Russia has fired its ambassador to Libya. No official reason given so far.
A Russian newspaper speculates the ambassador was fired for failing to understand Russia’s interests in Libya.
Russia is against the UNSCR 1973.
Category Archives: U.S.
Libya working to get support from China
A Libyan government official said they will discuss oil contracts with China, India, Russia and Brazil.
This is to gain support against “neo-crusaders”, taking military action against Libya, through the UN resolution.
China has already condemned the military operation against Libya. 20,000+ Chinese were evacuated from Libya at the end of February.
Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh said he wanted to see Libyans make their own decisions “free of outside interference.” India evacuated 18,000 workers from Libya.
Will Russia resume weapons sales to Libya? Russia stopped weapons sales, but only on the condition that military action would not be taken against Libya. “In Moscow, we regret this armed action within the hastily passed UNSCR Resolution 1973,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.
Brazil’s newly elected president, Dilma Rousseff, said Brazil expects more of the United States, criticizing American protectionism. Brazil opposes military action against Libya. Brazil has also evacuated citizens from Libya.
Brazil, Russia, China and India are now the world’s strongest economies.
WikiLeaks forces U.S. Ambassador to Resign
WikiLeaks reveal documents that showed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, had criticized Mexico’s handling of the Drug War.
Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon, retaliated by pointing out that the various U.S. security forces, in Mexico, repeatedly fail to coordinate with each other and actually view each other as competitors. This makes them useless to Mexican security forces fighting the drug gangs.
President Calderon also said, in a newspaper interview, that U.S. Ambassador Pascual is ignorant and continually distorts the facts. Calderon says weapons being used by Mexican drug gangs are still coming from the United States. He has repeatedly asked the Obama administration to remove Pascual.
Hillary Clinton admitted that Pascual’s resignation is meant to keep attention away from Calderon’s accusations; “…to avert issues raised by President Calderon that could distract from the important business of advancing our bilateral interests”.
Oil Speculators are War Mongers. Was UN Resolution pushed because of crashing oil prices?
When Japan got hit by the massive quake/tsunami, and then the nuclear power plant disaster, world oil prices dropped. By a lot.
Prior to the Japan event, on March 10th, Brent crude oil closed at $115.60 per barrel. U.S. light sweet crude closed at $104.25. Oil prices had been going up, and the “Libyan crisis” was blamed. “…mainly fueled by regime-toppling instability in the Middle East and North Africa.” -CNN/Money
March 11th, the Japan event and immediately oil prices began falling. Brent crude fell to $113.67, U.S. crude $101.16. By March 15th Brent crude had fallen to $108.52, U.S. crude $97.18.
From March 10th to March 15th Brent crude prices dropped by $7.10, U.S. crude dropped by $7.07.
Then, suddenly, the United Nations announced it had passed a resolution authorizing any military action necessary to get rid of Gaddafi (an historic resolution by the way, it’s NOT a no fly zone). This seemed to come out of no where. What happened to oil prices? Immediately oil price shot up: March 16th Brent crude closed at $110.62, U.S. crude $97.98. March 17th: Brent crude $114.90, U.S. crude $101.42. “The Middle East unrest outweighed concerns about radiation from a Japanese nuclear plant…” -Bloomberg
Another evidence of war mongering by speculators is that oil prices fell when Gaddafi announced a ceasefire. March 18th (ceasefire announced) Brent crude closed $113.90, U.S. crude $101.07.
I speculate that British Brent crude prices are more sensitive because the British, along with the French, have a big stake in gaining control of Libya’s eastern oil fields. After all, who got the biggest oil contract in Iraq? BP (British Petroleum).
No Fly Zone is Hyperbole, UN becoming war monger
Technically a no fly zone simply means that no aircraft can fly in a specific area. At the most this should mean that if an aircraft is found flying in such area it will be shot down. But the current United Nations resolution against Libya is NOT a no fly zone.
The resolution allows any force necessary, that would mean air strikes, and even troops, on the ground. That is NOT a no fly zone. This is what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “The resolution authorizes the use of ‘all necessary measures’, including a no-fly zone to prevent further casualties and loss of innocent lives.” In other words a no fly zone is just one part of the military operations that will take place.
Ed Luck, a special adviser on the protection of civilians, said this current resolution is historic : “This is the first time that the council has taken Chapter 7 enforcement measures specifically to ensure the responsibility to protect.” He added that it “…authorizes a much greater use of coercive force if necessary.” In other words the UN (at the urging of France, United Kingdom & United States) has just moved closer to being willing to go to all out war with member nations.
Russia warns U.S. it will be held accountable in Libya
Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, warned that any “humanitarian consequences” following any military action to enforce a no fly zone, will be on those enforcing the no fly zone: “Responsibility for inevitable humanitarian consequences caused by excessive use of outside force in the Libyan situation would be fully born by those who resorted to such actions.”
Russia abstained from voting on the no fly resolution, because there were no plans presented to actually protect peaceful Libyans.
Air Strikes against Libya could start in hours
France will host a summit meeting later on Saturday. Rumors are that air strikes by U.K. and French forces could start air strikes within hours of the meeting’s end.
Saturday’s meeting will be between the European Union, Arab League and African Union. UN chief Ban Ki-moon will attend as well.
.45 Caliber Pistol now official Gun of Utah
The governor of Utah made it official, the Browning M1911 .45 caliber pistol is the Gun of Utah.
I like the M1911A1. Back when I was in the California Army National Guard (and later the Idaho Army National Guard) we used the M1911A1, and I always scored expert. Then we switched to the Beretta M9, and I never scored expert again.
Utah has bragging rights because John M. Browning designed the gun, and he was born and raised in Utah. The M1911, with .45 ACP ammo, came in response to a U.S. military search for a gun with the stopping power to bring down drugged up tribal rebels during the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, after the Spanish American War in the late 1800s (yes the United States has been an empire for a while now). When you get knocked down by the .45 you don’t get up.
The U.S. military switched to the Beretta M9 in the 1990s. It uses a higher velocity 9mm ammo, and carries more rounds in its magazine. The M9 has always had problems. I’ve always wondered why I could not score expert with the higher velocity 9mm, but had no problem scoring expert with the lower velocity .45.
Despite my affection for the M1911A1, I have to question why state lawmakers would spend time trying to make an official state so and so. Don’t elected officials have more important things to address?
Ivory Coast, more proof of U.S. & French Hypocrisy
The UN is expressing shock at the violence in Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire). Yet, where’s the U.S. pushing for no fly zones and military action? Hypocrisy!
If the violence in Libya warrants military action by the UN, then why not in Ivory Coast? Where’s war mongering French President Sarkozy? Ivory Coast used to be a colony of France, yet Sarkozy has been salivating at the prospect of military action against Libya (a former Italian colony). He’s been working hard to get support for war against Libya, he even convinced the Arab League to join in.
2010 election results, in Ivory Coast, were basically thrown out by the ruling party, and that started what now looks like a second civil war. Hello, President Obama, what about the rights of the “people”? Obama is quick to use such reasoning in regards to attacking Libya, but not Ivory Coast.
The United States Department of State estimates that at least 75,000 people have fled Ivory Coast into Liberia (a former U.S. colony). Recent reports say dead bodies lie in the streets of the capitol. An attack by government forces, on March 17, is being called a crime against humanity by the UN, but where’s the U.S. and France on this one. Oh yeah they’re getting ready to bomb Libya.
Maybe the Crazy Rich are Right? Then we’re Screwed!
A Fidelity Investments survey shows that 4 out of 10 rich people, with an average wealth of $3.5 million, say it’s not enough. Maybe they’re right. Most of those surveyed are thinking about being able to retire. They say $7.5 million in assets is required to retire comfortably.
Is this proof of how bad our economy is?
If the rich are saying you need at least $7.5 million to retire, then the rest of us are truly in trouble. In fact why bother continuing to play the rat race game? Why bother with the keeping up with the Joneses game? Why bother throwing a good portion of your income at a 401k retirement plan? It’s clear that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens, even those pumping money into retirement schemes, are never going to hit the magic $7.5 million mark that 42% of rich people say is needed just to retire.
I’m not even Middle Class. My income has steadily been going down since January 2000. Now, my before tax deductions income is less than $20,000 per year. I know people worse off than that.
Is this proof of how bad our economy is? If it is, the rest of us are f**ked!