Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Ghailani guilty of one charge for 1998 US embassy bombs

The first Guantanamo detainee tried in a US civilian court has been found not guilty of all but one of 286 terror charges over the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Africa.
Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani, 36, was found guilty of conspiracy to damage or destroy US property with explosives.
But he was cleared of many other counts including murder and murder conspiracy.
Ghailani faces a minimum of 20 years in prison. The verdict comes as the US weighs other civilian terror trials.
The BBC's Iain Mackenzie, in Washington, says the verdict will be seen as a huge blow to the Obama administration and its pledge to try Guantanamo suspects in civilian courts.
Officials will now be concidering how to proceed, but it could mean the controversial prison remains open for some time to come, our correspondent adds.
Witness barred The attacks on US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya killed 224 people and were one of al-Qaeda's first international shows of strength.
Four accused co-conspirators were convicted over the bombings in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison, but the Ghailani case concludes the first test of the Obama administration's decision to try some Guantanamo inmates in civilian courts rather than in military tribunals.

Nigerian military rescue 19 hostages in Niger Delta

Nigerian troops have rescued 19 hostages kidnapped by militants in the Niger Delta this month, officials say.
Two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians and a Canadian were freed along with 12 Nigerians in a land, air and sea assault, said officials.
Security sources told the BBC the freed hostages were euphoric.
The operation was the first successful rescue of foreign captives in the Delta without any of the hostages being killed in the process.
It is not clear exactly where the operation was carried out, nor whether any militants were killed or wounded.
The foreigners were captured on 8 November, when gunmen attacked an oil rig belonging to London-based Alfren PLC.
The eight Nigerians were seized on an ExxonMobil platform in Akwa Ibom state a week later, in an attack claimed by Mend, a military group operating in the Delta.
Canada and France have both expressed their relief that the citizens are free and thanked the Nigerian authorities for their efforts.
The BBC's Caroline Duffield in Lagos says the rescue operation marks a change in tactics by the Nigerian military, who worked in close co-operation with local contacts to free the captives.
Map of Nigeria
Violence in the oil-rich Delta region has subsided since last year.
In the past, militants have cut the country's oil production by one-third, causing a spike in global oil prices.
The government and many oil militants reached a ceasefire agreement last year in exchange for cash payouts and job training - but a small faction of Mend has resumed the kidnappings.
There were always fears that a new generation of militants would emerge which would ignore the ceasefire, says our correspondent.
There are also signs the amnesty is faltering, following a firebombing attack on the home of presidential adviser Timi Alaibe last week, she adds.
Mend says it is fighting so that more of Nigeria's massive oil wealth is used to benefit the Niger Delta area which produces the oil.
But criminal gangs have taken advantage of the region's instability to make money from ransoms paid by oil companies, and stealing oil.
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Monday, October 25, 2010

Iran's cash to Kabul worries US

The US has voiced concern about Iran's "negative influence" on Afghanistan, after Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted receiving cash from Tehran.
White House spokesman Bill Burton urged Iran to play a more positive role.
Mr Karzai has denied any wrongdoing, saying the cash was part of a "transparent" process to help to run the president's office.
He was responding to a report that Iran had been passing bags stuffed full of cash to his aides.
Mr Burton told reporters that the American people and the global community had "every reason" to be concerned about Iran trying to have a "negative influence" on Afghanistan.

Analysis

Quentin Sommerville BBC News, Kabul
Cash is king in Afghanistan and so, in many respects, the news that Iran handed over hard currency is unsurprising.
But his admission will do little to reassure some of his foreign supporters who have been concerned at corruption within his government, and Tehran's growing influence in the country.
And his lack of precision didn't help matters - "once or twice in a year, Iran has given five hundred, or six hundred, or seven hundred thousand euros," he said, leaving some to ask - where did the money go, and did all of it make its way into the finance ministry's coffers?
Despite receiving billions of dollars in aid, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
"[Iranian officials] have a responsibility just like all their neighbours to try to have a positive influence on the formation of a government there, and to ensure that Afghanistan is not a country where terrorists can find safe harbour, or where attacks can be planned on their soil."
The White House spokesman added that Barack Obama's administration had seen the reports about Iran's payments, but declined to give any further details.
His comments come just hours after Mr Karzai admitted that his chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, had received cash.
"The government of Iran has been assisting us with five or six or seven hundred thousand euros once or twice every year, that is an official aid," he said.
He said he had discussed the issue with former US President George W Bush.
"This is nothing hidden. We are grateful for the Iranian help in this regard. The United States is doing the same thing, they're providing cash to some of our offices."
'Slush fund' The story came to light in a New York Times report which claimed that a large bag of euro notes had been passed to Mr Daudzai at the end of an official visit to Iran by Mr Karzai.
The report quoted officials as saying a stream of payments totalling millions of dollars had been used to secure their loyalty of Afghan politicians, tribal elders and even Taliban commanders

Iranian-Afghan relations

  • Iran opposed Taliban government 1996-2001; backed opposition Northern Alliance
  • Taliban killed eight Iranian diplomats and an Iranian reporter in 1998
  • Iran concerned about drug trafficking across shared border
  • More than one million Afghan refugees and many illegal migrants still in Iran
  • Iran says it is a major investor in Afghanistan. It has built roads, bridges, power lines and border stations
  • Iranian influence in Afghan affairs is a growing concern to the US and its all
The Iranian embassy in Kabul strongly denied the report, describing the claims as "ridiculous and insulting".
"Such baseless speculations are being spread by some Western media outlets in order to confuse public opinion and damage the strong ties between the governments and nations of the Islamic republics of Afghanistan and Iran," a statement said.
But Francesc Vendrell, a former EU envoy to Afghanistan, said the practice of receiving cash donations was far from unusual.
"Many governments that hope to court influence are paying and providing money to the president's office in what I would call a slush fund," he told the BBC.
"This has been going on since the very beginning, and the Americans are very much in the vanguard. So I'm not surprised the Iranians are doing it."
He added that the payments were symptomatic of the West's failure to establish a proper government in the country.
Meanwhile, Nato said on Monday that at least 15 militants had been killed in an overnight air strike in southern Helmand province.
Some unconfirmed reports said civilians had died in the attack. The Helmand governor's office told the BBC they could neither confirm or deny whether those who died in the incident were civilians, and an investigation was under way.
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Sunday, October 17, 2010

India to probe 'corruption' at Commonwealth Games

Indian policeman stands guard beside a banner for the 2010 Commonwealth Games outside a hotel in New Delhi on 1 October 2010  
 There were initial complaints about the condition of the athletes' village
 
 
India is to probe allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Investigators will look into the awarding of contracts and how the work was supervised.
Former Auditor-General VK Shunglu is to look at all aspects of the event's organisation and planning.
The Games were initially beset by construction delays and complaints about the athletes' accommodation, but were later hailed as a success.

Related stories

After the troubled start, Commonwealth Games head Mike Fennell praised the event as competition drew to a close.
Despite that praise, India's prime minister said an investigation was needed into an event which became a global story for the wrong reasons.
"The government has decided to constitute a high-level committee under... VK Shunglu to look into all matters relating to organising and conduct of the Commonwealth Games 2010," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Investigators are due to visit the Games' organising committee on Monday to audit its accounts.
With just days before the Games opened, workers were racing to finish the athletes' village. Some teams initially held back their athletes after reports emerged of dirty bathrooms and exposed wiring and flooding. BBC WORLD
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Pope canonises first Australian saint, Mary MacKillop

The BBC's Duncan Kennedy says hundreds of Australians have travelled to Rome to witness the Pope canonise Mary MacKillop
Pope Benedict XVI has officially recognised Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop, a Melbourne-born nun who worked with needy children.
She was canonised with five others, including Brother Andre, a Canadian monk credited with miraculous healings.
MacKillop, who died in 1909, clashed with senior clergy and was briefly excommunicated, in part for exposing a sex-abusing priest.

Thousands of Australians are in Rome to witness the ceremony.
Pope Benedict XVI, canonised the six saints in St Peter's Square in front of some 50,000 people.
He declared that "throughout the Church they be honoured devoutly among all the saints".
Commitment Among those attending the Mass were hundreds of nuns from the order MacKillop helped found, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
"We've always believed that Mary was a saint," said 65-year-old Moya Campbell, a member of the order.
Father Thomas Casanova, a priest from New South Wales and a distant relative of MacKillop, said it was a momentous occasion.
"I've been looking forward to this since I was a child," he said.
Others wanted to recognise MacKillop's lifetime of commitment to poor people, including Australia's Aboriginal population.
"She supported Aboriginal people because she believed in supporting people who were disadvantaged," said pilgrim Melissa Brickell.
For anyone to become a saint, the Church has to recognise their intermediary role in two miracles.
Australian pilgrims wave flags in St Peters Square at the Vatican (17 Oct 2010) Australians were prominent at the Vatican ceremony
In MacKillop's case, both were in relation to people who were ruled to have been cured of cancer after praying for the nun's assistance.
Veronica Hopson was the first person MacKillop is said to have healed - she recovered from leukaemia in 1961.
On Sunday she told Australian TV: "I feel very fortunate that I was given the opportunity to live my life, have a family, have grandchildren, so that's a miracle."
Kathleen Evans, the second person MacKillop the nun is credited with healing, recovered from cancer in 1993. She attended the canonisation Mass and carried relics of St Mary to the altar.
"I think she would be delighted to see so many people looking at their own lives and considering how they can live better and care more," Ms Evans said in a statement.
Many Canadians were also in St Peter's Square to honour Brother Andre, who is thought to have healed thousands at his monastery in Montreal.
"He was wonderful. He healed many," Anna Diliddo, a teacher from Toronto, told AFP news agency.
Religious celebrity

Four steps to sainthood

The process, which cannot begin until at least five years after the candidate's death, involves scrutinising evidence of their holiness, work and signs that people are drawn to prayer through their example:
  • First stage: individual is declared a 'servant of God'
  • Second stage: individual is called 'venerable'
  • Third stage (requires a miracle attributed to candidate's intercession): beatification, when individual is declared blessed
  • Fourth stage (requires a further authenticated miracle): candidate is canonised as a saint for veneration by Church
Mary MacKillop was excommunicated in 1871, but the Church later exonerated her. She was eventually put on the road to sainthood by Pope John Paul II, who beatified her in 1995.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who attended the Mass, has described MacKillop as "an extraordinary Australian woman".
Because of her role in exposing clerical abuse, some have called for MacKillop to made a patron saint of abused children.
In recent years, there has been a wave of cases around the world in which Church authorities failed to deal properly with priests accused of child abuse, sometimes just moving them to new parishes where more children were put at risk.
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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Rousseff falls short of outright win in Brazil election


Brazil's presidential election will go to a second round after Dilma Rousseff failed to win an outright victory in Sunday's voting.
With 98% of votes counted, President Lula's former cabinet chief has 47% with Jose Serra trailing on 33%.
The two will contest a run-off vote in four weeks' time.
A strong showing by the Green Party candidate, Marina Silva, who polled 19%, may have cost Ms Rousseff a first-round win.
"We can confirm there will be a second round in the presidential elections," Ricardo Lewandowski, the president of the High Electoral Tribunal, told reporters in Brasilia late on Sunday.
Workers Party candidate Dilma Rousseff is the favoured successor to President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, who has completed two terms, and cannot run for a third.
Until just a few days ago, a second round had seemed unlikely. But Dilma Rousseff lost support late in the campaign.
The votes of the third-placed candidate will be crucial in deciding the outcome.
Marina Silva of the Green Party, a devout Christian, enjoyed a late surge in support - some of which appears to have come from evangelical Christians who turned away from Dilma Rousseff amid concerns about her stance on abortion.
Addressing supporters, Ms Rousseff said she welcomed the opportunity to explain her policies in more detail.
Analysts say Ms Rousseff ran a careful campaign, benefiting from Mr Lula's widespread popularity and the country's booming economy.
She was a frontrunner for much of the campaign.
Centre-left candidate Jose Serra, the Social Democratic former governor of Sao Paulo state, had seen a boost in his support after corruption allegations surfaced involving a former aide of Ms Rousseff.
Brazil, one of the world's most populous democracies, was also choosing local and national representatives.

Germany marks 20 years as reunified nation

Click to play
A fireworks display in Berlin marks the anniversary
Germany has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of its reunification.
Chancellor Angela Merkel led the official celebrations, hosted by the northern city of Bremen and attended by tens of thousands of people.
Capitalist West and communist East Germany merged on 3 October 1990, nearly a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall which divided them.
Sunday is also the day Germany makes the last payment on debt stemming from reparations imposed after World War I.
'Solidarity tax' Mrs Merkel was joined by many leading German and international figures in Bremen to mark one of the 20th Century's historical turning points.

“Start Quote

We have been able to rebuild so quickly and make Germany a country that is respected in the world”
End Quote Angela Merkel
German President Christian Wulff told the assembled dignitaries: "We remember the momentous day that a people experience only rarely. I bow before everyone who fought for freedom... your courage moved the world."
He called for a "new solidarity" that encompassed Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
"We must not allow the cementing of prejudice and exclusion," he said.
On the eve of the anniversary, US President Barack Obama passed on his congratulations and said Germany was "one of our closest allies and greatest friends".
He said the US honoured "the courage and conviction of the German people that brought down the Berlin Wall, ending decades of painful and artificial separation".
Mrs Merkel, who was brought up in the East, praised former East Germans for fighting for their freedom.
She added: "At the same time, there was a huge wave of solidarity from the people in West Germany. It is thanks to these joint efforts that we have been able to rebuild so quickly and make Germany a country that is respected in the world."
Click to play

Angela Merkel on people still leaving Eastern Germany
Since the two countries became one, more than 1.5 million people have migrated west.
The BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin says opinion polls show some unhappiness in the west about the so-called "solidarity tax" on incomes to pay for eastern reconstruction but on both sides of the country the polls indicate a big majority in favour of a united Germany.
However, not everyone welcomed the reunification festivities.
Thousands of police were deployed in Bremen on Saturday as some 1,800 mainly left-wing activists marched through the city in protest. The demonstration passed off peacefully.
Sunday also marks the final day of German reparations for World War I.
A last payment of 70 million euros (£60m) will draw the debt to a close.
In 1919, the victorious allies wanted to ensure Germany would not be capable of war for many years and set reparations at the equivalent of 100,000 tonnes of gold.
But the plan backfired, with modern-day historians claiming the decision was a key factor in the lead-up to World War II.
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US will issue travel warning for Americans in Europe

US will issue travel warning for Americans in Europe

French police officers reinforce security at the Eiffel Tower in Paris after reports of new terror threats, 20 September 2010 Intelligence sources say al-Qaeda plans to carry out attacks in the UK, France and Germany
The US government is to issue a travel alert, warning its citizens to be vigilant while travelling in Europe because of the threat of an al-Qaeda commando-style attack.
US and UK officials have confirmed that updated guidance will be issued because of the current terror threat.
A UK official said the travel advisory would not be country-specific.
It would also not go as far as advising against travel to Europe, the official said.

Related stories

The advisory will be issued in response to intelligence on an al-Qaeda plan to assemble teams of gunmen and send them into crowded places to kill western civilians, similar to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.
Al-Qaeda planned to carry out co-ordinated attacks in cities in the UK, France and Germany, intelligence sources said.
After intelligence details of the plot had been leaked to the US media last week, officials said that the plan had not been stopped but that an attack was not expected to be carried out imminently.
Officials said no arrests had yet been made, and that several individuals were still under surveillance.
The suspects include British citizens of Pakistani and German citizens of Afghan origin.
US officials said that the travel alert would be issued on Sunday.
Such a warning could have negative consequences for European tourism if travellers fear that there is a risk of terror attacks and cancel their journeys.
However, an alert is less serious than a travel warning.
Drone attacks

“Start Quote

I won't let any terrorists try to keep me away from enjoying a European vacation”
End Quote Jake Novak
Earlier US counter-terrorism officials were reported to have said that they believe al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama Bin Laden, were also involved in the plot.
Recent US drone raids in Pakistan reportedly targeted al-Qaeda militants who inspired the plans.
The US has carried out at least 25 drone strikes so far this month in Pakistan's tribal areas - the highest monthly total for the past six years, US media reported.
US officials have been pushing Pakistan to increase their search for the militants, who are believed to be hiding in a mountainous border region in the country.

Commonwealth Games 2010: Delhi set for opening ceremony

2010 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Venue: Delhi, India Dates: 3-14 October 2010 Coverage: The opening ceremony is due to begin at 1430 BST on Sunday, 3 October. Comprehensive live coverage across BBC TV, radio, online, BBC Red Button, mobile and BBC iPlayer services. Full coverage details here. Full schedule of events here.
The opening ceremony rehearsal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
An inflatable ufo looks set to grace the opening ceremony in Delhi
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Monday, September 27, 2010

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N Korean leader's son 'promoted'Kim Jong-il file image

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, has been appointed a general ahead of a ruling party leadership conference, state media say.

Israeli settlers near bulldozers at at a construction site in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, 27 September 2010US 'disappointed' by Israeli move

The US state department expresses disappointment at Israel's decision not to extend its ban on settlement building in the West Bank.

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Israel seeks talks as freeze ends

Building materials at a construction site for a housing project in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Ariel. Photo: 26 September 2010  
 

Israel seeks talks as freeze endsJewish settlers in Revava, West Bank, celebrate before the end of Israel's construction freeze. Photo: 26 September 2010

Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu urges Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to continue talks, despite the end of Israel's ban on West Bank construction.

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Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the Palestinians to continue peace talks despite an end to Israel's ban on West Bank settlement-building.
In a statement moments after the end of the 10-month partial freeze, he asked Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to continue seeking a "historic" deal.
Earlier, Mr Abbas warned that peace talks would be a "waste of time" unless the freeze was extended.
Jewish settlers in the West Bank are expected to resume building on Monday.
Mr Abbas has made no public comments since the moratorium ended.

Israel and the Palestinians

Meanwhile, the US renewed calls for Israel to maintain the construction freeze, saying its position on the issue remained unchanged and the US state department was staying "in close touch" with all parties.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to Mr Netanyahu and also to Tony Blair, the representative of the Middle East Quartet (the EU, Russia, the UN and US), as the end of the construction freeze neared, a spokesman said.
Israel says the settlements are no bar to continuing direct talks on key issues, and US negotiators have been working intensively to secure a deal.
On Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told the BBC he would attempt to convince government colleagues of a compromise deal, said the chances of a deal on the issue was "50/50".
Gun attack The freeze on building in the West Bank expired at midnight local time on Sunday (2200 GMT).

“Start Quote

If Israel does not continue the settlement freeze, the peace process will be a waste of time”
End Quote Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian leader
Earlier in the evening, a pregnant Israeli woman and her husband were lightly wounded in a gun attack in the West Bank.
Israeli police said Palestinian gunmen opened fire on their car south of the city of Hebron. The woman later gave birth in hospital.
Meanwhile, some Jewish settlers started celebrating the end of the construction ban.
At the Jewish settlement of Revava, near the Palestinian town of Deir Itsia, reports said they released balloons and broke ground for a new nursery school before the moratorium expired.
The Israel prime minister called on the Palestinians to continue peace talks, which recently resumed after a 20-month pause and have the strong backing of US President Barack Obama.
"Israel is ready to pursue continuous contacts in the coming days to find a way to continue peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority," Mr Netanyahu said in his statement.
It was possible "to achieve a historic framework accord within a year", Mr Netanyahu said.
However, his statement did not directly mention the issue of the settlement freeze.
He had earlier urged settlers "to display restraint and responsibility".
'Waste of time'
On Sunday, Mr Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, warned that the peace talks renewed earlier this month would be futile unless the ban continued.
"If Israel does not continue the settlement freeze, the peace process will be a waste of time," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying during a visit to Paris.

Obstacles to peace

Palestinian women queue to cross a checkpoint in Bethlehem, West Bank (3 Sept 2010)
However, Mr Abbas suggested that he would consult with other Arab leaders before any decision was taken. A meeting is expected in Cairo within the next 10 days.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Jerusalem says the Palestinian leader is in a difficult position, with Israel offering few concessions, at least publicly.
If he continues negotiations, he will face accusations from his own side that the Palestinians will have backed down in the face of Israeli intransigence, our correspondent says.
It is estimated that about 2,000 housing units in the West Bank already have approval and settler leaders say they plan to resume construction as soon as possible.
The partial moratorium on new construction was agreed to by Israel in November 2009 under pressure from Washington.
It banned construction in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the Middle East war of 1967, but never applied to settlements in East Jerusalem.
US President Barack Obama has urged Israel to extend the moratorium, saying it "made a difference on the ground, and improved the atmosphere for talks".
Nearly half a million Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Are you in the region? Are you hopeful that peace talks can continue? What impact will the end to the settlement-building freeze have? You can send us your views using the form below.
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