Daily Headlines

There are so many interesting stories today, I'll have to limit things to headlines and a brief intro:

First up, there are a couple of stories on the coming famine from Foreign Policy Magazine:

The New Geopolitics of food

Welcome to the new food economics of 2011: Prices are climbing, but the impact is not at all being felt equally. But for the planet's poorest 2 billion people, who spend 50 to 70 percent of their income on food, these soaring prices may mean going from two meals a day to one. Those who are barely hanging on to the lower rungs of the global economic ladder risk losing their grip entirely. This can contribute -- and it has -- to revolutions and upheaval.

More Than 1 Billion People Are Hungry in the World

For many in the West, poverty is almost synonymous with hunger. Indeed, the announcement by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2009 that more than 1 billion people are suffering from hunger grabbed headlines in a way that any number of World Bank estimates of how many poor people live on less than a dollar a day never did.

Cleric: Jihad coming to 'heart of America'

Warning there are motivated jihadists "in the heart of America," Choudary said al-Qaida will likely carry out revenge operations with "meticulous accuracy" and "devastating affect" comparable to that of the 9/11 attacks.

Al-Qaida warns U.S. of 'big revenge' over Osama death

The leader of the group that represents al-Qaida ideology in the Gaza Strip warned in an interview today of "big revenge" against the U.S. and Israel for the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Speaking from the Gaza Strip, Abu Saqer of Jihadiya Salafiya told WND that al-Qaida groups worldwide "made a connection" to initiate what he called "big revenge."

Israel fears bin Laden revenge attacks

High alert in Israel: Security officials are preparing for the possibility that radical Islamists will attempt to strike American targets and interests in Israel to avenge the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

World braces itself for revenge attacks

The American intelligence agency, the CIA, warned retaliation was almost certain. “Although bin Laden is dead, al Qaeda is not,” said CIA director Leon Panetta. “The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge him, and we must remain vigilant.”

Smaller Earthquakes Could Mean A Large One Is Coming

In the past week, the El Paso region has had four earthquakes at least 4.2 in scale. Seismologist Aaron Velasco tells KFOX14 the earthquakes could foreshadow a large scale earthquake in El Paso. These earthquakes all happened in a remote area of Chihuahua, Mecico. They were still pretty close to the U.S. border.

Mississippi River to exceed 1927 flood levels

Mississippi River levels will reach an all-time high this month, exceeding even the great flood of 1927, according to a new forecast by the National Weather Service
Still, even corps officials like Simrall were surprised by the new crest prediction.
“It would be more water than we’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve worked here more than 25 years and I never thought I’d see this.”

Chinese Warships in Australian Ports?

Western defence analysts are also concerned about the potential for a maritime accident triggering war, given China’s increasingly assertive conduct and the absence of the kind of maritime incident protocols that defused incidents between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Ms. Gillard said neither Mr. Hu nor the Premier, Wen Jiabao, raised any concerns about Australia’s military relationships with the US, or its allies, and nor did she raise concerns about the People’s Liberation Army.

The Ultimate Ally

What is the definition of an American ally? On an ideological level, an ally is a country that shares America's values, reflects its founding spirit, and resonates with its people's beliefs. Tactically, an ally stands with the United States through multiple conflicts and promotes its global vision. From its location at one strategic crossroads, an ally enhances American intelligence and defense capabilities, and provides ports and training for U.S. forces. Its army is formidable and unequivocally loyal to its democratic government.

Few countries fit this description, but Israel is certainly one of them.

Muslim Brotherhood Makes Different Statements in English and in Arabic

Muslim Brotherhood’s statement on their Arabic-language page said nothing critical of him. The website refers to the killing of “Sheikh” Osama bin Laden, using an honorific title, and condemns the attack as an assassination. It demands America stay out of the internal affairs of Arab and Muslim countries, and blames the West for launching a media campaign to demonize Islam.

Above all, the MB’s Arabic-language statement “confirms that the legitimate resistance against foreign occupation, for any country is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine law and international convention,” in reference to America’s presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. By supporting violence against America’s troops in Muslim lands, the MB essentially defends the al-Qaeda campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Palestinians: Jerusalem is already ours

While Israelis from the right and left of the political spectrum argue over the future of Jerusalem, Palestinian leaders say the eastern half of the holy city is already in their hands.

In his weekly radio address last week, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced that his government would soon resume administrative duties in eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods.
Fayyad noted that the PA had already allocated half-a-million dollars to altering the curriculum in Arab schools in Jerusalem, and that it would also bolster health and judicial services.

The move is a direct violation of the Palestinians' signed agreements with Israel, which prohibit Palestinian administrative activity in Jerusalem. It is seen as part of the new Palestinian Authority strategy of unilaterally seizing control of the lands it claims and winning international backing for sovereignty over them.

Of special concern are the changes to the curriculum in Arab schools. The new textbooks that Fayyad's government is bringing in deny the Jews' right to live in Israel and even contain excerpts of the infamous Czarist blood libel The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Fayyad claimed that with eastern Jerusalem in Palestinians hands, the city would become a symbol of peace and coexistence, but the schoolbook changes in particular show that the Palestinians are only interested in sowing the seeds of hate and continued conflict.

It will be important in the coming months to remember the words above - as the world pretends that creating a "PA State" will be the ultimate "Peace Plan"...We'll know better - we'll know the truth.