Smithfield woman recounts escape from Lebanon
Georgette Wehbe, who moved to the United States in 1998 and had returned to Lebanon to attend a family wedding, was evacuated by U.S.-chartered cruise ship as warfare quickly escalated.
01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 23, 2006
BY PETER LORD
Journal Staff Writer
Georgette Wehbe said yesterday that it felt great to be back home in Smithfield with her husband and three children after a 48-hour journey fleeing the devastation in Lebanon. But she brought with her a deep sadness for the future of her family and country.
"I still have my family there," Wehbe said. "It is hard to see what is happening to our country."
Wehbe and her family moved to the United States in 1998 so her husband could go to school. Last month, they and other family members returned for a big family wedding.
The festivities centered in Batroun, one of world's oldest cities that touts its beaches and restaurants and nightclubs on thousands of Web pages.
For 16 years, Lebanon had been at peace, Wehbe said, and it was thriving.
The joy of the family reunion ended early one morning when Wehbe heard the first Israeli bombs fall on the Beirut airport.
With the most intense fighting in Lebanon's south, she said she had no idea how quickly things would get very bad for her parents and other family members who live in the country's northern end.
It was difficult to travel because Israel has bombed roads and bridges. Food quickly disappeared from groceries. Warplanes flew overhead day and night.
"Everything was just gone in two days," Wehbe said of her bustling country.
When the family sought to escape, they looked to airports in Damascus and Jordan, but they couldn't get flights. They didn't want to drive because warplanes were blowing up vehicles.
Finally, the U.S. Embassy called.
The Wehbe family was invited to escape on a U.S.-chartered cruise ship.
"It was really very nice," Wehbe said. She heard others were brought out in warships where the only place to sit was on the steel decks.
It took about 10 hours to sail to Cyprus. Then a chartered plane took the family to Ireland. They had a three-hour wait there, and then flew on to Baltimore in the second U.S. flight of evacuees. Arriving early Friday morning, the trip took about 48 hours altogether.
"It was exhausting, but they did their best. People were very nice to us," Wehbe said.
U.S. officials are planning to transport some 8,000 of the 25,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon back to the United States through the weekend, the biggest evacuation of Americans from foreign soil since evacuations from Vietnam three decades ago.
Some Americans on the ground in Lebanon have complained about a slow U.S. evacuation. Angry citizens waited nervously in long lines for a trip out as the Middle East nation prepared for more attacks in the fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.
But passengers arriving in the United States said the trip was handled as well as it could be in a frantic atmosphere.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20060723_pevac22.1558fe8.html
Bush and the NAACP: Too Much Left Unsaid
By Colbert I. King
Saturday, July 22, 2006; Page A17
It was good of President Bush to show up at the NAACP convention this week, given his failure to make an appearance during the past five years. But to listen to the speech Bush delivered on Thursday after Sunday's address by NAACP Chairman Julian Bond was to hear a president playing his audience cheap.
It wasn't that Bond's speech was scintillating while the president's was dull, ponderous or anything like that. Bush was, to no one's surprise, appropriately self-deprecating -- a disarming tactic that often works with an unfriendly audience. And he struck all the right notes about slavery, racism, segregation and discrimination: "The record placed a stain on America's founding, a stain that we have not yet wiped clean," and "I understand that racism still lingers in America. It's a lot easier to change a law than to change a human heart."
Bush even owned up to the GOP's back-of-the-hand to African Americans: "For too long my party wrote off the African American vote, and many African Americans wrote off the Republican Party."
But his speech was significant for what he, as president of the United States, did not say in response to the markers that Bond laid down earlier in the week. The president cannot argue that he wasn't given the chance to make his case on some of the major issues of the day: Iraq, his fiscal policies and his approach to the use of presidential powers in wartime. The audience of 2,200 men and women representing millions more needed to hear him out. Bush, instead, spoke to the assembled as if they were strictly a narrow special-interest group concerned only about his administration's work in Katrina relief, the new Medicare drug benefit, the No Child Left Behind Act, funding for historically black universities, home ownership, small business loans, AIDS funding at home and in Africa, and the Voting Rights Act. At any rate, Bush elected to limit himself to those topics.
To be sure, the NAACP largely consists of men and women whose forefathers helped build America even as they were cheated out of liberty. But Bush failed to also see the conventioneers -- and the people they represent -- as Americans, 75 percent of whom live above the poverty line and pay taxes, and many of whom have relatives, friends and neighbors contributing directly to the nation's defense.
NAACP President Bruce Gordon said on Monday that he wanted Bush to come to the convention "to demonstrate the fact that he's our president." That is exactly what Bush should have done. Instead, Bush chose to assume the role of the "panderer" rather than "commander"-in-chief, putting his audience in a box and talking to its members about what he thought they would like to hear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/21/AR2006072101204.html
Orlando set to shatter homicide record
By TRAVIS REED
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Mickey Mouse made this medium-sized city loom much larger in the public eye than its population would suggest, but this year it has been running up a big-city statistic its residents would be better off without.
In less than seven months this city of about 215,000 reported 33 homicides, more than it's seen in any full year except one. It's only three shy of its 1982 record, and on pace to have one of the 15 worst per-capita murder rates in the country.
Victims include a 6-year-old apparent child abuse victim who died of severe head injuries and a 22-year-old shot in the back of the head for unknown reasons. Shortly after New Year's, a transient stabbed near a homeless camp bled to death on the same day an 18-year-old's bullet-riddled body lay on the street; two gunmen had apparently mistaken the youth for someone they were feuding with.
"People can attribute crime to failing schools, failing families. There's a bunch of sociological things you can put your finger on," said police Sgt. Rich Ring, head of Orlando's homicide investigation unit. "All we can do as police is say the biggest things are drugs and robbery, and we're going to take action to attack those issues."
FBI figures from 2005 released last month showed a 2.5 percent increase in violent crime nationwide - the largest since 1991 - and a 4.8 percent rise in murders.
Jacksonville, Florida's murder capital for 12 of the past 17 years, is on track to hit more than 130 homicides for the first time in more than a decade. Washington, D.C., police this month called a crime emergency amid rising incidences of robberies and armed assaults, and Detroit is on pace to hit 460 slayings, a 22 percent increase over 2005.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Orlando_Murders.html
Report: Detainee Abuse Is Condoned And Routine
July 23, 2006 2:00 p.m. EST
Megan Shannon - All Headline News Staff Writer
(AHN) - A New York based Human Rights group said the torture of Iraqi detainees was authorized and routine before and after the Abu Ghraib scandal came to light.
A Human Rights Watch report showed accounts of former U.S. soldiers saying that inhumane treatment of the detainees was encouraged, including routine beatings, sleep deprivation, and other abuses from 2003 to 2005.
Lt. Col Mark Ballesteros said, "The standard of treatment is and always has been humane treatment of detainees in (Department of Defense) custody."
The HRW report also said that soldiers who tried to stop the abuse were ignored or reprimanded. This is why HRW is asking that criminal investigations follow the allegations all the way up the military chain of command. The 11 soldiers now convicted in the abuse at Abu Ghraib are all low ranking.
An interrogator told HRW that in 2004 he was told by an officer in charge to use abuse techniques. He said they used dogs to intimidate the prisoners, made them walk on their knees in the gravel, and had them stand during long periods of time holding water bottles.
John Sifton, author of the HRW report said, "These accounts rebut US government claims that torture and abuse in Iraq was unauthorized and exceptional - on the contrary, it was condoned and commonly used."
HRW is asking U.S. Congress to appoint an independent commission to investigate the issue and asked President George Bush to appoint an independent prosecutor to also handle an investigation.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004304754
Senators Slam Voluntary Bird Flu Testing
By LIBBY QUAID , 07.21.2006, 11:05 AM
Senators on Friday criticized the Agriculture Department's planning for deadly bird flu, saying the voluntary nature of its testing program threatens the U.S. poultry industry.
At issue is a federal audit that found the government lacks a comprehensive plan for testing and monitoring bird flu in commercial poultry. The department says it will have a plan in place by October.
"It is surprising that USDA does not have a program that monitors and collects data on what testing is taking place," the senators wrote in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
"We are deeply concerned that the agency has waited until this year to begin to develop a comprehensive surveillance plan for avian influenza, which will not be complete until October," wrote the group, which includes Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
The group includes four other Democrats and one Republican.
A department spokesman said Friday that officials are working to fix the problems raised by auditors and that auditors approve of those efforts.
"This has been a key priority for the department," spokesman Ed Loyd said. "This is not something that's just theoretical to the department. We have experience in dealing with previous high-path outbreaks."
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/07/21/ap2895765.html
Health Highlights: July 21, 2006
07.21.06, 12:00 AM ET
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
FDA Scientists Cite Agency Shortcomings in Poll
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration seems to care more about speeding new drugs to market than ensuring medication safety, more than one-third (37 percent) of the agency's scientists said in a new survey.
The poll, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, also found that 39 percent of the 997 FDA scientists surveyed said the agency wasn't "acting effectively to protect public health," the Baltimore Sun reported Friday. Another 32 percent said the FDA didn't always release complete and accurate information to the public, the newspaper reported.
An FDA spokeswoman called the survey unscientific and "a counterproductive exercise based on leading questions and innuendo."
Members of Congress who have criticized the agency for purported close ties to the drug industry said the poll provided additional evidence of the need for change.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement saying the FDA was in need of "a major overhaul and a culture change at the highest levels," the Sun reported.
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U.S. Warns of Unapproved Lyme Disease Remedy
Citing at least one death from an unapproved remedy for Lyme disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors and consumers Friday against use of the product, called "bismacine," and also known as chromacine.
The agency issued a statement saying the injected product is not FDA-approved to treat any condition whatsoever. The product contains high amounts of bismuth, a heavy metal used in some pill remedies to treat bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. But the agency said the substance is not approved to be injected.
Poisoning from bismuth can lead to cardiovascular collapse and kidney failure, the FDA warned.
In April, one person died after using the product, and at least one other person has been hospitalized after receiving bismacine, the agency said. The product isn't considered a pharmaceutical and has been dispensed by individual druggists, alternative health practitioners, or by people claiming to be medical doctors, the FDA added.
The agency said it is investigating several suppliers and "will take additional action as appropriate."
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Drugmakers Given OK to Color Pills
Drugmakers have been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to begin using pigments to color pills, tablets, and liquids to brighten their appeal, the Associated Press reported.
The pearlescent pigments, similar to those that give cosmetics a pearly sheen, can produce metallic, satiny, and shimmery finishes, the wire service said. The FDA approved their use some eight years after a New Jersey firm first petitioned the agency, the AP added.
Similar pigments are used in lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polishes and automobile paints, the wire service said. Four years ago, the FDA approved their use in coloring contact lenses.
The new rule specifies that the pigments cannot comprise more than 3 percent of the drug's weight, the AP noted.
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U.S. Women Pump Iron More: Report
In what it called a first look at Americans' prevalence for weightlifting and general strength-training, a new U.S. government report Thursday found almost one in 5 women do twice-weekly workouts pumping iron.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report, published in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found an overall increase in weightlifting and other forms of strength-training. In 2004, about 20 percent of U.S. adults were doing strength-training at least twice a week, up slightly from the late 1990s, when about 18 percent of adults were, the Associated Press reported.
Women improved the most: About 17.5 percent did twice-a-week workouts in 2004, up from about 14.5 percent in 1998. Men, in contrast, held steady at around 21.5 percent.
Long-term concerns about bone loss, and a recognition that strength-training can help, may also be factors fueling women's interest, according to Judy Kruger, a CDC epidemiologist who was the study's lead author.
The data, from an annual national survey of thousands of U.S. adults, also showed a marked increase in the percentage of people 65 and older who did at least two workouts each week.
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U.S. to Cut Back on Mad Cow Testing
The U.S. government plans to reduce its mad cow testing program to about 10 percent of the level it has operated at over the past 2 1/2 years.
Beginning late August, testing will be cut to about 110 tests per day from the current level of about 1,000 tests per day, the Associated Press reported.
There is little justification for the current level of mad cow testing, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. He noted that the reduced testing is still much higher than what is called for by the World Organization for Animal Health.
"It's time that our surveillance efforts reflect what we know is a very, very low level of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States," Johanns said.
The proposed move was attacked by critics, who say now is not the time to scale back on the testing, which has cost the government an estimated $1 million per week.
"It surely will not encourage consumers in the U.S. or Japan to rush to the store to buy more beef," said Carol Tucker-Foreman, food policy director for Consumer Federation.
The United States has had three confirmed cases of mad cow disease since December 2003, the AP reported.
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Indonesia Confirms 42nd Bird Flu Death
Indonesia on Thursday confirmed its 42nd human death from the H5N1 bird flu virus. The disease has killed the same number of people in Vietnam. The two countries have the highest bird flu death tolls in the world.
The latest victim was a 44-year-old man who died in an East Jakarta hospital earlier this month. Officials said the man was a fried chicken seller, Agence France Presse reported.
While Indonesia and Vietnam have each had 42 bird flu fatalities, there have been no deaths reported in Vietnam so far this year.
The growing death toll in Indonesia concerns experts, who have accused Indonesian officials of acting too slowly to halt the spread of H5N1, AFP reported.
The Indonesian government has focused on vaccinating poultry, rather than conducting mass poultry slaughters, as recommended by the United Nations. Other countries in the region have carried out slaughter programs to control the spread of the H5N1 virus.
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/07/21/hscout533954.html
Internet companies under fire for aiding China's online censorship
By Frank Davies
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
WASHINGTON - A new online campaign from Amnesty International and a far-reaching bill in Congress are increasing the pressure on three Internet giants - Microsoft, Yahoo and Google - to stop assisting China's massive efforts to censor Internet use.
The three companies "directly and admittedly contradicted their values and stated policies" by undermining free expression and access to information in China, Amnesty charges in a report that examines the business deals made with the Chinese government.
Amnesty also launched a global effort (http://irrepressible.info) urging bloggers and other users to fight back by posting content censored by China, Vietnam, Iran, Syria and other countries, pushing for the release of jailed dissidents and lobbying governments and companies to change their policies.
The campaign comes as legislation is making progress in Congress that would force these companies to report the details of their agreements with countries that restrict their citizens' Internet use.
The bill in the House of Representatives also would prohibit companies from blocking access to U.S. government Web sites, such as Radio Free Asia, or turning over personal data to a foreign government.
The three companies responded to the Amnesty criticism with variations on a central theme: that it's better to provide access to lots of information, with restrictions, than no information.
With more than 120 million people online, China is second only to the United States in Internet use. Chinese officials have created the world's most sophisticated Internet-filtering system, according to the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. China blocks access to a wide range of political content with the cooperation of U.S. companies.
"We have to guard against the creation of two Internets: one for expression and one for repression," Larry Cox, the executive director of Amnesty's U.S. office, said in a statement.
In China, Microsoft Corp. has shut down a blog at the government's request and Google Inc. launched a censored version of its search engine.
Yahoo Inc. signed a "pledge of self-discipline" with China to "refrain from posting or disseminating information that may jeopardize state security." The company provided personal user data to Chinese officials that helped lead to the imprisonment of two dissidents.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15094978.htm
Shanghai company starts small with hydrogen-powered car
Posted 7/22/2006 5:00 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this
Enlarge By Elaine Kurtenbach, AP
Taras Wankewycz, founder of Horizon, prepares for a demonstration of the company's hydrogen-powered model car.
By Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press
SHANGHAI — It's a dream that's been pursued for years by governments, energy companies and automakers so far without success: Mass-producing affordable hydrogen-powered cars that spew just clean water from their tailpipes.
So Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small.
This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refueling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable.
"Public awareness and education are the first steps toward commercialization," said Horizon founder Taras Wankewycz, 32. "We want to make sure this technology gets adapted globally."
Automakers and energy companies view hydrogen fuel cells as a promising technology that could wean the world from its addiction to crude oil. But it's expensive and technological hurdles remain despite billions of dollars that have been poured into research.
There's the cost and challenge of building fuel cells that convert hydrogen to electricity, and the question of how to cleanly generate the gas and distribute it to yet-to-be built fueling stations. Though prototype hydrogen cars exist, they're far from practical or affordable.
Horizon's H-Racer and fueling station solve those problems on a very small scale. The price: $80 for the set.
The toy's fuel cell, like those envisioned for real cars, relies on an electrochemical reaction to generate the current that powers the gadget's electric motor. Unlike a gas-powered internal combustion engine, the only byproducts are electricity, heat and water.
The fuel is supplied by its alarm clock-sized refueling station. A small electric current, generated by the solar cells, extracts hydrogen from water. (A battery backup is available for cloudy days.)
When the vehicle is hooked up to the refueling station, a balloon inside the 6-inch long car slowly fills.
With the flip of a switch, the car takes off and runs for 4 minutes on a full tank. The gas never ignites — and any would-be recreators of the Hindenburg disaster are likely to be disappointed by the toy's negligible amount of the gas.
Horizon has bigger plans for the technology. Wankewycz said it's working on ways to make fuel cells more efficient, so that they can be used to power cellphones and laptop computers, and eventually vehicles and households.
Still, what works for a toy isn't close to being ready for full-size cars. For one, it's extremely expensive, said Daniel Nocera, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemistry professor and one of the world's leading researchers in exploring how sunlight can be used to extract hydrogen from water.
"Technologies exist to split water with solar cells," he said. "It's just not market-viable yet. ... To say that it's going to be upscaled or commercialized for an energy society, that's a leap of faith for me."
Still, he admires Horizon's raising awareness about alternative energies through a toy.
"It's a great message to send," he said.
At Horizon's headquarters on the top floor of a nondescript warehouse-type building in a bleak suburban district of Shanghai, Wankewycz and former Eastman Chemical Co. colleague George Gu demonstrated prototypes of a hydrogen-powered electric bicycle and a golf caddy they are converting from lead acid batteries to hydrogen power.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2006-07-22-hydrogen-toy-car_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
Who are all these bloggers spouting their opinions anyway?
This United Press International story about a new survey on the continued growth of blogging as well as the potential for millions more brand new readers in the coming years has this particular blogger jumping for joy at the possibility of reaching those people with the message of livin' la vida low-carb.
The Pew Research group released the results of their "Internet & American Life Project" this week and reported on several very distinctive trends in blogging and with the bloggers themselves. The blogging format is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with and this new research shows the influence that blogs are having will only continue to get bigger and bigger.
Among the characteristics of bloggers, here's what they found:
- Most bloggers share their personal experiences
- Most bloggers are content with small readership
- Most bloggers use their blog as a personal journal
- Most bloggers don't consider what they do as journalism
- Most bloggers write about the things they are most passionate
- Most bloggers try to be a leader in the subject they blog about
- Most bloggers write daily or almost daily
- Most bloggers LOVE to write and are good at it
- Most bloggers have a full-time job (and it's not blogging!)
- Most bloggers are young, primarily 18-30 year olds
- Most bloggers blog about first-hand knowledge or skills
- Most bloggers have never published their writings before
- Most bloggers remain anonymous using a fake name
- Most bloggers spend hours on the Internet per day
- Most bloggers enjoy reading other people's blogs
- Most bloggers share original works of art or expression
- Most bloggers allow people to comment on their blog
- Most bloggers post pictures and photos on their blog
- Most bloggers are willing to post links to other similar blogs
- Most bloggers are not in it to make money
Those are some very keen observations about what constitutes the great bloggers of our day and I can't really disagree with any of them because most of them are very apropos. While all of us bloggers are not all the same, we certainly have areas of commonality that bind us together that define who we are as a whole. Can you think of any other descriptions of what most bloggers are like that the Pew survey missed?
It's the year 2006, but I'm still amazed at the reaction I get from people when I tell them I have a low-carb blog.
"You've got a what? A clog? Do you need some Liquid Drano for that or something? Oh, you said a blog. Duh, what's that?"
Sigh. Thankfully the blogosphere is starting to get a little more recognition now that 12 million adults in the United States (8 percent of the Internet population) are active members of this emerging community of interactive opinion-makers sharing their thoughts and ideas on whatever is on their mind with a whopping 57 million American adults (39 percent of the Internet population) reading these blogs.
So, where are the other 61 percent of Internet users going for information on their favorite topics? Come on people, you've gotta start reading the blogs to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and thought on whatever it is that interests you the most. The two best places to find blog posts that feature up-to-the-minute news and commentary on your favorite topics is either at Google BlogSearch or Technorati. Go ahead, give 'em a try!
Among the different kinds of blogs out there, here is the breakdown:
Personal life - 37 percent (can you say MySpace.com?)
Political - 11 percent
Entertainment - 7 percent
Sports - 6 percent
News/Current Events - 5 percent
Business - 5 percent
Technology - 4 percent
Religion/Faith - 2 percent
Health - 1 percent
Frankly, I'm surprised health blogs were THAT small. Nevertheless, I believe with obesity and diabetes continuing to grow and expected to remain in that upward direction in the coming years, you will very likely see the emergence of even more blogs that discuss health, diet, nutrition, and weight loss to help people deal with these conditions. In other words, the blog format I have chosen is NOT going anywhere anytime soon. Good! :)
What does this Pew survey mean for the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog specifically? Not a whole lot since I seem to be doing a lot of the right things by offering my readers quality content on a daily basis that they are interested in. I take my blogging responsibilities very seriously and I never want to just settle for anything less than the best I can offer. That's not fair to you as my reader and I wouldn't want you to expect anything less from me. It's the least I can do to reward you for your faithfulness to my blog.
I feel I am offering my readers much of what they are looking for in a blog based on the numbers who visit here daily. Yet, I would be interested in knowing what the Pew people find out about the READERS of blogs and what they expect in a blog and
You know what, though, I'm not willing to wait until they do their research to find out. :D Let's just make up our own informal survey with this blog post right here, right now.
What do YOU as a reader of blogs look for when you visit a blog? In other words, why do you keep coming back to read the same blogs every day or every few days? Are there any specific things you look for in a blog that make you WANT to keep coming back? If so, what are they?
Please feel free to expand upon these questions and share your comments about being a blog reader by clicking on the comment link below.
The blog format is indeed exploding and a lot of companies and businesses are JUST beginning to realize this. The savvy marketing teams are falling all over themselves trying to get in the good graces of the most popular bloggers right now and that only makes good business sense. If you have a blog that attracts a lot of people, then be prepared to be approached by all kinds of companies that have products and services related to your blog topic. If not already, then it is coming.
For me, I'll keep blogging away because I aim to educate, encourage and entertain people with news, information and opinions that will hopefully help them in your weight loss efforts and keep them informed about what's going on in the wonderful world of low-carb. Keep on reading the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog as you keep on livin' la vida low-carb!
http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=5449
Anyone who happens to be near the sea in Folkestone, Kent, might want to take a look and see if they can spot the latest breed of nautical Panda that clambered into the sea at around 8.30 this morning.
Hot on the heels of Little Britain star David Walliams, who swam into the record books earlier this month in aid of Sport Relief, this little Panda is not just cooling off in the water, or escape the UK´s heatwave - it is planning to cross the channel, get all the way to the French coast, and then drive the final leg home to Italy!
This Panda´s creater is MIlan born Maurizio Zanisi, a former Iso Rivolta engineer, and his self-built Panda Terramare 4 is based on a Fiat [compare Fiat prices] Panda 4x4 chassis, combined with an inflatable flotation belt and waterjet propulsion driven off the rear axle.
The Panda Terramere 4 has already been spotted taking a dip in some of the great Italian lakes (Como and Maggiore), the River Po, and the Mediterranean off the coat of Sardinia, so is no stranger to water. However the longest sea journey before this channel attempt has been a return trip from Naples to Capri, which is a journey of around 25 miles. The Channel is the Panda Terramare 4´s greatest test so far.
http://www.askaprice.com/torque-article.asp?article=Panda_swims_across_the_channel!&item=1945
Somalia slides towards war
NAIROBI –– Neglected by the world for years, Somalia appears on the verge of a war that could escalate into a major regional conflict and play into the hands of hardline militia.
Six weeks after taking Mogadishu and other southern towns, the militia are engaged in an increasingly bellicose standoff with a fragile, Ethiopian-backed interim government based in the provincial town of Baidoa.
With militia moving their closest yet to Baidoa this week, and witnesses saying Ethiopian soldiers have poured over the border to defend the government, the prospect of yet another major conflict in Somalia has risen sharply.
"The risk of full-scale war increases by the day," said John Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group, citing the government's "foolish" boycott of peace talks in Sudan and what he called provocative militia movements.
While Ethiopia is apparently spoiling for a fight, warning it will crush the militia if they attack Baidoa, another regional player -- Eritrea -- is playing a lesser-known but also influential role on the other side, analysts and diplomats say.
Already criticised by the United Nations for funnelling arms to the militia during their rise to power in Mogadishu earlier this year, the Eritreans are continuing to supply weapons, funds and personnel, the experts believe.
"The Eritrean support is the backbone of the militia military structure," said one analyst, who has close contacts with all sides in the Somali crisis but asked not to be named.
"In Mogadishu, the Eritrean presence is everywhere. Believe me, I've seen them."
Ethiopia's motives are obvious: it wishes to remain the dominant power in the Horn of Africa; it has traditionally sought to influence Somalia and contain radical Islam there; and it fears Islamist aspirations in its Ogaden ethnic Somali region.
Eritrea's thinking is less clear -- beyond hatred of Ethiopia.
http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=33321
Interview with Hezbollah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah
by Al-Jazeera
July 22, 2006
Al Jazeera in Arabic
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Al-Jazeera interviews Hezbollah chief - text
Text of report by Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 20 July
Interview with Hezbollah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah, by Al-Jazeera Beirut Bureau Chief Ghassan Bin-Jiddu, on 20 July.
Emphasis added by Global Research
[Bin-Jiddu] It is sufficient to say that we are in the company of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah at this time in particular. The battles are still continuing. We are at a certain time in a certain place of this world, and not only in Lebanon, as I used to say earlier. This is why, without any introductions at all, I will start my questions to His Eminence Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah. Your Eminence Al-Sayyid, first of all, thank you for responding to [the request to hold] this interview at this time in particular. Around 10 days have passed since the outbreak of hostilities. What do you say militarily and politically?
[Nasrallah] In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Politically and militarily all at once, it is difficult. Let us start...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Not in detail. We will go into details with you.
[Nasrallah] Let us start militarily and in the field. The general headline we can speak about clearly on the military level is steadfastness--the great and significant steadfastness first and, secondly, full absorption of the Israeli strike. Over the past few days, the Israelis, in our opinion, did the maximum that they can do, from the air and the sea. Of course, we will discuss the ground option shortly. There is no target--old, new, assumed, expected, based on information or analysis--that they did not hit. Also, when we speak about what was hit, this includes military and civilian targets, but I want to speak now about the military aspect.
I can confirm at this moment--this is not an exaggeration and not part of psychological warfare, but facts--that the command structure of Hezbollah has not been harmed. Yesterday night, they conducted a very violent raid on a building in the southern suburb. They spoke about 22 tonnes of explosives and a large number of aircraft that conducted the raid. They said that they made an achievement and killed some Hezbollah leaders and a large number of members of the resistance. This is not true. At any rate, your correspondent reported that he saw the area and that no ambulances came to the scene and no rescue efforts were made because the building is vacant and is under construction. The entire command structure of Hezbollah, including the political, jihadist, executive, and social--so far, the Zionists have not managed to kill any Hezbollah cadre or leader at any level.
[Bin-Jiddu] Do you mean the political leaders or the military commanders?
[Nasrallah] All of them. Certainly, I would like to tell you and tell the viewers that when a martyr falls, we inform his family and we then announce this. We do not hide our martyrs until the end of the battle. We have never done this. On the contrary, we always take pride in our martyrs. Until this very moment, praise be to God, anything that could affect the command or administrative structure that is managing the battle or that is not managing the battle--those who are directly linked to the battle or have a relationship to some aspects of the existing situation--this structure has remained intact. This is especially true in the case of the military structure that is present in the field. This is first. The second thing that I can confirm is that all the Israeli talk that they hit 50 per cent of our rocket capability and warehouses--all of this is untrue and nonsense. Until this moment, they have not been able to hit anything in this context. I confirm this to you. The evidence is that the resistance has continued to fire rockets--not the regular Katyusha rockets that are fired on the frontline settlements--the resistance is still striking Haifa, Tiberias, Safad [Zefat] and deep [into Israel] as well. We control even the number of rockets that are fired. Today, the resistance can fire hundreds of rockets in a single day. There is no obstacle in the field despite the intensive air activity of the Zionists.
We control the number [of rockets] because we are managing our battle. I will go back shortly to the management of the battle. There fore, as far as the rocket structure is concerned, things are excellent and this structure or capability has not been impaired at all. We have the ability to go on for a long time. Also, the fighters in the field have not started action so far. The ground confrontations that occurred over the past two days are the beginnings of the confrontation. The fighters on the border have so far not made a strenuous effort over the past few days. We are still at the beginning of action. Therefore, as far as the ground and rocket situation is concerned and on the level of capabilities and cadres, leadership, and organization in general, which is broader than the jihadist aspect or other political, social, and media aspects, the structure is still strong and solid and continuing, praise be to God.
The strike against the battleship off the coast of Beirut has made the Israelis decide to keep all their warships away from the Lebanese coast by tens of kilometres. What is reported sometimes in the media, to the effect that warships are bombarding the suburb or a certain area, is wrong. This is not true. The warships are not bombarding most areas because they are far away from the coast. The Israeli air force is the one that is conducting the bombing. In all events, this air force is a superior force. This is the picture of the field situation. Of course, in the confrontations that occurred, a number of Mirkava tanks have been destroyed so far. Some of these tanks are Mirkava of the fourth generation, which are the most advanced type of the Israeli Mirkava.
The Israelis admit the ferocity, power, and courage of the fighters on the frontlines. Certainly, we are wagering on those fighters. I think that if we take the picture of the military situation in general, I can confirm that Hezbollah has so far remained steadfast; secondly, it has managed to absorb the strike; thirdly, to move to the stage of taking the initiative; and fourthly, to offer some surprises, which it has promised. There is still a number of surprises, which we reserve to ourselves in the next stage. In the field, Hezbollah is still managing the battle calmly, slowly, quietly, and without any emotional reaction. You can see this. There are no unnecessary threats and no random rhetoric. We are following things closely and calmly and we calculate the time, place, number, capability, combat, point, front, and all details on the military level. This concerns the military aspect.
[Bin-Jiddu] Excuse me your eminence, what guarantees that what you are kindly describing as calm is not confusion, and what guarantees or confirms that you are running the battle calmly, not with emotional reaction to conceal the inflicted enormous military losses as Israel claims?
[Nasrallah] First, you know Lebanon. Today, the Israelis tightened the noose on the mass media in northern occupied Palestine and occupied Palestine. No one can report any news or broadcast any footage. [News reports] are subject to the Israeli censorship which permits and disseminates them. Even you at Al-Jazeera Channel were subjected to arrests, interrogation, restricted activities, and the like. Why do the Israelis resort to concealing the truth on the other side? Why? Do they do that only because they accuse the media outlets of setting the coordinates? This is nonsense. We have the coordinates of these Israeli settlements and military positions in the north, centre, or in any part of occupied Palestine. We do not need anybody to give us information, images, or the like. In that case, they want to conceal the true scene of the war on the other side because it will have definite impact on the Israeli street and media and the morale of the Israelis. This is what Olmert's government and the Israeli Army fear. On the other side, the media outlets in Lebanon today are reporting on everything, including the raids, the civilian martyrs, the combatant martyrs, and the roads. The towns are open even the Southern Suburb. The media outlets entered it. The media outlets entered and videotaped the place, which was bombarded yesterday at dawn, actually today at dawn. So, everything is evident. You know Lebanon more than anybody else that there are no secrets in Lebanon. If we have martyrs, we can only conceal them for an hour or two because their families and the residents of their village will know about it. Those are not fighters from another country; they are from the citizens of this country. If one of the leaders of Hezbollah is martyred, this will be made known within few hours. Therefore, we do not conceal our martyrs and we are proud of them. Secondly, as for the structure [of the resistance], its performance practically assert that things are still ongoing well. Moreover, the Israelis gave a while ago a picture of trucks to the mass media claiming that these trucks are transporting ammunition to Hezbollah. Well, if they videotape every target they strike, let them provide pictures of the rocket launchers, the launching pads, and the military bases that were bombarded. Thus far, they have been bombarding wrong targets. This indicates a technical failure on the one hand and an intelligence failure on the other. The drilling machines in Al-Ashrafiyah are old machines. So, they do not receive intelligence from the ground and I do not agree with the analysis that suggests they pounded Al-Ashrafiyah because they want to instigate the Christians and the residents of Al-Ashrafiyah against the resistance. We should not be hasty [in drawing conclusions]. They came and videotaped the two drilling machines. They might have looked as rocket launchers in the pictures and therefore they bombarded them. This is a failure. If they are depending on the reconnaissance aircraft, this is a technical failure. If they are depending on the agents on the ground, this is an intelligence failure. So, if they have pictures, let them show them to the world. You might wonder and says is it possible that no rocket launcher was hit. Neither me, nor anybody can claim that. There might be, for example, one or two were hit. After nine days, the strongest air force in the Middle East region and one of the strongest air forces in the world that have access to the airspace while we do not have the capabilities to face them at that level - an air force effectively and strongly present in various ways with the reconnaissance aircraft controlling the airspace of Lebanon - could not until this very minute even stop firing rockets or target the missile force. It is very evident.
[Bin-Jiddu] Can we say that the onset of the ground battle has begun or not?
[Nasrallah] We cannot say that accurately. Until now, what have been taking place are infiltration attempts in certain points on the borders. In this context, the Israelis are seeking to make any achievements. I tell that the only achievement made by the Israelis can be made by any air force in the world. It does not need the grandeur of the Israeli Air Force, namely destroying the bridges, the airport, striking at the ports, factories, the houses. This does not need any [special air force]. Any army that has some aircraft can do that. However, they failed in the face of the military infrastructure of the resistance. They succeeded in killing the children, women, and the elderly. They succeeded in displacing some people. As for the structure of the resistance, I affirm to you that it is present. They know that they are not hiding-- as they claim-- among the civilians. [The battle] is taking place in the frontlines, the mountains, the valleys, and between the trees in a wide area. They are looking for achievements. They talked at dawn today about the bombing of this building in the Southern Suburb. I heard over the past two or three days that they are talking about great, huge, fortified Hezbollah barracks along the borders that were destroyed. I was discussing the issue with the brothers. We discussed whether we should deny the claims or not. Some said: Let them be happy about it as they are showing their people that they made achievements. Let them be happy about their achievements and this might ease the onslaught. They will be happy in the Israeli Army that they made achievements. Others said: Let our public opinion know because this would have positive and negative psychological impact. So, let our public opinion know. Let me ask: Where are the fortified barracks on the borders of the Islamic Resistance? The border posts are actually surveillance posts consisting of a column on which an antenna is attached and another on which a camera is placed. Beside these columns there is a room where one of our youth stays. This is simply what these posts are consisting of. These posts were evacuated right from the first day. If they come today to say that they destroyed frontline positions. They mean these places. If they say that occupied frontline posts, these posts exist along the barbed wires and we evacuated them since the first day when we captured the soldiers. Now that the Israelis' helplessness has been proved, we affirm to you that they have a problem in receiving intelligence from the air and from the ground. Most of their agents are at large, some were arrested, and some disappeared. The agents are facing difficulties in their movements now on the ground to locate or give some information [to Israel]. At any rate, they need some commandoes groups to enter the Lebanese territories, either to collect intelligence or to correct some of the mistakes they made in their strikes on the frontlines. They also need them to conduct operations to capture or kill some of the mujahidin of the resistance, or even to say that they killed or made field achievement since the Israeli Navy retreated and was hit. I do not believe that the air raids are an achievement. So, they are looking for an achievement on the ground. What is happening until know is within this context. I do not call it the beginning of a ground incursion. However, I would like to affirm that that these points were strongly dealt with. It would have been better to provide pictures of the tanks that were destroyed, but the difficult travel conditions prevented that. Anyway, they are admitting that some of the tanks were destroyed, and that some people were killed and wounded. I promise them more fighting and toughness from the mujahidin of the resistance along the borders. As for the ground attack option, it is possible that they might resort to it. We have been ready for it since the first day. I do not want to raise the ceiling of expectations and I do not u se speeches. We are fighting a serious battle. I did not say one day that the Israelis will be unable to enter any post in southern Lebanon. We are not a classic army extending from the sea to Mount Hermon. We are a popular and serious resistance movement that is present in many areas and axes. They might be able to enter a certain point or a village or conduct a large-scale ground operation. They might enter a mountain or a frontline village and claim a historical victory. In order not to say that Hezbollah made a pledged, I did not promise one day something like that or say that. This is not the case. This can happen at any moment. As for us, our equation and principles are the following: When the Israelis enter, they must pay dearly in terms of their tanks, officers, soldiers. This is what we pledge to do and we will honour our pledge, God willing.
[Bin-Jiddu] Do you expect that the battles will be long? Are you preparing, as one of the generals inside [ Lebanon ] warned, for a war of attrition?
[Nasrallah] The battle here, if we want to answer these questions, we should discuss the background of the battle. We are not convinced at all--perhaps during the first hours we can say that the reaction that took place was a natural reaction to the capturing of Israeli soldiers--but hours after this, the issue has gone far beyond a reaction to the capturing of the soldiers. The Israelis entered [ Lebanon ] with a plan. The officials in charge of this plan, commanders, and news media used to talk about it with varying degrees, which we will analyse later. However, they, for example, spoke about destroying Hezbollah, not the missile force, but destroying Hezbollah. Some sides say the dismantling of the military structure of Hezbollah. Others said the annihilation and destruction of the missile force of the military structure, and others said we cannot destroy the military force of Hezbollah, but we want to pain Hezbollah and weaken this force. Then they said pushing Hezbollah far from the borders. Those who talk about pushing Hezbollah 10 or 20 km know that this does not mean pushing the missile force far from the borders. The one who attacks Haifa, Afula, and farther villages, and has the power to attack farther than this, then the story of 10 or 20 km is considered simple details. Some sides said that the objective of the operation is to free the two prisoners. I assure you that the objective of the operation is not to free the two prisoners. At any rate, the slogans on the one hand, and the objectives that were announced for the operation on the other, means that the operation would take a long time. I cannot say one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, more, or less. This issue depends on the field developments on the one hand, and the political developments on the other. Now...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Excuse me. Does it depend on you or on Israel?
[Nasrallah] On us and on them. The course of the battle--I will say how--for example, today, the talk began in Israel, and this is a logical analysis, to the effect that the Israeli military operation has reached its peak. What is more than this? I will answer you. What can the Israelis do more than what they did? What is left is the ground incursion, which is costly at any rate. There is an argument, not among the politicians on the political level, even on the military and security levels there is a real argument on the level of the military and security commands. What is left is the ground incursion. Except the incursion, everything the Israelis could do have done. So, they have reached the peak. Now, they have one of two choices: When they reach the peak they either proceed horizontally, or in other words, continue with the same standard or the dose [preceding word in English] of the peak, or they will begin to decline. So, the military operation will begin to decline and to calm down gradually to pave the way for a political settlement. How much time would this take? This depends on developments. When time drags--the north is brought to a halt, northern Israel, excuse me, I apologize, I mean northern occupied Palestine--there are two million Israelis who are either in shelters or outside the area, displaced outside the area. The entire economy in the north is brought to a halt. The factories, trade, tourism, and economic movement are all brought to a halt. The number of the killed and injured on their side could be much less than on our side, but this is natural. This is because they have a huge arsenal. Our arsenal is not for destruction, retaliation, and revenge, but a deterrent arsenal. They have a huge destructive power. There is no exaggeration here. They also have shelters. Give me one village in the south that has shelters in it. Up till now a large part of the people of the south are still in the south. Had there been shelters, the people would have remained there and would not have le ft . No one likes to live in school to be given ration. However, on their side, from the borders to deep in the north, there are shelters in the settlements. So, it is only logical that the number of those killed and wounded on their side is less than on our side. However, what affects the economy and the pressure the people are exposed to as a result of displacement and living in shelters. [Sentence incomplete as heard] They promised them with a quick operation within a few days. The first day and then the second day passed, and every day they say three or four times in the Israeli news media that they have killed me, killed the Hezbollah leaders, and made false achievements. So, what is next? Until when will this continue? The Israeli society is so far rallying round the government. We have seen this experience in 1993, in 1996, and in past wars, but this solidarity will begin to vanish with the passage of time. So, if the military operation took a horizontal direction or began to decline, then the peak that is higher than this is the ground incursion. I am sure that the ground incursion will be a catastrophe to the Israeli army. This is not a threat. You know from day one that I speak calmly and objectively on these issues. The issue now, if it continues...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Excuse me; you repeated the word disaster on more than one occasion.
[Nasrallah] I mean a disaster for their tanks, officers, and soldiers. There will be a high price for them to pay. Right from the first day, I never claimed, even during negotiations and in my past speeches, that I can shoot down F-16's. We have never claimed that. We did not claim such a thing even during the [confrontation] in the sea, but we managed to surprise them in the sea. As for the land, we have 24-year experience; we have long and real experience in the land. We have high and efficient fighting capabilities, good armed capabilities, and good reserves.
It is a matter of time now. I rule out that the Israelis can make a military achievement. It is a matter of time. On the one hand, there is our military steadfastness, and on the other there is the political and popular steadfastness. They [the Israelis] are wagering on seeing the country's political situation break up and weaken, and on seeing a decline in the popular support for the resistance in order to achieve political results. We, on the other hand, are wagering on our steadfastness and that of our people, and on seeing a decline in the Israeli internal support for the military operation and on the pressures on the enemy's government, the beginning of which we began to see today.
[Bin-Jiddu] We will discuss the political issues. I want to go back to what you said about the popular steadfastness. Your Eminence, it is obvious that there is a real popular support in the areas where members of the resistance and Hezbollah are present. Now, the people who expressed their genuine support for the resistance are displaced and exhausted, and there is destruction as well. Honestly, do you still have faith in this popular support? Do not you think that you might win militarily and lose popularly, even among your own sect, not among other parties?
[Nasrallah] Before I met you, the brothers, who visited all the places where the displaced people are housed and talked to people, told me that the embassies of western countries are sending opinion-poll teams to the places housing the displaced people. They ask people about their sect and religion. Undoubtedly, they are interested first and foremost in the Shi'is' opinion. Based on the [religious] structure of the country, they believe that if the Shi'is begin to leave and desert the resistance, it would be an indication that the other sects will do the same - this is the [religious] structure of the country. The opinion-poll teams were amazed during their visits and meetings. There is strong support for the resistance; there is readiness to remain steadfast and make sacrifices. They listened to many women who said that they are ready to sacrifice their children, to fight, to remain steadfast and patient, and to endure, and that they will not allow the resistance to lose, be humiliated, or be stricken. Anyway, instead of me going to the people, anyone can go and meet these people and ask them in an objective and honourable manner. However, they should not ask a person who is not actually a displaced person and says that he speaks on behalf of them. We have information about the situation on the ground, and we are in constant contact with our people in the villages and cities. Our impression, which I am sure that it is now shared by the embassies that follow the situation and give information to the Israelis and decision-making centres in the world, is that the answers they got today will affect the course of the battle. Therefore, I thank the people for their position and steadfastness, which will make the war shorter. Why? If the opinion-poll teams see a sign of weakness and fragility, they will tell the Israelis to continue [their operations], that they can achieve their objectives, and that the war will not take a long time. It is not of their interest to fight for a long time. The US Administration, and other administrations, will build on that, and there will be no intervention. Today, yesterday, and the day before - especially today - they heard strong and honourable words. I tell you that they have began to feel desperate. I want to repeat what I said days ago that we have honourable people - I am talking about the Lebanese people in general, not only the Shi'is. The Lebanese people are honourable, dear, and great; I do not flatter when I say that. You can go to all Lebanese areas where there are Christians, Sunnis, and Druze to see how the rest of the Lebanese people deal with the displaced people.
between sympathy with those displaced persons, since they are Lebanese, and the attitudes towards the actions of Hezbollah and the resistance. It is said that the other parties, factions, and segments are not satisfied with Hezbollah's position, performance, and the way it got Lebanon involved, as they say, in this battle?
[Nasrallah] I am not talking about some political forces. I am talking about the people, the good people, those who in hard times reveal their chivalry, honour, and patriotism. This is especially since the political climate now says what happened has happened, and that there will be time for accountability. We also say that there will be time for accountability. No problem. The political climate says let's be united to handle this battle. This level of political rhetoric, which contains less incitement - I do not say it contains no incitement - but it contains less incitement, gives people a chance to approach matters honestly. Today, neither the masses of the resistance feel alienated at the national and popular levels, nor the resistance feels that its supporters around it have begun to disperse. Never! I stress to you that the masses of the resistance are firmer and more resolved. Even when we go to political negotiations - for certainly there will be political negotiations and political discussions - one of the most important issues that the Hezbollah leadership must keep in mind is that behind it are masses who do not accept to offer concessions that they might be humiliating or something like that. They might demand high positions that are commensurate with people's steadfastness and sacrifices. This is what we are building on.
[Bin-Jiddu] At any rate, your eminence, some say that Hezbollah might be strong militarily on the ground now, at least as you have said, but it seems that it is internationally isolated, excluded, and chased. It is also politically embarrassed at home. Even your former allies, the political forces with whom you used to hold discussions at home, do not conceal their dismay. True, they say there will be time for accountability, but they do not conceal their resentment. Moreover, they say: How could Hezbollah involve the country and take it hostage after a unilateral decision? The government was neither aware of that decision, nor does it bear its consequences or adopt it. Is this reasonable to happen?
[Nasrallah] Well, let us say that we have begun to go into the political part. First, I just want to close the first part, since we have talked about the battlefield, the shelling, and settlements. I would like to address the family that was hit in Nazareth. In my name and on behalf of my brothers, I apologize to this family. Of course, the word apology is not sufficient. I bear full responsibility. That was not intended at all. However, at any rate, we consider those who were killed in Nazareth martyrs for Palestine, Lebanon, the nation, and the resistance. It is a tough and hard confrontation, in which flaws of this kind might happen. I would like to send them my condolences and apologies. I hope that they would accept my condolences and apology.
Now I move on the political part. Politically, the international community, first, has never been with us. So I cannot say that is not with us, isolating, and forsaking us just today. It has never been with us. Moreover, it has mostly been against. For example, we have been listed on the US terrorism list since they created the terrorism list. We are among the first to be listed on that list. Some European countries also list us as terrorists. The position of the international community is clear. Consequently, we are not surprised by the international community. We have never wagered on the internatio nal community. The international community adopts international resolutions of which Israel implements nothing. Even Resolution 425 was not implemented by Israel; we imposed it on Israel. It has implemented none of the resolutions concerning the Palestine question. It has implemented none of the resolutions concerning the occupied Arab territories. For us, this is neither a new factor, nor a factor of pressure.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=AL-20060722&articleId=2790
Govt may stiffen rules on exports to N. Korea
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government is considering revising an ordinance of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law to require some companies in Japan with business ties to North Korea to disclose the export destinations of about 40 materials that could aid Pyongyang's missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, sources said Sunday.
The revision is seen as an additional sanction against North Korea over its missile launches into the Sea of Japan on July 5. The target materials and goods include large trucks, titanium alloys and carbon fiber.
The measure will allow the government to closely monitor export of the materials to prevent them from being subverted for the development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction or from entering North Korea via a third country, according to the sources.
If North Korea appears to be preparing to launch additional missiles, the government could decide to impose additional sanctions, such as expanding the number of products whose export to the reclusive state are restricted.
Other financial sanctions under consideration include a halt to remittances to that country and a freeze on bank accounts held in Japanese financial institutions by companies with business connections to North Korea, the sources said.
The government has started discussing a revision of the ordinance in consideration of the U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea's missile launches. The resolution, which was unanimously adopted on July 15, banned all U.N. member states from transferring material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea.
The government intends to focus on about 300 companies in Japan with business connections to North Korea. The restrictions will be applied to some of these companies depending on the value of their exports, materials for export and closeness of relations with North Korea, according to the sources.
These designated firms will be required to report to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry details of any export of the earmarked materials, even if the exports are destined for a country other than North Korea.
The ministry will keep a close eye on goods that might be sent on to North Korea and refuse to approve such exports unless it can confirm that the materials will not end up in that country.
(Jul. 24, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060724TDY01006.htm
Syria warns against ground incursion
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
Talkbacks for this article: 8
Syrian Information Minister Muhsein Bilal warned on Sunday that if Israel enters Lebanon with ground forces, it could drag Syria into the conflict as well.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC, Bilal said that if the IDF came within 20 kilometers of Damascus, "we will not sit idly by - there is no doubt that Syria will get involved in the conflict."
He said that Syria would press for a cease-fire to end the fighting between Israel and Hizbullah, but only in the framework of a broader Middle East peace initiative that would include a return of the Golan Heights.
"Syria is working on achieving real, comprehensive, fair peace based on the withdrawal from all the occupied territories, including the Golan," Bilal said.
It was unlikely that Israel would agree to such a deal, but the remarks were the first indication of Syria's willingness to be involved in international efforts to defuse the Lebanese crisis.
The interview was also carried on the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, a tacit confirmation of the remarks.
In Jordan, King Abdullah II, speaking with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak by phone, said Arabs needed a "unified position, which calls for an immediate cease-fire," a statement from his press office said.
Both leaders agreed to find a "peaceful solution to the current crisis and end its serious repercussions." The statement did not elaborate.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1153291978768&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Senators Urge Bush to Help Block Tax Loophole
HHS Secretary's Deductions for Gifts to Family Group Prompt Call for Action
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 22, 2006; Page A04
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and the committee's ranking Democrat, Max Baucus (Mont.), urged President Bush yesterday to help shut down a tax loophole that allowed his secretary of health and human services to claim more than $1 million in tax deductions for "gifts" that have been used to further his family's interests.
Grassley and Baucus, responding to a report in yesterday's Washington Post, wrote Bush to ask for his support in saving a provision in an embattled pension bill that would rein in what they called an abuse of the charity tax code. And they said the issue could be taken care of through regulatory changes in the Bush administration's control.
Mike Leavitt expresses pride in giving back to the community. (Alex Brandon - AP)
"Your IRS Commissioner, Mark Everson, has done a fine job of highlighting these problems but now the rest of your administration needs to pitch in and rewrite these regulations and end the abuse," Grassley and Baucus wrote. "We ask that you direct Treasury and [the Office of Management and Budget] to make a priority of rewriting these regulations in the next six months."
The issue received new attention this week when it was revealed that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and his family have claimed millions of dollars in tax deductions for contributions to a family foundation that until recently has given little to charity. Instead, through loans and investments, the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation has used its $9 million fortune to further the family's real estate holdings, insurance interests, and even the Leavitt family genealogical society.
In 2002, the foundation lent $332,000 to Leavitt Land and Investment Inc., in which the secretary owns a significant stake. That same year, Leavitt Land and Investment extended an interest-free loan to Leavitt in the form of stock valued at between $250,001 and $500,000, according to a recent financial disclosure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/21/AR2006072101355.html
Costa Rico sports bookies could cut off US gamblers
Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:27pm ET
By John McPhaul
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, July 22 (Reuters) - Online sports betting firms employing thousands of Costa Ricans could turn away U.S. gamblers after the arrest in Texas this week of a leading industry executive, but for now it remains business as usual.
A crusade by U.S. prosecutors against the $12 billion a year Internet betting industry may be enough of a headache for international bookies to give up the United States, their largest market.
On Monday, U.S. authorities detained David Carruthers, the Scottish chief executive of BETonSPORTS (BSS.L: Quote, Profile, Research) as he changed planes in Dallas. BETonSPORTS was one of several individuals and companies facing charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud under an indictment.
"I think what you'll see is the public companies will stop offering services to Americans," Canadian sports book magnate Calvin Ayre, owner of Costa Rica-based Bodog sportsbook, told Reuters this week.
"We have enough business internationally outside the United States to keep going."
Costa Rica-based BETonSPORTS' Web site closed down following Carruthers' arrest, but other book makers remained open for business.
At the fifth-floor offices of Ayre's Bodog call center in San Jose this week, rows of clerks took wagers over the telephone from bettors calling from around the world.
Flanked by flat screen televisions broadcasting the New York Mets vs. the Cincinnati Reds, supervisors sat on an elevated platform at the front of the room, entering odds into computers. Continued...
http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompanyNewsArticle.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-07-22T192750Z_01_N22452481_RTRIDST_0_COSTARICA-BETTING.XML&rpc=66
Georgette Wehbe, who moved to the United States in 1998 and had returned to Lebanon to attend a family wedding, was evacuated by U.S.-chartered cruise ship as warfare quickly escalated.
01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 23, 2006
BY PETER LORD
Journal Staff Writer
Georgette Wehbe said yesterday that it felt great to be back home in Smithfield with her husband and three children after a 48-hour journey fleeing the devastation in Lebanon. But she brought with her a deep sadness for the future of her family and country.
"I still have my family there," Wehbe said. "It is hard to see what is happening to our country."
Wehbe and her family moved to the United States in 1998 so her husband could go to school. Last month, they and other family members returned for a big family wedding.
The festivities centered in Batroun, one of world's oldest cities that touts its beaches and restaurants and nightclubs on thousands of Web pages.
For 16 years, Lebanon had been at peace, Wehbe said, and it was thriving.
The joy of the family reunion ended early one morning when Wehbe heard the first Israeli bombs fall on the Beirut airport.
With the most intense fighting in Lebanon's south, she said she had no idea how quickly things would get very bad for her parents and other family members who live in the country's northern end.
It was difficult to travel because Israel has bombed roads and bridges. Food quickly disappeared from groceries. Warplanes flew overhead day and night.
"Everything was just gone in two days," Wehbe said of her bustling country.
When the family sought to escape, they looked to airports in Damascus and Jordan, but they couldn't get flights. They didn't want to drive because warplanes were blowing up vehicles.
Finally, the U.S. Embassy called.
The Wehbe family was invited to escape on a U.S.-chartered cruise ship.
"It was really very nice," Wehbe said. She heard others were brought out in warships where the only place to sit was on the steel decks.
It took about 10 hours to sail to Cyprus. Then a chartered plane took the family to Ireland. They had a three-hour wait there, and then flew on to Baltimore in the second U.S. flight of evacuees. Arriving early Friday morning, the trip took about 48 hours altogether.
"It was exhausting, but they did their best. People were very nice to us," Wehbe said.
U.S. officials are planning to transport some 8,000 of the 25,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon back to the United States through the weekend, the biggest evacuation of Americans from foreign soil since evacuations from Vietnam three decades ago.
Some Americans on the ground in Lebanon have complained about a slow U.S. evacuation. Angry citizens waited nervously in long lines for a trip out as the Middle East nation prepared for more attacks in the fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.
But passengers arriving in the United States said the trip was handled as well as it could be in a frantic atmosphere.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20060723_pevac22.1558fe8.html
Bush and the NAACP: Too Much Left Unsaid
By Colbert I. King
Saturday, July 22, 2006; Page A17
It was good of President Bush to show up at the NAACP convention this week, given his failure to make an appearance during the past five years. But to listen to the speech Bush delivered on Thursday after Sunday's address by NAACP Chairman Julian Bond was to hear a president playing his audience cheap.
It wasn't that Bond's speech was scintillating while the president's was dull, ponderous or anything like that. Bush was, to no one's surprise, appropriately self-deprecating -- a disarming tactic that often works with an unfriendly audience. And he struck all the right notes about slavery, racism, segregation and discrimination: "The record placed a stain on America's founding, a stain that we have not yet wiped clean," and "I understand that racism still lingers in America. It's a lot easier to change a law than to change a human heart."
Bush even owned up to the GOP's back-of-the-hand to African Americans: "For too long my party wrote off the African American vote, and many African Americans wrote off the Republican Party."
But his speech was significant for what he, as president of the United States, did not say in response to the markers that Bond laid down earlier in the week. The president cannot argue that he wasn't given the chance to make his case on some of the major issues of the day: Iraq, his fiscal policies and his approach to the use of presidential powers in wartime. The audience of 2,200 men and women representing millions more needed to hear him out. Bush, instead, spoke to the assembled as if they were strictly a narrow special-interest group concerned only about his administration's work in Katrina relief, the new Medicare drug benefit, the No Child Left Behind Act, funding for historically black universities, home ownership, small business loans, AIDS funding at home and in Africa, and the Voting Rights Act. At any rate, Bush elected to limit himself to those topics.
To be sure, the NAACP largely consists of men and women whose forefathers helped build America even as they were cheated out of liberty. But Bush failed to also see the conventioneers -- and the people they represent -- as Americans, 75 percent of whom live above the poverty line and pay taxes, and many of whom have relatives, friends and neighbors contributing directly to the nation's defense.
NAACP President Bruce Gordon said on Monday that he wanted Bush to come to the convention "to demonstrate the fact that he's our president." That is exactly what Bush should have done. Instead, Bush chose to assume the role of the "panderer" rather than "commander"-in-chief, putting his audience in a box and talking to its members about what he thought they would like to hear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/21/AR2006072101204.html
Orlando set to shatter homicide record
By TRAVIS REED
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Mickey Mouse made this medium-sized city loom much larger in the public eye than its population would suggest, but this year it has been running up a big-city statistic its residents would be better off without.
In less than seven months this city of about 215,000 reported 33 homicides, more than it's seen in any full year except one. It's only three shy of its 1982 record, and on pace to have one of the 15 worst per-capita murder rates in the country.
Victims include a 6-year-old apparent child abuse victim who died of severe head injuries and a 22-year-old shot in the back of the head for unknown reasons. Shortly after New Year's, a transient stabbed near a homeless camp bled to death on the same day an 18-year-old's bullet-riddled body lay on the street; two gunmen had apparently mistaken the youth for someone they were feuding with.
"People can attribute crime to failing schools, failing families. There's a bunch of sociological things you can put your finger on," said police Sgt. Rich Ring, head of Orlando's homicide investigation unit. "All we can do as police is say the biggest things are drugs and robbery, and we're going to take action to attack those issues."
FBI figures from 2005 released last month showed a 2.5 percent increase in violent crime nationwide - the largest since 1991 - and a 4.8 percent rise in murders.
Jacksonville, Florida's murder capital for 12 of the past 17 years, is on track to hit more than 130 homicides for the first time in more than a decade. Washington, D.C., police this month called a crime emergency amid rising incidences of robberies and armed assaults, and Detroit is on pace to hit 460 slayings, a 22 percent increase over 2005.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Orlando_Murders.html
Report: Detainee Abuse Is Condoned And Routine
July 23, 2006 2:00 p.m. EST
Megan Shannon - All Headline News Staff Writer
(AHN) - A New York based Human Rights group said the torture of Iraqi detainees was authorized and routine before and after the Abu Ghraib scandal came to light.
A Human Rights Watch report showed accounts of former U.S. soldiers saying that inhumane treatment of the detainees was encouraged, including routine beatings, sleep deprivation, and other abuses from 2003 to 2005.
Lt. Col Mark Ballesteros said, "The standard of treatment is and always has been humane treatment of detainees in (Department of Defense) custody."
The HRW report also said that soldiers who tried to stop the abuse were ignored or reprimanded. This is why HRW is asking that criminal investigations follow the allegations all the way up the military chain of command. The 11 soldiers now convicted in the abuse at Abu Ghraib are all low ranking.
An interrogator told HRW that in 2004 he was told by an officer in charge to use abuse techniques. He said they used dogs to intimidate the prisoners, made them walk on their knees in the gravel, and had them stand during long periods of time holding water bottles.
John Sifton, author of the HRW report said, "These accounts rebut US government claims that torture and abuse in Iraq was unauthorized and exceptional - on the contrary, it was condoned and commonly used."
HRW is asking U.S. Congress to appoint an independent commission to investigate the issue and asked President George Bush to appoint an independent prosecutor to also handle an investigation.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004304754
Senators Slam Voluntary Bird Flu Testing
By LIBBY QUAID , 07.21.2006, 11:05 AM
Senators on Friday criticized the Agriculture Department's planning for deadly bird flu, saying the voluntary nature of its testing program threatens the U.S. poultry industry.
At issue is a federal audit that found the government lacks a comprehensive plan for testing and monitoring bird flu in commercial poultry. The department says it will have a plan in place by October.
"It is surprising that USDA does not have a program that monitors and collects data on what testing is taking place," the senators wrote in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
"We are deeply concerned that the agency has waited until this year to begin to develop a comprehensive surveillance plan for avian influenza, which will not be complete until October," wrote the group, which includes Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
The group includes four other Democrats and one Republican.
A department spokesman said Friday that officials are working to fix the problems raised by auditors and that auditors approve of those efforts.
"This has been a key priority for the department," spokesman Ed Loyd said. "This is not something that's just theoretical to the department. We have experience in dealing with previous high-path outbreaks."
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/07/21/ap2895765.html
Health Highlights: July 21, 2006
07.21.06, 12:00 AM ET
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
FDA Scientists Cite Agency Shortcomings in Poll
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration seems to care more about speeding new drugs to market than ensuring medication safety, more than one-third (37 percent) of the agency's scientists said in a new survey.
The poll, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, also found that 39 percent of the 997 FDA scientists surveyed said the agency wasn't "acting effectively to protect public health," the Baltimore Sun reported Friday. Another 32 percent said the FDA didn't always release complete and accurate information to the public, the newspaper reported.
An FDA spokeswoman called the survey unscientific and "a counterproductive exercise based on leading questions and innuendo."
Members of Congress who have criticized the agency for purported close ties to the drug industry said the poll provided additional evidence of the need for change.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement saying the FDA was in need of "a major overhaul and a culture change at the highest levels," the Sun reported.
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U.S. Warns of Unapproved Lyme Disease Remedy
Citing at least one death from an unapproved remedy for Lyme disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors and consumers Friday against use of the product, called "bismacine," and also known as chromacine.
The agency issued a statement saying the injected product is not FDA-approved to treat any condition whatsoever. The product contains high amounts of bismuth, a heavy metal used in some pill remedies to treat bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. But the agency said the substance is not approved to be injected.
Poisoning from bismuth can lead to cardiovascular collapse and kidney failure, the FDA warned.
In April, one person died after using the product, and at least one other person has been hospitalized after receiving bismacine, the agency said. The product isn't considered a pharmaceutical and has been dispensed by individual druggists, alternative health practitioners, or by people claiming to be medical doctors, the FDA added.
The agency said it is investigating several suppliers and "will take additional action as appropriate."
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Drugmakers Given OK to Color Pills
Drugmakers have been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to begin using pigments to color pills, tablets, and liquids to brighten their appeal, the Associated Press reported.
The pearlescent pigments, similar to those that give cosmetics a pearly sheen, can produce metallic, satiny, and shimmery finishes, the wire service said. The FDA approved their use some eight years after a New Jersey firm first petitioned the agency, the AP added.
Similar pigments are used in lipsticks, eye shadows, nail polishes and automobile paints, the wire service said. Four years ago, the FDA approved their use in coloring contact lenses.
The new rule specifies that the pigments cannot comprise more than 3 percent of the drug's weight, the AP noted.
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U.S. Women Pump Iron More: Report
In what it called a first look at Americans' prevalence for weightlifting and general strength-training, a new U.S. government report Thursday found almost one in 5 women do twice-weekly workouts pumping iron.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report, published in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found an overall increase in weightlifting and other forms of strength-training. In 2004, about 20 percent of U.S. adults were doing strength-training at least twice a week, up slightly from the late 1990s, when about 18 percent of adults were, the Associated Press reported.
Women improved the most: About 17.5 percent did twice-a-week workouts in 2004, up from about 14.5 percent in 1998. Men, in contrast, held steady at around 21.5 percent.
Long-term concerns about bone loss, and a recognition that strength-training can help, may also be factors fueling women's interest, according to Judy Kruger, a CDC epidemiologist who was the study's lead author.
The data, from an annual national survey of thousands of U.S. adults, also showed a marked increase in the percentage of people 65 and older who did at least two workouts each week.
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U.S. to Cut Back on Mad Cow Testing
The U.S. government plans to reduce its mad cow testing program to about 10 percent of the level it has operated at over the past 2 1/2 years.
Beginning late August, testing will be cut to about 110 tests per day from the current level of about 1,000 tests per day, the Associated Press reported.
There is little justification for the current level of mad cow testing, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. He noted that the reduced testing is still much higher than what is called for by the World Organization for Animal Health.
"It's time that our surveillance efforts reflect what we know is a very, very low level of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in the United States," Johanns said.
The proposed move was attacked by critics, who say now is not the time to scale back on the testing, which has cost the government an estimated $1 million per week.
"It surely will not encourage consumers in the U.S. or Japan to rush to the store to buy more beef," said Carol Tucker-Foreman, food policy director for Consumer Federation.
The United States has had three confirmed cases of mad cow disease since December 2003, the AP reported.
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Indonesia Confirms 42nd Bird Flu Death
Indonesia on Thursday confirmed its 42nd human death from the H5N1 bird flu virus. The disease has killed the same number of people in Vietnam. The two countries have the highest bird flu death tolls in the world.
The latest victim was a 44-year-old man who died in an East Jakarta hospital earlier this month. Officials said the man was a fried chicken seller, Agence France Presse reported.
While Indonesia and Vietnam have each had 42 bird flu fatalities, there have been no deaths reported in Vietnam so far this year.
The growing death toll in Indonesia concerns experts, who have accused Indonesian officials of acting too slowly to halt the spread of H5N1, AFP reported.
The Indonesian government has focused on vaccinating poultry, rather than conducting mass poultry slaughters, as recommended by the United Nations. Other countries in the region have carried out slaughter programs to control the spread of the H5N1 virus.
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/07/21/hscout533954.html
Internet companies under fire for aiding China's online censorship
By Frank Davies
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
WASHINGTON - A new online campaign from Amnesty International and a far-reaching bill in Congress are increasing the pressure on three Internet giants - Microsoft, Yahoo and Google - to stop assisting China's massive efforts to censor Internet use.
The three companies "directly and admittedly contradicted their values and stated policies" by undermining free expression and access to information in China, Amnesty charges in a report that examines the business deals made with the Chinese government.
Amnesty also launched a global effort (http://irrepressible.info) urging bloggers and other users to fight back by posting content censored by China, Vietnam, Iran, Syria and other countries, pushing for the release of jailed dissidents and lobbying governments and companies to change their policies.
The campaign comes as legislation is making progress in Congress that would force these companies to report the details of their agreements with countries that restrict their citizens' Internet use.
The bill in the House of Representatives also would prohibit companies from blocking access to U.S. government Web sites, such as Radio Free Asia, or turning over personal data to a foreign government.
The three companies responded to the Amnesty criticism with variations on a central theme: that it's better to provide access to lots of information, with restrictions, than no information.
With more than 120 million people online, China is second only to the United States in Internet use. Chinese officials have created the world's most sophisticated Internet-filtering system, according to the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. China blocks access to a wide range of political content with the cooperation of U.S. companies.
"We have to guard against the creation of two Internets: one for expression and one for repression," Larry Cox, the executive director of Amnesty's U.S. office, said in a statement.
In China, Microsoft Corp. has shut down a blog at the government's request and Google Inc. launched a censored version of its search engine.
Yahoo Inc. signed a "pledge of self-discipline" with China to "refrain from posting or disseminating information that may jeopardize state security." The company provided personal user data to Chinese officials that helped lead to the imprisonment of two dissidents.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15094978.htm
Shanghai company starts small with hydrogen-powered car
Posted 7/22/2006 5:00 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this
Enlarge By Elaine Kurtenbach, AP
Taras Wankewycz, founder of Horizon, prepares for a demonstration of the company's hydrogen-powered model car.
By Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press
SHANGHAI — It's a dream that's been pursued for years by governments, energy companies and automakers so far without success: Mass-producing affordable hydrogen-powered cars that spew just clean water from their tailpipes.
So Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small.
This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refueling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable.
"Public awareness and education are the first steps toward commercialization," said Horizon founder Taras Wankewycz, 32. "We want to make sure this technology gets adapted globally."
Automakers and energy companies view hydrogen fuel cells as a promising technology that could wean the world from its addiction to crude oil. But it's expensive and technological hurdles remain despite billions of dollars that have been poured into research.
There's the cost and challenge of building fuel cells that convert hydrogen to electricity, and the question of how to cleanly generate the gas and distribute it to yet-to-be built fueling stations. Though prototype hydrogen cars exist, they're far from practical or affordable.
Horizon's H-Racer and fueling station solve those problems on a very small scale. The price: $80 for the set.
The toy's fuel cell, like those envisioned for real cars, relies on an electrochemical reaction to generate the current that powers the gadget's electric motor. Unlike a gas-powered internal combustion engine, the only byproducts are electricity, heat and water.
The fuel is supplied by its alarm clock-sized refueling station. A small electric current, generated by the solar cells, extracts hydrogen from water. (A battery backup is available for cloudy days.)
When the vehicle is hooked up to the refueling station, a balloon inside the 6-inch long car slowly fills.
With the flip of a switch, the car takes off and runs for 4 minutes on a full tank. The gas never ignites — and any would-be recreators of the Hindenburg disaster are likely to be disappointed by the toy's negligible amount of the gas.
Horizon has bigger plans for the technology. Wankewycz said it's working on ways to make fuel cells more efficient, so that they can be used to power cellphones and laptop computers, and eventually vehicles and households.
Still, what works for a toy isn't close to being ready for full-size cars. For one, it's extremely expensive, said Daniel Nocera, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemistry professor and one of the world's leading researchers in exploring how sunlight can be used to extract hydrogen from water.
"Technologies exist to split water with solar cells," he said. "It's just not market-viable yet. ... To say that it's going to be upscaled or commercialized for an energy society, that's a leap of faith for me."
Still, he admires Horizon's raising awareness about alternative energies through a toy.
"It's a great message to send," he said.
At Horizon's headquarters on the top floor of a nondescript warehouse-type building in a bleak suburban district of Shanghai, Wankewycz and former Eastman Chemical Co. colleague George Gu demonstrated prototypes of a hydrogen-powered electric bicycle and a golf caddy they are converting from lead acid batteries to hydrogen power.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2006-07-22-hydrogen-toy-car_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
Who are all these bloggers spouting their opinions anyway?
This United Press International story about a new survey on the continued growth of blogging as well as the potential for millions more brand new readers in the coming years has this particular blogger jumping for joy at the possibility of reaching those people with the message of livin' la vida low-carb.
The Pew Research group released the results of their "Internet & American Life Project" this week and reported on several very distinctive trends in blogging and with the bloggers themselves. The blogging format is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with and this new research shows the influence that blogs are having will only continue to get bigger and bigger.
Among the characteristics of bloggers, here's what they found:
- Most bloggers share their personal experiences
- Most bloggers are content with small readership
- Most bloggers use their blog as a personal journal
- Most bloggers don't consider what they do as journalism
- Most bloggers write about the things they are most passionate
- Most bloggers try to be a leader in the subject they blog about
- Most bloggers write daily or almost daily
- Most bloggers LOVE to write and are good at it
- Most bloggers have a full-time job (and it's not blogging!)
- Most bloggers are young, primarily 18-30 year olds
- Most bloggers blog about first-hand knowledge or skills
- Most bloggers have never published their writings before
- Most bloggers remain anonymous using a fake name
- Most bloggers spend hours on the Internet per day
- Most bloggers enjoy reading other people's blogs
- Most bloggers share original works of art or expression
- Most bloggers allow people to comment on their blog
- Most bloggers post pictures and photos on their blog
- Most bloggers are willing to post links to other similar blogs
- Most bloggers are not in it to make money
Those are some very keen observations about what constitutes the great bloggers of our day and I can't really disagree with any of them because most of them are very apropos. While all of us bloggers are not all the same, we certainly have areas of commonality that bind us together that define who we are as a whole. Can you think of any other descriptions of what most bloggers are like that the Pew survey missed?
It's the year 2006, but I'm still amazed at the reaction I get from people when I tell them I have a low-carb blog.
"You've got a what? A clog? Do you need some Liquid Drano for that or something? Oh, you said a blog. Duh, what's that?"
Sigh. Thankfully the blogosphere is starting to get a little more recognition now that 12 million adults in the United States (8 percent of the Internet population) are active members of this emerging community of interactive opinion-makers sharing their thoughts and ideas on whatever is on their mind with a whopping 57 million American adults (39 percent of the Internet population) reading these blogs.
So, where are the other 61 percent of Internet users going for information on their favorite topics? Come on people, you've gotta start reading the blogs to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and thought on whatever it is that interests you the most. The two best places to find blog posts that feature up-to-the-minute news and commentary on your favorite topics is either at Google BlogSearch or Technorati. Go ahead, give 'em a try!
Among the different kinds of blogs out there, here is the breakdown:
Personal life - 37 percent (can you say MySpace.com?)
Political - 11 percent
Entertainment - 7 percent
Sports - 6 percent
News/Current Events - 5 percent
Business - 5 percent
Technology - 4 percent
Religion/Faith - 2 percent
Health - 1 percent
Frankly, I'm surprised health blogs were THAT small. Nevertheless, I believe with obesity and diabetes continuing to grow and expected to remain in that upward direction in the coming years, you will very likely see the emergence of even more blogs that discuss health, diet, nutrition, and weight loss to help people deal with these conditions. In other words, the blog format I have chosen is NOT going anywhere anytime soon. Good! :)
What does this Pew survey mean for the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog specifically? Not a whole lot since I seem to be doing a lot of the right things by offering my readers quality content on a daily basis that they are interested in. I take my blogging responsibilities very seriously and I never want to just settle for anything less than the best I can offer. That's not fair to you as my reader and I wouldn't want you to expect anything less from me. It's the least I can do to reward you for your faithfulness to my blog.
I feel I am offering my readers much of what they are looking for in a blog based on the numbers who visit here daily. Yet, I would be interested in knowing what the Pew people find out about the READERS of blogs and what they expect in a blog and
You know what, though, I'm not willing to wait until they do their research to find out. :D Let's just make up our own informal survey with this blog post right here, right now.
What do YOU as a reader of blogs look for when you visit a blog? In other words, why do you keep coming back to read the same blogs every day or every few days? Are there any specific things you look for in a blog that make you WANT to keep coming back? If so, what are they?
Please feel free to expand upon these questions and share your comments about being a blog reader by clicking on the comment link below.
The blog format is indeed exploding and a lot of companies and businesses are JUST beginning to realize this. The savvy marketing teams are falling all over themselves trying to get in the good graces of the most popular bloggers right now and that only makes good business sense. If you have a blog that attracts a lot of people, then be prepared to be approached by all kinds of companies that have products and services related to your blog topic. If not already, then it is coming.
For me, I'll keep blogging away because I aim to educate, encourage and entertain people with news, information and opinions that will hopefully help them in your weight loss efforts and keep them informed about what's going on in the wonderful world of low-carb. Keep on reading the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog as you keep on livin' la vida low-carb!
http://www.commonvoice.com/article.asp?colid=5449
Anyone who happens to be near the sea in Folkestone, Kent, might want to take a look and see if they can spot the latest breed of nautical Panda that clambered into the sea at around 8.30 this morning.
Hot on the heels of Little Britain star David Walliams, who swam into the record books earlier this month in aid of Sport Relief, this little Panda is not just cooling off in the water, or escape the UK´s heatwave - it is planning to cross the channel, get all the way to the French coast, and then drive the final leg home to Italy!
This Panda´s creater is MIlan born Maurizio Zanisi, a former Iso Rivolta engineer, and his self-built Panda Terramare 4 is based on a Fiat [compare Fiat prices] Panda 4x4 chassis, combined with an inflatable flotation belt and waterjet propulsion driven off the rear axle.
The Panda Terramere 4 has already been spotted taking a dip in some of the great Italian lakes (Como and Maggiore), the River Po, and the Mediterranean off the coat of Sardinia, so is no stranger to water. However the longest sea journey before this channel attempt has been a return trip from Naples to Capri, which is a journey of around 25 miles. The Channel is the Panda Terramare 4´s greatest test so far.
http://www.askaprice.com/torque-article.asp?article=Panda_swims_across_the_channel!&item=1945
Somalia slides towards war
NAIROBI –– Neglected by the world for years, Somalia appears on the verge of a war that could escalate into a major regional conflict and play into the hands of hardline militia.
Six weeks after taking Mogadishu and other southern towns, the militia are engaged in an increasingly bellicose standoff with a fragile, Ethiopian-backed interim government based in the provincial town of Baidoa.
With militia moving their closest yet to Baidoa this week, and witnesses saying Ethiopian soldiers have poured over the border to defend the government, the prospect of yet another major conflict in Somalia has risen sharply.
"The risk of full-scale war increases by the day," said John Prendergast, of the International Crisis Group, citing the government's "foolish" boycott of peace talks in Sudan and what he called provocative militia movements.
While Ethiopia is apparently spoiling for a fight, warning it will crush the militia if they attack Baidoa, another regional player -- Eritrea -- is playing a lesser-known but also influential role on the other side, analysts and diplomats say.
Already criticised by the United Nations for funnelling arms to the militia during their rise to power in Mogadishu earlier this year, the Eritreans are continuing to supply weapons, funds and personnel, the experts believe.
"The Eritrean support is the backbone of the militia military structure," said one analyst, who has close contacts with all sides in the Somali crisis but asked not to be named.
"In Mogadishu, the Eritrean presence is everywhere. Believe me, I've seen them."
Ethiopia's motives are obvious: it wishes to remain the dominant power in the Horn of Africa; it has traditionally sought to influence Somalia and contain radical Islam there; and it fears Islamist aspirations in its Ogaden ethnic Somali region.
Eritrea's thinking is less clear -- beyond hatred of Ethiopia.
http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=33321
Interview with Hezbollah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah
by Al-Jazeera
July 22, 2006
Al Jazeera in Arabic
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Al-Jazeera interviews Hezbollah chief - text
Text of report by Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 20 July
Interview with Hezbollah Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah, by Al-Jazeera Beirut Bureau Chief Ghassan Bin-Jiddu, on 20 July.
Emphasis added by Global Research
[Bin-Jiddu] It is sufficient to say that we are in the company of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah at this time in particular. The battles are still continuing. We are at a certain time in a certain place of this world, and not only in Lebanon, as I used to say earlier. This is why, without any introductions at all, I will start my questions to His Eminence Al-Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah. Your Eminence Al-Sayyid, first of all, thank you for responding to [the request to hold] this interview at this time in particular. Around 10 days have passed since the outbreak of hostilities. What do you say militarily and politically?
[Nasrallah] In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Politically and militarily all at once, it is difficult. Let us start...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Not in detail. We will go into details with you.
[Nasrallah] Let us start militarily and in the field. The general headline we can speak about clearly on the military level is steadfastness--the great and significant steadfastness first and, secondly, full absorption of the Israeli strike. Over the past few days, the Israelis, in our opinion, did the maximum that they can do, from the air and the sea. Of course, we will discuss the ground option shortly. There is no target--old, new, assumed, expected, based on information or analysis--that they did not hit. Also, when we speak about what was hit, this includes military and civilian targets, but I want to speak now about the military aspect.
I can confirm at this moment--this is not an exaggeration and not part of psychological warfare, but facts--that the command structure of Hezbollah has not been harmed. Yesterday night, they conducted a very violent raid on a building in the southern suburb. They spoke about 22 tonnes of explosives and a large number of aircraft that conducted the raid. They said that they made an achievement and killed some Hezbollah leaders and a large number of members of the resistance. This is not true. At any rate, your correspondent reported that he saw the area and that no ambulances came to the scene and no rescue efforts were made because the building is vacant and is under construction. The entire command structure of Hezbollah, including the political, jihadist, executive, and social--so far, the Zionists have not managed to kill any Hezbollah cadre or leader at any level.
[Bin-Jiddu] Do you mean the political leaders or the military commanders?
[Nasrallah] All of them. Certainly, I would like to tell you and tell the viewers that when a martyr falls, we inform his family and we then announce this. We do not hide our martyrs until the end of the battle. We have never done this. On the contrary, we always take pride in our martyrs. Until this very moment, praise be to God, anything that could affect the command or administrative structure that is managing the battle or that is not managing the battle--those who are directly linked to the battle or have a relationship to some aspects of the existing situation--this structure has remained intact. This is especially true in the case of the military structure that is present in the field. This is first. The second thing that I can confirm is that all the Israeli talk that they hit 50 per cent of our rocket capability and warehouses--all of this is untrue and nonsense. Until this moment, they have not been able to hit anything in this context. I confirm this to you. The evidence is that the resistance has continued to fire rockets--not the regular Katyusha rockets that are fired on the frontline settlements--the resistance is still striking Haifa, Tiberias, Safad [Zefat] and deep [into Israel] as well. We control even the number of rockets that are fired. Today, the resistance can fire hundreds of rockets in a single day. There is no obstacle in the field despite the intensive air activity of the Zionists.
We control the number [of rockets] because we are managing our battle. I will go back shortly to the management of the battle. There fore, as far as the rocket structure is concerned, things are excellent and this structure or capability has not been impaired at all. We have the ability to go on for a long time. Also, the fighters in the field have not started action so far. The ground confrontations that occurred over the past two days are the beginnings of the confrontation. The fighters on the border have so far not made a strenuous effort over the past few days. We are still at the beginning of action. Therefore, as far as the ground and rocket situation is concerned and on the level of capabilities and cadres, leadership, and organization in general, which is broader than the jihadist aspect or other political, social, and media aspects, the structure is still strong and solid and continuing, praise be to God.
The strike against the battleship off the coast of Beirut has made the Israelis decide to keep all their warships away from the Lebanese coast by tens of kilometres. What is reported sometimes in the media, to the effect that warships are bombarding the suburb or a certain area, is wrong. This is not true. The warships are not bombarding most areas because they are far away from the coast. The Israeli air force is the one that is conducting the bombing. In all events, this air force is a superior force. This is the picture of the field situation. Of course, in the confrontations that occurred, a number of Mirkava tanks have been destroyed so far. Some of these tanks are Mirkava of the fourth generation, which are the most advanced type of the Israeli Mirkava.
The Israelis admit the ferocity, power, and courage of the fighters on the frontlines. Certainly, we are wagering on those fighters. I think that if we take the picture of the military situation in general, I can confirm that Hezbollah has so far remained steadfast; secondly, it has managed to absorb the strike; thirdly, to move to the stage of taking the initiative; and fourthly, to offer some surprises, which it has promised. There is still a number of surprises, which we reserve to ourselves in the next stage. In the field, Hezbollah is still managing the battle calmly, slowly, quietly, and without any emotional reaction. You can see this. There are no unnecessary threats and no random rhetoric. We are following things closely and calmly and we calculate the time, place, number, capability, combat, point, front, and all details on the military level. This concerns the military aspect.
[Bin-Jiddu] Excuse me your eminence, what guarantees that what you are kindly describing as calm is not confusion, and what guarantees or confirms that you are running the battle calmly, not with emotional reaction to conceal the inflicted enormous military losses as Israel claims?
[Nasrallah] First, you know Lebanon. Today, the Israelis tightened the noose on the mass media in northern occupied Palestine and occupied Palestine. No one can report any news or broadcast any footage. [News reports] are subject to the Israeli censorship which permits and disseminates them. Even you at Al-Jazeera Channel were subjected to arrests, interrogation, restricted activities, and the like. Why do the Israelis resort to concealing the truth on the other side? Why? Do they do that only because they accuse the media outlets of setting the coordinates? This is nonsense. We have the coordinates of these Israeli settlements and military positions in the north, centre, or in any part of occupied Palestine. We do not need anybody to give us information, images, or the like. In that case, they want to conceal the true scene of the war on the other side because it will have definite impact on the Israeli street and media and the morale of the Israelis. This is what Olmert's government and the Israeli Army fear. On the other side, the media outlets in Lebanon today are reporting on everything, including the raids, the civilian martyrs, the combatant martyrs, and the roads. The towns are open even the Southern Suburb. The media outlets entered it. The media outlets entered and videotaped the place, which was bombarded yesterday at dawn, actually today at dawn. So, everything is evident. You know Lebanon more than anybody else that there are no secrets in Lebanon. If we have martyrs, we can only conceal them for an hour or two because their families and the residents of their village will know about it. Those are not fighters from another country; they are from the citizens of this country. If one of the leaders of Hezbollah is martyred, this will be made known within few hours. Therefore, we do not conceal our martyrs and we are proud of them. Secondly, as for the structure [of the resistance], its performance practically assert that things are still ongoing well. Moreover, the Israelis gave a while ago a picture of trucks to the mass media claiming that these trucks are transporting ammunition to Hezbollah. Well, if they videotape every target they strike, let them provide pictures of the rocket launchers, the launching pads, and the military bases that were bombarded. Thus far, they have been bombarding wrong targets. This indicates a technical failure on the one hand and an intelligence failure on the other. The drilling machines in Al-Ashrafiyah are old machines. So, they do not receive intelligence from the ground and I do not agree with the analysis that suggests they pounded Al-Ashrafiyah because they want to instigate the Christians and the residents of Al-Ashrafiyah against the resistance. We should not be hasty [in drawing conclusions]. They came and videotaped the two drilling machines. They might have looked as rocket launchers in the pictures and therefore they bombarded them. This is a failure. If they are depending on the reconnaissance aircraft, this is a technical failure. If they are depending on the agents on the ground, this is an intelligence failure. So, if they have pictures, let them show them to the world. You might wonder and says is it possible that no rocket launcher was hit. Neither me, nor anybody can claim that. There might be, for example, one or two were hit. After nine days, the strongest air force in the Middle East region and one of the strongest air forces in the world that have access to the airspace while we do not have the capabilities to face them at that level - an air force effectively and strongly present in various ways with the reconnaissance aircraft controlling the airspace of Lebanon - could not until this very minute even stop firing rockets or target the missile force. It is very evident.
[Bin-Jiddu] Can we say that the onset of the ground battle has begun or not?
[Nasrallah] We cannot say that accurately. Until now, what have been taking place are infiltration attempts in certain points on the borders. In this context, the Israelis are seeking to make any achievements. I tell that the only achievement made by the Israelis can be made by any air force in the world. It does not need the grandeur of the Israeli Air Force, namely destroying the bridges, the airport, striking at the ports, factories, the houses. This does not need any [special air force]. Any army that has some aircraft can do that. However, they failed in the face of the military infrastructure of the resistance. They succeeded in killing the children, women, and the elderly. They succeeded in displacing some people. As for the structure of the resistance, I affirm to you that it is present. They know that they are not hiding-- as they claim-- among the civilians. [The battle] is taking place in the frontlines, the mountains, the valleys, and between the trees in a wide area. They are looking for achievements. They talked at dawn today about the bombing of this building in the Southern Suburb. I heard over the past two or three days that they are talking about great, huge, fortified Hezbollah barracks along the borders that were destroyed. I was discussing the issue with the brothers. We discussed whether we should deny the claims or not. Some said: Let them be happy about it as they are showing their people that they made achievements. Let them be happy about their achievements and this might ease the onslaught. They will be happy in the Israeli Army that they made achievements. Others said: Let our public opinion know because this would have positive and negative psychological impact. So, let our public opinion know. Let me ask: Where are the fortified barracks on the borders of the Islamic Resistance? The border posts are actually surveillance posts consisting of a column on which an antenna is attached and another on which a camera is placed. Beside these columns there is a room where one of our youth stays. This is simply what these posts are consisting of. These posts were evacuated right from the first day. If they come today to say that they destroyed frontline positions. They mean these places. If they say that occupied frontline posts, these posts exist along the barbed wires and we evacuated them since the first day when we captured the soldiers. Now that the Israelis' helplessness has been proved, we affirm to you that they have a problem in receiving intelligence from the air and from the ground. Most of their agents are at large, some were arrested, and some disappeared. The agents are facing difficulties in their movements now on the ground to locate or give some information [to Israel]. At any rate, they need some commandoes groups to enter the Lebanese territories, either to collect intelligence or to correct some of the mistakes they made in their strikes on the frontlines. They also need them to conduct operations to capture or kill some of the mujahidin of the resistance, or even to say that they killed or made field achievement since the Israeli Navy retreated and was hit. I do not believe that the air raids are an achievement. So, they are looking for an achievement on the ground. What is happening until know is within this context. I do not call it the beginning of a ground incursion. However, I would like to affirm that that these points were strongly dealt with. It would have been better to provide pictures of the tanks that were destroyed, but the difficult travel conditions prevented that. Anyway, they are admitting that some of the tanks were destroyed, and that some people were killed and wounded. I promise them more fighting and toughness from the mujahidin of the resistance along the borders. As for the ground attack option, it is possible that they might resort to it. We have been ready for it since the first day. I do not want to raise the ceiling of expectations and I do not u se speeches. We are fighting a serious battle. I did not say one day that the Israelis will be unable to enter any post in southern Lebanon. We are not a classic army extending from the sea to Mount Hermon. We are a popular and serious resistance movement that is present in many areas and axes. They might be able to enter a certain point or a village or conduct a large-scale ground operation. They might enter a mountain or a frontline village and claim a historical victory. In order not to say that Hezbollah made a pledged, I did not promise one day something like that or say that. This is not the case. This can happen at any moment. As for us, our equation and principles are the following: When the Israelis enter, they must pay dearly in terms of their tanks, officers, soldiers. This is what we pledge to do and we will honour our pledge, God willing.
[Bin-Jiddu] Do you expect that the battles will be long? Are you preparing, as one of the generals inside [ Lebanon ] warned, for a war of attrition?
[Nasrallah] The battle here, if we want to answer these questions, we should discuss the background of the battle. We are not convinced at all--perhaps during the first hours we can say that the reaction that took place was a natural reaction to the capturing of Israeli soldiers--but hours after this, the issue has gone far beyond a reaction to the capturing of the soldiers. The Israelis entered [ Lebanon ] with a plan. The officials in charge of this plan, commanders, and news media used to talk about it with varying degrees, which we will analyse later. However, they, for example, spoke about destroying Hezbollah, not the missile force, but destroying Hezbollah. Some sides say the dismantling of the military structure of Hezbollah. Others said the annihilation and destruction of the missile force of the military structure, and others said we cannot destroy the military force of Hezbollah, but we want to pain Hezbollah and weaken this force. Then they said pushing Hezbollah far from the borders. Those who talk about pushing Hezbollah 10 or 20 km know that this does not mean pushing the missile force far from the borders. The one who attacks Haifa, Afula, and farther villages, and has the power to attack farther than this, then the story of 10 or 20 km is considered simple details. Some sides said that the objective of the operation is to free the two prisoners. I assure you that the objective of the operation is not to free the two prisoners. At any rate, the slogans on the one hand, and the objectives that were announced for the operation on the other, means that the operation would take a long time. I cannot say one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, more, or less. This issue depends on the field developments on the one hand, and the political developments on the other. Now...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Excuse me. Does it depend on you or on Israel?
[Nasrallah] On us and on them. The course of the battle--I will say how--for example, today, the talk began in Israel, and this is a logical analysis, to the effect that the Israeli military operation has reached its peak. What is more than this? I will answer you. What can the Israelis do more than what they did? What is left is the ground incursion, which is costly at any rate. There is an argument, not among the politicians on the political level, even on the military and security levels there is a real argument on the level of the military and security commands. What is left is the ground incursion. Except the incursion, everything the Israelis could do have done. So, they have reached the peak. Now, they have one of two choices: When they reach the peak they either proceed horizontally, or in other words, continue with the same standard or the dose [preceding word in English] of the peak, or they will begin to decline. So, the military operation will begin to decline and to calm down gradually to pave the way for a political settlement. How much time would this take? This depends on developments. When time drags--the north is brought to a halt, northern Israel, excuse me, I apologize, I mean northern occupied Palestine--there are two million Israelis who are either in shelters or outside the area, displaced outside the area. The entire economy in the north is brought to a halt. The factories, trade, tourism, and economic movement are all brought to a halt. The number of the killed and injured on their side could be much less than on our side, but this is natural. This is because they have a huge arsenal. Our arsenal is not for destruction, retaliation, and revenge, but a deterrent arsenal. They have a huge destructive power. There is no exaggeration here. They also have shelters. Give me one village in the south that has shelters in it. Up till now a large part of the people of the south are still in the south. Had there been shelters, the people would have remained there and would not have le ft . No one likes to live in school to be given ration. However, on their side, from the borders to deep in the north, there are shelters in the settlements. So, it is only logical that the number of those killed and wounded on their side is less than on our side. However, what affects the economy and the pressure the people are exposed to as a result of displacement and living in shelters. [Sentence incomplete as heard] They promised them with a quick operation within a few days. The first day and then the second day passed, and every day they say three or four times in the Israeli news media that they have killed me, killed the Hezbollah leaders, and made false achievements. So, what is next? Until when will this continue? The Israeli society is so far rallying round the government. We have seen this experience in 1993, in 1996, and in past wars, but this solidarity will begin to vanish with the passage of time. So, if the military operation took a horizontal direction or began to decline, then the peak that is higher than this is the ground incursion. I am sure that the ground incursion will be a catastrophe to the Israeli army. This is not a threat. You know from day one that I speak calmly and objectively on these issues. The issue now, if it continues...
[Bin-Jiddu, interrupting] Excuse me; you repeated the word disaster on more than one occasion.
[Nasrallah] I mean a disaster for their tanks, officers, and soldiers. There will be a high price for them to pay. Right from the first day, I never claimed, even during negotiations and in my past speeches, that I can shoot down F-16's. We have never claimed that. We did not claim such a thing even during the [confrontation] in the sea, but we managed to surprise them in the sea. As for the land, we have 24-year experience; we have long and real experience in the land. We have high and efficient fighting capabilities, good armed capabilities, and good reserves.
It is a matter of time now. I rule out that the Israelis can make a military achievement. It is a matter of time. On the one hand, there is our military steadfastness, and on the other there is the political and popular steadfastness. They [the Israelis] are wagering on seeing the country's political situation break up and weaken, and on seeing a decline in the popular support for the resistance in order to achieve political results. We, on the other hand, are wagering on our steadfastness and that of our people, and on seeing a decline in the Israeli internal support for the military operation and on the pressures on the enemy's government, the beginning of which we began to see today.
[Bin-Jiddu] We will discuss the political issues. I want to go back to what you said about the popular steadfastness. Your Eminence, it is obvious that there is a real popular support in the areas where members of the resistance and Hezbollah are present. Now, the people who expressed their genuine support for the resistance are displaced and exhausted, and there is destruction as well. Honestly, do you still have faith in this popular support? Do not you think that you might win militarily and lose popularly, even among your own sect, not among other parties?
[Nasrallah] Before I met you, the brothers, who visited all the places where the displaced people are housed and talked to people, told me that the embassies of western countries are sending opinion-poll teams to the places housing the displaced people. They ask people about their sect and religion. Undoubtedly, they are interested first and foremost in the Shi'is' opinion. Based on the [religious] structure of the country, they believe that if the Shi'is begin to leave and desert the resistance, it would be an indication that the other sects will do the same - this is the [religious] structure of the country. The opinion-poll teams were amazed during their visits and meetings. There is strong support for the resistance; there is readiness to remain steadfast and make sacrifices. They listened to many women who said that they are ready to sacrifice their children, to fight, to remain steadfast and patient, and to endure, and that they will not allow the resistance to lose, be humiliated, or be stricken. Anyway, instead of me going to the people, anyone can go and meet these people and ask them in an objective and honourable manner. However, they should not ask a person who is not actually a displaced person and says that he speaks on behalf of them. We have information about the situation on the ground, and we are in constant contact with our people in the villages and cities. Our impression, which I am sure that it is now shared by the embassies that follow the situation and give information to the Israelis and decision-making centres in the world, is that the answers they got today will affect the course of the battle. Therefore, I thank the people for their position and steadfastness, which will make the war shorter. Why? If the opinion-poll teams see a sign of weakness and fragility, they will tell the Israelis to continue [their operations], that they can achieve their objectives, and that the war will not take a long time. It is not of their interest to fight for a long time. The US Administration, and other administrations, will build on that, and there will be no intervention. Today, yesterday, and the day before - especially today - they heard strong and honourable words. I tell you that they have began to feel desperate. I want to repeat what I said days ago that we have honourable people - I am talking about the Lebanese people in general, not only the Shi'is. The Lebanese people are honourable, dear, and great; I do not flatter when I say that. You can go to all Lebanese areas where there are Christians, Sunnis, and Druze to see how the rest of the Lebanese people deal with the displaced people.
between sympathy with those displaced persons, since they are Lebanese, and the attitudes towards the actions of Hezbollah and the resistance. It is said that the other parties, factions, and segments are not satisfied with Hezbollah's position, performance, and the way it got Lebanon involved, as they say, in this battle?
[Nasrallah] I am not talking about some political forces. I am talking about the people, the good people, those who in hard times reveal their chivalry, honour, and patriotism. This is especially since the political climate now says what happened has happened, and that there will be time for accountability. We also say that there will be time for accountability. No problem. The political climate says let's be united to handle this battle. This level of political rhetoric, which contains less incitement - I do not say it contains no incitement - but it contains less incitement, gives people a chance to approach matters honestly. Today, neither the masses of the resistance feel alienated at the national and popular levels, nor the resistance feels that its supporters around it have begun to disperse. Never! I stress to you that the masses of the resistance are firmer and more resolved. Even when we go to political negotiations - for certainly there will be political negotiations and political discussions - one of the most important issues that the Hezbollah leadership must keep in mind is that behind it are masses who do not accept to offer concessions that they might be humiliating or something like that. They might demand high positions that are commensurate with people's steadfastness and sacrifices. This is what we are building on.
[Bin-Jiddu] At any rate, your eminence, some say that Hezbollah might be strong militarily on the ground now, at least as you have said, but it seems that it is internationally isolated, excluded, and chased. It is also politically embarrassed at home. Even your former allies, the political forces with whom you used to hold discussions at home, do not conceal their dismay. True, they say there will be time for accountability, but they do not conceal their resentment. Moreover, they say: How could Hezbollah involve the country and take it hostage after a unilateral decision? The government was neither aware of that decision, nor does it bear its consequences or adopt it. Is this reasonable to happen?
[Nasrallah] Well, let us say that we have begun to go into the political part. First, I just want to close the first part, since we have talked about the battlefield, the shelling, and settlements. I would like to address the family that was hit in Nazareth. In my name and on behalf of my brothers, I apologize to this family. Of course, the word apology is not sufficient. I bear full responsibility. That was not intended at all. However, at any rate, we consider those who were killed in Nazareth martyrs for Palestine, Lebanon, the nation, and the resistance. It is a tough and hard confrontation, in which flaws of this kind might happen. I would like to send them my condolences and apologies. I hope that they would accept my condolences and apology.
Now I move on the political part. Politically, the international community, first, has never been with us. So I cannot say that is not with us, isolating, and forsaking us just today. It has never been with us. Moreover, it has mostly been against. For example, we have been listed on the US terrorism list since they created the terrorism list. We are among the first to be listed on that list. Some European countries also list us as terrorists. The position of the international community is clear. Consequently, we are not surprised by the international community. We have never wagered on the internatio nal community. The international community adopts international resolutions of which Israel implements nothing. Even Resolution 425 was not implemented by Israel; we imposed it on Israel. It has implemented none of the resolutions concerning the Palestine question. It has implemented none of the resolutions concerning the occupied Arab territories. For us, this is neither a new factor, nor a factor of pressure.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=AL-20060722&articleId=2790
Govt may stiffen rules on exports to N. Korea
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government is considering revising an ordinance of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law to require some companies in Japan with business ties to North Korea to disclose the export destinations of about 40 materials that could aid Pyongyang's missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, sources said Sunday.
The revision is seen as an additional sanction against North Korea over its missile launches into the Sea of Japan on July 5. The target materials and goods include large trucks, titanium alloys and carbon fiber.
The measure will allow the government to closely monitor export of the materials to prevent them from being subverted for the development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction or from entering North Korea via a third country, according to the sources.
If North Korea appears to be preparing to launch additional missiles, the government could decide to impose additional sanctions, such as expanding the number of products whose export to the reclusive state are restricted.
Other financial sanctions under consideration include a halt to remittances to that country and a freeze on bank accounts held in Japanese financial institutions by companies with business connections to North Korea, the sources said.
The government has started discussing a revision of the ordinance in consideration of the U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea's missile launches. The resolution, which was unanimously adopted on July 15, banned all U.N. member states from transferring material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea.
The government intends to focus on about 300 companies in Japan with business connections to North Korea. The restrictions will be applied to some of these companies depending on the value of their exports, materials for export and closeness of relations with North Korea, according to the sources.
These designated firms will be required to report to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry details of any export of the earmarked materials, even if the exports are destined for a country other than North Korea.
The ministry will keep a close eye on goods that might be sent on to North Korea and refuse to approve such exports unless it can confirm that the materials will not end up in that country.
(Jul. 24, 2006)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060724TDY01006.htm
Syria warns against ground incursion
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
Talkbacks for this article: 8
Syrian Information Minister Muhsein Bilal warned on Sunday that if Israel enters Lebanon with ground forces, it could drag Syria into the conflict as well.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC, Bilal said that if the IDF came within 20 kilometers of Damascus, "we will not sit idly by - there is no doubt that Syria will get involved in the conflict."
He said that Syria would press for a cease-fire to end the fighting between Israel and Hizbullah, but only in the framework of a broader Middle East peace initiative that would include a return of the Golan Heights.
"Syria is working on achieving real, comprehensive, fair peace based on the withdrawal from all the occupied territories, including the Golan," Bilal said.
It was unlikely that Israel would agree to such a deal, but the remarks were the first indication of Syria's willingness to be involved in international efforts to defuse the Lebanese crisis.
The interview was also carried on the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, a tacit confirmation of the remarks.
In Jordan, King Abdullah II, speaking with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak by phone, said Arabs needed a "unified position, which calls for an immediate cease-fire," a statement from his press office said.
Both leaders agreed to find a "peaceful solution to the current crisis and end its serious repercussions." The statement did not elaborate.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1153291978768&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Senators Urge Bush to Help Block Tax Loophole
HHS Secretary's Deductions for Gifts to Family Group Prompt Call for Action
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 22, 2006; Page A04
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and the committee's ranking Democrat, Max Baucus (Mont.), urged President Bush yesterday to help shut down a tax loophole that allowed his secretary of health and human services to claim more than $1 million in tax deductions for "gifts" that have been used to further his family's interests.
Grassley and Baucus, responding to a report in yesterday's Washington Post, wrote Bush to ask for his support in saving a provision in an embattled pension bill that would rein in what they called an abuse of the charity tax code. And they said the issue could be taken care of through regulatory changes in the Bush administration's control.
Mike Leavitt expresses pride in giving back to the community. (Alex Brandon - AP)
"Your IRS Commissioner, Mark Everson, has done a fine job of highlighting these problems but now the rest of your administration needs to pitch in and rewrite these regulations and end the abuse," Grassley and Baucus wrote. "We ask that you direct Treasury and [the Office of Management and Budget] to make a priority of rewriting these regulations in the next six months."
The issue received new attention this week when it was revealed that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and his family have claimed millions of dollars in tax deductions for contributions to a family foundation that until recently has given little to charity. Instead, through loans and investments, the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation has used its $9 million fortune to further the family's real estate holdings, insurance interests, and even the Leavitt family genealogical society.
In 2002, the foundation lent $332,000 to Leavitt Land and Investment Inc., in which the secretary owns a significant stake. That same year, Leavitt Land and Investment extended an interest-free loan to Leavitt in the form of stock valued at between $250,001 and $500,000, according to a recent financial disclosure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/21/AR2006072101355.html
Costa Rico sports bookies could cut off US gamblers
Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:27pm ET
By John McPhaul
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, July 22 (Reuters) - Online sports betting firms employing thousands of Costa Ricans could turn away U.S. gamblers after the arrest in Texas this week of a leading industry executive, but for now it remains business as usual.
A crusade by U.S. prosecutors against the $12 billion a year Internet betting industry may be enough of a headache for international bookies to give up the United States, their largest market.
On Monday, U.S. authorities detained David Carruthers, the Scottish chief executive of BETonSPORTS (BSS.L: Quote, Profile, Research) as he changed planes in Dallas. BETonSPORTS was one of several individuals and companies facing charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud under an indictment.
"I think what you'll see is the public companies will stop offering services to Americans," Canadian sports book magnate Calvin Ayre, owner of Costa Rica-based Bodog sportsbook, told Reuters this week.
"We have enough business internationally outside the United States to keep going."
Costa Rica-based BETonSPORTS' Web site closed down following Carruthers' arrest, but other book makers remained open for business.
At the fifth-floor offices of Ayre's Bodog call center in San Jose this week, rows of clerks took wagers over the telephone from bettors calling from around the world.
Flanked by flat screen televisions broadcasting the New York Mets vs. the Cincinnati Reds, supervisors sat on an elevated platform at the front of the room, entering odds into computers. Continued...
http://today.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompanyNewsArticle.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-07-22T192750Z_01_N22452481_RTRIDST_0_COSTARICA-BETTING.XML&rpc=66
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