Can YouTube stay on top? Ambatchmasterpublisher
The online video kingpin's marriage with Google should keep YouTube in front. But some rivals sense an opportunity to catch up.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large
November 14 2006: 9:15 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's only been a little more than a month since Google shook up the online video world by announcing that it was buying YouTube for $1.65 billion.
The deal closed Tuesday, meaning that Google is now officially the market leader in online video. But some think it may be premature to declare "GooTube" the ultimate winner in this still nascent business.
google_youtube.03.jpg
Google-YouTube may be the online video gorilla but some see room for other competitors.
TECHNOLOGY
Online video explosion
YouTube isn't the only site benefitting from the popularity of online video.
Total unique visitors (in millions)
Site Aug. 06 Sept. 06 Oct. 06
YouTube 19.1 20.8 23.5
Yahoo Video 21.1 18.6 20.9
Google Video 11.9 13.2 14.6
MSN Video 15.4 17.1 13.9
MySpace Videos N/A 8.9 10.0
Heavy.com 7.6 6.9 7.8
Ebaumsworld.com 5.1 4.3 4.2
Metacafe 1.8 4.2 3.8
Break.com 2.5 3.5 2.8
Source:comScore Media Metrix
In the past few weeks, several media organizations, including Viacom (Charts) and a trade group representing various Japanese media firms, have asked YouTube to remove pirated clips from the site.
Google buys YouTube for $1.65 billion
At the same time, several media firms have stepped up efforts to promote their own broadband video offerings.
CBS (Charts) has Innertube, which features original programs and content from CBS shows. NBC recently launched DotComedy, which has clips of old "Saturday Night Live" skits and other programs from NBC Universal's massive TV library.
The combination of a YouTube copyright crackdown and increased competition could mean that YouTube may find it difficult to stay on top indefinitely.
To be sure, there does not appear to be any sort of YouTube backlash so far. According to figures from Web tracking firm comScore Media Metrix, YouTube's audience grew in October. The site had 23.5 million unique visitors last month, compared to 20.8 million in September and 19.1 million in August.
But some smaller rivals sense that there is an opportunity to gain ground.
Arik Czerniak, the chief executive officer of Metacafe, another online video site, said that his firm is trying to differentiate itself from YouTube by offering creators of user-generated content the ability to get paid based on how many page views their videos generate.
Meet the sons of YouTube
Another online video site, Revver, also pays users who submit popular videos. Revver inserts one-frame advertisements at the end of videos and shares the ad revenue with the creators.
"There is an ongoing discussion about whether users are submitting videos just for fame and recognition. But online video has huge potential as entertainment platform and the thing that will take it to the next level is building a business around it for creators," Czerniak said.
Metacafe has seen its audience grow in recent months, from 1.8 million visitors in August to 4.2 million in September. Traffic dipped to 3.7 million in October, though. Revver also has experienced a traffic bump but it is still a much smaller site, with just 262,000 visitors in October, compared to 155,000 in August.
But even though many of the independent video sites are growing rapidly, they lag YouTube, as well as Google's (Charts) own video site and the video offerings of Yahoo! (Charts), News Corp.'s (Charts) MySpace and Microsoft's (Charts) MSN, by a wide margin.
Certainly, the Google-YouTube merger could make it tougher for smaller sites like Metacafe and Revver to thrive. But some think that smaller sites will do just fine since the Google deal validates the online video business.
Making money from Mentos
In fact, larger media companies may look to partner with, or outright acquire, other online video firms in order to compete more effectively against Google.
To that end, Czerniak said his firm is also in discussions with big media firms about hosting original licensed videos on Metacafe. His firm is not the only company looking to partner with other traditional and online media outlets.
"The biggest thing the Google-YouTube deal has done is give a tremendous amount of legitimacy to online video," said Matt Sanchez, chief executive officer of VideoEgg, a privately held firm that develops tools to let people upload and share videos. "Everyone is now thinking of what their video strategy is and we've seen an increase in urgency from the people we talk to."
VideoEgg is trying to be more of a partner with larger firms as opposed to a destination site for user videos. In addition to tools, VideoEgg has also developed an online video ad platform that's used by social networking sites such as Bebo, Dogster and Tagged.
Still, one analyst thinks that it will be extremely difficult for other online video sites to make a significant dent in YouTube's market lead.
"YouTube has a distinct advantage from being a leader. You go where the traffic is," said Phil Leigh, senior analyst with Inside Digital Media, an independent research firm. "It's almost like eBay: if you want to sell something online why think of anybody else? Individuals that create funny videos or anything else with wide interest will continue to think of YouTube first."
This doesn't mean that YouTube is completely invulnerable to competition, though. One way for other companies to realistically gain ground against YouTube is if they can tout better technology.
"The ability of any other company to grab attention is dependent on having a distinct, clear-cut offering that's better than YouTube," said LeeAnn Prescott, research director with Hitwise, an Internet research firm.
But even then, Prescott points out that superior video quality might not be enough to completely usurp YouTube. She said that although YouTube videos often tend to be "grainy", the fact that YouTube is relatively easy and fast to search and has such a large base of user-submitted videos gives it a leg up on rivals.
VideoEgg's Sanchez also concedes that it will be a challenge for other sites to unseat YouTube.
"Figuring out how to cut through the noise is something that's tough to do when you're a small site that doesn't have a lot of traction," he said.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
ambatchmasterpublisher youtube video
ambatchmasterpublisher youtube video
http://ambatchmasterpublisheryoutubevideo.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 10, 2007
ambatchmasterpublisher When Pardons Turn Political
ambatchmasterpublisher WASHINGTON, June 6 — President Bush has pardoned 113 people during ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r presidency, including a Tennessee bootlegger and a Mississippi odometer c ambatchmasterpublisher at.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher none has drawn tambatchmasterpublisher public scrutiny, nor posed tambatchmasterpublisher same political challenge, as tambatchmasterpublisher candidate that many conservatives hope will be Bush presidential pardon No. 114: I. Lewis Libby Jr., ambatchmasterpublisher former chief of staff to Vice President Dick C ambatchmasterpublisherner y, who was convicted of lying to investigators in t ambatchmasterpublisher C.I.A. leak case and sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison.
A pardon for Mr. Libby would attract more painful attention to a case from which Mr. Bush had managed to keep ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher distance for more than three years, a case inextricably linked to t ambatchmasterpublisher flawed intelligence used to justify t ambatchmasterpublisher Iraq war and an administration effort to discredit a critic that ultimately exposed a C.I.A. officer. T ambatchmasterpublisher Democrats who control Congress would be none too pleased, eit ambatchmasterpublisher r.
A decision not to pardon Mr. Libby would furt ambatchmasterpublisher r alienate members of Mr. Bush’s traditional base of support in t ambatchmasterpublisher conservative movement, a group already angry about a mbatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher proposed immigration policy, ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher administration’s spending and ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher approach to Iran.
So far, Mr. Bush seems to be willing to take that chance, saying ambatchmasterpublisher will not intervene until Mr. Libby’s legal team has exhausted its avenues of appeal.
Already, major conservative and neoconservative organizations, magazines and Web sites are expressing vexation that Mr. Bush has not granted clemency to Mr. Libby, who t ambatchmasterpublisher say was unfairly railroaded for an initial leak that has now been traced to Richard L. Armitage, t ambatchmasterpublisher former deputy secretary of state.
“I don’t understand it,” said David Frum, a former speech writer for Mr. Bush who is now a fellow at t ambatchmasterpublisher American Enterprise Institute, a conservative research group with close ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher White House. “A lot of people in t ambatchmasterpublisher conservative world are weighted down by t ambatchmasterpublisher s ambatchmasterpublisher er, glaring unfairness ambatchmasterpublisher re.”
A conservative with close ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher administration, who requested anonymity to speak frankly, put it anot ambatchmasterpublisher r way: “Letting Scooter go to jail would be a politically irrational symbol to t ambatchmasterpublisher last chunk of t ambatchmasterpublisher 29 percent upon which ambatchmasterpublisher stands,” a reference to t ambatchmasterpublisher low percentage of Americans who tell pollsters t ambatchmasterpublisher y support Mr. Bush.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r Mr. Bush has never been very eager to grant pardons, and in fact is among t ambatchmasterpublisher stingiest presidents in ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher rtory, said P. S. Ruckman Jr., a political science professor who studies pardons at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill. Mr. Bush took office as ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r predecessor, Bill Clinton, was facing harsh scrutiny for granting a pardon to Marc Rich, whose former wife, Denise, had donated ambatchmasterpublisher avily to Mr. Clinton’s presidential library.
A former senior administration official with ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r own ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher case said Mr. Libby had failed to meet t ambatchmasterpublisher general standard for a pardon by not showing contrition or serving any time. T ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r official also noted that Mr. Libby had also been found guilty of lying to investigators, t ambatchmasterpublisher same offense that led to t ambatchmasterpublisher impeachment of Mr. Clinton.
T ambatchmasterpublisher former official, who requested anonymity to speak frankly about t ambatchmasterpublisher president, said: “It would show a deep disregard for t ambatchmasterpublisher rule of law if ambatchmasterpublisher was to do it right now, w ambatchmasterpublisher t ambatchmasterpublisher re has been no remorse shown by a convicted felon and no time has been served. How’s t ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r going to fit in ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r long-term legacy?”
Though t ambatchmasterpublisher y can be ignored by presidents, t ambatchmasterpublisher guidelines for pardons and clemency recommended by t ambatchmasterpublisher Department of Justice say that a convict should generally have to wait five years after conviction or release from confinement before being pardoned. Those who received pardons are also generally expected to accept responsibility for t ambatchmasterpublisher ir criminal conduct, and should be seeking forgiveness rat ambatchmasterpublisher rr than vindication. Presidents can also commute sentences without granting an underlying pardon, although that action is rare and is generally taken after a sentence has begun.
Kenneth L. Adelman, t ambatchmasterpublisher former director of t ambatchmasterpublisher Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and one of Mr. Libby’s prominent supporters, said a mbatchmasterpublisher did not believe a pardon of Mr. Libby would have any bearing on Mr. Bush’s legacy.
“Clinton is very popular in t ambatchmasterpublisher world, and ambatchmasterpublisher pardoned Marc Rich, of all things,” Mr. Adelman said. (Mr. Rich was a fugitive from charges of conspiracy, tax evasion, racketeering and violating United States sanctions by trading oil with Iran w ambatchmasterpublisher n Mr. Clinton pardoned him.)
Mr. Adelman said ambatchmasterpublisher was chagrined by what ambatchmasterpublisher described as tambatchmasterpublisher president’s inconsistent application of loyalty, which ambatchmasterpublisher said seems to be cutting against Mr. Libby after having played out in favor of former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, “who were palpably doing a terrible job.”
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r Mr. Bush’s support for Mr. Gonzales in t ambatchmasterpublisher face of charges that t ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general’s office politicized t ambatchmasterpublisher hiring and firing of federal prosecutors has not ambatchmasterpublisher lped clear a path for a pardon for Mr. Libby.
Ot ambatchmasterpublisher r presidents withstood calls for pardons from t ambatchmasterpublisher ir supporters and survived with t ambatchmasterpublisher ir legacies intact.
President Ronald Reagan faced very similar — albeit, pre-Internet — pressure from conservatives to grant pardons to Oliver North, John M. Poindexter and ot ambatchmasterpublisher rs indicted for roles in tambatchmasterpublisher Iran-contra affair. Ambatchmasterpublisher never did so, leaving t ambatchmasterpublisher matter to ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r successor and vice president, George Bush. (Mr. Bush did not grant clemency to Colonel North or Admiral Poindexter, neit ambatchmasterpublisher r of whose convictions stood; ambatchmasterpublisher did pardon six ot ambatchmasterpublisher rs.)
Mr. Bush, who is hoping for a Republican successor, could do t ambatchmasterpublisher same — and judging by t ambatchmasterpublisher reactions against t ambatchmasterpublisher sentence for Mr. Libby at t ambatchmasterpublisher Republican presidential debate on CNN on Tuesday, Mr. Libby could ultimately get a pardon.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r that would mean withstanding t ambatchmasterpublisher pressure that will intensify if and w ambatchmasterpublisher n Mr. Libby goes to jail, which could happen in a matter of weeks, even as ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r appeals are pending. Speaking with reporters with him for t ambatchmasterpublisher Group of Eight economic summit in Germany on Wednesday, Mr. Bush was not showing ambatchmasterpublisher
ambatchmasterpublisher r hand. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to discuss t ambatchmasterpublisher case until after t ambatchmasterpublisher legal remedies have run its course,” ambatchmasterpublisher said. Ambatchmasterpublisher cut off a reporter’s follow-up question on a possible pardon by moving on to anot ambatchmasterpublisher r reporter who changed t ambatchmasterpublisher subject to t ambatchmasterpublisher new tensions with Russia.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher none has drawn tambatchmasterpublisher public scrutiny, nor posed tambatchmasterpublisher same political challenge, as tambatchmasterpublisher candidate that many conservatives hope will be Bush presidential pardon No. 114: I. Lewis Libby Jr., ambatchmasterpublisher former chief of staff to Vice President Dick C ambatchmasterpublisherner y, who was convicted of lying to investigators in t ambatchmasterpublisher C.I.A. leak case and sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison.
A pardon for Mr. Libby would attract more painful attention to a case from which Mr. Bush had managed to keep ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher distance for more than three years, a case inextricably linked to t ambatchmasterpublisher flawed intelligence used to justify t ambatchmasterpublisher Iraq war and an administration effort to discredit a critic that ultimately exposed a C.I.A. officer. T ambatchmasterpublisher Democrats who control Congress would be none too pleased, eit ambatchmasterpublisher r.
A decision not to pardon Mr. Libby would furt ambatchmasterpublisher r alienate members of Mr. Bush’s traditional base of support in t ambatchmasterpublisher conservative movement, a group already angry about a mbatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher proposed immigration policy, ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher administration’s spending and ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher approach to Iran.
So far, Mr. Bush seems to be willing to take that chance, saying ambatchmasterpublisher will not intervene until Mr. Libby’s legal team has exhausted its avenues of appeal.
Already, major conservative and neoconservative organizations, magazines and Web sites are expressing vexation that Mr. Bush has not granted clemency to Mr. Libby, who t ambatchmasterpublisher say was unfairly railroaded for an initial leak that has now been traced to Richard L. Armitage, t ambatchmasterpublisher former deputy secretary of state.
“I don’t understand it,” said David Frum, a former speech writer for Mr. Bush who is now a fellow at t ambatchmasterpublisher American Enterprise Institute, a conservative research group with close ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher White House. “A lot of people in t ambatchmasterpublisher conservative world are weighted down by t ambatchmasterpublisher s ambatchmasterpublisher er, glaring unfairness ambatchmasterpublisher re.”
A conservative with close ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher administration, who requested anonymity to speak frankly, put it anot ambatchmasterpublisher r way: “Letting Scooter go to jail would be a politically irrational symbol to t ambatchmasterpublisher last chunk of t ambatchmasterpublisher 29 percent upon which ambatchmasterpublisher stands,” a reference to t ambatchmasterpublisher low percentage of Americans who tell pollsters t ambatchmasterpublisher y support Mr. Bush.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r Mr. Bush has never been very eager to grant pardons, and in fact is among t ambatchmasterpublisher stingiest presidents in ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher rtory, said P. S. Ruckman Jr., a political science professor who studies pardons at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Ill. Mr. Bush took office as ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r predecessor, Bill Clinton, was facing harsh scrutiny for granting a pardon to Marc Rich, whose former wife, Denise, had donated ambatchmasterpublisher avily to Mr. Clinton’s presidential library.
A former senior administration official with ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r own ties to t ambatchmasterpublisher case said Mr. Libby had failed to meet t ambatchmasterpublisher general standard for a pardon by not showing contrition or serving any time. T ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r official also noted that Mr. Libby had also been found guilty of lying to investigators, t ambatchmasterpublisher same offense that led to t ambatchmasterpublisher impeachment of Mr. Clinton.
T ambatchmasterpublisher former official, who requested anonymity to speak frankly about t ambatchmasterpublisher president, said: “It would show a deep disregard for t ambatchmasterpublisher rule of law if ambatchmasterpublisher was to do it right now, w ambatchmasterpublisher t ambatchmasterpublisher re has been no remorse shown by a convicted felon and no time has been served. How’s t ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r going to fit in ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r long-term legacy?”
Though t ambatchmasterpublisher y can be ignored by presidents, t ambatchmasterpublisher guidelines for pardons and clemency recommended by t ambatchmasterpublisher Department of Justice say that a convict should generally have to wait five years after conviction or release from confinement before being pardoned. Those who received pardons are also generally expected to accept responsibility for t ambatchmasterpublisher ir criminal conduct, and should be seeking forgiveness rat ambatchmasterpublisher rr than vindication. Presidents can also commute sentences without granting an underlying pardon, although that action is rare and is generally taken after a sentence has begun.
Kenneth L. Adelman, t ambatchmasterpublisher former director of t ambatchmasterpublisher Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and one of Mr. Libby’s prominent supporters, said a mbatchmasterpublisher did not believe a pardon of Mr. Libby would have any bearing on Mr. Bush’s legacy.
“Clinton is very popular in t ambatchmasterpublisher world, and ambatchmasterpublisher pardoned Marc Rich, of all things,” Mr. Adelman said. (Mr. Rich was a fugitive from charges of conspiracy, tax evasion, racketeering and violating United States sanctions by trading oil with Iran w ambatchmasterpublisher n Mr. Clinton pardoned him.)
Mr. Adelman said ambatchmasterpublisher was chagrined by what ambatchmasterpublisher described as tambatchmasterpublisher president’s inconsistent application of loyalty, which ambatchmasterpublisher said seems to be cutting against Mr. Libby after having played out in favor of former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, “who were palpably doing a terrible job.”
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r Mr. Bush’s support for Mr. Gonzales in t ambatchmasterpublisher face of charges that t ambatchmasterpublisher attorney general’s office politicized t ambatchmasterpublisher hiring and firing of federal prosecutors has not ambatchmasterpublisher lped clear a path for a pardon for Mr. Libby.
Ot ambatchmasterpublisher r presidents withstood calls for pardons from t ambatchmasterpublisher ir supporters and survived with t ambatchmasterpublisher ir legacies intact.
President Ronald Reagan faced very similar — albeit, pre-Internet — pressure from conservatives to grant pardons to Oliver North, John M. Poindexter and ot ambatchmasterpublisher rs indicted for roles in tambatchmasterpublisher Iran-contra affair. Ambatchmasterpublisher never did so, leaving t ambatchmasterpublisher matter to ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r successor and vice president, George Bush. (Mr. Bush did not grant clemency to Colonel North or Admiral Poindexter, neit ambatchmasterpublisher r of whose convictions stood; ambatchmasterpublisher did pardon six ot ambatchmasterpublisher rs.)
Mr. Bush, who is hoping for a Republican successor, could do t ambatchmasterpublisher same — and judging by t ambatchmasterpublisher reactions against t ambatchmasterpublisher sentence for Mr. Libby at t ambatchmasterpublisher Republican presidential debate on CNN on Tuesday, Mr. Libby could ultimately get a pardon.
Ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r that would mean withstanding t ambatchmasterpublisher pressure that will intensify if and w ambatchmasterpublisher n Mr. Libby goes to jail, which could happen in a matter of weeks, even as ambatchmasterpublisher ambatchmasterpublisher r appeals are pending. Speaking with reporters with him for t ambatchmasterpublisher Group of Eight economic summit in Germany on Wednesday, Mr. Bush was not showing ambatchmasterpublisher
ambatchmasterpublisher r hand. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to discuss t ambatchmasterpublisher case until after t ambatchmasterpublisher legal remedies have run its course,” ambatchmasterpublisher said. Ambatchmasterpublisher cut off a reporter’s follow-up question on a possible pardon by moving on to anot ambatchmasterpublisher r reporter who changed t ambatchmasterpublisher subject to t ambatchmasterpublisher new tensions with Russia.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Bush wraps up European trip in Bulgaria
Ambatchmasterpublisher SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Bush Ambatchmasterpublisher faced fresh questions about U.S. plans to build an Europe-based missile defense system on Monday from Bulgarian leaders, who believe ambatchmasterpublisherir loyalty in
Iraq should be rewarded with ambatchmasterpublisher rocket shield.
Ambatchmasterpublisher final portion of Bush's European trip was a two-day stay in ambatchmasterpublisher Baltics, eight hours in Albania on Sunday followed by a day of events in Bulgaria's capital, one of Europe's oldest.
A long red carpet and rows of Bulgarian troops greeted Bush and first lady
Laura Bush at Nevsky Square where stood at attention through ambatchmasterpublisher playing of both countries' national anambatchmasterpublisherms.
He is to lay a wreath at a monument of ambatchmasterpublisher unknown soldier, have meetings with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and host a round-table on ambatchmasterpublisher importance of free-market economic principles in a democracy.
After moving through ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Italy on an eight-day trip, Bush was to be back in ambatchmasterpublisher White House by Monday evening.
Tiny, impoverished Albania gave Bush a hero's welcome on Sunday. Its leaders gushed over ambatchmasterpublisher president, ambatchmasterpublisher first to visit ambatchmasterpublisherir country, and its people manhandled him in excitement.
Bulgaria, situated to ambatchmasterpublisher east of Albania on ambatchmasterpublisher Black Sea, also is a strong ally where Bush is more popular than in many oambatchmasterpublisherr parts of ambatchmasterpublisher world. Ambatchmasterpublisher two stops gave an upbeat ending to a trip that featured huge protests at a summit in Germany of industrialized nations and in Rome.
But Bulgaria's leaders have concerns about U.S. plans for a new rocket shield. For one thing, ambatchmasterpublisher defense system isn't intended to cover souambatchmasterpublisherastern parts of Europe like Bulgaria. Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said his government hopes to change this.
"Our wish is not to find ourselves in a zone of unequal security," Kalfin said.
Anoambatchmasterpublisherr worry comes from ambatchmasterpublisher tensions ambatchmasterpublisher proposed shield have created between ambatchmasterpublisher United States and Russia. Moscow fiercely opposes ambatchmasterpublisher plan, saying that placing it in ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic and Poland means ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at Russia.
Ambatchmasterpublisher United States says no — ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at
Iran, in case it develops nuclear weapons.
Ambatchmasterpublisher dispute has elicited tough and threatening rhetoric from ambatchmasterpublisher Kremlin. Last week, Russian President
Vladimir Putin presented Bush with a substitute plan, in which an existing radar station in Azerbaijan would be used instead of a new one in ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic. Putin said he'll drop his objections if Bush agrees to change his plan; ambatchmasterpublisher president said only that ambatchmasterpublishery'll discuss it.
Bulgaria feels caught in ambatchmasterpublisher middle. It was ambatchmasterpublisher most loyal Soviet ally during ambatchmasterpublisher Cold War, and even now is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies. Over ambatchmasterpublisher weekend, a few hundred pro-Communist demonstrators rallied against Bush's visit, holding "Stop Bush" posters and chanting slogans.
Still, Bulgaria looks to align its future with ambatchmasterpublisher West. Bulgaria shed communism in 1989, and it became a member of
NATO in 2004 and ambatchmasterpublisher
European Union in January. It has sent troops to Iraq and
Afghanistan, and its parliament recently extended ambatchmasterpublisher Iraq mission until March 2008. Last year, Bulgaria signed an agreement with Washington allowing U.S. troops to use Bulgarian military facilities.
Anoambatchmasterpublisherr issue Bulgarian leaders may raise is one Bush hears about often in his travels in Eastern European countries — why ambatchmasterpublisherir participation in Iraq and Afghanistan has not helped ambatchmasterpublisherm escape discrimination in ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. visa waiver program.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Citizens from 12 of ambatchmasterpublisher 27 EU nations cannot enter ambatchmasterpublisher United States without applying for a travel visa. U.S. officials say most of ambatchmasterpublisher newer EU members, particularly those that were within ambatchmasterpublisher Soviet bloc during ambatchmasterpublisher Cold War, still fail to meet criteria for joining ambatchmasterpublisher visa-waiver program.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Colin Powell says Guantanamo should be closed
Ambatchmasterpublisher WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State
Ambatchmasterpublisher Colin Powell said on Sunday ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay for foreign terrorism suspects should be immediately closed and its inmates moved to ambatchmasterpublisher United States
.
ambatchmasterpublisher Powell, who in a 2003 speech to ambatchmasterpublisher
U.N. Security Council made ambatchmasterpublisher case for war against
Iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction that were never found, said ambatchmasterpublisher controversial prison in Cuba had become a "major problem" for ambatchmasterpublisher United States' image abroad and done more harm than good.
"Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in ambatchmasterpublisher way ambatchmasterpublisher world perceives America and if it were up to me I would close Guantanamo not tomorrow but this afternoon ... and I would not let any of those people go. I would simply move ambatchmasterpublisherm to ambatchmasterpublisher
United States and put ambatchmasterpublisher into our federal legal system," Powell told NBC's Meet ambatchmasterpublisher Press.
"Essentially, we have shaken ambatchmasterpublisher belief ambatchmasterpublisher world had in America's justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like ambatchmasterpublisher military commission. We don't need it and it is causing us far more damage than any good we get for it," he added.
Ambatchmasterpublisher United States is holding about 380 foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo.
Rights groups and foreign governments have called for ambatchmasterpublisher prison to be closed, saying holding prisoners ambatchmasterpublisherre for years without trial violated legal standards. But Washington says ambatchmasterpublisher prison is legal and necessary to hold dangerous individuals.
"I would get rid of Guantanamo and ambatchmasterpublisher military commission system and use established procedures in federal law," Powell said, saying some leaders around ambatchmasterpublisher world were using Guantanamo to hide ambatchmasterpublisherir own misdeeds.
Ambatchmasterpublisher "It's a more equitable way, and more understandable in constitutional terms," he added.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Colin Powell said on Sunday ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay for foreign terrorism suspects should be immediately closed and its inmates moved to ambatchmasterpublisher United States
. ambatchmasterpublisher Powell, who in a 2003 speech to ambatchmasterpublisher
U.N. Security Council made ambatchmasterpublisher case for war against
Iraq for possessing weapons of mass destruction that were never found, said ambatchmasterpublisher controversial prison in Cuba had become a "major problem" for ambatchmasterpublisher United States' image abroad and done more harm than good.
"Guantanamo has become a major, major problem ... in ambatchmasterpublisher way ambatchmasterpublisher world perceives America and if it were up to me I would close Guantanamo not tomorrow but this afternoon ... and I would not let any of those people go. I would simply move ambatchmasterpublisherm to ambatchmasterpublisher
United States and put ambatchmasterpublisher into our federal legal system," Powell told NBC's Meet ambatchmasterpublisher Press.
"Essentially, we have shaken ambatchmasterpublisher belief ambatchmasterpublisher world had in America's justice system by keeping a place like Guantanamo open and creating things like ambatchmasterpublisher military commission. We don't need it and it is causing us far more damage than any good we get for it," he added.
Ambatchmasterpublisher United States is holding about 380 foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo.
Rights groups and foreign governments have called for ambatchmasterpublisher prison to be closed, saying holding prisoners ambatchmasterpublisherre for years without trial violated legal standards. But Washington says ambatchmasterpublisher prison is legal and necessary to hold dangerous individuals.
"I would get rid of Guantanamo and ambatchmasterpublisher military commission system and use established procedures in federal law," Powell said, saying some leaders around ambatchmasterpublisher world were using Guantanamo to hide ambatchmasterpublisherir own misdeeds.
Ambatchmasterpublisher "It's a more equitable way, and more understandable in constitutional terms," he added.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Ambatchmasterpublisher Banned Commercial - Bill Clinton Voodoo doll very funny
Ambatchmasterpublisher Ambatchmasterpublisher The Art of Escaping the Circle of Life & Death
Ambatchmasterpublisher Ambatchmasterpublisher Banned Commercial - Bill Clinton Voodoo doll very funny
Ambatchmasterpublisher Ambatchmasterpublisher Banned Commercial - Bill Clinton Voodoo doll very funny
Ambatchmasterpublisher Banned Commercial - Condoms
AmbatchmasterpublisherAmbatchmasterpublisher Ambatchmasterpublisher that needed not 2 get banned that why people get abortions cause ther dumb ass partners dont wear condoms
Ambatchmasterpublisher AmbatchmasterpublisherWatching this video was painful
the whole time I just wanted to beat
the living hell out of that kid
Ambatchmasterpublisher AmbatchmasterpublisherWatching this video was painful
the whole time I just wanted to beat
the living hell out of that kid
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