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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (605551)	3/29/2011 1:07:10 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 1580442

AP fact checks Obama: FACT CHECK: How Obama's Libya claims fit the facts (AP) – 7 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) — There may be less than meets the eye to President Barack Obama's statements Monday night that NATO is taking over from the U.S. in Libya and that U.S. action is limited to defending people under attack there by Moammar Gadhafi's forces. In transferring command and control to NATO, the U.S. is turning the reins over to an organization dominated by the U.S., both militarily and politically. In essence, the U.S. runs the show that is taking over running the show. And the rapid advance of rebels in recent days strongly suggests they are not merely benefiting from military aid in a defensive crouch, but rather using the multinational force in some fashion — coordinated or not — to advance an offensive. Here is a look at some of Obama's assertions in his address to the nation Monday, and how they compare with the facts: ___ OBAMA: "Our most effective alliance, NATO, has taken command of the enforcement of the arms embargo and no-fly zone. ... Going forward, the lead in enforcing the no-fly zone and protecting civilians on the ground will transition to our allies and partners, and I am fully confident that our coalition will keep the pressure on Gadhafi's remaining forces. In that effort, the United States will play a supporting role." THE FACTS: As by far the pre-eminent player in NATO, and a nation historically reluctant to put its forces under operational foreign command, the United States will not be taking a back seat in the campaign even as its profile diminishes for public consumption. NATO partners are bringing more into the fight. But the same "unique capabilities" that made the U.S. the inevitable leader out of the gate will continue to be in demand. They include a range of attack aircraft, refueling tankers that can keep aircraft airborne for lengthy periods, surveillance aircraft that can detect when Libyans even try to get a plane airborne, and, as Obama said, planes loaded with electronic gear that can gather intelligence or jam enemy communications and radars. The United States supplies 22 percent of NATO's budget, almost as much as the next largest contributors — Britain and France — combined. A Canadian three-star general was selected to be in charge of all NATO operations in Libya. His boss, the commander of NATO's Allied Joint Force Command Naples, is an American admiral, and the admiral's boss is the supreme allied commander Europe, a post always held by an American. ___ OBAMA: "Our military mission is narrowly focused on saving lives." THE FACTS: Even as the U.S. steps back as the nominal leader, reduces some assets and fires a declining number of cruise missiles, the scope of the mission appears to be expanding and the end game remains unclear. Despite insistences that the operation is only to protect civilians, the airstrikes now are undeniably helping the rebels to advance. U.S. officials acknowledge that the effect of air attacks on Gadhafi's forces — and on the supply and communications links that support them — is useful if not crucial to the rebels. "Clearly they're achieving a benefit from the actions that we're taking," Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs, said Monday. The Pentagon has been turning to air power of a kind more useful than high-flying bombers in engaging Libyan ground forces. So far these have included low-flying Air Force AC-130 and A-10 attack aircraft, and the Pentagon is considering adding armed drones and helicopters. Obama said "we continue to pursue the broader goal of a Libya that belongs not to a dictator, but to its people," but spoke of achieving that through diplomacy and political pressure, not force of U.S. arms. ___ OBAMA: Seeking to justify military intervention, the president said the U.S. has "an important strategic interest in preventing Gadhafi from overrunning those who oppose him. A massacre would have driven thousands of additional refugees across Libya's borders, putting enormous strains on the peaceful — yet fragile — transitions in Egypt and Tunisia." He added: "I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America." THE FACTS: Obama did not wait to make that case to Congress, despite his past statements that presidents should get congressional authorization before taking the country to war, absent a threat to the nation that cannot wait. "The president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation," he told The Boston Globe in 2007 in his presidential campaign. "History has shown us time and again ... that military action is most successful when it is authorized and supported by the legislative branch." Obama's defense secretary, Robert Gates, said Sunday that the crisis in Libya "was not a vital national interest to the United States, but it was an interest." ___ OBAMA: "And tonight, I can report that we have stopped Gadhafi's deadly advance." THE FACTS: The weeklong international barrage has disabled Libya's air defenses, communications networks and supply chains. But Gadhafi's ground forces remain a potent threat to the rebels and civilians, according to U.S. military officials. Army Gen. Carter Ham, the top American officer overseeing the mission, told The New York Times on Monday that "the regime still overmatches opposition forces militarily. The regime possesses the capability to roll them back very quickly. Coalition air power is the major reason that has not happened." Only small numbers of Gadhafi's troops have defected to the opposition, Ham said. At the Pentagon, Vice Adm. William Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs, said the rebels are not well organized. "It is not a very robust organization," he said. "So any gain that they make is tenuous based on that." ___ OBAMA: "Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as president, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action." THE FACTS: Mass violence against civilians has also been escalating elsewhere, without any U.S. military intervention anticipated. More than 1 million people have fled the Ivory Coast, where the U.N. says forces loyal to the incumbent leader, Laurent Gbagbo, have used heavy weapons against the population and more than 460 killings have been confirmed of supporters of the internationally recognized president, Alassane Ouattara. The Obama administration says Gbagbo and Gadhafi have both lost their legitimacy to rule. But only one is under attack from the U.S. Presidents typically pick their fights according to the crisis and circumstances at hand, not any consistent doctrine about when to use force in one place and not another. They have been criticized for doing so — by Obama himself. In his pre-presidential book "The Audacity of Hope," Obama said the U.S. will lack international legitimacy if it intervenes militarily "without a well-articulated strategy that the public supports and the world understands." He questioned: "Why invade Iraq and not North Korea or Burma? Why intervene in Bosnia and not Darfur?" Now, such questions are coming at him. Associated Press writers Jim Drinkard and Robert Burns contributed to this report. google.com

To: tejek who wrote (605551)	3/29/2011 1:34:04 PM
From: bentway	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1580442

36 Hours in Seattle By DAVID LASKIN SPRING comes early to Seattle and lasts long. By the end of February, the rains relent and pastel shades of plum and narcissus initiate a progression of color and scent that lasts months. But new flora is not the only thing popping out of the ground in Seattle these days. Seemingly overnight, whole swatches of downtown and close-in neighborhoods — notably South Lake Union and the Pike-Pine Corridor — have transformed themselves into vibrant enclaves of restaurants, bars and galleries. With so many converted and repurposed buildings, Seattle’s cityscape is starting to look as layered as the wardrobes of its inhabitants. The tarry pitch of the timber port never disappeared; it just got plastered over with grunge flannel, tech money, yuppie coffee, Pacific Rim flavors, and more recently the backyard chickens and chard of urban pioneers. Don’t let a passing shower keep you from entering the mix. This is one of the rare American cities where you can be outdoors year-round without either shivering or sweating. Friday 4 p.m. 1) PARK TOWER VIEW Volunteer Park (1247 15th Avenue East; 206-684-4075; www.seattle.gov/parks), a 10-minute cab or bus ride from downtown at the north end of Capitol Hill, has gardens designed a century ago by the Olmsted Brothers, a conservatory bursting with plants from regions around the world, and a squat brick water tower that you can ascend for terrific views of the city below and the mountains and water beyond. Rain or shine, it’s the ideal place for spring orientation. If hunger strikes, stroll a couple of blocks east through one of Seattle’s oldest and prettiest neighborhoods for a slice of lemon Bundt cake ($3) and a Stumptown coffee at the cozy, humming Volunteer Park Cafe (1501 17th Avenue East; 206-328-3155; alwaysfreshgoodness.com). 6 p.m. 2) COOLEST CORRIDOR The Pike-Pine Corridor is Seattle’s happiest urban makeover: from a warren of shabby flats and greasy spoons to an arty but not oppressively gentrified hamlet just across the freeway from downtown. When the locally revered Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Avenue; 206-624-6600; elliottbaybook.com) abandoned Pioneer Square to relocate here last year, the literati gasped — but now it looks like a perfect neighborhood fit, what with the inviting communal tables at Oddfellows (1525 10th Avenue; 206-325-0807; oddfellowscafe.com) two doors down, and a full spectrum of restaurants, vintage clothing shops and home décor stores in the surrounding blocks. When it’s time for a predinner drink, amble over to Licorous (928 12th Avenue; 206-325-6947; licorous.com). Behind the shack-like facade is a soaring, spare, just dark and loud enough watering hole that serves creative cocktails (Bound for Glory, with Bacardi, allspice, lime juice and Jamaican bitters, $12) and bar snacks (salumi plate, $12). 7:30 p.m. 3) FRESH AND LOCAL One of the most talked-about restaurants in town, Sitka & Spruce (1531 Melrose Avenue East; 206-324-0662; sitkaandspruce.com) looks like a classy college dining room with a long refectory table surrounded by a few smaller tables, concrete floors, exposed brick and duct work. But there’s nothing sophomoric about the food. The chef and owner, Matt Dillon, who moved the restaurant to the Pike-Pine Corridor last summer, follows his flawless intuition in transforming humble local ingredients (smelt, nettles, celery root, black trumpet mushrooms, turnips, pumpkin) into complexly layered, many-textured but never fussy creations like beer-fried smelt with aioli ($12), spiced pumpkin crepe with herbed labneh ($19) and salmon with stinging nettles ($23). Heed your server’s advice that entrees are meant to be shared — you will have just enough room for dessert (warm dates, pistachios and rose-water ice cream, $6.50), and you will be pleasantly surprised by the bill. Saturday 9 a.m. 4) ART AND WATER There used to be two complaints about downtown Seattle: it offered no inspiring parks and no waterfront access worthy of the scenery. The Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue; 206-654-3100; seattleartmuseum.org), opened four years ago by the Seattle Art Museum, took care of both problems in one stroke. Masterpieces in steel, granite, fiberglass and bronze by nationally renowned artists have wedded beautifully with maturing native trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers. Wander the zigzagging paths and ramps past the massive weathered steel hulls of Richard Serra’s “Wake” and Alexander Calder’s soaring painted steel “Eagle” until you reach the harborside promenade. From there continue north to a pocket beach and into the adjoining grassy fields of waterfront Myrtle Edwards Park. It’s all free. 10:30 a.m. 5) URBAN VILLAGE The development of South Lake Union into a thriving urban village, brainchild of the Microsoft tycoon Paul Allen, is finally alive and kicking. This former industrial no man’s land now houses the city’s best galleries, an ever increasing collection of dining spots, some nifty shops and the spanking new Amazon campus. Use the South Lake Union Streetcar to hop from Gordon Woodside/John Braseth Gallery (2101 Ninth Avenue; 206-622-7243; woodsidebrasethgallery.com), which specializes in Northwest landscapes, to Honeychurch Antiques (411 Westlake Avenue North; 206-622-1225; honeychurch.com), with museum-quality Asian art and artifacts, and on to the Center for Wooden Boats (1010 Valley Street; 206-382-2628; cwb.org), where you can admire the old varnished beauties or rent a rowboat or sailboat for a spin around Seattle’s in-city lake. Need a (really rich) snack? The newly renamed Marie & Frères Chocolate (2122 Westlake Avenue; 206-859-3534; claudiocorallochocolate.com) has some of the most exquisite chocolate macaroons ever confected. 1 p.m. 6) LUNCH BESIDE THE CHIEF Tilikum Place, with its imposing fountain statue of the city’s namesake, Chief Sealth, is Seattle’s closest thing to a piazza, and the Tilikum Place Café (407 Cedar Street; 206-282-4830) supplied the one missing element — a classy informal restaurant — when it opened two years ago. Understated elegance is the byword here, whether it’s the delicate purée of butternut squash soup with bits of tart apple ($4), the beet salad with arugula and blue cheese ($8) or the light and piquant mushroom and leek tart ($10). 4 p.m. 7) WALK ON WATER You don’t have to leave the city limits to immerse yourself in the region’s stunning natural beauty. Drive or take a bus 15 minutes from downtown to the parking lot of the Museum of History and Industry (2700 24th Avenue East; 206-324-1126; seattlehistory.org) and pick up the milelong Arboretum Waterfront Trail. A network of well-maintained paths and boardwalks takes you through thickets of alder, willow and elderberry into marshy islands alive with the trills of red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens, and over shallows where kayakers prowl amid the rushes and concrete pillars of the freeway overhead. If the sun is out, you’ll want to prolong the outing with a stroll through the flowering fruit trees in the adjoining arboretum. 8 p.m. 8) LA DOLCE VITA Maybe it’s the stylish Italian vibe or the pretty people basking in the soft glow of dripping candles, or maybe it’s the sumptuous, creatively classic food — whatever the secret ingredient, Barolo Ristorante (1940 Westlake Avenue; 206-770-9000; baroloseattle.com) always feels like a party. The pastas would do a Roman mother proud — gnocchi sauced with braised pheasant ($19), leg of lamb ragù spooned over rigatoni ($18). The rack of lamb with Amarone-infused cherries ($36) is sinfully rich, and the seared branzino (sea bass) ($28) exhales the essence of the Mediterranean. Don’t leave without at least a nibble of cannoli or tiramisù ($7). Midnight 9) THE BEAT GOES ON At See Sound Lounge (115 Blanchard; 206-374-3733; seesoundlounge.com) young and not so young Seattle join forces to party to house music spun by a revolving cast of D.J.’s. There’s a small dance floor — but the compensation is lots of booths and sofas to crash on. The scene outside can get rowdy in the wee hours, but inside the beat and liquor flow smoothly. Sunday 10:30 a.m. 10) BAYOU BRUNCH Lake Pontchartrain meets Puget Sound at Toulouse Petit (601 Queen Anne Avenue North; 206-432-9069; toulousepetit.com), a funky bistro-style spot near the Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne. Grab a booth and settle in with a basket of hot, crispy beignets ($7.50 for the large); then indulge in something truly decadent like pork cheeks confit hash topped with a couple of fried eggs ($12) or eggs Benedict with crab and fines herbes ($16). You can cleanse your system afterward with a brisk walk up the hill to Kerry Park (211 West Highland Drive) for a magnificent farewell view. IF YOU GO The best, cheapest way to get from the airport to downtown is the new Link Light Rail; $2.50 one way (soundtransit.org). The two-year-old 346-room Hyatt at Olive 8 (1635 Eighth Avenue; 206-695-1234; hyatt.com) has hands-down the best fitness center and pool of any downtown hotel; most of the sleekly appointed guest rooms have city views. Doubles from $179 to $279. Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle (2125 Terry Avenue; 206-264-8111; panpacific.com), which opened in 2006, is a light and airy perch above the evolving scene in South Lake Union, a 15-minute walk to downtown. Doubles from $200.