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Defence & Strategy
India's melting and fermenting borders and strategic ocean boundaries
Thread starter RPK
Indyakudimahan
Political history and destiny of a nation is determined by its geophysical borders as well geopolitical and geostrategic borders. India's political and cultural borders, from ancient times, waxed and waned with the might of arms and foresight of its dynastic rulers. Later traditions had put Hindukush (massacre of the Hindus) as the western border that ran down to present Balochistan and to the Arabian Sea. This border was violated by various invaders till the British Empire succeeded in drawing the temporary Durand Line demarcating British India and Afghanistan. That part of the border between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran has become fluid by the impact of Taliban movement, Pakhtunkhwa and independent Balochistan movements. Pakistan's political geography had changed once in 1971. Future borders of Pakistan are in the anvil of history in making. In case Pakistan collapses under homegrown and global Islamicist jihadist thrust both Balochistan and Pakhtun areas may declare independence or incline towards Afghanistan and Iran respectively. Sind has the propensity to incline towards India. Therefore, in this sector of India's western borders future developments may bring in more changes. History may prove that boundaries drawn in 1947 were not destined to be permanent.
India's present political boundary is not its natural geophysical boundary and its geostrategic boundary may be redefined with India accruing strength to emerge as a global power. Indian's are attuned to the idea of a country having borders with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Very few are aware that our borders are demarcated and mutually accepted with Bangladesh (touching Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal), Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. For geophysical purpose these borders are internationally honored but in practice, these are melting borders. Illegal border crossing from Bangladesh and Nepal are rampant and India has no reliable statistics of Bangladeshi and Nepalese nationals staying in the country, almost all over the length and breadth of the nation with concentrations in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Unofficial estimate indicate that at any given point of time there are nearly 7 to 8 million Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in India in connivance with political parties and local influential Muslims. In Delhi NCR region there are about 7 lakh Bangladeshi nationals. Out of ten household helping hands 5 depend on Bangladeshi nationals who adopt false Hindu names. These people assume Hindu name and work in middle class homes for pittance and in the general service sector say rickshaw puller, fish and vegetable vendors etc out of ten minimum 3 are Bangladeshi males. Even in a prosperous state like Punjab out of 100 agricultural labour 30 are Bangladeshi nationals.
Most Indians are unaware that the tiny state of Mizoram (in the finger like projection into Myanmar) out of a million people nearly 80,000 is migrants of Chin origin from the Sagaing Division of Myanmar. They flee Myanmar due to economic distress and uncertain law and order situation. Such ethnic migration in Manipur and Mizoram are common. Though tension often breaks out between the Mizos and the Chins the two have started living together separately. This is a very fluid border of India. The gradual growth of a still non-violent movement for a homeland for Chin origin people, ZORAM, with territories from India and Myanmar may cause serious concern in near future.
Nepali nationals are not even treated as foreigners. Most of them try to pass on as West Bengal Nepali, Uttarakhand dwellers and having drifted in from Manipur and Assam. In the general service sector Indian average is about 10 "Gorkhas" out of 40 in security duties, 3 out of 10 in domestic sectors and 3 out of 10 in miscellaneous sectors. It is difficult to assess the floating Nepalese population in India. A rough estimate is that about 1 million Nepalese nationals live in India at any given point of time. There is an advantage with this population. Some of them return to Nepal after amassing some wealth, but the incoming flow is incessant and unstoppable. The danger with Bangladeshi population is that they stay put permanently and more and more are added. Therefore, political borders with Bangladesh and Nepal are melting in nature. The "Line" is there only to be violated. Indian system has not developed to check the real number of Indians in India and "fake Indians" staying on and new flows being added. This silent demographic change adds to security implications and gives rise to newer political realities that pose threat to national unity. We would comment on security implication of this in later paragraphs.
Indian minds are periodically stirred by media reports about frequent border violation by China from land and air. As is the wont of Indian people "TV patriotism" is the only symptom of patriotic fervor left outside the organised forces; they do not emotionally feel about the national borders and its sanctity. The vast majority, outside the informed section, try to realize that India's Northern and Northwestern borders are volcanic in nature. A few media reports followed by Governmental sop agitate and opiate public minds, which are marginally alert. The vast majority are not even bothered. Televisions can titillate patriotic feeling. But patriotic perception and realistic understanding basically come through early school education and upbringing as adolescents and youths. Our system has failed in this vital sector.
India's China border with the entire Arunachal Pradesh (McMahon Line) is not accepted by China. It opposes even when the Indian President visits the state, Dalai Lama is allowed to visit Tawang and when the Asian Development Bank offers loans to Arunachal. Even friendly countries like Japan and South Korea supported China's objection in the last ADB meeting. In average every year this sector of the border is violated by China nearly 85 times. Chinese troops enter into the Arunachal borders and camp for a few days before returning. Indian authorities mostly come to know from local villagers. Rarely Indian troops visit the LAC and patrol the disputed areas. The IB and RAW border posts often detect such violations.
The entire northern border between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (Northern Area of Pakistan and Kashmir area ceded by Pakistan to China excluded) with China are shown in "red" meaning "disputed." In this sector average yearly border violation by China is around 75. Since India is not in a position to bring up with Pakistan the question of restoration of entire territory of Jammu & Kashmir as demarcated in the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh, we would exclude that part from our present discussions.
Therefore, these borders are volcanic in nature. In international geostrategic game plan these borders may become live issues for war between India, Pakistan and China. In such a war China would obviously side with Pakistan and vice versa. Mere diplomacy cannot cool a volcano but may temporarily spread a dust cover to pass time and hope for the best. In international relationship hope is the wiliest dame. She ditches every time one hopes and prays for the best. Conscious Indians have to bear the Think Tank's meaningless word-spinning and government's helpless trust that diplomacy alone can bury the history. Diplomacy has never solved, anywhere in the world, alive and burring border problems. Mostly these are settled and unsettled by wars. The border disputes have been discussed with China several times, every meeting ending with bitterness. Pity India would be ready for wars in near future to force China to accept India's perception of its geopolitical borders.
If this disturbing picture of India's international boundary does not disturb the readers let us have a look at an international map, where so-called disputed areas are marked red as disputed borders between India, China and Pakistan. Except China's border with Bhutan, Indian state of Sikkim and Nepal the rest of the border is claimed to be disputed by China.
INDIA-CHINA-PAKISTAN BORDER MARKED IN RED
Amidst media reports about frequent Chinese incursions into Indian claimed territory, the government played it cool by reiterating that present instances of border violation had not exceeded figures of earlier incursions. They have not denied the facts of incursions.
Pakistan has taken moves for legislating new administrative provisions for the Northern Area (Gilgit-Skardu) possibly allowing a puppet assembly and some fringe civil powers which were being controlled by Islamabad. India has lodged another protest as officially the entire Jammu & Kashmir had acceded to India. Pakistan, on the other hand, has resumed ceasefire violation along the LoC and even in demarcated borders with Jammu region. Despite Ceasefire Agreement the LoC itself has become volatile. If some Pakistani reports are correct the jihadi tanzeems like LeT and Taliban have started aiming rockets at Indian villages in Punjab.
Strategic thinkers, who do not subscribe to Chinese lobby, have started drawing a picture that depicts China's strategic efforts to "encircle" India from all possible sides. Besides building modern roads along Indo-Tibet borders, new Chinese Air Force formations have been stationed at such locations from where India can be easily targeted. Nuclear capable missile bases have been set up in Tibet region for the first time. We propose to touch upon the probable and feasible strategic gridlocks between India-China-Pakistan in later paragraphs. I put China and Pakistan together whenever India's strategic concerns are involved. Pakistan issue cannot be solved minus China issue and vice versa. China and Pakistan are umbilical strategic allies-proved better by recent revelation by A. Q. Khan's damning letter to his wife disclosing the nexus between Pakistan and China.
However, the media and the people need not panic. Indian policy makers are alive of the situation and they are using all possible measures to contain China on the unresolved border issue.
China had always maintained a large military presence in Tibet. Reports say it moved in 20,000 troops from the 3rd Army Corps in Chengdu and the 13th Army in Lanzhou by early 1987, along with heavy artillery and helicopters. Around April 1987 it had moved 8 divisions to eastern Tibet as a threatening posture. India reciprocated with Operation Falcon in late 1986, and continued through early 1987 under Exercise Chequerboard. This massive air-land exercise involved 10 Divisions of the Indian Army and several squadrons of the IAF. The Indian Army moved 3 divisions to positions around Wangdung, where they were supplied solely by air. These reinforcements were over and above the 50,000 troops already present across Arunachal Pradesh. The backup troop positioning has taken place in 2008-2009 and existing airbases have been upgraded to accommodate most advanced Sukhoi and other aircraft. Missile batteries capable of hitting southern China and eastern Tibet are also in position. Since 1986 India China border has not witnessed any major exchange of firing.
An Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas was signed on 7 September 1993. New Delhi and Beijing initiated in February 1994 to foster "confidence-building measures" between the defense forces. During President Jiang Zemin's visit to India in November 1996, the Governments of China and India signed the Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the Line of Actual Control in the China-India Border Areas, which is an important step for the building of mutual trust between the two countries. These agreements are not inviolable. But in international relations such agreements have some kind of legal values. India would continue to use diplomatic tools to defer armed conflict, even of limited duration.
Though lot had been done during the Sino-Indian official border talks, with number of border related CBMs put in place, the border issue remains mired in various bilateral and domestic compulsions and contradictions on both sides. Border 'bickering' between India and China are not rare, and arise from the very real disagreements that exist between the two sides in demarcating the LAC on the ground. Such incidents have usually been handled, not in full media glare, but by the two sides discreetly withdrawing to their earlier positions.
During the Indian Prime Minister's visit to China in June 2003 the two countries signed a Memorandum on Expanding Border Trade, which adds Nathula as another pass on the India-China border for conducting border trade. During Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in April 2005, the two sides signed an agreement on political settlement of the boundary issue, setting guidelines and principles. In the agreement, China and India affirmed their readiness to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue through equal and friendly negotiations. Since then several rounds of border talks have taken place. Reports of a few violations, intentional or accidental, therefore, require deep attention of the government; there is no need for media outcry.
Indians are required to take cognizance of the live border issue with China and live with reports of occasional transgression as the entire border is not demarcated and both China and India have different perceptions on the issue. Perceptions can be fought over the battleground, provided a nation is ready to go to war on such vexed and chronic issues. In terms of near-future history diplomacy and geostrategic moves and international power-play are the best weapons. As long as the government of India and custodians of the Establishment are aware of the threats and the degree of own and enemy's progress in military preparedness there is no need for hysteric war cry. But the media has a role to play as conscience keeper of the people. In my view neither India nor China is ready to fight any war in near future. No such war can be conclusive. China, according to international observers, may create diversionary strategic moves on Indian borders to divert world attention from its increased military activities in Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet and Golmund and Quinghai regions. In recent months massive military movements have taken place to these areas and China suspects that India, in collaboration with the USA, may generate more unrest in the troubled regions of its western territories. India has taken cognizance of such strategic moves and has started beefing up army and air defences in the regions.
continues...
However, India has to remain prepared for facing the ultimate truth of history. No unresolved issue should be kept hanging for centuries. Vagueness in history often leads to national belligerence and devastating wars. Is India getting ready for that eventuality? We would examine while discussing the comparative combat resources of China and India as well as that of Pakistan. As commented earlier, China and Pakistan are required to be studied as a possible Joint Command against India.
According to Department of Defense reports of the USA for 2006, China's military expenditure was estimated to be 80 billion US dollars. The actual Chinese military capabilities and budget are hedged under camouflaged heads of expenditure and the world is kept on the tenterhooks guessing China's real annual military expenditure. According to some estimates in 2008-09 China officially spent $ 58 billion for modernization and adding more flab to different wings of the armed forces. In fact, this could be in the region of $ 120-140 billion. India's official military expenditure for 2008-2009 was Rs. 1056 bn, $ 26.6 bn, a mere 10 % increase from the last financial year. Being a democratic country India has no way to hedge its defence budget under any other head of expenditure.
In terms of military manpower China has actual Military manpower of 667, 657, 509, Actual Personnel fit for Military service: 550, 265, 789 and Average Yearly Available Manpower are 25, 848, 582. As against this India's position under these heads are: 556, 075, 946; 429, 389, 552 and 22, 112, 329 respectively. It must be added that India is encumbered by several insurgency and terrorist action groups, some inspired by Maoist ideology and some inspired and engineered by Pakistan. Except some problem in Xinjiang, Tibet and Golmund areas China has no major internal turmoil and is not threaded by a nuclear capable unstable and failed nation like Pakistan.
China's total engagement worthy aircraft tare 2,643 with 400,000 personnel. Most of these are of old vintage and cannot stand up to India's modern fleet. India's total fleet is 849 with 1, 61,000 manpower. China's main air horses are Xian-1800; Shijiazhuong-300, Nanchag-1919; Sukhoi-162 etc. (data from PLA AF official figures). India's ageing air horses are MIG-39==74; Sukhoi 30==50; Mirage 2000==48. The MIG class aircraft are unreliable and in any event of air engagement would prove to be inferior to Chinese aircrafts. It is reported that the MIG fleet is being upgraded. China has capability to build aircrafts at faster rate and India is still struggling at the drawing boards. India requires speedy augmentation and modernization of its Air force fleet.
Indian Navy is the world's eighth largest navy with a with a fleet of 145 vessels consisting of missile-capable warships, advanced submarines, the latest naval aircrafts and an aircraft carrier in its inventory. That India is experienced both in combat and rescue operations during wartime and peace has been proved beyond doubt. In comparison, China's PLA Navy with its fleet of 284 vessels is quantitatively larger but lacks actual war experience. However, China is on way to have its first Aircraft Carrier. If stationed in the Indian Ocean India has to go for speedy addition to its Aircraft Carrier fleet. In case India can acquire 3 aircraft carriers and augment naval power at faster rate it can dominate the Indian Ocean region along with the dominant US Navy. Both in Naval and Air power India are yet to close ranks with China. Taking into consideration China's policy of encircling India and India's commitment in the Indian Ocean region the country is required to get rid of bureaucratic stranglehold and the issue should be decided between the political decision makers and the professionals of the Armed Forces. All that the corrupt Baboos (Indian government servants) can do is to facilitate the procurement procedure.
China's Major Air Deployment Map: courtesy Please wait.... Stars= New Deployments.
India is basically an Indian Ocean nation. Its geography is vulnerable from land borders as well as sea borders. The recent sea-borne attack by a Pakistani group on Mumbai on 26/11 has proved beyond doubt that despite considerable blue water capability India's coastal security is very vulnerable. Besides this India has greater stakes in the Indian Ocean region:
Countries in Indian Ocean Zone: Courtesy Map.Com
The map itself clarifies that Countries in the Arabian Sea and Red Sea are affected by Islamic Jihadi movements. Pakistan is the breeding ground of jihadi terrorism. Besides the homegrown tanzeems like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jais-e-Mohammad, Hijbul Mujahideen, HUJI, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah Sahaba and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the al Qaeda high command is located in Pakistan on remote Afghan-Pakistan borders. Internal security of Pakistan is under threat from the jihadi tanzeems. Pakistan's ally in fight against terror, the USA, is aware of these global terrorist breeding factories in Pakistan. Washington also knows that the Afghan Talibans are in cahoots with the top leaders of Taliban movement and Pakistan is a steady source of supply of weapons to Mullah Omar and gangs. The US Congressmen have repeatedly opined that without ISI support Afghan Taliban cannot survive for long. They are also supported by Iran with whom the US has very little diplomatic leverage. The US knows that Pakistan diverts part of the dole against India; it also divers a considerable fraction to Afghan Talibanis. The policy makers in USA and the CIA are aware of these dirty games of Pakistan. However, Washington is saddled with an adulterous bed partner.
With recent revelation of A. Q. Khan that Pakistan, China, Iran and North Korea worked in tandem to proliferate nuclear technology, it becomes apparent that Islamabad enjoys special relationship with Tehran. India and Iran signed a multi-billion dollar agreement in 2005 for supply of 7.5 million tons of LNG annually for 25 years. Though the proposed Iran, Pakistan and India pipeline is yet to take shape because of India's troubled relations with Pakistan, India is helping Iran in developing a deep sea port at Chah Bahar, on the Gulf of Oman which would help Iran in establishing a forward Naval base. This is an ambitious project as compared to Chinese help to Pakistan in building naval bases at Gwadar and Pasni. The existing submarine base at Omara is also being upgraded with Chinese help.
The Red Sea countries Sudan and Eritrea have been affected by al Qaeda terrorists. In Yemen the al Qaeda has stable bases. Somalia has become a pirate's paradise. Major oil supplies from Indonesia, Malaysia, Gulf and Arab countries pass through to European and US destinations through the Gulf of Aden. Indian navy recently intervened on Somalia coast striking against the pirates. The EU US naval forces under UK command have also joined the endeavor to minimize threats of piracy. Recent US agreement with Kenya for judicial action in Kenyan territory against the Somali pirates has brightened up some prospect of justice as there is hardly any government in the trouble torn Horn of Africa.
The US Naval and airbase at Diego Garcia is not enough for global protection in the troubled region of the western flank of the India Ocean and Arabian Sea. India has added responsibility to dominate the blue waters in this region against Somali pirates, al Qaeda adventurists in Eritrea, Yemen and Sudan. Pakistan, the almost-non-state is tottering despite US and Chinese support. Any upheaval in Pakistan can tilt the balance of power in favour of the hawkish army coterie and their jihadi supporters. In that event naval threat from Pakistan may increase considerably. In addition, India has responsibilities to ensure stability in the Maldives and should dominate the region with the help of the Navy. The Laccadive Sea and the group of islands are in Indian Territory. India has binding responsibility to protect the Laccadive Seas and the group of islands. It may be recalled China has established a naval refueling facility in southern Sir Lanka. This route is used by about 50% of naval vessels and tankers plying between east and West Indian Ocean regions.
In South Asia Islamic rim the Islamicists are active in the Bay of Bengal country of Bangladesh. Jihadi thrust from Bangladesh and ISI and DGFI operations against India have been dealt in other essays in this portal. Hence we would skip this and move on to the Andaman Seas. The three Muslim dominated districts of Thailand -Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala are highly affected by Islamic terrorist groups. The unrest is on the increase and the Muslim rebels receive support from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Libya, UAE etc countries and the al Qaeda.
Numerous suspected terrorists with links to al Qaeda have been filtering in and out of Malaysia. Yazid Sufaat was recently detained by the government for al Qaeda connections. Sufaat, a Malaysian chemist and a member of Jemaah Islamiah, is a close associate of Hambali, one of the Bali bombers. He was the linchpin of al Qaeda in South East Asia and had spun the concept of Nausetara Raya, a compact Muslim Islamic republic comprising South Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. Suffat was close to Zacarias Moussaoui, another figure implicated in the 9/11 attacks in USA. Malaysian authorities are currently on the lookout for the four tons of ammonium nitrate used to make truck bombs that Sufaat ordered in late 2000, and which has since gone missing. Along with Sufaat, Malaysian authorities have arrested dozens of suspected Jemaah Islamiah members in recent months.
Indonesia continues to be a live playfield of Islamist jihadis. Abu Bakr Basay'ir had created Jemma Islamiyah modeling it after al Qaeda. His followers were Imam Samudra, Nurjaman Isamuddin aka Hanbali etc who had carried out several bombing operations in Jakarta, Bali, Java and other places. Only recently Nurdin Top another important Jemma Islamiah and al Qaeda operative was eliminated after he carried out devastating bombings in Jakarta.
In the Philippines the Islamic and assorted terrorists have set up deep rooted bases. I have described these in details in my book Fulcrum of Evil. In short, the Philippines is home to a number of militant groups, including the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army, Jemaah Islamiyah, the Alex Boncayao Brigade, the Pentagon Gang, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). These groups have conducted over three hundred attacks within the Philippines since 2004, the largest of which was a ferry bombing that killed 130 people. Manila was made the headquarter by al Qaeda for its Operation Bojinka (big bang) that had planned dowing of 11 US flights over the Pacific as a prelude to 9/11 attack. Fortunately Operation Bojinka of al Qaeda and Pakistani jihadis was aborted in time.
India has to take these developments seriously as its homegrown Islamicist extremism and jihad export by Pakistan has emerged as a great challenge to national security. Islamist jihad, like the Ummah, has no national boundary, fortunately the Thai government is acting tough and the Malaysian authorities are on the constant watch. Indonesia is also pursuing the Islamicists vigorously and al Qaeda is yet to set firm footing after its forward group was detected and eliminated. However, southern Philippines are still in ferment.
Besides centrality of the Islamic countries in the western and eastern rims of the Indian Ocean, on which most of the western and eastern countries including China and Japan depend it may be remembered that Indian Ocean is used by the energy consumers to carry at least 65% of oil and gas requirements. Stable naval peace in the Indian Ocean region is absolutely necessary. This cannot alone be ensured by the USA. The British Navy is leading the EU fleet in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Big US naval presence in the Red Sea region and in the Gulf of Oman counterbalances threats from inimical forces. But it must be remembered that Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia are more or less collapsed states. Global naval powers have greater responsibility to ensure that this part of the India Ocean do not turn into virtual minefields. In the event of Pakistan collapsing in near future the India Navy would have to undertake greater responsibilities in respect of Sind and Balochistan.
Similarly India and China are great emerging powers; both the nations are energy hungry. Both India and China are competing to woo Myanmar for its abundant gas supplies. India and Myanmar are engaged in developing Mizoram>Kaladan>Sittwe route for providing a sea opening to the north eastern states. If Sittwe agreement takes shape in next 5 years India has a plan to develop a pipeline for connecting Myanmar's gas fields to India's production centres. Sensing this China is also wooing Myanmar with military hardware for opening up a gas pipeline.
The Strait of Malacca is another area of concern. Eighty percent of China's energy needs pass through the Malacca Straits. The Chinese are weary of India's naval presence in the Andamans and visualize that in near future India might be in a position to place an aircraft carrier in this vital area of the India Ocean dominating the Straits of Malacca. The US also maintains a large presence in Singapore regions and tries to ensure that nearly 70% of oil and gas traversing the Pacific routes are not disturbed by China. Japan is equally anxious to maintain naval equilibrium in this region.
The Strait of Malacca Region
Like India has a "Gulf of Hormuz dilemma" for energy transportation from Iran, China has the "Malacca dilemma" for its own reasons. According to some scholars (Robert D. Kaplan etc), China desperately wants to integrate Taiwan to enable it to withdraw some of the vast Eastern China Sea fleet for dominating the Straits of Malacca. At present the US and Indian navy dominate the area. Keeping this in view China is engaging Thailand to open a Panama Canal like water way in the Isthmus of Kra in Thailand connecting the Andaman Seas with the Gulf of Thailand, from where oil and gas can be transported to China bypassing the "metal chain" Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar. In case this materialize in next 30 years the energy map of the world would change vastly and the naval map of the Indian Ocean region would require further review.
Increased Chinese presence in Bangladesh, development deep ports in Chittagong areas and Myanmar and Chinese presence in Myanmar's Coco Island has been causing concern to India. Beijing are pumping in billions of dollars in arms and economic aids to a besieged Myanmar, where the junta is more inclined to lean on the eastern giant than begging from Washington. India has a great task ahead to neutralize Chinese influence on Myanmar. In this regard India is required to work with Myanmar and Malaysia which is planning to connect the ports in Bay of Bengal with those in South China by connecting to the existing pipelines and building new ones.
India alone cannot take up the challenge of dominating the entire Indian Ocean region. Though India is progressing towards building a viable naval force it would require faster growth along with deadlier and stealthier striking capability. For this purpose India, Australia, Japan and USA may think about forming an Indian Ocean Axis to ensure that China does not emerge as the unchallenged naval power in the region and threat imbalance. Just to dominate the west and eastern flanks of the Indian Ocean, keeping hawk eye on the Islamicists in the instable regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Kenya etc on the one hand and the South East Asian Islamicists India require a vast naval force. In addition, the emerging naval power of China, its growing capability to strike deep into India and its strategic grip on Pakistan give rise to higher levels of strategic considerations for India.
While India is required to galvanize its melting borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, the task of solving the fermenting border issues with Pakistan and China is paramount. Scholars feel that India-China-Pakistan border issues cannot be bilaterally solved. This is an ambiguous argument. In International relations bilateralism is one of the best approaches. Strategic priorities demand that India should first address its border issues with China and demarcate the borders scientifically by overcoming the legacy of the tribulations of the British Raj. How best this can be done should be left to the policy makers and war strategists who understand better the strategic vulnerability of the country. This job should not be left to wild think tanks and the media. Nowhere in the world border were issues ever solved by media propaganda.
The wild theories of China trying to balkanize India and India trying to aid the Tibetans and the Uyghurs should be abandoned. What China is doing is diplomatic and strategic encirclement of India with a view to put pressure on India to slow down on economic growth and divert more on military expenditures. There is a lesson to learn. If China can both economically and militarily progress at a faster rate why India cannot! India cannot get away by asserting that in democracy gradual growth is built in: in autocratic nations growth can be imposed. This redundant theory need reexamination and India may now decide to embark upon the course of developing military growth as faster as the country plans to go for economic growth. The country of baniyas also require stronger military infrastructure to secure the ambience of growth. When would the government rationalize its defence procurement machineries bypassing corruption and deals and dalals? How long India would depend only on DRDO and not opt for newer dynamic organisations and mechanisms that can deliver faster results and not get bogged down for over two decades in developing a tank and a fighter system? There are many such vital issues that require immediate national attention and overhauling of the existing system beset with inefficiency and corruption. Indians have to remain sensitive towards the country's land borders as well as its expanding ocean boundaries with international responsibility.
http://frontierindia.net/wa/india's...g-borders-and-strategic-ocean-boundaries/442/
Respected Member
I read half of the post. Here is the part that I don't understand. For 47 years, the 1962 border with China has been quiet. There is no massing of troops at the AP border. Why do people keep thinking that a border war is imminent? Why not just kick this problem another 47 years down the road and let future generations worry about it?
Martian said:
That is just a plain bad idea. It is because past generations said that a long time back that we are having those problems now. Nehru should've taken a stand against China annexing Tibet in 1949. And that Hindi-Chinee bhai-bhai cost us in 1962.
The same is valid in other topics as well. Environment, fiscal deficit, nuclear waste etc. Don't burden future generations. Be man enough to deal with your own shit without hiding behind the mask of future generations being able to deal with it.
There are benefits to leaving the problem for future generations. In decades, the trade between India and China may become so important to both countries that the Chinese might decide that AP isn't worth the economic cost. It will also give India decades to industrialize.
Also, in decades, India will have a much stronger nuclear deterrent. Playing for time can only benefit India. There is no downside. I call my theory "a strategic retreat over time to regroup."
First off, as long as the Communist party is in power in China, and there is absolutely no indication they're losing their grip on power, AP will ALWAYS be a contentious issue. Because if China cedes that India is the rightful owner of AP, that will make their claim on Tibet tenuous. Remember, that China also claims Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim to be part of China.
Secondly, FWIW both India and China have undertaken a no-first-use polity with respect to nukes. They also have had a credible nuclear deterrent for decades now. China has less than 100 nukes aimed at Russia and USA, and that is sufficient for nuclear deterrence. There is no such thing called "stronger nuclear deterrence."
Martian this is a very clever theory you just decribed, China is using the same theory against USA.
"There is no such thing called 'stronger nuclear deterrence.'"
ant80, as I currently understand it, India's thermonuclear tests are questionable. Furthermore, it takes time to miniaturize hydrogen bomb warheads to fit on top of a missile. I think it will take many years for India to develop a reliable thermonuclear missile (i.e. see Bulava development difficulties) for a "stronger nuclear deterrence."
"Martian this is a very clever theory you just decribed, China is using the same theory against USA."
Lethalforce, I hope this does not mean that you've read about a similar idea somewhere else. I thought my idea was original. I will be disappointed if someone else thought of "a strategic retreat over time to regroup" before I did.
It's quite likely that the thermonuclear test was not a complete success in 1998. But it is highly unlikely that they remain problematic 11 years down the line. BJP, which ordered the tests, said they will hold off international pressure to conduct as many tests as needed for success. Given computer simulation and highly available processing power coupled with passage of time, I'm not buying that it still remains suspect.
In any case, it is not relevant to the point I'm trying to make. I still think in this case, we can deal with this on a regular basis. We have enough nukes for a second strike, and nobody can take that away from us.
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thanks for sharing photo of the face, very similar grain structure to the one i picked (but not identical).
I only wanted 5-6 grains on my bat and it looks like yours is in the same boat.
Did they mention what sort of warranty these bats have?
Two members with a relatively low post count raving about a brand that previously had a bit of stick.
i find it more satisfying buying something like the hitman and being different to the average joe...i could be like everyone else and buy the typical Aussie GN Players, but wheres the fun in that?
How much did you pay for your hitman bat if it's not too much to ask?
Exactly what I was thinking to post lol.
What does my post count have to do with it?
You are likely totally innocent and we're a bunch of cynics on here, so please feel free to ignore my tongue in cheek post.
However, it isn't unknown for a brand to set up accounts and pretend to be customers. They then provide a glowing review.


J' s comment > WOW! Best prawn bisque ever! Definitely on par w the once-upon-a-time lobster bisque I had @ Diva back in Nov 2012, except this is prawn flavored; prawn pieces at the bottom were delicate and enhanced the bisque; loved the presentation concept & texture (foam was so yum), definitely lived up to the name 'cappuccino; FYI the mystery black strip you see on the side is a prawn cracker, not sure why it's black though, but definitely crisp and tasty.
J's comment > chicken very tender, not exactly dry, but definitely needs the sauce (served on the side, sorry, no pic) to complete the picture; pasta & mushroom were just yum and dare I say slightly more addicting than the chicken.
J's comment > not bad; macarons on the hard side (which I wouldn't usually prefer) but in this case it really works as these lil mini macarons now look and taste (both flavor and texture-wise) like a hazelnut!


Thanks all for sharing this info.
The best answer I ever saw to this question was one Darth Stone once gave - being in the right place at the right time with a large fistful of money!
Some early morning browsing on the Den, and I stumble upon this thread. Then I read this replay by Albatrossone.
I have said this exact same thing to several people who have PM'd me about how to get a good Vader helmet. It also doesn't hurt to get to know the good people on the Den.
Very interesting thread. Thank you for the info everyone. My journey into the Vader prop world has only just begun so I have a lot to learn, lol. That SL ANH helmet is definitely a thing of beauty though. I don't think I'd need any other helmet if I had one of those.
There is a lot to love about this casting--sharpness, good geometry, great details but it is undersized which is a common complaint with Star Wars helmets.
Is the TM smaller than the eFX?
Might have to throw a little wrench in this in terms of ROTJ.
The TM and GH ROTJ are beautiful - I don't know enough about the TM ROTJ other than it's a modified TM ESB. The GH ROTJ has the "ROTJ Look" when compared with what I see in the movie. From what I understand, the GH ROTJ was cast from a mold of the screen used helmet. If I'm wrong hopefully someone will clarify - as I'd love to know.
Still - it will come down to what line of lineage you prefer.
Agree about the dome, but why you think it has a jedi faceplate.
The pull was made during anything arround RotJ but the faceplate is AnH, isn't it?
Cause of the GH RotJ i would also agree, it has that specifc jedi look.
Post subject: THE BEST VADER HELMET.
The GS faceplate definitely doesn't feel like it's a finished ROTJ faceplate - that's what I was getting at. It seems like the GS has a production faceplate prior to finishing for filming. I was of the belief the starting point of the ROTJ and ESB faceplates originated from the same (or similar) production mold.
Or, did the production department take an ESB and modify it to the ROTJ helmet? I didn't think this was the scenario.
Either way, I'm sure my comment was overly confusing before, and now it's likely worse.
GH ROTJ next to the wired magazine ROTJ pic. They don't match perfectly, buy you get an idea.
...Kinda raises more questions, really.
The GH dome clearly isn't as sharp as the original ROTJ. The wall thickness of the GH is also thinner than ROTJ (as it appears in this comparison). <---- definitely a debate for another thread.
Last edited by craigjohn on Wed Feb 01, 2017 2:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just looking at the photo comparison above - this does make me believe the GS ROTJ has the legs to be the best ROTJ out there. If that wired Magazine image is of the LFL screen used ROTJ helmet. ...just looking at the thickness/tapering of the edges around the mouth, I see distinct differences already.
Some pics of my GH helmet.I love this helmet.


text:
GRN – codice nazionale del CIO di Grenada
 grn – codice ISO 639-2 alpha-3 per la lingua guaraní

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to write this in haml? What is that i should write to convert this to haml
When I tried like this
%p
  We prefer questions that can be
  %b answered
  . not just discussed.

I got Illegal element: classes and ids must have values error.
IS there any way i can get the dot not bolded.

A: This should work:
%p
  We prefer questions that can be
  answered. not just discussed.

Edit
As @mark pointed out below the reason you were receiving the error was because if a line starts with a . haml is expecting a class name in order to render a div with that class.
\.

escapes the .

A: Mark's answer is still going to be the best, for readability.
You could do this in pure HAML by using the > operator on the b tag to remove surrounding spaces. However, you'd need to insert a non-breaking space before the bold word to keep it separate.
%p
  We prefer questions that can be
  %b> answered
  \. not just discussed.

A: You need to escape the leading period as it's evaluating it as a div with a class.
%div.my_class
==
.my_class
==

%p
  We prefer questions that can be
  %b answered
  \. not just discussed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: What is the structure of torch dataset? I am beginning to use torch 7 and I want to make my dataset for classification. I've already made pixel images and corresponding labels. However, I do not know how to feed those data to the torch. I read some codes from others and found out that they are using the dataset whose extension is '.t7' and I think it is a tensor type. Is it right? And I wonder how I can convert my pixel images(actually, I made them with Matlab by using MNIST dataset) into t7 extension compatible to the torch. There must be structure of dataset in the t7 format but I cannot find it (also for the labels too).
To sum up, I have pixel images and labels and want to convert those to t7 format compatible to the torch.
Thanks in advance!

A: The datasets '.t7' are tables of labeled Tensors.
For example the following lua code :
if (not paths.filep("cifar10torchsmall.zip")) then
    os.execute('wget -c https://s3.amazonaws.com/torch7/data/cifar10torchsmall.zip')
    os.execute('unzip cifar10torchsmall.zip')
end
Readed_t7 = torch.load('cifar10-train.t7')
print(Readed_t7)

Will return through itorch :
{
  data : ByteTensor - size: 10000x3x32x32
  label : ByteTensor - size: 10000
}

Which means the file contains a table of two ByteTensor one labeled "data" and the other one labeled "label".
To answer your question, you should first read your images (with torchx for example : https://github.com/nicholas-leonard/torchx/blob/master/README.md ) then put them in a table with your Tensor of label. The following code is just a draft to help you out. It considers the case where : there are two classes, all your images are in the same folder and are ordered through those classes.
require 'torchx';

--Read all your dataset (the chosen extension is png)
files = paths.indexdir("/Path/to/your/images/", 'png', true)
data1 = {}
for i=1,files:size() do
   local img1 = image.load(files:filename(i),3)
   table.insert(data1, img1)
end

--Create the table of label according to
label1 = {}
for i=1, #data1 do
    if i <= number_of_images_of_the_first_class then
        label1[i] = 1
    else
        label1[i] = 2
    end
end

--Reshape the tables to Tensors
label = torch.Tensor(label1)
data = torch.Tensor(#data1,3,16,16)
for i=1, #data1 do
    data[i] = data1[i]
end

--Create the table to save
Data_to_Write = { data = data, label = label }

--Save the table in the /tmp
torch.save("/tmp/Saved_Data.t7", Data_to_Write)

It should be possible to make a less hideous code but this one details all the steps and works with torch 7 and Jupyter 5.0.0 .
Hope it helps.
Regards


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A study presented at the National Society of Genetic Counselors annual meeting last week analyzed how counseling sessions affected patients on five measures.
Two speakers at the National Society of Genetic Counselors annual meeting discussed how often genetic variants are reclassified and how that affects patients.
A study presented at the National Society of Genetic Counselors meeting examined experiences of parents whose children underwent exome sequencing.
Additional studies and reanalyses can reclassify variants of unknown significance, speakers at the National Society of Genetic Counselors meeting said.
CNBC reports that the genetic counseling field is expected to grow as personalized medicine becomes more common.


text:
Чо́ппер () — тип мотоцикла, который появился в Калифорнии в конце 1950-х годов. Он отличается радикально изменёнными углами поворота руля и удлиненными вилками, что делает его более вытянутым. Они могут быть построены из оригинального мотоцикла, модифицированного или построенного с нуля. Некоторые из характерных особенностей чопперов — длинные передние части с удлиненными вилками, часто сочетающиеся с увеличенным передним углом, хардтейл-рамы (рамы без задней подвески), очень высокие «обезьяньи подвески» или очень короткие «тяговые» рули, удлиненные или растянутые рамы, и больше, чем стоковые передние колеса.

Два известных примера чоппера — это кастомизированные Harley-Davidson, "Капитан Америка " и «Байк Билли», показанные в фильме 1969 года Беспечный ездок.

История

Слово «чоппер» (от  «рубить») прочно закрепилось за видом мотоциклов с удлинённой рамой и передней вилкой[en]. Мотоциклы со стандартными рамой и вилкой обычно называют стоковыми. Предшественниками чопперов были серийные мотоциклы, подвергшиеся переделке для уличных гонок — «бобберы» ( — короткая стрижка). В отличие от бобберов, у будущего чоппера убирается не только всё лишнее — переднее крыло, иногда передний тормоз, глубокое заднее крыло, но также подвергается серьёзной переделке и сама рама. Ставится высокий руль, зачастую достаточно эпатажный (например, «Ape Hangers»), спинка («Sissy bar»), корни которой происходят от тех же бобберов, вынесенные вперёд подножки для ног мотоциклиста. Типичными атрибутами многих нео-чопперов также являются задний «каток» (широкое колесо, иногда в России называемое ВШК — Великое Широкое Колесо), сухая (hardtail) рама (без задней подвески), бензобак в виде небольшой капли, гранёный diamond tank или «гроб» (coffin tank) и неизменное обилие хромированных деталей. Чопперы впервые появились в США в 1950-х годах. Поначалу их делали энтузиасты на базе серийных мотоциклов «Харлей-Дэвидсон» и «Indian», также каноничными считаются 2-цилиндровые рядные моторы «B.S.A» и «Triumph». Одним из образцов раннего чопперостроения является мотоцикл «Капитан Америка» (на деле модифицированный Harley Davidson FL,модель 1951 года), показанный в фильме «Беспечный ездок», на котором ездил Питер Фонда.

В России энтузиасты часто делают для себя чопперы из советских мотоциклов «Урал», «Днепр», зачастую используя автомобильные двигатели от «Оки» и «Запорожца», причём последние получили в России почти официальное название «ЗАЗоциклы».

Существует несколько направлений чопперостроения: так называемый «Old School» (старая школа), создание шоу-стопперов (чопперов, предназначенных больше для различных выставок, чем для ежедневного использования), и современная кастом-школа. Стиль старой школы отличает практически неизменённый наклон рулевой колонки, «рогатый» руль, бак-капля и задние колеса стандартной размерности. Для стиля старой школы также характерны специфические приёмы окраски в виде различных геометрических узоров из тонких пересекающихся линий, так называемый «пинстрайпинг».

Шоу-стопперы разнообразны по дизайну, и их создание прежде всего преследует цель продвинуть имя фирмы-создателя (или одиночки — автора такого стоппера), привлечь внимание к своим работам. Созданием шоу-стопперов занимаются такие известные в мире кастом-строительства личности, как Арлен Несс и семья Teutul (фирма Orange County Choppers), ведущая также цикл передач  на канале Discovery Channel.

Современную американскую кастом-школу отличает использование рамы мотоцикла без задней подвески или имитации отсутствия таковой, узкого переднего колеса большого диаметра (19−23 дюйма) в сочетании с широким задним колесом 16−20 дюймов в диаметре и 230−330 мм шириной. Эти конструктивные особенности дополняются сильно увеличенным наклоном рулевой колонки, что существенно удлиняет базу мотоцикла и придаёт ему уникальный и легко узнаваемый вид. Также в последние несколько лет при создании чопперов стало модным использовать ременные приводы (так называемые open belt system) вместо цепных.

Одними из самых известных строителей чопперов являются: Рассел Митчел (Exile Cycles), Скотт Гиллен, Джесси Рук.

В России был создан чоппер промышленного изготовления «Урал-Волк» (1999−2011).

Примечания

Типы мотоциклов
Кастом Культура


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text:
Download Free Are Women Human Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Are Women Human and write the review.
Are Women Human
Catharine A. MacKinnon
Exposing the consequences and significance of the systematic maltreatment of women, and its systemic condonation, this book takes us into the heart of the international law of conflict to ask - and reveal - why the international community can rally against terrorists' violence, but not against violence against women.
Introduction by Mary McDermott Shideler One of the first women to graduate from Oxford University, Dorothy Sayers pursued her goals whether or not what she wanted to do was ordinarily understood to be "feminine." Sayers did not devote a great deal of time to talking or writing about feminism, but she did explicitly address the issue of women's role in society in the two classic essays collected here. Central to Sayers's reflections is the conviction that both men and women are first of all human beings and must be regarded as essentially much more alike than different. We are to be true not so much to our sex as to our humanity. The proper role of both men and women, in her view, is to find the work for which they are suited and to do it. Though written several decades ago, these essays still offer in Sayers's piquant style a sensible and conciliatory approach to ongoing gender issues.
Dorothy Leigh Sayers
Format Type: PDF, Mobi
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Niamh Reilly
Women's Human Rights: Seeking Gender Justice in a Globalising Age explores the emergence of transnational, UN-oriented, feminist advocacy for womens human rights, especially over the past three decades. It identifies the main feminist influences that have shaped the movement liberal, radical, third world and cosmopolitan and exposes how the Western, legalist, state-centric, and liberal biases of mainstream human rights discourse impede the realisation of human rights in womens lives everywhere. The book traces the evolution of the womens human rights movement through an examination of its key issues, debates, and practical interventions in international law and policy arenas. This includes efforts to: Develop global gender equality norms via the UN Womens Convention Frame violence against women as a human rights issue Address gender-based crimes in conflict situations, include women in conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction, and challenge new forms of militarism Highlight the gendered human rights dimensions of widening inequalities in a context of neo-liberal globalisation Develop human rights responses to anti-feminist fundamentalist movements with a focus on reproductive and sexual rights Ultimately, Women's Human Rights reaffirms a commitment to critically reinterpreted universal human rights principles and demonstrates the vital role that bottom-up, transnational movements play in making them a reality in women's lives.
Human rights are women s right
Women s Human Rights in India
Christine Forster
This book focusses on women's human rights in India. Drawing on case studies, it provides a clear overview of the key sources on gender and rights in the country. Further, it contextualizes women's rights at the critical intersection of caste, religion and class, and analyses barriers to the realization of women's human rights in practice. It also develops strategies for moving forward towards greater recognition, protection, promotion and fulfilment of women's human rights in India. Drawing on critical pedagogical tools to analyse groundbreaking court cases, this book will be a key text in human rights studies. It will be indispensable to students, scholars and researchers of gender studies, sociology, law and human rights.
Globalizing Concern for Women s Human Rights
D. Zoelle
This study is a critique of the institutional structures and cultural dynamics that pose obstructions to U.S. ratification. The United States is a liberal democratic state founded upon ideals of freedom and equality, thus the history of non-ratification of major international human rights treaties appears to be an anomaly. This book suggests that it is not. Liberal democracy, as it was conceived and has developed in the United States, is problematic as a model in the globalization of concern for women's human rights. This study is not a comparative examination of state exclusion and oppression of women. Neither is it an attempt to distinguish the United States in the larger sense from other Western liberal democratic regimes in its treatment of women. Rather, the study is a gender-sensitive examination of specific dynamics and characteristics inherent to the socio-political, economic, and legal systems of the United States which have precluded incorporation of the rights of women on an equal basis with the rights of men. The interaction of these dynamics and characteristics describes a uniquely American view of itself and its own history which serves to render the U.S. system troublesome as an examplar for state incorporation of the human rights of women. Unreserved ratification of CEDAW constitutes a strong indication of effort, by the ratifying state, to protect the human rights of women. The United States has refused to ratify CEDAW.
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ReadyCell has recently joined Catalonia Bio the Catalan Association of Biotechnologic Companies.
Catalonia Bio offers to its members many partnering opportunities, and a cooperative and integrative platform to achieve different government business stimulating initiatives. As a trade association, Catalonia Bio is also a global representative of the Biotechnology company field.
In addition to this announcement, an interview to ReadyCell's CEO (Dr. Josep Oriol Nicolás) was published in the website of Catalonia Bio (no longer available).


Americans overwhelmingly view Islamic State terrorists as a serious threat to vital U.S. interests and, in a significant shift, widely support airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The nation's increasingly hawkish mood will form part of the backdrop for a speech by President Obama on Wednesday, when he will outline his thinking on how to confront the threat from the Islamic State. Obama's remarks will come a day after he confers with congressional leaders at the White House about the administration's planning.
Obama's speech also comes at a critical moment in his presidency. He will address the nation at a time of record or near-record lows in public assessments of his performance. Only 43 percent of Americans say he is a strong leader, the lowest reading since he entered the White House. Just over half the country says his presidency has been a failure, although partisanship colors that judgment.
His overall foreign policy ratings are his lowest yet in a Post-ABC News poll. A majority says the president is too cautious when it comes to international problems and specifically in dealing with Islamic State militants. His handling of Russian aggression in Ukraine receives somewhat better marks, but more than 4 in 10 still say he is too cautious.
Over the past month, Obama has authorized limited military airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State and sent several hundred U.S. troops to the region to protect American personnel.
But he has faced increasing calls from lawmakers in both parties to expand the U.S. military role, not only in Iraq but also in Syria, where the administration has been reluctant to intervene directly in that country's civil war.
The speech and session with congressional leaders are aimed at generating strong public backing and support from Congress for whatever mission Obama decides to launch. Congressional leaders said late Monday that they do not expect the White House to ask for authorization for his new strategy, according to senior House and Senate aides.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest, at his Monday briefing, stopped short of saying the president would ask for congressional authorization but made it clear that the administration is seeking to have lawmakers bear joint responsibility for the policy going forward.
Obama, in an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," said the goal will be "to degrade and defeat" the Islamic State with the help of a global coalition. But he has said he will not put U.S. ground forces into Syria. On Monday, two Republican senators, Johnny Isakson (Ga.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), urged Obama to include the use of U.S. Special Operations forces as part of an air-ground operation.
Support for military action has risen dramatically in just the past few weeks, coinciding with the beheadings of two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, which were recorded on video and released to the world by Islamic State terrorists.
Today, 71 percent of all Americans say they support airstrikes in Iraq — up from 54 percent three weeks ago and from 45 percent in June. Among those who say Obama has been too cautious, 82 percent support the strikes; among those who think his handling of international affairs has been about right, 66 percent support them.
Nearly as many Americans — 65 percent — say they support the potentially more controversial action of launching airstrikes in Syria, which Obama has not done. That is more than double the level of support a year ago for launching airstrikes to punish the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons.
Support for arming Kurdish forces opposing the Sunni insurgents in Iraq also has risen over the past month, from 45 percent in August to 58 percent in the new survey.
Republicans are most supportive of military action, but sizable majorities of Democrats and independents also support airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq.
Public support for action in Iraq and Syria stands in sharp contrast to overall war-weariness seen in earlier surveys after a decade of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. The support appears to reflect perceptions of the threat posed by the Islamic State insurgency. Nine in 10 Americans now see the militants as a serious threat to vital U.S. interests, and roughly 6 in 10 say they are a very serious threat.
As support for military action in Iraq and Syria has risen, public assessments of Obama on foreign policy have declined. Just 38 percent approve of his handling of international affairs, and 56 percent disapprove, with 43 percent strongly disapproving. Through most of the spring and summer, his foreign policy approval rating has hovered in the mid-40s.
Obama has been criticized over the past month as appearing disengaged or reticent in the face of a series of international crises. Two moments in particular provoked negative comment. One came when he said that "we don't have a strategy yet" for dealing with Islamic State militants. The other came when he denounced the beheading of James Foley and promptly went out for a round of golf on Martha's Vineyard during his vacation.
The president's overall approval rating is 42 percent, near a low for his presidency. Disapproval stands at 51 percent, not quite as high as it was during the worst of the controversy over the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov in the fall of 2013.
His approval rating on the economy is also 42 percent and has not improved through the course of the year despite evidence of an economic recovery. About 7 in 10 still rate the state of the economy negatively. A majority of Americans say the economy has begun to recover in their own lives, but even in this upbeat group more than 6 in 10 say it has been a weak turnaround.
On health care, 38 percent approve of the president's performance, showing no improvement as the Affordable Care Act has increasingly taken hold. Roughly 4 in 10 say the law should be repealed, while another 4 in 10 support it. An additional 15 percent do not support the law but nonetheless say that it would be best now to let it go and see whether it works.
Obama's best numbers in the poll are split verdicts. About half of respondents say that he is honest and trustworthy and that he understands the problems people in the country are having; an almost identical number say he is not honest or empathetic.
The president's standing is of vital importance to Democratic candidates in November, particularly those in competitive Senate races. There long has been a sharp partisan split in public assessments of Obama, but he has suffered from overall deterioration on some measures.
More than half of all Americans say Obama has done more to divide the country than unite it (55 percent to 38 percent). In May 2013, the last time the question was asked, there was an almost even split. Today, slightly more than a quarter of Democrats share this assessment, along with roughly 6 in 10 independents and almost 9 in 10 Republicans.
At the same time, judgments of congressional Republicans are even harsher, with 27 percent saying they have done more to unite than divide the country and 63 percent saying they have done more to divide it. One-third of Republicans say those in their congressional wing have been dividers.
Immigration is another weak spot in assessments of Obama. Just 31 percent approve of his handling of immigration issues, a drop of seven points since June as the influx of undocumented children on the border created a new problem for the administration. Since the beginning of 2013, when he began to push Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform, his approval rating on the issue has fallen 18 points.
Despite those low ratings, a slight majority (52 percent) of Americans say Obama should use executive action to deal with the immigration issue if Congress fails to act. White House officials announced Saturday he would delay any such action until after the November elections, after protests from Senate Democrats that such a move could hurt their chances in the midterm elections.
Among the immigration elements under consideration by the administration is action to prevent possibly millions of those here illegally from being deported. The new poll found that 46 percent say those undocumented immigrants should be given the right to live and work here legally, with 50 percent opposed.
As a voting issue, the scales tilt slightly against a candidate who supports such a path to citizenship. Thirty-six percent say support for legalization would make them less likely to vote for such a candidate, compared with 27 percent who say it would make them more likely.
The new survey portrays a country still in a sour mood heading toward the November midterm elections. Nearly two-thirds say the country is seriously off-track. A quarter say they have positive feelings about the way the federal government works, and of the roughly three-quarters with negative views, 49 percent are dissatisfied and 25 percent say they are angry.
Just 15 percent approve of the way Congress is doing its job. One-third say they approve of the way congressional Democrats are handling things, while 21 percent approve of how congressional Republicans are managing. Fewer than half approve of their own representative.
Asked whether they lean toward voting for the Democratic or Republican candidate for House in their district, 46 percent of registered voters say Democrat and 44 percent say Republican. Among likely voters, it is 47 percent Republican, 44 percent Democrat. In both cases, based on past history, the numbers are clearly favorable for Republicans.
The Post-ABC poll was conducted Thursday through Sunday among a random national sample of 1,001 adults reached on conventional and cellular phones. The margin of sampling error for overall results is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.


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Keates: we need to be more clinical
Manager Dean Keates has urged his players to become more clinical in front of goal as the Saddlers failed to score on the road for the fourth straight game on Tuesday night.
In a game that wasn't littered with chances for his side, the ones that they did have, Keates knows that the team need to start being more ruthless if they are to stay within touching distance of the play-offs.
Goals either side of the break from Oli Hawkins and Ronan Curtis were enough to keep Portsmouth at the top of League One, but the home side were far from flattering in a game that was dominated by the Saddlers.
"We were frustrated with the goals that we conceded," said Keates. "They took their chances and that is why they are top of the league.
"The first goal, it loops up off a deflection and that is when you need a little bit of luck.
"We have got to the point now where I keep saying that they need to keep learning and developing as players but it has got to start sinking in now.
"Football is all about moments.
"In the clinical moments, we weren't clinical enough.
"At the start of the second half, Josh Ginnelly has a great chance but he puts it over.
"A few minutes later we have a corner and it doesn't go to plan and 20 seconds passes by and it ends up in the back of our net. As I have said, we have got to be better, it has to start sinking in.
"Would I say that we have been beaten by opposition? No.
"Other than the Burton game in the first half, we just aren't helping ourselves. We are shipping goals at the moment and they are coming from our mistakes.
"We aren't giving ourselves a chance to win the football match.
"You can't be expected to go and score three goals every game.
"When you aren't being clinical in the oppositions 18-yard box and you are shipping goals at the other end, you give yourself an uphill task straight away."


+1 734.913.8080 and select option 4. Our regular business hours in the USA are 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
If you are interested in a demonstration, complete the additional sections at the bottom of this form to request a date and time that is convenient for you.


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UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES)
Language Short Courses
Habsburg Austria's Consociational Legacies: New Research on Political Representation in Interwar CE
21 March 2019, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
Habsburg Austria's Consociational Legacies: New Research on Political Representation in Interwar Central Europe. Supported by the Centre for the Study of Central Europe.
Central Europe Seminar Series
ssees-events@ucl.ac.uk
SSEES
16 Taviton Street
WC1H 0BW
The political scientist Arend Lijphart developed the consociational model of democracy to explain successful democracy in deeply divided societies in Western Europe in the second half of the twentieth century. It since has become a standard for designing democratic constitutions in such countries as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. The recent research of historians and political scientists, however, shows that aspects of consociationalism have older historical roots in Central Europe. Specifically, representative politics in the Austrian half of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, though never fully democratic, foreshadowed later consociational practices in multiple ways. In particular, these practices carried over into interwar Czechoslovakia, which was a successful consociational democracy prior to the German occupation in 1938. This event brings together five leading academics from Europe and the USA whose work examines different aspects of the Habsburg political legacy in the interwar countries that had been partly or entirely under Imperial Austrian rule. It highlights recent work on representative politics in interwar Austria, Czechoslovakia Italy, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia, and it places important themes related to consociational arrangements in a broader comparative context. In doing so, it contributes to the understanding of the possibilities and limits of democracy in deeply divided societies.
Following the panel there will be a reception in the Masaryk Room from 7.30pm to celebrate the publication of a new book by Dr Matt Qvortrup: The Referendum and Other Essays in Constitutional Politics
Until recently, referendums were little used. After the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums, they have come to the fore as a mechanism with the potential to disrupt the status quo and radically change political direction. This book looks at the historical development of the referendum, how it combines with consociationalism in Switzerland and elsewhere. The book also analyses the process in which constitutions are changed and amended. For further details on this important publication, please visit:
https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/the-referendum-and-other-essays-on-constitutional-politics-9781509929290/
Chair: Thomas Lorman (UCL SSEES)
Georg Grote (Eurac Research, Bolazano/Bozen) who will discuss South Tyrol
Philip J. Howe (Adrian College/Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest), who will discuss Austria
Börries Kuzmany (Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna), who will discuss the West Ukrainian Peoples Republic
Daniel E. Miller (University of West Florida, Pensacola), who will discuss Czechoslovakia
Dejan Stjepanović (University of Dundee), who will discuss Dalmatia and Istria
This event is supported by the Centre for the Study of Central Europe


For the last decade I have been involved in start-ups that tried to disrupt an existing ecosystem. As a result, I can smell a vertical integration play from a mile away. I am here to report on a shocking development on the North Pole.
For thousands of years, Elves were content running the production department for Santa's operations. Now they incubated a new business unit called "Elf on the Shelf".
As illustrated in the diagram below, these Elves infiltrate children's homes, obtain their wish lists, and then pass them along to Santa. While this arrangement might have seem convenient to Santa at first, its spells trouble for the future. With wish list procurement and performance evaluation (naughty/nice) now in the Elves' hands, who knows what is next.
One person close to the situation suggested they might cut Santa out of the mix, and go directly from wish list ingestion to production. The only thing Santa would be left with is delivery. Both Santa and the Elves declined to comment for this story, but inside sources confirmed early talks between Elves and FedEx's new drone division.
This entry was posted on Monday, December 8th, 2014 at 9:34 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


Last month I did a 'reading spa' at Mr B's bookshop in Bath where I was given tea and cake, had a chat with a bookseller and then they brought me a stack of books they thought I'd like. Part of my haul from that day was Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner? by Katrine Marçal. It's probably not something I'd ever have picked up by myself, but it came so highly recommended that I started reading it as soon as I got home. The people at Mr B's clearly know what they're doing, because I really enjoyed it.
This book is about economics. Yes, I know, normally that word would turn me off too, but Marçal writes in such a compelling way and is clearly so passionate about her subject that she makes it really, really interesting. The core of her argument is that economics has been viewed for a very long time as being driven by self-interest and logic, and it explains the workings of our society based on competition and profit. However, Marçal argues, this view of economics is incomplete. For two hundred years a vast section of society has been ignored by economic theory; the work that these people do – caring, cooking and cleaning – has not factored into the major equations and theories of economics, even though it is absolutely necessary to keep society operating. Of course, this is a feminist argument because this unrecognised, unpaid labour has traditionally been the responsibility of women. Marçal highlights her central idea through the figure of Adam Smith, a top 18th-century economist who lived with his mother. She cared for him, likely not out of self-interest, so that he could go out into the world and claim that self-interest rules us all.
Marçal is also very good at analogies, and two of them have really stayed with me. The first is a twist on an analogy frequently used to describe supply and demand in economics: two men are stranded on a desert island, one has a bag of gold and the other has a bag of rice. If they weren't on an island, the gold would be worth more, but given their current predicament the rice is clearly more valuable. Therefore the man with the rice can demand as much of the gold as he likes for payment, or he can refuse it because it is worthless here and keep all the rice for himself. That would be the rational, self-interested thing to do and, we're told, this is how economics works. However, Marçal points out that this isn't how people would act in reality. Two men stranded on a desert island would likely be scared and lonely; who's to say the man with the rice wouldn't share it with his only companion? Who's to say they wouldn't forget their self-interest and work together? So, since we're all in the economy together, who's to say that kindness and camaraderie and a desire to help others aren't factors that should be taken into account? Analogies about the changing values of rice and gold are all very well in a vacuum, but we're not all self-interested all the time, and the idea that we are falls apart when you look at how people actually behave.
The other analogy I remember ties into this book's strongly feminist ideals. Marçal talks about how women have frequently been sidelined and ignored because the work they do does not 'count' in the competitive, masculine economic world, and she highlights this with the idea of a running race. There are three villages competing to win a running race. Everybody must run – young, old, healthy, infirm – and the winner is the village who gets everybody across the finish line first. The race begins. In the first village, everybody is out for themselves; they all run as fast as they can and the fit and healthy cross the finish line first, but the oldest and sickest are still straggling far behind. In the second village, the fastest runners are the young men, so they tell the women to help the children and the elderly while they run on ahead. When the young men reach the finish line they celebrate their victory, but the women they've left behind are annoyed because they could have run just as fast if they hadn't been left to look after the slowest people. Finally, and you already know where this is going, the people of the first village all work together to get everybody across the line and as a consequence they win the race because they haven't left anybody behind. It's in analogies like this that you can see Marçal's optimism: the current system might be flawed, but she believes in human goodness and our ability to help each other if we could just let go of the compelling untruths we've grown so used to.
Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner? is packed with interesting ideas and cleverly illustrated points just like these. My notes about this book are tightly written because Marçal makes a compelling point on every page and I just had to get it all down. This is a book everybody could benefit from reading, even if you've never read anything about economics before: it's quite a quick read that is funny, fascinating and will really make you think.


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Q: Is there any way how to use Java window and input with Ogre3D and c++? I'm not very familiar with wrapping between Java and C++. But i need to wrap Java window input to c++ and get window context, that i assign to ogre. I know it's possible, because Ogre4J uses something similar.
"Use Ogre4j" isn't answer.

A: I never tried it because JOGL was easier to use but here, you have an example how to use opengl directly with Java. That should be similar with OGRE. I guess.
Or you could look at Ogre4j and see how they get the native context from the Java window.


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Q: How to serve proper user age-based ads with AdMob? As we know there are different content ad ratings from G for children up to MA for adults.
Now If I have an app that is PEGI 3, I would like to display G ads if a young user is using my app, but if an adult is using my app I would like to display him MA ads as they are better paid.
But how do I know which user is using the app, a child or an adult? What is the standard way of doing it?


Bishop-elect Bill Wack, a one-time director of André House serving Maricopa County's Human Services Campus, will be ordained and installed a bishop for Pensacola-Tallahassee Aug. 22. Enjoy a recap of the days surrounding the papal announcement. Related article.


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Qualifying, Red Bull Ring, 2016
55 Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Austria, 2016
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 55 Carlos Sainz (SPA, Toro Rosso, STR11) during FP3 ahead of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 44 Lewis Hamilton (GBR, Mercedes, W07) during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
26 Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso , 11 Sergio Perez, Force India, Austria, 2016
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 26 Daniil Kvyat (RUS, Toro Rosso, STR11), 11 Sergio Perez (MEX, Force India, VJM09) during FP3 ahead of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
30 Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport Formula One Team, Austria, 2016
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 30 Jolyon Palmer (GBR, Renault, R.S. 16) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 94 Pascal Wehrlein (GER, Manor, MRT05) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 55 Carlos Sainz (SPA, Toro Rosso, STR11) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 20 Kevin Magnussen (DAN, Renault, R.S. 16) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 88 Rio Haryanto (IND, Manor, MRT05) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
9 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber F1 Team, Austria, 2016
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 9 Marcus Ericsson (SWE, Sauber, C35) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 11 Sergio Perez (MEX, Force India, VJM09) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
8 Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team, Austria, 2016
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 8 Romain Grosjean (FRA, Haas, VF-16) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Austria/Spielberg - 07/02/2016 - 19 Felipe Massa (BRA, Williams, FW38) during Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix


Amir Kelly is an R&B/Soul singer based in Los Angeles, California. Not too long ago, he released a music video for his debut single, entitled, "MAUI".
The Francisco Covarrubias-directed video depicts Black royalty and the majesty of people of color. Also, the opening scenes introduce viewers to Amir's world, where everyone has the power to reclaim their own crown.
Though written while cleaning toilets at Starbucks, Kelly's single, "MAUI", details a lifestyle of luxury. Also, it contains a dreamy storyline, classical Indian melodies, and a groovy instrumentation flavored with modern hip-hop, electro-trap, and '90s R&B music.
'Maui' exists as a contemporary fantasy which dwells within Amir's sensual state of mind. The song takes listeners into a place where lovers can experience bliss amidst layers of love and intimacy.
Amir Kelly is a master of existing within multiple worlds. He embodies his Black and Indian heritage through his fierce and tenacious nature. Also, his animated wordplay and references to pop culture add dimension to his ear-welcoming sound.
We recommend adding Amir Kelly's "MAUI" single to your personal playlist.


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Q: How to get a Date from a string of UNIX epoch ms in Dojo? As the title says. I found some questions on how to do the opposite, but how to get a Date when I have a numeric string of miliseconds in the UNIX epoch?

A: Use directly from JavaScript the following function (no dojo is required)
new Date(value)
For example, if you pass a value in milliseconds like:
new Date(1463033875207)
you get a date object.
Below an example of the result of a built–in toString :
Thu May 12 2016 08:17:55 GMT+0200 (Central Europe Daylight Time)

You can read more bout this object here:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date


Android How To Access Phone With Broken Screen With Pc?
If your iPhone screen is broken, you likely want to plug it into iTunes to make a backup and copy your photos before getting a replacement screen or new iPhone. But, if you haven't plugged your iPhone in and completed the �Trust� dialog with your computer before, you'll need to enter your iPhone passcode (or Touch ID if possible) to unlock your iPhone and make your first backup in iTunes.... To disable Siri access from the Lock screen go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and turn off the Siri switch under the Allow Access When Locked heading. The best thing to do is not to panic, and instead be aware of what may be possible.
Aug 5, 2010. My HTC Incredible has a broken screen (physically intact but it doesn't turn on, and the phone is functional), so I'm getting a replacement soon. how to change an image size in photoshop without distortion If your iPhone screen is broken, you likely want to plug it into iTunes to make a backup and copy your photos before getting a replacement screen or new iPhone. But, if you haven't plugged your iPhone in and completed the �Trust� dialog with your computer before, you'll need to enter your iPhone passcode (or Touch ID if possible) to unlock your iPhone and make your first backup in iTunes.
You can try to access phone with broken screen via USB cable, which is pretty simple to deal with. But please note that for most of the broken phone with system problem, this method may not help. Now, let's check it out below.
My iphone screen is broken and i can't back it up? My iphone screen is cracked and the display doesn't work nor does the touch sensors. I'm buying a new iphone and i want to back up the old one but i need to enter in my passcode first which i can't.


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Beck - 'Hyperspace'
Legendary frontman recruits Pharrell Williams to produce his fourteenth studio album
by Chris Bound: November 22, 2019
Reviews, Albums
Since the early 1990s, Beck has proven himself to be a consistent and uncompromising shapeshifter of an artist. Regularly throwing caution to the wind, his catalogue to date has been a wild mix of anything from humbling, acoustic-led serenades to full on brass and electronic fanfare, making him one of the most diverse acts to ever grace the Earth. But while his previous full-length 'Colors' saw him venture down the pop road once again, it seems he is keen to continue that aesthetic as he returns with 'Hyperspace', a bold and yet minimal take on the commercial Beck sound.
Produced by the ever-impressive Pharrell Williams and featuring guest acts such as Sky Ferreira, Chris Martin, Paul Epworth and Greg Kurstin, 'Hyperspace' has got to be one of his more ambitious collections on paper, but on the surface seems to have trouble showcasing itself. While 'Colors' was packed to the brim with grand and euphoric numbers, this new record seems to prefer keeping itself as basic as possible as he swoons and struts his way through an easy-to-digest LP, filled with eclectic ideas that seem to suit his style, but not engage as well as they should.
That is not to say that 'Hyperspace' isn't an enjoyable release, but compared to what we have become used to in recent years, this seems to have less imagination than his previous work. Uplifting and joyous when it wants to be, Beck continues to deliver some genuinely impressive cuts, but not every time.
20 hours 2 min ago Glass Violet - 'Over The Moor'


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Any successful deceased donation programme has a fundamental reliance on the identification and referral of all potential donors.
Deceased donation also benefits from referrals of potential donors being made as early as practicable and responded to as efficiently as possible. This is because the benefits of timely referral of potential donors are largely to be realised through earlier involvement of the Specialist Nurse - Organ Donation (SN-OD) team, and include:
access to expert clinical advice, for example on the neurological determination of death (brain-stem death testing).
prompt application of the donor care bundle to support the physiological optimisation of potential DBD donors.
identification and resolution of potential Coronial/Procurator Fiscal issues.
more rapid screening and assessment of donor eligibility, particularly DCD donors.
early tissue typing and virology screening (a source of considerable delay)
involvement of SN-OD team in the planning and conduct of the approach for consent/authorisation.
In it's guidance on end of life care, the General Medical Council have emphasised the duties of a doctor caring for a potential organ donor:
81 If a patient is close to death and their views cannot be determined, you should be prepared to explore with those close to them whether they had expressed any views about organ or tissue donation, if donation is likely to be a possibility.
82 You should follow any national procedures for identifying potential organ donors and, in appropriate cases, for notifying the local transplant coordinator. You must take account of the requirements in relevant legislation and in any supporting codes of practice, in any discussions that you have with the patient or those close to them. You should make clear that any decision about whether the patient would be a suitable candidate for donation would be made by the transplant coordinator or team, and not by you and the team providing treatment.
In December 2011 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued a clinical guideline on organ donation. The guideline applies to practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and recommends that hospital staff initiate discussions with a SN-OD when one of the following criteria are met:
an intention to use brain-stem death tests to confirm death
an intention to withdraw life-sustaining treatment in patients with a life-threatening or life-limiting condition which will, or is expected to, result in circulatory death
admission of a patient with very severe brain injury (defined as a Glasgow Coma Score of 3-4 with at least one absent brain-stem reflex) that cannot be attributed to the effects of sedation.
The UK Donation Ethics Committee in their 2011 guidance Ethical Framework for Controlled Donation after Circulatory Death considered that:
"There is no ethical dilemma if the treating clinician wishes to make contact with the SNOD at an early stage, while the patient is seriously ill and death is likely, but before a formal decision has been made to withdraw life-sustaining treatment."
To achieve these ambitions, NHS Blood and Transplant published in 2012 a Strategy Guide for use by Organ Donation Committees and SN-OD teams to ensure that all potential donors are identified and referred in a timely fashion. The objectives of such policies should be that:
All potential organ donors are identified.
All potential donors are identified and referred in a timely fashion.
SN-ODs are deployed in a way that best meets the needs of referring hospitals, thereby minimising any subsequent delays in the donation pathway.
The success of such initiatives can be found in the Potential Donor Audit.
Consent and authorisation: the family approach
International perspectives
Diagnosing death using neurological criteria films
/deceased-donation/best-practice-guidance/donor-identification-and-referral/


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– 13-odcinkowy serial anime z gatunku cyberpunk, wyprodukowany przez studio Triangle Staff. Kolejne odcinki miały swoją premierę na kanale TV Tokyo od lipca do września 1998.

W Polsce serial był emitowany przez Canal+ i Hyper pod tytułem Wirtualna Lain.

Fabuła

Bohaterowie
  – główna bohaterka.
  – główny twórca Protocol 7, pracując w Tachibana Labs, bezprawnie dodał kod pozwalający mu na kontrolę nad całym protokołem i osadzenie swojej własnej świadomości w protokole. W konsekwencji został wyrzucony z firmy i wkrótce znaleziono go martwego na torach.
  – ojciec Lain, pasjonuje się komputerami i komunikacją elektroniczną, jest także pokazany gdy pracuje z Eiri Masami w Tachibana Labs. Delikatnie popycha Lain w stronę The Wired i kontroluje jej rozwój dopóki nie staje się pewna swojego stanu. Zostawia ją z zimnym pożegnaniem, mówiąc "Nie podobało mi się udawanie rodziny". Wydaje się gorliwie zachęcać ją do zajęcia się The Wired, ale ostrzega przed zbytnim zaangażowaniem.
  – koleżanka z klasy Lain i jej jedyna prawdziwa przyjaciółka, Alice jest oddanym powiernikiem i ma prostą, szczerą osobowość. Jest sekretnie zakochana w jednym z nauczycieli.
  – starsza siostra Lain, 16-letnia uczennica, która czepia się zachowania swojej siostry. W pewnym momencie jej świadomość jest zaatakowana przez niebezpieczne halucynacje. Gdy Lain zaczyna zagłębiać się w The Wired, Mika jest w to wciągnięta przez swą bliskość Lain i zostaje uwięziona pomiędzy światem fizycznym i The Wired.
  – młody chłopiec w wieku Lain, który czasami pracuje dla The Knights i przynosi im "the one truth". Kocha gry video i przesiaduje całymi dniami w klubie Cyberia wraz ze swoimi przyjaciółmi, Myu-Myu i Masayuki.
 "Office Worker" – główny szef w Tachibana Labs który ma swoją własną agendę prowadzoną przez Men in Black. Czeka na przyjście prawdziwego Boga poprzez The Wired i stoi za zamachem The Knights. Zna wiele ukrytych informacji o Lain, ale woli zadawać pytania niż na nie odpowiadać.
 The Men in Black – Karl Haushofer i Lin Sui-Xi pracują dla "Office Worker" śledząc i mordując wszystkich The Knights. Nie są poinformowani o prawdziwym planie, ale wiedzą o udziale Eiri Masami. Mówią, że nie potrzebują Boga z the Wired.

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