Frightened Indonesians suffer new Sumatra quakes
People in tall buildings in Bangkok felt the 8.2 magnitude earthquake that shook southern Sumatra, in Indonesia, almost 2,000 km away, yesterday. Office workers in business areas of Silom, Sathorn and Ratchadaphisek were seen running from highrise buildings when the quake struck shortly after 6pm.The after shocks hit the Philippines. 5.4 magnitude quake jolts Batanes
Fortunately, the tidal wave produced by the latest quakes reached a maximum height of just two feet. But unlike 2004, when governments were slow to issue evacuation warnings, officials responded quickly this time.Unfortunately too well. Tsunami alerts quickly followed Indonesian quake; panic prevailed
Indonesia lifts 7th tsunami warning after 6.9-magnitude earthquake
Powerful quakes terrorize Indonesia, experts warn of 'big one'
A series of powerful earthquakes has terrorized residents in western Indonesia - including one that triggered a tsunami warning Friday - leaving thousands sleeping on plastic sheets in the hills. Seismologists warn the worst may yet to come."No one can say whether it will be in 30 seconds or 30 years," he said. "But what happened the other day, I think is quite possibly a sequence of smaller earthquakes leading up to the bigger one."
An 8.4-magnitude quake that shook Southeast Asia on Wednesday was followed by dozens of strong aftershocks - including one measuring a magnitude of 7.8 and another 7.1 - that killed 13 people, damaged hundreds of houses and spawned a 3-metre-high tsunami.
On Friday, a 6.4-magnitude temblor hit the area again, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, triggering the latest in a string of tsunami warnings that was later lifted.
The fault, which runs the length of the west coast of Sumatra about 200-kilometres offshore, is the meeting point of the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates, which have been pushing against each other for millions of years. This can cause huge stresses to build up.
"There is a strong indication this foreshadows the big one," said Danny Hillman, an earthquake specialist at the Indonesian Institute of Science. "We all agree there is an 8.5 or stronger earthquake waiting to happen."
Geothermal plants would tap 'Ring of Fire'
The Pacific Northwest, which sits on the volcano-laden "Ring of Fire" bordering the Pacific Ocean, would seem an obvious spot to pursue geothermal power.
For Gordon Bloomquist, it has been obvious for nearly 30 years. He and others have estimated that by capturing the Earth's subterranean heat and converting it into electricity, they could generate enough power for 2 million homes.
But, only now, as the Washington State University geochemist prepares to retire and take his talents to work on geothermal projects for the World Bank in Eastern Europe and Africa, does it look as if this region may be pushed to exploit the hot-rock power lurking beneath our feet.
However, Becker said, a leaky tectonic quilt on average would lead to greater volcanic activity, earthquakes and plate movement. This would affect almost every aspect of Earth's geography, from sea level to erosion to climate.
"There's sort of a chain of things that follows from a good mechanical understanding of how plate tectonics works," he said.
'Ring of Fire' asserts power with tremorA massive magnitude 8.4 earthquake hit southern Sumatra's Bengkulu province Wednesday at 6:10 pm local time. It was followed by 51 tremors, including one in western Sumatra's Jambi province Thursday morning that was measured at a magnitude of 7.8. The severe quakes rattled buildings in three countries and triggered tsunami warnings across the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The powerful earthquake of 7.9 magnitude that struck off the coast of Indonesia had its epicentre about 100 km southwest of Bengkulu.According to R.K. Chadha, scientist with the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, the fault plane was in a northwest-southeast direction. The focus (where the plate rupture actually takes place inside the earth) was at a depth of about 30 km from the ocean floor.
“The length of the fault plane should not be more than 250 km. Its epicentre is 300-400 km further south of the December 2004 quake,” Dr. Chadha said. The 2004 earthquake caused a rupture 1200 km long and pushed the Burma plate by 15 m for the entire length of the fault.
In 2004, the focus was 10 km, and hence it was a shallow earthquake. Unlike deep quakes, shallow ones cause more damage. A tsunami that results from such quakes can be more powerful and widespread compared to deep-seated earthquakes.
The quake that struck at 6.10 p.m. local time on Wednesday had a magnitude of 7.9-8, while that of the 2004 quake was 9. With magnitude being measured on a logarithmic scale, a magnitude difference of one translates to a quake 10 times more powerful.
Though a tsunami can be generated even by a shallow quake of 6.5 magnitude, maximum tsunami energy will always be focussed in the direction perpendicular to that of the fault plane. With the fault plane of Wednesday’s quake lying in a northwest-southeast direction, the maximum energy dissipation would have been in the same direction.
Unlike in 2004, where the direction of energy dissipation from the fault plane was nearly parallel to the Indian coast, maximum energy dissipation from the current quake would not have been in the direction of the Indian coast but into the open ocean. On the northeast direction, the energy dissipation would have been towards Bengkulu island.
Following the 2004 quake, another earthquake of 8.7 magnitude struck off the coast of Sumatra on March 28, 2005, about 200 km south of the 2004 event. It happened in the same subduction zone. “We call this as loading and unloading of stress,” said Dr. Chadha. “When stress is released at one point, it accumulates at another point. And, we had predicted that another quake would strike further south of the March event.”
The latest quake was in the same subduction zone, and lies further south of the March 2005 event.
Utility regulator breaches privacy with spies at public hearings
Utilities Board wrong to use private dicks: privacy commissioner
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has determined that the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) contravened the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) when it hired private investigators to monitor proceedings at Rimbey, Alberta.The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board hired a private investigation company to monitor a public hearing about the North West Upgrader project in May, documents obtained by the CBC show.
This is the second time the board hired the firm of Shepp Johnman to attend one of its public hearings.
The board is already being investigated by the government for hiring Shepp Johnman to monitor landowners at a hearing in Rimbey who were opposed to a proposed powerline between Calgary and Edmonton.
EUB Offers No Apologies After Damning Privacy Report
Still waiting to hear the outrage of the neo-con right....waiting....not even a peep out of those who would proclaim themselves libertarian....the silence is deafening.
Tiny Bearspaw Petroleum alleges persecution from Alta regulator
The company lined up against the Alberta Energy and Utilities board today in a third-party inquiry into allegations that the natural gas producer has been unfairly persecuted.
Jirka Kaplan, an engineer with Bearspaw, told the inquiry that Leo Touchette, the board‘s Red Deer office team leader, had an “intense dislike‘‘ of the small Calgary-based company and did what it could to find things wrong with its operations.
Bearspaw alleges that on one occasion, the regulator gave it a high-risk compliance citation and a potential explosion risk for one missing nut on the cover of a piece of well equipment.
Kaplan says he hired an independent company to check out the regulator‘s safety concerns and no potential problems were found. Bearspaw has appealed some of the board‘s actions and challenged the legality of some of its processes.
The inquiry, which was initiated by the regulator, is scheduled to run until Thursday, and chairman Bob Clark says he will try to expedite a ruling.
Opposition politicians called Thursday for firings at Alberta‘s energy and utilities regulator after a report found serious privacy breaches by detectives hired to spy on people opposed to a new power corridor. But Premier Ed Stelmach said he wants to see more evidence about the decision of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to use private detectives at two hearings since last spring.Waiting, waiting.
“It‘s to ensure that all Albertans have full confidence in the AEUB,‘‘ said Stelmach. “It is an important instrument for Albertans in terms of finding the balance between the production and the development of our resources.‘‘Alberta's energy regulator says it will give opponents of a proposed new Edmonton-Calgary power line enough time to exhaust all appeals before granting any permits for the project.
Landowners who oppose the massive new transmission line were in Alberta Court of Appeal yesterday trying to get a stay on the Energy and Utility Board's decision on whether the project can proceed.
But board lawyer Rick McKee told the hearing that a stay was not needed as the regulator would give landowners enough time to appeal any decision before construction starts.
The board says a decision on the proposal by AltaLink, Alberta's largest transmission company, might not come until at least November.
Joe Anglin, a spokesman for one of the landowner groups, says he fully expects the board to rule in favour of the new power line but his group wants to make sure its voice is heard before some towers are built and their opposition becomes mute.
The power line is also the subject of various provincial inquiries and legal actions over allegations that the Alberta regulator hired private investigators to spy on opponents of the project.
Another mission accomplished for the Bush War in Iraq."A year ago the province was assessed 'lost' politically," Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told a congressional hearing Monday. "Today, it is a model of what happens when local leaders and citizens decide to oppose al-Qaida and reject its Taliban-like ideology."This time in Anbar province.
Bomb kills top Sunni sheik co-operating with US against al-Qaida
Bush speech to cover troop reduction, need for more time in Iraq
SEEFind blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:His importance to the U.S. was made clear by a Sept. 3 meeting with President Bush. On a surprise visit to Anbar province, Bush posed for photos with Abu Risha, who cut the figure of an Arab prince, with an immaculate gold-rimmed robe and a meticulously groomed goatee and a heavy mustache.
Ten days later, Abu Risha _ in his late 30s _ was killed along with two bodyguards by a roadside bomb near his compound. His death may prove a setback to American success in Anbar, once a stronghold of the Sunni Arab insurgency and now cited as a model for the rest of Iraq.
The government of Newfoundland has agreed to buy a 5 percent stake in a planned expansion of Husky Energy Inc's White Rose offshore oil field, Canadian Press reported on Wednesday.Except in Alberta where the the Republican Lite Tories bend over for the Oil industry.
The Canadian province of Newfoundland plans to take a 10 pct stake in new oil and gas projects off its coastline, the province's government said.The demand was contained in the provinces 35-year energy plan released yesterday by Premier Danny Williams.
The province will take a 10 pct stake in future offshore oilfields if they meet long-term strategic objectives and will pay its share of exploration and development costs, he said.
Newfoundland wants a bigger share in future energy projects, and oil companies say the demand is a reasonable point of negotiation for new projects.Newfoundland described itself as an "energy warehouse," with natural resources unmatched by most other jurisdictions in North America. Given the possibility of Newfoundland being "a significant player on the international stage," Premier Danny Williams named "control" as one of three main energy goals, planning a provincially owned energy corporation to play a major role in future developments.
Paul Barnes, the St. John's-based spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said state equity stakes are common throughout the world beyond North America and Europe. He said his members are prepared to negotiate exact figures for specific deals. "It's not overly concerning to our members that equity participation is on the table here because we experience it on worldwide basis."
Tuesday also marks the sixth anniversary of the worst terror attacks on U.S soil, giving the administration an opportunity to link present-day al-Qaida extremists in Iraq with Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.For this
Given the White House lies equating their long planned assault on Iraq as their post 9/11 response, equating Saddam with bin Laden, lies about WMD, etc. etc. Ended up being an excuse to leave their war on Al Qaeda in Afghanistan to head off to Baghdad. The result was that gave Al Qaeda clones another front to fight them on.
The idea that the Bush administration participated in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is not limited to fringe Web sites and conspiracy theorists, according to a poll commissioned by a Web site that promotes alternative explanations for the events of Sept. 11. The poll, conducted by Zogby International for 911Truth.org and released last week, found that 31 percent of Americans do not accept the official explanation for Sept. 11 -- that "19 Arab fundamentalists executed a surprise attack which caught U.S. intelligence and military forces off guard." Among that 31 percent, around 26 percent agreed that the American government "knew the attacks were coming but consciously let them proceed for various political, military, and economic motives." Almost 5 percent believed that U.S. officials "actively planned or assisted some aspects of the attack."
9/07/2007 Coalition & NATO casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan; through August 2007, with 6-month moving average. Up significantly over the same period last year. 12 month total = 1,396 (highest so far)
Republican Sen. John Warner of Virgina -- the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee -- offered a polite but devastating appraisal of strategy in Iraq.
"Are you able to say at this time if we continue what you've laid before the Congress here as a strategy do you feel that is making America safer?" Warner asked.
"Sir, I believe that this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq," Petraeus said.
"Does that make America safer?" Warner asked again.
"Sir," Petraeus said, "I don't know actually."
Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, did not offer a disclaimer about who wrote his testimony, but its thrust closely tracked the many speeches on the subject by President Bush
The first chinks in Gen Petraeus's optimism appeared with a seemingly innocent question: can a Sunni Arab travel safely to a Shia neighbourhood in Baghdad without getting kidnapped or killed? He could not hazard a clear answer. He said: "It depends on the neighbourhood, frankly. Travel of Sunni Arabs to a number of Shia neighbourhoods in Baghdad is still hazardous." But he did not actually dare to offer an assurance it would ever be possible for a Sunni to venture outside his enclave.
AMB. CROCKER: Thank you, Senator. I'll just touch very briefly on the key and critical points you raise here.And being a former ambassador to Pakistan he all but admitted that the War in Iraq was not the real front in the war on terror.
There is an enormous amount of dysfunctionality in Iraq; that is beyond question. The government, in many respects, is dysfunctional, and members of the government know it.
"I could say a few things based on my two and half years in Pakistan, and that is the presence of al-Qaeda in the Pakistan and Afghanistan border area is a major challenge to us," former American Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan Crocker said.
Crocker was asked for his views on whether the United States is providing sufficient resources to address the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb.
Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin asked Crocker "How concerned are you about al-Qaeda's safe haven in Pakistan?" to which the administration's top diplomat in Iraq replied "... we're all quite concerned."
"Which is more important to defeating al-Qaeda, the situation in Afghanistan or that situation in Iraq, Ambassador?" asked a persistent Senator Feingold.
"The challenges in confronting al-Qaeda in the Pak-Afghan border area are immense, and they're complicated. I did not feel, from my perspective as ambassador to Pakistan, that the focus, the resources, the people needed to deal with that situation, weren't available or weren't there because of Iraq," Crocker responded.
"...in my view, fighting al-Qaeda is what's important; whatever front they're on. Fighting al-Qaeda in Pakistan is critically important to us, fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq is critically important to us," Ambassador Crocker added.
AGE-BIRTH DATE — 58; June 19, 1949
EXPERIENCE — U.S. ambassador to Iraq March 2007-present; U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, 2004-07; international affairs adviser, National War College, 2003-04; director of governance, Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003; deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, 2001-03; interim envoy to Afghanistan, 2002; U.S. ambassador to Syria, 1998-01; U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, 1994-97; U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, 1990-93; political counselor, American Embassy in Cairo, 1987-90; deputy director State Department Office Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs 1985-87; chief of political section, American Embassy in Beirut, 1981-84; chief economic/commercial officer, U.S. interests section, American Embassy in Baghdad, 1978-1981; economic/commercial officer, American Embassy in Doha, Qatar, 1974-1976; foreign service officer, US Consulate, Khorramshahr, Iran, 1972-1974.
Andrew Siwy278 signatures in three weeks.
Lost my job after a tour in Kandahar, Afghanistan
sarah cram
as a serving member i think it's about time. i've lost two jobs because of operations i've attended.
Jadzia Karas
I came back from tour to unemplyment although I didn't have a hard time finding a job it was yet another struggle to go through
Shawn Sheehan (PTE Sheehan)
I am affraid to do what I want to do - serve oversea's, for fear of losing my career that I've work so hard to obtain
Andreea Savan
definately agree, i lost my job after just needing 2 weeks off, for my QL5
Mary Musson
I am a Reservist with over 13 years of service and I also work fulltime in the social services. The major barrier I have to serving overseas is the lack of job protection and guarantee that after my workup training and overseas tour, I will have a job to return to. I joined the Reserves because I love my country (not for the paycheque). My mortgage is paid by my civilian job. I need to have a job to return to or I cannot commit to serving overseas.
Alex Vorobej
This is something that is long overdue! I have been willing to deploy in the past, but my employer would not allow a leave of absence. This has to stop! I have knowledge of some employers who terminate staff who ask to be deployed, or even participate in summer training programs.
Pte. Climie KR
Regimental Motto: "Non Nobis Sed Patriae" -(Not for ourselves but for our Country) - That explains why job protection should be a must
Terri-Leigh Saunders
As a Reservist myself, I am fortunate enough to have an employer who supports my efforts every time I leave on a Class B contract (3 so far) I can only wish the same for others!
Howard Torney Murray, C.D,
As a retired reservist... and business owner... I support this fully.
Nothing in law requires visible face, Elections Canada says
Constitution of Afghanistan 2004Family is a fundamental unit of society and is supported by the state.
The state adopts necessary measures to ensure physical and psychological well being of family, especially of child and mother, upbringing of children and the elimination of traditions contrary to the principles of sacred religion of Islam.
