US Navy starts war games in Gulf

The US Navy has begun a series of strategic maneuvers, to most extensive in the Gulf since their original invasion of Iraq in 2003, in an effort to gain "regional stability." The US Navy has said that their actions are not meant to exert any pressure on Iran, rather to simply get a feel for their positioning. They claim that any destabilizing pressure that Iran feels is domestically based, rather than it coming from a hostile force. The exercises being carried out require more than 10,000 US personnel each, with ships making simulated attacks on enemy forces, as well as finding underwater mines and hunting enemy submarines.

In most places, these are known as war games, however the US obviously does not want to send out a message that they are the obvious aggressor here. These actions also seem to correspond with the recent capture of 15 British sailors. The US has also claimed that their actions don't impose on Iran, and that if anything Iran's political instability will do more damage in the long run (to Iran on a whole).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6499605.stm

Bush announces Latin America aid

George W. Bush has announced a program to increase funding and social aid to Latin America, in an effort to help the nearly 1 in 4 people who live in extreme poverty in this area. Money will be put into education, housing, and health care. Bush is about to embark on a trip through Latin America next week, so the announcing of this program is timely. Bush has publicly stated that the technological and social advances made in the areas in recent years have been huge, but the gap between rich and poor is ever advancing. 75 million dollars will be put forward in an initiative to help Latin Americans learn English, 385 million for housing, and additional medical assistance via military teams.

To me, an interesting aspect of this announcement is why Bush would suddenly become so interested in Latin America, and helping these impoverished regions better themselves. Not to say that the Bush administration has completely neglected the region, but in a time in which they are pumping billions of dollars into their military, they suddenly focus on a very Democratic-style move. The program itself and the incentive is exceptional, as helping those in need is something that can never be questioned, but I feel that there is something that lies beneath this move. Since the Bush administration has been under fire from Democrats, for this specific reason (neglecting Latin America) it is curious that they would unveil such a program, and perhaps this speaks to the consideration that the Bush administration has for their opposition. A number of left-wing officials have also been elected in Latin America, and perhaps Bush is trying to appease them through this program As someone who is going to this exact area later this year, I can only appreciate what the program is trying to do from a moral standpoint.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6421701.stm

McCain launches White House bid

John McCain, US Senator from Airzona has launched his bid to enter the race to become the Republican candidate for the 2008 election. McCain, a veteran of the Vietnam war lost a previous bid for his party's nomination in 2000, losing out to current president George W. Bush. McCain is known for his strong positions on the Iraq war and is an advocate for sending more troops in. Despite his strong views on the war, he has had a few very vocalized differences with the current Bush administration. If McCain is elected, he will become the eldest president of all time.

One significant drawback in McCain's run for presidency could be the skirmishes that he has had with the current Bush administration. His take on Donald Rumsfeld has already become infamous and it is not likely that this will make him popular with the very right-wing Republicans in the US at this point in time. McCain is also quite a bit older than any other presidential candidate, and will be 72 by the time he would be elected. Luckily McCain survived as a POW in Vietnam, and this could romanticize any views that voters have of him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5006788.stm#giuliani