The likely loss of unemployment benefits for 3.71 million Americans in a few months will only add to an economy edging ever closer to recession, according to analysis that puts the chances of another downturn at better than 1 in 3.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists say the ending of benefits for the so-called "99ers"—those who have exceeded their normal benefit allotment and are on an emergency compensation program through the end of the year—will slow the economy even further. The term comes from a previous extension to 99 weeks of eligibility for benefits.

When the long-term unemployed hit the same point several months ago, Congress stepped in with an extension. But that may not come now.

"We do not expect them to get extended," BofAML economist Joshua Dennerlein wrote in a note to clients. "This will act as a hit to income, hurting consumption growth in the first half of the year."

More importantly, this "hit" comes at a time when BofAML thinks the economy—already battered by rising unemployment and a Depression-level housing market—is very fragile. Another shock, the bank argues, could send it into recession .

Jeff Cox
Staff Writer
CNBC.com

In fact, chances of the U.S. economy entering another recession, the firm says, are now 35 percent, about double from a forecast it issued during the spring. Recession is often defined as two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product growth.

"It would take a modest worsening in financial conditions, falling oil prices and rising unemployment. None of these are extreme scenarios," economist Michelle Meyer writes in a separate note. "We argue that after a series of sucker punches earlier this year, the economy is only one shock away from falling into recession."

The good news is that the recession likely would be "mild since the economy already is very lean," specifically citing the 8.8 million jobs sliced during the previous recession and only 1.8 million rehires.

Ominously, though, a recession could trigger a number of unexpected events, with Meyer specifically citing "a muni crisis" where state and local governments, which have been cutting costs aggressively, would face more intense pressure from a new recession that could lead to bond defaults. This is in part the scenario put forth from banking analyst Meredith Whitney, who has been widely reviled for her forecast of a wave of muni defaults.

Meyer said her economic team's "baseline"—or most probable—forecast is no recession. But growth will remain slow and "still feel like a recession to many."

The forecast falls in line with others who believe a second full recession—rather than a double-dip—is on the way or in fact already here.

"It is evident that we will be going into another recession—I think at this point it's only a question of whether it has already begun—with the levels of output, employment and income all lower now than they were prior to the last contraction phase," Gluskin Sheff economist and strategist David Rosenberg said in a note.

Rosenberg said he has "pegged a U.S. recession as a virtual certainty" and warned investors to plan accordingly.

He recommends a mix of risk hedging—shorting low-quality and buying high-quality stocks —and using an income-equity distribution with low correlations to the stock market. He also backs high-yielding corporate debt from companies with solid balance sheet, gold and mining stocks, and commodities, particularly raw food and energy.

"The economy and risk assets typically hit a speed bump in a recession," he said. "That much is true, but investment ideas and opportunities within the market can still flourish even in a bear phase or a correction—cash should not have to be an option."

Investors were fleeing to safety during Thursday's market rout, pushing bond prices sharply higher and the stock market off more than 3 percent as talk spread of a looming recession. The Standard & Poor's 500 [.SPX 1200.07 --- UNCH ] officially entered correction phase of a 10 percent decline from its recent high, although it recovered somewhat later in the day.

"Price declines of 5 percent or more aren't reason enough to signal recession, as there have been eight times as many of these as there have been recessions since WW II," Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P, said in a note. "But unrelenting price declines that are accompanied by weaker-than-expected GDP, ISM (manufacturing) and jobs data add to existing concerns."

Those concerns are manifesting themselves in portfolios, where a return to diversification and stock picking is likely to occur after more than two years of a highly correlated market where asset classes and individual stocks all moved in unison.

"Our advice in the last couple of months has been really pushing the notion of diversification and rebalancing which sounds like plain old vanilla advice," Liz Ann Sonders, chief strategist at Charles Schwab, said in an interview. "Correlations are starting to come down. There's more differentiation now."

Sonders said she too worries about the economy but believes the U.S. is more likely to muddle through than hit an actual recession.

"On our most optimistic day we didn't see anything close to robust growth," said Sonders, who in previous interviews had speculated a return to a "Goldilocks" economy where growth was not too fast or not too slow. "No matter how you slice it, it's not a robust picture."

Recession Seen Looming as Jobless Benefits End

• Economic Politics
• At 5:34:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

• …

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — At least 20,000 Malaysians defied government warnings by marching for electoral reforms Saturday, as police fired tear gas and detained more than 1,600 in the country's biggest political rally in four years.

The crackdown on the opposition-backed demonstration in Malaysia's main city, Kuala Lumpur, triggered criticism that Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling coalition was unwilling to allow public dissent or make election laws fairer ahead of national polls widely expected by mid-2012.

Najib's administration declared the rally illegal and warned people repeatedly over the past month to avoid it. Officials insisted it was simply an opposition scheme to spark chaos and stir anti-government sentiment, while activists accused authorities of being afraid of a protest that could undermine their authority.

Authorities blocked roads, shut rail stations and deployed trucks with water cannons near the Independence Stadium in downtown Kuala Lumpur where activists sought to gather. More than 200 activists had been arrested over the past two weeks for promoting the rally.

The large number of demonstrators who showed up despite the threat of arrests and the disruptions in transport links bolstered claims by activists that the government had misjudged public opinion by not allowing what they insisted would have been a peaceful rally.

The crackdown "stirred a sense of outrage against the exhibition of raw power by our government," said Ambiga Sreenavasan, head of the Bersih coalition of civic groups that organized the rally.

"What is the necessity for a show of might against right? No matter what, right will always prevail," she said.

Police said in a statement that they detained 1,667 people Saturday in a clampdown called "Operation Erase Bersih." Those arrested included several senior opposition officials. Some were released after several hours, with police indicating that most would not be held overnight.

Thousands tried to reach the stadium from various parts of Kuala Lumpur, chanting "Long live the people" and carrying yellow balloons and flowers as they marched.

Police fired numerous rounds of tear gas and chemical-laced water in repeated attempts to disperse the crowds, causing demonstrators to scatter into nearby buildings and alleys before they regrouped. Police helicopters flew overhead as a brief downpour failed to deter the protesters.

Witnesses said riot police armed with batons charged at some protesters and dragged them into trucks. Some were seen bleeding, but police could not confirm any injuries.

Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's top opposition figure, was being treated at a hospital for a "minor injury" he said he received when his group was hit by tear gas. The Malaysiakini news website said he had a knee injury.

"We were attacked from both corners but what was horrifying is that the police shot directly at the protesters, some of them clearly aimed at me personally, so my security assistants had to cover me and one was badly injured because the canister was shot direct, he is badly injured," Anwar told Associated Press Television News. "This is a simple portrayal of the extent of desperation of brutal action approved by the Prime Minister Najib."

The demonstrators dispersed after a five-hour standoff with police. Only several hundred reached the stadium.

Prime Minister Najib insisted Saturday the protesters only represent a minority, and that most Malaysians support his administration.

"If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan," the prime minister was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.

Organizers said 50,000 took part in the rally, but police claimed there were only up to 6,000. Other observers and participants said the total was between 20,000 and 30,000, noting that it was highly unlikely that police could have arrested a quarter of the demonstrators. An accurate count was impossible because they were scattered in various areas.

The rally has galvanized the opposition and has been credited for a surge in political awareness among the public in recent weeks.

Opposition leaders accuse Najib's National Front coalition of relying on fraud to preserve its 54-year grip on power, which has been eroded in recent years amid mounting complaints about corruption and racial discrimination. The government insists the current electoral policies are evenhanded.

The activists' demands include an overhaul of voter registration lists, tougher measures to curb fraud and fairer opportunities for opposition politicians to campaign in government-linked media. The National Front's mandate expires in mid-2013 but many analysts expect elections to be called by next year.

Supporters of the Bersih coalition were also planning solidarity marches over the weekend in foreign cities, including in Australia, Britain, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and the United States.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. has been communicating to Malaysia the importance of respecting human rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.

"We consider it incumbent on all sides to refrain from violence," she told a news conference Friday.

Malaysia fires tear gas at protest, arrests 1,667

• Politics
• At 8:10:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Lai Seng Sin / AP

Malaysian activists cover themselves with towels as they run away from tear gas fired by police during a rally calling for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

msnbc.com news services

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Police fired repeated rounds of tear gas and detained more than 1,600 people in the capital on Saturday as thousands of activists evaded roadblocks and barbed wire to hold a street protest against Prime Minister Najib Razak's government.

At least a dozen people were hurt in the demonstration for electoral reform in downtown Kuala Lumpur. There were no reports of serious injuries but some analysts said the police action was excessive and would dent Najib's image.

"We are not criminals, we are just asking for free and fair elections," opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, told reporters after her father was knocked down and hurt in a melee when he and his supporters were tear gassed.

"Many innocent people were injured. We condemn this act of cruelty by UMNO and Barisan Nasional," she said, referring to Najib's opposition party and the ruling coalition.

Video: Protesters, police wage war in Malaysia (on this page)

Street protests are rare in this Southeast Asian nation, but foreign investors are worried that any groundswell of anti-government sentiment could delay economic reforms seen as essential to draw investment.

If he is put under popular pressure, Najib may reconsider plans for a snap election and hold back on reforms such as cutting fuel subsidies or unwinding an affirmative action program for the country's Malay majority.

Advertise | AdChoices

Polls are not due until 2013 but analysts have said Najib could seek an early mandate after economic growth accelerated to a 10-year high in 2010.

"From Najib's perspective, holding elections anytime soon would be a mistake because of the damage that has been done today," said Bridget Welsh, Malaysia specialist at Singapore Management University.

"The fact that such a large crowd turned up despite a crackdown shows that voter anger is deep and this is going to push a lot of people who are in the middle toward the opposition."

Vincent Thian / AP

Malaysian riot police officers are covered by smoke of tear gas

Authorities took extraordinary security measures to deter Saturday's rally by sealing off roads, closing train stations and deploying trucks with water cannons near the Independence Stadium where activists sought to gather.

Reuters witnesses saw tear gas shells lobbed repeatedly at groups of protesters in downtown Kuala Lumpur as the crowds chanted "Long Live the People" and "Reformasi, reformasi," the Malay word for reform.

Several people were seen bleeding after the tear gas was fired, but police gave no details of any injuries. Crowds around the city's main bus station were also sprayed with water cannon.

Ibrahim, Malaysia's top opposition figure, said on Twitter that he sustained a "minor injury" when his group was hit by tear gas. The Malaysiakini news website said he had a knee injury.

The crackdown "stirred a sense of outrage against the exhibition of raw power by our government," opposition coalition leader Ambiga Sreenavasan told reporters.

"What is the necessity for a show of might against right? No matter what, right will always prevail," she said, minutes before police detained her and other officials as they walked to the stadium.

Police said in a statement that they detained 1,667 people. Those arrested included several senior opposition officials. Some were released after several hours, with police indicating that most would not be held overnight.

The demonstrators dispersed after a five-hour standoff with police. Only several hundred reached the stadium.

"We have made our point that we want free and fair elections," said Chan Mei Yin, a 32-year old accountant who joined the protest.

Advertise | AdChoices

"The police are just showing that they are brutal to Malaysians. I will not vote for this government."

Not Thailand
While Malaysia is far from being divided by political strife like its northern neighbour Thailand, the opposition has been steadily growing more vocal.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets at a November 2007 rally, which analysts said galvanised support for the opposition ahead of record gains in a 2008 general election.

Analysts said the turnout of protesters on Saturday was more than 10,000, around the same as in 2007. Police put the number at 5,000-6,000, while protest organisers claimed 50,000 attended.

"Malaysian civil society is showing the government that intimidation will not work," said Ooi Kee Beng, a political analyst at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies of Singapore.

"We're seeing a lack of will on the part of the government to try to negotiate and to defuse the situation. It's all going to look very bad outside Malaysia."

After Malaysia's constitutional monarch tried to defuse the situation, the government initially offered Bersih (Clean), the group that called the protest, the use of a stadium to hold its demonstration.

But it balked at allowing the group to use the main stadium in downtown Kuala Lumpur, at which point Bersih said it would defy the ban.

From midnight, police locked down the central shopping district of the city of 1.6 million people, setting up roadblocks and barring taxis and buses from the area. Suburban trains, however, continued to operate and other areas of the city were not affected.

Bersih has vowed to bring together tens of thousands of supporters to the protest but it fell short. Still, some analysts said the government faced a problem.

"Just looking at the crowd there were many 'first timers', young people from the Facebook generation who just wanted to have a peaceful life," said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the independent opinion polling outfit Merdeka Center.

"This is trouble for Najib as it will polarise traditionally non-political segments of society like the young even further away from him."

Najib took power in 2009, and inherited a divided ruling coalition which had been weakened by historic losses in the 2008 polls. He has promised to restructure government and economy and introduced an inclusive brand of politics aimed at uniting the country's different races.

Najib's approval ratings have risen from 45 percent to 69 percent in February, according to independent polling outfit Merdeka Center. But analysts said recent ethnic and religious differences have undermined his popularity.

Malaysia police fire tear gas, arrest 1,600 at protest

• Politics
• At 8:07:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Malaysian police face off against thousands of protesters during a mass rally calling for electoral reform in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian police fired tear gas and water cannon at thousands of demonstrators to prevent them from assembling to rally for electoral reform on Saturday. Almost 1,700 people were arrested for defying the government ban in a street protest against Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government.

The police on Sunday said all the detained had been released.

Bersih, the rally organisers, insisted the protests were peaceful in a statement saying: “The only violence witnessed was perpetrated by the police, who unleashed immense amounts of tear gas and chemical laced water on innocent members of the public.”

Some demonstrators sat in front of a police blockade outside of the Tung Shin Hospital. But the authorities eventually fired water into the crowd, scattering the protesters. Some took refuge in a church compound but a group of officers marched in and headed for people wearing yellow t-shirts, the uniform of the rally.

“I don’t know why they are arresting me,” said Muhammad Ismadi bin Haji Abdul Kadir, who works for the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic party, as he was being taken away.

The police had warned the public that they would detain anyone who was participating in or promoting the rally and Kuala Lumpur was placed under a 22-hour lockdown with access to all major roads blocked and some public transport suspended.

Activists and opposition parties argued that was their right to march against the electoral system, which they say is plagued with fraud. This is denied by Mr Najib who accused opposition parties of exploiting the rally to gain political momentum ahead of the next election.

The opposition won an unprecedented number of seats in the last general election following restrictions imposed by the police during a similar demonstration in 2007.

Saturday’s demonstration was billed as a call for free and fair elections. But some had seen it more as a test of Mr Najib, who has built an image as a leader of reform.

Calling for a more transparent electoral system drew Allan Leong, 45, to brave the rain and participate in his first demonstration.

“Malaysia is controlled by one party. It’s not fair. It doesn’t really reflect a true democracy,” he said.

Demonstrators managed to avoid clashing with pro-government groups, who were also out in the hundreds.

The city was eerily quiet, except for the sound of helicopters circling. In the shopping district of Bukit Bintang some shops opened their doors, only to close up a few hours later.

Ms Hao at the Swiss Polo shop, which sells luggage and trinkets to tourists, said she underestimated how much the road blocks would affect her business.

“Malaysia is a very peaceful country to live in. I didn’t think it would get this complicated,” she said.

Source : http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/06d80d3c-aa50-11e0-94a6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Rojg08Yh

Thousands protest against Malaysia government

• Politics
• At 8:05:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Najib Razak's government is on the defensive after Malaysia's biggest opposition-aligned protest in almost four years was put down forcefully on Saturday by riot police, water-cannons and teargas in the national capital.

Over 1,600 people were arrested in the crackdown, including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and the leadership of the protest organizers, Bersih 2.0, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking reform of the country's electoral system.

As the dust settled and Malaysians assessed the longer-term impact of the rally, Najib praised the police's firm response to what he deemed an "illegal" gathering, while Anwar warned of a "hibiscus revolution" - referring to Malaysia's national flower - unless the electoral system is overhauled and broader reforms

undertaken. Protesters said that one man died from a heart attack after fleeing teargas, a claim disputed by police who say the fatality was unrelated to the protest.

Bersih organizers and independent analysts believe Malaysia's electoral system is skewed in favor of the United Malays Nasional Organization (UMNO), which heads the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and has held power uninterrupted since Malaysia achieved independence in 1957. In particular, Bersih has called for a cleaning up of electoral rolls and equal access to state media for opposition parties. The UMNO-led government dominates Malaysia's mainstream media, which predictably took the government's side in reporting on Saturday's protest and crackdown.



A similar protest in 2007 elicited a similar heavy-handed government response, including the arrest of several demonstrators. Some analysts believe that crackdown helped turn popular opinion in favor of the three-party People's Alliance opposition, comprised of Anwar's reformist Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the Islamist PAS and the secular Chinese-led Democratic Action Party (DAP).

The opposition made significant gains at the 2008 general elections, denying UMNO the two-thirds parliamentary majority its coalition traditionally has held. The result was a massive blow to UMNO, denting its aura of invincibility and suggesting that an alternative government was possible.

The opposition won 47% of the popular vote and took control of five of the country's 13 states at those polls and soon after aimed to bring down the government through parliamentary defections. Those defections never materialized and the BN has won in various by-elections held since 2008.

The Anwar-led opposition has lost some traction due to infighting, including over issues such as sharia law, and Anwar's new legal troubles on sodomy charges. Sodomy is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Anwar has denied the charges, which have successfully shifted public attention away from earlier opposition-led reform debates.

Yet the weekend's protest and government crackdown are expected to give the People's Alliance a new lift ahead of general elections that some analysts believe Najib will call within this year to pre-empt an expected slowdown in the economy next year. Some say the crackdown has underscored UMNO's authoritarian roots, despite policies implemented by Najib in recent years to soften its public image.

In the days leading up to July 9, police arrested over 250 Bersih supporters, claiming that they were "waging war against the king". That did not deter the country's monarch, known officially as the "Yang di Pertuan Agong", or "Agong", from making a rare political intervention by meeting with Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevasan. Taken by some as a tacit acknowledgement of Bersih's agenda by the Agong, the protesters changed their original plan to march though Kuala Lumpur and agreed instead to rally at the Merdeka Stadium.



The government flip-flopped its earlier position and along with police sought to move the rally outside the city to blunt its impact. Kuala Lumpur was under police lockdown by Friday afternoon, with roadblocks on all main routes into the city and close to landmark locations where protesters were expected to congregate.

By Friday evening, streets across the city were eerily quiet and on Saturday morning the tourist magnet Bukit Bintang area was almost empty, with incessant fire alarms lending a post-apocalypse feel to the usually-bustling city.

By noon on Saturday at the Negara and Jamek mosques, where the rally organizers hoped to commence a march to the Merdeka Stadium, media initially seemed to outnumber protesters with police making random searches and arrests of people in a nearby bazaar.

Looking on from the train station across from the Jamek mosque, a man giving his name as Azhar said that "we will pray first and then we will demonstrate". Asked where all the protesters were, he said that "we are around, you will see us later when we have enough numbers to march".

At 1:30 pm, a group of around 2,000 supporters of the Malaysian Islamist opposition party PAS emerged onto the streets about a half-kilometer away from the Jamek mosque. They were marching toward Merdeka Square, which was blocked off by police, and chanting "Reformasi" and "Down with Najib".

The group was stopped by a volley of teargas rounds fired by riot police within two minutes of turning the corner toward the square. Squaring with protestor allegations that police fired teargas directly at the crowd, the protesters were given little or no warning before it was fired, with the canisters landing in the middle of the throng.



As witnessed by Asia Times Online, the main protest area then moved to the Central Market area and adjacent streets of the city, where the numbers swelled throughout the afternoon despite repeated tear gas and water cannon attacks by riot police, some of whom ran toward the protesters to arrest people wearing yellow t-shirts or anything resembling the proscribed attire of the Bersih 2.0 coalition.

Pools of blue-green tinted water sloshed around on the streets after police fired water-cannons at the demonstrators, who claimed that the water fired from the police cannons was laced with chemicals.

According to the police, no more than 6,000 people took part in the protest, while Bersih 2.0 claims that 50,000 people turned out. Asia Times Online observations estimated the protester numbers were higher than the implausibly-low official figure, while other independent assessments put the figure at between 10,000 and 20,000.

Significantly, the protesters were racially mixed, including ethnic Malays, Chinese-Malaysians and Indian-Malaysians, the three main ethnic groups in a country where politics are often played on racial lines.

It was unclear how many of the protesters were members or supporters of opposition parties and how many were unaffiliated citizens disaffected with the electoral system. According to Sivarasa Rasiah, an opposition member of parliament and vice president of Anwar's PKR who was arrested on Saturday, the rally "was a spirited multiracial and peaceful crowd who came and went in peace for the cause of bringing about free and fair elections".

By this correspondent's observations, the rally was mainly peaceful, save for a few incidents of protesters lobbing water bottles at riot police trucks. The government's harsh response to a demonstration that on the surface at least merely sought electoral reforms comes down to the ruling party's fears of a "Malaysian Spring", according to Ooi Kee Beng, a Singapore-based Malaysian scholar at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies.

"Memories of how the first Bersih demonstration in 2007, which created the impetus that almost dethroned the Barisan Nasional, must still rankle deeply in the psyche of the government," he said.



On the eve of the rally, with commuters hurrying home as the city went quiet, a Chinese-Malaysian government employee interviewed near the University of Malaya said that he disagreed with the Bersih rally. Refusing to give his name, the man - who said he was a DAP voter - said that the rally "seems to be directed by the opposition and looks like a distraction from Anwar's trial".

The BN leadership has pushed a similar line, mixing claims about the cultural inappropriateness of street demonstrations with allegations that Bersih's electoral reform agenda was driven by opposition politics. Najib told reporters that "We dislike chaos. We like peace. We like a country where the people live in harmony." They were lines that could have come from Malaysia's long-time former authoritarian premier, Mahathir Mohamad.

According to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the protest was a front for the parliamentary opposition rather than a citizen-driven demand for electoral reform. "They [protesters] shouted 'Reformasi' and wreaked havoc," he claimed afterwards.

That the demonstration took place at all was a testimony to the protesters' determination in the face of a police lockdown, though whether it proves to be a game-changer in Malaysia's politics remains to be seen. According to Choong Pui Yee, a research analyst from the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, the rally "caused more harm to Najib's administration and has shown how defiant the people are".



Taking to the streets might therefore be seen as a viable unifying political strategy ahead of the next elections, which must be held by 2013. Greg Lopez, a regular commentator on Malaysian politics for the New Mandala blog, told Asia Times Online that Malaysian opposition groups are now "willing to go to the wire in the face of threat" and warned of a "Thai-situation" with PAS saying that it will continue demonstrations until reforms are carried out.

Najib has since called on a "silent majority" to continue to support the BN, and claims that he could stage a far bigger rally than anything the opposition could mount - though presumably a BN rally would not be declared illegal in advance or stymied by police action. Najib's approval ratings have risen since 2008, according to some opinion polls, driving speculation he could call polls later this year.

Analyst Choong Pui Yee says that the July 9 rally "does not necessarily mean the opposition will win in the next general election, but the BN government will definitely face much stronger opposition voices from opposition parties and the civil society".


Source :http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MG12Ae01.html

Malaysia nips an hibiscus uprising

• Politics
• At 8:03:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

WASHINGTON (AP/The Huffington Post) -- Sarah Palin says she didn't mess up her history on Paul Revere.

The potential 2012 presidential candidate was in Boston on Thursday as part of her bus tour when she was asked about the Revolutionary War hero.

Palin said Revere "warned the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms."

Palin, a paid Fox News contributor, told "Fox News Sunday" that she was correct. She says there were British soldiers in the area for years before Revere's legendary ride, and that he was warning them, as well as his fellow colonists.

"Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there that 'hey, you're not going to take American arms, you are not going to beat our own well-armed persons individual private militia that we have.'"

She blamed her previous answer on the media, saying it was a "gotcha question."

The Paul Revere House's website says that on April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren instructed Revere to ride to Lexington, Mass., to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them.

Watch Palin speak about Revere at the Old North Church in Boston:

Sarah Palin On Paul Revere Ride: I Didn't Get History Wrong (VIDEO)

• Politics
• At 6:30:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

SANAA, June 3 (Reuters) - The Yemeni presidential palace was hit by at least two shells on Friday as street fighting in the civil-war-threatened country widened to more parts of the capital.

Battles in Sanaa have killed at least 155 people over the last 10 days, marking an escalation in the uprising to end President Ali Abdullah Saleh's three-decade long rule of the impoverished state which started in January. About 370 people have been killed in total.

(Reporting by Mohamed Sudam; Editing by Jon Herskovitz)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Source :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/yemen-presidential-palace_n_870767.html

Yemen Presidential Palace Shelled During Fighting

• Politics
• At 8:52:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

'Saturday Night Live' Weekend Update host Seth Meyers delivered a fiery speech Saturday at the White House Correspondents' dinner, ripping everyone from Washington players like President Barack Obama and members of Congress to media mavens like Katie Couric and Michael Bloomberg.

Donald Trump served as perhaps Meyers' biggest victim of the night. The comedian taunted him for his potential presidential candidacy, saying, "Donald Trump has said he's running for president as a Republican -- which is surprising because I thought he was running as a joke." He also teased Trump for his involvement with the Miss USA pageant, sneaking in a subtle jab at Sarah Palin: "Donald Trump owns the Miss USA pageant, which is great for Republicans because it will streamline their search for a vice president." Trump, needless to say, did not appear to crack a smile.

While complimenting the First Lady on her dashing looks, Meyers blasted the president for appearing to age quickly over the past two years. "If your hair gets any whiter, the Tea Party is going to endorse it," he quipped. Seizing on Obama's sinking approval ratings, Meyers added, "I'll tell you who could beat you: 2008 Barack Obama. You would have loved him."

For more Seth snark, check out the full video of his speech below (via Washington Post).

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/01/seth-meyers-white-house-correspondents-dinner-speech-video_n_855946.html

Seth Meyers White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech: Comedian Takes On Trump, Obama, GOP Hopefuls

• Politics
• At 8:47:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

AFP - Jordan's Islamist opposition, leftists and trade unions on Saturday demanded the ouster of Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit, who they blame for violence that has killed one person and injured 130.

"The Islamist movement demands the resignation, or the sacking, of the government and the formation a national unity and reformist government that would win the people's trust and protect their lives," Hamzah Mansur, chief of the powerful Islamic Action Front (IAF), said.

"Any government that kills citizens loses legitimacy," he told a news conference.

Youth movements backed the Islamist call.

"We demand the prime minister and intelligence chief (Mohammed Raqqad) quit," Firas Mahadin of the March 24 youth group told reporters. "We have reached a point of no return."

His father, Muwaffaq Mahadin, a prominent leftist writer, warned "the country is heading towards a civil war and the government is responsible for that because it wants to avoid reforms."

The rift between Jordan's government and Islamists widened after the prime minister on Friday accused the main opposition movement of spreading chaos following the death of a protester, the first in the kingdom.

"Stop playing with fire... stop hiding your real intentions," Prime Minister Bakhit told Islamists in an address broadcast on Jordanian television.

"We have invited the Muslim Brotherhood for talks, away from protests and demonstrations, but apparently they have an agenda to create chaos in the country," Bakhit said.

Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu Bakr said "by accusing the Muslim Brotherhood, the government is trying to escape its responsibilities" proving his calls for reform and freedom were false.

Mansur accused the government of "crimes against humanity."

"The government of Maaruf Bakhit has given proof that it does not believe in the reforms, it is a government with blood on its hands which today has committed crimes against humanity," he said.

The IAF is the main opposition party and political branch of the Brotherhood which found protection in Jordan in the 1950s and 1980s when they were persecuted in Egypt and Syria.

Adopting an unusually strident tone, Bakhit accused the Brotherhood of "taking orders from the Muslim brothers in Egypt and Syria," adding their refusal to dialogue signalled they chose "chaos" for the country.

The Islamist rejected his accusations.

"We always hear such lies from time to time. We are leaders and we have the right to consult with our brothers in Damascus about the Palestinian cause," Brotherhood leader Hammam Said told reporters.

"We do not take orders or instructions from anybody.

Friday's violence in Amman, the first of its kind since protests erupted three months ago, left one person dead and wounded 130 people, three of them in critical condition, medics said.

According to the police 60 civilians and 58 policemen were wounded.

Meanwhile the son of a the protester killed on Friday said the family will not bury him until the interior ministry quits and security officials are sacked.

"We refuse to take his body from the morgue and we will not bury him unless we receive an official apology and the interior minister resigns," Khairy Saad Jamil's son, Nasser, 34, told AFP.

He said his father died after "receiving several blows to his body" while Interior Minister Saad Srur said the cause of death was a "heart attack."

Srur, who is also deputy prime minister, has announced the opening of an investigation to determine those responsible for Friday's violence.

The clashes erupted when about 200 government supporters hurled large stones at more than 2,000 young demonstrators from different movements, including the Islamist opposition.

Police broke up a protest camp set up by the demonstrators who were urging regime reforms and more efforts to fight corruption.

The violence came as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates paid a brief visit Friday to Jordan for talks with key ally King Abdullah.

US officials say the king has been more active in pursuing reforms compared to other leaders in the region.

The government had formed a commission for national dialogue, rejected by Islamists while 15 of its members quit on Friday, saying the government committed "a massacre" and was not seriously committed to reforms.

Source : http://www.france24.com/en/20110326-jordan-opposition-demands-pms-ouster-after-unrest

Jordan opposition demands PM's ouster after unrest

• Politics
• At 9:05:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

CAIRO — Saudi police opened fire Thursday to disperse a protest in the mainly Shiite, oil-producing east, leaving at least one man injured, as the government struggled to prevent a wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world from reaching the kingdom.

Word of the protest helped drive oil prices back up on international markets.

The rare violence raised concern about a crackdown ahead of planned protests after Friday prayers in different cities throughout the oil-rich kingdom. Violence there could reverberate through the world’s markets because of the importance of Saudi oil exports.

Discord is common between authorities and the country’s Shiites, who make up 10 percent of the kingdom’s 23 million citizens. They have long complained of discrimination, saying they are barred from key positions in the military and government and are not given an equal share of the country’s wealth.

Eyeing rising discontent across the Middle East and North Africa, Saudi authorities are increasingly determined to prevent the unrest from spreading to other cities.

Source : http://info-wars.org/2011/03/10/saudi-unrest-escalates-police-fire-on-protesters/

Saudi unrest escalates, police fire on protesters

• Politics
• At 4:23:00 PM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Capitalism: A Love Story and Fahrenheit 9/11 director Michael Moore on Saturday implored demonstrators in Wisconsin to continue fighting Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights.

Moore told the crowd, "We're going to do this together. Don't give up. Please don't give up.

The documentarian also thanked the 14 Democratic state senators that fled the state in order to block the legislation.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have also opposed the governor's efforts to limit public employee wages, require employees to pay more for pension and health benefits and, perhaps most controversially, constrict the scope of collective bargaining and force public unions to hold yearly votes on whether they should remain in existence.

Crowds have been demonstrating against the measures for weeks in Madison, the state's capitol.

Source : http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-moore-speaks-pro-union-164739

Michael Moore Rallies Pro-Union Demonstrators in Wisconsin

• Politics
• At 7:37:00 PM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Ajdabiya, Libya (CNN) -- The Libyan military bombed two key towns in the east again Thursday, stepping up efforts to reclaim a region lost to rebels.

The aircraft targeted al-Brega and Ajdabiya, both of which were hit with bombs Wednesday.

Opposition forces told CNN they were forging ahead, working to maintain their positions and fend off attacks by pro-Gadhafi forces. Rebels have armed themselves in some cases by raiding military installations and police stations.

Morale on the part of the opposition seems to be high, while morale among Gadhafi's forces -- which have seen defections as some members of the military have joined the protests -- seems low, CNN's Ben Wedeman reported from eastern Libya.
Bombing in Libyan oil town
Gadhafi warns against intervention
Should U.S. arm Libyan rebels?
Libyan army reclaims crossing

Libyan jets Thursday dropped two bombs over al-Brega -- one near a military checkpoint and one near the main gate to a refinery, witnesses reported.

In Ajdabiya,a tribal leader said the military dropped two bombs on military camps. Witnesses told CNN one bomb was near an ammunition depot.

The situation in Libya is different from those in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, where uprisings turned into revolutions that overthrew their rulers. Libya is facing a battle between government forces and rebel forces. "This is becoming a war," Wedeman tweeted.

The more Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi uses aerial attacks, the more pressing discussions become in the West about imposing a no-fly zone over the country.

U.S. military and diplomatic officials -- including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- have all said enacting a no-fly zone is complicated and risky, and international support for the idea is not there yet.

"If it's ordered, we can do it," Gates said, but imposing a no-fly zone "begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses."

Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador, Ibrahim al-Dabashi, appealed to the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over the country after he broke with Gadhafi's regime and expressed support for the protesters more than a week ago.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States is examining a "full range of options" in the Libyan crisis. There is a danger of a "bloody stalemate" in Libya, he said, adding that he wants to be sure the United States "has the capacity to act quickly in event of humanitarian crisis."

"Col. Gadhafi needs to step down from power and leave," Obama said. "It's the right thing to do." The president also warned that advisers to Gadhafi need to understand that they will be held accountable for any violence they perpetrate against civilians. "They should know history is moving against Col. Gadhafi," Obama said.

The Arab League Wednesday rejected foreign intervention, saying Libya is facing "an internal affair that is decided by the people and their governments."

But the league cannot ignore the suffering of civilians and would consider the imposition of a no-fly zone in coordination with the African Union if fighting were to continue, said Hisham Yousef, chief of staff of the Arab League.

Gadhafi's regime Thursday sought to create an impression that it still controls the vast majority of the country, with rebels in charge of only pockets.

The government organized a trip for a CNN crew to visit a refinery in Zawiya controlled by the government. Rebels control the center of the city, but the refinery is on the outskirts.

The refinery, Libya's second largest, is operating at 80% of its capacity, officials told CNN's Nic Robertson. Managers said that while the refinery had not come under attack, some staff members had been unable to get to work.
US, allies debate no-fly zone for Libya
Libyan protests: Raw and online
CNN crew witnesses air bombing in Libya
Egyptian refugees escape Libya
RELATED TOPICS

* Libya
* Moammar Gadhafi
* Libyan Politics
* International Criminal Court
* United Nations Security Council

Protesters calling for the ouster of longtime leader Gadhafi have taken to the streets for a third week amid clashes with government forces. He has been in power for nearly 42 years.

Musa Ibrahim, a spokesman for Gadhafi's regime, told CNN, "We need tribal intervention, social intervention to help us convince these people to come to the negotiating table."

The government spokesman denied any attacks on peaceful protesters despite numerous reports from the country of unarmed demonstrators being shot indiscriminately.

More than 1,000 people are reported to have been killed and many more injured during the protests, according to the United Nations. Libya's ambassador to the United States has estimated that the death toll was about 2,000.

The International Criminal Court Thursday said Gadhafi and some of his sons and advisers are under investigation for alleged crimes against humanity.

"I would like to use this opportunity to put them on notice," ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told CNN. "I want to be clear: If their troops commit crimes, they could be made criminally responsible."

It is the first time the court will be investigating claims as they are allegedly occurring.

Libya is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, and does not recognize the authority of the international court. But the United Nations Security Council referred the matter to the court, essentially giving it "jurisdiction" over the situation in Libya, the court said.

Nations have scrambled to evacuate hundreds of citizens as the unrest continues.

The Netherlands defense ministry said Thursday that three Dutch navy personnel were captured by armed men loyal to Gadhafi during an evacuation operation Sunday. The ministry did not release information earlier because of safety reasons.

Libyan state TV said the personnel were in a fighter helicopter and did not have permission from Libyan authorities to enter. The state TV report showed pictures of those believed to be the crew, as well as the helicopter and images of weapons.

The U.N. refugee agency reported that nearly 150,000 people had crossed Libya's borders into Egypt and Tunisia, and thousands more were arriving hourly at the borders.

Obama said he approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help return to Egypt those Egyptian citizens who have fled to Tunisia to escape the unrest in Libya. Obama said he has also authorized the U.S. Agency for International Development to charter civilian aircraft to help people from other countries get back home.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/03/libya.conflict/index.html

Libya's aerial onslaught steps up pressure for no-fly zone

• Politics
• At 5:11:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Up to 100,000 rally in Madison while hundreds show up in dozens of other cities to combat the Republican-backed measure that would limit collective bargaining rights for most public workers in Wisconsin.

Reporting from Madison, Wis. — Nearly two weeks into a political standoff, tens of thousands rallied in Madison and in dozens of cities around the nation to oppose a bill that would severely limit collective bargaining rights for most Wisconsin public employees.

Joel DeSpain, spokesman for the Madison Police Department, said the rally — in steadily falling snow — drew between 70,000 and 100,000 and may have been the largest protest in Madison since the Vietnam War.

Source : http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/26/nation/la-na-wisconsin-protests-20110227

Protesters out in force nationwide to oppose Wisconsin's anti-union bill

• Politics
• At 6:46:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Ireland's incoming leader has promised to work to renegotiate the country's crippling 85bn euro bail-out next week.

Enda Kenny of Fine Gael said he would fight for a cheaper loan deal from the International Monetary Fund and Europe.

His party is now the largest in the 31st Irish parliament, the Dail.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has won 13 seats so far in the Irish general election, a gain of eight on its representation in the last Dail.

Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein have all won record numbers of seats but FG's rivals Fianna Fail suffered a crushing defeat. Mr Kenny said it was "a democratic revolution at the ballot box".

Votes are still being counted but Fine Gael is expected to be the largest party in the Republic's parliament, without having an overall majority.

Final numbers for the Dail parliament will not be decided until late on Sunday.

Mr Kenny plans to start fighting for a cheaper loan deal on 4 March when the European People's Party, to which Fine Gael is affiliated, meets in Helsinki. He will follow that up at the European Council in Brussels the following week.

Mr Kenny said the IMF/EU bail-out was "a bad deal for Ireland and a bad deal for Europe".

"We are not going to cry the poor mouth, other than to say the reality of this challenge is too much. I don't want to talk about difficulties, I look for co-operation, consensus and support across Europe," he said.

"We want to restore our pride at home and abroad. Our country is back in business."
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
image of Mark Simpson Mark Simpson BBC Ireland correspondent

Dublin is buzzing with speculation about a visit to Ireland by US President Barack Obama at the end of May.

The possible trip is likely to be discussed next month when Mr Kenny goes to Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House.

President Obama has distant Irish roots in the village of Moneygall in County Offaly.

If the president does go to Ireland, it may not be the only high-profile visit to Dublin this year.

The Queen may visit the Irish Republic for the first time, in a sign of how Anglo-Irish relations have been transformed by the peace process.

The incoming taoiseach also pledged to probe deep into the heart of the Irish banking crisis which has left the taxpayer saddled with crippling debts which some analysts believe could ultimately cost closer to 200bn euros.

"We do need to find exactly what went wrong here, who benefited from this and where decisions were made," he said.

"This is bridging the gap between government and people - that chasm there was very bad for democracy."

Meanwhile, Mr Kenny is weighing up options for a new government with his centre-right party Fine Gael on course to form a coalition with Labour, or a collection of independents if the numbers stack up.

He launched a fierce attack on the outgoing government, led by Fianna Fail, over its poor communications and lack of openness.

"I give you my guarantee that the incoming government is not going to leave the people in the dark about what is happening whether it is good or whether it is bad," he said.

Mr Kenny, who secured the biggest single vote in the country in his Mayo constituency, said he wanted a quick resolution to talks on a new government.

Fine Gael is on course for 75 plus Dail seats, just a handful shy of majority single party government in the 166 strong Dail.
Continue reading the main story
Irish politics

* Dominated by two parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which emerged after Irish nationalists split over the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty
* Fianna Fail was once seen as more centrist, Fine Gael as more conservative, but differences have blurred
* The Labour Party was the traditional junior partner in coalitions until 1997
* The Green Party came into its own in 2007 when it joined Fianna Fail in coalition
* Sinn Fein, shunned by the mainstream because of its IRA connections, held nearly as many seats as the Greens in the outgoing parliament

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin put on a brave face and said he believed that Fine Gael had managed to secure support from floating voters.

"There's a soft vote there for Fine Gael and Labour, just as there was for us for years," he said.

The party's biggest casualty was Mary Coughlan, the outgoing deputy prime minister, who was punished by voters in Donegal South-West as they opted to support an independent candidate in her own backyard.

Hers was one of several dynasties brought to a dramatic end.

"It's been a very difficult day for all of my colleagues, many of whom have lost their seats," she said.

Other big names to suffer included ministers Mary Hanafin, Barry Andrews and Conor Lenihan, himself from a powerful Fianna Fail family and brother of the outgoing finance minister Brian Lenihan who narrowly retained his own seat.

The Haughey name will also be absent from the Dail for the first time in 54 years after Fianna Fail's Sean Haughey lost his seat.

The Greens - former coalition partners - were wiped out. None of their TDs - two of whom held Cabinet posts up until a few weeks ago - were brought back to the Dail.

Leader John Gormley had always faced a tough battle in Dublin South East and blamed his failure on being in a government which made savage cuts.

"We have suffered a major defeat, but the party will regroup, we will continue. We're a party with a set of beliefs and values and a vision for the future. We have great people here. We're going to rebuild this party," he said.

Labour had one of its best ever performances with the prospect of supporting a coalition.

"That is the most likely outcome, there's no doubt about that," leader Eamon Gilmore said.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12590868

Enda Kenny : Ireland's next leader vows bailout review

• Politics
• At 6:51:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Ireland's opposition parties have made big gains in a general election focused on the country's economic woes as angry voters ended the 80-year dominance of Fianna Fail.

The Fine Gael party was leading the pack, but the shape of the next government is hanging in the balance as counting continues for a second day.

By Sunday morning, 57 seats had been won by Fine Gael, 30 by Labour, 13 by Fianna Fail, 12 by Sinn Fein and 13 by smaller parties and independents.

It takes 83 seats for a majority in the Dail, the lower house of the parliament. Fine Gael was widely expected to form a coalition government with Labour.

But with Fine Gael sensing that it might win nearly 80 seats, party leaders also talked about forming alliances with independent candidates.

Enda Kenny, party leader, destined to become prime minister, pledged to move quickly to form a government.

"People were waiting to take revenge on Fianna Fail, and they have certainly done so with great gusto," said Batt O'Keefe, one of 18 Fianna Fail incumbents who chose not to seek re-election.

Fine Gael polled 36.1 per cent support with the first round of counting completed in all 43 constituencies.

Labour, Fine Gael's possible coalition partner, was running second at 19 per cent while Fianna Fail polled a historic low of 17 per cent.

The Green Party, which had six seats in the Dail and was Fianna Fail's junior partner in government, lost all its seats.

'Political earthquake'

Newspapers described the routing of Fianna Fail, which has dominated Irish politics for the last 80 years, as a "political earthquake".

Irish voters polling preferences were a response to the country's 13 per cent unemployment, tax hikes, wage cuts and a humiliating bailout that Ireland had to accept from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In elections going back to 1932, Fianna Fail had never won less than 39 per cent of the vote and had always been the largest party in the Dail.

Fine Gael ("tribe of the Irish") and Fianna Fail ("soldiers of destiny") were born from opposing sides in Ireland's civil war of the 1920s, and many see little difference between them on the issues.

Fianna Fail, however, was leading the government when the property boom collapsed in 2007, and it put taxpayers on the hook to bail out Ireland's failing banks.

Brian Cowen, the outgoing prime minister, had fallen to record low popularity and resigned as Fianna Fail party leader even before the election campaign kicked off.

He had wanted to hold the election in March, but agreed to hold it early in a deal to win confirmation of the hated EU-IMF bailout.

"Fianna Fail will come back," said new party leader Micheal Martin, who bucked the tide to hold his seat.

The new government, like the last, will be constrained by the terms negotiated for the $92 bn credit line from the European Central Bank and the IMF.

The loan is contingent on Ireland cutting $20.6bn from its deficit spending over the coming four years and imposing the harshest cuts this year.

However, Kenny has pledged to try to negotiate easier terms for repaying the loan.

He has also promised to create 100,000 new jobs in five years, and to make holders of senior bonds in Ireland's nationalised banks shoulder some of the losses.

Kenny, a former teacher, is the longest serving lawmaker in the Dail. He is viewed as a steady pair of hands, but he has his task cut out to fulfil his pledge on the bailout.

Fine Gael said it would seek to balance public finances mainly through cuts, not tax hikes; it would also reform the health service and abolish 150 public bodies.

Source :http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/02/2011227105541424573.html

Ireland's opposition wins majority

• Politics
• At 6:46:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

King Abdullah needs to implement political reform, scholars claim, as students plan 'day of rage'

Leading intellectuals in Saudi Arabia have warned that grand financial gestures are no substitute for meaningful political reform, after King Abdullah unveiled a $36bn (£22bn) social welfare package in advance of planned anti-government protests next month.

In a statement released on Thursday, a group of Saudi scholars called on the royal family to learn from recent uprisings in the Gulf and North Africa and to start listening to the voices of the kingdom's disenfranchised young people, some of whom are planning a "day of rage" on 11 March. Several Islamic thinkers, as well as a female academic and a poet, are among those adding their names to the declaration.

"The Saudi regime is learning all the wrong lessons from Egypt and Tunisia," said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Centre. "The unrest in the region is not fundamentally economic, it's fundamentally about politics. Economics plays a role but what the events of the past few months have shown us is that Arabs are looking for freedom, dignity and democracy - and if the Saudi leadership can't see that, then they're in trouble."

Saudi Arabia's 86-year-old monarch returned home this week from three months in hospital abroad, and immediately announced a vast package of welfare measures including new education and housing subsidies, the creation of 1,200 jobs and a 15% pay rise for all government employees.

But analysts believe the king - who promised far-reaching political reform when he ascended to the throne in 2005, only to make little effort in tackling the political status quo - has misjudged the grievances of his population.

The kingdom remains an absolute monarchy with few outlets for dissent, with public policy-making concentrated almost entirely in the hands of the ruling family.

"We're seeing a lack of vision on the part of Saudi leaders right now," said Hamid. "They're trying to bribe people into quietude. It's cynical, predictable, and it's not necessarily going to work, at least in the long run - I don't believe anyone thinks Saudi Arabia is going to fall tomorrow, but it's not immune from unrest. It's actually quite surprising that King Abdullah hasn't taken this opportunity to move faster on political reform."

Despite its oil wealth, Saudi Arabia features many of the underlying demographics that have helped spark rebellions in other Arab nations. Almost half the population is under the age of 18 and, unlike in other Gulf states, some of which boast close to full employment, 40% of 20- to 24-year-old Saudis are out of work.

Many young people are turning to online social media sites to exchange information and ideas."The level to which young people in Saudi Arabia are connected to the rest of the world, and particularly the Arab world, is staggering," Mai Yamani, a prominent Saudi author, told the Guardian.

"The flow of ideas being shared amongst this generation has no borders. The same anguish and demands being voiced by Arab youth elsewhere is inspiring youth in Saudi Arabia as well. In this climate, the days of using oil money to secure the subservience of citizens is over."

So far the announcement on Facebook of a day of protest next month has been met with little open enthusiasm; in contrast to similar calls in Egypt and Tunisia which garnered tens of thousands of supporters, the Saudi web page is followed by only a few hundred supporters.

But in a kingdom where the current laws and social mores work predominantly to the benefit of ethnically Saudi males following the Sunni branch of Islam, some analysts have estimated that up to 20 million of the kingdom's 27 million people - including women, Shia Muslims and some 7.5 million guest workers from Asia - feel dangerously detached from the state, amounting to a potentially potent groundswell of opposition.

"Saudi Arabia has had an undercurrent of unrest and anger towards the regime for decades now, it's always been there bubbling underneath the surface," claimed Hamid. "The question is when it's going to explode."

But he added that calls for a complete overhaul of the monarchy remained unlikely. "We have two regional models of change: one is the Egyptian, Tunisian and Libyan model of overthrowing the regime, and the other is the Moroccan and Jordanian model of shifting from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, and that applies to Saudi Arabia as well. I don't think there's a hunger for a complete break in the system."

Source : http://www.sott.net/articles/show/225053-Saudi-Arabia-King-Accused-of-Misjudged-Bribery-in-Attempt-to-Avoid-Unrest

Saudi Arabia King Accused of Misjudged Bribery in Attempt to Avoid Unrest

• Politics
• At 6:36:00 AM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Here's something for your "can this possibly be for real" file this morning. Over at the Buffalo Beast -- the former print alt-weekly turned online newspaper founded by onetime editor Matt Taibbi, typically best known for its annual list of "The 50 Most Loathsome Americans" -- there appear to be recordings of a phone call between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and current editor Ian Murphy. Now, why on earth would Scott Walker want to talk on the phone with the editor of an online site in Buffalo? Well, he wouldn't.

But what if said editor pretended to be David Koch of the famed Koch Brothers? Well, that's a different story altogether, apparently! And so Walker, believing himself to be on the phone with his patron, seems to have had a long conversation about busting Wisconsin's unions.

Buffalo Beast Publisher Paul Fallon told The Huffington Post that the audio is "absolutely legit." That the call took place as described by the Beast has been confirmed by Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie.

"Basically what happened was, yesterday morning [Murphy] was watching television about this Wisconsin stuff and he saw a report where he saw Walker say he wasn't going to talk to anybody," Fallon said. "And he said, 'I bet he would talk to somebody if he had enough oomph behind him.'"

This all apparently went down Tuesday afternoon, hours before Walker made his "fireside chat." It took some doing: Murphy-as-Koch said he had several hoops to jump through before he was granted access to Walker, beginning with a receptionist, leading to the governor's executive assistant, and finally ending up with his chief of staff, Keith Gilkes.

From Murphy's account:

I politely said hello, not knowing how friendly Gilkes and Koch may be. He was eager to help. "I was really hoping to talk directly to Scott," I said. He said that could be arranged and that I should just leave my number. I explained to Gilkes, "My goddamn maid, Maria, put my phone in the washer. I'd have her deported, but she works for next to nothing." Gilkes found this amusing. "I'm calling from the VOID--with the VOID, or whatever it's called. You know, the Snype!"

"Gotcha," Gilkes said. "Let me check the schedule here...OK, there's an opening at 2 o'clock Central Standard Time. Just call this same number and we'll put you through."

I tell you what, if Walker really wants to pare down the state budget, he can start by firing all of these people!

At any rate, yesterday afternoon, Murphy says he and Walker had their own chat. The other man on the tape dutifully briefs "Koch" on the latest news, telling him that one tactic they are exploring to bring the wayward Senate Democrats back to the state is stopping the direct deposit of their paychecks. "Koch" asks, "Now you're not talking to any of these Democrat bastards, are you?" The other man replies that there is one, state Sen. Tim Cullen, who might be approachable, though he cautions, "He's pretty reasonable, but he's not one of us."

[For a longer collection of transcripted highlights of this call, click here.]

The conversation continues: the other man talks about his plans to threaten workers with layoffs, about sowing divisions between the public sector and private sector unions, and the potential for their union busting efforts to spread to other states. "This is our moment," he tells Murphy when Murphy describes him as "the first domino."

They share some pleasantries about their favorite MSNBC hosts, as well.

Murphy as Koch: Well, not the liberal bastards on MSNBC.

Walker: Oh yeah, but who watches that? I went on "Morning Joe" this morning. I like it because I just like being combative with those guys, but, uh. You know they're off the deep end.

Murphy as Koch: Joe--Joe's a good guy. He's one of us.

Walker: Yeah, he's all right. He was fair to me.

[...]

Murphy as Koch: Beautiful; beautiful.

Walker: Oh, yeah.

Murphy as Koch: You gotta love that Mika Brzezinski; she's a real piece of ass.

The call ends with Murphy-as-Koch promising, "once you crush these bastards, I'll fly you out to Cali and really show you a good time." "All right," the other man says, "That would be outstanding."

In a statement, Walker spokesman Werwie says, "Throughout this call the Governor maintained his appreciation for and commitment to civil discourse. The phone call shows that the governor says the same thing in private as he does in public and the lengths that others will go to disrupt the civil debate Wisconsin is having."

On the matter of Walker saying the same things in private as he does in public, I'm not so sure that's true! As David Weigel points out, it would appear that Walker revealed his "crisis-ending ruse" to Murphy:

WALKER: You've got a few of the radical ones -- unfortunately, one of them's the minority leader -- but most of the rest of them are just looking for a way to get out of this. They're scared out of their minds. They don't know what it means. There's a bunch of recalls up against them. They'd really like to just get back up here and get it over with. So the paycheck thing, some of the other things threatening them, I think collectively there's enough going on, and as long as they don't think I'm going to cave, which again we have no interest in. An interesting idea that was brought up to me by my chief of staff, we won't do it until tomorrow, is putting out an appeal to the Democratic leader. I would be willing to sit down and talk to him, the assembly Democrat leader, plus the other two Republican leaders--talk, not negotiate and listen to what they have to say if they will in turn--but I'll only do it if all 14 of them will come back and sit down in the state assembly. They can recess it... the reason for that, we're verifying it this afternoon, legally, we believe, once they've gone into session, they don't physically have to be there. If they're actually in session for that day, and they take a recess, the 19 Senate Republicans could then go into action and they'd have quorum because it's turned out that way. So we're double checking that. If you heard I was going to talk to them that's the only reason why. We'd only do it if they came back to the capitol with all 14 of them. My sense is, hell. I'll talk. If they want to yell at me for an hour, I'm used to that. I can deal with that. But I'm not negotiating.

Fallon, the Buffalo Beast's publisher, said the most remarkable element of the prank was that "of all things, he called using Skype," although the camera function wasn't used.

Asked how Murphy got up the nerve to make the call, Fallon said, "He's a pretty bold guy."

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/scott-walker-buffalo-beast-phone-prank_n_827058.html

Scott Walker Gets Punked By Journalist Pretending To Be David Koch

• Politics
• At 4:32:00 PM
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Benghazi, Libya (CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday blamed the violence in his country on young people, who he said are taking some sort of pills and being exploited by Osama bin Laden.

Speaking by phone on state TV as reports came in of pro-Gadhafi forces killing unarmed civilians in the town of Zawiya, Gadhafi said, "Our children have been manipulated by al Qaeda."

"Those exploiting the youth have to be arrested," he added.

Gadhafi also addressed the situation in Zawiya, saying, "We shouldn't leave" the town "without any control."

Ten days into protests that have resulted in his loss of control of eastern Libya and led members of his government to defect, Gadhafi faced new international pressure Thursday. Switzerland ordered that his assets, and those of his entourage, be frozen, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
Map: Uprising in Libya
CNN crew greeted as 'liberating heroes'
Libyan refugees flee chaos
Thousands cross Tunisian border

But Gadhafi showed no sign of considering giving up the post he has held for nearly 42 years. "I have only moral authority," he said, adding, "We have 3 million Libyans -- they run the country."

It was unclear what he was referring to: Libya's population is 6.5 million, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Gadhafi's characteristically rambling remarks followed reports that anti-government forces had gained control of Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli.

Quryna newspaper reported that 10 people were killed and dozens were wounded in an attack launched by security forces. Heavy shooting made it impossible for the wounded to be taken to a hospital, Quryna reported. The forces surprised residents by entering the city from the west, instead of from Tripoli, the paper said.

When the protests began last week, Quryna was carrying regime propaganda. It has since changed and begun reporting on the protests and releasing casualty figures.

Earlier Thursday, witnesses told CNN that at least seven people had been killed in clashes in Zawiya. In addition, 40 people were wounded, a witness said.

At the hospital, a woman, who said her son had been shot, told CNN, "Blood is all over the streets."

The woman said unarmed people were being fired on indiscriminately and that she believed far more than seven people were killed.

"We want to call all human beings: Zawiya is finished," she said. "The people (are) finished. The people (are) dying."

She said it was unclear who was behind were shooting. Many seemed to be African mercenaries, but they may have been from the government or military, she said.
Voices from a Benghazi rally
Reports: Libyan pilots executed
When they saw us arrive, they just exploded with cheers and clapping, people saying "thank you, thank you" in English.
--Ben Wedeman, CNN senior international correspondent
RELATED TOPICS

* Tripoli
* Benghazi
* Libya
* Moammar Gadhafi
* Political Dissent
* Protests and Demonstrations

"People are crying," she said, calling for help from the world. "Where (are) the people? Where is the peace?"

The hospital in Zawiya is "a disaster," she said, adding that some shooters had entered the hospital and insisted that no one was killed.

CNN could not confirm reports for many areas in Libya. The Libyan government maintains tight control on communications and has not responded to repeated requests for access to the country. CNN has interviewed numerous witnesses by phone.

Misrata -- also spelled as Misurata -- is in the hands of the opposition, who have driven out the mercenaries, witnesses and media reports said. It is the country's third-largest city.

Witnesses and reports also said the town of Az Zintan was under opposition control.

The opposition already controls Libya's second-largest city, Benghazi, where crowds cheered as international journalists drove through. The only shooting that could be heard was celebratory gunfire.

"When they saw us arrive, they just exploded with cheers and clapping, people saying, 'Thank you, thank you,' in English, throwing candy and dates inside the car," CNN's Ben Wedeman said.

Men in their 20s were guarding the city with shotguns, clubs or hunting knives.

But Tripoli was a different story. Gunfire erupted at dawn Thursday as chanting crowds dispersed. Government security forces were tightening their grip on the capital, according to sources. In one neighborhood, no one was allowed in or out.

"There's nobody walking in the street, nobody is trying to get out, even to look through the window," said a resident who, for security reasons, did not want to be identified. "It's a little scary."

She said she was risking her life by talking to a reporter.

"I've been trying to keep my identity hidden," the woman said. "There are reported kidnappings happening in homes for anybody credible that is talking to the media and giving them the truth about what's happening in Libya."

Continuing a stream of defection among some Libyan diplomats, the ambassador to Jordan, Mohammed Hassan Al Barghathi, said Thursday he is resigning due to the unrest. He also paid condolences to Libyan families who lost their loved ones in the violence.

Underscoring the growing distance between the Gadhafi regime and Libyan diplomats, the flag hanging outside the Libyan Mission to the United Nations in New York was the opposition flag; the regime's flag had been taken down.

The U.N. Human Rights Council plans to meet Friday to discuss a resolution that would suspend Libya from the council. The resolution would condemn "the massive and unacceptable violence currently being perpetrated in this country," French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Thursday in a statement. "It holds the Libyan authorities accountable. This violence could constitute crimes against humanity."

Governments around the world scrambled to get their citizens out of the country.

A ferry chartered by the United States to evacuate U.S. citizens remained in port in Tripoli because of bad weather, diplomatic sources said.

Dena Drotar said her mother, who was on the ship, told her that her fellow passengers were being fed, but were anxious and having difficulty sleeping, "so they're also getting a little bit giddy."

In Washington, a senior U.S. military official said the Pentagon was looking at "all options" it can offer President Barack Obama in dealing with the crisis.

"Our job is to give options from the military side, and that is what we are thinking about now," said the official, who declined to be identified because of the extremely sensitive nature of the situation. "We will provide the president with options should he need them."

Obama called French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss the situation and both presidents "reiterated their demand for an immediate halt to the use of force against the civilian population," the French Embassy said.

Source :http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/24/libya.protests/index.html?hpt=T1

Gadhafi blames violence on young people, drugs, al Qaeda

• Politics
• At 4:38:00 PM
• Leave a Comment

Read More