Osama Bin Laden - The dead man speaks...

Excerpts: Bin Laden address

Arabic TV station al-Jazeera has broadcast a videotape of Osama Bin Laden addressing the American people.

"O American people, my talk to you is about the best way to avoid another Manhattan, about the war, its causes and results...

"Security is an important pillar of human life. Free people do not relinquish their security. This is contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom...

"Let him tell us why we did not strike Sweden, for example. It is known that those who hate freedom do not have proud souls, like the souls of the 19 people [killed while perpetrating the 11 September 2001 attacks], may God have mercy on them...

"We fought you because we are free and do not accept injustice. We want to restore freedom to our nation. Just as you waste our security, we will waste your security...

"Despite entering the fourth year after 11 September, Bush is still deceiving you and hiding the truth from you and therefore the reasons are still there to repeat what happened."

Bin Laden added that the idea of striking the towers in New York occurred to him when "we saw the injustice of the US-Israeli alliance against our people in Palestine and Lebanon", when, in 1982 "the United States gave permission to the Israelis to invade Lebanon" with, he alleged, the help of the US Sixth Fleet.

He said that these events had generated a "strong determination to punish the "unjust ones". "We did not find it difficult to deal with Bush and his administration, because it is similar to regimes in our countries, half of which are governed by the military and the other half of which are governed by the sons of kings and presidents; and we have a long experience with them. In both categories, you find many who are characterised by hubris, arrogance, greed, and unlawful acquisition of money...

"Your security does not lie in the hands of Kerry, Bush, or al-Qaeda. Your security is in your own hands. Each and every state that does not tamper with our security will have automatically assured its own security."

(news.bbc.co.uk)

(The story from aljazeera.net)
(The story from cnn.com)
(The story from reuters.com)

BLOG vs THE COPS

PORTUGAL PROIBIDO
(Correio da Manha)

Eram 7h00 quando dois agentes da Polícia Judiciária (PJ) de Leiria, acompanhados por um procurador adjunto do Ministério Público (MP), bateram à porta de António Caldeira, autor do blogue ‘Do Portugal Profundo’. Um caso de “censura” e “tentativa de intimidação”, considera o professor universitário de Alcobaça, que tem divulgado na internet pormenores do processo Casa Pia.

O blogue ‘Do Portugal Profundo’ continua ‘on-line’, com vários documentos relativos ao processo Casa Pia “Eles entraram e apreenderam disquetes, CD e o meu computador. Fizeram isso também em casa da minha mãe, de onde levaram um computador que eu já não usava há dez anos”, contou Caldeira ao CM. O professor de Marketing terá sido constituído arguido do crime de desobediência, por ter desrespeitados os autos que proibiram a reprodução das peças processuais ou documentos incorporados no processo Casa Pia. “Sou notificado de desobediência, mas isso pressupõe que eu conhecesse os autos. Como podem eles ter a certeza disso?” Caldeira terá também sido sujeito a termo de identidade e residência.

ENTRE A BÉLGICA E A ITÁLIA

António Caldeira não tem dúvidas: “há uma rede pedófila de controlo do Estado a tentar silenciar o meu blogue e intimidar a minha acção”, considera, dizendo ter sido essa rede a fazer a denúncia que motivou o MP. O blogue ‘Do Portugal Profundo’ nasceu há mais de um ano como um ‘site’ generalista, e a dada altura passou a dar grande atenção ao processo Casa Pia. “Tomei conhecimento de que a questão era equivalente ao escândalo de pedofilia da Bélgica, só que mais grave. A rede pedófila é semelhante à Máfia de Itália, com a diferença de que ainda não fez mortos”, diz o professor. “Escrevo em nome do País e da democracia. Move-me a necessidade de limpeza do Estado desta rede pedófila.”Apesar daquilo que considera ser uma “tentativa de intimidação e limitação da liberdade de expressão”, António

Caldeira promete continuar a alimentar o seu blogue, que continua activo no endereço http://doportugalprofundo.blogspot.com. “Enquanto eu puder, no cumprimento da lei, continuarei a falar do que acho importante”. Contactado pelo CM, Jorge van Krieken, autor do ‘site’ ‘ReporterX’, que também publica informação de cariz semelhante, não quis revelar se alguma vez foi alvo de acções do MP. “Não vou prestar quaisquer declarações ao vosso jornal”, disse.

AINDA NO AR

Na sua mensagem mais recente o blogue ‘Do Portugal Profundo’ publica na íntegra o relatório do Serviço de Informações e Segurança (SIS), concluído em 1999, intitulado ‘A Pedofilia em Portugal: ponto da Situação’. “Este documento, apresentado no Conselho de Informações e Segurança, foi transmitido à Polícia Judiciária e motivou a investigação consequente”, explica Caldeira. O ‘site’ nunca divulgou os nomes das vítimas.
(www.correiomanha.pt)

Another slow step forward

EU leaders sign constitution
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent

The 25 leaders of the European Union today signed the EU's first constitution, in the Rome palace which saw the creation of the original common market 47 years ago. The illustrious ceremony, hosted by the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, leaves the treaty with two years to be ratified by each member-state, either through their national parliaments or individual referendums - leaving its eventual enactment in doubt.

The 300-page constitution, if ratified, would give the EU a president, a foreign minister and a charter of fundamental rights - all deeply controversial in many EU nations. The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today confirmed that a UK referendum on the constitution was "likely" to be in spring 2006 - after both a general election and the UK's rotating presidency of the EU.

The new "rulebook" for the EU replaces over 80,000 pages of legal documentation accumulated through a variety of treaties bonding the original European Economic Community of 1957, and was prompted by the accession this year of 10 new member states, mostly from the former Soviet block.

(www.guardian.co.uk)

Good News for those, who like me, believe that the future of Europe is Europe.
Problem is getting it ratified by the indivual states when most europeans have lost faith in Europe, or never had it to begin with.

(the same story from news.bbc.co.uk)

An interesting scenario

President Edwards?
By STEPHEN J. MARMON

It's Jan. 20, 2005, and a stunned America watches as John Edwards is sworn in as both vice president and acting president of the United States. Impossible? No, nor is a Bush-Edwards administration.

There are just a few upsets needed in states where the presidential race is very close. Even if President Bush wins Wisconsin and Minnesota - two states he lost in 2000 - Senator John Kerry would force a 269-269 Electoral College tie if he carries Colorado, Missouri, Nevada and New Hampshire, and Al Gore's states. But Colorado's ballot initiative to divide its electoral votes by popular ballot, rather than have them be winner take all, could change all that. If it's approved, and voting in that state splits as it did in 2000, Mr. Bush would pick up four votes, and win 273-265.

If recounts, challenges to provisional ballots and other legal actions don't overturn that result, the Supreme Court could again be called upon to decide the election. Imagine a ruling that applies the results of the Colorado initiative only to future presidential elections, not the 2004 contest.That would reinstate the Electoral College 269-269 deadlock, and send the tied contests to Congress; the House would choose the president and the Senate the vice president.

(www.nytimes.com)

But so hellishly unlikely...

Microsoft, Others File More Anti-Spam Lawsuits
Thu 28 October, 2004 23:12

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O and other Internet access providers filed three new lawsuits on Thursday to stop the spread of unsolicited e-mail messages touting everything from home refinancing to miracle health cures. At the same time, America Online, a unit of Time Warner Inc. TWX.N , filed a lawsuit in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, targeting "spim," or unsolicited messages sent to users of its instant messaging service.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, and AOL, EarthLink Inc. ELNK.O and Yahoo Inc. YHOO.O filed the lawsuits "against those who strain our consumers' inboxes with unwanted and deceptive e-mail, many carrying and transmitting malicious code, spyware and links to phishing sites."

"Phishing" is the practice of sending bogus e-mails that try to trick people into revealing private financial information for purposes of identity theft.

(www.reuters.co.uk)

My inbox thanks you...

Spain gives the go-ahead for stem cell research

Spain authorises stem cell research
Fri 29 October, 2004 17:22

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist government has authorised research with embryonic stem cells, the latest in a string of laws set to rile the Catholic church. Spain's previous right-wing, pro-church Popular Party government passed a law last year to allow stem cell research on embryos but only under a string of conditions. It never took the necessary steps to put the law into effect. But the new government stripped out some of the conditions and issued guidelines on Friday so that scientists can start their work. The move came despite opposition from the Vatican. Ninety percent of Spain's population calls themselves Catholic but liberal views increasingly coexist with traditional Catholic values. "It is not ethical to place obstacles and difficulties in the way of scientists who are using their talent and knowledge to improve our capacity to treat illness," Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega told a news conference.

(www.reuters.co.uk)

When will Portugal do the same?

Things do change II

Charter on Women’s Rights Getting Ready
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 29 October 2004 — The King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center in Riyadh is drafting a charter on women’s rights, its President Saleh Al-Hosayn said. The charter will be considered a reference on women in Saudi Arabia. He said the recommendations of the third national dialogue on women in Madinah would be given precedence in the charter. He did not say when the charter would be ready.The Madinah dialogue, which was held in June, ended with a call to respect the equality of sexes granted by Islam. “Islam guarantees equality and does not differentiate between people based on race, sex or color,” Hosayn said while opening the forum.“It is a natural situation achieved by ensuring that people enjoy the same legal rights, dignity and obligations,” he added. But he had warned that women working outdoors would not find enough time to raise their children and demanded a balance between women’s rights and their obligations. Both male and female participants called for a review of the taboo shrouding local customs governing women’s lives. However, defenders said it was such customs that provided a sense of identity to Saudi people.

“The forum lifted a virtual taboo that has existed for years about discussing women’s issues. It initiated a social dialogue and triggered and renewed interest in women’s rights and roles in the future of Saudi Arabia,” says Samar Fatany, a Saudi radio journalist based in Jeddah. “The dialogue reflected the Saudi leadership’s opinion that women are an integral part of the reform process. It conveyed the message very clearly that both men and women are partners in reform,” she added.

Saudi women play an active role in society despite the problems facing them. They own some 20,000 firms — some five percent of all registered businesses — ranging from ordinary retail businesses to various types of industry.

(www.worldpress.org)

If this leads to change then it is good news!

Censorship II - Blogger Antonio gets a nasty visit from the cops...

António from the Blog "Do Portugal Profundo" was censored by the Portuguese Cops when they walked into his house with a warrant and ended taking away with them his computer, amongst other things. This happened last night and is related to the "Casa Pia" Child molestation case. For a long time now António has been revealing excerpts from documents pertaining to this case allowing many portuguese (and others) in on details of the case, which is an example of the extreme mess the portuguese legal system is in (This too has been done by some newspapers who have, till now, suffered no midnight raids). Seems recently censorship has become a way of life in Portugal, with cases like "Marcelo Rebelo Sousa" still making headlines. The question is who will be next?

"Sete horas, ainda de noite. Bateram à porta. Sem medo, ainda meio estremunhado, abro. Três vultos. O primeiro diz:

- "Polícia Judiciária de Leiria. Temos um mandado de busca da sua residência".

Franqueio a porta. Entram dois agentes e um procurador-adjunto. Mostram-me o mandado de busca domiciliária, assinado por um juiz, às minhas residências (sic) e veículos (o meu carro e outro que vendi há oito anos)."
(Taken from "Do Portugal Profundo")

Cry the Beloved Country

South Africans 'armed to the hilt'

South Africans own more guns than the police and army. South African civilians own more guns than the police and military combined, according to a study by Gun Free South Africa and Cape Town University. Some 8.4% of the population own a gun, which amounts to 3.7 million firearms, the researchers found. In the region, on average 2.27% of the population own guns, while Mozambique has a rate of 0.04%, the study says. South Africa has one of the world's highest incidences of gun-related crime which has led to new fire arm laws.

Apartheid legacy

According to the legislation, which came into effect in July, gun owners now have to reapply for their licences, undergo stringent checks and sit an exam. South Africa's high rate is a result of the legacy of apartheid where members of the white community were encouraged to own a firearm. The act also raised the legal age for owning a firearm from 16 to 21.

"South Africa's high rate is a result of the legacy of apartheid where members of the white community were encouraged to own a firearm," report author, Guy Lamb, from Cape Town University's Centre for Conflict Resolution, told BBC News Online. He said South Africans widely regard their environment as dangerous and so are looking for ways to protect themselves. Additionally, members of the security forces were previously allowed to keep their firearms when they left the force. He said that gun shops reported that black South Africans now accounted for most of their customers. There are some 500 gun shops in the country.

(news.bbc.co.uk)

That's why I left, had guns pointed at me, once too often. Sad though, South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Pity that humans live there, otherwise it would have been perfect...

Censorship?

Foreigners Blocked From Bush Site

LONDON -- President Bush's official campaign website has blocked access to foreign surfers since Monday, an internet monitoring company said Wednesday. Netcraft, based in Bath in western England, said the site "appears to be rejecting visitors from most points outside the United States, while allowing access from U.S. locations." Netcraft did not report any reason for the blockage. "We can't say precisely, except that it seems to be a decision by the maintainers of the website," said Rich Miller, an analyst at Netcraft. Miller said the company detected a six-hour blackout last week which affected the Bush website and the site of the Republican National Committee. The latter site was accessible Wednesday from Britain.

"Last week's simultaneous outages for GeorgeWBush.com and RNC.org prompted speculation that an electronic attack may have occurred, as the two sites are hosted on separate web servers," Miller said in a statement posted on Netcraft's site. "The Bush campaign told media the outage was 'no big deal' and offered no specific explanation for the outage." Netcraft said it monitors website response times from four locations within the United States and three in other countries. "Since Monday morning, requests to GeorgeWBush.com from stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney, Australia, have failed, while the four U.S. monitoring stations show no performance problems. Web users in Canada report they are able to visit the site," Netcraft said.

(Wired News)

What is George Bush afraid of, that some trigger happy european will hack his site with anti-Bush messages?

Who is to Blame?

Iraq Blames US-Led Forces for Army Massacre
By Michael Georgy

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq (news - web sites)'s U.S.-backed government said on Tuesday that "major neglect" by its American-led allies led to a massacre of 49 army recruits at the weekend. In one of the bloodiest attacks on Iraq's fledgling security forces, the unarmed recruits were shot in the back of their heads after being stopped by guerrillas posing as policemen as they traveled home for leave. "There was an ugly crime in which a large group of National Guards were martyred," Prime Minister Iyad Allawi told Iraq's interim national council. "We believe this issue was the outcome of major neglect by some parts of the multinational (forces)," he said without elaborating.

Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the attack. Iraq's Minister of State for national security affairs later softened the government's tone, saying he was not assigning blame but waiting for the findings of that inquiry, which is due in three weeks. "The investigation will seek to determine whether inside information was obtained on the movement of troops and why the troops were unarmed and without armed escort," Minister of State Kassim Daoud told Reuters.

(news.yahoo.com)

Is this the end of the Honeymoon!

Shortage of Girls in China

China Offers Parents Cash for Girls
Mail & Guardian (liberal), Johannesburg

China is offering to pay couples a premium for producing baby girls to counter an alarming gender imbalance created by the country's one-child population control policy. Last year, 117 boys were born for every 100 girls in China, compared with a global average of 105 to 100. Faced by a socially destabilising shortage of more than 30-million women by 2020, senior family planning officials said on Thursday that they will offer welfare incentives to couples with two daughters and tighten the prohibition on sex-selective abortions. "China has set the goal of lowering the sex ratio to a normal level by 2010," said Zhao Baige, vice-minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission. To reverse the trend, pilot programmes are already under way in China's poorest provinces. In some areas, couples with two daughters and no sons have been promised an annual payment of R430 (about $80 US) once they reach 60 years of age. The money, which is a significant sum in areas where the average income is about R5 (less than $1.00 US) a day, will also be given to families with only one child to discourage couples with a daughter from trying again for a boy. Some regions have gone further. In parts of Fujian province, local governments have given housing grants of approximately R11000 ($1700 US) to couples with two girls. The state will expand welfare programmes so poor couples rely less on producing a son to care for them in their old age. It will also push a "caring for girls" propaganda campaign to counter the preference for boys.

But it is far from certain that the measures will be any more successful than previous attempts to reverse the preference for boys. Many families, particularly in rural areas, place greater value on sons, who are considered best suited to continue the family line, generate income and ensure that parents are cared for during their old age. A disproportionate number of female fetuses are aborted and girls are at greater risk than boys of being abandoned or sold.

(worldpress.org)

To all the lonely girls, here's your chance...

Some Things do Change

Trading their guns for pens
Sat Oct 23, 4:27 PM ET
By Bay Fang

KABUL--They were three years younger then, playing at adulthood with wispy beards and Kalashnikovs. They spent their days sniping at Taliban fighters from trenches along the front line, operating radios from mountaintop bunkers, and serving tea to the local warlord and his guests. For these teenagers living in Dashti Qala, the frontline town in northern Afghanistan (news - web sites), daily life had one focus and one focus only--the enemy outlined on the next hill.

Today their faces are thinner, with age and a student diet, and they talk not of fighting and of the enemy but of their futures. Hedayatullah studies engineering. Osman is preparing for medical school. Mukhtar wants to be a teacher. Jalaluddin harbors hopes of going abroad. In the three years since the Taliban fell, these young men and their lives--as soldiers turned students--are the faces of change in Afghanistan.

Mukhtar was 15 when the Taliban came to the village of Khoja Ghar. Stories of their atrocities -- raping young women and burning the old -- live on in Northern Alliance lore, and most boys of fighting age took up a weapon and joined the local commander. Mukhtar was given a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher--which, his friends laugh, was taller than he was then. "At the time, our feeling was only to defend our nation," says Mukhtar, now 19. "We had no chance to study. No one knew if the Taliban would be there forever. We couldn't think about becoming an engineer, a teacher, a doctor. We only thought about fighting."

Today, nine of them live in one tiny room, above the bus station where passengers headed to Kandahar throng. Mats line the floor, and pieces of clothing hang haphazardly from a rod across the ceiling. The one desk is piled high with notebooks and papers. There are so many young men like them that the university has run out of space in the dormitories. Their fellow students come from all different backgrounds -- some fought with the Northern Alliance, some with the Taliban. Some men are starting the equivalent of middle school in their late 20s, having never before had the chance to study. "No one looks down on anyone else," says Hedayatullah, "because we all know we had no other choice."

(USNEWS.com)

At least for some, things seem to be getting better...

Welcome to the Brave, New World

Security for Internet Users Deemed Weak
Mon Oct 25,10:00 AM ET Technology - AP
By TED BRIDIS, AP Technology Writer

WASHINGTON - Internet users at home are not nearly as safe online as they believe, according to a nationwide inspection by researchers. They found most consumers have no firewall protection, outdated antivirus software and dozens of spyware programs secretly running on their computers. One beleaguered home user in the government-backed study had more than 1,000 spyware programs running on his sluggish computer when researchers examined it. Bill Mines, a personal trainer in South Riding, Va., did not fare much better. His family's 3-year-old Dell computer was found infected with viruses and more than 600 pieces of spyware surreptitiously monitoring his online activities. "I was blown away," Mines said. "I had a lot of viruses and other things I didn't know about. I had no idea things like this could happen." The Internet always has had its share of risky neighborhoods and dark alleys. But with increasingly sophisticated threats from hackers, viruses, spam e-mails and spyware, trouble is finding computer users no matter how cautiously they roam online.

The technology industry is feeling the pain, too. Spurred by the high costs of support calls from irritated customers — and fearful that frustrated consumers will stop buying new products — Internet providers, software companies and computer-makers are making efforts to increase awareness of threats and provide customers with new tools to protect themselves. Still, many computer users appear remarkably unprepared for the dangers they face. The study being released Monday by America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that 77 percent of 326 adults in 12 states assured researchers in a telephone poll they were safe from online threats. Nearly as many people felt confident they were already protected specifically from viruses and hackers. When experts visited those same homes to examine computers, they found two-thirds of adults using antivirus software that was not updated in at least seven days.

Two-thirds of the computer users also were not using any type of protective firewall program, and spyware was found on the computers of 80 percent of those in the study.

(Associated Press)

The Internet Jungle is getting wilder all the time. Where will it end?

Breaking News!

"Latest In

From our sources in the Prime Minister's office we have learnt that next month the government is going to be initiating substantial changes to the Portuguese Legislation.

One of the most important measures will be a 30% hike in income tax for all those earning above €2000 a month. This will be to bring the Portuguese deficit under control, thus complying with the European Union limits on state deficits. This move is likely to bring about wide ranging protests. However the government feels sure that it is the best way to improve social equality."

(FakeNews.pt)



This is a fictional news article to prove a point. When the mass media claims sources in well placed positions I'm always left wondering about the veracity these reports. The problem with sources is that they are rarely named. The chance of confirming these sources are close to zero. Like the article above there are some options as to "Truth" behind the article.

1) There really is a source and the story is true
2) The source lied about the story and thus it is false.
3) There is no source and the story was fabricated by the actual journalist or News Entity.

How does one tell the difference between these three situations? One doesn't!

Bush vs Kerry - The end is Nigh and the World holds it's breathe!

Dumb show
Charlie Brooker - The Guardian

Heady times. The US election draws ever nearer, and while the rest of the world bangs its head against the floorboards screaming "Please God, not Bush!", the candidates clash head to head in a series of live televised debates. It's a bit like American Idol, but with terrifying global ramifications. You've got to laugh.
Or have you? Have you seen the debates? I urge you to do so. The exemplary BBC News website (www.bbc.co.uk/news) hosts unexpurgated streaming footage of all the recent debates, plus clips from previous encounters, through Reagan and Carter, all the way back to Nixon versus JFK.

Watching Bush v Kerry, two things immediately strike you. First, the opening explanation of the rules makes the whole thing feel like a Radio 4 parlour game. And second, George W Bush is... well, he's... Jesus, where do you start?

The internet's a-buzz with speculation that Bush has been wearing a wire, receiving help from some off-stage lackey. Screen grabs appearing to show a mysterious bulge in the centre of his back are being traded like Top Trumps. Prior to seeing the debate footage, I regarded this with healthy scepticism: the whole "wire" scandal was just wishful thinking on behalf of some amateur Michael Moores, I figured. And then I watched the footage.

Quite frankly, the man's either wired or mad. If it's the former, he should be flung out of office: tarred, feathered and kicked in the nuts. And if it's the latter, his behaviour goes beyond strange, and heads toward terrifying. He looks like he's listening to something we can't hear. He blinks, he mumbles, he lets a sentence trail off, starts a new one, then reverts back to whatever he was saying in the first place. Each time he recalls a statistic (either from memory or the voice in his head), he flashes us a dumb little smile, like a toddler proudly showing off its first bowel movement. Forgive me for employing the language of the playground, but the man's a tool.

(www.guardian.co.uk)

No Comment...No Comment...NO COMMENT...

The Royal Navy and Satanism - Freedom of Religion.

Royal Navy to allow devil worship

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A devil-worshipping sailor in the Royal Navy has become the first registered Satanist in the British Armed Forces. Chris Cranmer, 24, a technician serving on the Type 22 frigate Cumberland, has been officially recognized as a Satanist by the ship's captain. That allows him to perform satanic rituals aboard and permits him to have a non-Christian Church of Satan funeral should he be killed in action. A spokesman for Britain's Ministry of Defence told CNN Sunday that it had a duty to allow members of the forces to practice their religion. He added that the MoD was an "equal opportunities employer" which did not stop anyone having their own religious values. "The Royal Navy allows this kind of approach because it is clearly in line with current regulations. We are not aware of any other individuals who want to be registered as Satanists."

(CNN)

Freedom of Religion is alive and well in the U.K.

A PEDOFILIA EM PORTUGAL

A report finished in 1999 from the SIS (Information and Security Service), which I found at Do Portugal Profundo (In Portuguese), about child molestation in Portugal.
(Image)

It is time to protect those who are least able to protect themselves

José Manuel Durão Barroso

Hard Nose
Incoming European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso has stared down soldiers and tamed Portugal's budget. His greatest challenge lies ahead
By Karen Lowry Miller

When Barroso's first transition adviser, Brussels insider Mario David, heard that Barroso might have a rough go in parliamentary approval hearings, David insisted that the normally closed sessions be made public. This played to Barroso's strengths: he fielded questions in several languages, made self-deprecating jokes and won the M.E.P.s over by a vote of 413 to 251.

Europe soon got a hint of what Barroso is made of when it came to selecting his commission. The big powers, including France, Germany, Britain and Italy, demanded the posts governing internal markets or competition, which will be critical to the reform process. So Barroso denied them all and gave the posts to small countries. He spoke personally to the leaders of all the European member states about their nominees, and, he says, insisted that at least three change their choices. "Voices were raised," says a close aide. Yet so deft was Barroso's bargaining, even the French and Germans insist they are now pleased. One suspects he will settle the Buttiglione brouhaha just as easily. As for his broader agenda, Tim Evans, a prominent liberal analyst, says that "once or twice a century you get a politician who makes a profound difference," and that Barroso "could just have the sheer will to change the direction of Europe." The moment is right. Is the man?

(Newsweek)

Our ex-prime minister seems to have his work cut out for him!

Another use for Depleted Uranium

Depleted Uranium Released During Canadian Plane Crash
Little-Known Use of DU in Commercial Jets Exposed
By Christopher Bollyn

The recent crash of a Boeing 747 in Halifax, Canada, raises a number of questions about the use of depleted uranium (DU) in airplanes, public health concerns and the 9-11 attacks. When a Boeing 747 crashed and burned on takeoff at Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Oct. 14, an official accident investigator said the aircraft probably contained radioactive depleted uranium. Bill Fowler, an investigator with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said the plane was likely equipped with DU as counterweights in its wings and rudder. “A 747 may contain as much as 1,500 kilograms [3,300 lbs.] of the material,” the Canadian Press reported. It took 60 firefighters and 20 trucks about three hours to control the fire. Fowler said: “there is no threat or concern” about DU exposure to those working on the wreckage. “That’s baloney,” Marion Fulk, a retired staff scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, told American Free Press. Fulk, 83, is currently researching how low-level ionizing radiation causes cancer, birth defects and a host of other health problems. Burning depleted uranium creates a “whole mess of oxides,” Fulk said, “which is what makes it so wicked biologically.”

(www.americanfreepress.net)

One has to wonder where else depleted uranium is being used. We seem to live in the world of the three monkeys...
Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

Found This on the Uncommon Thought Journal