Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran - Times Online: "he head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossad’s director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.
The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials."...
[bth: Times is a normal 'leak' source for Israeli intelligence. Why publish a statement like this? I don't get it.]
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
% of People who hate Michael Jackson, according to date « GraphJam: Music and Pop Culture in Charts and Graphs. Let us explain them.
Graphs. Let us explain them.Banks own the US government | Dean Baker | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Banks own the US government | Dean Baker | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "Last month, when the US Congress failed to pass a bankruptcy reform measure that would have allowed home mortgages to be modified in bankruptcy, senator Dick Durbin succinctly commented: 'The banks own the place.' That seems pretty clear."
After all, it was the banks' greed that fed the housing bubble with loony loans that were guaranteed to go bad. Of course the finance guys also made a fortune guaranteeing the loans that were guaranteed to go bad (ie AIG), and when everything went bust, the taxpayers got handed the bill. The cost of the bailout will certainly be in the hundreds of billions, if not more than $1tn when it is all over.
More importantly, we are looking at the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. The cumulative lost output over the years 2008-2012 will almost certainly exceed $5tn. That comes to more than $60,000 for an average family of four. This is the price that we are paying for the bankers' greed, coupled with incredible incompetence and/or corruption from our regulators....
Friday, July 03, 2009
High-ranking British soldier killed in Afghanistan - CNN.com
High-ranking British soldier killed in Afghanistan - CNN.com: "LONDON, England (CNN) -- The commander of a British regiment has become the country's highest-ranking soldier to be killed in action since 1982's Falklands War after he was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan."
Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe, 40, was killed along with trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, Wednesday as they were traveling along a canal in Lashkar Gah, in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province, the British Ministry of Defense said.
Thorneloe, a commanding officer who oversaw more than 1,000 men, had left the battle group headquarters on the resupply convoy so he could visit his men, because they were conducting a major operation in hostile territory, the ministry said.
He and Hammond, a tank driver, were killed despite traveling in an armored vehicle, the ministry said....
[bth: the vehicles, even the new ones, the Brits are giving their troops are just pieces of crap against IEDs. The bureaucracy in the UK simply will not come to grips with the fact that IEDs are the main killers. No scratch that. The bureaucrats are the killers.]
Informed Comment
[bth: one wonders what he could have said in the last interview to have it totally -every word- redacted.
[bth: one wonders what he could have said in the last interview to have it totally -every word- redacted.
FEMA: National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09)
FEMA: National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09): "National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09) is scheduled for July 27 through July 31, 2009. NLE 09 will be the first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery.
NLE 09 is designated as a Tier I National Level Exercise. Tier I exercises (formerly known as the Top Officials exercise series or TOPOFF) are conducted annually in accordance with the National Exercise Program (NEP), which serves as the nation's overarching exercise program for planning, organizing, conducting and evaluating national level exercises. The NEP was established to provide the U.S. government, at all levels, exercise opportunities to prepare for catastrophic crises ranging from terrorism to natural disasters."...
[bth; beware]
NLE 09 is designated as a Tier I National Level Exercise. Tier I exercises (formerly known as the Top Officials exercise series or TOPOFF) are conducted annually in accordance with the National Exercise Program (NEP), which serves as the nation's overarching exercise program for planning, organizing, conducting and evaluating national level exercises. The NEP was established to provide the U.S. government, at all levels, exercise opportunities to prepare for catastrophic crises ranging from terrorism to natural disasters."...
[bth; beware]
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Prof: People reject news which conflicts with beliefs • The Register
Prof: People reject news which conflicts with beliefs • The Register: ..."'We wanted to see exactly across the board to what extent people are willing to seek out the truth versus just stay comfortable with what they know,' says Illinois Uni psychology prof Dolores Albarracín.
She and her colleagues reviewed 91 different previous studies involving 8,000 respondents. They found that yes, people generally do prefer information that supports their own point of view. Respondents in the various surveys cited were about twice as likely to express a preference for news or information they agreed with, compared to data which upset them.
People are a bit more open-minded on subjects which they don't see as touching on moral values, however.
'If the issues concern moral values or politics, about 70 per cent of the time you will choose congenial information, versus about 60 per cent of the time if the issues are not related to values,' according to Albarracín.
The prof added that, counterintuitively, it is those with little confidence in their own beliefs who are least willing to consider opposing views. People who are sure they're right are actually more likely to listen to the other side of an argument."...
She and her colleagues reviewed 91 different previous studies involving 8,000 respondents. They found that yes, people generally do prefer information that supports their own point of view. Respondents in the various surveys cited were about twice as likely to express a preference for news or information they agreed with, compared to data which upset them.
People are a bit more open-minded on subjects which they don't see as touching on moral values, however.
'If the issues concern moral values or politics, about 70 per cent of the time you will choose congenial information, versus about 60 per cent of the time if the issues are not related to values,' according to Albarracín.
The prof added that, counterintuitively, it is those with little confidence in their own beliefs who are least willing to consider opposing views. People who are sure they're right are actually more likely to listen to the other side of an argument."...
The Military’s New Monster Truck for Afghanistan | Danger Room | Wired.com
The Military’s New Monster Truck for Afghanistan | Danger Room | Wired.com: "The U.S. Marine Corps has made it official: Oshkosh Corporation will build a new blast-proof truck for service in Afghanistan. The company beat out several competitors to win a $1.06 billion contract to build the all-terrain trucks, which go by the cumbersome name Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV for short. The initial order provides for 2,244 M-ATVs.
Roadside bombs remain a major threat in Afghanistan, but the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles first fielded in Iraq often proved too heavy for Afghanistan’s primitive roads and mountainous terrain. The military wanted a lighter, more nimble truck that would still provide serious protection for troops."...
Roadside bombs remain a major threat in Afghanistan, but the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles first fielded in Iraq often proved too heavy for Afghanistan’s primitive roads and mountainous terrain. The military wanted a lighter, more nimble truck that would still provide serious protection for troops."...
Pakistani Public Turns Against Taliban, But Still Negative on US - World Public Opinion
Pakistani Public Turns Against Taliban, But Still Negative on US - World Public Opinion: "Most Pakistanis now see the Pakistani Taliban as well as al Qaeda as a critical threat to the country--a major shift from 18 months ago--and support the government and army in their fight in the Swat Valley against the Pakistani Taliban. An overwhelming majority think that Taliban groups who seek to overthrow the Afghan government should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan."
However, this does not bring with it a shift in attitudes toward the US. A large majority continue to have an unfavorable view of the US government. Almost two-thirds say they do not have confidence in Obama. An overwhelming majority opposes US drone attacks in Pakistan.
These are some of the results of a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll conducted May 17-28, 2009. The nationwide random sample included 1000 Pakistani adults, selected using multi-stage probability sampling, who responded in face-to-face interviews. The margin of error is +/- 3.2 percent.
"A sea change has occurred in Pakistani public opinion. The tactics and undemocratic bent of militant groups--in tribal areas as well as Swat--have brought widespread revulsion and turned Pakistanis against them," comments Clay Ramsay, research director. However, he adds: "It's crucial to understand that the US is resented just as much as before, despite the US having a new president."
There has been a huge increase in those who think the "activities of Islamist militants and local Taliban" are a critical threat to Pakistan--a 47 point rise to 81 percent, up from 34 percent in late 2007. If the Pakistani Taliban were to gain control of the country, 75 percent say this would be bad (very bad, 67%)--though only 33 percent think this outcome is likely.
Seventy percent say their sympathies are more with the government than with the Pakistani Taliban in the struggle over Swat. Large majorities express confidence in the government (69%) and the military (72%) to handle the situation. Retrospectively, the public leans (by 45% to 40%) toward thinking the government was right to try to make an agreement in which the Pakistani Taliban would shut down its camps and turn in its heavy weapons in return for a shari'a court system in Swat. But now 67 percent think the Pakistani Taliban violated the agreement when it sent its forces into more areas, and 63 percent think the people of Swat disapprove of the agreement.
On the Afghan Taliban, an overwhelming 87 percent think that groups fighting to overthrow the Afghan government should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan. Most (77%) do not believe the Afghan Taliban has bases in Pakistan. However, if Pakistan's government were to identify such bases in the country, three in four (78%) think it should close the bases even if it requires using military force.
Public attitudes toward al Qaeda training camps follow the same pattern. Those saying the "activities of al Qaeda" are a critical threat to Pakistan are up 41 points to 82 percent. Almost all (88%) think al Qaeda should not be allowed to operate training camps in Pakistan. Though 76 percent do not believe there are such camps, if the Pakistani government were to identify them, 74 percent say the government should close them, with force if necessary.
This striking new public willingness to see the government directly oppose Taliban groups and al Qaeda owes little or nothing to an "Obama effect." A 62 percent majority expresses low confidence in President Obama to do the right thing in world affairs (none at all, 41%). Only one in three (32%) think his policies will be better for Pakistan; 62 percent think they will be about the same (26%) or worse (36%).
Views of the US remain overwhelmingly negative. Sixty-nine percent have an unfavorable view of the current US government (58% very unfavorable)--essentially the same as in 2008. Eighty-eight percent think it is a US goal to weaken and divide the Islamic world (78% definitely a goal). The US Predator drone attacks aimed at militant camps within the Pakistani border are rejected by 82 percent as unjustified. On the war in Afghanistan, 72 percent disapprove of the NATO mission and 79 percent want it ended now; 86 percent think most Afghans want the mission ended as well.
Asked about the nation's leaders, a large majority--68 percent--views President Zardari unfavorably (very, 50%), but--unlike the recent past--there are multiple national leaders whom most do view favorably. Prime Minister Gilani is seems untarred by negative views of Zardari and gets favorable ratings from 80 percent of Pakistanis. The restored Chief Justice Chaudry is very popular (82%), and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif is extremely popular (87%). The leader most associated with the Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, is viewed positively by only 18 percent of Pakistanis.
WorldPublicOpinion.org is a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. Funding for this research was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Calvert Foundation.
[bth: fascinating]
Obama Holds Health-Care Forum in Virginia - washingtonpost.com
Obama Holds Health-Care Forum in Virginia - washingtonpost.com: ..."In the stage-managed event, questions for Obama came from a live audience selected by the White House and the college, and from Internet questions chosen by the administration's new-media team. Of the seven questions the president answered, four were selected by his staff from videos submitted to the White House Web site or from those responding to a request for 'tweets.'
The president called randomly on three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence."...
The president called randomly on three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence."...
Unemployment Rate Hits 9.5 Percent As Economy Sheds 467,000 Jobs In June
Unemployment Rate Hits 9.5 Percent As Economy Sheds 467,000 Jobs In June:... "Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute, said that the loss of 6.5 million jobs since the start of the recession combined with the growth of the workforce means that the gains of the previous business cycle have been completely blown away.
'This is the only recession since the Great Depression to wipe out all jobs growth from the previous business cycle, a devastating benchmark for the workers of this country and a testament to both the enormity of the current crisis and to the extreme weakness of jobs growth from 2000-2007,' said Shierholz in a statement.
The ranks of the long-term unemployed -- people out of work for 27 weeks or more -- grew by 433,000 in June to a total of 4.4 million. Three in 10 of the unemployed are now long-term unemployed. The collapse of the housing industry contributes to their plight.
'We know right now because of the housing crisis that people can't move to find another job,' Shierholz said. 'People that in previous recessions may have been able to relocate to find another job can't now.'"...
'This is the only recession since the Great Depression to wipe out all jobs growth from the previous business cycle, a devastating benchmark for the workers of this country and a testament to both the enormity of the current crisis and to the extreme weakness of jobs growth from 2000-2007,' said Shierholz in a statement.
The ranks of the long-term unemployed -- people out of work for 27 weeks or more -- grew by 433,000 in June to a total of 4.4 million. Three in 10 of the unemployed are now long-term unemployed. The collapse of the housing industry contributes to their plight.
'We know right now because of the housing crisis that people can't move to find another job,' Shierholz said. 'People that in previous recessions may have been able to relocate to find another job can't now.'"...
Payrolls Fall More Than Forecast, Unemployment Rises (Update4) - Bloomberg.com
Payrolls Fall More Than Forecast, Unemployment Rises (Update4) - Bloomberg.com: "uly 2 (Bloomberg) -- Employers in the U.S. cut 467,000 jobs in June, the unemployment rate rose and hourly earnings stagnated, offering little evidence the Obama administration’s stimulus package is shoring up the labor market.
The payroll decline was more than forecast and followed a 322,000 drop in May, according to Labor Department figures released today in Washington. The jobless rate jumped to 9.5 percent, the highest since August 1983, from 9.4 percent"...
[bth: payroll is a lagging indicator but if consume spending is the issue it is hard to see how it will rise before jobs do.]
The payroll decline was more than forecast and followed a 322,000 drop in May, according to Labor Department figures released today in Washington. The jobless rate jumped to 9.5 percent, the highest since August 1983, from 9.4 percent"...
[bth: payroll is a lagging indicator but if consume spending is the issue it is hard to see how it will rise before jobs do.]
![[o.+transparency.jpg]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5HAG1QMLIrc/Skus0xHB6-I/AAAAAAAADOc/WMD9BYBKAzE/s1600/o.%2Btransparency.jpg)
Uncertainty Clouds Recovery of U.S. Investment in GM
Uncertainty Clouds Recovery of Government's Investment in GM - washingtonpost.com
,,,It's sure to be a stretch. For the United States to fully recover its investment, the value of General Motors stock will have to reach levels it has never before attained.
"I'm not going to predict it -- that's not my job today," GM chief executive Fritz Henderson said in a recent interview.
"I don't know how much we're going to recover," a senior Obama administration official said as the company headed into bankruptcy last month.
This uncertainty stems from the difficulty in valuing the 60 percent GM stake that the United States will receive in exchange for the public investment. The government also gets preferred shares and other compensation.
The stake will be worth enough to fully cover the government's direct investment only if GM's stock rises above $68 billion. Even at its recent 2000 peak, GM's stock was worth only $56 billion.
"I don't see GM hitting those benchmarks in a very long time," said Maryann Keller, a veteran automotive analyst and author of "Rude Awakening: The Rise, Fall, and Struggle for Recovery of General Motors," which was published in 1989.
She noted that global competition will continue to squeeze American automakers. Though the world's factories can produce about 100 million vehicles a year, demand for them only stands at about 55 million, and the gap will push prices and profits down, she said.
"It's very unlikely" that the government will recover its money, said David Whiston, auto equities analyst at Morningstar. "GM will be a smaller company after the bankruptcy and there are going to be more foreign automakers entering the market that will make GM's efforts more difficult.",,,,
Key in Afghanistan: Economy, Not Military
U.S. Says Key to Success in Afghanistan Is Economy, Not Military - washingtonpost.com
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- National security adviser James L. Jones told U.S. military commanders here last week that the Obama administration wants to hold troop levels here flat for now, and focus instead on carrying out the previously approved strategy of increased economic development, improved governance and participation by the Afghan military and civilians in the conflict.The message seems designed to cap expectations that more troops might be coming, though the administration has not ruled out additional deployments in the future. Jones was carrying out directions from President Obama, who said recently, "My strong view is that we are not going to succeed simply by piling on more and more troops."
"This will not be won by the military alone," Jones said in an interview during his trip. "We tried that for six years." He also said: "The piece of the strategy that has to work in the next year is economic development. If that is not done right, there are not enough troops in the world to succeed."...
The question of the force level for Afghanistan, however, is not settled and will probably be hotly debated over the next year. One senior military officer said privately that the United States would have to deploy a force of more than 100,000 to execute the counterinsurgency strategy of holding areas and towns after clearing out the Taliban insurgents. That is at least 32,000 more than the 68,000 currently authorized....
Well, Jones went on, after all those additional troops, 17,000 plus 4,000 more, if there were new requests for force now, the president would quite likely have "a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment." Everyone in the room caught the phonetic reference to WTF -- which in the military and elsewhere means "What the [expletive]?"
Nicholson and his colonels -- all or nearly all veterans of Iraq -- seemed to blanch at the unambiguous message that this might be all the troops they were going to get.
Jones, speaking with great emphasis to this group of Iraq veterans, said Afghanistan is not Iraq. "We are not going to build that empire again," he said flatly....
"We don't need more U.S. forces," Nicholson finally told Jones. "We need more Afghan forces." It is a complaint Jones heard repeatedly. Jones and other officials said Afghanistan, and particularly its president, Hamid Karzai, have not mobilized sufficiently for their own war. Karzai has said Afghanistan is making a major effort in the war and is increasing its own forces as fast as possible.
In an interview, Nicholson said that in the six months he has been building Camp Leatherneck and brought 9,000 Marines to the base, not a single additional member of the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) has been assigned to assist him. He said he needed "Afghanistan security forces -- all flavors," including soldiers, police, border patrol and other specialists....
One senior U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan estimated that the military needs one member of the Afghan security forces for every 10 U.S. troops to operate safely and stabilize the area. That would mean Nicholson should have approximately 900 Afghans, and he effectively has none.
At the briefing for Jones, Nicholson pointed to the mission statement, which said that "killing the enemy is secondary." His campaign plan states, "Protect the populace by, with and through the ANSF," the Afghanistan National Security Forces, which makes the absence of the additional Afghans particularly galling to Nicholson.,,,
Flying back from his three-country trip Friday night, Jones cited the report and said most of its bleak conclusions still apply -- insufficient reconstruction, weak economic development, the continuing "epidemic in opium production" and "disorganized, uncoordinated and at present insufficient" international efforts.
"We are doing the same things well and the same things poorly," he said. It was not mission impossible, he said, causing him to feel "urgency but not panic."
Obama and Gates talk about gays in the military - 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog - Political Intelligence - Boston.com
Obama and Gates talk about gays in the military - 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog - Political Intelligence - Boston.com: ..."Lifting the ban was an Obama campaign pledge, but his administration has since been extremely tight-lipped about its plans. It has declined to provide a timeline for when it will begin actively taking steps to prepare for a change in policy within the ranks or to lobby members of Congress, many of which remain wary of changing the law.
Obama advisers have privately expressed anxiety about pushing too aggressively for the change so early in Obama's presidency. They cite the experience of President Clinton, who sought to allow gays to serve openly soon after taking office but was forced to agree to the current law after a revolt by top brass and their allies on Capitol Hill.
The 'don't ask, don't tell' law permits gays to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation secret. More than 11,000 servicemen and women have been discharged for violating the law."...
[bth: the problem here is political courage. This is not the Clinton administration and the American public and the younger military have come a very long way mentally on this issue. Its about political courage.]
Obama advisers have privately expressed anxiety about pushing too aggressively for the change so early in Obama's presidency. They cite the experience of President Clinton, who sought to allow gays to serve openly soon after taking office but was forced to agree to the current law after a revolt by top brass and their allies on Capitol Hill.
The 'don't ask, don't tell' law permits gays to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation secret. More than 11,000 servicemen and women have been discharged for violating the law."...
Thirty-eight graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point came out on Monday in an effort to educate troops on the need to honor the service of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender troops.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher of California proposed legislation in the House of Representatives to lift the ban.
But many hurdles remain. The office of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts says they are still searching for a Republican cosponsor before offering a companion bill in the upper chamber, where observers predict it will be much harder to get approval.
And at the Pentagon, Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, appear to be under orders to take a cautious approach.
"It's a subject that Admiral Mullen and I are discussing in terms of what to do next and how to move forward," Gates said today. "Those discussions are still ongoing."
[bth: the problem here is political courage. This is not the Clinton administration and the American public and the younger military have come a very long way mentally on this issue. Its about political courage.]
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
IAVA
IAVA
[bth: Paul Riechoff and others with IAVA have done an incredibly good job in a very short period of time.]
[bth: Paul Riechoff and others with IAVA have done an incredibly good job in a very short period of time.]
Pakistan plays dangerous double game - Asia, World - The Independent
Pakistan plays dangerous double game - Asia, World - The Independent: "The assassin struck shortly after morning prayers, storming into a room at the compound where Qari Zainuddin was staying and opening up with a volley of fire. The militant leader was rushed to a nearby hospital but declared dead. Meanwhile, the gunman - apparently dispatched by Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud - escaped in a waiting car.
The following day, in a cemetery of Muslim and Christian graves encircled by fields of maize, the 26-year-old, who in recent months had pitched himself against Mr Mehsud, was buried. The militant leader's funeral was notable for two things. Firstly the town was filled with checkposts manned by both Taliban and Pakistani security personnel. Secondly, when the dead man's brother, Misabhuddin, vowed to reporters that he would take revenge against Mr Mehsud, he also let slip something else. 'Jihad against America and its allies in Afghanistan will continue as well,' he said."
The following day, in a cemetery of Muslim and Christian graves encircled by fields of maize, the 26-year-old, who in recent months had pitched himself against Mr Mehsud, was buried. The militant leader's funeral was notable for two things. Firstly the town was filled with checkposts manned by both Taliban and Pakistani security personnel. Secondly, when the dead man's brother, Misabhuddin, vowed to reporters that he would take revenge against Mr Mehsud, he also let slip something else. 'Jihad against America and its allies in Afghanistan will continue as well,' he said."
The killing last week of Mr Zainuddin, who had been staying in a compound provided by the country's ISI security agency, has opened a window on a complicated, controversial and perilous element of the battle against militants inside Pakistan. Mr Zainuddin, himself a Taliban leader who supported al-Qa'ida and jihad against Western troops in Afghanistan, had recently been recruited by the Pakistani authorities to join their battle to kill Baitullah Mehsud, who has emerged as the country's deadliest militant. In essence, Islamabad is recruiting anti-American fighters to bolster a joint US-Pakistani operation.
The arrangement underlines the competing strategic priorities in the region for Pakistan and the US, even as their leaders opt in public for the language of common interests and shared enemies. "Pakistan just wants to concentrate on the Pakistani Taliban. They do not want to go after the Afghan Taliban," said Giles Dorronosoro, a regional expert at the Carnegie Endowment. "The US wants to put the Pakistan-Afghanistan border under control. They have totally different goals. And the issue is not resolvable."
The Pakistan army continues to regard militants who are not fighting against it as enduring assets and in recent years a distinction has been made between "good Taliban" (pro-government) and "bad Taliban" (anti-government). In most cases, that distinction is between militants who fight in Afghanistan and those who fight in Pakistan...
[bth: absolutely worth reading in full.]
U.S. Resumes Surveillance Flights Over Pakistan - NYTimes.com
U.S. Resumes Surveillance Flights Over Pakistan - NYTimes.com: "WASHINGTON — As Pakistan escalates military operations against a top Taliban leader, the United States has resumed secret military surveillance drone flights over the country’s tribal areas to provide Pakistani commanders with a wide array of videos and other information on militants, according to American and Pakistani officials."
[bth: worth a full read. One of the problems not mentioned by the article is the fact that our methods and technology will get passed directly to the Chinese if we were to hand over our drones to Pakistan. In the meantime Pakistan has its own drone technology under development.]
The sharing of real-time video feeds, communications intercepts and other information with Pakistan’s military is considered essential in the country’s campaign to help hunt down the Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, and destroy his hideouts and forces in the country’s northwest, the officials said.
The increased intelligence cooperation comes as the Obama administration is also speeding the delivery of transport helicopters, body armor and other equipment that Pakistan’s military has requested to help combat Mr. Mehsud and to prepare for a major offensive in the militant leader’s stronghold in South Waziristan, a mountainous region abutting the border with Afghanistan. ...[bth: worth a full read. One of the problems not mentioned by the article is the fact that our methods and technology will get passed directly to the Chinese if we were to hand over our drones to Pakistan. In the meantime Pakistan has its own drone technology under development.]
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Zero Hedge: Guest Post: China - Economic Catastrophe Unfolding
Zero Hedge: Guest Post: China - Economic Catastrophe Unfolding: "Here’s some recent news about the real estate markets in China. I think it is fascinating watching how these things unfold. This proves once again that the lesson of history is that we don’t learn the lessons of history."...
The news here is actually worse than I realized. One very alarming thing is that the Chinese banks have avoided writing down bad debt. I should have assumed this would happen, since it is hard to see how it could be avoided, given the nature of the Chinese culture. This is NOT a good idea. It is like pretending that defaults and bad debt simply don’t exist, and this is very bad for the financial sector in the long run....
It seems that many Chinese buy real estate because they view it as a “can’t lose” investment (sound familiar?). They don’t often rent out the space. It is not as easy to rent residential space in China, because anybody who can would rather buy a new house, partly because of the prestige value, but also partly because they believe that real estate is a “can’t lose” investment. Evidently they have the belief that at some point in the future, they could always sell the property, since it is still technically “new.” Remember, there is at best only a very small secondary market in real estate in China. Nobody in China goes shopping for a “used” home, they always look for a home in brand new developments. These are typically high rise apartment buildings that are really not very attractive at all by our standards (with some exceptions in parts of Beijing and some of the other largest cities). They often look more like tenement slums, particularly after they age a few years, because nobody does much painting or landscaping in Chinese residential areas. I have never seen housing tracts like the ones that are so common in the US, and I suppose they exist somewhere to a very limited extent, but I never even saw any single-family free-standing homes. It’s all high rise condo/apartment buildings. I realize this is kind of paradoxical…..that Chinese would believe they can always make money selling a home second-hand despite the fact that the secondary market is small or even nonexistent in places. But, that’s China. I think they are less concerned with actually realizing a gain, than in maintaining a paper gain. Again, a not insignificant factor here is the prestige value.
Anyhow, obviously this attitude among Chinese has only made things worse, because it has kept a doomed real estate market hovering and even pushing higher artificially. The demand for living space has not kept this market up, just the demand for real estate as a place to park cash. But builders don’t care, they just keep building anyway. Now, this will lead to disaster, partly for the same reason that disaster struck the stock markets there: investors who were once convinced that the Chinese stock market was a get-rich-quick machine lost confidence as they lost money, and that started the implosion in that market. Now, something like 30% of residential real estate in the big cities at least is unoccupied. What might happen to that real estate when the value of new residential real estate begins to plummet?...
China’s economy is heavily dependent on exports of cheap goods. For one thing, this approach is unsustainable and does not of itself lead to economic strength. That’s why many cheap labor countries that similarly produce a lot of cheap, low-tech items do not thrive (e.g., Thailand, Honduras, Vietnam, etc.). In fact, they merely wallow in poverty that they can’t seem to get out of. Don’t forget, despite a wealthy class in the big cities in China, there is really no middle class, and the average wage in the countryside is often less than $100 per year. Even in the cities, the equivalent of the working class there typically makes around 1000 to 2000 RMB per month (roughly $145 to $290 US per month). But the vast majority of Chinese live in the countryside, which is another world compared to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, which house just a small fraction of China’s population. Imagining that these cities typify China is like standing on the Strip in Las Vegas and imagining that this is just a typical road in a a typical American town. So, China is classified as an emerging/developing economy by the World Bank.
We know one thing about recessions and depressions: economies that depend the most on exports are the ones that suffer the most. And without question, of all the major exporting countries in the world, China’s economy is the most heavily dependent on exports, mostly consisting of cheap goods....
In November, exports dropped in China for the first time in 7 years. In December, the drop was even steeper, and exports have dropped every single month thereafter. In May, exports dropped over 26% compared to the same month last year, which was the greatest drop that economy has ever experienced. Worse, exports to the European Union (China’s biggest foreign market) plunged 41.3% in May...
“China’s consumer prices continued to fall as expected in May, but analysts expect a price rebound by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the deflation could be a boon for consumers as China weathers a slowdown of wage growth.”
Well, I suppose wage growth is only a concern for that rapidly shrinking proportion of Chinese who actually have jobs. You think unemployment is bad here, well we are living the high life compared to China....
[bth: worth reading in full. very disturbing]
The news here is actually worse than I realized. One very alarming thing is that the Chinese banks have avoided writing down bad debt. I should have assumed this would happen, since it is hard to see how it could be avoided, given the nature of the Chinese culture. This is NOT a good idea. It is like pretending that defaults and bad debt simply don’t exist, and this is very bad for the financial sector in the long run....
It seems that many Chinese buy real estate because they view it as a “can’t lose” investment (sound familiar?). They don’t often rent out the space. It is not as easy to rent residential space in China, because anybody who can would rather buy a new house, partly because of the prestige value, but also partly because they believe that real estate is a “can’t lose” investment. Evidently they have the belief that at some point in the future, they could always sell the property, since it is still technically “new.” Remember, there is at best only a very small secondary market in real estate in China. Nobody in China goes shopping for a “used” home, they always look for a home in brand new developments. These are typically high rise apartment buildings that are really not very attractive at all by our standards (with some exceptions in parts of Beijing and some of the other largest cities). They often look more like tenement slums, particularly after they age a few years, because nobody does much painting or landscaping in Chinese residential areas. I have never seen housing tracts like the ones that are so common in the US, and I suppose they exist somewhere to a very limited extent, but I never even saw any single-family free-standing homes. It’s all high rise condo/apartment buildings. I realize this is kind of paradoxical…..that Chinese would believe they can always make money selling a home second-hand despite the fact that the secondary market is small or even nonexistent in places. But, that’s China. I think they are less concerned with actually realizing a gain, than in maintaining a paper gain. Again, a not insignificant factor here is the prestige value.
Anyhow, obviously this attitude among Chinese has only made things worse, because it has kept a doomed real estate market hovering and even pushing higher artificially. The demand for living space has not kept this market up, just the demand for real estate as a place to park cash. But builders don’t care, they just keep building anyway. Now, this will lead to disaster, partly for the same reason that disaster struck the stock markets there: investors who were once convinced that the Chinese stock market was a get-rich-quick machine lost confidence as they lost money, and that started the implosion in that market. Now, something like 30% of residential real estate in the big cities at least is unoccupied. What might happen to that real estate when the value of new residential real estate begins to plummet?...
China’s economy is heavily dependent on exports of cheap goods. For one thing, this approach is unsustainable and does not of itself lead to economic strength. That’s why many cheap labor countries that similarly produce a lot of cheap, low-tech items do not thrive (e.g., Thailand, Honduras, Vietnam, etc.). In fact, they merely wallow in poverty that they can’t seem to get out of. Don’t forget, despite a wealthy class in the big cities in China, there is really no middle class, and the average wage in the countryside is often less than $100 per year. Even in the cities, the equivalent of the working class there typically makes around 1000 to 2000 RMB per month (roughly $145 to $290 US per month). But the vast majority of Chinese live in the countryside, which is another world compared to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, which house just a small fraction of China’s population. Imagining that these cities typify China is like standing on the Strip in Las Vegas and imagining that this is just a typical road in a a typical American town. So, China is classified as an emerging/developing economy by the World Bank.
We know one thing about recessions and depressions: economies that depend the most on exports are the ones that suffer the most. And without question, of all the major exporting countries in the world, China’s economy is the most heavily dependent on exports, mostly consisting of cheap goods....
In November, exports dropped in China for the first time in 7 years. In December, the drop was even steeper, and exports have dropped every single month thereafter. In May, exports dropped over 26% compared to the same month last year, which was the greatest drop that economy has ever experienced. Worse, exports to the European Union (China’s biggest foreign market) plunged 41.3% in May...
“China’s consumer prices continued to fall as expected in May, but analysts expect a price rebound by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the deflation could be a boon for consumers as China weathers a slowdown of wage growth.”
Well, I suppose wage growth is only a concern for that rapidly shrinking proportion of Chinese who actually have jobs. You think unemployment is bad here, well we are living the high life compared to China....
[bth: worth reading in full. very disturbing]
China signals end of stockpiling
China signals end of stockpiling: "A RECORD-BREAKING run of commodities exports to China that has sustained the Australian economy may be set to end, with Beijing officials and advisers announcing an end to 'strategic' stockpiling, and massive iron ore contracts likely to expire today.
A key state planning official has signalled a halt to government buying of copper, aluminium and other high-value metals because prices have risen too high.
'We don't anticipate that the country will continue to build its reserves,' said Yu Dongming, the head of the metallurgical department of the National Development and Reform Commission."...
A key state planning official has signalled a halt to government buying of copper, aluminium and other high-value metals because prices have risen too high.
'We don't anticipate that the country will continue to build its reserves,' said Yu Dongming, the head of the metallurgical department of the National Development and Reform Commission."...
China's banks are an accident waiting to happen to every one of us - Telegraph
China's banks are an accident waiting to happen to every one of us - Telegraph: "China's banks are veering out of control. The half-reformed economy of the People's Republic cannot absorb the $1,000bn (£600bn) blitz of new lending issued since December.
Money is leaking instead into Shanghai's stock casino, or being used to keep bankrupt builders on life support. It is doing very little to help lift the world economy out of slump."...
[bth: this article is worth reading in full. very disturbing]
Money is leaking instead into Shanghai's stock casino, or being used to keep bankrupt builders on life support. It is doing very little to help lift the world economy out of slump."...
[bth: this article is worth reading in full. very disturbing]
Stocks down on dip in consumer confidence - Yahoo! Finance
Stocks down on dip in consumer confidence - Yahoo! Finance: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks fell sharply in midday trading Tuesday after a private research group said consumer confidence unexpectedly fell in June.
Investors had been expecting the Conference Board's measure of consumer sentiment to hold steady following big jumps in April and May. Consumer confidence is closely watched because spending from consumers accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
The latest data on the troubled housing sector provided no help to the market.
The number of homeowners at least two months behind or in foreclosure jumped in the first quarter from the previous quarter, a Treasury Department report said Tuesday. And much of the increase came from borrowers who had good credit.
Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index showed home prices in 20 major cities dropped by 18.1 percent from April 2008. The 10-city index fell 18 percent from the year before.
While April marked the third straight month both indexes didn't set record price declines, a recovery in housing is still a long way off. The 20-city index is down almost 33 percent from its peak in the second quarter of 2006."...
[bth: so the banksters were manipulating futures prices on Fridays for several months as the banks raised equity driving up the stock market but the country's fundamentals haven't really improved. Why should anyone expect consumer confidence to rise with the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler not to mention the numerous suppliers and dealers? And with home prices collapsing 18% year over year, what confidence does that instill - that it didn't fall more? And as to investments, consumers get their best investment return after tax by paying off their usurous credit card debt rates. So while it would be good for the government to help homeowners or impose caps on usury rates at levels that honest men can pay, the congress isn't and neither is Obama. They are working for the banksters, not for the people. The middle class is dead. It was destroyed over the last 8 years.]
Investors had been expecting the Conference Board's measure of consumer sentiment to hold steady following big jumps in April and May. Consumer confidence is closely watched because spending from consumers accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
The latest data on the troubled housing sector provided no help to the market.
The number of homeowners at least two months behind or in foreclosure jumped in the first quarter from the previous quarter, a Treasury Department report said Tuesday. And much of the increase came from borrowers who had good credit.
Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index showed home prices in 20 major cities dropped by 18.1 percent from April 2008. The 10-city index fell 18 percent from the year before.
While April marked the third straight month both indexes didn't set record price declines, a recovery in housing is still a long way off. The 20-city index is down almost 33 percent from its peak in the second quarter of 2006."...
[bth: so the banksters were manipulating futures prices on Fridays for several months as the banks raised equity driving up the stock market but the country's fundamentals haven't really improved. Why should anyone expect consumer confidence to rise with the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler not to mention the numerous suppliers and dealers? And with home prices collapsing 18% year over year, what confidence does that instill - that it didn't fall more? And as to investments, consumers get their best investment return after tax by paying off their usurous credit card debt rates. So while it would be good for the government to help homeowners or impose caps on usury rates at levels that honest men can pay, the congress isn't and neither is Obama. They are working for the banksters, not for the people. The middle class is dead. It was destroyed over the last 8 years.]
Qaeda warns France of revenge for burka stance
Qaeda warns France of revenge for burka stance: "Al-Qaeda's North Africa wing threatened on Tuesday to take revenge on France for its opposition to the burka, calling on Muslims to retaliate against the country, the US monitoring service SITE Intelligence reported.
Earlier this month, President Nicolas Sarkozy said the burka, which covers the whole face, was not welcome in the strictly secular country.
'Yesterday was the hijab (the Islamic headscarf long banned in French schools) and today, it is the niqab (the full veil),' Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb was quoted as saying.
'We will take revenge for the honour of our daughters and sisters against France and against its interests by every means at our disposal.'"...
Earlier this month, President Nicolas Sarkozy said the burka, which covers the whole face, was not welcome in the strictly secular country.
'Yesterday was the hijab (the Islamic headscarf long banned in French schools) and today, it is the niqab (the full veil),' Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb was quoted as saying.
'We will take revenge for the honour of our daughters and sisters against France and against its interests by every means at our disposal.'"...
CIA Drone Just Misses Taliban Head in Pakistan - ABC News
CIA Drone Just Misses Taliban Head in Pakistan - ABC News: "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A CIA drone strike earlier this week just missed the head of the Taliban in Pakistan, killing at least 65 people at a funeral he attended and damaging his personal car, according to a resident and a Pakistani intelligent agent in the area."
The strike's target was Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistan has blamed for the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dozens of other attacks across the country. Pakistan is currently preparing for a war against Mehsud in the rugged South Waziristan tribal district, and the CIA has increased its attempts to kill him in the past 6 months.
The strike's target was Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistan has blamed for the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and dozens of other attacks across the country. Pakistan is currently preparing for a war against Mehsud in the rugged South Waziristan tribal district, and the CIA has increased its attempts to kill him in the past 6 months.
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bluffed about WMDs fearing Iranian arsenal, secret FBI files show
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bluffed about WMDs fearing Iranian arsenal, secret FBI files show: ..."The records show Saddam happily boasted of duping the world about stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. And he consistently denied cooperating with Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda.
Of all his enemies, Iraq's ex-president - who insisted he still held office during captivity - hated Iran most.
Asked how he would have faced 'fanatic' Iranian ayatollahs if Iraq had been proven toothless by UN weapons inspectors in 2003, Saddam said he would have cut a deal with Bush.
'Hussein replied Iraq would have been extremely vulnerable to attack from Iran and would have sought a security agreement with the U.S. to protect it from threats in the region,' according to a 2004 FBI report among the declassified files."...
Of all his enemies, Iraq's ex-president - who insisted he still held office during captivity - hated Iran most.
Asked how he would have faced 'fanatic' Iranian ayatollahs if Iraq had been proven toothless by UN weapons inspectors in 2003, Saddam said he would have cut a deal with Bush.
'Hussein replied Iraq would have been extremely vulnerable to attack from Iran and would have sought a security agreement with the U.S. to protect it from threats in the region,' according to a 2004 FBI report among the declassified files."...
Pakistan: Taliban attack signals change of tactic - Adnkronos Security
Pakistan: Taliban attack signals change of tactic - Adnkronos Security: "Islamabad, 29 June (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Pakistani Taliban leader Gul Bahadur, once an arch rival of Baitullah Mehsud, apparently shelved a ceasefire agreement with security forces when he and his militants attacked a military convoy killing two officers and 12 soldiers at the weekend.
Militants claimed to have killed 60 personnel in the attack carried out in Miran Shah area of North Waziristan.
“There was no reason for the attack. The military was not conducting any operation so there was no reason for such an attack,” said Major General Athar Abbas, spokesperson for the Pakistan Army at a media conference late on Monday in Islamabad."...
The prevalent idea was that an operation against Mehsud could turn against all the Taliban groups.
So Mullah Nazir was the first who refused to give passage to the army and warned that he would not tolerate the military presence in or around his area.
Although Bahadur had expressed similar views to Naziran, an attack launched by Bahadur’s militants aginst the army convoy on Sunday showed that ideological connections overrode tribal differences. The attack also indicates that all the Taliban commanders are united against the military.
Well-placed sources in the military establishment believe that Sunday’s attack could have a far-reaching effect and could threaten the military operation's success.
Militants claimed to have killed 60 personnel in the attack carried out in Miran Shah area of North Waziristan.
“There was no reason for the attack. The military was not conducting any operation so there was no reason for such an attack,” said Major General Athar Abbas, spokesperson for the Pakistan Army at a media conference late on Monday in Islamabad."...
The prevalent idea was that an operation against Mehsud could turn against all the Taliban groups.
So Mullah Nazir was the first who refused to give passage to the army and warned that he would not tolerate the military presence in or around his area.
Although Bahadur had expressed similar views to Naziran, an attack launched by Bahadur’s militants aginst the army convoy on Sunday showed that ideological connections overrode tribal differences. The attack also indicates that all the Taliban commanders are united against the military.
Well-placed sources in the military establishment believe that Sunday’s attack could have a far-reaching effect and could threaten the military operation's success.
Ivanov Links NATO Rights To Drug War
"The Federal Drug Control Agency said Friday that Moscow should stop the transportation of cargo across its territory to U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan if they do not do more to cut the flow of heroin to Russia.
'The granting of transport corridors to NATO forces in Afghanistan should be conditioned on a commitment to destroy sown areas, laboratories, stocks and other infrastructure of the Afghan drug business,' agency head Viktor Ivanov told a meeting of ministers and lawmakers."...
'The granting of transport corridors to NATO forces in Afghanistan should be conditioned on a commitment to destroy sown areas, laboratories, stocks and other infrastructure of the Afghan drug business,' agency head Viktor Ivanov told a meeting of ministers and lawmakers."...
Killed cleric's son: Some suicide attacks OK - CNN.com
Killed cleric's son: Some suicide attacks OK - CNN.com: ..."Naeemi's crime in the eyes of the Taliban was to issue a religious ruling, a Fatwa banning suicide bombing. He was a real threat, a top level cleric with a lot of pull. If young fanatics listened to him the Taliban would be without one of their best weapons.
Naeemi junior showed me the nuts, bolts, screws and ball bearings they had gathered from around the room, even found embedded in the store across the road. Everything that had spewed from the Taliban bomb.
Then he delivered his own stunning secret and even now it feels surreal. He tells me his father could have had security but had turned it down choosing to put his faith in God. It sort of explains the lack of attention to detail by the guard on the front gate.
At least I thought that was the scoop until I started asking Naeemi junior more about the suicide issue. His father had a huge following and Naeemi told me he was committed to following in his footsteps. To do anything else, he said, would be to turn the country over to the Taliban and anarchy.
Then he told me suicide bombings in Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO troops are justified because they are invaders killing Muslims. That is when the penny dropped so to speak. A question I'd had for a while just got answered.
[bth: worth reading in full. Here is further evidence that the Pakistani offensive against the Taliban's recent actions in Pakistan are really about controlling and redirecting them toward external - US and Afghan - targets. As the man says, "suicide bombings in Afghanistan against US and NATO troops are justified because they are invaders killing Muslims." ]
Naeemi junior showed me the nuts, bolts, screws and ball bearings they had gathered from around the room, even found embedded in the store across the road. Everything that had spewed from the Taliban bomb.
Then he delivered his own stunning secret and even now it feels surreal. He tells me his father could have had security but had turned it down choosing to put his faith in God. It sort of explains the lack of attention to detail by the guard on the front gate.
At least I thought that was the scoop until I started asking Naeemi junior more about the suicide issue. His father had a huge following and Naeemi told me he was committed to following in his footsteps. To do anything else, he said, would be to turn the country over to the Taliban and anarchy.
Then he told me suicide bombings in Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO troops are justified because they are invaders killing Muslims. That is when the penny dropped so to speak. A question I'd had for a while just got answered.
While Pakistan and Pakistanis are more committed than they have ever been to crushing their own internal Taliban problem, they are far from turning on the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.
Inside Pakistan the sentiment is clear; the Taliban are a menace to stability. Outside the country however they are still seen as a tool to achieve regional goals.
Pakistan, it appears, is still pursuing historic national interests, what they call having "strategic depth." Simply put to have a stake in who runs Afghanistan.[bth: worth reading in full. Here is further evidence that the Pakistani offensive against the Taliban's recent actions in Pakistan are really about controlling and redirecting them toward external - US and Afghan - targets. As the man says, "suicide bombings in Afghanistan against US and NATO troops are justified because they are invaders killing Muslims." ]
Toyota Unveils Wheelchair Propelled by Thoughts Alone | Culture Buffet | Fast Company
Toyota Unveils Wheelchair Propelled by Thoughts Alone | Culture Buffet | Fast Company: "We'll still have to wait a few years to mind-meld with our Camrys, but researchers at Toyota have unveiled an advanced brain sensing system that controls the movement of a wheelchair by reading a user's thoughts alone. By processing patterns in brain waves, the system can propel a wheelchair forward, as well as make turns, with virtually no discernable delay between thought and movement."
Developed by researchers at BSI-Toyota Collaboration Center, the brain machine interface technology can return a response from a thought stimulus in just 125 milliseconds, whole seconds faster than existing technology, in effect creating real-time responsiveness. Five electroencephalography sensors stationed above the regions of the brain that deal with motor movement interpret patterns in the signals generated by the user. Further, the software interpreting the signals adapts to a particular user's patterns of thinking, achieving 95% accuracy after just one week of three-hour training sessions.
The potential applications for BMI technology extend far beyond the wheelchair, but Toyota's immediate focus will be to help those with mobility issues regain their freedom of movement, as well as to improve nursing care for the elderly. In that pursuit, Toyota is far from alone, as an aging population has Japan forecasting a shortage of health-care workers in the future. Rival automaker Honda is experimenting with a similar technology that allows its Asimo robot to be manipulated via brain signals, the idea being that humanoid robots could replace home care nurses in coming years....
Monday, June 29, 2009
West Point graduate to stand trial Tuesday for being gay
Raw Story » West Point graduate to stand trial Tuesday for being gay: "U.S. Army Lieutenant Dan Choi, a graduate of the West Point military academy and an Arabic translator, will face a military panel on Tuesday which may discharge him for admitting he is gay.
His case was mentioned in a letter to President Barack Obama, signed by 77 Democratic members of Congress. They called the 10-year veteran an “exceptional” soldier. Some have even referred to him as “the de facto face of the movement to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“I face a discharge tomorrow morning, simply for being honorable and telling who I am, in truth” he told CNN host John Roberts on Monday morning."...
[bth: this discharge is wrong. It is hard to understate my disappointment in the Obama administration on this issue.]
His case was mentioned in a letter to President Barack Obama, signed by 77 Democratic members of Congress. They called the 10-year veteran an “exceptional” soldier. Some have even referred to him as “the de facto face of the movement to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“I face a discharge tomorrow morning, simply for being honorable and telling who I am, in truth” he told CNN host John Roberts on Monday morning."...
[bth: this discharge is wrong. It is hard to understate my disappointment in the Obama administration on this issue.]
A very strange Taliban burial
BBC NEWS | South Asia | A very strange Taliban burial:... "The heavy irony of the situation was also not lost on those present.
That the only option for security forces to protect the body of their champion was to bury it in such a manner speaks volumes about which way the battle is going."
[bth: interesting article. It appears that we are reading too much good will for us into the Pak government's willingness to fight in Waziristan. These ending statements in this article seems to also correspond to Mullah Omar's recent assertion of operational control back in Afghanistan and the redirection of Taliban forces in Pakistan back toward Afghanistan.]
That the only option for security forces to protect the body of their champion was to bury it in such a manner speaks volumes about which way the battle is going."
Having failed utterly to prevent his assassination, the only way they could protect his remains was to keep them as far away from South Waziristan as possible.
Soon after the funeral, militants loyal to the dead Taliban commander gathered at the house where he was killed.
A short ceremony ensued to appoint his brother Misabhuddin as the new chief.
Speaking to the BBC, he said he would continue his brother's mission and not rest till Baitullah was dead.
"The operation in South Waziristan is the government's right and those caught up in the fighting are all terrorists," Misabhuddin said.
But he was quite clear on another point as well:
"Jihad against America and its allies in Afghanistan would continue as well."
But was not the point of the operation in South Waziristan to stop such activities? Apparently not, as far as Misabhuddin is concerned.
"Pakistan's government only has problems with the foreign militants in the area. They have always supported us in the jihad in Afghanistan.[bth: interesting article. It appears that we are reading too much good will for us into the Pak government's willingness to fight in Waziristan. These ending statements in this article seems to also correspond to Mullah Omar's recent assertion of operational control back in Afghanistan and the redirection of Taliban forces in Pakistan back toward Afghanistan.]
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