The international "Quartet" of mediators on the Middle East met on Thursday to discuss how to deal with Hamas, a day after their envoy threatened to quit complaining of indecision among the group's members. James Wolfensohn told a U.S. Congressional hearing on Wednesday the mandate and backing he had from the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations were unclear after the Islamic militant group's landslide poll win in January.Wolfensohn said the Quartet was undecided on issues such as how to channel funds to meet Palestinian humanitarian needs while bypassing Hamas.The major powers insist a Hamas-led government, now being formed, must recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept past agreements or lose international assistance....
http://news.yahoo.com
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Editor - 08:45:00 03-16-06
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 Lawyer in Moussaoui case placed on administrative leave |
The lawyer whose coaching of witnesses in the death penalty case of Zacarias Moussaoui caused his trial to be halted was placed on administrative leave from her job, the Transportation Security Administration said Thursday. That decision was confirmed by agency spokeswoman Yolanda Clark. The TSA lawyer, Carla Martin, violated federal witness rules when she sent trial transcripts to seven aviation witnesses, coached them on how to deflect defense attacks and lied to defense lawyers to prevent them from interviewing witnesses they wanted to call, a federal judge Tuesday. Martin's attorney, Roscoe Howard, did not immediately return calls seeking his comment on his client being placed on leave. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said that Martin's actions and other government missteps had left the aviation evidence "irremediably contaminated," and the judge has excluded virtually half of the prosecution's case against the confessed al-Qaeda conspirator. ...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-16-moussaoui-lawyer_x.htm
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Editor - 08:43:00 03-16-06
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| Christians, Jews, Muslims must seek dialogue: Pope |
Christians, Jews and Muslims must work together to promote peace and teach respect for religions and their symbols, Pope Benedict said on Thursday.In reference to a wave of violence over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, but also to attacks in recent months on churches, mosques and synagogues in several countries, the Pope said religious leaders had a responsibility to "work for reconciliation through genuine dialogue." "Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe in the one God … It follows, therefore, that all three monotheistic religions are called to cooperate with one another for the common good of humanity, serving the case of justice and peace in the world," he told a visiting delegation of the American Jewish Committee. "This is especially important today when particular attention must be given to teaching respect for God, for religions and their symbols, and for holy sites and places of worship," he said. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1732760
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Editor - 08:39:00 03-16-06
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| Statement Attributed to Taliban Leader Mullah Omar Warns of New Offensive Brewing in Afghanistan |
A statement attributed to Taliban leader Mullah Omar said Thursday that large numbers of Afghans were signing up as suicide bombers and that an offensive in the coming months would cause many casualties among foreign and Afghan troops. The statement was telephoned to Associated Press reporters in Kandahar and the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, by reputed Taliban spokesman Mohammed Hanif, and was then subsequently received by e-mail from an unidentified sender. The two-page typed statement ended with a signature that resembled Omar's, according to the former Taliban ambassador to Islamabad, Abdul Salam Zaeef. "Young Afghans are coming to mujahedeen camps in large numbers to enroll their names for suicide attacks," the statement said. "This year, with the beginning of summer, Afghan soil will turn red for the crusaders and their puppets, and the occupiers will face an unpredictable wave of Afghan resistance." ...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1732524&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
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Editor - 08:36:00 03-16-06
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| Church is 'sorry' for Aids stigma |
Kenya's Anglican Church has issued a public apology for previously shunning those with HIV/Aids. "Our earlier approach in fighting Aids was misplaced, since we likened it to a disease for sinners and a curse from God," said Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi. He was speaking to a group of HIV positive Christian and Muslim clergy. A BBC reporter in Kenya says there has been lots of church discrimination against those with HIV - some have been excommunicated. Some Muslims have been killed because of their status, says the BBC's Gladys Njoroge. Archbishop Nzimbi said the Church would now work to end the stigma associated with Aids. Ugandan clergyman Gideon Byamugisha, who has lived for 19 years with HIV, says the apology is welcome. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4814022.stm
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Editor - 08:34:00 03-16-06
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| Embargoes on global arms trade have been total failure, says UN |
All United Nations arms embargoes have been breached with impunity, with only a handful of the weapons traffickers responsible for the trade in death ever facing prosecution, according to a report. Despite the UN naming hundreds of companies - including those in Britain - for allegedly violating embargoes imposed on countries engaged in bloody conflicts and repression, the system for bringing them to book has abjectly failed. The report, by leading human rights groups, presented to the UN Security Council today, asks for urgent measures to control the proliferation, including agreement on an international arms trade treaty. ...
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article351535.ece
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Editor - 00:46:00 03-16-06
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