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Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Budget Analyst Thavann Un counts meal trays at the D.C. Central Kitchen, on April 27, 2016 in Washington, DC, during a volunteer effort with AMS, C&A Program. More than 20 C&A employees volunteered to contribute to more than 5,000 meals that were dispersed to DCCK’s partners throughout the DC area. USDA Photo by Ken Melton.
www.heavybit.com/library/video/2015-09-01-donnie-berkholz
In this Heavybit Speaker Series, Donnie Berkholz of 451 Research will offer insights into analyst coverage areas and how to present to them, context-setting for analyst briefings, and finally, how to engage with analysts on their upcoming research calendars.
Heavybit / Dailon Weiss
Dallas, Texas
Thanks friends for helping me with this one. It was tough to decide how to depict the male vs female.
Analyst Emily Rand (L) interviewed Dimitri "Diplex" Ponomarev of Cloud9 during week 4 of the 2023 LCS Spring Split at the Riot Games Arena on February 16, 2023. (Photo by Robert Paul/Riot Games)
FOX News analyst Andrea Tantaros speaks at Kuehne Speaker Series on the UNT campus in Dallas, Texas, on May 12, 2015. Photos by Michael Clements.
NASCAR AMERICA -- Pictured: (l-r) Steve Letarte, Analyst, Jeff Burton; Analyst, Rick Allen, Lead Announcer -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC Sports)
Analyst Emily Rand speaks during week 3 of the 2023 LCS Spring Split at the Riot Games Arena on February 10, 2023. (Photo by Robert Paul/Riot Games)
Day 4 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 13 May 2017.
An analyst of Goldman Sachs explains how Virtual Reality will explode. Instead of flopping like it did in the 90’s.
Reason? Technology…
Nobody remembers the Nintendo Virtual Boy or Virtuality arcade machines. That’s because in the 90’s there weren’t powerful m...
thevexit.com/news/goldman-sachs-analyst-about-virtual-rea...
Looking for the best and effective media analyst solutions? Let Media Track help you. Our first rate media analysts manually select or rate articles, translate contents, send SMS alerts or more!
FOX News analyst Andrea Tantaros speaks at Kuehne Speaker Series on the UNT campus in Dallas, Texas, on May 12, 2015. Photos by Michael Clements.
“We do see a slight slowdown in some regions in end- markets, and the main driver for this is China,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld said on a conference call with analysts. Chinese demand may pick up at the end of the fourth quarter because of stimulus spending, he said.
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.....item 1).... Habor Aluminum ... www.harboraluminum.com/ ...
> aluminum industry analysis, market outlook & forecasts
> key aluminum news & our comments free!
> aluminum other analysts views
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.....item 2).... Reuters ... www.reuters.com ... Press Release
Hydro and Orkla to form the world's leading aluminium solutions provider
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.
Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:00am EDT
www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/idUS33196+15-Oct-2012+...
Norsk Hydro ASA and Orkla ASA have agreed to combine their respective profiles, building systems and tubing business, creating the world's leading aluminium solutions provider. The new combined company, to be named Sapa, will be a 50/50 joint venture owned by Hydro and Orkla.
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.....item 3).... HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS - Worldwide ... www.hellenicshippingnews.com ...
Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and International Shipping
Tuesday, 16 October 2012 | 17:43
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Alcoa Cuts Global Aluminum Forecast on China Slowdown
Thursday, 11 October 2012 | 00:00
www.hellenicshippingnews.com/News.aspx?ElementId=582a442a...
Alcoa Inc. (AA), the largest U.S. aluminum producer, cut its forecast for global consumption of the metal by 1 percentage point on slowing Chinese demand, helping to trigger a decline in Asian stocks for a third day.
Demand will climb by 6 percent this year, New York-based Alcoa said yesterday in its third-quarter earnings statement. That’s less than the company’s July prediction for a 7 percent increase in usage.
“We do see a slight slowdown in some regions in end- markets, and the main driver for this is China,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld said on a conference call with analysts. Chinese demand may pick up at the end of the fourth quarter because of stimulus spending, he said.
The forecast revision by Alcoa, typically the first company on the Dow Jones Industrial Average to report earnings, comes a day after the International Monetary Fund and Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third-biggest mining company, trimmed their growth outlook estimates for China. Aluminum prices in London touched a 34-month low in August as global supply exceeded demand.
“The global economy is clearly slowing,” Lloyd O’Carroll, a Richmond, Virginia-based analyst for Davenport & Co., said yesterday in an interview. “That’s what the IMF said today and so I think what Alcoa is doing is consistent with that.”
--- Shares Drop
Alcoa traded at 7.02 euros as of 9:38 a.m. in Frankfurt. That’s equivalent to $9.03, a 1.1 percent decline from yesterday’s closing price in New York. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index (MXAP) slipped 0.9 percent at 4:42 p.m. in Tokyo, while Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., the nation’s biggest producer of the metal, dropped as much as 2.1 percent in Hong Kong.
Demand from heavy-truck and trailer manufacturing will fall this year, Alcoa said. It now sees Chinese truck and trailer output slumping as much as 21 percent, compared with a decline of as much as 8 percent projected three months ago. Chinese can and packaging growth may be 8 percent, down from Alcoa’s July forecast of as much as 20 percent.
The IMF yesterday cut its global growth forecast and lowered its projected expansion for China, the world’s biggest aluminum user, by 0.2 percentage point annually, to 7.8 percent this year and 8.2 percent in 2013. London-based Rio, which has pulled back from projects as sluggish global growth reduced demand for metals, yesterday lowered its estimates for China’s growth to below 8 percent.
--- Net Loss
Alcoa reported a third-quarter net loss of $143 million, or 13 cents a share, compared with net income of $172 million, or 15 cents, a year earlier as sales dropped 9.2 percent. Excluding costs related to environmental remediation and the settlement of a lawsuit brought by Aluminium Bahrain BSC (ALBH), Alcoa had per-share profit of 3 cents. The average of 18 estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for break-even earnings per share.
“We are clearly seeing the impact of a Chinese slowdown globally and it’s indicated in Alcoa’s numbers,” said Nader Naeimi, Sydney-based head of dynamic asset allocation at AMP Capital Investors Ltd., which manages almost $100 billion.
Alcoa reiterated that demand will increase this year in the global aerospace, auto, packaging and construction industries.
The company said it improved productivity across all four business units. Its rolled products business posted the highest ever after-tax operating income and the engineered products and solutions segment had a record margin on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Total sales fell to $5.83 billion from $6.42 billion, beating the $5.56 billion average of 10 estimates.
--- Civil Suit
Alcoa settled a four-year racketeering lawsuit brought by Aluminium Bahrain, the state-owned smelter known as Alba, both companies said yesterday. Alba’s 2008 civil suit alleged that Alcoa bribed officials in Bahrain to charge more for alumina. Alba said it paid $500 million more than it should have.
Alcoa will pay Alba $85 million in two cash installments and agree to a long-term sales agreement, without admitting liability. Alba said the settlement has a total value of $447 million.
Alcoa, Rio Tinto, Norway’s Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY) and closely held Zeeland Aluminum have cut 1.21 million metric tons of production capacity since mid-2011, according data compiled by Bloomberg.
Aluminum for delivery in three months on the London Metal Exchange averaged $1,950 a ton in the third quarter, 20 percent less than a year earlier. It traded at $2,024 a ton as of 8:47 a.m. local time.
Prices below $2,000 may drive more production cuts, Ken Hoffman, a Bloomberg Industries analyst, said last week.
--- Decoupled Price
Alcoa’s Kleinfeld said that the company predicts global demand will exceed supply by 262,000 tons this year.
The aluminum price is “decoupled” from the supply and demand “fundamentals” of the market, and instead is being influenced by investor concerns about the European debt crisis and the slowdown in China, he said on the call.
“The macro factors are currently dominating the pricing situation,” he said. “But it can reverse very, very quickly.”
Aluminum will average $2,212 a ton next year, according to the median of 22 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The metal traded at more than $3,300 in 2008 before the financial crash, and reached a 2011 intraday high of $2,803 a ton.
Alcoa is organized into four segments: alumina, which mines bauxite and processes it into the precursor to aluminum; primary metals, which smelts aluminum; flat-rolled products, which makes sheets used in beverage cans as well as airplane wings and car parts; and engineered products and solutions, which produces aerospace fasteners, turbine blades and truck wheels.
--- Source: Bloomberg
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Signals Intelligence Analyst Spc. Hannah Brock of the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, collects and reports signals data during Cyber Blitz 2019. Co-led by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s C5ISR Center and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s Cyber Center of Excellence, Cyber Blitz is an experiment that builds the Army's employment of evolving Cyber-electromagnetic Activities technology across the full spectrum of operations. Cyber Blitz 19, centered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., was executed in conjunction with U.S. Army Pacific’s Orient Shield Exercise in Japan from Sept. 4-22, 2019. To see more Cyber Blitz video and images and learn more about this year's event, go to www.dvidshub.net/feature/CyberBlitz2019 (Photo by Edric Thompson)
Analysts at Nestlé’s Quality Assurance Centre in Moga, India, prepare test samples of Maggi noodles for lead analysis. They weigh each sample using an analytical balance, which is placed on an anti-vibration table to ensure accurate readings.
Pentagon Bars Military Officers And Analysts From Testifying
September 21, 2005, Wednesday
By PHILIP SHENON (NYT); National Desk
Late Edition - Final, Section A, Page 15, Column 5, 477 words
select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70F1EF93D540C72...
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING SO MUCH FROM US FOR?
They are covering up the governments lies involving the 911 attacks.
"LOOSE CHANGE" 2nd EDITION
This video will probably be the next Farenheight 911 only this is the real thing and it gets down to the irrefutable meat and potatoes of the Bush admin.'s 911 coverup and complicity in the attacks. www.loosechange911.com/
IF YOU WATCH THIS VIDEO IT WILL MOST LIKELY CHANGE WHAT YOU BELIEVE ABOUT 911: video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8260059923762628848&...
Make up your own story. Any way you look at it. The Bush Administration is the worst thing that has ever happened to America. The things they have done are unprecedented with respect to the control and manipulation of the media and all of our communications.
Everything is, "National Security", "That's Confidential", War Time president special powers, States Secrets Privilege...
- but the biggest threat to National Security is the Bush administration.
IMPEACH BUSH!
Read this interesting Blog post, it gives you a background perspective about
the complexties involved
WHY WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT ABLE DANGER
CATEGORY: ABLE DANGER
rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2005/08/17/why-we-will-nev...
For More Posts about the Bush Administration visit the Antifluff Superstar Blog:
antifluffsuperstar.blogspot.com/
_____________________________________________________
Here's Jeb Bush's Philosophy on the relevancy of Truth:
"The truth is useless. You have to understand this right now. You can't deposit the truth in a bank. You can't buy groceries with the truth. You can't pay rent with the truth. The truth is a useless commodity that will hang around your neck like an albatross all the way to the homeless shelter. And if you think that the million or so people in this country that are really interested in the truth about their government can support people who would tell them the truth, you got another thing coming. Because the million or so people in this country that are truly interested in the truth don't have any money." Spoken by Jeb Bush in conversation with Retired Naval Intelligence Officer, Al Martin and Cited in Bushwhacked, by Uri Dowbenko, September, 2002
________________________________________________________
**** Here is another important FBI witness who they won't let testify either: Sibel Edmunds, Gag ordered by John Ashcroft.
Synopsis:
'State Secrets Privilege' Not So Rare
August 16, 2005
by William Fisher
(Edmonds, a former Middle Eastern language specialist hired by the FBI shortly after 9/11, was fired in 2002 and filed a lawsuit later that year challenging the retaliatory dismissal. An unclassified public report by the Department of Justice inspector general contains much of the information the department now seeks to block.)
As whistleblower Sibel Edmonds asks the U.S. Supreme
Court to review her dismissed case against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the mainstream media continues to refer to the government's defense – the so-called state secrets privilege – as "rarely used."
In fact, it has been used over 60 times since its creation in the 1950s.
The state secrets privilege is a series of U.S. legal precedents allowing the federal government to dismiss legal cases that it claims would threaten foreign policy, military intelligence, or national security.
A relic of the Cold War with the then-Soviet Union, it has been invoked several times since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Judges have denied the privilege on only five occasions.
It was used against Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator, who was fired in retaliation for reporting security breaches and possible espionage within the Bureau. Lower courts dismissed the case when former Attorney General John Ashcroft invoked the state secrets privilege.
The state secrets privilege was used again in 2002 in the case of Notra Trulock, who launched a defamation suit against Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee, a Taiwanese-American computer scientist who had been charged with stealing nuclear secrets for China from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
The privilege was first invoked against Sibel Edmonds to prevent her from testifying that the federal government knew that al-Qaeda intended to use airliners to attack the United States in 2001. The case was a $100 trillion action filed in 2002 by 600 victims' families against officials of the Saudi government and prominent Saudi citizens.
Edmonds, a former Middle Eastern language specialist hired by the FBI shortly after 9/11, was fired in 2002 and filed a lawsuit later that year challenging the retaliatory dismissal. An unclassified public report by the Department of Justice inspector general contains much of the information the department now seeks to block.
The report concluded that Edmonds' whistleblower allegations were "the most significant factor" in the FBI's decision to terminate her.
Steven Aftergood, who heads the Project on Government Secrecy for the American Federation of Scientists, told IPS, "Once rarely invoked, the state secrets privilege is now increasingly used by the government as a 'get out of jail free' card to block unwanted litigation."
"The idea that courts cannot handle national security cases involving classified information is simply false," he said. "Classified information often figures in criminal espionage cases, and even occasionally in Freedom of Information Act cases. There are procedures for in camera review, protective orders, nondisclosure agreements, and so on."
He added, "In the same way, sensitive classified information could be protected in the current cases where the state secrets privilege has been invoked – without shutting down the entire proceeding. As a society we should be seeking to expand the rule of law, not to carve out more areas where the government is immune to judicial review."
**LETS ASK GEORGE FROM THE RANCH THIS QUESTION: WHY GEORGE DID YOU LET A NUCLEAR SCIENTIST WHO COMMITTED TREASON GO FREE BY INVOKING THE STATE SECTRETS PRIVALEDGE?
President George W. Bush said national security would be compromised if Trulock were allowed to seek damages from Lee. Though it resulted in the case being dismissed, another suit was launched directly attacking then-FBI Director Louis Freeh for interfering and falsely invoking the state secrets privilege.
Reluctant to go to trial, the government worked out a plea bargain with Lee, who had been imprisoned for 278 days in solitary confinement. Lee pled guilty to improper handling of classified data and was cleared of all charges relating to espionage. Lee was arrested in December 1999 and freed in August 2000.
Barbara Olshansky, the assistant legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing Arar, said that government lawyers "are saying this case can't be tried, and the classified information on which they're basing this argument can't even be shared with the opposing lawyers. It's the height of arrogance – they think they can do anything they want in the name of the global war on terrorism."
www.antiwar.com/ips/fisher.php?articleid=6958
SE: Look, I think that that [the AIPAC investigation] ultimately involves more than just Israelis – I am talking about countries, not a single country here. Because despite however it may appear, this is not just a simple matter of state espionage. If Fitzgerald and his team keep pulling, really pulling, they are going to reel in much more than just a few guys spying for Israel.
CD: A monster, 600-pound catfish, huh? So the Turkish and Israeli investigations had some overlap?
SE: Essentially, there is only one investigation – a very big one, an all-inclusive one. Completely by chance, I, a lowly translator, stumbled over one piece of it.
But I can tell you there are a lot of people involved, a lot of ranking officials, and a lot of illegal activities that include multi-billion-dollar drug-smuggling operations, black-market nuclear sales to terrorists and unsavory regimes, you name it. And of course a lot of people from abroad are involved. It's massive. So to do this investigation, to really do it, they will have to look into everything.
CD: But you can start from anywhere –
SE: That's the beauty of it. You can start from the AIPAC angle. You can start from the Plame case. You can start from my case. They all end up going to the same place, and they revolve around the same nucleus of people. There may be a lot of them, but it is one group. And they are very dangerous for all of us.
Bush Wielding Secrecy Privilege to End Suits
By Andrew Zajac
The Chicago Tribune
Thursday 03 March 2005
The secrets privilege is an especially powerful weapon because federal judges, reluctant to challenge the executive branch on national security, almost never refuse the government's claim to confidentiality.
James Jacobson, a Data Analyst based out of Ames Research Center, explains his Digital Mapping System instrument to two teachers flying with Operation IceBridge, (top to bottom) Tom Koch Svennesen, of Greenland, and Peter Gross, of Denmark, on April 14, 2012.
Credit: NASA/Jefferson Beck
=============
IceBridge, a six-year NASA mission, is the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown. It will yield an unprecedented three-dimensional view of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ice shelves and sea ice. These flights will provide a yearly, multi-instrument look at the behavior of the rapidly changing features of the Greenland and Antarctic ice.
To read more about this mission go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/index.html
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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Esports analyst Emily Rand (R) interviews Robert "Blaber" Huang of Cloud9 onstage after victory during week 8 of the 2023 LCS Spring Split at the Riot Games Arena on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
Analyst Doublelift prepares before the series at 2017 NA LCS Spring Finals in the Pacific Coliseum Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on 23 April 2017.
Singapore (Listeni/ˈsɪŋɡəpɔːr/), officially the Republic of Singapore, and often referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City, and the Red Dot, is a global city and sovereign state in Southeast Asia and the world's only island city-state. It lies one degree (137 km) north of the equator, at the southernmost tip of continental Asia and peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south. Singapore's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island and 62 islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23% (130 km2), and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens.
The islands were settled from the second century AD by a series of local empires. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles founded modern Singapore as a trading post of the East India Company; after the company collapsed, the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan. It gained independence from Britain in 1963, by uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia, but was expelled two years later over ideological differences. After early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its human capital.
Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. Its standings include: "easiest place to do business" (World Bank) for ten consecutive years, most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), 2nd-most competitive country (WEF), 3rd-largest foreign exchange centre, 3rd-largest financial centre, 3rd-largest oil refining and trading centre and one of the top two busiest container ports since the 1990s. Singapore's best known global brands include Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport, both amongst the most-awarded in their industry; SIA is also rated by Fortune surveys as Asia's "most admired company". For the past decade, it has been the only Asian country with the top AAA sovereign rating from all major credit rating agencies, including S&P, Moody's and Fitch.
Singapore ranks high on its national social policies, leading Asia and 11th globally, on the Human Development Index (UN), notably on key measures of education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, housing. Although income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, and the country has one of the highest per capita incomes, with low taxes. The cosmopolitan nation is home to 5.5 million residents, 38% of whom are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. Singaporeans are mostly bilingual in a mother-tongue language and English as their common language. Its cultural diversity is reflected in its extensive ethnic "hawker" cuisine and major festivals - Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western - which are all national holidays. In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed Singapore as their top and 6th best world destination to visit respectively.
The nation's core principles are meritocracy, multiculturalism and secularism. It is noted for its effective, pragmatic and incorrupt governance and civil service, which together with its rapid development policies, is widely cited as the "Singapore model". Gallup polls shows 84% of its residents expressed confidence in the national government, and 85% in its judicial systems - one of the highest ratings recorded. Singapore has significant influence on global affairs relative to its size, leading some analysts to classify it as a middle power. It is ranked as Asia's most influential city and 4th in the world by Forbes.
Singapore is a unitary, multiparty, parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959. One of the five founding members of the ASEAN, Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
ETYMOLOGY
The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word, Singapura, which was in turn derived from Sanskrit (Singa is "lion", Pura "city"; Sanskrit: सिंहपुर, IAST: Siṃhápura), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City, and its inclusion in many of the nation's symbols (e.g., its coat of arms, Merlion emblem). However, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island; Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named the island Singapura, most likely saw a Malayan tiger. It is also known as Pulau Ujong, as far back as the 3rd century, literally 'island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula) in Malay.
Since the 1970s, Singapore has also been widely known as the Garden City, owing to its extensive greening policy covering the whole island, a priority of its first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, dubbed the nation's "Chief Gardener". The nation's conservation and greening efforts contributed to Singapore Botanic Gardens being the only tropical garden to be inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The nickname, Red Dot, is a reference to its size on the map, contrasting with its achievements. In 2015, Singapore's Golden Jubilee year, the celebratory "SG50" branding is depicted inside a red dot.
HISTORY
Temasek ('Sea Town' in the Malay language), an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, is the earliest written record relating to the area now called Singapore. In the 13th century, the Kingdom of Singapura was established on the island and it became a trading port city. However, there were two major foreign invasions before it was destroyed by the Majapahit in 1398. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was nominally part of the Johor Sultanate and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries, while the wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control.
BRITISH COLONISATION 1819-1942
In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, on behalf of the British East India Company, to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, becoming the regional capital in 1836.
Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860, the population had swelled to more than 80,000 and more than half were Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations and, after the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.
After the First World War, the British built the large Singapore Naval Base. Lieutenant General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie was appointed General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command on 8 November 1935, holding the post until 1939;
WORLD WAR II AND JAPANESE OCCUPATION 1942-45
in May 1938, the General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command warned how Singapore could be conquered by the Japanese via an attack from northern Malaya, but his warnings went unheeded. The Imperial Japanese Army invaded British Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. When the British surrendered on 15 February 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic Chinese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre.
From November 1944 to May 1945, the Allies conducted an intensive bombing of Singapore.
RETURN OF BRITISH 1945-59
After the surrender of Japan was announced in the Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Japanese Emperor on 15 August 1945 there was a breakdown of order and looting and revenge-killing were widespread. The formal Japanese Occupation of Singapore was only ended by Operation Tiderace and the formal surrender on 12 September 1945 at Singapore City Hall when Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Command, accepted the capitulation of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia from General Itagaki Seishiro.
A British Military Administration was then formed to govern the island. On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including the harbour, electricity, telephone and water supply systems. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. High food prices, unemployment, and workers' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative Council was scheduled for the following year. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing demand for tin and rubber around the world, but it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels.
The failure of Britain to defend Singapore had destroyed its credibility as an infallible ruler in the eyes of Singaporeans. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, epitomized by the slogan Merdeka, or "independence" in the Malay language.
During the 1950s, Chinese Communists with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese schools carried out armed uprising against the government, leading to the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954 National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots, and Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were all linked to these events.
David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election in 1955. He led a delegation to London, but Britain rejected his demand for complete self-rule. He resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.
SELF-GOVERNMENT 1959-1963
During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide victory. Singapore became an internally self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as its first Prime Minister. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), and was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, who became the first President of Singapore in 1965.
MERGER WITH MALAYSIA 1963-65
As a result of the 1962 Merger Referendum, on 31 August 1963 Singapore joined with the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of Sarawak and the Crown Colony of North Borneo to form the new federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement. Singaporean leaders chose to join Malaysia primarily due to concerns over its limited land size, scarcity of water, markets and natural resources. Some Singaporean and Malaysian politicians were also concerned that the communists might form the government on the island, a possibility perceived as an external threat to the Federation of Malaya.However, shortly after the merger, the Singapore state government and the Malaysian central government disagreed on many political and economic issues, and communal strife culminated in the 1964 race riots in Singapore. After many heated ideological conflicts between the two governments, on 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from Malaysia with Singaporean delegates not present.
INDEPENDENCE 1965 TO PRESENT
Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth of Nations) on 9 August 1965. Race riots broke out once more in 1969. In 1967, the country co-founded ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in 1970 it joined the Non-Aligned Movement. Lee Kuan Yew became Prime Minister, leading its Third World economy to First World affluence in a single generation. His emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for business entrepreneurship, limitations on internal democracy, and close relationships with China set the new nation's policies for the next half-century.
In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister, while the latter continued serving in the Cabinet as Senior Minister until 2004, and then Minister Mentor until May 2011. During Goh's tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah.
In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third Prime Minister. Goh Chok Tong remained in Cabinet as the Senior Minister until May 2011, when he was named Emeritus Senior Minister despite his retirement. He steered the nation through the 2008 global financial crisis, resolved the disputed 79-year old Malayan railways land, and introduced integrated resorts. Despite the economy's exceptional growth, PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011, winning 60% of votes, amidst hot-button issues of high influx of foreign workers and cost of living. Lee initiated a major re-structuring of the economy to raise productivity, improved universal healthcare and grants, especially for the pioneer generation of citizens, amongst many new inclusive measures.
On 23 March 2015, its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who had 'personified Singapore to the world' for nearly half a century died. In a week of national mourning, 1.7 million residents and guests paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and at community sites around the island.
Singapore celebrated its Golden jubilee in 2015 – its 50th year of independence, with a year-long series of events branded SG50. The PAP maintained its dominance in Parliament at the September general elections, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, its second-highest polling result behind the 2001 tally of 75.3%.
GEOGRAPHY
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 163.63 m. April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January.
From July to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, usually from the island of Sumatra. Although Singapore does not observe daylight saving time (DST), it follows the GMT+8 time zone, one hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister and, to a much lesser extent, the President. The President is elected through a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions, such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.
The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959.
Although the elections are clean, there is no independent electoral authority and the government has strong influence on the media. Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "flawed democracy", the second best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index". Despite this, in the 2011 Parliamentary elections, the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, increased its representation to seven elected MPs. In the 2015 elections, PAP scored a landslide victory, winning 83 of 89 seats contested, with 70% of popular votes. Gallup polls reported 84% of residents in Singapore expressed confidence in the government, and 85% in its judicial systems and courts – one of the highest ratings in the world.
Singapore's governance model eschews populist politics, focusing on the nation's long-term interest, and is known to be clean, effective and pragmatic. As a small nation highly dependent on external trade, it is vulnerable to geo-politics and global economics. It places great emphasis on security and stability of the region in its foreign policies, and applies global best practices to ensure the nation's attractiveness as an investment destination and business hub.
The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, but with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences.There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences.
Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions of the Singapore system conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that Singapore has "... possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population". The government has disputed Amnesty's claims. In a 2008 survey of international business executives, Singapore received the top ranking with regard to judicial system quality in Asia. Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.
In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among the top countries surveyed with regard to "order and security", "absence of corruption", and "effective criminal justice". However, the country received a much lower ranking for "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly". All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner.
EDUCATION
Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "mother tongue" language paper. While the term "mother tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.
Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Junior Colleges.
Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level and up.
National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE "A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the PSLE as their highest qualification; 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest qualification and 14% have a degree.
Singaporean students consistently rank at or near the top of international education assessments:
- In 2015, Singapore topped the OECD's global school performance rankings, based on 15-year-old students' average scores in mathematics and science across 76 countries.
- Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, and have been ranked in the top three every year since 1995.
- Singapore fared best in the 2015 International Baccalaureate exams, taken in 107 countries, with more than half of the world's 81 perfect scorers and 98% passing rate.
The country's two main public universities - the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University - are ranked among the top 13 in the world.
HEALTH
Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditures are relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report. In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades.
Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%
The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance program. Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.
RELIGION
Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation.
There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana tradition, with missionaries having come into the country from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity among the populace (not only the Chinese) during the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.
CULTURE
Singapore has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world. Culturally, the use of illicit drugs is viewed as highly undesirable by Singaporeans, unlike many European societies. Singaporeans' disapproval towards drug use has resulted in laws that impose the mandatory death sentence for certain serious drug trafficking offences. Singapore also has a low rate of alcohol consumption per capita and low levels of violent crime, and one of the lowest intentional homicide rate globally. The average alcohol consumption rate is only 2 litres annually per adult, one of the lowest in the world.
Foreigners make up 42% of the population, and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. The Economist Intelligence Unit, in its 2013 "Where-to-be-born Index", ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and sixth overall in the world.
LANGUAGES; RELIGIONS AND CULTURES
Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, religions, and cultures for a country its size.
When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying permanently. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India. After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.
Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.
Languages, religions and cultures among Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry, unlike many other countries. Among Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist, and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese. The rest speak other Chinese varieties at home. Most Malays in Singapore speak Malay as their home language with some speaking English. Singaporean Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are Hindu, two in ten Muslim, and the rest mostly Christian. Four in ten speak English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the rest other Indian languages as their home language.
Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by, among many other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward the Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to the Islamic culture.
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS
At the national level in Singapore, meritocracy, where one is judged based on one's ability, is heavily emphasised.
Racial and religious harmony is regarded by Singaporeans as a crucial part of Singapore's success, and played a part in building a Singaporean identity. Singapore has a reputation as a nanny state. The national flower of Singapore is the hybrid orchid, Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', named in memory of a Singapore-born Armenian woman, who crossbred the flower in her garden at Tanjong Pagar in 1893. Many national symbols such as the Coat of arms of Singapore and the Lion head symbol of Singapore make use of the lion, as Singapore is known as the Lion City. Other monikers by which Singapore is widely known is the Garden City and the Red Dot. Public holidays in Singapore cover major Chinese, Western, Malay and Indian festivals.
Singaporean employees work an average of around 45 hours weekly, relatively long compared to many other nations. Three in four Singaporean employees surveyed stated that they take pride in doing their work well, and that doing so helps their self-confidence.
CUISINE
Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries. The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country, and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism. The "national fruit" of Singapore is the durian.
In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridisation" of different styles (e.g., the Peranakan cuisine, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).
WIKIPEDIA
Margaret Culbert, a senior defense intelligence analyst for Africa at the Defense Intelligence Agency, talks with Air Force Lt. Col. Chuck Bowes during a seminar discussion at the African Symposium Feb. 1 at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
Photo by Megan Clugh
The U.S. Army War College dedicated two days to bring together government, civilian and military experts to talk over the issues, challenges and potential success stories for the African continent during a regional symposium Feb. 1-2.
"This symposium was designed to shape and inform the discussion of the complex issues facing the African continent," said Col. Tom Sheperd, U.S. Army War College director of African Studies. "The goal is to provide an exposure to some of the underlying key strategic factors that play a role in shaping the way the United States achieves its national interests in a regional context."
Guest lecturers included Margaret Culbert, Dr. Jeff Herbst, Col. Tom Galvin, Dr. William Reno, Joshua Eisenman, Amb. Vicki Huddleston and retired Amb. Lou Nigro. Each brought their unique perspectives to the diverse continent of Africa.
"This region presents a nuanced set of challenges that will help shape the future of stability and security not only for Africa, but the entire world," Sheperd told the college’s student body. "You will find these same themes continuing throughout the rest of the year as you continue to wrestle with the 'wicked problems' of national security.
"The game has changed. When these students leave they will be encountering these complex issues and challenges," Sheperd said.
This was especially true for USAWC student Lt. Col. Kristin Baker, who will assume a position in U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) after graduation.
"This was a great opportunity to enhance my knowledge of the issues and challenges facing the region," she said. "Each of the speakers brought their own unique perspective to the topics discussed which creates a great discussion."
"The symposium really challenges you to think about the challenges that the African continent faces, and what the implications may be for the rest of the world," said student Marine Corps Col. Terry Trenchard.
"What really makes it valuable for a nation like Georgia, that is so far away, is that it helps to show how truly universal these issues are," said Georgian Fellow Col. Bondo Maisuradze. "A nation's problems don't always stay within their own borders. It can spread to other areas, so we need to be aware of that and be prepared to help."
The symposium serves as a capstone event after the completion of many of the USAWC core courses, and challenges students to apply their skills.
"This is an opportunity for the students to sit, listen and apply the critical thinking skills we've been emphasizing all year in relation to strategy, policy and the operational environment," Sheperd said. "Then we hope they use these skills to get to the crux of how these issues shape and affect the U.S. during the seminar discussion sessions."
Given the current context of civil unrest in Tunisia and Egypt, Sheperd said that one of the symposium objectives was to help explore how one incident in Tunisia, no matter how small at first glance — such as someone setting himself alight — may have far-reaching effects.
"It's easy sometimes to see how a large incident has a big impact on the strategic environment," he said. "But it's sometimes more important to see that seemingly small things, under the right circumstances, can have a huge effect on the long-term strategic environment. We hope the students are able to take a longer view toward complex issues and regions."
Culbert, a senior defense ontelligence analyst for Africa at the Defense Intelligence Agency, focused her remarks on how factors such as demographics, population growth, urban growth and climate change may shape the region's future.
"It's important that schools like the Army War College are taking time to focus on Africa," she said. "If you are going to be deployed to Africa, then you really need to have a grasp of the multiple concerns on the continent, no matter whether you are there for military, human rights or other reasons."
She also said that the complex nature of the problems necessitate the use of all of the elements of national power.
"When you are building these professional military institutions, they have to be built simultaneously with political, social, judicial and penal institutions," she said. "You have to build an environment in which democracy can grow."
Herbst, president of Colgate University, spoke of the effect that decolonization has had for Africa and how it at times carries an incorrect label as an unstable region.
"If you look at the changes in boundaries in Europe and the former Soviet Union in the last 50 years, there has actually been more change there than in Africa," he said. "What really hurt the region was the destruction of the existing military structure when the continent was decolonized, which has helped to create the instability we see now."
Herbst also discussed the potential challenges that the recent South Sudan referendum for independence and the still unstable Somalia status quo may pose for the region.
Eisenman, a senior fellow for China studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, brought a unique perspective to the region when he focused his remarks on Chinese interest in Africa and what that could mean for the world.
"There is a dearth of information about why China is interested in Africa, and what they are trying to achieve there," he said. "Resources are a key, but there are diplomatic and trade advantages for them as well. How this situation unfolds could say a lot for the future of the continent."
Galvin, chief of the AFRICOM Commander's Action Group, provided students with a wealth of information about AFRICOM and what security challenges face the region.
"It's important to remember that African problems are global security challenges," he said.
Galvin said that AFRICOM activities such as supporting partner counterterrorism efforts, promoting interoperability and balancing ground, maritime and air capabilities, have led to success. He said that lessons about the importance of partnership, executing a resourced comprehensive approach and communications strategically have already been learned and applied to future operations.
Huddleston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, spoke about the need for building African capacity.
"We're there to reinforce and enable the African states — militarily, through training, as well as through civilian assistance like health and education," she said. "As President Obama says: Africa for Africans.
"African military under civilian control allows them to protect their citizens and defend their borders," she said. "If it's well done, as with Egypt and Tunisia, the military is the friend of the people, the constitution and the state." In large part, that's "because of experiences with the U.S. military, like the U.S. Army War College."
Nigro, a former ambassador to Chad and DNSS faculty member, spoke about the challenges facing AFRICOM.
"AFRICOM is still a new organization, evolving," he said. "We really need to ensure the integration of State, Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies, like Justice and Agriculture, across the spectrum of the U.S. government to achieve our national goals. Resources are never enough if we don't integrate and synchronize and harmonize efforts."
Nigro also touched on the importance of the establishment of the nations’ militaries.
"African militaries will develop as their societies develop," he said. "A state acquires legitimacy when the military and law-enforcement elements of the state are [at an equal pace] with the development of the state itself, and when the society is willing to hand off control of their lives to a state they consider legitimate."
In seminar later, students discussed the difficulty of finding agreement among nations about agreeing on the definition of security and its sources. The dialogue considered the challenges of achieving the regime's security, territorial security and human security.
To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil
Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica
Official Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sensory analyst William Parsons sniffs canned mackerel to check for spoilage. FDA sensory analysts and entomologists investigate product samples and protect consumers from spoiled and contaminated food. To learn more, view these photos and read this Consumer Update:
• FDA Guards Against Food Spoilage, Contamination
This photo is free of all copyright restrictions and available for use and redistribution without permission. Credit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is appreciated but not required.
Privacy and use information: www.flickr.com/people/fdaphotos/
FDA photo by Jason Strachman Miller
FOX News analyst Andrea Tantaros speaks at Kuehne Speaker Series on the UNT campus in Dallas, Texas, on May 12, 2015. Photos by Michael Clements.
Day 1 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 10 May 2016.
Frank Luntz Memorial Day Party Pics :) - We had so much fun! The entertainment was great! Ran in to old friend like Mary Hart from Entertainment tonight, Steven Weber (actor), former Governor Gray Davis and his wife Sharon and of course President Obama and the first lady :) Here's a little bit about our wonderful host Frank Luntz, one of the most brilliant men I know :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz
Frank I. Luntz (born February 23, 1962) is an American political consultant, pollster, and Republican Party strategist.[1] His most recent work has been with the Fox News Channel as a frequent commentator and analyst, as well as running focus groups after presidential debates. Luntz's specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.”[2] He is also an author of business books dealing with communication strategies and public opinion. Luntz's current company, Luntz Global, LLC, specializes in message creation and image management for commercial and political clients.
Cheryl Shuman
www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com
About Cheryl Shuman:
Referred to as the "Martha Stewart of Marijuana," Cheryl Shuman announces the formation of Green Asset International Inc.. Shuman brings 25 years of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient. Since using cannabis therapy, she has survived cancer and injuries from two car crashes.
Shuman was the founder of Beverly Hills NORML, founding charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance and served on the steering committee for Public Relations and Marketing on an International platform. Cheryl Shuman is a founding member of the NCIA, National Cannabis Industry Association and served as the Director of Special Projects for the NCIA including the Women's Cannabusiness Network. Cheryl Shuman transformed her non-profit career into a thriving profitable media enterprise.
Cheryl was the Executive Director of Celebrity, Media and Public Relations for the KUSH Brand which includes KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com. Cheryl Shuman has been interviewed for television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News and more.
Her private medical cannabis collective, "The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club" is unlisted and membership is by referral only. Through her personal relationships and connections within Hollywood, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position within the cannabis industry creates the first and only company of its kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
--
Cheryl Shuman
Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
Beverly Hills Cannabis Club
Join Free Using "Cheryl Shuman" as your invitation code on:
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CASTING NOW!!! DREAM BIG! Nothing like being featured in a national TV show to gain huge national publicity for your business, career, or yourself!
Hollywood's most celebrated Network & Cable producers are now working with Cheryl Shuman to develop 4 (Four) different reality series evolving around the cannabis community and movement. These will be hits!! Imagine Entourage Meets Sex in the City Meets The Apprentices Meets Top Model Meets The Big C Meets the Cannabis Movement. These new hit shows about real men & women, living captivating lives in LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA are now casting! This upcoming docu-series gives viewers an inside look at Cannabis Communities most intriguing, interesting, compelling, & glamorous individuals. In addition, we will be profiling some of the most compelling patient stories to help promote law reform as well as top political figures during the upcoming election.
The Production Team is currently looking for fabulous men, women and their families who live or work in the cannabis industry as well as main stream cannabis consumers to be on this series. We are searching for outgoing, exciting, strong, self-confident men & women who reside in LEGAL medical cannabis states who want to share their amazing lives!
Theses new docu-series are an amazing platform to promote current or future activism, business endeavors, careers, ideas, etc... you can't beat the huge publicity of a national television show to make you and your ideas/brand a major success!
If you or someone you know is living "the good life" in one of the legal medical marijuana communities, we want to hear from you!
TO SUBMIT:
Be sure to mention you heard about this from Cheryl Shuman for priority consideration, and email ALL the information requested below ASAP to:
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Be sure to include:
1. Your name (first and last)
2. Contact phone number
3. City/Zip where you live
4. A short bio about you and your fabulous life and what makes you a fit for this tv show
5. Recent photos of you, your family, and your home/BUSINESS (jpg format please)
6. Be sure to mention you heard about this from Cheryl Shuman for priority consideration!
TO RECEIVE NOTICES LIKE THIS WITH MORE INFO ON ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY JOBS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND EVENTS:
Just go to www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com and click Register!
Kindest Personal Regards
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Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COMMENTS AND FB LIKES/TWEETS ON MY ARTICLES! :) THNX :) Check out the article on:
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The stars shone brilliantly at Lure Night Club in Hollywood for the FX Summer Comedy Party. The celebration included series stars from Anger Management, Brand X With Russell Brand, Louie, Wilfred, and Totally Biased. Celebrities in attendance were Charlie Sheen, Russell Brand, Louis C.K., W. Kamau Bell, Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith, Daniela Bobadilla, Noureen DeWulf, Michael Arden, Derek Richardson, Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann and Dorian Brown.
The room was electric, buzzing with the anticipated arrival of the “winning” man himself, Charlie Sheen, star of Anger Management. He was easy to spot upon his entrance, surrounded by nearly a dozen bodyguards. I noticed that he was the only celeb with such an entourage.
Several sections of Lure were roped off for celebrities and VIPs. Massive video screens were everywhere, promoting the Thursday evening line up. Upon arrival with my daughter as my date, I stopped by to visit with each show and reunited with my friends from Wilfred — where I proudly work with them as the “marijuana expert” for the show.
About Cheryl Shuman:
Referred to as the "Martha Stewart of Marijuana," Cheryl Shuman announces the formation of Green Asset International Inc.. Shuman brings 25 years of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient. Since using cannabis therapy, she has survived cancer and injuries from two car crashes.
Shuman was the founder of Beverly Hills NORML, founding charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance and served on the steering committee for Public Relations and Marketing on an International platform. Cheryl Shuman is a founding member of the NCIA, National Cannabis Industry Association and served as the Director of Special Projects for the NCIA including the Women's Cannabusiness Network. Cheryl Shuman transformed her non-profit career into a thriving profitable media enterprise.
Cheryl was the Executive Director of Celebrity, Media and Public Relations for the KUSH Brand which includes KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com. Cheryl Shuman has been interviewed for television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News and more.
Her private medical cannabis collective, "The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club" is unlisted and membership is by referral only. Through her personal relationships and connections within Hollywood, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position within the cannabis industry creates the first and only company of its kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
Cheryl Shuman serves as media spokesperson for the hot new vaporizer CANNACig Rapid Fire Marketing (pink sheets: RFMK) and conducts their marketing, public relations, product placement, and consulting services.
Cheryl Shuman's "Green Asset International Inc." is a business development company and acquisition vehicle. Green Asset made news with an historic $100 million funding facility dedicated to the cannabis industry with plans to go public by 2014.
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Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O.
Green Asset International Inc.
Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
"Smell the Truth" - Hearst Digital Media
(www.blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/)
The Truth List
Spokesperson for CANNACig by RFMK
www.vinhaler.com/online-store.html
(www.Rapid-Fire-Marketing.com/)
Beverly Hills Cannabis Club
Join Free Using "Cheryl Shuman" as your invitation code on:
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Day 2 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Semifinals at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20 May 2017.
Analysts Say Graph Search No Threat to Google – The Analysts are Wrong!
bob.blikini.com/Analysts-Say-Graph-Search-No-Threat-to-Go...
Analyst tells clients to expect record sales for the Apple iPhone 7 during the 2016 holiday quarter13
Frank Luntz Memorial Day Party Pics :) - We had so much fun! The entertainment was great! Ran in to old friend like Mary Hart from Entertainment tonight, Steven Weber (actor), former Governor Gray Davis and his wife Sharon and of course President Obama and the first lady :) Here's a little bit about our wonderful host Frank Luntz, one of the most brilliant men I know :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz
Frank I. Luntz (born February 23, 1962) is an American political consultant, pollster, and Republican Party strategist.[1] His most recent work has been with the Fox News Channel as a frequent commentator and analyst, as well as running focus groups after presidential debates. Luntz's specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.”[2] He is also an author of business books dealing with communication strategies and public opinion. Luntz's current company, Luntz Global, LLC, specializes in message creation and image management for commercial and political clients.
Cheryl Shuman
www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com
About Cheryl Shuman:
Referred to as the "Martha Stewart of Marijuana," Cheryl Shuman announces the formation of Green Asset International Inc.. Shuman brings 25 years of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient. Since using cannabis therapy, she has survived cancer and injuries from two car crashes.
Shuman was the founder of Beverly Hills NORML, founding charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance and served on the steering committee for Public Relations and Marketing on an International platform. Cheryl Shuman is a founding member of the NCIA, National Cannabis Industry Association and served as the Director of Special Projects for the NCIA including the Women's Cannabusiness Network. Cheryl Shuman transformed her non-profit career into a thriving profitable media enterprise.
Cheryl was the Executive Director of Celebrity, Media and Public Relations for the KUSH Brand which includes KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com. Cheryl Shuman has been interviewed for television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News and more.
Her private medical cannabis collective, "The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club" is unlisted and membership is by referral only. Through her personal relationships and connections within Hollywood, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position within the cannabis industry creates the first and only company of its kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
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Cheryl Shuman
Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
Beverly Hills Cannabis Club
Join Free Using "Cheryl Shuman" as your invitation code on:
www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com
Social Network Links:
LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/cherylshuman
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CherylShumanInc
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CherylShuman
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/BeverlyHillsCannabis
CASTING NOW!!! DREAM BIG! Nothing like being featured in a national TV show to gain huge national publicity for your business, career, or yourself!
Hollywood's most celebrated Network & Cable producers are now working with Cheryl Shuman to develop 4 (Four) different reality series evolving around the cannabis community and movement. These will be hits!! Imagine Entourage Meets Sex in the City Meets The Apprentices Meets Top Model Meets The Big C Meets the Cannabis Movement. These new hit shows about real men & women, living captivating lives in LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA are now casting! This upcoming docu-series gives viewers an inside look at Cannabis Communities most intriguing, interesting, compelling, & glamorous individuals. In addition, we will be profiling some of the most compelling patient stories to help promote law reform as well as top political figures during the upcoming election.
The Production Team is currently looking for fabulous men, women and their families who live or work in the cannabis industry as well as main stream cannabis consumers to be on this series. We are searching for outgoing, exciting, strong, self-confident men & women who reside in LEGAL medical cannabis states who want to share their amazing lives!
Theses new docu-series are an amazing platform to promote current or future activism, business endeavors, careers, ideas, etc... you can't beat the huge publicity of a national television show to make you and your ideas/brand a major success!
If you or someone you know is living "the good life" in one of the legal medical marijuana communities, we want to hear from you!
TO SUBMIT:
Be sure to mention you heard about this from Cheryl Shuman for priority consideration, and email ALL the information requested below ASAP to:
BeverlyHillsCannabisClub@gmail.com
Be sure to include:
1. Your name (first and last)
2. Contact phone number
3. City/Zip where you live
4. A short bio about you and your fabulous life and what makes you a fit for this tv show
5. Recent photos of you, your family, and your home/BUSINESS (jpg format please)
6. Be sure to mention you heard about this from Cheryl Shuman for priority consideration!
TO RECEIVE NOTICES LIKE THIS WITH MORE INFO ON ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY JOBS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND EVENTS:
Just go to www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com and click Register!
Kindest Personal Regards
Cheryl Shuman
Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COMMENTS AND FB LIKES/TWEETS ON MY ARTICLES! :) THNX :) Check out the article on:
blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2012/06/11/an-inside-look-a...
blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2012/06/28/fx-thursday-nigh...
The stars shone brilliantly at Lure Night Club in Hollywood for the FX Summer Comedy Party. The celebration included series stars from Anger Management, Brand X With Russell Brand, Louie, Wilfred, and Totally Biased. Celebrities in attendance were Charlie Sheen, Russell Brand, Louis C.K., W. Kamau Bell, Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith, Daniela Bobadilla, Noureen DeWulf, Michael Arden, Derek Richardson, Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann and Dorian Brown.
The room was electric, buzzing with the anticipated arrival of the “winning” man himself, Charlie Sheen, star of Anger Management. He was easy to spot upon his entrance, surrounded by nearly a dozen bodyguards. I noticed that he was the only celeb with such an entourage.
Several sections of Lure were roped off for celebrities and VIPs. Massive video screens were everywhere, promoting the Thursday evening line up. Upon arrival with my daughter as my date, I stopped by to visit with each show and reunited with my friends from Wilfred — where I proudly work with them as the “marijuana expert” for the show.
About Cheryl Shuman:
Referred to as the "Martha Stewart of Marijuana," Cheryl Shuman announces the formation of Green Asset International Inc.. Shuman brings 25 years of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient. Since using cannabis therapy, she has survived cancer and injuries from two car crashes.
Shuman was the founder of Beverly Hills NORML, founding charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance and served on the steering committee for Public Relations and Marketing on an International platform. Cheryl Shuman is a founding member of the NCIA, National Cannabis Industry Association and served as the Director of Special Projects for the NCIA including the Women's Cannabusiness Network. Cheryl Shuman transformed her non-profit career into a thriving profitable media enterprise.
Cheryl was the Executive Director of Celebrity, Media and Public Relations for the KUSH Brand which includes KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com. Cheryl Shuman has been interviewed for television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News and more.
Her private medical cannabis collective, "The Beverly Hills Cannabis Club" is unlisted and membership is by referral only. Through her personal relationships and connections within Hollywood, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position within the cannabis industry creates the first and only company of its kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
Cheryl Shuman serves as media spokesperson for the hot new vaporizer CANNACig Rapid Fire Marketing (pink sheets: RFMK) and conducts their marketing, public relations, product placement, and consulting services.
Cheryl Shuman's "Green Asset International Inc." is a business development company and acquisition vehicle. Green Asset made news with an historic $100 million funding facility dedicated to the cannabis industry with plans to go public by 2014.
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Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O.
Green Asset International Inc.
Director of Celebrity, Media & Public Relations
"Smell the Truth" - Hearst Digital Media
(www.blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/)
The Truth List
Spokesperson for CANNACig by RFMK
www.vinhaler.com/online-store.html
(www.Rapid-Fire-Marketing.com/)
Beverly Hills Cannabis Club
Join Free Using "Cheryl Shuman" as your invitation code on:
(www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com)
Social Network Links:
BHCC: www.BeverlyHillsCannabisClub.com
LinkedIN: www.LinkedIn.com/in/CherylShuman
Facebook: www.FaceBook.com/CherylShumanInc
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/CherylShuman
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/BeverlyHillsCannabis
“If you had free reign over classified networks… and you saw incredible things, awful things… things that belonged in the public domain, and not on some server stored in a dark room in Washington DC… what would you do?”
“God knows what happens now. Hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms… I want people to see the truth… because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public.”
-Quotes from an online chat attributed to Bradley Manning
Who is Bradley Manning:
---------------------------------
"Nobel Peace Prize nominee PFC Bradley Manning, a 25-year-old Army intelligence analyst, who released the Collateral Murder video, that shows the killing of unarmed civilians and two Reuters journalists, by a US Apache helicopter crew in Iraq. Manning also shared documents known as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and series of embarrassing US diplomatic cables. These documents were published by the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, and they have illuminated such issues as the true number and cause of civilian casualties in Iraq, along with a number of human rights abuses by U.S.-funded contractors and foreign militaries, and the role that spying and bribes play in international diplomacy. Given the war crimes exposed by these documents, PFC Bradley Manning should be given a medal of honor.
Not a single person has been harmed by the release of this information. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called the effect of WikiLeaks’ releases on U.S. foreign relations “fairly modest.” Yet the Obama administration has chosen to persecute the whistle-blower rather than prosecute the war criminals who were exposed. While the prosecution has declared it does not intend to seek the death penalty, they do seek to lock PFC Bradley Manning away for life, with the most ridiculous charge of ‘aiding the enemy,’ even though chat logs attributed to Bradley by the FBI clearly show intent only to inform the public and promote “discussion, debates, and reforms.”
Soldiers are promised fair treatment and a speedy trial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). However, the soldiers responsible for PFC Manning’s care took it upon themselves to abuse him by keeping him locked up in solitary confinement for the first 10 months of his incarceration. During this time, Bradley was denied meaningful exercise, social interaction, sunlight, and on a number of occasions he was forced to stay completely naked. These conditions were unique to Bradley and are illegal even under US military law, as they amount to extreme pre-trial punishment. In March 2011, chief US State Department spokesperson PJ Crowley called PFC Manning’s treatment at the Quantico, Virginia, Marine Corps brig “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.” He was forced to resign shortly after admitting this. Since resigning, he has stated that the prosecution’s heavy-handed persecution of PFC Manning has undermined the government’s credibility.
Bradley’s treatment sparked a probe by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez. Mr. Mendez stated that he has been “frustrated by the prevarication of the US government with regard to my attempts to visit Mr. Manning.” After having his requests to visit Bradley repeatedly blocked, and after completing a fourteen month investigation, Mr. Mendez issued a statement saying that PFC Bradley Manning’s treatment has been “cruel and inhuman.”
It only took one week in April 2011 to have over a half million people sign a petition calling on President Obama to end the isolation and torture of Bradley Manning. The Obama administration’s ongoing persecution of Bradley Manning has served as “a chilling deterrent to other potential whistleblowers committed to public integrity,” and over 300 top legal scholars have declared that Bradley’s treatment was a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, as well as a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee against punishment without trial. Among the signatories is professor Laurence Tribe, a Harvard professor who taught President Obama. Professor Tribe was, until recently, a senior advisor to the US Justice Department.
Partially in response to public outcry, on April 21, 2011, Bradley was moved from Quantico to Fort Leavenworth, KS, where his conditions greatly improved. The very day he was moved, President Obama was surprised at a breakfast fundraiser by a group of protesters. At the end of the fundraiser, a member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, Logan Price, questioned him about Bradley’s situation. The President stated that “He [Bradley Manning] broke the law.” This pretrial declaration of guilt that has caused concern among legal experts, who argue it is clearly a case of ‘undue command influence’. President Obama is the highest ranking military commander, and soldiers follow his orders and his direction. By declaring PFC Bradley Manning guilty, he set the tone and direction of the subordinate military prosecution. It is now difficult for soldiers to express support for PFC Bradley Manning, who like many soldiers who follow the lead of their commander-in-chief, assume PFC Bradley Manning is guilty. Finally, reinforcing the assumption of Manning’s guilt, no charges were filed against any of the soldiers who took it upon themselves to abuse Bradley while he was under their supervision.
Bradley Manning has a growing list of supporters who want all the charges against him dropped. Among the supporters is the famous whistle-blower, Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Recognizing the valor required to tell the truth, Ellsberg calls PFC Bradley Manning a hero and a patriot. We agree. Drop all the charges, and free PFC Bradley Manning.
We hope that you will join us as well. See what you can do to support justice in this historic time."
Source and for more information about Bradley Manning please visit:
Bradley Manning vigil at US Embassy - London 17.12.2011
As part of a 14-country coordinated rally in support of Bradley Manning - the young U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking the “Afghan War Logs” to Wikileaks - a group of supporters of Manning representing Friends of Bradley Manning UK, Veterans for Peace UK, Payday Men's Network, Queer Friends of Bradley Manning and OccupyLSX gathered outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London's Mayfair for a vigil during which many speakers voiced their extreme concern for the well-being of Manning, and to praise his brave actions.
Manning has been held in U.S. military custody for 18 months. He faces multiple charges which would lead to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted for allegedly sharing a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed 11 civilians and seriously wounded two children in Baghdad, Iraq with the WikiLeaks website. The footage had been withheld by the U.S.military from those trying to discover the truth about the attacks. Manning is also accused of leaking what is now referred to as 'The Afghan Logs' - more than 91,000 documents of classified U.S. military logs spanning six years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. His pre-trial hearing began before a military tribunal on Friday 16th December at Fort Meade, Maryland, USA, cynically arranged to coincide with Bradley Manning's 24th birthday.
Dreadlocked supporter of Bradley Manning, Australian-born Catholic Worker, Christian anarchist and non-violent resister Ciaron O'Reilly told the crowd the latest news from Manning's hearing in Fort Mead, and went on to describe the torture and abuse Manning has endured at the hands of his completely unnaccountable gaolers, first in Quantico and now in Fort Meade. During the 1991 Gulf War, O'Reilly was a member of the 'ANZUS Ploughshares' group which attacked a B-52 Bomber which was on 20-minute scramble alert, at Griffiss AFB near Utica, New York. Their actions put the aircraft out of action for the next two months at the height of the US bombing campaign in Iraq. Together with the other members of the group, he was arrested and sentenced to 13 months in the US penal system. After his return to Australia, O'Reilly took part in the 'Jabiluka Ploughshares' group action which disabled uranium mining equipment in the Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.
Veterans for Peace UK's Ben Griffin, a former British SAS soldier who had been discharged from the army after he refused to be redeployed to Iraq - citing not only the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces but also that the invasion itself was illegal, being contrary to international law - spoke to those assembled to emphasise the importance of war resisters. He told the protesters that hearing that even small numbers of people in the outside World were supporting them by protesting gave a huge emotional lift to all those Conscientious Objecters currently in military prisons.
“If we are not actively engaged in war resistance then we should be offering our support to those that are". said Griffin. "If it is true that Bradley Manning leaked The Afghan War Logs, The Iraq War Logs and the Collateral Murder video then the last place he should be is in prison. As far as I am concerned he is a Hero. Our countries have committed terrible crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is only right that we should all know exactly what has been happening.”
Michael Lyons - also from Veterans for Peace UK - spoke about how reading the Afghan War Logs had confirmed his doubts about the legality of the actions carried out by coalition forces in Afghanistan. In 2010 Lyons - a former Navy medic - applied for Conscientious Objector status after reading the “Afghan War Logs” released by Wikileaks and refused to carry out rifle training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. He was sentenced to 7 months in Colchester military prison and was released in November 2011.
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