US missile shield plan draws fire from SPD

Seen through American eyes, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Germany has become a much friendlier place than that ruled by Gerhard Schröder, her predecessor, who spearheaded Europe’s opposition to the Iraq war in 2002.

Yet a fresh attempt by the Social Democratic party, junior partner in her coalition, to revive some of Mr Schröder’s critical rhetoric shows the transformation is, at best, incomplete.

Kurt Beck, Mr Schröder’s successor as SPD chairman, launched the first salvo early last month when he told the Bild tabloid that US plans to create an anti-missile defence system with bases in Poland and the Czech Republic were a step back to the cold war.

Seen through American eyes, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Germany has become a much friendlier place than that ruled by Gerhard Schröder, her predecessor, who spearheaded Europe’s opposition to the Iraq war in 2002.

Yet a fresh attempt by the Social Democratic party, junior partner in her coalition, to revive some of Mr Schröder’s critical rhetoric shows the transformation is, at best, incomplete.

Kurt Beck, Mr Schröder’s successor as SPD chairman, launched the first salvo early last month when he told the Bild tabloid that US plans to create an anti-missile defence system with bases in Poland and the Czech Republic were a step back to the cold war.

Lees verder: US missile shield plan draws fire from SPD

US submarine forced to leave Persian Gulf

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The damaged US nuclear submarine ‘Newport News’ which polluted the Persian Gulf waters with radioactive and chemical materials after it collided with a Japanese super tanker in Hormoz Strait was forced to leave the Persian Gulf following strong protests by Iranian officials.

Newport News, which accompanied USS Eisenhower, sustained heavy damages after it collided with the Japanese super tanker Mogamigava east of Hormoz Strait at 22:15 hours local time (18:45 GMT) on January 8, 2007, as a result of which its captain Mathew Vinegar was dismissed.

Following the collision and when the submarine was transferred to a port in Bahrain to undergo repair works, chemical and radioactive materials started leaking into the Persian Gulf waters.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The damaged US nuclear submarine ‘Newport News’ which polluted the Persian Gulf waters with radioactive and chemical materials after it collided with a Japanese super tanker in Hormoz Strait was forced to leave the Persian Gulf following strong protests by Iranian officials.

Newport News, which accompanied USS Eisenhower, sustained heavy damages after it collided with the Japanese super tanker Mogamigava east of Hormoz Strait at 22:15 hours local time (18:45 GMT) on January 8, 2007, as a result of which its captain Mathew Vinegar was dismissed.

Following the collision and when the submarine was transferred to a port in Bahrain to undergo repair works, chemical and radioactive materials started leaking into the Persian Gulf waters.

Lees verder: US submarine forced to leave Persian Gulf

Experts bash Bush: Pullout won’t bring ‘enemy’ to U.S.

WASHINGTON – It’s become President Bush’s mantra, his main explanation for why he won’t withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq anytime soon.


President Bush meets with troops during a visit to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., Wednesday.
(GERALD HERBERT/Associated Press)

In speech after speech, in statement after statement, Bush insists that ”this is a war in which, if we were to leave before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here.”

The line, which Bush repeated Wednesday in a speech to troops at California’s Fort Irwin, suggests a chilling picture of warfare on America’s streets.

But is it true?

Military and diplomatic analysts say it isn’t. They accuse Bush of exaggerating the threat that enemy forces in Iraq pose to the U.S. mainland.

WASHINGTON – It’s become President Bush’s mantra, his main explanation for why he won’t withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq anytime soon.


President Bush meets with troops during a visit to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., Wednesday.
(GERALD HERBERT/Associated Press)

In speech after speech, in statement after statement, Bush insists that ”this is a war in which, if we were to leave before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here.”

The line, which Bush repeated Wednesday in a speech to troops at California’s Fort Irwin, suggests a chilling picture of warfare on America’s streets.

But is it true?

Military and diplomatic analysts say it isn’t. They accuse Bush of exaggerating the threat that enemy forces in Iraq pose to the U.S. mainland.

Lees verder: Experts bash Bush: Pullout won’t bring ‘enemy’ to U.S.

Adopt our baby girls, India begs Britons

The Indian government wants Britons to adopt India’s street children

British couples are being urged to help save millions of Indian baby girls from lives of abuse and misery.

The Indian government is relaxing its adoption rules to encourage more British and other western couples to reduce the number of orphans living on the streets, and abandoned in squalid and dirty children’s homes throughout the country.

The Indian government wants Britons to adopt India’s street children

British couples are being urged to help save millions of Indian baby girls from lives of abuse and misery.

The Indian government is relaxing its adoption rules to encourage more British and other western couples to reduce the number of orphans living on the streets, and abandoned in squalid and dirty children’s homes throughout the country.

Lees verder: Adopt our baby girls, India begs Britons

US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed

First Published: 25 September 2005

US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan – an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed – that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel.

A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.

First Published: 25 September 2005

US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan – an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed – that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel.

A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.

Lees verder: US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed

SA swartes betaal R715 miljoen vir reguit hare

Image

Reguit hare wil sy h?…

Die mark vir haarmiddels om swart hare reguit te maak, is besig om te ontplof, volgens bronne in die bedryf. Die mark vir dié middels, wat in Engels as “relaxers” oftewel ontspanners bekend staan, bedra volgens Nielsen se syfers ongeveer 100 miljoen dollar (R715 miljoen) per jaar.

Die middestede van Suid-Afrikaanse stede en dorpe wemel reeds van sogenaamde etniese haarsalonne waar ’n sessie die klant R500 of meer kan kos. Die ontspannermark in Suid-Afrika word deur Dark and Lovely, ’n produk van die Franse kosmetiekreus, L’Oréal, oorheers.

Selfs in die mees beskeie gehuggie in Afrika bestaan ’n haarsalon. In van die armer lande elders op die kontinent, geskied die toediening van ontspanners sommer onder ’n boom met ’n emmer water byderhand.

Image

Reguit hare wil sy h?…

Die mark vir haarmiddels om swart hare reguit te maak, is besig om te ontplof, volgens bronne in die bedryf. Die mark vir dié middels, wat in Engels as “relaxers” oftewel ontspanners bekend staan, bedra volgens Nielsen se syfers ongeveer 100 miljoen dollar (R715 miljoen) per jaar.

Die middestede van Suid-Afrikaanse stede en dorpe wemel reeds van sogenaamde etniese haarsalonne waar ’n sessie die klant R500 of meer kan kos. Die ontspannermark in Suid-Afrika word deur Dark and Lovely, ’n produk van die Franse kosmetiekreus, L’Oréal, oorheers.

Selfs in die mees beskeie gehuggie in Afrika bestaan ’n haarsalon. In van die armer lande elders op die kontinent, geskied die toediening van ontspanners sommer onder ’n boom met ’n emmer water byderhand.

Lees verder: SA swartes betaal R715 miljoen vir reguit hare

Mbeki se soveelste vredespoging in Afrika

Image

‘n Soldaat van AMIS

Vrese dat die konflik in Darfoer kan verhewig is bewaarheid nadat Kartoem en N’Djamena mekaar oor en weer beskuldig het van onlangse vyandelikhede. Soedan hou vol dat hulle ’n aanval uit Tsjad gestuit het, terwyl Tsjad beweer dat hulle rebelle oor die grens agtervolg het. Volgens Soedan het hulle 17 soldate verloor, maar Tsjad sê daar was 30 sterftes aan elke kant.

Thabo Mbeki, wat op besoek is aan Soedan, het Dinsdag die Chinese gesant, Zhai Joen, se versoek herhaal en gevra dat Soedan die toetrede van VN-magte om die AU (AMIS) by te staan moet heroorweeg.

Image

‘n Soldaat van AMIS

Vrese dat die konflik in Darfoer kan verhewig is bewaarheid nadat Kartoem en N’Djamena mekaar oor en weer beskuldig het van onlangse vyandelikhede. Soedan hou vol dat hulle ’n aanval uit Tsjad gestuit het, terwyl Tsjad beweer dat hulle rebelle oor die grens agtervolg het. Volgens Soedan het hulle 17 soldate verloor, maar Tsjad sê daar was 30 sterftes aan elke kant.

Thabo Mbeki, wat op besoek is aan Soedan, het Dinsdag die Chinese gesant, Zhai Joen, se versoek herhaal en gevra dat Soedan die toetrede van VN-magte om die AU (AMIS) by te staan moet heroorweeg.

Lees verder: Mbeki se soveelste vredespoging in Afrika

Iraq’s Mercenary King

As a former C.I.A. agent, the author knows how mercenaries work: in the shadows. But how did a notorious former British officer, Tim Spicer, come to coordinate the second-largest army in Iraq—the tens of thousands of private security contractors?

Last spring, in Los Angeles, I met with a producer and a screenwriter who were trolling for a good story to turn into a movie—specifically, a story about a pair of colorful adventurers, maybe mercenaries, who get into serious trouble seeking a fortune in Africa. I wasn’t much help. I had spent little time in Africa—only a couple of brief trips to Nigeria and Liberia during my time in the C.I.A. But I promised them I’d ask around when I got to London, a city with more colorful adventurers per block than anywhere else in the world.

I knew my share of them: rogue oil traders, art forgers, exiled presidents, disgraced journalists, arms dealers. There was also the Jordanian prince who had once offered to smuggle me into Ramadi, in Iraq’s anarchic Anbar Province, in exchange for 100 sheep. People like these are pretty much the currency of C.I.A. agents.

As a former C.I.A. agent, the author knows how mercenaries work: in the shadows. But how did a notorious former British officer, Tim Spicer, come to coordinate the second-largest army in Iraq—the tens of thousands of private security contractors?

Last spring, in Los Angeles, I met with a producer and a screenwriter who were trolling for a good story to turn into a movie—specifically, a story about a pair of colorful adventurers, maybe mercenaries, who get into serious trouble seeking a fortune in Africa. I wasn’t much help. I had spent little time in Africa—only a couple of brief trips to Nigeria and Liberia during my time in the C.I.A. But I promised them I’d ask around when I got to London, a city with more colorful adventurers per block than anywhere else in the world.

I knew my share of them: rogue oil traders, art forgers, exiled presidents, disgraced journalists, arms dealers. There was also the Jordanian prince who had once offered to smuggle me into Ramadi, in Iraq’s anarchic Anbar Province, in exchange for 100 sheep. People like these are pretty much the currency of C.I.A. agents.

Lees verder: Iraq’s Mercenary King

Culture Wars in the West

ImageThere are few denials these days, if any, that in most Western countries a cultural war rages, characterized by an intense and sometimes very personal disagreement involving politicians, intellectuals, activists and an assortment of ideologues. This war, or rather these wars, have been raging for some time already, at least since the Second World War. Their origins can be traced back to the intellectual legacy of a little-known Italian communist who lived in the first half of the twentieth century.
ImageThere are few denials these days, if any, that in most Western countries a cultural war rages, characterized by an intense and sometimes very personal disagreement involving politicians, intellectuals, activists and an assortment of ideologues. This war, or rather these wars, have been raging for some time already, at least since the Second World War. Their origins can be traced back to the intellectual legacy of a little-known Italian communist who lived in the first half of the twentieth century.

Lees verder: Culture Wars in the West

Losing a war

ImageIn recent weeks Washington DC has been rocked by a sex scandal. A Republican member of Congress, Mark Foley, was accused of soliciting underage pages (teenagers who work as aides to members of Congress) by sending them emails with explicit sexual content. Foley, who was known as a campaigner for "values", was exposed as a hypocrite when copies of the emails were published on the blog "Stop Sex Predators" before it was picked up by ABC news and broadcast nationally.
ImageIn recent weeks Washington DC has been rocked by a sex scandal. A Republican member of Congress, Mark Foley, was accused of soliciting underage pages (teenagers who work as aides to members of Congress) by sending them emails with explicit sexual content. Foley, who was known as a campaigner for "values", was exposed as a hypocrite when copies of the emails were published on the blog "Stop Sex Predators" before it was picked up by ABC news and broadcast nationally.

Lees verder: Losing a war