Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.
From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.
One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.
MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.
Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.
Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.
Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.
He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.
http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml
New MI5 boss is top expert on Al-Qaeda
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2508471,00.html
he Sunday Times December 17, 2006
New MI5 boss is top expert on Al-Qaeda
David Leppard
A SPYMASTER who has tracked Al-Qaeda’s activities in Britain since
the organisation first emerged as a threat to this country is frontrunner
to be the next head of MI5.
Sources said Jonathan Evans, senior deputy director-general of the
security service, was a “racing certainty” to take over from Dame Eliza
Manningham-Buller, who surprised Whitehall last week by announcing that
she would be stepping down early from the top job.
Sources said she had decided to quit in anticipation that she might be
asked to resign over blunders concerning last year’s July 7 bombings.
Evans is a career spy with a background in fighting terror. He served
as head of G branch, MI5’s international terrorism section, making him
the agency’s then supremo in dealing with the emerging Al-Qaeda
threat. Before that he served as a senior officer in Northern Ireland,
helping to spearhead the fight against the IRA.
The Home Office maintained last week that there was nothing unusual
about Manningham-Buller’s decision to leave after only four years in the
job.
In her leaving statement she insisted that she had decided in “early
2005” that it would be time to stand down by April 2007. But
Whitehall officials said that the announcement had come as a “surprise”.
Insiders and security experts see it as a “pre-emptive strike”
linked to forthcoming revelations concerning how much her agency knew about
the intentions of the July 7 suicide bombers in the 18 months before
the attacks.
The sources said that the agency was bracing itself for detailed
disclosures about its intelligence on Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shezhad
Tanweer, the two leading bombers who killed 52 people. The Sunday Times and
other media are prevented by court orders from making this evidence
public.
The sources said that Manningham-Buller’s decision to step down was
unlikely to head off widespread public criticism of the spy agency:
“She knows she will be asked to resign over this. She was protected by
Charles Clarke (the former home secretary) but some people believe that
if things go badly wrong John Reid (his successor) will be happy to slit
her throat.”
In his statement on her departure, Reid was fulsome in his praise.
“Her contribution to the security of our nation has been invaluable and I
pay tribute to her unstinting efforts,” he said.
The Home Office will this week begin circulating advertisements for her
replacement. Reid will make the final choice, expected to be announced
by the end of next month. However, security sources are already tipping
Evans to take over in April. As deputy, he has had daily responsibility
for oversight of the service’s operational work.
Evans is highly respected as a spymaster. A source said: “He is very
switched on. He’s dynamic, confident, a natural leader. He’s a
gifted communicator. He’s very comfortable with himself and is good with
ministers and mixing at the top table. But he is also very personable.
He’s good at dealing with staff in a hail-fellow-well-met sort of
way.”
Evans is also said to have a formidable intellect: “He grasps the
material and can make a quick decision. He has gravitas but he’s also
got a very relaxed style.”
Former MI5 bosses including Dame Stella Rimington and Sir Stephen
Lander have taken on part-time business directorships or public
appointments, but Manningham-Buller is understood to want to spend more time on her
70-acre farm with her husband, a university academic.
They keep chickens and alpaca, the llama-like South American animal
reared in Britain mainly for its wool. “She’s keen on hens and organic
eggs,” said a colleague. “But she’s also very much in love with
her husband. They are looking forward to spending more time together.”
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=%22CIA%22&ei=utf-8
1. US: Journalists could be witnesses in CIA probe Open this result in new window
AsiaMedia - Jan 03 1:16 PM
Washington --- Some journalists who made careers out of questioning government officials and bearing witness to history may soon find themselves answering questions from prosecutors as key witnesses in a CIA leak case.
Save
2. Experts fear journalist testimony in CIA leak case will erode freedom of press Open this result in new window
USA Today - Jan 02 7:10 AM
Ten or more reporters from some of the most prominent news organizations could be called to testify in the perjury and obstruction case of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. It's rare enough for reporters to become witnesses. But the CIA leak case is even more unusual because journalists will be dueling witnesses some called by the defense team, some by prosecutors.
Save
3. Leahy, Justice Department square off on CIA activities Open this result in new window
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune - Jan 02 7:09 PM
WASHINGTON - Setting up what could become the first showdown between the Bush administration and the new Democratic Congress, the Justice Department has refused to turn over two secret documents, describing the CIA's detention and interrogation policies for suspected terrorists, to the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who asked for the documents in ...
Save
4. In CIA leak case, reporters will be key witnesses Open this result in new window
Houston Chronicle - Jan 03 2:23 PM
Ten or more reporters from some of the most prominent news organizations could be called to testify in the perjury and obstruction case of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Save
5. The remote Polish airport at heart of CIA flights row Open this result in new window
Guardian Unlimited - Jan 03 5:29 PM
Former director tells how planes were met by vehicles from nearby military base.
Save
6. EU Antitrust Regulator to Rule on CSN Offer for Corus by Feb. 5 Open this result in new window
Bloomberg.com - 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- European Union antitrust regulators will rule on Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA's offer for Corus Group Plc, the U.K.'s largest steelmaker, by Feb. 5.
Save
7. Deep in Le Carré country, the remote Polish airport at heart of CIA flights row Open this result in new window
Guardian Unlimited - Jan 03 7:08 PM
Tucked away at the end of a pot-holed country lane which runs through a dense forest, Szymany airport would be the perfect setting for a John Le Carré novel. A shabby control tower looks out over a long runway which appears slightly out of place next to a modest terminal building.
Save
8. De Niro leaves CIA history pic to wolves Open this result in new window
Michigan Daily - Jan 04 1:33 AM
Robert De Niro's "The Good Shepherd" is probably one of the most polished, clean and sterile period productions ever made. The Oscar-winning actor's second (and less successful) attempt at directing - his first was the coming-of-age fable "A Bronx Tale" - the film is disastrously overlong, thin on action, empty of emotion and downright devoid of any sense of purpose.
Save
9. Records show Diego Garcia link to alleged torture flights Open this result in new window
Guardian Unlimited - 2 hours, 50 minutes ago
CIA jet flew at least twice to Poland from Afghanistan, where the US detained several terror suspects, new details show.
Save
10. Journalists will be dueling witnesses in CIA leak case Open this result in new window
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune - Jan 01 7:09 PM
WASHINGTON - Some journalists who made careers out of questioning government officials may soon find themselves answering questions from prosecutors as key witnesses in the CIA leak case. Ten or more reporters from some of the most prominent news organizations could be called to testify in the perjury and obstruction case of former White House aide Lewis Libby. It's rare enough for reporters to ...
Save
850koa.com
the "thing " in the sky, hundreds of emails have come in, it was in the sky for a minute, it did explode, into a million pieces that gave of light.
Reports from:
Colorado
Nebraska
New Mexico
The news room was able to see live video of it, which they got from Fox 31, which I think is a Fox TV station in Denver.
The later reports on the murder car, say it was not burned, only looked that way, due to the paint job, but the top was still white.
Police have loaded it on a trailer and hauled it away.
LOL, I got to listen to a UFO report, live and the finding of the car, going to be a full news day today.
I had hopes the deer came down the river to safety.
January 4, 2007 Anti-Terrorism News
(Iraq) 13 killed in Baghdad car bomb
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrest_070104103922
(Iraq) US planning offensive against Mehdi Army
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=166249&Sn=WORL&IssueID=29289
Iraqi Sunni chief thrown to his death
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21007052-1702,00.html
(Taliban) Mullah Omar says hasn't seen bin Laden for years
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070104/ts_nm/osama_taliban_dc_1
Afghanistan: Mullah Omar Threatens To Intensify War, Rules Out Talks
With Govt
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.373298448&par=0
Pakistan PM in Afghanistan amid border row
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanunrestpakistan_070104074426
Indian army kills four Pakistani militants in Kashmir
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/wl_sthasia_afp/indiaunrestkashmirpakistan_070104045934
(India) Kashmir militant kills self trying to plant bomb
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070104/india_nm/india282237_1
(India) 79 Maoists surrender in central India
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/wl_sthasia_afp/indiamaoistsunrestsurrender_070104085744
Tunisia: Arrested Militants Hailed From Algeria, Report
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.373290227&par=0
(Somalia) 3,500 Islamists said hiding in Somalia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_re_af/somalia_202
(Somalia) US helped Ethiopian choppers target Somalia Islamists
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/ts_afp/somaliaunrestethiopia_070104095923
Kenya on alert as Somalia fighting nears border
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070103/ts_nm/somalia_conflict_dc_51
Thailand bombers were "in uniform": defense minister
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070104/wl_afp/thailandattacksblast_070104111457
(Thailand) PM tells Thailand to brace for more bombs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070104/ts_nm/thailand_bombs_dc_8
'Hamas dissidents kidnapped AFP photographer'
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January27.xml§ion=middleeast
Five killed in Gaza infighting
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January25.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
Iran: New Crackdown on Christians
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Religion&loid=8.0.373232697&par=0
(U.S.) Negroponte to leave intel director post - National Intelligence
Director John Negroponte will resign after 20 months to become deputy
secretary of state
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070104/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/negroponte
(Florida) Beach Bank Case Highlights Laundering Risk of Phone Cards
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/01/beach_bank_case_highlights_lau_1.php
(Canada) CSIS fears N-bomb -- Canada's spy agency says it is "quite
surprising" that terrorists have not detonated a crude radioactive bomb
http://torontosun.com/News/Canada/2007/01/03/3153467-sun.html
UK protester regrets call to bomb US
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=166344&Sn=WORL&IssueID=29290
London Mayor in secret visit to terrorists' families on Cuban trip
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=426408&in_page_id=1770
Me too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1762215/posts
"Vote-machine lab loses certification"
Albany Times Union ^ | 4 January 2006 | Christopher Drew
Posted on 01/04/2007 4:47:08 AM PST by lifelong_republican
"A laboratory that has tested most of the nation's electronic voting systems has been temporarily barred from approving new machines after federal officials found that it was not following its quality-control procedures and could not document that it was conducting all the required tests."
(Excerpt) Read more at timesunion.com ...
[unknown url]
North Koreans rally for nuclear program
Associated Press
Thursday, January 04, 2007
By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer
Tens of thousands of North Koreans, including high level officials,
rallied Thursday in the communist country's capital to defend their
government's right to have nuclear weapons, state-run media reported.
"We have nothing to be scared about as we have a strong war deterrent,"
a North Korean woman said at the massive rally in central Pyongyang,
the North's Central TV reported.
The communist regime, which conducted its first atomic test in October,
often refers to its nuclear weapons program as a necessary deterrent to
the threat of a U.S. attack - an accusation Washington has repeatedly
denied.
The rally, which drew about 100,000 North Koreans - including
Parliament speaker Choe Thae Bok and the vice president of Parliament, Yang
Hyong Sop - was held to express public support for Pyongyang's New Year's
message, Central TV said.
In a New Year's message on Monday, the North vowed to strengthen its
defense capabilities as it celebrated its nuclear power, and called for
efforts to revitalize its sickly economy.
North Korea hailed its Oct. 9 nuclear test as "an auspicious event in
the national history." The test stoked international tensions and drew
U.N. sanctions.
The New Year's message also urged the North's 1.1 million-member
military, the backbone of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's rule, to defend
the country at all costs.
The rally participants pledged to defend Kim with their lives as they
held aloft large pictures of the leader and his late father, founding
President Kim Il-Sung, according to the video.
The North usually holds a massive rally every year in support of a New
Year message, but it doesn't have "any special meaning," a South Korean
official said, asking not to be identified because he was not
authorized to speak to the media.
The participants also vowed to embark on a campaign to build a
prosperous and powerful nation while making a dramatic effort to improve the
standard of living.
North Korea is one of the world's poorest countries. It has relied on
foreign handouts to feed its 23 million people since the mid-1990s, when
natural disasters and mismanagement devastated its economy and led to a
famine estimated to have killed some 2 million people.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Explosion reported at Ned R. McWherter National Guard Armory in Dresden
http://www.dresdenenterprise.com/news.htm
By David Fisher
david@dresdenenterprise.com
Vandalism was discovered at the Ned R. McWherter National Guard
Armory
Friday, December 22, which was evidently caused by some type of small
bomb.
Due to the fact that the explosion took place at a federal
military
installation, investigators from Fort Campbell will lead the
investigation.
In the meantime, members of the Dresden Police Department are
under
orders not to give out details of the incident until the investigation
has
been completed.
The explosion shattered the right-front glass panel at the
armory's
front entrance and caused damage to the glass in the double front
doors.
Although there is no official word yet as to the extent of the
damage,
the interior of the foyer behind the glass doors does not seem to have
suffered any substantial damage.
An article by this name, will not copy for me, and I do not have the url that my article came from.
It might interest you.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Fragmented+Sovereignty%3A+Why+Sendero+Luminoso+Consolidated+in+Some+Regions+of+Peru+but+Not+in+Others&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US
http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/mars/marspubs/marsbestref2006.htm
Best Free Reference Web Sites 2006
Eighth Annual List
RUSA Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS)
This is an annual series initiated under the auspices of the Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of ALA to recognize outstanding reference sites on the World Wide Web. View selection criteria.
"Since the Web is a changing world, readers should note that these Web sites were as annotated on the date the member reviewed the site. Reviewing previous lists is not part of the charge of the Committee (formerly the Task Force on the Best of Free Reference Web Sites). However, we will make note of updated links, or other very substantial changes (such as a conversion from free to fee-based), if they are brought to our attention." RUSA Quarterly Fall 2001
AF: Acronym Finder
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Mountain Data Systems, LLC
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
Developed by Mountain Data Systems, LLC, in cooperation with several other groups, AF: Acronym Finder describes itself as "The world's largest and most accurate human-edited dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms." It currently contains over 475,000 entries covering fields such as information technology, business & finance, slang & pop culture, military & government, organizations & schools, and science & medicine. Searching by acronym or browsing by broad subjects are both available. It is possible to expand your search to Acronym Attic, containing almost 3 million entries. However, these have not been edited. This is a very useful resource for anyone trying to discover what particular acronyms represent.
American Rhetoric
http://www.americanrhetoric.com
Michael E. Eidenmuller
Reviewed: March 8, 2006
American Rhetoric combines THE ONLINE SPEECH BANK and THE TOP 100 SPEECHES into one easy-to-use, searchable reference database for all ages. According to the website, the online speech bank is an index to and growing database of 5000+ full text, audio and video (streaming) versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews and other recorded media events. There are approximately 604 active links and are arranged alphabetically by first name and checked for errors at least once every two weeks. According to leading scholars of American public address, the top 100 speeches in this web site are an index to and partial database of full text transcriptions of the 100 most significant American political speeches of the 20th century.
Art & Architecture Thesaurus
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/aat
Paul Getty Trust
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
AATO contains more than 125,000 terms covering “fine art, architecture, decorative arts, archival materials, and material culture” and is more than a thesaurus, including brief definitions (the searchable “notes” field) and an impressive, easily navigable hierarchical tree. Extensive and still growing, it includes historic and contemporary terms. Any concept can list numerous variants (e.g., alternate spellings, plural form, synonyms) and may include brief citations for bibliographic sources and contributors. Every page includes a link to generate a printer-friendly version; a thorough help page is always available. AATO’s sister databases from Getty, Union List of Artist Names Online (http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/ulan/) (220,000+ terms) and Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online (http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/) (1,000,000+ terms), are similarly designed. This comprehensive web resource offers an excellent introduction to art terms.
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
BBC News
Reviewed: March 5, 2006
BBC News is the largest news broadcaster in the world, with more than 2,000 journalists in 48 bureaus around the globe. Visitors to this site will find extensive, in-depth coverage of the world’s news which strives to be “impartial, fair, and accurate,” and which offers an alternate perspective to that of American-based news media. Sections of the site focus on world regions, business, health, science and nature, technology, and entertainment. Articles are well illustrated, and often supplemented by links to audio and video coverage. Articles are also accompanied by links to older, related reports furthering understanding of complex issues. News is available in 33 languages. Users can download a desktop alert application, and can subscribe to email updates and RSS feeds.
The Big Cartoon Database
http://www.bcdb.com
Dave Koch, The Big Cartoon Database (bcdb.com)
Reviewed: February 22, 2006; revised May 1, 2006
Produced since 1998, The Big Cartoon Database currently features 70,298 cartoons from film and television, 4,965 series, 26,294 registered users and 4,210 reviews. Cartoons can be accessed by studio, an Academy Award® winning classic cartoon link or by a basic or advanced keyword search area. Detailed entries include a brief history of the cartoon, a synopsis, cast and crew, production notes, user reviews and a cartoon forum for registered users to discuss a particular cartoon. Although it does provide a cartoon pictures link, original cartoons, however, are not available for viewing or downloading on this web site. The Big Cartoon Database is the definitive web compendium for anyone interested in the history of animation.
Constitution Finder
http://confinder.richmond.edu/index.php
University of Richmond
Reviewed March 17, 2006
Easy to use and up to date, "this database offers constitutions, charters, amendments, and other related documents. Nations of the world are linked to their constitutional text posted somewhere on the Internet." Constitution Finder’s simply designed web site features a well placed pull-down index to over 200 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Constitutions are offered in original languages and English (and sometimes Spanish) translations. Though not exhaustive, historical constitutions and related documents are also available.
Crash Course in Copyright
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/Intellectualproperty/cprtindx.htm
University of Texas System, Georgia Harper
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
Created by Georgia K. Harper, lawyer and copyright expert for the University of Texas System, this very comprehensive site covers copyright and fair use as well as the broader area of intellectual property for creators and users. Content includes the background of fair use, using multimedia, digital content in libraries, copyright management, licensing resources, online presentations, a copyright tutorial, and links to additional information available elsewhere. Although focused in the academic area and to University of Texas students, faculty, and staff in particular, the content is useful for anyone with questions pertaining to copyright, fair use, and intellectual property.
Documenting the American South
http://docsouth.unc.edu/
University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Reviewed: March 9, 2006
Documenting the American South is a large-scale digital publishing initiative that features primary resources in history for the study of the history, literature, and culture of the American South. It is an indispensable resource for study of the Civil War and the Antebellum South, African-American history, and Southern literature. It includes public domain full-text books, pamphlets, personal correspondence, slave narratives, diaries, and oral histories. Documenting the American South remains an essential electronic research tool for anyone seeking original and scholarly documentation about this region.
E-how
http://www.ehow.com/
E-how, Inc.
Reviewed: March 12, 2006
Providing “clear instructions on how to do (just about) anything,” the E-how web site boasts of receiving “over four million visitors each month.” Its popularity is not difficult to understand. The web site’s instructions are easy to understand and follow. E-how covers a very wide variety of subjects ranging from how to play the kazoo, kiss on a date, create a tile mosaic, to how to fix your car. E-how’s users are encouraged to submit their suggestions on how to do anything via its wiki site (http://wiki.ehow.com). The site is funded in part by advertisements via Google which are related to the subject being researched. E-how is recommended for anyone who has felt that with just a little knowledge and a little courage “I could do that myself.”
Encyclopedia of Chicago
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/
The Chicago Historical Society, The Newberry Library and Northwestern University
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
This online counterpart to the print Encyclopedia of Chicago, published in 2004 by the University of Chicago Press, is a major reference resource for the history of the city of Chicago. The site takes advantage of the features of web publishing to enhance the presentation of this vast body of information. For instance, the extensive Entries index features thousands of clickable links to such topics as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Chicago Architecture, Al Capone and the White Sox. The web site also includes essays, maps, city plans, and topical galleries. Navigation is easy and fun. Contributors include many high profile Chicago area scholars. Ultimately, this electronic treasure is invaluable for anyone interested in Chicago or Midwest history.
Eternal Egypt
http://www.eternalegypt.org/
Egyptian Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage
Reviewed: March 14, 2006
Exploring “over five thousand years of Egyptian civilization,” this multimedia presentation offers cultural highlights, maps, timelines, and libraries and museums of information. Because of a partnership with IBM, the site is composed of “animations, virtual environments, remote cameras, three-dimensional models and more.” Richly colored, this site is easy to navigate, includes clear contact information, and is a uniquely complete resource. The Guided Tour, though it opens in a separate window, is an excellent introduction to all of the treasures in this site.
globalEDGE™
http://globaledge.msu.edu
Center for International Business Education and Research, Michigan State University
Reviewed: March 3, 2006
This international business and country studies information portal, from the Center for International Business Education and Research, Michigan State University, provides access to over 5,000 Internet resources with annotations. Searchers can quickly locate country profiles by using the country drop-down menu or the visual region selection tool and can easily browse well-organized web bibliographies from the Resource Desk. The site is loaded with additional, valuable features, including the ability to register and to be part of a network of 18,000 business professionals.
How Products are Made
http://www.madehow.com/
Thomson Gale
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
The 7-volume print set, How Products are Made, published by Thomson Gale from 1994 through 2002, now has an electronic counterpart. The user can search by keyword, browse each volume individually, or browse an alphabetical list of all entries from Accordion to Zirconium. Each entry includes understated advertising links related to the product, a background, perhaps a history, diagrams, the raw materials needed, the manufacturing process, quality control, the future of the product, and a short bibliography titled "Where To Learn More." The last section of each entry is User Contributions where users may submit comments about the article or additional information. This resource should be useful to all age levels needing information and diagrams about how things are made.
In the first person: An index to letters, diaries, oral histories, and other personal narratives
http://www.inthefirstperson.com
Alexander Street Press
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
The In the first person web site describes itself as an “In-depth index of more than 3,350 collections of personal narratives in English from around the world. It lets you keyword search more than 650,000 pages of full-text by more than 15,000 individuals from all walks of life. It also contains pointers to some 3,500 audio and video files and 30,000 bibliographic records.” What makes this resource particularly useful is the depth of indexing, allowing searches by personal characteristics, time frame, even witnesses to particular events. About 25 percent of the full-text content is restricted to paid subscribers but it also pulls together content from hundreds of authoritative free sites.
The Library of Congress (LOC)
http://www.loc.gov
The Library of Congress
Reviewed: March 3, 2006
Besides providing library catalogs and bibliographic information for books and resources held in worldwide libraries, this site serves as a portal to the LOC’s unique digitized collections and WEB resource directories. Important resources accessible from the top of the LOC homepage include: the American Memory and Exhibitions historic collections, the Global Gateway to multicultural information, and Thomas, which provides legislative information. This information-rich and well-designed homepage also showcases “Highlights From The Library,” such as the Song of America Tour and Today in History, as well as webcasts and noteworthy library news and events.
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com
Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
A searchable and browsable on-line dictionary and thesaurus for English, they are interconnected, offer audio pronunciation, etymologies, and occasional illustrations. Merriam-Webster Online also has free premium access (after viewing a brief ad) to electronic versions of their popular Collegiate series dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia; the Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged; French-English and Spanish-English dictionaries; an atlas; a style guide; and a medical dictionary. Basic access provides access to the “Word of the Day” and “Word for the Wise” features, word games and crossword puzzles, and “Learner’s Word of the Day” (for non-English speakers) and “Daily Buzzword” (for children). This web site is a great place for finding and using words.
Metacritic
http://www.metacritic.com/
CNET
Reviewed: March 13, 2006
Metacritic is a searchable database of individual reviews of film, video/DVD, television, music, books and games. The database can be searched by the title of a specific work, the name of an individual involved, a genre, or by "metascore," a number derived by Metacritic from a weighted formulation of rankings by individual reviewers. Metacritic takes into account the prestige of individual critics and publications in calculating weighted averages. Metascores are color-coded green (favorable), yellow (mixed or average), or red (unfavorable). Added features in the site allow easy determination of new releases with the most favorable reviews. Coverage of individual works includes a synopsis, information about its creator, publisher, distributor, or producer, technical information such as running time or number of pages, and excerpts from individual reviews.
National Atlas
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/
United States Department of the Interior
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
The National Atlas website is well organized and easy to navigate, placing maps by region as well as type. In addition to political/ geographic maps, it includes maps based on biology/wildlife, environment, agriculture, weather, and history. Also included are a map maker, printable maps, and dynamic maps—an example of which is the history of the invasive Zebra Mussel in the U.S. The site contains encyclopedia-style articles on map-making and the information contained in maps. The National Atlas is an outstanding example of a government website that places a large volume of knowledge at the user's fingertips.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
http://www.nih.gov
National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
Reviewed: March 3, 2006
This quality portal offers access to the combined medical information and scientific advances of NIH’s 27 highly regarded institutes and centers, including the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Human Genome Institute. Visitors can use this handy online medical reference to quickly access information by age groups, topics, and body locations and systems, as well as by institutes. Unique features accessible from the main site are the Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms providing text, audio, and explanatory diagrams, and the Household Products Database furnishing information about the composition and safety of household items. Additional Web resources and news items are provided throughout the portal’s pages.
National Weather Service
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Reviewed: March 12, 2006
In addition to providing severe weather warnings, the National Weather Service provides detailed weather forecasts for cities, counties, and states in the U.S. as well as marine and aviation forecasts. Forecasts can be displayed in a number of different formats (i.e., text, digital, and graphical). The web site includes Doppler radar, satellite images, and air quality, river flooding, climate, and forecast maps. Travelers and those just curious about tomorrow’s weather will find this site useful.
Peterson’s Planner
http://www.petersons.com
Thomson Peterson
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
The Peterson’s Planner web site is a searchable guide for choosing schools, from K-12 to college and from graduate schools to continuing education programs, even summer camps. Admission test preparation and financial aid planning are important elements available for both students and parents, along with information on study abroad programs and help for international students. Easy to navigate, the site offers program descriptions, school profiles, faculty and student information, and often links to the school’s own Website, admission application, and newspaper. This web resource offers one-stop shopping for educational choices and the steps needed to attend.
POTUS: Presidents of the United States
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/
Internet Public Library/School of Information University of Michigan
Reviewed: March 16, 2006
The POTUS site is part of the Internet Public Library (IPL) and is a quick biography source for all the presidents of the United States. Individual links to the different presidents provide basic biographical information, election results, cabinet member biographies, and notable events that occurred in each of these administrations. Additional links are provided for resources dealing with particular presidents and historical events that occurred during particular presidencies. This site is good for librarians in all settings that need to find fast information on U.S. presidents.
The Pulitzer Prizes
http://www.pulitzer.org/
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Reviewed: March 14, 2006
Beginning in 1917, and continuing to the present day, the Pulitzer Prize is generally awarded in 21 different areas of journalism and photography, including published books and music. Users can search or browse each year’s winners using the timeline at the top of each page, discover how the Prize winners are determined, and learn about the influential creator of the Prizes, Mr. Joseph Pulitzer. The home page is divided into four categories, Resources (with contact information), the Archive (of winners and finalists), History, and Forms (guidelines and entry forms). This well-designed page is useful for anyone interested in the Prizes or winners.
Radio-Locator
http://www.radio-locator.com/
Theodric Technologies LLC
Reviewed: March 11, 2006
The “most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet,” Radio-Locator links to websites of more than 10,000 radio stations throughout the world, as well as to streaming audio from over 2,500 of those stations. This attractive site is useful for anyone seeking stations from specific locations or with specific formats. Basic searches can be conducted by city, state or province, country, zip code, call letters, or format (Asian, college, jazz, news, public radio, etc.). Advanced searches allow sorting, and include additional criteria such as frequency and license status. Results are presented in a table, including call sign, frequency, signal strength, city, format, and audio stream availability. From the results table, users can easily link to stations’ websites and streams.
Recalls.gov
http://www.recalls.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Reviewed: February 20, 2006
Created as a joint venture between the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, Recalls.gov’s purpose is “to provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products.” The simply designed web site features six buttons on the following topics: Consumer Products, Motor Vehicles, Boats, Food, Medicine, Cosmetics and Environmental Products. Each button takes the user to the particular government agency responsible for reporting recalls on that subject area. Users can also search for recalls by keyword or recent recalls. Ultimately, Recalls.gov remains the most comprehensive one-stop resource for locating recalls.
SchoolMatters
http://www.schoolmatters.com
Standard and Poors, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Reviewed: March 11, 2006
Description: The Schoolmatters site allows “parents, educators and leaders to research information about public schools.” The site provides a simple to use interface to search for information and compare schools at the local, state, and national level. The results include tables and colorful graphs of school performance, staffing, and safety information as well as community demographics. Also included is a benchmarking tool, called Better Performers, which “allows you to find schools or districts in the state with higher performance than your school or district in the subject, grade level, and among the group of students you specify." A particular strength is the inclusion of numerous visually appealing graphs. This is an excellent place to start for anyone interested in comparing schools and communities.
SkyscraperPage
http://skyscraperpage.com/
SkyscraperPage.com
Reviewed: March 11, 2006
Beautiful architectural drawings of thousands of tall buildings around the globe, contributed by members of the SkyscraperPage Illustrators Association, can be found on this site. Users can browse by city, country, or continent, or can use the sophisticated search form. Among the available search criteria are height, construction year, location, structure type, and status. Results can be sorted by multiple criteria. The site includes completed buildings, as well as those proposed, under construction, canceled, or destroyed. Drawings are initially displayed with basic building data. Clicking on a drawing results in detailed information being displayed, such as style, materials, floor area, cost, and building use. A lively discussion forum is also provided. Anyone interested in architecture will find this site addictive.
Urban Legends Reference Pages
http://www.snopes.com
Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
Reviewed: March 17, 2006
This searchable archive/repository offers insight to urban legends, “common fallacies, misinformation, old wives’ tales, strange news stories, rumors, celebrity gossip, and similar items”. Access is via a broad variety of topical headings or by basic keyword searching. Records include detailed descriptions of the item’s origin (sometimes including original text and images), its status (e.g., true, false, multiple, undetermined), and an evaluation. A brief bibliography is usually included with entries for support. Free access is also available to the site’s message boards. The site is fun to browse and great for checking the hoax status of many a forwarded e-mail message.
WebMD Health
http://www.webmd.com/
WebMD, Inc.
Reviewed: March 9, 2006
Description: Although this site requires a free registration, and can be a bit overwhelming to navigate, it is still considered a leading authority reference resource for all things related to Health. According to the website, WebMD Health is a primary public portal created for consumers to help them take an active role in managing their health by providing objective healthcare and lifestyle information. Content offerings include access to health and wellness news articles and features, and decision-support services that help consumers make better informed decisions about treatment options, health risks and healthcare providers. The site provides access to detailed information on a particular disease or condition and symptoms. Consumers can locate physicians, store individual healthcare information, receive periodic e-newsletters on topics of individual interest, enroll in interactive courses and participate in online communities with peers. A keyword search box is available, as well as a topics guide for the top 12 health-related FAQs.
For questions related to MARS content, contact Shannon D. Jones.
For questions regarding RUSA pages, contact: Donavan Vicha,
RUSA Web Program Officer: dvicha@ ala.org
Last Revised: October 20, 2006
Copyright © 2006, American Library Association.
There are several articles on this page about terror 'maybes'.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061129151106.htm
Measuring Pandemic Preparedness: Vaccination Campaigns Need A Shot In The Arm
Science Daily — A federal plan to vaccinate hospital healthcare workers against a threat of smallpox fell short on several levels, according to the first metric analysis of the prophylactic health program. Results of the Temple University study raise troubling questions about future preparedness against possible outbreaks of avian flu or SARS.
continued.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/061231/8port.htm
Closing the Door at the Ports
A flurry of money, research, and law aims to close a gap in the U.S.
security net
By Angie C. Marek
ELIZABETH, N.J.-It didn't take too long after September 11 for Chief
Kevin
McCabe, the official overseeing screening in the sprawling Port of New
York/New Jersey complex here, to realize that his job was about to
become a
lot more stressful. Within months, he was handed an intelligence tip
that a
container on the way to the port held a so-called dirty bomb made with
radioactive material. On the day it arrived, McCabe's team isolated it
from
8,000 other container boxes, fed it through a radiation detection
machine
and an X-ray imager, and then punched holes in its roof to sample the
air
inside. "It was full of colorful Arabian carpets," McCabe says today,
"and
that was it." Still, he says officials were "only minutes away" from
shutting down the massive port complex.
McCabe's job isn't getting any easier. Nothing's happened yet, but many
security analysts believe the smuggling of a nuclear weapon into the
United States through a seaport is a very real possibility. The country's 361
commercial ports, meanwhile, have gotten so little funding in the past
five
years that experts routinely call them the "soft underbelly" of
America. In
recent months, a flare-up of public indignation over foreign ownership
of
U.S. port terminals has sparked some major improvements, but further
progress is by no means assured, and a host of vulnerabilities remain.
With
95 percent of America's imports arriving by sea, there's a lot at
stake.
"Bomb a seaport," says Joe Curto, an executive vice president of the
Maher
Terminals here, "and you'll feel it in Iowa supermarkets two days
later."
Continues: good read
[unknown url]
Kenya said to close border with Somalia
Kenya said to close border with Somalia
Associated Press
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Kenya said Thursday it has closed its border with Somalia in an
apparent effort to keep Islamic militants and refugees from entering the
country.
"The Kenyan border is officially closed," Foreign Affairs Minister
Raphael Tuju told The Associated Press, but he did not say when the
decision was made or how the border would remain closed.
Kenya has sent extra troops to its northern frontier with Somalia.
The U.N.'s humanitarian agency said Wednesday that about 4,000 Somali
refugees were reported to be near the Somali border town of Dhobley,
unable to cross into Kenya.
That same day, a Kenyan security helicopter and a Kenyan air force
plane were fired at by unidentified gunmen on either side of the border.
Tuju said he had no information on the incidents.
The minister told journalists on Wednesday that Kenya will not allow
Somali refugees into the country following the routing of Somalia's
Islamic movement because Kenya did not know of any threat facing the
refugees.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
[unknown url]
3,500 Islamists said hiding in Somalia
3,500 Islamists said hiding in Somalia
Associated Press
Thursday, January 04, 2007
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer
Remnants of Somalia's Islamic movement still pose a threat in the
capital, the interior minister said Thursday, a week after his government
and Ethiopian troops chased most of the militiamen from Mogadishu.
"There are 3,500 Islamists hiding in Mogadishu and the surrounding
areas and they are likely to destabilize the security of the city,"
Interior Minister Hussein Aideed said at a news conference.
Aideed did not explain the source of his information or what prompted
his comments after Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said on Tuesday that
major fighting had ended and that he expected only minor violence
ahead.
At a separate news conference Thursday, Gedi played down the threat and
disputed Aideed's figure of Islamists hiding in the capital but did not
offer his own estimate.
Gedi said his government would begin efforts to disarm Somalis by
seizing large arms caches located around Mogadishu. A house-by-house will
follow, the prime minister told journalists, without saying when that
will happen.
Thursday was the deadline for people in Mogadishu to surrender their
arms. Gedi said the disarmament program was progressing but offered no
details.
Over the past 10 days, Somali government troops and Ethiopian forces
have routed the Council of Islamic Courts, which had controlled most of
southern Somalia. The Islamic movement has vowed to keep fighting,
raising the specter of an Iraq-style guerrilla war.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. diplomat to Africa held consultations with
African leaders in Ethiopia on how to help Somalia's struggling government
establish itself.
"The people of Somalia need to come together," said Jendayi Frazer,
assistant secretary of state for Africa. "The Council of Islamic Courts
are no longer, though there may be remnants or individuals, and we
continue to push for dialogue."
Frazer was expected to meet with African Union officials and Uganda's
President Yoweri Museveni later Thursday.
Museveni has offered 1,000 peacekeepers, but Ugandan officials say they
need help paying for the operation and a clear exit strategy.
The U.S. government also will consider ways to provide significant new
assistance to the Somali government, she said.
With the Islamic movement's fighters on the run, concern has grown
about extremists believed to be among them. Three al-Qaida suspects wanted
in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa are believed to
be leaders of the Council of Islamic Courts. The movement denies having
any links to al-Qaida.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday that U.S. Navy
vessels deployed off the Somali coast were looking for al-Qaida and
allied militants trying to escape.
Aideed said that there are about 12,000-15,000 Ethiopian troops in
Somalia, and when peacekeepers arrive in the country the Ethiopians will
leave. Ethiopia has put the number much lower, at around 4,000, and said
it would pull out within weeks.
Many Somalis fear that when they do, there will be a power vacuum and
even a return to the anarchy and warlord rule of the past.
Somalia's last effective central government fell in 1991, when
clan-based warlords overthrew military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then
turned on each other. The government was formed two years ago with the
help of the United Nations, but has been weakened by internal rifts.
The intervention of Ethiopia late last month prompted a military
advance that was a stunning turnaround for the government.
___
Associated Press Writer Chris Tomlinson in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,
contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Fiji coup leader hands back executive powers
AFP
Thursday, January 04, 2007
by Sophie Foster
Fiji's coup leader has returned executive authority to the nation's
former president but appeared set to retain effective power by moving to
become interim prime minister.
Military commander Voreqe Bainimarama returned the presidency to Ratu
Josefa Iloilo, 86, amid reports Bainimarama would be sworn in as interim
prime minister Friday.
Military spokesman Major Neumi Leweni initially declined to comment on
the reports. But after being told they came from the president's office
he said: "If that's what the president's office says, it must be true."
Speaking after Bainimarama's announcement, restored President Ratu
Josefa Iloilo swiftly endorsed last month's coup. He also said an incoming
government would offer legal immunity to the military.
Iloilo said he would soon name an interim government to take Fiji
through to general elections. But these would only be held when "political
and economic conditions are conducive".
Bainimarama confirmed at a press conference that Iloilo would be
restored to power and that caretaker prime minister Jona Senilagakali had
resigned earlier Thursday to clear the way for an interim government to be
named.
"I now hand over executive authority to the president. God Bless Fiji,"
he said.
Bainimarama appealed to Fijians and the international community --
which condemned the coup and imposed sanctions -- to support the South
Pacific nation following the transfer of authority.
Iloilo, speaking for the first time since losing power in the bloodless
December 5 coup, said he backed the putsch that ousted prime minister
Laisenia Qarase's government.
"Therefore I fully endorse the actions of the commander in acting in
the interests of the nation and most importantly in upholding the
constitution," Iloilo said in an address to the nation.
A long-time ally of Bainimarama, he said an interim government would
"facilitate all legal protections" for the military chief and the rest of
the armed forces over the putsch.
The president also said he had been prevented from exercising his
authority in the run-up to Qarase's overthrow, although he refused to
elaborate.
Iloilo backed Bainimarama in his long-running dispute with the former
government, which the military chief said was corrupt, adopted racist
policies against the country's ethnic Indian minority and was soft on
plotters of a coup in 2000.
The president said the time had come to "enforce a genuine democracy"
in a "Fiji-based solution".
"I will therefore, shortly after consultation with capable people,
announce an interim government to take us smoothly to the next elections,"
he said.
The president's role is primarily symbolic in the country of 900,000
with the real power residing with the prime minister and cabinet.
Last month, the military advertised in Fiji's newspapers for applicants
interested in joining an interim cabinet, and it has been sifting
through the applications.
Fiji has been peaceful since the coup, although the overthrow of the
government has been condemned by many, especially the indigenous Fijian
population which overwhelmingly supported Qarase.
Qarase was forced by the military to return to his home village in the
remote Lau group of islands following the coup.
The deposed prime minister said he was surprised by Iloilo's statement
supporting the coup.
"It seems clear to me the statement was prepared by the military,"
Qarase told Fiji radio.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.
[unknown url]
Saddam aide is new Baath leader
By Peter Greste
BBC News, Baghdad
Saddam Hussein's Baath Party has confirmed his successor following the deposed leader's execution on Saturday.
The banned party's website said Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri - Saddam Hussein's deputy for much of his rule - has assumed the leadership.
As deputy Iraqi president, Mr Douri was the thin, red-headed figure usually wearing a military-style beret.
He has been declared dead several times over the past few years. It remains unclear whether he is still alive.
However, the Baath Party posted a statement in his name on the internet.
I vow to pursue the sacred jihad and step it up until the total liberation of our homeland
'Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri's' statement
Mr Douri was the King of Clubs in the US military's deck of cards of wanted figures and he took over notional control of the party and its insurgency after Saddam Hussein's capture in December 2003.
In the message posted on the internet, he called for unity among the insurgents and said Saddam Hussein's death would only strengthen their resolve.
The statement follows widespread protests among the former Iraqi leader's supporters in the Sunni community.
They say the manner of his execution confirms their belief that it had more to do with revenge than justice.
The government has appointed a three-man commission to find out who shouted the taunts and insults just before the hanging and who filmed and distributed an unauthorised video made public soon afterwards.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6226977.stm
Published: 2007/01/03 14:47:24 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Troops to fight Rio's gang crime
The governor of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has requested the deployment of a national security force in a bid to curb soaring gang violence.
The move follows a wave of gang attacks on buses and police stations there in December which left 19 people dead.
Governor Sergio Cabral said military police would arrive soon. He has also asked for federal troops.
The authorities are under great pressure to improve public safety in the run-up to next month's Carnival.
The new measures were announced after a meeting between Mr Cabral and the country's senior security official, Luiz Fernando Correa, as well as representatives of the armed forces.
Mr Cabral, who took office on 1 January, said that it was time for joint action against the violence.
"Once the public authority organises itself, no criminal can win," he said.
He did not give details of the number of personnel expected, but said that their first duty would be to patrol the state borders in an attempt to stop the movement of drugs, arms and gang members.
The national security force, which consists of 7,700 personnel, has been deployed three times since it was created by Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva in 2004.
In addition, some of the large numbers of soldiers, sailors and air force personnel permanently based in Rio will be ordered out of their barracks to supplement the police presence.
Mr Cabral also announced he would be meeting the governors of the other states in the populous south-east of Brazil next week to put into effect a new regional security programme in an effort to clamp down on urban gang violence.
It remains to be seen what practical impact these measures will have, says the BBC's Tim Hirsch in Sao Paulo, but officials know they have to improve public security not only ahead of the Rio Carnival but for the Pan-American Games due to take place in Rio in July.
'Terrorism'
In his inauguration address on Monday, President Lula condemned the recent violence in the state.
"This barbarity that happened in Rio de Janeiro can't be treated like common crime, it's terrorism, and must to be dealt with by the strong hand of the Brazilian state," he said.
In one incident, seven passengers were burnt to death when gunmen torched their bus. At least 12 police stations and posts in different parts of Rio were attacked with grenades and automatic fire.
Rio is reputed to be one of the most violent cities in the world.
Its shantytowns are frequently the scene of shoot-outs between officers and gang members, as are poor neighbourhoods in other Brazilian cities.
In May a similar wave of gang violence occurred in Sao Paulo, but the state governor, Claudio Lembo, turned down the offer of federal help.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6229483.stm
Published: 2007/01/04 03:45:48 GMT
© BBC MMVII
How Cubans heal their economic ills
By Robert Plummer
Business reporter, BBC News
My defining experience of Cuban economics came during a visit to the island in 1999.
I was following the Havana tourist trail by visiting the Floridita bar on the Avenida Belgica, where American author Ernest Hemingway used to go for his regular double frozen daiquiri with no sugar.
Suddenly an old man came into the bar carrying a stack of copies of the official newspaper, Granma.
I offered him the cover price, a mere 20 Cuban centavos, but he angrily demanded more.
I assumed he was charging over the odds because I was clearly not a local, and went away thinking that if a Cuban was trying to cheat a tourist over the price of the Communist Party newspaper, revolutionary idealism was definitely dead.
I later discovered that I could not have been more wrong - about the cheating, at any rate.
It is established practice in Cuba for elderly people on low state pensions to buy copies of the newspapers and re-sell them to the public for one peso each.
It helps them to make ends meet and allows their fellow Cubans to assist them without compromising their dignity.
Chicken tonight
A visitor to Cuba can easily find more such examples of how ordinary people have found ways to raise their low standard of living by operating below the radar of an inflexible, centralised state planning system.
Many of these dodges do centre on tourism. For instance, you may wonder why the Saturday breakfast buffet at your hotel in the holiday resort of Varadero often includes mountains of fried chicken - not normally something you would eat first thing in the morning.
The likely explanation is that the staff are not expecting you to eat it.
Anything that is left over, they are allowed to take home - and with the weekend about to get under way, they are preparing to go back to their families with enough food to satisfy a houseful of relatives.
Likewise, if you talk to the young woman who plays the piano in the hotel bar, you will probably find that she is a conservatory-trained musician who realised she could make more money playing for tourist tips than she could in concert halls.
Still, at least she has a legitimate skill to sell, unlike many of her contemporaries who have resorted to prostitution in an effort to obtain money from tourists.
'Special Period'
Conditions in Fidel Castro's Cuba were not always as bad as this, although people have been subject to food rationing ever since the US economic embargo was imposed in 1962.
What really caused Cubans' living standards to plummet was the collapse in 1991 of the Soviet Union, which had bankrolled the country's inefficient economy as a means of irritating Washington.
The end of the Cold War brought a halt to plentiful supplies of cheap crude oil in exchange for Cuban sugar, as Russian President Boris Yeltsin served notice that he was pulling the plug on Soviet subsidies.
The rest of the 1990s were known as the "Special Period" - a time marked by widespread food and fuel shortages.
The country was forced to come up with some creative solutions to its problems, including the creation of the two-humped "camel" buses - immense tractor-trailers that can carry a couple of hundred people.
Under pressure, President Castro authorised a few tentative steps towards a more market-oriented system. In 1993, the US dollar was allowed to circulate, while opportunities sprang up for the small-scale entrepreneur as tourism became the country's biggest industry.
Turn and turn again
But this modest liberalisation was never intended to be permanent - and as soon as Mr Castro felt more confident, he went into reverse gear.
Since 2000, subsidised Soviet oil has been replaced by subsidised Venezuelan oil, as Havana looks to Hugo Chavez to prop up its tottering economy.
China, too, has been providing support in the form of trade credits, technology and investment capital.
This change in Cuba's fortunes soon led the regime to reassert its economic supremacy. In 2004, US dollar transactions were banned and a 10% tax imposed on dollar-peso conversions.
As for the self-employed Cubans who run restaurants in their homes ("paladares") or rent out rooms to tourists, their numbers have fallen dramatically.
In 1995, more than 200,000 of them were officially licensed, but a decade later, fewer than 100,000 remained.
Cuban officials have stressed that Fidel Castro's death - which the US has said may come within months - will not bring any changes to this rigid system.
Mr Castro's brother Raul, his designated successor, is just as fiercely opposed to the free market, and any easing of policy will not come without a fight.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/6189319.stm
Published: 2007/01/03 22:38:31 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.