[CTRL] Ethiopian Cycle of Famine Continues
Tuesday April 11 2:12 AM ET Ethiopian Cycle of Famine Continues AP Photo By ANDREW ENGLAND, Associated Press Writer GODE, Ethiopia (AP) - Sakorey Faday and Adan Mohammed are young women from two different African countries, but they share experiences as similar as they are tragic. Adan spent 10 days walking 60 miles with her three children to a feeding center in Gode, 360 miles southeast of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The trek proved too much for her 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. Both died along the way. Faday walked to Baidoa in neighboring Somalia in search of help after drought ended her farm work. Faday's husband died a year ago; the twin to the tiny, malnourished baby wrapped in her arms died at birth. Now, she says, she has nothing. These women's odysseys took place in February and March, as severe food shortages brought on by drought began to threaten millions of lives. Similar tales have been told over and over again in Ethiopia and Somalia. ``I have not seen rain for 18 months,'' said Adan, whose family's herd of 200 cattle and sheep died months ago. ``I just have to wait for something from God.'' Speak your mind Discuss this story with other people. [Start a Conversation] (Requires Yahoo! Messenger) The 33-year-old Adan, looking sad yet dignified in her dusty traditional veils, her remaining child tucked under her arm, now lives in a tiny hut of dried grass and bits of cloth. Faday has no place of her own and is forced to rely on charity. But nature is not solely responsible for the desperate situations of people like Adan and Faday. Politics, war and centuries of nomadic culture all have played roles. The entire region has a history of conflict and perennial food shortages. Of the countries bordering Ethiopia - Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia - only Kenya can claim any meaningful stability. In recent years Ethiopia has perhaps suffered the most from drought, worsened by on-and-off warfare since the mid-1970s. In 1984, televised images of skeletal, starving Ethiopians pulled on the world's conscience, and as many as 1 million died. But famine also came in 1972, 1974 and 1989. Officials in Gode, which is home to ethnic Somalis and one of the worst-affected areas, say the drought comes in 10-year-cycles. Now, 11 years after the last severe food shortage, the message is being repeated. This time, aid groups say 7.7 million are at risk. ``These people are really on the edge,'' said Ben Foot, country director for the British branch of the international charity Save the Children. The situation is exacerbated, local officials say, by the nomadic lifestyle of the people who live in the region. The nomads rely on livestock for food and income. When the rains fail, cattle, goats, camels and sheep die - leaving the people with nothing. They then migrate to feeding centers, stretching local resources and increasing the risk of disease. Some 70 percent of the 3.5 million people in Ethiopia's Somali region, are nomads, government figures say. Ibrahim Abdi, chairman of the regional emergency task force, said the key is to persuade nomads to settle and diversify into farming. ``The problem is people do not adapt so quickly because agriculture is very laborious work,'' he said. ``If they get a harvest for two or three years, they will then go and buy cattle and go back to where they started.'' Teshome Emanek, head of the government's disaster preparedness and prevention committee, said regional authorities in Ethiopia - where regions have some autonomy - lack the means to end the cycle of famine. In Gode, the Wabe Shebelle River still flows strongly, but it has not been used efficiently for irrigation. ``Nothing is being done at this time to bring them (the nomads) off the land,'' Teshome said. He estimates it would take at least 10 years to change local habits. The Somali people on both sides of the border have been nomads for centuries, and their allegiance is to the land and their clans, not to any state. Most would resist changes. Aid officials say political attitudes and trade regulations need to change throughout the region so that the nomads can take their herds to the closest market without being blocked by national borders. In the meantime, the government is asking donors for more than 800,000 tons of food to keep famine at bay. But for Adan and Faday, the misery seems guaranteed to continue indefinitely. ``I am a beggar,'' Faday said. ``I have nothing for the future.'' - On the Net: http://www.savethechildren.org E-mail this story | Printer-friendly format -- -- Advanced Search: Stories Photos Full Coverage Apr 11 | Apr 10 | Apr 09 | Apr 08 | Apr 07 | Apr 06 | Apr 05 | Apr 04 | Apr 03 | Apr 02 Home | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | World | Local | Entertainment | Sports | Science | Health
Re: [CTRL] abortion and gun control
GUN CONTROL IS PUTTING THE FIRST CLIP IN THE 10 RING!!! Arab THE SURE SHOT. A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html"Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]/A http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/"ctrl/A To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: UPDATE1-Microsoft disappointed by mediation collapse
In a message dated 4/1/00 7:00:07 PM Central Standard Time, AOL News writes: Subj:UPDATE1-Microsoft disappointed by mediation collapse Date: 4/1/00 7:00:07 PM Central Standard Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 UPDATE1-Microsoft disappointed by mediation collapse SEATTLE, April 1 (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp. said on Saturday that it was ``disappointed'' that its talks with the U.S. government to settle an antitrust lawsuit had broken down. The Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft blamed the talks' collapse on the Justice Department, which filed the suit, and accused the government of seeking ``excessive and extreme'' measures against the company For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100IPyR.356163.63908"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsPro files/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. UPDATE1-Microsoft disappointed by mediation collapse SEATTLE, April 1 (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp. said on Saturday that it was ``disappointed'' that its talks with the U.S. government to settle an antitrust lawsuit had broken down. The Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft blamed the talks' collapse on the Justice Department, which filed the suit, and accused the government of seeking ``excessive and extreme'' measures against the company For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100IPyR.356163.63908"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Fwd: Gov't Retreats From Microsoft Split
In a message dated 3/24/00 11:45:30 AM Central Standard Time, Ahab42 writes: MARCH 24, 04:30 EST Gov't Retreats From Microsoft Split By TED BRIDIS AP Technology Writer U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson Associated Press/Ric Feld [20K] -- -- WASHINGTON (AP) Sources close to the Microsoft antitrust case say it looks like the federal government is backing away from demanding the break up of the software maker. The move represents a fundamental shift by the Justice Department, which largely decided months ago to press for a breakup while anticipating a strongly favorable ruling from U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson in the coming weeks. It also puts Justice's stance at odds with some state attorneys general, who believe that only the harshest punishment is appropriate. Microsoft has indicated it will not accept any settlement that divides the company, and U.S. Assistant Attorney General Joel I. Klein believes such a punishment may not be necessary to adequately restrain what the trial judge characterized as Microsoft's monopoly power over the technology industry, said two people close to the case, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gates with copy of Windows 2000 AP/Jeff Christensen [23K] -- -- New York's attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, on Thursday praised Klein's handling of the antitrust trial but acknowledged that past cooperation between states and Justice ``doesn't mean we're going to agree on every piece, every remedy.'' Spitzer, who declined to comment on settlement talks, described a ``healthy dynamic'' among the 19 states and Justice debating punishments. Shares of Microsoft Corp. surged 8.4 percent on reports a settlement could be near, moving up $8.62 1/2 to $111.87 1/2 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Antitrust experts offered several explanations why Justice now may be inclined to accept lesser punishment than a breakup as part of a settlement, even though the trial judge strongly has hinted he will rule that Microsoft violated antitrust laws. The 207-page-ruling declared Microsoft a monopolist company Associated Press/ [12K] -- -- Punishment worked out under settlement could apply immediately to Microsoft even before the next election without the uncertainty over the outcome of lengthy appeals. Government lawyers also could negotiate a punishment broadly enough they would apply to controversial practices that were not part of the current trial, such as Microsoft's dominance in Internet ``server'' software and in the market for word processors and spreadsheets. ``What Justice has to balance is the benefits in the short run of having a settlement that might apply arguably to some things more long term that haven't been litigated, against the more certain relief of a structural divestiture that Microsoft would oppose,'' said Glenn B. Manishin, an antitrust lawyer who advocates breaking up Microsoft. The Justice Department also faces an apparent dearth of support among the public and the technology industry to break up Microsoft, as well as active debate among some attorneys general on their best course. Jackson bluntly told government lawyers in November that he would ``not like to have to deal with divergent points of view'' on proposed punishments. Ohio's Betty Montgomery, for example, said earlier that lawyers should seek prohibitions on Microsoft's conduct, not a breakup. Microsoft has indicated it would never agree to any settlement that included a breakup; the company's chief executive, Steve Ballmer, called those proposals ``reckless and irresponsible.'' The first surprise suggestions that a settlement might be possible came earlier this month after prominent financial analysts met privately with Microsoft's new financial officer. Walter Winnitzki of Chase Hambrecht Quist said afterward that he believed ``there was a near-term opportunity to have this settled, some language being given that they wouldn't have any change in culture or structure.'' But there also remain signs of continued acrimony. Sounding far from placated, Klein told a Senate subcommittee this week that any remedy ``ought to be commensurate'' with Microsoft's aggressive business practices. Also, Microsoft e-mailed a newsletter to thousands of subscribers Wednesday harshly critical of the government. It described as ``unseemly at best'' Justice's efforts to persuade industry leaders to support a breakup. It also derided breakup plans as ``an extreme and reckless resolution to the government's antitrust suit.'' On the Net: http://www.microsoft.com MARCH 24, 04:30 EST Gov't
[CTRL] West Nile virus infection in NYC
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Survey: West Nile virus infection in NYC United Press International - March 21, 2000 20:37 NEW YORK, March 21 (UPI) -- Almost 2,000 people may been infected with the West Nile virus in the New York City hotspot where it struck the hardest last year. According to a survey released by the New York City Health Department, from 533 to 1,903 residents, almost 3 percent of the population, in a three-square-mile area of northern Queens were infected with the mosquito-borne virus that killed seven people and made 62 other sill last fall. However, only a fraction of the people infected with the West Nile virus became ill with the virus, which produces flu-like symptoms but can lead to inflammation of the brain. "None of the 19 people who tested positive for the virus became seriously ill," said New York Health Department spokesman John Gadd. "Some reported no symptoms or mild illness, like a low-grade fever." The survey tested about 700 people who gave blood voluntarily last fall at mobile health vans in the Queens' neighborhoods of Whitestone, Auburndale, Linden Hill and Murray Hill. Those who tested positive for the West Nile virus developed immunity to the virus but Health Department officials can't predict how long that immunity will last. The West Nile virus was first detected in the western hemisphere last September. The virus is spread to birds and mammals by mosquitoes. Despite daily spraying of the pesticide malathion throughout New York City last fall, the Centers for Disease Control said this month that the virus may have hibernated in some mosquitoes and may reappear this summer. There is no vaccine to protect against the West Nile encephalitis virus. New York City is planning an extensive campaign to kill mosquito larva and reduce mosquito breeding sites. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the city will "kill as many of those critters as possible." Next month the city will use larvicide in its storm and sewer lines. The city is also urging residents to eliminate any standing pool of water that can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The city wants residents and landlords to unclog roof gutters, drain standing water and rain barrels, chlorinate pools, dispose of tires and change bird bath water every week. Meanwhile, the New York state Department of Health has developed a draft West Nile Virus Response Plan. It calls for an extensive education campaign, if needed, that includes: a professional education kit containing a letter from the state health commissioner; fact sheets, treatment information, reporting instructions, samples of the public education materials and an order form; information on the DOH website; and news releases for professional journals and newsletters. The plan also calls for developing a public education component, in English, Spanish and other appropriate languages, that will include, but not be limited to TV and radio spots; transit advertising; posters, flyers and paycheck stuffers; news and feature releases, fact sheets; information on the DOH website; an informational hotline; print advertising for ethnic and community weeklies and Pennysavers; and CDC's "Neato Mosquito" elementary school curriculum. -- Copyright 2000 by United Press International. All rights reserved. -- Message: WWN-UPI-1-2321-2230-bc-us-encephalitis Content: SRV-USNEWS SRV-SCIENCE Content: QUAKE HLTHGEN SCI SOCL Content: 0300 0700 1300 1400 -- -- %DOMESTIC %US %ENCEPHALITIS V%UPI P%UPI Search news for: Search by:Keyword Ticker Search Keyword examples: "general motors", bio technology and venture, yen Symbol: Click Here For More Information NewsFront Page News Index Headlines Regular Features Search Data ToolsMarket Data Market Monitor Charting Portfolios Discussion Trading Center TopicsMutual Funds Personal Finance CompanyCompany Info Investor Relations Advertising Media Kit Feedback Jobs ServicesMarketWatch RT MarketWatch Live © 1997-1999 MarketWatch.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Disclaimer. Privacy Policy. CBS and the CBS "eye device" are registered trademarks of CBS Inc. A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
Re: [CTRL] GUNCONTROL THE REAL SCOOP
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- GUN CONTROL IS PUTTING THE FIRST CLIP IN THE TEN RING!! A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Return of the killer virus that spread terror in New York
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Return of the killer virus that spread terror in New York Robin McKie and Ed Vulliamy Sunday March 19, 2000 It was the news that researchers were dreading. A dead red-tailed hawk, found in Bronxville, a suburb of New York, was last week found to be carrying the fatal West Nile virus that terrorised the city last year. Now the entire East and Gulf coasts of the United States are braced for the imminent return of a mysterious killer which may strike with enhanced ferocity. 'It's time. The virus is out there,' said pathologist Ward Stone as he emerged from a sealed laboratory where he had examined the hawk. West Nile encephalitis's first dramatic appearance in the Western hemisphere - in a cluster of cases in Queens, New York - sent the city into a frenzy in August. Helicopters sprayed entire neighbourhoods with disinfectant after the disease killed horses, thousands of birds and several people. Symptoms began with flu-like shivers and were followed by fever, disorientation and brain swelling that led to death in seven out of the 62 cases of people affected by the virus. Scientists at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, had hoped the illness - spread by mosquitoes from birds to humans - would die out over winter. Now their hopes have been dashed. Apart from the hawk, mosquitoes hibernating in underground rooms beneath the historic Fort Totten district of Queens have been found to be virus-positive. As America's East Coast begins to warm, mosquitoes carrying the West Nile killer are expected to spread further than last year. As Nicholas Kramer of the CDC said: 'The virus is still here and there is a good chance it will amplify this summer.' Warning circulars have been posted to all New York doctors and emergency instructions for citizens are being drafted, while it has been decreed that all dead birds must be handed in to health authorities. This weekend a sad stream of dead birds was being directed to New York state pathology laboratories. What really alarms American health officials is the danger of the disease establishing itself permanently in the country. But what will happen if migrating birds have already begun to spread West Nile across eastern America? The next months will be the 'test of how long-lasting or fleeting' West Nile is in the US, said Dr Roger Nasei, of the CDC. Californian expert Ian Lipkin said last week 'there is definitely a cause for concern'. But his fears were countered by CDC expert Duane Gubler, who said it was still possible this year's outbreak could be contained. The species of mosquito most closely linked to the virus does not emerge until later in the spring when a mass spraying campaign begins. The aim will be to eliminate larvae and breeding sites. Property owners will be told to unclog roof gutters, empty or chlorinate swimming pools, and throw away old tyres and buckets. A more worrying prospect has been raised by virologists in Britain. West Nile disease is closely related to the illness St Louis encephalitis, which is fairly common in America. That raises the fear that people already infected with the latter may become especially vulnerable to West Nile disease. 'There is a process called antibody dependent enhancement,' said Dr Ernie Gould, deputy director of the Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology in Oxford. 'We have observed it in other diseases, and I believe it could happen with West Nile.' In short, America faces the threat of a deadly new epidemic. The next few months will determine how serious that danger is. A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Disease threatens flood-hit Mozambique
In a message dated 3/17/00 4:02:54 AM Central Standard Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Disease threatens flood-hit Mozambique Date: 3/17/00 4:02:54 AM Central Standard Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Disease threatens flood-hit Mozambique MAPUTO, March 15 (Reuters) - Aid agencies in flood-ravaged Mozambique worked on Wednesday to combat an outbreak of disease and malnutrition threatened by contaminated water and destroyed crops. Aid workers have warned that there is already acute malnutrition amongst young children and say that if seeds are not planted quickly, the country will be plunged from a flood into a food crisis For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100HcX3.7244779.637577395"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsPro files/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Disease threatens flood-hit Mozambique MAPUTO, March 15 (Reuters) - Aid agencies in flood-ravaged Mozambique worked on Wednesday to combat an outbreak of disease and malnutrition threatened by contaminated water and destroyed crops. Aid workers have warned that there is already acute malnutrition amongst young children and say that if seeds are not planted quickly, the country will be plunged from a flood into a food crisis For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100HcX3.7244779.637577395"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Strong quake 50 miles off coast,
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Strong quake 50 miles off coast, no damage or injuries reported FERNDALE, Calif. (AP) -- A moderate earthquake 50 miles at sea rattled several small communities along the northern coast of California today, but no damage or injuries were reported. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.8 and the epicenter off Punta Gorda, about 200 miles north of San Francisco and 55 miles south and west of Ferndale. The quake hit at 7:20 a.m. PST. Ferndale Police Chief Gary Holder said the temblor lasted about 30 seconds or so and was a rolling shaking, rather than a sharp jolt. "I went out afterwards to check the town and I couldn't even find a broken window," he said. Problems? Suggestions? Let us hear from you. / Copyright © The Sacramento Bee A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Hundreds demonstrate against limit on church attendance
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- HOME WHO WE ARE | SEARCH | PUBLICATIONS | THE FORUM Hundreds demonstrate against limit on church attendance City's limit on church attendance out of line 2.16.2000 Imagine limiting football-game attendance to 70 fans because of past disturbances in the neighborhood. That's sort of what happened in Portland, Ore., recently, except that a city official unwisely targeted something even more basic: religious worship. Portland land-use hearing officer Elizabeth Normand told a church in January that henceforth no more than 70 churchgoers could worship there on Sunday. She also took away permission to serve two weekly meals at the Sunnyside Centenary United Methodist Church. Why? Because neighbors were complaining of noise and nuisance near their homes by people receiving the meals. More than 1,100 people of all faiths protested the decision by gathering at a different Methodist church on Feb. 13. In speech, prayer and song, they affirmed their First Amendment rights to assemble and to worship. The city fortunately now shows signs of backing down. This is a story about judgment and proportion in public governance. In trying to respond to public complaints and problems, and in trying to do the right thing, governments sometimes reach for the wrong remedy. In this case, instead of treating this case as a neighborhood problem requiring a neighborhood solution, the city official reared back and fired a cannon blast at the Constitution. What was she thinking? Was a police officer supposed to station himself at the church door with a clicker, and thrust his arm out to stop worshipper No. 71 from entering? You don't suspend free exercise of religion to stop street noise. Such a move doesn't fit, apply or make sense as a solution. The solution is for neighborhood groups, backed by the city if necessary, to work with the church as in fact the church has shown itself more than willing to do with volunteer foot patrols and other efforts to reduce problems in the neighborhood. Government at all levels need to keep the big things in mind when dealing with the smaller things. It's easy to get caught up in the plight of irate residents whose peace is being disturbed. It's can be difficult to negotiate compromises. But it's downright outrageous to unthinkingly violate fundamental freedoms under a mistaken notion that government's top priority is to stop angry phone calls from residents. A church that tries hard to minister to a congregation may indeed draw a big crowd, and has a right to. If some in that crowd get out of hand, residents have a right to complain petition, after all, is also a First Amendment right. But they are not mutually exclusive, and it is government's job, at all levels, to respect both. And still outraged by ... Trying for a state religion in Georgia State Rep. Judy Poag pushes bill to require Ten Commandments displays in every Georgia public school and punish noncompliance with state funding cutoffs. School's art lesson doesn't make grade For crime of displaying disturbing art, Sarah Boman is suspended and told she needs mental exam. Breaking down his door shattered his First Amendment rights Town gadflies can be exasperating, maybe libelous but that doesn't mean they should be hauled off their live cable-TV shows and arrested, as happened in Winchester, Tenn. Turning libel law upside down New Jersey appeals court says newspaper must prove that it shouldn't have to face lawsuit. School reads safety threat in student's stanzas James LaVine tried to understand school violence by exploring it in a poem, but his school saw his effort as a security risk. Misjudgment cuts off public disclosure, imperils open access Security was the reason Judge William J. Zloch gave this week when he cut off public access to the financial disclosure records of federal judges nationwide. But the real security threat here is to press freedom, judicial accountability and open government. Muscling in on student press freedom For 30 years Freeport (N.Y.) High School's newspaper, Flashings, published school news freely, without meddling by school officials. They turned kid's scary story into a crime scene In adult minds, 13-year-old Christopher Beamon deserved six days in jail for what he wrote in his class assignment. More outrage A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to
[CTRL] AIDS destroying families across Africa
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Want to send this story to another AOL member? Click on the heart at the top of this window. AIDS destroying families across Africa By Kieran Murray NAMAVE, Uganda, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Joyce Nasuuna still has a grandmother's glint in her eye, a sign of amazing strength for someone who has had to bury so many children. Even in a continent devastated by AIDS, Nasuuna's story is tragic. Nine of her 12 children have died, at least six of them victims of AIDS, and five of her grandchildren have also been killed by the disease. She now lives in a miserable mud home outside the Ugandan capital Kampala that literally crumbles whenever heavy rains roll through, and she has been left alone to look after nine remaining grandchildren. The children are regularly sick and doctors suspect at least two are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But Nasuuna, 63, still finds a few things to smile about. ``Sometimes I feel happy, especially when we have something to eat, when the children are happy and playing,'' she says as some of the children scamper around the small plot of land next to the tiny one-room hut where all 10 of them sleep, curled up together on the dirt floor. ``I would have been living here alone but, because of my grandchildren, I keep busy all the time and that makes me happy,'' she says with a smile, her two-year-old granddaughter Kisakye -- which means Mercy in Luganda -- sleeping on her lap. Nasuuna admits, however, she can keep her spirits up only by blocking out much of the past, and part of her future too. ``I have to forget about the dead ones and concentrate on the orphans. I have to find their food and make sure they are safe,'' she says, although 'making sure they are safe' does not mean finding out whether they are healthy or not. ``I am afraid of getting them tested,'' she says. ``I am not sure which ones are HIV-positive. I was advised by the medical people not to have them tested because there will be bad news and it will bring me a lot of bad thoughts.'' It would also make very little difference to their chances of survival. While many patients in the West have benefited from drug cocktails that slow down the progression of AIDS, such treatment is way too expensive for virtually all Africans. Instead, doctors able to deal with lethal AIDS-related illnesses like tuberculosis or diarrhoea only when they occur. Almost no HIV-positive pregnant women are given drugs to prevent them passing the virus on to their children. FAMILIES CAN NO LONGER COPE In the past, the effects of poverty, unemployment, illness and death were mitigated by the strength of extended families across the continent -- relatives would help each other through short-term crises with food and shelter, and take in orphaned children as their own. But now AIDS is tearing holes even in that last line of defence, simply because it is killing so many would-be providers and the remaining adults of working age already have their hands full looking after their own children. The United Nations estimates that about 11.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS worldwide with 95 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa, and the number will rise to above 13 million by the end of this year. Women like Nasuuna are increasingly being left to look after their grandchildren and the number of households headed by children is also rising dramatically. ``The safety net is traditionally aunts and uncles but they are now saying 'We are struggling and we have our own children. If we take in more, our own will suffer','' says Geoff Foster, a paediatrician who works with a church-based charity helping AIDS orphans in the Mutare region of eastern Zimbabwe. ``When the aunts and uncles are unwilling or unable to help, the children are going to grandparents...and when that final safety net fails you see more and more child-headed households.'' CHILDREN TAKE OVER AS ADULTS John Buule's family in the central Ugandan village of Lweza lives in a four-room brick home and was relatively comfortable before AIDS took its toll. His father died in 1997 after spending the last two years of his life in bed, and his mother followed him three months later, leaving John alone to raise his seven brothers and sisters, aged between seven and 14. John, now 19, gets up every morning at five, makes breakfast for everyone, sends them off to school, goes out to work and rushes home to make sure they are all fed and washed before bed. Lively and jovial, John says he likes the role of parent, playing with the children and cajoling them to study hard and keep the house clean, but the pressure of doing it all by himself without help from relatives sometimes gets to him. ``No one wants to help us. When my father died, my mother was already sick and couldn't get out of bed. But they told me they had their own problems. And now they never come to see us,'' he says, tears welling up in
[CTRL] AIDS Sweeps Across Rwanda
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- JANUARY 17, 05:04 EST AIDS Sweeps Across Rwanda By HRVOJE HRANJSKI Associated Press Writer KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) Callixte Rucamihigo and his wife escaped death at the hands of screaming militiamen in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, only to fall victim to a silent killer that knows no ethnic differences. Last year, a doctor told the 34-year-old former government worker he'd contracted the virus that causes AIDS. When blood tests confirmed his wife was also infected, she didn't wait for the ailment to run its course. She killed herself. In a speech to the U.N. Security Council last week, Vice President Al Gore compared the gravity of this new threat to Africa's old, familiar threat of war. In Rwanda, the past and future collide. Little more than five years after Hutu extremists tried to exterminate the country's minority Tutsis, disease rather than machetes and guns is cutting a deadly swath through Rwanda. One in 10 Rwandans is now infected with the HIV virus, and 10 years of bloody upheaval have bred an apathy and fatalism that ensures the number of victims will grow. The government declared the fight against AIDS a national priority in 1997, but official warnings about the disease's dangers don't easily scare people still traumatized by one of the 20th century's worst bloodbaths. ``These people have lived through genocide. They've seen the worst. For many, AIDS has no meaning. Why care about AIDS when you've seen your family killed?'' says Pascale Crussard of the aid group CARE. Those Rwandans who acknowledge their HIV infections have little prospect of help. Only 150 people can afford the monthly cost of the drug AZT 180,000 Rwandan Francs, or the equivalent of $500, says Dr. Chantal Kabagabo, who works at the government-sponsored National AIDS Control Program. At the program near Kigali's main hospital, one of only two AIDS counseling centers in Rwanda, up to 200 people arrive each day for testing, but its two nurses and three full-time counselors can handle only 40. ``Many people ask us for medicines, to follow them home, to help them make a living. All of it is useless, because we can't do anything apart from handing them the verdict of their results,'' says Cecille Ndoli, the center's director. According to a national survey in 1997, the infection rate among Rwanda's urban population has remained constant at 10 percent. HIV has increased dramatically, however, among rural Rwandans from 1.3 percent of the population in 1986 to 10.8 percent in 1997. By 1990, AIDS was already rippling across Rwanda, but doctors say its explosive growth since then is a legacy of the genocide. When the minority Tutsis took over the government, Hutu militants went on a murderous rampage. Many Tutsi women who survived are suspected to have been raped, and those widowed by the genocide often turned to prostitution to survive. The HIV infection rate among them is almost 90 percent, according to the survey. In addition, promiscuity and rape were rampant among the more than 1.2 million Hutus who fled to neighboring countries. They returned to Rwanda after 2 1/2 years in refugee camps, where the HIV infection rate was thought to be 8.5 percent. AIDS is also believed to be prevalent among Rwandan troops who are fighting alongside rebels in neighboring Congo to eradicate remnants of the Hutu militia. Rucamihigo says Hutu militants raped his wife, but he believes he is to blame for giving her the disease. ``I was womanizing a lot before we got married,'' he says as he scratches the blisters covering his forehead evidence of Kaposi's sarcoma, the AIDS-related skin cancer that is slowly enveloping him. ``The only comfort is that our 3-year-old baby is negative.'' Rucamihigo says his illness forced him to quit his job at the Ministry of Agriculture and he cannot afford medicine. He has joined the Organization of Persons with HIV/AIDS, a new group in Kigali that lobbies for better care. ``Here, we're abandoned to ourselves,'' he says. ``If you're HIV-positive, nobody has any need for you anymore.'' TOP STORIES Merck May Have AIDS Breakthrough AIDS Program Targets Latinos AIDS Sweeps Across Rwanda RECENT STORIES Reasons for HIV Rebound Explored Africa Seeks Affordable AIDS Drugs Annan Seeks Help To Decide UN Role AP Corrects Minorities-AIDS Story LINKS National Centers for Disease Control Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 11th International Conference on AIDS and STDS in Africa home ] us news ] world ] business ] sports ] weather ] search ] help ] Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Comments and questions AP privacy statement A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed.
[CTRL] World Economic Forum, Opens
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- home search messages help assistant log out Will a week of the high life help the poor? BY AUTHOR NAME It is one of the world's most illustrious gatherings, set in one of the world's most exclusive ski resorts. But as 14,500 delegates descend on the Swiss town of Davos for today's opening of the World Economic Forum, some might question whether this is simply the world's most expensive talking shop. US President Bill Clinton will attend for just half a day, yet with him goes a delegation of 300 aides, politicians, businessmen, secret servicemen and general hangers-on. The trip in Air Force One, with a Boeing 747 bringing up the rear, will cost the US taxpayer at least £5million. Then there are the US delegation's 80 limousines and 200 hotel rooms to pay for. The summit guest list features leaders from the worlds of politics, finance, business, medicine and the arts. It includes the richest man on the planet, Microsoft's Bill Gates, and the international financial speculator George Soros. Tony Blair, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will also be there. Guests will listen to speeches and discuss globalisation, Internet business, trade negotiations and the rich-poor divide. Aid agencies want the summit to produce positive initiatives to reduce the widening gap between the richest and poorest countries. But in private yesterday aid chiefs voiced concern that the annual meeting produces no concrete proposals. In fact, the agenda is little different from last year, they point out. "Davos is long on talk and, at the moment, short on practical solutions," said one aid worker. Figures published yesterday - 30 years on from the first meeting - highlight the growing gulf between rich and poor countries. In 1950 the gap was 35-1, by 1997 it had grown to 727-1. The forum's multi-million pound funding comes from private, unnamed partners and big companies such as Andersen Consulting, as well as multi-national giants such as Coca-Cola, Audi and IBM. Cynics might suggest the choice of venue for the annual jamboree - a hub of non-stop dining and skiing - indicates that some delegates might have a little more than just talks on their mind. This would seem to be confirmed by the fact that high-class escort agencies have put hundreds of girls on standby. Davos residents know that the six-day summit can earn the town more than £5million - a fifth of its annual income - and some shops will open round the clock. Ten of the 40 heads of state attending will be staying at the Seehof Hotel, where manager Christoph Schlosser has flown in acclaimed chef Anton Mosimann from London. "I'm thrilled to be here," said Mosimann. "I know the kind of food these people like. I am keeping it simple and light." Fearing violent protests like those that disrupted last year's World Trade Organisation summit in Seattle, the Swiss are taking no chances with security. Hundreds of soldiers will patrol the surrounding dense forest and snow-covered mountains."With so many heads of state and some of the richest and most powerful men in the world, the chances of protests and attacks, kidnappings and assassination attempts, are high," said an official. © Express Newspapers, 2000 back to news previous article next article top of page status | feedback | copyright | help | contact | privacy | clock A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Gun Controls Kills
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- GUN CONTROL IS PUTTING THE FIRST CLIP IN THE TEN RING. IF ALL AMERICA CARRIED FIRE ARMS WHAT JAILS COULD THEY PUT US IN. STAND UP FOR THE SECOND AMENDMENT. A SON OF LIBERTY! A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Hillary on Letterman Show Secret Service
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- OH MY GOD YOU MAY BE RIGHT I NEED TO CYBER SCRUB ALL POST FROM NOW ON OH THE horror THE horror. A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Interderdimensional psychic attacks....
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Everyone knows the real threat are the interdementional alien Spiders. These insidious beings are slowly taking over the Archon portals and blocking our ability to Overthrust to multidementionalfluidic space. Percetor Marshall iconmadd. 1st. sphere of greenhaze. In a message dated 1/19/00 1:02:36 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Do you know anyone who who has been successful with getting someone out of trouble from interdimensional psychic attack from reptilian origin A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] The Flu Plague Of 2006
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- The Flu Plague Of 2006 AS Britain reels from the worst outbreak of influenza in more than a decade, scientists have warned the next epidemic may kill millions. They fear the virus could mutate into an even bigger killer than the one which wiped out an estimated 40 million people in 1918. BOB SHIELDS imagines life after the great plague of 2006 ...IT started with a sniff ... but no-one told us it would end like this. And the tragedy is, the symptoms were there for us all to see. Influenza - flu to most of us - is the Toblerone-shaped bug that kills 4000 in the UK every year. Most of the victims are the elderly or those already weakened with heart or respiratory problems. In November, the early cases came creeping into Britain's surgeries. Doctors wrote them off as the first of winter's wheezers and sneezers. But as invisible as the bug itself, figures started to grow. Doctors noted the increase in influenza sufferers, but thought it was just a blip in their average case list. Dr Aberdeen wasn't to know that Dr Ayr was experiencing the same 20 per cent increase in flu victims. Well, not until it was too late. Hospitals were first to ring the alarm bells - registrars became anxious as the number of beds being used by flu sufferers rose. And there were some deaths that made their figures look a little uncomfortable. Regional medical officers got the information on their desks at the end of the month, but few read the reports. The Christmas party season had started. Others weren't experienced enough to understand them, but someone did - a researcher, a post-graduate on exchange from the ER-famed County General in Chicago, got hold of the figures. "What's an epidemic here in England?" he asked. "Four cases per every thousand of the population," he was told. "Guys, we just got ourselves a flu epidemic." Newspapers were slow to pick up on the story - until the death of a fit young rugby player. Until now, hardened editors felt flu was something that picked off the weak, those that were in God's waiting room anyway. But the young rugby player's picture haunted every front page. Calls to the health department rang alarms bells and the Health Minister was finally cornered in the Commons. "It's an epidemic, but not a serious one," he told MPs. Leader of the Opposition, Michael Portillo, replied with headline- grabbing gravity. "Tell that to the families of the victims. There are people dying out there. Have we learned nothing since Millennium Flu killed 29,000?" It was all too late. Hospitals began to sag under the volume of referrals from GPs. Practices that lost 300 patients a year were now seeing 10 people every day develop life-threatening illness. No-one was immune. A famous actor died. Then a senior member of the Royal Family. The nation mourned as news of the McAndrew family from Aberdeen arrived on their screens. Mrs Susan McAndrew had gone to hospital with her sons Ian, three, and Callum, five, at noon. She then sat and watched them die, in neighbouring beds, within 20 minutes of each other. A Highland primary school of just six pupils was left with just one little boy. Pictures of him sitting alone in class made every front page. Kirks and chapels buried the dead - and asked their congregations to pray for a cure. Researchers had found the bug, but were helpless against this superflu strain. Its roots were traced to Grozny, where disease had lived unchecked since the Russians obliterated the area in 2000. Locals had called it Yeltsin flu, after the late former Russian leader. Its virulence was the speed at which it travelled - and killed. One man sneezing on a Jumbo jet could infect 300 passengers. If any of them sneezed in a train, office or shop, they could infect thousands more. The Government was forced to declare a national emergency - but were hammered for deciding a week after the USA, France, Germany and Italy had announced similar status. People were dying in their thousands from Yeltsin Flu. And that was only the UK. The Euro Parliament was stunned when doctors revealed 26,000 EEC victims a day. "It's not an epidemic - it's a plague," said one newspaper's front page. "It's the Aids of the innocents," screamed another. Prime Minister Gordon Brown was forced to announce a total shutdown of all but essential industries. "People are catching this bug in schools, in factories, in shops and offices. This Government has no alternative but to close them ... close them tonight," he told a hushed Commons. It was a gamble. With the threat of food shortages, people would hoard or even loot if they had been given any longer notice. "I regret to announce a 24-hour curfew in mainland UK," he added. "Essential services - hospital staff, doctors, the police, this House, certain government agencies and the BBC will remain exempt. The Army will be mobilised to help maintain this curfew until further notice." He sat
[CTRL] Government Favors Microsoft Breakup
-Caveat Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/" /A -Cui Bono?- Government Favors Microsoft Breakup By Ted Bridis Associated Press Writer Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2000; 4:05 p.m. EST WASHINGTON Government lawyers studying ways to limit Microsoft's expansive influence in the technology industry want to break the software giant into three parts, arguing that lesser remedies in the antitrust trial would be inadequate, people close to these discussions confirmed today. If U.S. District Thomas Penfield Jackson were to agree to such a dramatic solution, such a breakup of Bill Gates' software empire would carry enormous implications for the way consumers buy and use programs for their computers. Justice Department lawyers laid out their favored proposal to break Microsoft into three parts during a secret meeting last week in Washington with representatives of the 19 states also suing the company over alleged antitrust violations, according to people close to the case who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Justice Department, which last month disclosed it had hired as its adviser a financial consulting firm, Greenhill Co. LLC of New York, argued that any lesser sanctions such as prohibiting the company from abusing its influence would be inadequate to rein in Microsoft's aggressive behavior. Attorneys general for the 19 states are deciding among themselves whether to endorse the Justice proposal but are said to be leaning in favor of it, and the plan could be presented next week when government lawyers meet privately in Chicago with the federal mediator assigned to the case, according to people close to the case. USA Today reported in today that the government favored breaking Microsoft into two parts, not three. The Justice Department, in a statement, said the story was "inaccurate in several important respects, and it does not adequately represent our views." © Copyright 2000 The Associated Press Back to the top A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Perspectives on Africa and AIDS
In a message dated 1/11/00 5:20:12 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: Perspectives on Africa and AIDS Date: 1/11/00 5:20:12 PM Central Standard Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Institute for Public Accuracy 915 National Press Building, Washington, DC 20045 (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ PM Tuesday, January 11, 2000 PERSPECTIVES ON AFRICA AND AIDS Initiating what the Clinton administration calls "the month of Africa," Vice President Al Gore spoke about AIDS in Africa at the UN Security Council on Monday. The following analysts are available for interviews on US policy toward Africa and on AIDS drugs: DEBORAH TOLLER, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.blackradicalcongress.org A policy analyst with the Institute for Public Accuracy, Toller is working on a book on myths and realities about the causes of poverty and hunger in Africa. She said: "As horrendous as the AIDS epidemic is in Africa, the neo-liberal economic policies of the IMF, World Bank and World Trade Organization are resulting in the deaths of far more people from entirely preventable and curable diseases like measles and malaria and from the continent's wars. It is no accident that the rise in death rates from wars and from diseases correlates with the rise in poverty on the continent, since these policies have been forced on African countries." CAROL THOMPSON, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.prairienet.org/acas Professor of political science at Northern Arizona University, Thompson specializes in international trade and food security in southern Africa. "In Seattle, the Africa group of the WTO had a resolution to demand the removal of patenting over life forms, but the Europeans and the U.S. refused to even put it on the agenda. The administration's Africa trade bill approaches trade in the standard neo-liberal way, which gives advantage to rich corporations. The African economies have been open for 300 years, with slavery and exploitation of mineral and agricultural commodities. The end result is the total marginalization of trade, capital and human resource development of the African continent." JAMES LOVE, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.cptech.org/ip/health Director of the Ralph Nader-founded Consumer Project on Technology, Love said: "After pressure from activists, there have been some welcomed changes in the administration policy on HIV/AIDS drugs to South Africa, however the government continues to put pressure on many poor countries to raise prices for pharmaceutical drugs." Love will be with a group, including ACT UP activists, meeting with top administration officials on these issues Wednesday afternoon. CHRIS KIMMENEZ, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.healthgap.org A member of ACT UP Philadelphia, Kimmenez said: "Monday's speech by Gore was mainly a campaign ploy. What he's proposing only amounts to about $4.35 per person with HIV. He should stop backing the drug companies and allow countries to take control of their own medical crisis through compulsory licensing (making of generic versions of essential medications) and parallel importing (buying drugs from other countries at cheaper prices)." For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 --- Headers Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from rly-yc05.mx.aol.com (rly-yc05.mail.aol.com [172.18.149.37]) by air-yc04.mail.aol.com (v67.7) with ESMTP; Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:20:12 -0500 Received: from mta2.snfc21.pbi.net (mta2.snfc21.pbi.net [206.13.28.123]) by rly-yc05.mx.aol.com (v67.7) with ESMTP; Tue, 11 Jan 2000 18:19:51 -0500 Received: from ipa2 ([63.193.119.4]) by mta2.snfc21.pbi.net (Sun Internet Mail Server sims.3.5.1999.09.16.21.57.p8) with ESMTP id [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:17:29 -0800 (PST) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:16:57 -0800 From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Perspectives on Africa and AIDS X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-id: [EMAIL PROTECTED] MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Institute for Public Accuracy 915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ PM Tuesday, January 11, 2000 PERSPECTIVES ON AFRICA AND AIDS Initiating what the Clinton administration calls "the month of Africa," Vice President Al Gore spoke about AIDS in Africa at the UN Security Council on Monday. The following analysts are available for interviews on U.S. policy toward Africa and on AIDS drugs: DEBORAH TOLER, [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[CTRL] AIDS Overwhelms S. Africa Hospitals
-Cavet Lector- A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"www.ctrl.org/A -Cui Bono- JANUARY 08, 12:28 EST AIDS Overwhelms S. Africa Hospitals By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press Writer AIDS patients in South Africa AP/Themba Hadebe [21K] -- -- PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AP) Doctors scribble notes into patients' folders while a young man lies nearby on a gurney, dying from AIDS-related tuberculosis. His abdomen convulses with gurgling gasps as he struggles to fill his saturated lungs. The doctors will not transfer him to a bed in the intensive care unit because of lack of space. ``He's busy dying,'' says Dr. Iwan Bekker, sweeping past the youth in Dora Nginza Hospital. ``Sometimes we have to play God.'' The AIDS epidemic is overwhelming South Africa so badly that some public hospitals are turning people away, limiting treatment and forcing doctors to make hard decisions about whom to save. Lucky to be in hospital AP/Themba Hadebe [17K] -- -- Looking for desperately needed help from the developed world, the governments of South Africa and other African states are eagerly awaiting a speech Monday by Vice President Al Gore to the U.N. Security Council on the impact of AIDS in Africa. With an estimated 4 million South Africans one of every 10 people already infected with the AIDS virus, the epidemic poses a huge challenge to the country's public health system. At Hlabisa Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, some patients must sleep on foam mats underneath beds holding other patients. Hospitals in the Johannesburg area are trying to stretch their budgets by limiting lab tests and releasing patients sooner. They are also training families of AIDS sufferers to care for them and prepare for their deaths at home. In the developed world, debates sometimes arise over whether heroic measures should keep a critically ill person alive. In state hospitals in South Africa, as in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, such expensive measures are rarely an option. ``We can't afford to spend money on people who are going to die,'' said Karen Michael, a researcher on AIDS at the University of Natal in Durban. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is trying to recruit all sectors of society into the fight against AIDS. ``The government will never be able to cope with it alone,'' she said in a phone interview. Tshabalala-Msimang said the government is considering inviting the private sector to create a fund to help fight the epidemic. It also plans to step up its AIDS awareness campaign and the promotion of abstinence or safe sex practices. With limited resources, the government can only take limited measures. In fiscal year 1997, the government spent $3.4 billion on health care for the nation's 40.5 million people, or less than $85 a person, the statistics office said. Unless health funds are increased and that would mean taking money away from housing, education and other strapped programs the government can't afford costly AIDS drugs like AZT. But some people say the government must throw its resources into halting the epidemic. ``We need a 'war cabinet' for AIDS,'' said the Rev. Barry Hughes-Gibbs, an Anglican priest who runs AIDS home-care training in a black township near the capital, Pretoria. Public hospitals, which serve 86 percent of black South Africans, are on the front line in the fight against AIDS, which in sub-Saharan Africa is transmitted primarily by heterosexual sex. ``Hospitals are now stretched to capacity,'' said Michael, the AIDS researcher. ``Staffers are working chronic overtime without overtime pay, and they're having a flood of patients who are not able to look after themselves. It's pretty bleak.'' At Dora Nginza Hospital near the Indian Ocean city of Port Elizabeth, HIV-positive babies will be admitted for treatment only once, then are restricted to outpatient care, said Bekker, the head of pediatrics. He pointed out rooms crowded with HIV-positive babies. ``We have a limited budget,'' Bekker said. ``When a baby gets bad, like with pneumonia, we won't admit it for the second time, but will tell the mother to take it home and let it die.'' It's a grim policy for Fanizwe, a young mother whose HIV-infected baby has already been admitted once for pneumonia and released. Infected with the AIDS virus herself, Fanizwe now faces the prospect of sitting in their shack, helplessly watching her baby succumb to the disease. ``If the baby gets sick again, he will be beyond my care,'' she says, cuddling the youngster. home ] us news ] world ] business ] sports ] weather ] search ] help ] Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Comments and questions AP privacy statement DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and
[CTRL] IMF Head Urges More Reforms
-Caveat Lector- JANUARY 07, 11:07 EST IMF Head Urges More Reforms Michel Camdessus AP/ [17K] -- -- PARIS (AP) Michel Camdessus, the outgoing managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said today that the IMF should be given better-defined responsibilities and more political weight. ``I believe in the political responsibility of multilateral institutions,'' Camdessus said in an interview with the French financial daily Les Echos. Camdessus said that the IMF's interim committee currently a consultative grouping with no executive powers should be transformed into a full-fledged decision-making body. He also said that he would like to turn the G7 summit into a wider gathering every two years by including the IMF's 24 board member countries, the World Bank and the secretary-general of the United Nations. ``This would, at last, enable us to establish a coordination of strategies,'' he said. The G7, or Group of Seven major industrial nations, gathers the political leaders of the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and Italy for periodic meetings. Camdessus, who has made it clear he will resign in mid-February, said he is proud of the support the IMF provided during his tenure to countries such as Poland. ``Today Poland can hope to join not only the European Union, but also the euro,'' Camdessus said, referring to the single European currency. ``They are aiming for a balanced budget in 2003, inflation below 4 percent and, by that date, they should have completed privatization.'' He warned that the dispute between the IMF and Russia was yet to be resolved. He said that although Russia has met economic criteria set by the IMF, the Russian Parliament has failed to adopt two key pieces of legislation. One covers financial institution bankruptcies and the other, transfers to state coffers from government-owned monopolies. home ] us news ] world ] business ] sports ] weather ] search ] help ] Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Comments and questions AP privacy statement DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: FoolWatch: David Gardner Responds to a Down Day
In a message dated 1/4/00 6:51:19 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: FoolWatch: David Gardner Responds to a Down Day Date: 1/4/00 6:51:19 PM Central Standard Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The Motley Fool) To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] FoolWatch: David Gardner Responds to a Down Day Tuesday, January 4, 1999 A HREF="http://www.fool.com"www.fool.com/A CloseChange %Change NOW 50 1916.20-85.92 -4.30% DJIA 10997.93 -359.58 -3.17% SP 5001399.42-55.80 -3.83% Nasdaq 3901.69 -229.46 -5.55% ~ Sponsored by A HREF="http://www.ppi-orders.com/index.htm?promo_code=51M118" Investorplace.co/A: There are 5 tech stocks everyone must own. Find out their names the best way to buy them today in this new A HREF="http://www.ppi-orders.com/index.htm?promo_code=51M118"FREE REPORT/A ~ A HREF=" http://www.fool.com/specials/2000/sp000103resolutions.htm"Fool Year's Resolutions/A Make resolutions you can actually keep. Join us each day for tips on getting your finances in order. Day Two: Learn how to negotiate a lower credit card rate. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/portfolios/rulebreaker/2000/rulebreaker000104.htm?re f=fwec"David Gardner Responds To A Down Day/A What if the market steadily dives 20% by March, rises to an overall loss of 6% by August, and then closes out the year falling away at the finish, down a solid 23%? Fools know how to respond. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/news/2000/foth000104.htm?ref=fwec"Value Doesn't Work... Really?/A The market is slammed and Wise investors are shakin' in their boots. Not Fools. Warren Gump revisits his own value investing. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/news/2000/quicknews000104.htm"News Commentary /A Get a Foolish perspective on the day's market movers and top stories, all on one page! Today's headlines include: CEOs that come and go, FreeMarkets in free fall, and Bebe bids bye-bye to merchandising chief. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/portfolios/rulemaker/2000/rulemaker000104.htm?ref=fw ec"Telecommunications Rule Makers?/A Qualcomm, Nokia, or Sonera? Bill Mann considers suggestions from the Fool community about possible Rule Makers in the telecommunications industry. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/ddow/2000/ddow000104.htm"Foolish Aloha/A The Foolish Four fights to maintain its place in the hearts and portfolios of investors. Barbara Eisner Bayer reminds Fools to stay Foolish. A HREF=" http://www.fool.com/dripport/2000/dripport000104.htm"Y2K Drip Portfolio/A Jeff Fischer envisions what the Drip Portfolio will be doing in the year ahead. A HREF=" http://www.fool.com/workshop/2000/workshop000104.htm"Keeping It Simple/A What is the secret behind many of the stock screens in the Workshop? It's discipline. Read all about it. A HREF=" http://www.fool.com/news/2000/foolplate000104.htm?ref=fwec"Paramet ric Searching For The Right Equation/A The mechanical design automation firm warns of a fiscal first quarter sales shortfall as its new Web-enabled product slowly comes to the fore. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/community/threads/2000/000104.htm"Hot Topics/A Fools are discussing when to start investing, how to get out of debt, and the lessons learned from a Qualcomm investor. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/fribble/2000/fribble000104.htm"Daily Fribble: Christmas Bonus Blue/As A reader has a Christmas Bonus burning a hole in her pocket. Read one Fool's well thought out plan to jump into stocks. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/news/2000/breakfast000104.htm?ref=fwec "CNET Catching Radio Waves/A An agreement expected later today could team the technology content provider with one of the radio industry's biggest players. A HREF="http://www.fool.com/foolwatch/foolwatch.htm"Today's Features/A If you have trouble accessing the links in FoolWatch, here's the place to go for the week's Foolish content. ~ Sponsored by A HREF="http://www.reliaquote.com/fool3"ReliaQuote/A STOP PAYING TOO MUCH for life insurance! SAVE up to 80%! Get A HREF="http://www.reliaquote.com/fool3"INSTANT QUOTES/A in under 30 seconds at the #1 Rated Life Insurance Service. ~ A HREF="http://www.foolmart.com/market/product.asp?pfid=MF+019+02+B"Industr y Focus 2000/A Since December 1998, the Fool's Industry Focus stocks have returned 47%. We now present "Industry Focus 2000," containing sixteen Foolish stock ideas for the new year! A HREF="http://boards.fool.com/Messages.asp?id=10100260"*NEW* Fool Direct Message Board/A Have ideas about how to improve the Motley Fool Direct or new services you'd like to see delivered to
[CTRL] Fwd: Russia to report to IMF on economy, plans on Friday
In a message dated 10/26/99 4:37:37 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Russia to report to IMF on economy, plans on Friday Date: 10/26/99 4:37:37 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Russia to report to IMF on economy, plans on Friday MOSCOW, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Russia will inform the International Monetary Fund this week on the current state of the economy and on how it intends to comply with conditions to secure further credits, government officials said on Tuesday. First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko told reporters the government would provide the necessary information on Friday in two letters For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100BXLQ.383346.625397553"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsPro files/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Russia to report to IMF on economy, plans on Friday MOSCOW, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Russia will inform the International Monetary Fund this week on the current state of the economy and on how it intends to comply with conditions to secure further credits, government officials said on Tuesday. First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko told reporters the government would provide the necessary information on Friday in two letters For the full text of this story, A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100BXLQ.383346.625397553"click here/A. (c) 1999 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. No republication, redistribution or framing is permitted absent Reuter's prior consent. Reuters is not liable for errors or delays in content or actions taken based on this content. Active hyperlinks inserted by AOL. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Dengue fever kills at leDenguast 7 near U.S. border in Mexico
-Caveat Lector- --- - e fever kills at leDenguast 7 near U.S. border in Mexico Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Copyright © 1999 Associated Press From Time to Time: Nando's in-depth look at the 20th century By ROBERTO MORA MONTERREY, Mexico (October 20, 1999 8:23 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - At least seven people have died and thousands of others have been made ill in an outbreak of Dengue fever which has swept across northern Mexico near the Texas border, local officials said Wednesday. About 5,500 people in Nuevo Leon state have been diagnosed with the painful, mosquito-borne disease this month alone. Of those, about 150 have come down with the serious, sometimes-deadly form known as hemorrhagic dengue. In neighboring Tamaulipas, which runs along the border from Nuevo Laredo to the Gulf of Mexico, 500 more cases have been reported, said Martha Marmolejo, head of Nuevo Laredo's medical services. Five people died in Nuevo Leon, and two died in Tamaulipas. People complaining of symptoms have crowded into hospitals in Nuevo Leon's capital, Monterrey, which is about 135 miles south of Laredo, Texas. Some of them turned out to be sick. Many others proved to be healthy but had become alarmed after hearing radio and television commercials urging people to combat mosquitos. Dengue occurs regularly in Nuevo Leon, usually toward the end of summer when the rainy season begins. Some 4,400 cases were registered last year. But hemorrhagic dengue has nearly doubled to 157 from 87 last year. Dengue is characterized by headaches, rashes, cramps and severe muscle and bone pains. It usually lasts about two weeks after infection, and treatment is given mostly to relieve symptoms. The hemorrhagic strain is accompanied by internal bleeding. Dengue is spread by the Aedis Egypti mosquito, the same insect that spreads yellow fever. Authorities have been spraying pools and puddles to kill the mosquito larvae. -- -- Global | Nation | Sports | Politics | Opinions | Business | Techserver | Health Science | Entertainment | Weather | Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey | Sport Server | MAIN MAIN Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Do you have some feedback for the Nando Times staff? DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Japan Wants WTO Ruling on Steel
In a message dated 10/20/99 9:37:22 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Japan Wants WTO Ruling on Steel Date: 10/20/99 9:37:22 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Japan Wants WTO Ruling on Steel .c The Associated Press TOKYO (AP) - Japan will take the United States to the World Trade Organization over its rulings against imports of Japanese steel, Japan's trade minister said Wednesday. Washington's decision to limit imports of hot-rolled steel products from Japan goes against WTO trade regulations, said Takashi Fukaya, the minister of international trade and industry. ``Steel imports from over 20 countries have been the subject of the U.S. anti-dumping procedures,'' the minister said in a statement. ``This widespread and frequent use of anti-dumping procedures, and their use to exclude steel imports from the U.S. market, is a cause for serious concern,'' he said, suggesting that the intention is protectionism. An official submission of the complaint will be made to WTO headquarters in Geneva around mid-November, a ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity. The United States decided in June to impose antidumping duties ranging from 17 percent to 67 percent on certain hot-rolled steel products. U.S. steelmakers say the help other nations give their steel industries has built up more steel-making capacity than the worldwide market needs. That makes it difficult for American companies to command the prices they desire, and led last year to five bankruptcies and about 10,000 layoffs in the United States. AP-NY-10-20-99 1036EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsPro files/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Japan Wants WTO Ruling on Steel .c The Associated Press TOKYO (AP) - Japan will take the United States to the World Trade Organization over its rulings against imports of Japanese steel, Japan's trade minister said Wednesday. Washington's decision to limit imports of hot-rolled steel products from Japan goes against WTO trade regulations, said Takashi Fukaya, the minister of international trade and industry. ``Steel imports from over 20 countries have been the subject of the U.S. anti-dumping procedures,'' the minister said in a statement. ``This widespread and frequent use of anti-dumping procedures, and their use to exclude steel imports from the U.S. market, is a cause for serious concern,'' he said, suggesting that the intention is protectionism. An official submission of the complaint will be made to WTO headquarters in Geneva around mid-November, a ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity. The United States decided in June to impose antidumping duties ranging from 17 percent to 67 percent on certain hot-rolled steel products. U.S. steelmakers say the help other nations give their steel industries has built up more steel-making capacity than the worldwide market needs. That makes it difficult for American companies to command the prices they desire, and led last year to five bankruptcies and about 10,000 layoffs in the United States. AP-NY-10-20-99 1036EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Fwd: NCPA Policy Digest 10-14-99
In a message dated 10/14/99 10:26:57 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: NCPA Policy Digest 10-14-99 Date: 10/14/99 10:26:57 AM Central Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (John C. Goodman) Sender:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] National Center For Policy Analysis DAILY POLICY DIGEST Thursday, October 14, 1999 PointCast can automatically load NCPA's Policy Digest summaries on your desktop for easy reading. For information go to http://www.ncpa.org/pointcast.html IN TODAY'S DIGEST o A SEVENFOLD INCREASE IN LAND PRICES and an apartment glut are some of the effects of "Smart Growth" policies in Portland, OreNCPA o CRITICAL INDUSTRIES HAVE NOT CERTIFIED THEIR Y2K COMPLIANCE, says former Gov. Pete Du PontNCPA/WASHINGTON TIMES o NOBEL ECONOMIST ROBERT A. MUNDELL is a defender of the gold standard and supply-side tax cuts, say observersWALL STREET JOURNAL o THE LONDON UNDERGROUND MAY BE PRIVATIZED despite the Paddington station wreck, say observersWALL STREET JOURNAL o THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS AN AGE DISCRIMINATION CASE brought by state employees, which raises issues of federalismNEW YORK TIMES o FASTEST GROWING AREAS AND INDUSTRIES HAVE LOWEST UNION MEMBERSHIP rate, according to an AFL-CIO studyNEW YORK TIMES o WHITES-ONLY AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CHALLENGED, as black student claims his 14th Amendment rights are violatedCHICAGO TRIBUNE IN TODAY'S NEWS PORTLAND: SMART GROWTH'S BAD EXAMPLE Portland, Ore., is pioneering Smart Growth (also known as the New Urbanism), the latest fad in urban planning. Smart Growth promises such things as less congestion, more affordable housing and cleaner air, says economist Randal O'Toole. But in Portland, Smart Growth policies are delivering rapidly increasing congestion, higher housing prices and more pollution. Portland's regional government, called Metro, anticipates area population will increase 75 percent by 2040. Yet it plans to increase highway capacity no more than 13 percent while it adds 90 miles of rail transit lines to the 30 miles already built. o In 1990, 92 percent of all the trips taken in the Portland area were by auto, while 3 percent were by transit and the rest were by walking or bicycling (see figure http://www.ncpa.org/ba/ba305/ba305fig1.gif ). o Metro officials project that even with planned changes, by 2040 Portlanders will still drive for 88 percent of their trips and use transit for just 6 percent. o And the number of miles of congested roads will more than triple -- partly due to "traffic calming" measures to discourage driving, such as narrowing and reducing the number of traffic lanes, including eliminating turn lanes on major streets. Metro plans to increase population density by two-thirds; for example, some neighborhoods of single-family homes have been rezoned for multi-family housing. There is now a huge surplus in apartment and multi-family housing and a major shortage of single-family homes. Since 1996, Portland has ranked among the five least affordable U.S. housing markets and land prices have increased sevenfold. Metro also admits that its plan will increase smog by 10 percent, which is consistent with Environmental Protection Agency data showing that the worst air pollution is found in the densest cities and urban areas. Source: Randal O'Toole, "Portland: Smart Growth's Bad Example," Brief Analysis No. 305, October 14, 1999, National Center for Policy Analysis, 12655 N. Central Expy., Suite 720, Dallas, Texas 75243, (972) 386-6272. For text http://www.ncpa.org/ba/ba305/ba305.html For more on Land Use Controls http://www.ncpa.org/pd/state/state4.html BEWARE COMPLACENCY ON Y2K COMPLIANCE January 1, 2000, is only two-and-one-half months away and no one knows for sure whether their lights will stay on when that date rolls around. However, recently there was a long list of electricity suppliers who had not yet announced that they are Y2K compliant. Moreover, a long list of companies in the chemical industry, water suppliers and nuclear power plants that operate on computers had yet to affirm that they are 100 percent ready for the new millennium, according to Y2K expert Dick Lefkon. o The U.S. electric power industry is comprised of approximately 3,200 different electric utilities and some big names -- including Baltimore GE, Detroit Edison, Florida Power, Indianapolis PL, Minnesota Power and Wisconsin PL -- had yet to claim they are fully ready for the 21st Century. o The chemical industry is composed of approximately 69,000 operations -- but the government has Y2K data on fewer than
[CTRL] Fwd: NCPA Policy Digest 10-13-99
In a message dated 10/13/99 12:07:31 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: "NATURAL PROCESSES" ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANTARCTIC MELTING Global warming is not -- that's NOT -- responsible for melting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, say scientists. In a study published in the prestigious journal Science, a team of scientists led by Howard Conway of the University of Washington say the Ice Sheet may be headed for a complete meltdown in a process that started thousands of years, and there is no evidence the rate is accelerating. o The process "may have been predetermined when the grounding line retreat was triggered in early Holocene time," says the report -- about 10,000 years ago. o The grounding line -- the boundary between floating ice and ice thick enough to reach the sea floor -- has retreated about 800 miles since the last ice age, withdrawing an average of about 400 feet per year for the last 7,600 years. o "It seems like the rate [of melting] that has been going on since the early Holocene is similar to the rate right now," says Conway. "Collapse appears to be part of an ongoing natural cycle, probably caused by [a] rising sea level initiated by the melting of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets at the end of the last ice age." o Continued shrinking, perhaps even complete disintegration, "could well be inevitable," the report concludes. According to estimates, the ice sheet's complete melting could raise the global sea level by 15 feet to 20 feet. But at the current rate of melting, which is raising sea levels about 0.04 inches annually, that would take about 7,000 years. Source: Associated Press, "Melting of Antarctic Ice Sheet Is Linked to Ancient History," New York Times, October 12, 1999. For NCPA's Global Warming Hotline go to http://www.ncpa.org/hotlines/global/gwhot.html SUPPLY-SIDE REFORMS BOLSTER JAPAN The Japanese economy, recently in the doldrums, has rebounded remarkably. The reason for this, observers believe, is a set of reforms similar to those the world has seen work at least twice before: Ronald Reagan's in the U.S., and Margaret Thatcher's in Britain. o In April, the Japanese government cut the highest marginal personal tax income rate (federal and local) from 63 percent to 47 percent. o The highest corporate tax rate was cut by 10 percent to just over 40 percent. o Small business tax rates were cut from about 34 percent to 27 percent. o There were no phase-outs, no exceptions, no ties to deficit reductions; in other words, pure supply-side economics. That wasn't all. Japan also cut the capital gains tax rate and the death tax rate, abolished the tax on stock trades, and suspended for two years the special one percent tax on corporate pensions. As a result, the yen has strengthened on the foreign exchange markets, the stock market shows dollar gains of 36 percent (and is now the best performer in the world) and Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's popularity is soaring. The changes are just in time. During the 1990s, government spending led to huge deficits and a national debt in dollar terms larger than that of the United States. In response, Japan leveled the highest tax rate of any Group of Seven country, which slowed the economy further without raising extra revenue. Even now, after reforms are underway, Japan still has an all-time high in unemployment and output growth has been non-existent. Prime Minister Obuchi's reforms, which now could include social security reform, couldn't have been more timely, observers say. Source: Arthur B. Laffer, "Japan Rises Again," Wall Street Journal, October 11, 1999. For more on Japan http://www.ncpa.org/pi/internat/intdex9.html National Center For Policy Analysis DAILY POLICY DIGEST Wednesday, October 13, 1999 PointCast can automatically load NCPA's Policy Digest summaries on your desktop for easy reading. For information go to http://www.ncpa.org/pointcast.html IN TODAY'S DIGEST o PRODUCTIVITY COULD GROW 2.9 PERCENT WITHOUT INFLATION, says a new study, indicating economic growth of 4 percent would be noninflationaryNCPA o TRIAL LAWYERS WANT TO SUE PAINT COMPANIES for the health costs of lead paint poisoningWALL STREET JOURNAL o ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF WORKERS OFFERED HEALTH INSURANCE REFUSE IT, according to a new surveyCENTER FOR STUDYING HEALTH SYSTEM CHANGE/USA TODAY o SOME 14 PERCENT OF TEXAS TEACHERS ARE ALTERNATIVELY CERTIFIED, and nationwide the ranks of such teachers are growingUSA TODAY o PLAINTIFFS SUE TO BE MONITORED for illnesses they may not haveINVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY o GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT CAUSING THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET TO MELT, according to
[CTRL] Superplanet Orbiting Beyond Pluto?
-Caveat Lector- Superplanet Orbiting Beyond Pluto? An object bigger than Jupiter may be orbiting beyond Pluto, giving a gravitational kick to a group of comets traveling to the inner solar system. The mystery object would be faint, slow-moving and about 32,000 times farther away from the sun than Earth, says John Murray, an astronomer at the Open University in the United Kingdom. His research is to be published in next week's Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Murray's theory is based on studies of what are called long-period comets, which are believed to originate in an area stretching 10,000 to 50,000 times farther away from the sun than Earth. Comets from this region, called the Oort Cloud, reach the inner solar system when their usual remote orbits are disturbed. He suggests that the gravitational effects from a large, unknown object -- at least as massive as Jupiter -- are responsible for disturbing these comets' paths. Murray is particularly interested in a group of these long-period comets that appear from directions strung out across the sky like an arc. Current theories of how the solar system was formed cannot account for the existence of a large planet so far from the sun. Astronomers say that if the object were 10 times bigger than Jupiter, it would be similar to a cool brown dwarf star and likely would have been detected. Murray speculates that the object, if it exists, would be like a planet and probably would have been captured and pinned into its present orbit during the formation of the solar system. By Irene Brown, Discovery News Brief Previous Brief Next Brief Related Stories Space Travel to the Stars Track Rogue Rocks Watch the Sun Cam DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] Risperdal anyone?
-Caveat Lector- As one who takes it I sure hope not. Seriously I have checked the web and not found any unusual side effects. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Europe: Dollar Up; Gold Soars
In a message dated 9/27/99 11:57:30 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Europe: Dollar Up; Gold Soars Date: 9/27/99 11:57:30 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Europe: Dollar Up; Gold Soars .c The Associated Press LONDON (AP) - Gold prices soared today following an international agreement to limit sales from government and other official stocks. The U.S. dollar was mostly higher and surged against the Japanese yen in Europe. Gold finished at $279.90 in London, up from $269.00 Friday. At midmorning, London gold dealers fixed a recommended price of $281.70. In Zurich, gold traded at $280.93, up from $268.35. Gold rose $16.95 in Hong Kong to $283.00. Monday's prices were the highest since May 7, when Britain announced it planned to sell 125 metric tons of its gold reserves by the end of next year. Gold rallied after the International Monetary Fund's policy-making Interim Committee, meeting in Washington over the weekend, approved a plan to revalue up to 14 million ounces of its gold reserves in transactions with central banks to partly finance a Third World debt initiative. The IMF had dropped plans to sell gold on the open market under pressure from gold-mining countries and U.S. lawmakers. In a further effort to bolster gold prices, central bank officials from 15 nations pledged Sunday they would hold future gold sales to limits already announced. In the currency markets, the euro was quoted at $1.0440 in late European trading, down from $1.0462 Friday. Later, in midday trading in New York, the euro traded at $1.0446. Other dollar rates in Europe, compared with late Friday, included 106.19 Japanese yen, up from 104.08; 1.5340 Swiss francs, up from 1.5296; 1.4694 Canadian dollars, down from 1.4732. The British pound was quoted at $1.6478, up from $1.6424. In midday trading in New York, the dollar bought 106.14 yen, and the pound was worth $1.6460. The U.S. currency rallied against the yen early on short-covering after a stalled selloff overnight, but the future direction depends on the Bank of Japan's policy, analysts said. Short-covering occurs when traders, who earlier had bet on a decline in the dollar, buy dollars to either take profits on the decline or limit their losses as the dollar rises. Currencies of the 11 countries participating in the euro are no longer traded separately, though they remain in use. Based on euro rates, the dollar is worth 1.8743 German marks, up from 1.8687; 6.2855 French francs, up from 6.2681; 2.1120 Dutch guilders, up from 2.1060; 1,855.55 Italian lire, up from 1,850.59. Silver closed in London at $5.36 bid per troy ounce, up from $5.27. AP-NY-09-27-99 1256EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Europe: Dollar Up; Gold Soars .c The Associated Press LONDON (AP) - Gold prices soared today following an international agreement to limit sales from government and other official stocks. The U.S. dollar was mostly higher and surged against the Japanese yen in Europe. Gold finished at $279.90 in London, up from $269.00 Friday. At midmorning, London gold dealers fixed a recommended price of $281.70. In Zurich, gold traded at $280.93, up from $268.35. Gold rose $16.95 in Hong Kong to $283.00. Monday's prices were the highest since May 7, when Britain announced it planned to sell 125 metric tons of its gold reserves by the end of next year. Gold rallied after the International Monetary Fund's policy-making Interim Committee, meeting in Washington over the weekend, approved a plan to revalue up to 14 million ounces of its gold reserves in transactions with central banks to partly finance a Third World debt initiative. The IMF had dropped plans to sell gold on the open market under pressure from gold-mining countries and U.S. lawmakers. In a further effort to bolster gold prices, central bank officials from 15 nations pledged Sunday they would hold future gold sales to limits already announced. In the currency markets, the euro was quoted at $1.0440 in late European trading, down from $1.0462 Friday. Later, in midday trading in New York, the euro traded at $1.0446. Other dollar rates in Europe, compared with late Friday, included 106.19 Japanese yen, up from 104.08; 1.5340 Swiss francs, up from 1.5296; 1.4694 Canadian dollars, down from 1.4732. The British pound was
[CTRL] Fwd: U.S. Backs World Bank Chief
In a message dated 9/27/99 1:56:04 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:U.S. Backs World Bank Chief Date: 9/27/99 1:56:04 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 U.S. Backs World Bank Chief .c The Associated Press By HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States supports a second five-year term for James Wolfensohn to head the World Bank, U.S. officials said Monday. U.S. backing ensures the Australian-born American will be reappointed. The announcement is expected at Tuesday's opening session of the bank's annual meeting. There was speculation Monday that Michel Camdessus, Wolfensohn's counterpart at the bank's sister institution the International Monetary Fund, may step down after wrestling with international financial crises for a record 12 1/2 years. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers informed finance ministers of the other major industrialized countries Saturday of the U.S. decision to renominate Wolfensohn. According to the officials, Summers said, ``Jim Wolfensohn has done an extraordinary job of bringing energy and passion to the bank's critical development mission.'' Wolfensohn, 65, would be only the second of the nine presidents in the bank's 53-year history to serve a second term, which would start next May. The other was former U.S. defense secretary Robert McNamara, president from 1968 to 1981. Under practices adopted when the bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, were established after World War II, an American heads the World Bank, a European the IMF. Wolfensohn, a former Wall Street investment banker, took over at the bank in June 1995. Friends and colleagues say the Frenchman Camdessus, 66, already past the midpoint of a record-breaking third five-year term at the IMF, has been drained by dealing with a series of international financial crises while fending off IMF critics. His office says it refuses to comment on rumors. AP-NY-09-27-99 1455EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. U.S. Backs World Bank Chief .c The Associated Press By HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States supports a second five-year term for James Wolfensohn to head the World Bank, U.S. officials said Monday. U.S. backing ensures the Australian-born American will be reappointed. The announcement is expected at Tuesday's opening session of the bank's annual meeting. There was speculation Monday that Michel Camdessus, Wolfensohn's counterpart at the bank's sister institution the International Monetary Fund, may step down after wrestling with international financial crises for a record 12 1/2 years. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers informed finance ministers of the other major industrialized countries Saturday of the U.S. decision to renominate Wolfensohn. According to the officials, Summers said, ``Jim Wolfensohn has done an extraordinary job of bringing energy and passion to the bank's critical development mission.'' Wolfensohn, 65, would be only the second of the nine presidents in the bank's 53-year history to serve a second term, which would start next May. The other was former U.S. defense secretary Robert McNamara, president from 1968 to 1981. Under practices adopted when the bank and its sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, were established after World War II, an American heads the World Bank, a European the IMF. Wolfensohn, a former Wall Street investment banker, took over at the bank in June 1995. Friends and colleagues say the Frenchman Camdessus, 66, already past the midpoint of a record-breaking third five-year term at the IMF, has been drained by dealing with a series of international financial crises while fending off IMF critics. His office says it refuses to comment on rumors. AP-NY-09-27-99 1455EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A
[CTRL] Fwd: U.S. Proposes IMF Changes
In a message dated 9/24/99 4:49:48 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:U.S. Proposes IMF Changes Date: 9/24/99 4:49:48 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 U.S. Proposes IMF Changes .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration, responding to growing criticism about its policies toward Russia, says it will push for changes at the International Monetary Fund to make sure Russia and other countries don't misuse the billions of dollars the IMF provides in loans. While insisting the administration's overall approach to Russia has been sound, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers unveiled proposals Thursday that would call on the IMF to make wider use of independent audits and allow the lending agency to impose stiffer penalties for countries caught lying. Summers said he expected to gain backing for the proposals during a meeting Saturday of finance ministers and central bank presidents of the world's seven wealthiest countries - the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Canada. The changes would have to be approved by the IMF's governing board. ``We have a huge interest in whether Russia becomes a market economy, on whether it stays a democracy,'' Summers said in announcing the package of proposed reforms. The new requirements are intended to strengthen the IMF's ability to guard against the misuse of its loans - one of the allegations that has been made against Russia in a widening investigation of corruption and money laundering in that country. The package of proposals comes amid renewed criticism from Republicans in Congress that the Clinton-backed IMF approach to Russian economic reform has been a huge failure. The United States will ask that the IMF be required to order independent audits of central banks in countries suspected of misusing loans. It also wants the IMF to be given greater leeway to penalize borrowing countries caught lying to the agency about domestic economic conditions and be allowed to impose penalties for abuse even after a country has stopped borrowing from the agency. The G-7 discussions this weekend are being held in advance of the annual meetings of the 182-nation International Monetary Fund and its sister lending organization, the World Bank. Financial markets are anticipating that participants also may discuss a plan to jointly intervene in currency markets to buy dollars in support of the U.S. currency, which is close to a 44-month low against the Japanese yen. The dollar's weakness has unnerved American investors, who fear it will boost the cost of imports and add to inflation, and has been cited as a key reason for falling U.S. stock prices. Summers refused to be drawn into a discussion on whether the G-7 might consider coordinated intervention to support the dollar. He said he will stress the need for more balanced global growth - with increased economic activity in Europe and Japan taking the pressure off the U.S. economy. But Summers said Japan's recovery remained uncertain, making it critical for the Japanese government to remain committed to ``continued stimulus, using all available tools'' to boost domestic-led demand. On another matter., Summers and IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus said they were optimistic that agreement may be reached on a plan to increase the amount of debt relief provided to the world's 41 poorest nations. A the key elements of the plan is the sale of 14 million ounces of the IMF's gold reserves to IMF member countries, rather than on the open market, and use the proceeds to forgive debt held by these countries. AP-NY-09-24-99 0548EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. U.S. Proposes IMF Changes .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration, responding to growing criticism about its policies toward Russia, says it will push for changes at the International Monetary Fund to make sure Russia and other countries don't misuse the billions of dollars the IMF provides in loans. While insisting the administration's overall approach to Russia has been sound, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers unveiled proposals Thursday that would call on the IMF to make wider use of independent audits and allow the lending agency to impose stiffer penalties
[CTRL] GUN CONTROLS WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED RECENT SHOOTINGS
-Caveat Lector- GUN CONTROLS WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED RECENT SHOOTINGS Gun control advocates and adversaries alike agree that none of the gun legislation now before Congress would have averted the recent massacre in a Texas church -- or any similar recent gun- related calamity. o In that string of violence, all the killers had either bought their guns legally or found an easy way to get around state and federal laws. o The provisions now on the table -- from child safety-locks to stricter regulation of gun shows -- would not have stopped the sales or saved the people who died in the attacks. o Gun control advocates admit that Congress can do nothing to prevent a mentally unstable person who has legal access to guns from using them. o Determining the mental health of a would-be buyer is a thorny problem, says Adam Eisgrau, chief lobbyist for the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and Handgun Control -- who adds that providing federal authorities or gun dealers with mental health records raises "substantial privacy issues." Source: David B. Ottaway and Barbara Vobejda, "Gun Control's Limited Aim," Washington Post, September 19, 1999. For more on Gun Control Myths http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/crime51.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Swiss Banks Freeze Russian Funds
In a message dated 9/21/99 9:38:13 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Swiss Banks Freeze Russian Funds Date: 9/21/99 9:38:13 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Swiss Banks Freeze Russian Funds .c The Associated Press Today, the Swiss government announced that Swiss banks have frozen $16.8 million in accounts suspected to be linked to the Russian case. A 1998 law requires banks to take such action and report to the government when they have well-founded suspicions of money laundering. Folco Galli, spokesman for the Federal Office for Police Affairs, told The Associated Press a number of reports have been received in connection with the Bank of New York case. Russia now owes some $16 billion of the $22 billion that the 182-nation IMF has lent it since 1992. The IMF board is expected soon to consider approving a second, $640 million installment under a $4.5 billion loan package for Russia that was previously authorized. Russian President Boris Yeltsin received Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Federal Security Service, today at his country residence for talks on the money-laundeirng investigation. Yeltsin has not commented publicly on the expanding scandal, though the Kremlin has issued statements denying any wrongdoing by the president. A Russian delegation traveled to Washington last week, and both countries agreed to investigate the matter and compare notes, Patrushev told Yeltsin. Viktor Ivanov, deputy head of the Federal Security Service, Russia's main intelligence agency, said Monday that U.S. investigators have presented no evidence that money from the IMF or other international agencies was involved in money laundering. Nor was there any evidence that high-level Russian officials were involved, said Ivanov. He headed a team of Russian investigators who met in Washington last week with FBI Director Louis Freeh and other officials. But Ivanov's statement Monday that U.S. investigators have material suggesting Russian businesses laundered money through the Bank of New York appeared to contradict Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who said earlier Monday that the visit produced no evidence of Russian money being misdirected. Ivanov's remarks also contradicted his own comments last week in Washington. Russian officials have been saying the case has been overblown by Western media and politicians. Bank of New York spokesman Cary Giacalone declined to comment on the latest statements from Ivanov. He repeated the bank's previous position that it has not been accused of any wrongdoing and declined to comment on the ongoing investigation into money-laundering allegations. AP-NY-09-21-99 1037EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Swiss Banks Freeze Russian Funds .c The Associated Press Today, the Swiss government announced that Swiss banks have frozen $16.8 million in accounts suspected to be linked to the Russian case. A 1998 law requires banks to take such action and report to the government when they have well-founded suspicions of money laundering. Folco Galli, spokesman for the Federal Office for Police Affairs, told The Associated Press a number of reports have been received in connection with the Bank of New York case. Russia now owes some $16 billion of the $22 billion that the 182-nation IMF has lent it since 1992. The IMF board is expected soon to consider approving a second, $640 million installment under a $4.5 billion loan package for Russia that was previously authorized. Russian President Boris Yeltsin received Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Federal Security Service, today at his country residence for talks on the money-laundeirng investigation. Yeltsin has not commented publicly on the expanding scandal, though the Kremlin has issued statements denying any wrongdoing by the president. A Russian delegation traveled to Washington last week, and both countries agreed to investigate the matter and compare notes, Patrushev told Yeltsin. Viktor Ivanov, deputy head of the Federal Security Service, Russia's main intelligence agency, said Monday that U.S. investigators have presented no evidence that money from the IMF or other international agencies was involved in money laundering. Nor was there any evidence that high-level Russian officials were involved, said Ivanov. He headed a team of
[CTRL] Mysterious Blobs Along N.J. Shore
-Caveat Lector- What Could It Be? Mysterious Blobs Along N.J. Shore Have Scientists Scratching Their Heads 9.56 a.m. ET (1356 GMT) September 12, 1999 By Michael P. Regan SEA ISLE CITY, NJ Environmentalists, tourists and local officials agree: They've never seen anything quite like it. Mike Regan/Fox News Like nothing you've ever seen on the beach In fact, authorities were so puzzled by the huge blobs of the white, gelatinous substance that washed up on the Jersey Shore last week they had to send pieces of it to a lab in Louisiana. They are still waiting to hear back on what the material is. At least they know a little about what it isn't. The estimated five to seven tons of material which was on the shore in at least four communities is neither toxic nor radioactive. And while "the blob" doesn't appear harmful to humans, some environmentalists are wondering what it might do to sea life. "It may be harmful to other animals," said Tony Totah, a marine biologist with New Jersey's nonprofit Clean Ocean Action group. Totah is especially concerned sea turtles and small whales may mistake the material for jellyfish or other saltwater delectables. "They may try eating it and it may block their digestive system," Totah said. And if smaller parasites start growing on the chunks, he said, "that makes it look more inviting to them." And humans, too, could not resist giving the rubbery chunks some as long as 15 feet a poke or two with bare feet or sticks. It Came From the Sea Beachgoers were startled Labor Day when the mysterious blobs which resembled giant pieces of used chewing gum rode ashore along waves churned by the remnants of tropical storm Dennis. The material landed on the sand in the towns of Atlantic City, Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City, officials said. "It was treated like a solid waste and is not going to have a residual or environmental impact" Some people didn't know what to think. "I'm surprised the EPA didn't react with some type of press release or public service announcement," said Chris Onderdonk, a tourist from Pennsylvania who watched the blobs wash up. "I'll tell you, some people were afraid it might be a health hazard. ... I was surprised to see parents letting their kids play on it even though they knew nothing about it." An emergency response team from New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rushed to the beaches Monday to do field tests. But they determined the blobs nontoxic, and decided to keep the beaches open. "It wasn't radioactive, didn't have any hazardous aspects to it," said Loretta O'Donnell, a spokesperson for the DEP. "It was treated like a solid waste," she said, and is "not going to have a residual or environmental impact." Coast Guard Lt. Dan Higman said the field tests are accurate enough to assess their risks. Nonetheless, the Coast Guard sent samples down to a lab in Louisiana to find out more. "The hope is that if we can ID exactly what it is, we may be able to track it to a source," Higman said. "It's just so large, the clumps of it coming in are huge, so we really have no idea," Higman said. The theories along the beach in Sea Isle City ranged anywhere from space aliens to some kind of elaborate packaging used by drug smugglers. Higman said the lab tests that will give the chemical breakdown of the blobs should be back this week. Until then, officials and beachgoers continue to speculate on the origin of the puzzling chunks. The theories along the beach in Sea Isle City on Monday ranged anywhere from space alien lifeforms to some kind of elaborate packaging used by drug smugglers. "Some of the best guesses are it might have come from a vessel offshore, or a container might have fallen overboard," Higman said. The only thing remotely similar to these chunks, Higman said, was "a spill up around that neck of the woods about three years ago." He said that "wound up being a component of hand cream." Not that anyone should rub this stuff on their chafed hands. "If they don't know what it is that's washing up on the beach, people shouldn't handle it," said Totah, the marine biologist. "If it's something that doesn't look natural, who could say that next year something happens and people say it's the same stuff and it's not the same stuff." [EMAIL PROTECTED] © 1999, News America Digital Publishing, Inc. d/b/a Fox News Online. All rights reserved. Fox News is a registered trademark of 20th Century Fox Film Corp. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF Finds Signs of Global Recovery
In a message dated 9/12/99 5:20:22 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF Finds Signs of Global Recovery Date: 9/12/99 5:20:22 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF Finds Signs of Global Recovery .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - The global economy finally is showing signs of an upturn after struggling for more than two years with a virulent financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund said Sunday. The 182-nation lending organization said in its annual report that threats of economic troubles spreading have lessened considerably since last fall, when the collapse of the Russian ruble was felt around the world. ``This year the worst of the crisis seems well behind us,'' said the IMF's deputy managing director, Stanley Fischer. ``Most of the Asian crisis countries are recovering fast. ... Brazil's IMF-supported adjustment program is succeeding, and growth has been more rapid than expected. And the Russian economy too is doing better than expected.'' The IMF used the report to defend its handling of the currency crisis. In August 1998, it looked as if the crisis could drag down economies in the United States and elsewhere after Russia's botched ruble devaluation rocked financial markets from New York to Tokyo. The agency had assembled billions of dollars in rescue loans but appeared powerless to halt the spread of currency troubles that began in Thailand in July 1997. IMF critics also complained of excessive secrecy and a one-size-fits-all mentality toward economic recovery programs. Even with improvements in the overall economy, the IMF has been embarrassed again in recent days. Russia, the recipient of more IMF assistance than any other nation, is alleged to be involved in financial corruption, including bribery and massive money laundering through a New York bank. On Friday, the IMF announced it was suspending a $12 billion Indonesian loan program, citing a banking scandal and the government's conduct in East Timor. Also last week, the Netherlands government leaked a memo indicating that opposition from members of Congress representing gold-mining states had brought the IMF close to abandoning efforts to sell gold directly to the public. The sales would finance debt relief for poor countries. IMF officials insisted they were near agreement on a deal to use gold but avoid direct sales to the public, which the mining industry feared would depress already weak gold prices. The IMF annual report said it has acted numerous times in the past year to reduce secrecy surrounding its deliberations and force member countries to provide investors with more timely and accurate information about economic conditions. For the first time, the agency began seeking permission of member countries to post on the IMF's World Wide Web site results of annual IMF reviews of individual countries' economic performances. The IMF also began publishing the exact economic reforms that countries agree to implement in exchange for loans. ``We have come a very long way on transparency in just a few years,'' Fischer told reporters at a briefing on the annual report. The IMF said it had made less progress in restructuring the global financial system to reduce the likelihood of future crises. Still, the agency said nations were moving ahead with proposals to adopt standards of good conduct in banking and other areas. It conceded a lack of agreement on ways to ensure that IMF rescue loans not be used to bail out private investors who made risky bets in emerging markets. In one way, the IMF, which is having its annual meeting this month, is in far better shape financially to deal with the next crisis: Its members approved an increase in resources, which the report said stood at $76.6 billion in uncommitted reserves on April 30. That is more than double the level of a year earlier. But outstanding loans to troubled countries are up, to a record $90.8 billion at the end of April, or 20 percent higher than 12 months earlier. The Clinton administration won approval after a long struggle for an increase of $18 billion in U.S. support to the IMF. But Congress imposed numerous conditions aimed at pushing the agency to move more quickly toward changes in its operations. AP-NY-09-12-99 1819EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A
[CTRL] Fwd: Summit May Aid China WTO Progress
In a message dated 9/8/99 4:49:45 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Summit May Aid China WTO Progress Date: 9/8/99 4:49:45 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Summit May Aid China WTO Progress .c The Associated Press By TERENCE HUNT AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House raised the possibility Wednesday of a trade breakthrough when President Clinton meets with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in New Zealand on the eve of a summit of Pacific Rim leaders. Clinton economic adviser Gene Sperling said the administration hopes the discussions between the two presidents on Saturday ``would at least lead to a resumption of negotiations and momentum'' toward a deal that would allow China to join the World Trade Organization. It will be the first Clinton-Jiang meeting in 15 months. Since then, relations plummeted on allegations of Chinese spying and theft of U.S. nuclear secrets, the U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia and tensions between China and rival Taiwan. Trade talks were frozen by the May 7 embassy bombing in Belgrade. The negotiations are aimed at allowing China's entry into the WTO, a move that would require Beijing to lower trade barriers and presumably lead to greatly increased access of U.S. products in Chinese markets. In preparations for Saturday's meeting, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative Robert Cassidy met with China's top WTO negotiator in Beijing this week. U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky is to meet with Chinese trade officials in New Zealand before the two leaders sit down. Clinton will leave Washington late Thursday, crossing the international dateline after a refueling stop in Hawaii and arriving in Auckland Saturday morning. Saturday's only appointment is with Jiang. The president will meet jointly Sunday with Presidents Keizo Obuchi of Japan and Kim Dae-jung of South Korea, discussing North Korea's suspected preparations to test a long-range ballistic missile. Clinton also will meet with Russia's new prime minister, Vladimir Putin, on the heels of new allegations about Russian corruption and money laundering. Later Sunday, Clinton will join leaders for the opening talks of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC). ``APEC met last year in the shadow of Asia's financial crisis,'' National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said. ``It will meet next week in the wake of a surprisingly strong recovery.'' In addition to economic issues, the meeting also will focus on security matters, particularly the violence by pro-Indonesia militias in East Timor. Berger hinted that failure by Indonesia to resolve the crisis, or to request the assistance of the international community, could result in the withholding of Western financial support to the populous island nation. ``How the Indonesian government deals with the challenges in East Timor will have implications for the capacity of the international community to support Indonesia's economic program,'' Berger told a White House briefing. After the conclusion of the APEC meeting, Clinton will fly to Queenstown on Tuesday for a day of rest. On Wednesday, the president will travel to Christchurch, a southern city that is the starting point for most American expeditions to the Antarctic. He will speak at the Antartica Center about efforts to protect the global environment. The president also will meet with New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and opposition leader Helen Clarke. He also is to attend a black-tie dinner given by Shipley before a late takeoff for home. En route to Washington, Clinton will stop in Hawaii again for refueling and a day of golf. AP-NY-09-08-99 1748EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Summit May Aid China WTO Progress .c The Associated Press By TERENCE HUNT AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House raised the possibility Wednesday of a trade breakthrough when President Clinton meets with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in New Zealand on the eve of a summit of Pacific Rim leaders. Clinton economic adviser Gene Sperling said the administration hopes the discussions between the two presidents on Saturday ``would at least lead to a resumption of negotiations and momentum'' toward a deal that would allow China to join the World Trade
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF Approves New Loans for Ukraine
In a message dated 9/8/99 8:18:18 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF Approves New Loans for Ukraine Date: 9/8/99 8:18:18 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF Approves New Loans for Ukraine .c The Associated Press KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - The International Monetary Fund approved the release of $184 million to the Ukraine from a $2.6 billion aid package, the central bank said Wednesday. The funds were expected to arrive in a few days, National Bank spokesman Dmytro Rikberg said. The former Soviet republic is desperate for new loans so that it can meet foreign debt obligations of more than $3 billion next year. The government's own revenues are far below target because of severe economic problems in the country. Some analysts predict that Ukraine will default on its 2000 debt obligations, but government officials have insisted they will meet them in full if the IMF continues to disburse aid. The fund, which approved the three-year loan for Ukraine in 1998, has suspended disbursements several times because the government didn't meet its economic reform requirements. While agreeing to disburse the latest money, IMF directors repeated their long-standing demands that Ukraine speed up privatization and approve a realistic budget for 2000 to make debt servicing easier. AP-NY-09-08-99 0917EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. IMF Approves New Loans for Ukraine .c The Associated Press KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - The International Monetary Fund approved the release of $184 million to the Ukraine from a $2.6 billion aid package, the central bank said Wednesday. The funds were expected to arrive in a few days, National Bank spokesman Dmytro Rikberg said. The former Soviet republic is desperate for new loans so that it can meet foreign debt obligations of more than $3 billion next year. The government's own revenues are far below target because of severe economic problems in the country. Some analysts predict that Ukraine will default on its 2000 debt obligations, but government officials have insisted they will meet them in full if the IMF continues to disburse aid. The fund, which approved the three-year loan for Ukraine in 1998, has suspended disbursements several times because the government didn't meet its economic reform requirements. While agreeing to disburse the latest money, IMF directors repeated their long-standing demands that Ukraine speed up privatization and approve a realistic budget for 2000 to make debt servicing easier. AP-NY-09-08-99 0917EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF Issues World Economic Forecast
In a message dated 9/7/99 2:58:55 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF Issues World Economic Forecast Date: 9/7/99 2:58:55 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF Issues World Economic Forecast .c The Associated Press AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to expand by 2.8 percent this year and by 3.4 percent in 2000, according to preliminary IMF projections posted late Tuesday on the Dutch Finance Ministry's Internet site. The document, placed for unknown reasons on the Finance Ministry's Web site, reveals the forecasts along with the agenda for the IMF's Sept. 26-27 meeting. A Finance Ministry spokesman who declined to give his name said the forecasts in the document were preliminary and could change before the meeting. The outlook for the expansion of the global economy as outlined in the document is an upward revision of the IMF's previous world economic outlook in May, when gross domestic product was seen to rise by 2.3 percent in 1999 and by 3.3 percent next year. The Finance Ministry said growth estimates for all ``Asian crisis countries'' have been revised upwards, and that the crises in Russia and Brazil are less problematic than expected. Brazil's 1999 GDP is expected to contract by only 1 percent, down from a previous 3.7 percent, and Russia's economy should shrink by 2 percent, down from an earlier forecast of 7 percent. ``Growth in Japan and Europe seems to be recovering and the expansion in the U.S. is continuing, almost without price or wage pressure,'' the document said. It noted that the IMF now sees imbalances such as the highly valued stock market and the strong U.S. dollar as a danger for an overheating of the American economy, and said timely rate increases in the United States might be needed in order to prevent a ``hard landing.'' For Japan, the preliminary economic outlook called for GDP growth of 0.2 percent in 1999 and a growth of 1 percent in 2000. ``Several signals point to a limited recovery of the Japanese economy,'' the document read. It said economic growth in the 11 countries committed to Europe's common currency should expand by 2.1 percent this year and by 2.8 percent in 2000. For the entire European Union, GDP was projected to increase by 1.9 percent in 1999 and by 2.7 percent next year. AP-NY-09-07-99 1557EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. IMF Issues World Economic Forecast .c The Associated Press AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to expand by 2.8 percent this year and by 3.4 percent in 2000, according to preliminary IMF projections posted late Tuesday on the Dutch Finance Ministry's Internet site. The document, placed for unknown reasons on the Finance Ministry's Web site, reveals the forecasts along with the agenda for the IMF's Sept. 26-27 meeting. A Finance Ministry spokesman who declined to give his name said the forecasts in the document were preliminary and could change before the meeting. The outlook for the expansion of the global economy as outlined in the document is an upward revision of the IMF's previous world economic outlook in May, when gross domestic product was seen to rise by 2.3 percent in 1999 and by 3.3 percent next year. The Finance Ministry said growth estimates for all ``Asian crisis countries'' have been revised upwards, and that the crises in Russia and Brazil are less problematic than expected. Brazil's 1999 GDP is expected to contract by only 1 percent, down from a previous 3.7 percent, and Russia's economy should shrink by 2 percent, down from an earlier forecast of 7 percent. ``Growth in Japan and Europe seems to be recovering and the expansion in the U.S. is continuing, almost without price or wage pressure,'' the document said. It noted that the IMF now sees imbalances such as the highly valued stock market and the strong U.S. dollar as a danger for an overheating of the American economy, and said timely rate increases in the United States might be needed in order to prevent a ``hard landing.'' For Japan, the preliminary economic outlook called for GDP growth of 0.2 percent in 1999 and a growth of 1 percent in 2000. ``Several signals point to a limited recovery of the Japanese economy,'' the document read. It said
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF Probes Russia's Use of Loans
In a message dated 9/6/99 1:04:17 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF Probes Russia's Use of Loans Date: 9/6/99 1:04:17 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF Probes Russia's Use of Loans .c The Associated Press By ANNA DOLGOV MOSCOW (AP) - The International Monetary Fund began a new probe Monday into whether the Russian central bank misused IMF loans, officials said. The probe comes amid allegations that IMF loan money may have been illegally diverted through the Bank of New York. American investigators reportedly believe that up to $10 billion may have been funneled by Russians through the bank, and some suggested that IMF aid may have been among those funds. However, IMF officials have insisted that the new investigation is unrelated to the allegations involving the Bank of New York. The central bank probe is being conducted by the IMF and accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and looks into whether the bank misused IMF loans by means of foreign affiliates, a source close to the investigation told Dow Jones Newswires. The Russian central bank has misled the IMF about the state of its finances before, and the Russian government had to agree to independent reviews of its books as a condition for a $4.5 billion loan from the IMF approved in July. Russia has received the first $640 million installment of the loan. The second installment, expected next month, depends on the IMF's assessment of Russia's compliance with the loan terms. ``We are not going to make excuses for ourselves, we are ready to provide the necessary information,'' Russian Deputy Finance Minister Oleg Vyugin was quoted as saying Monday by ORT television. After the allegations of money laundering through the Bank of New York were made public, the United States - the IMF's biggest member - delayed deciding whether it should support new IMF loans to Russia until a full accounting is made of IMF money already lent. An earlier investigation by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that the central bank in 1996 secretly moved $1.2 billion of its reserves to an offshore company, FIMACO, based on the Channel Island of Jersey. IMF Deputy Managing Director Stanley Fischer said the fund would have suspended Russia's loan program in place at the time if the truth were known. Money laundering and capital flight have been major problems for Russia throughout this decade, with tens of billions of dollars pouring out of the country. The IMF investigation and the Bank of New York case are among several financial scandals that allegedly link prominent Russian political or business figures to corruption and money laundering. Switzerland is helping Russia investigate allegations that Swiss construction company Mabetex bribed top Kremlin officials, including President Boris Yeltsin, to win lucrative renovation contracts. Last month, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra said Mabetex deposited more than $1 million in a Swiss bank account and a top Kremlin aide made the money available to Yeltsin and his daughters. Yeltsin has not commented publicly on the scandal. And he doesn't intend to, presidential spokesman Dmitry Yakushkin said Monday. ``One doesn't need to go out into the town square and state publicly that he is not guilty,'' Yakushkin was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. ``The methods of the Inquisition should not be restored at the end of the 20th century. (PROFILE (CO:Bank of New York; TS:BK; IG:BNK;) AP-NY-09-06-99 1404EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. IMF Probes Russia's Use of Loans .c The Associated Press By ANNA DOLGOV MOSCOW (AP) - The International Monetary Fund began a new probe Monday into whether the Russian central bank misused IMF loans, officials said. The probe comes amid allegations that IMF loan money may have been illegally diverted through the Bank of New York. American investigators reportedly believe that up to $10 billion may have been funneled by Russians through the bank, and some suggested that IMF aid may have been among those funds. However, IMF officials have insisted that the new investigation is unrelated to the allegations involving the Bank of New York. The central bank probe is being conducted by the IMF and accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and looks into whether the bank
[CTRL] Fwd: Yeltsin Discusses Banking Scandal
In a message dated 9/3/99 7:42:59 AM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Yeltsin Discusses Banking Scandal Date: 9/3/99 7:42:59 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Yeltsin Discusses Banking Scandal .c The Associated Press By GREG MYRE MOSCOW (AP) - President Boris Yeltsin, who has remained silent on an alleged money laundering scandal linked to Russia, summoned a top security officer to the Kremlin today for private talks on the controversy. Yeltsin makes only occasional public remarks these days, and has left Kremlin aides to respond to several corruption scandals swirling around his administration. In the most serious case, U.S. investigators are trying to determine whether Russian criminal groups laundered up to $10 billion through the Bank of New York. No one has been charged with a crime, and the Russian government has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Still, Russian officials believe the country's reputation is being harmed, and the Federal Security Service is investigating the extent of Russian involvement. The head of the security service, Nikolai Patrushev, met Yeltsin in the Kremlin, and told the president that the Bank of New York scandal was tied to U.S. politics. ``I reported to the president that the case is political ... and linked to the elections in the United States,'' Patrushev said. ``Of course, it's absurd to talk about such a sum'' being diverted illegally. Russian and U.S. authorities have held several meetings on the case, Patrushev noted, but said the FBI hasn't provided the Russians with any leads for them to pursue. ``If they have some specific evidence, we will carefully consider that,'' he said. ``As of today, they haven't provided us with any such materials.'' U.S. newspapers have reported that the Russian government may have diverted loan money from the International Monetary Fund, but the IMF and the U.S. government say they have no evidence of this. The U.S. government - the IMF's largest member - said it won't decide whether to approve new loans until a full accounting is made of the IMF money Russia has already received. The IMF was expected to release a $640 million installment of a $4.5 billion loan package this month. An IMF mission is currently in Moscow to review Russia's compliance with conditions for the package. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the country ``does not intend to defend itself in the wake of media publications.'' ``We have no reason to explain ourselves. As for Russia's good name, it has one,'' Ivanov told the Interfax news agency while on a trip to Armenia. The Russian press has denounced the Western reports in the Bank of New York case, calling it an anti-Russian witch hunt and a return to the Cold War. The reaction reflects the recent decline in relations between the United States and Russia. The two nations clashed over the Kosovo conflict and Moscow is increasingly nationalistic, a stance welcomed by many Russians nostalgic for the days of Soviet superpower status. AP-NY-09-03-99 0842EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Yeltsin Discusses Banking Scandal .c The Associated Press By GREG MYRE MOSCOW (AP) - President Boris Yeltsin, who has remained silent on an alleged money laundering scandal linked to Russia, summoned a top security officer to the Kremlin today for private talks on the controversy. Yeltsin makes only occasional public remarks these days, and has left Kremlin aides to respond to several corruption scandals swirling around his administration. In the most serious case, U.S. investigators are trying to determine whether Russian criminal groups laundered up to $10 billion through the Bank of New York. No one has been charged with a crime, and the Russian government has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Still, Russian officials believe the country's reputation is being harmed, and the Federal Security Service is investigating the extent of Russian involvement. The head of the security service, Nikolai Patrushev, met Yeltsin in the Kremlin, and told the president that the Bank of New York scandal was tied to U.S. politics. ``I reported to the president that the case is political ... and linked to the elections in the United States,'' Patrushev said. ``Of course, it's absurd to talk about such a
[CTRL] Fwd: Russian Envoy to IMF Abruptly Quits
In a message dated 9/2/99 5:39:03 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Russian Envoy to IMF Abruptly Quits Date: 9/2/99 5:39:03 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Russian Envoy to IMF Abruptly Quits .c The Associated Press By ANGELA CHARLTON MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's envoy to the International Monetary Fund abruptly quit Thursday, but insisted the decision was unconnected to reports that IMF aid to Russia may have been illegally diverted through the Bank of New York. Mikhail Zadornov said all IMF money had been spent properly, and that he was resigning to run for parliament in December. The move came amid concerns that the IMF may delay new loans to Russia over the scandal. The U.S. government - the IMF's largest member - said it won't decide whether to approve new loans until a full accounting is made of the IMF money Russia has already received. News reports have said U.S. investigators believe Russian organized crime and others laundered billions of dollars through the Bank of New York. Some reports have suggested that IMF money may have been diverted in the transactions. No one has been charged in the matter, but on Thursday the Bank of New York dismissed a second employee in connection with the scandal. A source close to the matter said Svetlana Kudryavtsev, an associate in the bank's Eastern European division, was fired for failing to cooperate with an internal probe. The bank had already fired Lucy Edwards, a London-based vice president, last Friday for gross misconduct, violation of the bank's internal policies, falsification of banks records and failure to cooperate with the bank's investigation. In Moscow, Zadornov insisted that IMF aid wasn't mishandled, he urged Russian officials to ``take an active role'' in the Bank of New York investigations. The Russian government has said little about the money laundering case. Prosecutors said they are looking into the reports, but no formal investigation has been launched. Russian organized crime has close ties with some officials and corruption is endemic in the government. Some officials have reacted with nationalist indignation to the allegations reported in Western media. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Wednesday the scandal was part of a deliberate policy by ``certain circles who don't want Russia to reassert its role as a great power.'' Russian newspapers took the same line on Thursday. ``McCarthyism lives. And its cause forges ahead,'' the influential daily Kommersant proclaimed in a front-page headline. It went on: ``Only recently the term `Soviet threat' went out of the West's political vocabulary ... To replace the `Soviet threat,' came `Russian mafia.''' The popular daily Izvestia noted that ``the West, for some unknown reason, has started missing the times of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain.'' Russian media have also linked the affair to presidential campaigning in the United States. The reaction reflects the recent decline in relations between the United States and Russia. The two nations clashed over the Kosovo conflict and the tone from Moscow is increasingly nationalistic, a stance welcomed by many Russians nostalgic for the days of Soviet superpower status. Zadornov, meanwhile, played down his departure, saying it shouldn't harm Russia's relations with the IMF. He predicted the next scheduled loan would come as scheduled later this month. Russia is the IMF's biggest borrower, with about $20 billion in lending since 1992. A long-time member of the Russian Cabinet, Zadornov said he was resigning to run for parliament as a candidate of the liberal Yabloko party, which has a reputation for honesty in Russia's often corrupt politics. President Boris Yeltsin, who must approve the resignation and appoint a successor, did not immediately respond. ``We have succeeded in fully renewing our relations with international financial institutions,'' Zadornov told a news conference. ``I consider my mission fulfilled.'' Zadornov helped negotiate the resumption of IMF aid to Moscow this July after it was frozen in the wake of Russia's financial meltdown last year. The IMF was expected to release a $640 million installment of a $4.5 billion loan package this month. An IMF mission is currently in Moscow to review Russia's compliance with conditions for the package. The Russian ruble fell against the U.S. dollar for a third day Thursday amid concerns that the IMF loan would be delayed. One dollar bought 25.79 rubles on the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, up from 25.4 rubles the day before. AP-NY-09-02-99 1838EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go
[CTRL] Fwd: Bush Pushes Free Trade
In a message dated 8/25/99 1:40:20 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Bush Pushes Free Trade Date: 8/25/99 1:40:20 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Bush Pushes Free Trade .c The Associated Press By KATIE FAIRBANK CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Texas Gov. George W. Bush pitched open trade Wednesday to a part of the country where many feel stung by it, declaring, ``We'll be prosperous if this nation does not retreat within its borders.'' Bush opened a three-day Southern swing with a series of events in South Carolina, where his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination are working hard for an early February primary. Next come campaign stops and fund-raisers in North Carolina and Georgia. Bush has been a strong advocate of the North American Free Trade Agreement pioneered by his father when he was president and put into effect in 1993 by President Clinton. Texas exports to Mexico have jumped by more than 16 percent in two years on the strength of NAFTA. But the results have been uneven by industry and region, with critics citing a particular toll on textile mills and other industries of the Carolinas. ``The fearful build walls,'' Bush told the Charleston Rotary Club in a wide-ranging stump speech that included his usual defense of liberalized trade. He acknowledged harm done to the textile industry and said, without being specific, that he supports ``anti-dumping'' laws to prevent some economic sectors from being obliterated. But in the main, he said, the United States must compete in the world. ``I say that free trade is healthy for our economy,'' he told reporters later. ``We want Mexico to succeed, not fail. After all, they are our friends.'' In North Carolina, announcements of major plant closures have been made three times just this year, eliminating jobs. Supporters say NAFTA has been a success, citing increased exports and improved relations with neighbors. Opponents say the deal has drained jobs from the United States by encouraging companies to relocate to Mexico, hire low-paid workers and ship the manufactured products back. Republican candidate Pat Buchanan calls for a stop to NAFTA when he campaigns in South Carolina, warning against the ``deindustrialization of America.'' Most other candidates in both parties either support the deal or have not made it an issue. AP-NY-08-25-99 1439EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Bush Pushes Free Trade .c The Associated Press By KATIE FAIRBANK CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Texas Gov. George W. Bush pitched open trade Wednesday to a part of the country where many feel stung by it, declaring, ``We'll be prosperous if this nation does not retreat within its borders.'' Bush opened a three-day Southern swing with a series of events in South Carolina, where his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination are working hard for an early February primary. Next come campaign stops and fund-raisers in North Carolina and Georgia. Bush has been a strong advocate of the North American Free Trade Agreement pioneered by his father when he was president and put into effect in 1993 by President Clinton. Texas exports to Mexico have jumped by more than 16 percent in two years on the strength of NAFTA. But the results have been uneven by industry and region, with critics citing a particular toll on textile mills and other industries of the Carolinas. ``The fearful build walls,'' Bush told the Charleston Rotary Club in a wide-ranging stump speech that included his usual defense of liberalized trade. He acknowledged harm done to the textile industry and said, without being specific, that he supports ``anti-dumping'' laws to prevent some economic sectors from being obliterated. But in the main, he said, the United States must compete in the world. ``I say that free trade is healthy for our economy,'' he told reporters later. ``We want Mexico to succeed, not fail. After all, they are our friends.'' In North Carolina, announcements of major plant closures have been made three times just this year, eliminating jobs. Supporters say NAFTA has been a success, citing increased exports and improved relations with neighbors. Opponents say the deal has drained jobs from the United States by encouraging companies to relocate to Mexico, hire low-paid workers and ship the
[CTRL] IMF DISHES OUT THE MONEY, BUT WHERE IT GOES IS ANYONE'S GUESS
In a message dated 8/24/99 9:43:11 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: IMF DISHES OUT THE MONEY, BUT WHERE IT GOES IS ANYONE'S GUESS International Monetary Fund officials say their job is to make payments to central banks, not monitor where it eventually winds up -- claiming the agency doesn't have the resources or the mandate to audit funds once they pass beyond a country's central bank. The IMF "doesn't ask a lot of probing questions," according to a banking consultant who works with the fund. "They don't try to embarrass anyone." o Law enforcement authorities are currently investigating whether Bank of New York Co. was one of a chain of banks that was a conduit for about $200 million possibly diverted from IMF loans to Russia. o The IMF says because the loans were paid into the Russian government's account at the New York Federal Reserve Bank -- and not to other Russian institutions -- it had neither the responsibility nor the authority to audit transactions involving those institutions. o Russia has received about $20 billion in IMF loans since 1992 -- but often fails to fulfill the economic promises it makes in order to get the loans, experts report. o Two recent audits of loans to Russia revealed that $1.2 billion in IMF money wound up at a firm in the Channel Islands, while part of a $4.8 billion IMF payment quickly evaporated as Russians cashed rubles for dollars. In both cases, the fund asked for the audits only after allegations had circulated widely in the Russian and Western media. Experts say that officials at private American banks customarily demand financial statements from borrowers, and will not disburse funds without evidence of where the loans will go. Source: Bob Davis, "IMF Doesn't Watch Fund Disbursement," Wall Street Journal, August 24, 1999. For more on International Monetary Fund World Bank http://www.ncpa.org/pi/internat/intdex13.html National Center For Policy Analysis DAILY POLICY DIGEST Tuesday, August 24, 1999 PointCast can automatically load NCPA's Policy Digest summaries on your desktop for easy reading. For information go to http://www.ncpa.org/pointcast.html IN TODAY'S DIGEST o CONGRESS BYPASSES REVIEW PROCESS AND DISHES OUT BILLIONS, as colleges rake in research fundsNEW YORK TIMES o THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND HAS NO IDEA WHERE ITS MONEY GOES, as Russia soaks up billions of disappearing dollars...WALL STREET JOURNAL o MANY RELIGIOUS GROUPS SAY "NO THANKS" TO "CHARITABLE CHOICE" and the rules that go along with accepting federal moneyWALL STREET JOURNAL o FEWER CHILDREN ARE IN POVERTY and ex-welfare mothers are working since welfare reform beganWALL STREET JOURNAL o ONLY FIVE STATES PLAN TO SPEND A LOT ON ANTI-SMOKING EFFORTS, while others have different spending plansWALL STREET JOURNAL o MARGINAL TAX INCREASES DISCOURAGE SELF-EMPLOYMENT, say economists, while increasing average taxes increases self- employmentSOUTHERN ECONOMIC JOURNAL o OFFICIALS WANT SEALED WARRANTS TO ENTER COMPUTER SYSTEMS and disable encryption softwareWASHINGTON POST o STATES WANT TO KEEP $4.2 BILLION IN SURPLUS WELFARE FUNDS, and some analysts suggest they use the money to promote marriageWASHINGTON TIMES IN TODAY'S NEWS CONGRESS PLAYS POLITICS WITH RESEARCH FUNDS In recent years, members of Congress have quietly been earmarking funds in spending bills for university research in their districts and states -- bypassing reviews by federal institutes. In the process, critics maintain, they are substituting political judgment for scientific review of which projects should qualify for research money. o Universities have lobbied for and obtained more than $7 billion directly from Congress since 1980. o Earmarked funds in this year's federal budget were a record $797 million. o Federal spending on all university-based research this year exceeded $15 billion - - including a variety of military and weapons-related programs beyond the purely scientific endeavors of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, the two federal institutions which have traditionally handed out grants. o Critics point out that the funds are usually inserted in spending bills during closed-door conferences without public debate. Also, what institution will get the funds is deliberately obscured -- for example, creating a tax break for a university "established on Aug. 6, 1872," without naming the institution. It has taken months for the Chronicle of Higher Education, which tracks academic earmarks, to decode the legislative language used to disguise the appropriations.
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF Team Probes Russia's 2000 Budget
In a message dated 8/20/99 5:23:39 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF Team Probes Russia's 2000 Budget Date: 8/20/99 5:23:39 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF Team Probes Russia's 2000 Budget .c The Associated Press By ANGELA CHARLTON MOSCOW (AP) - A team of International Monetary Fund experts on Friday began studying the Russian government's 2000 budget draft, which analysts call impressively austere - so austere that the country is unlikely to make it work. The government finalized the budget Thursday and will present it to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, next week. President Boris Yeltsin's government will likely face pressure from the Communist-led parliament to increase spending. With parliamentary elections in December and presidential elections next summer, politicians might also be tempted to boost spending. But Russia is under heavy pressure from the IMF, its biggest lender, to keep spending down and boost revenues, particularly its perennially poor tax collection. ``It's a reasonable budget, but the question is whether they will be able to adopt it, given that we're heading to a period with two elections,'' said John Orford, an economist at investment bank Robert Flemings in London. Orford and other analysts have said the 2000 budget envisages tight management of the government's resources and praised its low deficit target. The draft foresees a deficit of 1.1 percent of gross domestic product, down from 2.5 percent in this year's budget. The Duma must pass it in four readings, a process that traditionally takes months. Meanwhile, Russia's economy continues to be plagued by the fact that many companies opt to barter with suppliers and customers instead of paying bills, making it difficult to tax business transactions. That's translating into huge losses for tax coffers, said Sergei Prudnik, analyst at Moscow brokerage Troika Dialog. Also, investors, domestic and foreign, continue to withdraw money from Russia as long as Yeltsin changes prime ministers every few months and the army is enmeshed in a military conflict with Islamic guerrillas on its southern border. ``The question is when is Russia going to be able to restore confidence in the economy,'' Orford said. ``You need massive investment, and to get that you need to put in place a stable system.'' The government is pinning its hopes on higher oil prices, analysts said. With oil and gas companies generating the bulk of Russia's budget revenues, higher oil prices have helped raise tax collections. The IMF experts are in Moscow through Sept. 1 to study the budget and whether Russia has met requirements for another installment of a $4.5 billion loan package. Russian officials have said they expect a $640 million installment in September. Russia needs the money to keep servicing its massive foreign debts. AP-NY-08-20-99 1822EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. IMF Team Probes Russia's 2000 Budget .c The Associated Press By ANGELA CHARLTON MOSCOW (AP) - A team of International Monetary Fund experts on Friday began studying the Russian government's 2000 budget draft, which analysts call impressively austere - so austere that the country is unlikely to make it work. The government finalized the budget Thursday and will present it to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, next week. President Boris Yeltsin's government will likely face pressure from the Communist-led parliament to increase spending. With parliamentary elections in December and presidential elections next summer, politicians might also be tempted to boost spending. But Russia is under heavy pressure from the IMF, its biggest lender, to keep spending down and boost revenues, particularly its perennially poor tax collection. ``It's a reasonable budget, but the question is whether they will be able to adopt it, given that we're heading to a period with two elections,'' said John Orford, an economist at investment bank Robert Flemings in London. Orford and other analysts have said the 2000 budget envisages tight management of the government's resources and praised its low deficit target. The draft foresees a deficit of 1.1 percent of gross domestic product, down from 2.5 percent in this year's budget. The Duma must pass it in four
[CTRL] Fwd: Brazil's Bank Will Not Use IMF Aid
In a message dated 8/19/99 8:34:57 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Brazil's Bank Will Not Use IMF Aid Date: 8/19/99 8:34:57 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Brazil's Bank Will Not Use IMF Aid .c The Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - In an show of confidence with Brazil's currency weakening, the central bank said Thursday that it will not draw on the third part of a $41.5 billion aid package put together by the International Monetary Fund. The central bank said it will waive the right to the $4.35 billion tranche, despite the the real sliding to its weakest point in over five months. The currency closed at 1.94 to the dollar on Thursday, compared to 1.91 on Wednesday. The bank's international affairs director Daniel Gleizer said he was confident the real would soon regain strength after a shaky period this week. ``Any moment now, (the market) will realize the economy is growing more than expected, inflation is low, and we are meeting all our fiscal targets,'' he told reporters. The bank will give priority to repaying the $19.2 billion already loaned to Brazil by the IMF and other lenders before drawing more, Gleizer said. The latest tranche wasn't needed as the capital flow into Brazil remains positive. The loan was put together last year to support Brazil's economy as it was rocked by financial instability. Markets have recovered significantly in recent months, triggered by positive economic signs, but they have been knocked by uncertainty this week. On Wednesday, the central bank acted to combat a slide in the real by suspending a 0.5 percent tax on some forms of foreign capital coming into Brazil. It also intervened on the currency market for the first time since May, selling dollars to strengthen the real. In the weeks after after the government devalued the real in mid-January, the real plunged to a low of 2.20 to the dollar. Prior to that, it was worth around 1.20 to the dollar. AP-NY-08-19-99 2134EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Brazil's Bank Will Not Use IMF Aid .c The Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - In an show of confidence with Brazil's currency weakening, the central bank said Thursday that it will not draw on the third part of a $41.5 billion aid package put together by the International Monetary Fund. The central bank said it will waive the right to the $4.35 billion tranche, despite the the real sliding to its weakest point in over five months. The currency closed at 1.94 to the dollar on Thursday, compared to 1.91 on Wednesday. The bank's international affairs director Daniel Gleizer said he was confident the real would soon regain strength after a shaky period this week. ``Any moment now, (the market) will realize the economy is growing more than expected, inflation is low, and we are meeting all our fiscal targets,'' he told reporters. The bank will give priority to repaying the $19.2 billion already loaned to Brazil by the IMF and other lenders before drawing more, Gleizer said. The latest tranche wasn't needed as the capital flow into Brazil remains positive. The loan was put together last year to support Brazil's economy as it was rocked by financial instability. Markets have recovered significantly in recent months, triggered by positive economic signs, but they have been knocked by uncertainty this week. On Wednesday, the central bank acted to combat a slide in the real by suspending a 0.5 percent tax on some forms of foreign capital coming into Brazil. It also intervened on the currency market for the first time since May, selling dollars to strengthen the real. In the weeks after after the government devalued the real in mid-January, the real plunged to a low of 2.20 to the dollar. Prior to that, it was worth around 1.20 to the dollar. AP-NY-08-19-99 2134EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the
[CTRL] Conflicts Hindering WTO Efforts
-Caveat Lector- Subj: Conflicts Hindering WTO Efforts Date: 8/17/99 11:09:34 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC:Ahab42 Conflicts Hindering WTO Efforts .c The Associated Press By NAOMI KOPPEL GENEVA (AP) - Trade negotiators are preparing to launch new efforts to steer the global economy into the new millennium. But as the countdown to the launch begins, they can't even agree on a name for the talks, let alone what they should cover. The 134-nation World Trade Organization has spent the past year discussing the agenda for a ministerial meeting in Seattle beginning Nov. 30. The meeting should kickstart negotiations aimed at rolling back barriers to exports and thus - in theory - boosting international prosperity. But so far there have been few results. And when WTO diplomats return from their leisurely summer break, the tough task of whittling down more than 80 proposals into a feasible work schedule will begin in earnest. Mike Moore, New Zealand's former premier who takes up his post as WTO director-general Sept. 1, is under no illusions about the enormity of the task. ``This is the 1990s and there are new issues which have exploded which we have never thought of,'' he said. In the previous round of trade talks, nobody knew about electronic commerce, ``but now business in the Internet is doubling every hundred days,'' he said. ``Six months ago none of us really thought about genetically modified foods. These are the major issues,'' added Moore. Several thousand people are expected in Seattle for the conference, the WTO's third since it was set up in 1995. The four-day session is shaping up as a showdown between competing regional and economic interests. The joke that the negotiators will be ``sleepless in Seattle'' has been told hundreds of times already. Under the agreements reached in the last trade talks, known as the Uruguay Round, the WTO is committed to making a new effort in the year 2000 to open trade in services and agriculture. But there is nothing to stop the Seattle conference from taking on other areas as well. Developing countries including Pakistan and Mexico are insisting that the meeting should focus on compliance with the Uruguay Round accords rather than tackling new areas. In particular, they accuse industrialized countries of violating promises to import more textiles and clothing. The European Union, on the other hand, wants to see talks across the full spectrum of international trade. Critics say this is merely a ruse to deflect attention from agriculture, where the EU's protectionist policies are expected to come under threat. The United States wants to discuss labor standards. ``As President Clinton has stated, the development of the trading system must come together with efforts to ensure respect for these standards, and its results must include benefits for working people in all nations,'' U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Susan Esserman told a recent meeting of the WTO general council. That is anathema to the developing nations, who do not believe labor standards should be part of international trade agreements. They feel it is a form of protectionism, aimed at making poorer countries less competitive. The United States is also resisting any suggestion that antidumping regulations should be included. Washington has used its regulations, which allow higher tariffs for U.S. industries threatened by imports, to provide relief for domestic steelmakers in the wake of the Asian currency crisis, provoking angry opposition from countries such as Japan. In addition to the looming rows between governments, the WTO also has to come to grips with other pressures. Nongovernmental organizations are pressing their case for a bigger say in the organization's policymaking, and thousands of anti-WTO campaigners are also planning to descend on Seattle. And if that's not enough, negotiators will have to face the tricky problem of what to call the new trade round. There have been vague suggestions that it should be the ``Clinton Round,'' but these aren't taken too seriously. There is more acceptance of the idea of a ``Millennium Round.'' This has alarmed the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, which has launched a campaign to make sure the official name is the ``Seattle Round.'' AP-NY-08-18-99 0008EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] GLOBAL GREENS PUSH FOR GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
-Caveat Lector- GLOBAL GREENS PUSH FOR GLOBAL GOVERNMENT A green elite of environmentalists, politicians and bureaucrats is pushing for global regulation and world government to solve exaggerated environmental problems, such as climate change and ozone depletion, claims a new publication from the Institute of Economic Affairs. A number of international treaties reflect this global green agenda, say authors Jeremy Rabkin and James Sheehan. o The Biodiversity Convention, under the pretext of species protection, authorizes increased government control of private land use, and plans already exist to extend its restrictions to biotechnology innovation via a Biosafety Protocol. o The Basle Convention controls trade in waste, scrap and recyclable materials by defining various metals as hazardous, and Greenpeace wants it used to exclude developing countries from global scrap metal markets. o The Convention to Combat Desertification aims to prevent land degradation by giving $30 billion to African governments for anti-desertification efforts; but such aid has perpetuated land mismanagement by promoting centrally planned irrigation projects, subsidized farming and inept agro-forestry policies. o The Persistent Organic Pollutants Treaty being negotiated by governments of more than 150 countries may ban many pesticides, including those crucial to the eradication of disease-carrying mosquitoes in developing countries, such as DDT. The efforts of this green elite are self-reinforcing. Government officials in developed countries, U.N. bureaucrats and their pressure group allies lobby for increased appropriations for agencies such as the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility and national bilateral development agencies. In return for their support, environmental organizations receive subsidies and recognized status at international meetings. Thus, for instance, at the 1997 Kyoto climate meeting there were 3,500 representatives from (predominantly European) pressure groups and only 1,500 delegates from member governments. Source: Jeremy Rabkin and James Sheehan (Competitive Enterprise Institute), "Global Greens, Global Governance," Environment Working Paper No. 4, 1999, Institute of Economic Affairs, 2 Lord North Street, London SW1P 3LB, (0171) 799 3745. For IEA text http://www.iea.org.uk/ For more on the Environment go to http://www.ncpa.org/pi/enviro/envdex1.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] IMF Orders Bank Scandal Prosecution
-Caveat Lector- Subj: IMF Orders Bank Scandal Prosecution Date: 8/16/99 11:51:25 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC:Ahab42 IMF Orders Bank Scandal Prosecution .c The Associated Press BY HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - The International Monetary Fund today demanded that Indonesia quickly and publicly investigate a banking scandal and prosecute any wrongdoers. IMF spokesman Vasuki Shastry said Stanley Fischer, the IMF's deputy managing director, telephoned Indonesian President B.J. Habibie over the weekend to make the lending agency's position clear. An audit of Bank Bali, a recently nationalized institution, showed it paid around $80 million as a commission to a finance company controlled by an official of Habibie's ruling Golkar party. Shastry said the IMF has followed the banking scandal ``with increasing concern and staff have been in intensive contact'' with Indonesian officials, culminating with Fischer's call. He said IMF officials have emphasized that a satisfactory resolution of the case ``requires a thorough and independent investigation to be completed as soon as possible. ``The results should be made public,'' he said and ``legal action should be instituted in case the law was violated and steps should be taken to ensure that such practices cease.'' Shastry said Habibie assured the IMF that a full investigation is under way. On Friday the IMF expressed alarm over the scandal and warned it could lead to a loss of investor confidence at home and abroad. The Bank Bali scandal and another one have contributed to a plunge in the value of the rupiah, the country's currency, just as the battered economy was showing signs of recovery. The IMF said it supported the appointment by Indonesia's bank restructuring organization of an independent auditor, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, to validate the agency's findings in the Bank Bali case. This is the second time in recent months that an international accounting firm has been asked to investigate irregularities in countries that have IMF loan programs. Earlier this month the IMF published a report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers into the Russian central bank's transfer of foreign exchange reserves to an offshore account in 1966. The IMF provided Indonesia and Russia with multibillion-dollar rescue programs when their economies collapsed in 1997 and last year and is still making installment payments. Russia obtained a $4.5 billion loan from the IMF in early August and Indonesia received $460 million. Additional IMF loans to both governments are due to be made later this year. AP-NY-08-16-99 1251EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Trade Talks Expected To Succeed
-Caveat Lector- Subj: Trade Talks Expected To Succeed Date: 8/13/99 1:56:04 AM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC:Ahab42 Trade Talks Expected To Succeed .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite some intense bickering now, the Clinton administration says the 134-nation World Trade Organization will be able to arrive at a common negotiating agenda in time to launch a new round of global trade talks in December. But some trade analysts are not so certain, given the recent performance of the Geneva-based trade group, which was embroiled for months in a nasty fight over who would lead the organization. That dispute was finally resolved with an awkward job sharing arrangement in which former New Zealand Premier Mike Moore, the U.S.-preferred candidate, will hold the WTO's top job for three years and then be succeeded by Thailand Vice Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, who was backed by Japan and other Asian nations. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Susan Esserman, who is in charge of the administration's preparations for the upcoming round of trade negotiations, to begin in Seattle, said the leadership fight ``will have no impact'' on the Seattle talks. ``There is a desire to move ahead and an enthusiasm in moving forward.'' But Esserman conceded that serious differences remain to be resolved among the United States, Europe, Japan and developing nations over negotiating goals for the new round of talks. The United States is pushing for a limited agenda focusing on tariff cuts on manufactured goods, removal of a variety of agricultural trade barriers and greater opening of competition in service industries such as telecommunications. Europe, by contrast, wants far more measures to be considered in the talks. U.S. officials have complained that is because they are seeking to shield European farmers from further trade liberalization. Many developing countries are complaining that even the more limited U.S. agenda is too large. They are still straining to meet the requirements of the last global trade talks, known as the Uruguay Round, which were begun in that country in 1986 and dragged on until 1993. While Esserman told reporters Thursday that all these disputes will be resolved in time for a successful launch of the talks in Seattle in early December, some private trade analysts were not as optimistic. ``There is deep disagreement between the United States, the European Union, Japan and the developing nations over what ought to be included in the next round,'' said Gary Hufbauer, a trade expert at the Institute of International Economics, a Washington think tank. ``I don't see a smooth road ahead at all.'' Hufbauer said there was growing foreign unhappiness with the administration's objections to including U.S. trade barriers in the upcoming talks, for fear of upsetting such American industries as steel and textiles. ``The administration, in an effort to pre-empt U.S. opponents, has been taking things off the table that other countries want,'' Hufbauer said. Esserman said the administration would continue to object to any effort to include anti-dumping regulations as part of the upcoming discussions. The administration has used these regulations, which allow higher tariffs for U.S. industries threatened by imports, as the primary mechanism to provide relief for U.S. steelmakers in the wake of the Asian currency crisis. Esserman said consensus was forming around certain U.S. positions, including the administration's insistence that the next talks should be concluded in just three years. Two areas of negotiations - agriculture and services - are part of the so-called built-in agenda, meaning that countries agreed as part of the Uruguay package to reopen talks in those areas. Esserman also noted that a meeting of trade ministers from Pacific Rim countries earlier this year, the group, known as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, agreed to include further tariff cuts on manufactured goods as a negotiating goal, starting with accelerated cuts in eight specific sectors. More progress could come in outlining the goals for the talks when President Clinton meets with other APEC leaders in New Zealand in September. Clinton also is expected to have discussions with Chinese President Jiang Zemin while at APEC. Esserman refused to speculate on whether the two leaders would be able to strike a final market-opening trade agreement that would clear the way for China's membership in the WTO. AP-NY-08-13-99 0255EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles."
[CTRL] SECRET SCIENTIFIC DATA VIOLATES THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW
-Caveat Lector- SECRET SCIENTIFIC DATA VIOLATES THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW Policy makers often rely on scientific research, much of which is funded by the federal government, in making important policy decisions. Faulty research can result in bad policy. For example: o Scientist Robert Liburdy faked data that resulted in costly efforts to mitigate the effects -- later found not to exist -- of high-tension electric lines. o The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tried to impose new, expensive and possibly hazardous air quality standards based on scientific data it claimed were not available for review. To ensure open access to publicly funded scientific data in the future, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) inserted a provision into the Fiscal Year 1999 Omnibus Spending Bill making it available to the public. Now a move is afoot to repeal or delay the Shelby requirement. Congress directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to draft regulations requiring "Federal awarding agencies to ensure that all data produced under an award will be made available to the public through procedures established under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)." In response, the OMB drafted a narrower set of regulations requiring only that data from published federally funded research actually used in developing policies or rules be made available. Aside from promoting scientific integrity, the new rules would promote open government and better informed democratic decision making. In addition, it promotes fiscal responsibility. Regulations cost Americans more than $700 billion, or more than $6,000 per household, each year (see figure http://www.ncpa.org/ba/gif/ba304fig.gif ). Some legislators wish to rescind or delay the Shelby provision. The late Rep. George Brown (D-Calif.) sponsored a bill to repeal it, and Reps. David Price (D-N.C.) and James Walsh (R-N.Y.) attempted to attach an amendment to appropriation bills that would delay its implementation for a year. Source: H. Sterling Burnett (NCPA Senior Policy Analyst), "Secret Disservice: Covering Up Scientific Data Violates the Public's Right to Know," Brief Analysis No. 304, August 11, 1999, National Center for Policy Analysis, 12655 N. Central Expy., Suite 720, Dallas, Texas 75243, (972) 386-6272. For text http://www.ncpa.org/ba/ba304.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] (no subject)
-Caveat Lector- Subj: Citing Strengthened Economy, Brazil Central Bank Will... Date: 8/10/99 3:15:32 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC:Ahab42 Citing Strengthened Economy, Brazil Central Bank Will End Formal Request That Banks Maintain Trade Interbank Lines NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 1999--The following statement was released today by the Central Bank of Brazil: "In March 1999, international banks led by five regional coordinating banks agreed to Brazil's request to maintain their trade and interbank lines at February 28, 1999 levels. These banks were Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Banque Paribas, Citibank, Deutsche Bank and HSBC Holdings. Later on, Caixa Geral de Depositos and Banca Commerciale Italiana were chosen as coordinators in their respective countries. "Citing the strengthening of the Brazilian economy and renewed confidence in the country, as demonstrated by banks' voluntary increase of trade and interbank lines to Brazil, the Brazilian economic authorities are addressing all participating banks to announce that, from September 1st onwards, it will no longer be necessary to formally ask foreign commercial banks to maintain their trade and interbank lines to Brazil as originally requested in March. Instead, they will rely on market conditions going forward. "The Brazilian authorities noted that developments in the Brazilian economy since March have been significantly better than expected. Sound monetary and fiscal policies have led Brazil to fulfill the targets agreed in the IMF program. GDP has begun to recover at the end of the first quarter of 1999, inflation has performed significantly better than projected, the current account deficit was reduced, developments in the capital account have exceeded expectations and FDI flows have shown considerable strength. The President of the Central Bank, Arminio Fraga, noted that the positive response of the banks to Brazil's request had an initial stabilizing effect and was a critical element in Brazil's economic improvement. The establishment of a system to monitor bank lines was a productive initiative. We will keep it operating, he added. The Central Bank will also maintain a close dialogue with individual banks and expects banks to continue to respond as positively as they have done in the last six months. Mr. Fraga also expressed the recognition of Brazil to the role played by the IMF, the BIS, as well as by Central Banks and Ministries of Finance that participated in the establishment and implementation of the monitoring process. "William R. Rhodes, Vice Chairman of Citigroup and Citibank, welcomed Brazil's announcement. Mr. Rhodes, who was asked by Brazil to help implement the request as worldwide and North America coordinator, stated that the banks' response was very positive. 'In fact, a number of banks not only maintained but also increased their trade and interbank lines,' Mr. Rhodes noted. He recalled that the country's economic progress during this period permitted the Government of Brazil to return to the international markets last April." --30--mr/ny* cf CONTACT: Citigroup/Citibank Media Richard J. Howe 212/559-9425 Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: IMF: Fed Needs To Raise Rates
In a message dated 8/5/99 6:10:24 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:IMF: Fed Needs To Raise Rates Date: 8/5/99 6:10:24 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 IMF: Fed Needs To Raise Rates .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States should consider further increases in interest rates to keep its economic expansion from falling victim to rising inflation, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. The IMF, releasing for the first time a summary of the discussions its 24-member executive board as part of its annual review of the U.S. economy, said directors were worried that unless the Federal Reserve acted soon, it could require even larger rate hikes down the road to combat inflation, raising the risks of a sharp stock market correction and possible recession. ``Directors cautioned that the economy still faced resource constraints, and the recent very strong growth in domestic demand could not be sustained for much longer without having inflationary consequences,'' the IMF summary said. The IMF report noted that the Federal Reserve had raised a key interest rate by a quarter point on June 30. That was the first increase in two years in the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other. There is growing concern in U.S. financial markets that the Fed will boost rates a second time when officials meet Aug. 24. The IMF summary said that members of its executive board were worried that a single rate rise would not be enough to slow the U.S. economy to a more sustainable pace. ``Many directors considered that, unless there was evidence soon that the strength of demand was abating, the authorities should tighten monetary policy further to ensure that the expansion remained on a sustainable noninflationary path,'' the IMF summary said. ``They emphasized that waiting too long to act would risk having to raise interest rates more sharply later to stem a pickup in inflation, which would increase the likelihood of a sharp stock market correction,'' the IMF said. The 182-nation IMF, which took the lead in handling the global currency crisis, noted its executive board was not unanimous about the need for further U.S. rate increases. ``Some other directors, however, were less inclined to think that an increase in interest rates would be called for in the near future,'' the summary said. The release of the summary of the board's discussions on the U.S. economy was part of a pilot program adopted in April under which the agency will release greater detail on its annual economic reviews if authorized to do so by the member country. Critics charged that IMF secrecy was one of the contributing factors that triggered the Asian currency crisis because it allowed investors to be caught by surprise at the severity of economic conditions in a number of crisis countries. AP-NY-08-05-99 1909EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. Announcement: America Online has added Reuters newswires to News Profiles. To add Reuters articles to your daily news delivery, go to KW: A HREF="aol://5862:146"News Profiles/A and click on "Modify Your News Profiles." Then click "Edit" and add Reuters from the list on the left. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles/A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. IMF: Fed Needs To Raise Rates .c The Associated Press By MARTIN CRUTSINGER WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States should consider further increases in interest rates to keep its economic expansion from falling victim to rising inflation, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. The IMF, releasing for the first time a summary of the discussions its 24-member executive board as part of its annual review of the U.S. economy, said directors were worried that unless the Federal Reserve acted soon, it could require even larger rate hikes down the road to combat inflation, raising the risks of a sharp stock market correction and possible recession. ``Directors cautioned that the economy still faced resource constraints, and the recent very strong growth in domestic demand could not be sustained for much longer without having inflationary consequences,'' the IMF summary said. The IMF report noted that the Federal Reserve had raised a key interest rate by a quarter point on June 30. That was the first increase in two years in the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other. There is growing concern in U.S. financial markets that the Fed will boost rates a second time when officials meet Aug. 24. The IMF summary said that members of its executive board were worried that a single rate rise would not be enough to slow the U.S. economy
[CTRL] Russia hopes IMF money will lead to additional foreign loans
-Caveat Lector- Russia hopes IMF money will lead to additional foreign loans MOSCOW (AP) - With an International Monetary Fund loan on the way, Russian officials today expressed hope that more foreign debt assistance would follow soon and the anemic economy would receive a boost. By itself, the new IMF loan won't revive Russia's economy, which has been in deep recession most of this decade and is continuing to shrink this year. The IMF's $4.5 billion financial package, with the first disbursement planned within days, is just enough to cover Russia's existing debts to the fund this year and next. The money will simply be shifted from one IMF account to another in Washington, and none of it will actually reach Russia. Still, the IMF's decision Wednesday to approve the loan was a rare piece of encouraging financial news for Russia. It's Russia's first large loan since the country's financial markets imploded last August, and other international lenders, including the World Bank and Japan, are expected to release funds now that the IMF has demonstrated its willingness to resume credits to Moscow. ``This will give Russia a breather,'' said Alexander Livshits, Russia's envoy to the G-8, which includes the world's leading industrialized democracies and Russia. Russia has defaulted on a series of foreign debts in recent months, and says it simply can't afford the roughly $150 billion in foreign debt payments that fall due over the next several years. The IMF loan should lead foreign lenders to restructure Russia's debts, said Finance Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who was to meet today with members of the Paris Club of creditors, which holds about $40 billion of Russian debt dating to the Soviet era. ``Now that a program is ready and backed by the IMF and World Bank, creditors have formal grounds to hold official talks with us on restructuring debts,'' Kasyanov told the ITAR-Tass news agency in the French capital. Russia grew hugely dependent on foreign loans as its economy withered this decade during the messy transition to a market economy. However, international lending ground to a halt after Russia defaulted on debts and devalued its currency last August. The country has repaid some debts and defended the currency by drawing from its Central Bank reserves, which have been steadily dwindling. Central Bank reserves fell from $11.5 billion to $11 billion during the week ending July 23, the bank announced today. No reason was given for the decline, but foreign currency traders said the bank has been intervening regularly to prop up the Russian currency, which is holding steady at 24 to the U.S. dollar. The IMF's first loan installment to Russia will be for $640 million. The fund said it intends to closely monitor Russia's economy, and subsequent disbursements ``will depend on completion of quarterly reviews.'' Russia owes $18 billion to the IMF, making it the fund's largest debtor. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Scientists Warn of Risk From 'Doomsday' Asteroids
-Caveat Lector- Scientists Warn of Risk From 'Doomsday' Asteroids 2.50 p.m. ET (1850 GMT) July 28, 1999 By Deborah Zabarenko ITHACA, N.Y. The good news: there are fewer potential "doomsday" asteroids than previously believed that could cause an earthly catastrophe if they struck the planet, scientists said on Tuesday. NASA The chance of a catastrophic impact in the next century ranges from one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 The bad news? A big one could smack into Earth in the coming century, they said. There may be 500 to 1,000 big asteroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pose a threat to civilization, David Rabinowitz of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said at a news conference at Cornell University. That is less than the old estimate of 1,000 to 2,000 potentially deadly NEOs. But the problem is that only 15 percent to 20 percent of the potentially nastiest asteroids have been identified. At least six teams of scientists are working to find 90 percent of the biggest near-Earth objects within a decade. A "doomsday" asteroid is defined as one with a diameter greater than .6 mile (1 km), which could cause global climatic catastrophe if it collided with Earth. Debris from such a collision would be predicted to cause worldwide clouding and cooling, with possibly disastrous effects on crops and animals. Such asteroids come along perhaps once every 100,000 years or more, according to the newly approved Torino scale that assesses how asteroid and comet collisions would affect life on Earth. A "doomsday" rock would rate a Torino 10, the highest rating. But the vast majority of asteroids rate a zero, "events having no likely consequences," according to the Torino scale. Richard Binzel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who devised the Torino scale, said the chance of a 10-type impact in the next century ranged from one in 1,000 to one in 10,000. There is a one-in-three chance of a Torino 8 strike, which could cause localized destruction, in the 21st century, Binzel said. "The risk is there, but we're taking care of it," Andrea Milani, an asteroid impact expert at the University of Pisa in Italy, said at the news conference on asteroids, comets and meteors at Cornell. Milani and others working to predict such asteroid strikes ruled out several likely collision candidates in the last three years, but prediction can be tricky. An asteroid that appears on a probable collision course with Earth one day can be ruled out as a threat the next because of gaps in knowledge about the paths the asteroids follow, said Paul Chodas of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. And once ruled out as threats, some asteroids can return to the threat lists, Chodas said in an interview. Some asteroids can be eliminated as threats for centuries, while others need to be studied year by year. It is not enough to discover the asteroids; most must be tracked to determine which way they will go, Chodas said. In three recent cases, astronomers estimated and then revised their estimates to eliminate the threat that asteroids might strike Earth several decades in the future. Chodas said it was entirely possible that a killer asteroid could emerge with far less advance warning. "The smaller ones may not be seen until a week, or days before impact," Chodas said. "We only know of 20 percent (of the big NEOs) and one could hit with very little notice. That's why we need to search for them." In fact, the status of the potential threat from such objects is so fluid that it is not tracked in publications, but on a Web site (http://newton.dm.unipi.it/). DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] New IMF loan won't revive Russia's economy.
-Caveat Lector- By GREG MYRE MOSCOW (July 29, 1999 6:38 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Awaiting the arrival of a loan from the International Monetary Fund, Russian officials on Thursday expressed hopes that more foreign debt assistance would follow soon and that the anemic economy would receive a boost. By itself, the new IMF loan won't revive Russia's economy, which has been in deep recession most of this decade and is continuing to shrink this year. The IMF's $4.5 billion financial package, with the first disbursement planned within days, is just enough to cover Russia's existing debts to the fund this year and next. The money will simply be shifted from one IMF account to another in Washington, and none of it will actually reach Russia. Still, the IMF's decision Wednesday to approve the loan was a rare piece of encouraging financial news for Russia. It's Russia's first large loan since the country's financial markets imploded last August, and other international lenders, including the World Bank and Japan, are expected to release funds now that the IMF has demonstrated its willingness to resume credits to Moscow. "This will give Russia a breather," said Alexander Livshits, Russia's envoy to the G-8, which includes the world's leading industrialized democracies and Russia. Russia has defaulted on a series of foreign debts in recent months, and says it simply can't afford the roughly $150 billion in foreign debt payments that fall due over the next several years. The IMF loan should lead foreign lenders to restructure Russia's debts, said Finance Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who was to meet Thursday with members of the Paris Club of creditors, which holds about $40 billion of Russian debt dating to the Soviet era. "Now that a program is ready and backed by the IMF and World Bank, creditors have formal grounds to hold official talks with us on restructuring debts," Kasyanov told the ITAR-Tass news agency in the French capital. Russia grew hugely dependent on foreign loans as its economy withered this decade during the messy transition to a market economy. However, international lending ground to a halt after Russia defaulted on debts and devalued its currency last August. The country has repaid some debts and defended the currency by drawing from its Central Bank reserves, which have been steadily dwindling. Central Bank reserves fell from $11.5 billion to $11 billion during the week ending July 23, the bank announced Thursday. No reason was given for the decline, but foreign currency traders said the bank has been intervening regularly to prop up the Russian currency, which is holding steady at 24 to the U.S. dollar. The IMF's first loan installment to Russia will be for $640 million. The fund said it intends to closely monitor Russia's economy, and subsequent disbursements "will depend on completion of quarterly reviews." Russia owes $18 billion to the IMF, making it the fund's largest debtor. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] International Monetary Fund approved a $4.5 billion
-Caveat Lector- IMF-Russia, 2nd Ld, f0207,140 WASHINGTON (AP) - The International Monetary Fund approved a $4.5 billion financial package for Russia Wednesday aimed at helping to keep the country afloat through December parliamentary elections and presidential voting scheduled for June 2000. A total of $640 million would be made available immediately, said an IMF spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Other installments will be paid out over the next 17 months, she said. President Boris Yeltsin's special envoy to international financial institutions, Mikhail Zadornov, worked out the final details with the IMF's deputy managing director,Stanley Fischer, and the 24-member executive board during a daylong meeting. ^The long-awaited, 3rd graf, f0207 Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] World Bank Lending Reaches $29B
-Caveat Lector- World Bank Lending Reaches $29B By Harry Dunphy Associated Press Writer Tuesday, July 27, 1999; 5:54 p.m. EDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- World Bank lent a record $29 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, an increase of $1.5 billion over the previous year, the bank said Tuesday. The bank's main lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, approved loans worth $22.2 billion at market-based interest rates. The remaining $6.8 billion in commitments were made through the International Development Association, which lends funds at cheaper interest rates to poorer countries. In the previous fiscal year, IBRD loans totaled $21 billion, IDA $7.5 billion. The bank's annual lending statement said actual loan payouts for fiscal year 1999 totaled $24 billion, down from $25.5 billion the previous year. In some cases, bank loans are not disbursed in the year they are approved. ``While we see, for a second fiscal year, that the (global) financial crisis has resulted in record loans, I am cheered to see that the increase in the quality of loans we have provided, as this points to real results on the ground,'' said James Wolfensohn, the bank president. Earlier this year the bank said the failure rate for its projects had declined, meaning more development contracts are completed as planned. Wolfensohn made this one of his objectives when he took over as bank president four years ago. Nations in East Asia and the Pacific, where the financial crisis began in mid-1997, were leading recipients of bank loans, the statement said. Lending to Latin America and the Caribbean region also increased, partly in response to spread of the financial crisis and to Hurricane Mitch. Loans to nations in East Asia amounted to $9.76 billion. Latin America and the Caribbean came next at $7.74 billion. European and Central Asian countries obtained $5.29 billion. Totals for South Asia reached $2.56 billion, while Africa obtained $2.07 billion with $1.58 billion for North Africa and the Middle East. © Copyright 1999 The Associated Press Back to the top DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: China Defiant on Entry Into WTO
In a message dated 7/25/99 1:30:10 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:China Defiant on Entry Into WTO Date: 7/25/99 1:30:10 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 China Defiant on Entry Into WTO .c The Associated Press By DEAN VISSER SINGAPORE (AP) - China will only meet conditions to get into the World Trade Organization that are required of other developing countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Sunday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. ``China would not swallow the bitter fruit in order to get into the WTO,'' Tang told a news conference after lunching with Albright on the sidelines of a Southeast Asia security forum. He said he was expecting Albright to bring up the subject of the WTO. ``She didn't do that,'' Tang said. ``I was also surprised.'' ``China's accession to the WTO is required by China's efforts to reform and open up to the outside world,'' Tang said. ``On the other hand, without China's participation, the WTO is not complete.'' Washington missed a ``precious opportunity'' to seal China's WTO membership during Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's April visit to the United States, when Zhu and President Clinton failed to come to terms on China's admission into the WTO. Clinton said China's offers did not go far enough. ``When Premier Zhu got back to China, things got more difficult because the bombing incident happened shortly afterwards,'' he said, referring to the May 7 NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, which killed three people. The United States has said it was an accident, but China remains unsatisfied. Tang said he had concluded bilateral meetings with Japan and Australia on the WTO issue and would pursue it further with other WTO members. Agricultural trade conflicts have been one of the major reasons the United States has withheld support for China's WTO membership. China has restricted imports of agricultural products to protect its own markets, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Daniel Glickman said in June. The United States wants to see freer markets in China, particularly for grains, Glickman said. State control of production and price-setting play too large a part in China's farming sector, he said in a visit to Beijing. AP-NY-07-25-99 1429EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. China Defiant on Entry Into WTO .c The Associated Press By DEAN VISSER SINGAPORE (AP) - China will only meet conditions to get into the World Trade Organization that are required of other developing countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said Sunday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. ``China would not swallow the bitter fruit in order to get into the WTO,'' Tang told a news conference after lunching with Albright on the sidelines of a Southeast Asia security forum. He said he was expecting Albright to bring up the subject of the WTO. ``She didn't do that,'' Tang said. ``I was also surprised.'' ``China's accession to the WTO is required by China's efforts to reform and open up to the outside world,'' Tang said. ``On the other hand, without China's participation, the WTO is not complete.'' Washington missed a ``precious opportunity'' to seal China's WTO membership during Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's April visit to the United States, when Zhu and President Clinton failed to come to terms on China's admission into the WTO. Clinton said China's offers did not go far enough. ``When Premier Zhu got back to China, things got more difficult because the bombing incident happened shortly afterwards,'' he said, referring to the May 7 NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, which killed three people. The United States has said it was an accident, but China remains unsatisfied. Tang said he had concluded bilateral meetings with Japan and Australia on the WTO issue and would pursue it further with other WTO members. Agricultural trade conflicts have been one of the major reasons the United States has withheld support for China's WTO membership. China has restricted imports of agricultural products to protect its own markets, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Daniel Glickman said in June. The United States wants to see freer markets in China, particularly for grains, Glickman said. State control of production and price-setting play too large a part in China's farming sector, he said in a visit to Beijing. AP-NY-07-25-99 1429EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written
[CTRL] AIDS Destroys Children's Lives In Africa
-Caveat Lector- Yahoo! News Science Headlines Thursday July 22 8:39 AM ET AIDS Destroys Children's Lives In Africa Full Coverage Africa AIDS Epidemic By Rosalind Russell NAIROBI (Reuters) - The AIDS epidemic has devastated the lives of children across Africa leaving eight million as orphans and crushing rates of child survival, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said Thursday. A staggering 48 percent of the world's HIV/AIDS cases are in eastern and southern Africa, and the virus has overtaken war as the number one killer in the region, the agency said at the African launch in Nairobi of its annual ``Progress of Nations'' report. UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director Stephen Lewis told reporters that the devastation the virus had reaped across Africa was a ``modern incarnation of Dante's inferno.'' ``Never has Africa faced such a plague,'' he said. ``One wonders how the continent will cope.'' Lewis said AIDS had killed 1.4 million people in the region in 1998 and the spread of the epidemic was accelerating. By the end of next year, another two million children would be orphaned and the numbers would continue to rise exponentially. The orphans, especially girls, were left shouldering adult responsibilities such as caring for the sick as well as younger brothers and sisters, and were vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and malnutrition, the agency said. Mother-to-child transmission of the HIV virus during pregnancy or through breastfeeding has eroded all the hard won infant and child survival gains of the last 20 years, Lewis said. If the spread of the virus is not contained, AIDS could increase under-five mortality by more than 100 percent in those regions worst affected by the disease. But there are some glimmers of hope. A new drug, nevirapine, still under trial in Uganda, could cut mother-to-child transmission rates by up to 50 percent -- at a cost of just $4 for the full treatment. Other AIDS treatments such as AZT cost hundreds of dollars and are way beyond the means of most Africans. Lewis said UNICEF was excited about the implications of nevirapine, which the agency believed could save millions of lives. Nevertheless, UNICEF said education rather than new treatments was the only effective way to halt the spread of the deadly virus. Lewis urged African leaders to take the lead in breaking the ``conspiracy of silence'' surrounding the disease in a continent where myth and ignorance have fuelled its rampant spread. ``The disease must become an obsession among the leadership,'' he said. ``A leader who fails to speak out against HIV/AIDS fails the people of his nation.'' He also criticised what he said was a ``massive distortion of priorities'' by Western governments which had failed to respond to the crisis. ``It is morally indefensible, morally unconscionable, that the West is prepared to spend upwards of $40 billion to fight a war in the Balkans and less than one percent of that to save the lives of tens of millions of women and children in Africa,'' Lewis said. -- -- Search News Stories Search News Photos Jul 24 | Jul 23 | Jul 22 | Jul 21 | Jul 20 | Jul 19 | Jul 18 | Jul 17 | Jul 16 | Jul 15 Home | Top Stories | Business | Tech | Politics | World | Local | Entertainment | Sports | Science | Health - DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Farmland Urges Congressional Support of China 'Normal...
In a message dated 7/23/99 3:42:41 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Farmland Urges Congressional Support of China 'Normal... Date: 7/23/99 3:42:41 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Farmland Urges Congressional Support of China 'Normal Trade Relations KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 1999--Farmland Industries, Inc. today called on Congress to support continuation of Normal Trade Relations (NTR) with China in a vote scheduled in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 27. "Approving extension of normal trade relations with China is one small step that Congress can take to assure that American farmers, who are already under great financial strain, don't suffer further from lost access to this important market," H.D. "Harry" Cleberg, president and chief executive officer of Farmland Industries, Inc., said in a statement issued by the Kansas City-based farmer cooperative. "Feeding a growing world population is central to the economic health of American agriculture, and China -- now our nation's sixth largest trading partner -- is the most important growth market for U.S. agricultural exports in the new century," Cleberg said. "As home to one in every five people in the world, China will account for more than one-third of the near-term future growth in farm exports, but only if we maintain and strengthen trade relations between our countries," he said. China's economy is one of the fastest growing in the world. The country's boom has led to an improvement in nutrition as the population's living standards have grown. And, according to Cleberg, as the country has grown more prosperous, people are adding more meat protein to their diet, creating additional export opportunities for U.S. farmers to help meet that growing demand. China has 20 percent of the world's people, but only six percent of the arable land. "The Chinese must import food to meet demand and if the U.S. doesn't seek that market, the rest of the world certainly will," Cleberg said. Normal trade relations status, previously referred to as "most- favored nation" provides trade parity among countries. The United States grants normal trade relations to every nation that is a member of the World Trade Organization. Because China is not yet a WTO member, it does not receive this status automatically. The President signs a waiver each year granting China normal trade relations. The House vote is on President Clinton's one-year waiver. Farmland Industries is the largest farmer-owned cooperative in North America with 1998 company sales of $8.8 billion in all 50 states and 90 countries. When including Farmland's share of the sales of its affiliated businesses, sales were $11.9 billion. Focused on meeting the needs of its 600,000 farmer-owners in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Farmland is a highly diversified company with major business lines in crop production and crop protection products, livestock feeds, petroleum, grain processing and marketing, and the processing and marketing of pork, beef and catfish products. CONTACT: Farmland Industries, Inc. Sherlyn Manson, 816/459-6230 To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Farmland Urges Congressional Support of China 'Normal Trade Relations KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 1999--Farmland Industries, Inc. today called on Congress to support continuation of Normal Trade Relations (NTR) with China in a vote scheduled in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 27. "Approving extension of normal trade relations with China is one small step that Congress can take to assure that American farmers, who are already under great financial strain, don't suffer further from lost access to this important market," H.D. "Harry" Cleberg, president and chief executive officer of Farmland Industries, Inc., said in a statement issued by the Kansas City-based farmer cooperative. "Feeding a growing world population is central to the economic health of American agriculture, and China -- now our nation's sixth largest trading partner -- is the most important growth market for U.S. agricultural exports in the new century," Cleberg said. "As home to one in every five people in the world, China will account for more than one-third of the near-term future growth in farm exports, but only if we maintain and strengthen trade relations between our countries," he said. China's economy is one of the fastest growing in the world. The country's boom has led to an improvement in nutrition as the population's living standards have grown. And, according to Cleberg, as the country has grown more prosperous, people are adding more meat protein to their diet, creating additional export opportunities for U.S. farmers to help meet that
[CTRL] NAFTA Ruling Soon-Constitutional?
-Caveat Lector- A Treat(ise) On Unconstitutionality? Obscure Lawsuit Could Alter U.S. Trade Policy Los Angeles Times Trade advocates are bracing for a ruling by a federal judge in Alabama in a little-noticed lawsuit whose outcome could dramatically affect how the U.S. has conducted trade policy over the past four decades. Sometime in the next few weeks, U.S. District Judge Robert Propst is expected to rule in a labor-backed lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The case has attracted the attention of some of the nation's top legal scholars. http://www.latimes.com/HOME/BUSINESS/topstory.html -- DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: Chairman Opposes IMF Gold Sale Plan
In a message dated 7/22/99 5:26:51 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Chairman Opposes IMF Gold Sale Plan Date: 7/22/99 5:26:51 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Chairman Opposes IMF Gold Sale Plan .c The Associated Press By HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - In a blow to debt relief for the world's poorest countries, the House Banking Committee chairman said Thursday it is unlikely his panel will approve selling some of the International Monetary Fund's gold reserves to finance the effort. Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, said that in early September he would propose an alternative to the plan to sell 10 million ounces of IMF gold. A senior Treasury official, acknowledging the mounting opposition in Congress, said the administration is considering other ideas, but ``at this point ... it is the only viable option that has broad international support.'' The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in a telephone interview, said the administration wants to work closely with lawmakers to gain broad support. Any alternative, the official said, could not upset the world gold market and would have to win acceptable by the IMF's 182 member nations. It also would need to ``mobilize adequate financing'' for a new debt initiative program the United States and six other wealthy nations announced last month. One option said to be under consideration would mean selling part of the IMF gold to central banks instead of on the open market, which could drive gold price even lower. Leach said before the committee hearing that it was ``highly unlikely'' the committee would endorse the administration's proposal that would permit the IMF to sell 10 percent of its gold reserves to finance debt relief for the world's poorest countries. ``Debt relief is a societal - indeed moral imperative - but care must be taken not to jeopardize the mining industry that provides many of the most stable jobs in the developing world, '' he said. Leach gave no details on his proposal. President Clinton, the leaders of the other major economic powers and Michel Camdessus, the IMF's managing director, want the IMF gold sales to fund the $2.7 billion cost of helping cut debt burdens among developing countries. Before the U.S. representative on the IMF board can vote in favor of the gold sales plan, Congress must give its approval. The IMF board plans to hold a vote on the gold sales proposal in late September, but the tight congressional timetable in the weeks ahead might make that difficult. AP-NY-07-22-99 1826EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Chairman Opposes IMF Gold Sale Plan .c The Associated Press By HARRY DUNPHY WASHINGTON (AP) - In a blow to debt relief for the world's poorest countries, the House Banking Committee chairman said Thursday it is unlikely his panel will approve selling some of the International Monetary Fund's gold reserves to finance the effort. Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, said that in early September he would propose an alternative to the plan to sell 10 million ounces of IMF gold. A senior Treasury official, acknowledging the mounting opposition in Congress, said the administration is considering other ideas, but ``at this point ... it is the only viable option that has broad international support.'' The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in a telephone interview, said the administration wants to work closely with lawmakers to gain broad support. Any alternative, the official said, could not upset the world gold market and would have to win acceptable by the IMF's 182 member nations. It also would need to ``mobilize adequate financing'' for a new debt initiative program the United States and six other wealthy nations announced last month. One option said to be under consideration would mean selling part of the IMF gold to central banks instead of on the open market, which could drive gold price even lower. Leach said before the committee hearing that it was ``highly unlikely'' the committee would endorse the administration's proposal that would permit the IMF to sell 10 percent of its gold reserves to finance debt relief for the world's poorest countries. ``Debt relief is a societal - indeed moral imperative - but care must be taken not to jeopardize the mining industry that provides many of the most stable jobs in the developing world, '' he said. Leach gave no details on his proposal. President Clinton, the leaders of the other major economic powers and Michel Camdessus, the IMF's managing director, want the IMF gold sales to fund the $2.7 billion cost of helping cut debt burdens
[CTRL] Nine dead, hundreds sickened by unnamed plague in southern Russia
-Caveat Lector- Nine dead, hundreds sickened by unnamed plague in southern Russia MOSCOW, July 21 (AFP) - A mysterious killer virus spreading across the south of Russia has left nine dead and more than 100 hospitalized, with Russian experts stumped as to the nature of the disease, news agencies reported. Authorities in the region have banned the sale of food on open markets, swimming holes have been declared off-limits, and hundreds of people have fled from their homes in fear of the highly infectious disease. Its victims suffer from a plague-like skin rash, internal bleeding and even fatal brain hemorrhaging, symptoms which researchers said resemble a virus called Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever, which last broke out in the region in the 1950s, RIA Novosti reported Monday. The latest outbreak first surfaced two weeks ago in the Rostov region, some 960 kilometers (600 miles) south of Moscow. By Wednesday, six residents of the region's village of Oblimskaya - three of them children - had died, and 136 more were hospitalied with symptoms of the disease. Over the past two days, similar cases began appearing in the neighboring Volgograd and Stavropol regions. Three died in Stavropol, three more were infected, and 32 were hospitalized in Volgograd, according to RIA Novosti. The virus' alarming spread led the federal health ministry to set up a special emergency commission, sending specialists from Moscow to the south, where local doctors deny the infection has reached epidemic proportions, according to ITAR-TASS. All 32 of the victims hospitalized in Stavropol had come from the Rostov region, RIA Novosti reported. Medical experts remained divided as to the nature of the disease, with some denying the possibility that Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever had resurfaced. Others said the diagnosis was merely tentative and that research would not be completed for another two to three weeks, ITAR-TASS reported Monday. The Congo-Crimean fever first appeared in the Crimea for which it is named, a region just 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Rostov, in 1944, and is transmitted by biting ticks that feed on warm-blooded animals, according to RIA Novosti. Doctors say the disease has no known cure, and can only be treated by boosting the immune system. One health official in the Rostov region said the outbreak was partly facilitated by overall poor sanitation, including a failure to adequately control rats, a common favorite for biting ticks. Close to half of those stricken by the virus in Rostov were children, and three were hospital workers infected by patients, according to RIA Novosti. -- -- Previous Story: Belgrade seeks to defend its sovereignty over Kosovo AFP Next Story: S. Africa's most famous traditional healer heading for US AFP -- -- Front Page |Asia |World |Business |Financial | Technology |Sport |Entertainment -- -- Comments or Suggestions? Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong time used throughout (i.e. GMT+8) Copyright © 1999 Yahoo! All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 1999 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] New WTO chief a committed left-winger with a way with words
-Caveat Lector- New WTO chief a committed left-winger with a way with words AUCKLAND, July 20 (AFP) - Mike Moore, who will head the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the next three years, is a committed left-winger who has worked at everything from builder's labourer to prime minister. But the 50-year-old New Zealander also has an unfortunate way with words. He admits that his seemingly endless flow of ideas -- known as "Moorespeak" -- do not always come out the way he intends. Moore was also an unlucky prime minister, serving for just 10 weeks before his Labour Party suffered a crushing election defeat in October 1990. But he has also been foreign minister and trade minister, energetically pushing a free commerce agenda. The new chief trade regulator, worked briefly as a "freezing worker" in a meat-processing factory. He says in his autobiography that he left school at 15 and was also a social worker, builder's labourer and printer. But since 1972, when he was the youngest ever MP, he has devoted himself to Labour Party left-wing politics. His appointment to the WTO will come as a relief to Labour chief Helen Clark who staged a coup against Moore's leadership in 1993. At the time he called her a "chardonnay socialist". Even a struggle against cancer did little to blunt Moore's passion for politics and he has continued to hover on the fringes of a leadership return. Moore speaks from the heart. But his style is erratic, emotional and frequently just illogical. After making a deal over taxes, Moore said he felt like a Bosnian Muslim whose "village has been raided, my goat impregnated, my farmhouse burned down". He says he is motivated by injustice and a desire to make things fair. "I get incoherent with anger sometimes and it shows, unfortunately, when I see some of the things that happen in this country and happened in my background which have not been fair." Moore admits his passion and voracious appetite for new ideas can make him appear muddled. "At times it's fair comment. I'm not an academic in the sense of the discipline of doing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and I do forget that other people may not have followed the same thought process to arrive at the same situation." Moore has written eight books including his autobiography "Hard Labour", which stressed his apparent childhood poverty, living underneath a shop in Auckland where holes were drilled in the floor to let out floodwater from a nearby river. He often fudges the fact, however, that he went to one of the country's best high schools, Dilworth. He became involved in the Labour Party while still a teenager. He first entered parliament in 1972 in a Labour landslide, but said losing his seat three years later was a major blow in his life. In 1978, in a different seat, he returned to parliament and has never left. When David Lange became prime minister Moore became overseas trade minister. He has always been a strong campaigner for free trade and in his post constantly tramped the world stage touting his ideas -- and New Zealand jobs. Lange stepped down in 1988 and Geoffrey Palmer became an immensely unpopular prime minister. Ten weeks out from an inevitable election defeat Palmer stepped down and Moore led the party into a wipe-out. When it became clear Moore could not deliver a victory in 1993, Clark took over the leadership. Moore is married to a radio show host, Yvonne. The couple have no children. -- -- Previous Story: Nine hurt as Palestinians clash with Israelis near settlement AFP Next Story: Bahrain to man New Year's Eve crisis centre against millennium bug AFP -- -- Front Page |Asia |World |Business |Financial | Technology |Sport |Entertainment -- -- Comments or Suggestions? Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong time used throughout (i.e. GMT+8) Copyright © 1999 Yahoo! All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 1999 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
[CTRL] Fwd: Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill
In a message dated 7/21/99 5:40:51 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill .c The Associated Press By CASSANDRA BURRELL WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top law enforcement agencies pressed their effort to kill legislation that would curb the federal government's ability to confiscate private property by telling senators Wednesday that it would weaken their ability to fight crime. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate subcommittee that the Justice Department supports tightening the rules the federal government must follow to seize cars, cash, homes and other property linked to crime. But a bill the House passed 375-48 last month ``crosses the line between providing due process and giving unintended relief to drug dealers, money launderers and other criminals who victimize the elderly and the vulnerable in our society,'' he said Wednesday. ``There is legislation pending before the Congress which will, quite simply, undercut the ability of law enforcement to forfeit illegally gained property or property used to facilitate a crime, from drug dealers, terrorists, alien smugglers and other criminals,'' said Richard Fiano, the Drug Enforcement Administration's chief of operations. Holder asked the Senate Judiciary Committee's criminal justice oversight subcommittee to support a more modest plan proposed by the Clinton administration. Rep. Henry Hyde, D-Ill., the bill's author and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defended it as an effort to rid the legal system of a practice too vulnerable to abuse. The law shouldn't allow police to seize property simply because they suspect it was involved in wrongdoing, he said. Too many innocent citizens have been deprived of their cash or possessions without due process, he said. ``There are some issues that really get to you, and this is one,'' he told senators. ``I think if you're a drug dealer and you're guilty - not just accused, but you're guilty - that you ought to lose your house, your car and your shoes and socks. But when you're not guilty ... I don't want my country confiscating property.'' Police have used civil asset forfeiture to seize homes to shut down drug operations quickly even before charges are filed. Investigators also have seized boats, cash and other assets from suspected drug dealers in the hopes of driving them out of businesses. Hyde faced skepticism from several subcommittee members. There should be a way to strike a better balance between the rights of property owners and the needs of law enforcement, said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. ``Forfeiture is about the government using its powers to take private property, and there must be adequate restrictions to prevent abuse of this power,'' said Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. But the bill passed by the House ``may undermine the use of forfeiture law in the war against drugs, child pornography, money laundering, telemarketing fraud, terrorism and a host of other crimes,'' Thurmond said. Hyde criticized the Clinton administration's alternative plan Wednesday, saying it would actually increase the government power to seize property, not curb it. Under the Hyde bill, the federal government would have to prove with ``clear and convincing'' evidence that the property was eligible for forfeiture if an owner files a legal challenge. The administration's plan recommends a lower standard of proof, a ``preponderance'' of the evidence, which is standard in civil cases. Current law requires property owners to prove they are not connected with the alleged crime. The administration also believes Hyde's bill would require the release of cash, vehicles and other property to owners demonstrating a ``hardship,'' pending a trial even when there is compelling evidence that the property was used in a crime. AP-NY-07-21-99 1840EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A.
[CTRL] Fwd: Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill
In a message dated 7/21/99 5:40:51 PM Central Daylight Time, AOL News writes: Subj:Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill Date: 7/21/99 5:40:51 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC: Ahab42 Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill .c The Associated Press By CASSANDRA BURRELL WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top law enforcement agencies pressed their effort to kill legislation that would curb the federal government's ability to confiscate private property by telling senators Wednesday that it would weaken their ability to fight crime. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate subcommittee that the Justice Department supports tightening the rules the federal government must follow to seize cars, cash, homes and other property linked to crime. But a bill the House passed 375-48 last month ``crosses the line between providing due process and giving unintended relief to drug dealers, money launderers and other criminals who victimize the elderly and the vulnerable in our society,'' he said Wednesday. ``There is legislation pending before the Congress which will, quite simply, undercut the ability of law enforcement to forfeit illegally gained property or property used to facilitate a crime, from drug dealers, terrorists, alien smugglers and other criminals,'' said Richard Fiano, the Drug Enforcement Administration's chief of operations. Holder asked the Senate Judiciary Committee's criminal justice oversight subcommittee to support a more modest plan proposed by the Clinton administration. Rep. Henry Hyde, D-Ill., the bill's author and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defended it as an effort to rid the legal system of a practice too vulnerable to abuse. The law shouldn't allow police to seize property simply because they suspect it was involved in wrongdoing, he said. Too many innocent citizens have been deprived of their cash or possessions without due process, he said. ``There are some issues that really get to you, and this is one,'' he told senators. ``I think if you're a drug dealer and you're guilty - not just accused, but you're guilty - that you ought to lose your house, your car and your shoes and socks. But when you're not guilty ... I don't want my country confiscating property.'' Police have used civil asset forfeiture to seize homes to shut down drug operations quickly even before charges are filed. Investigators also have seized boats, cash and other assets from suspected drug dealers in the hopes of driving them out of businesses. Hyde faced skepticism from several subcommittee members. There should be a way to strike a better balance between the rights of property owners and the needs of law enforcement, said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. ``Forfeiture is about the government using its powers to take private property, and there must be adequate restrictions to prevent abuse of this power,'' said Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. But the bill passed by the House ``may undermine the use of forfeiture law in the war against drugs, child pornography, money laundering, telemarketing fraud, terrorism and a host of other crimes,'' Thurmond said. Hyde criticized the Clinton administration's alternative plan Wednesday, saying it would actually increase the government power to seize property, not curb it. Under the Hyde bill, the federal government would have to prove with ``clear and convincing'' evidence that the property was eligible for forfeiture if an owner files a legal challenge. The administration's plan recommends a lower standard of proof, a ``preponderance'' of the evidence, which is standard in civil cases. Current law requires property owners to prove they are not connected with the alleged crime. The administration also believes Hyde's bill would require the release of cash, vehicles and other property to owners demonstrating a ``hardship,'' pending a trial even when there is compelling evidence that the property was used in a crime. AP-NY-07-21-99 1840EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. Officials Want New Forfeiture Bill .c The Associated Press By CASSANDRA BURRELL WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top law enforcement agencies pressed their effort to kill legislation that would curb the federal government's ability to confiscate private property by telling senators Wednesday that it would weaken their ability to fight crime. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate subcommittee that the Justice Department supports tightening the rules the federal government must follow to seize cars, cash, homes and other property linked to crime. But a bill the House passed 375-48 last
[CTRL] CRISIS COUNTRIES: IGNORE MARKETS AT YOUR PERIL
-Caveat Lector- CRISIS COUNTRIES: IGNORE MARKETS AT YOUR PERIL Explanations for the economic disasters in East Asia, Russia and Brazil over the past two years fall into two basic categories, say economists. One theory is that markets there were not sufficiently regulated and that a new "financial architecture" based on more regulations and international safety nets must be erected. Other theorists -- including Milton Friedman, Walter Wriston and George Schultz -- argue that the crises were due to departures from the operation of free markets. o The free marketers say the Asian financial crisis was aggravated by the intervention of institutions such as the International Monetary Fund which, in advancing credit, signaled the countries' vulnerability and produced a run on its currency. o In Russia's case, insider dealing and outright fraud prompted IMF intervention leading to massive flights of capital -- which drove down the ruble by more than 60 percent and sharply depressed stock values. o And in Brazil, large budget deficits coincided with pegging the nation's currency to an unrealistic rate -- resulting in investors shorting the currency and extracting their capital. As the crisis countries attempt to work their way out of the mire, those that are succeeding are doing so along the lines prescribed by the free-market advocates. o Foreign direct investment has resumed in reform-minded Thailand and South Korea. o By restraining its deficit spending, Brazil has seen its foreign-exchange reserves, equity markets and currency value rise. o Meanwhile, Russia, Indonesia and Malaysia -- which have shunned market-oriented policies -- continue to suffer share declines in gross domestic product, weakened currencies and depressed asset values. Despite this evidence, the IMF wants to establish a new Contingent Credit Line facility back by a $90 billion replenishment of its resources. Financial experts see this as preparation for a repeat of its former failed interventionist policies. Source: Charles Wolf Jr. (RAND Corporation), "Markets, Not Architects, Will Solve Economic Crises," Wall Street Journal, July 20, 1999. For more on Currency Issues http://www.ncpa.org/pi/internat/intdex2.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Russia could receive as much as $3.8 billion in foreign loans
-Caveat Lector- By ANNA DOLGOV MOSCOW (July 19, 1999 3:32 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Russia could receive as much as $3.8 billion in foreign loans this year, allowing the government to stop using borrowed money to meet foreign debt payments, a top financial official said Monday. The International Monetary Fund is expected to decide soon on releasing the first installment of an 18-month, $4.45 billion loan program to Russia. If the approval goes through, Russia could receive up to $1.9 billion from the IMF this year, said Mikhail Zadornov, the country's top envoy to international financial institutions. The IMF loan, in turn, will trigger more lending - $1.85 billion - from the World Bank and Japan, Zadornov told journalists. A large share of the World Bank money will go to finance reform of Russia's moribund coal industry and to prop up social programs. But the rest would still be enough to enable the government to stop borrowing from the Central Bank - and depleting Russia's scarce hard-currency reserves - to meet its foreign debt payments this year. "We will cease using Central Bank reserves to finance our external debt (repayments)" Zadornov said. The IMF is to consider new lending to Russia during a board meeting set for July 28, and the World Bank is to complete its loan review process on July 29 or Aug. 3. If the IMF loan is approved, Moscow will begin talks the next day on restructuring other debts to the London and Paris Clubs of commercial creditors, Zadornov said. The IMF froze a loan package worth $22.5 billion after Russia's financial collapse last August. The new loan under consideration was made contingent on Russian parliamentary approval of a package of laws intended to increase government revenue, combat corruption and restructure the commercial banking system. Russia has defaulted on its Soviet-era debt but remains committed to meeting payment schedules on most debt incurred since the Soviet collapse in 1991. Zadornov said that this year, Russia would pay $4.2 billion it owes the IMF, the Interfax news agency reported. In the second half of this year, Russia is due to pay around $3.5 billion to service its Eurobonds and debts to the IMF. -- -- -- -- Global | Nation | Sports | Politics | Opinions | Business | Techserver | Health Science | Entertainment | Weather | Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey | Sport Server | MAIN -- -- Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Do you have some feedback for the Nando Times staff? DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Thailand Offers To Share WTO Post
-Caveat Lector- Subj: Thailand Offers To Share WTO Post Date: 7/16/99 7:22:59 PM Central Daylight Time From: AOL News BCC:Ahab42 Thailand Offers To Share WTO Post .c The Associated Press By NAOMI KOPPEL GENEVA (AP) - Thailand said Friday it was willing to share World Trade Organization leadership by splitting the six-year term with New Zealand. The concession could end a bitter leadership struggle that has undermined the organization's authority as a trade policeman during the high-profile transatlantic disputes over bananas and hormone-treated beef. Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan told a news conference that Thailand would be happy for its candidate, Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, to wait three years for the job as director-general, provided he had a completely free hand after that. That would clear the way for New Zealand's Mike Moore to move into WTO headquarters immediately and fill the vacuum left at the end of April by Italy's Renato Ruggiero. There was no immediate reaction from the WTO Friday to the Thai announcement. The first three years is seen by some as the plum term because the director-general will set the agenda for trade liberalization talks to be launched in November in Seattle. But a key plan to lower more trade barriers will likely be finalized in the second term. Taking the second slot would also allow Supachai to finish his term in the current Thai Cabinet before the country's November 2000 elections. Supachai would take over in 2002, if the agreement is approved. The bitter leadership contest began last year, souring relations between Supachai's Asian supporters and Moore's backers in the West. Australia proposed the share plan after it became clear that neither man could defeat the other. The organization makes decisions by consensus, rather than vote, but neither man's supporters would withdraw their candidate. After a brief general council session Thursday, diplomats were upbeat. ``The atmosphere here now is completely different to what it was before,'' said Bangladeshi Ambassador Iftekhar Chowdhury. Even so, some voiced concern about the power-sharing deal. Morocco - whose own candidate dropped out of the race earlier this year - said each man should serve just two years. The Thai foreign minister stressed his country would not accept anything less than three years. Meanwhile, the United States and Canada will seek final approval from the World Trade Organization later this month for sanctions against the European Union over imports of hormone-treated beef. The July 26 meeting is likely to give both countries immediate approval to impose 100 percent tariffs on a range of imports from the EU, effectively pricing the items out of the market. Washington has not yet decided precisely which goods will be affected, but its preliminary list included canned meats, Roquefort cheese, truffles, paprika, chewing gum, chocolate, mineral water and motorcycles. The Canadian preliminary list included beef, cucumbers, gingerbread, gin, vodka and soup. Although the EU ban on hormone-treated beef has been ruled illegal, Brussels has refused to lift it, saying some of the hormones could cause cancer. AP-NY-07-16-99 2022EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles"NewsProfiles /A. For all of today's news, go to keyword A HREF="aol://1722:News"News/A. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] INSIDE THE GUN CONTROL BILL
-Caveat Lector- INSIDE THE GUN CONTROL BILL Political analysts warn that there are a number of freedom- robbing elements lurking -- but not publicized -- in the juvenile crime, or gun control, bill. Both houses of Congress have passed separate versions of the bill, with the differences to be worked out in a conference committee. New York University Law School's Dave Kopel has been writing and speaking out on some of the legislation's hidden provisions. o The federal government would be allowed to seize the property of a person who is convicted of any federal felony -- and this forfeiture rule applies to state felonies as well. o The federal government could also seize the property of a person who commits a misdemeanor under state law if physical harm results from that misdemeanor. o Police would be allowed to monitor private pager communications without a warrant. o The bill would void a federal law that restricts the government from compiling a list of gun owners. It also imposes a mandatory one-year sentence for violating a federal gun law which says that adults can't give handguns to minors. In a report for the Independence Institute, Kopel and James Winchester pointed out that a father who gives a family heirloom in a locked case to his son on the boy's 17th birthday would have to spend a mandatory year in prison. Source: David B. Kopel James Winchester, "Unfair and Unconstitutional: The New Federal Juvenile Crime and Gun Control Proposals," Issue Paper No. 3-99, June 3, 1999, Independence Institute, 14142 Denver West Pkwy., Suite 185, Golden, Colo. 80401, (303) 279-6536; Editorial, "A Freedom-Control Bill," Investor's Business Daily, June 30, 1999. For text http://www.i2i.org/SuptDocs/Crime/unfair.htm For more on Crime and Punishment in America http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/crime33.html#A DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] REWRITING ECONOMIC HISTORY
-Caveat Lector- REWRITING ECONOMIC HISTORY Persons whose recollections of economic history go further back than those of the President, are taking Clinton to task for his claims that his two Republican predecessors followed "reckless" policies. Specifically, Clinton has said: "In the 12 years before I took office, reckless fiscal policies quadrupled our debt, bringing us higher interest rates, higher unemployment, higher inflation." Here are facts which argue otherwise: o Under the Reagan presidency, unemployment went from above 7 percent to under 6 percent. o In 1980, the yield on the 30-year U.S. bond was 13.91 percent -- which had dropped to 6.69 percent by the time Reagan left office. o Inflation dropped from 10.3 percent in 1981 to 4.1 percent by 1989. o As for the debt, objective observers would remind the President that Democrats controlled one or both houses of Congress throughout the Reagan presidency -- and consistently spent more than he requested. Moreover, through tax cuts for individuals and businesses, reduced government regulation, decreased discretionary spending, the appointment of Alan Greenspan to chair the Federal Reserve, and rebuilding the military, Reagan achieved more economic growth, more personal freedom, the fall of Communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Source: Editorial, "The First Revisionist," Investor's Business Daily, June 29, 1999. For more on Supply-Side Policies http://www.ncpa.org/pd/economy/econ4.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] WHO Urges Developing Nations to Battle Infectious Diseases
-Caveat Lector- WHO Urges Developing Nations to Battle Infectious Diseases The World Health Organization (WHO) has offered cost-effective priorities for developing countries to battle the spread of infectious diseases. These include drugs to treat AIDS that may be too expensive for many developing countries. But just $14 for a year's supply of condoms could prevent infection in the first place. An insecticide-soaked net for the bed to protect people from malaria- bearing mosquitoes costs $10; 26 cents buys a dose of measles vaccine; 33 three cents buys oral rehydration salts that can save a child dying from severe diarrhea and 27 cents buys five days of antibiotics for pneumonia. One problem is raising the money. The World Health Organization's $208 million budget is still $50 million short. The report aims to convince governments of developing countries that illness causes poverty just as much as poverty causes illness, so that national policies reflect sound health recommendations. Lauren Neergaard, The Associated Press "WHO urges effort to battle disease in developing nations" as published in The Seattle Times, June 18, 1999, C7 DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] SCHOOLS ARE TESTING HAIR FOR DRUGS
-Caveat Lector- SOME SCHOOLS ARE TESTING HAIR FOR DRUGS A procedure to detect illicit drug use by testing hair is being adopted at some schools, primarily private ones. Civil liberties groups, which oppose the tests, argue that they are inaccurate. o Hair testing is based on the premise that drugs ingested in the body travel through the bloodstream and are deposited in hair follicles roughly in proportion to the amount of the drug taken. o Since hair grows at the rate of half-an-inch a month, the test uses the inch and one-half closest to the scalp to detect drug use during the latest 90 days. o Questions have been raised, however, as to whether drug molecules bind more to coarser black hair than to lighter hair and whether passive exposure to marijuana or other smoked drugs could produce a false positive. Private schools can make drug testing a condition of enrollment without inviting lawsuits. But public schools cannot Yet two public school principals in New Orleans want to initiate hair tests. The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana has warned that it would file suit if testing is implemented. Source: Christopher S. Wren, "Hair Testing by Schools Intensifies Drug Debate," New York Times, June 14, 1999. For more on Other Education Issues http://www.ncpa.org/pi/edu/edu7c.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] COST OF PROTECTIONISM
-Caveat Lector- COST OF PROTECTIONISM Ironically, political pressure for trade protection has grown during the current economic expansion. Similarly, the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff was enacted at a time of unprecedented prosperity. It may be that economists have not done a very good job of explaining either the benefits of free trade or the costs of protection. A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates the cost of protectionism to the United States. o St. Louis Fed economist Howard Wall calculates that U.S. exports would have been 26.2 percent higher in 1996 if other countries practiced free trade. o Wall found that U.S. protectionism also hurt, costing consumers more than $100 billion. o In a recent speech in Dallas, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the ultimate cost of protection can be even higher if it blocks the flow of technology and new ideas that are the life's blood of economic progress. Similarly, the benefits of free trade may not be as apparent as their perceived costs in terms of job displacement. However, the benefits are large. o According to a new study by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia, a 50 percent reduction in world tariffs would increase the world economy by more than $400 billion per year (see figure http://www.ncpa.org/pd/gif/pd6799.gif ). o Complete elimination of tariffs would add $750 billion to the world economy annually. A final source of protectionist sentiment may be the understatement of U.S. exports, which exacerbates the recorded trade deficit. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, exports may be understated by as much as 10 percent, due to the undercounting of small exports and other factors. This may make people think that restricting imports is necessary to restore balance. More accurate counting of exports, therefore, may help reduce protectionist pressure. Source: Bruce Bartlett, senior fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, June 7, 1999. For text http://www.ncpa.org/oped/bartlett.html For Australian study http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/gtr_2000.pdf For St. Louis Fed study http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/publications/review/99/01/9901hw.pdf For Alan Greenspan's speech http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/boarddocs/speeches/1999/19990416.htm For Census Bureau study http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aip/expunder2.html For more on Tariffs Trade Barriers and Free Trade Agreements http://www.ncpa.org/pi/internat/intdex12.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Bank of Scotland under fire over ties to Pat Robertson
-Caveat Lector- Bank of Scotland under fire over ties to Pat Robertson Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Copyright © 1999 Associated Press EDINBURGH, Scotland (June 2, 1999 11:55 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - The Bank of Scotland is being pressured to sever a proposed business link with Pat Robertson after the American religious broadcaster referred to Scotland as a "dark land" because it tolerates homosexuals. Some lawmakers told The Scotsman newspaper in Wednesday's editions that they would call for the government to pull its accounts if the Bank of Scotland does not end the affiliation. The bank acknowledged that as many as 500 accounts had been closed by customers since March, apparently because of the publicity over its dealings with Robertson. The bank has been working with Robertson on a deal, reportedly worth $48 million, to launch a telephone and Internet banking arm in the United States. On his "700 Club" television show May 18, the former presidential candidate criticized Scotland for its tolerance of homosexuals, calling it a "a rather dark land." "In Europe, the big word is tolerance," Robertson said. "Homosexuals are riding high in the media. ... And in Scotland, you can't believe how strong the homosexuals are. It's just unbelievable." The bank said Wednesday that it was considering its response to the controversy. Gene Kapp, a spokesman for Robertson, said the broadcasters' comments were taken out of context. "He indicated that Scotland has a great, proud history and like many places in Europe and in the United States, what really needs to happen is a return to the more traditional values, period. It really had nothing to do with the homosexual issue," Kapp said. "This deal is not about Pat Robertson, the religious leader," he said, referring to the Bank of Scotland link. "This is about Pat Robertson, the businessman." Lloyd Quinan, a Scottish National Party lawmaker, said he will speak out in Parliament about the bank's association with Robertson. "I certainly will be questioning whether the account with the bank can be moved," Quinan told The Scotsman. "We do not seek to damage a Scottish institution, but if a Scottish institution damages the country, then questions have to be asked." - DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Vatican, Lutherans resolve centuries-long dispute on way to salvation
-Caveat Lector- Vatican, Lutherans resolve centuries-long dispute on way to salvation Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Copyright © 1999 Associated Press VATICAN CITY (June 2, 1999 11:24 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Coming to terms in a centuries-old dispute, Roman Catholic and Lutheran officials will release an accord next week on the means of salvation, both sides said Wednesday. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is meant to resolve a doctrinal debate at the heart of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, which split Western Christianity. The Vatican and Lutheran World Federation crafted compromise language on one of the key unresolved points regarding what theologians call "justification," or how humankind achieves salvation. For the Lutherans, it depends on the grace of God, while Catholics maintain that good works are also involved. With the declaration, Catholics and Lutherans have agreed that divine forgiveness and salvation come "solely by God's grace" and that good works flow from that. Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Rev. Ismael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, will announce joint acceptance of the document June 11 in Geneva. Agreement was announced by the two sides almost a year ago, but closing the gaps on wording took months more. The Vatican council indicated Wednesday the accord would be signed at next week's event. The Lutheran World Federation said it expected signing to come still later. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] PRIVACY IN THE INFORMATION AGE
-Caveat Lector- PRIVACY IN THE INFORMATION AGE The right of privacy has been a major distinction between democracies and dictatorships. But those who hold privacy in high regard have seen their rights slowly eroded for decades -- and now the process could swiftly accelerate in the era of high tech. o A single company -- Acxiom Corp. in Conway, Ark. -- has a database combining public and consumer information that covers 95 percent of American households. o A 1997 survey of 900 large companies by the American Management Association found that nearly two-thirds admitted to some form of electronic surveillance of their employees. o Intelligence agencies from America, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand jointly monitor all international satellite-telecommunications traffic via a system called "Echelon" which can pick specific words or phrases from hundreds of thousands of messages. o Tiny microphones can record whispered conversations across the street or monitor them via the normally imperceptible vibrations of window glass. Among the dangers lurks the occasional benefit. In a few years' time, supermarkets could check the contents of customers' refrigerators -- compiling a shopping list as they run out of edibles. Is privacy a thing of the past? Legal experts reply that while privacy statutes exist in the U.S. and other countries, courts have found it almost impossible to pin down a precise legal definition of it and privacy lawsuits hardly ever succeed. The answer may be to rely on market solutions. Already some companies are developing devices to thwart snoops -- such as firms that forward e-mail stripped of any identifying information. Source: "The Surveillance Society," Economist, May 1, 1999. For more on Business Issues http://www.ncpa.org/pd/law/mcc/index4a.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Government proposes new restrictions on right to jury trial
-Caveat Lector- 5/19/99 -- 11:16 AM Government proposes new restrictions on right to jury trial LONDON (AP) - Judges, not defendants, will decide whether a jury should hear certain cases under a legislative proposal announced by the government today. Home Secretary Jack Straw, the Cabinet official in charge of criminal justice, said many defendants were using the right to a jury trial to delay the system. ``In 1998, there were 18,500 cases in which the defendant demanded their case be heard before a jury. In many of these the defendant changed their plea to guilty when they appeared in court,'' Straw said in a speech to the Police Federation Conference in Blackpool. The change will apply to offenses such as theft, burglary, assault and criminal damage, which may now be tried either before a magistrate without a jury, or in a jury trial in Crown Court. More serious offenses will continue to be tried in Crown Court. Other less-serious cases such as motoring offenses and drunkenness are already tried exclusively before magistrates. ``This manipulation of the system cannot be right,'' Straw said. ``It causes anxiety and concern to victims and witnesses and it costs the taxpayer thousands of pounds in extra court costs and legal aid. It also wastes the valuable time of police officers, prosecutors and judges who prepare for a trial only to be stood down because of the changed plea.'' Defendants will have a right to appeal a magistrate's decision to refuse a jury trial, he said. The government will introduce the legislation as soon as possible, but Straw did not specify a date. The governing Labor Party has an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons, and the measures are likely to pass. Courtenay Griffiths of the Society of Black Lawyers said minorities were skeptical of the fairness of Magistrates' Courts. ``A fair hearing from a randomly selected panel of jurors greatly enhances the confidence that minority communities have in the justice system,'' Griffiths said. About 40 percent of defendants in Crown Court jury trials are freed, compared with 25 percent tried in Magistrates Courts. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] APPLYING THE CONSTITUTION TO THE EPA
-Caveat Lector- APPLYING THE CONSTITUTION TO THE EPA Critics ranging from business leaders to constitutional scholars are lauding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia for finally reining in the Environmental Protection Agency. By a two-to-one decision, the court last week found that agency officials had overstepped the bounds of constitutional authority in issuing regulations under the Clean Air Act. The main issue involves whether unelected EPA bureaucrats should be allowed to make laws, or whether lawmaking is the prerogative of Congress -- as the Constitution states. o The court referred to a 1928 Supreme Court decision known as the "non-delegation doctrine" which is designed to "ensure to the extent consistent with orderly governmental administration that important choices of social policy are made by Congress, the branch of our Government most responsive to the popular will." o Thus, the Appeals Court held that Congress had violated the Constitution's separation of powers by delegating too much of its authority to the EPA. o If upheld on appeal to the Supreme Court, critics hope the doctrine will be applied to activities promoted by the Americans With Disabilities Act and regulations emanating from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. The EPA's sweeping ozone and particulate matter rules were already a source of scientific contention: o The agency's science advisory board concluded that the new ozone rule did not deal with any new significant risk not already addressed by the rule it replaced. o The board was unable to identify any proper level of fine particulate matter to regulate. o It was widely recognized that extensive research was necessary to develop any implementing regulations for particulate matter. o There was no unrebutted evidence that the ozone rule could cause more harm than good to public health. Sources: Editorial, "Red Light for Regulators," and C. Boyden Gray and Alan Charles Raul (lawyers), "The Courts Thwart the EPA's Power Grab," both Wall Street Journal, May 18, 1999. For more on Business Issues http:// DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] ROBERT RUBIN'S ROLE IN THE RECOVERY
-Caveat Lector- ROBERT RUBIN'S ROLE IN THE RECOVERY Last week, financial markets paid Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin the highest complement they could: they crashed on the announcement of his resignation. The markets were acknowledging that Rubin deserves much of the credit for the economic expansion and the enormous wealth it has generated for millions of Americans. Yet, ironically, it is not for anything he has really done, but rather for the bad things that probably would have happened had he not been there to stop them. Clinton came into office hoping to be another LBJ, with plans for big spending programs galore. But Rubin convinced him that financial markets were very nervous about this and needed reassurance. So instead of proposing another Great Society, Clinton proposed a big deficit reduction plan. Although the plan was faulty, it convinced markets that Clinton was not another Jimmy Carter, and would not unleash the inflation genie. Rubin also played a critical role in getting Republican Alan Greenspan reappointed as Federal Reserve chairman in 1996, and has consistently protected him from administration criticism. This has allowed Greenspan to manage monetary policy for the good of the country. The result has been the near elimination of inflation and the lowest interest rates and unemployment in a generation (see figure http://www.ncpa.org/pd/gif/pd051799a.gif). Rubin's replacement, Deputy Secretary Lawrence Summers, has been a professor of economics at Harvard University, but will not have the standing as Rubin has at the White House, nor the stature Rubin has in financial markets. If, for any reason, there is an economic slowdown or a financial crisis, it could bring out Clinton's bad big government instincts. Only this time Rubin won't be there to head them off. Source: Bruce Bartlett, senior fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, May 17, 1999. For text http://www.ncpa.org/oped/bartlett.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: You might be a Redneck Jedi if.....
In a message dated 5/14/99 10:35:52 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: You might be a Redneck Jedi if. Date: 5/14/99 10:35:52 AM Central Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (F. Michael Zimmerman) To:[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Ruth Baer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Religious humor discussion list It had to happen. Just had to. You might be a Redneck Jedi if. You ever heard the phrase, "May the force be with y'all." Your Jedi robe is camouflage. You have ever used your light saber to open a bottle of Bud Light. At least one wing of your X-Wing fighter is primer colored. You can easily describe the taste of an Ewok. You have ever had a land-speeder up on blocks in your yard. The worst part of spending time on Dagobah is the dadgum skeeters. Wookies are offended by your B.O. You have ever used the force to get yourself another beer so you didn't have to wait for a commercial. You have ever used the force in conjunction with fishing/bowling. Your father has ever said to you, "Shoot, son come on over to the dark side...it'll be a hoot." You have ever had your R-2 unit use its self-defense electro-shock thingy to get the barbecue grill to light. You have a Confederate flag painted on the hood of your land-speeder. You ever fantasized about Princess Leah wearing Daisy Duke shorts. You have the doors of your X-wing fighter welded shut and you have to get in through the window. Although you had to kill him, you kinda thought that Jabba the Hutt had a pretty good handle on how to treat his women. You have a cousin who bears a strong resemblance to Chewbacca. You suggested that they outfit the Millennium Falcon with redwood deck. You were the only person drinking Jack Daniels during the cantina scene. If you hear . . . "Luke, I am your father ... and your uncle ..." ___ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] --- Headers Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from rly-za05.mx.aol.com (rly-za05.mail.aol.com [172.31.36.101]) by air-za05.mail.aol.com (v59.4) with SMTP; Fri, 14 May 1999 11:35:51 -0400 Received: from x15.boston.juno.com (x15.boston.juno.com [205.231.100.28]) by rly-za05.mx.aol.com (8.8.8/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) with ESMTP id LAA24177; Fri, 14 May 1999 11:35:46 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from [EMAIL PROTECTED]) by x15.boston.juno.com (queuemail) id EALDC5PS; Fri, 14 May 1999 11:35:37 EDT To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 08:18:20 PDT Subject: You might be a Redneck Jedi if. Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Mailer: Juno 2.0.11 X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-23,25-32,34-40,42-55 X-Juno-Att: 0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: "F. Michael Zimmerman" [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Ruth Baer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Religious humor discussion list It had to happen. Just had to. You might be a Redneck Jedi if. You ever heard the phrase, "May the force be with y'all." Your Jedi robe is camouflage. You have ever used your light saber to open a bottle of Bud Light. At least one wing of your X-Wing fighter is primer colored. You can easily describe the taste of an Ewok. You have ever had a land-speeder up on blocks in your yard. The worst part of spending time on Dagobah is the dadgum skeeters. Wookies are offended by your B.O. You have ever used the force to get yourself another beer so you didn't have to wait for a commercial. You have ever used the force in conjunction with fishing/bowling. Your father has ever said to you, "Shoot, son come on over to the dark side...it'll be a hoot." You have ever had your R-2 unit use its self-defense electro-shock thingy to get the barbecue grill to light. You have a Confederate flag painted on the hood of your land-speeder. You ever fantasized about Princess Leah wearing Daisy Duke shorts. You have the doors of your X-wing fighter welded shut and you have to get in through the window. Although you had to kill him, you kinda thought that Jabba the Hutt had a pretty good handle on how to treat his women. You have a cousin who bears a
[CTRL] Book: Dutch banks made billions trading stolen Jewish property
-Caveat Lector- 5/8/99 -- 10:59 AM Book: Dutch banks made billions trading stolen Jewish property AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Dutch banks made billions of dollars trading property stolen by Nazis from the nation's Jews during World War II, according to a book to be released in the Netherlands on Monday. The claims reach the top of the Dutch banking system. Those accused of profiting from the Holocaust are forerunners of the powerful banks ABN AMRO and ING Groep, which rank among the world's largest financial institutions. The Netherlands' Central Bank and Amsterdam Stock Exchange were also aware of the activities, author Gerard Alders said in interviews with Dutch media published Saturday. In his Dutch-language book, ``Robbery, the Theft of Jewish Belongings During World War II,'' Alders asserts that the issue was covered up by government officials after the war for fear of a backlash. Alders, a historian with the Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation, said nine years of research prove the banks ``knew it was property theft ... of that I am absolutely positive.'' He said $500 million - now worth $7 billion - was stolen by Nazis and sold by a group of 140 stock and bond traders from over half a dozen banks. The traders were fully aware that their activities were illegal, Alders said. Over 75 percent of Dutch Jews - more than 100,000 people - perished in the Holocaust. ABN AMRO spokesman Theo van Dijk said it was too soon to comment on the book's claims. He added that its findings might be taken into account in an ongoing government investigation into the role of banks during the war. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: New York Times International Headlines
In a message dated 5/4/99 3:48:19 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Japan Recession Stifles Trade Climate, if Not Summit Talk President Clinton and Japan's Prime Minister professed to be in fundamental agreement on strategies to pull Japan out of a seven-year-long economic slump. But their daylong meeting underscored how many of Clinton's once-ambitious economic initiatives with Tokyo have been sunk by the Japanese recession. http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/050499japan-us.html - Good morning. Here are summaries of today's top international news from The New York Times on the Web. - NATO Air Attacks on Power Plants Cross a Threshold Broadening the scope of its air strikes, NATO attacked Yugoslavia's electrical system, cutting off power to millions of civilians as well as military units in the field. http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/050499kosovo-nato.html - Russian Delivers Kosovo Plan to Clinton President Clinton held an extended discussion with the Russian special envoy for the Balkans, but the White House remained pessimistic about the prospect of a deal anytime soon to end the conflict in Kosovo. http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/050499kosovo-prexy.html - Japan Recession Stifles Trade Climate, if Not Summit Talk President Clinton and Japan's Prime Minister professed to be in fundamental agreement on strategies to pull Japan out of a seven-year-long economic slump. But their daylong meeting underscored how many of Clinton's once-ambitious economic initiatives with Tokyo have been sunk by the Japanese recession. http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/050499japan-us.html - Moscoso's Election Marks Pivotal Point for Panama For more than 20 years, Mireya Elisa Moscoso lived in the shadow of a man 45 years her senior who, she says, even told her how to wear her hair. But by the side of that man, Panama's three-time president, Arnulfo Arias, she also gained a political schooling that helped transform her into "Senora Presidenta." http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/americas/050499panama-moscoso.html - Afrikaners Have a Dream, Very Like the Old One The 600 people of Orania are so committed to keeping blacks out that they are even willing to do all their own work, including cleaning and gardening, jobs that many white South Africans have never done for themselves. http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/050499safrica-whites.html - Islamic Woman in a Head Scarf Suddenly Galvanizes Turkey Last week, almost no one in Turkey had heard of Merve Kavakci. Now, she stands accused of nothing less than trying to destroy the nation, and Turks are talking of little else. http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/world/turkey-politics.html - Colombia and Guerrillas Agree to Start Peace Talks After more than six months of on-again, off-again discussions, the government and the main left-wing guerrilla group announced they had agreed not only to begin formal peace negotiations, but also to invite international observers to sit in on the talks. http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/world/colombia-rebels.html - To view today's articles with your personal search terms or to sign up for personal search, see http://www.nytimes.com/partners/iib/services/personalsearch.html - You received these headlines because you requested The New York Times Direct daily e-mail service. To cancel delivery or change delivery options, see http://www.nytimes.com/nytdirect -
[CTRL] Fwd: [FTC] Bilderberger Boy
In a message dated 5/4/99 9:46:25 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: [FTC] Bilderberger Boy Date: 5/4/99 9:46:25 AM Central Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Linda Muller) Sender:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Friends - Excellent column from our friends at Insight magazine - FTC - Linda Insight Magazine http://www.insightmag.com/ 5/24/99 The Arrogance of NATO's Power By James P. Lucier Contributing Editor In 1964 the shadowy Bilderberger group met in Williamsburg, Va., and held their first press conference. Organized shortly after World War II by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands and David Rockefeller, the Bilderbergers were a group of movers and shakers in both the public and private arenas who had been meeting quietly every year, ostensibly to discuss ways to improve cooperation between the United States and Europe. The group was a favorite of conspiracy buffs, who saw the closed meetings as a kind of football huddle where the plays for the coming year were tossed to the Masters of the Universe. This writer, who was then on the staff of a major daily newspaper in Virginia, had suggested in a series of articles that public confidence would be enhanced if the meetings simply were opened to the public. So, lo and behold, the Bilderbergers -- who had never announced their presence in previous meetings -- had that first (and perhaps last) press conference. Bernhard, replete in striped pants, white boutonnière and looking more like a floorwalker in an old-fashioned department store than a Master of the Universe, explained that they had never met the press before because "no one was interested." Among the power brokers that weekend was the then-senior senator from Arkansas, J. William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Amazingly, his entire speech was reprinted shortly afterward in the pages of the New York Times, the first and only time the code of silence was breached. Fulbright spoke of "old myths and new realities." The old myth was that "every Communist state is an unmitigated evil," and the new reality was that "insofar as a nation is content to practice its doctrines within its own frontiers, that nation, however repugnant in its ideology, is one with which we have no proper quarrel." Two years later Fulbright turned against Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam policy, publishing his book The Arrogance of Power. In that same year, Fulbright took a 20-year-old Arkansan under his wing, hiring Bill Clinton to be an assistant clerk in his Senate office. Now fast-forward 33 years, and Clinton is presiding over the 50th anniversary of NATO in Washington. Fulbright is all but forgotten, having been so wrong about communism, so wrong about the Evil Empire, so wrong about everything. But Clinton imbibed those wrong lessons well, and the arrogance of power was on splendid display at the NATO summit. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, not Fulbright, the Evil Empire is no more, and NATO no longer has a reason for being. NATO was set up in 1949 for one purpose and one purpose only: to repulse an "armed attack" against any NATO member. But there isn't a single power anywhere near Europe that is capable of mounting an armed attack or is interested in doing so. Besides, the European nations presumably have grown up since 1949. The European Union, or EU, has half again as many people as the United States and a correspondingly larger combined gross domestic product. By now these Europeans should be big boys capable of handling anybody in the schoolyard. The only problem is that most of the European nations are bogged down in socialist regulations and massive welfare entitlements that block dynamic development, as was evident in the G-7 Economic Ministers' meeting that followed NATO. It is no coincidence that 13 of the 16 EU countries are run by Socialist governments. So it is not surprising that countries that are stuck on central bureaucratic control over the lives of the individual citizen also believe that, as a group, they have a right to abrogate the sovereignty of individual non-NATO states that do bad things. Not wanting the good NATO bureaucracy comfortably ensconced in Brussels to go to waste, the NATO members decided to turn the 1949 NATO treaty on its head. They invented a "new strategy." Instead of NATO remaining a defensive organization intended to protect against armed attack, the new design is for it to become a knight-errant wandering about attacking others who don't recognize its authority. Even though the new strategy effectively obliterates the 1949 treaty, there is no talk of drafting a new treaty to submit to the relevant bodies, such as the U.S. Senate, for ratification. So as the NATO ground troops landed in
[CTRL] Fwd: [FTC] Bipartisan team, sue Clinton over Kosovo
In a message dated 5/4/99 10:04:49 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Subj: [FTC] Bipartisan team, sue Clinton over Kosovo Date: 5/4/99 10:04:49 AM Central Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Linda Muller) Sender:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Friends, will your congressman sign on to this? FTC-Linda -- From: "Larry Becraft" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Paul, bipartisan team, sue Clinton over Kosovo (http://www.house.gov/paul/press Date sent: Mon, 3 May 1999 15:27:25 -0700 FOR RELEASE: May 1, 1999 Lawsuit filed Friday, April 30, 1999 Paul, bipartisan team, sue Clinton over Kosovo Members say President has violated Constitution, War Powers Resolution WASHINGTON, DC -- A bipartisan group of 17 Members of Congress, including US Rep. Ron Paul (R-Surfside, Texas), filed a lawsuit on Friday, April 30, 1999, in federal court against President Bill Clinton for violating both the US Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution with regard to Yugoslavia. Rep. Paul has led Congress in the opposing the unconstitutional military action, introducing the first legislation to stop the measure early in this Congress, and speaking against it last year. "This president has violated the law and he must be taken to task," said Rep. Paul. "It is a shame that Congress has not done more to stop the president from this destructive course. So it is therefore incumbent upon us to resort to the courts to force Mr. Clinton to follow his Oath of Office to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States." The lawsuit specifically states that the president violated Section 1, Article 8, Clause 11, of the US Constitution by engaging in war without the declaration of such from Congress. The suit also notes that the president violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution for failing to officially report to Congress on his aggressive actions against Yugoslavia within the mandated forty-eight hours. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment from the court, stating that the president has violated both the US Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. The plaintiffs ask the court to order the president to end hostilities by May 25, 1999, and withdrawn troops no later than June 24, 1999. "For more than 50 years, presidents have engaged in foreign adventurism at the cost of American lives without regard for the Constitution. But for the first time we have a president who not only refuses to acknowledge the Constitution, but also the War Powers Resolution which -- in my opinion -- improperly transferred constitutionally non-delegable powers from the legislative to executive branch," said Rep. Paul. "Apparently this president thinks he is king, for in our representative democracy no man is given the power to unilaterally commit troops to battle without the express authorization of the people's representatives in Congress." Joining Rep. Paul in the lawsuit are: Tom Campbell (R, CA), Dennis Kucinich (D, OH), Marcy Kaptur (D, OH), Roscoe Bartlett (R, MD), Bob Barr (R, GA), Dan Burton (R, IN), Philip Crane (R, IL), John Cooksey (R, LA), Walter Jones (R, NC), Donald Manzullo (R, IL), Charlie Norwood (R, GA), Thomas Petri (R, WI), Marshall Sanford (R, SC), Joe Scarborough (R, FL), Bob Schaffer (R, CO), and Thomas Tancredo (R, CO). The Members have legal standing in the suit because the president's actions usurped Congress' constitutional and legal rights to declare war and provide oversight. "This president is putting American soldiers, and indeed all Americans, in danger by engaging in this reckless action," said Rep. Paul. "We must not allow this or any president to declare themselves above the law." Congress voted this week 427 to 2 against a declaration of war with Yugoslavia, voted to prohibit funding for ground elements, and finally, denied support for the ongoing air campaign. FOR MORE NEWS VISIT OUR SITE: http://www.theamericancause.org * Please feel free to forward this email across the USA! * Join our free "FTC" - FOR THE CAUSE - List!!! Go to: http://www.theamericancause.org/cause_listserve.html --- *** ISSUES *** *** ISSUES *** *** ISSUES *** The American Cause Internet Headquarters Web: http://www.theamericancause.org --- *** ACTION *** *** ACTION *** *** ACTION *** Coalition for The American Cause Network Web: http://www.ctacnet.org --- WebMaster - Linda Muller - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Smail: 6862 Elm Street, Suite 210, McLean, Virginia 22101 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[CTRL] WTO stalled on picking new leader
-Caveat Lector- By CLARE NULLIS GENEVA (May 2, 1999 3:15 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - The World Trade Organization faced Sunday the prospect of a damaging leadership vacuum that could undermine its authority in global trade disputes. Efforts to appoint a new director-general ended in total deadlock after more than 12 hours of weekend meetings that degenerated into bad-tempered clashes between supporters of former New Zealand Premier Mike Moore and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi. Ali Mchumo, chairman of the 134-nation WTO council, reconvened a meeting of the decision-making body for Monday in hopes of finding a solution. But prospects looked grim, with Asian and some African nations standing firm behind Supachai - seen as the candidate of the developing world - and the United States insisting on Moore. WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell described the atmosphere at Saturday's session as "testy, tense and not terribly pleasant." The impasse and growing North-South split led to fears that a time-consuming hunt for a new leader might have to begin again from scratch despite the impressive track record of both current candidates. Italy's Renato Ruggiero stepped down as scheduled on Friday after a four-year term in office, taking the WTO's deputy directors with him. Rockwell said the WTO could continue to function without a leader, although it might pose some problems for the work of panels set up to adjudicate trade disputes. If parties involved in the trade rows can't agree on the composition of the three-member panels, the rules say that the director-general must name the members. The Geneva-based body faces an upsurge in disputes following the U.S. announcement Friday that it will file complaints to the WTO against Europe, India, South Korea, Canada and Argentina for a variety of alleged unfair trade practices. Moreover, the WTO needs a leader with global clout as it prepares for a November ministerial conference in Seattle, meant to set the trade agenda for the 21st century and usher in new agreements to liberalize global commerce. Even if there is agreement Monday on either Moore or Supachai, the successful candidate would face an uphill struggle in winning over all WTO members given the depth of bitterness. WTO council chairman Mchumo, a Tanzanian diplomat, proposed on Friday that Moore be approved by consensus since he had the support of 62 nations, three more than Supachai. However, Japan, Malaysia, India and other Asian nations demanded a vote. That ran counter to the WTO's time-honored rule that all decisions be reached by consensus. Asian countries and their allies are particularly angry that the Thai candidate held a clear lead for months while the United States and Europe sat on the fence. Only when Washington opted in favor of Moore did the New Zealander begin to gain ground. -- -- -- -- Global | Nation | Sports | Politics | Opinions | Business | Techserver | Health Science | Entertainment | Weather | Baseball | Basketball | Football | Hockey | Sport Server | MAIN -- -- Copyright © 1999 Nando Media Do you have some feedback for the Nando Times staff? DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Western Christian group apologizes for Crusades
-Caveat Lector- By DINA KRAFT JERUSALEM (May 2, 1999 12:08 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Nine centuries after Christian Europe sought to redeem the Holy Land, a group of Western Christians is asking forgiveness for the slaughter and destruction left in the Crusaders' wake. Bearing printed apologies in Arabic, Hebrew and English, participants in the "Reconciliation March" said Sunday they planned to hand the neatly bound plastic folders to Jews, Muslims, and Eastern Christians whose forefathers were killed during the invasion. About 50 members of the interdenominational project from the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are meeting Israelis and Palestinians in cities throughout the region. "Exactly 900 years ago, Christians visited this land with a sword and a spirit of vengeance in a manner contrary to teachings and character of Jesus," said Mike Niebur, the group's Israel coordinator. Group members, who pay their own expenses, have visited Jewish communities along the Rhine Valley and towns in Lebanon and Turkey in their search for forgiveness. Crusaders marching through the Rhine Valley slaughtered Jews who refused to convert to Christianity and left a similar wake of destruction in Eastern Orthodox and Muslim centers along the way. The Crusaders were urged forward by Roman Catholic leaders longing for the jewel of Jerusalem - and seeking to consolidate recent political gains in Europe. Organizers at the press conference displayed T-shirts depicting the march of the original crusaders as a jagged red line cutting through the heart of Europe and the Middle East. The group's trip will culminate on July 15 when up to 1,500 participants travel by foot from a Crusader fortress in northern Israel to Jerusalem to apologize to religious leaders on the 900th anniversary of the fall of the city to the Crusaders. Niebur said that the imprint of distrust and violence perpetuated by the memory of the Crusades can be traced through the Spanish Inquisition and even the Holocaust. "We hope we will start to end that legacy and start on a new track," said Niebur, a native of San Francisco. Members of the group said they see a direct link between the Crusades and the relationship between the East and West today. Niebur cited apocalyptic Christian groups who have unsettled Jews and Arabs in the region, and said such apocalyptic outlooks mirror those of the Crusaders. "We have a similar situation developing today with the turn of the millennium," he said. "We want to say that that was not really what Jesus' message was about." In January, Israel expelled a group of U.S. millennialists authorities believed were planning violent acts in Jerusalem to hasten the Second Coming. Niebur said the reception has been positive. He recalled a phone call to a Jewish community in the Rhine Valley. An organizer told the community leaders that the marchers were running a little late. "The Jewish community responded, 'We've waited 900 years, we can wait one more hour,'" he said. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] New Ebola epidemic
-Caveat Lector- Monday, May 3, 1999 Published at 00:11 GMT 01:11 UK New Ebola epidemic New Ebola epidemic A new epidemic of the deadly Ebola virus has appeared in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is threatening to enter Sudan. World Health Organisation figures say 50 people have died in the latest outbreak of the disease, which is fatal in up to 90% of cases. Congolese Health Minister Mashako Mamba announced on Friday that the DRC was confronted by an epidemic. There are reports that the virus is spreading towards Sudan, after beginning in the rebel-held north-east of the DR Congo. Sudan threat A spokesman for a South African-based medical information service said the disease had been reported within 50km of the Sudanese border. "In this situation, that is very little. There is a very real danger of it spreading to Sudan," he said. The Ebola virus is named after a river in north-western Congo, where the disease was first identified in 1976. A second epidemic in 1995 caused 245 deaths. Highly infectious No vaccine has been developed for the virus, and researchers have not pinpointed its origins. The highly infectious virus kills between 50% and 90% of people who become infected, according to the WHO. The disease is characterised by internal and external bleeding, and kidney and liver failure. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] MEDIA REPORT SELECTIVELY ON GUN USE INCIDENTS
-Caveat Lector- MEDIA REPORT SELECTIVELY ON GUN USE INCIDENTS Access to guns has been a prominent part of media coverage of the Littleton, Colo., tragedy -- as it should be. But some acute observers are noting that press reports on similar horrendous school shootings have made scant mention of the role of guns in subduing youthful killers. o In the October 1997 shooting spree at a Pearl, Miss., high school, which left two students dead, an assistant principal retrieved a gun from his car and physically immobilized the shooter for about five minutes before police arrived. o Out of some 687 articles which appeared in the first month after the attack, only 16 stories mentioned the assistant principal -- and only a little more than half of those reported that he used a gun to stop the attack. o A school-related shooting in Edinboro, Penn., which left one teacher dead, was stopped only after the owner of a nearby restaurant pointed a shotgun at the shooter and held him at bay until the police arrived 11 minutes later. o While at least 596 new stories discussed this crime in the following month, only 35 mentioned the restaurant owner -- but few of those described how he used a gun to stop the violence. The New York Daily News reported that the restaurateur "persuaded" the killer to surrender, while the Atlanta Journal wrote that he "chased (the gunman) down and held him until police came." Defenders of legal ownership of firearms conclude that the media ignores stories which involve the defensive use of guns -- and which studies estimate are five times more common than criminal gun uses. Observers note that there are many cases in which citizens with permitted concealed handguns have stopped both shootings and bombings in public places. But the role of these heroes and their guns are overlooked in a politically correct press. Source: John R. Lott Jr., "Does News Coverage Endanger Lives?" Investor's Business Daily, April 29, 1999. For more on Self Defense http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/crime51.html DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Fwd: [FTC] US Layoffs Up 11 Percent in March
Friends - FYI - Linda --- Linda, Pat is the ONLY one acknowledging the true state of our "goldilocks economy." I am tired of hearing how great our economy is doing. All of the people layed off over these past 10 years or so are, in most cases, not only making far less than they were, but they aren't paying as much as they would have been into Social Security. For many, these would have been their highest earning years prior to retirement. Nobody is mentioning the fact that the downsizing of millions of middle class Americans has drastically reduced this source of Social Security revenues. Even though I have an engineering degree, nobody seems to want to employ a middle aged white male such as myself. One thing's for sure--I know I'm not paying anything close to what I used to pay into Social Security. Brian L. Please consider posting this web address: http://www.hrlive.com/local-bin/layoff.cgi Note all the aerospace, defense, and high-tech layoffs listed at the above URL! Also, here's an article you might want to post: http://www.msnbc.com/news/256945.asp US layoffs up 11 percent in March REUTERS NEW YORK, April 7 US Layoffs outpaced job creation in March, rising 11 percent ahead of February to a total of 68,984 job cuts, the international outplacement firm Challenger, Gray Christmas Inc. said Wednesday. The March layoff figures were 50 percent more than the 46,000 new jobs the government reported for the same period, according to the report. THE MARCH figures also capped a record-breaking six-month job-cutting binge, in which 456,860 cuts were announced, the report added. While voracious consumer spending has helped maintain overall economic strength, companies are still hampered by stiff pricing competition from abroad, said John Challenger, the companys chief executive officer. The inability to raise prices has cut into corporate profits which, in turn, has most certainly contributed to increased job cutting, Challenger added. legacy of layoffs US. job cuts for the first two months of the year totaled 141,537, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray Christmas. The pace is faster than in 1998, which was the heaviest layoff year in a decade. This table shows selected worldwide layoffs back to November. Company Jobs to be cut Reason SOURCE: MSNBC news services Printable version Thirty-one percent of the cuts in March came from the financial sector alone, with mergers accounting for a significant number of layoffs, according to the report. Layoffs in the financial industry totaled 21,660 in March, followed by the aerospace/defense (8,520), health care (6,294), construction (5,061) and electronics (4,035) industries. By region, the West/Southwest saw the largest number of cuts last month, with a total of 25,559 layoffs. It was followed by the Midwest (15,877), East (15,428) and South (12,120). http://www.msnbc.com/news/wld/tables/layoffs.asp?child A legacy of layoffs U.S. job cuts for the first two months of the year totaled 141,537, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray Christmas. The pace is faster than in 1998, which was the heaviest layoff year in a decade. This table shows selected worldwide layoffs back to November. Company -- Jobs to be cut --Reason Mattel Inc. (4/15) 3,000 falling profits Storage Technology (4/15) 500 falling profits Sun Healthcare (4/9) 10,000 falling profits Bank One Corp. (3/30) 4,500 merger related Wells Fargo Co. (3/28) 4,500 merger related America Online (3/24) 1,000 merger related Cabletron Systems (3/22) 900 sale of a unit CHS Electronics (3/22) 600 slipping profits Dimon Inc. (3/22) 200 weak tobacco demand First Union Corp. (3/19) 5,850 slipping profits Siemens AG (3/18) 1,800 restructuring Hexcel Corp. (3/17) 100 plant closing De La Rue Plc (3/16) 500 slipping sales Alcatel (3/11) 12,000 slipping profits Ingram Micro (3/11) 1,400 profit concerns Fluor Corp (3/9) 5,000 falling revenues Sony Group (3/8) 17,000 restructuring Advanced Micro Devices (3/8) 300 quarterly loss Republic New York (3/1) 560 restructuring Sheldahl Inc (3/1) 40 restructuring Medtronic (2/25) 1,600 plant closure Shell Oil (2/25) 300 weak oil prices Wellco Enterprises (2/25) 85 plant closure Cholestech (2/25) 20 cost cutting Carpenter Technology (2/25) 150 Asian impact Philip Morris (2/24) 1,400 plant closure General Motors Canada (2/24) 1,100 contract cancellation Marks and Spencer (2/24) 28 restructuring Bank One (2/22) 200 restructuring PRIMEDIA (2/22) 200 cutting unprofitable products Levi Strauss (2/22) 5,900 declining profits NEC 15,000 declining profits Applied Graphics Technologies 350 declining profits H.J. Heinz 4,000 restructuring ARCO Indonesia 900 weak oil prices Volvo Truck 650 weak demand Siemens Fossil Power 800 plant closure Microlog 30 restructuring BF
[CTRL] Fwd: [FTC] Fast-Track to the Poor-House...
Dear Friends, We are on the fast-track to free-trading ourselves into the poor-house -- read on - fyi PS - Also attached is a trade deficit chart sent in by Dr. Charles McMillion. Its in pdf format. Get the Adobe Acrobat reader if needed -- its free: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html For the Cause - Linda Linda, Found this to be disturbing. -Mark Mead Trade gap hits record $19.4 billion U.S. exports again fall while imports jump to all-time high ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON, April 20 Americas trade deficit soared to a record $19.4 billion in February as the global financial crisis depressed U.S. exports for a fourth straight month while booming consumer demand pushed imports to an all-time high. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that Februarys deficit was 15.6 percent higher than the previous record, a $16.8 billion imbalance in January. IN FEBRUARY, U.S. exports edged down 0.6 percent to $76.6 billion, led by a $927 million decline in sales of commercial aircraft. Imports jumped 2.3 percent to an all-time high of $96 billion as demand for foreign cars, clothing, toys, televisions and stereos soared. With back-to-back records, the trade deficit so far this year is running at an annual rate of $215 billion, far surpassing last years all-time high of $169 billion. Economists believe that as long as the U.S. economy remains strong and many of Americas major export markets remain in recessions caused by the steep plunge in financial markets that began in Asia in July 1997, the U.S. trade deficit will continue to rise. A widening trade deficit is the one cloud on an otherwise bright economic horizon for the United States, which has managed to remain what Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has termed an oasis of prosperity in a sea of economic trouble around the world. Greenspan, however, expressed concerns last week about a growing movement toward protectionism in this country, a development that has the White House worried as well. The administration is concerned that erecting U.S. trade barriers will trigger copycat responses while jittery markets are fearful that political pressures will make nations turn inward in response to the worst global economic crisis in 50 years. President Clinton, worried about a growing protectionist mood in Congress, balked earlier this month at reaching a sweeping trade agreement with China. That disappointed many in the business community who have complained for years about Chinas high trade barriers. For February, the deficit with China narrowed slightly to $4.6 billion. But Americas deficit with Japan shot up 13.1 percent to $5.3 billion. The administration is pursing a number of trade negotiations with Japan in hopes of showing progress in opening that market to U.S. firms by the time of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchis visit next month. In one bright spot, Americas surplus in services, which includes such things as tourism and consulting fees, rose 4 percent to a monthly record of $6.7 billion. The surplus in services, however, did little to dent a record $26.2 billion deficit in the goods area. U.S. exporters continued to find it hard to make overseas sales because of an economic crisis that has pushed one- third of the global economy into recession. The February drop in exports included a $130 million decline in farm sales, to $3.6 billion, with the drop led by falling shipments of soybeans and wheat. American farmers, who grow one-third of their crops for export, are suffering their worst times in a decade. In addition to commercial aircraft, manufactured exports of telecommunications equipment and electric generators also dropped in February. On the import side, foreign shipments of autos and automotive parts rose to a record $14.6 billion, up $710 million for the month. Other increases included computer accessories, up $449 million; clothing, up $202 million; toys, up $156 million; and televisions and VCRs, up $150 million. Americas deficit with Mexico climbed to a record $1.8 billion in February while U.S. exports to Brazil, which became the latest victim of the global currency turmoil in January, dropped to $910 million, the lowest level since April 1996. - end FOR MORE NEWS VISIT OUR SITE: http://www.theamericancause.org * Please feel free to forward this email across the USA! * Join our free "FTC" - FOR THE CAUSE - List!!! Go to: http://www.theamericancause.org/cause_listserve.html --- *** ISSUES *** *** ISSUES *** *** ISSUES *** The American Cause Internet Headquarters Web: http://www.theamericancause.org
[CTRL] Japanese Bonds Seen Falling on Weak Demand for 10-Year Sale
-Caveat Lector- Japanese Bonds Seen Falling on Weak Demand for 10-Year Sale Bloomberg News Apr 17 1999 8:21PM ET (Changes dateline, updates day references throughout.) Tokyo, April 18 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese government bonds are likely to fall this week as a sale of 10-year bonds may fail to lure investors amid concern the government will have to increase spending to revive the economy. The Ministry of Finance will sell 1.4 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) in 10-year bonds, which could provide a 1.5 percent or 1.6 percent coupon at Wednesday's monthly auction, the lowest since November. ``The big question is whether investors will buy such a coupon,'' said Akinori Ito, chief portfolio manager at Nikko International Capital Management Co., which oversees 2.5 trillion yen ($21.1 billion) in assets. ``We won't.'' In the week just ended, the benchmark No. 211, 10-year bond rose 0.044, or 22 yen per 50,000 yen bond, pushing the yield down 0.5 basis point to 1.605 percent. Bond futures for June delivery rose 0.30 to 133.80. Low coupons are less attractive to Japanese bond investors because under the nation's accounting standards, coupon payments are classified as riskless investment and not subject to capital gains tax. Many traders said that a coupon under 1.70 percent will not be attractive. Additional Spending Investors expect that the government will have to spend more in the latter half of this year to revive the world's second-largest economy, which the government has said contracted 2.2 percent for the year ended March 31. That has raised concern the government may have to sell more debt than already planned. It plans to sell a record 71.3 trillion yen in bonds in the year started April 1, a 23 percent increase from the previous year. The prospect of such debt sales helped to push up the yield on the 10-year bond to its high of 2.505 percent on Feb. 3. The yield fell after the Bank of Japan on Feb. 12 cut its target rate for overnight lending between banks. Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said last Friday there is a need to consider tax cuts to promote investment and effective use of assets. ``We didn't expect the tax cut talk,'' said Koji Hozumi, a trader at New Japan Securities Co. ``That could help stocks'' and lead to more debt sales, he said. Search Financial News Enter ticker symbol or keyword: Sponsored trading links: Advanced Search Search Tips Search all of Snap Search only in Business Money Home | Search | Help | About Snap | Ad Info | Snap Jobs Copyright © 1997-1999 Snap and its content providers. All rights reserved. Bloomberg L.P. and its suppliers believe the information herein was obtained from reliable sources but they do not guarantee its accuracy. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of securities or commodities. DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] ECB's Liebscher `Not Concerned' About Euro's Slide vs Dollar
-Caveat Lector- ECB's Liebscher `Not Concerned' About Euro's Slide vs Dollar Bloomberg News Apr 16 1999 7:10AM ET ECB's Liebscher `Not Concerned' About Euro's Slide vs Dollar Vienna, April 16 (Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank council member Klaus Liebscher said he isn't concerned about the euro's fluctuating exchange rate against the dollar, even as Europe's four-month-old single currency sinks to its lowest level since its inception. Though the euro sank to as low as $1.0622 in London trading today, the lowest since it first began trading at $1.16675 on Jan. 4, Liebscher, the Austrian National Bank governor, said ``psychological factors'' and concern about ``how economies are performing'' are commonplace in exchange rates between two currencies. ``I'm not really concerned about the exchange rate because we more or less have the same situation that the dollar-yen had last year,'' Liebscher said. ``We will watch it carefully, but one should not be too concerned about the development in the exchange rate. It's not the goal of the ECB council.'' The euro slid to a new low against the dollar today, as hopes for an end to the war over Kosovo faded after U.S. President Bill Clinton warned attacks on Yugoslavia would intensify. While ECB officials say the euro's development is no cause for concern, analysts say the ongoing conflict will be costly to European governments and could hurt Eastern European economies. Even so, some commentators point out that a less valuable euro can encourage Western European growth by making products less expensive for customers abroad. ``The lower exchange rate is an indirect sponsorship program for the European economy,'' Johannes Farnleitner, the Austrian Minister for Economic Affairs, said today. ECB's Contribution While Liebscher downplayed concerns about the European economy, he added the ECB council did its part for the euro bloc's growth by cutting its benchmark refinancing rate half a percentage point to 2.5 percent last week. He said it's now up to each government to change economic policies in line with the euro countries' so-called stability pact, which is intended to reduce government deficits and debt. ``The prime goal for me is that policy makers really stick to the stability pact...and reach balanced budgets or even surpluses,'' said Liebscher, attending the launch of an education package to boost schoolchildren's awareness of Europe's single currency. Governments ``are forced to, and they should, speed up structural reforms like deregulation, getting rid of bureaucracy, and creating new jobs in respect of new enterprises,'' he said. Liebscher highlighted the importance of tackling unemployment in the euro 11 countries, though said he was satisfied with Austria's own jobless rate. Austria's Low Unemployment ``The Austrian situation itself is quite different because we have an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, which is, fortunately, one of the lowest rates within the European Union,'' he said. ``But on the other side, according to national standards, it's rather high.'' Austria's coalition government last month agreed on a 30 billion schilling ($2.4 billion) tax package aimed at boosting consumer spending, encouraging companies to invest and creating more jobs. ``I'm convinced we've already seen certain improvements in the last two or three months, so the situation here is improving,'' Liebscher said. Austria, which with 3 percent of the euro bloc's output is the area's seventh-largest economy, also announced plans at the start of the year to continue posting budget deficits in a four- year deficit-limitation plans. Reducing Speculation Liebscher said last week's ECB interest rate reduction, the size of which surprised many economists, was aimed at bolstering growth in the region and stamping out speculation about further rate cuts in the future. While the central bank's independent reputation may benefit from springing ``surprises'' on the market, he said, the decision was based wholly on policy, since ``we are faced with a quite favorable outlook for price stability on the one side. And this was, of course, our main basis for that decision.'' The European Commission forecast last month that economic growth in the euro 11 may slow to 2.2 percent in 1999, from 3 percent last year. ``This is a realistic outlook but optimistic on the other hand because they say it's more or less a temporary development and we will see the situation recover next year,'' Liebscher said. ``I also share the feeling that we have seen a robust economy internationally -- we have improvement in some of the Asian countries and a stabilizing situation in Latin America. So I think the international environment is quite favorable for the future,'' Liebescher said. Liebescher is one of 17 members of the ECB Governing Council, which meets twice a month to discuss monetary policy and interest rates for the 11 countries that adopted the euro common currency. The council
[CTRL] Ky. steelmakers, users square off on import law
-Caveat Lector- Ky. steelmakers, users square off on import law By Gail Gibson HERALD-LEADER WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The glut of cheap, foreign steel that touched off this year's biggest trade fight in Congress hit the bottom line at the Gallatin Steel Co. in Northern Kentucky. Since late last year, production at the mini-mill in Ghent has dropped to 50 percent of capacity. Prices for the hot-rolled steel the company sells to businesses like automotive stamping plants have fallen from $300 a ton to $200. ``That just comes out of your pocket, because costs don't drop like that,'' said Ed Puisis, Gallatin's chief financial officer. Last month, lawmakers in Washington stepped in to try to help domestic steelmakers like Gallatin, who say increased imports are crushing their business. In a 298-141 vote, the U.S. House approved legislation that would impose quotas on steel imports for three years. But a solution may not come that easily. The quota bill already faces criticism from leading economists, a veto threat from the White House and an uncertain future in the Senate as lawmakers return to work this week after a two-week recess. And in Kentucky, the story isn't just in the old steel mills in towns like Newport or Ashland. On the other side of the fight is the state's burgeoning auto industry -- including leading employers like Toyota Motor Manufacturing of North America -- which says the import restrictions would hurt business. ``It's a question of whose margin is at stake,'' said Dennis Cuneo, Toyota's vice president for corporate affairs. Cuneo said that Toyota-North America buys roughly $300 million worth of steel each year, about 95 percent of it from U.S. producers. Import restrictions would push up steel prices across the board. And that increase could force carmakers to respond by cutting costs -- trimming wages or laying off employees -- or raising sticker prices. ``I do feel for the individual steelworker who may lose his or her job,'' Cuneo said. ``But on the other hand, I don't think it justifies losing three or four other jobs in the steel industry so the government can prop up that job.'' Worries of `protectionism' By sheer employment numbers, steelmakers in Kentucky don't have the same strength as steel users -- particularly major operations like Toyota's Georgetown plant or Ford's truck plants in Louisville. In 1998, carmakers Toyota, Ford and General Motors employed 17,000 people in the state. The state's 56 steel companies combined to employ 6,199, state figures show. But the steelmakers showed their muscle on the import restriction bill. Of Kentucky's six U.S. House members, only two -- Republican Reps. Ernie Fletcher of Lexington and Anne Northup of Louisville -- voted against the bill. It wasn't an easy decision, Fletcher said in a recent interview. ``My dad worked in the steel mills when he was younger, and we were talking to the steel workers coming in, and I'm very concerned about their jobs and their well-being,'' Fletcher said. Fletcher balanced that view against the concerns of Toyota, a major player in his Central Kentucky district, and other steel users like heavy- equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., which produces tractor treads at a Danville plant. ``I came down on the fact that in the long run, our protectionism is going to have a greater ill effect on our citizens than in the short term,'' he said. Some of the nation's leading economists have sounded the same concerns. Testifying at a House Ways and Means committee hearing this winter, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned that a ``drift toward protectionist policies, which are always difficult to reverse, is a much greater threat than is generally understood.'' Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, economist Robert Crandall, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, called the steel bill ``one of the most blatantly protectionist pieces of legislation since the 1930s.'' The debate highlights some of the nation's free-trade angst, which has been exacerbated in parts of Kentucky by the closings of textile plants in the wake of the North American Free Trade Agreement. House members split Rep. Ken Lucas of Union is a conservative Democrat and businessman who generally favors free trade. But his Northern Kentucky district also includes some of the larger steel mills, and on this issue, Lucas said, the ``benefits outweighed the negatives.'' Other Kentucky House members who backed the steel quota bill said they did so to signal concerns that the Clinton administration is not adequately enforcing existing trade laws. ``Unfortunately, President Clinton has refused to stand up for American steelworkers; therefore, the responsibility fell to Congress,'' said Rep. Ron Lewis, R-Cecilia. Big U.S. steel companies and their workers also say the administration isn't doing enough to crack down on increasing imports. And they say the impact on their business has been great.
[CTRL] Free Trade Is Not Free
-Caveat Lector- Free Trade Is Not Free Address to the Chicago Council of Foreign Relations by Patrick J. Buchanan This is a prestigious forum and I appreciate the opportunity to address it. As my subject, I have chosen what I believe is the coming and irrepressible conflict between the claims of a new American nationalism and the commands of the Global Economy... TAC NEWSWIRE 04/14/99 - RALEIGH NEWS OBSERVER Two Sides to NAFTA on Display at Hearing - Sen. Jesse Helms turned thumbs down Tuesday on five years of the North American Free Trade Agreement, telling a top U.S. trade official that the pact has cost North Carolina and other states tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs. . . Richard Fisher, deputy U.S. trade representative, testified on the effects of NAFTA before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Helms chairs. Fisher was joined by Republican presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan and Vontella Dabbs, a textile mill worker from Maiden, N.C. Helms said his initial warnings about NAFTA, which eased tariffs and other trade barriers among the United States, Canada and Mexico, have been proved true since the accord took effect Jan. 1, 1994, after Congress approved it at the urging of President Clinton. . . "Now that the U.S. is five years into NAFTA, more than 200,000 jobs have been lost nationwide," Helms said. "In North Carolina, more than 20,000 jobs have been lost in the textile industry alone, and the picture is getting bleaker by the day with plants closing and moving to Mexico" . . . "Five years ago, we predicted that this agreement would mean growth, better and more jobs, rising standards of living and a higher quality of life," Fisher said. "Today, we can say that the agreement is keeping its promises" . . . Buchanan, the TV commentator who has made opposition to international trade agreements a centerpiece of his presidential campaigns, criticized Fisher for focusing only on U.S. exports to Mexico and Canada, without looking also at those countries' shipments to the United States. "It's a little bit like saying, 'The Washington Redskins scored three touchdowns Sunday,' without saying, 'The Dallas Cowboys scored six touchdowns,' " Buchanan said. . . The United States enjoyed a trade surplus with Mexico before NAFTA was implemented, Buchanan said, but now has a trade deficit of $17 billion. . . He said the devaluation of the Mexican peso has prompted a flood of Mexican goods across the border. . . . "If we continue these open-border trade policies with nations that have hard-working people who will work for 10 percent of American wages, every large industrial and manufacturing plant in this country is ultimately at risk," Buchanan said. . . .Dabbs traveled to the hearing from Catawba County, where she works for Delta Mills Marketing Co. at a plant that makes cotton yarns and woven cloth for apparel manufacturers. "I come to you today not as an expert in any field, not as a politically motivated person, but simply as an American who is deeply concerned for both my future and the future of my family and friends," Dabbs said. Dabbs blamed NAFTA for the recent decision by Burlington Industries to close nine plants in the Carolinas. One of them, a large denim weaving factory in the Iredell County town of Mooresville, is being replaced by a similar facility in Mexico, she said. . . "These treaties, laws and trade agreements have not really opened up the world to the American textile industry as was intended," Dabbs said. "Instead, they have opened our borders for foreign manufacturers to flood our country with goods produced with near slave labor and in deplorable conditions for workers." Helms said the Burlington closings would cost North Carolina 2,400 jobs. . . 04/14/99 - THE WASHINGTON POST DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Chinese Money Was Routed Through Lippo Link to the Clinton Campaign
-Caveat Lector- Chinese Money Was Routed Through Lippo Link to the Clinton Campaign - Chinese military intelligence officers diverted illegal campaign donations to the Clinton-Gore Re-Election Committee through a Hong Kong bank controlled by an Indonesian family with long-standing ties to President Clinton, authorities said. . . Federal law enforcement officials, congressional investigators and others said several hundred thousand dollars in cash went to the campaign through several emissaries handpicked by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). . . The money, the sources said, originated in Beijing and initially was routed by the PLA to China Resources Holding Company Ltd. in Hong Kong. From there, it was transferred to the Hong Kong Chinese Bank -- jointly owned by the Chinese government and Lippo Group, a multibillion-dollar Indonesian conglomerate owned by longtime Clinton supporters Mochtar and James Riady, the sources said. . . Eventually, the cash was moved to other banks, then wired to the emissaries, who distributed it to the Clinton-Gore campaign and to other state and federal races, the sources said. . . DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] (no subject)
-Caveat Lector- DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Weird Science
-Caveat Lector- Weird Science -- Special to ABCNEWS.com While surfing the Net a few days ago, I chanced upon the Hume and Bacon Institute for Alternative Science just outside Edinburgh, Scotland. This low-profile research facility has just published some of its recent findings in the British science journal Languet (Vol. 233, 1999). As the details of the article become known, they will prove quite startling to many. In a news conference, Paul A. Yiannis, the institutes shy yet pugnacious director, stated that his staff had convincingly verified a number of controversial claims. UFOs and ESP The first involves a strange piece of metal found in Roswell, N.M., where many believe an alien spacecraft crashed in 1947. The fragment has quite an amazing property: It exerts a faint physical attraction on every information-processing instrument so far tested. Moreover, this attraction is nine times as strong one foot away from the metal as it is one yard away. What to make of the fragments effect is open to differing interpretations, but it can no longer be denied. Yiannis maintains that the relation of this phenomenon to the new physics of string theory will be an active area of research in the 21st century. The institutes article also deals with psychic readings. It concludes that labs all over the globe have demonstrated that psychics are indeed frequently correct in their assessments of others. Moreover, there are documented cases where they have correctly described the characteristics and life experiences of dead relatives of subjects. Yiannis also pointed to the literally thousands of cases of dreams prefiguring events that occurred the next day and mentioned the counterintuitive laws of quantum mechanics. Determining the consequences of these laws, he referred to puckishly as walking the Planck after the German physicist Max Planck. Toward the end of the news conference, Yiannis showily popped a pill and enthused, And while Im at it, I can state with certainty that the taking of homeopathic remedies and countless other alternative remedies is followed many times by complete remission. This is especially so after the patient has had a serious medical crisis. The dismissal of these claims of remission would be the act of a closed mind. Again the paper contains copious documentation and personal testimonials. Math Behind the Miracles? The institutes 83-page Languet survey of alternative science also refers to a report on the trigonometry and calculus that practitioners need for astrological and biorhythmic predictions. Sometimes its considerable, and the claim is made that many equations and theorems used in astrology and biorhythmic analysis are universal truths. Related to these phenomena, theres a brief discussion of the strange numerological properties of the numbers 23 and 28. The numbers, some believe, are the periods for a metaphysical male and a female principle, respectively. They have the special property that by adding and subtracting appropriate multiples of them, one can express any whole number whatsoever. That is, any number at all can be
[CTRL] I.M.F. Relents on Aid to Russia, but U.S. Talks Tougher
-Caveat Lector- I.M.F. Relents on Aid to Russia, but U.S. Talks Tougher The International Monetary Fund said it agreed on "a broad framework" to resume financial aid to Russia, but American officials immediately warned that they would permit only enough support to keep Moscow from defaulting on international loans. http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/world/russia-imf.html -- DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
