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NEW DELHI: India is hopeful that despite Pakistan's objection the safeguards agreement it plans to sign with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) next week will be done without more countries joining in to resist it. "The overwhelming mood in the IAEA Board of Governors is to support the Indian safeguards agreement," a senior official in the External Affairs Ministry said. The Indian safeguards agreement will come up for discussion and approval by the 35-member Board of Governors of the IAEA on August 1. India and Pakistan are both members of the Board. India needs to get the safeguards agreement...

Though this story was written nearly 2 years ago, Bishop Su's whereabouts are still unknown. The search continues. Perhaps you or someone you knows, can help solve this mystery. Searching for Bishop Su: Persecuted Chinese bishop gone but not forgottenTheresa Marie Moreau  (TMMoreau@yahoo.com)From the back seat of the gypsy cab, Ming-Chuan “Joseph” Kung watched Beijing blur by. Everything had been pre-arranged. Everything. As the hired driver steered through the streets of the capital city of the People’s Republic of China, the seven passengers – a small delegation of Americans in town for a human rights conference – rode mostly in...

What’s a “Giant Oil Field?” Given the current price of gasoline (and other forms of ‘energy’), a few definitions are in order: Giant Oil Field - Definition ‘A’ (from Wikipedia) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_oil_and_gas_fields ]: “The world's 932 giant oil and gas fields are considered those with 500 million barrels of ultimately recoverable oil or gas equivalent.” Giant Oil Field - Definition ‘B’ (based on personal experience with American environmentalists): “But, dude, a half billion barrels is such a drop in the bucket!” “OK – so why should I recycle aluminum cans, or install compact fluorescent lights? Those would just be a few...

Why US could lose out on India nuclear trade By Brajesh Upadhyay BBC News, Washington US companies may end up watching from the sidelines as nuclear fuel and technology trade between India and other suppliers develops. That is the warning to Washington if the Indo-US nuclear deal is unable to get Congressional approval in time. Experts closely associated with the deal say there is a serious risk that the Congressional calendar may not have enough days left to clear the deal, that is assuming that India gets the go-ahead for it from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)and the 45-member...

As told by most history textbooks in the U.S., the Korean War started with a June 25, 1950, invasion from the communist north and the freedom-loving U.S. came to the aid of the besieged democratic Republic of Korea in the south. The reality was very different. Not only did the RoK’s dictatorial, fascist-like regime of U.S. puppet Syngman Rhee make the first move, it had prepared for it for more than a year in advance. These preparations included using paramilitary fascist organizations and the regular army for cross-border raids on northern villages to test the defenses of the Democratic People’s...

No matter what happens in November, a left-hander will take the White House. In fact, five of the last seven presidents have been southpaws. While left-handedness has been taken as a sign of everything from artistic talent to brain damage, ambidexterity may be a desirable quality in a leader. Left-handedness expert Melissa Roth tackles the topic for the Washington Post. Science appears to favor Barack Obama, who is a mixed-hander, which some behavioral psychologists credit for imparting an understanding of different viewpoints. John McCain is a strong left-hander, having survived school pre-1950, when “correction” of lefties was in vogue. Being...

WASHINGTON: Opening up a third front would pose a challenge for the U.S. military already deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, says a top U.S. military chief amid concerns Israel may attack Iran. "From the U.S. military perspective, opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us," the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen told a press conference. "That doesn''t mean we don''t have capacity or reserve. But that would really be very challenging and also the consequences of that sometimes are very difficult to predict." Israel has said it will stop Tehran developing a nuclear...

Within the United States, important dialogue about the threat of radical Islam was silenced by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department which issued a memo in May instructing bureaucrats on how to talk about the “war on terror.” The memo called for restrictions on terrorist-defining nomenclature in accordance with recommendations from American Muslims. Thus, definitive and descriptive words such as “jihad,” mujahadeen,” “Islamic terrorist,” “Islamist,” or “holy warrior” were to be avoided, even though Muslims and Muslim media worldwide use this very terminology.

The latest U.S. natural disaster is triggering fresh rounds of concern and debate about how to repair America's aging infrastructure. The worst Midwest flooding since 1993 has generated images of swamped towns, cracked roads, washed-out bridges, overwhelmed dams, failed levees, broken sewage systems, stunted crops and water-logged refugees. The losses are in the billions of dollars and still mounting, as the costs of crop losses alone send shocks through the inflation-wracked world food system and threaten insurers. The disaster has reminded policymakers of the decrepit state of U.S. infrastructure, stirring concerns similar to those following the deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse...

Baghdad: An attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities, with tacit US approval, will lead to a major conflict in Iraq if Tehran chooses to respond by hitting American and Iraqi targets, Iraqi military officers and officials say. The potential Israeli attack will also lead to a crisis within the Iraqi government, some parts of which are close to Iran, the officials told Gulf News. A senior officers in the Iraqi army told Gulf News the US forces in Iraq are already taking precautionary measure in a number of military bases across the country in case Israel goes ahead with...

Juval Aviv was the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie ' Munich 'was based. He was Golda Meir's bodyguard--she appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games. In a lecture in New York City a few weeks ago, he shared information that EVERY American needs to know--but that our government has not yet shared with us. (Aviv's bio is noted at end.) He predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox News stating publicly that it would happen...

American School Books Redefine 'Jihad' to Exclude Violence -- Where is Media? By Warner Todd Huston | June 8, 2008 - 21:49 ET In yet another example of why the west could be too weak to fight the sort of global terrorism that takes the form of Islamofascism, a textbook monitoring group is charging that American textbooks have been cleansed of mentioning the violence inherent in the Islamic "Jihad." Now, our children will not be taught what "Jihad" truly means, nor that it has been used as an excuse to kill their fellow citizens because our schools have sanitized Islam...

To my readers: On June 1, 2008, Radarsite cross posted an article from the Daily Mirror titled "Britain's Immigration is Out of Control". http://radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/06/britains-immigration-is-out-of-control.html Following the article Radarsite posted our usual commentary. The following exchange from the comments thread is one reader's response to our commentary and our reply. We have posted a final comment to all of this from our now-famous friend Lionheart.- rg Here's the original commentary: A note from Radarsite: Nowhere could the major cultural battles that are taking place throughout the West be more visible and instructive than those currently being fought out in Britain. The...

BERKELEY —The University of California, Berkeley claimed victory Wednesday and could be able to move forward with plans to build a $125 million sports training center soon but not before it answers a few more questions about its long-awaited project for the court, a judge ruled late Wednesday. Judge Barbara Miller was ruling on three consolidated lawsuits to stop the project. ``The university has prevailed on every legal challenge to halt construction of the proposed student athlete high performance center. This is a major victory for our students,'' said Nathan Brostrom, Vice Chancellor for administration. ``Make no mistake the university...

Amnesty International recently released its annual human rights report and, like past years, the international human rights organization has decided to focus its aim at the world's most troubling human rights abuser: The United States of America. "As the world's most powerful state, the USA sets the standard for government behavior globally," the introduction reads. "With breathtaking legal obfuscation, the U.S. administration has continued its efforts to weaken the absolute prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment." The report's introduction – in which the United States is both the first country called out by name and the country to which the...

NEW YORK: The popularity of the United States in India has shot up dramatically since 2002, in a period in which Uncle Sam's image took a beating globally, a survey has said. America turned out to be the most popular in India, with its ratings rising up to 71 per cent, up from 54 per cent in the summer of 2002, in the survey conducted by an independent body - the Pew Research Centre - over 16 nations to assess favourabilty ratings of five major countries. Besides, India is the only country outside the US where a majority of people...

IRAQ & US ACCUSE [SYRIA'S IRAN'S LEBANESE BASED] ISLAMIC HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS OF CRIMES IN IRAQ [Iraq] Talabani charges [Iran's Islamic Lebanese based terrorists] Hezbollah interference Published: May 30, 2008 at 8:23 BAGHDAD, May 30 (UPI) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in a Baghdad interview Friday, accused the leader of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah of meddling in Iraq's affairs.http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/05/30/Talabani_charges_Hezbollah_interference/UPI-44791212150201/ Commentary: Iraq ripe for Iranian [militant Shia Muslim] dominationMarch 4, 2008Richard Beeston, Foreign Editor of The TimesMahmoud Ahmadinejad was right to look smug at the end of his two-day state visit to Iraq. Not only did he become the first Iranian president to...

Here's a great presentation. Every one of the idiots we keep electing to Congress should be forced to watch it at least three times ... then maybe they would get the message. (The end is the best part.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPch2k63uj4

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A pilotless U.S. drone was suspected to have fired a missile into a Pakistani area on the Afghan border on Tuesday, but there was no word on the target or casualties, a government official said.

Bush also broke protocol when he welcomed the Pontiff last April 15. Bush, accompanied by his wife and daughter Jenna, went to Andrews Air Force Base to receive the Pope -- an honor the president has never given to a visiting head of state. The next day, Benedict XVI's 81st birthday, the president hosted a celebration in the White House. The Holy Father's welcome is meant to repay the president for his cordiality, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, said. Bush will be accompanied by his wife and by Mary Ann Glendon, the U.S. envoy to...

North Korea reiterates anti-terror policy in apparent bid for removal from US blacklist AP - 2 hours 14 minutes ago SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea has reiterated its opposition to terrorism and nuclear proliferation in an apparent attempt to bolster its bid for removal from a U.S. blacklist. The North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the country "will firmly maintain its consistent stand of opposing all forms of terrorism." The ministry also said the North will take part in international efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into terrorists' hands. The U.S. has pledged to...

The U.S. envoy to the EU said Washington was keen for the EU to act as quickly as possible. "We want to make sure they are going as fast as they can," C. Boyden Gray told reporters in Slovenia ahead of the summit. Western countries suspect Iran is seeking the ability to make nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its secretive program is purely aimed at generating energy. The U.N. Security Council passed a third sanctions resolution against Iran in April and Washington has pressed the EU to deny targeted Iranian banks access to the international financial system. EU diplomats had said...

America continues to grow in stature as the most-favoured destination for Indian students with the last seven months showing a 38% increase in the number of candidates going there. What's more, Chennai seems to be one of the largest exporters in the country. Sample this: 38,274 student visas were issued from across the country in fiscal year 2006-07 (October 2006 to September 2007), of which the Chennai consulate gave out 19,973. Correspondingly, between October 2007 and April 2008, 50,316 student visas were issued from across the country, of which the Chennai consulate alone accounted for 24,975. With a rising middle...

British doctors will take the historic step of admitting for the first time that many health treatments will be rationed in the future because the NHS cannot cope with spiralling demand from patients. In a major report that will embarrass the government, the British Medical Association will say fertility treatment, plastic surgery and operations for varicose veins and minor childhood ailments, such as glue ear, are among a long list of procedures in jeopardy. James Johnson, the BMA chairman, will warn that patients face a bleak future because they will increasingly be denied treatments. He will urge the NHS to...

Exclusive: Limited US attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guards bases in sight

               Sandeep Singh               June 04, 2008 The Department of Homeland Security last week showcased an India-born soldier, one of the six foreign-born members of the military, at a special naturalisation ceremony for new citizens of the United States.Ludhiana-born Sandeep Singh, 23, a soldier in the US Army's 3rd US Infantry Continental Color Guard Team, said he had "followed his desire to serve his adopted nation after the terrorist attacks of 9/11."He was among 26 men and women from 21 countries who were administered the Oath of Allegiance by...

Hezbollah's strategic communication machine has undertaken a massive campaign to convince the international community, the Arab and Muslim world that an overwhelming majority of Lebanese are now firmly behind Sayed Hassan Nasrallah in his vision for the future of the Eastern Mediterranean and probably the Greater Middle East. The Hezbollah chief revealed the bulk of his agenda for Lebanon and the region, and even displayed his alignment with Tehran's ambitions. 1. Hezbollah "offers its strategy" to all Arabs Nasrallah called on the "Arab people and governments to adopt the strategies of the organization," i.e., the victory achieved in Lebanon against...

Buy one home, get one free: US agents try to beat property slump By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles Last Updated: 10:03PM BST 03/06/2008 A California developer has devised a radical sales pitch to shift new homes amid the current property slump – buy one house, get another one free. Sales of new homes have plummeted by more than 40 percent across the US since their peak almost three years ago "Don't miss this incredible investment opportunity! It's never been done before and may never be done again!" reads the advert promoting the two-for-one offer from Michael Crews Development. The...

Despite renewed friction between Russia and the United States, the specter of open conflict has faded since the days of the Cold War. However, equipment designed by the two nations remains on opposite sides of 21st-century battlefields. This isn't surprising: America is the top vendor of major conventional weapons, and Russia ranks number two. Both countries share a legacy of making military equipment to counter the other's capabilities and a long history of parlaying arms sales into geopolitical influence. These deals, sanctioned by both national governments, are extensions of foreign policy. A resurgent Russia wants cash and international influence, while...

US to demand 72hrs notice for British tourists By Andy Bloxham Last Updated: 12:50AM BST 03/06/2008 British visitors to the United States will have to register their trip with the American government 72 hours before they leave under new plans. All travellers from countries which do not currently require a visa will be forced to tell the Americans that they are coming. The rule is intended to bolster US security and was expected to be announced today by Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff. The move is likely to renew the worries of big business in Europe that deal-clinching, last-minute flights...

Ahmadinejad says Israel will 'disappear' Criminal and terrorist Zionist regime has reached the end of its work, Iranian president tells foreign guests marking 19th anniversary of death of country's late revolutionary leader. 'Satanic power' of United States faces destruction, he adds Reuters Published: 06.02.08, 14:36 / Israel News Iran's president said on Monday Israel would soon disappear off the map and that the "satanic power" of the United States faced destruction, in his latest verbal attack on the Islamic Republic's arch-foes. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking at a gathering of foreign guests marking this week's 19th anniversary of the death...

American motorists are understandably grumbling over skyrocketing gas prices as the summer travel season approaches. But their pain hardly registers against the rage afoot in Europe these days. Fishermen, truck drivers and farmers are threatening to bring entire economic sectors to a halt with protests against crippling fuel costs. The wave of angry action is expected to spread further across Europe in coming days, despite efforts by political leaders to feel the pain and figure out how to alleviate it. ...

World leaders, including UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on Thursday hailed Baghdad's progress in combatting violence and stabilising Iraq. A declaration adopted by 100 delegations at a Stockholm conference said the participants "recognised the important efforts made by the (Iraqi) government to improve security and public order and combat terrorism and sectarian violence across Iraq." It also acknowledged political and economic progress made, and said that "given the difficult context, these successes are all the more remarkable." In a speech earlier to the conference, Ban said Iraq was "stepping back from the abyss that...

BRUSSELS -- The European Union and the United Nations are very worried, but remain unable to agree on how to act in Kosovo after June 15, Beta news agency says. The ethnic Albanian authorities in Priština say that their new constitution will take effect in the province's entire territory, while the EU intends to deploy its EULEX mission there. However, this mission is not based on any UN Security Council decision, while UN SC Resolution 1244, so far the only document regulating international presence in Kosovo, remains in force. At the same time, there has been no decision to withdraw...

Memorial Day: More Than Just a Vacation Day The News & Advance Published: May 25, 2008 Say the phrase “Memorial Day,” and more people than you’d imagine will think of city pools opening, the first three-day weekend of the year, cookouts, the unofficial start of summer, big sales at the mall. Fewer and fewer people today would first think it’s the day to honor America’s war dead. How sad it is that the nation’s most somber holiday has turned into a day for pool parties, grilling up some burgers and dogs and snagging some bargains on markdown. Over the course...

Americans tend to think of the presidency as all-powerful, but much of its authority comes from the ability to convince the public to follow, and the same is sometimes true in diplomacy. The time when George W. Bush could perform that trick has long passed. But if Americans are adjusting to the idea of a weak Bush, an even tougher mental leap awaits them once he leaves office: accepting that the U.S. isn't the force abroad it was just a few years ago. The next President's hardest job may be getting the country used to that

While hundreds of thousands are dying due to the callous indifference of the military junta in Burma and millions are fleeing oppression and hunger in Robert Mugabe’s brutal Zimbabwe, the U.N.’s farcical Human Rights Council (HRC) is focusing its attention elsewhere — the United States, the freest nation on the face of the earth. This week sees the arrival on U.S. soil of Doudou Diene, the U.N. special rapporteur charged with investigating “racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” in America. Diene, a French-educated lawyer from Senegal, will spend three weeks touring the country, from Washington and New York to...

US aid to Palestinians to total $550 mln - official WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - The US government will provide $550 million in direct financial support to the Palestinian Territories in 2008

Pyongyang, May 20 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and south Korean warmongers are staging joint military exercises, while separately escalating the war maneuvers. This comes under fire by a signed commentary of Minju Joson Tuesday. The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching closer to the brink of war due to the U.S. and south Korean war-thirsty forces' frantic war exercises to invade the DPRK, the commentary says, and goes on: What merits attention is that the moves of the U.S. and south Korean bellicose forces to provoke a war against the DPRK have become evermore pronounced since Lee Myung Bak...

Qatanani, the imam of the Islamic Center of Passaic County in Paterson, spent three days in a courtroom in the Peter Rodino Federal Building before Immigration Judge Alberto Riefkohl. Riefkohl is to decide whether the 44-year-old Palestinian-born spiritual leader should be expelled from the United States to Jordan for having failed to mention in his application for permanent residency here that he was arrested and held by the Israeli military for three months in 1993. … The lead government attorney, Alan Wolf, read a passage from the Koran asserting that God will cause unbelievers and hypocrites to “increase in illness...

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago has a dubious distinction: the highest gas prices in the country. Drivers are experiencing real sticker shock at the pumps. For the first time, the average price of a gallon of gas is more than $4 in Chicago – about $4.07 – and likely to rise even higher. New numbers show you'll pay more for gas here than even in New York City or Los Angeles. In Chicago, nearly 80 cents of the price of every gallon of gas goes to city, county, state and federal taxes. The ever-escalating fuel costs have some Illinois lawmakers...

US 'violated Venezuela airspace'The US airplane is part of a counter-narcotics taskforce in the Caribbean The US ambassador in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, has been summoned to explain Saturday's event. US officials admitted a naval plane on a counter-narcotics mission had "navigational problems" that led it to briefly enter Venezuelan airspace. Tension has been rising in the region with both the US and Colombia accusing Caracas of financing Colombian rebels. 'Series of provocations' Venezuelan Defence Minister Gustavo Rangel said the US jet had been tracked by his country's air defences over the Venezuelan-owned island of La Orchila on Saturday. Mr Rangel...

The United States has reached a deal with North Korea to provide 500,000 tons of food aid over the coming year to the isolated communist nation. The U.S. administration says the aid has little to do with its nuclear disarmament deal with Pyongyang, although both have involved an unusual intensity of U.S. diplomacy with North Korea, a nation President George W. Bush once included as part of a rhetorical ``axis of evil.'' ``We don't see any connection,'' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack was quoted as saying. ``We're doing this because America is a compassionate nation and the United States and...

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - China's military build-up opposite Taiwan is counterproductive and fans pro-independence tendencies on the island, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said on Thursday. While stressing the United States' long-standing position that it does not support independence for Taiwan, Negroponte also told U.S. lawmakers Taiwan should be brought into international groups like the World Health Organization. The No. 2 U.S. diplomat, who made a two-day trip to Beijing this month, also repeated the U.S. stance that it will "continue to sell Taiwan defensive arms to maintain the capacity to assist in Taiwan's defense if needed."...

JAIPUR, India (AFP) — A previously-unknown Islamic group claimed responsibility for a string of bombings that killed 63 people and warned of more attacks on Indian tourist targets, officials said Thursday.Gulab Chand Kataria, home minister of the northern state of Rajasthan of which Jaipur is the capital, told AFP police were investigating the claim made in a video clip emailed to several media organisations.The "Indian Mujahideen is waging an open war against the country for supporting the United States and the United Kingdom on international issues," the email said."India should stop supporting the United States ... and if you do...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat.  This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species. In making the announcement, Kempthorne said,...

THERE is a certain familiarity to the concomitant series of actions and reactions when disaster strikes in the world. The US stands ready, willing and able to offer assistance. It is often the first country to send in millions of dollars, navy strike groups loaded with food and medical supplies, and transport planes, helicopters and floating hospitals to help those devastated by natural disaster. Then, just as swift and with equal predictability, those wedded to the Great Satan view of the US begin to carp, drawing on a potent mixture of cynicism and conspiracy theories to criticise the last remaining...

The Marine Corps far surpassed its recruiting goal last month, enlisting 2,233 people, which was 142 percent of its goal, the Pentagon said. The Army recruited 5,681 people, 101 percent of its goal. The Navy and Air Force also met their goals, 2,905 sailors and 2,435 airmen. A Defense Department spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said that if the Marine Corps continued its recruiting success, it could reach its goal of growing to 202,000 people by the end of 2009, more than a year early. end of article

Britain has been in charge of four provinces in southern Iraq since Saddam Hussein's downfall. While the divisional command will continue to operate under British leadership at Basra airbase, the orders of the US units will be to "get out front" and resume patrols and combat missions. US hopes of making the whole of Iraq secure before its eventual withdrawal have been raised by what commanders see as a potential southern version of the Sahwa, or tribal awakening, which turned locals against al-Qa'eda. Troops have been shifted from Anbar province to the Tallil airbase, Nasiriya, to assume responsibility from 550...

Most of us that were around in 2003 still remember the run up to the invasion of Iraq well. And, it seems the puzzle pieces are falling into place with Iran. First, there was the recent tough talk from Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen. Last week, there were Admiral Mullen’s comments: Late last week, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pointed to the Qods Force for its “increasingly lethal and malign influence” in Iraq. Adm. Mullen added that evidence would be publicized in the coming days that newly made Iranian armaments are being smuggled into Iraq...