Japanese Industry Minister Banri Kaieda apologized over reports that he threatened to ‘‘punish’’ firefighters if they did not work at the quake-hit nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
The apology came after Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara protested to Prime Minister Naoto Kan over the ‘‘forcing’’ of Tokyo Fire Department to engage in an hours-long water-spraying mission, saying they were threatened with ‘‘punishment’’ if they refused.
Almost from day one of the so called revolution in Libya, President Obama said “It’s time for Gaddafi to go.” He didn’t say that about Mubarak, not for several weeks of the Egyptian Revolution anyway.
Obama has said many times he wanted Gaddafi out. Then Gaddafi’s compound is bombed by coalition forces, and the official statement from coalition leaders is that they were not trying to bomb Gaddafi. That’s one dumb smart bomb then.
Here is what Obama said today: “Now, I also have stated that it is U.S. policy that Gadhafi needs to go.” President Obama has basically admitted that trying to get rid of Gaddafi IS what he’s trying to do. Obama then goes on to admit that UNSCR 1973 does not allow him to do that: “But when it comes to the military action, we are doing so in support of U.N. Resolution 1973 that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts, and we are going to make sure we stick to that mandate.”
Obama also says he’s hoping that other “tools” will be used to allow the Libyan people to kick Gaddafi out. Remember, UNSCR 1973 is supposed to be about protecting peaceful civilians, not regime change. Lies. lies and more lies!
Democrat AND Republican Congressman are demanding that Obama explain himself, regarding the military action against Libya.
Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton: “We’re not coordinating with the rebels. Are we going to leave them surrounded, and with the mercy of Gadhafi? I’ve never seen anything so confused in my life.”
Republican Candice Miller: “The president should come home and call the Congress back into session and to make his case. He needs to define what the United States’ vital mission is here, what is our vital interest, how does he see the potential cost unfolding here.”
Democrat Mark Begich: “Specifically, Congress needs to understand the risk involved to the lives of our service members, how long the administration anticipates U.S. involvement, the impact of our involvement on our other national security priorities like Afghanistan, and what the ultimate objective is.”
Republican Richard Lugar: “I do not understand the mission because as far as I can tell in the United States there is no mission and there are no guidelines for success.”
Fox news said that CNN journalists were used as human shields to prevent any attack on Gaddafi’s compound.
CNN reporter Nic Robertson basically said Fox news was full of sh*t. Robertson called the Fox news claims “…outrageous and hypocritical,” adding, “If they wanted to use us as human shields … they would have kept us there longer. That’s not what happened.”
I have relatives in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and they’ve been told to prepare to ship out for Japan. They thought it’s to help with disaster relief but now it looks like it might be to evacuate U.S. military personnel and their families.
The U.S. Pacific Command has been making plans for mandatory evacuations, just in case. If things got bad enough they would use large military air transports (C-17, C-5) to fly out as many personnel and families as they could, as fast as they could.
Currently the evacuations of military families are voluntary. On Saturday 230 people voluntarily left, on Monday 154 people left Japan.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the military action against Libya resembled a crusade.
“The resolution is defective and flawed. It allows everything. It resembles medieval calls for crusades.”-Vladimir Putin
TEPCO officials say they have tested water from the ocean, where water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant runs off, and it tested positive for radiation.
Iodine 131 was 126.7 times higher than the legal level, cesium 134 was 24.8 higher, and cesium 137 was 16.5 times higher. Cobalt 58 was below the legal limit.
This was the first time the Tokyo Electric Power Company tested the ocean water. They say they will conduct more tests, over a wider area.
What happened to democracy? The Libyan rebels declared themselves as the new government, with no democratic anything before hand, and several European governments have already recognized the rebels as the true government of Libya.
To top that the rebels, calling themselves The Transitional National Council, have now declared themselves as the new oil officials of Libya. Already several European countries announced that they will be making oil deals with this “government” of Libya.
Not only that but the rebels have already set up their own central bank to handle oil transaction deals, sure sounds like this “revolution of the people for democracy” is all about oil.
Canadian aircraft are helping to enforce the bogus no fly zone over Libya, as well as Canadian naval vessels, 380 Canadian troops, including pilots and ground crews, are in the Mediterranean Sea.
“This morning, four CF-18 fighter aircraft and two CC-150 Polaris strategic air refuelers departed Italy and conducted patrols off the northern coast of Libya. “They did not fire upon any targets.” -Defense Minister Peter MacKay
Recently the European Union’s ambassador to the U.S. said Europe’s infatuation with the crisis in Libya was not about the oil. Lier!
Some European countries, like Austria, Ireland and Italy, get most of their oil from Libya. Oil companies from France, Italy and Spain are involved in oil field operations in Libya.
The flow of oil to Europe was greatly reduced thanks to the violence involving so called peaceful protesters in Libya. After all, why would Gaddafi destroy his main source of income?
Gaddafi has long suspected that the militant, yet somehow, peacefull protesters were supplied by Europe (that has been proven to be correct, Libyan rebels and arms dealers admitted to it). Feeling betrayed by Europe Gaddafi announced, on March 14, that he was making new oil deals with China, India and Russia (and possibly Germany). Notice that those are the countries that abstained from voting on UNSCR 1973.
Then, just three days later, on March 17, the UN passes UNSCR 1973. Wow, that was fast!
China and India have evacuated thousand of workers from Libya.
The Europeans have been losing out to the Chinese for several years now. In 2007 Libya hired Chinese companies to build an oil pipeline. In 2009 the Europeans scared off the Chinese from making a huge oil deal with Libya. Then in 2010 Libya announced a deal that would see 6 million barrels per month going to China. In February 2011, China began evacuating some 20,000-30,000 oil field workers after they were attacked by peaceful protesters! A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that some Chinese companies “…had their local camp sites raided by gangsters….”
There is eveidence that many people in eastern Libya resented the Chinese oil workers, and actually viewed it as an invasion. Is it possible that European interests took advantage of the growing anti-asian sentiments?
It is clear by statements from Chinese oil workers that they were specifically targeted. “Chinese companies in Libya are in a state of emergency, our projects are being raided and communications are down.” -online posting
When you look at the who’s who of those involved in Libyan oil production, and who wants Libya’s oil, it starts to look like this is a battle between East and West; Europe vs China. Could this be the shot that starts World War 3?