WASHINGTON, June 11 — The director general of the United Nations nuclear inspection agency warned Tehran and Washington for the first time on Monday that their yearlong stalemate over Iran’s nuclear activities was turning into a “brewing confrontation” that he said “urgently needs to be defused.”
In his statement to the member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, stopped just short of saying that the confrontation could become a military conflict, though his aides said that was clearly the implication. In private meetings with European and American officials, Dr. ElBaradei also warned that unless diplomatic means were found to stop Iran’s installation of new centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, the country could have 8,000 of the machines in place by the end of the year.
If all those machines were working — which would be a tremendous challenge for Iran, given the highly sensitive nature of the equipment and the technical obstacles that have plagued Iranian engineers for years — they could produce enough uranium for roughly three nuclear weapons a year, nuclear experts say. But that is a worst-case scenario that assumes Iran could operate the equipment as well as Pakistan did in the late 1980s. One of the founders of Pakistan’s nuclear program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, supplied Iran with the prototypes that enabled Iran to build its own equipment.
American experts warn that it is far from clear that Iran could get a large number of centrifuges to spin simultaneously for long periods, which is what it would take to produce bomb-grade uranium. So far, inspectors have said that all the uranium they have tested from the country’s centrifuges has been enriched to reactor grade, which is not sufficient to make a weapon.
Still, Dr. ElBaradei’s comments appeared likely to add to his tensions with the Bush administration, which tried to block his nomination for a second term at the agency just months before he won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
Last month, the United States and several of its European allies issued a formal protest to Dr. ElBaradei after he told The New York Times that the American strategy of negotiating with the Iranians only after they suspended uranium manufacturing had failed, and that the Iranians now “pretty much have the knowledge about how to enrich.”
American officials disputed that analysis, perhaps with an eye to buying time in negotiations. On Monday, Dr. ElBaradei modified his statement slightly, saying that “Iran continues steadily to perfect its knowledge relevant to enrichment,” and to expand its manufacturing capability.
David Albright, the president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a private group in Washington that tracks nuclear arms, said he was concerned that Dr. ElBaradei might be overstating Iran’s progress in an effort to propel the United States into unconditional negotiations with Tehran.
“The Iranians would have to demonstrate that they can really make these centrifuges work,” he said. “So far they have been cautious — they have run them very slowly because they don’t want to see hundreds and hundreds of them crash.” He said that he thought the estimate that Iran could have 8,000 centrifuges by the end of the year was “aggressive,” and that “they would have a lot of work to do to get them all up and running.”
A year ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that she would join negotiations with the Europeans and Iran if Tehran first agreed to suspend all enrichment activities for the duration of the negotiations. To the administration’s surprise, the Iranians never agreed to the deal, which the United States says is still on the table.
Dr. ElBaradei’s warning about a “brewing confrontation” appeared to be another dip into political strategy for a man who American officials insist should simply be reporting on Iran’s progress. He has been clear that he views his job more broadly, and that it is his responsibility to caution hard-liners in both the Bush administration and the Iranian government that they have to find a path to compromise. Last month he talked about “new crazies” who were pushing for military action against Iran; he did not name names or countries, but his implication was clear.
On Monday, he focused most of his criticism on the Iranians, who he said continue “to put additional restrictions and limitations on the agency’s verification activities.” A meeting between top I.A.E.A. inspectors and a senior Iranian official, scheduled for Monday in Vienna, was canceled at the last minute when it became clear that the official had come with no new answers to questions that the I.A.E.A. has posed to the country, including about design documents that have led to charges that Iran may be considering ways to build nuclear weapons.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sarkozy's party likely to dominate parliament
After a poor result in a first round of parliamentary elections, France's Socialists sought to limit the damage yesterday, chasing alliances in the face of a likely crushing victory by President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservatives in the final round.
For the first time in nearly three decades, French voters look set to return to power the current legislative majority, a resounding endorsement of Sarkozy's push to reform Europe's third-largest economy.
In Sunday's first round, his UMP party won 39.6 percent of the vote, while the opposition Socialists had 24.7 percent. The results give the conservatives a strong advantage heading into the decisive runoff next Sunday, putting them on track to expand their absolute majority in the 577-seat parliament.
Socialist Segolene Royal, who lost the presidency to Sarkozy last month, said yesterday she would seek an alliance with centrist Francois Bayrou for the second round in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a "crushing" UMP majority.
Control of the National Assembly is central to Sarkozy's agenda for pulling France out of its doldrums and making it more globally competitive by stripping some labor protections and cutting taxes.
Bayrou, who came in a strong third place in the presidential race, was not able to repeat his success in Sunday's legislative race. Squeezed relentlessly by Sarkozy's camp, his fledgling MoDem party won 7.6 percent. Still, it is well-placed to influence the outcome of the runoff in several key districts.
"It is necessary in a democracy to have ... a counterbalance of powers," Royal told RTL radio yesterday. She warned against the "arrogance" of the ruling party.
The conservatives, too, reached out to Bayrou's party to join forces for the second round. UMP member Patrick Devedjian said the centrists were "welcome in the presidential majority."
Bayrou and his party held meetings yesterday to discuss their strategy. On Sunday night he warned of a "terribly" one-sided parliament. "One day, France will regret this lack of balance. It is not healthy," he said.
Communist leader Marie-George Buffet, whose party's support is shrinking rapidly, urged the left to stay together instead of allying with centrists.
Support for the fringes withered in Sunday's election, sidelining Jean-Marie Le Pen's once-influential extreme right National Front and the Socialists' allies farther to the left.
Turnout sank to a record low of 60.4 percent, which pollsters blamed on lack of suspense: The UMP has been widely expected to win since Sarkozy's strong victory over Royal in the presidential election last month.
Sarkozy's backers say a convincing mandate is the only way to get the French - eager to strike and wary of globalization - to reform. Prime Minister Francois Fillon laid out his agenda Sunday night for the coming months: reform of universities, making transport strikes less crippling, new anti-crime measures, freeing up the labor market and a plan to cut the large national debt.
For the first time in nearly three decades, French voters look set to return to power the current legislative majority, a resounding endorsement of Sarkozy's push to reform Europe's third-largest economy.
In Sunday's first round, his UMP party won 39.6 percent of the vote, while the opposition Socialists had 24.7 percent. The results give the conservatives a strong advantage heading into the decisive runoff next Sunday, putting them on track to expand their absolute majority in the 577-seat parliament.
Socialist Segolene Royal, who lost the presidency to Sarkozy last month, said yesterday she would seek an alliance with centrist Francois Bayrou for the second round in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a "crushing" UMP majority.
Control of the National Assembly is central to Sarkozy's agenda for pulling France out of its doldrums and making it more globally competitive by stripping some labor protections and cutting taxes.
Bayrou, who came in a strong third place in the presidential race, was not able to repeat his success in Sunday's legislative race. Squeezed relentlessly by Sarkozy's camp, his fledgling MoDem party won 7.6 percent. Still, it is well-placed to influence the outcome of the runoff in several key districts.
"It is necessary in a democracy to have ... a counterbalance of powers," Royal told RTL radio yesterday. She warned against the "arrogance" of the ruling party.
The conservatives, too, reached out to Bayrou's party to join forces for the second round. UMP member Patrick Devedjian said the centrists were "welcome in the presidential majority."
Bayrou and his party held meetings yesterday to discuss their strategy. On Sunday night he warned of a "terribly" one-sided parliament. "One day, France will regret this lack of balance. It is not healthy," he said.
Communist leader Marie-George Buffet, whose party's support is shrinking rapidly, urged the left to stay together instead of allying with centrists.
Support for the fringes withered in Sunday's election, sidelining Jean-Marie Le Pen's once-influential extreme right National Front and the Socialists' allies farther to the left.
Turnout sank to a record low of 60.4 percent, which pollsters blamed on lack of suspense: The UMP has been widely expected to win since Sarkozy's strong victory over Royal in the presidential election last month.
Sarkozy's backers say a convincing mandate is the only way to get the French - eager to strike and wary of globalization - to reform. Prime Minister Francois Fillon laid out his agenda Sunday night for the coming months: reform of universities, making transport strikes less crippling, new anti-crime measures, freeing up the labor market and a plan to cut the large national debt.
Palestinian students take exams amid fighting
Despite a cease-fire Monday between Fatah and Hamas intended to allow Palestinian students to take their nationally administered final exams, sporadic violence has continued.
The Palestinian online news agency Ma'an reports that Hamas and Fatah militants tried to create at least the outward appearance of compliance with the agreement.
In the morning hours, clashes stopped and the streets of Gaza City witnessed a tentative tranquillity. Despite this, gunmen continued to be deployed in the streets, although fewer than before, and roadblocks were partially removed, in order to enable the students to arrive at their schools for the first Tawjihi exam.
Still, like most cease-fires between the factions, this one has proved precarious. Shortly after it started, sporadic gunfire could be heard throughout Gaza, Reuters reports. In one incident, militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a police station and a fierce gun battle erupted. An official identified as being involved with the truce negotiations told Reuters that "the cease-fire is limping on crutches and is in danger of collapsing if violations on both sides do not stop."
The tests began on schedule in Gaza, but most pupils took circuitous routes to their schools in a bid to avoid the gunmen as the sounds of shooting punctuated the air, witnesses said.
Musbah Abu al-Kheir passed several armed checkpoints on his way to school from a refugee camp outside Gaza City.
"Fatah and Hamas have no appreciation for the fact we are having final exams today," he said.
"How are we supposed to take exams to the sounds of gunfire and ambulance sirens?"
According to the Associated Press, some 24,000 12th-grade students in Gaza must take the exam, called the Tawjihi, to graduate. For many students, the exam can provide a means of escaping the violence, as many who score well hope to leverage the results to enter foreign universities. The AP writes that students struggle to prepare for the exam as the security situation deteriorates.
Daliya Naji, a 16-year-old high school senior, said the fighting in Gaza had kept her awake all night.
"I am a good student, but I feel my brain is empty," she said. "I can't think any more and I don't know what to do."
She said she hoped she would pass her exams in order to be accepted to a university in Egypt. "At least it will be my ticket out of Gaza," she said.
Hours before the cease-fire began, militants attacked Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya's house at a refugee camp outside Gaza City, reports the BBC. No one was injured, but the incident marks the first time the Prime Minister, a Hamas member, has been directly targeted.
Al Jazeera reports that violence erupted Sunday when - according to officials - Hamas members threw a Fatah member, who was also a presidential bodyguard, off the roof of an high building. Fatah retaliated by killing a prominent Hamas cleric. The conflict over the weekend throughout Gaza left five dead and 53 wounded reports Al Jazeera, which classified the violence as the worst since mid-May.
Witnesses said masked fighters from both Islamist Hamas and secular Fatah streamed onto the streets, setting up roadblocks and barriers to stop cars and check identification papers and pulling rival supporters from vehicles and houses.
Main roads were paralysed by the fighting, and shops and businesses closed early.
The internal violence also coincides with ongoing fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces. The New York Times reports that militants from the Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades — a militia loosely associated with Fatah — attacked Israeli soldiers at the Kissufim border crossing. The ensuing battle lasted several hours, leaving at least one Palestinian militant dead.
The Israelis responded by conducting air strikes against at least three buildings allegedly connected to the Islamic Jihad. However, reports vary greatly as to what purpose the buildings served.
An Israeli Army spokeswoman said the air force attacked one building used by the militant group Islamic Jihad and another building, which she described as a weapons-producing plant belonging to Fatah. Both groups had ties to the raid on Saturday, in which fighters for Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of the mainstream Fatah organization, crossed the border into Israel and fought with soldiers for hours, apparently in an attempt to capture one.
Palestinian medics said the Israeli strike on Sunday hit three locations and described them as a study center and a charitable association, both run by Islamic Jihad, and a privately owned metal workshop. Seven civilians were wounded, according to Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, director of emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In the meantime, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an end to internal violence in Gaza, saying it was "was as damaging, if not more so, than the 40-year Israeli occupation," reports Agence France-Presse.
"What's happening in Gaza is regrettable and very harming. Both parties are working seriously with the Egyptian brothers to put an end to it," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian online news agency Ma'an reports that Hamas and Fatah militants tried to create at least the outward appearance of compliance with the agreement.
In the morning hours, clashes stopped and the streets of Gaza City witnessed a tentative tranquillity. Despite this, gunmen continued to be deployed in the streets, although fewer than before, and roadblocks were partially removed, in order to enable the students to arrive at their schools for the first Tawjihi exam.
Still, like most cease-fires between the factions, this one has proved precarious. Shortly after it started, sporadic gunfire could be heard throughout Gaza, Reuters reports. In one incident, militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a police station and a fierce gun battle erupted. An official identified as being involved with the truce negotiations told Reuters that "the cease-fire is limping on crutches and is in danger of collapsing if violations on both sides do not stop."
The tests began on schedule in Gaza, but most pupils took circuitous routes to their schools in a bid to avoid the gunmen as the sounds of shooting punctuated the air, witnesses said.
Musbah Abu al-Kheir passed several armed checkpoints on his way to school from a refugee camp outside Gaza City.
"Fatah and Hamas have no appreciation for the fact we are having final exams today," he said.
"How are we supposed to take exams to the sounds of gunfire and ambulance sirens?"
According to the Associated Press, some 24,000 12th-grade students in Gaza must take the exam, called the Tawjihi, to graduate. For many students, the exam can provide a means of escaping the violence, as many who score well hope to leverage the results to enter foreign universities. The AP writes that students struggle to prepare for the exam as the security situation deteriorates.
Daliya Naji, a 16-year-old high school senior, said the fighting in Gaza had kept her awake all night.
"I am a good student, but I feel my brain is empty," she said. "I can't think any more and I don't know what to do."
She said she hoped she would pass her exams in order to be accepted to a university in Egypt. "At least it will be my ticket out of Gaza," she said.
Hours before the cease-fire began, militants attacked Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya's house at a refugee camp outside Gaza City, reports the BBC. No one was injured, but the incident marks the first time the Prime Minister, a Hamas member, has been directly targeted.
Al Jazeera reports that violence erupted Sunday when - according to officials - Hamas members threw a Fatah member, who was also a presidential bodyguard, off the roof of an high building. Fatah retaliated by killing a prominent Hamas cleric. The conflict over the weekend throughout Gaza left five dead and 53 wounded reports Al Jazeera, which classified the violence as the worst since mid-May.
Witnesses said masked fighters from both Islamist Hamas and secular Fatah streamed onto the streets, setting up roadblocks and barriers to stop cars and check identification papers and pulling rival supporters from vehicles and houses.
Main roads were paralysed by the fighting, and shops and businesses closed early.
The internal violence also coincides with ongoing fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces. The New York Times reports that militants from the Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades — a militia loosely associated with Fatah — attacked Israeli soldiers at the Kissufim border crossing. The ensuing battle lasted several hours, leaving at least one Palestinian militant dead.
The Israelis responded by conducting air strikes against at least three buildings allegedly connected to the Islamic Jihad. However, reports vary greatly as to what purpose the buildings served.
An Israeli Army spokeswoman said the air force attacked one building used by the militant group Islamic Jihad and another building, which she described as a weapons-producing plant belonging to Fatah. Both groups had ties to the raid on Saturday, in which fighters for Islamic Jihad and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of the mainstream Fatah organization, crossed the border into Israel and fought with soldiers for hours, apparently in an attempt to capture one.
Palestinian medics said the Israeli strike on Sunday hit three locations and described them as a study center and a charitable association, both run by Islamic Jihad, and a privately owned metal workshop. Seven civilians were wounded, according to Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, director of emergency services in the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In the meantime, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for an end to internal violence in Gaza, saying it was "was as damaging, if not more so, than the 40-year Israeli occupation," reports Agence France-Presse.
"What's happening in Gaza is regrettable and very harming. Both parties are working seriously with the Egyptian brothers to put an end to it," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Lebanese troops demolish apartment of Fatah al-Islam's leader
Lebanese troops demolished the apartment of Fatah al-Islam's leader Shaker Abssi in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon after his militants killed two Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) rescuers Monday.
Local Naharnet news website quoted reliable sources as saying that Lebanese troops stormed Abssi's apartment in the Noras compound, in the center of Nahr al-Bared camp, confiscated a large quantity of documents from it and demolished the whole building.
This, the sources explained, leaves Abssi's militants besieged in three remaining buildings of the Noras compound.
Earlier on Monday, two LRC rescuers were killed when their vehicle was hit by a shell from Fatah al-Islam militants.
The state-run National News Agency identified the two fatalities as Boulos Miimari and Haitham Suleiman.
Meanwhile, army gunners manning 155-mm howitzers and mortar batteries pounded hideouts held by the militants in the camp, 12 km north of the port city of Tripoli, provincial capital of North Lebanon.
Lebanese army shelling also covered the southern entrance to the camp, which indicates that Fatah al-Islam militants were trying to infiltrate out of the besieged shantytown to seek refuge in mountains overlooking Tripoli, the report added.
The Lebanese government says Fatah al-Islam is a terrorist network affiliated with Syrian intelligence and launches attacks aimed at destabilizing Lebanon. Syria denies the charge.
The Lebanese army have been fighting with the militants since May 20. The Lebanese authorities have demanded that Fatah al-Islam militants in the camp surrender. But the militant group has vowed to fight to the very end and threatened to widen their targets of attack to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Local Naharnet news website quoted reliable sources as saying that Lebanese troops stormed Abssi's apartment in the Noras compound, in the center of Nahr al-Bared camp, confiscated a large quantity of documents from it and demolished the whole building.
This, the sources explained, leaves Abssi's militants besieged in three remaining buildings of the Noras compound.
Earlier on Monday, two LRC rescuers were killed when their vehicle was hit by a shell from Fatah al-Islam militants.
The state-run National News Agency identified the two fatalities as Boulos Miimari and Haitham Suleiman.
Meanwhile, army gunners manning 155-mm howitzers and mortar batteries pounded hideouts held by the militants in the camp, 12 km north of the port city of Tripoli, provincial capital of North Lebanon.
Lebanese army shelling also covered the southern entrance to the camp, which indicates that Fatah al-Islam militants were trying to infiltrate out of the besieged shantytown to seek refuge in mountains overlooking Tripoli, the report added.
The Lebanese government says Fatah al-Islam is a terrorist network affiliated with Syrian intelligence and launches attacks aimed at destabilizing Lebanon. Syria denies the charge.
The Lebanese army have been fighting with the militants since May 20. The Lebanese authorities have demanded that Fatah al-Islam militants in the camp surrender. But the militant group has vowed to fight to the very end and threatened to widen their targets of attack to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Iraqi Parliament Votes to Oust Speaker Who Intimidated Members
BAGHDAD, June 11 — Parliament approved a resolution on Monday that would force the resignation of the speaker, Mahmoud Mashhadani. The vote underscored the widespread discontent with Mr. Mashhadani, a Sunni Arab politician who has done little to build consensus among Iraq’s political blocs.
Of the 168 Parliament members present at the session, 113 voted in favor of the resolution, which included a pledge from the Sunni Arab coalition — which had backed Mr. Mashhadani in previous scrapes — that the speaker would submit his resignation once a replacement was found. In the meantime, Mr. Mashhadani will be on leave, though he will remain a member of Parliament.
Those who voted to remove him included a broad spectrum of Sunni Arabs, Shiites and Kurds. He was not in the chamber during the vote.
“What happened today made obvious the dynamic of democracy in Iraq,” said Hassan Sinead, a member of Parliament from the Shiite Dawa Party.
“The Parliament today had a peaceful, impartial, a democratic operation” to remove the speaker, he said.
The military reported that three American soldiers died Sunday when insurgents detonated a bomb under a highway overpass near Mahmudiya, the volatile area just south of Baghdad also known as the triangle of death.
Although the situation was relatively quiet in Baghdad on Monday, in nearby Diyala Province insurgents destroyed a bridge that linked the provincial capital, Baquba, to the main highway to Baghdad, according to a member of the security forces in Diyala, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.
The bridge linked towns on the eastern side of the bridge, which are Shiite, with those on the western side of to the bridge, which are Sunni Arab. The explosion occurred on the western side of the bridge.
This was at least the fourth successful attack on a bridge in the last two months. Bridges are crucial in central Iraq, where the broad Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries wind through the countryside. Each attack has hampered commerce and made daily life more difficult for Iraqis.
The first was on April 12, when insurgents blew up one of Baghdad’s bridges over the Tigris on the same day a suicide bomber detonated inside Parliament. Another bridge in Diyala and a bridge to in Mahmudiya have also been attacked.
Iraqi security forces have managed to foil several other attempts, said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the American military forces in Baghdad.
“Militarily, for the coalition, knocking down the bridge may or may not have significance, because we have other resources, we have 20,000 troops on each side of the river,” Colonel Garver said. “But it’s inconvenient for the people who live there, and it’s a visible reminder that the insurgents were successful on that day.”
In Baghdad, Iraqi police officers retrieved 17 bodies, most of them shot in the head, according to the Interior Ministry. Ten of those were found in southwest Baghdad, where there has been a sharp increase in the activities of the Mahdi Army, the militia linked to the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.
At least eight Iraqis were killed in violence in Mosul, including the chief of the Iraq Central Bank in Nineveh Province. Eight bodies were found in Diyala as well, and insurgents there tried to kill the vice governor. In Najaf, security forces intercepted a large truck containing a BMW rigged as a car bomb and a container loaded with explosives. It had crossed the border from Syria and was being driven by a man carrying Syrian documents, said Ahmad Duaibel, chief spokesman for the Najaf governor’s office.
In Samarra, a roadside bomb near a police station killed two policemen and wounded three, the police said, according to Reuters.
The agreement on Mr. Mashhadani’s resignation from Parliament came after repeated episodes in which he or one of his bodyguards physically intimidated members of Parliament, in at least two cases striking them. “The confrontations and conflicts and tension between Mashhadani and the other members in the Parliament happened over and over,” Mr. Sinead, the Dawa Party representative, said. He added that the most recent incident, in which one of Mr. Mashhadani’s guards struck a member of Parliament, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
The move opens the way for the Sunni Arab political bloc, known as Tawafiq, to nominate a new person for the post. Since the entire Parliament must vote on the speaker, there is a tacit understanding that while the Tawafiq coalition would nominate a Sunni Arab, it would first obtain approval from the Shiite and Kurdish blocs.
Under the political bargain struck among Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups, the Sunni Arabs hold three leadership positions: one vice presidential slot, one deputy prime minister slot and the speakership.
The speaker can wield considerable power, delaying or speeding legislation and pressing the Parliament to act. The Parliament is under heavy pressure from the American government to move swiftly on an overhaul of the Constitution and on crucial legislation like that determining the distribution of the country’s oil revenues.
Two of the people said to be under consideration for the job are Usama al-Tikriti and Ayaed al-Sammaraie, both members of the Iraqi Islamic Party, who are respected and viewed as moderates.
Until a replacement for Mr. Mashhadani is approved, the deputy speaker, Sheik Khalid al-Attiya, a Shiite from the United Iraqi Alliance, will be the acting speaker.
Abdul Razzaq al-Saiedi and Khalid al-Ansary contributed reporting from Baghdad, and employees of The New York Times from Mosul, Diyala, Hilla and Salahuddin.
Of the 168 Parliament members present at the session, 113 voted in favor of the resolution, which included a pledge from the Sunni Arab coalition — which had backed Mr. Mashhadani in previous scrapes — that the speaker would submit his resignation once a replacement was found. In the meantime, Mr. Mashhadani will be on leave, though he will remain a member of Parliament.
Those who voted to remove him included a broad spectrum of Sunni Arabs, Shiites and Kurds. He was not in the chamber during the vote.
“What happened today made obvious the dynamic of democracy in Iraq,” said Hassan Sinead, a member of Parliament from the Shiite Dawa Party.
“The Parliament today had a peaceful, impartial, a democratic operation” to remove the speaker, he said.
The military reported that three American soldiers died Sunday when insurgents detonated a bomb under a highway overpass near Mahmudiya, the volatile area just south of Baghdad also known as the triangle of death.
Although the situation was relatively quiet in Baghdad on Monday, in nearby Diyala Province insurgents destroyed a bridge that linked the provincial capital, Baquba, to the main highway to Baghdad, according to a member of the security forces in Diyala, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.
The bridge linked towns on the eastern side of the bridge, which are Shiite, with those on the western side of to the bridge, which are Sunni Arab. The explosion occurred on the western side of the bridge.
This was at least the fourth successful attack on a bridge in the last two months. Bridges are crucial in central Iraq, where the broad Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries wind through the countryside. Each attack has hampered commerce and made daily life more difficult for Iraqis.
The first was on April 12, when insurgents blew up one of Baghdad’s bridges over the Tigris on the same day a suicide bomber detonated inside Parliament. Another bridge in Diyala and a bridge to in Mahmudiya have also been attacked.
Iraqi security forces have managed to foil several other attempts, said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the American military forces in Baghdad.
“Militarily, for the coalition, knocking down the bridge may or may not have significance, because we have other resources, we have 20,000 troops on each side of the river,” Colonel Garver said. “But it’s inconvenient for the people who live there, and it’s a visible reminder that the insurgents were successful on that day.”
In Baghdad, Iraqi police officers retrieved 17 bodies, most of them shot in the head, according to the Interior Ministry. Ten of those were found in southwest Baghdad, where there has been a sharp increase in the activities of the Mahdi Army, the militia linked to the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr.
At least eight Iraqis were killed in violence in Mosul, including the chief of the Iraq Central Bank in Nineveh Province. Eight bodies were found in Diyala as well, and insurgents there tried to kill the vice governor. In Najaf, security forces intercepted a large truck containing a BMW rigged as a car bomb and a container loaded with explosives. It had crossed the border from Syria and was being driven by a man carrying Syrian documents, said Ahmad Duaibel, chief spokesman for the Najaf governor’s office.
In Samarra, a roadside bomb near a police station killed two policemen and wounded three, the police said, according to Reuters.
The agreement on Mr. Mashhadani’s resignation from Parliament came after repeated episodes in which he or one of his bodyguards physically intimidated members of Parliament, in at least two cases striking them. “The confrontations and conflicts and tension between Mashhadani and the other members in the Parliament happened over and over,” Mr. Sinead, the Dawa Party representative, said. He added that the most recent incident, in which one of Mr. Mashhadani’s guards struck a member of Parliament, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
The move opens the way for the Sunni Arab political bloc, known as Tawafiq, to nominate a new person for the post. Since the entire Parliament must vote on the speaker, there is a tacit understanding that while the Tawafiq coalition would nominate a Sunni Arab, it would first obtain approval from the Shiite and Kurdish blocs.
Under the political bargain struck among Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups, the Sunni Arabs hold three leadership positions: one vice presidential slot, one deputy prime minister slot and the speakership.
The speaker can wield considerable power, delaying or speeding legislation and pressing the Parliament to act. The Parliament is under heavy pressure from the American government to move swiftly on an overhaul of the Constitution and on crucial legislation like that determining the distribution of the country’s oil revenues.
Two of the people said to be under consideration for the job are Usama al-Tikriti and Ayaed al-Sammaraie, both members of the Iraqi Islamic Party, who are respected and viewed as moderates.
Until a replacement for Mr. Mashhadani is approved, the deputy speaker, Sheik Khalid al-Attiya, a Shiite from the United Iraqi Alliance, will be the acting speaker.
Abdul Razzaq al-Saiedi and Khalid al-Ansary contributed reporting from Baghdad, and employees of The New York Times from Mosul, Diyala, Hilla and Salahuddin.
Bush Ends European Tour With Promise to Help Bulgaria
SOFIA, Bulgaria, June 11 -- President Bush pledged to help U.S. ally Bulgaria win the release of five Bulgarian nurses held in Libya since 1999 on charges of infecting Libyan children with the virus that causes AIDS.
"We will continue to make clear to Libya that the release of these nurses is a high priority for our country," Bush said at a news conference with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. Bush noted that the United States is contributing to a fund to help the children.
The nurses and a Palestinian doctor were sentenced last year to death in the case, which has drawn international condemnation.
In consultations at the final stop of an eight-day European tour, Bush also discussed Iraq, Afghanistan and the continuing stalemate over the fate of Kosovo, the Serbian province that has been run by the United Nations since 1999.
At the news conference, Bush repeated that he favors independence for Kosovo. Russia has threatened to veto an independence plan for Kosovo at the United Nations, saying it would set a bad precedent. Serbia opposes the plan to cut away its southernmost province.
"As we seek independence for Kosovo, we've also got to make it clear to Serbia that there's a way forward," Bush said, "maybe in NATO, maybe in the E.U. and definitely in better relations with the United States."
Bush thanked Bulgaria for its help in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said that an anti-missile shield that the United States has proposed for construction in Poland and the Czech Republic would be aimed at long-range missiles that would potentially fly over Bulgaria. Bulgaria itself would be protected by other systems directed against intermediate-range missiles, he said.
Parvanov replied that "we Bulgarians would accept any solution that would provide more guarantees -- more security guarantees, more guarantees of the indivisibility of the security of the Euro-Atlantic space." His country is a new member of the NATO alliance and the European Union and last year signed an agreement for U.S. troops to be based on its soil.
Later, the two leaders had lunch. In the afternoon, Bush attended a meeting with students at the American University in Bulgaria before departing for the United States.
"We will continue to make clear to Libya that the release of these nurses is a high priority for our country," Bush said at a news conference with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. Bush noted that the United States is contributing to a fund to help the children.
The nurses and a Palestinian doctor were sentenced last year to death in the case, which has drawn international condemnation.
In consultations at the final stop of an eight-day European tour, Bush also discussed Iraq, Afghanistan and the continuing stalemate over the fate of Kosovo, the Serbian province that has been run by the United Nations since 1999.
At the news conference, Bush repeated that he favors independence for Kosovo. Russia has threatened to veto an independence plan for Kosovo at the United Nations, saying it would set a bad precedent. Serbia opposes the plan to cut away its southernmost province.
"As we seek independence for Kosovo, we've also got to make it clear to Serbia that there's a way forward," Bush said, "maybe in NATO, maybe in the E.U. and definitely in better relations with the United States."
Bush thanked Bulgaria for its help in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said that an anti-missile shield that the United States has proposed for construction in Poland and the Czech Republic would be aimed at long-range missiles that would potentially fly over Bulgaria. Bulgaria itself would be protected by other systems directed against intermediate-range missiles, he said.
Parvanov replied that "we Bulgarians would accept any solution that would provide more guarantees -- more security guarantees, more guarantees of the indivisibility of the security of the Euro-Atlantic space." His country is a new member of the NATO alliance and the European Union and last year signed an agreement for U.S. troops to be based on its soil.
Later, the two leaders had lunch. In the afternoon, Bush attended a meeting with students at the American University in Bulgaria before departing for the United States.
Monsoon Kills at Least 78 in Bangladesh
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP) - Mudslides caused by monsoon rains buried bamboo and straw shacks in shantytowns and collapsed brick houses in southeastern Bangladesh Monday, killing at least 67 people. Another 11 died when they were struck by lightning, rescue officials and witnesses said.
The hilly port city of Chittagong was hardest-hit by the heavy rains, officials said. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in just three hours early Monday, submerging the downtown in about 4 feet of water, the local weather service and witnesses said. At least 67 died in the city.
The lightning strikes killed 11 people in the neighboring districts of Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and Brahmmanbaria, the food and disaster management ministry said.
The worst-hit area was a congested shantytown in Chittagong, where large chunks of hill collapsed and buried dozens of bamboo and straw shacks. The area is near a military zone and army rescuers pulled out at least 35 bodies from the debris, city official Shahidul Islam said.
``I have never seen so much water in my life,'' said Mofizur Rahman, 75, who lives near the city's main hospital.
Another 15 bodies were pulled from the remnants of a hilly slum on land belonging to Bangladesh Railways in another part of the city, said Nasir Ahmed, a fire brigade officer. Six others died in another hillside slum near a power station, he said, and five members of a family perished when the walls of their brick home collapsed in heavy rain on the Chittagong University campus.
Four others, including a young mother and her toddler, were killed when their house collapsed. A policeman was electrocuted when he stepped on a severed electrical wire.
Emergency workers rescued more than 50 injured people across Chittagong.
Government and charity agencies distributed food and water to about 1,000 people left homeless by the calamity, the area's government administrator Mukhlesur Rahman said.
Flash floods and inundated roads hampered the rescue efforts and traffic in the city of 4 million, about 130 miles southeast of the capital, Dhaka. Many schools and businesses were forced to close for the day.
Several factories in an industrial belt around the city were also flooded, stopping production and causing extensive damage to machinery, said M.A. Mohiuddin, whose textile mill makes goods for export.
The city's telephone, television and radio networks were also interrupted as transmission stations were flooded.
In neighboring Feni district, rain-swollen rivers flooded 15 farming villages, leaving at least 55,000 people stranded, CSB television reported. No casualties were reported in Feni, 80 miles east of Dhaka, the report said.
Heavy monsoon rains - the highest levels recorded in seven years - also inundated parts of the capital Dhaka and other regions of the country over the weekend.
Bangladesh, a low-lying, deeply impoverished nation of 144 million people, is prone to seasonal floods and cyclones which kill hundreds every year.
A powerful cyclone in 1991 killed 139,000 people along the coast.
The hilly port city of Chittagong was hardest-hit by the heavy rains, officials said. Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in just three hours early Monday, submerging the downtown in about 4 feet of water, the local weather service and witnesses said. At least 67 died in the city.
The lightning strikes killed 11 people in the neighboring districts of Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and Brahmmanbaria, the food and disaster management ministry said.
The worst-hit area was a congested shantytown in Chittagong, where large chunks of hill collapsed and buried dozens of bamboo and straw shacks. The area is near a military zone and army rescuers pulled out at least 35 bodies from the debris, city official Shahidul Islam said.
``I have never seen so much water in my life,'' said Mofizur Rahman, 75, who lives near the city's main hospital.
Another 15 bodies were pulled from the remnants of a hilly slum on land belonging to Bangladesh Railways in another part of the city, said Nasir Ahmed, a fire brigade officer. Six others died in another hillside slum near a power station, he said, and five members of a family perished when the walls of their brick home collapsed in heavy rain on the Chittagong University campus.
Four others, including a young mother and her toddler, were killed when their house collapsed. A policeman was electrocuted when he stepped on a severed electrical wire.
Emergency workers rescued more than 50 injured people across Chittagong.
Government and charity agencies distributed food and water to about 1,000 people left homeless by the calamity, the area's government administrator Mukhlesur Rahman said.
Flash floods and inundated roads hampered the rescue efforts and traffic in the city of 4 million, about 130 miles southeast of the capital, Dhaka. Many schools and businesses were forced to close for the day.
Several factories in an industrial belt around the city were also flooded, stopping production and causing extensive damage to machinery, said M.A. Mohiuddin, whose textile mill makes goods for export.
The city's telephone, television and radio networks were also interrupted as transmission stations were flooded.
In neighboring Feni district, rain-swollen rivers flooded 15 farming villages, leaving at least 55,000 people stranded, CSB television reported. No casualties were reported in Feni, 80 miles east of Dhaka, the report said.
Heavy monsoon rains - the highest levels recorded in seven years - also inundated parts of the capital Dhaka and other regions of the country over the weekend.
Bangladesh, a low-lying, deeply impoverished nation of 144 million people, is prone to seasonal floods and cyclones which kill hundreds every year.
A powerful cyclone in 1991 killed 139,000 people along the coast.
No change of policy over troop withdrawal, Brown tells Iraqis
Iraq believes that Gordon Brown will follow Tony Blair’s policies and refuse to sanction a swift pullout of troops when he becomes Prime Minister.
Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, speaking after meeting Mr Brown in Baghdad during a surprise one-day visit, said he felt that the Chancellor had made the trip “to ensure a positive British commitment to Iraq”.
Speaking to The Times, Mr al-Maliki dampened the hopes of politicians who believe that Mr Brown’s arrival at No 10 will prompt a speedy withdrawal.
He said: “I feel he will follow the policy of Tony Blair in his decisions towards Iraq and we agreed to make contact on all the important issues we discussed. We wanted to know what the new Prime Minister was thinking about on the Iraq issue and his present policy on Iraq,” he said.
Asked whether he was worried about the prospect of Britain withdrawing its troops from the country, the Iraqi leader replied: “It was one of the issues we discussed and we wanted to be clear on everything concerning whether Britain wants to pull out and when, just to make sure we are able to put our own measures in place. They said they will not pull out before discussing it with us and we are all agreed on a replacement solution for the security process.”
Mr al-Maliki’s words were supported by sources close to the Chancellor, who also met British and American commanders in Baghdad. They said that the visit had confirmed Mr Brown’s view, based on military advice, that there could be no sudden change to the timetable for eventual British withdrawal.
Under present plans British forces are due to hand over control to Iraqi forces by the end of the year, when the British presence will be reduced by several thousand troops.
Mr Brown’s visit came as the Commons debated, and rejected, a Conservative call for an inquiry into the Iraq war. The voting was 288 to 253, cutting the Government’s majority to 35. The Chancellor said that there were lessons to be learnt from past mistakes but it was not the time for an inquiry while British troops were still in Iraq.
While again backing the decision to go to war, he distanced himself from the handling of the intelligence. It was the first time that Mr Brown had hinted that he was unhappy with the Downing Street dossier, which had suggested that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be deployed in 45 minutes.
Mr Brown revealed that he has asked Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, to begin a process to ensure that security and intelligence analysis is kept “independent of the political process” and that any information put into the public domain had been properly verified and validated. Asked whether he regretted the decision to go to war, he replied: “We made the decision. I take responsibility for that decision.”
Mr Brown is also drawing up proposals to make the powerful Intelligence and Security Committee more independent of Downing Street. He wants its members to be appointed by Parliament rather than No 10, and more of its evidence and reports to be made public.
Speaking to reporters travelling with him, Mr Brown, who was accompanied by Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, said: “I’m here to listen, to learn, to assess what’s happening – to see what’s happening with al-Qaeda, to see what’s happening in relation to Iran, to see what’s happening to the sectarian conflicts, to see all the people on the ground and make an assessment of what’s happening.”
Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, speaking after meeting Mr Brown in Baghdad during a surprise one-day visit, said he felt that the Chancellor had made the trip “to ensure a positive British commitment to Iraq”.
Speaking to The Times, Mr al-Maliki dampened the hopes of politicians who believe that Mr Brown’s arrival at No 10 will prompt a speedy withdrawal.
He said: “I feel he will follow the policy of Tony Blair in his decisions towards Iraq and we agreed to make contact on all the important issues we discussed. We wanted to know what the new Prime Minister was thinking about on the Iraq issue and his present policy on Iraq,” he said.
Asked whether he was worried about the prospect of Britain withdrawing its troops from the country, the Iraqi leader replied: “It was one of the issues we discussed and we wanted to be clear on everything concerning whether Britain wants to pull out and when, just to make sure we are able to put our own measures in place. They said they will not pull out before discussing it with us and we are all agreed on a replacement solution for the security process.”
Mr al-Maliki’s words were supported by sources close to the Chancellor, who also met British and American commanders in Baghdad. They said that the visit had confirmed Mr Brown’s view, based on military advice, that there could be no sudden change to the timetable for eventual British withdrawal.
Under present plans British forces are due to hand over control to Iraqi forces by the end of the year, when the British presence will be reduced by several thousand troops.
Mr Brown’s visit came as the Commons debated, and rejected, a Conservative call for an inquiry into the Iraq war. The voting was 288 to 253, cutting the Government’s majority to 35. The Chancellor said that there were lessons to be learnt from past mistakes but it was not the time for an inquiry while British troops were still in Iraq.
While again backing the decision to go to war, he distanced himself from the handling of the intelligence. It was the first time that Mr Brown had hinted that he was unhappy with the Downing Street dossier, which had suggested that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction that could be deployed in 45 minutes.
Mr Brown revealed that he has asked Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, to begin a process to ensure that security and intelligence analysis is kept “independent of the political process” and that any information put into the public domain had been properly verified and validated. Asked whether he regretted the decision to go to war, he replied: “We made the decision. I take responsibility for that decision.”
Mr Brown is also drawing up proposals to make the powerful Intelligence and Security Committee more independent of Downing Street. He wants its members to be appointed by Parliament rather than No 10, and more of its evidence and reports to be made public.
Speaking to reporters travelling with him, Mr Brown, who was accompanied by Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, said: “I’m here to listen, to learn, to assess what’s happening – to see what’s happening with al-Qaeda, to see what’s happening in relation to Iran, to see what’s happening to the sectarian conflicts, to see all the people on the ground and make an assessment of what’s happening.”
Rush-Hour Blast In Nairobi Kills 2, Wounds Dozens
NAIROBI, June 11 -- A bomb exploded at a downtown bus stop here early Monday morning, killing two people, injuring more than 35 and sending out a shock wave that hurled glass, shrapnel and bodies into the air, witnesses and officials said. There was no immediate assertion of responsibility.
Police Commissioner Mohamed Hussein Ali said the explosion apparently came from something someone was carrying. Several witnesses reported various versions of a similar story: that a bag a man was holding -- some said it was paper, others said it was a backpack -- exploded in front of a cafe where a city bus bound for the airport had stopped.
"It was a man trying to get on the bus holding a paper bag," said David Mwangi, 35, who was having his shoes shined when the explosion sent shards of glass into his face and hand. "He himself looked like he disintegrated. I don't know what made me look."
Mwangi said the man shining his shoes was hurled at least six feet into the air.
The blast occurred during the morning rush hour on a busy downtown block of restaurants and shops anchored by the Ambassadeur Hotel, which serves a mostly Kenyan clientele. The block is bordered by Moi Avenue, a staging area for the city's large green buses, which are usually crowded with people.
People ducked and ran or limped away as ambulances, anti-terrorism police and bomb-sniffing dogs descended on the area. Investigators closed off two blocks and sifted through the detritus with gloved hands.
"I do not want to speculate if it is or is not" a suicide attack, Ali told reporters at the scene.
By early Monday afternoon, hundreds of curious passersby were clustered around the shuttered City Gate cafe, whose green metal doors were still smeared with blood. Blood pooled on the sidewalk between the cafe and the bus stop, and bits of paper and glass were scattered in an arc stretching at least 20 feet.
At Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital, which received 37 people injured in the blast, dazed victims lay on gurneys with their arms or heads bandaged. Others sat on benches along corridors, including a man left temporarily deaf by the explosion and another, Cyrus Mwirigi, who had been knocked unconscious.
"I was at the staging area waiting to take the bus to work" at the airport, said Mwirigi, 25. "Then I can't remember what happened."
Though Kenya is a relatively peaceful country, terrorists linked to al-Qaeda detonated a massive truck bomb at the U.S. Embassy here in 1998, killing more than 250 people just a few blocks from the site of Monday's blast. Suicide bombers attacked a hotel in the Kenyan coastal resort town of Mombasa in 2002.
Kenya shares a long border with Somalia, one of the most unstable countries on the continent, and suspicion concerning Monday's attack quickly fell on insurgents there, who are using roadside bombs and suicide attacks against the Ethiopian-backed Somali government that ousted a popular Islamic movement late last year.
Because Kenya supported the Somali government, rounding up dozens of Islamic fighters attempting to cross the border and shipping them to secret Ethiopian prisons, officials consider Kenya vulnerable to a retaliatory attack.
Suspicions also turned inward. A cultlike extortionist gang called the Mungiki has been terrorizing Nairobi's sprawling slums and surrounding areas in recent months, with some of its victims found beheaded.
In the past week, police launched a crackdown on suspected gang members, killing more than 30 people in the city's Mathare slum during raids that have drawn criticism from human rights groups.
In the absence of firm answers Monday, people worried and wondered who might be responsible.
"The whole thing is causing tension," said Fred Wabuko, 36, who was reading a newspaper near the site of the explosion. "People automatically suspect the Mungiki, or terrorism."
"We're used to theft around here," he added, "but not bomb blasts."
Police Commissioner Mohamed Hussein Ali said the explosion apparently came from something someone was carrying. Several witnesses reported various versions of a similar story: that a bag a man was holding -- some said it was paper, others said it was a backpack -- exploded in front of a cafe where a city bus bound for the airport had stopped.
"It was a man trying to get on the bus holding a paper bag," said David Mwangi, 35, who was having his shoes shined when the explosion sent shards of glass into his face and hand. "He himself looked like he disintegrated. I don't know what made me look."
Mwangi said the man shining his shoes was hurled at least six feet into the air.
The blast occurred during the morning rush hour on a busy downtown block of restaurants and shops anchored by the Ambassadeur Hotel, which serves a mostly Kenyan clientele. The block is bordered by Moi Avenue, a staging area for the city's large green buses, which are usually crowded with people.
People ducked and ran or limped away as ambulances, anti-terrorism police and bomb-sniffing dogs descended on the area. Investigators closed off two blocks and sifted through the detritus with gloved hands.
"I do not want to speculate if it is or is not" a suicide attack, Ali told reporters at the scene.
By early Monday afternoon, hundreds of curious passersby were clustered around the shuttered City Gate cafe, whose green metal doors were still smeared with blood. Blood pooled on the sidewalk between the cafe and the bus stop, and bits of paper and glass were scattered in an arc stretching at least 20 feet.
At Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital, which received 37 people injured in the blast, dazed victims lay on gurneys with their arms or heads bandaged. Others sat on benches along corridors, including a man left temporarily deaf by the explosion and another, Cyrus Mwirigi, who had been knocked unconscious.
"I was at the staging area waiting to take the bus to work" at the airport, said Mwirigi, 25. "Then I can't remember what happened."
Though Kenya is a relatively peaceful country, terrorists linked to al-Qaeda detonated a massive truck bomb at the U.S. Embassy here in 1998, killing more than 250 people just a few blocks from the site of Monday's blast. Suicide bombers attacked a hotel in the Kenyan coastal resort town of Mombasa in 2002.
Kenya shares a long border with Somalia, one of the most unstable countries on the continent, and suspicion concerning Monday's attack quickly fell on insurgents there, who are using roadside bombs and suicide attacks against the Ethiopian-backed Somali government that ousted a popular Islamic movement late last year.
Because Kenya supported the Somali government, rounding up dozens of Islamic fighters attempting to cross the border and shipping them to secret Ethiopian prisons, officials consider Kenya vulnerable to a retaliatory attack.
Suspicions also turned inward. A cultlike extortionist gang called the Mungiki has been terrorizing Nairobi's sprawling slums and surrounding areas in recent months, with some of its victims found beheaded.
In the past week, police launched a crackdown on suspected gang members, killing more than 30 people in the city's Mathare slum during raids that have drawn criticism from human rights groups.
In the absence of firm answers Monday, people worried and wondered who might be responsible.
"The whole thing is causing tension," said Fred Wabuko, 36, who was reading a newspaper near the site of the explosion. "People automatically suspect the Mungiki, or terrorism."
"We're used to theft around here," he added, "but not bomb blasts."
John Vinocur: Putin's redlining plan for Eastern Europe
PARIS: Location, location, location. On Main Street, you're in business. On Drain Street, around the corner, you're nowhere, and maybe in bankruptcy court.
Project that home truth on the scale of Russia's attempt to reassert itself as a world force, calling the shots again for the countries at its borders from the Baltic to Caucasus:
Vladimir Putin, simon-pure democrat turned real estate broker, suddenly decides that an American missile shield that could block Iranian nukes is not such a lunatic, war-mongering idea after all, and tells George Bush, do I have a location for you! It's Azerbaijan, right on Iran's doorstep, and what a place for a radar installation. Just to accommodate you, we've got one there already.
As for stationing the 10 U.S. interceptors that could actually shoot down an Iranian missile heading west, Putin, talking at the Group of 8 summit meeting in Germany last week, was full of suggestions on more sun/fun locations - Iraq or Turkey, he said, or on American ships at sea.
In real estate terms, it's a new kind of Russian redlining scheme.
In fact, it's a method for moving the shield's radar, to be positioned in the Czech Republic, and its interceptors, scheduled for deployment in Poland, out of the Central and Eastern European neighborhoods that Putin seems intent on reorienting toward revised status as neutered, limited partners of NATO and the European Union.
Responding rather more directly to the Russian proposal than a cautious Bush did, Mirek Toplanek, the Czech prime minister, said he said saw it as effort by Putin to regain a sphere of influence in Central Europe.
An allied diplomat, with long and direct experience in negotiating with the Russians, had an even more explicit formulation: "They've now shown they're exclusively interested in rolling back NATO presence in the old Soviet orbit which, beyond the missile shield, comes down today to a grand total of four policing aircraft in the Baltics and a combined total of couple of thousand men in Romania and Bulgaria. It's an attempt to set a precedent."
The problem is, it's an attempt that might work. In acquiescing to the reality that a missile shield against Iran is not folly, Putin is also telling European public opinion, particularly in Germany, that U.S. radar and interceptor installations in Europe can be easily displaced - forget about the technical, political and security issues involved in Azeri or Turkish sites - to locations that are out of sight, out of the European mind.
The appeal is obvious. To make sure Europe gets the point, Putin said he would drop his threat to retarget Europe with his own missiles but only if the Czech and Polish deployments are abandoned.
And, with a Czech response to draft contracts due in July, he has warned the Americans against moving forward with the installation while his real estate deal is on the table.
Russia refined the ploy further over the weekend, blurring the willfully upbeat notion last week that some kind of underlying Russian-American cooperation could emerge on the shield. Instead, it restated its old line that the shield endangers Russia.
Putin's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, insisted in Moscow that no Iranian nuclear threat had been proved (read: where's the problem, what's the hurry?), and said, concerning Russia's active participation in aspects of the shield, "To suppose that we take part in building such a potential, which creates a threat to us, is wishful thinking."
This seemed directly pointed at hopes that a trace of compromise was in the air. Those hopes had been expressed by the Czech deputy prime minister, Alexandr Vondra in terms that also confront Russia's basic aim of re-establishing its veto rights up to Germany's southeastern border. Vondra talked about Azerbaijan's possible inclusion in the missile shield - but as a complement to the planned European sites.
In fact, according to the allied diplomat, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in April had already proposed to Moscow in a "nonpaper" (a memorandum without official character) that Russia incorporate some of its radar installations into a backup for the shield system.
The idea was rejected.
The diplomat said the Russians then suggested to the Americans that the shield's 10 interceptors be based in Britain instead of Poland. This was described as massively disingenuous because, unlike Poland, interceptors launched from England could actually hit a missile if one from Russia's arsenal were ever fired.
For the diplomat, suggesting England as a site made obvious that the Russians' goal in challenging the missile shield was returning Central and Eastern Europe to glacis or buffer state status, with its implications for the proposed entry of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO and the European Union.
With Bush's reluctance to say what the Russians' real missile shield game is about - out of fear of new controversy, Putin's targeting a strategic rollback by NATO in Europe is not yet a part of the American or NATO's public policy agenda - the United States is left in a cramped, reactive position.
Doubly so.
As the stakes become clearer, and Iran moves toward nuclear capability, any bargaining by the Bush administration on its agreements concerning the shield with the Czechs and Poles for the sake of looking forthcoming with the Russians will open a breach of confidence within NATO.
It will affect the new democracies of Europe which continue to regard America as their ultimate security guarantor (despite the administration's inaction in helping them alleviate or skirt Russia's control of their energy supplies.)
And, it will immeasurably embolden Putin and the men and factions who are supposed to succeed him in Russian leadership next year.
While Bush continued to speak of Putin's Azerbaijan play "as a very positive gesture," Tony Blair, in a surprise burst of frankness summing up meetings with Putin last week, said people in the West were "becoming worried and fearful" about Russian "external policies."
Blair has the luxury of leaving office by the end of the month. Bush, who is around till January 2009, meets Putin again on July 1 and 2 in Maine.
Project that home truth on the scale of Russia's attempt to reassert itself as a world force, calling the shots again for the countries at its borders from the Baltic to Caucasus:
Vladimir Putin, simon-pure democrat turned real estate broker, suddenly decides that an American missile shield that could block Iranian nukes is not such a lunatic, war-mongering idea after all, and tells George Bush, do I have a location for you! It's Azerbaijan, right on Iran's doorstep, and what a place for a radar installation. Just to accommodate you, we've got one there already.
As for stationing the 10 U.S. interceptors that could actually shoot down an Iranian missile heading west, Putin, talking at the Group of 8 summit meeting in Germany last week, was full of suggestions on more sun/fun locations - Iraq or Turkey, he said, or on American ships at sea.
In real estate terms, it's a new kind of Russian redlining scheme.
In fact, it's a method for moving the shield's radar, to be positioned in the Czech Republic, and its interceptors, scheduled for deployment in Poland, out of the Central and Eastern European neighborhoods that Putin seems intent on reorienting toward revised status as neutered, limited partners of NATO and the European Union.
Responding rather more directly to the Russian proposal than a cautious Bush did, Mirek Toplanek, the Czech prime minister, said he said saw it as effort by Putin to regain a sphere of influence in Central Europe.
An allied diplomat, with long and direct experience in negotiating with the Russians, had an even more explicit formulation: "They've now shown they're exclusively interested in rolling back NATO presence in the old Soviet orbit which, beyond the missile shield, comes down today to a grand total of four policing aircraft in the Baltics and a combined total of couple of thousand men in Romania and Bulgaria. It's an attempt to set a precedent."
The problem is, it's an attempt that might work. In acquiescing to the reality that a missile shield against Iran is not folly, Putin is also telling European public opinion, particularly in Germany, that U.S. radar and interceptor installations in Europe can be easily displaced - forget about the technical, political and security issues involved in Azeri or Turkish sites - to locations that are out of sight, out of the European mind.
The appeal is obvious. To make sure Europe gets the point, Putin said he would drop his threat to retarget Europe with his own missiles but only if the Czech and Polish deployments are abandoned.
And, with a Czech response to draft contracts due in July, he has warned the Americans against moving forward with the installation while his real estate deal is on the table.
Russia refined the ploy further over the weekend, blurring the willfully upbeat notion last week that some kind of underlying Russian-American cooperation could emerge on the shield. Instead, it restated its old line that the shield endangers Russia.
Putin's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, insisted in Moscow that no Iranian nuclear threat had been proved (read: where's the problem, what's the hurry?), and said, concerning Russia's active participation in aspects of the shield, "To suppose that we take part in building such a potential, which creates a threat to us, is wishful thinking."
This seemed directly pointed at hopes that a trace of compromise was in the air. Those hopes had been expressed by the Czech deputy prime minister, Alexandr Vondra in terms that also confront Russia's basic aim of re-establishing its veto rights up to Germany's southeastern border. Vondra talked about Azerbaijan's possible inclusion in the missile shield - but as a complement to the planned European sites.
In fact, according to the allied diplomat, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in April had already proposed to Moscow in a "nonpaper" (a memorandum without official character) that Russia incorporate some of its radar installations into a backup for the shield system.
The idea was rejected.
The diplomat said the Russians then suggested to the Americans that the shield's 10 interceptors be based in Britain instead of Poland. This was described as massively disingenuous because, unlike Poland, interceptors launched from England could actually hit a missile if one from Russia's arsenal were ever fired.
For the diplomat, suggesting England as a site made obvious that the Russians' goal in challenging the missile shield was returning Central and Eastern Europe to glacis or buffer state status, with its implications for the proposed entry of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO and the European Union.
With Bush's reluctance to say what the Russians' real missile shield game is about - out of fear of new controversy, Putin's targeting a strategic rollback by NATO in Europe is not yet a part of the American or NATO's public policy agenda - the United States is left in a cramped, reactive position.
Doubly so.
As the stakes become clearer, and Iran moves toward nuclear capability, any bargaining by the Bush administration on its agreements concerning the shield with the Czechs and Poles for the sake of looking forthcoming with the Russians will open a breach of confidence within NATO.
It will affect the new democracies of Europe which continue to regard America as their ultimate security guarantor (despite the administration's inaction in helping them alleviate or skirt Russia's control of their energy supplies.)
And, it will immeasurably embolden Putin and the men and factions who are supposed to succeed him in Russian leadership next year.
While Bush continued to speak of Putin's Azerbaijan play "as a very positive gesture," Tony Blair, in a surprise burst of frankness summing up meetings with Putin last week, said people in the West were "becoming worried and fearful" about Russian "external policies."
Blair has the luxury of leaving office by the end of the month. Bush, who is around till January 2009, meets Putin again on July 1 and 2 in Maine.
Belgian PM soundly defeated in polls
Belgium's political parties shifted into horse-trading mode yesterday to come up with a new coalition government after voters handed a stinging defeat to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.
After eight years in power, the prime minister handed his resignation to King Albert II, but will stay on as caretaker in the weeks -- perhaps months -- needed to form a government that can satisfy Belgium's main linguistic communities.
Flemish Christian Democrat (CDV) leader Yves Leterme was widely seen as most likely to emerge as the next prime minister after his party came out on top in the Flanders region in Sunday's legislative elections.
But he will have to convince the French-speaking community in the southern Wallonia region that he really has their interests at heart, after disparaging them for their general failure to master the Dutch language.
"A nice little demining job," was how La Libre Belgique, a French-language daily, described the task ahead for Leterme, whose campaign theme was "CDV in power = reform of the state," meaning more power to Flanders.
Although Leterme is perfectly bilingual thanks to a francophone father and Flemish mother, he has made little effort to bridge the linguistic divide that cuts through Belgian politics and life.
Leterme has stoked controversy in the past in Wallonia, economically poorer by comparison with the Flemish north, by saying that Belgium was an "accident of history" and that the country has no "intrinsic value."
But with most of the other big parties suffering setbacks in Sunday's poll, little was certain about who would be the Christian Democrats partners in the coalition needed to form a federal government.
Victory in Flanders is essential for success in national politics because 60 percent of Belgians live there and the next premier is all but guaranteed to come from the region.
With 30 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, the electoral success of Leterme's CDV will allow them to regain the dominance of Belgian politics they had held for most of the the post-war period.
Although the Christian Democrats are sure to play a central role in the new government, it was less certain what other parties will be included in the necessary coalition.
As always in Belgian politics, language will play a key role as the parties sit down to form a new coalition government.
A linguistic balance is essential.
The CDV's counterparts in Wallonia were expected to refuse to take part in any alliance which could harm their region's interests.
The Socialists, in both communities, were unlikely to play any role after losing nine seats in Flanders and five in Wallonia.
Far-right party Vlaams Belang, meanwhile, won 17 seats, down one from the last elections in 2003, but it will probably remain shunned by other parties and is almost certain to be left out of the coalition.
The center-left Flemish daily De Morgen said no government was likely to be formed any time soon.
Leterme will have to "bandage wounds and soothe damaged egos. It could take a long time. These promise to be difficult negotiations," the paper said.
After eight years in power, the prime minister handed his resignation to King Albert II, but will stay on as caretaker in the weeks -- perhaps months -- needed to form a government that can satisfy Belgium's main linguistic communities.
Flemish Christian Democrat (CDV) leader Yves Leterme was widely seen as most likely to emerge as the next prime minister after his party came out on top in the Flanders region in Sunday's legislative elections.
But he will have to convince the French-speaking community in the southern Wallonia region that he really has their interests at heart, after disparaging them for their general failure to master the Dutch language.
"A nice little demining job," was how La Libre Belgique, a French-language daily, described the task ahead for Leterme, whose campaign theme was "CDV in power = reform of the state," meaning more power to Flanders.
Although Leterme is perfectly bilingual thanks to a francophone father and Flemish mother, he has made little effort to bridge the linguistic divide that cuts through Belgian politics and life.
Leterme has stoked controversy in the past in Wallonia, economically poorer by comparison with the Flemish north, by saying that Belgium was an "accident of history" and that the country has no "intrinsic value."
But with most of the other big parties suffering setbacks in Sunday's poll, little was certain about who would be the Christian Democrats partners in the coalition needed to form a federal government.
Victory in Flanders is essential for success in national politics because 60 percent of Belgians live there and the next premier is all but guaranteed to come from the region.
With 30 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, the electoral success of Leterme's CDV will allow them to regain the dominance of Belgian politics they had held for most of the the post-war period.
Although the Christian Democrats are sure to play a central role in the new government, it was less certain what other parties will be included in the necessary coalition.
As always in Belgian politics, language will play a key role as the parties sit down to form a new coalition government.
A linguistic balance is essential.
The CDV's counterparts in Wallonia were expected to refuse to take part in any alliance which could harm their region's interests.
The Socialists, in both communities, were unlikely to play any role after losing nine seats in Flanders and five in Wallonia.
Far-right party Vlaams Belang, meanwhile, won 17 seats, down one from the last elections in 2003, but it will probably remain shunned by other parties and is almost certain to be left out of the coalition.
The center-left Flemish daily De Morgen said no government was likely to be formed any time soon.
Leterme will have to "bandage wounds and soothe damaged egos. It could take a long time. These promise to be difficult negotiations," the paper said.
China: Flooding death toll at least 71
BEIJING, China (AP) -- The death toll from flooding and landslides in southern China has risen to at least 71, with more rain forecast for the area, state media reported Tuesday.
More than 640,000 people have been forced from their homes, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The torrential rains that triggered the flooding were expected to continue over the next couple of days, Xinhua said.
It said the heavy rains have lashed the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian over the last week.
Television footage showed destroyed homes and flooded fields, and the ministry said overall economic losses have reached 3.43 billion yuan ($436 million).
The worst-hit province was Guangdong -- the heart of China's export-driven light manufacturing industries.
Xinhua said damages in Guangdong totaled 1.25 billion yuan ($160 million), although there were no immediate reports of any damage to factories or shipping facilities.
China suffers deaths and damage every summer when seasonal rains cause flash floods.
Big cities are sheltered by giant dikes, but fatalities are often reported in farm communities that lack protection from rising rivers, and in mountain towns hit by flash floods.
Millions of people in central and southern China live on reclaimed farmland in the flood plains of rivers.
Flooding and typhoons killed 2,704 people last year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. That was the second-deadliest year on record after 1998, when summer flooding claimed 4,150 lives.
More than 640,000 people have been forced from their homes, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The torrential rains that triggered the flooding were expected to continue over the next couple of days, Xinhua said.
It said the heavy rains have lashed the provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian over the last week.
Television footage showed destroyed homes and flooded fields, and the ministry said overall economic losses have reached 3.43 billion yuan ($436 million).
The worst-hit province was Guangdong -- the heart of China's export-driven light manufacturing industries.
Xinhua said damages in Guangdong totaled 1.25 billion yuan ($160 million), although there were no immediate reports of any damage to factories or shipping facilities.
China suffers deaths and damage every summer when seasonal rains cause flash floods.
Big cities are sheltered by giant dikes, but fatalities are often reported in farm communities that lack protection from rising rivers, and in mountain towns hit by flash floods.
Millions of people in central and southern China live on reclaimed farmland in the flood plains of rivers.
Flooding and typhoons killed 2,704 people last year, according to the China Meteorological Administration. That was the second-deadliest year on record after 1998, when summer flooding claimed 4,150 lives.
Arms Report Says Global Weapons Sales Continue to Rise
A noted Swedish research institute says global military spending by the world's 100 largest weapons manufacturers rose by 3.5 percent in 2006, to $290 billion.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in its annual report, says U.S. and western European sales spurred the increase. It also notes that the United States remained the world's top military spender last year, allotting $529 billion for weaponry. Authors attributed a $24 billion increase from 2005 to costly U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Researchers note China's continuing surge in military spending, which reached nearly $50 billion in 2006. China overtook Japan last year to become the fourth largest buyer of military goods.
Russia spent nearly $35 billion on arms last year, and the report links Moscow's increasing buying power to its surging energy wealth.
Research project leader Siemon Wezeman said U.S. and European suppliers continue to supply vast quantities of arms to the Middle East, despite the fact that it is a highly volatile region.
Researchers also question how cost-effective military expenditures are as a way of increasing the security of human lives.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in its annual report, says U.S. and western European sales spurred the increase. It also notes that the United States remained the world's top military spender last year, allotting $529 billion for weaponry. Authors attributed a $24 billion increase from 2005 to costly U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Researchers note China's continuing surge in military spending, which reached nearly $50 billion in 2006. China overtook Japan last year to become the fourth largest buyer of military goods.
Russia spent nearly $35 billion on arms last year, and the report links Moscow's increasing buying power to its surging energy wealth.
Research project leader Siemon Wezeman said U.S. and European suppliers continue to supply vast quantities of arms to the Middle East, despite the fact that it is a highly volatile region.
Researchers also question how cost-effective military expenditures are as a way of increasing the security of human lives.
Church may sue over cathedral battle game
Sony is being threatened with legal action by senior Church of England clergy for its “highly irresponsible” action in depicting a gory gun battle in the nave of Manchester Cathedral in a computer game.
The Dean of Manchester has condemned the game as “virtual desecration” and is demanding that every copy is withdrawn. In a legal letter sent to Sony yesterday, the Very Rev Rogers Govender demanded a “substantial donation” to the cathedral for its work with young people.
The clergy are particularly distressed that the 18-rated game is set in a church known for its outreach to the victims of gun crime, an escalating problem in Manchester. In the past three days alone, three people have been shot in the city. Every autumn the cathedral puts on a special service for the friends and relatives of gun-crime victims.
The row was disclosed in The Times on Friday after church leaders learnt of the content of the game, which has been on sale in Europe since March and in the rest of the world for six months. More than a million copies of the PlayStation3 game Resistance: Fall of Man have been sold.
Sony said yesterday that it was dealing directly with the cathedral over the issue.
But Razi Mireskandari, a top media lawyer, said that the cathedral and its clergy could have grounds for an action against Sony for defamation and breach of copyright. The cathedral could also sue Sony for “endorsement rights”, he said, which was ironic given that had endorsement been sought in the first place, the clergy would have refused it.
Canon Paul Denby, subDean and administrator, said: “What a display of gratuitous violence, sickening and showing the cathedral as an empty space filled with horror rather than living prayer. It just shows what a vivid imagination and a sick mind can produce.” Sony said in a statement: “We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the cathedral authorities . . . and we naturally take the concerns very seriously.” Sony emphasised that the game was “not based on reality”.
Copyright conundrum
— France has stricter laws governing images of public building. Images of the Eiffel Tower by day can be used but the lighting that was added in 2003 has been copyrighted
— The exteriors of buildings in the UK are not considered to be copyright protected. An agreement with the photographer is usually suffice
— The interiors of buildings in the UK are protected, however EA Games had to receive permission from the FA to use images of the new Wembley
— A case can be made only if a copyright holder is still alive or has died in the past 70 years – a potential problem for the CofE as Manchester Cathedral’s archives date back to 1361
The Dean of Manchester has condemned the game as “virtual desecration” and is demanding that every copy is withdrawn. In a legal letter sent to Sony yesterday, the Very Rev Rogers Govender demanded a “substantial donation” to the cathedral for its work with young people.
The clergy are particularly distressed that the 18-rated game is set in a church known for its outreach to the victims of gun crime, an escalating problem in Manchester. In the past three days alone, three people have been shot in the city. Every autumn the cathedral puts on a special service for the friends and relatives of gun-crime victims.
The row was disclosed in The Times on Friday after church leaders learnt of the content of the game, which has been on sale in Europe since March and in the rest of the world for six months. More than a million copies of the PlayStation3 game Resistance: Fall of Man have been sold.
Sony said yesterday that it was dealing directly with the cathedral over the issue.
But Razi Mireskandari, a top media lawyer, said that the cathedral and its clergy could have grounds for an action against Sony for defamation and breach of copyright. The cathedral could also sue Sony for “endorsement rights”, he said, which was ironic given that had endorsement been sought in the first place, the clergy would have refused it.
Canon Paul Denby, subDean and administrator, said: “What a display of gratuitous violence, sickening and showing the cathedral as an empty space filled with horror rather than living prayer. It just shows what a vivid imagination and a sick mind can produce.” Sony said in a statement: “We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the cathedral authorities . . . and we naturally take the concerns very seriously.” Sony emphasised that the game was “not based on reality”.
Copyright conundrum
— France has stricter laws governing images of public building. Images of the Eiffel Tower by day can be used but the lighting that was added in 2003 has been copyrighted
— The exteriors of buildings in the UK are not considered to be copyright protected. An agreement with the photographer is usually suffice
— The interiors of buildings in the UK are protected, however EA Games had to receive permission from the FA to use images of the new Wembley
— A case can be made only if a copyright holder is still alive or has died in the past 70 years – a potential problem for the CofE as Manchester Cathedral’s archives date back to 1361
U.S. Close to Deal to Release Frozen North Korean Funds
WASHINGTON, June 11 — The United States appears to be close to reaching a deal to transfer $25 million in frozen funds to North Korea, with Russia and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York acting as intermediaries, in hopes of getting North Korea to begin to dismantle its nuclear arms program, American officials said Monday.
The funds have been frozen for nearly two years at a bank that the Bush administration has labeled a violator of American money laundering laws. Because of that label, the bank is barred from doing business with any bank in the United States.
The bank, Banco Delta Asia, is based in Macao, a semiautonomous region in China. It has been accused by the United States of helping North Korea finance its nuclear arms program, and carrying out counterfeiting and narcotics activities.
In February, North Korea agreed to begin dismantling its nuclear program in return for several political and economic concessions, including the return of its frozen funds. It also insisted that the money being routed through an international bank in a transaction be in dollars.
Major banks that were asked to facilitate the deal balked, however, and the money remained frozen. North Korea then continued to refuse to shut down its main nuclear plant, which the United States says is processing fuel for nuclear bombs.
Several banks in China and the United States, including Wachovia Bank, refused to carry out the transaction.
They cited a ruling by the Treasury Department in March that barred American banks from facilitating dollar transactions with the Macao bank.
Recently, a Russian bank agreed to be the vehicle for the transaction, American officials said, provided that it could obtain dollars to carry it out.
With American laws barring American commercial banks from supplying the dollars, officials turned to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to facilitate the deal with North Korea.
“The United States is working with Russian and Macanese authorities to facilitate the transfer” of North Korean funds that were previously frozen at Banco Delta Asia, said Molly Millerwise, a Treasury Department spokeswoman. “We appreciate the willingness of the Russian government to facilitate this transaction and the good cooperation of the Macanese authorities.”
The Wall Street Journal reported details of the proposed deal on Monday.
American officials said because the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was not a private bank, but part of the Federal Reserve system, it was not subject to American laws barring commercial transactions involving illicit funds. The system is independent of the government but run by presidential appointees.
Christopher R. Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, has said that as soon as the money is transferred to North Korea, the United States would demand that North Korean fulfill the commitments it made in February.
The Bush administration has come under criticism, especially from conservatives, for making the deal with North Korea. Many of the critics charge that American officials were too trusting of the North’s intentions.
North Korea agreed to disable its nuclear facilities in a deal with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea. The failure to unfreeze the $25 million has been frustrating to the Bush administration for weeks. In April, a senior Treasury delegation failed to get the money transferred after 13 days of talks in Beijing.
The funds have been frozen for nearly two years at a bank that the Bush administration has labeled a violator of American money laundering laws. Because of that label, the bank is barred from doing business with any bank in the United States.
The bank, Banco Delta Asia, is based in Macao, a semiautonomous region in China. It has been accused by the United States of helping North Korea finance its nuclear arms program, and carrying out counterfeiting and narcotics activities.
In February, North Korea agreed to begin dismantling its nuclear program in return for several political and economic concessions, including the return of its frozen funds. It also insisted that the money being routed through an international bank in a transaction be in dollars.
Major banks that were asked to facilitate the deal balked, however, and the money remained frozen. North Korea then continued to refuse to shut down its main nuclear plant, which the United States says is processing fuel for nuclear bombs.
Several banks in China and the United States, including Wachovia Bank, refused to carry out the transaction.
They cited a ruling by the Treasury Department in March that barred American banks from facilitating dollar transactions with the Macao bank.
Recently, a Russian bank agreed to be the vehicle for the transaction, American officials said, provided that it could obtain dollars to carry it out.
With American laws barring American commercial banks from supplying the dollars, officials turned to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to facilitate the deal with North Korea.
“The United States is working with Russian and Macanese authorities to facilitate the transfer” of North Korean funds that were previously frozen at Banco Delta Asia, said Molly Millerwise, a Treasury Department spokeswoman. “We appreciate the willingness of the Russian government to facilitate this transaction and the good cooperation of the Macanese authorities.”
The Wall Street Journal reported details of the proposed deal on Monday.
American officials said because the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was not a private bank, but part of the Federal Reserve system, it was not subject to American laws barring commercial transactions involving illicit funds. The system is independent of the government but run by presidential appointees.
Christopher R. Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs, has said that as soon as the money is transferred to North Korea, the United States would demand that North Korean fulfill the commitments it made in February.
The Bush administration has come under criticism, especially from conservatives, for making the deal with North Korea. Many of the critics charge that American officials were too trusting of the North’s intentions.
North Korea agreed to disable its nuclear facilities in a deal with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea. The failure to unfreeze the $25 million has been frustrating to the Bush administration for weeks. In April, a senior Treasury delegation failed to get the money transferred after 13 days of talks in Beijing.
Afghan leader not cowed by rocket attack
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has no plans to restrict his travel or beef up personal security after surviving a third assassination attempt in a rocket attack outside the capital, a presidential spokesman said on Monday.
Taliban insurgents fired several rockets at a building where Karzai was giving a speech on Sunday. They fell harmlessly wide of their target but the incident highlighted the dangers for Karzai of travelling outside his heavily fortified base in Kabul.
"The president's schedule is business as usual," a presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad said. "His security has done a great job and no changes will be made ... The president will continue his provincial visits all over Afghanistan," he added.
Since installed to lead Afghanistan in 2001, following the overthrow of the Taliban, Karzai has now survived three assassination attempts, including a previous rocket attack during a helicopter trip in the 2004 presidential election race.
In 2002, a Taliban fighter tried to shoot him during a visit to southern Kandahar city -- his birthplace and the stronghold of Taliban insurgents.
That attack and the assassination of one of Karzai's deputies in broad daylight in Kabul, prompted Washington, the president's staunch supporter, to provide him protection with scores of U.S. security guards.
In the face of criticism by some Afghans over the protection by U.S. body guards, Karzai publicly relies largely on his American-trained Afghan security apparatus.
The president is known as the "mayor of Kabul" to his critics, who say his power does not extend much beyond his palace, which hides behind sandbag ramparts, concrete blocks, razor wire and machine-gun nests in the capital.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE?
A government official, who declined to be identified because he feared he was breaching security protocol, said Karzai had been notified that militants might attempt a rocket attack during his visit to Ghazni province, southwest of Kabul, on Sunday.
Spokesman Ahmad declined to comment on Karzai's prior intelligence but said threats are constant.
"Rocket attacks are something normal for him," Ahmad said, noting that for several years in the 1990s rockets rained down on parts of Kabul. "For an Afghan, when a rocket lands close by their house, no one flinches. They keep watching their TV."
Karzai had been in Ghazni to speak to elders of impoverished Andar district at a government building. Another government official and an eyewitness said the audience began to flee when the rockets crashed down several hundred metres away, but Karzai urged them to stay and finished his speech.
Despite winning a historic mandate in the country's first ever presidential elections in 2004, Karzai has been politically weakened by a resurgent Taliban, widespread corruption and constant battles with parliament.
(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
Taliban insurgents fired several rockets at a building where Karzai was giving a speech on Sunday. They fell harmlessly wide of their target but the incident highlighted the dangers for Karzai of travelling outside his heavily fortified base in Kabul.
"The president's schedule is business as usual," a presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad said. "His security has done a great job and no changes will be made ... The president will continue his provincial visits all over Afghanistan," he added.
Since installed to lead Afghanistan in 2001, following the overthrow of the Taliban, Karzai has now survived three assassination attempts, including a previous rocket attack during a helicopter trip in the 2004 presidential election race.
In 2002, a Taliban fighter tried to shoot him during a visit to southern Kandahar city -- his birthplace and the stronghold of Taliban insurgents.
That attack and the assassination of one of Karzai's deputies in broad daylight in Kabul, prompted Washington, the president's staunch supporter, to provide him protection with scores of U.S. security guards.
In the face of criticism by some Afghans over the protection by U.S. body guards, Karzai publicly relies largely on his American-trained Afghan security apparatus.
The president is known as the "mayor of Kabul" to his critics, who say his power does not extend much beyond his palace, which hides behind sandbag ramparts, concrete blocks, razor wire and machine-gun nests in the capital.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE?
A government official, who declined to be identified because he feared he was breaching security protocol, said Karzai had been notified that militants might attempt a rocket attack during his visit to Ghazni province, southwest of Kabul, on Sunday.
Spokesman Ahmad declined to comment on Karzai's prior intelligence but said threats are constant.
"Rocket attacks are something normal for him," Ahmad said, noting that for several years in the 1990s rockets rained down on parts of Kabul. "For an Afghan, when a rocket lands close by their house, no one flinches. They keep watching their TV."
Karzai had been in Ghazni to speak to elders of impoverished Andar district at a government building. Another government official and an eyewitness said the audience began to flee when the rockets crashed down several hundred metres away, but Karzai urged them to stay and finished his speech.
Despite winning a historic mandate in the country's first ever presidential elections in 2004, Karzai has been politically weakened by a resurgent Taliban, widespread corruption and constant battles with parliament.
(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
Israel launches advanced spy satellite
JERUSALEM — Israel successfully launched an advanced spy satellite into orbit Monday, giving it a sophisticated new tool in its efforts to collect intelligence on archenemy Iran and other regional adversaries.
Israeli space officials said the Ofek-7 satellite can pick up even small objects from space, and that information will be shared with the United States.
Ofek-7 was launched from a beach front air base south of Tel Aviv before dawn, the bright flame from its booster rocket lighting up the beach and ocean on a clear night and the roar of its engines heard more than 10 miles away.
Senior officials from Israel's space program said the satellite will significantly improve Israel's intelligence capabilities, allowing it to view objects as small as an average TV set.
"It's true that this helps the Iranian issue," Haim Eshed, chief of the Defense Ministry's space department, told Army Radio. "And it's clear above all else that this satellite is a very significant addition to the ability to gather intelligence."
Israel considers Iran its main strategic threat, charging that Iran's nuclear program is designed to build atomic weapons. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said repeatedly that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The new satellite is "one of the most sophisticated in the world" and will operate with the existing Ofek-5 to provide different viewing angles, said Yiftah Shapir, a military analyst at the Institute of National Security Studies. "This will enhance Israeli capabilities to monitor any threat from anywhere in the region, whether its Lebanon, Syria or Iran," he said.
Ofek-5 is already past its projected life span, pressed into additional service with the failure two years ago of the launch of Ofek-6. "Ofek" is the Hebrew word for "Horizon."
The satellite weighs 66 pounds and is 7.5 feet long, said the chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Isaac Ben-Israel. It is significantly lighter than the most advanced American satellites, which have similar capabilities but weigh at least three tons, he told Army Radio.
Ofek-7 was launched 310 miles into the sky from an air force base at Palmachim, south of Tel Aviv, Army Radio said.
Though the U.S. has its own spy satellites, Ben-Israel said it was in the interest of both Israel and the U.S. to exchange intelligence. "There is no country in the world, not us and not the Americans, that is able to obtain everything alone," he told Army Radio.
"If you have something that they don't have and if they have something that you don't have, you make an exchange."
The satellite can view objects as small as 28 inches long, Army Radio said. But Ben-Israel said the resolution was even better, saying the objects it can discern are "a few dozen centimeters" long.
The Ofek-7 uses optical technology, meaning its viewing ability is limited by clouds and nonexistent at night, Shapir said. By 2010 Israel is expected to launch another spy satellite with radar technology that will overcome these limitations, he said.
Ofek-5 and Ofek-7 are the only two Israeli spy satellites, Army Radio said. Israel also has two commercial satellites.
Israeli space officials said the Ofek-7 satellite can pick up even small objects from space, and that information will be shared with the United States.
Ofek-7 was launched from a beach front air base south of Tel Aviv before dawn, the bright flame from its booster rocket lighting up the beach and ocean on a clear night and the roar of its engines heard more than 10 miles away.
Senior officials from Israel's space program said the satellite will significantly improve Israel's intelligence capabilities, allowing it to view objects as small as an average TV set.
"It's true that this helps the Iranian issue," Haim Eshed, chief of the Defense Ministry's space department, told Army Radio. "And it's clear above all else that this satellite is a very significant addition to the ability to gather intelligence."
Israel considers Iran its main strategic threat, charging that Iran's nuclear program is designed to build atomic weapons. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said repeatedly that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The new satellite is "one of the most sophisticated in the world" and will operate with the existing Ofek-5 to provide different viewing angles, said Yiftah Shapir, a military analyst at the Institute of National Security Studies. "This will enhance Israeli capabilities to monitor any threat from anywhere in the region, whether its Lebanon, Syria or Iran," he said.
Ofek-5 is already past its projected life span, pressed into additional service with the failure two years ago of the launch of Ofek-6. "Ofek" is the Hebrew word for "Horizon."
The satellite weighs 66 pounds and is 7.5 feet long, said the chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Isaac Ben-Israel. It is significantly lighter than the most advanced American satellites, which have similar capabilities but weigh at least three tons, he told Army Radio.
Ofek-7 was launched 310 miles into the sky from an air force base at Palmachim, south of Tel Aviv, Army Radio said.
Though the U.S. has its own spy satellites, Ben-Israel said it was in the interest of both Israel and the U.S. to exchange intelligence. "There is no country in the world, not us and not the Americans, that is able to obtain everything alone," he told Army Radio.
"If you have something that they don't have and if they have something that you don't have, you make an exchange."
The satellite can view objects as small as 28 inches long, Army Radio said. But Ben-Israel said the resolution was even better, saying the objects it can discern are "a few dozen centimeters" long.
The Ofek-7 uses optical technology, meaning its viewing ability is limited by clouds and nonexistent at night, Shapir said. By 2010 Israel is expected to launch another spy satellite with radar technology that will overcome these limitations, he said.
Ofek-5 and Ofek-7 are the only two Israeli spy satellites, Army Radio said. Israel also has two commercial satellites.
CJ’s lawyers responsible for second reference, claims Zafar
ISLAMABAD, June 11: Lawyers defending Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry are responsible for the formulation of the second reference against him, says federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar.
The chief justice’s lawyers chose politics over law as a means of defence, and politicised the whole issue because they knew they did not have adequate legal defence, the minister said.
He said the government would not have prepared a new reference if the Chief Justice’s lawyers had not taken the ill-advised and politically-motivated step of filing his affidavit.
The law minister said in a statement that the three affidavits filed by the government contained “nothing but the whole truth”, and the government had been forced to react to the move initiated by the honourable Chief Justice.
“The government had not disclosed the facts earlier just because it wanted to save the judiciary’s honour and dignity. But after these fact were publicised, the government was constitutionally obligated to file a fresh reference,” Mr Zafar said.
The law minister said the Chief Justice’s lawyers were also responsible for all the post-reference acts and events, which “are part of the second reference”.
“Now they are once again attempting to avoid embarrassment by making political statements over a purely constitutional and legal matter as they are fully aware that they don’t have any legal defence,” he added.
Lawyers of the chief justice “have actually attempted to pressurise the whole society, courts, and the judiciary but they have failed miserably”, Mr Zafar said.
The law minister also accused the lawyers of misguiding the media and prompted it to violate the instructions issued by the apex court and the Supreme Judicial Council. The Chief Justice’s lawyers, he alleged, wanted to achieve their own political objectives even by putting ‘national interests at stake’.
Mr Zafar said that judicial norms, ethics and the national interest required the adoption of legal and constitutional ways in the matter but the Chief Justice’s lawyers intentionally flouted them.
The chief justice’s lawyers chose politics over law as a means of defence, and politicised the whole issue because they knew they did not have adequate legal defence, the minister said.
He said the government would not have prepared a new reference if the Chief Justice’s lawyers had not taken the ill-advised and politically-motivated step of filing his affidavit.
The law minister said in a statement that the three affidavits filed by the government contained “nothing but the whole truth”, and the government had been forced to react to the move initiated by the honourable Chief Justice.
“The government had not disclosed the facts earlier just because it wanted to save the judiciary’s honour and dignity. But after these fact were publicised, the government was constitutionally obligated to file a fresh reference,” Mr Zafar said.
The law minister said the Chief Justice’s lawyers were also responsible for all the post-reference acts and events, which “are part of the second reference”.
“Now they are once again attempting to avoid embarrassment by making political statements over a purely constitutional and legal matter as they are fully aware that they don’t have any legal defence,” he added.
Lawyers of the chief justice “have actually attempted to pressurise the whole society, courts, and the judiciary but they have failed miserably”, Mr Zafar said.
The law minister also accused the lawyers of misguiding the media and prompted it to violate the instructions issued by the apex court and the Supreme Judicial Council. The Chief Justice’s lawyers, he alleged, wanted to achieve their own political objectives even by putting ‘national interests at stake’.
Mr Zafar said that judicial norms, ethics and the national interest required the adoption of legal and constitutional ways in the matter but the Chief Justice’s lawyers intentionally flouted them.
A Jolly Good Show, but the Wrong Side of the Pond
Give him a sword and a tunic, and Chuck Schumer would have made a passable Oliver Cromwell as he stood on the Senate floor yesterday.
The New York Democrat, playing a British parliamentarian, had come to seek a "vote of no confidence" in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- and thereby deal a blow to the imperial reign of President Bush the Second.
"We have a sacred, noble obligation in this country to defend the rule of law!" said the honorable Member of Parliament from High Dudgeon. "Without rule of law, without democracy, without rule of law being applied without fear or favor, there is no freedom!"
There was one big problem with Lord Protector Schumer's plan: The American system of government does not have no-confidence votes. That's what they do in Britain and other places with prime ministers and Houses of Commons and that sort of thing.
"This is not the British Parliament, and I hope it never will become the British Parliament," protested Sen. Trent Lott (Miss.), the chamber's No. 2 Republican. "Are we going to bring the president in here and have a question period like the prime minister has in Great Britain?"
The Senate Republican war room even distributed some talking points about the separation of powers -- written by James Madison in 1789.
Facing little risk of an actual beheading, Bush seemed happy to play King Charles to Schumer's Cromwell. Asked about the no-confidence vote while traveling in Bulgaria, the president made it clear: We are not amused.
"They can try to have their votes of no confidence, but it's not going to determine -- make the determination -- who serves in my government," Bush said.
My government? Only in America would the president turn himself into a king on the very same day that the Senate decides to become a parliament.
Though the Justice Department's inspector general is investigating politicization at Gonzales's department, Bush single-handedly exonerated his attorney general. "There's no wrongdoing," he determined from Sofia, repeating his statement of authority: "I'll make the determination if I think he's effective or not, not those who are using an opportunity to make a political statement on a meaningless resolution."
The unusual circumstances of the no-confidence vote brought awkward behavior. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) showed up wearing a tuxedo, even though it was not yet evening. Freshman Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) referred to the Senate's presiding officer as "Madam Speaker." Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), under scrutiny in a Justice Department corruption probe, voted "present."
The House, meanwhile, has shown no interest in taking up a no-confidence vote. It spent yesterday on more pressing matters, such as House Resolution 354, recognizing "the official 50th anniversary celebration of the beginnings of marinas, power production, recreation, and boating on Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia."
Schumer, in announcing his no-confidence plan last month, had seen "a very good chance" that he would get the 60 votes needed to succeed. But Senate Republicans, though disinclined to defend Gonzales, felt comfortable questioning the propriety of a no-confidence vote and attacked Schumer's motives because he runs the Senate Democrats' political campaign.
"I can't understand why it isn't a conflict of interest," argued Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the Senate Republican leader. Lott asked whether "we should be calling for a vote of no confidence in the Senate."
Even Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supported Schumer's proposal, acknowledged the widely held view that "our form of government does not have a no-confidence vote."
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), evidently inspired by the Anglophilic proceedings, began with the Bard. "To paraphrase Shakespeare, whether this debate amounts to sound and fury, it signifies nothing," he said, before turning to ancient Rome. "The Senate should not even consider such a resolution, evoking the image of Caesar listening to the chants of the crowd before a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down."
Hatch provided the almost empty chamber with a brief civics lesson. "This is not a parliament," he explained. "In our presidential system of government, the separation of powers means that the chief executive is elected separately from the legislature, and Cabinet officials, such as the attorney general, serve at the pleasure of the president."
Schumer stood at his back-row desk to challenge the monarchists. "It is a rare measure, I know," he said. "It is one with few precedents, but it is called for today because the dire situation at the Justice Department is also without precedent."
Repeatedly, Schumer tossed out words such as "universal" and "sacred" and "highest calling" as he condemned the "Gonzales regime."
"It is politics to put blind loyalty to a political leader over the sacred, century-after-century tradition of rule of law," he said.
Fifty-two senators joined the Lord Protector in defense of the sacred rule of law -- seven short of the number needed to behead, figuratively anyway, the monarch.
The New York Democrat, playing a British parliamentarian, had come to seek a "vote of no confidence" in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales -- and thereby deal a blow to the imperial reign of President Bush the Second.
"We have a sacred, noble obligation in this country to defend the rule of law!" said the honorable Member of Parliament from High Dudgeon. "Without rule of law, without democracy, without rule of law being applied without fear or favor, there is no freedom!"
There was one big problem with Lord Protector Schumer's plan: The American system of government does not have no-confidence votes. That's what they do in Britain and other places with prime ministers and Houses of Commons and that sort of thing.
"This is not the British Parliament, and I hope it never will become the British Parliament," protested Sen. Trent Lott (Miss.), the chamber's No. 2 Republican. "Are we going to bring the president in here and have a question period like the prime minister has in Great Britain?"
The Senate Republican war room even distributed some talking points about the separation of powers -- written by James Madison in 1789.
Facing little risk of an actual beheading, Bush seemed happy to play King Charles to Schumer's Cromwell. Asked about the no-confidence vote while traveling in Bulgaria, the president made it clear: We are not amused.
"They can try to have their votes of no confidence, but it's not going to determine -- make the determination -- who serves in my government," Bush said.
My government? Only in America would the president turn himself into a king on the very same day that the Senate decides to become a parliament.
Though the Justice Department's inspector general is investigating politicization at Gonzales's department, Bush single-handedly exonerated his attorney general. "There's no wrongdoing," he determined from Sofia, repeating his statement of authority: "I'll make the determination if I think he's effective or not, not those who are using an opportunity to make a political statement on a meaningless resolution."
The unusual circumstances of the no-confidence vote brought awkward behavior. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) showed up wearing a tuxedo, even though it was not yet evening. Freshman Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) referred to the Senate's presiding officer as "Madam Speaker." Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), under scrutiny in a Justice Department corruption probe, voted "present."
The House, meanwhile, has shown no interest in taking up a no-confidence vote. It spent yesterday on more pressing matters, such as House Resolution 354, recognizing "the official 50th anniversary celebration of the beginnings of marinas, power production, recreation, and boating on Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia."
Schumer, in announcing his no-confidence plan last month, had seen "a very good chance" that he would get the 60 votes needed to succeed. But Senate Republicans, though disinclined to defend Gonzales, felt comfortable questioning the propriety of a no-confidence vote and attacked Schumer's motives because he runs the Senate Democrats' political campaign.
"I can't understand why it isn't a conflict of interest," argued Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the Senate Republican leader. Lott asked whether "we should be calling for a vote of no confidence in the Senate."
Even Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supported Schumer's proposal, acknowledged the widely held view that "our form of government does not have a no-confidence vote."
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), evidently inspired by the Anglophilic proceedings, began with the Bard. "To paraphrase Shakespeare, whether this debate amounts to sound and fury, it signifies nothing," he said, before turning to ancient Rome. "The Senate should not even consider such a resolution, evoking the image of Caesar listening to the chants of the crowd before a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down."
Hatch provided the almost empty chamber with a brief civics lesson. "This is not a parliament," he explained. "In our presidential system of government, the separation of powers means that the chief executive is elected separately from the legislature, and Cabinet officials, such as the attorney general, serve at the pleasure of the president."
Schumer stood at his back-row desk to challenge the monarchists. "It is a rare measure, I know," he said. "It is one with few precedents, but it is called for today because the dire situation at the Justice Department is also without precedent."
Repeatedly, Schumer tossed out words such as "universal" and "sacred" and "highest calling" as he condemned the "Gonzales regime."
"It is politics to put blind loyalty to a political leader over the sacred, century-after-century tradition of rule of law," he said.
Fifty-two senators joined the Lord Protector in defense of the sacred rule of law -- seven short of the number needed to behead, figuratively anyway, the monarch.
'Enemy combatant' ruling blow to Bush
The White House suffered another serious legal blow in the "war on terror" on Monday when a court ruled that the military could not indefinitely detain a Qatari citizen captured in the US.
In a ruling with significant implications for presidential powers, the Court of Appeals ordered George W. Bush's administration to transfer Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri – a computer science student arrested in Illinois in connection with the 9/11 attacks – to the criminal court system.
"The president lacks power to order the military to seize and indefinitely detain al-Marri," wrote Judge Diana Gibbon Motz in the 2-1 decision. "We have found no authority for holding that the evidence offered by the government affords a basis for treating al-Marri as an enemy combatant, or as anything other than a civilian."
Mr Marri was arrested in late 2001 in connection with the 9/11 investigation. He was set for a criminal trial in 2003 on charges including credit card fraud. Weeks before his trial, however, Mr Bush classified him as an "enemy combatant".
He was removed from the criminal justice system and transferred to a naval prison in South Carolina.
"This is a huge victory," said Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer at the Brennan Center's Liberty National Security Project who represented Mr Marri. "The ruling puts the US where it belongs: in full support of fundamental habeas corpus rights even in times of perceived emergency. The court soundly and rightly rejected the administration's attempt to treat the globe as a battlefield that is exempt from rule of law."
The justice department said on Monday it would appeal. It had argued that Congress gave Mr Bush the authority to declare Mr Marri an "enemy combatant" when it authorised the use of force to prosecute the "war on terror" after 9/11.
The court also rejected the argument that the battleground extended to the US.
"If the president had his way, he would have virtually unlimited authority to detain any non-citizen on his say-so, place him in indefinite military custody, and deny him access to court to challenge the detention," said Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch. "This decision should remind the president that even he is not above the law."
The decision is the second setback for the administration in as many weeks. Last week, military judges at Guantánamo Bay ruled Congress had not authorised the administration to try "enemy combatants" at military commissions.
The Pentagon has asked the judges to reconsider the ruling. Separately, Colin Powell, former secretary of state under Mr Bush, over the weekend said the US should close Guantánamo.
In a ruling with significant implications for presidential powers, the Court of Appeals ordered George W. Bush's administration to transfer Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri – a computer science student arrested in Illinois in connection with the 9/11 attacks – to the criminal court system.
"The president lacks power to order the military to seize and indefinitely detain al-Marri," wrote Judge Diana Gibbon Motz in the 2-1 decision. "We have found no authority for holding that the evidence offered by the government affords a basis for treating al-Marri as an enemy combatant, or as anything other than a civilian."
Mr Marri was arrested in late 2001 in connection with the 9/11 investigation. He was set for a criminal trial in 2003 on charges including credit card fraud. Weeks before his trial, however, Mr Bush classified him as an "enemy combatant".
He was removed from the criminal justice system and transferred to a naval prison in South Carolina.
"This is a huge victory," said Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer at the Brennan Center's Liberty National Security Project who represented Mr Marri. "The ruling puts the US where it belongs: in full support of fundamental habeas corpus rights even in times of perceived emergency. The court soundly and rightly rejected the administration's attempt to treat the globe as a battlefield that is exempt from rule of law."
The justice department said on Monday it would appeal. It had argued that Congress gave Mr Bush the authority to declare Mr Marri an "enemy combatant" when it authorised the use of force to prosecute the "war on terror" after 9/11.
The court also rejected the argument that the battleground extended to the US.
"If the president had his way, he would have virtually unlimited authority to detain any non-citizen on his say-so, place him in indefinite military custody, and deny him access to court to challenge the detention," said Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch. "This decision should remind the president that even he is not above the law."
The decision is the second setback for the administration in as many weeks. Last week, military judges at Guantánamo Bay ruled Congress had not authorised the administration to try "enemy combatants" at military commissions.
The Pentagon has asked the judges to reconsider the ruling. Separately, Colin Powell, former secretary of state under Mr Bush, over the weekend said the US should close Guantánamo.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Home again: Flint's Idol awaits hometown celebration, then life after the show
The sassy "American Idol" star was to arrive from Houston on Friday. As expected, she sang the national anthem for last night's Detroit Tigers-New York Mets game at Comerica Park
But today is her big day. There will be a teaser appearance at 11:30 a.m. at Patsy Lou Buick GMC in Flint Township.
Then the woman local fans dubbed "Flint's Rose" and the city she left nearly seven years ago will get reacquainted for about three hours starting at 5 p.m. at Atwood Stadium.
Today's rally is, in essence, the one originally planned for May 11 had Jones made it to the Top 3 on "Idol."
That was the week she was voted off, finishing fourth overall, so her Michigan reception was pushed back to a day that fit her busy post-"Idol" schedule.
There will be presentations, speeches, performances and a couple of songs from the guest of honor, who still sounds surprised by the support from the struggling Midwestern factory town where she was born and raised.
"I'm so honored and really happy at the response I got from Flint and the state of Michigan," Jones, 27, said recently from Houston, where she was the guest of honor of a similar celebration on May 30.
The Flint Central High School grad and former University of Michigan-Flint student indicated in previous interviews that she'll probably settle in the Texas city, or Los Angeles, once her "Idol" commitments are over and she can take her blossoming career to the next level.
Jones, who has been singing in church since age 5, moved to Houston to pursue her dream of a music career.
She was warmly embraced by the city's massive Abundant Life Cathedral Church, with its 7,000 members, award-winning choirs, record label and a reputation for turning out gospel stars (Yolanda Adams among them). Houston was where her 4-year-old daughter, Brionne, was born.
But Jones admits she wasn't sure how she would be received last week, especially since she left Houston last July for a bank teller's job in suburban Baltimore.
"I was actually shocked. I wasn't sure how Houston was going to respond to me. I hadn't been here in a year," she said.
"But I knew that my church here, Abundant Life, I knew they were supporting me with a rally every week, but I wasn't sure how the city as a whole would respond. But since I've been here people are stopping me and congratulating me."
Of course, she didn't expect the kind of support she got in her hometown either, where Flint City Hall and the Palm Tree Lounge hosted weekly viewing parties, radio DJs talked her up on the air and The Journal offered extensive coverage.
"My mom would call me all the time and tell me what was going on (and say things like), 'They've got a billboard of you on Dort Highway,'" Jones said, referring to her mother, Beverly Jefferson, who looked after Brionne while Jones was in Hollywood.
She may have been an unknown when she left Flint, but she quickly became a source of hope and inspiration for folks here and returned, albeit briefly, to a hero's welcome May 27 at Bishop Airport, where more than 200 fans cheered her on.
Her mom said it was one for the books.
"It was a new experience. She hadn't been here in a while, especially since she had moved away," Jefferson said. "She can come back and know they love her like she's never been gone."
That's a big reason why she's coming back.
Jones said she wants to let the city and area where she grew up to know that she appreciates everything the hometown has done for its home girl.
"I'm coming back and spending the whole day with the city and thanking them for voting for me and supporting me and encouraging me," Jones said.
But it will be a short homecoming.
Jones travels to Lansing on Monday. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will speak at a noon celebration on the Capitol steps organized by State Rep. Brenda Clack.
She'll also do some telephone interviews to promote the upcoming "American Idols Live" tour, on which she will participate with this year's "Idol" winner, Jordin Sparks, and the rest of the Top 10 finalists, including the ever-popular, oft-maligned Sanjaya Malakar.
The tour runs July 6-Sept. 22 and includes one Michigan stop, an Aug. 12 performance at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Jones leaves for rehearsals in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
"We'll do some classics from the show, some new numbers with the boys and girls from the Top 10," she said, "and you'll see some duets performed by some of your favorite contestants."
But today is her big day. There will be a teaser appearance at 11:30 a.m. at Patsy Lou Buick GMC in Flint Township.
Then the woman local fans dubbed "Flint's Rose" and the city she left nearly seven years ago will get reacquainted for about three hours starting at 5 p.m. at Atwood Stadium.
Today's rally is, in essence, the one originally planned for May 11 had Jones made it to the Top 3 on "Idol."
That was the week she was voted off, finishing fourth overall, so her Michigan reception was pushed back to a day that fit her busy post-"Idol" schedule.
There will be presentations, speeches, performances and a couple of songs from the guest of honor, who still sounds surprised by the support from the struggling Midwestern factory town where she was born and raised.
"I'm so honored and really happy at the response I got from Flint and the state of Michigan," Jones, 27, said recently from Houston, where she was the guest of honor of a similar celebration on May 30.
The Flint Central High School grad and former University of Michigan-Flint student indicated in previous interviews that she'll probably settle in the Texas city, or Los Angeles, once her "Idol" commitments are over and she can take her blossoming career to the next level.
Jones, who has been singing in church since age 5, moved to Houston to pursue her dream of a music career.
She was warmly embraced by the city's massive Abundant Life Cathedral Church, with its 7,000 members, award-winning choirs, record label and a reputation for turning out gospel stars (Yolanda Adams among them). Houston was where her 4-year-old daughter, Brionne, was born.
But Jones admits she wasn't sure how she would be received last week, especially since she left Houston last July for a bank teller's job in suburban Baltimore.
"I was actually shocked. I wasn't sure how Houston was going to respond to me. I hadn't been here in a year," she said.
"But I knew that my church here, Abundant Life, I knew they were supporting me with a rally every week, but I wasn't sure how the city as a whole would respond. But since I've been here people are stopping me and congratulating me."
Of course, she didn't expect the kind of support she got in her hometown either, where Flint City Hall and the Palm Tree Lounge hosted weekly viewing parties, radio DJs talked her up on the air and The Journal offered extensive coverage.
"My mom would call me all the time and tell me what was going on (and say things like), 'They've got a billboard of you on Dort Highway,'" Jones said, referring to her mother, Beverly Jefferson, who looked after Brionne while Jones was in Hollywood.
She may have been an unknown when she left Flint, but she quickly became a source of hope and inspiration for folks here and returned, albeit briefly, to a hero's welcome May 27 at Bishop Airport, where more than 200 fans cheered her on.
Her mom said it was one for the books.
"It was a new experience. She hadn't been here in a while, especially since she had moved away," Jefferson said. "She can come back and know they love her like she's never been gone."
That's a big reason why she's coming back.
Jones said she wants to let the city and area where she grew up to know that she appreciates everything the hometown has done for its home girl.
"I'm coming back and spending the whole day with the city and thanking them for voting for me and supporting me and encouraging me," Jones said.
But it will be a short homecoming.
Jones travels to Lansing on Monday. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will speak at a noon celebration on the Capitol steps organized by State Rep. Brenda Clack.
She'll also do some telephone interviews to promote the upcoming "American Idols Live" tour, on which she will participate with this year's "Idol" winner, Jordin Sparks, and the rest of the Top 10 finalists, including the ever-popular, oft-maligned Sanjaya Malakar.
The tour runs July 6-Sept. 22 and includes one Michigan stop, an Aug. 12 performance at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Jones leaves for rehearsals in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
"We'll do some classics from the show, some new numbers with the boys and girls from the Top 10," she said, "and you'll see some duets performed by some of your favorite contestants."
'American Idol', 'Heroes' compete at TV Critics Awards
MUMBAI: The Television Critics Association in the US has unveiled its 2007 TCA Award nominations. Winners will be announced next month.
The nominees for programe of the year are Fox's music based reality show American Idol, Friday Night Lights trom NBC, the drama show Heroes from NBC, Discovery's show Planet Earth and HBO's The Wire and When the Levees Broke.
NBC leads the list with 13 nominations on the strength of its freshmen series, including 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and Heroes, which garnered 12 nominations total. The Office got one nomination.
HBO received nine notices overall. Veteran gangster series The Sopranos and The Wire received nominations in the dramatic categories while the Spike Lee documentary When the Levees Broke secured three nominations.
Competing for best comedy show are 30 Rock, The Daily Show, Entourage, The Office and Ugly Betty. For drama the nominees are Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Lost, The Sopranos and The Wire.
The nominees for programe of the year are Fox's music based reality show American Idol, Friday Night Lights trom NBC, the drama show Heroes from NBC, Discovery's show Planet Earth and HBO's The Wire and When the Levees Broke.
NBC leads the list with 13 nominations on the strength of its freshmen series, including 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and Heroes, which garnered 12 nominations total. The Office got one nomination.
HBO received nine notices overall. Veteran gangster series The Sopranos and The Wire received nominations in the dramatic categories while the Spike Lee documentary When the Levees Broke secured three nominations.
Competing for best comedy show are 30 Rock, The Daily Show, Entourage, The Office and Ugly Betty. For drama the nominees are Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Lost, The Sopranos and The Wire.
Clay Aiken Named In Top Three Idol Songs
RALEIGH - In a special American Idol bonus edition of Entertainment Weekly (issue #937) on sale in June, Raleigh native Clay Aiken was listed as having one of the top song performances ever on the amazingly successful American Idol TV show.
In an article entitled "Best (and Worst) Idol Performances Ever", Aiken was listed at number three in the "Best" category with his performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" on May 20, 2003 during the show's second season.
In a pull-out quote with a picture of Aiken, the magazine spoke about that special performance where "backed by a gospel choir, Clay Aiken delivered a version of Simon & Garfunkel's number one hit that managed to be both over the top and expertly scaled."
In the special issue, Aiken was also named as having the biggest change in appearance since beginning on American Idol.
In a full page photo story, the magazine says that out of all the contestants, Aiken had the "ultimate Idol evolution" and went from "totally geek to totally chic" with his current look that includes longer hair, tailored suits, and contact lenses instead of glasses.
In a separate article that is an American Idol quiz, the magazine says that out of all of the American Idol contestants, Aiken had the second highest grossing debut album with 2.8 million in sales of his "Measure of a Man" album. Only Carrie Underwood had higher sales than Aiken in her debut album.
The content in the special issue with Jordin Sparks on the cover (the most recent American Idol winner) is not available at Entertainment Weekly's website, but the print magazine is still on sale on newsracks this month.
For those wanting to catch Clay Aiken in action, the star will be performing at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Friday August 10th at 8:30pm.
The tickets for that show are already on sale, according to the city of Cary.
For those seeking even more American Idol action, the official Idol tour will be stopping in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum on September 11th.
Tickets cost from $40 to $73, depending on the seat location. ::
In an article entitled "Best (and Worst) Idol Performances Ever", Aiken was listed at number three in the "Best" category with his performance of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" on May 20, 2003 during the show's second season.
In a pull-out quote with a picture of Aiken, the magazine spoke about that special performance where "backed by a gospel choir, Clay Aiken delivered a version of Simon & Garfunkel's number one hit that managed to be both over the top and expertly scaled."
In the special issue, Aiken was also named as having the biggest change in appearance since beginning on American Idol.
In a full page photo story, the magazine says that out of all the contestants, Aiken had the "ultimate Idol evolution" and went from "totally geek to totally chic" with his current look that includes longer hair, tailored suits, and contact lenses instead of glasses.
In a separate article that is an American Idol quiz, the magazine says that out of all of the American Idol contestants, Aiken had the second highest grossing debut album with 2.8 million in sales of his "Measure of a Man" album. Only Carrie Underwood had higher sales than Aiken in her debut album.
The content in the special issue with Jordin Sparks on the cover (the most recent American Idol winner) is not available at Entertainment Weekly's website, but the print magazine is still on sale on newsracks this month.
For those wanting to catch Clay Aiken in action, the star will be performing at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Friday August 10th at 8:30pm.
The tickets for that show are already on sale, according to the city of Cary.
For those seeking even more American Idol action, the official Idol tour will be stopping in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum on September 11th.
Tickets cost from $40 to $73, depending on the seat location. ::
American Idol: Taylor Hicks' memoir gets release date
Taylor Hicks, the winner of American Idol's fifth season, has found a release date for his upcoming memoir. The book is entitled “Heart Full of Soul” and will be released to the public on Tuesday, July 10. The book will be released by Rand House Publishing.
Taylor Hicks memoir is an “inspirational memoir about finding your voice and finding your way.” Fair enough. The silver haired blues singer has found mild success since winning Idol, but has been overshadowed a few fellow members of season 5. Chris Daughtry, the fourth place finisher, has especially taken the world by storm, selling over two million records. Katherine McPhee and Elliot Yamin haven't had Daughtry level sales, but both have done quite well. Hicks, however, is the first to write a book.
He didn't write it alone, however. “Heart Full of Soul” was ghost-written by former Rolling Stone scribe David Wild. It's been reported that Taylor received a hefty $750,000 advance to write the memoirs, which does seem a bit high. It's unclear how well American Idol fame will translate into book sales, but Hicks and company seem optimistic.
The book is 272 pages long. There is no word on font size (as of yet; we'll keep you updated). You can pre-order it anywhere you would normally pre-order a book.
Taylor Hicks has been unfairly chastised for his lack of post-Idol success, and there are a significant portion of Idol fans who don't believe he deserved to win the whole thing. His performance during the Idol finale, however, was the type of thing that reminds everyone just how good he can be. He's a unique dude with a style on his own, and there's no shame in feeling good about him and his Idol victory.
Taylor Hicks memoir is an “inspirational memoir about finding your voice and finding your way.” Fair enough. The silver haired blues singer has found mild success since winning Idol, but has been overshadowed a few fellow members of season 5. Chris Daughtry, the fourth place finisher, has especially taken the world by storm, selling over two million records. Katherine McPhee and Elliot Yamin haven't had Daughtry level sales, but both have done quite well. Hicks, however, is the first to write a book.
He didn't write it alone, however. “Heart Full of Soul” was ghost-written by former Rolling Stone scribe David Wild. It's been reported that Taylor received a hefty $750,000 advance to write the memoirs, which does seem a bit high. It's unclear how well American Idol fame will translate into book sales, but Hicks and company seem optimistic.
The book is 272 pages long. There is no word on font size (as of yet; we'll keep you updated). You can pre-order it anywhere you would normally pre-order a book.
Taylor Hicks has been unfairly chastised for his lack of post-Idol success, and there are a significant portion of Idol fans who don't believe he deserved to win the whole thing. His performance during the Idol finale, however, was the type of thing that reminds everyone just how good he can be. He's a unique dude with a style on his own, and there's no shame in feeling good about him and his Idol victory.
American Idol Star Surprises Jacksonville Bride and Groom
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Former American Idol contestant, Phil Stacey, surprised many wedding guests at the Hyatt last weekend.
Abe Salem and Susan Samaan got married last Saturday.
The two got quite a treat when Stacey got up on stage and sang a song to the happy couple.
Guests from the wedding were outside the reception hall when they saw Stacey standing outside. He was attending a military event.
They asked Stacey to come into the wedding and meet all 600 guests.
It was quite a night for all the guests and a night to remember for the bride and groom.
Phil Stacey was voted off American Idol May 2. He is a Navy singer.
Stacey and another finalist will be in concert on July 8 at the Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena.
Abe Salem and Susan Samaan got married last Saturday.
The two got quite a treat when Stacey got up on stage and sang a song to the happy couple.
Guests from the wedding were outside the reception hall when they saw Stacey standing outside. He was attending a military event.
They asked Stacey to come into the wedding and meet all 600 guests.
It was quite a night for all the guests and a night to remember for the bride and groom.
Phil Stacey was voted off American Idol May 2. He is a Navy singer.
Stacey and another finalist will be in concert on July 8 at the Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena.
Idol datebook
You think "American Idol" is done for the year? Never! "Idol" is a 12-month juggernaut, with a summer tour coming up and a new wave of tryouts just around the corner. Here are some dates that "Idol" and LaKisha Jones fans might want to remember:
Monday: Gov. Jennifer Granholm and others salute LaKisha at a noon rally on the steps of the Capitol in Lansing, hosted by state Rep. Brenda Clack, with a performance by the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church youth choir.
Tuesday: LaKisha travels to Los Angeles for "American Idols Live" tour
June 23: WSMH (Channel 66) hosts the annual "Mid-Michigan Idol" auditions at Genesee Valley shopping center, open to the first 100 who sign up. Registration is at 10:30 a.m., with tryouts at 11 a.m.
June 24: First-season "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson appears with Reba McEntire on CMT's "Crossroads" at 8 p.m.
July 4: Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, runner-up Blake Lewis and third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle join country star Martina McBride, one of their guest coaches this year, on NBC's "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" at 9 p.m.
July 6: "American Idols Live" tour opens in Florida.
July 16: Last year's No. 4 finalist, Chris Daughtry, and his band open for Nickelback and Staind at Joe Louis Arena.
July 21: Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini headlines WSMH's third annual "Bringing It Home," a free festival from noon-6 p.m. at Perani Arena. Ten finalists will compete to be this year's "Mid-Michigan Idol." Spoils include a free trip to an "Idol" audition host city and possible tryout for Season 7.
July 23: Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken performs at Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights.
Aug. 10: Kelly Clarkson performs at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Aug. 12: LaKisha Jones, this year's winner Jordin Sparks, runner-up Blake Lewis, Melinda Doolittle, Sanjaya Malakar and other Top 10 finalists from Season 6 perform as the "American Idols Live" tour comes to The Palace.
August: Season 7 tryouts (dates and locations TBA).
Monday: Gov. Jennifer Granholm and others salute LaKisha at a noon rally on the steps of the Capitol in Lansing, hosted by state Rep. Brenda Clack, with a performance by the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church youth choir.
Tuesday: LaKisha travels to Los Angeles for "American Idols Live" tour
June 23: WSMH (Channel 66) hosts the annual "Mid-Michigan Idol" auditions at Genesee Valley shopping center, open to the first 100 who sign up. Registration is at 10:30 a.m., with tryouts at 11 a.m.
June 24: First-season "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson appears with Reba McEntire on CMT's "Crossroads" at 8 p.m.
July 4: Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, runner-up Blake Lewis and third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle join country star Martina McBride, one of their guest coaches this year, on NBC's "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" at 9 p.m.
July 6: "American Idols Live" tour opens in Florida.
July 16: Last year's No. 4 finalist, Chris Daughtry, and his band open for Nickelback and Staind at Joe Louis Arena.
July 21: Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini headlines WSMH's third annual "Bringing It Home," a free festival from noon-6 p.m. at Perani Arena. Ten finalists will compete to be this year's "Mid-Michigan Idol." Spoils include a free trip to an "Idol" audition host city and possible tryout for Season 7.
July 23: Second-season runner-up Clay Aiken performs at Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights.
Aug. 10: Kelly Clarkson performs at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Aug. 12: LaKisha Jones, this year's winner Jordin Sparks, runner-up Blake Lewis, Melinda Doolittle, Sanjaya Malakar and other Top 10 finalists from Season 6 perform as the "American Idols Live" tour comes to The Palace.
August: Season 7 tryouts (dates and locations TBA).
What Does Love Our Children USA Have In Common With American Idol And Dancing With The Stars?
NEW YORK, NY. (NAMC) - Love Our Children USA does not offer a record deal on American Idol or a ballroom trophy on Dancing With The Stars however, it is a World Champion Charity who seeks like-minded votes!
Love Our Children USA is a national charity working to break the cycle of violence and neglect against children. As the Go-To prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect in the United States, Love Our Children USA has accomplished much in its almost nine year history.
The organization is a voice for over 3 million children in our country who are victims of violence and neglect, for almost 1.8 million who are abducted and for almost 600,000 in foster care. As the leading national nonprofit that honors, respects and protects children, the organization has been responsible for saving four teens from suicide, getting several kids and their families into counseling, rescuing a teen from an Internet pedophile, helped several kids resolve bullying problems and provided thousands of parents with information and resources. These are just a handful of their accomplishments.
For their important work, Love Our Children USA has been honored as one of 25 charities Who Make Our Home A Better Place To Live through www.25Charities.com and, one of 21 regional charity winners Who Make The World A Better Place at www.Rezoom.com – and going on to compete for votes as the National winning charity with a $100,000 prize.
Not expecting more votes than American Idol, Dancing With The Stars (although its host Tom Bergeron serves on Love Our Children USA’s Celebrity Board of Governors with many other noted celebrities,) or the Presidential election, Love Our Children USA is asking its supporters, celebrity supporters and the public to vote for their organization which, if they win one or both awards, will bring much needed funds to increase their efforts to break the cycle of violence and neglect against children.
Ross Ellis, Love Our Children USA founder and chief executive officer said “We are honored to compete with all of these other hard-working charities. Unlike most others, we don’t cure, treat or heal. Our cause does not tug at heartstrings because our issue is one that many simply don’t understand …because after all, who would harm children? In two words – we prevent. And that takes as many dollars if not more, so we can stop the violence and neglect before it ever starts.”
Window View Publications and Rezoom.com have recognized the contributions of Love Our Children USA and other esteemed charities by creating a voting process for these charities to win votes and money for their hard work.
Anyone can vote for free on www.25Charities.com. However, by purchasing the book for $29.95, it grants the buyer the equivalent of 100 votes, giving the charity with the most books bought the probability of receiving 20% of gross sales from all books during the promotion dates. And a unique aspect of the book includes the personalization feature, which allows the buyer to customize the first page to the wording of their choice, making it an ideal customized gift for graduations, anniversaries, or other special occasions – giving it the definitive personal touch.
Between June 1 and September 30, 2007, over 25% from each gross sale is given to all World Champion charities. 5% goes to the World Champion charity of your choice, an additional 20% is reserved for the charity with the most votes, and yet an additional 2¢ is donated to each charity in the book, in an effort to give each charity your “Two Cents.”
The personalized hard cover coffee table book with inspiring stories, is a resource for where to turn when people need help, the book, entitled “World Champions: 25 Charities That Make Our Home a Better Place to Live,” and features the missions, pictures, and heartwarming stories of 25 charities, and the impact they have on society.
Through www.Rezoom.com who recognizes the contributions of 21 regional charities who are vying for votes as the national charity Who Makes The World A Better Place and the prize of $100,000, supporters are asked to vote daily. This process begins on July 9th.
Ellis stated “the votes are important as the cash prizes awarded to the winning charity would be used to enhance programs needed to keep children safe. We’re asking our supporters and potentially new supporters to let their votes count through both of these initiatives for Love Our Children USA and for the important work we do to ensure that children grow up to be happy and healthy adults! Our visibility doesn’t come close to these great TV shows but we are hoping that our votes will be abundant.”
Love Our Children USA is a national charity working to break the cycle of violence and neglect against children. As the Go-To prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect in the United States, Love Our Children USA has accomplished much in its almost nine year history.
The organization is a voice for over 3 million children in our country who are victims of violence and neglect, for almost 1.8 million who are abducted and for almost 600,000 in foster care. As the leading national nonprofit that honors, respects and protects children, the organization has been responsible for saving four teens from suicide, getting several kids and their families into counseling, rescuing a teen from an Internet pedophile, helped several kids resolve bullying problems and provided thousands of parents with information and resources. These are just a handful of their accomplishments.
For their important work, Love Our Children USA has been honored as one of 25 charities Who Make Our Home A Better Place To Live through www.25Charities.com and, one of 21 regional charity winners Who Make The World A Better Place at www.Rezoom.com – and going on to compete for votes as the National winning charity with a $100,000 prize.
Not expecting more votes than American Idol, Dancing With The Stars (although its host Tom Bergeron serves on Love Our Children USA’s Celebrity Board of Governors with many other noted celebrities,) or the Presidential election, Love Our Children USA is asking its supporters, celebrity supporters and the public to vote for their organization which, if they win one or both awards, will bring much needed funds to increase their efforts to break the cycle of violence and neglect against children.
Ross Ellis, Love Our Children USA founder and chief executive officer said “We are honored to compete with all of these other hard-working charities. Unlike most others, we don’t cure, treat or heal. Our cause does not tug at heartstrings because our issue is one that many simply don’t understand …because after all, who would harm children? In two words – we prevent. And that takes as many dollars if not more, so we can stop the violence and neglect before it ever starts.”
Window View Publications and Rezoom.com have recognized the contributions of Love Our Children USA and other esteemed charities by creating a voting process for these charities to win votes and money for their hard work.
Anyone can vote for free on www.25Charities.com. However, by purchasing the book for $29.95, it grants the buyer the equivalent of 100 votes, giving the charity with the most books bought the probability of receiving 20% of gross sales from all books during the promotion dates. And a unique aspect of the book includes the personalization feature, which allows the buyer to customize the first page to the wording of their choice, making it an ideal customized gift for graduations, anniversaries, or other special occasions – giving it the definitive personal touch.
Between June 1 and September 30, 2007, over 25% from each gross sale is given to all World Champion charities. 5% goes to the World Champion charity of your choice, an additional 20% is reserved for the charity with the most votes, and yet an additional 2¢ is donated to each charity in the book, in an effort to give each charity your “Two Cents.”
The personalized hard cover coffee table book with inspiring stories, is a resource for where to turn when people need help, the book, entitled “World Champions: 25 Charities That Make Our Home a Better Place to Live,” and features the missions, pictures, and heartwarming stories of 25 charities, and the impact they have on society.
Through www.Rezoom.com who recognizes the contributions of 21 regional charities who are vying for votes as the national charity Who Makes The World A Better Place and the prize of $100,000, supporters are asked to vote daily. This process begins on July 9th.
Ellis stated “the votes are important as the cash prizes awarded to the winning charity would be used to enhance programs needed to keep children safe. We’re asking our supporters and potentially new supporters to let their votes count through both of these initiatives for Love Our Children USA and for the important work we do to ensure that children grow up to be happy and healthy adults! Our visibility doesn’t come close to these great TV shows but we are hoping that our votes will be abundant.”
Getting sloppy with an American Idol
Jim Verraros may be best known as the openly gay “American Idol” contestant on the show’s first series. But hopefully that will soon change. Since the show, Verraros has appeared in the film “Eating Out” and produced a CD, “Rollercoaster.” Now Verraros is back as the lead in “Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds,” the better-than-the-first sequel to the hit film now out on DVD.
In “Eating Out 2,” Verraros plays Kyle, an insecure gay guy whose boyfriend Marc (Brett Chukerman) dumps him. When Kyle and his female friends Gwen (Emily Brooke Hands) and Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan) meet the hunky but sexually confused Troy (Marco Dapper), they try to determine what team Troy plays for. The screwball plot has Kyle pretending to be Tiffani’s boyfriend so he can get close to Troy in a romantic way, even if it means teaching him how to score with women.
Verraros met with PGN to discuss his acting and singing careers, as well as his sexy scenes in “Eating Out 2.”
PGN: Jim, you may be more well-known for singing than for acting — how did you get involved in performing? Would you rather be an actor or a singer?
JV: After I was eliminated [from “American Idol”] back in 2002, I wasn’t even thinking about music to be honest. I had taken such a beating from that show that I was just focused on acting. That was my niche. My cast mates would say, “Jim, you’re fucking hilarious, be in a sitcom or something.” I got an e-mail from my producer about [Q.] Allan Brocka, who was the director of the first [“Eating Out”]. I met him, read the script, fell in love with it, auditioned and he cast me. I don’t really want to choose between either. I want both.
PGN: Were you surprised that you were a supporting character in “Eating Out” but the lead part here? How did that come about?
JV: People connect with my role. I don’t know one gay man who does not feel they aren’t “good enough.”
PGN: Your character, Kyle, is not a confident guy, which hurts his relationships. How are you when it comes to relationships — shy or in control?
JV: People think that I would be the shy one — to be taken control of — but I’m kind of the more aggressive one. I don’t bullshit. I don’t have time to waste.
PGN: Kyle has to pretend to like women to get the hunk of his dreams. Have you ever dated a woman? How far did you get with her?
JV: Yeah, I did date [a girl] in high school. It clearly didn’t work out, but she’s a great girl and I learned a lot. I learned that I’m gay! I’ve had pussy — I’m definitely gay. When I went down on Tiffani in the film, that was method acting — that was going back to the days when I tried to avoid it at all costs.
PGN: In the film, your character kisses many men and women. Who gave the best lip lock?
JV: Rebekah is a good kisser; I just had to react badly to it. Marco [who plays Troy], for being a straight guy, is decent. But the men who I had to kiss in the film — what really impressed me was their professionalism, knowing that I was gay in real life. There are two types of straight men. One who is a bit more insecure about his sexuality, who’s homophobic and then you have the straight man who’s like, “Hey, this is work. It’s a fucking kiss and I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.” And the latter is how they were. They made me feel comfortable.
PGN: Can you discuss the scene where you teach Troy about the fine art of cunnilingus? How were you and Marco not bursting out in hysterics licking each other’s fingers?
JV: It looks funny. I was worried how it would come off. I wanted to ask about women, if they watch that scene and think it’s hot/get off on it. And some girls are like, “I was a little moist.” So we delivered. That’s all that matters. I know, I’m so crude!
PGN: Most of the cast gets naked. But you are wearing two shirts in every scene!
JV: Before we shot, I had worked out for two-and-a-half months so I could feel better about taking my shirt off. It was actually written in the original script that when Octavio [Adrian Quinonez] takes his shirt off [during his love scene with my character], he was supposed to unbutton mine. It never happened. Kyle doesn’t need to [get naked]. I think his character is a bit more conservative.
PGN: You had three songs of yours on the soundtrack of the first “Eating Out;” did you try to get a tune in “Eating Out 2”?
JV: I submitted some brand-new stuff to Phillip [the director], and he loved [the songs] but there wasn’t a place for a full song clip in the film. It just didn’t work. I was fine with it.
PGN: So while you are waiting for your next film role, are you working on another album?
JV: Yeah, I’m halfway through it. It’s going to be different. It’s going to be rock-ier, but I’m going to throw in some twists just to screw with people. A ballad, and something that’s a bit more urban. I am edgier and sexier than the boy bands. “Idol” molds you into this cookie-cutter thing and when I came out with my album, I think people were excited because it was so different. It had its pop moments but there were some sexual moments, where people went, “Holy fuck, did he just say that?” I kind of like getting that reaction.
In “Eating Out 2,” Verraros plays Kyle, an insecure gay guy whose boyfriend Marc (Brett Chukerman) dumps him. When Kyle and his female friends Gwen (Emily Brooke Hands) and Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan) meet the hunky but sexually confused Troy (Marco Dapper), they try to determine what team Troy plays for. The screwball plot has Kyle pretending to be Tiffani’s boyfriend so he can get close to Troy in a romantic way, even if it means teaching him how to score with women.
Verraros met with PGN to discuss his acting and singing careers, as well as his sexy scenes in “Eating Out 2.”
PGN: Jim, you may be more well-known for singing than for acting — how did you get involved in performing? Would you rather be an actor or a singer?
JV: After I was eliminated [from “American Idol”] back in 2002, I wasn’t even thinking about music to be honest. I had taken such a beating from that show that I was just focused on acting. That was my niche. My cast mates would say, “Jim, you’re fucking hilarious, be in a sitcom or something.” I got an e-mail from my producer about [Q.] Allan Brocka, who was the director of the first [“Eating Out”]. I met him, read the script, fell in love with it, auditioned and he cast me. I don’t really want to choose between either. I want both.
PGN: Were you surprised that you were a supporting character in “Eating Out” but the lead part here? How did that come about?
JV: People connect with my role. I don’t know one gay man who does not feel they aren’t “good enough.”
PGN: Your character, Kyle, is not a confident guy, which hurts his relationships. How are you when it comes to relationships — shy or in control?
JV: People think that I would be the shy one — to be taken control of — but I’m kind of the more aggressive one. I don’t bullshit. I don’t have time to waste.
PGN: Kyle has to pretend to like women to get the hunk of his dreams. Have you ever dated a woman? How far did you get with her?
JV: Yeah, I did date [a girl] in high school. It clearly didn’t work out, but she’s a great girl and I learned a lot. I learned that I’m gay! I’ve had pussy — I’m definitely gay. When I went down on Tiffani in the film, that was method acting — that was going back to the days when I tried to avoid it at all costs.
PGN: In the film, your character kisses many men and women. Who gave the best lip lock?
JV: Rebekah is a good kisser; I just had to react badly to it. Marco [who plays Troy], for being a straight guy, is decent. But the men who I had to kiss in the film — what really impressed me was their professionalism, knowing that I was gay in real life. There are two types of straight men. One who is a bit more insecure about his sexuality, who’s homophobic and then you have the straight man who’s like, “Hey, this is work. It’s a fucking kiss and I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.” And the latter is how they were. They made me feel comfortable.
PGN: Can you discuss the scene where you teach Troy about the fine art of cunnilingus? How were you and Marco not bursting out in hysterics licking each other’s fingers?
JV: It looks funny. I was worried how it would come off. I wanted to ask about women, if they watch that scene and think it’s hot/get off on it. And some girls are like, “I was a little moist.” So we delivered. That’s all that matters. I know, I’m so crude!
PGN: Most of the cast gets naked. But you are wearing two shirts in every scene!
JV: Before we shot, I had worked out for two-and-a-half months so I could feel better about taking my shirt off. It was actually written in the original script that when Octavio [Adrian Quinonez] takes his shirt off [during his love scene with my character], he was supposed to unbutton mine. It never happened. Kyle doesn’t need to [get naked]. I think his character is a bit more conservative.
PGN: You had three songs of yours on the soundtrack of the first “Eating Out;” did you try to get a tune in “Eating Out 2”?
JV: I submitted some brand-new stuff to Phillip [the director], and he loved [the songs] but there wasn’t a place for a full song clip in the film. It just didn’t work. I was fine with it.
PGN: So while you are waiting for your next film role, are you working on another album?
JV: Yeah, I’m halfway through it. It’s going to be different. It’s going to be rock-ier, but I’m going to throw in some twists just to screw with people. A ballad, and something that’s a bit more urban. I am edgier and sexier than the boy bands. “Idol” molds you into this cookie-cutter thing and when I came out with my album, I think people were excited because it was so different. It had its pop moments but there were some sexual moments, where people went, “Holy fuck, did he just say that?” I kind of like getting that reaction.
Former 'Idol' contender brings first-album tour to Commodore
It was hard to tell during a recent interview with Elliott Yamin whether he was being sincere or whether he was pumping up his enthusiasm with hopes it would be contagious.
As a graduate of the slickly produced TV talent show, American Idol, Yamin has undoubtedly had plenty of coaching in the public relations department. Having learned from the likes of one of TV's shiniest hosts, Ryan Seacrest, and the show's bubbly judge and former cheerleader, Paula Abdul, Yamin talks over the phone as if he's reading from a series of sentences punctuated with exclamation points.
"It's going great!" he crows about his North American tour.
"The crowds are getting louder and bigger and the shows are getting better and tighter and the music is great!
"The audience knows every word to every song!"
The 28-year-old is touring to support his debut self-titled album, recorded on an independent label. It's a sometimes sultry, sometimes soulful -- and often cliched -- R&B affair that shows off Yamin's strong vocals and is jam-packed with the kind of inspirational lyrics that have become predictable from the alumni of American Idol.
On Free, he sings: "I'm starting to see myself so clear, like a light shining into the night . . . I believe that miracles happen."
Going from pharmacy clerk to a solo musician who is selling out shows and sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard Independent chart isn't quite a miracle, but there was definitely a bit of TV and entertainment biz magic involved Yamin's rise to success.
American Idol attracts about 30 million viewers and claims to be the most-watched show on television. Yamin placed third after Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, but still managed to earn about 17 million votes for what would be his final performance.
It was a crash course in performing for a guy who was once too shy to sing in front of an audience.
"I was terrified every week," he says.
But his performing anxieties are old news now, and he says he's having a great time touring his new material.
"I feel like I can go out there and really command the stage," he says.
"It's just like a big party up on stage."
As a graduate of the slickly produced TV talent show, American Idol, Yamin has undoubtedly had plenty of coaching in the public relations department. Having learned from the likes of one of TV's shiniest hosts, Ryan Seacrest, and the show's bubbly judge and former cheerleader, Paula Abdul, Yamin talks over the phone as if he's reading from a series of sentences punctuated with exclamation points.
"It's going great!" he crows about his North American tour.
"The crowds are getting louder and bigger and the shows are getting better and tighter and the music is great!
"The audience knows every word to every song!"
The 28-year-old is touring to support his debut self-titled album, recorded on an independent label. It's a sometimes sultry, sometimes soulful -- and often cliched -- R&B affair that shows off Yamin's strong vocals and is jam-packed with the kind of inspirational lyrics that have become predictable from the alumni of American Idol.
On Free, he sings: "I'm starting to see myself so clear, like a light shining into the night . . . I believe that miracles happen."
Going from pharmacy clerk to a solo musician who is selling out shows and sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard Independent chart isn't quite a miracle, but there was definitely a bit of TV and entertainment biz magic involved Yamin's rise to success.
American Idol attracts about 30 million viewers and claims to be the most-watched show on television. Yamin placed third after Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, but still managed to earn about 17 million votes for what would be his final performance.
It was a crash course in performing for a guy who was once too shy to sing in front of an audience.
"I was terrified every week," he says.
But his performing anxieties are old news now, and he says he's having a great time touring his new material.
"I feel like I can go out there and really command the stage," he says.
"It's just like a big party up on stage."
ACT-SO to serenade 'Idol'
Most Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Audrianna Brown had a standing appointment with LaKisha Jones.
Right after wrapping up her daily saxophone practice, the Albee Township teenager would plop down on the couch to watch every "American Idol" episode, cheering Jones until the end.
Now, the Chesaning Union High School student can't wait to horn in on LaKisha-Mania.
Brown and her bandmates with the Saginaw NAACP ACT-SO Jazz Ensemble will share the stage, or steps if you will, with Jones on Monday at the Capitol in Lansing.
"To come out of this community and achieve so much ... she is an idol to me," said the tenor sax-playing daughter of George and Martha Brown.
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm will honor the singing sensation.
The grand celebration will bring to an end a four-day Jonesfest, which began Friday night with her singing the national anthem before the Detroit Tigers baseball game at Comerica Park.
Today, Jones fans anticipate a turnout of 1,000 people to greet her at a 5 p.m. party at Atwood Stadium, 710 W. Third in Flint. Jones likely will sign autographs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. She'll perform a couple of songs.
On Monday, the youth jazz ensemble will perform two sets in Lansing -- one before Granholm speaks and another before Flint's favorite songbird captivates her adoring fans.
State Rep. Brenda Clack, a Flint Democrat, invited the ACT-SO group to the celebration.
Right after wrapping up her daily saxophone practice, the Albee Township teenager would plop down on the couch to watch every "American Idol" episode, cheering Jones until the end.
Now, the Chesaning Union High School student can't wait to horn in on LaKisha-Mania.
Brown and her bandmates with the Saginaw NAACP ACT-SO Jazz Ensemble will share the stage, or steps if you will, with Jones on Monday at the Capitol in Lansing.
"To come out of this community and achieve so much ... she is an idol to me," said the tenor sax-playing daughter of George and Martha Brown.
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm will honor the singing sensation.
The grand celebration will bring to an end a four-day Jonesfest, which began Friday night with her singing the national anthem before the Detroit Tigers baseball game at Comerica Park.
Today, Jones fans anticipate a turnout of 1,000 people to greet her at a 5 p.m. party at Atwood Stadium, 710 W. Third in Flint. Jones likely will sign autographs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. She'll perform a couple of songs.
On Monday, the youth jazz ensemble will perform two sets in Lansing -- one before Granholm speaks and another before Flint's favorite songbird captivates her adoring fans.
State Rep. Brenda Clack, a Flint Democrat, invited the ACT-SO group to the celebration.
Putin: How worried should the West be?
At the Russian embassy in London on Friday, the greeting to visitors was sub-zero. “What is your question?” barked an official through the intercom; he softened only when told that an appointment with the ambassador himself had been arranged.
Inside the building the reception rooms are magnificently grand with high ceilings, mahogany doors and antique furniture. On a coffee table stood a plate of Jammie Dodger biscuits, meticulously arranged in the shape of a rose. Next to them was a bowl of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
Yuri Fedotov, the ambassador, had little time for pleasantries. He dismissed notions of a new “cold war” but firmly accused Britain and the West of riding roughshod over Russian sensibilities.
“We expect more respect for our national interests,” Fedotov said. “The very notion of friendship in international relations is very subjective. If it is about partnership, it should be on an equal footing, not the partnership of the horseman and the horse.”
Russia, he added, was threatened by a new American missile interception system – involving the siting of radar stations and rockets in eastern Europe – and would take whatever measures it saw fit to counter it: “This radar station will cover part of Russia, or potentially could cover a part of Russia, which is now not covered by any surveillance systems . . . That is something which is going to change military and strategic balance.”
The ambassador rejected the idea that the US system was purely defensive: “In military and strategic doctrine, the shield is always accompanied by the sword. You cannot divide them. That’s why Russia, if this happens, would be obliged to take necessary measures.”
Not since the days of communist rule has such a chill struck East-West relations. The cold snap started when Putin accused the United States two weeks ago of “imperialism” and threatened to target Russian nuclear weapons at Europe if the “star wars” system went ahead.
Last week at the G8 summit in Germany Putin appeared more conciliatory, offering a deal to President George W Bush to host part of the missile system’s radar network at a site in Azerbaijan instead of Europe.
Bush and Putin emerged from their meeting putting on a show of friendship. Bush enthused: “I told Vladimir we’re looking forward to having him up to my folks’ place in Maine the beginning of July.”
Tony Blair, less than three weeks from quitting No 10, had no need for such play-acting. He made no secret of having a “frank and honest” discussion with the Russian leader. As one senior aide said: “He’s got to the stage now where he doesn’t need to have a good relationship with Putin, he can tell it like it is.”
He and Putin had barely shaken hands before Blair ordered the pool press photographers out of the room. “That’s enough, you can go now,” he said.
The Russian president began by telling Blair he was sick of the West’s recent treatment of his country. He said he was not just annoyed by the missile defence system planned near his borders, he was also upset at American and British support for the Orange revolution in Ukraine.
Blair gave as good as he got, telling Putin that western businesses would pull out of a regime that was not open and democratic. Blair also went on to demand that Russia extradite Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB man charged with the murder of Alexander Litvin-enko, the Russian exile who was poisoned with polonium210 in London last year.
Afterwards Blair admitted: “The atmosphere on a personal level was perfectly cordial, but there are real issues there and I don’t think they will be resolved any time soon.”
Is Putin bent on flexing the power of a revitalised Russia? Is this the prelude to a new cold war and a world beset once again by nuclear threats? Or does the Russian hardman, who is grappling with numerous domestic and international pressures, have another agenda? MOST people in the West expected the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to usher in a new Russia, one that would become free, democratic and capitalist, just like them.
Instead, robber oligarchs seized assets and power without much care for democracy’s foundation, the rule of law. The result has been deep disillusion and suspicion of the West, reflected last week in the views of Maxim Andreyev, 59, who lives in a tiny, crowded flat in St Petersburg. “When communism fell there was a sense of euphoria,” said Andreyev, a former factory manager who now survives on odd jobs and a pension of £50 a month.
“Fifteen years ago we thought democracy meant that soon we’d live better. And we looked at the West in awe.
“But for people like me life only became harder. I don’t crave the repression of the Soviet Union, but democracy and freedom are luxuries when you have to worry about surviving amid rampant corruption, crime and injustice.”
The physical hardships have had a deep psychological impact, says Vladimir Pozner, one of Russia’s most respected political commentators. “Many people lost everything and they thought the West would help,” he said. “But there was much talk and little action.”
Putin became president in 2000 and responded to the chaos by centralising power, both economic and political.
High commodity prices, especially for oil and gas, rebuilt the shattered finances of the state, if not those of the people. Under Putin, Russia has gone from economic basket-case to energy powerbroker. Economic growth has averaged 6.7% a year and foreign reserves have surged from $12 billion in 1999 to $315 billion at the end of 2006.
In a world of $70-a-barrel oil, Russia’s vast reserves give it international clout: Putin temporarily cut off supplies of oil and gas to former Soviet satellites until they agreed to pay market prices. He is now rewriting oil deals with western giants such as Shell and BP.
This posturing has revived national pride. “In Soviet times things were far from perfect but the rest of the world respected and feared us,” said Galina Saliyeva, 51, a nurse.
“Then when everything collapsed after perestroika, we became the butt of jokes – things which had been our pride and joy like the space programme, the army, our scientists, our nuclear arsenal.
“Now, once again we can be proud of ourselves and frankly we are getting fed up listening to the West’s constant criticism and preaching.”
It is easy for people in the West to forget that Russia is the world’s biggest country by landmass – nearly twice the size of the United States or China. Although economically weakened, it retains the mentality of a giant.
Such is the mood of national revival that even old ogres are enjoying rehabilitation. In Dom Knigi, the largest bookshop in Moscow, the shelves are once again full of adulatory books about Soviet war heroes – including Stalin, the dictator who presided over the murder of millions.
Although some in the West see Putin as a dangerous autocrat with echoes of the past, the Russian people appear to back him (even allowing for state control of most media): opinion polls put his support at 80%.
“Most Russians are with Putin when he hits back at the West,” said a Kremlin aide. “They like to see that Russia is once again standing up to America, that it has its own interests which it will pursue and protect.”
Among Russia’s neighbours the view of Putin and his country is very different. Indeed, the changing nature of the states around Russia that were once part of the Soviet empire are important to understanding Putin’s new aggressive stance. AFTER the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia still saw itself as wielding influence in its former satellites, from Estonia through Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and beyond. After September 11, 2001 Putin saw himself as aiding the West by allowing US forces to operate out of bases in Russia’s former southern region.
“There was a meeting between the Russian military commanders and major political forces to decide what to do about 9/11, what support to give,” said Dr Alena Ledeneva, an academic now based in Britain who knows Putin. “Out of 21 people at that meeting only two thought that the president of Russia should support the president of the United States. One was Putin himself.”
Putin was the first foreign leader to telephone Bush after the attacks and offer help. But Russia got little in return. Later the United States pulled out of the 1972 antiballistic missile treaty as it prepared to develop its new defence system.
Worse, the “colour revolutions” of Ukraine and Georgia saw popular protest, encouraged by the West, overthrow leaders sympathetic to Russia. Georgia even applied to Nato and the European Union for forces to replace Russian peace-keepers in the region. Russia began to feel encircled.
A vicious spiral was developing. The more Putin exerted order and control in Russia and attempted to maintain its influence in the former Soviet states, the more vocal became the outside opponents.
Boris Berezovsky, the oligarch who sought asylum in Britain, called for the overthrow of Putin. So did Garry Kasparov, the chess champion who has homes in Russia and the United States. Even Yegor Gaidar, the former Russian prime minister, said: “Sometimes Russia seems to be heading towards fascism.”
Certainly Putin’s administration has actively encouraged the spread of patriotism and nationalism among ordinary Russians, in particular among the young.
The Kremlin founded Nashi, a youth group reminiscent of Komsomol, the communist youth organisation. Nashi members like to march in T-shirts emblazoned with Putin’s portrait. Their antiwestern actions have included harassing the British ambassador in Moscow, disrupting meetings organised by Russia’s beleaguered opposition, burning literature considered too liberal and protesting against attempts last month to stage the country’s first gay parade in Moscow.
In April tiny Estonia, a country of 1.4m people of whom 400,000 are Russians, decided to move a statue of a Russian soldier, erected in 1947, from the centre of Tallinn, its capital, regarding it as an unwelcome reminder of 50 years of Soviet occupation.
The plan sparked riots, apparently orchestrated by the Russian embassy in Tallinn, and a “cyber-attack” from the east. The internet servers for Estonian government departments, media organisations, banks and businesses suffered a mass “denial of service” by computers based in Russia.
Russian espionage activities are also as strong as ever, intelligence officials from several western countries said last week. A Canadian intelligence study said that espionage had “reached a level of prominence . . . that has not been witnessed since the cold war”.
Do these domestic and international tensions really compare with the days when the two superpowers faced each other with their fingers on the nuclear button? To the Russian defector Oleg Gordievsky, it is all very simple: yes, Putin is stuck in a time warp. “He is an old-fashioned KGB apparatchik,” said Gordievsky. “He doesn’t know any other way to deal with the West. He views it like the 1970s.”
OTHERS believe it is more complicated. Professor Robert Service, the author of a new history of communism, said: “It is a gross misuse of language to call [the present tensions] a new cold war. There aren’t great allies lining up behind Russia to take on the United States. What is in process is a new world order, or even disorder, coming into being, with regional powers asserting themselves in the aftermath of the debacle in Iraq.”
That new order might include a Russia-China axis. In 2005 Russia and China held their first joint military exercise and are discussing new energy pipelines. Domestic politics is another important factor in Putin’s stance. His second four-year term as president ends in March and under the Russian constitution he cannot stand for a third consecutive term.
However, many Russians would like him to continue and some observers see his tough stance against the West as a ploy to engineer sufficient popular support to allow him to remain in power. “There’s a lot of talk about it,” said Evgeny Lebedev, a Russian living in London whose father owns one of the last independent newspapers in Russia. “Prominent politicians have been suggesting he should stay on. Russians have this idea: why replace something that is kind of good? What might come afterwards might be much worse.”
Other observers believe that Russia’s belligerence has more to do with its desire to retain influence in regions that it still regards as its own and that the West has simply taken its eye off the ball.
Jonathan Eyal, director of studies at the Royal United Services Institute, said: “We have been taken up with the Americans on the war on terror while rather glibly assuming that postcold war settlement in eastern Europe remained in place. We have rather forgotten that Russia has never accepted that settlement.”
So far the Russian bear is doing no more than gnawing and growling. It remains relatively weak. It needs the West as customers. And, as one Russian expert pointed out last week, many of the Russian elite now send their children to school in Britain.
However, flashpoints are looming. America seems determined to press ahead with its missile system and on Friday Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, implied that it was unlikely to accept Putin’s offer of siting radar in Azerbaijan. “One does not choose sites for missile defence out of the blue,” she said.
Even Russians admit that their country, still laden with nuclear weapons, remains highly unpredictable. “Nobody is totally in control in Russia,” said Ledeneva. “It’s impossible to be in control of that country. In a way I think even Putin himself doesn’t know what will come out of this.”
POTENTIAL FLASHPOINTS
Kosovo
The Balkan region remains legally part of Serbia, though since 1999 it has had semi-independent status under United Nations protection. A recent UN report said “the only viable option” for the territory was to move to full independence. Yesterday US president George Bush said independence should go ahead.
But Russia, an old ally of Serbia, has long been opposed. Last week Putin said that Russia would veto any UN resolution for Kosovan independence.
One European official said: “We have not made progress. In fact we saw a hardening of the Russian position there.”
Oil and gas
The Kremlin is threatening to exert further control over Russia’s gas and oil supplies by removing a licence from TNK-BP, a joint venture half-owned by Britain’s biggest company, to exploit a giant Siberian gasfield.
Analysts predict that by 2020 up to 70% of Britain’s electricity will come from power stations fired by imported gas, much of it from Russia. Putin has already temporarily cut off supplies to some states in rows over price rises.
Extradition
Last week Tony Blair again pressed for the extradition from Russia of Andrei Lugovoi, the former Russian agent accused of murdering the dissident Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London. Russia has refused. It, on the other hand, is demanding to extradite Boris Berezovsky, a former Kremlin insider who fled to Britain.
Georgia and Ukraine
The former members of the Soviet Union have grown increasingly independent and now want to join Nato, as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already done. But Russia sees such moves as creeping encirclement by the West and a threat to its security.
Alena Ledeneva, a Russian academic at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies in London, said: “[President] Putin put a lot of effort into trying to work within the Nato frame. But what Nato has done is start what we now call the encirclement of Russia.
“The outcome is that Nato becomes larger and closer to Russia, which Russians find very difficult to accept. There is a public perception of Nato as something that has a cold war mentality.”
Iran
The Kremlin has been helping Iran build its first nuclear power station, though work stopped earlier this year after a row over unpaid bills. Russia is also helping Burma, Bulgaria, China and India build nuclear plants.
The Kremlin argues that all countries have the right to nuclear technology for energy supply, but the West fears that states such as Iran might use it to develop weapons.
Inside the building the reception rooms are magnificently grand with high ceilings, mahogany doors and antique furniture. On a coffee table stood a plate of Jammie Dodger biscuits, meticulously arranged in the shape of a rose. Next to them was a bowl of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
Yuri Fedotov, the ambassador, had little time for pleasantries. He dismissed notions of a new “cold war” but firmly accused Britain and the West of riding roughshod over Russian sensibilities.
“We expect more respect for our national interests,” Fedotov said. “The very notion of friendship in international relations is very subjective. If it is about partnership, it should be on an equal footing, not the partnership of the horseman and the horse.”
Russia, he added, was threatened by a new American missile interception system – involving the siting of radar stations and rockets in eastern Europe – and would take whatever measures it saw fit to counter it: “This radar station will cover part of Russia, or potentially could cover a part of Russia, which is now not covered by any surveillance systems . . . That is something which is going to change military and strategic balance.”
The ambassador rejected the idea that the US system was purely defensive: “In military and strategic doctrine, the shield is always accompanied by the sword. You cannot divide them. That’s why Russia, if this happens, would be obliged to take necessary measures.”
Not since the days of communist rule has such a chill struck East-West relations. The cold snap started when Putin accused the United States two weeks ago of “imperialism” and threatened to target Russian nuclear weapons at Europe if the “star wars” system went ahead.
Last week at the G8 summit in Germany Putin appeared more conciliatory, offering a deal to President George W Bush to host part of the missile system’s radar network at a site in Azerbaijan instead of Europe.
Bush and Putin emerged from their meeting putting on a show of friendship. Bush enthused: “I told Vladimir we’re looking forward to having him up to my folks’ place in Maine the beginning of July.”
Tony Blair, less than three weeks from quitting No 10, had no need for such play-acting. He made no secret of having a “frank and honest” discussion with the Russian leader. As one senior aide said: “He’s got to the stage now where he doesn’t need to have a good relationship with Putin, he can tell it like it is.”
He and Putin had barely shaken hands before Blair ordered the pool press photographers out of the room. “That’s enough, you can go now,” he said.
The Russian president began by telling Blair he was sick of the West’s recent treatment of his country. He said he was not just annoyed by the missile defence system planned near his borders, he was also upset at American and British support for the Orange revolution in Ukraine.
Blair gave as good as he got, telling Putin that western businesses would pull out of a regime that was not open and democratic. Blair also went on to demand that Russia extradite Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB man charged with the murder of Alexander Litvin-enko, the Russian exile who was poisoned with polonium210 in London last year.
Afterwards Blair admitted: “The atmosphere on a personal level was perfectly cordial, but there are real issues there and I don’t think they will be resolved any time soon.”
Is Putin bent on flexing the power of a revitalised Russia? Is this the prelude to a new cold war and a world beset once again by nuclear threats? Or does the Russian hardman, who is grappling with numerous domestic and international pressures, have another agenda? MOST people in the West expected the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to usher in a new Russia, one that would become free, democratic and capitalist, just like them.
Instead, robber oligarchs seized assets and power without much care for democracy’s foundation, the rule of law. The result has been deep disillusion and suspicion of the West, reflected last week in the views of Maxim Andreyev, 59, who lives in a tiny, crowded flat in St Petersburg. “When communism fell there was a sense of euphoria,” said Andreyev, a former factory manager who now survives on odd jobs and a pension of £50 a month.
“Fifteen years ago we thought democracy meant that soon we’d live better. And we looked at the West in awe.
“But for people like me life only became harder. I don’t crave the repression of the Soviet Union, but democracy and freedom are luxuries when you have to worry about surviving amid rampant corruption, crime and injustice.”
The physical hardships have had a deep psychological impact, says Vladimir Pozner, one of Russia’s most respected political commentators. “Many people lost everything and they thought the West would help,” he said. “But there was much talk and little action.”
Putin became president in 2000 and responded to the chaos by centralising power, both economic and political.
High commodity prices, especially for oil and gas, rebuilt the shattered finances of the state, if not those of the people. Under Putin, Russia has gone from economic basket-case to energy powerbroker. Economic growth has averaged 6.7% a year and foreign reserves have surged from $12 billion in 1999 to $315 billion at the end of 2006.
In a world of $70-a-barrel oil, Russia’s vast reserves give it international clout: Putin temporarily cut off supplies of oil and gas to former Soviet satellites until they agreed to pay market prices. He is now rewriting oil deals with western giants such as Shell and BP.
This posturing has revived national pride. “In Soviet times things were far from perfect but the rest of the world respected and feared us,” said Galina Saliyeva, 51, a nurse.
“Then when everything collapsed after perestroika, we became the butt of jokes – things which had been our pride and joy like the space programme, the army, our scientists, our nuclear arsenal.
“Now, once again we can be proud of ourselves and frankly we are getting fed up listening to the West’s constant criticism and preaching.”
It is easy for people in the West to forget that Russia is the world’s biggest country by landmass – nearly twice the size of the United States or China. Although economically weakened, it retains the mentality of a giant.
Such is the mood of national revival that even old ogres are enjoying rehabilitation. In Dom Knigi, the largest bookshop in Moscow, the shelves are once again full of adulatory books about Soviet war heroes – including Stalin, the dictator who presided over the murder of millions.
Although some in the West see Putin as a dangerous autocrat with echoes of the past, the Russian people appear to back him (even allowing for state control of most media): opinion polls put his support at 80%.
“Most Russians are with Putin when he hits back at the West,” said a Kremlin aide. “They like to see that Russia is once again standing up to America, that it has its own interests which it will pursue and protect.”
Among Russia’s neighbours the view of Putin and his country is very different. Indeed, the changing nature of the states around Russia that were once part of the Soviet empire are important to understanding Putin’s new aggressive stance. AFTER the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia still saw itself as wielding influence in its former satellites, from Estonia through Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and beyond. After September 11, 2001 Putin saw himself as aiding the West by allowing US forces to operate out of bases in Russia’s former southern region.
“There was a meeting between the Russian military commanders and major political forces to decide what to do about 9/11, what support to give,” said Dr Alena Ledeneva, an academic now based in Britain who knows Putin. “Out of 21 people at that meeting only two thought that the president of Russia should support the president of the United States. One was Putin himself.”
Putin was the first foreign leader to telephone Bush after the attacks and offer help. But Russia got little in return. Later the United States pulled out of the 1972 antiballistic missile treaty as it prepared to develop its new defence system.
Worse, the “colour revolutions” of Ukraine and Georgia saw popular protest, encouraged by the West, overthrow leaders sympathetic to Russia. Georgia even applied to Nato and the European Union for forces to replace Russian peace-keepers in the region. Russia began to feel encircled.
A vicious spiral was developing. The more Putin exerted order and control in Russia and attempted to maintain its influence in the former Soviet states, the more vocal became the outside opponents.
Boris Berezovsky, the oligarch who sought asylum in Britain, called for the overthrow of Putin. So did Garry Kasparov, the chess champion who has homes in Russia and the United States. Even Yegor Gaidar, the former Russian prime minister, said: “Sometimes Russia seems to be heading towards fascism.”
Certainly Putin’s administration has actively encouraged the spread of patriotism and nationalism among ordinary Russians, in particular among the young.
The Kremlin founded Nashi, a youth group reminiscent of Komsomol, the communist youth organisation. Nashi members like to march in T-shirts emblazoned with Putin’s portrait. Their antiwestern actions have included harassing the British ambassador in Moscow, disrupting meetings organised by Russia’s beleaguered opposition, burning literature considered too liberal and protesting against attempts last month to stage the country’s first gay parade in Moscow.
In April tiny Estonia, a country of 1.4m people of whom 400,000 are Russians, decided to move a statue of a Russian soldier, erected in 1947, from the centre of Tallinn, its capital, regarding it as an unwelcome reminder of 50 years of Soviet occupation.
The plan sparked riots, apparently orchestrated by the Russian embassy in Tallinn, and a “cyber-attack” from the east. The internet servers for Estonian government departments, media organisations, banks and businesses suffered a mass “denial of service” by computers based in Russia.
Russian espionage activities are also as strong as ever, intelligence officials from several western countries said last week. A Canadian intelligence study said that espionage had “reached a level of prominence . . . that has not been witnessed since the cold war”.
Do these domestic and international tensions really compare with the days when the two superpowers faced each other with their fingers on the nuclear button? To the Russian defector Oleg Gordievsky, it is all very simple: yes, Putin is stuck in a time warp. “He is an old-fashioned KGB apparatchik,” said Gordievsky. “He doesn’t know any other way to deal with the West. He views it like the 1970s.”
OTHERS believe it is more complicated. Professor Robert Service, the author of a new history of communism, said: “It is a gross misuse of language to call [the present tensions] a new cold war. There aren’t great allies lining up behind Russia to take on the United States. What is in process is a new world order, or even disorder, coming into being, with regional powers asserting themselves in the aftermath of the debacle in Iraq.”
That new order might include a Russia-China axis. In 2005 Russia and China held their first joint military exercise and are discussing new energy pipelines. Domestic politics is another important factor in Putin’s stance. His second four-year term as president ends in March and under the Russian constitution he cannot stand for a third consecutive term.
However, many Russians would like him to continue and some observers see his tough stance against the West as a ploy to engineer sufficient popular support to allow him to remain in power. “There’s a lot of talk about it,” said Evgeny Lebedev, a Russian living in London whose father owns one of the last independent newspapers in Russia. “Prominent politicians have been suggesting he should stay on. Russians have this idea: why replace something that is kind of good? What might come afterwards might be much worse.”
Other observers believe that Russia’s belligerence has more to do with its desire to retain influence in regions that it still regards as its own and that the West has simply taken its eye off the ball.
Jonathan Eyal, director of studies at the Royal United Services Institute, said: “We have been taken up with the Americans on the war on terror while rather glibly assuming that postcold war settlement in eastern Europe remained in place. We have rather forgotten that Russia has never accepted that settlement.”
So far the Russian bear is doing no more than gnawing and growling. It remains relatively weak. It needs the West as customers. And, as one Russian expert pointed out last week, many of the Russian elite now send their children to school in Britain.
However, flashpoints are looming. America seems determined to press ahead with its missile system and on Friday Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, implied that it was unlikely to accept Putin’s offer of siting radar in Azerbaijan. “One does not choose sites for missile defence out of the blue,” she said.
Even Russians admit that their country, still laden with nuclear weapons, remains highly unpredictable. “Nobody is totally in control in Russia,” said Ledeneva. “It’s impossible to be in control of that country. In a way I think even Putin himself doesn’t know what will come out of this.”
POTENTIAL FLASHPOINTS
Kosovo
The Balkan region remains legally part of Serbia, though since 1999 it has had semi-independent status under United Nations protection. A recent UN report said “the only viable option” for the territory was to move to full independence. Yesterday US president George Bush said independence should go ahead.
But Russia, an old ally of Serbia, has long been opposed. Last week Putin said that Russia would veto any UN resolution for Kosovan independence.
One European official said: “We have not made progress. In fact we saw a hardening of the Russian position there.”
Oil and gas
The Kremlin is threatening to exert further control over Russia’s gas and oil supplies by removing a licence from TNK-BP, a joint venture half-owned by Britain’s biggest company, to exploit a giant Siberian gasfield.
Analysts predict that by 2020 up to 70% of Britain’s electricity will come from power stations fired by imported gas, much of it from Russia. Putin has already temporarily cut off supplies to some states in rows over price rises.
Extradition
Last week Tony Blair again pressed for the extradition from Russia of Andrei Lugovoi, the former Russian agent accused of murdering the dissident Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London. Russia has refused. It, on the other hand, is demanding to extradite Boris Berezovsky, a former Kremlin insider who fled to Britain.
Georgia and Ukraine
The former members of the Soviet Union have grown increasingly independent and now want to join Nato, as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already done. But Russia sees such moves as creeping encirclement by the West and a threat to its security.
Alena Ledeneva, a Russian academic at the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies in London, said: “[President] Putin put a lot of effort into trying to work within the Nato frame. But what Nato has done is start what we now call the encirclement of Russia.
“The outcome is that Nato becomes larger and closer to Russia, which Russians find very difficult to accept. There is a public perception of Nato as something that has a cold war mentality.”
Iran
The Kremlin has been helping Iran build its first nuclear power station, though work stopped earlier this year after a row over unpaid bills. Russia is also helping Burma, Bulgaria, China and India build nuclear plants.
The Kremlin argues that all countries have the right to nuclear technology for energy supply, but the West fears that states such as Iran might use it to develop weapons.
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