Bin Laden death fuels debate U.S. to leave Afghanistan

Page

Description

Bin Laden death fuels debate U.S. to leave Afghanistan

Informations

• Publié par: ycyzadom
• Nombre de lectures: 52
• Langue: English

Extrait

h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l

TEHRAN TIMES INTERNATIONAL DAILY CIA chief says Gaddafi survived NATO hit on house

TRIPOLI (AP) —The CIA director said he believes Moam- mar Gaddafi survived a NATO airstrike that reduced much of the Libyan leader’s family compound to rubble. Gaddafi has not been seen in public since Saturday’s attack, which Libyan officials said killed one of his sons and three grandchildren. Gaddafi was in the building, but sur- vived, Libyan officials have said, providing no details. Asked about Gaddafi’s fate since the air strike, CIA direc- tor Leon Panetta told the U.S. TV network NBC on Tuesday that “the best intelligence we have is that he’s still alive.” Libya’s deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, said Gaddafi met with tribal leaders on Tuesday. Gaddafi, Libya’s ruler for 42 years, has appeared in public only infrequently since an armed uprising against him erupted in February. Kaim, meanwhile, refused to praise or condemn the U.S. action that killed terror mastermind Osama bin Laden ear- lier this week in a hideout in Pakistan. The Libyan official would only say that his country has long fought against bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terror network. In a news conference late Tuesday, Kaim also confirmed that the Gaddafi regime is trying to block access by sea to the besieged port city of Misrata — the rebels’ bridgehead

Despite rapid growth, India lets its girls die By Muneeza Naqvi MORENA, India (AP) —The room is large and airy, the stone floors clean and cool — a welcome respite from the afternoon sun. Until your eyes take in the hor- ror that it holds. Ten severely malnourished children — nine of them girls. The starving girls in this hospital ward include a 21-month-old with arms and legs the size of twigs and an emaciated 1-year-old with huge, vacant eyes. With- out urgent medical care, most will not live to see their next birthday. They point to a painful reality revealed in India’s most recent census: Despite a booming economy and big cities full of luxury cars and glittering malls, the country is failing its girls. Early results show India has 914 girls under age 6 for every 1,000 boys. A decade ago, many were horri- fied when the ratio was 927 to 1,000. The discrimination happens through abortions of fe- male fetuses and sheer neglect of young girls, despite years of high-profile campaigns to address the issue. So serious is the problem that it’s illegal for medical personnel to reveal the gender of an unborn fetus, al- though evidence suggests the ban is widely circum- vented. “My mother-in-law says a boy is necessary,” says Sanju, holding her severely malnourished 9-month-old daughter in her lap in the hospital. She doesn’t admit to deliberately starving the girl but only shrugs her own thin shoulders when asked why her daughter is so sick. She will try again for a son in a year or two, she says. Part of the reason Indians favor sons is the enor- mous expense in marrying off girls. Families often go into debt arranging marriages and paying elaborate dowries. A boy, on the other hand, will one day bring home a bride and dowry. Hindu custom also dictates that only sons can light their parents’ funeral pyres. But it’s not simply that girls are more expensive for impoverished families. The census data shows that the worst offenders are the relatively wealthy northern states of Punjab and Haryana. In Morena, a sun-baked, largely rural district in the heart of India, the numbers are especially grim. This census showed that only 825 girls for every 1,000 boys in the district made it to their sixth birthdays, down from an already troubling 829 a decade ago. Though abortion is allowed in India, the country banned revealing the gender of unborn fetuses in 1994 in an attempt to halt sex-selective abortions. Every few years, federal and state governments announce new incentives — from free meals to free education — to encourage people to take care of their girls. In Morena, a Madhya Pradesh state government program offers poor families with one or two daugh- ters a few thousand rupees (a few hundred dollars) for every few years of schooling, and more than 100,000 rupees ($2,250) when they graduate high school. But while a handful of Indian women have attained some of the highest positions in politics and business — from late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi — a deep-rooted cultural preference for sons remains. Even the government has accepted that it has failed to save millions of little girls. “Whatever measures that have been put in over the last 40 years have not had any impact,” India’s Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said last month when announcing the census numbers. In Morena’s homes, villages, schools and hospitals lie some of the answers to why the country keeps los- ing girls.

Netanyahu in Europe to incite

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC) — Israeli premier Benja- min Netanyahu met on Wednesday a number of top Brit- ish officials in London as part of a European tour aimed at mobilizing opposition to the reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah factions. A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu would discuss with European officials the issue of unity between Hamas and Fatah and warn them against the political partner- ship that Mahmoud Abbas intends to establish with Hamas Movement. The Israeli premier had asked Abbas a few days ago to backtrack on his intention to reconcile with Hamas and to return to Israel’s peace talks, on the ground that such an agreement constitutes a serious blow to the peace process. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia has called on the powerful Quartet to encourage and support the signed Hamas-Fatah unity deal, and not only to recognize it. Saudi Arabian Prince Talal bin Badr Al Saud advocated that Palestinian unity is in the interest of democracy, stabil- ity, and peace in the region. He declared the abrupt deal the most important event for the Palestinians in 2011.

Saudi women to vote in next municipal elections

RIYADH (Xinhua) —Saudi women will be granted the right to vote in the next municipal elections due to be held four years later, state-run SPA news agency reported Wednesday. It did not say whether the Saudi women will be allowed to stand as candidates or not. A study is underway for a new municipal elections law, Abdul- Rahman al-Dahmash, the electoral committee head, was quoted as saying. He added that the legal age for vot- ing will be changed from 21 to 18. The Saudi government in March ruled out the participa- tion of female candidates or voters in the municipal elec- tions slated for Sept. 22. The decision to ban women from voting has disappointed many Saudi women as well as men advocating the rights of women in the oil-rich kingdom. The election centers across Saudi Arabia which opened on April 23 for voters to register for forthcoming municipal elections saw a low turnout. The oil-rich country held its first municipal polls in 2005, when people elected half the members of 178 municipal councils. In May 2009, the government extended the man- date of the councils by two years, postponing a second vote to 2011.

Pakistani media and local residents gather outside the hideout of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden death fuels debate U.S. to leave Afghanistan By staff & agencies  to lessen the risks emanating from the tleend to war, conflict, and the killing of inno- WASHINGTON/TEHRAN —The death  cent people and will help establish peace region, in particular the concern that Af-  of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden  in the region,” Mehmanparast said. ghanistan could descend into chaos. has intensified the debate about the Unit-  He added, “This event clearly shows The White House on Tuesday was   ed States’ war in Afghanistan and added  that there was no need to launch a mas- careful to avoid stirring expectations for pressure for a faster troop withdrawal.  sive military campaign to deal with a sin- a quicker withdrawal even as officials President Barack Obama made the  gle person.” touted bin Laden’s death as a develop-  defeat of Al-Qaeda his top goal when he  Mehmanparast also stated, “The Is- ment that would send a strong signal to rolled out a revamped strategy for the  lamic Republic of Iran, as one of the Al-Qaeda and other militant groups. Afghanistan war in 2009 and ordered a  greatest victims of terrorism, condemns White House spokesman Jay Carney 30,000-troop increase, Reuters reported.  every kind of terrorism, such as the or- told reporters that Obama’s existing plan Administration officials have long ac-  ganized terrorism in the Zionist regime.” for Afghanistan “remains on track” and knowledged that the number of Al-Qaeda  According to the Reuters, the killing reiterated plans for a July 2011 “transi- operatives in Afghanistan has dwindled  of bin Laden, the most powerful symbol tion” in which a modest withdrawal of to perhaps no more than a few dozen.  of militancy, may further erode support U.S. troops is expected to begin. On Monday, Iran announced that with  among the U.S. public and members of “The pace of that drawdown will be the death of Al-Qaeda leader, certain for-  Congress for the Afghanistan war ahead determined by conditions on the ground,” eign states have lost the pretext they were  of a July deadline for the promised start Carney said. That sentiment was echoed using to maintain their military presence in  to troop reductions. by Democratic Senator John Kerry, a the region, the Tehran Times reported.  “The question that has to be asked close ally of Obama. “The Islamic Republic of Iran believes  now is: Could we protect vital interests “With the death of bin Laden, some that the excuse used by foreign countries  and draw down quicker than we have people will ask why we don’t pack up to wage a military operation in the region  planned to do?” said Daniel Serwer, a and leave Afghanistan. We can’t do that,” under the pretext of fighting against ter-  professor at Johns Hopkins University. said Kerry, chairman of the Senate For- rorism has been eliminated,” Iranian  U.S. analysts believe bin Laden long eign Relations Committee. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Me-  ago ceased to be a major operational Still, war-weary Americans may find it hmanparast stated.  player within Al-Qaeda. Because of that, harder to buy the case for a continued “We hope that this incident will bring an  many analysts said his death may do lit- large presence in Afghanistan. Iraq: Car bomb kills 16 in Shia neighborhood BAGHDAD (AFP)A car bomb tore through a cafe packedbig terrorist bin Laden. They intend to do this against such  the — with young men watching a football match Tuesday in Bagh- gatherings in Shia areas,” Jasim Hashim, a 20-year-old student dad, killing at least 16 people, officials said. who lives about 200 yards (meters) from where the bomb went Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, which struck a off in front of a popular cafe. Shia enclave in a mainly Sunni neighborhood, but it bore the He said his parents had refused to let him go out, fearing just hallmarks of the terror network’s chapter in Iraq. Al-Qaeda op- such an attack after bin Laden’s capture, but one of his close eratives have vowed revenge for bin Laden’s death on Monday. friends was at the cafe and killed in the attack. Iraqi security officials said Monday that they were increasing Violence in Iraq has decreased dramatically since the height of security amid fears that insurgents would try to strike immedi- the insurgency when groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq carried out ately following bin Laden’s death as a way to show they are still car bombs, kidnappings and shootings daily. But the terror groups a potent force. still have the ability to wage violent attacks as the U.S. prepares to Most of the dead and wounded were young people watch- withdraw all its forces by the end of this year. ing a football match, said police and hospital officials. A vendor Earlier Tuesday, a police colonel in northern Iraq was killed selling food near the cafe also was among the 16 killed. The by a roadside bomb, police and medical officials said. Col- officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they leagues of Eid al-Namis said he was known in the Namroud were not authorized to release the information, said 37 people area, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) south of the northern city also were wounded. of Mosul, for his work in hunting al-Qaeda operatives there. The attack occurred in a Shia enclave in the former insur- According to a Mosul police officer, al-Namis had already gent stronghold of Dora, an area in southwestern Baghdad that survived at least three assassination attempts before he was saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Iraq conflict. killed Tuesday morning when the bomb hit his convoy. The po- Many Iraqis were quick to blame the terror network. lice and medical officials also declined to be identified because “This is the cowardly reaction of al-Qaeda after the killing of they were not authorized to speak to the media.

3 MAY 5, 2011

Bahraini forces continue to demolish mosques By staff & agencies MANAMA — forces Bahraini backed by Saudi troops have continued their efforts to destroy Muslim holy sites in Bahrain, intensifying their crackdown on the popular revolution in the Persian Gulf state. Eyewitnesses say the forces razed another prayer hall to the ground on Wednesday, Press TV reported. Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February, calling for an end to the over 40-year rule of the al-Khalifa dynasty. Meanwhile, Bahraini authori- ties have referred 47 medics to a military court after accusing them of abusing their posts to take part in anti-regime protests that were crushed in March. According to AFP, the defend- ants include 24 doctors and 23 nurses, the kingdom’s Informa- tion Affairs Authority (IAA) said in a statement late Tuesday, adding that the military prosecu- tion has already leveled several charges against them. Authorities set up a military court after King Hamad declared a state of national safety, a lower level of emergency, a day before security forces crushed a Shiite- dominated month-long protest demanding democratic reforms. The medics have all worked at the Salmaniya Medical Com- plex in Manama, which was stormed by security forces after they drove protesters on March 16 out of the nearby Pearl Square -- the focal point of pro- tests inspired by uprisings that have swept the Arab world. At the time, Bahraini state media accused medics who sympathized with the protesters of occupying the SMC and turn- ing it into a protest ground. The 47 medics have been charged with “refusal to extend assistance to a person in need, embezzlement of public funds, assault, assault that resulted in death, unauthorized possession of weapons and ammunition, re- fusal to perform duties and put- ting people’s lives and health at risk,” the IAA said. 5 dead, 9 missing in Mexican coal mine explosion SAN JUAN DE SABINAS (AP) —Mexican officials who had hoped to call in Chilean experts to help rescue 14 miners trapped in a coal mine instead have had to break the tragic news to relatives that five bodies have already been found and there is lit- tle hope the nine others have survived. The gas explosion that ripped through the primitive, vertical- shaft mine Tuesday was so powerful it seriously injured a 15-year-old boy working on a conveyor belt outside the pit. Labor Secretary Javier Lozano said that left little hope those inside could have withstood the force of the blast. “The outlook is very bad,”   Lozano said at the scene. “The truth is that it does not allow us to hold out much hope.” A team of four rescuers who entered the mine after an initial explorer declared it safe to do so, quickly found the bodies of three miners at the front face of the rubble shaken loose by the blast. The mine employees later found two more bodies, and one rescuer who had been down the partially collapsed shaft said there was little chance anyone survived.