Day: January 17, 2009

The Sleeping Bear Awakes

I have been writing about the re-emergence of Russia unto the world stage and as a awakening super power to be.  More proof:

Russia has decided to establish naval bases in Libya, Syria and Yemen within a few years, Itar-Tass news agency quoted military officials as saying on Friday, in a sign of Moscow’s growing foreign policy ambitions.

The Kremlin is seeking to play a more assertive role in world politics and has been using its military to project its new-found confidence beyond its borders.

Analysts have said that the Syrian port of Tartus could be revived as a Russian naval base. During the Cold War, the Soviet navy had a permanent presence in the Mediterranean, using Tartus as a supply point.

Russian media reported that opening a naval base in the Libyan port of Benghazi was among the main issues discussed during Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s visit to Moscow in October last year.

Nogovitsyn said it was unclear when Russian naval bases abroad could open. “No one can forecast when this problem will be solved,” he told Itar-Tass. “We need permanent bases, and this is very costly. You have to thoroughly calculate it all.”

My predictions were ignored 2 years ago and now I am vindicated….Tee Hee…Thanx comrade.

Drill Baby, Drill

Does not take long for the vultures to swoop in, huh?

The U.S. Interior Department, acting in President Bush’s final days in office, proposed on Friday opening up 130 million acres off of California’s coast to drilling for oil and natural gas, including areas off Humboldt and Mendocino counties and from San Luis Obispo south to San Diego.

After a hands-off policy for a quarter-century, the administration submitted plans to sell oil and gas leases for most of the U.S. coast, from the Gulf of Maine to Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Coast.

New drilling also was proposed in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, one of the nation’s most plentiful sources of fish, and the Arctic Ocean.

Washington, Oregon and protected parts of Florida were excluded along with waters off San Francisco Bay that lie within national marine sanctuaries.

On Friday, the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups greeted the news with praise, saying it is time for domestic energy supplies to be released from the moratorium.

Let the people see how many jobs were created by this…..Let the people see how long it takes to get this stuff to market.  Let the people see how much this will cost them in tax breaks.  Do not cook the numbers, just give the facts without the bullshit spin, ok?

War Comes To Gaza–Day 21

Good news in the making?

Israeli ministers are due to vote on a unilateral ceasefire proposal, amid signs of diplomatic movement on the three-week conflict in Gaza.

Government spokesman Mark Regev said he thought Israel may have achieved enough to allow a ceasefire.

Israel and the US signed a deal to halt the smuggling of arms into Gaza as Cairo continued its mediation efforts.

Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza again just before dawn, with heavy explosions south of Gaza City.

The Israeli prime minister’s office said that as a result of “significant progress” at talks between Israeli officials and Egypt’s intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, a draft unilateral ceasefire would be discussed by Mr Olmert and his Defence Minister, Ehud Barak.

Hamas leaders have returned to Cairo for further talks.

They insist that a ceasefire agreement is built on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza within a week and an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip.