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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

lunarchick - 02:21am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8687 of 8698)
lunarchick@www.com

New Lamps for Old

Aussie: Howard arrives in US 14:10 (AEST) PRIME Minister John Howard today arrived in Washington for a week of talks in the US, saying he was pleased to have landed after a gruelling flight.

XPres: Clinton pulls a paying crowd 14:05 (AEST) THE red carpet was absent at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse but there was no mistaking the importance of the event.

Mr Clinton, who arrived in Sydney early Saturday, gave the keynote speech at the fundraising dinner, expected to raise about $1 million for the hospital.

His speech covered global issues such as climate change, education, the gap between rich and poor, and AIDS, which he said was threatening to engulf the world.

Mr Clinton said global warming would displace tens of millions of people around the world, creating refugee crises far worse than the one Australia had faced in the last two weeks.

He conceded he did not know enough about the Tampa matter to have an informed opinion, but said the issue was only minor compared to the crisis Australia would face if global warming continued.

"The science is unassailable. If the world keeps growing for the next 50 years warmer as it has for the last decade you're going to see some of the small nations in the Pacific actually flooded," he said at his only public appearance during his three-day visit to Australia," Mr Clinton said.

"You're going to see huge disruptions in food production patterns in every continent, and tens of millions of refugees.

"If you're worried about 400 people, you just let the world keep warming up like this for the next 50 years and your grandchildren will be worried about 400,000 people."

Australia was plunged into a diplomatic crisis late last month when Prime Minister John Howard refused to allow the Norwegian container ship Tampa to enter Australian waters after it rescued more than 430 mainly Afghani asylum seekers from a sinking boat near Christmas Island.

Mr Clinton, who is travelling without his wife Hillary, also expressed regret at not being able to solve the crisis in the Middle East, an issue he vigorously tackled during his eight years in the White House.

"I regret I was not stronger or wiser or eloquent or persuasive enough to head it off," he said.

"I did everything I could and I just couldn't do it."

Earlier, Mr Clinton praised the children's hospital and described its patients as a real inspiration.

lunarchick - 02:25am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8688 of 8698)
lunarchick@www.com

On climate: a 2000 year old ice shelf has drifted off Antartica. The penguin populations at this spot have change to chin-strap indicative of openwater preference. The Australian winter has been the warmest EVER - retailers of winter clothing discounted stock and took losses.

lunarchick - 07:08am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8689 of 8698)
lunarchick@www.com

$20 million is the amount spent by Australia to keep Afghan refugees out of Australian waters and take them to PNG Port Moresby then Nauru. When these guys hit the abyss that is Nauru, then all food and water will have to be shipped to them - at cost.

$20 million is the amount Pakistan spends on the border camp refugees per annum (at least that's what they said) ...

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lunarchick - 07:11am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8690 of 8698)
lunarchick@www.com

Million Dollar Bill wooed the glitterarti in Sydney yesterday. He related his trip to the hospital. He noted that the wards had fair UN style representation. He said the children there were accepted. He remined us they may have cousins in the third world - just like them.
He spoke of the wonder of a computer + printer for all world schools ... to enable ..to use the library of the web .. to reduce inequalities .. to reduce later threats of war.

rshowalter - 07:15am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8691 of 8698)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I believe that Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor is gisterme . That's a guess, for a lot of reasons, based on a very extensive correspondence.

Whether I'm right or not, Condoleeza Rice is now an important personage, and she has spent her entire life around, and justifying, American doctrines about nuclear weapons. http://www.webdesk.com/condoleezza-rice/

rshowalter - 07:17am Sep 9, 2001 EST (#8692 of 8698)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

lunarchick 9/9/01 7:08am there are plenty of ugly disproportions in the world. What a stunning pair of numbers.

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