of implosion... Any arrest of Presidential Candidates were more oppression by Musharraf in an attempt to muscle them into silence and discredit their character.
US Senator Hillary Clinton, seen here 27 December 2007, called for an independent, international probe into Benazir Bhutto's murder, saying Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's government had no credibility. (AFP/File)Call for Bhutto inquiry (click here)
Ellen Wulfhorst Story City, Iowa
December 30, 2007 US DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has called for an international investigation into the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto as presidential candidates from the Democrat and Republican parties sparred over foreign policy six days before the 2008 election race begins in Iowa.
Mrs Clinton, in a three-way battle with Barack Obama and John Edwards for the lead in Iowa - the first of the primaries that launch the race - questioned the credibility of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
And she said Ms Bhutto's murder cast a harsh light on US President George Bush's approach in the region. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is a vital ally in the US war on terrorism.
"It is clear the Bush policy of giving Musharraf a blank cheque has failed," the New York senator said in north-central Iowa....
Poll boycott … Imran Khan speaks out against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf.Photo: AP (click at title to entry. thank you.)Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Posted on Thu, Dec. 27, 2007
Impeach Cheney now
The allegations that he abused power are credible.
U.S. Reps. Robert Wexler (D., Fla.), Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.) and Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.)
are members of the Judiciary Committee
Last month, the House of Representatives voted to send a resolution of impeachment of Vice President Cheney to the Judiciary Committee. As members of the House Judiciary Committee, we strongly believe these important hearings should begin.
The issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that, if proven, may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors under the Constitution. The allegations against Cheney relate to his deceptive actions leading up to the Iraq war, the revelation of the identity of a covert agent for political retaliation, and the illegal wiretapping of American citizens.
Now that former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has indicated that the vice president and his staff purposely gave him false information about the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson as a covert agent to report to the American people, it is even more important for Congress to investigate what may have been an intentional obstruction of justice. Congress should call McClellan to testify about what he described as being asked to "unknowingly [pass] along false information." In addition, recent revelations have shown that the administration, including the vice president, may have again manipulated and exaggerated evidence about weapons of mass destruction - this time about Iran's nuclear capabilities.
Some of us were in Congress during the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton. We spent a year and a half listening to testimony about Clinton's personal relations. This must not be the model for impeachment inquiries. A Democratic Congress can show that it takes its constitutional authority seriously and hold a sober investigation, which will stand in stark contrast to the kangaroo court convened by Republicans for Clinton. In fact, the worst legacy of the Clinton impeachment - where the GOP pursued trumped-up and insignificant allegations - would be if it discourages future Congresses from examining credible and significant allegations of a constitutional nature when they arise.
The charges against Cheney are not personal. They go to the core of the actions of this administration, and deserve consideration in a way the Clinton scandal never did. The American people understand this, and a majority supports hearings, according to a Nov. 13 poll by the American Research Group. In fact, 70 percent of voters say the vice president has abused his powers, and 43 percent say he should be removed from office right now. The American people understand the magnitude of what has been done and what is at stake if we fail to act. It is time for Congress to catch up.
Some people argue that the Judiciary Committee cannot proceed with impeachment hearings because it would distract Congress from passing important legislative initiatives. We disagree. First, hearings need not tie up Congress for a year and shut down the nation. Second, hearings will not prevent Congress from completing its other business. These hearings involve the possible impeachment of the vice president - not of our commander in chief - and the resulting impact on the nation's business and attention would be significantly less than the Clinton presidential impeachment hearings. Also, even though President Bush has thwarted moderate Democratic policies that are supported by a vast majority of Americans - including children's health care, stem-cell research, and bringing our troops home from Iraq - the Democratic Congress has already managed to deliver a minimum-wage increase, an energy bill to address the climate crisis and bring us closer to energy independence, assistance for college tuition, and other legislative successes. We can continue to deliver on more of our agenda in the coming year while simultaneously fulfilling our constitutional duty by investigating and publicly revealing whether Cheney has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.
Holding hearings would put the evidence on the table, and the evidence - not politics - should determine the outcome. Even if the hearings do not lead to removal from office, putting these grievous abuses on the record is important for the sake of history. For an administration that has consistently skirted the Constitution and asserted that it is above the law, it is imperative for Congress to make clear that we do not accept this dangerous precedent. Our Founding Fathers provided Congress the power of impeachment for just this reason, and we must now at least consider using it.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20071227_Impeach_Cheney_now.html
'War Criminals'
"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence..." -- Kurt Daims
December 29th, 2007 3:45 am
Vermont town seeks Bush, Cheney arrests
By Dave Gram / Associated Press
MONTPELIER, Vt. - President Bush may soon have a new reason to avoid left-leaning Vermont: In one town, activists want him subject to arrest for war crimes.
A group in Brattleboro is petitioning to put an item on a town meeting agenda in March that would make Bush and Vice President Cheney subject to arrest and indictment if they visit the southeastern Vermont community.
"This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they're supposed to do," said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive.
As president, Bush has visited every state except Vermont.
The town meeting, an annual exercise in which residents gather to vote on everything from fire department budgets to municipal policy, requires about 1,000 signatures to place a binding item on the agenda.
The measure asks: "Shall the Selectboard instruct the Town Attorney to draft indictments against President Bush and Vice President Cheney for crimes against our Constitution, and publish said indictment for consideration by other municipalities?"
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10614
Monday, December 24th, 2007
Will Brattleboro Indict Bush? ...by Dan DeWalt
Brattleboro Vermont resident Kurt Daims has drafted a ballot question petition calling for the town to indict George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for crimes against the Constitution, and making it the law that if either man comes to town, he would be liable to arrest.
Some will say that this is just another unenforceable ordinance at best, and an absurdity at worst. Others worry that it will detract from the gravity of the impeachment movement as it stands today, on the cusp of forcing hearings in the House Judiciary Committee. The argument will be made that such "extreme" rhetorical proclamations only serve to divide us further from each other, marginalizing the demand for accountability, rather than promoting it.
Upon reflection, these arguments can be answered and laid to rest.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=949
December 27th, 2007 5:25 pm
Professor Cites Bible in Faulting Tax Policies
By David Cay Johnston / New York Times
At a time when some voters are asking how the religious views of candidates will shape their policies, a professor’s discovery of how little tax the biggest landowners in her state paid to finance the government has prompted some other legal scholars to scour religious texts to explore the moral basis of tax and spending policies.
The professor, Susan Pace Hamill, is an expert at tax avoidance for small businesses and teaches at the University of Alabama Law School. She also holds a degree in divinity from a conservative evangelical seminary, where her master’s thesis explored how Alabama’s tax-and-spend policies comport with the Bible.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10606
December 27th, 2007 5:59 pm
State Democrats renew Bush impeachment effort
By Brad Shannon / The Olympian
The prime backer of a state resolution urging Congress to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney plans to return to the state Capitol in January with a slightly revised proposal.
Meanwhile, a South Sound group calling itself Citizens Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney is gearing up for an "impeachment party" Friday in Olympia.
State Sen. Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland, said Wednesday he is amending his Senate Joint Memorial 8016 to make its intent clearer.
Democratic Sen. Darlene Fairley, who chairs the Senate committee that will hear the bill, expects to give it a hearing and bring it up for a vote in the legislative session that begins Jan. 14.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10607
December 27th, 2007 6:13 pm
A Walking Call to Impeach Bush Arrives in the East Village
By Julie Bolcer / Village Voice
John Nirenberg would walk 500 miles. And it sounds like he would walk 500 more. But unlike the persistent pop tune by The Proclaimers, he refuses to be the man who falls down at Nancy Pelosi’s door.
Nirenberg, a hearty New York City native and current resident of Brattelboro, Vermont, intends to be standing when he reaches Washington, D.C. around January 10, at the conclusion of a scheduled 40-day walk that began in Boston on December 1. This fall, the 60-year-old professor of organizational behavior and Air Force veteran decided to traverse Route 1 on foot to implore House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to begin impeachment proceedings against President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
“It was about a whole collection of issues around the Constitution and the behavior of this administration,” explains Nirenberg, who finds that his sense of outrage and jogging background help him complete 15 miles per day. “Especially the torture issue, the spying, and an illegal war. All of this, at some point, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided that I needed to do something different.”
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10608
December 26th, 2007 4:45 pm
In Kentucky’s Teeth, Toll of Poverty and Neglect
By Ian Urbina / New York Times
BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — In the 18 years he has been visiting nursing homes, seeing patients in his private practice and, more recently, driving his mobile dental clinic through Appalachian hills and hollows, Dr. Edwin E. Smith has seen the extremes of neglect.
He has seen the shame of a 14-year-old girl who would not lift her head because she had lost most of her teeth from malnutrition, and the do-it-yourself pride of an elderly mountain man who, unable to afford a dentist, pulled his own infected teeth with a pair of pliers.
He has seen the brutal result of angry husbands hitting their wives and the end game of pill-poppers who crack healthy teeth, one by one, to get dentists to prescribe pain medications.
But mostly he has seen everyday people who are too busy putting food on the table to worry about oral hygiene. Many of them savor their sweets, drink well water without fluoride and long ago started ruining their teeth by chewing tobacco and smoking.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10603
December 25th, 2007 5:12 pm
Congressman calls for Cheney's impeachment
By Lesley Clark / McClatchy NewspapersWASHINGTON -- Rep. Robert Wexler is taking on the Bush administration -- in cyberspace.
The Boca Raton Democrat has launched a website -- wexlerwantshearings.com -- and is gathering signatures calling for impeachment hearings against Vice President Dick Cheney.
''Our Constitution mandates that the House of Representatives hold presidents and vice presidents accountable when they commit high crimes,'' Wexler says in a video on the site, which suggests, among other things, that Cheney manipulated intelligence to boost the case for war against Iraq and was involved in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame.
Within two days of posting, Wexler said he had surpassed his goal of 50,000 signatures and is aiming for 250,000. He's written an op-ed article with two fellow members of the House Judiciary committee, calling for hearings into whether Cheney violated the Constitution.
Though the push is, as Wexler acknowledges, a ''huge uphill battle,'' because House leadership has not been interested, the quest has made him a favorite of left-leaning activists.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10599
Imagine Peace
http://www.imaginepeace.com/news.html
Pakistan police left posts prior to attack
Pakistan interior ministry
"It is the most unstable country in the world that has nuclear weapons."
December 28th, 2007 1:17 pm
Police absent as Bhutto's supporters riot
Witness tells of chaos after slaying
By Saeed Shah / McClatchy NewspapersRAWALPINDI, Pakistan — It was on the drive out of the downtown park that the assassin fired the fatal bullets at Benazir Bhutto.
The election rally had been long and lackluster, but on viewing the crowd gathered at the gates of Liaquat Bagh park, Bhutto turned to her deputy, Amin Fahim, and said she wanted to wave, Fahim recounted. The sunroof was opened and she stood up.
Three to five shots were fired at her, witnesses said. She was hit in the neck and slumped back in the vehicle. Blood poured from her head, and she never regained consciousness. Moments after the shooting, there was a huge explosion to the left of the vehicle.
Witnesses said that Bhutto's bodyguards pounced on the assassin, who then blew himself up, shredding those around him. The road turned red with pools of blood.
Police abandoned posts
"I was standing near the rally stage, about 30 to 40 yards away from the scene of the shooting. There was pandemonium. On hearing the shots, I started running toward the scene. Then came the explosion. I ran back a bit. I didn't see the killer, and by the time I got to the gates, Bhutto's SUV was driving to a Rawalpindi hospital. She didn't have a chance," Fahim said.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10609
December 28th, 2007 1:37 pm
Pakistani government pins Bhutto death on al-Qaeda
By Randy Lilleston / USA Today
Al-Qaeda is to blame for Thursday's assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a government spokesman just said at a news conference.
The government has intercepted an e-mail between al-Qaeda operatives, congratulating one for successfully executing the attack, Interior Ministry spokesman Jared Iqbal Cheema just told reporters.
Cheema also said Bhutto had "no foreign element in her body" when she was brought to a hospital, raising questions about what killed her.
Various reports have said she was struck by bomb shrapnel or shot; CNN reports that no autopsy was performed on Bhutto before she was buried earlier today.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10610
December 28th, 2007 2:16 pm
Bhutto 'died after hitting head on car roof', Pakistan government claims
By Jenny Booth / Times of London
The Pakistan Government tonight claimed that Benazir Bhutto did not die from bullet wounds, as previously thought, but from hitting the sunroof of her campaign vehicle.
The dramatic statement came as the murdered political leader's funeral drew to a close and the violence that has convulsed the country since her death intensified.
The interior ministry said at a press conference that video of Ms Bhutto's last moments and an examination by doctors had shown that Ms Bhutto died apparently accidentally, as a suicide bomb blast went off at her political rally in Rawalpindi last night, killing around 20 people. No full post mortem examination had been carried out at the request of Ms Bhutto's husband, it was reported.
Brigadier Javed Cheema, a ministry spokesman, said Ms Bhutto had died from a head wound after smashing against the sunroof’s lever as she tried to shelter inside her car. "There is no evidence of any foreign element in her body," Brigadier Cheema said. "No bullet hit her, nor any splinters hit her. Unfortunately, it was to be that way.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10612
December 28th, 2007 1:42 pm
"Failed state" Pakistan raises nuclear threat
By Luke Baker / Reuters
LONDON - Security experts fear Pakistan's nuclear materials could fall into the hands of Islamic militants as the country's instability deepens in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
In early 2005, a joint security assessment by the CIA and the U.S. National Intelligence Council predicted Pakistan would become "a failed state, ripe with civil war, bloodshed, inter-provincial rivalries and a struggle for control of its nuclear weapons and complete Talibanisation" by 2015.
Following Bhutto's death in Rawalpindi on Thursday, some experts believe the timeframe on that assessment may now have been brought forward, with political upheaval pitching Pakistan, a nuclear-armed power since 1998, towards breakdown.
"It's a very, very valid risk," said M.J. Gohel, the head of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a London-based security and intelligence think-tank, describing the possibility that parts of Pakistan's nuclear technology could fall into militant hands.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10611
"We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests." -- Bhutto security adviser Rehman Malik
Bhutto party complained of faulty jammers at least three times
InternationalPPP claims govt provided faulty jammers to Bhutto
Islamabad (PTI): Former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto-led PPP on Tuesday alleged that the jammers provided to her by the government to protect her from bomb attacks during the election campaign were faulty and exposed her to a "high risk."
Rehman Malik, a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader and Security Advisor to Bhutto, asked the Interior Ministry to provide "fault-free jammers along with a technician to ensure full protection" to her from any attempted attack.
This is the third time that the PPP has complained to the Interior Ministry about jammers provided to Bhutto being faulty. Bhutto survived a suicide bomb attack on her homecoming rally in Karachi on October 18 that killed 140 people.
In his letter to the Interior Secretary, Malik, a former Federal Investigation Agency chief, said: "I regret to inform that the jammers provided by Sindh Police to cover the movements of Benazir Bhutto on 23-12-2007 did not work, which is a serious lapse in the light of the serious security threat already conveyed to us by Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema, Director General, National Crisis Management Cell, Ministry of Interior."
"Similarly, the jammers provided for the protection of Benazir Bhutto during her trip to Rahimyar Khan on 24-12-2007 also failed to work, exposing (her) to a high risk."
Malik said the PPP had "made repeated requests for provision of proper fault-free jammers for the protection of Benazir Bhutto but in every trip the jammers have failed to work."
Bhutto is currently busy campaigning for her party for the January 8 general election in the country.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200712251923.htm
Bhutto Adviser
Bhutto Adviser: Musharraf Is To Blame
By Spencer Ackerman - December 27, 2007, 10:32AM
A longtime adviser and close friend of assassinated Pakistani ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto places blame for Bhutto's death squarely on the shoulders of U.S.-supported dictator Pervez Musharraf.
After an October attack on Bhutto's life in Karachi, the ex-prime minister warned "certain individuals in the security establishment [about the threat] and nothing was done," says Husain Haqqani, a confidante of Bhutto's for decades. "There is only one possibility: the security establishment and Musharraf are complicit, either by negligence or design. That is the most important thing. She's not the first political leader killed, since Musharraf took power, by the security forces."
Haqqani notes that Bhutto died of a gunshot wound to the neck. "It's like a hit, not a regular suicide bombing," he says. "It's quite clear that someone who considers himself Pakistan's Godfather has a very different attitude toward human life than you and I do."
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004985.php
December 27th, 2007 11:10 am
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto killed in suicide attack, about 20 killed
By Sadaqat Jan and Zarar Khan / Associated Press
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed Thursday in a suicide attack as she drove away from a campaign rally just minutes after addressing thousands of supporters, aides said.
The death of the charismatic former prime minister threw the campaign for the Jan. 8 election into chaos and created fears of mass protests and an eruption of violence across the volatile south Asian nation.
It left a void at the top of her Pakistan People's Party, the largest political group in the country. It also threw into turmoil U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to bring stability to this key U.S. ally by reconciling her and President Pervez Musharraf.
Shortly after Bhutto's death, Musharraf convened an emergency meeting with his senior staff, where they were expected to discuss whether to postpone the election, an official at the Interior Ministry said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10604continued...
Benazir Bhutto was and continues to be the most powerful woman the world of Islam has ever known. She was completely unique in her rise to power thru her birthright from her father. She is irreplaceable and why her will and spirit will live forever. She received attentions of the finest minds in the world as she was mentored to leadership for Pakistan. She alone was capable of peace with India, hence, capable of bringing widespread peace with Islam and the International Community, revering Muslim women to a new standard and ending forever the terrorist networks that flourish under less able men.In the prime of her life, rising to the very need she was born, she bravely went to Pakistan to liberate the people from the dictator, Musharraf. She was first killed with an assassin's bullet, fell back into the car sustaining tissue and bone injuries, then the bomb blast followed.It was a perfectly orchestrated assassination and the gunman could not believe his luck as she stood to wave to her supporters. The car bomb was in place and was to be the weapon that was al-Qaeda's best option, but, in the joyous moment of democracy at work, she stood through a sunroof because she believed she was finally safe. While inside the rally she was safe. She was protected by those that saw all that attended were disarmed while gathered in democratic principles of assembly. That 'feeling' of a long desired safety for her, her followers and campaign organizers carried to the street upon her departure and unknowingly she exposed herself to 'street danger' of well laid plans.The responsiblity for Benazir's death lies directly on the lack of security afforded her. She should have been protected no different than any candidate running for the presidency of the USA. But, she wasn't. Both Bush and Musharraf could not care less of the outcome to the elections. Bush's former UN Ambassador, John Bolton on talk shows, not more than a couple weeks ago stated, Musharraf while not perfect was the best option for Pakistan. A coup leader, according to Bush, was the best option for Pakistan.Anyone in observation of Musharraf knew his ability to mask the truth all too well....
Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto tours the Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Dargarh, a Sufi shrine, in Ajmer in Rajasthan state, 27 November 2001. The 48-year-old Bhutto is on a private visit to India. She was last in the country in 1991 for the funeral of Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. AFP PHOTO
...Musharraf's first loyality, no different than his best allies of Bush/Cheney, was to himself and his wealth. In that reality, his safety fell into priority with several assassination attempts of the Pakistani Coup President-General, allowing a rise of militants throughout the country. Musharraf by covering up the realities of the murder of Benazir is allowing once again Al-Qaeda a loophole afforded by his power as dictator President hence insuring a continued alliance with Al-Qaeda and the 'street loyalty' that brings him.No different than Musharraf's faux declaration of "State of Emergency" that destroyed the infrastructure that acclaimed burgeoning Pakistani democrary with anticipated change of paradigm in a so called 'power sharing' arrangement with Bhutto; the lack of security surrounding leading Presidential Candidates served the purpose to insure a continued coup dictatorship. In refusing to protect other Presidential candidates, and the word 'opposition' is used to demise their importance as well, it oppressed their campaigns. Being brave and demanding her place in Pakistan, this rally was the first of announced rallies that was to raise the awareness of her positions in all regions of Pakistan. Benazir was most worried about the awareness of the tribal areas to bring their focus to new leadership insuring a peace to them. The campaign of the Presidential Candidate and Former Prime Minister was reaching a critical tenor and with that her willingness to be seen and heard was urgent in her perspective.Her drive to carry out a successful election while feeling the oppression of the lack of security afforded her is what caused the missteps leading to her assassination. It is a fact that world leaders are in danger by the very nature of their position. The Pakistani Presidential Candidates attempting to recapture the country from it's coup were and remain left in that 'window of danger' methodically to facilitate any attempt by Al-Qaeda. These candidates were never treated with brevity, but, only viewed as disposable. The so-called elections, in the estimate of Bush and Musharraf, were simply an 'exercise' resulting in no change of paradigm.Musharraf himself may as well have pulled the trigger of the assassin's rifle as he lent and is continuing to lend authority to the violence that is now Pakistan while jailing it's elements of democracy.end
