Ritter said that despite the absence of inspectors in Iraq since they pulled out in December 1998 ahead of a U.S.-British bombing campaign, it was "irresponsible" to talk of Iraq rebuilding an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

Ritter was scathing about the way he said his former boss Richard Butler, an Australian diplomat who led UNSCOM from 1997 until last year, had allowed UNSCOM to be manipulated for the benefit of hardline U.S. policies on Iraq.

He accused him of lying over the installment of monitoring equipment in Iraq -- under the cover of UNSCOM operations -- which Ritter says was used exclusively by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

He also accused Butler of exaggerating the danger posed by Iraq's attempts to acquire biological weapons, categorically denying Baghdad had a capacity to produce them.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20000626_3046.html SO IT TURNS OUT THE WEAPONS INSPECTORS WERE SPYS

good one, Igor.
about Iraq, that is.

I see some brainless idiots beating the same drum, day-in, day-out. No offense but don't you understand there is more important things in this life.

Have you ever been in bush during night time in a clear day, with no man-made light blurring the spectacle of stars. Forget about the number of stars, the universe is full of uncountable (infinite) number of galaxies. And all these were not present before the start of time. Suddenly a BIG-BANG and the universe started to take shape.

Rather than wasting your time on superficial things, why don't you ponder why all this was created at the first place? Scientists were denying the existince of GOD, now more and more they turn to the existence of GOD, because all evidence collected with science is pointing the this very basic fact. We don't know what is GOD look like, or His purpose in creating the universe, except what is revealed in the holly books. And they agree in one thing: All our good and bad deeds are recorded, and we will be answering to a higher power on the judgement day.

So choice is yours. Goodness has no nationality, nor religion. You must choose good over evil!

IGOR. Thanks for the clarification. Seems that Russian leaders and policy makers have clearly adopted the ways of western leaders in regards to DOUBLE-SPEAK. i.e., miss-quoted, taken out of context, can't recall, hmmm I'll look into that, oversight, call for an investigation, that's not my interpretation, I was not informed of that, no comment, I don't consider that a sexual act, I did not have sex with that women, etc. Igor, all that we're being fed is pure bullshit. However, the big difference is that the western media is able to dig up the truth but when the Russian media attempts to do likewise their office is raided and the reporters are jailed under trumped up charges. Guess I'm again getting into that Freedom of speech and Freedom of the press thing again.

Speaking of the truth QUEEN BROWNSTAINS ALLAM's ass is sewed to his face. This helps to explain why the leader of the HOMO 5 is such a disgusting, ugly, perverted loser. He dosen't know if he should use toothpaste or Preperation H cooling gel when brushing his teeth. Also, rather than chewing on a piece of gum or a mint, he prefers to put a suppository under his tongue. Pig bastard that he is.

gonzo.
i've hit new highs for the gas i put in my car;
$1.65 a gallon for regular.
in feb. '99 i paid 86 cents for regular.

but didnt countries in europe surpass $2.00 a
gallon years ago?

$1.65 gal us close to
$4 per gal avg europe

allshit doesnt know if he's giving a blowjob or getting it in the ass to him its allsame

Chechnya: Is the War Really Over?
27 June 2000
Summary

Despite its proclamations of victory, Russia is no closer to winning the war in Chechnya than it was six months ago. Col. Gen. Gennady Troshev, the military commander for the region, has virtually begged for the resources to finish the job. The Kremlin, nevertheless, has pulled out troops. In a final effort to alter the situation on the ground, Troshev took matters into his own hands on June 25 and declared an end to the war. The Russian commander appears intent on forcing Moscow to focus on the war, admit loss – or sack him and expose a serious political rift in the country’s military.
Analysis

Russia’s military commander in Chechnya has openly challenged both the military’s general staff and the civilian-run Defense Ministry in Moscow over how the campaign is being waged.

In the past two days contradictory statements have emerged from the military leadership, making it clear that Col. Gen. Gennady Troshev, commander of Russian troops in Chechnya, is trying to pressure Moscow into action. Troshev will force Moscow either to focus on a war it has largely laid aside, admit a loss – or sack the insubordinate commander and risk exposing a rift within the military.

Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin admitted to the press on June 24 that the military had yet to secure its grip on the breakaway Chechen republic. The next day, Troshev, who recently called on Moscow to end the war, announced that the war was over and there would be no more air or artillery attacks against the rebels. Nevertheless, in the 24 hours between June 25 and June 26, Russian planes and helicopters flew 42 combat missions.

Troshev, stripped of resources and charged with winning a war that is no longer a priority for President Vladimir Putin, is facing an endless, bloody war. The Chechens staged more than 20 attacks per day several days last week, and continue to pose a serious challenge to Russian forces.

Meanwhile, Moscow has vacillated in its official decision on whether the war is over and has pursued an aimless policy of low-grade combat. Approximately half of the original 90,000 troops have been sent home. According to Kvashnin, the current Kremlin belief is that the war has not been won. And, despite his decision to take direct control over the republic, the president has turned little apparent attention to the Chechen conflict.

Troshev, traditionally one of the military’s most staunch proponents of the Chechen war, no longer has even the slightest hope of a military victory in Chechnya under these conditions. However, he also has no desire to lead a drawn-out mission in Chechnya – or be saddled with the blame for a perpetually failing campaign. Several weeks ago Troshev made a public statement calling for the politicians who started the war to end it – though not by negotiations. In other words, he wanted permission to take the necessary action to win the war.

When Moscow kept pulling troops out, Troshev realized he was being asked to do the impossible. Unable to ensure a military victory, he decided to send a message to Moscow by creating a false political victory. He declared that the war had been won, the army could go home, and only the Interior Ministry troops needed to remain for the mopping up operations. His move will finally force Moscow into action.

None of the Kremlin’s options, however, are appealing. To end the war, the Kremlin will either have to negotiate a settlement with the Chechens, send adequate troops and supplies back to its troops there or fire Troshev and continue the ambiguous status quo. The last time Troshev was fired – when he openly criticized the Kremlin’s three-day cease-fire on Grozny in January – the military’s support for him was so overwhelming that it would be risky for Moscow to fire him again when it needs its troops’ loyalty.

Surrendering in Chechnya would undermine the image Putin has cultivated for himself; it would be political suicide for the man who built his presidency and popularity on a strong and nationalistic Russia to come so far on the battlefield only to effectively hand the republic back to the rebels. Re-deploying to Chechnya, although perhaps securing an eventual win, would drag out the war and guarantee heavy Russian losses.

Troshev believes he can win the Chechen war, given the resources. But since he is being ignored, he is granting Moscow a sort of peace in Chechnya in an attempt to force the Kremlin’s hand.

L'MENEXE

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How An Explosion in Kuwait Will Rock the Price of Oil
0000 GMT, 000627
An explosion at Kuwait’s largest oil refinery – which normally processes 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day – has shut the facility down indefinitely.

Until the market balances itself or the refinery comes back on line, the explosion will have an unusual, two-fold effect on the global energy market. Kuwait will replace refined products – like gasoline and jet fuel – with crude oil, helping to lower the price of crude while causing already high prices for finished products to rise even further.

A massive explosion occurred June 25 at Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, which is the oil-rich country’s largest refinery, with a capacity of nearly 440,000 barrels per day. The state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) reported that the explosion was caused by a leak in a gas pipeline; KPC explicitly ruled out sabotage surprisingly fast.

The refinery mainly produces gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel for both the export and the domestic markets. According to a Kuwaiti oil expert, around 80 percent of the refinery was damaged in the blast. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheik Saud Nasser Al Sabah said that the refinery is unlikely to be fully operational for months. It may take several weeks just to get the refinery up to half capacity.

The result is that a significant amount of Kuwaiti refined oil products will be taken off the market for weeks – possibly months – and replaced with crude. Kuwait’s two other refineries are now operating at full capacity to provide the country’s domestic consumption of refined goods. Forty percent of Kuwait’s oil exports are refined products. Al Sabah, who has submitted his resignation over the incident, said that some contracts for such products would have to be scrapped. He added, “there has been coordination with KPC to supply our customers with crude oil instead of the [refined] products.”

The explosion occurred just five days after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met in Vienna and agreed to increase crude oil production by 708,000 barrels daily. It is unlikely this amount will significantly reduce oil prices, currently above $30 per barrel – some of the highest prices since the 1991 Gulf War. At the gathering, Al Sabah said that Kuwaiti oil production will continue at the same level prior to the explosion.

In the short run, the amount of crude oil on world markets will rise. In addition to the OPEC-mandated increase of 708,000 barrels daily, Kuwait will be replacing its refined product with 440,000 barrels of crude oil. The new level of additional crude on the market – around 1.15 million barrels daily – should be enough to stabilize and possibly even lower crude oil prices.

But the price of refined products – the plant produced gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel – will likely rise because there will be 440,000 fewer barrels exported from Kuwait. In this case, markets for crude oil and refined oil product – though tightly intertwined – can fluctuate in different ways.

One industry that may feel the impact is the U.S. airline industry. Fifteen percent of all the United States’ imported jet fuel comes from Kuwait, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). While U.S. refineries currently have the spare capacity to make up the difference, it is not an immediate process. In fact, U.S. refineries may not pick up the slack at all, knowing that Kuwait will only be off-line for a few weeks. In the interim period, airlines may feel the pinch.

Although the Kuwaiti government plays down the incident, the explosion at Mina al-Ahmadi will certainly affect the oil market in strange ways. Global supply and demand will eventually dictate the long-term market. However, in the short-term, crude prices are likely to level off and drop while prices of refined goods – especially jet fuel in the United States – increase even further.

Will Ukraine veer towards NATO or the Russian bloc?
Kiev, June 24
(Fred Weir)

A COMPLEX tug-of-war is being waged over the soul of Ukraine which will determine in coming years whether the huge post-Soviet nation joins the Western military alliance NATO or turns toward a new Russian-sponsored bloc.

"We have made a commitment to expand NATO, as a result of which we will be shoving NATO's borders ahead," into the former Soviet Union, says Leigh Merrick, the head of NATO's liaison office in Kiev. "We have to do whatever we can to soften the blow and bring the Ukrainian people along with us," he says.

Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union nearly a decade ago, but remains deeply dependent on Russia for its energy supplies and the bulk of its international trade.

Nearly half of all Ukrainians still speak Russian as their first language. Moscow wants Ukraine to join the Tashkent Treaty, the security component of the Commonwealth of Independent States - headed by Russia - which would provide an alternative to NATO expansion into the former USSR. But in recent years, Ukraine's leadership has veered sharply toward the West, and is openly courting closer ties with NATO. Forces from the Western alliance hold regular joint exercises with the Ukrainian armed forces at a special training centre near Lvov.

Despite Russian objections, the first "live fire" war games involving the Ukrainian Navy and ships from 10 NATO countries were held last week in the former Soviet-run Black Sea, near the port of Odessa.

"Ukraine is a neutral, non-aligned State and is not currently in line for NATO membership. But never say never," says Mr Merrick. "Ukraine has made a clear choice to move toward Euro-Atlantic structures". However, the country's official pro-Western stance is not matched in the streets, where ordinary Ukrainians remain deeply suspicious and even hostile to NATO.

"I don't understand why our leaders want to join NATO," says Kristina Tarasiuk, a 23-year-old civil servant. "We should be trying to get closer to other former Soviet countries, who are more like us".

Public trust toward the West took a dive last year when NATO attacked Yugoslavia, which many Ukrainians regard as a brother Slavic and Orthodox State

Since all of you frequenting this board desperately want to learn about Islam, here is a good link I come acros via Time.
No need to thank, particularly you ALLAUSTRALIAN.

http://www.islam-guide.com/

kuwatti refinery fire will have no effect onbenchmarked light crude and north sea oil on futures market for july august delivery the refinery fire just another excuse to justify price gouging. here in midwest oil cos lower price 12 cents how fast price adjustments are made when threatned with an investigation.

igor seem like ur getting burnt 2

ur paying .79 canadian per ltr cheap stuff
.90 canadian supreme per ltr.

3.3 ltrs equals 1 gallon
.79 candian equals .53 us * 3.3=$1.749 us gal
.90 " ".61 us * 3.3=$2.97 us gal

sorry pal but ur getting burnt more than me.