Pope defends right to speak out on bioethics

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22933625/
Benedict dismisses criticism that church blocks scientific progress

The Associated Press

updated 12:40 p.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 31, 2008

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday defended the Vatican's right to speak out on bioethics, including its opposition to artificial procreation methods and embryonic stem cell research.

He also dismissed criticism that the Roman Catholic Church blocks scientific progress.

"Church teaching certainly cannot and must not weigh in on every novelty of science, but it has the task to reiterate the great values which are on the line and to propose to faithful and all men of good will ethical-moral principles and direction for new, important questions," Benedict said.

Benedict brushed off those who criticize the church "as if it were an obstacle to science and to humanity's true progress."

The pope singled out as "new problems" the freezing of embryos, selecting which embryos should be implanted after testing them for defects, research on embryonic stem cells and attempts at human cloning.

He decried them as proof that "the barrier protecting human dignity has been broken."

Benedict was addressing a meeting of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a powerful Vatican office which safeguards doctrinal orthodoxy. He headed that office before being elected pope in 2005.

So should the church have a say in scientific/ethical issues such as bioethics? Are they any different than any other group using their collective might to enforce their will, for better or worse? Specifically, should a man who is seen as the spiritual leader of well over a billion people have more say than those who developed the technology? what about those who would benefit? And should an organization that has such a long history of animosity toward science be able to dictate the direction science can and cannot go in (especially considering that science has pretty much been right on every argument with religion it has had)? I am not opposed to Pope Being-a-Dick speaking his mind, but when one billion plus people think that you are god's appointed mouthpiece on Earth, you might have people siding with the man they think has a say in their fantasy destination in the great beyond rather than with considering the suffering of humanity that is real and where their contribution or voice could make a difference. Ugh... I just wish religion cared more about bettering the lives of living people than attempting to steer men and women towards the out-dated concepts of the first century. it just makes me sad.

Shell's record profits branded 'obscene'

Shell was today accused of making "obscene" profits at a time when pensioners, motorists and industry are struggling with higher energy prices when it unveiled annual earnings of $27.6bn (£13.9bn).

The oil major has made British corporate history with the record figures, which are equivalent to more than £1.5m an hour and come at the end of a three month period when crude prices have averaged over $90 a barrel.

Jeroen van der Veer, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, described the performance as "satisfactory" and admitted that overall production for the year had actually dropped 2%.

He said the company had benefited from launching new oil and gas projects but had suffered in the last quarter from weak refining margins.

"We are proceeding with the rejuvenation of our portfolio with investment in new legacy assets and through disposals. The execution of our strategy is on track."

But Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite the union, Britain's largest trade union said a windfall tax should be imposed on "greedy" companies such as Shell whose profits are more than four times higher than retailer, Tesco.

"Shell shareholders are doing very nicely whilst the rest of us, the stakeholders, are paying the price and struggling," said Mr. Woodley. "Record profits of over thirteen and a half billion pounds at Shell and cumulative oil industry profits in excess of fifty billion in the last three years are, quite frankly, obscene. It is time the government acted."

A windfall tax would be the "right and proper" thing to do over and above the normal taxes the oil companies would pay.

"The oil companies can maintain their investment programmes, maintain their explorations, pay their normal taxes, maintain good returns to shareholders but still put their hands in their treasure chests and pay a windfall tax," he added.

Motorist organisations have already complained about pump prices soaring to over £1 a litre and although the government tax take makes up much of that price, the Road Haulage Association described Shell's profits as "absolutely scandalous".

Nigerian problems

Van der Veer denied that the company was profiteering on the back of motorists, arguing that Shell profits were mainly coming from the upstream side of the business "and not at the gasoline pump in the UK".

A large part of the petrol price could be attributed to taxation over which the company had no control and any cross-subsidy from one part of the business to another would be effectively "killing yourself".

While the company had made annual profits of $27bn, it had invested almost the same amount in developing new projects along with an additional $7bn on securing a larger equity holding in Shell Canada.

A windfall tax against the oil industry would be counter-productive, he argued. "Any additional tax - if significant - then we can invest less and over time it will impact on our production," he said.

Shell's total oil and gas output in 2007 fell for the fifth year in a row and the company laid the blame for the decline partly on Nigeria.

Van der Veer met the president of the country last week and admitted the company was suffering from escalating violence in the Delta region and problems obtaining funding from its state-owned oil partner.

Shell took a $716m charge in the last quarter of the year to pay for a downsizing and restructuring of the onshore side of the business. "The Nigerian government is slow funding their share of the costs," said van der Veer who has previously avoided being critical of the authorities there.

There is widespread speculation that the government wants a bigger slice of the action in a similar way to the resource nationalism being executed in Russia, Venezuela and elsewhere. Van der Veer admitted globally the competition from state-owned national oil companies was a dangerous trend.

Will it grow? "Yes, it will, especially if gas prices stay high. Does it impact the (Shell) strategy? Yes, it does," he added, saying oil companies such as Shell had to provide skills and technology others did not have.

The Shell boss said the company was facing a 10% annual increase in inflationary costs but shrugged off any reduction in energy demand as a result of any US of global economic slowdown. "We expect year 2008 to have higher energy demand in the world than in 2007," he added.

The full year profits at Shell were 9% up on last time whilst the last quarter figures were up 11%, but no details were provided of the profits made from petrol sales.

The Anglo-Dutch company has declared an 11% rise in the last quarter dividend and expects a similar increase in the first quarter dividend. It spent $4.4bn last year buying back its own shares and has spent $26bn on new oil and gas schemes.

• Terry Macalister
• guardian.co.uk,
• Thursday January 31 2008

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/31/royaldutchshell.oil1/print

I feel nauseous. Oil companies disgust me , and Shell is arguably the worst. Shell has destroyed the Niger River Delta and brutally repressed the people living there (not without the consent of the Nigerian government, though). They run a private security group that kills and tortures dissidents and "terrorists" seeking to expel the company from the region. And all the while they reap windfall profits while poor schmucks pay out the ass at the pump. Ug! Awfulness galore.

And for those--Beck I mean you--who might find the Guardian too biased in its reporting there is a similar story at the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7219148.stm

McCain 'wins tight Florida vote'

BBC News

John McCain is projected to beat Mitt Romney by a slim margin in Florida, a key battle for Republicans seeking to run for president in November.

With half the vote counted, US networks gave him 36% to Mr Romney's 32%.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - who has staked his bid for the party nomination on Florida - was trailing in third and Mike Huckabee fourth.

Hillary Clinton claimed victory in the Democratic vote, although it is a largely symbolic contest.
No delegates are at stake for the Democrats because the state's Democratic Party has been penalised by the national party for breaking rules on when it could hold its primary.
With 42% of the votes counted, Mrs Clinton had 52% to Mr Obama's 30%, with John Edwards coming in third with 16%.

Giuliani's future

For the Republican hopefuls, 57 delegates are at stake in the winner-takes-all primary - the biggest prize of the primary season so far.

They will attend the party's national convention later this year when the Republican candidate is chosen.

The Florida victor will also gain crucial momentum ahead of Super Tuesday on 5 February, when 24 states vote.

With just over half the vote counted, Mr Giuliani was in third place with 15%.

Mr Huckabee, who won in Iowa but needed a good result in Florida to keep him in contention, was fourth with 13%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul was fifth with 3% of the vote.

Mr Huckabee thanked his activists in Florida and said of his campaign: "It's not even close to being over. We like to believe we are just getting started."

Mr Giuliani, who has focused almost his entire campaign so far on Florida, had been hoping that pre-vote opinion polls putting him well behind the two front-runners would prove wrong.

He has insisted that he expects to win the primary - but if that does not prove the case, it could spell the end for Mr Giuliani's campaign, analysts say.

He declined to elaborate on earlier remarks that he would make a decision on the future of his campaign on Wednesday morning.

The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Miami says that the state of the economy has been the main issue for voters in Florida.

The state has been hit hard by the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Of the two Republican front-runners, Mr McCain focused on national security and has strong support among a large number of military servicemen and veterans in the state.

Mr Romney, a former businessman and former governor of Massachusetts, has presented himself as someone with the credentials to shore up the economy.

Democratic row

None of the Democratic candidates campaigned in Florida after the party's national committee penalised Florida for holding its primary early.

But Mrs Clinton - who has said she wants the state's delegates reinstated and seated at the national convention - held a victory rally in Davie, Florida, as the results came in.

She told supporters: "I am thrilled to have had this vote of confidence that you have given me today and I promise you I will do everything I can to make sure not only are Florida's Democratic delegates seated, but Florida is in the winning column for the Democrats in 2008."

Mrs Clinton is also keen to see the delegates reinstated in Michigan - a state she won, as the only major candidate on the ballot, but which was stripped of its delegates in the same way as Florida.
However, Senator Barack Obama, her chief rival, told reporters he believed the decision on delegates "should be made after the nomination, not before".

Mr Obama spent the day campaigning in Kansas, another Super Tuesday state, where he visited the town of El Dorado, the hometown of his maternal grandfather.

He also picked up the endorsement of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, who delivered the Democratic response to President George W Bush's State of the Union address on Monday.

Well, that pretty much seals the deal for Giuliani's compaign... which I think we all saw coming. However, given that he was my first choice out of the Republican crowd, and I can't help but be saddened. I was hoping against all logic and reason that he might, just might, take Florida, and find himself back in the race. *sigh*

I guess I now know how Pope felt when Dennis the Menace bowed out... :P

My next choice by default is now McCain. And I wouldn't rule out a McCain/Giuliani ticket... But should McCain lose the nomination to Romney or the Huckster... well, fark! I guess I'm going to defect to the Obama camp, just to make an effort to keep either of those two fuggers from getting into the office.

So you democrats: You'd better nominate Obama, or I'm throwing away my vote on a Libertarian!

Pre-Impeachment?

Are any of these guys really electable?

America, 100 Percent Fat

Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness

One glance around a shopping mall, at a children's playground—or even down at your own belly—and you realize that with each passing year, more and more Americans are dramatically changing shape.

The stats are staggering.

The number of obese adults has doubled in just 20 years, with 67 percent of the adult population overweight or obese, according to recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control.

And things appear to be getting worse. Back in 1995, when researchers started to notice the changing landscape, one doctor sounded an alarm in The Lancet, a British medical journal. After studying the rise in obesity that had occurred over the 30-year period between 1960 and 1991, Dr. John Foreyt at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston predicted that 100 percent of Americans would be overweight by the year 2230.

Upon seeing more recent data, Foreyt bumped up his projection by almost two centuries: “We’re gaining by 1 percentage point every year. Assuming that trend continues, 100 percent of the population will be overweight or obese by 2040.”

A recent report in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews suggests that this estimate is right on track. Researchers studied obesity prevalence rates from 1990 to 2006 and concluded that 75 percent of the population will be overweight, and 41 percent will be obese, by the year 2015— or by the time today’s crop of grade-school age kids get to high school.

Excerpted from MSNBC. Full text available at: health.msnbc.com

Damn, America is getting fatter by the minute. The numbers are a bit disturbing, especially given the burden that obesity will increasingly put on a an already burdened public health care system as well as the burden to obese individuals that lack health insurance. The poor are, after all, disproportionately heavy, mostly because high fat, high calorie food is now sadly cheaper than healthier foods like fruits and vegetables and lean meats and seafood. So what to do? Should the government initiate a public health campaign against obesity similar to the one used against smoking in the 1980s? Or maybe there should be class action lawsuits against McDonalds like those used against tobacco companies (actually, didn't that already happen once?).

Satellite could plummet to Earth

A "large" US spy satellite has gone out of control and is expected to crash to Earth some time in late February or March, government sources say.

Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the satellite had lost power and propulsion, and could contain hazardous materials.

The White House said it was monitoring the situation.

A spokesman said "numerous" satellites had come out of orbit and fallen back to Earth harmlessly over the years.

"We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause," said Gordon Johndroe, who speaks for the US National Security Council.

Questioned by The Associated Press, he would not be drawn on whether the US would try to destroy the satellite, perhaps with a missile.

An unnamed official quoted by AP said the US government was keeping lawmakers and other countries abreast of the situation.

Fuel hazard

The satellite contains the rocket fuel hydrazine, a government official told AP on condition of anonymity.

A colourless liquid with an ammonia-like odour, the fuel is a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who comes in contact with it.

John Pike, director of the defence research group GlobalSecurity.org, said an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of US secrets.

Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he was quoted by AP as saying.

The military expert believes that shooting the satellite down would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.

In his estimate, the satellite weighs about 20,000 pounds (9,072kg) and is the size of a small bus.

It is possible, he adds, that this one died as long as a year ago and is just now getting ready to re-enter the atmosphere.

Another expert, Jeffrey Richelson of the National Security Archive, said the satellite is probably a photo reconnaissance satellite.

Into the ocean

AP notes that the largest uncontrolled re-entry by a US space agency (Nasa) craft was Skylab.

The 78-tonne abandoned space station fell from orbit in 1979.

Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia, the US news agency says.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound (3,175-kg) science satellite hit the Earth's atmosphere.

It rained down over the Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would crash.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7211443.stm

I have often wondered how often this happens.

The Dream is Over...Again.

Formal announcement expected Friday

The Associated Press

updated 5:30 p.m. ET, Thurs., Jan. 24, 2008

CLEVELAND - Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job - U.S. congressman.

In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.

"I will be announcing that I'm transiting out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."

Kucinich has received little support in his presidential bid; he got 1 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and was shut out in the Iowa caucuses although he has a devoted following.

Kucinich, 61, is facing four challengers in the Democratic congressional primary March 4, and earlier this week he made an urgent appeal on his Web site for funds for his re-election. Rival Joe Cimperman has been critical of Kucinich for focusing too much time outside of his district while campaigning for president.

His decision comes a month after his youngest brother, Perry Kucinich, was found dead.

Kucinich said he will not endorse another Democrat in the primary.

Kucinich brought the same sense of idealism to his second run for president as he did in his first bid. He said he was entering the race again because the Democratic Party wasn't pushing hard enough to end the Iraq war.

Once dubbed the "boy mayor" of Cleveland, he made an unpopular decision to refuse to sell a publicly owned utility that pushed the city into default and drove him from office.

After the city's financial troubles, the mayor faced death threats, and was forced to wear a bulletproof vest when he threw out the first ball at a Cleveland Indians game. He barely survived a recall vote.

But he lost his bid for re-election as mayor of Cleveland in 1978 to Republican George Voinovich, who went on to become governor and then U.S. senator. His life and his political career were derailed. Kucinich spent more than a decade trying to get back into politics - traveling around the country and then working as a teacher, consultant and television news reporter.

In 1994, Kucinich was elected state senator and he then won a seat in Congress in 1996. His once unpopular stand against the sale of the municipal electric system was praised as courageous. In 1998, the Cleveland City Council issued him a commendation for having the foresight to refuse to sell it.

During his time in Congress, Kucinich has been one of the most outspoken liberals, opposing international trade agreements like the North America Free Trade Agreement and marching with protesters in Seattle during a meeting of the World Trade Organization.

As a presidential candidate, he has proposed a Department of Peace, backed universal health care and supported gay marriage. He also pushed for impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Kucinich married British citizen Elizabeth Harper, in 2005, ensuring his 2008 campaign would have one dramatic difference from his first campaign. Kucinich told New Hampshire audiences during the 2004 race that he was seeking a mate. Women then vied for a date with him during a contest arranged by a New Hampshire political Web site, but nothing romantic evolved from Kucinich's breakfast with the winner.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Dennis...Noooooooooooo! Say it's not so!

Gaza Wall Photos

Since we have been discussing it on the blog, I thought it might be appropriate to have a few photographs to show what it looks like where the wall has fallen on the Egyptian border:


To see more photos go to this BBC page:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7204102.stm

Hamas Beats Israel's Gaza Siege

From Time.com

It took explosives to do what diplomacy couldn't: allow Palestinians to go on a shopping spree. The siege of Gaza, imposed by Israel and the international community after Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory last July, ended abruptly before dawn on Wednesday when militants blew as many as 15 holes in the border wall separating the territory from Egypt. In the hours that followed, over 350,000 Palestinians swarmed across the frontier, nearly one fifth of Gaza's entire population.

Some Palestinians craved medicine and food — goats appeared to be a hot item — because Israel had cut off most supplies from entering Gaza as punishment for militants' firing rockets into southern Israel. Students and businessmen joined the throng heading for Egypt. There were scores of brides-to-be, stuck on the Egyptian side, who scurried across to be united with their future bridegrooms in Gaza. And some, like teacher Abu Bakr, stepped through a blast hole into Egypt simply "to enjoy the air of freedom."

The previous day, President Housni Mubarak faced the wrath of the Arab world when his riot police used clubs and water hoses to attack Palestinian women pleading for Egypt to open the Rafah crossing in Gaza. And despite pressure from Israel and the United States, Mubarak wasn't about to order his men to use force to restrain Palestinians rendered desperate by Israel's siege. The Egyptian President said he ordered his troops to "let them come to eat and buy food and go back, as long as they are not carrying weapons."

At 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Palestinian militants detonated explosive charges knocking out slabs in the 26-foot concrete border wall, and by dawn, Gazans were racing to the open border on donkey carts and tractors and in cars. Once through the holes, they trampled across barbed wire, vaulted over fences and picked their way gingerly through cactus. Many carried heavy suitcases and said that they were never coming back to captivity in Gaza.

But most Gazans were in a mad scramble to go shopping, and they returned with everything from goats to tires to jerricans full of gasoline. One stout woman in a veil threaded nimbly through barbed wire with a tray of canned fruit balanced on her head. The Palestinians cleaned out every shop on the Egyptian side: By afternoon, there was nothing to buy within a six-mile distance of the border; and even the Sinai town of El-Arish, three hours drive away, had been sucked dry of gasoline. One taxi driver who brought back cartons of cigarettes and gallons of gas to resell for a profit in Gaza said, "This should help feed my family for several months."

Israel expressed fears that Hamas militants would use the breach in the border to bring in weapons. One Palestinian said he witnessed dozens of Hamas men who had been stuck in Egypt for months crossing into Gaza. Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aryeh Mekel told newsmen, "We have real concerns that they can now freely smuggle explosives, missiles and people into Gaza, which makes an already bad situation even worse."

Hamas moved quickly to capitalize on the mass celebration of the border's breach. The movement's parliamentary leader, Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh, called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt to join in urgent talks to find a formula for keeping the Gaza-Egypt border permanently open. Haniyeh said Hamas was prepared to set up joint control of the border with the President's forces, bringing an end to a hostilities between the two factions that erupted last July when Hamas militants chased the President's Fatah militia out of Gaza.

Now that Gazans have exploded out of their besieged enclave, it may be up to Israel to seal up the border again, since the Egyptians are showing no signs of doing so. Israel had put the economic squeeze on Gaza's 1.5 million people — a policy described as "collective punishment" by many aid organizations — hoping it would turn the Palestinians against Hamas. But with the siege broken, even if temporarily, Hamas has earned the gratitude of hungry Palestinians and reinvigorated its popularity in Gaza.

Well, this was pretty much innevitable... and I think it grossly emphasizes the fundamental flaw in Israeli's containment policy in Gaza. Any vessel will innevitably fail if you apply enough internal pressure... And here, we see exactly that: The walls pop, and Palestinians pour into Egyption markets to find relief for their suffering. And Hamas comes out looking like heroes for not only resisting Israel, but saving the people of Gaza from their misery.

Granted, Egypt could have done more to contain the situation.... but frankly, I don't blame them for not.

Afghan 'blasphemy' death sentence

An Afghan journalist has been sentenced to death by a provincial court for distributing "blasphemous" material.

Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, 23, was arrested in 2007 after downloading material from the internet relating to the role of women in Islamic societies.

A primary court in Balkh province said that Kambakhsh had confessed to blasphemy and had to be punished.

The court also threatened to arrest any reporters who protested against Kambakhsh's sentence.

Kambakhsh, a student at Balkh University and a journalist for Jahan-e Naw (New World), was arrested in October 2007 after material he downloaded was deemed to be offensive to Islam.

Shamsur Rahman, the head of the court, told Reuters news agency: "According to... the Islamic law, Sayed Perwiz is sentenced to death at the first court.

"However, he will go through three more courts to declare his last punishment," he said.

'Deeply shocked'

Balkh province's deputy attorney general, Hafizullah Khaliqyar, warned other journalists that they would be arrested if they attempted to support Kambakhsh.

But Agence France-Presse reported that journalists were gathering outside the home of the condemned reporter.

The sentence has been welcomed by conservative Islamic clerics in Afghanistan but criticised by international human rights groups.

Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said it was "deeply shocked" by the trial and appealed to President Hamid Karzai to intervene "before it is too late".

In a statement, the group said the trial was "carried out in haste and without any concern for the law or for free expression, which is protected by the constitution".

"Kambakhsh did not do anything to justify his being detained or being given this sentence."

Kambakhsh's brother, Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, said the verdict was "very unfair" and appealed for help from the international community, reported Reuters.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7204341.stm

Holy crap (literally)! I am tired of saying that Islamic law is outdated and oppressive and just plain stupid, but damn it, there are just so many examples of how it continues to demonstrate it is ill-prepared to join us in 21st century (or even the 18th century). Not to mention a "religious court" is always going to be a problem. It is a danger to liberty and equality and everything that at least I hold dear. Ugh... I am at such a loss.

***For another fun story involving Muslims indirectly, but more on how "political correctness" and extreme "cultural sensitivity" are completely moronic, check out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7204635.stm

Gunfire at Egypt's Gaza crossing

Egyptian security guards have fired into the air and used water cannon to drive back Palestinian women who tried to surge across the border from Gaza.

Hundreds of Palestinians demanded the Rafah crossing to Egypt be reopened for vital supplies that are scarce because of Israel's blockade of Gaza.

A number of people were injured, mostly in scuffles, but several were seriously hurt, according to reports.

It came as Israel eased a four-day Gaza lockdown by allowing fuel deliveries.

The UN Security Council met in an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss Gaza.

Rocket attacks

As the 15-member body met in New York, Israel said its discussions were one-sided.

Its foreign ministry said in a statement: "We can't tolerate a situation where the Security Council debates only the situation of residents in the Gaza Strip and completely ignores that of Israelis living under the constant threat of Qassam rockets."

Since Hamas seized control of Gaza last June, the Rafah crossing has remained mostly closed at Israel's insistence.

But violence broke out as Palestinians tried to get past Egyptian security forces at the terminal, Gaza's only border post that bypasses Israel.

Gunfire erupted as security forces tried to stop hundreds of demonstrators breaking through to the Egyptian side.

'Fabrication'

One of the protesters, mother-of-five Umm Mohammed, 42, told AFP news agency: "Why doesn't Egypt open the crossing? Because [US President George W Bush] gives them dollars."

The trouble came as Israel said its blockade - imposed last week in response to rocket attacks from Gaza - was being eased only for Tuesday and would be reviewed after that.

HAVE YOUR SAY The blockade will exacerbate the security dilemma for Israel Gwilym, Oxford

The UN had warned that food aid to about 860,000 Gazans could be halted within days because of the restrictions.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice blamed Hamas for the lockdown but said she had urged Israel to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

Israel allowed lorries to deliver industrial diesel for Gaza's sole power plant on Tuesday.

The Israeli foreign ministry said it would allow more fuel to be delivered in the coming days along with food and medicine.

'Futile launchings'

But Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas labelled the move "insufficient" and called for a total end to the blockade.

He said civilians in Gaza were not responsible for the "futile launchings" of rockets into Israel.

The blockade forced the Nusseirat power plant to shut down on Monday, plunging Gaza City into darkness.

But Israel accused Hamas of "fabricating" the power shortage, saying it was still directly providing nearly 70% of the coastal territory's power.

The Israeli government said its lockdown had stopped missile attacks - although another rocket struck the Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday.

But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: "The real crisis of our Palestinian people is the continuing siege on the Gaza Strip."

The European Union and international agencies have denounced Israel's border closures as illegal "collective punishment" against Gaza's 1.5m residents.

Israel imposed an economic embargo on Gaza after the Islamist militants of Hamas seized control of the territory from the rival Fatah group in June.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7202797.stm

Not really any comment here except to reiterate that collective punishment is wrong and generally ineffective against regimes where people have little voice. One thing to note is the difference in language used by the EU versus the US. The EU condemns collective punishment and denounces the embargo/border closure while the US blames Hamas and urges Israel to "avoid a humanitarian crisis". Rather lackluster response since the crisis is pretty much ongoing. Good job Condi.

Hardliners leave Israel coalition

An Israeli right-wing party has pulled out of the coalition government in protest at the starting of peace talks on core issues with the Palestinians.

Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman said the land-for-peace talks would lead to Israel's destruction.

Israeli Arab politicians condemn the party as racist for advocating the expulsion of Arab citizens from Israel to a future Palestinian state.

Despite its departure, the coalition still retains a parliamentary majority.

However, it is only by seven seats, meaning Ehud Olmert's government is now vulnerable to any similar withdrawal by the religious party Shas.

Negotiations on the basis of land for peace are a critical mistake... and will destroy us Avigdor Lieberman

Shas has 12 seats and has also threatened to leave the coalition over the issue of peace talks.

"A few minutes ago, I spoke to the prime minister and I also gave him a written announcement of our departure from the coalition and my resignation from the government," Mr Lieberman said.

"Negotiations on the basis of land for peace are a critical mistake... and will destroy us," the outgoing strategic affairs minister and deputy prime minister told a news conference.

"It is clear to everyone that these talks will lead to nothing."

Contradictions

Correspondents have often highlighted the contradictions of Mr Lieberman's participation in a coalition pledging to make peace with the Palestinians.

He is one of Israel's most outspoken hardliners, who has in the past suggested bombing Egypt's Aswan Dam and executing Israeli Arab MPs, as well as reportedly calling for Palestinian prisoners to be drowned.

Mr Olmert's political vulnerability could increase later this month, with the publication of an inquiry into the 2006 Lebanon war, which is expected to criticise his government.

But a statement by Mr Olmert's office said final status talks - on Jerusalem, borders, Jewish settlements and Palestinian refugees - were "the only real chance of ensuring the peace and security of Israeli citizens".

The departure of Yisrael Beitenu, which appeals to Israel's large immigrant community from the former Soviet Union, leaves the coalition led by Mr Olmert's Kadima party with 67 seats in the 120-seat chamber.

Outposts closed

Israeli forces evacuated two small settlement outposts in the West Bank, in line with commitments it has made in the faltering US-sponsored peace process.

At one outpost, near the Palestinian town of Nablus, the five settlers living there fled when the soldiers arrived and no arrests were made.

At a second outpost nearby, Shvut Ami, bulldozers demolished one of two partly built houses.

A small protest was held by about 20 teenagers who were eventually removed by the security forces.

Israeli campaign group Peace Now estimates that about 3,000 Jewish settlers live in outposts - embryonic settlements not authorised by the Israeli government.

About 430,000 settlers live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, on settlements authorised by the Israeli government.

All settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7191350.stm


I posted this to provide a little insight into the workings of Israeli democracy. Since it is a parliamentary system, and therefore often governed by coalition governments, minority parties often yield power well beyond their popularity with the general public. This is a case in point. While most Israelis (just as most Palestinians) are in favor of the land for peace proposal, efforts are derailed by hardliners and radicals. Honestly, most people on both sides seem willing to give a lot over in exchange for peace. So if most people want it, why is it so hard? Radicals like Hamas shoulder part of the blame, but one answer also lies in the Israeli electoral design. Because of the system, minority groups like Shas and Yisrael Beitenu are potentially able to bring down the government coalition if they withdraw. So in order to stay in power, moderate (larger) parties often cow to the radicals. Sad, and self-serving on the part of moderate parties too, but it's the way it works. The point here is simply just to explain how radicals can exert disproportionate authority and disrupt peace deals that most everyone favors. Sad.

One last thing: Liberman, the leader of Yisrael Beitenu, is scary. He wants to assassinate Arab members of parliament, bomb Egypt, and kill Palestinian prisoners? And he was both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs? I would say WTF?, but I just explained how this happens. Uggh...

Justices rule against investors in fraud case

Ruling likely to have an impact on class-action suit by Enron shareholders

The Associated Press

updated 3:06 p.m. ET, Tues., Jan. 15, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday against investors who sue businesses that manipulate stock prices of publicly traded companies.

In a 5-3 decision that split along conservative-liberal lines, the court gave a measure of protection from securities lawsuits to suppliers, banks, accountants and law firms that do business with corporations engaging in securities fraud.

The ruling comes at a pivotal point for a similar class-action lawsuit covering more than a million shareholders who invested in scandal-ridden Enron Corp. Stockholders in Enron, once the nation’s seventh-largest company, are seeking more than $30 billion from Wall Street investment banks, alleging they schemed with Enron to hide its financial problems.

“This is a very anti-investor opinion and it could severely impact the ongoing Enron case,” said Patrick Coughlin, lead attorney for Enron investors.

Shortly after the decision, the justices put the Enron investors’ suit on their list of cases to consider Friday at one of their regular private conference.

The case the justices decided Tuesday has been watched closely by business and industry, which argued that an adverse ruling would open the door to a flood of frivolous lawsuits.

The outcome “is important relief for manufacturers,” said Quentin Riegel, vice president for litigation at the National Association of Manufacturers. “It prevents creeping liability, attempts to expand primary responsibility from one party to third parties who were not involved in making misleading statements.”

The justices ruled against investors who alleged that two suppliers colluded with Charter Communications Inc. to deceive Charter’s stockholders and inflate the price of the cable TV company’s stock.

Charter investors do not have the right to sue because they did not rely on the deceptive acts of Charter’s suppliers, said the majority opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy.

“No member of the investing public had knowledge” of the suppliers’ deceptive acts, Kennedy wrote.

In his opinion, Kennedy hit some of the same points business groups have been arguing.

An adverse ruling for business would mean that “overseas firms with no other exposure to our securities laws could be deterred from doing business here,” Kennedy wrote.

Regarding the Enron case, the justices could refuse to hear it, which could spell its end, or the justices could send it back to the lower courts, where lawyers for the investors could try to revive it, though a federal appeals court has already ruled against them.

Coughlin, representing Enron investors, says the case has somewhat different circumstances than the suit against Charter’s suppliers.

In the Enron case, he said, “these investment banks did speak to the market about Enron’s operations in analysts’ reports and through underwriting, so we may be able to show that investors relied on that information.”

Dissenting in the case against Charter’s suppliers, Justice John Paul Stevens said the court is engaged in a continuing campaign to undercut investor lawsuits.

Charter inflated its revenues by $17 million and “it could not have done so absent the knowingly fraudulent actions” of the two suppliers, Scientific-Atlanta Inc. and Motorola Inc., Stevens wrote.

A liberal Supreme Court in 1971 endorsed investor lawsuits under antifraud provisions of securities law. In 1994, a more conservative Supreme Court imposed limits on such lawsuits, prohibiting cases against third parties for aiding and abetting a company’s misstatements. The Republican-controlled Congress enacted the restrictions into law the next year.

Joining Kennedy in the majority were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. In his dissent, Stevens was joined by Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Justice Stephen Breyer disqualified himself from the case because he owns stock in Cisco Systems Inc., which now owns Scientific-Atlanta.

The case is Stoneridge v. Scientific-Atlanta, 06-43.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

This strikes me as extremely problematic. Letting companies the knowingly help other companies commit fraud off the hook is kind of like allowing the getaway driver out of criminal charges just because she didn't walk into the bank with a gun. Sure, maybe the punishment should be different, but it is still complicity. The argument, as I understand it, is that the cable box supplier did not mislead the investors themselves and that because the investors did not know about the manufacturer's involvement they did not base their investment decisions on it. What the Hell is that? They based their investments on fraudulent numbers, right? So it seems that companies that are complicit misleading investors should be able to be held liable. While understanding the argument that a ruling in the opposite direction have might scared away foreign companies from doing business with US firms, that is a problematic argument both because the law should not be tempered because it is potentially economically expedient and because I would think that now investors might be more wary of investing in US companies since this ruling is libel to send the message that collusion by third parties is implicitly protected. Bad court! Bad court!

In child porn case, a digital dilemma

U.S. seeks to force suspect to reveal password to computer files

By Ellen Nakashima

The Washington Post

updated 2:23 a.m. ET, Wed., Jan. 16, 2008

The federal government is asking a U.S. District Court in Vermont to order a man to type a password that would unlock files on his computer, despite his claim that doing so would constitute self-incrimination.

The case, believed to be the first of its kind to reach this level, raises a uniquely digital-age question about how to balance privacy and civil liberties against the government's responsibility to protect the public.

The case, which involves suspected possession of child pornography, comes as more Americans turn to encryption to protect the privacy and security of files on their laptops and thumb drives. FBI and Justice Department officials, meanwhile, have said that encryption is allowing terrorists and criminals to communicate their plots covertly.

Criminals and terrorists are using "relatively inexpensive, off-the-shelf encryption products," said John Miller, the FBI's assistant director of public affairs. "When the intent . . . is purely to hide evidence of a crime . . . there needs to be a logical and constitutionally sound way for the courts" to allow law enforcement access to the evidence, he said.

'The forbidden trilemma'
On Nov. 29, Magistrate Judge Jerome J. Niedermeier ruled that compelling Sebastien Boucher, a 30-year-old drywall installer who lives in Vermont, to enter his password into his laptop would violate his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. "If Boucher does know the password, he would be faced with the forbidden trilemma: incriminate himself, lie under oath, or find himself in contempt of court," the judge said.

The government has appealed, and the case is being investigated by a grand jury, said Boucher's attorney, James Boudreau of Boston. He said it would be "inappropriate" to comment while the case is pending. Justice Department officials also declined to comment.

But the ruling has caused controversy.

"The consequence of this decision being upheld is that the government would have to find other methods to get this information," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "But that's as it should be. That's what the Fifth Amendment is intended to protect."

Mark D. Rasch, a privacy and technology expert with FTI Consulting and a former federal prosecutor, said the ruling was "dangerous" for law enforcement. "If it stands, it means that if you encrypt your documents, the government cannot force you to decrypt them," he said. "So you're going to see drug dealers and pedophiles encrypting their documents, secure in the knowledge that the police can't get at them."

The case began Dec. 17, 2006, when Boucher, a Canadian citizen with legal residency in the United States, was driving from Canada into Vermont when he was stopped at the border by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector. The inspector searched Boucher's car and found a laptop in the back seat, according to an affidavit filed with the court by Mark Curtis, a special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement who was called in by the inspector.

Boucher said the laptop was his, according to the affidavit. When the inspector saw files with titles such as "Two-year-old being raped during diaper change," he asked Boucher if the laptop contained child pornography. Boucher said he did not know because he was not able to check his temporary Internet files, according to the affidavit.

Curtis asked Boucher "to use the computer" to show him the files he downloads. Curtis reviewed the video files, observing one that appeared to be a preteen undressing and performing a sexual act, among other graphic images, the affidavit says.

Boucher was arrested and charged with transportation of child pornography in interstate or foreign commerce, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison for a first offense.

'Nearly impossible' to access files
The agents seized the laptop, and a Vermont Department of Corrections investigator copied its contents. But the investigator could not get access to the drive Z content because it was protected by Pretty Good Privacy, a form of encryption software used by intelligence agencies in the United States and around the world that is widely available online. PGP, like all encryption algorithms, requires a password for decryption.

For more than a year, the government has been unable to view drive Z.

A government computer forensics expert testified that it is "nearly impossible" to access the files without the password, the judge wrote. "There are no 'back doors' or secret entrances to access the files," he wrote. "The only way to get access without the password is to use an automated system which repeatedly guesses passwords. According to the government, the process to unlock drive Z could take years . . . "

In his ruling, Niedermeier said forcing Boucher to enter his password would be like asking him to reveal the combination to a safe. The government can force a person to give up the key to a safe because a key is physical, not in a person's mind. But a person cannot be compelled to give up a safe combination because that would "convey the contents of one's mind,'' which is a "testimonial" act protected by the Fifth Amendment, Niedermeier said .

In a phone interview, Boucher said that he likes to download Japanese cartoons and occasionally adult pornography, but that he does not seek to view child porn. He sometimes inadvertently receives images of child pornography when he downloads the other material, but reviews what he downloads to "clean out" the child porn, he said. It is not illegal to possess animated child porn.

He said that he agreed to show the agents where he downloaded his files "because I was sure that there was nothing bad in those files." He also said that he felt coerced: "I felt like they really want to force me to do it, like I have no choice."

Asked whether he typed in a password to unlock the drive so the agents could view it, he replied: "I prefer not to answer that one."

Boucher added the encryption software to protect the rest of his computer from viruses that might accompany the downloaded files, he said.

Orin S. Kerr, an expert in computer crime law at George Washington University, said that Boucher lost his Fifth Amendment privilege when he admitted that it was his computer and that he stored images in the encrypted part of the hard drive. "If you admit something to the government, you give up the right against self-incrimination later on," said Kerr, a former federal prosecutor.

Lee Tien, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group, said encryption is one of the few ways people can protect what they write, read and watch online. "The last line of defense really is you holding your own password," he said. "That's what's at stake here."

Staff researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.

© 2008 The Washington Post Company

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22672241/

WTFabee?

Huckabee eschews politics for preaching

For Original AP Story Click Here

By LIBBY QUAID
Associated Press Writer

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -- Republican Mike Huckabee spoke from the pulpit Sunday, not as a politician but as the preacher he used to be, delivering a sermon on how merely being good isn't enough to get into heaven.

Huckabee is vying for support from the Christian conservatives who dominate the GOP in South Carolina, which chooses a Republican presidential nominee on Saturday. A former Baptist minister and Arkansas governor, Huckabee is competing for their votes with fellow southerner Fred Thompson.

As in Iowa, where he won the Jan. 3 caucuses, Huckabee is rousing pastors to marshal their flocks for him. He pitches himself as someone who not only shares their views against abortion and gay marriage but who actually comes from their ranks.

On Sunday in South Carolina, Huckabee avoided politics entirely, instead preaching about humility and trusting in Jesus to open the gates of heaven.

"The criteria to get into heaven is you have to be not good, but perfect. That's the real challenge in it," he said at First Baptist North Spartanburg, a megachurch with 2,500 members.

"On that day, when I pull up, I'll be asked, `Do you have what it takes to get in?'" Huckabee said. "And if I ask, `Well, what does it take to get in?' 'Gotta be perfect.'"

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have that, but you know what, I won't be there alone that day. Somebody is going to be with me. His name is Jesus, and he's promised that he would never leave me or forsake me," he said.

Asked by reporters later if he thinks only Christians will go to heaven, Huckabee refused to say. He often says that as a minister, he joked that he doesn't even believe all Baptists are going to heaven.

"I'm going to stick to the things that make it critical for me to be president of the United States," Huckabee said Sunday. "I have deep convictions about who goes and who doesn't, but as far as who makes that decision, it isn't me, it's God. I'm going to leave that up to him."

He argued that the Constitution forbids a political candidate from being subjected to a religious litmus test. And he claimed to be the only candidate who gets asked about specific tenets of his faith.

However, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has also been asked about his Mormon faith. In fact, Romney got questions about his faith after Huckabee, in The New York Times, asked whether Mormons believe Jesus and the devil were brothers. Huckabee quickly apologized to Romney and said the quotes were taken out of context.

In South Carolina, Huckabee didn't ask for votes or discuss the campaign, but senior pastor Michael S. Hamlet encouraged the congregation to vote according to how they try to live their lives, by the principles of Bible scripture.

"I'm going to tell you something, when you go vote, you ought to follow those principles," Hamlet said.

But Huckabee did wade into politics Sunday evening in Michigan, telling members of the Apostolic Church of Auburn Hills about his opposition to abortion and gay marriage, and expressing his concern about job losses in the state. He played bass guitar in the praise band and, before he spoke, the organist played a few notes of "Hail to the Chief."

Huckabee's shoestring campaign has relied on pastors to encourage their flocks to vote.

"They can't mobilize for example, from the pulpit, get up and say to everybody, 'The bus leaves the church at 8 a.m. on Saturday.' It's a matter of urging them to use the influence they have to get their people out to vote, and I hope they will. Why wouldn't they?" Huckabee said.

Huckabee also is hoping to win over the Christian conservatives who dominate the GOP in Michigan, which votes Tuesday. He emphasized his opposition to abortion during a meeting with about 100 pastors in Grand Rapids on Saturday, urging them to use their address books and e-mail lists to mobilize others.

Polls there have shown him running in third place, behind Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain, winner of the New Hampshire primary last week.

In contrast to Huckabee, Thompson held no public events Sunday in South Carolina, where Huckabee has the edge following his Iowa caucus win.

Water-boarding 'would be torture'

US national intelligence chief Mike McConnell has said the interrogation technique of water-boarding "would be torture" if he was subjected to it.

Mr McConnell said it would also be torture if water-boarding, which involves simulated drowning, resulted in water entering a detainee's lungs.

He told the New Yorker there would be a "huge penalty" for anyone using it if it was ever determined to be torture.

The US attorney-general has declined to rule on whether the method is torture.

However, Michael Mukasey said during his Senate confirmation hearing that water-boarding was "repugnant to me" and that he would institute a review.

Whether it's torture by anybody else's definition, for me it would be torture Mike McConnell US Director of National Intelligence

In December, the House of Representatives approved a bill that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques such as water-boarding.

President George W Bush has threatened to veto the bill, which would require the agency to follow the rules adopted by the US Army and abide by the Geneva Conventions, if the Senate passes it.

'Painful'

In the interview with the New Yorker, the US Director of National Intelligence said he would regard water-boarding as torture if it was used against him.

The controversial technique involves a prisoner being stretched on his back, having a cloth pushed into his mouth and/or plastic film placed over his face and having water poured onto his face. He gags almost immediately.

"If I had water draining into my nose, oh God, I just can't imagine how painful!" he told the magazine.

WATER-BOARDING Prisoner bound to a board with feet raised, and cellophane wrapped round head. Water is poured onto face and is said to produce a fear of drowning

"Whether it's torture by anybody else's definition, for me it would be torture."

Mr McConnell said the legal test for torture should be "pretty simple".

"Is it excruciatingly painful to the point of forcing someone to say something because of the pain?" he added.

But the retired vice-admiral declined for legal reasons to say whether the technique should be considered torture by the US government.

"If it ever is determined to be torture, there will be a huge penalty to be paid for anyone engaging in it," he said.

CIA officials have been quoted as saying that water-boarding has been used on three prisoners since 2001, including al-Qaeda recruiter Abu Zubaydah, but on nobody since 2003.

In July 2007, President Bush signed a controversial executive order on the treatment of suspects detained by the CIA which did not outlaw the agency's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" such as water-boarding.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7185648.stm

But is it "enhanced interrogation"? In all seriousness, it's nice to see someone put it into perspective--that is, if it were done to them would they consider it torture.? Interestingly, I have read some (odd) posts on other blogs where people subjected themselves to this technique or had someone else do it, and the resulting opinions seem to be unanimous. One person even said they would take having their fingernails pulled out over the induced feeling of drowning this procedure produces. But then, they didn't try that on themselves, so you have to take that opinion with a grain of salt. Still, it seems pretty awful to me.

The latest tactic in Iraq: anthropology

By Peter GraffWed Jan 9, 8:08 AM ET

As David Matsuda tells it, he's probably the last person you'd expect to see in a U.S. military uniform climbing out of an armored vehicle in Iraq.

An anthropology professor from the East Bay campus of California State University near San Francisco, he's a self-described peacenik who opposed the war in Iraq, did his academic research in Guatemala and never carries a gun.

"I'm a Californian. I'm a liberal. I'm a Democrat," he says. "My impetus is to come here and help end this thing."

Matsuda is part of the U.S. military "Human Terrain Team" (HTT) program, which embeds anthropologists with combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan in the hope of helping tactical commanders in the field understand local cultures.

The program is controversial: the American Anthropological Association denounced it in October, saying it could lead to ethics being compromised, the profession's reputation damaged, and worst of all, research subjects becoming military targets.

Matsuda says the concern is based on a misunderstanding of what he has signed on to do.
"There's been a knee-jerk reaction in the anthropology community, that you've been co-opted, that you're a warmonger, like you're clubbing baby seals or something," he said. "I came here to save lives, to make friends out of enemies."

Soldiers in northeastern Baghdad -- an area transformed over the past year from one of the most violent parts of Iraq to one of the best illustrations of the security improvements of late 2007 -- say they are grateful for Matsuda's expertise as they make the transition from fighting to peacemaking.

VIOLENT STRONGHOLD

"It's a huge asset," said Staff Sergeant Dustin "Boogie" Brueggemann who, as a tactical psychological operations specialist, has spent the past year trying to win hearts and minds in Adhamiya, until a few months ago one of the most violent strongholds of Sunni Arab militants in Iraq.

"The guys who were out with him were saying: 'Dr Matsuda's so smart!' Soldiers even on the lowest level now, we see the big picture just by listening to him talk," he said.

"He gave me so much information that had I known it a year ago I could have done things differently," he said. "He gave me a history of the Ubaidi tribe. A lot of people here are members of that tribe. I knew a little bit about them, but I didn't realize just how big they were."

Further up the command chain, Lieutenant-Colonel David Oclander, deputy commander of the 5,000 soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, said Matsuda had given a presentation on how Iraqis resolve conflicts that proved valuable in approaching Shi'ite clerics.

"The HTT has been a great help in making sure that when we dialogue with them, we dialogue with them in a way they understand and appreciate," he said.

Matsuda says he arrived at exactly the right time, when a sudden sharp decline in violence opened new opportunities for engagement in his unit's area.

The brigade is a classic example of last year's new U.S. strategy in Iraq that saw greater numbers of troops deployed to Iraq and more emphasis on interaction with civilians.

Before the troop buildup, the entire area of northeastern Baghdad -- including about half of the capital's population -- was covered by just a single battalion of about 800 U.S. troops who suffered some of the worst casualties in Iraq.

SADR CEASEFIRE

Now the area is covered by the brigade's six battalions, including four combat battalions each covering separate neighborhoods as diverse as Sunni Arab stronghold Adhamiya and Sadr City, the giant Shi'ite slum of more than 2 million people.

In the past six months violence plummeted, as Adhamiya's Sunni tribal leaders turned against al Qaeda militants, and Moqtada al Sadr, the Shi'ite cleric whose Mehdi Army militia controls Sadr City, declared a ceasefire.

In December 2006, there were 450 killings in the area, mostly by sectarian death squads trying to drive rival groups out of their neighborhoods. There were just 15 killings last month, mainly by ordinary criminals, said Oclander.

On Saturday, Matsuda -- wearing a U.S. military uniform but unarmed -- spent two hours with soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry lingering on a street in Adhamiya where a few months ago U.S. forces would have had to fight either in or out.

They meandered in and out of shops, bought falafel sandwiches and ate them on a street corner while playing with local children who already seemed to know their names. Periodically they knocked on doors and asked permission to come inside homes for a chat. They never turned down an offer of tea.

Most of local people were friendly, although they complained about a lack of electricity and their suspicion of the Shi'ite-led government and its security forces.

Matsuda said he had learned a lot that day -- about who was moving into vacant houses and who was renting them out, how a local clinic got its medicines, how shop owners were getting funding to reopen their shops.

"We have a window of opportunity here to make a difference for these people. We have to take it," he said.


Seems someone's been watching Stargate: SG1...

In all seriousness though, I think the idea of introducing anthropologists to front line units on the ground reflects an enormous growth in maturity and understanding of the tactical & strategic realities on the ground.

And if this proves to be a major asset, I can only hope that it is a lesson that we carry with us into future combats and peacekeeping missions. Having the best guns, bombs, and grunts isn't enough to win. Being able to understand the culture and the sensitivities of the indigenous people is absolutely crucial to preventing unnecessary loss of life, and the escalation of violence that inevitably follows the rapid collapse of a state's security mechanisms. And while we tried to train our soldiers to do just that, the fact of the matter is that a couple weeks of sensitivity training simply cannot match the experience and perspective of a field anthropologist.

Soldiers are not diplomats.

I guess my only question is, are there enough to go around? If not, should the U.S. Military make it a point to actively recruit and/or train a corp of field anthropologists, intended specifically to help bridge the gap between soldiers and civilians in likely hotspots around the globe?

Clinton wins Democratic primary

Democrat Hillary Clinton has won New Hampshire's presidential primary, beating rival candidate Barack Obama into second place.

Earlier, John McCain won the Republican presidential primary with a substantial lead, media projections indicated.

Observers say it seems to have been a record-breaking turnout, with some half a million people having cast ballots.

Candidates are aiming to build momentum before more than 20 states hold polls on 5 February, known as Super Tuesday.

Mrs Clinton told a cheering crowd of supporters that: "I come tonight with a very, very full heart.

Now together let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me Hillary Clinton

"I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts and I am so gratified that you responded."

She echoed her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who in New Hampshire's primary in 1992 called himself the "comeback kid".

"Now together let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me," she said.

Turning point?

In conceding victory Mr Obama said: "I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard fought victory here in New Hampshire. She did an outstanding job, give her a big round of applause."

Mr Obama had gone into the vote with leads of up to 13% in opinion polls following his impressive victory in Thursday's Iowa caucuses.

McCain supporters chanted "Mac is back, Mac is back". McCain victory speech

He achieved a surge in the polls after trailing Mrs Clinton's lead for much of the campaign.

Mrs Clinton having closed that gap may, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly in New Hampshire, be down to an extraordinary moment during her campaigning on Monday when she appeared close to tears as she talked about how much public service meant to her.

John Edwards, who came third in the Democrat contest, reminded supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, that there were "48 states left to go".

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney came second in the Republican race with 32% compared to Mr McCain's 37%, according to ABC.

'Fighting on'

Former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani came in with 11% and 9% of the vote for the Republicans, according to ABC projections.

REPUBLICAN RACE John McCain - 37% Mitt Romney - 32% Mike Huckabee - 11% Rudy Giuliani - 9% Source: ABC

Mr Giuliani said he planned to stay in the race and was looking forward to Florida's 29 January primary.

Mr McCain has staged an impressive fight back after seeing his campaign nearly derail several months ago.

At his campaign headquarters, Mr McCain thanked his supporters, saying: "My friends, you know I'm passed the age where I can claim the noun 'kid', no matter what adjective precedes it. But tonight we sure showed 'em what a comeback looks like."

Mr Romney conceded victory and congratulated Mr McCain.

"Well another silver... I'd rather have a gold, but I got another silver.

"But tonight congratulations go to Senator John McCain for running a first class race. Congratulations for the gold senator, great job, let's give him a round of applause."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7178168.stm

China's 3rd Manned Space Mission

Given that Science & Technology is my speciality and focus of interest (not to mention my career), I thought I'd interject a little something different into our discussion.

China's 3rd Manned Space Mission
Time.com, AP

(BEIJING) — China plans to launch its third manned space mission that will feature its first-ever space walk during 2008, state media said Tuesday.

China will also send up 15 rockets and 17 satellites, Huang Qiang, secretary general of the Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.

He described Shenzhou 7, which will carry three astronauts into space, as a priority for this year.

China has denied any link between the manned mission and its staging of the Olympics, which start Aug. 8, although both events are a source of huge national pride.

Huang was also quoted as saying that nearly 30 new technologies would be used during the Olympics, including the Olympic torch, security system and meteorological services provided by a new satellite.

In 2003, China became only the third country in the world after the United States and Russia to send a human into orbit. It followed with a two-man mission in 2005. It launched a moon probe last year about one month after rival Japan blasted its own lunar orbiter into space.

Personally, I'm excited for the Chinese, and I'm keeping a close eye on their space program. As a superpower in the making, their presence in the field of space exploration will add an interesting dynamic. In the past, China has not been know so much for their innovation as their industriousness. Their ability to reverse engineer and then mass produce civil and military technologies is near legendary. However, in last decade, we see China stepping out from under the mantle of "copy-cat extraordinaire" and truly trying to innovate. The QBZ-95 assault rifle, the FC-1 "Chao Qi", the ACAC ARJ21 Xiangfeng civil airliner, so on and so forth. And while native Chinese avionics still lag behind the west in sophistication and reliability, I don't doubt that in another decade, they will be comparable.

However: China is still a fairly closed society, despite reforms. I fear that we might see ghosts of the Soviet space program, where the successes will be heralded with great fanfare and expectation, while many of the failures, specifically the ones that result in casualties, will be kept as closely guarded state secrets.... which will not only be bad for the Chinese, but for every other space faring nation (existing or emerging) that could potentially learn from their mistakes.

Also... I'm a firm believer that space exploration is one of the last bastions of genuinely altruistic scientific endeavor; The seeking out of knowledge for the sake of expanding our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Now, I've always been a supporter of a strong national defense, and that as a superpower, we have a responsibility to maintain as strong and as decisive a military as we can manage. But I can't help but be dismayed that the DoD's annual budget is somehwere in the neighborhood of $425 billion... where as NASA's clocks in at around $17.3 Billion... only around 0.6% of the $2.9 Trillian federal budget.

I'd gladly trade in 2 or 3 F-22s, or a single B-2 for a mission to Europa. : Especially since it looks like the Russians are going to beat us there! Nooooo!!!

Pakistanis flee into Afghanistan

By Alastair Leithead
BBC News, Kabul

Thousands of Pakistanis have fled into Afghanistan with the security situation deteriorating in Pakistan's tribal regions over the past week.

Hundreds of families, comprising some 6,000 mainly women and children, have been crossing the border.

The UN refugee agency says clashes between Pakistan's Shia and Sunni groups have forced people to flee.

It is the first time so many people have crossed this way as for years it was Afghans fleeing fighting.

It's the first time that we see this in very large numbers Salvatore Lombardo, UNHCR

The refugees have been crossing the border between Pakistan's tribal areas and south-eastern Afghan provinces.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says historic clashes between Shias and Sunnis in the villages in Kurram, North West Frontier Province, have escalated in the past couple of weeks.

This and the unstable situation in that part of Pakistan have led to the movement of so many people, the UNHCR says.

"It's the first time that we see this in very large numbers which shows that security in those areas has seriously deteriorated and it's probably become out of control," said Salvatore Lombardo, a UNHCR representative in Kabul.

He said many of the people had been given shelter in Afghanistan by villagers who live by the Pashtun Valley tribal code of hospitality, and tents were being handed out to help provide shelter as winter was intensifying along the border.

Discussions

Over the past three decades millions of Afghans fled the violence in their country during the Soviet occupation, the civil war and then in the fighting that saw the Taleban take control of Afghanistan.

With the rise of the Pakistani Taleban and militant Islamic groups along the Pakistan side of the border, the UN says it now appears that parts of Afghanistan are safer for families.

It is hoped discussions within the tribal groups can resolve the situation and allow the people to return home.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7174294.stm

Wow, how bad does the security situation in Western Pakistan have to be that people are fleeing into Afghanistan for safety? The question now would seem to be not if Pakistan will collapse into civil war but when. Not promising; not at all.