Some news and stuff

Putin plans on taking advantage of terrorism to cement his hold on power, while taking a page out of the bush doctrine of pre-emptive strikes., let's hope that they are more successful than we have been.

Putin tightens grip

15sep04

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has been lashed for anti-terror plans that will strengthen the Kremlin's grip on political life.

Saying Russia's future was at stake, Mr Putin called for the creation of a central, powerful anti-terrorism agency.

"The organisers and perpetrators of the terror attack are aiming at the disintegration of the state, the break-up of Russia," he said. "We need a single organisation capable of not only dealing with terror attacks, but also working to avert them, destroy criminals in their hideouts and, if necessary, abroad."

But the plans focused on electoral changes, including eliminating popularly elected governors and overhauling how Russians elect their parliament.

This is likely to increase the control of the dominant pro-Kremlin faction.

Meanwhile the U.S. continues it's schitzophrenic relationship with the U.N., well not so schitzophenic as when we need the bitch to do our bidding she's OK, but if she side's agin' us, well, she needs to be slapped down.

The United States and Iran appear headed for a showdown over the Islamic republic's nuclear program.

Washington is reported to be pushing for the United Nations nuclear agency to adopt a resolution that would set an October 31 deadline for Tehran to end its uranium enrichment and allow unrestricted access to all sites. The International Atomic Energy Agency is meeting this week in Vienna.

Diplomats say the resolution is tougher than one originally written by France, Germany and Britain setting a November deadline for Iran to fully disclose the nature of its nuclear program. Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei has warned against setting a deadline.

It's just co-incidence that Washington wants the deadline to come before the election. There is no way that this could be politically motivated right? I imagine that we will soon hear about unmanned aircraft able to deliver nukes to our doorstep from Tehran.
Man I can't wait for more wars. In other news Colin Powell states that we may not find WMD's in Iraq. Really? Can someone just shoot me already, this has truly descended into the theatre of the maximum absurdity.

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) may not be found in Iraq, while both Iraq and the United States expect the elections in Ir aq to be held as scheduled amid mounting violence.

"It turned out that we have not found any stockpiles (of the WMD). I think it is unlikely that we will find any stockpiles," Powell said at a hearing of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

"What I have found over the last year and several months is that some of the sourcing that was used to give me the basis upon which to bring forward that judgment to the United Nations were flawed, were wrong," Powell said.

Shit, meet Sherlock.