Sen. Barack Obama called on Monday for a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq in four to six months, redeploying some to the more secure northern part of the country and allowing for a stronger force in Afghanistan. The Illinois Democrat, who is considering a run for his party's 2008 presidential nomination, opposed the Iraq war before his election in 2004 and voted in favor of a congressional resolution demanding that 2006 be a year of significant transition in Iraq. Speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Obama said there should be a "phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq on a timetable that would begin in four to six months." "I'm not suggesting that this timetable be overly rigid," he added, but said Bush should announce as policy a "gradual and substantial" withdrawal. "Drawing down our troops in Iraq will allow us to redeploy additional troops to northern Iraq and elsewhere in the region...
http://news.yahoo.com
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Editor - 12:28:00 11-20-06
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 For U.S. charities, a crisis of trust Scandals, accountability problems combine to undermine public support |
Americans’ charitable spirit peaks during the holiday season, but this year the urge to give is battling a strong contrarian tide – a crisis of trust born from public disenchantment with a philanthropic system that many consider disorganized, under-regulated and tainted by scandal. A poll by Harris Interactive released this summer found only one in 10 Americans strongly believes charities are "honest and ethical" in their use of donated funds. And nearly one in three believes nonprofits have "pretty seriously gotten off in the wrong direction," it found. "The public believed we would make things better," said Robert Egger, founder of the D.C. Central Kitchen food recycling and distribution center, speaking of the broad charitable sector. "Now they’re saying, ‘I’ve been giving for 40 years. … We’ve invested huge amounts of coin and soul into this sector; what are (we) getting in return?’ ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15753760/
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Editor - 12:15:00 11-20-06
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| A NEW VOICE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST War of Cultures Hits the Airwaves |
Arab TV news station Al-Jazeera has started an English language program with the aim of redressing what it calls an imbalance in global news reporting. Its news director wants to "reverse the North-South flow of information." The project could boost the self-esteem of a depressed cultural nation. A maze of corridors leads from the stone-cold Al-Jazeera newsroom to the sultry heat on the streets of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. At every turn, there's a little aphorism written on the wall. "A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. Bob Dylan." Further down the hallway: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. Mahatma Gandhi." Across the street stands the television palace of Al-Jazeera International (AJI), the new English-language channel which went on air for the first time on Wednesday. ...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,449451,00.html
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Editor - 10:36:00 11-20-06
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| Egypt arrests another blog critic |
Police in Cairo have detained a blogger whose posts have been critical of the Egyptian government. Rami Siyam, who blogs under the name of Ayyoub, was detained along with three friends after leaving the house of a fellow blogger late at night. No reasons have been given for Mr Siyam's detention. The other friends were released after being questioned. Human rights groups have accused Egypt of eroding freedom of speech by arresting several bloggers recently. BBC Arab Affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi says blogging in Egypt is closely associated with political activism in a culture where democratic freedoms are severely restricted. In recent weeks, bloggers have been exposing what they say was the sexual harassment of women at night in downtown Cairo in full view of police who did not intervene. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6164798.stm
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Editor - 10:26:00 11-20-06
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| Bush noncommittal on Iraq troop deployment |
Bush said Monday he hasn't decided whether to send more troops to Iraq or begin bringing them home, saying he is awaiting the military's recommendations. He also shrugged off protests that greeted him in the world's most populous Muslim nation, calling it a sign of a healthy democracy."It's not the first time, by the way, where people have showed up and expressed their opinion about my policies," the president said. "But that's what happens when you make hard decisions."Appearing with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose countrymen turned out by the thousands to show their displeasure with Bush's staunch support of Israel and the Iraq war, Bush added: "People protest -- that's a good sign."...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/11/20/bush.asia.ap/index.html?eref=rss_world
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Editor - 10:11:00 11-20-06
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| Saddam trial 'flawed and unsound' |
The trial of Saddam Hussein was so flawed that its verdict is unsound, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch says. HRW said "serious administrative, procedural and substantive legal defects" meant the 5 November trial for crimes against humanity was not fair. The Iraqi government has dismissed the report, telling the BBC that the trial was both "just and fair". The ex-Iraqi leader has two weeks to lodge an appeal but his lawyer claims he has been blocked from doing so. Chief defence lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi told the BBC his team had been prevented from filing appeal papers. Under Iraqi law it must be done within a month of sentencing. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6163938.stm
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Editor - 10:01:00 11-20-06
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| post The Good, The Bad and The Ugly |
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