Wikileaks: U.S. has financial hand in Syria’s opposition

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» Wikileaks strikes again: Cables released by the organization say that after the Bush administration’s severing of diplomatic ties with the Syrian regime in 2005, the U.S. had funnelled money to groups hostile to the Bashar al-Assad government. About $6 million went to a group of Syrian exiles in London with connections to Barada TV, a satellite station that beams into Syria and provides coverage of the protests against Assad. The funding began in 2006, and continued at least until September 2010, meaning the Obama administration’s diplomatic overtures to the Assad regime weren’t very sincere — frankly, this makes us feel a little better about U.S. policy towards them. Be sure to notch another tally for Wikileaks, exposing yet more profoundly relevant, enthralling information about our geopolitical world.

Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Apr 2011 11:10

We want Ray LaHood to say stuff like this all the time: “It’s just common sense that if an airline loses your bag or you get bumped from a flight because it was oversold, you should be reimbursed.” The U.S. transportation secretary said that when talking about a bunch of new rules his organization is putting in place. The rules would force airlines to advertise prices that include taxes and fees; to pay more for “bumping” passengers; to limit passenger waits on runways to under four hours; and (this is the key one) force airlines to reimburse you for checked bag fees in the cae of lost luggage. If luggage is delayed, though, no refund. Still, though, as long as they can keep their air-traffic controllers awake, we’re all for this. (photo by ToastyKen on Flickr) source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

Hey RIM, didya forget about how stupid AT&T is? The BlackBerry Playbook’s utterly bizarre requirement that forces you to tether your phone to your tablet to check your e-mail is bad enough, but there’s an even worse problem for the company, and it’s one that most iPhone customers know all too well about. See, AT&T isn’t all that hot about the concept of tethering devices unless they can make money off of it. So … guess what AT&T isn’t allowing on the BlackBerry Playbook right now? That’s right. Tethering. So, if you’re an AT&T customer, you can’t check your e-mail on your shiny new tablet. And they may charge $45 a month for the privilege. In other news, launch day sales for the Playbook were a relatively robust 45,000. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

I remain skeptical that the administration will take this effort seriously, especially after it all but ignored its previous debt commission and President Obama had to be dragged kicking and screaming to consider minimal spending cuts for the rest of this fiscal year.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor • Offering a soft touch to the news of the president’s new deficit reduction group, which was supposed to include 16 members, eight from each party. Instead, it includes six — two Republicans and four Democrats. (The “gang of six,” by the way, was left out in the cold.) Cantor’s on the list, along with a bunch of other folks known for their partisanship. If you ask us, it sounds like he’s just pissed that he had to do something he didn’t really want to do. We know, Eric, we hate meetings too! source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink