Everyone have a great weekend. I'm feeling fairly good about issues. So. I am taking the weekend off.

This from The Moscow Times (click title to entry - thank you)


26/02/2009
Political Squirrels
By Nathan Toohey
Three squirrels, residents of the Kuzminki Park in the southeast of the city, are soon to be issued passports.
The squirrels, favourites with the locals who named them "Obama", Chubais", and "Kuzminichna", are to receive the documents soon, RIA Novosti reported a representative from the Kuzminki ecological educational centre as saying. Obama the squirrel was so named due to his uncharacteristic long-tufted black ears, Chubais the squirrel received his name due to his "bright, bright red ears". Kuzminichna, the sole doe in the enclosure, was named after the park where she was born and has lived many years.

"Of course, the squirrels won't receive the passports in the ‘paw' as it was, they will be hung on the wall of the enclosure," said the Kuzminki ecological educational representative. The documents will indicate the squirrels' weight, age, body and tail length, distinctive markings and an identification number with photograph. There will also be a description listing their temperament and favourite treats, said the representative.
All three squirrels have been living together quite a long time and regularly produce litters of baby squirrels and are true favourites among young and old alike, said the representative.
A new batch of babies is due to appear in the near future and the squirrel keepers have requested that visitors donate warm woollen items. The squirrels will use them to insulate their nests and keep their offspring warm.

This action by the Pakistani court is causing issues within Pakistan, but, there is some credence to the decision.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, second from right, speaks with his counterpart, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, not pictured, as they meet for talks in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Clinton: Afghans and Pakistanis to meet regularly (click here)
20 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior U.S., Afghan and Pakistani officials ended three days of talks Thursday on the next steps in the war against Islamic extremists, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the three-way format was so fruitful it would be used regularly in the months ahead.
Clinton told reporters that the next meeting of U.S, Afghan and Pakistani government delegations would be in late April or early May.
This week's talks produced no known breakthroughs, but Clinton said they were in-depth and forthright. They were designed to gather suggestions and ideas from the Pakistanis and Afghans as the administration reviews its approach to the war, which has turned more problematic over the past few years....

There are some days one wishes Pakistan would throw out the Pakistani Constitution and start over again, especially considering the recent strain on the populous in Punjab (The land of five rivers).

The spirit of the law is good, but, the practical application after Musharraf isn't getting support. At risk is the stability of a large region of eastern Pakistan with the citizens that feel there 'break through' elections displacing Musharraf will cost them ultimately their representation at the political levels of government.

I don't blame them for being upset. They pinned their hopes for political freedom on Sharif brothers only to have the Supreme Court trash that possibility. The Sharifs also joined the current President to displace Musharraf. To say they aren't important political figures in Pakistan is to say displacing Musharraf wasn't important. It was very important and certainly to the people of Punjab as well.

While the Pakistani Constitution has a focus to 'protect' the people from potential criminals, it was 'designed' by and used by Musharraf to imprison and displace his opposition in elections. To be arrested, charged and found guilty while a political agent was to mean to lose any possibility to displace Musharraf.

So, the Pakistani Constitution has to be examined for its 'extremism' by the Legislature. In the meantime, while the President doesn't want to oppose the Supreme Court and they have ruled within Constitutional Law, he needs to recognize a valueable political ally that can quell the concerns of the citizens of Punjab.

That is difficult. It is Punjab that his wife, Benazir was assassinated. But, he is President and needs to speak to the people of Punjab noting other leaders of these citizens and promise to find solutions to Constitutional issues that serve no purpose but to divide them.


Pakistani supporters of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shout slogans against the government as they set up barricades of burning tires during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009. Anti-government demonstrators attacked banks and shops and lawmakers scuffled with police amid gathering political turmoil Thursday triggered by a court ruling barring two opposition leaders from elected office. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)




Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, left, and his brother Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 18, 2008. Pakistan's Supreme Court declared the country's main opposition leader and his brother ineligible for office today, threatening to create political instability as this nuclear nation copes with a rising Taliban insurgency.

Big Shoes to Fill

Biography of Robert M. Morgenthau (click here)

UPDATE 1-Manhattan DA Morgenthau to step down - media (click title to entry - thank you)

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:15am EST

NEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau will not seek re-election in the fall and step down after 35 years as chief prosecutor for state crimes in the New York City borough, local media reported on Friday.
A spokeswoman for Morgenthau declined to comment.
Morgenthau, 89, a fixture in the New York Democratic Party for decades, has made the prosecution of financial crimes a top priority in recent years as violent crime fell in Manhattan.
The New York Times reported that Morgenthau would not seek re-election, citing a person told of the decision.
It was first reported by the New York Post, which cited "several sources" that Morgenthau had begun privately calling top deputies into his office to inform them of his intentions.
Morgenthau served in the job as Manhattan's district attorney longer than anyone else in history, outlasting countless actors who played the role of the D.A. in film and television dramas....

The Mexican extremists are killing their public officials in a systematic 'take over' of this Mexican Border Town.

The protests at the border against the Mexican government are a result of 'terror' within the communities that are being used to propagate instability through senseless murders. By protesting, the people of these towns are attempting to save their own lives by allowing the cartels the anarchy they need to carry out organized crime.

It is a nearly impossible set of circumstances for the Mexican government that needs to prove to its citizens it can win against these criminals. It hasn't done well yet, but, the Mexican government is decidedly dedicated to their purpose. I can't help believe the USA isn't offering support. The battles in Ciudad Juarez can't be any more tactically different than those in Baghdad. The question is 'should it be treated as same?'

Violence in Mexican Border Towns Impedes Missing Persons Search (click here)
By Greg Flakus El Paso, Texas19 February 2009
Mexican President Felipe Calderon's fight against drug trafficking cartels in his country has produced an unprecedented wave of violence, especially in Mexican border cities like Juarez, where more than 1,600 people were murdered last year. There are also many cases of people who have disappeared and, their friends and relatives fear they may never be found.The violence in Juarez continues, despite government efforts to curb the power of the drug cartels. In recent days headless bodies have turned up on the streets and signs have been posted around town threatening local police who try to interfere with drug smuggling....


Protesters block US border crossings demanding that Mexican soldiers leave their cities (click here)
The Associated Press Tuesday, February 17, 2009
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Protesters block US border crossings demanding that Mexican soldiers leave their cities.

Mexico: Army will stay, despite recent protests (click here)
By MARK WALSH – Feb 19, 2009
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Mexico's president said Thursday the army will continue to battle the country's drug cartels, despite recent protests asking for the soldiers' withdrawal.
Hundreds of people blocked bridges to the United States in three border cities Tuesday, demanding the army leave and accusing soldiers of abuse. Both state and federal officials have alleged the protests are organized by drug gangs, noting that some of the protesters masked their faces.
In an Army Day speech in the northern city of Monterrey, President Felipe Calderon defended his decision to send some 45,000 troops nationwide to take on the drug gangs. He also called on all Mexicans to "stand behind our army's fight against this common enemy."
"When we've recovered the rule of law in areas vulnerable to organized crime, and local authorities are capable of fighting this scourge, then the army will have completed its mission," he said.
Calderon vowed "to continue fighting organized crime, without pause or mercy."...

Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today (click here)
Fri Feb 27 08:36:30 2009.
Mexico
February 20, 2009
This Travel Alert updates security information for U.S. citizens traveling and living in Mexico. It supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated October 15, 2008, and expires on August 20, 2009.While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable....


Roberto Orduña Cruz, left, is escorted by a police officer after resigning his post. He says he doesn’t want any more officers to die.

Ciudad Juarez police chief quits after killings of officers, threats (click here)
Posted signs say a policeman would be killed every 48 hours unless Roberto Orduña Cruz resigned.
By Ken Ellingwood February 21, 2009
Reporting from Mexico City -- The police chief in violence-torn Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, quit Friday after several officers were slain this week and the killers posted threats that more would die unless he resigned.Roberto Orduña Cruz, the city's public safety secretary, said he didn't want to risk more lives. An officer and a jail guard were shot to death earlier Friday, two days after handwritten signs were posted saying a policeman would be killed every 48 hours unless Orduña resigned....

Mexico is sending up to 5,000 new troops (click title to entry - thank you) and federal police to the country's most violent city, where law and order is on the brink of collapse in a war between gangs supplying drugs to the United States.
The army said on Thursday the deployment could take the number of soldiers and federal police to over 7,000 in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas.
This month alone, drug hitmen killed 250 people in Juarez, where a meeting of cabinet members on Wednesday was rattled by three bomb scares, forcing soldiers to briefly shut the city's international airport.
"In yesterday's meeting (government officials) talked about sending 5,000 troops and police to Ciudad Juarez," said army spokesman Enrique Torres. "They are expected to arrive in the next few weeks."
At the heavily guarded meeting on Wednesday, Interior Minister Fernando Gomez Mont had said the troop reinforcements would be "notable" but declined to give more details.
Torres said there were 2,020 troops and 425 federal police in Ciudad Juarez, a city of around 1.6 million people.
Drug trade analysts say Mexico's most-wanted fugitive, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, who leads a cartel from the Pacific state of Sinaloa, wants control of Ciudad Juarez, currently in the hands of local drug lord Vicente Carrillo Fuentes....

Home-made bomb clears Ciudad Juarez airport (click here)
1 day ago
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AFP) — An unexploded home-made bomb forced the evacuation of the airport in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez while a bomb threat cleared the violence-plagued city's courthouse, security officials said.
Airport personnel and travelers returned to the airport three hours after the explosive device was found by police, an airport official said.
Also Wednesday, a bomb threat led to the evacuation of the Ciudad Juarez courthouse. No explosives were found on the premises, said the security officials who asked not to be identified.
At a hotel three blocks from the courthouse, four government ministers were holding a security meeting about the unprecedented violence in the city and efforts to control drug-related violence along the border with the United States, sources told AFP.
Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, is considered Mexico's murder capital, with more than 1,650 drug-related killings in 2008. Most of the violence is attributed to a turf war between the Ciudad Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels....

I hope there are others as worried about the 'stirrings' in Mexico. I believe it is worrisome.

A stranded passenger pulls his luggage as a soldier keeps watch in an armoured vehicle outside the airport of the border city of Ciudad Juarez


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How much have the American People come to terms with its demoralization?

As someone that has opposed Republican priorities for over a decade in a very overt and obnoxious manner, it is easy for me to come to terms with 'the change' the nation is embarking on with President Obama.

I think the LA Times 'got it' mostly 'correct.'

..."It changes the whole paradigm," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "We're going to have a government that helps people."... (click here)

But, 'at the heart' of 'the change' the nation demanded as demonstrated in the elections of 2006 and 2008; how much 'reality' have the American People been able to digest regarding the 'former regime' in DC? How 'prepared' is the USA to receive the news that the country was used by profiteers disguised as ideologues in grossly inappropriate measure.

The USA was exploited for eight long and painful years. We were a nation risking world order to facilitate fanatics.

I profoundly believed in 2003 that invading Iraq was completely "W"rong. I wrote profusely anywhere I could about my 'vantage' point in realizing military research published in long standing and respected journals were proving that known inventories of WMD could have degraded into the deserts in Iraq. I then, was worried about the national security of the USA as the Bush administration carried out its propaganda war 'against' the people of the USA to justify an invasion into Iraq for Oil. Not WMD, but, oil. To me the invasion into Iraq was always an oil war and nothing short of it.

Having witnessed the genius of Michael Moore in "Bowling for Columbine" I was more than relieved that this 'little acclaimed' documentarian had established a film now known as "Fahrenheit 911." When I recall "Fahrenheit 911" my first memory is the opening salvos of the jets into the Trade Towers. I found the burgeoning presence of Moore an answer to a prayer.

My views are NOT because of Michael's films, but, I find his films a solice to my reality. I hope that is completely clear. I find a loyal American in Moore and his movement and his economy and make no mistakes, Michael's love for this country and his loyalty to its 'pure purpose' is a vital and needed economy.

My solice in the economy of Moore's films has lead me to venture into activism in a way that has been rewarding and kind to my love of the USA and its pure purpose in environmental stewardship that leads it to the forefront of cutting edge changes to its infrastructure. I am profoundly moved by the Presidency of Barak Obama. For many reasons, but, in some ways I am beginning to realize that 'his stark' reality in winning the elections of 2008 is as much a shock to 'the American system' as the release of "Fahrenheit 911."

Is the USA 'ready' for its ACTUAL reality, rather than the one propagated for the last eight years.

There is a long standing saying in The South, "Watch what you ask for, you may get it." The American People are 'used to' being deceived in the political arena and for decades we have stated openly in discussion that ranges from kitchen tables to board rooms, that 'political choices are always the worst of two evils.'

Barak Obama is NOT the worst of two evils. He is a genuine American with a dedication to this country that took him to Harvard Law Review to the streets of Illinios and its 'mean political' environment. He could have had a 'silver platter' for every lunch he was served after leaving Harvard, but, he chose instead to make it to the Presidency of the USA to change a nation in need of genuine principles at the hands of those most willing to venture into the dramatic world of legislature that would be bold and brilliant.

I think to some extent, the USA is still 'pinching itself' to make sure its not waking up from a dream.

The 'generational' change occurring at the steady hand of President Obama is what the American people have wanted for decades, but, haven't realized it would actually happen. In some ways, the subliminal message to every American regardless of financial capacity or role in life has always been 'dreams come true' aren't for the average person, but, only lived precariously through imagineering at Disney or on IMAX screens.

The chronic frustration that has been American political arenas dominated by Republicans with supposed 'fiscal responsibility' has been the choice because through faux priorities in cutting taxes and deregulating important venues Republicans have been able to 'produce an economy' that catered to Wall Street regardless of its corruption. When realizing the SUSTAINED levels of corruption over decades, what American institution could have survived all these years other than Wall Street due to its Republican buddies?

When I think of Wall Street and their ideologies I never see an institution that 'actually fits' into the lives of Americans so much as imposes itself. Companies that produce products for the American economy CAN exist without Wall Street investors.

Eight years of 'indoctrination' to faux realities and ideologies is a long time. Nearly a decade (half a score of time - score - Lincoln - 20 years) and to some young people that spent their teen years within those parameters, the 'new' reality must seem a bit odd but yet wonderful as they were the folks that came out in large number to change the face of their futures during the elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Barak Obama has dynamics across generational lines that most Americans haven't yet appreciated. He represents 'empowerment' to the young people of this nation that have a sense of 'political rejuvenation' with his election. To me, President Obama is a dream come true. A man that loves us and this country in overt and caring ways that have never been demonstrated to me before. To the younger members of this society, Barak Obama is simply 'the right man' for our times. Their vantage point is that they have never, except in history books and documentaries, experienced the skepticism of the people of the political theater.

The leadership of Obama softens the reality of the harsh presence of Wall Street these days. His stimulus and use of the second half of the Paulson Bank Bailout funds creates a 'fiscal pillow' for the people to fall into. Last night, my son called me. He is getting married in October. She is a wonderful person and I am confident he will be happy all his days. But, he called to say 'they had done everything right' and have placed a down payment on a house they never thought they could ever afford. The house was lost to foreclosure and to him and his soon to be bride, it was an opportunity and a promise to their 'fiscal vigilance.' Even before the wedding, he is making his bride the happiest woman in the world and I only hope everything goes well with the financing. The purchasing of homes on a stagnant market will return its viability. It will be unfortunate if there are glitches to a 'dream come true' when two people committed to 'living their lives in fiscally responsible ways' are then disappointed.

The people that are 'in gratitude' for Obama haven't realized his prowess yet and haven't witnessed the beauty of his 'truth' telling. His policies and fiscal advocacy, transparency is foreign to a nation that had their dead troops hidden from any responsible bonding with a 'nation at war.' The previous administration is nothing short of egregious. Nothing short of it. There sincerely aren't words to express my relief at the election of President Obama. There are sincerely 'shocks' coming to the USA the American people haven't yet witnessed and never thought would be possible of their country. I just hope we are all ready to receive them.

The sincerely 'sad' reality of the circumstances before us, is the return of the Righteous Republican Rhetoric. From the same article of the LA Times:

"House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) took another view. "The era of big government is back, and Democrats are asking you to pay for it," he said."

See, in committing himself to 'complete disclosure' of the 'fiscal state' of the USA, President Obama has been able to allow the Republicans to mount the 'same dead horse' of Reagan and the subsequent election mistakes.

The Republicans are really 'stuck' for anything to say, so they have simply regressed. The honest 'truth' of the situation is that President Obama was 'stuck' with six years of grossly irresponsible Republican spending and debt increases. And now. He is burdened with a failed Republican economy and fiscally defunct USA Treasury. Hello?

This 'fiscal irresponsiblity' and 'big government spending' is NOT of the making of President Obama but the last eight years of George Walker Bush and his Republican collegues in the House and Senate. It's just that it has never been put together in one budget before in complete disclosure. I can understand why.

President Obama has done the MOST responsible thing by completely displaying this 'grotesque' reality of the USA's 'fiscally incapable.' I am proud of him and his determination to give back the nation to us by proceeding with priorities that are important to the people that elected him. The election was a mandate. Should I use that word? It would seem that most Democrats elected into the Presidency in recent history is by mandate. I wonder why?

I am looking one more time to The Moore Film regarding Wall Street. The 'truth' is what President Obama is all about and rescuing this country is his purpose. If anyone can deliver reality as no other it is Michael Moore and oddly enough even after the election of Barak Obama I am still hoping that Moore can contextualize the reality America has been cast into and find a 'reality' that will instill profound change in its political venues that will last from now through the futures of Americans.

"Truth, Justice and the American Way." Hm. I think that was Superman, right? Yep. He never made it to IMAX.

British report findings from investigation regarding extraordinary rendition.

It seems as though December 2008 was an extraordinary month. The British unearth violations of US - British treaties regarding prisoners and the USA military escalate violations of human rights in retaliation of the Election of then President-Elect Barak Obama whom promised to "Close Gitmo." Wow. Strange coincidences. Secretary Gates needs to 'get a handle' on the mission in Gitmo and replace zealous and tainted members of the interrogators. As a matter of fact, there needs to be a moritorium on prisoner interrogations until Gitmo is closed and the methodologies of the soldiers reviewed.


British Defense Secretary John Hutton
...Hutton said that the rendition involving two Pakistani men, who have been in custody at Bagram air base in Afghanistan since 2004, violated a U.S.-British memorandum of understanding specifying that "no person captured with assistance" from British forces "will be removed from the territory of Iraq without prior consultation."
The Pentagon quickly took responsibility for the lapse. "There was a level of formal coordination that should have taken place with respect to a transfer of this nature," spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "Unfortunately, that did not occur in this case. It was an error."...

Secretary Gates needs to change the guard in Gitmo. The bad habits of the USA military sanctioned under Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld are not excuses for attempting to make this President appear worse than the others, in retaliation for orders that close Gitmo. Wow. Who would expect 'temper tantrums' by the USA military. Perhaps the guards that performed the interrogations and water boarding are sincerely worried about their own outcomes.

...LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply (click here) since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards "get their kicks in" before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.
Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.
The Pentagon said on Monday that it had received renewed reports of prisoner abuse during a recent review of conditions at Guantanamo, but had concluded that all prisoners were being kept in accordance with the Geneva Conventions....

"Outsourcing Guantanamo" might be a good idea after all. Perhaps the 'sunny' deployment of our military to the island paradise next to Cuba has proven to 'spoil' those that might be concerned regarding their next deployment in this man's military. Can the current military infrastructure be trusted after the tainting of the past? In areas of controversy there needs to be new leadership and change in command structure.

I can hear the 'banter' within the halls of the Pentagon now, "Yeah, he didn't change much around here, did he?" As if to say that what transpired under Bush/Cheney was the only methodologies that 'could' exist. I believe President Obama is acting prudently and cautiously to negate 'opportunity' for threats to national security, but, the military brats that have enjoyed 'immunity' from critics and a great deal of hubris with Rummy aren't taking well to the changes in priorities from their 'free for all' at the 'nod' of Dick Cheney and others.

I almost feel as though their 'self-righteous' actions are a demonstration of how they hate Americans for the change in DC. A little worrisome.

EU warns US over 'new Guantanamo' (click here)
BRUSSELS: The US must not allow its Bagram military base in Afghanistan to become a new Guantanamo Bay if it wants European Union help to close the prison on Cuba, a confidential EU policy document says.
President Barack Obama ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay, where about 245 people are held. But Obama has yet to decide what to do about the Bagram, where more than 600 prisoners are held, or whether to continue work on a $60 million prison complex there.
EU nations, meanwhile, told the US they had a long list of legal and security questions before they could make any final decision on taking in Bay detainees.
Czech Interior Minister Ivan Langer said EU legal experts should get access to all files on the approximately 60 detainees who need to be accepted by a third country. Spain and Portugal have already said they could accept prisoners, while Germany, France and others remain tightlipped whether they will accept non-nationals.

I don't know. Elevated suicide rates. Now this. The military 'culture' needs to be rethought. It is correct to change a military institution slowly, but, these trends are more than disturbing. There are issues and plenty of them.

Perhaps they've been scrutinized too intensely for too long and surviving all that with a lot of pressure to maintain appearances might have resulted in a feeling of violation to loyal service with the announcement of the base's closing.

The 'fashioned use' of the base at Gitmo is and was 'W'rong. In actuality, it was a form of cowardise to believe that captured and detained human beings could ever pose such a threat to the USA again that they needed their own military instillation. The premise was completely "W"rong. Then the instillation became a media nightmare and a focus of propaganda. In the 'imagination' of Americans, the 'gift' of Gitmo by Bush was proof of the 'War on Terror.' The War on Terror is a myth and propaganda stunt and Gitmo was its validation otherwise.

These issues from the previous administration aren't going to disappear quickly. The military involved are going to have issues regarding the change in purpose at the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo. Perhaps the Naval Station will actually find it refreshing to be the southern point of USA defense in the waters of the Gulf and Caribbean again. In many ways a return of the primary purpose is paramount to re-establishing vigilance with the 'border' nations that see the USA as a looming threat. Guantanamo needs to return to being the 'vantage' point for USA Naval Defense other than testing submarine sonar. It has always served the nation well, even before it was exploited for its location following September 11th.