Archive for the ‘World News’ Category

I don’t know… this latest Obama pick doesn’t give me the same warm and fuzzy feeling I usually get with my President. If anything, this has huge potential to mess up a timely opportunity for change in the world.

I once heard of a patient at my hospital telling his surgeon (a friend of mine) that Obama was a “post turtle”. When asked what a post turtle was, the man responded… “I don’t know. A turtle on a post. You gotta wonder, how did he get there? Someone had to put ‘im there. And then you wonder… how’s he gonna get down?” If someone really did put him on that post, then that same someone is probably pulling the strings on these appointments.

Anyway, I digress… here’s your link: Obama picks anti-Iran man for Iran post

Dennis Ross will provide Mrs. Clinton with “strategic advice and perspective on the region, offer assessments and also act to ensure effective policy integration throughout the region”

… Great… “strategic advice”, “perspective on the region”…

And how does one “ensure effective policy integration throughout the region”? Sounds like a big task, but really is just a bunch of politico-avoid-the-question speak. It almost even sounds unbiased.

These videos were posted at Palestine Think Tank in an article by Mary Rizzo. Israeli snipers fire on unarmed farmers and internationals. They keep shooting despite mega-phone announcements that they were firing on “unarmed civilians”. See for yourself…

They might claim that they were rubber bullets or something, but they are still high-speed projectile steel balls with a thin covering of rubber. They’re still deadly and the people they are shooting at are unarmed and clearly do not pose a threat. The international peace workers are even wearing fluorescent colors to stand out.

Don’t tell me that these soldiers don’t know what they are firing on.

I do not mean to inflame an already uncertain and fearful public, but when you look at history, economic decline preceded the major World Wars. Well, this article from Dr. Frederic F. Clairmont (a prominent Canadian academic and researcher) cites several factors – Arms Races, Israel and the Middle East, US-China Relations, the financial markets, and the dynamics of overproduction. When taken together, these things point to a potential for war on a large scale.

But then again, take a look at the world right now… there already is war on a large scale.

Anyway, here’s the link: Is A Major War A Possibility In 2009? The Historical Antecedents

Keep in mind though… we should not be worriers, talkers, or time-wasters. Worrying about these things, wasting time discussing world politics in our gatherings, etc… all useless. What we should be worrying about are the things we can control and the things we will be asked about on the Last Day. Financial crisis, Sino-US relations, arms races, political outcomes in Israel… I’m not going to be asked about any of those.

In fact, now that I’ve typed this… it got me thinkin’ about some of the things I will be asked about. And one of those things is my relationship with my neighbors. I’m going to invite my neighbor over for dinner… finally, after 5 years of living here. What are you going to do?

So, there clearly was fraud, but this contractor apparently defrauded the Coalition Provisional Authority (technically not the US government).

Here’s the link: Judge Overturns Verdict Against Iraq War Contractor in Fraud Case

A federal judge has overturned on a technicality a $10 million jury verdict against a military contractor accused of defrauding the U.S. government in the initial months of the Iraq war.

The verdict, awarded in March against Fairfax-based Custer Battles LLC, had been the first civil fraud verdict arising from the Iraq war. Custer Battles based most of its operations in Rhode Island.

A former Custer Battles employee filed the lawsuit under a whistleblower statute, alleging that Custer Battles used shell companies and false invoices to vastly overstate its expenses on a $3 million contract to assist in establishing a new currency to replace the old Iraqi dinar used during Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The verdict reached $10 million because the law calls for triple damages, plus penalties fines and legal costs.

But U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, in a ruling made public Friday, ruled that Custer Battles’ accusers failed to prove that the U.S. government was ever defrauded. Any fraud that occurred was perpetrated instead against the Coalition Provisional Authority, formed shortly after the war to run Iraq during the occupation until an Iraqi government was established.

Ellis ruled that the trial evidence failed to show that the U.S. government was the actual victim, even though U.S. taxpayers ultimately footed the bill.

Carleton University and the University of Ottawa have banned the posting of Israeli Apartheid Week Posters. You can read more here: Second Canadian University Suppresses Free Speech Rights and Bans Israeli Apartheid Posters

Here’s a quote from the above link on what you can do about it:

We call on student organizations, social justice groups and concerned
individuals around the world to support students at the University of Ottawa
and the broader fight for freedom of expression.

Please take the following actions:

Email/Fax/Call the President of the University of Ottawa, Allan Rock,
demanding that he immediately restore the Charter rights of students and
send a copy of your message of support to the Director of the Communications
Office, Andree Dumulon. Please send a copy of your letter to
sphr.uofo@gmail.com

Allan Rock: email president@uOttawa.ca, fax (613)562-5103, phone
(613)562-5809

Director of communications: email adumulon@uOttawa.ca, phone (613)562-5800
ext. 315

A friend of mine passed along a link that he saw highlighted (dugg) on Digg.com. Basically, someone got onto a computer, saw the links that had been clicked, and then took a screen shot. Here it is:

But which came first? The chicken or the egg? Did the media dumb us down, or is the media reflecting our dumbed-down state, or both?

Mumbai Suffers a Series of Coordinated Terrorist Attacks

May Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’alaa protect the innocent, guide the ill-intentioned, and give knowledge to the ignorant. Ameen.

This was published on the DNN site before I moved it over to the new format…

10 locations in Mumbai were simultaneously attacked and scores were killed or injured. Of course, I was not there, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

Assumptions to Avoid

Let’s not rush to judgment… Watching shocking news is more of an emotional experience than an intellectual one. So be careful.

Let’s not forget when a top Indian Army officer was arrested over bomb attack that was blamed on outsiders.

This clip ends abruptly, in mid-thought, when the victim is describing interactions with one of the gunmen. If he was actually interacting with the gunmen, why not hear all of what he has to say? (Does anyone have the full clip? If so, send me the link.)

The pause in his voice as he says, “Islamic… terrorist… I suppose,” can have pretty powerful emotional effects on watchers of the clip. Although, his full sentence was, “He did not look like your typical Islamic terrorist, I suppose.”

And who is this lady (below)? And why is she an expert? It is CNN’s Kelli Arena, but what gives her the qualifications to make all of these speculations?

Some Things That Don’t Make Sense

• Whose cause does this help?
• Is it really possible for a small group of extremists to pull off such a well-orchestrated series of attacks in the financial capital of one of the world’s up-and-coming countries? Or would you need the resources of, say, a foreign nation or an intelligence agency?
• One of the targets was a hospital for women and children. Islam has pretty clear laws regarding war. And women and children are clearly and absolutely off limits. Even livestock and fruit-bearing trees are off limits, so there’s no way that anyone could religiously justify an attack on a hospital for women and children. No way. Personally, I don’t think this was orchestrated by Muslims. Period. (Maybe some ignorant Muslims were duped into carrying it out, but I don’t think they orchestrated it.)
• Were the attackers staying at the Nariman House? If so, who is really behind this?
• Why is it that some of the Indian police were not firing back?

Always Ask: Who Benefits?

It is always ultra-important to step back and ask yourself, “Who benefits?” There will be reports of “Islamic terrorists” and “Muslim extremists” who “hate our freedoms”, who “want to spread violence and bloodshed”, who “hate the West”, who “blah, blah, blah”… C’mon. Do you really think there are people out there that want to just spread destruction on the earth… that just want gore and violence?! I don’t buy it.

But, let’s just say that it’s possible… maybe there are people like that. Well, then, how do they benefit? Is it just spreading chaos? Is that their goal?

Is that where you are going to stop your analysis? Let’s look past the obvious…

• Does the fact that some of the nations of the world object to the US bombings on Pakistani soil have anything to do with it? Does this help justify those attacks?
• Are there any parties or countries or movements that benefit from a portrayal of Islam as evil?
• Does this distract from any other world events?… The passing of important legislation? The recent re-invasion of Gaza? The decline of world economies?
• Are there any nations (outside of the obvious) that would like to slow India’s rise to economic power?
• Does the fact that India announced a partnership with Iran two days earlier have any connection? Who could be upset about that?
• Does anyone remember when a top Indian Army officer was arrested over a bomb attack that was blamed on outsiders?

Look. I don’t understand it. I don’t have the answers. But, I also don’t accept the official version at face value. The news has been wrong before.

May Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’alaa protect the innocent, guide the ill-intentioned, and give knowledge to the ignorant. Ameen.