Russia tells the US to keep out of its back yard

MOSCOW yesterday told the United States to stay out of its "back yard", after news that US troops and helicopters may be heading to Georgia, on Russia’s southern border, as part of the war on terrorism.

But Bush defended the plan, aimed at Chechen fighters who are said to have links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network. "So long as there’s al-Qaeda anywhere, we will help the host countries root them out and bring them to justice," he said.

Washington says up to 200 troops may go to Georgia to train local special forces for an attack on Chechen units, suspected of harbouring al-Qaeda fighters, in the Pankisi Gorge.

Democrats Criticize Pentagon Budget, Anti-Terror War

Leading congressional Democrats took aim yesterday at the Pentagon's $379 billion budget request and its open-ended war on terrorism, voicing their strongest criticism of military operations and a proposed $48 billion increase in defense spending since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, grilled top defense officials at a budget hearing about the lack of an "exit strategy" in Afghanistan, their failure to capture al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and a widening global campaign against terrorists that seems to have "no end in sight."
Such sharp criticism, voiced in both the Senate and in the House during a hearing on missile defense, showed Democrats probing for ways to question the war and defense buildup without seeming unpatriotic in an election year.

Ridge Holds Stock in 19 Companies

Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge owns stock in several companies lobbying the Bush administration for defense contracts. His holdings also include a modest stake in now-bankrupt Global Crossing.
Ridge's portfolio, worth $61,019 to $392,000, includes stock in at least 19 companies, his federal financial disclosure statement shows.
Those include several corporations registered to lobby for federal defense-related contracts, including Avaya, EMC Corp., General Electric, Merck & Co., Unisys and Oracle.

Atrocity of 9/11 to save tech sector - Cheney

According to a report by Reuters, the Veep reckons that a shift in emphasis from useless consumer gadgets to weapons and surveillance gear will help bring back the roaring '90s, when the phrase 'technology firm' was one of the most powerful incantations of the marketplace.

Thaksin warns US not to overstep line

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Wednesday warned the United States not to "step over the line" after it criticised his government's order expelling two foreign journalists who wrote a critical article.
Thaksin also urged the two journalists to admit their mistake and apologise. "Then everything will be fine, everything is over," he told reporters.
The US State Department expressed concern after Thailand revoked the visas of US citizen Shawn Crispin and Rodney Tasker, a Briton, two Bangkok-based journalists of the Far Eastern Economic Review magazine. It urged Thailand to uphold its reputation as a strong supporter of freedom of the press.