The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues Analyzes issues of liberal concern and gives readers a digest of what is reported in over forty newspapers throughout the world to engage them in critical thinking issues. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 58 8751

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

Injured Military Sent To-Not Return From Iraq! 2008-01-18 01:03:00 According to a report in the Denver News, soldiers who were medically unfit or considered borderline have been sent to the Middle East to meet Army goals for “deployable strength.” The newspaper said more than 50 troops were deployed to Kuwait en route to Iraq while they were still getting medical treatment for various conditions. After arriving in Kuwait, at least two were sent back home. Captain Scot Tebo, surgeon at Fort Carson, wrote an email tht was obtained by the newspaper which stated: “We have been having issues reaching deployable srength, and thus have been taking along some borderline soldiers who we would otherwise have left behind for continued treatment.” Spokespeople at Fort Carson denied any such indicidents had happened. Howwever, Master Sergeant Denny Nelson, who holds the Bronze Star, said he had a severe foot injury and was told by doctors at Fort Carson not to run, jump or carry more than 20 pounds for at least three months. But, off he wen ...

Kenya Police Brutalize Opposition Demonstrations 2008-01-17 16:01:54 Kenyans who were upset at the blatant stealing of the presidential election by President Kibaki tried marching in the cities of their nation only to encounter armed police who not only barred their way, but blasted them with gunfire. It is estimated at least ten are dead and hundreds of others wounded as a resulf of police ation. A team of reporters for the Daily Standard observed demonstrators dispersed with teargas and gunfire in the slums of Nairobi and other areas of Kenya. Police also chased leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement from central lNairobi and surrounded Uhuru Park to bar them for entering. Reporters watched as police sprayed gunfire onto the shacks of slum dwellers as well as throwing teargas into their homes without any regard if there were women and children in the shanties. The Kenya police delibertately barred reporters from followin their excursions into the slums of Nairobi, but journalists were able to witness protestors hit with gun butts, doors knocked do ...

To Siberia With Love– And Some Violence! 2008-01-17 15:00:36 German authorities n the state of Hesse became so exasperated with the anti-social behavior of a 16 year-old boy they sent him to a remote Siberian village for an “intensive educational experience.” The boy was sent eastward after attacking his mother and being violent in school and among other children. Now, in Siberia, he must fend for himself in a boot camp-style environment in the village of Sedlnikovo. He has to collect and chop wood in order to heat himself with a fire, dig his own hole for toilet needs, and pump water from a well. He is to remain in Sibera for three monhs and is under the supervision of a German who speaks Russian. The assistant provides schooling for the boy. If the youngster doesn’t chop firewood, he is cold. It appears hundreds of other youths have been sent to similar isolated places ranging from greece to Kyrgyzstan. The cost if $240 a day. This is certainly a novel experiment in dealing with violence in humans. I wonder if any government ...

Turkey Leans To Hillary, Sorry Barack! 2008-01-17 14:32:08 Accordng to the Turkish Daily News, most of their nation’s diplomats and high-level offiicials “generally favor leading candidate Senator Hillyary Clinton over her chief rival Senator Barack Obama.” Many Turkish leaders regard the 1990s under President Bill Clinton as the highest point in positive US-Turkish relations over the past four decades. They fear Barack Obama represents a figure who wants “change” and there is uncertainty regarding exactly what change he would seek in relations with Turkey. They are all worried about Obama’s foreign policy figures such as Samantha Power, an academic on ‘genocide.’ who is regarded as having unfavorable views toward Turkey. Since Hillary Clinton’s advisers date from her husband’s era, they are viewed as being more positive toward Turkey. Part of the difficulty for Turkey in evaluating benefits or deficits of a new American president is viewing the issue through the lens of the Armenian ...

Tragedy of Somalia-Ethiopians Vs Somalians 2008-01-17 10:13:52 After a year in which the invading Ethiopian troops continue occupying Somalia in an effort to crsush Islamic militants, war and bloodshed continue to wrack the nation’s capital. Ethiopian troops moved against the Bakara market area in Mogadishu and were met by Islamic militants and gunfire broke out. Mortar shells ripped into the market area which supposedly is a hotbed of insurgency and many buildings were also hit resulting in the death or wounding of dozens of civilians. At one point, Ethiopian tanks fired point blank into the Bakara market area. The American inspired Ethiopian invasion of Somalia which allegedly was intended to crush Islamic fundamentalists has ground down to an ongoing fight between the forces of Christian Ethiopia fighting Muslim insurgents. At least 6,500 people have been killed over the past year and another 600,00 have fled Mogadishu. Perhaps, it is time for Ethiopian troops to leave since they will always be regarded as enemies of the Somalian people. ...

Turmoil Continues In Pakistan As Taliban Storms Fort 2008-01-17 09:53:54 The confusing twisting tale of Pakistan continues as the Taliban stormed a fort on the frontier and allegedly killed 15 Frontier Corps(FC) soldiers and captured about 24. A source told the Lahore Daily Times that seven of the captives has their throats slit by Taliban victors. The Pakistan army claims it killed forty militants and that 15 men escaped from Sararougha Fort with several others still missing. On the political scene the situation is also confusing. Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari insisted there would be no power sharing with President Musharraf and his party intended to gain victory in the upcoming election despite difficulties placed in their path by a corrupt government. He refused to take the “crumbs of power from a dictator’s table. We will take our rightful share of power uner the constitution after a free and fair election.” When asked if he would cooperate with the Musharraf government after the election, Zardari responded it was a hy ...

Gaza Rockets Fall On Israel, Israel Bombs Fall On Gaza 2008-01-17 08:50:58 Israel prime Minister Ehud Olmeert vowed there will be an end to Kassam rocket fire from gaza or else. “We are not looking to fight in the Gaza Strip, we do not want to harm its residents and we have no special desire to kill any citizen. But, we will not and we cannot continue to suffere the endless Kassam rocket fire on cititizens of the st ate of Israel.” Foreign Minister Tzipi Livi argued Israel could defend its citizens not only through negotiations but by means of “uncompromising war” against Palestine attacks from Gaza. Earlier yesterday, Vice Premier Haim Ramon claimed Israel military action was beginning to have an impact and that Hamas leaders were now more interested in negotiations. A senior Hamas official was quoted by Israel radio on Wednesday as indicating a desire on the part of the Hamas government of Ismail Haniyeh to halt Kassem rocket fire. A continual mistake on the part of Israel and other nations is failure to engage Hamas in a dialogue. ...

Toronto Considering All Black Schools 2008-01-17 08:31:27 Toronto school administrators are examining alternative strategies to cope with issues arising from poor performance of black students in school. Among the alternatives being explored is creation of a black-focused school as well as beginning black-focused programs in three existing schools. A report to these educators suggested an Afrocentric or black-focused school that would be “open to all students, which uses the soources of knowledge and experiences of peoples of African descent as an integral feature of the teaching and learning experience.” Toronto school trustees were urged to explore this alternative last fall by some supporters of Afrocentrism. If Toronto school authorities are interested in creating a black-focused school all they have to do is wander into New York City or Chicago or St. Louis or any number of urban American schools where the student body and a high percent of teachers and administrators are essentially African American. Afrocentrism has been ar ...

New Bush Legacy– The Opium Man 2008-01-17 08:13:30 American troops came charging into Iraq four years ago anxious to spread the benefits of democracy to the benighted inhabitants of that far off land. George Bush has repeatedly announced his opposition to all forms of drugs, but, it now appears the president has become the godfather of opium growers in Iraq. The cultivation of opium poppies whose product is turned into heroin is spreading raidly across Iraq as farmers find they can no longer make a living through growing traditional crops. Drug lords, who were suppressed by the Taliban, got a new taste of democracy when that group was driven from power. Ironically, once defeated, the Taliban has switched to opium production as a means of obtaining financial resources to support its terrorism. Drug production is now centered in Diyala where al-Qaeda is strong. Farmers discovered they could not compete with imports of fruits and vegetables so they have switched to the poppy fields of fortune. Al-Qaeda has strong influence in the area an ...

Chinese College Students Heading Overseas 2008-01-17 06:40:48 The dramatic rise in the number of Chinese high school graduates which this year topped fifteen million is part of the continued increase in the number of Chines students headed for foreign campuses. It is expected about 200,000 Chinese students will be attending colleges all over the world with at least 50,000 in the United States of America. As the US dollar dros in value it enables Chinese students to have greater financial access to American colleges. Another 30,000 are headed to Canada. Australia is making a push to become a center for Chinese students by recently creating an 18 month visa for skilled students In December, 2007, about one tenth of Chinese college graduates had still to secure a job in their homeland. This lack of opportunity is sparking their desire to seek work elsewhee in the world. We can expect the trend to continue as China expands its education and produces millions of more college students who graduat without ready access to employment in their homeland. ...

Bush In Kuwait Blasts Iran, Kuwait Blasts Blast 2008-01-17 01:18:57 As President Bush concluded his Middle Eastern voyage with a short stay in Kuwait, he used the occasion to make another of his continual claims that Iran is “the world’s leading state supporter of terrorism.” His Kuwait hosts were polite and may even have nodded a head to give the president some encouragement they actually listened carefully to his words. But, within days of Bush’s departure, Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed, visited Iran where he made it clear to the world, “My country knows who is our friend, and who is our enemy and Iran is our friend.” He is currently working with Iranian diplomats to resolve several issues between the two nations related to the continental shelf boundary. One can only wonder if George Bush pays any attention to people when he visits another country. Didn’t anyone on his staff alert the president to the fact his hosts had favorable relations with Iran? Did he discuss with Kuwait officials th ...

It’s NATO’s Fault No Afghan Victory, Claims Gates 2008-01-17 01:15:52 Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, told the Los Angeles Times America’s allies simply did not know how to gain victory in Afganistan. “I’m worried we’re deploying(military advisers) that are not properly trained and I’m worried we have some mlitary forces that don’t know how to do counter-insurgency operations.” He blamed lack of training regarding insurgency situations has impaired the ability of NATO troops to succeed in Afghanistan. Jaap de Hoop Schefeer, NATO’s secretary general,rejected the criticism and appeared surprised the American Secretary of Defense would openly criticize allies. British defence officials said Gates had quickly telephoned them to make clear he was not referring to British troops, but to NATO as a whole. Ironically, British military leaders consider American tactics in Afghanistan as counter-productive. They disagree with the extensive use of aerial bombing which usually results in the deaths of civilians and ...

Lebanon Crisis Meanders On With Name Calling 2008-01-17 01:07:53 The ongoing crisis in Lebanon which has left that nation without a president for months continues along the normal course of various groups charging their opponents are at fault. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prine Saud al-Faisal urged Syria to cease interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon which secured a retort from Damascus that Saudi Arabia was the culprit which is creating problems in that nation. The Arab League has been attempting to come up with a compromise which might get all sides to work together. The Arab League plan entails electing Lebanon’s army head, General Michel Suleiman as president, creating a national unity government, and drafting a new electoral process which would govern parliamentary elections in 2009. An important issue is what does “national unity sharing power” actually mean. Hizbullah blames the United States for the impasse, President Bush blames Syria and Hizbullah, and accusations go round and round. Lebanon over the past thir ...

Indonesian Government Reverses Religious Group View 2008-01-16 14:34:16 The Indonesian government reversed a decision of the Inonesian Ulema Council(MUI) which has issued a controversial fatwa that declared the Ahmadiyah group to be an heretical sect. Leaders of Ahmadiyah agreed to acknowledge Muhammed as the last prophet. MUI has considered Ahgmadiyah as an heretical sect because it has claimed its founder, Ghulam Ahmad, was the last prophet. The government announced it was willing to accept statements by Ahmadiyah leaders even though the MUI refused to make this concession. Leaders of Ahmadiyah insist their sect is in accordance with Muslim belief and has never denied the importance of Muhammed as the last prophet in the religion. The deputy atorney general asked the public to go along with the government’s decision. In any society which allows religious leaders to impose their views on daily life whether they be Muslim or Jewish or Christian, these type of problems arise. Apparently, many Muslim leaders in Indonesia worry about Ahmadinyah follower ...

Headscarf Ban In Turkey May Be Ended 2008-01-16 13:30:20 The controversial ban on females wearing headscarves in Turkish universities may be coming to an end. A draft of the new constitution contains the following line: “No one can be debarred of his or her right to higher education because of his or her attire.” According to Prime Minister Erdogan, “wearing a headscarf could not be banned even if it is used as a political symbol.” The headscarf ban was introduced in the 1990s as a way to combat militant religious groups which were attempting to intimidate secular females from going without head coverings. Appeals in th 1990s to the European Coourt of Human Rights were rejected on the ground a government had a right to pass such laws in order to protect its citizens. There was extensive debate among members of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party about ending the headscarf ban, but the decision was made to pursue the matter. Many secular groups in Turkey fear allowing headscarves will embolden religious group ...