Assad and Putin

Newscast Media MOSCOW— Russia condemns the ongoing violence in Syria but is against outside interference, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“We certainly condemn all violence wherever it comes from. However, you cannot act like a bull in a china shop,” he said.

At least 5,400 people have been killed in the Syrian government’s 11-month crackdown on protesters, according to the UN. Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs affiliated with al-Qaeda and say more than 2,000 soldiers and police have been killed.

Other countries may help and advise Syria “but not interfere under any circumstances,” he said. “The [Syrian] people must decide their future themselves.”

Russia is concerned by “a cult of violence” that has been taking center stage in international affairs over the past decade.

“We should not let anything like this happen in this country,” he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier in the day called on the Arab world, the United States and Europe to refrain from passing judgment on the national dialogue in Syria that Moscow had pledged to assist.

Meanwhile, White House Spokesman Jay Carney said Russia “must realize that betting everything on Assad is a recipe for failure – not just for Russia’s interests in Syria, but for the stability of the region and for Syria’s future.”

Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria that calls on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. Thirteen of the council’s 15 members voted in favor of the resolution aimed to stop the violence in Syria. The West has been trying to persuade Moscow to support a resolution effectively
authorizing a military operation but Russia has repeatedly insisted that the Western drive for a stronger crackdown on Syria is preparation for a “Libyan scenario.”

Russia, one of President al-Assad’s firm supporters during the uprising against his regime, indicated earlier this week that it would veto the draft resolution calling on Assad to step down. Moscow has proposed its own draft, which the West criticized as being too soft. http://newscastmedia.com/syria3.html

Source: RIA Novosti

Justice

Newscast Media DENVER, Colo. — The judge in this case has ordered the defendant Ms. Fricosu, as follows: “…That on or before February 21, 2012, defendant, SHALL PROVIDE counsel for the government in this case with an unencrypted copy of the hard drive…” The problem faced by the defendant is that if she does not comply with the judge’s order, she could be charged with contempt, which in turn guarantees a jail sentence and/or a fine.

If on the other hand she complies and reveals the contents on the harddrive, there could be incriminating evidence that she obviously would not want the government to discover. However, she still has an opening. The judge has guaranteed her immunity in writing, and assured her that any of the information extracted from her laptop will not be used against her.

Yet the question that arises is, if she has guaranteed immunity, why doesn’t she give the feds what they want and free herself from this legal battle? Is there information on the laptop that might incriminate someone close to her? Is she protecting someone? Personally, I cannot answer those questions. Only Ms. Fricosu can do so. The truth dwells within her.

As I mentioned earlier, the government too could be challenged by an attorney who is knowledgeable. According to the judge’s order, two warrants were issued: One was for the search of her home, the second was to search her laptop. However, the government introduced a recorded telephone conversation into evidence, upon which the judge relied to order the defendant to provide a decrypted harrdrive. The manner in which the evidence was obtained could be challenged.

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-9-303(1) allows the recording of a conversation in Colorado, by either a “sender or intended receiver” of a telephone communication. In this instant case, the government was neither the sender, nor the intended receiver of the phone conversation, therefore an attorney could argue that it appears, they obtained this crucial piece of evidence through trickery and introduced it into evidence. One might say in defense of the plaintiff, that the government could use the powers of the “Warrantless Surveillance Program” to listen to their conversations.

The problem with that argument is that Ms. Fricosu is not a suspected terrorist. Secondly, it would be in violation of the Constitution’s First and Fourth Amendments to introduce such evidence, since no warrant was issued to the FBI to seize those conversations on disc or tape, and introduce them into evidence.

Under the “Exclusionary Rule”, such evidence obtained through searches and seizures (unreasonable searches and seizures) in violation of the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, has been deemed inadmissible by the United States Supreme Court. See: “The burden of proving any evidence was untainted is on the government.” (Nardone v. United States, 308 U.S. 338, 341, 60 S. Ct. 266, 84 L. Ed. 307 (1939)).
“The evidence obtained here in violation of appellant’s Fourth Amendment rights, as well as any evidence derived therefrom, should have been suppressed.” (Alderman v. United States, 394 U.S. 165, 171, 89 S. Ct. 961, 22 L. Ed. 2d 176 (1969)).

In Miranda v. Arizona 384 U.S. 436, 491 (1966) the United States Supreme Court ruled: “Where rights secured by the U.S. Constitution are involved, there can be no rule-making or legislation which would abrogate them.”

As such, the court order that was issued with a February 21, deadline could be challenged, if the defendant’s rights were violated, because by law, such a court order would be void as stipulated below. 16 Am Jur 2d, Sections 157, 256 states: “Court orders which abrogate fundamental rights are null and void on their face ab initio (from inception).”

As a journalist, I have presented the potential dilemma that both parties will have to overcome. Failure for the defendant (Fricosu) to obey or challenge the court order could result in being charged with criminal contempt. As for the plaintiff (United States govt), it is elementary that allegations must be supported by facts. Failure to prove facts is fatal to the maintenance of this case. Click here to download or read the judge’s court order and legal arguments.

http://newscastmedia.com/contempt.html

Encrypted laptop

Newscast Media DENVER, Colorado — Federal Judge Blackburn of Denver, Colorado has ordered a woman to decrypt her laptop, and allow the government to access its contents. The defendant, Ms. Fricosu, invoked the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, in order not to reveal the password to the computer, as a safety measure to keep her from self-incrimination. She further said she has forgotten the password, therefore there was no way she can access the harddrive and retrieve the contents. If she does not comply, she could be held in contempt for refusing to obey the judge’s order.

Ms. Fricosu’s home was raided by the FBI with a search warrant, who proceeded to seize her computers including a laptop, but could not decrypt it. The government believes Fricosu has material on her computer that may be illegal, but have no way of proving their case unless she reveals the password, which she doesn’t seem to remember.

Unfortunately for Ms. Fricosu, when she was in jail talking to a co-defendant on the prison telephone, she neglected the fact that such conversations between suspected criminals are often recorded, since the government owns the prison system. In a conversation, she admitted that she knew the password, but was not going to reveal it to the feds, because she wanted be a wise-guy and make them sweat for it. A fragment of the conversation presented in court can be read below:

Ramona: Ookay (pause) uhm in a way I want them to find it.

Scott: Mm-hmm.

Ramona: And uhm because they will have to ask for my help uhm and in another way I don’t want them to find it, let them let them work for it.

Scott: Right.

Ramona: You know what I mean.

Scott: Right (pause) yeah, if it’s there, they, they will find it.

Ramona: Uhm, can they get past what they need to get past to get to it.

Scott:OK.

Ramona: And my lawyer said I’m not obligated by law to give them any passwords or anything they need to figure things out for themselves.

Known Unknowns:

Donald Rumsfeld, Former Secretary of Defense for George W. Bush is famous for coining this phrase in a speech on February 12, 2002: “There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—there are things we do not know, we do not know”

With this new information obtained from the conversation, the government ran back to the judge and introduced it as evidence, that the defendant was intentionally concealing the password to prevent them from accessing the “known unknowns” on Ms. Fricosu’s laptop. The judge then issued them a warrant to search the laptop.

In his ruling, Judge Blackburn said: “The Fifth Amendment provides that “[n]o person . . . shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself. . . The small universe of decisions dealing with the Fifth Amendment issues implicated by compelling a witness or defendant to provide a password to an encrypted computer or otherwise permit access to its unencrypted contents are instructive here.”

The judge realizes he has a problem, noting that under prevailing Supreme Court precedent, a defendant cannot be compelled to reveal the contents of his mind, the magistrate judge found that the act of producing the password was testimonial and, therefore, privileged. (Accord United States v. Kirschner, 2010 WL 1257355 at *3-4 (E.D. Mich. March 30, 2010)). On appeal of that decision, the grand jury revised its request to require the defendant to produce, not the password itself, but rather an unencrypted version of the Z drive.

In this case, because Ms. Fricosu invoked the Fifth Amendment, the judge could not compel her to produce the password, and just like the case above, in order to bypass this legal impediment, the very clever judge, orders her to provide the government with access to the laptop’s encrypted contents. Of course she would have to retrieve the password to access the harddrive.

The judge further opines: “Accordingly, I find and conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer. Moreover, the government has offered Ms. Fricosu immunity, precluding it from using her act of producing the unencrypted contents of the laptop computer against her.
THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED as follows:…That on or before February 21, 2012, defendant, SHALL PROVIDE counsel for the government in this case with an unencrypted copy of the hard drive of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer…That the government SHALL BE precluded from using Ms. Fricosu’s act of production of the unencrypted contents of the computer’s hard drive against her in any prosecution.”

Yet there are several holes that can be poked in the government’s case, by the defendant, if she has an attorney with a sharp eye. Before I proceed with this article, I wish to remind the readers that I am not an attorney, and simply have used my research background and investigative journalism skills to deconstruct this legal dilemma, therefore my analysis should not be misconstrued for legal advice.

Both the United States government and Ms. Fricosu have several legal hurdles to overcome, and upon my review of the facts that have so far been disclosed, it seems the government has a bigger problem than the defendant, and I will lay it out in great detail. Find out in Part II the legal dilemma that plagues this case>>

The ads also feature faces of famous Blacks on them, to make them more convincing, since Blacks are the most religious minority in America.

Ad by African Americans for Humanism

African Americans who question religion often feel rejected by religious family and friends, and by the greater black community,” said Debbie Goddard, director of AAH. “But there is a rich heritage of religious skepticism and humanism in black history. By featuring the historical faces as well as the modern in our ad campaign, we show people that questioning religion is not new and that there are many of us here.”

While it unclear who is funding this crusade to specifically target Blacks, it is obvious that the main purpose of these ads is to destablize the already-fragmented Black family by eroding its moral compass and values that sustain the family, and can only be derived through spirituality.

Ray Comfort, international evangelist and author of Hitler, God, and the Bible, as well as the anti-abortion short film “180,” claims that African-Americans are staying in churches not because of social pressures, but because they are “too smart” to accept the atheistic worldview.

In an article at WND, the author further asserts: “Atheistic evolution isn’t an intelligent belief, as atheists would have the black community believe, it’s a philosophy for the dumbest of the dumb, and it’s an insult to the black heritage to try and hoodwink them into believing that nothing created everything.” You may read the entire article here.

http://newscastmedia.com/atheist-agenda.html

Mortgage fraud

Newscast Media NEW YORK — Some of the nation’s largest banks were sued on Friday by New York’s Democratic Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, for deceit and fraud in using an electronic mortgage registry that he said puts homeowners at a disadvantage in foreclosures. The biggest culprit in this fraudulent scheme is Mortgage Electronic Registration System Inc. or MERS, that uses an electronic
registry to track mortgages without having to pay local county fees for registering Deeds of Trust when ownership changes hands.

Schneiderman said on, “The banks created the MERS system as an end-run around the property recording system, to facilitate the rapid securitization and sale of mortgages. Once the mortgages went sour, these same banks brought foreclosure proceedings en masse based on deceptive and fraudulent court submissions, seeking to take homes away from people, with little regard for basic legal requirements or the rule of law.”

Member banks like Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, who actually do not own these mortgages, but are only Servicers of securitized debt obligations, can then claim the right to foreclose on a property without disclosing the actual identity of the owner of the Deed or the Note, since the majority of mortgages issued between 2001-2008 were securitized and sold on the secondary market as derivatives. Schneiderman refused to negotiate a deal that lets banks off the hook after paying a soon-to-be-reached settlement, in which banks are expected to pay roughly $25 billion for fraudclosure. Instead, the New York Attorney General is fighting for homeowners in his state and holding these banks accountable.

MERS is owned by the company, MERSCORP, which in turn is owned by a group of Wall Street investment bankers. MERS is unregistered and unlicensed to conduct mortgage lending or any other type of business in any state and has been knowingly and intentionally, illegally and fraudulently recording mortgages and conducting business in the U.S. on a large scale and systematic fashion.

MERS often splits the Note from the Deed in violation of Carpenter v. Longan, creating an unsecured debt obligation, because one entity holds the Note, while MERS holds the Deed of Trust even though MERS is not a creditor nor does its name appear on the Notes secured by such Deeds. When the Note is bifurcated from the Deed, it means the lien was never perfected, therefore neither the holder of the Note nor the holder of the Deed can foreclose on a homeowner. The reason is: A person holding only the Note lacks the power to enforce it, and a person holding only a Deed of Trust suffers no default because only the holder of the debt obligation is entitled to payment on it.

By suing for “fraud and deceit” the New York Attorney General has put MERS and the bankers in a very difficult place because by law the Supreme Court has ruled that: “Fraud vitiates everything” (Boyce’s Executors v. Grundy); also “Fraud vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents and even judgments,” (in United States v. Throckmorton). This means that all the contracts that have MERS on them become nullified by law, if there was fraud involved as the NY Attorney General alleges in his lawsuit. Any previous judgments against homeowners who were also victims of the fraudulent scheme by MERS and the banks are also nullified and void by law, as stated below:

37 Am Jur 2d at section 8 states: “Fraud vitiates every transaction and all contracts. Indeed, the principle is often stated, in broad and sweeping language, that fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters, and that it vitiates the most solemn Contracts, Documents, and even Judgments.”

If a document, contract or judgment is deemed fraudulent and void, no court in America is bound to honor such a judgment or contract, hence it releases the one who was defrauded from any further obligation, because the law permits the judge to declare such contracts and judgments from previous courts void. See below:

“A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby. NO ONE is bound to obey an unconstitutional law, and NO COURTS are bound to enforce it. (Sixteenth American Jurisprudence Second Edition, 1998 version, Section 203 (formerly Section 256)).

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Joseph Earnest is not an attorney and does not offer legal advice. The information in this article is a result of his extensive two-year research and investigation, and is not meant as a substitute for seeking legal advice from an attorney.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/electronic-mortgage-fraud.html

Vladmir Putin

Newscast Media MOSCOW, Russia — In a documentary aired by Russian state television on the eve of a global security conference in Munich, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reiterated his confidence that U.S. missile shield plans were aimed at undermining Russia’s defense capabilities.

“Today, neither Iran, nor North Korea poses a threat… Today, it’s missile defense that is certainly aimed at neutralizing Russia’s nuclear missile potential,” Putin said in the documentary, entitled “Cold Politics,” which was aired by the First Channel late on Thursday.

Radars to be installed near Russia’s western borders as part of the NATO missile defense system would shield the entire territory of European Russia, Putin said. Yet Washington officials “do not want to provide any guarantees” that their missile plans are not directed against Russia, he added.

Moscow is seeking written, legally binding guarantees that the NATO missile shield will not target Russia. Washington, however, refuses to provide the guarantees, saying the shield is intended to defend NATO members against missiles from North Korea and Iran.

In the documentary, Putin also noted that the United States was the only country to use nuclear weapons, referring to the 1945 bombing of Japan.

“We cannot forget this, and we will always react to threats that would emerge near our borders,” Putin said.

In an apparent reference to Iran, he also criticized what he described as calls by some members of the UN Security Council for “intervention and regime change in some countries” which they believe may obtain “weapons of mass destruction.”

“It seems to me that our partners are looking for vassals, not allies. They want to govern. But Russia cannot come into line with this,” he said.

Putin’s comments were aired on the eve of the 48th Munich Security Conference, in which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will take part along with dozens of top officials and security experts from around the world.

Ahead of the conference, which runs from February 3 to 5, its chairman Wolfgang Ischinger expressed hope that it would help Russia and its Western partners reach a compromise on the missile defense issue “so that the cooperation with Russia can move forward at the NATO summit in May in Chicago.”

http://www.newscastmedia.com/putin.html

SEC

Newscast Media WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged four former veteran investment bankers and traders at Credit Suisse Group for engaging in a complex scheme to fraudulently overstate the prices of $3 billion in subprime bonds during the height of the subprime credit crisis.

The SEC alleges that Credit Suisse’s former global head of structured credit trading Kareem Serageldin and former head of hedge trading David Higgs along with two mortgage bond traders deliberately ignored specific market information showing a sharp decline in the price of subprime bonds under the control of their group. They instead priced them in a way that allowed Credit Suisse to achieve fictional profits.

Serageldin and Higgs periodically directed the traders to change the bond prices in order to hit daily and monthly profit targets, cover up losses in other trading books, and send a message to senior management about their group’s profitability. The SEC alleges that the mispricing scheme was driven in part by these investment bankers’ desire for lavish year-end bonuses and, in the case of Serageldin, a promotion into the senior-most echelon of Credit Suisse’s investment banking unit.

“The stunning scale of the illegal mismarking in this case was surpassed only by the greed of the senior bankers behind the scheme,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “At precisely the moment investors and market participants were urgently seeking accurate information about financial institutions’ exposure to the subprime market, the senior bankers falsely and selfishly inflated the value of more than $3 billion in asset-backed securities in order to protect their bonuses and, in one case, protect a highly coveted promotion.”

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Serageldin oversaw a significant portion of Credit Suisse’s structured products and mortgage-related businesses. The traders reported to Higgs and Serageldin. As the subprime credit crisis accelerated in late 2007 and 2008, Serageldin frequently communicated to Higgs the specific profit & loss (P&L) outcome he wanted. Higgs in turn directed the traders to mark the book in a manner that would achieve the desired P&L. However, under the relevant accounting principles and Credit Suisse policy, the group was required to record the prices of these bonds to accurately reflect their fair value. Proper pricing would have reflected that Credit Suisse was incurring significant losses as the subprime market collapsed.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Staff Accountant Kenneth Gottlieb, Senior Counsel Kristine Zaleskas, Senior Specialized Examiner Michael Fioribello, Assistant Regional Director Michael Paley, and Assistant Regional Director Michael Osnato, Jr. in the SEC’s New York Regional Office. Senior Trial Counsel Howard Fischer will lead the SEC’s litigation efforts.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/bond-pricing.html

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas. — After winning the Florida primary, February looks good for Mitt Romney who is favored to win Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Maine, and Arizona, this month. Gingrich faced a crushing defeat in Florida with Romney winning by 46.4 percent to 31.9 percent. Gingrich still hasn’t recovered from the loss and is running out of money. He also doesn’t appear on Missouri and Virginia ballots, an advantage the well-organized Romney campaign has over him.

“It’s a disaster for him,” said Larry J. Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. “This sends yet another signal to Republicans that Gingrich is not able to organize. Lack of organization suggests you’re not a serious candidate.”

Romney has had four years in which to prepare for this election cycle while Gingrich doesn’t seem to have a solid ground game. There won’t be any more debates until March 1, for Gingrich to sell his message, and the last two debates that are still on voters’ minds are the ones in which Romney excelled.

At this point in the game, Romney has reached the point of no return. He is favored to win the GOP nomination, and face Barack Obama in the general. Four years ago, Romney experimented with running for the presidency. This time around, the specimen has walked outside the laboratory, and cannot be stopped by the very scientists (Republicans) who created it.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/barack-mitt.html

Classroom

Newscast Media TAMPA, Fla. — Two pieces of legislation proposed in Lee County, Fla., might give parents the power to review and fire under-performing school staff, while teachers will have to grade how parents are doing too.

The Parent Empowerment Act, also known as House Bill 1191, would allow parents to analyze how the school staff, including teachers and administrators are doing, and create a reform plan which, with enough signatures, can remove teachers and administrators from their position and move their children into virtual classrooms if their teacher has a low rating. The bill would even give parents the power to turn the school over to a charter company, Wink News reported.

“This isn’t about empowering parents,” Legislative Chair for the Florida PTA Mindy Gould told The Miami Herald. “This is about handing over the neighborhood school to a private, for-profit corporation.”

Under-performing schools will also have to enact some big changes in order to meet the new demands and turn their success rate around. Some of their options include replacing the principal and finding ways to generate resources for the school, or find a private management company or a charter school operator to take over.

The Parental Involvement and Accountability in the Public Schools Bill, on the other hand, places parents under review by requiring elementary school teachers to grade them based on communication, absentee and tardy rates, submission of emergency contact information and submission of medical records. The grades reportedly will be marked as “satisfactory,” “needs improvement,” or “unsatisfactory.”

Both bills are causing controversy, with some accusing them of being counterproductive and simply getting in the way of parents and teachers.

“They are not the parent police to take care of what parents are doing, and parents shouldn’t be able to shut down a school either with 51 percent signing a petition,” said Donna Mutzenard Island Coast Florida Education Association Executive Director.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/florida-legislation.html

Newscast Media DAMASCUS, Syria—Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov says a Western-backed UN Security Council resolution on Syria will pave the way for a “civil war” in the Arab country. Gatilov told Russian media on Tuesday that a draft resolution on Syria “will not help in the search for a compromise” if it is approved.

“Pushing it through is the path towards civil war,” Gatilov added.

On January 27, the UN Security Council met to consider the draft, which was presented to the UN body by Morocco and supports an Arab League plan that calls on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign and hand over power to a deputy to form a national unity government “with the opposition within two months.”

The United States, the United Kingdom and France have supported the new Arab League plan. Gatilov had earlier said Moscow would “not support any measure which orders Assad to leave office.”

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said in a statement issued on January 28 that the organization had decided to “immediately stop the work of the Arab League’s mission to Syria” due to “the critical deterioration of the situation” in the country.The observer mission had been in Syria since December 26, 2011 and was tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Arab League resolution to end the unrest in the country.

The Syrian government said on Saturday Damascus “regrets the decision taken by Arabi to suspend the observer mission” and that the decision called for “foreign intervention” and encouraged “armed groups to increase violence.”

This is not the first time Russia opposes measures against the Syrian government. On January 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was strongly against the imposition of any sanctions against Damascus or the deployment of foreign troops in Syria. Lavrov made the remarks after the European Union planned new sanctions against Syria on the same day. Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011, with demonstrations being held both against and in favor of President Assad.

Damascus says “outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” are responsible for the unrest, which it says is being orchestrated from abroad. On January 11, Assad joined thousands of government supporters in the capital Damascus and said Syria will “undoubtedly triumph over foreign conspiracies.”

Source: Press TV

http://www.newscastmedia.com/syria2.html

Lamborghini - Houston Auto Show

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas –For almost three decades, the Houston Auto Show has brought the automotive world to Texas, allowing consumers to see, touch, drive and experience the industry’s latest and greatest offerings. Over 37 manufacturers were on display at this year’s show, including Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, MINI, Nissan and Scion.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER PHOTO GALLERY>>

Click To View Photo Gallery of Auto Show>>

For almost three decades, the Houston Auto Show has brought the automotive world to Texas, allowing consumers to see, touch, drive and experience the industry’s latest and greatest offerings. Over 37 manufacturers were on display at this year’s show, including Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus,
Lincoln, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, MINI, Nissan and Scion.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/auto-show.html

Mitt Romney

Newscast Media TAMPA, Fla. — After Thursday’s favorable debate performance, Gov. Mitt Romney now has his eyes locked on the Sunshine State, as he seeks to close the deal on the Jan. 31 Florida primary. Earlier in the week, it seemed that Gingrich had overtaken Romney but by Wednesday, the alternative media did something the mainstream media could not do –they stopped the Gingrich train in its tracks.

The barrage of revelations about Gingrich’s past and his dealings with fellow Republicans flooded the Internet, as article after article went viral. By the time Thursday rolled around, Romney was ahead in the polls and is now attempting to sustain the newly-found momentum.

Gingrich supporters argue that he embodies conservative values and rave about his debating skills. Romney supporters, on the other hand, believe he is just as strong, has less baggage and has a solid business background to restore America’s economy. Ultimately the choice voters have is either between a strong debater, or a strong businessman to run in the general.

During the High Renaissance, one artist emerged who transformed the arts by fusing architecture, painting and sculpture into a beautiful whole, and is responsible for Rome’s current appearance. That artist is GianLorenzo Bernini. He was offered a commission by Pope Innocent X to build the Fountain of Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, Rome.

The fountain is considered Rome’s most beautiful, but in order to build it, the tax on bread had to be raised to replenish the Vatican’s treasury. When the taxes were raised, so were the prices of bread, which displeased many Roman citizens.

An infuriated poet of the day wrote to Pope Innocent X and said: “Command those stones to turn to bread!”

Romans were more concerned about putting bread on the table than having their city adorned with marble statues.

Likewise, in the general, when voters enter the voting booths, they will be more concerned about being able to put bread on the table, than which of the two presidential candidates, Democrat or Republican, is a master debater.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/closing-florida.html

Russian parliament

by Alexey Eremenko

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — A bill introducing life sentences and mandatory chemical castration for pedophiles passed the crucial second reading in the State Duma on Friday. The draft bill, which tightens punishment for most kinds of sex crimes against minors, was introduced by the Kremlin in October and generated much debate and revision before the Friday reading.

The most widely discussed innovation is chemical castration, introduced in Russia for the first time. The bill in its current form only speaks about “mandatory medical treatment” without elaborating, but officials who worked on the draft said it includes both chemical castration and psychiatric drug treatment.

Mandatory castration will be one possible punishment for molesters who abuse children under 14, the Kremlin envoy to the parliament’s lower chamber Garri Minkh, said. Judges will have to consult with medical professionals before giving out this punishment, he added.

Convicts in other types of sex crimes involving minors will have the option of voluntarily seeking chemical castration when pleading for parole, the bill said. Dodging “mandatory medical treatment” after release on parole will be punishable with one year in jail.

The Duma also introduced life sentence as the maximum penalty for gang raping a minor, currently punishable with four to 10 years behind bars. The bill has to pass one more hearing and gain approval by the Federation Council, the parliament’s upper chamber, before being signed into law by President Dmitry Medvedev. The date for the third hearing was not set on Friday.

Ombudsman for Children Pavel Astakhov said in 2010 that 98 percent of convicted pedophiles commit new sex crimes upon release but for those who undergo chemical castration the figure is only 3 percent. He also spoke, prior to the Kremlin bill’s introduction in the Duma, about a “pedophile lobby” stalling legislation on the matter in the parliament but never named any names.

Countries that currently practice chemical castration for child molesters include Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland and South Korea, as well as several U.S. states, most notably Florida and California. But several human rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have protested its use over dire health side effects.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/pedophiles.html

GOP's final four

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — Thursday’s debate was the candidates’ last chance to appeal to Florida voters, with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer as the moderator. Blitzer did get some boos when he ventured into the private lives of the candidates, who at some point unanimously agreed that the moderator needed to ask questions of substance rather than waste time with questions of no value to the voters. The audience seemed to lean toward Mitt Romney as he and Gingrich went back and forth about their finances.

However, Rick Santorum was able to shine above the rest when it came to the issue about the United States Constitution. Santorum spoke the way a man who lives outside the Matrix would speak. Just as I have always told my readers, Santorum repeated verbatim the same definition and purpose of the Constitution, I have always attempted to articulate. He stressed that it is not the Constitution that gives us our rights.

“The purpose of the constitution is to protect our God-given rights. Our rights are endowed to us by God the creator. We are the only country in the world whose God-given rights are protected,” Santorum said. He also reminded the viewers that if our rights came from the State, then they could be taken away from us.

At the end of the debate, all candidates were then asked to explain why each thought he was the most likely to beat Obama.

Ron Paul said his message was one of freedom and ending wars. “The freedom message and constitution is appealing to people of all beliefs. A constitutional foreign policy will end the wars,” Paul said.

As for Mitt Romney, he talked more about his experience in the private sector and how he was intent on reducing government while growing the economy. “This is a critical time, not an average election. Our economy is becoming weaker, government is getting bigger. Scale back the size of government. You are gonna have to bring someone who has been on the outside. I will use the experience of my life to get America right, and that experience is what will beat Obama,” Romney argued.

Newt Gingrich said he was concerned about the future generations. “I’m running for my two grandchildren: Maggie and Robert. I believe if we have a big election, it will be an American campaign [of people] who prefer a paycheck to food stamps; who prefer the Constitution to Saul Alinsky.”

Santorum said, “I wasn’t for the Wall Street bailouts like these two have been,” referring to Romney and Gingrich. “The centerpoint of my campaign is to win the industrial heart and the Reagan Democrats, and govern with the mandate that I just talked about,” he added.

Whoever wins Florida, walks away with all 50 delegates.
http://www.newscastmedia.com/florida.html

In a Twitter message, Anonymous Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack:
“haaretz.co.il Tango Down : )”. The hackers promised to continue the attack on Israeli websites and in fact, several hours later, the website of Israel Hayom newspaper was also paralyzed, with the hackers tweeting a similar message, “israelhayom.co.il tango down!”

Also on Wednesday, the website of the Israel Festival was brought down. Pro-Palestinian hackers wrote “Free Palestine” in several parts of the site, and featured an image of the Israeli and American flag burning.

Israeli hackers have launched some counter attacks, though the Israeli government has asked them to show restraint. http://www.newscastmedia.com/haaretz.html

Syrian protests

by Marc Bennetts

Newscast Media MOSCOW — Moscow would agree to host talks between the Syrian authorities and opposition forces in a bid to end the violence the United Nations says has so far claimed the lives of over 5,000 people, Russia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

“As concerns the venue [for talks], we would welcome any choice agreeable to all sides,” Sergei Lavrov said. “If the opposition does not want to go to Damascus, this could be Cairo – the headquarters of the Arab League – Turkey or Russia.”

Russia has been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s staunchest supporters during the more than ten-month uprising against his regime. Damascus has rejected international criticism of its human rights record during the conflict and says some 2,000 police and members of the security forces have been killed by “terrorists and extremists.”

“Russia and Syria enjoy old, solid ties that strengthen every year,” the new Syrian ambassador to Russia, Riyad Khaddad, told a news conference in Moscow later on Wednesday. “Syria does not take one step in the international arena without consulting with its Russian colleagues.”

He also thanked Russia for its refusal “to stay silent in the face of Western exploitation of the UN Security Council” and slammed the international media for its “lies and delusions” on Syria.

Moscow vetoed in November a UN Security Council resolution harshly condemning Syria and warned against attempts to end the crisis by the use of what it called “the Libya scenario.” Russia abstained in the March 2011 UN vote on authorizing military intervention in Libya, but sharply criticized the NATO bombing raids that helped end the four-decade-long reign of Muammar Gaddafi last fall.

Russia has also spoken out against unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria by the European Union and the United States last year. On Wednesday, Lavrov again said Moscow would stonewall attempts to gain UN approval for the sanctions. Moscow has proposed its own draft UN resolution on Syria, but Western members of the Security Council have criticized it as too weak.

But one Middle East analyst suggested that Russia’s backing for Syria had ulterior motives.

“Russia’s support for Syria, it seems to me, has been agreed on with the U.S. and other leading European countries,” said Sergei Demidenko of the Moscow-based Institute of Strategic Studies and Analysis.

Demidenko suggested that Western powers have no stomach for military intervention in Syria, which he said could see the rise of Islamic extremism – dangerous for both Russia and the West – throughout the region. “Russia is playing the bad guy,” he told RIA Novosti. “The West can therefore wash its hands of Syria, saying Russia and China block us at every step.”

Russia has rejected international calls for an arms embargo against Syria, saying this would leave the authorities without a source for legal arms deliveries, while doing nothing to prevent backdoor weapons shipments to opposition forces. It has also refused to explain or justify its own arms deliveries to the violence-stricken Middle East state.

Human Rights Watch’s UN advocacy director, Philippe Bolopion, criticized Russia on Tuesday for its stance.

“Russia has continued selling and delivering weapons to Syria, which is really an insult to the Syrian people who are at the receiving end of these weapons,” he said. “They should try to prevent an escalation of the crisis and instead they are really fueling the fire by sending more weapons.”

His criticism was echoed – albeit without direct mention of Russia – by Western members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday. “It is glaringly obvious that transferring weapons into a volatile and violent situation is irresponsible and will only fuel the bloodshed,” said British UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant. The head of the Rostekhnologii state corporation that controls official arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, Sergei Chemezov, said on Wednesday that Moscow faced losing its leading position in the Middle Eastand North African arms market if it ailed to maintain arms deliveries to Syria.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/russia-syria.html

China spreads tentacle to the UK

by Hasan Suroor

Newscast Media SAN JOSE — In what is being hailed as a “great leap forward” in China’s growing economic presence in Britain, the China Investment Corporation (CIC) has bought an 8.68 percent stake in Thames Water, Britain’s largest water and sewerage company serving about 14 million customers.

The deal is China’s first plunge into Britain’s cash-strapped utility sector amid an aggressive British campaign to woo Chinese investment, especially in the country’s creaking infrastructure. It has boosted expectations in other sectors such as wind farm energy and nuclear power plants to get a slice of the so-called “Peking Pound”.

Britons are already driving cars made in Chinese-owned factories, consuming goods made in China and may soon be riding high-speed trains built with Chinese money and expertise while London is being touted as a major offshore center of trade in China’s currency, the Yuan.

The deal, estimated to be worth up to £1 billion, followed a high-profile visit to China by Chancellor George Osborne last week to tap into China’s growing economic prowess and is being portrayed as a show of confidence in Britain’s recession-hit economy.

Mr Osborne, who met China’s Vice-Premier Wang Qishan and the heads of CIC and the ICBC bank during his visit, described it as a “significant step by China”.

“It is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to invest and do business. This investment is good news for both the British and Chinese economies,” he said.

The CIC, a sovereign wealth fund created to invest China’s immense foreign reserves abroad, indicated that it was keen to invest in infrastructure development in Britain. Its head Lou Jiwei described Britain as “one of the most open economies in the world”.

http://www.newscastmedia.com/china-england.html

Google

by Marc Bennetts

Newscast Media SAN JOSE — If you’ve ever used Picnik.com, a quick online solution for picture editing in the absence of photo editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop then you might understand how convenient and practical it is to have such online application.

Google, however, will shut this service down on April 19, 2012, in addition to other less known products such as:

- Google Message Continuity; an E-mail backup product for businesses.

- Needlebase; a data management platform, (June 1).

- Social Graph API; info. about public connections for developers, (April 20).

- Urchin–online web analytics, (March 31).

The criteria Google is using to make such decisions lies in “taking a hard look at products that replicate other features,” as Google’s blog reads, and seeing if they “haven’t achieved the promise we had hoped for or can’t be properly integrated into the overall Google experience.”

As for Picnik, acquired by Google in 2010, Google will have the Picnik team “continue creating photo-editing magic across Google products.” Google stated that users who previously subscribed for the premium service, the company will send a full refund in the coming weeks.

These changes may have caused a little bit more than frowns among numerous active users to which Dave Girouard, VP of Product Management at Google stated, “Changing products that people love is hard too. But we’re excited to focus on creating a beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google -an experience that will change the lives of millions of people.”

YouTube Changes

YouTube is also announcing that the older profiles will automatically be converted to the new, more annoying layout. These changes will automatically take effect on March 1, 2012, and users who already haven’t switched to the newer layout will then have to reorganize their videos.

Prices at the pump

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — In an effort to curb Iran’s nuclear program, the European Union agreed to place an embargo against crude oil exports from Iran, to prevent the country from funding its nuclear ambitions. In early London deals, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in March climbed 56 cents to $110.42 a barrel. New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate crude for March, edged up five cents to $98.38 a barrel.

After talks held in Brussels on Monday amongst dignitaries of 27 EU nations, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said: “There is a political agreement on an oil embargo.”

China is opposed to any kind of sanctions and has said: “Iran is also an extremely big oil supplier to China, and we hope that China’s oil imports won’t be affected, because this is needed for our development,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun told a news conference in answer to a question about whether Beijing could curtail crude from Iran under US pressure.

The deal is to be formally approved by EU foreign ministers meeting and comes as the United States and allied nations accuse Iran of developing an atomic bomb. Tehran insists its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful, civilian use.

The embargo meanwhile provides for an immediate ban on importing Iranian crude and a gradual phase-out of existing contracts between now and July 1. Greece’s dependence on Iranian oil had been holding up an accord on the timing and conditions of the embargo as the financially strapped nation relies on Iran for more than a third of its crude.

Iran sells around 20 percent of its crude to EU nations, with Greece, Spain and Italy the top buyers.
http://www.newscastmedia.com/embargo-iran.html

Power Play

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — The question of whether or not there can be a loyal and enduring interchange between the media and the political realm is not clear cut. Loyalty by both parties has to be earned and demonstrated. Some media houses are loyal to certain entities because that’s where they get funding; others are loyal due to the desire for self-preservation; while others maintain neutrality and objectivity because it is the professional thing to do.

It serves no purpose to conduct an investigative story pointing out only the faults of the subject, without highlighting the positive aspects. What good does it do for patients if a doctor shows them all the poisonous plants without showing them the edible ones?

To constantly focus on delivering one-sided news to viewers or readers by the media is like a rich man who is imperceptibly ruining himself. Yet that is what happens in the real world. There comes a point where one has to have integrity toward material, or loyalty to one’s calling.

The great Roman writer and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero, tells the story of his
friend Marcus Pacuvius who produced a play, and one particular scene received the most applause from the audience. In that particular scene, the king was approached by two men: Orestes and Pylades. Orestes was supposed to be put to death, but when the king saw both men, he did not know which one was Orestes. Pylades claimed that he was Orestes, in order that he should be the to be put to death, in the place of his friend. The real Orestes, however, continued to insist on his true identity. The entire crowd stood and cheered, although it was only a play.

Here then, was a case of nature asserting its power. People were applauding in others what they had not been given the opportunity to achieve for themselves. They admired the loyalty they saw in others that they themselves hadn’t been able to demonstrate. Yet how often does the media air stories that accentuate the positive in an individual?

We live in a world where almost everything is commercially driven and whatever it takes to get the attention of viewers is what will be broadcast. Just because a person appears to lead an honorable life filled with honorable deeds doesn’t mean he or she will be viewed by the media in an honorable light. Some say it’s the reason why many good men and women refuse to join politics because they know they cannot escape the scrutiny of the media and its propensity to act viciously toward those who do not fit a particular construct.

Another observation about the government-media complex is what the media decides is newsworthy due to the cultural spectrum of the viewers. What may be acceptable in one culture, may be considered a vice in another, therefore only by discernment, can one accurately convey the intended message, to the target audience.

On Sept. 21, 1737, Prince Frederick of Prussia who later became Frederick the Great, wrote to his close friend Voltaire, commanding him to give an account of his observations about justice in different cultures. In October that same year, Voltaire wrote back and explained that nobody is born with the idea that he must be just; but God has arranged men’s organs that at a certain stage they agree upon this truth.

He explained that since our society could not exist without the ideas of justice and injustice; God gave us the means of acquiring them. Different customs will never allow us to attach the same idea of justice to the same notions. What is a crime in one culture, may be considered a virtue in another. All societies therefore will not have the same laws, but no society will be without laws. Man therefore has been given everything needed to live in society, just as he has been given teeth to chew, a stomach to digest, and a soul to judge.

In the next eight months, there will be those who watch or read stories in the media and say it is biased. There are some who will be running for office who will charge the media as being unfair. Some might conclude that the allegiance of the corporate media is to large corporations. It is incumbent upon you the viewer or reader, in the coming months, to judge for yourself as to whether what is presented before you is empty of truths, or is pregnant with substance, as we all embark on voting for the next president.
Go to Part I – Government-Media Power Play>>

Government media power play

Newscast Media HOUSTON, Texas — There has always been and will continue to be a love-hate relationship between the media and political entities. Media houses have an incredible influence in shaping perceptions of society or their target audiences. Yet government always plays its unseen hand in an attempt to regulate the flow of information or impede the spreading of information, whether it is through print, the electronic media or the spoken word.

In this article, I will attempt to elucidate my ideas and observations in pertinence to the government-media power play.

Even before media houses were at loggerheads with each other in regard to usage of copyrighted material on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and other social networks, government has always wanted to exercise a certain level of control over information. It all boils down to trust, and both the media and government, do not seem to trust each other’s intentions. During the Bush administration, there was an uproar about the Fairness Doctrine, that radio stations feared would limit the amount of content to be included in their programming. Today the big fuss is about Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that almost anyone who surfs the Internet is aware of.

During the classical era, Socrates was charged by a jury with corrupting the minds of the youth, since at the time, philosophers were virtually the media practitioners. Cicero’s political speeches caused him to be at odds with Marc Antony whose loyalists eventually executed Cicero. During the Renaissance, Savanarola, a Dominican Friar and political scholar was charged with heresy, uttering false prophecies and teaching a faulty doctrine. The Borgia pope, Alexander VI, excommunicated Savanarola, then ordered his arrest and execution. He was burnt alive on May 23, 1498, and declared a heretic.

All the conflict at the time, arose due to words that were either spoken or written. The great Latin poet by the name of Horace, captured the power of words when he wrote: “Words are more permanent than bronze.”

At the GOP debate on January 19, 2012, we heard and saw an infuriated Newt Gingrich chastise the media for what he believed was an unfair attack on his character–yet Gingrich will use the same media he abhors to communicate his message to voters in an attempt to gain their votes — hence the love-hate relationship between political entities and the media will continue.

The war dance that the media often finds itself entangled in with powerful entities, is like Father Time. Time has two aspects to it — the creative nature, meaning it takes a certain time-span to bring something new into being, and also the destructive nature, since as time goes by everything it creates is destroyed by old age. The media has the same characteristic, in that, it has the ability to define the narrative of another entity with time.

The BBC just published an article in which it reports that the broadcasting license for Iran’s Press TV has been revoked by media regulator Ofcom, and the station can no longer broadcast in the UK. Press TV channel launched in 2007 to break what Iran’s state broadcaster called a Western “stranglehold” over the world’s media. The Iranians are surprised that no other media entity is speaking up for them as they battle the British government for their broadcast license. They also claim that Ofcom is the media arm of the British Royal family.

In the US, foreign channels have had their share of hurdles in dealing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in America. This is partly because of the suspicions that arise from the government-media power play, and the American media being able to once again define its foreign competitors as having an anti-American bias. The pertinent question one should ask is whether or not loyalty exists within the media. Find out in Part II>>

Pilot dies in mid-air

Newscast Media MOSCOW—A crew member of a UTair Boeing 757 flying from Bangkok to Novosibirsk in western Siberia died as the plane was flying over China, transportation prosecutors said Friday.

Sergei Golev, 44, sustained a heart attack in the cockpit and died despite all attempts at resuscitation, a local prosecutor’s office spokeswoman said, Uralinform.ru reported. Even a cardiologist found among the passengers failed to revive him. The chief pilot attempted an emergency landing in the Chinese city of Chengdu, but abandoned it because Golev died before the jet touched down.

The incident took place on Tuesday, but was not reported before. The Investigative Committee opened a mandatory check, to be wrapped up next week.

Some media reported earlier that the Boeing was bound for Moscow and executed an emergency landing in Novosibirsk, and that Golev, though a pilot, was flying as a passenger.

But a spokeswoman for the regional transportation prosecutors told Komsomolskaya Pravda on Friday that the plane was flying to Novosibirsk and that Golev was a crew member – a reserve pilot, tasked, ironically, with replacing a crew member in case they fall ill. http://www.newscastmedia.com/pilot.html

Iraqi violence increases after wake of US troop withdrawal

Newscast Media BAGHDAD, Iraq — Suicide attacks, assassinations and bombings in Iraq have claimed the lives of at least 265 people and injured hundreds of others since December 18, the date the USA withdrew all but 200 of its troops from the country, according to the health and interior ministries.

The wave of attacks, carried out mainly by Sunni extremists from Al-Qaeda in Iraq against Shia communities, has alarmed many who fear the country could descend into chaos once more, with the government itself acknowledging it is not capable of ensuring security on its own.

The attacks also come as political factions are at loggerheads over how to reach a power-sharing deal. The Sunni community is complaining that it is being marginalized by the Shia-led government, which recently issued arrest warrants against Sunni Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi and other politicians for allegedly operating death squads.

Many fear the current violence could send the country back to the days of 2006-07 when Shia-Sunni conflict left thousands of people dead and millions of others displaced. A few families have already packed their bags and others are contemplating leaving.

Here is how some Iraqis are feeling:

Sultan Abdul-Latif Ibrahim, a 55-year-old father of six from the Shia Shabak minority in the northern province of Ninevah: “I lost 10 of my relatives since (the US-led invasion in) 2003… We used to live in the provincial capital, Mosul, for years with Sunnis and Christians. But in 2007 we were forced out of our houses by Sunni extremists who blew up our homes.

Since then, we have been living in a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Mosul. Last Monday (January 16) our camp was attacked by a parked car bomb, killing eight people, including six of my relatives. I wish to die now rather than later. We can’t bear the hardships we are going through every day. We, the Shia, are facing constant threats by Sunni extremists who want to eliminate us and there is no place to go. I can’t afford to move with my family to another place.”

Hassan Abdul-Mahdi, a 35-year-old Sunni businessman and father of three from Baghdad: “Iraq today is just like Iraq after the toppling of the previous regime. There is one group that wants to dominate and impose its control on the country. Today, the Shia-led government and politicians who control the security forces have started to hunt down Sunni leaders and political figures to bite them one by one using different means… I’m contemplating leaving Iraq as the situation seems to be getting worse.”

Jandak Youssif, a 46-year-old Christian from Baghdad: “The situation is getting worse day by day, and the government doesn’t care about our suffering and needs. Our economy is stagnant; illiteracy and unemployment are prevalent; decent public services are not available; and people are leaving the country due to the security situation and religious discrimination.

Christians are being attacked and no-one is campaigning for their rights. We are not seeing any improvement in any aspect of our life… My family is scattered in many parts of the world; my parents and brother are stuck in Syria waiting to be relocated to a third country. I have three sisters in Denmark, one in the Netherlands and two in Ninevah Province. Iraq is one of the richest countries in the world but we are the worst in terms of corruption, unemployment and illiteracy.”

Examples of recent violence:
January 16: Two car bombs targeted a camp for displaced Shabak in the northern province of Ninevah and a commercial area in the central province of Babil, killing 11 and wounding 21.

January 14: A bomb attack against Shia pilgrims in the southern province of Basra killed 53 and injured 130. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack.

January 10: A wave of bombs and assassinations nationwide killed 10 people. The targets were government officials, security forces and Shia pilgrims.

January 9: Three car bombs exploded in Baghdad, killing 17 and wounding dozens.

January 5: A wave of bombings targeted Shia Muslims in Baghdad and other provinces heading on foot to the revered city of Karbala to mark the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein. Seventy-eight people were killed and more than 100 wounded.

December 22: A string of coordinated bombs tore through mainly Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing 69 and injuring nearly 200. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attacks.

December 18: The USA pulled the last of its combat forces out of Iraq, leaving only 200 for training and diplomatic protection.

Source: Assyrian International News Agency

http://www.newscastmedia.com/iraq.html