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Thread Six: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1109459/posts |
Posted on 03/12/2004 8:23:06 PM PST by thecabal
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- This week's deadly train bombings in Spain will not lead to a rise in the U.S. color-coded terror threat alert system, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said Friday.
"Based on the current intelligence, we have no specific indicators that terrorist groups are considering such an attack in the U.S. in the near term," said department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Yes, it is beautiful here today. After a rainy season, this past week we have been in the 80s, almost necessary to turn the air on. Probably some did, I toughed it out. I am not quite ready for high electric bills yet.
Excuse me, but why would anybody want to videotape a refinery. That's certainly not at the top of my list when I'm on vacation.
Could releases of foreigners with Visa problems taping refineries (no matter what the excuse) and illegal aliens easily escaping in Arizona be the type of thing to cause almost zip confidence in immigration, alphabets and homeland security? How safe does this make me feel? Not very.
Makes you wonder if they do inspections on freight? Also, has anyone besides me who has flown lately noticed that it doesn't seem like there is much cleanup or inspection between domestic flights? That's a window of opportunity I'd like to see closed. I know they want to make timely flights, but I'd rather be late than be on a plane that some departing passenger left a surprise on.
These two incidents alone, much less all the others (!), are enough to make one think there is a giant elitist/new world order conspiracy to assist in the destruction of this country.
I didn't read the comics this morning. Is this my substitute?
I see it takes 500 of them to change a light bulb. Too bad we can'track them in the process and arrest them all as they attempt it (an internet police force so to speak).
Secular Government Wins Malaysia Election
By ROHAN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysians gave their secular prime minister a huge election victory on Sunday, smashing a fundamentalist Muslim party that had wanted to impose an Islamic state in the Southeast Asian country.
The results were seen as a personal endorsement for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose low-key style has proved a sharp contrasted to his combative predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad.
Many voters — especially the Chinese and Indian minorities — had feared Islamic fundamentalism was on the rise in Malaysia, a country that has detained scores of suspected terrorists in the past two years, some linked to al-Qaida.
Abdullah's United Malays National Organization scored huge gains in two states in the rural north, the stronghold of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.
Final results from the Election Commission showed Abdullah's party claimed Terengganu state with 28 seats to three for the Islamic party, with one being recounted.
The parties were neck-and-neck in Kelantan — held by the Islamic party since 1990 — with final results not expected until later Monday. UMNO went from two seats in Kelantan to at least 16.
Nationally, the National Front coalition won at least 167 seats in the 219-member federal Parliament, surpassing the 146 needed for a two-thirds majority. Final results were not due until later Monday.
Abdullah declared victory at his party's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where he joined hands with his wife and deputy prime minister to lead a sing-along of the party's theme song before a cheering crowd.
"The people have accepted that the National Front is strong and capable enough to fulfill a mandate to develop our country and make it safe and peaceful for everyone," Abdullah said.
Stunned supporters of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party gathered at the home of its leader, Abdul Hadi Awang, who was visibly shaken and on the verge of tears.
Party officials were at a loss to explain the results. "It was all up to God," said Zaihan Mohamed Daud, a senior official. "But it doesn't matter. Our reward is in heaven."
In another surprising result, jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's party lost all five of its seats — disappearing as fast as it burst onto Malaysia's political scene five years ago, when Anwar was dumped as Mahathir's anointed successor.
Even Azizah Ismail, Anwar's wife, lost her parliamentary seat.
The result reflected how much support for Anwar has faded since he was convicted to 15 years in prison on sodomy and corruption charges. He claims the charges were fabricated to prevent him challenging Mahathir, who denies it.
The only winner among opposition parties was the Democratic Action Party, a nonreligious, multiethnic group that was largely sidelined during a campaign dominated by debate about the role of Islam. It won at least seven parliamentary seats.
Officials reported high turnout rates among the country's 10.3 million registered voters, who chose federal Parliament candidates and 505 assembly members in 12 of Malaysia's 13 states.
Voting went smoothly at most of about 7,300 polling centers, but problems with electoral rolls and ballot papers forced officials to extend voting for two hours in central Selangor state and abandon it altogether in one assembly district in eastern Pahang state.
Abdullah has sought support in ending years of Mahathir-era cronyism and promoting a moderate, progressive version of Islam.
The opposition claimed it was an election ploy, and that Adullah's party — which has been the core of every governing coalition since independence — is rotten with greed and is leading Malaysia's Muslims down an immoral path.
Voters objected to personal attacks against Abdullah, who is widely respected for his politeness — a contrast to the confrontational Mahathir.
Mahathir retired in October in a blaze of controversy after telling a summit of Islamic leaders that Jews rule the world by proxy, drawing a rebuke from President Bush and other Western leaders.
"Abdullah has achieved in four months what Mahathir failed to do for many years — bring back the Malays into UMNO's fold," said political analyst Yahya Ismail.
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party wants to turn Malaysia into a strict Islamic state with laws sanctioning stoning and amputation as punishments for crimes. It had tripled its parliamentary seats in 1999 amid a wave of Malay anger at Mahathir for his treatment of Anwar.
In Kuala Lumpur, schoolteacher Cheah Meng Tze said he voted for the government because he feared the Islamic party's hardline rhetoric.
"I want my children to live in a country that is free of instability, terrorism and religious extremism," he said.
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