NEWS AND VIEWS

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Koizumi takes a turn with Gere:
"Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the Hollywood actor Richard Gere have treated reporters to an impromptu ballroom dance performance.

Mr Koizumi took Gere's hand in front of a roomful of journalists and asked 'Shall We Dance?'- the title of Gere's latest movie.

Gere obliged, but insisted on taking the lead, as the two twirled around the room for a few seconds.

Afterwards Gere described Mr Koizumi as 'charming and spontaneous'.

Mr Koizumi returned the compliment, saying Gere, who is in Japan to promote Shall We Dance, was a great movie star and a wonderful person.

The twirl follows Gere's endorsement on Monday of Mr Koizumi's views regarding an arms ban on China.

Gere said he approved of Mr Koizumi's opposition to a plan by the European Union to lift the ban, which was put in place following the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

The film star is well known for his advocacy of better human rights in Tibet.

Mr Koizumi, whose popularity has dipped of late, has been known to perform with stars before.

Two years ago, he sang the Elvis Presley hit 'I want you, I need you, I love you' with actor Tom Cruise."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US army to produce Mid-East comic:
"The US military is planning to win the hearts of young people in the Middle East by publishing a new comic.

Jalila, a brainy Levantine scientist and fighter for justice
The army comic may encounter competition from Arab superheroes created by an Egyptian publisher
An advertisement on the US government's Federal Business Opportunities website is inviting applications for someone to develop an 'original comic book series'.

'In order to achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East, the youth need to be reached,' the ad says.

'A series of comic books provides the opportunity for youth to learn lessons, develop role models and improve their education.'

"

BBC NEWS | Business | EU is 'concerned' over Wolfowitz: (Link will open in a new window)
While Reading.. I couldn't help add (in color) and underline some words...

"EU finance ministers said they have 'concerns' about the appointment of Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.

Calling him a serious candidate, they said that they wanted the opportunity to talk to him (pleaaaaaaase) regarding his policies before he is confirmed in the post.
....

World Bank concerns

The EU said that it wants to meet Mr Wolfowitz, who is a well-known White House hawk and was nominated by US President George W Bush.

He served as deputy defence secretary during Mr Bush's first term.

Luxembourg Economics Minister Jeannot Krecke said that there is 'some concern about the way Mr Wolfowitz intends to handle the policy of the World Bank.'

German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said that Mr Wolfowitz is a 'high level candidate, but there needs to be more discussions before' his election to the post of the development agency.

The finance ministers want him to come to Brussels (pleaaaaaaase) before his appointment is confirmed at the end of the month, to answer questions about his position on several development issues, such as debt relief"

EU "concerned"?? Too bad.
Aren't these the old Europe's folks who were also concerned about the Iraqi invasion? And the outcome??????

The new world order needs a new world banker!
Will EU bank(inter)rupt?

I imagine Mr. Bush, Mr. Rumsfield, Ms. Rice, Mr. Cheney and their super-candidate (Wolfowitz) telling EU:
"We respectfully respect your disagreement. Rest assured. Paul will head the bank, and you might as well--respectfully--eat S**T."

Photo Source

from BBC NEWS | Business | Bush backs US hawk for World Bank (link opens in a new window):

"President George W Bush has nominated US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as the next head of the World Bank, a key development agency.
Mr Wolfowitz has earned a reputation as a hawk during his time as Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's deputy, and was a strong advocate of the Iraq war.
Mr Wolfowitz said he was looking forward to being part of the Bank's 'noble mission'.
The choice of the hardliner to run the agency is likely to be controversial.
But President Bush described Mr Wolfowitz as a 'compassionate, decent man' committed to global development.

Opposing views

Jeffrey Sachs, a leading development economist, called the nomination 'inappropriate'.
'He is a man without international development experience, without professional qualifications.
'He is not a banker or an economist, not a public health specialist, a water management specialist, an agronomist, a climate change specialist.
'He is a defence specialist and so if this were the World Defence Council it would make sense,' Mr Sachs told journalists in a conference call.
But Allan Meltzer, a long-time critic of the World Bank, praised the nomination.
He pointed to Mr Wolfowitz's posting as US ambassador to Indonesia and experience managing large organisations as qualifications.
'We don't need a development person, there are plenty of people at the bank who do that,' Mr Meltzer told the BBC News website.
'What the Bank needs is focus: how many children are innoculated against measles every year? What have we done to bring water to the villages?
'Those are not development questions, those are administrative questions,' he said."

A BBC Reader's View:
"The 'Wolf' has been shown the path to the henhouse. It's hard to imagine peaceful development under his leadership."
Kelly, Washington, US

What a coincidence that this happens to one of the hawks and the authors of the PNAC after the Iraq war and the efforts to push the new Greater Middle East project. Too many coincidences make me sometimes tend to think... that... mmm.. but...
I am being told...


Does repeating it make me feel better????????

___________
Also Read:
- PNAC- from Wikipedia
- Gallery of Necon Artists
- Bush for President 2004: The Project for the New American Century- A vision for American global leadership

Excerpt:

PNAC's vision is detailed in its September 2000 report entitled "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century." Among other suggestions, this report calls for the United States to:

• Withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, stop the reduction of nuclear missiles, develop new nuclear weapons, and deploy a national missile defense system.
• Increase defense spending to a minimum 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (up from the 3 percent spent at the time of the report).
• "Fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theatre wars" as a "core mission."
• Warns that "we cannot allow North Korea, Iran, Iraq or similar states to undermine American leadership," and American military preeminence rests on the ability to "[remove] a dangerous and hostile regime when necessary."
• Keep all peacekeeping and rebuilding missions within the power of American political leadership rather than that of the United Nations.
• Use key allies, such as the U.K., as the "most effective and efficient means of exercising American global leadership."
• Take military control of the Persian Gulf region through the establishment of permanent bases.
• Take control of cyberspace, otherwise "[America] will find it difficult to exert global political leadership."

Update:
BBC News| Wolfowitz to spread neo-con gospel

"By nominating Paul Wolfowitz to be head of the World Bank, President George Bush appears to be sending a message to the world that he intends to spread into development policy the same neo-conservative philosophy that has led his foreign policy."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Smelly divorce hits Iranian court: "An Iranian woman says she wants to divorce her husband because he has not washed for more than a year, according to a press report.

The 36-year-old woman, identified as Mina, reportedly told a court in Tehran that her husband smells so bad even their children will not go near him.

She said that when she met her husband eight years ago, he was obsessive about staying clean.

Women in Iran have fewer rights than men when it comes to getting divorced.

A woman normally has to prove that her husband has neglected her financially or sexually, is a drug addict or is physically abusive.

Mina reportedly told the divorce court the smell of her husband was so bad that it was making her family a laughing stock.

'We cannot go to any parties. I feel so ashamed,' she was quoted by Iran's state-run newspaper."