Thousands of people gathered for a Christian anti-war worship service Fri night at the Washington National Cathedral, kicking off a weekend of protests around the country to mark the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The service was to be followed by a candlelight march to Lafayette Park, across from the White House. Organizers of the event said more than 700 people have volunteered to risk arrest by crossing the street and demonstrating on the sidewalk in front of the White House. "Millions of people around the world sadly believe this is a Christian war," said the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, one of the groups sponsoring the event. "We have to clear up the confusion." Civil rights historian Taylor Branch, who planned to participate, said it is important for churches to be leaders in the anti-war movement. "It seems to me sad that Christians so easily have put aside our core beliefs, that we love our enemies and we do not believe in violence," ... http://news.yahoo.com censor News |
Editor - 22:38:00 03-16-07 |
Visitors Swapped Places With Britain’s Detainees |
Ten detainees in a British military detention center in Basra carried out an audacious escape plan over the past several days: they switched places with visitors, British authorities said Friday. An 11th detainee was missing, but no one appeared to have been substituted for him, British authorities said. The detention center is on the outskirts of Basra on one of the British bases in the area. The escape came to light on Thursday, when it became apparent that “one person was not who he said he was,” said the spokesman. The military began to investigate and found that nine other detainees were also substitutes. The real ones had walked out the door, apparently after swapping clothes with their willing stand-ins, British officials said. The substitutions had been carefully plotted, and the imposters “were remarkably well prepared,” the spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity.... http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/nyt933.html
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Editor - 22:13:00 03-16-07 |
Afghans and U.S. Trade Charges in Death of 5 Police Officers |
The government said Friday that soldiers of the American-led coalition had mistakenly killed five Afghan police officers on Thursday in the volatile Helmand Province. But the government later backed away from the accusation after the coalition strongly denied that its soldiers were involved. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the five officers had been shot after a police vehicle came under fire from the Taliban in the Gereshk district. The spokesman, Zemarai Bashary, said the officers fired back at the Taliban and then came under fire from coalition forces. Later Friday, however, a coalition spokesman, Maj. Chris Belcher, said, “After reviewing all reports from U.S. forces, there is no indication that U.S. forces were involved in this tragic event.” Mr. Bashary then retreated from his earlier statement, saying the government was “not sure whether the soldiers were killed by coalition forces or Taliban.” ... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/17/world/asia/17kabul.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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Editor - 21:58:00 03-16-07 |
Iraq war protesters to converge at White House |
Thousands of people are expected to converge at the White House Friday in the first of several demonstrations marking the fourth anniversary of the increasingly unpopular Iraq war, organizers said. Christian Peace Witness for Iraq has organized a worship for Friday night at Washington's National Cathedral to be attended by 4,000 people who will then hold a candlelight procession to the White House, the anti-war group said. A vigil will take place in front of US President George W. Bush's official residence and 700 people have indicated their readiness to be arrested in an act of civil disobedience, the group said. The group has billed the event as the biggest Christian peace demonstration since the March 20, 2003, US-led invasion of Iraq, but rain and possible snow forecast for Washington could dampen attendance. Anti-war activists have heavily mobilized since Democrats took control of Congress from Bush's Republicans in November elections marked by voter anger at the war.... http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Iraq_war_protesters_to_converge_at__03162007.html
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Editor - 21:55:00 03-16-07 |
Israeli, European Chapters of World Jewish Congress May Pull Out of the Organization |
One the world's best-known Jewish organizations appeared on the brink of breaking apart Friday because of bitter internal feuds among its members, an official said. The Israeli and European chapters of the World Jewish Congress are considering pulling out of the organization, Shai Hermesh, chairman of the group's Israel chapter, told The Associated Press on Friday. The World Jewish Congress is an international federation of Jewish communities headquartered in New York City and headed by billionaire businessman and philanthropist Edgar Bronfman. Founded in 1936, the group is well known for its campaign to win restitution from Swiss banks holding the assets of Holocaust victims, fighting anti-Semitism, and lobbying to allow the Jews of the Soviet Union to emigrate.... http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2959257
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Editor - 21:42:00 03-16-07 |
Foes change their focus |
U.S. and Iraqi military officials said yesterday that blatant attacks by al Qaeda in Iraq were emerging as a major threat in Diyala province, which has become a new target of insurgent, terrorist and militia violence as security starts to improve in Baghdad. "Al Qaeda represents the most threat against units [in Diyala]," said Maj. Gen. Shakir Halail Husain, commander of the 5th Iraqi Division working in the province. The troops in Diyala, however, are battling a combination of al Qaeda-linked Sunni extremists and rogue Shi'ite militias, supported and supplied by local inhabitants and neighboring Iran, the military officials said. "The more brazen operations are by al Qaeda in Iraq," said Col. David W. Sutherland of the U.S. military, who together with Gen. Husain was speaking to journalists via video from the Diyala provincial capital, Baqouba.... http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070316-102940-2568r.htm
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Editor - 21:40:00 03-16-07 |
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