Opinion: Merkel's Strategic US Criticism Germany Deutsche Welle 10.01.2006
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent criticism of Guantanamo prison camp won't hurt US-German relations. She's simply setting boundaries as a friend, says DW-WORLD's Uta Thofern.
US President George W. Bush was wrong if he thought that Angela Merkel would be easier to deal with than Gerhard Schröder. That's become obvious since Merkel demanded that the US-run Guantanamo prison camp on the island of Cuba be shut down. But it's also clear now that she will be a reliable partner. Merkel thinks strategically, not tactically, and uses her statements to that effect.
This chancellor doesn't change foreign policy guidelines during town square rallies; she doesn't criticize allies during election campaign events. Instead, she first voices her concerns where it's appropriate: in face-to-face meetings.
Merkel also had clear words about alleged CIA abductions during her meeting with Rice in December
During the Berlin visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in December, Merkel didn't leave any doubt about the fact that she considers the rule of law a priority even in the fight against terror. That's why the surprised reaction of the German public to her Guantanamo remarks is the only astonishing thing about her statement. Bush certainly had been prepared for her words for at least four weeks.
No surprises
Merkel's public words are also nothing more than the reflection of a given consensus in Europe. But it's also true that she is the first European head of government to issue clear demands on specific issues, be it the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo, the abduction of suspects or the establishing of secret CIA prisons.
Specific criticism rather than blanket condemnation is something even George Bush can deal with -- especially since Merkel always combines her remarks with a commitment to German-American friendship.
Merkel visited the US just prior to the war in Iraq in 2003
The previous government used criticism of US actions ahead of the war in Iraq to justify a general withdrawal of affection. Merkel takes a pragmatic approach instead. Specific criticism on the one hand and profound political support on the other are not mutually exclusive in her opinion. Quite to the contrary: Only cooperating partners are able to resolve conflicts. Merkel is not suspected of anti-Americanism and she uses the freedom to maneuver that comes with that.
A critical partner
Her critical remarks ahead of her US visit have enabled her to widen the field even further. She comes to Washington with strong backing from the public and without any risk of capsizing. Nobody -- especially Merkel -- expects the US government to fulfil even a single one of her demands. She's already getting applause just for raising the issues.
Merkel is gliding on a wave of public support at home
Bush on the other hand is facing a chancellor who will offer herself as a partner despite all the criticism. She's doing this from a strengthened position -- strongly rooted in Europe, with broad backing by her government and public support behind her.
This Angela Merkel has much a better chance of being taken seriously in Washington than her predecessor. That's crucial as Germany has long disappeared from the top of the list of US priorities and was in danger of falling further under Schröder.
Whether it is the united fight against terror, the cooperation with the (at best) semi-democratic Russia or the nuclear row with Iran -- Germany and Europe can deal with these issues much more successfully at the US's side rather than without or even in opposition to America.
But Washington expects at least political or economical -- if not military -- support in Iraq from its partners.
Knowing this, Merkel has set the boundaries ahead of her visit in order to prevent the price of improved US-German relations from rising too high.
1.2.06
Steinmeier: German Hostage Situation "Developing Seriously" | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 01.02.2006
Steinmeier: German Hostage Situation "Developing Seriously" Germany Deutsche Welle 01.02.2006
The kidnappers of two German engineers in Iraq have given the German government a 72-hour deadline to meet their demand that it sever ties with Baghdad. The ultimatum could already run out Wednesday.
The hostage-takers said in a video aired on Al Jazeera television network Tuesday night that they would kill Rene Bräunlich and Thomas Nitzschke if their demands were not met by the German government within 72-hours.
It's not clear when the deadline is meant to be: the video was dated Jan. 29, which suggests the ultimatum could run out Wednesday.
"According to our assessment, too, the situation has become serious," said Steinmeier in Berlin on Wednesday, after meeting with the ministry's emergency task force and the cabinet. He said he could not comment on the ultimatum and repeated Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to the kidnappers to release the men.
In the video, the kidnappers demanded the German embassy in Baghdad be closed and all German companies leave Iraq, according to Al Jazeera. They also called for the German government to put an end to all cooperation with the interim Iraqi government.
Bräunlich and Nitzschke were shown crouched on the ground on the tape, flanked by the masked kidnappers.
Over a week in captivity
The men, engineers from Leipzig who worked for German gas equipment installation company Cryotec, were abducted on Jan. 24 near the Baiji oil refinery compound by armed men in military uniform.
Three days later, a first video was aired on Al Jazeera in which the kidnappers asked Germany to pull its embassy out of Iraq immediately, halt all cooperation with the Iraqi government and help free women detained in Iraqi prisons. Bräunlich and Nitzschke, were filmed with armed masked men standing behind them. The two men called on their government to do everything it could for their release.
The kidnappers claim to belong to a group calling itself Ansar al-Tawheed wal Sunnah (Followers of Unity and Prophetic Tradition).
The kidnappers of two German engineers in Iraq have given the German government a 72-hour deadline to meet their demand that it sever ties with Baghdad. The ultimatum could already run out Wednesday.
The hostage-takers said in a video aired on Al Jazeera television network Tuesday night that they would kill Rene Bräunlich and Thomas Nitzschke if their demands were not met by the German government within 72-hours.
It's not clear when the deadline is meant to be: the video was dated Jan. 29, which suggests the ultimatum could run out Wednesday.
"According to our assessment, too, the situation has become serious," said Steinmeier in Berlin on Wednesday, after meeting with the ministry's emergency task force and the cabinet. He said he could not comment on the ultimatum and repeated Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to the kidnappers to release the men.
In the video, the kidnappers demanded the German embassy in Baghdad be closed and all German companies leave Iraq, according to Al Jazeera. They also called for the German government to put an end to all cooperation with the interim Iraqi government.
Bräunlich and Nitzschke were shown crouched on the ground on the tape, flanked by the masked kidnappers.
Over a week in captivity
The men, engineers from Leipzig who worked for German gas equipment installation company Cryotec, were abducted on Jan. 24 near the Baiji oil refinery compound by armed men in military uniform.
Three days later, a first video was aired on Al Jazeera in which the kidnappers asked Germany to pull its embassy out of Iraq immediately, halt all cooperation with the Iraqi government and help free women detained in Iraqi prisons. Bräunlich and Nitzschke, were filmed with armed masked men standing behind them. The two men called on their government to do everything it could for their release.
The kidnappers claim to belong to a group calling itself Ansar al-Tawheed wal Sunnah (Followers of Unity and Prophetic Tradition).
Ahmadinejad scorns nuclear pressure
Top News Article Reuters.com
TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday mocked international calls for Iran to rein in its nuclear program after U.S. President George W. Bush said the world must prevent it from making an atom bomb.
Iran denies seeking the bomb, but faces the prospect of being taken to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
The council's five permanent members, including a reluctant Russia and China, this week agreed to ask the U.N. nuclear watchdog to report Iran to New York immediately.
Ahmadinejad responded with defiance as he addressed a crowd of thousands in the Gulf port city of Bushehr, where Russia is helping Iran build its first nuclear reactor.
"I am telling those fake superpowers that the Iranian nation became independent 27 years ago and ... on the nuclear case, it will resist until fully achieving its rights," he said.
The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will decide at an emergency meeting in Vienna on Thursday whether to report Iran to the Security Council.
Iran says its nuclear plants will be used only to generate electricity for civilian use, not to make bombs.
In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and told him to uphold voluntary nuclear safeguards and desist from issuing threats.
"Mottaki was warned not to walk away from the IAEA additional protocol or to make threats," a British Foreign Office spokesman said. "This was not in Iran's interest."
Straw had "made clear that Iran had an opportunity which it should take."
However, Iran's parliament reminded the government that under a law approved last year it must resume uranium enrichment and halt voluntary compliance with the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if sent to the council. Continued ...
1 2 3
TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday mocked international calls for Iran to rein in its nuclear program after U.S. President George W. Bush said the world must prevent it from making an atom bomb.
Iran denies seeking the bomb, but faces the prospect of being taken to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
The council's five permanent members, including a reluctant Russia and China, this week agreed to ask the U.N. nuclear watchdog to report Iran to New York immediately.
Ahmadinejad responded with defiance as he addressed a crowd of thousands in the Gulf port city of Bushehr, where Russia is helping Iran build its first nuclear reactor.
"I am telling those fake superpowers that the Iranian nation became independent 27 years ago and ... on the nuclear case, it will resist until fully achieving its rights," he said.
The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will decide at an emergency meeting in Vienna on Thursday whether to report Iran to the Security Council.
Iran says its nuclear plants will be used only to generate electricity for civilian use, not to make bombs.
In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and told him to uphold voluntary nuclear safeguards and desist from issuing threats.
"Mottaki was warned not to walk away from the IAEA additional protocol or to make threats," a British Foreign Office spokesman said. "This was not in Iran's interest."
Straw had "made clear that Iran had an opportunity which it should take."
However, Iran's parliament reminded the government that under a law approved last year it must resume uranium enrichment and halt voluntary compliance with the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if sent to the council. Continued ...
1 2 3
Daily Local News - News - 02/01/2006 - Bush protesters: Administration failing the country
Daily Local News - News - 02/01/2006 - Bush protesters: Administration failing the country
Here at home;
WEST CHESTER -- Millions of Americans preparing to watch the State of the Union address Tuesday evening should expect to hear nothing but lies, said protesters outside the Chester County Courthouse just hours before the president’s speech.
"The truth of the union is not what you’ll hear on TV tonight," protester Richard MacIntyre shouted into a megaphone as he stood on the courthouse steps. "The truth is our country is falling apart because of our administration."
About 10 people gathered around MacIntyre carrying American flags and signs slamming the Bush administration. Lani Frank, executive director of the Chester County Democratic Coalition, said it’s time Americans started thinking for themselves and stopped believing everything President Bush says.
Frank said she didn’t expect to find any answers to the problems facing the country in Tuesday’s address."We need the truth," Frank said, "not this fairy tale (Bush) is selling us."Loss of her constitutional rights was foremost in the mind of West Chester resident Phyllis Wax, who said she hoped the public would educate themselves about the wrongs being perpetrated against American citizens.
Bush’s acknowledgment in December of spying on suspected terrorists without court orders has Wax worried about what the administration will do next."What is going on is very dangerous," Wax said.Many motorists driving through the intersection of High and Market streets honked their horns and waved in support of the protesters.
Several people, however, obviously disagreed with the group’s anti-Bush stance."I hope the terrorists kill your kids," (sick bastard) one man shouted from his vehicle as he drove past. Several other motorists made obscene gestures at the protesters.
East Bradford resident Rick Davis seemed willing to put up with a little abuse if he could help educate the public about what he sees as the problems the Bush administration is causing. He said government officials often say the right things, but they fail when it comes to following through. Davis said he’s been upset for a long time at wrongs committed by this administration.
"It’s like ‘Wake up America. Take your country back,’" Davis said. At 6:20 p.m., the small group walked along Gay Street to the Borough Hall, where they met up with other protesters in the council meeting room. Chester County Commissioner Andrew Dinniman told the crowd of about 25 that people need to be aware of what is happening in their country and be prepared to act when they see injustice. "Progress comes when people come together, envision change and work for change," Dinniman said.
Before speaking, former councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith asked for a moment of silence for state Sen. Robert J. Thompson, who died Saturday of complications from pulmonary fibrosis. Smith then said that Thompson, unlike many current government officials, did a lot of good for a lot of people. She said she will fight against wrongdoing by government officials."I believe we need reform in government," Smith said. "We need an open, accountable government.
"MacIntyre, the protester who used the megaphone to start the march, said the Bush administration is ruining the country and destroying international relations. Instead of mending relationships with other nations, Bush is only antagonizing them even more, he said."Bush is pulling us apart from the rest of the world," MacIntyre said.
Maybe thats what the helicopters flying low over head were about...my little two year old grand niece, scared, jumped into my lap and said "I don't want them to get me at night."
Here at home;
WEST CHESTER -- Millions of Americans preparing to watch the State of the Union address Tuesday evening should expect to hear nothing but lies, said protesters outside the Chester County Courthouse just hours before the president’s speech.
"The truth of the union is not what you’ll hear on TV tonight," protester Richard MacIntyre shouted into a megaphone as he stood on the courthouse steps. "The truth is our country is falling apart because of our administration."
About 10 people gathered around MacIntyre carrying American flags and signs slamming the Bush administration. Lani Frank, executive director of the Chester County Democratic Coalition, said it’s time Americans started thinking for themselves and stopped believing everything President Bush says.
Frank said she didn’t expect to find any answers to the problems facing the country in Tuesday’s address."We need the truth," Frank said, "not this fairy tale (Bush) is selling us."Loss of her constitutional rights was foremost in the mind of West Chester resident Phyllis Wax, who said she hoped the public would educate themselves about the wrongs being perpetrated against American citizens.
Bush’s acknowledgment in December of spying on suspected terrorists without court orders has Wax worried about what the administration will do next."What is going on is very dangerous," Wax said.Many motorists driving through the intersection of High and Market streets honked their horns and waved in support of the protesters.
Several people, however, obviously disagreed with the group’s anti-Bush stance."I hope the terrorists kill your kids," (sick bastard) one man shouted from his vehicle as he drove past. Several other motorists made obscene gestures at the protesters.
East Bradford resident Rick Davis seemed willing to put up with a little abuse if he could help educate the public about what he sees as the problems the Bush administration is causing. He said government officials often say the right things, but they fail when it comes to following through. Davis said he’s been upset for a long time at wrongs committed by this administration.
"It’s like ‘Wake up America. Take your country back,’" Davis said. At 6:20 p.m., the small group walked along Gay Street to the Borough Hall, where they met up with other protesters in the council meeting room. Chester County Commissioner Andrew Dinniman told the crowd of about 25 that people need to be aware of what is happening in their country and be prepared to act when they see injustice. "Progress comes when people come together, envision change and work for change," Dinniman said.
Before speaking, former councilwoman Barbara McIlvaine Smith asked for a moment of silence for state Sen. Robert J. Thompson, who died Saturday of complications from pulmonary fibrosis. Smith then said that Thompson, unlike many current government officials, did a lot of good for a lot of people. She said she will fight against wrongdoing by government officials."I believe we need reform in government," Smith said. "We need an open, accountable government.
"MacIntyre, the protester who used the megaphone to start the march, said the Bush administration is ruining the country and destroying international relations. Instead of mending relationships with other nations, Bush is only antagonizing them even more, he said."Bush is pulling us apart from the rest of the world," MacIntyre said.
Maybe thats what the helicopters flying low over head were about...my little two year old grand niece, scared, jumped into my lap and said "I don't want them to get me at night."
Primary Care About to Collapse, Physicians Warn
Primary Care About to Collapse, Physicians Warn:
So after our american pep rally tonight (comments a few articles down on the State of the Union Address) I have included a few reality checks.
"Primary care -- the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems -- could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday.
Primary care -- the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems -- could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday. (Lee Celano/Reuters)
'Primary care is on the verge of collapse,' said the organization, a professional group which certifies internists, in a statement. 'Very few young physicians are going into primary care and those already in practice are under such stress that they are looking for an exit strategy.'
Dropping incomes coupled with difficulties in juggling patients, soaring bills and policies from insurers that encourage rushed office visits all mean that more primary care doctors are retiring than are graduating from medical school, the ACP said in its report.
The group has proposed a solution -- calling on federal policymakers to approve new ways of paying doctors that would put primary care doctors in charge of organizing a patient's care and giving patients more responsibility for monitoring their own health and scheduling regular visits.
U.S. doctors have long complained that reimbursement policies of both Medicare and private insurers reward a 'just-in-time' approach, instead of preventive care that would save money and keep patients healthier.
'Medicare will pay tens of thousands of dollars ... for a limb amputation on a diabetic patient, but virtually nothing to the primary care physician for keeping the patient's diabetes under control,' said Bob Doherty, senior vice president for the ACP.
The ACP plan called for innovations such as using e-mail to consult on minor and routine matters, freeing up expensive office visit time for when it is needed. Doctors would be compensated for an e-mail consultation.
The proposals include incentives for doctors to work more efficiently and to provide better care, ACP President Dr. C. Anderson Hedberg told a news conference. "ACP proposals would provide patients with access to care that is coordinated by their own personal physician," Hedberg said.
Young Doctors Avoiding Primary Care
The ACP cited an American Medical Association survey that found 35 percent of all physicians nationwide are over the age of 55 and will soon retire.
In 2003, only 27 percent of third year internal medicine residents actually planned to practice internal medicine, the group said, with others planning to go into more lucrative specialty jobs.
"Primary care physicians -- the bedrock of medical care for today and the future -- are at the bottom of the list of all medical specialties in median income compensation," the ACP said.
The group, which represents 119,000 doctors and medical students in general internal medicine and subspecialties, joins others that warn the U.S. health care system is untenable.
"If these reforms do not take place, within a few years there will not be enough primary care physicians to take care of an aging population with increasing incidences of chronic diseases," said Dr. Vineet Arora, chair of the College's Council of Associates.
Dr. Sara Walker, a Missouri physician, said she believed doctors were leaving general practice because of drops in Medicare reimbursement to doctors.
"A drop in Medicare payments will not only force me to stop taking Medicare patients but could force me out of business," agreed Dr. Kevin Lutz, a solo practitioner in Denver.
So after our american pep rally tonight (comments a few articles down on the State of the Union Address) I have included a few reality checks.
"Primary care -- the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems -- could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday.
Primary care -- the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems -- could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday. (Lee Celano/Reuters)
'Primary care is on the verge of collapse,' said the organization, a professional group which certifies internists, in a statement. 'Very few young physicians are going into primary care and those already in practice are under such stress that they are looking for an exit strategy.'
Dropping incomes coupled with difficulties in juggling patients, soaring bills and policies from insurers that encourage rushed office visits all mean that more primary care doctors are retiring than are graduating from medical school, the ACP said in its report.
The group has proposed a solution -- calling on federal policymakers to approve new ways of paying doctors that would put primary care doctors in charge of organizing a patient's care and giving patients more responsibility for monitoring their own health and scheduling regular visits.
U.S. doctors have long complained that reimbursement policies of both Medicare and private insurers reward a 'just-in-time' approach, instead of preventive care that would save money and keep patients healthier.
'Medicare will pay tens of thousands of dollars ... for a limb amputation on a diabetic patient, but virtually nothing to the primary care physician for keeping the patient's diabetes under control,' said Bob Doherty, senior vice president for the ACP.
The ACP plan called for innovations such as using e-mail to consult on minor and routine matters, freeing up expensive office visit time for when it is needed. Doctors would be compensated for an e-mail consultation.
The proposals include incentives for doctors to work more efficiently and to provide better care, ACP President Dr. C. Anderson Hedberg told a news conference. "ACP proposals would provide patients with access to care that is coordinated by their own personal physician," Hedberg said.
Young Doctors Avoiding Primary Care
The ACP cited an American Medical Association survey that found 35 percent of all physicians nationwide are over the age of 55 and will soon retire.
In 2003, only 27 percent of third year internal medicine residents actually planned to practice internal medicine, the group said, with others planning to go into more lucrative specialty jobs.
"Primary care physicians -- the bedrock of medical care for today and the future -- are at the bottom of the list of all medical specialties in median income compensation," the ACP said.
The group, which represents 119,000 doctors and medical students in general internal medicine and subspecialties, joins others that warn the U.S. health care system is untenable.
"If these reforms do not take place, within a few years there will not be enough primary care physicians to take care of an aging population with increasing incidences of chronic diseases," said Dr. Vineet Arora, chair of the College's Council of Associates.
Dr. Sara Walker, a Missouri physician, said she believed doctors were leaving general practice because of drops in Medicare reimbursement to doctors.
"A drop in Medicare payments will not only force me to stop taking Medicare patients but could force me out of business," agreed Dr. Kevin Lutz, a solo practitioner in Denver.
Most Iraqis Doubt US Will Ever Leave
Most Iraqis Doubt US Will Ever Leave:
"WASHINGTON - Large majorities of Iraqis believe that the United States has no intention of ever withdrawing all its military forces from their country and that Washington's reconstruction efforts have been incompetent at best, according to a new survey released here Tuesday.
At the same time, however, only 35 percent of Iraqis -- most of them Sunni Arabs -- believe coalition forces should withdraw within six months, although if they did so, majorities said it would have a beneficial impact, as many prominent Democrats and other war critics here have argued.
Scepticism about U.S. plans in Iraq is particularly pronounced among the country's Sunni population, who were far more negative about virtually every aspect of post-invasion Iraq than their counterparts in the Shi'a and Kurdish communities, which together are believed to account for 75-80 percent of the country's population.
Indeed, despite the strong Sunni Arab participation in December's parliamentary elections, a whopping 88 percent of the community approves of 'attacks on U.S.-led forces' in Iraq, with 77 percent voicing 'strong approval' -- a level of hostility that presents a serious challenge for U.S. officials now negotiating with Sunni insurgent leaders, as reported in the Feb. 6 issue of Newsweek magazine.
By comparison, 41 percent of Shiites said they approved such attacks, while 16 percent of Kurds, by far the most pro-U.S. of the three groups, agreed.
The survey, the latest in a series that has probed Iraqi opinion since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, was designed by the Programme on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland for WorldPublicOpinion.org and conducted through face-to-face interviews of 1,150 randomly selected Iraqi adults in all 18 Iraqi Iraqi provinces in early January, three weeks after the December elections.
While Sunni Arabs were over-represented in the sample, the data was weighted according to each group's actual estimated share of the total Iraqi population: Shia Arab, 55 percent; Sunni Arab, 22 percent; Kurd, 18 percent; and other groups, five percent. The survey results, which come amid intensified jockeying in Baghdad over the constitution of a new government, are a mixed bag for the administration of Pres. George W. Bush.
His approval ratings in the U.S. have fallen dangerously over the past year, in substantial part due to the perception that he lacks a viable plan for "success" in Iraq, even as he rejects pressure by Democrats and prominent members of the foreign policy establishment to announce a timetable for the withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops there.
The survey found considerable scepticism about Bush's frequent promises not to maintain U.S. military forces in Iraq "a day longer" than is necessary for ensuring its stability.
"WASHINGTON - Large majorities of Iraqis believe that the United States has no intention of ever withdrawing all its military forces from their country and that Washington's reconstruction efforts have been incompetent at best, according to a new survey released here Tuesday.
At the same time, however, only 35 percent of Iraqis -- most of them Sunni Arabs -- believe coalition forces should withdraw within six months, although if they did so, majorities said it would have a beneficial impact, as many prominent Democrats and other war critics here have argued.
Scepticism about U.S. plans in Iraq is particularly pronounced among the country's Sunni population, who were far more negative about virtually every aspect of post-invasion Iraq than their counterparts in the Shi'a and Kurdish communities, which together are believed to account for 75-80 percent of the country's population.
Indeed, despite the strong Sunni Arab participation in December's parliamentary elections, a whopping 88 percent of the community approves of 'attacks on U.S.-led forces' in Iraq, with 77 percent voicing 'strong approval' -- a level of hostility that presents a serious challenge for U.S. officials now negotiating with Sunni insurgent leaders, as reported in the Feb. 6 issue of Newsweek magazine.
By comparison, 41 percent of Shiites said they approved such attacks, while 16 percent of Kurds, by far the most pro-U.S. of the three groups, agreed.
The survey, the latest in a series that has probed Iraqi opinion since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, was designed by the Programme on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland for WorldPublicOpinion.org and conducted through face-to-face interviews of 1,150 randomly selected Iraqi adults in all 18 Iraqi Iraqi provinces in early January, three weeks after the December elections.
While Sunni Arabs were over-represented in the sample, the data was weighted according to each group's actual estimated share of the total Iraqi population: Shia Arab, 55 percent; Sunni Arab, 22 percent; Kurd, 18 percent; and other groups, five percent. The survey results, which come amid intensified jockeying in Baghdad over the constitution of a new government, are a mixed bag for the administration of Pres. George W. Bush.
His approval ratings in the U.S. have fallen dangerously over the past year, in substantial part due to the perception that he lacks a viable plan for "success" in Iraq, even as he rejects pressure by Democrats and prominent members of the foreign policy establishment to announce a timetable for the withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops there.
The survey found considerable scepticism about Bush's frequent promises not to maintain U.S. military forces in Iraq "a day longer" than is necessary for ensuring its stability.
31.1.06
US Savings Rate Sinks to Lowest Since Great Depression
US Savings Rate Sinks to Lowest Since Great Depression:
"Americans spent $42bn more than they earned last year, turning the annual US savings ratio negative for the first time since the Great Depression.
The offical figures published yesterday, a day ahead of the retirement of the chairman of Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, will be seen as a telling verdict on his 18 year reign at the US central bank.
The savings ratio fell to minus 0.5 per cent last year...the first time the ratio has gone negative for an entire year since 1932 and 1933, when the US was struggling to cope with the Great Depression.
Mr Greenspan is tonight expected to sanction the Fed's 14th consecutive interest rate rise - to 4.5 per cent - in part to temper the consumer boom and encourage saving again.
The savings ratio fell to minus 0.5 per cent last year, meaning Americans not only spent all of their after-tax income but also had to increase their borrowings or plunder their savings. This is the first time the ratio has gone negative for an entire year since 1932 and 1933, when the US was struggling to cope with the Great Depression.
The savings ratio is seen as a key economic indicator as it shows how vulnerable households are to a sudden shock such as a surge in interest rates or unexpected redundancy. Mark Zandi, an economist at the analysts' website Economy.com, said the low level of savings would became a problem only if interest rates continued to climb.
However, the markets are increasingly betting that the Fed will use its statement tonight to send a signal it is close to the end of its tightening cycle that began in 2004. Weak GDP figures for the final quarter of last year - showing that growth slowed from 4.1 to 1.1 per cent between the third and fourth quarters of the year - boosted that speculation. But there is growing "
"Americans spent $42bn more than they earned last year, turning the annual US savings ratio negative for the first time since the Great Depression.
The offical figures published yesterday, a day ahead of the retirement of the chairman of Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, will be seen as a telling verdict on his 18 year reign at the US central bank.
The savings ratio fell to minus 0.5 per cent last year...the first time the ratio has gone negative for an entire year since 1932 and 1933, when the US was struggling to cope with the Great Depression.
Mr Greenspan is tonight expected to sanction the Fed's 14th consecutive interest rate rise - to 4.5 per cent - in part to temper the consumer boom and encourage saving again.
The savings ratio fell to minus 0.5 per cent last year, meaning Americans not only spent all of their after-tax income but also had to increase their borrowings or plunder their savings. This is the first time the ratio has gone negative for an entire year since 1932 and 1933, when the US was struggling to cope with the Great Depression.
The savings ratio is seen as a key economic indicator as it shows how vulnerable households are to a sudden shock such as a surge in interest rates or unexpected redundancy. Mark Zandi, an economist at the analysts' website Economy.com, said the low level of savings would became a problem only if interest rates continued to climb.
However, the markets are increasingly betting that the Fed will use its statement tonight to send a signal it is close to the end of its tightening cycle that began in 2004. Weak GDP figures for the final quarter of last year - showing that growth slowed from 4.1 to 1.1 per cent between the third and fourth quarters of the year - boosted that speculation. But there is growing "
CBS News | Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol
CBS News Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol
(AP) Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.
Sheehan, who had been invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, a misdemeanor, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.
Sheehan was taken in handcuffs to police headquarters a few blocks away and her case was processed as Bush spoke. Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat.
Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond, the spokeswoman said.Police handcuffed Sheehan and removed her from the gallery before Bush arrived.
Sheehan was to be released on her own recognizance, Schneider said."I'm proud that Cindy's my guest tonight," Woolsey said in an interview before the speech. "She has made a difference in the debate to bring our troops home from Iraq."Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech _ Gallery 5, seat 7, row A _ earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group pushing for an end to the Iraq war.
Sheehan was arrested in September with about 300 other anti-war activists in front of the White House after a weekend of protests against the war in Iraq. In August, she spent 26 days camped near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he was spending a working vacation.
So thall shall not oppose thine war effort? Vaffanculo.
(AP) Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.
Sheehan, who had been invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, a misdemeanor, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.
Sheehan was taken in handcuffs to police headquarters a few blocks away and her case was processed as Bush spoke. Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat.
Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond, the spokeswoman said.Police handcuffed Sheehan and removed her from the gallery before Bush arrived.
Sheehan was to be released on her own recognizance, Schneider said."I'm proud that Cindy's my guest tonight," Woolsey said in an interview before the speech. "She has made a difference in the debate to bring our troops home from Iraq."Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech _ Gallery 5, seat 7, row A _ earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group pushing for an end to the Iraq war.
Sheehan was arrested in September with about 300 other anti-war activists in front of the White House after a weekend of protests against the war in Iraq. In August, she spent 26 days camped near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he was spending a working vacation.
So thall shall not oppose thine war effort? Vaffanculo.
The American Pep Rally- State of the Union Address 1-31-06
I wanted to first lend my thoughts and impressions of tonight’s speech before I heard from all the other critics and analysts who will no doubt be picking this apart for days.
First and for most; Hey, It all sound great…but is it for real?
As all of the world is aware; George Bush’s ratings have dropped significantly and talk of impeachment has surfaced in the media, the senate and in congress.
He had to boost his ratings so what is real and what is fiction? That remains to be seen; but what I want to know, since I follow the media and watch the news; Where does he get his statistics?
As I watched him make each point; One side of the room would stand and cheer; then all would stand and cheer; then only the middle of the room would stand and cheer.
It was a pep rally, not a reflection of actual current events as I have observed over the last couple years.
Bush made reference to Islamic radicals quite often. Democracy quite often throughout the world and I wonder if that is how each country feels. Is Iraq free now?
He also made reference to the Elite extremists/radicals in Iran...and that they must not be allowed to continue. That was very clear.
He spoke of Bin laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, as the enemy yet Bin laden- Bush ties go way back. US officials have always let him get away, particularly while he was in a hosptal in Dubia on dialysis. They know where he is; and I await his retort.
I have taken note Cindy Sheehan was arrested this evening…I’ll no doubt get into more of that later. What is REALLY happening here?
I have openly opposed this war and the complicities of US Government….what does that make me? An informed citizen or a threat to national security?
I heard Bush speak of 9/11 and how we must never allow these attacks to happen again, but flash to Hillary Clinton at that statement and she is smirking and shaking her head…
What was she thinking? Who benefited from insider trading that day of American Airlines; Morgan Stanley and other put options on stocks directly affected that one day.
Why was intelligence negated and after the fact information confiscated? Why was a forensic investigation of the largest crime scene in history NOT PERMITTED?
What I heard tonight was an American Dream, but as a citizen..how much is reality.....?
[Because] I haven’t seen it. I worked for a few years in Corporate Bankruptcy, when attempting to find work after illness and considerable injuries…there were very few jobs. I would meet many people, some once high paid executives who could not find work. So where are these jobs 4.8 million new jobs? My condition was regarded as severe...but not severe enough. So now I have to go through the court system to simply survive.
If 85 billion was appropriated for New Orleans, why am I reading about misappropriation of funds? When we are currently at $ 237,742, 855,000+ growing every second in Iraq.
It is true that America is addicted to oil, as he stated and as like any good junkie would do, he would go to any length to feed the addiction.
That’s what has happened….
So Bush proposes new energy reforms, and research so that we can be free from the Middle East in 25 years. No, I don’t see that as fact.
According to the people of Iraq, many of whom are doing with out basic necessities, our reconstruction efforts are making our military position in the Middle East stronger.
I have heard that more emphasis is to be for education...math and science? Yet hear from teachers how funding has been cut from these programs
So while the upbeat mantra of this particular speach was "what we might like to hear"
it is a far cry from the america I see each day. American workers? I have observed European workers run circles around the average american worker.
Having been in management and abroad; there is a significant difference in work ethics.
Even here in the states, the difference between the European worker and the american worker can only in very rare instances be parallelled.
I have written this with out the bias of the media; critics; neocons and analysts.
I live here, I watch and I observe. I am eager to hear the rest of the worlds perspective...
Bush committed to a very large array of fanciful ideals tonight, it will be interesting the hear what the rest of the world has to say. I think he desperately needed to boost his ratings and had to tell the people what they wanted to hear.
Now I want to see it come to fruition.
First and for most; Hey, It all sound great…but is it for real?
As all of the world is aware; George Bush’s ratings have dropped significantly and talk of impeachment has surfaced in the media, the senate and in congress.
He had to boost his ratings so what is real and what is fiction? That remains to be seen; but what I want to know, since I follow the media and watch the news; Where does he get his statistics?
As I watched him make each point; One side of the room would stand and cheer; then all would stand and cheer; then only the middle of the room would stand and cheer.
It was a pep rally, not a reflection of actual current events as I have observed over the last couple years.
Bush made reference to Islamic radicals quite often. Democracy quite often throughout the world and I wonder if that is how each country feels. Is Iraq free now?
He also made reference to the Elite extremists/radicals in Iran...and that they must not be allowed to continue. That was very clear.
He spoke of Bin laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, as the enemy yet Bin laden- Bush ties go way back. US officials have always let him get away, particularly while he was in a hosptal in Dubia on dialysis. They know where he is; and I await his retort.
I have taken note Cindy Sheehan was arrested this evening…I’ll no doubt get into more of that later. What is REALLY happening here?
I have openly opposed this war and the complicities of US Government….what does that make me? An informed citizen or a threat to national security?
I heard Bush speak of 9/11 and how we must never allow these attacks to happen again, but flash to Hillary Clinton at that statement and she is smirking and shaking her head…
What was she thinking? Who benefited from insider trading that day of American Airlines; Morgan Stanley and other put options on stocks directly affected that one day.
Why was intelligence negated and after the fact information confiscated? Why was a forensic investigation of the largest crime scene in history NOT PERMITTED?
What I heard tonight was an American Dream, but as a citizen..how much is reality.....?
[Because] I haven’t seen it. I worked for a few years in Corporate Bankruptcy, when attempting to find work after illness and considerable injuries…there were very few jobs. I would meet many people, some once high paid executives who could not find work. So where are these jobs 4.8 million new jobs? My condition was regarded as severe...but not severe enough. So now I have to go through the court system to simply survive.
If 85 billion was appropriated for New Orleans, why am I reading about misappropriation of funds? When we are currently at $ 237,742, 855,000+ growing every second in Iraq.
It is true that America is addicted to oil, as he stated and as like any good junkie would do, he would go to any length to feed the addiction.
That’s what has happened….
So Bush proposes new energy reforms, and research so that we can be free from the Middle East in 25 years. No, I don’t see that as fact.
According to the people of Iraq, many of whom are doing with out basic necessities, our reconstruction efforts are making our military position in the Middle East stronger.
I have heard that more emphasis is to be for education...math and science? Yet hear from teachers how funding has been cut from these programs
So while the upbeat mantra of this particular speach was "what we might like to hear"
it is a far cry from the america I see each day. American workers? I have observed European workers run circles around the average american worker.
Having been in management and abroad; there is a significant difference in work ethics.
Even here in the states, the difference between the European worker and the american worker can only in very rare instances be parallelled.
I have written this with out the bias of the media; critics; neocons and analysts.
I live here, I watch and I observe. I am eager to hear the rest of the worlds perspective...
Bush committed to a very large array of fanciful ideals tonight, it will be interesting the hear what the rest of the world has to say. I think he desperately needed to boost his ratings and had to tell the people what they wanted to hear.
Now I want to see it come to fruition.
The Middle East - Global Issues
The Middle East - Global Issues
by Anup Shah
Oil. That is what the modern Middle Eastern geopolitics have usually been about. Given the vast energy resources that form the backbone of western economies, influence and involvement in the Middle East has been of paramount importance for the former and current imperial and super powers, including France, Britain, USA and the former Soviet Union.
Prior to the discovery of oil, the region has been a hotbed for religious conflict, and wars over other rich resources and arable land....
A 1300 Year Struggle for Control of Resources
With kind permission from J.W. Smith and the Institute for Economic Democracy, part of chapter 14 from the book, The World's Wasted Wealth II, (Institute for Economic Democracy, 1994) has been reproduced here. It looks back at the last 1300 years of struggle over control of resources in the Middle East to give some context to various events in recent history. Read the excerpt.
Control of Resources; Supporting Dictators, Rise of Terrorism
After the Second World War, with former Imperial Europe weakened, countries around the world had a chance to break for their freedom away from colonial rule. This struggle for freedom and the Cold War had a geopolitical impact on the Middle East. Control of resources and access to oil became paramount, to the extent that dictators and human rights abusers were supported. Within this backdrop, we see another complex reason for the rise of terrorism and extremism. Find out more.
The Iraq Crisis
Madeline Albright, then US Secretary of State, was asked on US television if she thought that the death of half a million Iraqi children from sanctions in Iraq was a price worth paying, Albright replied: "This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it."
Sadam Hussein, a brutal dictator whom the West supported until he overstepped his bounds (and Kuwait's), had been largely unaffected by the (US/UK-enforced) UN sanctions that were responsible for over one million deaths since the Gulf War ended.
Hardly reported by the mainstream, Iraq was bombed almost daily at some points during the sanctions. Medical supplies were denied for fears that they could be used for chemical or biological weapons.
Yet the sanctions themselves have been described as weapons of mass destruction.
Even though members of the US administrations had admitted that Saddam Hussein had been contained and was no longer a threat, in 2002 and 2003, US president George Bush and UK Prime Minister attempted to convince the world that Iraq was a threat to the world, and a mostly unpopular and illegal war (for not having United Nations authorization) was waged.
Around the world protests were immense. Saddam Hussein was eventually toppled though, but the aftermath has led to insecurity in Iraq while fears of geopolitical interests by the US and UK for the war are coming to the surface. Furthermore, the justifications used by the U.S. and U.K. for war are proving false, leading to implications of war crimes. Find out more.
Palestine and Israel
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is perhaps one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East. From the religious backdrops (the region being centers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam) to the regional ally for the US that Israel is, the Palestinian people have been denied a right to their land. Recent events have destroyed the "peace" processes and extremist sentiments on both sides are on the rise again. The US mainstream media provides a very biased view of Palestinians. Yasser Arafat and other Arab leaders too are criticized for not truly representing their people. The West have heavily armed and backed the mighty Israel. To the West, Israel is an ally only because of the oil interests in the Middle East region. Find out more.
The "Threat" of Islam
Often when Islam is mentioned negative impressions of fundamentalists, intolerance and terrorism is conjured up; Islamist movements and organizations are automatically linked with terrorism and is blamed for the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process. Islam is stereotyped as a threat to democracy without distinguishing it from terrorism or corrupt leaders who use the ideals of Islam to their own ends. Find out more.
The Strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan
When US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam were bombed, the US retaliated by bombing two sites suspected of being involved in the appalling bombing which cost the lives of many innocent people. Eight months after the bombing, the US quietly admitted it made a mistake. Find out more.
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by Anup Shah
Oil. That is what the modern Middle Eastern geopolitics have usually been about. Given the vast energy resources that form the backbone of western economies, influence and involvement in the Middle East has been of paramount importance for the former and current imperial and super powers, including France, Britain, USA and the former Soviet Union.
Prior to the discovery of oil, the region has been a hotbed for religious conflict, and wars over other rich resources and arable land....
A 1300 Year Struggle for Control of Resources
With kind permission from J.W. Smith and the Institute for Economic Democracy, part of chapter 14 from the book, The World's Wasted Wealth II, (Institute for Economic Democracy, 1994) has been reproduced here. It looks back at the last 1300 years of struggle over control of resources in the Middle East to give some context to various events in recent history. Read the excerpt.
Control of Resources; Supporting Dictators, Rise of Terrorism
After the Second World War, with former Imperial Europe weakened, countries around the world had a chance to break for their freedom away from colonial rule. This struggle for freedom and the Cold War had a geopolitical impact on the Middle East. Control of resources and access to oil became paramount, to the extent that dictators and human rights abusers were supported. Within this backdrop, we see another complex reason for the rise of terrorism and extremism. Find out more.
The Iraq Crisis
Madeline Albright, then US Secretary of State, was asked on US television if she thought that the death of half a million Iraqi children from sanctions in Iraq was a price worth paying, Albright replied: "This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it."
Sadam Hussein, a brutal dictator whom the West supported until he overstepped his bounds (and Kuwait's), had been largely unaffected by the (US/UK-enforced) UN sanctions that were responsible for over one million deaths since the Gulf War ended.
Hardly reported by the mainstream, Iraq was bombed almost daily at some points during the sanctions. Medical supplies were denied for fears that they could be used for chemical or biological weapons.
Yet the sanctions themselves have been described as weapons of mass destruction.
Even though members of the US administrations had admitted that Saddam Hussein had been contained and was no longer a threat, in 2002 and 2003, US president George Bush and UK Prime Minister attempted to convince the world that Iraq was a threat to the world, and a mostly unpopular and illegal war (for not having United Nations authorization) was waged.
Around the world protests were immense. Saddam Hussein was eventually toppled though, but the aftermath has led to insecurity in Iraq while fears of geopolitical interests by the US and UK for the war are coming to the surface. Furthermore, the justifications used by the U.S. and U.K. for war are proving false, leading to implications of war crimes. Find out more.
Palestine and Israel
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is perhaps one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East. From the religious backdrops (the region being centers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam) to the regional ally for the US that Israel is, the Palestinian people have been denied a right to their land. Recent events have destroyed the "peace" processes and extremist sentiments on both sides are on the rise again. The US mainstream media provides a very biased view of Palestinians. Yasser Arafat and other Arab leaders too are criticized for not truly representing their people. The West have heavily armed and backed the mighty Israel. To the West, Israel is an ally only because of the oil interests in the Middle East region. Find out more.
The "Threat" of Islam
Often when Islam is mentioned negative impressions of fundamentalists, intolerance and terrorism is conjured up; Islamist movements and organizations are automatically linked with terrorism and is blamed for the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process. Islam is stereotyped as a threat to democracy without distinguishing it from terrorism or corrupt leaders who use the ideals of Islam to their own ends. Find out more.
The Strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan
When US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam were bombed, the US retaliated by bombing two sites suspected of being involved in the appalling bombing which cost the lives of many innocent people. Eight months after the bombing, the US quietly admitted it made a mistake. Find out more.
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