U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman Want More U.S. Involvement In Libya

Some back ground on these two gentlemen:

Senator Joseph Lieberman is a former Democratic who is now an Independent representing the state of Connecticut. His change in party affiliation came after his defeat in the Democratic primary in August of 2006 to Connecticut businessman Ned Lamont. One of Senator Lieberman's campaign "promises" was that he would work to end the war in Iraq which he supported. Following his narrow victory in that Novembers election Sen. Lieberman did a complete turn around and continued to support the American war in Iraq. In the 2008 presidential campaign Senator Lieberman appeared at the Republican National Convention offering his full support to its candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Senator John McCain of Arizona fully supported the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan by U.S. forces he has previously supported the use of military force against Iran and its nuclear facilities. He once twisted the Beach Boys song Barbra Ann into "Bomb Bomb Bomb" "Bomb Bomb Iran." Further even though he was held as a prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese and tortured during his time in captivity he saw no problem with the Bush administrations use of enhanced interrogation Techniques which under the Geneva Conventions and the UN Declaration on Human Rights calls torture.

With these two clowns in full throttled support and given Americas previous missteps in that region of the world what could possibly go wrong?

Middle East Protests Live Blog

1517: The FCO says it believes the "vast majority of British nationals who want to leave have now left Libya, through commercial means". Where people want to stay on, the FCO will "take measures available to assist them".
1516: The British Foreign Office says that as its embassy in Libya has been temporarily closed, the Turkish embassy is now representing British interests in the country.
1511: Our correspondent Paul Moss is in the Tunisian capital, Tunis. Earlier, he described "very ugly scenes" in Tunisia, with police beating protesters who had gathered there.
1510: Back to Tunisia, Baki 7our tweets: "The big problem of Ghannouchi's govt was its lacking of any legitimacy. Elections soon ?"
1509: Libyan Youth Movement tweets: "Reports coming from Sebha of unrest will try to confirm soon."
1503: Tunisia is where the unrest began in earnest back last year, after a young vegetable trader set himself on fire in protest at his standard of life. The unrest quickly escalated and protesters across the country focused their anger on Mr Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years. He resigned, and fled the country, on 14 January.
1502: He was speaking at a news conference in Tunis, after making a lengthy speech defending his record in government.

0:07 Residents of Zawiya fear attack as government tanks surround the city.

Gaddafi opponents in eastern Libya tell Reuters they have formed a National Libyan Council - this is not an interim government, they say, but the face of the revolution.

1451: People in Zawiya have told the BBC's Jeremy Bowen that the government forces have attacked them a few times, but have been unable to break through into the town centre, which is held by Gaddafi opponents.

The BBC's Mark Dummett in the southern Indian city of Kochi has more on the Indian evacuation: "The first Indian to make it back home was 63-year-old Mohammed Sali. His escape from Libya wasn't a straightforward matter. He explained that as he reached Tripoli airport, he was looted of all his possessions at knife point. Another man said that even as the passengers lined up to collect their tickets, they were robbed of their mobile phones."
1441: The Indian government has begun the evacuation of its 18,000 citizens working in Libya. The first special flights, carrying 530 people in all, have landed in Delhi, and a passenger ferry has arrived in the Libyan city of Benghazi to collect others.

3:50pm
AFP reports that while Libyan leader Gaddafi may be reviled by many of his own people and the international community, he's enjoying an unexpected surge of popularity - as a music video star. The clip was created by Israeli musician and DJ Noy Alooshe and appears to be wildly popular in the Arab world despite its origins in the Jewish state.

A remix of a rambling 75-minute speech Gaddafi delivered on Tuesday, set to dance music and featuring the strongman alongside footage of two gyrating girls, has gone viral on the Internet....racked up almost half a million views on the video-sharing website YouTube since it was posted three days ago. Called "Zenga Zenga," the music video mixes Gaddafi's quotes with club beats, using lines in which he vows to fight "inch by inch, home by home, alley by alley" as the chorus for the song.
3:25pm
Some updates on evacuations by country. Reuters reports that China's Eastern Airlines will send eight chartered flights in the coming days to evacuate the Chinese from Malta. Military sources said Germany is sending three ships to Libya to help evacuate German citizens.Croatia said 28 Croatian workers have left Benghazi on an Italian military ship bound for Malta.The Greek passenger ship Nisos Rodos with 390 evacuees on board, mainly Brazilians and Filipinos but also Thai, Portugese, Dutch and Britons, has docked at the port of Piraeus. More than 530 Indian nationals arrived from Tripoli at New Delhi International airport on two Air India flights on Sunday.

From The BBC

1425: More from the UNHCR's Liz Eyster on the Libyan-Tunisian border: "We're experiencing a bit of a bottleneck in getting the Egyptians back home. There's not enough buses and planes and boats to get people moving. The Tunisian people have mobilised an amazing relief effort - they've been accommodating people in shelters, schools and places of their own. But we're now aware of the fact that they're very much stretched and they need the support of the international community."
1414: Mr Mitchell adds: "Those who have come out so far are by and large migrant workers, not Libyans. But we have in Dubai a large amount of stores which are at six hours' notice to fly in to the border areas if Britain can help and assist with that. We don't know precisely where or what will be needed, but it is at six hours' notice to do so."
1411: UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, who spoke to the BBC's Politics Show earlier, said the UK was ready to make a "very significant contribution" in humanitarian aid to Libya if necessary, but pointed out there wasn't a humanitarian crisis there yet: "We must be careful not to over-state that, but we are making significant plans on both borders to help and protect people who may be coming out."
1407: Feras Kilani adds: "It became very difficult to continue the trip toward Misrata as a result of the large number of checkpoints; so we took a sub-rural road to return to Tripoli and we found the same number of checkpoints until we were about 20km (12 miles) from the capital. This is the image from the centre of Tripoli and east of the city for approximately 56km (35 miles)."

Major Tribes in Yemen have joined in the call for the President to step down.

In Oman two protesters have been killed by riot police using rubber bullets with a police station on fir in the second largest city. Rubber Bullets are not made from rubber but are hard spun plastic which when fired at close range can kill

in Libya the former Justice Minister has formed an interim government in the Eastern city of Benghazi.

Six In The Morning

African mercenaries in Libya nervously await their fate


Mercenaries captured in Libya are facing an uncertain future, writes Nick Meo in Al-Bayda.

By Nick Meo, Al-Bayda, Libya 7:30AM GMT 27 Feb 2011
Crowded into an empty classroom which was stinking of unwashed bodies and reeking of fear, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's defeated mercenary killers awaited their fate.
A week earlier the men – Libyan loyalists of the dictator and black African recruits – had been landed at airports throughout eastern Libya and sent out into the streets to shoot protesters in a murderous rampage. They killed dozens before they were overwhelmed by anti-Gaddafi militias.
The survivors were exhausted, filthy, far from home, and fearful of execution, even though they had been assured of good treatment. Fifty of them lay on mattresses on the floor in one classroom alone, with nearly 100 more in the same school building which was being used as a temporary prison. Most looked dazed. Some were virtually children

Devastated Christchurch will be uninhabitable for months

With a possible toll of up to 350 dead, last week's earthquake may be New Zealand's worst disaster
By Steve McMorran in Christchurch Sunday, 27 February 2011
The earthquake in Christchurch may go down as New Zealand's worst disaster, according to the Prime Minister, John Key, as the death toll reached 145 with more than 200 people missing. And the prognosis for the city centre will do nothing to lift spirits. Engineers and planners said the devastated centre may be completely unusable for months and that at least a third of the buildings must be razed and rebuilt after last Tuesday's 6.3-magnitude quake.
On the outer edge of the central district, Brent Smith watched in tears as workers demolished the 1850s-era building where he lived and ran a bed and breakfast. His three daughters hugged him, also weeping. "You don't know whether to laugh or cry, but I've been doing more of the latter," Mr Smith said.

China spooked as people power flexes its muscle


February 27, 2011
AS THE protests escalated in Libya, tens of thousands of demonstrators massed in pivotal cities across Yemen, holding their largest demonstrations against President Ali Abdullah Saleh since the wave of anti-authoritarian unrest began sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East.
In Taiz, a mountainous city in central Yemen, as many as 100,000 demonstrators held Friday prayers in unison and a local cleric told the crowd: ''This is not a revolution against a person, a family or a tribe. This is a revolution against oppression and corruption.''
The death toll from Iraq's ''Day of Rage'' had hit 14 after protesters clashed with police in Baghdad.

Missing $300m highlights Zim's corrupt regime

Zimbabwe is fast becoming a "kleptocracy" judging by the recent disappearance of $174.2-million within government in public funds realised from diamond revenues.

Feb 27, 2011 12:08 AM | By Zoli Mangena
Cabinet on Tuesday discussed this issue following a series of contradictory statements between Treasury and other government departments.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti says he has received a schedule from President Robert Mugabe's office showing he had been given $174.2-million from the state-owned mining company Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), although he has not actually received the money. ZMDC chairman Godwills Masimirembwa has responded saying Biti has the funds. Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu has not been able to explain the issue.

Anxiety on all sides of upcoming House hearing on radicalization of U.S. Muslims



By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer

In some ways, Zuhdi Jasser doesn't match the profile of the typical Muslim American. He's an active Republican who has supported U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, advocates for Israel and says his faith harbors "an insidious supremacism."
Yet the prominent Scottsdale, Ariz., doctor is the face of American Islam for a Capitol Hill moment. Other than members of Congress, Jasser is the only witness New York Rep. Peter T. King has identified so far forhis upcoming hearings on the radicalization of U.S. Muslims.

Mormon polygamists shared the flaws of the fruit fly


Biologist Michael Wade of Indiana University has found that a harem lifestyle was bad for a female rate of reproduction
• Robin McKie, science editor
• The Observer, Sunday 27 February 2011

In Utah, women used to marry young. In particular they married Brigham Young, leader of the Mormon Church. The religious leader had 55 wives by whom he had 56 children before he died, aged 76, in 1877. His followers had similar polygamous marriages.
But scientists have now uncovered an odd fact about 19th-century Mormons: the more women in a household, the lower the average birthrate. In other words, the more sister-wives a Mormon woman had, the fewer children she was likely to produce.

From Democracy Now

Thousands Feared Dead in Gaddafi’s Crackdown on Libyan Uprising

The United Nations is warning thousands of people may have been killed in Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s assault on the growing popular uprising across Libya. The United Nations is also warning Libya’s food supply network is on the brink of collapse. Deadly clashes are ongoing as anti-government forces close in on the capital city of Tripoli. We get a report from Democracy Now!’s Anjali Kamat in Libya.

Six In The Morning

Rebels lay siege to Gaddafi stronghold

Desperate dictator tells faithful: 'We can crush any enemy'
By Donald Macintyre, Terri Judd and Catrina Stewart in Benghazi Saturday, 26 February 2011
The beleaguered Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi defiantly appealed to his hardcore supporters to "defend the nation" against an uprising which was last night closing in on Tripoli after thousands of protesters braved gunfire to try to march through the capital.
Standing on the ramparts of a fort overlooking the city's Green Square, Colonel Gaddafi pumped his fist and told 1,000 pro-regime demonstrators: "We can crush any enemy. We can crush it with the people's will. The people are armed and when necessary, we will open arsenals to arm all the Libyan people and all Libyan tribes."

Eco v Berlusconi: Some Recent Literary Controversies

Italian author Umberto Eco isn't the first novelist to have waded into political controversy: bitter battles have been waged from antiquity on issues like faith, gender and politics.

7:15AM GMT 26 Feb 2011
The controversies are interesting not just for themselves, but because they give us a flavour of the big issues of the times.
§ Ian McEwan, author of Solar and For You: A Liberetto, angered some critics by accepting the Jerusalem Prize at the International Book Fair in Israel – the same festival where Mr Eco made his remarks. His critics argue that Mr McEwan's decision legitimises the actions of the Israel government in the occupied territories. He donated the prize money to Combatants for Peace, a joint Israeli-Palestinian peace organisation.
§ Günter Grass, author of The Tin Drum, admitted in 2006 that he had served with the Waffen-SS during the Second World War – leading some Jewish organisations to call on him to return his literature Nobel Prize. Mr Grass said admitted served in the organisation in 1944, when he was 17, before being injured and captured by US troops in 1945.

Chinese rights defender back in jail after two days

The Irish Times - Saturday, February 26, 2011
CLIFFORD COONAN in China
CHINESE HUMAN rights defender Mao Hengfeng was released from “re-education through labour” camp on medical parole on February 22nd, but just two days later she was back in the camp accused of violating the terms of her parole.
According to Ms Mao’s husband, Wu Xuwei, Shanghai Yangpu district police came to their home at about 4pm on February 24th and said they wanted to talk to Ms Mao. They were soon joined by officials from the Anhui province re-education through labour camp where she served her time. Over 30 police surrounded their house.

Fearful Uighurs live under eye of security cameras


Tom Lasseter
February 26, 2011
URUMQI, China: Looking slowly around his own bedroom, the nervous Uighur man with hunched shoulders said he was not sure whether he could speak openly about the Chinese government.
''Someone may be listening on the other side of any wall here,'' said Anwar, a 50-year-old shopkeeper. ''We must think of our own safety.''
It was no idle concern. Chinese officials added about 17,000 surveillance cameras last year to the tens of thousands already installed in Urumqi, apparently centred on neighborhoods frequented by Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority

Wisconsin Gov. Walker threatens to trigger layoffs for thousands of public workers


By Michael Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 26, 2011; 12:00 AM

MADISON, WIS. - The jobs of thousands of state and local workers slipped into deeper jeopardy Friday, as Gov. Scott Walker threatened to trigger as many as 12,000 layoffs beginning next week unless lawmakers enact his plan to strip public employees of most of their collective bargaining rights.
Though unions have offered concessions they say would close the state's budget gap, Walker remained determined to achieve a resolution that he said would give state and local governments leverage to limit employee costs well into the future.

Brazilian judge blocks plans for construction of Belo Monte dam


Project to build world's third-largest hydroelectric plant is suspended after failing to meet environmental requirements
• Amy Fallon
• The Guardian, Saturday 26 February 2011

Plans for the construction of the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric plant in the Amazon rainforest have been suspended by a Brazilian judge over environmental concerns.
The proposal to build Belo Monte, which would be the world's third-largest hydroelectric dam, has sparked protests in Brazil and abroad because of its impact on the environment and native Indian tribes in the area.
A federal court in Para state, under judge Ronaldo Desterro, has halted plans for the construction because environmental requirements for the project had not been met.

Help Us Please! From A Woman in Libya

COOPER: Are you -- you're scared to go out in the streets?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very scared. no, we close the door. We close the window. We don't go out. But nobody is leaving the house and we all stay together in one room in the center of the house.

COOPER: I hear fear in your voice and I hear sadness in your voice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very much -- is very much stress, very much sadness and hopelessness, because, you know, we can't go outside. I wish I can go outside and protest, say OK, they arrest you, they beat you, they do something.

But the problem is, you go outside, they're going to shoot you. This is not protest. You cannot protest. I wish we can protest. We cannot protest. I will have to find another way to say -- this is not protest. This is massacre.

COOPER: I hope you know that people around the world are watching and praying and wanting to do something. I hope you know that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. Anderson. Thank you for your efforts for the scene and effort -- thank you for the people who care. But I'm telling you -- I don't mean to be rude. Please, don't misunderstand me. But the only way something can happen is to put the right kind of action, the right kind of movement. And the first step, make Libya a no-fly zone. If you make Libya a no-fly zone, no more mercenaries can come in.

Then after that, because this crucial, real thing -- you know, we listen closely to Mr. Obama. We listen closely to the European Union. We listen closely to what's happening in South America. We listen to closely to all the Arab nations, what they are saying. They are not saying read between the lines.

We are dying. And the problem is, OK, you are -- I'm talking to you and you are listening to me and you are seeing the videos and people are talking to you from inside, outside of Libya. But the action -- there needs to be action. How much more waiting, how much more watching, how much more people dying?

COOPER: How much longer can you hold on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know.

You know, I feel like -- sometimes, really, like I'm going to go crazy. And then, sometimes, I have to say, no, no, you have to be stronger than that. Your freedom is not something easy. It's not cheap. You have to fight for your freedom.

Question: Who Is Going To Shoot Obama

That question was asked by an audience member at a Town Hall Meeting held by Republican Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia. America has a history of violence against its political leaders and Representatives. So, does Congressman Broun confront the questioner? Of course not.

"The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

Why is it so difficult for American's to deal with its problems without advocating or actually committing acts of violence against its elected Representatives? Is that how they view the world as a Hollywood Western were those whom they view as the "Bad Guys" always have their lives ended in the usual violent means.

Six In The Morning

New Zealand earthquake: 'slim chance' of further survivors


Emergency services continue earthquake rescue efforts but no survivors found in last 24 hours
• Toby Manhire in Christchurch
• The Guardian, Friday 25 February 2011

As the death toll from Tuesday's earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, continues to rise, the authorities have admitted that the chances of finding further survivors are increasingly slim.
With 113 people confirmed dead, including two babies, and more than 200 people still missing, civil defence minister John Carter said: "We're still hopeful, but it's getting less and less likely."
The bleak warning came as one of two Britons confirmed dead in the quake was named as Gregory Tobin, 25, a chef, from Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. Tobin had been on a round-the-world trip and was believed to have been working temporarily at a garage in Christchurch. One tribute on his Facebook page read: "Such a nice guy and at such a young age."

Mercenaries gather in Tripoli for final battle


By Donald Macintyre Friday, 25 February 2011
Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi were yesterday said to be launching fierce counter-attacks as the Libyan uprising edged closer to the capital and the dictator chose to blame Osama bin Laden and teenagers on hallucinogenic drugs for the rebellion.
Amid ominous descriptions of groups of pro-Gaddafi militiamen gathering on the roads around Tripoli, there were reports that the minaret of a mosque in Zawiya – 30 miles west of Tripoli, where protesters had claimed victory – was being pounded by heavy weapons.

Moscow's purchase of French warships causes panic from Washington to Tokyo

As Russia pushes ahead with its biggest rearmament programme since the fall of the Soviet Union, its decision to buy two amphibious Mistral-class assault ships from France is causing alarm from Washington to Tokyo.

By Andrew Osborn, Moscow 7:00AM GMT 25 Feb 2011
The £856 million pound two ship deal will allow Russia to later build a further two such vessels at its own shipyards, giving it four hi-tech assault ships in total. The vessels can carry up to 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 battle tanks, around another 100 vehicles and a 450-strong force. The ships are also equipped with their own on-board hospitals.
It is the biggest and most controversial sale of foreign arms to Russia by a Western country since the Second World War.
The United States, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have all raised concerns about the deal, but Paris has brushed those aside saying the time has come to trust the Kremlin

Now it's the one-pooch policy as China comes around to idea of dogs as pets

The Irish Times - Friday, February 25, 2011
CLIFFORD COONAN in Beijing
COMMUNIST CHINA is slowly coming around to the deeply bourgeois idea of man’s best friend as a pet, but the same population rules that limit parents to one offspring will soon be applied to dog owners, as Shanghai brings in the one-pooch policy.
During the hardline communist era of Mao Zedong, pets were frowned on as a middle-class affectation – government opponents were condemned as capitalist running dogs and pet dogs were not tolerated.
However, China’s growing openness, combined with its rising affluence, means pets are making a comeback; there are now about 100 million pet dogs in China. They don’t exist without restrictions, however.

Alleged Zimbabwe plotters tortured, lawyers say




GILLIAN GOTORA | HARARE, ZIMBABWE
Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi ordered the suspects to be held in detention to reappear on Monday, saying only a higher court was empowered to free them on bail on treason charges punishable by death.

He ordered that they be given medical examinations before the hearing to verify allegations of torture.

Defence lawyer Alec Muchadehama told a Harare court on Thursday that 12 suspects told lawyers they were beaten with broomsticks on their bodies, buttocks and the soles of their feet. They were arrested on Saturday for attending a lecture on North African anti-government protests.

He said others were denied medication and access to lawyers.

Union battle in the Midwest a pull for political power


Republican governors are going up against organized labor, hitting at the heart of the Democratic Party, which depends heavily on union money and manpower.

By Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times
The labor fight blazing in Madison, Wis., and other state capitals is more than a feud over budgets or the rights of government employees. It is a battle that could fundamentally change the practice of politics in this country, with enormous consequences in 2012 and beyond.

By striking at organized labor, a pugnacious group of Republican governors is hitting at the heart of the Democratic Party, which banks heavily on union money and manpower. That explains the resistance from the White House, Democrats in Congress and, most fiercely, their liberal allies from New York to California.

Random Japan

CHOWING DOWN

The Japan Food Service Association said that sales at restaurants around the nation rose by 0.5 percent in 2010.

Overall, the number of customers at restaurants around the country dropped, but sales per customer increased.

Thanks to discount promotions, sales at fast food restaurants increased 2.1 percent, but earnings at izakaya and family restaurants dropped.

A trio of Japanese food companies announced a joint effort to sell processed meats in Vietnamaimed at middle- and upper-class consumers. The firms hope to sell ¥300 million worth of goods by 2013.

Stats
¥220.74 billionTotal box-office revenues for films in Japan in 2010, an all-time high

12Number of Muslim converts from Japan who went on ahajji to Medina in November, according to Tokyo-based tour company Air 1 Travel


11Number of those converts

YIKES

Japan Airlines admitted that one of its jumbo jets had been in service for nearly three years despite the fact that its emergency slides were improperly installed.

A professor of international economics at Catholic University in Belgium told The New York Times that “Japan is a debt time bomb that is waiting to explode.”

An industry group said that demand for cement reached a 43-year low in 2010. Just in case you’re wondering, 41.77 million tons of the gray stuff was spread last year, which seems like a lot to us.

A 47-year-old Saitama man who was arrested for keeping the skeletal remains of his mom in their home for more than three years said he did it because “I didn’t want to be separated from her.”

16 Fools

Who Support The Corrupt

Give Us Millions

Will Give You Back Your Country

For \50,000

The Fake Picture Is All Yours

More Japanese men relish joy of homemaking


TOKYO
As the public perceptions of traditional gender roles shift, more and more Japanese men have become willing to take on homemaking. Some opinion polls show majorities of men in their 20s and 30s have no negative notions of men serving as the househusbands of their families.
Working around the house instead of in a career has become more of an option for men since an increased number of women are now gainfully employed. Meanwhile, more men are trying to start their lives anew at home after having been burned out by excessively demanding jobs.

The Man In Pakistan That Is A "Diplomat" Really Works For The C.I.A

Assange to be extradited to Sweden

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, a judge has ruled.




It Would seem that the New York Times and the US network MSNBC held back on reporting the story under pressure from the White House

Pakistan's prime minister has vowed to safeguard his country's sovereignty and dignity following revelations that Raymond Davis, the US official facing a double murder charge, is a CIA agent.

"We are firmly resolved to adopt a course that accords with the dictates of justice and the rule of law … My government will not compromise on Pakistan's sovereignty and dignity," Yousaf Raza Gilani told parliament after receiving a phone appeal from the US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton.

The Obama administration is exerting pressure on Pakistan to release Davis, a 36-year-old former special forces soldier who shot dead two men during a murky confrontation in Lahore's rush-hour traffic on 27 January. US officials say Davis is a "technical and administrative official" who enjoys immunity under the Vienna convention. Barack Obama called him "our diplomat in Pakistan".

Libyan Uprising Live Blog

The reason for the lack of up dates is that current information from Libya is difficult to obtain because of restrictions placed upon the media by the government. No foreign media is allowed in Libya

Speak To Tweet Call +16504194196 or +390662207294 or +442033184514 to hear tweets or leave a tweet.

0:01 Al Jazeera has just broadcast pictures of continued heavy fighting in the town of Al Zawiyah

I apologize for the lousy transcript as I was trying to type and listen at the same time.
This speech noting but rambling disillusionment from Gaddafi

23:36 You should take the guns away from the kids and then you should arrest those behind this mess. I wonder if Bin Laden will compensate these people for their loss

23:30 He is only trying to show patriotism and I don't have the authority to enact any laws or rules like Queen Elizabeth of England. These people giving your kids drugs are asking them to disobey their parents and fight against the government.

23:26 People have no reason to complain about their treatment by the government should stop listening to Al Qaeda and the Americans put down their weapons and return home and obey their parents.

23:21 Muammar Gaddafi speaking on Libyan State TV. He accesses people of feeding drugs to their children by means of giving them coffee , milk and juice. These kids are being taught by their parents and to fight against the government. People should take control of their children and stop them from committing these crimes and from roaming the streets with weapons. No parent would allow their children to misbehave in such a manner.


22:58 Street battles are occurring between anti-government forces and the military in the town of Al Zawiyah. An eyewitness says that more than 100 people were killed in the fighting with more than 400 injured. Ali said that the army is using heavy weapons against the protesters. Even though the fighting has stopped Ali believes that they will attempt to attack again after night fall. He also stated that there are between 3,000 and 4,000 people occupying the cities square.

22:42 From the BBC

Angela tweets: "Al Jazeera: live ammunition being fired on protesters marching on #Gaddafi compound in Tripoli #Libya http://aje.me/fwtYjF #FB"
1324: Channel 4 News' Jon Snow tweets: "Gaddafi loyalistys trying to muster international attention for a portayal of 'all is normal, here in Tripoli'."
1316: More on the situation in Zawiya, west of Tripoli: Witnesses tell Reuters that gun battles are taking place between forces loyal to Col Gaddafi and his opponents. Two residents who fled to Tunisia said there were people in civilian clothes running through the streets with guns, and the sound of heavy gunfire.
1310: The pilot of Col Gaddafi's private jet - a Norwegian - has fled Libya, press reports there say. Odd Birger Johansen, 57, flew to Vienna with his wife and daughter after fearing for their lives in Libya. Mr Johansen is reportedly one of four personal pilots used by the long-standing Libyan leader.

21;38 Gaddafi is scheduled to give a speech on State TV.

21:34 Residents of Benghazi say they have jailed mercenaries caught after they have taken control of the city


01:14 There are reports that an Libyan airliner carrying the daughter of Col. Gaddafi attempted to land in Malta but was refused. Additionally the Italian navy has established a blockaded just south of Malta to prevent Libyan navel vessels form approaching the island.

23:08 Commanding General of Libyan forces in Tobruk has stated in an interview that his forces are with the protesters and no longer support Gaddafi.

21:24 The Italian government says that a report of 1,000 killed in Libya are credible.

21:20 Al Jazeera is now broadcasting live pictures from the Eastern Libyan city of Tobruk.

14:23 There are unconfirmed reports that Gaddafi has ordered his security forces to sabotage Libya's oil facilities.

14:18 The U.S. has announced it will send a ferry to Libya to help in the evacuation of its citizens

09:21 Two Libyan Navel Vessels sent to shell Benghazi instead defected to Malta while the British navy has deployed a frigate off the coast of Libya to keep an eye on the situation.21

09:17 After being praised by Gaddafi the Interior Minister resigned telling the Libyan military to join the February 17 Revolution in support of the people.

23:45 Libyan soldiers in the east of the country have told Reuters that they no longer support the government and that Eastern Libya is in the control of anti-government protesters.

22:09 Al Jazeera is reporting that Libyan jets targeted army command centers and ammunition depots. They are also reporting that African mercenaries have been attacking Egyptian ex patriots who the Libyan government has accused of fostering the uprising.

09:02 Don't laugh to much Here's the first details of the Muammar Gaddafi statement, which has not yet been broadcast. Reuters reports:

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will refute in an interview with state television on Tuesday "malicious rumours that have been broadcast", state TV said. It reported earlier that Gaddafi would "speak soon".

08:53 The Libyan Ambassador to Malta demanded to speak with the two pilots but that request was refused.
The air force officers are reported to being placed under Special Protection by the UNHCR with the possibility of transfer to the United States.

08:49 David Owen former British Foreign Secretary says there should be a no Fly-Zone established by the UN Security Council to protect the people from attacks by aircraft. He also stated there are unconfirmed reports of navel bombardment by the Libyan navy.

08:19 Reports of of AZ Zazwiyah a town west of Tripoli being attacked by tanks and aircraft

0:43 Reports: Libyan fighter jets and helicopters have landed in Malta


22:27 Al Jazeera has traced the jamming of its single to Libya in Malta protesters have surrounded the Libyan embassy with several members of the staff joining the protesters.

22:22 Witness tells Al Jazeera that planes carrying mercenaries have landed in Tripoli

The BBC

1041: Ahmed Sawalem from the Libyan Youth Movement says the protests are not organised by specific groups or personalities, but have spread to Tripoli because people "took heart" after hearing about the crackdown by security forces on protesters in Benghazi. Security forces had order to aim for upper bodies when shooting demonstrators, he says. "Most of the reports from eyewitnesses and relatives in hospital confirm that this is what happened," he told the BBC World Service.
1035: The French government spokesman tells French radio the international community needs to work to prevent Libya descending into further chaos: "We are very worried and quite shocked. We strongly condemn everything that is happening - this unbelievable violence. It can fall into a civil war that is extraordinarily violent and long... It has already started... and we've got to do everything on a diplomatic level and co-ordinate the American and the European Union's positions to prevent a crisis."

19:16 Mercenaries have been captured most of whom seem to be African

19:15 Reports suggest that Eastern Libya has fallen under the control of anti government protesters
Protesters are trying to stabilize the city of Benghazi and are setting up collection points for arms

The Military forces have left Benghazi

19:09 Witnesses say Security Forces are Looting the National Bank and ransacking government buildings

Witnesses say people have stormed police stations in the capital

19:04 Medical sources say 61 people have been killed in Tripoli on Monday

18:30 Reports: Central Government Building on fire in Tripoli


18:07 Reports of the Public Broadcast and other Public buildings being sacked and set-alight

Protest organizer in Benghazi saids they have gained complete control of the city

17:36 Libya's Ambassador to India has resigned over the government crackdown against the protesters

17:32 Pro-reform protesters claim to be in control of Benghazi

Workers at AL Nofoora oil fields have gone on strike

A doctor in Benghazi estimates that more than 300 people have been killed since the protests began

International Union of Muslim Scholars call Gaddafi to resign or go on trail.

China Stomps On The Jasmine Revolution

Governments throughout history have tried various means and methods to suppress access to information from controlling what people can say in the public square, publication of books and pamphlets, the types of music and film meant for public entertainment, to all forms of broadcast media. With the advent of the internet age governments have tried to completely control its content like China's Great Firewall to Egypt just turning it off. Chin's does all of these and more out of fear of their own citizens.

Jittery Chinese authorities staged a concerted show of force Sunday to squelch a mysterious online call for a "Jasmine Revolution" apparently modeled after pro-democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.
Authorities detained activists, increased the number of police on the streets and censored online calls to stage protests in Beijing, Shanghai and 11 other major cities. Citizens were urged to shout, "We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness" — a slogan that highlights common complaints among ordinary Chinese.
Many activists said they didn't know who was behind the campaign and weren't sure what to make of the call to protest, which was first posted on U.S.-based, Chinese-language advocacy website Boxun.com.

Hey Middle East Despots Leave Those Kids Alone

Middle East Protests

Bahrain



01:08 In Libya pro government supporters have promised to kill anyone who opposed the government.


There are fears that Saudi Forces are involved in the repression of anti government protesters

00:45 It's been confirmed that live ammunition has been used and that security forces are preventing ambulances from reaching the injured. There are also reports of sniper fire and shooting from helicopters.

00:38 An eyewitness has stated that it was the army who fired on them and not the police.

00:37 Reports of a reporter from the Daily Mail has been injured after being shot.

00:33 The Doctor at Salmaniya hospital says many of the wounded where shot in the head.

00:29 Is taking heat for arms sales to Bahrain.

00:26 There are reports of live fire in Bahrain following a funeral for one of those killed after the crackdown on those holding a sit-in at pearl Roundabout.

A Doctor at Salmaniya hospital is reporting that there are so many injured that they are over whelmed and is asking for help. He said that it was a peaceful protest but the people were just attacked by the security services and described it as a war zone.

There are reports that security services have opened fire on protesters in Libya with an unknown number of casualties.

Late Night Karaoke

David Hicks Gives Interview To Jason Leopold

David Hicks is an Australian who was imprisoned at Guantanamo Navel Base after being captured in Afghanistan in 2002 and was released in 2007. In this interview he talks about his treatment while being held at GITMO. Among them is torture and medical experimentation.

TO: At what moment in your mind did you begin to realize or understand that you were being tortured?

DH: I was beaten by US forces the first time I saw them and realized straight away that torture was going to be a reality, it was very scary. As I say in my book, I could not help thinking of the saying, "like trying to get blood from a stone," and I was afraid of becoming that stone.

TO: What do you think makes a human being torture another human being?

DH: In Guantanamo torture was driven by anger and frustration. It seemed like a mad fruitless quest to pin crimes on detainees, to extract false confessions, and produce so-called intelligence of value. The guards were desensitized and detainees de-humanized. Soldiers were not allowed to engage us in conversation. They were told to address us by number only and not by name. They were constantly drilled with propaganda about how much we supposedly hated them and wanted them dead and how much they needed to hate us. On occasion, when some groups of soldiers jogged around the camp perimeters I heard them sing lyrics such as, 'you hate us and we hate you.' One time in the privacy of Camp Echo a male soldier broke down when we were alone repeating, "what have I become?‚" after having arrived from an interrogation of a detainee in another camp.

TO: You have written eloquently of your terrible experience with what you say was medical experimentation, calling it the worst and darkest of your experiences there. Have you talked with any other detainees about whether they had similar experiences? How do you think about it now?

DH: When I was injected in the back of the neck I was being held in isolation, so I was unable to discuss what had happened with other detainees. A year passed before I was eventually able to see and communicate with fellow detainees, and I am unable to remember today if I discussed that particular personal experience with them. We did discuss medical experimentation in general however. A detainee with UK citizenship described being injected daily, resulting in one of his testicles becoming swollen and racked with pain. Along with these daily injections he was subjected to mind games by interrogators, medical personnel, and guards whom worked as a team.

Random Japan

KIDS THESE DAYS
A 22-year-old Kanazawa University student who called the cops and claimed he’d been stabbed later admitted he had knifed himself in a failed suicide attempt because he didn’t have enough credits to graduate.
A couple of 10-year-old girls—Miu Hirano and Mima Ito—broke table-tennis prodigy Ai Fukuhara’s record as the youngest players to win a singles match at the national championships. Ai-chan was 11 when she won two matches at the 1999 ping-pong nationals.
At the other end of the age spectrum, 40-year-old tennis player Kimiko Date-Krumm was reduced to tears after blowing a 4-1 lead in the third set of her match against 21-year-old Pole Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open.

A nasty monkey named Lucky, who bit more than 100 folks in Shizuoka last fall, escaped house arrest at a park in Mishima, causing officials to warn local residents to stay inside and keep their doors locked. The rampaging primate was caught a day after ditching his cage.

In an awesomely named place called Bungo-Ono in Oita Prefecture, the local government is planning to let wolves loose in an effort “to control wild animals that destroy agricultural crops.” Can’t wait for the reaction when a wolf chows down on a local farmer instead.

Five middle-aged men in Tohoku filed a fraud suit against three international marriage brokers in a Sendai court, claiming they got unexpected home visits from South Korean women accompanied by the brokers, who convinced the lonely dudes to let the women “homestay” with them for a week or so.

Stats
35
Percent of Japanese TVs tuned into the Asian Cup semifinal between Japan and South Korea on January 25

4,418
Cases of so-called “It’s me” fraud recorded by the National Police Agency in 2010, up 44.5 percent from a year earlier

44.6
Percent of 50-84-year-old men in Hachioji who have “close friends living nearby,” according to a survey by a local think tank

34.9
Percent of men who said they had no friends at all

THE MOTHER OF ALL SUMO SCANDALS
A 63-year-old woman who was arrested for her role in a betting ring involving sumo wrestlers said she took part in the affair because she had incurred “massive debts.” Her son, a wrestler, was also busted.

Kokkai and Gagamaru, a pair of sumo wrestlers from Georgia, got into a drunken brawl with one another in the early hours at an Indian restaurant in Tokyo, smashing a glass partition in the process. Save it for the dohyo, boys.

Hard-throwing closer Marc Kroon is switching Giants, jumping from Yomiuri to San Fran after the Tokyo team cut him loose in the offseason. The 37-year-old reliever signed a minor-league contract with the World Series champs and gets an invite to spring training.

Tatsuya Ichihashi, the guy charged with murdering Lindsay Ann Hawker in 2007, admits in a new book that he spent some of his 2-plus years on the lam on a small island in Okinawa, where he lived in a hut and “caught fish to survive.”

Thanks For The Crash

Now How About Some Cash?

We're Not That Popular

Better Get Out The Recruitment Posters

I'm Not On Drugs

I'm Just "Acting" Like It

Ginza hostesses battle back against predatory work rules

TOKYO
“With all the fines and my having to make good on the unpaid bills run up by customers, I didn’t receive any salary at all for half a year. But I accepted 3 million yen in advance wages when I started working there, so I can’t quit.”

The speaker, identified only as Ms A, talked to Friday (Feb 18) after the first session of a labor tribunal held at Tokyo District Court on Jan 18. She and two other hostesses had taken their case to the court after claiming their employer, a Ginza club referred to only by its first letter, Q, owed them a total of 4.3 million yen in unpaid wages.

Ms A took action after consulting the Cabaret Club Union, an affiliate of the Part-Timer, Arbiter, Free Timer and Foreign Worker Union (PAFF) based in Nishi-Shinjuku.

Six In The Morning

We Accept Peaceful Demonstrations
At least 2 dead as authorities regain control of main square; nation on lockdown


Bahrain military moves in after police storm protest camp


MANAMA, Bahrain — More than 50 armored vehicles were seen heading toward central Manama on Thursday shortly after police firing tear gas and wielding clubs cleared anti-government protesters from a landmark square.
Police destroyed a makeshift encampment at Pearl Square, which had become the hub for demands to bring sweeping political changes to the kingdom,
The main opposition group Al Wefaq said at least two people were killed in the pre-dawn assault, which was littered with flattened tents, trampled banners and broken glass.

Rage Rage Against Muammar
Plans circulated by anonymous activists on social networking sites urge protesters to 'make it a day of rage in Libya'

Libyan protesters prepare for 'day of rage'

Protesters in Libya were planning to take to the streets for a "day of rage," inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, but rights groups warned of a possible crackdown by security forces.
In a country where public dissent is rare, plans for the protests were being circulated by anonymous activists on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and it was not clear if the demonstrations would materialise.
Libya has been tightly controlled for over 40 years by Muammar Gaddafi– who is now Africa's longest-serving leader – but the oil exporter has felt the ripples from the overthrow of long-standing leaders in its neighbours Egypt and Tunisia.

Sent Packing


Japan forced to halt whaling in Antarctic as activists claim victory

Environmentalists claimed victory yesterday after Japan halted its annual Antarctic whaling cull following weeks of harassment by a militant conservationist group.
The US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which has been stalking the whaling fleet with their own vessels, claimed that the Japanese ships had managed to harpoon just 30 whales, a fraction of their 945 target. "We've shut them down basically," Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson told The Independent by satellite from aboard the MY Steve Irwin. "It's silly to say they've suspended the hunt. We suspended them."

What Do You Think? I Don’t Know What Do You Think?
Belgium has on Thursday beaten war-torn Iraq's world record of 249 days without a government as popular anger grows after the Belgian federal MPs responsible for the deadlock pocketed a pay and perks rise of over £2,500.


Belgium breaks Iraq's 249-day record without a government

Deep divisions between Belgium's squabbling Flemish, Dutch-speaking and Walloon, francophone, political parties since elections last June have meant that the country has remained without a federal government for over eight months.
The political impasse breaks a world record set by Iraq after its general election in 2010, the first that was openly and fully contested, despite violence from insurgents, since the US-led invasion on 2003
The new world record was set as Belgium's official gazette noted that the total income of federal MPs, whose failure to agree on tax and political reform has driven the crisis, had continued to rise during the crisis.
Over the last year, personal income for MPs, including pay and perks, increased to £87,300 (103,705 euros), a figure that rose to £143,000 (170,000 euros) when parliamentary and other allowances were taken into account.

We’ll Terrorize Your Bank Account


Hitting terrorist organisations in the wallet

NITSANA DARSHAN-LEITNER has dedicated her life to fighting terrorism her way: using courts around the world to bankrupt terrorist organisations and disrupt the flow of funds from rogue states.
Now the Israeli lawyer says she wants to go after the Bali bombers and the organisations that bankrolled them.
Ms Darshan-Leitner says her Israel Law Centre has collected $120 million for victims of terrorism, put liens on $600 million more and won judgments for more than $1 billion against groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the governments of Iran and North Korea, and several banks

Johnny Lost His Pork


All voices heard as House brainstorms for budget trims

As the House explores ways this week to trim federal spending beyond the $61 billion in cuts that Republicans have already proposed, Speaker John A. Boehner has said all ideas are welcome - from obscure trims involving mustang roundups out West to major reductions such as eliminating funding for the Iraq security forces.
But such a free-for-all can have surprising results, and one of the biggest Wednesday was a victory forPresident Obama and a defeat for a Boehner-backed initiative.
Many tea-party-backed freshmen broke ranks with their GOP leaders and joined liberal Democrats in voting to cut funding for an alternative engine for a fighter jet. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine project has long been a frequent but elusive target, as well as one that provided jobs in Boehner's home state of Ohio.

Police In Bahrain Attack Protesters

There are reports of police firing tear gas into the crowd gathered at the hospital where the injured were taken.

A reporter from Monaco confirms that the Pearl Roundabout has been cleared of all protesters

A protester estimates that there are 500 people have gathered at the hospital and believes they are surround by the riot police. She reported that an ambulance driver told the crowd that police weren't letting rescuers into the roundabout to help the injured.

Riot police attacked the protesters at 3AM this morning in the capital who had been camping in the Pearl Roundabout with 2 dead and at least 40 injured have arrived at a hospital near the protest site. Among those injured are women and children. There are reports that police used tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shot. An eyewitness said that the police attacked without warning.

If wonder why the police choose this time it's because a time when people are most vulnerable to attack. An Al Jazeera reporter is reporting that the authorities have regained control of Pearl Roundabout.

The Dirty War Index: A Public Health and Human Rights Tool for Examining and Monitoring Armed Conflict Outcomes

PloS Medicine


This is a link which shows the numbers of those killed in Iraq


DWIs Suggested for Measuring Rates of Undesirable or Prohibited Outcomes

Calculating and Using DWIs

A DWI can be easily used and understood, facilitating interdisciplinary communication and research on war's effects. DWIs can measure rates of undesirable outcomes from accepted methods (e.g., civilian casualties from aerial bombing of military targets). They can also measure rates of using prohibited, illegitimate methods (e.g., torture), and rates of applying illegitimate methods to especially vulnerable populations (e.g., torturing children) to describe rates of exceptional atrocity. However, the mere application of DWI analysis to a combatant group does not indicate that it is “dirty”: a DWI ratio simply identifies how often, if at all, the group is linked with the particular undesirable outcome being measured, facilitating comparisons. To illustrate, we draw on data from B'Tselem

DWIs Suggested for Measuring Rates of Unacceptable Endangerment in Armed Conflict

lists DWIs for unacceptable endangerment in armed conflict [14,23,24]. To illustrate, we apply the last DWI listed, “Destroying infrastructure essential for civilian survival (food, water, hospitals),” to survey data from eastern Burma where the Burmese military junta is in conflict with ethnic minority groups. The Burmese military regime destroyed or stole food from 472 of 1,813 surveyed households [11]. The Burmese military's DWI of 26 indicates a 26% rate of committing the humanitarian violation of destroying civilian food sources, associated in the study with significantly greater odds of household landmine injury (perhaps due to foraging for food), child malnutrition, and death [11].

Spying On Those Who Support Wikileaks

Recently it was reviled that Bank of America hired internet security firms to discredit Wikileaks and its supporters with one person named that being Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com. One of the firms hired to spy on the those who support Wikileaks was supplied by the U.S. Justice Department.

Given my involvement in this story, I’m going to defer to others in terms of the reporting. But — given the players involved and the facts that continue to emerge — this story is far too significant to allow to die due to lack of attention. Many of the named targets are actively considering commencing civil proceedings (which would entail compulsory discovery) as well as ethical grievances with the relevant Bar associations. As the episode with Palantir demonstrates, simply relying on the voluntary statements of the corporations involved ensures that the actual facts will remain concealed if not actively distorted. The DOJ ought to investigate this as well, but for reasons I detailed on Friday, that is unlikely in the extreme. Entities of this type routinely engage in conduct like this with impunity, and the serendipity that led to their exposure in this case should be seized to impose some accountability. That this was discovered through a random email hack — and that these firms felt so free to propose these schemes in writing and, at least from what is known, not a single person raised any objection at all — underscores how common this behavior is.

An Unsurprising Confession About Iraqi WMD

When former U.S. Secretary of State presented evidence to justify the American invasion of Iraq one the sources was an Iraqi with the code name of Curve Ball. Following the invasion the U.S. military frantically set-out to find the WMD sites described by Curve Ball. As is widely known all the justifications employed by the Bush administration were just meer fabrications they were out and out lies created because of George Bush's belief that the first Gulf War didn't go far enough: Saddam Hussein's downfall. In today's Guardian the informant known as Curve Ball Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi admitted in lied.

"Maybe I was right, maybe I was not right," he said. "They gave me this chance. I had the chance to fabricate something to topple the regime. I and my sons are proud of that and we are proud that we were the reason to give Iraq the margin of democracy."

The admission comes just after the eighth anniversary of Colin Powell's speech to the United Nations in which the then-US secretary of state relied heavily on lies that Janabi had told the German secret service, the BND. It also follows the release of former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld's memoirs, in which he admitted Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction programme.

Given that background former President Bush just needed a reason to fulfill his ambition and the terrible events of September 11, 2001 provided it. Within days of the attack the administration started focusing all of its considerable resources on finding a connection between the attackers and Saddam Hussein's government which the 9/11 Commission proved never existed.

The former CIA chief in Europe Tyler Drumheller describes Janabi's admission as "fascinating", and said the emergence of the truth "makes me feel better". "I think there are still a number of people who still thought there was something in that. Even now," said Drumheller.

Hopefully America Won't Encourage Your Revolution Or Elections

Clinton expresses US support for Iran protesters

Mrs Clinton said they deserved to have "the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt" and that Iran had to "open up" its political system.

One person was reportedly shot dead in the violent clashes between protesters and security forces in central Tehran.

Dozens were detained, and opposition leaders were placed under house arrest.

The BBC received reports of banned demonstrations in other Iranian cities, including Isfahan, Mashhad and Shiraz.

Even though the American Constitution explicitly states that the government is For The People and By The People that sentiment only applies to America. As for the rest of the nations of the world that profound statement is utterly meaningless.

In 2006 after immense pressure from the United States the Palestinian Authority agreed to hold elections which were open to all political parties.
Hamas Wins Elections
Unfortunately in the eyes of the American and Israeli governments the wrong party won. Because of this strict sanctions were imposed cutting the Palestinian Territories off from the rest of the world ruining the economy. In 2008 Hamas gained full control of the Gaza Strip at which point an economic blockade was enforced by Egypt and Israel.


Near the end of the first Gulf War these two messages were broadcast by Voice of America

"There is another way for the bloodshed to stop: And that is, for the Iraqi military and the Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands and force Saddam Hussein, the dictator, to step aside and then comply with the United Nations' resolutions and rejoin the family of peace-loving nations."

“ "Rise to save the homeland from the clutches of dictatorship so that you can devote yourself to avoid the dangers of the continuation of the war and destruction. Honourable sons of the Tigris and Euphrates [rivers], at these decisive moments of your life, and while facing the danger of death at the hands of foreign forces, you have no option in order to survive and defend the homeland but put an end to the dictator and his criminal gang.

That's exactly what they did with Iraqi's in southern city of Basra using small arms the rebellion spread to other cities and Sadar city in Baghdad. Rebellion also included the Kurdish north. By March the rebellion was gaining momentum with members of the army and militia switching sides.

The Iraqi survivors and American critics of President George H. W. Bush say the president encouraged the rebellion after halting UN coalition forces at Iraq's southern border with Kuwait at the end of the Gulf War.[10] Soon after the uprising began, however, fears of a disintegrating Iraq led the Bush Administration to distance itself from the insurgents.
Officials downplayed the significance of the revolts and spelled out a policy of non-intervention in Iraq's internal affairs. On March 5, Rear Admiral John Michael McConnell, director of intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged "chaotic and spontaneous" uprisings were under way in 13 Iraqi cities, but stated the Pentagon's view that Saddam would prevail because of the rebels' "lack of organization and leadership." On the same day, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney said "it would be very difficult for us to hold the coalition together for any particular course of action dealing with internal Iraqi politics, and I don't think, at this point, our writ extends to trying to move inside Iraq."

Salvador Allende President of Chile

The possibility of Allende winning Chile's 1970 election was deemed a disaster by a US government who wanted to protect US business interests and prevent any spread of communism during the Cold War.[40] In September 1970, President Nixon informed the CIA that an Allende government in Chile would not be acceptable and authorized $10 million to stop Allende from coming to power or unseat him.[41] The CIA's plans to impede Allende's investiture as President of Chile were known as "Track I" and "Track II"; Track I sought to prevent Allende from assuming power via so-called "parliamentary trickery", while under the Track II initiative, the CIA tried to convince key Chilean military officers to carry out a coup.[41]
During Nixon's presidency, U.S. officials attempted to prevent Allende's election by financing political parties aligned with opposition candidate Jorge Alessandri and supporting strikes in the mining and transportation sectors.[42]
After the 1970 election, the Track I operation attempted to incite Chile's outgoing president, Eduardo Frei Montalva, to persuade his party (PDC) to vote in Congress for Alessandri.[citation needed] Under the plan, Alessandri would resign his office immediately after assuming it and call new elections. Eduardo Frei would then be constitutionally able to run again (since the Chilean Constitution did not allow a president to hold two consecutive terms, but allowed multiple non-consecutive ones), and presumably easily defeat Allende. The Chilean Congress instead chose Allende as President, on the condition that he would sign a "Statute of Constitutional Guarantees" affirming that he would respect and obey the Chilean Constitution, and that his reforms would not undermine any element of it.

His presidency ended with a U.S. backed coup in 1973

And You Wonder Why American's Fear Muslims

Glenn Beck is an American TV presenter with an one hour program on the Fox News Network who is uneducated, a racist and xenophobic and is representative of views held not only by his fellow presenters but Fox News' core audience. One group and religion are the main focus of their unwavering racism against those from Arab countries and Islam.

Wile Fox News has relatively small audience on average 2 million viewers it has a far reaching effects. That's because most Americans get their news from television. Because it's the news and television is the means for presentation people believe it even though those reading the news are completely biased. Further American politicians mainly conservatives contribute to the mistrust and fear by holding investigations of radical Muslims. Or pronouncements that Muslims are out to destroy America.

Egyptian Protests Live Blog

All Times Posted Are Japanese Standard Time

Monday February 14
From Tehran there are reports of police using tear gas on protesters with further reporting of 10,000 riot police deployed against them

The police during a protest asking for better and benefits said they are one with the people. This after 30 years of brutality, torture and killing those who opposed Mubarak's government

Egypt's Senior Military Council unable to deal with the unrest from all segments of society really wants people to stop demonstrating

In Yemen anti government protests are taking place for a fourth day while in Bahrain anti government protests have also taken place.

Demonstrations are taking place in Tehran in support of the Egyptian revolution but authorities are trying to stop the protesters.

Al Jazeera's James Bay's reports that the Egyptian military has closed all live feeds from Tahrir square with journalists being detained with equipment and tapes confiscated. The Senior Military Council is desperately trying to show the world that Egypt has returned to normal.

Sunday February 13

How the War of Words Was Won in Cairo

How do you tell a dictator to get lost?
The answer, in Egypt, was with poetry, tech lingo, hieroglyphics and more.

For weeks, in Tahrir Square and elsewhere, demonstrators were telling President Hosni Mubarak to leave, playfully using a variety of dialects and languages to get the idea across.

And on Friday, Mr. Mubarak finally got the message and resigned.

In countries under authoritarian rule, “speaking truth to power” typically takes the form of highly colorful and creative modes of expression.

22:53 Elections will take place in September and the Parliament has been dissolved along with the Constitution being suspended

Some protesters remain in Tahrir square as they want their demands met which involves a full break from the previous government. The Senior Military Council wants the public to trust them yet how can the public trust a government which includes all the ministers from Mubarak's government and are loyal to him.

The army tried to remove the protesters from the square but some small clashes broke out.


Saturday February 12



Saad Djeebbar an Algerian lawyer says that the real power in Algeria lies with the military and the intelligence services and like Egypt the government is rife with corruption.
At present there is a military helicopter hovering over the demonstration.

22:10 In Algeria anti government protesters have taken to the streets in Algiers with an estimated 30,000 riot police deployed against about 2,000 protesters. The first people to reach the main square in Algiers were arrested. A Human Rights activist reports that 1,000 people have been detained.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has promised to rescind the countries State of Emergency which is similar to Egypt's. President Bouteflika has ruled since 199.

HOSNI TAKES A HIKE

One reported killed and 20 injured in attack on the police station

Reuters is reporting that a police station in Northern Sinai has been attacked by more than a thousand people.

Two statements are forth coming one from the office of the President and the other the military

Unconfirmed reports say that Mubarak and his family have left Cairo

A mother came to the Presidential Palace clearly in morning by wearing black and carrying a picture of her son who had been killed during the protests and the crowed chanted why Mubarak did you kill him

The size of the crowd in front of the State TV. Building are increasing at a rate that the army is unable to control.

Al Jazeera is reporting that protesters have surrounded government buildings in the city of Suez

The crowds in Cairo, Alexandria and Mansoura are so large that it's hard to estimate just how many people are demonstrating.

Seen on a banner Breaking News: Party In The Presidential Palace Soon

18:55
Military Statement Number2
Ending the Emergency once the current circumstances have ended
Law Having the courts look into the previous elections
The army is working towards fair and free elections
Those working to end corruption will not be prosecuted
The army said that it will continue with its current position

Egyptian Television is reporting that it's building is now surrounded by protesters and the building is under lockdown

Protesters have now moved to the State Television building with those there promising to stay as long as it takes for Mubarak to leave.

Al Jazeera is reporting that protesters are moving towards the Presidential Palace

Last night, a military officer guarding the tens of thousands celebrating in Cairo threw down his rifle and joined the demonstrators, yet another sign of the ordinary Egyptian soldier's growing sympathy for the democracy demonstrators. We had witnessed many similar sentiments from the army over the past two weeks. But the critical moment came on the evening of 30 January when, it is now clear, Mubarak ordered the Egyptian Third Army to crush the demonstrators in Tahrir Square with their tanks after flying F-16 fighter bombers at low level over the protesters.

Many of the senior tank commanders could be seen tearing off their headsets – over which they had received the fatal orders – to use their mobile phones. They were, it now transpires, calling their own military families for advice. Fathers who had spent their lives serving the Egyptian army told their sons to disobey, that they must never kill their own people.

Egypt protests: Hosni Mubarak 'may be stepping down'

Mubarak Gives Egypt The Finger



This Is A Breaking Story

A senior member of Egypt's ruling party has told the BBC he is "hoping" that President Hosni Mubarak will transfer power to Vice-President Omar Suleiman.

Hossan Badrawi, the secretary general of the National Democratic Party (NDP), said Mr Mubarak would "probably" speak to the nation tonight.

His comments came after Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told BBC Arabic that the scenario of President Mubarak stepping down was being discussed.

Unconfirmed from Al Jazeera
They are reporting that a senior military officval has told them that all the protests demands will all be met.

From MSNBC
Sources tell NBC News that Vice President Suleiman to take over as leader

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is to step down, two sources told NBC News on Thursday.
Following an all-day meeting of the country's supreme military council, the army said all the protesters' demands would be met and a further statement was expected to be made later Thursday, clarifying the situation.
Mubarak was also due to address the nation.
NBC News said a high-ranking source inside the president's office said that Mubarak would step down and the newly appointed vice president, Omar Suleiman, would take over. This was then confirmed by a second source.

An official state newpsaper is reporting that Hosni Mubarak wanted to hand power to the vice president but was prevented from doing so by the army

Chen Guangcheng Releases Video About His House Arrest

A Chinese grassroots lawyer says he and his family have been held in their home and watched around the clock since his release from prison five months ago, in a secretly filmed video smuggled out of their village.

Chen Guangcheng is one of the country's best known activists, a self-taught legal advocate who fought on behalf of women who had suffered forced abortions and sterilisations.

Rights groups have expressed grave concern for him and his family and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, raised his case in a speech shortly before the Chinese president Hu Jintao's visit to the US last month.

A Song For The Revolution

Egyptian Army Accused Of Torture And Human Rights Abuses

Brutality, physical abuse and Human Rights violations in Egypt are usually associated with the Egyptian Security Services with the ongoing anti-government protests its beginning to emerge that the army is now employing these methods.
An article printed in today’s Guardian illustrates these abuses

Human Rights Watch says it has documented 119 arrests of civilians by the military but believes there are many more. Bahgat said it was impossible to know how many people had been detained because the army is not acknowledging the arrests. But he believes that the pattern of disappearances seen in Cairo is replicated across the country.
"Detentions either go completely unreported or they are unable to inform their family members or any lawyer of their detention so they are much more difficult to assist or look for," he said. "Those held by the military police are not receiving any due process either because they are unaccounted for and they are unable to inform anyone of their detention."

Since the armies deployment on January 29 they have claimed they would not use force against the protesters.

"They started beating me up in the street their rubber batons and an electric Taser gun, shocking me," the activist said.
"Then they took me to Abdin police station. By the time I arrived, the soldiers and officers there had been informed that a 'spy' was coming, and so when I arrived they gave me a 'welcome beating' that lasted some 30 minutes."

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch and the FDP have documented five cases in which persons say that military police tortured them in detention. One protester and civil society activist told Human Rights Watch that he was walking to Tahrir Square along Talaat Harb Street at 3:30 p.m. on February 4 when he encountered a gang of pro-Mubarak young men who took him to a police station off Maa'rouf Street, in downtown Cairo. There, he said, the police beat and interrogated him for around an hour about his political affiliations, why he was protesting and who had recruited him. Uniformed and plainclothes military officers then walked him over to a military post next to the Ramses Hilton for further interrogation before releasing him, he said.
When he went back out on to the street another military officer stopped him, checked his bag, and found some notes and activist documents, he told Human Rights Watch. The protester told the soldiers that he had just been interrogated and released, but they surrounded him, pushing and kicking him, he said, and then took him to a building near the Ramses Hilton. He said that they tied his hands behind his back, slapped him, beat him with sticks and rifle butts, kicked him, and threatened to torture him, accusing him of wasting the time of the military with "useless protest tactics" that were "destroying the country." The soldiers interrogated him yet again about his political affiliations, demanding to know which country was "sponsoring" him and the other protesters.

Random Japan

HERE & THERE
The Sanyo Hotel in Yamaguchi, which was a favorite of “Japanese royals and high-ranking government officials,” is being torn down. Among the foreign luminaries to have stayed at the century-old inn were Babe Ruth and Helen Keller.
It was reported that a salon in Nagoya is offering a vitamin-rich intravenous drip to salarymen “as a quick way to get rid of work-induced fatigue.”
A company in Kobe has perfected a method of transforming old clothes into a wood-like substance it calls Rifmo. According to the company president, “You can saw and hammer a nail into it just like ordinary wood.”
Sony and Victor announced that they had developed the world’s first “full high-definition digital video cameras capable of taking 3-D moving images.”

Stats
51.6
Percent of Japanese who believe that “the country’s overall condition will improve in 30 years,” according to a survey by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation
93
Percent of Japanese who “sometimes worry about their future,” according to the same poll
1.92m
Amount of snowfall in Kita-Hiroshima on January 15-16, a record

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said he wouldn’t provide details about the city’s bid for the 2020 Olympics in the municipal circular because “nobody reads it.” The newsletter, which appears 28 times a year, has a circulation of 430,000 and costs the city ¥146 million to produce.
Special GPS-equipped keitai that can handle five calls simultaneously are being touted as the latest crime-busting tool of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force.
Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have discovered that low levels of serotonin can lead to feelings of impatience.
A resort in Niigata that is believed to be the “birthplace of skiing in Japan” celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Hello Kitty

Your Busted

Excuse Me

I Can Fix That

The Free Press

That Isn't Very Free

Demotion fear root cause of sumo wrestlers fixing matches


The latest allegation of match fixing in sumo mainly involved embattled wrestlers in a lower division who could easily face difficulties surviving as professionals even if demoted by one rank.

Given that the fear for too drastic a life change prompted wrestlers to try to cling on to the elite in which only 10% of the wrestlers can get salaries, pundits are calling for reform of the Japan Sumo Association so it can win more support from the public.

Fresh off a baseball gambling scandal last year, the sumo world is now grappling with the allegation that wrestlers have fixed matches, and possibly traded wins for cash.

Many of the wrestlers at the center of the scandal were in the second-tier juryo division. So far, juryo wrestler Chiyohakuho, lower-ranked Enatsukasa and elder Takenawa, who retired as a wrestler after last month’s tournament, have admitted involvement in match fixing.

Recent tension, pro-North schools' history spin hurt tuition waiver bid
Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011
By ALEX MARTIN
Staff writer　
Flipping through a copy of a recently obtained Korean history textbook used in pro-Pyongyang junior high schools in Japan, journalist Ryo Hagiwara points his finger to a section describing how North Korea's founding father, Kim Il Sung, and his Korean People's Revolutionary Army defeated the Japanese occupation forces in 1945 and drove them off the Korean Peninsula.
"Well, this reads as if Kim and his army single-handedly liberated the North, but this is not true. It's a known historical fact that Kim was an officer of the Soviet army's 88th Brigade at the time," Hagiwara said.