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An Iranian official recently stated that no International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel will be permitted to enter military or missile sites. Another stated that "no country is permitted to know the details of future inspections conducted by the IAEA." Their statements are probably consistent. There may well be other secret deals we don't know about and perhaps never will. Meanwhile, Iran is preparing to test long range ballistic missiles "to prove that the missile ban was invalid." It's not MY fault. I. No IAEA inspections of the sites that matter mostIn an interview on Al Jazeera TV last week Ali Akbar Velayati, Security Adviser to...

The contest to succeed longtime New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was supposed to be an open process, giving lawmakers two weeks to mull their options. Instead, it's looking increasingly likely that the decision will be made before Silver’s resignation from the post takes effect Monday night, an outcome that would dash the hopes of some lawmakers and reformers who pushed for a departure from Albany’s usual backroom politics.Assemblyman Carl Heastie of the Bronx has emerged as the clear favorite from a field that just a few days ago featured five contenders. Three of them quickly backed out and threw...

In his recent inaugural address, President Obama promised that “we will respond to the threat of climate change, ..... But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet…” When pressed on the specifics of what the president means to do on climate, his spokesperson replied: “We...

A new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) so secret it has no name yet has been successfully tested in Russia, the defence ministry says. The new weapon is designed to penetrate Nato's European missile defence shield, Russian defence sources told the Interfax news agency. The test came days after Nato said its system had reached "interim operational capability". Nato says its shield is meant to protect members from a missile fired by a rogue state - understood to mean Iran. It plans to increase its capability by deploying further assets in the years ahead. However, Russia says the shield upsets the...

Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, has asked The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the Obama administration’s award of a $443 million sole-source contract to a company owned by a major Democratic donor. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that the Obama administration has taken unusual steps to procure an experimental smallpox vaccine from a company owned by a major Democratic donor despite concerns from some experts that such a drug was unnecessary and would not be effective. Citing “serious questions” about the contract, the Los Angeles Times reported that McCaskill has asked the...

There are “too many people” in the room to work out a deal to raise the debt ceiling, House Speaker John Boehner complained on Thursday night as negotiations between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans stay stuck in a stalemate. “Whatever gets suggested, it gets debated to no end,” the Ohio Republican said on Fox News’s “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.” “The room’s too big. You know, too many people are in there trying to negotiate what is a very difficult — could be and will be a very difficult agreement. And there’s just too many people in...

The National Academy of Sciences creates virtual blacklists of scientists who dare to disagree with 'the consensus.' While most people understand that governmental entities are politicized, there are some we like to think maintain enough integrity to serve the public good. We hope, for example, that the Centers for Disease Control would be free of politicized determinations for what to do about swine flu. And we hope that the Food and Drug Administration were more concerned about whether a drug were beneficial than about how the cost of that drug might influence new healthcare legislation.One such entity we have relied...

Top Stories Secret deals alleged between US, Iraqi generals Moscow, Apr. 14. (PTI): The low level of resistance against the US-led invasion could be because Iraqi generals struck secret deals with Washington, Russia's Ambassador in Iraq, Vladimir TItirenko who returned home from the war-zone said today. "I am confident that the Iraqi generals entered into secret deal with the Americans to refrain from resistance in exchange for sparing their lives," Titorenko told NTV, explaining why Saddam's crack National Guards did not pose any considerable resistance to the occupation forces and virtually surrendered Baghdad without a fight. Titorenko, who returned home...