A-O Weekly News Round Up 2-8-9
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The A-O Report
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Weekly News Round Up
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For
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2-8-9
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Late-Breaking...
Hamas Rocket Attacks Continue
Israel & Hamas Play Tit-for-Tat Game
Hamas continues to violate the January 18th truce as once again Hamas rockets rain down on southern Israel.
Rockets landed again in souther Israel on Sunday morning, Feb *, In two separate Sunday rocket strikes, the coastal city of Ashkelon came under rocket fire though the strike fell just south of the city. Earlier, another rocket strike caused damage to an Israeli agricultural settlement although no casualties were reported in either incident.
Today's rocket attacks come after Hamas skipped a day, perhaps for the Sabbath.
Since the Cease-fire took effect on January 18, Hamas has committed numerous violations of the Truce which has triggered some Israeli reprisals in the form of air strikes. For more details, LINK HERE.
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Israeli Politics Shocker
New Party May Eclipse Labor & Kadima
According to at Least One Poll
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Editor's Note: Opinion survey polls in Israel may be as unreliable as those in USA elections.
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The cease-fire violations are heavily influencing the upcoming Israeli general elections slated for Tuesday, February 10. The rocket attacks appear to be triggering a strong voter move towards very conservative Israeli candidates who are promoting hard-line defense policies who have little if any desire to negotiate peace.
The rocket attacks are actually becoming something of a political problem for the Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Many Israelis are becoming so angry and so disillusioned that Netanyahu is no longer perceived by many as being conservative enough, but rather, too liberal. One particular party, Yisrael Beiteinu has come out of nowhere in the polls and may win more seats in the Knesset than any other party except the Likud Party.
In the latest private polling, according to Israeli sources, both the Labor and Kadima parties are rapidly losing strength amongst voters to the various conservative and or ultra-right wing political parties. The big winner is the Yisrael Beiteinu Party which some polls now suggest may win as many as 21 to 23 seats in the Knesset, with Likud only winning 23 to 25. Kadima may end up with less than 20 seats and the once mighty, Labor Party might not even grab a dozen seats. In fact, Labor is likely to become as irrelevant to the political process as many of Israel's splinter-group political parties. That means if might not be in the top half-dozen political parties with Knesset Seats. What a dramatic drop for Israel's original political party established by Israel's founding fathers.
Polling experts with the major Israeli news media seem to be attempting to put a positive spin out there for the woman candidate Tzipi Livni and her Kadima Party as well as The Labor Party. Hoever private pollsters warn that the voter moods in Israel are so volatile now that radical changes could emerge in any 24 hour period as 30% of the population remains undecided or is switching constantly.
For the latest details on the Israeli pre-election reports. LINK HERE. LINK 2, LINK 3, Final Public Polls from Feb 3 - LINK HERE. Election impact on Obama - LINK HERE.
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Israel Bombs Gaza Again
Israeli warplanes conducted additional air strikes in Gaza on Friday. There were no reports of casualties. LINK HERE.
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Obama Faces First Int'l Test
The Obama administration is facing its first big international test this weekend as Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. heads to a conference in Europe in the face of a confrontational stance from an old cold war adversary.
Administration officials have concluded that Russia pressed Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, to close the American base in that country, which they interpret as a shot across the bow. The base is crucial to the American-led fight in Afghanistan that Obama has identified as his central national security objective. Obama plans to deploy as many as 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan over the next two years; shaky overland supply routes through Pakistan would make it difficult for the United States to adjust to the loss of the base, in Manas, Kyrgyzstan.
It was Biden who warned publicly in October that Obama's mettle could be tested early in his administration by some kind of an international crisis. Now, a speech that Biden is scheduled to deliver Saturday before leaders and defense officials from Europe and Asia will be watched closely to determine what tack America's fledgling leadership will take regarding Russia.
Will Biden follow the course of the Bush administration, which sounded conciliatory public notes about the need for cooperation with Russia even as it pursued a series of global policies — NATO enlargement, missile defense — that the Kremlin viewed as infringing on its sphere of influence? Or will Biden seek to reassure Russia that the Obama administration will ease up on western forays into the former Soviet sphere? For instance, he could announce a strategic review of missile defense, which could take the issue off the table for months.
Administration officials have made only general forecasts. "Stay tuned," a senior administration official said. "It will be dramatic." He said that Biden would try to outline "our approach to foreign policy, and the principles which we'll be following."
Full story details, LINK HERE.
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Cheney Warns of Nuke Terror
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GE's CEO Warns of Depression
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US Must Spend Trillions
To Avoid Mini-Depression
Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., said the U.S. may slump into a “mini depression” unless policy makers spend trillions of dollars to spur growth.
“This economy needs support from the government, a check from the government in the trillions,” Gross said today in a Bloomberg Television interview from Pimco’s headquarters in Newport Beach, California. “There is a potential catastrophe if the U.S. government continues to focus on billions of dollars.” More details, LINK HERE.
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French Prez Says He
May Not Seek Re-Election
President Sarkozy promised last night to lead France out of the economic slump while avoiding the mistakes of Britain, but admitted that he was taxed by the pressures of his job.
In a 90-minute interview on French television, Mr Sarkozy stuck to his argument that salvation in France lay in his €26 billion programme of investment in state infrastructure and not in boosting consumer spending with tax cuts, as in Britain.
“That will bring them nothing,” he said. “Consumption continues to decrease in Britain.”
Responding to discontent expressed in mass demonstrations last week, Mr Sarkozy said that he understood public discontent but would not be swayed from his plans for trimming Frances’s costly public sector and taxes on business.
The French President revealed he was not certain he would seek re-election in 2012. Asked why, he explained: “Because my job is very difficult. It needs a lot of energy, a lot of strength to do it and I have put all my strength into doing it as well as possible.”
“There are still three-and-a-half years,” he added. “I give no undertaking, in one direction or the other. You run for a second term if you have the strength to chase another dream and people have confidence in you. It would be shocking if I had been able to make such an important decision less than half-way into my first term.”
More on this story, LINK HERE.
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SHOCKING!
Starvation in Paris France
The economic situation is apparently growing desperate in Paris, France based upon one Reuter's newswire story. The Reuter's story describes how the economic situation has become so bad in Paris that many residents are now foraging for food in the grocery store dumpsters - and fights are breaking out over who gets what. LINK HERE.
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USA Unemployment Rises to 7.6%
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Oil Drops Below $40
LINK
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Pakistan's Nuke Scientist Freed
Pakistan's father of its nuclear weapons program, 72 year-old, Dr. A.Q. Khan has been released from house arrest and is now a free man. The new Pakistani government decided to allow the nuclear scientist to become a free man after secret negotiaitons with the scientist.
Khan had been forced to remain in his home for several years after it was publicly revealed that Khan had provided nuclear secrets to other nations, including Iran, Libya and North Korea and perhaps even Al Qaeda or other Islamic radical terrorist groups. Khan's wife did reveal to the news media after the announcement of his freedom, that her husband would remain under some restrictions including a gag order.
For more details on this story, LINK HERE.
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Greece Seizes Iran-Bound Ship
Violated UN Embargo Regulations
A ship bound for Iran with a cargo of special steel that could be used to make critical components for missiles was seized by Greek officials near Athens. For more details on this development, LINK HERE.
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Volcano Action Blows Up
2 in Japan
1 in Russia
1 About to in Alaska
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Alaska Braces for Volcano
Mt Redoubt Ready to Blow
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World Food Prices Rising Fast
While many economists are warning of deflation and collapsing prices for everything, they seem to forget that food prices are rising, and in some cases, prices are soaring for certain foods that have come into very short supply. For more details, LINK HERE.
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UK's Worst Snow in 20 Years
Britain Grinds to Halt
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IMF Warns...
UK to be Hardest Hit Economy
In Economic Downturn
The International Monetary Fund warns that Britain will suffer the most economic hardship among developed nations in this new "recession" or "depression" the world is now experiencing. More details, LINK HERE.
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Australia Wild Fires Make History
84 Killed So Far
Australia Also Battling Floods & Crocs
Australia is suffering the deadliest wildfires in its history. The smoke is now visible as far away as New Zealand. More on this story, LINK HERE.
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Obama's New Exec Orders
Could Expose UFO Secrets
On President Obama's first day in office, the new president signed an executive order expanding the concept of "Open Government" with new powers beyond the current Freedom of Information Act. This new executive action will hopefully enable UFO researchers to track down previously unknown UFO files which the government has kept hidden over the last 7 decades. More details, LINK HERE.
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