News – Bad Baiting

Middle East

The US army is apparently luring targets for their snipers by leaving explosives and ammo as bait. With the snipers given orders to shoot whomever picks up the bait. Because in a country where gun ownership is at a serious high, only insurgents would pick up some free ammo they find on the street. Hell, if I were a down on my luck, just barely scraping by Iraqi, I’d snag the explosives to sell on the black market. Family has to eat.

A policy like this is doomed to failure. If it exists, of course. The Army declines to confirm. Personally, I can see it as being policy for them. The brass is stupid enough to do something this foolish.

They can’t make reconciliation laws or properly distribute their oil, but the Iraqi government is quite hot on removing contractor immunity.

Several prominent Israeli writers petition the government to make peace with Hamas. The Israeli government, of course, rejects their petition. Of course, one must remember that not that long ago Hamas adhered to a lengthy ceasefire with Israel, finally ending it after a space of time filled with nothing but the same passed. No solid peace talks, constant Israeli incursions. It has led us to where we are now, stuck deep with options dwindling by the moment.

Ahmadinejad is predictably defiant in his talk before the UN. Anyone who has been paying attention would expect no less. Nor is it unexpected that the US and Israeli representatives were absent for it. Heck, I don’t care much for Bush and I listen to his drivel whenever he decides to try and convince the country that he knows jack all about what he’s doing.

Syria is expected to reject an offer from the US to attend a big peace conference later this year. Mostly because they don’t believe that the US or Israel want to reach a comprehensive regional settlement. A valid point of view, in my opinion.

Africa

Ethiopia lets Eritrea know that recent actions, such as occupying what should be a demilitarised zone with its troops and restricting the movements of UN peacekeepers in the border area can be amounted to a breach of the Algiers Agreement.

Considering performance over the last five years, Rwanda is the sub-Saharan state that has improved the most. That’s great news for a country that has long ago seen the horrors of genocide.

Asia/Pacific

Looks like the military government in Burma is starting to strike back at the monks who are fostering protests against their rule. Inadvisable since its unlikely that the monks will back down even in the face of violence and their regard amongst the people will only fuel domestic unease. The only problem there is that it is likely to get more violent rather than less. One question is what influence China might have on the situation. Likely they’d prefer stability there, but they play down their influence on the country. A video peek in at the situation.

China bans all sexually suggestive advertising on the TV and radio. Which includes advertisements for ladies underwear and breast enhancement.

Europe

The real question with Russia is what their goals are with the bouts of ‘saber rattling’ that have cropped up now and then. Personally, I reserve judgment for the time being.

Americas

Rudy Giuliani gets in trouble by over a fund raising party where participants are being urged to donate $9.11. His campaign says it had nothing to do with setting it up. Gotta love those out of control supporters.

Ahmadinejad goes to New York’s Columbia University and makes a fool out of himself. That’s why we should allow him to speak. Fools make their state obvious when given fair chance to display it. Censoring them makes it seem like you fear their words.

Six ways for Hilary’s democratic rivals to beat her.

Explainer looks at what currency devaluation means to the normal folk.

General

Men with lower, deeper voices have more kids than those with higher voices. Hmm.. my voice is on the deep side. Though it seems this has more to do with behavioral issues rather than genetics.

Apple warns that hacking the iPhone could leave you with a screwed up hunk of hardware. Indeed, Apple can introduce all sorts of countermeasures that may end up rendering hacked phones inoperable.

The Blogs look at Ahmadinejad’s address at Columbia.

Today’s Papers has note that there seems to be a plan by Sunni extremists to assasinate tribal leaders and Interior Ministry officials, a few new studies that seem to show there’s a “growing happiness gap between men and women,” a must-read dispatch from Somalia that says the country “is quietly disintegrating into Africa’s worst humanitarian emergency” and more in the eon page news.

Amusements

No time today, but I’m sure you folk can find your own chuckles.