• Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
  A report by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) shows that Iran now possesses 2,427 kilograms of enriched uranium. This uranium is currently enriched to the 3 to 3.5% range. This is enough uranium to power two nuclear warheads.
  
  Iran has been toying with an IAEA offer to export 1,200 kilograms of enriched uranium to Russia in exchange for processed fuel for Iran's research reactor. The Iranian regime delayed these negotiations with a seemingly endless stream of lies and misdirections until it had processed enough fuel for a second nuclear weapon.
  
  Iran would now possess 1,227 kilograms of enriched uranium after the peace deal, more than the 1,000 kilograms required to power a nuclear warhead. Now that Iran has enough enriched uranium for a "spare" nuclear weapon, they are now offering to complete the deal with the IAEA.
  
  The deal would now achieve nothing in terms of limiting Tehran's ambition to obtain a working nuclear weapon, but would give the Iranian regime fuel rods for their reactor. The deal would be a major coup for the Iranian regime while offering no benefits to world peace. Iran has now enlisted agents in Turkey and Brazil to promote the deal.
  
  Tehran also maintains a separate program to enrich uranium to the 20% level. The IAEA discovered equipment involved in that project at the Jabr Ibn Jayan Multipurpose Research Laboratory in Tehran, but the Iranian regime has since moved the equipment to a secret location. The missing equipment is capable of pyroprocessing, one technique for purifying uranium for use in nuclear warheads. The Iranian government admitted to pyroprocessing activities in January and then denied the same activities in March.
  
  Iran has refused to stop enrichment activities and continues to enrich fuel for use in developing nuclear weapons. Only portions of it's nuclear program have been revealed to the IAEA and Iran has been caught lying to the agency on several occasions.
  
  For it's part, the IAEA "remains concerned about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed nuclear related activities, involving military related organizations, including activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile.".

• An Atlas Shrugged Moment for Venezuela
  In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, the productive members of society are crowded out by bureaucrats and politicians until finally the national rail system becomes unsafe to travel upon due to a lack of skilled maintenance personnel. The politicos whine and scream for the system to be fixed, but they don't have the technical know-how to understand what needs to be done. More importantly, they don't have the respect for intelligence, hard work, and technology. They just assume that they can get whatever they want by bullying people with knowledge and skills.
  
  Venezuela is heading towards an Any Rand moment, not in their rails system, but in their electricity system. The country, which possesses huge oil reserves, uses hydroelectric power to provide 73% of the countries electricity. In effect, the Chavez regime is living off the hard work of the people who built the Guri Dam. Unfortunately for Chavez and the people of Venezuela, the dam doesn't provide an unlimited supply of power. Growing requirements for electricity and low rainfalls could mean that the turbines will fail this Spring, leaving much of Venezuela without electricity.
  
  Chavez's response has been typical for a petty dictator. He has imposed rationing measures and penalty fees for those who use more energy than the government feels they deserve. He has also partially shut down government-run aluminum and steel plants. He has also forces most stores to stay closed except during the approves 11am to 9pm business hours. Most amusingly, he has decreed that government workers will now only have to work from 8am to 1pm.
  
  The effects of these restrictions will obviously be to reduce productivity. People are being forced to take time off from work do their shopping during rush hour. Factories which are closed cannot produce wealth for the struggling Venezuelan economy. In a nation where almost nothing can be done without filling out forms and getting government approval, reducing the government workday to five hours grinds the economy to a halt.
  
  While most of the country may be without electricity as soon as April, the Chavez regime is investing in small power plants to service politically connected neighborhoods. The normal capacity of the three hydroelectric powerplants fed by the Guri Dam total 15,300 megawatts. Chavez is trying to force through repairs on two older thermoelectric plants which should provide 700 megawatts of power. It is also installing about a dozen 12 megawatt power plants. These small plants will do very little for the country overall, but they will keep the lights on in the presidential palace and in the offices and homes of Chavez's important backers.
  
  Venezuela's power problems are classic symptoms of the failures of bureaucratic centralization and government regulation. Before we in the United States feel too smug though, we should remember that this is the future for which we voted in 2008. Venezuela is only a few short years ahead of us on the descent into socialism.

• Hugo Chavez Reaches Out to Silence Web Critics 
  Hugo Chavez, the socialist dictator of Venezuela, has reached out to silence some of his critics on a web forum.

• All Charges Dismissed Against Blackwater Employees
  In a stunning upset against politically motivated prosecutions at the Justice Department, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed all charges against five former employees of Blackwater USA.

• Turkey and Israel - Old Friends or New Enemies
  The recent downturn in relations between Turkey and Israel is a dramatic change to the warm relations that the two countries enjoyed until recently. The relationship has been a calming influence in the middle east, and their new emnity will further destabilise the region.

• The Early Beginning of the Air Force
  The early history of the American Air Force is slow and small. However, throughout time it gradually began to grow.

• Lessons from Greece
  What does the euro and Greece's debt problems have to with the American economy? Far more than we would like, as was indicated by the meltdown in the world financial markets in the first week of May.

• Cyprus - Will The Island Ever Be Reunited ?
  The election of a new president in North Cyprus heralds a different approach to negotiations aimed at reunification of the island.

• The Rich Tradition of Inauguration Day in the US
  In the entire history of the United States, the Presidential Inauguration Day is one of only a few historic events (aside from national holidays) occuring regularly with such clock-like precision. Curiously, deviations from this clock-like precision have mostly coincided with other historically-'notorious' events in the country.

• Malaysian Church Attack's Continue Over "Allah" Feud
  It is sad to hear that close to nine church's have been attacked in Malaysia. The latest attack may not have done much of a physical damage - burn marks found on the door and entranceway, but the long term political scenario of Malaysia has taken quiet a beating.

• Weapon Loaded Plane Seized In Thailand- Headed For Iran
  Thirty-five tons of North Korean weapons, including missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and explosives, have been seized from a Russian transporter plane that stopped to refuel in Bangkok. The plane recently impounded in Bangkok was on its way to Iran, according to documents obtained by arms-trafficking experts.

• When Apartheid Began In South Africa
  Apartheid was a major event that happened in South Africa for many years starting in 1948. It was a period of racial discrimination against the colored and black people in South Africa.

• Chavez Critics Silenced in Venezuela
  Venezuelan President Mr. Hugo Chavez's refusal to renew the license of Radio Caracas Television, seems to have caused an uproar in Venezuela. The decision to not renew the license of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) which is completely legal and within the rights of the President, created a lively debate amongst the International Press.

• Clinton, Gore and Gen. Clark Committed War Crimes Kosovo is Serbia 
• Joksimovich exposes the shocking evidence that the Clinton administration committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in their illegal war in Bosnia and Kosovo. Read the hidden truth that is finally exposed.

• The US Resurrection of the Fourth Fleet 
  Washington will again implement the fourth fleet to establish power in Latin American and the Caribbean. The fourth fleet was created during World War II in order to quell the infiltration of German submarines, yet its presence was no longer felt after the war, as U.S. military believed it was no longer necessary.