.
Page 1: daybydaywithVOA_6-01Dec2002.html
.
COMMENTARY -- WAR -- (the news is directly below):
You have gone back in time and are standing in the midst of a lush ancient forest. You hear and see some large vegetarian dinosaurs feeding on the moist soft leaves of brush and trees. You also see skulking about like a cat after a mouse, other smaller dinosaurs with a lighter build about them trying to catch and eat even smaller dinosaurs. You also see small dinosaurs feeding on the vegetation. Suddenly you hear a loud screech which terrifies every creature in this setting and sends them running for fear. The screech is coming from a large version of the lighter built and fast moving dinosaur with teeth designed to rip and tear other animal flesh. It quickly moves up on the large vegetarian. It lacks the weight of the vegetarian it is pursuing but has more speed and agility. It's massive and powerful jaws are set into motion as it lunges upon the vegetarian and immediately draws blood as it rips and tears away at a vital spot. The vegetarian tries to defend itself by using its heavy tail to whack the aggressor but it was too slow this time in defending itself and it quickly weakened because of pain and loss of blood. Dizzy and in weakness it dropped to the ground and took its last breath. The aggressor ruthlessly tore away at the most tasty spots and then left the carcass for scavengers.
In the natural world this story describes the "food chain" and the "predatory" character of those creatures at the top of the food chain. The predatory behavior is driven by hunger and the instinct of the predator to feed and care for it's young. Although all animals have some kind of reasoning capability their instincts most often prevail and their reasoning is subordinate to these instincts to make them more effective at surviving.
How does this story relate to war? Is war wrong? Is war necessary? What is accomplished by war?
Mankind is to be above the animals, that is he should be exercising his reasoning capabilities over his instincts. But mankind often does not do that. Tribal behavior is something like wolf pack behavior. There is a kind of civilized order within the pack but anything outside the pack is considered fair game. There is usually a pack leader. In many ways, the societies and cultures and communities of mankind are like the pack where the reasoning capabilities of the individuals in the pack and the consensus of the pack is directed at serving the primitive instincts of survival.
Although man is more technically capable as he sits atop the food chain, many of the nations, societies, cultures, and communities of man are more predatory in character with leaders that know how to control the pack and maintain their control over the pack. If allowed, these predatory packs of mankind will act just like the predatory dinosaur. No amount of talk or reasoning will prevent the attack because the overall social behavior is predatory and reason is used to make the predatory behavior more successful. The only defense against such predators is to be both prepared and more capable if attacked. But often a defensive posture will fail as it did with the vegetarian dinosaur which was no threat to the other dinosaurs. Many animal packs that are vegetarian adopt defensive and preventative postures as a pack to minimize any predatory attack on members within the vegetarian pack. Buffalo, cattle, and many other animals do this.
But only mankind has two things the animals don't have. Man is smart enough to anticipate a predatory attack and respond in a defensive manoeuvre of defense to disable or kill the predatory enemy before the "screech" of death is heard. Man has the means and abilities to develop sophisticated weaponry. Compare this weaponry to the teeth of the attacking dinosaur and the tail of the vegetarian dinosaur.
But if a society or community of man is not aware of such dangers by other predatory type societies and communities then it peacefully and obliviously eats, drinks, sleeps, reproduces, plays, and in other ways occupies itself. When the "screech" of impending death is heard it may be too late. This is especially true if the predatory society has technological superiority and readiness to use that technology in an aggressive manner. This susceptibility scenario is also true if a society or community of man has been deceived into thinking that the predators are their friends or that arbitration, deals, and discourse will stop the aggression. Nothing will stop the predatory nation or community from its behavior other than its own destruction. A predatory human or human society is far more committed to violent aggression than is a predatory animal seeking a prey for a source of food. A predator is ruthless and uncaring whether it be a dinosaur, a wolf, or man. The "whimper" (or dialog to prevent aggression) that precedes death is understood by the predator as victory and the prey can be savaged. There are those that feel that a kind of social remedial exercise involving discourse, and various other forms of reward and penalty administered against the predatory society, by some powerful majority, will cause such predatory communities to change. This is foolishness as long as the pack leader remains leader. The leaders drive the communities. This is true even in western democratic nations. Sometimes leaders reflect the views of the community that elected them and perhaps leaders exploit the community that elected them.
When leaders have control of the key social institutions they can use these institutions to brain wash the community as a whole. If leaders don't have control of the key social institutions then new potential pack leaders can use these institutions to brain wash the community and thereafter supplant the pack leader. For example, often the educational institutions are infiltrated with authority figures that have a profound influence on those they teach. So it is not unusual in just about every society to see social discontent first voiced by universities and institutions of higher learning. The so called media in the form of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV industry, the publishing industry, and the movie industry are powerful means of brainwashing a society and re-engineering the "average" social mentality. A third category is the religious institutions, seminaries, and related organizations. Whoever controls the content of these institutions inevitably controls the pack mentality. Laws and government are derived from this mentality. As the mentality changes so also do the laws and inclinations of government.
As long as the average human being allows himself or herself to be herded along in a pack type social environment there will be predatory societies that feed on the other societies. They will skulk about and wait for their moment. They will form unholy and wicked alliances with each other only to eventually turn on one another. War in this context simply realigns those at the top of the food chain. War is for the purpose of establishing different leaders, it rarely occurs for the purpose of true peace and prosperity directed from a global perspective. Although the word peace is used a lot today its meaning varies depending upon who uses it. Peace as used by world leaders means the establishment of their objectives at the cost of their opponents. World leaders shake each others hands in such deceptive gestures of peace. It is a paradox. It is a horrible dilemma. If any society disarms, adopts arbitration and dialog to effect change then they will be perceived as manipulatable through that dialog. They will also be perceived by the potential aggressor as weak because they rely too heavily on a so called diplomatic solution to disputes. Meanwhile the predatory society or societies will take whatever gain they can through the dialog and when their moment comes, lunge, and with their mighty jaws and sharp teeth rip and tear away at the vulnerabilities of their prey.
Therefore, God must manipulate the devil who influences man towards predatory behavior. The devil incarnate is Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ or Satan is any human being that uses their reasoning capabilities to serve their primitive instincts. By so doing they have opened up and turned over their mental "real estate" to the spiritual forces of darkness that bring only death. The spiritual force of evil is only able to influence the human mind through the mechanism of our primitive instincts for survival. If we lust and are preoccupied with the things and values of a world driven by such instincts then we have been deceived into a form of mental slavery that brings only hatred and death in its wake.
Jesus Christ is the answer. He is both an example of what we must be like as humans and he is the facilitator/mediator/interface whereby we can all know and experience the love/caring of God.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email this ministry at thilts@help-for-you.com
Visit the...
Overcomer on line Study Bible
OOLSB articles
are now being added - Click on::
http://www.help-for-you.com/doc/OOLSB_freestanding.html
Back to the WORLD NEWS
.Page 1
. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 16:59 GMT . 'Landslide' in
Equatorial Guinea
. Mr Obiang's party has
been accused of intimidation The authorities in Equatorial Guinea say President Teodoro Obiang
Nguema has been re-elected with almost 100% of the vote in Sunday's
presidential election, according to initial results.
.But an observer monitoring the election for a US-based NGO, Ahmed Rajab, has said that Mr Obiang's entourage is embarrassed by what has already been described as a "Saddam scenario". Interior Minister Clemente Engonga described as "unlawful" the last-minute decision by the four opposition candidates to withdraw from the poll. The four said the poll was marred by irregularities. Opponents of Mr Obiang, who is seeking a third seven-year term, say he has not distributed the country's oil revenue fairly to the people. 'Fear' Mr Engonga was quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency EFE that the decision by Mr Obiang's challengers to withdraw was "proof of the bad faith and diabolical spirit" of the four candidates. Mr Rajab told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that if the election is seen to have been shambolic, it will have done Mr Obiang more harm than good.
But he said he had not witnessed any malpractice. "We don't think we saw any irregularities as such," he said. "But what happens before an election is much more important, and we don't know what happened before the election." "There could have been an element of fear which prompted people to vote for Obiang." 'Fraudulent' Mr Obiang's main challenger, Celesto Bonifacio Bacale, was the first to withdraw from the race in the middle of the election, saying voting had not been secret. "Voting is totally fraudulent at every level. In 90% of the polling stations, the vote is being carried out in public, and people are being obliged to take only one voting slip, the one for Obiang," he was quoted as saying. "There are polling stations that don't exist and ones that weren't planned that have popped up," he said.
"There are polling stations presided over by soldiers and the police, and electoral officials who open the envelopes of voters who cast their ballots in secret." Mr Bacale, the candidate of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) said that several heads of polling stations who had insisted on free and fair elections had been removed by government officials, and warned that the move could incite violence. "The CPDS will not recognise the results of this election, nor the government which follows them," he said. 'Anti-democratic' The three other challengers for the presidency declared the election "invalid" and called for fresh elections "in the best conditions of freedom, legality and transparency". Mr Obiang's party denied that there had been any irregularities. "Many people are lining up to vote in a normal and peaceful atmosphere," the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) said. Interior Minister Clemente Engonga Nguema condemned the late withdrawal of the four candidates, saying it was "irresponsible and anti-democratic". BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 22:53 GMT . West Africa
leaders call crisis talks
. MPCI rebels control the
northern half of Ivory Coast The heads of at least eight West African countries have called a
series of emergency meetings to try to find a solution to the conflict in Ivory
Coast.
After a high-level summit in Togo on Monday, the leaders of Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Liberia announced further meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. More French troops - with orders to shoot anyone seriously violating a ceasefire in the country - arrived as the leaders talked, making the French contingent the largest Paris has deployed in Africa since the 1980s.
Representatives of the Ivorian Government and the main rebel group the MPCI were present during Monday's summit in the northern Togolese town of Kara, but they did not take part in the talks. A squabble did break out, however, over the seating arrangement at a music performance attended by the parties and the West African presidents. The chief Ivorian Government negotiator threatened to walk out when he saw that a rebel spokesman was sitting closer to the West African leaders than he was, the French news agency AFP reported. Stalled The Ivorian peace negotiations in Togo, sponsored by the regional body Ecowas, have made little progress since an armed uprising began in September.
Some 150 paratroopers were reported to have landed at the international airport in Abidjan. The 1,200-strong French deployment is to be boosted by 500 troops in all. France has broadened the mandate of its soldiers in Ivory Coast, authorising them to enforce - rather than just monitor - an October ceasefire between government forces and the rebels who now control the north of the country. Rebel anger On Friday, a spokesman for the Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast (MPCI) Guillaume Soro accused the troops of deviating from their peacekeeping mission, and demanded their withdrawal.
At least 400 people have been killed since the uprising by disgruntled soldiers, and hundreds of thousands displaced by the fighting. Since then, new rebel factions have emerged in the west of the country. A quarter of a million people have now been displaced by the worsening war in Ivory Coast - half to neighbouring countries. . BBC -- Tuesday, 17 December, 2002, 04:15 GMT . US weighs
Iraq's weapons declaration
. More than 100 UN
inspectors are now on the ground President Bush could announce the formal US response to Iraq's
declaration of its weapons programmes in a few days' time, White House
officials have said.
In his first public comments on the issue, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said there were problems with the Iraqi document submitted on 7 December. "We approached it with scepticism and the information I have received so far is that that scepticism is well-founded," Mr Powell said in Washington on Monday.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Monday that "it was abundantly plain, from the will of the United Nations, that this was Iraq's last chance to inform the world in an accurate, complete and full way what weapons of mass destruction they possessed". Mr Powell said Washington's official response on the document would be forthcoming towards the end of this week, after the chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix makes his presentation on the 12,000 page document to the Security Council. Samples The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says nothing has yet been set in stone, but it looks as if President Bush himself will deliver America's unfavourable verdict on the Iraqi document. Our correspondent says it's understood that one of the problems that America will highlight is Iraq's failure to account for chemical and biological agents the country still possessed when the last inspectors let in 1998. Meanwhile, the first samples collected by inspectors in Iraq have arrived at a laboratory in Austria run by the UN nuclear agency, where they will be analysed for any traces of a nuclear weapons programme. An initial analysis of the eight samples will take two to three weeks, a spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told the Associated Press news agency. Another 20 samples are expected by the weekend.
However, the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said there were clear differences in "views and emphasis" over Iraq between him and Mr Assad. The UN Security Council resolution paving the way for the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq, adopted in November, warns Baghdad of "serious consequences" if it fails to comply with UN disarmament demands. New inspections The IAEA has said it hopes to have screening results from the first samples by the time its director, Mohamed El Baradei, reports to the UN Security Council on 27 January.
UN arms inspectors entered six suspect sites on Monday, including a biomedical institute at Baghdad University - the first visit to an academic facility since inspections resumed three weeks ago. And for a third day running, Monday saw inspectors visit al-Qa'qaa, a site that was involved in the final design of a nuclear bomb before UN teams dismantled the Iraqi nuclear programme following the 1991 Gulf War. Extra inspectors have now arrived in Iraq, bringing the total to more than 100. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 21:30 GMT . EU offers WTO
farm subsidy cuts
. Farm subsidies make
up almost half of the EU budget The European Union has offered to cut tariffs on agricultural
products by 36% as part of a talks at the World Trade Organisation
(WTO).
Opening markets for farm goods is a key element in the current round of world trade talks.
"We are ready to put our money where our mouth is," said EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy. The US and aid groups have said the EU proposals are a public relations exercise and do not offer serious reforms. European offer EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler said the cuts were already incorporated in adjustments made to the Common Agricultural Policy. Farm subsidies account for just under half of the EU's 90bn euro ($91.8bn) annual budget. It has also offered duty-free, quota-free access for farm exports from developing countries. The cuts in subsidies and tariff are conditional on similar cuts from other developed countries, particularly the US. The US, Canada, Japan, Australia and the 15 EU members would also cut export subsidies by 45% and domestic subsidies as part of the deal. Policy criticism Aid groups said it fell far short of what was needed to help poor nations. Oxfam described the Commission proposals as a public relations exercise leaving subsidies for the diary and sugar industries in tact. "It has produced a vacuous public relations document designed to paper over differences between member states," said Justin Forsyth, Oxfam's Policy Director. The Commission has offered to cut export subsidies for wheat, oilseeds, olive oil and tobacco. The US said the Commission proposals failed make a serious change. "The EC's proposal, while welcome, does not embrace fundamental reform in world agricultural trade," the US Trade Representative's office spokesman, Richard Mills, said in a statement. In July Washington unveiled its agriculture proposals and President George W. Bush in May approved $173.5bn in domestic farm subsidies over 10 years. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 08:26 GMT . French bank
bidding war breaks cover
. Credit Lyonnais
has a number of suitors A bidding war over Credit Lyonnais looks set to shake up France's
banking industry.
Credit Agricole has launched a bid for Lyonnais, trumping the steady building of a substantial stake in recent weeks by BNP Paribas. Credit Lyonnais' board has backed the proposal, whose 19.5bn euro ($20bn; £12.5bn) price tag - mostly in cash but with a proportion in shares - is 6% above the bank's market value. Other shareholders including AGF, Germany's Commerzbank, and BBVA and Intesa from Spain - who between them hold 21.2% of the bank - are also in favour. Bidding war The saga of Credit Lyonnais kicked into high gear in November, when BNP Paribas agreed to take over the French government's 10.9% stake in a deal apparently wrapped up over a single weekend. At that point the 2.2bn euro price tag represented a 49% premium, much more than Credit Agricole - the main suitor earlier in the year - had been willing to pay. BNP's interest, and its subsequent purchase of more shares on the open market to take its stake to 16.4%, has sent Credit Lyonnais shares sky-rocketing. But Credit Agricole had not given up its attempt to acquire Credit Lyonnais' 6 million customers and 1,800 branches across France. From Credit Lyonnais' point of view, a buyout by Credit Agricole would mean both brands stay on the High Street, while backroom and investment banking would be pooled. Not over yet BNP could still counterbid, if it feels that Credit Lyonnais' shareholders or board are not united behind the Agricole proposal. Lyonnais, which was only rescued from bankruptcy in the mid-1990s by a government bailout, is a choice prize. Last year's net profits totalled 812m euros, on sales of 6.73bn euros. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 20:42 GMT . Venezuelan strike lifts oil prices
. Strikes have
severely disrupted Venezuelan oil supplies The price of a barrel of oil has jumped by more than 4% over fears a
strike in Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, will cut global
supplies.
Protests by Venezuelan opposition groups aimed at ousting President Hugo Chavez have entered a third week.
Brent crude, the benchmark oil price, gained $1.09 to $28.30 a barrel in late trade in London, its highest level since 16 October. US oil futures jumped $1.68 to $30.12 a barrel. Opec cuts "Up to this point, the market seems to have been far too relaxed about the loss of so much crude oil at a time when inventories are already well below prudent levels," said Paul Horsnell of investment bank JP Morgan. "Should the position in Venezuela continue to deteriorate, then a push to well above $30 becomes inevitable," he added. Fears over supplies were compounded last week when the oil cartel OPEC lowered production quotas. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, of which Venezuela is a member, controls two-thirds of world supply. Venezuelan strike Venezuela's oil industry has been severely affected, with oil refinery managers and oil tanker captains joining a strike led by right-wing business groups. More than 40 oil tankers were anchored off Venezuelan ports waiting to take on oil shipments, shipping agents said. More than half a million protesters took to the streets of the capital Caracas over the weekend to call for the leftist leader's resignation and early elections. Venezuela supplies about 14% of US oil needs. Arab producers have promised to fill any shortfall, but supplies would take more than a month to arrive. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 06:23 GMT . European press review
. The impact of the European Union summit
agreement to admit 10 new members continues to exercise leader-writers on both
sides of Europe's old dividing-line.
Meanwhile, in France, newspapers look at the country's increasing
military involvement in the Ivory Coast conflict and at President Jacques
Chirac's apparent escape from investigation over corruption
scandals. Newspapers in Hungary are unenthusiastic about the price their country paid to secure accession to the EU. "The Copenhagen summit showed that the EU is guided not by fine principles but by hard financial interests, and that those who can blackmail others are not prepared to give a cent in concessions," Magyar Nemzet comments in a piece headlined "The lost victory in Copenhagen". Even where the agreement is welcomed, as in Nepszabadsag, regret is expressed at the "bitter taste" left by the "unfair" terms that the EU offered its new entrants.
"Are Czechs unable to rejoice, or are they unable to evaluate what happened at the EU summit?", Viliam Buchert asks. "They talk only about money while other countries have taken it entirely differently," he comments. Moving west, newspapers in Germany find plenty to worry about post-Copenhagen. The leftist Die Tageszeitung and the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung fret about topics close to their respective hearts - the environment and Turkey. The taz laments the farm subsidies granted to Poland and others, which it fears will delay reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, and the summit's failure to give Austria legally-binding safety guarantees about the Czech Republic's controversial Temelin nuclear plant. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung does not mince its words in declaring that to include Turkey in any subsequent EU enlargement would be a mistake. "Europe is a society of peoples who have forged common values over many centuries and have freely joined together under the perception of these values being under threat," it says. "Turkey does not belong to this Europe." Other German dailies consider the EU's next steps. The Frankfurter Rundschau thinks the EU must now work to match its new size with political might. "What remains is to find those who will seize this opportunity courageously - even at the cost of future membership rounds having to wait," it says. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung sees an even more urgent need for an EU constitution. Without a redefinition of Europe's internal workings, the paper says, "this mega-union will be its own downfall, with Brussels becoming ungovernable and the victim of the success of Copenhagen". Ivory Coast entanglement In France, Le Figaro voices concern as the government rushes Foreign Legion paratroopers into Ivory Coast with orders to shoot anybody breaching the cease-fire. The paper warns that the move is a "dangerous gamble", because "loyalists think France has taken sides with them" while the rebels "doubt France's neutrality and say they are ready to take on the French troops". Still in France, the left-of-centre Le Monde tries to take some comfort from last week's ruling by a panel of "wise men" that President Jacques Chirac cannot be investigated over alleged corruption allegations until after he leaves office. The Avril Commission's findings have been seen as granting Mr Chirac continued legal protection, but Le Monde says the ruling provides for legal action once his term is over. Mr Chirac "has a date with the judicial authorities" once he ceases to be president, it says, urging him to "make a clear commitment to have the Avril Commission's recommendations implemented". The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. . Tuesday, 17 December, 2002, 00:42 GMT . Psychiatrists' decisions 'driven by fear'
. Are all
prescriptions in the patient's best interest? Fear of being sued or pilloried in the media is forcing many
psychiatrists to take the safe treatment option - even if it is not necessarily
the best for the patient.
A study has found that three out of four psychiatrists practised so-called defensive medicine in the month prior to being questioned.
Perhaps unsurprisingly it was junior doctors who were most likely to be over-cautious. But some psychiatrists admitted that previous experience of complaints had left them determined to avoid legal action or criticism from the media. Defensive medicine is the practice of opting for treatments, tests and procedures with the primary intention of protecting the doctor from criticism, rather than diagnosing or treating the patient. Recent action Researchers received completed questionnaires from 96 psychiatrists practising in the north of England. These included consultants, non-consultant grades and trainees. Of these 71 had taken defensive action within the past month. Twenty-one percent had admitted patients overcautiously and 29% had placed patients on higher levels of observations. The researchers, from the Learning Disability Service in Stockton and the University of East Anglia, warned the results suggested defensive medicine was even more likely in other branches of medicine, as psychiatry is regarded as a low risk specialty. They argue that better and more structured training might reduce the high level of defensive practice. They also call for reform of the way complaints are dealt with. Apportioning blame is often not as important as learning from past experience, they say. Profound impact Dr Julian Beezhold, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said his colleagues' decisions were prone to come under intense scrutiny, for instance during homicide inquiries when a mentally ill patient has committed murder. "All of medicine has been quite profoundly affected by the need to be aware of the risk of litigation." Dr Beezhold, a specialist registrar at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, said defensive medicine might partly explain the rise in compulsory detentions. "There is no obvious reason why that should be so, there has been no increase in the number of people who are mentally ill," he said. "This is almost certainly a tangible response to the risk of litigation. "It is very difficult to see individual cases where detention was not warranted, but if you look at the overall trend once has to wonder if it is the result of the impact of defensive medicine." Dr Beezhold agreed with the researchers that the introduction of a no fault system of compensation for medical injuries would go a long way towards tackling the problem. The research is published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 15:29 GMT . Disputes mar Iraqi opposition talks
. The
fractious opposition is trying to reach consensus There have been stormy scenes at the Iraqi
opposition conference being held in London to try to map out a future for Iraq
after Saddam Hussein.
Sharp disagreements have emerged among the more than 300 delegates
over the composition of a committee which could eventually provide the nucleus
of a transitional government.
The groups have extended their talks into an unscheduled fourth day, as they struggle to find consensus on a future path for Iraq. At one point, US President George W Bush's envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, stormed out of the heated meeting. The BBC's Jim Muir at the conference says nobody expected this to be an easy gathering, so the vocal exchanges and angry walkouts came as no surprise. Participants finally agreed that the follow-up committee on opposition policy - initially panned to have 20 members - will include 50, so that all the factions can be accommodated. But - our correspondent adds - deciding who will actually take up those positions is turning out to be one of the sticking-points and more hours of wrangling lie ahead over that. 'Unresolved issues' Another difficult issue is the constitution which the opposition would like to see if it took power after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Constitutional Monarchy Movement (CMM) wants a referendum on whether the country should remain a republic, or restore the monarchy which was overthrown in 1958.
Delegates said that the blueprint for the transitional period of power in post-Saddam Iraq did now include such a provision. However, some CMM delegates were unhappy about plans for a three-member "sovereignty council" that would operate as a head of state during the initial period. Other groups who are unhappy with the current drafts are women and tribal chieftains, who say they are being excluded from the steering committee. Sunni Arabs have complained that the conference is disproportionately dominated by Shias and Kurds. The United States has shied away from supporting the creation of a transitional Iraqi government in exile. But behind the scenes, US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been holding an intensive series of meetings with various delegations and leaders.
"The Iraqi people will find the US standing with them to make a better future," he said. Mr Khalilzad, has said he is encouraged by the way the conference is going. He added that the US hoped the Iraqi military would be part of the liberation of their country. The conference has drawn up a list of 49 Iraqi officials - starting with Saddam Hussein and his two sons - who should face trial, after a change of regime. Other officials will be offered amnesties. . BBC -- Tuesday, 17 December, 2002, 03:06 GMT . Palestinian leaders welcome London talks
. Arafat
will nominate senior Palestinian figures Palestinian leaders have welcomed an
invitation from UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to attend talks in London next
month aimed at boosting the Middle East peace process.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters news agency that Mr Arafat had "appreciated [Mr Blair's] letter and accepted the invitation" to invite the ministers. But Palestinian Government minister Nabil Shaath warned that, while Palestinians would be happy to attend the talks, they do not want the agenda to solely deal with the issue of reform. "We care about Britain playing a positive role...but we will want to discuss the agenda," he told the BBC. "We want to see how far this will put us forward in trying to regain the peace process and to end the suffering of our people." However he added that he was sure discussion would be "fruitful" and ultimately worthwhile for the Palestinians. 'Quartet' meeting The talks will run parallel to efforts by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia to draw up a "road map" for peace in the region and lay the groundwork for a Palestinian state.
The conference will be attended by the Mr Blair and chaired by the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have also been asked to send representatives. Israel is not expected to attend the talks, and has asked the US to delay adoption of the so-called road map until after its general elections in late January. Blair's message Mr Blair announced the planned talks shortly after meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in London on Monday. "It is in the interests of both the Palestinians and Israelis that these reform efforts succeed, so that we can make a reality of President Bush's vision of two states - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security," he said. BBC diplomatic correspondent Barnaby Mason says that Mr Blair's announcement, coupled with President al-Assad's visit, is a message to the Arab world that Britain cares as much about the Palestinians as it does about disarming Iraq. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 10:56 GMT . Three Palestinians shot dead
. Israel
has continued its policy of demolishing Palestinian homes Three Palestinians have been shot dead by
Israeli soldiers in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip early on
Monday.
Two members of militant Islamic group Hamas were killed as they tried to enter Israel from the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. And Israeli soldiers shot a man near the Jewish settlement of Neve Delakim in the south of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said he was a farmer, but Israel said he had opened fire at an army post in the settlement. A local farmer near Beit Hanoun, where the two Hamas men were killed, told the Associated Press news agency that a gun battle had raged for hours. Israeli military officials said that bombs, grenades and ammunition were found with the men. On Sunday, an Israeli court sentenced four Palestinians to jail terms of at least 50 years, for planning suicide attack that left 35 people dead. The men had been recruited by Hamas. Buildings destroyed The man shot dead in the south of the Gaza Strip was identified by a local hospital as 22-year-old Hassan Shalulah. His family said he was a farmer and had been hit when he went out to inspect his irrigation system on his land. But an Israeli army spokesman said that he was one of three gunmen who opened fire on the Neve Delakim settlement. The mayor of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, said Israeli soldiers demolished 16 houses overnight, leaving 100 people homeless. The Israeli Army said the houses were abandoned and were being used by gunmen when targeting Israeli soldiers. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 22:37 GMT . Antarctic lake's secret water
.
 A five-kilometre-long ice-sealed
super-concentrated saltwater lake has been discovered by scientists working in
Antarctica.
Because the body of water has been cut off from the rest of the world for millennia, the scientists say it could represent a previously unknown type of ecosystem. This might make it an important template for the search for evidence of microbial life on other worlds, including Mars, they argue. Frozen lakes It had been thought Lake Vida was one of several Antarctic lakes that are frozen to their beds all year-round. But this new research shows otherwise. A team of US scientists extracted two ice cores above Lake Vida, which lies in a cold desert region of Antarctica known as the McMurdo Dry Valleys. They also used ground-penetrating radar to find liquid water below the lake's ice cap. The water remains liquid because it is seven times saltier than seawater and so will not freeze even at minus 10 Celsius - the temperature below the ice cover. The team did not drill directly into the lake for fear of contaminating it. Ancient DNA Using radiocarbon dating, the scientists analysed sediments found in the ice cores and dated them back 2,800 years. When the sediments were thawed, the scientists discovered micro-organisms which they successfully revived. This suggests that despite a complete lack of light, cold temperatures and hyper salinity, the lake itself may also contain life. John Priscu, from Montana Sate University, was one of the researchers who extracted the cores. He said: "The ice cover of these lakes represents an oasis for life in an environment previously thought to be inhospitable. "Importantly, the cold temperature preserves DNA extremely well making them perfect 'ice museums' for the study of ancient DNA." Red Planet This research could help scientists find out more about possible life in Lake Vostok, the largest of over 70 sub-glacial lakes on the White Continent, which lies more than four km beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Commenting on the latest findings, Dr Dominic Hodgson, an Antarctic lakes expert from the British Antarctic Survey (Bas) in Cambridge, said the research raised the possibility that there was life on Mars. He told BBC News Online: "Life can be locked up in ice for many thousands of years and cells can survive these low temperatures, and once conditions are right they snap out of their frozen states and start photosynthesising again. "This is beyond what scientists thought a few decades ago." Peter Doran, a co-researcher on the project from the University of Illinois at Chicago, said: "Mars is believed to have a water-rich past, and if life developed, a Lake Vida-type ecosystem may have been the final niche for life on Mars before the water bodies froze solid." The research was carried out by scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada; Nasa's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California; and Montana State University in Bozeman. It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 21:16 GMT . Best view of Big Bang 'echo'
. A
clear view through the thin polar air
The telescope, looking for subtle variations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, has produced the most detailed images of the early Universe ever recorded. The CMB is radiation given off by the rapidly cooling and expanding Universe about 400,000 years after the Big Bang. Strange dark matter The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is ideally suited for many areas of astronomy, especially observations of the CMB, due to the lack of interfering water vapour in the thin atmosphere above the station.
The US National Science Foundation (NSF), who fund the research, said the new data supported the currently favoured model of the Universe "in which 30% of all energy is in the form of strange dark matter that doesn't interact with light." The NSF added: "Sixty-five percent of the Universe is in an even stranger form of dark energy that appears to be causing the expansion of the Universe to accelerate. "Only the remaining 5% of the energy in the Universe takes the form of familiar matter like that which makes up planets and stars." The new images show the "seeds" that developed into the largest structures seen in the Universe today. Ancient history "It is amazing how precisely our theories can explain the behaviour of the Universe when we know so little about the dark matter and dark energy that comprise 95% of it," says Acbar scientist William Holzapfel of the University of California. "It is compelling that we find, in the ancient history of the Universe, evidence for the same dark energy that observations of supernovae give evidence for more recently," says Jeffrey Peterson of Carnegie Mellon University. Future observations will use a new $16m telescope to be installed at the South Pole. "With information from that telescope we can really solve how the Universe evolved," says John Carlstrom, a astrophysicist who planned the new and existing South Pole telescopes. At eight metres (26 feet) in diameter, the unique new telescope will dwarf other telescopes and many structures at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. "If you were hiking to the South Pole, this might be the first thing you'd see," says Carlstrom, a University of Chicago professor. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 14:10 GMT . Karzai moves to rein in warlords
.
Dostum controls large parts of northern Afghanistan
The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has
banned political leaders from taking part in military
activity.
The move is being seen as Mr Karzai's first major attempt to rein in the country's powerful warlords.
It says that in order to ensure affairs are better run, no civilian or military official is allowed to work in both political and military spheres. Observers say dominant regional chiefs represent the biggest challenges to Mr Karzai's rule. Since the collapse of the Taleban last year, regional warlords have continued to use violence to resolve ethnic and territorial disputes. Calling the shots The warlords include Ismail Khan in the west, Abdul Rashid Dostum in the north and Gul Agha in the south. So far Mr Karzai has been powerless to impose his authority across the country.
In the latest outbreak earlier this month, fighting between supporters of Mr Khan and those of Pashtun commander Amanullah Khan left at least 11 people dead. During the clashes a US B-52 plane dropped bombs in the area - the first time such raid in the country in five months. However, the Americans say they are staying out of factional conflict, and the air assistance was called in by US special forces after they came under fire on the ground. Under reconstruction Correspondents say the decree also represents a direct challenge to General Dostum, an Uzbek leader who controls large tracts of Afghanistan's strategic north. A former communist general, he is the head of the military-backed Junbish political party. After signing the decree President Karzai went to Norway, where an international donors' conference is to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday Mr Karzai is due to have meetings with the Norwegian ministers for foreign affairs, defence and aid. Afghan officials say the conference in Oslo will look at ways of redefining Afghanistan's needs as humanitarian relief gives way to longer term plans for the reconstruction of the country. . BBC -- Monday, 16 December, 2002, 19:54 GMT . Assad optimistic after Iraq talks
.
President Assad and his wife Asma meet Tony Blair
Talks between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Syria's Bashar al-Assad have been described as "realistic and constructive"
by the Syrian president.
In a joint press conference, President Assad said there were differences between the two countries, but stressed "we were in agreement on most basic issues".
On Iraq, President Assad stressed the importance of the United Nations resolutions. He also denied supporting terrorism, saying alleged Palestinian terror groups based in Syria were "press offices" which were simply speaking up for the Palestinian people. He said Syria was a country with a long history of fighting terrorism and "we put our experience at the disposal of any country who seriously wants to fight terrorism". On Iraq, Mr Blair said he believed Baghdad had so far shown "good co-operation with the UN weapons inspectors and expressed his hope that war could be avoided".He emphasised that Syria, like Britain, had backed the latest UN security council resolution on weapons inspections. "What this means is to give the inspectors the opportunity to do their job properly," he said. "I don't think it is our job to expect, or not to expect, but I am optimistic now." Weapons inspectors Mr Blair refused to be drawn on reports that the government believed that Iraq had failed to make a full declaration of its weapons of mass destruction in its dossier presented to the UN on 7 December. "Our position on the report is that we simply have to study it. We have not completed our study yet," he said. He said also the government would want to see the report of the chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix before reaching any conclusions. Mr Blair later told MPs he would invite Palestinian leaders to London in January as part of an effort to support Palestinian reforms and move the Middle East peace process forward. Extremists President Assad's meeting in Downing Street is the first time a Syrian leader has paid an official visit to the UK. On Tuesday, Mr Assad is due to visit the Queen in Buckingham Palace. Writing in Monday's Financial Times, Mr Blair said that Syria's vote in favour of UN Resolution 1441 on disarming Iraq was a sign of the success of dialogue with President Assad. But he cautioned that Britain remained concerned about the continuing presence in Damascus of extremist Palestinian groups. "I believe you cannot be anything other than 100% against terror and will say so today," said Mr Blair. 'Disappointing' The UK and Syria hold diametrically-opposed views on possible military action against Iraq, with President Assad warning the UK not to join a US-led war against Iraq, arguing it would simply create "fertile soil" for terrorism.
UK Government officials have described as "very disappointing" Iraq's dossier on its weapons programme, presented to the UN a week ago. Sources quoted by the Financial Times said that the dossier failed to account for chemical and biological material which was missing when UN inspectors were last in Baghdad four years ago. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "has missed an important opportunity", the sources said. Peace process The last meeting between Mr Blair and Mr Assad, in Damascus last year, was remembered for the frosty atmosphere at their joint news conference. Mr Blair says another issue he will raise is Syria's trade links with Saddam Hussein's regime. Middle East analyst Rime Allaf told the BBC that the UK had done well to keep dialogue open with Syria, despite the last meeting between the two leaders. "But what did happen behind closed doors is that there are a lot of points in common between Syria and Britain about the Middle East which are points of view that differ from the US." . BBC -- Tuesday, 17 December, 2002, 02:33 GMT . Britain rejects 'war plan' report
. US forces are on exercise in Kuwait, near Iraq The Ministry of Defence has said diplomatic
efforts are still being pursued on Iraq and denied reports it was asking
defence firms to speed up production of military equipment in readiness for
war.
The Sun newspaper claims a huge force of 300,000 Allied troops is to be sent to topple Saddam Hussein and that the MoD had begun the build-up for war. The paper said the ministry was issuing Urgent Operational Requirement notices to defence equipment manufacturers and hiring a fleet of cargo ships to transport military equipment to the Gulf. But an MoD spokeswoman said: "This is purely speculative. Military action is neither imminent nor inevitable and the diplomatic route is still being pursued." Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said there were "problems" with Iraq's weapons declaration. The White House has warned the dossier, which was submitted on 7 December, had been Iraq's last chance to come clean about its weapons programmes. 'Iraqi democracy' UK Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to be drawn on this and said the British Government would await a full report from UN inspectors. In London, Iraqi opposition leaders continued discussions about the political future of a post-Saddam Iraq.
Hundreds of delegates from Iraqi religious, ethnic and political groups briefed journalists after the third day of talks. They finalised two documents likely to be adopted as the policy of Iraqi opposition. One is a political statement, while the other is a paper on the creation of a post-Saddam transitional period. Jeopardy The conference, which had been due to finish earlier on Monday, was extended another day to allow for further discussions. Dr Hamid Al-Bayati of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), said: "All members of the conference are determined to make this succeed, otherwise in effect, the credibility of the opposition of its constituent members would be in jeopardy and also everyone who supported us would feel bad about it. "There is a very strong determination that we want to come out with a working structure for the opposition." A follow-up committee is being set up to help the transition from dictatorship to democracy. The list of 50 members representing all sections of the opposition will be revealed on Tuesday. . Blair Invites Palestinians to Britain to Revive Peace Process . . British Prime Minister Tony Blair is inviting Palestinian leaders to London in January for talks on reviving the Middle East peace process.
He did not identify the Palestinian officials who will be invited to the London conference, and there is no indication that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will attend. Mr. Blair s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If the inspectors go
to the right site and to the right building and take this kind of samples, I
don't think they [the Iraqis] can hide anything 
