Going Price of Fossil Fuel (OIL)

IEA criticizes OPEC target price
Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:49:51
Source: AFP Head of the IEA Claude Mandil has lashed out at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for its target price of $70 per barrel.

The Director-General of the International Energy Agency said in an interview with Arab Oil and Gas Review that the target price would have a negative impact on the world economy.

He believes that this could undermine the global economic boom and be a burden on the world's poorest people and countries.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which is scheduled to meet in Vienna on September 11, is not expected to adjust its production ceiling.


Crude price in NY rises above $73
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 06:39:41
Source: Agencies

drop in US oil production

After the unexpected drop in the US recent oil and gasoline inventories, crude price in New York has surged to its highest, $73 per barrel.

According to Bloomberg, a report by the US energy department said reported that the US oil stockpiles fell to 333.6 million barrels in the week ending Aug 24.

A survey by Bloomberg News shows that 13 analysts said that the inventories were forecast to drop by 600,000 barrels.

The price reduction during the month has been 6 percent which has been caused by the concern over the decline in fuel demand associated with the shortage of credit.

Meanwhile, gasoline supplies dropped to the lowest level in New York over the past two years, namely 192.6 million barrels.

The Energy Department report said that refineries operated at 90.3 percent of their capacity last week and the imports of crude dropped.


source : Press TV

AU Somalia mission extended

Ugandan troops have been charged with keeping peace in Somalia's capital [EP The UN Security Council has agreed the renewal of the African Union's peacekeeping mandate in Somalia. On Monday, the 15-members council unanimously backed the resolution, tabled by Britain, to extend the mandate of the force of about 1,700 Ugandan soldiers, by six months The UN has backed away from committing its troops to Somalia, though the Ugandan force is believed to be weak and under-funded. Dumisani Kumalo, South Africa's ambassador to the UN, voiced disappointment at the resolution, saying: "I would like to see the UN deploy in Somalia." The AU is doing a job that the UN is supposed to be doing." There have been almost daily attacks in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, since government-forces, backing Ethiopian troops, drove out Islamic Courts and opposition fighters.Hundreds of people have died since the beginning of the year. The Ugandans are due soon to be bolstered by 1,500 AU troops from Burundi, but the African bloc wants the UN to take over when its mandate expires at the end of this year. But UN countries at an earlier Security Council meeting in August said they were unwilling to commit to such a move. The recent extension to the AU mandate was approved by the them in July but needed the authority of the UN Security Council to go ahead.

Gul elected Turkey's president

28/08/2007 The Turkish parliament on Tuesday elected Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as president, making him the secular republic's first head of state. Gul, won 339 votes in the 550-member parliament, well above the simple majority of 276 votes required in the decisive third round ballot.

The governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) had failed to get Gul elected in the first two rounds of voting held last week, with its 340 seats falling short of the required two-thirds majority. The other two contenders -- Sabahattin Cakmakoglu from the right-wing Nationalist Action Party and Tayfun Icli from the centre-left Democratic Left Party -- got 70 and 13 votes respectively in Tuesday's ballot.

The AKP, denies that it has an Islamic agenda and Gul has repeatedly pledged that his priority during his seven-year term will be to uphold the separation of state and religion. On the eve of Tuesday's vote, the head of the Turkish army warned that the secular system was under attack from "centers of evil seeking to systematically erode" it.

Liberals dismiss the secularists' concerns as "fear-mongering" by political rivals unable to match the AKP's rising popularity. They see Gul's presidency as symbolic of the rise of the relatively poor, religiously conservative masses who form the backbone of the AKP -- people who have long been kept on the margins of politics by the secular establishment.

When Gul first ran in April, the opposition blocked his election by boycotting the vote in parliament, while the army, which has ousted four governments since 1960, warned that it was ready to defend the secular regime. The crisis forced Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call early general elections on July 22, from which the AKP emerged with a huge victory it saw as a popular mandate to re-nominate Gul.

US AG Alberto Gonzales Quits

IAEA Chief slams US arms deals

Readers Number : 193 26/08/2007 Source AlManar TV

The head of the UN's nuclear agency has criticized US moves to supply weapons to its allies in the Mideast, saying the money would be better spent on regional development projects. Mohamed El-Baradei, who is the director general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, made the remarks in an interview with the Austrian newsweekly Profil, to be published Monday. He said a US strategy to support a weapons buildup in Occupied Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Egypt is not helpful for improving security in the Middle East.
"Pouring more money into arms is not going to resolve the issue," El-Baradei said.
"You can end up in a situation like the Cold War in the past ... Does that provide security? Does that provide stability? It doesn't", he added.
Earlier this month, the US offered Israel an unprecedented $30 billion of military aid over 10 years. It is also proposing weapons packages to Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states. In the interview, El-Baradei also said he didn't see any danger in a French-Libyan reactor deal.
"I would not worry, as long as the reactor there is under agency verification," El-Baradei told Profil.

The Forgotten Oppression

Ingushetia: enemy under attack Publication time: 23 August 2007, 11:22 According to meager reports of Russian occupation command, it is clear that military action in Ingushetia growing day by day. And, the initiative is clearly on the side of Ingush Mujahideen, who almost daily attack munafiqs (traitors) and kafirs (invaders). Let's recall that two weeks ago about 5000 thousand mercenaries from the so-called "Russia's interior troops", recruited throughout Russia were deployed to Ingushetia. These gangs have been assigned to the occupation formation of FSB, Ministry of Defense, the Interior Ministry and others who had long been stationed in the republic. The occupation command said that "troops came for the counter-terrorist operation and stability". But after the deployment of these additional forces, the military activity in the republic has increased considerably. Ingush Mujahideen have conducted a series of successful sabotage and combat operations in the past 10 days, which recognized by the occupation command of Russian troops and local puppets. So, late in the evening on August 22 occupation convoy was attacked near Yandare village. Mobile squad of Ingush Mujahideen attacked kafirs with grenade launchers and machine guns. As a result of the attack one APC and one Ural army truck were completely destroyed. Invaders reported that during the gun battle one kafir/mercenary from SOBR police gang was eliminated and at least five kafirs were wounded. At least two of them are in a serious condition. According to eyewitnesses who had seen the burnt APC and URAL, the casualties of kafirs are likely much higher. Let point out in this context that the invaders have publicly stated that they will not report the exact number of their casualties as it relates to "public security". A few hours before the attack in the village of Troitskaya, Ingush saboteurs shot a patrol of local munafiqs the "policemen". Munafiqs reported that the two "policemen" were in serious condition. On Aug. 21 Mujahideen conducted three simultaneous combat operations. In Nazran a FSB member was gunned down. The attack was conducted when he was entering the FSB building in Nazran. A few hours later Mujahideen attacked Russian kafirs gang near the village of Dattyh. As a occupation side admitted the attack was carried out at a time when the so-called "Spetsnaz" was conducting a "sweep operation" in the area of the village. Kafirs stated that only one kafir/ mercenary had been wounded as a result of attack. On the same day, about 11 am local time an OMON police gang was in the village of Barsuki. Mujahideen attacked puppets' vehicle. Munafiqs reported that one collaborator was seriously injured. On Aug. 20 a gun battle took place near the village of Galashki. Kafirs hid their losses by only saying that "military personnel came under attack in the area". Invaders did not told how the battle took place, saying to journalists that after the attack Mujahideen left the site and occupation forces sealed off the battle zone. On the same evening a fierce firefight was heard in Nazran. However the details of the fighting are unknown. On the night of Aug. 17 Mujahideen attacked the 503rd Regiment of occupation forces in the town of Buinaksk. Tthe battle was lasted for about 15 minutes. Ingush Mujahideen attacked the base with grenades launchers, machine guns and AK rifles. As kafirs admitted the grenades hit the HQ of the regiment. The attack had started around midnight. After the end of an intense crossfire, single shots occurred for some time. After about a half a hour after the end of the fighting, a column of armored vehicles moved to the village. A gun battle between the Ingush Mujahideen and mercenaries from "interior troops" gang took place on Auh. 13 in Nazran region of Ingushetia near the town of Yandyry. As the spokesman of occupation command admited the fire was opened on the kafirs of forestland. Invaders claim only three mercenaries wounded in the battle. Mujahideen casualties are unknown. On Aug. 12 near the village of Ekazhevo a mobile team of Ingush Mujahideen attacked a gang of Russian kafirs from Voronezh Province of Russia. As a result of attack 1 kafir was eliminated and two others were seriously injured. Ingush Mujahideen attacked a patrol vehicle which was escorting a few military trucks with occupation soldiers.. These reports are based only on official reports of occupation command and local puppets. There is no any data from Ingush Sector of Caucasus Front of CRI AF included in this summary. Kavkaz Center

Puppets: Mujahideen control 35% of the territory of Chechnya Ingushetia: enemy under attack Georgia says Russia again violates its airspace 14 US invaders killed in Iraq helicopter crash US again threatens Iran with military operation Taliban chief says Bin Laden alive Recalling other deadly toys: Terrorism in America’s toy box? Letter from U.S. commanders: 'We need to get out Iraq' Lebanese army fights for equipment On the Chechen language today US is stretched too thin, top general worries Military commanders tell Brown to withdraw from Iraq without delay Russia resumes regular long-range bomber patrols U.S. suggests Musharraf to share power Moscow: Khattab and Maskhadov organized the attack on Kabardino-Balkaria Mujahideen again attacked Russian base in Ingushetia Another explosive August Who bombed the Nevsky Express? The challenges of the Sochi Olympics and Russia's Circassian problem Iraqi detainees held by U.S. at record high 'Desecration of Allah's House is an offence of Islam and the entire Ummah' Deads rise to at least 500 after Iraq blasts No end to pedophile scandal in Krasnodar Deadly blasts target Iraqi sect: 175 killed U.S. to declare Iranian army a 'terrorist organization'

Gul fails in second round of presidential vote

Readers Number : 20

24/08/2007 Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, the frontrunner to become Turkey's next president, failed to be elected in the second round of voting in parliament on Friday, a parliament official said. It was expected that Gul will only win outright in a third round next week. In a third round, a candidate needs only a simple majority to win - leading analysts to predict confidently that Gul will be declared president next Tuesday, 28 August. Gul, the nominee of the ruling Justice and Development Party, garnered 337 votes from the 550-seat house, 30 short of the two-thirds majority of 367 needed in the second round.The other two candidates, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu from the right-wing Nationalist Action Party and Tayfun Icli from the centre-left Democratic Left Party, received 71 and 14 votes respectively. Gul's candidacy has been highly controversial, sparking a political crisis that led to early elections. But since his AK Party won those polls convincingly, correspondents say it has the authority to push its man through. The country's military and secular establishments have voiced their opposition to Gul. The Foreign Minister has vowed to remain loyal to the country's secular constitution if he is elected. The president is elected by parliament, where the AK Party has 340 of the 550 seats. In the first round of voting on Monday, Gul secured 341 votes - falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to win outright.

NEW ARM RACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Israel, Washington sign new defense agreement

Readers Number : 79

16/08/2007 Israel and the United States signed Thursday the Memorandum of Understanding on the new American defense package for Israel. Under the new aid agreement, the U.S. will transfer $30 billion to Israel over 10 years, compared with $24 billion over the past decade. Israel is slated to receive the first pay out in October 2008, amounting to $2.550 billion. That sum will grow each year by $150 million, until it reaches $3.1 billion in 2011. In addition, the agreement permits Israel to convert into shekels 26.3 percent of the aid money, thereby enabling it to procure defense equipment from Israeli companies. The rest of the aid must be used to purchase equipment from American military industries. Israeli negotiators tried to step up the percentage of aid that could be used for procurement from local companies, without success. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Wednesday with visiting U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, in preparation for Thursday's signing. Olmert asked Burns to thank U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for their efforts in transforming the understandings with Olmert, reached during his last visit to Washington, into a binding agreement. "The aid agreement with the U.S. is an important and significant component for Israel, and proves once again the depth of the relationship between the two countries and the United States' commitment to Israel's security, and to preserving its qualitative advantage over other countries in the Middle East," Olmert said. Burns met Thursday morning with Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, who headed the Israeli team in negotiations with the U.S. At noon, Burns signed the aid agreement with Foreign Ministry Director General Aharon Abramovich, and meet with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Burns also met Wednesday with Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, who oversees the strategic dialogue with the U.S. Mofaz and Burns agreed to hold a strategic dialogue in mid-October on Iran and Lebanon.

Russia delivers air defense system to Syria Readers Number : 320 17/08/2007 Russia has begun delivery of modern air defense units to Syria. "The first part of the delivery to Syria has started," the centrist daily Nezavissimaya Gazeta reported, quoting information from a domestic military information agency. A spokesman for Russia's arms export agency Rosoboronexport declined to comment on the newspaper report. The report acknowledged that the delivery of the weapons, the Pantsyr-S1E self-propelled short-range missile air defense system, was particularly sensitive in light of Israeli claims last year that Russian arms sold to Syria had ended up in the hands of Hezbollah. Nezavissimaya Gazeta quoted an official involved in Russian arms export policy as describing concerns that Russian air defense weapons could be re-exported to Iran as "silly rumors". Officially, the contract was for the sale of 50 Pantsyr units for about 900 million dollars. Media reports have put the number of units sold to Syria at around 36. In May, the London-based arms specialist magazine Jane's Defense Weekly reported that Syria had agreed to send Iran at least 10 of the Pantsyr units. That report was categorically denied by a range of top Russian officials including First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Turkey’s Islamic president

Turkey's Islamic-oriented ruling party on Monday decided to nominate Abdullah Gul again for president despite strong opposition to his candidacy, a party official said.

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13 Ağustos 2007 23:55

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When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed Gul as his party's candidate the last time, it ignited a backlash from the secular opposition, which accused Gul of having an agenda to scrap the secular traditions of the predominantly Muslim nation.

Murat Mercan, a senior party official, confirmed Gul's candidacy after a party meeting Monday. "Gul is a statesman who has great experience," Mercan told private CNN-Turk television. "I believe he would be very successful."

Gul's candidacy signals that Erdogan's party apparently bowed to pressure from grass-root supporters despite serious concerns raised by secular circles about Gul's candidacy.

It was Gul's candidacy that triggered a political crisis months ago, forcing the government to hold early parliamentary elections. The choice of candidate had alarmed the military-backed, secular establishment, which accused the government of seeking a lock on power so it could impose Islamic ways unchecked.

Erdogan's party won a majority of seats in July 22 elections, but it did not secure the two-thirds need to approve a presidential candidate alone during the first two rounds of parliamentary voting.

However, the president can be elected by a simple majority in the third round of voting if the parliament secures a quorum of lawmakers necessary for presidential elections. Cihan Pacaci, a senior member of the Nationalist Action Party, reiterated that his party pledged support to reach a quorum to prevent a new political crisis. "I don't see a chaos ahead," Pacaci told private NTV television Monday.

Still, Gul's nomination showed that the government could be heading toward another showdown with secularists, including the military.

"It is not appropriate to have a president who has problems with the founding philosophy of the Turkish Republic," Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition pro-secular Republican People's Party, said earlier Monday.

The job of president is critical to overall control of the state. The post is largely ceremonial, but the incumbent has the power to veto legislative bills and government appointments. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, the current president, often frustrated the government by blocking its initiatives.

Onur Oymen, a senior member of the Republican People's Party, said Gul's candidacy amounted to a serious threat to the secular principles of the country.

"Gul's candidacy was not expected to contribute to peace and stability in the country," Oymen told private NTV television after the decision was announced.

Gul's wife wears an Islamic style headscarf, which many secular Turks regard as a symbol of political Islam and use as a reason why he should not become president.

Baykal, however, said the outfit of Gul's wife was not the real problem.

"In my opinion, the outfits of his wife is not an issue. Any one who can give confidence about the inside of his head can be" a candidate, Baykal said.

Sadullah Ergin, a member of the ruling party, had rejected Baykal's accusations as unjust.

"Gul has the right to be president like anyone else," Ergin told CNN-Turk television.

Baykal and other party leaders had called Erdogan to nominate a compromise candidate.

Gul already asked for meetings with opposition leaders on Tuesday to seek their support, private CNN-Turk television said. The first round of voting in parliament is due on Aug. 20.

Gul previously withdrew his bid after the secular opposition boycotted the presidential vote in parliament, and the nation's top court declared the process invalid. Huge throngs of pro-secular supporters staged anti-government rallies in major cities at the time.

But Gul, recalling crowds of people who chanted "Gul for President" during his election campaign, has said: "I cannot turn a blind eye to the will of people. The demand of the people is clear."

Situation In Somalia