GreenPeace: 'Fire In the Chernobyl exclusion zone burning 10,000 hectares of forest, peat bogs and fields'.

GreenPeace: 'Fire In the Chernobyl exclusion zone burning 10,000 hectares of forest, peat bogs and fields'. (Greenpeace). [GoogleTranslate].

The fire occurred in the 30-kilometer zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Distance from the nearest point to the fire station (sarcophagus), only about 15 kilometers.

The fire took place on the moor eight kilometers west of the city of Pripyat, and can stay there for a long time, throwing out a large amount of smoke.

"Train the smoke blows wind on the territory of Belarus in the direction of Svetlogorsk, Zhlobin, Bobruisk, Mogilev. Prospects for the rapid elimination of the fire is not possible a very major disaster with a strong secondary contamination vast territory, "- said the head of the forest program Greenpeace Russia Yaroshenko.

According to weather forecasts, in the near future can turn plume of smoke towards the west, in the direction of Minsk.

Recall that radioactive peatlands exist in Russia, in the Bryansk region. Last year, the burning of peat bogs zone "Chernobyl trace" gave smoke, including in Moscow .

Experts Greenpeace went and found the fire in October last year , in the spring of this year, the authorities have made ​​the region extinguish the peat bogs that smoldered all winter.  Hmmmm......These countries have a tradition of controlled burning, perhaps 'control' was absent this time? Experience has shown dried peat land fires to be nearly impossible to extinguish.

HT and Source:

.@olliecarroll If true, this is 100 sq km of the 2,600 sq km #Chernobyl exclusion zone. Videos don't show such a big scale

— Olexiy Solohubenko (@OS1954) April 29, 2015

Video - Chernobyl 28 Years Later: Chilling video from nuclear disaster zone

Related:

Chernobyl then and now: 28 haunting images from nuclear disaster

Fukushima kids have skyrocketing number of thyroid abnormalities - report.

Fukushima kids have skyrocketing number of thyroid abnormalities - report.(RT).

A recent report into the Fukushima Nuclear disaster of 2011 has shown that more than forty percent of children have thyroid abnormalities.

­The Tenth Report of the Fukushima Prefecture Health Management Survey, released earlier this week, with data up to January 21, 2013, revealed that 44.2 percent of 94,975 children sampled had thyroid ultrasound abnormalities. 
The number of abnormalities has also been increasing over time as well as the proportion of children with nodules equal to and larger than 5.1 mm and any size cysts have increased.
The report has also revealed that 10 of 186 eligible are suspected of having thyroid cancer as a result of the exposed radiation.
On Wednesday, the Fukushima Prefectural Government announced that two people who were teenagers at the time of the Fukushima No. 1 meltdown have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, bringing the total number of cases officially confirmed by authorities to three. All have undergone surgery and are now recovering.
Around 360,000 youths at the time of the disaster have to be repeatedly checked to see if they have been affected by the radiation.
In the meantime on Friday, a government-backed researcher claimed that no health effects have been detected in people living in the contaminated area because the radiation level is not high enough.
“Since the accident in Fukushima, no health effects from radiation have been observed, although we have heard reports some people fell ill due to stress from living as evacuees and due to worries and fears about radiation,” Kazuo Sakai of Japan's National Institute of Radiological Sciences has said.
He went on to argue that people in the area had a radiation exposure of 20 millisieverts or less, while “we know from epidemiological surveys among atomic-bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that if exposure to radiation surpasses 100 millisieverts, the risk of cancer will gradually rise.”
Sakai says that it will take years to establish a clear link between the nuclear catastrophe and health risks “as empirical knowledge says it takes several years before thyroid cancer is detected after exposure to radiation.”
Scientists and activists across the globe are still arguing about the possible long-term effects of the nuclear catastrophe while activists accuse the government of concealing the crucial data from people ever since the disaster.
Global environmental watchdog, Greenpeace, has criticized Tokyo of undermining the severity of public health risk.Read the full story here.


Related: 36 Percent Of Fukushima Children Have Abnormal Growths From Radiation Exposure.

               Chernobyl - Thyroid Cancer Effects in Children.

               Fukushima.greenaction-japan.

The Chernobyl’s radioactive fallout zone has turned into a Wildlife refuge.

The Chernobyl’s radioactive fallout zone has turned into a Wildlife refuge.(TI). Sergei Gaschak’s photography offers an unparalleled glimpse at animal life inside “the zone”, the area of Ukraine and Belarus that has been officially closed off to human habitation since the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe of 1986.
Using camera traps to take photographs mechanically, as well as taking photographs personally, Gaschak has captured what few have been able to see with their own eyes – the remarkable diversity of wildlife within the zone.
One of the first rescuers on the site of the nuclear disaster, Gaschak has devoted recent years to photographing lynxes, otters, owls and other wildlife, and has even discovered the footprints of brown bears. The exclusion zone stretches for miles around the site of the reactor, and includes Pripyat, which was once a thriving Soviet town of 50,000 inhabitants but has remained a ghost town since the disaster, a time warp of perestroika-era Soviet life.
According to a book on animal and plant life in the zone, A Natural History of Chernobyl, the only abnormalities found in animals has been albino spots and deformities in barn swallows.
It was a different story with fauna, including the radioactive mushrooms that grow in the area and still cause occasional panic when they find their way into the market stalls of Ukraine and Russia.
But the beasts that roam the deserted zone are normal, save the radiation levels. Indeed, the book suggests that, paradoxically, the dirtiest radioactive site in Europe has become the continent’s biggest animal sanctuary.Read the full story here, more pics here.

36 Percent Of Fukushima Children Have Abnormal Growths From Radiation Exposure.

36 Percent Of Fukushima Children Have Abnormal Growths From Radiation Exposure.(BI).By Michael Kelley.Of more than 38,000 children tested from the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, 36 percent have abnormal growths – cysts or nodules – on their thyroids a year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, as reported by ENENews. The shocking numbers come from the thyroid examination section of the “Sixth Report of Fukushima Prefecture Health Management Survey,” published by Fukushima Radioactive Contamination Symptoms Research (FRCSR) and translated by the blog Fukushima Voice.Shunichi Yamashita, M.D., president of the Japan Thyroid Association, sent a letter to members in January with guidelines for treating thyroid abnormalities. In 2001 Yamashita co-authored a study that found normal children in Nagasaki to have 0 percent nodules and 0.8 percent cysts.

The introduction of the letter, written by Fukushima Voice, states that the results in Fukushima show a “much faster progression compared to Chernobyl” as research done around Chernobyl showed the rate of thyroid nodules in children 5 to 10 years after the accident to be 1.74 percent.

In March 2011 a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami that led to series of nuclear meltdowns and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, leading to the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

The introduction of the letter notes that Australian pediatrician Helen Caldicott said that is”not at all normal for children to have thyroid nodules or cysts and that early appearance of thyroid abnormalities, less than one year, meant the Fukushima children received a very high dose of radiation.

ENENews also reported a specific case in which three children in a family who lived 60 miles from the Fukushima nuclear plant were found to have multiple cysts on their thyroids.Hmmmm....As i said from day one 'Chernobyl II'.Read the full story here.

In light of further nuclear risks at the spent nuclear fuel pool of the No. 4 reactor, economic growth should not be the priority.

In light of further nuclear risks at the spent nuclear fuel pool of the No. 4 reactor, economic growth should not be the priority.(PLNB).By Paul Langley. The following is taken from Source: Mainichi Daily News, Japan.Author: By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer.Date: April 2, 2012.[...] One of the biggest issues that we face is the possibility that the spent nuclear fuel pool of the No. 4 reactor at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant will collapse.
This is something that experts from both within and outside Japan have pointed out since the massive quake struck. [...] not only independent experts, but also sources within the government say that it’s a grave concern. The storage pool in the No. 4 reactor building has a total of 1,535 fuel rods, or 460 tons of nuclear fuel, in it. The 7-story building itself has suffered great damage, with the storage pool barely intact on the building’s third and fourth floors. The roof has been blown away.
If the storage pool breaks and runs dry, the nuclear fuel inside will overheat and explode, causing a massive amount of radioactive substances to spread over a wide area. Both the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and French nuclear energy company Areva have warned about this risk.
A report released in February by the Independent Investigation Commission on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident stated that the storage pool of the plant’s No. 4 reactor has clearly been shown to be “the weakest link” in the parallel, chain-reaction crises of the nuclear disaster. The worse-case scenario drawn up by the government includes not only the collapse of the No. 4 reactor pool, but the disintegration of spent fuel rods from all the plant’s other reactors. If this were to happen, residents in the Tokyo metropolitan area would be forced to evacuate. 
Former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Sumio Mabuchi, who was appointed to the post of then Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s advisor on the nuclear disaster immediately after its outbreak, proposed the injection of concrete from below the No. 4 reactor to the bottom of the storage pool, Chernobyl-style. [...] “Because sea water was being pumped into the reactor, the soundness of the structure (concrete corrosion and deterioration) was questionable. There also were doubts about the calculations made on earthquake resistance as well,” said one government source familiar with what took place at the time. “[...] fuel rod removal will take three years. Will the structure remain standing for that long? 
Burying the reactor in a concrete grave is like building a dam, and therefore expensive. I think that it was because TEPCO’s general shareholders’ meeting was coming up (in June 2011) that the company tried to keep expenses low.” [...] Earthquakes in the neighborhood of level-5 on the seismic intensity scale continue to occur even now in the Tohoku and Kanto regions. We cannot accept the absurd condescension of those who fear the worse-case scenario, labeling them as “overreacting.” We have no time to humor the senseless thinking that instead, those who downplay the risks for the sake of economic growth are “realistic.” Observation: Japan is very seismically active with over 1500 earthquakes per year.Average Number of Earthquakes per Year, Magnitude 5 and Greater All Depths. Read the full story here.

Video - Tokyo Soil Samples Would Be Considered Nuclear Waste In The US.

Video - Tokyo Soil Samples Would Be Considered Nuclear Waste In The US.HT: Cryptogon.

 
Tokyo Soil Samples Would Be Considered Nuclear Waste In The US from Fairewinds Energy Education on Vimeo.

MFS - The Other News

                        Morning Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - April 27. Here .(Al-Jazeera).

• Syria Live Blog - April 27. Here (Al-Jazeera).

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world low seismic activity in Japan  today between 4.9 and 5.0! More info here.

• Japan - Latest official Situation Update No. 100.On 26.04.2011 at 16:23 GMT+2
  
  Japan's nuclear safety agency said Tuesday that water may be leaking from a reactor containment at the quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, likely hampering efforts to cool down its fuel. 'We are currently examining data, but we think that there is water leakage to some extent,' Hidehiko Nishiyama, the agency's spokesman, told a news conference. Data suggested the leak at reactor 1 was caused by nitrogen being injected into the container to reduce the risks of hydrogen explosions, Kyodo News reported citing the agency. Remote-controlled robots were to enter the building later Tuesday to observe the primary reactor container, Nishiyama said. Officials from plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) did not notice signs of any leakage in earlier data collected by the robots. Meanwhile, Industry Minister Banri Kaieda ordered TEPCO to report data on the plant's reactors, such as pressure and temperature, taken during the immediate aftermath of the March 11 earthquake. 'There was about an hour until a tsunami hit the plant after the quake. So we believe that some of the data remain at the site,' Nishiyama said.
  
  TEPCO has so far released post-quake data starting about five hours after the 2:46 pm (0546 GMT) quake. The data is believed to be inside the plant's central control rooms where radiation levels are still high, Kyodo said. The levels of radioactive water in reactors have risen over the past month, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing TEPCO. The levels of caesium-134 and -137 increased about 250-fold and iodine-131 increased about 12 times in the basement of the turbine building of reactor number 4. That level of contamination requires TEPCO to prioritize the transfer or disposal of the rapidly rising water. Highly contaminated water in some of the plant's six reactors has prevented workers from restoring key cooling functions at the plant. TEPCO is currently transferring highly radioactive water from the trench of reactor number 2 to a temporary storage facility. In Tokyo, farmers affected by the nuclear fallout staged a protest in front of the TEPCO headquarters, demanding the company put the plant under control and compensate them as soon as possible.
  
  Some 200 farmers from Fukushima, Chiba, Ibaraki and other prefectures joined in the protest, displaying vegetables and milk cows, shipments of which have been banned due to radiation concerns, NHK reported. With Tuesday marking the 25th anniversary of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, the Japanese government said the nation had taken advantage of lessons learned in the aftermath of the accident to cope with its own ongoing nuclear crisis. 'The studies and research on what kind of health problems could emerge based on Chernobyl have become an asset and knowledge shared by all humanity,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said. Source : Here .

• Japan  : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog

• RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service - Event : Epedemic Measles virus .As of 18 Apr 2011, 33 countries in Europe have reported more than 6500 measles cases. Epidemiological investigations and genotyping have confirmed transmission of measles virus among several countries in the Region and to the Americas. Affected countries:

- Belgium - Bulgaria - France - Serbia - Spain - Macedonia - Turkey - Netherlands - Norway - Romania - Russian Federation - Switzerland - United Kingdom

Belgium has reported 100 cases to date, compared to 40 cases in all of 2010. Bulgaria has reported 131 cases this year, compared to 24 000 cases in 2009-10. France reported 4 937 cases from January to March 2011, compared to 5 090 cases reported in all of 2010. In Serbia, nearly 300 cases have been reported from Leskovac in the southeastern part of the country. Spain has reported 2 ongoing measles outbreaks since October 2010, with more than 600 cases reported in Andalusia. In the 1st outbreak, the most affected areas are Sevilla and surrounding municipalities, where more than 350 measles cases have been reported since January 2011. Cases of measles are reported among health care workers as well. The 2nd outbreak was reported in the province of Granada, where about 250 cases have been reported since October 2010.Read the full story here.

• Breaking - Fatah, Hamas hammer out reconciliation deal.(Jpost).Parties reach agreement on intern government, set a date for elections; Hamas says all points of contention have been solved, Fatah and Hamas leaders will soon be invited together to Cairo for additional talks.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement and its rival Hamas said on Wednesday they had resolved their deep divisions, opening the way for a unity government and national elections. The deal, which took many officials by surprise, was thrashed out in Egypt and followed a series of secret meetings. The two groups hammered out an agreement, setting the stage for forming an interim government as well as fixing a date for a general election. The accord was first reported by Egypt's intelligence service, which brokered the talks.In a statement carried by the Egyptian state news agency MENA, the intelligence service said the deal was hatched by a Hamas delegation led by Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the group's politburo, and Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad."The consultations resulted in full understandings on all points of discussions, including setting up an interim agreement with specific tasks and to set a date for election," the statement said.It said the agreement would allow Egypt to invite all Palestinian factions to sign a national reconciliation agreement in Cairo in the next few days.Spokespeople for both Hamas and Fatah confirmed that "all differences" have been worked out between the long-feuding Palestinians political movements.A spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that Hamas has agreed to hold elections within a year, a part of the reconciliation deal it signed in Cairo."The two sides signed initial letters on an agreement. All points of differences have been overcome," Taher Al-Nono, the Hamas government spokesman in Gaza, said.The delegation, headed by Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby and members of the ruling military council.At the same time that the Hamas delegation was meeting with officials in Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sat down with an Egyptian diplomat in Ramallah.In the meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to the PA Yasser Othman, Abbas said, "Egypt is the backbone of our people's aspirations toward having an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital," official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA reported.Abbas's meeting in Ramallah had the same agenda as Hamas's in Cairo: reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas rulers in the Gaza Strip.Hmmmm....The pending War in the Middle East has just taken a giant leap!Read the full story here.

• President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate released. The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn’t good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the President directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception to release a copy of his long form birth certificate. They granted that exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting.Here .More here.

• Open Letter to Anderson Cooper of CNN. THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA’S SHAMEFUL CHARADE.(ThePost&Email).Open Letter to Anderson Cooper of CNN

First, the Constitutional requirement is a ‘natural born citizen’ which requires two, that would be one, two, citizens of the United States to be the parents of the child. Obama Sr. was NEVER a citizen.Go back to all the hubub surrounding Senate Resolution 511 regarding McCain. Both Senators Leahy, and McCaskil, along with Secretary Chertoff (also a former Judge), and others all agreed, and it is on the record, that ‘natural born citizen’ requires TWO citizen parents.That is issue one.

Issue two, he (Obama, or Soetoro, or whoever) never had his own American passport before he received a diplomatic passport as a US Senator. He had travelled on his mother’s US passport, which is quite common for kids. That being the case, how did he get into Indonesia, and Pakistan in the early 80′s? Well, it turns out he went there on his INDONESIAN passport, which he received (as a juvenile who had become an Indonesian citizen) before Mom shipped him off to Hawaii to be with granny and gramps. He couldn’t get an American passport, as he could not PROVE American citizenship. His Indonesian passport was about to run out, and had to be renewed before he could embark on his travels with his Pakistani boyfirend, Mohammed Hasan Chandoo. He was an adult at the time, and the process of getting or renewing a passport from another country (Indonesdia) would have required that he admit he was a citizen of that country. Whoops. Can’t be president of the USA if you are a citizen of Indonesia. And have you people, in all of your very extensive and thorough investigation (yeah, right) of this issue discovered when and in what ceremony he NATURALIZED as an American Citizen after going to Pakistan on an Indonesian passport? Have you discovered in what court he legally changed his name while going to Occidental from Barry Soetoro Soebarkah to Barack Hussein Obama?I didn’t think so. Don’t waste your time looking. Neither event ever happened. This fraud is an Indonesian citizen, even now, and his name is NOT Barack Hussein Obama I, II, or X.Oh, by the way, his half sister, Maya Soetoro Ng was definitely born in Indonesia. To an Indonesian father. She was an Indonesian citizen at birth. Can you explain how it is possible for her to also have a Hawaiian COLB, just like her big bro, ‘Barack’?No? Didn’t think so.But she does.Rob Lamb.Hmmm.....BRAVO !Source.

• 61 Libyan tribes call for Gadhafi to go as fighting rages.(Hurriyetdaily).Chiefs or representatives of 61 tribes from across Libya call for an end to Moammar Gadhafi's rule, in a joint statement as Libyan rebels appear to be gaining ground against the regime, the British defense minister says, despite a deadly attack on Misrata port by the Gadhafi forces. US and UK, meanwhile, paint an optimistic picture of the conflict.Libya's tribes issued a statement on Wednesday calling for Moammar Gadhafi to cede power, after rebels fighting to oust the strongman were said to be gaining ground.Chiefs or representatives of 61 tribes from across the North African country called for an end to Gadhafi's four-decade rule in a joint statement released by French writer Bernard-Henri Levy. "Faced with the threats weighing on the unity of our country, faced with the maneuvers and propaganda of the dictator and his family, we solemnly declare: Nothing will divide us," said the text, drawn up in Benghazi on April 12. "We share the same ideal of a free, democratic and united Libya," it said."It is still hard for NATO to catch them. Gadhafi is staying far from the centre because it is safe for him," he said, warning that losing the port would be a "real disaster," leaving civilians stranded without aid. He warned Gadhafi could take "revenge" on the city that rose up against him on Feb. 19, two days after Benghazi."This is the culture of Gadhafi: revenge, revenge, revenge. If this port fell down, what will happen to civilians is the question?" The African Union meanwhile urged an end to military actions targeting senior Libyan officials and key infrastructure, after the United States and Britain had said it was legitimate to strike Gadhafi's compound, as NATO did two days ago.Read the full story here.

• CIA boss after five days of secret talks with Erdogan to be new US defence secretary. Leon Panetta will take over following Robert Gates' retirement later this year.CIA director Leon Panetta will become US defence secretary and be replaced at the spy agency's helm by General David Petraeus, current head of military operations in Afghanistan, ABC News reported on Wednesday.Panetta, a 72-year-old Democratic politician, lawyer and professor will take over from Robert Gates following his planned retirement this year. President Barack Obama will also nominate veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker as the next US ambassador to Afghanistan, according to an NBC News report.The moves comes as Turkish news agency Sabah released a report Tuesday on secret 5-day meetings held in Ankara at the end of March between CIA Director Leon Panetta and Turkey’s national intelligence agency, the Milli Istihbarat Teskilati (MIT). According to the report,

During the meetings, apprehensions regarding the developments in the region were relayed to Panetta. Details were shared on Turkish-Israel relations, joint intelligence between Turkey-USA and Iraq as well as on collaboration with Afghanistan and the PKK terrorist organization’s recent activities.As the uprisings in Syria were assessed as being at a ‘critical threshold’, during meetings it was also emphasized that the demonstrations by the Syrian public could be characterized as being Sunni. It was emphasized that a balance must be met between leader Bashar Assad and the Sunni opposition. It was determined that Nusayri, considered to be an element of ‘deep state’, was influential in Assad’s decisions and should he not take an immediate step towards reforms, then the nation could be drawn into serious internal strife.Sabah’s English translation of the report suggests, additionally, that Turkey provided the U.S. with details -referred to as ‘Secret Code’- which involve providing protection for Assad and his family should Syria experience a regime change. While it appears then that contingency plans for Assad’s topple are ready, Obama has so far refused to call directly for him to step down.Hmmmm.....Since when is Turkey dictating US foreign policy?Lately the obama regime talks more to Erdogan then to Congress.Are there plans to put UN troops on Israeli soil?Read the full story here.

• Obama found a quick way to crash the economy overnight ,lets raise the gas prices!(Foxnews).Obama asks Congress to abolish tax breaks for oil companies.Washington – President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed to Congress the abolition of tax breaks enjoyed by the petroleum sector and using that money to develop clean sources of energy.High gas prices "are weighing on the minds and pocketbooks of every American family," he said in a letter sent to the leaders of both houses of Congress.The president's recommendation, which he had already set forth in his budget proposal for 2010, came one day after House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said that he was ready to "consider" abolishing the tax exemptions.Obama said that he had been heartened" by Boehner's remarks, adding that "our political system has for too long avoided and ignored this important step, and I hope we can come together in a bipartisan manner to get it done."Despite all this, Obama warned that there is no "silver bullet" to solve in the short term the problem of rising oil prices, which at present are breaking records because of political uncertainty in the Middle East, among other reasons.The rise in oil prices has reduced Obama's popularity, according to the latest polls, which show that less than 50 percent of the electorate approve of his job performance.Hmmmm.....Trying to blame Boehner for the high gas prices,how childish.Read the full madness here.

• Superb: President Obama unilaterally overrides Congress to permit unchecked Mexican trucks carrying heaven knows what into the U.S.(Townhall).Barack Obama's deal with the president of Mexico to allow Mexican trucks to carry their loads onto U.S. highways and roads is new evidence of his high-handed solo behavior that has become Standard Operating Procedure in the administration.Barack Obama's deal with the president of Mexico to allow Mexican trucks to carry their loads onto U.S. highways and roads is new evidence of his high-handed solo behavior that has become Standard Operating Procedure in the administration. Here are 10 reasons why Obama's plan is dangerous and must be stopped by Congress and public protest.

1. Obama's deal with President Felipe Calderon, announced on March 3, bypasses Congress, defies the wishes of the American people, and looks like the action of a Third World dictator who thinks representative government is a nuisance and can be ignored. Congress made its wishes emphatically clear in 2007 when it voted to continue our ban on Mexican trucks. The House roll-call vote was 411 to 3, and the Senate's was 75 to 23.

2. Obama's deal is a direct attack on the jobs available to U.S. truck drivers because it helps big-business interests cut their costs by hiring cheaper Mexican drivers. Obama's deal is also an attack on small business (i.e., the owner-operated and independent truck drivers) who constitute the big majority of U.S. trucks.

3. The claim that Obama's deal is reciprocal (i.e., U.S. trucks will be allowed to drive into Mexico) is so cynical that we can hardly believe anyone says it with a straight face. "South of the border down Mexico way" (in the words of the old popular song) is the most dangerous war zone in the world (more dangerous than Afghanistan or Libya), where U.S. truck drivers would become the targets of hijackings, theft, murder, kidnappings and even beheadings committed by the drug cartels.

4. Built into the Obama deal is the sneaky imposition of costs on both U.S. truck drivers and U.S. taxpayers. Each truck will be required to install an EOBR (electronic on-board recorder) costing $3,000 plus maintenance fees: U.S. drivers at their own expense and Mexican trucks as a gift from U.S. taxpayers paid out of the Highway Trust Fund. U.S. taxpayers are already paying $1,600 each for many Mexican trucks to replace their old mufflers with catalytic converters.

5. Obama's deal will make it easy for Mexican trucks to bring in loads of illegal aliens and illegal drugs. Border inspection will be a farce, maybe only one in 10 trucks inspected, perhaps merely one in 20.Don't let anybody get by with saying that NAFTA requires us to admit Mexican trucks because it's a treaty. It isn't -- NAFTA never complied with the treaty provision in the U.S. Constitution and is merely a law passed by Congress that can be changed or overturned. Tell your member of Congress to take action to cancel Obama's truck deal with the Mexican president. Solo deals like this one cannot be tolerated under constitutional government.Hmmmm.....Democracy or DICTATORSHIP? Read the rest of the points here.

• Catastrophe: State pension systems $1.26T in the red -- up 26% in one year.(DougRoss). suspect that the members of America's public sector unions will be nonplussed to discover that their platinum-plated benefits have all the likelihood of surviving as Tyrannosaurus Rex. Pew Research reports that these pensions, by and large, are headed right into the tarmac.States are $1.26 trillion in the hole when it comes to their pension and retiree health obligations, according to a report released Tuesday.....And taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for this shortfall, which soared 26% in one year......States are largely responsible for this predicament. As tax revenues plummeted, many skipped part or all of their annual retiree benefits contributions as they struggled to pay for education, Medicaid and other services.States only contributed a total of 64% of the nearly $115 billion their actuaries recommended they put in their pension funds for that year, the center said. They now face a $660 billion gap in these accounts... Meanwhile states socked away a mere 36% of the recommended $47 billion in funding for their retiree health and other benefits. Even more concerning -- 19 states have saved nothing for these obligations, instead of paying the costs as they are incurred, the Pew Center said...A commenter observes that ""Pennsylvania retired teachers receive 80% of their working salary and some receive free health care insurance for life. And, a 35 year 'pension/career' in teaching is the equivalent of about 28 years on the job in the private sector... There's not one company in the private sector, none, that allows you to retire with that exorbitant package - not one. No wonder states are flat broke. We're approaching the tipping point."Approaching? I think we're well past it, folks. And to minimize the economic damage, we've got to contain the Statists and begin rolling back their insane fiscal policies.Hmmmm.......Read the full story here.

• ROOT: The Marxist in the mirror,Obama publicly declares war on capitalism.(WashingtonTimes).It’s official. President Obama has declared war on capitalism, which is funny because he never officially declared war on Libya. But our fearless Marxist-in-chief reserves a special brand of hatred for capitalism, entrepreneurship and rich people. Just days ago, Mr. Obama publicly blamed “speculators” for the rising price of gas. Mr. Obama publicly announced a war on speculators and speculation, imposing the Justice Department, government lawyers, Cabinet heads and the whole Big Brother kitchen sink on this “evil” bunch of capitalists.Well I have news for you, Mr. Obama. You better go after many other Americans, too: home buyers, stock buyers, gold buyers, art buyers, classic-car buyers, wholesalers, small-business owners and investors. Because everyone who risks money to buy things and attempts to resell later at a profit is a speculator.By going after oil speculators, Mr. Obama is setting the stage to go after every businessman and woman in America, seeking to redefine profits as either immoral or criminal, and targeting, demonizing and punishing the people who invest in America, courageously take financial risk and create most new jobs.Why is Mr. Obama engaging in class warfare? Because :

A) he has to blame and demonize someone for his failures;

B) he has to distract American consumers and voters from a failing economy and $5 per gallon gas; and

C) most investors and speculators are fiscal conservatives, many of whom contribute to Mr. Obama’s political opposition.

Perhaps El Presidente is much too busy looting producers to watch the movie “Atlas Shrugged.”

So, let’s teach our Marxist-in-chief an economics lesson. Speculation is the underpinning of our entire economy, the very foundation of capitalism. It’s what has made America the greatest nation in world history. Profit - the end result of speculation - is why Americans are willing to take risks with their hard-earned money. It’s why they invest in business, which creates jobs for Americans.Here’s one more economics lesson for you, Mr. Obama. You know why the price of gas is going up? Just look at the Marxist in the mirror. It’s your refusal to issue permits for oil drilling that has allowed the speculators to bet the price of oil up. It’s your federal taxes on each gallon of gasoline that are actually higher than the profit for each gallon earned by ExxonMobil. It’s your Federal Reserve printing unlimited sums of fake money to pay for your irresponsible spending that makes our dollars lose value and therefore, raises the price of gas. Look in the mirror, Mr. President - you are the problem, not speculation nor capitalism. It’s the Marxist in the mirror that is responsible.It’s time to stop Mr. Obama before his gangster government shuts down all forms of enterprise. Before all the money is stolen, extorted or redistributed from the productive class to the entitlement class in naked vote-buying schemes. Before Mr. Obama declares profits a dirty word, before speculation, investing and profit-taking become a crime in Mr. Obama’s Marxist States of America. It’s time to recognize that this president is anathema to the freedoms and ideals of our Founding Fathers and send this Wesley Mouch (the villain from “Atlas Shrugged,” a typical government bureaucrat who cripples the economy) to early retirement.Hmmmm......."Sincerely We the people"?Read the full story here.

• Obama’s Sordid Past Back in the News.(BigGovernment).There is an old saying in politics: “What’s old is new.” And with a presidential election around the corner, some of Obama’s sordid connections are now back in the news and being investigated with renewed fervor.Of course, if you’ve been following the news, you know billionaire businessman and star of the show Celebrity Apprentice, Donald Trump, has been banging the drums the loudest on some of these issues. The press has focused heavily on his criticism of Obama on the subject of his birth certificate, an issue first raised by supporters of Hillary Clinton that continues to dog the president. But there were other comments by Trump last week that caught my attention, specifically Obama’s ties to Antoin “Tony” Rezko and William Ayers.As Newsmax reported, Trump suggested the unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers wrote Obama’s book “Dreams of My Father.” (Though the terrorist may have been joking, Ayers actually said the same thing in a speech at Montclair State University last month.) Judicial Watch has highlighted Obama’s ties to radicals such as Ayers, race-baiter “Reverend” Jeremiah Wright and convicted felon Rezko. But the Big Media (and too many Republicans) seems uninterested that Obama was a close ally and funder of an unrepentant terrorist or entered into a shady real estate deal with Rezko, who everyone knew at the time to be under criminal investigation. So it is good that Trump highlighted the corruption issue that is so important to Judicial Watch and the hundreds of thousands of Americans who support our cause: “So you got Reverend Wright, you got Bill Ayers, you got Tony Rezko. He drops these guys, and the press leaves him alone,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity.While Trump may be just now coming to some new revelations regarding Obama’s suspect ties, Judicial Watch has been investigating them for years. In fact, we put boots on the ground in Chicago to get to the truth in the matter. Now that these characters are back in the news, I think it’s a good idea to review some of what we’ve already uncovered.The point of this review is this: Obama’s suspicious connections were important in 2008. And they’re just as important now, especially since the press has let Obama completely off the hook over these concerns. It’ll be interesting to see what happens this time around, now that Trump is using his various public vehicles to raise these issues once again. (Judicial Watch does not endorse candidates for public office.)The fact that Trump is doing so well in the polls should be a signal to both Democrats and Republicans that corruption matters.Hmmmm......."The truth will emerge,even if the crows have to tell"?Why did both Obama's put their Law Licence on 'inactive'?Read the full story here.

• Four Ethiopian Muslims Beat Evangelist to Death, Assault His Pregnant Wife.(Aina).Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on April 21 four Muslims beat an evangelist to death and assaulted his pregnant wife in Worabe, Ethiopia, an area that is 97% Muslim.The Muslims lured Evangelist Abraham Abera from Kale Hiwot Church, his home and place of ministry, at 9:30 p.m. They told him that his friend was sick and needed his immediate attention. Abraham left with the men; they turned on him and began to beat him with rods. The minister's wife, Birtukan, saw the men attack her husband and ran to intervene, but the Muslims beat her as well.Abraham died on the spot and his wife, who sustained a severe head injury, was left unconscious in the street. She was found and taken to a hospital in Butajira, where she regained consciousness on April 22nd and was able to recount the details of the attack. Birtukan spoke with an ICC source and said that she knew two of the attackers. She said that as the Muslims were beating her and her husband, they told them, "You (Christians) are growing in number in our area. You are spreading your message (the gospel). We will destroy you."Though Birtukan did suffer injuries to her mid-section, her unborn baby did fortunately survive the attack.The attackers still remain at large. A Christian leader in the area told ICC that the men may not be arrested because the local officials are also Muslims. "Christians in Worabe and its surrounding areas are persecuted at the hands of Muslim radicals, and the local government officials, who are Muslims, don't protect Christians. We urge the higher government authorities [state and federal officials] to intervene and protect us," said the Christian leader."The brutal killing of Evangelist Abraham and the beating of his wife, Birtukan, is deeply troubling. We urge the federal government authorities to investigate this latest attack as well as reports of persecution against Christians in the Silte zone," said Jonathan Racho, ICC's Regional Manager for Africa.Hmmmm........The religion of peace.Read the full story here.

• Report: New Gaza flotilla postponed.(Ynet).IHH claims delay due to Turkish elections in June, but reports cite trouble recruiting activists.Pro-Palestinian activists organizing the next Gaza flotilla said Tuesday they are having a hard time recruiting activists, vessels and crew members.Apparently many fear a confrontation with the Israeli naval commandoes after eight Turks and one Turkish-American died during an IDF raid last May onboard the Mavi Marmara, according to reports making their way to the political echelon in Jerusalem. The sea convoy was set to sail to the Gaza Strip in late May, the first anniversary of the raid, but it could be delayed, partly because it clashes with Turkish election campaigning.IHH officials, an Islamic aid group that operates the Mavi Marmara, announced they plan to postpone the flotilla until after the June 12 parliamentary elections.IHH, which says it plans to send 100 to 150 people on the flotilla, is inclined to launch its ship after the vote for fear controversy could disrupt the election debate. The group communicates closely with the Turkish government, but says it does not need "permission" to send its boat to Gaza. However recent reports claimed there is another reason for the delay: Many of the activists who signed up for the mission canceled after learning the flotilla is illegal and might lead to their arrest by Israel.It also turns out the Turkish organizers have been largely unsuccessful in raising donations to fund the operation. Many ship owners refused to loan their vessels for the cause, fearing they might be confiscated by Israel. Now the activists are forced to buy the ships themselves. Organizers said they expect at least 1,000 people to participate this year, adding that the new effort includes activists from Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Canada and the United States.Hmmm......"A flotilla too far"?Read the full story here.

• Canadian Muslim Group: “Only Support Non-Muslim Candidates Who Are Willing to Make it a Hate Crime to Publicly Associate Islam to Terrorism”.The next federal election is set for May 2, 2011 and campaigns are in full swing. Canadian Muslims’ reactions to elections and political campaigns vary significantly; some participate for personal reasons, others for community benefit, and many others do not participate at all. What is the proper approach and what is not? To help Muslims answer this question, the following points are presented for your reflection: . . .We should support only those non-Muslim candidates who are willing to present and support a Private Members’ Bill making it a hate-crime to publicly associate Islam to terrorism, whether in written, spoken, printed, broadcast or electronic media. At the same time, we must take a balanced approach instead of being carried away by a single issue. The following are examples of other important issues against which we should evaluate all candidates.Hmmmm.....In plain terms "Abolish free speech in Canada"?Read the full story here.

• Turkish Committee Arrives in France to Lobby Against Armenian Bill.(Aina).Turkish Parliament and the Foreign Ministry have sent a committee to France prior to the vote on the law penalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide claims, which is scheduled to appear on the French Parliament's agenda on May 4.The bill, recently denied by the French Senate Constitution Commission, envisions five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 45,000 euros for people on French territory who deny the Armenian genocide claims.The Turkish committee lobbying against the bill consists of representatives specializing in foreign politics from political parties in Parliament, headed by the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Düzce deputy Yaşar Yakış.Osman Korutürk, who served as the Turkish Ambassador to France from 2005-2009 when the draft was first brought to the agenda, is part of the committee. He told Hürriyet Daily News that the Turkish committee was conducting meetings in France regarding the bill in order to preserve Turkish-French relations.Yakış and Korutürk will be joined by AKP Istanbul deputy Nur Suna Memecan, Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, Ankara deputy Tuğrul Türkeş, and Republican People's Party, or CHP, deputy leader Gülsün Bilgehan.Hmmmm....denial of the Armenian genocide.Read the full story here.

• "Life and death in Iran's prisons".At Least Two Juvenile Offenders Hanged in Iran Last Week.The Iran Human Rights group reported on April 25 that, according to reliable sources, at least two of those who were hanged in Bandar Abbas last week were 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence.Four young men were hanged by cranes on April 21. on a beach in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. Three of the men were convicted of rape and murdering a 15 years old boy November 30th 2008. Another man was convicted of raping a girl in May 8th 2009.According to IHR’s sources the three men in the murder case were arrested few months after the alleged offence. At that time they were identified as “S. N.” (18 years old), “A. N.” (17 years old) and “H. B.” (17 years old).It is not clear whether “S.N.” was 18 or 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence which was several months prior to the arrest.The person who was convicted of raping a 17 years old girl in 2009 was identified as “S. M.” (22 years old).Iran has ratified the UN’s convention of the Child’s rights that bans death penalty for offences convicted at less than 18 years of age, and which is legally binding. But despite this fact, Iran is on the top of the world in regard to execution of minors. Iranian authorities have executed more than 25 minor offenders since 2007. According to the annual reports of IHR, at least 9 minor offenders were executed in 2007, 9 in 2008, 5 in 2009; 2 in 2010 and at least two minor offenders have been executed so far in 2011.Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, urges the UN’s Special Rapporteur who is scheduled to travel to Iran during the 2011 to give special attention to the minors on the death row.Read the full story here.

• Belarus dictator leader Lukashenka fumes over Chernobyl anniversary.(Hurriyetdaily).Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko Tuesday denounced the head of the EU commission as an "ass" and rounded on Ukraine's president in apparent fury at arrangements for the Chernobyl anniversary.Lukashenko was notably absent from ceremonies at Chernobyl to mark the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster, even though his country was badly affected and his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts visited the power station.Instead, Lukashenko made his own solo tour Tuesday of farmlands in the Gomel region of southern Belarus worst affected by the disaster. Asked by Belarussian media why he had not travelled to Ukraine to join Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for the ceremonies at Chernobyl, he replied: "Ask Yanukovych that question, why the Belarussian president is not present at the events. Ask them! Unfortunately the current Ukrainian leadership has an absolute nerve," he said. "I don't intend to play the second fiddle".Ukrainian media said that EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso had asked Kiev not to invite the authoritarian Belarussian leader to a conference in Kiev last week on the consequences of the disaster. Ukraine complied with the EU demand, hoping he would still show up to the Chernobyl anniversary, but it appeared the Belarussian strongman had taken offence.Turning on the Portuguese EU commission chief, Lukashenko added: "As for asses like Barroso, well there was once some Barroso in Portugal, they kicked him out and then sorted him out with work in the EU commission."Lukashenko has been ostracized by the European Union since his December 19 election victory, which Western monitors said was flawed and was also followed by an unprecedented crackdown on the opposition. He slammed the EU for imposing sanctions against his regime since the election. "They are just morons. For them, we are competitors. We are ideological opponents.”"We are people who lead a different way of life. We are dangerous for them. We do not need their kind of democracy."Hmmmmm.....Poor Lukashenka once a Kolkhoz leader allways a Kolkhoz leader?Read the full story here.

• Video - Nightly visit to Joseph's tomb.(Ynet).Four days prior to Ben-Yosef Livnat's death in Palestinian police-involved shooting at Joseph's Tomb, Yedioth Ahronoth reporter visits Nablus' holy site with group of Breslovers led by victim.The fear kicked in a few moments after crossing Hawara checkpoint. The dogs barking behind you and the green lights of the mosques ahead indicated we were on our way to Nablus, the so-called "terror capital." Everything in this city makes you feel unwelcomed. The graffiti on the walls, Shahid ("martyr") posters hanging in the streets. You are frightened even when driving with five other people in a small car, singing aloud. Entering Nablus with a group of Breslov Hasidim is terrifying. "Don't take a picture," Ben-Yosef Livnat ordered, only four days prior to his death. "It's bad luck." Around 30 Breslov Hasidim met in a spring located south of Nablus, in the West Bank. This is their semi-secret meeting place where they gather to bathe before the journey begins. It was nearly 2 am on Thursday. The group's last visit to Nablus before the fatal shooting incident which claimed Livnat's life – and I was along for the ride. We stood by the spring with our six vehicles. In the valley below us we spotted an IDF force at Hawara checkpoint, in charge of preventing worshipers from entering the holy city.We entered Nablus through a secret side entrance. The cars turned off their lights, driving slowly into the night. The group began singing. "Do you know the IDF only enters the city in a shielded convoy?" I asked. "We all have our own bullet-proof vests," the guy sitting next to me told me. "The IDF have theirs and we have our prayers and ancestral merits." We soon reached the main streets of Nablus. I gathered the courage to open the window and take some pictures. Livnat was driving right behind us. The Palestinian police post near Joseph's Tomb was empty. No time to waste. We quickly ran to the tomb, leaving the keys in the cars, ready to take off in any moment. Livnat ran out of his car, lifting his hands in excitement. "To the righteous one!" they yelled heading towards the holy site. Meanwhile, the Hasidim were praying quickly, trying to utter as many prayers as they can before having to dash. They leaned down and kissed the tomb. Their eyes sparkled, as if they had just met their love for a brief moment. Then the group encircled the holy site in an ecstasy filled dance. Suddenly they stopped and ran towards the cars. In that exact point, only four days later, the Palestinian police officers would open fire at the group. We headed south, taking a different route this time. Livnat was leading the convoy. Livnat broke the law when he entered Joseph's Tomb without authorization, but that is not the reason he was killed. It is deeper than that. Joseph's Tomb is a sensitive subject in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Livnat was killed because he was part of the battle to control the holy site. Everybody wants to renovate it, preserve it – but those who try the hardest are the Breslov Hasidim, and Livnat was one of their most vigorous standouts. Read and see the full story here.

• Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Rejects NATO-Like Military Alliance of Muslim Nations, Says: 'OIC is Striving to Protect the Interests of the Muslim Ummah'.(Memri)."[King Abdullah] Thinks that We as the Muslim Ummah must Unite in All Situations; Therefore, He Speaks for the Unity of Muslim Ummah at Every Forum and Every Opportunity""The [Palestinian] Issue Should Be Resolved According to the UN Resolutions""[On Arab Uprisings:] The Nature of the Problems Varies from Country to Country; We Can Not Describe It as Only the Conspiracy of Foreign Powers""Pakistanis and Saudis have Religious, Cultural, and Historic Relationships, and Its Example Can Not be Found Anywhere in the World"Read the full interview here.

MFS - The Other News

                   Afternoon  Posting.

• Live broadcast info from Japan directly ! Here.

• Libya Live Blog - March 31. Here .(Al-Jazeera)And  here (BBC).

• Sirya live blog - March 30  here.(Al -Jazeera).

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in Japan between 4.3 and 5.1 today. More info here.

• Latest official Situation Update No. 69. On 31.03.2011 at 18:17 GMT+2

Radioactive substance about 10,000 times the limit was found at the groundwater around the No. 1 reactor of the troubled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, local media reported Friday. A official with the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday that the radiation level is "extremely high," according to Kyodo News report. Also on Thursday, the level of radioactive iodine-131 found in seawater near the nuclear power plant, about 240 kilometers northeast from Tokyo, has soared to its highest reading yet at a concentration of 4,385 times the legal limit. The Japanese authorities have been stepping up efforts to fix the plant crippled by devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Situation Update No. 68. On 31.03.2011 at 14:44 GMT+2

Radiation levels in a Japanese town outside a government-ordered evacuation zone have exceeded one of the criteria for evacuation, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday. The agency said it advised Japan "to carefully assess the situation." The elevated levels were found in Iitate, a town of 7,000 residents about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the earthquake- and tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the agency said. The evacuation zone covers a 20-kilometer (13-mile) radius around the plant. The agency did not say what levels it found in Iitate, but the environmental group Greenpeace said Sunday it had found radiation levels in the town that were more than 50 times above normal. Though that is far below the level that would cause radiation sickness, it does pose a risk of cancer to residents in the long term, Greenpeace said.Source.

• HT:PaulLangley.Radiological Dispersal from Fukushima hits new highs.The level of radioactive iodine in the sea off Japan’s disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant has soared to its highest reading yet at 4,385 times the legal limit, the plant operator said.The level of iodine-131, reported a few hundred metres south of its southern water outlet, has risen in a series of tests since last week.Previous readings taken by plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) were 1,250 times the legal maximum on Friday, 1,850 times the limit on Saturday and 3,355 times the limit on Tuesday.Authorities believe the damaged plant may be leaking radiation continuously into the nearby ocean, with fears the increasingly high levels of radiation could impact global shipping.Several shipping operators are either halting services to the ports of Yokohama and Tokyo or have established no-go zones around the Fukushima plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says safe radiation limits had been exceeded at Iitate village, 40 kilometres north-west of the plant and well outside the government-imposed 20-kilometre exclusion zone.Japan’s top government spokesman, chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano, said: “The IAEA has informed us the level of radiation in the soil exceeded one of the IAEA standards”.“And the IAEA has advised us to carefully assess the situation on the basis of this report,” he said.When asked whether Japan would expand the exclusion zone, he said: “I don’t think this is something of a nature which immediately requires such action”.“But the fact the level of radiation is high in the soil is inevitably pointing to the possibility that the accumulation over the long term may affect human health,” he said.“Therefore, we will continue monitoring the level of radiation with heightened vigilance and we intend to take action if necessary.”According to Elena Buglova, head of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre, the reading in Iitate village was 2 megabecquerels per square metre.That was a “ratio about two times higher than levels” at which the agency recommends evacuations, she said.Read the full story here.

• HT:ExposeTheMedia.Gasoline Up 100% Under Obama, Media Makes Excuses.The media and democrats blamed George W. Bush for high gas prices, but they make excuses for high gas prices under Barack Obama even though Obama told us “under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket”. Meanwhile, Obama subsidizes Brazilian oil drilling with taxpayer dollars and prevents drilling in the U.S.Feeling pain at the pump? Gas prices have doubled since Mr. Obama took office. According to the GasBuddy gasoline price tracking web site, the price of a gallon of regular gas was around $1.79 when Mr. Obama took office. Today the national average is $3.58. The lowest average price in the continental United States is $3.31 in Tulsa Oklahoma, the highest is $4.14 in Santa Barbara, CA. Four-dollar-a-gallon gas has arrived on average throughout California, and a number of other states are headed in that direction. The U.S. needs to encourage constant drilling and exploration for oil and natural gas all over the United States and the Gulf. It would not only lower the price of gas and add hundreds of thousands of jobs all over the private sector, but the government would increase their revenues greatly and could start to pay off the debt. It’s that simple, but that is not what Obama and Democrats want because if they did, they would be doing it.The media and president actually make fun of those who say drill, baby, drill and at the same time blame them for high gas prices.Hmmm.....Destroy,Destroy baby,destroy !Read the full story here.

• Japan nuclear crisis: Fukushima radiation detected in MILK in 2 US states.Low levels of radiation have been detected in milk in two U.S. states, the first sign Japan's nuclear crisis is affecting American food.The findings, in Washington state and California, prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to announce it was increasing its monitoring of radiation in milk, rain and drinking water.But in a joint statement with the Food and Drug Administration it urged consumers not to worry, saying the levels found were far too low to pose any risk to humans.The announcement came as the number of states which have detected radiation particles from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant increased to at least 15.The FDA said the readings were to be expected in the next few days, as the fallout from the nuclear crisis spreads.But the the agency said the amount of radiation found in milk was 5,000 times below risk levels, and it expected readings to drop quite quickly within the next few days.Patricia Hansen, a senior FDA scientist, said: 'Radiation is all around us in our daily lives, and these findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day.Read the full story here.

• Fukushima nuclear plant to be entombed in concrete as Japan admits it has lost battle with crippled reactors.Japan has finally conceded defeat in the battle to contain radiation at four of its crippled reactors and they will be closed down.Details of how this will be done are yet to be revealed, but officials said it would mean switching off all power and abandoning attempts to keep the nuclear fuel rods cool.The final move would involve pouring tonnes of concrete on the reactors to seal them in tombs and ensure radiation does not leak out.With a deep bow and a grimace, Mr Tsunehisa Katsumata finally offered a humble apology for the failure to stop the leakage of radiation.His face pale as he spoke in Tokyo, Mr Katsumata said he felt particularly sorry for people who have had to flee from their homes or even refrain from stepping outside while they have been trying to cope with the impact of the March 11 earthquake and aftershocks.In admitting that four of the troubled reactors would have to be shut down for good, he left no doubt in the minds of observers that he knew the battle to keep their fuel rods cool could not be won.'I am very sorry for the trouble and anxiety caused by the radiation leaks,' said Mr Katsumata, speaking in public for the first time since problems at the plant surfaced in the days following the earthquake and tsunami.'We've not been able to cool the reactors but we are employing maximum efforts to stabilise them,' he said.Yesterday the levels of radiation in the ocean was measured at 3,355 times above the standard.Officials have attempted to downplay the dangers posed by the high presence of radioactive isotopes in the water, saying that the iodine-131 isotope loses half of its radiation every eight days.But amounts of the cesium-137 isotope - which has a 30-year 'half life' - have also soared to 527 times the normal level.Michael Friedlander, a U.S. based nuclear engineer, told CNN: 'That's the one I am worried about.'Plankton absorbs the cesium, the fish eat the plankton, the bigger fish eat smaller fish - so every step you go up the food chain, the concentration of cesium gets higher.'Fishing is not allowed with 12 miles of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, but authorities still do not know where the radioactive water is coming from.But with four reactors now in line to be shut down and the stability of the two remaining reactors at the Fukushima plant in doubt, there are questions whether the blackouts will cease - the diminished power from Fukushima puts pressure on other electric companies operating nuclear plants around the country.The U.S. military has sent a marine unit specialising in nuclear emergency response to be on hand if needed, ABC News reported.Around 155 Marines from the Chemical Biological Incident Reponse Force (CBIRF) are scheduled to arrive in Japan tomorrow.The team, trained in personnel decontamination and radiation level monitoring, will provide decontamination from Yokota Air Base outside Tokyo.Japan will also be using U.S. robots to help identify radiation leaks.The robots, which feature miniature tank tracks, radiation sensors and a camera to view what is going on, will be sent from the U.S. Energy Department in Idaho.Hmmmm......Don't you love the way they follow the Chernobyl script?Read the full story here.

• Gates : Rag-tag rebels will not topple Gaddafi by military force, admits U.S. as dictator vows to stay in Libya 'until the end'.The United States today appeared to admit that the rag-tag Libyan army has little hope of toppling Colonel Gaddafi by force - as Defence Secretary Robert Gates predicted the dictator would be brought down by political and economic pressure. It came on another miserable day for anti-Gaddafi forces, as they again fled heavy shelling in their pick-up trucks and the dictator insisted he would stay in Libya 'until the end'. The latest fighting centred on Brega, a town important to Libya's oil industry on the coastal road that leads to Tripoli. It has gone back and forth between rebel and loyalist hands, and it was today a no man's land, with Gaddafi's forces at the western gate and rebels east of the city.Mr Gates was echoed by scores of Western officials including the Italian foreign minister who said the dictator would be undone by more defections after foreign minister Musa Kusa rather than 'acts of war'.The rebels came under heavy shelling by Gaddafi's forces today. Black smoke billowed in the air over Brega as mortars exploded.Rebels fired back from sand dunes, chanting 'Allahu akbar' with each rocket fired. Spotters with binoculars watched where they landed and ordered adjustments.'Gadhafi's forces advanced to about 18 miles east of Brega,' said rebel fighter Fathi Muktar, 41. Overnight, he said the rebels had temporarily pushed them back, but by morning they were at the gates of Brega. "There were loads of wounded at the front lines this morning,' he said of rebel casualties.Many people also have fled Ajdabiya, a rebel-held city about 50 miles to the east, for fear that government forces were on their way.The fighting has highlighted the rebels' weaknesses - some ran screaming to cars after being frightened by the outgoing fire from their own side.Their continued failure to make progress is despite the revelation that Barack Obama signed a secret order to give them covert assistance weeks ago. CIA teams have long been on the ground with rebel forces and helped rescue the weapons systems operator of a downed F15E-Strike Eagle earlier this month.The U.S. has not yet authorised the supply of weapons to the rebels - but has not ruled it out. Mr Gates told a Congress hearing today: 'Deposing the (Gaddafi) regime, as welcome as that eventuality would be, is not part of the military mission.' 'In my view, the removal of Colonel (Gaddafi) will likely be achieved over time through political and economic measures and by his own people.Hmmmm.....Another "Obamination" has been achieved.Read the full debacle story here.

• Pakistani hardline leader escapes blast, 12 killed.Peshawar: A suicide bomber struck a convoy carrying a prominent hardline Islamist leader in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing 12 people in what was the second attack that targeted the politician in as many days, police said.Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, told local TV after the attack in Charsadda town that he was unharmed but his vehicle was slightly damaged. The attack came a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up amid a crowd of Rehman's supporters minutes after he passed by in a vehicle.Rehman has been an outspoken supporter of the Afghan Taliban, but some militants in Pakistan have shown a willingness to target anyone connected to the U.S.-backed government. U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks last year also revealed that Rehman allegedly sought support from U.S. officials in Pakistan despite his fierce criticism of Washington in public.The 12 dead from Thursday's attack included at least three policemen, said Liaquat Ali Khan, police chief in Peshawar city. The blast also wounded at least 20 people. It was unclear if the bomber was on foot or on a motorcycle.Hmmmm.....Now who would do this?Read the full story here.

• Sen. Harry Reid Visits Las Vegas Jamia Masjid,praises Sharia lifestyle bashes Sen. King hearings.Senate majority leader Harry Reid visited the Jamia Masjid of Las Vegas on March 25 and sat through the Khutbah given by Dr. Aslam Abdullah on the subject of Sharia. He later spoke to the congregation and praised them for their peaceful persistence and commitment to human rights and justice.Hmmmm.........Sharia and Human rights????Read the full treason story here.

• HT:BigPeace.The Obama Doctrine: Only I Can Decide, Only If I Want To.The President spoke recently about the kinetic military action in Libya. He proceeded to use 3,300 words to give a speech that gave – at first glance – no understanding for the use of force. No regard for military might. No strategy for the pursuit of Freedom and Liberty.As I stated in a previous article, the President’s worldview is predicated on a multi-culturaist view point, and a desire for rapid government growth. Obama waited for the United Nations to act, and spoke with the Arab League, but not Congress. In Obama’s mind, the world must act, and the US can not be the leader. We don’t deserve to be the leader, and if we lead, we do more harm than good. Better that we just provide the majority of the intelligence, weaponry, manpower and money to make the project work, then give the credit to other nations.The President made much of handing over command and control to NATO. Yet, as former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton told PJTV in Iowa recently, giving control to NATO is like the US moving control from the right hand to the left hand. 25% of the NATO budget comes from the United States. Germany has already pulled out of the NATO mission, and Italy is not far behind. In the latest reporting, and undermining the statements of Obama, NATO is not in command. An announcement today states that the transition will take more time. President Obama went to great lengths to praise the swift NATO take over of operations.But in this speech – at second glance – the President came clean. The Obama Doctrine was not hidden; rather, it was laid bare, and made clear last night. Simply, the Obama Doctrine is – What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want; No One Can Do It Better Than Me.To prove the Obama Doctrine, as believed by President Obama, I use the words from his speech. In regards to What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want, the President stated clearly:There will be times, though, when our safety is not directly threatened, but our interests and values are. Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and common security – responding to natural disasters, for example; or preventing genocide and keeping the peace; ensuring regional security, and maintaining the flow of commerce….This is not a war doctrine, or a blueprint for the US to pattern action against. Interests and values are not set in stone with this President, as his own body of work would place his values and interests in sharp contrast with the vast majority of Americans. Obama’s interests and values include the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which is opposed by a majority of citizens. Obama’s interests and values include ceasing space exploration in NASA, but utilizing NASA to reach out to Muslim communities to make them feel good. Obama’s interests and values are predicated on the teachings of Saul Alinsky, Bill Ayres, Rev. Wright and the far left professors he – based on his own admission – sought out in college. The final proof of Obama's Doctrine (What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want; No One Can Do It Better Than Me) comes from Obama's own text. Obama stated:

Born, as we are, out of a revolution by those who longed to be free, we welcome the fact that history is on the move in the Middle East and North Africa, and that young people are leading the way. Because wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the United States. Ultimately, it is that faith - those ideals - that are the true measure of American leadership.

I could not agree more with the above statement, and one might use this paragraph to show that my understanding of the Obama Doctrine is wrong - that Obama loves his country, loves freedom and is showing true leadership.However, it was a paragraph that should have been said over a year ago, in relationship to the attacks by Ahmendinejad on the Iranian people, when those who wanted the right to vote were being shot in the streets. Young people leading the way. People who longed to be free. People who looked to find a friend in the United States…and found nothing. The Obama Doctrine was in effect then as well. The deaths of innocent people, and the oppression of the people did not rise to the level of his interests, nor to the core of his values.You will only find a "friend," as Obama puts it, if HE should decide to grant you his friendship. Here's to hoping that those who yearn to be free catch Obama on a good day.Hmmmm.......Dictatorship or democracy?Read the full story here.

• HT:TheAmericanDream.A List Of 28 Things That Will Make You Think That There Is Something Seriously Wrong With This Country.What in the world is happening to America? Perhaps you have asked yourself that question from time to time. Today it seems like everything is falling apart. Our economy is crumbling, our politicians are incompetent, we have just gotten involved in another war, corruption is everywhere and the Americans people are so addicted to entertainment that hardly anything can wake them from their stupor. It is enough to make you think that there is just not much hope for America. But the truth is that we should never give up. It is when the times are darkest that the greatest heroes arise. We truly do live in challenging times, but that just means that there are great victories to be won and great stories to be written. There may be a whole lot of things that are very wrong with America right now, but that doesn't mean that the game is over quite yet.Unfortunately, right now most Americans are completely asleep. Just like during the declining years of the Roman Empire, most people that live in the U.S. are spoiled, decadent and completely addicted to entertainment.The following is how many Americans actually plan their weeks....

Monday: Watch Dancing With The Stars

Tuesday: Watch The Dancing With The Stars Results Show

Wednesday: Watch American Idol

Thursday: Watch The American Idol Results Show

At this point, most people in this country cannot even intelligently discuss the pressing issues of our day.In fact, 63 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 cannot find Iraq on a map and 90 percent of Americans in that same age group cannot find Afghanistan on a map.We've got a lot of work to do.America is in sorry shape and it desperately needs some heroes.The following is a list of 28 things that will make you really think that there is something seriously wrong with this country.Hmmmm......."Only the educated are free" Epictetus.Read the full story here.

• HT:IsraelMatzav.Surprise: Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri jailed on treason charges.You can't say he wasn't warned.Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri returned to Iran in July 2010 after defecting to the United States. In January, I reported that he had been tortured. Now comes word that he has been imprisoned and charged with treason and could face the death penalty. Shahram Amiri, who returned to Iran in July after apparently defecting to the US, is under investigation for divulging secrets about Iran's clandestine uranium-enrichment program, The Times has learnt.Sources inside Iran have confirmed Mr Amiri's arrest. If convicted of treason, he will almost certainly be executed.Hmmmm.........Why did they dump him?Read the full story here.

• Dandy-in-Chief Won’t Throw First Pitch on Opening Day.Stephen Strasburg isn’t the only pitcher who will be missing from the mound when the Washington Nationals host the Atlanta Braves this afternoon to open the 2011 Major League Baseball season. President Barack Obama won’t be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch either.Like Strasburg, the 22-year-old phenom who underwent Tommy John surgery in September to repair ligament damage in his right elbow, Obama may be letting his wounds heal. The president got a PR pummeling earlier this month for taking time away from world affairs to appear on ESPN to reveal his March Madness basketball picks.Or perhaps the president is still sensitive after the national chortling he set off when he appeared in his high-waisted “dad jeans” at an earlier All-Star Game — although he seemed to make up for that fashion flub at last year’s home opener when he sported khaki trousers, a red Nats jacket and a Chicago White Sox cap as he launched a high toss in the direction of Ryan Zimmerman.Another possibility is that Obama’s absence could be calculated to avoid a possible boo beatdown from fans unhappy with . . . well, pick your gripe. It wouldn’t be the first time a baseball crowd heckled a president: As the Great Depression and Prohibition dragged on in the early ‘30s, Herbert Hoover was verbally roughed up at a World Series game in Philadelphia by a crowd that chanted “We want beer!”Whatever the reason for Obama’s absence, he is departing from a largely unbroken, century-old tradition that began with William Howard Taft on opening day 1910 when the hometown Senators took on the Philadelphia Athletics. (The Senators won, 3-0, as Walter Johnson fired a one-hitter.) For you trivia fans, the first president to take the show on the road was Richard Nixon, who launched the 1973 season from Anaheim Stadium, home of the California Angels. (They won, too, 3-2.)This isn’t Obama’s first whiff. He skipped out on the 2009 opener as well, sending Joe Biden to Baltimore in his place. In characteristic fashion, Biden trotted to and from the mound like a JV player getting his big break.In Obama’s (and Biden’s) place this year, the Nationals will have five flag officers — one from each branch of the U.S. military — throw the ceremonial first pitches. It’s safe to say no one will boo them.Hmmmm....Perhaps he has other commitments that day like for example a photoshoot for "Inspire' the Al-Qaida magazine?Read the full story here.

• HT:BigPeace.Hezbollah Snakeoil: Will the Obama Administration Buy It?The US ambassador to the UN and the commander of NATO can fight over “flickers” of al Qaeda and Hezbollah among the Libyan rebels, but it’s clearly indisputable that enemy Hezbollah leader Nasrallah (along with al Qaeda’s Abu Yahya al-Libi and MB’s Qaradawi as noted here) is firmly in their camp. Which means “our” camp. This is clear from an hour-plus address the Iranian puppet and terror-master gave earlier this month in Beirut.But there’s more to it than that.

I listened to about 20 minutes. After Nasrallah insists neither al Qaeda nor Iran (hah) nor, for that matter, the United States, have had anything to do with unrest in the Middle East, I heard his chilling iteration of the “R2P” driver I’ve been working through and writing about lately: Israel as the Umma’s pricetag to “reconsider the US stance.” (Nasrallah’s phrase.) What’s chilling is that this combination devil’s-fool’s bargain is one our Intelligentsia (many with big jobs in the Obama administration) seem all too eager to make, despite its immorality, strategic senselessness and sheer ignorance — as though feeding the jihad beast will make it anything but more rapacious.Like a snakeoil salesman at the fair, Nasrallah makes his pitch: No amount of US solicitude for the human rights of Muslims will be regarded as genuine until the United States abandons our best ally Israel. Does he have any takers? I can just hear Samantha Power presenting this “opposition” argument out of “humanitarian” concern at the next National Security Council meeting.Nasrallah, meanwhile, remains quite suspicious of the Great Satan. These suspicions about American intentions are rooted in his naive notion that the United States under the Obama administration is pursuing, or even concerned with “American” interests. Hmmmmm.........A scorpion trying to charme a serpent?read the full story here.

• HT:Memri.WTF?Salafi Jihadist Clerics Disagree on Issue of NATO Forces in Libya.On March 28, 2011, the Salafi-jidahist website Al-Tawhid published two conflicting fatwas in response to a question about whether it is permissible to obtain aid from NATO forces to oust the regime of Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi in Libya. Two senior jurisprudents, Sheikh Abu Muslim Al-Jazairi and Sheikh Abu Mundhir Al-Shinqiti, both members of the website's Shari'a Council, agree that Muslims are forbidden from forming alliances with infidels. However, while Al-Jazairi considers the ban to be absolute and unbending, Al-Shinqiti believes that in cases of extreme necessity – such as the "imminent destruction" the Libyan people are facing at the hands of the Al-Qadhafi regime – it is permissible to obtain help even from an enemy and to return to fighting this enemy once the danger has passed.Hmmmmm.....That makes all clear now,thank you Barack HUSSEIN Obama!Read the full story here.

• Good News: Libyan Rebel Fighters Number Less Than 1,000.During “In the Arena,” Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer for The New Yorker reporting from Benghazi, Libya, tells Eliot Spitzer that the number of opposition fighters on the front lines are fewer than anyone would think and that they are poorly armed and badly trained. Anderson says, “Effective number of fighting men, well under 1,000. Actual soldiers, who are now in the fight, possibly in the very low hundreds on the opposition side.”Hmmmm....Not including the CIA men?Population Libya 6,5 Million.Read the full story here.

• IMF Boss May Challenge Sarkozy for French Presidency.The so-called "phantom candidate" stands in the kitchen of his American home in Washington, DC, gently placing a slab of Chateaubriand on the stove, which has been converted to a grill.White-haired, bronzed and bull-necked, Dominique Strauss-Kahn chose prime time on a Sunday evening to tell the French people how much he missed them. He said he was keeping a close eye on developments back home.Then, while the camera panned between the sizzling meat and Strauss-Kahn's striking features, with his wife preparing a salad in the background, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finally addressed the issue on everyone's minds. Regrettably, he said, he already had a "mandate." Everything else was secondary. He flashed an enigmatic smile.Strauss-Kahn is set to continue in Washington as head of the IMF until 2012. In this role, he earns €30,000 net a month, meets nearly all the world's leaders in person and flies around the globe about ten times a year (according to his assistants). Whenever IMF staffers play soccer against the World Bank, they wear T-shirts bearing the inscription "Yes, we Kahn." And Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most powerful men.Hmmmmm.....New world order anyone?Read the full story here.

• Wisconsin Union Goes After Right-to-Workers: “It is unfortunate that you have chosen ‘not’ to support public workers rights in Wisconsin”.Members of Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, asking them to support workers’ rights by putting up a sign in their windows.If businesses fail to comply, the letter says, “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means ‘no’ to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members.”Jim Parrett, a field representative of Council 24 for Southeast Wisconsin, confirmed the contents of the letter, which carries his signature. But he added that the union was also circulating letters to businesses thanking them for supporting workers’ rights.Parrett said that since the letters were sent out, he has received threatening phone calls as well as calls from people supporting the state workers.“I’ve gotten a lot of threatening phone calls,” Parrett said.Parrett said a number of WSEU locals in his region represent more than 1,300 union workers who have a combined yearly income of more than $56 million.“The recent actions taken on the governor’s budget repair bill have taken more from workers than dollars. It took away our right to bargain things such as: sick leave and how it is used, vacation and how it is used, overtime and how it is ‘fairly’ distributed. Our grievance procedure has been virtually destroyed. These are things that make life working in a 24/7 facility tolerable,” Parrett wrote in the letter.Parrett adds in the letter: “State employees fully expect to take some lumps financially in these tough economic times, we have offered and we will. But don’t take away rights to what has kept workplace peace for half a century and has worked well.”Terri Gray, executive director of the Union Grove Chamber of Commerce, said she had received many calls from member businesses about the union-led effort. She said most of the calls came from businessmen and women who preferred to remain neutral in the dispute between Gov. Scott Walker and organized labor.“They don’t want to pick a side,” she said. “I told them, ‘I believe you can choose to not choose.’”Gray said the campaign appeared to have started a day or two ago. She said she didn’t know whether the sign campaign was having an impact.Asked Wednesday about the boycott effort, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said “that any nonviolent tactic used to get attention to the steamroller tactics it seems to me are reasonable. I encourage people to remain nonviolent and disciplined in their protests.”Asked if he supported boycott efforts in Wisconsin, Jackson did not directly endorse them.He said: The best way to resolve conflict is when everybody is at the table and they can negotiate through some rational institutional process.”Hmmmm......Welcome to Nazi Germany 1939 workers unions?Read the full story here.

• This regime doesn't care what Congress thinks.President Barack Obama’s foreign policy “A” team — led by Cabinet secretaries Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates — failed to quiet criticism of U.S. military action in Libya Wednesday during a pair of classified briefings on Capitol Hill.More than anything, the meetings served to underscore how little influence Congress has in shaping the war.Lawmakers said they weren’t told much by Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen or Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that they couldn’t read in the newspaper or see on television.They said one dynamic was very clear: The administration doesn’t much care what Congress thinks about the actions it’s taken so far.Challenged on whether Obama overstepped his constitutional authority in attacking Libya without congressional approval, Clinton told lawmakers that White House lawyers were OK with it and that Obama has no plans to seek an endorsement from Congress, attendees told POLITICO.And, as if to add insult to injury, news broke during the House briefing that Obama had already signed an order authorizing covert action in support of the rebels. When asked about it after the first briefing, House members were unaware the president had taken that action.Hmmm......Welcome to 1939 Nazi Germany?Read the full story here.

• Canada : Immigrant youths lured by gangs, study shows.Refugees may see criminal life as chance to 'fit in'.After witnessing the execution of most of his fellow villagers, an eightyear-old boy from the civil warplagued country of Burundi, in eastern Africa, ran for his life with his family. Beside him was another family also dodging bullets, but they weren't so lucky. A woman and the child she held in her arms were both shot and killed -an image that still haunts the boy today.That boy is now a 14-year-old refugee living in Canada, who was never provided with any support to deal with the trauma he experienced in his homeland. He is now a member of a gang and was interviewed at a juvenile youth detention centre by Hieu Van Ngo, a PhD candidate with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work, who wrote his thesis on why youths join gangs and the preventive supports necessary to support at-risk and ganginvolved youths.Ngo spoke at the 2011 National Metropolis Conference on Immigration, which was held last week at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver."That young person came here with lots of baggage and he acted out. His parents didn't know how to support him. They had to struggle to make a living so weren't at home a lot. They live in poverty in public housing, where youths are exposed to violence and drug dealing in that community," said Ngo.He said the numbers of refugee or immigrant youths who get involved in gangs isn't known because Canada does not keep race-related crime statistics. And while Ngo said he suspects the majority of refugees don't get into gangs, "We can't be complacent by bringing refugees in and leaving them to struggle without supports.Ngo said youths born in Canada also can experience a loss of their sense of Canadian identity, especially if they are from a visible minority background."They may have experienced discrimination and never felt accepted," he said. Ngo said another factor that makes them vulnerable to gangs is if they have an unravelling of their ethnic identity."This causes a social void and makes them vulnerable to connect with other young people who also don't feel connected. They form social cliques and commit delinquent activities and become progressively connected to established gangs or create their own."He said this doesn't happen overnight and is a process that begins with very young teenagers. He noted the youths in his study ranged from 12 to 18 years of age.Hmmmm.....Welcome to the Jihad incubators.Read the full story here.

• Israeli traveler humiliated in Germany, Canada.German, Canadian authorities falsely arrest, humiliate Israeli traveler, accusing him of being terrorist, carrying fake passport. 'They didn't want to let me into Canada because I'm black,' he says.Ever since he was a little boy growing up in Ethiopia, Yohannes Damka dreamt of traveling the world. He never thought that the dream would soon turn into a humiliating nightmare."My biggest wish was to see the Niagara Falls, and travel around Canada," he told Ynet. "Not every immigrant from Ethiopia can afford to travel to faraway places, but I set a goal for myself and decided that it's a dream that I have to make come true."

Damka made aliyah in 2000. He worked at a restaurant in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion and saved for the coveted trip. A few weeks ago he was finally able to buy a $1,500 ticket for a Lufthansa flight to Vancouver, with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany.

Excited and full of expectations, he left for Canada on march 21. When he reached Frankfurt, however, things started to go wrong. Before he could board his connecting flight, he was picked up by the German border police on suspicion that he was carrying a fake passport, and was not, in fact, an Israeli citizen.Damka thought that the abusive experience was behind him, and that his passport will be returned to him once they land. But the trouble was not over yet. Upon arriving in Vancouver, he was greeted by four security guards who cuffed his hands and feet and took him in for questioning. "They caught me like a common criminal and cuffed me in front of everyone," he said. "They lead me to a tiny, empty room, and did a full-body strip search. After that, they questioned me for eight hours." Damka noted that he demanded to speak with the Israeli consulate, but his pleas went unanswered. "No matter what I said, nothing helped," he said. He did not reach Niagara Falls; on the next day, he was put on a plane back to Frankfurt. The Canadian authorities confiscated his passport and all other identification.When he returned to Germany, he was cuffed once again, and escorted into a questioning room - this time on suspicion that he was a member of a terrorist organization."They strip-searched me again," Damka recounted the horror. "The whole time they told me that I better tell them what terrorist organization I belong to, otherwise it will get worse." At one point, one of the investigators called out "Juden, Juden" and then made a noise of disgust. "I was furious," Damka said. "Four cops had to hold me back from hurting her." Once again, he demanded the investigators to get in touch with the Israeli consulate, but no avail. After five hours, they brought in a translator, who decided to call Damka's boss, retrieving the phone number from the cell phone that the cops confiscated earlier. It appeared that the conversation helped, because the investigators toned down their behavior. Eight hours later, he was allowed to board a plane back to Israel. "I arrived without any documents, but the Interior Ministry officials told me that there must have been a mistake, and that once my passport arrives back from Canada, it will be sent back to me," Damka said. "I have yet to receive it."Now that he is back, humiliated and disappointed, Damka is suing the Canadian and German authorities for damages."They treated me in a very humiliating way," he added. "Even if my identification card was fake, and I wasn't Israeli, they cannot treat a human being like that. I will prove that they were wrong."Responding to the accusations, the Canadian Embassy said that Damka's account did not match the information put forth by the Canadian Border Service Agency. It was also noted that anyone who wishes to enter Canada must fit a certain criteria.Hmmmm..........Read the full story here.