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 0 8518

Articles from The Impudent Observer - Global Liberal Issues

General Ordierno- Things Getting Better 2007-09-21 08:07:58 General Ordierno, who plays an important role in the “surge” operation claims casualties are down in the Baghdad area but not enough to meet goals. “What we do know is that there has been a decline in civilian casualties but I would say it is not at the level we want it to be.” He believes only about five or six Baghdad districts are still the scene of violent actions. There never was a doubt placing additional American military forces in Baghdad would reduce terrorist activities. American political leaders continue to ignore the real purpose of any “successful” military operation — creating conditions for the emergence of a strong and powerful civilian leadership. The reduction in violence within Baghdad also stems from “ethnic cleansing” activities by Shiites who have driven out thousands of Sunnis and taken over their properties. Anti-American forces have merely temporarily left Baghdad and gone into other areas of Iraq awaiting ...

US Captains Weigh Remaining In Military 2007-09-21 07:56:00 At the Infanty Warfighters Conference, hundreds of captains quietly discussed the latest army offer of up to $35,000 in bonus payments as well as promised of being allowed to attend graduate school to those captains ready to re-enlist in the service. About 17,000 captains are eligible for this offer, but many are undecided since civilian life offers greater financial incentives to these well trained men and women. Captains are central to any military operation and some claim they increasingly found themselves doing tasks for which they lacked training such as dealing with civilian Iraqi populations. The United States is committed to luring members of the military with financial and education incentives because it depends upon a voluntary armed force. Perhaps, returning to the draft would eliminate this problem of having to continually find greater and greater financial incentives rather than patriotic ones. ...

US Captains Weigh Remaining In Military 2007-09-21 07:56:00 At the Infanty Warfighters Conference, hundreds of captains quietly discussed the latest army offer of up to $35,000 in bonus payments as well as promised of being allowed to attend graduate school to those captains ready to re-enlist in the service. About 17,000 captains are eligible for this offer, but many are undecided since civilian life offers greater financial incentives to these well trained men and women. Captains are central to any military operation and some claim they increasingly found themselves doing tasks for which they lacked training such as dealing with civilian Iraqi populations. The United States is committed to luring members of the military with financial and education incentives because it depends upon a voluntary armed force. Perhaps, returning to the draft would eliminate this problem of having to continually find greater and greater financial incentives rather than patriotic ones. ...

Rumors Circulating About Mysterious Israel Raid In Syria 2007-09-21 07:44:35 Rumors continue circulating about the mysterious Israel raid on unknown targets in Syria. Israel political leader Benyamin Nwetanyahu confirmed the raid did occur, but refused to identify its target. It is increasingly apparent the Israel government consulted with America prior to the raid. Rumors suggest the raid dealt with cargo carried by a North Korean ship which claimed to be carrying cement. Apparently, the initial reaction of American officials was doubt the North Koreans were sending nuclear material to Syria since ordinarily the Syrians are more interested in chemical weapons than nuclear but Israel persuaded the US its information was correct. Perhaps, this incident highlights another reality, the more Syria is isolated from the political processes of peace, the greater the likelihood it will engage in secret military operations. US policy has isolated Syria and encouraged clandestine activity. ...

Rumors Circulating About Mysterious Israel Raid In Syria 2007-09-21 07:44:35 Rumors continue circulating about the mysterious Israel raid on unknown targets in Syria. Israel political leader Benyamin Nwetanyahu confirmed the raid did occur, but refused to identify its target. It is increasingly apparent the Israel government consulted with America prior to the raid. Rumors suggest the raid dealt with cargo carried by a North Korean ship which claimed to be carrying cement. Apparently, the initial reaction of American officials was doubt the North Koreans were sending nuclear material to Syria since ordinarily the Syrians are more interested in chemical weapons than nuclear but Israel persuaded the US its information was correct. Perhaps, this incident highlights another reality, the more Syria is isolated from the political processes of peace, the greater the likelihood it will engage in secret military operations. US policy has isolated Syria and encouraged clandestine activity. ...

Japanese Opposition To Iraq War 2007-09-21 07:33:09 Japanese law forbids any assistance to America’s war in Iraq which lacks a United Nations resolution. The Japanese Self Defense Force is restricted to providing aid to forces fighting in and around Afghanistan where the UN voted for military operations. A japanese group, Peace Depot, obtained American military documents which indicate ships belonging to the Japanese Self Defense Force in the Indian Ocean provided fuel to the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier which was carrying out bombing missions in Iraq. According to a spokesperson for the group, “This fueling activity clearly violated the(Japanese) antiterrorism law.Z” Japan’s opposition party gained control of the Upper House of the Diet several months ago and is adamantly against Japanese participation in Iraq. This incident will most probably allow the opposition to end any further aid to the Iraq war which apparently some in the current Japanese government which to provide. ...

Japanese Opposition To Iraq War 2007-09-21 07:33:09 Japanese law forbids any assistance to America’s war in Iraq which lacks a United Nations resolution. The Japanese Self Defense Force is restricted to providing aid to forces fighting in and around Afghanistan where the UN voted for military operations. A japanese group, Peace Depot, obtained American military documents which indicate ships belonging to the Japanese Self Defense Force in the Indian Ocean provided fuel to the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier which was carrying out bombing missions in Iraq. According to a spokesperson for the group, “This fueling activity clearly violated the(Japanese) antiterrorism law.Z” Japan’s opposition party gained control of the Upper House of the Diet several months ago and is adamantly against Japanese participation in Iraq. This incident will most probably allow the opposition to end any further aid to the Iraq war which apparently some in the current Japanese government which to provide. ...

Monks Protest Burma Dictatorship 2007-09-21 07:21:42 For the third straight day hundreds of Bhuddist monks marched through the streets of Rangoon protesting the increasingly oppressive military junta which has ruled Burma for decades. The monks walked through rain with their bowels held downward to indicate they were not seeking anything for themselves but only for their oppressed nation. They marched from the Shwedagon pagoda to the downtown business district where a monk told a crowd which had gathered that life under the military junta had grown worse. Aung San Sui Kyi, Burma’s political leader who won a smashing election victory seventeen years ago, remains under house arrest and barred from participating in everyday life because the junta fears her popularity with the people of Burma. Unfortunately, for their nation, only this band of brave monks are able to make any type of protest against the thugs who rule Burma. ...

Monks Protest Burma Dictatorship 2007-09-21 07:21:42 For the third straight day hundreds of Bhuddist monks marched through the streets of Rangoon protesting the increasingly oppressive military junta which has ruled Burma for decades. The monks walked through rain with their bowels held downward to indicate they were not seeking anything for themselves but only for their oppressed nation. They marched from the Shwedagon pagoda to the downtown business district where a monk told a crowd which had gathered that life under the military junta had grown worse. Aung San Sui Kyi, Burma’s political leader who won a smashing election victory seventeen years ago, remains under house arrest and barred from participating in everyday life because the junta fears her popularity with the people of Burma. Unfortunately, for their nation, only this band of brave monks are able to make any type of protest against the thugs who rule Burma. ...

Don’t Joke With Putin In Russia 2007-09-21 07:09:56 A Russian newspaper faces loss of its “registration” for daring to have some fun with the president of Russia. It placed Putin’s face on the body of a Nazi officer and had another Nazi say, “Stiritz, I ask you to stay.” The two characters were from a Russian miniseries about World War II.Putin was a KGB agent in East Germany for several years in his younger days. A Russian spokesperson said: “Any associations with fascism in a country that went through WWII are improper.” The editor said he was making a joke and liked the play of words. Putin is an all powerful leader of Russia and like most all powerful leaders can not stand to have himself made the butt of jokes. The idea a newspaper must be “registered” in order to publish raises fundamental issues concerning freedom of speech and the press. It’s time for Putin to relax and enjoy a joke, even if it is a bad one. ...

Don’t Joke With Putin In Russia 2007-09-21 07:09:56 A Russian newspaper faces loss of its “registration” for daring to have some fun with the president of Russia. It placed Putin’s face on the body of a Nazi officer and had another Nazi say, “Stiritz, I ask you to stay.” The two characters were from a Russian miniseries about World War II.Putin was a KGB agent in East Germany for several years in his younger days. A Russian spokesperson said: “Any associations with fascism in a country that went through WWII are improper.” The editor said he was making a joke and liked the play of words. Putin is an all powerful leader of Russia and like most all powerful leaders can not stand to have himself made the butt of jokes. The idea a newspaper must be “registered” in order to publish raises fundamental issues concerning freedom of speech and the press. It’s time for Putin to relax and enjoy a joke, even if it is a bad one. ...

UN Rejects Taiwan Bid For Membership 2007-09-21 06:58:17 The United Nations refused to place the issue of admitting Taiwan as an independent nation on its agenda. The Taiwan government made the request, but due to Chinese pressure the bid was denied. Chinese Foreign Minister Jiang Yu accused Taiwan of seeking to disrupt the situation by attempting to portray itself as an independent nation instead of a province of China that remains apart from its place within the nation. Yu also attacked the Dailai Lama accusing of being “not simple a religious figure but a political one who has long engaged in separatist activities aimed at undermining national unity.” China remains a proud, but dictatorial society which refuses to recognize the desires of the people of Tibet or of Taiwan who seek to avoid being part of the Chinese nation. It will probably take decades before China has leadership which accepts legitimate rights of people of those areas. ...

UN Rejects Taiwan Bid For Membership 2007-09-21 06:58:17 The United Nations refused to place the issue of admitting Taiwan as an independent nation on its agenda. The Taiwan government made the request, but due to Chinese pressure the bid was denied. Chinese Foreign Minister Jiang Yu accused Taiwan of seeking to disrupt the situation by attempting to portray itself as an independent nation instead of a province of China that remains apart from its place within the nation. Yu also attacked the Dailai Lama accusing of being “not simple a religious figure but a political one who has long engaged in separatist activities aimed at undermining national unity.” China remains a proud, but dictatorial society which refuses to recognize the desires of the people of Tibet or of Taiwan who seek to avoid being part of the Chinese nation. It will probably take decades before China has leadership which accepts legitimate rights of people of those areas. ...

Flash! President Bush Says Nelson Mandela Is Dead!!! 2007-09-20 22:07:33 At his news conference today, President Bush responded to a question about why the situation was not having more positive results by saying Iraq lacked a Nelson Mandela and that Nelson Mandela was dead! On which planet does our planet live? Or, should we ask, does he know anything about what is going on in the world? ... President

Flash! President Bush Says Nelson Mandela Is Dead!!! 2007-09-20 22:07:33 At his news conference today, President Bush responded to a question about why the situation was not having more positive results by saying Iraq lacked a Nelson Mandela and that Nelson Mandela was dead! On which planet does our planet live? Or, should we ask, does he know anything about what is going on in the world? ... President