A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting. Pentagon officials on Friday confirmed to CBS 5 that military leaders had considered, and then subsquently rejected,
Pole midde-in nuwe Koue Oorlog
Bush omhels Kaczynski
Geen woord oor die Russiese voorstel om in Azerbaidjan ‘n missielafweerstelsel op te rig nie. Dit was duidelik tydens die ontmoeting met Poolse president Lech Kaczynski Vrydag in Danzig, dat George W. Bush hom nie gaan steur aan Russiese versoeke nie. Vladimir Poetin, wat ook voorgestel het dat die VSA na Irak of Turkye kyk om só ‘n stelsel in gebruik te stel, het nog nie op die Amerikaanse stilte gereageer nie.
Die VSA wil ‘n missielafweerstelsel in Pole bou en ‘n radarstelsel in Tsjeggië om ‘n moontlike aanval uit Iran die hoof te bied. Vir vele EU-lidlande is die nuwe planne ‘n steen des aanstoots en kritici betwyfel of die reikafstand van Iran se missiele ooit naby dié lande sal kom. Die weiering van Amerika om die Russe se aanbieding van samewerking ernstig te oorweeg, lui waarskynlik die volgende rondte skermutselings tussen die twee eertydse Koue-oorlogveterane in.
Bush omhels Kaczynski
Geen woord oor die Russiese voorstel om in Azerbaidjan ‘n missielafweerstelsel op te rig nie. Dit was duidelik tydens die ontmoeting met Poolse president Lech Kaczynski Vrydag in Danzig, dat George W. Bush hom nie gaan steur aan Russiese versoeke nie. Vladimir Poetin, wat ook voorgestel het dat die VSA na Irak of Turkye kyk om só ‘n stelsel in gebruik te stel, het nog nie op die Amerikaanse stilte gereageer nie.
Die VSA wil ‘n missielafweerstelsel in Pole bou en ‘n radarstelsel in Tsjeggië om ‘n moontlike aanval uit Iran die hoof te bied. Vir vele EU-lidlande is die nuwe planne ‘n steen des aanstoots en kritici betwyfel of die reikafstand van Iran se missiele ooit naby dié lande sal kom. Die weiering van Amerika om die Russe se aanbieding van samewerking ernstig te oorweeg, lui waarskynlik die volgende rondte skermutselings tussen die twee eertydse Koue-oorlogveterane in.
The Great American Disconnect
Finally, the great American disconnect may be ending. Only four years after the invasion of Iraq, the crucial facts-on-the-ground might finally be coming into sight in this country – not the carnage or the mayhem; not the suicide car bombs or the chlorine truck bombs; not the massive flight of middle-class professionals, the assassination campaign
Psychologists and Torture
First, do no harm. This tenet of medicine applies equally to psychologists, yet they are increasingly implicated in abusive interrogations, dare we say torture, at U.S. military detention facilities like Guantanamo. While the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association both have passed resolutions prohibiting members from participating in interrogations, the American Psychological Association
Gold may touch $1000
Gold may rise to more than $1,000 an ounce as demand from India, China and exchange traded funds increases and production of precious metal falls, according to JP Morgan Chase & Co., the third-largest US bank. Gold, which has risen 5.2 per cent this year, may reach $850 an ounce in the “medium term,’’
Sonder vervaardiging stuur SA op ramp af
Met die petrolprys op ’n absolute rekordhoogtepunt en nog ’n rentekoersverhoging in die vooruitsig kan ek nie help om te wonder oor my ekonomieonderwyser se kommer reeds in 1975 nie. Toe al was hy bekommerd oor die sinnelose invoere en dat ons nie produseer nie. Wonder wat hy vandag sou sê met soveel selfonderhoudende besighede wat al toegemaak is, kniebuigend voor die Oosterse markte. Die onlangse sluiting van Rex Trueform is eintlik verraad in die hoogste graad. Alles kamtig oor ons onbekostigbare arbeid. Absolute snert wat deur die pienk pers van ons land vanaf elke moontlike platform verkondig word. ’n Teeplantasie word in die Noorde toegemaak sodat ons tee vanaf Malawi kan invoer. Honderde mense verloor hulle werk en huise. Krygkor word afgetakel en ons koop wapentuig wat ons nie eintlik nodig het nie maar plaaslik baie van kon bou. Miskien sou kon bou nadat soveel kundiges al die land vanweë regstellende aksie verlaat het. Nog ’n slim regeringsinisiatief, soos sovele ander waar hulle belowe om werk te skep. Een groot, vet grap.
Met die petrolprys op ’n absolute rekordhoogtepunt en nog ’n rentekoersverhoging in die vooruitsig kan ek nie help om te wonder oor my ekonomieonderwyser se kommer reeds in 1975 nie. Toe al was hy bekommerd oor die sinnelose invoere en dat ons nie produseer nie. Wonder wat hy vandag sou sê met soveel selfonderhoudende besighede wat al toegemaak is, kniebuigend voor die Oosterse markte. Die onlangse sluiting van Rex Trueform is eintlik verraad in die hoogste graad. Alles kamtig oor ons onbekostigbare arbeid. Absolute snert wat deur die pienk pers van ons land vanaf elke moontlike platform verkondig word. ’n Teeplantasie word in die Noorde toegemaak sodat ons tee vanaf Malawi kan invoer. Honderde mense verloor hulle werk en huise. Krygkor word afgetakel en ons koop wapentuig wat ons nie eintlik nodig het nie maar plaaslik baie van kon bou. Miskien sou kon bou nadat soveel kundiges al die land vanweë regstellende aksie verlaat het. Nog ’n slim regeringsinisiatief, soos sovele ander waar hulle belowe om werk te skep. Een groot, vet grap.
‘n Nuwe stam ontdek
Nuwe aankomelinge
Verlede week is 88 lede van ’n onbekende stam ontdek in die suide van die Brasiliaanse staat Para. Hulle het nog nooit kontak met Westerlinge gehad nie.
Die groepie Indiane het eenvoudig uit die Amasone-oerwoud verskyn en kamp opgeslaan naby die dorpie Kapot, waar ’n vrou van die groep geboorte geskenk het. Daar word gereken dat die groep vyf dae lank deur die oerwoud geloop het vanaf Matto Grosso, ’n ander staat verder suid. Niemand weet regtig hoekom hierdie stamlede hulle dorpie verlaat het nie, maar volgens ’n woordvoerder van Survival International het hulle waarskynlik op die vlug geslaan toe hulle delwers en houtkappers gewaar het.
Nuwe aankomelinge
Verlede week is 88 lede van ’n onbekende stam ontdek in die suide van die Brasiliaanse staat Para. Hulle het nog nooit kontak met Westerlinge gehad nie.
Die groepie Indiane het eenvoudig uit die Amasone-oerwoud verskyn en kamp opgeslaan naby die dorpie Kapot, waar ’n vrou van die groep geboorte geskenk het. Daar word gereken dat die groep vyf dae lank deur die oerwoud geloop het vanaf Matto Grosso, ’n ander staat verder suid. Niemand weet regtig hoekom hierdie stamlede hulle dorpie verlaat het nie, maar volgens ’n woordvoerder van Survival International het hulle waarskynlik op die vlug geslaan toe hulle delwers en houtkappers gewaar het.
Bush voel olik
George W. Bush moes Vrydag in sy suite van die luukse Kampinski-hotel in Heiligendamm bly en die oggendverrigtinge by die G-8 Spitsberaad uitsit vanweë ‘n maagaandoening. Sarkozy het die Amerikaanse president nogtans gaan besoek vir ‘n kort onderhoud en hy het daarna gesê Bush lyk ‘n bietjie olik.
Bush het later wel by die groep aangesluit, maar het nog nie wel gevoel nie. Withuis-woordvoerder, Dan Bartlett, het bevestig dat die president met opstaantyd "nie lekker gevoel" het nie en dat medici nie weet of die oorsaak ‘n maagvirus is of nie.
Bush se gewildheid is besig om verder tuis te daal. Net sewe uit elke tien Republikeine ondersteun hom en ‘n skamele 8% uit die Demokrate se kamp het enige vertroue in sy leierskap blyk dit uit die jongste meningspeilings.
George W. Bush moes Vrydag in sy suite van die luukse Kampinski-hotel in Heiligendamm bly en die oggendverrigtinge by die G-8 Spitsberaad uitsit vanweë ‘n maagaandoening. Sarkozy het die Amerikaanse president nogtans gaan besoek vir ‘n kort onderhoud en hy het daarna gesê Bush lyk ‘n bietjie olik.
Bush het later wel by die groep aangesluit, maar het nog nie wel gevoel nie. Withuis-woordvoerder, Dan Bartlett, het bevestig dat die president met opstaantyd "nie lekker gevoel" het nie en dat medici nie weet of die oorsaak ‘n maagvirus is of nie.
Bush se gewildheid is besig om verder tuis te daal. Net sewe uit elke tien Republikeine ondersteun hom en ‘n skamele 8% uit die Demokrate se kamp het enige vertroue in sy leierskap blyk dit uit die jongste meningspeilings.
Bush, Clinton put U.S. on edge of new Cold War with Russia
By 1988, Ronald Reagan, who had famously branded the Soviet Union "an evil empire," was striding through Red Square arm-in-arm with Mikhail Gorbachev. Russians were pounding both men on the back. They had just signed the greatest arms-reduction agree- ment in history – eliminating all Soviet SS-20s targeted on Europe, in return for removal of
Lees verder: Bush, Clinton put U.S. on edge of new Cold War with Russia
BAE Systems faces corruption allegations
BAE Systems paid more than £100m a year to Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador to Washington over more than a decade in connection with Britain’s biggest ever defence contract, according to British media reports on Thursday night.
The reports, from the BBC Panorama programme and the Guardian website, say that the sums were paid to Prince Bandar bin Sultan. Prince Bandar, who is now a national security adviser to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is the son of the Saudi defence minister, Prince Sultan.
Sums equivalent to £30m a quarter were allegedly paid – with the knowledge of the Ministry of Defence – into Saudi accounts at Riggs Bank in Washington to which Prince Bandar had access, the Guardian reported.
The BBC reported the funds were used to finance flights for Prince Bandar’s own jet.
BAE has consistently denied allegations that there was anything illegal in payments it made in association with the £43bn Al Yamamah contract under which it supplied Tornado warplanes, Hawk training aircraft and other defence equipment to Saudi Arabia. BAE acted in accordance with relevant contracts, with Saudi government approval and where appropriate that of the UK, a spokesman said.
A corruption investigation by the Serious Fraud Office was halted in December after the attorney-general, Lord Goldsmith, reviewed the case. The head of the SFO, Robert Wardle, halted the case because of what he said had been representations that continuing the investigations would have jeopardised Britain’s national security.
Officials had said that pressure from the Saudi government, including from Prince Bandar, had been a key factor in the decision, which was backed by Tony Blair.
Prince Bandar did not respond to requests for comment, the Guardian reported.
Tony Blair faced opposition calls on Thursday night for a full parliamentary enquiry into the allegations against BAE Systems.
The Liberal Democrats said the allegations were “shocking”.
“If it is indeed true that the British government has been complicit in enormous under-the-counter payments to Prince Bandar, there must be a full investigation by parliament,” said Vincent Cable, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader.
Mr Cable demanded that the Commons public accounts committee be reconvened to look into the Al Yamamah investigation.
“I have been able to obtain through parliamentary questions supporting evidence which helps to underpin the Guardian’s story,” added Mr Cable.
BAE Systems paid more than £100m a year to Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador to Washington over more than a decade in connection with Britain’s biggest ever defence contract, according to British media reports on Thursday night.
The reports, from the BBC Panorama programme and the Guardian website, say that the sums were paid to Prince Bandar bin Sultan. Prince Bandar, who is now a national security adviser to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is the son of the Saudi defence minister, Prince Sultan.
Sums equivalent to £30m a quarter were allegedly paid – with the knowledge of the Ministry of Defence – into Saudi accounts at Riggs Bank in Washington to which Prince Bandar had access, the Guardian reported.
The BBC reported the funds were used to finance flights for Prince Bandar’s own jet.
BAE has consistently denied allegations that there was anything illegal in payments it made in association with the £43bn Al Yamamah contract under which it supplied Tornado warplanes, Hawk training aircraft and other defence equipment to Saudi Arabia. BAE acted in accordance with relevant contracts, with Saudi government approval and where appropriate that of the UK, a spokesman said.
A corruption investigation by the Serious Fraud Office was halted in December after the attorney-general, Lord Goldsmith, reviewed the case. The head of the SFO, Robert Wardle, halted the case because of what he said had been representations that continuing the investigations would have jeopardised Britain’s national security.
Officials had said that pressure from the Saudi government, including from Prince Bandar, had been a key factor in the decision, which was backed by Tony Blair.
Prince Bandar did not respond to requests for comment, the Guardian reported.
Tony Blair faced opposition calls on Thursday night for a full parliamentary enquiry into the allegations against BAE Systems.
The Liberal Democrats said the allegations were “shocking”.
“If it is indeed true that the British government has been complicit in enormous under-the-counter payments to Prince Bandar, there must be a full investigation by parliament,” said Vincent Cable, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader.
Mr Cable demanded that the Commons public accounts committee be reconvened to look into the Al Yamamah investigation.
“I have been able to obtain through parliamentary questions supporting evidence which helps to underpin the Guardian’s story,” added Mr Cable.