Clipmarks | jatfla's News collection

House approves $162 billion war-spending bill

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:16:47 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Thank goodness.

Pelosi: "....the American people want a timeline,"
She does not speak for this "American".

Wow; veterans of Afghan. and Iraq get state college free tuition?

Clip Source: www.sfgate.com

House approves $162 billion war-spending bill

The House approved the largest war-spending bill to date Thursday, bending to President Bush's call for $162 billion in war funding with no strings attached and giving his successor enough money to wage the wars until July 2009.

Democrats won Bush's blessing for several of their domestic priorities, including a 13-week extension of jobless benefits for workers who have exhausted theirs, and a new GI bill benefit allowing veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to attend a state college tuition-free.

Lawmakers also intended to give the next president some time to set a new Iraq policy before having to return to Congress for more money.

Rezko found guilty on 16 charges....

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:52:14 GMT

clipped by: jatfla

Clip Source: www.suntimes.com

Rezko found guilty on 16 charges, not guilty on 8

Tony Rezko — the high-flying developer and fast-food magnate who was once a major campaign fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and one of the governor’s closest advisers — is now a convicted felon.

The Iraqi Upturn

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:50:57 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: This started out as a "good news" clip...and it is! But is the Washington Post suggesting that *President Obama* can take credit for the withdrawal?

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

The Iraqi Upturn

While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City,

Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda.

Iraq passed a turning point last fall when the U.S. counterinsurgency campaign launched in early 2007 produced a dramatic drop in violence and quelled the incipient sectarian war between Sunnis and Shiites.

If the positive trends continue, proponents of withdrawing most U.S. troops, such as Mr. Obama, might be able to responsibly carry out further pullouts next year.

When Mr. Obama floated his strategy for Iraq last year, the United States appeared doomed to defeat. Now he needs a plan for success.

As Race Wanes, Talk of Clinton as No. 2 Grows

Fri, 23 May 2008 04:08:21 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: What say you, Obama supporters?

I can not imagine Michelle and Obama's advisers agreeing to any such a' thing. Hillary would rule and dominate. I'd never vote for her, but I wish (sometimes) that my candidate had such tenacity and fortitude. And then at other times...I wish they would all go away.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

As Race Wanes, Talk of Clinton as No. 2 Grows

While Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and her advisers insist that she is determined to win the Democratic nomination, friends of the couple say that former President Bill Clinton, for one, has begun privately contemplating a different outcome for her: As Senator Barack Obama’s running mate.

Mr. Clinton’s musings surface as the Obama camp has quietly begun the process of searching for a partner on the Democratic ticket.

Both of them want to return to the White House;

Mr. Clinton, according to associates, sees the vice presidency as perhaps her best path to becoming president someday if she loses the nominating fight.

Mr. Clinton believes that his wife’s victories in major primary battles, like Ohio and Pennsylvania, and the 16 million votes cast for her candidacy make her the proper choice for Mr. Obama.

Iraqi army seizes Sadr's Baghdad bastion

Wed, 21 May 2008 01:14:20 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Progress. Move in, take it, hold it, set up whatever safety and security measures are necessary. And keep Mookie in Iran.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Iraqi army seizes Sadr's Baghdad bastion

Some 10,000 Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by tanks, pushed deep into Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Baghdad bastion on Tuesday,

A truce 10 days ago between Shi'ite factions largely ended the fighting in one of Baghdad's poorest districts and paved the way for Tuesday's operation.

Tanks and armored personnel carriers stood on corners, flying Iraqi flags, while army vehicles patrolled streets. Black-robed women walked nearby and children played.

Maliki's government is pushing to extend its control over areas that were under the sway of Shi'ite militias or Sunni Arab insurgents.

A U.S. military spokesman said no American troops were involved and the operation was Iraqi-planned and executed.

Sadr was acquiescing because he did not want an out-and-out confrontation, he said. "The cost to him would be huge."

Obama advisor: Jerusalem must be included in peace talks

Tue, 13 May 2008 13:28:59 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: "...as opposed to the current Israeli administration which is not.."

So the Israeli governments that resist and oppose the sovereign lose of Jerusalem *must* make the concession? This alone is enough to confirm that I would never vote for Obama.

Clip Source: www.haaretz.com

Obama advisor: Jerusalem must be included in peace talks

Daniel Kurtzer, former ambassador to Israel and advisor of U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama, said Tuesday that Jerusalem must be included in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

"It will be impossible to make progress on serious peace talks without putting the future of Jerusalem on the table,"

Kurtzer, who has been appointed Obama's advisor for the Middle East, said that future governments will have to deal with the issue of Jerusalem, as opposed to the current Israeli administration which is not.

Al-Qaeda Iraq leader 'arrested'

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:56:25 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: This is wait-and-see since he was said to have been killed last year, I think. The word "detained" is troubling, indicating that there might be a chance for his release; but maybe the BBC was being polite & diplomatic. He had a $5m bounty on his head. Even if he has been captured an amazing *escape* is always possible.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Al-Qaeda Iraq leader 'arrested'

The leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been arrested, according to media reports quoting the country's defence ministry.

Masri, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, was detained in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul,

The US military in Iraq said it was currently looking into the reports.

In an hour-long audio tape broadcast last month, he purportedly called for renewed attacks on US troops and noted the recent announcement that 4,000 had died in Iraq.

"We must celebrate this event in our special way, and make the defeated Bush join us in this celebration," he said.

Residents say Iraqi soldiers warn them to leave Sadr City

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:53:16 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: It's about time. Cleaning out this sector will go a long way. Clear it out, scrap it clean and then rebuild with Iraq's oil profits...complete with schools, parks, and restaurants.

Clip Source: www.townhall.com

Residents says Iraqi soldiers warn them to leave Sadr City

Iraqi soldiers for the first time warned residents in the embattled Sadr City district to leave their houses Thursday, signaling a new push by the U.S.-backed forces against Shiite extremist who have been waging street battles for seven weeks.

Iraqi soldiers, using loudspeakers, told residents in some virtually abandoned areas of southeastern Sadr City to go to nearby soccer stadiums

U.S. forces have increased air power and armored patrols in an attempt to cripple Shiite militia influence in Sadr City, a slum of 2.5 million people that serves as the Baghdad base for the Mahdi Army

Iran, Venezuela, Cuba to initiate shipping line

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:34:54 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Hmmm...the Great Satan hater cruising our shore-lines. And what will they be shipping? This is not good.

And to think the US use to control the Canal Zone.

Clip Source: www.mehrnews.ir

Iran, Venezuela, Cuba to initiate shipping line

TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Shipping Lines (IRISL) plans to initiate a weekly shipping line to Venezuelan and Cuban ports, the IRISL Europe line department Manager, Saeed Meghdadi said here on Wednesday.

“This line was initiated in accordance to the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran for supporting and expanding non-oil exports and in response to the numerous requests made by merchants,” he explained, Mehr reported.

The first shipment in this line will be from Bandar Abbas Port to Venezuela and Cuba on May 16.

Seven containers will shipped from Iran’s Bandar Abbas via Malta (Malta), Barcelona (Spain), to Havana (Cuba) and Puerto Cabello (Venezuela).

Kenneth Starr: Open to the public

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:39:50 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Boy, did Bush I make a mistake by passing over him.

This is a nice article which reflects on the entire man, not just his *job* of investigating the lies of Mr. Clinton. Remember when "war" was declared on this man? The Clinton machine and the press chewed him to pieces...but he still got the truth.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Kenneth Starr: Open to the public

Clip Source: video.latimes.com

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

meet Kenneth Starr

His report on the Clinton-Lewinsky matter is a relic of that era; its descriptions of sex in the Oval Office were so graphic that it came with a warning for children to stay away, a first in the annals of such investigations.

His critics might be surprised, but Starr is neither monster nor prude. He is genial, reflective and easygoing, lighthearted even. Committed to public service, he speaks most eloquently on the notions of service and compassion. One is reminded that he is, after all, a man passed over for the Supreme Court because he was believed to be too liberal by some conservatives.

He was seriously considered for the Supreme Court when Justice William Brennan

but Starr's nomination was scotched by conservatives who feared he might be too liberal

Whatever one thinks of Starr's politics or his pursuit of Clinton, his long record as a public lawyer unmistakably suggests an advocate who has chosen service over money

Baghdad Churches Packed For Christmas

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:44:49 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Here's hoping for a *Happier* New Year for all of them.

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

Baghdad Churches Packed For Christmas

Thousands of Iraqi Christians picked their way through checkpoints and along dusty streets lined with concrete blast walls, crowding into churches in Baghdad on Tuesday for Christmas Mass.

Less than three percent of Iraq's 26 million people are Christians - the majority of whom are Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians, with small numbers of Roman Catholics.

But this year, with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha coming just before Christmas, Iraq has been living through some of the most peaceful moments since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.

Muslim clerics - both Sunni and Shiite - also attended the service in a sign of unity.

may our Christian brothers be safe every year," Shiite cleric Hadi al-Jazail told AP Television News

"We did not celebrate last year, but this year we have security and we feel better," said Rasha Ghaban,

Tags: baghdad, christians

Hamas warns of intifada

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:47:56 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Well, isn't this just great? The US and Europe plan to fork over millions of dollar to the PA, Gaza and the West Bank still believing that we can *buy* peace. We can promote a "two state solution" till the cows come home but it's purely words and wishful thinking. I guess someone figures that as long as *we* keep talking the inevitable will not happen.

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

Hamas warns of Intifada

Hamas threatened to launch a new uprising against Israel on Saturday when hundreds of thousands of Islamist supporters rallied in Gaza City to mark the group's 20th anniversary.

"Our people are capable of launching a third and a fourth intifada until the dawn of victory rises up," said Khaled Meshaal, the group's exiled leader, in a speech recorded on Friday at his base in Damascus.

"Today is the day of Jihad, resistance and uprising,"

those who make an enemy of America and the Zionist occupation (Israel) gain popularity. This is Hamas."

Founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was killed by Israel in a 2004 air strike, the group has a charter that calls for the elimination of the Jewish state.

Kurd Campaign Thanks U.S. for Liberation

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 23:48:37 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: I have seen this. Have you?

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

Kurds Campaign Thanks U.S. for Liberation

A group representing Kurdistan thanks America for liberating that nation from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship of terrorism.

"The Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan just want to say ‘thank you for helping us win our freedom. Thank you for democracy. Thank you America.”

The print and broadcast advertisements are sponsored by the Kurdistan Development Corporation, an organization created by the government of Kurdistan to encourage international investment.

The ad campaign began Monday in the United States with ads in The Wall Street Journal and on Fox News Channel. Ads begin airing Nov. 14 airing in Europe.

Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Chairman of the Kurdistan Development Corporation and Kurdistan’s High Representative to the UK, says the commercials are necessary to counter the American media’s largely negative coverage of Iraq.

"We feel the mainstream media,” she tells Newsmax, "is focusing on the negative stories coming out of Iraq and very rarely highlighting the good news.”

"We’re not saying that the media doesn’t tell the truth. They do tell the truth. There is violence. There is an insurgency. But it’s not the whole truth, or the whole picture.”

"The truth is that while there is violence,” she continues, "there are big strides being taken towards democracy in Iraq, particularly in Kurdistan. There are vast sections of Iraq, and again particularly Kurdistan, where the region is safe, stable, and people are getting on with their lives, doing business, trying to build a future.”

Tags: iraq

Happy News

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:26:50 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: When you get tired of the other.

Clip Source: www.happynews.com

Today's Top Stories

We believe virtue, goodwill and heroism are hot news. That's why we bring you up-to-the-minute news, geared to lift spirits and inspire lives. Add in a diverse team of Citizen Journalists reporting positive stories from around the world, and you've got one happy place for news.

(AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) :: Ben Christenson performs music on his laptop during the "Laptop Deathmatch" competition in Dallas Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006.

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Tags: news

Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria, Sada Says

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 13:50:09 GMT

clipped by: jatfla

Clip Source: www.nysun.com

Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria, Sada Says

The man who served as the no. 2 official in Saddam Hussein's air force says Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed.

Tags: news, iraq, war on terro