World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #6 Disinformation, Inc.

Global Politician/Ocnus.Net ^ | Dec 17, 2006 | Professor Daniel M. Zucker

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://cryptome.org/dot121906.htm

23 December 2006

[Federal Register: December 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 243)]

[Notices]
[Page 76017-76019]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de06-101]

---

---

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary


Requirements Regarding Flights to College Bowl Games and Other
Special Events

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice.

---

SUMMARY: The Department is publishing the following notice providing
guidance to colleges and other organizations wishing to arrange charter
flights to football bowl games, NCAA basketball playoff games, or other
special events.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dayton Lehman, Jr., Deputy Assistant
General Counsel, or Lisa Swafford-Brooks, Senior Attorney, Office of
Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (C-70), 400 7th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-9342.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of Department of Transportation
Requirements Regarding Flights to

[[Page 76018]]

College Bowl Games and other Special Events.
This notice is to provide guidance to colleges and other
organizations wishing to arrange charter flights, including flights to
football bowl games, NCAA basketball playoff games, or other special
events. The notice is also intended to provide information regarding
the economic licensing and operational certification of air carriers by
the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). It is important that
colleges and other entities are fully aware of this information since
they often charter aircraft to travel to events and we wish to avoid
instances of organizations (1) contracting with entities that hold no
DOT economic authority; (2) unknowingly chartering aircraft from
entities that are not subject to the most stringent safety standards
and oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a DOT
operating administration; or (3) reselling seats on a charter flight
without their first having obtained proper authority to do so.
There are generally two primary avenues whereby a college or other
entity may seek to sponsor air transportation to a college bowl game or
other special event. The organization may choose to (1) contract
directly with a carrier to provide the air transportation to the bowl
game or other special event or (2) contract with a Public Charter
Operator or an air charter broker, who would, in turn, locate a direct
air carrier to provide the air transportation.

Contracting Directly With an Air Carrier

If the college or other entity chooses to contract with the air
carrier directly, they should be aware of the economic requirements
that govern the carrier's operations. Before any U.S. aircraft operator
can hold itself out to the public as providing interstate scheduled or
charter service, it must have DOT economic authority. In general, such
authority is granted to large aircraft operators in the form of an air
carrier certificate issued under 49 U.S.C. 41101. Prior to granting
such authority, this Department must find a carrier to be ``fit'',
which entails a determination that the carrier has adequate financial
resources, a competent management team and a proper compliance
disposition. This fitness requirement is a continuing one and we
monitor certificated carriers to ensure their compliance with the
requirement. In addition, certificated carriers must meet certain DOT
economic rules such as minimum liability insurance requirements (see,
14 CFR part 205) and escrow requirements to protect charterers (see, 14
CFR part 212).
Likewise, the FAA requires that any U.S. aircraft operator
providing scheduled or charter service with large aircraft must comply
with the safety-related certification and operating rules of part 121
of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 121). Those
regulations are the most detailed and stringent of any of the FAA's
aircraft operating rules and the FAA provides heightened safety
surveillance of carriers subject to part 121.
There are, however, operators of large, jet-powered passenger
aircraft that are not required to have DOT economic authority or to
comply with 14 CFR part 121. These operators are regulated under the
safety standards of part 125 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR Part 125). While these aircraft operators may conduct ``private''
air services for a few entities for compensation or hire, they do not
have authority to transport the general public by engaging in common
carriage (e.g., holding out to the general public, or a segment of the
general public such as colleges, through advertisements or telephone
listings or through agents or brokers, or otherwise acquiring a
reputation for common carriage). Since carriers operating under part
125 are not authorized to hold out to the general public, part 125 does
not contain safety standards as stringent as part 121. Likewise,
carriers lawfully operating under part 125 hold no economic license
from DOT and are not required to comply with DOT's insurance or
monetary escrow requirements. You should therefore inquire about the
specific authority under which the carrier you will be using will
operate.
In addition to determining whether the air carrier has appropriate
authority, any organization that contracts with an air carrier directly
and wishes to resell seats on the charter flight to the public (for
example, to its students or alumni, to the press, or to its club
members), whether or not as a profit-making venture, should understand
its own role as an ``indirect air carrier,'' whose reselling of the air
transportation must be licensed under the Department's Public Charter
regulations.
Public Charter operators must comply with the requirements of 14
CFR Part 380. Among the most important requirements of 14 CFR Part 380
are the rules designed to prevent economic harm to charter passengers,
including the requirements that (1) before any sales of seats takes
place there is in place an approved Public Charter prospectus based
upon a contract between the charter operator and a direct air carrier
covering the transportation to be sold and (2) all payments by charter
participants to charter operators be covered in full by a security
agreement or in part by a security agreement with the payments
themselves being placed directly into an escrow account. There are
other specific rules governing Public Charter solicitation and the
content of the charter contract between the Public Charter operator and
the charter participants, including provisions on the cancellation of
trips and a participant's right to a refund.

Exemptions From the Public Charter Requirements

We recognize that organizations may have only a short time after
learning of an event in which to organize participation in a charter
flight, such as might occur with a bowl game or NCAA basketball playoff
appearance. The Department has always been willing to work with
organizations that can show that an exemption from certain of its rules
is in the public interest. While such matters are reviewed on a case-
by-case basis, in seeking such relief, an organization should be
prepared to show, at a minimum, that it has a contract with a carrier
holding appropriate authority for the flight and that appropriate
financial arrangements are in place to protect consumer payments.

Using a Public Charter Operator or an Air Charter Broker

Organizations may contract with a Public Charter operator to
organize a charter flight. Any organization that does so should assure
itself that the Public Charter operator has complied with the
requirements of part 380, as described above (and part 381, where
applicable, as described below). Organizations may also contract
directly with an air carrier through an ``air charter broker.'' An air
charter broker cannot misrepresent itself as an air carrier and,
because it does not hold authority from the Department, it cannot in
its own right contract to sell air transportation. Therefore, it must
generally have authority to act either (1) as the agent of a chartering
organization in contracting with an air carrier or (2) as the agent of
the air carrier in contracting with a chartering organization. Air
charter brokers also may act merely as a ``go-between'' without being
involved in the actual contract between the carrier and the charter
customer, e.g., by locating a customer for an air carrier and being
paid a finder's fee by the carrier, but this is a rare occurrence.

[[Page 76019]]

Organizations using air charter brokers should be aware that, since
the Department does not license air charter brokers, there is no DOT-
required financial security in place to protect an organization's
payments to a broker that is the lawful agent of the organization or
who acts in a ``go-between'' function. With respect to air charter
brokers that state that they are acting as the agent of one or more air
carriers, prior to signing a contract for air services organizations
should take steps to assure themselves of the agency relationship and
that the carrier represented is properly licensed by DOT and FAA to
provide the air transportation.\1\

---

\1\ On October 8, 2004, this office issued a notice regarding
the lawful role of air charter brokers in the provision of air
transportation and our enforcement policy covering such operations.
The notice, which was published in the Federal Register, provides
information on a variety of topics involving air charter brokers,
including contracting procedures and marketing. 69 FR 61429, Oct.
18, 2004; erratum published 69 FR 62321, Oct. 25, 2004. The notice
may be found on the office's website at: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/BrokerNoticeFinal.pdf
.

---

Tickets to a Game or Other Special Event Sold in Conjunction With a
Flight

It is also important to note that specific rules apply to
situations where tickets to a game or other special event are being
offered in conjunction with a flight, whether it is a charter flight or
a regularly scheduled flight. Under 14 CFR Part 381, an entity that
offers special event or game tickets in connection with a flight must
be in physical possession of a sufficient number of tickets or have a
written contract for the tickets, which must be directly traceable to
the actual sponsor of the game or other special event. Failure to meet
Part 381's requirements can entitle a participant to a full refund,
including the price of the air fare.
We seek the chartering public's cooperation and assistance to
ensure that they arrange an enjoyable and secure traveling experience.
If you have any questions or desire additional information, please
contact Dayton Lehman, Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Aviation
Enforcement and Proceedings, or Lisa Swafford-Brooks, Senior Attorney
in that office, at (202) 366-9342. If you wish to ascertain whether a
particular aircraft operator has DOT air carrier economic authority,
you may contact Bill Bertram, Chief of the Air Carrier Fitness Division
at (202) 366-1062.
An unofficial electronic version of this document is available on
the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov/reports and at http://airconsumer
.ost.dot.gov/rules/guidance.htm

Dated: December 13, 2006.
Samuel Podberesky,
Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings.
[FR Doc. 06-9772 Filed 12-14-06; 4:01 pm]

BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://cryptome.org/uk-spy-gear.htm

Do you remember a few months back, when Russia arrested a man and said he was an English spy?

There is a photo here of the fake rocks used by English spies.


http://www.google.com/search?q=UK+Spy+Gear+Found+in&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

The arrest in Russia is here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=com.netscape%3Aen-US&q=UK+Spy+Gear+fake+rocks+Found+in&btnG=Search

[nw_arizona_granny]

Nuked and hooked


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=nuked-and-hooked-%26method=full%26objectid=18328272%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

26 December 2006
NUKED AND HOOKED
Litvinenko's pal Scaramella is held
By Stephen White

THE Italian contact who met Alexander Litvinenko the day he was
poisoned has been arrested by anti-terror police.

Academic Mario Scaramella was last night being held in a Rome jail on
suspicion of arms trafficking and revealing state secrets.

The 36-year-old's arrest is not part of the probe into the murder of
former Russian spy Mr Litvinenko who was killed after swallowing
radioactive polonium 210.

It is connected to a seizure of rocket-propelled grenades by Italian
police in 2005.

Mr Scaramella was with his partner and two children when he was
arrested as he arrived at Naples airport from Britain on Sunday.

He is not expected to be quizzed until Wednesday.

The lawyer and security consultant met former KGB agent Mr Litvinenko
at the Itsu sushi bar in London on November 1 before going on to see
two Russians at a hotel. Later that day Mr Litvinenko was taken ill.
He died on November 23, after accusing Russian President Vladimir
Putin of having him poisoned.

His friend Alex Goldfarb said: "The arrest was obviously unrelated to
Alexander's death.

"They looked into all his affairs and found something which is totally
unrelated to Litvinenko." Mr Scaramella had tipped off police about
the arms shipment after he claimed to have been told about it by Mr
Litvinenko.

But Mr Goldfarb cast doubt on the claim and said he would take it
"with a grain of salt".

Mr Scaramella recently told how he was looking forward to returning to
Italy for Christmas after tests showed he was clear of radiation
poisoning.

He also revealed he had never been considered a suspect in connection
with the death of Mr Litvinenko.

Mr Scaramella is an investigating magistrate who has looked at links
between the Russian and Italian mafia.

Reports in Italy have suggested he is a member of SISMI, the Italian
secret services, and works for the CIA and Colombian intelligence.

Two years ago, he was the victim of an attempted assassination when a
gunman from Naples mafia the Camorra shot at him several times.

s.white@mirror.co.uk

[nw_arizona_granny]

About 102,000 Iranians transported to Saudi


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48367&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

About 102,000 Iranians transported to Saudi

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, December 26 (IranMania) - The managing director the Islamic
Republic Airlines (Homa) said that about 102,000 Iranian pilgrims have
been transported to Saudi Arabia in a 25-day operation, IRNA reported.

Saeed Hesami said on the sidelines of the departure of the last group
of
Iranian pilgrims for Hajj to Saudi Arabia that of this number, about
52,000 pilgrims were carried by Homa and about 48,000 by Saudi Arabian
Airlines.

The Iranian pilgrims were transported from 16 central provinces
directly
to Saudi Arabia and for the first time from Gorgan, capital of Golestan
province.

The operations for flying pilgrims back home will begin from January 5
and end 17 days later.

He also expressed hope that next year Homa will take the management of
air transport of pilgrims for both annual Hajj rituals and minor Hajj.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Anti-terror operation in Cherkessk


http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11113784&PageNum=0

Anti-terror operation in Cherkessk

25.12.2006, 11.12

CHERKESSK, December 25 (Itar-Tass) - An operation against some members
of the Gochiyayev and Gloov bandit gangs is now under way in Cherkessk.
"Servicemen of the Federal Security Service Department for
Karachai-Cherkessia and of the republic's Interior Ministry, backed by
some special-purpose units, are currently conducting an operation to
capture some members of the Achemez Gochiyayev and Timur Gloov bandit
gangs, who had murdered several servicemen of the republic's Police
Force and of the Federal Security Service Department," Itar-Tass was
told on Monday at the Federal Security Service Department (FSSD) for
the
Karachai-Cherkessia Republic of the Russian Federation.

"The criminals are now blocked off in one of the city buildings and are
putting up fierce resistance. They are opening hectic fire in reply to
every call to lay down arms," Itar-Tass was told.

"The operation is still under way," FSSD officials stated.

Gloov was killed last June in the course of a special operation in the
city of Teberda (Karachai-Cherkessia), while Gochiyayev is still wanted
as a mastermind of the plots to blow up apartment houses in Moscow and
Volgodonsk. The blasts had then claimed the lives of 352 peaceful
citizens.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Britain's fears over secret EU terror targets


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/26/nterr26.xml

Britain's fears over secret EU terror targets

By Philip Johnston and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Last Updated: 12:33am GMT 26/12/2006

EU plans to draw up a top-secret list of major terrorist targets are
causing concern in Whitehall. British officials fear Brussels may seek
to develop its counter-terror role in the same way Europol has expanded
in recent years.

Under a European Commission proposal, Britain and other member states
are required to compile a list of ''critical infrastructure" --
installations so sensitive that an attack could trigger a
European-level
crisis.

The list is to be maintained by EU officials in Brussels but Britain is
anxious that demarcation lines on counter-terrorism are clearly drawn.

National capitals are being asked to assess infrastructure vital to two
or more EU nations, such as airports, gas pipelines and nuclear plants.
Officials working on the list will be vetted, work in secure areas and
operate under Nato levels of security clearance.

Facilities owned or run by private companies will be obliged to appoint
a security officer to liaise with national authorities and draw up
plans
for detecting and responding to threats.

Officials fear that terror plots, such as last August's alleged
conspiracy to attack transatlantic flights, have exposed the
vulnerabilities of vital European transport hubs and energy supplies.

Despite commission assurances, Britain is set to raise concerns when
discussions begin in the first half of the New Year. ''We will fully
contribute to this EU initiative but we do have some concerns with
specific aspects," said a UK official.

These concerns relate more to legal jursidiction than to the list
itself
-- what is EU and what is national infrastructure? Britain does not
want
work that can be carried out on a national level duplicated by Brussels
nor does it want the commission seeking a role in counter-terrorism.

The Government is, however, prepared to concede some prevention of
terrorism activities where community involvement would be justified.
This could include developing technologies to detect explosives or for
''behavioural monitoring" programmes to prevent terror attacks on
infrastructure.

Franco Frattini, the Justice Commissioner, said: "The security and
economy of the European Union as well as the well-being of our citizens
depend on certain infrastructure and the services they provide. The
disruption of such infrastructure could mean the loss of lives, the
loss
of property and a collapse of public confidence in the EU."

[nw_arizona_granny]

Pakistan's Nukes Can Survive Any Att ack: Musharraf


http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=90390&d=26&m=12&y=2006

Pakistan's Nukes Can Survive Any Attack: Musharraf
Azhar Masood & Agencies


ISLAMABAD, 26 December 2006 --- Pakistan has become strong enough to
repel
any attack on its nuclear installations, President Pervez Musharraf
said
on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the country's founder
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

"Pakistan is a nuclear power. I assure you nothing will happen to its
nuclear (program) even in the event of a nuclear attack,'' said the
president. The prowess, capability and resources currently at the
army's
disposal are unprecedented in the history of Pakistan, he added.

Today, he said, the entire nation and the army need to deal with
internal threats posed by the Taleban, Al-Qaeda and insurgents in
Balochistan. "Nobody will be allowed to challenge the writ of the
state," he said.

Women Cadets Become Honor Guards

Eight women cadets from the Pakistan Army's elite training academy
yesterday became the first women honor guards at the mausoleum of the
country's founder.

State-run television showed the women contingent, clad in khaki cadet
slacks, some wielding swords and others holding guns, marching to
military tunes with their male colleagues in a ceremony at the
mausoleum
of Jinnah in the southern city of Karachi.

In November, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the
Pakistan
Military Academy Kakul, in the country's northwest, opened its doors to
women. In March, women also broke into the all-male air force when four
women pilots were inducted.

Forty-one women joined the army academy to undergo a rigorous six
months
of military training along with men before being inducted as officers
into various branches of the army.

President Musharraf, who attended the ceremony in Karachi, has been
promoting the role of women in Pakistan's male-dominated society.
Musharraf, who laid flowers at the mausoleum, praised the women cadets,
who are to graduate next April. "I am really impressed by the girls,"
Musharraf said.

"This is the future of Pakistan." Previously, women had only served in
the army's medical corps without being trained at the academy. But the
41 women cadets at PMA will join the army as non-combat officers in the
communication, engineering, legal and education branches.

Musharraf Hosts Dinner for Christians

President Musharraf hosted a Christmas dinner for bishops, minority
leaders and Christian deputies. The banquet hall at the presidential
palace was tastefully decorated with Christmas tree and lights. It was
the first-ever state-dinner hosted for the members of the Christian
community.

"We believe in interfaith harmony and follow the policy of 'enlightened
moderation'," Musharraf said adding, "rights of minorities are
well-protected in the constitution and we have doubled their
representation in the Parliament. Now they feel more secure and
confident."

The president said many cadets from the minority communities ---
Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and Parsis --- are now being inducted into
the
armed forces. "Sikh and Hindu cadets now get training at the Pakistan
Military Academy in Kakul," he said.

He said members of the minority community rendered valuable services
for
Pakistan. Quoting Quaid-e-Azam, he said, "Pakistan is not a theocratic
state but a state where rights of minorities are well-protected. This
is
what Islam also teaches us."

[nw_arizona_granny]

Airport "terrorist" blast kills one, wounds two in N. Pakistan


http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=937619

Airport "terrorist" blast kills one, wounds two in N. Pakistan
MIL-PAKISTAN-AIRPORT
Airport "terrorist" blast kills one, wounds two in N. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26 (KUNA) -- A car bomb exploded in the parking lot of
the airport in the capital of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province
Tuesday killing one person and injuring two others, police said.

The bomb was planted in a small car that was parked in the parking area
of the airport, Chief of capital police Malik Muhammad Saad, told
newsmen.

He said the explosion wounded three laborers, adding that one of them
succumbed to injuries in the hospital.

He said that four vehicles parked nearby were also damaged.

Police described this as a terrorist act and said investigations have
been launched.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The explosion came amid high security alert across the country for
fears
of possible backlash from pro-Taliban militants.(end) amn.
wsa
KUNA 260951 Dec 06NNNN

[nw_arizona_granny]

US forces identify corpse of gunman wanted by Saudi authorities


http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=937500

MIL-IRAQ-CORPSE-TERRORIST
US forces identify corpse of gunman wanted by Saudi authorities

BAGHDAD, Dec 25 (KUNA) -- The US Army announced Monday that it
identified the corpse of a Saudi Al-Qaeda member killed in western
Iraq.

In a statement, the army identified the gunman as "Fahad Hilal Owayed
Al-Salafi Al-Makati Al-Otaibi", nicknamed "Fahad Al-Saudi", noting that
he was killed on December 7 nearby the area of Tharthar in western
Iraq.

The army added that the gunman is a member of Al-Qaeda in Ramadi area
and was facilitating the entry of foreign fighters to Iraq, noting that
he was killed in clashes with the US forces when the force tried to
stop
a car he was riding with three other gunmen.

It also said the gunman used to recruit foreign fighters in Yemen and
sending them to Iraq, noting that he escaped Yemen after Saudi and
Yemeni forces interrogated his family and relatives on his plans to
execute armed attacks abroad.

It noted that intelligence reports showed that the Saudi gunman
assisted
escapees from Malaz Prison in Saudi Arabia by facilitating their travel
and stay in Jeddah.

Meanwhile, the US Army announced that its forces on Sunday killed three
gunmen and arrested five others in a raid against a cell specialized in
preparing car bombs and explosives nearby Baghdad.

It added that the raid took place in the area of Samsiyah nearby
Baghdad, noting that explosive belts, detonators, and explosive
materials were seized in the raid. (end) ahh.
fhd

KUNA 251653 Dec 06NNNN

[nw_arizona_granny]

Engaging Iran and Syria is idiotic


http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/editorial/16316945.htm

Engaging Iran and Syria is idiotic
BY JONATHAN GURWITZ
San Antonio Express-News

What does the Argentine judiciary know that the Iraq Study Group
doesn't?

Last month, federal Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral handed down arrest
warrants for former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Foreign
Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian
and five other Iranian officials.

Indictments by Argentine prosecutors accuse the Iranian government of
masterminding the 1994 truck bomb attack on a Jewish community center
in
Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and wounded more than 200.

The chief prosecutor in the case, reports the Associated Press, alleges
that the decision to attack the Jewish center was made in Tehran "by
the
highest authorities."

Beyond Argentina, a 1996 truck bombing on the Khobar Towers housing
complex in Saudi Arabia killed 20 people, 19 of them American
servicemen, and wounded several hundred others.

In 1999, then-State Department spokesman James Rubin told a press
conference, "We do have specific information with respect to the
involvement of Iranian government officials."

Three months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Justice Department
issued a 46-count indictment against one Lebanese and 13 Saudi members
of Hezbollah for their role in the Khobar Towers bombing. While
then-Attorney General John Ashcroft didn't go as far as the Argentine
judge, he did allow that "elements of the Iranian government inspired,
supported and supervised members of Saudi Hezbollah."

And what does the United Nations know that the Iraq Study Group
doesn't?

U.N. institutions traditionally coddle Arab despotism. But in the case
of Syria, even the Mehlis Commission -- created by the United Nations
to
investigate the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri -- couldn't avoid the conclusion that cutthroat assassins infest
the highest levels of the Syrian government.

Whatever sensible recommendations the Iraq Study Group may have made
with regard to the disposition of American military power in Iraq, the
idea that Iran and Syria have positive roles to play and that American
diplomacy -- as if it hasn't been employed in the region for decades --
can suddenly unleash Iranian and Syrian good will is positively
idiotic.

Iran and Syria may indeed be part of the solution to the violence in
Iraq. But the constructive or, more accurately, nondestructive roles
those nations might play will only emerge after the clear recognition
that they are an essential part of the problem of violence in Iraq, the
broader Middle East and around the globe.
Jonathan Gurwitz writes for the San Antonio Express-News.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Oil revenues in Iran could end by 2015


http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650218044,00.html

Oil revenues in Iran could end by 2015
By Barry Schweid
Associated Press
WASHINGTON --- Iran is suffering a staggering decline in revenue
from its oil exports, and if the trend continues income could virtually
disappear by 2015, according to an analysis published Monday in a
journal of the National Academy of Sciences.
Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable and
vulnerable, with its oil industry crippled, Roger Stern, an economic
geographer at Johns Hopkins University, said in the report and in an
interview.
Iran earns about $50 billion a year in oil exports. The decline
is estimated at 10 percent to 12 percent annually. In less than five
years exports could be halved and then disappear by 2015, Stern
predicted.
For two decades, far longer than its designation by President
Bush in January 2002 as part of the "axis of evil," the United States
has deployed military forces in the region in a strategy to pre-empt
emergence of a regional superpower.
Iraq was stopped in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but a hostile
Iran
remains a target of U.S. threats.
The U.S. military exercises have not stopped Iran's drive. But
the report said the country could be destabilized by declining oil
exports, hostility to foreign investment to develop new oil resources
and poor state planning, Stern said.
Stern's analysis, which appears in this week's edition of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, supports U.S. and
European suspicions that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons in
violation of international understandings. But, Stern says, there could
be merit to Iran's assertion that it needs nuclear power for civilian
purposes "as badly as it claims."
He said oil production is declining and both gas and oil are
being sold domestically at highly subsidized rates. At the same time,
Iran isn't investing in its oil production.
"With an explosive demand at home and poor management, the
appeal
of nuclear power, financed by Russia, could fill a real need for
production of more electricity."
Iran produces about 3.7 million barrels a day, about 300,000
barrels below the quota set for Iran by the oil cartel, the
Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The shortfall represents a loss of about $5.5 billion a year,
Stern said. In 2004, Iran's oil profits were 65 percent of the
government's revenues.
"If we look at that shortfall, and failure to rectify leaks in
their refineries, that adds up to a loss of about $10 billion to $11
billion a year," he said. "That is a picture of an industry in
collapse."
If the United States can "hold its breath" for a few years it
may
find Iran a much more conciliatory country, he said. And that, Stern
said, is good reason to belay any instinct to take on Iran militarily.
"What they are doing to themselves is much worse than anything
we
could do," he said.
"The one thing that would unite the country right now is to bomb
them," Stern said. "Here is one problem that might solve itself."

On the Net:
National Academy of Sciences: www.pnas.org

[nw_arizona_granny]

Nuclear Firms Seek Rules to Combat Attacks


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/25/washington/25nuke.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Nuclear Firms Seek Rules to Combat Attacks
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: December 25, 2006

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 --- The nuclear power industry has asked the
government to specify how new nuclear plants should minimize damage
from
airplane attacks, weeks after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided
not to institute requirements on building new plants that are tougher
than the rules that prevailed decades ago when the old ones were built.

[middle snipped out]


Mr. Peterson said the industry wanted the regulations to be issued
soon,
because companies had expressed interest in building 30 new reactors.
The actual number built is likely to be much smaller, experts say, but
there is a widespread expectation of new orders, probably in 2007.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Nuclear Reactors Should Withstand Terror Attacks


http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=nation_world&id=4880685


Nuclear Reactors Should Withstand Terror Attacks
AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - December 25, 2006 - The nuclear power industry wants
the government to require companies to design new nuclear reactors that
would better withstand large fires and explosions, such as those that
could be caused by a terrorist attack using hijacked aircraft.

"If you need to change the design to accomodate greater security,
particularly for large fires and explosions, you want to do that up
front in the design process, not after you build the plant" as the
government requires, said Scott Peterson, a spokesman for the Nuclear
Energy Institute.

The industry's position, set out in a Dec. 8 letter, runs counter to
the
government's.

More than a month ago, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided to
keep
the current design rules - now more than a decade old - for new plants
and make those facilities fulfill security requirements later.

At question is the Design Basis Threat, or DBT, the largely secret
requirements for threats for which nuclear plant operators must be
prepared. A hijacked airliner is not on that list of threats, Peterson
said, because defending against that kind of attack requires assistance
from other government agencies and the military.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, new and existing plants have been
required to develop procedures to handle airplane attacks. NRC
commissioner Gregory B. Jaczko told The New York Times for an article
published Monday that those procedures were insufficient. He said the
Dec. 8 letter is "the clearest acknowledgement so far" that the
industry
believes plant designers should incorporate lessons from previous
terrorist attacks.

"The industry acknowledges that action should be taken to prevent or
mitigate certain...events including those resulting from large fires
and
explosions," the industry letter said.

The NRC, an independent government agency that regulates civilian use
of
nuclear materials, is currently rewriting two different sets of
regulations - one for licensing new reactors and the other for security
procedures at plants. Gary Holahan, an NRC official, said the security
rules are at least nine months behind the new licensing procedures.

Peterson said the lag will hamper companies who want to apply to build
new reactors.

"We want this done sooner rather than later," he said.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[nw_arizona_granny]

US Envoy Appears To Confirm Israeli-Saudi Contact


http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/defence/US_Envoy_Appears_To_Confirm_Israeli-Saudi_Contact3009647.php

US Envoy Appears To Confirm Israeli-Saudi Contact
Reuters
Dec 25, 2006 - 7:01:21 AM

A U.S. official appeared to confirm on Dec. 20 that there have been
high-level contacts between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which do not have
diplomatic relations.

Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Sept. 25 reported that Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had held talks with a member of Saudi
Arabia's royal family on Middle East peace and Iran's nuclear program.

Although neither the Israeli nor Saudi governments has confirmed such
contacts, when asked about the matter, U.S. ambassador to Israel
Richard
Jones said he thought "it (is) a very important development that this
contact ... was announced."

"I don't have any particular details on it but the very fact that ...
first of all they would be able to communicate and that they would be
willing communicate with one another I think shows a very serious
approach," he added.

Jones noted some Israeli officials have recently spoken more favorably
of an Arab-Israeli peace plan Saudi Arabia proposed 2002 which the
Israelis long viewed as a nonstarter.

"I think they (the Israelis) recognize that Saudi Arabia's policies
have
evolved in recent years and that Saudi Arabia is now more interested,
and more on the side of peace. And ... as a result, the Israelis are
warming to that," he said.
"And so there is definitely something going there, but beyond the one
contact that was in the press I am not privy to (it)," he added.

[nw_arizona_granny]

"Iran's nuclear drive linked to looming oil crisis"


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48373&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

"Iran's nuclear drive linked to looming oil crisis"

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com

Iran's nuclear ambitions are motivated not just by a desire for
regional
supremacy but by a potentially devastating crisis in its oil industry,
a
US researcher has said in a report, according to AFP.

LONDON, December 26 (IranMania) - Iran's nuclear ambitions are
motivated
not just by a desire for regional supremacy but by a potentially
devastating crisis in its oil industry, a US researcher has said in a
report, according to AFP.

Iran's image is of a muscular oil producer with plentiful reserves, but
in fact it could soon face its own energy crunch owing to failing
infrastructure and lack of investments, Roger Stern at Johns Hopkins
University said, AFP added.

Writing in the respected Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences
of the United States, the professor of geography and environmental
engineering said Iran's oil problems have the potential to topple the
clerical regime.

Stern said there was no reason to doubt US-led accusations that Iran's
drive to develop nuclear energy has more sinister ends in mind, to
entrench the regime in power and fend off US military hegemony in the
Persian Gulf.

He added "but it cannot be inferred from this that all Irani(an) claims
must be false."

"The regime's dependence on export revenue suggests that it could need
nuclear power as badly as it claims," Stern wrote.

Many of Iran's oil deficiencies are of its own making, he said, noting
that generous domestic subsidies for gasoline mean that Iran's national
oil company cannot make money at home and so needs to export as much as
it can, AFP noted.

But rapid population growth means that domestic demand is rising all
the
time, while authorities have let their refineries and pipelines fray.

So Iran, despite being the second-biggest exporter in the OPEC cartel
behind Saudi Arabia, actually has to import oil products like gasoline
to cope with demand.

Stern calculated that since 1980, energy demand in Iran has risen 6.4%,
exceeding supply growth of 5.6%. Exports meanwhile have stagnated since
peaking in 1996.

For at least 18 months, Iran has failed to meet its quota for oil
production set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries,
he said.

The strong suggestion, Stern said, is that Iran's oil production is now
actually falling, despite the bonanza that exporters have enjoyed from
a
period of record-high crude prices, the report said.

And a nationalistic regime is fueling the problem by making life
ever-harder for foreign oil companies, he said.

Stern noted sudden contractual problems faced by India, in its bid to
negotiate for supplies of Iranian natural gas, after New Delhi failed
to
vote with Tehran at a meeting of the United Nations atomic watchdog.

"Iran's petroleum investment climate therefore appears to have greatly
deteriorated since 1998-2004, a period when investment was insufficient
to offset the recent production decline," the professor said, AFP
stated.

"Zero future foreign investment thus appears plausible."

Overall, according to Stern, it "seems plausible that Iran's claim to
need nuclear power might be genuine, an indicator of distress from
anticipated export revenue shortfalls."

"If so, the Irani regime may be more vulnerable than is presently
understood."

[nw_arizona_granny]

OIC urges peaceful end to Iran nuclear standoff


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48370&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

OIC urges peaceful end to Iran nuclear standoff

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has called for a
peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear crisis after the United Nations
decided to impose sanctions over Tehran's refusal to stop enriching
uranium, AFP reported.

LONDON, December 26 (IranMania) - The Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) has called for a peaceful resolution of the Iran
nuclear crisis after the United Nations decided to impose sanctions
over
Tehran's refusal to stop enriching uranium, AFP reported.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, head of the 57-member grouping that includes
Iran,
said in a statement Monday that he "hopes all possible efforts will be
made to encourage new talks on reaching an amicable solution" with
Tehran.

"The region cannot withstand a new adventure... after Iraq," said the
secretary general of the pan-Islamic organisation, referring to the
2003
US-led invasion aimed at ridding that country of its presumed weapons
of
mass destruction.

On Saturday, the 15-member UN Security Council unanimously adopted a
resolution directing all states "to prevent the supply, sale or
transfer... of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology
which could contribute to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile
programmes".

Tehran reacted on Sunday by saying it would begin work to install 3,000
centrifuges used for enriching uranium.

Ihsanoglu's statement expressed his "deep regret at these developments"
and underlined "the inalienable right of all OIC member states, Iran
included, to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes".

The United States accuses Iran of wanting to develop nuclear weapons,
charges denied by Tehran which says it only wants to provide energy to
a
growing population.

The UN resolution warned that if Iran refuses to comply with UN demands
to freeze enrichment, the Security Council "shall adopt further
appropriate measures under Article 41 of Chapter Seven" of the UN
charter, a reference to non-military sanctions.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Russian official hails Iran sanctions


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48369&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Russian official hails Iran sanctions

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovon hailed the UN Security
Council's resolution that imposed sanctions on Iran as a reasonable
compromise that wouldn't hurt Moscow's commercial contacts with Tehran,
The Associated Press reported.

LONDON, December 26 (IranMania) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrovon hailed the UN Security Council's resolution that imposed
sanctions on Iran as a reasonable compromise that wouldn't hurt
Moscow's
commercial contacts with Tehran, The Associated Press reported.

Lavrov said the resolution approved unanimously over the weekend was
also a compromise that would allow diplomatic efforts to continue.

"The resolution fully reflects economic interests of Russia and other
partners of Iran," Lavrov said at a Cabinet session chaired by
President
Vladimir Putin, according to the ITAR-Tass, Interfax and RIA Novosti
news agencies.

He emphasized that the resolution allowed the fulfillment of all
contracts signed prior to its passage. Russia is building a nuclear
power plant in the Iranian port of Bushehr, which is set to come on
line
next fall. Russia demanded that both the plant and the nuclear fuel
intended for it be exempt from sanctions.

The resolution orders all countries to stop supplying Iran with
materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and
missile programs. It also freezes assets of related Iranian companies
and individuals.

The U.S. administration had pushed for tougher penalties, but Russia
and
China, which both have strong commercial ties to Tehran, balked. To get
their votes, the resolution dropped a ban on international travel by
Iranian officials involved in nuclear and missile development and
specified the banned items and technologies.

Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful
production of nuclear energy, but the U.S. and European nations suspect
that it serves as a cover to produce nuclear weapons.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Iran official: Resolution 1737 legally inapplicable


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48365&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Iran official: Resolution 1737 legally inapplicable

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com

Deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organization Mohammad Saeedi said
that the Security Council resolution 1737 has been adopted upon the
decision of certain countries and is legally inapplicable, IRNA
reported.

LONDON, December 26 (IranMania) - Deputy head of Iran's atomic energy
organization Mohammad Saeedi said that the Security Council resolution
1737 has been adopted upon the decision of certain countries and is
legally inapplicable, IRNA reported.

He explained that since there is no indicatoin of any diversion of
Iran's peaceful nuclear activities in reports made by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the resolution is thus void
of any legal value.

Saeedi added that referring to the article 41 and chapter 7 of the UN
charter on which has been based the resolution, claiming the existence
of threat to peace and security, is clearly imcompatible with the
Atomic
Agency's reports in this respect.

He added that no international authoritative body has ever referred to
any diversion of Iran's nuclear program and the only reports claiming
threatful nature of these activities are prepared by the US
intelligence
services.

The Iranian official said the sanctioned commodities have no bearing on
the development of Iran's peaceful neclear program.

On installation of 3,000 centrifuges referred to in last night
statement
of Iranian foreign ministry, Saeedi said Iran's nuclear project would
be
carried out according to schedule under IAEA supervision.

[nw_arizona_granny]

President Basescu Announced he Was Prepared to Pull out Romanian Contingent from Iraq



http://www.focus-fen.net/?id=n102182

President Basescu Announced he Was Prepared to Pull out Romanian
Contingent from Iraq
26 December 2006 | 09:17 | FOCUS News Agency
Bucharest. The Romanian President Traian Basescu announced that he was
prepared to pull out the military contingent of the country from Iraq
if
that 1was the wish of the greater part of the Romanian population,
ITAR-TASS announced. At the same time Basescu failed to point out how
citizens' wish could be understood. In an interview for the national TV
Basescu said that the problem with the pullout of the Romanian military
contingent from Iraq has also a moral aspect. "If the Romanian citizens
could understand that the pullout of our troops could harm the
international image of our country they wouldn't vote in support of a
similar decision", the Romanian president announced. There is 900
strong
Romanian contingent in Iraq at the moment.

[nw_arizona_granny]

To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53505

Monday, December 25, 2006
HOMELAND INSECURITY
Woman gets note on plane: 'Time for everybody to die'
Man suggesting he's Jesus: Shedding all our blood would cure all sickness
Posted: December 25, 2006
5:20 p.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com


A Christmas Eve flight from New York City to Portland, Maine, was delayed for more than two hours after a man suggesting "he was Jesus" gave a fellow passenger a note referring to the shedding of blood and that "it was time for everybody to die."

The man was taken into custody at gunpoint after questioning by police and U.S. Airways Express Flight 3068 was searched by bomb-sniffing dogs at LaGuardia Airport.

(Story continues below)

"He said he had AIDS, and the shedding of his blood and all our blood would cure all sickness," Tammy Budek, the woman originally handed the note, told the Portland Press-Herald. She said the message which brought her to tears suggested "he was Jesus and it was time for everybody to die."

"He was Jesus. God spoke to him. It was everyone's time," she quoted the note as saying, according to the Bangor Daily News. "He says, 'I need you to believe. Do you believe?'"

Budek, of Sharpsville, Pa., was on her way to visit family in Maine with her husband and two children. Authorities got involved after Budek passed the note along to a flight attendant.

Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the man, who was not named but is said to be about 35 years old, was taken to an area hospital.

Another passenger, William Curtis of New York, said the man initially sat toward the front of the plane, near the pilot's cabin.

"He didn't want to move" when a woman came to claim her seat, Curtis told the paper.

The man eventually was seated in row 18 without creating a scene, but Budek said he "smiled the whole time" while being handcuffed and removed from the aircraft.

At Portland International Jetport, dozens were left waiting for passengers with few clues as to the reason for the delay.

Nancy Zerr of Lyman, Maine, received a cell-phone call from her daughter, Kelly Bowden, of Wilmington, N.C.

Zerr said her daughter's voice was shaking when she was told, "There's something going on, and there are guns."

Dale and Dianne Brown of Hartland, Maine, learned that Budek, their daughter, was the first recipient of the threatening note.

"She was quite upset. I was petrified," Dianne Brown said.

The Press-Herald says former Maine Gov. Angus King was also a passenger on the flight, but said the scenario "wasn't a big deal."

The incident is reminiscent of a U.S. Airways flight in November, as passengers handed notes to flight attendants, expressing concern about a half dozen Muslim imams said to be praying loudly and declaring anti-U.S. rhetoric regarding the war in Iraq and Saddam Hussein.