Tuesday, November 30, 2010
REVE UP YOUR ENGINES AMERICA
Lawmakers Press White House to Include GE Engine for F-35 in Stopgap Bill
By Tony Capaccio - Nov 29, 2010 1:52 PM CT
Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft
The primary engine for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft currently is made by Pratt & Whitney. Source: Lockheed Martin Corp.
A bi-partisan group of U.S. lawmakers fighting to include General Electric Co.’s Joint Strike Fighter engine in a stopgap spending bill has extended its lobbying to address the White House.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and White House budget director Jacob Lew today, the lawmakers said the money for the alternative JSF engine should be part of a so- called continuing resolution that keeps most government programs at current spending levels. Earlier this month, the group urged Norm Dicks, the outgoing chairman of the House defense appropriations committee, to support their proposal.
Gates opposes money for the GE engine as unnecessary and a waste of money. United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney unit makes the primary JSF engine, and Gates has said repeatedly he will urge President Barack Obama to veto a bill funding the GE version.
“Congress has funded the engine program for 14 consecutive years, including $430 million provided for continued development” in fiscal 2010, the lawmakers wrote Gates. The full House voted May 27 to include another $485 million in the pending fiscal 2011 budget.
“Until Congress finalizes action on the budget request, the committee would expect the Department to respect the constitutional authority vested in Congress and take the action required to provide the necessary funding,” they wrote.
The letters to Gates and Lew follow a Nov. 19 letter from the lawmakers to Dicks, a Washington Democrat.
Republican Majority
The signers include Howard McKeon, a California Republican in line to lead the House Armed Services Committee when the 112th Congress convenes in January. Republicans will have a majority in the House.
McKeon was joined by senior committee Republicans Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland and Todd Akin of Missouri and outgoing Chairman Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat who was defeated on Nov. 2.
The JSF is being purchased by the Air Force, Navy and Marines to replace different types of fighter and strike aircraft. Lockheed Martin Corp. is tailoring the plane to meet each service’s needs.
Congress approved stopgap legislation Sept. 30, when fiscal 2010 ended, to keep the government from shutting down as lawmakers headed home to campaign for the Nov. 2 midterm elections. That measure didn’t contain the $485 million to continue engine development. The bill expires Dec. 3 and must be renewed.
It isn’t clear how a loss of engine funds would affect the GE program, said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company. The project has about 2,400 employees in the U.S. GE and its congressional allies say having a second engine is pivotal for ensuring the JSF’s readiness.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
By Tony Capaccio - Nov 29, 2010 1:52 PM CT
Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft
The primary engine for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraft currently is made by Pratt & Whitney. Source: Lockheed Martin Corp.
A bi-partisan group of U.S. lawmakers fighting to include General Electric Co.’s Joint Strike Fighter engine in a stopgap spending bill has extended its lobbying to address the White House.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and White House budget director Jacob Lew today, the lawmakers said the money for the alternative JSF engine should be part of a so- called continuing resolution that keeps most government programs at current spending levels. Earlier this month, the group urged Norm Dicks, the outgoing chairman of the House defense appropriations committee, to support their proposal.
Gates opposes money for the GE engine as unnecessary and a waste of money. United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney unit makes the primary JSF engine, and Gates has said repeatedly he will urge President Barack Obama to veto a bill funding the GE version.
“Congress has funded the engine program for 14 consecutive years, including $430 million provided for continued development” in fiscal 2010, the lawmakers wrote Gates. The full House voted May 27 to include another $485 million in the pending fiscal 2011 budget.
“Until Congress finalizes action on the budget request, the committee would expect the Department to respect the constitutional authority vested in Congress and take the action required to provide the necessary funding,” they wrote.
The letters to Gates and Lew follow a Nov. 19 letter from the lawmakers to Dicks, a Washington Democrat.
Republican Majority
The signers include Howard McKeon, a California Republican in line to lead the House Armed Services Committee when the 112th Congress convenes in January. Republicans will have a majority in the House.
McKeon was joined by senior committee Republicans Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland and Todd Akin of Missouri and outgoing Chairman Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat who was defeated on Nov. 2.
The JSF is being purchased by the Air Force, Navy and Marines to replace different types of fighter and strike aircraft. Lockheed Martin Corp. is tailoring the plane to meet each service’s needs.
Congress approved stopgap legislation Sept. 30, when fiscal 2010 ended, to keep the government from shutting down as lawmakers headed home to campaign for the Nov. 2 midterm elections. That measure didn’t contain the $485 million to continue engine development. The bill expires Dec. 3 and must be renewed.
It isn’t clear how a loss of engine funds would affect the GE program, said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company. The project has about 2,400 employees in the U.S. GE and its congressional allies say having a second engine is pivotal for ensuring the JSF’s readiness.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net
UNITED STATES' REGULATORS TO STOPGAP HOSTILE ANTITRUST CHINESE TAKEOVER OF INTERGEN, AN AIG GROUP AFFILIATE
China Huaneng to buy InterGen stake
POWER BOOST:State-run electricity firms like Huaneng are expanding overseas as price controls at home prevent them from passing on rising fuel costs to consumers
Bloomberg
China Huaneng Group (華能集團), the nation’s largest electricity producer, will pay US$1.23 billion for a 50 percent stake in Massachusetts-based power utility InterGen in its biggest overseas acquisition in more than two years.
State-controlled Huaneng will buy GMR Group’s entire share in the utility in a deal expected to close in the first half of next year, the Indian company, whose assets range from airports to highways, said in a statement on Sunday. GMR bought the stake for US$1.1 billion in October 2008.
Chinese electricity companies are expanding overseas as state-controlled prices prevent them from passing on rising fuel costs to consumers. Huaneng is building on its US$3.1 billion acquisition of Singapore’s Tuas Power Ltd in March 2008 with the InterGen purchase, gaining access to 12 plants in the UK, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia and the Philippines.
“GMR was talking about US$1.5 billion at one point, so the current value is clearly positive for Huaneng,” Michael Parker, a senior analyst at Sanford C Bernstein & Co, said by telephone from Hong Kong.
China Huaneng is also among potential bidders for A$8 billion (US$7.7 billion) of power assets being sold by Australia’s New South Wales, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review on Aug. 18. The state said on Nov. 15 it had closed bids for the assets, without identifying potential buyers.
Huaneng Power International Inc (華能國際電力), a China Huaneng unit listed in Hong Kong, fell 1 percent to HK$4.17 at the midday break. The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 0.1 percent.
GMR had bought its share of InterGen from a fund owned by American International Group Inc The rest of the utility is held by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
The stake sale will raise US$225 million that can be used to fund GMR’s projects, GMR chairman G.M. Rao said.
The decision to sell “is in line with the strategy to focus more on the Indian market where GMR is already a market leader,” Rao said, adding that InterGen’s overseas holding firm has US$1 billion in debt.
POWER BOOST:State-run electricity firms like Huaneng are expanding overseas as price controls at home prevent them from passing on rising fuel costs to consumers
Bloomberg
China Huaneng Group (華能集團), the nation’s largest electricity producer, will pay US$1.23 billion for a 50 percent stake in Massachusetts-based power utility InterGen in its biggest overseas acquisition in more than two years.
State-controlled Huaneng will buy GMR Group’s entire share in the utility in a deal expected to close in the first half of next year, the Indian company, whose assets range from airports to highways, said in a statement on Sunday. GMR bought the stake for US$1.1 billion in October 2008.
Chinese electricity companies are expanding overseas as state-controlled prices prevent them from passing on rising fuel costs to consumers. Huaneng is building on its US$3.1 billion acquisition of Singapore’s Tuas Power Ltd in March 2008 with the InterGen purchase, gaining access to 12 plants in the UK, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia and the Philippines.
“GMR was talking about US$1.5 billion at one point, so the current value is clearly positive for Huaneng,” Michael Parker, a senior analyst at Sanford C Bernstein & Co, said by telephone from Hong Kong.
China Huaneng is also among potential bidders for A$8 billion (US$7.7 billion) of power assets being sold by Australia’s New South Wales, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review on Aug. 18. The state said on Nov. 15 it had closed bids for the assets, without identifying potential buyers.
Huaneng Power International Inc (華能國際電力), a China Huaneng unit listed in Hong Kong, fell 1 percent to HK$4.17 at the midday break. The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 0.1 percent.
GMR had bought its share of InterGen from a fund owned by American International Group Inc The rest of the utility is held by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
The stake sale will raise US$225 million that can be used to fund GMR’s projects, GMR chairman G.M. Rao said.
The decision to sell “is in line with the strategy to focus more on the Indian market where GMR is already a market leader,” Rao said, adding that InterGen’s overseas holding firm has US$1 billion in debt.
SENIOR FEDERAL DISTRICT JUDGE PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES
Senior federal judge pleads guilty to drug charges
Senior US District Judge Jack Camp had been a federal judge for more than 22 years and has now resigned from the bench.
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In this Nov. 20, 2008 photo, Senior US District Judge Jack Camp poses for a photo in Atlanta. Camp, who was arrested on charges that he bought and used drugs, pleaded guilty on Friday to drug charges.
Zachary D. Porter/Fulton County (Ga.) Daily Report/AP
By Warren Richey, Staff writer / November 19, 2010
A federal judge in Atlanta pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he illegally possessed cocaine, marijuana, and Roxycodone.
Senior US District Judge Jack Camp admitted to charges that he possessed the drugs and provided drugs to a person he knew was convicted a drug crime. He also admitted that he gave an exotic dancer, with whom he allegedly used the drugs, a US-government-issued laptop computer for her personal use.
The jurist was arrested on Oct. 1 at an Atlanta-area strip club after he and the exotic dancer purchased a quantity of drugs from an undercover operative working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
QUIZ: How much do you know about marijuana?
What the judge didn’t know is that the exotic dancer was recording their conversations and at some point began cooperating with law-enforcement officials.
Mr. Camp had been a federal judge for more than 22 years after being appointed by President Reagan. He was the chief judge in the Northern District of Georgia from 2006 to 2008 and assumed senior status at the end of 2008. He has now resigned from the bench.
According to federal court documents, the judge first met the exotic dancer at the Goldrush Showbar, an Atlanta strip club, last spring. The judge purchased a private dance from the dancer in the VIP area of the club.
Camp returned to the club the next day to purchase another private dance from the same exotic dancer. He later paid for sex with her, according to an FBI affidavit.
The two began to share drugs, the affidavit says. On multiple occasions, Camp paid for sex with the exotic dancer and provided money for her to purchase drugs for them to use together, the documents say.
At one point, Camp followed the dancer to a location where she was to buy drugs. He remained outside, armed with a handgun, according to court documents.
At the time of his arrest on Oct. 1, FBI agents recovered two firearms in Camp’s car. One was a .380 Sig Sauer P238. The other was a Colt MK IV Series 80.
The Sig Sauer was found with a loaded magazine, a round in the chamber, and the gun’s hammer cocked.
When he was arrested, federal authorities charged the judge with possession of a firearm during a drug offense. That charge appears to have been dropped.
The case is being presided over by Senior US District Judge Thomas Hogan, a federal judge in Washington. Sentencing is set for March 4. He could serve up to four years in prison, but guidelines suggest a prison sentence of four to 10 months.
JUDGE REPRIMANDED FOR SPECIAL HEARING FOR POLITICAL ALLY
Judge reprimanded for special hearing for political ally
November 19, 2010 1:35 PM
A McHenry County judge was reprimanded today for holding a special court hearing for the brother of a political ally and friend.
The Illinois Courts Commission reprimanded Judge Michael Chmiel for "the appearance of impropriety."
The commission found that Chmiel held a special bond hearing on Saturday, June 16, 2007, for David Miller, the brother of the judge's friend, Robert Miller.
Robert Miller is the Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner and a Republican Party committeeman.
A reprimand is the mildest punishment the commission can give. More severe punishments are censure, suspension, or removal from the bench.
David Miller was accused of dumping an overweight load of materials after a Cary police officer directed him to a weigh station, which led to a felony charge of obstructing justice.
Chmiel set a $10,000 bond, which enabled David Miller to get out of jail for Father's Day the next day, though he had missed the regular Saturday morning bond hearing. Such arrestees normally have to wait in jail two nights until a bond hearing Monday.
Phone records show the judge had calls that morning with Robert Miller and with Robert Miller's daughter, Rebecca Lee, a former McHenry County prosecutor, who represented David Miller and also made calls to find a prosecutor willing to handle the bond hearing.
David Miller was later found not guilty by another judge.
The law firm where Chmiel worked before becoming a judge had represented the Algonquin Township Road District, and the judge had supported Robert Miller's election campaign.
The commission finding stated that Chmiel conceded that his conduct, in retrospect, created the appearance of impropriety, and he was "sorry for all the turmoil he had created."
The commission concluded that the Judicial Inquiry Board, which brought the accusation against Chmiel, did not prove there was actual impropriety.
The Judicial Inquiry Board also accused Chmiel of improper communication about the case with Miller, and making false statements to the board, but the commission concluded no such violations occurred.
Judges are prohibited from letting their personal relationships influence them, but the commission stated there is no rule against holding a special bond hearing for the brother of a friend.
--Robert McCoppin
November 19, 2010 1:35 PM
A McHenry County judge was reprimanded today for holding a special court hearing for the brother of a political ally and friend.
The Illinois Courts Commission reprimanded Judge Michael Chmiel for "the appearance of impropriety."
The commission found that Chmiel held a special bond hearing on Saturday, June 16, 2007, for David Miller, the brother of the judge's friend, Robert Miller.
Robert Miller is the Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner and a Republican Party committeeman.
A reprimand is the mildest punishment the commission can give. More severe punishments are censure, suspension, or removal from the bench.
David Miller was accused of dumping an overweight load of materials after a Cary police officer directed him to a weigh station, which led to a felony charge of obstructing justice.
Chmiel set a $10,000 bond, which enabled David Miller to get out of jail for Father's Day the next day, though he had missed the regular Saturday morning bond hearing. Such arrestees normally have to wait in jail two nights until a bond hearing Monday.
Phone records show the judge had calls that morning with Robert Miller and with Robert Miller's daughter, Rebecca Lee, a former McHenry County prosecutor, who represented David Miller and also made calls to find a prosecutor willing to handle the bond hearing.
David Miller was later found not guilty by another judge.
The law firm where Chmiel worked before becoming a judge had represented the Algonquin Township Road District, and the judge had supported Robert Miller's election campaign.
The commission finding stated that Chmiel conceded that his conduct, in retrospect, created the appearance of impropriety, and he was "sorry for all the turmoil he had created."
The commission concluded that the Judicial Inquiry Board, which brought the accusation against Chmiel, did not prove there was actual impropriety.
The Judicial Inquiry Board also accused Chmiel of improper communication about the case with Miller, and making false statements to the board, but the commission concluded no such violations occurred.
Judges are prohibited from letting their personal relationships influence them, but the commission stated there is no rule against holding a special bond hearing for the brother of a friend.
--Robert McCoppin
JAPAN, AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS, REJECT 6-PARTY TALKS WITH DEMENTED DERANGED UNQUALIFIED WOMEN FACING THEIR SECOND IMPEACHMENT & ROGUE COMMUNIST NATIONS
Japan Rejects Session On Koreas
By YUKA HAYASHI
TOKYO—Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara rejected China's proposal to hold emergency talks between North Korea and other nations, saying Pyongyang must first display sincere effort to ease its confrontational posture.
Mr. Maehara said there would be no point in holding further six-party talks unless the participants can make real progress.
Following last week's deadly artillery strike on a South Korean island by the North, Beijing on Sunday proposed that the six nations—the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Russia and Japan—resume the long-suspended series of talks, which were originally designed to persuade North Korea to disarm.
"It's unacceptable for us to hold six-party talks only because North Korea has gone amok," Mr. Maehara said. "We must first see some kind of sincere effort from North Korea on its uranium-enrichment program and the latest incident."
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak also told Beijing that now isn't the "right time" for the six-party talks.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing suffered recently after Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing trawler that rammed into Japanese coast guard vessels in September in disputed waters. The government's decision to release the captain without indictment was criticized in Japan as caving into pressure from Beijing.
The North Korean attack has become the latest in a series of events to dent public support for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government, including strains with the U.S. over moving a military base and a visit to contested territory by the Russian president.
After the attack, the government was criticized for taking seven hours before lodging a protest against North Korea.
According to an opinion poll published by the Nihon Keizai Shinbun economic daily Monday, the approval rating for the Kan cabinet fell to 30%, down 10 percentage points from a month earlier.
Mr. Maehara said that the series of diplomatic crises weren't related to each other, and efforts by some to bunch them together "would only result in undermining Japan's national interest."
By YUKA HAYASHI
TOKYO—Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara rejected China's proposal to hold emergency talks between North Korea and other nations, saying Pyongyang must first display sincere effort to ease its confrontational posture.
Mr. Maehara said there would be no point in holding further six-party talks unless the participants can make real progress.
Following last week's deadly artillery strike on a South Korean island by the North, Beijing on Sunday proposed that the six nations—the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Russia and Japan—resume the long-suspended series of talks, which were originally designed to persuade North Korea to disarm.
"It's unacceptable for us to hold six-party talks only because North Korea has gone amok," Mr. Maehara said. "We must first see some kind of sincere effort from North Korea on its uranium-enrichment program and the latest incident."
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak also told Beijing that now isn't the "right time" for the six-party talks.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing suffered recently after Japan arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing trawler that rammed into Japanese coast guard vessels in September in disputed waters. The government's decision to release the captain without indictment was criticized in Japan as caving into pressure from Beijing.
The North Korean attack has become the latest in a series of events to dent public support for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government, including strains with the U.S. over moving a military base and a visit to contested territory by the Russian president.
After the attack, the government was criticized for taking seven hours before lodging a protest against North Korea.
According to an opinion poll published by the Nihon Keizai Shinbun economic daily Monday, the approval rating for the Kan cabinet fell to 30%, down 10 percentage points from a month earlier.
Mr. Maehara said that the series of diplomatic crises weren't related to each other, and efforts by some to bunch them together "would only result in undermining Japan's national interest."
HILLARY BECOMES VISIBLY UPSET WHEN TOLD BY JOURNALIST THAT "WE DON'T ATTEND YOUR SCHOOL" AFTER RELEASE FROM NORTH KOREA
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Hillary Clinton became visibly angry at a press conference at a university in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, when she was asked by a student what her husband Bill Clinton thinks about Chinese financial contracts with Congo.
“You want me to tell you what my husband thinks?” Hillary snapped, “My husband is not the secretary of state, I am.” It turns out the question may have gotten lost in translation..
NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE'S PROFIT FALLS 74%
National Bank of Greece's Profit Falls 74%
By ALKMAN GRANITSAS
ATHENS—National Bank of Greece SA, Greece's largest lender by assets, said its nine-month net profit fell 74% on sharply higher provisions for bad loans but otherwise met market expectations.
"Despite the exceptionally adverse economic climate in Greece, the NBG Group continued to generate profits in what is proving to be a very tough year, maintaining strong liquidity and an enhanced capital base while also fortifying its balance sheet with higher provisions," Chief Executive Officer Apostolos Tamvakakis said in a statement Monday.
For the nine months to Sept. 30, the bank said net profit fell to €259 million ($343.1 million) from €1.01 billion in the same period a year ago. Provisions for bad loans totaled €991 million.
The results were in line with analysts' expectations of €257 million in nine-month net profit and €999 million in provisions, according to a poll conducted by Dow Jones Newswires.
Nonperforming loans have been increasing in the Greek banking system because the economy is expected to contract by 4% of gross domestic product this year and unemployment is rising.
This contraction has been aggravated by austerity measures imposed on the debt-laden Mediterranean country by its lenders, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
However, nine-month net interest income—the difference that the bank earns between its loans and deposits—rose 7% to €3.11 billion, exactly matching market expectations.
Market leader NBG is the last of Greece's four main banks to report third-quarter results and is seen as a bellwether for the local banking sector. It recently completed an €1.8 billion capital increase and plans to sell as much as a 20% stake in its Turkish subsidiary Finansbank AS.
Last week, Greece's No. 3 and No. 4 lenders Piraeus Bank SA and Alpha Bank SA also reported sharply lower results on higher provisions. Earlier Monday, EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA also reported a 91% drop in profits on higher provisions.
Write to Alkman Granitsas at alkman.granitsas@dowjones.com
By ALKMAN GRANITSAS
ATHENS—National Bank of Greece SA, Greece's largest lender by assets, said its nine-month net profit fell 74% on sharply higher provisions for bad loans but otherwise met market expectations.
"Despite the exceptionally adverse economic climate in Greece, the NBG Group continued to generate profits in what is proving to be a very tough year, maintaining strong liquidity and an enhanced capital base while also fortifying its balance sheet with higher provisions," Chief Executive Officer Apostolos Tamvakakis said in a statement Monday.
For the nine months to Sept. 30, the bank said net profit fell to €259 million ($343.1 million) from €1.01 billion in the same period a year ago. Provisions for bad loans totaled €991 million.
The results were in line with analysts' expectations of €257 million in nine-month net profit and €999 million in provisions, according to a poll conducted by Dow Jones Newswires.
Nonperforming loans have been increasing in the Greek banking system because the economy is expected to contract by 4% of gross domestic product this year and unemployment is rising.
This contraction has been aggravated by austerity measures imposed on the debt-laden Mediterranean country by its lenders, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
However, nine-month net interest income—the difference that the bank earns between its loans and deposits—rose 7% to €3.11 billion, exactly matching market expectations.
Market leader NBG is the last of Greece's four main banks to report third-quarter results and is seen as a bellwether for the local banking sector. It recently completed an €1.8 billion capital increase and plans to sell as much as a 20% stake in its Turkish subsidiary Finansbank AS.
Last week, Greece's No. 3 and No. 4 lenders Piraeus Bank SA and Alpha Bank SA also reported sharply lower results on higher provisions. Earlier Monday, EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA also reported a 91% drop in profits on higher provisions.
Write to Alkman Granitsas at alkman.granitsas@dowjones.com
LOCKERBIE RELEASERS, AFRICANS, & MAAMMAR QADDAFI DEMAND 4 BILLION FROM EU OR FACE TERRORIST ATTACKS --- EUROPE SAYS "NO WAY"
Gaddafi demands £4 billion from EU or Europe will turn 'black'
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi Photo: AP
Bruno Waterfield
During an EU-Africa summit, that ended on Tuesday in Tripoli, the Libyan leader described European's economic relationship with the African continent as a "failure".
Unless "Christian, white" countries gave him extra funding, Colonel Gaddafi predicted that Europe would be flooded with illegal immigrants leaving impoverished Africa.
"We should stop this illegal immigration. If we don't, Europe will become black, it will be overcome by people with different religions, it will change," he said.
WikiLeaks: Col Gaddafi 'fears flying over water'
30 Nov 2010
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Tony Blair met Colonel Gaddafi in Libya last month
30 Nov 2010
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Lockerbie bomber's release linked to trade deal, claims Gaddafi's son
30 Nov 2010
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Lockerbie Bomber release: international reaction
30 Nov 2010
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Lockerbie bomber released and to return to Libya a free man
30 Nov 2010
Col Gaddafi has so far received only £42 million in EU funding to improve treatment of refugees heading for Europe amid human rights fears and a recent refusal by Sweden to sell Libya surveillance planes.
The Libyan leader is critical of the EU for linking trade and aid to free markets and progress on human rights. He told EU officials at the summit that African leaders say they are ready to abandon ten years of trade talks because of European demands.
"Africa has other choices," he said "Let every country and every group govern itself. Every country is free to serve its own interests. Africa can look to any other international bloc such as Latin America, China, India or Russia."
A leaked US diplomatic cable giving an assessment of Kenya as a "swamp" of corruption prompted calls for an apology from Nairobi. "It is totally malicious and a total misrepresentation of our country and our leaders. We are surprised and shocked," said a Kenyan government spokesman.
But Col Gaddafi did not make any reference to the Wikileaks publication of a confidential American communication detailing his need to always travel with his "with his senior Ukrainian nurse" and his love of "flamenco dancing."
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi Photo: AP
Bruno Waterfield
During an EU-Africa summit, that ended on Tuesday in Tripoli, the Libyan leader described European's economic relationship with the African continent as a "failure".
Unless "Christian, white" countries gave him extra funding, Colonel Gaddafi predicted that Europe would be flooded with illegal immigrants leaving impoverished Africa.
"We should stop this illegal immigration. If we don't, Europe will become black, it will be overcome by people with different religions, it will change," he said.
WikiLeaks: Col Gaddafi 'fears flying over water'
30 Nov 2010
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Tony Blair met Colonel Gaddafi in Libya last month
30 Nov 2010
*
Lockerbie bomber's release linked to trade deal, claims Gaddafi's son
30 Nov 2010
*
Lockerbie Bomber release: international reaction
30 Nov 2010
*
Lockerbie bomber released and to return to Libya a free man
30 Nov 2010
Col Gaddafi has so far received only £42 million in EU funding to improve treatment of refugees heading for Europe amid human rights fears and a recent refusal by Sweden to sell Libya surveillance planes.
The Libyan leader is critical of the EU for linking trade and aid to free markets and progress on human rights. He told EU officials at the summit that African leaders say they are ready to abandon ten years of trade talks because of European demands.
"Africa has other choices," he said "Let every country and every group govern itself. Every country is free to serve its own interests. Africa can look to any other international bloc such as Latin America, China, India or Russia."
A leaked US diplomatic cable giving an assessment of Kenya as a "swamp" of corruption prompted calls for an apology from Nairobi. "It is totally malicious and a total misrepresentation of our country and our leaders. We are surprised and shocked," said a Kenyan government spokesman.
But Col Gaddafi did not make any reference to the Wikileaks publication of a confidential American communication detailing his need to always travel with his "with his senior Ukrainian nurse" and his love of "flamenco dancing."
ANGLO-BRITISH NEWS CORP BID TO BROADCAST TO ISLAMIC TERRORIST NATIONS TO BE REVIEWED BY EU ANTITRUST REGS
News Corp.’s BSkyB Bid to Be Reviewed by EU Antitrust Regulator
November 29, 2010
Businessweek
By Aoife White
Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- News Corp.’s proposed acquisition of British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc will be reviewed by European Union antitrust regulators after the U.K. Office of Fair Trading declined to seek jurisdiction over the case.
The OFT didn’t ask the EU for permission to review the case by a Nov. 26 deadline, Frank Shepherd, a spokesman for the London-based regulator, said in a phone interview today. U.K. Business Secretary Vince Cable has ordered a separate probe into the effect of the deal on the media industry.
Media regulator Ofcom is investigating on behalf of Cable whether the takeover of Britain’s largest pay-TV operator by the owner of four of the biggest-selling U.K. newspapers would give too much media control to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The New York-based company offered 7.8 billion pounds ($12.2 billion) for the 61 percent of BSkyB it doesn’t already own.
News Corp. spokeswoman Alice Macandrew declined to comment. Amelia Torres, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, declined to comment. Robert Fraser, a spokesman for Isleworth, England-based BSkyB, also declined to comment.
Under European Union law, national regulators are allowed to request jurisdiction over an antitrust case when the transaction is primarily in their country. The OFT may have decided not to review the deal because of Cable’s separate probe, lawyers said last week.
December Deadlines
The EU must decide whether to clear the deal or start an in-depth investigation by Dec. 8. Ofcom has until Dec. 31 to decide whether to refer the case to the U.K. Competition Commission for further investigation of the media plurality issues.
British newspapers, the British Broadcasting Corp., phone company BT Group Plc and the Church of England have called for the bid to be challenged.
News Corp., attempting to gain from the steady subscription business of Britain’s biggest pay-TV operator, asked the European Union on Nov. 3 to approve its proposed bid for the 61 percent of BSkyB that it doesn’t already own. BSkyB in June rejected the initial 700 pence a share offer, saying it was too low. The companies are seeking regulatory approval before a new offer is made.
To contact the reporter on this story: Aoife White in Brussels at awhite62@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net.
November 29, 2010
Businessweek
By Aoife White
Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- News Corp.’s proposed acquisition of British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc will be reviewed by European Union antitrust regulators after the U.K. Office of Fair Trading declined to seek jurisdiction over the case.
The OFT didn’t ask the EU for permission to review the case by a Nov. 26 deadline, Frank Shepherd, a spokesman for the London-based regulator, said in a phone interview today. U.K. Business Secretary Vince Cable has ordered a separate probe into the effect of the deal on the media industry.
Media regulator Ofcom is investigating on behalf of Cable whether the takeover of Britain’s largest pay-TV operator by the owner of four of the biggest-selling U.K. newspapers would give too much media control to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The New York-based company offered 7.8 billion pounds ($12.2 billion) for the 61 percent of BSkyB it doesn’t already own.
News Corp. spokeswoman Alice Macandrew declined to comment. Amelia Torres, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, declined to comment. Robert Fraser, a spokesman for Isleworth, England-based BSkyB, also declined to comment.
Under European Union law, national regulators are allowed to request jurisdiction over an antitrust case when the transaction is primarily in their country. The OFT may have decided not to review the deal because of Cable’s separate probe, lawyers said last week.
December Deadlines
The EU must decide whether to clear the deal or start an in-depth investigation by Dec. 8. Ofcom has until Dec. 31 to decide whether to refer the case to the U.K. Competition Commission for further investigation of the media plurality issues.
British newspapers, the British Broadcasting Corp., phone company BT Group Plc and the Church of England have called for the bid to be challenged.
News Corp., attempting to gain from the steady subscription business of Britain’s biggest pay-TV operator, asked the European Union on Nov. 3 to approve its proposed bid for the 61 percent of BSkyB that it doesn’t already own. BSkyB in June rejected the initial 700 pence a share offer, saying it was too low. The companies are seeking regulatory approval before a new offer is made.
To contact the reporter on this story: Aoife White in Brussels at awhite62@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net.
ANGLO-BRITISH BASED PHARMACEUDICALS TO BE QUESTIONED BY U.S. FED REG AFTER LIFE-THREATENING COMPLAINTS
Glaxo, Merck drugs questioned
Posted 11/29/2010 06:36 PM ET
Federal health regulators said U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Avodart and Merck's (MRK) Proscar both cut prostate cancer risk in men. The FDA, however, questioned the benefit of the drugs because the tumors usually aren't life-threatening. They also complained that the studies included too few black men — just 4% in Merck's study and 2% in GlaxoSmithKline's — a group at high risk for prostate cancer. The FDA has slated a public hearing on the drugs for Wednesday. Glaxo slid 1.8% to 38.72. Merck dipped 0.3% to 34.69.
Posted 11/29/2010 06:36 PM ET
Federal health regulators said U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Avodart and Merck's (MRK) Proscar both cut prostate cancer risk in men. The FDA, however, questioned the benefit of the drugs because the tumors usually aren't life-threatening. They also complained that the studies included too few black men — just 4% in Merck's study and 2% in GlaxoSmithKline's — a group at high risk for prostate cancer. The FDA has slated a public hearing on the drugs for Wednesday. Glaxo slid 1.8% to 38.72. Merck dipped 0.3% to 34.69.
ONE NEWSPAPER CREEPY TOWN GETS THEIR NEW ALARM SYSTEM RIGHT!
New alarm among Somalis in Minnesota
By ALLIE SHAH and RICHARD MERYHEW, Star Tribune staff writers
November 29, 2010 - 10:00 PM
A few hours before delivering a speech Saturday about the dangers of ignorance, Sharif Mohamed of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Minneapolis received disturbing news.
"Did you hear?" a friend asked the Muslim prayer leader by phone.
Mohamed, of Minneapolis, quickly learned of the foiled car bomb attack planned for a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony Friday in Portland, Ore., and of the 19-year-old Somali-American accused in the plot.
In the Twin Cities, home to the nation's largest Somali community, where concerns about radicalized youths already were high, the news from Oregon has heightened calls for a swift community response.
Minnesota Somali leaders had already been working to protect young men in their community from the lure of radicalism and gangs.
"It's a very dangerous situation," Mohamed said of the threat posed by religious extremism. "The next step is [figuring out] how can the Somali community address this issue?"
Added Abdisalam Adam, secretary of the Islamic League of Somali Scholars in America: "There seems to be a feeling of, with the youth, something is missing."
Concerns raised by the attempted terrorist attack in Portland, which allegedly was planned by teenager Mohamed Osman Mohamud, have only increased with reports of an arson attack a couple of days later against an Oregon mosque where he reportedly once worshiped.
A town hall meeting to discuss the Oregon incident, organized by BBC Somali, is planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Safari Restaurant, 3010 4th Av. S., Minneapolis. That same evening, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Dar al-Hijrah, at 504 Cedar Av. S., will host an open house and discussion on peaceful co-existence.
Cases not connected
Minnesota has recently been at the center of one of the largest counterterrorism probes since the 9/11 attacks.
The focus stems from the recruitment of at least 20 young men, nearly all of Somali descent, by the terrorist group Al-Shabab.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SO INCOMPETENT, THEY GET NIDAL HASSAN'S NATIONALITY WRONG!
Iranian Nuclear Scientist Dies in Twin Bombings in Tehran
by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee on 29 November 2010
An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed and another wounded in two bomb attacks on Monday that Iranian authorities alleged was part of a conspiracy by the West to dismantle Iran's nuclear program, the Associated Press reports. The attacks—in which bombs were attached to the cars of the two targets—were similar in style to the slaying of physicist Masoud Alimohammadi, who was killed by a remote-controlled motorcycle bomb parked next to his car in January.
The man killed in Monday's attacks was Majid Shahriari, a professor of nuclear engineering at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. The other victim was Feredoun Abbasi, a high ranking official of the Defense Ministry who was involved in the country's nuclear program, according to several reports. The two men were parking their cars at separate locations near the university campus on Monday morning when witnesses saw a group of motorcyclists approach the vehicles. The bombs were apparently attached to the cars and detonated a little later, killing Shahriari on the spot and injuring Abbasi. Shahriari's wife and Abbasi's wife were injured as well.
The head of Iran's nuclear program, Ali Akbar Salehi, blamed Israel and the United States for the attacks while talking to reporters during a visit to see Abbasi in hospital. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Salehi said Shahriari was involved in one of Iran's most important nuclear projects. Then Salehi appeared to issue a warning to Israel and the West, saying: "Don't play with fire. The patience of the Iranian nation has limits. If it runs out of patience, bad consequences will await enemies."
Iranian officials had a similar reaction when Alimohammadi died, although opponents of Iran's government alleged that the physicist had been killed by the regime for being sympathetic to the reformist movement. Contrary to the government's claims, Alimohammadi was not a nuclear scientist but a theoretical physicist who published papers on string theory and other topics.
Farhad Ardalan, a physicist at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences in Tehran, says it is unclear if Alimohammadi's assassination and Monday's attacks have anything more in common than the manner in which they were carried out. He notes that the government has not responded to appeals from the Physics Society of Iran and other academics for an investigation into the death of Alimohammadi. "With the lack of any credible information, it is very hard to say what is happening," he says.
FBI GETS PORTLAND, OREGON TERROR REPORT WRONG & WE STUMBLE UPON AMERICA'S MOST WANTED FUGITIVES MOLE-HOLES!
HOW DID THE F.B.I. GET THIS WRONG?
APPARENTLY, U.S. FEDERAL INDICTED AND IMPEACHED FORMER GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH'S ATTORNEY, SAM ADAMS, NOW THE MAYOR OF PORTLAND, OREGON IS DIRECTING THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY AND AGENDA. WHAT?
HOW COULD THAT BE? HOW DID THEY GET MY TERRORIST NEIGHBOR AT 602 WEST 3RD STREET, APARTMENT 3, DULUTH, MN 55802 CONFUSED WITH THE PORTLAND, OREGON CHRISTMAS DAY LIGHTING BOMBER?
HOW COULD IT BE THAT THEY GOT THE CHRISTMAS DAY LIGHTING BOMBER'S ATTORNEY, STEVE --- MY CRIMINAL REAL ESTATE LANDLORD CONFUSED WITH THE CHRISTMAS DAY LIGHTING BOMBER'S ATTORNEY "NOT GUILTY" DEFENSE CONFUSED WITH REPRESENTATION OF U.S. FEDERALLY INDICTED AND IMPEACHED FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH?
WOW...THE F.B.I. IS REALLY COMPETENT THESE DAYS.
AFTER RACHEL, A CVS EMPLOYEE FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, SUPPORTED NIGERIAN TERRORISTS WHO ATTEMPTED TO BOMB MY PLANE ON CHRISTMAS DAY BY PROVIDING THEM FREE $25 GIFT CARDS --- HOW IS IT THAT RACHEL FROM PORTLAND, KY NOT PORTLAND, OR IS NOW DIRECTING LEGAL DEFENSE ON BEHALF OF U.S. FEDERALLY INDICTED AND IMPEACHED FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH WHILE FALSIFY F.B.I. REPORTS ON BEHALF OF A CRIMINAL TERRORIST SLUM TENET AT 602 WEST 3RD STREET, APARTMENT 3, DULUTH, MN 55802 AND THE REPORTED CRIMINAL SLUM LANDLORD, STEVE, WHO NOW REPRESENTS THEM IN PORTLAND, OR, NOT PORTLAND, KY WHERE FREE GIFT CARDS ARE GIVEN TO NIGERIAN TERRORISTS AT CVS, BUT DULUTH, MINNESOTA?
HOW DID THEY GET THE BUILDING THAT WAS ATTACK BY TERRORIST WRONG, AS WELL THE COUNTRY OF ATTACK?
INDEED, THE TERRORIST ATTACK TOOK PLACE IN THE COUNTRY OF TURKEY --- WELL, GOOBLE, GOOBLE, GOOBLE ---- HOW COMPETENT OF THE F.B.I.
APPARENTLY A MILITARY GENERAL CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE STILL AWAITING THE RESULTS OF NIDAL HASSAN'S ATTACK ON FORT HOOD TEXAS MILITARY PERSONNEL.
READ THE REPORT BELOW!
IS NIDAL HASSAN REALLY NIDAL HASSSAN?
STAY TUNED...WE'RE STILL AWAITING THE RELEASE OF DOCUMENTS THAT THE U.S. DOMESTIC TERRORIST BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO RELEASE.
IN THE MEANTIME...PART OF THE ANSWER LIES IN THIS MAN, ROBERT HANNSEN ---
THERE'S HIS MUG SHOT. HE'S THE NUMBER ONE MOST WANTED F.B.I. CRIMINAL K.G.B. CHICAGO POLICE AND ATTORNEY SUPPORTED IN THE WORLD ---
NOW, HE WORKS AS A PUBLIC AID ASSISTANCE IN THE MINNESOTA STATE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE OFFICE AS WELL ---
WHAT DO THINK THE "REAL" F.B.I. AND FED HAVE IN MIND FOR THESE MOST WANTED AMERICAN CRIMINALS AND TERRORISTS?
http://www.nwcn.com/news/oregon/Security-changes-in-downtown-Portland-after-bomb-threat--111018119.html
Turkish general confesses to burning down a mosque, blaming it on non-Muslims
In Cyprus in 1974. This is reminiscent of how CAIR and others have not hesitated to stoop even to fabricating "hate crimes." They want and need hate crimes against Muslims, because they can use them as weapons to intimidate people into remaining silent about the jihad threat.
"Retired general confesses to burning mosque to fire up public," from Today's Zaman, September 24 (thanks to M.):
A retired general who has recently been accused of having conducted an assassination attempt on the life of Turkey's eighth president, Turgut Özal, has inadvertently confessed that he ordered the burning of a mosque as part of psychological warfare operations in 1974.
In remarks published in the Haber Türk daily yesterday as part of an interview with Gen. Sabri Yirmibeşoğlu, who led the Special War Department in 1971 and also worked to mobilize civilian resistance during Turkey's military intervention on Cyprus in 1974, said: "In Special War, certain acts of sabotage are staged and blamed on the enemy to increase public resistance. We did this on Cyprus; we even burnt down a mosque." In response to the surprised correspondent's incredulous look the general said, "I am giving an example," in an attempt to clear things up. [...]
The confession brings to mind the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot, allegedly drafted by a clique in the military to undermine the government. Dozens of military officers were arrested, although most were later released during the investigation into the Sledgehammer document, which includes plans to bomb the Fatih and Beyazıt mosques and down a Turkish jet over the Aegean to fuel problems with Greece with the ultimate aim of discrediting the government.
When allegations regarding the Sledgehammer plan first arose after the document was leaked to the press earlier this year, then-Chief of General Staff Gen.İlker Başbuğ dismissed the accusations as nonsense. Başbuğ said a military whose troops are known for shouting "Allah Allah" as they attack the enemy could not possibly think of burning the house of God. However, Yirmibeşoğlu's revelation shows that this has actually been done before.
Posted by Robert on September 24, 2010 5:31 AM | 23 Comments
ARE YOU KIDDING --- THEY THINK THEY ARE "HEROS" NOW? IT'S ALMOST LAUGHABLE, PERHAPS FEDERAL SENTENCING WILL BE LENIENT!
REMEMBER THE TERRORIST U.S. FEDERALLY INDICTED CHICAGO LAWYER AND POLICE OFFICERS NOW OPERATING IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA WHO CLAIM REPUBLICAN VOTERS CONDUCT IS "DISORDERLY" WHILE A SPANISH TEACHER WORKING FROM THE SAME CVS PHARMACY IN LOUISVILLE, KY WHO AWARDED $25 GIFT CERTIFICATES TO THE CHRISTMAS DAY NIGERIAN BOMBER? SEE THEIR INDICTMENT BELOW:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/pr1122_01.pdf
RETIRED CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER INDICTED IN RICO CONSPIRACY WITH
MEMBERS OF ALLEGED DRUG DISTRIBUTION RING ACCUSED OF ENGAGING
IN MURDERS, KIDNAPPINGS, ROBBERIES AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
TODAY WISCONSIN HAS COME OUT WITH A FALSIFIED POLICE REPORT CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE NOW "HEROS". READ THE REPORT BELOW. THEIR U.S. FEDERAL INDICTMENT IS CURRENTLY PENDING:
'Heroic' Teacher Hailed At Wisconsin School Where Student Took Hostages
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/11/30/131693734/-heroic-teacher-hailed-at-wisconsin-school-where-student-took-hostages
THAT'S TRULY AMAZING AS THE MINNESOTA STATE HOUSE NOW HAS A MAJORITY REPUBLICAN VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FORTY YEARS, YET AS MINNESOTA VOTERS' BALLOTS ARE STILL BEING HELD HOSTAGE THEY CLAIM MARK DAYTON HAS WON THE MINNESOTA GOVERNORS' RACE --- AN IMPOSSIBILITY. HOWEVER, WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THE UNAMERICAN NATURE OF LORI SWANSON'S OFFICE AND THE FACT THAT LORI JANATOPOLOUS AND DAWN MARIE SASS ACTUALLY LOST THEIR ELECTION BIDS TO WIPE OUT THE WISCONSIN TAXPAYER LAST MONTH AS ALEXI GIANNOULIAS STOLE FROM ILLINOIS SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR TEACHER'S UNIONS ----
BUT AGAIN, ALEXI GIANNOULIAS' U.S. FEDERAL INDICTMENT IS PENDING AS WELL, IS IT NOT?
http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2010/pr1122_01.pdf
RETIRED CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER INDICTED IN RICO CONSPIRACY WITH
MEMBERS OF ALLEGED DRUG DISTRIBUTION RING ACCUSED OF ENGAGING
IN MURDERS, KIDNAPPINGS, ROBBERIES AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
TODAY WISCONSIN HAS COME OUT WITH A FALSIFIED POLICE REPORT CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE NOW "HEROS". READ THE REPORT BELOW. THEIR U.S. FEDERAL INDICTMENT IS CURRENTLY PENDING:
'Heroic' Teacher Hailed At Wisconsin School Where Student Took Hostages
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/11/30/131693734/-heroic-teacher-hailed-at-wisconsin-school-where-student-took-hostages
THAT'S TRULY AMAZING AS THE MINNESOTA STATE HOUSE NOW HAS A MAJORITY REPUBLICAN VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FORTY YEARS, YET AS MINNESOTA VOTERS' BALLOTS ARE STILL BEING HELD HOSTAGE THEY CLAIM MARK DAYTON HAS WON THE MINNESOTA GOVERNORS' RACE --- AN IMPOSSIBILITY. HOWEVER, WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THE UNAMERICAN NATURE OF LORI SWANSON'S OFFICE AND THE FACT THAT LORI JANATOPOLOUS AND DAWN MARIE SASS ACTUALLY LOST THEIR ELECTION BIDS TO WIPE OUT THE WISCONSIN TAXPAYER LAST MONTH AS ALEXI GIANNOULIAS STOLE FROM ILLINOIS SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEIR TEACHER'S UNIONS ----
BUT AGAIN, ALEXI GIANNOULIAS' U.S. FEDERAL INDICTMENT IS PENDING AS WELL, IS IT NOT?
Monday, November 29, 2010
HILLARY CLINTON & HER ANGLO-CANADIAN TRAITORS ARE FREAKING OUT AS BRITISH PETRO PANZEE OBAMA'S IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS ARE BECOMING A "REALITY"!
HILLARY CLINTON AND ANGLO-CANADIAN TRAITORS ARE FREAKING OUT AS BRITISH PETRO PANZEE BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S IMPEACHING HEARINGS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A "REALITY"!
http://impeachobamastore.us/
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/hillary-clinton-condemns-wikileaks-cable-release-as-attack/story-e6frg6so-1225963090316
http://impeachobamastore.us/
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/hillary-clinton-condemns-wikileaks-cable-release-as-attack/story-e6frg6so-1225963090316
SOMALI MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ATTACK ON UNITED STATES' NAVAL SHIP
Somali Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Attack On U.S. Ship
11/29/2010 3:28 PM ET
(RTTNews) - A Somali man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for engaging in acts of piracy against the U.S.S. Ashland, a Virginia-based based amphibious dock landing ship.
The Justice Department said that Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty to attacking to plunder a vessel, engaging in an act of violence against persons on a vessel and to using a firearm during a crime of violence in regard to the attack on the Ashland in April.
"Today marks the first sentencing in Norfolk for acts of piracy in more than 150 years," said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride. "Ibrahim admitted his role in an armed attack on a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden, after mistaking it for a merchant vessel."
He added, "Piracy is a growing threat throughout the world, and today's sentence, along with last week's convictions, demonstrates that the United States will hold modern-day pirates accountable in U.S. courtrooms."
Last Wednesday, five Somali men were convicted on federal piracy charges for attacking the U.S.S. Nicholas off the coast of Africa.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
11/29/2010 3:28 PM ET
(RTTNews) - A Somali man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for engaging in acts of piracy against the U.S.S. Ashland, a Virginia-based based amphibious dock landing ship.
The Justice Department said that Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty to attacking to plunder a vessel, engaging in an act of violence against persons on a vessel and to using a firearm during a crime of violence in regard to the attack on the Ashland in April.
"Today marks the first sentencing in Norfolk for acts of piracy in more than 150 years," said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride. "Ibrahim admitted his role in an armed attack on a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden, after mistaking it for a merchant vessel."
He added, "Piracy is a growing threat throughout the world, and today's sentence, along with last week's convictions, demonstrates that the United States will hold modern-day pirates accountable in U.S. courtrooms."
Last Wednesday, five Somali men were convicted on federal piracy charges for attacking the U.S.S. Nicholas off the coast of Africa.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
CANADIAN CITIZEN SET FOR TRIAL IN KILLING OF NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST
Canadian man set for trial in 1975 killing of native activist
By Richard Foot, Postmedia News November 29, 2010 3:03 PM
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her murder.
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her murder.
Photograph by: LES BAZSO, Vancouver Province
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her killing.
The highly anticipated trial in South Dakota — following a long extradition battle by Graham in Canada, and years of legal wrangling in the U.S. courts — arises out of one of the most sensational episodes in native American history.
In the early 1970s, Pictou-Aquash, a young Mi'kmaq from Nova Scotia, and Graham, a Southern Tsimshian originally from Yukon, drifted south and joined the American Indian Movement (AIM) and its high-profile occupation of the village of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
The village is an important, historic symbol for American aboriginals, the site of a massacre of Sioux tribespeople by the U.S. Cavalry in 1890.
In 1973, armed AIM activists took control of the town to protest a variety of native grievances. A 71-day standoff ensued, leaving several people dead on both sides of the siege, and sparking an explosion of violence that lasted several years on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation.
By 1975, Pictou-Aquash, under suspicion of being an FBI informant, had left AIM and moved to Denver. According to prosecution documents filed in the Graham case, AIM leaders allegedly ordered Graham and two other followers to kidnap Pictou-Aquash and bring her back to Pine Ridge.
Prosecutors say she was tied up, driven north, and raped and interrogated for several days. Finally one morning at sunrise, prosecutors say, three AIM enforcers — Graham, plus Americans Arlo Looking Cloud and Theda Clark — drove Pictou-Aquash to the edge of a ravine on the reservation.
"Aquash begged to go free," say prosecution documents. "She was crying and praying for her kids, and begging them not to do this. . . . Looking Cloud and Graham marched Aquash up a hill and Graham shot her at the top of a cliff. Her body was either thrown, or it tumbled to the bottom."
Pictou-Aquash's partly decomposed body was found by a rancher in 1976. A sloppy initial autopsy said the unidentified woman had died of exposure, and she was buried in an anonymous grave — but not before FBI agents had cut off her hands and sent them to a lab in Washington, D.C.
Fingerprint experts identified the woman as Pictou-Aquash. Her body was exhumed and a second autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a close-range gun shot to the back of her head.
Still, the case lay dormant for many years, during which time AIM's leaders claimed the FBI had murdered Pictou-Aquash. Then, in the late 1990s, a handful of former AIM members began talking about the crime.
In 2001, Looking Cloud and Graham were indicted for first-degree murder. Looking Cloud was convicted in 2004 of "aiding and abetting" Pictou-Aquash's murder, and is now serving a life sentence.
Paul DeMain, the managing editor of News From Indian Country, a Wisconsin-based native newspaper that has investigated the affair, says Looking Cloud and Graham were not the key figures in the crime.
"They are like the Watergate burglars, breaking into the Democratic Committee office to do the dirty work," he says. "The AIM leadership has not been held accountable for this murder or a dozen others committed in that time era (because) none of the AIM leaders ever did their own dirty work. They got people like Arlo and John Graham, who were young warrior-wannabes in the organization."
Graham, 55, has said FBI agents visited him four times at his home in Canada, offering him immunity from prosecution if he named the leaders who ordered Pictou-Aquash's killing.
Graham refused, insisting on his innocence. When the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his final extradition appeal in 2007, Graham was transferred to a South Dakota jail.
The only direct, known evidence against Graham is that of Looking Cloud, who has said Graham fired the gun that killed Pictou-Aquash. It's not yet known if Looking Cloud, who remains in prison, will testify at Graham's trial.
Thelma Rios, another former AIM member who was scheduled to go on trial with Graham — but who pleaded guilty earlier this month to being an accessory to the Pictou-Aquash kidnapping — could also testify.
Theda Clark, now in her 80s, has never been charged in the crime, and has always refused to testify against Graham.
Meanwhile, Graham's family and supporters say Graham is the victim of a "travesty of justice" — that his constitutional rights have been violated, and that he won't receive a fair trial in the U.S.
Denise Maloney Pictou, one of Pictou-Aquash's two daughters, has said her family, after waiting decades for justice to be done, hopes the trial will shed further light on her mother's death, and bring some measure of accountability.
"Our family has been left in Canada, to our own resources, while we have waited, and continue to wait patiently, for this case to work its way through the justice system," she has said.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Canadian+trial+1975+killing+native+activist/3900849/story.html#ixzz16hvX1cud
By Richard Foot, Postmedia News November 29, 2010 3:03 PM
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her murder.
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her murder.
Photograph by: LES BAZSO, Vancouver Province
Thirty-five years after Canadian aboriginal activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was gunned down in an execution-style murder in the South Dakota badlands, Vancouver resident John Graham is scheduled to go on trial this week for her killing.
The highly anticipated trial in South Dakota — following a long extradition battle by Graham in Canada, and years of legal wrangling in the U.S. courts — arises out of one of the most sensational episodes in native American history.
In the early 1970s, Pictou-Aquash, a young Mi'kmaq from Nova Scotia, and Graham, a Southern Tsimshian originally from Yukon, drifted south and joined the American Indian Movement (AIM) and its high-profile occupation of the village of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
The village is an important, historic symbol for American aboriginals, the site of a massacre of Sioux tribespeople by the U.S. Cavalry in 1890.
In 1973, armed AIM activists took control of the town to protest a variety of native grievances. A 71-day standoff ensued, leaving several people dead on both sides of the siege, and sparking an explosion of violence that lasted several years on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation.
By 1975, Pictou-Aquash, under suspicion of being an FBI informant, had left AIM and moved to Denver. According to prosecution documents filed in the Graham case, AIM leaders allegedly ordered Graham and two other followers to kidnap Pictou-Aquash and bring her back to Pine Ridge.
Prosecutors say she was tied up, driven north, and raped and interrogated for several days. Finally one morning at sunrise, prosecutors say, three AIM enforcers — Graham, plus Americans Arlo Looking Cloud and Theda Clark — drove Pictou-Aquash to the edge of a ravine on the reservation.
"Aquash begged to go free," say prosecution documents. "She was crying and praying for her kids, and begging them not to do this. . . . Looking Cloud and Graham marched Aquash up a hill and Graham shot her at the top of a cliff. Her body was either thrown, or it tumbled to the bottom."
Pictou-Aquash's partly decomposed body was found by a rancher in 1976. A sloppy initial autopsy said the unidentified woman had died of exposure, and she was buried in an anonymous grave — but not before FBI agents had cut off her hands and sent them to a lab in Washington, D.C.
Fingerprint experts identified the woman as Pictou-Aquash. Her body was exhumed and a second autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a close-range gun shot to the back of her head.
Still, the case lay dormant for many years, during which time AIM's leaders claimed the FBI had murdered Pictou-Aquash. Then, in the late 1990s, a handful of former AIM members began talking about the crime.
In 2001, Looking Cloud and Graham were indicted for first-degree murder. Looking Cloud was convicted in 2004 of "aiding and abetting" Pictou-Aquash's murder, and is now serving a life sentence.
Paul DeMain, the managing editor of News From Indian Country, a Wisconsin-based native newspaper that has investigated the affair, says Looking Cloud and Graham were not the key figures in the crime.
"They are like the Watergate burglars, breaking into the Democratic Committee office to do the dirty work," he says. "The AIM leadership has not been held accountable for this murder or a dozen others committed in that time era (because) none of the AIM leaders ever did their own dirty work. They got people like Arlo and John Graham, who were young warrior-wannabes in the organization."
Graham, 55, has said FBI agents visited him four times at his home in Canada, offering him immunity from prosecution if he named the leaders who ordered Pictou-Aquash's killing.
Graham refused, insisting on his innocence. When the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his final extradition appeal in 2007, Graham was transferred to a South Dakota jail.
The only direct, known evidence against Graham is that of Looking Cloud, who has said Graham fired the gun that killed Pictou-Aquash. It's not yet known if Looking Cloud, who remains in prison, will testify at Graham's trial.
Thelma Rios, another former AIM member who was scheduled to go on trial with Graham — but who pleaded guilty earlier this month to being an accessory to the Pictou-Aquash kidnapping — could also testify.
Theda Clark, now in her 80s, has never been charged in the crime, and has always refused to testify against Graham.
Meanwhile, Graham's family and supporters say Graham is the victim of a "travesty of justice" — that his constitutional rights have been violated, and that he won't receive a fair trial in the U.S.
Denise Maloney Pictou, one of Pictou-Aquash's two daughters, has said her family, after waiting decades for justice to be done, hopes the trial will shed further light on her mother's death, and bring some measure of accountability.
"Our family has been left in Canada, to our own resources, while we have waited, and continue to wait patiently, for this case to work its way through the justice system," she has said.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Canadian+trial+1975+killing+native+activist/3900849/story.html#ixzz16hvX1cud
DON'T BUY A CHRYSLER-FIAT ---- THE $6.4 M ANSWER: BUY AMERICAN, DON'T SUPPORT FOREIGN AND STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISTS
Chrysler, Fiat to Build Small Jeep, Alfa Romeo Models in Turin by 2012
by Andrew Peterson
Chrysler, Fiat to Build Small Jeep, Alfa Romeo Models in Turin by 2012
Chrysler may soon be building Fiat and Maserati SUVs alongside Jeeps in America, but it seems the Fiat Group may return the favor abroad. Earlier today, Fiat announced $1.3 billion in upgrades for its factory in Turin, Italy, which will allow it to build a number of products -- including small Jeeps -- starting in 2012.
The investment will cover retooling the factory to produce a number of different Alfa Romeo and Jeep models including the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and station wagon (which will replace the 159), along with a small Alfa Romeo SUV and Jeep SUV. The Jeep SUV is expected to replace the current Compass and Patriot, while Alfa's model will be aimed upmarket, possibly targeting the new BMW X3 and Audi's Q5 crossover.
According to a Fiat spokesman, the plant will begin producing the new models in either the third or fourth quarter of 2012. Adding the new models to the plant's lineup will bring its total output to around 250,000 to 280,000 units per year; half of which are destined for European markets, while the remainder will be exported. We'd imagine many of those exports are headed to the U.S., as the new Alfa models are key to the company's planned rebirth in the U.S.
Presently, Fiat builds the Fiat Idea, Multipla, Punto Classic, the Lancia Musa, and the Alfa Romeo MiTo at the Turin facility. Production of the Multipla and Punto Classic ceases next month, but the Musa and Idea will remain in production until 2012, although their replacements will be produced in Serbia. The MiTo will remain in production in Turinthrough 2014, although it's unknown where its successor will be assembled.
Fiat's investment in its Turin plant is part of its larger $26 billion investment program to improve factories and vehicle development. The investment program is part of a deal with its Italian unions in exchange for concessions on work rules.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)
by Andrew Peterson
Chrysler, Fiat to Build Small Jeep, Alfa Romeo Models in Turin by 2012
Chrysler may soon be building Fiat and Maserati SUVs alongside Jeeps in America, but it seems the Fiat Group may return the favor abroad. Earlier today, Fiat announced $1.3 billion in upgrades for its factory in Turin, Italy, which will allow it to build a number of products -- including small Jeeps -- starting in 2012.
The investment will cover retooling the factory to produce a number of different Alfa Romeo and Jeep models including the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and station wagon (which will replace the 159), along with a small Alfa Romeo SUV and Jeep SUV. The Jeep SUV is expected to replace the current Compass and Patriot, while Alfa's model will be aimed upmarket, possibly targeting the new BMW X3 and Audi's Q5 crossover.
According to a Fiat spokesman, the plant will begin producing the new models in either the third or fourth quarter of 2012. Adding the new models to the plant's lineup will bring its total output to around 250,000 to 280,000 units per year; half of which are destined for European markets, while the remainder will be exported. We'd imagine many of those exports are headed to the U.S., as the new Alfa models are key to the company's planned rebirth in the U.S.
Presently, Fiat builds the Fiat Idea, Multipla, Punto Classic, the Lancia Musa, and the Alfa Romeo MiTo at the Turin facility. Production of the Multipla and Punto Classic ceases next month, but the Musa and Idea will remain in production until 2012, although their replacements will be produced in Serbia. The MiTo will remain in production in Turinthrough 2014, although it's unknown where its successor will be assembled.
Fiat's investment in its Turin plant is part of its larger $26 billion investment program to improve factories and vehicle development. The investment program is part of a deal with its Italian unions in exchange for concessions on work rules.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)
PAN AM TERRORISTS & LOCKERBIE RELEASERS SELL SOUTH AMERICAN STAKE IN COMMUNIST RUSSIAN SYMPATHIZING MORALEZ-CHAVEZ LANDS
BP Sells South America Interest
By GUY CHAZAN
BP PLC said it is selling its stake in Argentina-based oil and gas company Pan American Energy for $7.06 billion as part of a divestment plan designed to pay for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
BP will sell its 60% interest in PAE to Argentina's Bridas Corp., which already owns 40% in the venture. The deal, which is expected to be completed in 2011, brings BP's total divestments since the spill to $21 billion.
Bridas is half-owned by China's Cnooc Ltd., and the deal is a further example of Chinese state-owned firms expanding internationally in the energy sphere.
Related News
* China Oil Firms Find Partners Ease Deals
* WSJ.com Topics: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
In a statement, BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley said the agreement "further demonstrates both the high quality and attractiveness of the assets throughout BP's global portfolio and also the company's ability to meet our significant financial commitments arising from the Gulf of Mexico tragedy."
He said BP would continue to identify other assets to sell.
BP said last summer it planned to dispose of between $25 billion to $30 billion in assets over 18 months to cover the costs of the spill, which it expects to reach $40 billion in total. Analysts had placed BP's stake in Pan American Energy at the top of the list of assets the company could sell, since Argentina isn't seen as one of its core areas. A deal has long been expected.
Access thousands of business sources not available on the free web. Learn More
Pan American Energy, which generated $584.1 million in profit for BP last year, explores for and pumps oil and gas in South America, chiefly Argentina, where it is the country's second largest oil and gas producer. The 60% stake BP is selling represents reserves of 917 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and production of 143,000 boe a day—about 3.8% of BP's total output. The transaction excludes the shares of Pan American's Bolivian unit, PAE E&P Bolivia Ltd.
BP acquired its stake in PAE through its merger with Amoco in 1998. The venture's largest asset is the Cerro Dragon, a vast oil and gas field in southern Argentina, about 900 miles south of Buenos Aires. The field was mature and in decline when BP came in, but by applying cutting-edge oil-recovery techniques, the company was able to extend its life and boost production.
Bridas is a 50-50 joint venture between Cnooc International Ltd.—a fully owned subsidiary of Cnooc—and Bridas Energy Holdings, which is owned by the family of Argentinian businessman Carlos Bulgheroni. Cnooc acquired 50% of Bridas for $3.1 billion in March.
In a statement on its website, Cnooc said the deal will increase its average daily output by 68,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bridas will pay BP a cash deposit of $3.53 billion, with the balance of the proceeds due when the sale completes.
Write to Guy Chazan at guy.chazan@wsj.com
By GUY CHAZAN
BP PLC said it is selling its stake in Argentina-based oil and gas company Pan American Energy for $7.06 billion as part of a divestment plan designed to pay for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
BP will sell its 60% interest in PAE to Argentina's Bridas Corp., which already owns 40% in the venture. The deal, which is expected to be completed in 2011, brings BP's total divestments since the spill to $21 billion.
Bridas is half-owned by China's Cnooc Ltd., and the deal is a further example of Chinese state-owned firms expanding internationally in the energy sphere.
Related News
* China Oil Firms Find Partners Ease Deals
* WSJ.com Topics: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
In a statement, BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley said the agreement "further demonstrates both the high quality and attractiveness of the assets throughout BP's global portfolio and also the company's ability to meet our significant financial commitments arising from the Gulf of Mexico tragedy."
He said BP would continue to identify other assets to sell.
BP said last summer it planned to dispose of between $25 billion to $30 billion in assets over 18 months to cover the costs of the spill, which it expects to reach $40 billion in total. Analysts had placed BP's stake in Pan American Energy at the top of the list of assets the company could sell, since Argentina isn't seen as one of its core areas. A deal has long been expected.
Access thousands of business sources not available on the free web. Learn More
Pan American Energy, which generated $584.1 million in profit for BP last year, explores for and pumps oil and gas in South America, chiefly Argentina, where it is the country's second largest oil and gas producer. The 60% stake BP is selling represents reserves of 917 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and production of 143,000 boe a day—about 3.8% of BP's total output. The transaction excludes the shares of Pan American's Bolivian unit, PAE E&P Bolivia Ltd.
BP acquired its stake in PAE through its merger with Amoco in 1998. The venture's largest asset is the Cerro Dragon, a vast oil and gas field in southern Argentina, about 900 miles south of Buenos Aires. The field was mature and in decline when BP came in, but by applying cutting-edge oil-recovery techniques, the company was able to extend its life and boost production.
Bridas is a 50-50 joint venture between Cnooc International Ltd.—a fully owned subsidiary of Cnooc—and Bridas Energy Holdings, which is owned by the family of Argentinian businessman Carlos Bulgheroni. Cnooc acquired 50% of Bridas for $3.1 billion in March.
In a statement on its website, Cnooc said the deal will increase its average daily output by 68,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bridas will pay BP a cash deposit of $3.53 billion, with the balance of the proceeds due when the sale completes.
Write to Guy Chazan at guy.chazan@wsj.com
WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA --- YOU ARE NOW A LEGAL CITIZEN!!!
After spending some considerable time along both of MY United States of American borders, North and South, it is my opinion that the Northern border of the United States of America poses the greatest risk to the national and economic security of the United States.
Here in Minnesota, I face daily death threats by communist Anglo-gringos whose Anglo interests lie in shipping Canadian and U.S. natural and agricultural resources to hostile nations that hate us and our allies, and whose economies are not aligned with that of the United States of America.
China and Russia, North Korea's only friends, appear to also have friends in Australia, Canada, and Britain. All benefit the most from insecurity along the United States - Canadian border. The Great Lakes' Shipping Ports are completely unsecured and corrupted. The local governments are unlike that of any in the United States of America I have ever seen and are completely oppressive and undemocratic in nature.
The American voters are still waiting for their ballots to be counted, and it is not the first time their votes have been held hostage.
Freedom of movement here in our own nation is being denied to American citizens and restricted by criminal corrupt government officials, law enforcement, union organizations, and America's high-jacked mining and steel corporations.
Unions, who are loyal to a steel corporation and mining business, are blocking Americans and sending our jobs to foreign countries who hate us like Serbia, for whom American forces are still engage in military conflict.
The People of Illinois have resoundingly sent a clear message of impeachment to Serbia's Steel Working Recipient illegally shipped through OUR PORTS, the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is still facing re-trial in April after being convicted most recently in a Federal District Court by a grand jury.
If that's not enough, the anti-Catholic mailings to Minnesota's Democrat Party (a communist-back Soviet Union style labor organization illegally shipping America's Agriculture to Russia, China, and Serbia) was just another "nail in the coffin" for their communist labor organization and local government which will require the American People to further include and indicted more defendants --- Labor Unions, Corporations, and yes...perhaps another state's Governor to the new Amended Complaint and Prosecution for the re-trial of the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and federal convict.
I, as an American, feel much safer and more secure in a room full of illegal Mexicans and South Americans than I do in communist Minnesota along the Canadian border and our unsecured Great Lake Shipping Ports where Anglo-Chinese oil sand pipelines WILL NOT BE CROSSING A SINGLE INCH OF UNITED STATES' SOIL!
For these reasons...
I AM NOW SWITCHING MY VOTE TO SUPPORT MY FELLOW CATHOLIC FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLES WHO HAVE ALWAYS LEGALLY RESIDED IN THE AMERICAS IN THEIR PASSAGE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM ACT TOWARD LEGAL CITIZENSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT TOGETHER WE CAN "PLUG THE HOLE & PIPELINES OF OUR ENEMIES" ALONG OUR U.S.-CANADIAN BORDER AND OUR GREAT LAKES SHIPPING PORTS!!!
WELCOME TO AMERICA!
Here in Minnesota, I face daily death threats by communist Anglo-gringos whose Anglo interests lie in shipping Canadian and U.S. natural and agricultural resources to hostile nations that hate us and our allies, and whose economies are not aligned with that of the United States of America.
China and Russia, North Korea's only friends, appear to also have friends in Australia, Canada, and Britain. All benefit the most from insecurity along the United States - Canadian border. The Great Lakes' Shipping Ports are completely unsecured and corrupted. The local governments are unlike that of any in the United States of America I have ever seen and are completely oppressive and undemocratic in nature.
The American voters are still waiting for their ballots to be counted, and it is not the first time their votes have been held hostage.
Freedom of movement here in our own nation is being denied to American citizens and restricted by criminal corrupt government officials, law enforcement, union organizations, and America's high-jacked mining and steel corporations.
Unions, who are loyal to a steel corporation and mining business, are blocking Americans and sending our jobs to foreign countries who hate us like Serbia, for whom American forces are still engage in military conflict.
The People of Illinois have resoundingly sent a clear message of impeachment to Serbia's Steel Working Recipient illegally shipped through OUR PORTS, the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is still facing re-trial in April after being convicted most recently in a Federal District Court by a grand jury.
If that's not enough, the anti-Catholic mailings to Minnesota's Democrat Party (a communist-back Soviet Union style labor organization illegally shipping America's Agriculture to Russia, China, and Serbia) was just another "nail in the coffin" for their communist labor organization and local government which will require the American People to further include and indicted more defendants --- Labor Unions, Corporations, and yes...perhaps another state's Governor to the new Amended Complaint and Prosecution for the re-trial of the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and federal convict.
I, as an American, feel much safer and more secure in a room full of illegal Mexicans and South Americans than I do in communist Minnesota along the Canadian border and our unsecured Great Lake Shipping Ports where Anglo-Chinese oil sand pipelines WILL NOT BE CROSSING A SINGLE INCH OF UNITED STATES' SOIL!
For these reasons...
I AM NOW SWITCHING MY VOTE TO SUPPORT MY FELLOW CATHOLIC FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLES WHO HAVE ALWAYS LEGALLY RESIDED IN THE AMERICAS IN THEIR PASSAGE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM ACT TOWARD LEGAL CITIZENSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT TOGETHER WE CAN "PLUG THE HOLE & PIPELINES OF OUR ENEMIES" ALONG OUR U.S.-CANADIAN BORDER AND OUR GREAT LAKES SHIPPING PORTS!!!
WELCOME TO AMERICA!
CHINA, CANADA, & ANGLO-GRINGO'S HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF ROBBING AMERICA & SUPPORTING HER ENEMIES
Chilean Copper Mine Strike Expected to Continue
Fri, 11/26/2010 - 11:10 EDT story from CNBC Top News and Analysis in
*
Chile copper strike gets underway
Workers at the world's second biggest copper mine have begun strike action over pay, unions say, pushing the price of copper higher.
*
Major Chilean copper mines go on strike
Workers at two mines owned by Chile's Codelco company, the world's biggest copper mining concern, went on strike demanding higher pay and better work benefits.Miners at the Chuquicamata and Mina Sur mines, which together account for four percent of the world's copper production, are calling for a 7.5 percent pay hike, as copper prices hit a 17-month peak at more than 7,500 dollars per tonne.Analysts said copper prices were sent higher by the strike, amid fears that market supply of the commodity will become tighter.
*
Chilean rescuers drill to resupply trapped miners
Crews working to rescue 33 men trapped deep in a northern Chilean mine used heavy equipment Sunday to drill holes in an attempt to supply any survivors with food and water.The miners were trapped three days ago some 400 meters (1,300 feet) below the surface when the entrance to the San Esteban copper mine collapsed. The mine is located outside Copiapo, in Chile's Atacama desert 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Santiago.
*
Workers strike at major Chilean copper mines
Workers at two mines owned by Chile's Codelco company, the world's biggest copper mining concern, went on strike Monday demanding higher pay and better work benefits.Miners at the Chuquicamata and Mina Sur mines, which together account for four percent of the world's copper production, are calling for a 7.5 percent pay hike, after copper prices hit a 14-month peak at more than 7,000 dollars per tonne.
*
Chile copper miners' strike ends
Work is set to resume at the world's second biggest copper mine in Chile after workers voted to end a strike over pay.
*
NASA team advises Chile on trapped miners
NASA experts advised Chilean officials to be frank with 33 miners trapped deep underground about how long their rescue will take, as a giant drill slowly burrowed toward the desperate men.Meanwhile, the owners of the Chilean mine begged for "forgiveness for the anguish" caused by the collapse of the San Jose gold and copper mine August 5, which sealed in the miners 700 meters (2,300 feet) under the earth.
*
Chilean strike threat buoys copper
Copper prices reached a 15-month high in thin holiday trade amid concerns about supply disruptions as strikes affected production in Chile
*
Family marks time until infant's birth, Chile miner's return
The family of Victor Zamora has become used to marking time, anxiously counting the days until the trapped miner can be freed from a collapsed Chilean mine.Now, as they await his return, they also are eagerly ticking off the weeks until the arrival of mine worker's unborn child several months from now.Zamora is one of 33 miners trapped for the past month some 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground since a cave-in at the San Jose gold and copper mine, and Chilean officials have said it could take weeks or months to get them out.
*
Drilling makes progress towards trapped Chile miners
A truck convoy bearing a huge oil drilling machine is expected to arrive Wednesday to offer a third rescue option, or "Plan C," for the 33 men trapped for a month at the bottom of a Chilean mine."The 42 trucks will come in one or two at a time, they'll unload and go back down.... They can't all come here at once because they wouldn't fit" outside the San Jose gold and copper mine, rescue team member Rene Aguilar told AFP.
*
Chile miners set for rescue
The first of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine was set to emerge after more than two months deep underground, beginning a spectacular rescue in the glare of the world's media."We hope to see... at least one of the miners on the surface" before Tuesday is over, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile.The rescue was to continue over the next two days, until the last of the miners was winched up in a special metal cage from their tunnel 622 meter (2,041 feet) under a mountain.
Fri, 11/26/2010 - 11:10 EDT story from CNBC Top News and Analysis in
*
Chile copper strike gets underway
Workers at the world's second biggest copper mine have begun strike action over pay, unions say, pushing the price of copper higher.
*
Major Chilean copper mines go on strike
Workers at two mines owned by Chile's Codelco company, the world's biggest copper mining concern, went on strike demanding higher pay and better work benefits.Miners at the Chuquicamata and Mina Sur mines, which together account for four percent of the world's copper production, are calling for a 7.5 percent pay hike, as copper prices hit a 17-month peak at more than 7,500 dollars per tonne.Analysts said copper prices were sent higher by the strike, amid fears that market supply of the commodity will become tighter.
*
Chilean rescuers drill to resupply trapped miners
Crews working to rescue 33 men trapped deep in a northern Chilean mine used heavy equipment Sunday to drill holes in an attempt to supply any survivors with food and water.The miners were trapped three days ago some 400 meters (1,300 feet) below the surface when the entrance to the San Esteban copper mine collapsed. The mine is located outside Copiapo, in Chile's Atacama desert 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Santiago.
*
Workers strike at major Chilean copper mines
Workers at two mines owned by Chile's Codelco company, the world's biggest copper mining concern, went on strike Monday demanding higher pay and better work benefits.Miners at the Chuquicamata and Mina Sur mines, which together account for four percent of the world's copper production, are calling for a 7.5 percent pay hike, after copper prices hit a 14-month peak at more than 7,000 dollars per tonne.
*
Chile copper miners' strike ends
Work is set to resume at the world's second biggest copper mine in Chile after workers voted to end a strike over pay.
*
NASA team advises Chile on trapped miners
NASA experts advised Chilean officials to be frank with 33 miners trapped deep underground about how long their rescue will take, as a giant drill slowly burrowed toward the desperate men.Meanwhile, the owners of the Chilean mine begged for "forgiveness for the anguish" caused by the collapse of the San Jose gold and copper mine August 5, which sealed in the miners 700 meters (2,300 feet) under the earth.
*
Chilean strike threat buoys copper
Copper prices reached a 15-month high in thin holiday trade amid concerns about supply disruptions as strikes affected production in Chile
*
Family marks time until infant's birth, Chile miner's return
The family of Victor Zamora has become used to marking time, anxiously counting the days until the trapped miner can be freed from a collapsed Chilean mine.Now, as they await his return, they also are eagerly ticking off the weeks until the arrival of mine worker's unborn child several months from now.Zamora is one of 33 miners trapped for the past month some 700 meters (2,300 feet) underground since a cave-in at the San Jose gold and copper mine, and Chilean officials have said it could take weeks or months to get them out.
*
Drilling makes progress towards trapped Chile miners
A truck convoy bearing a huge oil drilling machine is expected to arrive Wednesday to offer a third rescue option, or "Plan C," for the 33 men trapped for a month at the bottom of a Chilean mine."The 42 trucks will come in one or two at a time, they'll unload and go back down.... They can't all come here at once because they wouldn't fit" outside the San Jose gold and copper mine, rescue team member Rene Aguilar told AFP.
*
Chile miners set for rescue
The first of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine was set to emerge after more than two months deep underground, beginning a spectacular rescue in the glare of the world's media."We hope to see... at least one of the miners on the surface" before Tuesday is over, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne told reporters at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile.The rescue was to continue over the next two days, until the last of the miners was winched up in a special metal cage from their tunnel 622 meter (2,041 feet) under a mountain.
ANGLO-GRINGOS AREN'T JUST A NIGHTMARE FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY --- BUT THEY SUPPORT AMERICA'S ENEMIES & NORTH KOREA'S ONLY FRIENDS, AS WELL
Rio Tinto PLC to increase capital expenditure to boost iron ore production
Nov 26, 2010
Rio Tinto PLC has stated that it has plans in place to triple its capital costs up to $11 billion in the coming year. Rio Tinto has planned to increase its iron ore manufacturing up to fifty percent in a 5 years period.
It should be noted that Rio Tinto is the third largest mining company and the 2nd largest iron ore exporter of the world.
Rio Tinto stated that the latest drilling and a reassessment of dumps in Pilbara region of Australia exposed a supplementary of 2 billion tons of iron ore reserves.
Rio Tinto is growing its iron ore division in the middle of rising demand from China for raw materials for steel production.
The fresh devices come just one month following Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton’s fragmented policy to shape the biggest iron ore joint venture of the world after going into regulatory and political resistance to the contract.
"Due to some re-phasing, the current year's spend is now anticipated to be close to $US4 billion ($A4.08 billion), with an increase to around $US11 billion ($A11.21 billion) in 2011", a statement released by Rio Tinto said.
According to Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto, a doubling of iron ore, copper and aluminum demand in the coming fifteen to twenty years, as determined by industrialization and urbanization in emerging economies, would need a major delivery response.
Nov 26, 2010
Rio Tinto PLC has stated that it has plans in place to triple its capital costs up to $11 billion in the coming year. Rio Tinto has planned to increase its iron ore manufacturing up to fifty percent in a 5 years period.
It should be noted that Rio Tinto is the third largest mining company and the 2nd largest iron ore exporter of the world.
Rio Tinto stated that the latest drilling and a reassessment of dumps in Pilbara region of Australia exposed a supplementary of 2 billion tons of iron ore reserves.
Rio Tinto is growing its iron ore division in the middle of rising demand from China for raw materials for steel production.
The fresh devices come just one month following Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton’s fragmented policy to shape the biggest iron ore joint venture of the world after going into regulatory and political resistance to the contract.
"Due to some re-phasing, the current year's spend is now anticipated to be close to $US4 billion ($A4.08 billion), with an increase to around $US11 billion ($A11.21 billion) in 2011", a statement released by Rio Tinto said.
According to Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto, a doubling of iron ore, copper and aluminum demand in the coming fifteen to twenty years, as determined by industrialization and urbanization in emerging economies, would need a major delivery response.
BRITISH PETRO PANZEE, BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S G20 NIGHTMARE FOR U.S. DOESN'T END IN NORTH KOREA'S ATTACK --- OBAMA PANZEE PLANS BP VENTURE IN INDONESIA
World Oil News Center
BP signs contract to explore Coalbed Methane in Indonesia
BP announced that a consortium led by its joint venture VICO (owned jointly by BP and ENI) has signed a production sharing contract with the Government of Indonesia for the exploration and development of Coalbed Methane (CBM) resources on the Sanga-Sanga block in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
VICO has been producing conventional gas resources from the Sanga-Sanga block for over 40 years, where Indonesia’s extensive coal reserves have been estimated to hold up to 450 trillion cubic feet of Coalbed Methane. As yet there is no commercial CBM production in the country.
The contract covers an area of around 1,700 km2 in the Kutai Basin, East Kalimantan. Preliminary studies on the block suggest it has a CBM resource potential of at least 4 trillion cubic feet of gas - further appraisal will closer define this potential. The PSC overlays the same acreage as the existing Sanga-Sanga conventional PSC, which has extensive gas production infrastructure already in place with access to markets internationally through the Bontang LNG plant as well as to local customers. This existing infrastructure is expected to allow rapid and efficient development of CBM to production.
The award of the contract follows two years of joint efforts by VICO and its partners, including a joint study of the PSC area. An appraisal program will determine the CBM production capacity of the block. The consortium will pay a signature bonus of US$4 million, and will now start work towards delivering the US$38 million work program commitment.
11/30/2009
Saturday, November 27, 2010
UNITED AIRLINES TO FLY TO NIGERIA DESPITE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVEL TO THE COUNTRY --- NIGERIAN UNIONS CONTINUE PROTESTS!
Travel Warning
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Nigeria
October 19, 2010
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria and continues to recommend U.S. citizens to avoid all but essential travel to the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers; the Southeastern states of Abia, Edo, Imo; the city of Jos in Plateau State; and Bauchi and Borno States in the northeast because of the risks of kidnapping, robbery, and other armed attacks in these areas. Violent crime committed by individuals and gangs, as well as by persons wearing police and military uniforms, remains a problem throughout the country. This notice replaces the Travel Warning for Nigeria, dated June 15, 2010, to update information on violent activity and crime in Nigeria.
Since January 2009, over 111 foreign nationals have been kidnapped in Nigeria, including 21 in 2010. Six foreign nationals were killed in connection with these abductions; two U.S. citizens were killed in separate abduction attempts in Port Harcourt in April 2010. Local authorities and expatriate businesses operating in Nigeria believe that the number of kidnapping incidents throughout Nigeria is underreported. Since March 2010, five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been detonated in the Niger Delta region with one to three reported casualties. In September 2010, over 150 members of the Boko Haram extremist religious sect escaped from prison in Northeast Bauchi and Borno States, some of whom are now believed to be participating in Boko Haram attacks in other parts of the country. In October, Boko Haram members attacked various Nigerian government security personnel and facilities, government officials, and authority figures in northeastern Bauchi and Borno States. On October 1, 2010, two car bombs detonated near Eagle Square in downtown Abuja during Independence Day celebrations, killing 10 and wounding many others. A Movement to Emancipate the Niger Delta (MEND) spokesperson claimed responsibility for this attack, while most former MEND militants publicly disavowed any links. On October 15, this alleged MEND spokesperson threatened further bombings in Abuja.
A loose alliance of militant groups in the Niger Delta region has conducted a number of attacks against oil installations and posts of the Nigerian military’s Joint Task Force (JTF), which had attempted to close the militant camps. In June 2009, the Federal Government of Nigeria offered unconditional amnesty to any militant willing to surrender his/her arms and accept the government’s amnesty program. While almost all major militant leaders accepted the offer and the amnesty remains in effect, the potential for violence and the risk of kidnapping remains high. Violent incidents involving “ex-militants” continue.
Travel by foreigners to areas considered by the Nigerian government to be conflict areas without prior consultation and coordination with local security authorities is not recommended, as the Nigerian government may see this activity as inappropriate and potentially illegal and it may detain violators. Nigerian authorities detained six U.S. citizens, including journalists, on six occasions, in areas where militant groups had operated in 2008. The Nigerian government interrogated these U.S. citizens for lengthy periods of time without bringing any formal charges before ultimately deporting them. Journalists are required to obtain a special accreditation from the Ministry of Information prior to traveling to conflict areas in the Niger Delta region states. This special accreditation is in addition to the general press accreditation and a valid Nigerian visa which are required to conduct such activities elsewhere in Nigeria.
Many foreign oil companies operating in the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers have implemented “essential travel only” policies for their personnel. The U.S. Mission currently requires advance permission for U.S. government travel to these states, as well as the states of Abia, Edo, and Imo, the city of Jos in Plateau State, and Bauchi and Borno States given the safety and security risk assessments and the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General's limited ability to provide assistance to people detained by Nigerian authorities in these states. U.S. citizens who are resident in these states are advised to review their personal security in light of the information contained in this Travel Warning.
Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society in which different ethnic and religious groups often coexist in the same geographic area. Travelers throughout the country should be aware that, in areas where such circumstances prevail, there is the potential for ethnic or religious-based disturbances. The States of Bauchi, Borno, and Plateau have experienced violence by fringe sects or inter-ethnic groups in the past year.
Violent crime committed by individuals and gangs, as well as by some persons wearing police and military uniforms, is an ongoing problem throughout the country, especially at night. Visitors and resident U.S. citizens have experienced armed muggings, assaults, burglary, carjacking, rape, kidnappings, and extortion - often involving violence. Home invasions remain a serious threat, with armed robbers accessing even guarded compounds by scaling perimeter walls; following, or tailgating, residents or visitors arriving by car into the compound; and subduing guards and gaining entry into homes or apartments. Armed robbers in Lagos also access waterfront compounds by boat. U.S. citizens, as well as Nigerians and other expatriates, have been victims of armed robbery at banks and grocery stores and on airport roads during both daylight and evening hours. Law enforcement authorities usually respond slowly or not at all, and provide little or no investigative support to victims. U.S. citizens, Nigerians, and other expatriates have experienced harassment and shakedowns at checkpoints and during encounters with Nigerian law enforcement officials. Traveling outside of major cities after dark is not recommended due to both crime and road safety concerns.
U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nigeria are strongly advised to register through the State Department's travel registration website. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, you make it easier for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to contact you in case of emergency.
U.S. citizens should contact the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos for up-to-date information on any restrictions. The U.S. Embassy in Abuja is open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos is open Monday-Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The U.S. Embassy in Abuja can be reached by telephone, including after-hours emergencies, at [234(9) 461-4000]. The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos can be reached by telephone, including after-hours emergencies at [234(1) 460-3600] or [234 (1) 460-3400]. You may also visit the U.S. Embassy's web site.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's most recent Country Specific Information for Nigeria and the Worldwide Caution, which are located on the State Department's website. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or by calling a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
DELTA AIR LINES WORKERS GROUPS REJECT UNION REPRESENTATION
Delta Air Lines worker group rejects union
ATLANTA | Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:51pm EST
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc Inc on Monday said workers in its TechOps maintenance department rejected union representation, handing the carrier another victory in its bid to remain largely union-free.
The voting result marks the second defeat this month for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which also failed to garner a majority vote among Delta baggage handlers last week.
The National Mediation Board said that of 607 valid votes counted from Delta TechOps Stores workers, 439 votes were cast for no union representative, while 168 votes favored unionization, including 166 votes for the machinists union. The agency said 673 employees were eligible to vote.
The TechOps Stores employees manage the flow and supply of parts for the Delta plane maintenance and repair division.
The machinists union said in a statement it was investigating "allegations of widespread illegal election interference" in the TechOps Stores and baggage worker elections.
RESOLVING UNION REPRESENTATION
Votes among big worker groups were set at Atlanta-based Delta this fall to resolve whether thousands would be fully unionized following the 2008 purchase of Northwest Airlines. The airline's pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union lost its attempt to represent about 20,000 Delta workers earlier this month. It has charged that Delta management interfered in the election.
Delta customer service agents, a group that numbers about 16,000, are currently voting to decide whether the machinists will represent them, and those results are due to be announced next month.
In a statement, Delta said the TechOps Stores workers marked the eighth employee group in which representation has been resolved for more than 41,000 employees since the Northwest merger.
A landmark change in federal labor law took effect this year under which the outcome of union elections at airlines and rail companies is now based on votes cast. The previous long-standing rule required a majority of an entire work group to approve unionization, effectively counting those who did not vote as "no" votes. Unions supported the rule change.
Late last week, the machinists union said it filed for elections for 2,200 office and clerical workers at Delta. If enough of those employees indicate interest in a union, the National Mediation Board will set a ballot election.
(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
ATLANTA | Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:51pm EST
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc Inc on Monday said workers in its TechOps maintenance department rejected union representation, handing the carrier another victory in its bid to remain largely union-free.
The voting result marks the second defeat this month for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which also failed to garner a majority vote among Delta baggage handlers last week.
The National Mediation Board said that of 607 valid votes counted from Delta TechOps Stores workers, 439 votes were cast for no union representative, while 168 votes favored unionization, including 166 votes for the machinists union. The agency said 673 employees were eligible to vote.
The TechOps Stores employees manage the flow and supply of parts for the Delta plane maintenance and repair division.
The machinists union said in a statement it was investigating "allegations of widespread illegal election interference" in the TechOps Stores and baggage worker elections.
RESOLVING UNION REPRESENTATION
Votes among big worker groups were set at Atlanta-based Delta this fall to resolve whether thousands would be fully unionized following the 2008 purchase of Northwest Airlines. The airline's pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union lost its attempt to represent about 20,000 Delta workers earlier this month. It has charged that Delta management interfered in the election.
Delta customer service agents, a group that numbers about 16,000, are currently voting to decide whether the machinists will represent them, and those results are due to be announced next month.
In a statement, Delta said the TechOps Stores workers marked the eighth employee group in which representation has been resolved for more than 41,000 employees since the Northwest merger.
A landmark change in federal labor law took effect this year under which the outcome of union elections at airlines and rail companies is now based on votes cast. The previous long-standing rule required a majority of an entire work group to approve unionization, effectively counting those who did not vote as "no" votes. Unions supported the rule change.
Late last week, the machinists union said it filed for elections for 2,200 office and clerical workers at Delta. If enough of those employees indicate interest in a union, the National Mediation Board will set a ballot election.
(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
DELTA AIRLINE PILOTS WERE LOCKED OUT THEIR COCKPITS FOR NEARLY FOUR HOURS IN CALIFORNIA
Delta Airlines Pilots Get Locked Out of Cockpit For Nearly 4 Hours
Delta 767-300 at LAX
November 21, 2010|4:16 p.m.
LOS ANGELES ( KTLA) -- A Delta airlines passenger jet was delayed for several hours at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday because the cockpit door was locked and the pilot and crew couldn't get inside.
According to passengers aboard Delta Flight 124 from LAX to Atlanta who contacted KTLA, the jet was scheduled to leave at 9:00 a.m.
However, the flight was delayed nearly 4 hours as mechanics worked on the cockpit door.
Delta Airlines spokeswoman Kristin Bauer Sunday night told KTLA that the Boeing 767-300 was brought to the gate from a remote location.
"It was then discovered that the cockpit door was locked," Bauer said. "A maintenance worker was brought in to unlock the door."
What isn't clear is why it took more than 3 hours to unlock the door.
Once the cockpit door was unlocked, the flight left the terminal at 12:43 p.m., 3 hours and 43 minutes late according to the Delta Airlines website.
Flight 124 was scheduled to land in Atlanta at 4:20 p.m. then continue on to Brussels. According to the Delta website, Flight 124 landed in Atlanta at 7:36 p.m.
INSIDER-TRADING CASE ACCELERATES WITH "EXPERT"-FIRM ARREST
Insider-Trading Case Accelerates With 'Expert'-Firm Arrest
By MICHAEL ROTHFELD, SUSAN PULLIAM and CHAD BRAY
A broad U.S. crackdown on insider trading accelerated as the government charged an employee at an expert-network firm with conspiring to leak confidential information. Prosecutors also won a legal victory against a founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund that cements their ability to use wiretaps against Wall Street investors.
The arrest Wednesday of Don Ching Trang Chu and the criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan also show how prosecutors are using cooperating witnesses from their case against Galleon's founder, Raj Rajaratnam, to help them bring a separate and larger insider-trading case that is expected to continue unfolding between now and the end of the year.
Mr. Chu, 56 years old, is accused of providing inside information on a technology company to one of those cooperators, a hedge-fund manager, and of arranging meetings for the manager with public company employees to receive nonpublic information.
Mr. Chu was taken into custody by federal agents at his Somerset, N.J., home, in what is the first known arrest in a wide-ranging case that could ensnare consultants, investment bankers, hedge-fund and mutual-fund traders and analysts across the nation.
A lawyer for Mr. Chu declined to comment.
Don Ching Trang Chu Wednesday.
Mr. Chu worked for Primary Global Research LLC, a Mountain View, Calif., "expert network" firm that connects consultants including employees at publicly traded companies with hedge funds and mutual funds seeking an investing edge.
Expert-network firms are a key focus of a three-year probe that people familiar with the matter say could prove as jarring to the financial industry as any past insider-trading investigation.
Authorities are investigating employees and consultants for these firms in part as a means to probe hedge funds, mutual funds and other investors suspected of trading on material nonpublic information, people familiar with the matter have said.
Primary Global on Wednesday said that based upon recent events it had severed its relationship with Mr. Chu. He was listed earlier this week on its website as a specialist in Asia and data resources. A Web page listing him and other employees was no longer accessible Wednesday.
At the same time, the government's win on a legal issue in the Galleon case Wednesday strengthened the hand of investigators who have begun to depend on wiretaps to prosecute insider trading.
A federal judge ruled that prosecutors acted properly in seeking approval to make secret recordings of thousands of phone calls of Mr. Rajaratnam, who has pleaded not guilty, and 130 of his friends, relatives and associates. A representative for Mr. Rajaratnam declined to comment Wednesday.
The Galleon case and the latest probe, while distinct, also are connected at least through the role of a former hedge-fund manager, Richard "C.B." Lee, who once worked with Mr. Rajaratnam and who, according to the complaint against Mr. Chu, sought investment tips from Mr. Chu.
The complaint alleges Mr. Chu provided inside information about Atheros Communications Corp. directly to Mr. Lee, who was cooperating with authorities at the time. Mr. Chu also allegedly arranged a conversation for Mr. Lee with a Primary Global consultant who worked for an unnamed technology company and revealed quarterly earnings that hadn't yet been released, the complaint says.
In an interview this past Sunday with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Chu allegedly said he knew that a Broadcom Corp. employee and a Sierra Wireless Inc. employee—both consultants for Primary Global in Asia—had given out nonpublic revenue information for their companies, according to the complaint.
None of the companies is accused of wrongdoing.
Atheros said in a statement that if requested, the company "will cooperate fully in any government investigation." Sierra Wireless said the employee mentioned in the complaint is "not a director or officer," and said the company would "cooperate fully." Broadcom didn't respond to requests for comment.
The complaint said the unnamed technology is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and reported second-quarter earnings on the afternoon of July 21, 2009. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is the sole NYSE-listed technology company that reported financial results at that time on that date.
A spokesman for AMD noted it isn't referenced anywhere in the government documents and said "therefore we have no comment."
The complaint detailed conversations that were recorded by Mr. Lee with Mr. Chu.
During a meeting recorded in August 2009, Mr. Lee told Mr. Chu that one consultant had provided financial results that were "on the spot," according to the criminal complaint. Mr. Chu allegedly replied, "All depends on the person.... some guys willing to talk, some are not." Later, asked by Mr. Lee if he and colleagues were "nervous," Mr. Chu allegedly acknowledged, "I'm nervous."
[REDO]
Raj Rajaratnam
Mr. Chu allegedly told Mr. Lee that getting "involved in the States... it's dangerous," and that the Securities and Exchange Commission is "too strong." He allegedly said, "In Asia, the SEC can't do too much." He warned Mr. Lee to avoid even personal email: "just talk .... don't, don't put it down in writing. Dangerous."
A lawyer for Mr. Lee said his client is cooperating with authorities and will continue to do so.
The complaint highlights the use of "soft dollar" payments by investment firms. Hedge funds commonly build up soft-dollar accounts with brokerages by directing trades to those brokerages. Hedge-fund clients in turn direct the brokerages to use soft-dollar credits, as opposed to cash, to pay for access to expert-network consultants and other valuable research.
According to the complaint against Mr. Chu, Mr. Lee's hedge fund around late 2008 and early 2009 directed a prime broker to send soft dollar payments to Mr. Chu's firm in exchange "for access to its consultant network and services."
Mr. Chu, a naturalized U.S. citizen and Taiwan native, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and fraud in connection with securities. The first count carries a maximum sentence of five years and the second up to 25 years. Both carry a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, prosecutors said.
Mr. Chu briefly appeared in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. He was released on $1 million bail, to be secured by his New Jersey home. He surrendered his passport and his travel was restricted to parts of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
—Jenny Strasburg, Shira Ovide and Don Clark contributed to this article.
Write to Michael Rothfeld at michael.rothfeld@wsj.com, Susan Pulliam at susan.pulliam@wsj.com and Chad Bray at chad.bray@dowjones.com
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703572404575634600032565756.html#ixzz16WEIbEdk
By MICHAEL ROTHFELD, SUSAN PULLIAM and CHAD BRAY
A broad U.S. crackdown on insider trading accelerated as the government charged an employee at an expert-network firm with conspiring to leak confidential information. Prosecutors also won a legal victory against a founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund that cements their ability to use wiretaps against Wall Street investors.
The arrest Wednesday of Don Ching Trang Chu and the criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan also show how prosecutors are using cooperating witnesses from their case against Galleon's founder, Raj Rajaratnam, to help them bring a separate and larger insider-trading case that is expected to continue unfolding between now and the end of the year.
Mr. Chu, 56 years old, is accused of providing inside information on a technology company to one of those cooperators, a hedge-fund manager, and of arranging meetings for the manager with public company employees to receive nonpublic information.
Mr. Chu was taken into custody by federal agents at his Somerset, N.J., home, in what is the first known arrest in a wide-ranging case that could ensnare consultants, investment bankers, hedge-fund and mutual-fund traders and analysts across the nation.
A lawyer for Mr. Chu declined to comment.
Don Ching Trang Chu Wednesday.
Mr. Chu worked for Primary Global Research LLC, a Mountain View, Calif., "expert network" firm that connects consultants including employees at publicly traded companies with hedge funds and mutual funds seeking an investing edge.
Expert-network firms are a key focus of a three-year probe that people familiar with the matter say could prove as jarring to the financial industry as any past insider-trading investigation.
Authorities are investigating employees and consultants for these firms in part as a means to probe hedge funds, mutual funds and other investors suspected of trading on material nonpublic information, people familiar with the matter have said.
Primary Global on Wednesday said that based upon recent events it had severed its relationship with Mr. Chu. He was listed earlier this week on its website as a specialist in Asia and data resources. A Web page listing him and other employees was no longer accessible Wednesday.
At the same time, the government's win on a legal issue in the Galleon case Wednesday strengthened the hand of investigators who have begun to depend on wiretaps to prosecute insider trading.
A federal judge ruled that prosecutors acted properly in seeking approval to make secret recordings of thousands of phone calls of Mr. Rajaratnam, who has pleaded not guilty, and 130 of his friends, relatives and associates. A representative for Mr. Rajaratnam declined to comment Wednesday.
The Galleon case and the latest probe, while distinct, also are connected at least through the role of a former hedge-fund manager, Richard "C.B." Lee, who once worked with Mr. Rajaratnam and who, according to the complaint against Mr. Chu, sought investment tips from Mr. Chu.
The complaint alleges Mr. Chu provided inside information about Atheros Communications Corp. directly to Mr. Lee, who was cooperating with authorities at the time. Mr. Chu also allegedly arranged a conversation for Mr. Lee with a Primary Global consultant who worked for an unnamed technology company and revealed quarterly earnings that hadn't yet been released, the complaint says.
In an interview this past Sunday with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Chu allegedly said he knew that a Broadcom Corp. employee and a Sierra Wireless Inc. employee—both consultants for Primary Global in Asia—had given out nonpublic revenue information for their companies, according to the complaint.
None of the companies is accused of wrongdoing.
Atheros said in a statement that if requested, the company "will cooperate fully in any government investigation." Sierra Wireless said the employee mentioned in the complaint is "not a director or officer," and said the company would "cooperate fully." Broadcom didn't respond to requests for comment.
The complaint said the unnamed technology is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and reported second-quarter earnings on the afternoon of July 21, 2009. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is the sole NYSE-listed technology company that reported financial results at that time on that date.
A spokesman for AMD noted it isn't referenced anywhere in the government documents and said "therefore we have no comment."
The complaint detailed conversations that were recorded by Mr. Lee with Mr. Chu.
During a meeting recorded in August 2009, Mr. Lee told Mr. Chu that one consultant had provided financial results that were "on the spot," according to the criminal complaint. Mr. Chu allegedly replied, "All depends on the person.... some guys willing to talk, some are not." Later, asked by Mr. Lee if he and colleagues were "nervous," Mr. Chu allegedly acknowledged, "I'm nervous."
[REDO]
Raj Rajaratnam
Mr. Chu allegedly told Mr. Lee that getting "involved in the States... it's dangerous," and that the Securities and Exchange Commission is "too strong." He allegedly said, "In Asia, the SEC can't do too much." He warned Mr. Lee to avoid even personal email: "just talk .... don't, don't put it down in writing. Dangerous."
A lawyer for Mr. Lee said his client is cooperating with authorities and will continue to do so.
The complaint highlights the use of "soft dollar" payments by investment firms. Hedge funds commonly build up soft-dollar accounts with brokerages by directing trades to those brokerages. Hedge-fund clients in turn direct the brokerages to use soft-dollar credits, as opposed to cash, to pay for access to expert-network consultants and other valuable research.
According to the complaint against Mr. Chu, Mr. Lee's hedge fund around late 2008 and early 2009 directed a prime broker to send soft dollar payments to Mr. Chu's firm in exchange "for access to its consultant network and services."
Mr. Chu, a naturalized U.S. citizen and Taiwan native, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and fraud in connection with securities. The first count carries a maximum sentence of five years and the second up to 25 years. Both carry a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, prosecutors said.
Mr. Chu briefly appeared in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday. He was released on $1 million bail, to be secured by his New Jersey home. He surrendered his passport and his travel was restricted to parts of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
—Jenny Strasburg, Shira Ovide and Don Clark contributed to this article.
Write to Michael Rothfeld at michael.rothfeld@wsj.com, Susan Pulliam at susan.pulliam@wsj.com and Chad Bray at chad.bray@dowjones.com
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703572404575634600032565756.html#ixzz16WEIbEdk
FDA COVERED UP DRUG RECALLS TO U.S. CONGRESS & FATAL THREATS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
FDA Covered Up Drug Recall To Congress
Nov. 10, 2010 The FDA covered up a drug recall to Congress which saved Johnson & Johnson millions of dollars while endangering the health of the American public. Representative Darrell Issa the ranking member of the OGRC has called the FDA a failure in protecting the food and drug supply sold to Americans. The products included 24 over the counter medications for adults and children topped up at 60 million bottles only after consumers complained of stomach aches and other side effects.The products were well known and popular brands such as arthritis medications.
The FDA said it was not a serious or fatal threat to users who ingested the products although they had not studied or made this conclusion from facts.
The proof is in documents in the possession of the OGRC- Oversight and Government Reform Committee that proves the FDA colluded with a corporate drug company to hide a recall scheme from taxpayers and the US government.
The documents in the OGRC -Oversight and Government Reform Committee newly released September 30, 2010 inmates that the FDA mislead Congress by ” neglecting to include documented key factors in that the FDA knew but kept from the US Government” in favor of a drug corporation.
The Information is clear that the FDA obstructed the information, hiding the details, keeping the truth about Johnson & Johnson breaking the rules, and the FDA loosely allowed it to occur.
This blatant disregard for the public safety cries for a total revamp of the FDA and new laws that prohibit ex-drug company employees be hired by the FDA. The collusion between the FDA and drug companies has been going on for decades and for the sake of saving the lives of Americans especially children should be the 2011′s session of government’s priority- Clean Up the FDA of its Corruption.
The FDA similar to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is cozy with the drug industry which it is supposedly regulating but the corruption is glaring example of what is wrong in the Obama administration.
Here is a direct passage from the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform:
Quote:
“Given the information that has come to light during our investigation, it’s clear that the FDA was inappropriately defensive and unconstructive when evidence contradicted their previous public statements regarding what they were told by J&J and when,” Issa said. “Only after new documents came to light that revealed the FDA was in fact told by Johnson & Johnson about contractors buying Motrin off store shelves did they reverse course and acknowledge what the evidence had been pointing to all along. Now that we’ve set the record straight on what the FDA knew and when, the conversation now turns to how did this happen and what can be done to ensure that the significant problems at this critically important agency are addressed. When it comes to the safety of the American people, there can be no room for ambiguity and inaction on the part of the entities we rely on to monitor the safety and quality of products like Motrin.” end quote.
But the FDA denies all knowledge of the recall by Johnsons & Johnsons saying there was other evidence ignored by the committee. Elaine Bobo sent an email to the Ass. Press. denying the allegations.
But the facts are clear:
1) The FDA knowingly covered up the J & J secret recall.
2) The FDA kept the recall secrets from Congress.
3) The FDA knew what was criminal at all times.
4) The FDA put the lives of American children and adults at risk.
5) The FDA let the drug company continue to sell tainted products.
The documents proved the evidence in writing between emails from FDA employees and McNeil employees that the FDA knowingly allowed J & J to continue with their hidden recall. (McNeil owns Johnson & Johnson).
FDA Employee:
San Juan FDA District Director- Maridalia Torres
Johnson & Johnson owned by McNeil employees:
Summary of Email Communications:
The documents are dating back to March, 2009- showing that rather than performing a full product recall the FDA knew that McNeil- Johnson & Johnson :
1) Hired a private firm to perform what is termed an “assessment” but rather they hired firm removed the products from store shelves -which is now called the “Phantom Recall” or Secret Recall that not one customer was told about. There was no announcement of products danger or recall.
The documents show that the FDA knew and agreed to the soft recall by not advertising, or advising the public the product(s) were being recalled due to serious issues with Motrin which included medication over the counter for children.
The information is in the Field Action Reports or FAR Reports which we will attach copies of for the public to realize how the FDA operates and has for years.
The FDA later objected to the soft recall and then reported the tainted products to the public but they kept vital information from Congress and consumers. One employee of the FDA did not know what the other had allowed J & J to continue with the secret recall and this proves further incompetence.
By describing the “hidden recall” the FDA employees by FDA employee Maridalia Torres she writes:
“In order to confirm that neither affected lots is available at the store level, a third party has been contracted to perform an in store assessment”. This statement in itself shows the FDA’s knowledge of the facts of a “secret recall” and no mention is made of investigations at the plants where the Motrin was actually made or en-route shipments were not tested or mentioned either. No testing of the products were ever performed by a third party independent of the FDA or the drug company.
On February 18, 2010 finally when another FDA employee Milind Ganjawala who works for the FDA Recalls and Shorages Branch of the Office of Compliance reviewed the Motrin silent recall in January and February 2010, in his emails he blasts McNeil with:
” Instead of notifying the agency and issuing a recall of the product your firm hired a 3rd party company to buy back the Motrin from pharmacies and retail locations”. The whole incident reveals a government agency too close to the industry it monitors and an agency that is being paid for by taxpayers dollars where the return on investment is not worth the funds.
The FDA continues to demand more funding, more agents and more powers however it has failed to protect the public, failed to perform its mandate and certainly failed on ethical public service policies. Therefore the call for a thorough review of the FDA is overdue and currently the release of untested drugs, vaccines, over the counter medications are on the basis of “buyer beware” – your FDA is not protecting you from harm and the words ” FDA approved ” is not worth the paper it is printed on.
If President Obama fails to act on this glaring example of incompetence and collusion under his own nose, perhaps we need the Republicans to clean up his government for him.
Democrats failed to clean up the FDA which affects their health and their ability to have healthy children which is a massive ignorance of President Obama.
The tainted Products made by Johnson and Johnson included:
1) Products made in the Las Piedras facility in Puerto Rico had a musty, moldy ordor and J & J 0 McNeil did not investigate the problem.
2) The FDA investigated the odor to be a pesticide used to treat the wooden pallets for shipments.
3) The chemical was found to be TBA is: 2, 4, 6-Tribromoanisole classified as an environmental contaminant but very little is known about the chemical effects in oral medications and it’s effect on human health but it does cause an effect of musty odors and pesticides are a carcinogen. There is no doubt that this chemical has harmful and even deadly effects to people. On October 30, 2010 only after the J&J recall scandal did the Pfizer corporation also ordered a recall of 38,000 bottles of Lipitor for the same problem of Tribromoanisole affected products. See: CNN Wire Staff October 30, 2010
4) In the Pennsylvania facilities of J & J the FDA found microbial contamination and ordered a shut down of manufacturing at the McNeil facilities. The McNeil plants included locations in : Lancaster, Pa., and Guelph, Ontario Canada added to the plant in Las Piedras Puerto Rico.
The FDA and US policies of allowing the industry to monitor itself has severely flawed cracks in that drug companies only receive a slap on the hand, and no criminal charges or penalties are paid. You can rest assured that drug companies cut corners just like British Petroleum did in the Gulf however drug companies can kill many thousands of people with tainted, dangerous products instantly.
The continuous mismanagement at the FDA allowed the tainted salmonella eggs from Wright County Egg to be cooked and reused in commerical baking facilities. The FDA saved Wright County Egg millions of dollars and they got paid for salmonella poisoned eggs.
November 2010 FDA Conflict of Interests Continue under Obama
October 2010 FDA Conflict of Interests Continue under Obama
Art Work by: Dan Berger Concept: Mike Adams at: NewsTarget.com
Tags: FDA coverup of Pharmaceutical Recall, Johnson & Johnson Buy Back Recall of tainted products, FDA employees knew of J & J buyback recall, J & J removed products instead of recall, Motrin Recall and the FDA, Republican Oversight Committee, drugs, Pfizer recalls Lipator-38,000 bottles due to contamination, News in Drug Industry, FDA blind to conflicts of interest, Obama administration refuses to clean up the FDA.
Source: Full Document available on Committee on Oversight & Government Reform -Republicans
Editors Note: The evidence keeps mounting on the FDA incompetence and Obama has turned deaf ears to the failures of his administration.
P. Neisman
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.PoliticolNews.com
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