tagged w/ An Inconvienent Truth
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MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Thousands of Afghans protested against President Hamid Karzai and the United States on Sunday over reports of fresh civilian deaths caused by U.S.-led troops during a raid against Taliban militants.
The issue of civilian casualties is sensitive in Afghanistan and has eroded public support for Karzai's government and the foreign troops backing it.
It has also caused a rift between Karzai and his Western allies more than seven years after U.S.-led and Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban's government.
The operation causing the latest controversy happened this week in eastern Laghman province. The U.S. military said on Saturday that troops, backed by air support, had killed 15 militants in an overnight operation.
Assadullah Wafa, a Karzai adviser investigating the deaths, said on Sunday that "16 civilians, many of them children and women, were killed" in the operation.
"We strongly condemn it and want an end to it (civilian casualties)," he told reporters in Mehtar Lam, Laghman's provincial capital, where the protest was held.
A statement from the presidential palace quoted Karzai as saying that bombing villages and causing civilian deaths "will not bear any progress in the war against terrorism."
Karzai said failure to coordinate attacks with his government would weaken its sovereignty and bolster the militants, it added.
A spokesman for the U.S. military said it planned to jointly investigate the incident with the Afghan government this week.MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Thousands of Afghans protested against... more
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NEW YORK – In 1973, a young terrorist named Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary entered the United States and quickly began plotting an audacious attack in New York City.
He built three powerful bombs — bombs powerful enough to kill, maim and destroy — and put them in rental cars scattered around town, near Israeli targets.
The plot failed. The explosive devices did not detonate, and Al-Jawary fled the country, escaping prosecution for nearly two decades — until he was convicted of terrorism charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to 30 years in federal penitentiary.
But his time is up.
In less than a month, the 63-year-old Al-Jawary is expected to be released. He will likely be deported; where to is anybody's guess. The shadowy figure had so many aliases it's almost impossible to know which country is his true homeland.
Al-Jawary has never admitted his dark past or offered up tidbits in exchange for his release. Much of Al-Jawary's life remains a mystery — even to the dogged FBI case agent who tracked him down.
But an Associated Press investigation — based on recently declassified documents, extensive court records, CIA investigative notes and interviews with former intelligence officials — reveals publicly for the first time Al-Jawary's deep involvement in terrorism beyond the plot that led to his conviction.
Government documents link Al-Jawary to Black September's murderous letter-bombing campaign targeting world leaders in the 1970s and a botched terrorist attack in 1979. Former intelligence officials suspect he had a role in the bombing of a TWA flight in 1974 that killed 88 people.
"He's a very dangerous man," said Mike Finnegan, the former FBI counterterrorism agent who captured Al-Jawary. "A very bad guy."NEW YORK – In 1973, a young terrorist named Khalid Duhham Al-Jawary entered the... more
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Bearded Hamas activists on Friday delivered an envelope with five crisp $100 bills to a veiled woman whose house was damaged during Israel's invasion of Gaza, the first of promised relief payments by the militant group.
In another part of the territory, a bulldozer cleared rubble and filled in a bomb crater where a week before a top Hamas leader had been killed in an Israeli air strike.
Since a truce took hold this week, ending Israel's three-week onslaught, Gaza's Hamas rulers have declared victory and gone out of their way to show they are in control.
They have pledged $52 million of the group's funds to help repair lives, the money divvied up by category. The veiled woman received emergency relief money for her two-story home in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.
Hamas, which is believed to be funded by donations from the Muslim world and Iran, said the emergency relief would include $1,300 for a death in the family, $650 for an injury, $5,200 for a destroyed house and $2,600 for a damaged house.
More than 4,000 houses were destroyed and about 20,000 damaged, according to independent estimates.
"We are in control and we are the winner," Hamas legislator Mushir al-Masri declared this week, after attending the funeral of four Hamas gunmen.
But Israeli strikes destroyed all of Hamas' security compounds and most government buildings. Its top two leaders, strongman Mahmoud Zahar and Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, have not yet appeared in public.
Israel claims to have killed more than 700 Hamas fighters, while the militants say they lost about 280 armed men, the vast majority members of the police force killed in surprise bombings on the first day of the war.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Bearded Hamas activists on Friday delivered an envelope... more
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WASHINGTON – A Saudi militant who was released from Guantanamo Bay after six years of confinement is now a top figure in the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida, a U.S. counterterrorism official confirmed Friday.
Said Ali al-Shihri was released in 2007 to the Saudi government for rehabilitation. He re-emerged this week, identified by a militant-leaning Web site as a top deputy in "al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula," a Yemeni offshoot of the terror group headed by Osama bin Laden.
The Yemeni branch has been implicated in several attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen's capital Sana.
Al-Shihri is one of a small number of deputies in the group, the U.S. counter-terror official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive intelligence.
The militant Web site, which referred to al-Shihri under his terror nom de guerre, "Abu Sayyaf al-Shihri," also revealed his Guantanamo prisoner number, 372.
The announcement from the militant site came the same day that President Barack Obama signed an executive order directing the closure of the jail at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year.
A key question facing Obama's new administration is what to do with the 245 prisoners still confined at Guantanamo. That means finding new detention facilities for hard-core prisoners while trying to determine which detainees are harmless enough to release.WASHINGTON – A Saudi militant who was released from Guantanamo Bay after six... more
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KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed the new U.S. administration's decision to close Guantanamo prison, saying Friday it would help build international support for the fight against terrorism.
Many Afghans detained since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government after the September 11 attacks are still held in Guantanamo, hurting the standing of the United States in Afghanistan where some 30,000 U.S. troops are fighting a virulent Taliban insurgency.
"This good decision of the United States government will help find support among the international community for the fight against terrorism and include all nations in this fight," Karzai said in a statement.
"Closing this will have a good impact, a significant impact on the minds of Afghans here in Afghanistan," said Karzai's spokesman Humayun Hamidzada. "We see it as extremely important and timely and we appreciate the decision taken by the new administration."
The prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba -- where prisoners have been detained for years without charge, some subjected to interrogation that human rights groups say amounted to torture -- had damaged America's moral standing in the world.
President Barack Obama has ordered a full review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, where he is expected to approve plans to as much as double troop levels.KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed the new U.S.... more
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PORTLAND, Ore. – A confession by Portland's first openly gay mayor that he lied about having sex with a teenager is dividing this famously progressive city, as well as its gay community.
Just three weeks after Sam Adams was sworn in, many gays are questioning whether he is the man they want as their trailblazer.
"Sam has been our guy forever, which makes this even harder," said Marty Davis, publisher of the newspaper Just Out, which has called for his resignation. "It's completely dividing and tearing our community right down the middle."
Portland's progressive reputation is based on its dedication to eco-friendly buildings, its large network of bike paths, an expanding mass transit system and the city's welcoming attitude toward gays and lesbians, which was reflected in Adams' easy victory in last year's election.
Adams took office on Jan. 1, making Portland the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor. But the community's image is taking a beating over the sex scandal.
It started earlier this week when the 45-year-old Adams admitted to an alternative newspaper, Willamette Week, that he lied during his election campaign when he denied having sex in 2005 with a teenage male who was a legislative intern.
The newspaper said it had evidence showing otherwise, although it never reported details. After being confronted about the relationship, Adams insisted he did not have sex with the young man until after he turned 18.
At a Tuesday news conference, Adams apologized for lying — and for asking the young man to lie — and left open the possibility that he could resign if doing so would be in the city's best interests.
Since then, pressure has mounted on the Democrat to do just that.
Four newspapers have called for Adams to step down, including Just Out and the city's major daily, The Oregonian. Willamette Week said Thursday that it has not taken a stand.
Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard, who defended Adams when the rumor first surfaced last year, said Thursday that a "large volume" of e-mail to his office was in favor of Adams' resignation.PORTLAND, Ore. – A confession by Portland's first openly gay mayor that he... more
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US President Barack Obama has issued executive orders on government ethics and transparency as part of a packed first full day in office.
The measures include curbs on lobbying and a pay freeze for senior White House staff. Federal employees will have to sign up to new ethics procedures.
The new president said he was beginning "a new era of openness" in government.
Later Mr Obama and his advisers are to discuss the economic crisis - as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Earlier judges suspended several of the military trials of terror suspects at Guantanamo, following Mr Obama's call for all cases to be suspended, made hours after his inauguration.
Mr Obama arrived at the Oval Office at 0835 on Wednesday, the White House said.
Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington
Barack Obama
Obama diary: The first 100 days
Born on Obama's inauguration day
In pictures: Obama's first full day
The new president read the note left to him by his predecessor George W Bush in an envelope marked "To: #44, From: #43".
Mr Obama telephoned four Middle Eastern leaders - President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"He used this opportunity on his first day in office to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace," the White House said.
The president later attended a prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral - a tradition dating to the time of George Washington.US President Barack Obama has issued executive orders on government ethics and... more
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GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE, Cuba, (AFP) – Parents of five 9/11 victims called for the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay to remain open and for the military commissions to try the five men accused of perpetrating the attacks.
"We demand that this camp stay open and that the process continue," said Joe Holland, whose son was killed during the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon in Washington.
"Right here, right now, this is a good process, they are getting a fair trial," Holland told reporters, referring to the military commissions established by the administration of President George W. Bush to try "war on terror" detainees held at the controversial facility.
"Guantanamo has been described as a national embarrassment. Mass murder in America is embarrassing," said Donald Arias, his voice trembling with rage.
"Mister Obama, it will be your job to take care of us."
President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office on Tuesday, will likely make good on his campaign promise and shutter Guantanamo as well as Bush's military commissions by issuing an executive order shortly after taking power.
Chosen by the Pentagon to witness the hearings, the five representatives of the 9/11 victims spoke after a day of pretrial hearings, where self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed appeared alongside four alleged co-conspirators.
"I believe the preponderance of 9/11 victims defend the death penalty," Arias said at the press conference. "This is not an issue for federal courts."
It could take several months to fully close down the detention camp, as US officials will have to transfer some of the 248 prisoners to other countries and then decide whether to try the remaining suspects in US courts.GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE, Cuba, (AFP) – Parents of five 9/11 victims called... more
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A combination photograph shows U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (L) at a ceremony for his whistle stop train trip at the train station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania January 17, 2009 and Indonesian photographer Ilham Anas (R) chatting with his colleagues in his office in Jakarta January 17, 2009. Anas won't be at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday. Instead he'll be starring as an Obama look-alike on Indonesian TV. Anas, 34, who from some angles bears a resemblance to the new U.S. president, shot to fame in Jakarta after Obama, 47, won the election in November, and is now earning income as an Obama double.
REUTERS/Jim Young/Supri/Files (INDONESIA)A combination photograph shows U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (L) at a ceremony for... more
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Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have been ordered to close in a Taleban edict banning girls' education. Militants seeking to impose their austere interpretation of Sharia law have destroyed about 150 schools in the past year. Five more were blown up despite a government pledge to safeguard education, it was reported on Monday. Here a seventh grade schoolgirl from Swat chronicles how the ban has affected her and her classmates. The diary first appeared on BBC Urdu online.
THURSDAY JANUARY 15: NIGHT FILLED WITH ARTILLERY FIRE
The night was filled with the noise of artillery fire and I woke up three times. But since there was no school I got up later at 10 am. Afterwards, my friend came over and we discussed our homework.
School in Swat allegedly destroyed by the Taleban
The Taleban have repeatedly targeted schools in Swat
Today is 15 January, the last day before the Taleban's edict comes into effect, and my friend was discussing homework as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Today, I also read the diary written for the BBC (in Urdu) and published in the newspaper. My mother liked my pen name 'Gul Makai' and said to my father 'why not change her name to Gul Makai?' I also like the name because my real name means 'grief stricken'.
My father said that some days ago someone brought the printout of this diary saying how wonderful it was. My father said that he smiled but could not even say that it was written by his daughter.
WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY: I MAY NOT GO TO SCHOOL AGAIN
I was in a bad mood while going to school because winter vacations are starting from tomorrow. The principal announced the vacations but did not mention the date the school was to reopen. This was the first time this has happened.
Map showing Swat valley
In the past the reopening date was always announced clearly. The principal did not inform us about the reason behind not announcing the school reopening, but my guess was that the Taleban had announced a ban on girls' education from 15 January.
This time round, the girls were not too excited about vacations because they knew if the Taleban implemented their edict they would not be able to come to school again. Some girls were optimistic that the schools would reopen in February but others said that their parents had decided to shift from Swat and go to other cities for the sake of their education.Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have been... more
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Across a conference table in an Iranian vice president's office, tea and sweet pastries are offered before cultural diplomacy.
An ancient clay cylinder, regarded by scholars as the world's first declaration of human rights, helps to seal a deal that could open a new diplomatic channel between Britain and Iran.
On the table is a symbol rarely seen in Tehran, unless it's being burned by protesters outside the British embassy. A mini Union Jack stands alongside an Iranian flag.
I'd been warned that, as a BBC journalist, I might not be welcomed into this Iranian government building in traffic-jammed downtown Tehran.
The launch of the BBC's Persia TV service has prompted a furious denouncement of British 'spies' in the country.
But as I've arrived in esteemed company, I'm waved through and - most surprisingly - offered a seat at the conference table.
The deal is signed for the cultural exchange between Iran and the UK
On the table is a symbol rarely seen in Tehran, unless it's being burned by protesters outside the British embassy
To my left Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, whispers: "Well, that's a result."
Facing us on the Iranian side is a team led by a deputy vice-president.
Mr MacGregor's primary role is to secure the loan of artefacts, ornaments and Persian silk carpets for the British Museum's forthcoming exhibition Shah Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.
The third in a quartet of planned shows about great emperors, the exhibition will reveal how the roots of modern Iran can be traced back more than 400 years, to the reign of the greatest leader of the Safavid dynasty.
Jet set curator
Neil MacGregor has forged a role as Britain's cultural ambassador to the world.
He travelled to Beijing in 2005 with Tony Blair to sweet talk the Chinese into agreeing to the biggest ever overseas loan of Terracotta Warriors and other treasures from the court of Qin Shihuandi, the First Emperor.Across a conference table in an Iranian vice president's office, tea and sweet... more
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DOHA (AFP) – Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arab network known for hard news coverage of Middle East conflicts, said Sunday it has launched a channel for pre-school children.
The channel Baraem, which means buds in Arabic, started broadcasting on Friday, said Al-Jazeera's Mahmud Bouneb.
It offers its target audience -- aged between three and six -- educational and cultural programmes, unlike Al-Jazeera Children launched three and a half years ago for children up to 13 years old.
"Baraem, unique among some 550 channels in the Arab world, addresses pre-school-aged children, their parents and their teachers, with the ambition of contributing to the formation of the identity of the Arab child," Bouneb told AFP.
Baraem produces 15 percent of its broadcast material, while the remaining 85 percent is aquired, said Bouneb, who heads Al-Jazeera Children.
"The aim is to gradually increase our production to affirm the Arab identity of the channel, as with Al-Jazeera Children, which at its launch produced only 30 percent of the programmes, but now produces 60 percent," Bouneb said.
"Our channel produces, or co-produces in Malaysia, Britain, France, Canada and Arab countries, including Qatar," he said, adding Baraem's launch would free up space on Al-Jazeera Children for children aged seven to 15.
Baraem is owned by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a public body created and headed by the wife of Qatar's Emir, Sheikha Mozah Bent Nasser al-Masnad.DOHA (AFP) – Al-Jazeera, the pan-Arab network known for hard news coverage of... more
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"First it was the film and the book. Now the next stop for Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" is opera.
La Scala officials say the Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli has been commissioned to produce an opera on the international multiformat hit for the 2011 season at the Milan opera house. The composer is currently artistic director of the Arena in Verona.
La Scala also announced Thursday that Daniele Gatti will conduct next season's gala premiere of Verdi's "Don Carlo" on Dec. 7."
WHAT!?"First it was the film and the book. Now the next stop for Al Gore's... more
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