2/26/2009
Ehiztari
Sometimes I wonder if Gen. Victor “Gene” Renuart, chief of Homeland Security’s Northern Command, wouldn’t be writing for Hollywood instead of doing his job. Ok, I understand that his job is stressing. Fair enough. Basically it is all about seeing risks where others just see safety. That’s it, basically it’s all about calling wolf all the time. All the time.Usually it is enough with some wood to feed the fire of fear of what Michael Moore talked about in Bowling for Columbine. But everybody knows a fire needs constantly wood, and that people get scared less and less. That’s why they have to increase every time a bit more the fear sense. These have been the latest words from Gen. Renuart [the bold emphasis is mine]:July 24, 2007: “"I believe there are [al Qaeda] cells in the United States, or...
2/25/2009
Ehiztari
From the same country that brought to you “Bin Laden is somewhere but where we know he isn’t”, comes a new announcement. This time is “Our man will do something somewhere”. ¿Is it clear?Dennis Ross has been appointed by the State Department as the special envoy special advisor for the State’s Secretary for Iran the Gulf and Southwest Asia. Kind of. Because that is just what bloggers, journalists and analysts around the World believe that Robert Wood, speaker of the Department, said, when presenting Ross in his new role:"QUESTION: Can you give us – well, what is the State Department’s definition geographically of Southwest Asia? What countries...
2/24/2009
Ehiztari
In Sci-Fi, drones are almost always humanoid robots for ground combat, leaving for humans the role of fighter pilots. However, in real world, it seems like it will be the air the first reign ruled by the machines.Last war in Gaza and, mostly, the Afghan campaign, have shown being a perfect lab test for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Until now, they just made surveillance and reconnaissance missions, but they are starting attacking ground objectives too.In this last scenario, critics against Pakistani and American governments have arisen along with the increase of the operations of the killer drones. They operate now in border zones between...
2/23/2009
Ehiztari
Fidel Castro has survived another American President. And he may even manage to survive the American blockade. Lately last year, the Cuban exile in Miami asked the already President elect to change his policy with Cuba. And to withdraw the embargo. The change in the Cuban-American relations was already in the agenda of the presidential team. Now it is as well in the agenda of the Senate, who just made public a document where criticizes that the isolationism policy with Cuba isn’t working. The document comes with the signature of Richard Lagar, the most important republican in the International Relations Committee of the Senate.The paper comes...
2/19/2009
Ehiztari
Half world newspapers woke up today with the news of two UCLA geographers having narrowed Osama bin Laden’s location. Kind of. As they only suggested where he could be right now -there is a 10% possibilities he is in Madagascar or Andorra. Well, more precisely, where he cannot be:"What we have attempted to demonstrate is that it is possible to narrow down where Osama bin Laden is by ruling out where he is unlikely to be," said Professors Thomas Gillespie and John Agnew.That's like saying that he is "around there". Good work, guys.It was too good for being true. Not only the two academic never claimed to have found the Top #1 terrorist, but to...
2/19/2009
Ehiztari
On Tuesday, we just knew that the USA has approved an increase in the deployment of troops currently on tour in Afghanistan. That doesn’t surprise anyone. They will be 17,000 more soldiers to the ground, more than half of the promised 30,000 that will sum 60,000 boots in Central Asia. Of those, many will go from the Iraqi pan to the Afghan fire. We knew as well that the average tour will be of 12 months instead of 15, like it is now. Way longer still than the 6 months tours of British soldiers.Afghanistan has been since the beginning of the presidential campaign a key and fair war for Obama, not like Iraq. Maybe because of that, the new president’s...
2/17/2009
Ehiztari
We knew yesterday of a collision between two nuclear-armed submarines in the North Atlantic Ocean. The British HMS Vanguard and the French Le Triomphant collided at the beginning of this month while on rutinary patrol. The London Daily Telegraph reports that both vessels may have been "severely damaged" by the collision, but there was no casualties or danger of nuclear escapes.However, this could have been a “national disaster” for both countries. Both Le Triomphant and HMS Vanguard are core part of the nuclear deterrent of each country (UK, France) and the 25% of the vanguard of the submarine nuclear capabilities frontline of them. To measure the potential damage we just have to go back to the Palomares incident, to get a sense of how serious it could have been.According to both French and...
2/13/2009
Ehiztari
The honeymoon between Obama and the Americans has just begun. The opinion polls show an approval rate of a 63% -it started at a 68%- for the new Executive’s policy. It’s high. It’s definitely far more than the one of George W. Bush when he took the job (57%) and way higher than the one he had just before leaving the office (24%).But Obama’s Executive has its hands tied. Not at home neither abroad, is being able to start with the real work and disapproval of the people has increased from a 12% to a 22%.At home, instead of the clear politics predicted -and hoped- by Obama what we have is a bunch of resignations in the new team. Bill Richardson,...
2/10/2009
Ehiztari
Australia is these days under fire. The high temperatures on record this summer have set up fires all around the South East of the country. The death toll has risen to more than 170 at the time of publishing this and the Government expects more bodies remaining in the ashes. Human tragedies run along with the ecological loss. Not only for the obvious burnt of trees and bushes, but also for the animal deaths. However, hope sometimes appears in between firefighters’ desperation in the form of a survivor. Like Sam, a koala nationwidely famous after surviving the hell of the fires.The material losses are of around $2 billion. Australian Government...
2/10/2009
Ehiztari
Last Sunday we knew of the paper written by Lt. Gen. Díaz de Villegas in January after resigning as Commander in Chief of the UN operation in Congo. Then many accused him of being a coward running away. Because of it, he lost his third star and was thrown into the forgotten realms of the reserve. However, a detailed read on the document reveals another truth.Díaz de Villegas complaints about the lack of soldiers, the lack of foreseen and the lack of equipment that, according to him, made impossible to accomplish the tasks of the mission. His military code of honor made for him resignation the only option available if he didn’t want to risk the...
2/03/2009
Ehiztari
Neocons and republicans are out of office. But still are writing headlines. Last one was Mr. Leon Panetta, ex-director of the CIA under Bush Administration. Mr. Panetta has made a top ten list with the new coming risks for National Security. Apparently he is insisting in continuing the fear policy. Subversive elements change, the terror itself doesn’t. It is surprising the inclusion of Mexico in second place (Did they took seriously the identification Israel-Gaza versus USA-Mexico? Didn’t Jon Stewart persuade them about the unlikely of that to happen? Not to talk about a possible menace from Canada...) It’s surprising as well not to see Iraq...
2/03/2009
Ehiztari
Ireland, and Europe in general, are under one of the worst winters in years. It is like if the weather wanted to imitate the financial general climate. Bad times are in the forecast. And for Ireland, it will may be longer than for others.Ireland brings some of the same problems as the US or the UK. But exponentially maximized. The burst of the house bubble was the detonator. But unlike the US or the UK, Ireland lacks of the tools to lower the interest rates and equilibrate the balance. There is another country with the exact same problem as Ireland: Spain. But at least, Spain has an internal market ten times bigger than the Irish, to keep economy going.The Celtic Tiger was one of the firsts to show weakness signs. It was, for example, the first one to back up the banks fundings to inspire...
2/03/2009
Ehiztari
If there is anything that nerves me that is people asking for something they don’t give first. Like old Bush Administration, fighting for freedom by cutting freedom everywhere, from Iraq to Newark Airport. I don’t like either extremists; they are dangerous, even more if they are intelligent. That’s why I don’t like the radical approach to the conflict of Hamas and Israeli government. The later also doesn’t like to be measured by the same standards he measures others.There is, however, an institution that adds both extremisms and inequality. I’m talking about the Church. More specifically, Roman Catholic Church.It’s right to say that all religions...
Are you afraid? Well, this works in that way. First you do what scares you and it's later when you get the courage
2/26/2009
Ehiztari
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