The Japanese government is telling people not to eat any leafy vegetables, not just spinach, from Fukushima prefecture. They also say turnips area no go as well. One leafy vegetable has 150 times the safe limit of radiation.
Also, shipments of parsley and milk from Ibaraki prefecture, have been halted.
The ban on shipment applies to products that have not been sent to markets.
The eating ban applies to products that have already hit the markets.
Several Prefectures reporting aftershocks of 3 to 6 on the Japanese quake scale.
At least 5 prefectures were mentioned, including Fukushima, Miyagi, Ibaraki and Tokai.
People in Fukushima say two quakes hit, and they were sharp upward jolts. In another prefecture they reported an upward jolt. In yet another prefecture a sideways jolt followed by an upward jolt.
In another prefecture the recently restored rail service was shut down.
Aftershocks felt all over Honshu today.
TEPCO Executive Vice President Norio Tsuzumi, apologized to peole who have been evacuated because of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster: ”We are sorry to have caused you too much trouble.”
There are rumors that the elusive CEO of TEPCO, has taken responsibility for the nuclear disaster.
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)!
“We have exported a 1,000-ton cargo of gasoline to Afghanistan this (Iranian year), and we are amidst negotiations to export the second and third cargoes to the country,”-Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Alireza Zeiqami
Ironically, Iran’s refined gas industry has gotten a boost from U.S. and European economic sanctions. So much so that Iran is negotiating new contracts with surrounding countries.
The latest sanctions against Iran forbids companies from selling refined gas to Iran. As a result Iran increased its own fuel refining, and found out that its neighbors, like Afghanistan, wanted to buy it.
Iranian Oil Minister Massoud Mir-Kazzemi said their fuel refining has increased so much that that Iran no longer needs foreign imports. So much for sanctions.
By the way, does anyone like the idea that were throwing billions of U.S. dollars down the drain in Afghanistan, while other countries make money off Afghanistan? Where did Afghanistan get the money to buy the Iranian gas?
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.”
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.
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.