American people For Hillary

New Justice Department Push to Keep Bush Aides from Testifying

Laura Schneider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:12:17 EDT

The Huffington Post, August 19, 2008
Murray Waas, murraywaas@gmail.com | HuffPost Reporting From DC

The Justice Department filed papers in court late Monday asking a federal judge to temporarily set aside his own order directing White House officials to testify before Congress about the firings of nine U.S. attorneys.

The filing was in response to a July 31 opinion by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates that the Bush administration's claims of executive privilege in refusing to allow White House officials to testify about the firings was "unprecedented" and "entirely unsupported by existing case law."

Miscontrueing Obama's statement on abortion at Saddleback

Laura Schneider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:51:01 EDT

I was disgusted and disturbed by the deliberate (I believe) mischaracterization of Obama's remarks about abortion. See below:

Jonah Goldberg, August 19, 2008
Good and evil and Obama
To the Democrat, it's OK to act on a religious conviction if it serves a liberal cause.

At Saddleback, Obama offered the ritualistic support for Roe vs. Wade expected of all Democratic politicians, "not because I'm pro-abortion" but because women "wrestle with these things in profound ways."
Now, this is surely true in a great many instances. But political Obama isn't inclined to explain why "wrestling" with a serious moral question is an adequate substitute for deciding it correctly. People wrestle with all sorts of moral quandaries in "profound ways," but that is not enough. Many slave owners wrestled with whether they should free their slaves, but that did not obviate the need for the Emancipation Proclamation.

They completely ignored and eliminated the most important part of his remark, which was to state that the government had no role in making this kind of private decision (he didn't say it in exactly those words, but his meaning was clear). This is a deliberate distortion, in my opinion.

More Quotes on Leadership

Laura Schneider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:14:23 EDT

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. -- Harold R. McAlindon

Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

There go the people. I must follow them for I am their leader. -- Alexandre Ledru-Rollin

The history of the world is but the biography of great men. -- Thomas Carlyle

The real leader has no need to lead -- he is content to point the way. -- Henry Miller

Go to the people. Learn from them. Live with them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. The best of leaders when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people will say we have done it ourselves. -- Lao Tzu

Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don't take too much advice — keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world. -- Noah Porter

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. -- John Quincy Adams

He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander. -- Aristotle

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
(from Christian Leadership World)

Any one can hold the helm when the sea is calm. -- Publilius Syrus

A leader is a deal in hope. -- Napoleon Bonaparte

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. -- George Patton (from Big Dog's Quotes)

Where there is no vision, the people perish. -- Proverbs 29:18

Misfortunes, untoward events, lay open, disclose the skill of a general, while success conceals his weakness, his weak points. -- Horace

In this world a man must either be an anvil or hammer. -- Henry W. Longfellow

I light my candle from their torches. -- Robert Burton

Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise. -- Woodrow Wilson

The greater a man is in power above others, the more he ought to excel them in virtue. None ought to govern who is not better than the governed. -- Publius Syru

A bold onset is half the battle. -- Giuseppe Garibaldi

The power is detested, and miserable the life, of him who wishes to be feared rather than to be loved. -- Cornelius Nepos

To be a great leader and so always master of the situation, one must of necessity have been a great thinker in action. An eagle was never yet hatched from a goose's egg. -- James Thomas

Ill can he rule the great that cannot reach the small. -- Edmund Spenser

He who has learned how to obey will know how to command. Solon

When I give a minister an order, I leave it to him to find the means to carry it out. -- Napoleon Bonaparte

No man can stand on top because he is put there. -- H. H. Vreeland

It is impossible to imagine anything which better becomes a ruler than mercy. -- Seneca

No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. -- Abraham Lincoln

What you cannot enforce, do not command. -- Sophocles

No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place. -- Philip Armour

To do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult. -- Friedrich Nietzsche

It is absurd that a man should rule others, who cannot rule himself. (Absurdum est ut alios regat, qui seipsum regere nescit.) -- Latin Proverb

Let he him who would be moved to convince others, be first moved to convince himself. -- Thomas Carlyle

A good general not only sees the way to victory; he also knows when victory is impossible. -- Polybius

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Quotes on Leadership

Laura Schneider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:42:44 EDT

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -- Andrew CarnegieOne measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you. -- Dennis A. Peer

Love and respect do not automatically accompany a position of leadership. They must be earned. -- Anonymous

Leadership is action, not position. -- Donald McGannon

Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says "Go!" - a leader says "Let's go!" -- E.M. Kelly

The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. -- Theodore Roosevelt

The final test of a leader is that he [she] leaves behind in others the conviction and will to carry on. -- Walter Lippman

The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on. . . The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully. -- Walter Lippmann

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. -- Ralph Nadar

You don't have to hold a position in order to be a leader. -- Anthony J. D'Angelo

There is no such thing as a perfect leader either in the past or present, in China or elsewhere. If there is one, he is only pretending, like a pig inserting scallions into its nose in an effort to look like an elephant. -- Liu Shao-ch'i

This is pre-eminently the leadership quality--the ability to organize all the forces there are in an enterprise and make them serve a common purpose. Men with this ability create a group power rather than express a personal power. -- Mary Parker Follett

To lead the people, walk behind them. -- Lao-Tzu

You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself. -- Gene Mauch

You do not lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. -- John C. Maxwell

I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep. -- Charles Maurice De Talleyrand

I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it. -- Harry S. Truman

Ethics must begin at the top of an organization. It is a leadership issue and the chief executive must set the example. -- Edward Hennessy

There are no office hours for leaders. -- Cardinal J. Gibbons

Those that rule must hear and be deaf, must see and be blind. -- German Proverb

If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not be correct? -- Confucius

If you have fear of those that command you, spare those that obey you. -- Rabbi Ben Azai

What you cannot enforce, do not command. -- Sophocles

The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it. -- Elaine Agather

Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader's success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively. -- Norman Allen

Search others for their virtue, and yourself for your vices. --R. Buckminster Fuller

A leader knows what's best to do; a manager knows merely how best to do it. -- Ken Adelman

When the best leader's work is done the people say, ''We did it ourselves.'' -- Lao-Tzu

The chief executive who knows his strengths and weaknesses as a leader is likely to be far more effective than the one who remains blind to them. He also is on the road to humility -- that priceless attitude of openness to life that can help a manager absorb mistakes, failures, or personal shortcomings. -- John Adair

Today's People Who Need Good Vibes List

Laura Schneider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:50:23 EDT

Today is Tuesnday, August 19, 2008.

This is not a complete list, so if you or someone you know needs good vibes or prayer, please add them to the list in your comments and update us on their progress.

We still have two wars going on.

Coalition forces have suffered 4,458 deaths in action in Iraq and 925 deaths in Afghanistan. The official wounded count for Iraq is 40,229 in Iraq and 2,330 in Afghanistan, but the estimated is actually 23,000 to 100,000. Wounded in action in Iraq this month as of 08/05/2008: 10 Returned to Duty (RTD) within 72 hours, 16 not RTD.

There have been 17 recorded U.S. casualties since the beginning of August. There have been 191 Iraqi security forces and civilians reported dead since August 2008.

SPECIAL NOTE:

Mr. Bill has been feeling poorly. We all miss him very much and hope he feels better soon and returns to us in good spirits. Mr. Bill, I miss you kitty pics!

JACOB CLARK, one of our own, is doing well as of last report. He had angioplasty to remove blood clots from his legs.

SPIRITED DONA reminded me that our friend and fellow Democrat, Morgan Freeman blog was in a serious car accident in Mississippi. We pray for his speedy and full recovery.

AnneK's daugther, Emily, had surgery went well. She had a reaction to her medication, but is doing much better.

The Democratic Party and It's Many Facets

Cato Meador — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:23:24 EDT

Left? Right? Liberal? Conservative? Does anyone besides me see how broad the strokes are in this painting?

When I discuss politics with some of my Republican friends, they call me "left-wing" or "liberal". And you know what? There is NOTHING wrong with either term. And when I speak to some of my Democratic friends, they call me a "right-winger" or a "neo-con" or something. And today, I just stopped to ask myself why different people see me and my views so differently.

Am I a Democrat? Without a doubt. A dyed-in-the-wool Texas Yellow Dog Democrat!! A moniker that I have worn with pride my entire life. I love my party and it is THE party that best represents my views, feelings and that gives me the best answers to the problems of a VERY middle-class American that spent most of the last two years out of work. Luckily, that changed in April, and unlike many around the country, my job is extremely secure....and THAT is the kind of relaxing security that I wish for every American.

Am I a liberal or a conservative? That depends on which issue you are talking about I guess. Personally as I see the issues that really concern me, they are CATO'S issues.....not liberal OR conservative. It does appear, though, that using other peoples values to judge my own opinions, many of them would fall on one side of that fence or the other.

And that is the point of this post from me. I believe that the Democratic Party has ALWAYS been the party of INCLUSION! The BIG TENT Party, if you will. We do have some very conservative members, in some parts of the country. And some very liberal ones in other areas. When we have been successful in American politics, it has always been when we allowed ourselves to listen, study and discuss ALL sides of an issue and all OPINIONS of those discussions. We would fight, amongst ourselves, about platforms and candidates and which way the country should go on each and every issue. THIS is what has made the Democratic Party the biggest, most honest, and best prepared to lead the country into the future, and the world by example.

When we have chosen otherwise, the examples that come to mind relate to 1968 and the Chigago convention. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wanted to strong arm the convention. Everything blew up from there on the inside. On the outside were protesters from both sides of the Vietnam War argument, and chaos became the lasting memory of a party disassembling itself, into a pile of carnage that lasted until 1992, for the most part.

AND for the most part, President Bill Clinton brought us together like no one since John F. Kennedy. Bobby Kennedy would have, but it was his assassination that was actually the opening for what insued in Chicago.

Political opinions are not only based on left and right. They are also based on geography. Take illegal immigration for instance. In many state that do not border Mexico to the south, the argument ranges from human rights to making it sound like border state Democrats are racists or are completely against "immigration". So much of the times, when they are arguing, the word "illegal" never comes up. Hey, my great-great-great grandparents were immigrants.

Without immigration, I would be neither an American or a Texan.....and just so you know....that would really suck!! But when you live like I do in Texas, you have to deal with the large amount of tax money we have to spend on, not just health care for the illegals, but having to place a specific percentage of "biligual" teachers in our schools so that we can accomidate people who really shouldn't be here at all. (OK, that is our take anyway).

On the other hand, I am a lifelong Southern Baptist who has a big brother and a son that are both Southern Baptist ministers. And although none of us actually favors abortion as a birth control method, we all agree that it is nothing that the government should get involved with. As a matter of fact, we believe that CHURCH, as well as home, is the PERFECT place to actually DISCUSS how to avoid abortions......not the State House or Washington. A woman's body is HER property. And no one has the right to tell her what she can or can't do with it. Not here where they want to REQUIRE abortions be stopped...or say China where they REQUIRE abortions in many instances to control population growth.

My point is that MOST of the really important issues facing America are nearly always the ones you can't label liberal or conservatives. They are simply....AMERICAN ISSUES! They are issues that require fairness...compassion...consideration for the least of us as well as the richest of us. And most of all those that require us as a nation, to realize that our government is supposed to be run BY THE PEOPLE! Not the corporations! Not the rich! Not the religious! Not the non-religious! But by the AMERICAN PEOPLE! And we need our representation in Washington D.C.......from ALL walks of life and all political persuations.....to start REPRESENTING and stop just proving to us just how STUPID they can really be! Listen to the people that put you there, or get the hell out of the way, and let REAL people take over and follow the lead of Our Founding Fathers.

The party of Thomas Jefferson and John F. Kennedy deserves nothing less than the best, truest, and most honorable representatives to walk the hallowed halls of the Capitol and The White House, for the purpose of doing the country's business. Not the business of special interests or even the party.

"Nothing can stop the man with right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." Thomas Jefferson

Join Hillary in Denver

Mike W — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:39:56 EDT

I think we can all agree

Someonewhocares — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:44:42 EDT

This is very alarming. Reguardless of who you support or what you want. Anyone who has ever been involved in a civil rights demonstration sometimes you do not have to do anything wrong to be one of those who get hauled in with a group who was acting up. Correct me if I am wrong.... this has never happened before.
Here is the story those who are intrested in others thoughts please follow the link and read the comments below.

Today's People Who Need Good Vibes List

Laura Schneider — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:20:11 EDT

Today is Monday, August 18, 2008.

This is not a complete list, so if you or someone you know needs good vibes or prayer, please add them to the list in your comments and update us on their progress.

We still have two wars going on.

Coalition forces have suffered 4,457 deaths in action in Iraq and 907 deaths in Afghanistan. The official wounded count for Iraq is 40,229 in Iraq and 2,257 in Afghanistan, but the estimated is actually 23,000 to 100,000. Wounded in action in Iraq this month as of 08/05/2008: 10 Returned to Duty (RTD) within 72 hours, 16 not RTD.

There have been 16 recorded U.S. casualties since the beginning of August. There have been 178 Iraqi security forces and civilians reported dead since August 2008.

SPECIAL NOTE:

ANNEK's daughter Emily (17 2y/o) is going in the hospital Monday morning, August 11, 2008, for surgery on her jaw. We pray for her and Anne and wish Emily a full and speedy recovery.

JACOB CLARK, one of our own, is doing well as of last report. He had angioplasty to remove blood clots from his legs.

SPIRITED DONA reminded me that our friend and fellow Democrat, Morgan Freeman blog was in a serious car accident in Mississippi. We pray for his speedy and full recovery.

AnneK's daugther, Emily, had surgery went well. She had a reaction to her medication, but is doing much better.

For Hillary

Andrew Davey — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:14:11 EDT

(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama)

Sometimes, I still feel disappointed about this election. Sometimes, I keep asking myself "Where's Hillary?" Sometimes, I become frightened at the thought of Democrats losing. Sometimes, I still wish I could see Hillary back on the campaign trail again.

Sometimes, I wonder what the hell I'm doing now. But you know what? I just can't keep looking back. I can't let Hillary down now.

Elephantizing

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:01:22 EDT

Elephantizing refers to the process of training a baby elephant to stay tied to a stake with a rope.

When they first do this to the baby elephant, they use a thick, heavy chain. The baby struggles and struggles, but can't break free. He finally gives up in exhaustion, convinced he cannot break the chain.

Over time, they replace the chain with smaller and smaller chains and ropes, until the elephant will stay tied to a stake by a very small rope. By the time he is an adult, he could easily break the small rope, but, because as a baby he was convinced he could not break free, he accepts his confinement without question.

That is what they call elephantizing. Convincing someone they are powerless to break free of the chains that bind them.

How does this apply to us today?

In the 1980s, Reagan and the neocons redefined the word liberal to be a derisive term. Because the movement had caught hold and we lost the election, Dems showed no political courage and did not stand up for who they were. In fact, they fought the label and were afraid to use the term "liberal."

We allowed the Republicans to define who we were by intimidation.Likewise since the Viet Nam war. The Democratic Congress paid a heavy political price for stopping the war. The Republicans turned this into a picture that the Dems were weak on defense and anti-military. We cowered with fear of further political reprisal and are still fighting that battle and that label even now.

After 9/11, Bush used this to intimidate the Congress into caving on some legislation very important to the protection of our Constitutional rights-- the Patriot Act, the FISA Amendment, etc. The Republicans' portrait of Democrats having no core values came from the political cowardice of our politicians, who sat silently by, cowering in fear over being called "liberal" or "weak on defense" or "unpatriotic," etc.

The Republicans said we lacked core values because, if we had any, we would stand up for them. And we didn't. So, to an extent, we cooperated in giving them the unearned label of the "values" party -- put it in a box for them, wrapped it up in pretty paper, tied the ribbon in a nice bow, put it on a silver platter and served it to them with our compliments and well-wishes, so-to-speak. Then slunk back to our corner and rolled over in submission.

All of this can be traced back to the Dems being elephantized by the Republicans decades ago. We must find the political courage to stand up for who were are and what we believe once again.

It's time to take "liberal" back and define it accurately and proudly again.

Framing the economic debate...

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:55:58 EDT

Republicans love slogans — they’re short and they, therefore, cannot be substantive.

John McCain has resurrected the “liberal” and “tax and spend” slogans in this campaign. We cannot take this lightly. These are ingrained in the consciousness of middle Americans — and much of it is our own fault (see my blog entitled “Elephantizing” — http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/SchneiderView/CBtF

A discussion of my political and judicial philosophy (in brief)

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:49:06 EDT

Earlier on the website, a blogger was discussing Federalism. Very interesting article. If you run across it, please read it. I would like to discuss political philosophy.

Conservatism, Liberalism, Neo-conservatism, Libertarianism, Liberalism, Progressiveism, et al., are all political philosophies that have some distinct characteristics. Interestingly enough, most of Americans are Moderates (somewhere in the middle). But when we speak of conservatives and liberals, we are speaking about a person’s political philosophy, not a political party. Although there was (I don’t think it is still active) a political party entitled the Conservative Party at one point in time (I think there is one in the UK).

Immigration Is Snaring U.S. Citizens In Its Raids

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:41:45 EDT

By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 16, 2008; Page A03

Marie Justeen Mancha was at home alone when she heard strange voices inside the house. As she crept down a hallway to make sure she wasn't hearing things, the voices erupted into shouts.

" 'Police! Illegals!' "

Testifying in a House subcommittee hearing, Mancha recalled the words she said the immigration agents shouted during the September 2006 raid on her home. She was 15 at the time, a Mexican American, born in Texas but living in Reidsville, Ga.

"I walked around the corner from the hallway and saw a tall man reach toward his gun and look straight at me," Mancha, now 17, said in a thick Southern accent. "My heart just dropped."

As the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement compiles a record number of arrests through household and work-site raids seeking illegal immigrants, a growing number of U.S. citizens such as Mancha say they have gotten caught in the net.

The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:44:48 EDT

Free Inquiry, Spring 2003. 5-11-3

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

BORDC Digest

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:19:59 EDT

Current News

8/16, Editorial, Globe and Mail (Canada), Maher Arar in the U.S.: Facing the accusers

8/16, Editorial, Washington Post, A Home for a Detainee: U.S. government wants to get Huzaifa Parhat out of Guantanamo Bay.

8/16, Spencer H. Hsu and Carrie Johnson, Washington Post, U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules, More Intelligence Changes Planned

8/16, Benedict Carey, New York Times, Psychologists Clash on Aiding Interrogations

8/16, Eric Lichtblau and David Johnston, New York Times, F.B.I. Will Present Scientific Evidence in Anthrax Case to Counter Doubts

8/16, Darryl Fears, Washington Post, Immigration Is Snaring U.S. Citizens In Its Raids

8/15, Joseph Goldstein, New York Sun, Psychologists Are Split Over Gitmo

8/15, Emma Schwartz, ABC News, Lawsuit Filed Against Gonzales & DOJ Officials

www.bordc.org

Pipeline-stan: No Blood for Oil Pipeline Routes

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:14:53 EDT

Caspian oil reserves estimate revised down
www.asponews.org/ASPO.newsletter.018.php

Mr McKillop sends the following press report confirming that Caspian oil potential has been greatly exaggerated. While the press release is not quite clear about what precisely the 7..8 billion barrels refers to, the thrust of the article to dismiss earlier exaggeration and question the geopolitical strategies to gain control of a possibly empty target is valid. This is further confirmed by another statement from Agip reported in Energy Day of May 30th, stating that the recoverable reserve potential of Kashagan is only 1.2 Gb. In short, it begins to look as if the once glorious Caspian turns out to be a bust, confirming the old adage that distant fields are green.
Boston, 10 April 2002 (RFE/RL) -- A new estimate of Caspian Sea oil resources suggests that the region will see significant growth in production by 2010. But the numbers may also dampen some expectations and serve as a reminder that the area will not assume the strategic importance of the Middle East. One of the largest oil companies in the Caspian Sea region recently sounded a note of reality with a new and more modest estimate of the area's oil reserves. Speaking on 8 April in Almaty at the Eurasian Economic Summit, Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, chairman of Italy's Eni oil company, said the Caspian contains 7.8 billion barrels of oil, the Interfax news agency reported.
The good news for Kazakhstan is that it is believed to hold nearly 70 percent of the Caspian total, Gros-Pietro said. The bad news may be for political analysts, because the numbers are far smaller than those that many have used.
Since the first foreign oil deal in the Caspian was signed in September 1994, analysts have pumped up the region's importance as a strategic issue. Early estimates claimed that the Caspian could hold as much as 200 billion barrels, a figure that was soon trimmed to 115 billion or less.
Over the years, many officials who tried to create a "great game" with various Caspian pipeline strategies also played a numbers game, largely ignoring industry experts who argued that the Caspian would never affect the oil market as much as the Middle East.
Most analysts now agree that future flows of oil from the Caspian will make only a marginal difference to world prices, perhaps ranking in importance with Britain's and Norway's production from the North Sea.
Gros-Pietro seemed to endorse that view in estimating that in 2010, the Caspian region will produce 3.8 million barrels per day, or about 60 percent of North Sea output. While his comments may have been intended to stress the region's importance, they may have underscored the fact that it will not rival Saudi Arabia or Russia, which each produce about 7 million barrels per day.
Political strategists have never made a distinction between possible, probable, and recoverable oil reserves. In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that the Caspian may hold up to 233 billion barrels of possible reserves, which means those with a 50 percent probability. But the report said there may be only 17 billion to 33 billion barrels of proven reserves, meaning those with a 90 percent likelihood.

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Below are some maps which may help:

Georgia says Abkhazia separatists seize villages

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:07:26 EDT

August 16, 2008

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Georgia's Foreign Ministry says Russian-backed separatists from the province of Abkhazia have seized 13 villages in Georgia and a power plant.

A ministry statement says Russian army units and separatist militants shifted the border of breakaway Abkhazia toward the Inguri River. It says they set up temporary administration in 13 villages and put the Inguri hydropower plant under separatist control.

The claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Russian-backed Abkhazian fighters forced Georgians out of their last stronghold in the province earlier this week. Fighting between Russian and Georgian forces raged in two breakaway regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - over the past week

War shows that Putin is running things in Russia

Georgia accuses Russia of cutting rail line, starting fires

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:03:00 EDT

Saturday, August 16, 2008

TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia accused the Russian army of destroying a key railway bridge Saturday and starting massive fires in the scenic Borjomi Gorge, in violation of a new cease-fire agreement between the two countries.

The Metekhi-Grakali bridge lies in ruins. Georgia accuses the Russian army of destroying it.

more photos »

A senior Russian military official denied the allegation.

Georgia's Foreign Ministry also said Saturday that Russian-backed militia members have seized control of 13 Georgian villages and a power plant bordering the region.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the claim.

Fighting that began last week has died down. However, Russian forces remained within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, on Saturday and were on the western front around the breakaway province of Abkhazia, according to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen.

This is how it starts....

Laura Schneider — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:44:23 EDT

Anyone who knows the history of Hitler and how he built the Third Reich or of the U.S.S.R. and how Russia built the Soviet Union, piece by piece, knows where Russia’s attack on Georgia is going.

But this time, It will be different. Putin has learned from the former U.S.S.R.’s mistakes. He also does not trust China, because China, although Communist, is a threat to Russia both territorially, economically and militarily.

So, what is a poor leader of Russia to do when trying to reconstitute the Soviet empire? He looks south to Iran and the “oil belt.”