News of the Day (June 13)

From the China Freedom Blog Alliance: The Korea Liberator turns its attention to Iran, and coins the perfect slogan: "Liberation first." Amen.

The latest major source of pollutants in the western U.S. is - Communist China: The mountains of eastern California are dealing with a surge in coal-based air pollution. However, as editors of the Washington Times note: "the soot and toxic chemicals pervading the mountaintop detectors do not originate from Los Angeles automobiles or power plants serving California's urban areas. Rather, these pollutants are exported to the western United States by Chinese coal-fired power plants." How much of this would be reduced by the Kyoto Protocol? Zero - Communist China is not covered by Kyoto.

Canada file: Maurice Strong would like us all to believe he is an environmentalist through and through. So, of course, he would never consider investing in a company that (gasp!) "plans to export into the U.S. and elsewhere gas-guzzling SUVs" (World Net Daily) and is being sued by General Motors for piracy - unless of course the firm (Chery automotive, see also fourth item) is owned by his Chinese Communist hosts.

"If the British were our masters yesterday, the Chinese have come and taken their place." Those were the words of newspaper publisher Trevor Ncube, a native of Zimbabwe, and reflective of growing concern in Africa that Communist China has become the new colonizing force (Washington Post).

Uighurs sent to Albania won't be staying there: Albania is no longer seeing itself as the permanent home for the five Uighurs sent there by the United States from Guantanamo Bay (fifth, third, and third items). The Albanian government cited cultural differences as the reason. However, "Albanian officials insist that the men will not be sent to China in spite of intense pressure from Beijing" (Washington Times).

On Communist China and the United States: Ariel Cohen, of the Heritage Foundation, sounds a necessary warning about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but his recommendations leave a lot to be desired (Washington Times). Meanwhile, Frank Gaffney, Jr., scores the Enlightened Comment of the Day in his Washington Times review of Treasury Secretary-designate Henry Paulson's ties to Communist China: "Those ties have earned him the right to be a Friend of China. They should disqualify him from being Treasury secretary."

Taiwan opposition passes motion to consider Chen Shui-bian recall in Parliament: By a vote of 113-96, the pan-blue-controlled Taiwanese parliament chose "to hold hearings on whether Mr. Chen should be recalled" (BBC). The actual recall vote - driven by pan-blue politicians looking to make hay over the arrest of Chen's son-in-law (tenth, fifth, seventh, seventh, nineteenth, last, and eighth items) - requires a two-thirds majority, which few expect.

On the Communists' Korean colony: Japan prepares to impose sanctions on Stalinist North Korea for its pigheadedness on abductees (BBC), but throws cold water on reports of missile test by the regime (BBC). Meanwhile, the Stalinists claim to be open to Christianity (and are debunked by Daily NK) while Free North Korea Broadcasting receives a terror threat (Daily NK).

Activist for families displaced by Three Gorges Dam attacked: Fu Xiancai, an activist for families flooded out of their homes by the Three Gorges Dam, was attacked on his way home from meeting with Communist police. Fu "is currently paralyzed from his shoulders down and has lost control of all bodily functions except his ability to speak" (Boxun). The police demanded Fu meet them "to discuss an interview he gave to a German TV station about the dam" (BBC). Many of the families who lost their homes to the dam have been unable to get new ones due to corrupt cadres pocketing the promised relocation money (last item).

Biggest Communist-owned bank fleece investors - ahem, offer stock in itself: The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is preparing to launch an IPO later this year (BBC). ICBC was likely inspired by its fellow Communist-owned bank: the Bank of China, which managed raise over $11 billion in its IPO despite a shady history (fifth, sixth, last, tenth, and fifteenth items).