MFS - The Other News

                         Afternoon Posting.

• HT:fredericknewspost.Mount St. Mary's fined $40,000 University by state department of environment.The Maryland Department of the Environment has fined Mount St. Mary's University $40,000 for alleged violations of air pollution requirements.A settlement agreement was reached between the two parties on Dec. 2.The Mount was fined for failing to comply with visible emissions requirements from a coal-fired boiler and failing to maintain records with regards to boiler emissions of nitrogen oxides. Visible emission observations were recorded six times between July 2008 and March 2009, and the emissions discharged from the Keeler boiler on campus had an opacity greater than 20 percent, which is the legal limit.The settlement agreement states that the Mount voluntarily and at its own expense decommissioned the Keeler boiler. The Mount has already paid the $40,000 fine, MDE spokesman Jay Apperson said.The Keeler boiler dates back to 1974, said Mount spokesman Christian Kendzierski.According to Kendzierski, once the college knew the boiler couldn't be brought back up to code, they shut it down in March 2009. The college used auxiliary systems until the new natural gas powered boiler was installed. The new system has been running since March 2010.The natural gas boiler is 65 percent more efficient, he said.The new boiler cost between $300,000 and $500,000, said Linda Sherman, director of Communications at Mount St. Mary's.To bring the old boiler back up to code would have cost about a million dollars, she said.The Mount denied liability in the settlement agreement, but agreed not to operate the Keeler boiler or any other coal-fired boiler without first obtaining the department's consent.The 22 recent major enforcement actions announced by MDE on Monday totaled more than $650,000 in penalties for alleged violations of state requirements for water, air and radiation management, and land. The department releases information on enforcement actions monthly.The Mount's infraction was the only infraction reported in Frederick County.Hmmmm.....Don't tell me the money was processed by the ex - Shorebank?The Golden Goose has been found?1 Billion Dollar is a lot of money for a re-election?Read the full story here.

• Egypt protests: Three killed in 'day of revolt'.At least three people are reported to have been killed during a day of rare anti-government protests in Egypt.In Cairo, where the biggest rallies were held, state TV said a policeman had died in clashes. Two protesters died in Suez, doctors there said.Thousands joined the protests after an internet campaign inspired by the uprising in Tunisia.In central Cairo, police starting using tear gas early on Wednesday in an attempt to disperse the crowds.Thousands of demonstrators remained in the city centre around Tahrir Square late into the night, vowing to camp out overnight and setting the stage for further confrontation.There were appeals on Facebook for food and blankets for those staying put.Activists had called for a "day of revolt" in a web message. Protests are uncommon in Egypt, which President Hosni Mubarak has ruled since 1981, tolerating little dissent.US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said her administration supported "the fundamental right of expression and assembly" and urged all parties "to exercise restraint".She added that Washington believed the Egyptian government was "stable" and "looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people".The events in Cairo were co-ordinated on a Facebook page - tens of thousands of supporters clicked on the page to say they would take part.Reports said the social networking site Twitter had been blocked in Egypt and that mobile phone networks in the Cairo area were down.The Swedish-based website Bambuser, which streams video from mobile phones, said it had been blocked in Egypt. On its blog, it accused Egyptian officials of trying to control the news agenda.In Cairo's Tahrir Square, demonstrators attacked a police water cannon vehicle, opening the driver's door and ordering the man out of the vehicle.Officers beat back protesters with batons as they tried to break the police cordons to join the main demonstration.Cairo resident Abd-Allah told the BBC that by Tuesday night some protesters were saying they wouldn't give up until President Mubarak had gone."People are behaving as if they are ready to die," he said."The atmosphere is very tense, it feels like a revolution. I see people who are determined, people who have nothing to lose, people who want a better future." Reports said protesters had earlier gathered outside the Supreme Court holding large signs that read: "Tunisia is the solution."Some chants referred to Mr Mubarak's son Gamal, who some analysts believe is being groomed as his father's successor. "Gamal, tell your father Egyptians hate you," they shouted.The organisers rallied support saying the protest would focus on torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment, calling it "the beginning of the end".While one opposition leader, Mohamed ElBaradei, called on Egyptians to take part in these protests, the Muslim Brotherhood has been more ambivalent.Read the full story here.Eyewitness accounts here.

• German premiere of ‘Kurtlar Vadisi’(Valley of the Wolves: Palestine) cancelled over alleged anti-Israel propaganda.The premiere of a Turkish film, “Kurtlar Vadisi: Filistin” (Valley of the Wolves: Palestine), was cancelled when a well-respected German film association recommended theaters in the country not show the movie, allegedly for containing anti-Israel propaganda.The premiere was slated for Jan. 27, which also marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On that day in 1945, the largest Nazi death camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, was liberated by Soviet troops.A spokesperson from Cologne-based Pera Film, the company that distributes the movie, said the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK), or the Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Movie Industry, advised not showing the movie, and the company added that they would abide by the decision. The company also stated it would look into the reasons for the FSK’s statements and then make a final decision.Films do not require the approval of the FSK for release, but members of the Spitzenorganisation der deutschen Filmwirtschaft (SPIO), the Head Organization of the German Movie Industry, usually releases productions approved by the FSK. Movies not rated by the FSK may only be sold and rented to adults, independent of their content.The film was criticized by politicians, including Serkan Tören, a Turkish-born member of the German Bundestag from the Free Democratic Party (FDP).Hmmmmm..........Valley of the Wolves: Palestine....'Gone to the dogs' !ABGESCHOSSEN ! Read the full story here.

• State of the union live here.

• HT:EmergingCorruption.Obama’s Radical “Go To” Man Moves to the DNC.In a move clearly signaling that planning for the 2012 Presidential election is underway, President Barack Obama’s “go to” man Patrick Gaspard is leaving the White House to serve as Executive director of the Democratic National Committee.Gaspard’s move also signals the almost complete acceptance of hard-left and labor union influence in the upper reaches of the Democratic Party. In embracing Gaspard, the D.N.C. has surrendered its “commanding heights” to the Party’s almost completely dominant far left.While never a proven member of any of the several radical and Marxist organizations operating within and the Democratic Party, Gaspard has worked with several of the most influential.He is undoubtedly a servant of the far left.Barack Obama, as a young man, admired third world revolutionaries like Frantz Fanon. He went into community organizing and the DSA/Committees of Correspondence aligned Chicago left, before moving on to the White House.Patrick Gaspard, as a young man, admired third world revolutionaries like Aime Cesaire. He went into radical organizing and mixed with the DSA/Committees of Correspondence aligned New York left, before moving on to the White House.Patrick Gaspard was “made” by the same socialist “mafia” who made Barack Obama.Now these socialist “twin souls” face the struggle of their lives, the war for the White House 2012.Obama cannot succeed in 2012, without complete control of the Democratic Party machine. He’ll surely be sleeping a little easier now, knowing that Patrick Gaspard has back over at the DNC.Hmmmm......The "Lenin and Trotsky" of American politics?Read the full story here.

• HT:DanielPipes.ISNA Canada Lives High on Charitable Funds.The Islamic Society of North America's Canada branch, Jesse McLean of the Toronto Star reports in "Muslim charity squandered money for poor," has engaged in gross mismanagement. A 2010 audit of the prior four years carried out on behalf of the ISNA Canada board found that of C$810,777 collected in a special pool of Zakat and Fitrah money for "helping needy Muslims not only in Canada, but all over the World", less than one-quarter, or $196,460 actually went to the poor. The remaining $614,000 went for what the audit delicately calls "administration of the centre" by its 30-plus-year Secretary General Mohammad Ashraf, a 73-year-old microbiologist.The auditor, Fareed Sheik, discovered a long list of abuses.ISNA's management refused to give the auditor some documents. Consequently, Sheik noted, "I was not able to follow the trail of funds transferred from ISNA to other organizations. Hence I cannot conclude with certainty that there has been no misappropriation or embezzlement of funds or cash."The alleged crimes go back as far as 1999. The investigation began in 2008 after Citizenship and Immigration Canada noticed that 320 permanent residence applicants had given the same 29 home addresses in Canada,the Mississauga Islamic House said to be one of the adresses used.The RCMP traced 260 of the applications and found they were all linked to Mr. El-Akhal. None of those who secured citizenship and government benefits through Mr. El-Akhal actually lived in Canada.Read the full story here.

• Egypt anti-govt protests escalate!Thousands call for Tunisia-style ouster of president Hosni Mubarak as US, an ally, says government there is "stable".The United States believes "the Egyptian government is stable," despite stunning protests calling for the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday.Clinton's comments on Tuesday came after thousands of Egyptians, inspired by Tunisian demonstrators, gathered in Cairo and towns across the country calling for reforms and demanding an end to Mubarak's presidency, which has now lasted for nearly three decades.Thousands of demonstrators attended the anti-government protests. Some in downtown Cairo hurled rocks and climbed atop an armoured police truck.In a statement issued Tuesday night, the Egyptian interior ministry blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's technically banned but largest opposition group, for fomenting the protests.Police responded to the demonstraters blasts from a water cannon, and set upon crowds with batons and acrid clouds of tear gas to clear them crying out "Down with Mubarak'' and demanding an end to the country's grinding poverty.Police have also used rubber bullets against protesters, with some injuries, reported Rawya Rageh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo.But at least 30 people are already reported to have been arrested in Cairo, official sources said.Egyptian blogger Hossam El Hamalawy said technology was important in facilitating "the domino effect" needed for demonstrations like this one to progress. Mamdouh Khayrat, 23, travelled from the governorate of Qalubiya to attend protests in Cairo. He spoke to Al Jazeera's Adam Makary. "We want a functioning government, we want Mubarak to step down, we don't want emergency law, we don't want to live under this kind of oppression anymore," he said."Enough is enough, things have to change and if Tunisia can do it, why can't we?" Khayrat added.El Hamalawy told Al Jazeera the protests were necessary "to send a message to the Egyptian regime that Mubarak is no different than Ben Ali and we want him to leave too".On Tuesday downtown Cairo came to a standstill with protesters chanting slogans and marching towards what Al Jazeera's Rageh called the "symbols of their complaints and their agony," the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party, the foreign ministry and the state television.Scenes such as these have not been seen in the capital since the 1970s.Activists have been relying heavily on social networks to organise the protests."Our protest on the 25th is the beginning of the end," wrote organisers of a Facebook group with 87,000 followers."People are fed up of Mubarak and of his dictatorship and of his torture chambers and of his failed economic policies. If Mubarak is not overthrown tomorrow then it will be the day after. If its not the day after its going to be next week," El Hamalawy told Al Jazeera.Hmmmmm......Remember the money being withdrawn by foreign investors last week from the Egyption stockmarket?Everything is stable and crows wear stilletto heels?Read the full story here.

• HT:WND.BORN IN THE USA?Hawaii official now swears: No Obama birth certificate.Former Hawaii elections clerk Tim Adams has now signed an affidavit swearing he was told by his supervisors in Hawaii that no long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate existed for Barack Obama Jr. in Hawaii and that neither Queens Medical Center nor Kapi'olani Medical Center in Honolulu had any record of Obama having been born in their medical facilities.Adams was employed at the City and County of Honolulu Elections Division from May 2008 through September 2008. His position was senior elections clerk, overseeing a group of 50 to 60 employees responsible for verifying the identity of voters at the Absentee Ballot Office. It was in this capacity that Adams became aware of the search for Obama's birth-certificate records."During the course of my employment," Adams swears in the affidavit (viewable in full as part 1 and part 2), "I became aware that many requests were being made to the City and County of Honolulu Elections Division, the Hawaii Office of Elections, and the Hawaii Department of Health from around the country to obtain a copy of then-Senator Barack Obama's long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate." As he inquired about the birth certificate, he says, his supervisors told him that the records were not on file at the Hawaii Department of Health. "Senior officers in the City and County of Honolulu Elections Division told me on multiple occasions that no Hawaii long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate existed for Senator Obama in the Hawaii Department of Health," Adams' affidavit reads, "and there was no record that any such document had ever been on file in the Hawaii Department of Health or any other branch or department of the Hawaii government.""My supervisor came and told me, 'Of course, there's no birth certificate. What? You stupid,'" Adams said. "She usually spoke well, but in saying this she reverted to a Hawaiian dialect. I really didn't know how to respond to that. She said it and just walked off. She was quite a powerful lady." Moreover, Adams was told that neither Queens Memorial Hospital nor Kapi'olani Medical Center had any records of Obama's birth at their medical facilities: "Senior officers in the City and County of Honolulu Elections Division further told me on multiple occasions that Hawaii State government officials had made inquires about Sen. Obama's birth records to officials at Queens Medical Center and Kapi'olani Medical Center in Honolulu and that neither hospital had any record of Senator Obama having been born there, even though Governor Abercrombie is now asserting and various Hawaii government officials continue to assert Barack Obama Jr. was born at Kapi'olani Medical Center on Aug. 4, 1961." "We called the two hospitals in Honolulu: Queens and Kapi'olani," Adams stressed. "Neither of them have any records that Barack Obama was born there." Read the full story here.

• HT:AsiaNews.Religious freedom threatened, by aggressive secularism in the West, says Bagnasco.Card Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), opened the latter’s assembly today. In the opening speech, he spoke about the threats to religious freedom and to the lives of Christians in various parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, mentioning the attacks in Baghdad and Alexandria. He also focused on the West, slamming “devious threats to real religious freedom in democratic nations, starting in Europe.” In his view, “We must guard against the subtle tricks of hypocrisy that lead to seek faraway what is instead nearby”. Card Bagnasco mentioned the controversy of the crucifix in schools or public places, saying that “religious freedom is an essential and very delicate linchpin. If it is compromised, society as a whole may actually have to pay the consequences. Annoyed, some make specious arguments about the neutrality of the state. A certain aggressive secularism betrays attitudes inspired by ideological obsessions that we left behind without regrets. In light of this, we are surprised by complaints made last month at an OSCE conference in Vienna that claimed that an abstract application of the principle of non-discrimination could paradoxically limit the rights of believers to express publicly their faith.For the CEI president, “A subtle evil afflicts Europe, causing a slow, unseen marginalisation of Christianity. Sometimes, this involves clear cases of discrimination, but also a silent stifling of fundamental freedoms. The case in point is the right to conscientious objection on ethical issues, a matter that is belittled in many nations. This constitutes a retreat for freedom. To marginalise symbols, isolate contents, and denigrate people is a weapon that leads to conformity. Unpopular views are sidelined and those who bear witness to values they freely believe in are mortified.”Speaking about the problem of Christianophobia, the prelate said he hoped that the “issue of basic religious minority rights in many countries would be addressed.” He added that the matter of “reciprocity must be dealt with but not with threats of retaliation or by weakening the guarantees given to people who come from nations where equal treatment is not provided.” Instead, what is necessary “is to raise the issue of religious freedom in international fora like the European Union, the United Nations [. . .], to open eyes and keep them open so that individual states may uphold minimum standards of freedom for all faiths.”Hmmmm......"I Will Not Submit"My ancestors took part in the Crusades they believed in their saviour,so do i !Read the full story here.

• More than 18,000 divorce cases in 2010.One divorce case in Saudi every 30 minutes.A surge in divorce rate in Saud Arabia has raised concerns over the role of domestic violence and prompted debate on means to reign in the social problem seen to have damaging effects on families and society.The number of registered cases of divorces in 2010 reached 18,765, which is one case every 30 minutes, and most divorces took place within the first year of marriage, the Saudi daily newspaper al-Hayat reported Sunday.On the other hand, the number of marriages in the 2010 reached 90,983, that is five marriages every 30 minutes. Cases of domestic violence have also been on the rise lately in the kingdom with 747 incidents reported to the Ministry of Social Affairs, wrote Dr. Ahmed al-Boali, secretary of the Educational Council in the eastern governorate of Al-Ahsa, in a paper he submitted to a workshop for workers in the field of social protection.According to Boali, the Saudi capital Riyadh is the highest in domestic violence with 454 cases, followed by Mecca with 159 cases, Asser 101 cases, and Medina 63 cases. The lowest rates were found in al-Ahsa with 13 cases and Abha with one case.Boali added that the cases of physical abuse reached 747, sexual abuse 18, and physiological abuse 7, while cases of combined physical and psychological abuses reached 273, combined sexual and psychological two cases, physical and sexual four cases, and physical and verbal one case.The paper explained that children are the most exposed to abuse and domestic violence, followed by women. Cases in which the perpetrator of abuse is male reached 1,057 while female cases did not exceed 75. Cases of violence because of gender are 104 in cases of male victims and 979 for female victims.Hmmmm......"The Religion Of Peace".Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Posts on Jordanian Queen Rania's Facebook Forum Question Veracity of Holocaust, Legitimacy of Israel's Existence.Queen Rania Al-'Abdallah of Jordan has been internationally acclaimed for defending the rights of women and children worldwide, and is the recipient of numerous international prizes. She has contributed to the empowerment of Jordanian women by founding the Jordan River Foundation, which helps women to start small businesses, and recently she launched the Madrasati Palestine project, aimed at "combat[ing] the deteriorating state of education in East Jerusalem by renovating its disadvantaged schools, under the auspices of the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs."She is also the author of The Sandwich Swap, a children's book promoting tolerance and acceptance of the other.In July 2010, she was criticized for allegedly refusing to allow the publication of her book in Hebrew,though official Jordanian sources denied this, saying Queen Rania had never received any offer from Israeli publishers.However, a look at Queen Rania's Facebook account – one of the most visited accounts on Facebook, with almost 600,000 "friends" – reveals some disturbing content. A thread titled "Is Holocaust a Reality or a Myth" features a lengthy discussion about the veracity of the Holocaust, as well as posts denying Israel's right to exist and presenting the 9/11 attacks as a Western conspiracy. Another thread opens with a post suggesting that peace with the Jews will only be possible after Israel ceases to exist.It is noteworthy that neither one of these threads, nor any of the posts within them, have been censored or removed. At the same time, a post titled "Palestine solution," which was posted several weeks ago and then deleted, suggests that the forum administers do occasionally remove posts. Furthermore, a forum member related that after she had posted a message about a case of child abuse in Jordan, the Queen had contacted her and addressed her concerns, which suggests that the Queen is aware of the content of the forum and occasionally responds to it."Is Holocaust a Reality or a Myth?"The title of each thread on Queen Rania's Facebook forum is accompanied by a small photo of her, as a reminder of the forum's affiliation. The English threads include many personal messages addressed to her, like birthday greetings, as well as numerous political discussions. The thread titled "Is Holocaust a Reality or a Myth?" was launched on October 7, 2010 by a member calling himself Raheem. While most of the responses reject Raheem's message of questioning the Holocaust, providing counterarguments and chiding him for his position, others support him, calling the Holocaust propaganda meant to justify Israel's existence and stating there is no proof that it happened. The following are excerpts from a sample of posts (some lightly editing for clarity):Raheem (Original Poster): "Did any one ever ask where are the graves of 6 million Jews killed by Nazis during World War II? Does anyone have all the names of 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust?..."Claudia: "People burnt in crematories do not need graves and mostly they happened to be burnt. The rest digged in 'mass tombs.'Mohammad: "Quite right claudia. An unfortunate problem with the Muslim world is the extreme paranoia that has developed, resulting in wild conspiracy theories born of resentment toward Israelis..."Samuel: "Holocaust Denial is a criminal offence in France and other countries. Queen Rania does not join in this, I am sure…"Raheem: "…Why did the Jews and other Western countries use this myth for the creation of Israel on Palestinian land?..."Saud: "[The Holocaust is] propaganda... no proof, a tourist spot, getting sympathies of people for being the victims…" Talia: "No proof. No one to testify, no testimony at all... Right, Saud?"Saud: "Sure."Hmmmm......"What's the use of a candle and glasses if the Owl doesn't want to see"?Read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.Video : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a Saudi Women's TV Show, Warns of a Possible Mideast Nuclear Arms Race.Read and see the full story here.

• HT:AmnonAndJonathan.I'm a proud " ISLAMOPHOBE !"Terror groups exploit the weak for suicide bombings.The horrific suicide bombing at the Moscow airport's arrival area that killed 35 and wounded more than 150 is yet another gruesome reminder that the tactic of suicide terrorism shows no signs of diminishing. Suicide attacks, whether against civilian or military targets, persist in war zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia (including those by "lone wolves" such as December's failed bombing in Stockholm, Sweden, by an Iraqi-born Swedish citizen). Why do certain terrorist groups continue to use such a grisly tactic, and how are they able to recruit willing individuals to blow themselves up for their cause?What is suicide terrorism? It is a premeditated operation in which the attacker detonates an explosive intentionally to kill himself (or herself) to kill a lot of people, spread fear and panic, and coerce an adversary to concede to political or ideological demands. The crucial element is that no escape is possible for the attacker. This differs from conventional terrorism, where although the attacker is aware that his death is likely, he might be able to escape and resume warfare later.How can suicide bombings be stopped? The key could rest with religious leaders. As Berko has argued, they "have the moral responsibility to forcefully condemn suicide bombing attacks and to issue unequivocal (rulings) against them." Religious leaders must emphatically state that those who carry out such attacks "not only do not automatically go to paradise, but that they automatically go to hell."Read the full story here.

• HT:AhmadiyyaTimes.Pakistan: Protest as the killer of Governor Taseer -Mumtaz Qadri appears in court for the murder.The self-confessed assassin of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has appeared in court as dozens of his supporters demonstrated outside.Mumtaz Qadri, 26, was brought for a procedural hearing at an anti-terrorism court in a Rawalpindi city jail.He has admitted gunning down Mr Taseer earlier this month in Islamabad, after the governor backed reforms to controversial blasphemy laws.Qadri has been hailed as a hero by many in Pakistan.He says the demonstrators were mainly supporters of a Sunni Muslim cleric, Qari Hanif, whom police have been investigating on suspicion of inciting violence on Governor Taseer.It is understood that Qadri told police he had been inspired to attack Mr Taseer after attending a religious gathering held by Mr Hanif, who heads a little-known religious party, Shabab-e-Islami.The protesters were joined by students from a nearby agricultural institute.Our correspondent says the demonstration outside the jail was not big, compared with those at previous court appearances by Mr Qadri, when he was mobbed and showered with petals.But it was an attempt by his supporters to make their presence felt, he says.Outside the jail, Qadri's lawyer Tariq Dhamial said his client was being kept in solitary confinement, and his health was suffering.He said they had applied for Qadri's family to be allowed to visit him.Qadri is next due in court on 1 February, when an indictment is expected to be served.Read the full story here.

• China: A force for peace in Sudan? Beijing has invested billions in the oil-rich country and may now have to step up to ensure stability prevails.As the world anxiously watches the southern Sudanese vote on whether to secede, one country has more to lose than most if civil war returns to Sudan.With an estimated 24,000 of its citizens living there and billions of dollars worth of investments in the country, China is the key foreign player in Khartoum.When the US oil giant Chevron pulled out of Sudan - beginning in 1984 when three of its employees were killed and culminating in 1992 when it finally sold all of its Sudanese interests - the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) stepped in.It now has controlling stakes in the biggest energy consortiums operating in Sudan, giving China an estimated 60 per cent share of the 490,000 barrels of crude oil produced daily.It also constructed the 1,500km pipeline that connects the oil fields of the south with Port Sudan in the north - from where the oil is exported.But with oil accounting for more than 90 per cent of government revenues in the south, compared to just over 40 per cent in the north, there is a possibility that Khartoum could close the pipeline should the south vote for independence.This decision would not only be devastating for the underdeveloped and oil revenue-dependent south, but would also disrupt China's oil supply.To counter this and to secure access to the south's resources after secession, China has started to build closer ties with the south.Beijing, to the chagrin of the West, has supported the right of African nations to run their domestic affairs without outside interference, which partly explains the booming trade between the continent and the Asian power.But by communicating with the government of South Sudan while it is not an official sovereign entity, it is partially abandoning its 'non-interference policy' and its traditional reluctance to engage with separatist movements - motivated in part by its own experiences in Tibet and Taiwan.Richard Dowden, the director of the Royal African Society, says this is because the "Chinese priority is oil". "They openly opposed the independence option to start with, but then realised that it would happen and now say they are neutral," Dowden explains."They are beginning to realise that a strict 'non-interference' policy is political and diplomatic nonsense. The very relationship between China and an African state is a political act that has implications. The relationship creates a political dynamic that implies support for the ruling group.A Chinese consulate was established in Juba, the southern capital, in September 2008. In November 2010, it was upgraded to ambassadorial level, and Li Zhiguo, China's former envoy to Bahrain, was appointed consul general in Juba.In October 2010, a delegation of Chinese government leaders visited Juba, where they met with the secretariat of the south's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). Salva Kiir, the leader of the SPLM, and other southern Sudanese government ministers, have also visited Beijing and multiple projects have progressed in the region.He says China has already played a key role in "consolidating the smooth implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement [the 2005 agreement that brought the civil war to an end and which included the provision of a referendum on independence for the south]".Dowden suggests that China could be just as critical to ensuring that peace is maintained after the referendum as, should the south vote to secede, the two sides enter a six-month transition period during which thorny issues such as border demarcation and oil revenue sharing will be negotiated."They could be a force for peace if they play their cards right and understand what is going on," Dowden says. "One of their most important pools of oil lies under the border so they will be desperate to make sure a war does not break out."Hmmm.......China the "PeaceMaker"?Read the full story here.

• Obama wants Rahm Emanuel back on the Chicago mayor ballot.President Barack Obama wants former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to stay on the Chicago mayoral ballot, a top presidential confidante said Tuesday.“I think that [Obama] believes that [Emanuel] is eligible, and that he believes that Rahm will pursue his appeal in the courts,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Obama and fellow Chicagoan, on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”As the president said when Emanuel left the White House last fall, Obama still “thinks Rahm will make a terrific mayor,” Jarrett said.An appellate court ordered Monday that Emanuel’s name be removed from the ballot because he did not meet the one-year residency requirement to be eligible for the Feb. 22 general election. The debate over Emanuel’s eligibility hinges on the nearly two years Emanuel spent working in the Obama White House and the fact that he rented out his Chicago house.“You know Rahm, he’s going to appeal vigorously,” Jarrett said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “And I’m sure that you’ll see that happen right away.”She added, on ABC: “Rahm is a fighter.”Hmmm.....The great one has spoken,We illegals must stick together"?WE need Rahm there for my re-election!Chicago.......Shorebank.........Valerie Jarret........Obama.Read the full story here.

• Supreme Court: Emanuel stays on ballot while his case is considered.The Illinois Supreme Court has ordered the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to put Rahm Emanuel’s name back on the mayoral ballot. The court has not decided whether to hear Emanuel’s appeal of Monday’s Illinois Appellate Court ruling that tossed him out of the race to replace Mayor Daley. But the Supreme Court granted Emanuel’s motion for a stay of the ruling.“The appellate court decision is stayed,’’ the Supreme Court’s order reads. “The Board of Elections is directed that if any ballots are printed while this Court is considering this case, the ballots should include the name of petitioner Rahm Emanuel as a candidate for Mayor of the City of Chicago.’’The state appellate court ruled Monday that Emanuel did not meet the one-year residency requirement to run for mayor of Chicago.Emanuel’s attorneys, heavily citing the dissenting opinion in that case, are hoping to convince the seven justices of the Supreme Court to allow Emanuel to run.Emanuel had been leading in the polls and in campaign fund-raising.Hmmmm........Democracy.........Transparancy?Read the full story here.

• Time - The Myth of Homegrown Islamic Terrorism.So why does the myth of homegrown terrorism persist? In part because, like every hardy political meme, it serves the interests of loudmouths on both ends of the ideological spectrum. To the right, the threat of homegrown terrorism helps to perpetuate the notion of a ceaseless, civilization-wide struggle against Islamic extremism. To the left, the prospect of American Muslims taking up jihad fits with the idea that the U.S.'s foreign policy is creating a new generation of terrorists.Hmmm....We don't call them Islamic terrorists ,therefore the problem doesn't exist?Go tell that to the dead at the Twin Towers!Who pays these guys anyway?Read the full "story" here.

• HT:CreepingSharia.Suhail ‘CPAC’ Khan’s mother an exec at CAIR chapter with anti-FBI poster.Remember this anti-FBI propaganda posted on terror-linked CAIR’s website a few days ago?It turns out that the mother of Suhail Khan – the so-called “conservative” Muslim being exposed for his terrorist ties – is an executive member of the CAIR chapter who produced the poster.Mr. Khan’s family mosque has hosted several Taliban supporters, while raising money — unwittingly or not — for Hamas through its U.S. charitable front, the Holy Land Foundation. The mosque happens to be held in trust by another unindicted Holy Land co-conspirator — the North American Islamic Trust. The government recently blacklisted Saudi-funded NAIT as part of the Hamas fundraising conspiracy. It also happens to be the banker to the Muslim Brotherhood network in America.And there's more!Hmmmmm.....No wonder they don't want King investigating?Read the full story here.