Top 'Gay' Organization Comes Clean: 'HIV is a Gay Disease'
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06895.shtml
WASHINGTON -- In a public statement last Friday, Matt Foreman, outgoing Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, rattled the homosexual activist community by joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pro-family organizations and a growing number of homosexual activists willing to admit that homosexual behavior is both extremely high-risk and primarily responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
Addressing the topic of AIDS, Foreman drastically deviated from the "gay" lobby's party line by admitting, "Internally, when these numbers come out, the 'established' gay community seems to have a collective shrug as if this isn't our problem. Folks, with 70 percent of the people in this country living with HIV being gay or bi, we cannot deny that HIV is a gay disease. We have to own that and face up to that."
A little over a year ago, Lorri Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles-based Gay and Lesbian Center, similarly shocked the "gay" community by stating that, "HIV is a Gay Disease. Own it. End it."
Foreman's admission comes on the heels of a letter from Matt Barber, Concerned Women for America's (CWA) Policy Director for Cultural Issues, inviting Foreman and other homosexual activists to work together in discouraging homosexuals from engaging in the high-risk behaviors researchers recently determined are responsible for the epidemic spread of a potentially deadly strain of staph infection among certain segments of the "gay" community. The CDC has acknowledged that many of those same high-risk behaviors, such as male-male anal sex, are chiefly responsible for spreading HIV/AIDS.
Matt Barber addressed Foreman's admission: "It's extremely encouraging to see Matt Foreman, a homosexual activist who has for so long been in denial about the dangers of the lifestyle he has promoted, publicly coming to terms with the undeniable perils of that lifestyle.
"I only hope he will now stop promoting homosexual conduct and push for other liberal elites, especially those running our public schools, to do the same. Educators must truthfully address the 'gay' lifestyle's potentially deadly consequences.
"It's criminally reckless for the National Education Association and liberal educators to put political correctness and a deceptive political agenda above the lives, health and well-being of America's children. The evidence is there for all to see. 'Gayness' is not about 'who you are,' it's about 'what you do.' The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has now, in effect, acknowledged that reality. Their honesty is refreshing and unexpected," concluded Barber.
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Clintons' Former United Methodist Church Skirts Discipline with Same-Sex 'Celebrations'
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06893.shtml
WASHINGTON -- The prominent United Methodist church formerly attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton has announced that it will begin to host services that recognize same-sex unions. According to Foundry United Methodist Church of Washington, D.C., homosexual couples can have their associations recognized and honored at the church beginning this month.
The 7.9 million-member United Methodist Church officially prohibits any ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions and involve United Methodist pastors or church buildings. United Methodism affirms God's love and civil rights for all people, while also affirming marriage as the lifelong union of man and woman.
IRD Director of UMAction Mark Tooley commented:
"The United Methodist Discipline clearly prohibits celebrating homosexual unions. By providing worship leadership and a church building, Foundry United Methodist Church is doing everything short of an exchange of vows. This is clearly a violation of the spirit of the Discipline.
"It is absurd to claim that a United Methodist church can 'recognize' a same-sex union without celebrating it. Are we to believe that the United Methodist pastor will robotically acknowledge such unions without any endorsement of them, all while surrounded by the trappings of a traditional wedding service?
"UMAction calls upon Baltimore-Washington Conference Bishop John Schol to uphold both the letter and spirit of the United Methodist Discipline by preventing these same-sex rites."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
Huckabee says Texas crucial to keeping presidential bid alive
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8UV3J6O1.html#
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, badly trailing frontrunner John McCain in the delegate count, said Thursday that Texas is critical in the bid to keep his campaign viable.
"It all happens here in Texas, quite frankly," the former Arkansas governor said during a news conference in front of the Alamo, the site of Texas' most legendary battle defeat.
"It's not Republican and not American to cut off the race and this election" before Texas, the nation's largest GOP-leaning state, hold its March 4 primary, he said. Huckabee said he plans to spend considerable time in the state before the election.
Drawing on the Battle of the Alamo, in which Texas fighters were routed by the Mexican army but inspired later success, he said the outcome of a battle is less important than remaining unflinching in one's convictions.
"You don't engage in your battles only because you believe you're going to win them. You engage in them because you believe they're right," Huckabee said.
He addressed a rally Thursday night at the same Catholic university where Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton held a campaign rally last week; the archbishop of San Antonio had objected to the Clinton event because she supports abortion rights but had no objections to Huckabee, who has pushed a "life amendment" to the Constitution.
Touting his conservative credentials as a family-friendly candidate who would support fairer taxes for individuals and businesses, he sought to rally the crowd to continue supporting his campaign despite the long odds of winning the nomination.
Huckabee began his day in Houston, where he portrayed himself as a Washington outsider who would solve problems his rivals, all with Washington ties, have failed to address.
"What I see is a whole bunch of the same, even the ones who say they're going to change things," he said.
As he has for weeks now, Huckabee said he would remain in the race despite McCain's almost certain nomination. McCain won at least 31 delegates Tuesday in Wisconsin and Washington and remains the front-runner heading into the March 4 primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Overall, McCain has 939 delegates to Huckabee's 245. It takes 1,191 delegates to secure the Republican nomination.
"I'm playing by the rules," Huckabee said. "I want you to have a voice and a choice and your vote will count."
"Sure, it's discouraging," Melissa Klopp, 26, of Houston, said of her candidate's delegate count compared with McCain. "But you support who you believe in."
Bob Cheeseman, a 61-year-old military retiree who wore a hat with a Huckabee sticker to the Alamo, said he appreciates Huckabee staying in the race until Texas voters get a chance to cast ballots. He hopes Huckabee voters will be able to at least help shape the party's platform at the convention.
"It's not that I dislike McCain. It's just that I think Huckabee has it nailed down," said Cheeseman, who named taxes and abortion issues as among his most important.
Huckabee dismissed as "politics" a New York Times report suggesting McCain had a relationship with a female telecommunications lobbyist that could have resulted in favoritism to her clients. McCain denied the story.
"I've campaigned now on the same stage or platform with John McCain for 14 months," Huckabee said. "I only know him to be a man of integrity. Today he denied any of that was true. I take him at his word ... I only know him for what I know him to be and that's a good decent honorable man."
Huckabee hasn't won a primary since Feb. 9, when he scored a narrow victory in Louisiana and a big one in Kansas. He's also won primaries or caucuses in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Stunning GodTube.com Poll Reveals McCain so Unpopular with Christian Conservatives That They
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06894.shtml
DALLAS -- GodTube.com has announced that despite the recent sweeping victory for John McCain, a stunning new GodTube.com poll reveals that if McCain wins his party's nomination, Christian Conservative participants would rather vote for one of the two Democratic candidates.
With a slim 9.1% support for McCain, Obama has become a viable choice for many Christian Conservatives with 26.3% of the Christian vote, up 8% from last week.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton showed no increase in the GodTube.com poll this week maintaining her 19.6% of the Christian vote while Republican candidate Mike Huckabee increased his lead 30% last week, leading the GodTube.com poll by 45% of the overall Christian vote.
With religion taking center stage in this year's Presidential election, the Godtube.com poll is voted upon by registered Godtube.com users and received more than 40,000 votes within the first week. The number of participants continues to grow with an astounding 11,075 new voters registered this week. GodTube.com is utilizing internet survey techniques to ensure fairness and only includes the leading primary candidates.
"Our poll clearly indicates a dramatic change in the pulse of the Christian voter this election," said Chris Wyatt, GodTube.com founder and CEO. "There are a great deal of undecided Christian voters and we're in discussions with the candidates to address the Christian community directly through GodTube.com's ongoing election coverage."
In addition to the presidential polling, 69.5% of Christian voters expressed that they believe the U.S. is likely to be struck by another "9/11" in the next five years. 60 % of Christian voters agree that US passenger planes should be equipped with anti- missile devices, showing that Terror is still in the minds of America and remains a major issue.
There is no single source of ongoing nationwide Christian polling, and GodTube.com is uniquely positioned to reach the Christian community. With more than 2.5 million monthly visitors and over 280,000 registered Christian users, including 25,000 churches, GodTube.com connects with tens of thousands of Protestant and Catholic Americans each day seeking faith online.
GodTube.com has become an instant success, experiencing explosive growth drawing nearly 3 million unique visitors each month. GodTube.com broadcasts more Christian videos in a single day than all of the Christian television networks do in an entire year. With more than 50,000 videos offering a diverse array of video content, ranging from powerful personal testimonials to humorous youth-oriented videos to well-known pastor messages, GodTube.com provides thought-provoking and welcoming ways for people to explore their faith online.
Murtha Named Top Porker in 2007
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Murtha_Named_Top_Porker_i/2008/02/21/74372.html
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) was named "Porker of the Year" for 2007 on Wednesday by the taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).
The organization, which promotes fiscal responsibility and federal earmarks reform, conducted an online poll of 3,400 people about members of Congress. The often controversial Murtha, chairman of the House subcommittee on defense appropriations, won with 63.4 percent of the votes cast, according to CAGW.
In FY 2008, which began last October, Murtha secured 72 earmarks worth $149.2 million for his district, according to CAGW.
"For flouting the rules and playing games with reform, while filing spending bills with pork and arrogantly threatening anyone that challenges his authority, Rep. Jack Murtha is the 2007 Porker of the Year," the CAGW announcement said.
A spokesman from Murtha's press office could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
No other lawmaker came close to Murtha's vote tally.
The distant runner-up was Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) with 10.6 percent of the vote, while Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) came in third place with 9.9 percent, followed by Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) who had 6.7 percent, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) tied with Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) for 4.1 percent.
Murtha made news for earmarks in May 2007 after attempting to insert a $23 million earmark for the National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown, Pa., in the intelligence authorization bill.
In 2006, the House Government Reform Committee called the center "an expensive and duplicative use of scarce federal drug enforcement resources."
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) made a motion to remove the earmark and later told reporters Murtha threatened legislative retribution. Rogers reported that Murtha said, "I hope you don't have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills, because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever."
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) also said Murtha threatened federal funding for a Boeing project in his Kansas district after Tiahrt voted with Rogers.
Republicans sought to reprimand Murtha, but the measure failed on a 219-189 party line vote.
"Rep. Jack Murtha has long been known inside the Beltway for using threats, power plays, and backroom deals to control spending decisions," the CAGW announcement said.
"There is an area of the House floor known as 'Murtha's corner,' where the legendary appropriator dispenses earmarks. The overwhelming vote for Porker of the Year vote shows that his shameful behavior is attracting attention throughout the country," it added.
Putin awards underwater polar explorers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080221/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_russia_putin_awards;_ylt=AiYzsdl.zU5mWCDohVDkhNvtiBIF
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday awarded medals to three men who planted a Russian flag on the ocean floor under the North Pole last year, staking a symbolic claim to the resource-rich region.
In the Kremlin ceremony recognising artists, scientists, military veterans, officers and soldiers, Putin congratulated Artur Chilingarov, Anatoly Sagalivech and Evgeniy Chernyaev with medals designating the men 'Heroes of Russia'.
"Today we won't back away from the Arctic, and we will be hard to stop," said Chilingarov, who presented Putin with a copy of the flag the expedition members planted on the seabed.
Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap and governments now believe that it is only a matter of time before they will be able to start exploiting previously inaccessible energy supplies locked inside the seabed whose ownership is disputed.
Russia is aiming to prove the Lomonosov Ridge, named after 18th century Russian writer and scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, runs for hundreds of kilometres along the seabed from Siberia, stretching beneath the North Pole. If Russia can prove the link, the Kremlin plans to claim the northern continental shelf and its resources as Russian.
"Russia will expand not only Siberia, but (will expand to) the Arctic as well. We will show that Russia can expand (to) the northern continental shelf," Chilingarov said.
Chilingarov was aboard one of the submersibles that laid a rust-proof Russian flag at a depth of 4,261 metres (13,980 feet) in the North Arctic Sea.
Russian nationalist turns TV debate into brawl
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080221/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_russia_election_brawl;_ylt=AvB0gIMc3ukGgMNmoS1nQdjtiBIF
Russia's humdrum presidential election briefly came to blows when nationalist candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky attacked his opponent during a televised debate, a Russian newspaper reported on Thursday.
Kommersant newspaper said the fight broke out during recording of a debate between Zhirinovsky and Nikolai Gots, a representative of Andrei Bogdanov, leader of the small Democratic Party who is also running in the vote.
Zhirinovsky, known for his extravagant rhetoric and emotional outbursts, lashed out when his opponent said his party was a Kremlin puppet, Kommersant said.
Zirinovsky's party refused to comment on the report. The Zvezda television station, which was hosting the debate, also declined to comment. Footage of the incident has not been broadcast.
Opinion polls show Kremlin-endorsed Dmitry Medvedev will win the March 2 election by a huge margin, and he has declined to take part in debates with the other challengers, creating a campaign that has been short on excitement.
Kommersant said that Zhirinovsky verbally abused Gots and then became involved in a fist-fight with him.
"Zhirinovsky then ordered his bodyguards to take me away and shoot me down," Kommersant quoted Gots as saying. The bodyguards did not carry out the order, Gots said.
Zhirinovsky, a veteran of Russian politics, is well known for livening up television debates.
In 1995, he splashed orange juice on his liberal opponent Boris Nemtsov, publicly promised to beat up his nationalist opponent Andrei Savelyev in 2003 and engaged in a brawl with his opponents in another debate in the same year.
Since then a new rule has been introduced requiring that election debates are pre-recorded, and not broadcast live.
Bush Pledges U.S. Support to Liberia
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/326315.aspx
MONROVIA, Liberia -- President Bush, cheering Liberians to rebound from a 14-year civil war that left their nation in ruins, said Thursday that the U.S. will keep lending a hand to make Liberia a symbol of liberty for Africa and the world.
"You know one thing I've learned, and I suspect the people of Liberia have learned, is it's easier to tear a country down than it is to rebuild a country," Bush said on the final stop of his five-nation tour of Africa. "And the people of this good country must understand the United States will stand with you as you rebuild your country."
Liberia, founded by freed American slaves, is in depressingly poor shape following the years of civil strife that ended in 2003. Many rotted houses look like they're held together by sheer will. Billboards warn against mob violence, rape, corruption and AIDS.
Even in the darkest moments of the conflict, Bush said, Liberians never gave up on their dream that their nation would again become the "land of the free."
Bush praised Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman ever elected to lead a nation on the continent. He said he's proud of the work that the U.S. and Liberia are doing to improve education, battle disease and heal the wounds of war.
"You are making progress and it's possible because of the iron will of the lady you lovingly refer to as `Ma,'" Bush said. "That would be you, Madame President. I appreciate the fact you've ushered in an age of reform, and you've opened up a new chapter in the relationship between our countries."
Sirleaf noted that never before in the history of U.S.-Liberia relations have the presidents of both nations met four times in the span of four years - all following the civil war she called a time when "the forces of evil hijacked the Liberian state."
"We thank God that the guns of war are silent, our reconciliation process is under way, our people are beginning to sleep more soundly at night, our children are smiling again and Liberians at home and abroad are reclaiming pride and national identity," she said.
Sirleaf urged continued U.S. financial support of U.N. peacekeepers deployed in her nation.
"We understand the need, Mr. President, for reducing the level of support for the peacekeeping force, but please do not do so, so sharply as to affect our security until our forces are ready."
The U.S. government is pumping in money for education, security, construction and disease prevention. Direct U.S. aid has totaled more than $750 million since the war ended. The president announced that the U.S. aid will provide 1 million textbooks to children by the start of the next school year and desks and seating for 10,000 students.
Bush's first trip as president to Africa in 2003 was overshadowed by talk of the brutal civil war in Liberia, then led by dictator Charles Taylor. Prodded by international appeals to intervene, Bush sent in the Marines later that year. It helped drive Taylor into exile.
After landing in Monrovia, named after President Monroe, Bush took a helicopter into the city from the airport, avoiding a long, bone-jarring car ride that reflects the deep dysfunction in this war-shattered country.
Though peaceful now, the prevalence of weapons in Liberia coupled with its other problems made this the most nerve-racking for the president's security detail. Blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeepers with guns and riot-guard shields patrolled the streets.
Many Liberians remain nervous about whether their road to recovery is going to last. Part of Bush's goal was to persuade them they won't be forgotten even when his presidency ends.
"I want the people of Liberia to know, Madame President, the United States stands with you," Bush said during a luncheon toast with told her. "We want to help you recover from a terrible period. We want you to build lives of hope and peace, and under your leadership, that's exactly what's happening."
Sirleaf opened the meal by asking the guests on the lawn of the Executive Mansion to join her in "drinking lustily" to the health and prosperity of the president and the United States, and "to the great friendship that Liberia enjoys with our No. 1 partner."
Sirleaf, a Harvard-educated economist who once fled her own country for survival, won office in 2005. First lady Laura Bush attended her inauguration in Liberia, and Bush has since given Sirleaf the highest civil honor he can bestow, the Medal of Freedom.
Bush also visited a training center for Liberia's armed forces and holding an education event before flying back to Washington after a trip that focused on U.S. assistance to prevent disease and rebuild economies.
At stops in Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia, the president was showered in adulation. Bush got a day named in his honor in Benin and a highway named for him in Ghana. Huge crowds of cheering, flag waving Liberians lined Bush's drive to his meeting with Sirleaf.
"I loved all the smiles and the enthusiasm along the route," Bush said.
All this is a world away from Washington, where Bush's public approval has been mired around 30 percent for months, and the candidates gunning for his job get more headlines.
Satellite Hit Boosts Missile Defense
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-UN4DQ3MC1awu1NK_5uVNbhqoOQD8UV03H80
WASHINGTON — The stunning image of a Navy missile streaking into outer space at 6,000 mph to obliterate an orbiting spy satellite boosts the credibility of missile-defense advocates. Yet questions remain whether that success could be duplicated against a surprise, real-world attack.
The idea, whether the target is an unarmed satellite or an enemy missile, is basically the same: fire a guided missile into the path of the moving target and smash it to bits by the force of impact. In theory, the collision could render harmless even a nuclear- or chemical-armed missile, an idea that evolved from President Reagan's "star wars" program of the 1980s.
In the case of the spy satellite, a Navy SM-3 missile launched from a cruiser in the Pacific not only hit the U.S. satellite but apparently struck precisely where its operators had aimed: a titanium-encased tank of fuel that officials said could pose a health hazard to humans on re-entry.
Henry Cooper, who was the Pentagon's "star wars" chief from 1990-93, said the outcome bodes well for the Navy and prospects for adding to its missile defense repertoire.
"It's definitely a boost for the Navy program because everybody is made aware of the flexibility and perhaps even the reliability of program," Cooper said in a telephone interview.
It was the first time a U.S. Navy missile interceptor had been used in an anti-satellite role.
It was not exactly a dry run for a missile defense test, but there are significant parallels. One is that neither mission — against a satellite or a missile — can be executed successfully without a network of space- and ground-based radars to track the target and to cue the intercepting missile. The satellite shootdown offered a chance to coordinate all those missile defense-related pieces.
"The successful intercept is further validation of America's sea-based missile defense capability," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
The satellite, deemed worthy of a shootdown because of the slim possibility that its fuel tank could land in a populated area, was moving faster and traveling at a higher altitude than the missiles that the SM-3 had hit in controlled anti-missile tests. So it was a new challenge for the Navy missile.
"It did confirm the ability of the SM-3 to intercept at a higher elevation," said Baker Spring, a specialist at the Heritage Foundation think tank and a longtime advocate of missile defenses.
Raytheon, the maker of the SM-3, said the missile was put in an unexpected role.
"The missile was never designed to engage a satellite," company spokesman David Albritton said.
A major problem in ballistic missile defense is that an opponent like China might equip a warhead with enough decoys and other countermeasures to "outsmart" and evade a U.S. missile interceptor. Or it might launch a big enough volley of missiles to overcome a limited defensive system.
That's not an issue when shooting at satellites, which move in isolation on a relatively predictable path through space. Which helps explain why the United States has chosen not to field an arsenal of anti-satellite weapons: the risk of inviting retaliation against highly vulnerable U.S. satellites, which are vital to national and economic security.
This is a particularly touchy issue with China, which drew strong U.S. condemnation last year when it downed one of its own weather satellites, creating a large amount of space debris. Wednesday's U.S. shootdown was timed to minimize the amount of debris that would remain outside the atmosphere. Space is increasingly a field of military competition between China and the U.S.
The Pentagon had shown decades ago that it could smash an orbiting satellite. This week's strike showed that it could be done with an improvised array of missiles, radars and command systems that at times have failed to perform as advertised in tests against long-range ballistic missiles.
Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, applauded the outcome of the satellite shootdown but stressed that it should stand as a one-of-a-kind operation.
"This action should not be construed as standard U.S. policy for dealing with problem satellites," he said.
It is not the policy of the U.S. government to field anti-satellite weapons. But some of the same technologies are at the heart of the Bush administration's efforts to accelerate the development of a far-flung network that can reliably defend U.S. and allied territory against ballistic missiles. The Bush administration has spent about $10 billion a year on missile defense in recent years.
At the Pentagon, Gen. James Cartwright told reporters it would be wrong to think that the satellite shootdown was done to demonstrate that the U.S. military has an anti-satellite capability.
"We understand ASAT," Cartwright said, using the military's acronym for anti-satellite weaponry. "There's no reason to go back and re-prove what we've already done." And he said the satellite operation required modifications to the SM-3 missile that do not translate to an anti-missile mission.
"It doesn't correlate," said Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Will I be able to convince everybody that that's the case? No."
One such skeptic may be China, which raised concerns about the satellite shootdown before and after the fact.
On Thursday the Beijing government asked the U.S. to release data on the shootdown, and the Communist Party's newspaper blasted what it called Washington's callous attitude toward the weaponization of space.
Asked about China's concerns, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters during a visit to U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii that the United States is prepared to share with China some of the information about the shootdown, but he was not specific. He said some was provided beforehand.
Pentagon: Smashed Satellite Debris Poses No Danger
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331642,00.html
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the United States is prepared to share with China some of the information it has about the U.S. shootdown of a spy satellite.
His comments came hours after Beijing complained the missile strike Wednesday could cause harm to security in outer space and some countries.
"We provided a lot of information ... before it took place," Gates told reporters during a visit to Hawaii.
But, the secretary also said that he is determined to be open about the U.S. operation and "we are prepared to share whatever appropriately we can."
Debris from the obliterated satellite was being tracked over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans but appeared to be too small to cause damage on Earth, Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said earlier Thursday.
He told a Pentagon news conference that officials have a "high degree of confidence" that the missile launched from a Navy cruiser hit exactly where intended — destroying the toxic fuel tank that officials said could kill if it fell to a populated area on Earth.
It was an unprecedented mission for the Navy, so extraordinary that the final go-ahead to launch the missile Wednesday was reserved for Gates rather than a military commander.
The elaborate intercept plan had worried some international leaders, who suggested it was a thinly disguised attempt to test an anti-satellite weapon — one that could take out other nations' orbiting communications and spy spacecraft.
Within hours of the reported hit, China said it was on the alert for possible harmful fallout from the shootdown and urged Washington to promptly release data on the action.
"China is continuously following closely the possible harm caused by the U.S. action to outer space security and relevant countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at news conference in Beijing. "China requests the U.S. to fulfill its international obligations in real earnest and provide to the international community necessary information and relevant data in a timely and prompt way so that relevant countries can take precautions."
Cartwright estimated there was an 80 percent to 90 percent chance that the missile struck the most important target on the satellite — its fuel tank, containing 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, which Pentagon officials say could have posed a health hazard to humans if it had landed in a populated area.
Alluding to a video clip of the missile smashing into the satellite, which he showed at the news conference, Cartwright said, "We have a fireball, and given that there's no fuel (on the tip of the missile), that would indicate that that's a hydrazine fire."
The video showed the three-stage SM-3 missile launching from the USS Lake Erie at 10:26 p.m. EST, northwest of Hawaii, and of the missile's small "kill vehicle" — a non-explosive device at the tip — maneuvering into the path of the satellite and colliding spectacularly.
He said the satellite and the kill vehicle collided at a combined speed of 22,000 mph about 130 miles above Earth's surface, and that the collision was confirmed at a space operations center at 10:50 p.m. EST.
Asked about the satisfaction felt among those in the military who had organized the shootdown on short notice by modifying missile software and other components, Cartwright smiled widely.
"Yes, this was uncharted territory. The technical degree of difficulty was significant here," Cartwright said. "You can imagine that at the point of intercept there were a few cheers that went up."
He cautioned, however, that more technical analysis was required to determine for certain what debris was created and where it might go. The satellite was described as the size of a school bus and weighed about 5,000 pounds.
Unlike most spacecraft that fall out of orbit and re-enter the atmosphere, this satellite had an almost full fuel tank because it lost power and became uncontrollable shortly after it reached its initial orbit in December 2006.
Cartwright said the hydrazine alone was justification for undertaking the unprecedented effort to use a Navy missile interceptor to attempt to destroy the satellite in orbit.
Cartwright said experts were still watching the debris fields and he could not yet rule out that hazardous material would fall to Earth.
But he said that as of Thursday morning, debris had only been seen in the atmosphere — and none had been detected surviving re-entry. He indicated that debris appeared unlikely to pose a problem.
"Thus far we've seen nothing larger than a football," he said, referring to debris in the atmosphere spotted by radar and other sensors.
The military concluded that the missile had successfully shattered the satellite because trackers detected a fireball. Cartwright said it was unlikely that the fireball could have been caused by anything other than the hydrazine in the tank.
And Cartwright cited two other sources of information that indicate the fuel tank was hit: the appearance of a vapor cloud and the results of spectral analysis, or the study of light emissions, from devices aboard two aircraft that operate from the Pacific test range associated with the Pentagon's missile defense testing.
Debris from the satellite has started re-entry and will continue through Thursday and into Friday, Cartwright said.
The size of the debris is smaller than the Pentagon had forecast and most of the satellite's intelligence value was likely destroyed, Cartwright said.
Analysts had said one of the reasons for the shootdown was that officials worried that without it, larger chunks of the satellite could fall and be recovered, opening the possibility of secret technology falling into the hands of the Chinese or others.
Gates arrived in Hawaii less than two hours before the missile was launched. His press secretary, Geoff Morrell, said Gates had a conference call during his flight with Cartwright and Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, head of Strategic Command.
They told him that "the conditions were ripe for an attempt, and that is when the secretary gave the go-ahead to take the shot, and wished them good luck," Morrell said.
At 10:35 p.m. EST, Gates spoke to both generals again and "was informed that the mission was a success, that the missile had intercepted the decaying satellite, and the secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that," said Morrell.
Papal trip to China 'unthinkable' - Vatican official
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/papal.trip.to.china.unthinkable.vatican.official/16991.htm
A trip by Pope Benedict to China would be "unthinkable" at the moment because there is not enough religious freedom there, a Vatican official said on Wednesday.
Pope Benedict has made improving ties with Beijing a major goal of his pontificate and last year a senior figure in China's state-controlled church said he hoped the German-born Pope would make a landmark visit there.
But the Vatican official, speaking to reporters on the condition he not be named, said such a trip was impossible given current divisions among China's 8 to 12 million Catholics.
They are split between the Church approved by the ruling Communist party and an "underground" church wary of government intervention.
"If we don't arrive at a decent level of religious freedom, what can the Pope do in Beijing? Meet the president of the country? And then only see the official (state-backed) community?" the official asked.
"So, today, a trip to China is unthinkable, even if it's the desire of Pope Benedict. But today there are not the conditions for this to happen."
At the same time, the official stressed that communications were improving on both sides, and that diplomacy takes time.
Relations have hit low points several times in recent years as the Vatican criticised China for appointing bishops without papal approval. In May 2006, Pope Benedict accused China of "grave violations of religious freedom".
But last June, the Pope issued a letter to China's Catholics that urged reconciliation.
Liu Bainian, vice-chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which often speaks for the state-controlled body, responded the next month by calling the Pope's letter "a big step forward" in an interview with an Italian newspaper.
He said he hoped "with all of my strength" to be able to see Pope Benedict some day celebrating mass in China.
Relations also improved significantly last September when the Vatican approved the installation of a new state-approved Catholic bishop of Beijing.
A New Muslim Nation in Europe?
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/326256.aspx
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, caused international furor when it declared its independence this week.
While the world community works out the international implications of Kosovo's independence, others are worried about a Muslim-majority state in Europe. The creation of a such a state raises fears of a radical Islamic state that would persecute Christians and become a base for terrorism.
Christians Targeted for Almost a Decade
Since 1999, the Orthodox Christian Serb minority has been attacked by the Albanian Muslim population.
In 2004, Muslim mobs, angry at the murder of three ethnic Albanians, attacked Serb enclaves, destroying hundreds of churches and monasteries.
This week, Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu tried to calm the fears of the Serb Christian minority.
"We understand their fear, but there is no reason to fear," he said. "They will be part of the process as they were before."
But the Serbs may be targeted more for their Serb ethnicity than their Christian faith.
Peter Kuzmic is a Slovenian Evangelical and human rights advocate. He says Kosovo's Muslims are moderates, who do not want a religious war.
"This Kosovo situation is not a question of a religious war. It's not a religious question," he explained. "It's a political question, territorial question and religion is being abused by extremists on both sides."
Steven Schwartz of the Center for Islamic Pluralism lived in Kosovo for four years. He says there is religious freedom for all faiths in Kosovo.
"It is a majority Muslim country," Schwartz said. "It is also filled with Christian missionaries who have never been molested. I have walked up and down the streets of the main towns and there are Holiness churches and Evangelical churches. These are all new and nobody says a word about it."
Targeted By Jihadists?
However, some terrorism experts believe Islamic states like Saudi Arabia want to export their strict brand of Wahhabi Islam to Kosovo.
They warn that Kosovo's moderate Muslims, angry at high unemployment, organized crime, and drug smuggling, would welcome a Taliban-type rule.
Prior to this week's declaration, John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Russian television that Kosovo is a potential target for takeover by radical jihadists.
"I think it's very risky if it's granted recognition by the U.S. and other European countries," Bolton told the Russian interviewer. "I don't think it is economically viable. I think its instability risks attracting Islamic extremists from around the world."
But Schwartz says Islamic radicals won't find welcome in Kosovo. Its people are grateful to the U.S. for protecting them.
"The bottom line is the Kosovars now have freedom and they have freedom because of the United States," he explained. "And they're not dumb. They're not going to turn to radical Islam."
Now the Bush administration is counting on this new Muslim nation to be an ally, not an enemy, in the war on terror.
Russia and China have joined Serbia in protesting Kosovo's independence to the United Nations.
They say the declaration violates international law.
U.S. Tells Serbia It Must Protect Embassy From 'Thugs'
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331811,00.html
The United States bluntly warned Serbia against inciting violence after an angry mob protesting the independence of the former Serbian province of Kosovo stormed and set fire to the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on Thursday.
The attack played out live on television screens around the world and the Bush administration reacted with unusual sharpness, denouncing Serb authorities for failing to protect the compound from rioters who torched part of its main office building, causing undetermined damage and possibly the death of one person whose charred body was later found.
"Our embassy was attacked by thugs," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One as President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returned from a trip to Africa. "We have made known to the Serbian government our concern and displeasure that their police force did not prevent this incident."
From the plane, Rice received updates as the assault unfolded and ordered the third-ranking U.S. diplomat, Nicholas Burns, to tell the Serbs that the attack was unacceptable, that their protection of the embassy was sorely lacking and that they must stop anything that might incite violent protests over the U.S. recognition of Kosovo's independence.
"The message was very clear: that the situation was intolerable, that they needed to act immediately to provide adequate security forces to ensure that our embassy compound and our personnel were not under attack," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington. "That is an international obligation that they must meet."
In stern phone calls to Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, Burns "made it very clear that we would hold the Serbian government personally responsible for the safety and well-being of our embassy employees," he said.
Burns also told them that "the security that was provided was completely inadequate to the task" and "that we did not expect a repeat of the situation in the future," McCormack said, adding that the United States would seek U.N. Security Council action to condemn the attack.
The two men assured Burns that similar incidents would not be repeated but shortly afterward a top adviser to Kostunica's adviser, Branislav Ristivojevic, sharply criticized a U.S. demand for Security Council action, saying the United States was the one "violating international law" by recognizing Kosovo's independence over Serb and Russian objections.
"The United States, not Serbia, is brutally violating international order, and that is the issue that the Security Council should take up," he said.
Later Thursday, the Security Council strongly condemned the attacks on the embassies in the Serbian capital, saying host governments like Belgrade must honor their obligation to protect diplomatic premises.
The council unanimously condemned "in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade" and said that it welcomed "the steps taken by the Serbian authorities to restore order and protect diplomatic property and personnel, according to a statement read by the current council president, Panama's U.N. Ambassador Ricardo Arias.
Concerns that Serb politicians are encouraging mob violence, State Department spokesman McCormack said that had to stop.
"They have a responsibility to ensure that there is not, on the part of their ministers and their officials, an incitement to violence," he said. "That has to cease. There cannot be incitement to violence."
"It's very clear that there are differences with respect to the action that we took to recognize Kosovo and the actions that others have taken to recognize Kosovo," McCormack said. "We can talk about that, but none of those disagreements are an excuse or a justification to incite violence."
But he did not draw a direct link between the alleged incitement and the attack on the Belgrade embassy in which masked men smashed their way inside the compound's chancery building, tore down the U.S. flag and tried to throw furniture from an office.
They set fire to the office and flames shot up the side of the building. Police reinforcements and fire fighters did not arrive until about 45 minutes after the blaze broke out.
It was the first direct attack on a U.S. embassy since Sept. 12, 2006, when Syrian security guards stopped an attempt to blow up the compound, although last month the U.S. Embassy in Chad was evacuated after it was hit by indiscriminate fire. The last time a mob broke into one was the Iranians' seizure of the U.S. Embassy on Nov. 4, 1979, taking the American staffers hostage.
Abbas aide says declaring independence a possibility
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/abbas.aide.says.declaring.independence.a.possibility/16954.htm
A top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday the Palestinians should consider declaring an independent state unilaterally if peace talks with Israel continue to falter.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team with the Israelis, told Reuters that if they could not reach a deal with the Jewish state, the Palestinians could consider declaring independence like Kosovo did on Sunday.
"If things are not going in the direction of actually halting settlement activities, if things are not going in the direction of continuous and serious negotiations, then we should take the step and announce our independence unilaterally," he said.
Pakistan Opposition to Form Joint Government
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331610,00.html
Pakistan's two main opposition parties announced Thursday they would form a new government together after their victory over President Pervez Musharraf's allies in elections this week.
The two leaders of the Pakistan People's Party of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League-N led by Nawaz Sharif made the announcement at a joint news conference after meeting in Islamabad.
"We have agreed on a common agenda. We will work together to form a government together in the center and in the provinces," Sharif said.
Bush Calls Pakistani President Musharraf
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Bush_Calls_Pakistani_Pres/2008/02/21/74360.html
WASHINGTON -- President Bush telephoned Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf following his party's loss in parliamentary elections, but the White House said Thursday that it's up to the Pakistani people to decide the embattled leader's political future.
"It's now time for the newly elected folks to show up and form their government," Bush said on Wednesday during a press conference in Ghana that occurred after the phone call. "The question now is, `Will they be friends of the United States?' I hope so."
In his remarks during his five-nation trip of Africa, Bush did not mention that he had talked with Musharraf on the phone following his party's sweeping defeat in the elections.
Talking with reporters aboard Air Force One before it landed in Liberia on Thursday, White House press secretary Dana Perino would not reveal what the two leaders discussed. She said Bush has supported Musharraf all along because he "helped Pakistan on its path to democracy" and has been a good partner in the war against terrorists. Perino said it is "up to the Pakistani people to decide" whether Musharraf retains his position.
Given Musharraf's uncertain political future, Bush is looking to Pakistan's emerging new leaders for help in pressing the fight against terrorism.
Discussing Monday's vote in Pakistan, Bush said on Wednesday that the elections were "part of the victory in the war on terror."
Opposition parties won enough seats to form a new government, but were expected to fall short of the numbers needed to impeach Musharraf as president.
Bush is taking a forward-looking stance while edging toward the view that the fight against terrorism stands a better chance of success if Pakistan's government is not authoritarian, as it has been under Musharraf, and is chosen democratically.
Pakistan is on the front lines. Yet critics question whether an authoritarian leader could succeed. They also complain that Musharraf pursued al-Qaida along the border with Afghanistan while sparing Taliban fighters.
Wendy Chamberlin, U.S. ambassador to Pakistan in 2001-02, elicited from Musharraf a commitment to fight extremists. "He never made a deal to work with us on Taliban. But somehow we have blurred the two," she said.
Chamberlin, now president of the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank, said al-Qaida fighters are often foreigners, Libyans, Saudis and Yemenis. Musharraf, she said in an interview, was willing to agree to take them on, but hesitant to fight people in tribal border areas.
"You have this odd situation where the U.S. has been calling a military dictatorship indispensable for the war on terrorism at the same time he has been dispensing with the rule of law, dispensing with constitutional protection, dispensing with democracy," Chamberlin said.
The Pakistanis "feel we talk this game of democracy, but do not support it," she said.
James Dobbins, the Bush administration's first envoy for Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks, credited Musharraf with fighting al-Qaida and making considerable progress in resolving differences with India.
On the negative side, Dobbins said in an interview, Musharraf "tolerated and on occasion collaborated with indigenous extremist movements like the Taliban and subverted the constitution."
An analyst with the Rand Corp., Dobbins said there were considerable opportunities now if the democratic parties in Pakistan are able to govern. But he also cited "substantial dangers that Pakistan society will continue to fragment."
If that happens, he said, and a stable government does not emerge, "eventually the army might feel compelled to step in yet again." Also, Dobbins said, extremists could gather further strength if there is a period of a weak civilian government.
Bush did not overlook Musharraf's authoritarian ways. He and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for free and fair elections in Pakistan. Bush helped persuade Musharraf to give up his dual role as commander of the country's military.
At the same time, Bush praised Musharraf as a partner in promoting democracy and Washington gave the Muslim nation billions of dollars to help train and equip Pakistani security forces.
It is not clear how much sentiment there is in Pakistan to remain aligned with the United States in trying to counter terrorist groups.
While polls show Pakistanis are "very worried about extremism," Chamberlin said, many are opposed to cooperation with the U.S. "The Pakistani people think there is a better way of dealing with extremism than we are doing," she said. "Bombs and bullets is not the best way to do it."
Jordan Admits Deporting Missionaries
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/326445.aspx
The nation of Jordan has admitted deporting Christian missionaries for what it calls illegal "preaching activities."
The country's foreign minister says the missionaries were in Jordan to do charity work.
Under Jordanian law, only government-approved religions are allowed to be practiced in the Muslim nation. Many Christians now believe the kingdom's long-standing view of religious tolerance may be declining.
The country expelled many long-time residents in the past year. According to the Compass Direct News Service, authorities deported or refused residence permits to at least 27 Christian families and individuals.
"They said that I am a threat to Jordanian security and I am making the society unstable," said Hannu Lahtinen, a Finnish pastor deported last month. "They have a thousand ways to say you are preaching the gospel."
Though not illegal, Christian "public proselytism" of Muslims is against government policy, according to the U.S. State Department's annual report on religious freedom in Jordan.
But a Jordanian spokesperson says that the government only deported foreigners who had broken the law or had been dishonest in their application for residency.
"There have been incidents where individuals have violated the legal terms of their residence in the country or have deeply offended religious and public sensibilities, or both," the official said.
Christians, including Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox, make up 3 percent of Jordan's population but hold almost 10 percent of the seats in parliament.
Evangelicals, who number approximately 5,000, have fewer rights than the historical churches, but are tax exempt and can sponsor residence permits for foreign clergy.
Local church leaders say that they feel threatened by the escalating crackdown on foreigners.
"We are a legal entity, and many of these foreigners have been granted visas as clergy working in legal Jordanian churches," Nazarene pastor Afeef Halasa said. "Suddenly kicking them out without giving a reason communicates that our churches are not legitimate."
Taliban Commanders Killed in Afghanistan
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Taliban_Commanders_Killed/2008/02/21/74359.html
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan and NATO-led troops killed two regional Taliban commanders in southern Afghanistan, and an explosion in the same province claimed the life of a British soldier, officials said Thursday.
"As a result of this successful attack (on the commanders), the Taliban's networks have suffered another severe setback," said Brig. Gen. Carlos Branco, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
The joint NATO-Afghan forces killed commander Mullah Abdul Matin and his associate, Mullah Karim Agha, in the southern province of Helmand on Monday, the alliance said in a statement.
NATO said Matin and Agha were behind several suicide bombings in Helmand, the world's largest opium poppy producing region.
The Taliban did not immediately confirm the deaths.
Elsewhere in Helmand an explosion killed a British soldier and wounded another Wednesday, Britain's Ministry of Defense said in London. It said the wounded soldier was treated for minor injuries.
The blast hit as a British patrol was trying to disrupt Taliban activity, the ministry said in a statement. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, it said.
The death brought to 89 the number of British service members killed in Afghanistan since the troops were deployed there in 2001.
Meanwhile, authorities in neighboring Kandahar province detained seven men suspected of involvement in a suicide bombing that killed more than 100 people Sunday at a dog fighting competition in Kandahar, provincial Gov. Asadullah Khalid said.
The bombing, which targeted a militia leader who opposed the Taliban, was the deadliest insurgent attack since the Taliban's ouster in 2001.
Afghan intelligence agents detained the suspects in two separate operations Wednesday, Khalid said.
Insurgency-related violence in Afghanistan killed more than 6,500 people in 2007 - the deadliest year since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, according to a tally of figures from Afghan and Western officials. Most of the dead were insurgents.
Gates Speaks on U.S. Troops in Iraq
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/326680.aspx
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday he hopes to be able to continue to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq over the next 10 months, even as he and his military commanders lean toward a pause in troop cuts in July.
Gates, who is traveling to Australia for defense and diplomatic meetings, told reporters traveling with him that he thinks a "brief pause" to evaluate the security situation in Iraq "is probably necessary in order to be able to assess the pacing of any subsequent drawdowns."
While Gates still would not say how long a brief interruption in troop cuts might be, his comments signaled that reductions could begin again before the end of the year.
"I think my hope still is that we will be able to further draw down our troops in Iraq over the course of the next 10 to 12 months," he said.
The defense secretary's comments came as he prepared for talks with new Australian government leaders who campaigned on a vow to pull roughly 550 of their combat troops out of Iraq.
Gates offered no criticism of the Australians for their decision. Instead, he said that while the coalition values the role the Australians have played, he realizes that about half of their army is deployed, which puts stress on the military.
"We're concerned about the stress on our own forces, the Australians are confronting that challenge themselves," he said. The U.S. has about 156,000 troops in Iraq.
After a 30,000-troop buildup ordered by President Bush last year to quell violence in Baghdad, the Pentagon - under pressure from Congress and a war-weary public - has begun a plan to pull five combat brigades out of Iraq by July, without replacing them. One brigade left in December and was not replaced.
Australia's new center-left government - headed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd - appears to be looking toward a shift in its focus in Iraq, from combat to a broader role in training Iraqi forces, advising civilian agencies and providing more financial aid to the country.
Rudd, whose party gained control last November after 11 years as the opposition, campaigned on a pledge to withdraw the combat troops from Iraq by mid-2008.
Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte were flying to Canberra on Friday, and are scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon. And they are scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by Rudd.
This is the 19th bilateral defense and diplomatic meeting between officials from the United States and Australia.
Gates said a variety of issues will be covered, including the war in Afghanistan, where Australia has about 1,000 troops, with many working as trainers or in noncombat roles.
The two countries have largely been on the same page on Afghanistan, where the U.S. carries a large share of the combat burden. Australian leaders have echoed Gates repeated calls for other NATO nations to meet their commitments and provide needed troops there.
Asked whether he's concerned that Rudd and the new government may look to reduce troops there, Gates said no.
"I've had two meetings with their defense minister at this point, and I don't have any sense of a change in direction in Afghanistan," he said.
U.S. defense officials also said they expect Australia - which is not a member of NATO - to press for a greater role in the decision-making regarding the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.
The U.S. has 29,000 troops in Afghanistan, including 16,000 serving with the NATO-led coalition, and another 13,000 training the Afghan forces and hunting al-Qaida terrorists.
Gates is also expected to give the Australians an idea where the U.S. is heading in Iraq, and his assessment of progress there.
U.S Gates to travel to India as arms deals blossom
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/us.gates.to.travel.to.india.as.arms.deals.blossom/16984.htm
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates travels to India next week to strengthen diplomatic ties strained by an impasse over a landmark nuclear deal and push American bids for a lucrative $10 billion (5.1 billion pounds) fighter contract.
After decades of a pro-Soviet tilt, India has moved closer to Washington in recent years, with new arms sales and joint military exercises. Millions of Indians also are turning to the United States for education, jobs and consumer goods.
Gates' visit comes as U.S. companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. are competing with Russian and European rivals for one of India's biggest ever arms contracts, a potential $10 billion deal to sell India 126 fighter aircraft.
Burgeoning arms deals may also help pacify Washington, frustrated at India's apparent climb-down over a nuclear deal with the United States that President George W. Bush had called "historic".
India's government put that deal, also known as the "123 agreement", on ice after opposition from its communist allies.
"Defence ties between India and the United States have begun to blossom," said C. Raja Mohan, a Singapore-based Indian strategic affairs expert.
It is no coincidence, defence experts say, that Gates' visit, which India says is due on Tuesday, comes just before a March 3 deadline for bids on the contract for 126 fighters.
"The clinching factor on this deal may be politics, which is why Gates is coming," said Indian security expert Ashok Mehta. "If you don't get the 123 deal, then a 126 deal would signify a real turn in relations with the United States."
REAPING THE BENEFITS
Closer ties have already reaped some benefits for U.S. business, including India's decision this year to buy six C-130J military transport planes from Lockheed worth about $1 billion.
Defence experts said it was one of India's biggest arms deals with the United States since the country's independence from Britain in 1947 and heralded New Delhi's shift towards being less dependent on Russia for military supplies.
"Defence ties form a significant part of the overall spectrum of the relationship with India. The relationship is broader than the civilian nuclear arrangement," said a senior U.S. defence official travelling with Gates.
Lockheed Martin's President South Asia, Richard Kirkland, told Reuters this week in Singapore that India could be the largest defence market in Asia with $20 billion in possible air force, navy and communications contracts over the next decade.
Russia still accounts for about 80 percent of India's foreign military supplies, according to Mehta.
"India no longer wants its military eggs all in one basket," Mehta said.
New Delhi and Washington's closeness hinges on a desire not only for more business but also to counterbalance China's rise.
Last year, for example, India's navy carried out one of its largest military exercises with the United States in the Bay of Bengal, along with Japan, Australia and Singapore.
An Indian government official would not say what the two sides would discuss next week, but said that Gates would meet India's Defence Minister, A.K. Antony.
"There will be a joint press conference," Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman at the Ministry of Defence, told Reuters.
Analysts said Gates could probably do little to push India to agree to the nuclear deal. Under the accord, India could import U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors despite having tested nuclear weapons but not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
It could reap huge rewards for U.S. businesses.
But the leftists that India's governing coalition relies on for parliamentary support opposed it, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signalled last year he would not risk a snap election to push the deal through.
U.S. officials warned this month that time was running out to push the deal through under the Bush administration, and said India might never get the chance for such a deal again.
"There is nothing the Americans can do about it," said Mohan. "It's up to India to make a political decision to go ahead."
New US Info on Iran Nuclear Program
http://www.newsmax.com/international/nuclear_iran/2008/02/21/74553.html
VIENNA, Austria -- For the second time in recent weeks, Washington has given the U.N. nuclear watchdog information on what it says were Tehran's attempts to make atomic weapons, but much of it is of doubtful value, diplomats said Thursday.
The diplomats also told The Associated Press that, after handing over a large file last week to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.S. agreed to let the Iranians look at some of the material so they could respond, but Tehran has shown no interest.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei is due to issue a report Friday outlining the state of his investigation into Iran's nuclear past, including experiments, materials and documents that could be linked to a weapons program.
The investigation has dragged on for months past its original closing date, and the diplomats _ who spoke on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential _ said Tehran was hoping it would clear the Islamic Republic of any suggestion that it harbored plans to make nuclear arms.
But ElBaradei will not declare Iran free of such suspicions, said the diplomats, who are connected to the Vienna-based agency.
Instead, the confidential report, to be released only to the 35-nation IAEA board and the U.N. Security Council, will at least indirectly conclude that doubt remains over Iran's ultimate nuclear goals, they said.
Among other things, the report will touch on Iran's continued refusal to clear up suspicions that its military was involved in nuclear research despite its claims that all atomic work was under civilian control, one of the diplomats said.
The diplomat said Iran had refused agency requests to interview an official connected with Iran's military nuclear program he identified only by his last name, Faridzadeh.
The report also would confirm that Tehran has expanded uranium enrichment by experimenting with a new generation of equipment, instead of heeding U.N. Security Council demands that it freeze the program, which can be used both for making reactor fuel and the fissile payload of nuclear warheads, the diplomats said.
A senior U.S. official, who also demanded anonymity, said the report might document some progress on clearing up Iran's nuclear past _ giving additional leverage to Russia and China, who are opposed to harsh action against Tehran. Still, he said any finding that Iran continued enrichment would doom it to a "third (U.N.) sanctions resolution shortly," he told the AP.
The U.S. is leading the push for new U.N. sanctions, but a recent U.S. intelligence assessment that Iran had stopped working on a clandestine weapons program four years ago has hurt Washington's attempts to have the U.N. Security Council impose additional penalties.
The newest U.S. nuclear information, including some intelligence declassified for sharing with the agency, was handed over to IAEA Deputy Director Oli Heinonen last Friday, just a few weeks after a first batch of material was forwarded by the Americans, the diplomats said.
But much of the information shed little new light on what the Americans say were Iranian attempts to develop nuclear weapons. "It's not the amount but the quality that counts," said one of the diplomats who was dismissive of the new U.S. file.
Another diplomat said senior agency officials also dismissed the information as relatively insignificant and coming too late.
For its part, Iran did not respond to an invitation from Heinonen to look at information the Americans had approved for sharing with Tehran, despite earlier pledges to do so.
An IAEA board meeting on March 3 will evaluate ElBaradei's efforts to investigate Tehran's nuclear past _ including alleged attempts to make weapons.
Iran has steadfastly refused to suspend uranium enrichment, which it started developing during nearly two decades of covert nuclear activity built on illicit purchases and revealed only five years ago.
IAEA experts have since uncovered activities, experiments, blueprints and materials that point to possible efforts to create nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear project is for the peaceful purpose of generating electricity.
UN introduces Iran nuclear sanctions
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_iran_sanctions;_ylt=Ahvfso80gomEnlsy.AnDys2s0NUE
Britain and France formally introduced a Security Council resolution Thursday calling for a third round of sanctions against Iran over its failure to suspend uranium enrichment.
The United States pushed hardest for the sanctions, but China and Russia, as the remaining permanent members of the 15-nation council — along with Germany have been in general agreement on them.
The six nations circulated a draft earlier calling for bans on travel and equipment that can be used in civilian and nuclear programs, more monitoring of Iran's financial institutions and inspection of air and sea cargo heading to or from Iran.
Iran says it will only deal with the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, which found last November that Tehran was generally truthful about aspects of its nuclear history. But the new resolution, elaborating on the earlier draft, encourages European Union to continue working with Iran on finding "a negotiated solution ... with a view to create necessary conditions for resuming talks" on its nuclear program.
The latest revision also makes some minor changes. "The text that we've circulated today reflects some of the comments we've had back from delegations," said John Sawers, Britain's U.N. ambassador. "This is as part of our twin-track approach of requiring Iran to suspend their most sensitive nuclear activities, and to abide by the requests of the IAEA for full transparency."
South Africa, Libya and Indonesia have each expressed reservations with the initial text, saying they preferred to wait for a report from the U.N. nuclear agency, IAEA, on the situation in Iran that is expected to be issued this week.
The six global powers offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June 2006 if it agreed to freeze uranium enrichment before talks on its nuclear program. But Iran has refused, despite two previous sets of U.N. sanctions.
Iran insists its enrichment activities are intended only to produce fuel for nuclear reactors, but the U.S., the European Union and others suspect its real aim is to produce atomic weapons.
Under the proposed new sanctions, all countries would have to ban the entry or transit of individuals involved in Iran's nuclear program — a step up from a previous call for vigilance over their travel.
For the first time, trade in equipment and technology that can be used in both civilian and nuclear programs would also be banned.
The proposed resolution also calls on countries to inspect cargo heading to or from Iran on aircraft or vessels owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line "provided there are reasonable grounds to believe" that prohibited goods are being transported.
The draft resolution calls for a report from IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei in 90 days on Iran's compliance with the council's demands and says the council will suspend sanctions for as long as Tehran suspends enrichment and reprocessing activities. But the draft also says it will consider added measures if Tehran fails to comply.
Christians Under Increased Pressure in Algeria
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06897.shtml
Christian leaders in Algeria have asked for international support following several recent incidents that threaten the human rights, and especially the religious rights, of Christians in the country, according to a February 7 report from Middle East Concern. Believers are under pressure in the following three ways:
First, there is a sustained an d intense media campaign against the church. Throughout January, major Algerian newspapers carried articles expressing concern about the growth of Christianity in the country. The amount of detail in some articles suggests that informants have been attending some fellowships.
Second, seven Christian fellowships are known to have been closed by the authorities. Several church leaders were told to bring an official license issued by a government committee that was established by legal decree in 2007 but has not yet been formed or held its first meeting. The affected fellowships are in Ait Amar, Ait Djemaa, Bachloul, Boughni, Ouargla, Tiaret and Tizi Ouzou.
Third, several believers have been formally charged. There were several trials in 2007 but no Christian was convicted. On February 5, 2008 three Christian believers, Youssef Ourahmane, Hamid Ramadani and Rashid Essaghir, accused of insulting Islam, were told that they will be sentenced to three years in prison and fined 5,000 Euros. The official written sentence was set to be given on February 12. Another believer, Djallal Dahmani, has been told to report for a further hearing on March 5, despite the fact that witnesses who testified against him admitted that they did not know him. He has been told that he will be imprisoned for one year and fined heavily. In a third case, Brahim Ouidir has been told his trial will be held on April 2. This date has been changed several times.
Algerian Christians request our prayers that the media attention will have a positive impact on the church, drawing more people to respond to the love and truth of Jesus. Also, that the closed fellowships will be allowed to reopen and that all members will find worship and fellowship with others. Pray for those who were due to be sentenced on February 12. Pray that the brothers on trial on March 5 and April 2 will be acquitted. Pray that officials involved will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and respond to His love.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Algeria, go to www.persecution.net/country/algeria.htm.
Day of reckoning for Cuba's suppressed Catholics
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/day.of.reckoning.for.cubas.suppressed.catholics/16988.htm
Catholics in Cuba hoping for greater religious freedom are holding their breath as news of Fidel Castro’s retirement coincides with another long-awaited event in the life of the Church.
Castro’s announcement to step down as president and commander-in-chief came barely a day ahead of an official seven-day visit to Cuba by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, which began on Wednesday.
Cardinal Bertone is marking the 10th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s landmark tour of Cuba, in which he criticised Castro’s human rights record and rallied the people, calling on them to be “protagonists of their own destiny”.
The cardinal’s seven-day tour, which takes in the capital La Havana, and the cities of Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo, is bound to rekindle the optimism of the Pope’s visit, which prompted a vocations’ increase and new evangelisation initiatives.
But while there have been some signs of change for the better, the years after 1998 have failed to bring about the long-awaited break-through in Church-state relations.
For the most part, the regime has refused to hand back Catholic buildings seized at the height of the early 1960s’ clampdown on the Church and restrictions remain largely in place concerning state surveillance of Church activities, access to the media, which is mostly denied, and the frequent expulsion of foreign missionaries.
Now, with Castro’s retirement imminent and the Pope’s most senior representative due to arrive in the country this evening, Church leaders are beginning to hope that a change of government will mean greater religious freedom for the faithful.
Cuban expert Xavier Legorreta, from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, said: “The news about Castro has totally shocked the people. The Church is watching and waiting to see what develops.”
Mr Legorreta, ACN’s Cuba projects’ chief, said that after the news, he had been in close contact with a number of the island’s Catholic leaders.
He added: “It is difficult to know how things will work out but which ever way you look at it people will look back on this time as a big day of change – for Cuba in general and for the Church too.”
Mr Legorreta stressed the Church’s growth since 1998, saying that until now Catholic leaders only received permission to repair existing Church buildings but that, during his visit, Cardinal Bertone would open the first completely new building – a bishop’s house for the new Diocese of Guantanamo.
The cardinal will also bless a monument erected close to where Pope John Paul II celebrated his first Mass in Cuba in Santa Clara. ACN has given key funding to this project.
Church leaders are expecting a high turn-out at the celebrations. Mr Legorreta said: “The Bishop of Santa Clara, Mgr Arturo Gonzalez, has already told me that many people are beginning to gather for the Mass Cardinal Bertone will celebrate in the city. At this rate, it will be almost as crowded as during John Paul II’s visit.”
He said Church leaders want to step up evangelisation work. Although people are nominally Catholic, only three per cent are practising. Just 350 priests serve a total population of 11 million, he added.
“It is important not to pre-judge the situation,” Mr Legorreta added. “This is a very poor country where for many people what they so desperately need is food and clothes.
“The people also have very grave pastoral needs and now is the time to help spread the Gospel.”
Most years, ACN gives nearly £700,000 to help the Church in Cuba, concentrating on help for transport for clergy and lay people working in very poor areas, seminarians and novices, church building work and support for poor priests (Mass stipends).
Philippine bishops expect slow road to end of corruption
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/philippine.bishops.expect.slow.road.to.end.of.corruption/16992.htm
The influential Catholic leadership in the Philippines expects a slow burn anti-corruption drive against the government rather than a sudden toppling of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo due to a kickbacks scandal.
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, the head of an influential group of Catholic bishops, said on Wednesday apathy and cynicism about the last "people power" revolt which first brought Arroyo to power in 2001 meant that many Filipinos were in no rush to take to the streets despite a new corruption scandal.
"The Filipino people, we together through communal action, must discover a new brand of people power," Archbishop Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in an interview with Reuters.
A Senate inquiry into alleged government kickbacks in a telecoms deal encouraged 10,000 people to rally for Arroyo's resignation last week but although priests and nuns took part, the CBCP has stayed silent on whether she should go and shows little sign of spearheading rallies against her.
"When it comes to reflecting on this second people power there is a feeling of sadness, of disappointment," said Archbishop Lagdameo. "We do not want a repeat of that kind of history."
Under the late Cardinal Sin, the Philippine Catholic Church was instrumental in the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and former president Joseph Estrada in 2001 by encouraging followers, who make up around 85 per cent of the population, to take part in protests.
Estrada was convicted for plunder but corruption allegations have continued to dog Arroyo, his former vice-president who later pardoned him, leaving many Filipinos cynical about what a "people power 3" would achieve.
"TRUTH CENTRES"
Unlike Cardinal Sin, who died in 2005 and reportedly defied the Vatican when he led the movement against Estrada, Archbishop Lagdameo is more low-key and heads an organisation whose 130 members include bishops sympathetic to Arroyo.
The 67-year-old recently called for "communal action" but said civil society groups should take the lead in a "sustained national campaign against graft and corruption".
"We are not actually turning our back to it ('people power'), we have to go where our people are going," said the Archbishop, who wears hair gel and spectacles. "If that is there ... (people power) ... who are we to stop it?"
Even if the CBCP was to call immediate rallies, Archbishop Lagdameo doubts they would get the hundreds of thousands that poured onto the streets in 2001 and 1986 due to cynicism and an apolitical younger generation.
"Our youth seem to be very satisfied about what is going on in their lives," he said smiling.
Priests and nuns have offered refuge to a key witness in the Senate kickbacks inquiry and have also organised prayer protests.
Meanwhile, the head of the military said on Wednesday the army would not intervene in the crisis.
"We have a mission to do and we will focus on that, rather than intervene," General Hermogenes Esperon told reporters after touring a navy base in the Manila. "If you are talking about ... (a revolt) ... our belief is that we are not heading to that."
Arroyo's final term ends in 2010.
Christian campaigners launch new viral against embryology Bill
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.campaigners.launch.new.viral.against.embryology.bill/16990.htm
The Lawyers Christian Fellowship (LCF) and Christian Action Research Education (CARE) joined forces with the All Party Pro-Life Group on Wednesday to launch a new viral campaign video into cyberspace.
The Block of Wood Viral asks profound questions about the value of human life in order to stimulate greater public engagement with the highly controversial Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which - among other things - legalises the creation of animal-human hybrid embryos and saviour siblings and could facilitate changes to UK abortion law.
The Block of Wood has been expertly created by team of artists Quirky Motion and Story Wise, and is designed to be sent from friend to friend and family to family by email. It has been posted on YouTube and social networking sites such as FaceBook and MySpace.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, Director of Public Policy for the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship commented, "We want to use virals to make people think about the value of human life and how we treat one another.
"The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is controversial. It will pretty much allow Scientists to do anything they want with the embryo for up to 14 days including creating animal- human hybrids.
"The Bill devalues human life and will lead to the deconstruction of a civilised society. We are increasingly isolated in the scientific world and are sleep-walking into a Brave New Britain."
Nola Leach, head of CARE, concluded: “I am delighted that we are today launching The Block of Wood viral which asks the viewer to consider the value of human life and to reflect on their response in light of the far reaching implications of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill?
"We want people to remember that the life of a human being, made in the image of God, is incredibly precious and that this reality must inform what legislation should and what it should not permit.”
The Block of Wood can be viewed at: www.passionforlife.org.uk/videos
Or on YouTube at: uk.youtube.com
Rev. Graham: Time to Put Pen to Paper
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/326383.aspx
Now that he's home from the hospital, Reverend Billy Graham says he plans to write a book.
The book will be centered on the challenges and the joys of growing old.
A Graham spokesman says the evangelist's faith remains strong and he is optimistic about the future.
The 89-year-old Graham was released from the hospital yesterday. Doctors had replaced a valve that drains excess fluid from his brain.
Before being discharged, it is reported Graham was taking short walks, keeping up with the news, enjoying notes from Christians around the world and visiting with his family.
The Day Billy Graham Did the Unthinkable
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/326348.aspx
Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. used to say that the most segregated hour in the country was on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.
However, that all began to slowly change in 1952 when the Reverend Billy Graham made a decision to stop holding segregated crusades.
He faced an insurmountable amount of criticism for this decision, but with the guidance of King and other leaders such as Reverend Howard Jones - the first black evangelist - Graham changed the face of religion in America as we know it.
A Trip Back in Time
The year was 1953. America's borders were filled with racial tension and uncertainty.
Graham was sailing uncharted territory when he did the unthinkable. He held a crusade in Chattanooga, Tennessee where hundreds of thousands of men, women and children of all races sat together and worshiped the Lord.
"When God looks at you, He doesn't look on the outward appearance; the Bible says He looks upon the heart," Graham said. And he took his fight to end segregation to the streets.
Graham had been preaching at Madison Square Garden to thousands nightly, but very few blacks came. So, at the suggestion of a colleague, he asked Jones for help. Jones recommended that Graham take his message to the streets of New York, and that's exactly what he did.
Jones said, "I decided I was never going to speak to anymore segregated audiences and he said, 'I want it to be that way. He said, 'What do you mean?' I said 'Go to Harlem.'"
Graham preached at Salem Methodist Church to thousands. The next week, he went to Brooklyn. And slowly, but surely, the crusades in New York became increasingly integrated.
Prominent singer Ethel Waters attended the event and re-dedicated her life to Christ.
Enter… Martin Luther King
Graham even invited his good friend King, to one of the events.
"We thank Thee this evening for the marvelous things that have been done in the city through the dynamic preaching of this evangelist. We ask Thee, oh God, to continue blessing him and give him power and authorities. divine influence," King prayed.
Graham faced a flurry of criticism from both blacks and whites, but that did not deter him.
"Some whites wanted to know why you would fool around with these people. And some said if you're going to integrate your team we will not support you. We will not give you money, so they used all kinds of pressures on him, but he said 'I don't care. I'm going to stick by my guns,'" Jones said.
On the black side, Graham found himself facing criticism that he wasn't doing enough so support the black community and that he "didn't speak enough about civil rights," BGEA associate evangelist Dr. Ralph Bell said.
Graham went to King for advice.
Graham recounted his conversation with King: "Martin Luther King suggested to me that I stay in the South and hold integrated meetings and that he was going to take to the streets and that he would probably get killed in the streets. 'But I don't think you ought to because you are going to be able to do some things that I can't and I'm going to be able to do some things you can't, but we're after the same objective.'"
And so he did, holding crusades from Arkansas to Alabama.
"So here we were with neighborhood after neighborhood after neighborhood in my state on the verge of violence, and yet tens of thousands of black and white Christians were there together in a football stadium," recalled former President Bill Clinton.
"And when he issued the call at the end of this message, thousands came down holding hands, arm in arm crying," Clinton said. "It was the beginning of the end of the old South in my home state. I will never forget it."
He even went to South Africa preaching before an integrated audience in 1973.
Graham also worked closely with Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon - urging them to ensure equality for all.
"Then there's the race problem, and it seems to me should be put in its proper perspective" Graham said. "It is a world problem… there is greater improvement being made in America than perhaps any great nation in the history of the world because we are at least attempting to solve the problem through understanding, through dialogue, through legislation.
Graham's Bequest
In the end, Graham's legacy is one that is filled with a message of love, togetherness, and unity.
Jones said, "I think Billy has proven the fact that in Christ there's no east or west and no north or south. We just love Him."
Graham said, "The human heart is the same the world over. Only Christ can meet the deepest needs of our world and our hearts. Christ alone can bring lasting peace -- peace with God, peace among men and nations."
Juan Luis Guerra Promotes the American Bible Society's National Bible Reading Campaign
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06896.shtml
NEW YORK -- Internationally recognized singer/songwriter/producer Juan Luis Guerra will be an official spokesperson for the national bible reading campaign sponsored by the American Bible Society.
Guerra will promote the message, La música es mi passion, la Biblia, la llave de mi corazân...¡Leela! (Music is my passion, the Bible, the key to my heart ...Read it!). The campaign will extend throughout the United States in order to motivate the Latino community to engage with the Word of God on a daily basis. Additionally, Guerra will be the face of an outdoor advertising campaign that runs from March 3 to April 1, 2008 on various billboards in the greater Miami area as well as in 1000 advertisements in the New York City subway system.
"It is truly an honor to work with Mr. Guerra to promote the importance of the Bible in the Latino community. Through our efforts, people of all ages and backgrounds will understand that the Bible is powerfully relevant today, and there is no better advocate for this message that Mr. Guerra himself," said Rev. Emilio A. Reyes, vice president, Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the American Bible Society.
"For me, the Bible is a grand letter of love that God has sent to us," adds Guerra.
In 2006, Juan Luis Guerra became the first artist to win two Billboard Awards in the Gospel-Pop and Tropical-Merengue categories, for his hit single Las Avispas, from his album Para Ti. Las Avispas made history, becoming the first time the same song won in these two categories at the same time.
In January 2007, People En Español named Guerra one of "The 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S." During a career that has spanned over 20 years, Guerra has performed with notable artists such as Maná and the Rolling Stones.
Most recently, Guerra was honored as person of the year during the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards, also earning six awards for his album La Llave de Mi Corazon (The Key to My Heart). Guerra won in every category in which he was nominated including Best Tropical Song, Best Merengue Album, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Engineered Album.
The American Bible Society's national Bible reading campaign is focused on reaching Latinos in the United States by working with prominent Latino figures to encourage Bible reading and meaningful engagement with the Scriptures. In addition to Juan Luis Guerra, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees, are also official spokespersons. Rivera kicked-off the initial subway advertising campaign in New York City that concluded in April 2007.
About the American Bible Society
Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message. The American Bible Society Web sites are www.Bibles.com and www.AmericanBibleEspanol.org.
Pickens: U.S. Faces Disaster over Oil Wealth Exodus
http://moneynews.newsmax.com/money/archives/articles/2008/2/21/105505.cfm
One of America's most influential businessmen, legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens, says the nation's wealth is being plundered by oil exporters and the U.S. faces a potential financial disaster if our energy policy is not reformed.
Pickens, who correctly predicted that oil would top $100 a barrel, also says he expects oil prices to drop sharply in the near term.
Appearing on CNBC's "Squawk Box" Thursday morning, Pickens pointed out that the U.S. is currently sending half a trillion dollars out of the country each year to buy oil, in some cases from people who "are our enemies."
Said Pickens, "You take 10 years and you've got $5 trillion ... That's more than $1 billion a day.
"We can't stand that. Wealth is moving out of the country...
"Not one presidential candidate has addressed this … The candidates have to get up to speed on what energy cost is doing to our country." Pickens even turned on his own industry, oil, and called for an increase in alternative energy sources.
"If we do not get on the alternative energy bandwagon and if we don't have a global recession, we could be sitting on $150 oil in two years," he told CNBC.
Pickens touched on a number of other points:
Although he was originally against ethanol, Pickens now favors an increase in ethanol production, saying, "I'd rather have ethanol, and recirculate the money in the country, than to have it go out the back door on us."
"I think oil is going to back off," he said. "The weakest quarter is the second quarter. We'll drop $10 or $15 a barrel in the second quarter. I think we'll be back above $100 in the second half of the year."
Natural gas prices are too high and they can be expected to drop, according to Pickens, who is shorting both oil and gas. Natural gas will become a "serious transportation fuel," Pickens predicted, adding: "We've got to get coal cleaned up and we've got to get natural gas into the transportation mix."
The U.S. should increase its use of solar and wind to meet the expected rise in electricity demand, locating those alternative energy sources in the Great Plains and "middle of the country," Pickens urged.
Barack Obama says the U.S. "should do bio diesel," said Pickens, "but that won't solve any problems."
He also said about Obama: "He talks about change. I haven't seen yet what he's going to change."
A windfall profit tax on U.S. oil companies would be "ridiculous," Pickens charged, saying: "You've got to keep the money in the industry."
Pickens originally backed Rudy Giuliani for president. Asked what happened to his campaign, Pickens said: "My guy rode up in front of the grandstand and fell off his horse. I've never seen anything come and go as fast as Rudy's campaign.
Pickens told CNBC he now backs John McCain for president. Asked if the Republicans can win the White House this year, he said simply: "Sure."
Fed Forecasts Inflation, Unemployment
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Fed_Forecasts_Inflation,_/2008/02/20/74172.html
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing damage from the double blows of a housing slump and credit crunch. It said it also expects higher unemployment and inflation.
The updated forecasts come amid worry by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues that the economy could continue to weaken, even after their aggressive interest rate cuts in January, according to minutes of those private deliberations released Wednesday.
"With no signs of stabilization in the housing sector and with financial conditions not yet stabilized, the committee agreed that downside risks to growth would remain even after this action," minutes of the Fed's Jan. 29-30 closed door meeting showed.
The Fed at that session voted to cut a key interest rate by one-half percentage point to 3 percent at that meeting. Just eight day earlier, the Fed, in an emergency session, slashed its rate by a rare three-quarters percentage point. The two rate cuts together marked the most dramatic rate reductions in a single month by the Fed in a quarter century.
Under its new economic forecast, the Fed said that it now believes the gross domestic product will grow between 1.3 percent and 2 percent this year. That's lower than a previous Fed forecast for growth, which at that time was estimated to be between 1.8 percent and 2.5 percent.
GDP is the value of all goods and services produced within the United States and is the best barometer of the country's economic fitness.
With economic growth slowing, the Fed projected that the national jobless rate will rise to between 5.2 percent to 5.3 percent this year. That is higher than the central bank's old forecast for the rate to climb to as high as 4.9 percent. Last year, the unemployment rate averaged 4.6 percent.
And, with energy prices marching upward, the Fed also raised its projection for inflation. The Fed now expects inflation to be between 2.1 percent and 2.4 percent this year. That's higher than its old forecast for inflation, which was estimated to come in at around 1.8 percent to 2.1 percent.
The Fed said its revised forecasts reflected a number of factors including "a further intensification of the housing market correction, tighter credit conditions .... ongoing turmoil in financial markets and higher oil prices."
The combination of slower economic growth and increasing inflation could complicate the Fed's work. The central bank is trying to keep the economy growing, while ensuring that inflation stays under control. The Fed's remedy for a weakening economy is interest rate cuts. To combat inflation, the Fed usually boosts rates.
Oil prices on Tuesday jumped to a new record - topping $100 a barrel. Consumer prices, meanwhile, rose by a bigger-than-expected 0.4 percent in January, according to new government figures released Wednesday.
Fed policymakers were mindful that they needed to keep a close eye on inflation, minutes of the Jan. 29-30 meeting said.
And, some policymakers noted that when prospects for economic growth improved, "a reversal of a portion of the recent easing actions, possibly even a rapid reversal, might be appropriate," according to the documents.
Still, all but one of the Fed's members agreed to lower rates by a half-point at that time.
Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas was the sole dissenter. He preferred no change. The minutes showed that Fisher felt that the level of interest rates was already "quite stimulative, while headline inflation was too high."
The minutes also revealed that the Fed conducted a conference call on Jan. 9, where policymakers reviewed economic data and financial market developments, which were worsening. It did not lower interest rates at that time, although most policymakers were of the view that "substantial additional policy easing in the near term might well be necessary" to help brace the wobbly economy.
As the financial situation continued to deteriorate, worldwide stocks markets plunged and recession fears intensified, Bernanke convened an emergency conference call on Jan. 21. Fed policymakers believed "the outlook for economic activity was weakening," details of that conference call showed. The Fed decided to slash rates by a dramatic three-quarters of a percentage point and make the announcement on the following morning, Jan. 22.
Demonstrating the Fed's "commitment to act decisively" to support the economy might reduce concerns about the weakening economy that seemed to be contributing to the worsening state of financial markets, according to the minutes. However, there was some concern expressed that such a bold move "could be misinterpreted as directed at recent declines in stock prices, rather than the broader economic outlook," the documents showed.
William Poole, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, was the lone dissenter on the Fed rate cut announced on Jan. 22. He did not believe conditions justified a rate cut before the Fed's regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 29-30, the minutes said.
Helmet Reads Brain Waves to Control Video Games
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331672,00.html
Hands cramping up from too many video games?
How about controlling games with your thoughts instead? Later this year, Emotiv Systems Inc. plans to start selling the $299 EPOC neuroheadset to let you do just that.
The headset's sensors are designed to detect conscious thoughts and expressions as well as "non-conscious emotions" by reading electrical signals around the brain, says the company, which demonstrated the wireless gadget at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
The company, which unveiled a prototype last year, says the headset can detect emotions such as anger, excitement and tension, as well as facial expressions and cognitive actions like pushing and pulling objects.
The headset will be sold with a game developed by Emotiv, but it can also be made to work with existing PC games, the company said.
Users will also be able to access an online portal to play more games, chat or upload their own content such as music or photos.
Emotiv plans to work with IBM Corp. to explore applications beyond video gaming. The "brain computer interface" technology could transform not only gaming, but how humans and computers interact, said Paul Ledak, vice president of IBM's Digital Convergence business.
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