| No retreat from the War on Terror
Anyone who still favours a military presence is easily decorated with the order of the armchair commentator, but let us see what other commentators are prepared to sit through. Canada has already threatened to pull out its troops from Kandahar province in a year's time if other Nato countries don't contribute more. We must assume that if Britain were to begin to talk about a draw-down, then Canada would carry out this threat. British forces would then be exposed in Helmand and, presumably, would also withdraw. Let us suppose that an angry and abandoned US follows the "lead" offered by its allies, and itself pulls out, leaving itself only an air-to-ground interdiction capability. Here are the likely consequences of such a pattern. The Afghan Government would collapse, to be replaced by an overt civil war fought between the Taleban and local governors in the various provinces.
From Legal Eagle to Dying in a Cage
A number of visitors to a LiveJournal blog site said Aleksanyan's sufferings were a just reward for helping Khodorkovsky acquire billions of dollars worth of assets in the 1990s. After one visitor said it was "subhuman" to laugh at the terminally ill, another one retorted: "People who are making their fortunes by looting natural resources are also subhuman. But if you steal, you should be prepared that sooner or later they'll bust you." Aleksanyan himself seems focused on other things. Speaking to reporters in recent days, he has often turned from criticism of the Russian court system to heartfelt discourses about faith. "I can only put my hopes in God," Aleksanyan said in his defendant's cage on Wednesday. "Except for God, nobody can help me now. Do you know what it says in the Old Testament? Put not your trust in princes." Staff Writer Svetlana Osadchuk contributed to this report.
Former lawmaker to open cultural fest
Staff Reporter
FORMER Indian parliamentarian and popular orator M P Abdul Samad Samadani will inaugurate "Kalolsavam 2008", an arts and cultural festival, being hosted by Kozhikode chapter of Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre Qatar (KMCC Qatar), at Shantiniketan Indian School.
According to the organizers, the main aim of the "Kalolsavam" was to bring out the inborn talents of expatriate Indians, who they said were running out of opportunities.
The celebrations feature a light and sound show, depicting the story and contributions of minorities in India. It will be held at five different stages, simultaneously.
The organisers said the show would feature the scenic beauty of Kerala, the Taj Mahal, Qatab Minar and also the past and present of politics of minorities in India.
Chris Matthews: Defeat Means Troops Still in Iraq--What About WWII?
Did you know that the US is still at war with Korea, Germany, Japan, Bosnia and Kosovo? Based on “Hardball" host Chris Matthews' recent claims, we are still at war with those countries and will be until our troops leave their soil. (h/t Weasel Zippers) On his November 28 show (transcript here), MSNBC's Matthews discussed Iraq with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, wondering when “will we be able to come home." In the process, the former Carter speechwriter said, “If we can't ever come home, we can't ever say we won." Silly me, I thought WWII, the Korean War, the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War were over. I guess the US troops still stationed in those countries prove otherwise (bold mine throughout): .
A 'transformative' election?
Why not keep an eye on the candidate that is most useful for the continued recruitment of terrorists? In our last election, when it looked as though someone at least marginally rational (that is, not a neo-con) might have a shot at winning, ben Laden popped up and in effect shouted "Boo!", sending terrified Conservatives to the polls as fast as they could panic and run. .
Born for the silver screen
SHE is no stranger to Malaysian movie fans, especially after playing a lead role in Yasmin Ahmad's film Sepet in 2004. She also acted in a few other films such as the popular Gol & Gincu portraying a sexually abused teenager, Cinta and a Cantonese Malaysian horror flick Possessed. In the movie Muallaf, she shaved off her locks to expose her bold pate. For that, she copped a lot of flaks but the film also brought her stardom. In 2005, she won the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the 18th Malaysian Film Festival for her role in Sepet. The following year saw her lift the Best Actress Award at the 19th Malaysian Film Festival for her role in Gubra. Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1986, budding 22-year-old actress Sharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid Al-Yahya comes from a Malay, Chinese, Arab, Bengali parentage and is the second daughter of veteran Malaysian actress, Fatimah Abu Bakar.
Chambers Of Commerce Endorse New Health Insurance Plan To Help Small ...
VISALIA, Calif. - (Business Wire) California chambers of commerce are increasingly taking a leadership role to help small businesses cope with rising healthcare costs and improve access to quality health insurance for their employees, according to BEN-E-LECT, a leading third party administrator (TPA) and innovator of Employer Driven Health Plans. "We’ve seen a rise in interest from chamber executives, particularly those who are taking a more active role as advocates for the small business members they represent," says Mark Reynolds, president and CEO of BEN-E-LECT. "Just this month, five new chambers have joined our Chamber Affinity Program and are now introducing their members to our health insurance plan that has proven to be successful and is being used by more than 2,000 businesses throughout California." Among the chambers that have most recently partnered with BEN-E-LECT are the Stockton, Chino Valley, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Escondido Chambers of Commerce, representing approximately 6,500 businesses.
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