Witness Say Ex-president Samuel K. Doe’s Body Was Burnt, Thrown Into Sea

The founder of the erstwhile Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) told a jam-packed Truth and Reconciliation Commission Thematic and Institutional hearing that the body of the late president Samuel K. Doe was burnt and the ashes thrown into the sea. Read more

The Ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction

Sunday, August 31, 2008

The Ultimate Weapon of Mass Destruction

Following up on yesterday’s attempt to examine the role (or lack thereof) of the United States in the current tensions between the European Union and Russia, it would appear that we shall have to contend with some Americans who are not about to take passing unnoticed sitting down. Indeed, according to a report for Reuters filed this morning by Tabassum Zakaria, one of them has decided to pass on the Republican Convention (not to mention the lightning that may strike New Orleans a second time) and board a plane that will take him to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Ukraine, all of which he happens to be visiting for the first time. The happy wanderer (warrior?) in question, for those who have not already guessed, is Dick Cheney. I have to wonder if his absence from the Convention was planned. After all one purpose of these conventions is to build up a good image for the media; and, when it comes to media relations, Cheney has built a reputation for being the Republicans’ greatest weapon of mass destruction. However, since that reputation extends to policy (both domestic and foreign), as well as media relations, one has to wonder just what the motives behind this trip are. I am reminded of a physics teacher who taught me that, in order to get the rapid timing right for detonating the first hydrogen bomb, it was necessary to get everything in place to achieve critical mass through four synchronized atom-bomb explosions. Cheney may only be visiting three countries along the “line of tension” with Russia; and, unless his diabolical powers are greater than previously assumed, he will not be able to visit them simultaneously. Nevertheless, this feels a lot like an attempt to create a critical mass that will not only revive the spirit of the Cold War but also raise it to a red-hot temperature.I have already reviewed Tom Hayden’s arguments regarding the validity of this motive as a “double whammy” that, with one blow, can deal a crippling blow the to Democratic Presidential campaign while, at the same time, resurrecting The Project for the New American Century, whose obituaries were written almost two years ago. That motive would then extend to getting NATO “back in the game” at a time when its very relevance is under review, particularly when the European side of the game is being played quite well by both the European Union and the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). Furthermore, it is clear from remarks by Gordon Brown reported this morning on the BBC NEWS Web site that European leaders do not pose a threat of “pacification” (to invoke the current Republican rhetoric of choice) but are quite capable of standing up for their own principles while trying to ease the current tensions at the same time.

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Mandatory Evacuation Ordered in New Orleans Ahead of ‘mother of All Storms,’ Hurricane Gustav

Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city ahead of Hurricane Gustav. Nagin states that residents “need to be scared” in what he calls “the mother of all storms”. Residents are to be out of the city by Sunday evening. Read more

Tanzania Government Confiscates Property Worth $25m in Bank Fraud

Tanzania’s government has confiscated property worth over $25 million from 13 firms in a massive crackdown against people involved in the multi-million External Payment Arrears Account (EPA) scandal, APA learned Sunday. Read more

Investigation Continues Into Last Weeks French Helicopter Crash in Cote D’Ivoire

Investigations continue into the causes of the crash of a gazelle-type helicopter of the French force, Unicorn, that injured two on Thursday evening at about 15km in the south of Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. Read more

Venezuela Increases Economic Cooperation with Argentina And Ecuador

Advocating South American integration, President Hugo Chávez oversaw the signing of contracts with Argentine firms to construct “Socialist Factories” in Venezuela on Thursday and inaugurated joint oil exploitation in the Orinoco River Belt with Ecuador on Friday. At a press conference with Argentine officials Thursday, Chávez pledged that “Venezuela will always be there to defend the interests of our peoples.” Read more

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