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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 - 11:17pm Sep 10, 2001 EST (#8745 of 8749)
lunarchick@www.com

An obsession with Information Control has happened in Australia regarding the Assylum seekers. So much so that eMails for Navy personnel to family were banned.

The cost to Australia so far is actually $70million, that's $20m to Nauru and $3 million a day for operational cost - for three weeks so far - totally unsustainable from our military budget. 136 ships came to Australia with refugees, the 137th landed as Prime Minister John Howard is seeks re-election .. the 138th has just landed (part wrecked) .. the military will now 'push it' out of territorial waters.

Nauru Australia is to pay for all food and water imported to support the refugees!

Some guys count missiles ... but when push comes to shove .. digging sewers seems to be what life's about in Nauru.

USA Afghanophile: "The Afghans are proud people, with a good sense of humour, they love their country, they mean what they say and they do what they say." ..... He lived 25 years in Afghanistan and wrote a history of the country. He said in his last public speech: "When I die, burn me and throw my ashes on the peaks of the sky-high mountains of Afghanistan." http://www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/Soc_pages/lines/mas1.stm#spot

.. wonder how the Norweigen election went in the World's most livable country, using Afghans as the whipping boy! (Australia has been most livable for 7 or the past 8 years - Whale eating may now be a criteria)

lunarchick - 11:48pm Sep 10, 2001 EST (#8746 of 8749)
lunarchick@www.com

... Bush and Mr Howard made their way along the White House colonnades, the president paused to tell reporters exactly why he and the prime minister were now pals.

"By the way, we get along well because if there is any place that is like Texas, it's Australia," the Texan president said.

"That's a high compliment, I want you to know." http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,2830480%5E1702,00.html

[Bill Clinton will holiday again at Port Douglas Queensland ... meanwhile back a the Whitehouse .. ]

It was a marked contrast to the reception Mr Howard received last time he was in Washington to see former Democrat President Bill Clinton.

Back then, Mr Howard received only 20 minutes in the Oval Office and barely registered on the former president's agenda.

Today, Mr Howard was showered with the full diplomatic niceties of a Washington visit by a man he considers to be an ideological soul-mate.

Mr Howard had the president's attention for more than three hours, starting the day with a ceremony to mark 50 years of the Australia-US Anzus military alliance.

Mr Bush then invited Mr Howard to return to the White House in his car - an honour rarely given to visiting dignitaries.

lunarchick - 12:56am Sep 11, 2001 EST (#8747 of 8749)
lunarchick@www.com

Prime Minister of Estonia is Mart Laar: reformist, historian, writer and advocate of ‘e-stonia’ – Estonia’s e-government – making Estonia the first country in the world with a virtual government. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/europe/europe.htm

lunarchick - 07:43am Sep 11, 2001 EST (#8748 of 8749)
lunarchick@www.com

Australia - the court has ruled that 'thee Afghan refugees' be brought to Australia by 5pm Friday!

Howard will appeal against it.

The refugees are now entitled to legal representation ... the port of call - Port Morsby is cancelled as they sail out into the pacific to Nauru 2015k from Aussie.

lunarchick - 08:10am Sep 11, 2001 EST (#8749 of 8749)
lunarchick@www.com

Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, admits in the Guardian today that the agency targeted union leaders during the 1984 miners' strike, as well as prominent members of CND. http://www.guardian.co.uk/freedom/Story/0,2763,549997,00.html

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