Thursday, December 2, 2010

Cable: Bout extradition was almost stopped - UPI.com

Cable: Bout extradition was almost stopped - UPI.com

BANGKOK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. diplomats feared allies of alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout would stop his U.S. extradition from Thailand, a cable released by WikiLeaks indicated Thursday.

U.S. Ambassador Eric John told Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that Bout's "Russian supporters have been using money and influence" to persuade Thai courts to rule Bout should not be extradited to the United States, a Feb. 13, 2009, cable obtained by WikiLeaks and published on its Web site said.

John also told Abhisit witnesses had falsely testified that Bout was in Thailand on legitimate business at the time of his arrest, the cable said.

The cable, sent to Washington from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand, also said U.S. officials had learned of "a scheme to arrest and thereby embarrass two U.S. diplomats -- i.e. DEA (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) agents assigned to the Bout investigation -- on meritless charges of participating in illegal recordings of Bout on the day of his arrest," the cable on the WikiLeaks Web site said.

A second cable John sent to Abhisit Aug. 13, 2009 -- two days after Thailand's Criminal Court rejected a U.S. request to extradite Bout -- encouraged "the Thai government to issue a public statement expressing disappointment in the judges' decision, its intention to win on appeal and a reiteration of Thailand's commitment to both the struggle against international terrorism and to its extensive law enforcement relationship with the United States."

Abhisit said Thursday his government was not pressured by Washington to extradite Bout, the Bangkok Post reported.

Bout, 43, reputed to have been the world's largest arms trafficker before his 2008 arrest in Thailand, was extradited to the United States last month to face federal charges of agreeing in a sting operation to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to agents posing as Colombian rebels intending to kill American pilots patrolling in the drug war.

Bout denied any links to arms trafficking. He faces possible life in prison if convicted.

Bout -- dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for allegedly selling guns, ammunition, tanks and helicopters to armed groups that U.S Treasury officials said inflamed conflicts in Afghanistan, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan -- is said to have inspired the 2005 thriller film, "Lord of War," starring Nicolas Cage.

France pressed CAR on disinviting Sudan's Bashir as ICC judges calls for his arrest - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

France pressed CAR on disinviting Sudan's Bashir as ICC judges calls for his arrest - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

December 1, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an order today asking the government of the Central African Republic to arrest the Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir once he arrives for the country’s Golden Jubilee Independence Day celebrations.

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President of the Central African Republic Francois Bozize (AFP)

Bashir was close to embarking on the one-day trip which was never made public by state media but reported by the Al-Rayaam pro-government newspaper on Tuesday. The Sudanese leader is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity he allegedly orchestrated in Darfur.

In a statement, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber said CAR officials should "take all necessary measures to arrest Omar al-Bashir and transfer him to the Court, in the event and at the moment that he arrives in the country’s territory," noting that the CAR has "the obligation to execute" ICC arrest warrants as a state party to the court’s Rome Statute since 2001.

Otherwise the CAR has to inform the judges on why it cannot execute the warrant.

However, the visit by Bashir was confirmed to be cancelled in the early hours of the day for what it turned out to be the result of French pressure.

An aide to CAR President Francois Bozize told Reuters the no show by Bashir followed a long conversation late on Tuesday between Bozize and French Cooperation Minister Henri de Raincourt, who was present.

"I think Bashir’s absence is a result of the conversation between the French minister and the head of state," the aide said. "Not only France finds this invitation very embarrassing but it would cause us big problems if Bashir came."

In Khartoum, a presidential source told Reuters Bashir had decided not to attend the event, without elaborating on the reasons.

Yesterday, a number of rights groups in CAR have urged the government to honor its obligations and arrest Bashir should he enter the country or bar him entry in the alternative. The ICC is currently trying former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for crimes blamed on his militia in the CAR in 2002 and 2003.

The incident is another diplomatic setback for the Sudanese leader who managed to visit two ICC treaty signatories namely Chad and Kenya without being apprehended. Kenya in particular faced heavy international criticism for failing to arrest al-Bashir in August, including from U.S. President Barack Obama. Kenya then ducked out of hosting a regional summit al-Bashir was to attend in October.

This week Libya asked Bashir to stay away from the Africa-EU summit held in Tripoli to avoid a mass walkout by EU members. Khartoum angered by the exclusion cancelled its participation at the gathering on all levels and slammed "hypocrisy" of the European bloc.

One observer told Sudan Tribune that the Sudanese government is particularly concerned over the prospect of having Bashir isolated amongst neighboring countries despite having gained full backing of the African Union against the ICC.

Today the African Union Peace and Security Council called for the suspension of ICC proceedings against Bashir by the UN Security Council (UNSC) in order to ensure implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan.

(ST)

Russia to test another Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter - English pravda.ru

Russia to test another Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter

22.11.2010

Russia's Sukhoi design bureau will start testing another T-50 PAK FA fifth generation fighter jet until the end of the year. Mikhail Pogosyan, the head of the bureau, told reporters on November 22 that the first plane, which is currently being tested, had performed 40 flights. The official described the tests of the new plane as successful and fast.

The maiden flight of Russia's new fighter jet, produced with the use of stealth technology, took place on January 29 in Russia's Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The serial production of the fifth-generation fighter is expected to be launched in 2015. The PAK FA jet is said to replace MiG-29 and Su-27 in Russia's Air Force. The training of crews for T-50 is to begin in 2013. T-50 is expected to overcome Western analogues in terms of the price-efficiency correlation and raise significant interest on the international market. For the time, it is only the United States that has fifth-generation fighter jets.

According to Mikhail Pogosyan, Sukhoi currently has over 100 orders for the plane from Russia's defense ministry. More orders are to be signed next year, the official said. The total number of orders for PAK FA planes may reach 150, RIA Novosti reports.

Three years ago, the Russian Federation put forward a suggestion to India to participate in the creation of PAK FA. The two sides will spend approximately 8-10 billion dollars on the project. Two versions of the new plane are to be designed - with one and two seats.

Russia is expected to finish the talks regarding India's participation in the project until the end of the current year. The fifth-generation fighter jet is to be put into service in Russia and India in 2020.

In the future, the two countries intend to sell T-50 planes to other countries. Russia and India are working on an export modification of the plane. The export version of the plane is called FGFA - Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft. Sukhoi plans to produce 100 fifth-generation aircraft a year.

A fifth generation jet fighter, it is designed to directly compete with Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The PAK-FA SH121 radar complex includes three X-Band AESA radars located on the front and sides of the aircraft. These will be accompanied by L-Band radars on the wing leading edges. L-Band radars are proven to have increased effectiveness against VLO targets which are optimized only against X-Band frequencies, but their longer wavelengths reduce their resolution.

The PAK-FA will feature an IRST optical/IR search and tracking system. Sukhoi recently demonstrated cockpit mock-ups, which may relate to both Su-35 or PAK-FA, suggest two very large MFDs and a very wide HUD.

As for its drawbacks, experts point out the improper use of the stealth technology in the production of PAK FA. Choosing between maneuverability and stealth, Sukhoi chose the first quality.

Experts also say that the electronic equipment of the T-50 does not meet the requirements of a fifth-generation jet.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin observed the flight of the T-50 fighter in June of this year in the Moscow region. It was a 16th test flight of the aircraft. Putin stated after the test that the new Russian fighter will be twice as cheap as its Western analogues, whereas its performance will exceed that of its prime competitor, the F-22 of the USA.

Russia to restore naval presence in all oceans - English pravda.ru

Russia to restore naval presence in all oceans

26.11.2010

42498.jpegRussia may open new naval bases in other countries, President Dmitry Medvedev stated November 25 at a meeting with Russia's top brass.

"Unfortunately, the reality is that a number of our previous opportunities have disappeared," Medvedev said. Medvedev said that he now had "certain ideas" about how these could be replaced. "But for obvious reasons, I will not say them out loud," he added.

First and foremost, it goes about support points for Russian vessels on the territory of foreign countries. It is necessary to build such objects to support Russia's military presence in strategically important parts of the globe.

According to the president, it is very expensive and inefficient to send support vessels along with combat ships. "At this point, our foreign partners enjoy better conditions because they organized many bases in different parts of the world, where thy can stop and fuel their vessels. In general, this subject requires attentive participation of the state," the president said.

First and foremost, it goes about the USA, as well as Great Britain and France - the countries that preserve military presence in all oceans.

The USSR had an extensive network of foreign naval bases and technical support points. The nation had such bases in 16 countries of the globe. It goes about Cuba, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Ethiopia, Yemen, Angola, Guinea, Libya, Tunisia, Yugoslavia and Vietnam.

The above-mentioned bases guaranteed the USSR's naval presence in critically important regions of the globe, where the country was competing with the United States. In addition, the bases allowed to support Soviet allies during the moments when the USA tried to put pressure on them.

The USSR also had war rooms and wiretapping stations in foreign countries. Such stations were located in Poland, Finland, Somalia, Vietnam, North Korea, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Egypt and Libya.

Nearly all of them were liquidated as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, because the new Russian administration believed that it would be extremely expensive for the country to maintain them. Naval bases in Vietnam and Cuba were shut down just several years ago.

Konstantin Sivkov, an expert with the Academy for Geopolitical Problems, believes that opening new naval bases in foreign countries is a noble initiative that Russia needs to pursue.

"Naval bases ensure influence for this or that country in strategically important regions of the globe. During the Soviet era, we had constant presence in all oceans. It is not that hard to restore those bases, because many of the old bases were put in dead storage. The problem is different: the Russian Pacific Navy has been considerably cut, and Russia does not have considerable resources to both defend its shores and open new naval bases," the expert said.

Where will new Russian military objects appear? The most likely destinations are Vietnam, Syria and Algeria. It is not ruled out that Russian Latin American allies will offer their bases for the Russian navy as well.

Spankin' Sarah Palin: A clown short of a circus - English pravda.ru

Opinion » Columnists

Spankin' Sarah Palin: A clown short of a circus

30.11.2010

I have already called Sarah Palin a pith-headed bimbo from the back of beyond, in this column. I shall now go one step further. By attacking the democratically elected President of the United States of America at a sensitive time in her country's history, she shows the tact of a boorish drunkard bawling obscenities at a funeral.

42541.jpegIf Sarah Palin is not some kind of a massive political joke in the USA, wheeled out to liven up the political scene from time to time with nonsensical and pastiche (one hopes) displays of sheer and utter ignorance, then it is worrying. It is even more so if anyone other than a manic depressive suffering from a chronic lack of lithium takes this...female...seriously.

Hockey Mum Sarah ex-Governess of Alaska is famous for her shrill shrieking style, displaying a pitifully shallow persona which one hopes is stage-managed to give the rest of the world a good chuckle at the Americans' ability and unique quality to make fun of themselves, a real-life female version of Homer Simpson-cum-Belching Barney at Mo's, giving us ever-more hilarious soundbites as she sets herself up as the dumbest woman on Earth.

Just occasionally, one encounters a bar-room idiot whose party piece is belching loudly before falling backwards off his stool, bouncing off the floor on his backside with a background provided by guffaws of laughter, yet who winks knowingly as he is carried out with his feet scraping along the ground and says "Don't worry son, most of it is an act".

The act. It reminds one of Marilyn Monroe putting on the act of the dumb blonde. But an act it was, a character projected by a shrewd, intelligent and charismatic woman with the ability to invent a persona. Sarah Palin, however, is the real-life thing. And it is becoming patently obvious that it isn't an act.

Sarah Palin, the one famous for ludicrous statements such as "I want to help clean up the state that is so sorry today of journalism. And I have a communications degree"; she is after all someone who "must have lived such a doggoned sheltered life", Sarah "We're all Arizonans now" Palin, cracking down on immigrants when the US of A is after all a country formed by...whom?

And now she turns not only against the fibre and backbone of her country, but against its democratically-elected President, accusing him of being incompetent for not stopping Wikileaks. Where was she and where was her GOP before and during the 9/11 attacks? She accuses President Obama of not taking "steps" to assure the leaks were not published. What "steps"?

Sinister Sarah Palin then goes on to insinuate that she is an advocate of cyber terrorism, questioning "Did we use all the cyber tools at our disposal to dismantle WikiLeaks?" Surely a more sensible question would have been why the material for the leaks was provided in the first place...and this has nothing to do with President Obama, but indeed speaks volumes about the State apparatus itself which goes beyond party politics. Her question also speaks volumes about her own inability to perform logical and strategic thinking.

President Obama after all knows the difference between North and South Korea, he knows that Hawaii is the largest US island and not Kodiak and he does not use the expression "refudiate".

If anything is a threat to the national security of the United States of America, it is this screaming, unrefined oaf with as much class as a searing release of flatulence followed by hysterical giggling at a state banquet. Is this what the people of the USA deserve?

To attack the President of the country at a time when the USA needs to close ranks and stand together to consolidate the enormous strides his intelligent and respectful approach has achieved in building bridges, when her party's period in government bombed them, Spankin' Sarah Palin comes across as a pitifully inadequate anachronism from the times of the Far West.

The United States of America has evolved. She has not.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Welcome to the United States Department of Justice

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the 2010 District of New Mexico Tribal Consultation
Albuquerque, N.M. ~ Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Good afternoon, and thank you for allowing me to join you today. I want to thank United States Attorney Gonzales for holding today’s consultation and for inviting me to be a part of it. As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, it’s important to also demonstrate the United States Government’s commitment to strong partnerships with Native American governments.

President Obama has made clear, through words and actions, his commitment to helping to build and sustain healthy and safe native communities. He recognizes the important contributions that Native Americans have made to our culture, our traditions and our history, and he understands our obligation to help lift up and strengthen tribal nations for the benefit of us all.

Earlier this year, the President signed the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, which included a variety of measures to help the federal government better address the unique public safety challenges that face Native American communities across the country.

Attorney General Eric Holder, backed by this strong commitment from President Obama, has made Tribal justice and safety a top priority for the Justice Department. And over the course of the last year, the Department has undertaken a number of efforts to address public safety concerns in tribal communities.

Most recently, on November 17, Attorney General Holder announced the establishment of the Office of Tribal Justice as a separate component within the organizational structure of the Department of Justice. The office has played, and will continue to play, a key role in the Department’s ongoing initiative to improve public safety in Indian country and to serve as a cultural and legal resource within the Department on matters of Indian law. Now that the Office of Tribal Justice has been given permanent, formal status, you can feel confident that your issues will remain a strong focus for the Department of Justice not just in this administration, but in the future as well.

Recognizing the importance of open dialogue and communication, the Attorney General has also announced the creation of the Justice Department’s Tribal Nations Leadership Council (TNLC) , a group of tribal leaders from around the country that will advise him on issues critical to tribal communities. This will be the first council composed of tribal leaders selected by tribal governments to advise Justice Department leadership on an ongoing basis.

The Department also has a new effort to streamline the Department’s grant-making process to save time and resources, and to allow tribes and the Department to gain a broader and better understanding of overall public safety needs. The Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) combines 10 different DOJ grant programs into a single solicitation. In September, hundreds of American Indian and Alaska Native communities received the first grants under CTAS -- almost $127 million to enhance law enforcement, bolster justice systems, prevent youth substance abuse, serve sexual-assault and elder victims, and support other efforts to combat crime.

In January of this year, the Department directed the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 45 districts that contain Indian Country to meet and consult with tribes in their district annually – today is part of that effort. The U.S. Attorneys were also asked to develop an operational plan addressing public safety in Indian country; work closely with tribal law enforcement on improving public safety in tribal communities; and pay particular attention to violence against women in Indian country and make prosecuting these crimes a priority. The U.S. Attorneys and their staffs are the Justice Department’s boots on the ground, and they play a critical role in the Government’s efforts to improve public safety in Indian country. This spring, the Attorney General announced the allocation of 33 new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to 21 judicial districts that contain Indian Country.

The Department has also launched three Indian Country Community Prosecution Teams, in an effort to improve access to the federal criminal justice system and improve collaboration between Federal and tribal prosecution and law enforcement. Three pilot programs have been launched, including one right here in New Mexico. U.S. Attorney Gonzales has launched a pilot with the Navajo Nation. Each Community Prosecution Team includes an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a victim-witness specialist, and will be assigned to work on a regular basis on the reservation of a specific tribe. The Assistant U.S. Attorney in each of the pilots will work with the tribal community to identify key objectives and strategies for that community and work with the tribe to implement solutions.

Meanwhile, the President’s FY 2011 Budget request includes $448.8 million in total resources for public-safety initiatives for tribal communities. New investments would include significant grant resources for addressing a broad range of criminal-justice issues, 45 additional FBI agents, and forensic support to help tribal communities combat illegal drug use, trafficking, and violent crime.

All of these efforts are critical to improving public safety – which in turn improves overall quality of life.

But the efforts of the Justice Department don’t stop there. Through the enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws, we are also working to improve access to equal justice and opportunity.

The Civil Rights Division’s critical mission has three basic principles:

· We expand opportunity and access for all people – the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to live where one chooses, the opportunity to move up the economic ladder, the opportunity to realize one’s highest and best use.

· We ensure that the fundamental infrastructure of democracy is in place – by protecting the right to vote, and by ensuring that communities have effective and democratically accountable policing.

· We protect and empower people so that they can move out of the shadows and into the sunshine – by ensuring they can live in their communities free from fear of exploitation, discrimination and violence.

Because only when all individuals have access to the great promise of equal opportunity will we all be able to collectively say we have created the more perfect union envisioned by the framers of our Constitution.

To this end, we are working hard to implement the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Passed in 2009, the law was years in the making, championed by the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and allows us to prosecute hate crimes committed because of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The new law also makes it easier to prosecute racially motivated violence by removing cumbersome and unnecessary jurisdictional barriers in these cases.

And we recently indicted the first case under this landmark law, right here in New Mexico. Earlier this month, a grand jury indicted three men in Albuquerque on federal hate crime charges related to the racially-motivated assault of a 22-year-old man of Navajo descent who has a significant cognitive impairment.

The defendants are entitled to a presumption of innocence, and we will work hard to continue to ensure they receive a fair trial. The allegations are chilling. The indictment alleges that the defendants branded the victim using a wire hanger that had been heated on a stove. The wire burned the victim’s flesh, causing a permanent swastika-shaped scar on his arm. It is alleged that as part of the plan and purpose of their conspiracy, the defendants further defaced the victim’s body with white supremacist and anti-Native American symbols, including shaving a swastika in the back of the his head and using marker to write the words "KKK" and "White Power" within the lines of the swastika. The indictment also alleges that the defendants took advantage of the victim’s developmental disability to induce him to make a cell phone video in which he purportedly consents to the branding.

I spent much of my career prosecuting hate crimes, but the details of these cases never cease to break my heart. Hate crimes reflect a cancer of the soul, and crimes like this are a devastatingly persistent reminder that bigotry and hate continue to affect too many communities across our nation, and they will not be tolerated in the country that prides itself on freedom.

We have also prosecuted criminal civil rights cases involving Native Americans who were victims of sex trafficking. We recently completed a sex trafficking case in South Dakota. We have prosecuted police off icers for beating Native American victims in Arizona and Montana, and corrections officers for beating a Native American detainee in North Carolina.

The se criminal civil rights cases are a critical component of our civil rights docket, but our civil rights work extends to many other areas where discrimination rears its ugly head.

For instance, we know that minority communities were hit particularly hard in the foreclosure crisis, and we have created a Fair Lending unit to address any past and future credit discrimination. Access to credit is the foundation of wealth in our nation, and in order to have real equal opportunity, individuals must have equal access to credit. Particularly in communities where unemployment rates were already high pre-recession, as with many Native communities, it is critical that we remain vigilant in enforcing fair housing and fair lending laws to ensure they do not suffer even further.

Several years ago, the Civil Rights Division settled a lending case that alleged that a lender that operated in parts of the West and Southwest had refused to make loans to people who lived on Indian reservations. Age-old tactics like this unfortunately remain all too common, and we remain committed to aggressive enforcement – we currently have several investigations into potential lending discrimination against Native Americans based on the fact that they live in Indian country. Fair and equal access to credit is fundamental in providing economic opportunities to those in Indian Country and elsewhere, and we will not tolerate lenders that restrict access to consumer credit on equal terms because of a person's national origin and where they live.

Voting rights remain a cornerstone of civil rights in our nation, and we are working hard to ensure that all individuals have access to the ballot and can exercise their right to vote. This includes ensuring that those voters who do not speak English can have their voices heard.

Last spring, we reached an agreement with a county in South Dakota to ensure the voting rights of Lakota-speaking American Indian voters. Of the County’s 6,855 residents who are voting age, 86 percent are American Indian. 400 of them are limited English proficient and speak Lakota. The agreement with Shannon County ensures those 400 voters can access the ballot by ensuring compliance with provisions of the Voting Rights Act that require the county to provide election materials and information in Lakota. The agreement provides for a comprehensive Lakota language assistance program, including trained bilingual election officials to be available at all polling places in the County. Further, the agreement provides that each polling place will have in place an operational voting system that provides accessibility for minority language voters through a Lakota audio ballot as well as accessibility to voters with disabilities. Federal observers monitored the elections in Shannon County earlier this month to ensure compliance with the agreement.

Here in New Mexico, we monitored elections in Cibola and Sandoval Counties to determine compliance with consent decrees that require those counties to provide election materials and information in Navajo, Keres and Towa. We remain committed to ensuring that all voters can access the ballot, and that language will not stand as a barrier to the most important right guaranteed by our Constitution.

On the employment front, we recently completed a case involving the city of Gallup, NM. The case involved allegations that the city systematically refused to hire qualified Native American applicants for positions throughout the city, including the police, fire, solid waste and utility departments. The consent decree provided substantial relief for the victims, and the court ended the decree last year. The city’s Human Resources Department is now run by a member of the Zuni tribe. Another claimant went on to be elected as the McKinley County Assessor, and yet another finished her college degree using settlement money to pay the final tuition bill. We will continue to work to ensure that workers are judged only by the content of their character and their qualifications for the job.

In October, the Attorney General and Secretary Vilsack at the Department of Agriculture announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against USDA by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA. The settlement ends litigation concerning discrimination complaints from Native Americans generally covering the period 1981-1999. It is one of a series of settlements to right the wrongs of decades of discrimination, and it will allow Native American farmers who feel they have been the victims of discrimination to move forward and focus on their futures. Under the settlement agreement, $680 million will be made available to eligible class members to compensate them for their discrimination claims.

These are just some examples of the reach of our nation’s civil rights laws, and we are committed to working with you to ensure that Tribal communities are afforded the protections guaranteed by those laws. The Civil Rights Division recently re-established the Division’s Indian Working Group, which had been dormant since 2004 or 2005. The group is working on outreach to Native American communities and providing support on Native American issues, cases and matters. I expect that as a result of the Group’s re-establishment, we will see more work in the near future on issues of importance to Native communities.

But in order to be truly effective, we need to hear from you. When you know of civil rights violations occurring, please let us know. We have the power of the law and the federal government behind us – you have your ear to the ground and the intimate knowledge of what happens in your communities. We must work together to ensure that all individuals can access the critical protections provided by our civil rights laws.

It is critical that we remain vigilant in our efforts to combat discrimination against Native Americans. These efforts, as well as the Department’s other efforts to improve public safety, are simply one part of the broader goal of improving the quality of life for tribal communities.

All of these efforts, in the Civil Rights Division, in the Justice Department and across the Administration, are evidence of our deep commitment to helping to improve the quality of life in tribal communities and to working together to create stronger, sustainable communities.

Thank you for participating in today’s consultation, and for allowing me to join you. I look forward to answering any questions.

American Humane: Email - Therapy Dog Brings Healing to Wounded Warriors

American Humane: Email - Therapy Dog Brings Healing to Wounded Warriors

Taking the First Steps to a New Life

Lacey and Thea spend every Saturday at Fort Carson’s Evans Army Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colo., as part of the Wounded Warriors Project, which provides support to service men and women injured in the war on terrorism. Many are amputees who arrive at Evans to begin the grueling process of learning to walk again using prostheses or robotics. Lacey attends their physical therapy sessions, offering unconditional love, acceptance and encouragement as patients take their first tentative steps with their new limbs - and are rewarded with a congratulatory wag and wiggle.

Lacey also brings her calm, soothing presence to service members with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as deployed service members’ families who are patients at Evans - everyone from military retirees to pregnant wives to newborns.

Thea, who is the civilian commander of the 50th Force Support Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and is married to a retired Air Force officer, has a special place in her heart for the wounded warriors at Evans. “A lot of people miss their dogs when they’re deployed, so when they return, Lacey helps give them some sense of connection and normalcy. We get thanked all the time for coming to visit these men and women. It’s so important to their recovery to know that people care about them.”

As long as courageous service men and women continue to make sacrifices for our country, the need for animal-assisted therapy will continue to grow.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Oregon Resident Arrested in Plot to Bomb Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Portland

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Oregon Resident Arrested in Plot to Bomb Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Portland
Vehicle Bomb Left at Scene Was Inert and Posed No Danger to Public

PORTLAND – Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia and resident of Corvallis, Ore., has been arrested on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) in connection with a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony earlier this evening in Portland, Ore., the Justice Department announced.

According to a criminal complaint signed in the District of Oregon, Mohamud was arrested by the FBI and Portland Police Bureau at approximately 5:40 p.m. (PST) Nov. 26, 2010 after he attempted to detonate what he believed to be an explosives-laden van that was parked near the tree lighting ceremony in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square. The arrest was the culmination of a long-term undercover operation, during which Mohamud had been monitored closely for months as his alleged bomb plot developed. The device was in fact inert; and the public was never in danger from the device.

Mohamud is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Portland on Monday. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

“The complaint alleges that Mohamud attempted to detonate what he believed to be a vehicle bomb at a crowded holiday event in downtown Portland, but a coordinated undercover law enforcement action was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “While the public was never in danger from the device, this case serves as yet another reminder of the need for continued vigilance both at home and abroad.”

Dwight C. Holton, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said, “This defendant’s chilling determination is a stark reminder that there are people -- even here in Oregon -- who are determined to kill Americans. The good work of law enforcement protected Oregonians in this case -- and we have no reason to believe there is any continuing threat arising from this case.”

“The threat was very real. Our investigation shows that Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack on a very grand scale,” said Arthur Balizan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “At the same time, I want to reassure the people of this community that, at every turn, we denied him the ability to actually carry out the attack.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in August 2009, Mohamud was in email contact with an unindicted associate (UA1) overseas who is believed to be involved in terrorist activities. In December 2009, while UA1 was located in the northwest frontier province of Pakistan, Mohamud and UA1 discussed the possibility of Mohamud traveling to Pakistan to engage in violent jihad. UAI allegedly referred Mohamud to a second unindicted associate (UA2) overseas and provided Mohamud with a name and email address to facilitate the process.

In the months that followed, Mohamud allegedly made several unsuccessful attempts to contact UA2. Ultimately, an FBI undercover operative contacted Mohamud via email in June 2010 under the guise of being an associate of UA1. Mohamud and the FBI undercover operative then agreed to meet in Portland in July 2010. At this meeting, Mohamud allegedly told the FBI undercover operative that he had written articles that were published in Jihad Recollections, an online magazine that advocated violent jihad. Mohamud also indicated that he wanted to become “operational.” Asked what he meant by “operational,” Mohamud stated that he wanted to put an “explosion” together, but needed help.

At a second meeting in August 2010, Mohamud allegedly told undercover FBI operatives he had been thinking of committing violent jihad since the age of 15. According to the affidavit, Mohamud then told the undercover FBI operatives that he had identified a potential target for a bomb: the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square on Nov. 26, 2010.

According to the affidavit, the undercover FBI operatives cautioned Mohamud several times about the seriousness of this plan, noting there would be many people at the event, including many children, and emphasized that Mohamud could abandon his attack plans at any time with no shame. “You know there’s gonna be a lot of children there?” an undercover FBI operative asked Mohamud. According to the affidavit, Mohamud responded that he was looking for a “huge mass that will . . . be attacked in their own element with their families celebrating the holidays.” Further discussing the attack, Mohamud allegedly stated, “…it’s in Oregon; and Oregon like you know, nobody ever thinks about it.”

The affidavit alleges that in subsequent months, Mohamud continued to express his interest in carrying out the attack and worked on logistics. He allegedly identified a location to place the bomb and mailed bomb components to the undercover FBI operatives, who he believed were assembling the device. He also mailed them passport photos, as part of a plan to help him sneak out of the country after the attack. In addition, Mohamud provided the undercover FBI operatives with a thumb drive that contained detailed directions to the bomb location and operational instructions for the attack.

According to the affidavit, on November 4, 2010, Mohamud and the undercover FBI operatives traveled to a remote location in Lincoln County, Ore., where they detonated a bomb concealed in a backpack as a trial run for the upcoming attack. Afterwards, on the drive back to Corvallis, undercover FBI operatives questioned Mohamud as to whether he was capable of looking at the bodies of those who would be killed in the upcoming attack in Portland. According to the affidavit, Mohamud responded, “I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured.”

Upon returning to Corvallis that same day, the affidavit alleges that Mohamud recorded a video of himself with the undercover FBI operatives in which he read a written statement that offered a rationale for his bomb attack. On Nov. 18, 2010, undercover FBI operatives picked up Mohamud to travel to Portland in order to finalize the details of the attack.

Earlier this evening, Mohamud was arrested after he attempted to remotely detonate what he believed to be explosives in a van that was parked near the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, the affidavit alleges.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Oregon State Police, the Corvallis Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Portland Police Bureau. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan D. Knight and Jeffrey Sweet from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Trial Attorneys Jolie F. Zimmerman and David Cora, from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, are assisting.

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

what the heck? Leslie dead? say it isnt so!

News of Leslie Nielsen's death has sparked sadness and sorrow throughout Hollywood as stars have come forward to pay their final respects. The longtime comedian and actor passed away on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 84 after being treated for pneumonia.
(For photos of the late funnyman throughout his career, click here.)
Nicki Minaj may be known to most as a rapper, but the Young Money star has always had a knack for the craft of acting, so it wasn't a surprise that she expressed sympathy for the Canadian-born actor's death, tweeting, "R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen ~ one of the funniest and amazing actors of all time."


Fellow comedian Russell Brand remembered the late funnyman with a pun using the actor's iconic line from his 1980 disaster spoof "Airplane!" tweeting, "RIP. Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed."
Swapping out jokes for affection, "The L Word" actress Marlee Matlin wrote, "A lovely man and acquaintance passed away today - Leslie Nielsen. What a lovely, funny, talented man. He will be missed. RIP."
"Sad to hear about Leslie Nielsen passing," "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said on his Twitter account. "To this day 'Airplane' is still one of my favorite comedies ever."
Skateboard superstar Tony Hawk was grateful for the humor provided onscreen by the actor, saying, "Goodbye, Leslie Nielsen. Thank you for all the laughter. Please pay him proper respect and don't call him Shirley."
Film critic Roger Ebert kept it simple, writing, "Leslie Nielsen, RIP," and posting four film clips, including his screen test for "Ben Hur." And guitarist Slash confessed that "The Naked Gun" star would be dearly missed, tweeting, "RIP Leslie Nielson, one of my all time favorite comedians. U my friend, will be missed big time. Wow, what a loss. Iii|: (," adding, "& don't call me Shirley."

Remarks to the Press on the Release of Confidential Documents

Remarks to the Press on the Release of Confidential Documents



Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 29, 2010


SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, good afternoon. Do we have enough room in here? I want to take a moment to discuss the recent news reports of classified documents that were illegally provided from United States Government computers. In my conversations with counterparts from around the world over the past few days, and in my meeting earlier today with Foreign Minister Davutoglu of Turkey, I have had very productive discussions on this issue.
The United States strongly condemns the illegal disclosure of classified information. It puts people’s lives in danger, threatens our national security, and undermines our efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems. This Administration is advancing a robust foreign policy that is focused on advancing America’s national interests and leading the world in solving the most complex challenges of our time, from fixing the global economy, to thwarting international terrorism, to stopping the spread of catastrophic weapons, to advancing human rights and universal values. In every country and in every region of the world, we are working with partners to pursue these aims.
So let’s be clear: this disclosure is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interests. It is an attack on the international community – the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations, that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.
I am confident that the partnerships that the Obama Administration has worked so hard to build will withstand this challenge. The President and I have made these partnerships a priority – and we are proud of the progress that they have helped achieve – and they will remain at the center of our efforts.
I will not comment on or confirm what are alleged to be stolen State Department cables. But I can say that the United States deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential, including private discussions between counterparts or our diplomats’ personal assessments and observations. I want to make clear that our official foreign policy is not set through these messages, but here in Washington. Our policy is a matter of public record, as reflected in our statements and our actions around the world.
I would also add that to the American people and to our friends and partners, I want you to know that we are taking aggressive steps to hold responsible those who stole this information. I have directed that specific actions be taken at the State Department, in addition to new security safeguards at the Department of Defense and elsewhere to protect State Department information so that this kind of breach cannot and does not ever happen again.
Relations between governments aren’t the only concern created by the publication of this material. U.S. diplomats meet with local human rights workers, journalists, religious leaders, and others outside of governments who offer their own candid insights. These conversations also depend on trust and confidence. For example, if an anti-corruption activist shares information about official misconduct, or a social worker passes along documentation of sexual violence, revealing that person’s identity could have serious repercussions: imprisonment, torture, even death.
So whatever are the motives in disseminating these documents, it is clear that releasing them poses real risks to real people, and often to the very people who have dedicated their own lives to protecting others.
Now, I am aware that some may mistakenly applaud those responsible, so I want to set the record straight: There is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people, and there is nothing brave about sabotaging the peaceful relations between nations on which our common security depends.
There have been examples in history in which official conduct has been made public in the name of exposing wrongdoings or misdeeds. This is not one of those cases. In contrast, what is being put on display in this cache of documents is the fact that American diplomats are doing the work we expect them to do. They are helping identify and prevent conflicts before they start. They are working hard every day to solve serious practical problems – to secure dangerous materials, to fight international crime, to assist human rights defenders, to restore our alliances, to ensure global economic stability. This is the role that America plays in the world. This is the role our diplomats play in serving America. And it should make every one of us proud.
The work of our diplomats doesn’t just benefit Americans, but also billions of others around the globe. In addition to endangering particular individuals, disclosures like these tear at the fabric of the proper function of responsible government.
People of good faith understand the need for sensitive diplomatic communications, both to protect the national interest and the global common interest. Every country, including the United States, must be able to have candid conversations about the people and nations with whom they deal. And every country, including the United States, must be able to have honest, private dialogue with other countries about issues of common concern. I know that diplomats around the world share this view – but this is not unique to diplomacy. In almost every profession – whether it’s law or journalism, finance or medicine or academia or running a small business – people rely on confidential communications to do their jobs. We count on the space of trust that confidentiality provides. When someone breaches that trust, we are all worse off for it. And so despite some of the rhetoric we’ve heard these past few days, confidential communications do not run counter to the public interest. They are fundamental to our ability to serve the public interest.
In America, we welcome genuine debates about pressing questions of public policy. We have elections about them. That is one of the greatest strengths of our democracy. It is part of who we are and it is a priority for this Administration. But stealing confidential documents and then releasing them without regard for the consequences does not serve the public good, and it is not the way to engage in a healthy debate.
In the past few days, I have spoken with many of my counterparts around the world, and we have all agreed that we will continue to focus on the issues and tasks at hand. In that spirit, President Obama and I remain committed to productive cooperation with our partners as we seek to build a better, more prosperous world for all.
Thank you, and I’d be glad to take a few questions.
MR. CROWLEY: We’ll begin with Charlie Wolfson of CBS in his last week here covering the State Department.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Where are you going, Charlie?
QUESTION: I’ll (inaudible) into the sunset, but let me get to a question.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, sir. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, are you embarrassed by these leaks personally, professionally? And what harm have the leaks done to the U.S. so far that you can determine from talking to your colleagues?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Charlie, as I said in my statement, and based on the many conversations that I’ve had with my counterparts, I am confident that the partnerships and relationships that we have built in this Administration will withstand this challenge. The President and I have made these partnerships a priority, a real centerpiece of our foreign policy, and we’re proud of the progress that we have made over the last 22 months.
Every single day, U.S. Government representatives from the entire government, not just from the State Department, engage with hundreds if not thousands of government representatives and members of civil society from around the world. They carry out the goals and the interests and the values of the United States. And it is imperative that we have candid reporting from those who are in the field working with their counterparts in order to inform our decision-making back here in Washington.
I can tell you that in my conversations, at least one of my counterparts said to me, “Well, don’t worry about it. You should see what we say about you.” (Laughter.) So I think that this is well understood in the diplomatic community as part of the give-and-take. And I would hope that we will be able to move beyond this and back to the business of working together on behalf of our common goals.
MR. CROWLEY: Kim Ghattas of BBC.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Kim.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, I was wondering whether you could tell us what you think your upcoming trip is going to look like. Presumably, a lot of the people who have been mentioned in those alleged cables are going to have conversations with you. Do you think it’s going to cause you discomfort over the coming week as you engage in conversations with those leaders?
And I know you don’t want to comment on the particulars of the cables, but one issue that has been brought up into the daylight is the debate about Iran. What do you think the impact is going to be of those documents on the debate about Iran in the coming weeks and months?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Kim, you’re right. And I don’t know if you’re going on this trip or not, but we will be seeing dozens of my counterparts in Astana, and then as I go on from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and then ending up in Bahrain for the Manama dialogue. And I will continue the conversations that I have started with some in person and over the phone over the last days, and I will seek out others because I want personally to impress upon them the importance that I place on the kind of open, productive discussions that we have had to date and my intention to continue working closely with them.
Obviously, this is a matter of great concern, because we don’t want anyone in any of the countries that could be affected by these alleged leaks here to have any doubts about our intentions and our about commitments. That’s why I stressed in my remarks that policy is made in Washington. The President and I have been very clear about our goals and objectives in dealing with the full range of global challenges that we face. And we will continue to be so and we will continue to look for every opportunity to work with our friends and partners and allies around the world and to deal in a very clear-eyed way with those with whom we have differences, which of course brings me to Iran.
I think that it should not be a surprise to anyone that Iran is a source of great concern not only in the United States, that what comes through in every meeting that I have anywhere in the world is a concern about Iranian actions and intentions. So if anything, any of the comments that are being reported on allegedly from the cables confirm the fact that Iran poses a very serious threat in the eyes of many of her neighbors, and a serious concern far beyond her region.
That is why the international community came together to pass the strongest possible sanctions against Iran. It did not happen because the United States went out and said, “Please do this for us.” It happened because countries, once they evaluated the evidence concerning Iran’s actions and intentions, reached the same conclusion that the United States reached – that we must do whatever we can to muster the international community to take action to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state.
So if anyone reading the stories about these alleged cables thinks carefully, what they will conclude is that the concern about Iran is well founded, widely shared, and will continue to be at the source of the policy that we pursue with likeminded nations to try to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
MR. CROWLEY: We’ve got to let the Secretary get to her airplane and get to her trip. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: I will leave you in P.J.’s very good hands. Thank you.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, did you talk to anyone in Pakistan or India?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all.
QUESTION: Thank you, Madam. (Inaudible).
MR. CROWLEY: What we’ll do is we’ll take, say, a 30-minute filing break, and then we’ll reconvene in the Briefing Room and continue our discussion.

U.S. Department of State, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and National Geographic Live!

U.S. Department of State, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and National Geographic Live!


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 29, 2010


The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center and National Geographic Live!, presents a free concert featuring the musicians of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad on Thursday, December 2, 2010, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., at The National Geographic Society’s Grosvenor Auditorium (1600 M Street NW, Washington, D.C.).

Featured Artists:
Johnny Rodgers Band is a New York City-based quartet that brings musical depth to new, original songs. They are masters of an array of styles ranging from Americana Pop to the piano-driven energy of rock and roll to the supreme sophistication of jazz. The group traveled to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines, and Malaysia in November 2010.

Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA, a hometown favorite based in Washington D.C., performs and explores various jazz elements such as traditional African rhythms, bebop, fusion, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, and free form. The group traveled in September to Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Mozambique.

This concert is last in a series that features talented 2010 Rhythm Road musicians for audiences in the United States after they have travelled internationally on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad selects 10 American quartets to travel abroad to present original American music, including jazz, urban, gospel, and roots. Representing U.S. culture through concerts, jam sessions, classes, and interactions with foreign audiences, these musical ambassadors follow in the footsteps of the legendary Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and other great American performers.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, professional, and sports exchange programs. ECA exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 300 current or former heads of state and government

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero to Travel to Kenya

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero to Travel to Kenya


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 29, 2010


Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero will travel to Kenya from November 29 to December 2 to address global affairs issues related to peace, security, and stability in east and central Africa. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Susan Page will accompany Under Secretary Otero on the trip.

During her visit to Nairobi, Kenya, Under Secretary Otero will give a keynote address at the Citibank Mobile Money Forum, bringing attention to the potential for mobile payment systems to enable financial inclusion and improve Africa’s social and economic development. She will meet with Prime Minister Odinga and with senior government officials and civil society representatives, including youth groups, women leaders and religious organizations focusing on human security, urban refugees, and conflict prevention and mitigation.

As Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Maria Otero oversees the bureaus of Population, Refugees and Migration; Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; and the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor. She also serves as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.


Friday, November 26, 2010

Mexico: State-of-the-Art Helicopters for Counternarcotics Efforts

Mexico: State-of-the-Art Helicopters for Counternarcotics Efforts

Upstate NY man, 24, charged in woman's crash death - WETM 18 Online

Upstate NY man, 24, charged in woman's crash death - WETM 18 Online

We're Still at War: Photo of the Day for November 24, 2010 | Mother Jones

We're Still at War: Photo of the Day for November 24, 2010 | Mother Jones

Paying an Arm and a Leg | Mother Jones

Paying an Arm and a Leg | Mother Jones

The Bush Monologues: The Subtext of Decision Points

The Bush Monologues: The Subtext of Decision Points

India District Bans Cell Phones For Unmarried Women

India District Bans Cell Phones For Unmarried Women

Um, Sarah: North Korea and South Korea Are Different Countries

Um, Sarah: North Korea and South Korea Are Different Countries

what the heck Sarah!!!!

Black Friday: Insanity or Opportunity?

Black Friday: Insanity or Opportunity?

Randall Terry For President?

Randall Terry For President?

FBI — FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending November 26, 2010

FBI — FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending November 26, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

U.S. military says they've launched largest spy satellite

What the heck is that in the sky... is it a bird, a plane, superdog? nope its the latest and greatest spy satellite!

"This mission helps to ensure that vital NRO resources will continue to bolster our national defense," said Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, commander of the 45th Space Wing, which was in charge of the launch.

What the heck news for today !?!

What heck is Kombucha? Zonkers ewwww ... Why would anyone drink this.... ? ok so ya guessed this Kombucha is not for me ... are you willing to drink this stuff? Nope not giving up my morning Coffee nor my Dr. Pepper :P To learn more about kombucha click here.



 What the heck is a Biffer Dust Wig?  Would you use one? I would and have :)

Ok can I have an Awwwe Please?  Now can you do your part and help save them?

What the heck? save the polar bears and other wildlife in the land of cold!  


Our what the heck were you thinking award goes to



Tuesday, November 16, 2010

United Nations Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Sudan

Remarks at the United Nations Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Sudan


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
UN Headquarters
New York City
November 16, 2010


SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, and thank you for that excellent statement.
I want to commend the United Kingdom for calling this important session, giving us the opportunity to help chart a way toward a durable peace for all of the people of Sudan. And I want to commend the Security Council for their recent visit to Sudan, which was extremely important.
I also want to thank the Secretary General for his excellent briefing and his personal involvement in the efforts to find a durable peace, Special Representative Menkerios for his skillful efforts on behalf of the people of Sudan. I commend the work of the African Union’s High-Level Implementation Panel, led by President Mbeki, as well as the efforts of the African Union-UN Joint Mission for Darfur, especially Joint Special Representative Gambari and Chief Mediator Bassole.
I particularly appreciate the excellent presentations by both His Excellency Minister Karti and Mr. Pagan Amum. I thought both of them, if we could translate their words into action immediately, would have demonstrated unequivocally the commitment to find a way toward a durable peace that we seek.
Yesterday marked a milestone in the history of Sudan. Voters from Southern Sudan began lining up to register for the referendum by which they will decide their own future. Holding this referendum, resolving the status of Abyei, and all of the conditions of the CPA represent the promise of self-determination made to the Sudanese people under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. The United States believes that these are promises that must be kept. It is critical to peace and stability, not only for Sudan but also for the neighbors, some of whom are here today, and the rest of Africa represented by others, that the referendum for Southern Sudan be held peacefully and on time on January 9th. And regardless of the outcome, the will of the people must be respected by all parties in Sudan and around the world.
Because we have already seen the alternative. The alternative, the unacceptable alternative, is Sudan’s past, more than four decades of recurring conflict, two million people dead, millions more displaced, simmering tensions that stall development and perpetuate poverty, then erupt again to darken the lives of another generation of Sudanese children.
In the next 55 days, the Government of Sudan can ensure a brighter future, one that does offer peace, opportunity, and hope. But there is a huge amount of work to be done in these next 55 days. And I agree completely with Minister Karti and with Mr. Amum; each member state must do its utmost to help. None of us should look back and wish we had done more. As President Obama has said, although no outsider can dictate events on the ground in Sudan, it is up to the political leaders and the people of Sudan whether they will choose peace or confrontation. But it is up to all of us to help them not only make the right choice but then to implement it to the benefit of all their people.
It was particularly heartening last week to see the defense ministers from Khartoum and Juba hold a rare joint press conference to say that no matter what differences and disputes might arise from the referendum process, they will be resolved through political dialogue. The minister said, and I quote, “There will be no return to war.” And we all fervently hope that is the case.
But to fulfill that promise, the North and South must promptly forge agreements on the crucial issues that will arise in 2011: oil revenue distribution, border demarcation, international treaties, security arrangements, citizenship rights, and the protection of vulnerable civilians, including Southerners in the North and Northerners in the South. The fate of 44 million Sudanese depends on their leaders’ willingness to work together to resolve these issues.
Most urgently, the parties must make the tough compromises necessary to settle the status of Abyei. They must find a way forward that both upholds the rights of the Ngok Dinka and the other residents of Abyei as well as the nomadic peoples like the Misseriya who regularly pass through the area. And they must do so promptly because preparations for the referendum on Abyei have fallen behind schedule and tensions will continue to rise.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement agreed to by both parties calls for this referendum. It also states that the parties themselves can agree to change it. However, unless the parties reach a mutual agreement that is acceptable to all the people of Abyei, the United States and the international community will continue to hold them to their commitment to an on-time referendum, as promised in the CPA.
But even as we focus on the future of Southern Sudan, Abyei, and all of Sudan, we remain deeply concerned about Darfur. Violence is intensifying, human rights violations continue, arms flow despite the embargo, journalists and activists are arrested – some merely for speaking to members of this Security Council – UN peacekeepers are kidnapped. This is all unacceptable.
The United States stands ready to work with the Council to support peace efforts in Darfur and we call on all parties to participate in the Doha talks without delay or preconditions. We urge the government not to target civilians or use proxy militia or support the Janjaweed and other irregular forces, or prevent freedom of movement of UN personnel and aid workers. In Darfur and elsewhere, the Government of Sudan must live up to its international obligations to respect human rights; to allow humanitarian assistance; to protect civilians, including victims of sexual violence; to ensure that refugees and internally displaced people can return in safety and with dignity; and to bring those responsible for atrocities to justice.
As President Obama said here in New York, accountability sends a powerful message that certain behavior, including genocide, is not acceptable. Because in the 21st century, we must uphold universal rules and values. Officials throughout Sudan, both North and South, have a particular responsibility in the run-up to the voting. They must avoid inflammatory rhetoric, quell rumors, and dampen animosities. They must allow unfettered campaigning by all sides and ensure that voters can travel safely to their polling places.
The voting must take place on time, without violence, and in an atmosphere of calm. I commend the Sudanese people, North and South, and the international community for working hard to make that possible. And we are beginning to see results. Nearly 33,000 voter registration books have been printed and delivered, enough to register nearly 5 million Southern Sudanese voters in the North and South. Booklets to register another 350,000 voters believed to be living abroad have also been shipped. More than 1,000 Sudanese election observers have been trained. And the Carter Center and European Union are also deploying monitors. Russia has generously committed to providing four helicopters that will be used to assist UNMIS in its many critical tasks.
But more must be done, and so we urge all UN member states to support the UN mission in Sudan, and we hope that the Government of Sudan will continue to fund, with help from others, the South Sudan Referendum Commission going forward.
Now, as we plan this effort, it is essential to include women. It’s unusual that I’m the only woman at the table for the Security Council, so speaking on behalf of all women, let me just say that women are critical to every step of building, negotiating, and keeping the peace in Sudan. Lasting peace and prosperity will not be achieved if half the population is excluded from that process. In country after country, as we discussed with the implementation of Resolution 1325, we have seen that the underlying issues that cause conflicts are more likely to recur and less likely to be resolved if women are not involved at the peace table. In both the North and the South, we certainly hope that women will be brought in to the highest levels of government.
The Sudanese people want peace and the United States wants to help them achieve it. We have engaged in intensive diplomacy to help accomplish that. We have spent more than $200 million to help mitigate conflict, provide election security, create economic opportunities, and fund voter registration, education, and observation. We have sent Special Envoy Scott Gration, Ambassador Princeton Lyman, Ambassador Barrie Walkley, and a whole raft of people to try to increase our presence in Southern Sudan as well as to work with both the government in Khartoum and the SPLM in Juba.
And this month, the Chairman of our Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry, traveled to Khartoum with a special message on behalf of President Obama. The message was this: If Sudan chooses the path of peace, the Government of Sudan can have a dramatically improved relationship with the United States, including normalization of relations between our two countries.
To demonstrate our commitment to improving U.S.-Sudanese relations, the United States has already taken two steps. First, we have changed our policies to ease the sale of agricultural and irrigation equipment to Sudan, which will boost food production and decrease the need for international food aid. Second, to help Sudan’s economy grow, the United States has supported the creation of a group to work on ways to ease Sudan’s national debt, consistent with international debt relief practices.
Now, these are steps we’ve already taken, but we are prepared to do much more. If the Government of Sudan fulfills the CPA, if it resolves the future of Abyei, if it holds Southern Sudan’s referendum on January 9th and then recognizes the will of the Sudanese people in the South, then the United States is prepared to begin the process of withdrawing Sudan from our list of state sponsors of terrorism. This would be done in accordance with our laws on terrorism. If the Government of Sudan commits to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur and takes other steps toward peace and accountability, the Obama Administration is prepared to offer Sudan a path to the ending of U.S. sanctions, working toward international debt relief, increasing trade and investment, and forging a mutually beneficial relationship.
We are well aware that it takes not only skill, but courage for Sudan’s leaders in both the North and the South to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, to promote dignity and human rights, to ease suffering and work toward a durable peace, and to include in that peace Darfur. But the world will stand with both of you if you can and do take these steps. We think that the path to peace and prosperity, to good neighborliness, to partnership and cooperation for all Sudanese is clear. It is up to the Government of Sudan, it is up to the SPLM in the South to decide whether to walk that path. If it does, the United States stands ready to assist you and, most importantly, to assist the next generation of Sudanese children so that they can have a future without war and conflict. Thank you, Mr. President.


PRN: 2010/1645
What the heck is going on with Afghan President Hamid Karzai?

The Washington Post Foreign Service 


Joshua Partlow writes that Karzai called for a reduce visibility and intensity of its military operations in Afghanistan.

What the heck Karzai? Nothing like a cold slap in the face!

Gen. Petraeus claims our new troops have made progress in making the insurgency leave the area. Nightime raids by Special Ops could get a we bit old yes. But people you live in a war zone. These things have to be done to make Afghanistan free from The Taliban. 

Give this General a change to make your country a place where you can find peace and jobs well hell, live a life without fear. It is always darkest before the dawn, so breathe. Find the courage to live through this and I promise you, your life will get better.

Oh and President Karzai Allies talk to each other and work things out. Pick up the phone!