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Page Contents
(9/8/2008) Air Strike Into Pakistan Hits Taliban-related Compound
(9/7/2008) Canadian Government Dissolving--Political Hypocricy
(9/7/2008) Casualty Announcements By DOD (9-7-2008)
(9/8/2008) China Planning First Spacewalk
(9/8/2008) EU Leaders In Moscow Trying To Get Russia To Keep Their Promises
(9/7/2008) Government Takes Over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
(9/8/2008) Hurricane Ike Is On Cuba
(9/7/2008) Hurricane Ike Heading For Cuba Now
(9/7/2008) Hussein Speaks on Gun Control
(9/8/2008) Is North Korea's Leader Long Dead?
(9/7/2008) Israel Today--Talk Of Peace And War...As Usual
(9/7/2008) Israel--Police Recommend Indictment of PM Olmert
(9/7/2008) Ladies--Oprah Is Jilting You
(9/7/2008) McCain and Obama To Meet At Ground Zero on 9-11
(9/7/2008) Pakistan--Another Honor Killing
(9/7/2008) Pakistan--New President Elected
(9/7/2008) Putin and Chavez--What A Combination
(9/7/2008) Seattle--Boeing Employees On Strike
(9/7/2008) Suicide Bombers Hit Police Station in Afghanistan
(9/8/2008) US-led NATO Afghan Raid Killed As Many As 90 Civilians--Will Be Investigated
(9/8/2008) Wall Street Up On Government Bail-out News

The news feeds below are from FreshContent.net and we have no control over either the content nor any offers that may be included. As such, we assume no liability for either. Participate in any offers of any kind at your own risk.

National News From www.FreshContent.net
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World News From www.FreshContent.net

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-- Disclaimer --

This is a rambling commentary of my own opinions on the news and any subject is fair game (so long as you could discuss it in front of your grandmother, your mother, your pastor, and your kids without disgrace.) We'll be glad to publish your thoughts about what we've said, too. Just email them to us.


Is North Korea's Leader Long Dead?

(9/8/2008)  From a Japanese expert comes a new theory about what's going on in North Korea. He says Kim Jong Il died of diabetes in 2003 and an imposter is being used in his place. According to this theory, international leaders are negotiating not with Kim Jong Il, but with an imposter. The imposter is used to keep the people in line--convinced their deity is still alive and reigning over them.

Professor Toshimitsu Shigemura’s theory is scoffed at by many, but even his worst critics say there are strange things he points to that can't be ignored or explained...he may be right. Ironically, some of the very things he's talking about came from Japanese intelligence reports.

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Air Strike Into Pakistan Hits Taliban-related Compound

(9/8/2008)  In Pakistan, word is that missiles from an unmanned drone aircraft hit a militant stronghold in North Waziristan just across the border from Afghanistan. At least 9 are said to be killed, but the attack seems to have missed a prominent Taliban leader who may have been the primary target.

The town where the strike hit housed a compound blamed for numerous high-profile attacks on NATO and Afghan forces inside Afghanistan.

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China Planning First Spacewalk

(9/8/2008)  Just a note in passing...sometime between September 25 and September 30 China will launch its 3rd manned spaceflight. That's from their state-run Xinhua news agency. They anticipate making their first-ever spacewalk during this flight.

For those who trust bears and dragons, this probably means nothing.

For those who cannot trust a Communist government that continues to show no respect for human rights anywhere, even inside its own borders, this news conjures images of orbiting platforms carrying nuclear weapons over our very heads.

Of course, that's just paranoid nonsense...right? Yeah...right.

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EU Leaders In Moscow Trying To Get Russia To Keep Their Promises

(9/8/2008)  In Moscow, an EU group is in talks with his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev. They're there representing the EU and talking about the Russian incursion into Georgia.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU), EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, and EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso are all there and they're all trying to talk Russia into doing what they said they would when they agreed to a ceasefire. That would entail Russian withdrawal of troops from Georgian soil. But Russia insists the deal lets them keep peacekeepers in buffer zones around Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the two breakaway Georgian countries Russia has already recognized as independent states.

In the time leading up to the visit by the EU folks, Russian envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, was quoted by the Russian press as saying that if Georgia is granted NATO membership that will mark the end of all Russian cooperation with NATO. Even as the EU group arrived in Moscow there were reports that Russian troops turned back a UN convoy trying to go into Georgia. That is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The EU group plans a trip to the Gerogian capital of Tbilisi before returning home...if the Russkies will let them in. And if they can't fly in, they'll have trouble: the road that leads across Georgia is littered with the ruins of small villages and towns that were decimated by the Russian troops. (The death toll is still not known.)

And what kind of leverage can the EU leaders bring to bear on the Bear? Winter is coming on and numerous European nations are continuing to use Russian fuel as if nothing had happened. Indeed, they have little choice because of supply lines and routes. They couldn't stand up to a Russian fuel-valve cutoff for long. They neither want, nor could they stand in a war with Russia. No one in their right mind wants a war with Russia. So in the end, the Bear will sit wherever it wants to...for now.

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US-led NATO Afghan Raid Killed As Many As 90 Civilians--Will Be Investigated

(9/8/2008)  Last month's raid killed no more than 7 people in a "successful" raid that targeted a Taliban commander in Azizbad village in Herat's Shindand District--that's what our military said at the time. But the Afghan government and the UN have video and they say as many as 90 people were killed by the air attack. Moreover, they say many of the dead were women and children--many, in fact, were infants and toddlers.

General McKiernan, the US general over NATO-led ISAF troops is requesting the US military's Central Command review and investigate last month's aerial attack because of the "large discrepancy" in the numbers.

The Human Rights Watch group also confirms there was a large number of dead at the scene. They warn that "civilian deaths from air strikes act as a recruiting tool for the Taliban and risk fatally undermining the international effort to provide basic security to the people of Afghanistan."

[Why is this happening? Undermanned and facing a growing strength among the Taliban, NATO slacked off on ground assaults that were costing soldiers' lives and endangering their capacity to act at all. Instead they began relying far more on air strikes. The problem with that is that air strikes are far less discriminating about who and what they hit. Often it's like using a bulldozer to plant a seedling--you get far too large a hole in the ground. Other times, if something goes wrong and the attack hits the wrong building(s), you simply kill whoever and whatever is where you hit.

Depending on how you look at it, there are two problems. First, of course, is the Taliban and al-Qaeda growth. Blame a lot of this on Pakistan's inability to stop the radicals' growth and strength in their country. Second, is the lack of sufficient international support for the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Not enough men, not enough materials, i.e., choppers and other vehicles...all have been reported upon and help has been sought numerous times over a period of months. We can't stop the Taliban from growing, but we need to find a way to put sufficient numbers into the fight to produce overwhelming force. And we need to convince Pakistan to either help more or let us work on their soil. The first need is huge. The second may be something we simply can't do.]

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Hurricane Ike Is On Cuba

(9/8/2008)  Hurricane Ike hit eastern Cuba and weakened as it made landfall. It hit with winds in excess of 165 mph and dropped massive deluges of rainfall on the Communist-ruled island nation. Estimates from Cuba say about 800,000 people have been evacuated and many of their homes are damaged beyond repair.

This morning Ike is over Cuba's capital city of Havana, a city of about 2 million many of whom live in very old buildings or what amount to make-shift shacks.

Ike killed at least 61 people in the island nation of Haiti. Its toll in Cuba when Havana is hit could be as bad or worse despite preparations for the storm.

If the storm doesn't turn, it will begin its devastation in the Florida Keys sometime tomorrow and its eventual track will bring it on shore somewhere along our Gulf Coast.

Meanwhile the Red Cross says they need $70 million to help people hit by Hurricane Gustav. They're borrowing money and begging for donations to help these people. So far they've had only $5 million in donations.

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Wall Street Up On Government Bail-out News

(9/8/2008)  With the news that the government is bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Dow Jones Industrials Average is up almost 230 points in mid-morning trading.

The reason?

The fact that the federal government is finally shoring up the economic system here in America--about 18 months late--is enough to bring hope that the credit crisis, which is the real cause of problems in the housing market, is at its bottom.

Estimates are that the bail-out could reach a cost of $200 billion--far higher than it could have been if the government had acted early on to avert the mess we now find ourselves in.

Better late than never? Where is our leadership?

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Casualty Announcements By DOD (9-7-2008)

(9/7/2008)  On the Department of Defense website at www.DefenseLink.mil/Releases the DOD released the following announcement:

Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35, of Weidman, Mich., died Sept. 2 of wounds suffered in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, when his mounted patrol came under small arms fire.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends not only of those lost or kidnapped, but also of all the brave souls who defend our freedom, our nation, and our way of life. May God be with you and strengthen you. And to those who are in our active military or who have served in the past, Thank You!

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Pakistan--Another Honor Killing

(9/7/2008)  An Australian news outlet story says a 17-year-old girl who was forced to marry at the age of 9 has been killed in Pakistan. It's another "honor killing." It comes on the heels of 5 others, including 3 teenage girls buried alive for wanting to marry the man of their own choosing.

This latest killing involved a shooting as the girl, Saira Nusrat Bibi was leafing the court building. The report says she was surrounded by a group of men sent by her parents and they shot her to death.

OK...that's bad enough, but wait.A member of the country's national parliament, Senator Israr Ullah Zehri, tried to defend the killing saying, "These are centuries-old traditions and I will continue to defend them."

How sick is that?

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Putin and Chavez--What A Combination

(9/7/2008)  Russia is sending 4 Russian naval vessels to participate with Venezuelans in Caribbean naval exercises before the end of the year. About 1,000 Russian military people will be part of the operation which is scheduled for mid-November.

There's no doubt Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is trying to answer the positioning of NATO warships in the Black Sea after their Georgian incursion. But while Putin gets back at us by putting his ships in the Caribbean, he also helps a little tin-god dictator, Hugo Chavez, garner credibility on the world scene. That's bad for us--what Putin intends--but it's also bad for the people of Venezuela who must live under Chavez's rule. And that's not to mention people of the Latin American countries that border on Venezuela.

Chavez has already said he's buying Russian anti-air missiles as well as several Russian submarines. He is also setting up to build Kalashnikov assault rifles. And he's purchased 53 Russian choppers and about 2 dozen Sukhoi fighter jets.

So Putin gets to laugh up his sleeve while Chavez, who benefits from Venezuela's Citgo oil fortunes, prepares to attack neighboring democratic countries and stifle any objections in his own country.

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Ladies--Oprah Is Jilting You

(9/7/2008)  Oprah says, "No."

In case you believed she was an even-handed, fair person seeking truth and the great American way, think on this. Sarah Palin will not appear on Oprah's TV show.

Oprah endorsed Barack Hussein Obama for the office or president. She's had him on her shows at least twice. She's a major financial backer for Hussein. She's emceed at numerous rallies for Hussein and has hosted fundraisers for him.

Sarah Palin is only the 2nd woman ever to make it as high as this and many at her network and her TV show want Ms. Palin on the show. Certainly if there's a woman in America who should be invited to appear on a TV show like Oprah's, it's Sarah Palin.

But it looks like she won't be there. What a surprise!

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Hussein Speaks on Gun Control

(9/7/2008)  In Pennsylvania Barack Hussein Obama tried to avoid gun ownership as a topic of conversation, but people wouldn't let him. After all, he says we're "bitter" and we "cling to our guns and religion" because of it.

So someone left the script and asked him if he would try to take guns away from the people as president.

Obama denied that he intended any such. He first said, "Here's what I believe: that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right and it means something; that people have a right to bear arms."But he also said of the National Rifle Association,

"Their general attitude is . . . if you even breathe the word gun control or gun safety, then you must want to take away everybody's guns. Well, that's just not true."But what we have to understand is that there are two realities about guns in this country. There's the reality of people who are lawfully and safely using guns for hunting and skeet shooting and protecting their families. And you've got illegal handguns being dumped in Philadelphia, in the hands of teenage gang-bangers and drug dealers who are wreaking havoc and killing people. And surely we can come up with a system that protects lawful gun owners but at the same time tries to do something about kids getting shot."

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Israel Today--Talk Of Peace And War...As Usual

(9/7/2008)  Even as he is facing indictment for fraud, tax problems, etc., Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issued a statement today that Israel must prepare for the immediate evacuation of settlers from the West Bank in order to make a working peace with the Palestinians. He called for cash incentives to help persuade settlers to leave the West Bank voluntarily. [You have to understand that even talking about such an evacuation stirs a great deal of controversy in Israel. Many cabinet ministers and members of the Knesset are so opposed to it that such a suggestion is akin to political suicide. Of course, Olmert is about dead politically anyway so he has little to lose. Others who support this position are risking far more as they strive for peace.]

Meanwhile, on another front, President Shimon Peres issued a warning of his own...to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Peres warned that any military action against Iran's nuclear program would likely trigger a wide-scale Middle Eastern war. Most Israeli politicians are talking in favor of an air attack to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weaponry.

Peres say a military attack would trigger a "bigger war" and calls for a civilian path in dealing with Iran. That's not too surprising since Peres has always leaned toward using international cooperation as a help for Israel. But he also said, "The world has no choice...if nuclear weapons reach the hands of terrorists, it will be impossible to rule the world."

And while these things were going on, a freed Fatah and Palestinian leader, Hussam Khader. He has been tied to the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and to Iranian ties since he was just 14. He was among the leaders of the first intifada...a killer freed to help in the search for peace. Khader gave a typically ominous warning, saying:

"After Abu Mazen (Mahoud Abbas) leaves the scene, there will not be another politician like him. He believes in the peace process and in negotiations more than anyone else in the PA. Every president following him will have only two options: to resign or to embark on a military intifada. But the next intifada will not be one of stones, or even suicide bombers; it will be one of missiles and possibly even chemical weapons."

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Israel--Police Recommend Indictment of PM Olmert

(9/7/2008)  In Israel, police have recommended indictment of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for fraud and tax offenses. The largest part of their case seems to center of his acceptance of large amounts of money from American businessman Morris Talansky--payments that took place over a period of some 15 years.

Word is that a decision on whether to actually indict Olmert will be forthcoming in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, authorities want to be sure it looks as if the indictment will fly.

And in any event there will be elections of a new Israeli government as Olmert is replaced.

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Seattle--Boeing Employees On Strike

(9/7/2008)  Boeing, the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, made record profits while their union employees went without a pay raise for the last 4 years. That plays into the fact that the 27,000 members of the Machinists Union walked off their jobs last night when last-minute negotiations failed to produce a settlement.

Boeing says they've offered over $34,000 in pay and benefits to their employees, but the union says, "we will stay out until every single member gets something in their contract."

Estimates are that Boeing will lose $100 million for every day the union is out plus that will be another day's delay in their new Dreamliner aircraft's appearance. The company needs the new Dreamliner in order to compete with their biggest competitor, Airbus. (Airbus is not a US firm, so each time one is built and sold, it takes money from the US. That's part of the problem in the recent USAF tanker scandal.)

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Pakistan--New President Elected

(9/7/2008)  From Pakistan comes a bit of good news for the US. Asif Ali Zardari, widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, took a landslide victory in Pakistani presidential elections to replace Mr. Musharraf.

That's good news because Zardari is considered to be more pro-American than his opposition. There's strong anti-American sentiment in much of the country where radical elements, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda would like nothing more than to get rid of all signs of democracy and install Sharia law. And you may remember that in the last few days we caused quite a disturbance by making a cross-border boots-on-the-ground raid into Pakistan. That incursion put Mr. Zardari's position in jeopardy.

Even now Zardari will have to walk a tight wire between the various political elements in the country, needs for US monetary support, and the positions of the Pakistani military.

Overall, it's just good to know we have a supporter of democracy in that position. We send congratulations to both Mr. Zardari and to the people of Pakistan.

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McCain and Obama To Meet At Ground Zero on 9-11

(9/7/2008)  

"All of us came together on 9/11 - not as Democrats or Republicans - but as Americans.

In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils - we were united as one American family.

On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones."

That's what a joint statement for the McCain and Obama campaigns asserts of their upcoming visit to Ground Zero on 9/11.

There will be no ads by either of the men that criticizes the other on Thursday, either.

Never forget!

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Hurricane Ike Heading For Cuba Now

(9/7/2008)  In the Caribbean Hurricane Ike is on course for Cuba sometime tonight. Ike has damaged most homes on Caicos and the Turks as it hit with 135 mph winds. Haiti--already smarting from the blows of Fay, Gustav, and Hanna got still more torrential rainfall. Best numbers available so far say 600 people have died in Haiti so far in these storms and flooding there is almost everywhere. Warnings in Haiti are out for more "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides over mountainous terrain."

The International Red Cross has called for aid for Haiti and the other islands hit by the storms during the last few weeks.

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Suicide Bombers Hit Police Station in Afghanistan

(9/7/2008)  In Afghanistan 2 suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a police HQ. At least 2 policemen died and about 30 people, including a number of civilians, were wounded. Some reports from the area say as many as 6 people died in the 2 explosions.

The incident occurred in Kandahar where the Taliban has been operating with growing strength in recent weeks.

Another incident saw a suicide bomber attack a NATO convoy in Herat (western Afghanistan) but it caused no casualties.

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Canadian Government Dissolving--Political Hypocricy

(9/7/2008)  Politics is a dirty business anywhere: it seems dishonesty and hyporcisy reigns supreme.

Our neighbors to the north are suddenly faced with a "snap election." Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, is trying to strengthen the position of his Conservative government by calling for an early October 14th election. The move comes as all political polls in Canada show the Conservatives to be far more popular than their liberal opposition. Hence, by dissolving the existing Parliament and forcing elections, Harper expects to gain a number of Parliamentary seats. In fact, they might even be able to take over a majority of the Parliamentary votes.

Among the things the liberal opposition want to do--tax greenhouse polluters while cutting back on other taxes. Harper's Conservative Party opposes these plans calling them "risky experiments" and reckless.

But...politics are the same everywhere. Harper was the same PM who pushed through a law to put elections on a preset schedule. At that time he said such a law was needed in Canada to prevent PMs from calling elections whenever polls indicated they would benefit from them.

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Government Takes Over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae

(9/7/2008)  Nearly one half of all US mortgage loans are backed up by Freddie Mac and Fannie May. The two have lost over $14 billion during the current housing slump and according to the latest reports about 9% of US homeowners are either behind on their payments or are already in foreclosure. The Bush administration has decided that poses too great a threat to the economy..."an unacceptable risk." Hence, the government is taking over the two companies--the largest federal bailout in US history was announced by Treasury Secretary Paulson who said the financial position of both companies was deteriorating rapidly.

President Bush stressed that the move to let the Federal Housing Authority administer the two companies is temporary but whether they will ever be out from under government control is uncertain.

Shareholders of both companies will not receive any payments while the government administers the companies.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke "strongly endorsed" the move saying it necessary "to strengthen the US housing market and promote stability in our financial markets."

[Let's just note in passing that if the government had acted when it should have, this bailout could have been far less expensive and the entire credit/housing crunch could have been far less disruptive to the US and global economy. Instead, Washington waited until the only apparent choice was a complete economic meltdown. Is that the best leadership we can get?]

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