NOVEMBER 2007

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n127321

FOCUS ENGLISH NEWS (BULGARIA)

Self-Determination movement leader urges boycott of Kosovo elections
17 November 2007 | 17:11 | FOCUS News Agency

Pristina. The leader of the Kosovan radical movement Self-Determination
Albin Kurti urged boycott of the elections, Focus News Agency's special
correspondent Kasif Bakiu reported.

Albin Kurti has told Focus News Agency that they resorted to this motion
because they do not trust the system, which according to him does not
perform any commitments and obligations. He accuses the Kosovo authorities
and UNMIK of being together "the most corrupted system".

"We still do not have exact information as to how successful our boycott
urge is. It has become clear that many people are not voting today," Albin
Kurti added.


sos sos sos
Europe's top environment politician, EU-Commissioner Stavros
Dimas, enraged agro-chemical companies last week when he
refused to allow the cultivation of two varieties of
genetically modified maize (Bt 11 and 1507). He said GM
crops should not be approved until new methods have been
developed for assessing long-term risks and the effects on
birds and butterflies. This is wonderful news! But Other
European Commissioners are siding with the industry, and
want to vote on the matter within the next few weeks in
Brussels. We have only days to show our support for the
Environment Commissioner's brave stand,  and to let the
other politicians know that he speaks for us all. Please
send a message to Stavros Dimas, to Manuel Barroso (the
President of the European Commission) and the Commissioners
taking the industry's side Kyprianou (Health and Consumer
Protection) and Fischer-Boel (Agriculture).

TAKE ACTION NOW, send letter
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/getinvolved/support-
dimas-on-maize?utm_source=gpi-cyberactivist-
list&utm_medium=email&utm_content=3717069&utm_campaign=alert
-eu-gmo

Washington tells EU firms: quit Iran now

UK, French and German companies begin pullout under US pressure

David Gow in Munich and Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Friday November 9, 2007
The Guardian

Multinational companies are coming under increasing pressure from the US to stop doing business with Iran because of its nuclear programme. European operators are facing threats from Washington that they could jeopardise their US interests by continuing to deal with Tehran, with increasing evidence that European governments, mainly France, Germany and Britain, are supporting the US campaign.

It emerged last night that Siemens, one of the world's largest engineering groups and based in Germany, has pulled out of all new business dealings with Iran after pressure from the US and German governments. This follows the decision by Germany's three biggest banks, Deutsche, Commerzbank, and Dresdner, to quit Iran after a warning from US vice-president Dick Cheney that if firms remain in Tehran, they are going to have problems doing business in the US.

*********************************
NZ activists avoid terror charges
(Did the Irish President's recent interest and meeting with the Maoris destabilise NewZealand Prime Minister's attack on Maori activists as "terrorists")

New Zealand's solicitor-general has ruled that 12 environmental activists arrested last month cannot be charged under anti-terrorism laws. David Collins said the 2002 legislation was "unnecessarily complex, incoherent" and almost impossible to apply. The men, mainly Maori, were arrested in raids on both North and South Island on suspicion of planning a violent campaign against the white majority. The men still face possible charges of illegal use and possession of weapons.Hundreds of people mounted protests against the arrests across New Zealand, claiming those taken into custody were political prisoners. On Thursday, New Zealand's top legal official announced the arrested activists would not face terror-related charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, the first time the 2002 law would have been applied. Though the police had good reason to investigate the alleged weapons training activity, Mr Collins said the evidence did not meet the criteria outlined in the law.

"I have concluded the legislation is unnecessarily complex, incoherent, and, as a result, almost impossible to apply to the domestic circumstances observed by the police in this case," he said. Mr Collins said he had advised the police that he would be "unable to authorise the prosecutions". However, he said the police could continue to prosecute the 12 activists, along with five others also detained in the raids, for alleged illegal possession and use of firearms and other weapons. Police said they had seized guns, ammunition and homemade napalm bombs at military-style training camps and intercepted text messages suggesting at least one of those arrested planned to mount a war on white people.

www.cnn.com/ ...Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is trying to quell a revolt among U.S. diplomats angry over attempts to force foreign service officers to work in Iraq or face dismissal.  Rice plans to send a cable to all U.S. embassies and missions abroad explaining the decision to
launch the largest diplomatic call-up since Vietnam, following a contentious town hall meeting, where angry diplomats raised deep concern about the "potential death sentence" of being ordered to work in Iraq.

don't miss this:
Hillary Clinton
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 22:47:45 -0500 From D Stacey.

   
 Hi Folks,What "words" can do.Watch Out!!!

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that
Hillary Clinton's great-great uncle, Remus Rodham, was hanged for horse
stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows.
On the back of the picture is this inscription: 'Remus Rodham; horse
thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the
Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives,  convicted and hanged in 1889.'

Judy e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff of
professional image adjusters sent back the following biographical
sketch:
'Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.
In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.'( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hilarious, now we fully appreciate the meaning of the word HILARIOUS. JBRADDELL EDITOR)

And THAT is how it's done folks!-----------GET READY!!!!------- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some Good news from USA:

Kucinich Moving Up in Polls
11-2-7

 

PHILADELPHIA -­ Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich goes into tonight's Democratic Presidential debate riding a wave of positive polling results that put him in fourth place nationally, second in a major California straw poll, and leading among declared Democrats in an online survey sponsored by Democracy for America.

 

His strongest showing to date is in the ongoing DFA Pulse Poll, which has drawn more than 100,000 respondents in the past week. Among declared Democratic candidates, Kucinich is leading with more than 24% of the vote as of noon today. Senator Barack Obama is second with about 18%, and former Senator John Edwards is currently in third place with about 15%.

 

Re. U.S.A's Middle East demands on Japan

Japan ends Indian Ocean mission amid parliamentary deadlock

The Associated Press Published: October 31, 2007 Internat.Herald Tribune excerpttokyo: Japan's defense minister ordered ships supporting U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan to return home Thursday after opposition lawmakers refused to support an extension of the mission, saying it violated the country's pacifist Constitution.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda — a strong supporter of Japan's six-year-old mission — vowed to pass legislation that would allow Japan to resume a more limited role to fight terrorism in the region.

Japan, America's top ally in Asia, has refueled coalition warships in the Indian Ocean since 2001, but opposition parties, bolstered by recent election wins, effectively scuttled the mission by raising concerns it was too broad and possibly violated the Constitution.

Legislation had been passed repeatedly to renew the mission, but the latest extension expired Thursday amid a stalemate in Parliament. Japan refueled its final ship on Monday.

The two ships in the mission — a destroyer and a refueler, with 340 troops aboard — were to begin heading for Japan later Thursday. They were expected to take about three weeks to return, navy spokesman Kozo Okuda said.

Blackwater plans bold strategy to defend itself

By John M. Broder and James Risen Published: November 1, 2007ExcerptInternational Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/01/america/01blackwatersub.php

WASHINGTON: Blackwater Worldwide, its reputation in tatters and its lucrative government contracts in jeopardy, is mounting an aggressive legal, political and public relations counterstrike.

It has hired a bipartisan stable of big-name Washington lawyers, lobbyists and press advisers, including the public relations powerhouse Burson-Marsteller, which was brought in briefly, but at a critical moment, to help Blackwater's chairman, Erik Prince, prepare for his first congressional hearing.

Blackwater for a time retained Kenneth Starr, the former Whitewater independent counsel, and Fred Fielding, who is now the White House counsel, to help handle suits filed by the families of slain Blackwater employees.

Another outside public relations specialist, Mark Corallo, former chief spokesman for Attorney General John Ashcroft, quit working for Blackwater late last year because he said he was uncomfortable with what he termed some executives' cowboy mentality.