Based on the photograph, this chopper appears to be of the Cobra/Mangusta size, as opposed to the far larger Apache/Havoc size.
Given that the volume of avionics required for their function has shrunk since the AH-64 hit the scene over 30 years ago, the larger, and more expensive helos don’t make as much sense.
This is a followup to my earlier post on this matter.
B-52 Nukes Headed for Iran: Air Force refused to fly weapons to Middle East theater
By Wayne Madsen
Sept. 24, 2007
Author’s websiteWMR has learned from U.S. and foreign intelligence sources that the B-52 transporting six stealth AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missiles, each armed with a W-80-1 nuclear warhead, on August 30, were destined for the Middle East via Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
However, elements of the Air Force, supported by U.S. intelligence agency personnel, successfully revealed the ultimate destination of the nuclear weapons and the mission was aborted due to internal opposition within the Air Force and U.S. Intelligence Community.
…
A quick google of Wayne Madsen seems to indicate that he’s a bit out there, so if anyone can provide me information as to his reliability, it would be appreciated.
This press release is important because new flu strains begin in birds, particularly waterfowl, that tend to swim in, and eat from bodies of water where this might accumulate, and hence lead to the development of drug resistant strains of bird flu.
Contact: Jerker Fick
jerker.fick@chem.umu.se
46-480-446-225
Public Library of Science
Tamiflu survives sewage treatmentSwedish researchers have discovered that oseltamivir (Tamiflu); an antiviral drug used to prevent and mitigate influenza infections is not removed or degraded during normal sewage treatment. Consequently, in countries where Tamiflu is used at a high frequency, there is a risk that its concentration in natural waters can reach levels where influenza viruses in nature will develop resistance to it. Widespread resistance of viruses in nature to Tamiflu increases the risk that influenza viruses infecting humans will become resistant to one of the few medicines currently available for treating influenza.
”Antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu must be used with care and only when the medical situation justifies it,” advises Björn Olsen, Professor of Infectious Diseases with the Uppsala University and the University of Kalmar. “Otherwise there is a risk that they will be ineffective when most needed, such as during the next influenza pandemic.”
The Swedish research group demonstrated that oseltamivir, the active substance in Tamiflu, passes virtually unchanged through sewage treatment.
“That this substance is so difficult to break down means that it goes right through sewage treatment and out into surrounding waters,” says Jerker Fick, Doctor in Chemistry at Umeå University and the leader of this study.
The Swedish research group also revealed that the level of oseltamivir discharged through sewage outlets in certain countries may be so high that influenza viruses in nature can potentially develop resistance to the drug.
“Use of Tamiflu is low in most countries, but there are some exceptions such as Japan, where a third of all influenza patients are treated with Tamiflu,” explains Jerker Fick.
Influenza viruses are common among waterfowl, especially dabbling ducks such as mallards. These ducks often forage for food in water near sewage outlets. Here they can potentially encounter oseltamivir in concentrations high enough to develop resistance in the viruses they carry.
“The biggest threat is that resistance will become common among low pathogenic influenza viruses carried by wild ducks.” adds Björn Olsen. These viruses could then recombinate with viruses that make humans sick to create new viruses that are resistant to the antiviral drugs currently available.
The Swedish researchers advise that this problem must be taken seriously so that humanity’s future health will not be endangered by too frequent and unnecessary prescription of the drug today.
###Disclaimer
This press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS ONE. The release has been provided by the article authors and/or their institutions. Any opinions expressed in this are the personal views of the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLoS. PLoS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the release and article and your use of such information.
Their study was published in the high-ranked journal PLoS ONE. The entire article is available free online, and can be read at the following address: http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0000986
Citation: Fick J, Lindberg RH, Tysklind M, Haemig PD, Waldenstro¨m J, et al (2007) Antiviral Oseltamivir Is not Removed or Degraded in Normal Sewage Water Treatment: Implications for Development of Resistance by Influenza A Virus. PLoS ONE 2(10): e986. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000986
PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL live from October 2): http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0000986
As you are no doubt aware, Senator Larry Craig has not resigned on September 30 as he said he would, so they are threating public ethics hearings on his behavior.
My guess is that Craig is putting Senator David Vitter on his witness list.
Pass the popcorn.
This is scary.
I hate all Iranians, US aide tells MPs
By SIMON WALTERSBritsh MPs visiting the Pentagon to discuss America’s stance on Iran and Iraq were shocked to be told by one of President Bush’s senior women officials: “I hate all Iranians.”
And she also accused Britain of “dismantling” the Anglo-US-led coalition in Iraq by pulling troops out of Basra too soon.
The all-party group of MPs say Debra Cagan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs to Defence Secretary Robert Gates, made the comments this month.
…..
The MPs say that at one point she said: “In any case, I hate all Iranians.”
Although it was an aside, it was not out of keeping with her general demeanour.
“She seemed more keen on saying she didn’t like Iranians than that the US had no plans to attack Iran,” said one MP. “She did say there were no plans for an attack but the tone did not fit the words.”
Another MP said: “I formed the impression that some in America are looking for an excuse to attack Iran. It was very alarming.”
…
The Pentagon denied Ms Cagan said she “hated” Iranians.
“She doesn’t speak that way,” said an official.
But when The Mail on Sunday spoke to four of the six MPs, three confirmed privately that she made the remark and one declined to comment. The other two could not be contacted.
She’s scary too:
And no, this is not a photoshop job.
Californians for Fair Election Reform accuse Giuliani of setting up a front group to funnel illegal donations to support the California “Give Republicans 20 Electoral Votes” initiative, which has not failed for lack of support.
It was too transparent a ploy, I guess.
Juxtaposing an Italian name and “money laundering”, along with the fact that his favorite cop (Kerik) was mobbed up.
If the Dems don’t use this give, they don’t deserve to win.
Bush did this because Reagan’s records were to be released, and his dad’s prints would have been all over Iran-Contra.
It might also show evidence of Poppy Bush negotiating with the Iranians in 1980 to keep the hostages locked up to win the election, but I don’t think that Bush pere would be stupid enough to let George, Jr. know about that.
Historians should be seeing some interesting stuff.
Given that Edwards has opted into public financing, Chris Bowers asks why he shouldn’t go with cable, as opposed to over the air broadcast:
One estimate from PQM Media estimated that in 2004 the commercial advertising world put 4 dollars of advertising dollars on cable for every 5 for traditional broadcast television. This study found the ratio in politics to be 1 dollar on cable for every 18 on broadcast. (check). Given the billions spent in politics every two years on television advertising, this was clearly a problem that needed addressing.
Our research showed that the reason why the commercial world had shifted tens of billions of advertising dollars to cable was simple – more people today watch cable than broadcast, and it offers much more precise demographic and geographic targeting than traditional broadcast television. The latter is particularly important for politics, since geographic targets do not fit neatly into the more than 200 media markets across the country.
The answer is very simple: the corrupt nature of the political consultant class. Political consultants are paid on the basis of a percentage of ad buys, at least on the Democratic side (I think that this is changing on the Republican side).
Simply put, it’s not in the personal best interest of those consultant to look at cable. More bang for the buck means less profits for them. These people are very comfortable win or lose, and so they frequently lose.
Good takedown by Ms. Hill in the New York Times. Go read it.
Of note is how much Justice Thomas still seems to be seething at every imagined slight. He may be the craziest mofo on the court, which is saying a lot.
Well, it appears that both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are are mired in accusing each other of adultery and homosexuality.
I have no doubt that some of these accusations are true. Heck, it’s likely that most of them are. In any large organization, you will find gay people.
Of course, the DVD mentioned makes it more amusing.
As to the Schadenfreude, it’s the sanctimony. Somehow, convincing a retarded kid to wear a bomb belt is moral, but sleeping with another man isn’t.
Excluding marital infidelity, this is not really about morality, it’s about religious hypocrisy, and the fact that the PA and Hamas are putting on their own little home grown versions of Tartuffe.
I find this amusing for the same reason that I found Jim Bakker’s peccadillos amusing.
H/t Jewlicious for the catch.
The headline may seem to be a bit off relative to the story here, a school guard broke a girl’s arm for dropping a piece of cake in the cafeteria in Palmdale California(aka Lockheed-Martin central), but I believe that it is symptomatic of a change in attitude that Tom “The Mustache of Pomposity” Friedman describe succinctly when he said, “What does that mean? This: 9/11 has made us stupid.”
It’s done more than that. It has made us subservient to authority figures. What’s more, it has made authority figures willing to go to any length to enforce their will.
Here is the course of events:
Seriously, this sounds like the response of any petty dictator out there. We aren’t finding monks’ bodies in swamps, but this is intellectually similar to the Burmese crackdown.
Not only should this guard have been fired, he should be in jail right now.
When did worship of abusive authority figures become the cost of admission to our society?
Have we fallen so far that all we have left is brutality and force?
Links:
Here, here, here, and here.
Iran’s parliament votes to label CIA, U.S. Army ‘terrorist’ groups.
Considering the fact that the US Senate has done the same with units of the Iranian military, this is unsurprising.
Of course, this means that Iran does not feel bound by the requirements of POW status, and they could set up their own little Gitmo for our troops, which is, of course, the implicit threat here.
The worst kept secret in the Middle East is that US special forces, and possibly CIA operatives are operating in Iran, and by our actions, we have given the Iranians license to abuse them.
And it looks like he might very have gotten away with it. Where are Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby when you need them.
Basically, he handled his shares through a trading plan, a sort of high level document which one gives to a broker, which is intended to avoid even the appearance of insider trading.
However, Countrywide Financial Corp. Chairman and CEO Angelo Mozilo revised the plan repeatedly in the summer of last year, at about the time that he would have been aware that Countrywide was circling the drain.
….
If a guy is changing his plan around, I would think that would send up a red flag. I wouldn’t allow my clients to do it,” said Thom F. Carroll, a financial planner with the Baltimore wealth management firm Carroll, Frank & Plotkin.
Mozilo adopted a new trading plan, added a second one and then revised it while the housing and mortgage industry slumped, the Times reported, citing regulatory findings.
The changes allowed him to sell hundreds of thousands of additional shares before Countrywide stock plunged.
Sandy Samuels, Countrywide’s chief legal officer, said Mozilo’s stock sales were all “in accordance with company policy.”
….
Yeah, right.
Yes, I mean Thomas Friedman, when he says, “What does that mean? This: 9/11 has made us stupid.”
Actually, 911 did not make us stupid, it made you stupid. It made many Americans stupid. It made the entire Washington Press Corps stupid.
Me, I saw him using it for politics in his September 11, 2001 speech.
I’m just saying.
His campaign has more turnover than the DC Madame’s phone list, his fund raising is anemic, and now he’s saying that Saddam Hussein “clearly had had WMD”.
This guy is supposed to be the savior of the Republican party?
Following his second place finish in the Iowa Republican Party extortion straw poll, Mike Huckabee is the top of the second tier Republican Presidential Candidates, and unlike Ron Paul, is considered a serious candidate by Republican power brokers and rank and file. The fact that he is now calling out Bush on his execution of the Total War Against Terror* is significant.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leveled some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration’s foreign policy yet from the GOP presidential field, saying it has mismanaged relations with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Laying out his foreign policy platform in Washington on Friday, Huckabee restated his support for continuing the war in Iraq. But the bulk of his speech was devoted to the United States’ and Bush’s shortcomings.
Huckabee said the U.S. is ignoring options besides armed conflict with Iran, has trusted the Saudis too much and has allowed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to go back on his commitment to allow American forces to root out terrorism within his borders.
“Just like Musharraf, since 9/11, the Bush administration has played both ends and the middle, assuring the American people that it’s doing everything it can to protect them, while tiptoeing around our supposed ally,” Huckabee said. “It’s been afraid of upsetting the apple cart, even though the cart contains poisoned apples destined for export to the United States.”
If his statements get any serious air time, it should boost both his name recognition and his poll numbers.
Bush is profoundly unpopular even with Republicans, and in the context of a multi candidate primary could very well give him a leg up.
Additionally, it’s tough to find anyone, except for the “very serious people” at places like the council for foreign relations, who does not realize that the source of 911 in particular, and terrorism in general is Saudi money and Saudi policies.
It should be interesting to see how this shapes up in the next few weeks.
*Check out the initials.
Krugman ia spot on, again.
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Sometimes it seems that the only way to make sense of the Bush administration is to imagine that it’s a vast experiment concocted by mad political scientists who want to see what happens if a nation systematically ignores everything we’ve learned over the past few centuries about how to make a modern government work.
Thus, the administration has abandoned the principle of a professional, nonpolitical civil service, stuffing agencies from FEMA to the Justice Department with unqualified cronies. Tax farming — giving individuals the right to collect taxes, in return for a share of the take — went out with the French Revolution; now the tax farmers are back.
And so are mercenaries, whom Machiavelli described as “useless and dangerous” more than four centuries ago.
….
Yet even among the contractors, Blackwater has the worst reputation. On Christmas Eve 2006, a drunken Blackwater employee reportedly shot and killed a guard of the Iraqi vice president. (The employee was flown out of the country, and has not been charged.) In May 2007, Blackwater employees reportedly shot an employee of Iraq’s Interior Ministry, leading to an armed standoff between the firm and Iraqi police.
Iraqis aren’t the only victims of this behavior. Of the nearly 4,000 American service members who have died in Iraq, scores if not hundreds would surely still be alive if it weren’t for the hatred such incidents engender.
Which raises the question, why are Blackwater and other mercenary outfits still playing such a big role in Iraq?
Don’t tell me that they are irreplaceable. The Iraq war has now gone on for four and a half years — longer than American participation in World War II. There has been plenty of time for the Bush administration to find a way to do without mercenaries, if it wanted to.
…..
But it’s also worth noting that the Bush administration has tried to privatize every aspect of the U.S. government it can, using taxpayers’ money to give lucrative contracts to its friends — people like Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater, who has strong Republican connections. You might think that national security would take precedence over the fetish for privatization — but remember, President Bush tried to keep airport security in private hands, even after 9/11.
So the privatization of war — no matter how badly it works — is just part of the pattern.
Emphasis mine.
Click image to go to web site.
We invited a couple over for dinner tonight. The husband could not make it. He works for a sheet metal contractor (HVAC ducting, etc.), and he got an emergency call to fix something at the White House. That’s all I know.
I’m just hoping that this isn’t something like an runup to an attack on Iran in the next few days, and they are doing emergency testing on a chem/bio filtration or something.
It’s probably a broken air conditioner.