White House asks Pakistan to target militants

The US government has handed the names of specific militant leaders which she wants Pakistani authorities to help track down. The names include 4 extreme Islamic leaders.

The first name on that list is the man acknowledged to be the deputy for Osama Bin Laden Ayman al-Zawahiri. Other names on that list are the operational commander of an Islamic network known Haqqani. His name is Siraj Haqqani. He is the head of the group that is most deadly among the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. He is described as the next Osama Bin Laden. The other name in the list includes Atiya Abdel Rahman. He is a Libyan and he is the operational chief of al Qaeda.

This information was revealed by Pakistani intelligent. It was part of the discussions going on between the two intelligent groups. The names according to the Pakistani officials should be a target for joint operations between the American intelligent and Pakistani intelligent.

However US secretary of State Mrs. Clinton said that they did not give specific names but said that the death of Osama Bin Laden has caused a turning point in relationships between America and Pakistan and said that Pakistan must do much to tackle terrorism or America will cut the $2 billion aid program.

Republicans to flay Obama on Israel policy in campaign

The last visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US has opened another contentious issue in the American politics. The prime minister had disagreed with President Obama’s policy on 1967 border.

The prime minister was applauded as he addressed the congress on the state visit. Republicans have already started making issue over Obama’s 1967 border. Republican congressional leaders and presidential aspirants have agreed with Netanyahu that it is only land swap and not 1967 border that would bring lasting peace in the Middle East.

The Obama statement was a big political miscalculation because the American Jews always have more confidence in Democratic Party than the republicans. In the past the Jews have bank rolled the funding of the democratic candidates. The republicans wanted to cash in on this blunder to eliminate the millions of dollars that the Jews would have donated to aid the Obama 2012 rerun bid.

They are not expecting to use this to win the loyalty of the Jews. The republicans are doing calculations on how they will win the votes in the swing states.

It was the view of John Bolton that this mistake by Obama could make the Jews, pastors and evangelists who are very critical of Islam to support the republicans in 2012 elections.

It is apparent that the democrats are worried by Obama statement by the way they tried to over applaud the republicans during the speech by Netanyahu. Already some democratic leaders in the house have started distancing themselves from Obama over the issue.

US judge rules rampage suspect incompetent

A federal judge in America ruled on Wednesday that Jarel Loughner is incompetent to stand trial; reason being that he is mentally unbalanced. Loughher was arraigned before the court for opening fire on a constituent event in January which led to the death of about 6 people and 12 other people sustaining injuries.

The judge Larry Burns had earlier suspended proceedings on the case when the accused misbehaved and sent him to Springfield psychiatric center for examination. He was suspected to be suffering from schizophrenia. However the case was adjourned to September 21 to enable prosecution continue with the case, at that time it was expected that the accused would have become mentally balanced enough to understand the 49 charges that were laid against him.

It is feared that the accused would never get the emotional competence again and he will remain in the facility for the rest of his life. However the prosecutors are optimistic that by the time the court reconvenes again for the case on September that Loughner would have improved mentally for him to face justice for the multiple crimes and the charges that are laid against him. The court officials are having a review of the proceeding to ascertain the veracity of the statement that was credited to him for the short relieve on the trial.

Netanyahu sets tough agenda for peace negotiations

The prime Minister of Israel Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu addressed American congress where he asked the Palestinians back to the negotiation table but with a tough stance on some of the issues that divided the two sides. He told congress that the Israeli government is prepared to make concessions in exchange for peace.

His speech to the congress was immediately rejected by the Palestinian officials who declared that the stance of Israel is equivalent to declaration of war against the people of Palestine.

It appears that the speech was accepted by the American law makers who greeted his speech with resounding ovation. The prime minister has presented a proposal that would lead to two separate nations that would be co existing with each other. The proposal that was presented by the prime minister according to him would lead to what he called viable, prosperous and an independent Palestinian state. The speech was high mark of the prime minister’s visit to US thus ending the row that has greeted the Obama 1967 border line agenda.

The prime minister is one of the few world leaders who had the special privilege of appearing before the US congress twice. He told the congress that Israel is ready to make some concessions including land.

Democrat win G.O.P as Republicans lose over Medicare

One of the most contentious issues in American politics today is the issue of Medicare plan and it has polarized the American society. It appears that some politicians have started to pay for their stand on the Medicare issue. One of the casualties is Jane Corwin who could not retain her seat in the special election that was conducted in New York on Tuesday.

The outcome of the result has sent a message to the Republicans that Americans did not like the party position on the issue. It is a source of worry to them because the general election will come up in 2012 and for them to have lost their traditional stronghold over the Medicare issue they may have a rethink.

Not many people would believe the outcome of that election because the winner the Democrat party member Kathy Hochul was behind the Republican loser two months ago in opinion polls. Most of the people who had earlier voted for Republic party had decided to change camp as results of the Republicans stand on the issue.

However not many republicans believed that their candidate lost the election because of the Medicare issue. Some believe the party went for the election divided. They said that Jack Davis who came third was a member of the party but had to join Tea Party after losing the Republican nomination.

Death toll increases in Missouri following tornado

Casualties have continued to increase as a result of the tornado that struck Joplin in southwest Missouri in the United States of America. About 11 people were confirmed dead following the storm that affected the nursing home center in Joplin. The storm struck the home and destroyed the building according to the home operator.

Since the incident occurred the death toll has continued to increase, it is estimated that about 122 people had lost their lives while over 750 others sustained different forms of injury. The storm was the highest so far experienced in the city.  Even as the city residents are trying to come in terms with the disaster there is tornado warning that is issued for some parts of the state. Tornado incidents were confirmed in some parts of the country such as the Ohio which affected trees and cut off power supply.

It appears that the storm that hit Joplin early this week is the deadliest since 1950 when the National Weather Service started taking records of tornados. In the history of the United States of America it is rated as the 8th deadliest storm to hit any part of the country. The Sunday incident claimed the live of more than 100 residents and the nursing home alone had more than 10 of this figure.

US banks report decreasing revenue

The banking sector in the United States of America has been given account of their financial position for the first quarter of 2011. This hint was dropped by the federal Insurance Deposit Corporation.

It reported that the first quarter of this year marked a new beginning in the banking sector as the banks reported the highest margin of gains since the financial crises started. It reported that the net income earned by those banks stood at $29b.

This is about 60% more than what the banks have been earning. The corporation gave a growing picture of banking industry in US saying the rate of bank failures has minimised but complaints against some personalities are on the increase.

The corporation revealed there was a drop of the interest rate income which according to the corporation dropped to about 3% to what it was in the year 2010. The situation prevailed through out last year despite so much hype of economic recovery in the United States.

This also represents the first time since 1989 there was a quarterly decline in interest rate income. The corporation threw more light on the decline in interest rate income. It said that the six biggest banks are the most affected but it cuts across all the banks.

U.S. govt. invites Libyan rebel council

There was a morale boost for the Libyan rebels fighting to oust the government of Col Moamar Gadhafi on Tuesday when a US special envoy announced that the rebel council has been invited to open an office in the United States of America. This is a clear indication that the government of the United States is recognizing the rebel council as the legitimate government in Libya.

This development came just hours after NATO launched the heaviest offensive against Gadhafi with explosions rocking many areas of Tripoli especially the stronghold of Col Gadhafi. NATO had announced that one of the attacks was targeted at a storage vehicle within the compound and the target was caught.

This development has been confirmed by the government which announced that NATO had targeted the military reserve in the country and that about three people or more had been killed on the attack and that several people were wounded. The spokesman said that  Col Gadhafi is still alive. Journalists were taken round a hospital where the government showed people they said were injured during the attack. The people shown were in their 20s and 30s and they appear in civilian uniform.

The action of the US government is a further move to isolate Gadhafi from the rest of the international community. It has clearly indicated that the US government is comfortable working with the rebels.

Flooded Atchatalaya River threatens Louisiana

Residents of Louisiana towns are put into panic as the water from the swollen Atchatalaya River is making way to bounce their homes. The evidence of the frustrations and fears which the water has inflicted into the residents can be felt from the signs they wrote outside their homes.

Some of the signs indicated that many of the residents have already started removing their valuable belongings out of their homes. The swollen water has made the officials to issue an evacuation order to the residents some days back but the warning was later withdrawn when the authorities had thought that they could put the situation under control.

Some of the residents had heeded the earlier warning and had removed their personal belongings out their homes. However when the authorities backed down on the evacuation orders some of the residents tried to provide some remedies by filling bags with sand to provide some resistance to the water when it starts rushing to their homes.

It would be recalled that on the 14th of May the army corps of engineers opened the Mississippi river at Morganza floodway for the flowing of the water from Mississippi which was then threatening the Baton Rouge and New Orleans with imminent flooding. The water was diverted from the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya basin. It appears that the diversion is now causing problems for the residents of Louisiana towns.

Iran boasts of dismantling US spies

Iran claimed that it has dismantled US espionage group which has been monitoring the country. It said that 24 people who are doing the espionage had been arrested.

Iran stated that it has established a link which showed that about 42 people report to the CIA. This revelation was made by the Iranian intelligent. The security sources maintained that these syndicates had gathered information from the universities and research centers as well as nuclear energy and aerospace technology.

The statement further stated that these spies made use of American facilities in other countries to coordinate the spying. The countries which these spies rely on include such countries like Turkey Malaysia and other countries in the east. The report further said that the spies were also investigating such other information about the economy and facilities in the country.

The spies are being sponsored by the American CIA, they have set up the spy group with a promise of given them free American resident permit.

The relationship between the two countries has never being in good terms since 1979 revolution in Iran that changed the old order. The Iranian government is mostly religious extremists. The bone of the contention between two countries is the accusation by America that Iran is developing a nuclear plant which could be detrimental to the world and Middle East community.