I think someone has to support Iraq to prevent this from happening? Unless we think we’d be better off with a Middle East at war with itself?
Joyce
Under the terms of the contract, Reliance Exploration & Production DMCC, a wholly owned subsidiary of RIL, will serve as the operator.
Mr. Atul Chandra, President of International Operations, RIL, said, “We are pleased to reach agreement with the KRG on these two PSCs. We hope and believe this will be an investment that will provide long-term benefits to all the stakeholders.”
RIL established a local office in Erbil in 2006 and has undertaken extensive geological work over the past year in the Kurdistan region.
RIL has been actively pursuing petroleum exploration activities in the Middle East, particularly in Oman and Yemen, besides India, Asia Pacific Region and South America.
Reliance Industries Limited
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is India’s largest private sector company on all major financial parameters with turnover of Rs1,18,354 crore (US$ 27.23 billion), cash profit of Rs17,678 crore (US$ 4.07 billion), net profit of Rs11,943 crore (US$ 2.75 billion) and net worth of Rs63, 967 crore (US$ 14.72 billion) as of March 31, 2007.
RIL is the first and only private sector company from India to feature in the Fortune Global 500 list of ‘World’s Largest Corporations’ and ranks amongst the world’s Top 200 companies in terms of profits. RIL is amongst the 25 fastest climbers ranked by Fortune. RIL also features in the Forbes Global list of world’s 400 best big companies and in FT Global 500 list of world’s largest companies.
Calling for an immediate withdrawal, as some are doing, ignores the many lessons learned from middle east politics and turmoil.
After the 2005 Lebanese elections, Hezbollah won 14 seats in the 128-member Lebanese Parliament, and now also has 2 ministers in the government. Hezbollah has since launched thousands of rockets into Israel. On July 12th, 2006, Hezbollah captured 2 Israeli soldiers, sparking a 34-day military conflict with Israel. By August 13, 2006, Hezbollah had fired close to 4,000 rockets into Israel.
In August of 2005, Israel pulled out of Gaza. That territory has been racked with violence ever since. As late as June 2007, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett lamented, “Once again, extremists carrying guns have prevented progress against the wishes of the majority … ”
With terrorists already in Iraq, why does anyone believe things would be different there? Will terrorists just get up and leave if we do? Hardly likely. In fact, Iraq would be a far bigger prize to terrorist than anything they’ve ever acquired before.
Lebanon has a population of around 4 million, covers around 10 thousand sq km, and has no oil. Iraq, on the other hand, has a population of almost 30 million, covers an area of over 400 thousand sq km., and possesses one of the world’s largest proven oil reserves. With such vast resources at its disposal, a terrorists organization could grow exponentially.
We either finish the job today or fight again tomorrow. The difference is, today, as organized and as powerful as terrorists have become, we’re still fighting rag-tag cells. Tomorrow we could be fighting a major power.
by Josh Greenberger
from shopndrop.com
I was looking at a few timelines of the events that occurred on September 11 and found some facts I found interesting. First of all it appears that my country’s leaders were quite (understandably) confused during the times proceeding the attacks. They occurred seemingly without warning. You could possibly argue that there was warning with this report or that report but hind sight is ALWAYS 20/20 and going there doesn’t do anyone any good.
I do remember the speech President Bush gave the evening after the crashes. Well I remember feeling something was missing. There were over 500 people from nearly 25 countries from around the world. As I was looking up information from this horrible day some particular information seemed to catch my attention. In the morning of September 11th Russia’s president Putin called our President Bush to tell him he noticed our military was on alert but understood why and would not raise his militaries alert level. This was at 11:15 on that morning. He reacted very quickly to a quickly growing situation. And President Bush did recognize that this was a clear sign that there was no more cold war. Later that very day President Putin sends a telegram to President Bush saying “The series of barbaric terrorist acts, directed against innocent people, has evoked our anger and indignation…. The whole international community must rally in the fight against terrorism.” Clearly he saw that it was an international event.
Later in the evening (8:30 p.m.) on September 11, President Bush addressed the nation on television. He was there to tell people of the United States that it was safe, things were under control and not to be afraid. This was pretty much accomplished but let me give you a quote from the very end of his speech: “This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night and God bless America.” Apparently not recognizing how international the event was.
I remember feeling sad that he did not use this as a spring board for international unity. Had he taken the approach president Putin had reacted with, our “Global War on Terror” our governments is currently on would have been a lot easier, we may have gotten much more support for our actions in Afghanistan and we probably would not have attacked and later occupied Iraq for the last 5 years. But who knows, hind sight is always 20/20 and speculating on what might have happened doesn’t do anyone any good.
Yesterday, President Bush delivered a speech warning of “serious consequences for the world’s economy” if the United States were to withdraw from Iraq and Al Qaeda were to seize control of the country’s vast oil resources. Was Al Qaeda in Iraq before March 20, 2003? Probably not, Sadam’s Regime did not share power. Well at least it seems GW recognizes that the economy is global.
100 people a day are massacred in Iraq… hardly anyone notices….just another by-topic to include somewhere in the news broadcast…. just this week 178 people were blown to bits in car bombs in Iraq… where are the candle lit vigils for those people? where are the outpouring of grief? where are the letters of condolences from heads of state? where are all the voices calling for change and something to be done?
Ofcourse, the massacre in Virginia and the massacres in Iraq have one thing in common, they were both caused by a crazed, deranged individual…….in one case it’s a student, in the other it’s a president!
The real irony is that apart from the obligatory increase in flags that Americans resort to when they’ve “been had”, there’s almost no serious steps being taken to insure that a “mini-Iraq” doesn’t happen again in the states. Americans are still wondering how it could have happened….! as if it doesn’t happen every other month! the only real talk of taking action, is directed at stopping deranged nuts before they start going Rambo, just another f****d up misfit from the Americana/holywood/media/mtv pop culture delusion where everyone is supposed to be white, good looking, rich and successful. Those who fail to fit into this distorted category and aren’t pretty enough or rich enough view themselves as worthless or find themselves being outcasts ….which leads to head cases like Mr.Cho Seung.
As if the fact that 200 million guns amongst the populace wasn’t a valid reason……nah, it’s the fault of a crazed lunatic….he did it, not the guns…..can you then please explain to me how that very same crazed lunatic could have killed 32 people if he was armed only with a kitchen knife?
Watching these events unfold in the states is more than pathetic, it’s quite sickening. what valid reason can there be for American people to be the most heavily armed population in all of human history? What argument for gun ownership can possibly out weight the consequences for it? the countless massacres and gun related deaths?
Not content with keeping their violent murder culture to themselves, Americans are now exporting violence wholesale to the world….Iraq is currently the unlucky recipient, but it’s coming soon to a country near you…..
Wake up people, Virgina x3 is happening everyday in Baghdad……
Audrey
“I first joined the U.S. Army in 2001, and was in basic training when 9/11 happened,” Wyatt remembered. “I was deployed in 2003 with the 53rd Quarter Master and was sent to Baghdad for a year. When I came home my service time was up, so I re-enlisted with the 150th Fighter Lane in the Air Force. I went back to Iraq in 2006 for a six month deployment.”
His first injury occurred two weeks before his unit was supposed to come home in 2004. His second injury also occurred two weeks before his unit was supposed to come home.
“I guess there was something about that two week mark, I seemed to keep getting injured there,” joked Wyatt. “Both times I recovered in a hospital in Iraq and then came home with my unit. The second time in 2006, I was sent home to Albuquerque to recover at my local VA center because my injuries were too severe to remain on the job.”
Wyatt was medically discharged in October of 2006, and was given an 80% disability rating from the VA. Since he was discharged from the military, Wyatt’s life has changed dramatically.
“I used to make pretty good money as a mechanic, but now I work as a shop foreman at Albuquerque Freightliner because I can’t turn wrenches anymore,” Wyatt said. “I don’t sleep at night, I basically just nap. I constantly wake up from nightmares and pain.”
This week, Wyatt was delivered a free Craftmatic® Adjustable Bed because of his courageous sacrifices and military service through the Craftmatic Cares Program.
A recent 2007 survey states that 92% of severely wounded troops report to have trouble sleeping, so Craftmatic is donating one new adjustable bed a week in 2008 to a severely wounded War on Terror veteran to help them sleep more soundly.
Wyatt says that they haven’t set the bed up yet, but he is really hoping that now he might be able to sleep throughout the night.
“I am really looking forward to our new bed, and I know that my wife Kristin is too. I hope that now I can actually sleep for hours on end, rather than just napping for short periods of time,” said Wyatt.
“Craftmatic is very honored to donate this week’s bed to Staff Sergeant Charles Wyatt,” said Eric Kraftsow, Elevation Bed, LLC owners of the Craftmatic trademark. “The Craftmatic Cares program was designed as a way for the company to give back to those who have given so much of themselves for our freedom. Mr. Wyatt is a perfect candidate because his injuries have prevented him from getting a good night’s sleep. We hope that now, he will be able to wake up fully rested.”
For more information about Craftmatic, please visit www.CraftmaticCares.com.
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Edward