Wednesday News Bucket – Mid-day Edition

12 Comments

1. 

   ask on June 6, 2007 at 10:34 am

   US casts doubt on G8 climate change deal

   George Bush’s senior climate change negotiator today poured cold water on Tony Blair’s hopes of achieving a concrete US commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions at this week’s G8 summit.

   With G8 leaders arriving in Germany for 48 hours of talks, James Connaughton, senior environmental advisor to the president, said the US remained opposed to the target of stabilising global climate increases to two degrees.

   That stance appears to frustrate Mr Blair’s hopes – expressed in today’s Guardian on the eve of the summit – of using his personal influence with Mr Bush to achieve a “substantial cut” in emissions.

   • 

     ask on June 6, 2007 at 10:47 am

     …he US remained opposed to the target of stabilising global climate increases to two degrees.

     Opposed to the target? WTF!

     The IPPC Working Group had this to report back in April:

     Key findings of the report include:

         * 75-250 million people across Africa could face water shortages by 2020

         * Crop yields could increase by 20% in East and Southeast Asia, but decrease by up to 30% in Central and South Asia

         * Agriculture fed by rainfall could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020

         * 20-30% of all plant and animal species at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C

         * Glaciers and snow cover expected to decline, reducing water availability in countries supplied by melt water

     (my bold)

   • 

     Alice on June 6, 2007 at 10:55 am

     “personal influence with Mr. Bush” – what a concept.  Poor Tony.

     • 

       Connecticut Man1 on June 6, 2007 at 12:50 pm

       The poodle might have better luck influencing barney…

     • 

       JanetT in MD on June 6, 2007 at 4:11 pm

       Yeah, I bet he’s been under the impression the relationship worked both ways….  

2. 

   ask on June 6, 2007 at 10:40 am

   Censorship ‘changes face of net’

   Amnesty International has warned that the internet “could change beyond all recognition” unless action is taken against the erosion of online freedoms.

   The warning comes ahead of a conference organised by Amnesty, where victims of repression will outline their plights.

   The “virus of internet repression” has spread from a handful of countries to dozens of governments, said the group.

   Amnesty accused companies such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo of being complicit in the problem.

3. 

   boran2 on June 6, 2007 at 10:47 am

   WaPo Link

   EPA Makes It Harder to Protect Wetlands

   WASHINGTON — The Bush administration made it harder Tuesday for non-permanent streams and nearby wetlands to be protected under the federal Clean Water Act.

   The new guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers requires that for such waters to be protected there must be a “significant nexus” shown between the intermittent stream or wetland and a traditional waterway.    

   And the guidance says a determination will be made on a case-by-case basis, analyzing flow and other issues. Environmentalist argued that would negate the broader regional importance of many such waterways in the aggregate on water bodies downstream.

   Assistant EPA Administrator Benjamin Grumbles said the new guidance to regional offices and enforcement officials “sends a clear signal we’ll use our regulatory tools” to meet President Bush’s promise of no net loss of wetlands.

   He said it “maintains … the Bush administration’s strong commitment to wetlands conservation.”

   Up is down, black is white, good is bad, bad is good.

4. 

   ask on June 6, 2007 at 11:02 am

   Ominous news:

   Iraqi group says reaches ceasefire with al Qaeda

   DUBAI (Reuters) – A key Iraqi militant group said on Wednesday it had reached a ceasefire deal with Iraq’s wing of al Qaeda to end clashes between the two Sunni insurgent groups waging a violent campaign against U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

   “A deal has been reached between the Islamic Army in Iraq and al Qaeda in Iraq that stipulates an immediate end to all military operations between the two sides in all sectors including capture operations,” the Islamic Army in Iraq said in a statement.

   The two groups — among the main ones fighting U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq — have exchanged accusations over killings and the Islamic Army in Iraq had accused al Qaeda of seeking to dominate through its self-styled Islamic State in Iraq.

   Earlier this month Qaeda fighters fought fierce battles with rival Sunni Arab insurgents in a Baghdad district.

5. 

   ask on June 6, 2007 at 11:12 am

   Iraq: Hundreds go missing or get killed at checkpoints

   BAGHDAD, 6 June 2007 (IRIN) – Samir Waleed, 39, said he is scared to go out into the streets of Baghdad after his brother was stopped at a road block, taken away and killed two weeks ago. The deteriorated security situation in the capital has given rise to an increasing number of checkpoints in the city, which, ironically, have become dangerous in themselves.

   Manned by the Iraqi police, Iraqi soldiers or sometimes by militias, checkpoints are adding to the immense strain already felt by Baghdad residents. Locals say that people are often arrested at checkpoints on suspicion of working with armed groups – and after being arrested, anything can happen.

   • 

     JanetT in MD on June 6, 2007 at 4:16 pm

     Apparently Iraqi ID cards have tribal affiliation listed on them — if you are a member of the “wrong” tribe, in the eyes of that particular militia, you might be killed out of hand.  That’s what the US “security” crackdown has led to…  

6. 

   Connecticut Man1 on June 6, 2007 at 12:38 pm

   While reporting that a U.S. General said “Suicide attacks and car bombings have soared 30 percent in Iraq since the start of a security crackdown in Baghdad last month” at the Pentagon on Friday, Iraqslogger also hits on some other dismal statistics and facts:

   Earlier Friday, a Marine commander told reporters, “What you have to understand is that chlorine bombs have more of a psychological effect than they do as a killing effect,” the AP reports. Insurgents have launched at least eight chlorine gas attacks lately, including one in Fallujah Wednesday.

   “If they’ll resort to this, they’ll resort to anything,” Barbero said.

   Barbero also mentioned two recent attacks where children were used as suicide bombers. A teenage boy was killed instantly March 21 in Haditha when a bomb in his backpack detonated, as police pursued a suspicious vehicle nearby, Reuters reported. Days earlier, in Baghdad, a bomb detonated in a car carrying three children in the backseat.

   While attacks targeting coalition forces were up, Barbero said the security crackdown had led to 30 percent fewer civilian deaths in Iraq and 50 percent fewer in Baghdad compared to the six weeks preceding the crackdown.

   Needless to say, and as a direct result of the failed bush and GOP foreign policies,   enrollment in the Jihadists’ favourite Alma Martyr is on a huge upswing:
   

   Wouldn’t that make a great epitaph for the bush administration and the neoconservative movement that advocated for and supported their policies?

   “Life will be great when we’re dead”

   A note to the local FBI that seems to think every joke and snarky comment is a lead: I am not advocating blowing them up or anything… I believe in letting time take care of them all. So please don’t waste your resources and our tax dollars like you did on Ken Krayeske. It is a sad statement about this country when you have to add a “Krayeske disclaimer” to every political joke just to be on the safe side. 🙂

7. 

   CabinGirl on June 6, 2007 at 12:58 pm

   Jessica Valenti discussing her book on Colbert last night.

   I guess this will just fuel Althouse’s insane jealousy even more…