PSE&G had previously announced its intention to install thousands of small solar panel arrays on its transmission poles throughout the state. They've begun installing the panels in Northern New Jersey, including in the Radburn area.
When completed, the installation of 200,000 solar arrays would be the nation's largest distributed solar power generating system and would generate 40 mW of power.
This is a great utilization of existing infrastructure and facilities to generate distributed power, and begins a process of weaning New Jersey from its reliance on fossil fuels for generating power sufficient to power the state.
Individual units will generate 200 watts of power during optimal weather conditions (summer).
Neighboring Ridgewood apparently has some concerns over the installations on transmission poles that it owns in conjunction with PSE&G, but I think that may be yet another case of NIMBY when the costs are being borne by PSE&G and ratepayers will see a long term benefit - to say nothing of eventually breathing cleaner air as fossil fuel plants are replaced by cleaner alternatives.
There is a legitimate concern though about whether the structures can handle snow loads such as we've seen this past winter and who would be liable in case snow/ice falls from those solar arrays onto pedestrians or vehicles causing injury/damage.
Monday, March 07, 2011
US Supreme Court Rules Death Row Inmate Can Seek DNA Review
The US Supreme Court issued a ruling in favor of a Texas death row inmate who wanted to test DNA evidence. The court ruled 6-3 (Thomas, Alito, and Kennedy dissenting)
The case is Skinner v. Switzer.
Skinner was sentenced to death in 1995 for murdering his girlfriend and her two sons. He never denied his presence in the house when the murders occurred, but claimed that he was incapacitated by alcohol and codeine and asserted that the deceased girlfriend's uncle was the responsible party.
Fingerprint and other evidence was collected, and some of it implicated Skinner, but fingerprints on one knife did not. Items that were untested included other knives found on the premises and other other DNA evidence. Skinner has sought to have law enforcement to test the untested biological evidence collected at the scene.
The Supreme Court ruled that there is federal subject matter jurisdiction over Skinner's complaint and the claim he presents is cognizable under Section 1983. That means that Skinner had the right to have such evidence tested, and it is the right decision since Skinner could potentially be exonerated from the crimes for which he was convicted.
The case is Skinner v. Switzer.
Skinner was sentenced to death in 1995 for murdering his girlfriend and her two sons. He never denied his presence in the house when the murders occurred, but claimed that he was incapacitated by alcohol and codeine and asserted that the deceased girlfriend's uncle was the responsible party.
Fingerprint and other evidence was collected, and some of it implicated Skinner, but fingerprints on one knife did not. Items that were untested included other knives found on the premises and other other DNA evidence. Skinner has sought to have law enforcement to test the untested biological evidence collected at the scene.
The Supreme Court ruled that there is federal subject matter jurisdiction over Skinner's complaint and the claim he presents is cognizable under Section 1983. That means that Skinner had the right to have such evidence tested, and it is the right decision since Skinner could potentially be exonerated from the crimes for which he was convicted.
Autism Activists Head To Trenton To Support Misguided Vaccine Bill
Autism activists in New Jersey are heading to Trenton to rally in support of a seriously misguided bill that would allow parents to avoid giving their kids critical vaccines.
Since Wakefield's original bogus study, significant time and effort has gone into trying to discern whether there is a link between vaccines and autism development, but there is no such link.
Moreover, the claimed link between thimerosol (a mercury-based preservative) that was used in the MMR vaccine and autism doesn't hold up to scrutiny either, since thimerosol was removed as preservative years ago, and the autism rates were not reduced.
What these anti-vaccine folks will do is increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks of wholly preventable diseases and cause significant economic harm. Vaccines don't just help prevent the spread of communicable diseases with the patient receiving the vaccine, but helps reduce the spread among those that the person comes in contact with.
There is absolutely no reason that diseases like whopping cough, measles, and mumps should be contracted by anyone when vaccines are so readily accessible. Yet, if this bill gets passed, it will end up increasing the chances of outbreaks and that some may require hospitalization from complications relating to the disease (including death).
Instead, these groups claim that it is their choice not to give their children vaccines, even though as a matter of public health it should be mandated. These parents ignore the reality of life before these vaccines, when these diseases ravaged the population. Because we've largely eliminated these diseases, people think that the vaccination against these diseases is no longer required.
Yet, we've repeatedly seen outbreaks occur among populations that aren't sufficiently vaccinated and allowing junk science to trump sound medical practices would affect the long term public health. This is a bill that should be defeated.
The state Assembly’s Health and Senior Services Committee is holding a hearing on the bill Monday. Supporters believe parents should be able to exempt their children from vaccinations, given that studies have yet to prove that the shots don’t have detrimental affects on some people, such as causing autism.No studies have shown an autism-vaccine link, and the one study that is often cited, turned out to be a total fraud. That study, carried out by Andrew Wakefield and published in the Lancet before it was fully retracted, was fraudulent in its means, methods, and statistical analysis.
“When it comes to vaccines and autism, the science has not caught up,” said Louise Habakus, co-editor of the recently published Vaccine Epidemic and one of the organizers of the rally.
Opponents fear that fewer immunized children would increase the chances for diseases to spread.
Since Wakefield's original bogus study, significant time and effort has gone into trying to discern whether there is a link between vaccines and autism development, but there is no such link.
Moreover, the claimed link between thimerosol (a mercury-based preservative) that was used in the MMR vaccine and autism doesn't hold up to scrutiny either, since thimerosol was removed as preservative years ago, and the autism rates were not reduced.
What these anti-vaccine folks will do is increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks of wholly preventable diseases and cause significant economic harm. Vaccines don't just help prevent the spread of communicable diseases with the patient receiving the vaccine, but helps reduce the spread among those that the person comes in contact with.
There is absolutely no reason that diseases like whopping cough, measles, and mumps should be contracted by anyone when vaccines are so readily accessible. Yet, if this bill gets passed, it will end up increasing the chances of outbreaks and that some may require hospitalization from complications relating to the disease (including death).
Instead, these groups claim that it is their choice not to give their children vaccines, even though as a matter of public health it should be mandated. These parents ignore the reality of life before these vaccines, when these diseases ravaged the population. Because we've largely eliminated these diseases, people think that the vaccination against these diseases is no longer required.
Yet, we've repeatedly seen outbreaks occur among populations that aren't sufficiently vaccinated and allowing junk science to trump sound medical practices would affect the long term public health. This is a bill that should be defeated.
Libya Descends Into Civil War
Mumar Khadafi continues to try and put down the insurrection against his regime with force and the opposition has also used force to hold territories it has liberated from the regime in Tripoli. Khadafi's loyalists have resorted to airstrikes as its ground actions have not been wholly successful at thwarting the rebel groups from gaining and maintaining ground as the noose slowly begins to encircle the capital of Tripoli.
Airstrikes have forced the rebel groups to pull back from Ras Lanuf, which is a key oil depot, and significant casualties were reported.
The situation can be considered a civil war for intents and purposes, which is what I've been calling it for the past week as the rebel groups continue to hold much of the territory in the Eastern half of the country and Khadafi has a tenuous hold on the capital and its environs.
The rebel groups are attempting to rearm and sustain their efforts against Khadafi, and there have also been reports that Egyptians have crossed into Libya to aid the rebel groups.
There is fighting throughout the country, although the focus is along the coastal cities where the majority of the population is situated and which are key transit points.
There was heavy fighting in Zawiya, and the civilian population is getting hammered by the Khadafi loyalists, often with sniper fire:
Khadafi's forces continue holding three Dutch airmen, and rebel groups note that the military efforts by NATO countries to rescue their citizens can be used as propaganda that plays into Khadafi's hands by seizing it as evidence of a Western conspiracy to overthrow his regime.
A British special forces team (SAS) was released by opposition groups after being briefly detained.
The NY Times has a good feature showing the progress of fighting through the country, and notes that the rebel groups are closing in on Khadafi's home town of Surt. I would expect Khadafi to try and hold Surt at all costs, but Khadafi isn't just fighting the rebels, he's fighting reality.
He continues to claim that his countrymen love him and that the opposition isn't nearly as strong as they appear to be. His is a cult of personality that is going to come crashing down on him and his loyalists:
Airstrikes have forced the rebel groups to pull back from Ras Lanuf, which is a key oil depot, and significant casualties were reported.
The situation can be considered a civil war for intents and purposes, which is what I've been calling it for the past week as the rebel groups continue to hold much of the territory in the Eastern half of the country and Khadafi has a tenuous hold on the capital and its environs.
The rebel groups are attempting to rearm and sustain their efforts against Khadafi, and there have also been reports that Egyptians have crossed into Libya to aid the rebel groups.
There is fighting throughout the country, although the focus is along the coastal cities where the majority of the population is situated and which are key transit points.
There was heavy fighting in Zawiya, and the civilian population is getting hammered by the Khadafi loyalists, often with sniper fire:
Khadafi's forces continue holding three Dutch airmen, and rebel groups note that the military efforts by NATO countries to rescue their citizens can be used as propaganda that plays into Khadafi's hands by seizing it as evidence of a Western conspiracy to overthrow his regime.
A British special forces team (SAS) was released by opposition groups after being briefly detained.
Earlier, two sources close to the Libyan opposition told CNN that negotiations between senior British officials and senior opposition leaders in Libya were under way to secure the release of the eight British special forces troops.UPDATE:
The Sunday Times of London reported that the unit of "up to eight men" was being held after "a secret mission to put British diplomats in touch with leading opponents of Moammar Gadhafi ended in humiliation."
British Prime Minister David Cameron said last week his government wanted to contact the opposition to find out who they were and what they wanted.
The newspaper said opposition figures were angry about the "intervention" of special forces troops and "ordered the soldiers to be locked up on a military base."
In an interview with the BBC, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox -- in response to a question -- said there was no plan to use British land forces on the ground in Libya.
The NY Times has a good feature showing the progress of fighting through the country, and notes that the rebel groups are closing in on Khadafi's home town of Surt. I would expect Khadafi to try and hold Surt at all costs, but Khadafi isn't just fighting the rebels, he's fighting reality.
He continues to claim that his countrymen love him and that the opposition isn't nearly as strong as they appear to be. His is a cult of personality that is going to come crashing down on him and his loyalists:
But accuracy and logic have never been the tenets of Colonel Qaddafi’s governing philosophy, and their absence is especially conspicuous now, as rebels pose the greatest challenge to his four decades of enigmatic rule.
Not a day passes in Tripoli without some improbable claim by Colonel Qaddafi or the top officials around him: there are no rebels or protesters in Libya; the people who are demonstrating have been drugged by Al Qaeda; no shots have been fired to suppress dissent. In an interview broadcast on Monday with the France 24 , Col. Qaddafi called his country a partner of the West in combating Al Qaeda, insisting that loyalist forces were confronting “small groupings” and “sleeper cells” of terrorists.
He put the death toll on both sides at “some hundreds,” disputing estimates that the tally ran to several thousand.
A segment of the Libyan population appears to admire his defiant promotion of his world view, and confusion and obfuscation help explain how he keeps his rivals off balance.
Foreign news organizations were reporting, based on firsthand observations, that rebel forces were under fire but remained in control of the eastern half of the country, as well as many pockets in the west. The government’s main victory over the weekend appeared to be driving the rebels from the town of Bin Jawwad, which they had taken Saturday night. And both sides continued to prepare for a decisive battle in the Qaddafi stronghold of Surt.
But many Tripoli residents seemed happy to ignore such reports on Sunday and chose to accept Colonel Qaddafi’s narrative — that his loyalists were at the gates of the rebels’ headquarters in the eastern city of Benghazi, or were in control of it already, or had captured the rebels’ top leader.
For more than four hours, Qaddafi supporters fired triumphant bursts of machine gun fire into the air from cars and among crowds in the downtown area. As many as 2,000 of them waved bright green flags and bandannas — and, in many cases, guns — as they rallied in Green Square, and several hundred of the pro-Qaddafi demonstrators were still at it at sunset.
Many of the people in Green Square lashed out at the Arabic news channels Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, calling them liars that had confused and inflamed Libya’s young people. The crowd’s fist-pumping ardor was a testament to the strength of the mythology of epic heroism that Colonel Qaddafi has instilled since he seized power at the age of 27.
He did it in part by making sure that his was virtually the only voice in public life. News reports try not to refer to other top government officials, or even soccer players, by name, ensuring that Colonel Qaddafi is virtually the only public figure in Libya.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Prolonged Civil War Looms For Libyans Tired Of Khadafi
The situation in Libya shows no signs of ending as Mumar Khadafi refuses to concede that he's lost legitimacy in the eyes of his countrymen, and his thugs continue killing those who he claims are a small minority that is egged on by none other than al Qaeda and the West.
A prolonged civil war looms as the rebel opposition groups continue to be able to fend off Khadafi's assaults, whether by air or on the ground.
Khadafi continues to maintain support in Tripoli, and there are crowds to purport to show that support:
However, there are numerous reports of heavy gunfire in Tripoli, which suggests that the situation is far from settled and that pockets of resistance are found wherever one looks in the country.
Khadafi has shown no reluctance to call in airstrikes against the rebel groups. Yet, those airstrikes aren't stopping the rebels from gaining ground.
The rebel groups are nearly halfway between Benghazi and Tripoli and the key city of Sirt.
UPDATE:
Rebel groups are holding a British special forces team, which was apparently tasked with trying to make diplomatic contact with the rebel leadership. That has backfired, but apparently the situation is in the process of being resolved. Expect Khadafi to use that situation to his benefit as a way of showing that foreign forces are behind the uprising, even though the uprising was domestically generated.
At the same time, Khadafi's loyalists continue holding a Dutch aircrew that was trying to evacuate Europeans.
A prolonged civil war looms as the rebel opposition groups continue to be able to fend off Khadafi's assaults, whether by air or on the ground.
Khadafi continues to maintain support in Tripoli, and there are crowds to purport to show that support:
However, there are numerous reports of heavy gunfire in Tripoli, which suggests that the situation is far from settled and that pockets of resistance are found wherever one looks in the country.
Libyan jets targeted rebel-held areas Bin Zawad, oil port city of Ras Lanuf, Misurata and Az-Zawiyah, which lies just 50 km west of Tripoli, Al Jazeera said.Khadafi also wants the UN to investigate the uprising, claiming that terrorists like al Qaeda or the West are behind the violence, even as the UN looks at imposing sanctions against Khadafi and even war crimes charges for his brutal crackdown against the rebel groups.
Amid conflicting reports, Libyan state television claimed that shots were fired in celebration of Gaddafi forces having regained control of the cities of Misurata and Az-Zawiyah, a day after anti-government fighters repelled repeated attacks by forces loyal to Gaddafi.
However, residents of Misurata said reports that the city had been recaptured were false, Al Jazeera said.
Faced with international sanctions, 68-year-old Gaddafi in an interview to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, warned of an "Islamic Jihad" if his regime continues to come under all round attack.
"I want an investigation team of the UN or the African Union in Libya. We will allow the commission to go on the field without any hindrance," he said.
More than two weeks since the uprising began against Gaddafi's 41-year rule, heavy gunfire was heard in the capital today.
The gunfire began at about 0545 local time (0915 IST), BBC reported. The machine-gun and heavy weapons fire could be heard across the city.
Anti-Gaddafi rebels have taken much of the country in the revolt that began on February 15 and have repeatedly denied government claims they have lost towns.
Khadafi has shown no reluctance to call in airstrikes against the rebel groups. Yet, those airstrikes aren't stopping the rebels from gaining ground.
The rebel groups are nearly halfway between Benghazi and Tripoli and the key city of Sirt.
UPDATE:
Rebel groups are holding a British special forces team, which was apparently tasked with trying to make diplomatic contact with the rebel leadership. That has backfired, but apparently the situation is in the process of being resolved. Expect Khadafi to use that situation to his benefit as a way of showing that foreign forces are behind the uprising, even though the uprising was domestically generated.
At the same time, Khadafi's loyalists continue holding a Dutch aircrew that was trying to evacuate Europeans.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Fighting Continues Throughout Libya As Khadafi Continues Attempts To Quell Insurrection
Rebel groups and Khadafi loyalists continue battling each other throughout the country and both sides dispute claims of gains made by the other side. Zawiya is the focus of both Khadafi's thugs and rebel groups that have held the down despite multiple attempts by Khadafi to retake the town because of its proximity to Tripoli.
Khadafi's thugs are accused of massacring Libyans in towns held by rebel groups:
Evacuating foreigners from the country remains a priority, but so too is the ongoing and growing refugee crisis.
Khadafi's thugs are accused of massacring Libyans in towns held by rebel groups:
Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s militia stormed the rebels controlling the town of Zawiyah on Saturday morning in what two residents described as a “massacre.”Meanwhile, Khadafi's thugs continue detaining the crew of the Dutch military helicopter that was attempting to rescue Europeans from the ongoing violence and mayhem. They were parading on Libyan television:
An anti-Qaddafi protester clashed with Libyan security forces after Friday Prayer in the Tajura suburb of Tripoli. Government security officers showered hundreds of protesters there with tear gas. More Photos »
“I am watching neighbors dying unarmed in front of their homes,” one resident said in a telephone interview, with the sounds of heavy weapons and machine-gun fire in the background. The resident said the militias were using tanks and heavy artillery, attacking from both the east and west gates of the town. “I don’t know how many are being killed, but I know my neighborhood is being killed,” the resident said.
In a telephone interview a little more than three hours after the attack began, another resident said: “Everything is burning. We don’t know from which side they are shooting us — from the buildings or from the streets. People are falling everywhere.”
Evacuating foreigners from the country remains a priority, but so too is the ongoing and growing refugee crisis.
Florida's High Speed Rail Project DOA; Funds Will Go Elsewhere
Despite last minute efforts by politicians and cities that would have potentially benefited from the high speed rail connection project between Tampa and Orlando, Florida's Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Rick Scott was within his rights to cancel the $2.4 billion project and use state funds towards other infrastructure projects.
This would have been a great test case to see whether true high speed rail has a chance in the US.
What's dismaying is that the Northeast Corridor wont be in line for any of these funds - $2.4 billion would go a long way to replacing the Portal Bridge, and that's a project that is truly shovel ready. Why is the Administration playing games with the funds and opting to send the money elsewhere when this project directly benefits the nation's only current high speed rail corridor (which has the highest population density and usage rates in the nation to boot).
California may get a portion of the federal funds, which would go towards that state's high speed rail project. However, no one knows the real cost of that project, which has received pledges of $3 billion in federal funds, but is likely to cost $43 billion - or more than double the next highest cost for an infrastructure project in the nation's history - Boston's Big Dig that itself went significantly over budget (by more than $10 billion).
That once again highlights the nation's dysfunctional funding mechanisms for infrastructure projects and how shifts in local priorities can derail state and federal infrastructure objections. Moreover, it shows that the prioritization of infrastructure projects is simply not there. The country is more interested in building new infrastructure while existing infrastructure is obsolete and needs replacement - such as on the NEC. We can't continue looking to build new infrastructure when the existing infrastructure is falling apart and is not capable of handling existing traffic, let alone future anticipated growth.
Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields said the state cannot rely on just on roads to move people, goods and services. Scuttling the train, he said, is "just not forward thinking. We have to do something different as a state."Scott has directed that $77 million in state funds be used to dredge Miami's harbor to deepen it in anticipation of new larger ships that would take advantage of the soon to be opening Panama Canal expansion. He claims that the dredging project would eventually create 37,000 jobs, while the high speed rail project was expected to create 25,000 jobs. By that measure, Scott was right to cancel the project, but if private companies were going to cover potential overruns on the rail project, it should have been sufficient to overcome the cost issues that Scott had with the project.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, lamented the loss of jobs.
"His heart is hard," she said of the governor. "Honest to goodness, I never thought I would miss Charlie Crist."
LaHood, who envisions a high-speed rail network similar to the interstate highways crisscrossing the country, said, "I know that states across America are enthusiastic about receiving additional support to help bring America's high-speed rail network to life and deliver all its economic benefits to their citizens," LaHood said.
States that could get all or part of the money include California, Illinois, Missouri and Washington.
Scott was applauded by Robin Stublen, a founder of the Punta Gorda Tea Party and a member of the Florida Alliance, a group of fiscal conservatives, as well as Sharon Calvert, co-founder of the Tampa Tea Party.
Calvert called Scott "courageous," and Stublen criticized LaHood for still spending the $2.4 billion.
"I think sending that money elsewhere is a poor decision," Stublen said. "It's not our money. We don't have it. This is not being prudent with your money."
The seven justices of the Supreme Court all agreed that Scott had the right to send back the money to Washington, rejecting the argument of state Sens. Thad Altman, R-Viera, and Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, that the law they helped pass in 2009 forced him to take the funds and build the train.
They issued a one-page ruling dismissing the suit.
This would have been a great test case to see whether true high speed rail has a chance in the US.
What's dismaying is that the Northeast Corridor wont be in line for any of these funds - $2.4 billion would go a long way to replacing the Portal Bridge, and that's a project that is truly shovel ready. Why is the Administration playing games with the funds and opting to send the money elsewhere when this project directly benefits the nation's only current high speed rail corridor (which has the highest population density and usage rates in the nation to boot).
California may get a portion of the federal funds, which would go towards that state's high speed rail project. However, no one knows the real cost of that project, which has received pledges of $3 billion in federal funds, but is likely to cost $43 billion - or more than double the next highest cost for an infrastructure project in the nation's history - Boston's Big Dig that itself went significantly over budget (by more than $10 billion).
That once again highlights the nation's dysfunctional funding mechanisms for infrastructure projects and how shifts in local priorities can derail state and federal infrastructure objections. Moreover, it shows that the prioritization of infrastructure projects is simply not there. The country is more interested in building new infrastructure while existing infrastructure is obsolete and needs replacement - such as on the NEC. We can't continue looking to build new infrastructure when the existing infrastructure is falling apart and is not capable of handling existing traffic, let alone future anticipated growth.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Phil Collins Retires Due To Health Issues
While many folks know him as the solo artist who won awards and accolades but also was the frontman and long time drummer for the iconic band Genesis, Phil Collins announced his retirement due to multiple health issues.
I grew up loving Genesis - both the Peter Gabriel years and the Phil Collins years so I'm sad to see his performing career end.
From 1985's Live Aid - Against All Odds:
A drum duo with Chester Thompson (who was Genesis' long time tour drummer):
Watcher of the Skies from 1973 with Peter Gabriel:
I grew up loving Genesis - both the Peter Gabriel years and the Phil Collins years so I'm sad to see his performing career end.
From 1985's Live Aid - Against All Odds:
A drum duo with Chester Thompson (who was Genesis' long time tour drummer):
Watcher of the Skies from 1973 with Peter Gabriel:
Mike Huckabee Unloads on Natalie Portman For Being Young, Unwed and Pregnant
Mike Huckabee must think that attacking Natalie Portman for being unwed and pregnant will score him points.
He slammed Portman for being young and pregnant, along with other Hollywood types who have no problem showing off their baby bumps while being unmarried.
Portman can definitely take care of herself and her soon to be born kid(s). She's financially secure AFAIK, and the Oscar win helps in that department as well.
Huckabee's beef that she's a bad role model simply doesn't hold up to close scrutiny. Portman was an Intel Science Competition semi-finalist, and graduated from Yale. She's got a very bright future even if she never works in Hollywood again, and she's got a supportive family and looks to be marrying the baby's father (the choreographer on Black Swan).
Huckabee is trying to stay relevant, and this simply doesn't cut it for me.
UPDATE:
Now, Huckabee is attempted to weasel his way out of this self-induced mess with a retraction of sorts:
He slammed Portman for being young and pregnant, along with other Hollywood types who have no problem showing off their baby bumps while being unmarried.
You know Michael, one of the things that's troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, 'Hey look, you know, we're having children, we're not married, but we're having these children, and they're doing just fine.' But there aren't really a lot of single moms out there who are making millions of dollars every year for being in a movie. And I think it gives a distorted image that yes, not everybody hires nannies, and caretakers, and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care. And that's the story that we're not seeing, and it's unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out of children wedlock.I think this is nothing more than red meat for the masses.
You know, right now, 75 percent of black kids in this country are born out of wedlock. 61 percent of Hispanic kids -- across the board, 41 percent of all live births in America are out of wedlock births. And the cost of that is simply staggering.
Portman can definitely take care of herself and her soon to be born kid(s). She's financially secure AFAIK, and the Oscar win helps in that department as well.
Huckabee's beef that she's a bad role model simply doesn't hold up to close scrutiny. Portman was an Intel Science Competition semi-finalist, and graduated from Yale. She's got a very bright future even if she never works in Hollywood again, and she's got a supportive family and looks to be marrying the baby's father (the choreographer on Black Swan).
Huckabee is trying to stay relevant, and this simply doesn't cut it for me.
UPDATE:
Now, Huckabee is attempted to weasel his way out of this self-induced mess with a retraction of sorts:
However, contrary to what the Hollywood media reported, I did not "slam" or "attack" Natalie Portman, nor did I criticize the hardworking single mothers in our country. My comments were about the statistical reality that most single moms are very poor, under-educated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death. That's the story that we're not seeing, and it's unfortunate that society often glorifies and glamorizes the idea of having children out of wedlock."Nonsense. He specifically named and singled out Portman. Had he not mentioned Portman at all, there might have been a valid point in his commentary about single moms and out-of-wedlock babies. The problem is that he did mention Portman by name and included her in the number of people glamorizing single motherhood and that isn't even the case.
Pakistani Christians Bury Assassinated Government Minister Who Supported Repeal of Anti Blasphemy Laws
Shahbaz Bhatti was laid to rest in his home village in Pakistan after being assassinated on Wednesday because he sought a repeal of the country's notorious anti-blasphemy laws.
The blasphemy law imposes a death sentence for anyone who insults Prophet Muhammad or the religion of Islam, but its opponents note that the law has been used to settle personal scores and persecute members of the minority faiths.
Gilani was among those paying their respects at the funeral, but President Zardari did not attend, and the ruling party has refused to reform the blasphemy law.
There are reports that Gilani offered to step down because of the assassination because someone had to take responsibility for the security lapses.
What's needed is that Pakistan's top leadership repudiate the blasphemy laws and reform the law. Instead, they're cowed by the threats of violence against those who express any views that are antithetical to the Islamic extremists.
Thousands of Pakistani mourners have attended the funeral of murdered minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti.The ease with which Bhatti was assassinated led to calls for the resignation of key security ministers and investigations.
Mr Bhatti, a Christian, was shot dead on Wednesday by the Taliban after he urged reform to blasphemy laws.
There were emotional scenes as several thousand Christians buried their leader in his home village near Faisalabad.
Earlier, hundreds turned out for a church service in the capital. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told them his colleague had been "very rare".
Wednesday's assassination in Islamabad was the second this year of a Pakistani politician who wanted to reform the controversial blasphemy laws.
The blasphemy law imposes a death sentence for anyone who insults Prophet Muhammad or the religion of Islam, but its opponents note that the law has been used to settle personal scores and persecute members of the minority faiths.
Gilani was among those paying their respects at the funeral, but President Zardari did not attend, and the ruling party has refused to reform the blasphemy law.
Bhatti and Punjab province Gov. Salman Taseer both criticized the blasphemy laws after a Christian woman was sentenced to death under them last year. On Jan. 4, Taseer was shot dead by one of his bodyguards, who said he was angry about the governor's stance on the laws.
But the ruling party abandoned Bhatti and Taseer on the subject, a sign of how scared they are of upsetting powerful Islamist groups. Gilani has repeatedly insisted the government would not change the laws.
President Asif Ali Zardari did not attend the funeral mass or the burial service in Khushpur, though he rarely makes public appearances out of fear for his life. Also notably missing were top leaders of the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, which is considered somewhat sympathetic to Islamists.
There are reports that Gilani offered to step down because of the assassination because someone had to take responsibility for the security lapses.
What's needed is that Pakistan's top leadership repudiate the blasphemy laws and reform the law. Instead, they're cowed by the threats of violence against those who express any views that are antithetical to the Islamic extremists.
Keeping Tabs on Fighting in Libya
Here's a good map to show where fighting between Khadafi loyalists and the opposition is going on:
View Libya Protests in a larger map
Khadafi's attempts at a counterattack against the opposition widened again today, with airstrikes against more towns, but with inconclusive results.
UPDATE:
Witnesses report dozens of people were killed when Khadafi's thugs tried to retake a town near Tripoli:
View Libya Protests in a larger map
Khadafi's attempts at a counterattack against the opposition widened again today, with airstrikes against more towns, but with inconclusive results.
The popular uprising against Gaddafi, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Arab world, has knocked out nearly 50 percent of the OPEC-member's 1.6 million barrels of oil per day output, the bedrock of its economy.The fighting has also cut the country's oil production nearly in half, which has affected global oil prices and while US oil imports are barely affected by the reduction in Libyan output, it definitely puts a crimp in the oil imports of countries like Italy, France, and the rest of Europe.
In the east, rebels fired a sustained barrage of mortar bombs and rockets at a military base in the oil terminal of the eastern port of Ras Lanuf, which lies on a strategic coastal road, and the army returned fire with artillery. Rebel sources told Reuters they had taken the town's airport.
In Zawiyah, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital, pro-Gaddafi forces fought for hours with rebels who have been holding the town centre, two residents told Reuters.
"From 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) until now Gaddafi's mercenaries, mainly from Africa, have been opening fire on people here," said a local man called Ibrahim. "Hundreds of victims are now in the town hospital."
"We have no choice but to continue our fight against this dictator." The account could not be verified independently.
An oil facility at Zueitina, south of the Libyan rebel-held city of Benghazi, has been damaged and was on fire, Al Jazeera said, showing a video of black smoke rising from an oil plant.
UPDATE:
Witnesses report dozens of people were killed when Khadafi's thugs tried to retake a town near Tripoli:
At least 30 civilians were killed on Friday when security forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi tried to retake a town near the capital that has for days been defying his rule, two residents told Reuters.
A large force from a brigade led by one of Gadhafi's sons led the attack on Zawiya, the closest opposition-held city to Tripoli, a witness said. The troops from the Khamis Brigade — named after the son — attacked Zawiya's western side, firing mortars and then engaging in battles of heavy machine guns and automatic weapons with armed residents and allied army units, the witness added.
"I have been to hospital less than 15 minutes ago," a Zawiya resident identified only as Mohamed told Reuters by telephone. "Dozens were killed and more were wounded. We have counted 30 dead civilians. The hospital was full. They could not find space for the casualties."
Deadline Day For Florida's High Speed Rail Project
Today's the deadline day to get Florida's high speed rail (HSR) project back on track. Backers of the project say that any cost overruns would be borne by the private sector, eliminating the key concern for GOP Gov. Rick Scott, who also claims that the money would be better used upgrading ports to handle larger ships once the Panama Canal upgrade is completed:
Meanwhile, funding to get key improvements on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) are still lagging - particularly the Portal Bridge project that should be separate from all the discussions about the Gateway Tunnel/ARC project.
The Portal Bridge is a project everyone agrees upon, yet no one in the NJ delegation seems to be able to secure funding - and that includes Sen. Frank Lautenberg whose name adorns the Secaucus Transfer for all of his support of mass transit. Time for him to put up and shut about about his ongoing feuds with Gov. Chris Christie and secure the funding for this project that has been on the drawing boards for years and which all the relevant parties - from Amtrak to NJ Transit to the state and federal authorities - recognize as critical to improving the on-time performance of the NEC and increasing speed on the corridor to reduce travel time between Washington DC and Boston.
UPDATE:
Benjamin Kabab at Second Avenue Sagas takes another crack at trying to figure out how to get a cross-Hudson River tunnel done. His takeaway:
Christie was right to demand that New York get in the game and pony up more funds to make the tunnel work - the ARC project could have been salvaged had New York come up with the funding to cover overruns, which was a major concern that New Jersey taxpayers would be hit with billions in overruns.
Meanwhile, talk about increasing the New Jersey gas tax to fund mass transit keep ignoring that the state's taxpayers are the most heavily burdened in the nation based on their overall tax burden and that increasing the gas tax would be a further regressive hit on all taxpayers.
Yet, at some point, that gas tax will be raised to cover transportation projects that are absolutely needed and vital to New Jersey infrastructure - both mass transit and highways. There are too many projects that are needed, and which lack the needed funds to happen anytime soon.
UPDATE:
The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Scott has the authority to cancel the project. With this project all but killed, I can only hope that New Jersey and New York take advantage of the $2.4 billion to get the Portal Bridge project underway, and to get a head start on the Gateway/ARC tunnel project.
"We have addressed all of the governor's concerns," said Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. "We have structured this so that if there were cost overruns the private sector would take care if it."If that's the case, then let this project go ahead and see if Florida can get HSR up and running. It would be a tremendous test case to see if the country can get anything approaching HSR.
Iorio, along with the mayors of Orlando, Lakeland and Miami, signed an agreement that calls for local authorities to take over the project with the help of the private sector. They presented their plan to Scott Wednesday.
"If there are operational short falls -- private sector. This is a true public-private partnership," Iorio said. "This is what governors all across the country want and we had structured this in such a way that there would not be risk to the Florida taxpayers."
Scott's office did not respond to CNN's request for a comment on the agreement.
Scott has said that he believes there would be a greater long-term benefit to the state if the money were used for other infrastructure projects.
"I want the money for our ports," he said, noting the expansion project now underway at the Panama Canal and the growth of economies in Central and South America. "Put that money into the Florida ports. That's where we want that money spent."
But LaHood said the funds were specifically allocated for high-speed rail and can't be switched to other projects.
Proponents of high-speed rail believe Florida is the ideal location for an inter-city system. The Tampa to Orlando project would be the first leg in a line that advocates hope to extend to Miami and eventually Jacksonville in the north of the state.
Meanwhile, funding to get key improvements on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) are still lagging - particularly the Portal Bridge project that should be separate from all the discussions about the Gateway Tunnel/ARC project.
The Portal Bridge is a project everyone agrees upon, yet no one in the NJ delegation seems to be able to secure funding - and that includes Sen. Frank Lautenberg whose name adorns the Secaucus Transfer for all of his support of mass transit. Time for him to put up and shut about about his ongoing feuds with Gov. Chris Christie and secure the funding for this project that has been on the drawing boards for years and which all the relevant parties - from Amtrak to NJ Transit to the state and federal authorities - recognize as critical to improving the on-time performance of the NEC and increasing speed on the corridor to reduce travel time between Washington DC and Boston.
UPDATE:
Benjamin Kabab at Second Avenue Sagas takes another crack at trying to figure out how to get a cross-Hudson River tunnel done. His takeaway:
The overarching issue with ARC, Gateway of the 7 line extension is one of local government and expenditures. Who stands to benefit most from the new tunnel — New York businesses who can bring more commuters and tourists into the city or New Jersey residents who will find their commutes quicker and less stressful? Should New Jersey pay for transportation improvements that only incidentally end up in New York or should New York add more to the pot for a tunnel that adds to its economic allure?Actually, he leaves out the point that a cross-Hudson tunnel is an interstate venture and Amtrak improvements would vastly improve interstate travel along the NEC. Expanding slots for NJ Transit helps the daily commuters that not only commute into Manhattan for the day, but the reverse commuters who go elsewhere. A 7 line expansion would greatly improve regional transit capabilities since a New Jersey resident would have a 1-seat ride from Secaucus all the way to Flushing, and the related access to more subway lines. It's a project worthy of further study and should be up for federal funding just as surely as the other rail projects.
The answer to those question is, obviously enough, probably both. To realize a new cross-Hudson rail tunnel, New York will have to add more to the pot, and they likely should. In an age of stretched state budgets though, it’s tough to see where the money will come from, and we may be in for a long wait until the next tunnel breaks ground.
Christie was right to demand that New York get in the game and pony up more funds to make the tunnel work - the ARC project could have been salvaged had New York come up with the funding to cover overruns, which was a major concern that New Jersey taxpayers would be hit with billions in overruns.
Meanwhile, talk about increasing the New Jersey gas tax to fund mass transit keep ignoring that the state's taxpayers are the most heavily burdened in the nation based on their overall tax burden and that increasing the gas tax would be a further regressive hit on all taxpayers.
Yet, at some point, that gas tax will be raised to cover transportation projects that are absolutely needed and vital to New Jersey infrastructure - both mass transit and highways. There are too many projects that are needed, and which lack the needed funds to happen anytime soon.
UPDATE:
The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Scott has the authority to cancel the project. With this project all but killed, I can only hope that New Jersey and New York take advantage of the $2.4 billion to get the Portal Bridge project underway, and to get a head start on the Gateway/ARC tunnel project.
Gunfire Again Reported in Tripoli as Khadafi Continues Holding On
Friday in Libya has given way to yet more protests and reports of fighting, including gunfire in Tripoli, which is Mumar Khadafi's last bastion.
Anderson Cooper debunks Khadafi's nonsensical claims that the Libyan youth were being given hallucinogenic drugs by the US or al Qaeda to encourage an uprising against what Khadafi calls a popular regime.
Among the drugs claimed were involved is a pain killer whose primary side effects are drowsiness and constipation. That's not exactly the kind of drug one would expect rebel groups to be dispensing to encourage an uprising.
Khadafi is also fond of claiming that al Qaeda has no presence in Libya, but yet he and his flacks have repeatedly claimed that al Qaeda was behind the transportation and distribution of these drugs to coffee houses and other locations in the country to foment an uprising.
Meanwhile, President Obama has come out with his strongest statements to date on Libya, and essentially calls the Khadafi government illegitimate and authorized an airlift to assist those fleeing the country. He names Tunisia and Egypt as being particularly helpful in assisting those fleeing, even as those two countries are busy trying to formulate new governments after their own revolutions.
USAID teams have been sent to the Libyan border in Egypt and Tunisia to assist with the refugee problem.
Khadafi loyalists bombed yet another town in the hopes of staving off the rebel groups from taking still more territory.
More reports of live ammunition being used to disrupt the protests by pro-Khadafi loyalists.
Libyan security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters in the nation's capital Friday, and gunshots were heard amid the chaos, according to reporters at the scene.Pro Khadafi loyalists continue to fire upon opposition groups, and the body count continues rising.
As Friday prayers let out, the protesters began marching from mosques, calling for Gadhafi's ouster. Many streamed out of the Murad Agha mosque in the Tajoura district, chanting "the people want to bring the regime down."
The security forces fired at least five canisters of tear gas at the crowd of around 1,500 protesters in Tajoura. The crowd briefly scattered, but rejoined to continue their march, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
Before the marches, pro-Gadhafi forces set up checkpoints in the neighborhood. Last week, similar protests were met by a brutal crackdown, when militiamen opened fire on demonstrators moments after they began their marches.
Anderson Cooper debunks Khadafi's nonsensical claims that the Libyan youth were being given hallucinogenic drugs by the US or al Qaeda to encourage an uprising against what Khadafi calls a popular regime.
Among the drugs claimed were involved is a pain killer whose primary side effects are drowsiness and constipation. That's not exactly the kind of drug one would expect rebel groups to be dispensing to encourage an uprising.
Khadafi is also fond of claiming that al Qaeda has no presence in Libya, but yet he and his flacks have repeatedly claimed that al Qaeda was behind the transportation and distribution of these drugs to coffee houses and other locations in the country to foment an uprising.
Meanwhile, President Obama has come out with his strongest statements to date on Libya, and essentially calls the Khadafi government illegitimate and authorized an airlift to assist those fleeing the country. He names Tunisia and Egypt as being particularly helpful in assisting those fleeing, even as those two countries are busy trying to formulate new governments after their own revolutions.
USAID teams have been sent to the Libyan border in Egypt and Tunisia to assist with the refugee problem.
Khadafi loyalists bombed yet another town in the hopes of staving off the rebel groups from taking still more territory.
The latest air strike, early Friday, targeted a military base on the edge of Ajdabiya, a strategic crossroads, rebels said.UPDATE:
There were no casualties or damage in the bombing, which came as hundreds of opposition volunteers rushed to defend their frontline in the nearby oil port of Brega.
At the same time, opposition forces also headed along the main coastal road out of Uqayla, a small village about 175 miles (280 kilometres) from the main rebel headquarters in Benghazi, Libya's second city.
An AFP reporter about five miles west of Uqayla saw about six pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns heading still further west.
A patchwork coalition of rebels controls eastern Libya and some towns in the west following a revolt that started on February 15, but Kadhafi retains his grip on the capital Tripoli and parts of the west.
Kadhafi's son Seif Al-Islam told Britain's Sky News the air strikes were designed only to scare the rebels rather than cause damage, amid reports pilots reluctant to bomb their compatriots were deliberately missing their targets.
"This is the oil and gas hub of Libya," he said, vowing the regime would do all in its power to recapture Brega.
More reports of live ammunition being used to disrupt the protests by pro-Khadafi loyalists.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Guilty Pleas From Two NJ Men Accused of Planning To Join Jihad Overseas
Two New Jersey men have entered guilty pleas to charges that they were planning on joining al-Shabab, an al Qaeda affiliated group.
Clearly, their defense attorneys thought the better of taking this case to trial and instead entered a plea deal that would likely result in sentencing recommendations of 10-15 years since both men were charged with one count of conspiracy to kill, maim and murder persons outside of the United States that carry a life sentence.
Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte entered into a packaged plea deal Thursday in a Newark federal courtroom.Alessa's family had refused to acknowledge that their son was attempting to carry out jihad and instead blamed the FBI for entrapping their son. They knew their son was troubled, had violent tendencies, and actually made violent threats against fellow students at various schools in Northern New Jersey.
They admitted to conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap persons outside the United States by joining al-Shabab, a designated terrorist organization.
The two were arrested in June at New York's Kennedy Airport.
Clearly, their defense attorneys thought the better of taking this case to trial and instead entered a plea deal that would likely result in sentencing recommendations of 10-15 years since both men were charged with one count of conspiracy to kill, maim and murder persons outside of the United States that carry a life sentence.
Two American Servicemembers Killed at German Airport by Radicalized Muslim
German authorities acknowledge that their investigation continues into the motivations of a 21-year-old man from Kosovo, Arid Uka, who is in custody after two U.S. airmen were killed and two others were wounded Wednesday in a shooting on a U.S. military bus at Frankfurt Airport but believe that Uka carried out the attack because he was a radicalized Muslim who wanted to attack Americans.
He apparently shouted out Allahu Ackbar before opening fire on the bus.
The death toll could have been much worse but for the fact that Uka's gun jammed after firing nine times, allowing police to take Uka down.
He apparently shouted out Allahu Ackbar before opening fire on the bus.
The suspect's uncle, 70-year-old Rexhep Uka, said Uka was born and raised in Germany and was a devout Muslim who worked at the airport.The airport is routinely used by US servicemembers as it is a major hub near major US bases in Germany, including those that provide access to the theaters of operation in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He said Uka's grandfather was a religious leader at a mosque in the village of Zhabar, near Mitrovica, Kosovo.
Murat Uka, who identified himself as the alleged shooter's father, says the only thing he knew about his son was that he hadn't turned up at work on Wednesday.
The Frankfurt airport refused to comment on whether the suspect worked there.
The airport, continental Europe’s second biggest after Paris, is routinely used by American soldiers based in Germany for arrivals and departures.
ABC News reported that when the gunman opened fire, he shouted 'Allah Akbar' which is Arabic for 'God is Great'.
The death toll could have been much worse but for the fact that Uka's gun jammed after firing nine times, allowing police to take Uka down.
Prosecutors File Intention To Seek Death Penalty Against Abortion "Doctor" Gosnell
Prosecutors have filed papers with the intention of seeking the death penalty against Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia-area doctor who ran an abortion clinic that was straight out of a horror movie and who carried out illegal late-term abortions, committed infanticide by killing live-born babies, and killed several of the women who sought abortions at the clinic.
Several of his employees are going to have to wait a while longer to find out if they too are going to be subject to criminal charges with a death penalty proviso.
Gosnell, who had claimed that he was impoverished, turns out to own multiple properties and is quite well off, including finding stashes of cash:
The case highlights multiple failures at the state and local level to investigate and regulate abortion providers and to take steps to end Gosnell's career years earlier before he could have turned his offices into a house of horrors. One can only hope that the state of Pennsylvania takes action to improve the regulation of these clinics, improve oversight, and to improve the methods by which complaints can be investigated so that someone like Gosnell can't continue to act with impunity for years on end. After all, Gosnell's practice was shut down not after complaints about his illegal abortions, malpractice, and murder, but because the prosecutors executed warrants relating to Gosnell operating a pill-mill. It was in the course of carrying out that warrant that the investigators and prosecutors determined that Gosnell was operating outside the bounds of law and decency.
Then, there's the issue that Gosnell worked not only in Pennsylvania, but in Delaware. Several of his associates at an office in Delaware have been suspended by the Delaware authorities due to ongoing investigations into Gosnell's activities in that state.
Prosecutors yesterday filed paperwork that enables them to seek the death penalty against Kermit Gosnell, the abortion doctor charged with murder for the deaths of one woman and seven viable babies born alive in his West Philadelphia clinic.His attorney will claim that just because Gosnell is old that he shouldn't be subjected to the death penalty, and while the cost of a death penalty case is expensive for the state, the seriousness of the charges do merit such consideration. Moreover, the court could still rule that he gets life in prison rather than the death penalty should it deem it the more appropriate punishment if found guilty.
But three of Gosnell's staffers also accused of killing babies caught a break: Prosecutors filed for a 60-day extension to get more time to mull whether they'll seek executions for co-defendants Lynda Williams, Steven Massof and Adrienne Moton.
The extension suggests that they'll lean on the trio to get more evidence against Gosnell.
Prosecutors filed the notice of aggravating factors, noting that he's accused of multiple murders and that his alleged victims were younger than 12, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said.
Attorney Jack McMahon, who represents Gosnell, said that the death penalty "makes no sense."
Several of his employees are going to have to wait a while longer to find out if they too are going to be subject to criminal charges with a death penalty proviso.
Gosnell, who had claimed that he was impoverished, turns out to own multiple properties and is quite well off, including finding stashes of cash:
And when investigators in Philadelphia searched his massive, three-storey brick Philadelphia home they are alleged to have discovered $240,000 in cash and a gun in a filing cabinet in his 12-year-old daughter's bedroom.Gosnell continues to claim that he did nothing wrong and that he was merely providing critical health services to an underserved community.
This month’s grand jury report revealed that Gosnell earned $1.8 million a year from his illegal operations.
The case highlights multiple failures at the state and local level to investigate and regulate abortion providers and to take steps to end Gosnell's career years earlier before he could have turned his offices into a house of horrors. One can only hope that the state of Pennsylvania takes action to improve the regulation of these clinics, improve oversight, and to improve the methods by which complaints can be investigated so that someone like Gosnell can't continue to act with impunity for years on end. After all, Gosnell's practice was shut down not after complaints about his illegal abortions, malpractice, and murder, but because the prosecutors executed warrants relating to Gosnell operating a pill-mill. It was in the course of carrying out that warrant that the investigators and prosecutors determined that Gosnell was operating outside the bounds of law and decency.
Then, there's the issue that Gosnell worked not only in Pennsylvania, but in Delaware. Several of his associates at an office in Delaware have been suspended by the Delaware authorities due to ongoing investigations into Gosnell's activities in that state.
The Situation Remains Dire In Libya as Fighting Continues
The situation in Libya remains dire as fighting continues between rebel groups and Khadafi loyalists.
Khadafi's goons captured three Dutch helicopter crewmembers who were trying to evacuate Dutch citizens from the country. Word of the capture had been kept under wraps until a Dutch paper spilled the beans.
None other than Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (who's no stranger to undemocratic actions and stifling of dissent) is offering to mediate the conflict between Khadafi and the opposition. He's also busy railing that the situation in Libya is a pretext for a US invasion to take the country's oil.
The International Criminal Court will be investigating Khadafi for possible crimes against humanity in his attempts to quell the uprising and brutal use of force. Khadafi's goons continue attempts to retake territory captured by the opposition, including the oil port city of Brega. His forces have tried airstrikes and attacks from multiple fronts with little success.
While the opposition remains a ragtag collection of groups and even disgruntled army units with access to lots of weapons, including many of the same weapons that Khadafi has access to, they lack cohesive training. Reports indicate that these groups are in the process of training to better repel Khadafi's attacks, particularly airstrikes.
In Benghazi, the prime concern is that Khadafi will attempt airstrikes against the city.
UPDATE:
President Obama has authorized military airlifts to transport refugees from Libya to safe areas outside the country.
Khadafi's goons captured three Dutch helicopter crewmembers who were trying to evacuate Dutch citizens from the country. Word of the capture had been kept under wraps until a Dutch paper spilled the beans.
Libyan forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi have captured three crew members of a Dutch naval helicopter who were rescuing European citizens, last Sunday, the Dutch Defense Ministry said on Thursday, the first report of foreigners being by held in Libya’s bloody and unfolding uprising.It's little wonder then that the US has moved its naval forces closer to Libya as I had noted yesterday. The US isn't likely to engage in military actions except if the humanitarian and relief flight crews come under attack. Capturing the three Dutch crewmembers who were conducting relief flights would qualify.
Otte Beeksma, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the pro-Qaddafi forces also captured two civilians being rescued — one Dutch, the other from an unspecified European country — who had since been released. Dutch officials decline to give personal details of the crew members while confidential negotiations for their release were underway.
The authorities had kept word of the capture a secret until a Dutch newspaper broke the story.
Mr. Beeksma, said the crew of a Lynx helicopter had landed in the coastal city of Sirte — a pro-Qaddafi stronghold — after flying from a navy ship, the HMS Tromp, anchored offshore. The helicopter was “surrounded by armed Libyan forces late on Sunday afternoon.”
The two people being evacuated were transferred to the Dutch Embassy in Tripoli on Sunday, but the crew and their helicopter were still being held. Mr. Beeksma did not identify the two people who were being rescued.
The use of military personnel in such operations is not limited to the Dutch authorities. Last weekend, British news reports said British special forces accompanied a rescue effort by the Royal Air Force to pluck oil workers to safety from remote desert encampments.
None other than Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (who's no stranger to undemocratic actions and stifling of dissent) is offering to mediate the conflict between Khadafi and the opposition. He's also busy railing that the situation in Libya is a pretext for a US invasion to take the country's oil.
The International Criminal Court will be investigating Khadafi for possible crimes against humanity in his attempts to quell the uprising and brutal use of force. Khadafi's goons continue attempts to retake territory captured by the opposition, including the oil port city of Brega. His forces have tried airstrikes and attacks from multiple fronts with little success.
While the opposition remains a ragtag collection of groups and even disgruntled army units with access to lots of weapons, including many of the same weapons that Khadafi has access to, they lack cohesive training. Reports indicate that these groups are in the process of training to better repel Khadafi's attacks, particularly airstrikes.
In Benghazi, the prime concern is that Khadafi will attempt airstrikes against the city.
UPDATE:
President Obama has authorized military airlifts to transport refugees from Libya to safe areas outside the country.
President Obama called again on Thursday for the immediate resignation of the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, and said he had authorized American military airlifts to help transport refugees fleeing from Libya back to their home countries in the region.
“The U.S. and the entire world continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people,” Mr. Obama said after a White House meeting with President Felipe Calderón of Mexico. “Muammar el-Qaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead, and he must leave.”
Mr. Obama said he had directed the Pentagon to prepare for a full range of possible military options in connection with the crisis in Libya. Asked about whether the United States would support sending warplanes over the country to keep the Libyan air force from attacking rebels, creating what is known as a no-flight zone, the president said that was one of the options being considered.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
US Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Westboro Baptists In Free Speech Case
The US Supreme Court ruled, 7-1 (Alito dissenting) that the Westboro Baptist Church was protected under the First Amendment to picket outside military funerals (HT: Simply Sarah). The group, whose odious messages are hurtful to families burying servicemembers who died in the service of their country, is protected by the First Amendment.
The Court found that the group picketed and engaged in free speech in compliance with local rules and that its choice of picketing didn't disrupt the funerals themselves, but more importantly - that the US has chosen to protect hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that public debate is not stifled.
The First Amendment isn't about protecting favorable speech, but protecting political speech that isn't liked, so while courts have held that even protected speech is not equally permissible in all places at all times (Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense Fund), the group was conforming to local rules on where and how to picket. The group's members had the right to be where they were and the right to engage in speech as they did.
The Court ruled that the outcome is limited to the particular facts before the Court, so the precedent set here is limited.
The Court found that the group picketed and engaged in free speech in compliance with local rules and that its choice of picketing didn't disrupt the funerals themselves, but more importantly - that the US has chosen to protect hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that public debate is not stifled.
The Westboro picketers carried signs that were largely the same at all three locations.They stated, for instance: “God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed,” “Don’t Pray for the USA,” “Thank God for IEDs,” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “Pope in Hell,” “Priests Rape Boys,” “God Hates Fags,”“You’re Going to Hell,” and “God Hates You.”
The church had notified the authorities in advance of its intent to picket at the time of the funeral, and the picket-ers complied with police instructions in staging their demonstration. The picketing took place within a 10- by25-foot plot of public land adjacent to a public street,behind a temporary fence. App. to Brief for Appellantsin No. 08–1026 (CA4), pp. 2282–2285 (hereinafter App.).That plot was approximately 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral was held. Several buildings separated the picket site from the church.
The First Amendment isn't about protecting favorable speech, but protecting political speech that isn't liked, so while courts have held that even protected speech is not equally permissible in all places at all times (Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense Fund), the group was conforming to local rules on where and how to picket. The group's members had the right to be where they were and the right to engage in speech as they did.
The Court ruled that the outcome is limited to the particular facts before the Court, so the precedent set here is limited.
Pakistani Minister Assassinated For Opposing Blasphemy Laws
An outspoken opponent to Pakistan's longstanding anti-blasphemy laws was assassinated today and was the second such minister to be assassinated for speaking out against the laws this year.
The movement to repeal the anti-blasphemy laws has come under increasing pressure and the assassinations are likely to thwart the move to repeal the 30-year old laws. Zardari and the reform agenda aren't likely to advance, and I'd say that the effort to repeal the anti-blasphemy law is all but dead due to the extremists cowing the government and those who would seek the changes.
Despite Bhatti's request for security guards in light of threats made against him, none were apparently present at the time of the assassination.
UPDATE:
Additional photos of the assassination scene, and ensuing demonstrations can be found here (HT: Gus)
Gunmen killed Pakistan's minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, Wednesday, in the second attack this year on a high-profile figure who has opposed the country's blasphemy law.Pakistan's government is cowering behind the threat, and many government officials have stayed away from the earlier funeral. Zardari and his fellow officials don't want to be seen as being too close to the slain opponents to the anti-blasphemy laws lest they become assassination targets as well.
Witnesses say the attackers fled the scene in their car without hurting Bhatti’s driver, who then rushed him to the nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. City Police Chief Wajid Durrani spoke to reporters outside the hospital.
The police officer said the attackers intercepted Bhatti’s official car shortly after he left his residence for work and shot him several times at close range.
The slain minister belonged to the ruling party of President Asif Ali Zardari and was the only Christian member of the federal cabinet.
Bhatti had been threatened by Muslim extremists for speaking out against Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law.
The movement to repeal the anti-blasphemy laws has come under increasing pressure and the assassinations are likely to thwart the move to repeal the 30-year old laws. Zardari and the reform agenda aren't likely to advance, and I'd say that the effort to repeal the anti-blasphemy law is all but dead due to the extremists cowing the government and those who would seek the changes.
Despite Bhatti's request for security guards in light of threats made against him, none were apparently present at the time of the assassination.
UPDATE:
Additional photos of the assassination scene, and ensuing demonstrations can be found here (HT: Gus)
Khadafi Loyalists Continue Attempts To Retake Opposition Controlled Towns As Body Count Rises
Mumar Khadafi's regime still thinks that it is fighting not a revolution by his countrymen fed up with his 40 year regime, but rather an al Qaeda/US/Western conspiracy to overthrow his regime and that those opposed to his regime are drug addled.
Khadafi loyalists and mercenaries are attempting to retake towns near Tripoli, but having limited success despite sending in airstrikes to support groups of loyalists on the ground.
Khadafi also tries to bring Israel into the matter, claiming that he's doing nothing more than what Israel has done to Gaza to root out insurgents and terrorists. He's also calling on the UN to investigate whether a conspiracy was involved in attempting to overthrow his regime to get at Libya's oil reserves.
UPDATE:
Khadafi's pal Louis Farrakhan says that Jews are pushing the US into a war in Libya.
Right. Let's just ignore that it was the Libyans who rose up to protest the regime. It was Libyans who revolted against the regime and stood united against Khadafi when Khadafi unleashed his mercenaries and military (which later defected in large numbers to the very opposition). It is Libyans who are dying for their rights and freedoms.
Anti Semitism is the refuge of scoundrels and scum. No surprise that Farrakhan is still at it.
Khadafi loyalists and mercenaries are attempting to retake towns near Tripoli, but having limited success despite sending in airstrikes to support groups of loyalists on the ground.
Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi tried to reassert his power Wednesday in a part of the country under the control of the opposition, launching an attack on the town of al-Brega.Khadafi's troops are still in control of Tripoli and making an attempt to show that the fighting is extremely limited and that the opposition is few in number, but the scenes from both inside and outside the capital city tell a different tale.
A CNN crew saw airplanes flying over the town, and saw one drop a bomb in the area.
Opposition members fought to maintain control of the town, which is home to a refinery and natural gas processing plant, but witnesses said the battle was ongoing. A resident said there were casualties, but the number was unclear.
Meanwhile, in another lengthy, rambling speech to supporters, Gadhafi continued to claim that there are no peaceful Libyan protests, only al Qaeda-backed efforts to tear the country apart. In the remarks, carried on state television, Gadhafi blamed the problems on former prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who were released to Libya and then freed by Libyan authorities after they pledged to reform. He said they turned out to be members of al Qaeda sleeper cells. He insisted his country is "stopping al Qaeda from flourishing," and stopping Osama bin Laden from moving into North Africa.
The only crowds you encounter are outside bakeries or banks, where people are collecting the 500-dinar ($400; £250) state giveaway to each family.His forces are attempting to retake other towns, and while loyalists claim success, the opposition forces have reported that they've turned the tide and retaken those same disputed towns.
As I drove past one branch of BNP Paribas, a long queue outside its doors, a young skinny man in civilian clothes stood tall at the back of a pick-up truck, nonchalantly holding an assault rifle.
A few metres away, scorch marks blackened the concrete road. It's where anti-government protesters burnt things when they took to the streets.
Almost every main road that has any long stretch of wall bore the remains of graffiti in red or black with anti-government or anti-Gaddafi slurs.
They have been clumsily white-washed - what you see is a horizontal line of rather transparent white paint covering them - or at least trying to.
State schools are slowly re-opening, but several teachers say they are only going to work because they have to, and no pupils are turning up.
Khadafi also tries to bring Israel into the matter, claiming that he's doing nothing more than what Israel has done to Gaza to root out insurgents and terrorists. He's also calling on the UN to investigate whether a conspiracy was involved in attempting to overthrow his regime to get at Libya's oil reserves.
UPDATE:
Khadafi's pal Louis Farrakhan says that Jews are pushing the US into a war in Libya.
Right. Let's just ignore that it was the Libyans who rose up to protest the regime. It was Libyans who revolted against the regime and stood united against Khadafi when Khadafi unleashed his mercenaries and military (which later defected in large numbers to the very opposition). It is Libyans who are dying for their rights and freedoms.
Anti Semitism is the refuge of scoundrels and scum. No surprise that Farrakhan is still at it.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Entertainers Now Realize Taking Money From Khadafi Was a Bad Thing?
It only takes a revolution and the deaths of thousands of Libyans at the hands of Mumar Khadafi's loyalists and mercenaries to get some Hollywood types to realize that taking money to perform for Khadafi and his family was a bad thing?
They could have skipped the Khadafi entertainment parties without suffering any kind of repercussion on their careers, but instead took money from a totalitarian dictator.
Now, years later, they're facing calls to donate the money, and some are stepping forward to attempt to make amends. Nelly Furtado is saying that she's going to donate money since she performed for Khadafi and his clan in Italy and received $1 million for the 45 minute show.
They should never have taken the money in the first place, but the least they can do now is make sure that the money goes to humanitarian relief to assist those who are now being displaced by the fighting in Libya.
Now, some are going to defend these entertainers as not knowing who they were going to be performing for and that they find out about who was behind the concerts after the fact. I'm not sure that excuse quite cuts it - not when there are indications that at least some of those entertainers knew full well who was in the crowd and who was paying for the concerts.
Carey accepted $1 million to perform for Qaddafi's son, Muatassim, Libya's national-security adviser, at a lavish New Year's Eve party on the Caribbean island of St. Barts in 2008; Beyoncé and Usher performed for an undisclosed sum on the island the following year. 50 Cent gave a performance before Muatassim at a 2005 film festival in Venice. Managers for Usher, 50 Cent and Carey declined comment, and Beyoncé's management, run by her father, Mathew Knowles, did not return phone calls. "They've done it for tons of artists," says a music-business source, referring to Muatassim's parties, which are often jammed with supermodels. "Those guys are all over the world."All these entertainers knew full well that Khadafi was linked to terrorism, including the murder of 270 people in the Pan Am 103 bombing, and yet they saw a paycheck at the end of the day and took it.
Qaddafi’s record of brutality and terrorism during his 40-year reign is well-documented – his regime was linked to a 1986 Berlin disco bombing, causing the deaths of two American soldiers, and the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270. Late last month, Libya’s former justice minister told a Swedish newspaper that Qaddafi himself ordered the Pan Am bombing. Muatassim’s brother Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi recently warned Libyan protesters on state television to abandon the streets or face "rivers of blood."
They could have skipped the Khadafi entertainment parties without suffering any kind of repercussion on their careers, but instead took money from a totalitarian dictator.
Now, years later, they're facing calls to donate the money, and some are stepping forward to attempt to make amends. Nelly Furtado is saying that she's going to donate money since she performed for Khadafi and his clan in Italy and received $1 million for the 45 minute show.
They should never have taken the money in the first place, but the least they can do now is make sure that the money goes to humanitarian relief to assist those who are now being displaced by the fighting in Libya.
Now, some are going to defend these entertainers as not knowing who they were going to be performing for and that they find out about who was behind the concerts after the fact. I'm not sure that excuse quite cuts it - not when there are indications that at least some of those entertainers knew full well who was in the crowd and who was paying for the concerts.
Iran Cracks Down Against Protesters
Just days after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized Mumar Khadafi for using brutal force to crack down against protesters and that Khadafi should respect the rights of the Libyan people, Ahmadinejad's regime is busy cracking down on protesters against the Iranian regime.
There's confusion over the fate of opposition leaders. The regime denies that the leaders, including Mirhussein Mousavi are under arrest, but they're essentially under house arrest.
ran's security forces fired teargas and clashed with opposition supporters in Tehran on Tuesday, where demonstrators were rallying to demand the release of two opposition leaders, according to an opposition website.The mullahs and Ahmadinejad are hoping to thwart a repeat of the deadly riots that ensued following the disputed elections that kept Ahmadinejad as president. Once again, they're using security forces and the Basiji to do their dirty work.
"Security forces and people in civilian clothes clashed with demonstrators in Tehran to disperse them," opposition website Kaleme reported.
Sahamnews, another opposition website, reported large numbers of security personnel stationed at main streets and squares in Tehran "to prevent gathering of opposition supporters."
There's confusion over the fate of opposition leaders. The regime denies that the leaders, including Mirhussein Mousavi are under arrest, but they're essentially under house arrest.
British Courts Convict Bangladeshi Man of Terror Plot
A British jury convicted a Bangladeshi man of plotting to kill airline passengers in a plot concocted along with al Qaeda's cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The man, Rajib Karim, 31, sought a job as an airline attendant so as to gain access to planes.
Karim had contacted Awlaki and Awlaki asked Karim to research how to put a bomb or a person with explosives on board an aircraft.
This scenario is yet another reason why airline crews need to be screened just as passengers - the possibility that al Qaeda or a lone wolf jihadi inspired by extremists may be among the air crews and ground staff of airports and could attempt to circumvent security measures to carry out attacks against the planes and their passengers is an ongoing threat. So, while measures to expedite those crews and staff through screening makes sense, eliminating those screening measures would open a gap in security that al Qaeda could potentially exploit.
A jury convicted a former British Airways computer specialist of plotting with U.S.-born extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki to blow up an airplane in an attack intended to kill hundreds of people.Al Qaeda continues attempts to penetrate airline security measures by any means necessary. Using someone in Karim's position would allow al Qaeda access to security measures, the means to evade them, and access to airports and airlines so as to carry out future attacks.
Rajib Karim, a 31-year-old Bangladeshi man, was found guilty Monday of four counts of engaging in preparation for terrorist attacks.
He already had pleaded guilty to five other terrorism offenses, but denied plotting an attack in Britain.
A jury deliberated for 16 hours before agreeing with prosecutors who said Karim used his position at the airline to conspire with al-Awlaki, a notorious radical preacher associated with al-Qaida and thought to be hiding in Yemen.
Karim had contacted Awlaki and Awlaki asked Karim to research how to put a bomb or a person with explosives on board an aircraft.
This scenario is yet another reason why airline crews need to be screened just as passengers - the possibility that al Qaeda or a lone wolf jihadi inspired by extremists may be among the air crews and ground staff of airports and could attempt to circumvent security measures to carry out attacks against the planes and their passengers is an ongoing threat. So, while measures to expedite those crews and staff through screening makes sense, eliminating those screening measures would open a gap in security that al Qaeda could potentially exploit.
Tough Times Hit Boba Fett
When last we saw Boba Fett, we thought he was a goner in the Sarlaac. However, it turns out that he was transported to the New York City subway system, where he's now a busker with an accordion.
What a sad state of affairs. Things are real tough since the Empire fell.
What a sad state of affairs. Things are real tough since the Empire fell.
Protests Continue Across Middle East
The Saudis regime hopes that a $37 billion package to buy off the discontented Saudi populace to the extent that they will not rise up to topple the regime. The Saudis, by acting quickly may have averted the kind of bloodbath seen in Libya, but money isn't going to solve the problem.
Oman, after first trying to disperse the crowds with force, has taken a similar tact, but it doesn't appear as though the attempts to buy off the crowds will work in the long term - especially when they see the success of Tunisians and Egyptians in ridding themselves of autocratic and kleptocratic regimes that brutally crushed opposition groups for decades and stifled economic and social development. Just because the Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id isn't as bad or harsh an autocratic rule as others in the region doesn't make him a role model, let alone someone that should have unfettered power. The Omani people are realizing this as well. They want something different, and something better than autocratic rule.
Protesters in Yemen have once again taken to the streets.
There are now attempts by an imam aligned with al Qaeda to claim that the efforts are an attempt by Israel and the US to destabilize the Arab world. It's a laughable claim, considering that the US strategic interest in the region was to maintain stability - by backing regimes it considered loyal to US interests, regardless of their domestic policies.
Oman, after first trying to disperse the crowds with force, has taken a similar tact, but it doesn't appear as though the attempts to buy off the crowds will work in the long term - especially when they see the success of Tunisians and Egyptians in ridding themselves of autocratic and kleptocratic regimes that brutally crushed opposition groups for decades and stifled economic and social development. Just because the Omani leader Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id isn't as bad or harsh an autocratic rule as others in the region doesn't make him a role model, let alone someone that should have unfettered power. The Omani people are realizing this as well. They want something different, and something better than autocratic rule.
Protesters in Yemen have once again taken to the streets.
There are now attempts by an imam aligned with al Qaeda to claim that the efforts are an attempt by Israel and the US to destabilize the Arab world. It's a laughable claim, considering that the US strategic interest in the region was to maintain stability - by backing regimes it considered loyal to US interests, regardless of their domestic policies.
As thousands of demonstrators for and against President Ali Abdullah Saleh took to the streets on Tuesday, a cleric accused by the United States of having links to Al Qaeda joined the protesters for the first time to call for the replacement of the government with an Islamic state.Bahraini officials are trying to negotiate with opposition groups ahead of planned protests following the deaths of several protesters last week.
An elderly antigovernment protester reacted during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in Sana.
The call by Sheik Abdul Majid al-Zindani seemed a marked contrast to the upheaval that brought down the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and threatens the rulers of Libya, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen where uprisings have been seen as secular and inspired by democratic goals.
Mr. Zindani’s appearance coincided with an unusual display of anti-American sentiment by Mr. Saleh, who accused Washington and Israel of fomenting unrest to destabilize the Arab world — an accusation that seemed more remarkable because the United States has been Mr. Saleh’s most powerful Western backer during his three decades in power.
“From Tunis to the Sultanate of Oman,” Mr. Saleh said, the wave of protest is “managed by Tel Aviv and under the supervision of Washington,” he said.
A Bahraini minister urged opposition protesters on Tuesday to sit down for a national dialogue with the government, as another mass rally was expected later in the day in the capital, Manama.The Bahraini government also denies reports that Saudi tanks were involved in the show of force to stop additional protests, but that those tanks that crossed the causeway into Bahrain were Bahraini tanks returning from celebrations in Kuwait.
'We cannot have a fruitful discussion unless we sit at one table. Everyone can bring his ideas and his thoughts about the future of Bahrain,' said Minister of Social Development Fatima al-Balooshi, speaking with reporters in Geneva.
His plea came days after members of an Islamic Shiite opposition group resigned from parliament. There has also been a partial cabinet reshuffle, and the release of hundreds of prisoners by the king.
Parliamentarians from the largest opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, resigned on Sunday to protest seven people killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. The group, which held 18 of 40 seats in the lower chamber, is calling for the government to step down.
Pro Khadafi Forces Fail To Recapture Key Towns; Fighting Continues; Death Toll 6,500+?
Mumar Khadafi's loyalists and hired thugs were unable to retake a key town near Tripoli despite attacking from several different directions.
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi tried to retake a town near the capital that is in opposition control but were repelled, an opposition leader in the town told CNN Tuesday.Khadafi continues to dismiss the international pressure on his regime, the fact that his diplomatic corps has deserted him, the army has largely abandoned him, and that his loyalists are being outnumbered to the point where he needs to bring in mercenaries.
Pro-Gadhafi troops with tanks and anti-aircraft guns attacked Zawiya from both east and west as night fell Monday, but did not capture the town, a short drive from the capital Tripoli, the source said.
Zawiya is calm Tuesday, but Gadhafi's troops remain outside it, the opposition leader and another source in the town said. CNN is not naming them to protect their safety.
In London, meanwhile, the Libyan embassy said it was siding with the opposition, condemning what it called "all acts of murder and terror " taking place in their homeland.
More European countries and companies froze assets belonging to Gadhafiand his family. Austria's central bank said it was freezing all assets held by the family, while Germany said it was freezing two million euros ($2.76 million) belong to one of Gadhafi's sons, without specifying which.
Perhaps Khadafi thinks that his stature is enhanced by standing up to the West, but this isn't about standing up to the West, it's about the brutal crackdown against his own countrymen. He's far from being loved in his own country, and while those involved in his cult of personality are playing into his deranged worldview, the number of people formerly involved with his regime continues to grow (via BBC):
#Khadafi is busy trying to shroud this situation in a cloak of conspiracies against his regime, which all but ignores the plight of the Libyan people and the brutal way his government has cracked down against protesters demanding more rights, economic opportunities, and freedoms. The Army's defections show just how great the disconnect is between Khadafi and his people.
1423: Libya's two state television channels have been broadcasting programmes and phone-ins expressing support and allegiance for Col Gaddafi, BBC Monitoring reports. They have also shown pictures of families receiving the payouts announced by the government recently, and denied a military aircraft crashed near Misrata. The state newspaper al-Jamhariya is meanwhile reporting on a US-led conspiracy against national unity.
#
1418: Staff Brig Gen Mansour Mohammed Abu Hajar, head of the Libyan army's armoured vehicles and infantry division in Benghazi, has told al-Arabiya that he and the division's personnel have joined the rebels. "[We] announce our joining of this blessed revolution, which we hope God Almighty will grant success and victory. We denounce the killing and the extermination of defenceless youths by the security brigades and hired mercenaries. I and all the division's personnel put ourselves at the disposal of this glorious revolution," he says.
Meanwhile, the nuclear disarmament deal carried out under President Bush takes on renewed significance considering the perilous security situation. There are still concerns over Libya's chemical weapons inventory, but thus far there have been no indications that those items have been moved or dispersed.
UPDATE:
The NY Times reports on Khadafi whitewashing reports of protests and uprisings in Tripoli, including the actual use of paint to cover anti-Khadafi graffiti in the city ahead of journalists gaining access with minders in tow.
UPDATE:
To keep track of what's going on and where, the NY Times has a great feature showing updates by country.
UPDATE:
According to sources available to Gulf News, the death toll from fighting in Libya and the ongoing protests is more than 6,500.
UPDATE:
The U.N. General Assembly has suspended Libya from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council. However, the Security Council has ruled out the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya for the time being.
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