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American Defense Council Feature Article Letter to Powell Cites Concern about Trends in Russia  (Washington, D.C. - March 12, 2004) Congressmen Dan Burton (R-IN) and Mike Pence (R-IN) on Thursday sent to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell a letter expressing their "concern over the recent developments with regard to Russia's democratic direction and progress." Their broad concerns focus on the "selective use of the rule of law," and the rise of the siloviki. Both Congressmen cite the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Sociology study that "as many as 2,000 f the Russian elite - including private business owners and high-ranking government officials - are former members of the security forces." They cite "three regional governors who are former senior officers of the KGB, as are the heads of the St. Petersburg Telephone Network, Domodedovo Airlines, Petersburg Fuel Company, the Slaveneft Oil Company, as well as Mr. Sergei Ivanov, the Russian Defense Minister." "The rise of the siloviki has not escaped the notice of those on Capitol Hill, the War on Terror and our recent action in Iraq notwithstanding," said Daniel Perrin, President of the American Defense Council, who briefed more than 50 Senate staff on the subject last week. "In particular, this may signal a less accepting attitude of President Putin's democratic reformer image in the United States." Selective use of the rule of law applies when, on the one hand, the politically active are run out of the country or put in prison, and on the other hand, Kremlin loyalists are rewarded. The letter also raises the issue of the still missing $4.8 Billion in International Monetary Fund aid released to Russia in 1998, when Mr. Sergey Kirienko was Prime Minister. The letter states, "this funding allegedly never reached its intended beneficiaries." The letter asks Secretary Powell if President Putin put a stay on the investigation into this missing aid, and if the Office of the Prosecutor General has "had the chance" to investigate the matter further. The letter also states, "If the $4.8 Billion is in fact still missing, has the United States played an active role in investigating the whereabouts of funds? If so, what were the results of the investigation?" "The letter raises excellent questions, for both Secretary Powell and for the siloviki in Russia," said Perrin. Click here to see original of the letter in PDF  Taking Back the Panama Canal  An Alternative Solution to the Neutrality Treaty and Military Intervention Under the facts presented, there are several theoretical avenues available to Panama to terminate its contract with PPC.First, like all sovereigns, Panama possesses the right and power to terminate contracts that contravene its national interests. Accordingly, if PL-5 is seen to harm Panama – i.e., security, environmental, etc. – then Panama has the right to terminate the contract. Second, PL-5 may be vulnerable because the circumstances of its creation may, in fact, have violated Panama’s laws. And, if PPC has violated any of its significant obligations, such as maintenance and repairs... The Sino-Russian strategic partnership The Sino-Russian strategic partnership is a clear example of balance-of-power realism, and will be a fact of international politics as long as both nations determine that it serves their individual interests. It is not a formal military alliance, nor is it likely to become one in the near future, barring unforeseeable events. In several respects, it acts as a warning to the United States. Its practical effect, however, will be to hedge American...   "China’s Growing Maritime Power - Geopolitical Strategic Assasment" Li Ka-shing, the leader of Hutchison Port Holdings, (China ’s primary shipping line), has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and to the China International Trust and Investment Corp.... Download Adobe Reader -   See the map of China's Maritime Global Projection Since more than 80%of global trade moves by sea and the U.S.moves 95% of its foreign trade by weight via the world ’s oceans,it is equally obvious that Chinese naval strategy holds in high regard control of these global chokepoints. See the map....

Journalism.com: Cyber Dissident in China Gets Freedom Award Press freedom group Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) has awarded its 2004 Internet Freedom Prize to Chinese cyber-dissident Huang Qi....

Wired: More False Info from TSA A top homeland security official told Congress that five major domestic airlines turned over sensitive passenger data to the agency or its contractors in 2002 and 2003, contradicting numerous statements by airline and government officials and confirming s...

Asia Times: A New Dimension of Terror BANGALORE - The beheading of Kim Sun-il, a 33-year-old Korean working in Iraq, by an Islamist group with links to al-Qaeda is the latest in a spate of incidents where Islamic militants have kidnapped and then decapitated their hostages....

Popular Science: New US Weapons on the Drawing Boards The scores of potential combat scenarios sketched out by the Joint Chiefs, as well as individual branches of the U.S. military, have convinced the Department of Defense that a fast-track modernization program is critical to national security. Many current...

ScienceDaily: 2 New Molecules Found in Interstellar Gas Cloud A team of scientists using the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) has discovered two new molecules in an interstellar cloud near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy....

Boston Globe: Kerry Attacks Ronald Reagan SAN FRANCISCO -- Democrat John F. Kerry yesterday countered Republican attempts to label him a pessimist about the US economy, arguing that criticism of the Bush administration's record of job creation actually reflected optimism that the economy could do...

Reuters: New US Home Sales Hit Record Highs WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. homes surged well past expectations in May to a record high, as generally rising mortgage interest rates did little to restrain home buying, a government report showed on Thursday....

Miami Herald: Dorschner & Humana Garble how HSAs work David A. Saltzman of Humana pointed out another ''nettlesome'' problem with the HSAs. Government regulations require that a person pay the entire deductible out of their own pocket before they are allowed to withdraw any money from the HSA. When asked if...