indications of Intelligent Design

I think I have to revise my statement about blaming Putin for the Hariri killing ( posted elsewhere on transconscious forum)

U.S., Iraqis launch border offensive

Friday, June 17, 2005

QAIM, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a new offensive on Friday near the Syrian border in western Iraq, killing at least 30 suspected insurgents, the U.S. Marines said.

The purpose of Operation Spear is to destroy a safe haven for insurgents and foreign fighters near the Iraq-Syrian border in Karabila, in the huge, volatile Anbar province, according to the military. About 1,000 troops -- including U.S. Marines and sailors and Iraqi soldiers -- are involved.

[link to edition.cnn.com]

"rail accidents/collision"

300 tons of oil spilled in fuel train derailment in Russia´s center
06/16/2005 12:03
The spilled fuel endangers the ecological safety of the center of Russia, including Moscow

Twenty-four tank cars of oil fuel derailed and overturned in the Tver region of Russia. The accident happened yesterday night, at about 8:05 p.m. Moscow time. The train counted 60 tank cars in total. Ten cars, containing 60 tons of black oil each, overturned as a result of the derailment. The fuel started leaking from only two tank cars at first, but then proceeded on to other cars, a spokesman for the Russian EMERCOM said.

According to preliminary estimations, some 300 tons of fuel oil poured out of the cars as a result of the railway accident in the Tver region of Russia. Two rescue trains and 120 employees of emergency services arrived to the site of the accident at night to liquidate consequences of the accident. Rescue trains pumped out the spilled fuel. Rescuing operations will last for not less than 48 hours, Echo of Moscow radio station said.

"The train derailment posed a danger to soil and water reservoirs in the area. The river that is flowing not far from the site of the accident supplies Moscow with drinking water," a spokesman for Russian emergency services, Vyacheslav Vasiliev said.

The tragedy luckily left no victims or considerable financial damage. "I am not talking about the environmental damage here, of course. However, oil spills often lead to massive fires, which are very hard to extinguish," Vyacheslav Vasiliev said. "The spilled oil has already polluted a small river nearby, about only 100-150 meters off the crash site. The rehabilitation of the environment will probably take a month," the specialist added.

Special enclosures will be put up around the site of the accident to prevent oil fuel from flowing into rivers and lakes.

The fuel train supposedly derailed because of rainy weather: the damp ground resulted in minor deformities of the railroad bed. The version of a terrorist act is completely excluded, a source from the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry told Interfax. The spilled oil fuel belonged to a private enterprise and was meant to be exported, Newsru said.

[link to english.pravda.ru]

Ive got footage of God masturbating up the universe. One night in Jesus- only $39.95, who wants it?

did you look at this thread ´6-18 the final warning´ here on GLP?

´In Terminator III, Arnold Schwarzenegger states" At precisely 6:18 the codes are given to launch a massive nuclear strike against the enemy."

As a member of the Illuminati he was stating the planned date of attack in a hidden message. This movie represents the imprisonment of mankind and the beginning of WWIII.

6/18 is significant because 6 represents mankind while 18 represents 3 sixes or 666 or the rise of the beast system.´

Yes I´m aware of that, the Gibson thing too.
I´m looking at the WW I and II patterns and I will give attention to the 6:18 reference. It could be significant

More important is a possible WW III fitting the emerging patterns, as I believe that WW III can be ´taken out of the air´ or lessened in impact.


Sunday, 19 June

Lebanon tense for decisive vote

Northern Lebanon has begun voting in a tense final round of elections that will decide if the anti-Syrian opposition takes control of parliament.
Saad Hariri´s anti-Syrian alliance faces a tough challenge from ex-General Michel Aoun, whose group made shock gains in an earlier round of voting.

Correspondents say Mr Hariri is set to fare well in Sunni Muslim areas with Mr Aoun likely to take the Christian vote.

Lebanon is holding its first vote since the Syrian troop withdrawal this year.

Damascus ended its forces´ 30-year deployment in Lebanon in response to street protests and international pressure triggered by the assassination of Mr Hariri´s father, the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The former leader died in February in a bomb blast his supporters said was the work of Syria.

Syrian troops were stationed in Lebanon under the accord that ended a 15-year civil war in 1989.

Although Mr Aoun´s forces fought against the Syrians in the civil war, his allies in the election include pro-Damascus politicians, such as former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh.


His alliance did well in the third round of voting held in the Mount Lebanon and Bekaa valley regions, with the promise that it would tackle corruption and end sectarian policies.

Mr Hariri´s group, which includes the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and right-wing Christians, has so far secured 44 of the 100 seats already decided.

It must win 21 of the 28 seats in Sunday´s vote if it is to have a majority in parliament.

The final days of campaigning has seen rival camps accusing each other of intimidation and of playing into Syrian hands.

"This is not only the last stage," Mr Hariri told supporters in the north. "For us and for you, it is the last chance to save and regain Lebanon and finally eliminate [Syrian] tutelage."

Emotional significance

Mr Aoun has meanwhile said he is the "first opponent of the Syrians" and will remain so.

His group needs to win a quarter of the 28 seats being contested in northern Lebanon in order to rob Mr Hariri´s alliance of a parliamentary majority.

He told the Associated Press news agency he believes a compromise is likely.

"There won´t be a complete winner and there won´t be a complete loser," he said.


The Amal and Hezbollah parties that have a pro-Syrian agenda have so far won 35 seats.

The BBC´s Kim Ghattas in Beirut says Sunday´s vote will be emotionally - as well as politically - significant, as it takes place in the northern Lebanese region bordering Syria.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Friday, 17 June

New al-Qaeda videotape broadcast

The deputy leader of al-Qaeda has appeared in a new videotape and warned Muslim nations against adopting the "US concept of reform".
Ayman al-Zawahri said, in the tape shown on al-Jazeera TV, that any change should be based on Islamic law.

He also warned against the possibility of trying to bring about change through peaceful demonstrations.

This is the first tape he has appeared in since one aired by the Arab satellite news channel in February.

"Expelling the invading crusader forces and Jews from our Muslim homes cannot be realised solely through demonstrations and speaking out in the streets," he says on the tape.

"Reform and expelling the invaders from Muslim countries cannot be accomplished except by fighting for the sake of God."

Wanted men

Al-Jazeera said Egyptian-born Zawahri condemned the assaults on women protesters during demonstrations in Egypt last month.

He also criticised the Pakistani, Saudi and Egyptian governments for their pro-Western stance.

Zawahri appears wearing a white turban with a machine gun beside him, in a similar pose to previous videotapes.

In February, he warned the West to show respect for the Islamic world and denounced US President Bush´s calls for reform in the Middle East.

Despite a massive US-led hunt since 11 September 2001, Zawahri and al-Qaeda´s leader Osama bin Laden have so far managed to evade capture.

They are believed to be hiding in the rugged border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Quote:


"as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the 360 degrees/ 1 year/13 ´satanic days´ correlations:

During WW II there were 8 annually recurring ´13 satanic days´ periods, each year during the war from April 19 - May 1

8 times 13 = 104 ´stanic days´ during WW II

number of days between the end of WW I and the start of WW II:

6584 days

expressed in 360 ´degrees´ based years:

18 ( =6+6+6) times 360 + 104 = 6584 days

In the ´Hyperdimensional Dates and 911 patterns´ thread here October 21 is identified as possible Hyperdimensional Date.
[link to transconscious.com]

regarding this years October 21:

quote:

"Theme of October 21 for an unspecified year:

China - Taiwan and/or US - Korea conflict

On the triggerdates for this years October 21 (2005):

Awakening, 555 begin trigger on the 1111 days timeframe around October 21, 2005:

April 13

Asteroid 2004 MN4

2004 MN4 (also written 2004 MN4) is a Near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in late 2004. Initial observations of the asteroid revealed a relatively large probability that 2004 MN4 would strike the Earth in 2029. However, additional observations provided improved predictions that essentially eliminated the possibility of an impact on Earth or the Moon.

Nevertheless, it is expected that it will come close enough that on April 13, 2029 (Friday the 13th) it will become as bright as magnitude 3.3 (easily visible to the naked eye). This close approach will be visible from Europe, Africa, and western Asia. No other closely approaching objects in recorded history have been visible to the naked eye.

2004 MN4 remains at level one on the Torino scale because of very low but nonzero probabilities of impact on approaches in 2035, 2036 and 2037. However, the approach in 2029 will substantially alter the object´s orbit, and the precise details of its future orbit or any future close approaches will only be known after that has happened.

Awakening, 555 endtrigger on the 1111 days awakenings timeframe around October 21, 2005:

April 29

April 29, 1661 - China´s Ming Dynasty occupies Taiwan.

So both the general theme of the Hyperdimensional day October 21 and the awakening triggerdate for this years October 21 ( 2005 ) give a China - Taiwan conflict !"

So lett´s give the in between timeframe End WW II - October 21, 2005 a look:

August 19, 1945 - October 21, 2005 = 21.977 days

the same methods as in between WW I and WW II

60 x 360 + 29 x 13 ´satanic days´ = 21.977

or

61 = prime 18 ( = 6+6+6)

61 x 360 + 17 = 21977, a 17 reference ( rev 17:17)

Monday, 20 June, 2005

Lebanon voters ´welcome change´

The people of Lebanon have voted for change, says the leader of the main opposition anti-Syrian alliance that appears to have won the elections.
The bloc led by Saad Hariri has won a majority in parliament, according to unofficial results from Sunday´s polls.

A pro-Syrian leader of the group that challenged Mr Hariri in the final round of voting in northern Lebanon said: "We bow to the will of the people".

It was Lebanon´s first election since the Syrian troop withdrawal this year.

Damascus ended its 30-year deployment in Lebanon in response to street protests and international pressure triggered by the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the country´s former prime minister, on 14 February.

He was killed in a bomb blast his supporters said was the work of Syria.

Syrian troops were stationed in Lebanon under the accord that ended a 15-year civil war in 1989.

Aoun challenge

"The almost final results show that the people has had its say," Mr Hariri told the AFP news agency on Monday.

"It has said that it wants change and that´s what we call for."

Mr Hariri´s coalition needed to win 21 seats on Sunday to reach a total of 65, the majority needed to control the 128-seat parliament.

The BBC´s Jim Muir says he should now find it easier to start dismantling what he calls the security state set up by the Syrians - assuming the victory is officially confirmed.

In the fourth and final round of voting, the anti-Syrian alliance faced former General Michel Aoun´s group in the fight for the last 28 seats at stake in northern Lebanon.

Although Mr Aoun´s forces fought against the Syrians in the civil war, his allies in the election include pro-Damascus politicians, such as former Interior Minister Suleiman Franjieh.

His alliance did well in the third round of voting held in the Mount Lebanon and Bekaa valley regions, with the promise that it would tackle corruption and end sectarian policies.

It would have had to secure a quarter of the 28 seats being contested in northern Lebanon to rob Mr Hariri´s alliance of a parliamentary majority - but appears not to have done so.

However, our correspondent says, Gen Aoun´s block of 21 seats have established him as the most significant Christian political figure whose views will be hard to ignore.

Bitter campaign

Mr Franjieh said his party accepted the popular will.

He told a local television channel: "Even if we have lost, we are the real representatives of the Christian areas in north Lebanon".

Official results are due later on Monday.

Saad Hariri is thought to have fared well in Sunni Muslim areas, with Mr Aoun´s grouping taking the Christian vote, correspondents say.

Mr Hariri´s group, which includes the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and right-wing Christians, has so far secured 44 of the 100 seats polled so far in other parts of Lebanon.

The interior ministry said 49% of eligible voters turned out to cast their vote on Sunday, Reuters reports.

In earlier rounds the Amal and Hezbollah parties that have a pro-Syrian agenda won 35 seats.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

monitoring ´3days off´ june 19: June 22, 2005

not only the date December 14, but also the year: 2003

On the 555 days starttrigger on the 1111 days ´awakenings´ timeframe around June 22, 2005:


December 14, 2003

December 14, 2003: Saddam Hussein captured
The ousted President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, is under arrest after he was captured by US soldiers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," US administrator Paul Bremer told journalists in Baghdad. "The tyrant is a prisoner."

Saddam Hussein was found hidden in a tiny bunker at a farmhouse about 10 miles (15 km) south of his home town, Tikrit.

A US military spokesman, Major-General Raymond Odierno, said the operation was launched soon after a tip-off from a member of Saddam Hussein´s own extended family.

"Over the last 10 days we brought in about five to 10 members of these families, and finally got the ultimate information from one of these individuals," he said.

Reward

There was a $25m reward offered by the US authorities for information leading to his capture.

A similar reward was claimed for revealing the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein´s sons, Uday and Qusay, who were killed in a raid by US forces in the northern city of Mosul in July.

Saddam Hussein was found in a "spider hole" or cellar just big enough for a person to lie down in, and six to eight feet (1.8m to 2.5m) deep.

The entrance was topped with a polystyrene lid and covered with a rug, bricks and dirt. Saddam had been breathing through an air vent and extractor fan.

The former Iraqi dictator was armed with a pistol, but Major-General Odierno said he gave himself up without resistance.

He seemed "disoriented" and "bewildered", the Major-General said, and was arrested at 2030 local time (1730 GMT).

Dishevelled

Two unidentified people said to be "close allies" of Saddam Hussein were also arrested. Weapons and more than $750,000 in cash was confiscated.

Video footage was released by the US military showing a dishevelled Saddam with a long black and grey beard undergoing a medical examination.

The former president had not been seen since US forces entered Baghdad in April.

Despite one of the most intensive manhunts in history, he has evaded capture for eight months.

As the news spread throughout Iraq, people began celebrating in the streets of Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk by sounding their horns and firing into the air.

Saddam´s stronghold towns of Tikrit and Fallujah, however, were sombre and quiet.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

could be related to Osama too

keywords for June 22, 2005

huge waves / tsunami ( conditioning )
´satanic´ attack
India tension
Mid America ( El Salvador - Nicaragua) earthquake
Iraq
exit leader ( nation)
Golan Heights
bird flu
China - Taiwan
La Guardia

and in case of a major event:

related to 2012 / end of Mayan Calender

quote:
"did you look at this thread ´6-18 the final warning´ here on GLP?

´In Terminator III, Arnold Schwarzenegger states" At precisely 6:18 the codes are given to launch a massive nuclear strike against the enemy."

As a member of the Illuminati he was stating the planned date of attack in a hidden message. This movie represents the imprisonment of mankind and the beginning of WWIII.

6/18 is significant because 6 represents mankind while 18 represents 3 sixes or 666 or the rise of the beast system.´"

6:18 is a Golden Mean reference

The significance of the ´Golden Mean´ as part of the ´code´ could become visible when applied to emerging patterns, like this:

Inspiralling:

911 / 1.618 = 563 days ( 365 days backwards )

so the pattern would be : eventsday - 911 days - 563 days

September 11 US - March 11 Madrid - September 25, 2005

How does the occult number 13 fit into the patterns as monitored in the threads linked in the first post of this thread?

5+5+5 years = 15 years

15 years = 15 times 365,25 days (rounded) = 5479

deduct the 13 ´satanic´ days gives a total of 5466 days.

5466 = 6 times 911

911 is the number 6

The 13 days difference between the real 15 years cycle and the ´Satanic´ cycle can be considered as a marge.

That´s why some related events seem to be off the pattern with 1 or a few days in our real timecycle, those 13 days have to fit in into the patterns to complete the cycle.

That means that for instance 913 days is just as valid as 911 days as long as the related events on the pattern don´t exceed the real cycle of 15 years.

As example: 9/11 US and the Madrid bombings were seperated by 912 days and not 911. ( both were on Hyper Dimensional dates as described in the related thread above!)

so the ´number of the beast´ 6-6-6 is in fact 911-911-911!

To clearify the 911 => 6 reference:

if you use degrees to calculate the dates then for instance September 11 and March 11 ( 9/11-Madrid) are at 19.47 degrees above and below the ´equator´ of a year, just like the Hyper Dimensional Tetrahedron

911 is at 60 degrees of the 15 years cycle (minus 13 ´satanic´ days)

6 times 60 degrees gives a full cycle of 360 degrees
6 times 911 gives 5466 days + 13 ´satanic´ days gives 5479 days, the exact length of 5+5+5 years

Infact, a consistent pattern would have given March 10, 2004 for the Madrid bombings, exactly 911 days after 9/11 US.
It is ´allowed´ to be 1 day off in ´our´ real time because of the 13 extra days in the 5+5+5 = 15 years cycle

Than 911 / 1.618 days = 563 days after March 10, 2004 gives

September 24, 2005

September 24 is again exactly 13 days off the ´perfect´ Hyper Dimensional date September 11

Stop playing with numbers. You are not proving a damn thing.
(message from the Beast)

Hey 666,

I will know where to find you

87+55+666+777+420+69=April 20th 2006=intelligent design and numerology are for morons.

That adds up to 2074 = 13
referrring to the annually 13 ´ satanic days´ period starting at April 19 -May 1 ?

Tuesday, 21 June, 2005

Taiwan ship joins island dispute

Taiwan has dispatched a warship to disputed fishing grounds in an apparent show of strength after complaints of harassment by Japanese patrol boats.
Defence Minister Lee Jye and a group of MPs including speaker Wang Jin-pyng are aboard the frigate heading for the area around the Diaoyu Islands.

The waters around the islands, known in Japan as the Senkaku, are claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan.

Mr Wang said Taiwan had the right to defend its sovereignty.

"This area belongs to us historically, geographically and legally," he told reporters before boarding along with a cross-party group of 15 MPs.

"We must defend our sovereignty and protect our fishing rights."

A military spokesman, Liou Chih-chien, described the voyage as an "inspection tour" and said that while the frigate would enter disputed waters it would not approach the actual islands.

The Fengyang is scheduled to return to Taiwan later in the day, defence ministry officials told Taiwan´s Central News Agency.

It is armed with air defence missiles and will be escorted at a distance by other Taiwanese ships and aircraft, the officials added.

´Standing up´

Opposition politicians in Taiwan have criticised the government for failing to stand up to Japan.

"The entire nation is waiting for the government to show its guts and stand up to Japan," said one independent MP, May Chin.

The dispatch of the Fengyang comes after 50 Taiwanese fishing boats staged a rare protest in the disputed area earlier this month.

They were protesting at being frequently driven out of the waters by Japanese patrol boats.

Some Taiwanese fishermen have reportedly called for protection from China, Taiwan´s arch-rival.

One unnamed fisherman told a Taiwanese TV station he was please to see the frigate being sent out.

"It´s good to see it´s finally our turn to scare the Japanese - they have always bullied us and make us feel we are thieves at sea," he told cable news network TVBS.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Four Killed in Latest Violence in Indian Kashmir
Authorities in Indian Kashmir say suspected Islamic militants have attacked a remote police station, triggering a gunbattle that left two militants, one policeman and one civilian dead.

Police say the ambush occurred late Sunday in southern Poonch province near the Pakistani border. They say the rebels hurled grenades and used machine guns in the attack, which led to a three-hour shoot-out.

Kashmiri militants continue their attacks against government targets, as India and Pakistan inch forward in their 18-month peace process aimed at resolving all their disputes, including Kashmir.

Militant groups have been fighting for Kashmir´s independence or its merger with Pakistan since 1989. The insurgency has claimed tens of thousand of lives.

[link to quickstart.clari.net]

Health Organizations Investigate China´s Alleged Misuse of Flu Drug


The World Health Organization and other international agencies are looking into reports that Chinese farmers have been using a human anti-viral drug to suppress bird flu. Some experts say such use may make the virus resistant to the drug.

Chinese officials had no immediate comment on the report, which first appeared in the U.S. newspaper The Washington Post.

The newspaper said that Chinese farmers, with the encouragement of the government, violated international livestock guidelines by feeding the drug Amantadine - intended for humans - to chickens during the past several years.

That has experts concerned the drug would no longer help humans fight off the disease in the event of a worldwide avian-influenza epidemic.

The World Health Organization was among a number of agencies asking Chinese authorities for an explanation.

The WHO representative in China, Dr. Henk Bekedam, says it is too early to tell what, if any, action might be taken against the Chinese government.

"I am not sure if it is violating something very clear," he said. "But, indeed, the concern is that, if we use anti-virals - drugs that could be used for humans - if they are used not properly, while you deal with the same virus in animals, by the time they [are] used for humans, they might not be working."

International health officials began suspecting that human anti-viral drugs were being administered to chickens last year, when researchers discovered that the bird flu virus, known as H5N1, had become resistant to Amantadine.

The drug is one of two in the world that are used to treat influenza. The other is much more costly and difficult to manufacture, and officials are worried it may be out of reach for many people in the event of a major outbreak.

Avian influenza has killed at least 54 people in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Almost all the victims caught the disease directly from birds. But the World Health Organization is concerned that the virus might undergo mutations that would allow it to spread more easily among humans.

[link to quickstart.clari.net]

feed the fire:

Tuesday, 21 June, 2005

Blast kills Lebanese politician

A veteran Lebanese politician has been killed in a bomb blast in the capital Beirut, police say.
George Hawi - former Communist Party leader and an opponent of Syria - died when his car blew up as he drove through the Wata Musaitbi district.

The attack follows the anti-Syrian bloc´s victory in elections, the first since Syria ended a 29-year occupation.

Damascus´ withdrawal followed protests sparked by the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February.

His son Saad Hariri led the bloc, which secured a majority in parliamentary elections that ended on Sunday.

Syria critic

Mr Hawi died at 1000 local time (0700 GMT).

He was killed instantly and his driver was injured by the bomb, which was placed under the passenger seat of his Mercedes and triggered by remote control.

"The car kept going and we then saw the driver screaming and he jumped out of the window. We rushed to the car and saw Hawi in the passenger seat with his guts out," said one eyewitness quoted by Reuters news agency.

Police tried to cordon off the area, but large crowds gathered.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed shock at Mr Hawi´s death.

"We are stunned," he told reporters. "With every achievement by the Lebanese state, we see that there are those who want to target security and send messages of this sort."

The BBC´s Kim Ghattas in Beirut says Mr Hawi, a Christian, was a Syrian ally for years but recently joined the anti-Syrian opposition and criticised Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs.

Mr Hawi is the second prominent figure to die in a car bombing in Beirut in less than three weeks.

On 2 June, journalist Samir Qasir was killed when a bomb exploded under his car.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

A nightmare scenario

Should we sound the alarm for a worldwide epidemic that might not occur? There is no choice with the avian flu emerging from Asia. Last week´s disclosure that an Indonesian man tested positive for the bird flu that has already killed more than 50 people in Southeast Asia was just the latest chilling news about the disease. Should it develop certain genetic changes, international health experts warn, bird flu could spark a global pandemic, infecting as much of a quarter of the world´s population and killing as many as 180 million to 360 million people - at least seven times the number of AIDS deaths, all within a matter of weeks.

This is utterly different from ordinary flu, which kills between 1 million and 2 million people worldwide in a typical year. In the worst previous catastrophic pandemic, in 1918, more than 20 million died from the Spanish Flu. That´s more than the number of people who died from the Black Death in the Middle Ages, and more people killed in 24 weeks than AIDS killed in 24 years.

There are three elements to a pandemic. First, a virus emerges from the pool of animal life that has never infected human beings, meaning no person has antibodies to fight it. Second, the virus has to make us seriously ill. Third, the virus must be capable of moving swiftly from human to human through coughing, sneezing or just a handshake.

For avian flu, the first two elements are already with us. Well over half the people who have contracted it have died. The question now is whether the virus will meet the third condition: mutating so that it can spread rapidly from human to human.

The new flu has already moved from chickens to other birds and on to pigs. The latter often serve as a vessel for mixing human and animal viruses because the receptors on the respiratory cells of pigs are similar to those of humans. This illustrates the dangers we face, because this mixture of bird flu and human flu, in an animal or a person, could cause the viruses to exchange genetic materials and create an entirely new viral strain capable of sustaining efficient human-to-human transmission.

That would be the tipping point to a pandemic.

[link to www.nydailynews.com]

Experts Debate China´s Rise

by Chetan Kulkarni
Washington (UPI) June 20, 2005
China´s bid for a peaceful rise will be tested by its intention toward Taiwan and its quest for oil, experts say.
Chinese officials maintain the country will move toward reform rather than violence in its efforts to establish a new international, political and economic order. It has no intention, they say, to threaten anyone by its rise.

The Asian giant´s ties with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province, could affect those intentions, experts argue, as could its relations with nations such as Iran in its bid to feed its ever-expanding desire for energy.

Chinese analysts, however, say the country´s rise will be peaceful.

"We are not seeking to become a big major power competing for hegemony around the world, but a big market a major civilization and responsible big power by constructive growth in the international community," said Zheng Bijian, Chairman of the China Reform Forum, a mainland think tank, at the Brookings Institution in Washington Thursday.

The peaceful rise idea posits that China can emerge as one of the world´s leading economies without threatening the international system. China, Zheng said, understood the historical and current context of the U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific region and did not want to follow a "Monroe doctrine" to oust the United States. Instead, he said, Beijing would pursue a policy of "open multilateralism."

The Monroe Doctrine is the policy adopted by U.S. President Monroe in 1823 to limit European political influence in the Americas.

"We must concentrate all our energies on fulfilling this task," Zheng said. "We have neither the energy nor the intention to threaten others."

He added that those who misread China´s intentions were committing a serious mistake.

"If people fail to see these important and basic concepts of Chinese leadership, which are in conformity with trend of our times, they may arrive at serious strategic misjudgment of China´s action and will commit historical mistake," he said.

Richard Bush III, a senior fellow at the centrist Brookings Institution, said Zheng´s remarks sought to dispel the theory clashes are "preordained" when a rising power ascends in presence of an existing one. He said China´s presence in the Western Hemisphere was "miniscule" and the United States had no reason to fear it.

Not all policymakers agree.

John J. Tkacik, Jr., a research fellow in China Policy, at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, said Zheng´s remarks excluded the furious debate of "China´s peaceful rise" within the Communist Party, which saw it as an impediment toward its Taiwan policy.

"The touchstone is the Taiwan issue," he said, adding the United States should use that as a yardstick to judge China´s intentions toward its neighbors and toward the United States.

Zheng justified the Chinese stance toward Taiwan, saying he did not see it as a deviation from the peaceful rise policy.

"If Taiwan grows independent we reserve the right to attack," he said. "That is not outward expansion. It is necessary for safeguarding our territorial integrity."

Bush of Brookings said the Chinese quest for oil would be the "perfect test" for its claims of peaceful rise. He said the long supply lines for oil were as much a security weakness as they were strength.

Zheng said China was researching how to efficiently use its vast coal resources to meet its energy needs internally. To avoid increased consumption of energy, old-style industrialization characterized by high input, high consumption, high pollution will not work for China, he said.

"China´s growth would feature high technology inputs, economic efficiency, low consumption of resources, low pollution and approved strategy of human resources," Zheng said.

As part of its bid to meet its growing energy needs, China has struck deals with government such as Iran, Sudan and Venezuela, all criticized by the United States for the record of freedom.

Zheng acknowledged, however, that a peaceful rise was difficult, adding it was important for Beijing to confront fairness and economic returns, rural-urban disparity, wealth gap and relations between reform and stability though "Chinese characteristics."

He said China wanted to maintain internal peace, leading 1.5 billion people toward a better life.

"China´s peaceful rise is the essence of a staunch force in forwarding rather than disrupting global peace," he said.

[link to www.terradaily.com]

´India tension´

Compromise over India pilgrimage

A dispute over the duration of the annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave in Indian-administered Kashmir has been resolved with a compromise.
Devotees will have six weeks to visit the shrine. The pilgrimage began two weeks early on Tuesday with a visit by soldiers and their families.

The state governor wanted a two-month pilgrimage, but the state government opposed the move on security grounds.

Half a million pilgrims are expected despite threat of attack by militants.

Ice stalagmite

The BBC´s Altaf Hussein in Srinagar says the pilgrimage has assumed significance as militants have threatened to disrupt it in recent years.

The cave temple is situated 4,267 metres (14,000 feet) above sea level.

It contains an ice stalagmite which devotees believe is an incarnation of the Hindu god, Shiva.

Pilgrims must register and security is tight along the 300km route from Jammu to the cave. Devotees trek to the cave from the base camp at Chandanwari.

The old and infirm ride on pony back, the rich fly in helicopters.

The cave was discovered long ago by a Muslim family.

They used to receive a quarter of the offerings made by devotees at the cave until the government set up a statutory management board for the shrine three years ago.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Row over Kashmiri Pakistan visit

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accused Pakistan of violating travel agreements during a recent visit to Pakistan by Kashmiri separatists.
Moderates from the disputed territory made the landmark trip earlier this month in a visit opposed by hardliners.

They crossed the Line of Control into Pakistani-administered Kashmir from the Indian-controlled side.

But India has criticised Pakistan for allowing them to move beyond Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

"That Pakistan decided to invite them to visit Islamabad and other cities in Pakistan violated an understanding on these procedures that had been reached between India and Pakistan," Mr Singh said.

But Pakistan´s Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid, says he was not aware of any agreement that prevented the separatists from visiting Pakistan.

"The idea was to create an opportunity for them to speak to the Pakistani leadership," he told the BBC News website.

"It was a way of bringing the party that is most affected by this conflict - i.e. the Kashmiris - into the ambit of what is being discussed between Pakistan and India."

The Indian prime minister was replying to criticism by former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that the visit had been mishandled by the Indian government.

India had issued passports to the separatist leaders but reports say they were permitted by Pakistan to travel across the country without visas or the use of their Indian passports.


Opposition criticism

In a letter to the Indian prime minister last week, Mr Vajpayee said the separatists´ visit to Pakistan was "against the established norms of international travel".

He also criticised the prominence given to the separatists despite there being an elected government in Indian-administered Kashmir.

But Mr Singh has defended his actions saying that his government recognises that there are some groups in Kashmir which are outside the electoral process.

"We are nevertheless willing to enter into a dialogue with such groups, provided they agree to abjure the path of violence," he said.

No role

The separatists´ visit came 18 months after India and Pakistan launched a peace process.

The separatists described the visit as a major success and the first step in involving Kashmiris in the peace process.

But on Monday, an Indian minister said the separatists would not be allowed to join the peace talks.

Junior home minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal said the separatists could hold separate talks with the government but would not be given third party status.

The comments have been criticised by Kashmiri separatists.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

´exit leader ( nation)´

Wednesday June 22, 6:00 AM
Pinochet ´stable´ in hospital after stroke

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, 89, suffered a stroke and was reported "stable" in hospital, a day before a court considers whether he may be tried for abductions of opponents to his regime.

Pinochet, who also suffered a stroke on May 19, lost consciousness at his Santiago home was taken to the Military Hospital in the Chilean capital.

"He was having breakfast when he fainted and lost consciousness for about 30 minutes," his son Marco Antonio Pinochet Hiriart said.

Since his admission "he has progressed, he is stable and will remain in hospital for observation," said a statement by doctors at the hospital.

The Santiago Appeals Court was to open hearings Wednesday on whether to strip Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution over charges of involvement in the abduction and killing of political prisoners, in what his intelligence services dubbed "Operation Colombo".

Pinochet seized power in a 1973 coup, which toppled elected socialist president Salvador Allende. He ruled until 1990.

On June 7 a Chilean court lifted Pinochet´s immunity from prosecution for fraud, but said he should not stand trial on human rights charges for his role in a conspiracy of South American dictatorships.

The retired general, a symbol of Cold War repression who drove a deep political rift through this Andean nation, has never been tried in connection with the estimated 3,000 people who were killed or disappeared under his regime.

Relatives of people known to have been abducted and presumed killed also have filed charges against Pinochet.

Pinochet´s son said that his father "is not aware" of his legal status or of the charges against him.

Pinochet has so far avoided standing trial, in part by claiming that he suffers from dementia, the only medical condition that under Chilean law allows him to avoid trial. Pinochet also suffers from heart problems and diabetes.

He also enjoys an immunity from prosecution as a former head of state. In Chile, that immunity may be lifted on a case-by-case basis.

"What happens in the court does not affect him. What affects him is his illness," the son said.

Operation Columbo became public in 1975 when Pinochet´s regime announced that the bodies of 119 bodies of members of the Leftist Revolutionary Movement (MIR) had been found in Argentina and Brazil, killed in a dispute among members of the guerrilla organization.

Prosecutor Juan Guzman Tapia, who has questioned soldiers involved in the operation, brought charges against DINA secret police founder and director Manual Contreras and 15 other former agents.

Chile´s internal tax service filed corruption charges against Pinochet after a US Senate probe uncovered accounts Pinochet opened in US banks under assumed names and holding millions of dollars.

Pinochet had secret holdings in cash, stocks and bonds in the United States, allowing him to control at least 13 million dollars, the US Senate reported in March.
[link to sg.news.yahoo.com]

nice timing, exactly what we could have expected:

Rice Criticizes Syrian Role in Lebanon
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has criticized Syria for creating instability in Lebanon, where a second politician was killed Tuesday.

Ms. Rice said she does not know who is responsible for the attack that killed George Hawi in Beirut, but she called on Syria to end destabilizing activities there.

Ms. Rice spoke to reporters aboard a plane to Brussels, where she is to attend a conference aimed at gathering international support for Iraq´s new government.

The conference will also include Iraqi leaders, officials from more than 80 nations and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Monday, Ms. Rice visited Saudi Arabia for the last stop of a Middle East trip, where she renewed a call for democratic reform.

[link to quickstart.clari.net]