Obama Sends 17,000 More Troops To Afghanistan

From Democracy Now:

Obama Orders 17,000 Troops to Afghanistan

In his most significant military decision to date, President Obama has ordered an additional 17,000 US troops to Afghanistan. The move fulfills a campaign pledge to increase the size of the US occupation. The new deployments will take effect in May, increasing the US occupation force to 55,000—a 50 percent rise. Another 32,000 non-US NATO troops are also in Afghanistan. The news came as the UN said Afghan civilian casualties jumped by nearly 40 percent last year. US-led forces were responsible for nearly 40 percent of the deaths, killing 828 people out of a reported 2,100 casualties.


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Ron Paul delivers a powerful message in Congress

Clean Coal?

Last week I made a post about the fifty billion dollar loan guarantee to "innovative" energy technologies. I mentioned that of the twelve qualifying technologies among them were nuclear power and clean coal. Today I'm posting an article by Joshua Frank on clean coal technology. I've also included a video from Democracy Now! about the Tennessee Coal Ash Spill that occurred late last year.

"The Myth of Clean Coal" By Joshua Frank

Nuclear Power Energy Provision

Part of Obama's stimlus package gives a fifty billion dollar federal loan guarantee for "innovative" technologies, although a dozen different technologies qualify among them are nuclear power and clean coal technology. As I stated during the election, americans were without a choice on nuclear power. The technology can't find funding on wall street due to its high cost and the danger it presents to surrounding communities. To find out more about this provision included in the stimulus package check out the article below from the Washington Post. I also included a link to the Public Citizen page on Nuclear Power.

Energy Provision May Test Priorities By Steven Mufson

The Case Against Nuclear Power by Public Citzen