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City hall aide moves to airport

allvoices / news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:41:12 -0600

City hall veteran Katherine Archuleta has taken a new job at Denver International Airport as senior adviser to Kim Day, manager of aviation. For the past two years, Archuleta has been senior adviser on policy and initiatives for Mayor John Hickenloop

Mumbai attacks might change US initiative on War on Terror

allvoices / contributed news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:28:00 -0600

Washington, Dec.2 : The terrorist attacks in Mumbai could fundamentally change the U.S. war on terror as President Bush hands over over to President-elect Barack Obama.

Analysts believe that in the wake of last week's attacks in Mumbai, Obama will inherit a potentially escalating conflict between India and Pakistan that could fundamentally alter the war on terror.

India has indirectly pointed fingers at Pakistan for not doing enough to rein in terror and militant elements in its territory.

If the Pakistani government, which has condemned the attack, is found to be involved, foreign policy analysts believe that could lead the longtime nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of all-out war.

"It could be disastrous," said Caroline Wadhams, a senior policy analyst for national security at the Center for American Progress.

"There would be repercussions for the world and the war in Afghanistan," Fox News quoted her as saying further.

Analysts agree that Bush has made the right initial moves and that there should be close coordination between him and Obama on the issue.

Bush sent the FBI to India to help with the investigation and assured the country's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, that the U.S. government will "devote the necessary resources and personnel to this situation."

Obama expressed sympathy for the victims of the terror attacks on Monday during a news conference in which he introduced his national security team.

But he declined to say whether the Indian government would be justified in pursuing terrorists in next-door Pakistan.

Obama said: "We're going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next days and weeks, and I think it would be very inappropriate of me to comment."

"I think both the Bush administration and the Obama transition team will have to shift part of their attention from Afghanistan to defusing the India-Pakistan crisis," said Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation who focuses on national security.

She called the Mumbai attacks a "watershed moment" for the United States.

"It's going to complicate the war on terror," she said.

If tensions ratchet up between the two nations, Pakistan, which has been an uneasy ally of the United States in the war on terror, will likely declare that it cannot fight terrorism on its western Afghanistan border because it must focus on its eastern border with India, Curtis said.

Wadhams said the Mumbai attack signals that terrorism is not going away.

Curtis said this crisis resembles the India-Pakistan military standoff early this decade that came after a militant attack on the Indian Parliament that left 14 people, including the five men who attacked the building, dead in December 2001.

Tensions died down following international diplomatic mediation, which resulted in the 2002 withdrawal of Indian and Pakistan troops from the International Border.

That same year, Lashkar was banned in Pakistan under pressure from the U.S., a year after Washington and Britain listed it as a terrorist group. It is since believed to have emerged under another name, Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

The Pakistani government denies any link to Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Obama taps Clinton, Gates for US 'new dawn' abroad

allvoices / contributed news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:24:45 -0600

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO – Barack Obama promised "a new dawn of American leadership" in a troubled world Monday, announcing a strong-willed national security team headed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who fought him long and bitterly for the presidency, and Robert Gates, the man who has been running two wars for George W. Bush.

The president-elect said he hadn't changed his mind about bringing most U.S. combat troops home from Iraq within 16 months but added a cautionary note — he'll consult with his military commanders first.

While his new team may be a bit more centrist — some war opponents might even say hawkish — than many Obama supporters might prefer, he said the withdrawal timetable he emphasized in the presidential campaign is still "the right time frame."

Clinton, as secretary of state, and Gates, remaining as defense secretary, will be the most prominent faces — besides Obama's own — of the new administration's effort to revamp U.S. policy abroad.

At a Chicago news conference, Obama also tapped top advisers Eric Holder as attorney general and Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations. He named Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be homeland security secretary and retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser.

The choices had been telegraphed days earlier but were remarkable all the same — still another major turn in Clinton's extraordinary career, a show of faith in Gates and action to support Obama's frequent talk of desiring robust debate among seasoned, opinionated people in his inner circle.

Denouncing White House "group think," Obama signaled a break from President Bush's tendency toward an insular management style and go-with-the-gut diplomacy.

"The time has come for a new beginning," said Obama, flanked by flags on a stage with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his six newest appointees. While Gates will stay at the Pentagon, Obama said the military's new mission will be "responsibly ending the war in Iraq through a successful transition to Iraqi control."

He said a newly completed agreement between Iraq and the Bush administration covering U.S. troops signals "a transition period in which our mission is changing." He added: "It indicates we are now on a glide path to reduce our forces in Iraq."

Obama has now selected half his Cabinet, including the high-profile jobs at State, Defense, Justice and Treasury. A week ago, he named his economic team, led by Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary. And soon he plans to announce New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as commerce secretary and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as health and human services secretary.

Obama's picks suggest he is mindful of his own relative inexperience; most of the appointees have decades more experience in government than he does as a former one-term Illinois senator. The selections also reflect his long-voiced desire to invite divergent viewpoints to chart the best course for the country.

"I assembled this team because I'm a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions," he said. "I think that's how the best decisions are made. ... So I'm going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House."

"But understand I will be setting policy as president," he added. He said he will be responsible for "the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions are made."

Quoting Harry S. Truman, Obama said: "The buck will stop with me."

"The time has come for a new beginning, a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century," Obama said.

Without naming Bush or directly referring to what administration critics see as America's tarnished world image over the past eight years, Obama called for a new strategy for dealing with global issues.

"We're going to have to bring the full force of our power, not only military but also diplomatic, economic, and political, to deal with those threats not only to keep America safe but also to ensure that peace and prosperity will exist around the world," he said.

Referring to his security team, Obama said: "They share my pragmatism about the use of power and my sense of purpose about America's role as a leader in the world."

Asked by reporters about his choice of Clinton, who traded barbs with him and questioned his readiness for the presidency during the campaign, he praised her and shrugged off any suggestions of future problems.

He said of the New York senator, "She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic. ... She is an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world's leaders, who will command respect in every capital and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world."

The former first lady repaid the compliment: "I am proud to join you ... and may God bless you and our great country."

Likewise, Gates said he was "honored to serve President-elect Obama."

He said he was "mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world."

"I must do my duty as they do theirs," he said of the men and women in uniform in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. "How could I do otherwise?"

At the news conference, Obama expressed sympathy for the victims of the terror attacks in Mumbai but twice declined to say whether the Indian government would be justified in pursuing terrorists in next-door Pakistan.

"This is one of those times when I have to reiterate there is one president at a time," he said. "We're going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next days and weeks, and I think it would be very inappropriate of me to comment."

Obama had drawn criticism during the campaign — including from Clinton — when he said the United States would be justified in pursuing al-Qaida terrorists in Pakistan if it had "actionable intelligence."

Clinton will give up her seat as a senator from New York to join the Cabinet. Her appointment was preceded by lengthy negotiations involving her husband, the former president, whose international business connections posed potential conflicts of interests.

Napolitano, too, must resign her current job as a border state governor. She was among the earliest Obama supporters, when Clinton seemed the likely Democratic nominee.

Gates' appointment fulfilled a campaign promise by Obama, the naming of a Republican to his Cabinet.

Holder, a former Justice Department official in the Clinton administration, led Obama's vice presidential search, while Rice was his top foreign policy adviser. Jones, meanwhile, advised both Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain during the campaign on national security issues. Last year he led a commission that advised Congress on progress in training Iraqi security forces.

Clinton, Holder, Napolitano and Rice require Senate confirmation. Jones, as a White House official, does not. Nor does Gates, already confirmed to his post.

Court dissolves Thai government for election fraud

allvoices / contributed news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:04:48 -0600

By AMBIKA AHUJA, Associated Press Writer

BANGKOK, Thailand – The Constitutional Court dissolved Thailand's top three ruling parties for electoral fraud Tuesday and temporarily barred the prime minister from politics, bringing down a government that faced months of strident protests seeking its ouster.

The ruling set the stage for thousands of protesters to end their seige of the country's two main airports. Members of the People's Alliance for Democracy protest group at Bangkok's international airport cheered and hugged after they heard news of the verdict.

"My heart is happy. My friends are very happy," said Pailin Jampapong, a 41-year-old Bangkok housekeeper choking back tears as she jumped up and down.

Government spokesman Nattawut Sai-kau said that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his ruling, six-party coalition would step down.

"We will abide by the law. The coalition parties will meet together to plan for its next move soon," he told The Associated Press.

He also said the government was postponing a regional summit in Thailand of Southeast Asian countries, from December to March.

Somchai's People's Power Party, the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai party were found guilty of committing fraud in the December 2007 elections that brought the coalition to power with thumping majority.

Court President Chat Chalavorn said the court was dissolving the parties "to set a political standard and an example."

"Dishonest political parties undermine Thailand's democratic system," he said in the court's ruling.

The ruling sends Somchai and dozens of party executives into political exile, barring them from the country's politics for five years.

But other members of the three parties that escaped the ban can join other parties and try to cobble together a new coalition and choose a new prime minister.

It was expected that Somchai would remain the caretaker prime minister until then.

Thousands of members of the protest alliance have been the main Suvarnabhumi international airport and the domestic Don Muang airport for about a week, cutting off all commercial traffic to the capital and stranding more than 300,000 foreign travelers here.

At the Suvarnabhumi airport, the verdict was read out on a protest stage outside the main terminal.

"It is good because the (corrupt) politicians have been told to get out. It is good for Thailand. This is a blow for corruption," said Nong Sugrawut, a 55-year-old businessman who was among the thousands camped at Suvarnabhumi.

Politicians banned by the verdict refused to comment.

"The court just banned me and my party from political activity so I can't give you any comment," Kuthep Saikrajang, a spokesman of the People's Power Party, told The Associated Press.

India-Pakistan relations may become Obama's top priority

allvoices / contributed news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:50:15 -0600

Chicago, Dec 2 'Sovereign nations obviously have a right to protect themselves.' This axiomatic comment by President-elect Barack Obama, while unveiling his national security team on Monday morning, is fraught with significant implications for India-Pakistan bilateral relations.

That it was made in response to a specific question whether India has the right to attack Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks makes it doubly important.

'Beyond that I do not want to comment on the specific situation that has taken place in South Asia right now. It is important for us to let the investigators do their job to make determination as to who is responsible for carrying out this heinous act. My administration will remain steadfast in support to India's efforts to catch the perpetrators of this terrible act and bring them to justice and I expect that the world community will feel the same way,' Obama said after making that comment.

His comments appeared to studiedly leave out saying he would necessarily stand in India's way were it to choose to target terrorists in Pakistan in the event the latter did not or could not contain them.

It was expected that Obama would be asked about the situation in India and its impact on relations with Pakistan as he introduced Senator Hillary Clinton as his choice for Secretary of State. From all available accounts, the Obama team has been paying considerable attention to the clear sharpening of the rhetoric from the Indian side in the aftermath of the terror attacks and its potential to yet again put the two countries on in a volatile embrace.

Although Iraq and Afghanistan remain important items of Obama's foreign policy to-do list, the dramatic appearance of the tensions between India and Pakistan could well constitute its top priority. Tied to the stability or lack thereof in Pakistan is Obama's passionate advocacy of defeating the Al Qaeda-Taliban combine now known to operate on Pakistani soil.

There is already some speculation whether Obama might follow up on his idea of appointing a special envoy to deal with the Kashmir issue, if only to relieve the Pakistani military from deploying major human resource and assets to border with India and diverting it to the country's northwest where the jehadi groups are in control. Once again popular current affairs show host Chris Mathews spoke of the possibility of former president Bill Clinton being asked to mediate in the dispute.

There are no indications at all whether Obama is even remotely considering a special envoy on Kashmir, but the talk has somehow remained in the air. Some experts believe that the Mumbai attacks lend particular urgency to the Kashmir issue, especially because the Lashkar-e-Taiba, whose core ideology is to challenge India's sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, has come under serious suspicion for its possible role in the latest attacks.

The sharpening anti-Pakistan tone in New Delhi is unlikely to go unnoticed in the headquarters of the US government-in-waiting here in Chicago. There is also realization that things can clearly spin out of control in the rawness of the atmosphere in South Asia.

Not that anyone here expects that India and Pakistan might go to war and seriously mar Obama's inauguration set for 50 days from now. But the incoming administration will be seriously chagrined at the idea of starting their term having to deal with two nuclear powers, one of them a haven for Islamist groups, locking themselves in a military conflict.

The Obama administration might feel reassured that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not given to rash actions, but at the same time they also recognize the growing political pressures on him to act tough a few months before the general elections.

Jakarta Post, Indonesia: Nusa Penida reefs may survive: Experts

allvoices / news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38:55 -0600

Experts Andra Wisnu , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar Tue, 12/02/2008 10:44 AM Bali The coral reefs in Nusa Penida, an island off the east coast of Bali, are in good condition, experts say, supporting theories that may lead to a new generation of

House and Senate leader selections

allvoices / news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:31:59 -0600

House Republicans Speaker: Mike O’Neal, Hutchinson...Organization, Calendar and Rules Committee: Morris; Vratil; Derek Schmidt; Pat Apple, Louisburg; Jim Barnett, Emporia; Pete Brungardt, Salina; Carolyn McGinn, Sedgwick; Ruth Teichman, Stafford; Dw

Report: NKorean leader visits Pyongyang zoo

allvoices / news — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:06:52 -0600

During the visit, Kim praised the reconstruction of the Central Zoo at the foot of Mount Taesong, calling it a treasure of the communist nation, the Korean Central News Agency said from the capital, Pyongyang. He noted the zoo houses a variety of ani

BREAKING NEWS:CERTIFICATE FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDANT ,FOR NOT INVOLVEMENT OF PAKISTAN IN INDIAN RECENT ATTACKS

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:57:23 -0600

Pakistan is not involved in recent indian attacks ,need to co-operate with india regarding this issue,this was stated by white house correspondant.He said that our intelligence experts have investigated on these attacks and we have reported to presidant bush also that pakistan is not involved in any manner in this activity.Here also pakistani prime minister syed yusaf raza gillani said that if india has any solid proof regarding this ,present us we ourself will do strict and hard action on it.pakistan and india should work collectively ,to defeat such elements who donot want peace in this zone.TODAY NATIONAL SOLIDARITY COUNSIL IS BEING CALLED IN ISLAMABAD,IN WHICH ALL POLITICAL PARTIES WILL PARTICIPATE TO DISCUSS ALL ISSURES REGARDING NATIONAL SOLIDARITY.

REPORT REGARDING INTERNATIONAL AIDS DAY

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:33:43 -0600

IT IS SAID THAT IN WORLD THERE ARE NEARLY 3 CRORE 32 LAKH AIDS EFFECTED PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND IN PAKISTAN THIS NUMBER IS FIVE THOUSAND .in 2007 ,21 lakh people died in the world due to aids.and at internatioinal level .aids effected people contain half of them are women.25 lakh children are also effected from aids .un aids control program says that 95 percent Aids virus effected people are from under developed countries and moslly effected part of wolrld is sub sahara africa,where effected people are 2 crore 25 lakh .in the world.aids disease,came in 1987.THIS REPORT COMPILED BY PAKISTANI LARGEST AND BIGGEST NEWSPAPER DAILY JANG CELL "JANG DEVELOPMENT REPORTING CELL".ON THE DAYS OF INTERNATIONAL AIDS DAY.

Maurice R. Greenberg: AIG Needs a New Deal

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:30:44 -0600

The federal government's intervention in the markets has become critical to the maintenance of confidence in our economic system, as last week's rescue of Citigroup suggests. Substantial public assistance will be necessary to restart many parts of ou

Judge to Matt Amorello: Get a job, buddy

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:17:09 -0600

F ormer Turnpike chief Matt Amorello, who dug a deep hole for taxpayers by botching the Big Dig , has been ordered by a judge to get a job to climb out from under a mountain of personal debt, according to court filings in his messy divorce case. The

Special Report: Warm-weather cities sinking to bottom 10

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:15:22 -0600

The figures will only get worse for small business when new data is released next year, since the census bureau's data only covers up to 2005. A large portion of the small-business community was devastated when Katrina struck in September of that yea

Schwarzenegger calls special session

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:10:25 -0600

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , with California facing an $11.2 billion deficit, called Monday for another special legislative session to deal with the crisis. "Without immediate action, our state is headed for a fiscal disaster," Schwarzenegger said wh

Trailer Estates residents claim Sunshine Law violated

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:04:18 -0600

Two sisters are suing the Trailer Estates Park and Recreation District and some of its board members, claiming they are violating state open government laws. Sharon Denson, of Illinois Avenue, and Mary Lou Smith, of Tarpon Lane, allege that since May

New government finds $1billion hole in ACC

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:08:47 -0600

The outgoing government has left an unfunded hole in the accident compensation scheme adding up to just under $1 billion over the next three years. New prime minister John Key is currently holding a press conference in the Beehive announcing the hole

Laser gun too powerful for sale

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:32:23 -0600

South Australia after failing safety checks in the lead-up to Christmas, including a toy gun with a laser 12 times more powerful than allowed under Australian law. Consumer officials said today the laser was tested at a strength of 12 milliwatts, wh

Outsiders Look to Sway Georgia Race

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:00:10 -0600

Georgia voters on Tuesday are set to resolve one of the final elections of the 2008 campaign, but some of the most active groups seeking to shape the outcome of the Senate race here won't be heading to the polls. With Democrats inching toward a 60-se

Rice says she won't give Clinton too much advice

allvoices / contributed news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:55:22 -0600

LONDON – Happily contemplating another woman as the top U.S. diplomat, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday she will offer advice, privately, and then get out of the way.

"She won't — and you won't — hear from me again," Rice said on the day President-elect Barack Obama named Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the next secretary of state. "I will certainly not make the effort to comment on everything that is done."

Rice, in London on a farewell tour, said there's a lot to recommend the U.S. system of four-year presidential terms, and thus relatively short tours of duty for Cabinet ministers.

"You'll be a very hard act to follow," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told her.

Rice also noted that Clinton would be the third woman among the last four people to be U.S. secretary of state. That fourth occupant of the job, Colin Powell, "was a black man, so white men are trailing pretty badly," Rice said. The third woman, Madeleine Albright, served during the administration of Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton.

The job is one of the most visible in the world, a distinction Rice has clearly enjoyed but also found confining.

"I am very fond of her, I think she has worked very hard on behalf of the country, I think she really comported herself well in the (Democratic presidential) campaign," Rice said of Clinton, who lost a tense nominating contest to Obama earlier this year.

Rice spoke to Clinton before she left Washington on Sunday, her spokesman said. Rice briefed Clinton on the aftermath of a terrorist rampage in India that has forced Rice to rearrange what had been planned as a low-stress European valedictory for a diplomat much better liked in European capitals than her boss.

Rice is scrapping much of the trip, including an evening in Rome, and flying to India to express direct U.S. condolences for the deaths of more than 170 people.

Obama did not announce his national security Cabinet until Monday, but Clinton had been the presumptive choice for weeks.

"She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic," Obama said in making it official. "She is an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world's leaders, who will command respect in every capital and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world."

Clinton's nomination as secretary of state is another milestone for a former first lady who was the first to win elective office, the first to run for president herself and now the first to be chosen for a Cabinet position.

"I know that she will bring enormous energy and intellect and skill to the position," Rice told reporters in London. "Most important, I know her to be somebody who has what you need most in this job, which is a deep love for the United States of America and for its values, respect for differences that we may have with friends and allies, but always recognizing that the core of who we are as Americans unites us with very many around the world, particularly Great Britain," Rice said.

Rice's two-day London visit is almost certainly her last as secretary, and closes a circle begun with her first trip abroad shortly after taking the job in 2005. She made London her first stop on a European get-acquainted tour that was intended to turn the page on bad blood between the Bush administration and European allies angry about the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Things did get better, and Rice cooperated with European powers on several diplomatic projects. The Bush administration counts the evolution of Kosovo into an independent nation as one success story, and cooperation with European powers on Iran another. Rice dropped the Bush administration's previous bans on negotiations with Iran in hopes of coaxing the regime to back down on its nuclear program. That hasn't worked, but Rice got points with formerly quarrelsome allies for trying.

Rice has more goodbyes Tuesday in Brussels, where she sees NATO allies. The United States has a long-standing beef with some NATO nations over reluctance to send large numbers of fighting forces to Afghanistan, but the dispute has been cordial. The same is true for an emerging difference over engagement with Russia following last summer's war with Georgia.

The United States wants to take any cooperation with Russia very slowly, and to avoid overtly military partnerships.

Napa center for food and wine files for bankruptcy

allvoices / news — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:40:19 -0600

The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts filed for bankruptcy protection late Monday, saying it plans to reopen soon and operate the center while it reorganizes its business affairs. The Napa wine country center filed a voluntary Chapter 11 pe