Week ending: Saturday 20th November 2004
'The
war is over, but there is no peace ... and the killings go on'
This is a strange time in Fallujah. They say the war is over, but there
is no peace. Every day there is shooting, and there are still killings
going on. There is very little left of the town now, everywhere there
are buildings which have been destroyed. There is also a terrible smell.
We know what it is - it is the smell of dead bodies. Many have now been
cleared away, but the smell does not go away, it will stay with us for
a long time. The Americans say they are just finishing off the insurgents,
but then they have been saying that for a few days now, so people here
ask 'who have they got left to finish off?' We hear of things like American
soldiers killing wounded prisoners in a mosque, but that news is recycled
to us from people outside. It is not possible to go out and find out
what is going on.
Polish
woman hostage is released
A Polish woman held hostage in Iraq since late October has been set free
and flown back to Warsaw. Making a surprise appearance at a press conference
alongside the Polish prime minister, 54-year-old Teresa Borcz Khalifa
said it was a 'joyous moment'. Mrs Borcz Khalifa has lived in Iraq for
30 years and is married to an Iraqi. Prime Minister Marek Belka refused
to give details of her release, saying only it was orchestrated by officials
in co-operation with other countries. Mrs Borcz Khalifa arrived in Warsaw
on Friday night, said Mr Belka as he introduced her at the news conference.
'It was a very joyous moment for me... I feel well, very well,' she was
quoted by the Associated Press as saying
Violence
across Iraq
Baghdad exploded in violence today, as insurgents attacked a US patrol
and a police station, assassinated four government employees and detonated
several bombs. One American soldier was killed and nine were wounded
during clashes that also left three Iraqi troops and a police officer
dead. Some of the heaviest violence came in Azamiyah, a largely Sunni
Arab district of Baghdad where a day earlier US troops raided the capital's
main Sunni mosque. Shops were in flames, and a US Humvee burned, with
the body of what appeared to be its driver inside.
Texas
radio host launches anti-Schwarzenegger campaign
A Texas radio host launched a Web-based offensive against efforts to
change the U.S. Constitution to allow Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to run
for president of the United States. Alex Jones, an Austin-based talk
show host on the Burnsville, Minn., Genesis Communications Network, said
the site raised $5,000 for an anti-Schwarzenegger campaign in its first
two hours. Jones, once voted Austin's favorite radio host and sometimes
described as a 'conspiracy theorist,' said he's raising funds to run
TV ads in Austin and Sacramento to counter those beginning this week
by Schwarzenegger supporters hoping he'll run for president.
Street
protests greet Apec summit
Chilean police have used water cannon and tear gas on protesters in Santiago
ahead of a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (Apec).
Just hours before US President George W Bush arrived, crowds threw stones
and chanted slogans against the US leader. Up to 250 people were arrested
on the fourth day of confrontations between police and protesters. Mr
Bush and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are to attend the summit, where
talks will focus on security and trade. Thousands of police have been
deployed throughout Santiago to break up unofficial protests ahead of
the summit.
Reporter
Convicted for Protecting Source
A television reporter was convicted of criminal contempt Thursday for
refusing to say who gave him an FBI videotape showing a city official
taking a bribe. Jim Taricani, of WJAR-TV, faces up to six months in prison
when he is sentenced Dec. 9 by U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres. Taricani,
55, broke no law by repeatedly airing the tape, but a special prosecutor
was appointed to find out who leaked it because the court had ordered
attorneys, investigators and defendants not to disseminate any tapes
connected to a federal corruption probe during former Mayor Vincent 'Buddy'
Cianci Jr.'s administration.
Police
fear hunting ban strain
Police could be stretched to the limit dealing with widespread public
disorder following the hunting ban, the leading representative for rank
and file officers warned yesterday. Jan Berry, who chairs the Police
Federation in England and Wales, admitted that vociferous opposition
to the new law would put huge strain on the resources of small rural
forces and create problems for officers on the ground. At the same time,
Alistair McWhirter, the chief constable of Suffolk, said he expected
the new laws would be 'tried to distraction' in the courts. 'I foresee
it being the most tested piece of legislation since the drink driving
laws were introduced in 1967,' he said.
Israeli
soldiers accused of tampering with corpses
A military police investigation was ordered yesterday by the Israeli
Chief of Staff into allegations that soldiers had tampered with the bodies
of dead Palestinians and posed for photographs with the corpses. Lt-Gen
Moshe Ya'alon ordered the investigation after the publication of several
detailed claims of such abuse that the Israeli Defence Forces declared
its 'ethical strength' was no less important than its 'military strength'.
According to one account in the newspaper Yedhiot Ahronot, soldiers from
one unit had rearranged body parts of a suicide bomber who had blown
himself up at a Jordan Valley checkpoint, positioning the bomber's head
on a concrete barrier and putting a cigarette in his mouth before taking
photographs.
Officials:
CIA memo not an order to 'back Bush'
CIA and White House officials said Wednesday that a memo from intelligence
chief Porter Goss did not order his staff to 'back Bush,' as a newspaper
headline put it In a memo e-mailed to CIA staff Monday, Goss set out
what he called 'the rules of the road'.'We support the administration,
and its policies, in our work as agency employees,' he said. 'We do not
identify with, support or champion opposition to the administration or
its policies. We provide the intelligence as we see it -- and let the
facts alone speak to the policy-maker.'
Afghan
poppy growing takes huge leap
A huge leap in opium poppy growing in Afghanistan, revealed by a U.S.
study released Friday, threatens the fragile democracy and increases
pressure on anti-narcotics efforts to succeed, top federal officials
said. 'If the trends ... were to continue, the effects would be enormously
corrosive to Afghanistan,' White House drug czar John Walters said. Afghanistan
had more than half a million acres of opium poppies, which are used to
make heroin, under cultivation during the 2004 growing season, according
to the State Department study based on satellite images.
Fathers
4 Justice protester handcuffs himself to Hodge
A campaigner with the pressure group Fathers 4 Justice invaded a conference
yesterday and handcuffed himself to Margaret Hodge, the minister for
Children, for 40 minutes. Jonathan 'Jolly' Stanesby, 38, a registered
childminder from Ivybridge in Devon, made what he called a 'citizen's
arrest' at a family law conference organised by the Law Society. He stormed
the stage at the Lowry Hotel in Salford with Jason Hatch, the activist
who scaled Buckingham Palace in September dressed as Batman, during a
question-and-answer session after Mrs Hodge had made a speech. Police
used bolt cutters supplied by the hotel to free the Labour MP for Barking.
Iraqi
troops storm Baghdad mosque
Iraqi forces, backed by US soldiers, stormed one of the major Sunni mosques
in Baghdad after Friday prayers, firing and killing at least three people,
witnesses said. Another raid overnight at a hospital allegedly used by
insurgents in Mosul led to three arrests, the US military said. In eastern
Baghdad, a suicide car bomber rammed into a police patrol today, killing
one policeman, police said. The attack in the Zayouna neighborhood injured
at least four others, including two policemen.
In the mosque raid, about 40 people were arrested at the Abu Hanifa mosque
in the capital’s northwestern Azamiyah neighbourhood, according
to the witnesses, who were members of the congregation. Another five
people were wounded.
US
accused of ‘torture flights’
An executive jet is being used by the American intelligence agencies
to fly terrorist suspects to countries that routinely use torture in
their prisons. The movements of the Gulfstream 5 leased by agents from
the United States defence department and the CIA are detailed in confidential
logs obtained by The Sunday Times which cover more than 300 flights.
Countries with poor human rights records to which the Americans have
delivered prisoners include Egypt, Syria and Uzbekistan, according to
the files. The logs have prompted allegations from critics that the agency
is using such regimes to carry out “torture by proxy” - a
charge denied by the American government.
Thousands
of U.S. troops to be deployed in Iraq
The U.S. military might send several thousand troops to Iraq ahead of
the country’s elections, scheduled for January, the No. 2 commander
of U.S. forces in the Middle East said. However, Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith
told a Pentagon press conference that no final decision was reached yet
and that the exact number of troops to be deployed will depend on the
outcome of the Fallujah offensive, which he described as a major
success. However, Smith said that it was 'too early to say' if the U.S.-led
assault in Fallujah had broken rebels' resistance.
U.N.
staff in uproar over top leadershipBy Marc Carnegie
The U.N. staff union met yesterday to discuss a no-confidence measure
against senior management of the world body, which has been rocked by
a series of scandals involving top officials. But sources said a planned
vote could be put off until next week after U.N. officials asked to meet
with union members to quell the uproar over any no-confidence vote in
senior management led by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. 'The idea
is to keep dialogue going and see if we can sort out our differences
so that it isn't necessary to adopt [the no-confidence] resolution,'
Annan spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
Israeli
troops kill Egyptian police
Israel apologised to Egypt yesterday after its soldiers fired across
the border and killed three Egyptian policemen. Ariel Sharon, Israel's
prime minister, called Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, and expressed
his 'deepest apologies' for the incident and promised a quick investigation.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister, said: 'Egypt condemns and
strongly protests this regrettable incident. We demand that the Israeli
authorities conduct an immediate, thorough and comprehensive investigation
into the circumstances that led to this incident, and present an explanation.'
Israeli
tank tears apart the body of Palestinian officer
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian soldier and wounded another
on Friday night near the Jabaleya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian
sources said that Israeli army tanks opened fire on the Palestinian checkpoint
in eastern Gaza. They added that one of the Palestinian officers was
hit by Israeli tank fire near Gaza's main cemetery northeast of Gaza
City. Doctors from the Shiffa Hospital said that Jihad Abu Leila, 33,
was instantly killed after the tank shell exploded near him, turning
his body into scattered remains. They added that another national security
officer was in a critical condition.
US
'inflated' foreign fighters' numbers
Washington exaggerated the number of foreign fighters in Iraq to
justify the recent assault on Falluja, an official Syrian daily has
said. A massive US-led assault on Falluja began 10 days ago with
the alleged aim of wresting control of the city from foreign fighters.The
US says the men were led by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other
fighters opposed to the US presence in Iraq. Washington has repeatedly
accused Syria and Iran of allowing foreign fighters to cross their borders
with Iraq to join the Falluja resistance. However, al-Thawra publication
said 'The question of foreign fighters crossing Iraqi [borders] has been
exaggerated, given that only 24 of the 1000 men captured in Falluja
are foreign.'
Underwriter
sacked after saying jet fuel could't have caused WTC collapse
David Ray Griffin has received confirmation that Kevin Ryan, site manager
of the Environmental Health Laboratories, was fired today by the parent
company, Underwriters Laboratories, apparently for writing a letter questioning
certain common theories of the Twin Towers collapses to the leader of
the U.S. government NIST team researching the World Trade Center events...'
911truth.org, which followed up on a story by Emanuel Sfernos (911Visibility.org,
Bill Douglas), is 'working to get statements from the parties involved
and in developing this story and a possible response...'
Fallujah
in Pictures
'I believe the american people are decent and not without humanity. they
have not seen what is being done in their name. maybe we don't live in
a world that can do without war. i do know that people need to know what
war means before they decide.The people in these pictures are just as
important as the men and women that died on September 11th. A mother
who loses her child suffers the same no matter what her nationality might
be. She doesn't want a lecture on politics or religion. She wants her
son back.'
800
Civilians Feared Dead in Fallujah
At least 800 civilians have been killed during the U.S. military siege
of Fallujah, a Red Cross official estimates. Speaking on condition of
anonymity for fear of U.S. military reprisal, a high-ranking official
with the Red Cross in Baghdad told IPS that 'at least 800 civilians'
have been killed in Fallujah so far. His estimate is based on reports
from Red Crescent aid workers stationed around the embattled city, from
residents within the city and from refugees, he said. 'Several of our
Red Cross workers have just returned from Fallujah since the Americans
won't let them into the city,' he said. 'And they said the people they
are tending to in the refugee camps set up in the desert outside the
city are telling horrible stories of suffering and death inside Fallujah.'
Kidnapped
aid worker blindfolded and shot
The family of Margaret Hassan last night accepted that the aid worker
taken hostage by Iraqi insurgents a month ago had probably been murdered,
after analysis of a video which showed a masked gunman shooting a blindfolded
woman in the head. The video, which emerged a week ago but was kept secret,
has been studied by experts, and both British diplomats and relatives
of Mrs Hassan said they now believed it showed the 59-year-old and that
she had been killed.
New
Report Mass Graves Of US Soldiers
In August, reports began surfacing about incidents of dead American bodies
being dumped into the Diali River by US helicopters in the early morning
hours. Fishermen on the Diali river area , a small river originates in
Iran and ends at Deglah, 60 kilometer east of Baghdad, were the first
to notice the American practice of dumping bodies wrapped in black plastic
bags from helicopters at dawn time into the river. Some of the bodies,
still wrapped in plastic bags, were caught in their fishing nets. Over
the next few weeks more bodies were found in other locations including
Al-Tharthar in Sammara and Wadi Hairan in Al-Ratibah. The bodies have
been collected and buried in the general areas of those locations.
'Afghan
robbers' holding UN staff
Three UN workers kidnapped in Kabul are probably not being held by Islamic
militants, the Afghan authorities say. 'We think they are being held
by some armed robbers who abducted them,' an interior ministry spokesman
said. Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Habibi from Kosovo
and Filipino Angelito Nayan were abducted at gunpoint in Kabul on 28
October. A group called the Army of Muslims repeated that it seized them.
It has threatened to behead them.
US
push to rid Mosul of insurgents
American troops and Iraqi security forces launched a major operation
to regain control of Mosul yesterday, after a week of lawlessness which
saw large parts of Iraq's third city fall under the control of militants
determined to open a new front in the insurgency. As hundreds of US troops
targeted western parts of the city, American jets roared overhead. Mortar
attacks from insurgents near the centre killed three people and wounded
25 others, and there were also attacks on the offices of Kurdish political
parties.
Chirac
questions US-led Iraq war
French President Jacques Chirac says he is 'not at all sure' the world
has become safer with the removal from power of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
In a BBC interview Mr Chirac suggests the situation in Iraq has helped
to prompt an increase in terrorism. The interview, to be aired on BBC
Two's Newsnight programme , comes ahead of his visit to the UK this week.
President Chirac also maintains that any intervention in Iraq should
have been through the United Nations.
Militants
Reporting they've Downed a US Chinook
There is no current confirmation on the number of casualties that this
attack has claimed, however if we decide to believe Arab Media sources,
it could have killed up to 3 dozen American soldiers. Because the
Insurgents know that the US media will not report on issues like this,
they have taken a few images showing the destruction of the chinook helicopter. Below
is a statement made by one of the insurgents, followed by the images.
Inquiry
backs 'Gulf war syndrome' claims
An independent inquiry into Gulf war illnesses today called on the Ministry
of Defence to finally accept that thousands of veterans had suffered
ill health as a result of their service in the 1991 conflict. The inquiry,
headed by the former law lord Lord Lloyd of Berwick, said that there
was 'every reason' to accept the existence of a 'Gulf war syndrome',
the existence of which has always been denied by the MoD. Lord Lloyd's
inquiry said that the MoD should now set up a special fund to make compensation
payments to those veterans who had suffered as a result of their service
in the war to liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein.
Bin
Laden Urges Pakistanis to Battle Americans
Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden called on Pakistani Muslims to fight
in an internet message today – saying their country and neighbouring
Afghanistan faced an American invasion. The authenticity of the statement,
which appeared on a website known as a clearinghouse for militant Muslim
comment, could not be verified. “We urge our Muslim brothers in
Pakistan to use all their capabilities and whatever they possess to prevent
the American crusader’s troops from invading Pakistan and Afghanistan,” said
the statement, signed: “your brother in Islam, Osama bin Laden.”
Powell
deputy Armitage quits US State Department
US State Department number two Richard Armitage followed his boss and
friend Colin Powell in handing in his resignation, the department has
said. The 59-year-old deputy secretary of state sent a formal letter
of resignation as Mr Powell's departure was being announced, according
to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. President George W Bush
announced that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice would take
over the State Department, pending Senate confirmation.
Rats
Abandoning the Sinking Ship
Faster than a crack whore pouncing on a twenty-dollar bill, the rats
are abandoning the sinking ship. First it was Attorney General John Ashcroft
and Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans to submit their resignations.
Today there are four more rats tendering their resignations, Secretary
of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Secretary of
Agriculture Ann Veneman, and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. This
is only the beginning, rumour is that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
and others will be leaving as well. The war criminals are scurrying like
the disgusting rodents they are; seems that no one wants to be around
when it comes time to answer for the crimes that they have committed.
Sources:
Ridge plans to leave post
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge plans to leave his post, according
to senior administration sources, although no one will officially confirm
his intention to depart. Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian
Roehrkasse said Tuesday morning that reports of Ridge's departure were
'news to him.' He added that Ridge had not made any decisions about his
future and that there have been no discussions with the White House.
Russia
Claims U.S. Spy Plane Spotted Near Black Sea Border
A U.S. surveillance plane making a flight near Russia’s Black Sea
coast turned back after Russia sent a fighter jet to investigate, Russia’s
Air Force spokesman said. Colonel Aleksandr Drobyshevsky said Monday’s
incident involved a U.S. Orion plane based on the Greek island of Crete,
the Interfax news agency reported. The plane was spotted about 10 kilometers
(6 miles) off the Russian border, Drobyshevsky was quoted as saying.
It did not respond to queries from the ground and a Su-27 fighter plane
was sent to intercept it. The Orion then increased speed and left the
area around the border, Drobyshevsky reportedly said.
Press
Watchdog 'Deeply Disturbed' by Iraqi Regime’s Media Threat
A leading U.S.-based press watchdog says it is 'deeply disturbed' by
a directive issued last week by the Iraqi interim government's new media
commission that warned the press operating in Iraq to reflect the government's
position in fighting by U.S., coalition, and Iraqi forces against insurgents.
The warning came in a statement released Thursday by the government's
Higher Media Commission (HMC), which was created by interim Prime Minister
Iyad Allawi last summer and is headed by a senior member of Allawi's
Iraqi National Accord (INA) party, Ibrahim Janabi, a former intelligence
agent for ousted President Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party.
Jazeera
says won't air 'Hassan killing' video
Arabic television station Al Jazeera has said it will not air a video
showing a hooded gunman killing a woman, believed to be British-Iraqi
hostage Margaret Hassan. 'We will not air the tape because we respect
the audience's feelings,' said an Al Jazeera official, whose channel
earlier announced it had received a tape of the killing. 'We can not
be certain that the woman is Margaret Hassan,' he added.
Margaret
Hassan feared killed
The family of Margaret Hassan, the British aid worker taken hostage in
Iraq, tonight said they feared she had been murdered by her captors.
They said in a statement: 'Our hearts are broken. We have kept hoping
for as long as we could, but we now have to accept that Margaret has
probably gone and at last her suffering has ended. Our prayers and thoughts
are with our dear brother in law Tahseen.' The family statement, which
followed reports in Iraq of a video reportedly showing her murder, added:
'Margaret was a friend of the Arab world, to people of all religions.
Her love of the Arab people started in the 1960s when she worked in Palestinian
camps, living with the poorest of the poor and supporting the refugees.
'This
one's faking he's dead' - 'He's dead now'
The US Marine Corps launched an investigation into possible war crimes
last night after video footage taken inside a mosque in Fallujah apparently
showed a Marine shooting dead an unarmed Iraqi insurgent who had been
taken prisoner. The footage showed several Marines with a group of prisoners
who were either lying on the floor or propped against a wall of the bombed-out
building. One Marine can be heard declaring that one of the prisoners
was faking his injuries.
US
launches major Mosul assault
The US military in Iraq says it has begun a big assault on insurgents
in the northern city of Mosul. Military spokesmen said more than 1,000
soldiers had been deployed and were sweeping the city from west to east.
Mosul descended into lawlessness as US forces carried out a major operation
to take control of Falluja last week. Insurgents seized or destroyed
several police stations in what correspondents say is a signal that they
are determined to fight on where they can.
Bush
Selects Rice to Replace Powell
President Bush turned to his most trusted foreign policy adviser, Condoleezza
Rice, to lead U.S. diplomacy during his second term, replacing Secretary
of State Colin Powell, who often was out of step with more hawkish members
of the administration's national security team. A senior administration
official said Bush on Tuesday would nominate Rice, another move in a
significant Cabinet shuffle that has included the exit not only of Powell,
the administration's most prominent moderate, but also the resignation
of Attorney General John Ashcroft, one of the administration's most outspoken
conservatives.
Galloway
demands withdrawal of 'anti-Semitic' allegations
The MP George Galloway today reacted furiously to suggestions he referred
to the wife of former Telegraph owner Conrad Black as 'Jewish', saying
that the claim was 'an outrage' and demanding it be withdrawn. Mr Galloway
said a claim by the Telegraph's barrister James Price QC that he had
referred to Barbara Amiel, the wife of the paper's former owner Conrad
Black, as Jewish in a fundraising letter for his charity was 'a lie,
a lie, a lie'. In a second day of angry exchanges at the high court in
London, Mr Galloway demanded that Mr Price withdraw the allegation, which
he said was a 'serious libel' and a 'clear accusation of anti-Semitism'.
Mosul
revolt spreads to town near Syria
Pitched battles have erupted between insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi forces
in the northern city of Mosul, with the revolt spreading to Tal Afar,
a town near the Syrian border, prompting residents to flee and U.S. armored
vehicles to encircle it. In Mosul, carloads of insurgents drove unhindered
through parts of the city and attacked security forces on bridges spanning
the Tigris River. The fighters barricaded themselves in a police station
and then wounded at least 20 Iraqi security commandos, who called for
help from a U.S. unit during the ensuing five-hour gun battle.
2
top CIA officers quit after clash with Goss staff
The two most senior managers of the CIA's clandestine service resigned
yesterday after clashing with staff brought in by Director Porter J.
Goss, robbing the nation's spies of a leadership team that one agency
veteran said was its best in years. The resignations of Stephen Kappes,
deputy director for operations, and Michael Sulick, the associate deputy
director, were announced yesterday evening by Mr. Goss after several
days of rumors and speculation.
Thatcher
to be tried in absentia
Sir Mark Thatcher is to be tried in his absence by a court in Equatorial
Guinea over an alleged plot to overthrow its president, a defence lawyer
said. Fabian Nsue Nguema said eight new names, including Sir Mark's,
have been added to the list of accused. Last month Sir Mark appeared
in court in Cape Town as his lawyers argued against an order forcing
him to answer questions about a suspected coup plot. Lady Thatcher's
son denies knowledge of, or involvement in, the plot.
Porton
Down volunteer 'unlawfully killed'
A 51-year search for the truth about the death of a young serviceman
during secret nerve-gas experiments ended yesterday when an inquest jury
decided that he had been unlawfully killed by the British Government.
Ronald Maddison, 20, died in 1953 at the Porton Down research complex
in Wiltshire after he and 348 other volunteers were exposed to massive
doses of the sarin nerve agent during tests to establish its lethal dose.
Former
G.I.'s, Ordered to War, Fight Not to Go
The Army has encountered resistance from more than 2,000 former soldiers
it has ordered back to military work, complicating its efforts to fill
gaps in the regular troops. Many of these former soldiers - some of whom
say they have not trained, held a gun, worn a uniform or even gone for
a jog in years - object to being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan now, after
they thought they were through with life on active duty.
IRA
arms move 'to be witnessed'
The IRA has agreed to allow a Protestant and a Catholic churchman to
witness the decommissioning of its weapons, the BBC has learned. It is
expected that the IRA offer will be detailed in government papers to
be handed separately to Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and DUP leader
Ian Paisley during meetings in Dublin and London. Making the IRA's acts
of 'putting weapons beyond use' more visible has been one of the major
sticking points in the negotiations to restore a power-sharing government
in Northern Ireland.
Man
Sets Himself on Fire Near White House
A man set himself afire Monday just outside a White House gate and repeatedly
yelled 'Allah Allah' after Secret Service officers put out the flames
and one held him facedown on the sidewalk. Alan Etter, spokesman for
the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said guards
at the gate quickly extinguished the flames, and the man had second-
and third-degree burns on about 30 percent of his body.
Couple
Planned to 'sacrifice' Three Children on Church Altar
A woman and her boyfriend are accused of plotting to sacrifice the woman's
three children on a church altar. Nicole Mancini, 29, and John Thurber,
35, were arrested at St. Mary's Church on Wednesday after workers said
they heard the woman say she wanted to sacrifice the boys.'We could tell
this woman was not right,' said church secretary Donna Landolfi. 'She
said, 'Let's go make the sacrifice.''
Galloway
'fought Saddam tyranny'
George Galloway's libel case against the Daily Telegraph has begun at
the High Court with his lawyer stressing the MP's opposition to Saddam
Hussein. Mr Galloway is taking legal action over claims he took £375,000
in oil money from the ex-Iraqi leader's regime. The newspaper is standing
by its right to publish the story. Opening the case for Mr Galloway,
QC Richard Rampton said the MP had long led a campaign against the tyranny
of Saddam Hussein's government.
The case has taken more than a year to come to court in London.
Colin
Powell 'to resign'
The US secretary of state, Colin Powell, reportedly told senior aides
today he intends to resign from the cabinet of President George Bush.
Mr Powell said he intends to leave once Mr Bush has decided on a successor,
according to departmental officials quoted by the Associated Press. Word
of Mr Powell's apparently imminent departure comes as Mr Bush embarks
on a cabinet reshuffle at the start of his second term in the White House.
Election
apology starts net feud
An online war is under way between Americans who want to apologise for
the US presidential election results, and those who are happy with the
way it turned out. Sorryeverybody.com started the duel the day after
the polls closed, with a picture of its creator holding up a 'Sorry World'
message. Since then the site has racked up more than 27 million hits
as other people post pictures and view the growing gallery of images.
But the site has also seen the creation of at least eight other websites
set up supporters of president George W Bush who believe there is nothing
to apologise for.
Fallujah:
A hollow victory
The US and Iraqi authorities announced that Fallujah had been pacified
saying they had smashed through the last lines of resistance and killed
more than 1,200 fighters. Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary,
said allied forces had 'completed the move, for all practical purposes,
from the north of the town to the south'. Iraq's interim Prime Minister,
Iyad Allawi, said there had been 'a clear-cut win over the insurgents
and the terrorists'. But the pacification of the rebel stronghold could
be a hollow victory. The Americans will leave behind them a shattered
city, having unleashed the full might of the US military against an estimated
6,000 insurgents.
Darfur
attacks fuel genocide fear
The BBC's Panorama programme has revealed new evidence of mass ethnic
killings and rape in Darfur, adding to fears of genocide in the region.
In one town the BBC team visited at least 80 children had been killed
as well as many adults. Janjaweed militias and government troops attacked
Kidinyir throughout the past year, killing huge numbers. It is now estimated
that more than 70,000 people have died in Darfur and massacres are still
going on.
Mordechai
Vanunu: Long walk to freedom
Mordechai Vanunu served 18 years in an Israeli prison for blowing the
whistle on the country's nuclear weapons programme. Last week he was
arrested again. It was precisely noon in Jerusalem and the bells in the
tower of St George's Cathedral were echoing over the city. The short,
trim man in the apricot shirt and dark trousers who was ringing them
was smiling broadly. 'Down there,' he said, when he had given a final
pull to the centre bell and was gazing from the turrets to the sprawling
civic building below, 'down there is where they sentenced me to 18 years
in prison. This is my way of saying I am still here.'
Bush
will visit as Britain gears up for election
George Bush is to visit Britain in February, thrusting his controversial
relationship with Tony Blair into the spotlight in the run-up to next
year's general election. The President is to come to London in three
months' time, reciprocating Tony Blair's trip to Washington last week.
Mr Bush made a controversial visit to Britain last year. Mr Bush's visit,
likely to be part of a wider tour of European countries, will pose a
problem for the leaders of both main parties as they gear up for a poll
expected to be held in or before May.
Galloway
challenges Telegraph in high court
Former Labour MP George Galloway takes his libel battle with the Daily
Telegraph to the high court today and could appear for cross-examination
on the first day. Other witnesses in the trial, which could last all
week and continue into next, will include the former Telegraph editor
Charles Moore, as well as David Blair, the reporter whose claims about
Mr Galloway's alleged links with Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime led to
the MP launching legal action last year.
Cuba
dollar tax comes into force
A 10% tax on the exchange of US dollars has come into force in Cuba.
The measure was originally planned for last Monday, but was deferred
for a week to allow people to change their dollar reserves into Cuban
pesos. The move will affect Cuban citizens who receive money from relatives
overseas as well as foreign visitors. A ban on the free circulation of
dollars came into effect one week ago, affecting millions of Cubans who
use dollars to buy certain goods. The government said the move was a
response to the toughening of the US embargo on Cuba wanted by the Bush
administration.
Two
guards die as Palestinian leader is caught in gun battle
Dissident Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire in Gaza yesterday with security
guards protecting Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, the transitional
leader, when he visited a mourning site for Yasser Arafat. Two guards
were killed and 10 others wounded. The shooting occurred shortly after
the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, announced plans to meet moderate
Palestinian leaders later this month in an early indication of America's
readiness to become involved in a Middle East peace process.
Chile
identifies 35,000 victims of Pinochet
A year-long investigation into state-sponsored torture in Chile has documented
that an estimated 35,000 people were abused during the 1973-90 military
regime. The report, which has not been made public, identifies dozens
of secret facilities under the control of General Augusto Pinochet, who
headed the military junta. The National Commission on Political Prisoners
and Torture presented its study to President Ricardo Lagos late last
week. The three volumes include hundreds of new claims about torture
tactics, ranging from sexual abuse using dogs, to forcing suspects to
watch as family members were sodomised or slowly electrocuted.
Cleric's
arrest sparks more demos
Hardline Hindu groups in India are planning a third day of countrywide
protests against the arrest of a prominent religious leader. Jayendra
Saraswathi was arrested near the southern city of Hyderabad and charged
with killing a man who worked at the 2,500-year-old temple he heads.
The arrest has caused a sensation as Mr Saraswathi, 71, is a revered
figure among Hindus in southern India. The dead man was a former accountant
who was killed inside the ancient Hindu temple in Kanchipuram in Tamil
Nadu state on 3 September.
WTC
was Designed to Take Numerous Plane Crashes: video
Frank A. DeMartini, Manager, WTC Construction and Project Management,
discusses the fact that the WTC towers were designed to take multiple
hits from airliners and not collapse, comparing it to poking a pencil
through fly netting, DeMartini was adament that the towers would not
collapse. DeMartini died in the towers on 9/11, this interview clip was
taken from video shot in January 2001.
Guantanamo
Britons are still a threat, says Blair
Tony Blair reignited the row over Guantanamo Bay last night by claiming
that former British detainees had been 'causing difficulties again' after
their release. The Prime Minister's unexpected comments, in a television
interview, came as it was confirmed that the five former terrorism suspects
freed this year from the US military base on Cuba are the subject of
round-the-clock police surveillance. Tony Blair: 'defamatory, misleading
and irresponsible' A senior Whitehall official said that the men were
under suspicion and claimed that the activities of more than one was
'worrying' police.
Ministers
tell consumers to be more ethical when shopping
Millions of families are being urged to choose fair trade products, ethical
bank accounts and environmentally responsible holidays under plans to
mobilise consumer power to help end poverty in the Third World. A comprehensive
guide to ethical consumerism will tell consumers that everyone can make
a difference to the plight of the world's poorest nations. The free Rough
Guide to a Better World includes details on choosing a holiday which
will not exploit the Third World, maximising the benefits of donations
to charity and shopping for fair trade goods.
Straw:
We did know of Africa coup
The British government knew about the alleged plot to overthrow the President
of Equatorial Guinea at least five weeks before a group of mercenaries
was arrested in March for planning the coup. In a dramatic admission,
the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, confirmed that the government had
been 'informed' of the alleged coup plot 'in late January 2004'. On 7
March a group of mercenaries, led by an Old Etonian and former SAS officer,
Simon Mann, was arrested in Zimbabwe. They were charged with plotting
a putsch.
US
troops diverted to Mosul
Hundreds of US troops have been diverted from Falluja to Mosul, as violence
continues to spread to other areas of Iraq. After four days of fighting,
insurgents are reported to be in control of parts of Mosul, where residents
say gunmen are roaming the streets. Meanwhile, in Ramadi, clashes continued
between troops and rebels. And a US soldier has been killed and three
others injured in an attack on a military base near Baghdad. A ban on
civilian air traffic over Baghdad has been extended, which closes the
airport indefinitely to commercial flights.
Violence
across Iraq and Aid agencies warn of disaster
The United States and Iraq's interim government claimed yesterday that
the battle for Fallujah was over, with 1,000 insurgents killed and the
rebel stronghold effectively pacified after six days of fighting. But
even as the victory was being declared, wide-spread violence erupted
throughout the rest of the country, with parts of Mosul passing into
the hands of insurgents, forcing the American military to detach and
rush part of its Fallujah force to the northern city. There was also
street fighting in Baghdad, where mortar rounds were fired at the Green
Zone, the heavily barricaded heart of US power in Iraq, and heavy fighting
in the town of Yusufiyah, south of the capital.
Mosque
set on fire in Netherlands
A fire has badly damaged a mosque in the Netherlands, in what may be
the latest in a series of arson attacks. Police said the small wooden
mosque, in the south-eastern village of Helden, near the German border,
had caught light early on Saturday 13th November. They said it was not
immediately clear if arsonists were behind the attack. There have been
more than 20 incidents of fires or vandalism at Muslim buildings since
the murder of the controversial filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
Civilian
cost of battle for Falluja emerges
The full cost of the battle of Falluja emerged last night as large numbers
of wounded civilians were evacuated to hospitals in Baghdad, as insurgents
stepped up retaliatory attacks in other cities. As the first Red Crescent
aid convoy was allowed into Falluja, Iraq's Health Minister, Alaa Alwan,
said ambulances had begun transferring a 'significant number' of injured
civilians out of the battle zone, although he did not specify how many.
S
Korea farmers clash with police
Thousands of South Korean farmers have fought running battles with riot
police in the streets of Seoul after a rally against foreign rice imports.
Protesters threw stones and burning torches at officers, who fought back
with bamboo staves and water cannon. The South Korean government has
said it is close to an agreement giving foreign rice producers a greater
market share. Many of the country's farmers object to the move because
foreign rice is far cheaper than locally-grown grain.
When
the smoke clears around Fallujah, what horrors will be revealed?
Victory was being declared yesterday in the battle of Fallujah, with
1,000 rebels reported dead, hundreds more in custody and spectacular
footage from embedded television crews, showing Marines charging through
deserted neighbourhoods. 'It's like those pictures from the advance into
Baghdad,' said one watcher as the TV showed the view over a tank gunner's
shoulder, with fire pouring down an empty street. But that comment unconsciously
identified the real problem: more than a year and a half after George
Bush declared major combat operations in Iraq at an end, the US military,
backed by British and Iraqi forces, is having to fight the war all over
again.
Palestinians
call for peace talks
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has called for a speedy resumption
of peace efforts with Israel, a day after Yasser Arafat's burial in Ramallah.
Mr Qurei said now was the time to get serious, and with determination
they could reach an agreement 'in a very short time'. He said there would
be an election to replace Mr Arafat by 9 January. Jailed West Bank Fatah
leader Marwan Barghouti is considering a bid, his wife Fadwa has told
AFP news agency. Barghouti is in an Israeli jail serving five consecutive
life sentences, but many consider him to be the most popular leader after
Mr Arafat.
PM
leads tributes at Bigley memorial
Tony Blair led the tributes to the murdered hostage Ken Bigley yesterday
at a memorial service in Liverpool which was also attended by Cherie
Blair and the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. The congregation of 300
was headed by Mr Bigley's Thai widow, Sombat, mother Lily and younger
brother Paul - who had accused Mr Blair at the time of Mr Bigley's death
of having blood on his hands. But Paul Bigley avoided any controversy
during the service and spoke fondly of his brother: 'Ken worked tirelessly
to give his children a good life. In fact, he spent his whole life working
unselfishly to provide for the people he loved.
Bhopal
'faces risk of poisoning'
Thousands of Indians around Bhopal remain at risk of poisoning 20 years
after a major disaster in the city, an investigation by the BBC has revealed.
Four thousand people died after an explosion and toxic gas leak at a
pesticide factory owned by US company Union Carbide in 1984. Union Carbide
India Limited was responsible for cleaning up the site. But thousands
of tonnes of toxic waste are still stored inadequately nearby, poisoning
the town's water supply.
Olver
takes axe to BAE's Tories
Former Conservative Defence Secretary Michael Portillo and Tory peer
Lord Hesketh are in the firing line as BAE Systems' chairman Dick Olver
plans a cull of the defence company's board to assert his authority over
the group. Olver, appointed as chairman in the summer, believes a major
shake-up of the six non-executive directors on BAE's board is necessary
to boost their role and to allow them to act as an effective counterweight
to the executive board, led by chief executive Mike Turner.
Blair
places 'war on terror' at heart of election campaign
Tony Blair has decided to confront opponents of the Iraq war head on
by placing the 'war on terror' at the heart of Labour's campaign in the
coming general election. The Prime Minister has privately admitted that
attempts to 'move on' from Iraq are doomed to failure. He has ordered
a new 'twin-track' strategy for the election, expected this spring, based
on the themes of 'opportunity and security'. The Labour Party's senior
strategists plan to make a virtue of Mr Blair's track record as a war
leader at a time of increased terrorist threat.
US
soldier shoots Bengal tiger in Baghdad zoo during drunken party
After the acts of torture, of rape, of abuse of power, of war crimes,
of mass murder, the fact that a rare tiger is shot in its cage in Baghdad
zoo comes as no surprise. Yet another horrific incident in the nightmare
called George Bush's personal war against anything that moves, or is
a civilian infra-structure, in Iraq. This time it is not a hospital,
nor a school, nor a cluster bomb dropped near a residential area, nor
an artillery shell lobbed into the middle of a happy family gathering,
nor a Mosque. It is Baghdad zoo. The 'insurgent' in this case was a defenseless
Bengal Tiger, locked up in its cage, shot dead by a drunken American
soldier. What fun. What a brave soldier.
US
study links more than 200 diseases to pollution
Pollution has been linked to about 200 different diseases, ranging from
cerebral palsy to testicular atrophy, as well as more than 37 kinds of
cancer, startling US research shows. The study, which the authors say
probably underestimates the full toll of the contamination, will focus
attention on the need for information on the tens of thousands of chemicals
routinely released into the environment. But Britain has weakened the
proposed European Union regulations to provide safety information on
the substances at the behest of the US government.
Nato
is a threat to Europe and must be disbanded
They walk the walk. They talk the talk. But they don't think the think.
In the wake of the huge support given to George Bush last week, it's
time we realised how different America's majority culture is, and changed
our policies accordingly. What Americans share with Europeans are not
values, but institutions. The distinction is crucial. Like us, they have
a separation of powers between executive and legislature, an independent
judiciary, and the rule of law. But the American majority's social and
moral values differ enormously from those which guide most Europeans.
Ex-pats
flood out of Ivory Coast
Foreigners are continuing to leave Ivory Coast in large numbers, after
days of street violence and looting. About 800 people are preparing to
leave Abidjan on Sunday, and almost 5,000 Europeans have already been
evacuated. Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has vowed to rebuild his
air force after its destruction by the French military. He has sacked
his army chief of staff, Gen Matthias Doue, in favour of Col Philipe
Mangou, who led the bombing of French peacekeepers by Ivorian planes.
CIA
boss quits as rift worsens
The deputy head of the CIA has resigned after a series of confrontations
between senior officials and the chief of staff of the agency's newly
appointed head. John McLaughlin, who took temporary control of the agency
last summer following the resignation of its former director, George
Tenet, called his decision to step down after 32 years 'purely personal'.
But reports suggest the real cause was a series of heated confrontations
between senior agency staff and the chief of staff of Porter Goss, the
Congressman appointed to head the CIA in September.
US
ready to put weapons in space
America has begun preparing its next military objective - space. Documents
reveal that the US Air Force has for the first time adopted a doctrine
to establish 'space superiority'. The new doctrine means that pre-emptive
strikes against enemy satellites would become 'crucial steps in any military
operation'. This week defence experts will attend a conference in London
amid warnings that President Bush's re-election will pave the way to
the arming of space.
Taleban
leader in rallying call
Reclusive Taleban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar has sent a new message
to supporters, vowing to struggle for Afghanistan's 'independence'. Mullah
Omar sent a two-page message to the Afghan Islamic Press agency to mark
the Muslim Eid ul Fitr festival. He said the Taleban had 'far greater
unity, brotherhood and steadfastness than before'. Mullah Omar led the
Taleban regime that ruled Afghanistan until it was overthrown by US-led
forces in 2001. His message comes on the third anniversary of the Taleban's
flight from Kabul in as US-led forces marched on the city.
Decomposing
body to be shown on TV
Channel 4, no stranger to challenging broadcasting taboos, is about to
cross another televisual rubicon by filming the decomposition of a human
body. The broadcaster, which billed the show as a 'unique scientific
experiment', has in the past featured controversial documentaries showing
the first images of aborted foetuses seen on British TV and, two years
ago, Britain's first public autopsy for 170 years. Channel 4 is looking
for a volunteer with a terminal illness for the decomposition programme,
which has a working title Dust to Dust, and will have to get the consent
of the volunteer's family.
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