As in the days of Noah....
Hamas Leader Says He's Ready to Talk to Obama
Hamas is ready to open talks with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who must deal with the Palestinian militant group if he wants to address the wider conflict in the Middle East, the group's leader said in an interview broadcast Saturday.Khaled Mashaal said that Hamas is ready for dialogue with Obama and his new administration "on the basis that the American administration respects our rights and our options."Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since seizing power by force in June 2007 from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.The administration of President George W. Bush has boycotted the Islamic militants, as has most of the international community. Hamas refuses to renounce violence or recognize Israel."The American administration, if they want to deal with the region, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, they have no other option than deal with Hamas because we are a real force on the ground, effective," Mashaal told Sky News from Damascus, Syria.The exiled militant leader said that the election of a U.S. president with African roots was "a big change-political and psychological" and congratulated him on his victory.Obama's office said it had no comment on Mashaal's statements.On Friday, Hamas Gaza strongman Mahmoud Zahar said he hoped Obama's victory would open a new page in relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world. But he said he did not expect the U.S. to talk to Hamas immediately.Obama visited Israel and the West Bank in July, meeting Israeli leaders and Abbas and traveling to an Israeli town that had been hit by Hamas rockets from Gaza.
Unpopular Michigan Governor Named to Obama Economic Advisory Council
Did President-elect Jimmy Carter do something this stupid? He named unpopular Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, her approval ratings are in the mid-30s, to his 17 member economic advisory panel. From Henry Payne in NRO's Planet Gore blog:
Granholm carries respect in the Obama administration thanks to her alternative-energy "vision" — that is, heavy subsidies for alternative-fuel plants such as ethanol and renewable-power mandates on utilities. But Granholm has presided over the worst state economy in the United States since her election in 2003. Just last year, in the teeth of a gaping budget deficit and galloping unemployment now at 8.7 percent, she raised personal income taxes 17 percent. Her energy legislation passed this year further taxed Michigan ratepayers by hiking their utility bills an estimated 12 percent while gutting Michigan's energy market deregulation so that major utilities can deal with the coming 10-percent RPS (not to mention modernizing old coal plants in the face of a predicted federal cap-and-trade plan).A union lackey, she has offered no major initiatives other than her "investments" in alternative energy and increased road construction (really) to grow jobs in a state suffocated by high union costs.
Granholm carries respect in the Obama administration thanks to her alternative-energy "vision" — that is, heavy subsidies for alternative-fuel plants such as ethanol and renewable-power mandates on utilities. But Granholm has presided over the worst state economy in the United States since her election in 2003. Just last year, in the teeth of a gaping budget deficit and galloping unemployment now at 8.7 percent, she raised personal income taxes 17 percent. Her energy legislation passed this year further taxed Michigan ratepayers by hiking their utility bills an estimated 12 percent while gutting Michigan's energy market deregulation so that major utilities can deal with the coming 10-percent RPS (not to mention modernizing old coal plants in the face of a predicted federal cap-and-trade plan).A union lackey, she has offered no major initiatives other than her "investments" in alternative energy and increased road construction (really) to grow jobs in a state suffocated by high union costs.
As in the days of Noah...
Iran irked by Obama's tough language
Iran's parliament speaker slammed on Saturday comments made by President-elect Barack Obama in which he said that a nuclear-armed Iran was "unacceptable," calling the remarks a step "in the wrong direction."The official, Ali Larijani, was quoted on Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA. Meanwhile, Iran's state radio said that Obama's call for preventing the Persian country from developing nuclear arms would cast doubt and disappoint Iranian expectations of changes in the US foreign policy with the new administration.In his first press conference since securing the United States presidency on Tuesday, Obama said Friday that a nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable."Asked whether he responded to the letter of congratulation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - the first instance of an Iranian leader congratulating an American president-elect since the Islamic Revolution which brought the ayatollahs to power in 1979 - Obama said "I am aware that the letter was sent," adding that so soon after the election there had been no time to "review the letter and respond as appropriate."Obama also said that Iran's support of terror groups "must cease," and that the US must mount "an international effort to keep [Iran's acquiring nuclear weapons] from happening."His opening speech at the conference implied that the global economic crisis would be one of the first matters to be tackled after his inauguration on January 20, 2009.Regarding both the Iranian issue and the economy, Obama reminded reporters that the US "can only have one president at a time," and that US President George W. Bush's administration was still the US government until his inauguration.Regarding Iran, Obama said "I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president and I won't be until January 20th," and avoided outlining a policy whilst Bush remains in power.Asked what would be his current response to the Bush administration's handling of the economy, Obama said "the critical tone that has to be struck by all of us right now is the American people need help, the economy needs help, and now is a good time to set politics aside for a while and think practically what would actually work to help."He said the middle class would be the demographic most in need of help, saying 95 percent of Americans would benefit from his economic agenda.Obama said he and his wife Michelle were "graciously" invited by Bush and his wife Laura to visit the White House.Asked about consulting with former US presidents, Obama said he met with all former presidents "who are living," including Republican George Bush, father of the current president and the man who presided over Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in the early 1990s.Obama said he also read the biographies of former presidents and cited former US president Abraham Linclon as "an extraordinary inspiration."Finally, a reporter asked what breed of dog the Obamas will bring to the White House, a question that seems to be high on the mind of Americans, according to Obama. He said the family considered taking a dog from a shelter, but eventually decided against taking a dog that would be "a mutt like me," referring to his mixed Caucasian and African lineage.
As in the days of Noah...
Russian Muslims hope Obama will improve U.S.-Russia ties
Gee, a lot of Muslims like Obama....
I wonder why?
MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Muslims hope that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will be able to improve relations between Washington and Moscow, a deputy head of the Council of Muftis of Russia said on Saturday.“First of all, we congratulate Obama with the victory. We hope that relations between our countries will improve,” Damir Gizatullin said.Relations between Russia and the U.S. have plunged to a post-Cold War low in recent years over a host of differences, including the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in Central Europe and a brief conflict in August between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway republic.Gizatullin added that Russian Muslims have a positive opinion of the newly elected U.S. president and are happy with his election.“It is probably because the new U.S. president has Islamic roots,” he said.Democrat Obama, who is the first African American to be elected U.S. president, had a Kenyan grandfather who was a Muslim and spent some of his early years in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation on Earth. U.S. public opinion surveys consistently showed a significant number of voters - 10% or more - believed he was or might be a Muslim.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20081108/118201947.html
http://deletefrance.blogspot.com/
http://en.rian.ru/world/20081108/118201947.html
http://deletefrance.blogspot.com/
As in the days of Noah...
Jihadi Leader Says Radicals Share Obama Victory
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates-The leader of a jihadi group in Iraq argued Friday that the election of Barack Obama as president represented a victory for radical Islamic groups that had battled American forces since the invasion of Iraq.The statement, which experts said was part of the psychological duel with the United States, was included in a 25-minute audiotaped speech by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization that claims ties to Al Qaeda. Mr. Baghdadi’s statement was posted on a password-protected Web site called Al Hesbah, used to disseminate information to Islamic radicals.In his address, Mr. Baghdadi also said that the election of Mr. Obama-and the rejection of the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain-was a victory for his movement, a claim that has already begun to resonate among the radical faithful. In so doing Mr. Baghdadi highlighted the challenge the new president would face as he weighed how to remove troops from Iraq without also giving movements like Al Qaeda a powerful propaganda tool to use for recruiting.“And the other truth that politicians are embarrassed to admit,” Mr. Baghdadi said, “is that their unjust war on the houses of Islam, with its heavy and successive losses and the continuous operations of exhaustion of your power and your economy, were the principal cause of the collapse of the economic giant.”The audio statement came amid a very public discussion in the Middle East over what Mr. Obama’s election meant for the future-and what it said about the past. Most of the public reaction, in newspapers and on television and radio stations, was euphoric, with many commentators marveling at the election of a black man whose father was from a Muslim family. There was a general assessment that Mr. Obama’s election was a repudiation of the course taken by President Bush and his inner circle over the past eight years.“Obama’s election was a message against such destruction, against unjustified wars, wars that are fought with ignorance and rashness, without knowledge of their arenas or the shape of their surroundings,” wrote Ghassan Charbel in Thursday’s issue of the Saudi-owned, pan-Arab daily newspaper Al Hayat. “It was a message against the pattern that became a burden on the U.S. and transformed the U.S. into a burden on the world.”Some even pointed to Mr. Obama’s election as a lesson to the rest of the region. In Kuwait, Sheik Hamed al-Ali, an Islamic scholar known for his support of jihadi fighters, posted a message titled “We Want Change!” on his Web site.Sheik Ali said, “It remains the obligation of our Islamic nation to benefit from this example and request change, also, and to get rid of any regime that leads with ignorance and injustice, plunders from the country, enslaves the worshipers, drives us to destruction.” The comments were then circulated on other Islamic Web forums.But there was also a growing chorus of caution, as commentators began to try to tamp down expectations of any change in American policies in the region.And other commentators echoed Mr. Baghdadi’s view that the election was a victory for the insurgents in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.“It would be no exaggeration to say that we Arabs and Muslims were the main unseen voters who decided the outcome of these elections,” wrote Abdelbari Atwan in Wednesday’s issue of the London-based pan-Arab daily newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi.He wrote, “The transformation that will begin in the U.S. starting today in various political, economic, military, and social domains may well have been delayed for decades, had the new American century been crowned with victory, and had the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan taken the directions sought by the neo-cons — in other words, had there been political stability and economic prosperity, and had the citizens of the two countries targeted by the U.S.’s designs been totally subjugated by it.”Mr. Baghdadi also used his address to offer Mr. Obama an unlikely deal, one certain to do little to bring any resolution to the conflict between radical Islamic groups and the United States. He offered a truce of sorts in exchange for the removal of all forces from the region.“On behalf of my brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Chechnya, I offer you what is better for you and us: you return to your previous era of neutrality, you withdraw your forces, and you return to your homes,” Mr. Baghdadi said. “You do not interfere in the affairs of our countries, directly or indirectly. We in turn will not prevent commerce with you, whether it is in oil or otherwise, but with fairness, not at a loss.”
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN and SOUAD MEKHENNET
To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...
Life TV's Zakaria Botros: “Was Muhammad a messenger from God or Satan?”
Islam's Public Enemy #1
Life TV’s Father Zakaria Botros recently ran a show dedicated to answering the question, “Was Muhammad a messenger from God or Satan?” As usual with these shows, viewers were asked to call in and respond to this question, with poll results revealed at the end of the show.His co-host in this particular show was an ex-Muslim woman turned Christian, who, a few shows earlier, used to still wear a hijab, but not today-as Zakaria Botros put it, in English, her "new look." She said that such an offensive question—ascertaining the divine or demonic source of Muhammad’s prophethood—would have enraged her in former days, and how, till today even, it makes her feel awkward, uncomfortable. Such was her conditioning.Botros was quick to respond by saying that it is not he that insults Muhammad but rather Islam’s books. He, once again, insisted that he’s merely a reader, who is bringing to the table what he reads—“So don’t be angry with me!” he says, somewhat tongue in cheek. “If you don’t like it, then go and burn all those books that portray him so and leave me alone!”He then spent some time making a valid point: that in Islam, it seems that Muhammad’s honor is to be more zealously guarded than even Allah’s. To prove this, he quoted from a famous Arabic manual of law called Kitab Ahkam Al-Koran (“Book of Koranic Rulings”) by the famous scholar al-Jassas: according to this manual, the apostate must not be killed until he has been given several chances to repent and return to Islam. This same book, however, clearly states that whoever offends the name of the prophet (Muhammad) must be killed right where he stands, not given a chance to repent or take back his words.So, wondered Botros, while the person who offends Allah by essentially rejecting him and trying to break away from his religion gets several chances to repent, not the one who offends Muhammad—thus, according to Botros’ logic, "In Islam, Muhammad has a higher place than Allah."As for the question of the show, Botros asked a more pivotal question: how does one differentiate prophets from false prophets? He came up with three prerequisites of prophethood as well as three characteristics of prophets. Today we will examine the prerequisites.
PREREQUISITES:
PREREQUISITES:
1.A prophet typically receives direct revelations from God
2.A prophet usually does just that—prophesize, usually about the future
3.A prophet’s claim to prophethood is usually supported by miracles
As for receiving direct revelations from God, Botros provided several examples from the Bible, such as Exodus 3:10, where God not only directly communicates with Moses, but also sends him out on his mission. Likewise, the Koran confirms this, by saying that Allah spoke directly to Moses (4:164).“So, what about Muhammad?” asked Botros; “Did God speak to him direct? Not at all; instead, he was visited by a creature [that is, a created, lesser being], who Muhammad himself was convinced was a demon or Jinn.” (Botros ran an entire episode revealing the many anecdotes in Islamic tradition that indicate that Muhammad was in fact visited by a Jinni, which I hope to translate shortly).As for the second prerequisite, prophecy, again Botros provided several examples from the Bible of prophets prophesying, such as Psalms 22: 16, which Christians believe foretells the sufferings of Jesus, by nearly two millenia.Asked Botros: “So, what prophecy did Muhammad bring?” He then quoted from the Koran verses which plainly indicate that Muhammad had no inkling of the future (see 6:50 and 7:188).To the third prerequisite of prophethood: miracles. Botros indicated the miracles of Moses (e.g., Ten Plagues) and Jesus (raising the dead), which are recorded in both the Bible and Koran.“So,” asked again, rather dryly, the Coptic priest, “what miracles did Muhammad perform?”Here his co-hostess said that, from childhood, she, as a Muslim, was taught that the Koran is the miracle of Islam and Muhammad—to which Botros gave a chuckle, only to implore the viewers to not be angry with him, that he is not laughing in mockery but rather dismay.He then insisted that discussing the problems of the “divine” Koran are manifold—linguistically, contextually, grammatically, etymologically—and that he had already dedicated several shows examining these problems. “However, let’s let one single Islamic book that exposes this issue suffice for today.”After giving the title of the book, Haqa’iq Al Islam (“the Truths of Islam”), he boomed: “Quick, leave the TV set, or send your sons to the stores to buy this book, because we all know from previous experience that whatever Islamic book is used as evidence against Islam on this show is often immediately pulled off the market!”He then read from page 200 of that book: “The Koran is most magnificent and perfect in language and structure; thus, if something appears wrong, it is not the Koran that is wrong but rather our understanding of language. As for obvious problems or contradictions, we are obligated to overlook these, for faith will resolve these matters.”He also quoted Sunni Islam’s most authoritative institution, Al Azhar, saying “We must always strive to discover why in certain instances the Koran appears to not follow correct Arabic grammar. If we cannot find an answer, however, then we must leave the matter to Allah.”The co-hostess said that Muslims believe Muhammad performed other miracles, according to the hadith. Botros responded by saying that that is simply another contradiction with the Koran, which flatly declares that even though the people demanded a miracle from Muhammad, the only one he could provide was the Koran:
"They say: We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth. Or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water…. No, we shall not even believe in thy mounting until thou send down to us a book that we could read. Say: Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man—a messenger?" (17:90-93).
[Stay tuned for part II of, “Was Muhammad a messenger from God or Satan?” dedicated to the characteristics of prophets.]
Posted by Raymond
"They say: We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth. Or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water…. No, we shall not even believe in thy mounting until thou send down to us a book that we could read. Say: Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man—a messenger?" (17:90-93).
[Stay tuned for part II of, “Was Muhammad a messenger from God or Satan?” dedicated to the characteristics of prophets.]
Posted by Raymond
As in the days of Noah...
Bali bombers executed-Watch for riots
Bali bomber's mom teaches kids to hate
The three Bali bombers executed in Indonesia
As in the days of Noah...
This just in: "Three Bali bombers executed in Indonesia: TV," from Reuters, November 8 (thanks to PRCS):
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has executed three Muslim militants sentenced to death for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, the television network TvOne said on Sunday citing an unidentified source.The TV station said Imam Samudra, Mukhlas and Amrozi were executed on Nusakambangan island in central Java after midnight.The executions could not immediately be confirmed by officials.
Meanwhile, the warriors of jihad continue to show their love:
"What hope do we have?," from the Sunday Herald Sun, November 9 (thanks to JE):
TERRORIST leader Abu Bakar Bashir rubbed salt in Bali bombing victims' wounds yesterday, urging his flock to follow the attackers' lead and fight for Islam.The firebrand cleric - jailed then released over the Bali bombings - made his call as expectations intensified last night that Mukhlas, 48, Amrozi, 47, and fellow militant Imam Samudra, 38, would be executed for their role in the 2002 mass murder.As the countdown to the deaths continued , disturbing images emerged of Samudra's mother, Embay Badriyah, surrounded by young girls in Muslim veils.The little girls touched a poster of the doomed bomber which bore the slogan: "Not a single drop of blood is free".And hateful T-shirts with the message: "Even if Amrozi and friends are executed, jihad will go on" went on sale in the village of Amrozi and Mukhlas.Victorian Bali bombing victims said the celebration of the cowardly killers who killed 202 unarmed citizens was a sick joke.Brave mum Therese Fox, who almost died a dozen times after the blast and had to learn how to walk again, said the death cult almost made her despair."When I heard they made T-shirts it makes you wonder what kind of people they are," Ms Fox said....
Oh, we know very well what kind of people they are.
Posted by Robert
PS:The worst part of these executions is that these 3 unrepentant militants are now in hell forever and that also their families and local"mosques" are "vowing to keep on with jihad".....My prayers go to the families of those murdered in the bombing by these 3rd class thugs...JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has executed three Muslim militants sentenced to death for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, the television network TvOne said on Sunday citing an unidentified source.The TV station said Imam Samudra, Mukhlas and Amrozi were executed on Nusakambangan island in central Java after midnight.The executions could not immediately be confirmed by officials.
Meanwhile, the warriors of jihad continue to show their love:
"What hope do we have?," from the Sunday Herald Sun, November 9 (thanks to JE):
TERRORIST leader Abu Bakar Bashir rubbed salt in Bali bombing victims' wounds yesterday, urging his flock to follow the attackers' lead and fight for Islam.The firebrand cleric - jailed then released over the Bali bombings - made his call as expectations intensified last night that Mukhlas, 48, Amrozi, 47, and fellow militant Imam Samudra, 38, would be executed for their role in the 2002 mass murder.As the countdown to the deaths continued , disturbing images emerged of Samudra's mother, Embay Badriyah, surrounded by young girls in Muslim veils.The little girls touched a poster of the doomed bomber which bore the slogan: "Not a single drop of blood is free".And hateful T-shirts with the message: "Even if Amrozi and friends are executed, jihad will go on" went on sale in the village of Amrozi and Mukhlas.Victorian Bali bombing victims said the celebration of the cowardly killers who killed 202 unarmed citizens was a sick joke.Brave mum Therese Fox, who almost died a dozen times after the blast and had to learn how to walk again, said the death cult almost made her despair."When I heard they made T-shirts it makes you wonder what kind of people they are," Ms Fox said....
Oh, we know very well what kind of people they are.
Posted by Robert
As in the days of Noah...
Syria's Assad congratulates Obama, urges dialogue
DAMASCUS-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad congratulated president-elect Barack Obama on Friday and urged him to pursue dialogue in the Middle East, two weeks after U.S. planes raided Syria.The state news agency said Assad sent a congratulatory telegram to Obama "expressing hope that dialogue would prevail to overcome the difficulties that have hindered real progress toward peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East."Relations between Washington and Damascus plummeted after U.S. helicopters raided a target in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq on Oct 26.The raid killed Abu Ghadiya, a top smuggler of foreign fighters to al Qaeda in Iraq, a U.S. official said.The Damascus government said the attack killed eight Syrian civilians and responded by shutting down an American school and a cultural center in Damascus.Relations between Washington and Damascus already were strained by U.S. accusations that Syria was turning a blind eye to Islamist fighters infiltrating into Iraq.The outgoing administration of President George W. Bush also imposed sanctions on the Syria in 2004 for its support of Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite movement.Syrian officials say privately that under Obama they expect change in what they see as Washington's hardline policy toward Syria and support for peace talks between Syria and Israel.Turkish-mediated indirect talks stalled after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert decided to resign.Officials in the Bush administration have said the U.S. priority was a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, not the so called Israeli-Syrian track.
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE4A67A620081107
As in the days of Noah...
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE4A67A620081107
As in the days of Noah...
Dangerous Hurricane Paloma pounds Cayman Islands
GEORGE TOWN-Hurricane Paloma pounded the wealthy British Caribbean territory of the Cayman Islands on Friday after strengthening into a dangerously powerful storm, and also posed a serious threat to storm-battered Cuba. Businesses, schools and government offices closed down in the Cayman Islands, a major financial center, while residents shuttered their homes and visitors tried to flee as the late-season storm hurtled northward.Paloma gathered power menacingly fast as it neared Grand Cayman Island and it became a "major," or Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of storm intensity, with top sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, late on Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said."I have been through this so many times that a Category 2 or 3 doesn't really bother me anymore. Anything less than a Hurricane Ivan and I am not worried at all," said Paul Aiken, a Cayman businessman, referring to a ferocious 2004 hurricane that caused extensive damage in the territory.Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 when it came ashore near New Orleans in 2005 and swamped the low-lying U.S. city, but the Cayman Islands and their solid structures are considered less vulnerable to the fierce tropical storms that churn through the Atlantic and Caribbean between June and the end of November each year.Paloma doused Honduras with heavy rains as it formed on Thursday, adding to misery in the impoverished Central American country where the United Nations estimates 70,000 people have been made homeless by recent storms.It posed no threat to U.S. oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico.
'BAD DREAM'
The hurricane was expected to reach Cuba late on Saturday, delivering yet another blow to a country that suffered $5 billion in damages from two hurricane strikes this year."It's a bad dream," said store worker Ofelia Hernandez in Cuba's Camaguey province, where the storm was expected to make landfall. "Barely two months and once again in checkmate."The damage has come at a delicate time for Cuba as new President Raul Castro shepherds the communist country following the retirement of aging, and ailing, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro earlier this year, and as world economic woes force Cubans to tighten their belts.Cuban officials said they had evacuated at least 85,000 boarding school students on Friday and would soon begin moving people from flood-prone areas.By 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT Saturday), Paloma was about 25 miles southeast of the eastern end of Grand Cayman and moving north-northeast near 7 mph, the Miami-based hurricane center said.It could yet strengthen a little as it swept by Little Cayman and Cayman Brac islands but would soon encounter environmental conditions that should cause it to weaken before it slammed into Cuba, forecasters said.Rainfall totaling up to 15 inches was expected over parts of the Cayman Islands and its national weather service forecast waves rising up to 30 feet, which would cause dangerous coastal storm surges.
'BAD DREAM'
The hurricane was expected to reach Cuba late on Saturday, delivering yet another blow to a country that suffered $5 billion in damages from two hurricane strikes this year."It's a bad dream," said store worker Ofelia Hernandez in Cuba's Camaguey province, where the storm was expected to make landfall. "Barely two months and once again in checkmate."The damage has come at a delicate time for Cuba as new President Raul Castro shepherds the communist country following the retirement of aging, and ailing, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro earlier this year, and as world economic woes force Cubans to tighten their belts.Cuban officials said they had evacuated at least 85,000 boarding school students on Friday and would soon begin moving people from flood-prone areas.By 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT Saturday), Paloma was about 25 miles southeast of the eastern end of Grand Cayman and moving north-northeast near 7 mph, the Miami-based hurricane center said.It could yet strengthen a little as it swept by Little Cayman and Cayman Brac islands but would soon encounter environmental conditions that should cause it to weaken before it slammed into Cuba, forecasters said.Rainfall totaling up to 15 inches was expected over parts of the Cayman Islands and its national weather service forecast waves rising up to 30 feet, which would cause dangerous coastal storm surges.
To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...
Hurricane Paloma Strengthens to Category 3 Storm
MIAMI-Paloma has grown to a dangerous major hurricane with 115 mph top winds as it lashes the Cayman Islands.Winds that strong mean that Paloma is now a Category 3 storm.The center of the storm is expected to pass near the Cayman Islands Friday night or early Saturday, then move onto the central coast of Cuba. At 7 p.m. EST, the center of Paloma was about 30 miles south of Grand Cayman and moving northeast at 6 mph.The Cayman Islands government urged residents to stay off the streets, and a hurricane warning is in effect. A hurricane warning is also in effect for several Cuban provinces.Cuban official newspaper Granma, recalling past late-season hurricanes such as a 1932 storm that killed about 3,000 people, said Paloma poses "a potential danger for the island." The storm could grow into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of at least 111 mph as it heads toward Cuba's midsection, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.The Cayman Islands government asked all hotels to remove guests from the ground and first floors. Nearly 40 people were already staying in the islands' seven shelters.Water service across Grand Cayman was turned off, and power likely will be cut as the storm nears, hazard management director Barbara Carby said."We have asked everybody to come off the streets and to be home and safe right now," she said.Stranded tourists watched dark clouds gather from their hotels or beachfront restaurants."It was a real surprise," said Rick Douglas, a 50-year-old from Toronto who checked weather Web sites before flying to the Caribbean. "It just said there was a tropical depression starting, but I didn't think it would turn into anything serious."His wife, Susan Douglas, was confident they would be safe as long as they follow orders."Grand Cayman has been there and done that, so they are prepared," she said.Paloma's top winds Friday were near 105 mph, and it was centered about 40 miles south of Grand Cayman, heading north at 6 mph.Havana's communist government activated the early stages of its highly organized civil defense system. In central and eastern Cuba, people were advised to stay tuned to state media for news of Paloma's progress and be ready to evacuate.Paloma was aiming toward the central-eastern city of Camaguey, which was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane Ike in early September.Ike and Hurricane Gustav, which struck the island in late August, together caused an estimated $9.4 billion in damage. Nearly a third of Cuba's crops were destroyed, causing widespread shortages of fresh produce and prompting authorities to order the planting of vegetable greens and other short-term vegetables.Forecasters expect Paloma to weaken into a tropical storm over Cuba and then steer south of Florida through the Bahamas and into the Atlantic.Cayman Islands Gov. Stuart Jack said Friday that a British Royal Navy ship was on the way and would be available to provide humanitarian assistance if needed.The airport closed Friday morning after extra flights were added to fly out some people late Thursday.
As in the days of Noah...
Islamists Post Internet Video Urging Obama to Abandon War on Terror
BAGHDAD-Two Iraqi insurgent groups called on President-elect Barack Obama to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan and abandon the war on terror, an Internet monitoring service reported Friday.Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, self-styled head of the Al Qaeda front group the Islamic State of Iraq, said in a speech posted on an extremist Web site that it would be better "for you and us" to "withdraw your forces" and "return to your homes," according to the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors militant Web sites.Al-Baghdadi blamed the global financial crisis on the wars "launched in Muslim countries" and said he was issuing the call on behalf of "my brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Chechnya," SITE said.The U.S. military says al-Baghdadi is an actor who provides a voice for Al Qaeda in Iraq propaganda.In a separate statement, the Mujahedeen Army, a Sunni insurgent group, urged Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq or face "days that will be more difficult than the nightmare experienced by his predecessor."According to SITE, the statement said both Democrats and Republicans share attitudes hostile to Muslims and both support Israel, which means there will be little change in U.S. policy in the Middle East."The one who won the presidential election won the approval of the Jewish lobby, which controls, to a large extent, the administration of American foreign policy," the Mujahedeen Army statement said.The Islamic State of Iraq purports to be an umbrella organization of religious extremist groups including Al Qaeda in Iraq.The Mujahedeen Army emerged in late 2004 and has distanced itself from al-Qaida because of opposition to the terror movement's attacks on Shiite civilians.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448904,00.html
PS:Now we will see what "The One"does in regards to the war on terror....he made promises to God and the devil during his campaign...Well now he is the president elect....he's in BIG TROUBLE...cause he played nice on both sides of the fence and as we know these islamic terrorist mean bussiness....
As in the days of Noah...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448904,00.html
PS:Now we will see what "The One"does in regards to the war on terror....he made promises to God and the devil during his campaign...Well now he is the president elect....he's in BIG TROUBLE...cause he played nice on both sides of the fence and as we know these islamic terrorist mean bussiness....
As in the days of Noah...
Chinese Hackers Penetrate White House Computers
WASHINGTON-The White House computer system was penetrated numerous times by Chinese hackers, the Financial Times reported Friday.The cyber attackers obtained e-mails between government officials and stole information before U.S. computer experts fixed the system, a senior U.S. official told the Financial Times.U.S. government cyber intelligence experts suspect the attacks were sponsored by the Chinese government because of their targeted nature. They added that it is difficult to trace the exact source of an attack beyond a server in a particular country. Newsweek magazine reported Wednesday that a foreign power hacked into the computer systems of both John McCain's and Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. Obama's team concluded on its own that the hackers were Russian or Chinese and probably were seeking foreign policy information.A federal law enforcement source confirmed the Newsweek story to FOX News and described the incident as "fairly significant."
• Click here to read the Financial Times report.
• Click here to read about the hacking of the presidential campaigns.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448626,00.html
As in the days of Noah...
• Click here to read the Financial Times report.
• Click here to read about the hacking of the presidential campaigns.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448626,00.html
As in the days of Noah...
Russia Constitution Amended to Extend Presidential Term to 6 Years
MOSCOW-Russia's constitution will be amended by year's end to extend the presidential term to six years, lawmakers have promised-a move that could pave the way for Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin.It would be the first change to the Russian constitution since its adoption in 1993. A six-year term could mean 12 more years as president for Putin-the current prime minister-who has not ruled out getting his old job back.President Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin protege, had suggested raising the term from four years to six Wednesday in his first state of the nation address.The respected business daily Vedomosti quoted an unnamed Kremlin official as saying Medvedev may even step down as early as next year to get Putin back at the helm."Under this scenario, Medvedev could resign early, citing changes to the constitution, and then presidential elections could take place in 2009," the paper said Thursday.Spokesmen for Putin and Medvedev could not be reached Thursday. Vedomosti reported that Putin's spokesman denied that the term extension was designed was linked to Putin's return.Work on the amendments has already begun in the State Duma, parliament's lower house, speaker Boris Gryzlov said Thursday.As Russia's president for eight years, Putin had declined to amend the constitution to allow himself a third consecutive term or to extend the length of his term. Vedomosti said this unpopular task may have been given to Medvedev, a former law professor who professes deep respect for the law.Regardless of his title, Putin has continued to wield significant power in Russia since leaving the Kremlin in May.A constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in the State Duma, the lower house, where pro-Kremlin parties dominate. It would then need to be approved by two-thirds of Russia's regional legislatures, which also would not be expected to pose any difficulties for the Kremlin.While supporters in parliament said there was nothing undemocratic about a six-year presidential term, opposition leader Boris Nemtsov called the plan "extremely dangerous.""It is directed at the perpetuation of Putinism," Nemtsov said at a news conference, defining Putinism as "corruption, inflation and international isolation."Former chess champion Garry Kasparov, a prominent anti-Kremlin activist, said the move was a sign the Kremlin was afraid of Russia's increasingly emboldened opposition movement.
As in the days of Noah....
Cross Burned On Lawn Of N.J. Obama Supporter
NEWARK-Acts of racism have popped up in parts of the tri-state area since Barack Obama was elected president on Tuesday night.In the latest, a family who had supported Obama's campaign emerged from their home in the northwestern New Jersey town of Hardwick Thursday morning to find the charred remnants of a 6-foot wooden cross on their front lawn. Pieces of a homemade bed-sheet banner reading "President Obama-Victory '08," which had been stolen from the yard the night before, also were found, leading investigators to believe the banner had been wrapped around the cross before it was set afire.Lt. Gerald Lewis of the New Jersey State Police said his agency is treating the incident as a bias crime.Police believe the cross, made of two-by-fours bolted to a metal pole like those used to support road signs, was placed on the lawn sometime between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m., and fell over after being set on fire.Homeowner Gary Grewal said he had noticed the Obama banner missing from his lawn the night before and reported it to police.Grewal said his 8-year-old daughter, Arianna, spotted the banner wrapped around the burnt cross as they walked toward their car to drive to school."She saw it, that's what bothered me the most," Grewal said Thursday. "You can imagine the types of questions she was asking. It was very tough to explain."Grewal, 51, a management consultant who emigrated from India, has lived in Hardwick Township, a largely rural community of about 1,500 people in Warren County, about 40 miles northwest of Newark, since 2001.He said Obama campaign signs were regularly swiped off his lawn. His wife, Alina, actively supported the Obama campaign in the largely Republican area."I'm not going to be intimidated by something like this," Grewal said. "I don't go on anyone's property and do this. God forbid if I was African-American. We're living in the 21st century, and we've got to be afraid to express our beliefs?" Grewal described his community as a nice place "with many wonderful people." But he said his daughter is afraid to sleep in her room, knowing someone was on the lawn while they were home."I'm amazed this can happen in this time and age," Alina Grewal said. "We're in the Millennium, the world has changed."This followed an incident on Tuesday night when a black Staten Island teen was viciously assaulted in what police believe was a bias attack sparked by Obama's presidential victory.Ali Kamara, 17, whose family emigrated from Liberia, is still in great pain after being beaten by four young men with baseball bats.Kamara, a high school student who is Muslim and lives in the Stapleton Section of the borough, was attacked while walking home around 10 p.m. the night of the election. He said as he approached his street, a gold car with four white men drove up behind him, with the men yelling Obama's name."That was the first word that came out of their mouth, 'Obama,'" Kamara recalled.
As in the days of Noah...
Obama's former pastor says media exploited him
MILFORD, Conn.-Barack Obama's former pastor complained Thursday that the media used him as a "weapon of mass destruction" in an attempt to derail Obama's campaign for the presidency.Speaking at a forum about race and religion, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright accused the media of taking out of context videotaped clips that showed him making anti-American statements from the pulpit of the Chicago church where Obama had worshipped for 20 years. The videos, which included Wright thundering "God damn America!", dominated cable television for weeks. The public outrage that followed caused the president-elect to sever ties with his longtime spiritual leader.Wright told an audience of about 200 people at the forum that he was trying to convey the anger and desire for vengeance that people felt after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He said the media failed to mention that he was a proud Christian who was raised in a Christian home."Their intention was to use me as a weapon of mass destruction, to tear down that man's integrity," said Wright, former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.In a question-and-answer session with the audience, Wright said he didn't believe Obama shared his opinions publicized on the videos."Do you agree with everything your pastor says?" he asked. "Ninety percent of the people sitting in church don't agree with everything their pastor says. What I saw is not an index on what he did or does not believe." Wright's comments were a stumbling block for Obama's campaign. In an impassioned speech about faith and race, the Democrat at first expressed support for Wright, saying that "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother."But six weeks later during a speech at the National Press Club, Wright offered eyebrow-raising opinions about the U.S. government, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and hinted that Obama was distancing himself from the pastor for political expediency.The next day, Obama said he was outraged and denounced Wright's remarks.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D949T4K00&show_article=1
As in the days of Noah...
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D949T4K00&show_article=1
As in the days of Noah...
Hurricane Watch Issued in Cuba for Category 1 Paloma
MIAMI-A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of Cuba as Paloma continues barreling toward the Cayman Islands.Watches have been issued for the provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas and Granma.A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Cayman Islands, and the Category 1 storm is expected to pass near there late Friday or early Saturday.At 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT), Paloma was about 85 miles south-southwest of Grand Cayman. The storm is expected to keep gaining momentum as it moves across the Caribbean. It could become a Category 2 hurricane later Friday and may reach Category 3 intensity by Saturday.The storm's winds are reaching 80 mph.Paloma is moving to the north at 8 mph and is expected to turn to the northeast late Friday.
Click here to track the storm at the National Hurricane Center.
Click here to track the storm at the National Hurricane Center.
As in the days of Noah...
South Dakota Hit With 4 Feet of Snow
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.-A wintry blast of punishing wind and close to 4 feet of snow in places pummeled the Northern Plains on Thursday, stranding unknown numbers of motorists for a day or more and knocking out power to thousands.State officials said some people could be without power for days, but they had a simple message for anyone thinking of trying to drive in western South Dakota's blizzard: Don't."This is a dangerous storm," Gov. Mike Rounds told reporters in a telephone conference call Thursday evening. "Western South Dakota is basically under a no-travel advisory."A long stretch of Interstate 90 was closed, and Rounds said most of the dozens of vehicles stranded along the stretch of highway had not been moved. Some have been stranded for more than 24 hours, he said, adding that search teams can't get to them because of zero visibility."We cannot see a thing in many areas where we're out actually searching for people," said Tom Dravland, state Public Safety secretary, who added that the top speed for some rescue crews was as little as a half-mile per hour.Dravland said he did not know how many people are stranded. The Highway Patrol has responded to more than 400 calls for assistance, including 10 crashes. No fatalities were reported by late Thursday afternoon.The storm already has dropped 45.7 inches of snow near Deadwood, in the northern Black Hills. Reports of 10 inches to 2 feet of snow were received from many West River counties. In some towns, residents reported drifts were blocking their doorways, and in the southwestern corner of the state, 20-foot snowdrifts were reported on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation....
To read more go to:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448410,00.html
As in the days of Noah...
To read more go to:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,448410,00.html
As in the days of Noah...
Turkish Village Slaughters 44 Sheep for 44th U.S. President-Elect
ANKARA,Turkey-Residents of a mainly Kurdish village in southeastern Turkey have sacrificed 44 sheep to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States.Dogan news agency video Friday shows villagers in Cavustepe village, in the province of Van, bordering Iran, holding Obama posters smeared with blood. In overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey, the practice is believed to protect people or property from bad luck.The posters read "you are one of us" and "we love you."Abdulkerim Kulaz of Cavustepe village says Obama's election and his Muslim ancestry have excited the villagers. Kulaz says Obama's election was a "proof of an end to racism in the world."Turkey is a close U.S. ally.
As in the days of Noah....
Obama-Supporting Teacher Gives Soldier’s Daughter Hard Time
http://www.tundratabloid.blogspot.com/ : Teacher Diantha Harris browbeats McCain supporting student, Kathy,in Ashville N.Carolina grade school. The poor girl is obviously distressed over the teacher's line of questiong and belittling her choice of candidate in front of her school mates....
PS:This is what "public education in the US" has come to...Intimidating unprofessional teachers that talk politics in the classroom,instead of actually TEACHING....Then the same teacher goes "off the record" and says that everybody is entitled to their own opinion --with which I agree--so then...WHY IN THE WORLD is she attacking this lil girl and all those students that were for Mc Cain--as IF they are stupid or something...?Is this how low public education has come to...?YESSSS...BTW this lil girl's dad is fighthing somewhere in the world for this teacher to have FREE SPEECH....We keep on spiraling down more and more each day.....Pull your kids from public school today,for their own mental well being......!!!!!!!!!!!
As in the days of Noah...
PS:This is what "public education in the US" has come to...Intimidating unprofessional teachers that talk politics in the classroom,instead of actually TEACHING....Then the same teacher goes "off the record" and says that everybody is entitled to their own opinion --with which I agree--so then...WHY IN THE WORLD is she attacking this lil girl and all those students that were for Mc Cain--as IF they are stupid or something...?Is this how low public education has come to...?YESSSS...BTW this lil girl's dad is fighthing somewhere in the world for this teacher to have FREE SPEECH....We keep on spiraling down more and more each day.....Pull your kids from public school today,for their own mental well being......!!!!!!!!!!!
As in the days of Noah...
Enemies Could See Opening for Peace, or Violence, With Obama Presidency
Barack Obama's election raises questions about whether America's enemies in the Middle East will see an opportunity to attack and test his mettle-or to negotiate with a leader who has said he's willing to talk with them.The election of America's first black president, whose middle name is "Hussein" and who ran on a promise to step up international diplomacy, raises pressing questions about how the terrorist cells and rogue nations of the Middle East will respond.Barack Obama's own running mate, Joe Biden, warned in the weeks before the election that America's enemies would "test the mettle" of a fresh leader like Obama.Yet after winning Tuesday's election, Obama received congratulations from groups like Hamas and from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, suggesting that America's detractors, at least in the short term, may want to ratchet down their antagonism.Part of the issue is that Obama's international image-as the son of a Muslim from Kenya who once live in Indonesia-differs strikingly from that of George W. Bush, who has been perceived as a Texas cowboy from a politically elite family. And despite Obama's Christian roots, his membership in a Christian church and his continual denials throughout the campaign that he is a Muslim, there are some around the world who still don't believe him.In September, Libyan President Moammar Qaddafi declared to his people that Obama is a Muslim because his name proved it."All the people in the Arab world, Islamic world and Africans have applauded him and are expecting good results," Qaddafi said.But terrorists have tested the last two presidents early-the two attacks on the World Trade Center occurred in the first year of Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's presidencies-and many analysts say Obama must be prepared to be tested as well.Think tank analysts and foreign policy experts are struggling to handicap the immediate security challenges an Obama presidency would face. "There's the potential that somebody's going to roll the dice on an untested leader," said James Carafano, a homeland security expert at The Heritage Foundation, noting that the window for such testing is typically about a year long.But he said Obama's election won't necessarily influence terrorists to launch an attack on U.S. soil. "It's not like they've been sitting around waiting to see who's elected president," Carafano said.In the early months of the Obama administration, any terrorist challenge to the U.S. likely will come within the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, said Stephen Biddle, a senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.He said the U.S. should expect "modest upticks" in violence on those battlegrounds as terrorists "probe" Obama's response."They respond to events like this, and try their hand to see if they can get lucky," Biddle said.Pete Hegseth, chairman of Vets for Freedom, a group critical of Obama during the campaign for his Iraq positions, said insurgents also may try to exploit what they see as a coming withdrawal of troops."I think what Joe Biden said on the campaign trail was true-we will be tested on one or multiple planes, certainly as Iraq is concerned," Hegseth said.
By Judson Berger
To read more go to:As in the days of Noah...
Rich nations should ditch 'unsustainable' lifestyles: China's Wen
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and a top UN official urged industrialised nations Friday to alter their lifestyles and not let the global financial crisis hamper climate change efforts. Industrialised nations should also help developing countries respond to climate change, Wen said at the opening of a two-day international meeting on global warming in Beijing."The developed countries have a responsibility and an obligation to respond to global climate change by altering their unsustainable way of life," the state news agency Xinhua quoted him as saying."As the global financial crisis spreads and worsens, and the world economy slows down, the international community must not waver in its determination to tackle climate change."The gathering in Beijing is focused on the development and transfer of technology that can help tackle climate change ahead of next month's talks on creating a new global treaty on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Representatives from 76 nations are attending.China proposed last week that rich nations devote one percent of their economic output to helping poor countries fight global warming.Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said Friday a lack of firm funding commitments could derail efforts to cut emissions in developing countries, especially during the financial crisis."The financial crisis is definitely going to affect international climate change policy," he said.But "the financial crisis offers the world an opportunity to move away from toxic investments and make sustainable investments,for example into low emissions energy infrastructure," he said.In the landmark Kyoto Protocol, rich nations agreed to targets for cutting greenhouse gases as well as helping to transfer clean technology to developing nations to help them reduce their emissions.But much of the pledged transfers are not happening, said de Boer."Industrial countries must meet their technology transfer obligations," he told journalists."Given their historical responsibility for the problem, it is essential that industrialised countries take the lead in reducing emissions and that they show real leadership (in climate change negotiations)."Formal negotiations on a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012 will begin in Poznan, Poland next month, with the UN hoping that a new agreement will be ready by the end of 2009, de Boer said."Governments have used 2008 to gather information and clarify their positions on a number of topics. At Poznan governments need to go into full negotiation mode and make concrete results," he said.China has long resisted calls to join rich nations in setting targets for emissions cuts, saying its relatively low per capita emissions and recent emergence as a major source of greenhouse gases should exempt it from action.Scientists said in September that China had leapfrogged the United States as the world's biggest producer of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the principal gases that cause global warming.
To watch the video click on the URL below:
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=214813
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081107145825.op2k0ggd&show_article=1
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081107145825.op2k0ggd&show_article=1
As in the days of Noah...
NAZI REVIVAL WATCH:Czechs fear rise in Neo-Nazism
Decades after Hitler came to power, the influence of his ideology lives on and Neo-Nazism, strictly suppressed in Germany, has found breathing space in the Czech Republic....
Russia president tells police to crush crisis unrest
ST PETERSBURG,Russia-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered police on Friday to stamp out any social unrest or crime arising from the global financial crisis."We have a stable state ... We do not need a return to the 1990s when everything was boiling and seething," Medvedev told a meeting of senior officials."The law enforcement agencies should keep track of what is happening," he said."And if someone tries to exploit the consequences of the financial crisis ... they should intervene, bring criminal charges. Otherwise, there won't be order."The longest economic boom in a generation has helped the Kremlin maintain political stability but some analysts say the financial crisis could give rise to a wave of social unrest.Russia's benchmark RTS .IRTS stock exchange has fallen about 70 percent since May, making it one of the worst performers among emerging economies.High oil prices which fueled Russia's economic boom have fallen from a peak of over $140 in July to just over $60 now.The impact on ordinary people so far has been limited, partly because share ownership is not widespread and few people have private pensions. But firms in some sectors have started laying off staff.
EXTREMISM
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev told Medvedev at the meeting, in Russia's second city of St Petersburg, that higher unemployment could lead to a rise in crime.He also said there was a risk of greater extremism and racial tension centered on the millions of immigrants working in Russia, most of them from former Soviet republics."The mounting consequences of the world financial crisis could well have an unpredictable effect," he said. "Anti-crisis groups have been set up in the regions ... to intercept any early indications of destabilization."Analysts say the financial crisis poses no political threat to the Kremlin for the time being because opposition parties are too weak and divided to mount a serious challenge.Kremlin opponent and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov predicted this week the crisis would bring new recruits to the opposition. He has announced the creation of a new anti-Kremlin coalition, called Solidarity."The processes happening in the opposition ... will of course be connected to the 10 to 15 percent of people who will feel the crisis breathing down their neck," Kasparov told a news conference.
To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Russia/idUSTRE4A64TJ20081107
As in the days of Noah...
EXTREMISM
Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev told Medvedev at the meeting, in Russia's second city of St Petersburg, that higher unemployment could lead to a rise in crime.He also said there was a risk of greater extremism and racial tension centered on the millions of immigrants working in Russia, most of them from former Soviet republics."The mounting consequences of the world financial crisis could well have an unpredictable effect," he said. "Anti-crisis groups have been set up in the regions ... to intercept any early indications of destabilization."Analysts say the financial crisis poses no political threat to the Kremlin for the time being because opposition parties are too weak and divided to mount a serious challenge.Kremlin opponent and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov predicted this week the crisis would bring new recruits to the opposition. He has announced the creation of a new anti-Kremlin coalition, called Solidarity."The processes happening in the opposition ... will of course be connected to the 10 to 15 percent of people who will feel the crisis breathing down their neck," Kasparov told a news conference.
To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Russia/idUSTRE4A64TJ20081107
As in the days of Noah...
EU voices "strong concern" over Russian missiles
PARIS-The French presidency of the European Union expressed "strong concern" on Friday over a Russian plan to station new missiles near Poland's border.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced on Wednesday that Moscow would deploy missiles in its western outpost of Kaliningrad in response to U.S. plans to station an anti-missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic."The presidency of the European Union council expresses its strong concern after the announcement by President Medvedev...of the deployment of a complex of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad," the presidency said in a statement."This announcement does not contribute to the establishment of a climate of trust and to the improvement of security in Europe, at a time when we wish for a dialogue with Russia on questions of security in the whole of the continent," it said.The Bush administration says its missile shield aims to protect its European allies against possible attack by "rogue states," particularly Iran, and by terrorist groups. Moscow views the system as a direct threat to its national security.The dispute comes ahead of a November 14 summit between Russia and the 27-nation EU in the French city of Nice. The EU froze talks on a new partnership pact with Moscow after Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war in August.
POLES CLAIM VINDICATION
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Medvedev's move vindicated Warsaw's plan to station U.S. Patriot missiles on its soil, a deployment it persuaded Washington to make in return for its agreement to host part of the shield system.Medvedev's plan "just shows that our decision to protect our air space with U.S. help is a correct one,"Sikorski told the Polish parliament.Under proposed confidence-building measures, Sikorski said Russia could send inspectors to bases in Poland on condition that Moscow also allows Polish inspectors into Russian bases.Both the U.S. and Polish legislatures have still to ratify the accord on the missile defense shield.Sikorski said Poland and the United States were pressing on with negotiations on the logistical aspects of the deal without waiting for President-elect Barack Obama to take office.Earlier this week, Sikorski said Obama had told him two months ago that he had concerns over the missile defense shield's effectiveness and whether it was not directed against Russia. But Sikorski said he expected Obama to push ahead with the system once he had secured reassurances over its aims.Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a Moscow foreign ministry source as saying Russia would study Washington's proposals on the missile shield and on how to find a replacement for a key nuclear arms reduction treaty.Russia wants to find a replacement for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which set ceilings on the size of Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals but expires in December 2008."We have received these proposals and we will study them," Interfax news agency quoted the unidentified source as saying.
POLES CLAIM VINDICATION
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Medvedev's move vindicated Warsaw's plan to station U.S. Patriot missiles on its soil, a deployment it persuaded Washington to make in return for its agreement to host part of the shield system.Medvedev's plan "just shows that our decision to protect our air space with U.S. help is a correct one,"Sikorski told the Polish parliament.Under proposed confidence-building measures, Sikorski said Russia could send inspectors to bases in Poland on condition that Moscow also allows Polish inspectors into Russian bases.Both the U.S. and Polish legislatures have still to ratify the accord on the missile defense shield.Sikorski said Poland and the United States were pressing on with negotiations on the logistical aspects of the deal without waiting for President-elect Barack Obama to take office.Earlier this week, Sikorski said Obama had told him two months ago that he had concerns over the missile defense shield's effectiveness and whether it was not directed against Russia. But Sikorski said he expected Obama to push ahead with the system once he had secured reassurances over its aims.Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a Moscow foreign ministry source as saying Russia would study Washington's proposals on the missile shield and on how to find a replacement for a key nuclear arms reduction treaty.Russia wants to find a replacement for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which set ceilings on the size of Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals but expires in December 2008."We have received these proposals and we will study them," Interfax news agency quoted the unidentified source as saying.
As in the days of Noah....
Day One: Obama faces Cold War threat, a warning from Israel... and an armed guard to go to the gym
With barely time to savour his triumph, Barack Obama has been confronted with various international crises to test his mettle.The U.S. President-elect faces threats from Russia, Israel and Afghanistan as it emerged his election team's computers were hacked by a 'foreign entity' during the election.Officials at the FBI and the White House believe the hackers sought to gather information on the evolution of both his and Senator John McCain's policy positions with the idea of using that information in negotiations with the next administration.Obama technical experts later speculated the hackers were Russian or Chinese, and security ended the intrusion, Newsweek reported.The first of the challenges thrown at the President-elect, who received his first national security intelligence briefing yesterday, came from the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.He threatened to base warheads along the Polish border if Obama goes ahead with a Bush administration plan to create a missile shield in Eastern Europe.Then Israel warned Obama last night that his claim that he was ready to open talks with Iran could be seen in the Middle East as a sign of weakness.Furthermore, Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai demanded that Obama 'put an end to civilian casualties' by changing U.S. military tactics to avoid airstrikes in the war on the Taliban. He spoke out after seven wedding party guests were accidentally killed by an American airstrike.It was as he was locked away in his Chicago home, that Obama received his first national intelligence briefing as he wrestled with appointments for his Cabinet.During the day he ventured out twice, once to visit his local gym and then his downtown offices.Each time he was escorted by a convoy of black vehicles carrying heavily armed secret service agents.Aides said he planned no public appearances until later in the week.It also emerged that both Obama and McCain's computers were hacked into by a 'foreign entity' during the campaign.Newsweek magazine revealed the FBI and the Secret Service had been called in, with one agent warning the Obama campaign: 'You have a problem way bigger than what you understand... You have been compromised, and a serious amount of files have been loaded off your system.'Federal agents told Mr Obama's team in late August that Mr McCain's campaign computer system had been similarly compromised, with a McCain aide confirming to Newsweek that the computer system had been hacked and the FBI involved.The hacking may have been Obama's first skirmish with what was believed to be a foreign entity.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was the first to lay down a challenge to America's new leader-by increasing tension in a stand-off reminiscent of the Cold War.In a provocative speech from the Kremlin, he threatened to base warheads along the Polish border if Mr Obama goes forward with a Bush administration plan to create a missile shield in Eastern Europe.Then Israel warned last night that the new U.S. Commander-in-Chief's campaign claim that he was ready to open talks with Iran could be seen in the Middle East as a sign of weakness.After eight years of staunch support from President Bush, the Israelis are now watching Mr Obama closely - even though he does not take power until January - looking for indicators as to how he will handle the nuclear threat from Tehran.'We live in a neighbourhood in which dialogue - in a situation where you have brought sanctions and you then shift to dialogue - is liable to be interpreted as weakness,' said Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni.Asked if she supported any U.S. talks with Iran, she quickly said: 'The answer is no.'In a step that will further increase Israel's anxiety about Obama, Tehran announced last night that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had broken a 29-year tradition and sent his congratulations to the President-elect-the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad congratulated the Democrat on 'attracting the majority of voters in the election'.He said he hoped Obama will 'use the opportunity to serve the (American) people and leave a good name for history' during his term in office...
By David Gardner
To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...
In Some Nations, People Look to Obama as President of the World
Barack Obama's election on Tuesday set off international celebrations and ignited a fervor for the United States that has been unseen since the days immediately following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.To some observers, the international reaction has elevated America's president-elect to an unparalleled post: president of the world.In Kenya, where Obama's father was born, a national holiday was declared on Thursday. In Indonesia, children danced at the school Obama attended when he was a young boy, embracing him as much for what he represents abroad as for the policies he advocates at home."People from all over Africa, especially in Kenya, where this is a holiday, are feeling that the most powerful person in the world does not have to be a white guy. That's a huge breakthrough for the United States and for humanity," said Walter Russell Mead, the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations."This is the fall of the Berlin Wall times ten," Rama Yade, France's junior minister for human rights, told French radio. "On this morning, we all want to be American, so we can take a bite of this dream unfolding before our eyes."America's popularity abroad waned dramatically during the Bush administration, and some voters expressed hopes that in electing Obama, they could restore the country's image. The wave of good feelings since Tuesday night suggests that even before taking office, Obama has made substantial inroads."This may be the beginning of a new world. It marks the end of old elites and opens the door for new approaches worldwide," an Israeli man in his mid-50s said in Tel Aviv.Foreign observers, who paid rapt attention during the long election season, are taking a personal stake in the outcome of a vote a world away. Expectations are high for the 47-year-old Obama, who will take over on January 20 amid a financial collapse and who will preside over two wars on his first day in office."The standing of everybody in the world is going to be affected by what President Obama does or doesn't do," said Mead, noting that all eyes will be looking to the new president for a way out of the global financial crisis.In the Muslim world, the response has been mixed. A journalist with a pan-Arab news channel told FOX News that on election night, workers were going around the newsroom congratulating each other, as if Obama were their president-elect.Iraqis have expressed skepticism that any rapid changes will come as a result of the election, but many see their fates ineluctably tied to Obama's foreign policy. "By God, the new American President Obama has promised to pull the troops out. This is in the best interest of the Iraqi people," said one Baghdadi.Arab heads of state have been more circumspect, waiting to see whether Obama's Mideast policy will depart significantly from that of the Bush administration, and some newspapers in the Arab world have openly announced their distrust of the president-elect."There is no significant difference between Obama and McCain. They disagree only on the means to achieve America's chief goal, which is to rule for another hundred years," said an editorial in the Saudi daily Al-Watan, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors the Arab press.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama Thursday for his win-the first time an Iranian leader has welcomed an incoming president since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. And some Iranians, speaking to FOX News, said they were excited by the prospect of the coming administration."I want to congratulate you on Barack Obama's victory that really turned a new chapter in the world's history-that an African-American man, decent and intelligent, became president of the world," one Iranian said."This was done in America. Your nation has the credit for it."Not all observers expect this world embrace to be long-lasting. "I think overseas, as at home, opinion over the longer term will depend on what he actually does," said John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.Obama was issued an early challenge Wednesday, as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the deployment of short-range missiles near his country's border with Poland."Those who have issues with us are certainly not giving him a honeymoon," Bolton said of Russia's action, which may have been intended to send a cold word of welcome to Obama and to test his resolve.Russian citizens, too, have been wary in their evaluation of the next president."I don't think he can really become the world political leader," said Tatyana Solomonova, a real estate agent in Moscow. "The fact that he's black can be an obstacle-there's still a lot of racism in the world, in Europe and Russia too. I think he can take a leading role in the Western hemisphere, but not in this part of the world."In Moscow Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has a history of controversial remarks, was asked by a reporter about the prospect for U.S.-Russian relations after Berlusconi met with Medvedev.Berlusconi responded by saying that the relative youth of Medvedev, 43, and Obama should make it easier for Moscow and Washington to work together.Then he said, smiling: "I told the president that [Obama] has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he's young, handsome and even tanned." Italian news agencies said Berlusconi later defended his remark, calling the statement "a great compliment.""Why are they taking it as something negative? ... If they have the vice of not having a sense of humor, worse for them," the ANSA news agency quoted him as saying.But Italy's only black lawmaker, Jean-Leonard Touadi, called the comment embarrassing."In the United States, a joke like that wouldn't just be politically incorrect, but a great offense to this amazing example of integration, which it seems the Italian premier should take as an example," Touadi said.For good or ill, all eyes are now on Obama."Not everybody is going to get what they want, but this is a moment of hope," said Mead, who added that Obama was sure to fall short of some expectations."If you look at Jesus Christ, he walked on water and fed the 5,000 and he ended up getting crucified, so I think it's not unlikely that President-elect Obama is gonna disappoint some people also."
FOX News' Dasha Bond, Courtney Kealy, Reena Ninan and Amy Kellogg contributed to this report.
FOX News' Dasha Bond, Courtney Kealy, Reena Ninan and Amy Kellogg contributed to this report.
As in the days of Noah...
With Emanuel,Obama Could Be Sending Signal to Israel
Barack Obama, by tapping a prominent Jewish congressman to be his chief of staff, earned renewed support from the Jewish community here and abroad.His choice, Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, has already accepted the job, according to Democratic officials, though Emanuel would say publicly only that he's still considering his future. Obama's offer could be an early signal to the Middle East that the new president intends to follow through on his promises to uphold the U.S.-Israeli alliance in his administration."It's just another indication that despite the attempts to imply that Obama would somehow appoint the wrong person or listen to the wrong people when it comes to the U.S.-Israel relationship ... that was never true," said Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council.Forman said Obama's selection of Emanuel helps build confidence that the United States will be vigilant in responding to any threats to Israel posed by Iran."Rahm has certainly never been accused of being too naive or not decisive in his analysis of these types of issues," Forman said.Here and around the world, the selection brought swift reaction. The Web site for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday was filled with articles on what an Obama presidency would mean for Israel. The top story, on Emanuel, noted his deep Jewish roots.Emanuel is the son of a Jerusalem-born doctor who worked for the Israeli underground before the nation's creation following World War II. The congressman belongs to an orthodox congregation in Chicago and worked as a volunteer in Israel during the first Gulf War. He had dual citizenship in the United States and Israel, but gave it up when he was 18."Of course he will influence the president to be pro-Israeli," his father Benjamin told an Israeli newspaper Thursday.Though Obama was accused of being conciliatory toward Iran and toward Palestinians during the presidential race, an Emanuel appointment could combat those perceptions.Last summer, Obama's campaign gave conflicting statements over how he views the status of Jerusalem. He told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that Jerusalem "must remain undivided," but later he said it would be a matter of negotiation.Emanuel, though, has indicated consistent support for Israel's rights. While he has expressed empathy for Palestinians, Emanuel has explicitly condemned their leaders.In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel."Fatah and Hamas are tearing the Palestinian area of the Gaza strip apart in what they call a political rivalry, and the Palestinian people are paying a price for Palestinian violence," he said at the time. "Governments from around the world and the Arab world have said nothing. ... I just want you to think for a second, if this were the result of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities, would the international silence and the silence of the Arab world be this deafening?"At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians "turn away from the path of terror," according to the Chicago Tribune.It's unclear exactly how an Obama administration would handle the Israel-Palestine peace process, which has failed to take off during the Bush administration. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left Wednesday for a series of peacemaking meetings in the Middle East, but so far the kind of agreement sought at last year's Annapolis summit has been elusive."I would expect that what we are going to do is we're going to try to put this process in the best possible place going forward so that whomever comes next can formulate their policies, take a look at the process and possibly use it, take it further," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, adding that upcoming elections in Israel further complicate matters.Emanuel's older brother Ezekial said the Illinois congressman will "want to see peace in the region.""That's what you need," he said. "Like every sensible human being, Rahm believes in a two-state solution."
FOX News' Reena Ninan and Judson Berger contributed to this report.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/05/emanuel-obama-sends-signal-israel/
As in the days of Noah...
FOX News' Reena Ninan and Judson Berger contributed to this report.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/05/emanuel-obama-sends-signal-israel/
As in the days of Noah...
Emanuel Accepts Offer to Be Obama's Chief of Staff
Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a former aide in the Clinton White House, has accepted Barack Obama's offer to be his chief of staff, Democratic officials say. Emanuel serves in the House Democratic leadership and will have to resign his seat and put aside hopes of becoming House speaker. But he accepted Obama's offer to run his White House staff Thursday after struggling over family and political considerations."He is the perfect choice. He knows the Hill, he knows substance, he knows politics, and most importantly, he can get the job done," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement Thursday.Emanuel is a fiery Democrat who served as a political and policy aide in the Clinton White House. His selection is a shift in tone for Obama, who chose more low-key leadership for his presidential campaign.House Republican Leader John Boehner noted Emanuel's reputation as a political fighter in a statement Thursday."This is an ironic choice for a President-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center," Boehner said.
As in the days of Noah...
Tropical Storm Paloma Strengthens Off Nicaraguan Coast
MIAMI-Forecasters say Tropical Storm Paloma has formed off the coast of Nicaragua with winds reaching 40 mph, and could strengthen into a hurricane by Friday.The National Hurricane Center in Miami shows the storm could make landfall over Cuba as a hurricane.The track shows it could weaken and continue toward the Bahamas. A tropical storm watch has been issued for parts of Honduras and Nicaragua, and several inches of rain are expected in those countries.
Forecasters say the storm is centered about 70 miles east-northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua-Honduras border and may also hit the Cayman Islands.Paloma is moving toward the north-northwest at about 7 mph. It is expected to gradually turn toward the north, then to the northeast toward Cuba.
Click here to track the storm at the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters say the storm is centered about 70 miles east-northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua-Honduras border and may also hit the Cayman Islands.Paloma is moving toward the north-northwest at about 7 mph. It is expected to gradually turn toward the north, then to the northeast toward Cuba.
Click here to track the storm at the National Hurricane Center.
As in the days of Noah...
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