Nouvelles en Langue Anglaise

Rappel du premier message :

U.S. clamps down on banking transactions; terror group finds new funding

By Robert Windrem and Garrett Haake
NBC News
updated 7:56 a.m. ET Nov. 14, 2008
Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. intelligence officials believe they've won many small victories against al-Qaida's ability to finance its operations, but they remain unable to put a concrete dollar figure on their impact.

That's because they have no reliable estimate of al-Qaida's overall budget, according to current and former U.S. counterterrorism officials, which means the only measures of the organization's economic health are sporadic, anecdotal and fragmentary.

"When you see a cell complaining that it hasn't received its monthly or biannual stipend and it's unable to pay the salaries of the people in the cell, unable to make the support payments to the families of terrorists living or dead, that's a tremendous indicator we have pressured the financial channel," said Adam Szubin, the director of the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and the man in charge of tracking terrorist finance.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27644191

... avec des tremolos si possible, hein!

Bon appétit Sylvette !

Merci Biloulou

Tres bonne fin de soiree a tous!

pour la premiere fois l'Index d'approbation de NP est negatif.

Date.............Presidential.....Strongly Approve.....Strongly Disapprove.....Total Approve.....Total Disapprove
.................Approval Index

06/21/2009...........-2..................32%.........................34%..........................53%......................46%
06/20/2009........... 1..................34%.........................33%..........................54%.....................46%
06/19/2009........... 1..................34%.........................33%..........................54%.....................45%

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01/21/2009........... 28................44%.........................16%...........................65%....................30%

Rasmussen


Sixty percent (60%) of Democrats Strongly Approve of the President’s performance but only 8% of Republicans share that view. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans Strongly Disapprove.

La prochainement qu'on vous demandera de vous asseoir ou meme de rester attaches lorsqu'assis, pensez-y et ne rechignez pas, hein? hein!

Passengers "smashed into jet ceiling"
By Andrea Hayward and Warwick Stanley
AAP

June 22, 2009 06:31pm

13 injured ... a Qantas passenger on the flight is treated / Supplied

HORRIFIED passengers saw people hurled around the cabin of a Qantas Airbus as it hit severe turbulence during a flight from Hong Kong to Perth today.

A dozen people were treated for minor injuries after the plane lifted and dropped about 250m due to "convective turbulence".

QF68, an A330-300 with 206 passengers and 13 crew on board, was four hours out of Hong Kong when it hit the turbulence over Borneo about 2.30am (WST), a Qantas spokesman said.

"The aircraft most likely encountered what is known as convective turbulence, which led to it rapidly gaining around 800 feet in altitude before returning to its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet," Qantas spokesman [url=http://search.news.com.au/search//0/?us=ndmnews&sid=2&as=news&ac=ninews2&q=David Epstein]David Epstein [/url]said.

One passenger described the incident as a brief but terrifying plunge that felt "like falling out of a 30-storey building".

Others told of their horror as they saw passengers flung around the cabin, some hitting the ceiling and crashing back into seats and the cabin floor.

.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz-tePqvGGw&feature=PlayList&p=2ABD32C8129811A3&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26

Obama en position plus que difficile entre l'Iran et la Coree du Nord.

QUEL CIRQUE!

Overhauling the briefing room

By CAROL E. LEE & ALEXANDER TROWBRIDGE

The last-minute switch in location for President Obama’s afternoon press conference sent camera crews, photographers and White House staff scrambling to set the stage.

Presidential and American flags were brought into the briefing room, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ podium swapped out for the commander-in-chief’s, which arrived shrouded in a blue cloth, and Obama’s famous teleprompters were delicately put in place (and later removed).

The hot, humid weather prompted Obama’s aides to switch the location of his press conference from the Rose Garden to the White House briefing room. They didn’t want the president sweating in front of the cameras as he fielded questions on his health care plans and the Iran election. Oh, and the press corps would be baking in the heat

The announcement came less than three hours before the event was scheduled to start.

Watch some behind-the-scenes footage of what it takes.

Par dessus tout, ce qui me plait ce sont les TELEPROMPTEURS a une conference de presse... Evidemment, que NP ne sait pas quelles questions vont lui etre posees!

... et on nous expliquait que Pres. Bush etait un pantin idiot dont les fils etaient tires par les "vrais" dirigeants!

Les media devraient avoir honte d'etre ainsi manipules et utilises, mais bon, hein, ils partagent les memes ideologies, des lors...

Hope and Change -- but Not for Iran
By Charles Krauthammer

Friday, June 19, 2009

Millions of Iranians take to the streets to defy a theocratic dictatorship that, among its other finer qualities, is a self-declared enemy of America and the tolerance and liberties it represents. The demonstrators are fighting on their own, but they await just a word that America is on their side.


And what do they hear from the president of the United States? Silence. Then, worse. Three days in, the president makes clear his policy: continued "dialogue" with their clerical masters.


Dialogue with a regime that is breaking heads, shooting demonstrators, expelling journalists, arresting activists. Engagement with -- which inevitably confers legitimacy upon -- leaders elected in a process that begins as a sham (only four handpicked candidates permitted out of 476) and ends in overt rigging.

Then, after treating this popular revolution as an inconvenience to the real business of Obama-Khamenei negotiations, the president speaks favorably of "some initial reaction from the Supreme Leader that indicates he understands the Iranian people have deep concerns about the election."
...

And where is our president? Afraid of "meddling." Afraid to take sides between the head-breaking, women-shackling exporters of terror -- and the people in the street yearning to breathe free. This from a president who fancies himself the restorer of America's moral standing in the world.

Aujourd'hui, et apres avoir dit qu'on ne savait pas vraiment ce qu'allaient etre les resultats en Iran....... (incroyable!) NP commence a durcir un peu sa rhetorique.

'tention, 'tention, apres avoir perdu patience avec un journaliste aujourd'hui lors de sa conference de presse (la, il peut), il va peut-etre finir par dire de vilaines choses au dirigeant supreme, qui sait? Enfin bon, les appels il y a 3 jours par les centaines dans l'auditoire du monsieur barbu a la destruction des Etats Unis et de la Grande Bretagne, n'a meme pas resulte en la moindre reaction diplomatique. Au contraire, on continue a inviter des officiels iraniens dans nos ambassades a travers le monde pour feter avec nous le 4 Juillet.

O'REILLY reprend les reponses (qui sont loin d'en etre toujours - vous avez dit langue de bois?) de NP concernant:

1) le fait qu'il n'y ait pas une 1 seule question concernant la Coree du Nord

2) Iran
- sa retenue envers le gouvernement au sujet des elections (l'art et la maniere de dire que quelqu'un ment avec ..... respect)
- et sa suggestion aux responsables d'ambassades americaines d'inviter des officiels iraniens aux parties du 4 juillet...

3) la facon dont NP continue a ne pas expliquer comment la couverture sociale qu'il propose d'instaurer sera payee.

(J'aime la facon dont Bill termine son analyse de la conference de presse avec un: "Bien sur, je peux me tromper"... Evidemment pas surprenant! )

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ma question: en savons-nous plus maintenant qu'avant la conference de presse?

Je suis, je suis...

Vous avez pique la voiture "a" Lawrence ?

Zut, il ne s'en était pas encore apperçu, maintenant c'est fichu !

Desolee

Pas a dire, les relations entre les US et lran ont enormement CHANGE!

Obama sent letter to Iran leader BEFORE election, sources say
updated 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

From Christiane Amanpour
CNN Chief International Correspondent

(CNN) -- U.S. President Obama sent a direct message to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weeks before this month's disputed election, Iranian sources said Wednesday.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calls for an end to protests last week at Tehran University.

The letter requested dialogue and engagement between the two nations, the sources said.

The sources said that Khamenei has yet to reply to the letter but that nonetheless it "had set the negotiating table in order for both sides to sit around it after the election."

The White House refused to "get into the specifics of our different ways of communicating," a senior Obama administration official said.

"We have indicated a willingness to talk for a long time and have sought to communicate with the Iranians in a variety of ways," the official said.

Khamenei made an indirect reference to the letter in his sermon on Friday at Tehran University.

"The U.S. president said that we were waiting for a day like this to see people on the street," the Iranian leader said. "Some people attributed these remarks to Obama, and then they write letters to say we're ready to have ties, that we respect the Islamic Republic, and on the other hand, they make such comments. Which one should we believe?"

One Iranian source said, "We thought President Obama would send congratulations to President Ahmadinejad," and before the election, his senior advisers prepared a response to the anticipated note, which never came.

The Iranian source said the election dispute is wasting time on the issue of starting U.S.-Iranian negotiations.

...

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et aussi...

U.S. Takes Back July 4 Invitations to Iranians

No RSVPs from Iranian diplomats offered a chance to party down on July 4th with U.S. officials at embassies around the world means no more invitations.

FOXNews.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The White House announced Wednesday that it has rescinded the invitations made to Iranian diplomats who may want to barbecue and watch fireworks to celebrate Independence Day.

...

La question tres a-propos posee a deux reprises (a la conference de presse d'hier) par un journaliste (de FOX News, Major Garrett, sauf erreur) au sujet des fameuses invitations lancees a tout officiel iranien desireux de participer aux festivites du 4 juillet dans les ambassades americaines a travers le monde et a laquelle NP a refuse de repondre directement, aurait-elle finalement cause une re-evaluation de la chose par la Maison Blanche?



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En fait, il me semble que NP n'ait pas bien compris quelque chose de fondamental dans son desir de se montrer comme la colombe s'elevant au-dessus du monde, c'est qu'en tendant la main en signe de reconciliation, il vexe les dirigeants iraniens, leur imposant son desir d'"amitie"; eux decideront si oui ou non, ils veulent etre son "ami", donc les echanges si echanges il doit y avoir, se passeront selon leurs termes, a leur vitesse et lorsqu'ILS le souhaiteront, ils ne sont pas presses. NP lui l'est, il repart en campagne dans 2 ans (d'accord, certains diront qu'il ne l'a jamais quitte, mais bon...) et doit avoir des reussites a son actif; eux sont la pour TRES longtemps, du moins c'est leur but, des lors...

Les options du plan de couverture social de Pres. Bush tant decrie a l'epoque par les media et la gauche en general serait reprises maintenant comme la preuve que le programme de NP n'emprisonnerait pas les Americains dans un systeme gouvernemental?

...
And for the second consecutive day, he gave a forceful defense of the need to create a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers. He challenged Republicans who say the public option will lead to a government takeover of health care and interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.


“They’re wrong,” Obama said flatly, adding that a government plan would be “one option among multiple options.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24185.html#ixzz0JQacgGQO&C

Depuis quand?

ObamaCare Isn't Inevitable

Americans are increasingly concerned about the cost -- in money and personal freedom -- of the president's nanny-state initiatives.
By KARL ROVE

While still good, President Barack Obama's political health is deteriorating, threatened by what he thought would be balm -- his ambitious plan for a government takeover of health care.

Mr. Obama remains slightly more popular than most presidents have been in their opening months. But his job approval rating has drifted down to 60% in the RealClearPolitics.com average. His disapproval numbers have nearly doubled to 33%.

More troubling to Team Obama is the growing gap between the president's approval rating and declining support for major items on his policy agenda. Independents are increasingly joining Republicans in opposition to administration initiatives that range from reviving the economy to closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo.
Chad Crowe

Things will likely get worse in the coming months as the congressional stage comes to be dominated by health care. A new poll by Resurgent Republic (a nonprofit, right-of-center education organization whose creation I helped spur), reveals some of the president's challenges. By a 60%-to-31% margin, Americans prefer getting their health coverage through private insurance rather than the federal government.

Mr. Obama's record-setting spending binge has also made Americans more sensitive to deficits and higher taxes. Thirty-nine percent said they supported "a health-care plan that raises taxes in order to provide health insurance to all Americans," while 52% preferred "a plan that does not provide health insurance to all Americans but keeps taxes at current levels." By a 58%-to-37% margin, American prefer reforming health care "without raising taxes or increasing the deficit" to government investing "new resources to make sure it is done right."

This is why Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus blanched when committee staffers priced his -- which is also the Obama administration's -- draft legislation at a cool $1.6 trillion over the next decade.

The federal government will release an update on the deficit in mid-July, which will likely increase the public's fear of deficit spending. The current fiscal year's $1.8 trillion deficit is likely to grow significantly.
...

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....

There is some good news in the Resurgent Republic poll for Mr. Obama if he can sell his plan as shifting power from "insurance bureaucrats to consumers." Resurgent's poll found that Americans favor that by 57% to 38%.

A nouveau Pres. Bush doit sourire!

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aussi:

...

Mr. Obama's trashing of American health care as "a broken system" that must be brought "into the 21st century" doesn't resonate with most Americans. They are happy about their health care, doctor and hospital. Resurgent's poll found that 83% of Americans are very or somewhat satisfied with the quality of care they and their families receive.
...

... et on nous explique que sans le "discours du Caire", les relations avec les pays arabes seraient des plus desastreuses!!!

Bush administration got generous foreign gifts
By JOSH GERSTEIN | 6/24/09 8:12 PM EDT

The Bush Administration's decision to restore diplomatic relations with Libya apparently left Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi feeling generous-very, very generous.

When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Tripoli last year for the first time in more than 50 years, Qadhafi gave Rice a diamond ring and other items with a total value of $212,225, according to a report the State Department submitted Wednesday.

By law, federal officials are required to turn such gifts over to the government, which either sells them or stores them at the National Archives. A few items are retained for display at government offices or purchased by the recipient.

Qadhafi's gifts to American visitors last September also reflected the personality cult he has encouraged over the years. Rice got a locket with the Libyan leader's photo in it. Her spokesman, Sean McCormack, got an $800 Men's RADO watch "with small likeness of Qadhafi's face on watch face," the State Department said in the report set to be published Thursday in the Federal Register.

However, Qadhafi was outdone by the Saudis, who lavished more than $750,000 in gifts on Rice, President George W. Bush and other officials during trips last year. In January 2008, Saudi King Abdullah gave Rice a "gold, diamond and sapphire set with necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings." That, along with a robe and scarf, was worth $230,145, the State Department said.

During the same January visit, the Saudis gave State Department Chief of Protocol Nancy Brinker $65,000 in gifts, including an emerald and diamond bracelet. Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, David Welch, and the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ford Fraker, each got $45,000 worth of watches and other items. Top White House staffers, including Stephen Hadley, Josh Bolten, Ed Gillespie, Dana Perino, William McGurn and Elliott Abrams each got jewelry and robes pegged at about $15,000 a set.

During a March visit to Saudi Arabia, Vice President Cheney's daughter, Elizabeth, got diamond and ruby jewelry with an estimated value of $85,000, while her mom, Lynne Cheney, scored a $65,000 set.

In 2007, Rice received two gifts of jewelry from the Saudis, with a total value of more than $310,000. In an official report last December, one of those gifts was mistakenly attributed to King Abdullah of Jordan, which prompted a denial from the Jordanian Embassy. "We believe this must have been a mistake on the part of the State Department. Gifts by HM King Abdullah II to U.S. officials are always symbolic and of little material value," the embassy told CNN.

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ah quand meme...

The report indicates that gifts of food, liquor, cigars and bath items were "handled pursuant to U.S. Secret Service policy," which may be a diplomatic way of saying they were disposed of for security reasons. Ten jars of Caspian caviar Vice President Dick Cheney got from the president of Azerbaijan in September 2008 got the special "Secret Service" treatment.

Pauvre Valery, a qui on a fait tant de malheurs pour quelques diamants, enfin bon, il me semble que lui avait "un peu" oublie de les laisser avant de partir a la retraite.

WOW!

Supreme Court Rules for White Firefighters

The Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

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This decision, like many of the close cases before the high court, divided along its familiar ideological lines. Kennedy was joined by the four conservatives on the court in issuing the majority decision.

The court's more liberal members joined Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dissent which she read from the bench. "The white firefighters who scored high on New Haven's promotional exams understandably attract the court's sympathy," she said. "But they had no vested right to promotion."

The firefighters are expected to hold a press conference Monday afternoon in New Haven.

Twenty firefighters — 19 white and one Hispanic — who were denied promotions in New Haven, Conn., claimed city officials discriminated against them because they were more concerned about potential complaints of Civil Rights Act violations than their performance on advancement exams.

The white firefighters argued discrimination is discrimination no matter what color it takes, and therefore, the city did violate the Civil Rights Act in not promoting the white and one Hispanic firefighters.

Sotomayor was one of three appeals court judges who earlier ruled that New Haven officials acted properly.

The reversal could be used as ammunition by some senators who don't want to see Sotomayor confirmed.

Sotomayor's views on race have been the focal point of criticism as she seeks a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. She has also been scrutinized for her statement outside the court that a "wise, Latina woman" would come to better conclusions more often than a white man.

Sotomayor's confirmation hearing is currently scheduled to begin on July 13. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told "FOX News Sunday" that her nomination must have a full airing before a vote, and that could mean delaying the hearing scheduled by Democratic senators, a scenario that is unlikely to happen.

"Just a day or so ago, we discovered that there are 300 boxes of additional material that has just been discovered from her time working with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund," McConnell said

"The committee needs to have access to that material and time to work through it ... so we know all the facts before we vote on a person who's up for a lifetime job."

NTSB Investigates Two Airbus Jet Incidents

Federal safety officials investigate two incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A330 planes may have malfunctioned.

AP

Friday, June 26, 2009

Federal safety officials said Thursday they are investigating two incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A330 planes may have malfunctioned, including one that took place ten days before the same type of plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement that the first incident occurred May 21 when TAM Airlines Flight 8091 flying from Miami to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while cruising.

The board said initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in the outside air temperature reading, followed by the loss of a computer system that supplies information on airspeed and altitude. The autopilot and autothrust also failed.

The flight crew used backup instruments, and airspeed and altitude data was restored in about 5 minutes, the board said.

The board only recently became aware of the incident, but it confirmed the event through the Brazilian government.

Information on the second incident is more sketchy, but it involves a Northwest Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo on Tuesday, the board said.

Data recorder information, aircraft condition monitoring system messages, crew statements and weather information involving that flight are being collected by NTSB investigators.

In both cases the planes landed safely and no one was injured, the board said.
Airbus officials didn't immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press.

...

Intéressant...

Tiens, je comparais justement le journaliste italien a O'Reilly dernierement.