Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Interview with Osama bin Laden. Denies his Involvement in 9/11
Interview with Osama bin Laden. Denies his Involvement in 9/11
lobal Research Editor's Note
We bring to the attention of our readers the following text of Osama bin Laden's interview with Ummat, a Pakistani daily, published in Karachi on September 28, 2001. It was translated into English by the BBC World Monitoring Service and made public on September 29, 2001.
The authenticity of this interview, which is available in recognized electronic news archives, is confirmed.
Osama bin Laden categorically denies his involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
Bin Laden's statements in this interview are markedly different from those made in the alleged Osama video tapes.
In this interview, Osama bin Laden exhibits an understanding of US foreign policy. He expresses his views regarding the loss of life on 9/11. He also makes statements as to who, in his opinion, might be the likely perpetrator of the September 11 attacks.
This is an important text which has not been brought to the attention of Western public opinion.
We have highlighted key sections of this interview. It is our hope that the text of this interview, published barely a week before the onset of the war on Afghanistan, will contribute to a better understanding of the history of Al Qaeda, the role of Osama bin Laden and the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
Michel Chossudovsky, May 9, 2011
Full text of September 2001 Pakistani paper's "exclusive" interview with Usamah Bin-Ladin
Ummat (in Urdu), Karachi, 28 September 2001, pp. 1 and 7.
Ummat's introduction
Kabul: Prominent Arab mojahed holy warrior Usamah Bin-Ladin has said that he or his al-Qa'idah group has nothing to do with the 11 September suicidal attacks in Washington and New York. He said the US government should find the attackers within the country. In an exclusive interview with daily "Ummat", he said these attacks could be the act of those who are part of the American system and are rebelling against it and working for some other system. Or, Usamah said, this could be the act of those who want to make the current century a century of conflict between Islam and Christianity. Or, the American Jews, who are opposed to President Bush ever since the Florida elections, might be the masterminds of this act. There is also a great possibility of the involvement of US intelligence agencies, which need billions of dollars worth of funds every year. He said there is a government within the government in the United States.
The secret agencies, he said, should be asked as to who are behind the attacks. Usamah said support for attack on Afghanistan was a matter of need for some Muslim countries and compulsion for others. However, he said, he was thankful to the courageous people of Pakistan who erected a bulwark before the wrong forces. He added that the Islamic world was attaching great expectations with Pakistan and, in time of need, "we will protect this bulwark by sacrificing of lives".
Following is the interview in full detail:
Ummat: You have been accused of involvement in the attacks in New York and Washington. What do you want to say about this? If you are not involved, who might be?
Usamah [Osama bin Laden]: In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. Praise be to Allah, Who is the creator of the whole universe and Who made the earth as an abode for peace, for the whole mankind. Allah is the Sustainer, who sent Prophet Muhammad for our guidance. I am thankful to the Ummat Group of Publications, which gave me the opportunity to convey my viewpoint to the people, particularly the valiant and Momin true Muslim people of Pakistan who refused to believe in lie of the demon.
I have already said that I am not involved in the 11 September attacks in the United States. As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing of innocent women, children, and other humans as an appreciable act. Islam strictly forbids causing harm to innocent women, children, and other people.
Such a practice is forbidden ever in the course of a battle. It is the United States, which is perpetrating every maltreatment on women, children, and common people of other faiths, particularly the followers of Islam. All that is going on in Palestine for the last 11 months is sufficient to call the wrath of God upon the United States and Israel.
There is also a warning for those Muslim countries, which witnessed all these as a silent spectator. What had earlier been done to the innocent people of Iraq, Chechnya, and Bosnia?
Only one conclusion could be derived from the indifference of the United States and the West to these acts of terror and the patronage of the tyrants by these powers that America is an anti-Islamic power and it is patronizing the anti-Islamic forces. Its friendship with the Muslim countries is just a show, rather deceit. By enticing or intimidating these countries, the United States is forcing them to play a role of its choice. Put a glance all around and you will see that the slaves of the United States are either rulers or enemies of Muslims .
The US has no friends, nor does it want to keep any because the prerequisite of friendship is to come to the level of the friend or consider him at par with you. America does not want to see anyone equal to it. It expects slavery from others. Therefore, other countries are either its slaves or subordinates.
However, our case is different. We have pledged slavery to God Almighty alone and after this pledge there is no possibility to become the slave of someone else. If we do that, it will be disregardful to both our Sustainer and his fellow beings. Most of the world nations upholding their freedom are the religious ones, which are the enemies of United States, or the latter itself considers them as its enemies. Or the countries, which do not agree to become its slaves, such as China, Iran, Libya, Cuba, Syria, and the former Russia as received .
Whoever committed the act of 11 September are not the friends of the American people. I have already said that we are against the American system, not against its people, whereas in these attacks, the common American people have been killed.
According to my information, the death toll is much higher than what the US government has stated. But the Bush administration does not want the panic to spread. The United States should try to trace the perpetrators of these attacks within itself; the people who are a part of the US system, but are dissenting against it. Or those who are working for some other system; persons who want to make the present century as a century of conflict between Islam and Christianity so that their own civilization, nation, country, or ideology could survive. They can be any one, from Russia to Israel and from India to Serbia. In the US itself, there are dozens of well-organized and well-equipped groups, which are capable of causing a large-scale destruction. Then you cannot forget the American Jews, who are annoyed with President Bush ever since the elections in Florida and want to avenge him.
Then there are intelligence agencies in the US, which require billions of dollars worth of funds from the Congress and the government every year. This funding issue was not a big problem till the existence of the former Soviet Union but after that the budget of these agencies has been in danger.
They needed an enemy. So, they first started propaganda against Usamah and Taleban and then this incident happened. You see, the Bush administration approved a budget of 40bn dollars. Where will this huge amount go? It will be provided to the same agencies, which need huge funds and want to exert their importance.
Now they will spend the money for their expansion and for increasing their importance. I will give you an example. Drug smugglers from all over the world are in contact with the US secret agencies. These agencies do not want to eradicate narcotics cultivation and trafficking because their importance will be diminished. The people in the US Drug Enforcement Department are encouraging drug trade so that they could show performance and get millions of dollars worth of budget. General Noriega was made a drug baron by the CIA and, in need, he was made a scapegoat. In the same way, whether it is President Bush or any other US president, they cannot bring Israel to justice for its human rights abuses or to hold it accountable for such crimes. What is this? Is it not that there exists a government within the government in the United Sates? That secret government must be asked as to who made the attacks.
Ummat: A number of world countries have joined the call of the United States for launching an attack on Afghanistan. These also include a number of Muslim countries. Will Al-Qa'idah declare a jihad against these countries as well?
Usamah: I must say that my duty is just to awaken the Muslims; to tell them as to what is good for them and what is not. What does Islam says and what the enemies of Islam want?
Al-Qa'idah was set up to wage a jihad against infidelity, particularly to encounter the onslaught of the infidel countries against the Islamic states. Jihad is the sixth undeclared element of Islam. The first five being the basic holy words of Islam, prayers, fast, pilgrimage to Mecca, and giving alms Every anti-Islamic person is afraid of it. Al-Qa'idah wants to keep this element alive and active and make it part of the daily life of the Muslims. It wants to give it the status of worship. We are not against any Islamic country nor we consider a war against an Islamic country as jihad.
We are in favour of armed jihad only against those infidel countries, which are killing innocent Muslim men, women, and children just because they are Muslims. Supporting the US act is the need of some Muslim countries and the compulsion of others. However, they should think as to what will remain of their religious and moral position if they support the attack of the Christians and the Jews on a Muslim country like Afghanistan. The orders of Islamic shari'ah jurisprudence for such individuals, organizations, and countries are clear and all the scholars of the Muslim brotherhood are unanimous on them. We will do the same, which is being ordered by the Amir ol-Momenin the commander of the faithful Mola Omar and the Islamic scholars. The hearts of the people of Muslim countries are beating with the call of jihad. We are grateful to them.
Ummat: The losses caused in the attacks in New York and Washington have proved that giving an economic blow to the US is not too difficult. US experts admit that a few more such attacks can bring down the American economy. Why is al-Qa'idah not targeting their economic pillars?
Usamah: I have already said that we are not hostile to the United States. We are against the system, which makes other nations slaves of the United States, or forces them to mortgage their political and economic freedom. This system is totally in control of the American Jews, whose first priority is Israel, not the United States. It is simply that the American people are themselves the slaves of the Jews and are forced to live according to the principles and laws laid by them. So, the punishment should reach Israel. In fact, it is Israel, which is giving a blood bath to innocent Muslims and the US is not uttering a single word.
Ummat: Why is harm not caused to the enemies of Islam through other means, apart from the armed struggle? For instance, inciting the Muslims to boycott Western products, banks, shipping lines, and TV channels.
Usamah: The first thing is that Western products could only be boycotted when the Muslim fraternity is fully awakened and organized. Secondly, the Muslim companies should become self-sufficient in producing goods equal to the products of Western companies. Economic boycott of the West is not possible unless economic self-sufficiency is attained and substitute products are brought out. You see that wealth is scattered all across the Muslim world but not a single TV channel has been acquired which can preach Islamic injunctions according to modern requirements and attain an international influence. Muslim traders and philanthropists should make it a point that if the weapon of public opinion is to be used, it is to be kept in the hand. Today's world is of public opinion and the fates of nations are determined through its pressure. Once the tools for building public opinion are obtained, everything that you asked for can be done.
Ummat: The entire propaganda about your struggle has so far been made by the Western media. But no information is being received from your sources about the network of Al-Qa'idah and its jihadi successes. Would you comment?
Usamah: In fact, the Western media is left with nothing else. It has no other theme to survive for a long time. Then we have many other things to do. The struggle for jihad and the successes are for the sake of Allah and not to annoy His bondsmen. Our silence is our real propaganda. Rejections, explanations, or corrigendum only waste your time and through them, the enemy wants you to engage in things which are not of use to you. These things are pulling you away from your cause.
The Western media is unleashing such a baseless propaganda, which make us surprise but it reflects on what is in their hearts and gradually they themselves become captive of this propaganda. They become afraid of it and begin to cause harm to themselves. Terror is the most dreaded weapon in modern age and the Western media is mercilessly using it against its own people. It can add fear and helplessness in the psyche of the people of Europe and the United States. It means that what the enemies of the United States cannot do, its media is doing that. You can understand as to what will be the performance of the nation in a war, which suffers from fear and helplessness.
Ummat: What will the impact of the freeze of al-Qa'idah accounts by the US?
Usamah: God opens up ways for those who work for Him. Freezing of accounts will not make any difference for Al-Qa'idah or other jihad groups. With the grace of Allah, al-Qa'idah has more than three such alternative financial systems, which are all separate and totally independent from each other. This system is operating under the patronage of those who love jihad. What to say of the United States, even the combined world cannot budge these people from their path.
These people are not in hundreds but in thousands and millions. Al-Qa'idah comprises of such modern educated youths who are aware of the cracks inside the Western financial system as they are aware of the lines in their hands. These are the very flaws of the Western fiscal system, which are becoming a noose for it and this system could not recuperate in spite of the passage of so many days.
Ummat: Are there other safe areas other than Afghanistan, where you can continue jihad?
Usamah: There are areas in all parts of the world where strong jihadi forces are present, from Indonesia to Algeria, from Kabul to Chechnya, from Bosnia to Sudan, and from Burma to Kashmir. Then it is not the problem of my person. I am helpless fellowman of God, constantly in the fear of my accountability before God. It is not the question of Usamah but of Islam and, in Islam too, of jihad. Thanks to God, those waging a jihad can walk today with their heads raised. Jihad was still present when there was no Usamah and it will remain as such even when Usamah is no longer there. Allah opens up ways and creates loves in the hearts of people for those who walk on the path of Allah with their lives, property, and children. Believe it, through jihad, a man gets everything he desires. And the biggest desire of a Muslim is the after life. Martyrdom is the shortest way of attaining an eternal life.
Ummat: What do you say about the Pakistan government policy on Afghanistan attack?
Usamah: We are thankful to the Momin and valiant people of Pakistan who erected a blockade in front of the wrong forces and stood in the first file of battle. Pakistan is a great hope for the Islamic brotherhood. Its people are awakened, organized, and rich in the spirit of faith. They backed Afghanistan in its war against the Soviet Union and extended every help to the mojahedin and the Afghan people. Then these are very Pakistanis who are standing shoulder by shoulder with the Taleban. If such people emerge in just two countries, the domination of the West will diminish in a matter of days. Our hearts beat with Pakistan and, God forbid, if a difficult time comes we will protect it with our blood. Pakistan is sacred for us like a place of worship. We are the people of jihad and fighting for the defence of Pakistan is the best of all jihads to us. It does not matter for us as to who rules Pakistan. The important thing is that the spirit of jihad is alive and stronger in the hearts of the Pakistani people.
Copyright Ummat in Urdu, BBC translation in English, 2001
Irish Bombshell: Government Raids PRIVATE Pensions To Pay For Spending
Irish Bombshell: Government Raids PRIVATE Pensions To Pay For Spending
Joe Weisenthal and Gregory White
Business Insider
May 11, 2011
The Irish government plans to institute a tax on private pensions to drive jobs growth, according to its jobs program strategy, delivered today.
Without the ability sell debt due to soaring interest rates, and with severe spending rules in place due to its EU-IMF bailout, Ireland has few ways of spending to stimulate the economy. Today’s jobs program includes specific tax increases, including the tax on pensions, aimed at keeping government jobs spending from adding to the national debt.
The tax on private pensions will be 0.6%, and last for four years, according to the report.
From the jobs initiative release:
The various tax reduction and additional expenditure measures which I am announcing today will be funded by way of a temporary levy on funded pension schemes and personal pension plans. I propose that the levy will apply at a rate of 0.6% to the capital value of assets under management in pension funds established in the State.
It will apply for a period of 4 years commencing this year and is intended to raise about €470 million in each of those years. The levy will not apply to pension funds established here and providing services and benefits solely to non-resident employers and members. Further details regarding the proposed application of the levy are set out in the Summary of Initiative Measures.
UN chief calls for ceasefire in Libya
UN chief calls for ceasefire in Libya - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, has called for an "immediate, verifiable ceasefire'' in Libya and urged government forces to stop attacking civilians.
Ban said on Wednesday there must also be unimpeded access for humanitarian workers trying to deliver aid to those affected by the fighting.
"First and foremost there should be an end to the fighting in Misurata and elsewhere. Then we will be able to provide humanitarian assistance and in parallel we can continue our political dialogue," Ban said.
Ban's comments followed a call from Valerie Amos, the UN humanitarian chief, for a pause in hostilities to allow food, water, medical supplies and other aid to be delivered to needy populations.
Meanwhile, NATO said a renewed bombing campaign against Tripoli was not targeting Muammar Gaddafi personally, as explosions rocked the Libyan capital once again overnight.
Explosions could be heard in eastern Tripoli for almost an hour early on Wednesday morning as jets flew overhead, a witness told the AFP news agency.
The explosions began about 7:30 am (0530 GMT) and continued sporadically until 8:15 am (0615 GMT), the witness said. On Tuesday, NATO launched strikes in Tripoli on targets that appeared to include Gaddafi's compound, witnesses said.
"All NATO targets are military targets, which means that the targets we've been hitting, and it happened also last night in Tripoli, are command and control bunkers," Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini, chief operations officer of NATO's Libya mission told reporters.
The Five Dancing Israelis Arrested on 9-11
9-11 Attacks: The Five Dancing Israelis Arrested on 9-11
A Mossad surveillance team made quite a public spectacle of themselves on 9-11.
Police received several calls from angry New Jersey residents claiming "middle-eastern" men with a white van were videotaping the disaster with shouts of joy and mockery. (2) "They were like happy, you know … They didn't look shocked to me" said a witness. (3)
Witnesses saw them jumping for joy in Liberty State Park after the initial impact (5). Later on, other witnesses saw them celebrating on a roof in Weehawken, and still more witnesses later saw them celebrating with high fives in a Jersey City parking lot. (6) | ||
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One anonymous phone call to the authorities actually led them to close down all of New York's bridges and tunnels. The mystery caller told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that a group of Palestinians were mixing a bomb inside of a white van headed for the Holland Tunnel. Here's the transcript from NBC News:
(*Writer's note: Why would this mystery caller specifically say that these "Arabs" were Palestinians? How would he know that? Palestinians usually dress in western style clothes, not "sheikh uniforms") |
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION PROGRAM:
digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1681&context=pelr
A Review of Compensated Cases of VaccineInduced Brain Injury
MARY HOLLAND, LOUIS CONTE, ROBERT KRAKOW AND LISA COLIN*
INTRODUCTION
Is the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (“VICP”) of
the U.S. Court of Federal Claims a fair forum? This is not a
trivial question as it is the only forum in which parents may
bring claims for vaccine injury to their children. Under the 1986
National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (“1986 Law”), Congress
created an administrative forum that it meant to ensure simple
justice for children; it gave the VICP original jurisdiction for all
vaccine injury claims.
1
Because almost all U.S. children must
End-of-life healthcare – a model for the 'big society'
End-of-life healthcare – a model for the 'big society' | Thomas-Hughes Hallett | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
End-of-life healthcare could offer a useful model for David Cameron, centre, and Andrew Lansley, right, here visiting Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey with Nick Clegg. Photograph: Pool/Reuters
Is there a perfect example of the "big society" already in existence? The prime minister wants this to be his legacy. As a nation, we are so fortunate to have a perfect working example in every community in Britain – end-of-life care. I would encourage David Cameron to invest in and celebrate this great example of a model for government and society.
I am the chief executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care, the only national charity that provides nursing care in people's homes when they are dying, working in close partnership with district nurses, hospitals, GP surgeries, and the many wonderful independent hospices. I know how a little charitable money, mixed with good partnership with the NHS locally and supported by dedicated volunteers can make a huge difference to people's lives.
Last winter, I was asked by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, to lead an independent review with Sir Alan Craft into the funding of end-of-life care for children and adults. A daunting task but, through months of evidence gathering all over England, Alan and I have heard at first hand how when state and society come together in partnership, so much can be achieved for patients and families and precious funds used more efficiently in the NHS.
The prime minister has asked for a pause in the passage of the health white paper so that he can listen and learn. Most are running around criticising, so here are my constructive suggestions for him and Lansley which, if incorporated, will lead to better care for patients and families.
'Two-party monopoly gripping US politics'
PressTV - 'Two-party monopoly gripping US politics'
In an interview with Press TV, Mike Gravel, former US Senator and presidential candidate, elaborates on US public sentiment which favors a third-party political system in the upcoming 2012 presidential elections.
Press TV: How do you see an end to this two-party electoral system in the United States? Is this good news coming out of this poll?
Gravel: It's good news in the fact that it's accurate; that there'll be any change, I think it's fairly remote.
If you had another party that rose to the level of the Democratic or Republican parties, it would become just as corrupt. The party system is something that does not operate in the slightest favor for the average Americans.
The founders thought parties -- which they called factions -- was very damaging to government if they came about. And, of course, they came about in the first term of George Washington's presidency.
The difficulty is that the structure, or the need for change, is beyond the two-party system. It needs to be directed with the American people.
Press TV: We've heard the name Ralph Nader for many years, and we've also now heard of the Tea Party. Is that the way that this is leading or do Americans want a third independent party that is, altogether, different than what the status quo has been for many years?
Gravel: No, we have some good third parties: the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Independent Party.
The problem is that the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly on the electoral process that holds this through law. In fact, they use government monies to enhance their parties in question.
Nader ran as an independent and couldn't even get off the ground and couldn't get an exchange between the various parties. I eventually ran as a Libertarian; but the Libertarian candidate of that year didn't get anywhere.
Again, the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly. This is detrimental to securing the public interest.
But there's not too much people can do about it other than respond to a poll expressing their dissatisfaction.
he US Democrats' and Republicans' failure to tackle economic problems, and the waging of wars in the Middle East open the option for a third-party candidate in the 2012 elections.
In an interview with Press TV, Mike Gravel, former US Senator and presidential candidate, elaborates on US public sentiment which favors a third-party political system in the upcoming 2012 presidential elections.
Press TV: How do you see an end to this two-party electoral system in the United States? Is this good news coming out of this poll?
Gravel: It's good news in the fact that it's accurate; that there'll be any change, I think it's fairly remote.
If you had another party that rose to the level of the Democratic or Republican parties, it would become just as corrupt. The party system is something that does not operate in the slightest favor for the average Americans.
The founders thought parties -- which they called factions -- was very damaging to government if they came about. And, of course, they came about in the first term of George Washington's presidency.
The difficulty is that the structure, or the need for change, is beyond the two-party system. It needs to be directed with the American people.
Press TV: We've heard the name Ralph Nader for many years, and we've also now heard of the Tea Party. Is that the way that this is leading or do Americans want a third independent party that is, altogether, different than what the status quo has been for many years?
Gravel: No, we have some good third parties: the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Independent Party.
The problem is that the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly on the electoral process that holds this through law. In fact, they use government monies to enhance their parties in question.
Nader ran as an independent and couldn't even get off the ground and couldn't get an exchange between the various parties. I eventually ran as a Libertarian; but the Libertarian candidate of that year didn't get anywhere.
Again, the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly. This is detrimental to securing the public interest.
But there's not too much people can do about it other than respond to a poll expressing their dissatisfaction.
Kentucky Derby Runner-Up Jockey Found Dead at Churchill Downs
Kentucky Derby Runner-Up Jockey Found Dead at Churchill Downs - FoxNews.com
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/05/11/kentucky-derby-runner-jockey-dead-churchill-downs/#ixzz1M2xX8db5
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A 24-year-old jockey who rode this year's Kentucky Derby second-place finisher to his only win was found dead in his vehicle Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
Michael Baze of Glendora, Calif., was pronounced dead at 4:47 p.m. EDT in his vehicle parked in the stable area of the track, Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley said.
There were no signs of foul play and the case was being treated as a death investigation, Louisville police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said. An autopsy was planned.
Baze was a cousin of Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, the all-time leading rider in thoroughbred racing, and son of retired jockey Mike Baze, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said. An uncle and another cousin are also riders, Asher said.
"Somebody coming out of that family, it always gets your attention when you see the Baze name," Asher said.
Michael Baze rode Nehro to a win Feb. 21 at Oaklawn. He was scheduled on at least one mount on Thursday at Churchill Downs, Asher said.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/05/11/kentucky-derby-runner-jockey-dead-churchill-downs/#ixzz1M2xX8db5
Bahrain Expels Reuters Correspondent Amid Criticism
Middle East Crisis - Bahrain Expels Reuters Correspondent Amid Criticism - CNBC
Yousef Gamal El-Din
CNBC Anchor
The Reuters correspondent in Bahrain, Frederik Richter, has been asked to leave the country amid what critics say are steps to stifle free reporting in the kingdom.
A story filed by the news agency said Richter had been based in the capital Manama since 2008; officials have complained about the quality of Reuters' coverage, saying it had “lacked balance in its reporting during the recent crackdown on pro-democracy”.
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Noah Seelam | AFP | Getty Images Young Indian Muslims pose with placards during a protest rally against the ongoing political turmoil in Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen. |
In a statement, Reuters' editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said the organization regretted the decision.
"We stand by Frederik Richter's reporting and we will continue to provide comprehensive and unbiased coverage from the country," Adler said.
A source close to the situation told CNBC that Richter was told of the decision at a "brief and friendly" meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information.
“They said they were upset with the article about the Crown Prince last week,” the source said.
The piece described how, in addition to Bahrain's business-friendly reputation, the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa could be another casualty of the protests, as he was “seen as more reform-minded than others in the ruling family.”
It added that it “puts at stake efforts to liberalize Bahrain's economy and attract global businesses.”
Series of Attacks
It appears not to have been the first time that government officials formally express their disapproval of Reuters’ coverage in the country.
Reuters said it was not closing down operations in Manama and would accredit somebody else.
Yousef Gamal El-Din
CNBC Anchor
Bahrain has been hit by unrest as its majority Shiite population called for political reform and more equal rights. The ruling royal family, from the Sunni minority, has crushed the protests and received support of forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Mohamed Abdel Dayem, of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told Reuters in a telephone interview about a series of attacks on journalists.
He said they "all amount to the same thing, which is clearing international journalists out of the country, or restricting their activities to the point where they can't cover the news." CNBC’s source said the recent move "is part of a wider crackdown on journalists. You can even see it with the local press”.
The number of detained journalists remains unclear. Dyam pointed out to Reuters that Karim Fakhrawi, the founder of the opposition daily al-Wasat, and blogger Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri have died in what he called suspicious circumstances.
“They continue to prevent international journalists from entering the country”, the source told CNBC.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on its Web site: "the problems for those who defend media freedom continue to be extremely worrying in Bahrain." Meanwhile, observers remain skeptical about the announcement by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa that he has ordered the state of emergency to be lifted from June 1.
It would just be two days before the deadline set by Formula One organizers for a possible decision on rescheduling the season-opening race that was ultimately called off as a result of the turmoil.
© 2011 CNBC.com
Barack Obama Is Wrong: 18 Facts Which Prove That Illegal Immigration Is An Absolute Nightmare For The U.S. Economy
Barack Obama Is Wrong: 18 Facts Which Prove That Illegal Immigration Is An Absolute Nightmare For The U.S. Economy
The following are 18 facts which prove that illegal immigration is an absolute nightmare for the U.S. economy....
#1 Illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens. According to a review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data, legal and illegal immigrants gained over a million additional jobs between 2008 and 2010 even as millions of American citizens were losing their jobs during that same time period.
#2 The majority of our immigrants now sneak in through the "back door" that the federal government purposely leaves open. Thanks to the negligence of the federal government, far more people move into the United States illegallythan come in through the legal immigration process. This has got to change.
#3 Illegal immigrants generally don't pay taxes. The vast majority of illegal aliens would never even dream of paying income taxes, but Mexicans living in America send billions upon billions of dollars out of the United States and back to Mexico every single year.
#4 Although illegal aliens pay next to nothing in taxes, they have no problem receiving tens of billions of dollars worth of free education benefits, free health care benefits, free housing assistance and free food stamp benefits. Many communities in the United States now openly advertise that they will help illegal aliens with these things.
#5 The cost of educating the children of illegal immigrants is staggering. It is estimated that U.S. taxpayers spend $12,000,000,000 a year on primary and secondary school education for the children of illegal immigrants.
#6 Thanks to illegal immigration, California's overstretched health care systemis on the verge of collapse. Dozens of California hospitals and emergency rooms have shut down over the last decade because they could not afford to stay open after being endlessly swamped by illegal immigrants who were simply not able to pay for the services that they were receiving. As a result, the remainder of the health care system in the state of California is now beyond overloaded. This had led to brutally long waits, diverted ambulances and even unnecessary patient deaths. Sadly, the state of California now ranks dead lastout of all 50 states in the number of emergency rooms per million people.
#7 It was estimated that there were approximately 7.7 million illegal aliensemployed by U.S. employers during 2008. How much better would our economy look if all of those jobs were being filled by American workers?
#8 The region along the U.S./Mexico border is now an open war zone. Just across the U.S. border, the city of Juarez, Mexico is considered to be one of the most dangerous cities on the entire planet because of the brutal drug war being waged there. In fact, Juarez has now become the murder capital of the western hemisphere. Much of that violence has begun to spill over into areas of the southwestern United States.
For example, a while back NPR described one incident in the Juarez Valley that involved American citizens....
A couple of weeks ago, gunmen in the Juarez Valley killed the Mexican relative of a Fort Hancock high school student. When the student's family in Fort Hancock heard about it, they crossed the border at 10 a.m. to see the body, and took the student with them.
"By 10:30, they had stabbed the relatives that went with him, which included his grandparents, with an ice pick," says school superintendent Jose Franco. "My understanding is that the gentleman is like 90 years old, and they poked his eyes out with an ice pick. I believe those people are still in intensive care here in a hospital in the U.S."
#9 A substantial percentage of young illegal immigrants end up in gangs. U.S. authorities say that there are now over 1 million members of criminal gangs operating inside the United States. According to federal statistics, these 1 million gang members are responsible for up to 80% of the violent crimes committed in the U.S. each year. Latino gangs made up primarily of illegal aliens are responsible for much of this violence.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, some of the most notorious gangs in the country are made up almost entirely of illegal immigrants....
"Gang investigators in Virginia estimate that 90% of the members of MS-13, the most notorious immigrant gang, are illegal immigrants."
#10 The "18th Street Gang" is certainly giving MS-13 a run for their money. It is believed that the 18th Street Gang has thousands of members in the city of Los Angeles alone. In fact, the gang has become so notorious that there are even rumors that some police officers in Los Angeles simply will not venture into the areas most heavily controlled by the 18th Street gang.
The following is what Wikipedia says about the 18th Street Gang....
A US Justice Department report from 2009 estimates that the 18th Street gang has a membership of some 30,000 to 50,000 with 80% of them being illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America and is active in 44 cities in 20 states. Its main source of income is street-level distribution of cocaine and marijuana and, to a lesser extent, heroin and methamphetamine. Gang members also commit assault, auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, extortion, homicide, identification fraud, and robbery.
#11 The "drug war" in northern Mexico is one gigantic bloodbath. The Mexican government says that as many as 28,000 people have been slaughtered by the drug cartels since 2007. A very significant percentage of those deaths have happened in areas right along the U.S. border, and yet our federal government still sees no reason to get serious about border security.
#12 It is an open secret that Mexican drug cartels are openly conducting military operations inside the United States. The handful of border patrol agents that we have guarding the border are massively outgunned and outmanned.
One agent who patrols the border and who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News the following....
"To say that this area is out of control is an understatement."
A different federal agent put it this way in an email to Fox News....
"Every night we’re getting beaten like a pinata at a birthday party by drug, alien smugglers."
#13 Federal border officials say that Mexican drug cartels have not only set up shop on U.S. soil, but they are actually maintaining lookout bases in strategic locations in the hills of southern Arizona. If you go to Arizona today, there are actually signs that have been put up by the federal government warning American citizens not to venture into certain wilderness routes that are used by Mexican drug cartels to bring in drugs.
#14 The drug war being waged on both sides of the border is so violent that it is almost unimaginable. For example, one very prominent Mexican assassin known as "the soupmaker" has confessed that he made approximately 300 bodies disappear by dissolving them in acid baths. But right now there is essentially nothing that is preventing the next "soupmaker" from crossing the U.S. border and moving into your neighborhood.
#15 Arizona police are being openly warned by the Mexican drug cartels that if they try to interfere with the drug traffic in their area that they will be "taken out" by drug cartel snipers.
#16 While the U.S. military endlessly hunts for "members of al-Qaeda" in the caves of Afghanistan and on the streets of Iraqi cities, a very real threat has been building just south of the border. Over the past 15 to 20 years, Hezbollah has set up operations all over Mexico, Central America and South America. Hezbollah is reportedly making a lot of money in the drug trade and in trafficking illegal aliens. Sadly, our government is largely ignoring this.
#17 Each year, it costs the states billions of dollars to incarcerate illegal immigrant criminals that should have never been allowed into the country in the first place. It is estimated that illegal aliens make up approximately 30 percent of the population in federal, state and local prisons and that the total cost of incarcerating them is more than $1.6 billion annually.
#18 The drug cartels and the gangs always seem to be a couple steps ahead of our agents along the border. Approximately 75 tunnels along the U.S. border with Mexico have been discovered by law enforcement authorities in the last four years alone.
Osama bin Laden son 'disappeared during compound raid'
Osama bin Laden son 'disappeared during compound raid' - Telegraph
Pakistani security officials believe a member of the bin Laden household has disappeared since the raid, further deepening the confusion about who was killed.
It is understood that three of bin Laden’s widows, currently in Pakistani custody, have told interrogators that one son has not been seen since the operation.
The fresh details raise fears that the al-Qaeda leader’s youngest son and closest confidant, Hamza, may have escaped capture.
The White House initially claimed that Hamza, 20, had been killed at the house in Abbottabad, about 30 miles from Islamabad. Officials later said his 22-year-old brother Khalid had been killed instead.
Psychopharmaceuticals: Pills set to make you WANT to exercise more and eat less
Psychopharmaceuticals: Pills set to make you WANT to exercise more and eat less | Mail 
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1384904/Psychopharmaceuticals-Pills-set-make-WANT-exercise-eat-less.html#ixzz1M2f7QdJZ
Last updated at 7:46 AM on 9th May 2011
Science fiction writers have often imagined a world where pop pill to cure or curb a range of ills.
But, according to a new book The Compass Of Pleasure, that futuristic world may not be far off.
The book, by Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist David J. Linden, explores the search for drugs that may alter behaviour by working on the brain.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1384904/Psychopharmaceuticals-Pills-set-make-WANT-exercise-eat-less.html#ixzz1M2f7QdJZ
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