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#1
05-28-2004
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THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
The imperfect storm...
US war ships headed for deployment in the WESTERN PACFIC!. What is in the Western Pacific? KOREA! Also look at this huge list of other recent deployments... Carrier Group Leaves On Deployment Ships Are Not Scheduled To Support Operations In Iraq http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3339032/detail.html HUGE NAVAL STRIKE GROUP IS DEPLOYED! Western Pacific (1) Aircraft carrier Stennis (CSG) (2) Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) (3) Burke-class destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) (4) Guided-missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54) (5) Fast-attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716) (6) Replenishment ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) Also (7) amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood (8) amphibious transport dock ship Denver (9) amphibious transport dock ships Comstock (10-11) Burke-class guided missile destroyers Preble and Hopper -- will depart next month. (12) USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment (13) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell Also: USS McCampbell (DDG 85) departed May 5 for its first deployment. The ship and its crew are headed to Southeast Asia in support of a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) cruise. McCampbell will be conducting joint naval exercises with the countries of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. Also: Twenty Royal Navy ships, led by HMS Invincible, are heading off to take part in the exercise called Rapid Alliance, which is taking place off the eastern seaboard of the United States. Article: Marines Take off for Naval Exercise with U.S. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2918574 Mediterranean Sea Surface Strike Group deployment: (14) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) (15) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), (16) Guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) USS John C. Stennis Strike Group Deploys for Pacific Operations More than 6,200 Sailors from the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed from San Diego May 24 to conduct operations in the Eastern and Western Pacific for joint and combined operations in support of the global war on terrorism, and to carry out assignments as directed by the nation’s leaders. The Stennis CSG includes the aircraft carrier Stennis, the Aegis-equipped guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83), guided-missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54), Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716) and the replenishment ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7). All of the ships of the Stennis CSG are homeported in San Diego, with the exception of USS Ford (FFG 54), homeported in Everett, Wash., and USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7), homeported in Bremerton, Wash. Stennis is the flagship for Commander, Carrier Group 7, Rear Adm. Patrick Walsh. On deployment, Stennis is also home to Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, commanded by Capt. John Christenson, and Commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14, commanded by Capt. Scott Swift. Capt. David Buss of Lancaster, Penn., commands Stennis at the center of the strike group. The ship carries approximately 3 million gallons of fuel for 70 aircraft and three escort ships, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment. The massive flight deck covers 4.5 acres and looms almost seven stories above the water. http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13467 USS John C. Stennis Strike Group Deploys for Pacific Operations: Navy-Marine strike group leaves on 6-month deployment: More than 5,000 sailors and Marines with the Belleau Wood Expeditionary Strike Group will leave San Diego Thursday for a six-month deployment in support of the war on terrorism The amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood and the amphibious transport dock ships Denver and Comstock will depart from 32nd Street Naval Station beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. "It is the first time an expeditionary strike group will be commanded by a Marine general, according to the Navy. http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004..._265_26_04.txt "The Army begins a major staging operation today at the port to ship equipment to southwest Asia." Article: Army to ship vehicles overseas via Olympia: http://www.theolympian.com/home/news...es/54346.shtml Offical explanation: Strike Group Deploys Early To Help Quell Insurgiency "The plan was developed to train naval forces for quick response to crises and in support of national interests." http://www.nbcsandiego.com/militaryc...32/detail.html Ford heads to sea Frigate's crew departs for 4 months http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/...oc_ford001.cfm USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13418 Surface Strike Group Ships Deploy From Norfolk http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13096 "coastal patrol ships Typhoon and Sirocco prepared to leave port at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Friday to relieve two sister ships" http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories...752&ran=237692 ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) accompanied patrol boats USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Sirocco (PC 6) on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Naval Station Rota, Spain, and arrived in port with the two PCs May 12. http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13328 Related: George Washington Strike Group to Deploy Story Number: NNS040113-05 Release Date: 1/13/2004 4:15:00 PM http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=11374 "Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell will leave at 10 a.m. Tuesday with a crew of more than 330 sailors for the Western Pacific." "guided missile frigate USS Crommelin will leave Pearl Harbor at 9:30 a.m. with a crew of more than 225 sailors for a counter-drug-trafficking mission in South America. http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacif...ml?jst=b_ln_hl USS Columbia Returns from Surge Deployment to Western Pacific http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13281 USS Kitty Hawk Returns from Deployment http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=13470 Kitty Hawk patrol to expire in 2008 http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...7&archive=true USS Cole returns to VA after 6-month deployment http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1901557 (Falklands-Malvinas Tuesday, 11 May) Ships return from South Atlantic. "Ice patrol ship HMS Endurance ventured further south than ever before during work periods off Antarctica, while Type 42 destroyer HMS Glasgow steamed 28,000 miles protecting the UK’s interests in the region and carrying out goodwill visits to a number of ports. http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=3643 "The United States maintains nearly 40,000 troops in South Korea to serve as a deterrent against North Korea's military, which numbers more than one million." http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?o...197C5AADAE1BA2 Chilly response to U.S. plan to deploy forces in the Strait of Malacca "Admiral Thomas Fargo, saying that American counter terrorism forces might be deployed in the Malacca Strait has sparked a wave of angry responses from Indonesia and Malaysia" http://www.iags.org/n0524042.htm -THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES- http://www.canadiandemocraticmovemen...rder=0&thold=0 Sailors To Guard Kuwaiti Ports http://www.military.com/NewsContent/...052404,00.html 10 Naval gunboats readied for May 10 ZAMBOANGA CITY - http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/NewsStory...CIAL&oid=50391 I am sure there is more to be found on this string, but I couldn't take any more at the moment! http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/....cgi?read=3454 
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#2
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
BB- made me think about all the ones we should not have been involved in:
Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, and now the current one in the entire Middle East. Maybe the "big plan" is to break America (in spirit and financially) and destroy the US constitution (its writing): therefore we can meld the rest of the world into one super government complete with its own special computer currency. For most the above remarks might seem crazy. But, I have to believe with all the big money out there - they must have a plan. To start they would have to destroy the US: especially the BILL OF RIGHTS.
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#3
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Quote:
__________________
When the well's dry, we know the worth of water - Ben Franklin
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#4
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Now if this doesn't prove Bush Admin Officials are playing the terror card for political reasons what does???
Terror warning surprises Homeland Security Dept. Officials said the Homeland Security Department knew in advance about the news conference but expected it to focus on seven suspects with ties to al-Qaida who were wanted for arrest or questioning. Department officials were caught off guard when Ashcroft went further and warned that al-Qaida "is ready to attack the United States." http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nation...news-headlines
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#5
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Quote:
__________________
"...a Republic, if you can keep it!" Ben Franklin - Statesman You can learn more about Invisible Contracts here: I took the RED pill, and that has made all the difference. "...holding dollars is like holding dry ice on a hot summer day!" mamboni Truth requires no law. Once you lose your ignorance, you can never get it back.... ‘Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.’ Eleanor Roosevelt
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#6
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
You don't say...
 Just so you know the cold war was WWIII the CIA refers to the current war as WWIV and it is inside of the the "clash of civilizations" operation that surfaced and was first mentioned in the late 70's... A post I made at Capitalstool Sep 18 2003, 04:04 AM The political system which has relied on debt inflation to cover it's lies will also not last...once the required amount of debt to sedate the population runs out then the only way to maintain the profits of oilmen and arms dealers is through war and conquest...every empire figures this out... certain actions have to happen to prepare the population to accept this new fantasy... Neocon road map for peace.... The New American Century Group Members... Elliott Abrams, Gary Bauer, William J. Bennett , Jeb Bush Dick Cheney, Eliot A. Cohen, Midge Decter, Paula Dobriansky Steve Forbes, Aaron Friedberg, Francis Fukuyama, FrankGaffney Fred C. Ikle, Donald Kagan, Zalmay Khalilzad (US Ambasador to Afghanistan and former Unocal consultant), I. Lewis Libby, Norman Podhoretz Dan Quayle, Peter W. Rodman, Stephen P. Rosen Henry S.Rowen, Donald Rumsfeld, Vin Weber, George Weigel Paul Wolfowitz I highlighted some of the more famous names... Richard Pearl is a buddy also... Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century," September 2000. A Report of the Project for the New American Century Below are some key points taken from the above report released in Sept 2000 ESTABLISH FOUR CORE MISSIONS for U.S. military forces: • defend the American homeland; • fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars; • perform the “constabulary” duties associated with shaping the security environment incritical regions; • transform U.S. forces to exploit the “revolution in military affairs;” CONTROL THE NEW “INTERNATIONAL COMMONS” OF SPACE AND “CYBERSPACE,” and pave the way for the creation of a new military service – U.S. Space Forces – with the mission of space control. "Space itself will become a theater of war, as nations gain access to space capabilities and come to rely on them; further, the distinction between military and commercial space systems – combatants and noncombatants –will become blurred." "And advanced forms of biological warfare that can “target” specific genotypes may transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool." Strategic goal: Preserve Pax Americana Main military mission(s): Secure and expand zones of democratic peace; deter rise of new great-power competitor; defend key regions; exploit transformation of war A brief introduction of the rules of revolution so we know what is kinda happening... RULES FOR REVOLUTION (Captured at Dusseldorf in May 1919 by Allied Forces) Handed to me by a Viet Nam vet who was an elder in the Mormon Church who told us about his job as a regular Army airport guard for planes flying Heroin out of Viet Nam for the C.I.A. I was 18 at the time and in the Canadian Army but was visiting a friend in Bellingham Washington who happened to be a Mormon and I tagged along... 1. Corrupt the young; get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial; destroy their ruggedness. 2. By specious argument cause the breakdown of old moral virtues; honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness. 3. Encourage civil disorders and foster a lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders. 4. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. 5. Get people's minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books, plays, and other trivialities. 6. Get control of all means of publicity. 7. Destroy the people's faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy (disgrace). 8. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view to confiscation and leaving the population helpless. 9. Preach democracy but seize power as ruthlessly as possible... So don't get your hopes up about democratic peace Now back to the new American Century... "A transformation strategy that solely pursued capabilities for projecting force from the United States, for example, and sacrificed forward basing and presence, would be at odds with larger American policy goals and would trouble American allies. Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor." You see 9-11 is what they wanted/hoped for and as luck would have it, it is what they got 1 year later... By a former employee or asset of the CIA Osama Bin Laden whose older Brother was a major investor in Arbusto Energy the current presedent George W. Bush's first business venture and the Bin Laden Family was a major investor in the Carlyle Group (Defence contractor who by the way invested into small pox before the small pox scare...) of which George H.W. Bush is a Director... US tax dollars were invested into the creation of the monsters and US Tax dollars are invested in their elimination or containment... And the bankers, oilmen and arms dealers are in position to make huge profits and create the conditions to perpetuate it without end... Focus of strategic competition: East Asia From another paper on the (PNAC) site... "How telling is it that critics (and even some advocates) of the Bush administration's foreign policy routinely refer to "the American empire" and Washington's "imperial burden"--while ignoring the fact that the People's Republic of China is the sole major multicultural empire left in the world?" You can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes...you get what you need...
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#7
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Iranian official
threatens U.S. Suicide, missile attacks are ready 'to strike at Anglo-Saxon culture' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: May 28, 2004 5:00 p.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com An official of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has threatened the United States and other Western nations with suicide and missile attacks aimed at 29 sensitive sites. "Our missiles are now ready to strike at their civilization, and as soon as the instructions arrive from leader ['Ali Khamenei], we will launch our missiles at their cities and installations," the Revolutionary Guard adviser said in a speech reported by the London Arabic-language daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, according to Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI. He also threatened to "take over" Britian. The paper reported "an Iranian intelligence unit has established a center called The Brigades of the Shahids of the Global Islamic Awakening to replace the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Department of Liberation and Revolutionary Movements, which had been in charge of helping and training revolutionary forces across the world." A source close to the Revolutionary Guards intelligence confirmed confirmed the establishment of a new office that has begun registering the names of suicide volunteers to be sent to Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon, the London paper said. In a tape of the speech obtained by the paper, the official spoke of Tehran's "secret strategy" aimed at taking over the Arab and Muslim countries by means of helping revolutionary forces and organizations." The official, identified only with the initials H.A., has published a number of works on exporting the Islamic revolution and struggling against the U.S. "In his speech at a secret conference attended by students who are members of the Ansar Hizbullah movement at Al-Hussein University, the official harshly criticized reformist President Muhammad Khatami and his "dubious idea" of dialogue between civilizations. "We do not want to take over the British Embassy, since [the British] have already cleared the embassy of documents; we must take over Britain [itself]," he said. "The West sees us as terrorists, and depicts our strategy as terrorism and repression," the officials continued. "Had our youth agreed to Khatami's teachings and interpretations, it would never have fought the arrogance [U.S.], and would never have defended the holy places -- because Khatami speaks always of being conciliatory, of patience, and of rejecting terrorism, while we defend [the line of] toughness and war against the enemies of revolutionary Islam. I take pride in my actions that cause anxiety and fear to the Americans." He continued: "'Haven't the Jews and the Christians achieved their progress by means of toughness and repression? We have a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization and for the uprooting of the Americans and the English. "Our missiles are now ready to strike at their civilization, and as soon as the instructions arrive from leader ['Ali Khamenei], we will launch our missiles at their cities and installations. "Our motto during the war [in Iraq] was: Karbala, we are coming, Jerusalem, we are coming. And because of Khatami's policies and dialogue between the civilizations, we have been compelled to freeze our plan to liberate the Islamic cities. And now we are [again] about to carry out the program. Later in his speech, the official declared "the global infidel front is a front against Allah and the Muslims, and we must make use of everything we have at hand to strike at this front, by means of our suicide operations or by means of our missiles. There are 29 sensitive sites in the U.S. and in the West. We have already spied on these sites and we know how we are going to attack them." He emphasized, "If Israel dares attack the [nuclear] installations at Bushehr, our losses will be very low, because [only] one structure will be destroyed -- while we have means of attacking Israel's nuclear facilities and arsenals such that no trace of Israel will remain." The previous day, according to MEMRI, Iranian sources had statements on the same issue. At a ceremony marking the four-year anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Ali Akbar Makhatashemi-Pour, reformist MP and secretary-general of the International Committee for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada, called on Muslim countries to open their borders with Iraq to troops of Muslim martyrdom bombers. "We, the Muslim countries, must create a storm front against the U.S. and Israel," he said. "The half-million member organization that was created in Beirut [Hezbollah] is not sufficient. Many young Muslims are willing to carry out martyrdom operations against the American Crusaders." According to the Iranian reformist paper Sharq, the Persian-language Ruydad website cited Hezbollah-Iran activist Forouz Rajaii-Far saying "martyrdom operations are the only option to expel the Americans and British from Iraq." Rajaii-Far said a Basij activist from Elm Vasonaat University in Iran acknowledged a group calling itself the "To Karbala Battalion" was sent Thursday to Karbala to fight the coalition forces. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail to a Friend Printer-friendly
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#8
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Putin came to the US to visit Bush awhile back...Bush said he wanted a stop put to the Russian built Nuclear plants in Iran...
Putin said no...oopsie I guess the with us or against us only applies to the countries that are cakewalks or can't defend themselves... Here's a story... "Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, sat on the board of a company which three years ago (2000) sold two light water nuclear reactors to North Korea - a country he now regards as part of the "axis of evil" and which has been targeted for regime change by Washington because of its efforts to build nuclear weapons." "Mr Rumsfeld was a non-executive director of ABB, a European engineering giant based in Zurich, when it won a $200m (£125m) contract to provide the design and key components for the reactors. The current defence secretary sat on the board from 1990 to 2001, earning $190,000 a year. He left to join the Bush administration." Have fun killing yourselves...
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#9
05-28-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Should Israeli be stupid enough to choose to open up the Pandora’s box of war by attacking Iranian soil, the consequences could be anyone’s guess.
On the other hand, threats by Kadafi about turning the Mediterranean into a sea of blood and Saddam with his mother of all rhetoric statements indicate that sometimes the bark is indeed bigger than the bite.
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#10
05-29-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
New Silk Road Diplomacy Steps up in NE Asia by Kathy Wolfe  Korea's new Gwangyang port will triple nation's South Coast freight capacity, and serve as a ``gateway of the Iron Silk Road,'' connecting through Trans-Korea rails to the continental railways of Russia, China, and Europe. On May 14, South Korea's Constitutional Court threw out the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun and restored him to a new majority government, as his youth movement supporters tied yellow ribbons to lamp posts around the country in celebration. North and South Korea also announced for May 26 the first meeting of their two military general chiefs of staff since 1945. Members of the new National Assembly are demanding cancellation of deployment of 3,000 Korean troops to Iraq. In the face of these developments, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced on May 17 the redeployment of 3,600 American troops from Korea to Iraq; but such pressure may be too late. President Roh responded on May 20 by calling for a "cooperative defense" in which South Korea starts to take charge of its own security, in light of rapidly improving relations with North Korea. In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also said on May 14 that he would visit North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang May 22, to bring home the families of five Japanese abducted by the North. More widely, Koizumi's aim is to restart talks on diplomatic relations in June, eventually to allow major Japanese support to upgrading North Korea's rail system and reopening the Trans-Korean Railway. Japan's Foreign Ministry has been negotiating the move with Pyongyang since April 28. Koizumi's office announced that "Japan is ready to discuss the contents of economic assistance." This occurred as working party-level Six-Power Talks on North Korea's nuclear program collapsed in Beijing May 14. After Vice President Dick Cheney's April 9-16 Asian tour, threatening a blockade if North Korea did not "take steps" toward unilateral surrender, U.S. delegate Joseph DeTrani made the same demands in Beijing May 12-14, adding that North Korea must close all nuclear power plants, as well as arms programs. North Korean delegate Pak Myong-kuk rejected this as "a humiliating measure that can only be imposed on a country defeated in war." The leaders of both South Korea and Japan have also stepped up plans for separate bilateral summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, where a key topic will be regional detente with Pyongyang. Korea's Revolution: 'Second Chance at 1989' The crisis tactics by the Washington neo-cons have gone too far, and it seems that nations of Northeast Asia are taking steps to ensure peace via economic development projects such as the New Silk Road-Eurasian Land-Bridge, diplomats said. By ensuring "permanent crisis," Cheney's fits have frozen investment in Japan and South Korea for two years, and stalled the Eurasian Land-Bridge "from Tokyo to Pusan to Paris" by preventing South and North Korea from linking their rails for traffic. Now, EIR has reports from Tokyo and Seoul that a fresh decision has been made to push on with the Land-Bridge. Making this possible is the peaceful "people's revolution" just achieved in South Korea, which if it spreads to Japan, will shake the world. The neo-cons enraged the Korean public on March 12, when President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached by a lame-duck National Assembly dominated by MPs who work closely with Cheney's American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington. On top of the demand for Korean troops for Iraq, this brought hundreds of thousands into the streets. King Sejong Road, a 12-lane boulevard from the center of Seoul to major ministries, the American Embassy, and the Presidential Blue House, was occupied for weeks each night, as far as the eye could see, by a youth movement in peaceful candlelit vigils. The key to its success was something new to Korean (and Japanese) politics: non-violence. Since the Vietnam War, demonstrations in Korea and Japan have been very violent, alienating the general public from political activism. But recently, Christian leaders in Korea and allies in Japan introduced Martin Luther King's principle of non-violence, and the moral superiority of it has rallied the public as it did in East Germany in 1989. The result: President Roh's new Uri Party won a clear majority in April 15 National Assembly elections, for detente with the North for the first time since 1945. Uri more than tripled its strength in the 299-seat legislature to 152 from 49. This gives Korea a "second chance at 1989." Germany missed its chance and fell under International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity, which ruined its economy and Unification. The Eurasian Land-Bridge "New Deal" program can help Korea avoid that mistake. Japan has been the "swing factor" for the Eurasian Land-Bridge. Its scientific and engineering capability, let alone money, may be critical to the Silk Road's success, so the neo-cons have made all efforts to keep Japan out of the project. But despite appearances that Japan is cut off from the outside, a peace movement also has potential to spread there. Over 30,000 marched in Tokyo March 20 on the first anniversary of the Iraq war. "World Peace Now," a network of 50 citizens groups, said that the non-violent approach, new to Japan, can bring out large numbers for the first time, where violent protests until now have failed. Mr. Koizumi was last in Pyongyang on Sept. 17, 2002, a visit worked out with then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. The next day, the two Koreas cut open the DMZ for the first time in 50 years to rebuild the Trans-Korean Railway—a strategic turning point for the Eurasian Land-Bridge. A half-dozen European nations opened diplomatic relations with North Korea, which began to modernize its economy. Peace was "breaking out." The neo-cons couldn't tolerate this, so only weeks later, on Oct. 4, Cheney staged a confrontation in Pyongyang, by having emissary James Kelly allege discovery of a secret North Korean uranium program. This resulted in the Bush Administration ripping up the Clinton-North Korea Framework Accord treaty and declaring the present nuclear crisis, putting the region on the verge of war since. The Japanese press went to war against North Korea. While Pyongyang meant to improve relations in October 2002, by releasing five Japanese, who had been abducted in the 1970s, to visit home, Tokyo's neo-con controlled media began a hail of headlines demanding return of dozens more allegedly still in captivity. For 18 months, this has created what is called "the New Cold War" in Japan. The joke is that Mt. Fuji could erupt and kill 20 million people in West Tokyo—but the headlines would still be on abductions. It was almost impossible to talk of Japan joining in the New Silk Road. "Koizumi is more likely to discuss bombing railroads, than building railroads," one Tokyo economist complained during the Iraq War. But now, with that war going sour, the Iraqi prison scandal, and Cheney's unilateralism causing the Beijing talks to fail both in February and again May 14, it seems the neo-cons have gone too far even for the Japanese. Tokyo civic groups even had a rally outside the U.S. Embassy May 13, to protest the abuses of Iraqi prisoners. Those in Japan who support the Eurasian Land-Bridge know Lyndon LaRouche, and EIR with its 1997 Eurasian Land-Bridge Report very well. They understand that Japan's future lies with the economic reconstruction of North Korea, China, Russia and the Eurasian continent. These are the people who proposed the Asian Monetary Fund. Russia and China Regional cooperation of the two Koreas, Japan, Russia and China is the key to forging a coalition big enough to allow the Land-Bridge to be built, hopefully with America joining in, but if need be, without it. Recent improvements in Russo-Japan relations are interesting here. Japan has suddenly dropped its 50-year demand for the return of the Kurile Islands before it will do business with Russia, and trade surged 25% in 2003 due to the doubling of Japanese investment in Sakhalin oil and gas to over $1 billion. Japanese power companies took deliveries of Russian oil and committed to buy Russian gas for the first time in 2003. Exxon-Mobil and SODECO, a Japanese government company operating the Sakhalin I fields, have proposed a 3,000 km gas pipeline via Russia to Korea. The Sakhalin II fields are due to supply Japan, under a Royal Dutch/Shell-Mitsui-Mitsubishi venture, which recently agreed to invest $9 billion more in expansion of production capacity. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made special efforts to restore and upgrade the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR) and bring back Japanese and Korean cargo, which nearly disappeared when the IMF cut budget funds for infrastructure in the 1990s. Putin has been in Pyongyang twice to discuss joining the TSR to the Trans-Korean Railway. In August 2001, Kim Jong-il visited Moscow via the TSR, signing a $500 million deal for Russia to upgrade rail lines in North Korea. In late 2003, a large 100-man Russian rail engineering team spent several months in North Korea, surveying the North Korean rail lines between Russia and South Korea to begin the upgrade process. South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister Ban Ki-moon will visit Russia May 23-27 to arrange President Roh Moo-hyun's first visit to Moscow and discuss peaceful resolution of the nuclear crisis. He will meet Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, National Security Council Sergei Lavrov and Chairman of the Duma Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev. Roh was to visit Moscow in July; the impeachment debacle put that back a bit, but relations are on a fast track, and this summit is Roh's next priority trip. En route home, Ban visits Sergei Darkin, Governor of Siberia's eastern-most Primorski Province, to discuss economic cooperation. President Putin meanwhile plans a summit with the Japanese head of state as soon as possible, Russian Ambassador Alexander Losyukov announced May 20 in Tokyo. Losyukov, until recently a Vice Foreign Minister who headed the Russian delegation to the Six-Power Talks on North Korea, has made some of Moscow's strongest warnings on the danger of nuclear war in the region. His deployment to Tokyo at such a critical time is noteworthy.
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#11
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
North Korea isn't the only potential destination of a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) Deployment. Most WESTPAC deployments include the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. I've been on two WESTPAC's on the USS New Orleans(LPH13) and the USS Belleau Wood (LHA3) along with the Denver and Comstock mentioned in your post, one ended up in Somalia, the other in the Persian Gulf.
I don't expect the US to be making any provocative moves off N. Korea's coast anytime soon.
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#12
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Taiwan said they would take out any Chinese aircraft that crossed a (line?) last week, and if attacked launch on China in 5 minutes. They wanted to be sure they were attacked before they launched their attack on mainland China. I am sure I read that a few days ago. So if bush hits N. Korea I bet they get Taiwan. I would not bet much though.
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#13
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
Quote:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/fron.../27/2003157100 PREPAREDNESS: Minister of Defense Lee Jye said Taiwan is prepared to take action if Chinese military aircraft cross the center line of the Taiwan Strait By Jimmy Chuang STAFF REPORTER Thursday, May 27, 2004,Page 1 Advertising Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (§õ³Ç) said yesterday that Taiwan would launch a counterattack within five minutes of any strike by China on Taiwanese soil, including Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. He also threatened to shoot down Chinese military aircraft should they cross the "middle line" of the Taiwan Strait. "Whenever their aircraft or vessels are approaching the middle line, our aircraft and vessels will be standing by," Lee said. "Once they keep going east and enter our `hunting zone,' we will take care of them," he said. "However, peace remains across the Strait and no war is necessary." Lee was responding to questions from lawmakers about what the military would do if Chinese aircraft cross the middle line of the Taiwan Strait. Lee told the lawmakers the military would react in three to five minutes of the first bomb hitting the nation. "I would be the one to give that order. In the meantime, I would brief the president and the chief of the general staff, who would be the ones to carry out that order," Lee said. "We will definitely fight back." Minister of National Defense Lee Jye holds a map of the Taiwan Strait during a legislative question-and-answer session yesterday, confirming the location of the so-called ``middle line'' of the Taiwan Strait. According to Lee, the line was drawn by the US in 1951 in order to maintain peace and stability in the region. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUAN, TAIPEI TIMES When asked why it would take three to five minutes for Taiwan to fight back, Lee said, "We have to look before we leap." Lee also told lawmakers that the middle line runs from 23? north latitude, 119? east longitude to 27? north latitude, 123? east longitude, as defined by the US in 1951. "I have no idea whether the Chinese authorities realized the existence of such an area and asked their soldiers to follow certain procedures during their military activities. But, according to their movements in the past, I believe they did," Lee said. He added that the state of peace between China and Taiwan has not changed. According to Lee, China monitors how many of Taiwan's aircraft take off and land each day, just as Taiwan keeps tabs on China's forces. "There is an implied agreement and nobody wants to break that rule," he said. On US House representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Jim Ryun's proposal that Taiwan send troops to Iraq, Lee said the ministry does not have a plan to contribute militarily. He said any dispatch of Taiwanese troops would have to follow certain rules. According to Lee, military personnel sent overseas would have to be volunteers. Any dispatch of troops would not be allowed to interfere with domestic defense requirements. He added that maintaining peace is the only goal of Taiwan's military and that soldiers will not participate in attacking other countries. "The Legislative Yuan has the final authorization to decide whether this country sends its soldiers to fight in other countries," Lee said. This story has been viewed 2061 times.
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#14
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
I'd rather spend billions on defense than waste it on buying food stamps for crack families and those who are lazy and refuse to work. Cut the welfare system that liberals are so fond of and pour the money into defense and health/education. Spend money making sure we have the best and most lethal military (Give our men and women the best equipment and training) and spend it on helping the sick. Much better use of my money in my opinion....I hate seeing my cash going to support the welfare system and all of its wasteful projects.
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#15
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
IRAN LAUNCHES MAJOR NAVAL EXERCISE
http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2004/may/05_23_2.html It seems as if the entire world has scheduled major naval exercises all at about the same time, including Iran.... Is this normal? Its exercising, but for what purpose? Also see original post: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP! http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/....cgi?read=3454 And related post: FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (PART 1) http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/....cgi?read=3172 It appears that a major portion of Naval /Military resources are being deployed, reportedly to at least five different undisclosed locations. There are reportedly 18 British naval vessles, and Contingents from Canada, Dutch, French, Germany & Peru also involved in an exercise.. “A major exercise soon to be underway will have a large part of the Navy fleet deploying out of Norfolk.” (Watch the Video at this link!) http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1902088 British ships converging on Norfolk for war game “About 6,000 British Royal Navy sailors and Marines, along with 18 ships, are converging on Norfolk in preparation for one of the largest joint military exercises since 1996. “ http://www.dailypress.com/news/local...lines-virginia Canadians participate in major U.S.-British naval exercise off North Carolina (Dutch marines and French soldiers will take part, as well as a Peruvian submarine and contingents from Germany.) http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040529/w052976.html Norfolk carriers help demonstrate deployment capability The USS Enterprise and USS Truman are tapped to prove the Navy's ability to rapidly deploy forces. “The demonstration, the official said, is to help prove that the Navy can have up to eight of its 12 carriers under way.” http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-18...dlines-topnews "Big John" Prepares for Deployment “More than 7,000 sailors with the USS John F. Kennedy Strike Group are preparing to leave for the front lines in the War on Terror.” http://www.fox30online.com/news/loca...7-D43D724CC24D More Camp Pendleton Marines depart http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004..._295_27_04.txt Local soldiers awaiting deployment orders “About 3,600 people were alerted for deployment -- 2,600 from Idaho” http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/...ews/news01.txt Deployment takes those who don't expect it http://www.havredailynews.com/articl...deployment.txt Idaho National Guard Prepares for Deployment Video: http://www.kxly.com/common/getStory.asp?id=36731 500 Guardsmen placed on alert for deployment 1st Battalion headquartered in Greenwood http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/n...ws/508541.html Unit changes adding troops “What the "Unit of Action" means for the Army is still theoretical, but the concept is getting a real world test in the 3rd Infantry Division as it prepares for a second deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom this fall. On Wednesday, the division stood up the 4th Unit of Action, the first of the permanent brigade combat teams that top brass expect will become the norm for the Army.” http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...d=161952&rfi=6 McNeill sees need to keep troops ready “As of Wednesday, the Army had 145,401 reservists on active duty.” http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story....&Story=6373380 Mississippi Air National Guard's 186th Air Refueling Wing headed to Iraq http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...8793877.htm?1c Troops Ratchet Up Readiness “The entire 570-troop 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry — which includes soldiers from Winchester, Manassas, Leesburg, and Woodstock/Warrenton — will be granted three days leave this weekend for Memorial Day.” http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWin...Area_TROOp.asp More Minnesota Guard troops may be called to duty http://www.kstp.com/article/view/146032/ US military cadets told to prepare for war http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040529150253.myqw0vrc.html Army running low on its supply of bullets http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...NG356U1J21.DTL U.S. Army running short of ammunition http://washingtontimes.com/upi-break...4325-9131r.htm Known Deployed Vessels Continued. (17) USS George Washington is already deployed (18) the USS Enterprise and USS Harry S Truman will leave soon. (19) USS John F. Kennedy (20) USS John S. Stennis, and the USS Ronald Reagan - which left Norfolk on Thursday. (21) Cruiser Mobile Bay http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004..._265_26_04.txt (22) USS Abraham Lincoln going back to sea http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/...lincoln29.html Related: Relocation Plan of U.S. Military Bases to Be Announced Within Weeks http://english.donga.com/srv/service...=2004052932918 Target North Korea http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...641696967.html North Korea, South Korea Aim to Stop Navy Clashes, BBC Reports http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news...QbA&refer=asia North Korea 'closer than suspected to nuclear arms' Financial Times, UK - May 25, 2004 Evidence that North Korea supplied Libya with nuclear material in 2001 suggests the reclusive Pyongyang regime may be closer than Washington suspected Seoul strives to ease military tensions http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story....xrHCNKTyw5HBhK North Korea refutes report on uranium sale to Libya http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040529115632.a7c7bj7v.html N. Korea flirts with 'red line' http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0528/p07s01-woap.html South Korea preparing for Irbil deployment http://washingtontimes.com/upi-break...4149-2725r.htm Russia to stage exercise in airlifting troops to Far East in June http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=9705626 Russia launches military satellite http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/h...0405281805.htm US, Russia agree on joint action: Terrorists' access to N-material http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail....&f_type=source New Chinese Jets Superior, Eagle Loses to Flanker http://www.newsmax.com/archives/arti...6/154053.shtml Policy of destroying Russian submarine fleet http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/89/...submarine.html Defense Minister Ivanov denies Russian, US plan to use radar station http://www.azernews.net/view.php?d=4166 Russian Fleet Heading for Extinction — Convicted Admiral “The Russian military fleet will cease to exist by 2008” http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/05/25/fleet.shtml To ensure the peace, prepare for a war http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...641656083.html Defense Ministry mum on reported submarine sale “The Defense Ministry has refused to comment on a report that Israel is planning to purchase two more German-made diesel submarines” http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1085629669786 Israel stockpiling nuclear weapons http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publ...cle_2334.shtml Nuclear submarines worldwide—current force structure and future developments http://www.bellona.no/en/internation...els/34070.html Vanunu recalls about Zionist nuclear threat “Mordechai Vanunu -- the Israeli nuclear whistleblower, has been released after serving 18 years in prison. He was jailed for spilling the beans about Israel's nuclear weapons program back in 1986.” http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/article.php?id=2720 Erekat denies reports about Egypt's troops deployment on border http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_1494352.htm REGION: Army will be deployed to secure Afghan elections http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-5-2004_pg4_13 Japanese to sue gov't for sending troops to Iraq http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_1491132.htm Yesterday in parliament Press Association Friday May 28, 2004 Iraq troops Britain is to deploy an extra 370 troops in Iraq, bringing the total strength of the force to about 8,900, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, announced. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/commo...226855,00.html Grounded tankers, deployed Guard not likely to hurt firefighting http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandf...te/8794118.htm North Korea Operates Hacking Unit http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/2004...7193710160.htm North Korea hands over remains of U.S. troops http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew..._22/?hub=World "China advancing military, space capabilities" http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/h...0405292001.htm China Expands Military Buildup - Pentagon http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5291531 NATO chief to conduct military strategy reforms http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_1496844.htm NATO Secretary General visits aspirant countries http://www.noticias.info/Asp/aspComu...id=25202&src=0 Slovaks find bombs ahead of Nato meeting http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentSe...=1084907886683 NATO Expansion Raises Fears “(Oslo) Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov indicated that Russia and NATO plan this year to sign a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that would allow the former Cold War rivals to deploy military forces in each other’s territory.” http://dominionpaper.ca/weblog/2004/...ses_fears.html UN sidelined in choice of Iraqi leader http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story...227866,00.html UN continues Libya nuclear probe http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/new...ervice_id=2065 CIS Anti-Terrorist Center presentation in UN http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2004/05/28/54165.html On an aside: If TPTB were expecting a NEO strike or impact, with the Earth 75% water the probabilities would be 75% that an asteroid strike would impact a major body of water, the last place you would want your ships would be in port..... While I dont necessarily believe the DOOMSDAY scenarios presented below because at first glance the information below seems to coincide with the doomsday message but after going to the NASA website @ http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_s...=25143+Itokawa its easy to see that the 3 asteroids which are supposed to kill us all are in fact very far away from earth. Towards the bottom of the site (SEARCH FOR ANOTHER OBJECT search box) it allows you to type in the Asteroid numbers your looking for and it will give you its orbit along with pictures of the Earth and how far away it is from Earth. Typing in the decoded Asteroid numbers (199, 005, 003) you can see for yourselves, if the data is correct that these asteroids pose no threat to Earth. Asteroid 25143 Itokawa (1998 SF36) NASA Orbit Simulation: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_...r=25143+Itokawa On June 27th Asteroid 25143 Itokawa is projected to enter the closest approach to Earth at a distance of .0129AU. 1 AU is 149,597,871 Kilometers, you do the math! Radar Observations of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa (1998 SF36). http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/~ostro/itokawa.html 2 additional following Near-Earth projected incoming objects (asteroids) expected to arrive in our solar area on: Time to Impact / Data Date / Incoming Velocity / Asteroid Radius / Density / Time of Arrival Asteroid No. 199 80 days 3-30-04 .887 L/h (222k mph) 993yds(d=1.13mile) 56lb/ft**3 6/18-20 12:34am Asteroid No. 005 83 days 3-30-04 .733 L/h (183k mph) 447yds(d=.51mile) 34lb/ft**3 6/24-25 5:51am Asteroid No. 003 (Itokawa) 84 days 3-30-04 .735 L/h (184k mph) 693m(d=.79mile) 72lb/ft**3 6/26-27 10:37am FIRST IMPACT JUNE 18TH - 20TH!!! http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/...ames;read=2742 NOTED AND WARNED VS AUSSIE BLOKE http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.net/...ames;read=2719 COMETS MAKE RARE JOINT APPEARANCE Comets make rare joint appearance (The Australian) By Chris Herde May 19, 2004 STARGAZERS have been witnessing a rare cosmic event this month with two comets appearing in the sky together. "But to actually get two at the same time is a really rare event. "Looking through the records to date I have not found anything where there has been two in the sky together. "So to be that close together and observable is really quite amazing." http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...E29098,00.html Here is another link about the world getting darker (global dimming) that mirrors the one in aussie bloaks post. http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/featu...108853,00.html apparently scientist dont understand what is going on and most choose to ignore the data, how suprising... "It's also possible that global dimming is not entirely down to air pollution. "I don't think that aerosols by themselves would be able to produce this amount of global dimming," so since they dont know what it is and they dont think it is all pollution, aussie bloaks explanation makes the most sense. EDIT: heres the link from aussie bloaks post http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2566165
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#16
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
I'm glad BB included the asteroid info in the above post because I really never gave the idea much thought.
The following is an interesting article about an asteroid which approached within 26,000 miles from the earth just 12 days ago, the closet observed asteroid approach on record. Interestingly, the article states that they know many others have similar close orbits but go undetected. Going to the various NASA and Observatory sites gives a glimpse of just how common this sort of thing is. The article below says this sort of thing happens every 2 to 3 years as best they know. They also concede that 50% of NEO's go undetected or are discovered then 'lost'. Lastly, the May 18, 2004 near miss was not even discovered until literally days before it's pass. They expect an impact every couple of decades. Nearest Asteroid (2004 FH) Passes Within 50,000 km of Earth Back to Archive -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article Posted: March 23, 2004 By: David Morrison Newly discovered asteroid 2004 FH, estimated at 30 m diameter, made the closest asteroid flyby of Earth ever recorded on March 18, at 43,000 km above the Earth's surface. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following is a news announcement from the NASA/JPL NEO Program Office plus two newspaper stories dealing with the close pass of asteroid 2004 FH. This event is another tangible indication of the success of LINEAR program and of the Spaceguard Survey. Asteroids this size have been coming this close roughly once every 2 years, and one hits the Earth every few decades, but for the first time we are now able to detect some of these small visitors. Perhaps this information will help us to develop a better sense of our cosmic environment, where space rocks go sailing past the Earth at high speed every day. Many reporters have asked what would be the consequences if this asteroid had hit the Earth. This is difficult to answer, since its nominal size of 30 m lies near the lower limit for penetration of the atmosphere. A variety of models have been calculated for the effects of the atmosphere on incoming projectiles, and these were reviewed for the recent NASA Science Definition Team (SDT) report on sub-kilometer asteroids. The Tunguska impactor was a stony (asteroidal) object about 60 m in diameter. While it was significantly decelerated in the atmosphere, it still produced a very destructive explosion of about 10 megaton energy when it disintegrated at an altitude of 6-8 km. In contrast, the energy of a 30 m stony asteroid at the same speed is about 1 megaton. The studies reviewed by the SDT indicated that, for a fixed composition and entry speed, the damage falls off very rapidly for sizes smaller than Tunguska, going to zero for energies below about 2 megatons. The drop-off is so fast toward smaller sizes because two effects add: the energy is smaller and the explosion takes place at higher altitude. If severe ground damage is defined by a blast overpressure of 4 psi (pounds per square inch), then Al Harris notes: What is happening is that at 3 MT, the overpressure falls under 4 psi at a distance of around 15 km from the blast center, and the blast center is around 10 km or so up, so the intersection with the ground is around 100 sq. km. If you drop the size to 1 MT, the numbers are reversed: the blast is around 15 km up and the radius out to 4 psi overpressure is around 10 km, so nothing happens on the ground, even right below it. The diameter for this 2-3 megaton limiting case is near 40 m with the proviso that some local damage might be done to poorly built structures even below 4 psi pressure. The larger source of uncertainty is the nature of the projectile itself. Penetration and explosive energy will differ significantly depending on the density and composition of the asteroid, with a rare iron object even making it to the surface and forming a small crater. In addition, the astronomers do not measure the actual diameter of the asteroid, but rather its apparent brightness. The diameter is inferred from the brightness based on an assumed reflectivity or albedo. Thus, even if we felt confident that a 30 m diameter stony asteroid would do no harm, it does not follow that we can be sure that asteroids 2004 FH would not be dangerous. Statistically, such asteroids do not constitute a significant threat, but that does not mean that we can ignore the possible danger posed by a poorly characterized object for which we have measured only its brightness. David Morrison ================================================ RECENTLY DISCOVERED NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID MAKES RECORD-BREAKING APPROACH TO EARTH Steven R. Chesley Paul W. Chodas NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office Wednesday, March 17, 2004 A small near-Earth asteroid (NEA), discovered Monday night by the NASA-funded LINEAR asteroid survey, will make the closest approach to Earth ever recorded. There is no danger of a collision with the Earth during this encounter. The object, designated 2004 FH, is roughly 30 meters (100 feet) in diameter and will pass just 43,000 km (26,500 miles, or about 3.4 Earth diameters) above the Earth's surface on March 18th at 5:08 PM EST (2:08 PM PST, 22:08 UTC). On average, objects about the size of 2004 FH pass within this distance roughly once every two years, but most of these small objects pass undetected. This particular close approach is unusual only in the sense that scientists know about it. The fact that an object as small as asteroid 2004 FH has been discovered now is mostly a matter of perseverance by the LINEAR team, who are funded by NASA to search for larger kilometer-sized NEAs, but also routinely detect much smaller objects. Asteroid 2004 FH's point of closest approach with the Earth will be over the South Atlantic Ocean. Using a good pair of binoculars, the object will be bright enough to be seen during this close approach from areas of Europe, Asia and most of the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists look forward to the flyby as it will provide them an unprecedented opportunity to study a small NEA asteroid up close. ============================================ 100-FOOT ASTEROID TO MAKE CLOSEST-EVER EARTH FLY-BY TODAY: NO RISK POSED The Associated Press, 17 March 2004 SAN DIEGO - A 100-foot diameter asteroid will pass within 26,500 miles of Earth on Thursday, the closest-ever brush on record by a space rock, NASA astronomers said Wednesday. The asteroid's close flyby, first spied late Monday, poses no risk, NASA astronomers stressed. "It's a guaranteed miss," said astronomer Paul Chodas, of the near-Earth object office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The asteroid, 2004 FH, is expected to make its closest approach at 2:08 p.m. PST, streaking over the southern Atlantic Ocean. It should be visible through binoculars to stargazers across the southern hemisphere, as well as throughout Asia and Europe, said astronomer Steve Chesley, also of JPL. Professional astronomers around the globe scrambled Wednesday to prepare for the flyby, which could provide an unprecedented chance to get a close look at the asteroid, he added. The asteroid will pass within the moon's orbit. Similarly sized asteroids are believed to come as close to Earth on average once every two years, but have always escaped detection. "The important thing is not that it's happening, but that we detected it," Chesley said. Astronomers found the asteroid late Monday during a routine survey carried out with a pair of telescopes in New Mexico funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Follow-up observations on Tuesday allowed them to pinpoint its orbit. "It immediately became clear it would pass very close by the Earth," Chesley said. Astronomers have not ruled out that the asteroid and our planet could meet again sometime in the future. If the two were to collide, the asteroid likely would disintegrate in the atmosphere, Chesley said. ================================= SMALL ASTEROID BYPASSES EARTH BY JUST 26,500 MILES Guy Gugliotta The Washington Post, 19 March 2004 WASHINGTON A 100-foot-wide space rock yesterday missed Earth by only 26,500 miles, the closest asteroid ever detected by astronomers before it actually made its approach. The harmless flyby occurred at 2:08 p.m. Pacific time. "We figure that on average something this size hits the Earth every two to three years," said astronomer Paul Chodas, of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program. "We've never detected them out in space, either approaching or receding. This is the closest." Chodas said astronomers from the Minor Planet Center, in Cambridge, Mass., registered the asteroid, which was detected by telescopes in New Mexico late Monday, and gave it the designation 2004 FH. It was visible through binoculars in the Southern Hemisphere as well as throughout Asia and Europe, said astronomer Steve Chesley, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Chodas described 2004 FH's detection as "almost an inevitable result" of the NASA sponsored Spaceguard Survey Program, a 10-year effort begun in 1998 to monitor and map space objects that come within 120 million miles of the sun. Earth is 93 million miles from the sun. Astronomers have found 2,653 objects to date. Yesterday's space rock qualified as a "small asteroid," Chodas said, and simply would have burned up albeit spectacularly if it had entered the atmosphere. Of far greater interest are asteroids one-half mile in diameter or larger, and NASA has catalogued 693 of these, which Chodas reckoned to be 60 to 70 percent of the 1,200 total. "Anything 40 or 50 meters (130 feet to 165 feet) or larger will probably make it to the (Earth's) surface," Chodas said. "Something smaller will break up." Perhaps Earth's most famous recent encounter with a space rock occurred in 1908, when a comet or asteroid estimated between 200 and 300 feet [should be an asteroid about 200 feet -- DM] in diameter exploded five miles above ground near Tunguska, in Russian Siberia, with the force of a 40-megaton bomb [should be smaller, probably 10-15 megaton DM], incinerating [should be toppling or flattening DM] the forest for 25 miles around. "We think something like this may happen once every 500 years," Chodas said. The Near Earth Object Program seeks to detect such dangers years before they approach Earth, so something can be done. Meteor showers, by contrast, normally feature baseball-sized or pea-sized objects, Chodas said.
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#17
05-30-2004
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Re: THE WAR MACHINE IS CRANKING UP???
U.S., British forces meet for joint exercises
About 6,000 British Royal Navy sailors and Marines, along with 18 ships, are converging on Norfolk in preparation for one of the largest joint military exercises since 1996. Called Exercise Blinding Storm by the United States and Exercise Rapid Alliance by the United Kingdom, the training will involve about 30,000 troops from seven nations in exercises off and on the coast of North Carolina. Dutch marines and French soldiers will take part, as well as a Peruvian submarine and contingents from Germany and Canada. The flotilla is expected to set sail Tuesday, with the two-week exercise scheduled to begin June 10. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld...al/8797381.htm Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Missile http://www.newsday.com/news/nationwo...orld-headlines Published: May 26, 2004 The Financial Times: Venezuela Seeks Arms Edge Over Colombia By Andy Webb-Vidal in Caracas Venezuela has embarked on a weapons procurement programme to gain the advantage in its military balance with neighbouring Colombia, edging the two countries towards an arms race. General Jorge Garca Carneiro, Venezuela's defence minister, said on Monday he would unveil, in the next few days, an "integral national defence plan", including a strengthening of "operational capability". But according to defence industry sources, President Hugo Chávez has in recent weeks initiated closely guarded plans to buy military equipment from suppliers in Europe and the Middle East. Four European companies - Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK - are competing in a tender for 200 armoured and tactical vehicles, in a deal estimated to be worth about $80m. A delivery of missiles, of unspecified type, is due to be flown into Venezuela from Israel next week, according to documentation seen by the Financial Times. http://www.vheadline.com/printer_news.asp?id=21352
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