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Post by ninathedog on Mar 3, 2011 9:21:19 GMT 4
Report: Israel company recruiting Gadhafi mercenariesPublished Tuesday 01/03/2011 (updated) 01/03/2011 20:19 Ma'an News AgencyTEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- An Israeli company is recruiting mercenaries to support Moammar Gadhafi's efforts to suppress an uprising against his regime, an Israeli news site said Tuesday. Citing Egyptian sources, the Hebrew-language news site Inyan Merkazi said the company was run by retired Israeli army commanders.>> www.news-israel.net/ (site is in Hebrew)The report claims that many high-profile former Israeli officers have been illegally trading weapons in several African nations, and have faced interrogations over their activities in the past. The news site said the head of the company recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israeli intelligence chief Aviv Cokhavi. It added that the officials all approved the company's recruitment of mercenaries to help Gadhafi.The leader's brutal crackdown has killed at least 1,000 Libyans so far, human rights groups say. According to the report, Israeli officials approved the recruitment out of fears that if toppled, Gadhafi would be replaced by an "extremist Islamic regime." During Gadhafi's four-decade rule of the north African state, he has been one of Israel's most vocal critics. Company representatives recently flew to Chad to discuss the matter with a high-ranking Libyan intelligence officer Abduallah Sanusi, the report said. During the meeting, Sanusi agreed to pay the company to recruit up to 50,000 mercenaries from African countries, according to the news site.www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=364418(many thanks to Tom V)......... Israel provides henchmen for GaddafiThursday, March 3, 2011 Tehran Times source: Press TVIsraeli arms distribution company Global CST has reportedly, under the authorization of Tel Aviv, provided Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi with African mercenaries to clamp down on anti-government protesters. Egyptian sources have revealed that the Israeli company has so far provided Gaddafi's regime with 50,000 African mercenaries to attack the civilian anti-government protesters in Libya. The arms company was previously convicted in an African country over illegal deals, News-Israel website reported. Sources say Global CST had obtained the permission for providing the mercenaries to Gaddafi from the Israeli officials in advance.Earlier, Global CST general manager had met with the head of the Israeli Intelligence Agencies (Aman) and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and obtained the permission for the measure. The company representatives also met with Abdullah Sanusi, the head of Libyan Internal Intelligence, in Chad to discuss the details for a final agreement, the report says. The mercenaries who attack the civilians in Tripoli have mostly come from Chad.
Gaddafi regime pays $2000 per day for each mercenary. The mercenaries receive $100 per day and the remaining goes to Global CST, the report says.Meanwhile, the United States has demanded the UN Security Council (UNSC) to remove the provisions of charging mercenaries with war crimes in the killing of Libyan civilians. The request is for the UNSC to word the resolution in a way that no one from an outside country that is not a member of the International Criminal Court could be prosecuted by the Court for their actions in Libya. The Libyan revolution, inspired by the recent revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, sparked nearly two weeks ago. Brutal crackdown by the Libyan regime on anti-government protesters has left thousands of people dead so far. (Source: Press TV) www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=236734......... Press sources: Israel sent African mercenaries to fight alongside Gadhafi[ 01/03/2011 - 04:42 PM ] The Palestine Information CenterOCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Hebrew media sources () revealed that Israel hired African mercenaries through one of its security companies to fight alongside Muammar Al-Gadhafi’s military brigades against the Libyan people for fear of the establishment of an Islamic regime in Libya. ** GOOGLE SEARCH ** www.google.com/search?q=mercenaries+gaddafi+israelSOURCE OF INFORMATION IS IN QUESTION.The sources said that Israel looks at the Libyan revolution from a security and strategic perspective and considers the downfall of Gadhafi’s regime would open the door to an Islamic regime in Libya. It affirmed that the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, war minister Ehud Barak and foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman held a meeting on February 18 and decided to recruit and send African mercenaries to help Gadhafi quell his people. The three Israeli officials agreed on asking director of the Global CST for security consulting Yisrael Ziv to place military mercenaries from Guinea, Nigeria, Chad and Central African Republic, Mali, Senegal and Darfur region at the disposal of Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah Sanusi. www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MD%20I46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7zYpe%2fDZx%2bBPef8QdVnrBysxsQn51iaqM5EtlHQe%2bmaRlTRx%20Vv%2b0lxOBTINkUIgeStXjAUfF19cpaGQ%2bI84Xoi%2biXRFRj3v3lM4PocDfGinc%3d
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Post by ninathedog on Mar 3, 2011 10:29:31 GMT 4
Rebels corner fleeing Gadhafi forces after battleBy Paul Schemm, Associated Press – 1 hr 17 mins agoBREGA, Libya – Rebel forces routed troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in a fierce battle over an oil port Wednesday, scrambling over the dunes of a Mediterranean beach through shelling and an airstrike to corner their attackers. While they thwarted the regime's first counteroffensive in eastern Libya, opposition leaders still pleaded for outside airstrikes to help them oust the longtime leader. The attack on Brega, a strategic oil facility 460 miles (740 kilometers) east of Gadhafi's stronghold in Tripoli, illustrated the deep difficulties the Libyan leader's armed forces — an array of militiamen, mercenaries and military units — have had in rolling back the uprising that has swept over the entire eastern half of Libya since Feb. 15. In the capital of Tripoli, Gadhafi warned against U.S. or other Western intervention, vowing to turn Libya into "another Vietnam," and saying any foreign troops coming into his country "will be entering hell and they will drown in blood." At least 10 anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 18 wounded in the battle for Brega, Libya's second- largest petroleum facility, which the opposition has held since last week. Citizen militias flowed in from a nearby city and from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi hours away to reinforce the defense, finally repelling the regime loyalists. The attack began just after dawn, when several hundred pro-Gadhafi forces in 50 trucks and SUVs mounted with machine guns descended on the port, driving out a small opposition contingent and seizing control of the oil facilities, port and airstrip. But by afternoon, they had lost it all and had retreated to a university campus 5 miles (7 kilometers) away. There, opposition fighters besieged them, clambering from the beach up a hill to the campus as mortars and heavy machine gun fire blasted around them, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. They took cover behind grassy dunes, firing back with assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers. At one point, a warplane struck in the dunes to try to disperse them, but it caused no casualties and the siege continued. "The dogs have fled," one middle-aged fighter shouted, waving his Kalashnikov over his head in victory after Gadhafi's forces withdrew from the town before dusk. Car horns honked and people fired assault rifles in the air in celebration. For the past week, pro-Gadhafi forces have been focusing on the west, securing Tripoli and trying to take back nearby rebel-held cities. But the regime has seemed to struggle to bring an overwhelming force to bear against cities largely defended by local residents using weapons looted from storehouses and backed by allied army units. Click to see photos of protests in Libya news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Anti-government-protests-Libya/ss/events/wl/021711libyaprotestsPro-Gadhafi forces succeeded over the weekend in retaking two small towns. But the major western rebel-held cities of Zawiya and Misrata, near Tripoli, have repelled repeated, major attacks — including new forays against Zawiya on Wednesday. In a speech to chanting and clapping supporters in Tripoli, Gadhafi vowed to fight on "until the last man and woman. We will defend Libya from the north to the south." He lashed out against Europe and the United States for their pressure on him to step down, warning that "thousands of Libyans will die" if U.S. and NATO forces intervene in the conflict. "We will distribute arms to 2 or 3 millions and we will turn Libya into another Vietnam," he said. In Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city and the stronghold of the rebellion in the east, a self-declared "interim government council" formed by the opposition called on foreign nations to carry out airstrikes on non-Libyan African mercenaries that Gadhafi has used in his militias to put down the uprising. Council spokesman Abdel-Hafiz Hoga said the council urged airstrikes on the "strongholds of the mercenaries .... used against civilians and people." The council was announced Wednesday by opposition leaders, headed by Gadhafi's former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, who joined the uprising. The United States is moving naval and air forces closer to Libyan shores and has called for Gadhafi to give up power immediately. But the Pentagon tried to rein in talk about military options in Libya, including a "no-fly zone" that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said would first require attacking Gadhafi's government. "Let's just call a spade a spade: A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses," Gates told lawmakers. He added that the operation would require more warplanes than are on a single U.S. aircraft carrier. Pro-Gadhafi militiamen launched a wave of raids in Tripoli to snatch people who participated in anti-government protests in the past week after identifying them in photos and video, several witnesses said. Dozens were arrested from their homes in dawn raids in the restive neighborhood of Tajoura, said one resident, whose two brothers were among those taken. "Seventeen cars with armed militia in uniform, they stormed the houses of my brothers. They blew the locks off the doors, they took the jewelry of my sister-in-law, money and my brothers," the resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. "My sister-in-law is pregnant in her sixth month, now she is at the hospital after bleeding." The attack on Brega was the first major action by Gadhafi forces against the long swath of eastern Libya that is in opposition hands, extending from the oil port all the way to the Egyptian border, nearly half the country's 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) Mediterranean coast. Opposition members said they believe the regime pulled up reinforcements from Sebha — a key Gadhafi stronghold deep in the country's southwestern deserts — flying them to Sirte, his main remaining bastion in central Libya, to carry out the attack. The force struck around 6 a.m., catching the small opposition contingent in Brega by surprise and forcing them to flee, said Ahmed Dawas, an anti-Gadhafi fighter at a checkpoint outside the port. Gadhafi's fighters seized the port, airstrip and the oil facilities where about 4,000 people work, as warplanes hit an ammunition depot on the outskirts of the nearby rebel-held city of Ajdabiya, witnesses said. The opposition counterattacked at midmorning. Anti-Gadhafi fighters with automatic weapons sped out of Ajdabiya in pickup trucks, heading for Brega, 40 miles away (70 kilometers) away. Dawas said they retook the oil facilities and airstrip. Other witnesses reported regime forces were surrounded by rebels. The sound of screaming warplanes and the crackle of heavy gunfire could be heard as the witnesses spoke to the AP by phone. Several of the pro-Gadhafi force's machine gun-mounted pickup trucks were seen on fire on roadsides in the town. As the regime troops fled to the university campus in the afternoon, more opposition fighters rode in from Ajdabiya and from Benghazi, 90 miles (150 kilometers) away. They worked their way up the dune-covered hill from the beach toward the campus. Machine gun and automatic weapons fire rattled in the air. Shells lobbed from the campus splashed in the Mediterranean, while others exploded in the dunes. The anti-Gadhafi fighters brought in a tank from an allied army unit for the assault. At least 10 opposition fighters were killed and 18 others wounded, their bodies covered with sand from shells bursting in the dunes, doctors at Brega hospital said. Angry crowds gathered around them at the hospital, chanting, "The blood of martyrs will not go in vain." "We are not prepared for this situation," said Dr. Nasser al-Sobhi, who came from Benghazi to help. "There are no qualified nurses. There are no qualified doctors. There is no equipment for this at the hospital. Everything is a disaster." In the late afternoon, the pro-Gadhafi force fled the campus, and opposition fighters were seen combing through the university buildings. Brega is the second-largest hydrocarbon complex in OPEC-member Libya. Amid the turmoil, exports from its ports have all but stopped with no ships coming to load up with crude and natural gas. Crude production in the southeastern oil fields that feed into the facility has been scaled back because storage facilities at Brega were filling up. General Manager Fathi Eissa said last week the facility has had to scale back production dramatically from 90,000 barrels of crude a day to just 11,000. The chaos in Libya — which has Africa's largest proven oil reserves — has sparked a major spike in world oil prices on worries the unrest will spread. Overall, crude production has dropped from 1.6 million barrels per day, nearly 2 percent of world consumption, to as little as 600,000 barrels per day. On Wednesday, oil prices rose near $102 per barrel, prices not seen since Sept. 2008. The turmoil has also sparked a massive exodus of 180,000 people — mostly foreign workers in Libya — who have fled to the borders, U.N. refugee agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told the AP. European nations and Egypt launched emergency airlifts and sent ships to handle the chaotic crush. More than 77,000 so far have crossed in Egypt, and a similar number into Tunisia — with about 30,000 more waiting at that western border. Some Somali and Eritreans workers around Benghazi are feeling "hunted" as they are being mistaken for mercenaries hired by Gadhafi, she said, while regime forces appear to be targeting Egyptians and Tunisians, apparently believing they triggered the uprising. "(There are) many, many terrified refugees" in Tripoli who are too afraid to move for fear they will be killed, Fleming told AP. In his speech, Gadhafi lashed out against the freezing of his and other Libyan assets abroad and efforts by Europe to send aid to opposition-held Benghazi. In a pointed message to Europe, he warned, "There will be no stability in the Mediterranean if there is no stability in Libya." "Africans will march to Europe without anyone to stop them. The Mediterranean will become a center for piracy like Somalia," he said. Gadhafi's regime has worked closely with Italy and other European countries to stop African migrants who use Libya as a launching point to slip into Europe. Gadhafi also repeated his claims that al-Qaida is behind the uprising. As he spoke, opposition protesters rallied in Benghazi, many of them holding signs saying, "Newsbreak: Gadhafi lies." ___ AP correspondents Maggie Michael in Tripoli, Libya and Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Lee Keath in Cairo contributed to this report. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/af_libya
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Post by ninathedog on Mar 4, 2011 2:01:43 GMT 4
(for the following, many thanks to Adam H via comment to Tom V)Report: Israeli company recruits mercenaries to support Gadhafiby Seham on March 3, 2011 · 61 comments Mondoweiss.net** this site is providing coverage of Libya -- what I'm posting here is a very small part of what is on the site. LINK TO MONDOWEISS -- mondoweiss.net/2011/03/report-israel-company-recruiting-gadhafi-mercenaries.html ** Here is a great map of Who Controls What in Libyawww.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/feb/27/libya-tripoli-unrest-gaddafi-mapNow before we get to Gadhafi's crimes, the reports of an Israeli company's support for the mercenaries: Report: Israel company recruiting Gadhafi mercenariesTEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- An Israeli company is recruiting mercenaries to support Moammar Gadhafi's efforts to suppress an uprising against his regime, an Israeli news site said Tuesday. www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=364418Report about Israeli recruiting of mercenaries from Al Jazeera Arabicwww.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C36A7C61-8874-4D82-9CC2-4886B4E58739.htmHebrew report about Israeli recruiting of mercenaries from Israeli presswww.news-israel.net/Article.asp?code=24935Here's a translation from Avi, a regular commenter at this site, of above Hebrew article:The article states that the weapons were provided by an Israeli company that’s made up of former generals in the Israeli army.
The article states that in the past, the company was under investigation for illegal sales to another African country, but this time, according to Egyptian sources, the company received explicit approval when the company’s CEO whose name was specifically mentioned in the document (there’s no link to that document within the body of the article) had met with the head of Aman (Hebrew acronym for Intelligence Directorate) Aviv Kokhavi and later with the Minister of Defense Barak and PM Netanyahu. That CEO, the article explains, had received the approval of the aforementioned officials to go ahead and recruit mercenaries as Israel fears the establishment of a Muslim Caliphate in Qaddafi’s place.
It adds that the Libyan ruler seeks to establish an army of 50,000 mercenaries who will arrive from different areas in order to break apart the anti-government rebellion.
Up until now I was paraphrasing the translation, but the article contains too many details. So, I’ll resume verbatim:
It is further reported that representatives of the Israeli company that deals in arms sales and serves as a broker for fighters had met with Libya’s intelligence chief, Abdallah Sannusi. The meeting took place in Chad, another African state. The final details of the deal were agreed upon in that meeting. Chad, Libya’s and Sudan’s neighbor to the south has had intimate relations with Israel for several decades now.
It should be noted that mercenaries who had already arrived in Tripoli, left from Chad and that is a provable fact. According to publications in the west, Qaddafi pays the company that deals in recruiting mercenaries 2,000 USD per day, per fighter. From that, the mercenaries personally receive about $100 per day. This is a brokerage deal to the tune of billions of dollars. The money is paid to the African supervisors who bring their gangs and rake in a fortune. The large amounts include weapons and ammunition that mercenaries use, and compensation for the mercenaries’ families in the event that fighters are killed, injured, or fall in captivity.
Simultaneously, it should be noted that the United States, Britain and perhaps NATO have decided to begin an aerial siege [no-fly zone] on Libya, also in order to prevent entry of mercenaries to the state.
The rebels in Libya have already succeeded in capturing a few tens of mercenaries and display them to the media. Qadhaffi himself denies having recruited fighters outside the country and said that more than half the subjects of Libya are “blacks, therefore the media errs for mistaking them for mercenaries”. [End of article]
.................. מקורות מצריים: חברה ישראלית מספקת לקדאפי שכירי חרב אפריקניים מדובר בחברה שנחקרה בעבר על מכירה בלתי חוקית של נשק למדינה אפריקנית אחרת. הפעם, על פי הדיווח, מאושרת הפעולה בידי הצמרת הביטחונית הישראלית. מאת כתב ''עניין מרכזי'' שלישי, 1 במרץ 2011, 09:35 אחד משכירי החרב שנהרג בלוב חברה ישראלית העוסקת בסחר בנשק ומתמחה בשוק האפריקני היא שמספקת לשליט לוב, מועמר קדאפי, מספר רב של שכירי חרב אפריקניים, שמנסים ללא הצלחה לדכא את המהפיכה במדינה. הדיווח שמגיע ממקורות מצריים, מפרט את שמה של חברת הנשק הישראלית שבה פועלים גנרלים ישראליים בדימוס, שמילאו תפקידים בכירים בצה''ל. נגד חברה זו התנהלה לא מכבר חקירה בגין חריגה מסמכות ומכירת נשק בלתי מאושרת למדינה אחרת באפריקה. ואולם המקור המצרי מדווח כי הפעם קיבלה החברה הישראלית אישור מראש לפעול ולמכור שכירי חרב לקדאפי. השליט הלובי מעוניין להכין לעצמו צבא שכירי חרב של עד 50 אלף חיילים שיהיו מוכנים לחדור למדינה ממקומות שונים בניסיון לפורר את ההשגים של המורדים באזורים מסויימים בעיקר במזרחה של לוב. מנכ''ל החברה, אלוף במילואים ששמו מצויין במפורש נפגש עם ראש אמ''ן אביב כוכבי ובהמשך גם עם שר הביטחון ברק וראש הממשלה נתניהו וקיבל את אישורם לגייס את שכירי החרב זאת מאחר שישראל חוששת מהקמת ''אמירות איסלאמית'' במקומו של קדאפי. עוד מדווח כי נציגי החברה הישראלית העוסקת במכירת נשק ותיווך בכוח אדם לוחמני, נפגשו עם בכיר המודיעין של לוב, עבדאללה סנוסי . הפגישה התקיימה בצ'אד, מדינה אפריקנית אחרת. פרטי העסקה סוכמו סופית בפגישה זו. צ'אד, שכנתן הדרומית של לוב וסודן מקיימת קשרים הדוקים עם ישראל מזה עשרות בשנים. יצויין כי שכירי החרב שכבר הגיעו לטריפולי יצאו מצ'אד וזו עובדה מוכחת. על פי פרסומים במערב משלם קדאפי לחברה העוסקת בגיוס שכירי החרב 2,000 דולר ליום לכל לוחם. מזה מקבלים שכירי החרב אישית כ-100 דולר ליום. מדובר בעסקת תיווך בהיקף של מיליארדי דולרים. הכספים משולמים לראיסים אפריקניים שמביאים את כנופיותיהם וגורפים הון עתק. הסכומים הגבוהים כוללים גם את הנשק והתחמושת שבהם משתמשים שכירי החרב ופיצוי למשפחת שכיר החרב במקרה שהלוחם נהרג או נפצע ונופל בשבי. יצויין כי במקביל החליטו ארצות הברית, בריטניה וכנראה גם נאט''ו להתחיל בהליכי הטלת מצור אווירי על לוב, גם כדי למנוע כניסת עוד שכירי חרב למדינה. המורדים בלוב כבר הצליחו לשבות כמה עשרות שכירי חרב ולהציגם לתקשורת. קדאפי עצמו מכחיש שגייס לוחמים מחוץ לארצו ואמר כי יותר ממחצית נתיני לוב ''הם שחורים ולכן התקשורת טועה לחשוב שהם שכירי חרב''. עניין מרכזי כזי www.news-israel.net/Article.asp?code=24935Rough translation via Google Translate: From: Hebrew To: English Egyptian sources: Israeli company Gaddafi offers African mercenariesThis is a company previously studied the illegal sale of arms to another African country. This time, according to the report, approved the action by the Israeli security elite. By writing a major issue'''' Tuesday, 1 March 2011, 09:35 One of mercenaries killed in Libya Israeli company engaged in arms trade and specializes in the African market is provided by the ruler of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, a large number of African mercenaries, who try without success to suppress the revolution in the country. Reporting that comes from Egypt, lists the name of the Israeli weapons firm that Israeli generals are retired, played by senior officials to''swamp. Against this company recently conducted an investigation for exceeding sales of unauthorized weapons in another country in Africa. Egyptian source, however, reports that this time the Israeli company received prior approval to sell Gaddafi mercenaries. Libyan ruler wants to make himself a mercenary army of up to 50 thousand troops will be ready to enter the country from different places in an attempt to disintegrate the achievements of the rebels in certain areas especially in the east of Libya. Director''for the company, named reserve champion explicitly excellent mother met with Prime Estate Aviv Stars''and later with Defense Minister Barak and Prime Minister Netanyahu and received approval to recruit mercenaries that because Israel fears the establishment of an Islamic emirate''''Qaddafi's place . More reports that Israeli society representatives engaged in selling weapons to militant labor intermediation, met with Libyan intelligence official, Abdullah Ssanvsi. The meeting took place in Chad, another African country. Final details of the transaction were agreed at this meeting. Chad, our neighbor south of Libya and Sudan has maintained close ties with Israel for decades. Note that the mercenaries had arrived in Tripoli came from Chad and this is proven fact. According to Western publications Gaddafi company pays mercenaries engaged in raising $ 2,000 per day per combatant. Than accept a personal mercenary about 100 dollars a day. Real deal is worth billions of dollars. Funds are paid to bring the African Llerisim sweeping Achnufiutiam fortune. High amounts also include the arms and ammunition used by mercenaries mercenary family compensation in case warrior killed or wounded and falls into captivity. It should be noted that while they decided United States, Britain and probably Nate''and begin the process of aerial blockade on Libya, also to prevent the entry of another state mercenaries. Rebels have been able to strike Libya few dozen mercenaries and present them to the media. Gaddafi himself denies that recruited fighters abroad and said that more than half of Libyan citizens''are black and the media are wrong to think that they mercenaries.'' Major interest Achzi
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Post by satchmo on Mar 4, 2011 21:03:02 GMT 4
US Has Weapons To Fight UFOs and ET, Says Former Canadian Defense Chief, Plus An Even Bigger SecretPaul Hellyer, the former Canadian Defense Minister, says UFOs are real and the U.S. military has weapons to use against UFOs and that aliens can help us learn about climate change. He adds he would probably get fired for his views if he was still Canada’s Minister of National Defense today, but is adamant he has seen UFOs himself, according to reports in the Daily Mail, AOL News and the Barrie Examiner. Hellyer says, “the reality is that they (aliens) have been visiting earth for decades and probably millennia and have contributed considerably to our knowledge.” He says UFOs are not the biggest secret in the world, the biggest secret he says is how a “handful of bankers” have “bamboozled” politicians for the past century to take control of the world’s currencies by creating a monopoly on printing money. He adds the bankers are “very clever” in financing politicians and now control the political processes.Mr Hellyer presented his views on UFOs this week at the International UFO Congress in Scottsdale, Arizona, and says he is ‘convinced’ of their existence. Hellyer says UFO have inadvertently caused the crash of military aircraft. The crashes were caused when jets approached too closely to the extraterrestrial craft and the energy fields that propel the saucers caused the military aircraft to fail. He also said that some aliens are helping the U.S. develop weapons. Trusted political and scientific sources with whom Hellyer has spoken have suggested that the UnitedStates has developed new forms of energy at top-secret “black operation” installations, using reportedly extraterrestrial technology, according to AOL writer Lee Speigel. In his book “Light at the End of the Tunnel: A Survival Plan for the Human Species” (AuthorHouse), Hellyer claims that an American “shadow government” is behind this activity. Hellyer is on an advisory body to the Queen, works as an environmental campaigner and is credited with integrating Canada’s armed forces. But aside from all this, the ex-Canadian defense minister says UFOs are real, aliens have visited Earth and the U.S. government is covering up information about them. There is a lot more at this link: beforeitsnews.com/story/453/598/US_Has_Weapons_To_Fight_UFOs_and_ET,_Says_Former_Canadian_Defense_Chief,_Plus_An_Even_Bigger_Secret.html satchmo
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Post by auroralaura on Mar 4, 2011 23:59:23 GMT 4
www.euronews.net/2011/03/04/tobruk-finds-its-feet/Tobruk finds its feet
04/03 18:24 CET In Tobruk, life has slowly begun to assume its new character. Protestors are on the streets again, but this time, not in anger. It is a demonstration of solidarity with the capital, Tripoli, which is still under the control of Colonel Gaddafi. “The aim of the committee is to guarantee the smooth and prompt organisation of society. There are five people in charge and it is their job to establish contact between towns, the army, the courts and younger generation, to set up a network of local councils for regional organisation. We need get things sorted out and lend our support to Tripoli until its liberation. We are prepared for anything, we will even sacrifice our lives for the liberation of Libya. The protests will continue.” said Nassib al Hobbani, a member of the newly-formed Tobruk Council. Libya’s wave of revolt began to build in the east. Muammar Gaddafi’s word is no longer law in Tobruk and the people could not be happier. The recovery and rejuvenation is progressing so well that the city is in a position to despatch medical teams and supplies to Benghazi and even Tripoli. Copyright © 2011 euronews
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Post by ninathedog on Mar 6, 2011 1:41:46 GMT 4
Egyptians turn anger toward state security agencyBy Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press – 1 hr 19 mins agoCAIRO – Three weeks after President Hosni Mubarak's ouster, Egyptians are turning their anger toward his internal security apparatus, storming the agency's main headquarters and other offices Saturday and seizing documents to keep them from being destroyed to hide evidence of human rights abuses. What to do with Egypt's tainted security agencies remains one of the most contentious issue facing the military rulers who took charge after Mubarak was forced to step down on Feb. 11 after an 18-day popular uprising. The 500,000-strong internal security services are accused of some of the worst human rights abuses in the suppression of dissent against Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule. The protesters are demanding the agency be dismantled and its leaders face a reckoning. The ruling military council's bind was evident on Friday and Saturday when thousands of protesters — including some people who said they were victims of abuse by security agents — marched on several state security buildings in Alexandria, Cairo and other cities. Protesters stormed inside at least six of the buildings, including the agency's main headquarters in Cairo's northern Nasr City neighborhood, confronting officers face-to-face and attacking some in a surreal reversal of roles. "We are inside, hundreds of us," Mohammed Abdel-Fattah, one of the protesters who barged into the Nasr City compound on Saturday, said in a telephone interview. "We are fetching documents and we are looking for detainees." Cries of "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," could be heard in the background, as one of the protester's found a file with Mubarak's name on it. Around 2,500 people swept into the compound, according to the state news agency. Abdel-Fattah said they barged in from the back doors, and the military, which had cordoned off the building, couldn't stop them. They scoured the building for official documents, many of which were already shredded in piles in what they believe was an attempt to hide evidence incriminating senior officials in abuses. Some also searched the building for secret detention rooms. Others prayed in the compound's mosque. Army officers tried to get protesters out of the compound, but did not use force. One army officer rescued a State Security officer from the hands of angry protesters and ushered him into a tank. Egypt's State Security Services, which were given a free hand by emergency laws under Mubarak to suppress dissent, are some of the most powerful symbols of his regime. Many protest leaders say despite the fall of Mubarak and his government, the agency remains active in protecting the old regime and trying to sabotage the revolution. The agency was the most pervasive security force, collecting intelligence on regime opponents and supporters alike, said Ammar Ali Hassan, a political analyst. "It was the planning brain behind everything during Mubarak's reign. ... Mubarak only trusted the State Security." Hassan said after Mubarak's fall, the agency has continued to play the role of main provider of intelligence to the current military rulers of Egypt, who have no recent experience in running civil affairs. "It seems that the agency has realized that the military council is being responsive to the demands of the revolutionaries, and may start to consider their calls" to dissolve the agency. The military council has replaced the head of the agency, but it is not yet clear if it is considering restructuring it or redefining its mission as it charts Egypt's path toward a freer political system and an eventual return to civilian rule. Among the other buildings targeted by demonstrators Saturday, fire poured out of the agency's offices in the Nile Delta town of Sharqia, the north coast city of Matrouh and the oasis city of Fayoum south of the capital. It was not clear if protesters set the fires or if they were started by security officers burning documents, said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. The targeting of the agency's buildings began Friday night in Alexandria. More than 1,000 people stormed the building there after officers opened fire on the crowd from inside. Four protesters were wounded and more than 20 security officers were badly beaten, witnesses and security officials said. Kutb Hassanein, a protester in Alexandria, said most of those who stormed the building were activists who had been abused or detained by the State Security. He said the crowd also included many Islamists, who Mubarak considered his chief enemy. "We all suffered and saw horrible torture at the hands of this agency," said Hassanein, himself detained several times in that same building near downtown Alexandria. "There is a huge desire to take revenge. But we would rather see them all put on trial." Hassanein said the protesters saw lots of official documents shredded in those offices as well in an apparent attempt to hurriedly get rid of official records. Meanwhile, the former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, who was long in charge of those agencies and the regular police forces, appeared in court Saturday for the first time. He was forced out along with Mubarak and is facing charges of money laundering and abuse of authority. El-Adly has been widely blamed for the deadly brutality used by riot police against demonstrators in massive protests that began Jan. 25. Crowds numbering a few hundred, including families of more than 300 protesters killed in the uprising, waited for him outside the Cairo courthouse. "The death sentence awaits you, el-Adly," they shouted. A stuffed dummy was hanging outside the courthouse with el-Adly's name stuck on it. The former minister arrived in an armored car and wore a white prison jumpsuit. He denied the charges and told the court: "I am Habib el-Adly. I gave Egypt a lot, and I fought terrorism." The next hearing is scheduled for April 2. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt
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Post by ninathedog on Mar 6, 2011 1:43:26 GMT 4
Saudi Arabia: Demonstrations won't be toleratedAssociated Press – Sat Mar 5, 12:26 pm ETRIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Demonstrations won't be tolerated in Saudi Arabia and its security forces will act against anyone taking part in them, the Interior Ministry said Saturday, a day after about 100 members of the Shiite minority staged a protest in an eastern region of the kingdom. The warning was another attempt by Saudi Arabia to get ahead of the unrest that has swept the Arab world in recent months. Last week, the government announced an unprecedented economic package worth an estimated $36 billion that will give Saudis interest-free home loans, unemployment assistance and debt forgiveness. The Interior Ministry statement said the kingdom bans all demonstrations because they contradict Islamic laws and society's values, adding that some people have tried to go around the law to "achieve illegitimate aims." Security forces were authorized to act against anyone violating the ban, the statement said. The demonstration followed Friday prayers in the eastern town of Hofuf when the Shiites demanded the release of detainees, including Tawfiq al-Amer, a Shiite cleric who was arrested last week after he called for a constitutional monarchy. On Feb. 24, a group of influential intellectuals urged King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's 86-year-old monarch, to adopt far-reaching political and social reforms. They said Arab rulers should learn from the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, and listen to the voice of disenchanted young people. The group includes renowned Islamic scholars, a female academic, a poet and a former diplomat. While oil-rich Saudi Arabia has been mostly spared the unrest in the Middle East, a robust protest movement has risen up in its tiny neighbor, Bahrain, which like others around the region is centered on calls for representative government and relief from poverty and unemployment. A Facebook page calling for a "March 11 Revolution of Longing" in Saudi Arabia has begun attracting hundreds of viewers. A message posted on the page calls for "the ousting of the regime" and lists demands including the election of a ruler and members of the advisory assembly known as the Shura Council. There are no government figures in Saudi Arabia that provide a national income breakdown, but analysts estimate there are more than 450,000 jobless. About two-thirds of the population is under 29 — and many of them chafe under the harsh religious rules that keep the sexes largely segregated. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_saudi_protests
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Post by ninathedog on Mar 6, 2011 1:47:25 GMT 4
Rebels, Gadhafi forces both make gains in Libya
By Maggie Michael And Paul Schemm, Associated Press – 33 mins ago
TRIPOLI, Libya – Government forces in tanks rolled into the opposition-held city closest to Tripoli after blasting it with artillery and mortar fire, while rebels captured a key oil port and pushed toward Moammar Gadhafi's hometown in a seesaw Saturday for both sides in the bloody battle for control of Libya.
With the Gadhafi regime's tanks prowling the center of the city of Zawiya, west of Tripoli, residents ferried the wounded from the fierce fighting in private cars to a makeshift clinic in a mosque, fearing that any injured taken to the military-controlled hospital "will be killed for sure," one rebel said after nightfall.
The rival successes — by Gadhafi's forces in entering resistant Zawiya, and by the rebels in taking over the port of Ras Lanouf — signaled an increasingly long and violent battle that could last weeks or months and veered the country ever closer to civil war.
Rebels in the east advanced from their eastern stronghold toward Sirte, setting the stage for fierce fighting with pro-Gadhafi forces who hold sway in the tribal area.
Western leaders focused on humanitarian aid instead of military intervention, and the Italian naval vessel Libra left from Catania, Sicily, for the rebel-held port of Benghazi in eastern Libya, with 25 tons of emergency aid, including milk, rice, blankets, emergency generators, water purifying devices and tents. It is due to arrive early Monday.
The crisis in Libya has distinguished itself from the other uprisings sweeping the Arab world, with Gadhafi unleashing a violent crackdown against his political opponents, who themselves have taken up arms in their attempt to remove him from office after ruling the country for more than 41 years. Hundreds have been killed.
Gadhafi has drawn international condemnation for his actions. President Barack Obama has insisted that Gadhafi must leave and said Washington was considering a full range of options, including the imposition of a "no-fly" zone over Libya.
The storming of Zawiya, a city of some 200,000 people just 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli, began with a surprise dawn attack by pro-Gadhafi forces firing mortar shells and machine guns.
"The number of people killed is so big. The number of the wounded is so big. The number of tanks that entered the city is big," the rebel in Zawiya said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared government reprisal. The rebels vowed to keep up the fight in the city.
Witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press by telephone with gunfire and explosions in the background said the shelling damaged government buildings and homes. Several fires sent heavy black smoke over the city, and witnesses said snipers shot at anybody on the streets, including residents on balconies.
The rebels initially retreated to positions deeper in the city before they launched a counteroffensive in which they regained some ground, according to three residents and activists who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
By midafternoon, the rebels had reoccupied central Martyrs' Square while the pro-regime forces regrouped on the city's fringes, sealing off the city's entry and exit routes, the witnesses said. Members of the elite Khamis Brigade, named for one of Gadhafi's sons who commands it, have been massed outside the city for days.
The pro-Gadhafi forces then blasted Zawiya with artillery and mortar fire in late afternoon before the tanks and troops on foot came in, firing at buildings and people, witnesses said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Qaid said "99 percent" of Zawiya is under government control.
"The situation in Zawiya is quiet and peaceful right now," he said Saturday at a news conference. "We hope by tomorrow morning, life will be back to normal."
The rebels fared better in the east, capturing the key oil port of Ras Lanouf on Friday night in their first military victory in a potentially long and arduous westward march from the east of the country to Gadhafi's eastern stronghold of Tripoli.
Witnesses said Ras Lanouf, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) east of Sirte, fell to rebel hands on Friday night after a fierce battle with pro-regime forces who later fled.
"Go to Tripoli!" one of the fighters yelled in English.
Another brandished a bayonet, pointed to its blade and said: "I need head Gadhafi! Head Gadhafi I need!"
An Associated Press reporter who arrived in Ras Lanouf Saturday morning saw Libya's red, black and green pre-Gadhafi monarchy flag, which has been adopted by the rebels, hoisted over the town's oil facilities.
One of the rebels, Ahmed al-Zawi, said the battle was won after Ras Lanouf residents joined the rebels.
Al-Zawi, who participated in the fighting, said 12 rebels were killed in the fighting, in which rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns were used.
Officials at a hospital in the nearby city of Ajdabiya, however, said only five rebels were killed and 31 wounded in the attack. The discrepancy in the figures could not immediately be explained.
"They just follow orders. After a little bit of fighting, they run away," said another rebel at Ras Lanouf, Borawi Saleh, an 11-year veteran of the army who is now an oil company employee.
A witness in Ajdabiya said rebels had begun their push toward Sirte, reaching the town of Nawfaliyah, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Ras Lanouf. The witness said he was going to join them and expected fierce fighting with pro-Gadhafi forces.
Also Saturday, witnesses said a Libyan jet fighter crashed near Ras Lanouf. They displaying pictures showing the pilot's body and twisted wreckage from the plane. The cause of Saturday's crash couldn't immediately be determined.
Pro-Gadhafi forces have launched a number of airstrikes against rebel targets as they seek to put down the 19-day-old rebellion.
In Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, funerals were held for some of the 26 people killed in an explosion Friday at a large arms and ammunition depot outside town. The massive blast leveled flattened buildings, cars and trees in an area three times the size of a soccer field.
It also deprived the rebels of arms and ammunition. It was not immediately clear how the depot blew up, but suspicion immediately fell on Gadhafi agents.
Hundreds lined the streets to pay their respects to the dead before starting chants against Gadhafi.
___
Schemm reported from Ras Lanouf, Libya. Associated Press writers Hamza Hendawi and Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report from Cairo.
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Post by satchmo on Mar 6, 2011 19:48:55 GMT 4
British SAS unit held by insurgents (Libyan Rebels). March 7, 2011 LONDON: A British special forces unit and a junior diplomat were being held by rebels in eastern Libya following a bungled mission to put the envoy in touch with them, The Sunday Times said. The London newspaper said the SAS soldiers, thought to be up to eight men, were captured when escorting the diplomat through the rebel-held east. ''We can neither confirm nor deny the report,'' a Foreign Office spokeswoman said. Advertisement: Story continues below The Ministry of Defence said: ''We neither confirm nor deny the story and we do not comment on the special forces.'' The uninvited appearance of the SAS alongside the diplomat ''angered Libyan opposition figures who ordered the soldiers to be locked up in a military base'', the paper reported. Opponents of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, ''fear he could use any evidence of Western military interference to rally patriotic support for his regime'', it said. The newspaper said that, according to Libyan sources, the SAS soldiers were taken by rebels to Benghazi and hauled before a senior figure. The Sunday Times said a British source, who confirmed the men had been detained, said the diplomat they were protecting had wanted to make contact with the rebels. It cited a source close to the opposition leadership as saying they were worried that Libyan people might think from the escort party that ''foreign troops have started to interfere by landing in Libya''. British service personnel have already been involved in the rescue of British nationals working on oil installations in remote desert camps. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said last week that Western countries should be stepping up contact with the Libyan opposition to gain a greater understanding of their intentions. The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, talked by phone with General Abdel Fatah Yunis, the former Libyan interior minister who defected, about the situation on the ground. The Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that about 200 troops had been placed on standby to help with evacuation and humanitarian operations in Libya. The troops from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, are ready for deployment at 24 hours' notice, a spokeswoman said. www.smh.com.au/world/british-sas-unit-held-by-insurgents-20110306-1bjmw.html
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Post by auroralaura on Mar 6, 2011 20:19:42 GMT 4
Hello All, I watched this interview on CNN and thought it rather important to share. I realize that not everyone has speakers so I took the time to transcribe the video to the best of my ability. I'm just posting a like to the video and the transcription for now. I need to gather my thoughts a little better about what I have just seen and transcribed. And what I have gathered over time from posts by the Eagles and/or Eagles Team members. Once I do so, I'll add to this post. AL www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/03/05/bts.robertson.saif.gadhafi.cnn?hpt%3DT2CNN's Nic Robertson sits down with Saif Gadhafi, the son of Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi.Nic: So, how do you. I mean. You're the government. Saif: I'm the government Nic: But you're a big player here. You hold the cards. Your father holds the cards. How do you get out of this situation right now? Saif: With time. A few days. And everything will change. Nic: But the international community isn't giving you time. Interpol alerts for your father, your family. Assets frozen. Saif: First of all, there is no link between my family and what's going on here. We aren't in the government. We aren't in the army, the security, the police. So it was really silly, outrageous just to mention our names. Because my brothers are not, are not, are not doing anything. They have nothing to do with this and you have the government, the army, you have the people. It's country. Nic: So, what's your assessment of what the international community is trying to do? You have said that they've moved too fast. The UN sanctions have come very quickly. Saif: It was a big mistake. It was a big mistake. Nic: But what are they trying to do? What is the message that they are sending to you? President Obama says your father is no longer representative of the people. Has lost their confidence. He should step down. What do you think is happening? Saif: OK, I mean. You're interpreting. I mean, if 100 people, they have different opinion. You have 1 000, you have 100 000. It doesn't mean that the whole country is against you. I mean 80% of the country. I mean 85% of the country is very, is okay. So, even if we hold tomorrow, an election, my father will win with a big majority. Nic: Why not move to elections? Why not? I mean, for the sake of unity of the country. For the sake of... Saif: Listen, I want to tell you something. Now I have (inaudible) realized that soon we will go to real democracy we will go to elections we will have constitution. New one. Everything will change in Libya. But you cannot have this while you have a militia, armed militia trying to control the oil in Libya, attacking cities, killing people. Nic: So, what's the strategy to get out of this? Is it that you fight them into submission? To change the constitution to what you want? Saif: No, the first mission is to neutralize the armed militia. You cannot have democracy, peace, development , whatever. And at the same time you have like, 10 militias terrifying people. So, Libya and the international community should help Libya to settle this issue. The armed militia. Now there is no peaceful demonstrations. Nic: Right now the international community appears to be wanting to marginalize you, ostracize you, turn you and your family and your father into sort of toxic pariahs of the international community. People associated with you in the West are suffering. Now, I don't see how you can move to this vision that you want when you don't have the support of the international community. How are you going to change that? Saif: The Libyan people will settle this. Nic: How will they settle it? Saif: Because people are against the militia. Against terrorists. Nic: So, how do they settle it? Saif: They will fight for the country. The point is not one family or one person fighting for the country. The whole people is fighting for their country. Nic: So, yes. So, this is civil war then. You've described. Saif: No, the whole country is united against the militia. There are 200, 300, 500, 1000. And again, we are 6 million. Anyways, in Libya now, everybody is armed. Don't worry about this. Nic: Are you bringing in more weapons in the country? You've managed to get them? Saif: Every Libyan is armed today. The whole population. Nic: So, were talking about a huge war then?! Saif: Everybody is armed because.. Nic: But you've said people will solve this amongst themselves. You've called on the people to come and support you. Saif: Yes. Nic: This means a bloodbath. Saif: I hope not, but everything is armed now. Everybody is armed. Nic: You hope not, but this is you're calling for the people to take action with you, to support you in the fight against the people in the East. Saif: Nononononono. People is willing to fight the militia. Nic: And the militia are controlling the East right now. Saif: Yah, some parts, yes. Nic: But can you not see, that, I understand from what you're saying... Saif: You know what?! Because they are armed. And the majority are not there. In the East now. So they are terrified people. They are afraid. Now the problem is guerrilla warfare. Between the government and armed militia. Nic: Does this mean that civil war has now started here? Saif: No, it's not civil war. It's the war between Libyan people and the armed militia. Nic: And who are the armed militia? Because we've heard them described as “Al Qaeda” as “people taking drugs” Saif: The fact, in fact there are different groups. Different groups. They are not organized. Scattered everywhere. But they don't belong to one command or one leadership. They created their own militia and they want to control some oil and assets in Libya. Nic: Is that what they're trying to do. The rebels are trying to do in the East is to control the oil installations. Saif: Yeah. Nic: And the government is trying to take them back. Saif: Yes. Nic: So this is strategic war to take back these oil refineries? Saif: Yes, so..The militia want to control the oil. Next day you will get Piracy. Nic: But this sounds like it's spilling into the civil war that you described that you don't want to get the country into. You said you wanted to....negotiations. Saif: The armed militia, they want to drag the country into civil war. But this will not happen. Nic: But it is happening. I mean, by default, this is what we've seen. The bombings in the East, the helicopter gun show. Saif: OK. Civil war means everybody is fighting everybody. Here. Libya is the government against armed militia. They are 200, 300, 1000. We are 6 million. Nic: Has the country now gone beyond negotiations. Now you have the operations going on in the East. Saif: Even in the East, go to Benghazi. You can go there. In Benghazi we have 1.5 million people living there. They are scared. Schools are shut down. People can't get their salaries. No money. No banks. So, but they are hostage of the militia. They are afraid. Nic: So if you will step out for me. This sequence of how things will unfold from here to get to this end goal that you have talked about. Are talking about. What's the exact sequence? Saif: First of all, peace and order. Nic: Achieved how? Saif: The people should settle this. The Libyan people will see. They will stand up and they will fight for their country and settle this. Second step, we have to reform our country. Change Libya. The new Libya: democracy, peace, and have a new constitution. Nic: President Obama has said your father has lost the confidence of the people and that he should step down. Other world leaders have said the same thing. Should he do that? Should he step down now, for the unity of the country. To save further bloodshed. Saif: Listen. If the government would disappear today or tomorrow, I promise you. The whole world will suffer from this for the next 50 years. Nic: But nobody is saying the government should disappear. The suggestion is that your father should step aside. Saif: My father is the leader. They need a leader. And we sit all together. And now we are convinced everybody that we have to reform our-self, reform our country and go forward. Nic: So, do you have talks going on right now? Back channels at the moment? Saif: Yes. Of course. Nic: Who's talking to whom? What are they saying? Saif: The people are talking to them-self...Talking to to together. They are talking to each-other. Everyone is talking to someone else. Like, people from this city talking with people from this city. People from this city talking with each other. There's a very wide national dialogue right now in Libya. Nic: The whole world is coming out against your father and the government. Saif: Yeah, but this, I said before this is a mistake. It's a mistake. It's a mistake. Nic: Now, how do you change? How do you, who hold the cards there change the international opinion? Saif: How? You. The media. That's why you are here. You have to tell the people and to show them the real picture. Nic: But we can't go to the places we want to go to. We wanted to go to Tajura today. We wanted to go to Misurata a few days ago and we're told we can't go. We can't get the real picture. Saif: You can go there if you want. Some parts are risky. But you can go. Nic: We're told we can't go. Saif: If you want to go, you can go. Tomorrow you can go. Nic: That's your promise to us. When we go and ask and are told we can... Saif: I promise you. I will talk to the people and you will go there. And please, report from there the real picture. Please. Tomorrow morning. Nic: Are you frustrated that the reforms you had called for in 2006 back then, had been enacted. The the old guard had stood in your way? That all of this could have been avoided? Saif: Maybe. Nic: You are frustrated? Saif: Maybe. Nic: What do you mean maybe? Saif: Maybe. I mean, we delayed of course. We delayed a lot of reforms. Nic: Who is accountable for that? Saif: I don't know now. But now it's too late to talk about this. What happened in 2006. I did announce in 2006. Now we have a difficult time. A situation and we have to fix it. Nic: Do you think that ultimately you're going to regret not being able to move ahead back then? This seems to be slipping out of the control of you, of the government. Saif: I told you. We were very reluctant. I tried to push hard and the last 10 years for the reforms. But anyway, what happened, happened. We have a difficult situation and we have to deal with it. And I'm optimistic.
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Post by auroralaura on Mar 9, 2011 19:38:56 GMT 4
The world seems to treat oil like an addiction to crack cocaine. Everyone's worrying about their next "fix". I think it's time we all went to "rehab" and lived a better way.
AL
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Post by auroralaura on Mar 10, 2011 5:57:58 GMT 4
Jim Meaney, owner of Cansolair Inc. displays how he converts pop cans into a powerful solar heating panel. AL
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Post by nodstar on Mar 11, 2011 5:16:10 GMT 4
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Addresses US Congress[/size] ;D 2011-03-10 english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/news_asia/2011-03-10/australian-prime-minister-julia-gillard-addresses-us-congress.html Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was the fourth Australian Prime Minster in history to address the US Congress. In Washington this week for talks with United States leaders, the Australian Prime Minister reaffirmed the strength of the bond between the two nations, telling Congress, “You have a true friend down under.” Ms. Gillard received a standing ovation during her speech. She was visibly moved as she highlighted the shared defense history between Australia and the United States. [Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister]: "As I stand before you, in this, this cradle of democracy, I see a nation that changed the world, a nation that has known remarkable days. I firmly believe that you are the same people, who amazed me, when I was a small girl, by landing on the Moon. On that great day, I believed Americans could do anything. I believe that still. You can do anything. Thank you." Ms. Gillard’s speech marked the 60th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, the military treaty which binds Australia and the United States together in defense. Caden Pearson, NTD News, Australia.
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Post by satchmo on Mar 12, 2011 21:22:18 GMT 4
World to see biggest full moon in two decadesThe world is set to experience the biggest full moon for almost two decades when the satellite reaches its closest point to Earth next weekend. On 19 March, the full moon will appear unusually large in the night sky as it reaches a point in its cycle known as 'lunar perigee'. Stargazers will be treated to a spectacular view when the moon approaches Earth at a distance of 221,567 miles in its elliptical orbit - the closest it will have passed to our planet since 1992. The full moon could appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter in the sky, especially when it rises on the eastern horizon at sunset or is provided with the right atmospheric conditions. This phenomenon has reportedly heightened concerns about 'supermoons' being linked to extreme weather events - such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. The last time the moon passed close to the Earth was on 10 January 2005, around the time of the Indonesian earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was also associated with an unusually large full moon. Previous supermoons occurred in 1955, 1974 and 1992 - each of these years experienced extreme weather events, killing thousands of people. However, an expert speaking to Yahoo! News today believes that a larger moon causing weather chaos is a popular misconception. Dr Tim O'Brien, a researcher at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, said: "The dangers are really overplayed. You do get a bit higher than average tides than usual along coastlines as a result of the moon's gravitational pull, but nothing so significant that will cause a serious climatic disaster or anything for people to worry about." But according to Dr Victor Gostin, a Planetary and Environmental Geoscientist at Adelaide University, there may be a link between large-scale earthquakes in places around the equator and new and full moon situations. He said: "This is because the Earth-tides (analogous to ocean tides) may be the final trigger that sets off the earthquake." uk.news.yahoo.com/38/20110309/tsc-world-to-see-biggest-full-moon-in-tw-98fda55.html
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Post by auroralaura on Mar 15, 2011 21:11:22 GMT 4
www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/15/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1Handful of 'heroes' battles to keep nuclear plant under controlBy the CNN Wire Staff March 15, 2011 1:01 p.m. EDT Tokyo (CNN) -- After three explosions and a fire in four days, the situation at Japan's earthquake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant grew more serious Tuesday, chasing all but a handful of workers from the site and raising fears of a far more dangerous radiation threat. The latest incidents, an explosion Tuesday at the plant's No. 2 reactor and a fire in a cooling pond used for nuclear fuel at the No. 4 reactor, briefly pushed radiation levels at the plant to about 167 times the average annual dose of radiation, according to details released by the International Atomic Energy Agency. That dose would quickly dissipate with distance from the plant, and radiation quickly fell back to levels where it posed no immediate public health threat, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said. But the deteriorating situation and concerns about a potential shift in wind direction that could loft radiation toward populated areas prompted authorities to warn people as far as 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) away from the plant to stay inside. "There is still a very high risk of further radioactive material coming out," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, asking people to remain calm. About 200,000 people living within a 12.4-mile (20 kilometer) radius of the plant already had been evacuated. Authorities also banned flights over the area and evacuated most workers from the plant. Those who remained behind continued a seesaw, last-ditch effort to flood reactors with seawater to keep them cool and prevent a wider environmental and public health catastrophe. The beleagured crew had to abandon the plant control room Tuesday night because of high radiation levels, Kyodo News reported, citing plant owner Tokyo Electric Power Company. They were monitoring data from a remote site, Kyodo reported. "Their situation is not great," said David Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University. "It's pretty clear that they will be getting very high doses of radiation. There's certainly the potential for lethal doses of radiation. They know it, and I think you have to call these people heroes."Troubles at the plant began shortly after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Friday off the shore of northeast Japan. Although the plant's three functioning reactors shut down automatically when they detected the quake, the tsunami that followed swamped the diesel generators that provided backup power to the reactor cooling systems. Crews eventually were able to restore backup power, but problems keeping the reactors cool eventually forced plant officials to take the drastic step of flooding them with seawater in a bid to keep the temperatures down. Still, pressure buildups, problems with valves and even a failure to fill a generator's gas tank have led to explosions and other problems with keeping the reactors under control. Tuesday's incidents appeared to escalate the situation: Edano said the radiation releases from the explosion and fire were the first that appeared to pose a threat to human health, if only briefly. Radiation levels also spiked Monday, after workers vented steam to release pressure, but the levels quickly dropped, officials said. Also Monday, an explosion in the building housing the plant's No. 3 reactor apparently damaged both a water-filled chamber at the base of the reactor and the reactor containment unit itself, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said at a news conference Tuesday. Damage to the core involved about 5% of the core's nuclear fuel, Amano said. It was still unclear how much radioactive material may have been emitted, what kind of health threat that could pose or when the danger would end. Japanese officials earlier told the International Atomic Energy Agency that radioactivity was "being released directly into the atmosphere" during the fire, according to a statement from the U.N. watchdog organization. High temperatures inside the building that houses the plant's No. 4 reactor may have caused fuel rods sitting in a pool to ignite or explode, the plant's owner said. Crews put that fire out, and by Tuesday afternoon, Edano said radiation readings -- which had reached dangerously high levels at the plant earlier -- had decreased. Still, concerns about hot radioactive fuel boiling off cooling water and catching on fire continued into Wednesday, with plant operators and government officials considering a plan to use helicopters to drop water into the cooling pond through the damaged roof of the reactor building, according to a Kyodo News report. And as if the suddenly minimal crew at the plant did not already have enough to worry about, Edano said, cooling systems at two other reactors, No. 5 and No. 6, now were "not functioning well." Tuesday's announcement "points to something different, something more serious" after the explosion at the No. 2 reactor, CNN analyst James Walsh said. "But we don't have the definitive evidence yet." Edano said earlier that he could not rule out the possibility of a meltdown at all three troubled reactors at the plant. A meltdown occurs when nuclear fuel rods cannot be cooled and melt the steel and concrete structure containing them. In the worst-case scenario, the fuel can spill out of the containment unit and spread toxic radioactivity through the air and water. That, public health officials say, can cause both immediate and long-term health problems, including radiation poisoning and cancer. If fuel rods inside the reactors are melting, Walsh said, a key detail is whether the melted material stays inside the reactor. "The Japanese plants and all modern plants have a containment vessel. Essentially the reactor is inside of a vault. And that vault is made of thick concrete and steel," Walsh said. "The million-dollar question is whether that melting will be contained. ... We'll know within 24 hours. That's the key thing people should be paying attention to." The long-term impact on public health from the crisis at the plant remains unclear. At the moment, it appears minimal, Brenner said. "I think, at this point in time, there's no real evidence that there are health risks to the general population," he said. Until crews are able to bring the situation under full control, it's impossible to say how much radiation may be released from the plants or for how long. A fresh concern was the weather. Wind patterns that had been blowing the thin plume of radiation out to sea appeared to be shifting towards more populated areas, CNN meteorologist Jennifer Delgado said. The IAEA said it believed the winds would continue to blow the radiation out over the ocean, where it would pose little risk to overseas populations. The U.S. Department of Energy has sent a team and a package of monitoring equipment to help detect any movement of dangerous concentrations of radiation toward population centers, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission also announced that it was sending nine more experts to Japan.U.S. Navy personnel in Japan began limiting outdoor activities and securing external ventilation systems after instruments aboard an aircraft carrier docked in Yokosuka detected low levels of radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Navy said. The USS George Washington was docked for maintenance about 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the plant when instruments detected the radiation at 7 a.m. Tuesday (6 p.m. ET Monday), the Navy said in a statement. "These measures are strictly precautionary in nature. We do not expect that any United States federal radiation exposure limits will be exceeded even if no precautionary measures are taken," the Navy said. On Monday, defense officials said the Navy had repositioned the USS Ronald Reagan after detecting low-level radiation on some sailors and equipment. Radiation levels in Tokyo, 223 kilometers (138 miles) southwest of the plant, were twice the usual level on Tuesday. The concentration -- 0.809 microsieverts per hour -- still was too negligible to pose a health threat, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said. CNN's Stan Grant, Steven Jiang, Sabriya Rice and Richard Greene contributed to this report. ------------------------------------- My prayers to those brave workers. May you be successful. True heroes. Love, AL
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