World News - Desperate to Flee Abuse and Hardship, Scores of Afghan Women Commit Suicide by Fire

Rainbow of Government Terror

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Blood dripped down the 16-year-old girl's face after another beating by her drug addict husband. Worn down by life's pain, she ran to the kitchen, doused herself with gas from a lamp and struck a match. Desperate to escape domestic violence, forced marriage and hardship, scores of women across Afghanistan each year are committing suicide by fire. While some gains have been made since the fall of the Taliban five years ago, life remains bleak for many Afghan women in the conservative and violence-plagued country, and suicide is a common escape. Young Gulsum survived to tell her story. Her pretty face and delicate feet were untouched by the flames, but beneath her red turtleneck sweater, floral skirt and white shawl, her skin is puffy and scarred. More than a month after her attempt, her gnarled hands still bleed. ...
http://abcnews.go.com

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Editor - 12:37:00 11-18-06

Gonzales Blasts Surveillance Critics

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales contended Saturday that some critics of the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program were defining freedom in a way that poses a ``grave threat'' to U.S. security. Gonzales was the second administration official in two days to attack a federal judge's ruling last August that the program was unconstitutional. Vice President Dick Cheney on Friday called the ruling ``an indefensible act of judicial overreaching.'' Gonzales told about 400 cadets from the Air Force Academy's political science and law classes that some see the program as on the verge of stifling freedom rather that protecting the country. ``But this view is shortsighted,'' he said. ``Its definition of freedom - one utterly divorced from civic responsibility - is superficial and is itself a grave threat to the liberty and security of the American people.'' ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6224509,00.html

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Editor - 12:32:00 11-18-06

UN chief: Nato cannot defeat Taliban by force Official says alliance failing in Afghanistan as Blair admits Iraq is a 'disaster'

Nato "cannot win" the fight against the Taliban alone and will have to train Afghan forces to do the job, the UN's top official in the country warned yesterday."At the moment Nato has a very optimistic assessment. They think they can win the war," warned Tom Koenigs, the diplomat heading the UN mission in Afghanistan. "But there is no quick fix."In forthright comments which highlight divisions between international partners as Nato battles to quell insurgency, Mr Koenigs said that training the fledgling Afghan national army to defeat the Taliban was crucial. "They [the ANA] can win. But against an insurgency like that, international troops cannot win."He spoke to the Guardian as Tony Blair came the closest so far to admitting the invasion of Iraq had been disastrous....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,1951222,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12

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Editor - 12:26:00 11-18-06

Indonesians Warn Of Terror On Bush Visit

Indonesian police warned Saturday that the threat of an attack by al Qaeda-linked militants has increased sharply ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to the world's most populous Muslim country. Bush arrives Monday for talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that will touch on the Middle East crisis and the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan — the cause of mounting anger among Indonesia's 190 million Muslims. Though most people here practice a moderate form of the faith, hard-liners are gaining ground and Jakarta's police chief, Maj. Gen. Adang Firman, told reporters that the threat of an attack by militants had "escalated sharply" in recent days. ...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/18/world/main2198685.shtml?source=RSSattr=World_2198685

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Editor - 11:59:00 11-18-06

Senate backs India nuclear deal

The US Senate has overwhelmingly voted to pass a controversial deal to share civilian nuclear technology with India. Under the deal, which was proposed more than a year ago, India must allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities. Bush hailed the move as bringing India into the "nuclear non-proliferation mainstream". However, the bill still has to clear a number of hurdles before it becomes law and is implemented. One condition would require India to fully and actively participate in efforts to contain Iran's nuclear programme. The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Washington says critics believe America should not be rewarding India for having secretly developing a nuclear weapons programme and refusing to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Senate bill and a version passed by the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress, must now be reconciled and approved by Mr Bush before the legislation can take effect. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6155842.stm

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Editor - 11:54:00 11-18-06

Madagascar general in coup move

An army general in Madagascar has declared military rule in the country. General Fidy said the move, which comes ahead of a presidential election, was in response to the "illegitimacy" of Marc Ravalomanana's presidency. So far there has been no official reaction from the authorities, although sources in the president's office were playing down the incident. A plane carrying Mr Ravalomanana home from Europe was diverted after shooting broke out near the capital's airport. There are unconfirmed reports that one government soldier was shot and killed in the shooting outside a military base, and local people told the BBC that they had heard gunfire early on Saturday. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6161398.stm

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