Just International News Starting March 6, 2005 Options

[Snuffysmith]

Unexpected Whiff of Freedom
Proves Bracing for the Mideast
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
A similar mixture of anticipation and dread has emerged as
the Middle East enters uncharted political and social
territory.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat...mideast.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

TRAGEDY'S WAKE
Torn From Moorings, Villagers From Sri Lanka Grasp for Past
By AMY WALDMAN
After the tsunami, a group of Sri Lankan villagers are a
placeless people nostalgic
even for homes linked with
horror.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat...06lanka.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

QUOTATION OF THE DAY -

"Everything happening is taking place in one context, the bankruptcy of the authoritarian regimes and their rejection by the Arab peoples. Democracy is being born and the current authoritarianism is dying."
- MICHEL KILO, a political activist in Damascus, Syria.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat...mideast.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

MULTIMEDIA -
Interactive Feature: Tragedy's Wake
The Times's Amy Waldman reports from Navalady, Sri Lanka, where at least 620 of about 1,900 inhabitants died after the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/inter.../double.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

Italian Reporter Arrives in Rome Amid Questions
By JASON HOROWITZ
Giuliana Sgrena, who was shot by U.S. soldiers after being
released by kidnappers in Baghdad, returned amid anger at
the U.S. and Italy's continued involvement in Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat.../06rome.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

Syria Offers Gradual Pullback of Its Troops From Lebanon
By HASSAN M. FATTAH and DAVID E. SANGER
President Bashar al-Assad plans to order a gradual pullback
to Lebanese territory near Syria's borders.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat...06syria.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

Ukraine's Security Chief Says Ex-Official Killed Himself
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Oleksandr Turchinov said the former interior minister, Yuri
Kravchenko, had shot himself twice in the head, refuting
speculation that he had been murdered.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/internat...ukraine.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

Pope Appears at Hospital Window to Bless Faithful

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C05950:2F72C9D

John Paul II offers silent blessing to hundreds of faithful gathered
outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital

Pope John Paul II at a window of Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic
HospitalPope John Paul offered a silent blessing to hundreds of
faithful gathered Sunday outside his hospital room window, where the
Roman Catholic pontiff has been recovering from surgery to aid his
breathing.

A smiling 84-year-old John Paul appeared to be in good spirits as he
made the sign of the cross and waved in steady, strong gestures to
cheering pilgrims at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

He did not speak during his brief appearance, which was broadcast live
around the world and on large television screens set up in St. Peter's
Square at the Vatican where moments before a senior aide read the
pontiff's weekly message and Angelus prayer.

In his message, Pope Paul expressed a special thanks to believers of
other faiths, especially Jews and Muslims, for their prayers for his
recovery.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

[Snuffysmith]

Chinese Foreign Minister Hopes for Resumption of North Korean Nuclear
Talks

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C05954:2F72C9D

Li Zhaoxing says China believes six-party talks present a realistic
choice for resolution of nuclear issue on Korean Peninsula through
dialogue

Li Zhaoxing Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing says he hopes
multi-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs will
resume soon.

China, regarded as the nation best able to influence the reclusive
North, has recently sent high-level officials to Pyongyang in hope of
restarting the negotiations, which have been stalled since last June.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of China's annual legislative
session, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Sunday that Beijing seeks
to ensure that the Korean Peninsula is nuclear free. But, he said, the
North should have its needs addressed.

Mr. Li said China believes the six-party talks present a realistic
choice for the resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula
through dialogue. He says the talks are in the interest of all parties
and they should be continued.

North Korea wants security guarantees and economic aid in return for
complying with U.S. demands that it give up its nuclear weapons
programs.

China has held three rounds of talks bringing together Japan, North
and South Korea, Russia and the United States. They have been
inconclusive.

The impasse flared in 2002, after U.S. officials said North Korea had
admitted having a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of
international agreements.

The crisis escalated last month, when North Korea said it had
suspended participation in the talks and repeated assertions that has
built nuclear weapons, a claim some Western experts say probably is
true.

The Chinese foreign minister on Sunday said he does not know whether
Pyongyang in fact has developed nuclear weapons.

The United States has asked China to use its influence as North
Korea's chief supplier of food and fuel to prod Pyongyang to return to
the negotiations. Washington says the six-way process is the best
opportunity North Korea has to settle the dispute and end its
international isolation.

China says its influence over the North is limited and has urged both
the United States and North Korea to be flexible in their demands.

[Snuffysmith]

China Calls for Lifting of EU Weapons Embargo

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C05952:2F72C9D

Foreign Minister says Beijing does not intend to buy large number of
weapons Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing is calling for an end to
the European Union's arms embargo, saying his country does not intend
to buy a large number of weapons.

China wants the embargo lifted despite U.S. fears that Beijing may use
new European weapons to attack Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual session of the
National People's Congress, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Sunday
the embargo is an obstacle to good relations with Europe. Mr. Li said
China believes the embargo - which he calls obsolete, useless, and
detrimental - is a jarring note in the strategic partnership between
China and the European Union.

The European Union imposed the embargo after the bloody 1989 crackdown
by Chinese troops on unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators.

The Bush administration opposes lifting the embargo, in part because
the United States has committed to protect Taiwan in the event of a
Chinese assault.

China considers democratic Taiwan a part of its territory and has
vowed to reunite it with the mainland by force if necessary. The two
have been governed separately since 1949, when Communists took over
the mainland following the Chinese civil war and the Nationalists fled
to the island.

Concerns over China's military intentions have risen in light of
Beijing's plans to enact an anti-secession law at this NPC session.
Critics say the law could give China a legal basis to attack the
island, although Chinese officials say it is intended to discourage
Taiwan politicians from declaring the island independent.

However, China's top diplomat on Sunday said Beijing does not intend
to buy a large number of new weapons from Europe.

Foreign Minister Li says China is committed to peaceful development.
He said it does not need to buy a large quantity of advanced weapons
from Europe. He says that as a developing country, China does not have
the money to buy expensive weapons, which, he said, would be useless
to China.

On Friday, however, China revealed it will increase its defense budget
by more than 12 percent this year. Officials say the additional money
will pay for soldiers' wages, retirement pay, and the purchase of new
weapons systems.

Mr. Li on Sunday also warned that U.S. military cooperation with Japan
should not include Taiwan. He said any U.S.-Japanese defense activity
related to the island would infringe on Chinese sovereignty.

[Snuffysmith]

South Asia Tsunami Reconstruction to Cost Billions

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C05953:2F72C9D

International aid institutions make estimates based on evaluations of
damage The first hard figures are coming in on the cost of rebuilding
areas of South Asian hit by the December 26 tsunami.

The World Bank estimates that Sri Lanka will need one and a half
billion dollars to rebuild housing and the transportation system, and
the local fishing and tourism industries.

Sri Lanka suffered the most extensive damage after Indonesia in the
disaster. The total losses are estimated to equal 4.4 percent of the
country's gross domestic product.

In a recent report, the World Bank estimates that losses in the
Maldives have reached nearly half a billion dollars, adding up to a
staggering two-thirds of the archipelago's annual domestic economic
output. The housing and tourism sectors are the worst hit, with
tourist arrivals dropping by as much as 80 percent.

International aid institutions made the estimates based on their
evaluations of the damage in the region.

India says it will finance most of its tsunami reconstruction work on
its own, although it may seek help later from international aid
institutions.

Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram recently told Parliament the
government is providing $2 billion to rebuild tsunami-hit areas on the
southeast coast and to restore the livelihoods of people affected by
the waves. "I wish to assure the house [of Parliament] and the
affected people that the government will provide the necessary funds
for the purpose and ensure that every affected family is fully
rehabilitated," he said.

Rebuilding efforts in the tsunami-hit countries focus on replacing the
fishing boats and nets that were swept away by the giant waves.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization says losses in
the fishing industry total half a billion dollars - much of it damaged
or lost boats. It says the first priority is to repair boats wherever
possible. Teams are already working in Sri Lanka and elsewhere to help
fishermen return to sea.

The World Bank says countries have moved quickly into the rebuilding
phase due to the generous international aid for people affected by the
tsunami. But the bank's report says most of the money so far pledged
is for humanitarian relief, and more aid will be needed over the next
three to five years to restore the damage wrought by the waves.

[Snuffysmith]

Aid Agencies Concerned for Safety of Refugees in Ivory Coast

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C0594C:2F72C9D

Flare-up of fighting in Ivory Coast alarms aid agencies

Some 7,200 Liberian refugees have returned on UNHCR convoys since
October 2004. © UNHCR/S.BrownellA flare-up of fighting in
Ivory Coast has alarmed aid agencies, which fear a new wave of
refugees into neighboring Liberia. Aid officials also are concerned
for the safety of Liberian refugees in Ivory Coast.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Ivory Coast limited
its movements in the west of the country, following a flare-up of
fighting this past week between rebels and militia loyal to the
government. It was the first outbreak of fighting in Ivory Coast since
November.

UNHCR Spokeswoman Fati Kaba says, if the situation deteriorates
further, she is worried about the security of Liberian refugees in
western Ivory Coast, where some blame renewed fighting in the region
on Liberian mercenaries.

"The tensions in western Cote d'Ivoire have the potential of adversely
affecting the protection of refugees, because each time there's
fighting in Cote d'Ivoire, the local population tends to be hostile to
the refugees, because of past involvement of Liberian nationals in the
fighting," said Fati Kaba.

There are around 17,000 Liberian refugees in Ivory Coast who fled
their own civil war, which ended in 2003.

In addition to worrying about the safety of the Liberian refugees in
Ivory Coast, Ms. Kaba says, the UNHCR also is concerned that renewed
fighting in Ivory Coast could send a new wave of refugees into eastern
Liberia, which is ill-equipped to cope.

"Liberia is a country trying to recover from 14 years of a brutal
civil war that left a lot of devastation, and this wouldn't be a good
time for Liberia to be receiving a large number of refugees," she
said.

There are already 5,000 Ivorian refugees in villages on the Liberian
border, who fled fighting in Ivory Coast during 2002. Another influx
of refugees poured into Liberia this past November, when government
forces bombed rebel positions. Ms. Kabba says many refugees are in
remote areas in Liberia that have not been accessible to humanitarian
agencies for a long time.

Juliette Gwapu is a refugee in the tiny border village of Luaguatuo.
Sitting under a tree surrounded by her six children, she recently
spoke to VOA. She says she is afraid to return to Ivory Coast, where
she says she saw several people killed by rebels.

Ms. Gwapu told VOA that, as a civilian she cannot protect herself from
rebels with guns. She says she was chased out of her village, and fled
to Liberia, leaving all her possessions behind. She says now she has
nothing, and food provided by aid agencies is not enough.

The U.N. World Food Program says it is running out of food in Liberia,
and has prioritized the distribution of rations to refugees and
displaced people who are returning home. Although the Liberian
conflict ended in 2003, the country was left in economic ruin.

[Snuffysmith]

Majority of Mexican Immigrants in US Support Guest Worker Idea

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C0594B:2F72C9D

Proposal would allow them to stay in country legally, but only for
limited time A majority of Mexicans living and working in the United
States would take part in a guest worker program that allowed them to
stay in the country legally, but only for a limited time. That's
according to a survey of nearly 5,000 Mexican migrants.

In the survey, conducted by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center,
71 percent of respondents said they would participate in a temporary
worker program.

Almost the same proportion of those questioned said they would take
part in a program that offered the opportunity for permanent legal
status, once they had lived in the United States for five or more
years.

Jorge Castañeda (Photo courtesy - OAS) Former Mexican Foreign
Minister Jorge Castañeda worked on a Mexican draft proposal for
a temporary worker program when he was a member of President Vicente
Fox's Cabinet.

He says the vast majority of Mexican migrants want to be able to
travel legally back and forth between the United States and Mexico. He
says increasingly tight border controls make it more difficult for
Mexicans to enter the United States, and those who attempt to enter
illegally face considerable obstacles and risks.

"What people want to do is come and go, as long as they have the
assurance that they will be able to come back next year," said Jorge
Castañeda. "Right now, they can't, because the border is
closed, because it's expensive and because it's dangerous. If you tell
someone, 'you get to work six months here at this, go back to Mexico,
wait six months, and you can come back, and you can come back, and you
can come back,' that's what most Mexicans really want."

President Bush has proposed a plan that would allow undocumented
workers to get temporary visas to work legally for a limited amount of
time, but those documents would not lead to citizenship.

The issue is expected to be high on the agenda when U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice visits Mexico in the coming week. President
Vicente Fox is also determined to vigorously pursue it when he meets
with President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin later this
month in Texas.

Mr. Castañeda, the former Mexican foreign minister, says views
may differ between newly arrived migrants and those who have been in
the United States for many years.

"Now, those who have already settled in the United States, the 4.5 or
five million who are already there, who may have a family there, who
have been living there for five or 10 years, they probably don't want
to come back, and they won't," said Jorge Casta. "But they
won't come back under current circumstances either. They won't come
back period."

The survey found that most of those questioned would like to stay in
the United States indefinitely, but most of those said they would
participate in a temporary immigration program.

[gabriellemy]

http://www.postimees.ee/070305/online_uudised/159448.php

paint bottles thrown at latvian embassy in st petersburg on sunday

[Snuffysmith]

Bolivia's Leader Says He Plans to Offer His Resignation
Monday
By REUTERS
President Carlos Mesa said Sunday that he was resigning as
new protests spread and threatened the important oil and
gas sector.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/07/internat...bolivia.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

Hope in the Land of Dashed Hopes
If the West is serious about striking at poverty and poor
governance in Africa, it must support the encouraging
developments in Nigeria.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/07/opinion/07mon1.html?th

[Snuffysmith]

--------------------
Bolivian President Says He'll Resign
--------------------

Carlos Mesa says weeks of protests have made governing impossible. Congress has final say.

By Hector Tobar
Times Staff Writer

March 7 2005

BUENOS AIRES; Besieged Bolivian President Carlos Mesa said late Sunday that he would submit his resignation to Congress today following weeks of protests that have spread to nearly every corner of his impoverished Andean country.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,1754922.story

[Snuffysmith]

--------------------
100 Extremists at Large, Ex-Police Chief Says
--------------------

From Times Wire Reports

March 7 2005

At least 100 extremists trained by Osama bin Laden are at large in Britain, the recently retired head of London's police force said in an article in Sunday's News of the World paper.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

[Snuffysmith]

--------------------
Communists Lead Polls in Moldova
--------------------

From Associated Press

March 7 2005

CHISINAU, Moldova — The ruling Communists, former allies of Russia now turned toward the West, held an early lead in Sunday's parliamentary election, an exit poll showed.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...headlines-world

[Snuffysmith]

Italy Holds State Funeral for Slain Intelligence Officer

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=C0C1B8:2F72C9D

Shooting death of Nicola Calipari has angered many Italians already
opposed to the deployment of Italian troops in Iraq

Coffin of late Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari is carried
outside St. Mary of Angels church at the end of the funeral service in
Rome

The state funeral for Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari was
held Monday morning in a church in central Rome. Mr. Calipari was
killed by U.S. troops in Baghdad, in what the United States says was
an accidental shooting, as he was taking a just freed Italian hostage
to safety.

Thousands of sorrowful mourners turned out for the solemn and
emotional service. There was applause as the coffin was carried into
the packed church. Mr. Calipari's distraught wife sat next to her two
children.

Among those attending were Italy's president and prime minister and
other top state officials. The U.S. Ambassador to Italy was also
present.

During the service, the undersecretary to the prime minister's office,
Gianni Letta described Mr. Calipari as a serious, intelligent and
responsible servant of the state, an extraordinary person who carried
out his job with great passion. He was a man, Mr. Letta added, who
gave you faith and security.

Mr. Letta also said this is a time for the country to honor the heroic
sacrifice of Nicola Calipari without divisions and without
controversy.

In his sermon a military chaplain spoke of the grandeur of Mr.
Calipari's soul who sacrificed his life to save another one.

Mr. Calipari was killed Friday evening when U.S. troops opened fire on
his car. He was traveling towards Baghdad airport after having secured
the release of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had been held
captive by Iraqi insurgents for one month.

Ms. Sgrena works for the Communist daily Il Manifesto. She was wounded
in the shooting. In a vivid account of the events that was published
by her newspaper Sunday she said Mr. Calipari died shielding her from
the shooting.

The intelligence officer was a highly experienced hostage negotiator.
In the eyes of Italians he is a hero who sacrificed his life with
selfless courage.

The journalist has charged that U.S. troops may have deliberately
targeted her since the Italians had paid a ransom, a practice America
opposes. But in an interview published Monday in a leading Italian
paper, Ms. Sgrena appeared to be backtracking by saying she does not
know what led to the attack.

Accounts of what happened differ. U.S. forces say the car was
approaching at high speed and did not stop after warning signals. Ms.
Sgrena says the car was driving at a regular speed and there was no
justification for shooting.

The United States has called the killing of Mr. Calipari a "horrific
accident" and promised a full investigation.

But the incident has led to an increase in anti-American sentiment in
Italy, where a large part of public opinion opposed the war in Iraq.
Italy has 3,000 troops based in the country and there have been
increasing calls for those soldiers to be pulled out.