2012-03-28

On the Brink of a Third World War

It seems that 2012 onwards, the world is on the brink of Third World War. All sane and peace loving men would pray that it is averted. For, the horoscope of the times, points towards a global catastrophe in the making.

The guns of August 1914 - First World War - paled in front of the Panzer Blitzkrieg of September 1939 - Second World War. The Third World War during the Cold War was averted between the Nato and the Warsaw Pact forces. If a war breaks out in 2012 onwards, nukes shall speak and, tragically, billions may die; it will most likely be global. This apocalyptic scenario may yet come to pass, unless it is stopped in its tracks.

Opposing alliances: The US globalists-led Nato still wants to dominate the world, despite the disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not only that the Western world's global dominance stands challenged, but also the march of history may be reversed. Since the 1500s scientific discoveries, industrialisation, political revolutions, colonialism, and technological ascendency, the world has been controlled by Western powers. The British Empire, Napoleon’s France, Hitler’s Germany and, more recently, the US have all been part of the Western world’s bid for global hegemony or control. Now the West is really in decline. The USA – the great power and land of mass production - faces economic stagnation, if not full decline.

The EU faces its own economic predicament. Against this backdrop, some Europeans and Americans find the idea of a powerful Germany leading Europe as unacceptable, so far. The two wars were fought - among other reasons – mainly to prevent Germany from its rightful place under the sun. An intra-European conflict may be brewing for the leadership of Europe, even as the US-Nato alliance conflicts with the Russia-China dialectic alliance.

The US geostrategy has been embroiled in Afghanistan and Iraq; now it seeks to extend the war to Iran-Pakistan. Of course, the real war is against Russia and China, the opposing alliance. Washington sees China rising, Russia resurgent, Islamic world defiant (with Arab Spring likely to turn anti-West), Israel endangered, besides Western economic decline. Read More

Rare Black Fox Appears.

BLACK FOX reappears in British countryside for first time since 2008

According to legend, a black fox brings bad luck, but an amateur photographer could hardly believe his good fortune when he spotted the rare animal near his house.

It is believed to be only the second time a black fox has been spotted in Britain.

John Moore, 58, from Bassingbourn, near Royston, Herts, saw the creature, with its distinctive white-tipped tail, in fields behind his home. Read More

Fakhra Yunus Commits Suicide

Pakistani acid attack victim Fakhra Younus had endured more than three dozen surgeries over more than a decade to repair her severely damaged face and body when she finally decided life was no longer worth living.

2012-03-27

Samantha Wopat, dies

The death of sophomore volleyball player Samantha "Sam" Wopat has stunned and saddened the Stanford campus. Ms. Wopat, 19, died at Stanford Hospital on Sunday, eight days after being taken there.
The cause of her death was not disclosed.

Syria Accepts Peace Plan, "ceasefire"

Annan says Syria accepts peace plan, fighting enters Lebanon

(Reuters) - Syria has accepted a ceasefire and peace plan drawn up by U.N. and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan, his spokesman said on Tuesday, even as Syrian troops thrust into Lebanon to battle rebels who had taken refuge there.

Annan conceded he faced a "long and difficult task" in ending the fighting, as rebel group leaders meeting in Turkey weighed how to unite their fractured movement and boost foreign backing for a year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

On a visit to Beijing, Annan told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that global cooperation with China and other countries was the only way to defuse the conflict, whose sectarian dimensions have raised fear it could spread and destabilize the wider region.

"I indicated that I had received a response from the Syrian government and will be making it public today, which is positive, and we hope to work with them to translate it into action," Annan told reporters after meeting Wen. Read More

Obama calls for 'balanced approach' to U.S.-Pakistan relations

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama expressed hope Tuesday that the United States and Pakistan can arrive at a "balanced approach" to relations as he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for the first time since a string of damaging episodes last year.

The talks Tuesday between the two leaders on the sidelines of a large nuclear security summit meeting in Seoul are the highest profile meeting between the two countries since NATO airstrikes on November 26 killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the Pakistani-Afghan border.

The deaths drove relations between Washington and Islamabad to a new low, coming on top of anger over the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden at a compound in Pakistan last May, and continued American drone strikes on targets in the nation.

The Pakistani parliament is expected this week to start debating a committee's recommendation that the United States stop drone strikes inside its territory and apologize unconditionally for the November airstrikes. Read More

North Korea refuses to halt launch plan....despite Obama's warnings

(CNN) -- North Korea said Tuesday that it would not abandon its plan to carry out a satellite launch next month despite recent warnings from President Barack Obama over the move.

The North "will not give up the satellite launch for peaceful purposes, which is a legitimate right of a sovereign state and requirement essential for economic development," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

During his visit to South Korea this week, Obama has said that if North Korea moves forward with the launch -- which Washington and Seoul say would breach U.N. Security Council resolutions through the use of a long-range missile -- it will further deepen its isolation, damage relations with its neighbors and face additional sanctions that have already strangled the country.

The North Korean report Tuesday said that Obama's stance "reflects his wrong conception" of the situation.

"The U.S. says that it has no hostility" toward North Korea, the news agency cited the ministry as saying. "But it has not yet departed from the inveterate conception of confrontation. That is why it regards the launch of a satellite for peaceful purposes as a launch of long-range missile." Read More

How nations risk nuclear terrorism

(CNN) -- World leaders are meeting in Seoul this week to discuss how to deal with the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The effort to prevent the misuse of nuclear materials and the spread of nuclear weapons has long-placed most emphasis on defensive measures. These are essentially on the "supply side" -- aiming to choke off the flow of nuclear weapon components and radiological materials to terrorists. While there is a place for such steps, there is another, and perhaps more successful way, to accomplish the goal.

One of the gravest threats to nuclear proliferation arises from the nations that use proxy groups -- seemingly independent organizations that are paid to further the interests of governments. Read More

Obama says threat of nuclear weapons remains

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Tuesday the threat of nuclear weapons remains a potent challenge for the globe to confront, telling foreign leaders that "the security of the world depends on the actions that we take."

Obama, speaking at a nuclear security summit in South Korea, said the international community had made progress in removing nuclear materials and improving security at nuclear facilities around the globe. As a result, he said more of the world's nuclear materials won't fall into the hands of terrorists.

But the president warned "there are still too many bad actors in search of these dangerous materials and these dangerous materials are still vulnerable in too many places."

"It would not take much, just a handful or so of these materials, to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people and that's not an exaggeration, that's the reality that we face," Obama said. Read More

U.S., China, South Korea urge nations to lock down nuke

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The leaders of South Korea, the United States and China issued stark warnings Tuesday about the threat of nuclear terrorism during the final day of a nuclear summit that has so far been upstaged by North Korea's long-range rocket launch plans.

Nearly 60 leaders have gathered for the two-day conference meant to find ways to keep terrorists from detonating an atomic weapon in a major city. The leaders were to release a communique Tuesday about their efforts to lock down the world's supply of nuclear material by 2014.

Much of the drama, however, has centered on North Korea's stated plans to launch a satellite on a long-range rocket around the April 15 celebration of the birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday pressured China, Pyongyang's main ally and economic supporter, to use its leverage to persuade the North to back away from the launch. Read More

Noda unveils stronger measures for Japan to curb nuclear terrorism

SEOUL (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tuesday at a global nuclear summit in Seoul that Japan will boost its measures to fight against nuclear terrorism, drawing on lessons from the country's nuclear accident caused by natural disasters last year.

Noda outlined the measures in a speech at the morning session of the second Nuclear Security Summit, where world leaders and representatives from 53 nations and four international organizations gathered to discuss international cooperation in boosting nuclear security.

''We must make use of the knowledge and lessons gained from the accident (at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant) to prepare for 'human-induced harm' such as terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants,'' Noda said.

His remarks underline the need to be prepared for dealing with a potential terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant, which could have similarly grave consequences as a plant damaged by a natural disaster. Read More

Syria 'Accepts' Kofi Annan's Peace Plan

Syria has accepted Kofi Annan's plan to end the country's bloody conflict, a spokesman for the UN-Arab League envoy has said.

"The Syrian government has written to the joint special envoy Kofi Annan accepting his six-point plan, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council," Ahmad Fawzi said in a statement.

The move comes after Mr Annan's arrival in Beijing to seek China's backing for his proposals.

Mr Annan is scheduled to have talks with premier Wen Jiabao after meeting the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, at the weekend.

Speaking in Moscow, Mr Annan stressed that while there is no deadline for ending the crisis it must not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.

Above all, he insisted, the Syrian government and opposition must start a political process to resolve the conflict peacefully.

Robert Bales: Now they are Blaming Anti Malaria Drug Mefloqui for his Actions......Even though it was banned in 2009

A senior Pentagon official ordered an emergency review of the military's use of an anti-malaria drug known to have severe psychiatric side effects - nine days after the Afghan massacre in which a U.S. solider allegedly shot dead 17 civilians including nine children, it has been alleged.

The notorious drug Mefloquine, also known as Lariam, has been implicated in a number of suicides and homicides in the military spanning back more than ten years, with side effects including paranoia, hallucinations and psychotic behaviour.

It is now being suggested that Staff Sgt Robert Bales, who is accused of the shooting, may have taken the drug before the March 11 massacre.

The military has used the drug for years despite its known side effects and in 2009, they almost banned it due to its dangers. But a subsequent order suggested its use should be restricted and not given to soldiers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

2012-03-25

Trayvon Martin's Shooter Defended by Neighbor

In Trayvon Martin's final phone call with his own girlfriend, according to Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, he could be heard saying “Why are you following me?” and Zimmerman replying “What are you doing around here?”
Their confrontation ended with Martin getting shot in the chest.
“This guy looks like he’s up to no good … he looks black,” Zimmerman told a police dispatcher from his car. His father has said that Zimmerman is Hispanic, grew up in a multiracial family, and is not racist.
Twin Lakes’ population is ethnically mixed. A few residents said there is tension within the gated community.

Who would defend this dude? Zimmerman is obviously a racist.

In this place the dog gives the receipt to the customer.

2 foot hot dogs 26$ each?

2-foot-long, $26 hot dogs served at ballpark

The Great Dane of hot dogs weighs close to half a kg

Published Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Texas Rangers introduced The Champion Dog, a 2-foot-long hot dog at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. (REUTERS)

As the Texas Rangers belt home runs this season, some fans of the baseball team may be loosening theirs.

The team is introducing the Great Dane of hot dogs: a 2-foot-long (61 cm) beast that busts the scales at one pound (0.45 kg). The Texas-sized hot dog is also topped with sauteed onions, shredded cheese, jalapenos and chili and served with a side of French fries.

“That’s the next ka-pow,” Steve Peterson, the president of Fort Worth-based Classic Foods, said as he gestured to a sample of the hot dog. His company produced the meat.

The Champion Dog, to be served at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, will reign supreme over the mere foot-long (30.5 cm) dogs. At a hefty price of $26, the hot dog is meant for sharing with three or more people.

“It wasn’t our intention for this to be what one person would eat. I know there will be folks out there who can handle that and that’s their business,” said Shawn Mattox, the general manager of the team’s food contractor, Sportservice.

The Rangers’ home opener is Friday, April 6, against the Chicago White Sox. Fans will see this description on the menu: “The Champion of all hot dogs big enough to feed a few players on your team.”

Fans can still acquire more traditional ballpark foods such as the regular hotdog and a bag of peanuts.

3/25/2012

Militia storms hotel in Libya after guest told to pay overdue bill

(CNN) -- Armed members of a Libyan militia burst into a luxury hotel in the capital Tripoli on Saturday and opened fire after one of their members was told to pay an outstanding bill or vacate, sources and hotel officials said.

No casualties were reported, but the Rixos Hotel's general manager, Sukru Kocak, told CNN he was beaten and kidnapped. Kocak, who is Turkish, said he was released only after the Turkish Embassy and other officials contacted the Libyan government on his behalf. The luxury Rixos is owned by a Turkish company.

The incident began after hotel officials demanded that a guest, identified by sources as Ali Daw Zintani, pay six months' worth of overdue charges or be forced to leave the hotel. Zintani left the hotel and returned with dozens of armed men, who smashed through the front door and shot weapons into the air, witnesses said.

Kocak was taken to Zintani's office in the Fallah area of Tripoli where he said he was beaten, suffering injuries to his knees and a burst ear drum, causing him to lose hearing in his right ear. It's unclear if the damage to his hearing is permanent. Read More

Report: Iran planned to bomb Israeli ship in Suez Canal

Iran had planned to bomb an Israeli ship while it crossed the Suez Canal, the prosecution in Egypt's state security court said, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Saturday.

According to the report, two Egyptians were recently arrested and investigated for allegedly planning an attack on an Israeli ship in the Suez Canal.

The investigation of the two found that they had received their instructions from Iranian agents, and that the two asked a third person, by the name of Mohamed Zakri, to carry out the act in exchange for 50 million Egyptian pounds.

The two denied the accusations against them.

In the past, Hezbollah terror cells that planned terror attacks, including in the Suez Canal, were found in Egypt. Moreover, Israeli officials have recently warned that Iran is setting up terror infrastructure on Egyptian soil to ready the ground for an operation. more

Bomb in Afghanistan kills eight

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A roadside bomb exploded in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province as a joint NATO-Afghan security patrol arrived to defuse it, killing seven Afghans and one U.S. soldier, a district official said Sunday.

The explosion occurred Saturday in the village of Kuhak in Arghandab district, Shah Muhammad, the district chief administrator, said. The district has long been considered a Taliban stronghold, and it neighbors the Panjwai district where an Army staff sergeant allegedly went on a shooting rampage that left 17 people dead.

Six members of the Afghan police, a translator and a U.S. soldier were killed Sunday, Muhammad said. The district's police chief, Niaz Muhammad, confirmed the number of casualties.

"The police were told there is an IED. When they reached the area to defuse it, the bomb exploded," Muhammad said.

The bomb was possibly remotely detonated, he said. Read More

Obama confronts nuke threat on North Korea front line

OBSERVATION POST OUELLETTE, South Korea (AP) -- President Barack Obama made a symbolic visit to the world's most militarized border on Sunday, striding into the surreal Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea and telling U.S. forces stationed along the DMZ they serve on "freedom's frontier."

Obama shook hands and spoke briefly in the dining hall at a U.S. military camp just outside the 2.5-mile-wide zone, then walked into the heavily patrolled no-man's land to tour a small post where South Korean forces patrol just 100 meters (yards) from the demarcation line.

Obama, positioned behind bulletproof glass, peered through binoculars across the line that has bisected the Korean peninsula for 60 years. The president spent about 10 minutes at observation post, looking first toward North Korea, then back to the South.

It was an unmistakable show of force to communist North Korea and its new leader at a time of diplomatic standoff. Obama underscored the Cold War symbolism by making the tour his first order of business ahead of a gathering of world leaders pledged to keep nuclear materials safe. Nuclear-armed North Korea will not attend. Read More

2012-03-23

3/23/ War Events

Homs comes under fire as pressure on Assad mounts

March 23 - Amateur video appears to show heavy gunfire and explosions in Syrian cities as the European Union turns up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's government. Reuters is unable to independently verify the content of this video, which has been obtained from a social media website. Rough Cut

Iran not an immediate nuclear threat, intel shows....Just a Month Ago They were convinced IRAN WAS a Nuclear Threat...Make up your mind

(Reuters) - The United States, European allies and even Israel generally agree on three things about Iran's nuclear program: Tehran does not have a bomb, has not decided to build one, and is probably years away from having a deliverable nuclear warhead.

Those conclusions, drawn from extensive interviews with current and former U.S. and European officials with access to intelligence on Iran, contrast starkly with the heated debate surrounding a possible Israeli strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities.

"They're keeping the soup warm but they are not cooking it," a U.S. administration official said.

Reuters has learned that in late 2006 or early 2007, U.S. intelligence intercepted telephone and email communications in which Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a leading figure in Iran's nuclear program, and other scientists complained that the weaponization program had been stopped.

That led to a bombshell conclusion in a controversial 2007 National Intelligence Estimate: American spy agencies had "high confidence" that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003.

Current and former U.S. officials say they are confident that Iran has no secret uranium-enrichment site outside the purview of U.N. nuclear inspections. Read More

Scientist: North Korea likely has more nuclear facilities

(CNN) -- North Korea has more uranium enrichment facilities than it has admitted to previously, a U.S. scientist charged Thursday.

Prof. Siegfried Hecker of Stanford University told CNN his conclusion is based on his study of recent satellite images and other research, and what he saw when he was invited by North Korea to visit its Yongbyon nuclear power plant in 2010 to see its secret uranium enrichment program.

"When I saw the sophistication and scale of that uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon in a building that I had been in before that housed something totally different, it was clear that they started the program long before the time that they had said, which was April 2009. So my conclusion was, they had to have another site someplace else," said Hecker.

The Stanford University scientist visited Yongbyon in November, 2010, and reported that he saw a facility that housed 2,000 centrifuges and was producing low-enriched uranium. It could, however, he wrote then, "be readily converted to produce highly-enriched uranium (HEU) bomb fuel." Read More

Japan readies North Korea missile defense

Tokyo (CNN) -- The Japanese defense minister said Friday that he had ordered the country's military to prepare a missile defense system ahead of a planned rocket launch by North Korea next month.

North Korea said last week that it is planning to carry out a rocket-powered satellite launch between April 12 and 16, alarming countries around the region.

South Korea has said it considers the satellite launch an attempt to develop a nuclear-armed missile, while the United States has warned the move would jeopardize a food-aid agreement reached with Pyongyang in early March.

Naoki Tanaka, the Japanese defense minister, said at a news conference Friday that he had requested that officials get ready for the deployment of anti-missile PAC3 and Eagis ships ahead of the launch.

The Japanese government is also considering deploying a PAC3 missile defense system in Okinawa. Tanaka said he would visit Okinawa soon in preparation for such a move. Read More

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