Bomber Kills 43 at Algerian Police Academy
Suicide car bomber kills 43 Algerians amid surging violence by al-Qaida-allied movemen


Algeria hit by two more fatal terror bombings
• Car bombs explode at military post and hotel
• Attack comes a day after 43 killed in Boumerdes


Al-Qaeda 'claims Algeria bombs'
A message purported to be from al-Qaeda's North African wing said it carried out bombs that killed about 60 people in Algeria this week.



Iraqi Woman With Bomb Vest Surrenders
BAGHDAD — U.S. military officials say a woman wearing a bomb-laden vest has turned herself in to Iraqi police rather than blow herself up.
The would-be suicide bomber surrendered Sunday in the city of Baqouba. U.S. officials say she led police to a second suicide vest, and that a 13-year-old girl was arrested at that time.


Girl suicide bomber, 13, hands herself in to Iraqi police
A 13-year-old girl wearing a vest packed with explosives turned herself in to Iraqi police north of Baghdad yesterday because she did not want to become a suicide bomber, the US military said.



Iraq suicide attack kills 25
A bomber strikes a celebration in a Sunni suburb of Baghdad held for a man released from detention. At least 14 people die in other attacks.



Hamas claims it has no problem with Jews, just Zionists



Abbas: We can't lose another 7 years searching for peace



'US rejects Barak's Boeing 767 request'
The US turned down a request by Defense Minister Ehud Barak to purchase the Boeing 767 aircraft, which can be used for mid-air refueling, amid fears that the sale would appear to support an Israeli strike on Iran, Channel 10 news reported on Thursday.



Ahmadinejad says Israel will be removed soon
In apparent effort to difuse criticism over conciliatory remarks made by his vice president, Iranian leader says Jewish state 'germ of corruption'


***


U.S. Ship Brings Aid to Georgia as Russia Holds Port
Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. Navy destroyer carrying humanitarian aid arrived in a Georgian port hours after Georgia's government said a fuel train exploded when it struck a mine amid the continuing standoff with Russia.


U.S. Navy Warship Arrives in Georgia Carrying Aid
ABOARD THE U.S.S. MCFAUL — A U.S. Navy warship carrying humanitarian aid anchored at the Georgian port of Batumi on Sunday, sending a strong signal of support to an embattled ally as Russian forces built up around two separatist regions.


Medvedev Seeks Support From China, Allies on Georgia
Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao today, seeking support from Asian allies for Russia's recognition of two Georgian regions, a move widely condemned in the West.


Saakashvili’s Statement on Russia’ Action


Russia: We'll react militarily to US
Russia may offer a military response to a US missile shield in Europe, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Tuesday.


US and Russian warships line up in dispute over Georgia
• Merkel expresses disapproval of Russian actions to Medvedev
• Russians unhappy with US for using military craft to deliver relief supplies


Russian-backed paramilitaries 'ethnically cleansing villages'


***


Evangelicals are the Only Faith Segment Obama Hasn't Won Over


Seeing Tougher Race, Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ Specific


Candidates Got Advance Look at Questions
Spokesman for Minister Says McCain, Obama Were Told of Some Topics


Obama Speech Stage Resembles Ancient Greek Temple
Picture HERE: http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/08/the_temple_of_obama_1.asp

Wow. I thought I could take a day or two off from quakes, after last night's post.

But...

Depending on who's record you're looking at, three 6+ quakes in the last 24 hours.

Magnitude 5.7 - SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA
2008 August 26 03:07:30 UTC
Quakes shakes West Java
(reported as a 6.6 by their sensors)


Magnitude 6.3 - NORTHERN PERU
2008 August 26 21:00:37 UTC
Strong earthquake hits central Peru


Magnitude 6.3 - LAKE BAYKAL REGION, RUSSIA
2008 August 27 01:35:31 UTC
Only 2 1/2 hours ago, no articles yet.


Magnitude 5.1 - WESTERN XIZANG
2008 August 26 23:54:24 UTC
(aftershock)


Magnitude 4.7 - EASTERN XIZANG
2008 August 26 07:46:57 UTC


Magnitude 3.8 - EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN
2008 August 26 14:06:51 UTC


Magnitude 4.4 - SOUTHERN GREECE
2008 August 26 09:46:28 UTC


Magnitude 4.5 - STATE OF YAP, FED. STATES OF MICRONESIA
2008 August 26 13:50:50 UTC


Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTH OF AFRICA
2008 August 26 08:07:08 UTC


Minor earthquake rattles ACT
(3.1 Australia)



New analysis of earthquake zone raises questions

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University scientists have completed a new analysis of an earthquake fault line that extends some 200 miles off the southern and central Oregon coast that they say is more active than the San Andreas Fault in California.

The Blanco Transform Fault Zone likely won't produce the huge earthquake many have predicted for the Pacific Northwest because it isn't a subduction zone fault. But the scientists say an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 to 7.0 is possible, if not probable in the near future, and their analysis suggests that the region may be under some tectonic stress that potentially could affect the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

I though we'd finished with Fay this weekend, but we got another round this morning (even lost power for a while) and it's pouring rain now.



Shake, Rattle and Roll!



I'm going by region, instead of by time, because I've not done my quake updates in a few days.





Study: Large Earthquake Could Strike New York City


The New York City area is at "substantially greater" risk of earthquakes than previously thought, scientists said Thursday.

Damage could range from minor to major, with a rare but potentially powerful event killing people and costing billions of dollars in damage.

A pattern of subtle but active faults is known to exist in the region, and now new faults have been found.





Earthquake Zone Intersection Threatens Indian Point Nuclear Plant


PALISADES, New York, August 21, 2008 (ENS) - The nuclear power plant closest to America's largest city is more likely to be hit by an earthquake than previously thought because it sits atop a newly identified intersection of two active seismic zones, earthquake scientists warned today.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant, with its two nuclear generating units, is situated 24 miles north of New York City, on the Hudson River at Buchanan, New York.

Researchers from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have located a previously unknown active seismic zone running from Stamford, Connecticut, to the Hudson Valley town of Peekskill, New York, where it passes less than a mile north of the Indian Point nuclear power plant.







Better get ready for Big One earthquake


Experts always talk about the need for an emergency-preparedness plan for the home, but what happens if disaster strikes while you're at work?

The 5.4-magnitude quake that hit on July 29 in Chino Hills happened on a workday - a temblor that officials say should have spurred businesses to devise or review their plans for protecting their employees, customers and overall operations in case of a disaster.

"People are so scared of dealing with talk about emergency planning. It's very scary, but it's like putting your head in the sand," said Sue DuBrin, a West Valley Medical Center property manager who chairs the health and wellness committee for the Encino Chamber of Commerce.

The Encino chamber, working with its members on emergency preparedness, has compiled a list of 10 steps business owners should take to prepare for an earthquake or other disaster.

And the list is not simply for dealing with the damage that can be caused by the quake itself, but also for coping with after-effects.





Bezymianny volcano erupts on Kamchatka, posing no danger for local settlements


PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, August 20 (Itar-Tass) - The Bezymianny Volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula has erupted, posing no danger for local settlements, sources from the regional department of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations told Tass on Wednesday.


According to the Kamchatka office of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ geophysical service, the eruption began at 23:30, local time, on Tuesday and continued for about 45 minutes. At 00:45, local time, on Wednesday the volcano calmed down.





Earthquake rattles Franklin, Marion (Alabama)





Minor quakes rattle portions of the Big Island (Hawaii)





Iran: Earthquake jolts Roodbar in southern province of Kerman





Magnitude 4.7 - EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 August 20 06:13:28 UTC

Moderate quake hits Japan's Kanto region



Magnitude 4.9 - BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
2008 August 25 10:25:08 UTC


Magnitude 5.1 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 August 22 10:59:49 UTC

Quake Measuring 5.1 Hits Central Japan





Magnitude 5.4 - LEYTE, PHILIPPINES
2008 August 25 02:43:09 UTC

Magnitude 5.2 - SAMAR, PHILIPPINES
2008 August 20 13:18:05 UTC

Bicolanos ‘dizzy’ from aftershocks

LEGAZPI CITY—“Naglilinog baya (Is there an earthquake)?”

This question has been popping up more frequently here, with locals feeling a bit dizzy and wary after experiencing consecutive aftershocks following the magnitude 5.1 earthquake last Friday, which registered intensity 6 in Albay and Catanduanes provinces, 5 in Sorsogon, and 3 in Camarines Sur and Masbate.

“I don’t get motion-sickness easily, but since the earthquake and the aftershocks, I’ve been feeling dizzy,” Gian Carlo Amor, 22, a nursing student here, said.

“I just pause for a minute and feel my surroundings if anything else is moving. But it’s strange, even without an earthquake, other people have been experiencing this, too,” he described.




Magnitude 4.9 - MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
2008 August 21 21:30:48 UTC
Moderate quake jolts eastern Indonesia
Moderate quake hits eastern Indonesia

Magnitude 5.2 - SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
2008 August 22 07:21:23 UTC
Another quake rocks Sumatra, Indonesia

Magnitude 5.3 - SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
2008 August 24 05:23:45 UTC

Magnitude 4.9 - SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS
2008 August 22 01:34:00 UTC

Magnitude 5.2 - SOLOMON ISLANDS
2008 August 20 19:33:03 UTC

Magnitude 5.3 - TONGA
2008 August 21 08:33:23 UTC

Magnitude 5.8 - SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA
2008 August 26 03:07:32 UTC




Magnitude 5.4 - NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
2008 August 25 11:25:17 UTC
Earthquake jolts New Zealand, no injuries reported
Around 2,000 claims expected from quake




Magnitude 3.3 - WESTERN MONTANA
2008 August 20 16:07:00 UTC
Magnitude 2.9 - WESTERN MONTANA
2008 August 20 19:43:12 UTC



Magnitude 1.9 - SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI
2008 August 21 04:42:51 UTC

Magnitude 2.6 - ARKANSAS
2008 August 21 03:36:13 UTC

Magnitude 2.7 - ARKANSAS
2008 August 21 04:35:05 UTC

Magnitude 2.6 - ARKANSAS
2008 August 23 12:06:02 UTC

2 quakes hit east Ark., no damage reported

Earthquake Wednesday in Eastern Arkansas started along mystery fault line

A small earthquake in Lee County Wednesday was a rarity for the region, and scientists say that it originated from a fault which has not seen much activity in years.

According to a story from the Associated Press, two earthquakes struck Northeast and Eastern Arkansas late Wednesday night, neither of them causing any damage. The first struck at 10:36 p.m., with an epicenter about eight miles east of Hayne and 10 miles northeast of Marianna. The quake had a magnitude of 2.6 on the Richter Scale. The second occurred an hour later at 11:35 p.m., with an epicenter about five miles southwest of Cooter, Mo., and five miles north-northeast of Blytheville, and was a 2.7 magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid fault.

[New Madrid has been *very* active lately. Used to be one or two 1.1 or 1.2 every week. Now it's not uncommon to see three a day, and more of them over 2.--Amanda]



2 Wash. quakes recorded

Magnitude 3.1 - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2008 August 22 22:40:31 UTC

Magnitude 3.4 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
2008 August 25 21:33:32 UTC

Magnitude 3.1 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
2008 August 22 19:52:21 UTC

Magnitude 3.0 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
2008 August 19 18:31:35 UTC

Magnitude 3.0 - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2008 August 26 01:53:03 UTC

Magnitude 3.4 - CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
2008 August 25 22:11:24 UTC

2.2 quake strikes near the Geysers




Magnitude 6.0 - MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION
2008 August 21 12:24:31 UTC
Quake hits southwest China, no reports of casualties
Second quake in two days kills three in China's Yunnan province






Magnitude 6.6 - WESTERN XIZANG
2008 August 25 13:22:02 UTC

USGS: 6.3-magnitude earthquake hits Tibet

Tibet hit by strong earthquake

Magnitude 5.3 - WESTERN XIZANG
2008 August 25 13:39:42 UTC

Magnitude 5.1 - WESTERN XIZANG
2008 August 25 19:13:56 UTC

Magnitude 5.1 - WESTERN XIZANG
2008 August 25 14:16:05 UTC



Magnitude 4.5 - CENTRAL KAZAKHSTAN
2008 August 22 08:26:59 UTC
Strong quake jolts Uzbek capital - witness




Magnitude 4.6 - TRINIDAD REGION, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
2008 August 23 21:53:12 UTC

Magnitude 4.5 - NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
2008 August 24 07:32:52 UTC

Magnitude 4.8 - COSTA RICA
2008 August 20 06:21:04 UTC

Magnitude 5.0 - PANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION
2008 August 22 11:04:56 UTC

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTH OF PANAMA
2008 August 21 22:51:44 UTC

Magnitude 5.2 - CENTRAL PERU
2008 August 22 21:03:25 UTC

Magnitude 5.4 - ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
2008 August 21 09:32:56 UTC
Moderate quake shakes northern Chile

Magnitude 4.9 - WEST CHILE RISE
2008 August 25 16:47:22 UTC



Magnitude 6.0 - MAURITIUS - REUNION REGION
2008 August 22 07:47:39 UTC



Magnitude 4.2 - SOUTHERN GREECE
2008 August 20 17:26:38 UTC



Magnitude 4.8 - NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
2008 August 23 07:45:19 UTC



If you're not prepared for a quake, get to it.

I've been remiss in updating-- going on vacation next weekend, and getting stuff ready.

The problem with missing a few days is there's so much to catch up on.


So. Russia/Gerorgia items first, in no particular order:

***

Assad: Syria may host Russian missiles in its territory

Syrian President Bashar Assad has pledged to support Russia in its conflict with Georgia and said that Damascus was ready to consider deploying Russian Iskander missile systems in its territory, in response to the US missile shield in Europe.

In an interview with the Russian paper Kommersant, cited by the Interfax News Agency, Assad said regarding the option to install Rusian missiles on Syrian ground "In principle, yes. We have not thought of it yet. No such proposal has been received. In any case, all similar projects must be first studied by military experts. And when everything is decided, we willmake an open and public announcement," Assad said in the interview, published on Wednesday, the day before his visit to Russia was scheduled to begin.

The Iskander missile (NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a short range, solid fuel propelled, theater quasi-ballistic missile system.

Russia condemns US missile deal

Russia has warned that a US-Polish missile defence deal creates a new arms race in Europe and beyond.

A foreign ministry statement said that Moscow "will be forced to react, and not only through diplomatic demarches". It did not elaborate.

The comments came just hours after the US and Poland signed the deal to locate 10 US interceptor rockets in Poland.

The US says the system will protect the US and Europe against missiles from "rogue" states such as Iran.

Georgia's Nato membership on track, says David Miliband
Foreign secretary says keeping alliance's pledge to grant Georgia membership is 'important signal'

The formal process leading to Georgia's membership of Nato has begun, partly because of Russia's occupation, David Miliband said today.

In an interview with the Guardian in Tbilisi, the foreign secretary said Georgia had been given a "route map to membership" after the formation on Tuesday of a joint commission aimed at forging closer ties.

He said the commission was an important step towards implementing a pledge made by Nato leaders at a summit in April.

"I think the formal process kicked off yesterday with the establishment of a Nato-Georgia commission, and we have taken seriously the commitments the heads of government made in April," Miliband said. "It's an important signal but there is also important substance to it."

Some European diplomats have depicted the joint commission as a sop to Georgia, predicting its membership will be put on hold because of the conflict with Russia that started on August 7.

Moscow can't be trusted
To stop Russia, the west must honour the words of freedom on which I have staked Georgia's fate

Mikheil Saakashvili The Guardian, Friday August 15 2008

Russia's invasion of Georgia strikes at the heart of western values and our 21st-century system of security. If the international community allows Russia to crush our democratic, independent state, it will be giving carte blanche to authoritarian governments everywhere. Russia intends to destroy not just a country, but an idea.

For too long we underestimated the ruthlessness of the regime in Moscow. Within 24 hours of agreeing to a ceasefire, Russia's forces were rampaging through Gori; blocking the port of Poti; sinking Georgian vessels; and - worst of all - brutally purging Georgian villages in South Ossetia. The Russian leadership cannot be trusted - and this hard reality should guide the west's response. Only western peacekeepers can end the war.

Russia also seeks to destroy our economy and is bombing factories, ports and other vital sites. Accordingly, we need to establish a modern version of the Berlin airlift. The United Nations, the US, Canada and others are moving in this direction, for which we are deeply grateful.

As we consider what to do next, understanding Moscow's goals is critical. It aims to satisfy its imperialist ambitions, to erase one of the few democratic, law-governed states in its vicinity - and, above all, to demolish the post-cold war system of international relations in Europe. It is showing that it can do as it pleases.

The historical parallels are stark: Russia's war on Georgia echoes events in Finland in 1939, Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968. Perhaps this is why so many eastern European countries, which suffered under Soviet occupation, have voiced their support for us. Russia's leaders see us as a threat because Georgia is a free country whose people have elected to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic community. But Russia's rulers do not want their nation or its borders contaminated by democratic ideas.

Since our democratic government came to power after the 2003 Rose revolution, Russia has used economic embargoes and closed borders to isolate us, and has illegally deported thousands of Georgians. It has tried to destabilise us politically with the help of criminal oligarchs. It has tried to freeze us into submission by blowing up vital gas pipelines in midwinter. When all that failed to shake the Georgian people's resolve, Russia invaded.

Last week Russia, using its separatist proxies, attacked several peaceful, Georgian-controlled villages in South Ossetia. On August 6, just hours after a senior Georgian official travelled to South Ossetia to attempt negotiations, a massive assault was launched on Georgian settlements. Even as we came under attack, I declared a unilateral ceasefire in the hope of avoiding escalation, and announced our willingness to talk to the separatists by any means.

But we then learned that columns of Russian tanks and troops had crossed Georgia's sovereign borders. The thousands of troops, tanks and artillery massed on our border are evidence of how long Russia had been planning this aggression. Our government had no choice but to protect the country from invasion, secure our citizens and stop the bloodshed.

For years Georgia has been proposing 21st-century, European solutions for South Ossetia, including full autonomy guaranteed by the international community. Russia has responded with crude, 19th-century methods.

It is true that Russian power could overwhelm our small country - though even we did not anticipate the ferocity and scale of Moscow's response. However, we had to try to protect our people: any democratic country would have done the same.

Facing this brutal invading army, our government decided to withdraw from South Ossetia, declare a ceasefire and seek negotiations. However repeated attempts to contact senior Russian leaders were rebuffed. Russia's foreign ministry even denied receiving our notice of ceasefire hours after it was officially - and very publicly - delivered. This was just one of many cynical ploys to deceive the world and justify further attacks.

This war threatens not only Georgia but security and liberty around the world. If the international community fails to take a resolute stand, it will sound the death knell for the spread of freedom and democracy everywhere. Georgia's only fault in this crisis is its wish to be an independent, free and democratic country. What would western nations do if they were punished for the same aspiration?

I have staked my country's fate on the west's rhetoric about democracy and liberty. As Georgians come under attack, we must ask: if the west is not with us, who is it with? If the line is not drawn now, when will it be drawn? We cannot allow Georgia to become the first victim of a new world order as imagined by Moscow.

· Mikheil Saakashvili is the president of Georgia




Russia rejects UN call to pull out of Georgia
Russia has rejected a draft UN resolution demanding it immediately pull out of Georgia, as President Dimitry Medvedev again delayed the withdrawal.

The French-drafted Security Council resolution called for Moscow's forces to retreat to positions they held before the conflict that broke out on August 7 after Georgia attemped to reclaim South Ossetia, a rebel province.

But Moscow insists the ceasefire deal brokered last week by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, allows for its troops to remain in a buffer zone well inside the Georgian side of the South Ossetian border, and that any UN resolution must reflect this.

Here's the thing: there were Russian troops in Georgia that weren't supposed to be there at that time. Allowing that as the bounds is a gigantical cop-out by the west.



Russia threatens new confrontation over Georgian provinces
A fresh confrontation between Moscow and the West was looming after Russia announced that it was preparing to recognise the independence of the two Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The State Duma, Russia's parliament, has been recalled and will meet in emergency session on Monday to debate an Abkhaz appeal for immediate recognition of the region's sovereignty. The South Ossetian rebel leader, Eduard Kokoity, said he would follow suit imminently.

Russian acquiescence to the proposals would inevitably mark a serious escalation of the crisis in the Caucasus by further undermining a fragile ceasefire in the area and creating a fresh diplomatic rift with the United States and Europe.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has signed 14 United Nations Security Council resolutions accepting that Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain part of Georgia despite establishing rebel administrations after secessionist wars in the early 1990s.

But after crushing Georgia on the battlefield, Russia has indicated that it was no longer prepared to honour UN edicts on the breakaway provinces. Earlier this week, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the world to "forget" about Georgia's territorial integrity.

Forty Years Ago, The Tanks Rolled Into Czechoslovakia

PRAGUE -- Viewed from Prague, the images of Russian tanks streaming into Georgia earlier this month carried inevitable echoes.

Many commentators and politicians around the world have made comparisions to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

"Russia needs to leave Georgia at once," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a visit to Tbilisi on August 15. "This is no longer 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, when a great power invaded a small neighbor and overthrew its government."

And the parallels certainly haven’t been lost on the Czechs.

Russia warns NATO against re-equipping Georgia's military

BRUSSELS, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin warned Wednesday NATO against filling the gap of losses of the Georgian military incurred in its conflict with Russia.

"Any attempt of NATO to fill the gap of losses of the Georgian army contradicts the conventions of the OSCE (Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe)," Rogozin told reporters.

All NATO countries, Russia and Georgia are members of the OSCE.

He said the provision of strategic armament to Georgia and the flight of NATO reconnaissance planes along Russia's borders as requested by Georgia are regarded as hostile actions to Russia.

He warned that these actions may make Russia change its position on its relationship with the West, including military cooperation and on Moscow's policy on Iran.

Moscow plans 18 long-term checkpoints inside Georgia

Deputy chief of the Russian army general staff Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn told reporters Aug. 20: “The president ordered us to stop where we were. We are not pulling out or pulling back troops behind this administrative border into South Ossetia,” he said.

He pointed out the proposed Russian positions on a map, one just outside the Georgian city of Gori. Moscow planned to establish 18 long-term checkpoints including at least eight in undisputed Georgian territory outside the pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia, said the general. They will be staffed by hundreds of Russian troops.

In Ukraine, fear of being a resurgent Russia's next target

KIEV, Ukraine: For 17 years now, several former satellites and republics of the Soviet Union have cherished their democracies, all made possible by the simple premise that the days of Russian dominance were over.

The events in Georgia over the past week have made them rethink that idea. Poland announced Thursday that it had reached a deal with Washington to base American missile interceptors on its territory, after months of talks. But then a Russian general went so far as to say that Poland might draw Russian nuclear retaliation, sending new shudders through the region.

The sense of alarm may be greatest here in Ukraine. Since the Orange Revolution began in 2004, bringing the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko to power after widespread protests, Ukraine has been a thorn in Moscow's side, though perhaps not as sharp as the outspoken Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We're next," said Tanya Mydruk, 22, an office assistant who lives in Kiev, the capital. "Sooner or later our president is going to say or do something that goes too far, and then it will start."

NATO ships enter Black Sea for exercises

BRUSSELS, Belgium: NATO warships entered the Black Sea on Thursday for what the alliance said were long-planned exercises and routine visits to ports in Romania and Bulgaria.

The move is not linked to the tensions over Russia's invasion of Georgia, which lies on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, about 900 kilometers (550 miles) from the Romanian coast, said officials at NATO's military command in southern Belgium.

Three warships — from Spain, Germany and Poland — sailed into the Black Sea on Thursday. They are due to be joined by a U.S. frigate, the USS Taylor, later this week.

Gut feeling says it's a bluff, and attempt to keep Russia from naval attacks against Georgia or Ukraine.

US destroyer heading toward Georgia after Turkish approval
Ankara allows for transit through Turkish straits into the Black Sea of two U.S. Navy ships and one coast guard cutter, State Dept.

A first U.S. Navy ship, a guided-missile destroyer, is due to pass through the Turkish straits shortly to carry humanitarian aid to war-torn Georgia after Turkey approved the transit of three American military ships into the Black Sea and amid reports that the Russian Navy is still controlling the sea off the Georgian coast.
...
Shortly after Woods' announcement the USS McFaul, the guided-missile destroyer, left the Greek island of Crete, heading for Georgia with its load of humanitarian aid materials, Agence France Presse reported, quoting a Pentagon official.

The USS McFaul will later be joined by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas, which is taking on supplies in Crete.

The USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the U.S. Sixth Fleet deployed in the Mediterranean, also was ready to go if ordered, but at this point was not going.

Restricted freedom of movement for diplomatic corps through Georgia

On 21 August 2008 the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Georgia sent a Note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The Note, in particular, indicates: ‘in order to arrange civilized movement throughout Gori for the delegations and persons intending to arrive or already present in Georgia and planning to travel to Gori, the Embassy requests advance notification on any such travel plan, delegation members, travel objectives and duration, transport vehicles and itinerary. In the given situation the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation must obtain such information in order to give respective instructions to the peacekeeping command, which will further ensure unhindered movement’.

No, tthis is not just some blog; it really is the temporary site of the Georgian government, as their official site is under cyberattack.



In Georgia, Russia appears to break pledge to pull back
[ *eyeroll*--Amanda ]

Digging into Georgian territory despite promises to withdraw, Russian forces plowed ground Wednesday for what residents feared were two new checkpoints near this strategic Black Sea port.

Tractors turned over fresh earth along a riverbank outside Poti, while Western news reporters said Russian soldiers in central Georgia appeared to be building a sentry post 30 miles from the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

Russian military officials in Moscow said they planned to construct a "security zone" along the border of South Ossetia, the pro-Russian breakaway province where fighting began on Aug. 7, that will include 18 checkpoints manned by hundreds of soldiers.

A cease-fire agreement between Russia and Georgia allows Russia to maintain troops along the South Ossetian border. But the activity outside Poti, 170 miles west of Tbilisi, was well outside that zone and appeared to be in defiance of the agreement, which calls for Russia to withdraw its forces to pre-Aug. 7 positions.

In a clearing just outside Poti, where two Russian tanks sat alongside mounds of freshly dug soil, a Russian officer refused to say what his troops were building there. He shooed away a handful of Western reporters by saying he wasn't authorized to answer questions.

Protesters Chant `Russians Go Home' at Georgian Port

Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Hundreds of Georgians chanted ``Russians go home'' at the Black Sea port of Poti today to protest checkpoints set up by Russian troops manning armored personnel carriers.

Protesters waved Georgian flags in front of about 15 Russians near the Rioni River as international observers arrived in Georgia a day after Russia announced completion of a troop pullback under terms of the French-brokered cease-fire over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Georgia Prepares for Refugees; Russians Declare Pullback Finished

GORI, Georgia — Though Russian forces still held several key areas of the country, the Georgian government began on Saturday to prepare cities and villages in the conflict areas for the return of thousands of refugees.

Russia said its military pullback had been completed, [ "and we believe them why?!?"-- Amanda ] and large columns of Georgian police special forces were seen in and around the city of Gori. Officers said they had come to provide security for returning residents.

Georgian Army units also appeared in Gori for the first time since they retreated under heavy Russian bombardment two weeks ago. They were lightly equipped — most had only rifles and pistols, and rode pickup trucks and personal cars — and arrived at a base that had been ransacked.

“We are the guys who fire artillery,” said one soldier, standing in the parking lot of his base. “Only we do not have an artillery to shoot.”

Russian Forces Won’t Go Home; Christians Give Aid to Georgia

Russian forces remained in Georgia on Saturday despite having signed an agreement to withdraw all troops by Friday, reports indicate.

In the western port of Poti, Georgia’s main commercial port, Russian troops are still
controlling access, according to Agence France-Presse.
...
As the conflict fails to end, churches throughout the region are opening their doors to help refugees.

It is estimated that 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence.

:(

Georgians hope U.S. will help defend way of life

TBILISI, Georgia — The road to the airport is named George W. Bush Street.

Across from historic Freedom Square, where former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin went to school, is a Marriott Courtyard. And the presidential palace under construction is often called the "white house."

This tiny nation that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet empire in 1991 has deep economic and emotional ties with the United States, so much so that its beleaguered president, Mikheil Saakashvili, attended Columbia and George Washington law schools.

Now this democratic nation of 4.6 million people is looking to the United States for help as a massive military offensive from neighboring Russia threatens Georgia's existence.

"The dream of Georgia is to be like the U.S.," says Georgia's chancellor, or minister of administration, Kakha Bendukidze. "The relationship is based on more than geopolitical considerations. It's based on values that we share."

'Putin has given us an order that everyone must leave or be shot'

“The soldiers told us they had an order from Putin - leave or be killed.” Manana Dioshvili showed no emotion as she described how Russian troops forced her to flee her home. Her former neighbours nodded in agreement, huddled together in a kindergarten whose windows had been blown out by a Russian bomb.

“That's how they explained themselves to us,” she recalled of the moment they fled the ethnic Georgian village of Kurta, near the capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali.

“They said, ‘Putin has given us an order that everyone must be either shot or forced to leave'. They told us we should ask the Americans for help now because they would kill us if we stayed.”

Vardo Babutidze, 79, was not lucky enough to be visited by Russian soldiers. Her husband Georgi, 85, was shot twice through the chest by an Ossetian paramilitary who came to their house to demand weapons.

Russia says troops to leave Georgia by Friday

TBILISI (Reuters) - The Kremlin said its forces would pull back from Georgia's heartland by Friday to positions set out under a French-brokered peace plan, amid mounting Western criticism about the slowness of the troop withdrawal.

Washington said it had yet to see any serious pullout and accused Russia of targeting civilians and wanting to strangle Georgia.

Don't hold your breath.



Russian soldiers take prisoners in Georgia port

POTI, Georgia (AP) — Russian soldiers took about 20 Georgians in military uniform prisoner at a key Black Sea port in western Georgia on Tuesday, blindfolding them and holding them at gunpoint, and commandeered American Humvees awaiting shipment back to the United States.

The move came as a small column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles left the strategic city of Gori in the first sign of a Russian pullback of troops from Georgia after a cease-fire intended to end fighting that reignited Cold War tensions.

The two countries on Tuesday also exchanged prisoners. However, Russian soldiers seized Georgians in Poti — the country's key oil port city — and commandeered four U.S. Humvees that had been used in U.S.-Georgian military exercises.

It's not enough to invade our ally, now they're taking our stuff.


Russia hits back at Nato warning

Russia has dismissed a warning by Nato that normal relations are impossible while its troops remain inside Georgia.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Nato of bias and of trying to save the "criminal regime" in Tbilisi.

He insisted Moscow was not occupying Georgia and had no plans to annex the separatist region of South Ossetia.
...
Some Russian troops have been seen leaving Gori, the largest Georgian town close to the South Ossetia border.

But BBC correspondents on the ground say there are still Russian artillery positions in place. In addition, there are Russian checkpoints close to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

Polish government approves missile deal

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's government gave formal approval to a missile defense deal with the U.S. on Tuesday before a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the deputy prime minister said.

Grzegorz Schetyna said Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Cabinet signed off on the deal for Poland to host 10 missile interceptors at its regular weekly meeting.

It was the first of several steps required after negotiators last week reached an agreement following about 1 1/2 years of talks. The deal still needs parliamentary and presidential approval.

Those are expected to be formalities because both Tusk's Civic Platform party and the main opposition Law and Justice, linked to President Lech Kaczynski, support the deal.

***

Islamic terror cell 'may have been plotting to attack Queen'
A terror cell caught with details of bomb-making and suicide vests may have been plotting to attack the Queen and members of the Royal family, it can be disclosed.

The cell, which included Britain's youngest ever terrorist, arrested on his way home from his GCSE chemistry exam, was found with information about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh along with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal.

Also on the list were Princess Michael of Kent, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Bomber Kills 43 at Algerian Police Academy
Suicide car bomber kills 43 Algerians amid surging violence by al-Qaida-allied movement

A suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into a line of applicants at an Algerian police academy Tuesday, killing at least 43 people in the deadliest terror attack to jolt this energy-rich U.S. ally since the 1990s.

Witnesses said the blast in the town of Les Issers, some 35 miles east of Algiers, tore a 3-foot-deep crater in the road, ripped off parts of the police academy's roof and damaged much of its facade and nearby buildings.

***

Bear Attacks Inside Anchorage Have People on Edge

Even in a city whose logo is "Big Wild Life," the summer of 2008 is testing residents' tolerance for large carnivores.

The problem is bears, black bears and bigger grizzlies. So far this summer, three people have been mauled in the city.

Some people say humans are to blame for the confrontations and insist that no bears should be killed because of the attacks.

On the other side is a growing chorus of people like Devon Rees, who want something done about the big bruins.

WATER: Conserve or we'll do it for you, state says

Conserve water or the government will do it for you.

That's the blunt message of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan for improving California's water supply, which went on the road for a series of community meetings Monday.

"Conservation ---- boring as it is," alone can provide rapid results, said Phil Isenberg, chairman of the governor's group studying the issue. He spoke in a Monday morning conference call before that evening's meeting in San Diego on the governor's Delta Vision Strategic Plan.

The plan calls for environmental improvements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, source of much of California's water. Water shipments from the Delta have been cut because of threats to an endangered fish, the delta smelt. The pumps used to move water south are believed to suck in the fish's young, killing them.

So, let me get this straight. You're in a dire drought and you're not using your water source because it might hurt some fish?



Fay strengthens over Florida as it dumps rain
Flooding remains a concern as officials call it a 'boomerang storm'

NAPLES, Fla. - Tropical Storm Fay rolled ashore in southwestern Florida on Tuesday without much fanfare, but stubbornly hung around like an unwelcome houseguest, gaining power and threatening — once again — to become a hurricane.

The storm first hit the Florida Keys, veered out to sea and then traversed east across the state on a path that would curve it toward to the Florida-Georgia border. The failure of Fay to weaken meant a whole new swath of the state had to prepare for a worse storm, and meant Florida could wind up getting hit three separate times.

Very strange, that it didn't weaken. Current forecast path has me getting hit with a bunch of rain Sunday night. Still no biggie, I think.

Magnitude 1.2 - EASTERN TENNESSEE
2008 August 16 01:09:19 UTC
Magnitude 1.9 - EASTERN TENNESSEE
2008 August 16 03:16:28 UTC
Magnitude 2.1 - EASTERN TENNESSEE
2008 August 16 09:05:26 UTC


Magnitude 5.7 - RUSSIA-MONGOLIA BORDER REGION
2008 August 16 04:01:10 UTC
Magnitude 5.0 - RUSSIA-MONGOLIA BORDER REGION
2008 August 16 04:06:41 UTC
Magnitude 5.4 quake shakes Russia-Mongolia border Region


Magnitude 3.0 - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2008 August 16 04:31:50 UTC
2.4 earthquake strikes Sonoma County


Magnitude 5.2 - SOLOMON ISLANDS
2008 August 16 05:03:58 UTC


Magnitude 5.1 - CARLSBERG RIDGE
2008 August 16 07:25:57 UTC
Magnitude 4.4 - CARLSBERG RIDGE
2008 August 16 08:17:30 UTC


Magnitude 4.7 - NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
2008 August 16 11:02:08 UTC
Quake Rocks Nicaraguan Pacific


Magnitude 5.2 - SAIPAN REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
2008 August 16 21:29:35 UTC


***


Two small earthquakes strike North Island [New Zealand]


Magnitude 4.6 - OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2008 August 17 05:56:59 UTC
4.6 earthquake hits off Northern California


Magnitude 4.0 - NORTHERN COLOMBIA
2008 August 17 11:56:39 UTC


Magnitude 4.8 - CATANDUANES, PHILIPPINES
2008 August 17 14:41:14 UTC
Magnitude 5.2 - CATANDUANES, PHILIPPINES
2008 August 17 20:46:49 UTC
Magnitude-5.2 aftershock rocks Bicol region


Magnitude 4.7 - GUATEMALA
2008 August 17 14:25:12 UTC
5.2-degree earthquake hits Guatemala
Magnitude 4.6 - OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
2008 August 17 17:17:33 UTC


Magnitude 4.1 - TAIWAN
2008 August 17 17:37:55 UTC


Magnitude 3.8 - VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
2008 August 17 19:13:04 UTC


Magnitude 5.0 - TARAPACA, CHILE
2008 August 17 21:23:07 UTC


***

Magnitude 5.1 - KURIL ISLANDS
2008 August 18 01:46:33 UTC


Magnitude 5.2 - FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
2008 August 18 02:21:20 UTC


Magnitude 1.5 - EASTERN TENNESSEE
2008 August 18 03:00:20 UTC


Magnitude 5.0 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 August 18 09:16:21 UTC


Magnitude 5.2 - SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
2008 August 18 09:53:26 UTC
Two quakes rock Indonesia


Magnitude 4.5 - SOUTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA
2008 August 18 14:11:08 UTC


Slight Earthquake hits two districts in Ibb [Yemen]


Quake jolts W Nusatenggara [Indonesia]


***

Magnitude 2.6 - ALABAMA
2008 August 19 01:47:57 UTC


Magnitude 4.1 - OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
2008 August 19 03:21:56 UTC


Magnitude 5.3 - ASCENSION ISLAND REGION
2008 August 19 08:33:55 UTC


Magnitude 5.7 - EASTER ISLAND REGION
2008 August 19 10:58:01 UTC


Magnitude 5.1 - SAMOA ISLANDS REGION
2008 August 19 13:37:28 UTC


Magnitude 6.1 - TONGA
2008 August 19 16:30:13 UTC


Magnitude 5.3 - MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION
2008 August 19 21:35:12 UTC
Earthquake hits China-Myanmar border: USGS


Quake Hits Southeastern Iran

Georgia...

It's not just that its important in world events, it hits home for me.

I feel a... sameness with the people. They have a fierce patriotism. The lefty press calls it nationalism, but that applies more to the fakey-fake and backed-up-by-military-prowess hooey of China or Russia.

No, what the Georgians have is simply love of country. And that, along with love of God, is something the one-worlders have to crush and destroy.


***

Ukraine offers satellite defence co-operation with Europe and US
Ukraine inflamed mounting East-West tensions yesterday by offering up a Soviet-built satellite facility as part of the European missile defence system.

The proposal, made amid growing outrage among Russia's neighbours over its military campaign in Georgia, could see Ukraine added to Moscow's nuclear hitlist. A Russian general declared Poland a target for its arsenal after Warsaw signed a deal with Washington to host interceptor missiles for America's anti-nuclear shield.

The move came as the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, signed a cease-fire deal that sets the stage for a Russian troop withdrawal after more than a week of warfare with its neighbour Georgia.

Russia considers nuclear missiles for Syria, Mediterranean, Baltic

DEBKAfile's military sources report Moscow's planned retaliation for America's missile interceptors in Poland and US-Israeli military aid to Georgia may come in the form of installing Iskandar surface missiles in Syria and its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.

Russian Baltic and Middle East warships, submarines and long-range bombers may be armed with nuclear warheads, according to Sunday newspapers in Europe.

In Georgia, Russian troops and tanks advanced to within 30 km of Tbilisi Saturday, Aug. 15. A Russian general said Sunday they had started pulling out after president Dimitry Medvedev signed the ceasefire agreement with Georgia and president George W. Bush called again for an immediate withdrawal.

After routing Georgia over the breakaway enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Moscow appears to be eying Poland, the Middle East, and possibly Ukraine, as the main arenas for its reprisals.

Defense Official: Russia Has Short Range Missiles in South Ossetia

Russia has placed short range SS-21 missiles in South Ossetia, that could pose a threat to most major Georgian cities," including the capital, Tbilisi, a U.S.Defense official confirmed to FOX News on Monday.

"Anything such as that, or any other military equipment that was moved in would be in violation of this cease-fire and should be removed immediately," Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "The only forces that are permitted to remain under the cease fire agreement are the forces that were in there at the Aug. 6 time frame."

This news came as Russia's deputy chief of staff insists that Russian troops were pulling out of the breakaway region. However, there have been no confirmed signs of a withdrawal.

Sarkozy threatens 'consequences' as Russia stalls on Georgia pullout
French president demands Moscow honour ceasefire as Medvedev pledges troops will begin withdrawal tomorrow

European leaders warned Russia today to withdraw forces rapidly from Georgia or face unspecified "consequences", as Moscow stalled on its pledges to honour a ceasefire and pull back thousands of troops from the Caucasus republic.

With the US and European governments due to meet on Tuesday to consider their options for the first time since the crisis erupted, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, threatened the Kremlin with an ultimatum for the first time, warning that more delays to a pullout "would have serious consequences on relations between Russia and the European Union".

The French warning echoed similar statements from the Americans in recent days, none of which appear to have rattled the Russians, whose forces remain in firm control of large tracts of Georgia well beyond the two separatist enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"People are going to begin to wonder if Russia can be trusted," Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said today of the Russian failure to keep its promises.

No, Condi, everybody with a brain already knows the answer to that is 'no'. *eyeroll*




Lawmaker hints at long stay in Georgia, despite cease-fire

TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Though Russia says it will begin pulling back its troops from Georgia on Monday, it's unclear how long the redeployment will take, and a Russian lawmaker has compared the situation to the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Russia President Dmitry Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday that Russia would start pulling back its forces from Georgia on Monday, Medvedev's office said.

Sarkozy, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, brokered a cease-fire between Russia and Georgia last week.

Russian troops will begin withdrawing to a buffer zone and into the breakaway province of South Ossetia as stipulated by the cease-fire, Medvedev's office said.

Moscow gave no indication of when the withdrawal would be completed.
...
However, lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said Moscow will withdraw only when it is "assured that Georgians will not continue to use military force" in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russian troops will leave "sooner or later," Kosachev said, saying the timetable depends "definitely on how Georgians will continue to behave."

"If I would ask you in response to the same question how fast the American forces can leave Iraq, for example, the answer would be as soon as we have guarantees for peace and security there," Kosachev said. "The same answer would be toward this situation."

No sign of military withdrawal as Russian armour stays put

Russia last night continued to occupy large swaths of Georgia in defiance of an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, with no sign of significant troop withdrawals.

Despite claims by Moscow that a pullout had begun, Russian forces could be seen across most of the country, and Georgian officials claimed that armoured columns had tried to push further into the mountainous heartland, towards Borjomi in the south and Sachkhere in the west.

"We could leave here in two minutes. But we've had no orders to pull out," said a Russian soldier manning a checkpoint yesterday about 25 miles west of the capital, Tbilisi. He knew nothing about a ceasefire.

Georgia's foreign minister, Eka Tkeshelashvili, said Russian troops had
razed a Georgian military base at the western city of Senaki.

'Russia may arm Baltic fleet with nukes'

Huh. The picture that accompanied the article is still there, but the article itself is gone? It's still linked on their 'international' page.

Ah, well. Two other sources:

Russia mulling Baltic nuke fleet

Russia may arm its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads in response to a US plan to build a missile shield in Poland, Sunday Times reports. The London-based newspaper quoted senior military sources as saying that the Russian nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania.

Russia considers arming Baltic fleet

Russia has informed Poland that its permit for the US deployment of missile defense elements in its territory could lead to a threat of nuclear attack.

Russia has also mentioned that the nuclear missiles in its bases in Kaliningrad and Belarus could be targeted at Western Europe, pledging to consider the possibility of again dispatching troops to Cuba.

South Ossetia holds civilian Georgians hostage

More than 130 Georgian civilians are being held captive by South Ossetian authorities in the regional capital, Tskhinvali, after being rounded up and herded into a single room in the interior ministry headquarters here, the Guardian has learned.

The prisoners, who were plucked off the streets according to their nationality soon after hostilities broke out 10 days ago, are being kept indefinitely in the hope of exchanging them for Ossetian civilians allegedly abducted by Georgian soldiers during the conflict. One interior ministry official confirmed the plan, saying: "We hope there will be an exchange soon."

The 131 "hostages" are being held in a single room in the interior ministry headquarters in Tskhinvali, according to Taymuraz Khugayev, South Ossetia's prosecutor general. Roughly half of them are women and they include one 12-year-old girl. Most of them are Georgian "guest workers" who were living in the city when it was attacked on August 7. Their status is unclear.

The taking of civilian hostages by warring parties is prohibited by Article 3 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Nato holds Georgia crisis summit

Nato foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels for an emergency summit to discuss how the alliance should respond to Russia's military action in Georgia.

On the eve of the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the West must deprive Russia of any strategic victory from its assault on Georgia.

But major differences remain among Nato members as to how far they should go in seeking to punish Russia, analysts say.

Moscow denies Tbilisi's claims Russian troops are not pulling out, as pledged.

Mystery of Moscow's genocide claim

A VISIT to the war-strafed city of Tskhinvali has turned up no proof of Russian allegations that more than 2000 people died there. Nor was there any sign of what the Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, referred to as genocide. ["ya think?"--Amanda]

The centre of Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway Georgian republic of South Ossetia, sustained heavy damage in a five-day barrage of rockets and missiles as Russian troops and their local allies battled Georgian forces.
...
"After what happened, it should be clear that they should have self-determination," said Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy chairman of the Russian Duma's Committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Mr Zatulin said he was in charge of a $US100 million ($115 million) Russian initiative to rebuild a section of Tskhinvali. The project, he said, would create a "Moscow zone" in the city.

"Russia is not annexing. Russia is not invading," he said. "It's not true. The goal of Russia is peace in the Caucasus."

Jeremiah 6: 14-15
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
'Peace, peace,' they say,
when there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,"
says the LORD.

Israel to free 200 Palestinians

The Israeli cabinet has voted to release some 200 Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Officials said the actual release would take place around 25 August, but the list of inmates is yet to be finalised.

Mr Abbas' aide described the move as "a step in the right direction", but said more prisoners should be set free.
...
Israeli security officials must still approve the list, but it is likely to include two Palestinians implicated in deadly attacks against Israel in the 1970s.

Yes, set them free so they kill more people.

And of course the palestinians want more:[that's not a typo; here's their capital P.]

Palestinian PM: Israel should free more than just 200 prisoners

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Sunday welcomed Israel's decision to release close to 200 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority, but said Israel should release even larger numbers of prisoners.

The cabinet approved the release of the Palestinian prisoners, including two prisoners "with blood on their hands," meaning they were directly involved in the killing of Israelis, during the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday morning.

"We welcome the release of any Palestinian prisoner. It is considered a victory for Palestinians," he told The Associated Press during a tour of the northern village of Tubas. "We ask Israel to change its conditions for releasing prisoners and we ask for the release of all prisoners without exception."

Baghdad suicide bomber kills 15

A suicide bomber has killed at least 15 people and wounded 29 near a mosque in a mainly Sunni part of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, security sources say.

The attacker rode up on a motorcycle before setting off a bomb in the Adhamiya district.

The dead include Faruq al-Obeidi, a local leader of a US-backed Sunni militia fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Iran flexes jets against Israel

Iran said its warplanes can reach Israel.

Iranian warplanes have had their range extended and now have ranges of up to 1,800 miles, Tehran state television quoted air force chief Ahmad Mighani as saying Sunday.

At their closest points, Israel and Iran are about 500 miles apart.

The report, which gave no technical details, was greeted with skepticism from independent experts who noted that Iran's air force is largely antiquated.

As international scrutiny grows on Iran's nuclear program, its leaders have recently made a series of saber-rattling comments, apparently in hope of warding off any preemptive strikes by Israel or the United States.

Gov't Acts to Stop Arab Water Theft, Confiscates Piping

(IsraelNN.com) The Arabs have been stealing some 3 million cubic meters of water each year in parts of Judea, and the government has now taken action: The Civil Administration confiscated some 50,000 kilometers' worth of water piping this week from Arabs living in the South Mt. Hevron region.

The Arabs steal the water by hooking up pipes to the central pipelines that deliver water to the Jewish towns in the Mt. Hevron Regional Council.

The Civil Administration is the body that governs Judea and Samaria in the name of the Israeli Government.

Despite the considerable size of the confiscated haul, the Civil Administration estimates that it is merely a drop in the bucket. The Arabs still retain some 85% of the piping through which they stream the stolen water to the Arab villages.

Bear in mind that upstream form this, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) is at a disastrously low level.




'IDF detects Syrian rocket test'

Syria test-launched a series of ground to ground missiles in recent months, Channel 2 reported Monday.

According to data released by the military censor, Damascus has been testing rockets over a period of time, and the tests have been detected by Israeli radar systems, including the systems linked to Israel's missile defense systems.

Most of Syria's long-range missiles are based on the Scud design, Channel 2 reported.
While Syria's arsenal of missiles is based mainly on antiquated soviet ware upgraded and improved in Syria, the missiles - with a range of 300-700 km. - can still reach any target in Israel.

Turkish warplanes 'bomb PKK base'

Turkish warplanes bombed a hideout of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq late on Saturday, the Turkish army says.

It says the jets "successfully" hit the PKK base in a cave in the Avasin-Basyan area and returned to their bases.

The Turkish army did not give any details of casualties.

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me!

August 18

---

Since I took the night off yesterday, I have much to catch up on.

Around the world:


Somali minibus attack toll rises

More bodies have been discovered in Somalia, near the scene of an attack on two minibuses outside Mogadishu.

Local people returning to their farms after the attack said they had found a further 16 bodies, bringing to nearly 60 the number of civilians killed.

The Ethiopian forces started shooting after their military convoy was hit by a roadside bomb, witnesses said.

The transitional government backed by Ethiopian troops threw out Islamists in 2006, but unrest is continuing.

Islamist insurgents have been carrying out frequent raids in the Mogadishu area.

2 bombs explode in Spanish resorts; no injuries

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Two small bombs blamed on Basque separatist group ETA exploded at tourist resorts in southern Spain on Sunday, authorities said. No injuries were reported, but more than 10,000 people were evacuated from a harbor area.

It is the height of the summer tourist season in Spain, and ETA has previously carried out attacks in vacation areas at this time of year in an effort to disrupt tourism.

The first blast occurred on a beach in Guadalmar at around 1 p.m. (7 a.m. EDT), and a second device exploded at a tourist marina parking lot in Benalmadena Costa two hours later, the Interior Ministry said.

Both towns are around 340 miles south of Madrid in the Costa del Sol resort area on a stretch of coastline popular with foreign tourists, especially the British.

Major U.S. Ally Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Resigns

Pervez Musharraf, the former military general who became Pakistan's president and accepted more than $10 billion in aid from the United States to fight the war on terror, resigned in a speech broadcast to the nation today, saying the country would benefit from his stepping aside before impeachment proceedings against him could begin.

"Can the country face more confrontation? Can the country's economy face more destruction?" Musharraf asked during an hour-long address carried live on all Pakistani channels and on Western cable channels. "The honor and dignity of the country will be affected, and in my view, the honor of the office of president will also be affected."

"Therefore, after taking everything into consideration," he continued, "I am resigning from the presidency."

Travis AFB fire destroyed, damaged 270 homes

(08-17) 15:22 PDT FAIRFIELD -- Fairfield fire officials took stock Sunday of the damage from an unusual eight-alarm blaze at Travis Air Force Base that could have been an enormous tragedy - that is, if it had burned up anything that wasn't slated to be bulldozed anyway.

Pushed by strong and unrelenting wind gusts, Saturday's fire started in a field of dry grass along Parker Road outside the base at about 3:15 p.m. and spread inside. By the time the biggest fire in the base's 66-year history was contained several hours later, it had damaged or destroyed about 270 unoccupied homes.

Those homes are set to be demolished to make way for new base housing. Three nearby structures that are still being used - a chapel, an elementary school and a youth center - were all surrounded and saved, Fairfield Fire Marshal Morgana Yahnke said.

Grand Canyon evacuations halted after dam breach

(CNN) -- Authorities halted the evacuation Sunday night of a few hundred people who were initially thought to be in danger after rain breached an earthen dam at the Grand Canyon.

Rescue crews in helicopters evacuated about 170 people Sunday after water poured through Redland Dam, sending water down two canyons and threatening several hundred tourists and residents, said Gerry Blair, spokesman for the Coconino County sheriff's department.

A few hundred others were not evacuated, but they were on high ground and did not appear to be in immediate danger by Sunday night, he said. Authorities plan to decide Monday whether to evacuate them.

They also plan to resume the search Monday for "less than 20" people who were in the affected area and whose whereabouts are not yet known to authorities, Blair said.

The air evacuations were called off due to darkness at 8:30 p.m. Sunday (11:30 p.m. ET).

Dozens Rescued After Rain Floods Over 400 Homes in South Texas

McALLEN, Texas — Emergency workers rescued dozens of trapped residents Monday after torrential rains deluged more than 400 homes in southern Texas and forced the temporary closure of the main road through the Rio Grande Valley.

Officials used any available boat to pluck about 60 people from their flooded homes after more than 13 inches of rain fell on parts of Starr County.

The Department of Public Safety had recommended that U.S. Highway 83 be closed near Rosita, about midway between Roma and Rio Grande City, because a creek was more than a foot above the guardrails, said Starr County Judge Eloy Vera. Not even emergency vehicles were permitted to pass.

"That pretty much isolates Roma from the valley," Vera said. "We're real scared about that."

The highway was reopened Monday evening. About 10,000 people live in Roma, 210 miles south of San Antonio.

Briefing: Offshore drilling and the environment


Now get your solar power at night


Pretty kitty...

Random items of interest:

Julia Child Among Spies Revealed in Newly Released Federal Documents
WASHINGTON — Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world.


Buchenwald liberator, American hero dies at 83
(CNN) -- James Hoyt delivered mail in rural Iowa for more than 30 years. Yet Hoyt had long kept a secret from most of those who knew him best: He was one of the four U.S. soldiers to first see Germany's Buchenwald concentration camp.


Texas district will let teachers carry guns
HARROLD, Texas (AP) -- A tiny Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting employees follow certain requirements.


Cops: Heart-Transplant Teen Hatched Bizarre Murder Plot
STILLWATER, Minn. — A Woodbury teenager who underwent a heart transplant around five years ago has been accused of hatching a gruesome plot to murder a stranger at random.


Remains of children found in 'green Sahara'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A tiny woman and two children were laid to rest on a bed of flowers 5,000 years ago in what is now the barren Sahara Desert.


Illegal water diverting is terrorism, says Rann
South Australian Premier Mike Rann says the diversion of water from the Paroo River in Queensland is an act of terrorism during a water crisis.


Mekong "100-year flood" threatens Indochina
BANGKOK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Four people have been killed in flooding and landslides in Laos, where the Mekong river has hit its highest level in at least 100 years after several months of unusually heavy rain, officials said on Friday.


Torrential rain causes mass evacuations across Northern Ireland
Torrential rain caused widespread flooding across Northern Ireland last night, with drivers forced to abandon their cars as water levels rose to 15 feet.


Credit crunch, sewer tap county's finances
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Alabama's largest county appeared to be headed for the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, a $3.2 billion mess created by the nation's credit crunch and a colossal, corruption-riddled sewer project.


Panhandle hails unusual 'snowstorm'
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Severe thunderstorms knocked down power poles and dropped so much hail that it looked like winter had come early to part of the Panhandle, authorities said.

Ahmadinejad takes another swipe at Israel prior to Turkey visit

Ahmadinejad, in an interview with Turkey's NTV and CNN Turk channels aired just before he arrived in Istanbul, said the West should not support Israel. "The life of this regime has come to an end," he said.

The Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that "Opposing the Zionist regime has become a global issue today. In order to continue its life, the Zionist regime needed to continue aggression and occupation but presently it is forced to erect walls around occupied lands to survive, and this means annihilation."

Suicide bomber kills 19 in Iraq pilgrims attack

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A female suicide bomber killed 19 people, mostly women, and wounded 75 on Thursday when she detonated an explosive vest in a crowd of pilgrims being escorted by police to a shrine south of Baghdad, police said.

The bomber struck around dusk near the town of Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, an area where Shi'ite pilgrims have to walk through Sunni Arab towns and villages to reach the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala.

At least one policeman was killed and three were wounded in the attack in a volatile, religiously mixed area once known to U.S. troops as the "triangle of death". More than half of those killed were women, police said.

New PRC rocket 'can reach Ashdod'

The unveiling of the new rockets was a "clear violation" of the Gaza truce reached in June, Prime Minister's Office spokesman Mark Regev told CNN.

"The cease-fire that was negotiated through Egypt was very specific that the Hamas movement and the other terrorist groups can't use it as a period to import more weapons, more explosives, more rockets into the Gaza Strip," he added.

Turkish president says more time needed for gas deal with Iran

ANKARA (AFP) — Turkey and Iran need more time to finalise a major natural gas deal, President Abdullah Gul said Saturday, playing down reports that US pressure on Turkey to abandon the project is behind the delay.

"We would have liked to move ahead with the project" when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Turkish leaders in Istanbul on Thursday and Friday, said Gul in televised remarks in the central city of Nevsehir.

"But we saw that the preparations are not yet sufficient and we instructed our energy ministries to carry out a more detailed work."

Ankara signed a preliminary deal with Tehran last year to carry natural gas from Iran and Turkmenistan to Europe and to develop three gas fields in Iran, but its intention to invest in the Islamic republic drew US criticism.

US-Libya compensation deal sealed

The US and Libya are set to renew diplomatic relations after signing a deal to compensate all victims of bombings involving the two countries.

The agreement will fully compensate victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, and of the bombing of a Berlin disco two years earlier.

It will also address Libyan claims arising from US attacks on the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and Benghazi in 1986.

The deal was signed in Tripoli by US and Libyan officials.
...
The agreement does not constitute an admission of fault by either party.

[*spit*]



Chad sentences former president to death

N'DJAMENA, Chad - A Chadian court on Friday sentenced a former president and 11 rebels to death for crimes against the state, an official said.

Former president Hissene Habre awaited trial in Senegal for torture and murder. A Chadian commission of inquiry concluded Habre killed tens of thousands of political opponents during his eight years in power until he was ousted by rebels in 1990.

Habre has been in exile in Senegal since he was overthrown. He lives in a villa in an upscale Dakar neighborhood with his family.

Somali pirates 'seize Thai ship'

Pirates have hijacked a Thai ship off the coast of Somalia, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said.

The IMB's piracy reporting centre told Spain's EFE news agency that the cargo ship was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday with 28 people on board.

Northern Somalia is near to a major shipping route connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Thousands Mourn Killed Protestors in Indian Kashmir

Tens of thousands of Muslims took to the streets of Indian administered Kashmir Saturday to mourn the death of a separatist leader. For VOA, Shanawaz Khan has this report from Srinagar in India-administered Kashmir.

Protesters traveled from Kashmir's main town Srinagar to the hometown Pampur of Sheikh Abdul Aziz who, along with 21 others, was killed by police this week in street battles.

Police kept their distance from Saturday's demonstration to avoid triggering another clash.

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Forecasters: Floridians Should Prepare for Hurricane
Tropical Storm Fay could hit Florida Keys as a hurricane, governor declares state of emergency

Residents and tourists in the Florida Keys prepared Saturday for Tropical Storm Fay, which forecasters said could strengthen to a hurricane and begin battering the island chain as soon as Monday.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency because Fay "threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster," he wrote in an executive order.

IMO, the governor is blowing this way out of proportion declaring an emergency while the thing is this weak (it's barely a tropical storm) and this far out. I'm in the Cone of Uncertainty, so I'll let y'all know if it turns into a cat 4 and threatens to wash me into the Gulf, 'k?


Related:

In Florida, Turning a Blind Eye to Hurricanes