Senate approves $26.1 billion for state aid

The Senate on Thursday approved a jobs bill that would send states $26.1 billion to help them cope with historic budget shortfalls and give Democratic lawmakers a victory to tout on the campaign trail ahead of the November elections.By a 61-to-39 vote, the Senate passed a bill that would send the states $16.1 billion for Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor, and $10 billion to prevent teacher layoffs. States could face total budget gaps this year of $120 billion.

The U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare move by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been summoned back from its August recess to vote on the measure. That is expected to happen on Tuesday. The bill would then go to President Barack Obama for his signature. Similar measures previously have passed the House.Republicans say the legislation will add to the deficit and tie states’ hands on how to spend the funds. They have attacked it as a “job-killing tax increase.”

They also say the bill serves “special interest groups,” specifically teachers unions whose members tend to vote for Democrats.Pelosi said that labeling teachers and police officers, who will also benefit from the state aid, is demeaning.”This legislation is about creating and saving American jobs and preventing a double-dip recession,” she said. “It is fiscally responsible and fully paid for.”

Democrats facing a wave of anti-Washington anger hope the bill will convince voters going to the polls on November 2 of their commitment to bring down the U.S. unemployment rate, which is near 10 percent.The fragile economic recovery is foremost on the minds of voters and candidates for the 435 House seats and 37 Senate seats up for grabs.

Although states have been begging for the Medicaid money, they are wary of the teachers’ fund as it requires them to keep education spending at 2008 levels, which many cannot afford.Supporters say the bill will not add to the deficit because it is paid for by closing tax loopholes, eliminating advance refunds on the earned income tax credit and ending stimulus funds for food stamps earlier than expected.

One loophole that would be closed would raise more than $10 billion over a decade by preventing companies from claiming foreign tax credits for income not yet subject to U.S. tax.More than half of the 50 U.S. states counted on the additional funds for Medicaid for fiscal 2011, which started last month for many.

States use federal reimbursements to run the program. The $862 billion economic stimulus plan passed last year boosted the reimbursements, but the extra money runs out in December and states have been considering spending cuts and tax cuts to fill the void.The Medicaid money will also give older people access to healthcare, said AARP, the lobbying group for older Americans.

“States are better able to continue offering the often less costly home and community-based service that older Americans overwhelmingly prefer to more expensive nursing homes,” said the group representing retirees.The healthcare industry generally found reassurance in the Senate vote, saying the extra money will help hospitals and pharmacies continue to provide services.

One state, though, was not pleased. The bill would require Texas to agree to maintain or increase education funding during fiscal 2011, 2012 and 2013, in order to receive any of the teacher funds.The federal government was targeting the Lone Star state, said Governor Rick Perry, a Republican running for reelection in November.”Washington would be taking yet another step toward usurping the state’s authority by determining how to fund our schools, and what’s worse, no other state is subject to this provision,” Perry added.(Reuters) –

discovery of large natural gas could lead to new Lebanon-Israel war

BEIRUT The discovery of large natural gas reserves under the waters of the eastern Mediterranean could potentially mean a huge economic windfall for Israel and Lebanon, both resource-poor nations – if it doesn’t spark new war between them.The Hezbollah militant group has blared warnings that Israel plans to steal natural gas from Lebanese territory and vows to defend the resources with its arsenal of rockets. Israel says the fields it is developing do not extend into Lebanese waters, a claim experts say appears to be correct, but the maritime boundary between the two countries – still officially at war – has never been precisely set.

“Lebanon’s need for the resistance has doubled today in light of Israeli threats to steal Lebanon’s oil wealth,” Hezbollah’s Executive Council chief Hashem Safieddine said last month. The need to protect the offshore wealth “pushes us in the future to strengthen the resistance’s capabilities.”The threats cast a shadow over what could be a financial boon for both nations, with energy companies finding what appear to be substantial natural gas deposits in their waters.

Israel is far ahead in the race to develop the resources. Two fields, Tamar and Dalit, discovered last year, are due to start producing in 2012, and experts say their estimated combined reserves of 5.5 trillion cubic feet (160 billion cubic meters) of natural gas can cover Israel’s energy needs for the next two decades.In June, the U.S. energy company Noble Energy, part of a consortium developing the fields, predicted that Israel will also have enough gas to export to Europe and Asia from a third field – Leviathan, thought to hold up to 16 trillion cubic feet (450 billion cubic meters) of gas.

Israel relies entirely on imports to meet its energy needs, spending billions to bring natural gas from Egypt and coal from a variety of countries. So just freeing the country from that reliance would have a major impact.When Tamar begins producing it could lower Israel’s energy costs by a $1 billion a year and bring $400 million a year in royalties into government coffers. That suggests a total of about $40 billion in savings and $16 billion in government revenues over the total yield of the field. Those numbers would only rise as Leviathan comes on line.

“Israel’s always looked for oil,” said Paul Rivlin, a senior research fellow with Tel Aviv University’s Dayan center. “But I don’t think it ever thought of itself as becoming a producer. And now that you’ve got a high-tech economy that’s doing quite well, this comes as an added bonus.”

Hezbollah’s warnings, however, quickly followed the announcement by Houston, Texas-based Noble Energy.Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, warned that Israel is “turning into an oil emirate while ignoring the fact that the field extends, according to the maps, into Lebanon’s territorial waters.”

Israel’s Petroleum and Mining commissioner at the National Infrastructure Ministry Yaakov Mimran, called those claims “nonsense,” saying Leviathan and the other two fields are all within Israel’s economic zone.”Those noises occur when they smell gas. Until then, they sit quietly and let the other side spend the money,” Mimran told the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Maps from Noble Energy show Leviathan within Israel’s waters. An official with Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services, which is surveying gas fields in Lebanese waters, told The Associated Press that from Noble’s reports there is no reason to think Leviathan extends into Lebanon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized by his company to speak on the subject.

The rumblings are worrisome because Israel and Hezbollah each accuse the other of intending to spark a new conflict following their devastating 2006 war. That fighting, in which Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid sparked a massive Israeli bombardment, killed about 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis.

Since then, there has been a rare interval of peace. Hezbollah, a close ally of Syria and Iran, has not fired a rocket into Israel since. Israeli officials, however, say they believe Hezbollah has managed to triple its prewar arms stockpile to more than 40,000 rockets.The warnings from Hezbollah and Berri could be as much for domestic consumption as directed as Israel, aiming to press for the passage of a long-delayed draft oil law, needed before any Lebanese fields can be developed.

Oil and gas exploration has been a source of disagreement between Lebanese politicians over the past decade. The change of several governments and disputes over what company should do the surveying have caused delays.In October, Petroleum Geo-Services said fields in Cypriot and Lebanese waters “may prove to be an exciting new province for oil and gas in the next few years,” noting signs of deposits in Lebanon, though their size is still not known. “It is very encouraging for Lebanon,” the PGS official told AP.

Any finds could help Lebanon’s government pay off what is one of the highest debt rates in the world, at about $52 billion, or 147 percent of the gross domestic product.Israel and Lebanon are among the few countries in the Middle East without substantial, lucrative natural resources. Israel has built a place for itself with a powerful high-tech sector, while Lebanon has boomed in recent years with tourism and real estate investment. While the gas may not transform them into Gulf-style spigots of petro-cash, it would be a major boost.

Rivlin doubts Israel could become a significant exporter, saying nearby countries don’t need or aren’t willing to buy from it, and the costs of liquifying gas for transport to further markets like Europe may be prohibitive. But Eytan Gilboa, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University, said that with the world “so hungry for energy,” Israel won’t have a problem finding buyers.But the development raises security worries, as the offshore gas infrastructure could become a target. During the 2006 fighting, Hezbollah succeeded in hitting Israeli warships off Lebanon with its rockets.”Once those rigs start producing gas, it’s going to be difficult to secure them,” Gilboa said. “So on the one hand, you reduce dependency on imports in times of crisis, but at the same time, you make yourself vulnerable because those sites are exposed.” (AP)

Mogadishu The explosion of landmines in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu has killed eight people

Mogadishu The explosion of landmines in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu has killed eight people, and mortar shells that insurgents fired at the city’s airport when the president arrived injuring six people, witnesses said, and medical parties, Sunday. Al Shabaab guerrillas fired mortar shells perluru-soon after the plane carrying President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the speaker of parliament landed Saturday night. Peace army troops the African Union (AU) reply to the attack by guerrillas firing bases.

“All is not mortar shells hit the airport but landed in civilian areas,” said Ali Muse, coordinator of the ambulance service told AFP. He said five people died in Bakara market, where the Al Shabaab often launch attacks. Four of them are women. On Tuesday, the UN urged the security forces of Somalia, AU troops and Islamic guerrillas do not attack blindly into areas that many of its inhabitants, and say this is a violation of the laws of war.

Since the overthrow of a dictator in 1991, Somalia has no effective government for nearly two decades. Residents in the area of settlement Waberi, the capital, said eight people were killed when a landmine planted near a coffee shop which are frequently visited by government troops exploded Saturday night, agakya in a single attack on security forces.

“The blast killed five soldiers and three civilians. The pieces of human flesh are everywhere and some of the injured victims screaming for help,” said Joseph Abdulqader eyewitness told Reuters. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but accused the families of the action was carried out Al Shabaab. “They killed our people, they ignored our people, our flag, and our sovereignty,” cried Fadumo Abdi, a son killed in the blast.

Somalia’s parliament is expected to convene Sunday for the first time since December after repeatedly delayed, but the trial was suspended for four days due to “technical reasons”. A number of Somali MPs leave Somalia to save themselves in the state of African countries, Europe and the United States, could cause ttidak parliament to convene a quorum.( Reuters)

Easter is the day Christians celebrate the salvation of the world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Easter is the day Christians celebrate the salvation of the world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a day of great celebration. On that Sunday, it is traditional for pastors and priests to greet the congregation by proclaiming “Christ is risen!” To which the congregation responds, “He is risen indeed!” Some years ago, someone told me the following story. I do not know if it is true. I hope it is.

Back during the dark days of the Soviet Union, a small rural village far from Moscow committed a cardinal sin, at least a cardinal sin the eyes of the Communist state. They refused to give up their Russian Orthodox faith. They refused to stop attending worship on Sunday. Their “crime” called for re-education in order to wean the village off the “opiate of the people.” Therefore, the whole village — every man, woman and child — was ordered by the authorities to the village’s central square. In a chilling cold, they were forced to stand for hours and listen to speaker after speaker, denounce religion, Russian Orthodoxy, their priests and their faith. Finally, in order to be “fair,” the re-educators asked the village priest to come to the podium. He was very old and nearly bent double with age. He did not appear to be any threat to the people’s re-education.

The KGB agent in charge said to him, “You have exactly 10 minutes to challenge our arguments.”The old priest looked up and said, “I will not need that much time.”He moved slowly, almost painfully, to the microphone and then something remarkable, miraculous, occurred. He stood up straight. The years of age melted away; his eyes became clear and bright. He looked out over the crowd and in a strong, loud voice proclaimed the traditional Easter greeting: “Christ is risen!”

And the crowd roared back, “He is risen indeed!”

Then the crowd went nuts, cheering, hugging and crying, as the old priest, smiled kindly at the KGB agent, slowly bent back to nearly double, and shuffled off the podium.

There can be little doubt that over the centuries the arguments between different “brands” of Christianity have made a real mess of things: Catholic versus Protestant, conservative Christian versus liberal Christian, evangelicals versus mainline denominations. Tragically, people, such as during the Reformation or more recently in Northern Ireland, have even died over these arguments and disagreements. (Add to this, the wars that have raged over conflicts between religions and one has to wonder how anyone in their right mind can keep faith!) Nevertheless, despite all of these tragic disagreements, Christians all over the world for centuries have joined together on Easter Sunday, just as they will tomorrow, to confess in unity and unison, “Christ is risen!” This confession is the glue that holds Christian people together!

I cannot help but ask, in the light of the rancorous and sometimes violent debates that have raged recently in our nation’s Capitol: “What is the glue that holds us, the American people, together?” Have we become so fragmented, angry, arrogant or disillusioned that we can no longer debate the great issues of our time with civility? Have we lost the understanding that not only are we all unique creations of God, but also that our “uniqueness” means we may not always see the world in the same way; that what seems obvious to one is obscure to another, that what seems right to one is not so right to another? Like the “brands” of Christianity, can we not find a confession around which we can unify; a song we can sing in unison? I hope and pray we can. For without a glue to hold us together, we will become tattered and frayed. Our life as a nation will slowly, but surely, ebb away.

Easter, for those of us who are Christian, is not only a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but an acknowledgement that there is always the possibility of new life. No matter how dark and dreary the days may be, spring is always just around the corner. It is in this hope, an Easter hope, that perhaps all of us, regardless of our creed or religion, can agree to put aside our rancor and anger, strive for civility, and work and pray together for new life for our nation and our world. Perhaps we might join hands and sing together in hope and unison the prayer written by Irving Berlin in the dark days prior to World War II:

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home.

Easter is the day Christians celebrate the salvation of the world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Easter is the day Christians celebrate the salvation of the world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a day of great celebration. On that Sunday, it is traditional for pastors and priests to greet the congregation by proclaiming “Christ is risen!” To which the congregation responds, “He is risen indeed!” Some years ago, someone told me the following story. I do not know if it is true. I hope it is.

Back during the dark days of the Soviet Union, a small rural village far from Moscow committed a cardinal sin, at least a cardinal sin the eyes of the Communist state. They refused to give up their Russian Orthodox faith. They refused to stop attending worship on Sunday. Their “crime” called for re-education in order to wean the village off the “opiate of the people.” Therefore, the whole village — every man, woman and child — was ordered by the authorities to the village’s central square. In a chilling cold, they were forced to stand for hours and listen to speaker after speaker, denounce religion, Russian Orthodoxy, their priests and their faith. Finally, in order to be “fair,” the re-educators asked the village priest to come to the podium. He was very old and nearly bent double with age. He did not appear to be any threat to the people’s re-education.

The KGB agent in charge said to him, “You have exactly 10 minutes to challenge our arguments.”The old priest looked up and said, “I will not need that much time.”He moved slowly, almost painfully, to the microphone and then something remarkable, miraculous, occurred. He stood up straight. The years of age melted away; his eyes became clear and bright. He looked out over the crowd and in a strong, loud voice proclaimed the traditional Easter greeting: “Christ is risen!”

And the crowd roared back, “He is risen indeed!”

Then the crowd went nuts, cheering, hugging and crying, as the old priest, smiled kindly at the KGB agent, slowly bent back to nearly double, and shuffled off the podium.

There can be little doubt that over the centuries the arguments between different “brands” of Christianity have made a real mess of things: Catholic versus Protestant, conservative Christian versus liberal Christian, evangelicals versus mainline denominations. Tragically, people, such as during the Reformation or more recently in Northern Ireland, have even died over these arguments and disagreements. (Add to this, the wars that have raged over conflicts between religions and one has to wonder how anyone in their right mind can keep faith!) Nevertheless, despite all of these tragic disagreements, Christians all over the world for centuries have joined together on Easter Sunday, just as they will tomorrow, to confess in unity and unison, “Christ is risen!” This confession is the glue that holds Christian people together!

I cannot help but ask, in the light of the rancorous and sometimes violent debates that have raged recently in our nation’s Capitol: “What is the glue that holds us, the American people, together?” Have we become so fragmented, angry, arrogant or disillusioned that we can no longer debate the great issues of our time with civility? Have we lost the understanding that not only are we all unique creations of God, but also that our “uniqueness” means we may not always see the world in the same way; that what seems obvious to one is obscure to another, that what seems right to one is not so right to another? Like the “brands” of Christianity, can we not find a confession around which we can unify; a song we can sing in unison? I hope and pray we can. For without a glue to hold us together, we will become tattered and frayed. Our life as a nation will slowly, but surely, ebb away.

Easter, for those of us who are Christian, is not only a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but an acknowledgement that there is always the possibility of new life. No matter how dark and dreary the days may be, spring is always just around the corner. It is in this hope, an Easter hope, that perhaps all of us, regardless of our creed or religion, can agree to put aside our rancor and anger, strive for civility, and work and pray together for new life for our nation and our world. Perhaps we might join hands and sing together in hope and unison the prayer written by Irving Berlin in the dark days prior to World War II:

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home.

Airliner plot raises fears about al-Qaida in Yemen "terror"

Detroit Metropolitan Airport

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia A Nigerian man’s claim that his attempt to blow up a U.S. plane originated with al-Qaida’s network inside Yemen deepened concerns that instability in the Middle Eastern country is providing the terror group with a base to train and recruit militants for operations against the West and the U.S.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with trying to destroy a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas day in a botched attempt to detonate explosives. The 23-year-old claimed to have received training and instructions from al-Qaida operatives in Yemen, a U.S. law enforcement official said on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still ongoing.If confirmed, it would be the second known case recently by the relatively new group, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, of exporting terrorism out of Yemen – a country with a weak central government, many lawless areas and plentiful supplies of weapons. But Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, has long been an al-Qaida stomping ground.In August, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula tried to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s counterterrorism chief, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, in a suicide bombing in an attack that bore similarities to the airliner plot. The explosive device Abdulmutallab used was attached to his body, just below his torso. The Saudi attacker is believed to have attached the explosives to his groin or inserted them inside his body.

According to U.S. court documents, a preliminary analysis of the device used by Abdulmutallab showed it contained PETN, a high explosive also known as pentaerythritol. The same material is believed to have been used in the August attack in Saudi Arabia by Abdullah Hassan Tali al-Asiri, who had traveled to Yemen to connect with the al-Qaida franchise there. PETN was also what convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid used when he tried to destroy a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001.

The botched attack on the U.S. plane came a day after Yemeni forces, with the help of U.S. intelligence, launched the second of two major air and ground assaults on major al-Qaida hideouts in Yemen. At least 64 militants were killed in the two operations.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula said in a statement, dated from last week and posted online Sunday, that the first airstrike was conducted by American jets. The group urged followers to attack U.S. military bases, embassies and naval forces in the region.The mass shooting at the Fort Hood, Texas Army post on Nov. 5 added to the concerns about al-Qaida threats from Yemen. U.S. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who allegedly killed 13 people, had exchanged dozens of e-mails with radical U.S. cleric Anwar al-Awlaki who was hiding in Yemen. Last week’s attack on al-Qaida hideouts targeted a meeting of Yemeni and foreign al-Qaida operatives, believed to include al-Awlaki.

A video posted online four days before the bombing attempt featured an al-Qaida operative in Yemen threatening the United States and saying “we are carrying a bomb.” Though it was not immediately clear whether the speaker was anticipating Friday’s bombing attempt, it has attracted scrutiny because of reports that the bombing plot may have originated in Yemen.

Yemen’s weak central government, whose authority does not extend far outside the capital San’a, is battling two rebellions – a secessionist movement in the south and a war with Shiite rebels in the north – as well as al-Qaida militants. Al-Qaida’s presence is particularly worrying because the lawlessness of the country allows it to roam freely.

Some analysts say increased activity by al-Qaida in Yemen suggests the group has strengthened and taken root in a country whose proximity to the world’s top oil producer, Saudi Arabia, and vital maritime routes make it strategically more important than Afghanistan.Anwar Eshki, the head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies based in Jiddah, said al-Qaida in Yemen “is stronger than it was a year ago and is turning Yemen into its base for operations against the West.” Eshki’s center closely follows al-Qaida in Yemen.

“Yemen is al-Qaida’s last resort,” Eshki said. “There’s no doubt that al-Qaida’s presence in Yemen is more dangerous than its presence in Afghanistan.”Evan Kohlmann, a senior investigator for the New York-based NEFA Foundation, which researches Islamic militants, suggested rivalry among al-Qaida’s branches may be a factor behind the focus on the U.S. He said al-Qaida central in Afghanistan and Pakistan is still the main source of attempts to attack the United States.

“There’s now a competition in the world of al-Qaida between various al-Qaida factions, with each trying to prove themselves and prove their worth,” he said.

“The ultimate achievement for these folks is being able to replicate something that previously only al-Qaida central could achieve,” he added. “If you can be sophisticated enough to hit a target in the continental United States, that’s a tremendous achievement for these folks.”Yemen has not confirmed Abdulmutallab’s claims that he was aided by al-Qaida operatives in the country and officials told The Associated Press investigations are ongoing. Significantly, the government has not denied his claims.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s government appears to be mounting a serious and aggressive campaign against al-Qaida after years of treading carefully with the militants. The intensified battle coincides with increased Yemeni-U.S. cooperation.Last week’s attack targeted a meeting of Yemeni and foreign al-Qaida operatives believed to include the top leader of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Naser Abdel-Karim al-Wahishi, and his deputy Said al-Shihri. There were reports, later denied by family and friends, that al-Awlaki, the radical cleric linked to the Fort Hood shooter, was killed in the bombings.

Shihri was one of 11 former Guantanamo detainees that Saudi Arabia said went through a rehabilitation program but later joined al-Qaida. He emerged as a leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida after being released from the Saudi program last year.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu-Bakr al-Qirbi discussed Yemen’s campaign against al-Qaida with Arab diplomats on Sunday, but it was not clear whether Abdulmutallab’s case came up.In a statement, al-Qirbi said his country had long planned the operations against al-Qaida elements and the decision to execute them was expedited because al-Qaida has increasingly threatened the country’s stability.

“Al-Qaida elements went far by carrying out attacks against security officers, and threatened the country’s stability and economic interests which made the decision impossible to postpone,” he said.The United States and Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s powerful northern neighbor, have expressed concern over al-Qaida’s growing presence in Yemen. The Pentagon has spent about $70 million this year on assisting Yemen against the militants as U.S. officials pressed that country to take tougher action.Yemen, at the tip of the Arabian peninsula, straddles a strategic maritime crossroads at the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the access point to the Suez Canal. Across the Gulf is Somalia, an even more tumultuous nation where the U.S. has said al-Qaida militants have been increasing their activity.

The hard-to-control border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia means private money from the rich kingdom can easily be smuggled to al-Qaida operatives in Yemen. Yemen’s proximity to the Arab world and the Horn of Africa makes it easier for the group to recruit young Muslims, an effort fed by rampant poverty.Yemen was the scene of one of al-Qaida’s most dramatic pre-9/11 attacks, the 2000 suicide bombing of the destroyer USS Cole off the Aden coast that killed 17 American sailors.

But the difference now is that rather than just carrying out attacks in Yemen, the new generation of al-Qaida militants appears to be trying to establish a long-term presence here, uniting Yemenis returning from fighting in Iraq and other areas and Saudis fleeing the kingdom’s crackdown on al-Qaida. A year ago, the terror network’s Yemeni and Saudi branches merged into Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, another factor that may have strengthened the group.