Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts
Lack of forensic science logistics in the Maguindanao massacre probe
It is like what happened to the sinking of the passenger ship Princess of the Sea at the height of a typhoon which drowned 800 or more people on June 22, 2008. The Maguindanao political massacre is posing the same problem for the investigators. The basic lack of facilities to store 57 dead bodies has hampered the probe.
The government has not done anything new to prepare for instances of mass deaths. With the global outrage over the barbaric bloodbath, the Philippines is under pressure by the human rights groups and the United Nations (UN) to come out with a clean and fair pursuit of justice.
Dr. Ben Molino who works in the group CenterLaw Philippines said he feels sad for government doctors who have to face the lack of logistics to deal with the investigation of a massacre with so many fatalities. The working conditions of the probers are bad, endangeriing and probably compromising the integrity of the investigation results. Such helplessness and embarassment have obviously been ignored by the Philippine authorities.
The investigators quickly dug the bodies by a land-fill excavator and by hands without employing caution to preserve as much evidence. Gloves were hard to find. They employ the crude lime to retard the decomposition of the bodies, many wrapped in banana leaves in the absence of freezers.
“Dr. Molino lamented that there were no refrigerators to store the bodies, nor even just air-conditioning. In a CenterLaw Philippines report, he said: “They could have at least used lime to slow down the process of composition but I did not see any indication that they did that."”—GMAnews.Tv (November 21,/2009)
Obviously, the morale of the medico-legal investigators is low. It is reported that their autopsies have been “completed,” but the doctors refuse to be interviewed. Their initial findings point to gunshot wounds as the cause of the victim's death. But it is unsure whether they have identified the brutalized bodies for proper disposition.
I have occasions of working with Dr. Ben Molino in the 1980's in similar difficult probe situations. I feel there is nothing much which changed to improve the state of forensic science in the Philippines. It is an area that the government must urgently look into to bring justice and avoid embarrassing the country in the world.(Photo Credits: Erik de Castro/ Reuters x 2) =0=
RELATED BLOG: "The Ferry Tragedy: Lack Of Body Bags And The Dearth Of Forensic Expertise" Posted by mesiamd at 6/27/2008; Maguindanao Massacre: death toll climbs with 22 mediamen dead Posted by mesiamd at 11/25/2009; Maguindanao bloodbath blamed on Ampatuans Posted by mesiamd at 11/24/2009
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Iran conducts military exercises
The Iranian military will conduct war exercises in the coming days aimed to strengthen the country’s defenses. For five days, practice and war games will be done across its territory to boost Iran’s readiness against real attack.
According to Brigadier-General Ahmed Mighani, a commander of an Iraninan air defense base described the military maneuver to use new weapons and test communication capabilities in an area of 600,000 square kilometers.
In response to Iran’s rejection of the United Nation’s draft deal crafted to bring 80% of Urab's lightly enriched uranium abroad, leaders of United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, and France were mulling on more sanctions. The draft deal was supposed to halt Teheran's program of nuclear armaments. The U.N. atomic energy agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei, asked the cleric-dominated Islamic country to accept the draft deal which he referred to as a “fleeting opportunity.”
Brandishing its military might while engaging in forked diplomacy, Iran still insists that its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes--- meant mainly to produce electricity. Western nations are convinced this is not true.
Iran continues its nuclear buildup and hateful war provocations against Israel. The dictatorial Muslim nation warns that it is prepared to attack Israel and the US in defense. As the solution of the nuclear question stalls, the Iranians are coming close to producing its radioactive bomb, making the world more unstable and dangerous. (Photo Credit: Erick Lafforgue) =0=
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Donations sought for this year’s 1 billion hungry people worldwide
The World Food Program (WFP) disclosed that for this year, an unprecedented number of hungry people will reach 1 billion. This translates to about 1 in 6 individuals getting hungry everyday. The United Nations (UN) organization asked people from rich countries to help in its online campaign for the poor by donating $1 dollar a week (www.wfp.org//1billion).
According to Josette Sherran, executive director of WFP, though governments worldwide have traditionally helped in beefing up funds to feed the poor, the present economic decline required that the private sector must assist in the anti-hunger effort.
A world food summit is scheduled in Rome, Italy to seek solution(s) for the increased hungry people. Countries like Germany, Britain, Italy, France and Japan are said to have withdrawn from their pledges in raising $20 billion this year. The fund is supposed to be used to prop-up agriculture in poor countries (http://www.avaaz.org)
Poverty in the Philippines
In spite of the over-hyped anti-poverty gains made by Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, economist Cielito Habito of the Ateneo de Manila University in a recent forum said 35% of Filipinos are estimated to have fallen under the poverty line.
In spite of the economic gains of businesses, the ranks of the financially marginalized continued to expand ---- making it hard for the country to meet the UN-conceived millennium development goal of cutting poverty to half its rate by year 2015.
Experts blamed the failure of government officials to address the long-standing problems of the economy. Although the Philippines posted some economic growth, the living condition of the poor was still getting worse. Most of the growth was centered in the National Capital Region (Manila)leaving behind the poor Filipinos in the provinces and countryside. (PHoto Credit: mykworks) =0=
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Iran builds a second nuclear facility; UN stuck with a new resolution
United Nations appears almost powerless in foiling nuclear proliferation. On Friday, September 25, US president Barack Obama, French president Nicholas Sarkozy and British Prime minister Gordon Brown at the G-20 economic summit chorused to say Iran is building underground uranium enrichment and concealing the facility from the eyes of international inspectors.
Iran’s head of the Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi quickly defended the facility saying that it was intended as back-up in case the first nuclear facility it built will be attacked. Iran continues to assert that its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purpose.
In a Saturday address, Pres. Barack Obama reiterated the seriousness of Iran’s evasive designs and warns anew of grave consequences of Iran’s devious plan. The international front thinks of heavier economic sanctions against Iran and doesn’t rule out military action. It’s the same rhetoric the world is hearing. Russia and China advice cooperation from Iran, but these countries don’t endorse tough sanctions, probably their way of protecting their business interests.
"Iran's leaders must now choose — they can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations. Or they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people." ----Pres. Barack Obama. AP (09/27/09)
With Obama leading the UN Security council, world powers are endorsing a nuclear-free world whose realization no one knows when. They want to make it hard to proliferate nuclear arms in the future.
“The Security Council unanimously passed a U.S.-drafted resolution that endorses the eventual goal of "a world without nuclear weapons." It lays out steps for nuclear powers to trim their arsenals, while making it harder for other nations to convert civilian nuclear programs to military ones.”---- www.McClatchy.com (09/24/09, Strobel, W.P.)
The rogue Islamic republic of Iran with a restive populace offers the international community to inspect the site in Qom, but its timing is yet to be set. Built on a mountainous region near the holy city of Qom, the facility has the capacity to house 3,000 centrifuges (vs. that 8,000 in Natanz) is said to be operational soon, in less than 18 months.
This revelation comes with Brazil’s expressed intention of going nuclear to “protect” itself from its neighbors and Venezuela seeks the help of Iran to prospect for radioactive uranium. Actions by these countries with unstable leaders who want to go nuclear makes the problem of world security even more complex.
It’s the same problem Pakistan and North Korea are facing where loose nukes pose a potential problem. The world watches with alarm whether the United Nations, slackening on its job and often trying to avoid military confrontation, will be able to rein over the threat of nuclear arms. (Photo Credit: http://dailymail.co.uk) =0=
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Khadafy's incoherence and the collapse of his interpreter in UN
I watched the incoherent speech of Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Khadafy in front of the United Nations Assembly in New York. The 90-minute spectacle was as bizarre as it was disappointing.
Just like the vile Islamic Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who shamelessly peddled lies and depravity in a separate speech in the august world body, I couldn’t imagine such mumbling had to be witnessed in the United Nations. The intelligence of the whole civilized world had been insulted again---this time by a desert loon, said some observers. In a brown ethnic garb and with a camel gaze in his eyes, Khadafy rambled and ranted as if he was out of his mind.
In exhaustion, the interpreter for the Libyan leader ended up surrendering his job. The exasperated language expert couldn’t handle the situation any longer--- forcing another interpreter to take over. U.N.’s Arabic section chief, Rasha Ajalyaqeen had to take charge in the last 20 minutes to put the bizarre speaker’s message in English.
Throughout Khadafy's speech which went beyond the usual time, the interpreters struggled with irrational theories of the Kennedy assignation and swine flu among others that was embarrassingly off tangent from sanity. They said Khadafy who expressed his desire to see Barack Obama to president for life, repeated some of what he was said and in some occasion talked to himself. (Photo Credit: NY Daily News/ Roca/ Getty) =0=
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Fighting global warming and pollution
On my way home this Wednesday, September 23, 2009 from NYU Clinical Cancer Center, I wasn’t able to use my usual route to Queensboro bridge using First Avenue where the UN Headquarters building stands. Many police officers guarded each street corner preventing motorists like me to go close to the United Nations building which was having a general assembly. I almost crossed a red light when a police officer distracted me with the brisk order that I had to change course. In spite of the onset of fall, the weather was hot.
At Third Avenue, it took me almost an hour to reach the bridge to Astoria and I had time to listen to the radio inside my car, one among those that clogged the streets. What was discussed in the airwaves was the climate summit in UN where Pres. Barack Obama warned of worldwide catastrophes if nothing is done on global change. His tone was almost hyperbolic, but an NY tabloid printed alarming articles of the disasters that may befall the city if man-made global warming is not halted.
America is the biggest polluter of the environment. Obama is speaking for planet preservation, but the United States is not among the countries who signed the Kyoto Treaty on the environment. Among the fastest growing economies and significant polluters, China and India ignore their hydrogen fuel and methane gas emissions. Like the US, if they strictly comply with the standards by cutting their emissions, their industries will suffer.
The believers of global warming are as many as those who doubt its existence. The UN scientific panel studying environmental changes said in February 2007 that global warming is real and “unequivocal,” and for the last 50 years, human activity i.e. industrial use of fossil fuel and burning of forests, is likely to have contributed to the alteration the earth’s climate. The UN speakers ominously told the world that time is running out before global catastrophes occur.
“The latest report from the climate panel predicted that the global climate is likely to rise between 3.5 and 8 degrees Fahrenheit if the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere reaches twice the level of 1750. By 2100, sea levels are likely to rise between 7 to 23 inches, it said, and the changes now underway will continue for centuries to come. “ ---New York Times (09/25/09, Science)
I’m reminded by hypocrisy when leaders who support measures to rescue the planet are among the biggest contributors of CO2 emissions and pollution. In New York, the streets are filled with gas guzzlers that give rides to the UN delegates. In their expensive limousines, diplomats and head of states display their disregard of global warming ---their limousines burn lots of hydrocarbons as they idle on the streets.
Former vice-president Al Gore, America’s leading advocate against global warming who was awarded an Oscar for a documentary “The Inconvenient Truth” had been repeatedly criticized for his jet travels that ruin the ozone layer. Senators and congressmen are similarly cited for their lifestyles that contribute to environmental damage. If these guys are serious about cleaning up the pollution and saving the earth, I guess the work on the environment must be done right at their home and backyard. (Photo Credit: freejay3) =0=
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Israel’s Netanyahu rebukes deniers of the holocaust
After yesterday’s speech of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed with a rebuke of those who just stand by to watch a leader of nation deny the horror of holocaust and wish a nation to be wiped out on the face of the earth. Netanyahu debunked Iran’s odious assertion that the horror of the holocaust didn’t happen by displaying in the UN assembly a blueprint of the Auschwitz death camp and showing Nazi orders to kill Jews.
“The man who called the Holocaust a lie spoke at this podium. To those who refused to come and to those who left in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries. But to those who gave this Holocaust denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere -- have you no shame? Have you no decency?"”----Brietbarttv.com(09/24/09)
“Netanyahu, 59, also defended his country against allegations of war crimes in a UN report on Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The prime minister said Israel sought to end rocket attacks on its communities, assaults he said the UN had ignored for years”---Bloomberg.com (09/24/09, Fersiger, J.)
Boycotting Ahmadinejad’s speech, Netanyahu clearly commended other UN delegates among them from Canada, Britain, and diplomats from France, Spain and other European contries who walked out in disdain over Ahmadinejad, the dictatorial leader of Islamic Iran with a long record of human rights violations and disregard of international covenants. The controversial Iranian leader who faced civil unrest and a disputed reelection in Tehran obviously didn’t represent decency and truth---but nontheles, he was welcomed in the UN.
In denying the merciless extermination of the Jews, Ahmadinejad insulted the memory of countless innocent victims of tyranny and evil during the Nazi regime. This comes on the heels of a growing worry that Iran is about to succeed in building a nuclear bomb in violations of UN samctions. If the world is populated with the likes of Amadinejad, the world’s future looks ominously dismal. (Photo Credit: ctv.ca; United Nations) =0=
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Iranian president to address UN general assembly in New York
President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad Iran’s vitriolic president is in New York City to participate in the 64th annual UN General Assembly. The controversial Muslim hardliner who espouses medieval religious tenets to govern Tehran will deliver a speech in the world body of nations. A crowd of demonstrators picket in front of the Big Apple's UN building on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 to air their disdain for the president.
Ahmadenijad has caught media attention for denying the extermination of 6 million Jews during the Nazi regime and for wanting Israel to be “wiped out from the face of the earth.” Such brazen and horrendous rhetoric must have no place in the world community, but it happens right in the United Nations.
Ahmadenijad’s disputed reelection this year has ignited grassroots protests from Iranian opposition whose leaders have been incarcerated and tortured. He is in the forefront of denying the long-suspected nuclear program which the IAEA believes is capable of producing a radioactive bomb, thus posing a threat to its neighbors.
Representing a Muslim country which supports terrorism, Ahmadenijad has been an embarrassment to the United Nations and his people. The religious-led Muslim country is noted for violations of human rights, inspiring resistance from the Iranian people.
For his shameful provocations against Israel, the Canadian delegation intends to abandon the UN assembly during his speech. A Canadian official whose delegation plans to walk out when the Iranian president addresses the assembly said Ahmadenijad’s behavior is shameful.
“He uses his public appearances to provoke the international community, and that is why Canada’s seats will be empty. The gesture is a step stronger than one announced Tuesday by the German Foreign Ministry, which asked other European Union member states to walk out of the General Assembly chamber if Ahmadinejad again denies the Holocaust, or makes anti-Semitic statements.”----Ottawacitizen. Com (09/23/09, Edwards, S.) (Photo Credit: Reuters/ Leonard Foeger; Jasondecrow; AP) =0=
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IAEA now says Iran can produce a nuclear bomb
After years of denying allegations by the United States and other UN-member nations that Iran is pursuing a nuclear program to develop a bomb, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tasked to monitor the rogue country has admitted that Tehran has the ability to produce a nuclear bomb. nder the shadows, the Islamic country has worked on make a missile system which can bring an atomic warhead. In a confidential report seen by The Associated Pres, IAEA declares the following:
• The IAEA's assessment that Iran worked on developing a chamber inside a ballistic missile capable of housing a warhead payload "that is quite likely to be nuclear."
• That Iran engaged in "probable testing" of explosives commonly used to detonate a nuclear warhead — a method known as a "full-scale hemispherical explosively driven shock system."
• An assessment that Iran worked on developing a system "for initiating a hemispherical high explosive charge" of the kind used to help spark a nuclear blast.---AP; Yahoo.news (09/17/09, Jahn, G.)
The confidential document was what the United States had been referring as a “secret annex” which the IAEA earlier tagged as misinformation. For many months, USA, Israel, France, and other nations have been demanding IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to release the information.
Early this year, IAEA revealed that Iran had produced more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of low-enriched, or fuel-grade, uranium, more than enough to make radioactive uranium for a bomb. It is likely that very soon Iran will be able to install a medium range missile with a nuclear explosive device.
The world wakes up to the grim reality that a system of surveillance like what IAEA does doesn’t work consistently. After years of denials and lies, Iran’s nuclear program, pursued under the very nose of the United Nations, has succeeded this far since the inception of its nuclear program in 1984 during the Islamic revolution. With unstable countries run by religious zealots and hardline radicals, going nuclear, the world cannot be far from peaceful and safe. (Photo Credit: sonyapryr) =0=
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Woldwide, a million suicides per year says United Nations
The World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that about a million people die of suicide each year around the globe. The count puts killing oneself as frequent as one in every 40 seconds. In the last half a century, the rate of suicide has increased to 60% and the trend is likely to go up, putting the number to about 1.5
million annually by the year 2020---that will be a staggering 33% increase in a matter of about 10 years.
According to mental health experts, the risk factors in suicide vary across different cultures. Accounting for about half of all violent deaths, suicide is more common in men although more women are likely to attempt killing themselves without being successful. A quarter of suicide victims are young adults below the age of 25 years.
“The WHO report says most suicides in occur in Asia, which accounts for up to 60 percent of all cases. But it reports Eastern European countries have the highest rates of suicide. The lowest rates are found in the countries of Mediterranean Europe and the predominantly Catholic countries of Latin America and Asia, as well as in Muslim countries, such as Pakistan.’---VOA (09/10/09, Schlein, L.)
The rise in suicide may reflect the increase in the “stressors” that operate in modern life. A reduction of suicide may be achieved by education, identifying and treating mental illnesses, and recognizing the early signs of suicide among individuals. (Photo Credit: campinocastillejo) =0=
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New world currency to replace the US dollar?
Yes! This is the proposal being pushed by the United Nations to revamp the world’s monetary system. Officials of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD said the money arrangement right now is not working well and there is a need for change to help correct the worldwide financial downturn.
The proposal comes at a time with China, worried about USA’s increased printing of cash has suggested with Russia that the US dollar, the current global currency must be replaced to avoid inflation.
"Replacing the dollar with an artificial currency would solve some of the problems related to the potential of countries running large deficits and would help stability," said Detlef Kotte, one of the report's authors. "But you will also need a system of managed exchange rates. Countries should keep real exchange rates [adjusted for inflation] stable. Central banks would have to intervene and if not they would have to be told to do so by a multilateral institution such as the International Monetary Fund." ----Telegraph.co.uk (09/0007/09, Conway, Edmund)
As predicted by economists, hyperinflation is a risk for the United States as the Obama Administration tries to implement its plan of excessive spending. Worrying the public of the present money crunch, the US budget deficit has worsened and risig fast. With Obama's watch, the US economy is expected to saddle a staggering 9 trillion deficit in the next 10 years putting a huge burden to taxpayers.
In the recent poll of the a Geneva-based World Economic Forum, the US dropped down only second to Switzerland as the most competitive economy in a poll conducted to greater than 10,000 business leaders. Singapore and Sweden came third and fourth respectively. (Photo Credit: =0=
Yes! This is the proposal being pushed by the United Nations to revamp the world’s monetary system. Officials of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD said the money arrangement right now is not working well and there is a need for change to help correct the worldwide financial downturn.
The proposal comes at a time with China, worried about USA’s increased printing of cash to buy bonds has suggested with Russia that the US dollar, the current global currency must be replaced to avoid inflation.
"Replacing the dollar with an artificial currency would solve some of the problems related to the potential of countries running large deficits and would help stability," said Detlef Kotte, one of the report's authors. "But you will also need a system of managed exchange rates. Countries should keep real exchange rates [adjusted for inflation] stable. Central banks would have to intervene and if not they would have to be told to do so by a multilateral institution such as the International Monetary Fund." ----Telegraph.co.uk (09/0007/09, Conway, Edmund)
As predicted by economists, hyperinflation is a risk for the United States as the Obama Administration tries to implement its plan of excessive spending. Worrying the public of the present monetary plans, the US budget deficit has further jumped and is expected to reach 9 trillion in the next 10 years.
In the recent poll of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, the US dropped down second to Switzerland as the most competitive economy in a poll conducted to greater than 10,000 business leaders. Singapore and Sweden came third and fourth respectively. (Photo Credit: AP; Mary Altffer) =0=
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Taliban suicide bomber kills 23 in Afghanistan attack
The Taliban claiming responsibility, a suicide bomber detonated himself killing 23 people in a a crowded Mosque in Mehtarlam, Laghman Province, about 100 miles from the capital city of Kabul.
The deaths coincided with rising dispute on who won the recent presidential election which had served as the Afghanistan’s deputy intelligence officer. The government and the United Nations (UN) condemned the attack. Pres. Hamid Karzai (47.3%) leading against his rival Abdullah Abdullah (32.6%) on recent vote count.
The bombing which occurred in Ramadan apparently targeted Abdullah Laghmani who served as Afghanistan’s deputy intelligence officer. (Photo Credit: Travelblog.com) =0=
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More Filipino maids suffer during Ramadan
Filipino maids in the Middle East suffer more during the fasting month of Ramadan when some of them are required to work long hours, lasting way beyond 8 hours per day. A number of these women are forcibly asked to observe fasting in domestic households against their will.
John L. Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator who works for the welfare of OFW;s, said the number of maids who runaway from their employers rise from 5 before Ramadan to about 6 to 8 per month----a result of intolerable work conditions which tend to worsen during the Muslim fasting season.
“Just last night, I received several short messages from OFW Marie (not her real name) asking for help as she couldn’t anymore endure staying with her employer. She complains that she works 18 to 20 hours a day, with only a single meal and not enough sleep,” Monterona said.---- Inquirer (08/30/09, Uy, V.)
In 2006, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) lists about 90,000 Filipino maids working abroad, mostly in the Middle East. There is a lot that the Philippine government and the host country have to do to improve the labor condition of house-helps working outside the country.
Exploitation of maids in abroad is still a problem in spite of international covenants by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN aimed to protect them and assert their human rights. =0=
North Korean arms shipment to Iran seized by United Arab Emirates
In violation to the sanctions of the United Nations (UN,) North Korea was caught with shipments of arms to Iran. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) intercepted a ship with arms, firing devices, grenades and explosives coming from the reclusive communist country of North Korea. Carried by a ship under Bahamian registry, the cargo was concealed as shipment of oil equipment.
“The Security Council voted on June 12 to adopt a resolution that punishes North Korea for its recent nuclear-bomb test and missile launches through cargo inspections and enforcement of restrictions on financial transactions. The measure calls for the interdiction at seaports, airports or in international waters of any cargo suspected of containing arms or nuclear or missile-related materials going to or from North Korea.”---- Bloomberg.com (08/28/09, Varner, Bill)
The United Arab Emirates unloaded the contraband cargo from North Korea and informed UN of the arms seizure contained in 10 container vans. The world body demanded Iran and North Korea (part of the axis of evil,) for explanation.
Iran consistently denied that its uranium program is not for atomic bomb development, but intended for plants to generate electricity. North Korea conducted bomb tests and denoted missiles in violation of UN sanctions. These are serious provocations which test how UN can enforce its power over dangerous nations in curtailing nuclear proliferation. (Iranmadeit) =0=
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Protests against Iran’s contested election continue
Riots against the alleged fraudulent landslide re-election of hardliner Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad grew in the streets of Tehran. Thousands of irate Iranians clashed with the police injuring many and killing at least one person in the largest protest since 1979.
Droves of pro-democracy forces and opposition activists loyal to rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi continued to vent anger to the rigging of the election. It prompted supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was originally supportive of the election result to order an investigation into the alleged voter anomalies.
World leaders expressed concern over the continued chaos in the streets which have ramifications to the stalled diplomatic overtures to have Iran abandon its nuclear program.
While evaluating the suspected landslide win of Ahmadinejad, Pres. Barack Obama said it’s up for the Iranians to choose their leaders. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared support to look into the contested presidential election. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband voiced "serious concern" while French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed worry over Iran’s political situation. (Photo Credit: Mark Baker/ AP; AP; Behrouz Mehri/ AFP/ Getty Images.=0=
UPDATE: June 16, 2007---7 Iranians protesting the cheating in the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were gunned down in a public square during a confrontation with riot policemen.
RELATED BLOG: "Ahmadinejad wins in Iranian election" Posted by mesiamd at 6/14/2009
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North Korea's nuclear threats
Living in a delusion that dictatorships and rogue countries can be effectively handled with talks and negotiations, the United States and the United Nations are finding it increasingly hard to deal with the rising military posturing of North Korea.
The destitute communist country in Asia has detonated a 20 kiloton underground nuclear bomb in a display of belligerence against the will of the civilized world. The United States and its allies have still to find a way to curtail the provocations of Kim Jong Il which find it easy to ignore the lame warnings of the United Nations.
Unafraid of sanctions, North Korea is unimpressed by the 6-party disarmament talks aimed to diffuse tension and stop the dangerous proliferation of nuclear arms in the region. The puppet government of Kim Jong Il has come to the realization that rogue governments can have ways to brush aside UN resolutions, survive punitive sanctions, and earn dividends from wild stubborness. Seeing the weakness of Pres. Barack Obama and UN’s inability to effectively punish violators of covenants, the North Koreans are on a free rein to show their propagandistic power and terrorist capabilities.
“It is a laughable delusion for the United States to think that it can get us to kneel with sanctions… We've been living under U.S. sanctions for decades, but have firmly safeguarded our ideology and system while moving our achievements forward. The U.S. sanctions policy toward North Korea is like striking a rock with a rotten egg."---said an editorial in a North Korean newspaper. AP (05/27/09, Hyung-Jin Kim, Gutman, S; Ledere EM)
With this show of defiance, the United States and its allies must be ready to stop Pyongyang by considering strikes to destroy its nuclear facilities. Short of this, the world needs an effective deterrent and defense against the rising threat of nuclear proliferation. In the past, sanctions and resolutions have helped in some measure but aren't as effective as people want them to be.(Photo credit: Lucliu) =0=
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North Korea detonates an underground nuclear bomb
As if to tell the world, that countries can defy the United Nations (UN,) North Korea exploded an underground atomic weapon which was as powerful as the one that leveled Nagasaki, Japan in 1945. The 10 to 20 kiloton bomb generated an earthquake of about 4.5 in the northeastern part of North Korea. It was picked up by seismologists worldwide as Pyongyang officials affirmed the successful nuclear test on May 25, 2009.
Kim Jong Il’s nuclear bomb test, the second since 2006 is in defiance to the United Nation’s resolutions forbidding his country to develop nuclear weapon. A danger to world peace, the nuclear detonation followed last month’s launching of a ballistic missile which has the capacity to reach the US territory.
The UN expressed disapproval against the test-launch and North Korea was punished with greater sanctions. In retaliation, the communist regime of Kim Jong Il asked that the international nuclear inspectors leave the country. The North Koreans threatened to resume operation of Yongbyon nuclear reactor and refused participation in the six-party nuclear talks. Ignoring global condemnation,
Pyongyang insisted its nuclear activities serve to beef up its self-defense and are intended for “peaceful” purposes.
In a reaction to the recent bomb test, Pres. Barack Obama lamely speaks of the recklessness of North Korea whose growing belligerence he hopes to manage with diplomacy. He plans to seek help from allies and friendly nations to stop the North Koreans from producing weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
But as the leaders of the communist dictatorship have learned, they have the power to ignore the world community. Having a nuclear arsenal is their bargaining chip----an effective tool to gain leverage, a way of catching the attention of the world.
The reclusive impoverished regime of Kim Jong Il has shown that it cannot be dictated by civilized countries in spite of attempts to isolate the country for violating international law and endangering the planet. The same message is what other nations with nuclear ambitions are learning. It appears provoking a crisis brings dividends because UN and its member nations aren’t ready to impose international covenants on errant governments like North Korea. A significant number of UN resolutions, no matter how well they are worded don't work. This may well be with the unanimous UN condemnation of North Korea for exploding the atomic weapon.
It is said that majority of nations approve of the international treaty to stop nuclear weapons testing. However, there are countries like North Korea, India, and Pakistan with nuclear capabilities which oppose the ban.(Photo Credit: cbv.ns.ca) =0=
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1.4 million civilians trapped as fighting between the Pakistani military and the Taliban continues
As a result of the fighting between Pakistani military forces and the Taliban, the United Nations has reported an estimated 1.4 million refugees have been driven from their homes this month in Swat valley in the Northwest region of the country. This adds up to about 2 million people displaced since August 2008. It is believed that many civilians have been trapped in Mingora, a terrorist haven which is about 80 miles from the capital city of Islamabad.
The United Nations expects a rapidly changing humanitarian crisis lasting for months as the Pakistani government pursues its campaign against Taliban militants. An appeal for international aid is expected to be raised by the UN as the crisis grows worse---probably as bad as the emergency experienced by Rwandans in the 1994 African genocide,.
The Pakistani offensive has broad support from the people. United States is heavily invested in having the Zadari government prevail over the Taliban in part because of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal which may fall on the wrong hands. (Photo Credit: Stefabua Zamparelli) =0=
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50 civilians die as artillery fire hits hospital in Sri Lanka
A makeshift hospital was hit anew by artillery fire in the war zone where Tamil separatist rebels fight with Sri Lankan military forces. The protracted war of more than two decades brings daily casualties as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hold on to their small strip of territory at the coast of Northeast Sri Lanka.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports having a worker died during the mortar attack, but the organization isn’t clear on who is responsible for the death. Many civilians are afraid to go back to the hospital because it isn’t spared from mortar attacks and shellings. Foreign aid workers are encountering difficulties reaching people needing health aid and food supplies.
“ICRC spokesperson Sarasi Wijeratna in Colombo tells VOA News small fishing boats are the only way to offload the 25 metric tons of food and bring the wounded and sick on board to its chartered ship (the Green Ocean).” ---VOA News.com (05/13/09, Herman, S)
The United Nations agencies which give aid in the area of conflict said they have little access to an estimated 50,000 civilians who are trapped in the crossfire. A number of nations are asking both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government to put an end to the fighting. (Photo Credit:AFP Graphic; AFP/ HO/ Tamil/ File) =0=
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82,000 flee war zone between the Tamil separatists and Sri Lankan military forces
Of the hundred thousand civilians trapped in the last stronghold of Tamil rebels who fight the Sri Lankan government forces, an estimated 82,000 had escaped the area as fighting intensified in the 20 square kilometer stronghold where 43 Tamil fighters were killed in the last few days.
The Sri Lankan military also suffered casualties, but their numbers were not exactly known. According to Brig. Udaya Namakkara, the military spokesman, the cornered Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) insurgents were close to giving up their protracted fighting of 25 years. The government had demanded a final surrender from the Tamil tiger rebels holed in a tiny territory in the northeast part of the island nation.
“The Tamil people of the island of Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka) constitute a distinct nation. They form a social entity, with their own history, traditions, culture, language and traditional homeland. The Tamil people call their nation 'Tamil Eelam'. Founded in 1976, the LTTE is the most powerful Tamil group in Sri Lanka and uses overt and illegal methods to raise funds, acquire weapons, and publicize its cause of establishing an independent Tamil state.
The LTTE began its armed conflict with the Sri Lankan Government in 1983 and relies on a guerrilla strategy that includes the use of terrorist tactics. The group's elite Black Tiger squad conducts suicide bombings against important targets, and all rank-and-file members carry a cyanide capsule to kill themselves rather than allow themselves to be caught. The LTTE is very insular and highly organized with its own intelligence service, naval element (the Sea Tigers), and women's political and military wings.”---http;//www.globalsecurity.org/
The Tamils had been waging a bloody genocidal war to gain independence from government which had been under control of ethnic Sinhalese. A total of 70,000 people have died as a result of the conflict.
“The increasing cost of the war comes as Sri Lanka is seeking a $1.9bn (€1.5bn, £1.3bn) loan from the International Monetary Fund to boost its foreign exchange reserves and shore up rapidly depreciating currency. The island’s economy has been hit by falling exports and remittance income from its large number of overseas workers.” ----FT. com Financial Times Asia Pacific (04/21/09, Leahy, J)
In the last few months, the United Nations, Red Cross, and other aid groups, warned of humanitarian catastrophe as people had been held against their will and used as human shields, bringing a death toll of about 4,500 civilians since the start of the year.
From humanitarian groups, suggestions to have a ceasefire so that civilians can leave the site of violence are unheeded. Independent reporters aren’t permitted access to cover the war zone. Analysts believe that even if the LTTE lose their stronghold, the rebel group is hard to defeat and eradicate completely. (Photo Credits: Sri Lankan Army/ AP; Rajarata; Tamil Sydney Photo; Quarsan)=0=
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