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Skip to comments.Iranian Alert - September 29, 2004 [EST]- IRAN LIVE THREAD - "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"
Posted on 09/28/2004 9:01:45 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
The US media still largely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year. As a result, most Americans are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East. In fact they were one of the first countries to have spontaneous candlelight vigils after the 911 tragedy (see photo).
There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.
The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.
In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.
This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.
I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.
If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.
If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.
|By Leslie Susser
|JERUSALEM, Sept. 28 (JTA) After months of high-profile lobbying against Irans nuclear program, Israeli officials are confident that the international community will impose sanctions on Tehran if it fails to meet a Nov. 25 deadline to halt its nuclear weapons program.
They base their optimism on a series of meetings with American and European officials, mainly during the recent U.N. General Assembly session in New York. They say they detect a major shift in the European position, which could lead to the Europeans joining a U.S.-led move on sanctions at the U.N. Security Council.
If the sanctions fail, Israeli analysts believe the United States has the capacity to stop Iran going nuclear by military means. They are also not ruling out a strike by Israel, if the Iranians go past the point of no return in nuclear bomb manufacturing and the international community fails to take effective action.
Israeli officials, however, make it clear that Israel sees Irans nuclear program as a global rather than an Israeli problem, and would much prefer to see the international community dealing with it.
The hardening of the European line came after the Iranians rejected a mid-September demand from the International Atomic Energy Agency not to produce the enriched uranium from which nuclear bombs are made.
The defiant Iranian response was to announce that it had begun converting large amounts of raw uranium and that it had test-fired a new version of the Shihab-3 missile, capable of reaching Israel and most European capitals.
A few days later, at the U.N. General Assembly session in New York, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he was encouraged by the new European stance.
The time, he said, was now ripe to move the Iranian case to the Security Council in order to put an end to this nightmare.
At the same time, Israels national security council chief, Giora Eiland, came away from talks with American officials convinced that they realized the gravity of the situation and would be ready to act.
November, Eiland stressed in his talks, would be the very last chance to do something effective to halt the Iranian nuclear drive without having to resort to force.
Gerald Steinberg, an expert on nuclear proliferation at Bar Ilan Universitys BESA Institute, asserts that the Europeans, tired of Irans double game, will now be ready to follow an American lead.
The British, the Germans and to some degree the French now realize that their approach, holding various kinds of dialogue with Iran, has failed, he said.
Nor does he expect Russia or China to oppose a move for U.N. sanctions against Iran. Russia, given its troubles in Chechnya, will find it difficult to condone a nuclear build-up in terror-supporting Iran, he said.
And China wont want to be the only permanent member of the Security Council to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
Steinberg estimates that the Iranians are at least six months and perhaps some years away from producing a bomb, so that there is time to test whether a sanctions strategy works.
If it doesnt, the next step could be an American-led military strike. Spelling out U.S. policy in late September, President Bush said he would prefer to use diplomacy, including sanctions, to stop the Iranian nuclear drive, but if necessary he would not shy away from the use of force.
A leak in Newsweek magazine that American contingency plans to hit Iran were being updated seemed to underline the presidents message.
Both the presidents tough talk and the Newsweek leak seemed calculated at the very least to put more pressure on Iran ahead of the November deadline, by presenting a credible U.S. military threat.
Although Iranian nuclear facilities are spread out across the country, and in some cases protected by thick concrete bunkers, Steinberg believes that if sanctions dont work and the Iranians get very close to producing a bomb, the Americans would be capable of destroying Irans entire nuclear program.
The U.S. certainly has the military capability to destroy the key facilities of the Iranian program, he said. Iran could always reconstitute its capabilities, but it would take years. Two decades after the Israeli strike against the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, the Iraqis were still not as close to producing a weapon as they had been then.
As for the possibility of Israel attacking Irans nuclear facilities if sanctions fail and the international community does not take military action, Steinberg said he does not rule it out, nor does anyone in the Israeli establishment.
But he said the imminent supply of 500 one-ton bunker buster bombs to Israel from the United States should not be seen as directly connected to any operational policy vis-a-vis Iran, although it does enhance the credibility of the Israeli threat to Irans nuclear program.
Senior Israeli officials warn that the international community should not count on Israel to remove the Iranian nuclear threat. Israeli policy, they say, has been geared to convincing the international community that Irans nuclear program is an international and not an Israeli problem, and that it should be dealt with by the international community, not by Israel.
The world should not wait for us to do its dirty work, by taking out the Iranian nuclear threat, Yoav Biran, the outgoing director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, warned in a recent interview in the mass circulation Yediot Achronot daily.
No one in the world has any doubts about Irans intentions, which remain to achieve full military nuclear capability with long-range missiles, he said, alluding to the goal of delivering nuclear warheads.
Its not solely an Israeli problem. First and foremost, its a problem for the stability of the Middle East and the whole international order. Only persistent international pressure, which must include Europe, the United States and others, will prevent Iran from achieving its goal, he declared.
Now, after years in which the Americans pressed for a hard line and the Europeans for constructive dialogue with Iran, the international community seems to be ready to take the kind of concerted action Biran had in mind.
But whether sanctions or the threat of sanctions will be enough to convince the Iranians to drop their nuclear ambitions remains an open question.
And, despite President Bushs tough talk and the new optimism in Israel, there is an even bigger question: If sanctions fail, will the international community really take military action, or wait for Israel, armed with long-range bombers and bunker busting bombs, to do so and risk the consequences?
(Leslie Susser is the diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Report.)
Analysis: Iranian Mujahedin Face Uncertain Future- Tuesday, 28 September 2004
The MKO was designated a "foreign terrorist organization" by the U.S. State Department in 1997, and it retains that status (see http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2003/31711.htm). The MKO is known by a number of other names, including the National Liberation Army of Iran (the militant wing of the MKO), the People's Mujahedin of Iran, National Council of Resistance, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and Muslim Iranian Student's Society (front organization used to garner financial support). The EU designated the MKO's military wing as a terrorist organization in May 2002.
The MKO was created in the 1960s and its ideology combines Islam and Marxism. It was involved with anti-U.S. terrorism in the 1970s, and it initially supported the 1978-79 revolution. In June 1981, it staged an unsuccessful uprising against the Islamic regime; many members were imprisoned while others fled the country.
The MKO transitioned from being a "mass movement" in 1981 to having "all the main attributes of a cult" by mid-1987, Ervand Abrahamian wrote in his "Radical Islam: The Iranian Mojahedin" (1989). It referred to its head, Masud Rajavi, as the rahbar (leader) and imam-i hal (present imam), had a rigid hierarchy, created a vocabulary, and had its own calendar.
After being run out of Iran, the MKO launched a number of attacks against the regime leadership: a 1981 bombing killed President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar, in 1992 it attacked 13 Iranian embassies, and it is behind other mortar attacks and assassination attempts in Iran.
Former President Saddam Hussein granted the MKO refuge in Iraq, and from there the organization fought Iranian forces in the Iran-Iraq War. Hundreds of MKO members reportedly died in the July 1988 Foruq-i Javidan military operation against Iran. The MKO helped suppress the 1991 uprisings of Shi'a in southern Iraq and Kurds in the north.
Operation Iraqi Freedom brought the MKO's idyll to an end. U.S. and British aircraft bombed MKO bases in late March 2003 and again in early April. On 10 May, the MKO agreed to turn over its weapons to U.S. forces. As these events were taking place, there was speculation that the Iranian military would strike at the MKO's bases. It did not do so, and Tehran offered an amnesty instead.
Ahmad Rahimi, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, said in a 28 March 2003 telephone interview with Dubai-based Al-Arabiyah television that members of the MKO could come back to Iran if they voiced regret for their "crimes" against the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported. "The Islamic Republic of Iran, out of pity, gave them this new chance," Rahimi said. "We guarantee their life and will not arrest them, although there are some people who committed special crimes inside and outside Iran. If they voice regret for what they did and do not repeat these mistakes, then we will help them solve the problem and lead a respectable life in their country," he added.
Other Iranian officials repeated the amnesty offer throughout the year. Intelligence and Security Minister Hojatoleslam Ali Yunesi said on 5 April that 100 MKO members had returned to Iran already, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported, and he urged others to return and live a normal life. Yunesi added during a 10 May press conference that many MKO members have returned to Iran and provided the government with information. Government spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh said on 23 June 2003 that Iran would treat any returning MKO members with "Islamic compassion" and he stressed that they would not encounter any problems in Iran, IRNA reported. President Mohammad Khatami expressed similar sentiments in Geneva on 11 December 2003.
The offer did not apply to MKO leaders, however. "Monafeqin [hypocrites; MKO] ringleaders who have directly been involved in terrorist operations and crimes against the Iranian people" are not eligible for the amnesty, Ramezanzadeh added on 23 June.
The Iraqi Governing Council, furthermore, announced in December 2003 that all MKO members would have to leave Iraq by the end of the month (on Iraqi attitudes to the MKO, see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 15 December 2003.) The expulsions never occurred, and the occupation forces in Iraq were not clear on how to deal with the MKO (see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 22 December 2003). In July 2004, MKO members in Iraq were granted "protected status" under the Geneva Conventions. It is not clear, furthermore, how many MKO members took advantage of the Iranian amnesty offer, nor is it clear how they are being treated.
The case of two MKO members who were forcibly returned to Iran from Syria could be instructive. Damascus sent Ebrahim Khodabandeh and Jamil Bassam to Iran on 12 June 2003. During a February 2004 trip to Iran, Baroness Emma Nicholson, deputy chairwoman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, saw the two men. She reported that they were in good health and had no complaints about their treatment, but were still awaiting trial. Nicholson met with Khodabandeh again in Tehran in March 2004. The MKO dismissed her comments as lies and said the men were being tortured and faced execution (see http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/news/barnet/display.var.485040.0.0.php and http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/news/barnet/display.var.490780.0.one_year_in_an_iranian_prison_cell.php).
Ann Singleton, author of a book on the MKO entitled "Saddam's Private Army," wrote in June 2004 that she and British Members of Parliament Sir Teddy Taylor and Win Griffiths, an independent British reporter, and two Iranian lawyers met with Khodabandeh and Bassam in Tehran's Evin prison (http://www.iran-interlink.org/files/info/iranvisitJune2004.htm). Khodabandeh told the visitors that he would not return to the MKO. Bassam said he still regards himself as an MKO member.
An imprisoned former MKO member, Arash Sametipur, was quoted in "The Christian Science Monitor" on 31 December 2003 that the organization is "a mixture of Mao and Marxism, and leader [Masud] Rajavi acts like Stalin" (http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1231/p10s01-woiq.html). Another former MKO member, Hora Shalchi, told the newspaper that the organization's leadership promised that the Iranian people would welcome her actions, but a mob chased her down when her mortar attack on a military base went awry. "We weren't accepted by anybody," Shalchi added. "There was no support." Both said that the Iranian government does not consider the MKO a serious threat, and the executions that the MKO told them to expect never took place. According to the many people interviewed by "The Christian Science Monitor," imprisoned MKO members are treated like people who need help.
Yet this was not always the case, and MKO warnings were based on fact. Many MKO members who were imprisoned in the early 1980s were tortured into recanting, Ervand Abrahamian wrote in his "Tortured Confessions" (1999). Furthermore, in early or mid-1988 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued an order establishing special commissions tasked with executing imprisoned mujahedin as muharib (at war with God) and leftists as mortad (apostates from Islam). In July 1988, the commissions began isolating and questioning the imprisoned MKO members and executing the unrepentant ones. The total number of executed mujahedin is estimated to be in the thousands. The mass executions stopped in less than a year and the logic behind them is not known, but Abrahamian wrote that this was Khomeini's way of testing the dedication of regime supporters. Others linked the executions with the MKO's unsuccessful July 1988 attack on Iran. And if executions became less commonplace, the use of torture did not.
In 1989 the regime amnestied many political prisoners. It produced one high-ranking MKO member, Said Shahsavandi, who in television interviews, lectures, and open letters denounced the MKO and accused its leadership of imprisoning, torturing, and executing dissidents. Shahsavandi traveled to Europe to deliver the same message. The MKO has denounced Shahsavandi for alleged involvement in the torture and execution of MKO members.
This policy of granting amnesties reflected a new regime tactic rather than a sense of mercy. The regime sought to portray the MKO as "the principal violators of human rights in Iran," Reza Afshari wrote in "Human Rights in Iran" (2001). Moreover, it tried to portray itself as a defender of human rights. The regime subsequently trotted out allegedly repentant MKO members, as well as relatives of individuals who allegedly died at the MKO's hands, when UN human rights investigators visited Iran.
As of late September, the future of the MKO is unclear. Iraqis continue to have suspicions about the organization. Baghdad's "Al-Mutamar" reported on 31 July that people in Diyala Governorate suspect the MKO is "fomenting the ongoing struggle between the new Iraqi government and the armed terrorist groups," and others suspect that Ba'athist officials are hiding in Camp Ashraf. The newspaper added that the MKO is not confined to Camp Ashraf and also runs Camp Habib, 35 kilometers north of Al-Basrah; Camp Homayun and Camp Muzarmi, near the city of Al-Amarah; Camp Fayzah, near Al-Kut; Camp Ulwi, near Al-Miqdadiyah; Camp Anzali, near Jalul; and "scores" of offices and safehouses in Baghdad, Al-Basrah, and Diyala.
Some U.S. commentators have recommended using the MKO against Iran, citing concerns about Iranian activities in Iraq. A recent example is the commentary by Fox News military analysts Thomas McInerney and Paul Vallely in "The Wall Street Journal" on 8 September. Citing former MKO spokesman Alireza Jafarzadeh as an "Iranian expert," they wrote that it is time to create an "armed resistance movement" by removing the MKO from the terrorist list. "It's time to rearm [the MKO's] 4,000 trained fighters."
Regardless of Iranians' disgust for this organization, such calls have some resonance in Iran. "Jomhuri-yi Islami" claimed in a 5 August commentary that an arms shipment seized at the Iranian border was somehow connected with MKO activities, U.S. hostility, and Iraqi claims about Iranian interference.
The MKO, meanwhile, continues its activities against the Iranian government. Approximately 5,000 of its supporters demonstrated in Brussels on 13 September as EU foreign ministers discussed Iran, AFP reported. The so-called International Committee for the Support of Victims of the MKO condemned the Belgian decision to permit this rally, IRNA reported on 12 September. The committee said in a letter to Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel that the MKO recruited Afghans and other refugees to participate in the rally by paying for their food and accommodations.
Bush administration completes get-tough plan for Syria
The Bush administration has drafted contingency plans for bringing military and economic pressure against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Officials said the administration has determined that diplomacy has failed to resolve U.S. concerns that Syria has been working to destabilize the interim government in Iraq.
They said the Assad regime has been harboring senior operatives of Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi, regarded as the most lethal insurgent in Iraq, aides to Saddam Hussein as well as Iraqi nuclear scientists as part of a Syrian policy coordinated with Iran.
On Monday, the State Department reiterated its criticism of Syria for its harboring groups deemed as terrorists, Middle East Newsline reported. The department refused to condemn the Sept. 26 assassination of a Hamas leader in Damascus in a car-bombing attributed to Israel.
"If Americans are dying in Iraq because of Syrian policies, then this is something we are not going to tolerate," a senior official said.
The official, who refused to be identified, did not report any progress in U.S. efforts to end Syria's support of the insurgency movement in Iraq or other issues in dispute between Damascus and Washington.
Last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Syria's redeployment of more than 3,000 troops in Lebanon and suggested the onset of a new atmosphere in relations.
"I can't go into details on this, but they gave me some information with respect to financial activities [to insurgents in Iraq] and how we can cooperate more fully on that," Powell said in a Sept. 24 meeting with the New York Times editorial board. "We're looking at ways to improve our intelligence exchange."
Two weeks ago, Syria and the United States met in Damascus in what officials termed was a hard-nosed review of bilateral relations that focused on the Assad regime's policy in Iraq.
The U.S. delegation, headed by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns contained members of the Pentagon, White House and National Security Council.
The talks reviewed Syrian WMD programs, support for the insurgency in Iraq and Syria's harboring of billions of dollars sent by the Saddam Hussein regime in 2002 and 2003. "What we said in Damascus is that this has to stop," the senior official said. "Our message to Syria was a warning that this is very serious. Because this means Syria shares responsibility for the killing of Americans and Iraqis, and it has to stop."
At the meeting, Damascus agreed to participate in talks with Iraq and U.S. Central Command to launch cooperation that would halt the flow of insurgents and weapons from Syria, officials said. Officials said the Assad regime was warned that the failure of the military talks, which began on Tuesday in Damascus, could trigger what they termed a major deterioration in U.S. relations with Syria.
"Our job is to convince them that the risk of undermining us is much greater than the opposite," the senior official said.
During the September meeting in Damascus, officials said, the U.S. delegation presented the Assad regime with evidence of Syrian government aid to the insurgency movement in Iraq. The delegation argued that Syria has intensified its support of Al Zarqawi and pro-Saddam forces in an effort to torpedo Iraqi elections scheduled in January 2005.
"It's not just a question of border control," the senior official said. "Institutions within Syria are actively colluding with our enemies in Iraq."
"Terrorists and their supporters beget a cycle of violence that is best addressed through the end of support of terror," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said. "We have made it clear that in numerous meetings with the Syrians that we think it's in their interests, in the interests of the region, to end support for terrorist organizations and terrorist individuals operating from their territory."
Latest reports in reference to the popular demonstrations which took place, on Sunday, in some Iranian cities and especially the Capital, are stating about several deaths and tens of injured and arrested.
The most violent clashes took place, in Esfahan, Noor-Abad of Mamassani, Shiraz, Hamadan, Saghez, Khoram-Abad and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) where security agents shoot on demonstrators by killing and injuring several of them.
In most cases, such as, in Noor-Abad of Mamassani (Fars Province) and in Khoram-Abad, angry demonstrators retaliated to the militiamen's brutality and the murder of several demonstrators by attacking the regime's forces with pieces of stones and incendiary devices. The popular reaction resulted in the injuries of several agents and heavy damages made to several patrol cars and public buildings, such as, Noor-Abad's Justice Palace.
Tens of demonstrators, especially young girls and boys, have been reported as missing following the demos of Sunday.
Situation of most provincial cities and Tehran have been reported as very tense and the security forces are remaining deployed in most strategic and popular areas.
| One person was killed and 18 injured in clashes in Iran linked to the collapse of an Islamic loan fund in Nourabad, Iranian state television has reported.
The violence is reported to have taken place after angry customers protested outside state offices in the city.
The Zolfaghar-Ali fund was declared bankrupt, leaving some customers unable to reclaim funds they had deposited.
One report said Nourabad residents had 360bn riyals ($41m; £23m) tied up in the fund.
A Fars state official told Iranian television that security forces had intervened to quell the protests and calm had been restored.
Damage was caused to some buildings by "a group of agitators and opportunists", said Abdollah Shahasani, head of political affairs in the office of the Fars governor general.
He said the fund's managers had been arrested and a special committee was investigating customer complaints.
Similarly structured Islamic funds allow depositors after several months to take interest-free loans of double the amount deposited.
Fund managers invest the cash deposited but can be vulnerable to a run on the fund if too many depositors try to take loans or withdraw their deposits at once.
Several such funds have collapsed in recent months, causing street protests, AFP news agency said.
VIENNA (Reuters) - The analysis of soil samples taken by U.N. inspectors at Lavizan, a site in Tehran that U.S. officials suspect may be linked to an atomic weapons program, shows no sign of nuclear activity, Western diplomats said.
Satellite photos of Lavizan taken between August 2003 and May 2004 showed that Iran had completely razed Lavizan, a site which Iran said was a former military research laboratory, but which it said had nothing to do with atomic-related activities.
"The environmental samples taken at Lavizan have come back negative so far," a Vienna-based diplomat who follows the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Reuters. Negative means the samples contained no traces of nuclear materials.
Washington accused Iran of removing a substantial amount of topsoil and rubble from the site and replacing it with a new layer of soil, in what U.S. officials said might have been an attempt to cover clandestine nuclear activity at Lavizan.
Former U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, Kenneth Brill, accused Iran in June of using "the wrecking ball and bulldozer" to sanitize Lavizan prior to the arrival of U.N. inspectors.
But another diplomat close to the IAEA told Reuters that on-site inspections of Lavizan produced no proof that any soil had been removed at all.
The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program, a charge Tehran has repeatedly denied.
The IAEA has been inspecting Iran's nuclear program for two years. Although it has uncovered many previously concealed activities that could be linked to weapons activity, it has found no "smoking gun" to prove Washington's case.
* Puts El Baradei under pressure
VIENNA: A new board of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog was to meet in Vienna on Monday to set procedures for electing a new director general, with current chief Mohamed El Baradei seeking to remain in office despite US opposition.
El Baradei had earlier this month put his hat into the ring for a third term at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) despite opposition from the United States and possibly other top UN funding states to his continuing in the job.
US officials have said the United States, the largest contributor to the United Nations, supports the position of the Geneva group of top 10 contributors that heads of international organisation should not serve more than two terms.
This policy has nothing to do with the director generals qualifications. The United States thinks that hes done a very good job leading the agency at a very difficult time but its simply a matter of principle and good governance, a Western official familiar with the US position said.
But El Baradei, who is supported by the 13 non-aligned countries on the IAEAs 35-nation board, may get a boost in October as he is an apparent favourite to win the Nobel Peace Prize, after his work in monitoring nuclear activities in hot spots Iran, Iran, North Korea and Libya.
An IAEA spokesman said the board, which was elected last week at an IAEA general conference, has to decide today procedures for the appointment of a new director general.
He said the board would probably close applications for candidacies by December 31 and seek to have the new director general named by a board meeting in June 2005, in order to be formally elected at the next IAEA general conference in September 2005.
El Baradei, 61, who is Egyptian, has been at the Vienna-based IAEA for two decades and has as director general since 1997 become a world figure campaigning for nuclear non-proliferation. afp
Iranian official refutes Bush's statement on nuclear issue
|www.chinaview.cn 2004-09-28 23:56:38
TEHRAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Tuesday rejected a recent statement by US President George W. Bush over Iran's nuclear file, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"Iran is certainly entitled to have access to nuclear technology," said Rafsanjani, referring to Bush's remarks that Iran does not need nuclear energy given its plenty of oil reserves.
"A lot of countries in the world make use of nuclear energy today," Rafsanjani said, adding "even the United States had plenty of oil when it launched its nuclear activity."
Tehran denies the US accusation, insisting that its right to get access to peaceful nuclear technology be natural.
Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution on Iran's nuclear program, urging the country to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities and fully cooperate with inspectors to clear up related issues. Enditem
Waiting to bomb Iran
|By Aluf Benn
While the debate in Israel was focused on the disengagement plan, an entirely different discussion was developing in the international media. They have become convinced in recent weeks that Israel is planning an aerial attack on Iran's nuclear installations, should it conclude that Iran is proceeding apace toward the development of an atomic bomb, and the diplomatic effort to stop it has failed.
This discussion is not taking place on remote Internet sites, but in learned analyses by the most important newspapers in the world, which are describing the anticipated Israeli bombing as a political fact that is influencing decision makers in Washington and Europe. Everyone knows that Israel considers the Iranian bomb the most serious threat to its existence and its regional status.
| Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 29 September 2004 0148 hrs
Iran not seeking nuclear bomb, but will defend itself: minister
NEW YORK : Iran is not trying to build a nuclear bomb, but it has developed long and medium-range missiles to defend itself against potential threats, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told CNN television.
Reformist journalist arrested in Iran
Web posted at: 9/29/2004 2:45:47
Source ::: AFP
TEHRAN: An Iranian journalist who has worked on the political pages of two reformist dailies in the Islamic republic has been arrested, his wife told the student news agency Isna yesterday.
Rozbeh Mir-Ebrahimi, who has worked for Etemad and Jomhuriat newspapers, "was arrested by people who said they were from the police" on Monday morning, Sulmaz Sharifi said.
The Jomhuriat newspaper was closed down by the judiciary in July.
"They searched the house and asked him questions about his work with different Internet sites. They said he would be released soon but so far I have not heard from him and they have given me no reason for his arrest," she told Isna.
Iran's hardline judiciary has maintained a crackdown on the pro-reform press for several years, with scores of papers shut down and journalists frequently detained. Around 15 journalists are currently believed to be behind bars.
On September 7, Etemad journalist Shahram Rafizadeh was also arrested and is still being held. The judiciary also recently arrested three writers who publish over the Internet signalling the crackdown was being extended to cyberspace.
A prominent reformist politician and former MP, Mohsen Armin, told ISNA that since the Internet crackdown began a month ago, "around 20 people have been arrested" for accessing banned sites.
By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 28 -- Five international oil consortia, including Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Total SA, Statoil ASA, Norsk Hydro AS, and Repsol YPF SA, have submitted bids for developing Iran's Yadavaran oil field, OPEC News Agency reported.
Seyed Mehdi Hosseini, managing director of National Iranian Oil Co., said NIOC also is negotiating LNG purchase-marketing deals with three groups from India, China, and Spain in exchange for 20% shares in the Yadavaran development project, said Hosseini.
The companies, which would not be involved in operations, would obtain the share in investment, costs, and interests of the contracts, in exchange for purchasing 5 million tonnes/year of LNG, OPECNA reported.
WASHINGTON - The United States will keep pushing the UN Security Council to consider whether Iran's nuclear ambitions are out of bounds, John Bolton, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said.
"The reason we favor taking it to the Security Council is, we want to put Iran in the international spotlight, in the agency and the UN system responsible for such matters, to change the global political dynamic, to increase the pressure on Iran to give up pursuit of nuclear weapons," Bolton said at a conference at the American Enterprise Institute.
"It raises the stakes for Iran. In the Security Council their options narrow."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has called on Tehran to immediately halt all activities related to uranium enrichment, a process that can make the explosive material for nuclear weapons.
The United States claims Iran is hiding a covert weapons development program and wants the agency to bring Iran before the UN Security Council in November.
Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and insists it has a right to pursue a peaceful nuclear program.
For his part, Bolton denied that Washington was automatically seeking council action against Tehran.
"It is simply not the case that referral to the Security Council results in any kind of automatic Security Council action," he said.
"We must recognise that there is no indication that Saddam Hussein has any intention of relenting," the speaker warned his audience. "So we have an obligation of enormous consequence, an obligation to guarantee that Saddam Hussein cannot ignore the United Nations.
"He cannot be permitted to go unobserved and unimpeded toward his horrific objective of amassing a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.
"This is not a matter about which there should be any debate whatsoever in the Security Council, or, certainly, in this nation.
"I believe that the United Nations must take, and should authorise immediately, whatever steps are necessary to force him to relent - and that the United States should support and participate in those steps."
The speaker continued: "While we should always see to take significant international actions on a multilateral rather than unilateral basis whenever that is possible, if in the final analysis we face what we truly believe to be a grave threat to the well-being of our nation or the entire world and it cannot be removed peacefully we must have the courage to do what we believe is right and wise."
He went on: "I submit that the old adage pay now or pay later applies perfectly in this situation."
The speaker noted that only small quantities of biological weapons would be needed to murder thousands of civilians in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. "These could be delivered by ballistic missile", he warned, "but they also could be delivered by much more pedestrian means; aerosol applicators on commercial trucks easily could suffice."
The man who spoke these words was not Tony Blair. Nor, as the number of subordinate clauses will have warned you, was it George W Bush. Nor was it Paul Wolfowitz or even Joe Lieberman.
It was actually John Kerry, speaking on the floor of the United States Senate on 9 November, 1997, after Saddam had expelled the UN weapons inspectors from Iraq.
Its true that Kerry, having opposed military action against Saddam after he invaded Kuwait, seems happy with the idea of using force only when the idea of using meaningful force is not an immediate likelihood, but the speech is worth quoting at length to demonstrate where Kerry once was, and the contrast with where he is today.
Do not be too surprised if George Bush reminds Senator Kerry of these words when they meet at the University of Miami tomorrow for the first of their three presidential debates. This debate, which will focus entirely on foreign policy, may prove to be the decisive moment in this election campaign.
Yesterdays Washington Post/ABC News poll showed the extent to which Kerry remains on the back foot. Nationwide, Bush leads by 51 per cent to 45 per cent and, critically, the president continues to enjoy a 53-40 per cent lead on handling the situation in Iraq and a 54-37 per cent advantage when voters are asked which candidate they trust to lead the campaign against terrorism - even though 51 per cent of those surveyed no longer believe the war was worth fighting.
In other words, the electorate is not happy with Bush but it is even less content with Kerry.
Even among Democrats, the poll found that just 39 per cent were "enthusiastic" about their candidate. In these circumstances, a draw tomorrow night will be of little use to the challenger.
Kerry, and his supporters, would like to have us believe that we should get beyond asking whether he thought the war was justified or not and instead focus on what is happening in Iraq right now. Up to a point. Its true that President Bush seems intent on viewing events in Mesopotamia through Panglossian spectacles, but that is less important, for now, than the fact that the answer to the question: "Would you have gone to war?" is the most pressing matter of the day and tells us what we need, indeed deserve, to know about what a Kerry presidency would look like.
Kerrys answer, depending on when and where the question is asked, is insufficiently clear. Sometimes hell say yes, sometimes hell say no.
This is not nuance, it is disingenuousness. The true sense of his position has, however, leaked out. For all that he protests, from time to time, that he is less against the idea of toppling Saddam than he is against the manner in which it was done, the unhappy truth remains that were John Kerry president, Saddam would remain untoppled.
AFTER all, Kerrys new campaign strategist, Joe Lockhart, last week dismissed Ayad Allawi as nothing more than an American "puppet", denying him the legitimacy he rather needs to help foster some kind of stability in Iraq.
This is the key question of the campaign and, I suspect, the ground upon which Bush will choose to fight tomorrow night. It is a matter of world view and strategy rather than day-to-day tactics which can, and sometimes should, shift with the wind.
As Christopher Hitchens bluntly put it this week: "This is not a year, or a time, to be dicking around." This too will be the presidents message. If Kerry was wrong on Saddam, Bush will maintain, he cannot be trusted to be right on Iran or North Korea (two cases in which this "unilateral" administration has pursued a strategy that has been more multilateral than it has been effective.)
Kerry will make the case that post-war blundering in Iraq has brought the United States into disrepute and made the world a more dangerous place. In the short-term that may well be true, but, Bush will suggest, true leadership demands a longer view.
Thus far, Kerry has failed to demonstrate that he has that kind of penetrating gaze. He has run a campaign predicated almost entirely upon the proposition that he is not George W Bush and upon the non sequitur that having served in Vietnam, he is qualified to make tough decisions on matters of war and peace. This is not enough. Few voters know what Kerry stands for, only what he stands against.
Democrats hope that their remarkably successful voter-registration drives will overcome the pollsters findings - Cleveland and Philadelphia, for instance, are reporting record numbers of new Democratic registrations - but unless Kerry can win the security and "vision thing" argument, then his goose may be cooked.
Nonetheless, expect Kerry to continue to argue, as he has in recent days, that "George Bush has failed to be forthcoming with the American people about what is happening in Iraq and has failed to provide the leadership we need. I will do a better job of dealing with Iraq and winning the war and fighting the war on terror, period."
Kerrys problem, however, is that while the voters agree with that first sentence, they show few signs of believing the second.
Unless he can change that perception tomorrow night, George W Bush will be odds-on to win a second term.
Waiting to bomb Iran
|By Aluf Benn
While the debate in Israel was focused on the disengagement plan, an entirely different discussion was developing in the international media. They have become convinced in recent weeks that Israel is planning an aerial attack on Iran's nuclear installations, should it conclude that Iran is proceeding apace toward the development of an atomic bomb, and the diplomatic effort to stop it has failed.
|This discussion is not taking place on remote Internet sites, but in learned analyses by the most important newspapers in the world, which are describing the anticipated Israeli bombing as a political fact that is influencing decision makers in Washington and Europe. Everyone knows that Israel considers the Iranian bomb the most serious threat to its existence and its regional status.
The newspaper articles recall the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reaction in 1981 as an example of what awaits the Iranians. They analyze the ability of the Israel Air Force to carry out such an operation, and warn that it will lead to terrible repercussions in the Middle East.
There is no question that the bombing of Iran will be much more complicated than the attack on the Iraqi reactor. The flight range is greater, the Iranian installations are scattered and protected, and Iran is capable of retaliating. But the interesting difference between Iraq and Iran is that at the time, the Iraqi operation was planned in secret and was carried out by surprise, and this time the ostensible preparations are being conducted almost in the open.
The belief that Israel's patience is running out have increased since July, when the British Sunday Times reported - based on Israeli sources - on the advanced preparations for bombing the reactor in Bushehr. The article, which was widely quoted all over the world and aroused Iranian counter-threats, seems to be Israeli psychological warfare.
The British papers are a well-known target of such deliberate leaks, but no investigation was begun in Israel about presumed revelations of operational secrets, and at the time, Iran seemed to be evading diplomatic pressure. Afterward came the tests of the Israel Arrow missile and the Iranian Shihab, and more belligerent declarations from Teheran, and additional articles about the anticipated operation.
Judging by an analysis of the articles, Israel has decided to sharpen the sense of urgency in the international community, in order to increase diplomatic pressure on Teheran to cease its enrichment of uranium. This goal has been achieved, at least in the declarations being heard from the United States and Europe, and in the decisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It is possible that factors in the West, doubtful about the success of the diplomatic effort, prefer to have Israel act in their place. There are signs of that: Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who met with many of his colleagues at the UN General Assembly, heard a great deal of understanding from them about the Iranian danger, and serious doubts as to the chances of diplomacy. Nobody asked Israel to refrain from a belligerent act.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says that Israel is not planning a military operation in Iran, and speaks of developing improved means of defense and deterrence. But the foreign media were more interested in the threats against the Iranians by senior members of the Israel Defense Forces. "We will not rely only on others" (Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon), "We will rely on others until we have to rely on ourselves" (his deputy, Dan Halutz), "The operational capability of the air force has increased significantly since the bombing of the Iraqi reactor" (Commander of the Israel Air Force, Eliezer Shkedi).
Sharon is disturbed by the growing acceptance, particularly in Europe, of Iran's impending membership in the nuclear club. Meanwhile he is carefully walking on the edge, and is exploiting his tough-guy image to arouse international attention. But nor should we forget that the present political-military leadership - Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Ya'alon, Halutz - has few inhibitions about exercising military might. Operations that were once considered taboo, such as attacks on Damascus and assassinations of Hamas leaders, now seem self evident.
A possible attack on Iran will be much more complex and risky, and therefore we would do well not to ignore the threats, and to conduct a public debate on the question of whether this course of action is desirable for Israel.
Why are there not mass demonstrations in Iran? I really felt that there would have been more obvious signs of change months ago. What is happening there?
The regime has successfully stopped all demonstrations, except that over the past weekend. They have brought in thousands of foreign security forces (Arab)to put down any such efforts.
In is not uncommon for the regime to station security forces at nearly all intersections. They do not allow groups to gather.
The regime has been brutal in its efforts. Many are arrested, imprisoned, or missing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Senomyx, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNMX) will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 on Friday, March 15, 2013 before the opening of the U.S. financial markets. The Company will also host a conference call with a live Internet broadcast that will provide a corporate update and a review of its fourth quarter and year-end results on the same day at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Pacific Time). To participate in the live conference call, U.S. residents should dial (888) 680-0892 , and international callers should dial (617) 213-4858 at least 10 minutes prior to the call start time. The participant passcode for this conference call is 74341080. Participants may pre-register for the call at anytime, including up to and after the call start time, at https://www.theconferencingservice.com/prereg/key.process?key=PLQBV9XBC. Pre-registrants will be issued a pin number to use when dialing into the live call, which will provide quick access to the conference. To access the live Internet broadcast or a subsequent archived recording, please log onto the Investor Relations section of Senomyx's website at http://investor.senomyx.com. The archived webcast will be available for 30 days following the presentation. Please connect to Senomyx's website prior to the start of the webcast to ensure adequate time to download any software that may be necessary. About Senomyx, Inc. ( www.senomyx.com ) Senomyx is using proprietary taste science technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients. These include new Savory Flavors and Cooling Agents, as well as Bitter Blockers and modifiers of Sweet and Salt tastes. Senomyx is also engaged in a new effort to discover and develop natural high-potency sweeteners. The Company has collaborative agreements with global food, beverage, and ingredient supply companies, some of which are currently marketing products that contain Senomyx's flavor ingredients. Its corporate socially responsible activities are described on the Senomyx Cares blog at http://www.senomyx-csrblog.com/. For more information, please visit www.senomyx.com.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Eating fast food in a regular basis is not uncommon for many Americans. I could not find a specific number, but I would guess the average person in America consumes anywhere from 2-3 meals a week meals from a fast food restaurant. Not only is the majority of fast food not healthy for you, it is also having a major impact on our environment. We really need to cut back on our fast food consumption and change our lifestyles so we don't continue on the rapid decline of our health.
Photo by nexus_icon.
A main reasons that most would say as to why they consume so much fast food is the taste, the cost and it's quick. All three are true, but none are a good reason in my mind why fast food needs to be so often.
Have you ever wondered why fast food tastes so good even though it is so inexpensive? The biggest reason is that beyond just the poor quality foods are often used. Even beyond the meat and carbs that make up the items you are eating, there are so many additives in fast food. I found a great article called Surprise Ingredients In Fast Food that goes in great depth as to what exactly is in our fast food. Things like MSG ( monosodium glutamate), trans fats, artificial colorings and flavors and a variety of preservatives.
MSG is a food additive that adds meatiness to many foods and has become a popular ingredient in many processed foods. You may not see monosodium glutamate explicitly on the ingredient list, but it is in there in different forms including autolyzed yeast extract. You may have heard a lot of the negative press about trans fat, but fast food chains still use it heavily in frying and in many of their products. And why do they add food coloring to so many foods? Just so they make it more attractive to the consumer.
Take McDonald's for example. The majority of the items on the menu have some additive in it to enhance the flavor. The scrambled eggs alone have MSG, partially hydrogenated oils and so many preservatives. It just doesn't make sense that they add so many things to eggs considering they normally only require beating and cooking. Even there coffee and salads have similar ingredients. Just because salads seem like the "healthy" choice when going to a fast food restaurant, they usually aren't. The dressing or meat are usually the main reason as salad is just not as healthy as advertised.
Even though I singled out McDonald's, they are not alone. Some of the more popular fast food chains that are just as bad include Burger King, KFC, Wendy's, Taco Bell and even Subway. Just because they may claim their food is healthy, doesn't mean their food doesn't contain an enormous amount of preservatives and additives in them.Health Concerns
Just as I mentioned above, fast food restaurants use some of the worst ingredients that make up their products and drown them with tons of additives to enhance their flavor and appearance. On top of that, they usually give large portions to make it seem like a bargain. With so many people eating fast food so often, it should be no surprise that our country is currently facing an obesity epidemic. Approximately 60% of Americans are overweight and 25% are obese. I know some of the statistics may not be completely accurate, but I am not surprised at them at all.
There are so many diseases that come along with being overweight or obese. Stroke, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis are a few of the major problems that can occur. The more weight your body holds, the more work it has to do, putting more strain on your heart and other organs. The ingredients I described above also contribute to many of the same problems. Partially hydrogenated oils and high saturated fats increase cholesterol and increase your risk of heart attacks or strokes. The high levels of sodium and preservatives can increase your blood pressure. There has not been anything proven that MSG can cause negative health conditions, but with nothing proving that it doesn't, are you willing to take a chance?
I am in no way attacking somebody for being overweight or obese. Just because a person is underweight or the "typical" weight for their age and height in no way means that they are healthy. There are several people I know who as thin as a rail, but have some of the worst diets. Fast food is the staple to many of these people's diets as well.Maison Shoeshibar Jorunn - Sandals - Women Shoeshibar Maison brisbanech-25925 Shoeshibar Maison Sandals online on YOOX United Kingdom - 11226612LS d0a9bf0 Is It Really Cheaper?
Along with the obesity epidemic, the health care system in our country is also suffering. With so many people on Medicaid and uninsured, our health system is suffering. Being overweight or obese due to an unhealthy diet that includes fast food is only making it worst. As many of you may know, I love to save money and prove it through numbers. I was able to find that your health care costs could increase by $19.39 for every pound a person is overweight. The cost varies depending on your age from $10.25 for individuals 25 years of age all the way up to $26.32 at 65 years old. In total, it adds up to a $127 billion cost every year.
That $1 burger may seem appealing now, but the fact that our health care system continues to increase it costs and insurance is becoming more and more expensive, is it really so much cheaper? Even though people who eat fast food may not feel the immediate impacts of their decisions, the rest of society is feeling the burden. With higher insurance rates comes lower salaries because companies have to pay higher insurance rates. Also, our health care system is suffering financial problem and an overwhelming number of people needing more and more care. This only makes the care we receive when we do need have a severe illness much worse.Environmental Impacts
With the health concerns associated with fast food, the horrific impact it is having on our environment often gets pushed into the background. Everything they sell seems to be over-packaged and often made from non-recyclable materials. Just think back to the last time you went to a fast food restaurant. They give you 50 napkins, tons of unnecessary condiments and there are no recycling bins to be found anywhere.
It's surprising that foamed polystyrene is still heavily being used in fast food restaurants. The foam plastic is a burden on our landfills. It just never goes away and has some major negative impacts on marine wildlife. Even the materials that can be recycled are still ending up in landfills. So much so that only 35% of cardboard and plastics end up going to recycling facilities. Let's hope that many of these restaurants begin changing the materials they are using so that all can be recycled. They also need to start carrying recycling bins or do a better job in recycling. Their current numbers are pretty sad and just shows that they care more about increasing their profits.Healthier Lifestyle
If you are eating fast food on a regular basis, it's time to reconsider your currently lifestyle.Work Less
Time is a huge factor in our lifestyles that needs to be changed. People are working longer and longer hours than ever and fast food seems like a good choice. Unless you have a wonderful spouse that will have a healthy meal waiting for you when you get home, is it really worth it to make a few extra bucks? Not only do you have more stress in your life working more, but you are becoming more unhealthy through horrible eating habits.
Start making more meals at home. The big misconception is that you have to spend hours preparing and cleaning up a meal that it is not worth making it yourself. That is further from the truth. If meals are planned properly throughout the week and you use minimal utensils, it can take about the same time as going out to a restaurant. It's also far cheaper to eat at home. It may seem cheaper to buy fast food, but making a hamburger or chicken sandwich is just not that expensive and can easy to make on your own. Healthier meats and better ingredients can also be used to ensure that they are far better for you.Healthier Fast Food
When you are on the run, fast food may be the only option. Not all fast food establishments are unhealthy and some use more sustainable materials in their packaging. I sometimes eat at Noodles and Chipotle's that use fresher ingredients. Even if you do have to go into some of the more common fast food restaurants, you can inquire about the ingredients that are in each item or choose healthier options. Also, watch your portion sizes and try to avoid the side items like fries and sodas.Share
Please share how often you currently eat fast food and any local fast food restaurants that are healthier and/or use sustainable practices.
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RERF Research Programs
Life Span Study (LSS)
The Life Span Study (LSS) is a research program investigating life-long health effects based on epidemiologic (cohort and case-control) studies. Its major objective is to investigate the long-term effects of A-bomb radiation on causes of death and incidence of cancer. About 120,000 subjects selected from residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki identified through the national census in 1950 have been followed since that time, including 94,000 atomic-bomb survivors and 27,000 unexposed individuals.
Data collected from this study continues to be used to conduct studies on the rates of incidence of cancer and causes of death related to radiation exposure.
Adult Health Study (AHS)
The Adult Health Study is a clinical research program based on biennial health examination and mail questionnaires of about 20,000 subjects selected from the Life Span Study (LSS), including 1,000 in utero-exposed individuals added to the study in 1977. While the LSS primarily looks at mortality and incidence of cancer in relation to radiation exposure, the primary objective of the AHS is to investigate long-term health effects of atomic bomb radiation on health. Participants are given examinations including a general physical exam, ECG, chest X-ray, ultrasonography, and biochemical tests.
Specifically, the AHS looks at the relationship of radiation to non-cancer diseases, the study of cancer mechanisms in relation to radiation and other risk factors, aging and psychosocial changes associated with atomic bomb radiation exposure, radiation-related changes in physiological measurements, and medical dosimetry. The medical history and lifestyle information of each individual is collected in order to take such factors into consideration.
In Utero Sample
The In Utero Study looks specifically at the lifelong experience of individuals exposed in utero to A-bomb radiation. This ongoing study hopes to determine whether the sensitivity to radiation effects to this group are greater than that of young children (0-5 years of age).
Children of Survivors (F1) Study
The Children of Surviors (F1) Study focuses on identifying what if any genetic abnormalities translate into birth defects or health effects of offspring of the A-bomb survivors. This work is done through the circulation of questionnaires and clinical exams to collect data later analyzed to determine whether there is any risk increase of adult-onset multifactorial diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc. due to parental radiation exposure.
A secondary biochemical genetics program focuses on whether radiation exposure led to mutations in germ cells (sperm and ova) that resulted in abnormalities in children of survivors. This work is done through comparative DNA studies of survivors and their children.


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BenQ MX511 - DLP projector - portable - 3D
Exclusive: Sanho's six-port HyperDrive USB-C Hub shows that Apple made the right choice when it ditched the Lightning port.
Normally $100, it's an ultra-compact, NFC-equipped printer that might be perfect for your home office.
The new "T-Rex" has fundamentally the same specs as Nvidia's Quadro RTX 6000 -- for $3,800 less.
You like technology, and you want to give a cool gadget this year. You have a healthy -- but not crazy -- budget for that recipient on your list. Here's where to start.
Gigs and gigs of storage to add to your phone, tablet or computer.
The Swiss computer accessories maker had been interested in buying the headset and Bluetooth earpiece maker.
Deals season is here! Do you bear the cold weather for Black Friday or shop from the computer on Cyber Monday? Let us know how you shop.
And just in time for Black Friday: Get up to $180 in games for free when you buy select AMD graphics cards.


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Americans may be closely budgeting their spending, but they aren't skimping much when it comes to their pets.
Americans may be closely budgeting their spending, but they aren't skimping much when it comes to their pets.
According to recent market studies, all roads to the pet industry seemed to be paved with greenbacks – and starting a pet-related business is topping many hot startup lists.
And that's one reason why one local businessman decided to open a new pet grooming and bakery shop near Wrightsville Beach.
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming is scheduled to open this weekend in the former Mindy & Angie's Fine Paper location in Lumina Commons shopping center on Eastwood Road. Owner Erskine Smith said the franchise is a perfect fit for Wilmington.
"With the number of dog owners and the level of involvement people have here with dog rescues and pet activities, I felt that Wilmington needed this kind of upscale pet store," he said.
The store aims for a luxurious feel with reasonable prices on everything from full-service grooming to all-natural treats baked in-house.
It's the kind of pooch pampering that many Americans have become accustomed to charging to their checking accounts.
The American Pet Product Association estimates pet owners will spend more than $55 billion on their animals this year. That could surpass the all-time high of $53 billion spent last year, which was about a 5 percent jump from the year before.
Figures from the association estimate that the average dog owner spent $1,542 in 2011 and the average cat owner spent $1,183 that same year.
And where is most of that money going? Food.
"If you have concerns about what is in the food you are giving to your animal, you will spend extra money instead of getting something off the shelf," said Alan Murphy, co-owner of My Porch Dawg, a Wilmington-based pet bakery.
He said pet food recalls and rising rates of animal sickness, such as the recent pulling of pet foods off the shelves because of salmonella contamination, have pet owners taking precautions and willingly paying more to keep their animals safe.
"It's one of the reasons I got into the pet treat bakery business," Murphy said. "There are so many harmful ingredients out there."
Emotional bond
But what makes Americans spend more on Fido this year than coffee or bottled water combined?
Smith said the emotional tie to our pets could be one reason and another could be cultural.
"Honestly, pets are not people. They always give you unconditional love," he said. "And we are fortunate to be in such an affluent country that we have the ability to treat our pets in a way that is not really seen elsewhere in the world."
And folks seem to be throwing down some serious cash not only on organic treats and frilly hair cuts, but also luxuries such as doggie playdates.
The business magazine Inc.estimated that pet owners would be willing to fork over so much money that last year it listed the pet industry as one of the best to start a business.
Those findings partly led Trudy Rinker last year to start The Dog House, her dog day care and boarding company off Carolina Beach Road.
"People love their pets, but everyone is busy," she said. "Since the (economic) downturn people have taken second jobs but they still find value in our services because they don't have extra time or energy. I think this is spending that tugs at the heart strings."
And it could show a shift to pet owners spending more of their money with small business instead of big-box pet stores.
"It comes down to two words – personal service," Smith said.
"People are tending to be a little more focused on local shops and local vendors and in this economy in helping local retailers."
And that has not only business owners, but many dogs and cats sitting pretty these days.
Metro desk: 343-2384
On Twitter: @StarNewsOnline


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Event: B-town celebs like Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha along with wife Poonam Sinha, Zayed Khan, Tanisha Mukherjee, Ekta Kappor, Vikramaditya Motwane, Divya Dutta, Arbaaz Khan and other celebs were snapped at the success bash of the film LOOTERA
Guest List: Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha, Poonam Sinha, Zayed Khan, Tanisha Mukherjee, Ekta Kappor, Vikramaditya Motwane, Divya Dutta, Arbaaz Khan, Raj Kumar Yadav, Rahul Bose, Vikas Bahl, Mushtaq Shiekh, Sudhir Mishra, Vikrant Massey
Venue: Escobar, Bandra
Bollywood celeb Aamir Khan along with wife Kiran Rao were spotted at PVR.
Bollywood producers-directors Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Krishan Kumar, Ravi Bahl, Divya Khosla Kumar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Wardha Nadiadwala celebrate diwali with Bhushan Kumar
Bollywood celebs Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora, Sonali Bendre, Nimrat Kaur among others were snapped by paparazzi.Bebo looked super cool in a casual look. She wore a white t-shirt with yoga pants...
Bollywood actress Shama Sikander celebrated Diwali festival at her residence.
Bollywood celebs Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Anil Kapoor, Nitesh Tiwari, Aparshakti Khurrana, Bhushan Kumar, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajkumar Hir...


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Ravens star running back Ray Rice suffered a strained left hip flexor Sunday during the fourth quarter of a 14-6 win over the Cleveland Browns, a potential setback for the offense.
Although the injury initially appeared serious as trainers attended to him on the field, Rice walked off the field under his own power. However, the Pro Bowl runner didn't return. Rice wasn't on crutches after the game and wasn't limping badly.
The Ravens are hopeful that the injury isn't going to sideline Rice long and he's not scheduled for a magnetic resonance imaging exam.
"We're confident and optimistic right now," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We'll have to see...


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|Episode Description
|Saturday, Oct 20, 2012 - 9:00 AM
"Great Investors: Steven Romick"
Guest: Steven Romick, Portfolio Manager, FPA Crescent Fund. This week's Consuelo Mack WealthTrack features a rare interview with "Great Investor" Steven Romick of FPA Crescent Fund. Romick describes how he is keeping his five-star-rated fund on top by balancing the forces of inflation and deflation, and continuing his contrarian, value-oriented strategies. D
|More on WORLD (MT)
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The children in the elementary camp at May River Montessori were excited to show off their box city Friday as they finished a week-long camp that taught them about community.
In the city, which the children named Hollywood, visitors will find a library, police station, fire station, church, school and other essentials. The campers also created luxury facilities such as a five-star, three-story restaurant and the Hollywood Hotel.
Maddie Fox, 9, helped build many of the structures, including her restaurant.
"I think it's really fun," she said. "I like this one the best because I can fit inside it."
On Friday morning, the elementary-age children were adding finishing touches to their city such as roads and signs. In the afternoon, the children from the primary-age camp toured the town.
Debbie Yates, the teacher in charge of the elementary camp, said the idea for the project came from the book "Roxaboxen" by Alice McLerran.
"They just went with it," she said. "They learned a lot about community by doing this. What is a community? What types of things are in a community?"


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Facebook And ACLU Argue That 'Liking' Something Is Protected By The First Amendment
from the like dept
Liking a Facebook Page (or other website) is core speech: it is a statement that will be viewed by a small group of Facebook Friends or by a vast community of online users.Facebook goes into the specifics of the case, which involved a deputy sheriff who was fired for "liking" his boss's campaign challenger in an upcoming election. Liking a candidate is no different than saying that you like that candidate, which is undoubtedly protected speech:
If Carter had stood on a street corner and announced, "I like Jim Adams for Hampton Sheriff," there would be no dispute that his statement was constitutionally protected speech. Carter made that very statement; the fact that he did it online, with a click of a computer's mouse, does not deprive Carter's speech of constitutional protection.The ACLU makes a similar argument:
"Liking" a political candidate on Facebook – just like holding a campaign sign – is constitutionally protected speech. It is verbal expression, as well as symbolic expression. Clicking the "Like" button announces to others that the user supports, approves, or enjoys the content being "Liked." Merely because "Liking" requires only a click of a button does not mean that it does not warrant First Amendment protection. Nor does the fact that many people today choose to convey their personal and political views online, via Facebook and other social media tools, affect the inquiry.This one seems like such a slam-dunk case that it's amazing the original ruling went the way it did. One hopes that the appeals court (Fourth Circuit, if you were wondering) recognizes the clear and concise arguments presented here, and dumps the original ruling.


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'One and done' 1932 Ford 3-window coupe
Auto enthusiasts can be a fickle bunch at times, always tweaking and modifying their special ride, or trading it away to begin a new project. Rarely do you come across a builder who hasn't changed his rolling creation in nearly three decades.
One such contented owner is Jack Moon, who assembled his 1932 Ford three-window coupe in 1984 and has left it alone ever since.
"I wanted a real hot rod and set out to put one together. This is exactly how I wanted it to end up," the Rolling Meadows resident said.
The inspiration came after attending the Street Rod Nationals, held that year in Columbus, Ohio, where he saw all the cool dream machines. After returning home, Moon set about collecting the necessary components.
"The first item was a set of original 1932 Ford framerails, which came from a friend in Las Vegas. Once we had those, I started building the car," Moon said.
Moon fabricated the rest of the chassis and suspension, installing a stainless steel four-bar setup. The 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine was sourced from a wrecked Corvette but bolstered with a BM supercharger and dual exhaust. A Muncie four-speed transmission transports the 450 horsepower output to the wheels, through a chromed Ford 9-inch rear-end differential. Disc brakes are mounted up front with drums in the rear.
To achieve the mean asphalt cruiser look Moon was going for, a fiberglass body with a 3½-inch roof chop was used. "It sure looks cool but, there's no doubt about it, it's real hard to see out of," he said.
Color is crucial for an eye-catching ride. Moon's first choice was wild indeed. "I wanted to paint it lime green but my wife said no. During the '80s most hot rods were painted red and I wanted to stand out."
To differentiate it from the crowd, Moon opted to go with Brockway Chrome Orange, applied by the Roadster Shop at its former Elgin location. The American Racing wheels were located in Atlanta, and the hard-to-find Corbeau seats were imported from England.
As Moon worked diligently on the project to complete it before the 1985 Nationals, he received some unexpected motivation. "The goal was to drive it to St. Paul (Minn.) for the show but as it got closer, I wasn't sure if I could make it. It just so happened that my next-door neighbor Larry was building a '33 sedan at the same time," Moon said. "His mother-in-law came over a month before the event and said 'I don't think you're going to make it, but Larry will.' "
This slight kicked his craftsmanship into overdrive. Moon worked tirelessly in the weeks remaining. "I wrapped it up the night before I left for the maiden voyage," he said. Meanwhile, his neighbor Larry stayed home that year with an unfinished vehicle.
While Moon enjoys cruising the back roads heading to Midwest shows, cruise nights and events, he's taken his '32 Ford where any true hot rod needs to go: down a drag strip.
"I've taken it to Union Grove Dragway, just for the simple reason I wanted to see what it could do," he said. Going fast sure is fun but Moon's satisfaction comes from something else.
"Not too many people get a car built in a year that's ready for serious driving. The best part of the project is knowing the car is hand-built and dead reliable since '85."


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Other notable achievements
- The Business & IP Centre
The Business & IP Centre again exceeded its business support targets. A grant was submitted to the European Regional Development Fund to enhance our offer for growth businesses and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Newcastle City Library, Northumbria University and NESTA to pilot a regional centre in the North East.
- British Film Institute (BFI)
The Library signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BFI, with the objective of increasing public, professional and research access to audiovisual and broadcast content and integrating it with other knowledge collections. The MoU outlines key areas for joint strategic thinking, including public access, rights management and digitisation. It complements the MoU signed with the BBC in 2009.
- Financial savings
The Library maintained delivery of its challenging business plan. It achieved the £4 million in year reduction required by DCMS and, crucially, laid much of the groundwork required to deliver further reductions in future years.
- Future Jobs Fund Initiative
The Library supported nine young unemployed people to gain six months' work experience through the scheme, funded by the Department of Work and Pensions. Opportunities included sound archive cataloguing, exhibitions, public affairs and developing the Olympics website. Four participants subsequently found jobs and three started higher education.
- Green Award
The Library's energy efficiency programme won recognition in the Mayor of London Green Awards 2010, receiving a Platinum award for substantially reducing carbon emissions.
- Two-site Strategy
We vacated the Library's three remaining leasehold buildings, completed one new build at Boston Spa and secured funding for, and progressed delivery of, the Newspaper Storage Building. Full delivery of the Library's two-site strategy is now firmly in sight.


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Famous xmass jingle balls melody, performed in a very indie, melancholic, soft bright and positive way with electric guitar, bells, bass and strings. Could be perfect for commercial, TV, or any kind of christmass video.
- First of all, thanks for purchasing!
- If you use our music in some project, which could be found in Internet, please let us know by e-mail (email@example.com) and we'll put a link to your project here and in our website (coming soon )
- Also we hope you won't forget to tell about us somewhere in your project
TO VIDEHIVE and ACTIVEDEN AUTHORS:
- You are welcome to use any of our preview tracks in your video items! (please, do not forget to link to the music in your description, and drop us back e-mail, so we could update our item description too with the link to your item).


text:
Today in A State of Trance 765 new tracks by Alex M.O.R.P.H., Alexander Popov, Andrew Rayel, KhoMha, Nitrous Oxide, Ørjan Nilsen and many more! Plus new Future Favorite and Tune of The Week! Enjoy! asot 765
Artist: Armin van Buuren
Title: A State of Trance 765
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|Guides All Guides and HOWTO's.
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Understanding Fdisk, Slice, and the MBR (Master Boot Record)
Understanding Fdisk, Slice, and the MBR (Master Boot Record)
Users with Microsoft/Windows knowledge of how a hard drive is configured may have a terminology issue with FBSD. Microsoft/Windows and FBSD use the word partition to mean different (but related) things.
The Microsoft/Windows fdisk program is used to allocate partitions on the hard drive. This program allocates two types of partitions, 'primary DOS partition' and 'extended DOS partition'. DOS means (Disk Operating System) which was the precursor to the Microsoft/Windows desktop GUI (Graphical User Interface).
A single 'primary DOS partition' occupying all the space on the hard drive would be assigned drive letter C:.
An alternate method used some times was to allocate a 'primary DOS partition' containing only part of the free disk space on the hard drive (50%) then allocate a 'extended DOS partition' and sub-divide it into 2 logical dos drives lettered D: and E: each one occupying 25% of the hard drive space.
The Motherboard Bios Booting Sequence 'STANDARD' was created in the days before windows desktop was even though of yet and at which time Microsoft (command line) DOS was the only thing available. This legacy standard has continued un-updated to this current time and contributes to the limitations imposed on booting, disk layout and selection of which allocation on the hard disk to boot from.
The motherboard BIOS ROM chip at power up time probes each device (floppies, cdrom, hard drive, usb memory stick) you selected in the BIOS menu to boot from.
The hard drive has a MBR (Master Boot Record) a (512 byte block) located in sector-0 of the first physical track on the hard drive. This MBR contains bootstrap code and the disk partition table created by the DOS fdisk program. The BIOS boot code reads the MBR code and disk partition table into memory and then transfers control to it. This MBR code is responsible for parsing the partition table and finding the bootable partition that is marked 'active'. The MBR code then sets up the disk-address-offset information for the bootable partition, and reads 'relative sector zero' from that partition, and transfers control to that one-sector block of code that contains the unique operating system code to load into memory.
This hard drive 512-byte MBR is where all the limitations are. Due to its size the MBR partition table is limited to 4 entries. This means no matter how large your hard drive is (20MB or 200GB) you can only sub-divide it into a maximum 4 partitions. One of which can be an 'extended DOS partition' with any number of 'Logical Drives' letters D: through Z:.
All Microsoft/Windows Operating Systems to date (Year 2010) can only boot from a 'primary DOS partition' flagged as active and access addition drive letters assigned in an 'extended DOS partition'. All other 'primary DOS partition' that maybe allocated on that hard drive are inaccessible to the booted Microsoft/Windows operating system. This is really just a Microsoft/Windows limitation rather than being any consequence of the MBR partition table limitations itself.
Now from the FBSD side;
FBSD's fdisk program allocates disk space into slices. A FBSD slice is the same thing as a Microsoft/Windows 'primary DOS partition'. The FBSD 'disklabel' program is used to sub-divide the slice into smaller chunk's called partitions. FBSD partitions are like (but not the same as) the logical drives inside an 'extended DOS partition'. FBSD has to deal with the same MBR partition table limitations. The major difference is FBSD can access the other 3 slices from the slice it's booted from. Advanced users have created dual-bootable systems where Microsoft/Windows XP is in the first slice/partition, FBSD 7.2 is in the second slice/partition, FBSD 8.0 is in the third slice/partition, and Linux is in the fourth slice/partition. In these cases selecting which slice/partition to boot from is done by the execution of a boot menu that lives in the MBR.
The FBSD boot0cfg program writes a simple boot menu program to the MBR. It's called the 'FreeBSD Boot Manager'.
There are other more sophisticated MBR boot menu programs in the FBSD ports collection that you can load into the MBR on the first physical cabled hard drive to scan for other bootable slices/partitions on this hard drive and any other hard drives cabled to the PC. It displays a menu giving you the option to choose which one you want to boot from. This gives you the ability to have more that one operating system installed on your PC at the same time.
FreeBSD Install Guide www.a1poweruser.com
Last edited by FBSD; 3rd March 2010 at 12:22 PM.
Even primary partitions on other disks are assigned drive letters.
You don't need to be a genius to debug a pf.conf firewall ruleset, you just need the guts to run tcpdump
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