Right Truth

Iraq signs oil contract with China

Iraq has agreed the terms of its first major oil contract with a foreign company, Chinese state-owned oil giants CNPC.  (Oil Voice.com)  This should put the "Iraq war for oil" theory to rest.

Iraq’s Oil Ministry announced on Thursday that the oil service contract, worth $3 billion (£1.3 billion) will help to develop the Ahdab oil field - a project previously cancelled after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

The historic deal is the first important commitment to Iraq by a foreign company since the government nationalised its industry back in 1972.

Iraq’s Oil Minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, warned that time was running out for big Western oil companies - who have pressed for years for Iraqi contracts. The Chinese have trumped oil’s major international players, who have been looking to seal even short-term deals that had been expected to mark their return to Iraq - which has the world's third-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Major oil companies have been reluctant to commit to deals in Iraq because Baghdad has yet to enact a law to govern the oil industry.  (continue reading)

China's relations with Iran

Thanks to Insights Into Today's Middle East

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1971, the relationship between China and Iran has significantly deepened, especially in the energy sphere. China remains one of Iran’s strongest allies on the UN Security Council and is a major supplier of technology and other assistance. [1] China has had considerable involvement in Iranian militarisation efforts, including offers of weapons, nuclear technology and capital goods, in exchange for Iranian oil. [2] This suggests a link between energy exchange and China’s support for Iran in the political arena. China has refused to back hard-line economic sanctions against Iran’s nuclear programme, fearing interruption to the flow of energy supplies, which are essential to advancing China’s booming economy. [3]

China on Iran’s nuclear programme:

• From 1984 to 1997, China provided considerable aid to Iran’s fledgling nuclear programme. This assistance included training Iranian scientists, helping construct facilities, direct hardware sales and military aid. China also supplied Iran’s first nuclear reactor in 1991. [4]

• Although no longer providing such assistance, Beijing is indirectly helping Iran’s nuclear programme by refusing to back hard-line economic sanctions put forward by the UN. [5]

• China faces a conundrum about whether to support UN sanctions against Iran’s nuclear programme. China opposes Iran’s goal of acquiring a nuclear weapon for fear of its destabilising effects, but wants to ensure unhindered economic cooperation with Iran in order to enhance its own presence on the world stage. [6]

• By refusing to back robust sanctions, China is effectively ignoring the will of the Security Council and allowing Iran to progress with its nuclear programme. [7]

• Hossein Shariatmadari, a leading conservative theorist and editor of the influential Iranian newspaper Kayhan said: “Sanctions are not effective nowadays because we have many options in secondary markets, like China.’ [8]

• China supported three rounds of limited UN sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear activities, but along with Russia has been reluctant to support more comprehensive sanctions. China and Russia insist that sanctions should only aim at nuclear trade, not general commerce, arms sales or investment in energy projects and other sectors of Iran's economy. [9]

• China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a position which gives it the power to veto any international pressure on Iran.

• In September 2004, Zhang Yan, China’s ambassador to the UN, announces: “The Iran nuclear issue should and is completely able of being resolved within the IAEA’s framework, through dialogue, and China is opposed to referring the issue to the UN Security Council.” [10]

• In November 2005, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing tells a news conference in Tehran that sanctions “would only make the issue more complicated and difficult to work out.” [11]

• In January 2007, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, says the U.S. should not interfere in China’s relations with Iran. [12]

• In June 2008, China agrees to join the US and other powers in diplomatic initiative to contain nuclear programme, but is reluctant to pursue hard-line economic sanctions and wants only to seek further dialogue.

• On June 18, 2008, US Ambassador to International Atomic Energy Agency, Greg Schulte, arrives in Beijing for discussions on Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. [13]

• According to Phillip Gordon, a Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, Beijing is reluctant to pursue hard-line economic sanctions due to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) priorities of maintaining power and social stability. To maintain social stability, China needs consistent economic development, and for economic development, China needs massive amounts of affordable energy to fuel its booming economy. [14] Thus China is reluctant to do anything that would interfere with its energy relationship with Iran.

China’s Ambitions in Iran: Multifaceted

1. Energy Resources

• China’s economy is rapidly expanding as its energy needs grow, fuelling a fierce global competition for energy resources.

• China’s proven oil reserves are due to be depleted in 14 years, so the country is trying to aggressively secure future crude oil supplies. [15]

• China wants to reinforce its relations with Iran and to deepen its presence in Central Asia in order to gain access to energy reserves in the Caspian Sea. [16]

• Securing Caspian energy would help China lessen its dependence on maritime oil imports coming from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, thus better securing an uninterrupted flow of oil. [17]

• The importance of energy reserves for China rests on the country's desire to develop its economy, which is the foundation of its attempts to play a stronger role in the international system. [18]

• Nearly 45% of China's crude oil imports come from the Middle East.

• Iran is the second largest oil exporter to China after Saudi Arabia, exporting around $5.8 billion in crude oil along with petrochemical products. [19]

• The International Energy Agency expects that China will be relying on the Middle East for 70% of its oil imports by 2015, up from 44% in 2006.

• The Chinese oil giant Sinopec Group has signed a deal worth $100bn with Iran, known as the “deal of century”. Sinopec is due to buy 250 million tons of natural gas from Iran over 30 years , and will help Iran to develop its giant Yadavaran oilfield in exchange for Tehran's commitment of exporting 150,000 oil barrels per day to China for 25 years at market prices. [20]

• In 2004 China agreed to buy $20 billion in liquefied natural gas from Iran over the next 25 years. [21]

• Iran has the second largest natural gas reserves world-wide, after Russia.

• In December 2004, China became Iran's top oil export market. Iran exports about 300,000 barrels of oil to China, which makes it Beijing's third-largest oil supplier, behind only Angola and Saudi Arabia. [22]

• In April 2007, China replaced the EU as the largest petroleum trade partner with Iran. Asian countries in general are gradually exceeding EU in trade with Iran. [23]

• On January 29, 2008, Chinese Ambassador to Tehran, Xie Xiaoyan, conferred with Kamal Daneshyar, the Head of the Iranian Energy Committee on expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. Daneshyar announced Iran will set up 20 nuclear power plants in the coming years, with Chinese cooperation. [24]

• In June 2008, Iran’s Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) entered into negotiations with China’s China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to develop North Pars Gas field. The North Pars Gas field is stated to hold 80 trillion cubic feet in natural gas reserves. [25]

• In July 2008, after signing three UN Security Council resolutions designed to sanction Iran for non-cooperation, Beijing announced that it will be pursuing a $70bn plan to develop Iran’s Yadavaran oil field in exchange for 10 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas.

• On July 21, 2008, Iran’s Pars Oil and Gas Company (POGC) and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) finalised a $70bn (₤35, €47bn) agreement to develop Iran’s Yadavaran oil field in exchange for the supply of liquefied natural gas. [26]

2. Market Expansion

• Beijing is not only interested in the exploitation of Iran's oil reserves. China wants to deepen the presence of its firms in the Iranian market, which could be a good outlet for Chinese exports, products and technology. The development of a strong economy is fundamental for China's external projection of power. [27]

• China's economic initiatives in Iran go far beyond the energy field, including: electricity, dam building, cement plants, steel mills, railways, shipbuilding, motorways, airport infrastructure and metros.

• More than 100 Chinese state companies are operating in Iran to develop ports and airports in the major Iranian cities.

• China has become a major exporter of manufactured goods to Iran, including computer systems, household appliances and cars. [28]

• Trade between Iran and China has grown quickly, increasing from $1.2 billion in 1998 to about $10 billion last year. [29]

• As some European countries have decreased their economic trade with Tehran in response to US pressure, China and other Asian countries have stepped in to fill the void. China has already overtaken Germany as Iran's second largest trading partner (the first being the UAE). 

[30]

• Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s former representative to the IAEA, said that China and Iran “mutually complement each other. They have industry and we have energy resources.”

 [31]

3. International counterbalance

• China also has international strategic ambitions, competing with the United States for supremacy in the Middle East. Both countries are competing with the United States in the world system, even though, publicly, Tehran is more aggressive toward the US than Beijing. [32]

• The improving relationship between Iran and China does not mean that their long term interests are the same, but it does mean that, in the medium term, the two states share common aims in the economic and geopolitical spheres. [33]

• China does not want to alienate Washington, while at the same time it is very protective over its energy ties with Tehran. [34]


China, Iran and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

• The SCO is comprised of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Formed in 1996 to demilitarise the border between China and the Russia, the SCO has risen in regional prominence, tackling issues of trade, counterterrorism, and drug trafficking.

• Iran won observer status to the SCO in 2005.

• In March 2008, Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki officially announced Iran’s bid to join the SCO. [35]

• China and Russia are wary of making Iran a full member on the grounds that Iranian membership could give the SCO more of an anti-American tone. [36]

• S. Frederick Starr, an expert on Central Asia at Johns Hopkins University, has highlighted the negative consequences of Iran joining the SCO: “At a certain point it’ll become so diluted that China’s original interest [in the SCO]—to neutralize its western neighbors—will not have been lost but submerged amid other issues.” [37]

• Iran views the SCO as a potential guarantor of future security, experts say. Membership, for example, could offer Iran shelter from the international pressure put on Tehran to end its uranium-enrichment program. Similar protection was provided to Uzbekistan after the Andijan massacre in May 2005. [38]

Military ties

• Beijing is providing Iran with advanced military technology, including access to improved ballistic missile capability. [39]

• China has played a key role in Iran's missile development, with exports and assistance dating back 20 years. China’s exports and assistance to Iran generally fall into two areas: provision of anti-ship cruise missiles and related technology and technical assistance for Iran's ballistic missile program, as well as some exports of complete ballistic missiles. [40]

• China began exporting missiles to Iran in 1985 during the Iran-Iraq war, when China supplied weapons and military technology to both sides.

 [41]

• In 1986-87 China reportedly transferred HY-2 (Silkworm) anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran, prompting the United States to issue a protest to Beijing and to temporarily freeze American

liberalization of high-technology exports to China.

 [42]

• In 1989 China also sold between 150 and 200 M-7/8610 ballistic missiles to Iran. [43]

• China reportedly assisted Iran's efforts to upgrade its North Korean Scud missiles and has supplied technical and manufacturing assistance to a number of indigenous Iranian missile programs, including the Iran-130 (aka Mushak-120), Iran-700, NP-110, and Zelzal-3

.

• In 1996, when media reports stated that China had transferred advanced C-802 anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran that could trigger U.S. sanctions under the 1992 Iran-Iraq Nonproliferation Act, China vigorously denied the allegation.

 [44]

• In 1996 China reportedly began helping Iran develop indigenous anti-ship cruise missiles based on Chinese designs.

• In August 1996 China and Iran signed a $3 billion deal that included the sale of Chinese ballistic missiles, missile guidance technology (including sensitive gyroscopes), and missile production equipment, according to a CIA report.

 [45]

• Under U.S. pressure, however, China began to curb its missile cooperation with Iran. On January 20, 1998, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen received personal assurances from Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Defense Minister Chi Haotian that China had halted transfers of anti-ship cruise missiles to Iran and Beijing would not help Iran to upgrade its current cruise missile inventory.

[46]

• Iran and North Korea reportedly worked together to improve the accuracy of the Chinese C-802, an anti-ship cruise missile with a range of 80 miles that Iran bought from China during the mid-1990s. Tehran purportedly received about 150 C-802 missiles. However, China suspended the C-802 sale under U.S. pressure. 

[47]

• In another development, the Washington Times reported that China signed an $11 million contract with Iran to upgrade Iran’s FL-10 anti-ship missile. [48]

• In April 2004, despite China's application to join the Missile Technology Control Regime (a voluntary group of 34 countries that share the goal of non-proliferation of unmanned delivery systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction), the State Department sanctioned five Chinese companies, including Norinco and the China Precision Machinery Import/Export Corporation, for transferring cruise and ballistic missile components and technology to Iran.

• In August 2007 the leaders of China and Iran, along with Russia, said that Central Asia should be left alone to manage its stability and security, in an apparent warning to the United States to avoid interfering in this strategic, resource-rich region. The threat came at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

. [49]

• Gary Milhollin, director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, spoke before the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Near East and South Asian affairs in May 6 2007. Milhollin pointed to four recent Chinese technology transfers to Iran: anti-ship missiles, air surveillance radars, a fusion reactor and a uranium prospecting operation. 

[50]

_____________________________________________________________

References:

[1] Blair, David, “UN approves fresh sanctions against Iran”, The Daily Telegraph, March 4, 2008,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1580585/
 UN-approves-fresh-sanctions-against-Iran.html

[2] McLaughlin, Kathleen, “Centuries-old partnership binds China, Iran together” San Francisco Chronicle, September 18, 2006,
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/18/MNGJPL7MQ41.DTL

[3] MacAskill, Ewan, Nick Paton Walsh and Robert Tait, “Top-level talks over Iran crisis expose West's split with China”, The Guardian Weekly, January 20, 2007, 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,,1689211,00.html

[4] Nuclear Threat Initiative report mentioned in McLaughlin, Kathleen, “Centuries-old partnership binds China, Iran together” San Francisco Chronicle, September 18, 2006,
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/18/MNGJPL7MQ41.DTL

[5] Walker, Sophie, “China breaks ranks over tougher sanctions on Iran”, The Irish Times, November 17, 2007,
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2007/
1117/1194550603655.html

[6] Shen, Dingli, “Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions Test China’s Wisdom”, The Washington Quarterly, Spring 2006, pp.55-66, http://www.twq.com/06spring/docs/06spring_shen.pdf

[7] “China says no to nuclear sanctions on Iran”, Agence France Presse, October 30, 2007, retrieved online from
http://www.centurychina.com/plaboard/archive/3786637.shtml

[8] Shariatmadari, Hossein quoted in Wright, Robin, “Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2004,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

[9] Richardson, Michael, “Middle East balancing act is becoming harder for China”, The Canberra Times, July 28, 2008,
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/
middle-east-balamcing-act-is-becoming-harder-for-china/1228193.aspx

[10] Zhang Yan, quoted in “Chin’s Energy Needs and Central Asia”, National Observer, June 22, 2006,
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5472099/China-s-energy-needs-and.html

[11] Sui, Cindy, “China Faces Dilemma over Iran standoff”, Agence France-Presse, January 14, 2006, retrieved online from
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=44158&nav02=43873&nav01=43092

[12] Jianchao, Liu “Normal relations, normal cooperation should not be interfered [with].” Quoted in Schearf, Daniel, “China Tells US Not to Interfere in Relations with Iran”, Voice of America, January 11, 2007,
http://www.voanews.com/tibetan/archive/2007-01/2007-01-11-voa5.cfm

[13] “Iran: US envoy in China to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions”, Thai News Service, June 18, 2008,
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=80222&nav02=57594&nav01=57272

[14] Gordon, Phillip, “It Would Benefit Beijing to Be Tougher on Tehran”, The Financial Times, July 9, 2008,
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2008/0709_iran_gordon.aspx

[15] Wright, Robin, “Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2004,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

[16] Cristiani, Dario,“China and Iran Strengthen their Bilateral Relationship”, PINR, October 6, 2006,
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=566&language_id=1

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] “Iran-China trade hit $9.2b in 2005”, Mehr News Agency, September 7, 2006,
http://www.payvand.com/news/06/jul/1078.html

[20] Fernandez, Yusuf, “Iran and China to Strengthen Cooperation”, July 27, 2008, Press TV,
 http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=64942§ionid=3510303

[21] Wright, Robin, “Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2004,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

[22] Fernandez, Yusuf, “Iran and China to Strengthen Cooperation”, July 27, 2008, Press TV,
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=64942§ionid=3510303

[23] “China Surpassed EU in Oil Trade with Iran”, SinoCast China Business Daily News, April 21, 2008,
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=76726&nav02=57594&nav01=57272

[24] “Iran, China to expand cooperation on nuclear power plant”, BBC, January 29, 2008, retrieved online at
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=72561&nav02=57594&nav01=57272

[25] Taghavi, Roshanak, “Iran In Talks With China's CNOOC On Gas Field Devt”, Dow Jones International News, June 29, 2008, retried online at
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=80979&nav02=57594&nav01=57272

[26] “Iran, China to Cement Cooperation”, IMRA, July 28, 2008,
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=40085

[27] Cristiani, Dario,“China and Iran Strengthen their Bilateral Relationship”, PINR, October 6, 2006,
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=566&language_id=1

[28] Wright, Robin, “Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2004,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

[29] Goodman, Peter, “China Rushes Toward Oil Pact with Iran”, The Washington Post, February 18, 2006,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021702146.html

[30] Warren Strobel quoted in “Iran, China to Cement Cooperation”, IMRA, July 28, 2008,
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=40085

[31] Wright, Robin, “Iran's New Alliance With China Could Cost U.S. Leverage”, The Washington Post, November 17, 2004,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55414-2004Nov16.html

[32] Cristiani, Dario, “China and Iran Strengthen their Bilateral Relationship”, PINR, October 6, 2006.
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=566&language_id=1

[33] Ibid.

[34] Sui, Cindy, “China Faces Dilemma over Iran standoff”, Agence France-Presse, January 14, 2006, retrieved online from
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?
nav03=44158&nav02=43873&nav01=43092

[35] “Iran announces it is seeking membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization”, International Herald Tribune, March 24, 2008,
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/24/asia/AS-GEN-Tajikistan-Iran-SCO.php

[36] Beehner, Lionel and Preeti Bhattacharji, “The Shanghai Cooperation Organization”, April 8, 2008, The Council on Foreign Relations,
http://www.cfr.org/publication/10883/#7

[37] Ibid.

[38] Ibid.

[39] Shuja, Sharif, “Warming Sino-Iranian Relations: Will China Trade Nuclear Technology For Oil?, July 23, 2005,
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainstitute/nav03.cfm?nav03=44166&nav02=43873&nav01=43092

[40] “China’s Missle Exports and Assistance to Iran”, NTI, September 25, 2003,
http://www.nti.org/db/china/miranpos.htm

[41] Ibid.

[42] Kan, Shirley, “Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Current Policy Issues,” CRS Issue Brief, October 17, 1996, p. 5; Gordon Jacobs and Tim McCarthy, “China's Missile Sales—Few Changes for the Future,” Jane's Intelligence Review, December 1992, p. 560.

[43] Reuters, October 12, 1994; In Executive News Service, October 12, 1994; Defense News, October 17-23, 1994, p.64; Douglas Waller, et al., “Sneaking in the Scuds,” Newsweek, June 22, 1992, pp. 42-46; “China Deepens Arms Relationship with Iran,” Iran Brief, October 1, 1996, p. 2; Gordon Jacobs and Tim McCarthy, “China's Missile Sales — Few Changes for the Future,” Jane's Intelligence Review, December 1992, p. 560

[44] “China’s Missle Exports and Assistance to Iran”, NTI, September 25, 2003,
http://www.nti.org/db/china/miranpos.htm

[45] The Iran Brief, October 1, 1996, p.4; and December 5, 1996, p.6; Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), August 29, 1996; in FBIS-NES-96-169, August 29, 1996.

[46] “China's President Assures Cohen on Iran Missile Sales,” Reuter, January 20, 1998; John Pomfret, “Cohen Hails Achievements In China Visit,” Washington Post, January 20, 1998, p. A-11; Bill Gertz, “China to Halt Missile Sales to Iran,” Washington Times, January 20, 1998, p. 1; Department of Defense News Briefing, January 20, 1998.

[47] Evans, Michael, “Tehran Upgrades Chinese Missile,” The Times (London), January 11, 2000.

[48] Gertz, Bill, “China Agrees to Deal With Iran on Missiles,” The Washington Times, August 19, 1999. p. 1.

[49] Saralayeva, Leila, “Russia, China, Iran Warn U.S. at Summit”, August 16, 2007,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081601221.html

[50] Gary Milhollin, quoted in Marshall, Rick, “Hearing on Exports of Military Technology to Iran”, United States Information Agency, May 6 ,2007,
http://www.fas.org/news/iran/1997/bmd970507b.htm

U.S. President George W. Bush said, "the United States "stands in firm opposition" to China's detention of political, human rights and religious activists, "  and 'urged China to trust its people with greater freedom, saying that is the only way for China to develop to its full potential.'  China responded to President Bush by basically telling him to but out. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it opposed what it called "any words or acts" that interfere in internal affairs. It said China's people enjoy a range of freedoms.  (VOA)

The Chinese probably have the same view of any complaints registered concerning their relationship with Iran.

Shoe-sniffing machines?

Does anyone find this a little funny and sad at the same time?  New Shoe-sniffing Machines To Be Tested At LAX Airport.  New technology is great, however it's costly, doesn't always work as intended.  What happened to sniffer dogs at airports?  Are we doing away with them because Muslims are offended by dogs?  Just asking.

Scientists will  soon begin testing a new machine that will sniff shoes for explosives.

The new device that will examine shoes for explosives while they are still attached to passengers’ feet  will be tested at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA), said the report.

Two PassPort scanners will be pressed into service at LAX to evaluate if the machines are effective and can be approved for use nationwide, said TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird. (continue reading at Xinhua)

Fido works for dog biscuits:

Around the world in 80 seconds:

580 Christian Students Displaced by Muslim Mob Violence, Islam in Action

The persecution of Christians in Indonesia continues, despite that Muslims continually tell us that Islam is a tolerant religion. Could they be lying?

New Mystery Disease in China, is this the next big outbreak?, ATS

"China reported that approximately 20 days ago, a man suddenly died from an unidentified disease in Wanjiakou Village, Xiaoguan Town, Wendeng City, Shandong Province. His entire body turned dark purple, and he bled from his mouth, nostrils, ears, and eyes just as he died.

Shortly after the man died, 2 other men who been in contact with him, died showing the same symptoms. Villagers who had left the village to work said "3 people died 10 days ago.

Police Prepare Terror Attack Warning For Restaurants and Cinemas - UK, National Terror Alert

Palestinians donate $29,500 to Obama, WND

Gazan brothers' illegal contributions listed in government election filings

Chinese border assault kills 16, BBC

Sixteen Chinese policemen have been killed in an attack on a border post in the restive Muslim region of Xinjiang, state media say.

Report: Iran tests naval weapon with 300 km range, YNET

Revolutionary Guards say they have tested Iranian-built missile that could destroy any vessel in range of 190 miles

Obama's brother, Mark Ndesandjo, and the China connection

Barack Hussein Obama’s half-brother, Mark Ndesandjo (the son of Barack Obama’s late father and his third wife, an American woman named Ruth Nidesand), has been helping to promote cheap Chinese exports in a low-profile business career. -- the flood of Chinese imports that are blamed by many Americans for destroying American jobs could be politically embarrassing [to brother Barack Obama].  TimesOnline has the story:

He has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid public attention and his family links remain unknown to most of his acquaintances in Shenzhen, a border boomtown in southern China where he has lived since 2002.  [snip]

Chinese officials said there are unanswered questions about his internet-based company, Worldnexus Ltd. It has provided corporate communications and website design to Chinese firms seeking customers in English-speaking markets, of which the United States is the biggest.

Worldnexus is not registered to conduct business in Shenzhen and officials at the city’s commercial administration bureau said this raised potential issues of taxation and compliance with the law by its customers.

The company’s Chinese-language website promises “increased communication efficiency” to clients and lists Shenzhen exporters of electronics and machine parts among its contracts.

The website lists an office address in the west of the city but despite a search of the area and checks with local police, no such building could be located.

Nor is Worldnexus Ltd legally registered in Hong Kong, where many businesses choose to incorporate for their China trade, according to an official data check.

Contacted by The Sunday Times last week, Ndesandjo said: “Thanks for your interest. However I am not giving interviews at this time.”

He did not respond to four subsequent requests for comment.  [snip]

Obama has staked out a populist position on trade with China in the US election campaign, calling in December 2007 for a ban on all toys from Chinese factories until safety inspections were put in place.

Ndesandjo, who had an elite education in the United States, collecting a degree from Brown University, a masters in physics from Stanford and an MBA from Emory, did not share Obama’s emotional view of his roots.  (continue reading at TimesOnline)

I'm not sure there is anything to worry about in this article, but it is interesting to read.

Islamic terrorists threaten Olympics with suicide bombers and biological weapons. Time to DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION in the United States.

No surprise it is an Islamic group of terrorists.

In a video released by IntelCenter, a terrorism monitoring group, a bearded man identified as “Commander Seyfullah” is seen reading a declaration of jihad against the Olympics and warns athletes and spectators, “especially Muslims”, to stay away.

It was issued by a group calling itself the Turkestan Islamic party. The group may be allied with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement – designated a terrorist organisation by the US, China and several other countries – which seeks independence for the Muslim Uighur people of China’s far west province of Xinjiang, which Uighur separatists call East Turkestan.

“Commander Seyfullah” said the group was responsible for three bombs last week on buses in the city of Kunming, which killed two people, and for two bus bombings on May 21 in Shanghai, which killed three. (continue reading at Eye on the World)

Pedestrian Infidel says, "You know, it's almost as if the world just isn't big enough both Islam and the rest of civilization."  ha, good one.

From Islam In Action '08:

 ...  Their beef is.......the usual, we want our own state with in another state. The separatists are ethnic Uighurs who support a worldwide Caliphate. They reside in the far west province of Xinjiang. Now the Islamic separatists have threatened to attack the Olympics. They have even told Muslims that the use of biological weapons would be religiously justified (4), what would you expect from the religion of "peace"? ... 

At least one country gets it right on Islam.  Italy has DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. 

Now the government of Italy which has bulldozed a Mosque site, closed a major Mosque, and deported dozens of Egyptians, has declared a state of emergency because of illegal immigration.  (continue reading at Islam in Action)

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Palestinians torture their prisoners:

One detainee told of being beaten with pipes and having a screwdriver rammed into his back. Another said interrogators tied his hands behind his back then lifted him into the air by his bound wrists.

Two human rights groups on Monday decried widespread torture of political opponents by bitter Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah, and Associated Press interviews with three victims and a doctor backed the reports of abuse.  (continue reading here)

It's time that the free world, specifically the United States REALLY get it, like Italy has, on Islamic terror and the POLITICAL system that Islam is.

 The United States and the West cannot win the war against radical Islam merely with the most sophisticated military strategies. Winning requires understanding the role of shari'a and the Muslim Brotherhood in developing a global ideological and political movement supported by a parallel "Islamic" financial system to exploit and undermine Western economies and markets.


This movement is the foundation and the major funding source for the political, economic, and military initiatives of the global Islamic movement.1

Shari'a finance is a new weapon in the arsenal of what might be termed fifth-generation warfare (5GW).2 The perpetrators include both states and organizations, advancing a global totalitarian ideology disguised as a religion. The end goal is to impose that ideology worldwide, making the Islamic "nation," or ummah, supreme.3

Rising oil prices and the West's dependency on Middle East oil, combined with willful blindness and political correctness, provide a surge of petrodollars, making financial and economic jihad so much easier to carry out. Moreover, according to shari'a, Muslims hold all property in trust for Allah.4 Therefore, under the shari'a, all current and historic Muslim acquisitions everywhere, including the United States , belong to the ummah, in trust for Allah.   (continue reading at Right Side News)

29 executions in one day, pffffft

According to reports, Iran executed 29 people in one day -- but that's nothing compared to China who  "executed as many as 5000 prisoners in 2007, accounting for over 84% of the world's executions. Iran was a distant second, recording 355 executions."  But let's not worry about that statistic, because -- China's hosting the Olympics!

 

The Associated Press reported Sunday, July 27, that Iran, according to state run television, executed 29 prisoners by hanging at Evin Prison (north of Tehran) for various crimes, including drug trafficking and murder, bringing the total number of executions to at least 150 this year. The Rome-based human rights group, Hands Off Cain, stated last week that Iran is only second to China for the number of state-sanctioned executions it carries out. The group's records indicate that China executed as many as 5000 prisoners in 2007, accounting for over 84% of the world's executions. Iran was a distant second, recording 355 executions. Hands Off Cain insists, however, that the actual number is probably higher in Iran because that nation does not publish an official report of the number of executions it carries out.

The Foreign Affairs Committee website reported that 30 prisoners were scheduled to be hung. No explanation has been given for the discrepancy of numbers. As near as can be determined, all news agencies, including the state run television of Iran, are reporting 29 executions. The government is being accused of executing political prisoners among the criminals being terminated.

Iran Executions Compared To The World

International human rights activist groups accuse Iran of over-use of its death penalty. Iranian government officials maintain that the death penalty is a criminal deterrent and is only used after all other judicial and legal processes have been completely exhausted. The international groups disagree, of course, rebutting the deterrent argument by pointing out the continuing executions.

Hands Off Cain, which advocates abolitioning the death penalty worldwide, also reports that in Saudi Arabia, the number of executions were up four-fold. Saudi Arabia executed at least 166 people in 2007. In all, the number of executions around the world totaled 5851, compared to 5635 in 2006. The top ranking 14 nations are all in Asia.  (continue reading) (Associated Content)

China now OWNS the United States, or will soon:

But don't believe and trust in me.  Listen just for a moment to former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers ((The section below is from today's Washington Times, China: Massive Holdings in U.S. Create ‘Financial Muscle’, By David M. Dickson):

“There is surely something odd about the world’s greatest power being the world’s greatest debtor,” Mr. Summers told the audience gathered at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.  Since Mr. Summers’ March 2004 speech, the United States has racked up an additional $1.2 trillion in budget deficits and about $3 trillion in trade deficits, including more than $900 billion in merchandise trade deficits with China alone.

China’s currency reserves have kept growing since 2004, in tandem with its ever-expanding trade surpluses and foreign direct investment, which has built many of China’s export-generating factories. So-called “hot money” has also been pouring into China seeking to reap the gains from its slowly appreciating currency.

Not surprisingly, China’s foreign-exchange reserves have soared, quadrupling from $450 billion in early 2004 to more than $1.8 trillion today. The International Monetary Fund expects China’s currency reserves will exceed $2.4 trillion by next year.  (continue reading)

Other news:

IRAN HIDING UNCONTROLLED AIDS EPIDEMIC while worrying about Sanctions?, Anti Mullah

Barak mulls buying anti-missile system from Washington, Harretz

Terror in China

Not much news on this, but thanks to Eurabian at Hyscience:

 ... yesterday two buses exploded in China leaving three people dead. Chinese authorities have considered the attack as terrorism, although investigators labeled it just as a "sabotage".

The news appeared in French newspaper Le Figaro, so I beg your pardon for any mistakes in the translation:

«People are very shocked, because of this kind of thing happening here in Kunming», has said a hotel employer. Crédits photo : AP

Is the terrorism specter, agitated by Peking before the Oympic Games, going to be a reality? Two bus exploded on Monday morning, in less than an hour, in the center of Kunming, the Yunnan's capital, a Chinese South-West province. The explosions which took place in the morning's peak time, have killed two persons (Note: this morning another one died as a result of the explosions) and wounded another 14. The first explosion, at 7 o'clock in the morning, killed a woman and wounded 10 people. The bus, which had the windows blown to pieces and the seats absolutely destroyed, was stopped just in front of a hospital. The second happened some time after, in the same avenue, killing a man and wounding four people.

Continue reading at Hyscience.  The following image from Reuters (Corriere)

Vittime e feriti dopo le esplosioni su tre autobus a Kunming, capoluogo della provincia dello Yunnan, Cina. Sale l'allarme a tre settimane dall'inizio delle Olimpiadi di Pechino (Reuters)

China says there is NO terror link or link to the upcoming Olympics. 

Police have said two people died Monday in the blasts aboard two public buses in Kunming, 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) southwest of Beijing, calling the explosions deliberate acts of "sabotage."

AFP/Graphic Photo: Map locating Kunming in China's Yunnan province. China has said that a probe into two...

See my article on Chinese Al-Qaeda here.

In other terror news:

• Demand For Emergency Food Supplies Causing Shortages - Mountain House Response

• ITRR Warns Of Possible Large Scale Terror Attack

• Warden Message Issued By U.S. Embassy In Kuwait Urges Worldwide Terror Threat Caution

• Beijing Transportation Sector On High Alert for Terror

• U.S. Stockpiling Antidotes To Counter A Biological Terror Threat

• Bomb Falls Out Of Man’s Backpack During With Fight Officer

• Russian Bombers Could Be Deployed to Cuba In Response To Missile Shield

• Students Suspected of Bringing AK-47 to Pinole School

• Philippines - 2 Abu Sayyaf Terrorists Arrested on Sulu- Fear Of Jolo Terror Plot

Chinese Al-Qaeda

When discussing Al-Qaeda terrorists, China is not one of the first places we picture, but maybe it should be.  With the 2008 Olympics, China has begun a crackdown on al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups (at least for the media and public consumption, one never knows how serious they really are or if they simply want to put on a good face for the public).

China claims to have foiled five terror plots against the Olympics.  However, 'human rights groups expressed scepticism about the claims, saying the authorities were using the Olympic threat to crack down on innocent victims and peaceful critics of Chinese communist rule.'

China also claims that 'Chinese police shot dead five members of a Muslim ethnic minority they said were bent on waging holy war inspired by al-Qaeda and setting up an independent state'.  They also wounded two in the same action.

State media said when police raided the apartment where 15 ethnic Uighurs were hiding, several rushed out wielding knives, shouting “sacrifice for Allah”.

Chinese authorities have replaced top police and security officials in the Muslim dominated Xinjiang province, which is the hotbed of separatism and political violence. They have also closed down 41 “illegal” places of worship.

These places of worship were used as training ground for conducting a “holy war”, Chen Zhuangwei Chen, the police chief of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang province, said. Xinjiang, which borders central Asia and Pakistan, has been the scene of a pro-independence movement by a section of the eight million Uighurs living there for a long time.

The authorities also announced they have detained 82 “suspected terrorists” in the past six months in view of fears that they might disrupt the Olympic Games.  (The Times of India, via National Terror Alert)

The American Spectator writes about China's 30-million-strong Muslim community:

For, in truth, the Islamic Jihadists of China's Xinjiang are linked to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. Their terrorist methods and ideology are of a piece with the larger Islamic Jihadist goal to overthrow existing governments and install a religious theocracy. They, in fact, represent the Chinese battlefront of the worldwide Islamic Jihad.

Here, Bill Gertz says, "China's military has provided training for Afghanistan's Taliban militia and its al Qaeda supporters, according to a U.S. intelligence report." 

The training of the Taliban forces took place before September 11. It was carried out in cooperation with Pakistan's ISI intelligence service, defense officials told us.

The free world continues to fight the rise of political Islam, (is there any non-political Islam???).

Other reading:

China's Al-Qaeda, from The Opposite End of China

Exclusive: How You Can Help Save American Kids from Pakistani Madrassas

Judge Orders Al-Arian's Release on Bond

Bobby Jindal, America's Most Transformational Governor

Ehud Barak To Tell President Bush ‘Time Is Running Out On Iran’

What's China doing with all that cement?

Annual production of cement by country in billions of metric tons. Click to expand. Source: USGS 2006 report (PDF) and the USGS 2008 report (PDF).

From Prof. Goose at The Oil Drum:

Cement is mainly used to make concrete, and is sort of the "active ingredient" in concrete - it is combined with sand and gravel in roughly fixed proportions. So cement production can be considered a rough proxy for the total amount of construction going on in a country.

This post updates Stuart's post about this two years ago

(and yes, it's still a graph that will blow you away!) with two more years of USGS cement data, 2006 and 2007. The growth in China, from 1 GT to 1.3 GT in two years is mindboggling, even India and Russia are interesting...and there's more to think about under the fold.  (continue reading at The Oil Drum)

Report: Iran got U.S. military communications tech from Russia, China

Bill Gertz reports at Geo-Strategy Direct, " Report: Iran got U.S. military communications tech from Russia, China ."  (hat tip Michael)  Also of importance, " U.S. Army training for fight against Hizbullah's non-state military ".  'The assessment is that someday, somewhere, we will confront Hizbullah, probably in any engagement with Iran'

Russia and China have supplied sensitive U.S. telecommunications technology to Iran and its terrorist surrogate Hizbullah, according to an Israel report.

The Israeli website Sigint reported May 14 that a secret Hizbullah telecommunications network is based on U.S. technology, specifically encoding and military communications ciphering gear is being used by Hizbullah and Syrian intelligence.

“According to preliminary suspicions, the sensitive information was stolen by a U.S. or foreign element and was transferred to the Soviet foreign intelligence agencies (SVR) and from there to Iran in exchange for money,” the report said.

"As part of the military ties between Moscow and Tehran, the latter has undertaken in writing not to transmit the information to a third party -- a practice that is common in the military export market - but has not lived up to its word."

The Hizbullah network is based on fiber optics that are difficult to intercept. The network was installed by Iranian technicians.

U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating the compromise.

And CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and other intelligence and law enforcement units have been quietly reaching out to Arab, Iranian and Pakistani immigrants in the United States.  It is no secret that we need the help of those who are faithful the the United States, yet have language and other skills and information valuable to this war. Let's hope the vetting process is a thorough one.

China, two cans of gasoline on a plane

A week after China used bullets to quell protests in Tibet, voters in Taiwan used ballots to throw one party from office and put another in. The March 22 election was the second time this "Chinese democracy" saw a transfer of power, serving as a model for what China could be. That may be one step in the right direction, but China has a long way to go. Why they were awarded with the honor of hosting the Olympics is beyond me.

China has been trying to cover up any 'undesirable' people, news, events from the rest of the world. They have been shooting, shipping people off to gulags, and restricting the press.

China: An Outside-the-Box Terrorist Plot?, By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart

Chinese authorities reported March 18 that an incident earlier in the month aboard a domestic flight was an attempted militant attack orchestrated by separatists living abroad. The incident in question occurred March 7 on China Southern Airlines flight CZ6901, which was flying from Urumqi in Xinjiang province to Beijing. Some 40 minutes into the flight, a woman reportedly was confronted by the crew, who discovered her in a restroom with two gasoline-filled soft drink cans she had managed to smuggle onboard. Apparently, she intended to ignite the fuel while in the restroom, which was located near the wing of the Boeing 757. The woman was restrained and the pilot made an emergency landing in Lanzhou, capital of northwestern Gansu province.

The "poo-pooers" were out in full force, and 'called the incident an atypical, amateurish and impractical plot that could not possibly have been the work of a sophisticated terrorist group.' Strategic Forecast disagrees with the poo-pooers, "Fire is incredibly dangerous aboard an aircraft, and using fire accelerated by something like gasoline could provide the outside-the-box type of attack that militants could turn to in the face of security restrictions aimed at preventing explosives and other weapons from being smuggled aboard aircraft."

China has invoked the specter of the Uighur militant threat quite frequently in recent months. Indeed, China has warned for several years now that the biggest security threat to its 2008 Olympic Games comes from Xinjiang’s Uighur militants, especially the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other East Turkistan militant groups. Many suspect that these warnings are intended to provide political cover for a crackdown on China’s minority Uighurs, a majority of whom are Muslims, before the Beijing Olympics begins in August.

Was the woman working alone, with a man, or with a world-wide terror group? Remember past attempts to get explosive liquids aboard an airplane, trademark of groups like al-Qaeda.

The woman involved in the March 7 incident reportedly used one of these inspection points to board the aircraft with soft drink cans that had been emptied of their contents and refilled with gasoline using a syringe. The tiny access holes in the cans were then patched.

Let the poo-pooers poo-poo all they want, but the facts remain that 'fire is extremely dangerous aboard aircraft', not only is because of the oxygen-rich environment aboard a plane, the sensitive nature of avionic controls and the presence of thousands of gallons of jet fuel, but also because of the toxic smoke that results from burning plastics and other materials that make up an aircraft, -- could prove even more deadly than an attack involving a small improvised explosive device (IED). Don't forget about the London and Glasgow Scotland terror attempts.

Jihadists, lone wolves as well as those associated with al Qaeda, its regional affiliates and other groups have long demonstrated a fixation with destroying commercial aircraft in flight — and they have been quite creative in their efforts.

Yeah, go ahead and poo-poo the lone woman in the bathroom ... until some 'lone' woman or man is successful ! I would rather be safe than sorry. For the terrorists their motto is "whatever works".

Random information on the war, terrorism:

A barrage of rockets hit the Green Zone – landing near the US Embassy – in Baghdad on Sunday morning.
The rockets appear to have been fired from the Shiite militia stronghold neighborhood of Sadr City in what observers see as further evidence that a cease-fire by the group loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr may be unraveling. (CSM)

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., today said that, unlike the policies being put forth by the Bush administration, the U.S. needs “a thorough and deliberate path out” of Iraq.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has attacked the "greed" consuming western nations and warned against the rush for oil, power and territory.

Other reading:

Meet Congressman Jerry Hurckes: He's unelected, not sworn in, and only supposed to be a chief of staff to a real congressman, Red State

Catching Up on Monday

Study: 3 in 4 U.S. mosques preach anti-West extremism - Secret survey exposes widespread radicalism (WND)

The Mapping Sharia in America Project, sponsored by the Washington-based Center for Security Policy, has trained former counterintelligence and counterterrorism agents from the FBI, CIA and U.S. military, who are skilled in Arabic and Urdu, to conduct undercover reconnaissance at some 2,300 mosques and Islamic centers and schools across the country.

"So far of 100 mapped, 75 should be on a watchlist," an official familiar with the project said.

Islamist Recommendations or Mandates? by R. John Matthies at Family Security Matters

Not long ago a list of “unique issues affecting Muslim Americans” was posted at the Muslim Americans for Obama ’08 website. This describes a number of “recommendations” drafted to advance the discussion of lawful Islamism and exceptional accommodation in the United States. These suggest both that “Islamic” comportment is beyond reproach, and that one is always correct to press the case for inviolable “Muslim” space.

The “recommendations” described are neither fantastical nor improbable. In fact, if the United States has by this time failed to enact the variety of accommodations embraced by our Western allies, it is clear that, on the ground and across the United States, private institutions and local governing bodies have taken the lead in obliging Islamist groups. This is simply to say that the present list of wishes (untouched for spelling and grammar) has become very real for many.

QUESTION: What are issues and recommendations for solutions that are unique to Muslim Americans?

1. A Law against harrassment of Muslim women wearing Hijab at the Airport, DMV and other public arenas.

2. Institute a Law to allow Muslim Employees to take a hours off from work for Friday Jummah [congregational] Prayer.

3. Make the 2 Eid’s [holidays to mark the end of Ramadan and the Festival of Sacrifice], recognized National Holidays on Calendars with days off from work.

4. Optional Halal meals in federal buildiings, public schools and colleges.

5. Provide prayer areas suitable for Salah [ritual prayer] and Jummah, in public and private facilities. (i.e. Malls, Airports, Universities and government buildings.)

6. Organize a Muslim American group to assist in recommendations for US foreign policy affecting majority Muslim countries. (continue reading)

Trial Begins in Terror Case Against Ex-Navy Sailor, Fox News, hat tip Ron

Prosecutors allege that Hassan Abu-Jihaad sent details of the location and vulnerabilities of a Navy battle group to suspected terrorism supporters in London.

SDI's Skeptics Suffer Setback With Direct Hit, Investors Business Daily, hat tip Steve T. at Internet Network Radio

The Aegis class cruiser Lake Erie ("Courage, Determination, Peace," reads her shield) was pitching and rolling in heavy seas west of Hawaii on the night of Feb. 20.

Her mission was to shoot down a disabled satellite that was tumbling toward the Earth's atmosphere. ... Apparently, the firing window was only 30 seconds.

General rejoicing? Not exactly. The Washington Post reports, "Scientists, arms-control advocates and others said the shoot-down was based on questionable modeling by the government of the risks to human health and was a danger to the future peaceful use of space."

Questionable modeling? Aren't these the same people who argue that we must all abandon our passenger cars because computer modeling suggests the world may be getting a bit warmer? (continue reading)

Bio-Foolish Behavior, Investors Business Daily

Environment: In 2005, America used 15% of its corn crop to replace just 2% of its gasoline. Two new studies say use of biofuels will leave the world a warmer and hungrier place.

Los Angeles to hold benefits for Qassam-battered city Sderot featuring host of Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone, Paula Abdul, and Jon Voight, YNET

Contract with Conservatives, Cajun Tiger's Rants and Raves

A lot of leading conservatives including Newt and others are talking about what is being called a Contract with Conservatives. The main point is that Republican party and its leaders need to reassure conservatives that they still stand for the principles that Reagan won with and the class of '94 won with. If we would go back to our core and then govern in accordance with these principles we can regain the majority and hold it this time. Here is a great list from the above article of what it means to be a conservative: (continue reading)

Why Chinese Companies Fail In The US, Part II. China Law Blog

A couple weeks ago, I did a post setting out lists as to why Western companies fail in China and my own list of why Chinese companies fail in the United States. Nina Ying Sun over at the Plastics News Blog (I know it sounds boring, but it most emphatically is not) has made some excellent comments on my explanations for Chinese company failures in the United States

Michelle Obama Unplugged, byBob Parks: "Remember the damage an unleashed Teresa Heinz Kerry did to her husband’s campaign? Michelle Obama may have started down that same road, and did so sober."

By the way, the Princeton Library will not make her thesis public until November 5th, 2008: the day after the general election. [snip]

Michelle Obama later earned a paltry $320,000 a year as a "Community Affairs" director for the University of Chicago Hospitals, and currently lives in a $1.6 million home in Chicago. While a hospital director, she was also named to the corporate board of TreeHouse Foods, a Wal-Mart supplier. That $51,200-a-year gig began in 2005; the year Barack entered the United States Senate. Was she qualified for that board seat? Obviously, that doesn’t matter now. (continue reading)

We Stand Above, Investors Business Daily

The Presidency: Just days after his wife declared she had never been proud of her country until now, Barack Obama says America mustn't act like "we stand above the rest of the world." A disturbing pattern is emerging. [snip]

"If we think that meeting with the president (of the United States) is a privilege that has to be earned, I think that reinforces the sense that we stand above the rest of the world at this point in time."

A president who doesn't understand that America stands above the rest of the world is likely to be — especially in wartime — a president who, like Jimmy Carter, leads us into a dangerous national decline. (continue reading)

Acid Attack On Two Turkish Girls For Wearing Short Skirts, Christians Under Attack

A high school senior and an elementary school student were attacked in the Mediterranean town of Mersin with strong acid spray. In two separate incidents within the same hour both girls

Ebay, Wikipedia, and Digg: Why Self-Rule on the Internet Will Not Work, Britannica Blog

Ace and “The G-Spot”, at Bear Creek Ledger