Earth Tiger: Wood Season: 3e

18 Mar ~~ 22 Mar

Deep violence and primitive expressions of raw power. A strong sense of helplessness among the majority. One madman can cause an awful lot of damage! Political intimidation on these days will have the nature of terrorism.

Weather: a brief return to the worst of Winter -- ice, snow and bitter cold in the north.

The Fulfilment:

Italy: Government is alarmed by swarms of Albanian refugees crossing the Adriatic and declares a state of emergency.

Papua New Guinea: South African mercenaries are packing up to go home after the government cancelled their contract in the face of a mutiny.

Afghanistan: Jalalabad: Taliban munitions dump explodes, killing 40 people and maiming at least 200 others. Blast flattens the whole district of the city, killing women and children. No one knows if it was accident or sabotage. "Deep violence and primitive expressions of raw power. A strong sense of helplessness among the majority." Was it caused by "a madman" as well? Not sure ...

Burma: Mandalay: City is at peace again after two more days of sporadic rioting and looting.

Europa: Helsinki: Yeltsin and Clinton arrive for their summit meetings. Yeltsin looks healthy and energetic, while Clinton must be lowered from the plane in his wheelchair (knee surgery).

Albania: New coalition PM is thus far unable to bridge the gap with the southern rebels.

Canada: Nova Scotia: Premier John Savage resigns today, suddenly. He seems to have been forced out by his cabinet and party, fearful of the next election.

Israel: Bethlehem: Peaceful march by Arab students turns ugly when they attack the Palestinian police, but the police leave and the Israeli soldiers intervene more aggressively.

Taiwan: Health officials discover an epidemic of hoof and mouth disease in majority of their pig herds. Most animals will have to be destroyed next week and the stocks rebuilt. Read the story below about Mad Cow Disease in the Netherlands....

Europa: Helsinki: Yeltsin and Clinton agree to disagree on NATO and instead spend their time talking about peripheral issues. Russia will be given full membership in the G-7, making it the Group of Eight. NATO will not move nukes into Eastern Europe. And Russia and the USA will begin work on START III Treaty to cut nukes to 2000 warheads per side by the year 2007. Now read what I wrote about this when the Summit dates were announced in early February.

Israel: Tel Aviv: Suicide bomber hits street cafe, killing himself and four others, with forty more badly maimed by flying nails and other shrapnel. Israeli government accuses Arafat of condoning the attack by freeing Hamas prisoners from his jails this week. "Deep violence and primitive expressions of raw power. A strong sense of helplessness among the majority. One madman can cause an awful lot of damage! Political intimidation on these days will have the nature of terrorism." It all fits. One madman caused all this damage -- the first suicide bombing in Israel in almost a year -- but who was the madman here? The bomber himself or perhaps Arafat??

Israel: Hebron: Enraged mob attacks Israeli soldiers with firebombs and they respond by firing live ammo into the crowd. "Deep violence and primitive expressions of raw power."

Zaire: Sick president Mobutu arrives home in Kinshasa from his villa in France in order to preside over the collapse of his government. He has prostate cancer.

Sri Lanka: Municipal elections today. It has been a very violent campaign with a violent ending. Some polls bombed despite the security. "Political intimidation on these days will have the nature of terrorism."

Albania: Rebel leadership agrees to support the new coalition government, but adamant that president Berisha must resign.

Netherlands: Cow diagnosed with "Mad Cow Disease". This is the first case here. This cow and all its descendants will be destroyed immediately over the weekend. "A strong sense of helplessness among the majority. One madman can cause an awful lot of damage!" -- Not a madman this time, but a mad cow ... Heh heh. :-)

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