How cold is Europe? Cold enough for the Danube River to freeze Just how extraordinary has this winter been in Europe? The Danube River has frozen, for one. Europeans have been shivering under a blanket of cold air that has sent temperatures plummeting and snows drifting. Across the continent, hundreds have died from exposure to the cold. The Danube's freezing is just one of many severe winter events in the continent this year. At least four Balkan nations suspended shipping on the Danube on Feb. 14 because of heavy ice on the river, according to news reports. Keeping Europe frozen is a climate pattern called a "Russian Winter." The Danube flows through 10 countries, so precise records of its last freezing are not easy to come by. "I looked back over 20 years and found a few significant cold snaps, but I didn't find anything quite as strong as this one," Andrews told OurAmazingPlanet. On Jan. 13, 2003, the weather in Belgrade dropped to a low of minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius). "We're talking pretty darn cold here," Andrews said.
Lake Michigan mostly frozen with ‘shelf’ ice BY HANNAH LUTZ February 14, 2014 1:42PM In this Dec. 26, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the icebreaker Mackinaw maintains a shipping lane on the St. storyidforme: 62095103 tmspicid: 22412113 fileheaderid: 10712332 Updated: March 17, 2014 11:28AM Lake Michigan looked a bit like a giant ice skating rink this week. As of Thursday, more than 80 percent of the water was frozen. But those who want to practice their triple axel on the lake should think twice. It is still unsafe to walk on, National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Birk said. “There have even been cases when the winds will shift, and the ice itself will move,” Birk said. Ice coverage for the five great lakes combined reached about 88 percent Thursday, according to according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. The “shelf” ice on Lake Michigan is much weaker than the sheet ice on inland lakes, officials said. “It’s not stable and cave-ins have occurred recently. But Gill said the ice isn’t all bad.
Lake Superior nearing rare ice-over By John MyersForum News Service Posted: 02/06/2014 12:01:00 AM CST | Updated: 3 months ago DULUTH, Minn. -- A frigid winter is pushing Lake Superior toward a complete ice-over for the first time since 1996, though there's still a ways to go before you can skate from Duluth to the Soo Locks. Lake Superior had at least some ice across an estimated 91 percent of its surface as of Thursday, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. That compares with the 40-year average annual Lake Superior ice coverage for February of just 30 percent. George Leshkevich has been tracking Great Lakes ice for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory since 1973. So far, this winter has had among the most rapid ice buildups of his tenure. The widespread ice in January and early February this year "wouldn't have been anomalous back in the '70s or with some of the winters in the mid-'90s.
Operation Northwoods Operation Northwoods memorandum (13 March 1962)[1] Operation Northwoods was a series of false flag proposals that originated within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the United States government in 1962. The proposals, which called for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or other operatives, to commit acts of terrorism in US cities and elsewhere, were rejected by the Kennedy administration.[2] At the time of the proposal, Cuba had recently become communist under Fidel Castro. The operation proposed creating public support for a war against Cuba by blaming it for terrorist acts.[3] To this end, Operation Northwoods proposals recommended hijackings and bombings followed by the introduction of phony evidence that would implicate the Cuban government. Several other proposals were included within Operation Northwoods, including real or simulated actions against various US military and civilian targets. Origins and public release[edit] Content[edit] [edit]
Jesse Ventura and Judge Napolitano: Operation Northwoods, 9/11, and Wikileaks National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. intelligence agency responsible for providing the United States government with encrypted communications (information assurance) and the reading of encrypted communications (signals intelligence) of other nations. The NSA also creates and maintains secure computer network operations for the U.S. Government and prepares for network warfare.[8] Originating as a unit to decipher code communications in World War II, it was officially formed as the NSA by President Truman in 1952. Since then, it has become one of the largest of U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget,[6][9] operating under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense and reporting to the Director of National Intelligence. The NSA has been a matter of political controversy on several occasions in its short history. History[edit] Army predecessor[edit] Black Chamber[edit] Other so called Black Chambers were also found in Europe. Vietnam War[edit]
Edward Snowden comes forward as source of NSA leaks In an interview Sunday, Snowden said he is willing to face the consequences of exposure. “I’m not going to hide,” Snowden told The Post from Hong Kong, where he has been staying. “Allowing the U.S. government to intimidate its people with threats of retaliation for revealing wrongdoing is contrary to the public interest.” Asked whether he believes that his disclosures will change anything, he said: “I think they already have. Everyone everywhere now understands how bad things have gotten — and they’re talking about it. Snowden said nobody had been aware of his actions, including those closest to him. “My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them,” he said in a note that accompanied the first document he leaked to The Post. The Guardian was the first to publicly identify Snowden, at his request. The White House said late Sunday that it would not have any comment on the matter. A stunning revelation Journalists criticized
Operation Paperclip Operation Paperclip (originally Operation Overcast) (1949–1990) was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) program in which over 1,500 German scientists, engineers, and technicians from Nazi Germany and other foreign countries were brought to the United States for employment in the aftermath of World War II.[1] It was conducted by the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), and in the context of the burgeoning Cold War. One purpose of Operation Paperclip was to deny German scientific expertise and knowledge to the Soviet Union[1] and the United Kingdom,[2] as well as inhibiting post-war Germany from redeveloping its military research capabilities. The Soviet Union had competing extraction programs known as "trophy brigades" and Operation Osoaviakhim.[3] Although the JIOA's recruitment of German scientists began after the Allied victory in Europe on May 8, 1945, U.S. Osenberg List[edit] Identification[edit] Beginning on July 19, 1945, the U.S. Capture and detention[edit] Rocketry
Operation Paperclip Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II. It was conducted by the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), and in the context of the burgeoning Cold War. One purpose of Operation Paperclip was to deny German scientific expertise and knowledge to the Soviet Union[1] and the United Kingdom,[2] as well as inhibiting post-war Germany from redeveloping its military research capabilities. Although the JIOA's recruitment of German scientists began after the Allied victory in Europe on May 8, 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman did not formally order the execution of Operation Paperclip until August 1945. To circumvent President Truman's anti-Nazi order and the Allied Potsdam and Yalta agreements, the JIOA worked independently to create false employment and political biographies for the scientists. The Osenberg List[edit] Identification[edit] Rocketry