Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant.
1.George Friedman: Should the al Assad regime -- or the Syrian regime without al Assad -- survive, Iran would therefore enjoy tremendous influence with Syria, as well as with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The current course in Iraq coupled with the survival of an Alawite regime in Syria would create an Iranian sphere of influence stretching from western Afghanistan to the Mediterranean. This would represent a fundamental shift in the regional balance of power, and probably would redefine Iranian relations with the Arabian Peninsula. This is obviously in Iran's interest. It is not in the interests of the United States, however. PG: The Saudi's are aware of this, so Iran shouldn't hold its breath as regards Syria.
2.Daniel Pipes on Egyptian elections: In contrast, the victorious Islamists, who despise democracy, made little effort to conceal their electoral success through fraud. Some of them went so far as proudly and unapologetically to assert that it's their Islamic duty to be dishonest. Tal'at Zahran, a leading Salafi, called the democratic system "infidel," "criminal," and "out of the Elders of Zion." He cynically observed that "it is our duty to forge elections; God will reward us for this." PG: Where is the elite media? How were 52 million votes cast when only 40 million were registered?
3. Brett Stephens considers an Obama victory in November to be a slam dunk: "What should readers who despair of a second Obama term make of all this? Hope ObamaCare is repealed by the High Court, the Iranian bomb is repealed by the Israeli Air Force, and the Senate switches hands, giving America a healthy spell of Hippocratic government. All perfectly plausible. And the U.S. will surely survive four more years. Who knows? By then maybe Republicans will have figured out that if they don't want to lose, they shouldn't run with losers. PG: Cannot argue with him. Another 4 years of Obama? Phew!
4.US President Barack Obama plans to accelerate the pace of American aid to Egypt, a top State Department official said on Wednesday, as the most populous Arab nation reaches a critical stage in its uncertain transition away from autocratic rule. Undersecretary of State Robert Hormats, part of a US delegation that held unprecedented talks last week with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, said Washington wanted to provide "more immediate benefits" to Egyptians, who earlier this month conducted their first democratic elections in decades. (Reuters) PG: Another four years of Obama...good luck with that America.
5.According to a report published by Spanish newspaper ABC on Monday and Tuesday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may only have 9-12 months to live as a result of his decision to prioritize presidential duties over personal health. Chavez's prostate cancer was reportedly discovered in January of 2011, at which point his prognosis was five years. Since that initial diagnosis, Chavez has repeatedly postponed treatments or skipped them altogether in the interests of concealing his illness and protecting his political position. PG: And as if to confirm this, the FT reports that Venezuelan bonds took a big jump upwards. Follow the money.
6.WSJ: Garden State Gov. Chris Christie has a message for the top 1% of income earners: Please occupy New Jersey. "I'm going to start going after a lot of these hedge-fund guys who are in Connecticut and New York and say, 'You're going to get a better deal with us,'" says the country's most important Republican not running for president. Mr. Christie's new tax-reform plan also offers an improved deal to the bottom 99%, which is why he may be able to move it through New Jersey's Democratic legislature: a 10% cut in tax rates across the board. PG: Watch and learn BO. First you control spending, then u cut taxes for all.
7.Three members of an Afghan Canadian family were found guilty of the "honor killing" of three siblings and a fourth relative on Sunday after a high-profile trial that has fascinated Canadians. "It is difficult to conceive of a more despicable, more heinous crime," Canadian media quoted Judge Robert Maranger as saying after the verdict. "The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honour." PG: The judge said it all. While the Muslim organizations in Canada condemn this behaviour, they demand different aspects of Sharia Law be implemented here. I says to these people: If you cannot live here under Canadian Law, get the hell out of my country!
8.A government-run Saudi Arabian newspaper reports that for the first time in the conservative Muslim country, women will be allowed to attend soccer matches in one of the country's stadiums. Al-Sharq newspaper on Saturday quoted unnamed officials as saying that women will be able to watch the matches in a new facility that will be completed in 2014 in the western port city of Jeddah. PG: Sensational! It must be Hillary's influence. But women drivers? Never! Allowing women drivers in Saudi Arabia will tempt them into sex, promote pornography and create more homosexuals, according to some conservative Muslim scholars.
9.The Transportation Security Administration says screeners at New York's Kennedy Airport violated procedures when they asked two elderly women to show them medical devices concealed beneath their clothing. The action followed complaints by 85-year-old Lenore Zimmerman and 88-year-old Ruth Sherman that they were effectively strip-searched while traveling separately through the airport in November. Zimmerman had to remove a back brace, which was put through an X-ray machine. Screeners inspected Sherman's colostomy bag. PG: The stupidity of some of these TSA folks is mind boggling.
10.A man recently married his deceased girlfriend in a combination funeral and wedding ceremony. Chadil Deffy, also known as Deff Yingyuen, placed a ring on the finger of Sarinya "Anne" Kamsook, his girlfriend of 10 years, during the ceremony in Thailand's Surin province.
Read more: http://main.aol.com/2012/01/18/man-marries-dead-girlfriend-thailand_n_1213316.html?1326908244?test=latestnews
“I used to be sane, then I got better.” - Unknown
“The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything” - Einstein
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