Archive for September 17th, 2008
Former Pakistani Ambassador To UN To Talk About US Military Raids Into His Country On News Talk Online On Paltalk
Akram
The United States military has been going after al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in northern Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government, straining relationships between the two allies.
Joining us on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com to discuss this new policy and its affect on U.S. Pakistani relations tomorrow will be former Pakistani UN Ambassador Munir Akram, who warns that dangerous consequences could be result.
Akram says because it must, of course, defend its nation’s sovereignty, the U.S. military could be pushing the Pakistani army into an alliance with the Afghan Taliban.
“The dangers associated with this move by the U.S. Army are both real and immanent,” Akram says.
“The unilateral incursions by the U.S. into Pakistan seem to have broken the consensus within the Pakistan military to support the U.S. anti terror campaign. Unless reversed, it could lead to an openly hostile relationship between Pakistani and U.S. forces along the border and even result in overt hostilities between them.”
To talk to Akram at 5 PM tomorrow September 18, CLICK HERE. There is no charge.
Attempt To Keep Voters From Casting Ballots In Michigan Alleged
I really didn’t believe this when I heard it first discussed on Patalk. Republicans in Michigan trying to block people whose homes are foreclosed from voting? No way, I thought. Just some Democratic propaganda to whip up sentiment against the Grand Old Party.
Although the state Republican official who allegedly first suggested this insists he was misquoted, it indeed is being reported in Michigan that such a tactic was proposed. In fact, the Obama camp takes it seriously enough to file suit to block it.
Let’s examine the mindset that would cause a country Republican chairman in Michigan to allegedly propose such a tactic. Michigan is hard hit by the economic crisis facing this nation. The economy in the Great Lakes state is, well, in the toilet.
Lots of people have defaulted on their mortgages. Many of them from inner city communities like Detroit. Many of them African-Americans.
The have-nots in Michigan aren’t pointing fingers of blame at the Democratic governor. They’re letting the buck stop on George W. Bush’s desk. So it’s safe to assume that many people who are in danger of or who have lost their homes are at least contemplating voting for Barack Obama.
Chertoff Returns To Texas
National Guard in Galveston
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is back in Texas today observing recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
His first stop was Houston to meet with local officials at the emergency operations center. He was then due to travel to Galveston to meet with local officials and also visit with evacuees in Harris County.
Galveston’s mayor has been critical of what he believes is a poor response by FEMA, reminiscent of the criticism leveled at the agency, which is part of Homeland Security, following Hurricane Katrina.
Simmering Yemen
Today’s deadly car bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen is just the latest in a series of terrorism attacks in that nation.
At least 16 people are reported dead, including civilians, terrorists dressed as police officers and Yemeni security guards. Business was reportedly continuing inside the Embassy following the second such attack in six months. One person, A Yemeni security guard, was killed in the first attack.
A group calling itself the Islamic Jihad in Yemen is claiming responsibility and vowing further attacks on foreign interests in the nation.
In addition to the two attacks on the U.S. Embassy, Japanese tourists were held captive in Yemen earlier this year. A gunman opened fired on a mosque in the country in May. And bombs were set off near the Italian Embassy in April.
With Friends Like These …
Rove
Sometimes it’s hard to tell who one’s political friends and allies are and who are one’s real enemies.
Take former Bush administration political guru Karl Rove, for example, who attacked John McCain’s ads for their lack of truthfulness.
Then there’s Republican commentator Peggy Noonan, who, while she thought the microphones were off at while on the set of MSNBC at the GOP convention declared “it’s over” for the Republicans; a reference to Sarah Palin’s nomination.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, a McCain adviser, said that McCain and Sarah Palin are not qualified to be CEOs.
Lynn Forester de Rothschild, who is on the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee and who supported Hillary Clinton is now backing John McCain.
Of course, so is Joe Lieberman, who once ran for vice-president as a Democrat.
Blog Of The Day Award
Shocked Audience Listens To Story Of 2 Murdered Girls
Members of the News Talk Online on Paltalk.com audience were stunned today as they listened to Gail Gartrell, great-aunt of two Texas girls murdered on New Year’s Day. Shot to death, police say, by their own father, 50-year-old Yaser Abdel Said, an Egyptian native, in what Gartrell says were honor killings.
Honor killings because 16-year-old Amina and 18-year-old Sarah Yaser Said dated boys in the United States where the family lived.
Said, who is charged with capital murder, has been a fugitive ever since the killings.
There was some debate over whether honor killings are a byproduct of religious or cultural upbringing. But there was uniformity in the compassion callers and posters showed for the family. Their horror and dismay over what happened to these girls was expressed repeatedly during the show.
Some in the audience posted comments blamed the Islamic religion for this crime. But Gartrell believes Muslims who support honor killings are in a minority. She also fears incidents like this one will result in an Islamophobia backlash if mainstream Muslims don’t speak out.
In fact, as I researched this story, I found several Muslim organizations that are publicly advocating against such barbarism.
