Let's take Egypt's lessons and apply them to the planet

CBC News

Vive la révolution. A whisper at first. Soon, the words spread like wildfire from Tunisia over the tinder-dry African plains and mountains to the over-populated streets of Cairo.

Vive la révolution. The words Twittered and fluttered on iPhones and Facebook, tumbling into the mass media, a global din, coming to rest even on the tongue of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in the hallowed halls of Davos, Switzerland.

At a pro-democracy rally in Beirut, a woman carries a mockup of a Facebook page urging the ouster of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Modern communications technology is mobilizing crowds. (Sharif Karim/Reuters)We need a revolution, he declared at the World Economic Forum, the annual meeting of the mighty and the powerful. It may seem strange to speak of global revolution at a gathering like that, but that is what he said.

As for why, a clue can be found in the 2011 Global Risks report, the WEF's regular look at the big problems facing the planet.

The report reels off the familiar threats — financial instability, food prices, energy security, water, floods, storms and fires. All have hit the headlines in the last several months.

The number of environmental catastrophes is rising and more economies, more businesses and more people are being affected, thanks to globalization, urbanization and our growing interconnectedness and interdependence.

Consumption without consequences has turned into a recipe for national disaster — "a global suicide pact," according to the secretary general.

Tensions everywhere
The two largest risks, according to the report, are economic disparity and failures in global governance.

The widening gap between rich and poor is tightly connected to fragile states, conflict and disease. What's more, these inequalities between countries are being exposed more directly by the internet and global communication network, heightening tensions.

Meanwhile, ineffective global governance is blamed for everything from grinding poverty to the inability to dent greenhouse gas emissions.

Politicians argue that technological innovation is the solution to these global problems.

If we invest enough in technology we can feed everyone and supply all the energy we will need, while protecting the environment. The so-called green economy.

But if this is the only solution, it is doomed to failure.

Technological innovation is bound by the political framework it sits within and, at the moment, global governance is a mass of fragmented international networks, agreements, organizations and national governments, lacking a mandate for the kind of reform urgently needed.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/11/f-vp-gaffney-global-democracy.html#ixzz1E8ih7hfZ

No its not the guy above!!!

FROM YAHOO NEWS (LITERALLY NEWS FUCKING YAHOOZ!!!)

Iraqi: I'm proud my WMD lies led to war in Iraq

LONDON – An Iraqi who has been identified as a key source for the U.S. case for war in Iraq says he is proud that he lied about his country developing mobile biological warfare labs.

The Guardian newspaper published an interview Wednesday with Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who has been identified as the informer called "Curveball." His claims about weapon labs formed part of then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech to the U.N. Security Council in 2003, shortly before the war began.

The Guardian quoted Curveball as saying: "I had the chance to fabricate something to topple the regime. I and my sons are proud of that."

The Guardian says Curveball was interviewed in Germany.

FROM BBC NEWS

Clinton expresses US support for Iran protesters


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed her firm support for the thousands of opposition supporters who protested in Iran's capital on Monday.

Mrs Clinton said they deserved to have "the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt" and that Iran had to "open up" its political system.

One person was reportedly shot dead in the violent clashes between protesters and security forces in central Tehran.

Dozens were detained, and opposition leaders were placed under house arrest.

The BBC received reports of banned demonstrations in other Iranian cities, including Isfahan, Mashhad and Shiraz.

'Iranian protesters say that there is a certain symmetry to events in the Middle East. They believe the rallies they held after disputed presidential elections in 2009 helped to inspire the protests in the Arab World in 2011.

Now, in return, Iran's protesters say that they have been fired up by the demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt.

But there are big differences between the situation faced by protesters in Iran and by those in Arab countries.

One of these is the role played by security forces. In Egypt, the army largely stood back. By contrast, Iran's security forces have tried to make sure that there is no dissent at all.

Iran's government defeated the protesters in 2009. It expects that it will be able to do so again in 2011.

It is difficult to tell if one day of protest by several hundred demonstrators in Tehran will have much impact. But even if nothing else happens, Iran's opposition Green movement has proved an important point - it is still alive.

In their first major show of dissent December 2009, when eight people were killed, thousands of opposition supporters gathered at Tehran's Azadi Square on Monday in solidarity with the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

They chanted: "Death to dictators".

But the BBC's Mohsen Asgari, who was at the rally, says it was not long before riot police fired tear gas, while men on motorbikes charged the crowd with batons.

Witnesses told the Associated Press new agency that at least three protesters had been wounded by bullets, with dozens of others taken to hospital as a result of the beatings.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency meanwhile reported that one person was shot dead by protesters and several others wounded.

Opposition websites said hundreds of people were arrested. There has been no official confirmation.


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Egypt domino effect: Hosni Mubarak 'very sick

'Ex-President Hosni Mubarak is sick and has fainted on at least one occasion at the Red Sea holiday villa where he has been sent into internal exile, according to sources close to his entourage.

By Ruth Sherlock in Sharm-el-Sheikh and Richard Spencer in Cairo 7:47PM GMT 14 Feb 2011Mr Mubarak has been said before to have been treated for cancer, which he has always denied. But yesterday locals in Sharm-el-Sheikh said they had been told by his police guards that he was lying bedbound and needed help in walking.

Many locals sympathised with the former dictator. "Mubarak is very sick – they say he has cancer," said Ahmed, a teacher.

Their accounts tallied with reports by well-placed sources who had been in contact with Mr Mubarak's advisers, several of whom are understood to be with him.

Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's ambassador to Washington, said that he had been informed that the president's health had taken a turn for the worse.

"I am following the rumors and the press reports related to his health, and might have received some communication at a personal level indicating that he is possibly in somewhat of bad health," he said.



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REUTERS

U.S. homeland security budget gets LARGE budget boost for 2012

Its 2012 budget proposal requests $43.8 billion for homeland security across the entire federal government, excluding the Defense Department, up $800 million from 2011.

The request for the increase comes as militant groups like the al Qaeda wing based in Yemen have increased their efforts to strike the United States, including plots to blow up bombs on airplanes or in major city centers.

The Department of Homeland Security alone would see its budget grow to more than $37 billion, up almost 3 percent over the 2011 budget level, and includes additional funds for ramping up transportation and border security.

While the 2012 budget proposal called protecting the American people President Barack Obama's "highest priority", administration officials will likely face close scrutiny by Congress about where and how they spend the money.

Republicans, who now control the U.S. House of Representatives, have criticized the failure by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to detect several recent attacks, including attempts by the al Qaeda group in Yemen to blow up U.S. passenger and cargo planes.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration hopes to buy more full-body scanners to detect explosives and other weapons potential attackers may hide on their bodies that cannot be detected by traditional metal detectors.

Already TSA has deployed nearly 500 of the scanners at 78 airports, about half made by L-3 Communications Holdings Inc (LLL.N), and officials hope to increase that number in the coming months. Further, DHS has sought to increase security screening for cargo entering the United States.


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FROM THE RAW STORY

Egypt’s new military regime to effectively outlaw strikes


CAIRO - Egypt's new military rulers will issue a warning on Monday against anyone who creates "chaos and disorder," an army source said.

The Higher Military Council will also ban meetings by labor unions or professional syndicates, effectively forbidding strikes, and tell all Egyptians to get back to work after the unrest that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

The army will also say it acknowledges and protects the right of people to protest, the source said.

Protesters argued heatedly in Tahrir Square over whether to stay or comply with army orders to leave. "The people want the square cleared," one group chanted. "We will not leave, we will not leave," replied another.

Police officers, emboldened by Mubarak's downfall, gathered outside the Interior Ministry to demand higher pay. Warning shots were fired in the air. No one was hurt.

Workers from the health and culture ministries staged demonstrations as Egyptians began venting pent-up frustrations.

Thousands of workers have staged strikes, sit-ins and protests over pay and conditions at firms and government agencies in fields such as steel, textiles, telecoms, railways, post offices, banks and oil and pharmaceutical companies.


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BEAR BONES FROM WHITEHOUSE WEBSITE


Declaration by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper of Canada - Beyond the Border

Beyond the Border:
A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness

The United States and Canada are staunch allies, vital economic partners, and steadfast friends.  We share common values, deep links among our citizens, and deeply rooted ties.  The extensive mobility of people, goods, capital, and information between our two countries has helped ensure that our societies remain open, democratic, and prosperous.
 
To preserve and extend the benefits our close relationship has helped bring to Americans and Canadians alike, we intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries.  We intend to do so in partnership, and in ways that support economic competitiveness, job creation, and prosperity.
 
We have advanced our prosperity through the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement.  Over $250 billion of direct investment by each country in the other, and bilateral trade of more than half-a-trillion dollars a year in goods and services create and sustain millions of jobs in both our countries.  At the U.S.-Canada border, nearly one million dollars in goods and services cross every minute, as well as 300,000 people every day, who cross for business, pleasure, or to maintain family ties.
 
The United States and Canada share a long history of cooperation in defending our values and freedoms.  We stand together to confront threats to our collective security as partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  We work shoulder-to-shoulder in the defense of both our nations through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
 
We share responsibility for the safety, security, and resilience of the United States and of Canada in an increasingly integrated and globalized world.  We intend to address security threats at the earliest point possible in a manner that respects privacy, civil liberties, and human rights.
 
I. Principles
 
We intend to work together in cooperation and partnership to develop, implement, manage, and monitor security initiatives, standards, and practices to fulfill our vision.  We recognize that our efforts should accelerate job creation and economic growth through trade facilitation at our borders and contribute directly to the economic security and well-being of both the United States and Canada.
 
We intend to strengthen our resilience – our ability to mitigate, respond to, and recover from disruptions.  Success depends on readiness at all levels of our governments, within our communities, and among private sector owners and operators of our infrastructure, systems, and networks.  We rely on secure communications and transportation networks, including our civil aviation system, and we intend to work together to make them resilient enough to continue operating in the face of a natural disaster or attack.
 
We expect to use a risk management approach where compatible, interoperable, and – where possible – joint measures and technology should proportionately and effectively address the threats we share.  Effective risk management should enable us to accelerate legitimate flows of people and goods into the United States and Canada and across our common border, while enhancing the physical security and economic competitiveness of our countries.
 
We build on the efforts of many partners – from police and other emergency workers to our armed forces – who continue to safeguard us from the complex threats we face.
 
We also recognize that cooperation across air, land, and maritime domains, as well as in space and cyberspace, our enduring bi-national defense relationship, and military support for civilian authorities engaged in disaster response efforts and critical infrastructure protection, have all contributed significantly to the security of our populations.
 
We recognize that greater sharing of information will strengthen our ability to achieve the goals of this vision.
 
We intend to work together to engage with all levels of government and with communities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, as well as with our citizens, on innovative approaches to security and competitiveness.
 
We value and respect our separate constitutional and legal frameworks that protect privacy, civil liberties, and human rights and provide for appropriate recourse and redress.
 
We recognize the sovereign right of each country to act independently in its own interest and in accordance with its laws.
 
We expect to work together with third countries and with international organizations, and intend to facilitate security sector reform and capacity building around the globe, to enhance standards that contribute to our overall security.
 
Key Areas of Cooperation
 
Addressing Threats Early
 
Collaborating to address threats before they reach our shores, we expect to develop a common understanding of the threat environment through improved intelligence and information sharing, as well as joint threat assessments to support informed risk management decisions.
 
We intend to develop an integrated strategy that would enable us to meet the threats and hazards that both our nations face, including natural disasters and man-made threats, including terrorism.
 
We expect to continue strengthening our health security partnership, through existing mechanisms for cooperation on health emergencies, and by further enhancing our collective preparedness and response capacity to a range of health security threats, including influenza pandemics.
 
We intend to work together to uncover and disrupt threats that endanger the security of both the United States and Canada and to establish those agreements or policies necessary to ensure timely sharing of information for combined efforts to counter the threats.  We intend to ensure we have the ability to support one another as we prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruptions.  We intend to make the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada on Emergency Management Cooperation, updated in 2008, a cornerstone of these efforts.
 
To increase security, counter fraud, and improve efficiency, we intend to work together to establish and verify the identities of travelers and conduct screening at the earliest possible opportunity.  We intend to work toward common technical standards for the collection, transmission, and matching of biometrics that enable the sharing of information on travelers in real time.  This collaboration should facilitate combined United States and Canadian screening efforts and strengthen methods of threat notification.
 
In order to promote mobility between our two countries, we expect to work towards an integrated United States-Canada entry-exit system, including work towards the exchange of relevant entry information in the land environment so that documented entry into one country serves to verify exit from the other country.
 
We intend to cooperate to identify, prevent, and counter violent extremism in our two countries.  By working cooperatively on research, sharing best practices, and emphasizing community-based and community-driven efforts, we will have a better understanding of this threat and an increased ability to address it effectively.
 
We intend to formulate jointly United States-Canada privacy protection principles that should inform and guide our work in relation to facilities, operations, programs, and other initiatives contemplated by this Declaration.
 
We intend to work together to promote the principles of human rights, privacy, and civil liberties as essential to the rule of law and effective management of our perimeter.
 
Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth, and Jobs
 
We intend to pursue creative and effective solutions to manage the flow of traffic between the United States and Canada.  We will focus investment in modern infrastructure and technology at our busiest land ports of entry, which are essential to our economic well-being.
 
We will strive to ensure that our border crossings have the capacity to support the volume of commercial and passenger traffic inherent to economic growth and job creation on both sides of the border.
 
To enhance our risk management practices, we intend to continue planning together, organizing bi-national port of entry committees to coordinate planning and funding, building, expanding or modernizing shared border management facilities and border infrastructure where appropriate, and using information technology solutions.
 
We intend to look for opportunities to integrate our efforts and where practicable, to work together to develop joint facilities and programs – within and beyond the United States and Canada – to increase efficiency and effectiveness for both security and trade.
 
We aim to build on the success of current joint programs by expanding trusted traveler and trader programs, harmonizing existing programs, and automating processes at the land border to increase efficiency.
 
We will look for ways to reduce the cost of conducting legitimate business across the border by implementing, where practicable, common practices and streamlined procedures for customs processing and regulatory compliance.
 
We intend to work towards developing an integrated cargo security strategy that ensures compatible screening methods for goods and cargo before they depart foreign ports bound for the United States or Canada, so that once they enter the territory of either we can, together, accelerate subsequent crossings at land ports of entry between our two countries.
 
We recognize the importance of the U.S.-Canada Framework for the movement of Goods and People across the Border During and Following an Emergency, agreed to in 2009.  It underscores the importance of coordinated, cooperative, and timely border management decision making to mitigate the impacts of disruptions on our citizens and economies.
 
Integrated Cross-border Law Enforcement
 
We intend to build on existing bilateral law enforcement programs to develop the next generation of integrated cross-border law enforcement operations that leverage cross-designated officers and resources to jointly identify, assess, and interdict persons and organizations involved in transnational crime.
 
We intend to seek further opportunities to pursue national security and transnational crime investigations together to maximize our ability to tackle the serious security threats that these organizations and individuals present.
 
We intend to improve the sharing among our law enforcement agencies of relevant information to better identify serious offenders and violent criminals on both sides of the border.
 
Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity
 
We intend to work together to prevent, respond to, and recover from physical and cyber disruptions of critical infrastructure and to implement a comprehensive cross-border approach to strengthen the resilience of our critical and cyber infrastructure with strong cross-border engagement.
 
The United States and Canada benefit from shared critical and cyber infrastructure.  Our countries intend to strengthen cybersecurity to protect vital government and critical digital infrastructure of national importance, and to make cyberspace safer for all our citizens.
 
We intend to work together to defend and protect our use of air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace, and enhance the security of our integrated transportation and communications networks.
 
II. Implementation and Oversight
 
The United States and Canada intend to establish a Beyond the Border Working Group (BBWG) composed of representatives from the appropriate departments and offices of our respective federal governments.
 
Responsibility for ensuring inter-agency coordination will rest with the President and the Prime Minister and their respective officials.
 
We intend for the BBWG to report to their respective Leaders in the coming months, and after a period of consultation, with a joint Plan of Action to realize the goals of this declaration, that would, where appropriate, rely upon existing bilateral border-related groups, for implementation.
 
The BBWG will report on the implementation of this declaration to Leaders on an annual basis.  The mandate of the BBWG will be reviewed after three years.