Visit http://www.eyeonpalin.org to help stop [by now ex-] Governor Sarah Palin’s aerial-wolf killing program. Governor Palin continues to push extreme methods to kill wolves and bears, seeking to eliminate hundreds of wolves this season through Alaska’s aerial wolf killing program. Her state’s Board of Game has even approved the killing of young wolf pups in or near their dens, a controversial practice that was illegal until 2008.
Obama administration plan to take iconic animals off endangered species list likely to be challenged by environmentalists
The black bear hunt in New Jersey will draw lots of attention, and though hunters still can sign up at this late date, anti-hunting groups still are trying to put it on hold: here.
Washington Post: U.S. may ease protection of wolves and grizzlies: What is your reaction? Here.
Alaska’s second-oldest documented eagle survives winters but falls to electric line: here.
16 April 2010 — Award-winning Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi investigates a sexual exploitation ring. The film exposes the lack of support from those in authority and explores possible responses to the plight of children in this conflict zone.
Episode fuelled Afghan demands that private security firms be brought much more under government control
* Jon Boone
* Thursday 2 December 2010 21.30 GMT
Hanif Atmar was Afghanistan‘s interior minister until his resignation on 6 June this year WikiLeaks cables show Afghan interior minister Hanif Atmar was in a panic over the scandal involving foreign contractors. Atmar resigned in June this year. Photograph: Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images
A scandal involving foreign contractors employed to train Afghan policemen who took drugs and paid for young “dancing boys” to entertain them in northern Afghanistan caused such panic that the interior minister begged the US embassy to try and “quash” the story, according to one of the US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks.
In a meeting with the assistant US ambassador, a panicked Hanif Atmar, the interior minister at the time of the episode last June, warned that the story would “endanger lives” and was particularly concerned that a video of the incident might be made public.
The episode helped to fuel Afghan demands that contractors and private security companies be brought under much tighter government control. However, the US embassy was legally incapable of honouring a request by Atmar that the US military should assume authority over training centres managed by DynCorp, the US company whose employees were involved in the incident in the northern province of Kunduz.
There is a long tradition of young boys dressing up as girls and dancing for men in Afghanistan, an activity that sometimes crosses the line into child abuse with Afghans keeping boys as possessions.
Although rarely discussed or criticised in Afghanistan, it is conceivable that the involvement of foreigners could have turned into a major public scandal. Atmar himself warned about public anger towards contractors, who he said “do not have many friends” and said they needed far greater oversight.
He also said tighter control was needed over Afghan employees of such companies as well.
“He was convinced that the Kunduz incident, and other events where mentors had obtained drugs, could not have happened without Afghan participation,” the cable said.
Two Afghan policemen and nine other Afghans were arrested as part of investigations into a crime described by Atmar as “purchasing a service from a child”, which the cable said was against both sharia law and the civil code.
He insisted that a journalist looking into the incident should be told that the story would endanger lives, and that the US should try to quash the story. But US diplomats cautioned against an “overreaction” and said that approaching the journalist involved would only make the story worse.
“A widely-anticipated newspaper article on the Kunduz scandal has not appeared but, if there is too much noise that may prompt the journalist to publish,” the cable said.
The strategy appeared to work when an article was published in July by the Washington Post about the incident, which made little of the affair, saying it was an incident of “questionable management oversight” in which foreign DynCorp workers “hired a teenage boy to perform a tribal dance at a company farewell party”.
In fact, the episode was causing palpitations at the top of government, including in the presidential palace.
The cable records: “Atmar said that President Karzai had told him that his (Atmar’s) ‘prestige’ was in play in management of the Kunduz DynCorp matter and another recent event in which Blackwater contractors mistakenly killed several Afghan citizens. The President had asked him ‘Where is the justice?’”
According to a separate cable both incidents helped fuel Afghan government demands “to hold a tighter rein over [private security companies]” – a demand that also led Atmar to offer that the overstretched police should take over protection for military convoys in the south of Afghanistan.
Earlier this year Karzai issued a decree calling for the dissolution of all private security companies by the end of the year, an edict that has since been slightly watered down.
In a meeting between Atmar and the assistant ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, the US diplomat said he was deeply upset by the incident and that the embassy was considering Afghan demands that the US military should beginning overseeing the DynCorp operations.
Privately, however, they knew that such an arrangement was not “legally possible under the DynCorp contract”.
WikiLeaks cables: Karzai pushed Nato to end Afghanistan night raids: here.
RED Cross president Jakob Kellenberger warned yesterday that the intensifying conflict in Afghanistan has led to rising civilian casualties and kept millions of Afghan people in rural areas from reaching basic health care this year: here.
With President Obama on the ground in Afghanistan Friday, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) declared the U.S.-led war in that country unwinnable: here.
Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: “In an act that Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said ‘brought shame to Capitol Hill’ last night, the House Republican leadership banded together at the last minute, and on purely specious grounds, to defeat a piece of legislation six years in the making aimed at preventing child marriage worldwide. The bill was supported by a wide-ranging coalition of groups including the International Women’s Health Coalition and CARE-USA”: here.
In an act of prostration before Catholic extremists and the Republican Party, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., removed an art work from one of its exhibitions Tuesday: here.
This video from the USA is called Rubicon (AMC) – Trailer.
The cancellation of AMC series Rubicon: Too close to home?
2 December 2010
US cable network AMC announced November 11 that Rubicon, its provocative series about the American intelligence apparatus, has been pulled from its roster after one season. AMC only offered a tersely worded statement as explanation:
“Rubicon gave us an opportunity to tell a rich and compelling story, and we’re proud of the series. This was not an easy decision, but we are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team.”
At the center of Rubicon’s storyline is Will Travers (James Badge Dale), a brilliant, but disillusioned, employee of an intelligence think tank, the American Policy Institute (API). His wife and daughter have been killed in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. His dead wife’s father apparently obtains the job for him at API and becomes his boss. In the first episode, the latter dies in a train crash, but Will has reason to think he has been murdered. (See our review.)
The series had numerous shortcomings, but the plot provided some genuine insight into the workings of the US intelligence community and the so-called “war on terror.”
An element of Rubicon’s drama paralleling reality is the sinister role played by a company called Atlas-McDowell. The firm’s tendrils reach into the US intelligence apparatus, through which high-level government policy decisions are influenced. One can’t help but think of Dick Cheney’s Halliburton and its real-life connections to American intelligence and government policy. Atlas-McDowell profits enormously from being “in on the know.” Rubicon depicts incidents that are entirely the company’s creation.
In Episode 12, the second to last, after Will and his API team are too late in their desperate attempt to uncover a terrorist plot, they see on the television news that an oil tanker has been blown up in a strategic shipping lane off the Texas coast. Truxton Spangler (Michael Cristofer), the API chief connected to Atlas-McDowell (who bears a remarkable resemblance to Cheney), smugly congratulates himself in private. The newscasters intone, “Once again, America is under attack.”
Viewers would find it difficult to avoid making the connection to September 11, when the world watched, stunned, the events at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Of course, this raises serious questions about the so-called war on terror. A weakness of Rubicon is that it did not openly make a connection to the highest levels of government itself, but limited the conspiracy to a few well-placed “bad guys.” One wonders where the series would have gone if there had been a second season or more.
US television networks, to whom the public airwaves are handed over, are private entities, answerable to no one. Their programming decisions are made in the interest of profit. There is not the slightest trace of democratic control by the American population.
That being said, Rubicon received positive reviews. And looking at the numbers alone doesn’t explain the show’s fate. The series’ opener attracted more than 2 million viewers—higher than for either of AMC’s previous originals, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. By the series finale, viewership had dropped to just over 1 million. Mad Men’s first season’s ratings were comparable to those of Rubicon, but the network opted to continue production of the former series for a second season. It completed its fourth season in October.
AMC (originally American Movie Classics) started life as a commercial-free classic movie cable channel, but in 2002 began interrupting its broadcasts with advertisements and lost much of its appeal. In 2007, AMC began airing its own original series, starting with the much-celebrated Mad Men. Rubicon is the first of the series to be cancelled.
At the very least, AMC officials have shown they are not willing to make the sort of commitment to Rubicon they did to Mad Men. Why not? The show had a significant following as evidenced by the hundreds of posts on AMC’s blog, praising the series and protesting against its cancellation.
Questions arise: Was there direct or indirect pressure applied to AMC? Did the series make certain people nervous or unhappy? Was it hitting too close to home?
Delegates from over 180 nations converged Monday on Cancun, Mexico, as a two-week-long United Nations climate change conference commenced. They were joined by a swarm of industry representatives, environmental activists and media, all together numbering near 15,000. But what the conference boasted in terms of attendance was hardly matched by any hope for a comprehensive strategy to address climate change: here.
Guardian: Cancún climate change summit: Protect our forests to protect people too, by Jane Goodall: here.
Guardian: Cancun climate talks in danger of collapse over Kyoto continuation: here.
United Nations-sponsored climate change negotiations in Cancún, Mexico concluded last Saturday without any agreement between the more than 190 national government delegations on binding carbon emissions reduction targets: here.
‘Climate capitalism’ won at Cancun – everyone else loses: here.
USA: The Obama administration has begun closed-door talks with congressional leaders of both parties on the extension of the Bush tax cuts [for the rich]: here.
USA: Flashback: 1941′s top earners taxed as much as 73%: here.
The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday posted details of its multi-trillion-dollar “shadow bailout” programs, showing that nearly every major US financial institution benefited from billions in unreported government loans: here.
Detroit media celebrates recovery of auto industry profits: here.
Loss of jobless benefits could be serious blow to U.S. economy: here.
The devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales have announced draft budgets detailing plans to implement their share of the £83 billion in spending cuts outlined by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government: here.
Britain: Aviation union Prospect today condemned a decision by air traffic control service Nats to pay £20 million in interim dividends to shareholders while workers suffered a pay freeze: here.
Despite claims that Australia is immune from the global financial crisis, non-farm GDP fell in the third quarter of 2010, underscoring the economy’s vulnerability to worldwide volatility and any slowdown in China: here.
Kingfishers, bustards, robins, spoonbills, eagles, vultures, falcons, hoopoes and goldfinches, among many other birds who ‘fly’ in the Prado Museum. Their flight has been ‘captured’ by the brushes of artists such as Brueghel the Old, Rubens, Bosch [see also here], Goya, Snyders or Jan Fyt. This amazing but still hardly studied artistic, scientific and naturalistic beauty is now brought to light thanks to the exhaustive research led by SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain). This extensive study has identified over 700 images of birds – representing 136 world species – from the 7,600 paintings hosted in the Madrid-based museum.
“Birds have always had such an important role in our imaginary,
sic; imagination
representing a world people never managed to conquer completely. With their amazing colours, their songs and their freedom to fly, they have been chosen as main symbols in the mythology and religion, but also in people’s daily lives”, commented Eduardo de Juana Aranzana, President of SEO/BirdLife.
To undertake this research, the Prado Museum opened its graphic database to SEO/BirdLife’ experts who could analyse the paintings to identify the numerous bird species. This thorough study revealed the brilliant, and sometimes unrecognised talent of some painters as naturalists, unveiling perfectly detailed painted birds but also invented ones, and showing the difficulties of painting flying birds in a time where photographs still did not exist.
Such study has been conducted by the biologist and teacher Joaquín Gómez Cano and has benefited from the joint technical direction of Juan Varela and Gerardo Orellana, two important artists and experts.
The study has led to the publication of Birds in the Prado Museum, a fantastic book issued with the support of Red Electrica de España and the cooperation of this magnificent museum.
A team of Italian and Dutch experts will restore six artworks of Hieronymus Bosch located in Venice. Professor Jos Koldeweij and Matthijs Ilsink, art historians of Radboud University Nijmegen, were present at this announcement yesterday in the city of bridges. The restored artworks can be seen in Den Bosch (the Netherlands) in 2016: here.
This video, recorded in Russia, says about itself:
For several years, increasing numbers of polar bears have been coming into towns in the Chukotka region, on the far north east coast of Russia. A local biologist believes this is because global warming has shrunk their sea ice habitat.
In response, Chukchi hunters worked with WWF to create the Umky, or Polar Bear Patrols, which watch for and intercept bears, using long sticks to drive the bears away, averting a more deadly conflict between bears and humans.
Umky Patrols are also protecting walrus haulouts in the area, and are sharing their knowledge and local experience with adapting to the changes in the Arctic region, most recently on a visit by 3 members of the Umky Patrol to communities in Alaska …. For more on the work WWF is doing in the Arctic, and on the Umky Patrol, please visit our website: http://www.panda.org/arctic
“Polar bears thrown under the big oil bus”: Nature’s Crusaders: here.
Asked whether Cheney would be charged over the investigation into construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in southern Nigeria, Femi Babafemi said, “it’s true … definitely.”
The spokesman could not give details on the charges that he says are likely to be filed next week, but said “they are not unconnected to his role as the chief executive of Halliburton.”
A prosecutor on the case said Cheney would be charged jointly along with the former and current leadership of Halliburton and others.
Officials from companies in a consortium involved in the LNG plant would also be included in the charges to be “placed before the court at the latest by Tuesday of next week,” said Godwin Obla.
Cheney would face conspiracy charges and a Nigerian judge would be asked to issue an arrest warrant for him that would be transmitted to Interpol, said Obla.
“As the CEO of Halliburton, he has the responsibility for acts that occurred during that period,” Obla told AFP.
Nigeria’s Guardian newspaper also reported that Cheney would be charged. Halliburton‘s office in Lagos would not comment when reached by phone.
Cheney served as head of Halliburton before becoming vice president under George W. Bush in 2000.
The LNG case involves an alleged 182 million dollar cash-for-contract scandal over 10 years until 2005 over construction of the LNG plant in southern Nigeria. Halliburton has denied involvement in the allegations.
US authorities said last year that Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) had agreed to pay 579 million dollars in fines related to the case.
It was one of the biggest fines ever paid by US companies in a foreign corruption case.
In October, a Nigerian court charged a personal aide to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo in a related probe.
Earlier this week, Nigerian anti-corruption authorities summoned a top local official from Halliburton as part of the investigation.
Authorities also raided Halliburton’s office in Lagos last week and detained 10 people — eight Nigerians and two expatriates — who have since been released as investigations continue. Documents were taken as well.
Nigeria is one of the world’s largest oil producers, but corruption remains deeply entrenched. Non-governmental organisations consistently rank the country as one of the world’s most corrupt.
Babafemi’s agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was established to probe corruption allegations and has carried out a series of high-profile prosecutions.
Cheney was one of the United States’ most powerful and controversial vice presidents, as well as a driving force behind Bush’s “war on terror.”
He has struggled with a series of health problems related to heart ailments.
Dick Cheney CHARGED by Nigeria over bribery case: here.
Nigeria Plans to Charge Dick Cheney in $180M Bribery Case for Bribes When He Was Halliburton CEO. NEWS: here.
Charges Filed in Nigeria Against Dick Cheney & Halliburton in $180M Bribery Investigation: here.
Dick Cheney Urged George W. Bush to Bomb Syria: here.
Jason Leopold, Truthout: “Former President George H.W. Bush and ex-Secretary of State James Baker were part of a negotiating team that convinced Nigerian government officials to drop bribery charges against Dick Cheney and Halliburton, the oil services firm he led prior to becoming vice president, according to Nigerian news reports. Bush and Baker reportedly participated in conference call discussions with senior Nigerian government officials, including the country’s attorney general, Mohammed Adoke, last weekend on behalf of Cheney in an attempt to work out a settlement. Halliburton executives also participated in the talks”: here.
Halliburton Offers Nigeria $250 Million in Exchange for Dropping Charges Against Cheney, Company: here.
“A Little Blood for a lot of Oil” (but Halliburton profited well): here.
USA: Former Halliburton employee Lynda Darden is suing the company for sex discrimination and wrongful termination. Court filings allege that she was fired because “she apparently violated the company’s policy against procreation”: here.
Film review: Gasland exposes the latest Halliburton horror that poses a threat to homeland security from those enemies within that’s far more frightening than any disaster dreamed up in Hollywood: here.
NEWS: Oil & Gas Industry Denounce Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Gasland: here.
Halliburton & other fracking companies may have violated safe drinking water act: here.
ANTI-CORRUPTION campaigners claimed on Wednesday that a leaked US document reveals the true extent of Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell’s infiltration of the Nigerian government: here.
Oceans of blood and profits for the mongers of war: here.
William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: “It is axiomatic by now: when someone leaves government service, especially a high-profile position, they write a book…. Speaking of damaging the republic, Dick Cheney has a book out. I’m sure you’ve heard about it by now; he laid the groundwork for its release by claiming the contents would cause heads to explode in Washington, causing everyone to say ‘Ooooh, this should be good.’ It isn’t, at all, but I must confess that my head did come very close to launching itself off my shoulders … not because of what’s in the book, but because I have to deal with the rancid reality of a free and unconvicted Dick Cheney appearing in the public eye once again. If there were any justice to be found in this deranged country, Dick Cheney would have penned his pestiferous, self-serving little memoir by the light of a bare bulb inside the cell of a federal prison”: here.
Dick Cheney really should be facing a war crimes tribunal: here.
