Saturday, January 29, 2011

Another Rally, This One Urging U.S. Not to Interfere In Egypt

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL

POLITICS FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL

Rally in the District urges U.S. to not interfere in Egypt

By: Phillip Suderman 01/29/11 8:47 PM
Special To The Examiner

Rallies have sprung up all over the United States to support the protests continuing to rage in Egypt. D.C. also hosted a rally, with several hundred people gathering outside the Egyptian embassy to call for a removal of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. According to a person I know who was at the event, roughly half of the protesters were Arab-American with Egyptian-Americans dominating the group. The slogans borrowed heavily from the protests that had happened in Tunisia with cries of “the people want the regime to fall” in Arabic dominating. There were also several cries of “we don’t want Mubarak” and, at one point, the Egyptian anthem spontaneously broke out. When questioned about what the U.S. government should do, one point was brought up again and again “don’t interfere.”

The Obama administration would do well to remember that wish when they decide on what action to take. This revolution has been a long time brewing, and at this point there is little left to do but let the passion and anger that has built up over the last 30 years work its way out.

While the Obama administration urges the people to listen to Mubarak and believe in his promises of “great democracy” and “more freedoms” his track record has shown that he cannot be trusted to carry out these promises. This is a man who controls virtually every aspect of the government, who shut down the whole of the internet in order to suppress dissent and discourage protests, and who today had the army release a statement that said any protesters failing to adhere to the curfew would be in danger.

And throughout this his entire regime he has been given support by the US government. As I mentioned yesterday the Mubarak administration has received ample financial support from the US government over the years, with a large amount targeted towards their military. In large part, we have helped to support his regime, which means that we have helped to support an administration who ranks as “poor” in human rights by our State Department.

Because of this, there is little, if anything that the administration can do which the protesters will approve of. Any action taken by the US government for Mubarak will simply be seen as continued interference in support of a dictator. If the US really wants to accomplish something, cut off the Mubarak administrations money supply, and let them work out their differences with the protesters on their own. If we really believe in democracy and freedom, then we should rejoice for a people finally in a position to achieve it.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Here comes the flooding...

'Historic flooding' a risk this spring

Updated 3/16/2010 10:50 PM | Comments 48 | Recommend 4

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Enlarge	By Jay Pickthorn, AP

Brian Witthoeft, left to right, Joel Witthoeft and Neil Dyer prepare Brian's south Moorhead, Minn., home for flooding as the Red River rises on Monday, March 15.

By Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

More than a third of the contiguous USA has a higher-than-average risk of flooding in the coming months, and residents in the Midwest are likely to see the worst of it, government forecasters warned Tuesday.

Devastating and potentially deadly floods are forecast across much of the central and eastern USA over the next two months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's spring flood outlook.

"We are looking at potentially historic flooding," NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said.

The most significant threat is forecast for the Dakotas,Minnesota and Iowa, including along the Red River Valley. Crests there this week and into next week could approach the record levels set just last year.

"This is the first time in recorded history that we've had significant flood events back-to-back," said Scott Dummer, a hydrologist with the North Central River Forecast Center in Minneapolis. Records along the Red River go back 110 years, he said.

In Fargo, N.D., and neighboring Moorhead, Minn., the Red River is forecast to crest Saturday about 20 feet above flood stage. Last March, the river crested about 22 feet above flood stage in Fargo, an all-time record crest, the National Weather Service said.

The flooding has already started across parts of the Dakotas, including near Sioux Falls, S.D.

"I would call it one of the worst floods we've ever had, in my memory," said Dave Smit, 61, who has a home in Hurley, S.D., and a farm in the Davis area.

Mike Gillispie, a weather service hydrologist in Sioux Falls, said that barring any widespread rain, the worst of the flooding there should be over by the weekend.

Very wet soil and enhanced stream flows in the fall –– coupled with extreme amounts of rain and heavy, wet snow in the fall and winter –– produced the flooding risk in the Midwest, the weather service said.

Parts of the eastern and southern USA could also see significant flooding, mainly because of the effects of El Niño, a periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that causes heavy precipitation across the southern tier of the USA.

Over the past six months, parts of the country received twice as much rain and snow as the average, according to the weather service.

"In the South and East ... flooding is more of a possibility than a certainty," weather service Director Jack Hayes said.

Flooding remains the deadliest severe weather hazard in the USA, killing an average of 93 people a year, according to the weather service.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/floods/2010-03-16-spring-flood-forecast_N.htm