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To: Rarebird who wrote (74661)	8/8/2001 1:04:09 AM
From: Ahda	Respond to of 116826

The gains are in my mind reduced head count and increased pressure on the remaining workers. Jobless Rate Stays Steady in July, but More Workers Hit the Bricks Meanwhile, wages rose four cents, or 0.3%, to $14.35 an hour from $14.31 an hour. That's a 4.4% year-over-year rate, which (next to June's revised figure of 4.5%) is the fastest rate of wage growth since April 1998. Strength in wage growth has been one reason why consumers have continued to spend, albeit at a slowed pace from last year.

To: Rarebird who wrote (74661)	8/8/2001 1:16:15 PM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 116826

I was right, the demographics are changing the US impact in the middle east: American Islamic Organization Outraged Over Biden Remarks By John Rossomando CNSNews.com Staff Writer August 08, 2001 (CNSNews.com) - An American Islamic organization is outraged over remarks made by Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), supporting Israel's policy of dealing with its Palestinian political enemies. The Bush administration has scolded Israel for the same policy that involves identifying and then killing militants allegedly involved in the planning of terrorist attacks. In a July 26th interview with Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television, Biden said he did not consider the Israeli-sponsored killings "an assassination policy" and suggested the United States would consider similar actions if pressed. "Assuming that there is in the United States an organization that had as its purpose to kill civilians in the United States of America, our FBI would target them, attempt to find them, and if it could not capture them, would use lethal force to deal with them ... so I don't call that assassination," Biden said. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) lashed out at Biden. "It is simply unconscionable that a major figure in American politics would stand behind a policy of basically political assassination, and then go beyond it to then say that is what the FBI would or should do as well," said CAIR Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. "We understand that these guys have to pander to the domestic lobby for the State of Israel, but come on, are they going to throw out international law, [and an] American policy that has been affirmed by three different presidents, both Republican and Democrat? "I don't think Joe Biden cares one way or another deep down. All he cares about is pleasing the pro-Israel lobby, and whatever it takes that will please them, that is what he'll say," Hooper added. According to Hooper, Biden's support of the way in which Israel has handled its enemies, undermines the credibility of the United States as an "honest broker" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "It is ridiculous for American government officials to say, 'Oh no, we're a neutral party in this,'" Hooper said. He also argued that Biden would condemn France or Great Britain if they held a policy of assassinating their political enemies. "Why is it that the State of Israel is exempt from any international law, any standard of human rights, [or] any standard whatsoever?" Hooper asked. "International law states that there is no excuse for torture, no matter what justification, [or] whatever they (Israelis) claim." "There is never any justification for torture, [and] Israel does it all the time with the acquiescence of the American administration," he said. "Maybe they (the US) can't stop it, but at least condemn these things." Amnesty International also condemns the Israeli policy. "Our position is quite clear. They (the assassinations) are a violation of international law, and they should desist," said Amnesty International Spokesman Alistair Hodgett. "These comments are not helpful. What would be helpful, I think, is perhaps more discussion about both sides adhering to the standards they have pledged to themselves." Supporters of Israel defend Biden's words as an appropriate explanation of the facts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) believes the assassination of Palestinian political opponents is completely justified. "International terrorism presents Western democracies with a distinct challenge. It is true that the accusations that these are extra-judicial are outweighed by the operational aspect of what the terrorists are doing," said AIPAC spokesman Ken Bricker. He argued that Israel has the right to make pre-emptive strikes against Palestinian militants who threaten the lives of Israelis, and that the current situation on the ground does not lend itself to dealing with the militants in a judicious manner. "What's the alternative? Is it okay to kill Jews?" Bricker asked. "These are pre-emptive strikes and all nations who are capable of conducting them have done so in [unconventional] warfare," Bricker said. Bricker believes France, Britain, the United States, and other nations have participated in the same type of actions against groups or individuals that threatened them, and that Israel is only acting in self-defense when it attacks Palestinian militants. He claims that Israel is unfairly singled out for punishment when its Arab neighbors routinely engage in uncivil actions against their own populations. Biden and his communications staff are in China this week and were unavailable for further comment. cnsnews.com\ForeignBureaus\archive\200108\For20010808b.html

To: Rarebird who wrote (74661)	8/9/2001 7:03:24 AM
From: long-gone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116826

Dollars death bed made WSJ August 8, 2001 GM Executive Says Dollar's Strength Is 'Destroying' U.S. Manufacturing By Joseph B. White Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Suffering from the dollar's continued strength, manufacturers have lobbied the White House for relief, a General Motors Corp. executive said. So far, however, their pleas have had little effect. GM Chief Financial Officer John Devine said Wednesday that the dollar's value against the euro and the yen has reached an "imbalance that's gone beyond a reasonable boundary." "The strong dollar is destroying the manufacturing capability of this country," he said during a lunch with reporters at an auto-industry conference. The Bush administration has "begun" to listen to arguments from manufacturers for a weaker dollar, said Mr. Devine, who is also GM's vice chairman. But he added that "no one can mandate the value of the dollar." Mr. Devine said the dollar's strength has helped Japanese and European auto makers undercut U.S. manufacturers' prices in the U.S., contributing to declining share for traditional Detroit Big Three brands this year and last year. Mr. Devine said GM has stabilized its U.S. market share, despite a disappointing 26.6% share in July. Asked if GM can hit its financial targets with as little as 28% market share in the U.S., he responded, "Yes, absolutely." On the matter of GM's talks to acquire Korea's troubled Daewoo Motor Sales Corp., Mr. Devine said the negotiations are still going on. "We honestly don't know what the timetable is yet." "We know what we want to do, and what works for us," he said. But he said the discussions are complicated, and involve a political dimension because of the importance the Korean government attaches to a successful rescue of the auto maker. Write to Joseph White at joseph.white@wsj.com public.wsj.com