Bell at the White House
By Stewart M. Powell
Robert G. Bell often admires a dramatic White House photo of space shuttle Discovery blasting off and soaring heavenward with astronaut John Glenn on board. The special assistant to the President for national security affairs sees Discovery’s ascent as a vivid symbol of triumph in space-the antithesis of the haunting image of the 1986 explosion of Challenger.
“We’re so used to seeing that footage of the Challenger’s contrail, with the parts breaking off,” said Bell. “Perhaps this [image of Discovery] will help replace that.”
Bell, a former Air Force officer and a leading civilian defense analyst, has more than a sentimental interest in space, of course. He has begun casting his own gaze more and more toward the politically charged, technologically complex effort to defend the interests of the United States in space in coming years.
From his elegant suite in the Old Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, Bell handles a variety of duties for the National Security Council. Military personnel policies, nominations, base closings, and weapon acquisition issues land on his desk. He manages nominations for the Medal of Honor.
Bell for years had monitored Iraqi compliance or noncompliance with UNmandated inspections to thwart Saddam Hussein’s reconstitution of weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. He tracks North Korea’s launches of its 3,300-mile-range Taepo Dong 2 missile. He works with Russia’s government to try to bring about ratification of the long-delayed START II agreement.
For Bell, though, the subject of space is big and getting bigger-especially when it comes to controversial issues of providing for protection of US interests in space and denying space access to adversaries. Both the White House and members of Congress look to Bell to serve as a pragmatic mediator on one of the most important, rapidly evolving national security challenges facing the nation.
“The debates have become much more partisan, and the choices tend to be articulated in much more extreme black or white terms than I think the truth supports,” Bell said. “Usually the decisions are quite tough and there is merit on both sides. The challenge is to get it right in a way that balances competing interests.”
The challenges are all the greater because the stakes are so great.
The world’s spacefaring nations, led by the United States, are dispatching more and more commercial and military capabilities into orbit. Today, some 30 nations operate roughly 550 satellites in Earth orbit. Another 1,000 to 1,500 satellites-worth $500 billion-are expected to go into orbit over the next five years.
A space industry study anticipates that worldwide revenues from space will reach $121 billion by 2000-a 57 percent increase over the $77 billion reaped in 1996. Step-by-step construction of the multibillion dollar International Space Station will only underscore nations’ growing reliance on space.
The effort produces unquestioned benefits, but the benefits bring potential vulnerabilities. Millions of Americans witnessed the dependence and vulnerability firsthand on May 19, 1998, when a single Galaxy IV commercial communications satellite malfunctioned as it orbited 22,500 miles over Kansas. The mishap disrupted communications with 35 million personal pagers and thousands of enterprises for hours before ground stations overcame the internal technical problem.
The episode drove home a point articulated barely a month earlier by Air Force Gen. Howell M. Estes III, the commander in chief of US Space Command. In his landmark space development plan for US Space Command, Estes said that, by 2005, the United States will need to add “space” to a list of “vital national interests” alongside Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the like. “Our nation’s increasing dependence upon space capabilities … produces a related vulnerability that will not go unnoticed by adversaries,” Estes cautioned.
Yet critics contend that US preparations for defense of space have lagged. While the Clinton Administration is publicly committed to the concept of space control to enable the United States and its allies to reach space and operate freely there, the critics argue that in reality US military forces do not at this time have any recognizable capability to back up the concept.
“Clearly Established”
A number of policies, treaties, and agreements restrict military operations in space, and the military has no charter to conduct offensive operations, if necessary, in defense of space.
Bell disputes critics of the Administration that he serves. “The requirement for space control capabilities has been clearly established at the highest levels of the US government,” he told the Air Force Association’s National Convention last September. The Clinton Administration approved a national space policy in 1996 that commits the United States to maintaining American leadership in space, Bell emphasized.
“Central to this leadership role is ensuring our ability to exploit space and, if required, to prevent adversaries from using space for purposes hostile to American national security interests,” Bell added. “Our space policy requirements include deterring threats to our interests in space and defeating hostile efforts against US space assets, if deterrence fails. We believe we have programs and capabilities in place or under development to support these policy objectives.”
For much of the past two years, however, White House officials and key Republicans in Congress have struggled over the entwined issues of space control and space-based missile defense. The effort to forge a consensus for US defenses in space already has spanned a generation-dating back to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972 and the subsequent political furor over President Ronald Reagan’s ambitious Strategic Defense Initiative. Some liken the effort to the years after World War II when it took painful trial and error before the Truman Administration and Republican Congress settled on a policy of containment to check Soviet expansion.
Bell concedes that it has been a tough balancing act for Clinton officials to, on one hand, allay Congressional concerns over White House priorities with fresh initiatives to protect US interests in space while, on the other hand, reassure the Kremlin that the United States is not taking steps to prepare for pre-emptive attacks with space-based systems.
For example, the Administration throughout 1997 negotiated an agreement with Russia that cleared the way for US testing of theater missile defenses in ways both sides agreed would not run afoul of the 1972 ABM Treaty. The two sides signed a formal accord in September 1997 specifying details of a so-called “demarcation” agreement. It set out specific ways in which the two sides could differentiate between theater and national missile defense activities.
Then, within weeks, Russian leader Boris Yeltsin greatly complicated Clinton’s dealings with Congress by proposing a change in USRussian relations that would go to the heart of the space control issue. Yeltsin called on Clinton to commit the United States in a follow-up agreement to a formal ban on Anti-Satellite weapons.
Though Clinton had made an earlier commitment to develop viable options for space control, defense-minded Republicans in Congress suspected that he might prove vulnerable to Kremlin appeals and renege on his commitment.
Republican lawmakers quickly spied what they viewed as solid evidence of backtracking by Clinton. They saw Clinton use his line-item veto to eliminate Fiscal 1998 funding for three space controlrelated programs of great importance to them. Clinton struck out $37.5 million earmarked to develop and demonstrate feasibility of a defensive, ground-based Kinetic Energy Anti-Satellite (KE-ASAT) weapon system. He cut $30 million for the Clementine 2 program to track and intercept asteroids. Finally, he vetoed $10 million for the study of a spaceplane being developed by the Air Force.
The Clinton Administration expressed confidence that the United States could defeat any adversary’s use of satellites during a conflict through US dominance of electronic warfare to interfere with the adversary’s communications with its satellites.
“We need to not be victim to ‘old think,’ ” said Bell. “The old think Cold War mentality was that we envisioned space control as ASAT, and we equated ASAT with a dedicated system that went up and destroyed something.” Bell emphasized that “revolutionary advances in technology, particularly in the area of information operations, are so phenomenal that … we just need to widen our horizon” beyond reliance on ASAT systems to protect US interests in space.
In a speech to the United States Space Foundation last year, Bell stated, “There are a range of alternatives being explored or under consideration … and that are fielded and available, including options for destroying or jamming the links between an adversary’s satellite and the Earth. If we were in classified session I could say more, but I can’t.”
However, Clinton’s use of the veto to target space-oriented technology fanned GOP concerns that the President was backing away from commitments to pursue technology development to give the United States the option of developing weapons capable of controlling the high ground of space.
As Frank J. Gaffney Jr., an ardent Administration critic and head of the conservative Center for Security Policy, put it: “The White House has showcased its belief that arms control agreements can protect American spacecraft.”
Clinton’s vetoes drew a powerful response. In January 1998, 43 retired senior military leaders sent Clinton an open letter that expressed their deepening concern about the course of events regarding space. Signatories included Gen. Thomas S. Moorman Jr., former Air Force vice chief of staff; Air Force Gens. Charles A. Horner and John L. Piotrowski, former commanders in chief, US Space Command; Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, former commander of Strategic Air Command; Air Force Gen. John A. Shaud, former chief of staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe; Air Force Lt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson, former director of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization; and Army Lt. Gen. Malcolm R. O’Neill, former director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.
These military leaders warned that few challenges posed “a greater danger to our future security posture than that of adversaries seeking to make hostile use of space or to deny us the ability to dominate that theater of operations.” Operation Desert Storm showed the stakes with space control, they said, adding: “What was true in 1991 will be even more so in the years ahead.”
Concerns mounted on Capitol Hill as Clinton headed to a Moscow summit with Yeltsin in September 1998 amid reports that the US was prepared to finalize a secretly negotiated deal with Russia that would ban anti-satellite weapons.
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen attempted to reassure lawmakers.
“Our approach does not constrain the US right to counter [threatening] space systems that are being used for purposes hostile to US national security interests,” Cohen declared. “Our intention is that these discussions [with Russian officials] not lead to arrangements that would impede US capabilities we determine are necessary for space control.”
The reported deal never materialized. But the claim of a secret deal only lent new impetus to the dispute between Democrats and Republicans over US preparedness in space. Both the White House and Republicans in Congress turned to Bell, a veteran defense analyst with a penchant for finding what he likes to call “ground truth” in any policy dispute.
Bell helped forge a compromise over US spending on space control to allay Congressional concerns. The deal led to passage of the most recent piece of defense legislation. The White House promised to “examine potential space controlrelated research, development, and acquisition options.”
For their part, Republican lawmakers agreed to give the Clinton Administration more leeway in pursuing this goal. Congress called for the Administration to submit a blueprint to Congressional defense committees early this year.
Moreover, Congress ordered the Pentagon to “obligate promptly” the contested $37.5 million in funds for a KEASAT weapon, but it gave the Pentagon leeway to apply the funds to “other space controldevelopment activities” if warranted. The compromise called for spending $10 million on development of the microsatellite technology within the Clementine 2 program without supporting the certain defense facets of the program that had alarmed the White House. Finally, HouseSenate conferees agreed not to authorize an increase in funds for development of the spaceplane in Fiscal 1999 but agreed to apply the $10 million in Fiscal 1998 funds to help underwrite the program.
“To me this was a success story,” said Bell. “It suggests, I hope, that we have moved past suspicion and distrust to a point where we’ve all sat down and calmly and very clearly agreed on a solution.”
The outcome was the kind of compromise that Bell has fashioned throughout his career. The son of a highly decorated World War II combat pilot, the 51-year-old native of Birmingham, Ala., graduated with honors in 1969 from the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. A year later, Bell took a master’s degree in international security studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Bell then served mainly in communications assignments, before he resigned his commission in 1975.
He immediately launched a second career, becoming a defense analyst with the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress. Then Bell in 1979 won a temporary assignment at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, where he served as staff director of the military committee of the North Atlantic Assembly. Cold War tensions were high; Soviet forces had invaded Afghanistan, and Moscow was installing mobile SS-20 missiles aimed at Western Europe. The NATO Allies were laying groundwork to deploy mobile Pershing 2 intermediate-range ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles in West Germany, Italy, Holland, and the United Kingdom.
When he returned to Washington, Bell briefly resumed his duties with the CRS but soon joined the staff of Sen. Charles H. Percy (R-Ill.), who at the time served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. For years, Bell was Percy’s top aide for issues of defense and arms control. When Percy lost his seat to Democrat Paul Simon in 1984, Bell joined the staff of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), a post he held for eight years. In that post, he helped Nunn write the Missile Defense Act of 1991, which called for erecting a national missile defense by 1996.
Bell earned a reputation on Capitol Hill for being a can-do, nonideological analyst able to bridge partisan differences. President Clinton’s first national security advisor, Anthony Lake, invited Bell to join the Administration in January 1993 as the head of defense policy and arms control issues on the National Security Council.
“By the time I got to the White House, I’d had 14 or 15 years of trying to approach defense policy without making it political,” Bell said.
Bell said the Clinton Administration and the GOP-led Congress have been able to strike compromises on space control by cutting through the rhetoric and distrust. “A lot of the near hysteria about the President’s line-item vetoes was being driven by this [press] accusation that we had a secret plan to negotiate an ASAT treaty with the Russians,” Bell recalled. “It was the dog that didn’t bite at the summit. It didn’t happen.”
The compromise over space control was reflected in the budget decisions made by Clinton in the late fall of 1998 for Fiscal 2000 budget, which will go into effect this Oct. 1. The President approved funds to “carry forward the master plan that was sketched out in [a] classified report to Congress,” Bell said.
“We’re not negligent in any way in terms of what I call a robust enhanced technology exploration. We’re doing a lot of work looking into these technologies.”
The Persian Gulf War underscored the undisputed need to pursue space control, Bell emphasized, given the heavy space dependence of US military forces in that conflict.
“We don’t have the option of turning the clock back and going off and negotiating some arms control treaty with Russia that prohibits the development testing or deployment of space control capabilities,” Bell said. “We’ve got to have them.”
Bell noted that Clinton has stipulated in his annual renditions of US national security strategy that the US remains “committed to maintaining our leadership in space” with “development of the full range of space-based capabilities” to enable the United States to “deter threats to our interests in space, and if deterrence fails, [to] defeat hostile efforts against US access to and use of space.” It remains to be seen whether continued US assurances will ease Russian fears as the White House works with Congress on the next phase of space defense development.
“I can’t claim that our efforts have removed all of their concerns,” Bell said. “That, I think, is a discussion that will go on.”
To Control Space
The following comes from Air Force Doctrine Document 2-2, “Space Operations,” released Aug. 23, 1998.
Space control is the means by which space superiority is gained and maintained to assure friendly forces can use the space environment while denying its use to the enemy. To accomplish this, space forces must survey space, protect the ability to use space, prevent adversaries from exploiting US or allied space services, and negate the ability for adversaries to exploit their space forces.
Counterspace is the mission carried out to achieve space control objectives by gaining and maintaining control of activities conducted in or through the space environment. Counterspace involves activities conducted by land, sea, air, space, information, and/or special operations forces. Counterspace includes offensive and defensive operations.
Offensive counterspace operations destroy or neutralize an adversary’s space systems or the information they provide at a time and place of our choosing through attacks on the space, terrestrial, or link elements of space systems. The principal means of conducting offensive counterspace operations is through the use of terrestrial-based forces such as air attacks against space system ground nodes or supporting infrastructure.
As the use of and investment in space increases, protecting resources is critical. Because such protection introduces the possibility of Earth-to-space, space-to-space, and space-to-Earth operations, it is in the national interest to be prepared to develop the capability to support multipurpose operations in the space medium and employ such systems as national policy dictates.
Offensive counterspace operations use lethal or nonlethal means to achieve five major purposes: deception, disruption, denial, degradation, and destruction of space assets or capabilities. …
Defensive counterspace operations consist of active and passive actions to protect US space-related capabilities from enemy attack or interference. …
Contributing Capabilities. Three capabilities are critical to the successful conduct of offensive and defensive counterspace operations: surveillance and reconnaissance of space, ballistic missile warnings, and understanding how the space environment may affect systems operating through or in space.
Stewart M. Powell, White House correspondent for Hearst Newspapers, has covered national and international affairs in the United States and overseas since 1970. His last article for Air Force Magazine, “Reading, Writing, and Aerospace,” appeared in the January 1999 issue.


Even though the appraisal company does the work to determine the assessment, a tax assessor needed to sign off on it. Schettino said the appraisal company consulted with George Reggo, a tax assessor who works for several municipalities, for this purpose.
“It’s common when this happens that the assessors from the other municipalities as a courtesy perform the service just as our assessor does the same for those municipalities,” Schettino said.
Reggo was fined by a state agency earlier this year for reducing the assessed value of property he owned in Englewood Cliffs.
Despite the attorney's report that found no issues with the reassessment, Rendo on Monday said he "still feels uneasy because of the process." His key concern was that there was potential conflict of interest that he and the council were unaware of.
"There is no paper trail from what I've seen that shows Mr. Anzevino had advised the council or this mayor of any conflict concerning this matter at all," Rendo said.
Schettino said that in terms of recusals, there typically isn’t a paper trail. “Nobody says, ‘Can you please put that in writing,’ ” he said.
Rendo also noted that the lowering of the assessment rested in part on the fact that 188 Broadway was vacant, but it was vacant because the new owners were not seeking tenants and had no intention to use it as an office building.
"It's a self-inflicted reduction," the mayor said.
188 Broadway LP's proposal to redevelop the office building into 60 apartments was denied by the zoning board in July.


PRODUCTION/CREW
When I was a kid, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Reading stories, watching stories and telling stories were always what I woke up thinking about. Back then, I had no idea how this passion would influence me.
Opportunities at The Actor's Green Room in New York City allowed me to foster this passion. I've met new friends who truly nurture me as a storyteller. Uber Oracle is my fifth short film for the AGRtist Monthly Short Film Challenge and second film being directed by Renée Stork. Her vision and ability to touch us all is impossible to stay away from. I couldn't be more excited to be part of a team with such talent and same-mindedness.
Steve O'Brien- Co-Producer
Samantha Winter is a multi-passionate actor/writer/producer who also rides and trains horses for a living! She finds joy in the little things in life, and in the small magical moments that occur when we take the time to get still, look a little closer, and keep our eyes open to the miracles all around us.
Samantha Winter- Co-Producer
In 1989 curiosity and ambition prompted Toru to leave his hometown of Osaka, Japan and settle in NYC where he was introduced to the motion picture and began to work his way up from the bottom.
While working on documentary and TV shows, he developed a passion of cinematography. The documentary genre in particular allowed him to develop his cinematic technique and to understand the artistic possibilities in analyzing a scene then lighting and composition.
Around 2009, however, looking for bigger challenge, he began the transition away from TV and documentary and into the world of commercial and narrative film.
In 2011 he debuted as a feature film cinematographer/DP with the film “Edible Soul’.“Birthday (2015)” is his second feature film along with number of short films to date.
Toru Nishikubo- Director of Photography
Born and raised in New Brunswick, NJ, Steve Boghossian has always had a strong love for the arts. An experienced actor, effects and timing editor, and classically trained percussionist, Steve has experience on many independent projects, animations, and albums.
Steve has a degree in Animation and Media Arts from Philadelphia where he trained in acting and voice acting, as well as special effects timing and compositing. He has worked with many independent artists, including visionary animators such as Robert Wurzburg from Herbipolis Inc., Steve has first hand experience with all aspects of film creation and effects.
Steve Boghossian- Editor
Jessica Green is honored to be the editor for "Uber Oracle." She has just completed directing and editing three short films, The Red Lotus, Spilt Milk, and The Prime.
She currently has several films on the festival circuit, both as an actor and editor, as well as being editor on the currently running web series "Here We Wait."
You can catch her recent acting work in the new Lifetime movie, "Stalker's Prey."
Jessica Green- Editor
Born in Argentina and currently living in New Zealand, Adrian’s interests growing up always revolved around film and music.
His first steps into music where playing the bass in heavy metal and hard rock bands with high school friends.
After 4 years in a Classical Music conservatory, he studied Music Production. It was during this time that his interest in post-production awoke, eventually turning into his main passion.
Since then, he has collaborated with people from all over the world in a variety of projects ranging from short and feature films (animated and live action) to start-ups, commercials and video games. His experience includes cleaning up and editing production dialogue, ADR, Foley, music and mixing.
Adrian Bosi- Sound Editor
An independent Production Sound Mixer with over 80 shorts, features & documentaries under his belt. Zach moved to Brooklyn in 2012 to pursue a Film/Video B.F.A. at Pratt Institute, where he picked up his love & aptitude for Sound Mixing. Whether scaling waterfalls in the Catskills, navigating the crowds of Times Square, or miking inmates at a maximum security prison, Zach's most at home strapped to a sound bag with a boom in his hands. When he's not on set or with a run and gun camera crew, he's looking for the next shoot.
Zach Travis- Production Sound Mixer
Lee Ann grew up in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, trained in classical theatre all around (London Dramatic Academy, American Shakespeare Center, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival), and is now based in Brooklyn, working in film as a writer/ director, happily married to her Adonis of a husband. She will forever attest that Clueless is one of the greatest films ever made.
Lee Ann Hoover- Script Supervisor
We are busy writing Ashley's bio.
Ashley Montesano- 1st Assistant Director


Connecticut Republicans vying to be top ‘Young Gun’
Washington — The five Republicans running to replace Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy in the 5th Congressional District are competing for more than votes and campaign cash.
They are also vying to be chosen for an exclusive group of GOP candidates known as “Young Guns.” Those are the candidates the national Republican Party has determined to have the best chance of winning a congressional seat.
Every Republican who enrolls in the program is eligible for guidance from Washington. Those who reach a certain level are introduced to possible donors, and those who reach Young Gun status are considered priority candidates, opening the door to valuable endorsements and fundraising help.
Marc Dillon, spokesman for 5th District candidate Andrew Roraback, who now serves in the state Senate, said applying to the Young Guns program was a way to bolster the campaign.
‘We’re going to avail ourselves of every tool available to make sure we win the district,” Dillon said.
But not all who compete for “Young Gun” status will reach their goal, and that could be a liability for some Republicans running for the 5th District seat.
The Young Gun program was established by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and other GOP leaders trying to recruit the strongest candidates and give mentoring and money.
The strategy seemed to work in 2010, as 62 of about 90 Young Guns won their seats and the Republicans won control of the House.
The five Republican candidates, Roraback, Justin Bernier, Lisa Wilson-Foley, Mark Greenberg and Mike Clark have all won “On the Radar” status, the first step toward becoming a Young Gun.
Nat Sillin, spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, which runs the Young Guns program, said “there’s equal opportunity for all of the candidates” to move ahead. The next tier is “Contender” status, just a step away from “Young Gun.”
To reach “On the Radar” status, certain benchmarks had to be met, including raising $100,000 or more in campaign cash.
“You need to prove you have the ability to raise money,” Sillin said.
But to be rated a “Contender,” candidates must meet even higher benchmarks, although Sillin declined to say how much campaign money had to be raised.
Most of the Republican candidates for the 5th District seat have had no trouble raising money.
Except for Clark and Roraback, all had raised more than $400,000 at the end of last year. Greenberg and Wilson-Foley have loaned their campaigns hundreds of thousands of dollars and seem likely to continue to do so.
“He will supplement his fundraising with more than sufficient funds,” said Greenberg campaign spokesman Chris Cooper.
Clark said he raised an additional $130,000 in the first three months of this year. The fundraising prowess of the rest of the GOP candidates will be determined this weekend, when all House candidates are required to file their latest reports with the Federal Election Commission.
Other candidate requirements include having a good campaign organization and advertising tactics, a strong message and a winning strategy to move up the Young Guns ladder.
“It’s a way for us to tell the quality of a candidate,” Sillin said.
Cooper, of the Greenberg campaign, said “it would be interesting” if the National Republican Campaign Committee promotes one of the 5th District candidates before the May 18 nominating convention, which will determine the support of the candidates among state and local party leaders.
A candidate who wins at least 15 percent of the vote at the convention automatically qualifies for a place on the ballot in the Aug. 14 primary.
There’s a good chance all five GOP candidates will end up on that primary ballot.
One of them may have reached Young Gun status by then, which could be a disadvantage for the other candidates.
In the race for an open congressional seat in Arkansas, for instance, Tom Cotton, a strong fundraiser, was elevated to “Contender” status, while his GOP rival Beth Rankin, remains “On the Radar.”
The national committee will choose its list of Young Guns later this year, Sillin said.
Chris Healy, spokesman for the Wilson-Foley campaign, said climbing the Young Gun ladder “would be nice, but we’re not giving it much thought.”
“Sometimes establishment support can be a drawback,” he said.
Clark also dismissed the importance of Young Guns status.
“Benchmarks that include money as an important metric have not proven very reliable, particularly here in Connecticut,” Clark said. “The average voter in the 5th District finds measures of electability, depth of experience and trustworthiness more significant than Washington endorsements.”
Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the Rothenberg Political Report, a nonpartisan publication, said the mentoring and coaching provided by the Young Guns program can help strengthen a campaign.
“It’s a way for candidates to get more experience,” he said. “It’s also something they can show reporters to give them some credibility.”
But Gonzales cautioned that the Young Gun designation “can backfire, if someone is considered the candidate of the establishment.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also has a program for its hot races, but it’s structured differently. Rather than ranking the strength of a candidate, it identifies “Red to Blue” districts that merit special attention.
Democratic candidates that run in those districts will receive “financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support,” according to a description of the Red to Blue program.
Connecticut’s 5th District is on a list of 18 races targeted by the Democratic campaign committee, but the party is assessing the strengths of the Democrats running for that seat less publicly than the Republican committee with its Young Guns program.
The one thing both parties can agree on is that the race for the 5th District seat will draw plenty of attention and support from Washington.
Ana Radelat


Chevron and Second Harvest Distribute Holiday Meals to 600 Families Across Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes
LAKE CHARLES, La (press release) – On Dec. 22, Second Harvest Food Bank of Southwest Louisiana distributed holiday staples, such as turkeys, canned goods, vegetables and more, to 600 families in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes. Chevron contributed $50,000 to the initiative as part of the company’s continued efforts to support residents of Southwest Louisiana, an area that continues to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Laura and other tropical storms.
In addition to this food distribution, Second Harvest has already provided more than 3 million meals across Southwest Louisiana, including tens of thousands of prepared meals in the Second Harvest Community Kitchen, to people impacted by this year’s storms.
“Partners like Chevron help make the work we do possible,” said Communications Specialist for Second Harvest Food Bank, Natasha Curley. “Today we were able to provide 600 families with the items they will need for a holiday meal. We hope having a traditional turkey and holiday side dishes will help bring a little bit of normalcy to locals during such a challenging year.”
As a part of their hurricane relief efforts, to date, Chevron has donated $500,000 to various charitable organizations, hosted two fuel giveaways, distributed 8,500 gallons of free gasoline and $15,000 in gas gift cards to citizens in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes. The company also recently donated an additional $75,000 to Catholic Charities to host a series of food distribution events.
“We are hopeful that these contributions will help members of our community overcome some of the obstacles they may be facing and take care of everyday needs.” said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “We feel very fortunate to partner with Second Harvest Food Bank and other charitable groups as they support Louisiana residents.”
Together, these organizations are working to provide hope to families that continue to face the challenges of rebuilding their homes and businesses in the wake of Hurricane Laura and other storms. For additional information on this and other events, click here. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank, visit no-hunger.org.
Categories: Lagniappe, Louisiana Lagniappe
GW Fins Is Now Selling Individual Praline Cream Soft Pretzel King Cakes By The 1/2 Dozen


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Puneet Varma (Editor)
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Malankara Metropolitan
Malankara Metropolitan was a legal title given to the head of the Malankara Syrian Church, also called Puthencoor (New Loyalists) Syrian Christians by the Government of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the King of Travancore & the King of Cochin to the legal head of Malankara Syrian Church . The Supreme Court of India had authenticated the usage of this title by Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in its verdict in Malankara Church case.
List of Malankara Metropolitans
It was when Col. Munroe the resident of Travancore, Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban was ordained as a bishop by Geevarghese Mar Philexenos (Kidangan) (1811–29) of Malabar Independent Syrian Church (Thozhyoor Church) on 22 March 1815. He was given the episcopal title Dionysius (a Greek personal name derived from the name of the Greek god DIONYSOS), the second bishop in the Malankara Church to get this title. After the death of Mar Thoma VIII, he was made the head of the Malankara Church by a Royal proclamation issued by the King of Travancore and later by the King of Cochin. The proclamation insisted every Syrian Christian of Travancore-Cochin to obey the Malankara Metropolitan. From then onwards the head of the Malankara Syrian Church legally came to be known as Malankara Metropolitan. The position of the Malankara Metropolitan in the 19th century is an upgrowth from the position of the previous MarThomas' and Archdeacons'. The power and authority of the Malankara Metropolitan got more recognition than the power and authority of the previous Archdeacons' and Marthomas' because of some political changes in the country through the establishment of British rule.
From 1816, Dionysius II, Dionysius III, Dionysius IV, Mathews Mar Athanasius, Thomas Mar Athanasius and Dionysius V were the Malanakara Metropolitans in the 19th century. Among these Mathews Mar Athanasius of Palakkunnathu exercised enormous spiritual as well as temporal powers inside and outside the community. He was the Malankara Metropolitan at the time of Mulanthuruthy Padiyola in (1876).However inspired by the western missionaries cooperated in the old seminary at Kottayam, he wanted to inculcate reformist ideas in the traditional Syrian church. A parallel group under Dionysious V was working against the ruling Malankara Metropolitan's reformist ideas. During the later half of the 19th century there occurred two factions in the community; the minority faction that favored reformation and supported the Malankara metropolitan (Metran Kakshi- Reformists)and the majority faction who were against the introduction of new changes which was against the Syrian tradition of the church got stood with the Patriarch of Antioch (Bava kakshi-Syrian traditionalists). This invited a closer interference of the Patriarch of Antioch. Mar Dionysius V stood with the Patriarch of Antioch against the ruling metropolitan, Mathews Mar Athanasius of Palakkunnathu. A series of court cases followed there after. The Travancore Royal court on 14 July 1889 declared that Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasius and the Reformist faction has no rights in the Malankara Syrian Church as they were not willing to accept the supremacy of the Patriarch of Antioch. Later the Reformist faction organised themselves as independent Marthoma Syrian Church .
The practice of issuing Royal proclamation ceased after the time of Palakkunnathu Mathews Mar Athanasius. Dionysious V of the Bava Kakshi (Syrian traditionalists) invited and brought Patriarch Peter III of Antioch to Malankara in 1875 .The Patriarch divided the Malankara church into seven diocese; Dionysious V who was holding the Diocese of Quilon was declared as the Malankara Metropolitan in the synod of Mulanthuruthy(27 to 30 June 1876) . Neither the reigning Malankara Metropolitan, Palakkunathu Mathews Mar Athanasious nor the Churches favouring him participated in the synod . Naturally the Patriarch formally took the control of the Syrian church as per the wishes of the traditionalists(Bava Kakshi). This resulted in a series of court cases and stronger rift in the church. Dionysious V of Bava Kakshi approached the Royal Court of Travancore aganist Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasious reigning as Malankara Metropolitan and against occupying assets of church and seminary. Appellant Dinoysious V and Bava Kakshi won the case in 1889 and Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasius was deprived of the title of Malankara Metropolitan and evicted from Syrian Seminary as he was not willing to attend the synod and accept the supremacy of the Patriarch .
Later the reformist faction argued over years that the case took a turn in favor of Bava Kakshi on production of an evidence exhibit which later became infamous as KAPPI CANON ( A Syriac Church law book which was tampered with addition of extra articles narrating historic subordination of Malankara church to Holy See of Antioch and giving temporal powers to See of Antioch) dipped in coffee concentrate to show its antiquity.Mean while the defeated metran(reformist) faction organised themselves under the evicted Malankara Metropolitan Thomas Mar Athanasious with independent Indigenous Christian heritage as Marthoma Syrian Church.
However, later after the establishment of Catholicate in Malankara in 1912, again a rift occurred among Jacobites over the temporal authority of Patriarch of Antioch .There were several years of litigation between the two factions, the Metran (orthodox) faction and the Bava (jacobite) faction. Now the Jacobites and the Orthodox are separate sister churches as Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Under Catholicate See of Saint Thomas) and Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church aka (under The Holy Antiochian See of Saint Peter).
Historically the primate or the leader of St Thomas Christians were known as Jathikku Karthavyan (leader of Community), Malankara moopen (Elder of the Community), Archdeacon or Arkadyokon (High Priest).In 16th century to resist the latinization attempts of the Jesuits it became necessary to elevate the Archdeacon to a position of 'Metropolitan Bishop' named as Mar Thoma. In 1653 the Archdeacon position was elevated to Bishopric by laying hands of twelve priests in the absence of a valid Bishop. This was an emergency step. Then onwards the Metropolitan Bishop assumed the honorific ecclesiastical title Marthoma. This title was used from 1653 to 1815. Later a regular 'Bishopric' was established in Malankara with the help of Gregorios Abdal Jaleel. Until a few hundred years back, the leadership of St Thomas Christian Community was dynastically held by members of the Pakalomattom family.
Mar Thoma I – In 1653, Thomas of Pakalomattam Thravadu was consecrated with the title Marthoma I by Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel. Marthoma I survived a number of assassination attempts. He died on 25 April 1670 and was interred in Angamaly St Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church.
Mar Thoma II – (1670–1686) Consecrated by Marthoma I and Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel. Died on 14 April 1686 and was interred at St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church, Niranam.
Mar Thoma III – (1686–1688) Consecrated by Mar Ivanios Hirudyathulla (from Antioch), died on 21 April 1688. Laid to rest at St.Thomas Syriac Orthodox Church, Kadampanad.
Mar Thoma IV – (1688–1728). Consecrated by Mar Ivanios Hirudyathulla. Died on 24 March 1728 and was interred at Kandanad Martha Mariam Syriac Orthodox Church.
Mar Thoma V – (1728–1765) – Consecrated by Marthoma IV. Died on 8 May 1765 and laid to rest at St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church, Niranam.
Mar Thoma VI – (1765–1808) Consecrated by Marthoma V. Died on 8 April 1808 and laid to rest at St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, Puthenkavu. Important events:
In June 1770, he accepted re-consecration from Antiochian bishops in order to avoid a split in the Church and the title Dionysius was accepted.
Marthoma VI did not approve the appointment of Kattumangattu Abraham Mar Coorilos as a metropolitan by a bishop from Antioch. This was the beginning of Malabar Independent Syrian Church.
He was forced to conduct a service according to Chaldean Catholic rites, but escaped during a rebellion in Travancore under Velu Thampi.
Rev.Dr. Claudius Buchanan visited and made arrangement for the translation of the Bible into Malayalam. Marthoma presented him the peshitto Bible written in the old Syriac. This manuscript is kept in the public library of the University of Cambridge.
Mar Thoma VII – (1808–1809) Consecrated by Marthoma VI in 1796. During his time on 1 December 1808, a sum of 3000 Star Pagoda (in 2002 one Star Pagoda coin had a market value of £475) was given as loan in perpetuity to the British resident Colonel Maccaulay. This is known as Vattipanam. Marthoma died on 4 July 1809 and was interred at St. Peter's & St. Paul's Syriac Orthodox Church, Kolencherry.
Mar Thoma VIII – (1809–1816) Consecrated on 2 July 1809 by Marthoma VII. During his time Kottayam Suryani Seminary was opened and modern education began in Kerala. Marthoma died on 26 January 1816 and was interred at St. Mary's Cathedral, Puthencavu, Chengannur.
Mar Thoma IX – (1816–1817). Consecrated by Marthoma VIII without the consent of the people. So he retired to St.George Orthodox Church, Kadamattom, and spent the rest of his days in prayer and fasting.
There after the Malankara Metropolitans didn't use the name Marthoma with their ecclesiastical title until 1975.
Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysius (Malankara Metropolitan) – (1816) was consecrated by Mar Philoxenos II, of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church (Thozhiyoor Sabha). Died on 25 November 1816 and laid to rest at Orthodox Old Seminary, Kottayam. (He didn't use the official title Marthoma even though people affectionately called him Marthoma X.)
Punnathra Geevargis Mar Dionysius.(1817–1825)
Cheppattu Philipose Mar Dionysius.(1825–1852)
Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan.(1852–1877)
Mar Dionysius V(1865-1909)
Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril(1909-1934)
Archdeacon position was uplifted to Metropolitan position. Metropolitans of the Malankara Church were called with ecclesistical title Mar Thoma. (They all took the title name Marthoma except Mar Thoma VI)
Mar Thoma I (1653–1670)
Mar Thoma II (1670–1686)
Mar Thoma III (1686–1688)
Mar Thoma IV (1688–1728)
Mar Thoma V (1728–1765)
Mar Dionysius I(1765–1808)(affectionately called Mar Thoma VI)
Mar Thoma VII (1808–1809)
Mar Thoma VIII (1809–1816)
Mar Thoma IX (1816–1817)
There after Mar Thoma title was used from 1893 onwards in Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church and from 1975 onwards in Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
Malankara Metropolitan Wikipedia
Mike Homik
Jan Wijn


FG, National Assembly flex muscles, federal lawmakers dare Buhari over workers recruitment
The National Assembly, on Wednesday, said it had suspended the Federal Government’s planned recruitment of 774, 000 Nigerians under the Special Public Works programme.
The spokesperson for the Senate, Dr Ajibola Basiru, and his counterpart for the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who announced the suspension, said the President, Muhammadu Buhari , could challenge the decision in court.
Basiru read the statement during a press conference he addressed at the National Assembly.
In the statement, the spokespersons said the federal parliament took the decision following the disagreement between it and the Minister of State for Employment, Labour and Productivity, Mr Festus Keyamo, on Tuesday.
The lawmakers also hinged their decision on the fact that the programme did not exclusively belong to the President.
They said it was jointly conceived by the executive and the legislature. They argued that they could not be kept in the dark over its implementation.
But Keyamo, said the recruitment would not be suspended as directed by the National Assembly. According to him, the legislature has no power to issue directives to the executive.
The President had, a few months ago, approved the employment of 774, 000 workers to cushion the effect of the economic hardship caused by COVID-19.
By the arrangement, 1, 000 Nigerians, who will earn N20, 000 each on a monthly basis for three months, are expected to be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas of the country.
The programme will start in October this year.
Keyamo was ordered out of the National Assembly on Tuesday following his refusal to apologise after the legislators accused him of raising his voice against them.
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, had summoned the minister and the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Mr Nasiru Argungu, to brief its members on the steps so far taken to recruit 774, 000 people.
Trouble started when the lawmakers criticised Keyamo for allegedly engaging in a lopsided recruitment without the active involvement of the NDE, the agency that got N52bn approval from the National Assembly to implement the programme.
Categories: Business, Economy, News, Politics, Right now, Slider
Tags: Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Ajibola Basiru, Labour and Productivity, Minister of State for Employment, Mr Nasiru Argungu, Mr. Festus Keyamo, Muhammadu Buhari, National Assembly, President, spokesperson for the Senate


Singled Out: One Goal for Young Mormon Singles—Get Married!
During the April 2011 priesthood session of general conference, President Thomas S. Monson dedicated one fifth of his speech to encouraging single men to marry—a subject on which Church leaders have been preaching almost since Mormonism began.
“Brethren, there is a point at which it’s time to think seriously about marriage and to seek a companion with whom you want to spend eternity,” he said.
During the Sunday morning session of the same conference, apostle Richard G. Scott told single young men, “Don’t waste time in idle pursuits. Get on with life and focus on getting married. Don’t just coast through this period of life.”
Days after President Monson’s speech, LDS leaders announced the disbanding of all student wards in Utah Valley and the formation of new all-single stakes and wards for people 18–30. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Peggy Fletcher Stack connected this reorganization to the pro-marriage preaching in conference the week before, noting that persuading “young men and women to stop postponing marriage . . . is, after all, the goal of all these singles wards.”
What challenges do LDS singles confront? Does being single in the Church promise more than becoming a “ministering angel” who will wait tables in the celestial kingdom, as Pat Bagley has humorously imagined? Is singlehood a condition to be frowned on and pitied, or could it be accepted as normal–perhaps even celebrated?
Video: A Mormon Female Trio Sings About Needing a Man
From Condemnation to Accommodation
Authors Marybeth Raynes and Erin Parsons trace LDS statements against singlehood back to 1831, when Joseph Smith penned a revelation for Leman Copley, a former celibate Shaker, declaring that “whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man” (D&C 49:15). By 1843, Joseph Smith was privately marrying plural wives and teaching that only those married for eternity by the power of the priesthood would “have an increase” in the resurrection.
As soon as Mormons settled in the West, Church leaders vigorously promoted marriage as the only way for men—naturally sinful and lazy—to become devout Christians, righteous patriarchs, and productive citizens. An 1857 Deseret News article invoked both theological imperatives and practical benefits to marriage when urging Mormon bachelors to “make one grand attempt for blissful days, comfortable nights, posterity, and an honest future.”
While Brigham Young probably never actually said that every single man over 27 is “a menace to society” (one of Mormonism’s most famous misquotes), George Q. Cannon’s statement in an 1878 general conference sounds about as severe: “A large number of unmarried men, over the age of 24 years, is a dangerous element in any community.” Ten years before that, Brother Brigham had admonished: “Let every man in the land over 18 years of age take a wife.”
While single men have been characterized as “selfish, sinful, and possibly suffering from a chemical imbalance,” women have generally been treated as “gentle victims of man’s selfishness,” with Church leaders consoling them that “they will yet receive all the blessings of matrimony in the hereafter.” As Lavina Fielding Anderson and Jeffery O. Johnson note, “Whatever single women may suffer, they still need not cope with the pressure and guilt single Mormon males must face in a culture where the initiative rests with the man and where the responsibility to take it is preached by precept and example in every ward in the Church.”
A century later, President Ezra Taft Benson worked in the same rhetorical vein as had Brigham Young and George Q. Cannon when he implicitly questioned the manhood of unmarried males, urging them to “arise from the dust . . . and be men” (2 Nephi 1:21).
Delmont R. Oswald, a 47-year-old divorced Mormon, responded to Benson’s speech at the next Sunstone Symposium. “The tone of President Benson’s speech troubled me,” Oswald said. “I heard his words as those of an adult lecturing a child. Too often [in the Church] adulthood comes to be defined by marital status rather than by age and maturity.”
At that same symposium, BYU sociologist Lawrence A. Young noted that the activity rates of single females in the Church can be five times that of single males. “There is strong evidence that as a Church, we are not meeting the needs of LDS single members, particularly single men,” he said. Young pointed to data showing that “single women over 30 have higher levels of education, occupation, and Church activity than single men.” Consequently, Young cautioned, “If never-married men were to arise en masse from the dust and seek marriage, we can only wonder who they would go out to marry. Based on available studies of marital success, we would have to be very concerned about the quality and long-term stability of a marriage between the typical never-married LDS male over thirty and the typical never-married LDS female over thirty.”
In retrospect, Benson’s 1988 address may have been a “last hoorah” for the harsh nineteenth-century style of preaching on male singleness. The quarter century since that address has seen some attenuation in Church leaders’ admonitions to marry. In fact, in 1987, President Hinckley declared that “marriage should not be viewed as a therapeutic step to solve problems such as homosexual inclinations or behavior.” In an even more recent speech to 5,000 singles, apostle M. Russell Ballard admitted that “not every one of you may find an eternal companion.”
In 2001, Jeffry H. Larson, chair of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at BYU, made headlines at the university’s paper, the Daily Universe, by stating that LDS singles needed to put more thought and preparation into marriage. “Don’t rush even if you’ve found the right person,” Larson wrote. “I don’t think the Spirit will tell you, ‘Don’t get to know him or her better first.’” Larson explained that pressure to marry and marrying too young are factors that hamper the success of a marriage: the divorce rate, he warned, is 70 percent for people who marry before age twenty.
Video: Deseret First Wants You To Save for You Engagement Ring NOW!
Famous Bachelors
Despite the tremendous pressures single men and women face in Mormon culture, there have been some Mormon men who have defended their bachelorhood and Mormon women who rose to positions of prominence in the Church despite their single status.
None may be more peculiar than Evan Stephens (1854–1930), who served 26 years as director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. A confirmed bachelor who took a series of younger men under his wing and into his home, Stephens was also a gender-transgressive artist who sometimes sang in falsetto and impersonated “the old maid of ninety-five.” When world-renowned soprano Nellie Melba asked how many wives he had, Stephens quipped: “I am sorry you pressed the question. It is almost unlawful to talk about.” Ultimately, however, Mormon theology cured Stephens of his inveterate bachelorhood: on 5 November 1930, a year after his death, Stephens’s housekeeper Sarah Daniels was sealed to him.
In the twentieth century, perhaps no Mormon bachelor has received more media attention than legendary quarterback Steve Young. Successful, athletic, attractive, well-adjusted, and still single in his mid-thirties, Young was living proof that not all Mormon bachelors suffer from “a chemical imbalance.” At age 35, Young was asked by Mike Wallace about his single status. “Do you wanna talk about the pressure I feel?” Young answered candidly. “Brigham Young once said, right here on these grounds, that anyone over 27 years of age that’s not married is a menace to society. So here’s my grandfather telling me to get with it. You don’t think that I feel the pressure? I guarantee it.” Young escaped his “single cursedness” at the ripe age of 38, when he married fellow Mormon Barbara Graham, a former model. They have two sons and two daughters.
Not even the shortest short list of famous single Mormons would be complete without Sheri Dew, possibly the most prominent single woman in Church history. C.E.O. and president of Deseret Book, Dew is also an inspirational speaker, writer, former counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society, and former White House delegate to the United Nations.
Dew has spoken about her single status on many occasions, characterizing that status in essentially negative terms—as a cross to be borne. She has said that her singleness indicates that her prayers “have not been answered the way [she] asked them to be.” Dew has presented herself as an example of remaining chaste for life, if necessary. “As someone who has remained unmarried two-and-a-half decades beyond a traditional marriageable age, I know something about the challenge of chastity,” she stated at age 46. “It is not always easy, but it is far easier than the alternative.”
At the same time, Dew has reiterated traditional LDS teachings, affirming marriage and parenthood as normative. In October 2001, Dew affirmed that motherhood is “the essence of who we are as women” and preached on the topic, “It is not good for man or woman to be alone.” The dissonance between these ideals and Dew’s singleness has made her vulnerable to criticism. At an interfaith event in 2004, Dew found herself at the center of a controversy after speaking in defense of traditional marriage. Displaying a photo of two men getting married at the San Francisco City Hall with their adopted twin daughters in their arms, Dew said, “This is hard for me to stomach. What kind of chance do these girls have being raised in that kind of setting?” (Dew was unaware at the time that one of the men pictured, Eric Ethington, is a former LDS missionary.) In a statement expressing “outrage” over Dew’s remarks, Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons pointed to Dew’s singleness in an attempt to undermine her credibility: “While Ms. Dew, who has never married or raised children, pontificates about families, Eric Ethington, with his husband and his daughters, shows to the world what it really means to have one.”
The Emergence of Single Wards
In settings such as Brigham Young University, LDS leaders treat singlehood as a transitional period in which youth must be encouraged to keep the faith while being given opportunities to socialize, date, and find a spouse. “Church members who have never married or are divorced or widowed make up a significant portion of Church membership,” the 1998 General Handbook of Instructions frankly states. “All members, regardless of their age, circumstance, or interests, need the blessings of the gospel and a full range of Church experiences.”
Starting in the mid-1960s, Church leaders contemplated the creation of student wards, branches, and stakes, and established rules regarding who could belong to these units. During the 1970s, the only single wards were student wards (meaning only students could attend them). The 1980s saw the creation of some wards for singles 18–30, as well as units for those over 30, regardless of their student status. But Church leaders were ambivalent about this development. Participation in such units, they insisted, should be considered “somewhat transitory.” Indeed, Church policy held that the best place for singles to “enjoy a full range of church experience” is the conventional family ward.
The driving aim of singles wards is simple: To create more opportunities for singles to find a spouse. BYU wards, with their frequent admonitions to marry, pictorial ward directories, and classes on dating, have generated a subculture revolving around the ideal of celestial marriage. Members who do not find suitable dates in their assigned wards sometimes engage in “ward-hopping.” According to the Deseret News, some BYU bishops have gone so far as to call ward members to serve as “dating specialists” to help other ward members find a spouse. A few years back, one BYU stake dedicated a meeting to the theme, “every member a matchmaker.”
“A goal of mine is to get them married,” Walt Plumb, bishop of the University of Utah 16th Ward, acknowledged to the Deseret News in 2007. Plumb encouraged his ward members to date at least once a month and occasionally gave men $25 to take a woman out. “I know some people aren’t going to have the option of marriage for some reason or another,” Plumb said, “but it sure seems to me that people are a lot happier being married.”
In a culture influenced by a TV series such as Friends, concerned LDS leaders have noted a trend among young Mormons at BYU and elsewhere to “hang out” rather than go on traditional dates. BYU student Elisee Newey told the Deseret News that she prefers hanging out because it allows people to get to know each other and this “leads to better dates.” But Church leaders have recently voiced disapproval of “hanging out,” reaffirming the ideal of traditional dating. “Young women, resist too much hanging out, and encourage dates that are simple, inexpensive, and frequent,” apostle Dallin H. Oaks preached in 2007. “Don’t make it easy for young men to hang out in a setting where you women provide the food. Don’t subsidize freeloaders.”
Sex and the Single Mormon
Despite LDS leaders’ efforts to create a culture of sexual abstinence among young Mormon singles, evidence suggests that these efforts have been only partially successful. In 1992, BYU sociologist Tim B. Heaton combined data from three surveys taken in the 1980s and concludes that “60 percent of LDS women will have had sex before marriage.” A study Wilford E. Smith conducted in the 1970s indicates that “nearly half of active LDS males of university age and a quarter of the active LDS young women” masturbate.
In the face of these realities, Church leaders have become less prone than previously to describe sexual immorality as a sin “next to murder” (Alma 39:1–7). “It appears that Church leaders are becoming increasingly aware of deviations from sexual standards,” Tim Heaton observed in the 1990s, but “feel somewhat frustrated in knowing how to deal with immorality. Changes in sexual norms may have also created a generation gap between the youth and their leaders or parents. These trends could make it more difficult to deal with the discrepancy between official codes of conduct and actual behavior.”
Twenty years after Heaton wrote those words, the LDS Church may be facing a new generation of young Mormons who are openly questioning the Church’s standard of chastity. A 2005 story in the Washington City Paper spotlighted Janna Taylor, a single Mormon living in northern Virginia. At age 28, sitting through yet another Relief Society lesson on chastity, Taylor finally felt she had to stand up and vent. “We all know what the law of chastity is, and we all know the reasoning behind it,” Taylor said, getting teary. “What I want to know is how I’m supposed to live this law as a 28-year-old virgin. Because the reality of the situation is that every single cell in my body is telling me to have babies.”
“I’m a sexual being, and that doesn’t change because of my faith,” Taylor told the Washington City Paper. “The question is how to reconcile that faith with my physical body. How can I embrace my sexuality as a single woman and a Mormon?”
In a more recent essay in the New York Times, Mormon author Nicole Hardy went a step further, writing about her decision, at age 35, to leave her Mormon virginity behind and become sexually active by dating non-Mormon men. “As I grew older, I had the distinct sense of remaining a child in a woman’s body,” Hardy writes. “It wasn’t just sex I lacked but relationships with men entirely. Too independent for Mormon men, and too much a virgin for the other set, I felt trapped in adolescence.”
New Wards, Same Goal
Addressing some 5,000 singles from Salt Lake Valley on 26 April 2011, apostle M. Russell Ballard announced the dissolution of nearly 150 student wards and the integration of single students and non-students into 12 new stakes and 121 young single adult wards. According to Ballard and other Church leaders, the goal of the reorganization is to quell the massive loss of members in the 18–30 age group.
“The reason we’re anxious for you to reach out and to encourage some of the young single adults that are not active is because one of the great places where there can be peace and joy and fellowship, a sense of belonging, is by being active in the Church,” Ballard said. “Would you do what you can to try to draw some of those who are less active back into fellowship in the Church?”
“As an eternal unit, families go to the eternities forever—together forever,” Ballard added. “That’s why we’re drawing you into these young single adult stakes and young single adult wards under the tutelage of bishops and stake presidents who have keys of the power of the holy priesthood of God to answer your questions, to guide you, to give you blessings, and to help you along the way.”
Seventy David Evans explained that pilot programs were run in Ogden, Cedar City, St. George, and other Utah areas in 2010 and were deemed a success: of 4,500 inactive singles visited, 1,000 had returned to the Church.
And, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune, LDS leaders concluded that the program also succeeded in “getting [singles] to the marriage altar.”
Issue 163--June 2011
Mormon Life
Jesus and Mormons and Zombies
People: Issue 163


Robby Wells is a man with a plan – Could this be our next President?
Robby Wells
Guest : Robby Wells :
Website : http://www.robbywells2016.com/
Email: electrobbywells2012@gmail.com
Robby Wells and Natalie Lencioni contacted The Truth Denied’s and asked for a LIVE radio interview. We are honored to have met Robby to conduct this excellent interview with him. Robby Wells is running for President in 2016and we plan on keeping track of his progress until election year. Robby is an optimist with a plan, as well he is one of us. He is a middle class citizen and who has spent his entire life making a difference in his local community, which lead him to running for the President of the United States.
What did we discuss on the show?
Robby, why run for President? Why not start with running for congress or the US Senate?
Robby’s position on Gus and Second Amendment Rights
How to improve the economy
How do we increase employment in America?
Where do you stand on Taxes?
Bringing the troops home, how to make that happen
Unifying the American people
Robby recommends The Creature from Jekyll Island
Enjoy the interview, and please , if you believe in what Robby Well’s has to say, contact him!
About Robby Wells
Robby Wells has been a public servant for over twenty years, serving as a teacher, football coach, and a member of the Army National Guard. Mr. Wells was adopted at birth, and grew up in the southeastern part of the country as the son of a Baptist Minister. He learned the value of hard work at a very young age when he delivered newspapers as a ten year old.
After coaching ten seasons of college football, Robby Wells became the first white head football coach at Savannah State University, a historically black college (HBCU), on December 22, 2007. In his first season as head coach, Savannah State saw as many wins in that season as the previous five seasons combined. He is the most successful coach at Savannah State in the past decade. During his time at Savannah State University, Robby Wells was the host of the “Robby Wells Coach’s Show”, which aired on the regional NBC Affiliate in Southeast Georgia. Throughout his coaching career, Robby Wells has seen great success, and he attributes that to helping other people believe and achieve to their full potential.
Robby Wells has also been recognized as one of the top young motivational speakers in America. He has been the keynote speaker for national conventions, school assemblies, and civic organizations around the country. Mr. Wells has also finished an autobiography that is scheduled to be published in 2012.
In 2006, Robby Wells joined the Army National Guard during the middle of the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr. Wells joined the Army National Guard at the pinnacle of his coaching career at the age of 38. He had always advised his players that serving your country was the most honorable endeavor that a person could achieve, and he believed that he needed to lead by example. See more here: http://www.robbywells2016.com/about_robby
To contact Mr. Robby Wells
http://www.robbywells2016.com/
Contact Robby Wells Campaign headquarters: Phone 704-606-2859
To Contact The Northwest Coordinator
Ms. Natalie Lencioni
email: natalie_s_renner@yahoo.com.
Please look into some of Robby’s proposals:
VETS FOR KIDS
In the wake of the tragic events that have taken place in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut, it is time for every law abiding citizen to take action in order to secure the ones that we love. Elected officials in Washington for both parties have used these tragedies to scream for greater gun control, which will take away from every law abiding citizen’s Second Amendment right. These elected officials have used these tragedies to jockey for position in their next election. Enough is enough, and we can solve this problem very quickly by using common sense.
That is why today, I am introducing my plan called “Vets for Kids.” For a minimal cost, every school in the nation can employ armed Veterans to secure our children from psychopathic criminals that target schools because they are considered “No Weapon Zones.”
This is a common sense solution that will give parents the peace of mind of knowing that their children are safe at school. This solution will also give thousands of unemployed Veterans the opportunity to once again provide for their families. Who better to protect our children than our Veterans who served to protect every American while they actively served. This program, “Vets for Kids” should be adopted on the local and state level. Now is the time to secure our children, who are the future generation.
– Robby Carr Wells”
Robby Wells RESTORATION PROJECT
Robby Wells was adopted as an infant. He believes that we should get back to the basics, and follow the Constitution. In order for America to get back on track, we must return to what made us a great nation in the beginning. All people are created equal, and all people, born and unborn, deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans, we have religious freedom to choose to worship as we desire. We must also continue to strive for equality for all races and genders. Robby Wells is a Christian that accepts all people. As the great Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must not judge a man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.” Robby Wells envisions an America where people from many ethnic groups can come together, embrace each other’s culture and heritage, and find common ground. Because we are all Americans, and it is going to take each one of us working together to get our country moving in a positive direction.
There are 49 million Americans that are living at or below the poverty level. That is unacceptable. In order for our country to get back to prominence, we must create an economic environment that will create jobs and get American citizens back to work. We must encourage small businesses to thrive by eliminating a lot of federal regulations that are currently choking their opportunity for success. We must help families that lost their homes due to a foreclosure during our economic downturn. We must become a nation that produces 100% of its energy sources. According to the 10th Amendment, we must eliminate Federal Programs that are not included in the United States Constitution. These are the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Education, and the Federal Reserve. We must balance the federal budget and create a fair and simple tax system. We must reform our health care system, and we must make sure that we protect the elderly by placing social security on a solid foundation.
The Federal Reserve is the main reason our economy has spun out of control. The Constitution states that only Congress can coin money, and regulate the value thereof… The Fed cuts secret deals, creates money out of thin air, manipulates interest rates, and interferes with the free market system. The Fed has devalued the worth of a dollar by 95%. There are no regulations that the Fed has to follow. My plan is to push for a full audit of the Fed, and to eventually shut it down.
Getting Americans Back to Work
Today we have over 20 million Americans that are unemployed and another 25 million Americans that are underemployed. We have 39 million Americans living in poverty, and 149 million Americans that exist on
low income. We have lost 5.5 million jobs in the manufacturing industry in the past 13 years thanks to
NAFTA , CAFTA and all other trade agreements that are bad for our economy. As President of the United
States, I will push for legislation to repeal these treaties that are killing our economy. We also have over
600,000 manufacturing jobs that are unfilled in our nation right now. The reason they are unfilled is
Because the Department of Education will not let students be trained for these jobs . I will cut the
unconstitutional Department of Education , and let the states once again train people for these vacant
Before entering office, the President of the United States must take the following oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. The first objective of the President of the United States is to ensure the safety of the American citizens against all enemies. We must maintain a strong military and continue to protect our citizens. I will immediately send troops to our border with Mexico to insure that our border is secure from the gangs and violence taking place. Presently our border is not secure. Members of drug rings freely roam into America. This must stop and it will under my watch. My plan is to bring as many troops home as possible. We do not need to be the police of the world, and we do not need to be entangled with foreign countries. This means that we need to phase out our military involvement with NATO. Our military was designed to be our National Defense, not our National Offense.
National Energy Independence
As a nation, we must become completely independent on our own energy sources. Today, our nation only produces about 35% of our oil supply. The other 65% of the oil we use comes from foreign countries. Some of the countries we are doing business with harbor terrorists and support terrorist activities. Desert Storm, 9/11, the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq were all directly or indirectly the cause of America doing business with foreign countries to gain their oil supplies. There are over 9,500 reasons why we must become a nation that is energy independent, because over 9,500 people lost their lives in Desert Storm and 9/11, the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq. Our country is rich with natural resources, and as President of the United States, I will push for legislation to become a nation that produces its own oil, natural gas, nuclear power and bio fuels. Our country is rich with natural resources, and as President of the United States, I will eliminate the Department of Energy, and allow private companies to help America become an Energy Independent Nation. This will create at least 1.4 million jobs. This is not only an economic issue but also an issue of national defense.
Tax Reform and Government Spending
Ultimately we need to move towards abolishing the IRS and Federal Income Tax, and move to a tariff system that will fund our Federal Government. As President of the United States, I will push Congress for legislation to move to this system by eliminating Amendment XVI, which at present day gives Congress the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes. This is robbery, and I will push Congress to make this a reality. This must happen for Americans to truly have freedom and liberty from our Federal Government. I will work tirelessly as President of the United States to make this happen. Once elected, I will also cut all Federal Departments that are unconstitutional. I will follow Amendment X in order to decrease the size of our Federal Government, and decrease the amount of spending. We are going broke as a nation because our Federal Government is paying for these unconstitutional departments. This will change immediately under my watch.
It is really a simple concept. “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” We must take care of our parents and grandparents. We must ensure that the social security system is placed on firm ground. In order for the social security system to work, elected government officials must first realize that they cannot continue to spend more than what they have to work with. By creating jobs, balancing the budget, making big businesses pay their fair share of taxes and becoming an independent energy nation, our aging citizens will be taken care of. In addition, we must take into account the average lifespan of American’s has increased and calculate a new plan according. We must move to privatizing the Social Security System. We must allow our citizens to determine which retirement plan that each individual wishes to participate in.
As a nation, we must always create an environment for open diplomacy with foreign countries. We must remain a superpower, and understand that working with other nations on a sound global economy will help our country grow. We must cut our ties with NATO because we do not need to be the police of the world. Having a strong economy goes hand in hand with having a strong national defense.
There are several things that need to change in Washington. Our elected government officials must never again spend more money than we have on hand. Overspending is a bad business practice, and it has started to haunt our nation. This must change. We must make sure that we leave our children and grandchildren a nation that has a thriving economy. As President of the United States, I will also push for term limits for members of Congress. The President of the United States can only serve for two terms as the Chief Executive. The same should apply to members of Congress. We have too many elected officials that are more concerned about keeping their jobs and getting reelected than actually doing their job.
There are several Federal Departments that are not covered under the United States Constitution. I intend on cutting the Departments of Education, Energy, Commerce, and the FED, as well as anything else that the Federal Government is illegally funding. According to the 10th Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Our country is going broke because we are paying for departments that are unconstitutional. This will change under my watch.
www.robbywells2016.com
Robby Wells & Dr. Ron Paul
Please visit Robby’s website, or just give him a call today! Robby has not only offered to speak with American’s on the phone & email, but in person! If you wish for Mr. Wells to come to your town, simply schedule it with his Northwest Coordinator, Ms. Natalie Lencioni. Call Phone# 704-606-2859, or Email Mr. Wells at electrobbywells2012@gmail.com -or- Email Natalie Lencioni at natalie_s_renner@yahoo.com.
Please be sure to join Roxy Lopez every Tuesday night 8-10 p.m.( EST)
Tags: "The Truth Denied Talk Radio, 2016 campaign, 2016 election, economy, gun rights, jobs, program, Revolution Radio, Robby Wells, running for president, second amendment rights, social security, taxes, The Truth Denied Roxy Lopez, Vets for kids, vote
4 Responses “Robby Wells is a man with a plan – Could this be our next President?”
robby wells is a snake oil salesman, robby knows good & well that he has zero chance of being President of the United States. robby is just out to make money. http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2013/07/joshua-fauver-robby-wells-faux-of-the-liberty-movement/
I disagree with having armed guards in schools. We already live in a police state. Putting armed guards in schools would further the government’s current agenda by “conditioning” our children into believing the presence of armed guards is normal: accepting the control of a police state. As quoted by B.F. Skinner, “Give me a child and I’ll make him into anything.”
Parents send their children to school for an education (the illusion). What their children receive is operant conditioning or performance based education (reality). According to Skinner, “Operant conditioning shapes behavior as a sculptor shapes a lump of clay.”
If armed guards were walking our streets today, most people would object. If today’s children grow up in a school system where they encounter armed guards daily, they will not take notice when armed guards start walking the streets. (Then there were two and three and.4 and…) By the time their children are old enough to attend operant conditioning, armed guards will be marching them to and from their authorized training camp locations.
[Teaching and Conditioning is to People and Animals is to Educated and Trained]
How is it that when a crisis occurs the government, a.k.a. Intraspecific Kleptoparasites, have a solution before determining the cause/s? Previous solutions to prevent school shootings included installing security cameras and implementing controlled entry into a school.
Sandy Hook Elementary had both, yet both preventive measures failed. A video from the security camera of the incident does not seem to exist. Therefore, there is no evidence that indicates Adam Lanza (alleged shooter) gained entry by shooting through the glass door.
As of yet, there is no proof that Adam Lanza was on medication or that medication was the cause of his alleged actions or that he was under the care of a mental health professional. In fact, there is NO hard evidence, whatsoever, that Lanza even committed the crime. It is nothing but media hearsay as reported to them from Lt. Vance – also hearsay as far as I’m concerned.
Why waste more taxpayer’s money implementing preventive measures to events for which the cause has not been determined? They do not prevent future occurrences or mitigate the outcome.
rkag
They aren’t all walmart some are walgreens. We need to start a walwethepeopleneedtoovercomethecorpandpowerelite.
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Schlagwort: Identitarians
Anti-terrorism at walking pace: Little European Union action against right-wing extremists
Only after the attack in Christchurch did the EU Commission and the Council take violent right-wing extremism and terrorism more seriously. However, no progress has been made in the cross-border fight against the phenomenon. Some Member States are putting the brakes on political decisions and consider terrorist attacks only as „extremism“.
On 15 March 2019, the Australian-born right-wing terrorist Brenton Tarrant shot 51 people in cold blood and injured another 50 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The perpetrator is considered a „lone wolf“ or „lone actor“, i.e. an individual who has radicalised himself in right-wing forums and social media on the internet. For many years, European police and secret services have monitored and prosecuted the phenomenon exclusively in the field of Islamist terrorism. Only after the momentous attack did cross-border right-wing networks and „lone actors“ radicalised through their structures find their way onto the EU agenda.
There are well-organised right-wing extremist associations such as Blood and Honour, Combat 18, Hammerskins, Soldiers of Odin, the Nordic Resistance Movement or the Identitarians, which all operate throughout Europe and also have connections on other continents. Their activities were partly observed by the EU, but not perceived as a threat. The EU police agency Europol publishes the „Trend Report on Terrorism in Europe“ (TESAT) every year. There, „right-wing terrorism“ is still at the end of the document after „jihadist terrorism“, „ethno-nationalist and separatist terrorism“ and „left-wing terrorism“, where Europol counts mainly arson attacks in the member states. „Anti-terrorism at walking pace: Little European Union action against right-wing extremists“ weiterlesen
Autor Matthias MonroyVeröffentlicht am 30/10/2020 30/10/2020 Schlagwörter AWF Dolphin, Blood and Honour, Christchurch, Combat 18, COSI, Covid 19, EU Commission, EU Council, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, EU Crisis Protocol, EU IRU, EU2020DE, Eurojust, European Union, Europol, Extremism, FIU.net, Germany, Halle, Hammerskins, Identitarians, IntCen, JHA, Nordic Resistance Movement, Soldiers of Odin, Terrorism, TESAT, TFTP, Violent Right-wing Extremism, Violent Right-wing Terrorism, Working Party on TerrorismSchreibe einen Kommentar zu Anti-terrorism at walking pace: Little European Union action against right-wing extremists
Secret document: „Club de Berne“ criticises member in Austria for possible extremism
An audit report of the „Club de Berne“ finds serious deficiencies in the Austrian domestic intelligence service. Its IT systems were not approved for secret information. The authority should also ensure that it is not infiltrated by „extremist organisations“.
The Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Fight against Terrorism (BVT) is regarded as a security gap for European intelligence cooperation. This is the conclusion reached by the European „Club de Berne“ in an audit report. The document classified as „secret“ was leaked to the daily newspaper „Österreich“ and published.
Following an intervention by the government in Vienna, however, the editorial staff took essential parts offline again, and the public prosecutor’s office is now investigating for „treason of state secrets“. Netzpolitik.org was able to inspect the report, the authenticity of which was confirmed by the current Minister of the Interior, Wolfgang Peschorn. It contains 156 „observations“, „recommendations“, „advice“ and „expectations“. „Secret document: „Club de Berne“ criticises member in Austria for possible extremism“ weiterlesen
Autor Matthias MonroyVeröffentlicht am 02/12/2019 07/12/2020 Schlagwörter Austria, BfV, BVT, Club de Berne, Counter Terrorism Group, CTG, FPÖ, Germany, Herbert Kickl, Identitarians, Intelligence Services, Kaspersky, Klaus-Dieter Fritsche, Martin Sellner, MI5, Neptune, Norway, Phoenix, Poseidon, Soteria, Switzerland


Paul Maynard – 2020 Statement on Flybe
January 14, 2020 admin	2020, Paul Maynard, Speeches
Below is the text of the statement made by Paul Maynard, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 14 January 2020.
I thank my right hon. Friend for raising this matter. She is a strong advocate for her local airport.
Let me stress that Flybe remains a going concern. Flights continue as scheduled, and passengers should continue to go to the airport as usual. I must also emphasise that regional air carriers and airports are vital to the Government, playing a key role in providing connectivity between communities, regions and nations across the United Kingdom.
The speculation surrounding Flybe relates to commercial matters. The Government do not comment on the financial affairs of or speculation surrounding private companies. We are working hard, but there are commercial limits on what a Government can do to rescue any firm.
Be in no doubt, however, that we understand Flybe’s important role in delivering connectivity across the entire United Kingdom. This Government are committed to ensuring that the country has the regional connectivity that it needs. That is part of our agenda of uniting and levelling up the whole country. We do not have good enough infrastructure in many areas, and people do not feel they have a chance to get to the opportunity areas with high-skilled and high-paid jobs. That is what this Government are addressing now.
I hope the House will appreciate that I regret that I am not able to go into further detail at this stage, but I will update the House further when it is appropriate to do so.
Flybe is, as the Minister said, an important regional airline, serving the UK market for business and leisure travel. I must confess from the outset that Southampton airport sits on the boundary between my constituency of Romsey and Southampton North and the Eastleigh constituency, but it employs many of my constituents and, of course, serves the much wider region. It is a crucial part of Hampshire’s connectivity, located adjacent to the mainline to London Waterloo and the M27 motorway, and it serves the cruise terminal at Southampton. It is in every sense a transport hub for the south-east, and about 90% of flights out of Southampton are run by Flybe.
I know that my hon. Friend the Minister is working hard on this issue, for which I sincerely thank him. He has been diligent in keeping me updated and has been in close contact with colleagues across the country who believe that the Government need to find a practical and pragmatic solution to the current reported difficulties, as indeed I do. It is a sensitive time for the company, but my questions today are not criticisms. We are seeking reassurance from the Government that solutions can be found.
I welcomed the comments from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister this morning about regional connectivity. He specifically referenced Northern Ireland, and Southampton airport has a thriving route in and out of Belfast, not to mention Glasgow and Edinburgh, with onward routes to Aberdeen. It is a hub that serves the whole United Kingdom.
I do not wish to put the Minister in a corner, but I hope that he may be able to expand a little on what might be achieved with regard to air passenger duty, which has long been a concern to airlines and airport operators. We leave the European Union at the end of this month, which might give us some opportunity to consider the freedoms that there could be from state aid rules. I do not expect the Minister to make any sweeping announcements from the Dispatch Box, but I hope he and his officials are closely considering it.
What powers does the Minister have to protect the key strategic routes operated by Flybe and, of course, to protect its staff? Flybe employs 200 people at Southampton, and the airport employs some 900 people. A far wider supply chain relies on a thriving regional airport with a functioning operator.
We have an opportunity to use every lever of government to make sure that regional connectivity is maintained to ensure that businesses can operate smoothly and that people can move around the country seamlessly. I seek reassurance from my hon. Friend that he is pulling all those levers.
Paul Maynard
I thank my right hon. Friend once again for working hard on behalf of Southampton airport. I am acutely conscious of the fact that some 94% of Southampton’s passengers are Flybe passengers, and she makes an important series of points about the airport’s importance to her region. Indeed, I gather the airport is also important to inbound tourism.
My right hon. Friend tries to tempt me on to the topic of APD. It may help the House if I make it clear that Transport Ministers never comment on air passenger duty, which is a matter for the Treasury, and I do not intend to change that now. I will not be making any comments on air passenger duty.
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Hugo Swire – 2014 Speech in Kathmandu


Iran invited to Geneva 2, Syrian opposition threatens to withdraw
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon makes an announcement at the United Nations headquarters in New York, January 19, 2014. (AFP Photo / Emmanuel Dunand) © AFP
Iran has been officially invited to participate in the Geneva 2 Syria peace conference on January 22, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. The Syrian National Coalition has threatened to withdraw from the talks, unless Iran’s invitation is revoked.
The UN chief also said that he had assurances from Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that Tehran would play a “constructive role" in solving the crisis in Syria, Reuters reports.
“I believe strongly that Iran needs to be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis,” Ban told reporters today in New York after discussions with Iranian officials. “Iran said that they are committed to play a very constructive and important and positive role.”
The US State Department has accepted the invitation of Iran on the condition it expresses “explicit and public support for the full implementation of the Geneva communiqué including the establishment of a transitional governing body by mutual consent with full executive authorities.”
"If Iran does not fully and publicly accept the Geneva communiqué, the invitation must be rescinded," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, expressing deep concern about Iran's “contributions to the Assad regime's brutal campaign against its own people.”
So far, Tehran has not accepted the Geneva 1 declaration in full because it believes creating a transitional government in Syria would exclude any participation of President Bashar Assad from the country's political future. Ban however said he is convinced Iran eventually will accept the Geneva 1 communique.
"Foreign Minister Zarif and I agree that the goal of the negotiations is to establish, by mutual consent, a transitional governing body with full executive powers," Ban said. "It was on that basis that Foreign Minister Zarif pledged that Iran would play a positive and constructive role in Montreux."
Representatives of Iran and 39 other countries will attend talks in Montreux, Switzerland in advance of negotiations in Geneva starting January 22. Ban also has invited nine other nations on Saturday that have an interest in the Syrian conflict, saying that their presence would be an important display of solidarity. These include representatives of Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Greece, the Holy See, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.
“The Syrian Coalition announces that they will withdraw their attendance in Geneva 2 unless Ban Ki-moon retracts Iran's invitation," Reuters reported, citing Syrian National Coalition spokesman Louay Safi’s statement on Twitter.
According to another senior SNC member, the coalition was “surprised" by the UN chief’s “illogical” move to invite Iran and “cannot in any way accept it.”
Syria's main Western-backed political opposition group earlier agreed to attend the meeting. A powerful group of Syrian Islamist rebels however rejected the upcoming peace talks with the Assad government.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Saturday that participants of the conference must adopt a “realistic view.”
“Participants in the Geneva 2 forum must adopt a realistic view and remember that their decisions should not lead to the strengthening of extremist movements in Syria,” Abdollahian said during the talks with French Deputy Foreign Minister Jean-Francois Girault, the ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.
“The forum can provide a political solution providing the people of Syria can decide the future of their country… in a democratic solution that will be manifested in their votes,” Abdollahian added.
Geneva 2, initiated by the United States and Russia aims to start a political dialogue and agree transition map to end the nearly three-year war that has killed an estimated 130,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes.
Russia has been lobbying to bring Iran to the negotiations table in Switzerland as the country plays an important role in geopolitical affairs in the region. Tehran is also Damascus’s closest ally.
Washington was the main party opposed to Iran’s participation in Geneva 2 talks, accusing Tehran of providing financial and military aid to the Syrian government and criticizing Tehran for not signing the Geneva 1 communiqué. Washington’s regional allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, were also hesitant for Iran to join the diplomatic round in Switzerland.
Iran has repeatedly stated that it is willing to attend the talks without any preconditions. “We insist that Iran will not accept any preconditions to attend Geneva 2,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated on Saturday.
Syrian opposition coalition agrees to attend Geneva 2 peace talks
Syrian split: Islamist rebels reject Geneva 2 talks