The cynic in me says every time the colour coded alert gets redder that there must be an election somewhere. (Ah yes the mid term elections). Homeland security has indicated that stadiums may be a target. Apart from increasing anxiety, people will still go to these games. There's a lot of anxiety right now. Many people feel as though a devastating terror attack could be attempted again.
Bush also signed a controversial anti-terrorism law legalising secret CIA prisons and allowing the use of harsh interrogation practices (torture) and military trials against terror suspects. There goes habeus corpus and the magna carta.
This week North Korea threatened a 2nd nuke test. Actions against North Korea thus far have consisted mainly of strong words and a ban on some exports to North Korea, such as luxuries. Condie Rice is in talks with China & South Korea discussing appropriate sanctions.
Meanwhile Venezuela continues to try to push its bid for the Latin American seat on the UN Security Council versus front runner Guatemala. I liked Chavez right up till the point he said Bush was the devil at the UN. (If Bush turns out to be the third antichrist then I'll apologize but I thought Hugo alienated himself with his comments at the UN.) He lost credibility and appeared very unstatesmanlike. (But he did do a good sell job for another great Noam Chomsky book.) Guatemela will win, Chavez will use OPEC more to push Venezuelan interests.
In American politics the Mark Foley scandal still threatens many Republicans associated. The Democrats as a party are increasing in popularity. The scandal is starting to fade perhaps because Mark Foley has seemingly disappeared from the planet, only to reappear in front of a Catholic Church in a press conference to find the priest who abused him... Mark Foley hasn't admitted or said sorry yet for anything. Mark Foley doesn't have a lot of class. Republicans are trying to refocus the campaign on other issues: war on terror, local issues etc - the GOP is going to spend record money in several key states. I wish we had Tivo in Canada so I could skip those nasty US campaign commercials.
A Lancet Journal report deemed "not credible" by the US administration claims over 600,000 civilians killed since the US invaded Iraq. (The study was done by analyzing increases in morgue volume & funerals in and around Baghdad.) The US army estimates around 50,000 civilians have died. History shows the official estimate during war is often quite deflated.
Iran is still stirring up the nuclear anxiety. UN envoys are writing a resolution that will include sanctions against Iran and call for a return to a weapons inpection regime. Russia and China are trying last minute diplomacy to avoid escalating the showdown. Iran's nuclear negotiater said: if the Europeans give into US pressure, the situation will radicalise in such a way that Iran will suffer the least and the West will suffer the most," adding sanctions would "accentuate the regional crisis"(read the Shia revolution under way in Iraq, etc.)
The US isknown to be pushing for regime change in Iran. Who knows maybe another civil war?
What about Israel. Some Israeli analysts think they knocked out Hizbollah's offensive capabilities during Israeli attacks in Lebanon. As the Hamas controlled Gaza strip desends into further chaos and division, under sanctions and a military siege, Isreal threatens another military offensive.
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