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It was fitting that the first state visit to be received by the Obama administration, with a formal dinner held Tuesday, would be that of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Relations between the United States and India are of critical and increasing importance to both nations. India is the world's second most populous country, a rising economic power and a functioning and stable democracy. It is also perfectly positioned - geographically, economically and politically - to be of help with a number of issues important to the United States. While hardly identical, U.S. and Indian interests intersect in ways that,...

World’s first anti-ship ballistic missile could prevent US from protecting Taiwan. Internet censorship came up, as did global warming and trade sanctions. But one subject that was not raised – publicly at least – before US President Barack Obama left Beijing for South Korea today was China's apparent attempt to scare the US Navy out of the western Pacific Ocean.

China's military is close to fielding the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile, which could turn the Pacific Ocean region close to China into a "no-go" zone for the US fleet, Bloomberg on Tuesday cited a report from the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) as saying,

How should one read Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the United States? Measured against the experience of recent predecessors — such as Mr Singh’s own trip to Washington, DC, in July 2005, when the India-US nuclear deal was announced and triggered one of India’s most important foreign policy successes — this month’s voyage across the Atlantic will probably seem a mild affair. There were no blockbuster moments and obvious game changers. However, what was worth noting was the Prime Minister’s sustained effort at attempting to talk up the American mood. For example, in an interview to Newsweek just before...

When Bob Schieffer of NBC News asked the rhetorical question: "...has going a trillion dollars in hock to one country [China] made us more secure?", he was reminded of Everett Dirksen (Illinois Senator for nearly 20 years) and his famous comment: "...a billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you're talking about real money!". The current account deficit, at the present moment, is over $12 trillion and climbing. About half of that debt is owned by foreign countries, most notably China (about $800 billion) and India (about $300 billion), with the balance owned by Japan, Germany, and others....

The news that the sovereign wealth fund of Dubai requested a postponement of billions of dollars of debt this week could pose a big problem for U.S. banks. The state-run investment company, Dubai World, owes about $60 billion. It rang up much of that in a building boom that included the world's tallest skyscraper and the Palm Islands in the Persian Gulf, settlements shaped like palm trees. According to CMA DataVision, which tracks credit markets, there's a 35.82% probability that Dubai will default on that debt. What is Dubai World? - CNN New York-based Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) has the...

The invasion of Iraq was legal but of "questionable legitimacy" because the US and UK had failed to persuade other countries of the need for war, the then-British ambassador to the UN told the Chilcot inquiry today. Sir Jeremy Greenstock said: "I regard our participation in the military action in Iraq in March 2003 as legal but of questionable legitimacy in that it did not have the democratically observable backing of the great majority of [UN] member states, or even perhaps of the majority of people inside the UK." Earlier, Greenstock told the inquiry that he had threatened to resign...

The Obama administration said late Wednesday it is still reviewing its policy on a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, clarifying a previous statement indicating it would not sign the deal. "The administration is committed to a comprehensive review of its landmine policy. That review is still on-going," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement on Wednesday. "The review is going to take some time, given that it is the first review of our policy conducted since 2003," Kelly added.

What should we make of the kerfuffle over the Indian Prime Minister's state visit to Washington today? Manmohan Singh's summit with President Obama, scheduled in part to offset the president's unfortunate decision not to visit India on his first Asian tour, has been plagued by disappointment in Delhi. India does not enjoy the pride of place in America's foreign policy agenda granted it by President Bush and even by President Clinton in the last years of his administration. Why not? This U.S. administration, unlike its predecessor, appears to disfavor values-based cooperation as an organizing principle of American foreign policy, diminishing...

US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar blasted big oil trade groups Tuesday, accusing them of barring the way to a balanced US energy system that would create thousands of jobs. The oil and gas leasing program put in place by President Barack Obama's administration is "robust" and "focuses on development in the right way, in the right places and with a fair return to the American taxpayer," Salazar said as he announced plans to auction 38 oil and gas leases next year.

Amid complaints of police brutality and heavy criticism about the university's handling of a massive protest and takeover of a campus building Friday, the university announced it will ask for an independent investigation of police actions that could bring about changes to the way officers handle protest crowds. The announcement came on a day when about 75 protesters, a few of them wearing casts and splints on their arms and fingers, gathered outside an Oakland courthouse to denounce what many say was abusive behavior by police at a UC Berkeley protest Friday. "The police broke my hand Friday," organizer and...

US, Israel lack 'courage' to attack: Iran leader (AFP) – 6 hours ago BRASILIA — Visiting Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said Monday that US and Israeli military threats against Iran were a thing of the past, and that, in any case, "they don't have the courage" to attack Iran. "The age of military attacks is over, now we've reached the time for dialogue and understanding. Weapons and threats are a thing of the past," the Iranian told a joint press conference with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, closing his one-day visit. Ahmadinejad's visit was greeted Sunday in Rio de...

Vital to that [US-Israel] alliance is US support in the UN Security Council, where it has cast 29 vetoes to shield Israel from condemnation for its actions in the occupied territories. Imagine the signal the US would send were it even to abstain. Or, better still, if the US and its allies took a blueprint for a two-state solution – the outlines of which have long been clear – to the council and voted it through. This game is not over yet.

A collision between a nuclear-powered US Navy submarine and a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz was caused by "catastrophic failure" in management, a US Navy report says. US Navy investigators found that "ineffective and negligent" management and the failure of navigation practices were to blame for a March 2009 collision between the USS Hartford and the USS New Orleans, an amphibious vessel. "This incident comes down to weak and complacent leadership, which led to inadequate planning and preparation of the crew," the Navy Times said in its report. Commander of US Fleet Forces Command Adm. John C. Harvey...

Fungi are single or multi-celled organisms that break down organic materials, such as rotting wood, in order to absorb their nutrients. Neither plant nor animal, they range from mushrooms to single-celled yeast. Scientists were investigating organic chemicals trapped in an Italian sedimentary rock formation when they found evidence that an extinct fungus feasted on dead wood during a time when the world’s forests had been catastrophically eradicated.[1] What could have caused such a universal effect on forests, and why does organic material remain in rocks that are supposedly 251.4 million years old?...

Barack Obama has been criticized for kowtowing to the Chinese and the Russians over the last few months. But so far, this is all about atmospherics. The administration has not made any unilateral concession of substance to either country. It is taking a strategic view that developing strong relationships with both countries, particularly China, will yield long-term benefits. Strangely, however, that strategic focus has been lost in dealing with Asia's other rising giant, India. At one level the administration is being extremely friendly. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes to Washington this week for the first official state visit of...

Barack Obama says he regards India and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "as part of his family." "This is the reason why I decided to invite Manmohan Singh, who I admire a lot, on the first state visit of my presidency on Thanksgiving Day," Mr. Obama told prominent Indian-American leader Sant Chatwal recently. Indian media prominently carried this statement, and given the importance Indians tend to attach to family connections, much is being read into the symbolism of Obama's invite. As the Indian prime minister prepares to be the first state guest of the Obama presidency on Nov. 24, both...

However, despite the public appearance of a committed relationship most Europeans countries today, and some Jewish sects do not support the state of Israel and the European government is somewhat puzzled by the Americans protectionist attitude toward Israel. The common views outside the United States towards Israel is that they are an oppressor state — some go as far as declaring Israel a "terrorist" state, while others give Israel the benefit of the doubt by declaring "well, both sides are guilty, but Israel is stronger and should know better"

WASHINGTON: The United States has come perilously close to calling Pakistan a terrorist state by alleging that the country’s spy agency ISI recently spirited Taliban leader Mullah Omar to Karachi to save him from American drone attacks in Quetta. In the most direct charge of its kind, current and former US intelligence officers are saying on background that the one-eyed leader and illiterate leader of the Afghan Taliban, ''has fled a Pakistani city on the border with Afghanistan and found refuge from potential US attacks in Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan's intelligence service.'' Washington believes that Omar was in...

Days before India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to be welcomed in the White House for his first state visit with President Obama, two perceived missteps by the Obama administration have concerned Indian officials that New Delhi suddenly has been relegated to the second tier of U.S.-Asian relations. Singh arrives Sunday on a four-day trip that is meant to solidify a relationship transformed under the Bush administration by a deal on nuclear technology, increasing trade and investment, immigration, educational exchanges and unprecedented security cooperation. But ever sensitive to perceived slights, Indian officials and analysts say two statements made by the...

'Pakistan has nothing to fear from India' By Lally Weymouth Sunday, November 22, 2009 NEW DELHI -- Wearing white robes and a blue turban, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared relaxed this week as he discussed his upcoming state visit to Washington. Singh, 77, will meet President Obama next week at a time when many Indians fear that Obama will focus less on India than did previous American administrations, particularly as the U.S.-Chinese relationship grows in importance. Singh sat down in his Delhi residence with Newsweek-Washington Post's Lally Weymouth to discuss terrorism, trade and why it is critical that the...

How does EU President compared to US President? See for yourself

New Delhi: US president Barack Obama ruffled Indian feathers on Tuesday. The next day, the American ambassador to India spent considerable effort in soothing offended sentiments. Timothy Roemer almost ran out of adjectives to describe the state of India-US ties, even as the ministry of external affairs expressed displeasure at Obama's statement with Chinese president Hu Jintao, which seemed to project China as the prime mover for peace and stability in South Asia. Roemer's charm offensive is a bid towards damage control ahead of prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington next week. A joint-statement by the US and China...

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission began to lay the groundwork for a bigger federal role in the broadband business Wednesday, outlining the hurdles the U.S. needs to overcome to improve the availability of high-speed Internet access. The FCC identified a number of issues the government should address, including the high cost of laying new broadband lines in rural areas, a lack of airwaves for wireless Web access and ill-informed consumers. "This focus on broadband is a reflection of a recognition that the U.S. is lagging behind," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday at the agency's monthly meeting.

CHICAGO — One of two Chicago men accused of plotting an armed attack on a Danish newspaper may have been involved in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, authorities in that country say. The FBI for now is saying only that it has evidence David Coleman Headley was in contact with the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba — which the Indian government blames for the Mumbai attacks that left 166 dead and 308 wounded — while he allegedly planned and carried out reconnaissance this year near the newspaper offices in Copenhagen. Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, were...

US wounded Soldier, interviewed about shooting incident at Fort Hood. Video at link...

New Delhi: Angered by US President Barack Obama’s attempt to envisage a role for China in South Asia, India on Wednesday made it clear that it objects any move to give a wider footprint to China in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs said that it had objections to Obama giving China a greater role in South Asian affairs, adding a third country’s role cannot be envisaged in the bilateral relationships between countries of the region. The MEA further said a role for a third country in the region was not necessary and India was committed to resolving all...

Byron Pitts and 60 Minutes cameras spend two days on the road with a bomb-hunting unit in Afghanistan as they encounter one deadly bomb after another.

Another Record Deficit for 2010? By Ian Mathias 11/13/09 Baltimore, Maryland – Friday the 13th… let’s start spooky: Just one month into the 2010 fiscal year, the U.S. government is on track for a record $2 trillion annual budget deficit. That’s the word from the Treasury Department, which quietly announced a $176.4 billion October budget deficit yesterday. Oh, let us count the records… record-high deficit for all Octobers, record 13th straight month of budget deficit and the fifth largest monthly shortfall on the books. Should we maintain this trajectory for the rest of the fiscal year, Uncle Sam will have...

There are no girls choosing colorful bangles, no women buying dresses anymore in the narrow, dusty, aisles of Mina bazaar, one of the few markets in this frontier town that used to cater to families. Instead, most of the small, fragile shops are now piles of bricks, destroyed two weeks ago by a massive car bomb that gutted this crowded corner of the city. The explosion was one of the most violent acts of terrorism in Pakistan's history. The official death count was more than 110, but residents here say at least 60 more bodies were never found, obliterated in...

UN investigator accuses US of shameful neglect of homelessUN special rapporteur says wealthy US ignoring deepening homeless crisis while pumping billions into bank rescues Chris McGreal in Los Angeles guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 November 2009 15.12 GMT A United Nations special investigator who was blocked from visiting the US by the Bush administration has accused the American government of pouring billions of dollars into rescuing banks and big business while treating as "invisible" a deepening homeless crisis. Raquel Rolnik, the UN special rapporteur for the right to adequate housing, who has just completed a seven-city tour of America, said it was...

At old British base, US and India train for new wars Manu Pubby Posted: Oct 27, 2009 at 0841 hrs BABINA (JHANSI) After a tough fight, Indian forces manage to capture Abu Abida, the dreaded warlord who, with the covert support of a neighbouring state, had been pushing in heavily armed insurgents to subvert the country. As the terrorist is escorted out of the war zone with the help of American forces, the convoy is attacked by militants trying to free him. Within minutes, Indian and US Army soldiers mount a rescue mission, pummelling the enemy village with tank and...

US President Barack Obama has declared swine flu a national emergency.The White House said the president signed the proclamation concerning the 2009 H1N1 outbreak on Friday evening. It increases the ability of treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by easing the implementation of emergency plans. Last week US officials said swine flu activity was widespread in 46 states. More that 1,000 deaths have been linked to the virus. Health officials say the infections are already comparable to peak season flu levels. Vaccine warningUS officials said the president's declaration was similar to ones issued before hurricanes make landfall....

(3rd LD) U.S. vows unlimited deterrence against N. Korea By Sam Kim SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. pledged Thursday to mobilize its warfighting assets to their maximum capacity if needed to defend South Korea against North Korea, which continues to develop its nuclear and missile capabilities. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates "reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrence for the ROK, using the full range of military capabilities, to include the U.S. nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile capabilities," according to a joint statement with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young.

U.S. pressures Japan on military package Washington concerned as new leaders in Tokyo look to redefine alliance Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, with Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa in Tokyo, pushed Japan to stick with a 2006 deal. By John Pomfret and Blaine Harden Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, October 22, 2009 Worried about a new direction in Japan's foreign policy, the Obama administration warned the Tokyo government Wednesday of serious consequences if it reneges on a military realignment plan formulated to deal with a rising China. The comments from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates underscored increasing concern among U.S....

(IsraelNN.com) A United States-based organization's conference on breast cancer awareness, to be hosted in Egypt, has been touted by international news networks as an example of “unprecedented cooperation” in the region. However, according to Channel 2 news, the celebration of unity may be premature, as Israeli doctors were told at the last minute that their invitations to participate had been rescinded.

Discussion of Martin Gross' book, "National Suicide: How Washington Is Destroying the American Dream from A to Z." Mr. Gross discusses 'the alarming number of government programs that waste taxpayer dollars.'

Warning: Mildly rough language contained herein. Don't gripe, you were warned in advance not to read this if you'll be offended! You have to be kidding me..... From Larry Summers: "Financial institutions that have benefited from government support can, should and must use this moment to think about what they can do for their country -- by accepting the necessary regulation to protect the American people," Summers said in remarks prepared for delivery at the Economist's Buttonwood Gathering in New York. "There is no financial institution that exists today that is not the direct or indirect beneficiary of trillions of...

-Fighting Words The Minnesota Free Market Institute hosted an event at Bethel University in St. Paul on Wednesday evening. Keynote speaker Lord Christopher Monckton, former science adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gave a scathing and lengthy presentation, complete with detailed charts, graphs, facts, and figures which culminated in the utter decimation of both the pop culture concept of global warming and the credible threat of any significant anthropomorphic climate change. A detailed summary of Monckton’s presentation will be available here once compiled. However, a segment of his remarks justify immediate publication. If credible, the concern Monckton speaks to...

IF you ever questioned whether Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza was bad for the US and for Israel too, you ought to ponder Turkey's decision to suspend a multinational air force exercise last weekend. Why? Because it's a prime example of how pursuing the goal of "greater Israel" - which means retaining control of the West Bank and Gaza and preventing a true two-state solution - is undermining US and Israeli interests. Here's the background. For the past decade or more, Turkey has been Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world. It has bought a lot of...

The ASPIRE Act

Citibank and Goldman reported this morning and both put up what looked at first blush to be better-than-expected numbers. But both sold off in the premarket. Why? The bulls were expecting not just beats, but stunning blowouts. But what we are not hearing from the banking industry is "we have enough loss reserves allocated and will not have to allocate more as loss rates are and will continue to come down." That's the problem at the end of the day - where is the end of the line? Asset quality continues to deteriorate pretty significantly and this deterioration is driven...

We have a real judge! “The foreclosure sales (in question are) invalid because they failed to meet the requirements of (Massachusetts law),” Land Court Judge Keith Long wrote yesterday in reaffirming a decision he originally reached in March. At issue is "lost" (or improperly endorsed) paperwork when mortgages are sold from party to party, as typically happens many times during a securitization process. I have often argued that a lot of "lost" paperwork is in fact intentionally destroyed, as this is one of the few ways to cover up blatant fraud in the origination of mortgages - brokers putting the...

My ten-year-old daughter loves “So You Think You Can Dance.” I suspect most eight to eighteen-year-old girls do. So, my question to the producers of this hit show is: “Why are you pointing my daughter to a web page asking her to work at Planned Parenthood?”

The terms counterterrorism and counterinsurgency have become common currency this decade in the wake of September 11, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq. To a layman’s ear, they can sound like synonyms, especially because of our habit of labeling all insurgents as terrorists. But to military professionals, they are two very different concepts. Counterterrorism refers to operations employing small numbers of Special Operations “door kickers” and high-tech weapons systems such as Predator drones and cruise missiles. Such operations are designed to capture or kill a small number of “high-value targets.” Counterinsurgency, known as COIN in military argot,...

Multiculturalism, as a concept, may seem fair until you examine its ramifications – until you look at its realities. For multiculturalism to work, all sides must be willing to work together and whatever community its tenets must insist that the local laws be followed by one and all, without exception! Muslims in the UK, want public monies but reject any strings attached: Muslim groups say that they want money from the Government but don’t like the strings attached which ask them to help root out extremism. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) says that the grants which require them to...

QALQILYA, West Bank -- Commanders of the U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces who have been locking up criminals and battling Hamas militants here for nearly two years have maintained morale in the ranks with a single promise: They will one day be the anchor of security for an independent Palestinian state. The lack of progress toward that goal is starting to sap Palestinian public support for the forces and erode morale among troops, even as they win praise and fresh funding from Washington for their accomplishments. Palestinian Security Forces train in the West Bank city of Nablus in August. Meanwhile, the...

"Some arrive at Veterans Memorial two hours early" Sometimes Ernest Hayden Jr. forgets he's part of a global recession that has cost millions of workers their jobs. "You compartmentalize and think it's just you," said the 44-year-old Reynoldsburg resident, who was laid off by Limited Stores in May after 23 years with the company. Hayden was reminded yesterday at the Project Hire job fair that he's not alone, as he took his place at the end of a slow-moving line. "It's overwhelming," he said as he stood with about 500 other job seekers. "You get self-absorbed and then you come...

"Investing in the Stock Market is like going to Las Vegas that is the same game" The FDIC is nearly broke it should be headline news but it is not .The Treasury is the Federal reserve and the FED is the Treasury Gerald Celente Investing in the Stock Market is like going to Atlantic City or Las Vegas that is the same game that you are playing

The recent surge in the price of gold could "collapse" and quickly move back toward the $1,000 mark as the precious metal has not confirmed its upward trend yet, Daryl Guppy, CEO of Guppytraders.com, told CNBC. "There's a possibility that this rally is going to collapse relatively quickly and take us back and retest the $1,000-1,020 (per Troy ounce) level," Guppy said. "What we need is the creation of this trend before we can look at these 1,500 targets as being reasonably achievable," he said.