Syrian-Turkish Conflict leads to NATO discussions.

NATO will be holding “urgent” meetings today to deal with the problems that arose when Syria shot down a Turkish plane last Friday. Turkey is invoking “NATO’s Article Four” according to VOA presses. According to Yale Law’s website, NATO’s Article Four requires the meeting of all NATO parties to determine if, “in the opinion of any member”, there is a “territorial integrity, political independence, or security” threat.

The plane shot down last Friday was a Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet flying in Syrian airspace. According to Reuters website, “Damascus described its shooting down of the F-4 jet on Friday as an act of self-defense.” While sending a second military transport plane into Syrian airspace to search for the wreckage of the shot-down F-4, the Syrian government fired on the second plane. The second plane remained airborne but Turkey stated “This kind of action [called harassing fire by officials] will not remain unpunished.” The second plane had no reported injuries to anyone on board.

Although both countries strongly oppose the idea of going to war Turkish officials states “Whatever is needed to be done will definitely be done within the framework of international law.” Turkey then cited NATO’s Article Four to determine if the actions of both parties constitute a direct threat to either nation.

According to VOA presses, the most likely response from NATO will involve sanctions on Syria and a plea to Turkey to remain “restrained in its response.” It is unlikely China and Russia would agree to authorize the use of force during the U.N. Security Council today but any military response could trigger a regional conflict with many nations, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue

Brett Neilsen and the Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue

Images of snakes and reptiles send a chill running through most people, but the Rocky
Mountain Reptile Rescue’s founder Brett Neilsen spends his time saving the poor misunderstood creatures. Brett Neilsen, the President of the Metro State Student Combat Club, has a cold-blooded hobby. After working for two years at Pet Co, Neilsen realized that reptiles in Colorado were being mistreated, malnourished, and stunted in their natural development. In 2010 Neilsen founded the Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue. This provides safe homes to reptiles throughout Colorado as well as informing people about reptiles and their needs as pets.

Despite a growing number of anti-snake legislations, Brett defends the mistreated animals. “After working for years with these animals I realized the problems were 90% human instigated.” According to CDA Press “Nearly any animal can be potentially dangerous. Statistics on animal attack fatalities show encounters with bees/wasps (.18 deaths per million people) and dogs (.07 per million) are far more lethal than snakes (less than .02 per million).”

After accidents with snakes hit the news “the media took it to mean snakes are evil.” Brett states before citing the mistreatment of the snakes involved in the accidents. Denver’s own Kyle Dyer just underscores the reality that any mistreated or traumatized animal will fight back. The good news is that “like humans, animals that experience trauma can be helped.” According to Care2’s Make a Difference website. This isn’t stopping the movement of anti-snake legislation that prohibits taking snakes across state lines and bans the sale or trade of snakes in many states around the U.S. According to Neilsen even animal rights activist groups such as PETA and HSUS are promoting anti-snake legislation that would ban Burmese Pythons and Boa Constrictors from being allowed as pets. “These laws will cause worse problems globally.” According to Neilsen.


Neilsen, who has been featured on CBS-4 Denver, also performs educational kid-friendly shows for the Colorado Wildlife Experience. “I’ve established a name.” Neilsen states calmly when asked about his activism. “I like working with misunderstood animals. I’ve always been fascinated by animals.” Soon the Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue might find itself facing its own skin shedding change. The Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue will soon be renamed as Reptile 911 for the emergency services it provides.

Neilsen’s Wildlife Experience show can be seen every first Sunday of the month from 10a.m. to 2p.m.
The Rocky Mountain Reptile Rescue can be reached at RMReptileRescue@gmail.com.

Asylum in Australia

Ten members of a persecuted Chinese spiritual group, the Falun Gong, made plans to escape to New Zealand but the perilous journey ended in a desperate plea for help. The group consisting of men, women and two children made plans to land in New Zealand but were picked up in Australian waters. From there the persecuted spritual group filed for asylum in Australia.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, "Mr Bowen [The immigration Minister for Australia] said the government had not made any special deals to convince them to stay in Australia."

"They've come to their own decision," he said.
"I'm sure it wouldn't have been an easy decision for them; they weighed everything up."

This decision is only made difficult by the strange law that states asylum can be granted to those arriving by air, but not by boat. Thus the ten men and women have been detained in a holding facility despite numerous protests from Refugee Advocates.

A New Generation of Protestors

Tibetan Independence: PART III

A new wave of protests are beginning in Northern India against the dictator-like rule of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

When the Dalai Lama was exiled in 1959 he began preaching from a new base in Dharamsala, India along with over ten thousand supporters who helped him form a de-facto capital. According to the Voice of America website "Twenty-seven-year-old Jamphel Yeshi became the first of this year’s self-immolations to take his life on Indian soil. He ran through the streets of New Delhi ablaze on March 26, just days before the scheduled arrival of Chinese President Hu Jintao. Activist posters plastered around Dharamsala celebrate him as a “martyr.” "


With such a growing number of supporters for Tibetan Independence it becomes only a matter of time before China's President Hu Jintao is forced to release his hold on the small country.

Argentina's Still Born Lives

Child-birth is hard enough without the medical community making critical mistakes. In Argentina Analia Bouter arrived at the Resistencia, Argentina hospital to deliver her baby girl, only to be told her daughter was still-born. The grieving mother begged to see her child but hospital officials barred her from seeing her baby and transfered the tiny body to the morgue.

After hours of begging, pleading, and demanding to see their baby the Bouters were finally admitted to the morgue nearly 12 hours later. To the Bouter's surprise the little girl had survived 12 hours in the refrigerated morgue box and was still alive.

This miracle underscores the dire need of efficient and highly trained medical personnel in Argentina. According to CBS News, Bouter grabbed her child and rushed to the ICU ward of the hospital. Bouter said, that "it was like carrying a bottle of ice."

The child has survived and a week later is doing well in the ICU ward of the hospital.

A New Year of Hope for Tokyo

After the devestating earthquake and tsunami that killed over 18,000 people last March, Tokyo is embracing a new year and with it new dreams of the future. The Cherry Blossom Viewing at Tokyo's Ueno Park saw 1,200 cherry trees blooming and blossoms falling making it a memorable spot for Tokyo's population.
"The parties called “hanami,” or “flower viewing” in Japanese, are spring traditions held among families, friends and co-workers. Parties beneath the cherry trees can go on all day and night, especially on weekends." According to Travel International.

Travel International also states, "signs were erected encouraging visitors to show “self-restraint” out of respect." The festival, marred by the threat of powercuts and blackouts, was a huge success. The flower-viewing drew in thousands of tourists, natives, and international visitors.

According to interviews done by Travel International “During last year’s cherry blossom season we were in a mood of self restraint after the earthquake,” said Yui Nakayama, 24. This year however there was a feeling of hope and renewal that allowed the grieving city a chance to heal.
Nakayama said “Japan has become energetic again, so I’m happy to relax and enjoy myself with my colleagues today.”

It is indeed a time of hope and renewal for Tokyo.

Democracy

Egypt's new democratic elections are seeing a high number of applicants for presidency but a number of them are being turned away. Former Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman was escorted by police off the premises today April 7th after filing papers to run for the Higher Presidential Elections Committee.

According to the Seattle PI website ten others have been refused and barred from entering their names as well. This begs the question of whether it is really a democratic election if many candidates are barred from participating. Despite the fact that the candidates would still have to be elected after filing papers to run, the Egyptian Government is making decisions about who can run for what positions.

In America we have the ability to write in votes or vote for any party member we so choose, but it appears that this is not the case in Egypt. "An Egyptian panel has barred 10 presidential hopefuls, including ex-spy chief, key Islamists, from race." According to the Seattle PI.

Considering there is such a huge Muslim and Islamic section of Egypt this news is indeed troubling because it is cutting out a huge section of Egypt's population. This problem is once again silencing voices that have a right to be heard.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Egypt-s-barred-presidency-front-runners-appeal-3482364.php#ixzz1sE10napM"