WikiLeaks Shows Bush in Fantasy World
barak obama hillary clinton george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid
barak obama hillary clinton george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid
November 30, 2010WikiLeaks, the Law, and Common Sense
| |
The country's most powerful opposition movement, the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, acknowledged that its lawmakers may be all but completely swept out of parliament by what it and other called rampant rigging.
That's a significant blow to the group, which held 88 seats, a fifth of the outgoing parliament, and it is widely believed that it was the government goal to drive out its only real rival's lawmakers. The election showed the Brotherhood's limited options after repeated crackdowns in past years, including the arrest of some 1,400 of its activists in the weeks ahead of the vote.
Brotherhood figures admitted they could do little to stop vote rigging, fearing that protests could make their movement appear violent and bring a harsher crackdown amid uncertain political times.
"We were very restrained and were given instructions from up top to be extremely restrained," said Sobhi Saleh, a Muslim Brotherhood candidate in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria. "We want to show the world that we are not thugs, we will not resort to violence."
Sunday's parliamentary vote was overshadowed by a presidential election set for next year, which is clouded in uncertainty because the man who has ruled Egypt for nearly three decades, 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak, has had health issues and underwent surgery earlier this year. Many believe Mubarak is positioning his son, Gamal, to succeed him, but there is widespread public opposition to any "inheritance" of power.
Saleh said the Brotherhood was hoping that over the long term the rigging would discredit the ruling National Democratic Party in the public eye and draw people to the movement.
"We have a vision. There is no doubt we will have a new president in the next two years at least. Either Hosni who is ill, or his son who is disliked,'' he said. "When I lose seats this time, I will gain sympathy on the street. People know these elections were rigged."
A coalition of local and international rights groups Monday reported that the balloting was marred by widespread rigging after the government prevented monitoring. It said opposition candidate representatives and independent monitors who were supposed to be allowed to watch the voting were barred from almost all polling stations around the country, allowing officials to stuff ballot boxes.
In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the United States had "serious concerns about what occurred," though it was still evaluating the situation.
Though official results are not due until Tuesday, candidate supporters around the country took to the streets in anger after hearing word their favorites lost.
In the southern province of Assiut, police fired tear gas at a procession of Muslim Brotherhood supporters armed with sticks who were carrying their candidate Mahmoud Helmi and chanting "Islam is the winner."
But in most other places, it was backers of independent candidates who rioted, or even of ruling party candidates defeated by rivals within the party.
Also in Assiut, supporters of a losing ruling party candidate stormed the ruling party headquarters in Qussia, rampaging and burning the office. Further south in the city of Luxor, protesters set fire to cars and clashed with security forces. Five people were injured and 30 arrested.
Other protests erupted in Egypt's northern Delta region. Around 500 backers of the secular opposition Wafd party clashed with ruling party supporters in Gharbiya, and police fired into the air and shot tear gas to disperse them. Other protesters set fire to two schools used as polling stations in Menoufiya and burned tires outside a station south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, briefly blocking the main highway to Cairo.
In a statement, the High Election Commission dismissed reports of violence or irregularities during the voting, saying that the few incidents it uncovered "did not undermine the electoral process as a whole."
The ruling party secretary-general, Safwat el-Sherif, blamed the Brotherhood for fomenting reports of fraud.
"An outlawed group of people is trying to stifle the positive results of the elections by spreading rumors about the whole process," he said, referring to the Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood's media official, Abdel-Galil el-Sharnoubi, acknowledged that when the results are announced, his movement may end up with almost no seats. He said none of its 130 candidates have so far secured a seat, either losing to the National Democratic Party or facing a Dec. 5 runoff. The Brotherhood website said that so far 27 candidates were going into the second round.
"The elections revealed the real intention of the regime to unilaterally take over the Egyptian political arena," el-Sharnoubi said.
Still, the Brotherhood rank-and-file clearly had the message from its leadership not to enflame the street, with the government highly sensitive ahead of next year's presidential vote.
"We are going through a period which we don't know where it takes us," said Mohammed Abdel-Fattah, a 35-year old lawyer and supporter of the Brotherhood in Cairo. "Any move must be calculated according to the political conditions in the country and the group's rules."
The coalition of rights groups estimated turnout Sunday was only 10 to 15 percent, substantially less than the 25 percent turnout in the 2005. While the government has yet to issue official figures, election commission chief al-Sayyed Abdel-Aziz Omar admitted it was "less than the accepted level."
Before the election, Egypt publicly rebuffed U.S. calls for international election monitors, maintaining that its own civil society groups were adequate to the task. The rights coalition, however, said authorities then largely prevented even local groups from watching.
In 2000 and 2005 voting, independent judges watched the polls, but a 2007 constitutional amendment also removed them.
"We are facing violations that we have not seen in the last two elections, when the stuffing of ballot boxes had stopped because judges were in the polling stations," explained Hafez Abu Saada of the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights. "This year we have gone back to the tradition of marking ballots."
bill clinton newt gingrich sarah palin al sharpton bill oreilly
November 30, 2010The Lessons of Harry ReidBrent Budowsky, The Hill
| |
According to documents released by WikiLeaks quoting U.S. diplomats, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was accused of being \"erratic\" and was criticized for constantly being with a Ukranian nurse who one cable described as \"a voluptuous blonde.\" <\/p>', 'alt': 'Moammar Gadhafi', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'Iranian Nuclear Power Plant', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/372/Iran's Nuclear Power Plant.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Iran's Nuclear Power Plant.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Iran's Nuclear Power Plant.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '504', 'height': '284'}, 'description': '
Iran, whose nuclear exploits led to U.N. sanctions earlier this year, earned copious criticism, but not just from traditional corners. Cables said officials in Jordan and Bahrain have openly called for Iran\'s nuclear program to be stopped by any means possible. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates reportedly referred to Iran as \"evil\" and an \"existential threat.\" <\/p>', 'alt': 'Iran\'s Nuclear Power Plant', 'source':'AP2005'} , {'title': 'Saudi Arabian King Abdullah', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/King Abdullah.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/King Abdullah.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/King Abdullah.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '510', 'height': '287'}, 'description': '
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejahd, left, is seen shaking hands with Saudi Aribian King Abdullah. The cables reported Abdullah urging the United States to attack Iran\'s nuclear program and to \"cut off the head of the snake.\" The cables also reported a source calling Ahmadinejahd \"Hitler.\" Ahmadinejahd reportedly insists that the documents were written by the U.S. government, and that relationships between his neighboring countries will not be affected. <\/p>', 'alt': 'King Abdullah', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'China and the Koreas', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/China and Koreas.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/China and Koreas.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/China and Koreas.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '512', 'height': '288'}, 'description': '
Loaded trucks crossing the Friendship Bridge which connects China and North Korea were lined up Monday as diplomats call for advancement in the efforts to ease tensions between North and South Korea. WikiLeaks reported talks between the U.S. and South Korea that revealed a long term solution after the \"eventual collapse of North Korea.\" North Korea\'s Kim John Il was reportedly called a \"flabby old chap,\" by a U.S. source. <\/p>', 'alt': 'China and Koreas', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/Asif Ali Zardari.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Asif Ali Zardari.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Asif Ali Zardari.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '430', 'height': '242'}, 'description': '
The New York Times reported cables that show U.S. concern over Pakistan\'s nuclear power plants and Saudi Arabian King Abdullah critical of Pakistain\'s President Asif Ali Zardari. Abdullah refers to Zardari as \"the greatest obstacle to Pakistan\'s progress.\" He goes on to say, \"when the head is rotten, it affects the whole body.\" <\/p>', 'alt': 'Asif Ali Zardari', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'German Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Westerwelle', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/372/Merkel Westerwelle.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Merkel Westerwelle.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Merkel Westerwelle.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '419', 'height': '236'}, 'description': '
Germany\'s Chancellor Angela Merkel is reportedly found to be risk aversive, have a lack of creativity and be a \"teflon politician,\" which in this case may not be a bad thing. This particular cable was address to President Barack Oabama days before he met her in March of 2009. The cable also mentions Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and calls him inexperienced, \"a wild card,\" and an unreliable ally. <\/p>', 'alt': 'Merkel Westerwelle', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/372/President Ali Abdullah Saleh.jpeg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/President Ali Abdullah Saleh.jpeg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/President Ali Abdullah Saleh.jpeg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '460', 'height': '259'}, 'description': '
It was revealed in a January 2010 cable that Yemen\'s President Abdullah Saleh told General David Petraus that in reference to the U.S. missile strikes on al-Qaeda targets in Yemen, \"We\'ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours.\" BBC news reports that Deputy Prime Minister Rashad Alimi then joked that he had lied to parliament by telling them that the recent air raids in Arhab, Abyan and Shweba had only be U.S. made, but fired by Yemeni forces. <\/p>', 'alt': 'President Ali Abdullah Saleh', 'source':'Reuters\/Khaled Abdullah '} , {'title': 'Google China Headquarters', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/381/China's Politburo.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/China's Politburo.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/China's Politburo.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '487', 'height': '281'}, 'description': '
Cables from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing reported that China\'s Politburo reportedly directed a cyber intrusion into Google\'s computer systems as part of a \"coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws.\" <\/p>', 'alt': 'China\'s Politburo', 'source':'AP2010'} , {'title': 'President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/Hamid Karzai.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Hamid Karzai.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Hamid Karzai.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '489', 'height': '275'}, 'description': '
The Guardian reported that in one cable, Afghan\'s President Hamid Karzai was described as an \"extremely weak man who did not listen to facts but was instead easily swayed by anyone who came to report even the most bizarre stories or plots against him.\" The cable also reportedly depicts Karzai\'s brother as a corrupt drug trafficker. <\/p>', 'alt': 'Hamid Karzai', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'French President Nicolas Sarkozy', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/Nicolas Sarkozy.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Nicolas Sarkozy.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Nicolas Sarkozy.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '446', 'height': '251'}, 'description': '
The Guardian reported that a cable from the U.S. Embassy in Paris called French President Nicolas Sarkozy \"thin-skinned\" and as having an \"authoritarian personal style,\" citing his habit of repeatedly scolding his team and the French prime minister. <\/p>', 'alt': 'Nicolas Sarkozy', 'source':'AP '} , {'title': 'Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/Putin and Berlusconi.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Putin and Berlusconi.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Putin and Berlusconi.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '425', 'height': '239'}, 'description': '
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were criticized in the documents for their close relationship. While Berlusconi was called, \"feckless, vain and ineffective as a modern European leader,\" and \"physically and politically weak,\" due to his partying habits, Putin was accused of overstepping Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The cable said, Medvedev, \"plays Robin to Putin\'s Batman.\" Berlusconi and Putin\'s exchange of \"lavish gifts,\" was also enough to concern the U.S. embassy who alerted Washington, reported the Guardian. <\/p>', 'alt': 'Putin and Berlusconi', 'source':'AP2008'} , {'title': 'WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange', 'media': {'m': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/660/371/Julian Assange.jpg', 'tm': 'http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Politics/60/60/Julian Assange.jpg'}, 'imgUrl': '/static/managed/img/Politics/Julian Assange.jpg', 'orginalImg': {'width': '507', 'height': '285'}, 'description': '
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks is being accused by lawmakers of putting American lives in danger and breaking down the trust between the Untied States and its allies. Rep. Peter King urged Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to designate WikiLeaks a \"foreign terrorist organization.\" Holder said Monday the U.S. is treating the leaks as a criminal investigation.<\/p>', 'alt': 'Julian Assange', 'source':'AP '} ]}); var relatedsData = ({"items": [ ]}); var slideshowInfo = { title:"WikiLeaks: Afflicting the Comforted or Comforting the Afflicted? ", dek:"
On Sunday WikiLeaks posted more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables that included criticisms of leaders all over the world. The New York Times, the Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and El Pais had access to the documents before they were published and highlighted some excerpts from the cables.<\/p>", date:"November 29, 2010", language:"" };
barak obama hillary clinton george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid
To get to the sea floor a few miles from the blown-out Macondo well, we clamber into a titanium-hulled submarine named Alvin and are gently hoisted off the deck of its mother ship, the Atlantis, into a surprisingly blue and inviting Gulf of Mexico. Mike Skowronski is our pilot.
As we descend, the water turns from bright blue to cobalt, twilight to black. Samantha Joye, a researcher from the University of Georgia, and I press our faces to our tiny windows and watch as glowing animal life streams by.
It's very peaceful.