BEIJING, CHINA
{05-04-2012}

Activist: U.S. will help me leave ChinaFrom Steven Jiang
CNN

Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese activist at the center of a diplomatic firestorm, reiterated his intention to leave China and said he expects U.S. assistance. "I believe they will help me," he told CNN in an interview early Friday, but declined to elaborate.

The activist, who left the refuge of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing after he escaped house arrest in his eastern China hometown, said Thursday that he regretted the move and now wants U.S. officials to help get him and his family to the United States.

Now in a hospital, Chen told CNN in an interview early Friday that he spoke with U.S. representatives by phone Thursday. They also met with his wife, Yuan Weijing.

When Chen left the embassy Wednesday, it was announced that the United States and China had worked out a deal for his future.

U.S. officials said the Chinese government had committed to relocate him to a "safe environment" away from the province where he and his family say they suffered brutal treatment at the hands of the local authorities. In addition, the officials said, China agreed to investigate those allegations of mistreatment, and promised Chen would not face any further legal issues.

Under the agreement, Chen would have the opportunity to pursue university studies in the safe location. U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke told CNN that one of the proposals "allowed for the possible transfer some day to an American college or university."

Chen disputed the idea that he had a change of heart about staying in China after he left the U.S. Embassy.

"The agreement was that I would have full civil liberties and travel freely as I wish," he said, sounding less frustrated but more cautious on the phone than a night earlier. "I think it's time for me to take a break with my family after not having a single weekend in seven years."

Chen said his wife and two children are staying in the hospital room with him, and they are doing well. Asked if he feels confined in the hospital, he said he is unsure how long he will stay there but wants to focus on treating his injured foot and other illnesses for now.

Chen said he left the embassy only after U.S. officials encouraged him to do so. But he cleared up a misunderstanding that he was "very disappointed" in the U.S. government because American officials who had been lobbying for him to leave and who promised to have people stay with him at the hospital were gone after he checked in.

Chen said embassy officials told him Thursday they were prevented from entering his hospital room by Chinese security.

Chen expressed his "deep gratitude" to American officials in Beijing for treating him "extremely well" during his six-day stay in the U.S. Embassy.

On Thursday, Chen had said he and his family were "in danger. If you can talk to Hillary, I hope she can help my whole family leave China."

Chen was referring to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived Wednesday for economic talks and found herself in the middle of a diplomatic firestorm. His comments left the U.S. government battling to defend the deal it brokered with the Chinese authorities over Chen's future, with human rights advocacy groups questioning whether China would uphold its side of the bargain.

U.S. officials in Beijing said Thursday they would continue to help Chen where possible, but stressed that the decision to leave the embassy was his own

Jerusalem, israel
{04-29-2012}

Israel ex-security chief says leadership 'misleading public' on Iran
BBC

The former head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency has accused the country's leadership of "misleading" the public on the merits of a possible military strike on Iran. Yuval Diskin said an attack might speed up any attempt by Iran to obtain a nuclear bomb.

The comment follows remarks by other leading figures contradicting the prime minister and defence chief's views on the subject.  Iran denies it is seeking nuclear arms.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak have repeatedly said Iran must be prevented from building nuclear weapons and have not ruled out military action to disrupt its nuclear programme.

Mr Diskin, who stepped down as Shin Bet chief last year after six years, said he had "no faith in the current leadership" of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Barak, according to Israeli media reports. "I don't believe in a leadership that makes decisions based on messianic feelings," he said at a public meeting.

"They are misleading the public on the Iran issue. They tell the public that if Israel acts, Iran won't have a nuclear bomb. This is misleading. Actually, many experts say that an Israeli attack would accelerate the Iranian nuclear race.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says this was by any measure a stinging attack on the Israeli prime minister and his defence chief.

Mr Diskin's harsh criticism appears to be another sign of deep disquiet within the Israeli military and intelligence community over Prime Minister Netanyahu's threats to attack Iran.

Dissenting views

The former Shin Bet chief's comments come days after Israel's military chief said he did not think that Iran had yet decided to build nuclear weapons.

Chief of Staff Lt Gen Benny Gantz said he believed international sanctions against Iran were bearing fruit in dissuading it from taking such a decision.

In March, the former head of Israel's foreign intelligence service, Mossad, publicly opposed military action against Iran.

Meir Dagan said an Israeli attack would have "devastating" consequences for the Jewish state and would not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Such views are at odds with those of the prime minister and defence chief. Prior to Mr Dagan's remarks on US television, Mr Netanyahu had inferred he would not countenance a long delay before taking direct action against Iran's nuclear programme if all other options failed.

He said he hoped "we can peacefully convince them to tear down their nuclear programme", but that either way "the result has to be that the threat of a nuclear weapon in Iran's hands is removed".

MIAMI, FLORIDA
{04-19-2012}

Sources say Venezuelan judge to provide valuable information in drugs case
Antonio Maria Delgado & Javier Weaver  //  The Miami Herald

    A former Venezuelan Supreme Court justice flown by federal agents to the United States is likely to be a trove of valuable information for U.S. authorities investigating the nexus of cocaine, payoffs and corruption in the government of President Hugo Chávez.

Ex-Judge Eladio Aponte Aponte, who’s associated with a Venezuelan kingpin facing indictment in New York, is expected to supply the Drug Enforcement Administration with the names of high-level suspects in the cocaine trade, Chávez government and its military, according to sources familiar with the former justice and other observers.

“Aponte is bringing enough information to prove that Venezuela has become a narco state,” said Johan Peña, a former inspector with Venezuela’s intelligence service who is now exiled in Miami.

“He knows all the crimes being committed by high-ranking officials of the Venezuelan government,” Peña said. “He was a member of the judiciary used by Chávez to hold everybody in check.”

Otto Reich, the former U.S. assistant secretary of state for the western hemisphere, wrote in an editorial that Aponte is “the judge who could convict Chávez.”

Aponte, who left Venezuela for Costa Rica in early April because he feared for his life, was flown out of the Central American country Tuesday night to the United States on a DEA-chartered flight. He stands above other U.S. government witnesses with immunity for one reason: He’s a former high-court judge in Venezuela whose testimony before any federal jury would be trusted far more than that of a typical drug smuggler angling to reduce his sentence in a cooperation deal.

“He gives himself a higher gloss by virtue of his position,” said Miami lawyer David Weinstein, former chief of narcotics in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The more sanitized the witness is, the more credible the witness is on the witness stand.”

Weinstein called Aponte a “gold mine” because he would be valuable to various U.S. government agencies that are investigating drug trafficking, money laundering and narco-terrorism in Colombia, Venezuela and other parts of South America.

“The value of [Aponte] is that he was somebody right on the inside of the Venezuelan government,” Weinstein said. “He knows who in the government was involved, how much they were involved and when they were involved.”

Former Miami DEA chief Thomas Raffanello, who investigated convicted ex-Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, agreed with that assessment of Aponte. “It’s not like you’re bringing out another drug cartel figure,” Raffanello said. “You’re bringing out a judge from another country.

“He steps into the circle of people with credibility and knowledge. He would be a first-rate, loaded with great information.”

According to sources familiar with Aponte’s insider knowledge, the former Supreme Court justice is pointing the finger at Gen. Henry Rangel Silva, the recently appointed minister of defense whom the U.S. Treasury Department says has worked with the Colombian rebel group, the FARC, in trafficking drugs.

Aponte also fingered Gen. Cliver Alcalá, another military figure sanctioned by the U.S. government for allegedly setting up a drugs-for-gun trade with the FARC, sources said. The former judge also fingered one of Chávez’s closest allies, Diosdado Cabello, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

In Venezuela, Aponte was removed from the judiciary in March after evidence surfaced that he assisted accused drug trafficker Walid Makled by giving him a fake credential that said he was a member of his staff and allowed him safe passage anywhere in the country.

Aponte was once in charge of assigning judges in Venezuela’s border states with Colombia, where Makled and other traffickers arranged for loads of cocaine to be flown from clandestine airstrips to locations in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Makled, a Venezuelan who was indicted on drug-smuggling charges in New York in 2010, was arrested that year in Colombia. After his arrest, he gave televised news interviews in which he said he doled out millions of dollars to Venezuelan government, military and police officials to protect his shipments of cocaine.

Although the U.S. Department of Justice sought his extradition, the Colombians turned Makled over to the Venezuelan government. Makled is standing trial on drug charges there.

His Miami attorney, Robert Abreu, said Makled could be acquitted in Venezuela and avoid extradition to the United States.

Abreu told The Miami Herald that Aponte, the former judge, appears to validate the “sensational” statements made by his client after his 2010 arrest. He also said Aponte could play a much greater role in assisting U.S. authorities in probes of Venezuelan officials linked to that country’s drug trade.

“He could be more valuable than my client, because he comes in clean,” Abreu said. “He doesn’t have this allegation of drug trafficking hanging over him.”

MIAMI, FLORIDA
{04-01-2012}

Let Peter Weep
Carlos Eire

     When Jesus chose Peter as his chief apostle, he knew he was delegating his authority to a very weak, and very flawed man. Peter was impulsive, inconstant, given to cowardice, and - by his own description - quite a sinner. Yet Jesus, the all-knowing Son of God, chose him over all the others.

And Peter's denial of Jesus just before the crucifixion was not the end of his constant screw-ups. He tried to lie to the apostle Paul, in regard to his opinion on keeping Kosher, and even tried to cover his tracks about having lied (Galatians 2:11). Up until the end he kept screwing up, and those around him kept recording his faults. Legend has it that when Nero began his persecution of the Christians in Rome, Peter headed straight out of town, and would have kept going if the risen Jesus had not bumped into him and asked "quo vadis?", hey, where are you going?  But legend also has it that he came to his senses, returned to Rome, and was crucified upside down on the Vatican hill.

Every pope after him screwed up in various ways. Three examples should be enough.

Pope Honorius I (625 -638) agreed with the monophysite heretics in a private letter, and his remains were later dug up and thrown into the Tiber River.

Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) had several mistresses and fathered a brood of ruthless illegitimate children, one of whom - Cesare Borgia -- was not only made bishop at the age of 15 and cardinal at the age of 18, but actually went on to become a formidable back-stabbing warrior, and the inspiration for Machiavelli's book The Prince, the ultimate how-to manual for unprincipled tyrants.  As if this were not enough, he also inspired the lurid and dreadful Showtime television series, "The Borgias."

In 1517, when Pope Leo X first heard of an Augustinian monk in Saxony named Martin Luther who had angered a Dominican preacher by challenging the legitimacy of indulgences, he dismissed all the fuss as nothing more than another "monkish squabble" between religious orders. Of course, we all know what happened next: the Protestant Reformation.

What are we to make of this, those of us who are Catholics? And those who are not?

The First Vatican Council proclaimed in 1871 that the successors of Peter are infallible in questions of faith and doctrine, that is, they are incapable of leading the faithful astray when it comes to their salvation. But it said nothing about the pope's private life and his behavior concerning earthly matters.

Up until today, all of this had been a very abstract issue for me. Yes, I knew all this, and have studied it and taught my students about it ad nauseam, but I had never been affected by a papal failure of character until today.

Today reminded me of Good Friday. It felt like it, more than any Good Friday in recent memory. There was an abject despondency in the air, an oppressive grief beyond words. A crucifixion, multiplied eleven million times.

Today His Holiness Benedict XVI disowned Christ in Cuba. Today, he averted his eyes from the eleven million crucified Cubans in his midst, as he celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist. Today, he chose not to speak for the crucified, or to chasten their tormentors. Instead, he spent his time criticizing the so-called embargo, blessing the tyrants, and preaching a platitudinous sermon written for the theological faculty at the University of Regensburg rather than for the Cuban people.

And his subaltern, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana, beamed with satisfaction at the abject submission of Church to state.

I am saddened, yes, as are many other Cubans. I wept today. I am beyond sad: today has been one of the blackest days for me in a long time. The clouds hung low. At one point the sun was blotted out. I could not help but see eleven million crosses, with bodies writhing on them, stretched from one end of Cuba to the other. But I am not broken. Nor is my faith shaken. God works in mysterious ways. The Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, Pope Benedict XVI has betrayed Cuba. So what? Aside from questions of faith and doctrine, he is as fallible as all of us are, and as prone to moral failure. And as a Catholic, it is my duty to pray for him.

I am angry too, yes. Mad as hell. I am angry at the old man, Joseph Ratzinger, and at the subalterns who advised him and made excuses for him.  But popes have screwed up before, and will continue screwing up. And it isn't up to any pope, or cardinal, or any foreign power to free Cuba from its tyrants. It is up to us, and to us alone, whether there or in exile.

His Holiness Benedict XVI did all Cubans a great favor today, when you look at his behavior from a certain perspective. He showed us that we cannot depend on anyone to help us.

Forget the pope. Let Peter weep, when he comes to his senses. Weeping is not for us, nor is whining. Forget any power on earth. Forget the differences between Catholics and non-Catholics. Forget heaven above, forget hell below . Cuba is hell on earth, our hell. Our task is to fight the tyrants and those who set up the eleven million crosses. Our role is to stand up to the tyrants and the henchmen who set up the crosses, wherever we are, and to remind the world constantly of their crimes against humanity.

Eventually, we shall overcome. Yes, we will.

But first, we have to realize where we are, and what the hour demands of us. Right now, for every Cuban, everywhere, there is but one question to answer: "quo vadis?"
 

Washington, d.c.
{16-03-2012}

EEUU exige a Rusia una investigación 'creíble' de las denuncias de fraude
associated Press

     El Gobierno de EEUU ha instado al Gobierno ruso a llevar a cabo una investigación "independiente y creíble" de las denuncias de fraude electoral en la jornada de comicios presidenciales del domingo, que dio la victoria al primer ministro, Vladímir Putin.

En un comunicado, el Departamento de Estado felicitó al pueblo ruso por su comparecencia a las urnas el domingo y mostró su disposición a trabajar con el presidente electo "una vez que los resultados sean certificados y él jure su cargo".

No obstante, Estados Unidos "toma nota de las preocupaciones" mostradas por los observadores de la Organización para la Seguridad y la Cooperación en Europa (OSCE), indica el comunicado.

En concreto, cita "las condiciones en las que se condujo la campaña, el uso partidario de recursos gubernamentales y las irregularidades de procedimiento el día de la elección".

"Urgimos al Gobierno ruso a llevar a cabo una investigación independiente y creíble de todas las violaciones electorales denunciadas", señala.

El Departamento de Estado también reconoce "los nuevos pasos que la Comisión Electoral Central (rusa) ha dado para aumentar la transparencia del proceso de votación desde las elecciones parlamentarias del pasado diciembre".

Estados Unidos insta también a las autoridades rusas a seguir avanzando sobre esos pasos para asegurarse de que los procedimientos para las elecciones futuras sean "más transparentes".

Además del informe preliminar de la misión de la OSCE, Washington también respalda el documento de la Asamblea Parlamentaria del Consejo de Europa (PACE), y reconoce la afirmación de esta última entidad de que las elecciones tuvieron "un claro ganador con una mayoría absoluta".

El Gobierno de Barack Obama se declara "alentado" de ver a "tantos ciudadanos" votando, observando la votación en sus precintos locales, ejercitando su derecho constitucional a la libre reunión y expresando sus opiniones pacíficamente sobre los procesos políticos y económicos.

El número de observadores electorales rusos que supervisaron esta votación "no tiene precedentes, y es una señal de que la sociedad rusa busca participar en la mejora de las instituciones democráticas rusas", añade.

La reacción de Estados Unidos se produce al término de una jornada de protestas en la que cientos de manifestantes contra Putin han sido detenidos en Moscú por reclamar elecciones anticipadas sólo un día después de lo que consideran que ha sido una "farsa".

Las autoridades justificaron estas detenciones asegurando que los activistas opositores intentaron romper el cordon policial, levantar tiendas de campaña y advirtieron que no todas las manifestaciones estaban autorizadas. Además, en San Petersburgo, la segunda mayor ciudad rusa, los opositores fueron arrestados cuando intentaban acceder al Parlamento.

"Reclamamos unas presidenciales anticipadas. Estos comicios han sido una farsa. El poder no es legítimo", declaró Vladimir Ryjkov, uno de los líderes del comité organizador de las protestas antigubernamentales "Por unas elecciones limpias", que pide también urgentes reformas políticas.

Otra de las reclamaciones de Estados Unidos hacia Rusia y el nuevo Gobierno que formará Vladímir Putin tiene como objetivo Siria. Washington ha expresado su confianza en que la llegada del nuevo presidente suponga un cambio en la postura de ese país respecto a Damasco.

"Esperamos ver una atención renovada a la tragedia en Siria ahora que las elecciones han pasado", dijo la portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Victoria Nuland, en su conferencia de prensa diaria.

Estados Unidos planteará "prácticamente de forma inmediata" a Rusia sus preocupaciones sobre la situación en Siria, dado que la colaboración de Moscú en la presión al régimen de Bachar Al Asad es "extremadamente importante para la comunidad internacional", señaló Nuland.

"Nuestra esperanza es que, ahora que estas elecciones han pasado, se unan a nosotros para hacer más en la presión para la asistencia humanitaria al pueblo de Homs y al pueblo de toda Siria, que están sufriendo en las manos del régimen", añadió.

La portavoz atribuyó a la cercanía de la jornada electoral la falta de progresos en las negociaciones recientes con altos cargos rusos para lograr una nueva resolución sobre Siria en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, destinada esta vez a impulsar el acceso de la ayuda humanitaria al país.

Washington, d.c.
{03-15-2012}

PRESIDENT Obama, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Cameron: No plan for a 'perfect' Afghanistan, but no sudden departure either
FoxNews.com

     The president, who was hosting the British prime minister for an official visit focused heavily on joint foreign policy, said recent events in Afghanistan have marred efforts to put the war-worn country on an even keel but will not deter the objective of giving security responsibility to the Afghans and getting out by the end of 2014.

"That transition is already under way and about half of all Afghans currently live in areas where Afghan security forces are taking responsibility," Obama said, adding that the forces have already made "very real progress dismantling Al Qaeda and breaking the Taliban's momentum."

Obama said he anticipates no "sudden, immediate changes to the plan we already have," for bringing forces home.

Cameron said Britain, which has 9,500 soldiers stationed there and has lost more than 400 so far, will not give up on the mission "because Afghanistan must never again be a safe haven for Al Qaeda." "We won't build a perfect Afghanistan," Cameron said, noting that progress has been made to open markets, increase health care access, send children to school and improve the basic standard of living and security. "But we can help ensure that Afghanistan is capable of delivering its own security without the need for large numbers of foreign troops."

Obama said he will go into details of the transition during a May NATO conference in Chicago, but the objective is to move toward a support role for Afghan National Security Forces next year, before a complete pullout. NATO, however, will maintain an enduring commitment so that Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for Al Qaeda to attack our countries.

On Iran, Obama insisted there is still "time and space" for a diplomatic solution, in lieu of a military strike to set back Iran's progress toward a possible bomb, but said "the window for diplomacy is shrinking." "We are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," Obama said, adding that he had sent a message "personally" to the Iranian leadership that it should re-enter international arms talks in good faith.

As for Syria, the president said international military intervention in Syria would be premature and could lead to a civil war, adding to the death toll, which the U.N. estimates is already at more than 7,500. On Wednesday, reports said Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had placed mines along the borders leading out of Syria to prevent anyone from seeking refuge in Turkey or Iraq. "Assad will leave power, it's not a question of if, but when," Obama said.

Obama was hosting Cameron on Wednesday in a full day of official meetings followed by an official dinner. The two got the day started with an elaborate welcome ceremony at the White House and jokes about the nations' shared history. Cameron and his wife arrived at the executive mansion on a mild, sunny, spring-like morning in the U.S. capital. The prime minister was greeted with a 19-gun salute. Several hundred people, including schoolchildren waving U.S. and British flags, gathered for the arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.

Obama welcomed the prime minister in a ceremony, joking that it's been 200 years since the British first visited the White House -- when they attacked during the war of 1812. "They made quite an impression," he said to laughter. "Really lit up the place."

After the president's remarks, Cameron followed up by noting the military presence.  "I am a little embarrassed to think that 200 years ago, my ancestors tried to burn this place," he said. "I see you've got this place a little better defended today." The two also joked about British and American idioms, with Cameron referencing "alley-oops" and "brackets" after a jaunt the night before to Dayton, Ohio, where they attended a first round game in the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament -- Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky won in a late turnaround.

The arrival ceremony has all the trappings of a state visit, although it is not being called one, since the British monarch -- not the prime minister -- is considered the head of state. Afterward, the two exchanged gifts. The Obamas gave the Camerons a wood and charcoal burning Braten 1000 Series Grill to commemorate a May 2011 visit to England in which they grilled and served food to American and British Armed Service members. The Camerons also received two White House chef jackets with their names and American and British flags embroidered on them.

In return, the Camerons gave the Obamas a ping-pong table.  "We should practice this afternoon," Obama joked. During the dinner, the Camerons will hear Grammy-winner John Legend sing as well as Mumford & Sons, a British folk rock band. At the dinner will be "Homeland" actor Damian Lewis and his wife as well as golfer Rory McIlroy.

United nations, new York
{03-14-2012}

US and Russia clash over Syria at UN
Edith M. Lederer //  Associated Press

     The United States and Russia clashed over Syria at the U.N. on Monday after the U.N.'s Secretary-General urged the divided Security Council to speak with one voice and help the Mideast nation "pull back from the brink of a deeper catastrophe."

Washington and Moscow both called for an end to the bloody yearlong conflict - but on different terms, leaving in doubt prospects of breaking a deadlock in the council over a new resolution.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rejected any equivalence between the "premeditated murders" carried by President Bashar Assad's "military machine" and the civilians under siege driven to self-defense.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Syrian authorities "bear a huge share of responsibility" but insisted opposition fighters and extremists including al-Qaida are also committing violent and terrorist acts.

Lavrov said if the priority is to immediately end any violence and provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people "then at this stage we should not talk about who was the first to start, but rather discuss realistic and feasible approaches which would allow (us) to achieve the cease-fire as a priority."

Clinton declared that the Security Council cannot "stand silent when governments massacre their own people, threatening regional peace and security in the process."

The ministerial debate in the council on challenges from last year's Arab Spring was dominated by the yearlong conflict in Syria, which has killed over 7,500 people, according to the United Nations.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who led off the debate, said the conflict has led the entire region into uncertainty and subjected citizens in several cities to disproportionate violence.

Russia, which is Syria's most powerful ally, and China have vetoed two U.S. and European-backed Security Council resolutions which would have condemned Assad's bloody crackdown, saying they were unbalanced and demanded that only the government stop attacks, not the opposition. Moscow accused Western powers of fueling the conflict by backing the rebels.

Earlier this month, the United States proposed a new draft which tried to take a more balanced approach, but diplomats said Russia and China rejected it.

Lavrov flew to New York from Cairo, where he had a tense meeting with Arab League foreign ministers. They have endorsed a plan for Assad to hand power to his vice president, but the Russians are adamantly opposed to any resolution endorsing regime change.

In the end, the Arab League and Lavrov agreed on a plan that the Russia foreign minister said could lead to an early solution of the Syrian crisis: an immediate cease-fire, a clause preventing foreign intervention, assurances about humanitarian aid, an impartial monitoring mechanism and an endorsement of the mission by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, the new U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria.

Annan left Syria on Sunday without a deal to end the conflict, while regime forces mounted a new assault on rebel strongholds in the north.

On Monday, Annan met Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara and told reporters the diplomatic process would take time.

"This a very complex situation," said Annan. "We are going to press ahead for humanitarian access, for the killings of civilians to stop, and that get everybody to the table to work out a political solution."

Lavrov described Annan's mission as launching political dialogue between the government and all opposition groups but never mentioned the previous Arab League plan calling for a political transition. Clinton and her French and British allies said that plan and last month's General Assembly resolution backing the plan are the basis of the Lavrov-Arab League agreement.

"We believe that now is the time for all nations, even those who have previously blocked our efforts, to stand behind the humanitarian and political approach spelled out by the Arab League," Clinton said. "The international community should say with one voice -without hesitation or caveat - that the killings of innocent Syrians must stop and a political transition must begin."

Clinton told reporters after meeting privately with Lavrov that she appreciated the opportunity to discuss the way forward and pointed out to him "my very strong view that the alternative to our unity on these points will be bloody internal conflict with dangerous consequences for the whole region."

She said everyone is waiting to hear Annan's advice on the best way forward, and the U.S. hopes that after Monday's council session and the recent meetings in Cairo and Damascus "we will be prepared in the Security Council to chart a way forward."

Lavrov said separate discussions with Clinton and the British and French foreign ministers "indicated that there is a growing understanding of the need not to talk to each other on the basis of take it or leave it, but to bring the positions together and to be guided not by the desire of revenge or punishment, who is to blame ... but by the interests of the Syrian people."

On the sidelines, the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators - the U.N., U.S., European Union and Russia - met behind closed doors on the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is witnessing the worst flare-up in violence in more than a year.

The ministerial meeting reviewed efforts to get the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table, but deep divisions remain and there is little hope of a breakthrough.

Washington, d.c.
{03-13-2012}

Accused soldier in Afghanistan shooting could face death penalty, plead insanity
FoxNews

     The U.S. will "spare no effort" in conducting an investigation into a soldier accused of a shooting rampage in Afghanistan, President Obama said Tuesday, as Pentagon investigators mull charges that could result in the death penalty if the soldier is found guilty of killing 16 Afghan civilians.

"The United States takes this as seriously as if it was our own citizens, and our children, who were murdered. We're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life," Obama said Tuesday during a White House event.

"I've directed the Pentagon to make sure that we spare no effort in conducting a full investigation," Obama said. "We will follow the facts wherever they lead us and we will make sure that anybody who is involved is held fully accountable with the full force of the law.

On Sunday, the soldier, whose name is being withheld until charges are filed, reportedly walked off the U.S. base in Kandahar province -- where he had been stationed for just six weeks -- and allegedly entered homes in a nearby village, shooting people while they slept. Nine children and three women are among the dead, and some of whose bodies were apparently burned.

Afterward, the soldier, who is said to have suffered a traumatic brain injury during one of his three prior tours in Iraq, but which military officials later described as a mild injury resulting from a vehicle rollover, returned to the base where he supposedly confessed to his deeds and was detained by his unit.

One U.S. official tells Fox News that there is "reason to believe alcohol may have been involved."

Military officials also say the suspected shooter is not talking and is generally not cooperating with investigators. He has invoked his rights to an attorney, but it's not clear yet whether he has retained one, either private or military.

As the news trickles out across the country, the alleged massacre has already generated threats of violence. On Tuesday, an Afghan delegation sent by President Hamid Karzai to investigate the shooting scenes were attacked by militants. Multiple people were wounded and one Afghan soldier was killed, a senior military official in Afghanistan told Fox News.

The Taliban, with whom the U.S. and Afghan officials are said to be negotiating, has vowed revenge, including reportedly threatening to behead American soldiers.

But while Afghanistan's parliament has called for the soldier to be tried in an Afghan court, he will likely be returned to the United States and face a general court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Gary Solis, a Georgetown University law professor and expert on war crimes and the military justice system, said he thinks there's "a good chance" that an insanity defense will be raised.

"Given the circumstances of this case and the previous records of deployments of this staff sergeant, I think it's an obvious defense of his defense counsel," Solis told Fox News.

"It's hard to say whether the case will even go to trial because in war crimes like this it's very possible that there will be ... an insanity defense, that he is unable to recognize the wrongfulness of his act because of a severe mental disease or injury," Solis told Fox News.

Solis, a former Marine military prosecutor, said that the military is well aware of the side effects of multiple deployments in war zones, including post-traumatic stress disorder, the high divorce rate and the spousal abuse rate, among others. He said PTSD and insanity are not the same, and PTSD is not a defense, but "the groundwork has been laid" by his repeated deployments to declare insanity. 

"Those individuals with PTSD should not ever be confused with someone who is insane, but insanity is much more than that, and one merely looks at the acts that this individual allegedly committed to say this is just not the working of a rational mind," Solis said.

President Ronald Reagan reinstituted the death penalty for soldiers by executive order in January 1984. In the order, he required that the president personally sign-off on an execution before it can take place. Though the last time a soldier was put to death -- for rape and murder -- was in 1961, six military members are currently on death row.

Solis said death sentences are relatively rare in the Armed Services. More common is for charges to be brought under a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

If the accused soldier doesn't claim an insanity defense, he may be able to use insanity as a mitigating factor to avoid death. He could also argue that his long service to the nation makes him eligible for a milder sentence.

Washington, D.C.
{03-05-2012}

Obama: Diplomacy Top Option on Iran
Dan Robinson //  Reuters

     President Barack Obama says the United States will use every element of its power, including military force if necessary, to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Mr. Obama addressed the largest pro-Israel group in the United States on Sunday on the eve of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr. Obama mixed strong language about Iran's nuclear program with an appeal for more time to allow sanctions and diplomacy to turn Iran's government away from developing a nuclear weapon.

No Israeli government, he said, "can tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of a regime that denies the Holocaust, threatens to wipe Israel off the map, and sponsors terrorist groups committed to Israel’s destruction."

As president, Mr. Obama said he has a "deeply-held preference for peace over war" and will only use force when "the time and circumstances demand it." But to long applause from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he said Iran's leaders should not doubt the resolve of the U.S. or Israel. “So we all prefer to resolve this issue diplomatically. Having said that, Iran’s leaders should have no doubt about the resolve of the United States, just as they should not doubt Israel’s sovereign right to make its own decisions about what is required to meet its security needs," he said.

Mr. Obama repeated that he takes no options off the table in the effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.  Again to loud applause from the AIPAC audience, he made clear that military force remains an option along with the political, diplomatic and economic efforts being applied. "And yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency. Iran’s leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment, I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," he said.

But Mr. Obama said sanctions have succeeded in slowing Iran's nuclear program, "virtually grinding the Iranian economy to a halt" and dividing its leadership, and noted that Iran faces the prospect of even more crippling sanctions. 

The president said both the U.S. and Israel assess that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon. The international community, he added, has a responsibility to use the "time and space" that exists to persuade Iran's leaders to make the right decision rather than "continue down a dead end."  Mr. Obama criticized what he called "loose talk of war," and said now is not the time for "bluster."

Before President Obama spoke, Israel's president, Shimon Peres, addressed the conference, thanking Mr. Obama for being a strong friend of Israel.

Calling Iran's regime "evil, cruel and morally corrupt" and a danger to Israel and the world, Mr. Peres said Israel prefers peace but will fight if necessary. He added that the U.S. and Israel are united in their commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. "The United States and Israel share the same goal to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. There is no space between us. Our message is clear: Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon," he said.

President Obama's address to the annual AIPAC conference came on the eve of his Oval Office talks on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expected to focus primarily on Iran, along with the troubled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr. Obama and President Peres reiterated the importance of a two-state solution. They also mentioned the ongoing violence in Syria, with Mr. Obama saying upheaval in the region makes it more important to solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

In his remarks on Sunday, Mr. Obama hit back at Republican presidential candidates who have alleged he has been weak in supporting Israel.

He said "there should not be a shred of doubt" about that support, adding the U.S. - Israel relationship "is simply too important to be distorted by partisan politics."

Jerusalem is considered relatively safe because of its Islamic holy sites. But the Mediterranean coast, home to most of the country's population, with Tel Aviv as the gleaming target at its center, seems like a very attractive target.

The business and cultural capital of the country, with a metropolitan population of over 2 million, Tel Aviv is critical to Israel's image of itself as a modern place with a Western lifestyle. Israel happily markets the city as a high-tech, fun-loving hub.

Aside from a spate of Saddam Hussein's rudimentary Scud missiles in 1991, the city has never truly been tested before. Although the Scuds caused little damage memories of that war are vivid; the strikes caused widespread panic and tens of thousands of people fled to safer areas of the country or left altogether.

A prolonged siege on the city today could likely fuel another exodus.

Israeli defense officials warn that Syria, a close Iranian ally, is believed to possess GPS-guided missiles and chemical weapons. Hezbollah has greatly improved its arsenal since the war, and militants in the Gaza Strip, to Israel's south, are believed to be smuggling powerful warheads from Libya.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a sensitive security matter, said intelligence reports indicate that Tel Aviv military headquarters will be targeted and an alternative site for military headquarters is being prepared.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has estimated that an Iranian attack would claim fewer than 500 Israeli casualties - a statement intended to calm the nation, but which has achieved the opposite effect.

The concerns for the homefront have dovetailed with fears around the world that an attack could unhinge the global economy and spur terrorist attacks against the West.

For the past five years, Matan Vilnai - a veteran Cabinet minister and one-time deputy military chief of staff - has been responsible for preparing such scenarios. Vilnai recently announced he was stepping down, leaving for China as Israel's new envoy.

On Sunday, he gave Cabinet a progress report on homefront preparations. His comments were not made available to the public and Vilnai did not respond to requests for an interview by The Associated Press. But Israeli media quoted the former general as being outraged at insinuations that he was "running away."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged after Vilnai's presentation that more work must be done in "an era of threats to the Israeli homefront."

Israel's performance in the 2006 war was widely seen as a disaster, particularly because of the military's inability to stop the barrage of Hezbollah rockets on northern Israel. The country's military chief and defense minister at the time were forced to resign; a government report found "serious failings and flaws" by politicians and the military.

Five and a half years later, Israeli air defenses are vastly improved.

Its multilayered shield includes the "Iron Dome" defense system, which shoots down rockets fired from short distances, the "Magic Wand," aimed at stopping intermediate-range missiles, and the "Arrow" missile defense system meant to protect Israel from Iran's expanding array of missiles.

The Iron Dome has already proven effective in knocking down Palestinian rockets from the Gaza Strip.But only three Iron Dome batteries have been deployed, while expert say 14 are needed to cover the country.

The system is expected to be deployed in central Israel for the first time in the coming days. The military insists the timing is part of an annual training plan for the system, but the deployment in the nation's heartland has added to fears that Israel was approaching a threat it has never encountered before.

The Arrow, built by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Chicago-based Boeing Co. for more than $1 billion, has been designed specifically to intercept Iran's Shahab ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and whose range of 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) easily covers all of Israel. The Arrow has not yet been tested in combat.

There are signs that budget cuts threaten some preparations.

A report in December by the State Comptroller, the government's internal watchdog agency, found local authorities failed to properly conduct homefront emergency drills and that hundreds of thousands of Israelis did not have functioning gas masks or a designated bomb shelter. The government pledged two decades ago to distribute gas masks nationwide.

The military would not confirm a report that the country's annual national homefront drill had been canceled due to a financial shortfall. "A variety of measures are being assessed in order to avoid harming the operational readiness of the Home Front Command," it said in a statement.

Uzi Rubin, a former director of the Arrow project in Israel's Defense Ministry, said the Israeli homefront is far more organized, coordinated and prepared than it was in 2006.

"Given the circumstances, we are more ready than in the past. But we still need to do so much more," he said.