"RamRod Sword of Baal" >

Ah, I see your folly, you confused me with the president
and/or the CIA.

Again, you'd have to ask the CIA.

Have I told you the one about the Bay of Pigs?

"RamRod Sword of Baal"

CIA Rectifying Prewar
Estimates On Iraq WMD
2-1-5

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The CIA is publishing a series of classified reports
revising its prewar intelligence assessments of Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction, an intelligence official said on Tuesday.

A Jan. 18 report, titled "Iraq: No Large-Scale Chemical Warfare Efforts
Since Early 1990s," concludes that Saddam Hussein abandoned major chemical
weapons programs after the first Gulf War in 1991.

A Jan. 4 CIA report addressed Baghdad's Scud missile and delivery system,
while forthcoming reports are expected to revise prewar estimates of Iraq's
biological and nuclear capabilities.

The intelligence official, who asked not to be named, said the latest report
was not considered a high-level document for review by President Bush.

"This matches up what the assessment was before the war and what the
assessment is after the war," the official said. "It takes into account
post-war information that was, by definition, not available earlier."

U.S. intelligence claims that Iraq possessed large stockpiles of chemical
and biological weapons and was attempting to acquire nuclear capability
formed a main justification for the 2003 invasion.

Former CIA Director George Tenet, who resigned last July, told Bush that
finding WMD in Iraq would be a "slam dunk" according to journalist Bob
Woodward's book "Plan of Attack."

But no WMD have been found in Iraq and U.S. weapons inspector Charles
Duelfer is expected this month to issue a final addendum to his September
report concluding that prewar Iraq had no such stockpiles.

"The CIA has finally admitted that its WMD estimates were wrong," Rep. Jane
Harman of California, ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee,
said in a statement.

She also called on CIA officials to conduct a vigorous review of
intelligence on Iran and North Korea, "where active WMD programs are known
to exist."

Bush has branded prewar Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil."

The United States contends that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

Tehran denies the charge. But Vice President Dick Cheney, a main proponent
of the Iraq war, stirred concern about possible military action against Iran
recently by saying the country tops the administration list of world trouble
spots.

The Bush administration is engaged in six-party talks with North Korea,
which U.S. officials say could have more than eight nuclear weapons.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/

"RamRod Sword of Baal"

here, let me update this
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Koichi Yasuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

The number of newly reported AIDS cases and HIV infections last year
exceeded 1,000 for the first time, but many medical experts believe the
actual number of new infections is much greater than the reported figure.

Hiroshi Yoshikura, chairman of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry
committee that monitors HIV and AIDS infection rates, expressed his concern.

"The increase may be partly because of changes in sexual behavior resulting
from the growth of Internet-based dating services. But the rate of growth is
unusual," he said.

There were 1,114 newly reported AIDS cases and HIV infections in 2004.

Experts believe there may be many people who are HIV-positive who have not
yet been tested and will not be aware of their infection until they begin to
show symptoms. HIV can develop into full-blown AIDS within 10 years of
infection, and AIDS patients are vulnerable to rare types of pneumonia and
other infectious diseases.

The number of HIV-positive patients that had not yet developed AIDS who
became infected through homosexual intercourse was more than twice that of
those who became infected through heterosexual intercourse.

But the number of patients diagnosed only after developing AIDS symptoms was
almost the same for heterosexual and homosexual patients.

Because gay men tend to take HIV tests more regularly, there is a higher
rate of early diagnosis among them. But a lack of awareness that HIV
infection is no longer rare means that heterosexuals often do not suspect
infection until they begin developing AIDS symptoms.

Medication now allows HIV carriers to stave off AIDS symptoms, and AIDS
itself is now not always a fatal illness.

Though advances in medical technology should be welcomed, it is possible
that the growth in HIV infections will cause social problems.

One problem is medical costs. According to an estimate by the health
ministry's study group, the average medical cost for each AIDS patient and
HIV carrier is 2.8 million yen a year.

Because HIV/AIDS medication is very expensive, the figure is much higher
than 1.65 million yen for cancer patients, 690,000 yen for heart disease and
530,000 yen for diabetes.

The burden on the health system is especially heavy because HIV/AIDS is
incurable and HIV-positive patients need to receive lifelong treatment.

Kyoto University Prof. Masahiro Kihara, a member of the ministry study
group, said: "If the pace of new infections continues, it's only a matter of
time before the annual number of new cases will surpass 2,000. It's
difficult for society to continue supporting those costs forever."

At the same time, stable employment is needed for HIV-positive patients to
enable them to continue to live a normal life. But there is lingering
discrimination in the workplace.

A survey of 560 HIV-positive patients found 70 were forced to resign or were
dismissed after revealing their condition. Nearly 300 respondents said they
felt a psychological burden hiding their condition in their workplace.

The results showed there is still a deep-rooted disregard for victims and a
lack of understanding about HIV/AIDS.

In recent years, cases of HIV infection via contaminated blood products have
attracted attention.

"It's also important. But the largest problem is a lack of recognition among
the public that HIV is a sexually transmitted disease that can affect
anyone," Kihara said.

Despite the growth in the infection rate, public health education campaigns
about the disease have been steadily wound down. In 11 local governments
that have a significant population of HIV-positive residents and AIDS
patients, including the Tokyo metropolitan government, budgets for
anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns now total only 500 million yen--one-third the budget
of 10 years ago.

Yuzuru Ikushima, who runs Place Tokyo, a nonprofit organization providing
support to HIV-positive and AIDS patients, said, "Public interest in the
issue won't increase unless those who are HIV-positive speak out and we
create an environment where the issue can be openly discussed."

The ministry has conducted free and anonymous HIV tests at public health
centers as the main pillar of its anti-HIV/AIDS program. The ministry also
has introduced a quicker testing method that provides results in about an
hour.

But only 89,000 people took HIV tests last year--less than 70 percent of the
peak figure. As a result, the ministry will establish a new study panel of
doctors, researchers and patients later this month to review its HIV/AIDS
prevention policy.

Masahito Sekiyama, head of the ministry's Diseases Control Division, said:
"Government programs have limited effectiveness for anti-HIV/AIDS measures.
We'll consider strengthening cooperation with educational institutions and
nonprofit organizations that have the skills to put together public
education programs about the disease."

Japan does not yet have a large population that is HIV-positive compared
with other industrialized countries, so taking effective measures is an
urgent task.