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Missile Defense Watch: United States Launches Successful Anti-missile Test from Vandenberg Air Force Base
AFP: US runs successful anti-missile test
The United States successfully tested its ballistic missile defense system , officials said, almost two months after North Korea test-fired a long-range missile that fell into the sea.
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said an improved ground-based interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California hit a dummy armed missile fired from Kodiak, Alaska.
The agency “successfully completed an important exercise and flight test involving the launch of an improved ground-based interceptor missile designed to protect the United States against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack,” the agency director, Air Force Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering, said in a statement.
It was the first test of the US long-range missile defense system since North Korea’s July 4 test-firing of six short- and medium-range missiles and a long-range missile, which all fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
The US government estimates that North Korea’s long-range missile could be capable of striking Hawaii, Alaska or even California, although officials acknowledge their intelligence on the matter is limited.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cautiously welcomed Friday’s positive results, but stressed that further tests are needed.
“I am pleased that today’s test of our ballistic missile defense system appears to have been a success,” Rumsfeld said in a statement.
“Successful tests such as these increase confidence in the approach to developing an initial missile defense capability … the tests will become even more challenging in the period ahead,” he said.
More tests lie ahead.
But is Reagan’s Vision being realized?
You betcha……
The Missile Defense Agency website is here.
“I think we have a good chance” to shoot down long-range North Korean missiles, Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering said in announcing the successful test involving “an improved ground-based interceptor designed to protect the United States a limited long-range ballistic missile attack.”“And it’s one that I feel safer and sleep better at night,” Obering told a press conference.
Congrats……
Ground-Based Interceptor Emplacement, Sea-Based X-Band Radar, In-Flight Interceptor communications sytem Data Terminal. L-R-Down.
Previous:
Missile Defense Watch: Reagan’s Vision
Missile Defense Watch: Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld Tours Alaska Missile Defense Center
Missile Defense Watch: United States and Israel Collaborating on Missile Defense
Missile Defense Watch: “Concept of Operations†To Be Done by Fall
Technorati Tags: RonaldReagan, MissileDefenseAgency, SDI, StrategicDefenseInitiative
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Michael Ramirez on United Nations Sanctions for Iran’s Refusal to Halt Uranium Enrichment
Reuters: U.S. differs with EU on Iran
The United States said on Friday it was consulting European governments about possible sanctions against Iran for intransigence over its nuclear program, but the EU signaled it wanted to see more dialogue with Tehran.
Previous:
Technorati Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, UnitedNations
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Iran Watch: CANCEL Khatemi’s Visa
Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi (NB Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in background)
As Hugh Hewitt says:
The White House should direct the State Department to cancel the visa it so unwisely issued to Ayatollah Khatemi, the former president of Iran. Not to do so mocks the president’s speech and undermines the message he and the Security Council are sending to the mullahs.
Previous:
Iran Watch: Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi To Meet With Former President Jimmy Carter
Iran Watch: Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi Granted USA VISA
Technorati Tags: Iran, MohammedKhatemi, Khatemi, JimmyCarter
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CIA Leak Case Watch: Unfortunate That So Many People Took Joseph Wilson Seriously
Washington Post: End of an Affair
It turns out that the person who exposed CIA agent Valerie Plame was not out to punish her husband.
WE’RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story and that of her husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, over the past three years. But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame’s cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.
Mr. Armitage was one of the Bush administration officials who supported the invasion of Iraq only reluctantly. He was a political rival of the White House and Pentagon officials who championed the war and whom Mr. Wilson accused of twisting intelligence about Iraq and then plotting to destroy him. Unaware that Ms. Plame’s identity was classified information, Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak “in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip,” according to a story this week by the Post’s R. Jeffrey.
Smith, who quoted a former colleague of Mr. Armitage.
It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House — that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame’s identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson — is untrue. The partisan clamor that followed the raising of that allegation by Mr. Wilson in the summer of 2003 led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, a costly and prolonged investigation, and the indictment of Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, on charges of perjury. All of that might have been avoided had Mr. Armitage’s identity been known three years ago.
That’s not to say that Mr. Libby and other White House officials are blameless. As prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has reported, when Mr. Wilson charged that intelligence about Iraq had been twisted to make a case for war, Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney reacted by inquiring about Ms. Plame’s role in recommending Mr. Wilson for a CIA-sponsored trip to Niger, where he investigated reports that Iraq had sought to purchase uranium. Mr. Libby then allegedly disclosed Ms. Plame’s identity to journalists and lied to a grand jury when he said he had learned of her identity from one of those reporters. Mr. Libby and his boss, Mr. Cheney, were trying to discredit Mr. Wilson; if Mr. Fitzgerald’s account is correct, they were careless about handling information that was classified.
Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame’s CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming — falsely, as it turned out — that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush’s closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It’s unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.
So, after many years of bashing President Bush and Karl Rove for orchestrating a political “hit job” against Joe Wilson’s wife, the Washington Post comes out with this MEA CULPA.
Flap reprinted the entire editorial piece because the MSM and the Left blogs have been reticent to highlight the fact that Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame are indeed self-serving LIARS whose agenda was to HIT the Bush Administration.
What a surprise the LEFT uses some sad characters to try to destroy Bush. But, the Lefty dominated MSM should at least publish APOLOGIA for their mistaken attempts to besmirch the president.
What about it New York Times?
Now, for Scooter Libby……
Blogosphere:
Captain Ed has An Exclamation Point On The Plame Denouement
Michelle Malkin has PlameOut: An Emily Litella moment
Flopping Aces: The End Is In SightÂ
Previous:
CIA Leak Case Watch: Blogosphere Scrub of PLAME OUT at Daily Kos
Michael Ramirez on CIA Leak Case – Plame Out
CIA Leak Case Watch: Witch Hunt by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald
CIA Leak Case Watch: Was it Richard Armitage?
CIA Leak Case Watch: Karl Rove Won’t Be Charged in CIA Leak Case
Plamegate Watch: Valerie Plame Cashes IN
Technorati Tags: RichardArmitage, BobWoodward, ValeriePlame, JosephWilson, CIA, CIALeakCase, PatrickFitzgerald, RobertNovak, ScooterLibby, DailyKos
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Illegal Immigration Watch: Miller Brewing Company Sponsoring Illegal Alien Protest
Chicago Tribune: Why this immigrant rights march is brought to you by Miller
Marchers had to duck into fast-food restaurants for water when they first took to Chicago’s streets in support of illegal immigrants five months ago. At the next two marches, family-owned grocery stores offered free bottled water from trucks emblazoned with their names.
This time, as demonstrators march from Chinatown to House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R-Ill.) Batavia office this weekend, they will have Miller Brewing Co., as a sponsor. The brewer has paid more than $30,000 for a planning convention, materials and newspaper ads publicizing the event.
The support of a major corporation for a controversial political cause shows how fierce the competition has become to woo the growing market of Latino consumers.
For Miller, the march offered a special chance to catch up. This spring the brewer drew the ire of pro-immigrant forces over contributions to U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who sponsored legislation that would crack down on illegal immigrants. That prompted a short-lived boycott by some Latino groups.
Now, march advertisements feature not just the organizing committee’s trademark blue globe but Miller’s logo and a Spanish translation of its “Live Responsibly” slogan, a company effort to build goodwill among Latinos.
But this march is no Cinco de Mayo parade. The politically charged event will promote a controversial plan to end deportations and offer legal status for all 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants. That creates potential pitfalls for any businesses lending support, experts say.
So, Miller Brewing Company is financially supporting illegal alien protests in order to make a buck with Latinos.
Fine
But, I doubt this is what their corporate marketing
foolsfolks really want? Or is it?Mathew Romero, the company’s local market development manager, said Miller felt it was important to speak out against Sensenbrenner’s legislation, though his campaign was one of many the company supported.
Romero noted that company founder Frederick Miller was a German immigrant and many current executives are foreign nationals. Miller is now part of London-based SABMiller.
Romero said he wasn’t worried that some opponents of illegal immigration would be upset at the company’s support of “the free movement of people, labor, goods and services.”
“As long as you are stacking facts against facts, they are free to make their own decisions. We will stand by our positions,” he said.
George San Jose, president of the San Jose Group, a Chicago-based marketing company specializing in the Hispanic market, said he understands why companies chase Hispanic purchasing power, which tops $700 billion annually in the U.S. Brewers, he said, have been especially aggressive.
But San Jose would advise clients that there are better ways.
“A company sponsoring one of the two sides of the immigration debate is no different than a company sponsoring groups for or against abortion [rights]. It’s one of those heated political debates that companies should stay clear of,” he said.
Well, Flap disagrees with the Miller Company position – which is MY right.
And my RIGHT says I do NOT support companies with my dollars who work against MY interests.
Flap says BOYCOTT MILLER COMPANY PRODUCTS.
More of open borders Miller’s beer brands:
Miller Lite
Miller Genuine Draft
Miller Genuine Draft Light
Miller High Life
Miller High Life Light
Sharp’s non-alcohol brew
Red Dog
Icehouse 5.0
Icehouse 5.5
Icehouse Light
Southpaw Light
Leinenkugel’s Original
Leinenkugel’s Light
Leinenkugel’s Red Lager
Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss
Leinenkugel’s Apple Spice (seasonal)
Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss
Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest (seasonal)
Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark
Leinenkugel’s Big Butt Doppelbock (seasonal)
Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat
Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve
Henry Weinhard’s Blue Boar Pale Ale
Henry Weinhard’s Classic Dark
Henry Weinhard’s Northwest Trail Blonde Lager
Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen
Henry Weinhard’s Summer WheatHamm’s
Hamm’s Draft
Hamm’s Special Light
Olde English 800 Malt Liquor
Olde English HG800
Olde English HG800 7.5
Magnum Malt Liquor
Mickey’s Malt Liquor
Mickey’s Ice
Milwaukee’s Best
Milwaukee’s Best Light
Milwaukee’s Best Ice
Foster’s Lager
Foster’s Special Bitter
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Pilsner Urquell
Sheaf Stout
Sparks
Sparks Light
Sparks Plus 7%
Sparks Plus 6%
Steel Reserve Triple Export 8.1%
Steel Reserve High Gravity
Steel Reserve High Gravity 6.0
Steel Six
Technorati Tags: MillerBrewingCompany, illegalimmigration, illegalaliens
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Day By Day by Chris Muir September 1, 2006
