New lands for the FIFA World Cup; vuvuzelas in Russia, 2018 and Qatar, 2022

It also happened that England was snowbound on the day it lost its bid to host the World Cup in 2018.  The idiom "under the weather" is indeed apt. 

Despite their strong presence in Zurich, Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William and former football captain David Beckham did not fire up enthusiasm among the 22 members of the FIFA governing body, which gave England only two votes. 

On the other hand, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin canceled initial plans to be there before the secret voting.  Despite his absence, Russia won the bid, reason for him to fly to Zurich to receive the award.  "If you don't take risks, you don't drink champagne," he's reported to have quoted this Russian saying.

Football fans may expect Russia to build stadiums in 13 host cities from Kaliningrad in the west to Yekaterinburg in the east at a cost estimated at around $10 billion. 

Beckham could only cry for England's bitter disappointment. The other losers were Holland-Belgium and Spain-Portugal. 

US President Obama, on the other hand, accused FIFA for making a "wrong decision" when the hosting of World Cup 2022 went to Qatar.  The US, Australia, South Korea and Japan bid for the site.

"We go to new lands" was how FIFA president Sepp Blatter explained the choices. 

Qatar is an interesting issue. It has never qualified for the World Cup finals. It's in the Middle East, and there's the risk from desert heat. FIFA must have strongly believed that Qatar can deliver its "commitment to  

to spend $42.9 billion on infrastructure upgrades and $4 billion to build nine stadiums and renovate three others [and all of them] will have a state-of-the art cooling system that will keep temperatures at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 F)."

Recommended reading on the operational risk assessment and selection of Russia and Qatar as hosts:  "FIFA overlooks risks in picking Russia and Qatar" (04 December 2010) by Stephen Wilson, AP Sports Writer, accessible from My Star online  at http://football.thestar.com.my/story.asp?file=/2010/12/4/football_latest/20101204072455&sec=football_latest

We found this front page cartoon, which came out before the FIFA selection event, very amusing.  It derives its humor from the Wikileaks, insinuating that Julian Assange could possibly do some mining in the rich field of intrigues, accusations and suspicions in international sports organizations, and in this instance, the FIFA.  Who knows if there were also "unclassified", "classified" and "secret" cables that were exchanged in the selection of Olympic, World Cup and other international sports events?

Waiting for WikiLeaks from Manila

"The United States targets Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.  Washington says the publication of more than 250,000 documents is dangerous, and calls the perpetrators criminals."

The 251,287 confidential United States embassy cables started leaking out on Sunday, November 28. 

Just a kid?

On Tuesday, November 30, we caught Secretary of State Hillary Clinton live on TV expressing America's deep regrets about the Wikileaked documents at the same time reassuring American allies. "I want to make it clear," she stressed, "that our foreign policy is not set through these messages, but here in Washington. 

Curiosity led us to Secret US Embassy Cables at http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/ the next day but we could not get to the documents anymore.  We were still able to read the explanatory notes on the cables though, and look at the the map and bar graph showing the various American embassy sources. "The full set consists of 251,287 documents," it said, "comprising 261,276,536 words (seven times the size of "The Iraq War Logs", the world's previously largest classified information release) ...the cables cover from 28th December 1966 to 28th February 2010 and originate from 274 embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions."
  
We also noted that 15, 652 of these memos are "secret",101,748 "confidential" and 133,887 "unclassified"; Iraq was the "most discussed country" with 15,365 cables, 6,677 came from there; "Ankara, Turkey had the most cables coming from it--7,918"; and 8,017 cables came from the office of the Secretary of State.

One more thing whetted our appetite to look for the leaks--The Philippine Star headlined on the same day that the Wikileaks include "1,796 US memos from [the US embassy in] Manila."  It learned from the Guardian of UK that 982 of these cables are "unclassified", 749 "classified" and 65 "secret", and "all but two of [these] were sent between January 2005 and February 2010, [with] the two ... dated Nov. 21, 2001 and July 19, 1994."  It appears that most of the information flow happened during the reign of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.


Until today, President Noynoy Aquino has yet to receive a call from Clinton although nothing yet of the Philippine cables have hit the remaining open online Wikileaks sources--The New York Times, Guardian of the UK, Der Spiegel of Germany, Le Monde of France and El Pais of Spain--after Amazon.com shut down its host services. It has been reported that Wikileaks has moved its site to Switzerland. 


We've seen the summary reports on the cables that have been released so far at the New York Times and Buenos Aires Herald.  The one we read with utmost delight at Spiegel Online is the confidential dispatch of 31 August 2006 with an intriguing title: "The US Ambassador Learns that Cognac Is Like Wine."  about "high society wedding in the Caucasus -- complete with massive quantities of alcohol, lumps of gold and revolver-wielding drunkards."  It's very well-written like an essay in one's favorite magazine coming in four parts, and these are just excerpts.


The latest releases (05 December) in Spiegel Online include the following:

•  At Sea in the Desert/ US Diplomats Bewildered and Bamboozled in Baghdad
• 'Redder than Red'/ An American Portrait of China's Next Leader
• US Dispatches from Beijing/ 'True Democracy' Within China's Politburo?

Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, is thought of as constantly moving. However, it has been reported by a British newspaper,The Independent, that the whistle blower arrived in Britain in October, the police know of his whereabouts but they have yet to serve the international warrant for his arrest.  The Interpol has issued a 'red notice' for his arrest because he is wanted in Sweden on suspicion of sexual crimes allegedly committed there earlier this year.

The fall-out has caused US President Barack Obama to create a special committee called the Interagency Policy Committee for WikiLeaks that will try to block any other leaks in the future through intelligence agency coordination within the country.

We have yet to see the US file federal charges against Wikileaks. Is cablegate a sound argument for honest journalism?

A take on Obama: 'time to turn to Page One'

Unless you've not been listening to the news or reading the papers, you'd not know that President Barack Obama declared the end of war in Iraq--the men/women are coming home at last--from the Oval Office on the night of 31st August.  But it's not like V-J or V-E, was it?

Just like O said, just a 'time to turn the page.'  And the book is marked Afghanistan and/or Home USA .

The next day, we turned to Page One of newspapers of the world (thanks to Newsmuseum) to see how loud the declaration was echoed.  We were not surprised that not many American newspapers/ magazines played the Oval Office Declaration as prominently in the Front Page as the more interesting bits and pieces to hometown readers.

Here's a selection of FrontPage America on 1st September alongside some excerpts from the American president's speech:
 
"From this desk, seven and a half years ago, President Bush announced the beginning of military operations in Iraq. Much has changed since that night. A war to disarm a state became a fight against an insurgency. Terrorism and sectarian warfare threatened to tear Iraq apart. Thousands of Americans gave their lives; tens of thousands have been wounded. Our relations abroad were strained. Our unity at home was tested."
-x-x-x-

"So tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.

"This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq’s Security Forces and support its government and people. That is what we have done. We have removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We have closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq."  -x-x-x-

"Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest- it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people -a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page."

 "As we do, I am mindful that the Iraq War has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it is time to turn the page. This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I have said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hope for Iraq’s future."  -x-x-x-

"Americans across the political spectrum supported the use of force against those who attacked us on 9/11. Now, as we approach our 10th year of combat in Afghanistan, there are those who are understandably asking tough questions about our mission there. But we must never lose sight of what’s at stake. As we speak, al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We will disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda, while preventing Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists. And because of our drawdown in Iraq, we are now able to apply the resources necessary to go on offense. In fact, over the last 19 months, nearly a dozen al Qaeda leaders -and hundreds of Al Qaeda’s extremist allies-have been killed or captured around the world."  -x-x-x-

"Today, old adversaries are at peace, and emerging democracies are potential partners. New markets for our goods stretch from Asia to the Americas. A new push for peace in the Middle East will begin here tomorrow. Billions of young people want to move beyond the shackles of poverty and conflict. As the leader of the free world, America will do more than just defeat on the battlefield those who offer hatred and destruction -we will also lead among those who are willing to work together to expand freedom and opportunity for all people."  -x-x-x-

"Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President."    -x-x-x-

"In an age without surrender ceremonies, we must earn victory through the success of our partners and the strength of our own nation. Every American who serves joins an unbroken line of heroes that stretches from Lexington to Gettysburg; from Iwo Jima to Inchon; from Khe Sanh to Kandahar – Americans who have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own. Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be travelling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead.

"Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America, and all who serve her."

Source of Obama's speech on Iraq:  Rachel Sklar in http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obamas-speech-on-iraq-time-to-turn-the-page-full-text/.