International News Briefs

Canadian Forces prepared to extend Libyan air strikes past current deadline

OTTAWA: The top general for the Canadian Forces recently announced that the Canadian military is ready and well equipped to extend its mission to oust Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and replace his regime with the NATO-backed National Transitional Council past the current Sept. 27 deadline. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, announced outside the Canadian House of Commons that “it depends on what the international community wants, but the Canadian government has all kinds of options,” according to the Toronto Sun. The federal government has already hinted at a possible extension, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper announcing in Paris that “Canada will be part of the military mission until it reaches its conclusion.”

Obama proposes $450B jobs package

WASHINGTON: American President Barack Obama has proposed a $450 billion legislative package, called the American Jobs Act, in an attempt to reverse the radical spike in America’s unemployment rate, which now sits at 9.1 per cent. In a rare speech to the joint session of congress, Obama laid out several measures in the proposal, including another cut to the Federal Insurance Contributions tax, a levy paid by employers and workers to fund social security and health care for retirees. The cut in the Contributions tax, which acts as the centrepiece of the legislation, follows a cut to the tax for workers last year.

British unit worked with NATO to cut off Gaddafi oil supply

LIBYA: An anonymous government official has supplied more details on how allied NATO forces were able to debilitate Gaddafi’s military, ultimately helping the National Transitional Council (NTC) seize Tripoli and, by extension, the country, late last month. According to a source close to the Associated Press, a team of British diplomats and military officials based in London’s foreign ministry assisted the NTC and NATO in cutting off the supply of crude oil to the Gaddafi-led military. The British government confirmed that the team identified a major refinery in Zawiya, 19 miles from the capital of Tripoli, that functioned as a crucial facility in the Gaddafi war effort. The team subsequently encouraged NATO to use ships to blockade the town’s port of entry. The refinery has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is the second largest refinery in the country.

North Korean dictatorship commemorates 63rd anniversary

PYONGYANG: The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea commemorated its 63rd anniversary with a massive parade and military demonstration in Kim Il-Sung Square in the showcase capital city, Pyongyang, on Sept. 9. The demonstration featured a rare appearance by ruling dictator Kim Jong-Il as well as his little-known son, and heir-apparent, Kim Jong-un. Despite the military extravagance, North Korea remains a virtual failed state after years of famine and economic isolation. In 2009, the communist state made a sudden decision to re-denominate its currency, the won, in order to curb the rapid growth of inflation and to stop private merchants from smuggling South Korean films and other goods into the profoundly secretive and controlled country. The re-denomination has caused widespread economic turmoil in the country and has contributed to the ongoing famine conditions, according to the U.K.’s The Guardian.

Published in Volume 66, Number 3 of The Uniter (September 15, 2011)

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