Bush Seeks $81.9 Billion More, Mostly for Forces in Iraq
By ERIC SCHMITT
Members of Congress have criticized the administration for
using the supplemental budget request to finance the war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/politics/15spend.html?th

U.N. Oil-for-Food Chief Faces Fresh Charges
By JUDITH MILLER
New documents may show that the former head of an aid
program made as much as $1.2 million personally from
illegal oil shipments by Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/internat...t/15oil.html?th

Rice Assures South Korean of U.S. Pressure on North
By JOEL BRINKLEY and JAMES BROOKE
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged on Monday to
continue using diplomatic means to pressure North Korea to
end its nuclear program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/internat.../15rice.html?th

Hit Job in Beirut
The best response to the assassination of Lebanon's former
prime minister would be intensified international pressure
to force Syrian troops from Lebanon.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/opinion/15tue2.html?th

Lebanese Army on Alert After Assassination of Former PM

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4D0:2F72C9D

At least 13 other people were killed and about 120 wounded in
Monday's bomb attack on Mr. Hariri's motorcade

Lebanese police officers block scene of bomb attack that tore
through motorcade of former PM Rafik Hariri in BeirutLebanese troops
are on high alert as the country began three days of official mourning
for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a car bomb
attack in Beirut Monday.

The army set up checkpoints and deployed patrols in Beirut. The
streets of the capital are virtually empty as schools, shops and
private and public institutions are closed.

Mr. Hariri's funeral is planned for Wednesday.

Nations around the world condemned the killing of the influential
politician. The White House pledged to work with the U.N. Security
Council to punish those responsible.

Lebanese opposition politicians blamed Lebanese and Syrian officials
and called for the government's resignation and the withdrawal of
Syrian troops from Lebanon.

At least 13 other people were killed and about 120 wounded in Monday's
bomb attack on Mr. Hariri's motorcade.

In a video broadcast on Al Jazeera television, an unknown Islamic
group claimed responsibility for the bombing. Lebanese officials
identified a man in the tape as a Palestinian who lives in Beirut. He
remains at large.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

Australian WMD Expert Claims CIA Censorship

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4D2:2F72C9D

Rod Barton, a microbiologist, tells Australian television he quit the
Iraq Survey Group in disgust at the censorship of its interim report
presented to US Congress last March An Australian scientist involved
in the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has claimed the
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency doctored his reports to suggest that
such weapons existed when they did not. Rod Barton, a microbiologist,
has told Australian television he quit the Iraq Survey Group in
disgust at the censorship of its interim report presented to the U.S.
Congress last March.

Rod Barton joined the search for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass
destruction, or WMD, after the first Gulf war in 1991.

When the Iraqi dictator was deposed in 2003, the Australian
microbiologist was among a thousand inspectors deployed by the United
States to scour the country for his illicit arsenal.

No weapons of mass destruction were found and there was no sign that
any such programs were being developed. In an Australian news
broadcast Monday, Mr. Barton said he was not allowed to tell the truth
about the inspectors conclusion after their exhaustive search in Iraq.

Mr. Barton claims that U.S. censorship of his reports began in
February 2004 after Charles Duelfer became the new head of the
U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group. He alleges that Mr. Duelfer wanted the WMD
report to be vague and inconclusive and to omit politically sensitive
information.

The former weapons hunter told the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation's "Four Corners" television program that the report issued
last March was not accurate.

"We left the impression that, yes, maybe there were WMD out there,
maybe there were programs still to find, and all our future work might
discover this," said Mr. Barton. "So I thought it was dishonest. I was
part of the dishonesty by being there, by continuing on with this, and
so although I quite enjoyed the work, I did leave."

Mr. Barton illustrates his claims with the case of aluminum pipes
found in Iraq. He says the report was not allowed to mention that they
probably were not part of a nuclear weapons program.

The pipes had earlier been described as possible components for
centrifuges to be used for nuclear enrichment. They were highlighted
by the United States in building the case for war against Iraq.

At the end of March last year, Charles Duelfer presented the Iraq
Survey Group's interim report to the U.S. Congress. He stated that he
continued to "receive reports all the time that there are hidden
weapons" in Iraq to be pursued.

By then Mr. Barton had resigned and had left Baghdad.

He later returned to Iraq at the request of Mr. Duelfer, who said he
was working on a "final, honest report." Mr. Barton says he is
satisfied with that report, which was issued last October. It said
Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction, had not made any since 1991
and had no capability of making any.

So far, there has been no comment from Washington, Canberra, or Mr.
Duelfer on Mr. Barton's interview.

US, UN Demand Action Against Congo Peacekeepers Charged with Sex Abuse

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4CD:2F72C9D

UN praises Morocco for decision to arrest 6 serving in Congo
peacekeeping unit U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard praised Morocco Monday
for its decision to arrest six soldiers serving with a Congo
peacekeeping unit.

The Congo's U.N. mission announced over the weekend that the soldiers
had been jailed pending prosecution by courts martial. 

They were among those named in an internal U.N. investigation last
year that uncovered evidence that blue-helmeted peacekeepers in the
Congo routinely abused women and girls as young as 13. A report
documented cases in which peacekeepers lured poverty-stricken
teenagers into sex by offering them eggs, milk, or tiny sums of money.

Morocco is the first to announce prosecutions of its peacekeepers in
the Congo sex abuse case, and spokesman Eckhard said the U.N. mission
is urging other troop-contributing nations to do the same. "The
mission hopes that the vigorous and public reaction of Morocco will
serve as an example and that other troop-contributing countries will
follow," he said.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council last week that
new policies were in place forbidding U.N. peacekeepers from what is
called "fraternization" with the local population. The policy also
includes a curfew for blue-helmeted soldiers in the Congo.

In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan urged authorities
to impose tough penalties on anyone found guilty of what he called
"atrocious conduct" in the Congo. "That's unacceptable and appalling
what has happened in the Congo," he said.

The U.N. mission in the Congo, known by its French acronym MONUC, is
among the largest U.N. peacekeeping operations. It employs more than
13,000 people, the vast majority of them soldiers, mostly from African
nations.

Morocco's contribution to the force includes about 750 troops.

But the world body has no authority to discipline peacekeepers. It
must rely on troop-contributing countries to take action against
anyone accused of crimes.

At least two civilians working in the Congo mission were sent home
last year to face charges of pedophilia. At least three other
civilians are said to be facing charges in their home countries.

At Least 3 Challenges Filed Against Iraq Election Results

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4C9:2F72C9D

World leaders praised the results and urged the winning parties not to
worsen religious and ethnic tensions in the country Iraq's Electoral
Commission says it has received at least three complaints from
political groups challenging the results of last month's national
elections.

The commission, which announced election results Sunday, has given the
parties three days to file complaints before it would certify the
results and announce the allocation of seats in the 275-member interim
national assembly.

A mainly Shi'ite Muslim coalition, the United Iraqi Alliance, won the
largest share of the eight million votes, but fell just short of an
outright majority.  A Kurdish coalition finished second, and
allies of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi came third.

Shi'ite politicians said Tuesday that the leader of the influential
Dawa Islamic party, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, will likely be the United
Iraqi Alliance's candidate for prime minister.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry says kidnappers have freed
Turkish shipping magnate Kahraman Sadikoglu, who was abducted in
southern Iraq in December.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

Iran FM Hopes for Fruitful Agreement; with EU on Nuclear
Programs

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4BC:2F72C9D

Kamal Kharrazi made his remarks after conferring with Hungarian
officials in Budapest

Hungarian President Ferenc Madl, left, is talking to his guest Kamal
Kharrazi Iran's foreign minister says he remains hopeful that talks
with the European Union on Tehran's nuclear program will lead to what
he calls a "very fruitful agreement."

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi made his remarks Tuesday after
conferring with Hungarian officials in the capital, Budapest.

EU officials have been trying to persuade Iran to give up its uranium
enrichment program in exchange for economic incentives, and help in
obtaining a light-water reactor, which can only be used for energy
production.

The United States accuses Iran of secretly working to develop nuclear
weapons. Tehran strongly denies the allegation, insisting its nuclear
program is only for making electricity.

On Sunday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said
Iran will not, under any circumstances, halt its plans to build a
heavy-water reactor.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

More Than 200 Workers Dead in Chinese Mine Blast

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4D5:2F72C9D

Blast is latest and worst in a spate of mine accidents that have
plagued China in recent years as the economic boom pushes up the
demand for coal At least 203 workers are dead following a gas
explosion in a mine in northeastern China - the country's worst mine
disaster in the past several years. Officials reported the news of the
disaster not long after issuing an extensive set of mine safety
regulations.

The state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported the accident on Tuesday,
one day after it happened in the Fuxin region of Liaoning province.
Officials said the explosion at the Sunjiawan coal mine happened 242
meters underground and the cause was under investigation. The mine is
part of a government-owned conglomerate.

The blast is the latest and worst in a spate of mine accidents that
have plagued China in recent years as the economic boom pushes up the
demand for coal - the country's main energy source.

In November, an explosion at a pit in northern Shaanxi province killed
166 miners. Another blast killed 148 in central Henan province in
October. China's State Administration of Work Safety says the coal
mine death toll reached 6,027 last year. Foreign analysts say that
figure is underestimated but still ranks China as having the world's
worst mine safety record.

It was only January first that new mine safety regulations containing
more than 750 articles went into effect. Robin Munro with the China
Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong group that has been monitoring Chinese
mine disasters for the past decade, says the new regulations appear to
have made little difference.

"Now, a few months later we're seeing the same things happening again,
more colossal disasters with huge loss of life. So really, the
conclusion we've got to draw is that there's no real enforcement,"
said Mr. Munro. "There's just lots of paper being put out by the
central government."

The group says authorities have yet to take action against the owner
of the Shaanxi province mine where the blast that killed 166 workers.
Witnesses of that disaster allege he ordered workers to go into the
shaft to put out a fire, and threatened to dismiss them if they
refused.

Advocates say economic forces are a key factor in the disasters.

With a number of Chinese cities dealing with coal shortages this
winter, the government has been offering cash bonuses to operators as
an incentive to boost output.

Advocates say this pressure to produce more coal quickly is yet
another factor driving many mine operators to neglect safety rules.
Many privately owned mines reportedly ignore regulations, and in some
cases, private mines have continued to operate even after government
officials ordered them closed for safety reasons.

WFP: Food Donations to Africa Reduced During Tsunami Relief Effort

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4D8:2F72C9D

UN agency says January donations to  operations in Africa dropped
by 21 percent The World Food Program is concerned that international
donors have been focusing their attention so much on the Asian tsunami
disaster that their commitments to Africa have suffered a loss.

In a statement, the U.N. agency said Monday that January donations to
WFP's operations in Africa dropped by 21 percent to $24 million
compared with $29 million in the first month of 2004.

WFP Executive Director James Morris said the response to the
earthquake-tsunami disaster in Asia demonstrated how much the world
cares for millions of people facing extraordinary suffering.

But, Mr. Morris added, the challenge now is to ensure that a tsunami
effect does not ripple across Africa, drawing funds away from
humanitarian operations.

The World Food Program said the January donations would help feed 22
million people with critical needs in 22 countries, including Lesotho,
Angola, Congo, Eritrea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast.

The agency added that while almost 100 percent of the needs of
countries affected by the tsunami are being met, donations to WFP for
Africa amount to just five percent of the $1.9 billion needed for the
continent.

WFP also expressed concern that lack of assistance by the
international community could jeopardize already complicated
situations such as Sudan. The agency has an emergency operation in the
country to help displaced people and refugees return to their homes
and rebuild their lives.

WFP said that a recently signed deal between the Sudanese government
and southern rebels to end Africa's longest-running civil war is
funded at just seven-percent with a massive shortfall of $279 million.

ECOWAS Pressures Togos President to Resign

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4C5:2F72C9D

West African diplomatic mission in Togo to convince the
military-installed government of Faure Gnassingbe to step down

Faure Gnassingbe The foreign ministers of Nigeria and Niger and the
ECOWAS secretary-general are trying to end Togo's crisis by pressuring
the embattled President Gnassingbe to allow elections within 60 days.

Nigeria, which heads the African Union, said Monday that it had not
yet ruled out the use of force against Togo as a last resort. A
spokesman for Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Remi Oyo, said
that there were still other options to consider like sanctions, but
there was still time for mediation to work.

"By nature the President Olusegun Obasanjo, the chair of the African
Union, is an optimistic person. So he is optimistic that even on this
occasion, reason will triumph and that together we will be able to
solve the situation in Togo, and get Togo and the Togolese people back
on track," he said.

The 15-member ECOWAS group has also threatened economic sanctions
against Togo, and said that troops are a final option.

Togolese officials say their foreign minister, several generals and
ruling party officials will take part in the talks.

A London-based West Africa security analyst Richard Reeve says that it
is unlikely that African leaders will let the crisis in Togo escalate
into a conflict.

"They don't have to precipitate a violent reaction on the streets,"
said Mr. Reeve. "I think that's probably not going to be on either
sides interest to provoke that. Certainly not in Nigeria's interest,
or the other power brokers in West Africa. They don't want another
violent conflict in the region and you can see from Togo's geography
how easy that would be to spill over into Ghana, Benin and Nigeria as
well, I guess."

The streets of Lome remained calm after protesters clashed with police
Monday, killing one man, when the opposition tried to hold a general
strike to protest Mr. Gnassingbe's presidency. The 39-year-old was
made president earlier this month after the sudden death of his father
Gnassinge Eyadema who ruled for 38 years.

Parliament amended the constitution clearing the way for Mr.
Gnassingbe to finish his father's term until 2008, but West African
leaders are demanding that Togo follow the original constitution and
let the original speaker of parliament take over the presidency and
hold elections soon.

Togolese opposition leaders have said that they will continue with
protests against Mr. Gnassingbe despite the military's crackdown, and
the continued presence of military and riot police on the streets of
the capital.

India Urges Neighbors to Share in Its Economic Prosperity

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4C2:2F72C9D

New Delhi's top diplomat, Shyam Saran, urges countries such as
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal to view India as 'an opportunity,
not a threat' New Delhi's top diplomat, Shyam Saran, has urged
countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal to view India as "an
opportunity, not a threat," and to share in the growing prosperity of
one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Foreign Secretary Saran says India is willing to open its markets and
share technology to help its smaller South Asian neighbors become
partners in its dynamic growth.

"In a word, we are prepared to make our neighbors full stake holders
in India's economic destiny," he said.

Mr. Saran's remarks came in a speech Monday evening before an audience
of diplomats and foreign policy analysts. It is seen as an effort by
New Delhi to turn the focus of its ties with South Asian countries to
economics and trade rather than divisive political disputes.

India, the largest country in the region, has had uneasy relations
with some of its neighbors. Its dispute with Pakistan over the divided
Kashmir region has soured relations for decades. It accuses both
Pakistan and Bangladesh of allowing anti-Indian militant groups to
operate from their territory - charges both countries deny.

India now sees greater economic linkage as the way to ease traditional
mistrust and hostilities. But Mr. Saran says neighboring countries
have to take New Delhi's security concerns into account.

"While we are willing and ready to accept this regional economic
partnership, we do expect they demonstrate sensitivity to our
concerns," said Mr. Saran. "These vital concerns relate to allowing
the use of their territories for cross-border terrorism and hostile
activity against India, for example by insurgent and secessionist
groups."

Foreign policy analyst Bharat Karnad of New Delhi's Center for Policy
Research says India's neighbors have more to gain than to lose by
embracing the new offer.



"It is a very reasonable deal that is being offered, and it is nothing
that our neighboring countries should look askance at, because it
serves their purpose," said Mr. Karnad. "All India is saying is,
benefit all you want and all you can from the kind of openings you
have to India, but also keep in mind that we also have a security
interest."

Mr. Saran, in his speech, called for the establishment of a free-trade
zone that would allow South Asia's 1.3 billion people to share in
"collective prosperity."

South Korea Seeks Military Talks With Pyongyang, While Japan Seeks
Swifter Missile Defense

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4BB:2F72C9D

Hope is to avoid accidental clashes along the two countries'
disputed sea border, and other mishaps that could escalate tension
between Seoul and Pyongyang South Korea and Japan continue to develop
their responses to North Korea's decision to pull out of nuclear
disarmament talks.

South Korean defense officials say they will seek high-level military
talks with their North Korean counterparts.

They hope to avoid accidental clashes along the two countries'
disputed sea border, and other mishaps that could escalate tension
between Seoul and Pyongyang. South Korean officials say they have not
received a response, but expect one soon.

Seoul is pushing for renewed contacts with its neighbor less than a
week after Pyongyang suspended participation in multilateral talks
aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions, and again asserted it had made
nuclear weapons.

In a briefing to South Korean lawmakers, intelligence officials said
Tuesday that Pyongyang probably lacks the capacity to mount nuclear
weapons on missiles. However, they warn North Korea could deliver such
weapons by airplane.

While North Korea may not be able to fire nuclear missiles yet, it
does have conventional missiles able to reach Japan. On Tuesday,
Japan's cabinet approved a proposal that would allow the defense
minister to order an incoming missile shot down immediately after a
launch is detected. Current procedure requires approval from
parliament first.

The Japanese government is under increasing public pressure to impose
sanctions on North Korea, primarily because of anger over Pyongyang's
kidnappings of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. However,
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told the Parliament said Tuesday
that there are other ways to get tough without resorting to sanctions.

Mr. Machimura said that other options could include lowering the
amount of money ethnic Koreans living in Japan could send to North
Korea.

The impoverished North is heavily dependent on those remittances.

South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan have met three
times with North Korea to negotiate an end its nuclear programs. The
talks have been unsuccessful, and a fourth round of talks, originally
expected in September, has not been held because Pyongyang has refused
to return to the table.

North Korea says it considers the talks unproductive because of what
it calls Washington's hostile attitude. Officials from the Stalinist
state have demanded bilateral talks with the United States alone, also
wants a U.S. security guarantee.

The United States says the nuclear issue must be addressed by all of
North Korea's neighbors, and although U.S. officials have repeatedly
said Washington has no intention of attacking the North, but it will
not offer other benefits until Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear
programs.

Scientists Measure Ocean Health by Its Color

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=B9F4BE:2F72C9D

They say how green water can tell them condition of microscopic plants
crucial to ocean life

Scientists have developed a technique to determine how healthy the
ocean is by assessing its color. They say how green the water is can
tell them the condition of microscopic plants crucial to ocean life
and to the oxygen cycle we depend on.

You wouldn't order phytoplankton from a menu, but these microscopic
green algae are an important food. They are the first link of the food
chain for all marine life and are most abundant where fish are in
great supply.

Phytoplankton is also the undersea lungs of the planet. Ocean
biologist Michael Behrenfeld at the U.S. space agency, NASA, says
that, like plant life on land, these single-celled floating organisms
inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. "Most people that I talk to
are actually very surprised to hear that about half of the oxygen
produced by plants on this planet actually comes from the oceans, not
trees or shrubs or grasses. That's what is fueling our global ocean
ecosystems," he said.

Phytoplankton also takes in about half of the carbon dioxide absorbed
from the atmosphere by plants. Carbon dioxide is considered a major
contributor to global warming. Therefore, the vitality of
phytoplankton is crucial to Earth's health.

Scientists have been trying to develop an accurate way to measure its
abundance and growth rate since the plants were discovered more than a
century ago. A traditional technique measured just the variations in
the green color reflected up to satellite cameras by the chemical
chlorophyl in phytoplankton. Mr. Behrenfeld says the problem is that
no one knows how well the color of the chlorophyl, which can vary
based on temperature and the amount of nutrients and light, relates to
phytoplankton's volume, or biomass.

The new method Mr. Behrenfeld and his associates developed uses a
complex mathematical formula to compare the chlorophyl color to the
amount of carbon in the phytoplankton. Carbon is a better predictor
for biomass. They are also getting a truer measure of the greenness of
the chlorophyl by assessing not only its hue but also brightness, and
by correcting for the brighter light bouncing back from land and the
atmosphere. "We can now determine actually how green the individual
phytoplankton are from space. From years and years of laboratory
studies, we know that the greenness of the cells provides a
fingerprint [clue] to growth rate. So that's what we're doing. We're
getting the greenness of the cells as well as the biomass, and that
gives us growth rate and biomass," he said.

The NASA scientist says the two measures together provide a more
accurate assessment of ocean quality. The increased clarity will help
determine how well the oceans' organisms are holding up under stresses
such as pollution and global warming. Mr. Behrenfeld says it will also
contribute to improved computer models that better predict how climate
change will alter the environment. "One of the hopes NASA has with all
the investment it is putting into Earth-observing satellites is that
with this information, we will get a better understanding of how our
biosphere functions today. If we can understand how it is working
today, we hope that we can predict better how it will behave in the
future," he said.

Earlier analyses of satellite imagery showed a decline of
phytoplankton over the past two decades. But co-researcher David
Siegel, a geologist at the University of California at Santa Barbara,
says the good news from the improved analytical method is that it
shows much more of the algae in the tropics than previously thought.
"The differences are 200 percent for the tropics. We are predicting
much more production in the tropics by taking into account that the
phytoplankton can change the amount of pigment per cell. So it's very
exciting from the point of view of a satellite oceanographer," he
said.

However, Mr. Siegel says the previous measurement technique
overestimated how much phytoplankton production occurs in cooler
latitudes.

The researchers warn that they have just begun using their new
methods. They say they must collect much more satellite data before
they can determine its production rate more precisely to give a more
accurate picture of the health of the oceans.

Habib was a 'mercenary for Osama'
Australia's top investigators claim Mamdouh Habib trained as aterrorist before
the September 11 attacks.
http://newsletters.fairfax.com.au/cgi-bin1...SLZ0Bnf0Bky70En

'Kyoto' era begins
The still-controversial Kyoto Protocol, a pact among 35 countries, aims
to curb industrial pollution. By Brad Knickerbocker
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p01s02-wogi.html?s=hns

Chilling mystery: Why don't Mexicans read books?
Despite myriad efforts to encourage reading and thus increase book
buying, more publishers are shutting down. By Ken Bensinger
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p01s04-woam.html?s=hns

Death of nun shows peril of Amazon activism
Dorothy Stang was one of almost 1,400 people killed in the Brazilian
jungle over the past 20 years. By Andrew Downie
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p05s01-woam.html?s=hns

Cash weans tribes from Al Qaeda
Pakistani officials have paid more than $800,000 to four tribal
commanders whose debts tied them to the group. By Owais Tohid
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p06s01-wosc.html?s=hns

Among Kuwait's Salafis, a rejection of violence
Inside a desert tent, Islamists speak benignly of US and of ways to
thwart attacks. By Nicholas Blanford
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p07s01-wome.html?s=hns

In wake of tsunami, push for a global weather watch
The 10-year project is designed to deliver a worldwide network that
could forewarn of impending natural disasters like tsunamis. By Howard
LaFranchi
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p02s02-wogi.html?s=hns

The US Stands Accused of Kidnapping

By Georg Mascolo and Holger Stark

The case is extremely sensitive. A German citizen may have been kidnapped by American agents and illegally taken to Afghanistan. Now, German authorities are quietly investigating the case. But no one here wants it to interfere with US-German rapprochement.
http://207.44.245.159/article8066.htm

Secrets and Lies:

An Australian intelligence insider reveals how key dossiers on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were censored, and how his early reports to Canberra about prisoner abuse were ignored.
http://207.44.245.159/article8067.htm

Britain Wanted A 'Sexier' Iraqi Weapons Report Claims Scientist :

An Australian scientist involved in the US search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq today said the CIA censored his reporting so that it suggested the weapons existed.
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4130247

--------------------
Key Sunni Arab Group Predicates Its Participation on Troops' Leaving
--------------------

Muslim Scholars Assn. says it won't help write the constitution without a withdrawal timetable.

By Patrick J. McDonnell
Times Staff Writer

February 16 2005

BAGHDAD — An influential, hard-line Sunni Arab group declared Tuesday that it would not help draft Iraq's constitution or participate in the new government without a fixed timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,4511994.story

--------------------
Mideast Peace, Step by Step
--------------------

By Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller was an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations to six secretaries of State until resigning in 2003. He is now president of Seeds of Peace, a nonprofit organization that brings young pe

February 16 2005

Anyone who seriously hopes for a quick return to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations should take a deep breath and lie down until the feeling passes. What's needed at the moment is something completely different, a whole new kind of approach that puts the Oslo process in the past and focuses instead on cautious but credible unilateral steps.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-...0,1377447.story

--------------------
The Devil We Know in Lebanon
--------------------


February 16 2005

If Syria was involved in any way in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, it was a remarkably stupid move. The car bombing that killed Hariri and at least nine others on Monday has boosted support for Lebanese political groups opposed to Syria's influence over the country and increased international pressure for Syria to withdraw its 16,000 troops from the country. France and the United States, which seldom agree on Middle East policy, have found common ground over Syria, with both sharpening their rhetorical darts aimed at Damascus in the wake of the attack.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editor...0,2857492.story

--------------------
A Place Apart in Iraq
--------------------

Kurdistan offers jobs in a nation hungry for them. For migrants from the Arab south, the prosperous region is like a different country.

By Jeffrey Fleishman
Times Staff Writer

February 16 2005

SULAYMANIYA, Iraq &; Sahib Ali Abbas hopped onto a bus and rode until the date palms turned scarce and the mountains rose, big and wrinkled and waiting for snow.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,7523165.story

--------------------
U.S. Recalls Ambassador to Syria as Suspicions Over Bombing Grow
--------------------

By Megan K. Stack and Rania Abouzeid
Special to The Times

February 16 2005

DAMASCUS, Syria — The U.S. ambassador to Syria was called back to Washington on Tuesday as anger swelled against Damascus after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...0,2210147.story

Longtime rivals reopen key bus route, and plan new talks to prevent nuclear 'misunderstandings.'

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/dailyUpdate.html

Lebanese Mourners March in Hariri's Funeral Procession

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F85:2F72C9D

Dozens of foreign dignitaries, thousands of ordinary Lebanese crowd
the funeral cortege of slain former Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri
Dozens of foreign dignitaries and thousands of ordinary Lebanese
crowded the funeral cortege of slain former Prime Minister Rafik al
Hariri, in an emotional national farewell.

The atmosphere was charged with anger and sorrow as thousands of
mourners raised clenched fists and shouted slogans hostile to Syria.

Slain former Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri's sons and at least a
dozen political allies accompanied the ambulance carrying his body to
the Beirut mosque, where he was to be buried.

Lebanese troops and police appeared discrete and there were few
trappings of a state funeral. Mr. Hariri's family had asked the
government not to participate.

Several dozen Arab dignitaries, as well as French President Jacques
Chirac and American Assistant Secretary of State William Burns are
attending the funeral.

Lebanese opposition politicians and ordinary citizens continue to
accuse Syria, the main power-broker in Lebanon, of killing the
much-loved five-time former prime minister. Syria denies involvement
in the Beirut shootout that killed Mr. Hariri and ten others.

Angry Lebanese are reported to have burned a Syrian truck in northern
Lebanon and attacked Syrian workers in the southern port city, Sidon.

Syria and Iran to Form United Front;

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F90:2F72C9D

Iran's VP, Mohammad Reza Aref, says Tehran ready to help Syria on
all grounds to confront threats Iran and Syria say they will form a
united front to confront challenges and threats from other countries.

Syrian PM Naji Otri (L) meeting in Tehran with Iran's VP Mohammad Reza
Aref Syrian Prime Minister Naji Otri, who is in Tehran Wednesday,
said the meeting of the two allies comes at a very important and
delicate time, when both countries are facing numerous challenges.

Iran's vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, told reporters that Tehran
is ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats.

Iran has been under intense U.S. and European pressure to abandon its
nuclear activities, while Washington has accused Syria of being a
haven for anti-Iraqi insurgents.

Tuesday, Washington recalled its ambassador to Syria for
consultations, a day after Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafik
Hariri, was killed in a Beirut car bombing.

Some information for this report provided by AFP, Reuters.

Israel Welcomes Pressure on Syria;Campaigns to Stop Russian Missile
Deal

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F8B:2F72C9D

Israel's announcement comes amid growing international pressure on
Syria following assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri

Rafik Hariri Israel says it is waging a diplomatic battle to stop
Russian missiles from being sold to Syria.  Israel's announcement
comes amid growing international pressure on Syria following the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri.   The Israeli government has long accused Syria of
harboring terrorists and of fomenting attacks against Israel. 
More recently, Israel strenuously objected to Russian plans to sell
upgraded missiles to Syria. But Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
told journalists late Tuesday he received a letter from Russian
President Vladimir Putin that the missile sale will go ahead."We are
in constant contact with the Russians in order to settle this issue
and ensure that these weapons do not reach terror organizations
located in Lebanon," he said. "Lebanon is a center of terrorism and
regional instability and we have all seen what happened in Lebanon in
this regard."Lebanese opposition leaders blamed Syria for Mr. Hariri's
assassination even though Damascus was quick to condemn the killing
and deny involvement. The United States and France have called for an
international investigation.  Washington stopped short of
pointing the finger at Syria, but did recall its ambassador from
Damascus and cited the continued presence of Syrian troops in Lebanon
as a serious problem. Syria has deployed troops in Lebanon since 1976
and has kept about 15,000 troops there since the end of the Lebanese
civil war in 1990.  Recently, there have been increasing calls
from some Lebanese political factions, as well as from the
international community, for their withdrawal. Rafik Hariri was prime
minister for much of Lebanon's post-war period and is credited with
spearheading the country's reconstruction.  He resigned last year
amid opposition to a constitutional amendment to allow Lebanon's
pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud to extend his term of office.Arab
affairs specialist, Wadi Abu Nasr of Haifa University told Israeli
television that Mr. Hariri's assassination will not necessarily result
in immediate instability in Lebanon, but he says it has put the
limelight and pressure on Syria."I believe that Syria now is in a
defensive position and Syria will have to take some serious measures
on the field to calm down this international and Lebanese tension
against it," he said.Syria has repeatedly called for a resumption of
peace talks with Israel and for better relations with the United
States.  Indications are neither is likely to happen soon, while
pressure on Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon is likely to
increase. 

Iraqi Shiites Expected to Announce Jafari as Prime Minister

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F8C:2F72C9D

Interim Vice President Ibrahim Jafari looks set for post, after his
closest rival dropped out of race   

Ibrahim JafariIraqi election officials are hoping to certify the
election results by Thursday afternoon, and the political parties hope
to have reached a deal on the new government by the time that happens.
The political jockeying for positions has been intense over the last
several weeks, as the Shiite alliance tried to decide which of its
members to nominate for the prime minister's job, while at the same
time striking deals with other parties for their support.

The Shiite Islamic coalition won nearly half the votes in last month's
election and will probably have about half the seats in the National
Assembly. But it will still have to ally itself with other groups in
order to form a government. The choices of president and prime
minister require approval from two-thirds of the assembly members.

At this point, interim Vice President Ibrahim Jafari looks likely to
become Iraq's next prime minister, with Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani
as president.

In an interview with VOA last week, Mr. Jafari said he hopes to reach
out to other groups and include them in both the government and the
drafting of the constitution.

"The next government's priority will be striking a balance between the
Shia and the Sunni and the other ethnic groups here in Iraq," he said.
"The new government will be inclusive, and we will concentrate on
opening a dialogue between all the ethnic and sectarian groups."

Mr. Jafari said Sunni Arabs are a major component of Iraqi society and
should be included at the highest levels of government.

Some politicians, both in Iraq and in the United States, have demanded
a timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq after the new
government takes over. Switching from Arabic into English, Mr. Jafari
said international troops will have to remain in Iraq until the
security situation stabilizes, and it is impossible to set a schedule
for that now.

"Of course, the presence of multi-national forces, it is not a
positive sign because they are not Iraqi," said Mr. Jafari. "But
compare their presence with their absence. Take into consideration our
need to them for the security. I think we have to accept them till we
can depend on ourselves."

Mr. Jafari heads the Dawa Party, a Shiite Islamic party with close
ties to Iran. He was born in Karbala and trained as a medical doctor
in Mosul. He went into exile in Iran 25 years ago, and remained there
for a decade until moving to London around 1990. He presents himself
as a moderate, and he stresses that he does not envision creating an
Iranian-style theocracy for Iraq. And he hopes that the Iraqi people
will hold the government to account during the next election, if it
does not keep its promises.

"I think our people, we start information of political system," he
added. "This is a start point, this is not the end. And we have to
prove that we are not only efficient to start, we are also efficient
to continue."

In other news Wednesday, insurgents released a videotape of a
kidnapped Italian journalist begging for her life. Correspondent
Giuliana Sgrena was seen urging Italy to withdraw its troops from
Iraq, and urging all foreigners to stay out of the country. Insurgents
also attacked a major oil pipeline in northern Iraq, shutting down the
flow of oil to Turkey for up to a week, and killed an army colonel
charged with protecting the northern oil fields.

North Korea Celebrates Kim Birthday, While Neighbors Try to Restart
Nuclear Diplomacy

[http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F8D:2F72C9D

Pyongyang last week declared it would suspend participation in
six-nation nuclear talks

Flower show marking Kim Jong Il's birthday attracts visitors in
PyongyangAs North Korea celebrated Kim Jong Il's birthday, South Korea
and its neighbors continued diplomacy to restart multi-lateral nuclear
talks that Pyongyang has abandoned.

It was a day of singing and pageantry in Pyongyang, as North Korea
officially celebrated the 63rd birthday of leader Kim Jong Il.

Along with the bursting of fireworks, a North Korean official can be
heard shouting on state television "Fire for fire - nuclear weapons
for nuclear weapons."

The words were another very public reference to North Korea's
possession of nuclear weapons, which it again officially declared to
the world last week.

While Pyongyang celebrated one of its biggest holidays, other
countries continued diplomatic efforts to restart talks aimed at
ending North Korea's nuclear programs. The North last week declared it
would suspend participation in the six-nation talks.

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun convened a meeting of security
officials to discuss North Korea. His government will send Deputy
Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon to Beijing on Thursday to discuss the
issue with Chinese officials.

International security Professor Kim Jae-chun at Sogang University
says the timing is right for South Korea and China to play "the China
card."

Professor Kim says China is the only country with real leverage over
North Korea, but so far Washington and Seoul have not pushed hard
enough for China to use it.

China is North Korea's oldest ally and provides a large portion of its
impoverished neighbor's food and energy supplies.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon, who just returned from
Washington, says he also will speak by telephone with his counterpart
in Beijing.

South Korea says it will not begin any major new economic initiatives
with North Korea until nuclear talks resume. South Korean officials
say they will continue to provide rice and fertilizer to the North for
humanitarian reasons.

Japan, China, South Korea, Russia and the United States want North
Korea to live up to its past agreements to be nuclear free. There are
concerns that a nuclear-armed North could present a security threat in
northern Asia and that Pyongyang could sell the weapons to other
nations or terrorist groups.

In Tokyo, outgoing US Ambassador Howard Baker told reporters Pyongyang
could still return to the talks.

"I was surprised and disappointed that the North Koreans withdrew, but
I was intrigued with the wording of their statement, which said 'for
the time being' in effect, which gives me some hope that they might
return," he said.

Japan, South Korea, the United States, China, and Russia have held
three unsuccessful rounds of talks with North Korea in efforts to
persuade it to end its nuclear programs.

Former Kenyan Government Officials Face Corruption Charges

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F8F:2F72C9D

Six suspects, two of whom were permanent secretaries, alleged to have
been involved in corrupt contracts from 1999 to 2001 Six officials in
Kenya's former and current government have pleaded not guilty to
charges of abuse of office in connection with two corrupt procurement
deals conducted several years ago.

The six suspects - two of whom were permanent secretaries - are
alleged to have been involved from 1999 to 2001 in corrupt contracts
between the government and two companies hired to provide security
services.

Anglo Leasing and Finance Limited was selected to provide passport
security services, despite the fact that the company's bid was much
higher than the others. Forensic Laboratories Limited was similarly
awarded an allegedly inflated tender to provide special equipment to a
branch of the police.  Both contracts have since been canceled.

The six are accused of failing to ensure that Anglo Leasing and
Finance Limited had the required legal capacity to enter into a
contract with the government. They also stand accused of proceeding
with the Forensic Laboratories Limited contract without any technical
specifications for the project.

Defense lawyer Julius Sunkuli told VOA he thinks the government is
using his clients to gain favor with others. 

 "We will prove in this matter that our clients did not act away
from the law, that everything they did was in accordance with the law,
that the attorney general did approve every single agreement that they
signed," he said. "They are mere scapegoats to try and please the
donors that the government is taking some action."

Mwai Kibaki The court appearance follows a cabinet reorganization
Monday in which President Mwai Kibaki removed Chris Murungaru as
national security minister and re-named him transportation and
communications minister. Mr. Kibaki also fired two permanent
secretaries in ministries believed to have been involved in crooked
deals, and made several other minor changes. Mr. Murungaru is
suspected of being involved in several questionable procurement deals
that are now under scrutiny of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Committee.
Mr. Kibaki promised to have a more open government.

"The public should know about us," he said. "There should be nothing
secretive in the management of this nation - absolutely." 

The government has been under fire in recent weeks from international
aid donors and others, who question the government's commitment and
ability to fight corruption.

Bombings Mar Thai PM's Visit to Southern Provinces

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F82:2F72C9D

Three bomb blasts detonated in provinces of Narathiwat and Yala hours
before Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in the south

Thaksin Shinawatra Violence flared in southern Thailand, as Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived for a three-day visit. The prime
minister pledged to continue a crackdown on Muslim separatists, while
offering help to the needy in the south. At least eight people were
injured.

Three bomb blasts were detonated in the provinces of Narathiwat and
Yala hours before Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in
the south.

Mr. Thaksin says attacks during the visit will not interrupt his
schedule. The prime minister is making his first visit to three
predominantly Muslim southern provinces since his landslide victory in
the February 6 general election.

No official reason has been given for his visit, but analysts note
that his Thai Rak Thai Party performed poorly in the south during the
poll. They also point out that Mr. Thaksin has put a priority on
ending the violence in the south during his second term.

Observers such as Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at
Chulalongkorn University, say the security situation has deteriorated
since the election.

"The situation is now coming back to the old problems, with more
intensifying activities from the perpetrators trying to create even
more trouble in the next few weeks," Mr. Panitan said.

After arriving in Narathiwat on the first leg of his visit, Mr.
Thaksin vowed that the government would maintain an "iron fist"
against Muslim separatists while wielding a "velvet glove" to assist
the poor in the south.

The political opposition, human-rights groups and academics have
called on the government to adopt a less militaristic strategy to win
greater support from local communities.

Mr. Panitan says the government needs to adopt a comprehensive
strategy in terms of securing peace and stability in the south.

"We also need economic and social strategies to try to bring more
participation, trying to perhaps create a balance between different
communities and different religious groups," Mr. Panitan said.Many
analysts believe that the Thai Rak Thai's failure to win seats in the
south reflects dissatisfaction with Mr. Thaksin's hard line approach
last year.

At least 500 people have been killed in the south since the separatist
insurgency flared 13 months ago, after lying dormant for years. The
army is accused of murdering scores of suspected separatists.

Mr. Panitan says the prime minister now appears to appreciate that if
he is to win back local support in the southern provinces he will need
to adopt measures that both improve security and win the hearts and
minds of people.

One concrete sign of that awareness - the Thai Defense Ministry has
just announced the formation of a new 12,000-strong military force to
promote development and closer cooperation with local communities.

Kyoto Protocol Takes Effect

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F8A:2F72C9D

Treaty on global warming comes into effect after years of delays, but
landmark agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions lacks support of
US, Australia

White House in the background, joggers pass National Global Warming
Coalition's Valentine's Day card urging President Bush to sign Kyoto
Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol on global warming has come into effect after years
of delays.  But the landmark agreement to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions lacks the support of the United States and there is concern
that the accord will not achieve its targets in Japan.

Ceremonies to mark the Kyoto Protocol were held in the former Japanese
capital where the agreement was negotiated in 1997.  Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking from Tokyo via a
videophone, said the landmark pact will have a positive impact on
future generations if it can achieve its goals.

Mr. Koizumi says Japan will lead the drive to halt global warming.

Despite hopes the protocol will help clean the air, there is concern
that some signatories, including Japan, will not be able to cut gas
emissions to pledged levels.

Japan has increased its greenhouse emissions by eight percent since
1990 and that means it now faces a cut of 14 percent against 1990
levels to achieve its targets under the agreement.  If Japan
fails to meet its reduction goal by then it will be forced to cut
emissions by an additional 30 percent under the Kyoto pact's second
stage, starting in 2013.

Hiroki Kudo, who manages the Environment and Energy Conservation Group
at Japan's Institute of Energy Economics, is pessimistic the country
can hit its numbers.

"The Japanese government has the plan to achieve the Kyoto target
towards the year 2012,”  said Mr. Kudo.  “But, probably, we
will recognize if we [can] achieve the Kyoto target or not around the
year 2010 or 2012.  It is too late to enforce the more strong
policy measures and government will try to take the carbon credit
through emission trading."

Under this trading program, countries unable to meet their Kyoto goals
can buy or swap credits with countries that have exceeded their
targets.

The protocol commits nations to cut their industrial emissions of six
carbon gases.  These gases are thought to cause a number of
environmental problems and significantly contribute to global warming.

Japan also is thinking about funding emission-reduction projects in
developing countries.  This would also win Japan credits for its
domestic quota.

But environmentalists, such as Aya Inoue of the Ecosystem Conservation
Society of Japan, do not like that approach.

"It is a kind of makeshift for the time being by using taxpayers'
money,” she noted.  “We do not think it is an appropriate measure
as it has nothing to do with reduction in emission of greenhouse gases
in our country."

But many experts, such as Mr. Kudo, believe the protocol will never
get that far, so long as it is boycotted by the United States, the
world's biggest polluter, and unless it specifies emission reduction
targets for developing countries.

The United States was a signatory to the 1997 treaty, but the U.S.
Senate unanimously urged then-President Clinton to reject it. The Bush
administration abandoned the pact after coming to power in 2001,
saying it would hurt the U.S. economy and that its failure to set the
same emissions standards for rapidly industrializing developing
countries as developed nations, was a major flaw. U.S. Ambassador
Howard Baker defended his country's stand as the Kyoto protocol became
law.

Howard Baker(Photo Courtesy US Embassy in Japan)"It is really a bum
rap,” he said.  “It is America that spends five billion dollars a
year on improvement of the air quality.  My guess would be that
is an order of magnitude greater than any other nation on earth and
perhaps more than the rest of the world combined."

The Japanese government calls the absence of the United States
regrettable, and says it is still trying to convince Washington to
join the treaty.

Diplomats Hope for Resolution to Togo Crisis

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F88:2F72C9D

ECOWAS says efforts to mediate what it calls an illegal presidency in
Togo have been 'fruitful' 

Faure Gnassingbe

  The West African regional grouping ECOWAS says that efforts to
mediate what it calls an illegal presidency in Togo have been
'fruitful'. People in Togo are waiting for embattled President Faure
Gnassingbe, who came to power with the help of the military, to make a
speech on whether he will call elections for the country.

Diplomats from the Economic Community of West African States are
making clear to Togo's new president that their demands to hold
elections were non-negotiable, and the group has threatened sanctions
against the small country.

Niger's Foreign Minister Aichatou Mindaoudou, one of the senior
diplomats leading the talks, said discussions were 'fruitful and
encouraging.'

A Togolese general, Seyi Memene, said that the military had agreed "to
return the country to constitutional order," but did not give further
details on whether elections would be held within 60 days as specified
in the former constitution.

Parliament changed Togo's constitution, so that Mr. Gnassingbe could
govern in his father's place until 2008. The 39-year-old came to power
when his father, President Gnassingbe Eyadema, suddenly died after 38
years in power. African leaders have condemned the transfer of power
as a coup.

The opposition insists Mr. Gnassingbe step down, and let the former
head of the national assembly take over until elections can be held.

The streets of Lome were quiet, after violent protests Monday in which
at least one man was killed. Although security forces continue to
patrol the streets, most people are going about their daily business
as usual.

A Lome resident, Eklou Kpetigo, said that people are waiting for Mr.
Gnassingbe to make an announcement about elections, and were
optimistic that they would be held soon.

He said that if elections were called, people would vote in large
numbers, aware the person they chose would lead Togo into the future.

Although Mr. Gnassingbe has promised to hold 'free and fair elections'
he did not specify whether he meant legislative elections, or if he
was giving people the opportunity to choose their president.

Burma;s Military Government Prepares to Re-Open Constitutional
Convention

[http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F84:2F72C9D

Burmas military leaders say convention is first step toward
bringing democracy, but critics say conference lacks legitimacy
because of boycott by major opposition groups The military government
of Burma is re-convening Thursday the national convention to draft a
constitution and organize elections. More than 1,000 delegates have
gathered - representing ethnic minorities, former rebels and civilians
from various sectors of society.

However, Burma's largest opposition party, the National League for
Democracy, is boycotting the meeting because its leader, Aung San Suu
Kyi, and her deputy, U Tin Oo, remain under house arrest.

A party official who was released from prison in November, Ohn Maung,
says without the NLD, the convention lacks credibility.

"What SPDC [the military government] is trying to do is to legalize
the military administration in this country, to be legalized by
adopting a constitution which is not quite democratic," said Ohn
Maung. That is why our leaders are demanding to release Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi and vice chairman of the party retired general Tin Oo and
other political leaders."

Another group representing the Shan ethnic minority is also boycotting
the convention for similar reasons.

The national convention re-opened last May after an eight-year hiatus,
but was suspended the following month. Critics say the government
selected most of the delegates and sought to control the proceedings
through procedural restrictions.

Exiled dissidents have also rejected the convention process.

Maung Maung, general secretary of the National Council for the Union
of Burma that groups more than 65 ethnic and political groups, says
the convention is aimed at deceiving the international community into
thinking that genuine political reform is underway.



"They [the government] are trying to say they are trying to have a
democratic process in the country," commented Maung Maung. "And having
the media in and trying to have a look at numbers of persons and the
way they will be speaking is to hoodwink the international media and
the international community."



Maung Maung says the Burmese government is seeking to defuse criticism
among Asian governments as it prepares to assume the chairmanship late
next year of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations.

Western governments, led by the United States and the European Union,
have imposed sanctions on Burma and want Asian governments to apply
more pressure for reform as well. Asian governments have resisted,
however, arguing engagement with its neighbor will be more effective
in encouraging reform than isolation.

US Senate Confirms Judge Chertoff as Homeland Security Chief

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F89:2F72C9D

Michael Chertoff served as head of US Justice Department's
criminal division from June 2001 to June 2003

Michael Chertoff The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed Judge
Michael Chertoff, who most recently served on a federal appeals court
in New Jersey, as Secretary of Homeland Security.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman
Senator Susan Collins of Maine offered praise for the nominee shortly
before the vote.

"Judge Michael Chertoff is eminently qualified for this important
position," she said. "In his distinguished career he has established a
strong reputation as a tough prosecutor. But Mr. [Senate] President,
he has also established a reputation as a fierce defender of civil
liberties."

Judge Chertoff served as head of the Justice Department's criminal
division from June 2001 to June 2003, when it was reviewing memos that
sought to narrow the definition of torture under U.S. law and setting
rules on the detention of illegal immigrants.

Democrats wanted to know whether the nominee had any connection to a
classified memo in which Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
reportedly sought guidance about questioning terrorism suspects being
held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They held up Judge Chertoff's
confirmation for a week as they sought unsuccessfully to have the
Justice Department release the document.

"The administration persists in displaying a disturbing disregard for
our constitutional role in presidential nominations," said Senator Ted
Kennedy of Massachusetts. By refusing to come clean and provide
necessary documents, and by discouraging responsiveness and candor
from its nominees on the issue of torture, the administration is only
making the crisis worse, further embarrassing the nation in the eyes
of the world and casting greater doubt on its commitment to the rule
of law."

At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Judge Chertoff said he
had no knowledge of the FBI memo or who sent it. He also denied
approving any interrogation techniques that violate anti-torture laws.

Democrats also used the debate on Judge Chertoff's confirmation to
criticize President Bush's proposed cuts in homeland security spending
at the state and local level.

"As more gaps in our security are uncovered and exploited, and as more
work is being done to enhance our capabilities in identifying and
closing these gaps, the Bush administration's policies have been to
provide less resources, including unthinkable cuts of $615 million to
state homeland security initiatives and first responders," said
Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut.

Judge Chertoff becomes only the second secretary of Homeland Security,
succeeding Tom Ridge at the agency created after the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks.

Rebuilding Hambantota After the Tsunami

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F81:2F72C9D

Despite government pledges to assist people, many are wary of official
plans to reconstruct their town Sri Lanka is trying to rebuild after
the December tsunami killed nearly 40,000 people and wiped out
hundreds of towns and villages. But it won't be easy. Despite
government pledges to assist people, many are wary of official plans
to reconstruct towns, which they fear, may take them away from the
lives they had and the memories that remain. VOA's Patricia Nunan
visited the southern city of Hambantota and brings us a closer look.

Where once there was a bustling seaside community, little remains.
Located on Sri Lanka's southern coast, Hambantota was a fishing
village and home to roughly 12,000 people. Thirteen hundred of them
died when the tsunami struck -- nearly 7,000 more were injured. Most
of the survivors have nothing -- but the desire to return to the lives
they once had.

Nias DeenForty-year-old Nias Deen began work as a fisherman as a
teenager. Despite losing nine members of his extended family to the
waves, he wants to go back to sea. "That day, there were around 250
boats. Fifty boats are still here, but I don't think we can use them
to work -- they're too damaged. The government said they would give us
boats and fishing equipment. So far we haven't got anything. If they
did it by tomorrow, we'd be ready to go to the sea and do our normal
work." he said.

The return to normality may be elusive. But the government says the
tsunami proves it's too dangerous to rebuild where Hambantota once
stood. It's launched an ambitious plan to rebuild the city a few
kilometers away - complete with a residential complex designed to get
people out of temporary housing and refugee camps and into real homes.

Mansur HassanVolunteer Mansur Hassan is among those who are skeptical
about the government's plan. "They have lived all their lives like
this. They do not know how to live in flats and look after boats in
flats and bring their gear here. See, they're not rich people. If they
were rich they could transport it in their own vehicles and take it
back. But they're extremely poor and they live day by day. So they
need to be able to have access to the shore," he said.

Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga attended the
groundbreaking ceremony where the new town is to be built. Hambantota,
a poor area -- home to some of Sri Lanka's Muslim minority -- is to be
a showcase for her administration.

M. W. Sahardeen

But for some, like schoolteacher M.W. Sahardeen, the emptiness holds
memories. He points to rubble and says, "There were two rooms... my
wife and three children... completely destroyed."

Still, Sahardeen says, he doesn't want to move away. "Even though I
lost my whole family, I want to live here, in the same area. You never
know, maybe a tsunami won't strike again, but there could be another
disaster, like a cyclone, or an earthquake or something. People can't
save their lives, it's up to God. So I want to live here in the same
place."

The people in Hambantota may have next to nothing. But for many, it's
too much to leave behind.

Experts Say Malaria Can Be Eradicated, but More Money Needed in Fight

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=BA6F86:2F72C9D

Head of Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria says
disease continues to spread in Africa needlessly

Experts on malaria say the obstacle to reducing the disease in Africa
is no longer technical, but financial. They point to recent scientific
advances against the virus, which they say can dramatically cut its
incidence if more money is forthcoming.

Leaders of groups fighting malaria briefed congressional staff members
on the progress being made in medicines, a vaccine, and other
anti-malaria technology. Combined with their message was an appeal to
boost the U.S. commitment to the global campaign against the virus.

The head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria,
Richard Feachem, told the legislative aides the disease continues to
spread in Africa needlessly. He says the vast majority of the three
million people who die from it each year are African children.

"This is a completely unnecessary child holocaust," he said. "Malaria
is the greatest killer of African children today, and all this is
preventable, all this is need not happen."

Mr. Feachem says new and well established technologies are having an
impact against malaria wherever they have been combined. They include
a recently developed mosquito net from Japan impregnated with long
lasting insecticide, indoor insecticide spraying, novel rapid
diagnostic techniques, a new combination therapy using the Chinese
herb Artemisinin that is more expensive than older treatments but more
effective, and automatic treatment of pregnant women.

"We know that where those interventions are applied at a serious
scale, malaria collapses," he said.

A good example is a 100,000-square-kilometer area of South Africa,
Mozambique, and Swaziland where a three-nation initiative has slashed
the prevalence of children's malaria from 64 percent to less than
eight percent since 1999.

Another promising new technology is an experimental vaccine developed
by the pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline. Tests last year showed it
prevented malaria in 30 percent of the Mozambican children inoculated
and kept it from becoming life-threatening in nearly 60 percent. The
percentages are lower than with vaccines for other diseases, but
higher than using bed nets and insecticides

Glaxo is planning more extensive trials in cooperation with the
Malaria Vaccine Initiative, a private group lead by Melinda Moore. She
says science is no longer the chief impediment to progress against the
disease, and appealed for more American financial assistance.

"Today it's truly money much more than science that limits our
possibility of progressing in these areas," she said. "We need to
seize this opportunity and turn the very important scientific
breakthroughs into real products that can make a difference in the
lives of children. The United States must help accomplish what our own
public health officials have been able to do in this country in wiping
out malaria that we had for many, many decades."

But Ms. Moore says malaria has much less priority in the United States
than AIDS and bioterrorism. She notes that President Bush's proposed
2006 national budget seeks the lowest amount for bilateral spending
for malaria in four years.

However, her program's documents show that the United States has
provided the bulk of the global money for malaria vaccine research for
years. In addition, the head of a private group called Friends of the
Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Anil Soni, says
the United States foots one-third of the Global Fund budget, which
allocated one billion dollars for malaria over the last two years.

"The original idea for the Global Fund was for a Global AIDS Fund,"
she said. "The fact that it became a global fund to fight AIDS, TB,
and malaria and that 44 percent of the Fund's grants are not for AIDS
has helped put much more money on the table for TB and malaria than
would have otherwise occurred. So I think there's a bit of good news,
but a long way to go."

Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem points out that malaria
is getting more world attention than ever before and was even
discussed at the recent global economic forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He says he expects his agency's spending on malaria to increase after
the latest round of donor funding is completed later this year.

"It's all very achievable," he said. "If it can be done in southern
Mozambique or Swaziland, it can be done in all African countries. We
need to do it and we need to do it quickly."

N. Ireland peace holds, for now
A bank heist and a stabbing undermine trust-building efforts. Police
blame the IRA. By Jason Walsh and Mark Rice-Oxley
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0217/p07s01-woeu.html?s=hns

For most Mexican truckers, access to US a waiting game
Last month's US Department of Transportation report dealt a setback to
NAFTA proponents. By Danna Harman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0217/p07s02-woam.html?s=hns

Chavez Stepping Out of Bounds
It's not just Venezuela's concern when its autocratic leader buys
weapons and fighter jets from Brazil and Russia. The Monitor's View
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0217/p08s01-comv.html?s=hns

Iran six months from having knowledge to build nuclear bomb: Israel :

Iran's nuclear programme was a problem that must be tackled by the entire world, said Shalom, who arrived in London late Tuesday from Paris. "Terrorism and Iran were Israel's problem for a very long time," he said.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../132859/1/.html

http://tinyurl.com/7xx7f

The United States demanded on Tuesday Syria withdraw its troops from Lebanon and stop its alleged support of terror.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200502/1...216_173671.html

Robert Fisk : Israeli spies, Syrian obsession and a peace that had to break
http://207.44.245.159/article8078.htm