Saddam's Death, One Year Later

Iraqi security forces were on high alert today, the one year anniversary of the death of Saddam Hussein. Brig. General Qassim Al-Moussawi said they were "prepared for any emergencies that might happen." According to Al Jazeera, security forces guarded government buildings, set up additional check points,and curfews were in effect in Tikrit and Baiji. Although prepared, it is believed that the potential for violence was reduced because many pro-Saddam fighters have joined forces with the U.S. troops to help fight Al Qaida. Rear Admiral Greg Smith, the US military spokesman, said: "We have not seen any increased violence associated with his death". According to the U.S. military violence in Iraq has dropped by about 60 percent over the past few months. As Iraqis remembered Saddam they also remember that safety is never guaranteed in Iraq.

Followers of Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq, visited his grave today to to remember there former leader who was tried and executed for "crimes against humanity". The grave is housed in a huge mausoleum in his home town of Tikrit and was surrounded by picture of him when he was still in power. His followers brought there children, many of whom are not old enough to remember Saddam, and recited poetry in his honor. His followers were mostly Sunnis, many Shia say they just want to forget about Saddam. Najim Jamal said, "It was a black page and was turned over." He went on to say that after Saddam's death the violence got a lot worse before things improved.

On Saturday, Osama Bin laden released a new audio tape accusing the U.S. of trying to build a regional base in Iraq. He urged Iraqis to oppose the U.S. forces. He also denounced those in Iraq who ally themselves with the U.S.. He urged Iraq not to participate in the national unity government witch will include Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Bin Laden promised to expand Al-Qaida's Jihad to Israel. Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said that Israel takes the threats seriously. He said they have seen Al-Qaida activity in Lenonon, Jordon and Sinai. He also said there is evidence of Al-Qaida activity in the Palestinian territories. He also said it would be irresponsible not to take Al Qaida seriously.

Benazir Bhutto, Laid to rest Amid Chaos and Controversy

The Funeral
Friday, tens of thousands gathered in the streets of Larkana district in the province of Sindh to say there final goodbye to Benazir Bhutto who was killed by a suicide bomber on Thursday.

Bhutto was carried to her family’s mausoleum at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in a plain wooden coffin covered in the flag of the Pakistan Peoples Party as supporters wept and reached out to touch her one last time.

Some in the crowd chanted "No matter how many Bhuttos you will kill, a Bhutto will emerge from each house." Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, had to ask the crowd to make room for the family to pass. The crowd fell silent, as Asif and there three children, son Bilawal, 19, and daughters Bakhtawar, 17 and Aseefa, 14 , prayed at the tomb and she was laid to rest beside her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the first democratically elected prime minister of Pakistan and founder of The Pakistan Peoples Party. The PPP has called for a 40 day period of mourning for there fallen leader.

The Chaos

The violence that erupted fallowing her death continued Saturday despite calls for calm. According to Al Jazeera at least 38 people including 3 police officers have been killed in protest that spread across Pakistan. In Islamabad about one hundred protesters burned tires in the streets while in Sindh ten train stations and several trains were set on fire as well as an estimated 847 vehicles, 131 banks and 31 gas stations. Government offices have also been looted. About 1500 protesters stormed a police station and set it on fire, one police officer was killed in this incident. In Rawalpindi around 3000 protesters attempted to storm the home of a former minister after leaving a prayer service for Bhutto, police fired tear gas into the crowd.

In Peshawar, more than 3000 protesters took to the streets chanting anti Musharraf slogans. In Karachi, protesters burned cars, Factories, stores, and restaurants. The cost of the damages is believed to be tens of millions of dollars. Most of the deaths have accrued in Sindh. The government has issued "Shoot on site" orders for any one involved in disturbances in Karachi. Major Athar Ali said: "Paramilitary rangers have been given orders to shoot on sight if they see miscreants indulging in anti-state activities." In several cities in southern Pakistan the army has been called in to help restore order. Pakistan is a country in chaos.

The Controversy

It seems that even the cause of Bhutto's death is in dispute. The official statement says neither the gun nor the bomb caused her death. According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry she hit her head on the latch to the sun roof and that injury resulted in her death. They released the security video in an attempt to support there claims. Farooq Naik, top aid to Bhutto and a senior official in the PPP, said: “It is baseless. It is a pack of lies; two bullets hit her, one in the abdomen and one in the head.” Naik went on to say “It was a serious security lapse.”

The government of Pakistanis attempting to shift the blame by saying that it was Bhutto's own defiance, her refusal to listen to government warnings, and her decision to expose herself to danger that led to her death. In an interview with CBS News Husain Haqqani, a former adviser to Bhutto says he spoke to her two days earlier and she was very concerned about the security that was being provided by the government.

According to Haqqani, she said her security teams would simply take off without notifying her, vehicles would leave, if there was supposed to be eight security officers there would be four. He says she emailed several people in the United States saying someone needed to talk to Musharraf about improving the security. Haqqani says she wanted to have her own security teams and equipment brought in and he personally spoke to several U.S. officials who said they could not micromanage the situation and the Pakistani government said they could not allow her to bring in her own security.

Musharraf claims of pro-Taliban militants inside Pakistan are responsible for the attack that claimed the life of Benazir Bhutto. The militant group denies any involvement. Bhutto's aids also doubt the accusations and say it is part of a government cover up.
There may be no end to the controversy surrounding his assassination, no answer to the questions, and possibly no justice for Benazir Bhutto but she will always be remembered as the First Lady of Democracy in Pakistan.

Death of Benazir Bhutto Sparks Outrage

On October 18 hundreds of thousands gathered in the streets of Karachi to greet Benazir Bhutto as she returned home fallowing 8 years of self imposed exile. Karachi is described as the stronghold of Pakistan's People's Party. The celebration was soon be brought to an abrupt end by a bomb attack targeting Bhutto's convoy. Although unharmed herself the blast resulted in the death of 139 bystanders. she had returned home to attempt to win a third terms as Pakistan's prime minister. She aligned herself with long time political adversary, Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister after vowing not to make any deals with President Musharraf.

Benazir Bhutto had served twice as Pakistani prime minister between 1988 and 1996, was killed in shooting/suicide bombing while leaving a political rally in the city of Rawalpindi. According to AljazeeraNews the attacker first fired gunshots at Bhutto's vehicle as she left the rally, she ducked for cover and he detonated the bomb. Bhutto was later pronounced dead at Rawalpindi General Hospital. Rivals and supporters alike have condemned the attack that resulted in her death. At least 16-20 bystanders were also killed in the blast. Fallowing the blast reports say body parts were scattered across Liaqat Bagh park where Bhutto had just spoken. Police quickly cordoned off the area as rescue workers rushed to the aid of the injured.

As news of Bhutto's death reached her supporters at the hospital they began smashing glass doors and throwing rocks at cars. In Rawalpindi, Her supporters burned election posters and attacked police who were then forced to flee the area. In Peshawar outraged supporters raised anti-Musharraf banners while in Karachi thousands gathered in the streets.

Outside of the hospotal Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister, told supporters "I assure you that I will fight your war from now on." and "Benazir Bhutto was also my sister, and I will be with you to take the revenge for her death," He went on to say he shared the grief of the entire nation. "We are shocked. We are stunned. Every single one of us is mourning the loss of our leader." said Javaid Manzoor, President of the PPP party.

The attack has sparked international outrage as well. U.S. President George Bush said "The US strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. We stand with the people of Pakistan in that struggle against the forces of terror and extremism. We urge them to honour Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with a democratic process." The UN Secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said "I strongly condemn this heinous crime and call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice as soon as possible." Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai who had met with Bhutto earlier on Thursday said "She sacrificed her life for the sake of Pakistan and for the sake of this region". Further condemnation came from a host of other countries including China. The Vatican has also condemned the attack.

Pervez Musharraf reportedly called an emergency meeting after the bombing and later asked all Pakistanis to remain calm "so that the evil designs of terrorists can be defeated," according to state TV.

Bhutto and other Musharraf opponents had recently accused him of planing to rig the upcoming elections as radicals had said they would disrupt the voting. the voting scheduled for January 8 will now most likely be cancelled. The death of Bhutto will most certainly deepen the political divide in Pakistan.

Climate Change, The Warning Signs

It seems that over the past two hundred years in our rush to the modern age we contributed greatly to global warming while doing little to protect our environment. We most now begin to take the necessary steps to slow the process or risk doing irreparable harm to not only ourselves but every living thing on this planet.

In November 2007 the U.N. panel on climate change issued a warning calling on all nations to take immediate action on global warming calling the situation "frightening" "urgent" and "dire'. With carbon dioxide levels at the highest they have been in millions of years one of the greatest concerns is that human activities are accelerating the melting of the arctic ice sheets. The arctic ice melt is the most dramatic evidence of global warming and could result in rising sea levels and the flooding of millions of communities along coast lines. This year the arctic sea ice melt rate was greatly accelerated, the melt off this summer not only broke the old record, it smashed it. The remaining ice is 23 percent less then the old record. Satellite photographs show that the remaining sea ice is also much thinner than normal; this could result in rapid melting and the loss of even more sea ice. 550 billion tons of ice melted this summer alone leading scientist to wonder if we have reached the point of no return.

Greenhouse gases are necessary because they keep the planet's surface warm enough to sustain life. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to rise the Earth's temperature is climbing to historic highs. For The past 200 years, our use of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, combined with deforestation has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping gases to increase significantly. These gases prevent heat from escaping, like the glass panels of a greenhouse

The effects of global warming are already being felt around the world say many experts. Birds are laying eggs earlier, plants are blooming earlier, migratory patterns are changing and animals that hibernate are waking earlier in the spring. Many animals are moving to higher elevations than they have in the past as well as moving closer to the north and south poles than before indicating warmer temperatures. One resent study shows that over 150 species have already been affected and this could easily disrupt the natural connective balance between species and also lead to extinction of many.Shorter winters, earlier spring snow melts and longer hotter summershave scientist believing the effects of global warming are being felt in Montana . Long term studies have also shown changes in certain plants in Wisconsin and animal hibernation patterns in Colorado. In Alaska the growth of White Spruce trees have been significantly stunted by warming temperatures and in the Arctic the Reduced snow fall, less sea ice and freezing rain in winter have led to the appearance of mosquitoes and robins, never before seen in the region.

Nearly half of the total carbon on the earth’s surface is contained in the boreal forests located in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia. Scientists now fear that increasing temperatures and human activities could be releasing this carbon. As carbon is released back into the atmosphere it adds to the greenhouse gases thus increasing the warming effect. The release of carbon has many causes including warmer temperatures leading to permafrost melting, wild fires, rotting trees and pine needles, also construction and deforestation are a big factor. The release of this carbon combined with other pollution results in higher ozone levels witch in turn results additional damage to plants affecting there ability to absorb carbon dioxide, in other words, a cycle of increasing climate change.

At the Bali summit on climate change the representative for the U.S. was initially opposed to giving technology to underdeveloped countries to help them fight global warming. The representative of Papua New Guinea said to the U.S. You have been ask to take the lead, if you are unwilling then leave it to the rest of us, please get out of the way. The U.S., facing opposition from almost 200 countries represented at the summit, was forced to back down and agreed to join the consensus.

Although an agreement was reached at the Bali summit there is no guarentee that this will result in action, this is basically an agreement to hold more talks and what to talk about. I believe it is obvious to most of us that action is needed to avoid doing further damage to our environment, hopefully the talks will result in this action.

Holloway Investigation Ends in Disappointment

After two and a half years of investigations, arrest, and re-arrest the case of missing Alabama high school senior Natalee Holloway came to an abrupt end today. Aruba's prosecutor came to the conclusion that "We did not succeed in solving the case rite now." This statement comes on the day that a new deep water search was scheduled to begin and only three weeks after the three main suspects were re-arrested after police said they had new evidence.

Fallowing the arrest three weeks ago Holloway's father said "This just brings that since of nervousness and maybe were finally going to get some answers" but today Beth Twittey (Holloway's mother) told CBS news "I'm mad as hell, terribly disappointed and perplexed that the case was closed"

Natalee Holloway was last seen by friends as she left a local bar with three men, Joran Van Der Sloot and the two Kalpoe brothers, Deepak and Satish. The three men have remained the prime suspects throughout the investigation and have been arrested and questioned multiple times all the while admitting they took her to a local beach but saying they have no idea how Holloway disappeared. With no body, no confessions, and not enough evidence to prosecute anyone it appears that any hope of solving this case has faded.

In an interview with CBS the families attorney, John Q. Kelly, said The" family is frustrated, they pushed so hard, they know the answers are down there but they just can't get those answers". When asked if this is really the end of this investigation Kelly said "No it's not the end, its not an active investigation anymore but its still an investigation if new evidence comes up, if there are new leads they can re-arrest these suspects and they can still be prosecuted" Kelly went on to say that he didn't know what they were thinking in Aruba and compared recent events in this case to a dog and pony show and a public spectacle. When asked if he believed the police or the prosecution was at fault for the failed investigation he said "It's the police, they sat there knowing the boys had fabricated a story, she was last seen with them and they didn't move, it was pushing after days before they even took attention."

Rosemarie Arnold, the defense attorney for Van Der Sloot, said he is relieved that the investigation has ended because his life has been in turmoil for two and a half years. She went on to say that there is not enough evidence to charge her client because there was no evidence that implicated him.

The water search continued as scheduled however the end of the active investigation marks the end of a two and a half year roller coaster ride between hope and frustration with the final stop being disappointment for the family.

Bhutto Defies Musharraf’s State of Emergency

Benazir Bhutto calls for continued protests and defiance of emergency rule. Despite threats of a police crackdown Benazir Bhutto vowed to hold a rally Friday if Musharraf does not restore the constitution and announce the date of the elections due to be h

Former Pakistani Prime minister Benazir Bhutto arrived in the capital city of Islamabad on Tuesday and called her supporters to continue protesting despite President Musharraf’s governments threats to crush the demonstrations. Bhutto has called on supporters to defy the imposition of emergency rule “at all cost.”

Despite threats of a police crackdown Benazir Bhutto vowed to hold a rally Friday if Musharraf does not restore the constitution and announce the date of the elections due to be held in January. At a News conference Bhutto was quoted as saying “I appeal to the people of Pakistan to come forward, we are under attack. God willing there will be a flood of people, if I am arrested people should continue the struggle”.

The police chief in Rosalinda , the staging point for the rally, says that Bhutto’s party has been told they can not hold the rally due to a ban on public gatherings. Chief Saud Aziz said “If they try to flout the ban, the law would take its course”. With hundreds, possible as many as 2500-3500 already in jail and police quick to use there batons and tear gas against protesters there is little reason to doubt the chief’s threats. Many of those arrested are lawyers, human rights activists, and moderates. According to CBC many of those who are arrested are being denied access to legal council. Some have described the emergency rule as being more like martial law.

The president of the Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said he is sure the emergency rule will end in two to three weeks and his party is willing to meet with Bhutto and her aids to discuss ways to “to help improve the political climate and ensure transition to full democracy.” Bhutto has chosen to hold talks with opposition groups to discuss ways to revive the constitution and get Musharraf to step down as army chief, saying she has no plans to meet with the president.

National television stations are being blocked by the government , this started with the cable broadcasters who were taken off the air on Saturday after they began to report that President Musharraf would be declaring an emergency . Many independent stations have turned to Internet and satellite broadcasting to continue reporting on the situation in Pakistan. Imran Aslam, president of GEO television in Pakistan said, “Technology has progressed beyond the governments imagination and we believe this is the best time to put new media into operation.”

Although President Bush has threatened to cut aid to Musharraf’s government if he does not restore the constitution these threats have been seen as largely symbolic since they would not affect military aid. Today U.S. National Security Council spokesman, Gordan Johndroe said , “This is not a never ending process, they need to release the people they have arrested, they need to stop beating people in the streets, they need to restore press freedom and they need to get back on the path to democracy soon--now”

A number of countries including Canada have condemned president Musharraf’s actions however only the Netherlands has frozen developmental aid to Pakistan. It remains to be seen what effect if any, international pressure and calls from two of Pakistan’s former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif who is living in exile in Saudi Arabia, for protesters to take to the streets will have on Musharraf’s hold on power or the transformation to democracy.

Burma, More Forceful Sanctions May be Needed

On December 19 the Senate approved "The Burma Democracy Promotion Act", this places a new round of sanctions as well as travel restriction on Junta leaders and associates. The act also effectively outlaws the importing of gems and timber from Myanmar. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman, Joe Biden was quoted as saying, "The message to the people of Burma today is clear: The United States stands with you as you seek a peaceful, negotiated, transition to democratic civilian rule." A week earlier, U.S. President George W. Bush threatened to lead a a global campaign of sanctions against Myanmar If the Junta continues to defy calls for democratic rule.

It appears that more drastic steps may be necessary as today "The Democratic Voice Of Burma" is reporting that government brigade 66 continues to conscript new recruits by force. Brigade 66 is demanding that each village tract contribute one new recruit or pay 1500 Kyat (local currency) per household if they fail to do so. A villager from Chaung Gwa village in Nattalin township is quoted as saying “Our village group, which consists of four villages, had to pay 900,000 kyat to the military to hire a mercenary. We do not dare to complain about it,”

Meanwhile in Sibaw and Kyauk Mae townships in northern Shan state it is reported that local military brigades are demanding one new recruit from every household that has at least one male member.Failure to comply results in the family having to pay 100,000 kyat, a price many simply can not afford.

In other news from Burma today, Myo Thant or John Naw Thar as he is also known and two others, university student Zin Lin Aung and protester Htin Kyaw have been place in solitary confinement for staging a hunger strike while being held in Insein prison. the hunger strike is being staged as a call for the release of political prisoners. The trio reportedly began there strike at the end of November.