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[Northern Flash]

Bill Clinton: 'Embrace' Keystone

Bill Clinton: 'Embrace' Keystone - Bill Clinton - Fox Nation

Bill Clinton on Keystone XL pipeline: 'Embrace' it - POLITICO.com

The left loves and supports slick Willy on most every topic, but they'll push him out to sea on this one.

[Toby]

Pentagon pulls the plug on airborne missile defense system

LOS ANGELES — Work has ended on a futuristic airborne missile defense system built mostly in Southern California after more than 15 years of development and $5 billion in federal funding.

In what was once considered the stuff of science fiction, the airborne laser program involved a Boeing 747 jumbo jet equipped with an advanced tracking system and a massive laser gun on its nose to identify and obliterate enemy missiles as they blast off.

Read more here: Pentagon pulls the plug on airborne missile defense system | McClatchy

[Toby]

U.S. slams Syria over U.N. rights meeting walkout

GENEVA — The United States criticized Syria’s envoy for storming out of an emergency U.N. meeting on the crisis in his country Tuesday, saying the walkout and a fiery speech that preceded it demonstrated the “delusional” nature of President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Fayssal al-Hamwi, accused members of the U.N. Human Rights Council of promoting terrorism and prolonging the crisis in his country by holding an urgent meeting on Syria.

U.S. slams Syria over U.N. rights meeting walkout - Washington Times

[Toby]

Carney: Apology to Karzai ‘Not Appropriate’ for Reporters to See

The PJ Tatler » Carney: Apology to Karzai ‘Not Appropriate’ for Reporters to See

Must be more of that transparency that was promised

[Toby]

Whistleblower exposes Obama junk science

Against intense local opposition, the Obama administration wants to demolish three dams on the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, California. Low-cost clean hydroelectricity as well as water for irrigation would be lost if the dams were removed. Removal of the dams would also cause chaos for ranchers, homeowners, and small business who live and work in the downstream of the dams. Despite this, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has been trying to force dam removal for the supposed benefit of some salmon and steelhead spawning habitat.

Now, Prof. Paul R. Houser of George Mason University alleges that the administration's plan is all based on junk science. In his role as science advisor to the Bureau of Reclamation, he was closely involved in the project. He has filed a formal complaint (PDF) alleging "intentional falsification" and "intentional . . . compromise of scientific and scholarly integrity." In particular, he says that, under orders from Ken Salazar, the department produced a "summary" report that "intentionally distorts and generally presents a biased view of the Klamath River dam removal benefits." In particular, he alleges:

The City Square: Whistleblower exposes Obama junk science

[Toby]

Ground assault looms in Homs district

Activists in Bab Amr report shelling and some clashes as troops and tanks close in around besieged neighbourhood.

Ground assault looms in Homs district - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

[Toby]

Al-Qaeda leader says U.S. defense cuts, talks with the Taliban signal weakness

Al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri said U.S. decisions to cut its defense budget and engage with the Afghan Taliban were signals of a decline in Washington’s power, in a message posted on the Internet on
Wednesday.

Zawahri, who took up the reins of Qaeda after the killing of Osama bin Laden last year, also said popular uprisings that have convulsed the Arab world since last year were overwhelmingly Islamist in motive.

“One of the latest signs of its shrinking (power) is the reduction in the U.S. Department of Defense's budget,” said Zawahri in the 24-minute audio recording posted on Islamist websites, adding “military arrogance” had brought it nothing but losses.

Al-Qaeda leader says U.S. defense cuts, talks with the Taliban signal weakness

“The biggest factor that forced America to reduce its defense budget is Allah’s help to the mujahideen to harm the evil empire of our time,” he said, referring to those who fight holy war.

[Toby]

Philippines builds anti-China muscle

Asia Times Online :: Philippines builds anti-China muscle

[Toby]

Barack Obama Promises to Veto Bill That Will Provide Water To Central California Drought Region

Awful… Barack Obama Promises to Veto Bill That Will Provide Water To Central California Drought Region | The Gateway Pundit

[Toby]

French election: Hollande wants 75% tax on top earnersComments

The Socialist favourite in France's presidential election, Francois Hollande, has said top earners should pay 75% of their income in tax.

BBC News - French election: Hollande wants 75% tax on top earners