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Locked on 05/01/2007 8:56:34 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1826963/posts |
Posted on 04/01/2007 6:46:34 PM PDT by nwctwx
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Thanks to bd476 for the ping to this thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1816615/posts
Magnitude 6.2 - GUERRERO, MEXICO
U.S. Geological Survey ^
Posted on 04/12/2007 11:04:07 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=oil
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=russia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=saudiarabia
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1816625/posts
“Saudi Arabia and Russia sign $100 million oil pipeline deal”
Khaleej Times ^ | 13 April 2007 | HABIB SHAIKH
Posted on 04/12/2007 11:58:21 PM PDT by fishhound
JEDDAH
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1816129/posts
“All About Oil”
NRO ^ | 12 Apr 07 | Victor Davis Hanson
Posted on 04/12/2007 7:53:09 AM PDT by rellimpank
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1814262/posts?page=17#17
ON THE NET...
http://www.sofir.org
http://www.sofir.org/sarchives/004207.php
http://www.internet-haganah.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=qom
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=iran
http://www.jihadwatch.org
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.jihadwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=iran
http://www.memri.org/iran.html
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=2
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=3
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=4
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=5
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=6
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=7
http://www.memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S5&P1=148&P3=8
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=internet
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=internetcafes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=internetcafe
#
ADDING 2 article links to post no. 6:
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/REPOSITORY/704110400/1013/NEWS03
Iran
“Your Quranic blogspot
Ancient city of Qom enlightens Muslim clerics about the web”
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times
April 11. 2007 8:00AM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Our American host
Iranian government-linked religious websites based on U.S. servers have come under scrutiny recently for possible violations of U.S. sanctions on doing business with Iran.
Nearly four dozen websites operated by the Qom-based Computer Research Center for Islamic Sciences were removed from servers in Bedford, Texas, in June 2005, said Aaron Weisburd of the Illinois-based Society for Internet Research, which monitors the activities of Islamist groups on the internet.”
#
“Old teachings, new media”
“Behind Today’s News - An in-depth examination of stories making news today; Web-savvy Muslim clerics are reaching out to Shiite faithful”
By Kim Murphy
The Los Angeles Times
QOM, Iran (Apr 11, 2007)
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “In February, Iran launched a research rocket nearly 100 miles into the atmosphere, in part as a step toward launching four new satellites by 2010 and expanding the number of Internet users from 7.5 million to 35 million. A 24-hour, worldwide English-language news network is scheduled to debut this spring.”
17 posted on 04/13/2007 1:00:50 AM PDT by Cindy
###
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RECAP:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1814262/posts
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=8575
“Inside Iran: Hujjat al Islam Mohsen Kadivar”
08/04/2007
By Manal Lutfi
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200704/POL20070412a.html
“Gold Star Dad Says Anti-War Dems ‘Too Busy’ to Meet Him”
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
April 12, 2007
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “(CNSNews.com) - Leading Democratic proponents of setting a timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq have refused to meet with the father of a dead soldier who believes a withdrawal would mean his son’s life was “wasted.”
Army SSG Joshua Hager was wounded near Ramadi when an improvised explosive device blew up under his vehicle on Feb. 22, 2007. He died the next day from his injuries.
Hager’s father, Kris Hager, wants opponents of the war to rethink their position because he believes ending U.S. involvement would mean his son’s life was wasted there.
“How do I tell my grandson his father’s life was wasted by Congress?” Hager said in an email.
Hager told Cybercast News Service that information he’s received from his son’s commanders led him to believe the bomb that killed Joshua originated in Iran. He believes withdrawing troops from Iraq will weaken the United States’ ability to pressure Iran to stop supplying insurgent forces with weapons.
The U.S. military and President Bush have accused Iran of supplying money, weapons and ammunition to Iraqi insurgents, resulting in more sophisticated and deadly bombs. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied the allegations.
Hager has tried — without success — to schedule meetings or phone calls with some of the leading proponents of a military withdrawal, including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=northkorea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=nkorea
#
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=27846
“The Clinton Syndrome”
By Kenneth R. Timmerman
FrontPageMagazine.com | April 13, 2007
North Korea has already missed today’s deadline.
#
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWU4MzVjMjlmY2QyNzg2N2I3NWY5ZmU2MzhjMmZlNWQ=
April 13, 2007 2:20 AM
“Paying Nuclear Tribute to North Korea
Plutonium in our time.”
By Claudia Rosett
When does President Bush wake up and smell the debacle cooking at his own State Department under the name of a “denuclearization” deal with North Korea? Thanks to U.S. backflips linked to this February 13 agreement, North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Il, while still clinging to his nukes, has now regained access to some $25 million in funds frozen until this week at Banco Delta Asia in Macau. There is plenty of reason to worry that along with the money, Kim has effectively secured from the U.S. a free pass for some of North Korea’s global crime and weapons rackets.
Cut through the diplo-speak, and the stark message to rogue regimes everywhere — notably Iran — is not only that nuclear blackmail pays, but America will help deliver the cash. In one of the most astounding, foolhardy, and humiliating episodes of U.S. foreign policy in recent years, the entire world has just witnessed Washington — at the urging of State Department envoy Christopher Hill — dispatching some of its ace terrorist-money trackers to Beijing, not to shut down the bad guys, but to hustle frozen funds as fast as possible back into the hands of Kim Jong Il.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=oil
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=venezuela
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hugochavez
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=chavez
#
Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1816644/posts
Receipts & Pledges to-date: $21,324
30%
Woo hoo!! Over 30 percent!! Thank you FReepers and Lurkers!!
Chavez: Troops to Escort Oil Takeovers
AP News ^ | Thursday April 12, 11:19 PM EDT | Unknown
Posted on 04/13/2007 2:14:01 AM PDT by Navydog
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that soldiers will accompany government officials when they take over oil projects in the Orinoco River basin next month.
Chavez has decreed that Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, will take a minimum 60 percent stake in four heavy-oil projects in the Orinoco River region and invited the six private companies operating there to stay on as minority partners.
“On May 1 we are going to take control of the oil fields,” Chavez said. “I’m sure no transnational company is going to draw a shotgun, but we will go with the armed forces and the people.”
The projects — run by BP PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, France’s Total SA and Norway’s Statoil ASA — upgrade heavy, tar-like crude into more marketable oils and are considered Venezuela’s most promising. As older fields elsewhere go into decline, development of the Orinoco is seen as key to Venezuela’s future production.
Negotiations over the takeover have yet to yield an agreement and are expected to be difficult as the companies seek a deal that takes into account more than $17 billion in investments and loans related to the projects.
Chavez has been given special powers by congress for 18 months to issue laws by decree in energy and other areas, which he has also used to nationalize the country’s biggest telecommunications company and electricity company.
Chavez has justified the nationalizations as necessary to give the government control of sectors strategic to Venezuela’s interests.
UPDATE...
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=1114041
“N.J. Governor Breaks Leg, Ribs in Crash”
April 13, 2007 - 5:26am
By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press Writer
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Jon S. Corzine will be unable to resume his duties as governor for several days, in the least, and it will be months before he can walk normally after a car accident left him hospitalized with serious injuries, a doctor said.
Corzine was in critical condition after undergoing two hours of surgery Thursday night to repair his broken leg and other injuries sustained in the crash on the Garden State Parkway in Galloway Township.”
UPDATE:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01605.html
FDA News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P07-63
April 12, 2007
“FDA Warns Consumers That Retailers May Still Have Recalled Pet Food on Shelves
Menu Foods Expands Recall to More Cat Food”
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/070411detroit.htm
“ICE apprehends 76 criminal aliens, fugitives and other immigration violators in western Michigan interior enforcement operation
Arrests result from 6-day initiative called “Operation Cross Check””
DETROIT
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/070411ny.htm
April 11, 2007
“U.S. charges 22 with narcotics, robbery and firearms offenses”
NEW YORK, NY
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=66513
you are here: Home > Reports > Safety and Security Reports > Report
“Venezuela Laptop Theft”
Safety and Security
Americas - Venezuela
12 Apr 2007
http://www.miamiherald.com/915/story/70797.html
Posted on Wed, Apr. 11, 2007
“Rio governor asks for army’s help”
By MICHAEL ASTOR
Associated Press Writer
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
Note: The following news brief is a quote:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3387421,00.html
IDF wounds Palestinian gunmen in Nablus
Published: 04.13.07, 06:50 / Israel News
An IDF force operating in Nablus overnight shot and wounded an armed Palestinian in the city. His condition is unknown.
Throughout the night forces arrested 15 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank. 13 were arrested near Ramallah, an armed gunman was arrested near Jericho and an additional wanted man was arrested in the Hebron area. (Ynet)
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1176152784337&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Apr. 12, 2007 23:14 | Updated Apr. 13, 2007 8:50
“Analysis: Don’t underestimate Syria’s military”
By YAAKOV KATZ
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=32787
Bush Condemns Attack on Iraqi Parliament
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2007 – President Bush today condemned a suicide attack on the Iraqi parliament building in Baghdad’s heavily fortified International Zone.
The attack, which occurred today in the building’s cafeteria as it was crowded for lunch, killed at least eight people, Iraqi officials reported.
President Bush, speaking at the White House during a ceremony for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, strongly condemned the attack. “It reminds us … that there is an enemy willing to bomb innocent people in a symbol of democracy,” Bush said.
“It is in our interest to help this young democracy be in a position so it can sustain itself and govern itself and defend itself against these extremists and radicals,” Bush said. “Our hearts go out to those who suffered as a result of this bombing.
“My message to the Iraqi government is: ‘We stand with you as you take the steps necessary to not only reconcile politically, but also put a security force in place that is able to deal with these kinds of people,’” Bush said.
The attack killed at least one member of Iraq’s parliament, Iraqi officials in Baghdad said. The Council of Representatives has vowed to meet tomorrow despite the attack, the official said.
“Today’s attack on the Iraqi Council of Representatives was an attack on democracy by individuals who oppose the concept of government that is representative of and responsible to the people of Iraq,” Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said in a written statement.
“The soldiers of the Multinational Force Iraq extend condolences to the families of the Iraqis who were martyred in this attack and salute the Council of Representatives for their commitment to convene again tomorrow to demonstrate that democracy in Iraq will not be deterred by the barbaric acts of terrorists,” Petraeus said.
A Multinational Force Iraq statement said the attack was aimed to cripple the government body “that speaks for all Iraqis.” The attack was intended to “frustrate Iraq’s efforts to build a secure, stable, and prosperous future,” According to the statement.
The council is working on legislation that will share oil revenue fairly among all Iraqis, on so-called de-Baathification legislation, to reconcile ethnic and religious groups in the country following 30 years of brutal misrule under Saddam Hussein.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07040060.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Religious Freedom Threatened at UN
By Tina Ramirez
Special to ASSIST News Service
ARLINGTON, VA (ANS) — On Friday, the United Nations passed a seemingly innocuous resolution combating the “defamation of religions.” Further investigation reveals that this motion has erroneously equated legitimate discussion of religious beliefs with the incitement of religious intolerance. Under this resolution, when an individual’s religious sensitivities are offended – no matter the intent or consequences of the opinions expressed – the state must protect the religion from being defamed, or blasphemed.
Lying at the heart of this resolution is an attempt by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to impose universal anti-blasphemy laws – an offence punishable by death in many countries – thereby stifling open discussion of religious beliefs.
This is a troubling development, especially since countries across the globe are increasingly using anti-blasphemy laws to punish religious minorities for questioning the beliefs of the majority religion. Such laws are no longer confined to Islamic countries; they are now being called for in democratic societies. Individuals who came to the West to escape persecution are once again in danger.
Attending the UN Human Rights Council was Pastor Daniel Scott; the first person tried under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Astonishingly, he fled to Australia twenty years ago only to be accused of religious intolerance for a message he gave on the differences between Christianity and Islam. By equating the expression of differences of belief with religious intolerance, the sponsors of this resolution reveal their own intolerance of differing viewpoints.
It is surely no coincidence that the key proponents of this resolution are also those countries that have a history of religious intolerance. For instance Pakistan, which sponsored this resolution on behalf of the OIC, has the harshest blasphemy laws in the world and consistently imposes them on religious minorities such as Pastor Scott.
Carefully veiled as a move to prevent religious intolerance, this resolution in effect legitimizes intolerance in any country against religious minorities. In Sri Lanka, Buddhists oppose Christians; in India, Hindus oppose Muslims and Christians; in Bangladesh Muslims oppose Hindus and Ahmadis; and in Egypt, Muslims oppose Baha’is and Christians.
In an intervention before the Council, Heather Cayless of the Jubilee Campaign stated, “In a diverse society everyone’s personal beliefs will at some point be offended. The vague wording in this resolution leaves all adherents, both in minority and majority beliefs open to accusations of religious intolerance.”
A recent example of this is a ruling made by Egyptian courts just last month: A Muslim law student was sentenced to three years in prison for “insulting Islam.” In this case, the government justified the Court’s decision on the basis that freedom of expression can be limited in order to protect against the “defamation of religions,” namely Islam. Egyptian law, however, only protects the three “heavenly religions” and in December 2006 the highest Court ruled that Baha’i are not Muslim and therefore are not protected from defamation.
The UN’s history of passing resolutions “combating the defamation of religions” is creating a new universal right – the right to not be offended. Such a right protects the belief over and against the believer. Moreover, objective criteria for evaluating “defamation” are now replaced by considerations of the feelings and emotions of the hearer irrespective of intent or effect.
Ultimately, this threatens the freedoms of expression and religion, which include the right to express views critical of or even hostile to the beliefs of others. The pursuit of religious truth necessitates critical interpretation of religious texts and doctrine. Anti-blasphemy and defamation laws suffocate this freedom.
This is not the first time in history countries have tried to defend religious beliefs over and against the believer, but the lessons of the Inquisition and Salem Witch Trials should point to the danger of bowing to such legislation. As the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief stated before the Council, “Balanced and proportionate responses are necessary because extreme measures only give rise to further extremism.”
This resolution poses a dire threat to the rights of individuals – both Muslims and non-Muslims alike – to discover and live out their religious beliefs without fear of prosecution. It is imperative that the international community rise up to oppose the UN’s endorsement of anti-blasphemy laws, and expose these resolutions for what they really are: legal justifications for undermining the freedoms of religion and expression, and institutionalized intolerance against religious minorities.
True religious tolerance can only be protected in societies that respect the right of individuals to freedom of expression and religion, allowing unfettered dialogue on dissenting religious opinions as individuals search for truth.
Tina Ramirez is a Congressional Fellow for Rep. Trent Franks. She attended the 4th session of the UN Human Rights Council to speak at a side event on “Anti-Vilification Laws and Their Chilling Effect on Religious Expression” sponsored by the Jubilee Campaign.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Fri Apr 13 2007 03:33:53 GMT-0700.
Worldwide Caution
April 10, 2007
UPDATE:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_5656143
“Raging gusts fan fires, knock out power”
BY SUSAN ABRAM and TONY CASTRO, Staff Writers
Article Last Updated: 04/12/2007 10:06:58 PM PDT
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