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. . DAY BY DAY WITH VOA . . . Air Pollution May be Causing Disease in South Asia, says UN Jim Teeple New Delhi 12 Aug 2002 11:30 UTC    Listen to Jim
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A new United Nations study warns that a toxic cloud of pollution hanging over much of South Asia may be responsible for causing widespread disease and environmental damage in the region. Scientists say much of the damage results from deforestation. The study from the U.N. Environment Program says a three kilometer deep Asian brown cloud of ash, soot, acids and other particles may be responsible for a steep increase in respiratory diseases, drought and flooding across South Asia. The report says most of the pollution making up the so-called "Asian brown cloud" comes from wood and dung-burning stoves, cooking fires and other low-tech pollutants, as well as from biomass burning - the clearing of forest and vegetation by burning. The report, which was compiled by more than 200 scientists, is based on data compiled by ships, planes and satellites in the Indian Ocean area between 1995 and 2000. Syed Hasnain is a professor of environmental science at New Delhi's Jawarhalal Nehru University. Although he is not involved in the U.N.-sponsored study, he says there is no question that low-tech pollutants are having a dramatic impact on climate change in South Asia. "Because of the burning and all that - the forest fires and bio-mass burnings - the ambient temperature is increasing, so that the normal circulation pattern that was there earlier is disrupted," said Prof. Hasnain. "Another important impact of the monsoonal change in this part of the world is that there is less snow cover over the Himalayas and central Asia. So over the years, particularly in the last few years, there is less snow cover. That also creates a temperature adjustment which creates the Asian monsoonal rainfall." Professor Hasnain and other scientists say that, as a result, rainfall has increased in Bangladesh, Nepal and northeastern India. However, precipitation in Pakistan and northwestern India has decreased, resulting in prolonged periods of drought. So far this year, forecasters in India say there has been a shortfall of about 25 percent in the monsoon rains, so far, mainly affecting western, central and northern India. However, in Bangladesh, Nepal and eastern India, heavier than unusual rains have resulted in massive flooding, submerging hundreds of villages and forcing tens of thousands of people into relief camps. Preliminary findings from the U.N. report were released Monday. The final report is expected to be issued later this month at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.
. Burundi Peace Talks Open in Tanzania VOA News 12 Aug 2002 13:48 UTC
Peace talks aimed at ending nine years of civil war in Burundi have opened in Tanzania's capital, Dar es Salaam. The negotiations bring together government officials and only one of two main rebel groups - the Forces for the Defense of Democracy. The second rebel group, the National Liberation Forces, is scheduled to join the talks later. Mediators hope to work out a cease-fire acceptable to all factions during the negotiations, which are being presided over by South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma. At the opening session Monday, Mr. Zuma told participants that "the time has come for Burundians to make peace." He warned the parties not to miss this opportunity to end the war. About 200,000 people have been killed during Burundi's civil war, which pits the army, led by members of the country's ethnic Tutsi minority, against rebels from the ethnic Hutu majority. Reforming the army's leadership to include more Hutus is expected to be one of the most important issues to be dealt with during the talks. A transitional government was inaugurated last November in an attempt at power-sharing between the two ethnic groups. But the rebels have refused to recognize the government, and fighting has continued. Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
. China Continues Verbal Attacks on Taiwanese President Leta Hong Fincher Beijing 12 Aug 2002 07:09 UTC Listen to Leta
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China is keeping up verbal attacks on Taiwan's president, saying Taipei's separatist conspiracy is doomed to fail. Now Chinese state media are blaming Washington for emboldening Taiwan to consider moving toward independence. China's official newspapers continue to fill pages with stern warnings to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to end his talk about formal independence. The state-run Global Times Monday displays a front-page photo of a Chinese warship carrying out a live ammunition exercise with a headline warning Taiwan independence will not be easily won. A lengthy article describes how difficult it would be for the island to defend itself from attack by Chinese forces. The official Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, says Taiwan's pro-independence conspiracy is doomed to fail. The English-language China Daily welcomes Washington's recent statement saying it does not support Taiwanese independence. But an editorial in the newspaper blames the United States for encouraging separatist sentiment on Taiwan by selling it high-tech weapons. Yan Xuetong, a mainland expert on Taiwan and international affairs at Beijing's Qinghua University, echoed these views. Mr. Yan complained that Washington's current policy implies it wants to make Taiwan a military ally of the United States. He said the Bush Administration's increased support for Taiwan emboldened Chen Shui-bian to make his controversial speech earlier this month in which he supported a referendum on possible independence from the mainland. President Chen also sparked Beijing's fury by describing Taiwan and China as separate countries. Mr. Chen has since said that his words were oversimplified and over-interpreted by the media. But he has not backed away from his statement and has instead been rallying Taiwan political forces to unite in the face of Chinese threats. Mr. Yan criticized increased U.S. arms sales to Taipei, as well as President Bush's promise that Washington will do whatever it takes to defend Taiwan. He said these and other moves by the United States to upgrade ties with Taipei naturally encourage pro-independence forces on the island. Mainland scholars say Washington needs to show the world that it backs the one-China principle, which states that Taiwan and China belong to the same country. Both sides have been ruled separately since 1949, when Nationalists fled the mainland after their defeat by Communist troops.
. Colombia Declares National State of Emergency VOA News 12 Aug 2002 14:22 UTC
New Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has declared a national state of emergency and plans for an emergency tax to help fund a military build-up. Interior and Justice Minister Fernando Londono announced the decision early Monday. He said Mr. Uribe was invoking a provision in the Colombian constitution allowing him to suspend civil liberties in the event of a threat to the nation's institutions. The crisis measures follow a day-long emergency cabinet to consider a response to an upsurge in violence that has claimed more than 100 lives. The wave of attacks began during Mr. Uribe's swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, when leftist rebels launched a mortar attack on downtown Bogota, killing at least 20 people. Under Colombian law, the state of emergency is valid for 90 days, but the president can extend it twice. Defense Minister Martha Lucia Ramirez says the emergency tax is designed to create two new elite army battalions and help pay for 10,000 new police officers. The emergency tax will levy a 1.2 percent tax on the estates of the rich and big businesses to raise $778.5 million. President Uribe also plans to create a one million strong civilian force of "supporters" to help inform police and the army of rebel and paramilitary activity. Mr. Uribe was elected in May on a platform that calls for restoring law and order to the country. Colombia is gripped by a 38 year civil war that pits the leftist FARC rebels against the government and illegal paramilitary groups. Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
. First Day of Korea Talks End on Positive Note Amy Bickers Seoul 12 Aug 2002 07:17 UTC Listen
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North and South Korea have ended their first day of cabinet-level talks on reconciliation on a positive note. The meeting began later than scheduled, but ended with optimistic comments from both sides.
However, talks were immediately delayed due to a disagreement over the timetable for the three-day meeting. The two sides did eventually meet for about an hour. Both delegations described the meeting as positive, but short on details. Officials say they will concentrate on implementing the June 2000 Summit accord, rather than new initiatives. The accord calls for reuniting families, divided by the Korean War, military and economic cooperation and reconnecting rail and road links, severed for more than 50 years. Those projects have been stalled since last year. Contact was cut in November, after North Korea objected to the South's heightened security measures, in response to terrorist attacks in the United States. A period of heightened tension on the Korean peninsula peaked in late June, when naval vessels from both sides clashed near a disputed marine border. Pyongyang in July expressed regret for the skirmish, paving the way for these first high-level talks. In recent weeks, North Korea has reached out to Seoul and its key allies, Washington and Tokyo. The inter-Korean talks this week are part of this broader pattern. The dialogue is being closely watched by Japan, which will send Red Cross officials to Pyongyang next week for their first meeting in more than a year. Washington will also be monitoring progress, as it decides whether to send a high-level government envoy to the North. Washington's dialogue with the Stalinist state has been virtually frozen since President Bush took office last year. Washington classifies North Korea as part of an "axis of evil" - countries developing weapons of mass destruction.
. Human Rights Groups Hail French Decision to Ban Far-right
Group France's decision last week to ban the far-right Radical Unity group, and its web site is only the latest of several high-profile cases targeting hate speech and anti-racist discourse. The ruling sparked surprisingly little criticism, despite some fears that French and other European governments are increasingly threatening free expression, especially on the Internet. Radical Unity is nobody's idea of a warm and fuzzy cause. When Israel's minister of tourism, Rehavam Zeevi, was assassinated last October, the far-right French group posted a congratulatory notice on its web page to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which claimed responsibility for the killing.
So few tears were shed last week when the French government moved to dissolve Radical Unity. A French court banned its web site two days later. Prominent Human rights and anti-racism groups in France hailed the twin decisions. They agree Radical Unity violated a 1936 French law against inciting hatred and racial violence. Even the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders, which traditionally defends free speech, did not criticize the ban against Radical Unity's Web site. Loic Coriou, an Internet expert for Reporters Without Borders, explains why.
In fact, far-right National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen is among the few arguing the French ban amounts to censorship. Mr. Le Pen, who ran against Mr. Chirac in presidential elections this year, says outlawing Radical Unity merely gives the group more publicity. Increasingly, Mr. Le Pen says, the government is trying to muzzle free speech, just to eradicate ideas it dislikes.
Last November, a French court also fined a former French general and his editors for publishing a book detailing torture and executions committed during Algeria's war of independence. The plaintiff, the Paris-based Human Rights League, argued that general Paul Aussaresses violated French law by, quote, "justifying war crimes" in his unapologetic book. But critics, notably in the United States, suggested the case once again smacked of censorship. More recently, French human rights groups filed charges against Italian writer Oriana Fallaci for a best-selling book criticizing Islam. One anti-racist group wants the book banned from France altogether. Two others, including the Human Rights League, simply want disclaimers that the book's disparaging passages on Muslims don't accurately reflect the Islamic religion.
Mr. Tubiana says Americans and French have different conceptions of liberty. Defending hate speech, he argues, is a false concept of free expression. It violates the rights of others, he says, and amounts to a failure in democracy. At the same time Mr. Tubiana does not completely agree with the recent decision to ban Radical Unity and its Internet site. He says France cannot fight against extremism just by outlawing a group. France is not the only European country fighting extremism, particularly since last September's terrorist attacks, and the political rise of far-right parties in Europe. Germany has banned 23 extremist groups over the past two decades. Spain is trying to ban the Batasuna Party, considered the political wing of the Basque terrorist group ETA. Last November, the 43-member Council of Europe stirred furor when it added an annex to its Cybercrime convention, targeting hate and racist speech on the Internet. Next month, Reporters Without Borders plans to publish a study on more than 80 countries it claims have curbed free speech on the Internet since September 11. Some internet rights advocates, like Meryem Marzouki, are also worried about a new security law adopted by the French parliament last month. Mrs. Marzouki says the French legislation may pave the way for law enforcement officials to acquire more information on Internet surfers and open new avenues for abuse. Other groups say the law is vague. They will wait to see if the government adopts specific Internet measures. Meanwhile, Radical Unity is plotting its future. Members vow they will reorganize, perhaps as a political party. The group quickly established a new, Canada-based internet site last week, called Dissolution U-R. Although the site was out of service this weekend, surfers were posted to yet another web page. On it, Radical Unity announced, quote, "the fight will go on."
. Indonesia is Not Center of Terrorist Activity, says ICG
Report
The Ngruki network began at a religious school near Solo, in Central Java in the late 1970s. The school is built upon the principles of Darul Islam the rebellion movement of the 1940s and '50s aiming to create Indonesia as an Islamic state. The school's founder, cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, rallied conservative Muslims to oppose the authoritarian rule of former Indonesian President Suharto. The International Crisis Group, a private research foundation, says many members were arrested; others were forced to flee political repression and ended up in neighboring Malaysia. Some returned after Mr. Suharto resigned in 1998. Most members of the group share the goal of creating an Islamic state that would include Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern Philippines. It is this goal that has defined the Jemaah Islamiah, the Southeast Asian network with close links to al-Qaida. The Jemaah Islamiah only came under the spot light this past year after Malaysian and Singaporean authorities uncovered a plot to bomb U.S. and other Western targets in Singapore. Dozens of suspects were arrested with links to the Jemaah Islamiah and the Ngruki network. This caused alarm in Southeast Asia and the United States. The problem, according to the ICG, is that the Ngruki network is larger than the individuals accused of having links to al-Qaida terrorists. It also includes what the ICG calls "individuals with well-established political legitimacy for having defied the Suharto government." The author of the ICG report, Sidney Jones, says the trick to countering the threat of a terror network taking root in Indonesia is not to push too hard. "I do think there are a couple of people linked to this network who have established ties with some leading figures in the al-Qaida organization," she said. "But we're talking about a tiny, tiny handful of people. And I think we also need to be very careful about making the leap from having communication that is, having met with Osama bin Laden on several occasions, to being involved in criminal plotting to bomb U.S. targets in Singapore." In the report, Ms. Jones traced the backgrounds of four men suspected of involvement in the Singapore plot. Of the three men now in jail in Malaysia and the Philippines, the report says, evidence linking them to the bomb plot is weak in places.
In addition, the report says, he has gained support from Muslims by criticizing the U.S. war on terrorism as anti-Islamic and by continuing to preach despite being summoned for questioning by Indonesian authorities. Ms. Jones cautions that if U.S. and Southeast Asian governments go after suspects without hard evidence to link them to specific acts of violence it could backfire and spark a swell of support for Muslim radicals perceived as being victims of authoritarian persecution similar to the Suharto years. "It's very dangerous in this particular climate in Indonesia, when you have such weak law enforcement institutions and such weak courts and such a weak legal system to finger individuals as being perhaps involved in international activities without hard evidence, and go after them in a way that brings back memories of arbitrary arrests during the Suharto era," Ms. Jones said. Mr. Bashir has denied accusations by the Singaporean government that he was involved in any bomb plot. As a Muslim, Mr. Bashir says, it is his responsibility to deal with accusations from the Singaporean and U.S. governments that all Muslims are terrorists. He says if they have accused all Muslims of terrorist activities, then that automatically includes the Indonesian Muslim community.
The ICG report warns that association with the Ngruki network is not equivalent to terrorism, but it concludes that the possibility remains that some of its members maybe be sources of support for such activities. The report also warns the international community to tread carefully lest heavy-handed actions strengthen support or sympathy for groups labeled as terrorists.
. Iran
Hands Over al-Qaida Suspects to Saudi Arabia Some members of Congress are taking a wait-and-see attitude with regard to the handling of 16 al-Qaida fighters who were handed-over to Saudi Arabia by Iran. The lawmakers so far seem unimpressed with the gesture. The al-Qaida fighters reportedly were on the run in Iran when they were captured and handed over to Saudi Arabia in June.
"The innocent ones will be let go and the guilty ones will be brought to trial," he said. The al-Qaida fighters are reported to be Saudi citizens. The Iranians have said they would return captured al-Qaida fighters to their home countries. Democratic Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is waiting to see how much the Saudis cooperate with regard to the captured al-Qaida fighters. "We've had sort of hot and cold support from the Saudis when it comes to this war on terrorism," Senator Levin said. "The president says you're either with us or against us on the war on terrorism. The answer is, sometimes the Saudis are with us. Sometimes they are not. Hopefully they will allow us to participate in that interrogation at a miminum." On the other side of the political aisle, Republican Senator Fred Thompson said he doesn't think much of the gesture in the war against terrorism, either on the part of Saudi Arabia or Iran.
In an interview on the television show This Week. Prince al-Faisal expressed annoyance over claims that Saudi Arabia is not cooperating with anti-terrorism efforts or recent claims that it's promoting terrorism. "Suddenly Saudi Arabia, that was considered a staunch ally ten years ago and even four years ago suddenly turns into a kernel of evil that spreads evil all over the place," Prince al-Faisal complained. "This is the question to ask. For us, we know that we are fighting terrorism, we are working assiduously with the United States in this regard." The Saudi prince said information obtained from his country's interrogation of the al-Qaida members will be made available to the United States.
. Israel Will Retaliate if Iraq Attacks, says
Newspaper Israel has warned the United States that it will retaliate should Baghdad fire missiles on the Jewish State in response to an American strike on Iraq. Israel has notified the United States that it will not exercise the same kind of restraint it demonstrated in the Gulf War in the even of another Iraqi attack, even if there are no casualties. The Hebrew language newspaper Ha'aretz has reported that Israel has issued the warning during discussions about preparations for a possible American attack on Iraq calculated to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein. The newspaper said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had made it clear to U.S. President George W. Bush that "if Israel is attacked, it will respond." The Washington correspondent for the English language Jerusalem Post newspaper independently confirmed that warnings had been issued by Israel. The warnings are reportedly of concern to the United States, which is attempting to build international support for a possible military campaign against Iraq. During the Gulf War, the United States joined forces with some Arab states and called on Israel not to intervene even when Iraq fired Scud Missiles at the Jewish State. The Americans believed then that if Israel had responded, the coalition with the Arab States would have fallen apart. In the build-up to another possible confrontation with Iraq, the U.S. administration does not yet have either European or Arab public support for a military strike. At the same time, the Ha'aretz newspaper reports the Bush administration is sensitive to any suggestion that it is working with Israel against Iraq for fear that this could affect its relations with Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
. Rebel Congo Factions Fight for Control of Bunia Town Luis Ramirez Abidjan 11 Aug 2002 14:29 UTC
At least 85 people have been killed in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days, as rebel factions fight for control of the town of Bunia.
Uganda, which has traditionally supported the rebels in the Congolese civil war, says its soldiers have been standing by as the fighting raged in recent days. There are conflicting reports, however, on whether Ugandan troops took part in the fighting. Rebels who controlled Bunia were backed by Uganda previously, but fighting broke out between the Congolese insurgents and Ugandan soldiers. Reports from the scene last week said Ugandan soldiers switched their support to fighters of the Hema tribe, who oppose rebel militias of the Lendu group. U.N. officials said the fighting appeared to have subsided on Saturday, after Ugandan troops moved in to restore order. The officials say observers on Friday reported finding a mass grave containing the hacked bodies of women and children. Bunia is the main town in the Ituri region, one of the most embattled areas of the eastern Congo. U.N. officials have expressed concern over battles they say have been escalating over the past six months. The Ituri region was also the scene of the killing last year of six Red Cross workers who were caught in an ambush. The latest fighting comes after Rwanda and the Congolese government signed a peace agreement on July 30 in South Africa that many hoped would signal the end of the country's four-year civil war. In the agreement, Rwanda said it would withdraw its 30,000 troops from Congo. In turn, Congolese officials promised to repatriate ethnic Hutu militias who have been attacking Rwandan forces from Congo.
Rwandan and Ugandan troops have been operating on Congolese soil since the conflict began in 1998, when Rwanda and Uganda stepped in to support rebels, in an effort to depose the late president, Laurent Kabila. Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia intervened during the conflict in support of the Kabila government.
. Report: Rumsfeld Considers US Military Role against
Terrorism A published report says U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is considering ways to expand the role of American Special Operations forces to fight terrorism worldwide, including secret missions to capture or kill leaders of the al-Qaida network. The New York Times reports in Sunday's edition that proposals under discussion could lead to covert operations by U.S. special forces in countries where the United States is not at open war and where governments are not even aware of their presence. The newspaper cites unnamed Pentagon and intelligence sources, who say some U.S. defense officials believe that expanding the military's clandestine activities could be justified as part of preparations for battle against terorism that knows no boundaries. The report quotes what it calls a senior advisor to Mr. Rumsfeld as saying the United States is "at war with al-Qaida," and if enemy combatants are found, "military action against them" should be taken. The Times says an expansion of the U.S. military's role is still only under discussion among defense officials. It says no formal plans have yet been drawn up for Secretary Rumsfeld's consideration and the talks are far from being presented to President Bush for approval. Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet is said to not be opposed to the proposals under discussion. The CIA has traditionally been the U.S. agency involved with international covert operations. Discussions are said to be under way on how to work out new arrangements between the spy agency and Special Operations forces.
. US Airways Files for Bankruptcy Protection Barry Wood Washington 12 Aug 2002 04:41 UTC Listen
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Based in suburban Washington, U.S. Airways is the first major American airline to declare bankruptcy since the September 11 attacks jolted the airline industry. U.S. Airways incurred a net loss of more than two billion dollars last year and has continued to lose money this year. The company employs 40,000 workers and operates 340 airplanes. Its routes are concentrated in the northeast of the United States. Company management say U.S. Airways has obtained emergency private sector financing, as well as government funds, to assure continuing operations. Not long after September 11, the company laid off 11,000 workers and has been seeking salary concessions from its pilots and mechanics. This is the second major bankruptcy to impact the Washington, DC, area in the past month. In July, the number-two U.S. telecommunications company, WorldCom, declared bankruptcy. WorldCom's MCI long distance subsidiary, like U.S. Airways, is based in Northern Virginia. U.S. Airways has long been regarded as the most financially vulnerable of the major U.S. airlines. The company has high labor costs and operates in a very competitive market. A recent attempt to merge with United Airlines, which is also financially weak, was rejected as anti-competitive by government regulators.
. US
Lawmakers Debate Plans To Overthrow Saddam A day after President Bush played down talk of invading Iraq, members of Congress weighed in on the prospect of overthrowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. As the White House tries to make up its mind whether the United States should invade Iraq, a country the president said Saturday is actively in pursuit of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, some U.S. lawmakers are casting a wary eye. Democratic Senator Carl Levin is chairman of the Armed Services Committee. In an appearance Sunday on the NBC television program Meet the Press," he said the United States should look at all options with regard to Iraq and should not provoke Saddam. "He would not, in my judgement, initiate an attack with a weapon of mass destruction because it would lead to his own destruction if he did that. He's a survivalist. He's not a suicide bomber," he said. But Republican Senator Fred Thompson favors invading Iraq. Senator Thompson is not impressed with Iraq's recent overture allowing the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to his country, saying it could further the Iraqi strongman's goals. "There's no way in the world that we could effectively discover and do anything with what he's got there," he said. "And it would buy him another couple or three years to do what he really wants to do." Meanwhile, Saudi officials said Sunday that they will not allow Saudi Arabia to be used as a staging ground for any invasion against Iraq. They say they want the United States to pursue non-military options in a dispute with Iraq.
. Zimbabwe's Mugabe Says Farm Deadline Stands VOA News 12 Aug 2002 11:42 UTC
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says a deadline this month for a controversial redistribution of white-owned farmland still stands, and that he intends to transfer the whites' land to black farmers by the end of August. Zimbabwe's white farmers were told to surrender their land last week, but many have ignored the government's orders. President Mugabe took up the issue in a televised address Monday at a rally in Harare remembering Zimbabwe's liberation war heroes. Mr. Mugabe says black Zimbabweans are the true owners of the country's farmland, and will not be deterred from reclaiming it. If the whites' land is transferred to black farmers by the end of August, the president says, the new owners will have enough time to prepare and plant for a new crop season starting in October. White farmers who resist the government's land seizure could face up to two years in jail, but no official action against any of them has yet been reported. The government's land-transfer program could be affected by a High Court ruling last Thursday that said no mortaged or bonded farms could be seized unless the government took steps to notify any lending institutions involved. The ultimatum to the white farmers comes at a time when six million residents of Zimbabwe are facing starvation, in part due to severe drought. The government's land reform program, which has resulted in widespread disruption of farm operations, has been blamed for worsening the country's food crisis. Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AFP.
.Air Traffic Controllers Speak Out About September 11 Attacks VOA News 12 Aug 2002 23:33 UTC
For eleven agonizing minutes during the terrorist attacks of September eleventh, New York air traffic controllers knew that a second hijacked civilian plane was going to hit the World Trade Center, but were helpless to do anything. On Monday, for the first time, U.S. air traffic controllers publicly recalled their ordeal during the deadly hijackings in a media briefing in the eastern state of New York Monday. An official said after the first commercial airliner, American Airlines flight 11, struck the north tower, they lost contact with another commercial airliner, United Air Lines flight 175, speeding on a similar path headed at low altitude toward Manhattan. Despite the horror, the air traffic control manager, in an unprecedented move, ordered controllers to land all airplanes in the region then in the sky. Within just over three hours, controllers brought four-thousand-five-hundred planes in the region safely to the ground. U.S. officials say they are now better prepared to react quickly to such situations in the future. Officials said U.S. warplanes are now able to intercept hostile aircraft in a matter of seconds, not minutes. Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
. Analysts Ask Why Saudis Took So Long to Reveal al-Qaida Prisoner Turnover Greg LaMotte Cairo 12 Aug 2002 14:54 UTC Listen
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Political analysts in the Middle East say Saudi Arabia should explain why it took several months to reveal that Iran handed over a group of suspected al-Qaida fighters to Saudi Arabia. Some analysts believe it was Iran that requested the information be made public as part of a diplomatic campaign. Saudi officials confirmed Sunday that Iran, at the request of Saudi Arabia, handed over 16 suspected al-Qaida fighters in June. Saudi officials say the 16 suspects fled Afghanistan for Iran where they were taken into custody. The United States blames Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Political analyst Hassan Nafae says Saudi Arabia needs to explain why it took several months to make the disclosure, a disclosure he believes may have come at the request of Iran. "Iran may have asked Saudi Arabia to unveil this situation to send a signal to the Arab public opinion or the world public opinion that Iran is cooperating with the United States and with the other countries, including Saudi Arabia, to fight terror in the world," he said. "I'm afraid that Iran is feeling the coming days will be very tough, not only for Iraq but maybe for Iran and some other partners in the Middle East." Mr. Nafae, who heads the political science department at Cairo University, says Iran is extremely concerned about the continued presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He says Iran fears that any U.S.-led attack against Iraq could spread to Iran. Mr. Nafae says there is growing tension in the Middle East regarding a possible U.S.-led attack against Iraq. As a result, he says he believes every country is interested in showing it is willing to cooperate with the U.S.- led war against terror. President Bush earlier this year branded Iran as being part of an axis of evil along with Iraq and North Korea. U.S. officials have accused Iran is sheltering al-Qaida fighters, a charge Iran has strongly denied. Saudi officials say any intelligence gathered from the 16 suspects in custody would be passed to authorities in the United States.
. Bush Economic Conference Begins Tuesday Paula Wolfson Crawford, Texas 12 Aug 2002 22:25 UTC
The president and his top advisors know only too well that the economy could play a crucial role in congressional elections in November. They are eager to show that the president has a plan to boost economic growth, and want to reassure Americans whose faith has been shaken by a recent series of corporate scandals. They have invited private investors, small business owners, economists, union officials and the heads of several big companies to the president's economic forum in Waco, the closest city to his Texas ranch. Administration officials at the conference, including the president, vice president and members of the Bush cabinet, are expected to stress that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. White House Spokesman Scott McClellan says everything is in place for sustained growth, but more needs to be done. About 240 people have been invited to the forum, among them some key contributors to the Republican party. But Mr. McClellan continued to insist Monday that there will be a diversity of views.
. Colombia Declares 'State of Internal Commotion'
Just days after taking office, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez has declared a "state of internal commotion." The emergency declaration allows him to raise new funds for fighting Marxist rebels at a critical time in his country's 38-year civil conflict. Government ministers made the announcement midnight Sunday, saying they would levy a new tax on businesses and wealthy individuals. The tax will be worth 1.2 percent of their liquid assets, and will only be collected once. The money raised will pay for 10,000 new policemen and two new army brigades. The emergency declaration also gives President Uribe 90 days to sidestep Congress and make further decrees. He is expected to introduce travel restrictions, especially in the war-torn countryside. The president won a landslide victory in May on promises to boost military spending and confront leftist rebels. In particular, he will try to crack down on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has been chasing elected officials from rural areas. Most Colombians feel the rebel army has degenerated into a band of authoritarian outlaws. The president's decree comes just four days after he took office. During his inaugural ceremony, suspected rebels launched a round of homemade mortars at the presidential palace. One bomb caused superficial damage to the building. Another killed 20 civilians in a poor neighborhood nearby. |
