Today, Stephen Harper made a change in his cabinet arrangements. The new cabinet includes several new female members who are managing key portfolios, in an attempt to recognize the troubling economic times. John Baird, who was previously Minister of Environment, has now taken the job of Minister of Transport. In addition, Lawrence Cannon has now been assigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Also, Tony Clement will now be responsible for the Industry, in order to address Ontario's crippled auto sector. In light of these recent appointments, Stephen Harper said, "The new cabinet introduced today is composed of an experienced team that's prepared to work on behalf of all Canadians."
However, Deputy Liberal deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff told CBC News that, "Mr. Harper used the word team. The question is, is it a team or a one-man band as before?" Ignatieff is referring to the several allegations of Harper's tight leash on all his ministers and alleged controlling nature. Ignatieff also commented on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty saying, "keeping Mr. Flaherty says our economic policy so far has been good for Canadians. We in the Liberal opposition think it's been bad for Canada, because he made some tax cuts that left us no room to help Canadians in tough times."
Opinion: I feel a change in cabinet will not result in a new policy for Canada. Harper has led this country in the same direction of partisan bickering and division, and I think the same will follow after his cabinet change. Michael Ignatieff is absolutely right in my opinion and I hope he can lead the new Liberal party and defeat Mr. Harper.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
CIA waterboarded prisoner 200 times
The top Obama administration officials have released a memo that describes CIA interrogators using waterboarding (near-drowning) techniques, which as been described as illegal tortue, approximately 266 times on 2 Al-Qaida prisoners. The memo included information such as officers using this technqieu at least 83 times in August 2002. John Kiriakou, who is a former CIA officer, had said that this technique was used on Abu Zubaydah for 35 seconds, before agreeing to tell all the information was used. Information such as 183 incidents in March 2003 against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who is described as the planner of the 9/11 attacks. CIA officials were then fearing that they were trespassing on legal limits, and therefore stopped his interrogations.
President Barack Obama planned to visit CIA headquarters today and make public remarks to employees, as well as meet privately with officials, an agency spokesperson said last night. It would be his first visit to the agency, whose use of harsh interrogation methods he often condemned during the presidential campaign and whose secret prisons he ordered closed on the second full day of his presidency.
Reports have said that Barack Obama had ordered the release of the memos that describe these incidents. He has also said that persecution of the CIA officers will not be followed through, and that reform of the Bush administration interrogration and warrantless eavesdropping, counterterrorism programs should be examined. The 2005 Justice Department memo included reports that the waterboarding techniques exceeding the limits of its use including the volume allowed.
Michael V. Hayden, director of the CIA for the last two years of the Bush administration, would not comment when asked on the program Fox News Sunday if Mohammed had been waterboarded 183 times. He said he believed that that information was still classified.
Opinion: In my opinion, this should open many eyes to the way the United States has dealed with terrorism in regards to ethical standards.
President Barack Obama planned to visit CIA headquarters today and make public remarks to employees, as well as meet privately with officials, an agency spokesperson said last night. It would be his first visit to the agency, whose use of harsh interrogation methods he often condemned during the presidential campaign and whose secret prisons he ordered closed on the second full day of his presidency.
Reports have said that Barack Obama had ordered the release of the memos that describe these incidents. He has also said that persecution of the CIA officers will not be followed through, and that reform of the Bush administration interrogration and warrantless eavesdropping, counterterrorism programs should be examined. The 2005 Justice Department memo included reports that the waterboarding techniques exceeding the limits of its use including the volume allowed.
Michael V. Hayden, director of the CIA for the last two years of the Bush administration, would not comment when asked on the program Fox News Sunday if Mohammed had been waterboarded 183 times. He said he believed that that information was still classified.
Opinion: In my opinion, this should open many eyes to the way the United States has dealed with terrorism in regards to ethical standards.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Obama embarks on Latin American Trip
Barack Obama will make history on Thursday afternoon, as he will be the first American president to visit Mexico since Bill Clinton visited 12 years ago. He will meet with President Felipe Calderon to talk about some of the local and trade issues affecting these countries. On the agenda is economy, energy, immigration and settling the problem of trucks from Mexico coming across the border. The most prominent issue that will be addressed is drug violence. Parliament is confident that both the US and Mexico can team up together to end the violence caused by drug cartels. The Obama Administration has already made steps towards this by initatiing stiff financial sanctions on the Kingpin's of the drug cartels. This legislation allows the US government to seize their assets.
Barack is working hard in forming a Mexican policy along with Felipe Calderon, that shares the responsibility between the two countries to combat the drug problem. Obama has referred to American's acceptance of these drugs play a large role in the motives of these cartels. Mr. Obama comes here fresh from a much-publicized swing through Europe that put him squarely on the world stage. The Latin America trip, which will include a visit to Trinidad and Tobago, may not be as high-profile; for one thing, First Lady Michelle Obama, who gave the Europe trip an added touch of pizazz, is staying back in Washington. But the president has made repairing relations with world leaders a signature of his foreign policy, and the visit will give him a chance to do that in a region he is less familiar with.In addition to tackling the drug problem, they will also be discussing the trade relations. With the North American Free Trade Agreement, the ties are strong and consequently Mexico is feeling the pinch of the American economy.
Opinion: In my opinion, I believe that these international visits to other countries are somewhat a waste of time unless policies are directly put in immediately. These drug cartels have been a large problem for a long time now, but every now and than the U.S. has to hold Mexico's hand and spoonfeed them on plans on our to save their country. Countries should start being accountable for their actions and think of positive and favorable solutions. The U.S. has put their policy in place to sieze three of the cartel's assets, but the Mexican government should also take iniative and put a similiar policy in place for the other smaller cartels. Simply stopping these cartels in the present, will not help them in the future, because more and more youths are being influenced by drug violence. The key is to have a good education system in a favorable environment, that keeps these kids out of bad influence. Improving the education will protect the kids of the future, and putting immediate policies in place now ill prevent harm being done to Mexican and U.S. citizens over the border.
Barack is working hard in forming a Mexican policy along with Felipe Calderon, that shares the responsibility between the two countries to combat the drug problem. Obama has referred to American's acceptance of these drugs play a large role in the motives of these cartels. Mr. Obama comes here fresh from a much-publicized swing through Europe that put him squarely on the world stage. The Latin America trip, which will include a visit to Trinidad and Tobago, may not be as high-profile; for one thing, First Lady Michelle Obama, who gave the Europe trip an added touch of pizazz, is staying back in Washington. But the president has made repairing relations with world leaders a signature of his foreign policy, and the visit will give him a chance to do that in a region he is less familiar with.In addition to tackling the drug problem, they will also be discussing the trade relations. With the North American Free Trade Agreement, the ties are strong and consequently Mexico is feeling the pinch of the American economy.
Opinion: In my opinion, I believe that these international visits to other countries are somewhat a waste of time unless policies are directly put in immediately. These drug cartels have been a large problem for a long time now, but every now and than the U.S. has to hold Mexico's hand and spoonfeed them on plans on our to save their country. Countries should start being accountable for their actions and think of positive and favorable solutions. The U.S. has put their policy in place to sieze three of the cartel's assets, but the Mexican government should also take iniative and put a similiar policy in place for the other smaller cartels. Simply stopping these cartels in the present, will not help them in the future, because more and more youths are being influenced by drug violence. The key is to have a good education system in a favorable environment, that keeps these kids out of bad influence. Improving the education will protect the kids of the future, and putting immediate policies in place now ill prevent harm being done to Mexican and U.S. citizens over the border.
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