Las Vegas SUN
March 28, 2005
To Australians, U.S. World Policy a Threat
By MERAIAH FOLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Most Australians consider U.S. foreign policy to be as threatening as Islamic fundamentalism, according to a survey released Monday.
More than two-thirds of respondents, 68 percent, said Australia takes 'too much notice' of the United States when setting its foreign policy agenda, and 57 percent judged U.S. foreign policy to be as much of a threat as Islamic fundamentalism.
The Lowy Institute for International Policy surveyed 1,000 randomly selected Australians on their foreign policy views. The survey's margin of error was 3.1 percentage points.
The Sydney-based think-tank also found a majority of Australians ranked the United States near the bottom of their list of favored allied.
Asked to rate their 'positive feelings' about a list of 15 key countries or regions, Australians put the United States at 11th place, ahead of only Indonesia, the Middle East, Iran and Iraq.
Australia's participation in the war in Iraq divided respondents, with 46 percent favoring postwar involvement, saying it was in Australia's best interests to support democracy. But 51 percent said Australia never should have been in Iraq in the first place.
Australia sent 2,000 troops to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and currently maintains about 900 troops in the Middle East with 300 in Iraq.
The think-tank's executive director, Allan Gyngell, said the findings reveal an 'antipathy toward the United States' and its foreign policy.
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Thursday, March 31, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
This Has Been Happening in Oakland For Years
*SNIP*
Teenage criminal gangs in south London are calling themselves the Muslim Boys and claiming to espouse Islam in an attempt to gain street credibility and trade on false perceptions about links to terrorists.
The gangs, who specialise in robbing local drug dealers, are alleged to have forced some members to convert at gunpoint and to pray before going out to commit crimes.
Community leaders are worried about escalating violence and the number of young with access to high-calibre guns.
--------------------
Teenage criminal gangs in south London are calling themselves the Muslim Boys and claiming to espouse Islam in an attempt to gain street credibility and trade on false perceptions about links to terrorists.
The gangs, who specialise in robbing local drug dealers, are alleged to have forced some members to convert at gunpoint and to pray before going out to commit crimes.
Community leaders are worried about escalating violence and the number of young with access to high-calibre guns.
--------------------
Las Vegas SUN: Alamo Flag Found on Display in Mexico
Las Vegas SUN: Alamo Flag Found on Display in Mexico: "March 06, 2005
Alamo Flag Found on Display in Mexico
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS (AP) - The only flag known to have survived the Battle of the Alamo has been found on display at a museum in Mexico, more than a decade after Mexican officials said they had lost it, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Several flags reportedly flew at the Alamo during the March 1836 battle between a small band of Texas fighters and a Mexican army 10 times their number. All except one were destroyed.
More than a decade ago, Texas officials stepped up efforts to get the flag back, but the Mexicans said they had lost it.
A reporter from The Dallas Morning News recently found the flag at Mexico's National History Museum.
It now rests in a glass case alongside 19th-century rifles. The once-blue rectangle of silk has faded to dirty white, but the gold fringe is intact and an eagle still spreads over the words 'God & Liberty.'
The triumphant Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna sent the surviving flag to Mexico City with a message that it would 'show plainly the true intentions of the treacherous colonists and of their abettors, who came from parts of the United States of the North.'
Spokesmen for Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Mexican President Vicente Fox indicated it may be possible to work out a deal that would return the Alamo flag to Texas.
'The governor has discussions with Mexican officials all the time,' Perry spokesman Robert Black said. 'I'm sure that at the appropriate time, the governor will broach this.'
Fox spokesman Agustin Gutierrez Canet said, 'If the United States has some Mexican flags, perhaps there could be an exchange. But that's a hypothetical idea.'
-- "
Alamo Flag Found on Display in Mexico
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS (AP) - The only flag known to have survived the Battle of the Alamo has been found on display at a museum in Mexico, more than a decade after Mexican officials said they had lost it, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Several flags reportedly flew at the Alamo during the March 1836 battle between a small band of Texas fighters and a Mexican army 10 times their number. All except one were destroyed.
More than a decade ago, Texas officials stepped up efforts to get the flag back, but the Mexicans said they had lost it.
A reporter from The Dallas Morning News recently found the flag at Mexico's National History Museum.
It now rests in a glass case alongside 19th-century rifles. The once-blue rectangle of silk has faded to dirty white, but the gold fringe is intact and an eagle still spreads over the words 'God & Liberty.'
The triumphant Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna sent the surviving flag to Mexico City with a message that it would 'show plainly the true intentions of the treacherous colonists and of their abettors, who came from parts of the United States of the North.'
Spokesmen for Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Mexican President Vicente Fox indicated it may be possible to work out a deal that would return the Alamo flag to Texas.
'The governor has discussions with Mexican officials all the time,' Perry spokesman Robert Black said. 'I'm sure that at the appropriate time, the governor will broach this.'
Fox spokesman Agustin Gutierrez Canet said, 'If the United States has some Mexican flags, perhaps there could be an exchange. But that's a hypothetical idea.'
-- "
Sunday, March 06, 2005
The Atlantic Divison...Are they Serious?
It came as a real shock to me to realize that the Atlantic Divisions number one team, the Boston Celtics, is a whopping 14 games below the NBA leading San Antonio Spurs in the Southwest Division. With a 31-29 record Boston has the lowest numbers among the Eastern Conference leaders but is considered a favorite for the Conference play offs.
I suppose when compared to Atlanta's dismal numbers (10-48) Boston is looking good and sitting pretty in the East up against their likely conference contender Orlando (31-27). The Celtics have beat the Magic in their last three encounters and, at this point, I'd be willing bet the good Citizens of Boston are hoping to go for a hat trick of a different kind, this year, by adding an NBA championship to their World Series title and Super Bowl win.
Let me break it to them now: If the Celtics make it past Orlando, which they are likely to do, nothing but dissapointment awaits them afterwards. If slotted into the Western Conference their numbers would put the Celtics somewhere below Memphis and above the Lakers and neither one of these two teams has a prayer when facing San Antonio (46-13).
New Jersy's laughable 26-34 record has them champing at the bit to come to San Antonio Tuesday night and try and take down the leagues Top Dog the way old west gunslingers would challenge the fastest and meanest in hopes of making a name for themselves. In the entire season San Antonio has only lost to one Atlantic division team, and that was to Toronto back in November and after Tuesdays game the Spurs will face New York on the 21st of March to bring their regular season encounters with that division to a close and, as far as I'm concerned, that should be all we hear out of them for the rest of the season.
I suppose when compared to Atlanta's dismal numbers (10-48) Boston is looking good and sitting pretty in the East up against their likely conference contender Orlando (31-27). The Celtics have beat the Magic in their last three encounters and, at this point, I'd be willing bet the good Citizens of Boston are hoping to go for a hat trick of a different kind, this year, by adding an NBA championship to their World Series title and Super Bowl win.
Let me break it to them now: If the Celtics make it past Orlando, which they are likely to do, nothing but dissapointment awaits them afterwards. If slotted into the Western Conference their numbers would put the Celtics somewhere below Memphis and above the Lakers and neither one of these two teams has a prayer when facing San Antonio (46-13).
New Jersy's laughable 26-34 record has them champing at the bit to come to San Antonio Tuesday night and try and take down the leagues Top Dog the way old west gunslingers would challenge the fastest and meanest in hopes of making a name for themselves. In the entire season San Antonio has only lost to one Atlantic division team, and that was to Toronto back in November and after Tuesdays game the Spurs will face New York on the 21st of March to bring their regular season encounters with that division to a close and, as far as I'm concerned, that should be all we hear out of them for the rest of the season.
Spurs keep Utah at bay
FOXSports.com - NBA- Game Trax
There was a packed house at the SBC center in San Antonio tonight to watch the Spurs defeat the Utah Jazz 101 to 94. It was touch and go through most of first half, which ended with an injured Tim Duncan leaving the court with a sprained ankle. The second half turned into a drag down fight as the teams battled for the lead with just a point or two separating them for most of the way until a Spurs break out left the Jazz trailing.
With the Jazz whittling the Spurs lead to just 5 points with 4 minutes left the boys in Silver and Black came back with a 10-3 run. After a bout of tag with Manu Ginobili the Jazz failed to regain possesion and ended the game defeted and demoralized failing to break the hundred point mark.
There's always been bad blood between the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz. Since the days of Karl Malone battling David Robinson on the court these two teams have had it out for each other but, let's face it, Utah has lost their edge. With the Jazz trailing at the bottom end of their division at 20-38 the once "Evil Empire" has been reduced to a dried out shell of their former selves.
We now enter the ass end of the season and the real nail-biters begin. Take Tuesdays game against New Jersey for example. With the Nets in third place in the Atlantic Division they need to make a good show and come out swinging to prove a point. With Kidd and Carter still hurting off their 81-105 loss to Orlando it's do or die time for them come Tuesday. Tim Duncan will most likely be out for the next few games and the sense of Spurs vulnerablity must have them hooting with glee in Jew Jersey in anticipation of a good night on Tuesday. This forces me to take a good look at the Atlantic Division for the first time all season.
Speaking of good nights tonight was one for former Spur Sean Eliot who had his number 32 retired tonight at the SBC center after the game. Guests included former teamamtes David Robinson and Avery Johnson as well as the Govorners of Arizona and Texas, the latter of whom made the Arizona native an "Honaray Texan for Life".
There was a packed house at the SBC center in San Antonio tonight to watch the Spurs defeat the Utah Jazz 101 to 94. It was touch and go through most of first half, which ended with an injured Tim Duncan leaving the court with a sprained ankle. The second half turned into a drag down fight as the teams battled for the lead with just a point or two separating them for most of the way until a Spurs break out left the Jazz trailing.
With the Jazz whittling the Spurs lead to just 5 points with 4 minutes left the boys in Silver and Black came back with a 10-3 run. After a bout of tag with Manu Ginobili the Jazz failed to regain possesion and ended the game defeted and demoralized failing to break the hundred point mark.
There's always been bad blood between the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz. Since the days of Karl Malone battling David Robinson on the court these two teams have had it out for each other but, let's face it, Utah has lost their edge. With the Jazz trailing at the bottom end of their division at 20-38 the once "Evil Empire" has been reduced to a dried out shell of their former selves.
We now enter the ass end of the season and the real nail-biters begin. Take Tuesdays game against New Jersey for example. With the Nets in third place in the Atlantic Division they need to make a good show and come out swinging to prove a point. With Kidd and Carter still hurting off their 81-105 loss to Orlando it's do or die time for them come Tuesday. Tim Duncan will most likely be out for the next few games and the sense of Spurs vulnerablity must have them hooting with glee in Jew Jersey in anticipation of a good night on Tuesday. This forces me to take a good look at the Atlantic Division for the first time all season.
Speaking of good nights tonight was one for former Spur Sean Eliot who had his number 32 retired tonight at the SBC center after the game. Guests included former teamamtes David Robinson and Avery Johnson as well as the Govorners of Arizona and Texas, the latter of whom made the Arizona native an "Honaray Texan for Life".
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