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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lurqer who wrote (27228)	9/9/2003 2:05:52 AM
From: lurqer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

When I first saw As many as 200 Taliban fighters have been killed in Afghanistan since Aug. 25 from washingtontimes.com I wasn't sure what to make of it. Then I saw Almost two years after they were defeated, the Taliban leadership is recruiting thousands of extremists popularly called 'Sarbaz' from hindustantimes.com Now I don't think the Hindustan Times is an unbiased source on this matter, but I do think "things" are not getting better in Afghanistan. JMO lurqer

To: lurqer who wrote (27228)	9/9/2003 1:31:42 PM
From: mishedlo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Good God look at this! federalreserve.gov Domestic nonfinancial debt rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 12 percent in the second quarter of 2003, well above the 6 percent pace in the previous quarter. The pickup in debt growth in the second quarter was distributed broadly across all of the major sectors in the United States, but was most pronounced for the federal and the state and local government sectors. On a seasonally adjusted basis, growth of federal debt held by the public jumped to 24-1/4 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter, after having risen just 2-1/4 percent in the previous quarter. Over the first half of this year, federal debt grew at a faster pace than last year. In the state and local government sector, debt growth picked up to an annual rate of 12 percent in the second quarter, owing to heavy bond issuance for capital projects and a large amount of advance refunding of issues slated for retirement at some future date. Debt of nonfinancial businesses increased at an annual rate of 6-1/2 percent in the second quarter of 2003, following a 3-1/2 percent increase in the previous quarter. Net issuance of corporate bonds picked up in the second quarter, and commercial mortgage borrowing was faster as well. By contrast, bank loans to businesses and commercial paper outstanding contracted by even larger amounts in the second quarter than in the first quarter. Household debt growth rose to an annual rate of 11-1/2 percent in the second quarter. With mortgage rates at very low levels by historical standards, mortgage debt growth surged to a 14-1/4 percent rate--even faster than the rapid pace in previous quarters. By contrast, consumer credit rose at a moderate rate of 3-1/2 percent in the second quarter. The level of domestic nonfinancial debt outstanding was $21.6 trillion at the end of the second quarter of 2003. Debt of nonfederal sectors was $17.7 trillion, and federal debt held by the public was $3.9 trillion.