In the news :see no evil,hear no evil,say no evil

(Reuters) - The rise in global living standards despite fears of violence is a testament to the value of free markets in the world, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Wednesday.

“Anybody who doesn’t appreciate what America has done and President Bush, let them go to hell”– Iraqi Citizen, voter Betty Dawisha

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqis voted Thursday in one of the largest and freest elections in the Arab world, with strong turnout reported in Sunni areas and even a shortage of ballots in some precincts.

By repeatedly calling for Israel's destruction and slamming the door on a nuclear compromise, Iran's hardline president has put Tehran on a collision course with the West, diplomats and analysts warned AFP reports.

The German government has called in an Iranian diplomat to protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks on Israel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday.(Matt Drudge)

Saddam Hussein moved his chemical weapons to Syria six weeks before the war started, Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom says. (NY SUN)

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. consumer prices dropped by the most in a more than a half century last month even as new signs of manufacturing strength raised inflation concerns that may keep the Federal Reserve on the path of higher interest rates.

December 15, 2005 -- Legendary investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. plans to gather more than $10 billion from institutional and wealthy investors for a new fund that will be one of the largest buyout funds ever created. (NY POST)

WTO talks remained deadlocked as the EU defended itself against criticism that its refusal to further open its agricultural markets threatened to derail the entire conference. (WSJ)

MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government, angered by a U.S. proposal to extend a wall along the border to keep out migrants, pledged Tuesday to block the plan and organize an international campaign against it. Facing a growing tide of anti-immigrant sentiment north of the border, the Mexican government has taken out ads urging Mexican workers to denounce rights violations in the United States. It also is hiring an American public relations firm to improve its image and counter growing U.S. concerns about immigration. (AP)

According to Gene Colter, writing in last weekend's Wall Street Journal, ISI contacts tree farms, farmers' markets and other tree sellers each week in December to gauge output. Then, by analyzing the amount of pine needles that make it into Americans' SUVs, they can determine the overall health of the economy."The inspiration for this whole process came from a fixed-income investor out in Denver whose family owned a Christmas-tree farm," says Oscar Sloterbeck, head of ISI's company surveys. The tree farmer noticed that when times were good, people bought bigger trees and loaded up on wreaths and garlands.So what is the verdict from ISI? The company says it's going to be a good Christmas - with plenty of comfort and joy. (MONEYNEWS.COM)

This Christmas season, while Santa's Ho Ho Ho is heard everywhere, the only "Ho" heard at Commerce Bank is the "Heave-Ho" given by New Jersey's Commerce Bank to the Marine Corps sponsored Toys for Tots program. After years of support, Commerce Bank decided to pull out of the Toys for Tots program and no longer allows drop-off bins, where customers can drop off new toys, in their branches. As a result of Commerce Banks decision, the Marine Corps sponsored program has lost its largest toy collection network and thousands of needy children will not receive toys this Christmas. (Doc Shellback, Vietnam 1968, US Marine Corps)

Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick, the Clinton administration believes the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes."

Jimmy Carter Signed Executive Order on May 23, 1979: "Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order." (Matt Drudge)

Systematic effort by hackers to penetrate US government and industry computer networks stems most likely from the Chinese military, the head of a leading security institute said. The attacks have been traced to the Chinese province of Guangdong, and the techniques used make it appear unlikely to come from any other source than the military, said Alan Paller, the director of the SANS Institute, an education and research organization focusing on cybersecurity. (BREITBART.COM)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday that he does not live "in a bubble" and that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House, rejecting critics' claims that he is out of touch with public opinion.

PARIS — French counterterrorism agents — some heavily armed and wearing black hoods — raided homes and Internet cafes on Monday in a sweep against a suspected Islamic network, arresting more than 20 suspects, authorities said. (FOXNEWS)

The Army has exceeded recruiting goals in the first two months of this fiscal year, reversing a trend that had some Iraq critics saying the armed services branch was "broken." The Pentagon yesterday said the Army signed up 5,856 recruits in November, 5 percent above its goal. It previously announced the Army also exceeded its target in October, the first month of the 2006 fiscal year. (Washington Times)

LONDON - Virgin Galactic, the British company created by entrepreneur Richard Branson to send tourists into space, and New Mexico announced an agreement Tuesday for the state to build a $225 million spaceport. Virgin Galactic also revealed that up to 38,000 people from 126 countries have paid a deposit for a seat on one of its manned commercial flights, including a core group of 100 "founders" who have paid the initial $200,000 cost of a flight upfront. Virgin Galactic is planning to begin flights in late 2008 or early 2009. (AP)