3. januar 2004

Seized Zimbabwe farms empty Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe was in a big hurry to seize white-owned farms, but those who received the farms have not been in a hurry to start production for the desperately impoverished nation. In some areas up to 60% of the farms allocated to poor blacks have not been taken up. Many of the new owners are unwilling to move to the farm, in other cases they don't know anything about farming or cannot afford to start production. Mugabe himself insists the programme has been a success, and that the country's massive problems are due to British sanctions and sabotage. 4:12:11 PM    comment []  trackback []

Earthquake diplomacy There are multiple interpretations of Iran's "no, thanks" to a high-level visit to Iran lead by US Senator Elizabeth Dole (NC), former president of the American Red Cross. The US emphasised the visit was humanitarian, not political. Iran likewise tried to play down suggestions that the rebuff was political, citing the chaotic situation on the ground, and the US administration appeared to accept and take this explanation at face value. Others saw this as a warning from Iran that it was not yet ready to start a normalisation process with Washington. Bush emphasised that the US aid to quake victims in Bam and the temporary lifting on a money transfer ban did not mean a normalisation of the relationship to Tehran. First, the US president insisted, Iran had to improve its record on terrorism. The Iranian leadership mirrored the denial; the "great satan" was not acceptable before it changed its attitude to the axis-of-evil member. In other words, Iran and the US are charmingly agreeable, even when they agree to not like each other. There is, however, little doubt that the high-profile relief aid to Iran for the quake victims has changed the situation somewhat. It may still be too early for open diplomatic contact, but I have no doubts that the informal channels are working overtime these days. 3:50:53 PM    comment []  trackback []

Awful Plastic Surgery If you fear getting wrinkled and grey as you grow older, be assured it could be worse. Far worse, in fact. You could be a Hollywood celebrity, feeling you had to constantly add silicone or collagen to your body, chip pieces off your nose, stretch your skin and wear silly wigs to not look older. Instead of looking like a respectable senior citizen, you would look like some space alien wrapped in plastic. Check out the world of Awful Plastic Surgery (and some not-so-awful). Not that this has anything to do with the below topic, mind you. 9:33:42 AM    comment []  trackback []

Hobbit victory gives hope for Dems Slate's Dana Stevens watches TV, unlike me, and she seems almost as ecstatic about Kurt "hobbit" Nilsen's win of the World Idol final as anyone here in Bergen. Against all odds, the title went not to Kelly Clarkson, the much-hyped American favorite who took second place, but to Kurt Nilsen, a 25-year-old Norwegian plumber about whom Ian Dickson, the judge representing Australia, remarked: "You have the voice of an angel and the face of a hobbit." But Kurt Nilsen has a round rosy face, golden locks, and an irresistible gap-toothed smile. He also delivered his song, U2's "Beautiful Day," with the dazed eagerness of someone who still can't believe his own luck. What more do you want from an amateur pop star? But she also puts it into a greater perspective, arguing that the outsider's unexpected victory gives hope for the Dem candidate to beat Bush in November. Nothing against America's own Kelly Clarkson, but maybe her seemingly inexorable victory reminded me of another favored Texan who will be hard to beat in 2004, and her unexpected defeat provided a foretaste of just how sweet it would be to watch him go down. Kurt's dark-horse victory reminded us that once in a while, elections don't feel rigged, and hobbits with heart can actually stand a chance. Maybe Kurt should call Howard Dean and offer his services. Dean has already chosen a strategy of painting Bush as the Sauron of our time. 9:22:24 AM    comment []  trackback []

Mullah Krekar arrested, again Norwegian police has for the second time arrested Mullah Krekar (picture), the former leader of the Kurdish Iraqi terrorist group Ansar al-Islam. Krekar, who has a permanent residency in Norway, time charging him with being complicit with two suicide attacks in Northern Iraq. This is the second time the Norwegian white-collar crime unit Økokrim has Krekar arrested. The first time the accusations ended with total defeat. Krekar claims he is retired, but the police as well as US intelligence believes he is still in the Ansar al-Islam leadership.The Islamist group with possible al-Qaeda links has been tied not only to terrorism in Iraq, but also quite recently to possible terror threats to a military hospital in Germany. Now Krekar is being charged with two counts of being complicit to attempted murder. The attempted suicide attacks happened in 2002. Norwegian police has supposedly travelled to Iraq and interviewed the two captured would-be suicide killers and they directly implicated Krekar. The police also secured physical evidence, and there is supposedly intercepts that demonstrates that Krekar is still involved with Ansar's activities in Iraq. The police will ask for 4 weeks protective custody. Those with good memory will remember that Økokrim is the same Norwegian police unit that persecuted "DVD Jon", and which has a track record of general incompetence. So I honestly fear that the extremist Krekar will again be let out, being allowed to enjoy a comfortable life in Norway. Is this the kind of people Norway should welcome and protect? I have written about Mullah Krekar a few times earlier. Bjørn Stærk has followed the absurd Krekar case more closely. 6:33:50 AM    comment []  trackback []

Another outragous nazi parallel A Brazilian judge is outraged that Brazilians have to be photographed and fingerprinted upon applying for a visa to the US, and issues a childish ruling that US visitors to Brazil must undergo the same procedure. In his ruling he writes: "I consider the act absolutely brutal, threatening human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis," said Mr Sebastiao da Silva in the court order. Yes, we all know about the horrors of the Holocaust, that consisted of the nazis photographing and fingerprinting millions of people. Was that all there was to the "worst horrors committed by the nazis", Mr Judge? How do such retards become judges anyway? If he really considers these immigration procedures to be Nazi-like and "violating human dignity" etc, how on earth can he institute the same procedure in Brazil? By his own "logic" he is a xenophobic nazi that should be hauled off to Der Hague immediately. It goes down as another example of the widespread ahistorical misuse of the term "nazi" so typical for wingnuts on both sides. In applying Godwin's Law, I summarily pass the judgment that Judge da Silva is a dangerous wingnut that should get a new job. Maybe the Independent needs a new America-hating columnist? 3:36:40 AM    comment []  trackback []

The comet tail, like dust... The NASA probe Stardust has passed through the "tail" of a comet, taking pictures and getting samples of the particle the comet left behind. The probe is to return to Earth to allow the material to be analysed here. Comets contain material that has been kept pretty much unchanged since the solar system was formed, and will hopefully give us more clues to its origin and early development. 1:32:11 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.02.2004; 11:32:00.