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by Declassified Memo to Brigadier General L. R. Groves – US War Department, October 30, 1943
Memorandum to:
Brigadier General L. R. Groves
Drs. Conant, Compton, and Urey
War Department
United States Engineer Office
Manhattan District
Oak Ridge Tennessee
October 30, 1943
Declassified June 5, 1974
1. Inclosed [sic] is a summary of the report written by Drs. James B. Conant, Chairman, A. H. Compton, and H. C. Urey, comprising a Subcommittee of the S-1 Executive Committee on the "Use of Radioactive Materials as a Military Weapon." It is recommended that a decision be obtained from competent authority authorizing additional work pertaining to the use of radioactive materials in order that this country may be ready to use such materials or be ready to defend itself against the use of such materials. The following program is recommended:
a. Immediate formation of a research and study group at the University of Chicago under supervision of the present Area Engineer. Assignment to this group of competent individuals now working on dust and liquid disseminating munitions and field testing of chemical warfare agents from the National Defense Research Council.
b. Assignment of a competent Chemical Warfare Service officer to the Chicago Area Engineer, who would become familiar with, and work on the problem under study by the University of Chicago. This officer should be experienced in the practical use of gas warfare.
c. The responsibility of the above organization would be:
(1) Develop radiation indicating instruments, expand present facilities of the Victoreen Company, and prepare a trial order for instruments with this company.
(2) Make theoretical studies pertaining to the methods, means and equipment for disseminating radioactive material as a weapon of warfare.
(3) Conduct field tests in isolated locations, such as Clinton Engineer Works or Sanford Engineer Works, using a non-radioactive tracer material.
(4) Prepare an instruction manual for the use of, or the defense against, radioactive weapons. This manual would be similar to that now used by the Chemical Warfare Service for gas warfare.
(2) As a gas warfare instrument the material would be ground into particles of microscopic size to form dust and smoke and distributed by a ground-fired projectile, land vehicles, or aerial bombs. In this form it would be inhaled by personnel. The amount necessary to cause death to a person inhaling the material is extremely small. It has been estimated that one millionth of a gram accumulating in a person's body would be fatal. There are no known methods of treatment for such a casualty
Two factors appear to increase the effectiveness of radioactive dust or smoke as a weapon. These are: (1) It cannot be detected by the senses; (2) It can be distributed in a dust or smoke form so finely powdered that it will permeate a standard gas mask filter in quantities large enough to be extremely damaging. An off-setting factor in its effectiveness as a weapon is that in a dust or smoke form the material is so finely pulverized that it takes on the characteristic of a quickly dissipating gas and is therefore subject to all the factors (such as wind) working against maintenance of high concentrations for more than a few minutes over a given area.
c. Possible Use by the Enemy.
It is felt that radioactive warfare can be used by the Germans for the following purposes:
(1) To make evacuated areas uninhabitable.
(2) To contaminate small critical areas such as rail-road yards and airports.
(3) As a radioactive poison gas to create casualties among troops.
(4) Against large cities, to promote panic, and create causalities among civilian populations.
For use in cities, it is estimated that concentrations would have to be extremely high to offset the shielding effect of buildings
Doctors Compton and Urey, two members of the Committee, felt that radioactive material may be used by the Germans against United Nations in the autumn of 1943. Dr. Conant apparently does not concur in this opinion.
d. Possible Use by the United States.
It is the recommendation of this Subcommittee that if military authorities feel that the United States should be ready to use radioactive weapons in case the enemy started it first, studies on the subject should be started immediately.
The possible military uses of radioactive materials follow:
(1) As a Terrain Contaminant. To be used in this manner, the radioactive materials would be spread on the ground either from the air or from the ground if in enemy controlled territory. In order to deny terrain to either side except at the expense of exposing personnel to harmful radiations
Estimates indicate that these materials could be produced by the Germans in such quantities that each four days two square miles of terrain could be contaminated to an average intensity of radiation three feet above ground level of one hundred roentgens per day. One day's exposure (100 roentgens to the whole body) would result in temporary incapacitation, a lesser period of exposure in incapacitation to a lesser degree and one week's exposure in death. Effects on a person would probably not be immediate, but would be delayed for days or perhaps weeks depending upon the amounts of exposure. Exposure to five to ten times the above described concentration would be incapacitating within one to two days and lethal two to five days later.
Areas so contaminated by radioactive material would be dangerous until the slow natural decay of the material took place, which would take weeks and even months. On a hard smooth surface some decontamination could be accomplished by flushing with water, but for average terrain no decontaminating methods are known. No effective protective clothing for personnel seems possible of development.
(2) As a Gas Warfare Instrument. The material would be ground into particles of microscopic size and would be distributed in the form of a dust or smoke or dissolved in liquid, by ground-fired projectiles, land vehicles, airplanes, or aerial bombs. In this form, it would be inhaled by personnel. The amounts necessary to cause death to a person inhaling the material is extremely small. An infintesimal amount accumulating in a person's body would be fatal in a few day to weeks depending upon the amount absorbed and its radioactivity. There are no known effective methods of treatment for such a casualty.
Areas so contaminated by radioactive dusts and smokes, would be dangerous as long as a high enough concentration of material could be maintained. In these forms, the materials take on the characteristics of a quickly dissipating gas and it is improbable that heavy concentrations could be maintained for more than a few minutes time over a given area. However, they can be stirred up as a fine dust from the terrain by winds, movement of vehicles or troops, etc. , and would remain a potential hazard for a long time.
These materials may also be so disposed as to be taken into the body by ingestion instead of inhalation.. Reservoirs or wells would be contaminated or food poisoned with an effect similar to that resulting from inhalation of dust or smoke. Four days production could contaminate a million gallons of water to an extent that a quart drunk in one day would probably result in complete incapacitation or death in about a month's time.
B. From Internal Sources
RESPIRATORY TRACT: Dr. Wollan has estimated that an accumulation of 10-3 curies of high-energy beta-ray active material would produce an exposure of about 100 r/day to the lungs. Unfortunately, there is no experimental data bearing directly upon the deposition of f products nor on the action of the beta-rays on the bronchial and alveolar surfaces.
Particles larger than 1µ[micron]in size are likely to be deposited in nose, trachea or bronchi and then be brought up with mucus on the walls at the rate of 1/2 – 1 cm/min. Particles smaller than 1µ [micron] are more likely to be deposited in the alveoli where they will either remain indefinitely or be absorbed into the lymphatics or blood. The probability of the deposition of dust particles anywhere in the respiratory tract depends upon respiratory rate, particle size, chemical and physical nature, and the concentration in the atmosphere. Hence the probability of f products causing lung damage depends on all of these factors.
While only fragmentary information is available, it is felt that the injury would be manifest as bronchial irritation coming on in from a few hours to a few days, depending on the dose. It would not be immediately incapacitating except with doses in the neighborhood of 400 or more r [roentgens] per day. The most serious effect would be permanent long damage appearing months later from the persistent irradiation of retained particles, even at low daily rates.
It would seem that chemical gases could accomplish more and do it more quickly so far as the skin surfaces and lungs are concerned. The beta emitters would have more permanent effects — starting months after exposure.
GASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT: Beta emitting f [fission] products could get into the gastro-intestinal tract from polluted water, or food, or air. From the air, they would get onto the mucus of the nose, throat, bronchi, etc., and be swallowed. The effects would be local irritation just as in the bronchi and exposures of the same amount would be required. The stomach, caecum, and rectum, where contents remain for longer periods than elsewhere would be most likely to be affected. It is conceivable that ulcers and perforations of the gut followed by death could be produced, even without any general effects from the radiation.
BLOOD STREAM AND TISSUES: Beta and gamma emitting fission products may be absorbed from the lungs or G-I tract into the blood and so distributed throughout the body.
This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Act, U.S.C. 50: 31 and 32. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.


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Ascension Sunday – May 24, 2020
The Sermon: Luke 24:44-53 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fantasy Viyola
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Dimension: as each stone is unique, size will vary upon availability. Average slab size is 25″×25″–40″×90″.Tiles or special sizes may be available upon request.
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Please contact your sales representative for details and price.
Categories: Choose By Color, Choose By Type, Granite, Material Selector, New Arrivals, Yellow.


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Puppy and Dogs for Sale in Houston
They say that a dog is a man's best friend and at Paws With Purpose Inc. that is the mantra that we strive for when pairing our five-star puppies and dogs with prospective Houston dog-owners. For us, dog breeding is more than just a job, it's our passion. And it is for this reason that we work tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of our dog breeding service is as thorough and inclusive as possible. When you buy a puppy or dog from us, you can rest assured knowing that they will be as healthy and as well-trained as possible. As with any dog-human relationship, it will still be necessary to create your own routine, but you can begin this process safe in the knowledge that he or she has had a great grounding and has been bred to the highest level possible.
So, if you're in Houston and looking for a puppy or dog to bring joy and happiness to your life, then you need to select the dog breeding experts you can rely on. Our skill, expertise and attention to detail is unrivalled and we guarantee to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of selecting the perfect furry friend for you. So, what are you waiting for? Call today to learn more about our service and to get further information on our great offers.
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Committing to a dog is a serious responsibility and one that must not be taken lightly. By the same token, offering a reputable dog breeding service also requires a degree of commitment that takes years to perfect. At Paws With Purpose Inc. our number one priority is always will be the health and happiness of our puppies and dogs. We work hard every day to ensure that all our dogs are as content as possible and we are glad to say that this always the case. The results of our labor can be seen in homes across Houston where our puppies and dogs have lightened up families with their enthusiasm and joy. If this is what you are looking for then why not contact us today?
Microchipping and Vaccinations
When you purchase a dog or puppy from Paws With Purpose Inc., you can rest assured knowing that he or she will have received all necessary vaccinations and will be microchipped. For us, these two features are a necessary part of responsible dog ownership and should be practiced by all dog breeders in Houston.
Microchipping our dogs in advance means that, in the unfortunate event of him or her going missing, we will be able to locate his or her whereabouts quickly and effectively. This technology has helped us reunite many Houston families with their precious furry friends.
Similarly, ensuring that all vaccinations have been provided means that pups and young dogs will not be susceptible to many of the diseases and illnesses that sometimes affect younger dogs.


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Thursday, April 12, 2012
Not me
The political posts are one thing. Everyone has an opinion and some people are going to rant and rave about theirs. I pay no more attention that than I did to the guy who was riding his bike past me when I was in the Avon Walk who shrieked at me about "killing the planet with my car!". While I was walking. Not very intelligent, that one.
Politics don't mean that much to me, I guess. My faith does, though.
I've seen several rants recently posted on the walls of my friends, about religion. About God. About the Bible. Mostly I don't let this bother me. Because it's Facebook. And as much as I love Facebook? It's really not much more than a stupid distraction. I love stupid distractions. They don't really change my life in any tangible ways.
But these posts I've been seeing? Nearly every one of them used the word "us".
Don't tell US how to worship. Don't tell US who to vote for. Don't tell US we are wrong when we are right.
I am a Christian. You don't speak for me.
Because you know what? My God loves you. My God loves my friend who is an priest (and also a lesbian). My God loves my dear friend who is a female Baptist minister. My brother who is at the very least agnostic? He loves him too. My God loves and blesses me even though I certainly have done nothing to deserve it. Even though I fail him every day.
I am extraordinarily imperfect.
So are you.
But my God isn't.
And he loves me, AND YOU, all the same.
You don't speak for me.
You don't speak for my God.
Because my God, the one I believe in, does not hate or oppress people because of their gender. Or their race. Or their political affiliation. My God loves everybody. Even horrible people. Even people who completely do not deserve his love. Even people who curse too much. Even liars. Even sinners.
Like me.
I don't speak for my God. I am an idiot, but not arrogant enough to think I could ever know the mind of the Lord. I could be a much better representation of His love, and I know that. I know that every day. I'm getting there. I'm working on it.
He loves me all the same.Even though I can't often articulate the way I feel. The love I have. Even though I'm an emotional nightmare and pretty much only feel safe around my own kids and my husband. Even though I am a mess. A mess. All. The. Same.
If you decide to speak for God, I certainly can't or won't stop you. But if you do? At least try to speak the way God would. With kindness. With love in your heart. With at least some forethought about who God is. Which, in case it needs to be said, is not a hateful, hate-mongering, sack of hate. God is mostly completely anti-hate. In case you didn't know.
I'll never, ever understand why people who seemingly want you to come around to their way of thinking trying to accomplish this by behaving as though they are right and you are wrong and you are a complete idiot and nah-nah-nah-boo-boo-stick-your-head-in-do-do. Or by being a judgmental ass (I said "ass". Judge me). I promise that when you behave that way? The opposite is achieved. Much like my declaring "WHATEVER!" when I'm losing an argument with Jason...it's pretty much a total fail.
But you know what?
My God loves those people anyway. He loves ME anyway.
Because my God is awesome.
Also? He thinks I'm rad.
(Really. He told me it was cool to say that)
9 comments:
I love you. And our God, but also you. So bad.
Thank you! - April 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM
- Christina Berry said...
Well said, beautiful friend.
- April 12, 2012 at 12:35 PM
- mumof3boyz said...
Just another reason why I love you and your blog!! Thanks for the reminder! And I think you are rad also!
- April 12, 2012 at 12:47 PM
- Principled Slut said...
Yeah well God is right then. You *are* rad. :) And very right about this.
My brother in law pulled something similar recently on my facebook. I posted a statement with a link to the article about JCPenney and Ellen and that million moms group. I compared it to the 60's civil rights movement, and said I support anyone who stands up against hate and discrimination.
My brother in law, who is a minister, replied "except Christians". Apparently by supporting those who stand up for a lesbian, I am not standing up for Christians.
I guess he knows God better than me, since he's a minister. I wanted to reply that I support all christians who stand up against hate and discrimination too, but I decided to NOT start a family war on my wall! - April 12, 2012 at 12:47 PM
- Kim said...
You and your commenters inspired this post. It has been rattling around in my mind and heart for a while. Thanks for the push.
http://tinyurl.com/86vvb6t - April 12, 2012 at 2:14 PM
- queenrandom said...
I know you're rad.
I couldn't have put it better myself. In fact I can't. Cool if I bloglink this? - April 12, 2012 at 3:29 PM
- Bethany said...
- April 12, 2012 at 6:19 PM
- Toritopia said...
Thank you. I believe that it is not up to us to decide what God wants or what God judges. That is His job, not mine. If we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we should love others, be accepting of others, even if we don't agree with their choices. It is not up to us to judge. I try to remember this every day. It is hard sometimes. Mostly when I visit Walmart, but I try. ;) I wish more people would try as well.
Thank you for this post. - April 15, 2012 at 7:34 PM
- C. Todd Dolen, DVM said...
You are awesome. Were you creeping on my page? ;)
- April 19, 2012 at 8:20 AM


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This subject is very deep subject but today we will see it very quickly and most important points. May be following up on few of the points of this point will help users to right away improve the performance of query. In this article I am not focusing on in depth analysis of database but simple tricks which DBA can apply to gain immediate performance gain.
- Table should have primary key
- Table should have minimum of one clustered index
- Table should have appropriate amount of non-clustered index
- Non-clustered index should be created on columns of table based on query which is running
- Following priority order should be followed when any index is created a) WHERE clause, b) JOIN clause, c) ORDER BY clause, d) SELECT clause
- Do not to use Views or replace views with original source table
- Triggers should not be used if possible, incorporate the logic of trigger in stored procedure
- Remove any adhoc queries and use Stored Procedure instead
- Check if there is atleast 30% HHD is empty – it improves the performance a bit
- If possible move the logic of UDF to SP as well
- Remove * from SELECT and use columns which are only necessary in code
- Remove any unnecessary joins from table
- If there is cursor used in query, see if there is any other way to avoid the usage of this (either by SELECT … INTO or INSERT … INTO, etc)
There are few hardware upgrades can be considered as well like separating index on different disk drive or moving tempdb to another drive. However, I am not suggesting them here as they are not quick way to improve the performance of query.
Reference : Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)


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text: Set along a backdrop of a fictitious second world war at an international city in Asia. In Japan, Lieutenant Colonel Yuki (Yusuke Iseya) recommends the creation of spy training school "D Kikan". Meanwhile, Kato (Kazuya Kamenashi) is facing capital punishment for his refusal to follow a superior's order. Kato is then scouted by "D Kikan". He goes through a harsh training regiment and faces his first mission as a spy. In order to seize American ambassador Graham's confidential documents "Black Note." Kato infiltrates into an international city. A battle to gain possession of the "Black Note" ensues between Kato, a mysterious woman named Rin (Kyoko Fukada), the British Spy Agency, the Soviet Spy Agency and the radical army in Japan.


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Found 44 results
Author Title Type [ Year] Filters: Author is Peter J. Bottomley [Clear All Filters]
"Bacterial and fungal contributions to soil nitrogen cycling under Douglas fir and red alder at two sites in Oregon", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 443 - 451, 2008.
, "Community composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in soils under stands of red alder and Douglas fir in Oregon", Environmental Microbiology, vol. 107, no. 11, pp. 2956 - 2965, 2008.
, "Nitrogen mineralization and immobilization", in Nitrogen in Agricultural Soils, Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, 2008, pp. 157-172.
, "Biological nitrogen fixation: The return of N to the soil", in Soil Microbiology, Ecology, and Biochemistry, 3rdrd ed., Burlington, MA: Academic Press, 2007, pp. 365-387.
, "Linking microbial communities to activity in soil with molecular and stable isotope techniques", in Linking Management to Global Climate Challenges: The Proceedings of the International Symposium on Forest Soils and Ecosystem Health, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, 2007.
, "Nitrogen mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 823 - 826, 2007.
, "Visualization and modeling of the colonization dynamics of a bioluminescent bacterium in variably saturated, translucent quartz sand", Advances in water resources, vol. 30, pp. 1593–1607, 2007.
, "Carbon flow from 13C-labeled straw and root residues into the phospholipid fatty acids of a soil microbial community under field conditions", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 759 - 768, 2006.
, "Distribution and fate of 13C-labeled root and straw residues from ryegrass and crimson clover in soil under western Oregon field conditions", Biology and Fertility of Soils, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 523 - 531, 2006.
, "Impact of microbial growth on water flow and solute transport in unsaturated porous media", Water resources research, vol. 42, 2006.
, "Reciprocal transfer effects on denitrifying community composition and activity at forest and meadow sites in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon", Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 870 - 878, 2006.
, "Responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities to reciprocal transfers of soil between adjacent coniferous forest and meadow vegetation in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon", Plant and Soil, vol. 28, no. 1-2, pp. 35 - 45, 2006.
, "Experimental observations and numerical modeling of coupled microbial and transport processes in variably saturated sand", Vadose Zone Journal, vol. 4, pp. 407–417, 2005.
, "Treatment of atrazine in nursery irrigation runoff by a constructed wetland.", Water Res, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 539-50, 2003.
, "Considerations for modeling bacterial-induced changes in hydraulic properties of variably saturated porous media", Advances in water resources, vol. 25, pp. 477–495, 2002.
, "Noninvasive quantitative measurement of bacterial growth in porous media under unsaturated-flow conditions", Applied and environmental microbiology, vol. 68, pp. 3597–3605, 2002.
, "Atrazine degradation by bioaugmented sediment from constructed wetlands.", Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 427-32, 2001.
, "Atrazine remediation in wetland microcosms.", Environ Toxicol Chem, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 1059-66, 2001.
, "A model that uses the induction phase of lux gene-dependent bioluminescence in Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44 to quantify cell density in translucent porous media", Journal of microbiological methods, vol. 47, pp. 315–322, 2001.


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Focused entirely on Attorneys, Unlike other attorney marketing companies we will only work with one attorney per location and category. We want to rank you at the top no one can rank 20 clients in the same category in the same market but the competition wont tell you that.
Once you sign up with us, if your competition calls, even a big spender with an unlimited budget, we will say no to taking them as a client. It's as simple as that, you are our number 1 priority. I believe it's unethical to take on another client who is a competitor to one of my clients.


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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 1, 2006
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room
MR. McCLELLAN: All right. Good afternoon, everybody. Let me begin with a couple of comments on some more economic news that came out today. Personal income and personal consumption is up, according to today's latest releases. Our economy is strong and continuing to really surge ahead. Coupled with the 4.8 percent growth we saw in the first quarter, we are seeing that our economy continues to move forward and grow strongly.
We're growing faster than any industrialized nation in the world. We've seen 18 straight months -- or straight quarters of growth, more than 5.1 million new jobs created since August of 2003, an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. Real disposable income is up; productivity is high. More people are owning their home than ever before.
But the President today will be talking about one specific area we need to act on to keep our economy strong and keep it competitive, and he'll be outlining his comprehensive strategy to make health care more affordable and available for all Americans. The President believes we need to build a health care system that provides Americans with good, quality care at affordable prices.
Rising health care costs are a drag on the economy and a burden for many families. Many Americans worry about being able to afford the medical care that they need. And today the President will talk about how there is really a clear choice about how to make a health care system work for all Americans. And that choice is between two philosophies -- one that trusts government to make the best decisions about your health care system; or one that trusts you and your doctor to make those decisions. And the President will specifically outline his five key policies for making health care more affordable and available for all Americans. He will be speaking here shortly to the American Hospital Association.
And that is all I have to begin with. So I'll be delighted to go to your questions at this point.
Q Scott, three years ago, the President said that major combat was over. At this point, how far does the administration think they are, or how close do they think they are to victory, what you would call victory in Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, we're making real progress on our plan for victory. The President has outlined a clear plan for achieving victory in Iraq, and we should do everything we can to support our troops while they move forward on that plan for victory.
We have seen in just the last couple of weeks the formation of a new unity government that represents all Iraqis and all of Iraq's communities. That is an important development and really helps to lay the foundation for progress going forward. And we must continue to support that new government and the Iraqi people as they move forward.
So we've seen real progress made over the last year, two years, and even three years, from where we were to where we are today. And the Iraqi people have shown time and time again that they want to chart their own future. We've seen them go to the polls three times; each time the number of Iraqis participating has increased. Most recently, nearly 12 million Iraqis went to the polls to elect a constitutional government, and now that government is in place. The new leaders are working to put in place a competent and good set of ministers to oversee the day-to-day operations of that government. And we must continue to stand with them.
This is a real turning point for the Iraqi people and it begins, as the President said earlier today, a new chapter in our involvement in Iraq. And we'll continue to adjust and adapt our tactics as we move forward, working with that new Iraqi government.
Q Can you characterize, though, sort of where you are in terms of achieving victory -- near, far, halfway? I mean, just to get some idea of where --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that our leaders -- our military leaders have talked about it; the President has talked about it. We are on the path to victory. We are winning in Iraq. But there is more work to do. There are difficult days that lie ahead. We have seen over the course of the past 60 days or so that there were some tough days in the aftermath of the bombing of the Golden Mosque. But then we saw Iraqi leaders come together and form a national unity government that represents all Iraqis.
And that's an important development. And that's a development that we should all pay attention to and we should all, in the international community, do everything we can to support the Iraqi leaders and the Iraqi people as they move forward. They are showing that they want to chart their own future.
Q Scott, let me ask you a question about gas prices. Consumption doesn't really appear to have fallen off, despite the high prices. The President has outlined how this is only going to get worse. Does the President think it's time for consumers in this country to consume less gas, particularly over the summer months? Would he like to see that happen? Does he call on Americans to do that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's one way to address high gas prices in the short run. There are a number of steps --
Q I understand, but does he think that Americans should consume less gas?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the Department of Energy has put out a number of steps that consumers can take to address this issue. But people will make their own choices about how much gas they consume. What we need to do, though, is address the root cause of high gas prices. And that's what this President has done with an initiative that will really wean us off our dependence on foreign sources of oil.
Q Well, he's got the bully pulpit -- and you've talked about that -- but he's got the bully pulpit, doesn't he, to stand up, and say, look, we've got a real problem here; let's all come together and not use so much gas this year. Will he push for actual conservation, or does he think that's the wrong approach?
MR. McCLELLAN: We will continue to talk about the importance of conservation. We've done that throughout this administration. In fact, the energy plan that we passed last year included some important conservation measures in it. It was a comprehensive strategy, but there's more that we need to do. And that's why the President outlined a plan that will go to the root cause of high energy prices. It will make us less dependent on oil. We're addicted to oil. And the President wants to move to a society that is less dependent on hydrocarbons. And he's talked about that in his plan. And that's what we need to develop new technologies.
Q Does pushing for conservation infringe on Americans' way of life? Is that his view?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, people will make their own decisions when it comes to those issues. But we want to provide them with the ability to make those choices for themselves. And that's why we've outlined a number of ways, in the short run, that Americans can help take steps to relieve the pressure at the pump.
Go ahead, John.
Q Thank you, Scott.
MR. McCLELLAN: Hold on, let me go to Toby, she had something.
Q I wanted to find out whether President Putin gave President Bush any assurances on how to move forward on Iran in their conversation?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that would be for Russia to talk about. It's up to President Putin to talk about their views. But we are united in our determination to work together to prevent the regime in Iran from developing a nuclear weapon or a nuclear weapon capability.
Q Did President Bush specifically ask for anything from President Putin?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, they talked about the importance of continuing to work together. I think that in terms of the details, let me update you in terms of where we are. Our Under Secretary, Nick Burns, is on his way to Paris. There will be a meeting in Paris tomorrow between the Permanent 5 members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany to continue to have discussions about how do we move forward to meet our shared goal of preventing the regime from developing a nuclear weapons capability or the know how or a nuclear weapon.
And I think that you've seen that the international community is united in that goal. That's an important goal. And so we will all continue to work together. Those are discussions to talk about how we move forward and to continue strategizing about how we address this issue at the Security Council. And there will be additional discussions, I think, next week in New York between those same entities, high-level members of those entities as well.
Q Moscow is saying that the call was initiated by President Bush.
MR. McCLELLAN: It was. I said that earlier today.
Q So, you know --
MR. McCLELLAN: This is an important shared -- this is an important shared priority, and we are reaching out to all our friends and partners and allies in this effort to address it.
Q That seems to suggest, though, that President Bush had something specific on his agenda --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President did want to talk about Iran. They also talked about some other matters. But the President did want to talk about the important priority of making sure that we continue to work together to prevent that regime from developing nuclear weapons, or even having the know how to develop nuclear weapons.
Now, we have talked about how we are looking to press ahead on a Chapter 7 Resolution at the United Nations Security Council. And that's what we're in discussions with other members of the Security Council about, as well as Germany. The President is going to be meeting with Chancellor Merkel later this week, and they will, I'm sure, have a good discussion about this priority, as well.
John, I'm sorry, go ahead.
Q Thank you, Scott. A follow-up question -- this week, our publication features an interview with Reza Pahlavi, the young Shah of Iran, the heir to the late Shah, who suggests that any talk of an attack or a bombing raid on Iran is counterproductive, that the way to bring down the current regime would be to support a general strike, not unlike that that's being held in Nepal. Are these options that are ever discussed, and is the administration in regular touch with responsible opposition leaders from Iran, such as Reza Pahlavi?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, our policy is to stand with the people of Iran as they seek greater freedom, and that's what we will continue to do. That policy has not changed. And we continue to support the people of Iran in a number of different ways.
Q So are you in touch with opposition leaders?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Secretary Rice outlined some of the funding that we are providing to groups and organizations that support greater freedom for the Iranian people. I'll leave it there. I don't have anything to add to what she has already outlined.
Q Scott, Senator Biden has got an op/ed out and he's going to make some remarks in Philadelphia in a short time from now, advocating the possible partitionment of Iraq -- Sunni, Shia and Kurd. What is the administration's view of that suggestion now in terms of how it impacts the process, and in general?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, a couple things. First of all, it's a question that really ought to be directed to the Iraqi leaders. They are the ones to make the decisions about the future of Iraq. The United States remains firmly committed to the vision for the future of Iraq that was outlined in the United Nations Security Council resolution 1546, which called for a federal, democratic, pluralist and unified Iraq in which there is full respect for political and human rights. And the constitution that the Iraqi people adopted gives Iraqis the flexibility to work out how to divide authority between the central government, provincial governments, and regional governments. The newly established unity government will give Iraqis an opportunity to really address those issues in a way that is acceptable to all of Iraq's communities.
We will continue to work with them as they move forward on that, but a partitioned government with regional security forces and a weak central government is something that no Iraqi leader has proposed, and that the Iraqi people have not supported.
Q But does the White House believe it would be counterproductive?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I don't think we should short-circuit the democratic process. Iraq, for the first time in history, has elected leaders from all parts of the country, representing all of Iraq's communities coming together to chart a common path forward. They're negotiating, they're compromising. They will set in place the foundation for progress and peace going forward. And we shouldn't short-circuit that democratic process.
Goyal, then Ed.
Q Scott, before my question, I just want to say that Saturday night WHCA dinner was the great and funniest one I have seen in my many, many years of attending this dinner.
MR. McCLELLAN: Glad you enjoyed it.
Q But also WHCA must treat its members fairly and in a better way. My question is that according to the --
MR. McCLELLAN: You can take it up with outgoing president or the incoming president. (Laughter.)
Q According to the --
MR. McCLELLAN: It's okay, Mark, I'm outgoing, too. So pass it on to the next guy, right? (Laughter.)
Q But he did a wonderful job, as far as this function was concerned. Mark Smith did a wonderful job.
MR. McCLELLAN: I agree.
Q My question is that according to The Washington Post, the Iranian President said that no one can stop our nuclear weapons program, no one. And today's Washington Time is saying that Iran is much closer than ever before as far as getting to the nuclear weapons program. So where do we stand --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think what you're referring to is comment --
Q Ambassador Bolton also spoke at the U.N. --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think what you're referring to is comments from the regime that they have the right to civilian nuclear power. No one has said that they don't. In fact, there has been a way provided to the regime and the Iraqi [sic] people to realize peaceful nuclear energy that also restores the confidence of the international community and that they are not developing nuclear weapons under the cover of that program. Russia has provided a proposal.
But this is a regime that has not come clean, a regime that refuses to abide by its international obligations. It's not an issue of whether or not they have the right to civilian nuclear power. It's an issue of trust. Can they be trusted? For two decades, they hid their activities from the international community. And their latest steps that they have taken only further increase the concern of the international community that they are developing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program.
That's why the international community has come together in united way to say that they should not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons. And so we're working together to address that issue, which is now before the Security Council, and we'll continue working with other friends and allies, as well. This is a threat that all of us must deal with. It is a real threat to the region and to the international community.
Q Do you think sanctions will work, because it has not worked --
MR. McCLELLAN: The first step -- this is a step-by-step process, and the step that we are in now is to look at a Chapter 7 Resolution. And then we can discuss steps after we move forward on that resolution.
As the President said the other day, so far, the Security Council, all you have is a presidential statement urging them -- the regime, that is, -- to come into compliance with their international obligations and to abide by the agreement they made to suspend all their enrichment and uranium reprocessing activities. And this is a regime that continues to further isolate itself from the world by moving in the opposite direction of what the demands of the international community are. And I think it's important for the Security Council to have credibility for it to mean what it says, and if it's going to mean what it says, then it needs to address Iran's continued defiance.
Q Scott, when asked earlier this morning about Secretary Bodman's comments on high gas prices, you said that high gas prices are a crisis for families trying to make ends meet. But that's not exactly what he was saying. He was issuing a broader sense of the current energy situation in the country, and the suggestion that there's a "energy crisis in America" is something that can alarm people across the country. Can you clarify exactly, does the President agree with his Energy Secretary that there is an energy crisis?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it is, for families that are trying to live within a budget and facing higher gas prices. The problem is that this is an issue that has been building for decades. This is a problem that we didn't get into overnight, and we're not going to get out of overnight. We are dependent on foreign oil, and that's why the President has outlined policies to wean us off our dependence on oil. But for many families trying to live within a budget and make ends meet, it is a crisis. And I think that's the way I would describe it.
Thankfully though, as I mentioned at the beginning of this briefing, thankfully our economy is strong and is continuing to really surge ahead. We have seen that our economy has shown remarkable resilience in the face of high gas prices. But we must continue to address the real problem, which is supply and demand. We need to continue to work to increase supply and reduce demand. And that's what the President is doing through the initiative that he outlined to address this root cause of high gas prices.
Q I'm just confused about one point. If in fact there's a crisis, isn't it for the whole country? Are you suggesting that rich people don't -- it's not a crisis for them, so they don't have to conserve, or they don't have to -- why is there a difference -- it's only a crisis for families living on a budget?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, because of the reasons that I stated. We have a very strong economy, and an economy that is continuing to grow. We saw, in the first quarter of this year, 4.8 percent growth. That is a remarkable statistic. That shows that our economy is really surging ahead. But we must continue to look at some of those indicators that can really be a drag on our economy, and that's what we're doing by addressing rising gas prices, by addressing rapidly rising health care costs.
The President has a plan to solve these problems, and when he came into office, he said, I'm going to work to solve the problems facing this country, and these are two important problems that are a burden on working families and the American people. And that's why the President outlined a plan to break us of this vicious cycle that comes around year after year. And it's because for decades we have become more dependent on foreign sources of oil. So you really have to look at the root cause.
Now there are short-term measures that the President has taken that will help relieve some of the pressure at the pump. But if we're going to solve this problem, you have to address the root cause of it.
Q Thank you. I have two questions, please. The President and the House seem to be far apart when it comes to immigration reform. Why doesn't the President use the power of his office to try and get an immigration bill acceptable to him?
MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, well, we are. In fact, just last week the President met with a bipartisan group of senators to urge them to move ahead on comprehensive reform. There is great substantive agreement within the Senate among bipartisan members when it comes to comprehensive reform. Now, we all share the view that we need to continue to strengthen our borders, and we need to continue to enforce our laws when it comes to interior enforcement. The President believes that if we're going to fix this system, then we've got to address it in a comprehensive way. And that means having a temporary guest worker program which will help relieve pressure off the border, as the President has talked about repeatedly.
This is a difficult and emotional issue. And the President has called on all of us to really elevate the tone and elevate debate and conduct it in a civil way. We are a society that has been welcoming of immigrants. We are also a nation of laws. And we need to keep that in mind as we move forward on this important debate.
But the President thinks we have a real opportunity to move ahead on comprehensive reform. The House has already passed legislation; now it's before the Senate. And he continues to urge Senate leaders to work together to resolve their procedural differences and get comprehensive reform passed so that we can get into conference committee and the President can work with congressional leaders to iron out some of those details, so that we can pass a comprehensive piece of legislation.
Q I have one more question.
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, go ahead.
Q The President says our National Anthem should be sung in English. But Condi Rice says it doesn't matter what language is used. Is there a major disagreement --
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's what she said yesterday. I'd go back and look at the transcript. But the President did say he believes that the National Anthem ought to be sung in English. He was very clear about that the other day. The President believes if you're an immigrant coming to this country, that you ought to learn English, you ought to learn English in order to be able to read and write.
As governor, you might recall that the President had always advocated an English-plus approach. That approach means that you learn English in order to read and write, but we should also recognize people's heritage, and if there are bilingual programs in place that are helping people to learn English, then we ought to welcome that. He focused on results when he was governor of Texas. That philosophy hasn't changed. But he does believe very strongly that the National Anthem of our country ought to be sung in English.
Q She did say something else, though. I mean --
Q Thank you. (Laughter.)
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think she specifically talked about the National Anthem, is what I was referring to.
Q Would anybody who wanted to be Americans -- expressing themselves as wanting to be Americans is a good thing.
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay. That's not talking about the National Anthem.
Go ahead.
Q Well, I think it is.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you've had your opportunity to ask your questions. Now I'm going to April.
Q I just thought I'd help -- you might answer it.
Q Thank you very much.
Q On the issue of oil and Iraq, what is the progress on the flow and the sale of oil out of Iraq?
MR. McCLELLAN: What is the progress?
Q Yes, what is the progress on that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we can get you those statistics. We provide regular updates to members of Congress and there are weekly reports that are released, as well, I think by the Department of Defense and Department of State, and quarterly reports. So we can get you that information. I didn't bring those statistics out with me.
Q Okay, well, let me ask you this on another issue. Since you're saying --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think the last statistics I saw was that it was coming back up to where it was pre-war.
Q Okay, well, if that is the case, indeed. If you're saying supply and demand -- what is this government doing as it relates to the Iraqi government to help break this crisis, this $3.00-plus in this country for the Americans?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's oil there for the Iraqi people. That's their revenues and it's their oil. I think we've made that very clear. But what we're doing to address the situation is to move forward on a comprehensive strategy for reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil. That's the root cause problem. It's not that we want to increase our dependence on foreign oil, we want to decrease it. So I think that's the context in which you have to look at it. That's the way the President is approaching it.
Q But if, indeed, oil is flowing at pre-war standards again --
MR. McCLELLAN: It's not quite there. It's a little bit below that, but it's coming back up.
Q Okay, but if it's a little below there, doesn't it make sense that --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it was around 2 million a day, pre-war, and maybe it's around 1.7 million or something now.
Q If that --
MR. McCLELLAN: I'd have to go check those statistics.
Q If that is the case, is there a chance that now the U.S. government and the Iraqi government can work together and formulate some kind of supply for the United States?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President has outlined his approach for addressing this issue in the short run, April. But what we're trying to do is wean us off our dependence on oil. That's what the President talked about, and that's why he outlined a plan to develop new technologies, such as plug-in hybrid cars, the use of ethanol to really transform the way we power our cars and trucks.
Q That's a long-term fix for your 12-step program.
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, but there is only so much you can do to help in the short run, and the President believes every little bit helps. That's why he outlined the approach that he did. But I think you're looking at it in the wrong context.
Go ahead, Victoria.
Q Yes, Scott. Some Americans are saying that the plan to give them $100 checks to help with the current oil hardship is more of an attempt to buy them off and a bit of an insult. What's the President's reaction to that?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think you should look at what the President has proposed. The President is concerned about high gas prices and the impact it is having on families across America. It's like an additional tax on families. And that's why the President outlined some short-term steps we can take to help address high gas prices. But this is a problem that we see recur year after year because we're dependent on foreign oil, and it's been building for decades. The President wants to break that cycle. And that means going to the root cause problem, and that's why he outlined both short-term solutions and then a long-term plan for breaking our addiction to oil.
Q But does he not support this Republican --
MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think -- there are a number of steps that we can take in the short run, and we'll continue to look at options that are out there. We appreciate -- we appreciate the congressional leadership for their actions that they are taking, and we'll continue to review and consider proposals as they come forward.
Mark, go ahead.
Q Could we go back to Iraq? In the last three years, should -- don't the American people -- shouldn't they be somewhat skeptical when they hear a word like, turning point? Hasn't -- haven't other things been portrayed as turning points?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, let's look at the facts, Mark. The facts are that more than 250,000 Iraqi security forces are now trained and equipped. They're taking more control of the battle space. There are more -- they're taking more and more of the lead in the fight. So that's an important measurement to look at the progress that's being made.
In terms of the political process, let's take a look at where things have gone from the last year. You've had three elections take place. Most recently, more than 12 million Iraqis showed up to vote for a democratically-elected government that is based on a constitution they approved. Now you have a unity government in place, a government that has the support of the Iraqi people. And that national unity government is moving forward to put a cabinet in place, and moving forward to advance the political process.
And so the democratic process is moving forward in Iraq. The security front is moving forward in Iraq. There are still difficulties that remain. There's still violence going on, but there is real progress being made in spite of that violence.
Q But is --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, and I think you have to look -- you also have to step back and look at what we're engaged in in Iraq. This is a central front in the war on terrorism. It is vital that we prevail in Iraq. And we are winning. But there is more work to do, and we must continue to support the Iraqi people as they build a democratic and peaceful future.
Q There's no danger that a phrase like that oversells the progress?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think it reflects the reality on the ground, that this was an important milestone that has been achieved by the Iraqi people. And it's a significant development. It's a real hopeful moment for democracy in Iraq.
And democracy in Iraq will help really transform the broader Middle East, and that's what we're talking about here. We're talking about changing the status quo in a troubled region of the world. For too long, our foreign policy was based on achieving stability in the Middle East at the expense of democracy. Well, we didn't get stability. And this President made a determination that this is a comprehensive war we're engaged in, and that if we're going to win this war, we must also work to transform this troubled region of the world.
Go ahead, Les.
Q A two part. What was the President's reaction to the strongly Democrat vote of the California State Senate to support today's boycott of schools and stores, which they call "The Great American Boycott 2006"?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the President expressed his views last Friday in a news conference out in the Rose Garden. The President is not a fan of boycotts. People have the right to peacefully express their views, but the President wants to see comprehensive reform pass the Congress so that he can sign it into law. And he thinks we have a real opportunity to get it done, and that's where he's going to keep his focus.
Q Does the President agree with Israel's Ehud Olmert and his description of Iran's Ahmadinejad as "a psychopath of the worst kind, an anti-Semite who speaks today like Hitler?" And if he does not agree, why not?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this is a leader of a regime that is moving in the wrong direction from the rest of the Middle East. We've been talking about the Middle East, and talking about Iraq. This is a regime that we have a lot of concerns with. And its President has made a number of outrageous and concerning statements, and we've expressed how that only further underscores our concern that we have about this regime having the know-how to develop nuclear weapons.
And that's why this issue is an important priority we're working to resolve diplomatically with our friends and partners in the international community.
Q So he agrees that this guy is a psychopath, right? Doesn't he?
MR. McCLELLAN: He is a leader who has made some outrageous comments.
Q Psychopathic?
MR. McCLELLAN: And that should only serve to further underscore the concerns about this regime having nuclear weapons.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Scott. When President Bush meeting with North Korean defectors and Japanese family members of abductees by North Korea last Friday, did the President have any commitments to them about the North Korea human rights?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President cares deeply about the plight of the people in North Korea. He believes that the international community all ought to be focusing attention on the great suffering that the people of North Korea are under with this regime in power. The President has been very passionate in speaking out about addressing this issue. It is a real concern that he has, and we would hope that more people in the international community would come together to draw attention to it.
The President had a very good discussion with the family members of a Japanese woman who was abducted by the regime. The President also met with three defectors from North Korea. And it was a very moving discussion. He was able to listen to what they had to say about the suffering in North Korea; the defectors talked about how people had been randomly killed by this regime for no reason at all, and how people were being starved to death by this regime. This is an important priority for the President. Human dignity has always been a priority for this President, and the President believes that all people ought to have the right to live in freedom, and that's an important principle that guides his views on these issues.
Go ahead.
Q The war in Iraq has cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. What is wrong with asking Iraq to give the United States $200 billion or $300 billion in free oil to repay us for their liberation, and to help our prices?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, let's look at the way the President is approaching this, and the reason the President made the decision to go in and remove the regime from power.
This was a brutal regime that was a threat to the region and to the world, and that's why the President made the decision to go in there and remove Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. It goes to laying the foundation of peace for generations to come.
So I look at it in terms of the peace and security of the American people for generations. And that's the way the President is approaching it. I haven't looked at it in the way you're looking at it.
Go ahead, Connie.
Q Thank you, Scott. Two questions. In addition to what you said about boycotts, does the President think the demonstrations on Darfur and on immigration change any policies? Are the demonstrations a good idea?
MR. McCLELLAN: On Darfur? And immigration?
Q Both --
MR. McCLELLAN: Does it do what?
Q Do they change any policies? What does he think --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, in terms of Darfur, that has been a high priority for the President. In fact, Deputy Secretary Zoellick will be traveling to Abuja to hopefully help the parties move ahead on the peace process. That's what we've been urging. We've been urging the parties to come together and get a comprehensive peace agreement in place. That's the way to find a long-term solution to the deteriorating situation in Darfur.
The President met with a number of organizations that are advocates for the people in Darfur. They were people that were here to participate in some of the demonstrations that were taking place over the weekend. Our Assistant Secretary of State, Jendayi Frazer, spoke at the event, as well. So this is a high priority for the President. And he certainly hopes that by drawing attention to this issue, it helps to have a positive impact within the international community and on the peace process.
Now, in terms of immigration, the President has expressed his views on a boycott. I'm not sure what kind of impact it has on the discussion in Congress. But the President is focused on continuing to work with senators to get a comprehensive bill off the floor of the United States Senate and into conference committee. As I've mentioned, this is a complicated issue. This is an emotional issue. But we have a broken immigration system, and we have some 12 million undocumented people in this country. And the President believes if we're going to solve this problem and fix the system, then we need to address all aspects of it and come up with a rational way to approach it.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, given the current situation in Iraq, what the President described today as "havoc" --
MR. McCLELLAN: As what?
Q Havoc, he used the word havoc today, could he, would he possibly stand under a sign that says "Mission Accomplished" today as he did three years ago?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Peter, I think that there are some Democrats that refuse to recognize the important milestone achieved by the formation of a national unity government. And there is an effort simply to distract attention away from the real progress that is being made by misrepresenting and distorting the past. And that really does nothing to help advance our goal of achieving victory in Iraq.
Q Scott, simple yes or no question, could the President stand under a sign that says --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, see, this is -- this is a way that --
Q It has nothing to do with Democrats.
MR. McCLELLAN: Sure it does.
Q I'm asking you, based on a reporter's curiosity, could he stand under a sign again that says, "Mission Accomplished"?
MR. McCLELLAN: Now, Peter, Democrats have tried to raise this issue, and, like I said, misrepresenting and distorting the past --
Q This is not --
MR. McCLELLAN: -- which is what they're doing, does nothing to advance the goal of victory in Iraq.
Q I mean, it's a historical fact that we're all taking notice of --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think the focus ought to be on achieving victory in Iraq and the progress that's being made, and that's where it is. And you know exactly the Democrats are trying to distort the past.
Q Let me ask it another way: Has the mission been accomplished?
MR. McCLELLAN: Next question.
Q Has the mission been accomplished?
MR. McCLELLAN: We're on the way to accomplishing the mission and achieving victory.
Q Scott, during the planning for the war in Iraq, did Secretary Powell express any reservations about the troop strength or strategy?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, on the --
Q During the planning for the war, did then-Secretary Powell express any concerns about the plans for troop strength?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Secretary Powell talked about the views that he expressed. The President, when he was making the decision, looked to his team to provide advice, and he welcomed all advice that his team provided, and there was a lot of advice provided during that time.
Now, Secretary Powell talked about how the President looked to his military commanders who were the ones coming up with the plan to make those decisions. In fact, the President, when it came time to make a decision, sat at the table with his military commanders and asked those commanders, do you have everything you need, and do you agree with the plan that is in place? And the military commanders all said that they do.
Q Did Secretary Powell ever express any reservations?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he talked about that yesterday. I can't go back all the way to that time and relive all the advice that was given. The there was a lot of advice given, and he talked about the advice that he provided, but he also talked about how it was the military commanders that the President was looking to to make such determinations. He said that the President's military advisors felt that the size of the force was adequate -- this was Secretary Powell's comments over the weekend -- and at the time, the President was listening to those who were supposed to be providing him with military advice. That would be his military commanders. And General Franks was the one who developed the plan.
Q Thank you.
MR. McCLELLAN: Thank you.
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It's Friday already? Alrighty then, time for another free crochet pattern as part of JJCrochet's Free Pattern Friday.
I woke up this morning and was brainstorming what I could make and offer as a free crochet pattern for FPF. I wanted something quick for summer, something useful, something practical. Something people could make that would work crochet into their everyday routines. A couple months ago one of my good friends, C.J., suggested I made crochet coffee cozies. I instantly loved the idea, but hadn't gotten around to crocheting up a prototype until today. So thank you, C.J. for your inspiration!
C.J.'s Crochet Coffee Cup Cozy
- Size E (3.5mm) crochet hook
- Size F (4.0mm) crochet hook
- Small amount Worsted Weight Yarn. I used Vanna's Choice Solids.
With smaller hook (size E), Chain 25. Join with sl st to first chain.
Round 1: Using larger hook, Ch 2 (counts as first hdc now and throughout), hdc in each st around (25 st). Join to first hdc with sl st.
Round 2: Ch 2. *Ch 1, skip 1 st, 2 hdc in next st* Repeat around until beginning. Ch 1, 1 hdc in same last st. Join to first hdc with sl st.
Round 3: Ch 2. 1 hdc in first ch-1 space. *2 hdc in next ch-1* Repeat around until beginning. Join to first hdc with sl st. (Note: Do NOT ch-1 between each hdc cluster.)
Round 4: Ch 2, hdc in each st across (25 st).
Round 5: Repeat Round 2
Round 6: Repeat Round 3
Round 7: Using smaller hook, Ch 2, hdc in each st across (25 st).
Fasten off. Weave in ends.
Choose different colors for each round or alternate a striping pattern. Below is the color scheme for the two coffee cozies pictures:
- Round 1: Bright Coral
- Round 2: Gray
- Round 3: Purple
- Round 4: Bright Coral
- Round 5: Purple
- Round 6: Gray
- Round 7: Bright Coral
- Round 1: Olive Green
- Round 2: Grass Green
- Round 3: Grass Green
- Round 4: Olive Green
- Round 5: Grass Green
- Round 6: Grass Green
- Round 7: Olive Green
Experiment with your own colors to create your very own crochet coffee cozies to match your style. They're reusable, easy to wash, and a greener alternative to paper covers. Happy crocheting!


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Search for dark matter axion with Rydberg atoms
2021.03.19 17:37
날짜 | 2021-03-25 16:00 |
일시 | Mar25(Thur), 04:00PM |
장소 | Online Seminar (Zoom) |
연사 | Prof. Atsushi Tokiyasu (Tohoku Univ.) |
Topic: Search for dark matter axion with Rydberg atoms
Speaker: Prof. Atsushi Tokiyasu
Date: March 25, 2021 (Thursday)
Time: 4:00 PM
Venue: Online Seminar (Zoom Teleconference System)
Meeting ID: 610 806 8959
Passcode: 131015
Axion is a hypothetical particle, originally proposed to solve the Strong CP problem in the QCD theory. Axion is believed to be generated in the early universe, and it is known to be one of the candidates of cosmic dark matter.
Many search experiments were performed, but the existence of axion has not been established yet.
From the recent observation on the cosmic microwave and the theoretical calculation, it is suggested that the
axion has a mass of O(100) micro-eV. We are aiming to search for axion in this mass region (New-CARRACK
In the New-CARRACK project, we are planning to search for axion by using a single photon detection method.
Single photon detection is free from the standard quantum limit, and allows us to search for axion with a wide
range of mass without degrading its detection sensitivity.


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If you have an account on TFH, use your Username and Password below to login to your account.
To recover your Account password, please enter your email address in the field below. Once you enter your email address to change your password, you will be sent a system-generated temporary password to log in.
By creating an account at The Falcon's Hangar you will be able to make reservations, keep up to date on your order status and keep track of the orders you have made.
Don't have an account? Create one now.


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Buy Burmese Magic Mushrooms Now
Burmese Magic Mushrooms are famously known for their above average potency. This shrooms is of the species Psilocybe Cubensis, a popular and fast growing specimen. This strain was first discovered by John W. Allen, an amateur ethnomycologiest who has discovered many strains of magic mushrooms around the world.
This strain was given to John W. Allen by one of his students in Burma and this strain can be traced back to that original strain.
Users report Burmese Magic Mushrooms to have a strong high but with reduced amounts of deep insight. The effects of magic mushrooms will depend greatly on your set and setting and will differ from person to person. Let us know how you feel after consuming Burmese shrooms in our reviews.
Wavy Caps Magic Mushrooms
After 10-30 minutes of consuming Burmese mushrooms you will feel your mood enhanced with euphoria and excitement. Depending on dosage you will experience mild to intense visual enhancements.
Things may seem like they are breathing, the nature around you will feel more alive and you will find yourself in introspective thought.
Music and art will look and feel different and you will have a higher appreciation and you may relate the music or art to yourself on a more personal level. The most common museum dose (0.5-1.5g) and moderate dose (2-3.5g) should provide you with a 3-6 hour trip.
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Established in the UK since 1999 🇬🇧
Sportex performance exhaust back box Ford Escort mk5 1.6EFi 1990-1992
Sportex performance exhaust back box for Ford Escort mk5 1.6EFi CVH hatch built 09/1990-09/1992. Twin 3" round tailpipe design.
Sportex exhausts are designed to increase engine performance by being less restrictive than standard using free flowing silencers and bends that improve gas flow. Exhaust back pressure is reduced giving noticeable power gains with a deeper sporting exhaust note. Additional power gains are achievable when combined with performance air filters. Each Sportex exhaust is designed to fit to the cars standard system using the original mounting points this applies to both rear silencers and performance systems. Sportex exhausts are constructed using high quality aluminised steel for the pipe work and silencers and T304 polished stainless steel for the tailpipes. An excellent choice of tailpipe options is available to improve your cars looks from subtle round designs to stylish Boxsta ovals. The Sportex performance exhaust range is backed up with 24 month guarantee and best of all offer great value for money.
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HAARVI: Hospitalized or Ambulatory Adults with Respiratory Viral Infections
Beginning in 2016, the Chu Lab has been collecting blood and nasal swab samples of adult inpatients at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to study acute RSV and influenza infections. The data collected was being used to characterize clinical symptoms of flu vs. RSV and profile antibodies of both pathogens. Since the COVID-19 pandemic this study has pivoted to focus on SARS-CoV-2 with over 300 people in the Seattle area enrolled into a longitudinal cohort study with multiple arms of sample and data collection over the next 2 years. The Chu lab is using these samples to study the clinical outcomes, immune response and viral kinetics over time of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and collaborate with multiple other labs and institutes to do these studies. Collaborators include researchers at the NIH, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Vanderbilt University and the Ragon Institute.


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Buying a house is one of the biggest financial purchases you are likely to make in your life. So should you look at it through the lens of finding the perfect place to call home or as an investment that can set you up for the future? Here is some food for thought as you decide which home to purchase.
Is the American Dream of Homeownership Your Dream?
As of September 2020, more than two-thirds (67.4%) of American households owned their own homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Homeownership is a financial and life goal held in common by most people and there are plenty of government and non-profit programs out there aimed at helping more citizens become homeowners. Yet, being a homeowner can be very expensive when it comes to paying a mortgage, property taxes, homeowner insurance, and keeping an emergency fund for repairs and maintenance. You'll have to decide if the cost and hassle of owning your own place is worth the benefits of equity and stability.
How Long Will You Stay in the Home?
Whether your house is a home or investment may also be determined by how long you plan to stay in it. If you are just starting your family, if your kids are moving out soon, or if you anticipate downsizing for retirement soon, you may view your house differently. If you plan to buy and sell within a short period of time, say 5 years, you may not be able to time the market perfectly enough to guarantee a huge equity gain. In this case, you may want to buy a home that fits your basic personal needs that is also in an area that tends to maintain its property values well.
If you plan to buy a home where you can spend the next few decades, it is more important to find a property that checks off most of the things on your wish list. Of course, many things can be added or renovated, but if you are hanging out there long-term, you should decide whether you love the neighborhood, whether the schools and other amenities are up to par for your preferences, and whether the home has the space and character you desire.
And it's also important to make sure you can comfortably afford the mortgage for any long-term property you consider, as there will always be unexpected homeownership costs that crop up along the way.
Do You Plan to Keep the Home Even if You Move Later?
If you are planning to move soon, can you afford to hold onto your current house as a rental property and still buy another house? In this case, looking at your current purchase mainly as an investment makes sense. Consider whether it is in a desirable rental area, if the home is a suitable size for renters, and how much rental management will cost you down the road. You may also want to buy a place that is on the less expensive side of your budget if you're planning to get another mortgage in the near future.
How Fast Do You Need to Build Equity?
If you are planning to buy a home to finance your retirement, you will view your purchase differently than if you are just trying to find the perfect home for your personal and aesthetic needs. Homes are a great investment, if you have enough time. In most markets, you won't gain the kind of equity you need in just a few years. You'll need to stay invested for decades. It's also good to hedge your bets with other forms of investments, like stocks, bonds, REITs, and other financial vehicles.
Fortunately, in most cases you don't have to view your house as either an investment OR a home. They can earn you great equity at the same time as being your favorite place to unwind.
If you or someone you know will be in the market for a new home this year, give us a call today. We'd love to help you get your home financing ready to go.


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The December issue of Linux Journal says that Red Hat Linux was the runaway winner of the 1997 Readers Choice Award, in the "Favorite CD-ROM Distribution" category, again this year. Red Hat garnered almost three times as many votes as its nearest competitor according to the Linux Journal.
The Linux Journal is the leading computer industry magazine devoted to promoting and reporting on the Linux technologies. You can find out more at: http://www.linuxjournal.com/current/.
About Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat, the world's leading open source and Linux provider, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with satellite offices spanning the globe. Red Hat is leading Linux and open source solutions into the mainstream by making high quality, low cost technology accessible. Red Hat provides operating system software along with middleware, applications and management solutions. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide and through top-tier partnerships. Red Hat's open source strategy offers customers a long term plan for building infrastructures that are based on and leverage open source technologies with focus on security and ease of management. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com
LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
- About Red Hat
Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.
- Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.


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Excavation Contractors in Brighton
Excavation is an essential first step for many renovation projects, and by contacting Ben Dig-N you can get things started on the right foot.
If you don't know what you're doing, haphazardly digging up patches of your property can cause serious damage. Excavation work is much more complicated than digging a hole where you need one; why risk severing a water main or otherwise damaging your property, when getting a pro to handle it is as simple as giving Ben Dig-N a call?
Honest, Straightforward Excavation Work in Brighton
We are always sure to provide our clients with a quote before our shovels touch the ground, so you can be certain you're getting the most competitive price in Brighton. Our clients often remark on how much they appreciate our straightforward, no-nonsense approach to excavation. We remove all the financial guesswork, allowing you to focus on how beautiful your property will be, rather than how much it will cost you.
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Pool Excavation and Filling
Another service that we frequently perform for the people of Brighton is pool excavation. Due to the depth of most inground pools the excavation process is very difficult for the untrained. The ground must be specially excavated to ensure that the sides of the pool are secure and will not deteriorate before or during pool creation.
Are you thinking of removing an old pool to increase the usable space of your property? We can fill in the area with aggregate and layers of soil so that the area can grow grass or a garden.
Contact Ben Dig-N To Get Digging Today!
Other companies may get the job done, but there's a big difference between doing a job and exceeding client expectations, which is Ben Dig-N's forte. Contact Ben Dig-N today, and let us be the first to break ground on your exciting new project!


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WMAConvert is the best software to convert audio files. The program was created to convert WMA to MP3 and other audio formats. You can remove DRM protection and convert WMA music and audio books to MP3 without quality loss. You will be able to transfer and play music on mobile phone, PC and on any popular audio players like iPod, iPhone 4S , Google Android devices , Samsung Galaxy , Nokia phones, Microsoft Zune, Creative Zen, Sandisk, Blackberry playbook, any other digital MP3 player and video game consoles. Songs converted from WMA to MP3 will be copied directly to your mobile device.
Why Use WMA to MP3 Converter:
If you buy WMAConvert Professional or Pro+VideoRip editions you will get free bonuses: Free YouTube Ripper, audio CD Ripper and CD Burner.
Besides wma to mp3 conversion, the program allows you making conversions between various audio formats, as it supports conversion from any audio format to MP3, M4A, WMA, WAV. If the majority of your songs and albums are in Windows Media Player format and you want to transfer them to iPod, but you can't just drag them to iTunes library, WMAConvert is an easy and right solution for that problem. If the wma files are DRM protected and you still want to play them you should use WMAConvert and convert wma files to more widely-supported mp3 format. Also, you can play unprotected wma music files on any other MP3 players and gadgets.
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Convert WMA to MP3 for iPod
If you are iPod, iPad or iPhone user you have faced the problem after downloading DRM protected WMA for sure, because Apple software does not support protected Windows Media Audio files. The easiest and the best decision is to download and install WMAConvert, which allows you to convert wma to mp3 and all protected audio files to the most common and compatible MP3 format.


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- Please review your Special Order product and its specifications for size, colour and fit for example before you add it to your cart.
- Special Order products are produced specifically for your order. Unfortunately, Repco are unable to refund for a change of mind or incorrect choice.
- The estimated delivery date is provided to you as a guide only. We will work hard to get your product(s) to you as soon as possible.
- Repco reserve the right to cancel any order.
- Repco will not be liable for any installation services provided by a third party.
- Teflon banded piston - low friction, long service life
- High displacement, multi stage valving - precise control
- Superior rod finish - increased seal durability
- Multi lip seal - state of the art durability
- Two year/40,000km warranty
Trust in Monroe Original shock absorbers and suspension struts
Designed to meet or exceed your manufacturers original equipment specifications you can be assured of quality and value when fitting Monroe Original shock absorbers or suspension struts to your vehicle. Featuring a Teflon banded piston for low friction and long service life these units offer precise suspension control based on their use of high displacement, multi stage valving. This means that through the ability to accurately control the damping within the shock or strut you can be confident of superior stability and road holding of your vehicle in all driving conditions. Go for the brand trusted by the world's leading automotive manufacturers and experience the benefits of Monroe Original equipment in your vehicle today.
Being safe on the road is more than just seatbelts and having a clear windscreen, it comprises every aspect of your vehicle and it is especially true of your suspension components. Worn shock absorbers or suspension struts play a huge part in the stopping distance, stability and overall steering control of your vehicle and can be the real difference to a near miss or a significant impact. Replacing your shock absorbers or suspension struts with Monroe Original units will see a marked improvement in your vehicles handling and control ensuring you and your family travel safely in all conditions. Monroe have designed their Original range for Australian and New Zealand road conditions and whether corrugated outback roads through to potholed city streets they are engineered to make your vehicle stop, turn, grip and handle as it should. Backed by a 2 year / 40000 kilometre warranty also gives you the peace of mind to know you have fitted a quality and dependable set of shock absorbers or struts to your vehicle.
For almost a century Monroe have been researching and developing suspension and ride control products to enhance and upgrade your vehicle for todays varied driving conditions. Whether scaling mountains in your 4wd and demanding a tough and reliable shock absorber such as their Gas Magnum range or pushing the limits in your sports or performance car whilst using a GT Sport shock absorber or strut you can be assured of finding the right Monroe product. With not just shock absorbers and struts in their range Monroe also produce a range of replacement bump stops and strut tops to ensure your vehicle has that superior safety and control.
Use our online rego search tool to find the right Monroe parts for your car and shop online and use our click and collect or home delivery service to have the parts with a minimum of fuss.
Bazaarvoice SAP Hybris Integration Version 2.8.0
Bazaarvoice SAP Hybris Integration Version 2.8.0


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DETROIT (AP) - Floating paper lanterns will be launched in Detroit's former Chinatown as part of a community-based event.
The Saturday evening event near Wayne State University is dubbed "Illuminating Chinatown." The lanterns made by local artists, designers and university students are set to be launched in a block without working street lights.
Paper lanterns were first used as signaling balloons and now are used in festivals to signify good luck and new beginnings. Organizers say they also intend for them to signal change coming from the hands of the community.
The event is one of a series from a course led by visiting artist Fritz Haeg. His work has included edible gardens, public dances, urban parades and documentaries.
Wayne State University visiting artist Fritz Haeg: http://bit.ly/QAcXiT