Bush pledges Iraq troop reduction

BULLSHIT!!!

Bush pledges Iraq troop reduction

Bush spoke live to the nation, and to US soldiers in Baghdad

US President George W Bush has made a televised address backing a limited withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Mr Bush said 5,700 personnel would be home by Christmas, and expected thousands more to return by July 2008.

He said he had accepted the advice of US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, who gave a progress report to Congress earlier this week.

The plan would take troop numbers back to their level before Mr Bush ordered a "surge" at the start of this year.

The Democrats had called for a change of course, accusing the president of giving no plan on how to end the war.

And, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington, they reacted to this speech with unusually strong condemnation. One presidential candidate, Joe Biden, called it shameful and bizarre.

Mr Bush's speech followed the news that a key Sunni ally of the US had been killed in Iraq.

'Never too late'

It is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win President Bush Bush speech: Full text

In his primetime televised address, Mr Bush announced plans to reduce US troops by roughly 30,000 by next summer, if certain conditions were met.

"The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home," he said.

He argued that the gradual pull-out plan bridges the gap between the people who want to bring troops home, and those who believe success in Iraq is essential to US security.

"[The strategy] makes it possible, for the first time in years, for people who have been on opposite sides of this difficult debate to come together."

Addressing the critics of the war, he said: "It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaeda. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win."

Among the key points of Mr Bush's speech were:

• Troop reductions to start this month with 5,700 fewer personnel in Iraq by Christmas, and the number of combat brigades to fall from 20 to 15 by July 2008
• The transition to next phase of Iraq strategy to begin in December, with US troops moving towards a support role for the Iraqi army
• A free Iraq would be an "anchor for stability" in the region, countering the "destructive ambitions" of Iran and denying al-Qaeda a safe haven
• Sunni Muslims battling the al-Qaeda insurgency can continue to rely on the support of the US

PETRAEUS - KEY POINTS Sectarian violence declined since surge started 30,000 US troops likely withdrawn by mid-2008 Decision on further troop cuts expected in March Situation in Iraq remains difficult Key quotes from hearing General Petraeus: Report to Congress [64 KB] General Petraeus: Report charts [1 MB] Ambassador Crocker: Report to Congress [50 KB] Most computers will open these documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here

Mr Bush's speech comes after the death of Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, who led what was known as the "Anbar Awakening", an alliance of Sunni Arab tribes that rose up against al-Qaeda in Iraq.

He met and was endorsed by Mr Bush when the president visited US troops in Iraq last week. The White House has condemned his killing in a bomb attack.

Correspondents say his death may undermine US efforts against al-Qaeda in Anbar province, or strengthen the tribes' resolve to maintain an alliance with the US and Iraqi government.

Democrat criticism

The withdrawal plan would bring the number of US troops in Iraq down from a current high of more than 160,000, to "pre-surge" levels of about 130,000.

Observers point out that the surge would have had to come to an end next spring anyway, in order to avoid overstretching the military.

The Democrats were critical of Mr Bush's speech, and pledged to "profoundly change" the country's military involvement in Iraq.

Senator Jack Reed said: "Once again, the president failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it."

The Democrats have so far been unable to pass legislation to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq because their majority in Congress is too slim to overturn a presidential veto.

A record 168,000 US troops are now in Iraq after 30,000 arrived in the surge between February and June.

This article says there were SIX bombs....

B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake : US

by Jim Mannion Wed Sep 5, 1:56 PM ET

Source

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A B-52 bomber flew the length of the United States last week loaded with six nuclear armed cruise missiles in a major security breach, US military officials said Wednesday. President George W. Bush after the nuclear warheads were discovered when the aircraft landed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, said a military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The US Air Force has relieved the munition squadron commander at Minot Air Base in North Dakota of his duties, and launched an intensive investigation into the incident, a spokesman said.

"At no time was there a threat to public safety," said Lieutenant Colonel Ed Thomas. "It is important to note that munitions were safe, secure and under military control at all times."

The Pentagon would not provide specifics, citing secrecy rules, but an expert said the incident was unprecedented and pointed to a disturbing lapse in the air force's command and control system.

"All evidence we have seen so far points to an isolated mistake," Thomas said. "The error was discovered by airmen during internal Air Force checks."

The Air Force's air combat command "has directed a command-wide stand down to review process at all of our bases."

"The munitions squadron commander has been relieved of his duties, and final action is pending the outcome of the investigation," he said. "In addition, other airmen were decertified from their duties involving munitions."

An air force official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said six cruise missiles with nuclear warheads were loaded on pylons under the wings of a B-52 bomber that flew from Minot to Barksdale on August 30.

Hans Kristensen, an expert on US nuclear forces, said he knew of no other publicly acknowledged case of live nuclear weapons being flown on bombers since the late 1960s.

"It seems so fantastic that so many points, checks can dysfunction," he said. "And we have so many points and checks specifically so we don't have these kinds of incidents."

Kristensen said the air force keeps a computerized command and control system that traces any movement of a nuclear weapon so that they have a complete picture of where they are at any given time.

He said there would be checks and detailed procedures at various points from the time they are moved out of bunkers until they are loaded onto planes, and flown away.

"That's perhaps what is most worrisome about this particular incident is that apparently an individual who had command authority about moving these weapons around decided to so," he said.

"The question is did he just plug in the information that he was moving these to Barksdale, or something else. Who knows?"

"So it's a command and control issue and it's one that calls into question the system, because if one individual can do that who knows what can happen," he said.

Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the reports that nuclear weapons were mishandled "are deeply disturbing."

"The American people, our friends, and our potential adversaries must be confident that the highest standards are in place when it comes to our nuclear arsenal," he said.

The weapons were among 400 advanced cruise missiles that the Defense Department quietly decided to retire in March over the course of this year.

The advanced cruise missile is a stealthy, longer range version of the air launched cruise missile first deployed in the early 1980s.

They carry W-80 warheads of up to 150 kilotons, ten times the destructive force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Nuclear weapons are normally transferred on cargo planes, never on the wings of bombers, Kristensen said. Bomber flights with live nuclear weapons were ended in the late 1960s after accidents in Spain in 1966 and in Greenland in 1968.

The military official said the discovery was reported to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, "and higher." The official said the notification goes as high as the president.

"There are procedures in place and they kicked in and worked," the official said.

US B-52 in nuclear cargo blunder

This article from the BBC News that was published on Sept 5th, 2007 says that only FIVE nuclear warheads were unaccounted for during the B-52 Bombers flight, but several reports AFTER this are claiming that there were six.

Source

Read the article below:



US B-52 in nuclear cargo blunder

The missiles were mounted on the wings of a B-52 bomber

The US Air Force has launched an investigation after a B-52 bomber flew across the US last week mistakenly loaded with nuclear-armed missiles.

It follows reports in the Army Times that five missiles were unaccounted for during the three-hour flight from North Dakota to Louisiana.

The air force said the cruise missiles were safe at all times.

Army Times said the missiles were to be decommissioned but were mistakenly mounted on the bomber's wings.

The W80-1 warhead has a yield of five to 150 kilotons, the paper said.

'Decertified'

The flight took place on 30 August, from the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to the Barksdale Air Force Base, near Bossier City, in Louisiana.

Air force spokesman Lt Col Ed Thomas said although this was an "isolated incident", Air Combat Command had directed a "command-wide stand down to review process at all of our bases".

Col Thomas said a general had been appointed to investigate the incident and would report by 14 September.

"At no time was there a threat to public safety. It is important to note that munitions were safe, secure and under military control at all times," Col Thomas said.

"The air force takes its mission to safeguard weapons seriously. No effort will be spared to ensure that the matter is thoroughly and completely investigated."

Army Times quoted the colonel as saying the loading crew involved had been temporarily "decertified" pending retraining and the investigation.

A military official told AFP news agency that President George W Bush had been informed of the mix-up.

"There are procedures in place and they kicked in and worked," the official said.

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says experts have made it clear that if the plane had crashed there would not have been a nuclear explosion but there could have been a threat from plutonium leakage.

Union sues over U.S. raids at meat plants

By Stephen Franklin

Striking back at federal officials' stepped-up raids at meatpacking plants in search of undocumented immigrants, the food workers union filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to halt similar seizures in the future.

"It is unconscionable that our government would round up hundreds, sometimes thousands, of innocent workers in an effort to target a few select individuals," Joe Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, said in a statement.

"They shouldn't be carrying out enforcement actions the way they did," said Gening Liao, an attorney for the union. She said the union hopes to permanently block the government from such wide-sweeping efforts.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, claims that raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in December at meat plants from Minnesota to Texas were "excessive, illegal and unnecessary." In raids at six Swift & Co. plants, the union said, several thousand of its members were held by federal officials, and ultimately 1,139 workers were arrested. Of these about 250 were later convicted on various criminal charges, including 65 for identity theft, according to union officials.

Union officials could not say how many were deported for violating immigration laws. The union represents workers at all but one of the plants.

An ICE spokesman said government attorneys have not yet reviewed the lawsuit but added that the raids "were conducted lawfully and in full accordance with policy and procedures. Each person was treated with respect." But Liao said workers at the plants were "held at gunpoint, blocked from moving around and detained even after they were cleared."

One worker, who is a legal resident, was not allowed to call his family to produce documents proving his claim, said Liao. "He was held for 12 hours until they verified who he was," she added.

In its lawsuit the union claims that a number of its members were not allowed to contact union attorneys while they were detained.

Aftershocks rock earthquake-hit Sumatra

By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent, and Richard Holt

Powerful aftershocks have hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra the day after a massive deadly earthquake toppled buildings and triggered a full-scale tsunami alert around the Indian Ocean.

	Many buildings collapsed and large cracks appeared in the ground on the island of Sumatra

At least six people have been confirmed dead and officials fear the number could rise.

The region has been on heightened alert ever since the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which was caused by a quake which also struck off Sumatra.

Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the Maldives all issued tsunami warnings after the quake which measured 8.4 on the Richter scale, but these were later lifted.

The aftershocks peaked at 7.7 on the Richter scale.

A small tsunami was reported to have hit the town of Padang, the provincial capital of West Sumatra, where buildings also collapsed in the initial quake.

More buildings in the town, weakened by the first earthquake, were brought down by the aftershocks and large cracks have appeared in the ground.

Mukomuko, on the west coast of Sumatra, was also severely damaged.

"Those with cracks are many, buildings of three floors or more are either fissured or collapsed," resident Budi Darmawan said after fleeing inland.

The first quake struck during prayer time in the predominantly Muslim nation, which is preparing for the holy month of Ramadan.

Tremors were felt in the national capital Jakarta and on the neighbouring island of Java, where offices were evacuated.

"After praying I felt the earthquake. I panicked, threw away my shoes and ran," one witness said.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, said in a statement that a UN assessment team would be sent to the area.

Many of the affected areas are remote, making it difficult to ascertain the full extent of the damage

Tremors from the first quake were felt as far away as southern Thailand.

In Singapore, people fled in panic as high-rise buildings shook.

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed 131,000 people, was triggered by a huge quake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale which struck deep in the sea bed off Sumatra.