Tag Archives: Reuters

North Korea puts army on alert, warns U.S. of ‘horrible disaster’

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These guys haven’t gone anywhere….

 

By Jack Kim

SEOUL | Tue Oct 8, 2013 8:24am EDT

(Reuters) – North Korea said on Tuesday its military would be put on high alert and be ready to launch operations, stepping up tension after weeks of rhetoric against the United States and South Korea, whom it accuses of instigating hostility.

Reclusive North Korea has often issued threats to attack the South and the United States but has rarely turned them into action. Such hostile rhetoric is widely seen as a way to push its domestic and international political agenda.

A spokesman for the North’s military warned the United States of “disastrous consequences” for moving a group of ships, including an aircraft carrier, into a South Korean port.

“In this connection, the units of all services and army corps level of the KPA received an emergency order from its supreme command to re-examine the operation plans already ratified by it and keep themselves fully ready to promptly launch operations anytime,” the spokesman said, referring to the Korean People’s Army (KPA).

“The U.S. will be wholly accountable for the unexpected horrible disaster to be met by its imperialist aggression forces’ nuclear strike means,” the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said later on Tuesday there was no indication of unusual activity by the North’s military.

Washington brushed off the North’s warning.

“We’ve seen this type of rhetoric from North Korea before,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “Such comments from North Korea will do nothing to end (its) isolation or reduce the costs (it) pays for defying the international community.”

In March, the North declared it was no longer bound by the armistice that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War signed with the United States and China, and threatened to use nuclear weapons to attack U.S. and South Korean territories.

South Korea’s defense ministry said the U.S. ships were taking part in a joint routine maritime search and rescue exercise with the South’s navy and said any criticism by North Korea was “wrong”.

 

Read more here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/08/us-korea-north-idUSBRE9960ZW20131008

 

Supreme Court again takes no action on climate change cases

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By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON | Mon Oct 7, 2013 9:16pm IST

(Reuters) – The Supreme Court Monday took no action for the second week running over whether it plans to undertake a potentially wide-ranging legal review of the Obama administration’s first wave of regulations aimed at tackling climate change.

The nine different petitions pending before the court, filed by states and industry groups, were not mentioned in a list of cases the court declined to hear on the first day of its new term.

Last week, the cases were absent from a list of new cases the court agreed to hear.

Monday’s inaction suggests the justices have yet to decide what to do with the nine petitions. The next opportunity for the court to announce its plans will likely be on October 15.

The rules, which apply to a cross-section of polluters from vehicles to industrial facilities, are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists say these are the prime contributor to climate change.

States, including Texas and Virginia, and industry groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had filed petitions asking the justices to review the regulations, arguing they would pose an economic burden to implement, among other complaints.

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Syria: Nothing to see here, move along

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Obama says is shifting to domestic priorities from Syria focus

 

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Thursday he is shifting his focus to domestic priorities from a tense period during which he sought congressional approval to use military force against Syria for its suspected use of chemical weapons.

“Even as we have been spending a lot of time on the Syria issue and making sure that international attention is focused on the horrible tragedy that occurred there, it is still important to recognize that we’ve got a lot more stuff to do here in this government,” the president said before a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House.

The president said he hopes meetings between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will result in action to eliminate Syria’s ability to use chemical weapons again.

Obama has asked Congress to authorize military strikes against Syria in response to what the United States says was a chemical weapons attack by the government that killed more than 1,400 people on August 21. The issue is on hold pending diplomatic efforts to disarm Syria of chemical weapons.

“I am hopeful that the discussions that Secretary Kerry had with Foreign Minister Lavrov as well as some of the other players in this can yield a concrete result,” Obama said.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were to hold talks on Syria in Geneva.

The president cited the budget, immigration, and implementation of his signature healthcare legislation as concerns he is turning to.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/12/us-usa-obama-syria-idUSBRE98B0RF20130912

 

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US to notify Israel “hours” prior to an attack

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By Dan Williams, Reuters

HERZLIYA, Israel — The United States would notify Israel hours in advance of an attack on Syria, an Israeli official said on Sunday.

While formally on the sidelines of the Syrian crisis, Israel fears coming under reprisals from its northern foe should the United States launch strikes to punish Damascus for alleged use of chemical weaponry.

Asked how much advance notice Israel would get from its U.S. ally about such attacks, an Israeli official briefed on contacts with Washington told Reuters: “Hours.”

But a senior strategist for the Defense Ministry said separately Israel was, like the rest of the world, in the dark at present.

“Will the United States attack? Will it not attack? What will the consequences be? All of these things are unknowns,” Amos Gilad said in a speech at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism near Tel Aviv.

President Barack Obama has run into formidable U.S. domestic opposition to military action. Wary of appearing to meddle in American affairs, most Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the debate.

Israel plans to deploy anti-missile systems and troop reinforcements on its Syrian and Lebanese fronts if Obama green-lights strikes against Syria.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/08/20388459-us-would-notify-israel-hours-before-syria-attack-israeli-official?lite

 

 

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Breaking: Syria Chemical Attack confirmed

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Preliminary reports by Reuters states that the UN has concluded that the attack WAS a chemical attack and it WAS carried out by “Government Forces”.

Is this another smoke screen by the US to involve us in yet another war in the Middle East?  Check your six folks…..

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57599888/u.s-detected-activity-at-syria-chemical-weapons-sites-before-attack/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/23/us-syria-crisis-chemicals-activists-idUSBRE97M0HB20130823

 

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Breaking News: Mubarak cleared of Corruption

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He may be released as early as today….

Things aren’t really as they appear, are they?

 

 

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