Brazil, China, India, Germany and Russia abstained from passing UNSCR 1973.
Now Brazil wants a ceasefire: “After regretting the loss of lives because of the conflict in the country, the Brazilian government hopes that an effective cease-fire be implemented as soon as possible to allow the protection of civilians and the start of dialogue.”
The statement was made hours after President Barack Obama left Brazil.
The U.S. government continues to pass temporary budgets. Political leaders have stated “We’re broke”. State governments continue to enact austerity measures, cutting funding for social programs. Yet, President Obama is tripping around the world starting fights and making promises of money.
The current attacks on Libya are costing the Unite States hundreds of millions of dollars every day. It’s expected to cost a billion dollars in one months time.
On his Latin American trip Obama just promised the Central American countries $200 million dollars to fight drugs trafficking. Obama signed a deal with Brazil that involves $1 billion dollars of financing. From where, us?
Critics say Obama’s promises to Latin America have to be false because we’re broke.
Many people in Latin American countries say they don’t trust what Obama said anyway. They point to the UN approved, and currently U.S. lead, attacks on Libya as proof that you can’t trust the United States.
President Obama is trying hard to convince France and the United kingdom to give NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) the command and control role for the war against Libya.
Obama is up against the wall after he insisted to Congress that direct U.S. involvement would be over in days. It’s been several days.
The British and French agree to NATO’s role in the war with Libya, but they point out that Turkey is a member of NATO, and is opposed to military action against Libya. Turkey is currently acting as a diplomatic go between, for Libya and the anti-Libyan UN coalition.
Obama is now busy trying to convince Turkey of the justification of military action.
I believe this is what planning and coordination is for. At least Bush Jr understood that much.
Qatar is the only Arab League country that will take part in the attacks on Libya (so far), even after the Arab League changed their mind on supporting UNSCR 1973. Is this because of the $1 billion Qatar beggared from U.S. and European companies back in 2008?
Reuters says it’s gotten hold of leaked diplomatic documents (thanks to WikiLeaks), that show U.S. and European companies were shocked when Qatar hit them up for $1 billion to help build a state of the art hospital (gee it’d be nice if U.S. companies would spend that much on health care here in the U.S.). The shock was due to the fact that Qatar is supposed to be rich, and in fact the Qatar Foundation is funding the hospital to a tune of $7.9 billion, the most for any hospital in the world. Sidra Medical Center is set to open in 2012.
Reuters says each company doing business in Qatar was hit up for anywhere from $80 million to $240 million. “The IOCs (international oil companies) are shocked and angered by the request. None of the U.S. IOCs are considering donations … and they are aware the perception of a quid pro quo could be construed as violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.” -leaked document
Reuters says a few companies did not donate. Others say they are still in discussions over the donations (more than 2 years later?), but most, like several oil companies and even Microsoft, are declining comment. Mmmm, have payments been made, and is Qatar’s involvement with UNSCR 1973 quid pro quo, or just international political ambition?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. corporations sold $15.9 million worth of goods to Iran, in January 2011, despite U.S. sanctions.
Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions (pushed by the United States), targeting the country’s energy and banking sectors, including a U.S. boycott of gasoline supplies.
Iranian officials say the sanctions have forced their businesses to become more efficient, and has actually increased their production capabilities.
More proof that our exalted leaders here in the U.S. are idiots (or liars)!
Idaho representative Mike Simpson, and senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo all protested against building a Mosque near 9/11 Ground Zero in New York City.
Yet they all support training Saudi Arabian pilots at Mountain Home, Idaho. Most of the terrorists who hijacked the airliners on September 11, 2001, were from Saudi Arabia (no Iraqis or Afghans were involved in 9/11). This is a prime example of talking out both sides of your mouth at the same time. And supposedly most Idahoans voted for these guys.
Don’t forget Idahoans, your Governor Butch Otter supports this as well (and yes you voted overwhelmingly for him).
Peter Gadiel, whose son was killed in the World Trade Center, said this about the training of Saudi pilots in Idaho: “Americans will die and the people in Washington don’t give a damn.”
Training of Saudi Arabian pilots and ground crews in Idaho, is part of the $60 billion arms deal made last year.
Most Saudis are Wahaab Muslims (Wahhabi), the same faction that Osama bin Laden is from, as well as our allies the Saudi Royal Family. Iraqis are not Wahaab. Afghans are not Wahaab. They did not attack us on 9/11. Wahaab Saudis & Wahaab Yemenis attacked us on 9/11. Yet we’re over there killing Iraqis and Afghans, while training Wahaab Saudis in Idaho?
“There are a huge number of little bits of the high-tech food chain which are done nowhere but in Japan. Nobody else has the quality or the consistency, and in some cases the technology to do it.”-Sam Perry, senior investment manager of Pictet Japanese Equity Selection Fund.
Canon Inc has suspended all of its domestic camera production. One of the problems was a lack of gas which was affecting distribution, and stopping employees from getting to work where train services are minimal.
Nikon warned that power cuts, and shortages of parts, will make full production difficult.
Renesas Electronics Corp, the world’s No.5 chipmaker, started operations at one semiconductor plant. Six of the company’s 22 factories remain closed.
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.