text:
Anti-Spam Policy Anti-Spam Policy is committed to permission-based email marketing practices, and as a result has established this no-tolerance Anti-Spam Policy. will occasionally update this Anti-Spam Policy. When it does, will also revise the “last update” date at the top of this Anti-Spam Policy. For changes to this policy, will notify you (the customer) by placing a notice on its web site home page.

1.What is Spam? Spam is commercial email or unsolicited bulk email, including “junk mail”, which has not been requested by the recipient. It is intrusive and often irrelevant or offensive, and it wastes valuable resources. Spam messages are the opposite of permission-based email, which are normally anticipated, personal, and relevant and/or associated with a pre-existing business or personal relationship. Inappropriate newsgroup activities, consisting of excessive posting of the same materials to several newsgroups, are also deemed to be spam.

2.Preventing Spam Customers of products and services have agreed during their registration process, upon accepting the Terms of Use, to comply with this Anti-Spam Policy. Specifically, each customer agrees not to use the products or services to send unsolicited email or bulk email, whether or not for commercial purposes. reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion what constitutes actionable spam, as well as what measures are necessary in response to such spam activities.

3. How Helps You to Avoid Spamming has developed its Internet marketing tools to incorporate a strict permission-based philosophy. This anti-spam philosophy is implemented through the following: (a) Communication and Agreement – The Terms of Use that you have agreed to as part of registering for the products and services state how and for what purposes you can collect your site visitor addresses, and that you will follow the Privacy Policy and Anti-Spam Policy. (b) Un-subscription – Each email created using products contains an “unsubscribe link”. If your web site visitors use the link to request that they be unsubscribed, your subscriber lists will automatically be adjusted to eliminate the prospect of sending unwanted email to such persons. Additionally, each person on your subscriber list has the option of unsubscribing through a web-based method provided on the web site. Customers of who try to remove the unsubscribe link will be warned that they are doing so, and if they persist in having the link removed or deactivated in any way, then will have the right to terminate their account. (c) Purchased Mailing Lists – Mass mailings to purchased email lists are not allowed. only allows opt-in mailing lists. Purchased or inherited lists are by definition not opt-in. Similarly, you cannot use an email list relating to particular subject matter, and then use it for an unrelated topic.

4. Laws Restricting Spam laws vary from state to state, and from country to country. This Anti-Spam Policy has been developed to conform to the highest commercially reasonable standards. As a result, and without limiting the general prohibitions against all spam activities, the following are expressly prohibited: (a) Use of false headers, or other false information, to identify the point of origin or the transmission path of the email, or to hide the true origin of the email sender, (b) Unauthorized use of a third party’s internet domain name without the permission of such third party, to make it appear that the third party was the point of origin of the email, (c) Use of any false or misleading information in the subject line of the email, and (d) Assisting any person in using the products or services of for any of these previously mentioned activities.

5. Questions to Ask Yourself To help in establishing whether you are participating in activities constituting spam, ask yourself the following questions: (a) Are you sending email to non-specific addresses, such as or (b) Have you deliberately falsified your transmission path information or originating address? (c) Are you sending email to mailing lists or distribution lists, which then send indirectly to various other email addresses? (d) Have you imported for use a purchased list of any type? (e) Are you continuing to mail to anyone who has asked to be deleted from your mailing list? (f) Does your email not provide a fully functioning link to unsubscribe? (g) Does you email subject line contain false or misleading information? (h) Have you used a third party’s email address or domain name without the party’s consent? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are likely involved in spam activities, and should contact

6. Measures to Enforce the Anti-Spam Policy Any customer found to be using products or services for spamming purposes may, at’s discretion, be immediately cut off from use of all products and services and/or fined GBP £ 1,000 per occurrence, with no refund of fees that have been paid. warns all of its customers when signing up that if they participate in spamming activities they will be subject to the loss of services, fines and possible legal action. has the right to actively review its customers’ subscriber lists and email for suspiciously large broadcasts. If finds any customers to be spamming, it will issue a warning, and if the activities are serious enough, will take action immediately. If has any reason to believe that the customer, despite warning being given, threatens to or is continuing to send spam, then may take action immediately, including disabling the customer’s account and/or reporting the customer and the incident to the proper authorities. does not attempt to censor any content, nor to curtail the business of its customers. However, spam activities do not fall within uses authorized by, and will not be tolerated.

7. Reporting Spam If you believe that you have received spam from or through ’s facilities, please send a complaint from your email account along with the unsolicited email, with completed header, to Please provide any other information that you believe may help us in our investigation. does not investigate or take any action based on “anonymous” spam complaints.

8. False Spam Complaints supports the efforts of various organizations working to responsibly eliminate spam activities. However, if an individual has opted-in to receive email from a customer of, and then falsely or maliciously files a spam complaint against or its customers, will cooperate fully with the appropriate agencies to ban the complainant from use of anti-spam software and the Internet community


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International Patients
 +91 8374601674

Cosmetic / Aesthetic Dentistry

Aesthetic Dentistry

The search for the perfect smile is till date the strongly infatuated treatment modality. An individual personal aesthetic sensibility & the concept of a self-image has improved over the years & so is a personal desire to better them.

At Quality Dental Care; all kinds of aesthetic dental treatment modalities are possible that can help you improve the smile or just provide you that perfect designer smile to flaunt. We specialize in:

  • Bleaching of teeth & gums (teeth whitening methods which can be done, depigmentation therapy of discolored gums),
  • Laminates & Veneers (tooth colored shell-like covers over the teeth to allow the pearly white look ),
  • Composite restorations to improve the shape, size & /or color of teeth (tooth colored restorative material),
  • Tooth-colored crowns,
  • Improving the shape & height of the gums to give extra aesthetic appeal to the gums (mucogingival gum surgery)
  • The surgery department practices in improving facial bone surgery & teeth surgery in several severe cases.
  • Furthermore, children born with cleft lip & cleft palate can be very appropriately treated at our center.
  • Dentures that will specifically mimic the teeth & gums for better aesthetic appeal.
  • Whereby, if you need to get your smile improved.

Teeth whitening:

In most of the cases, the natural color of teeth is in a range of light greyish-yellow shades. Teeth usually darken with age & their appearance can be changed by the accumulation of exterior stains obtained from the use of tobacco products & the eating of certain foods or drinks.

In extension, the perception of the color of teeth is seriously affected by skin tone & make-up. Independent of the real color of their teeth, people by darker skin or who use dark makeup will resemble like they have brighter teeth.

Though teeth are not naturally expected to be entirely white, many Canadians need a brighter smile. Responding to this want, a wide range of “whitening” options has become possible to patients. These products fall into two foremost categories: surface whiteners & bleaches.

It should be well-known that claims linked to tooth whitening are seen as cosmetic in nature. These claims must be correct, so as not to deceive the public. Though, the regulator tolerates any puffery or exaggeration. As an outcome, the results of whitening treatment can not be as convincing as customers originally expected.

Most bleaching products have peroxide-based & are actually able of altering the colors of your tooth itself. Though, not all tooth discolorations respond to tooth-bleaching treatments. Individuals thinking tooth-bleaching should consult with the dentist to manage the cause of the tooth discolouration & to resolve whether a bleaching treatment will have the aspired result. This step is particularly important for patients with root canal treatments, fillings, crowns and/or with greatly dark stains on the anterior teeth.

A number of various bleaching techniques & products are accessible to patients. Your dentist will apply one of these two approaches to whiten your teeth:

Vital bleaching is done on “living” teeth & can be used to whiten the teeth if they have become stained by food or tobacco, or if they have become dark with age.

Non-vital bleaching is done on teeth that are no longer “alive.” If your tooth has broken as of the root canal, nonvital bleaching may lighten your tooth from the relieve out.

There are three techniques for bleaching teeth. The method that would work enough for you depends on the number of teeth that require being bleached, & on how badly they have stained or discolored.

  • Putting the special bleach on stained teeth & using heat (or heat & light) to raise the bleaching action; or
  • Wearing the custom-made mouthguard filled by the special bleach for part of every day; or
  • Brushing with the appropriate bleach mixed in toothpaste.

Bleaching should be done simply under a dentist’s care. Tooth-bleaching under controlled dental office conditions may be safe and effective, but the new in-office vital tooth bleaching methods, especially those applying laser & lights, have known scientific evaluation.

Cleft lips and Cleft palate repair

Cleft lips and Cleft palate repair are a surgical procedure to correct congenital anomalies in the upper lip and palate (roof of the mouth).

A Cleft lip is a birth defect:

  • A Cleft lip may be just a small notch in the lip. It can also be a complete Cleft in the lip that goes all the way to the base of the nose.
  • A cleft palate can be on one or both sides of the roof of the mouth. He can go all the length of the palace.
  • Your child may suffer from one or both of these conditions at birth.
  • Most of the time, split lips repair is performed when the child is 6 to 12 weeks old.

For split lips surgery, your child will have general anesthesia (asleep and not feeling pain). The surgeon will cut the tissues and sew the lip together. The points will be very small so that the scar is as small as possible. Most stitches will absorb into the tissue as the scar heals, so they will not need to be removed later.

Most of the time, cleft palate repair occurs when the child is older, between 9 months and 1 year. This allows the palate to change as the baby grows. Doing the repair when the child is this age will help prevent other speech disorders as the child develops.

In repairing the cleft palate, your child will have a general anesthetic (sleeping and not feeling pain). The tissue of the roof of the mouth can be moved on to cover the veil of the palate. Sometimes a child will need more than one surgery to close the palate.

During these procedures, the surgeon may also need to repair the tip of your child’s nose. This surgery is called rhinoplasty.

We are dedicated to giving each of our patients the healthy smile they deserve!

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My dear,

Look at us, going about all willy-nilly calling ourselves wise; smartest animals on Earth we say! Yet we’re all losing money left and right hand over fist. Are we losing this money to thievery? No. To scams? No. Then to what?

To ourselves.

We’re losing all this money because we buy this, then buy that, and oh yeah, buy that too. Until, only after it’s too late, we realize we’ve spent all this money we don’t have.

… Oh well, that’s what the credit card is for right?

*Sigh* We’re sooo smart.

So smart that we haven’t learnt the simplest rule of them all:

Spend less than you make.

Falsely yours,
A. Nonymous


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A man walks onto an airplane and takes his seat. He looks up and notices the most beautiful woman he has ever seen boarding the plane. He is so nervous, and he soon realizes that she is walking down the aisle toward him. When she takes the seat right next to him, he is anxious to begin a conversation with her. He asks, "Where are you flying to today?" She responds, "To the annual Nymphomaniac Convention in Chicago." He is crazed with excitement. Here is a gorgeous woman sitting next to him, and she's going to a meeting of nymphomaniacs.

"And what do you do at this meeting?" he asks.

"Well," she says, "we try to dispel some of the popular myths about sexuality."

"And what myths are those?" he goes on desperately.

She goes on to explain, "Well, one popular myth is that African American men are the most endowed, when in fact, it is the Native American who owns this trait. Also, it is widely believed that the French man is the best lover, when actually it is men of Jewish descent who make the best lovers." "Very interesting...," the man responds.

Suddenly, the woman becomes very embarrassed and blushes. "I'm sorry," she says, "I feel so awkward discussing this with you when I don't even know you. What's your name?"

The man extends his hand and replies, "Tonto, Tonto Goldstein."

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Hi there, !
Today Sat 02/23/2013 Fri 02/22/2013 Thu 02/21/2013 Wed 02/20/2013 Tue 02/19/2013 Mon 02/18/2013 Sun 02/17/2013 Archives
386293 articles and 1386762 comments are archived on Rantburg.

Today: 65 articles and 150 comments as of 6:26.
Post a news link    Post your own article
Area: WoT Operations    Non-WoT    Opinion        Politix    Posting Order
French nationals kidnapped in northern Cameroon
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Africa North
Algeria denies licence to salafist party
[MAGHAREBIA] The Algerian Interior Ministry refused to license the first salafist party in the country.

The Free Awakening Front had planned to hold its founding convention on Saturday (February 16th). The interior ministry officially notified the party officials, through Algiers wali, that their application for the convention had been denied.

The interior ministry did not explain the decision.

"We were surprised with the rejection because our file has met all legal requirements," salafist party head Abdelfattah Zeraoui Hamadache told news hounds. "We think that this involves an illegal move on the part of security authorities."

"We've tried to get explanations from Algiers wilaya officials about the reasons for rejection, but they said they don't know anything and can't comment on that," he added.

Hamadache said that his group would "stage a sit-in opposite Algiers wilaya and interior ministry headquarters to demand our right to engage in politics", if their demand for a meeting with officials was rejected.

The salafist party "hasn't wreaked havoc in land, hasn't thrown stones, hasn't attacked a road, hasn't sown chaos, and hasn't undermined the country's security and stability", Hamadache said.

There were indications suggesting that the Algerian authorities would refuse to give a licence to the party.

Religious Affairs Minister Bouabdallah Ghlamallah had recently accused the salafist movement in Algeria of trying to seize power. During a seminar on the Algerian religious marji'ya held in Dar al-Imam on February 12th, Ghlamallah said he never feared those who called for salafism.

"What do those people want?" he wondered. "Do they want to correct Islam or seize power?"

Ghlamallah added that pursuant to law, the interior ministry wouldn't license religion-based parties.

The amended version of the law pertaining to political parties, which was issued last August, bans licences to religious parties. It also bars anyone linked to the Black Decade from returning to politics.

"Islamic parties that declare their affiliation to a system other than the republican and democratic system wouldn't be licenced," Nourredine Lajal, a professor of political sciences, explained.

"The government won't give up on this regardless of the pressures that some parties try to exercise over it taking advantage of the Arab Spring events that brought the Islamists to power" [in the Maghreb]," Lajal added.

Kamal Hadef, a journalist specialising in security affairs, said that the "unrest which some countries are witnessing following the accession of Islamists to power, such as Egypt and Tunisia, serves the interest of the Algerian government".

Hadef noted that Islamist parties have a real presence in the scene and are politically active. But they have not been able to build a popular base that would enable them to win election and come to power, he added.

"These parties have understood the rules of democracy and refuse to use violence as a means to get to power," Hadef said. "They just don't want to repeat the same mistake of the disbanded Islamic Salvation Front (FIS)."
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [351 views] Top|| File under: Salafists

U.N. Rights Watchdog Criticizes Egypt Protest Law
[An Nahar] The U.N.'s human rights
...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state...
office on Tuesday took Egypt to task over a planned law on public protests, saying it would curb freedoms and breach international rules.

"Although freedom of assembly can be subject to certain restrictions, freedom should be considered the rule, and restrictions the exception," Rupert Colville, front man for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told news hounds.

He said draft legislation approved last week by Egypt's cabinet would undermine "one of the cornerstones of democracy".

The draft stipulates that organizers must inform authorities in advance of plans to protest and the interior ministry has the right to reject a demonstration.

Protests will be restricted to a specific location in each province to be decided by the governor.

The draft also prohibits setting up platforms for speakers and the use of tents during sit-ins, as well as the carrying of banners or the chanting of slogans deemed defamatory or insulting to religion or state institutions.

The Egyptian government argues that the legislation -- which still needs to be ratified by the upper house of parliament -- is meant to prevent the mixing of peaceful and violent protests.

Colville said freedom of assembly was protected by a raft of international human rights accords ratified decades ago by Egypt.

"No one should be criminalized or subjected to any threats or acts of violence, harassment or persecution for addressing human rights issues through peaceful protests," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [352 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  Oh this is a surprise. Tyrants act like tyrants and the UN says inane things about it.

I'm sure Zero is drooling at the idea of implementing something like this here.
Posted by: Alanc || 02/20/2013 7:53 Comments || Top||

Jama'a al-Islamiya to heal rift between Brotherhood and Salafis
[Egypt Independent] Tarek al-Zomor, founder of Jama'a al-Islamiya's Construction and Development Party, said Tuesday his party would try to heal the rift between the Moslem Brüderbund's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi Nour Party.

He added that differences between Islamists and other groups should be resolved for the sake of the nation.

For his part, Alaa Aboul Nasr, the party's secretary general, said Islamists stand to lose should the dispute between the two groups continue.

Tensions between the FJP and Nour Party is at an all-time high over the dismissal of Nour Party member Khaled Alam Eddin, the president's advisor for environmental affairs, from the presidential team.

Nasr called for an investigation into allegations driven by former presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali that claim Alam Eddin was abusing his post for personal gain.

Khaled Al-Sheref, media consultant to Construction and Development Party, demanded the president's office issue a statement revealing the facts behind Alam Eddin's dismissal.

In response, the president's office released a statement Tuesday saying Alam Eddin was dismissed based on "information according to which he could not continue with his role in order to preserve the presidential [team's] standing."

The statement added that the decision was not based on Alam Eddin's partisan affiliation and that dismissing any adviser is a "decision taken by the president's office based on national interests." The president's office also expressed its appreciation for Egypt's political factions and their willingness to come to the table for talks, singling out the Nour Party in particular.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [684 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

#1  For his part, Alaa Aboul Nasr, the party's secretary general, said Islamists stand to lose should the dispute between the two groups continue

"The Joos! You're supposed to be going after the Joos!"
Posted by: Pappy || 02/20/2013 10:40 Comments || Top||

NSF to reject unfair parliamentary elections
[Egypt Independent] The National Salvation Front said Tuesday it will reject parliamentary elections unless authorities guarantee they will be fair and subject to international monitoring.

The announcement came after a three-hour closed meeting that included Dostour chief Mohamed ElBaradei
Egyptian law scholar and Iranian catspaw. He was head of the IAEA from December 1997 to November 2009. At some point during his tenure he was purchased by the Iranians. ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for something in 2005. After stepping down from his IAEA position ElBaradei attempted to horn in on the 2011 Egyptian protests which culminated in the collapse of the Mubarak regime. ElBaradei served on the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group, a lefty NGO that is bankrolled by the Carnegie Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as George Soros' Open Society Institute. Soros himself serves as a member of the organization's Executive Committee.
, Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed al-Badawy and Freedom and Justice Party Chairman Saad al-Katatny.

Hamdeen Sabbahi, founder of the Popular Current Party, did not attend.

...back at the Council of Boskone, Helmuth ordered the entire 614th quadrant searched. The Green Lensman must be found!...
NSF leaders and other political parties admitted it would be difficult to hold parliamentary elections after the Constitutional Court found several articles of the new elections law unconstitutional. The Shura Council has been tasked to amend the regulations.

"The Constitution was born dead," said Mostafa al-Tawil, the honorary president of the Wafd Party. "The regime is improvising with no consideration or respect for people's desires."

"The Moslem Brüderbund made a tailored constitution that is full of loopholes," he added. "The Constitutional Court's response was expected."

For his part, Refaat al-Saeed of the Tagammu Party said the Shura Council is unlikely to abide by the court's ruling. "This is the chaos we live in now," he said.

Osama al-Ghazaly Harb of the Gabha Party called on the NSF to boycott the elections, saying, "Otherwise, [the NSF] would succumb to the Moslem Brüderbund," he said, contending that the Islamists are lost much of their popularity.

Sameh Ashour of the Nasserist Party called for the postponement of the elections until national consensus is reached.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [401 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

Jama'a al-Islamiya forms armed squads to fight thugs
[Egypt Independent] Jama'a al-Islamiya on Tuesday announced it has formed squads with 13 other Islamist parties and movements to fight vandals, thugs and groups like the Black Bloc.

Spokesperson Khaled al-Sherif said the squads were formed with the Fadila, Asala and Shaab Parties. "We are talking to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis to join," he said.

He added that the squads are armed only with simple tools for self-defense. "We have phone numbers to report thuggery and banditry," he said. "We help the police restore order."
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [348 views] Top|| File under: Arab Spring

Salafist street patrols worry Tunisians
[MAGHAREBIA] Bands of baton-wielding salafists have mounted security patrols in Tunisian cities in recent weeks, leaving many citizens to question what is behind the phenomenon.

...Salafists are ostentatiously devout Moslems who figure the ostentation of their piety gives them the right to tell others how to do it and to kill those who don't listen to them...
say they are patrolling neighbourhoods in the name of safeguarding citizens and their property, amid increased instability in Tunisia that followed the February 6th slaying of opposition leader Chokri Belaid.

Since his liquidation, Salafist security patrols became more prevalent in Tunis and other cities. The patrols, which each number dozens of members, move about on foot or on cycle of violences, or in cars flying black flags.

An online call by Ansar al-Sharia
...a Yemeni Islamist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends...
mobilised salafists to fan out and patrol the streets as unofficial security details. The radical salafist group posted the call on Facebook for its supporters to protect citizens and property in the aftermath of Belaid's killing.

"They do not have any hidden agendas," young salafist Ali Zaghouani said.

"Their goal is not to replace the security apparatus but to support its efforts in maintaining security during these security lapses that are taking place from time to time," he added.

Yet Ansar al-Sharia does want to bring Sharia law to Tunisia, and has resorted to violent acts of extremism. The group is widely seen as responsible for a series of attacks in Tunisia in May 2012 and last September's protests at the US embassy in Tunis that left four dead and 49 others injured.

With the street patrols, however, many Tunisians say that the salafists are up to something sinister. To some, the radical Islamists are encroaching on the government's security apparatus and ability to maintain and law order.

This could weaken the state and undermine its civil character, Social Democratic Party front man Samir Bettaib told Magharebia.

"This is something we cannot accept and it really angers us," Bettaib said.

"If anything, it shows the weakness of the state, especially its security apparatus, in ensuring security for citizens and the protection of their properties."

The Salafist patrols are illegal and a clear encroachment on state institutions as well as the privacy of citizens, said Adel Soltani, a 34-year-old resident of Ettadamon, a suburb of Tunis.

He said he saw uniformed salafist patrolmen stopping passers-by, asking for their I.D. and sometimes even carrying out arrests.

"We do not want those who seek to impose a trusteeship on the security of citizens or interfere in private lives, because only state agencies are authorized to perform this job," Soltani said.

For college senior Firas Jouini, the salafist patrols have a nefarious goal.

"I think that there is a blueprint being prepared by these groups to strike the official security apparatus and compromise the country's security," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [342 views] Top|| File under: Salafists

Tiguentourine gas plant to reopen this week
[MAGHAREBIA] Algeria's Tiguentourine gas plant is set to resume production by February 24th, APS reported on Monday (February 18th).

According to Sonatrach chief Abdelhamid Zerguine, the In Amenas facility will start up again at one-third capacity.

The Sonatrach-BP-Statoil site had been closed since January 20th, when Algerian forces freed hundreds of hostages held by fighters loyal to al-Qaeda emir Mokhtar Belmokhtar. The four-day siege left 38 people dead.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [391 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in North Africa

Africa Subsaharan
Mali: French troop pullout to start within weeks
France's defense minister says French troop units will start pulling out of Mali within weeks, despite new clashes and challenges in rooting out armed extremists in the West African country.

Extremists linked to al-Qaida seized control of northern Mali last year. France fears the region could become a terrorist haven, and France sent troops Jan. 11 to help Malian forces retake the north.

Jean-Yves Le Drian acknowledged Wednesday that the African military force meant to take over from the French is not ready yet. But he said on France 2 television that "we have no reason to stay ... it's a matter of weeks."

Le Drian said an operation in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains that killed a French soldier and some 20 militants Tuesday will continue "for a while."

Posted by: tipper || 02/20/2013 07:30 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [348 views] Top|| File under:

Bahraini security chief accuses Iran
The head of security in Bahrain accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of masterminding terror plots to attack public officials and military sites.

Maj. Gen. Tariq Hassan al-Hassan, Bahrain's Public Security chief revealed at a news conference Tuesday in Manama that a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard identified as "Abu Nasser" masterminded terror plots.

Cell members, he said, were trained in the use of firearms, explosives, compiling intelligence and photographing sensitive sites in Iranian Revolutionary Guard camps in Iran and Hezbollah-affiliated sites in Karbala and Baghdad in Iraq, the Bahrain News Agency said.

Abu Nasser also provided $80,000 to fund the cell's activities, Hassan said.

The terror cell included Bahrain nationals who live locally and abroad and people from different nationalities, he said.

Bahraini security forces arrested a number of alleged cell members after information received led to covert operations to uncover the cell, he said. Security forces are searching for four cell members.

Those who have been arrested have appeared before the Public Prosecutor to face trial, Hassan said. He didn't mention how many cell members were involved.

Over the weekend Bahrain announced the arrests of a number of people believed to have been involved in terrorist activities. The arrests were said t have stopped planned attacks.

Posted by: tipper || 02/20/2013 08:02 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [358 views] Top|| File under:

Bahrain Accuses Iran of Forming 'Terror Cell'
[An Nahar] Bahrain accused Iran on Tuesday of having formed a "terrorist cell" busted at the weekend, saying its aim was to foster violence in the Gulf kingdom.

The announcement was the latest in a series of claims that Iran was backing activists demanding a greater say for the Shiite majority in Bahrain's politics and likely to exacerbate tensions between the two neighbors.

General Tareq al-Hassan, who heads the general security agency, told a news conference members of the cell were to have "brought in arms and explosives and to launch operations at a moment decided by their command in Iran."

He said they had been recruited by two Iran-based Bahrainis and were commanded by a member of Tehran's elite Revolutionary Guards named Abu Nasser.

He said they had undergone training by the Guards in Iran and also by the Lebanese group Hizbullah in Iraq, as well as received financial support.

They were tasked with collecting intelligence and taking photographs of sensitive sites and military installations, as well as preparing depots and stocking arms until receiving orders to act.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said a "terrorist cell" linked to Iran, Iraq and Leb had been dismantled, slamming what he called "escalation" as the Shiite opposition intensifies its protests.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [364 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran

#1  Doh!
Posted by: Skidmark || 02/20/2013 4:45 Comments || Top||

Jamaat turning religious sentiment against Shahbagh demonstration
[Bangla Daily Star] With its back against the wall, Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
has resorted to a smear campaign against the Shahbagh youths, branding them as atheists, anti-Islamic and anti-social elements with the help of a few radical Islamist groups both in and outside the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

Through advertisements, reports in certain newspapers and rallies, efforts were being made to confuse people about the motive of the young organisers by tweaking religious sentiment of the people, alleged law enforcers and bloggers yesterday.

"All these are false and fabricated tales," announced Imran H Sarkar, convener of Blogger and Online Activists Network, last night on behalf of all protesters, who camped at Shahbagh for the 15th day with the demand for maximum punishment for the convicts in war crimes trial.

As part of the smear campaign, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, a radical Islamist organization based in Hathazari, Chittagong, got published a half-page advertisement in three newspapers yesterday with anti-Islamic contents, claiming those were posted on the internet by different bloggers. It claimed that the Shahbagh movement was against Islam.

Using such advertisements and reports in like-minded newspapers, the anti-liberation forces held protest rallies in Dhaka and Chittagong yesterday to counter the Shahbagh movement.

In a statement in the afternoon, Jamaat-e-Islami said, "The main objective of the Shahbagh protesters is to root out Islam from the country. They are involved in different anti-social activities there."

...back at the wine tasting, Greasy Thumb grabbed for his rod!...
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu said the government would not spare those who are hurting religious sentiments to create tension.

According to the law, it is a punishable offence to create tension by publishing provocative advertisements. And the organizations involved in such activities would be closed down as Youtube was shut in Bangladesh following the Ramu violence, said the minister.

"By spreading hate contents, they are dishonouring Prophet Muhammad [SM]," Inu said, adding that a meeting will be held today to decide on the issue.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, a top leader of Islami Andolon Bangladesh said Jamaat-e-Islami that has drawn public outrage is engaging Qaumi Madrasa-based radical Islamist groups to counter the Shahbagh movement by portraying it anti-Islamic.

They include Khelafat Majlish, Islami Oikya Jote
... a political party in Bangladesh. In the 2001 elections the party won 2 out of 300 elected members in an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It has a focus on building an islamic state, and has used the madrassas to gain support...
and Olama Mashayekh Parishad.

The Shahbagh demonstrators yesterday strongly protested the advertisements and negative campaigns, and said the anti-liberation forces have chosen a path of hatred to demean Islam by using fake identities in the social media and shift the blame onto them.

Imran H Sarkar, a key organiser of the protest, said some media houses are branding the Shahbagh movement as anti-Islami and spreading lies about slain blogger Rajib Haidar, one of the organisers of the movement.

He said the Shahbagh protesters have nothing against any religion, as the movement is against the mass murderers of 1971.

Immediately after Rajib's murder, the anti-liberation forces launched a negative campaign to brand Rajib as an atheist, claiming he had posted offensive and anti-Islami contents on the internet, said bloggers involved in the movement.

While fingers are pointed at Jamaat-Shibir for the killing, the anti-liberation elements are trying hard to brand Rajib as an atheist to justify the murder and portray all Shahbagh protesters as anti-Islam.

Rajib's family members strongly condemned the attempts to portray him as an atheist.

Ali Haider Dewan, a relative of Rajib, said a conspiracy is being hatched to divert Rajib's killing to a different direction.

As part of a conspiracy against Rajib, someone hacked into his blog and posted controversial elements after his murder, said Dewan.

...back at the bunker, his Excellency called a hurried meeting of his closest advisors. It was to be his last. They discussed the officers's efficiency rating system...
Shamsuzzaman Dudu, an adviser to the BNP chairperson, alleged that the government is carrying out anti-Islami activities in the name of demonstrations by engaging a section of youths.

"These youths are being paid by the government to work as its agents," Dudu, also general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, said at a discussion.

In the capital, several hundred Jamaat activists under the banner of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish brought out a procession from the Baitul Mukarram Mosque chanting slogans that the Shahbagh youths are atheists.

They circulated leaflets that said in the name of movement against war criminals, the youths are using Shahbagh for illegal activities and spreading anti-Islami ideas.

Later, police swung into action and dispersed them.

In Chittagong, a few hundred people under the banner of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon staged a demonstration in Hathazari upazila, demanding death penalty for "the bloggers who insulted Islam".

Locals said some people under the banner of Islami Oikya Jote circulated leaflets that read, "Foil the conspiracy of Awami atheists in the name of the Shahbagh movement, and resist all such movements across the country".

...back at the cheese factory, there was only one thought in the mouse's mind: I can do this! I can do this! Then the trap sprung...
some people circulated a list of bloggers over mobile phones demanding death penalty for them.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [373 views] Top|| File under: Jamaat-e-Islami

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Kazakhstan Reveals Allah Vodka Terror Plot
Vodka named after Allah was always sure to create a storm of controversy in mainly Muslim Kazakhstan  as it did last year, when bottles bearing Allahs name went on sale in the eastern city of Semey.

Those bottles were produced in Aktobe on the other side of Kazakhstan, where it seems the countrys security services have recently uncovered a plot to blow up the offending factory.

On February 19 three young men  including a minor  were jailed by a court in the western city of Aktobe for plotting to plant explosives at a factory producing vodka with a label mentioning Allah, KTK TV reports.

Media reports did not name the plant at the center of the plot, but back in April last year a factory owned by Kazakhstans GEOM company (which makes liquor under the popular Wimpex brand) got into hot water for making vodka with a label showing an Arabic inscription reading Allahs strength is enough for everybody.

The court found the three young men guilty of plotting to blow up the factory and sentenced 17-year-old Salamat Akhet to three years in prison and Nursultan Tenizbayev and Arslan Zhakabayev, both 18, to five years.

Akhets mother claimed her son was the victim of a stitch-up by the security services, which have been cracking down heavily on suspected extremists  particularly in western Kazakhstan  since a spate of terrorist attacks began in 2011.

The offending vodka has long since been withdrawn from sale with profuse apologies, the unfortunate incident blamed on a dopey designer. But like bad hangover, the aftereffects just seem to keep lingering.
Posted by: tipper || 02/20/2013 07:19 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [432 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Allah's Own, mix it with ZamZam Water for a soul altering experience. The weekend's coming, have 6 tonight and 12 tomorrow.

Posted by: Shipman || 02/20/2013 15:30 Comments || Top||

Norks threaten South with "final destruction" any day now, uh-huh
North Korea threatened South Korea with "final destruction" during a debate at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday, saying it could take further steps after a nuclear test last week.

"As the saying goes, a new-born puppy knows no fear of a tiger. South Korea's erratic behavior would only herald its final destruction," North Korean diplomat Jon Yong Ryong told the meeting.
As WHAT saying goes? That makes about as much sense as army-first juche...
Jon's comments drew quick criticism from other nations, including South Korea, France, Germany and Britain, whose ambassador Joanne Adamson said such language was "completely inappropriate"
oh, oh, oh. Feel the strongly-worded statement!
and the discussion with North Korea was heading in the wrong direction.

"It cannot be allowed that we have expressions which refer to the possible destruction of U.N. member states," she said.
Really? I guess Khrushchev pounding the podium with his shoe was something, um, different...
Spanish Ambassador Javier Gil Catalina said the comment left him stupefied and appeared to be a breach of international law.

"In the 30 years of my career I've never heard anything like it and it seems to me that we are not speaking about something that is even admissible, we are speaking about a threat of the use of force that is prohibited by Article 2.4 of the United Nations charter," Catalina said.
So are you going to enforce the Charter or just point to it?
Since the North tested a nuclear bomb last week in defiance of U.N. resolutions, its southern neighbor has warned it could strike the isolated state if it believed an attack was imminent.
That's called 'self-defense'. I think you can find it in the Charter if you look...
Pyongyang said the aim of the test was to bolster its defenses given the hostility of the United States, which has led a push to impose sanctions on North Korea.

"Our current nuclear test is the primary countermeasure taken by the DPRK in which it exercised its maximum self-restraint," said the North Korean diplomat Jon.

"If the U.S. takes a hostile approach toward the DPRK to the last, rendering the situation complicated, it (North Korea) will be left with no option but to take the second and third stronger steps in succession," he said, without indicating what that might entail.

North Korea has already told key ally China that it is prepared to stage one or two more tests this year to force the United States into diplomatic talks, a source with direct knowledge of the message told Reuters last week.
I don't see how that forces us into ... oh, wait, we're dealing with Champ and 'Lucky Hat' Kerry. I think they'll both be bowing to the Norks shortly...
U.S. Ambassador Laura Kennedy said she found North Korea's threat on Tuesday profoundly disturbing and later tweeted that it was "offensive".

Poland's representative suggested North Korea's participation in the U.N. forum should be limited.

Jon said last week's test was an act of self-defense against nuclear blackmail by the United States, which wanted to block North Korea's economic development
...like that's hard...
and its fundamental rights.
Do 'fundamental rights' include feeding the people?
"It is the disposition and firm will of the army and people of the DPRK to counter high-handed policy with tough-fist policy and to react to pressure and sanctions with an all-out counter-action," he said.

Jon said the United States had conducted most of the nuclear tests and satellite launches in history,
...excepting the Russians...
and he described its pursuit of U.N. Security Council resolutions against North Korea as "a breach of international law and the height of double standards".

Neither Russia nor China, which are veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, spoke at Tuesday's meeting in Geneva.
Of course not. They both approve...
Before its nuclear test, North Korea was already facing growing diplomatic pressure at the United Nations.
I'm sure of it. Feel the feather!
The U.N. Human Rights Council is widely expected to order an inquiry next month into its leaders' responsibilities for crimes against humanity.
Posted by: Steve White || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1273 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The DPRK repor has also released a new video depicting POTUS Bammer "in flames".

"Sink the Geogie, Sink the Georgie".

Speaking of "sequestration" ...

ARTIC = In addition, the US Navy may not be able to deploy any Amphib CV's + USMC EBGS come Fall 2013 all the way into sometime 2014.

China + Iran must be happy as larks - that leaves only the "Mighty George" + BG as the only US CVN in the entire Asia-Pacific to worry about, + bulk of the US Navy per se will be forcibly ECONOMICALLY tied up in homeports all over CONUS, TEMPTING TARGETS FOR THE PLA SECOND ARTY LRBMS = MIRV ICBMS IFF CHINA DECIDES TO PREEMPTIVELY NUKE THE US MAINLAND IN A "NUCLEAR" PEARL HARBOR.

Its back to armed CMS + PLAN versus the PHIL's two Coast Guard cutters + angry Fil fishermen.

* SAME > [FrontPage Magazine] BANGLADESH GOVT. FOCUSES ON [proposed]DEEP-SEA PORT, at Sonadin in Cox's Basar in coordination wid UAE, China, + Other.

Dire need of modernization.

Truth be told, IMO the only reason for overlord China to keep the DPRK AF in such a state is that China requires the DPRK Armed Forces to be bloodily sacrificed to the ROK, US, + UNCOM at the begining of any mil conflict, to the advantage of China + PLAAF. THE JOB OF THE DPRK IS TO DIE KILLING OR DESTROYING AS MANY OF THE ROK + US + UNCOM FORCES AMAP ALAP BEFORE CHINA + PLA INTERVENE FRESH-AS-A-DAISY TO "SAVE" NORTH KOREA SSSSHHHH....CCCCCCC FOR CHINA.

"Forbidden" to Indonesian Muslims, as due to alleged historical links to anti-Islamic ancient Buddhist temple practices.

Not sure iff China will see it that way - what they will "see" is a SCS-losing PHIL = Filipino Muslims attempting to circumvent the ongoing Sino-PHIL SCS dispute by asserting sovereign ties to a Sabah that is now part of a Malaysia-Indonesia which has large Chinese communities + is also part of China's "core" interests in SE Asia + SOPAC. CHINA WILL WORRY THAT THIS INCIDENT WILL HELP ATTRACT NEW FOREIGN = NON-ASIAN OR NON-SE ASIAN ISLAMIC MILITANT-TERROR GROUPS + FIGHTERS TO THE SCS REGION.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/20/2013 1:04 Comments || Top||

#2  If you go to Google Maps and enter North Korea, select Satelite view, pan over to the DMZ near the coast, then zoom in to 50 feet per inch, you see a lot of what appears to be housing with green roofs as if that camouflages them, even though they are clearly visible.

Pan down south of the DMZ to South Korea, the buildings are bright and colorfull. What a contrast.
Posted by: Dino Shomomp7692 || 02/20/2013 2:44 Comments || Top||

#3  threatened South Korea with "final destruction"

I think that this kind of crap should be considered a declaration of war and all that entails. Just because you declare war, or accept the declaration of an enemy, does not mean that you immediately start shooting. It does open up a whole nother level of response though.
Posted by: Alanc || 02/20/2013 8:00 Comments || Top||

#4  BTW, what's the reason that there are so many ex-countries (Spain, France, Germany, etc.) in the UN instead of just the one sovereign state, the EU, that exists over there now?
Posted by: Alanc || 02/20/2013 8:03 Comments || Top||

#5  ...or France and Britain on two of the permanent Security Council seats?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/20/2013 8:52 Comments || Top||

#6  Then again, during the Soviet era, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia had separate memberships. Maybe we can get Puerto Rico and Guam memberships? /sarc off
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/20/2013 8:54 Comments || Top||

#7  ...Gawd, just freaking ONCE I'd like to hear this:

"...The North Korean 'government' is comprised of a family of power-mad maniacs who are bent on watching the world burn. They know full well that no one has any intention of attacking them and they know full well that their policies are inflicting genocide upon their own people. With that in mind, not a single grain of rice will be shipped, not a single word of negotiation will be spoken, and not a single sign of acknowledgement will be given until Kim Jong Un PERSONALLY says that his nation is renouncing their nuclear weapons program - no weasel words, no vague promises of future actions, no diplomatic platitudes, but plain direct language stating that the Government of North Korea is abandoning their nuclear program.

You know how to contact us."

And as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony.

Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 02/20/2013 9:12 Comments || Top||

#8  Hell Mike K., with that size dream you deserve the Budweiser Clydesdales and the reincarnation of Secretariat and a unicorn that farts rainbows.
Posted by: Alanc || 02/20/2013 12:06 Comments || Top||

#9  We already have a Unicorn in POTUS. And Joe Biden IS a Rainbow.

Honestly, he is a rainbow. He told me himself.
Posted by: Charles || 02/20/2013 12:31 Comments || Top||

#10  Sorry Charles but Biden is the fart.
Posted by: Alanc || 02/20/2013 13:39 Comments || Top||

#11  If you have any information at all about the reincarnation of Secretariat, please forward immediately. With enough advance warning I could be a one-man national stimulus program.
Posted by: Shipman || 02/20/2013 15:33 Comments || Top||

#12  Maybe we can get Puerto Rico and Guam memberships?

Texas alone deserves one.
Posted by: lotp || 02/20/2013 15:51 Comments || Top||

#13  South Korea ought begin discussing plans for a blockade of the North. They have the naval forces, to blockade the coasts, they have the DMZ locked down. All that remains is to destroy all the bridges over the Yalu and Tumen by air and missile strikes.

Just having that conversation will drive the Chinese to change the Nork leadership.
Posted by: rammer || 02/20/2013 19:38 Comments || Top||

The Grand Turk
Nationwide Crackdown on Radical Group after U.S. Mission Attack in Ankara
[An Nahar] Turkish police launched a massive nationwide crackdown Tuesday against a radical Marxist group which claimed a suicide bomb attack against the U.S. embassy this month, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.
Not that my opinion counts for much, but I'd think you'd launch a crackdown the first time they kill somebody.
Police issued arrest warrants for 167 people in 28 cities as part of the operation against the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C), which is classified as a terrorist organisation by the United States, Anatolia said.

A Turkish guard at the U.S. embassy in Ankara was killed in the February 1 attack and three other people including a journalist were wounded.

The outlawed DHKP-C has waged a string of attacks over the past few decades that have left dozens of people dead, including prominent political and military figures.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [358 views] Top|| File under: Commies

Hazara killings: Federal govt responsible for Quetta carnage says CJ
[Dawn] ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the responsibility of Saturday's deadly bombing which had claimed 87 lives in Quetta fell on the Federal government, DawnNews reported.

A three-member bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case.

Justice Iftikhar remarked during the hearing the Governor of Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
should have met with dignitaries in order to find a solution to the problems.

He further said the the ex-chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani was held responsible for the previous attack (Quetta's Alamdar road blast) adding that why should the Prime Minister and Governor not accept responsibility for the recent incident.

The bench adjourned the hearing on the case until tomorrow (Feb 20) and directed the intelligence agencies to submit their report by Tuesday evening.

Earlier during the hearing the court had summoned the Interior and Defence Secretaries.

Giving his remarks, CJ said that the previous attack in Quetta's Alamdar Road was a good opportunity to conduct a clean-up operation.

He further said that law enforcement and intelligence agencies had failed and that the federal and provincial government did not take the necessary steps to improve the situation.

Moreover, he inquired regarding the steps that the government had taken until now. And about the truck which was used in the Kirani road blast.

The advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kinrani replied that the four suspected terrorist were killed in an operation conducted near Quetta earlier on Tuesday and engine and chassis number of the truck were under examination.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [358 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

Iraq seeks to expel Iranian exile group
BAGHDAD  An Iranian exile group attacked in Iraq this month has moved from terrorism lists to international good graces, but Baghdad wants it out over its opposition to Irans rulers and ties to Saddam Hussein.

On February 9, mortar rounds and rockets slammed into Camp Liberty, a former US military base near Baghdad that now houses some 3,000 members of the Peoples Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), killing five people, according to Iraqi security officials. The attack triggered condemnation from the United States and United Nations, but in Iraq officials are eager to see the group depart.
They may not be 'terrorists' any more but they aren't Boy Scouts...
The PMOIs presence in Iraq is illegal and illegitimate, Ali Mussawi, Prime Minister Nouri Al Malikis spokesman, told. Their presence is rejected.

Iraqi political analyst Ihsan Al Shammari said the nature of the relationship between the (Iraqi) political powers and Iran, Baghdads neighbour to the east with which it has close ties, is a key factor in Iraqs insistence on the PMOIs ouster.

Saddam allowed the PMOI to establish a base called Camp Ashraf northeast of Baghdad after he launched the 1980-88 war with Iran, in which the group fought alongside his forces. According to the US State Department, Saddam armed the group with heavy military equipment and deployed thousands of (PMOI) fighters in suicidal, mass wave attacks against Iranian forces near the end of the war.

Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the PMOI turned over 2,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and heavy artillery, the State Department said. The group was also allegedly involved in Saddams violent suppression of 1991 Shia and Kurdish uprisings in Iraq.
Like I said, they're not Boy Scouts...
Saddam gave the PMOI four bases in Iraq, buildings in central Baghdad and other perks including Iraqi passports and free petrol, Saraj said. Almost all PMOI members in Iraq have moved to Camp Liberty from Camp Ashraf, the last of their bases.

But after this months attack, the PMOI complained about the slow pace of the process, which has dragged on as few countries have come forward with concrete offers of resettlement.
I hear Mauritania is nice this time of year...
Posted by: Steve White || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [354 views] Top|| File under:

US Budget Cuts May Axe Funds for Israel's Anti-Missile Systems
Pro-Israel sources report that the axe on the US budget may eliminate $479 million for joint US-Israel anti-missile programs, namely David's Sling and Arrow systems, in addition to another $300 cut in military aid.
How convenient for Champ. Wonder if HUD, DoT, and DHS are getting hit...
The slash in aid would come on the eve of President Barack Obama's visit to Israel, which has been dubbed "Operation Unbreakable Alliance."

Senior Israel officials are aware of the possible reductions and are trying to figure out to deal with them, according to Israel's Globes business newspaper. Defense Minister Ehud Barak's recent visit to Washington may have been, in part, an attempt to convince Congressmen to dull the axe on funding for the anti-missile programs.

The threat of Israel's Middle East's neighbors plunging into anarchy and leaving Al Qaeda and Hizbullah in charge underscores the government's concerns.

The United States currently gives $3.15 billion in aid, although a large part of it actually is returned to American defense firms that Israel is required to use for much of the equipment and technology.

Congress and the White House have another week until the March 1 deadline, when either the federal deficit is reduced or automatic budget cuts come into effect, which could totally upset financial markets and America's credit rating.

Republicans control the House of Representatives and are using their power to try to crack the whip on government spending, both at home and abroad.
Posted by: tipper || 02/20/2013 11:57 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1209 views] Top|| File under:

#1  In 20 years the Juice will be selling the US advanced weapons - two at a time.
Posted by: Bobby || 02/20/2013 18:15 Comments || Top||

#2  Will our mighty fellow OWG NAU 2015 Member-States Mexico + Canada + Greenland take up the slack in defense of Israel - ditto for our EU breathren ala OWG Trans-Atlantic Union 2015???

Not so sure about Greenland, given ...

And thus, little Virgina, we learn once again why Daddy wasn't happy about the US Marines NOT invading Greenland back when the US had the chance(s)!
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/20/2013 23:59 Comments || Top||

Southeast Asia
Aquino suspects sabotage of peace talks
The standoff in Sabah has infuriated Philippine President Aquino, who suspects that the incident is intended to sabotage his administrations peace initiatives with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), reliable sources said yesterday.

The well placed sources said Malacañang believes Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is not acting on his own in highlighting his familys claim over Sabah. Kiram, the sources noted, is sick and is undergoing dialysis.

Among those being considered by administration officials as possible instigators of Kiram are Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chieftain Nur Misuari, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales and even the Presidents uncle, former Tarlac congressman Jose Peping Cojuangco and his wife Margarita, who is running for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Up to 300 of Kiram's followers are holed up in Sabah and have been surrounded by Malaysian security forces. Kiram has said his followers would not leave because Sabah is our home.

The sources said that the President was furious over the Sabah incident, as it came on the heels of progress achieved in the governments peace initiative with the MILF.

The sources said the standoff in Sabah may also be linked to the recent attacks by an MNLF faction identified with Misuari on Abu Sayyaf strongholds in Jolo, Sulu, ostensibly to secure the release of hostages. Misuari, who is running as an independent candidate for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the May elections, points out that the government has not fully implemented the peace agreement signed with the MNLF in 1996.

The sources suggested that the standoff in Sabah is seen as a way of derailing the peace process with the MILF.

A military official earlier said Kirams Royal Sultanate Army began recruiting members over ten years ago. The official, who asked not to be named, said, In the following years, they never gave the Philippine government any problem until this standoff in Sabahuntil they went to Lahad Datu and declared they have the right to stay in Sabah.

The official pointed out that even the reported armed encounter between the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf in Sulu looked like an acoustic war, with no bodies being found despite reports of casualties on both sides.
Posted by: ryuge || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [381 views] Top|| File under:

Syria Eyes Western Reparation for 'Deaths by Sanctions'
[An Nahar] A cabinet minister on Tuesday said his country will demand compensation from Western officials who have imposed sanctions on Syria causing the deaths of "thousands".

"Who said that the embargo does not kill," Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection Minister Qadri Jamil said during a speech to parliament, which was broadcast by Syrian state television.
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
Syria "will reclaim its rights by holding world officials accountable for imposing this unjust embargo that has killed thousands of Syrians," he said.

Jamil, who is also deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said that the government had "not yet calculated the number of Syrians who perished because of the embargo, cold, hunger and disease."

"We have been harmed by foreign intrusions. Compensation must be paid to the Syrian people," he said.
Posted by: Fred || 02/20/2013 00:00 || Comments || Link || E-Mail|| [1162 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  There's some chutzpah for ya!
Posted by: JohnQC || 02/20/2013 10:48 Comments || Top||

#2  We'll start working on that right after Syria pays their neighbors for the refugees.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia || 02/20/2013 20:28 Comments || Top||

EU spikes plea to arm rebels
BRUSSELS  European Union foreign ministers announced on Monday that they were keeping current sanctions against Syria in place for three months, rejecting attempts to alter an embargo on the country so that arms could be funneled to rebels fighting President Bashar Assad.

However, in an apparent nod to the UK, which had argued that the rebels should be exempted from the embargo, the ministers adopted a non-specific amendment so as to provide greater non-lethal support and technical assistance for the protection of civilians.
More bandages!
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the meaning of that would be defined in meetings among the representatives of member countries to the union. She denied to reporters that the wording was a political fudge.
"No, no, certainly not!"
Still, British Foreign Secretary William Hague appeared to claim victory, saying many countries had not even wanted to discuss changing the embargo at a meeting in November.

Most states were opposed to any amendment of the embargo and today we have amended it in a very important way, in a couple of very important ways, Hague said. He added that further amendments could be made three months from now, an indication that Britain might continue its push to arm the rebels.

We will have to have that debate at the time, and I think that will depend on whether any political progress is now made in Syria and depend on the continued loss of life which continues on an appalling and unacceptable scale, Hague said.

Several EU foreign ministers said, in strong terms, that they opposed sending any more arms into the ravaged country. That view was supported on Monday by a new report by a UN-appointed panel that said Syrias civil war is becoming increasingly sectarian and the behavior of both sides is growing more and more radicalised. The report urged the international community to curb the supply of weapons and anti-government forces to part with foreign fighters.
Hard to get the rebels to give up one of the key factors that has gotten them to this point.
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  French nationals kidnapped in northern Cameroon
Tue 2013-02-19
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Mon 2013-02-18
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Sun 2013-02-17
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Wed 2013-02-13
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Mon 2013-02-11
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Sun 2013-02-10
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  India Executes Man Convicted in 2001 Attack on Parliament
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T.I. and Beyoncé

New Music: Beyoncé f/ T.I. – ‘Dance for You (Remix)’

The King of the South turns the lights down low, lights some candles, and plays some slow jams as he makes love to his lady on his romantic remix to Beyoncé’s “Dance for You.” The original appears on the deluxe edition of B’s 2011 album 4.

“I just want to watch the moon glisten off your body,” says Tip. “I really just want to peel you out dem clothes and show you how excited I am to lay you down right now.”

The bedroom will be banging to this remix.


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Chief Bratton

A Commentary by Susan Estrich

Friday, August 07, 2009

Last month, when reports surfaced that Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton and his wife, Rikki Klieman, were putting their house on the market, people in L.A. started getting nervous. The chief is in the second year of his second five-year term. It is the first time in the 20-plus years I've lived here that no one was trying to show him the door.

When the Brattons said it was just because of the pool they didn't use, it didn't seem entirely plausible. After seven years, they just woke up and realized they didn't need a pool? But it certainly beat the alternative.

In announcing his decision to step down, Bratton admitted it wasn't just the pool. His variable rate mortgage was going through the roof.

Not that he was complaining about his salary, but it's about to go up about 10 times over. And he deserves every penny of it.

In the 1980s, with the funding, support and participation of Attorney General Ed Meese, who really loved policing issues, I helped to run a series of meetings of the top cops in America at the Kennedy School of Government. It was a motley group, a mix of the first generation of black chiefs and the last generation of white tough guys. It was a mix that included Benjamin Ward from New York and Hubert Williams from Newark, as well as Richard Brzeczek from Chicago, Daryl Gates from Los Angeles and Bill Bratton from Boston, then a young "comer," one of the new generation.

Brzeczek and Gates didn't have much interest in the new research on how to identify the violent predators who commit a disproportionate amount of all crime. "We know who the bad guys are," Brzeczek would say with a little smile, cutting off my concerns about what factors could fairly be taken into account and how many "false positives" should be tolerated.

Get involved in the community? Gates always had a perfect tan. I used to joke that maybe the guys from L.A. were involved with the people with pools. But beyond that, they just bragged about their "response time" -- how fast they could respond to calls.

The problem with response time is that usually the crime is over and the criminal long gone before the first call gets made. Having officers spend all their time riding around in cars so they can get to places quickly may reduce response time, but it has nothing to do with cutting crime or making people feel safer. You do that by getting the police out of their cars and into the communities they police, by building relationships not walls, by being part of the community and not apart from it.

Chief Bratton has been doing that kind of "modern" policing for 30 years. He brought it to Los Angeles when he came here seven years ago. He brought new technology that puts resources where crime is greatest, where they are needed and not necessarily where the politically powerful people live. He increased both the size and the diversity of a department whose members had, for too long, been seen as hostile outsiders in the neighborhoods they were supposed to protect. Before Bratton, and certainly since the 1992 riots, almost every law enforcement issue was seen by almost everybody through the blinders of race.

Bill Bratton refused to play everything as a race issue. He didn't see safety as an issue of black vs. white vs. brown. He refused to get bogged down in identity politics. He made the department better and the city safer.

He did it with honor and integrity.

The City of Angels is a better place because of his leadership.

I just wish he liked that pool more.

See Other Political Commentaries

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Views expressed in this column are those of the author, not those of Rasmussen Reports.

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We conduct public opinion polls on a variety of topics to inform our audience on events in the news and other topics of interest. To ensure editorial control and independence, we pay for the polls ourselves and generate revenue through the sale of subscriptions, sponsorships, and advertising. Nightly polling on politics, business and lifestyle topics provides the content to update the Rasmussen Reports web site many times each day. If it's in the news, it's in our polls. Additionally, the data drives a daily update newsletter and various media outlets across the country.

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Real Housewives of Atlanta

neneWhen the former Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star NeNe Leakes appeared on the daytime chatfest, The View, last month, she felt a chill in the air and according to her, the strongest breeze was coming from co-host Raven-Symoné’s direction. The often opinionated statuesque diva, who recently appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live show told Andy Cohen that all of The View’s female cohosts were “not kind” to her.  Even though NeNe Ophelia Leakes is claiming, the chatty co-hosts guzzled hateration during her segment, Raven-Simone offered her an ‘apology’ via E! News but really doesn’t understand, how the celeb felt she was given the side-eye.

NeNe, who is certainly not known for finessing her words, spilled the tea-hee-hee on what went on during her guest segment on the popular ABC-TV show. The show’s producers asked NeNe to appear on the show to primarily promote her co-starring role on the Broadway hit, Chicago. The segment got off to a rocky start with Joy complaining how NeNe’s jewelry injured her shoulder, as she walked out to greet each of them. When the women discussed marriage, Joy threw NeNe for a loop when she asked why she divorced her husband Gregg in the first place, viewers could see discomfort written all across her over-made-up face. In true NeNe form however, she snapped back, informing especially Joy, how she had to teach Gregg a lesson. “What kind of lesson,” Joy sarcastically asked. NeNe’s retort, “A lot of them…to never cross me in the wrong way, how about that!”

Kenya MooreThe Real Housewives of Atlanta’s resident pot-stirrer Kenya Moore is not letting her age or marital status stop her from keeping her eyes on the prize, a bouncing baby boy or girl. Kenya recently revealed her plans to undergo invitro fertilization in her quest to join the ranks of mommyhood.

The 44-year-old former beauty queen first made her surprising announcement last year on her highly rated reality show. On one of the episodes, Kenya had a few friends and family members over for dinner when she heralded, that she might need a larger home for herself.   Baffled loved ones were then given the news that Kenya planned on expanding her household to include a child. “I’m going to have a child. I have an appointment to see a fertility specialist,” the dramatic diva coyly stated. Instead of being met with ecstatic enthusiasm, Kenya was faced with varying degrees of skepticism on as to whether or not, she can actually fit the unending demands of motherhood with her full schedule. One friend retorts: ‘You’re a busy person. Having a child takes time and patience. Do you have that?’ Kenya’s Aunt Lorie, who helped raise her, then lays down a boom by posing the question, “Why do you feel that you want to have children so badly?” Kenya then forlornly responds, ‘I’m so tired of not having my own family.”

RHOA in Miami

Honestly I don’t know what to say about last night’s Real Housewives Of Atlanta. Sorry this is late by the way – I was re-playing the ‘Glen Gets Slammed Into The Wall’ scene on repeat until dawn.

Somewhere Glen Rice Jr. turned to the very dark side. Either he’s a drunk, rude, out of control jerk; or he’s a rude, out of control jerk, but alcohol (+ Kenya Moore?) made things worse!

I think we can ALL agree we’re not getting the whole story from Bravo. Based on the women’s reactions, Glen’s 0-60 psychosis, plus the 3 mobile refrigerator units that appeared out of nowhere to practice their sumo skills on Glen and living room wall, I’d say some serious SERIOUS information got lost on the editing floor. Right next to Porsha Williams‘ couth, dignity, and trophy wife status! (Did she REALLY admit to a golden shower on television last night? Really?!)

phaedra parks porsha williams thong swimsuit strings

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is back tonight with an all new episode.  Tonight the ladies are still in Miami and are still being as messy as can be!

Tonight Porsha Williams goes on an awkward date, Kandi Burruss gives the brush off to Tammy’s nephew and he feels disrespected.  Plus, Kenya Moore gives a guest the boot!

The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 8

Sheree Whitfield is gonna go ‘head and brush her shoulders off when it comes to newcomer Tammy McCall-Browning’s comments. One of the OGs of Real Housewives of Atlanta, Sheree is no novice at navigating the ins and outs of backstabbing. But when it comes to Tammy, who is “best friends” with Sheree’s ex-husband (Bob Whitfield), Sheree’s stance is basically: #AintNobodyGotTimeFoDat.

In response to her thoughts on Tammy’s assertion about her “questionable” marriage to Bob, Sheree responds, “To be honest, Tammy doesn’t know me, so her opinions regarding me (to which she’s entitled) aren’t a concern of mine. They don’t matter… I’m sorry, and who were we talking about again?” (LOL!)

Cynthia Bailey

This week on Real Housewives of Atlanta, the focused shifted off of Cynthia Bailey and on to Sheree Whitfield and Kim Fields. Still, Cynthia took to her blog to share her thoughts on this week’s episode, which focused on Sheree‘s history with Tammy and Kim‘s separation anxiety and dislike of Kenya Moore.

About the trip to Miami, Cynthia shared, “I was very excited about the girls’ trip do over. Especially in Miami! I was looking forward to putting all the Lake Lanier drama behind me. It was really thoughtful of Kenya to go out of her way to plan the Lake Lanier outing, on my behalf, to lift my spirits. A “do over” with Kenya and Porsha planning it together (after everything they have been through) was confirmation for me that Porsha and I could move our relationship forward in a positive direction. I welcomed the opportunity.”

The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 8

With the addition of Kim Fields to the Real Housewives of Atlanta cast this season, we’ve seen mixed reactions from fans.  Some think she’s way too normal and low-key for this crazy show and others argue that it’s laid-back style that makes her a great addition and a bit of a breath of fresh air – a voice of reason.  Also split on their feelings over Kim joining the cast are co-stars Phaedra Parks and Kenya Moore.  The ladies took to their Bravo blogs this week with very different opinions on what Kim is bringing the show this season.

Phaedra enjoys that Kim brings a different perspective since she’s the newbie.  On Kim calling out ‘instigation vs. information’ in regard to Kenya’s sometimes shady way of stirring the pot, Phaedra shared, “My grandmother always said, “A new broom sweeps cleaner!” I thought Kim’s observation was very intuitive. Since she is new to our circle, she brings a different perspective that is refreshing; most of us have been dealing with this adolescent style behavior for some time and we are numb to it. Kim reminds us that people usually don’t do and say a lot of things we see and hear amongst our circle, so it’s nice to have someone there who is so grounded.”

The Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 8

Kim Fields may be a newcomer to the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but she already seems to have Kenya Moore’s number. Although Kim was feeling blue during the ladies’ trip to Miami this week, she had no problem calling Kenya out for stirring the pot (then licking the spoon!) with castmate Sheree Whitfield

Of her comment that information is not the same as instigation, Kim claims, “I’m not a ‘call out’ type of woman. It was an observation of the way things were going down at dinner.” But will Kenya-Don’t-Come-For-Me-Unless-Twirl-For-You take Kim’s commentary in stride? Something tells me: Nah.


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Oasis Winery Update

The gig is up for former Real Housewives of DC stars Tareq and Michaele Salahi, well at least when it comes to their winery.

According to a new report by RadarOnline, the couple’s once lucrative Virginia Oasis Winery is now scheduled to be auctioned off due to bankruptcy.

An online Virginia auction calendar has the Salahi’s winery, Oasis Vineyards, listed for auction on September 18 by order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Assets to be liquidated will include items such as: 60+ Oak Barrels, DeFraneschi Grape Press, Ice Machine, Dish Washer, approximately 5,000 bottles of Sparkling Wine, 100 cases of Cabernet, amongst other items.

And just a month ago, the Salahis were sued for fraud by a woman who claimed she was defrauded out of the money she paid to tour Virginia’s Wine Country.

In the meantime, TMZ reported last week that the Salahis have taken their famewhoring ways to Beverly Hills by moving there. Can they afford to live there? It gets even better as the Salahis reportedly had their manager contact Bravo to see about getting them on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. But fret not, as they were flat out rejected by Bravo! Andy Cohen is said to have replied, “We are not interested.”

Michaele, who might or might not have TMZ on speed dial, also told the site that at age 45, she is now trying to have a baby with husband Tareq.

She revealed the plan is to go with a surrogate because she suffers from “multiple sclerosis.” She apparently feels that her “condition” combined with her age is not safe for a baby. Where’s the Captain Obvious cap when you need it?


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STOCKTON - Dameron Hospital began Tuesday to eliminate almost all its patient services except its emergency department and emergency surgeries in anticipation of a 24-hour nurses strike June 10.

STOCKTON - Dameron Hospital began Tuesday to eliminate almost all its patient services except its emergency department and emergency surgeries in anticipation of a 24-hour nurses strike June 10.

It remains uncertain how deep Dameron's reductions will go - or how long they will last.

A top administrator with the community-based, nonprofit hospital cited a state-mandated requirement for the 202-bed facility to provide specific nurse-to-patient ratios as the reason for its decision to scale down to only limited services as required by law.

"The hospital has a responsibility to its patients and the community," said Nick Arismendi, chief operating officer of the 1,300-employee hospital that was founded in 1912 and is one of Stockton's largest private employers, with an annual payroll of approximately $90 million.

"It's a sad day for health care in this community when there are no patient safety or nurse practice issues on the table, and yet the nurses will strike the hospital. This is strictly an economic strike, contrary to what the union states," Arismendi said.

Labor representative Marti Smith with the Oakland-based California Nurses Association characterized the hospital's reaction to the union's strike call as "ludicrous" and said it shows "disdain and abandonment of the community. They have already abandoned the nurses at the bargaining table."

Arismendi called that charge false, saying Dameron officials presented union negotiators with a "best, last and final offer" that includes a 16 percent pay raise over four years on which nurses have yet to vote. The only vote nurses have taken was May 14, when they voted to authorize the strike.

Arismendi also cited more than a dozen dates since Jan. 5 when both parties met in anticipation of the March 31 expiration of the nurses' previous labor contract.

Dameron purchased a full-page advertisement on Page A10 in today's Record to explain its position.

But Smith said wages are not the main issue. Nurse education is one of the union's key priorities. "Without it, this is going to hurt recruitment and retention and will hurt patients, leaving the hospital staffed by travelers and new grads" who don't have the experience to provide adequate care, Smith said.

She noted that Dameron wants to impose a series of subtle takeaways that could affect some nurses' income by as much as $18,000 over four years.

"We don't want to strike. We actually just want to talk. It would take them returning to the bargaining table and some substantive discussion" to cancel the strike before June 10, said Smith, whose union represents about 360 registered nurses at Dameron.

"We feel we were backed into a corner by management before we had really exhausted all of our discussion. Every single one of us just wants to sit down with management and reach an agreement," she said.

Arismendi said he has received three strike notices in past years, "and the union has never backed down."

Scott Seamons, regional vice president of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, described the union's strike call as a "strong-arm tactic that nurses use a lot all over the country to strike fear into patients and get the hospital to acquiesce to their demands."

He said, "It's a tactic that just has no effect and is poor public relations. In fact, nurses staffing the operating rooms are the ones that are going to get sent home."

Arismendi said scaling back hospital operations, which began Tuesday with some patients being transferred to other hospitals, will affect Dameron's neonatal intensive care unit - one of the most active in San Joaquin County - where very sick infants are treated for many weeks or months.

With an average of 200 deliveries a month, the hospital will no longer schedule Caesarean sections, and physicians in the community have been told to direct all their maternity patients to other hospitals. The hospital will still handle emergency deliveries.

Services such as radiology and the clinical laboratory that support the emergency room and emergency surgical unit will continue to function, but some staff will be furloughed. In addition, as the hospital's daily census drops, workers in housekeeping, maintenance, billing, medical records and other departments also will be furloughed for as long as it takes until the number of patients returns to a normal level. Arismendi could not anticipate when that would be.

Physicians and surgeons who direct patients to Dameron or schedule elective surgeries there began getting notified Tuesday morning, Arismendi said.

Hospitals including Kaiser facilities in Manteca and Modesto, St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp and Lodi Memorial Hospital have been made aware of Dameron's status and are cooperating, according to Arismendi.

Kaiser area manager Corwin Harper said Kaiser members with procedures scheduled for June 10 will be contacted directly for rescheduling or relocation.

"I'm very grateful for the support of the hospitals in this community," Arismendi said.

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or Visit his blog at


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A Public Affairs Political Consulting Firm.

How Are Super PACs Changing Campaigns?

Before 2010, in order to have a well-financed campaign, a candidate and his or her team had to develop a well-oiled fundraising operation that was focused on lining up donors who could max out at federal contribution limits and get a sizeable number of their friends to do the same, fi
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Staffing & Employment News

Lower Private Payroll Numbers than Expected, partially due to Re-entry of Discouraged Workers in April?

The jobs market gained momentum over the last few months; in the prior three months the number of jobs added averaged 220,000. The May figures released today however came in lower than expected. While private-sector employment added 83,000 jobs, this was a disappointing reversal of previous months’ growth. Expanding Industries include professional and business services (+44,000), health care (+17,400) and mining.

When an economy is healthy, monthly payrolls gains of around 150,000 are considered healthy; in order to recover from a downturn economists expect increased upwards of 250,000 monthly.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics release questions whether the May numbers are a temporary soft spot or a new trend. Severe domestic weather is not apparently a factor according to the Labor Department, but high energy prices and Japan’s continuing challenges probably are.

“There are good reasons to suppose the third quarter will be better because we have seen some easing in commodity prices, gasoline prices are starting to come down and the bad effects on vehicle production of the Japanese problems will start to unwind,” said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, reported Reuters.

The good news is that initial jobless claims have eased from elevated levels. And while the unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent last month from 9.0 percent in April, this is probably due in part to the re-entry of discouraged workers who were motivated by the April hiring momentum, and re-entered the job market.

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