Patch_W_Adams's St Louis Blog

A Plan to Turn the Lowly Bureaucrat Into a Cherished Public Servant

  By JASON DePARLE

Published: January 6, 2009

WASHINGTON — There is West Point for soldiers, and Annapolis for sailors, but no parallel place of grit and glory for that maligned tribe of government workers known as bureaucrats.

With no money, contacts or obvious qualifications, Mr. Asch quit his job three years ago at a Mississippi after-school program and started a campaign to create a civilian service academy — a West Point for bureaucrats.

What began on the back of an envelope found a champion in Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, legislative allies in the House and Senate, and a glimmer of plausibility in an age where President-elect Barack Obama pledges to “make government cool again” — the very words Mr. Asch has long used to sell his plan.

“The Public Service Academy can be Barack Obama’s Peace Corps,” Mr. Asch said. “He needs to take advantage of this moment when people are recognizing the importance of government and build institutions that will last.”

There is no word on whether Mr. Obama agrees, but the proposed academy has drawn past endorsements from the vice president-elect, Joseph R. Biden Jr.; the incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel; and at least three cabinet nominees. People who once mocked Mr. Asch’s presumption now congratulate him on his timing.

The surprising ascent of Mr. Asch’s idea can be read as an upbeat tale of Washington’s openness to a citizen-advocate (Mr. Asch’s view) or evidence of its enduring weakness for expensive big-government schemes (as some of his critics contend).

But it is also a sign of something more basic: the frustration Americans feel with the bureaucratic status quo.

“There’s no doubt that we don’t have the best and brightest in government,” said Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican who has joined Mrs. Clinton, Democrat of New York, in proposing legislation to create an academy.

A former elementary school teacher with black belts in two martial arts, Mr. Asch, 35, has labored with such ascetic focus and cheerful earnestness that even his plan’s detractors call him a “sweet” and “admirable” guy.

He argues that American culture derides government work and dissuades bright young people from pursuing it. Campuses glorify material gain, he said, and even students who choose public service often enter the nonprofit world. The result, he argues, is weakened bureaucracies behind disasters as different as the Sept. 11 attacks and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

“When government institutions fail, people die,” he said.

Like its military counterparts, the United States Public Service Academy would offer a free four-year education in exchange for five years of government service. Supporters see both substantive and symbolic benefits: 1,200 skilled graduates a year, spread across federal, state and local agencies, and a flagship institution that would give new prestige to government work.

“Creating a public service academy would send a clear message that public service is a priority,” Mrs. Clinton said last week in a written statement.

To Read The Whole Article Go To:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/us/07academy.html
?_r=1&ref=us

Government aid could save U.S. newspapers, spark debate

Fri Jan 2, 2009 7:28am EST  

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut lawmaker Frank Nicastro sees saving the local newspaper as his duty. But others think he and his colleagues are setting a worrisome precedent for government involvement in the U.S. press.

Nicastro represents Connecticut's 79th assembly district, which includes Bristol, a city of about 61,000 people outside Hartford, the state capital. Its paper, The Bristol Press, may fold within days, along with The Herald in nearby New Britain.

That is because publisher Journal Register, in danger of being crushed under hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, says it cannot afford to keep them open anymore.

Nicastro and fellow legislators want the papers to survive, and petitioned the state government to do something about it. "The media is a vitally important part of America," he said, particularly local papers that cover news ignored by big papers and television and radio stations.

To some experts, that sounds like a bailout, a word that resurfaced this year after the U.S. government agreed to give hundreds of billions of dollars to the automobile and financial sectors.

Relying on government help raises ethical questions for the press, whose traditional role has been to operate free from government influence as it tries to hold politicians accountable to the people who elected them. Even some publishers desperate for help are wary of this route.

To Read The Whole Story Go To:

http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE4
BU53T20090102

Police 'encouraged' to hack more

Police already use hackers' tools for 'remote searching' 

By Flora Graham
BBC News

The Home Office has signed up to an EU strategy against cybercrime that "encourages" police across Europe to remotely access personal computers.

The plan has sparked fears that the government is looking to increase police powers to hack into people's computers without a court warrant.

UK police already do a "small number" of such operations under existing law.

However, the Home Office said the EU agreement would not affect police behaviour and was not legally binding.

The plan, drawn up by the Council of the European Union, makes broad statements on how to improve European cyber crime-fighting, including inviting countries to introduce remote searches if they are already provided for under national law.

In a statement regarding the agreement, the Council stated that "the new strategy encourages [the police and the private sector] to…resort to remote searches."

British law already allows police to remotely access computers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, which allows surveillance to "prevent or detect serious crime".

To read the Whole Article Go To:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7812353.stma>

Waterford Wedgwood collapses over debt pile

As well as its own-brand products, the company also produces goods for designers and celebrities including Versace, Terence Conran, and Gordon Ramsay

 Robin Pagnamenta

Up to 1,900 UK jobs were under threat today after Waterford Wedgwood, the 250-year-old fine china and glassware maker, collapsed into receivership.

The company, whose brands include Royal Doulton, announced this morning that the Irish-listed company had been placed into receivership and that the bulk of its 10 UK subsidiaries would go into administration later today.

The collapse leaves Sir Anthony O'Reilly, the media tycoon and the company's non-executive chairman, facing millions of pounds worth of losses.

Waterford Wedgwood has been forced to appoint a receiver, which it named as David Carson from Deloitte, the accountancy firm, after it missed a January 2 deadline to meet loan repayments.

The company, which has net debts of €449 million, had been unable to raise €150 million of new equity it had sought in August.

It will also appoint administrators to the UK business later today, including Neville Kahn, the Deloitte partner charged with finding a buyer for Woolworths, which will see its remaining 200 stores close tomorrow after nearly 100 years of trading.

Waterford Wedgwood employs 1,900 people in the UK, chiefly at its manufacturing operation at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, at retail stores and other offices as well as 800 staff in Ireland.

The possible closure of one of Ireland's most well-known brands would be a major blow for the country that was one of the first in the European Union to officially fall into recession.

To Read the Whole Article Go To:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/indu
stry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5449313.ece

New Missouri law targets illegal immigrants

By Chris Blank

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 01/01/2009

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri businesses are about to get a shove toward a federal database for screening newly hired employees for illegal immigrants. And cities will risk getting punished if they become havens for illegal immigrants.

Some new laws taking effect today are part of a broad effort by Missouri lawmakers to crack down on illegal immigrants and those who employ them.

Starting in 2009, public employers — including state and local governments — must use the E-Verify database that searches records from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether someone can work.

Private businesses won't have to use the database unless they have a government contract worth more than $5,000, receive state loans or tax breaks, or have been caught hiring an illegal immigrant.

But even those that don't have to use E-Verify will have a big incentive to start. Employers caught "knowingly" hiring an illegal immigrant risk losing business licenses, unless they had used E-Verify to screen their new hires.

Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who helped draft the law, said lawmakers showed foresight in going after illegal immigrants at cusp of the recession.

Federal statistics released in December show the state's unemployment rate hit 6.7 percent in November.

"It's going to have a very significant impact in protecting jobs for U.S. citizens and jobs for legal aliens during this time of high unemployment," said Kobach, who also was a top immigration adviser to former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. "The state Legislature's timing was perfect."

To Read the Whole Article Go To:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/m
issouristatenews/story/EB36E9DB97BBFC1B862575310006F871
?OpenDocument

By JOAN LOWY – 2 days ago

l WASHINGTON (AP) — Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.

A federal commission created by Congress to find a way to make up the growing revenue shortfall in the program that funds highway repairs and construction is talking about increasing federal gas and diesel taxes.

A roughly 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by the commission until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

The 15-member National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is the second group in a year to call for increasing the current 18.4 cents a gallon federal tax on gasoline and the 24.4 cents a gallon tax on diesel. State fuel taxes vary from state to state.

In a report expected in late January, members of the infrastructure financing commission say they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel tax by about 12 cents to 15 cents a gallon. At the same time, the commission will recommend tying the fuel tax rates to inflation.

The commission will also recommend that states raise their fuel taxes and make greater use of toll roads and fees for rush-hour driving.

Although the cost of gasoline has dropped dramatically in recent months, such tax increases could be politically treacherous for Democratic leaders in Congress. A gas tax hike was one of the reasons they lost control of the House and Senate in the 1994 elections. President-elect Barack Obama has expressed concern about raising fuel taxes in the current economic climate.

But commission members said the government must find more road and bridge building money somewhere.

"I'm not excited about a gas tax increase, but the reality is our current gas tax doesn't pay for upkeep of the system we have now," said Adrian Moore, vice president of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank in Los Angeles, and a member of the highway revenue commission. "We can either let the roads go to hell or we can pay more."

The dilemma for Congress is that highway and transit programs are dependent for revenue on fuel taxes that are not sustainable. Many Americans are driving less and switching to more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and a shift to new fuels and technologies like plug-in hybrid electric cars will further erode gasoline sales.

According to a draft of the financing commission's recommendations, the nation needs to move to a new system that taxes motorists according to how much they use roads. While details have not been worked out, such a system would mean equipping every car and truck with a device that uses global positioning satellites and transponders to record how many miles the vehicle has been driven, and perhaps the type of roads and time of day.

To Read the whole Article Go To:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h
0jhIdk5jvjtf5bEpyAbXQNZJpxAD95F30500

Saturday, January 03, 2009

 AP

A display device is shown on the dashboard that indicates how many and what kind of miles a driver has driven.

PORTLAND, Ore. —  Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes.

"I'm glad we're taking a look at it before the potholes get so big that we can't even get out of them," said Leroy Younglove, a Portland driver who participated in a recent pilot program.

The proposal is not without critics, including drivers who are concerned about privacy and others who fear the tax could eliminate the financial incentive for buying efficient vehicles.

But Oregon is ahead of the nation in exploring the concept, even though it will probably be years before any mileage tax is adopted.

Congress is talking about it, too. A congressional commission has envisioned a system similar to the prototype Oregon tested in 2006-2007.

The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is considering calling for higher gas taxes to keep highways, bridges and transit programs in good shape.

But over the long term, commission members say, the nation should consider taxing mileage rather than gasoline as drivers use more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles.

As cars burn less fuel, "the gas tax isn't going to fill the bill," said Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

To read the Whole Article Go To:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475507,00.html

Rodney Wood in Hannibal Mo, while riding on his Motorcycle saw a Woman being attacked by two men. He Stopped to help a Stranger, Outnumbered..He lost his life, but saved the Stranger....

Courage....Over Saftey..

Martin Luther King, seeing injustice, Speaks out for equal Rights in a Time where lynchings were still common and People threatened him and his family just for speaking the truth.  A man who peacfully protested things he knew were wrong, lost his life to an assassin on a Balcony in Memphis TN.

Courage...Over Saftey...

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, being the only one near the Door on a Rooftop in Iraq, was hit in the Chest by a Grenade that then bounced to the Floor.  Without thought for himself, he immediatley jumped onto the Grenade saving the Lives of the four other Navy Seals in the Sniper Blind.  Michael Monsoor Died of his wounds.

Courage...Over Saftey...

William Johnson was assigned to Engine 276 out of Engine House 6 of  the FDNY.  He along with the other men from Engine House 6 and Engine House 9 ran up the Stairs of the North Tower on September 11th 2001.   After the other Tower collapsed all Firefighters were ordered out.  Shortly after, the North Tower Collapsed.....William Johnson didn't make it out, he was last seen helping an injuried Civilian somewhere near the 30th Floor.

Courage...Over Saftey....

Giovanni Palatucci joined the Italian Police Force in 1936 where he was assigned to be in Charge of the Port of Palatucci the Adriatic seaport of Fiume (present day Rijeka, Croatia). When anti-Jewish laws were enacted in 1938, he used his authority as chief of the Foreigners' Office to forge travel papers that permitted hundreds of Jews flee persecution in Eastern Europe and settle in Fiume, sometimes even providing them with funds. However, his effort became riskier in 1943, when Mussolini's government fell and the Nazis occupied the place. In defiance against orders to arrest and deport the Jews in the area, he made sure that they were sent instead to a prison-turned refugee camp managed by his uncle, Bishop Giuseppe Maria Palatucci, in Campania southern Italy, by destroying documented records of some 5,000 Jewish refugees, thus saving them from certain death in concentration camps. When his activities were discovered in 1944, he was arrested by the Gestapo, and sent to Dachau, where he died just a few months shy of his 36th birthday

Courage...Over Saftey....

 Maybel Pu’a is a 20 year old man that works for Starkist Samoa Inc in the Village of Amanave  located in far western Tutuila Samoa.  He and another Youth ran into the water after seeing Dorothy Lautoa, her three year old daughter and two year old niece being swept out ot sea.  Dorothy and her children were returned to shore safley, but Maybel drowned in the process of saving them.   This happened on Thursday December 31st, 2008.

Courage....Over Saftey...

16 Year Old Margaret Reece stood outside watching her New England  home of 12 years burn when someone said that Koen, the youngest of  her four siblings was still inside.  Without hesitation she ran back into the burning house to find him. Shortly after the house exploded.......She never came back out.   When they located their Bodies, they were found laying next to each other. Margaret did make it to her Brother but tragically they were both overwhelmed by the smoke and fire.

Courage....Over Saftey...

Courage today is something that may seem to be in short supply.  But when we stop to take count, we realize it's there, but only chosen as a path  by  a  Few. 

We see it whenever someone signs up for the Military or decides to join the Police or Fire Department.  When someone decides that they have to act instead of standing by and being a spectator.  When someone does what they know is right,  even though they are terrified and everyone else is telling them to not get involved...... to forget it ....... or not to rock the Boat.... 

I propose we make a New Years Resolution.........  

To Value Courage...      Over Saftey....

Because once we all understand that a Stranger's Life,  a Strangers Liberty and A Strangers Freedom......is just as important as our own.....

This Country...........This World.....Will be a Better Place....For us All..

Calls for 'speed-limiting' cars

 Speed-limiting devices should be fitted to cars on a voluntary basis to help save lives and cut carbon emissions, according to a new report.

The government's transport advisers claim the technology would cut road accidents with injuries by 29%.

The device automatically slows a car down to within the limit for the road on which it is being driven.

But campaign group Safe Speed warns against its use, saying it encourages drivers to enter a "zombie mode".

Ministers are planning to help councils draw up digital maps with details of the legal speed on every road.

The speed-limiting devices will then use satellite positioning to check a vehicle's location and when its speed exceeds the limit, power will be reduced and the brakes applied if necessary.

The Commission for Integrated Transport and the Motorists' Forum, which both advise the government, are calling on ministers to promote a wide introduction of the system.

To Read the Whole Article Go To:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7803997.stm<
/p>

I was just talking to a Relative and he just informed me of a little movement that has been going around in his neck of the woods that was started by a CNN video interview. 

He informs me that this past week there has been local discussion and even polls that ask if First Ladies should receive a Salary.  This was started on the 15th of Dec in the CNN Student News section.  There was a Video that was posted in this section with a Reporter discussing the possibility of a Salary for the First Lady.

Here is the Transcript of the Video:

Pay or Nay?

AZUZ: Before she was first lady, Laura Bush worked as a teacher and librarian. Former first lady Hillary Clinton was a lawyer. Betty Ford even a theatrical dancer! When they moved into the White House thought, they all left the professional world to take on a new role. Some folks question whether that position should be paid. Alina Cho examines the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALINA CHO, CNN REPORTER: She'll make history as the nation's first black first lady. But even before her husband's historic win, Michelle Obama was a powerhouse in her own right: an Ivy League-educated lawyer with a six-figure salary. In a month, she'll be moving into a new home and a new full time job, working for free.

ROBERT THOMPSON, PROFESSOR, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY NEWHOUSE SCHOOL: I think most Americans, when they hear the phrase "first lady," still think china patterns, tours through the White House.

CHO: Jacqueline Kennedy won an Emmy for her TV tour of the White House. William Howard Taft's wife, Helen, attended Cabinet meetings, but she said only to keep her husband awake. Nancy Reagan had her "Just Say No" campaign. Then, came Hillary.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession.

CHO: Hillary Clinton redefined the role of first lady, taking on health care, traveling the world. Yet she was never paid a cent.

LISA CAPUTO, FMR. PRESS SECRETARY TO HILLARY CLINTON: We used to joke that we were a moving public works project. Wherever we would go, there would be new roads paved, literally. She defined that role for herself, and I think in many ways helped pave the ground for future first ladies.

CHO: Like Michelle Obama.

THOMPSON: More and more, presidents are going to, I think, have spouses who actually come to the job with a life, with a career. And the kind of things that they do might, in fact, be useful things to employ.

CHO: But a salaried first lady? some say the pay is in the perks: big fancy house, first-class travel, elegant dinners. So, what does the current office holder think?

FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: No, I don't think it should be a paid post. The spouse of the president is not an office holder; we weren't elected.

Now I would say out of everyone that was quoted on the interview, First Lady Laura Bush has the best understanding of the Constitution.  Now we don't know everything that was said by those that were interviewed, but the quote from First Lady Laura Bush was right on.   No Elected Officals Spouse is entitled to a Salary.  None.

But this little interview has spurned a Movement, at least in my Relative's neck of the Woods in Illinois, that Michelle Obama should get a Salary.  Their reasoning is that she had a $300,000 a year job before her husband got elected, so she should get compensated for the fact that she is losing it.

Now there is nothing from the Obama Campaign or the Transition Team or even Michelle Obama herself on this.  They are NOT involved that I know of.

But the fact that this Movement has not only gained support, but is growing is a very disturbing Trend. 

We can only hope that if Michelle Obama gets wind of this that she does the right thing and says no.

But only Time will tell....

December 26, 2008

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The terrorism threat to the United States over the next five years will be driven by instability in the Middle East and Africa, persistent challenges to border security and increasing Internet savvy, says a new intelligence assessment obtained by The Associated Press.

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks are considered the most dangerous threats that could be carried out against the U.S. But those threats are also the most unlikely because it is so difficult for al-Qaida and similar groups to acquire the materials needed to carry out such plots, according to the internal Homeland Security Threat Assessment for the years 2008-2013.

The al-Qaida terrorist network continues to focus on U.S. attack targets vulnerable to massive economic losses, casualties and political "turmoil," the assessment said.

Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction remains "the highest priority at the federal level." Speaking to reporters on Dec. 3, Chertoff explained that more people, such as terrorists, will learn how to make dirty bombs, biological and chemical weapons. "The other side is going to continue to learn more about doing things," he said.

Marked "for official use only," the report does not specify its audience, but the assessments typically go to law enforcement, intelligence officials and the private sector. When determining threats, intelligence officials consider loss of life, economic and psychological consequences.

Intelligence officials also predict that in the next five years, terrorists will try to conduct a destructive biological attack. Officials are concerned about the possibility of infections to thousands of U.S. citizens, overwhelming regional health care systems.

There could also be dire economic impacts caused by workers' illnesses and deaths. Officials are most concerned about biological agents stolen from labs or other storage facilities, such as anthrax.

"The threat of terrorism and the threat of extremist ideologies has not abated," Chertoff said in his year-end address on Dec. 18. "This threat has not evaporated, and we can't turn the page on it."

These high-consequence threats are not the only kind of challenges that will confront the U.S. over the next five years.

Terrorists will continue to try to evade U.S. border security measures and place operatives inside the mainland to carry out attacks, the 38-page assessment said. It also said that they may pose as refugees or asylum seekers or try to exploit foreign travel channels such as the visa waiver program, which allows citizens of 34 countries to enter the U.S. without visas.

Long waits for immigration and more restrictive European refugee and asylum programs will cause more foreigners to try to enter the U.S. illegally. Increasing numbers of Iraqis are expected to migrate to the U.S. in the next five years; and refugees from Somalia and Sudan could increase because of conflicts in those countries, the assessment said.

Because there is a proposed cap of 12,000 refugees from Africa, officials expect more will try to enter the U.S. illegally as well. Officials predict the same scenario for refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Intelligence officials predict the pool of radical Islamists within the U.S. will increase over the next five years due partly to the ease of online recruiting means. Officials foresee "a wave of young, self-identified Muslim 'terrorist wannabes' who aspire to carry out violent acts."

The U.S. has already seen some examples of these homegrown terrorists. Recently five Muslim immigrants were convicted of plotting to massacre U.S. Soldiers at Fort Dix in a case the government said demonstrated its post-Sept. 11 determination to stop terrorist attacks in the planning stages.

The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah does not have a known history of fomenting attacks inside the U.S., but that could change if there is some kind of "triggering" event, the Homeland assessment cautions.

A 2008 Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism assessment said that Hezbollah members based in the U.S. do local fundraising through charity projects and criminal activity, like money laundering, smuggling, drug trafficking, fraud and extortion, according to the homeland security assessment.

In addition, the cyber terror threat is expected to increase over the next five years, as hacking tools become more sophisticated and available. "Youthful, Internet-savvy extremists might apply their online acumen to conduct cyber attacks rather than offer themselves up as operatives to conduct physical attacks," according to the assessment.

To read the Whole Article Go To:

http://www.military.com/news/article/dhs-forecasts-5-y
ear-terror-threats.html?col=1186032310810

Website age ratings 'an option'

Andy Burnham says people need help navigating the internet

Film-style age ratings could be applied to websites to protect children from harmful and offensive material, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has said.

Mr Burnham told the Daily Telegraph the government was looking at a number of possible new internet safeguards.

He said some content, such as clips of beheadings, was unacceptable and new standards of decency were needed.

He also plans to negotiate with the US on drawing up international rules for English language websites.

Mr Burnham, a father of three young children, believes internet-service providers should offer child-friendly web access.

'Public interest'

"Leaving your child for two hours completely unregulated on the internet is not something you can do," he told the Telegraph.

This is not a campaign against free speech... it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake
Andy Burnham, Culture Secretary

"This isn't about turning back the clock. The internet has been empowering and democratising in many ways, but we haven't yet got the stakes in the ground to help people navigate their way safely around it."

He went on to say it was time to review the accessibility of certain content on the internet and insisted he was not trying to curb free speech.

His plans are likely to anger those who advocate the freedom of the worldwide web.

To Read the Whole Article Go To:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7800846.stm<
/p>

Reuters
Sunday, December 21, 2008; 9:45 AM

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Russia has begun delivering S-300 air defense systems to Iran which could help repel any Israeli and U.S. air strikes on its nuclear sites, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.

"After few years of talks with Russia ... now the S-300 system is being delivered to Iran," IRNA quoted Email Kosari, deputy head of parliament's Foreign Affairs and National Security committee, as saying.

Kosari did not say when the deliveries began. Iran's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report. Russia's Foreign Ministry also declined comment, saying it may react on Monday.

The United States, its European allies and Israel say Iran is seeking to build nuclear arms under the cover of a civilian atomic energy program. Iran denies the charge.

Israel's insistence that Iran must not be allowed to develop an atomic bomb has fueled speculation that the Jewish state, widely assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, could mount its own pre-emptive strikes.

In October, Russia's Foreign Ministry denied media speculation that Moscow would sell the medium-range S-300 system, adding Moscow had no intention of selling weapons to "troubled regions."

But Russia's RIA news agency last week quoted "confidential sources" as saying that Russia was fulfilling a S-300 contract with Iran.

The most advanced version of the S-300 system can track targets and fire at aircraft 120 km (75 miles) away. It is known in the West as the SA-20.

To Read the Whole Article Go To:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/articl
e/2008/12/21/AR2008122100575_pf.html

Let Us Remember Those that aren't at the Family Table this Chistmas.   And Pray for all of those families that are missing a loved one this Holiday Season.  Families like yours, make my Silent Night possible. 

Thank   You

God Bless and Merry Christmas

Remember Me - Watch more amazing videos here