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The World Affairs Brief is a weekly news analysis service dedicated to providing an understanding of the hidden agendas behind the actions of world leaders and other powerful individuals who influence government from behind the scenes. Although the World Affairs Brief is provided to subscribers only, you can read samples of Mr. Skousen's unique analysis in the archives section. The following daily news items are provided as a sampling of the crucial issues that Mr. Skousen may analyze in this week's briefing. | |||||||||||||||||
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| Thursday, July 2, 2009 |
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Release Of The “Holy Grail” Of Torture Reports Delayed Again Story Today was supposed to be the day that the Justice Department — after two delays — released an unclassified version of the CIA Inspector General’s 2004 Report into the interrogations of “high-value detainees” in the “War on Terror,” which Democrat Congressional staffers described as the “holy grail,” according to Greg Sargent of the Plum Line, writing in May, “because it is expected to detail torture in unprecedented detail and to cast doubt on the claim that torture works.” I’m not surprised that the release of the report — delayed for a week from June 19, at the CIA’s request, and again from June 26 to July 1 — has been delayed again, as it clearly contains information that is vital to those of who believe that President Obama cannot “restore America’s moral stature in the world” (as he pledged in November) without holding to account those who authorized the use of torture by US personnel -Andy Worthington |
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Pakistanis Reject U.S. "Aid" Flights, As Lawsuit is Filed Against U.S. Drone Attacks Story Damn those ungrateful Pakistanis.After U.S. drone attacks killed more than 600 of their people since 2006—most of them civilians—it seems they think they have some right to say they don’t want the U.S. flying its “aid” planes to Swat and other “tribal areas.” The New York Times reports that “the Pakistani authorities have refused to allow American workers or planes to distribute the aid in the camps for displaced people.” Meanwhile, a Pakistani human rights lawyer filed a petition at the country’s Supreme Court asking it to order the Pakistani government to undertake a “comprehensive report” on U.S. drone attacks against the country -Jeremy Scahill/Rebel Reports |
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A 'coup' in Honduras? Nonsense. Story Sometimes, the whole world prefers a lie to the truth.The White House, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and much of the media have condemned the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya this past weekend as a coup d'état.That is nonsense.In fact, what happened here is nothing short of the triumph of the rule of law.To understand recent events, you have to know a bit about Honduras's constitutional history.In 1982, my country adopted a new Constitution that enabled our orderly return to democracy after years of military rule.After more than a dozen previous constitutions, the current Constitution, at 27 years old, has endured the longest -Octavio Sánchez/Christian Science Monitor |
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Walloped Story WHEN Argentines last voted in a national election two years ago they chose Cristina Fernández as their new president with 45% of the vote and no need for a run-off.They gave the political block controlled by her and her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner, healthy majorities in both houses of Congress.In a mid-term election on June 28th not only did the first couple lose those majorities but they also lost the political dominance they have exercised over Argentina since 2003.They show few immediate signs of heeding the demand for change.This week the president was characteristically haughty and defiant in a defeat she refused to recognise as such.Mr Kirchner gave up the leadership of the Justicialist (Peronist) Party, but turned it over to an ally -Economist UK |
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Nabucco is still alive Story Nearly two months ago, Turkey and the EU finally overcame two outstanding problems regarding the transit of Azerbaijan's natural gas to Europe across Turkey: that is, the price to Ankara of the Nabucco pipeline and the legal framework for domestic Turkish regulation of the venture.That gas would come from the second stage of development of Azerbaijan's large offshore Shah-Deniz deposit.Overcoming these problems set the stage for a signing ceremony in Ankara for the Nabucco project, to be held on June 25.That date has come and gone, without the ceremony and without the signatures.An agreement was, however, signed this week between Baku and Moscow for the sale of offshore Azerbaijani gas to Russia's Gazprom -Robert M Cutler/Asia Times |
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Russia flits from Tehran to Washington Story Construction of the plant - two 1,300-megawatt pressurized water reactors - started in 1975 by Germany's KWU.The completion date was planned for 1982, but in 1979 work was suspended following the Iranian revolution.In 1995, Russian state-run company Atomstroiexport began building the first reactor, with startup scheduled for this year.Moscow, by pointing to "problems" with Bushehr, is sending a message not so much to Teheran as to Washington.Still, Russia will not abandon Iran unless it receives appropriate geopolitical concessions, such as a free reign for Russia in the former Soviet Union space.This is a heavy price and will definitely give Washington something to think about.For this reason, Moscow's flirtation with the US could be as opportunistic and unstable as its flirtation with Tehran -Dmitry Shlapentokh/Asia Times |
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Felipe Gonzalez takes on Blair for EU presidency Story He oversaw the modernisation of Spain and secured its entry into the EU; he ruled for 13 years before falling from view in a 1996 political scandal.But now Felipe Gonzalez, the charismatic former Socialist prime minister is once more stalking the land and being spoken of as a challenger to Tony Blair in the race to become the first "President of Europe".The post doesn't actually exist yet, and won't unless Irish voters approve the Lisbon Treaty in a second referendum in October.The powers that go with the job are still ill-defined, and candidates are unlikely to emerge until the treaty is ratified.Accordingly, Mr Gonzalez says he is not standing and doesn't aspire to the job.But for a politician who never in his long career took an uncalculated step, actions speak louder than words -Elizabeth Nash/Independent UK |
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Iraq brings forward second oil sale Story Iraq plans to bring forward a second bidding round for major energy contracts and may give foreign firms another run at oilfields that were left over after this week's sale, which clinched only one deal.The country's second bidding round of energy deals "was supposed to be at the end of the year but we have moved it up. "We will announce the new date.It could be in the next few months," oil ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said on Thursday.The auction revealed a deep gulf between what the Iraqi government was willing to pay for developing the fields, most of which are already in production, and the fees foreign firms expected to earn.Iraq desperately needs money to rebuild after six years of conflict and is widely viewed as unable to fix an oil sector damaged by decades of war, sanctions and neglect without the capital and expertise of international energy firms |
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UN expert says Israeli seizure of aid ship a crime Story A U.N. human rights investigator on Thursday called Israel's seizure of a ship carrying relief aid for the Gaza Strip "unlawful" and said its blockade of the territory constituted a "continuing crime against humanity".Israeli authorities on Tuesday intercepted the vessel, which was also carrying 21 pro-Palestinian activists, and said it would not be permitted to enter Gaza coastal waters because of security risks in the area and its existing naval blockade.Richard Falk, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the move was part of Israel's "cruel blockade of the entire Palestinian population of Gaza" in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting any form of collective punishment against "an occupied people" |
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Senate Health Proposal Carries Smaller Price Tag Story A Senate health-care proposal released Thursday would keep more people in employer-sponsored health plans and cost far less than an earlier version that drew heavy criticism.The new proposal, issued by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee after lengthy consultations with the Congressional Budget Office, would cost $611.4 billion over 10 years.The CBO analysis states that 21 million uninsured people would gain coverage under the proposal, but Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.), who is leading committee Democrats on health-care matters, said the bill combined with Senate Finance Committee legislation would result in coverage of 97% of Americans.The vast difference in dollar figures results in large part from a section in the proposal that would slap penalties on employers who don't offer employee health benefits -Peter Yoest/Wall Street Journal |
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Unemployment Rises, Payroll Losses Far Exceed Analysts’ Estimates Story June’s unemployment rate increase was less than economists were anticipating, but the overall number of jobs lost was substantially higher than expected.The unemployment rate crept up to 9.5% last month - its highest level since 1983, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor.That’s up from May’s 9.4% rate.Total job losses for the month were 467,000.Underemployment, where desperate workers take jobs that are not meeting their desired compensation, hours or level of skill and experience, increased to 16.5% in June from 16.4% in May.The underemployment rate last month was the highest since the Labor Department started tracking it in 1994 -Bob Blandeburgo/Money Morning |
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Cash-strapped California sets interest rate on 'IOUs' Story California officials, facing a cash crisis without a state budget agreement, approved on Thursday a 3.75 percent interest rate and an October 2 maturity date for registered warrants, or "IOUs," the state will issue in lieu of payments to vendors, local agencies and individuals.The first tranche of IOUs will be printed Thursday afternoon and will be sent primarily to taxpayers owed tax refunds, according to State Controller John Chiang's office.California's finance officials, including Chiang, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Department of Finance Director Michael Genest, aim to reassure Wall Street as the state's cash dwindles without a budget agreement in place -- and in anticipation of having to sell $7 billion to $9 billion in short-term debt after a spending plan is approved |
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Big-City Police Chiefs Urge Overhaul of Immigration Policy Story Seeking to inject their views into the revived debate over immigration overhaul, several big-city police chiefs urged Congress on Wednesday to draft a new policy that improves public safety by bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows.The chiefs — updating recommendations made in 2006 by the leaders of more than 50 urban police departments — called for an overhaul that would integrate immigrants into the legal system, possibly with driver’s licenses, and separate the local police from immigration enforcement.They said they favored tough border enforcement and efforts to prosecute employers who rely on illegal foreign-born workers.But they insisted that local law enforcement be kept apart from immigration enforcement because such agencies lacked the training and time, especially with recent budget cuts -Damien Cave/NY Times |
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Ousted Honduran president Zelaya: wily leftist or buffoon? Story An eccentric populist to some, a phony, wannabe president-for-life to others, Honduras' exiled President Manuel Zelaya carries a curious pedigree.He grew up in a wealthy landowning family, dropped out of college but went on to witness his nation's grinding poverty firsthand in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch and then win office by one of the slimmest margins in Honduran history.By the time of his ouster in his pajamas Sunday, the imposing six-foot, two-inch mustachioed 56-year-old had made a pilgrimage to Havana to pose for a photo with Fidel Castro, sung along while a Mexican band crooned a ballad about drug-trafficking -- and alienated his nation's media, military and supreme court. ''He's always had a reputation -- as a child and as an adult -- of being wild, reckless and untamable,'' said former U.S. Ambassador Cresencio Arcos, who served in Honduras in the 1980s and 90s. ''But the sense I had is there was no ideology there'' before his rise to power -Carol Rosenberg/Miami Herald |
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Anatomy of a coup: Honduran's ouster months in the making Story Deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya says all he wanted was to conduct a public opinion poll — even though the supreme court had ruled it illegal, the attorney general threatened to arrest him, and he faced mutiny in the armed forces.Zelaya's defiant insistence on asking voters whether they were interested in amending the country's constitution ended at dawn Sunday, when hooded soldiers roused the president out of bed, pointed rifles at his chest and flew him to Costa Rica.Zelaya, a wealthy farmer known for his cowboy hats and thick mustache, took office four years ago just as more and more leftists started winning Latin American presidencies at the ballot box.In 2008, he started getting closer to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, by joining both the organization of countries that get Venezuelan oil at deep discounts and the ALBA group of mostly leftist allies -Frances Robles/Miami Herald |
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Troops told to stop Taliban pursuit if civilians are at risk Story Beginning Thursday, American soldiers in Afghanistan will be under orders to back down when they're chasing Taliban fighters whenever they think that civilians might be at risk.Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, will issue the directive as part of an effort to cut down on civilian casualties, which have enraged the Afghan government and residents.Instead of calling in air support or firing into civilian homes where Taliban fighters have sought refuge, commanders will be instructed to reach out to tribal elders or undertake other efforts to dislodge the fighters.McChrystal's order, an unclassified version of which is expected to be made public later this week, comes on the heels of a Pentagon report issued last month that acknowledged that as many as 86 civilians may have been killed in a May airstrike in Farah province -Nancy A. Youssef/McClatchy Newspapers |
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Jones: No more U.S. troops to Afghanistan this year Story After hearing a "drumbeat" for more troops, White House National Security Adviser James L. Jones has told U.S. commanders in Afghanistan that they won't get any more troops this year beyond what President Barack Obama already has promised.Just back from a trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, Jones told McClatchy in an exclusive interview Wednesday that he'd told commanders on the ground that the time for debate was over three months ago and that it's time to implement the new three-step plan with the troops already committed, plus a renewed emphasis on economic development and the rule of law. "It was essentially to remind everybody that we all participated in the development of the strategy," Jones said during the interview in his White House office -McClatchy Newspapers |
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U.S. Hardens Its Stance Ahead of Summit With Russia Story The Obama White House on Wednesday adopted a hard line against negotiating away missile-defense sites in Eastern Europe and limiting NATO expansion in the former Soviet Union, just days ahead of a summit meeting in Moscow.The hardened posture made it clear the Kremlin wouldn't make headway on two of its top priorities for the summit.Later this year, negotiators will turn to a more ambitious effort to further cut the number of strategic warheads, as well as battlefield nuclear weapons and nondeployed warheads.In Moscow, Mr. Obama will deliver what White House officials are billing as his third major foreign-policy address, after his April arms-control speech in Prague and his address in Cairo to the Muslim world -Wall Street Journal |
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N. Korea test-fires missiles as talks with S. Korea go awry Story North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles off its east coast on Thursday, officials in Seoul said, just hours after the communist state ended its talks with South Korea without progress over their joint industrial park, the fate of which remains in jeopardy.The missiles, which appeared to be surface-to-ship ones, "were fired into the East Sea," South Korean defense ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.Other officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the missiles landed about 100 kilometers off the coast, where the North had imposed a June 25-July 10 maritime ban for a military drill.There have not been any significant signs detected from other North Korean missile bases than Sinsang-ni, the officials said, adding that the South Korean military is closely watching North Korea's military movements -Sam Kim/Yonhap News KR |
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Buying On Spec Story Through its rhetoric and actions, the Obama Administration has made it clear that no matter the current or future costs, the federal government will not allow a collapse of the banking system.The resulting aura of certitude has, in turn, encouraged investors to roll the dice one more time.Some of these investors are likely trying to make good prior investment losses through speculative trading in U.S. equities.The surety of the government guarantee has sadly allowed them to overlook the fact that U.S. corporate earnings continue to fall.So, as is the case with all government guarantees, the risks our economy faces are now disproportionate to the opportunities. Haven't we been down this road before? -John Browne/Financial Sense Online |
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Treasury to Name 9 'Toxic' Managers Story The Treasury Department is expected to name as many as nine investment managers to operate funds that will buy toxic securities from financial institutions, according to people familiar with the plans.An announcement could come as soon as Thursday but may slip until next week.While the U.S. is tapping more fund managers than initially expected, the overall size of the program will likely be far smaller than government officials once envisioned.The ultimate size will depend on how much money fund managers are able to raise in the private market but isn't expected to reach the $1 trillion in purchasing power the Treasury suggested was possible earlier this year -Deborah Solomon/Wall Street Journal |
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China Renews Call for ‘Stable’ Dollar, Monetary Diversification Story China, the largest holder of foreign currency reserves, reiterated its call for a stable dollar and a diversification of the international monetary system. “We hope that as the main reserve currency the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar will be stable,” Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei told reporters in Beijing. “This international financial crisis has fully exposed the weaknesses and loopholes in the international monetary system.” China, whose leaders have expressed concern that U.S. government spending to counter a recession will weaken the dollar, cut its holdings of dollar reserves by $4.4 billion in April to $763.5 billion, the latest figures available show.President Hu Jintao will attend this month’s Group of Eight summit, where China expects the issue to be raised, He said -Bloomberg |
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OBAMA'S 'CLIMATE ASTROLOGER' Story President Obama's Energy Secretary Steven Chu is at it again.Fresh off his declarations in May claiming computer model predictions as evidence of a certain climate catastrophe, he has now gotten more bold, confidently predicting a certain climate catastrophe by the year 2109. (When he and everyone who hears his warning today will be unable to verify his predictions because they will be conveniently DEAD!)Sec. Chu is exactly the reason many scientists are now reporting that man-made global warming fear promotion has degenerated to the level of astrology.It is no wonder that the environmental movement is urging its troops to no longer use the term “global warming,” as temperatures fail to cooperate -Marc Morano/NewsWithViews |
| Wednesday, July 1, 2009 |
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INDEPENDENCE NOW AND FOREVER Story As we approach Independence Day, it behooves us to recall the principles of America's founding, especially in light of the ongoing attempt by today's political and commercial leaders to merge the United States into a hemispheric government.In fact, the clarion call for independence is just as fundamental, just as revolutionary as it was 233 years ago.America's Declaration of Independence, which is our nation's birth certificate, was purchased at a very high price.The question now is, "How long can we maintain our nation's independence?" The forces of global government seem to dominate both major parties in Washington, D.C., most corporate boardrooms, and most newsrooms -Chuck Baldwin/NewsWithViews |
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Mr. Sunshine? Ron Paul Wins Support to Audit Fed Reserve Story All of a sudden, Congress is paying close attention to Ron Paul.The feisty congressman from Texas, whose insurgent "Ron Paul Revolution" presidential campaign rankled Republican leaders last year, now has the GOP House leadership on his side -- backing a measure that generated paltry support when he first introduced it 26 years ago. Paul, as of Tuesday, has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010. Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983.While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009 -Judson Berger/Fox News |
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Bank Woes Deepening in Europe Story When the financial crisis struck the global economy last autumn, European governments moved swiftly to keep their biggest banks from falling into an abyss — never mind fears over nationalization.But now, as big banks on this side of the Atlantic show signs of recovery, a number of their counterparts overseas are sinking into a spiral of deepening losses that has prompted the European Union to consider a more aggressive approach to cleaning up its banking system.Few people outside Belgium have ever heard of KBC Bank.But the travails of this lender, based in Brussels, highlight the broader challenges Europe is facing by not having more fully confronted the deteriorating health of its financial institutions -Landon Thomas Jr/NY Times |
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Pirates of the Mediterranean Story On June 30, the government of Israel committed an act of piracy when the Israeli Navy in international waters illegally boarded the “Spirit of Humanity,” kidnapped its 21-person crew from 11 countries, including former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Nobel Laureate Mairead MaGuire, and confiscated the cargo of medical supplies, olive trees, reconstruction materials, and children’s toys that were on the way to the Mediterranean coast of Gaza.The “Spirit of Humanity,” along with the kidnapped 21 persons, is being towed to Israel as I write.Israel, of course, will keep the stolen “Spirit of Humanity” to foreclose any further attempts by human rights activists to run Israel’s inhumane blockade of Gaza -Paul Craig Roberts/CounterPunch |
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Hu embarks on a political pilgrimage Story Next week, Hu Jintao starts an official visit to Italy, the first for a Chinese president in 10 years.As with his predecessor, Jiang Zemin, Hu will have a chance to look first-hand at what was for millennia - from the Magna Grecia in the south to the Roman Empire to the Renaissance - the cradle of Western civilization.He will thus get a glimpse at the origin and development of the process of modernization - or "Westernification" - that China is embracing at the moment. This, in a nutshell, is the significance of Hu's trip to Italy. It means very little and very much: There is no huge political agenda but enormous philosophical significance -Francesco Sisci/Asia Times |
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Turkey balances on shaky ground Story Turkey's gradual about-face regarding its strategic position vis-a-vis the Muslim world can be seen as part of a soul-searching exercise that began with the rise of Islamists in the government in the early 1990s and the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.This soul-searching was born partly out of frustration with the country's fiercely secular elite, who for decades tried to integrate Turkey into the European family of nations and change the country's demography and cultural attitudes toward religion and its role in politics.Under AKP rule, the Turkish leadership decided to map a new course for its foreign policy vis-a-vis the Middle East and Central Asia while pursuing its efforts for accession to the European Union -Reza Akhlaghi/Asia Times |
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Refusing to Comply Story To this day, troops in Iraq continue to be plagued by equipment and manpower shortages, and work long hours in an extreme climate. In addition, their stress levels are regularly raised by news from home of veterans returning to separations and divorces, and of a Veteran's Administration often ill-equipped and unwilling to provide appropriate physical and psychological care to veterans.While no broad poll of troops has been conducted recently, a Zogby poll in February 2006 found that 72% of soldiers in Iraq felt the occupation should be ended within a year.My interviews with those recently back from Iraq indicate that levels of despair and disappointment are once again on the rise among troops who are beginning to realize, months after the Obama administration was ushered in, that hopes of an early withdrawal have evaporated -Dahr Jamail/TomDispatch.com |
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Al-Sadr demands full U.S. withdrawal from Iraq Story The ongoing presence of U.S. troops in Iraq "shows that the (Iraqi) government and the occupation are not serious about the withdrawal," a key Shiite cleric in the country said Wednesday.Muqtada al-Sadr made the statement on his Web site a day after U.S. forces withdrew from Iraqi cities and towns in accordance with the security agreement between the United States and Iraq.About 131,000 American troops remain in the country, on bases and in outposts outside of population centers. "The withdrawal should include all the occupation forces: army, intelligence, militias, and security companies and others. Otherwise, the withdrawal will be uncompleted and useless," al-Sadr said. "We want a withdrawal and stopping the interference with Iraqi political, social and economic affairs," the statement said -CNN |
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Khatami denounces Iran election, arrests Story Moderate former president Mohammad Khatami criticized the outcome of Iran's disputed election and called for the release of people arrested since the June 12 vote in a hard-hitting statement on Wednesday.Khatami was the third leading pro-reformer to publicly denounce the vote and its turbulent aftermath since Iran's top legislative body on Monday confirmed the victory of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Khatami, who was president from 1997 to 2005, supported Mousavi's presidency bid during the campaign."If you want to calm the atmosphere, why are you carrying out mass arrests? Oppressing people will not help end the protests," Khatami said.Addressing the judiciary, he said: "If these people have committed crimes, why are their legal rights as citizens not preserved, why don't they have access to a lawyer, why are they not tried in a court, why haven't they been charged?" |
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Mir-Hossein Mousavi calls Iran election illegitimate in renewed defiance of ayatollah Story Iran's reform leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi urged his supporters on Wednesday to continue to fight for "the rights of the people" in his first rallying cry since the regime validated the results of the country's disputed presidential election.Mr Mousavi reasserted his claim that the June 12 election was illegitimate, and demanded that Iran's hardline government release all political prisoners and institute electoral reforms and press freedom.His latest defiance came as the Basij militia accused the opposition leader of undermining national security and asked a prosecutor to investigate his role in violent protests.On Wednesday, a senior Iranian military official suggested that nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the West would be further stalled in the wake of the protests, which the regime has accused European powers of masterminding -Telegraph UK |
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Iran releases three more British embassy employees Story Iran has released three employees of the British embassy in Tehran who were detained in the wake of street protests against official presidential election results, state-run Iranian television reported today.Press TV said one embassy employee was still being held for playing "a significant role" in post-election violence, out of nine Iranian staff members originally arrested. Five were released last week.British officials said this afternoon they were checking the latest report.The reported releases come just ahead of a meeting of senior European diplomats in Stockholm tomorrow.The political directors of EU member foreign ministries were due to discuss coordinated measures against Iran for what David Miliband has called "harassment and intimidation" of local embassy staff -Julian Borger/Guardian UK |
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Setback for Tony Blair's ambition to be president of Europe Story Tony Blair's ambition to become Europe's first president have been set back by stiffening opposition from Sweden and Spain, the two countries chairing the EU for the next year.Senior officials in Stockholm, which assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU today, said they feared a President Blair would be a divisive figure, triggering friction between small and large European countries, and added that José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister, was even more strongly opposed to Blair securing the post and usurping Madrid's running of the union next year.The decision to appoint a new sitting European president, for a maximum of five years, is to be taken before the end of the year if Ireland votes yes in October in a referendum on the Lisbon treaty -Ian Traynor/Guardian UK |
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Croatian Premier Sanader Resigns for Personal Reasons Story Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader resigned for personal reasons, handing the reins of government to his deputy as the Balkan nation heads for a recession and its bid to join the European Union is stalled.Sanader, 56, also quit as leader of the Croatian Democratic Union.He said he received job offers from unspecified European institutions that he rejected.He declined to elaborate on his future plans and said he’s not ill.He will be replaced by Deputy Premier Jadranka Kosor, who turned 56 today.Sanader has quit as Croatia tries to keep its bid to join the EU from being derailed by a border dispute with neighboring Slovenia, an EU member and also a former Yugoslav republic.Croatia, with 4.4 million citizens, is being battered with the rest of eastern Europe by the global economic crisis -Boris Cerni/Bloomberg |
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Honduras Gets Ultimatum From American Nations Story The Organization of American States gave Honduras three days Wednesday to restore the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, or face suspension, as the interim leader of the country defied international condemnation of the coup that led to his appointment and said only force could unseat him.Roberto Micheletti, the interim leader of Honduras appointed by the Congress, said, “He can no longer return to the presidency of the republic unless a president from another Latin American country comes and imposes him using guns.” His foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, threw a wild card onto the table, telling CNN en Espanol that Zelaya had been letting drug traffickers ship U.S.-bound cocaine from Venezuela through Honduras.Ortez said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was aware of Zelaya's ties to organized crime -Sharon Otterman & Marc Lacey/NY Times |
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Sanctions on North Korean firms indirectly target Iran Story The Obama administration on Tuesday slapped financial sanctions on two North Korean firms, including one based in Iran, as part of a crackdown on North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs following a May nuclear test blast and a series of provocative missile launches.The action also might've been aimed at further restricting Iran's access to hard currency in the wake of the Iranian regime's violent repression of nationwide protests over hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed June 12 re-election.The U.S. action was announced as the administration sent Philip Goldstein, a U.S. envoy charged with coordinating U.N. measures banning North Korea from selling arms and nuclear-related materials, for talks in China on implementing the measures -Jonathan S. Landay & Kevin G. Hall/McClatchy Newspapers |
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N Korea-Burma link suspected Story Health officials declared emergency measures on Tuesday to fight an outbreak of theThe arrest by Japanese police this week of three men over an alleged attempt to send high-tech arms-making equipment to Burma at the behest of North Korean agents has deepened suspicions that Pyongyang is helping to arm Burma’s military junta.Evidence of co-operation between the two pariah states has mounted in recent weeks.Japanese police on Tuesday said the three arrested men – a North Korean citizen and two Japanese – had attempted to ship to Burma a magnetometer, a device used to measure the strength of magnetic fields.Export of “dual use” devices is restricted under Japanese law because they are employed in the manufacture of ballistic missiles -Jonathan Soble/Financial Times UK |
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Source: NKorean ship headed back to north Story U.S. officials said Tuesday that a North Korean ship has turned around and is headed back toward the north where it came from, after being tracked for more than a week by American Navy vessels on suspicion of carrying illegal weapons.The move keeps the U.S. and the rest of the international community guessing: Where is the Kang Nam going? Does its cargo include materials banned by a new U.N. anti-proliferation resolution? The ship left a North Korean port of Nampo on June 17 and is the first vessel monitored under U.N. sanctions that ban the regime from selling arms and nuclear-related material.The Navy has been watching it - at times following it from a distance. It traveled south and southwest for more than a week; then, on Sunday, it turned around and headed back north |
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Iran's clerics close ranks as Mousavi supporters face purge Story IRAN'S ruling clerics closed ranks around President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday, hailing him a "champion" amid signs he had begun purging his government of anyone seen as an opposition sympathiser.Three oil ministry officials with loose ties to Mr Mousavi were fired, the independent news agency Fararu reported.All three were prominent members of former president Mohammad Khatami's government and reportedly were allies of another former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.Another top cleric, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, called the election the cleanest in the history of the Islamic Republic -William Kole/Scotsman UK |