 Israel's
PM Olmert’s Speech at the Special Knesset Session
in Honor of the Chancellor of Germany
The
Honorable President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres
Madam Speaker of the Knesset, Ms. Dalia Itzik
The Honorable Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Madam Angela Merkel,
The Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ms. Dorit Beinish,
Government Ministers,
Members of Knesset,
Distinguished Guests and Dear Friends,
This
special session of the Knesset of Israel is honoring you, Madam Chancellor, as
the courageous and outstanding leader of your people, as an exceptionally moral
person, and as a steadfast and loyal friend to the Jewish people and the State
of Israel. This is not the first time we have been privileged to host you in
the State of Israel with feelings of respect and appreciation. (Full
Story)
Press
Conference with PM Ehud Olmert and Vice President of
the United States Dick Cheney
(PMO)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: Good evening. Welcome Mr. Vice
President. I am honored and delighted to have you visiting
here after five years, which was your last visit. It is particularly
significant this time because you are coming at the beginning
of the 60th anniversary for the State of Israel, and you
are always a very good supporter and friend to the State
of Israel. We are very proud to have you with us at this
time.
I have to add that we are going to discuss, naturally,
many things tonight and Monday. There are many items on the common agenda of
America and the State of Israel. We are both very concerned about Iran... (Full
Story)
New South Korean Films Spotlight North Korean Escapees' Plight
SEOUL, South
Korea (VOA) -- Two
emerging South Korean film projects are focusing a media spotlight
on the problems faced by North Korean escapees in China. The
films hint at a new atmosphere in South Korea, which has officially
downplayed the humanitarian crisis for years, amid efforts at
reconciliation with Pyongyang.
The
two films - one a fictional drama, the other a documentary -
seek to raise the profile of the danger and suffering faced by
North Korean refugees living illegally in China. (Full
Story)
Fine
Art Forgeries: Global Counterfeiting Scams Busted
(FBI) For
lovers of fine art, it was a veritable field day. In art shows
and galleries across the nation and around the world and over
eBay, a trove of limited edition prints by master artists started
going up for sale as early as the summer of 1999.
There
were two 1968 Pablo Picasso etchings signed in pencil by
the artist and numbered from an edition of only 50 prints.
There was a signed print of the “Eiffel Tower” by
Marc Chagall, just one of 90.
There
was another Picasso print—a drawing called “Francoise
Gilot”—that had been obtained from the legendary
artist’s daughter. There
were thousands of prints by Calder, Dali, Warhol, Miro,
Lichtenstein, and other noted artists, often signed and
numbered, complete with certificates of authenticity. (Full
Story) Sweden
to Return Stolen Russian Ship Paintings
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- The owner of a set of 18th century paintings
of Russian ships has decided to withdraw them from an
auction to be held in Sweden and return them to Russia,
a Russian cultural official said on Tuesday.
Five
watercolor paintings of Russian sailing ships, stolen
from a museum in St Petersburg in 1992, had been due
to be auctioned next week by Stockholms Auktionsverk
at a Russian sale in the Swedish capital.
Anatoly
Vilkov, deputy head of the cultural watchdog agency,
Rosokhrankultura, said his agency had demanded that the
paintings be withdrawn from the auction. (Full
Story) New
Tomb for 'Altai Princess' to be Built in Siberia
NOVOSIBIRSK
(RIA Novosti) -- A tomb to house the remains of a woman
found after being preserved in ice for 2,500 years will
be built in Siberia's Altai Republic, the director of a
local museum said on Thursday.
The
well-preserved remains of the woman dubbed the Altai
Princess were discovered
in the region by a team led by a Novosibirsk archeologist
in 1993 near the Mongolian border, and have been studied
at the Archaeology and Ethnography Institute in Novosibirsk.
Residents
of Altai, where shamanism is still widespread, had repeatedly
called for the body's return to its homeland, and blamed
the removal for earth tremors and other natural disasters. (Full
Story)
Ruins
of 5,500 Year Old Plaza Found in Peru
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- A group of archaeologists have discovered
the ruins of an ancient ceremonial plaza in Peru, built 5,500
years ago, local media said Tuesday.
The
ruins, measuring 180 by 120 meters, were found at Sechin
Bajo in Casma, north of the country's capital Lima. The plaza,
believed to have been built between 3,500 B.C. and 3,000
B.C., is one of the oldest discoveries in Latin America.
The
El Comercio newspaper cited Peter Fuchs, director of the
Sechin Bajo archaeological project, as saying: "Whoever
built Sechin Bajo had advanced knowledge of architecture
and construction." (Full
Story)
Times
Square Recruiting Station Bombing Causes Minor Damage
(AFPS)
No one was injured and only minor structural damage was
reported
after a bomb went off outside the Armed Forces Recruiting
Station in New York City’s Times Square early this
morning.
The
bomb went off at about 3:45 a.m., cracking the glass door,
bending the door frame and shattering the large glass window
in front of the station, said Army Capt. Charlie Jacquillard,
the commander for the six Army recruiting stations in Manhattan.
The
station, jointly manned by Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine
Corps recruiters, is possibly the most well-known recruiting
station in the world. (Full
Story)
Armenia
to Set Up Uranium Prospecting Joint Venture with Russia
YEREVAN
(RIA Novosti) -- The Armenian government authorized on
Thursday the establishment of a joint venture with
Russia for the additional prospecting
of uranium deposits in the South Caucasus republic.
Russia's
state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Armenian environmental
ministry agreed in February to set up a joint venture on
a parity basis for the additional prospecting of Armenian
uranium, which will be enriched in a specialized international
center in Angarsk, East Siberia.
The
centre is to operate under the supervision of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (Full
Story) Two
Israeli Soldiers Killed During Routine Patrol in the Gaza
Strip
(IDF) An IDF soldier was killed this
morning during a routine patrol along the security fence
in the central Gaza Strip, near the Israeli town of Kissufim.
The soldier,
who served as a tracker, was killed when an explosive device was detonated
near the jeep in which he was seated. Another soldier was severely injured
and two other soldiers were lightly injured during the incident.
The three were
evacuated to the Soroka hospital in Beersheba to receive medical treatment.
The families of the soldiers have been notified.
Since
the early morning, nine Qassam rockets have been fired
towards Israel. During today’s operations,
the IDF hit a terror operative involved in the launching
of Qassam
rockets this morning.
India
Eyes Deal with U.S. to Replace Aging Russian Warplanes
NEW DELHI
(RIA Novosti) -- India has begun talks with the United
States on the purchase of P-8i long-range maritime
reconnaissance patrol aircraft to
replace Russian-made Tu-142M bombers, the Times of India said on Tuesday.
The
newspaper said that the P-8i jet with antisubmarine warfare
capabilities,
based on the Boeing-737 commercial aircraft, had been deemed
the best choice to meet the Indian Navy's requirements,
ahead of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company's
A-319 maritime patrol aircraft and other contenders. (Full
Story) Sunken
18th Century Russian Ship to Be Raised
MOSCOW,
(RIA Novosti) -- A Russian ship which sank in 1771
off the coast of Finland is to be raised,
Russia's cultural watchdog said.
The
Dutch ship Vrouw Maria sank in the Baltic Sea in
1771 while carrying works of art bought by the
Russian empress, Catherine the Great, in Amsterdam.
The
ship's cargo contained around 300 works of art,
including paintings by Rembrandt, as well as jewelry,
silverware, etchings and porcelain.
In
1999, the ship was discovered by Finnish explorers
and the cargo was proclaimed the property of Finland,
in line with international maritime law. (Full
Story)
Spies
on the Inside: Foreign Intrigue on American Soil
(FBI) There were secret meetings in restaurants,
encrypted e-mail messages using a mysterious shorthand, suitcases
crammed full of stolen documents. There were covert payoffs:
a pocket stuffed with a wad of bills, free poker games in Vegas,
a wallet suddenly flush with cash. There were bogus cover stories
for trips to the “motherland” where secrets were
passed and clandestine couriers who helped deliver materials
into foreign hands.
If
it all sounds very cloak and dagger, that’s because it
is. Two cases worked by the FBI and its partners and brought
to fruition Monday with four arrests on opposite coasts had
all the intrigue of a good spy novel. (Full
Story)
Major
Child Porn Ring Busted, 20 Children Rescued Worldwide
(FBI) “Mala
is to die for in those pigtails,” read one message. “I
have a few 5yo [year old] Taras that you do not have,” read
another. “Just dropping in for a hot minute … to
help out the dry spell, and to give everyone something to do
for an afternoon,” said still one more.
They’re
hard comments to read—when you know that they were
posted in a massive secret child pornography newsgroup
on the web.
That
sordid network was exposed this week, thanks to a global
law enforcement operation spanning five countries, three
continents, and 11 U.S. states. As part of the continuing
investigation, a total of 22 men have been arrested, including
14 in America, four in Germany, and two each in Australia
and the U.K. (Full
Story) Egypt
Restricting Traffic Across Border from Gaza
RAFAH
(VOA) -- Egyptian border guards have begun restricting traffic
across the border from the Gaza Strip, five days after parts
of a border security fence was blown up, allowing Palestinians
to flood into Egypt to buy food and supplies. Egyptian authorities
are blocking supply trucks that are headed toward Rafah - so
shopkeepers cannot replenish the supplies that have lured hundreds
of thousands of Gazans across the border in recent days.
Hamas set up a stage and loudspeakers for a rally
at the border, but a drenching rain put a damper on the event. Instead, scores
of children huddled under the stage to try to stay dry. More people sought shelter
from the downpour under the toppled sections of the metal barricade that used
to mark the border between Egypt and Gaza, until it was knocked down on
Wednesday. (Full
Story)
Statement
by the President in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
WASHINGTON
--(BW)-- On the third International Day of Commemoration,
we remember and mourn the victims of the Holocaust.
I
was deeply moved by my recent visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's
Holocaust Museum. Sixty-three years after the liberation
of Auschwitz, we must continue to educate ourselves about
the lessons of the Holocaust, and honor those whose lives
were taken as a result of a totalitarian ideology that
embraced a national policy of violent hatred, bigotry,
and extermination. It is also our responsibility to honor
the survivors and those courageous souls who refused to
be bystanders, and instead risked their own lives to try
to save the Nazis' intended victims. (Full
Story)
World
Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day
(IFM)
On
November 1, 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution
designating
January 27 as International Day of Commemoration in memory
of the victims of
the Holocaust. Rejecting
any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either
in full or in part, the General Assembly adopted by consensus
a resolution (A/RES/60/7) condemning "without reserve" all
manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment
or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic
origin or religious belief, whenever they occur. (Full
Story)
Iraq
Still in Al Qaeda’s Grip, Admiral Says
The
coalition’s success securing Baghdad and Iraq’s
Anbar province from al Qaeda will need to be repeated in other
parts of Iraq, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said. “There
are still villages and towns and regions that are completely
under the thumb of terrorism,” Navy Rear Adm. Gregory
J. Smith said.
Coalition
forces still are embedded in an extended effort against
insurgency in Iraq, Smith told online journalists and “bloggers” in
a conference call.
“Operation
Phantom Phoenix, which began just after the first of the
year, is a continuance of our activity associated with
going after al Qaeda... (Full
Story)
Incoming
South Korean President Hopes for Summit With North
SEOUL,
Korea (VOA) -- South Korea's next president says he would
hold a summit with North Korea if it would help get rid
of the North's nuclear arsenal. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports
from Seoul, President-elect Lee Myung-bak also wants
stronger ties with the United States.
President-elect
Lee Myung-bak said Monday that a North-South Korea summit
could happen after he is sworn in next month.
He
says he can meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il
anytime, if it would help persuade the North to give
up its nuclear weapons programs. He adds the next North-South
summit should take place in South Korea. (Full
Story)
Iraqis
Continue to Move Forward, General Says
With
more than 31,000 citizens now providing security assistance
to coalition forces in southern belts of Baghdad and
the southern provinces of Iraq, the Iraqi people continue
to move forward, a U.S. commander said yesterday.
The
concerned local citizens man more than 1,400 checkpoints
and have pointed out more than 400 weapons caches and
improvised explosive devices, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch,
commander of Multinational Division Center, said during
a teleconference with online journalists and “bloggers.” (Full
Story)
New
York Mayor Bloomberg Announces High Tourism Activity
in Radio Address
NEW
YORK, New York (NYC) -- "Good Morning. This is Mayor
Mike Bloomberg. How do you capture the energy and optimism
of New York City? The rich diversity of culture, commerce,
and cuisine that can be found in neighborhoods throughout
the five boroughs? Countless writers and artists have thrilled
us with their interpretations, but sometimes, you just
have to come and experience the Big Apple for yourself.
Last year, more people did that than ever before.
"Tourism
projections show that a record 46 million people came
to visit New York during 2007. That includes some 8.5
million people from other countries - an all-time high... (Full
Story)
Bus
Explosion Kills Sri Lankan School Children
NEW
DELHI (VOA) -- An explosion ripped apart a bus carrying
school children in rural Sri Lanka and authorities say
it appears to have been a Tamil Tiger attack. The blast
killed at least 23 people and injured nearly 70 others.
A
bomb or land mine planted on the side of a rural road is believed
to have caused the explosion Wednesday morning in a remote
town in southeastern Sri Lanka.
The
bus was carrying scores of school children, many of whom
were killed or injured.
The
blast came just hours after the official end of a truce
between the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers. (Full
Story)
Africa
Partnership Station to Boost Maritime Security
A
multinational crew aboard USS Fort McHenry is cruising port
to port
in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa’s west coast,
training African volunteers to bolster regional security.
Roughly halfway through a seven-month mission, the Africa
Partnership Station is a U.S.-led response to requests
by African nations for military-to-military or civilian-military
maritime training, said Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller,
U.S. Africa Command’s deputy commander for military
operations. AFRICOM is set to become fully functional
Oct. 1. (Full
Story)
Troops
Kill Terrorist, Detain 31 Others in Iraq
(AFPS)
Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 31 suspected terrorists,
killed another and seized weapons caches
in Iraq over the past four days, military
officials reported. In
the operations, coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist in Samarra
believed to be associated with a senior level al Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist
facilitator. Reports indicate the suspect is tied to a terrorist network responsible
for the flow of foreign terrorists, as well as the facilitation of money and
weapons into Iraq, military officials said. (Full
Story)
Chechen
Prosecutors Move to Close British Peacekeeping Center
ROSTOV-ON-DON/MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- Prosecutors in Russia's North Caucasus
republic of Chechnya have requested
the liquidation of a British NGO promoting
peacekeeping and community development, saying its accreditation has expired.
Since
May 28, 2005 "the office of the Center for Peacemaking
and Community Development has been operating illegally," prosecutors
said, adding that the center had tax arrears and debts
to the Russian government totaling around 0.5 million
rubles ($20,600).
No
representatives of the NGO were available for comment,
but human rights campaigners criticized the move, saying
it was linked to ongoing political games between Russia
and the U.K. (Full
Story)
FBI
Busts Identity Theft Scheme, Man Tried to Sell Personal
Information of Over 300 People
Used
His Position at a Maryland Mortgage Company to Steal
Over 300 Folders of Personal Financial Information
BALTIMORE,
Maryland (FBI) -- U.S. District Judge J. Frederic Motz
sentenced Robert Michael Stewart, age 26, of Timonium,
Maryland, to 66 months in prison followed by three years
of supervised release for fraud in connection with identity
information (identity theft) and aggravated identity
theft in a scheme to sell stolen personal and financial
information, announced United States Attorney for the
District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
United
States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, "People
disclose sensitive personal and financial information
every time they... (Full
Story)
Brazilian
Police Find Stolen Picasso, Portinari Paintings
RIO
DE JANEIRO (RIA Novosti) -- Police in Brazil have recovered
two paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari
worth an estimated $56 million which were stolen last
month from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art, local officials
said.
The
'Portrait of Suzanne Bloch' by Spanish painter Pablo
Picasso, worth around $50 million, and 'The Coffee Worker'
by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, estimated at $6
million, are "in absolutely perfect condition" and
will go on display on Friday, the museum said.
Police
arrested two suspects and recovered the stolen paintings
on the outskirts of Sao Paulo Tuesday, a police spokesman
said. (Full
Story)
--
Archived Stories --
Paratroopers
Take Down Adhamiyah Terrorists
On
the surface, the market seems perfectly ordinary. Men outside
the shops gather to play dominoes, smoke, and drink tea.
On hot afternoons, an ice cream stand does a brisk business.
But in the dark back rooms of some of the shops, murderous
plans are hatched.
It’s called the Fish Market, a seemingly
benign marketplace in the Graya’at area of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district.
But according to 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers responsible for security
in the area, it’s also the nexus for Adhamiyah’s criminal-terrorist
underground.
Since paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne
Field Artillery Regiment began conducting security operations in Adhamiyah
two months ago, residents have consistently pointed them back... (Full
Story)
US
Envoy Calls for North Korea to Begin Disarming
(VOA)
A top U.S. nuclear envoy is urging North Korea to start shutting down its
nuclear program, saying that a financial dispute that delayed the disarmament
process has now been resolved.
U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was speaking in Seoul Wednesday
after the U.S. State Department announced that authorities in Macau had unblocked
frozen North Korean bank accounts. (Full
Story)
Phoenix
Express Strengthens Maritime Partnerships With North Africa
(AFPS)
Phoenix Express, a two-weeklong exercise designed to strengthen U.S. and
European maritime partnerships with North Africa, began in the Mediterranean
Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Eleven nations will conduct multilateral training
to increase regional maritime awareness and improve maritime security and safety,
U.S. Naval Forces Europe officials said. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Warns Iran Failure to Cooperate with IAEA Could Lead to More Isolation
BRUSSELS
(VOA) -- Under
Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, visiting Brussels for talks with European
Union and NATO allies, warned Tehran its failure to cooperate with the U.N.
nuclear watchdog agency would lead to Iran's further isolation. Iran has
rejected the latest U.N. Security Council resolution and President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad says he'll retaliate by cutting back cooperation with the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
The
State Department's point man on Iran, Under Secretary
of State Nicholas Burns, suggests Tehran's reaction to
stricter sanctions is another move in the wrong direction.
(Full
Story)
U.S.
Military in Iraq Announces Capture of Suspected Leaders of Car Bomb Network
(VOA)
The U.S. military says American forces have captured two suspected leaders
of a car bomb network believed responsible for the deaths of hundreds of
Iraqis. A coalition
statement says the men were detained during ongoing security sweeps in Adhamiyah,
a Sunni stronghold in Baghdad.
The
military says one of the men, Haytham Kazim Abdallah
Al-Shimari, is suspected of helping plan and execute
car bombings that have killed many Iraqis in Sadr City,
a Shi'ite neighborhood in Baghdad. (Full
Story)
Israeli-U.S.
Operation 'Juniper Cobra' Ends Successfully
(IDF)
A joint command exercise of the IDF and US armed forces has come to a close.
The exercise entailed simulations of missile defense which ended successfully.
Computerized simulations of aerial defense were carried out during the exercise.
According to authorities from both militaries, the exercise acts as a bridge
for cooperation and is essential for mutual drawing of conclusions. (Full
Story)
Putin,
Jintao Talk Iran, North Korea, SCO, Space Security in Moscow
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- The leaders of Russia and China met in Moscow to discuss
the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, and cooperation within a post-Soviet
security organization and in space security.
In
their joint declaration concluding the first day of the Chinese leader's
three-day visit to Moscow, Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao said Iran had the
right to peaceful nuclear energy if it observed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). (Full
Story)
Russia
Must Develop Weapons with Foreign Partners
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- Russia should seek to develop weapons together with foreign
partners, the president told a commission responsible for defense sector
cooperation with other countries.
India
and China remain leading importers of Russian armaments, accounting for some
80% of the country's total weapons exports. But Russia has been looking to
expand its presence on arms markets in Latin America and the Middle East,
and currently supplies weapons to more than 60 countries. (Full
Story)
UN
Sec-Gen Visits Arafat's Grave, Meets Parents of Terrorists
(Israel
NN) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Israel , paying
tribute to dead PLO chief Yassir Arafat but refusing to meet with Hamas officials.
Ban arrived and met with Fatah chief and PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The
secretary-general praised Abbas for his faction’s participation in
the unity government but refrained from making any commitments. “We
will have to wait and see how the new government accepts the international
conditions,” he said. (Full
Story)
Eight
Suspects Captured in Afghanistan; Weapons Cache Found
(AFPS)
Coalition forces in Afghanistan captured eight suspected terrorists and discovered
a weapons cache.
Afghan
forces, with coalition advisors, captured five suspected extremists during
an operation at a compound near Asadabad in Konar province.
The
operation targeted extremist facilitators suspected of helping militant fighters
enter Konar province from Bajaur Agency in neighboring Pakistan, military
officials said. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Hearing Examines Islamic Radicalism
Inside United States
WASHINGTON
(U.S. Sen. Lieberman) -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee, led by Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Connecticut., and Ranking Member
Susan Collins, R-Maine, continued its investigation into the threat of Islamic
radicalization inside the United States and the initiatives the U.S. government
is taking to identify and combat homegrown terrorism. (Full
Story)
Remarks
by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a Military Naturalization
Ceremony
(DHS)
Well, I want to thank Director Gonzalez for inviting me to host this very
meaningful ceremony and for his kind of words of introduction. I want to
thank General Schoomaker for hosting this as well as all the members of the
staff of Walter Reed for the work they do every day, day in and day out,
to serve our warriors who come back from the battlefield. And, I want to
thank the four service members, three soldiers and one Marine that have become
the new American citizens today. (Full
Story)
Israeli
Discovery Converts Dangerous Radioactive Waste into Clean Energy
(Israel
21C) An Israeli firm has taken the laws of science and turned them into a useful
invention for mankind - a reactor that converts radioactive, hazardous and
municipal waste into inert byproducts such as glass and clean energy.
The
laws of conservation of energy and mass say that energy or mass cannot be created
or destroyed - only change form. With the help of Russian scientists, Israeli
firm Environmental Energy Resources (EER), has taken the laws of science and
turned them into a useful invention for mankind - a reactor that converts radioactive,
hazardous and municipal waste into inert byproducts such as glass and clean
energy. (Full
Story)
Terrorist
Attack Against Israeli Troops Thwarted
(IDF)
A female soldier thwarted a terrorist attack against IDF forces, around 15.00.
The female terrorist, who was armed with a knife, was stopped at the Harwah
Checkpoint, located near the city of Nablus. When questioned by authorities
as to her intentions, the woman drew the knife she was carrying. The incident
ended with no injuries to both the female terrorist and to the soldiers guarding
the check-post. After an initial investigation by IDF forces, it was discovered
the female terrorist planned on killing an IDF soldier manning the check-post.
(Full
Story)
United
States and Italy Discuss Terrorist Concessions
(U.S.
Department of State) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Italy's
Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema had an in-depth and cordial phone conversation
to follow up their constructive meeting in Washington.
It
was stated that the United States does not support hostage exchanges or other
concessions to terrorists was not a new position. It is a well-known and
long-standing policy that the United States Government stressed to the Government
of Italy during this crisis, as it has in previous kidnapping crises. Given
the increased threat created for all of us who have people on the ground
in places like Afghanistan, we expect that concessions will not be made in
the future. (Full
Story)
UN
Imposes New Sanctions Against Iran Over Nuclear Program
NEW
YORK, New York (VOA) -- The 15-member UN Security
Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions
on Iran over its refusal to end its uranium enrichment
program.
The
resolution freezes the assets of more than 28 Iranian
individuals, companies and institutions, including the
state-owned Bank Sepah, commanders of Iran's Revolutionary
Guards and companies they control. It also places an
embargo on arms exports and calls on members to voluntarily
restrict loans and financial assistance to the government
of Iran. (Full
Story)
Chairman
Observes Chinese Land Combat Exercise
DALIAN,
China -- Artillery and mortar fire poured in on one impact area, while attack
helicopters launched strikes that absolutely pulverized another. Tanks and
armored personnel carriers raced down tank trails, firing main guns and disgorging
soldiers who immediately went on the attack with small arms.
All
this – and more – went on under the watchful eyes of General
Peter Pace. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Marine for 40
years, Pace has participated in countless exercises like this one. (Full
Story)
Detainee
Admits to Helping Orchestrate Embassy, USS Cole Attacks
A detainee
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has admitted to helping orchestrate the bombings
of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1998 and the USS Cole in Yemen
in 2000.
The
Defense Department released the transcript of Walid Muhammad Salih bin Attash’s
combat status review tribunal hearing, held March 12 at the detention facility.
The tribunal was an administrative hearing to determine only if Attash could
be designated an enemy combatant. (Full
Story)
Coalition
Troops Support Afghan Forces in Arrests, Operations
(AFPS)
Coalition and Afghan forces arrested four people during an operation targeting
a known terrorist safe house, military officials reported.
The
combined force arrested four military-age men with suspected ties to extremist
groups believed to be involved in facilitating the movement of anti-government
fighters. Official said some were discovered with large amounts of ammunition
and currency. (Full
Story)
US
Official: Russia Pressing Iran on Nuclear Issue
(VOA)
A U.S. State Department official says Russia has begun to exert pressure
on Iran to comply with United Nations resolutions to end its nuclear program.
Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
Nicholas Burns told the Senate Banking Committee that Russia has begun applying
pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Burns cited a dispute between Moscow and Tehran
over a nuclear power plant being built by the Russians at Bushehr. (Full
Story)
Russia
Urges Iran to Study Carefully New UN Resolution
UNITED
NATIONS (RIA Novosti) -- Russia is urging Iran to study carefully the UN
Security Council's new resolution on the Islamic Republic and new proposals
by six world powers, the Russian ambassador to the UN said.
The
UN Security Council voted unanimously to impose new harsher sanctions against
Iran for its unwillingness to halt its nuclear activities. The new document
is a follow-up of the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in late
December. (Full
Story)
Ukraine's
New FM Prioritizes Contacts with Russia, U.S.
KIEV (RIA
Novosti) -- Ukraine's newly appointed foreign minister said Russia and the
U.S. are key partners for his country.
Parliament
approved President Viktor Yushchenko's nominee for foreign minister earlier.
Arseniy
Yatsenyuk, the former economics minister, received 426 votes from Supreme
Rada deputies. (Full
Story)
World
Will Benefit from Chinese-Russian-Indian Co-Op
BEIJING
(RIA Novosti) -- Cooperation between China, Russia and India will benefit
global as well as regional development, Chinese leader Hu Jintao said.
"Trilateral
cooperation between China, Russia and India is not aimed against any third
party, and is beneficial for the development of these three nations and that
of the world at large," Hu said in an interview with Russian media. (Full
Story)
Iraqi
Ambassador Says Early U.S. Troop Withdrawal Would Be Mistake
An early
withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq would be a catastrophic mistake, Iraq’s
Ambassador to the United States said.
“If we set out a date now for a complete
withdrawal [of U.S. forces from Iraq}, you can bet your bottom dollar that the
terrorists will be waiting for that date and attacking and launching their biggest
attacks” on Iraqi civilians and government institutions, Samir Sumaidaie
told CNN Late Edition television news show host Wolf Blitzer. (Full
Story)
President's
Radio Address on U.S. Attorneys and Funding for Troops
THE PRESIDENT:
Good morning. The position of U.S. Attorney is one of the most important
jobs in the Justice Department. U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President,
and they play a leading role in prosecuting crime and protecting the public.
In
recent months, the Justice Department determined that new leadership in several
of these positions would better serve the country. I strongly support the
Attorney General in this decision. I also appreciate the hard work and service
of the U.S. Attorneys who resigned. And I regret that their resignations
have turned into a public spectacle. (Full
Story)
Al
Qaeda Stoking Sectarian Violence in Iraq, Gates Says
Al
Qaeda and other extremist groups have worked hard to provoke sectarian violence
in Iraq, yet the situation there cannot be called a traditional civil war,
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.
“Stoking
sectarian violence is a conscientious strategy of al Qaeda and some of the
extremists,” Gates told reporters during a flight to Washington from
U.S. Central Command in Florida. “These big car bombs going off in
sensitive places, like the golden mosque, are not an accident. These guys
have a very clear strategy aimed at provoking this sectarian violence.” (Full
Story)
Baghdad
Operations Continue; Several Weapons Caches Found
(AFPS)
U.S. and Iraqi security forces continued clearing operations in Baghdad,
while other coalition and Iraqi security forces discovered and destroyed
several enemy weapons caches in the past few days, officials said.
Nearly 1,600 U.S. and Iraqi security forces teamed
up for a second day of anti-terrorist operations in Baghdad’s Mansour district,
officials said. During this sweep, U.S. soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Division’s
3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team rescued a kidnap victim. The soldiers also found
a weapons cache that yielded several AK-47 rifles, ammunition, mortar rounds
and other ordnance. (Full
Story)
Iraq's
Deputy PM Stable Day After Bomb Attack
IRBIL,
Iraq (VOA) -- Iraq's deputy prime minister, injured in an assassination attempt,
was in stable condition and moved out of a Baghdad intensive care unit. Meanwhile,
insurgents killed and injured several people in two separate Baghdad attacks,
despite the on-going security crackdown in the capital.
Iraq's
health minister, Doctor Ali al-Shummari, told Iraqi television
that Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie's condition
is improving. The minister underwent surgery at a U.S.
military-run hospital to remove shrapnel from his lungs.
(Full
Story)
U.S.
Cuts Aid Plan for Palestinian Security Forces
WASHINGTON
(VOA) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Congress the Bush
administration is reducing a proposed aid package for Palestinian security
forces. There had been concern in Congress that some U.S. funds might have
end up in the hands of the militant Islamic movement Hamas.
The
Bush administration originally asked for $86 million
for training and other non-lethal aid for security forces
loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also known
as Abu Mazen. (Full
Story)
Israeli
PM Ready to Make 'Painful' Concessions
JERUSALEM
(VOA) -- Ehud Olmert says Israel is willing to make extensive, painful and
tough concessions if doing so encourages a dialogue to develop with Israel's
enemies.
Speaking
in Tel Aviv, Israel's Prime Minister also said Israel would be willing to
accept many aspects of a Saudi Arabian-backed regional peace plan first unveiled
in 2002. But he said Israel rejected some aspects of the plan, such as an
addendum to the plan that calls for the right of Palestinian refugees and
their descendants to return to their homes in Israel. (Full
Story)
Mars
Rover Spirit Loses, Re-Establishes Contact with Orbiter
(NASA/JPL)
Spirit is healthy but had to sit out a Martian day waiting to send data to
Earth while the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was in safe mode. Both the rover
and the orbiter share the same X-band frequency with Earth and must coordinate
communications. Ultimately, Spirit sent data to Earth while the Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter was on the other side of Mars, out of reach of Earth.
Spirit drove 21.26 meters (69.75 feet) on the
rover's 1,132nd and 1,136th sols, or Martian days, of exploration (March 10 and
March 14, 2007), en route to rock targets on "Mitcheltree Ridge." (Full
Story)
Japanese
Spacecraft "Sunrise" Sheds New Light on Sun
(NASA/JPL)
NASA released never-before-seen images that show the sun's magnetic field is
much more turbulent and dynamic than previously known. The international spacecraft
Hinode, formerly known as Solar B, took the images.
Hinode,
Japanese for "sunrise," was launched Sept. 23, 2006, to study the
sun's magnetic field and how its explosive energy propagates through the different
layers of the solar atmosphere. The spacecraft's uninterrupted high-resolution
observations of the sun will have an impact on solar physics comparable to
the Hubble Space Telescope's impact on astronomy.
"For the first time, we are now able to make
out tiny granules of hot gas that rise and fall in the sun's magnetized atmosphere," said
Dick Fisher, director of NASA's Heliophyics Division, Science Mission Directorate,
Washington. "These images will open a new era of study on some of the sun's
processes that effect Earth, astronauts, orbiting satellites and the solar system." (Full
Story)
Russia
to Launch International Space Lab in 2011
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) -- Russia will launch an astrophysical space lab in 2011 from
the Baikonur or Kourou (French Guiana) space center, the Russian Federal
Space Agency (Roskosmos) said.
"Roskosmos
head Anatoly Perminov met in Moscow today with the head of the German Space
Agency Ludwig Baumgarten. Germany plans to strengthen its space operation,
including [through cooperation] with Russia," Igor Panarin said. (Full
Story)
Saturn
Stars in Three Hubble Movies
(NASA/JPL)
Photogenic Saturn has now become a movie star. Astronomers have woven NASA
Hubble Space Telescope images of Saturn, its rings, and several of its moons
into three movies. Each movie highlights unique times in the planet's 30-year
waltz around the Sun. Two of the movies show the motion of several of Saturn's
moons when the planet's rings were tilted nearly edge-on to Earth and to
the Sun. These edge-on alignments of the rings occur roughly once every 15
years. Another movie presents a clear view of Saturn's Southern Hemisphere
when the planet's rings were at maximum tilt toward Earth.
In March 2003, Saturn’s rings were at maximum
tilt toward Earth, a special event occurring every 15 years. With the rings fully
tilted, astronomers get the best views of the planet’s Southern Hemisphere.
They took advantage of the rings' unique alignment by using Hubble to capture
some stunning images. (Full
Story)
Rice:
Olmert, Abbas to Meet Every Other Week
(IsraelNN)
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas will be holding bi-weekly meetings in an attempt to bring about a two-state
solution, despite failing efforts, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told
reporters at a news conference in Jerusalem.
Rice
said Olmert and Abbas will be meeting as part of the effort to “develop
a political horizon” that will lead to the establishment of a PA state.
(Full
Story)
Cautious
Calm Returns to Democratic Republic of Congo
DAKAR,
Senegal (VOA) -- Residents of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic
of Congo, are relieved but bitter, as calm has returned after two days of
brutal fighting between government forces and the guard of opposition leader
and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba. Dozens are reported dead, and
the death toll is expected to rise as more information becomes available.
Jean-Tobie
Okala, the deputy spokesman for the U.N.'s military mission in Congo, known
by the French abbreviation MONUC, said he went outside for the first time,
after more than 48-hours of fighting. "The situation in the Congolese
capital is calm. I went to the downtown. I can say that there are a lot of
damages but social and economic activity are resuming," he said. (Full
Story)
U.S.-Azerbaijan
Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Security Cooperation
(U.S.
Department of State) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Mammadyarov signed a U.S.-Azerbaijan Memorandum of Understanding on
Energy Security Cooperation in the Caspian Region this month at the U.S. Department
of State.
The
agreement expresses the intention of the Governments of the United States and
Azerbaijan to convene a high-level dialogue on energy security in the Caspian
region co-chaired by the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan. (Full
Story)
Queen
Elizabeth II to Mark Jamestown Anniversary
(VOA)
Britain's Queen Elizabeth will visit the United States in May to mark the
400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in America.
This
will be the second time the Queen and her husband Prince Philip tour Jamestown,
in what is now the U.S. state of Virginia, having first come for the 350th
anniversary shortly after her accession to the throne. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Marine Receives Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham Palace
LONDON
(USMC, Europe) -- Many movies end with the hero appearing before the emperor
and being recognized for saving the galaxy.
Marine
Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr. is no actor, but he did appear before Queen
Elizabeth II March 21 to receive the United Kingdom's Distinguished Flying
Cross at Buckingham Palace for saving lives and in recognition for his bravery
during combat operations in Iraq; the first time for an American service
member since World War II. (Full
Story)
Najaf
Factory to Make Garments for U.S., International Retailers
A garment
factory in Najaf, Iraq, will start supplying clothes to U.S. and international
retailers in a few months, a senior U.S. official said in Baghdad.
The
Najaf facility is “one of the most state-of-the-art clothing factories
I’ve seen,” Paul A. Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense
for business transformation, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. “It
will be providing garments to American and international retail beginning
this summer.” (Full
Story)
Company
Gives Troops Break on Rent
Covering
the rent just got a little bit easier for military personnel in Ohio thanks
to Empirian Property Management’s “Service Appreciation Program."
Through the company’s program, military
personnel and civil servants can get $50 to $100 off their rent, Julie Yesnick,
a senior regional manger in Ohio, said.
“We felt that it was a good way to honor
people that are serving our country,” she said. (Full
Story)
Circus
Honors Wounded Servicemembers
More than
60 wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and
the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., spent the night clowning
around at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus’s Military
Appreciation Night.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus
is a corporate team member of America Supports You, the Defense Department program
that highlights the ways Americans and the corporate sector are supporting the
nation’s military.
Army Cpl. John Callahan, a patient from Walter
Reed, said he hadn’t been to the circus since he was 11. “I love
coming out when I get a chance. I think it’s good for the morale, too.” ( |
