| SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH ISAF COMMANDER DAN MCNEILL
SPIEGEL: Military commanders repeatedly emphasize that this war cannot be won through military means alone. At the same time you are constantly asking for more troops. Why? McNeill: Each army has a formula as to how to determine what you need in the way of security forces for a counter insurgency. If you use the US doctrine, which is based on population and land mass, the figure for Afghanistan comes out well over 400,000 troops. SPIEGEL: And how many do you have in total? .
Delhi cleans up for Commonwealth games but leaves locals without ...
When Baldev Singh arrived to open his car parts showroom last September he found not customers but officials from Delhi's municipal council at his doorstep. Part of a drive to clean up Delhi in advance of the 2010 Commonwealth games, Singh was forced to close his business - sacking 12 of his staff. Officials told him that zoning laws, previously ignored, were now to be zealously enforced. "They said I was operating illegally in a residential colony. But for seven years I had paid taxes and customers had been coming," says Singh, whose half-a-million pound property remains impounded by the city. The 60-year-old says he lost 20m rupees (£260,000) in sales before renting a space on a grimy petrol forecourt. "I had a luxury showroom. Why have they killed my business? Just for 15 days of the games.
Letters to the Editor (Feb. 21)
It is drivers with this attitude who make the roads dangerous, not cyclists like me.Wendy Byrne, CorvallisLots of considerate motorists, bicyclistsAs cycling season starts to heat up, it seems that the rhetoric between some motorists and cyclists does as well.This is unfortunate, because the vast majority of confrontations seem to be caused by relatively simple misunderstandings.By law, we all have a right to the roads and an obligation to follow the rules, even if some people don't like bikes and some don't like cars.We all pay taxes. Although there are vehicle use fees, most road funding is provided for by general taxes, property assessments, and the like. Besides, few cyclists don't also drive cars.To be certain, being held up behind a bicycle can be annoying.But how often do you get stuck behind someone who insists on turning left across a busy lane of traffic rather than continuing to a light or holding up an entire line of cars to wait for a parking spot?Anyone who drives into blind corners and other situations faster than he can react will eventually encounter a line of vehicles stopped for construction/accident, a kid running out to get a ball or on a bike, large debris, farm equipment, someone turning out of a driveway he didn't know was there, or a number of other common situations.Likewise, anyone who regularly blows through lights and stop signs on a bicycle will eventually cause an accident.As good luck would have it, there are a lot of considerate drivers and cyclists out there who practice defensive driving/cycling.Kyle Banerjee, MonmouthLet's talk solutions, not debate scienceJohn Jones ("Climate change has occurred in the past," Letters, Feb.
Leah Garchik
Makers of the movie "Milk" are going to film scenes of marches through the Castro next month, and are looking for volunteer extras of "all ages, races and genders," 18 and older. Filming is from 6:30 p.m. to midnight Feb. 4 at Castro and Market, and from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Feb. 8 at Market and Franklin. "There are no auditions," say the filmmakers. "If you show up and sign up, you will be used." Marchers are also invited to a free screening of the documentary, "The Times of Harvey Milk," on Monday at 4:30 p.m. at the Castro. P.S.: The City Hall rooms where Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were shot were redone in the '90s, so the old spaces will be re-created as sets for the movie. Movie buff Bob McDowell says the last time the San Francisco mayor's office appeared in a movie was in "Dirty Harry." Anybody remember later movie visits there? And Mark Abrahamson reports that at the Edge, political and cinematic fans are speculating that John Travolta would be right to play Dianne Feinstein in the movie.
Wisconsin Sports Spectacular
This just in, the Bucks are horrible. They lost to the Knicks and Clippers at home, yet the coach still tries to sell us on the fact that they can miraculously turn this around after the all star break. He keeps using the P word that ends with layoffs. I can't in good conscience put that word together in this blog when talking about the Bucks. This is what happens when you have a lame duck GM, much less an idiot lame duck GM. The Bucks need a complete overhaul from ownership to the floor. I'd love to see Mark Attanasio or somebody like him make the Senator an offer he can't refuse. Keep Yi, ditch everybody else from Bogut to Redd. Maybe keep Royal Ivey...JOKING!!! Tomorrow night the Badgers play at Indiana. That is going to be a tough game and I'm actually expecting a loss. Anything can happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath the way they've been in the last 3 weeks.
|
