China Confidential
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Beijing Fears Revolt by Jobless Migrant Workers
The specter of revolution haunts China.
Beijing's ruling Communist Party--which has based its legitimacy on its ability to continue delivering material progress--fears the economic crisis that started in the United States and has spread to China could trigger a massive uprising.
More than 10 million migrant workers lost their jobs in China in the first 11 months of 2008.
The jobless figure could skyrocket in 2009, analysts say.Al Qaeda-Linked Palestinians Planning Attacks
Analysts are concerned that Al Qaeda-associated groups that are competing with Hamas for the hearts and minds of Palestinians may be planning terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world in order to upstage their Islamist rival, which Al Qaeda considers to be ideologically impure.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The theological and ideological differences that separate Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran are insignificant in terms of the threat to the West that Islamism represents. The Nazis also had their factions--and fought among themselves. Like Nazism, the clerical fascist creed called Islamism must be destroyed. There is no alternative to victory; our civilization is on the line.Iranian Cleric Calls for Terrorism Against Israel
Foreign Confidential....
Iran's Islamist regime has apparently given Muslims a green light to commit acts of terrorism against Israel and its supporters.
Zahra Hosseinian reports from Tehran:Iran's Supreme Leader issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians in Gaza against Israeli attacks "in any way possible", state television reported.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also declared Monday a day of public mourning in Iran after Israel killed more than 280 Palestinians in two days of air strikes on Gaza.
"All Palestinian combatants and all the Islamic world's pious people are obliged to defend the defenceless women, children and people in Gaza in any way possible," Khamenei said.
"Whoever is killed in this legitimate defence, is considered a martyr," he said in a statement.
A religious decree is an official statement by a ranking religious leader that commands Muslims to carry out its message. While there is no religious and legal force behind it, Khamenei is respected by many Iranian and non-Iranian Shi'ites.
Continue here.Gold Rises in Tandem with Oil and Mideast Violence
Commodities Confidential....
Gold rose more than 2% to its strongest price since early October on Monday, as oil gained on fears of supply disruptions after violence flared between Israel and Hamas.
By 0025 GMT, gold was trading at $887.95 an ounce, up $21.15 from New York's notional close, having hit an intraday high of $889.00 on Monday on safe-haven buying.
- ReutersIsraeli Tanks at Gaza Border
An Israeli ground offensive could be imminent.
AFP reports:Israeli tanks massed at the Gaza border on Monday as warplanes continued pounding Hamas targets in the densely populated enclave where raids have killed more than 300 people in two days.
Dozens of tanks and personnel carriers idled at several points near the border after Israel warned it could launch a ground offensive in addition to its massive air blitz.
Hamas responded to the continuing bombardment by firing rockets the farthest yet into Israel, with one striking not far from Ashdod, Israel's second-largest port, some 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of Gaza . It caused no casualties, medics said.
Click here to continue.Syria Suspends Indirect Peace Talks with Israel
Syria has suspended indirect peace talks with Israel in response to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, a senior Syrian official said on Sunday.
Syria has held four indirect rounds of talks with Israel in Turkey this year.
"The Israeli aggression on Gaza closes the door in front of the movement for a peaceful political settlement," the official said. The official would not be drawn any further on which steps Syria was taking.
- ReutersBarrick Gold to Native Americans: Drop Dead
Dateline USA....
In the midst of a global economic meltdown, the world's largest--and most controversial--gold mining company, Canada's Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), is giving its industry a black eye.
Brenda Norrell reports from Cresent Valley, Nevada:Barrick Gold is bulldozing the Western Shoshone sacred mountain of Mount Tenabo. Barrick construction crews blocked access to Western Shoshone ceremonial grounds this week with heavy machinery and pipes. Western Shoshone had planned a ceremony on Mount Tenabo, where the sweatlodge is located.
"Right now I am sitting here crying. The mining company is ripping out our hearts and guts," Shoshone elder Joyce McDade said today.
"We went to our scared site to build our Arbor, for the ceremonial gathering on Sunday. We couldn't drive in to deliver the materials for the boys to build the Arbor. The Canadian mining company shut us out, by putting big heavy waterpipes in alongside of our sweatlodge."
Western Shoshone said they will still hold a ceremony on Sunday, at a location to be announced. All are welcome. Western Shoshone ask for help and support.
Western Shoshone called into the Censored Blog Radio today, heavy with grief that their ceremonial grounds were being destroyed. Barrick Gold has ripped the pinon and juniper trees out by the roots and sacred Mount Tenabo is being bulldozed.
"This mountain is the same to us as their church. They can not understand this," McDade said. The pinons are central in Shoshone culture and vital to the animals as well on the mountain.Russians Still Love Stalin
Foreign Confidential....
Is there such a thing as national character?
Apparently--unfortunately--there is.
For example, Russians seem to love dictators.
David Nowak reports from Mosow:Television viewers have voted Soviet dictator Josef Stalin — who sent millions to their deaths in the Great Purge of the 1930s — Russia's third-greatest historical figure.
Continue here.
Rights activists have blasted Stalin's inclusion in the 90-day, nationwide project by the state-run Rossiya channel. They say authorities are trying to gloss over Stalin's atrocities and glorify his tyranny.
The project, called "The Name of Russia," culminated with the announcement Sunday night that Russian medieval leader
Alexander Nevsky had been voted the greatest Russian, with more than 524,000 Internet and SMS votes. Stalin garnered more than 519,000 votes, and even led in early voting.
Nevsky defeated various European invaders during his 13th-century reign and was subsequently canonized.
In second place was Pyotr Stolypin, a prime minister early in the 20th century under Czar Nicholas II. Stolypin was recognized for land reform but gained notoriety for his brutal quashing of leftist revolutionaries. He saw to it that thousands were hanged for attempting to overthrow the imperial rulers. Stolypin received more than 523,000 votes....
Monday, 29 December 2008
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