AP - The door at the notoriously secretive Federal Reserve is opening wider.
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Rabu, 27 April 2011
Snaptu: Fed weighs next move; Bernanke to meet the press (AP)
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Snaptu: PlayStation hack affects 77m users
Sony says hackers have accessed personal information, but says there is no evidence of credit card details theft
Sony has warned that the names, addresses and other personal data of about 77 million people with accounts on its PlayStation Network…
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Selasa, 26 April 2011
Snaptu: Sony shows tablet computers to compete with Apple offerings, promising smooth net access
TOKYO — Sony is planning a tablet computer with a touch panel similar to Apple's iPad for later this year that the Japanese manufacturer promises will make the best of its gadgetry and entertainment strengths.
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Senin, 25 April 2011
Snaptu: The Guantánamo Files: Judging Detainees’ Risk, Often With Flawed Evidence
Snaptu: THE GUANTÁNAMO FILES: Libyan, Once a Detainee, Is Now a U.S. Ally of Sorts
Snaptu: The nasty story of Guantánamo
Snaptu: WikiLeaks releasing documents on Guantanamo
Thousands of pages outline the U.S. prison operation at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with details on the self-proclaimed Sept. 11 mastermind and others. The White House condemns the leak.
Most of those remaining at the Guantanamo Bay military prison are…
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Snaptu: Secret Docs Reveal New Info on Gitmo Detainees
Snaptu: WikiLeaks: Guantanamo Bay terrorist secrets revealed
Guantanamo Bay has been used to incarcerate dozens of terrorists who have admitted plotting terrifying attacks against the West; while imprisoning more than 150 totally innocent people, top-secret files disclose. Al-Qaeda terrorists have threatened…
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Snaptu: WikiLeaks: Classified files shed light on Gitmo detainees
Snaptu: WikiLeaks releases documents on Gitmo terror suspects
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secret documents about detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison reveal new information about some of the men that the United States believes to be terrorists, according to reports about the files released by several American and…
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Snaptu: Latest WikiLeaks target: Guantanamo Bay
Snaptu: WikiLeaks' Guantanamo Bay Documents: The Backstory On News Outlets' Race To Publish Them
NEW YORK -- On Sunday night, more than a half dozen major news organizations in the United States and Europe began publishing shocking new revelations from a long-rumored WikiLeaks trove of documents about prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay.
Some…
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Snaptu: Guantánamo piled lie upon lie through the momentum of its own existence | Julian Glover
What is given new prominence by these leaked Guantánamo files is the cold and incompetent stupidity of the system
Let them read the documents. Let them try to tell us after that (as some still do, even now) that the Afghan war was fought well, and…
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Selasa, 19 April 2011
Snaptu: The royal wedding live on YouTube
Cross-posted on the YouTube Blog.
As the historic day approaches, the much-anticipated wedding of Britain's Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton has people around the world buzzing with excitement.
While millions will be in London for the…
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Snaptu: Commending Palestinian Christians
Snaptu: Beyonce's New Single, 'Girls (Who Run The World),' Leaks Online
A demo version of the girl-power track hit the Net late Monday.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: Al Pereira/ WireImage
A version of Beyoncé's forthcoming single "Girls (Who Run the World)" has hit the Internet, and as you might guess from the…
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Snaptu: Britney Spears 'Till The World Ends' Bollywood Remix Hits Web
The Femme Fatale singer takes to Twitter to encourage fans to 'check out this incredible ... remix.'
By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: Max Morse/Getty Images
Last week, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" got the Bollywood treatment when Indian…
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Snaptu: UPDATE 4-Seagate buys Samsung hard disk unit, mkt share war looms
Snaptu: Fibroids
Fibroids: Fibroids are common, benign tumors of smooth muscle in the uterus (womb). Uterine fibroids are the most common reason for performing a hysterectomy. Fibroids do not produce symptoms in all women, but may lead to prolonged or heavy menstrual…
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Snaptu: Microsoft patent case may not compute with high court
The Supreme Court seemed reluctant Monday to make it easier to challenge the validity of patents. At the same time, justices raised concerns about "bad" patents in the marketplace and a federal patent office too overwhelmed "to separate the sheep…
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Snaptu: Strong sales lift Burberry shares
Snaptu: Stocks Mixed on Earnings News
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks pared earlier gains and the Nasdaq dipped into negative territory Tuesday as investors weighed the influx of earnings results.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 23 points, or 0.2%, at 12,225. The S&P 500 was…
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Snaptu: Trader: Looking For Equity Yields
Snaptu: Yahoo! Faces Stress On Search, Asian Assets
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- As Yahoo! gears up to release first-quarter earnings Tuesday after the bell, the big question will be how it plans to boost its search business, which has failed to wrestle share from rival Google, despite a partnership with…
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Snaptu: 10 Dividend Stocks Increasing Payouts
(Dividend stocks increasing payouts report updated with Bank of New York Mellon's earnings results.) NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm and Wal-Mart Stores joined a roster of companies raising their dividends in recent…
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Snaptu: Shares Try to Rebound a Day After Warning on U.S. Outlook
Snaptu: DealBook: A Myspace Founder Builds Again, Buying Game Companies
Snaptu: Metals Stocks: Gold wavers; housing boosts copper
Snaptu: Goldman profit falls after preferred dividend
Snaptu: Futures Movers: Oil futures fall below $107 a barrel
Snaptu: The 10 Best Values in Pharma and Biotech
Snaptu: Rising Star Buy: Google
Snaptu: Paul Allen's advice for Microsoft
Snaptu: Royal wedding hottest clicks - Exclusive
Snaptu: Nasdaq and ICE sweeten NYSE bid
Snaptu: Stocks: Investors step back after rout
Snaptu: Obama points at speculators for hiking fuel prices
Snaptu: NYMEX natgas futures open interest hits record high
NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - New York Mercantile Exchange natural gas futures open interest climbed to an all-time high on Monday, according to a preliminary bulletin posted on the CME Group website on Tuesday.
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Snaptu: High energy prices threaten US recovery-US Energy Secy
Snaptu: Spain still unable to decouple from euro periphery
Snaptu: Google's Page and Wall Street: Who needs who?
Snaptu: Oil companies go solar to tap hard-to-get supplies
Snaptu: Foo Fighters tear to top of album chart
Snaptu: Twelve banks worldwide sued for manipulating Libor
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A European asset manager has sued one dozen U.S., European and Japanese banks, accusing them of conspiring to manipulate Libor, a benchmark used to set interest rates on hundreds of trillions of dollars of securities.
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Snaptu: Irish banks' risk-taking at root of crisis - report
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish lenders' reckless risk-taking and local officials' reluctance to rein them in were at the root of the banking crisis, a third and final report into the sector's meltdown concluded on Tuesday.
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Snaptu: Goldman profit drops as trading revenue falls
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc posted a 72 percent decline in quarterly earnings as trading revenue dropped, and the bank cautioned that there were fewer opportunities to make money in the current environment.
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Snaptu: Online gaming investors' risky bet
While shares of gaming websites outside the US have jumped, buyers are taking a gamble on future moves by regulators
It's always a mystery as to why the US department of justice, having chased the likes of PartyGaming from America's shores in 2006,…
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Snaptu: Goldman Sachs smashes forecasts with $2.7bn first-quarter profit
• Earnings per share of $1.56, against forecasts of 82 cents
• Bank sets aside $5.2bn to pay staff
• Figures hit by $5bn payout to Warren Buffett
• Boss Lloyd Blankfein 'wants to leave'
Assailed by critics on all sides, Goldman Sachs did what it…
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Snaptu: Agricultural land prices hit record high
Rising food prices have pushed up the price of arable land in parts of the UK, but life is tougher for livestock farmers
Agricultural land prices in Britain have hit record levels following the surge in global food prices, according to figures from…
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Kamis, 14 April 2011
Snaptu: Sony to distribute next two James Bond films (Reuters)
Snaptu: Katy Perry leads U.S. singles chart for 3rd week (Reuters)
Rabu, 13 April 2011
Snaptu: Anti-nuclear lobby is blind to how brittle its arguments are | George Monbiot
As governments ponder a disastrous move away from nuclear power, it is vital campaigners get their facts straight – but Helen Caldicott fails to interrogate her own claims and sources
My request to Helen Caldicott was a simple one: I asked her to…
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Snaptu: Anti-nuclear lobby is blind to how brittle its arguments are | George Monbiot
As governments ponder a disastrous move away from nuclear power, it is vital campaigners get their facts straight – but Helen Caldicott fails to interrogate her own claims and sources
My request to Helen Caldicott was a simple one: I asked her to…
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Snaptu: Syrian women march to demand release of men held in security swoop
'We want the men of Baida' chant hundreds in coastal highway protest at mass arrests, as others demonstrate in city of Banias
Hundreds of Syrian women have marched along the country's main coastal highway to demand the release of men seized from…
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Snaptu: New York Times confirmed as Liverpool's second largest shareholder
• Company's stake in Fenway Sports Group revealed
• FSG own Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox
The New York Times Company has been confirmed as Liverpool's second largest shareholder.
The club's owners, Fenway Sports Group, made the disclosure to…
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Snaptu: Champions League review: Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea - video
Snaptu: Uefa Champions League quarter-finals second leg action: in pictures
Snaptu: Mexico's drug war
Snaptu: Japan: New fears as the tragedy deepens
Snaptu: Japan: Continuing crisis
Vehicle headlamps illuminate the disaster area of Yamada town in Iwate prefecture on March 16. The official toll of the dead and missing following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that flattened Japan's northeast coast has topped 11,000, with…
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Snaptu: Sucker Punch
Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared. Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality.
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Snaptu: Limitless
Snaptu: Kosinski on Cruise control for Oblivion
Wow, these Hollywood hotshots really do land on their feet. Just two weeks after his existential sci-fi treatment Oblivion was dropped by Disney, Tron director John Kosinski's latest has been picked up by Universal with the studio giving the green…
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Snaptu: It's samba time at UK Box Office as Rio debuts at No. 1
It's perhaps not the most startling of debuts but the £1.5 million garnered by 20th Century Fox's Rio was more than enough to guarantee it a top spot debut at the Box Office. The CGI treat from the guys that brought us Ice Age is sitting pretty as…
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Snaptu: Rapper Nicki Minaj to join Britney Spears on tour (Reuters)
Snaptu: Celine Dion Wants Brit Brit & Kylie To Seriously Consider Vegas Residency
We second this! In a recent interview, Celine Dion revealed how much she is loving her second stint on the Vegas stage and how the experience has meant so much to her. She was then asked if she thought younger performers like Britney Spears and Kylie…
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Snaptu: Listen Up, William & Kate! George Michael's Got A Song For You!
Consider it a "wedding gift"! On his Twitter page yesterday, George Michael announced that he's had the royal wedding on the brain and wanted to do something special to commemorate the happy day for Prince William and Kate Middleton. He reached out…
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Snaptu: Sugar Ray Leonard Booted from DWTS (omg!)
Snaptu: Seal, Santana and Sting to play Montreux jazz fest (omg!)
Snaptu: Jennifer Lopez named People's most beautiful woman (AP)
Snaptu: From the archive, 13 April 1945: Death of President Roosevelt
Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 13 April 1945
We announce with the deepest regret that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States since 1933, died yesterday afternoon at Warm Springs, Georgia. A White House…
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Snaptu: Belarus says detains first bombing suspects
MINSK (Reuters) - Belarus has detained the first suspects in the investigation into a bomb explosion at a metro station and they almost certainly include the person who carried out the attack, the state prosecutor's office said on Wednesday.
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Snaptu: Brazil climb to third in FIFA rankings, Spain still top
Snaptu: Lashkar-e-Taiba expanding, India still main target
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. general expressed concern to Congress on Tuesday about the expanding reach of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, warning it was no longer solely focused on India or even South Asia.
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Snaptu: Kashmiri militants watch India-Pakistan talks but ready to fight
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Militants on the Pakistan side of divided Kashmir say they will give new talks with India a chance but they have little faith they will succeed and believe it is only a matter of time before they will have to fight…
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Snaptu: MPs oppose BBC World Service cuts
LONDON (Reuters) - The government should abandon its plan to cut funding for the BBC World Service or at least ring-fence some parts of it, including BBC Arabic, in the light of recent events in the region, MPs said on Wednesday.
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Snaptu: "American Idiot" movie lands at Universal
Countries at BRICS Summit Push China to Import More Airliners, Medicines - B...
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via Top Stories - Google News on 4/12/11
 Moneycontrol.com | Countries at BRICS Summit Push China to Import More Airliners, Medicines Bloomberg By Bloomberg News - Wed Apr 13 06:14:01 GMT 2011 Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa have found common cause at a meeting of the so- called BRICS grouping of developing countries in China: push their host to import more than just ... BRICS riding epochal tide to momentous summitRIA Novosti BRICS delegates express optimistic views ahead of gatheringXinhua Summit offers watershed moment for the world's largest emerging economiesThe Canadian Press Wall Street Journal -BBC News -BusinessWeek all 533 news articles » |
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Justin Bieber's Middle Eastern Woes Continue
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via Celebrity Scandals: Gossip Center by admin on 4/12/11
Continuing his travels through the Middle East, Justin Bieber made his way through Tel Aviv airport in Israel earlier today (April 12).
The "One Time" teen sensation was surrounded by heavy security as he navigated through the crowded terminal.
And while he's usually very generous with his time, Bieber declined an opportunity to meet children in Jerusalem affected by Gaza rocket fire - which then led to the prime minister canceling their scheduled get-together.
According to Channel Two, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled on the "Baby" singer because he reportedly refused to meet with the children.
The children had gotten off of a school bus just moments before it was hit by a Hamas rocket last week, critically wounding a teen and moderately wounding the bus driver.
No word from Bieber's rep yet, but Justin is still scheduled to perform in Jerusalem on Thursday night.
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US embassy cables: King of Bahrain discusses Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel...
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via World news: US embassy cables: the documents | guardian.co.uk by on 4/7/11
Cable dated:2005-02-16T15:08:00
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 000230
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2015
TAGS: PREL, ETRD, PGOV, PHUM, BA
SUBJECT: KING DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES WITH AMBASSADOR
REF: MANAMA 227
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D)
------- SUMMARY -------
1. (S) Bahrain's King Hamad, despite some continuing worries about Saudi Arabia, expressed optimism about Bahrain and the region in a wide-ranging discussion with the Ambassador February 15. He was delighted with the state of the bilateral relationship and the leadership role of President Bush. He felt that the positive news on the Israel-Palestine front and in Iraq will have a beneficial impact in the region, both politically and economically. On Iran, he preferred a diplomatic solution, but if Iran did get a nuclear weapons capability he wanted the U.S. to step in as a "nuclear guarantor." He put the blame for the Hariri assassination squarely on Syria. He was no longer worried about Saudi Arabia blocking the FTA, but lamented continuing bilateral irritants with the Saudis and Saudi obstruction of inter-GCC projects such as a Qatar-UAE causeway and a Qatar-Kuwait pipeline (both of which impact on Bahrain). He said that Bahrain had decided to let Al-Jazeera open an office in Bahrain. He indicated that Bahrain will allow candidates to participate in political parties in the 2006 parliamentary elections.
-----------------
TEA WITH THE KING
-----------------
2. (SBU) King Hamad invited the Ambassador and DCM to Safriya Palace on the afternoon of February 15 for tea and a relaxed conversation in front of the fireplace (it was an unusually cold and rainy day in Bahrain). The King was accompanied by Minister of the Royal Court Shaykh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Shaykh Hamad bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, a brother-in-law and close confidant of the King. The conversation, which covered a range of domestic and regional issues, lasted 90 minutes.
--------------------------------
BILATERAL RELATIONS GOING STRONG
--------------------------------
3. (SBU) The Ambassador opened the discussion by expressing appreciation for the King's January 26 letter to the President. (In the letter, the King expressed full support for the shared goals in the pursuit of freedom and noted that "like you, Mr. President, we in Bahrain see the progress made in Afghanistan, along with the forthcoming elections in Iraq, and democratic developments in Ukraine as symbols of the universal desire for freedom, openness and representation.") The King said that he, in turn, appreciated the response he had just received from the President, and observed that there have been two countries -- Bahrain and Jordan -- that over the long term have consistently sided with and supported the United States. The U.S. could always count on Bahrain, he stated. Calling the President a "great leader," he said that he had always believed in the President from Day 1. What the U.S. has done in Iraq will change the future of the region. He was delighted with the successful elections in Iraq.
--------------------------------------------- -----
ISRAEL-PALESTINE: GOOD FOR STABILITY IN THE REGION --------------------------------------------- -----
4. (C) The King spoke at some length on Israeli-Palestinian developments, expressing satisfaction at the positive turn of events. This is a good moment, he said, that can be important for stability in the region. He said that he had instructed newly-appointed Minister of Information Dr. Mohammed Abdul-Ghaffar to make sure that official announcements or statements coming out of the Ministry of Information do not refer to Israel as the "enemy" or "Zionist entity." He revealed that Bahrain already has contacts with Israel at the intelligence/security level (i.e., with Mossad), and indicated that Bahrain will be willing to move forward in other areas, although it will be difficult for Bahrain to be the first. When asked if Bahrain might look into developing trade contacts at some point, he said that this would have to await the establishment of "side-by-side" states. He added that he planned to travel to Jordan on February 19 to meet with King Abdullah and show his support for moving forward.
5. (C) The King stated that Israeli-Palestinian peace, by helping stabilize the Middle East, will facilitate economic growth throughout the region. But he also suggested that, when the Palestinian question is removed from the equation and the Arab-Israeli dispute is settled, Iran's ability to cause mischief will be lessened. The Iranians will no longer be able to exploit the Palestinian issue for their own objectives.
------------------------
IF IRAN GOES NUCLEAR....
------------------------
6. (S) The King stressed that it was critical that we not allow Iran to get a nuclear capability. He said that there are two ways to deal with Iran: through diplomacy or by force. Bahrain prefers diplomacy. If we get to a point where Iran has a nuclear weapons capability, he said, then the U.S. would have to step in and be the "nuclear guarantor" for the countries of the region.
------------------------------------------
HARIRI ASSASSINATION: BLAME FALLS ON SYRIA ------------------------------------------
7. (S) King Hamad left no doubt that he put the blame for the Hariri assassination squarely on Syria. He said that he had had dinner with Hariri just 10 days earlier when Hariri was in Bahrain for the opening of the 10th Islamic Trade Fair. Hariri had told him that he planned to move to openly oppose the Syrians in Lebanon in May (after the parliamentary elections), but did not want to tip his hand before the elections. The discounted any other theories about who might have been behind the attack.
--------------------------------------------- --------------
CONTINUING CONCERNS ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA'S RELATIONS WITH GCC
--------------------------------------------- --------------
8. (C) The King said Bahrain is no longer worried about Saudi Arabia trying to block its FTA with the United States (and he expects no difficulty in ratification from the Bahrain parliament because of the dust-up with the Saudis over the FTA). He nonetheless clearly remains disturbed by the way it played out, by continuing irritants in the bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia, and by Saudi attempts to block cooperative projects between other GCC countries. He repeated a now familiar litany of Bahraini complaints about Saudi ill-will towards Bahrain, including the suspension of the 50,000 b/d oil grant and the cut-off in sales of sand. (Note: The Crown Prince, in a meeting with Gen. Abizaid the next day, added a new complaint: the Saudis this year had restricted the plot of land allocated to Bahraini Hajj travelers in Mecca.)
9. (C) The King said that the Saudis are blocking a proposed causeway project between Qatar and the UAE and a proposed gas pipeline project between Qatar and Kuwait, both of which have an impact on Bahrain. The Qatar-UAE causeway, when combined with the planned Bahrain-Qatar causeway, would greatly facilitate travel between the three countries (and, of course, eliminate the need to transit through Saudi Arabia -- with its implications for women drivers). The gas pipeline from Qatar to Kuwait would pass through Saudi territorial waters, and would also include a link to Bahrain. Because of Saudi objections, the King said, the Kuwaitis are now turning to the Iranians for gas. (Note: On the gas link to Bahrain, it is our understanding that the major sticking point is price to be paid for the Qatari gas.) The King asked if the U.S. could play a helpful role in getting the Saudis to let the gas project proceed.
--------------------------------
AL-JAZEERA RETURNING TO BAHRAIN?
--------------------------------
10. (C) Although neither the gas pipeline nor the causeway to Qatar have entered the implementation stage, the King maintained that relations with Qatar are now excellent. He joked that with the completion of the causeway, Bahrain would receive Qatar's money and Qatar would get Bahrain's ideas (on political reform). As an indication of the improving relations, he said that Bahrain had now agreed to let Al-Jazeera open an office in Bahrain. (Note: though true, this is not quite a done deal. XXXXXXXXXXXX
--------------------------------------------- ---
HELP ON DEVELOPING BAHRAIN'S TV/RADIO CAPABILITY --------------------------------------------- ---
11. (SBU) King Hamad said that he instructed new Minister of Information Abdul-Ghaffar to seek help from the U.S. to help Bahrain turn its television broadcasting into a world class operation. XXXXXXXXXXXX He had told Addul-Ghafar that he needed a strategic vision to develop Bahrain's broadcasting industry. (Note: Abdul-Ghaffar had met with the Ambassador and raised this issue on February 10 -- reported reftel). It is now clear that he was acting on instruction from the palace, and not on his own initiative.)
-----------------------------------
DEMOCRACY IN BAHRAIN AND THE REGION
-----------------------------------
12. (C) The King reviewed the history of democracy in the Middle East, lamenting that the initial stirrings of democratic movements in the region had been stifled by the rise of socialist/Baathist governments in the 1950s and 60s. With the emphasis in the region on socialist slogans, there was a move to create single political units and eliminate political diversity. People no longer understood the concepts of participatory democracy or diversity of thinking, Now these outdated political vestiges are being cast away, most recently in Iraq. We now have an opportunity to encourage participation in the political process throughout the region.
13. (C) This is exactly what is happening in Bahrain now, the King stated. There still are elements of the old thinking, such as Baathists connected to the Uruba Club. And there is the challenge of getting the Shia oppositionists to participate in the next election. They did not participate in the 2002 election because they did not like what was in the Constitution. The government, he said, is telling them to come out and participate in the 2006 elections. If they have the numbers and participate, they can get seats in the parliament and change the Constitution (as the Constitution permits). He added that, while the last election was based on participation by individuals, the 2006 election will be based on political parties. Accordingly, the government is now drafting a political parties law. MONROE
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US embassy cables: US discusses Gaza with Israeli security chief
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via World news: US embassy cables: the documents | guardian.co.uk by on 4/7/11
Cable dated:2006-10-04T14:59:00
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 003910
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2021
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PINR, KPAL, KWBG, EG, IS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND SHIN BET CHIEF DISKIN DISCUSS GAZA, CT COOPERATION, MISTREATMENT OF AMCITS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (S) SUMMARY. During an October 3 meeting with ISA (Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin, The Ambassador stressed the need to find a way to keep Gaza's Rafah crossing open. Diskin argued that the Egyptians are not doing enough to counter smuggling, including of advanced anti-tank missiles, into Gaza. So far these weapons had not been used because those who had them lacked training; an open door at Rafah could change this. The Ambassador and Diskin agreed that Fatah needed to be strengthened in order to help President Abbas face down the current Hamas challenge. Diskin said PM Ismail Haniyeh appears more interested in governing than in fighting Israel, but without soldiers behind him, is unable to stand up to the Hamas leadership in Damascus. The Ambassador thanked Diskin for Shin Bet's close cooperation on counterterrorism cases but cautioned that we might have to review our travel warning for Israel if the treatment of AmCits at Ben Gurion airport doesn,t improve. END SUMMARY.
--------------------------------------
EGYPT TO BLAME FOR SMUGGLING INTO GAZA
--------------------------------------
2. (S) Diskin said he blames Egypt for the ongoing problem of weapons and explosives smuggling into Gaza. The Sinai is their responsibility, he said, but they are not interested in doing what it takes to effectively counter the smuggling. Diskin added that Shin Bet and others give the Egyptians &all of our intelligence8 about the smugglers, including names and locations, but they do not act on it. "We know from intelligence that the Egyptians sit with us and lie," Diskin said, referring to the Egyptian government's argument that it is acting effectively against smugglers. Diskin said there were now "lots" of tunnels under the Philadelpi Strip, and neither Egypt nor the PA seemed willing or able to close them. The Egyptians say they have found some tunnels, "but I don't believe them," he added. (Note: According to press reports, Diskin also criticized Egypt during a Cabinet meeting on September 27, claiming that 19 tons of explosives had been smuggled into Gaza since disengagement.)
3. (S) Diskin said he told Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman that Israel would be willing to conduct joint operations with Egypt against the smugglers, but that Suleiman did not seem interested. According to Diskin, Egypt's complicity in Gaza smuggling was the result of two factors: corruption in the security forces and the government's view that, unlike Sinai-based anti-Egyptian terrorism, smuggling was not a national security problem for Egypt.
--------------------------
ANTI-TANK MISSILES IN GAZA
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4. (S) Diskin added that Shin Bet now had sensitive information that Hamas recently smuggled 20 Russian-made Koronet anti-tank missiles into Gaza, of the kind used successfully by Hezbollah against IDF Merkava tanks. Hamas militants are currently holding the missiles, and are waiting for training on how to deploy them, he said. He later noted that this was one reason why Shin Bet opposed openings of the Rafah crossing. Diskin said he has not shared this information with Egypt.
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OPENING THE RAFAH CROSSING
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5. (S) The Ambassador asked whether Shin Bet was seeing much smuggling via the Rafah Crossing, and stressed that it was important to find a way to keep the crossing open, as called for in the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA). Diskin responded that all parties to the AMA have failed to fully meet their obligations, implying that the GOI should not be expected to implement every item in the AMA while the USG, Egypt and PA had yet to live up to their parts of the bargain. Diskin said that the problem with Rafah was not weapons smuggling, but money smuggling and the transit of Syrian experts to train Hamas militants. Additionally, Hamas is planning to send 20-30 activists in the near future for training in Iran, he said.
6. (S) Diskin commended the EU for doing the best it could in a tough situation. The Ambassador agreed the EU was doing a good job, but cautioned that the EU might walk away from its Rafah monitoring mission if the crossing was not opened soon. On the other hand, the Ambassador said, if we can find a way to keep the crossing open, the EU might then be interested in helping out at Karni and other sites. The Ambassador added that Secretary Rice would likely push this point during her meetings here this week. Diskin said the GOI wants to open the crossing also, but still sees doing so as a threat. "The Egyptians need to do more," he concluded.
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HAMAS VS. FATAH: WRESTLING FOR CONTROL
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7. (S) Asked for his assessment of the October 1-2 clashes between Fatah and Hamas security forces in Gaza (which left 11 dead, according to press reports), Diskin said he did not think the situation would deteriorate further. Both sides know how to pull back at the last minute, he said. At the same time, Fatah activists continue to grow weaker and are now unable to effectively retaliate in the Gaza Strip or against Hamas militants, especially Political Bureau Chief Khaled Mashaal, in Damascus. Diskin said that Fatah,s ability to act against Hamas is limited to the West Bank, where Fatah owes its comparative strength primarily to ongoing GOI operations against Hamas activists. He added that if GOI operations against Hamas in the West Bank ceased, the situation would soon reflect a more realistic power relationship, with Hamas on top. Hamas recognizes this, Diskin said, and has been trying over the past 6-12 months to recruit operatives from among West Bank-based security forces, using past (Oslo-era) family and community ties to Gaza as leverage. "We have had lots of success in the West Bank in recent months foiling the plots of Hamas, PIJ and others," he said.
8. (S) Diskin argued that the strategic problem in the Palestinian Territories was not so much the strength of Hamas, as the weakness of Fatah. Abu Mazen would remain weak until he took the time to take control of his party, Diskin said. Abu Mazen needed to create a more effective structure to bind the various party elements to his authority in order to prevent further disintegration and eventual marginalization. But by all accounts, Diskin said, Abu Mazen does not seem interested or able -- "I speak with many Fatah activists and can say that nothing is being done by Abu Mazen." Abu Mazen wanted to be a national leader but did not know how to run his own party, Diskin said, so his party fell apart and he has been left without support. The Ambassador noted that the U.S. agrees that Abu Mazen must take charge of his party and strengthen it against Hamas and other rejectionist groups, especially in the run up to the 2008 Palestinian elections.
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HANIYEH VS. MASHAL: WRESTLING FOR AUTHORITY
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9. (S) Diskin admitted that there was growing tension between PM Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal over the direction Hamas should take, but said there was no crisis. Mashal still calls the shots from Damascus, he said, because the Damascus leadership still controls the military wing. Haniyeh took Mashal by surprise by agreeing to form a National Unity Government with Abu Mazen, reflecting a desire on Haniyeh's part to avoid a confrontation with Fatah and focus instead on governing and strengthening Hamas, political position in the territories. Diskin added that Haniyeh is "smart and strong, but he has no soldiers behind him, and in that way suffers the same problem as Abu Mazen." The Ambassador agreed that without full control of the security forces, neither Abu Mazen nor Haniyeh could make any real changes.
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COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION
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10. (S) The Ambassador thanked Diskin for Shin Bet's close counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation, and said we especially appreciated the decision by the GOI to allow Shin Bet agents to testify in open court in the upcoming trial of Mohammed Salah in Chicago. Diskin said he still had serious misgivings about allowing his agents to testify in open court. He was especially concerned about the risk that Shin Bet interrogation methods would be revealed, and said he hoped we could find a way to protect Israel's interests. The Ambassador responded that he hoped the case would advance our mutual CT interests.
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MISTREATMENT OF AMCITS AT BEN GURION AIRPORT
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11. (SBU) The Ambassador also raised the issue of treatment of American citizens at Ben Gurion airport. He told Diskin that the Embassy continues to receive credible reports that AmCits are being subjected to harsh and in some cases abusive treatment by security officials at Ben Gurion. He added that increasingly, these reports were not just coming from Palestinian-Americans, but from Americans of varying backgrounds. The Ambassador cited the case of an American citizen who traveled to Israel for a funeral and was turned away at Ben Gurion for no apparent reason. He asked whether Israel was aware of the impact of such reports on the perception of Israel in American public opinion, and urged the GOI to address this concern seriously. The USG does not want to have to revise its travel warning for Israel, the Ambassador added. Diskin responded that he was aware of some of the reports, but had found no evidence that Port Authority officials (who are subject to Shin Bet oversight) were deliberately mistreating Americans.
12. (SBU) Diskin cited the case of Genevieve Greene and Melissa Martin specifically, noting that after a thorough review, Shin Bet was unable to find any evidence of mistreatment. (Note: On September 27, Shin Bet forwarded the Embassy the results of its examination of the Genevieve Greene/Melissa Martin and Amelia Telford Peltz cases, which Embassy had cited as recent cases of mistreatment.) Diskin said Israel appreciates its American visitors, and speculated that the cases were either coincidental, or that there was some misunderstanding between Shin Bet,s guidance and the Port Authority,s implementation. He vowed to fully investigate any cases that the Embassy forwards his office. XXXXXXXXXXXXJONES
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US embassy cables: Arms smuggling into Lebanon and the Gaza Strip
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via World news: US embassy cables: the documents | guardian.co.uk by on 4/7/11
Cable dated:2009-11-18T14:32:00
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002501
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2019
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MOPS, PTER, KWBG, EG, IR, LE, IS
SUBJECT: 40TH JPMG: COUNTERSMUGGLING TECHNICAL DISCUSSION (PART 2 OF 4)
Classified By: A/DCM Marc Sievers, reasons 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (S) Summary: Concurrent to the Joint Political Military Group (JPMG) Executive Session, IDF J5 and Israel Defense Intelligence (IDI) officers briefed U.S. JPMG delegation members on current arms transfers and weapons smuggling into Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. IDF J5 and IDI officers first focused on arms transfers to Hizballah in Lebanon via Iran and Syria, and provided current estimates of Hizballah arms. IDF J5 and IDI officers argued that Hizballah's ultimate goal during any future conflict is to launch a massive number of missiles and rockets daily into Israeli territory, including those that can reach the Tel Aviv area. J5 and IDI also described the sophisticated smuggling routes from Iran into the Gaza Strip, arguing that Hamas is now more powerful than prior to Operation Cast Lead. IDF J5 and IDI officers noted improved countersmuggling efforts by Egypt, but stressed more must be done to curb smuggling into Gaza. This is the second of four cables (septel) reporting on the 40th Joint Political Military Group. End summary.
2. (SBU) Israeli attendees included representatives from the IDF J5, IDI, Shin Bet, and Mossad. The U.S. delegation was led by PM Coordinator for Counter Piracy Robert Maggi, and included PM/RSAT John Schwenk, OSD Israel Desk Officer Eric Lynn, J5 Israel Desk Officer LTC Alan Simms, U.S. DAO Tel Aviv Assistant Air Attache Matt Yocum, EUCOM LCDR Molly McCabe, and U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv political-military officer Jason Grubb.
3. (S) Maggi stressed the importance of and noted progress with counter-smuggling efforts into Gaza -- but also acknowledged the GOI desire to see even further progress. He said the USG was looking for practical ideas to improve counter-smuggling efforts. IDF J5 officers argued that smuggling represents a strategic challenge for the GOI, which is facing a proliferation of knowledge and capabilities that are severely limiting Israel's diplomatic options for peace. IDF J5 made the case that weapons and knowledge proliferate from state actors, which disrupts diplomatic regional efforts. IDF J5 highlighted "regional faultlines," with the United States and Iran leading two opposing camps -- and countries such as China, Russia, and Qatar remaining on the sidelines with unclear intentions.
4. (S) IDI officers briefed on arms "deliveries" to the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, making the case with the latter that these arms transfers were done openly and should not be considered smuggling. IDI noted that since 2006, Hizballah has increased its quantity of sophisticated arms with improved range and accuracy -- these arms were acquired via Syria and Iran despite the presence of UNIFIL and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). IDI highlighted the continued desire by Hizballah to avenge the assassination of its former military commander Imad Mughniyah, and pointed to failed attempts to do so in Azerbaijan and Egypt. Finally, IDI reviewed the arms delivery route from Syria to Lebanon via the Beqa'a Valley, and then to points south through Beirut.
5. (S) IDI presented estimates of Hizballah arms in Lebanon, including a breakdown of arms south of the Litani River. According to the IDI, Hizballah possesses over 20,000 rockets, hundreds of 220 mm and 302 mm rockets, several hundred "Fajr" rockets, hundreds of simple anti-tank (AT) launchers with rockets and missiles, and hundreds of advanced anti-tank wire guided missiles (ATGM), dozens of SA-14, SA-7, and QW-1 anti-aircraft guns, several Ababil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), an unknown quantity of C-802 coastal missiles and up to thousands of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
6. (S) Given this arsenal, Maggi asked what the IDF thought Hizballah's intentions were. IDI officers opined that Hizballah was preparing for a long conflict with Israel in which it hopes to launch a massive number of rockets at Israel per day. IDI officers noted in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Tel Aviv was left untouched -- Hizballah will try to change the equation during the next round and disrupt everyday life in Tel Aviv. A Mossad official noted that Hizballah will want to ensure it can launch rockets and missiles to the very last day of the conflict, i.e., avoid running out of munitions. He estimated that Hizballah will try to launch 400-600 rockets and missiles at Israel per day -- 100 of which will be aimed at Tel Aviv. He noted that Hizballah is looking to sustain such launches for at least two months.
7. (S) IDI then shifted focus to the Gaza Strip, describing three circles of arms smuggling: 1. arms sources and
TEL AVIV 00002501 002 OF 002
financing, such as Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and unfettered arms markets such as Eritrea and Yemen, and possibly China; 2. transit areas and states such as the Red Sea, Yemen, Sudan, Syrian, Lebanon, and Libya; and finally, 3. the "close circle" along the Sinai-Egyptian border and Philadelphi route. Maggi asked what percentage of arms transfers occurred via land, sea and air. IDI noted that it was difficult to determine: smugglers tend to prefer the naval route -- as there are fewer obstacles -- but the last segment almost always occurred overland. IDF J5 added that land smugglers are learning from past experience and building new overland "bypasses." When asked about air routes from Iran over Turkey, IDI officials indicated that Turkey has been made aware of such activity, although a Mossad representative suggested Turkey may not be entirely aware of the extent of such activity, given the IRGC's smuggling expertise. The GOI highlighted that focusing solely on the last phase of smuggling (e.g. along the Philadelphi route) would only lead to limited success, and that wider efforts were key.
8. (S) IDI also provided an analysis of weapons entering Gaza following Operation Cast Lead. IDI noted that one of the goals of Cast Lead was to damage Hamas' ability to produce its own weapons. In this regard, the IDF was successful, but Hamas is reconstituting its capabilities. According to the IDI, Hamas possibly possesses a few rockets with ranges over 40 km -- perhaps as far as 60-70 km, or within range of Tel Aviv. In addition, the IDI believes Hamas possesses quality AT systems such as the Kornet PG-29 and quality anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). These weapons join an already potent arsenal including Grad rockets with ranges up to 40 km, ammonium perchlorate (APC) oxidizer for indigenous rocket production, hundreds of 120, 80 and 60 mm MBs, dozens of mortars, C5 K air-to-surface rockets, PG-7 AT rockets and launchers, SA-7 MANPADS, PKS AAA MGs and thousands of rounds of ammunition, and quality AT, such as Sagger missiles and launchers, and light anti-tank weapon (LAW) rockets.
9. (S) IDF J5 presented some basic benchmarks for possible countersmuggling solutions for Gaza. First, Egyptian national commitment is required. Other benchmarks outlined by the IDF included a clear chain of command, control of the Sinai and its inhabitants, systematic treatment of tunnel infrastructure, trial and imprisonment of smugglers, and overcoming traditional failures such as bribery and lack of coordination. IDF J5 noted that Egyptian Intelligence Minister Soliman has been supportive, while there is growing awareness on the part of Egyptian Defense Minister Tantawi -- who the IDF views as an obstacle to counter-smuggling efforts. However, IDF J5 said there is a lack of coordination between the Egyptian Army and intelligence service on counter-smuggling efforts.
10. (S) The IDF has observed a more systematic response by Egypt in recent months, including assigning guards to newly discovered tunnel entries, or even blowing up tunnels -- by IDF estimates, the Egyptian Army has collapsed 20-40 tunnels in the last 4-5 months. Nevertheless, the IDF continues to see a lack of urgency on the part of Egypt regarding smuggling into the Sinai; little attention has been paid to improving the socio-economic conditions of Bedouins primarily responsible for Sinai smuggling. While Egypt has made several key arrests -- including prominent smuggler Muhammad Sha'er -- others are still at large. Finally, the IDF noted the construction of an underground barrier and sensors' network -- but in many cases, the smugglers have dug deeper tunnels to avoid the network.
11. (S) The IDF J5 outlined consultations with geology and tunnel experts, whom suggested several possible solutions to the Sinai-Gaza tunneling network: constant and specific mine activity in the vicinity of the border to a depth of 20-30 meters; the use of a shock device or stun charge, or smoke at a tunnel entrance for deterrence purposes; constructing underground obstacles 90 meters deep to destabilize current tunnel infrastructure; close supervision and inspection of buildings in urban areas, in which there is a high concentration of trucks and newly built rooftops and roads; and the arrest of major smugglers -- such as Darwish Madi -- and utilization of interrogation to discover major tunnels and dismantle smuggling networks.
12. (U) PM Coordinator for Counter Piracy Maggi has cleared this cable. CUNNINGHAM
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TV on the Radio Debuts Album-Length Film via YouTube
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via Programming Blog by Facebook-Web-Design on 4/12/11
Starting today you can view an album-length film featuring every track from TV on the Radio's fourth studio album, Nine Types of Light. The film was directed by Tunde Adebimpe, the groups lead vocalist. Adebimpe intertwines the songs along with interviews from various New Yorkers on various topics. You can watch the film above, or here.
What did you think of Nine Types of Light? Tell us your thoughts.
TV On The RadioThe new @TvOnTheRadio album #NineTypesOfLight is Out Now. Watch the full movie for the album here: http://youtu.be/8B5GP0AiQMc
According to the bands site, "Nine Types of Light is as much an album as it is a movie by TV on the Radio. The movie is meant to be a visual re-imagining of the record, and includes a music video for every song on the album.
The band personally asked their friends and the filmmakers they admired to help direct the music videos. Tunde Adebimpe, the director for the full Nine Types of Light movie, storybooked the music videos together with interviews from local New Yorkers on various topics, including dreams, love, fame and the future. Tunde also directed the music video for Forgotten."
TV on the Radio fans have been eagerly awaiting the latest offering, ever since Dear Science was released in 2008. Well, the wait is over… Nine Types of Light is available today.
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California tsunami victim found washed ashore 380 miles away - CNN
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via Top Stories - Google News on 4/12/11
 Kansas City Star | California Man's Body Identified As U.S. Tsunami Victim Neon Tommy Authorities confirmed Tuesday that the body of a man found on the Oregon coast is the body of a California man swept out to sea after tall waves from Japan's tsunami hit the west coast. Dustin Douglas Weber, 25, was taking pictures of the tsunami, ... Body of California tsunami victim found in OregonReuters California tsunami victim found washed ashore 380 miles awayCNN Body of man swept out to sea after Crescent City tsunami is identifiedLos Angeles Times Fox News -750 KXL -Seattle Post Intelligencer all 531 news articles » |
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