Farewell To President Bush, God Bless The USA

George W. Bush As The 43rd President Of The United States Of America....Job Well Done, Considering the Challenges - President Bush Carried Out His Duties With Calm, Honesty, And The Best Intentions

Why His Critics Are Wrong

(NSI News Source Info) January 20, 2009: When George W. Bush was governor of the state of Texas, he quickly gained marked popularity among constituents. He wasn't long into his first term before many began to hope he would have presidential aspirations. Little did they know, he already had.

When he was re-elected to his second term in November 1998, he became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive four-year terms. Of course his being elected to the Presidency of the United States of America was a victory for American conservatives, but it was also an indication that many wanted someone in the White House who cared about the issues that would make America better: socially and economically.

America was very fortunate that President Bush was the Commander in Chief in September 2001. Terrorists like the evil ones that attacked America on September 11 count on there being someone in charge who will fold to accommodate them, who will sympathize with their ridiculous messages and who will appease them in the false hope that they will leave American people alone. President Bush was not that person, and they hated it.

President Bush greets President-elect Barack Obama on the North Portico of the White House, January 20, 2009.

President George W Bush.

It's fair to state that President Bush has faced challenges that few who served have. When President Bush took office in 2001, he inherited a recession. Then there were the exposure and prosecution of corporate greed and corruption by Enron, WorldCom, and others. And then there was the largest attack ever on America, by al Qaeda on 9/11, which was followed by a well thought out and swift response.

This wonderful man with good sense of humor has been the leader of the free world for almost 8 years now and during that time President Bush has accomplished many achievements.

Standing Firm

At a time when almost all the world’s leaders were going crazy and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, President Bush stood firm and made the correct decision…he did not ratify Kyoto. What President Bush realised was climate change was a natural process and had nothing to do with CO2 emissions. Bush understood that any targets in reducing CO2 emissions would have no effect on the climate and would only serve to harm businesses.

World Security

His Presidency saw a rise in terrorism by al-Qaeda and many countries around the world had a problem with dealing with terrorists. President Bush kindly offered to deal with the terrorists for them. He rounded them up and placed them in a detention centre called Guantanamo Bay. This of course made the world a much safer place.

Iraq

Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq, failed to comply with 11 UN Resolutions so President Bush had no choice but to liberate the Iraqi people from a brutal, evil man and rid Iraq of terrorist groups. Iraq was not an overnight success but President Bush has decided to stay the course until the job is done and not cut and run like some of our so-called allies have done.I consider President Bush to be one of the greatest Presidents of all time. He stood firm against the climate nutters; he made the world a safer place; he liberated the Iraqi people; he pointed out to the world, the axis of evil; and of course he had many more achievements, too many to put in a small blog article.

France May Develop Short-Range SAM With India / France Hopes To Develop SR-SAM With India

France May Develop Short-Range SAM With India / France Hopes To Develop SR-SAM With India (NSI News Source Info) January 20, 2009: France wants to develop a new short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) in cooperation with India. Negotiations are nearing conclusion, according to Jean-David Levitte, Diplomatic Adviser to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Trishul is the name of a short range surface-to-air missile developed by India as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. It has a range of 9 km and is fitted with a 5.5 kg warhead. Designed to be used against low-level (sea skimming) targets at short range, the system has been developed to defend naval vessels against missiles and also as a short range surface to air missile on land. Guidance consists of three different guiding beams, with the guidance handed over progressively to a narrower beam as the missile approaches the target. According to reports, the range of the missile is 12 km and is fitted with a 15 kg warhead. The weight of the missile is 130 kg. The length of the missile is 3.1 m. Development costs of the missile touched almost $70 million to the taxpayers.India had Officially shut down Trishul Missile project on February 27,2008.

This new system may be the Maitri, which may incorporate technology from India's Trishul SAM and MBDA's MICA. India' state-run Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) released a global RFP for co-development of SR-SAM system.

Levitte said the process to secure a foreign partner is underway. India recently announced orders for the Akash, another indigenously designed missile, and the Israeli-built SPYDER.

Austrian Army Orders 150 IVECO Light Multirole Vehicles / Italy's IVECO-Defence Vehicle Division (DVD) To Supply 150 Light Multirole Vehicles.....

Austrian Army Orders 150 IVECO Light Multirole Vehicles / Italy's IVECO-Defence Vehicle Division (DVD) To Supply 150 Light Multirole Vehicles (LMVs) To Austrian Army (NSI News Source Info) WIEN - January 20, 2009: On January 14th, 2009, Defence Minister Mag. Norbert Darabos announced that on December 29th, 2009 the Austrian Ministry of Defence and IVECO Defence Vehicles signed a contract for the delivery of 150 Light Multirole Vehicles (LMV) in 7 different configurations and related logistics support.

By a specific request of the customer, all the vehicles are equipped with a ELBIT weapon station. During the press conference, Defence Minister Mag. Norbert Darabos underlined that award of contract had been made following a competitive procurement, according to the principle of the best bidder.

The Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV) is a completely new type of 4x4 on / off-road tactical vehicle.

The development of the Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV) illustrates IVECO DVD's outstanding ability to undertake rapid vehicle development programmes and to meet a range of threat levels. This completely new type of 4x4 on/off road tactical vehicle combines the roles of peacekeeping with peacemaking and follows the unique principles of “Dual Role” technology developed by IVECO. Under this concept vehicles are capable of operating with either varying levels of protection or in an unprotected state depending on the assessed threat. Protection is added without changing the external appearance of the vehicle, or affecting its automotive performance. From the outset, LMV was designed to incorporate high tactical mobility with high maximum road speed and optimal off-road and cross-country performance. It has high protection levels against anti tank and anti personnel mines with an emphasis on crew protection rather than vehicle integrity. The inherent stealthy design ensures low probability of detection from optical, thermal imaging or radar sensors. Already selected for front line duties by British, Italian and Belgian forces and with a confirmed order book already in excess of 3,000 vehicles, LMV is without question the light tactical vehicle of choice for the 21st century.

It was not the better-priced vehicle to be selected, but selection was made according to the best cost-performance ratio. IVECO DV was better-performing and better-priced – also declared Mag. Norbert Darabos.

IVECO’s Sales & Marketing Director, Flavio Marchesoni, stated: “This contract rewards our commitment to meet customers’ requirements through a programme of continuous development and innovation. In particular, the LMV offered to the Austrian Army incorporates the latest technology and enhancements to performance and protection”.

The Light Multirole Vehicle

Designed to offer high tactical mobility together with high maximum road speed and optimal off-road and cross-country performance, the LMV has high protection levels against anti tank and anti personnel mines with an emphasis on crew protection rather than vehicle integrity.

High reliability, ease of maintenance and low through life costs were key considerations during the design of LMV. Built in and external diagnostics allow timely identification of impending malfunctions, allowing preventive maintenance to be undertaken, whilst the facility to collect functional data allows effective whole fleet management.

The use of Commercial off the Shelf main assemblies such as the gearbox and engine ensure that performance and reliability have been proven over many millions of road miles in demanding environmental conditions.

Key-features of the LMV:

-- On and off road mobility

-- Crew comfort and safety

-- Vehicle versatility

-- High protection against mines and ballistic weapons

-- Suitable for numerous weapon system installations

Some figures on the LMV:

--Production output in 2008: 950 units

--The LMV was selected for front line duties by:

* Italy: 1260 units

* UK: 401 units

* Spain: 120 units

* Norway: 60 units

* Belgium: 440 units

* Croatia: 10 units

* Czech Republic: 19 units

* Austria: 150 units

--Facts about the LMV:

List of attacks performed against the LMV since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan. On each occasion, the vehicle proved to play a decisive role in saving the life of the crew:

* October 18th 2008,

* September 19th 2008,

* September, 7th 2008,

* September, 3rd 2008,

* July, 10th 2008,

* February, 23rd 2008,

* September 2007,

* March 2007

Brazil Exports Naval Ship To Namibia / Brazil Will Supply Namibian Navy With A Patrol Ship And Two Patrol Boats - Report

Brazil Exports Naval Ship To Namibia / Brazil Will Supply Namibian Navy With A Patrol Ship And Two Patrol Boats - Report (NSI News Source Info) BRASILIA - January 20, 2009: As a result of the tightening of relations between the governments of Brazil and Namibia, an agreement was signed in June 2004 for the supply of a patrol ship and two patrol boats to the navy of this African country.

The patrol ship, christened “Brendan Simbwaye” and armed with cannons and machine guns, is 46.5 meters long, can reach a maximum speed of 27 knots, and will be used to patrol and monitor Namibia’s coastline.

In 2009 handed patrol vessel "Brendan Simbwaye" commissioned by the Navy Emgepron Namibia equal to the hull of the class NPA Grajaú. This is the first ship to be built by a private yard in Brazil to sell a vessel of war to a friend of Brazil.

The project was managed by EMGEPRON, a public company tied to the Brazilian Navy, which guaranteed the ship’s quality as well as the armament installation and will provide logistic support to the Namibian navy.

For the construction of the vessels, the government of Namibia selected Indústria Naval do Ceará - INACE, based in Fortaleza, which had acquired the necessary know-how and technology by building Grajau-class patrol boats for the Brazilian Navy.

Since its founding the Brazilian Navy is the customer site. Between years 1996 to 2000 the INAC set another milestone in the construction of belonaves in Brazil with the construction of patrol vessels "Guanabara" and "Guarujá" Class Grajaú. The Brazilian Navy has a fleet of 12 vessels built under the same project and INAC was the only national private yard to deliver the vessels on time. The other boats were built in a German yard (six boats) and the other four were completed by the Navy Arsenal in Rio de Janeiro. In 2009 handed patrol vessel "Brendan Simbwaye" commissioned by the Navy Emgepron Namibia equal to the hull of the class NPA Grajaú. This is the first ship to be built by a private yard in Brazil to sell a vessel of war to a friend of Brazil.

This successful initiative, in addition to generating employment, developing production as well as naval technologies, also opens new perspectives for the export of naval ships, and will thus contribute to the expansion of the country’s defence industry.

The patrol boat “Brendan Simbwaye” will be commissioned into the Namibian Navy on January 16, 2009, and a ceremony will be held at the INACE shipyard in the presence of the authorities including Governor of the state of Cearà, the Defence Ministers of Brazil and Namibia, the Brazilian Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade; the commanders of the Brazilian and Namibian navies; and the Prefect of Fortaleza.

General characteristics:

-- displacement: 197 tonnes empty, 217 tonnes loaded;

-- Length: 46.5 meters, beam 7.5 meters and draught 2.3 meters;

-- propulsion: 2 MTU 16V 396 TB94 diesel engines rated at 2,740 bhp each, coupled to two shafts with fixed-pitch, three-bladed propellers.

-- fuel: 23 tonnes.

-- maximum speed: 26.5 knots; cruise speed: 22 knots.

-- range: 2,200 nautical miles at 12 knots (10 days).

Russia Delivers Third Su-30 To Indonesia / The Third Su-30MK2 For Indonesian Air Force

Russia Delivers Third Su-30 To Indonesia / The Third Su-30MK2 For Indonesian Air Force (NSI News Source Info) January 20, 2009: JSC “Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association named after Yury Gagarin” (KNAAPO) delivered the third Su-30MK2 fighter to Indonesia under the contract dated 23.07.2008 for the delivery of six aircraft - three Su-30MK2 and three Su-27SKM – to the Indonesian Air Force.

The Sukhoi Su-30MK2 is a more advanced modification that includes maritime strike capability. Current operators are the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force, the Venezuelan Air Force, and the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU).

They plan to reassemble and fly out the newly delivered aircraft before January 22nd. In last December two Su-30MK2 fighters were delivered to the Air Force of Indonesia. The Su-27SKMs are planned for delivery in 2009-2010.

Together with four early-bought Russian fighters the new ones are to form an air squadron [based] in Makasar.

Indonesia bought four fighters – two Su-30MK2 and two Su-27SKM – in 2003. The first flight tests of the new fighters were held on the 6th of January at “Hasanuddyn” airbase on Sulawesi. The official ceremony of the Russian fighters delivery to the Indonesian Air Force is scheduled until the end of January in Makasar.

India Test-Fires BrahMos Cruise Missile / India Test-Fires Supersonic Cruise Missile

India Test-Fires BrahMos Cruise Missile / India Test-Fires Supersonic Cruise Missile (NSI News Source Info) New Delhi - January 20, 2009: India test-fired BrahMos cruise missile successfully on Tuesday at the Pokhran test range of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. BrahMos, developed jointly with Russia, is a supersonic cruise missile and can be launched from submarine, ship, aircraft and land based Mobile Autonomous Launchers (MAL). The missile was to be test-fired for the third time in desert conditions on January 17 but it was postponed to January 20 due to heavy fog and rain in the area. BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. The acronym BrahMos is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two great rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia. At speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, it is the world's fastest cruise missile and is about three and a half times faster than the U.S.A's subsonic Harpoon cruise missile. A hypersonic version of the missile is also presently under development (Lab Tested with 5.26 Mach Speed). Though India had wanted the BrahMos to be based on a mid range cruise missile, namely P-700 Granit, instead Russia opted for the shorter range sister of the missile, P-800 Oniks, in order to comply with MTCR restrictions, to which Russia is a signatory. Its propulsion is based on the Russian Yakhont missile, and guidance has been developed by BrahMos Corp. The nuclear-capable BrahMos missile with a range of 290 kms was tested against the backdrop of heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai terror attacks. Defence Minister AK Antony said in New Delhi that the test was pre-planned and not directed against any country. The missile, capable of touching a speed of 2.8 times that of sound, was launched during the trial in its vertical mode, DRDO officials said. Currently, India Army has one regiment armed with the BrahMos missile which is different from the version that was test-fired on Tuesday. BrahMos has been named after two rivers - the Brahmaputra of India and the Moscow of Russia. The first test-firing of the BrahMos was conducted on June 12, 2001 at the Interim Test Range Chandipur-On-Sea in Balasore (Orissa).

Miliband Criticized Outgoing US President Bush's Foreign Policy - Unwarranted Remarks / Miliband: War On Terror 'Misconceived'

Miliband Criticized Outgoing US President Bush's Foreign Policy - Unwarranted Remarks / Miliband: War On Terror 'Misconceived'

(NSI News Source Info) January 20, 2009: The British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, says that the 'war on terror' has brought "more harm than good" for the West. In an article published in the Guardian, Miliband called on the global community to respond to future attacks by "championing the rule of law, not subordinating it."

Criticizing outgoing US President George W. Bush's foreign policy, Miliband went on to say the misuse of the phrase 'war on terror' had brought "more harm than good" for the West. Following the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, President Bush used the 'war on terror' as a pretext to attack Afghanistan and "defeat" terrorism by capturing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, destroying his terrorist cell and removing the Taliban regime.

"Seven years on from 9/11 it is clear that we need to take a fundamental look at our efforts to prevent extremism and its terrible offspring, terrorist violence," Miliband wrote. London was one of Washington's main allies in attacking Afghanistan and Iraq.

The British diplomat added that the 'war on terror' was misconceived and that the West cannot "kill its way" out of the threats it faces. "As [US] General [David] Petraeus said to me and others in Iraq, the coalition there could not kill its way out of the problems of insurgency and civil strife," he wrote.

While thousands of British troops are set to withdraw from Iraq, hundreds of others are still locked in an eight-year fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Miliband attempted to distance the British government from the Bush administration by saying that Britain has not used the phrase 'war on terror' since 2006.

"The idea of a 'war on terror' gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda," he continued. Miliband urged the incoming US administration to shut down the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison and start a new era of "democratic opportunity" instead of "fear and oppression".