Free Republic

Thomas Countryman, former assistant secretary of state raised the possibility of New Start’s extension last month …Steven Pifer, former senior state department official, argued that if the US walked out of New Start now, it would give Russia a strategic advantage… James Jay Carafano, under the existing “New Start” Russia now has functioning production lines producing new nuclear weapons to replace the old...New Start really got the US nothing while it allowed Russia free space to upgrade”

Russian-American research team examines origins of whaling culture Submitted by Kerynn Fisher Phone: 907-474-6941 04/02/08 Un'en'en archaeological site on the Chutkotka Peninsula.(Photos by Sarah Meitl)Detail on the ivory carving excavated during the summer 2007 field season. Recent findings by a Russian-American research team suggest that prehistoric cultures were hunting whales at least 3,000 years ago, 1,000 years earlier than was previously known. University of Alaska Museum of the North archaeology curator Daniel Odess presented the team's findings at the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia last week. "The importance of whaling in arctic prehistory is clear....