Gustav, American Heroes, and one Idiot

Hurricane Gustav continued its swirling path north towards Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. Over the course of the day I've been watching a lot of the updates and I've been struck by the great amount of leadership that has been shown in the last 24 hours.

From CNN:

As of 5 p.m. ET, the eye of the Category 3 storm was about 215 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said.

Hurricane-force winds could hit Louisiana's southern coast by sunrise Monday, and the storm's center could hit southwest of New Orleans by early Monday afternoon, CNN meteorologists said.

Those in the projected path of the storm -- particularly those in New Orleans, which was battered three years ago by Hurricane Katrina -- should leave without delay, said David Paulison, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"It does not make sense to put you, your family or first responders at risk by just sitting there when there's plenty of opportunity to get out," Paulison said Sunday.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who demanded city residents evacuate, said the city will impose a "dusk-to-dawn" curfew and will cease efforts to help people leave the city Sunday afternoon.

Governor Bobby Jindal and his fellow governor's from Florida, Mississippi, and Texas have been doing a phenomenal job. I wasn't very impressed with Mayor Nagin last time, but I must admit he's not doing that bad. I've particularly been struck by Gov. Jindal, hes very straight talking, very straight forward, and a man of action. I like that, hes a good leader.

Like wise I was very pleased to see the decision by the Republican National Committee today about the convention.

From Fox News:

The Republican National Convention has suspended all but the most necessary activities to constitute a convention Monday and then will adjourn until further notice, John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee announced Sunday.

No evening session will be called and no speakers will offer speeches on Monday night. President Bush and Vice President Cheney had both canceled their Monday night appearances at the convention earlier in the day.

The convention “will suspend all activities except those that are absolutely necessary,” McCain said late Sunday afternoon. “We hope to resume some normal activities but frankly that is the hands of God.”

McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis said that additional activities will be determined on a day-by-day basis. He added that all activities at the convention will be procedural and not political.

Right now we have a horrible storm bearing down on the gulf. People should be more concerned about that than an political campaign, and I think that’s the way we’re going to let the chips fall,” Davis said.

Senator McCain also had another great quote today when he said that these are the times when we take off our partisan hats and put on our American hats. I couldn't agree more. Whether your Republican or Democrat we are all Americans first and for most. We may have a difference in opinions on political issues, but our first obligation is to better our country and help our fellow citizens. I was very pleased today, with the Republican response. These are the times that we truly see what people are made of and I'm quite pleased with what I am seeing from Senator McCain and the southern governors.

Now for the idiot portion. Michael Moore....normally that's enough said, but this one took the cake.

From Fox News:

Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise is calling on liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to apologize after he said Friday that the timing of Hurricane Gustav is “proof that there is a God in heaven,” since the storm approaching the Gulf Coast could disrupt next week’s Republican National Convention.

Moore made the remarks to MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. Republicans have been monitoring the storm’s progress, considering whether to postpone their convention in St. Paul, Minn., if the storm wreaks havoc on the New Orleans area, just three years after Hurricane Katrina.

“I was just thinking, this Gustav is proof that there is a God in heaven,” Moore said. “To just have it planned at the same time, that it would actually be on its way to New Orleans for Day One of the Republican convention, up in the Twin Cities, at the top of the Mississippi River.”

Scalise released a statement Saturday blasting the documentary filmmaker for the remarks.

“I demand an immediate apology from Michael Moore to the people of south Louisiana for his offensive and inappropriate comments,” said Scalise, a Republican. “People in Louisiana, regardless of political affiliation, are making plans to leave to protect their families from this serious storm, and the God I know would not share Michael Moore’s glee for our plight.”

I've never liked Michael Moore. I'll completely admit it, and its not for his political views. Its the fact that he likes to take half truths and spin them to look like the truth and sell them to people who may mistakenly believe him. In my opinion, that's called taking advantage of someone to further yourself, and that's just beyond wrong.

But this goes beyond anything I've thought of him in the past. This just shows him totally for his true colors. He's a heartless air thief. To try to say that God would send a Hurricane to cause misery, death, and destruction, just to further his own political agenda is so wrong I cant even begin to describe it. So I will call him what he truly is; an idiot.

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

Hurricane Gustav Update 31 August 2008

Update as of 1400 Eastern Time:

From the Weather Channel:

As of 1 p.m. CDT, Gustav was centered about 270 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving northwest at 17 mph.

Hurricane Gustav has continued a weakening trend that began earlier today. As of 1 pm CDT top winds were down to near 115 mph. Even though it is slightly weaker, Gustav is still and dangerous category 3 hurricane and some strengthening is possible before it makes landfall along the Louisiana coast Monday.

Hurricane Gustav should continue to move in a northwesterly direction with some slightly slowing through Monday. On that path and speed the landfall should occur Monday morning, however any turn to the west would prolong the landfall into Monday afternoon or evening.

From Fox News:

The city of New Orleans imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew to begin on Sunday at sunset ahead of Hurricane Gustav's devastating winds and rains that were on a path to strike the Gulf Coast.

In a press conference Mayor Ray Nagin also warned that looting — one of the chronic problems after Hurricane Katrina — would not be tolerated.

"Looters will go directly to jail. You will not get a pass this time," he said. "You will not have a temporary stay in the city. You will go directly to the Big House."

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who was headed to the region Sunday, said he planned to stay through the storm.

"I'm well supported in terms of my ability to communicate back to the president and back to Washington, so I'm comfortable that I'm not going to lose touch," Chertoff said.

Gustav crossed western Cuba on Saturday and has already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean. It picked up speed upon reaching the gulf and was moving northwest at 17 mph with winds of 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. EDT update.

Gustav dropped from a Category 4 to a Category 3 storm overnight, but forecasters warned it could gain strength from the gulf's warm waters before making landfall as early as Monday, and that Gustav could bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet to the coast and rainfall totals of up to 15 inches.

From CNN:

God Bless America

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Todays News Update 31 August 2008

Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Gustav continues its movement into the Gulf of Mexico. Mandatory evacuations started at 0800 Local for New Orleans.
2. Pakistan suspends offensive for Ramadan.
3. Gov. Bobby Jindal activates Louisiana National Guard.

From Fox News:

Residents were urged to flee only a partially rebuilt New Orleans Sunday as another monster storm churned in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina wiped out entire swaths of the city.

Hurricane Gustav slowed to Category 3 status with top winds near 125 mph early Sunday but forecasters expected it to regain strength later in the day. The National Hurricane Center upgraded a watch to a hurricane warning for over 500 miles of Gulf coast from Cameron, La., near the Texas border to the Alabama-Florida state line, meaning hurricane conditions are expected there within 24 hours.

Gustav, which already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, strengthened quickly into a Category 4 storm Saturday. It slammed Cuba's tobacco-growing western tip before moving away from the island country into the Gulf of Mexico.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, while Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal warned residents that the state "could see flooding worse than Hurricane Katrina," as Gustav approached the Gulf Coast.

Nagin used stark language to urge residents to get out of the city, calling Gustav the "storm of the century."

"This is the real deal, not a test," Nagin said as he issued the evacuation order Saturday night. "For everyone thinking they can ride this storm out, I have news for you: that will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your life."

In Alabama, Gov. Bob Riley issued a mandatory evacuation order for some coastal areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties, effective at 7 a.m., in response to Hurricane Gustav.

Forecasters were slightly less dire in their predictions, saying the storm should make landfall Monday afternoon somewhere between western Mississippi and East Texas, where evacuations were also under way. It's too early to know whether New Orleans will take another direct hit, they said, but city officials weren't taking any chances.

Gustav's center was about 425 miles southeast of the Mississippi River's mouth at 5 a.m. EDT as it moved northwest near 16 mph.

The mandatory evacuation of the city's west bank, where levee improvements remain incomplete, was to begin at 8 a.m., with the east bank to follow at noon. It's the first test of a revamped evacuation plan designed to eliminate the chaos, looting and death that followed Katrina.

From CNN:

Pakistan will suspend its military offensive against insurgents on Sunday as it observes the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, state media reported.

Security forces, however, will "retaliate with full force" if militants take advantage of the ceasefire, the Associated Press of Pakistan quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.

Pakistan's government decided on the suspension to allow displaced civilians near the country's border with Afghanistan to return home for the month-long period of fasting, which is expected to begin Monday.

Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is rife with Islamic extremists and has been the site of recent deadly clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants.

The semi-autonomous tribal areas is believed to be home to Taliban and al Qaeda-linked fighters who have carried out attacks inside both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In late June, the military launched an offensive in the area -- the biggest push against extremists in the tribal region since the civilian government took power in March.

Islamic militants vowed to retaliate, and the country has been rocked by several suicide bombings since then.

The exact start of Ramadan -- Islam's ninth and holiest month -- depends on the sighting of the new moon. Muslims are required to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.

The government ceasefire will stay in place until the second day of Eid al-Fitr, which heralds the end of the month of fasting with three days of feasts and celebrations

From Defense Link:

As 1,500 National Guard members arrived in New Orleans yesterday to support the city’s police department and assist in executing civil support missions, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the activation of all available remaining Louisiana National Guard forces to assist with emergency operations in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.

With the newly activated troops coming on board today, the total of Louisiana Guard members activated reaches 7,000.

Gustav, which grew to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, is bearing down on western Cuba today with sustained winds of more than 120 mph, and is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sept. 1 or early Sept. 2.

The Guard troops who arrived in New Orleans yesterday will safeguard homes and businesses during evacuation and instill confidence in the citizens, state Guard officials said.

The state’s adjutant general assured residents of a response to Gustav that’s based on lessons learned three years ago, when back-to-back hurricanes struck the region.

“The Louisiana National Guard is fully prepared for a hurricane disaster and has improved reaction times, communication and equipment resources by learning from hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau said. “Throughout the year, the Louisiana National Guard, in coordination with other state and local agencies has conducted numerous statewide emergency response exercises testing capabilities, and validating plans to improve overall efficiency and reaction time. These coordinated efforts were and continue to be crucial to our current success.”

More to follow:

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

News Update Two 30 August 2008

Update as of 1900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Gustav strengthens to a category four hurricane and expected to reach category 5.
2. Russian forces preventing Georgian civilians from returning to their homes.

From Fox News:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal warned residents Saturday afternoon that the state "could see flooding worse than Hurricane Katrina," as Gustav approached the Gulf Coast.

"[This is] as bad as it gets," the Republican governor said, quoting the National Weather Service.

An estimated 1 million residents fled the Gulf Coast Saturday, ahead of any official evacuation order, according to the Associated Press, but after the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of Texas.

The watch area includes New Orleans, where residents marked the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastation on Friday. The watch stretches from east of High Island, Texas, to the Alabama-Florida border.

Hurricane Gustav strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm Saturday, prompting officials to plan a special advisory and some Gulf Coast residents to leave town ahead of mandatory evacuations.

Data from an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft indicated that Gustav's maximum winds have increased to close to 145 mph, making the already-deadly storm an extremely hazardous Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

From CNN:

A hurricane watch was issued Saturday afternoon for southeastern Texas to the Alabama-Florida border as Hurricane Gustav's sustained winds reached 150 mph on its expected path to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The watch means hurricane conditions are possible within about 36 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

Thousands fled as Gustav strengthened to a strong Category 4 hurricane.

At 5 p.m. ET, the eye of the storm was about 130 miles (210 km) east-northeast of Cuba's western tip and moving northwest about 15 mph.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, referred to the ferocity of Gustav's winds. "This makes Gustav an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale," it said.

Hurricanes are ranked 1 to 5 in intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A Category 4 has winds of 131 to 155 mph and can cause extreme damage.

Hundreds of people lined up for buses and trains to take them out of New Orleans and thousands of other Gulf Coast residents drove inland, clogging major highways

From Fox News:

TBILISI, Georgia — Russian troops remaining in Georgian territory are effectively preventing Georgians from returning to their homes, a UN representative said Saturday.

Melita Sunjic, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner of Refugees in Georgia, told The Associated Press that although it was not clear if Russian soldiers were actually preventing refugees from returning, the warnings block them from going home.

"If they say 'we can't guarantee your safety,' you don't go," she said.

Some 2,000 refugees are at UNHCR camps in Gori, and thousands of others may in the region. They hope to return to villages in the so-called "security zones" Russia has claimed for itself on Georgian territory south of the border with the separatist republic of South Ossetia.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, visited Gori on Saturday to observe the distribution of US food aid.

The United States has sent substantial aid to Georgia in the wake of the war, using naval ships and military aircraft. Russian officials raised speculation that the military involvement could indicate the United States was seeking to restore Georgia's armed forces, which had received massive military aid from Washington in recent years.

Asked whether the United States was considering new military aid, Corker said "these subjects are part of a longer and midterm discussion" when Congress reconvenes in September.

Under an EU-brokered cease-fire, both sides were supposed to return their forces to prewar positions, but Russia has interpreted one of the agreement's clauses as allowing it to set up 7-kilometer (4-mile) deep security zones, which are now marked by Russian checkpoints.

Refugees coming into Georgia from those zones say they are being terrorized, beaten and robbed by South Ossetians.

Georgia has severed diplomatic ties with Moscow to protest the presence of Russian troops on its territory. It claims, as does the West, that Russia is violating the EU agreement. The Georgian government announced Friday that diplomatic staff would leave Georgia's Moscow embassy Saturday, though Georgian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Khatuna Iosana said they had not left as of 6:30 p.m. local time (14:30GMT).

"We found ourselves in an awkward situation when a country militarily invading and occupying our country, then recognizing part of its territories, is trying to create a sense of normalcy" by maintaining diplomatic relations, Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said in Sweden earlier.

More to follow:

God Bless America and may he be with the Gulf Coast residents right now.

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

News Update 30 August 2008

Update as of 1200 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Gustav strengthens to a Category Three Hurricane.
2. Taliban Commander believed dead in a Pakistani air strike.
3. Russia cuts ties with Georgia.


From FOX News:

Hurricane Gustav strengthened into a dangerous storm Saturday, and as city officials started evacuation plans, some residents weren't waiting to be told to leave.

Cars packed with clothes, boxes and pet carriers drove north among heavy traffic on Interstate 55, a major route out of the city. Gas stations around the city hummed. And nursing homes and hospitals began sending patients farther inland.

I'm getting out of here. I can't take another hurricane," said Ramona Summers, 59, whose house flooded during Katrina. She hurried to help friends gather their belongings. Her car was already packed for Gonzales, nearly 60 miles away to the west of New Orleans.

Gustav swelled into a major hurricane south of Cuba and could strike the U.S. coast anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas by Tuesday, but forecasters said there is a better-than-even chance that New Orleans will get slammed by at least tropical-storm-force winds. That raised the likelihood people will have to flee, and the city suggested a full-scale evacuation call could come as soon as Sunday.

From CNN:

An airstrike by Pakistani fighter jets killed more than 30 Taliban fighters, including an alleged high-ranking Taliban commander, a government spokesman said Saturday.

The military called in the fighter jets Friday to support Pakistani army ground troops in the violence-plagued northwest after they were caught in a clash with Taliban fighters, the spokesman said.

The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan said Saturday that coalition airstrikes had killed several militants in an Afghan province north of the capital, Kabul.

It happened Friday in Kapisa province, when coalition forces tried to search a compound for a Taliban commander suspected of smuggling weapons into Afghanistan and of conducting attacks on coalition and NATO forces with improvised explosive devices, the coalition said.

Coalition forces came under heavy fire from AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades and told the militants to come out peacefully.

"Several women and children exited the compound and were moved to a safe area at which time coalition forces again came under AK-47 and RPG fire," a coalition statement said. "Coalition forces responded with precision airstrikes, killing several militants."

From NY Times:

The Georgian government broke off diplomatic relations with Russia on Friday and Russia responded by doing the same.

While the move was expected in the wake of the war this month, it was a significant political ripple in post-Soviet politics. Never before has Russia severed formal diplomatic ties with any of the other 14 republics that became independent states in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The countries will retain consular offices in each other’s territories, handling such matters as issuing passports and assisting their citizens with legal affairs, but the political ties will now be handled through intermediaries, a spokeswoman for Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia is now in talks with several countries as possible candidates to represent Georgia in Moscow, the ministry spokeswoman said, in the way, for example, that the Swiss Embassy in Tehran represents American interests in Iran, a country with which the United States has no diplomatic relations.

The Georgian Parliament passed a law on Thursday instructing the government to sever ties with Russia as one of seven points of protest to the Russian Army’s occupation of two separatist regions and a security zone around them, and Russian government recognition of the two regions as independent countries.

The law does not prohibit Russian and Georgian diplomats from meeting on the territory of third countries.

More to follow:

God Bless America

Bryan


Photo is from NOAA and from the FOX News Article. Sphere: Related Content

Analysis of the Days Events 29 August 2008

First off tonight, my thoughts and prayers are with the Gulf Coast citizens. It has been a long and hard road since Hurricane Katrina, and now we are staring down the barrel at another bad one. Hopefully it swings away to a much less populated area, or just loses strength. The one thing I will say is my hats off to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and his fellow governors from Texas and Mississippi for leaning forward and putting everything into place already. Their leadership will be essential in the coming days if this does truly execute the worst case scenario. To our fellow citizens there, our thoughts and prayers are with you, and anything else we can do to help if the worst happens.

I also think the news earlier today about Sarah Palin being named the Republican Vice Presidential Candidate was absolutely awesome. I truly think that if the Republican Party wins she will do a tremendous job. I've been following her career for about the last two months, and she is everything that is needed and wanted in a leader. It says a lot about our country, that within our Presidential Race we have had Caucasians, African-Americans, and Women. We are a Republic based upon the fact that all men (and women) are created equal, and the judgement of a person's worth is what is inside them and not what they look like, where they come from, their sex or sexual orientation. It doesn't matter where you come from or who your parents were, we are all Americans, and that is what's important.

The last big issue from today's news is our economy though. As I perused the news today, I saw a number of disturbing trends. This goes much beyond the housing market, consumer confidence and other indicators. The ones that really grabbed my attention were our educational rankings, airline ticket prices, and Internet traffic amounts. The first with the education rankings put us behind a number of other countries around the world. This wasn't just regulated to Europe, but rather all over. If we are to remain economically viable we must have the best schools in the world. This is a no-failure option. If we lose this fight, we will lose our economy.

Airline tickets have risen by about 30-50% since January depending on where you are flying. The airlines are also cutting back on promotions and service routes. This will directly impact vacations, personal travel, and business travel. The impact and the 2nd and 3rd order effects are not good. The Internet traffic indicators showing that more and more traffic is bypassing us doesn't sound like much at first. But the fact that more and more business is done over and on the Internet brings this into clarity. If we are bypassed more and more then our companies are losing this business to foreign competition, and will only make the matter worse.

The essential issue becomes what is the problem. Well we can argue domestic economic templates and structures for years, but their is an overarching problem we haven't seen discussed yet publicly. That is the fact that many of these other nations view economics as a weapon to be used to further their national power. We don't think of it in that way, and that is hurting us. If we are truly going to be competitive in the 21st Century we must make this shift in our thinking and within our National Strategy.

God Bless America

Bryan

Supporting Articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pipes.html?ref=business

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/08/29/gustav.prepare/index.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,413784,00.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/29/mccain-to-name-running-mate-on-friday/ Sphere: Related Content

Gustav Strengthens to a Category One Hurricane

As of 1600 Eastern Time, NOAA has upgraded Tropical Storm Gustav to a CAT 1 Hurricane.

From FOX News:

Deadly Gustav regained hurricane force as it roared across the Caribbean on Friday and headed straight for the United States' Gulf Coast.

On the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall, forecasters said for the first time there's a better-than-even chance that New Orleans will get slammed at least by tropical-storm-force winds.

In fact, Gustav is expected to be accompanied by huge storm surges of between 15 and 30 feet high when it hits the United States coast, FEMA told Reuters.

"Strengthening seems imminent and could even be rapid," said the National Hurricane Center in Miami

God Bless America, and may he be with the residents of the Gulf Coast that have endured so much since Katrina.

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

News Update 29 August 2008

Breaking News as of 1200 Eastern Time:

Senator McCain picks Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as Vice Presidential Candidate.

From NY Times:

In a surprise move, Senator John McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate on Friday, McCain officials confirmed, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In choosing Ms. Palin — a 44-year-old conservative and self-described “hockey mom” who has been governor for less than two years — the McCain campaign reached far outside the Washington Beltway in an election in which the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, is running on a platform of change.

Ms. Palin, a former mayor of the small town of Wasilla, an Anchorage suburb, and one-time beauty pageant queen, first rose to prominence as a whistle-blower uncovering ethical misconduct in state government.

But Ms. Palin ran as a change agent when she was elected as governor of Alaska in 2006, and in a move that might have appealed to Mr. McCain, she took intense criticism from members of her own party for turning the spotlight on the failures of Alaska Republicans, some of whom had been beset by corruption scandals.

She was elected Alaska’s chief executive after fighting off a comeback bid by a former Democratic governor. Her victory came after she had helped uncover misconduct in the administration of Gov. Frank Murkowski, whom she later trounced in a Republican primary.

From Fox News:

John McCain will introduce Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate at an event here at noon Friday, senior campaign sources confirmed to FOX News.

Palin emerged earlier in the day as the hot name in the vice presidential sweepstakes after reports circulated that two short-listers — Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty — were out of the running.

Adding fuel to the Palin candidacy was a report that a charter aircraft from Anchorage owned by a McCain supporter had arrived at a small airport outside Dayton, Ohio, where McCain has scheduled a noon ET rally to announce his choice.

FOX News reported the jet flew to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Thursday before heading landing in Middletown, Ohio.

Palin will now travel with McCain on the bus from the hotel to the rally where he will introduce her to the nation.

Click here to see photos of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest chief executive.

The choice of Palin was kept under such tight wraps that even Palin’s mother said Friday morning that she had not yet heard from her daughter that she had been selected for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.

“I’m sure she’s trying. We haven’t been off the phone for a second,” Palin’s mother, Sally Heath, said, explaining that she and her husband were notified of the news by friends in Atlanta who were watching FOX News.

More to follow:

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

Today's News Update 29 August 2008

Update as of 1000 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. More on Russian Prime Minister Putin's comments.
2. Georgia breaks ties with Russia.
3. Iran confirms nuclear component production.
4. Pakistan's most likely President under guard due to security threats.
5. Senator McCain VP Buzz.

From Sky News:

Russia fought a brief but bitter war with neighbouring Georgia after Tbilisi tried to retake the pro-Moscow separatist region of South Ossetia.

Moscow responded with a victorious counter-attack, supporting the Ossestians and stoking tensions between Russia and the West.

And it was only after 10 days of occupation that Russian forces began their retreat from the Georgian town of Gori. Moscow insists, however, that some troops will remain in a buffer zone adjacent to South Ossetia and in Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti.

The Russian Prime Minister suggested in a CNN interview that Americans armed and trained the Georgian army for the conflict.

"Why hold years of difficult talks and seek complex compromise solutions in inter-ethnic conflicts? It's easier to arm one side and push it into the murder of the other side, and it's over," he said.

"It seems like an easy solution. In reality it turns out that it's not always so."

Russia's former president also claimed there was a US presence in the region during the fighting.

"We have serious grounds to think that there were US citizens right in the combat zone," Mr Putin said during the interview, which was broadcast on state-run Russian television.

"And if that's so, if that is confirmed, it's very bad. It's very dangerous."

Mr Putin added that the American presence may have its motive in US domestic politics.

"If my guesses are confirmed, then that raises the suspicion that somebody in the United States purposefully created this conflict with the aim of aggravating the situation and creating an advantage... for one of the candidates in the battle for the post of US president," he said.

"They needed a short, victorious war.

"And if it didn't work out, they could always put the blame on us, make us look like the enemy and against the background of this surge of patriotism, once more rally the country around a particular political force."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called the claims "patently false".

From BBC:

Georgia has decided to cut diplomatic ties with Russia, days after Moscow recognised the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said his ministry had received its instructions and "the final decision has been made".

The move came after another day of heated exchanges over the provinces South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over the issue earlier this month.

From CNN:

Iran's deputy foreign minister said Friday that almost 4,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges are now operating at the country's Natanz enrichment facility, the national IRNA news agency reported.

Spinning centrifuges are used to separate uranium atoms to produce uranium concentrated enough for a nuclear weapon's fission chain reaction.

Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar told Iranian TV that another 3,000 centrifuges are being installed, IRNA said.

Iran announced nearly a year ago, in September 2007, that it had more than 3,000 active centrifuges. In April, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised to install 6,000 more over the coming year.

The United States and other Western nations believe Iran's nuclear program is intended to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran insists it is only for peaceful purposes.

The United Nations already has three sanctions resolutions against Iran for failing to suspend the program. Attar said Thursday the sanctions are "futile and ineffective," IRNA reported.

"Had Westerners become certain that the resolutions would bring us down to our knees, they would have definitely intensified (the sanctions)," IRNA quoted Attar as saying.

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany -- a group called P5+1 -- offered a package of economic and other incentives to Iran in July if it suspended its nuclear enrichment program.

Iran failed to meet the group's deadline to accept the offer, leading the P5+1 to discuss further sanctions against Iran, a State Department spokesman said this month

From NY Times:

The favorite to be Pakistan's next president has moved into a guarded government compound over security fears, officials said Friday as a militant campaign against the government led to more violence in the country's volatile northwest.

The party of Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of the slain ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has sought to assure the U.S. that it is committed to battling terrorists since Pervez Musharraf's resignation as president.

The country has been hit by a string of suicide bombings in the last two weeks, including one last week that left 67 dead, many of them civilians. More than 200 people have died in Taliban bombings and clashes since Musharraf quit on Aug. 18.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told reporters Friday that Zardari -- who is widely expected to win a Sept. 6 presidential election by lawmakers -- was staying at a hilltop mansion in Islamabad's government quarters ''for security reasons.''

He did not elaborate, but an intelligence official said there had been reports that the presidential hopeful could be the target of an attack and that he had switched locations after Musharraf's resignation.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Pakistan's five-month-old government initially sought to calm militant violence by holding peace talks. But the initiatives have met with little success, and the government has since intensified military action against al-Qaida- and Taliban-linked militants in northwestern Pakistan. The tribal region along the Afghan border is a rumored hide-out of Osama bin Laden.

From Fox News:

Speculation about who John McCain would name as his running mate focused on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin after reports circulated early Friday that two short-listers — Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty — were out of the running.

Adding fuel to the Palin possibility was a report that a charter aircraft from Anchorage owned by a McCain supporter had arrived in Dayton, Ohio, where McCain has scheduled a noon ET rally to announce his choice.

Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest chief executive.

Former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge also remained in play for the No. 2 spot. His aides would not say where he was Friday morning.

Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman’s name also was being talked about as speculation reached a peak hours before McCain’s scheduled appearance in Dayton. McCain in the past has heaped praise on Whitman for her guidance of eBay to become an Internet giant, and her selection could answer the Obama campaign’s criticism of McCain’s economic expertise.

FOX News confirmed Thursday that McCain had made his selection and would appear with his pick at the Dayton rally.

Sources told FOX News that Romney is not McCain’s choice, even though the former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to appear at the Dayton rally.

And Pawlenty told a Minneapolis radio station that he was not going to be in Dayton for the McCain announcement.

More to Follow:

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Analysis of the Day's Events 28 August 2008

Well yesterday it was accusations that the US Coast Guard High Endurance Cutter Dallas was really bringing in weapons to Georgia. Then shortly afterwards it was how concerned the Russian's were with all of these NATO Naval Vessels in the Black Sea delivering humanitarian aid. Today it was something all together new, that I must admit I didn't see coming.

From CNN:

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

Putin told CNN his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush -- although he presented no evidence to back it up.

"U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict," Putin said. "They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader." Watch Putin accuse the United States »

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino blasted Putin's statements, saying they were "patently false."

"To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational," she said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood concurred, and labeled Putin's statements as "ludicrous."

"Russia is responsible for the crisis," Wood said in an off-camera meeting with reporters in Washington on Thursday. "For the Russians to say they are not responsible for what happened in Georgia is ludicrous. ... Russia is to blame for this crisis and the world is responding to what Russia has done."

So now we have this. We, the United States, caused Georgia to attack South Ossetia to make Senator McCain look good. I know he didn't say it, but my honest assessment is that's who he meant. I think Dana Perino summed it up well when she called it patently false.

Lets just assume away the fact of how criminal that would be for a second and just look at some cold hard after action facts. The South Ossetians were the ones that increased their attacks on Georgian Troops in the disputed area. It was the 58th Russian Army that moved into battle positions and assembly areas and took the time to put on their reactive armor prior to this starting. It was the Black Sea Fleet that was prepped and ready to sail with naval infantry on board to conduct landings. If anyone was preparing for this and orchestrating anything it was the Russians.

The other side of this coin is, if we had been pulling strings wouldn't we have been more prepared. It took the standard amount of times to push humanitarian assistance to Georgia. The planes weren't fueled and sitting on the runway like the Russian's were. The Navy wasn't sitting at the entrance of the Black Sea ready to commit, like the Russians were in their port. I would actually take this a step further then Dana Perino did and call it a ludicrous accusation and nothing shy of Cold War rhetoric that I thought we got past years ago.

A key question becomes why did Putin say this. He's not stupid, in fact hes a very shrewd and intelligent leader. But he didn't get something that we wanted today, and that was a small bit of support from China and other Asian Nations. President Medvedev had attended this conference and was hoping for a resolution supporting them in the overwhelming ocean of criticism of their actions. Instead China and the other nations denied that and stated their concern and hope for a peaceful resolution to the problem. In diplomatic speak, "Nope, your on your own."

Russia is truly on their own right now, well unless you count Iran. Iran would support anyone right now that has a problem with the United States, but they wouldn't be first on my list that's for sure. The question becomes, now what? Where is Putin going to go now. Do we see a gradual back-down to save face, but give up their present course of action, or do they continue full steam ahead. I truly hope its the first.

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

The Army's Equipment, and Future

Today in the Military Blogger's Roundtable we had the pleasure of sitting down with Major General David Halverson, Director of Force Modernization for the Army. Over the last few years many people within the media have questioned whether the right equipment is being put into the Soldiers' hands that need it most. I can say from my position on what I have seen, and from what MG Halverson said today that answer is a resounding yes. In no time in my military career have I seen the Army listen to and strive more to get the right equipment to the right soldier on time as needed to accomplish the mission and protect him. My hat is truly off to our developers and Force Mod Officers who have made this possible.

I worked on the Future Combat System project for over a year between my combat tours, and I know many have questioned its relevance. I can truly say from my fox hole that it is what the Army needs now and for the future to defend our great Nation and defeat our future threats. That sentiment was echoed today by MG Halverson. When asked if an issue was beginning to be seen with major political candidates talking about slowing down FCS development and fielding, he reiterated how dedicated both the Army Chief of Staff and the Army in general is to this project. How it is the critical technology and capabilities that we need for now and the future.

FCS also has a side component and that is the spin out program. This is a program specifically designed to identify technology and capabilities that are ready now, to test them, and then to get them to our great Soldiers overseas fighting the Global War on Terror. I've personally worked with many of these systems, and they are absolutely awesome. They are truly what we need; and a couple of them that are just coming out this year, are exactly what I would have wanted in Iraq or Afghanistan. Basically, the Army is hitting the bulls eye.

Looking to the future, and the variety of threats that we may encounter, the Army's plan is spot on. In addition to the FCS program, the Army is looking very heavily at programs that focus on protection of our ability to build combat power, command and control and the ability to fuse maneuver and intelligence data, to further refine and improve our arming and protection of the Soldier, and increase the rate and ability of the Spin Out Program. To sum all of this up, MG Halverson said it best, "We have to get the right equipment to the soldiers to protect them and help them accomplish their mission." Truthfully, with him at the helm, and knowing our Army's priorities I have absolutely no worries with where we are going, and I know we will be both relevant and ready to handle any threat now and in the future.

The transcript will be posted later today at this site:

http://www.defenselink.mil/Blogger/Index.aspx

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

Today's News Update 28 August 2008

Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Russia fails to gain support from Asian Security Alliance.
2. EU considers sanction on Russia.
3. Russia claims success in new long range missile test.
4. Iraq troops to take over Anbar province.
5. US officials describe Afghan Air Strike.


From CNN:

Russia's hopes of winning international support for its actions in Georgia were dashed Thursday, when China and other Asian nations expressed concern about mounting tensions in the region.

The joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, which includes China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, said the countries hoped any further conflict could be resolved peacefully through dialogue.

"The presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of respect for historic and cultural traditions of every country and efforts aimed at preserving the unity of a state and its territorial integrity," the declaration said, The Associated Press reported.

"Placing the emphasis exclusively on the use of force has no prospects and hinders a comprehensive settlement of local conflicts," AP reported the group as saying.

Russia had appealed to the SCO alliance to support its actions in Georgia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sought their support at a summit Thursday in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan.

Medvedev told the group support for Russia would serve as a "serious signal for those who are trying to justify the aggression."

Russia is trying to counterbalance mounting pressure from the West over its military action in Georgia and its recognition of two breakaway regions -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

From BBC:

EU leaders are considering sanctions "and many other means" against Russia over the crisis in Georgia, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

He gave no further details but added "this will be solved by negotiation".

Moscow's military offensive in Georgia and its recognition of independence for Georgia's breakaway enclaves has been condemned by the West.

But Russia's president says he has the support of China and four central Asian states for its actions in Georgia.

Speaking at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the grouping's united position would have "international resonance".

"I hope it will serve as a serious signal to those who try to turn black into white and justify this aggression," he said in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.

From Reuters:

Russia successfully tested a long-range Topol missile designed to avoid detection by anti-missile defence systems from its Plesetsk launch site, a Russian military spokesman said on Thursday.

"The launch was specially tasked to test the missile's capability to avoid ground-based detection systems," said Colonel Alexander Vovk of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces.

Washington and Warsaw formally signed a deal last week to station elements of a U.S. missile defence shield in Poland, a move that has aggravated Russian-Western tensions already raw from Moscow's intervention in Georgia.

Russia has heaped scorn on the missile defence system, which the U.S. says is aimed at Iran, and through its Foreign Ministry last week vowed "to react, and not only through diplomatic protests."

The RS-12M Topol, called the SS-25 Sickle by NATO, has a maximum range of 10,000 km (6,125 miles) and can carry one 550-kiloton warhead.

Last October former Russian President Vladimir Putin, now the prime minister, said the country was working on new types of nuclear weapons as part of a "grandiose" plan to boost the country's defenses.

"As part of the commander in chief's order there will be a few more launches of this particular missile before the end of the year," Vovk said.

Russia has reconfigured earlier Topol models to expand their life-span to 23 years and has been evaluating the reliability of flight stabilizers that allow the missile to fly to a target in a manner similar to cruise missiles

From CNN:

U.S.-led coalition troops are scheduled to hand over control of a onetime hub of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq to Iraqi forces on Monday, a senior American military official said.

The security transfer in Iraq's Anbar province originally was set for June, but it has been delayed twice.

The first postponement was blamed on a sandstorm, but days before the ceremony was to take place, there was also a suicide bombing at a meeting of tribal sheikhs in an Anbar town west of Baghdad.

The official said the handover was rescheduled after the sandstorm, but a new transfer date was not announced. The transfer then was delayed because Iraqi officials disagreed over how they would handle certain issues, the official said.

More than 25,000 U.S. troops, mostly Marines, serve in Anbar province. They will remain for the time being, the official said, but will shift their mission to supporting Iraqi forces when needed.

The turnover comes as Gen. David Petraeus -- the top U.S. commander in Iraq -- is scheduled to begin making his recommendations to President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates on U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, the official said.

The proposals could come as soon as month's end or in early September and could cover withdrawals over the next six to eight months, the official said.

From the NY Times:

American military officials sought on Wednesday to refute claims that as many as 90 civilians — among them 60 children — were killed in airstrikes on a village in western Afghanistan last Friday.

In the face of an investigation by Afghan officials and a report by a United Nations team that support the high number of deaths, United States officials maintain that 25 militants and 5 civilians were killed in airstrikes called in after Afghan and American commandos came under heavy fire during a raid on the compound of a top Taliban commander.

American officials have refused to comment publicly on the conflicting death tolls pending the outcome of an investigation ordered over the weekend by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, a top American commander. The results are expected to be announced later this week, American officials said.

But four military and Pentagon officials agreed to give details of the incident on the condition of anonymity because of the inquiry under way.

One American military official, who has seen photographs taken at the scene as troops went house to house assessing damage and casualties, said there was no evidence to support the higher civilian death toll. Nor was there any evidence of a large number of recently dug graves or large number of injuries reported in local hospitals, the official said.

The political and diplomatic consequences of the attack have been mounting by the day, with the government of President Hamid Karzai using the episode to demand greater coordination between Afghan and allied forces.

More to follow:

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

Analysis of the Days Events 27 August 2008 (Dallas or the Moskva)

As I have been talking about all day the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas docked in the Georgian port of Batumi delivering 34 tons of Humanitarian Assistance supplies. The photo to the above left is of Captain John Moore, the Commander of the US Task Force delivering Aid. The picture to the right is of the Russian Naval Vessel Moskva. Here is a link to the NY Times Article and CNN Article about this:

NY Times Article

CNN Article

The Russians have a serious problem with this though. I guess Naval Vessels bringing in Humanitarian Assistance to a country that you helped put in the Humanitarian Crisis in the first place is a bad thing to the Russians.

The NY Times Article had this to say:

Russian commanders said Wednesday they were growing alarmed at the number of NATO warships sailing into the Black Sea, conceding that NATO vessels now outnumbered the ships in their fleet anchored off the western coast of Georgia.

As attention turned to the balance of naval power in the sea, the leader of the separatist region of Abkhazia said he would invite Russia to establish a naval base at his territory’s deep-water port of Sukhumi.

And in a move certain to anger Russia, Ukraine’s president, Viktor A. Yushchenko, said he would open negotiations with authorities in Moscow to raise the rent on the Russian naval base at Sevastopol, which is in Ukraine’s predominantly Russian province of Crimea. The United States is pursuing a delicate policy of delivering humanitarian aid on military transport planes and ships, to illustrate to the Russians they do not fully control Georgia’s airspace or coastline.

The policy has left American and Russian naval vessels maneuvering in close proximity off the western coast of Georgia, with the Americans concentrated near the southern port of Batumi and the Russians around the central port of Poti. It has also left the Kremlin deeply suspicious of American motives.

"What the Americans call humanitarian cargoes — of course, they are bringing in weapons," the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, told the BBC in an interview on Tuesday, adding: "We’re not trying to prevent it."

The White House dismissed all assertions that the Pentagon is shipping weapons under the “guise” of humanitarian aid, calling them “ridiculous.”

Apparently testing Russian assurances that their forces have opened the port of Poti for humanitarian aid, the United States Embassy in Tbilisi said a Coast Guard cutter, the Dallas, would attempt to dock there on Wednesday, well within a zone controlled by the Russian military during the war.

The Dallas, however, docked instead at Batumi, to the south. It was carrying 34 tons of humanitarian aid. Georgian military officials said the other port may have been mined, The A.P. reported.

During the conflict with Georgia, Russian soldiers occupied the port and sank Georgian ships in the harbor.

Hmmmm...interesting. So ships bringing in Humanitarian Assistance is a bad thing, and it concerns you. Well lets review the facts first. First off you sortied your Black Sea Fleet within 24 hours of this conflict erupting. We all know you can't do that unless your prepared to. Second, you immediately moved south, blockaded Poti and then took the port with Naval Infantry. Third, you sank Georgian Patrol Vessels, some at sea and some in their berths.

To top all of this off, the Dallas went to Batumi since you are still in and around Poti, in violation of the cease fire you signed. But, the best you can do, is complain about the number of ships that have entered the Black Sea bringing in Humanitarian Assistance, and claim they are actually bringing in weapons. That's the kind of action I expect out of my youngest child when he doesn't get what he wants, not a country's leader. We have been equipping the Georgians for awhile now, I'm quite sure when we send our weapons, and equipment shipments with trainers it will not be hidden.

But then again your record so far has been one of ignoring every element of the cease fire you signed, why should I be surprised by your acting this way now? To top all of this off, I am struck by the contrast between our two countries. Here is the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas delivering Humanitarian Assistance, and then you have the Russian Ship Moskva. While the United States is trying to help, the Russians are sailing their entire Black Sea Fleet sinking Georgian Patrol Vessels. Wired Magazine had a very good article about this here:

While the US Forces in the region are delivering much needed assistance to civilians, the Russians are still illegally imprisoning Georgian Soldiers, illegally occupying terrain in a sovereign nation, and recognizing the break-away republics in direct violation of their cease fire they signed. I am forever reminded at this time of the compassion of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines and why I am so proud to be one. We do not seek to intimidate the needy with force, we give them a hand up. We do not stand by and watch the oppressed languish in pain, we destroy the oppressor and ease the pain of the oppressed.

I completely believe that we are a beacon of hope to the oppressed, and it will always be that way. Just as I'm sure that the Dallas entering the harbor today looked like more than just a ship to the Georgian's.

God Bless America and may He be with the crew of the Dallas, McFaul, and all of our other Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines operating in that region right now and anywhere in the world.

Bryan

Photo is by Sergei Grits/Associated Press and part of the NY Times Article. Sphere: Related Content

US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas

The US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas arrived in Batumi and started delivering its humanitarian assistance supplies. In addition the US Navy Ship UUS McFaul has also arrived in Batumi. Here is more information and the articles about it.

From CNN:

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas bypassed its original destination, the Georgian port of Poti, which is controlled by Russian troops still in the country despite a cease-fire deal to end conflict between the two countries.

The Dallas carried 80 pallets with more than 76,000 pounds of relief supplies, the U.S. Sixth Fleet public affairs office said in a statement, including hygiene items, food, milk and juices.

The cutter is delivering aid as part of a larger U.S. program that has delivered supplies worth at least $20 million to Georgia.

More than 50 U.S. military flights have also landed in Georgia. And a U.S. Navy ship -- the USS McFaul -- recently arrived at the Batumi port with 155,000 pounds of bottled water, milk, baby food and other items, the U.S. Navy said.

The United States says it has also delivered sanitation facilities, tents, bedding and dry and canned goods to Georgia.

Russia has criticized the U.S. program to deliver $20 million of aid to Georgia. One general labeled the move "devilish," according to The Associated Press

God Bless America

Bryan

Photo is attributed to AP / Getty Images and from the CNN Article Sphere: Related Content

Todays News Update 27 August 2008

Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Russian Troops still retain the Georgian port of Poti.
2. US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas arrives in Batumi with humanitarian relief.
3. Ukraine condemns Russian actions.
4. Zalmay Khalilzad criticized over unauthorized contact with party leader
5. North Korea threatens to restore plutonium plant.


From CNN:

A U.S. Coast Guard ship carrying humanitarian aid docked in the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi Wednesday, as Georgia's Western allies renewed their criticism of Russia amid escalating tensions.

The cutter Dallas bypassed its original destination, the Georgian port of Poti, which is controlled by Russian troops still in the country despite a cease-fire deal to end conflict between the two countries.

The arrival of the Dallas cames as Western leaders renewed criticism of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's move Tuesday to recognize the independence of two Georgian breakaway provinces, Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- over which Georgia and Russia have been fighting.

The move, which controvened a French-brokered cease-fire deal to end the conflict, was condemned as illegal by European leaders.

The 26 countires of NATO -- which Georgia is seeking to join -- greed on a joint statement urging Moscow to reconsider its decision, AP reported.

Russia has, in turn, criticized the U.S. program to deliver $20 million of aid to Georgia. One general labeled the move "devilish," according to The Associated Press.

"The heightened activity of NATO ships in the Black Sea perplexes us," AP quoted Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn as saying in Moscow. Watch how aid ship has upset Russians »

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday said Russia's decision to recognize South Ossetia and Georgia as independent broke international law.

"We cannot accept these violations of international law, of accords for security and cooperation in Europe, of United Nations resolutions, and the taking ... of a territory by the army of a neighboring country," Kouchner said, according to AP.

British Foreign Minister David Miliband, in Ukraine to rally support for "the widest possible coaltion against Russian aggression" also renewed his criticism of Russia's latest diplomatic offensive.

"It takes no account of the views of the hundreds of thousands of Georgians and others who have been forced to abandon their homes in the two territories," he said, according to the UK's Press Association.

The German government said Chancellor Angela Merkel has pressed Medvedev to fulfill the terms of a European-brokered cease-fire in Georgia and condemned Moscow's recognition of independence, AP reported.

Russia's declaration raised the stakes in the stand-off between Moscow and the West which began after Georgian troops attacked pro-Russian separatists in South Ossetia on August 7, triggering a Russian invasion of Georgia. Russian tanks, troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and Abkhazia the following day, advancing into Georgian cities.

From NY Times and Reuters:

Ukraine said on Wednesday it wanted to discuss charging Russia more for the lease of a Black Sea naval base, a move that could aggravate regional tensions already enflamed by Moscow's conflict with Georgia.

As the U.S. Navy shipped in humanitarian supplies to Georgia, Russia said its navy was watching "the build-up of NATO forces in the Black Sea area" and had started taking measures to monitor their activity.

Georgia weighed its response to the Moscow-backed breakaway of two rebel Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and President Mikheil Saakashvili urged the West to stand firm in upholding international law.

"Russia clearly intended this as a blatant challenge to world order. It's now up to all of us to roll Russian aggression back. If they get away with this, they will carry on ... they will also attack other countries in the neighbourhood," he told Reuters in an interview.

Russia quickly routed Georgian forces in a brief war over South Ossetia this month, the first time it has sent its forces into combat abroad since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

The crisis has rattled the West and alarmed other former Soviet republics with sizeable Russian minorities, particularly Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko joined Western nations in condemning the Russian move on Tuesday to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states under Moscow's protection.

"We are sorry about this decision, for Ukraine it is unacceptable and therefore we cannot support this position," he said in an interview with Reuters.

Yushchenko said Kiev wanted to raise the question of increasing Russia's rent on its Sevastopol base in Ukraine's Crimea region, the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet.

Russia has said any renegotiation would break a 1997 agreement between the two countries, under which it currently leases the base for $98 million a year until 2017.

"We will see how this will develop. We are sticking to the conditions on the timetable for the Russian fleet's presence there strictly," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, told a news briefing.

Nogovitsyn accused NATO nations of "ratcheting up tension" in the Black Sea, but said Russia was not planning to increase its own presence there. "Now we have people flexing their muscles, demonstrating force. We can only regret that," he said.

From CNN:

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, is drawing heat over unauthorized contact he has had with Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a possible contender to succeed Pervez Musharraf as president of Pakistan.

Khalilzad has been speaking several times a week for the past few months with Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan's People's Party, administration officials said.

Official U.S. policy is to remain neutral in Pakistan's political turmoil and the presidential campaign to succeed Musharraf. Khalilzad's conduct has raised concern among officials that the United States could be perceived as taking sides since Zardari is considered to be his party's candidate for the presidency.

From NY Times:

North Korea said Tuesday that it had stopped disabling its main nuclear complex and threatened to restore facilities there that the North had used to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons unless the United States removed it from a terrorist list.

For months, United States experts and North Korean engineers have been disabling key facilities at the complex at Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, the capital, in a move that temporarily shut down the North’s only known source of plutonium.

If North Korea rebuilds the facilities in defiance of the United States and a coalition of major powers that have sought to disarm North Korea, it would nullify a major foreign policy achievement of the Bush administration.

North Korea often issues strident warnings as a negotiating tactic but the latest declaration still dimmed the administration’s hopes of achieving a breakthrough in the North’s nuclear disarmament before President Bush leaves office in January.

The State Department described the announcement as a “step backward.”

“This certainly is in violation of their commitments to the six-party framework,” a State Department spokesman, Robert Wood, told reporters, according to Reuters.

North Korea accused Washington of not keeping its promise to take North Korea off a terrorism blacklist. The United States wants North Korea to agree to a comprehensive method of checking whether it withheld information in a report on its past nuclear activities before it removes North Korea from the list.

A White House spokesman, Tony Fratto, said North Korea had informed Washington that it had halted its work at the plant temporarily. “We’ve informed North Korea that we will take action to rescind its designation when it fulfills its commitment regarding verification,” he said.

More to follow:

God Bless America

Bryan

Photo is from the CNN Article and attributed to AP. Sphere: Related Content

Final News Update 26 August 2008

Update as of 2300 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Sergey sent in a very good comments section post that is included.
2. Russia condemned for recognizing break-away areas of Georgia

From Sergey:

Here is 30-minute video from Tkshinval during the war in Ossetia by Russian news reporter, it was shown on Russian TV recently, English subtitles done by LJ bloggers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgSvYtjzZt8

As you alredy know, Medvedev agreed to Council of Federation and Duma call to Abkhazia and Ossetia independance and asks the world to support it too. I see a lot of video of happy Ossetian and Abkhazian people on TV, they are really joyful, saying thanks to Medvedev and Russian people, riding with Ossetian flags and shouting. They say they waited this day for so long and so on, from here it looks like really a will of people, but not as Moscow plan of expansion. I hope Georgia's recent military movements will not break into another war.

Also there are a lot of talks here about NATO ships with strategic missles in a Black Sea, possible military support to Georgia beyond humanitarian help and a possibility of missles attack to Iran.

From CNN:

Western nations and organizations Tuesday condemned Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway regions in Georgia.

"This is not an easy choice to make, but it represents the only possibility to save human lives," Medvedev said Tuesday in a televised address.

He called on other countries to follow Russia's lead, which comes in the wake of the Russian-Georgian conflict which erupted earlier this month.

U.S. President George W. Bush led the condemnation with a strongly worded statement said: "The United States condemns the decision by the Russian president to recognize as independent states the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.".

Bush said Russia's move was "inconsistent" with the French-brokered cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting and called on Russia to "reconsider this irresponsible decision."

Bush added: "The territorial integrity and borders of Georgia must be respected, just as those of Russia or any other country. Russia's action only exacerbates tensions and complicates diplomatic negotiations."

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the decision was "unjustifiable and unacceptable."

"It will also not work. It is contrary to the principles of the peace agreement, which Russia recently agreed... [it] further inflames an already tense situation in the region," Miliband said.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said the decision was in "direct violation of numerous U.N. Security Council resolutions regarding Georgia's territorial integrity."

The European Union also urged a political solutions to the tensions in Georgia.

More to follow in the morning.

God Bless America

Bryan Sphere: Related Content

Analysis of Today's Events 26 August 2008

Before I discuss the NY Times Article on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) I wanted to take a second and discuss the latest from President Medvedev. Today with Prime Minister Putin looking on from his side, he stated he did not fear another cold war. That the issue of a cold war was not their problem, and rested firmly with the West to choose that course of action. It was almost the old school yard, "I didn't do anything, now if you do your in the wrong", game.

There is just one major glaring problem with their rationale. The fact that they signed a treaty with Georgia and the West agreeing to a number of things. So far the only one that has been partially done is the withdrawal. But to top that off they still have forces within Georgia proper. So just to recap all that has happened. Russia signed a treaty to conduct a cease fire and depart Georgia. They haven't fully executed that. They said they would return to a 7 August 2008 status quo, they have not done that, and today they recognized the two areas as sovereign nations.

If there is anyone who is forcing the issue of a cold war it is Russia right now. You invaded your neighbor, you have been waving the saber of intimidation at your former eastern bloc countries, committing cyber attacks, and now blatantly not keeping your part of the cease fire agreement. I would take a very hard look in the mirror if I was Medvedev, but then again I think this was a plan all along.

Second issue tonight is the New York Times article yesterday about MTBI. I think it is an OK article. There are two major issues that I want to talk about though, the first is you have to read all three pages for both sides, and then you only get 25% of any sort of "good news."

If I am going to write an article discussing something I try to approach it from both sides of the debate, so that you can read my facts, read my analysis, see my conclusions, and then agree or disagree. I hope I made a good enough argument that you agree, but as long as I showed all sides of the problem, I can feel good about it. I know Im not spinning an issue as Bill would say.

But this article spends 75% of the time talking about the negative. The military has in the last two years done a huge turn around trying to help soldiers with MTBI. Up until that point from my understanding there was a genuine misunderstanding of what was going on. Medical professionals were not sure what was going on. The problem was identified though, and the steps being taken are extraordinary.

The second issue was that some of these cases were exactly what was discussed by the Army Family Action Plan Roundtable last week that I wrote about. Soldiers many times, especially in our Guard and Reserve Units, return home, and are miles and miles away from their unit and other military members. They are a great distance away also from medical facilities that are specifically looking for and treating these conditions. That was the entire basis for one of their most major initiatives targeting these soldiers to better treat them and service them. But, did the article cover anything along these lines, no. Did it pass on any of this information, no it did not, and that is where my severe disappointment is.

I know that this could just be called another case of the main stream media not telling the entire story. But this is different for me. This is an issue of taking care of soldiers, and that is a charge I take very seriously.

The link to the NY Times article is listed again below, and the link to my last story on the Army Family Action Plan.

God Bless America

Bryan

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/us/26tbi.html?pagewanted=1

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Army Battlemind Website

I just got this website from the US Army PAO Personnel that work with Military Bloggers. There is a great number of resources here dealing with pre-deployment issues, deployment issues for families, post deployment and PTSD and MTBI. There is videos and resources geared towards children also to help deal with deployment problems. I know one of the ideas, off a similar site at the time, "The Daddy Doll", was one that helped my oldest when he was 3 and a half, the first time I left.

https://www.battlemind.army.mil/


Talking about PTSD and MTBI, there was a story in the NY Times today also about MTBI. I will be dealing with it in tonights post. More to follow on that very shortly.

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Today's News Stories 26 August 2008

Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. German Chancellor calls Russian recognition of break-away regions of Georgia unacceptable.
2. EU continues to attempt to figure out what to do about Russia.
3. Corruption charges dropped against most likely Pakistani Presidential Candidate.
4. DNC Convention.
5. Senator McCain takes a much more visible road during convention.

From Fox News:

President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday he has signed a decree recognizing the independence of the breakaway Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Few other nations are likely to follow Russia's lead but the move is sure to further escalate tensions between Moscow and the West.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Russian recognition of Georgian rebel regions "absolutely unacceptable."

"This is not an easy choice but this is the only chance to save people's lives," Medvedev said in a televised address a day after Russia's Kremlin-controlled parliament voted unanimously to support the diplomatic recognition.

Medvedev's declaration comes as Russian forces remain in Georgia after a war, staking out positions beyond the de-facto borders of the separatist regions. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have effectively ruled themselves following wars with Georgia in the 1990s.

Russia's military presence seems likely to further weaken Georgia, a Western ally in the Caucasus region, a major transit corridor for energy supplies to Europe and a strategic crossroads close to the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia and energy-rich Central Asia

From CNN:

Russia's president said Tuesday he has signed an order recognizing the independence of two Georgian breakaway provinces, a move likely to increase tensions with the West over the conflict in the region.

Dmitry Medvedev blamed Georgia's president, Mikheil Saakashvili, for forcing his hand by launching a military assault South Ossetia rebels, triggering a major invasion by Russia's military.

"This is not an easy choice but this is the only opportunity to preserve the lives of the people," Medvedev said, according to a translation from Russia Today.

Medvedev called on other countries to follow Russia's lead. He signed the order a day after it was overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Russia's parliament.

A unanimous vote on Monday by both houses of Russia's parliament in favor of recognizing South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia, as independent has already drawn international condemnation. Watch rebel leaders seek statehood

That vote was rejected by Saakashvili, who called it an attempt by Russia to "justify the occupation" by its forces, which remain in parts of Georgia.

U.S. President George W. Bush Monday urged Russia not to recognize the regions' independence, saying he was "deeply concerned" by the move.

From the NY Times:

Even as they urged Russian leaders to reject calls from the Russian Parliament to formally recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, European diplomats on Monday began the delicate task of finding a consensus on the Russia-Georgia crisis before an emergency summit meeting of the European Union on Sept. 1.

Europeans agree that Russia overreacted to Georgia’s assault on South Ossetia and that Russia has not complied with the cease-fire agreement that ended the conflict.

But Europeans disagree on what to do about it, with little obvious leverage on Russia, especially on the ground in the Caucasus.

European officials do think they have a leading diplomatic role to play, however, because Russia does not regard the Bush administration, a primary supporter of President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, as an honest broker.

To support Mr. Saakashvili, President Bush is sending Vice President Dick Cheney to Georgia next week, the White House announced on Monday. Mr. Cheney, considered a strong supporter of Mr. Saakashvili and Georgian independence, will also stop in Azerbaijan and Ukraine, which like Georgia are former Soviet states with close ties to the West.

Mr. Cheney will also stop in Italy, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — like leaders in France, Germany, Belgium and other European countries — is eager to maintain good relationships with neighboring Moscow.

By contrast, the countries of Central Europe, like Poland, supported by the Nordic countries, the Netherlands and Britain, want a more confrontational stance toward Russia, to show Moscow that aggression has costs. But “old Europe” wants to help ease Russia out of its predicament and not create a long-term animosity with a country that has a strong energy, trade and cultural relationship with Europe.

From Fox News:

The Geneva prosecutor said Monday he has dropped money laundering charges against Asif Ali Zardari, widower of the late Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto and favorite to become the country's next president.

Prosecutor General Daniel Zappelli noted that the Pakistan prosecutor had dropped his corruption case against Zardari partly on grounds the original charges were politically motivated.

Zappelli's move comes eight months after he dropped charges against Bhutto the day following her assassination.

Pakistani judicial officials had ordered Pakistan's case against Zardari closed after then-President Pervez Musharraf issued a controversial order quashing corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party chose Zardari last week as its presidential candidate in the Sept. 6 election by lawmakers to fill the post left vacant by Musharraf's resignation.

From Fox News:

Michelle Obama charmed the Democratic National Convention audience with her headlining address in Denver, but all eyes are on Hillary Clinton Tuesday as she prepares to make the case for party unity amid lingering tensions.

Some of her supporters and delegates are still sour over the tight and bruising Democratic primary battle. But negotiations are being held to put her name in for nomination Wednesday as a gesture while still allowing the New York senator to cut the roll call short and call on her delegates to unanimously back Obama.

Clinton addresses the convention Tuesday along with keynote speaker, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner.

Her primary campaign has been a constant presence so far at the convention, with several speakers praising her for her efforts.

Michelle Obama drew enthusiastic cheers Monday night by praising Clinton for putting “those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling” — a reference to her vote total in the primaries.

From CNN:

The headliners -- Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner -- will deliver full-length addresses. But most of those appearing at the podium will have four minutes or less to get their message across to a sometimes less-than-attentive crowd.

The podium parade will feature 40 officeholders, including two mayors, 13 governors, 14 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 11 senators -- nine of them women.

The only state official on the list who is not a governor is California State Comptroller John Chiang, who is known for his clashes with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The remaining 20 speakers are primarily nonpoliticians, including a flood victim and people who recently have lost jobs or are about to be laid off. Watch highlights from convention's first day »

An Iraq war veteran, Bronze Star recipient Koby Langley, is scheduled to appear. The leader of Veterans for Obama will lead the convention in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The lone educator on the speakers' list is the president of a technical college serving American Indians. David Gipp will talk about the need for higher education opportunities for members of tribal nations.

From CNN:

Presidential candidates usually keep a low-profile during the other guy's convention, but not John McCain. He's trying here in his home state to stay relevant to what's happening in Denver at the Democratic National Convention.

The strategy behind McCain skipping the usual R&R is pretty clear: The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll shows this race is much closer frankly than either side expected it to be in a sour year for Republicans, so Team McCain wants to keep the heat on Barack Obama.

"If you had told me two months ago that we'd be dead even heading into the Democratic National Convention, I would have told you were crazy," one McCain adviser told me.

So McCain advisers say their goal is to keep Obama's convention "bounce" to a minimum, so McCain can head to St. Paul, Minnesota, next week with some real momentum. They think the best way to do that is to drive a deeper wedge between Obama and Sen.Hillary Clinton.

It started last weekend, when Obama picked Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware instead of Clinton as his running mate. McCain's camp quickly released a TV ad titled "Passed Over," trying to stoke the simmering anger among Clintonites who feel she got a raw deal. Now the Republican National Committee has another ad pouring more gasoline on the fire. Watch McCain's attempts to use the "Hillary Clinton card." »

"Who has the experience to govern our nation?" the narrator begins, before cutting to an old clip from Clinton during the tense Democratic primary season. "Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign," Clinton says in the clip. "I will bring a lifetime of experience, and Sen. Obama will bring a speech he gave in 2002."

More to follow:

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Analysis of the Day's Events 25 August 2008

There was a lot of the same today, but also some very interesting developments. Pakistan is continuing to destabilize. The coalition that they had put in place continues to lose strength and splinter at the seams. There has also been a combination of appeasement and offensive against the Taliban elements within Pakistan. I'm not quite sure if this is a concerted effort by the government or if this is tied more to individual commanders taking initiative or trying to destroy competitors. Either way Pakistan has become a major wait and see area. Right now, Ill be very honest, I'm not sure which way they are going to go.

Russia's lawmakers also decided they wanted the President to bring South Ossetia and Abkhazia into the Russian Federation. The last time I checked this was not Russia's choice. This would have to be an issue dealt with within the United Nations after all that has occured. In all honesty this is a political stunt staged to set conditions for the President and Putin to further their movement towards having these areas brought back in. I dont think there is doubt in anyones mind around the world as to what the Russian's agenda is anymore.

Russia wants these provinces, they want to prevent Georgia and the Ukraine from joining NATO, and they want to re-exert their sphere of influence over Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus Region. There is no more hiding this fact. In my honest opinion the days of Glasnost are gone; unless the Russian people tell Putin and his friends that enough is enough. If not, then this is the way things are going I fear.

Finally, the US / Iraqi Treaty that will outline the future of our deployments and support to Iraq. Trust me I'm watching it very closely for a number of reasons. Many people are asking the question of what will our level of support be? I think that is the wrong question. The right question is what do the Iraqi's want and need from us?

They are a sovereign nation. They know what they need and want, and that is the crucial part. We must respect that and do as they request. Do not take me the wrong way, I believe our government is doing that, but I think the talking heads and pundits on TV are missing the point.

The other part of this equation is why are we trying to figure out what right may look like? We have Foreign Internal Defense plans and training that have been executed all over the globe. We also have the Saudi Arabian National Guard Training Team just to the south. There is a potential perfect example of what right may look like. You have trainers, advisers, and maintainers to support the Saudi Arabian National Guard. I am quite sure this element can give a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

In addition the only real question for the Iraqi Government is what do they think they need to assist securing them from an external threat while their Army continues to grow. The Iraqi Army has been doing absolutely awesome, but to continue securing from internal threats and deal with an external threat might be a bit much right now. That is the final question that needs to be answered. But if we are going to ask the question; as a wise man once told me, we have to ask the right ones to get the correct answer.

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Today's News Update 25 August 2008

Update as of 0900 Eastern Time:

Bottom Line Up Front:
1. Russian Lawmakers ask Russian President to back recognition of break-away Georgian Republics
2. Pakistan Militants strike Pakistan Lawmakers home.

From CNN:

Russian lawmakers asked President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday to recognize the independence of two breakaway regions of Georgia: Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Neither Russia nor the United Nations currently recognize either region as independent, despite both declaring de facto independence from Georgia.

The two regions have autonomous governments backed by Russia.

On Monday, both houses of Russian parliament -- the Federation Council and the Duma -- voted unanimously for such recognition. They acted after several committees, including the committees on foreign affairs, defense and the Commonwealth of Independent States, met to consider the matter.

However the parliamentary votes are not legally binding and Medvedev will make the final call.

"We have more political-legal grounds than Kosovo to have our independence recognized," South Ossetia President Eduard Kokoity told the upper chamber, according to the Interfax news agency. "When I say 'we' I mean both South Ossetia and Abkhazia."

From Fox News:

Russian lawmakers voted unanimously Monday to ask the president to recognize the independence of Georgia's two rebel provinces, a move likely to anger the United States, the European Union and other Georgian allies.

The twin votes by the upper and lower houses of the Russian parliament came after intense fighting between Russia and Georgia over the two separatist provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The votes were not legally binding and it was up to President Dmitry Medvedev to make the final call on diplomatic recognition. Still, experts say the blessing by lawmakers gives the Kremlin an extra bargaining chip in its dealings with the West as it tries to reassert influence in the former Soviet republics and resist moves by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO.

"Today we must fulfill what is I think our historic mission — to defend small countries from aggressors," Federation Council member Boris Spiegel told Associated Press Television before the vote.

Currently, neither Russia nor any other member of the United Nations recognizes the two provinces' independence claims. Both won de-facto independence in the 1990s after wars with the Georgia, and have survived ever since with Russia's financial, political and military support

From CNN:

Militants attacked the home of a lawmaker in Pakistan's violence-plagued northwest Monday, killing 10 people in the latest unrest to hit the country since the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, authorities said.

The politician survived the attack but his brother died, said military spokesman Col. Baseer Haider. The Islamic movement, the Taliban, claimed responsibility.

Militants used rockets and grenades to launch their attack at the home in the village of Shah Dheri in the Swat valley, a tourist area where security has continued to deteriorate despite a three-month-old peace pact.

The home belongs to Waqar Ahmed Khan, a member of the Awami National Party and a member of the provincial assembly of the North West Frontier Province, where the Swat valley is located.

The valley, a rugged area near the Afghanistan border where the central government has long exerted little control, has been the site of an intense military offensive since late July.

More to follow:

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