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Honda has built and ultraefficient vehicle that goes 1300 miles between fill ups. It carries 6-8 passengers - 8 Japanese and 6, sometimes 5 or 4 Americans. Of course, there is always a catch. The vehicle costs $1.5 million and the fuel is 80 cents a mile. Let's see, that's about a $1000 for a fill-up. The vehicle of course is a Hondajet...a super efficient light jet that weighs about the same as an SUV. And you thought that Honda only made cars, and motorcycles and lawnmowers and.... didn't you? Great job, Honda. What do you think?

HANOI, Vietnam, June 5, 2006 – Recovering remains of missing American servicemembers and de-mining operations were among the host of issues Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his Vietnamese counterpart discussed here today. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vietnamese Minister of Defense Gen. Pham Van Tra participate in a ceremony officially welcoming Rumsfeld to Hanoi, Vietnam, June 5. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN   In his first visit here as defense secretary, Rumsfeld and Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Pham Van Tra met at the Ministry of Defense headquarters for discussions on policy issues....

SINGAPORE, June 2, 2006 – The world should not be surprised at the pace in which democracy is progressing in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld takes questions from reporters at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore June 2. Rumsfeld is in Singapore for the 5th International Institute for Security Studies Asia Security Summit. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Rumsfeld is in Singapore to attend a conference of Asian and Pacific defense ministers. The new Iraqi government has come under...

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., June 1, 2006 – The progress U.S. Northern Command has made since its inception Oct. 1, 2002, to defend the homeland from natural or manmade disasters is "truly impressive," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here yesterday. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld addresses local, regional and national media during his May 31 visit to U.S. Northern Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad McNeeley, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Rumsfeld visited NORTHCOM the day before the official start of hurricane season for an update...

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2006 – The Defense Department's latest quarterly report to Congress on progress in Iraq cites continued momentum on the political, economic and security fronts and evidence that those attempting to derail it are failing, senior defense officials told Pentagon reporters today. DoD delivered "Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq" to Congress today. The report, the fourth of its kind, evaluates political stability, economic activity, the security environment, and security force training and performance. The report highlights what Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, called a major milestone: the formation of Iraq's permanent new...

There are a number of trends in Iraq that you hear little, or nothing, about in the mass media. For example; @ The economy. GDP doubled from 2003 to 2004, and was up double digits in 2005. Inflation and unemployment have both been falling steadily. Yes, the terrorists are still at it, but in the background you will notice all those people going to work, all the new cars and all the new construction. While big companies have stayed away from Iraq, and all those nasty headlines, smaller firms have been more aggressive. Life goes on. @ Agriculture. For thousands...

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2006 – The formation of a democratic government in Iraq marks a significant victory for the cause of freedom in the Middle East and a hard-earned victory for American servicemembers who have sacrificed for their nation, President Bush said today. "America is free because of generations of young Americans who have been willing to sacrifice to defend the country they love, so their fellow citizens could live in liberty," Bush said in his weekly radio address to the nation. Bush singled out the sacrifice of one American, Army 1st Lt. Rob Seidel, a 2004 graduate of the...

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2006 – Though suicide bombings continue to take innocent lives in Iraq, the country's political progress is a truer measure of success in U.S. efforts there, President Bush said here yesterday. Bush met with reporters at the White House along with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Asked why the world's most powerful military force has been unable to quell the violence in some Iraqi provinces, Bush pointed out that suicide bombings are difficult to prevent and said the tactic has become the "main weapon of the enemy." "If one were to measure progress on the number...

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2006 – The recent surge in violence in southern Afghanistan reflects the fact that Afghan security forces are extending their reach and that the Taliban, in desperation, are trying to stop them, a senior military official told Pentagon reporters today. Army Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham, deputy director of regional operations for the Joint Staff, called the "significant fighting," particularly in the south, a sign that the Taliban wants to stop "the expansion and the filtering of the reach of the Afghan national government." "My suspicion is that the Taliban ... recognize that if they don't try...

The Good News From Iraq By Cliff Kincaid and Roger Aronoff | May 22, 2006 Not only is progress being made in Iraq but there's hard evidence that the terrorists are desperate. President Bush on Sunday hailed the formation of a unity government in Iraq, making the announcement in person so that at least some of the media covering the White House would be forced to pay attention to it. This is good news, of course, and there is much more good news out of Iraq. But there's no counting out the terrorists, who can always depend on the media...

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2006 – Last week's inauguration of the new Iraqi unity government was a victory for democracy and a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror, President Bush said in Chicago today. "The terrorists fought this moment with all their hateful power, with suicide attacks and beheadings and roadside bombs," Bush said during a speech. "And now the day they feared has arrived, and with it comes a moment of great clarity. The terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom." Iraq's parliament approved the new Iraqi unity government May 20,...

8:33 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: The formation of a unity government in Iraq is a new day for the millions of Iraqis who want to live in freedom. And the formation of the unity government in Iraq begins a new chapter in our relationship with Iraq. This morning, I called the President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker to congratulate them on working together to form the unity government. I assured them that the United States will continue to assist the Iraqis in the formation of a free country, because I fully understand that a free Iraq will be an...

One of the subtle consequences of the formation of the Iraqi cabinet after months of tortuous negotiations is that it is now the internationally recognized legal and permanent goverment of Iraq. The BBC has a roundup of quotes which indicate this new status. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister: Our first step will be to invite the Iraqi prime minister or foreign minister to a meeting [of EU foreign ministers]. The EU troika (Germany, Britain and France) will travel to Baghdad when the security situation permits.George W Bush, US President: Iraqis now have a fully constitutional government, marking the end...

TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, May 17, 2006) – Iraqi Army Soldiers are now bringing their own medics to the battlefield. During Operation Iron Triangle, medics from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, were a prevalent force among detainees. “My duty is to help anyone who is sick or a casualty,” said 1st Sgt. Zaed Sudan, an Iraqi Army medic who helped check and treat detainees. “If there were casualties on any side we would work together to take care of them,” said Sudan. “We are ready at any time for what may happen.” Working with coalition...

PERSIAN GULF (NNS) -- The U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 102 is teaching Iraqi marines valuable skills that will help them protect Iraqi infrastructure and territorial waters in the future. Embarked aboard USS Ogden (LPD 5) in the North Persian Gulf as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158, the eight-man Coast Guard team routinely trains the Iraqi marine platoons in Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations through a series of almost daily staged events. “We are basically teaching them use of force, tactical procedures in terms of boarding ships and how to handle a...

Happiness lies in misery as UN war on hunger fails to progress By David Blair in Dar-es-Salaam (Filed: 17/05/2006) Wrapped in the tatty sheets of a hospital bed, Happiness Kitomari raised her emaciated arms and clasped her distraught mother with tiny fingers. She stared with bewildered eyes at the tangled drip-feed keeping her alive. Emergency treatment will probably save this malnourished young girl from the slums of Tanzania's capital, Dar-es-Salaam. But her mother, Anna, must struggle every day to feed her children. "Life is very hard and sometimes I want to die," said Mrs Kitomari. "It is better to die...

In the early months of 2003, as the coalition offered Saddam Hussein's regime a final opportunity to comply with the United Nations Security Council, an Iraqi nicknamed "Baghdad Bob" served as a spokesman for Iraq's Information Ministry. He was not exactly a poster child for accuracy. When coalition troops took control of Baghdad's airport, this spokesman was on television denying they were there, saying such reports were "lies" or "a Hollywood movie." Even when shown video footage of U.S. soldiers on Saddam's parade grounds, just around the corner from where he was standing, "Baghdad Bob" said, "There is nothing going...

May 15, 2006, 6:06 a.m.How About Some Good News?Progress in Iraq. By Bill Crawford I had hoped this Iraq-progress round-up would include news about the formation of a new government today, but infighting has stalled the process. Still there is lots of other good news to report from Iraq, and even signs that some in the media are taking notice: The article linked to says “Statistics cited come from a report in National Review.” In a move to help quell sectarian violence, seven Sunnis were rescued from Shia militiamen by U.S. and Iraqi forces Thursday. U.S. and Iraqi forces...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 12, 2006 – An Iraqi armored brigade is ready to take its place on the battlefield, military transition team officials said yesterday. The 2nd Brigade of the 9th Iraqi Division will assume responsibility for battle space in this region north of Baghdad May 15. The unit's soldiers will join fellow tankers of the 1st Brigade, who assumed responsibility for defending Iraqi territory in December. The brigade has four battalions, three combat and one maintenance and supply. It is equipped with T-72 tanks from Hungary and BMP armored fighting vehicles from Greece. The unit will take over...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 12, 2006 – As the Iraqi army takes over more and more battle space, there will be less need for American combat power in the country, U.S. officials said. Iraq's second armored brigade will assume battle space here soon and the Iraqi 9th Division, the country's only tank division, will assume the battle space in this area north of Baghdad in June. American military transition teams are working with the Iraqis to build and sustain the division. Army Col. John Hort is the senior Military Transition Team chief for the Iraqi division. He leads a group...