Kerry to offer outline of Mideast peace deal

MONDAY, DEC 30, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry will propose a framework for a final-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians when he travels to the region this week.

State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Monday that Kerry will discuss with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD' ah-BAHS') a framework that could serve as a guideline for addressing all core issues in the decades-long dispute.

Harf says it's not clear whether any agreement on the proposed framework would be reached during the trip, which begins on Wednesday.

The two sides resumed peace talks in July.

As a precondition, the Palestinians dropped a demand for a halt in Israeli settlement construction, and Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners, including 26 it plans to free this week.

Pope Francis is the 'World's Parish Priest'

FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images

(VATICAN CITY) -- Pope Francis became the leader of the Catholic Church in March, bringing to the Vatican a series of firsts: the first pope to choose St. Francis as a namesake, the first Latin American pope, and the first Jesuit pope.

His conversational first words from St. Peter’s balcony asked the people to pray for him, ­­ a humble greeting that captured many hearts. The messages he has spread since then — those of tolerance, equality, and humanitarianism — made him one of This Week's "game changers" for 2013.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York explained “The Francis effect” in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

“This pope has successfully, finally shattered the caricature of the church that his predecessors have tried hard to do. What’s that caricature? That the church is kind of mean and dour and always saying no and always telling us what we can’t do and always telling us why we should be excluded,” Cardinal Dolan said. “He’s saying ‘Oh no, come on in, the church is about warmth and tenderness.’”

Pope Francis’ efforts are clearly working. In a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, 92 percent of American Catholics have a favorable opinion of the new pope, and 85 percent think he is moving the church in the right direction.

Cardinal Dolan said he knew Pope Francis would make positive change, but said the extent of his impact has been a pleasant surprise.

“What we were after was a good pastor with a track record of solid administration, fatherly warmth, tender care for his sheep, for his people, and boy, we got that on steroids with Pope Francis. He’s the world’s parish priest,” Dolan said.

Pope Francis is a star among both the young and the old, speaking out in new ways that excite believers and nonbelievers alike. Though he holds to the church doctrine, he strives to downplay what he calls the church’s obsession with social issues. Pope Francis has made headlines for saying that atheists can go to heaven and when asked about homosexuality, responded, “Who am I to judge?”

“The teaching of the church is a timeless gift, you can’t change it, it’s ours, we inherit it, we’re given it, but the way we gift wrap it, the way we make it more attractive, and more compelling to the world, that can always change, and that’s what Francis is saying,” Dolan said.

In Pope Francis’ first exhortation outlining his vision for the church, he took a critical stance against capitalism, denouncing society’s “idolatry of money” and an economy that kills.

“There’s only one God and money ain’t it,” Dolan agreed.

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the new head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, reinforced that Pope Francis is serious about Catholicism’s sacred tradition.

“He is giving us a new zeal, he’s giving us new expressions and a new method,” Kurtz said. “He is saying the same time-honored, beautiful message of Christ, but in a way that’s really touching hearts.”

But not everyone is touched. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said the pope’s recent criticisms of capitalism sound like “pure Marxism.”

Time Magazine, however, is not in the camp of pope criticizers, with the magazine recognizing Pope Francis’ widespread impact by naming him 2013′s Person of the Year. And the pope’s understated reaction? Most would say it was fitting.

“He doesn’t want to be the center of attention. He wants others to be the center,” Archbishop Kurtz said. “Gosh, that’s a great Francis effect, isn’t it?”

Kerry headed to Mideast

By DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press

WASHINGTON—John Kerry leaves Wednesday on his ninth trip to the Mideast as Secretary of State to resume talks with Israel and the Palestinians aimed at crafting a final status agreement to end the decades-long conflict.

"It's a commute, folks," Kerry joked Monday night about his frequent travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah, the first two stops on an eight-day trip that continues on to Vietnam and the Philippines.

Kerry spoke at the 100th anniversary dinner of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a leading international Jewish humanitarian organization that works in more than 70 countries and Israel.

In his speech, Kerry tried to allay fears that Israel is threatened by a first-step agreement that six world powers, including the U.S., recently negotiated with Iran to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has complained that the deal gave Iran too much relief while leaving Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact. Netanyahu, who believes Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, says Iran's military nuclear program must be dismantled.

"We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Not now. Not ever," Kerry said, reaffirming U.S. commitment to the security of Israel.

On the peace talks, Kerry said he and Netanyahu are "hand-in-hand" and "mind-in-mind" in how to proceed. He said that despite skepticism, he continues to believe that a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians remains a possibility.

Kerry: Mideast Peace Deal Closest in Years

by Scott Bobb

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he believes Israel and the Palestinians are closer to a peace agreement than they have been in years at the end of a three-day trip to the region.

Kerry told reporters Friday before leaving Israel that despite the obstacles he was encouraged by the commitment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the pursuit of peace.

"Together there is no doubt in my mind we can reach an agreement that will support the peaceful and promising Palestine that the Palestinian people deserve alongside a prosperous and a more secure Israel," said Kerry.

Kerry's visit came amid reports that the talks were faltering over Israeli concerns about security in the West Bank and Palestinian anger over the continued construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The talks resumed four months ago after a three-year suspension. They are to continue for another five months.

Kerry dismissed media speculation of a breakdown in the talks saying the two sides have maintained regular discussions.

He also declined to provide details on reports that U.S. mediators have made proposals regarding security in the Palestinian territories but indicated that such an effort was underway.

"If Israel's security cannot be increased through this agreement it's very difficult to make an agreement," said Kerry. "So we are making certain that we are addressing each and every one of those questions."

Kerry also sought to ease Israeli alarm over the recently concluded interim agreement on Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to freeze any work on this program in exchange for a partial lifting of international economic sanctions that have hurt its economy.

Netanyahu has repeatedly called it a bad agreement. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Kerry said he was convinced that Israel is safer as a result of the accord.

"Israel and the United States are absolutely in synch (agreement), not an ounce of daylight between us, with respect to the need to make sure that Iran cannot achieve a nuclear weapon, will not in the future be able to achieve it and certainly cannot move towards it without the United States of America and Israel knowing that, and therefore being able to take steps to deal with that," Kerry said.

He said the accord provided the best opportunity to resolve the concerns of the international community and pledged to return to the region in a few weeks if necessary.

They’re Going to Dump the Fukushima Radiation Into the Ocean

Washington’s Blog   December 5, 2013

Tepco is planning on dumping all of the radioactive water stored at Fukushima into the ocean.

The industry-controlled nuclear regulators are pushing for dumping the radiation, as well.

As EneNews reports:

Juan Carlos Lentijo, head of IAEA’s mission to Fukushima Daiichi, Dec. 4, 2013: “Controlled discharge is a regular practice in all the nuclear facilities in the world. And what we are trying to say here is to consider this as one of the options to contribute to a good balance of risks and to stabilize the facility for the long term.”

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, Dec. 4, 2013: “You cannot keep storing the water forever. We have to make choice comparing all risks involved.”

Xinhua, Dec. 4, 2013: Lentijo said that TEPCO should weigh the possible damaging effects of discharging toxic water against the total risks involved in the overall decommissioning work process. [...] Tanaka highlighted the fact that while highly radioactive water could be decontaminated in around seven years, the amount of water containing tritium will keep rising, topping 700,000 tons in two years. [...] nuclear experts have repeatedly pointed out that [tritium] is still a significant radiation hazard when inhaled, ingested via food or water, or absorbed through the skin. [...] fisherman, industries and fisheries bodies in the Fukushima area and beyond in Japan’s northeast, have collectively baulked at the idea of releasing toxic water into the sea [...] TEPCO will be duty-bound to submit assessments of the safety and environmental impact [...]

NHK, Dec. 4, 2013: IAEA team leader Juan Carlos Lentijo [...] said it is necessary and indispensable to assess the impact the tritium discharge might have on human health and the environment, and to get government approval as well as consent from concerned people.

Japan Times, Dec. 4, 2013: “Of course . . . public acceptance for this purpose is necessary,” said Lentijo, adding strict monitoring of the impact of the discharge would also be essential.

AFP, Dec. 4, 2013: [L]ocal fishermen, neighbouring countries and environmental groups all oppose the idea.

See also: Gundersen: They want to dump all Fukushima’s radioactive water in Pacific — Tepco: It will be diluted, then released — Professor suggests pumping it out in deep ocean (VIDEOS)

In the real world, there is no safe level of radiation.

And there are alternatives.

Dr. Arjun Makhijani – a recognized expert on nuclear power, who has testified before Congress, served as an expert witness in Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceedings, and been interviewed by many of the largest news organizations – told PBS in March:

We actually sent a proposal to Japan two years ago, some colleagues of mine and I, saying you should park a supertanker or a large tanker offshore, and put the water in it, and send it off someplace else so that the water treatment and the water management is not such a huge, constant issue. But [the Japanese declined].

Tepco – with no financial incentive to actually fix things – has been insanely irresponsible and has only been pretending to contain Fukushima. And see this.

Unfortunately, Japan has devolved into crony capitalism … and even tyranny.

So instead of doing something to contain the radiation, they’re going to dump it.