TresSugar

Front Page: Iraqi Troops Enter Sadr City, Oregon and Kentucky, French Workweek

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:00:02 -0700

Iraqi Troops Enter Sadr City: Iraqi troops, unaccompanied by American ground forces, delved deep into Sadr City today as part of a mission by the Iraqi government to establish control over the densely populated Shia area. The long-planned operation was the first key push by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government to assert control over the area full of support for Muqtada al-Sadr. Six Iraqi battalions advanced north. The forces quickly assumed positions at a main thoroughfare and near major hospitals and police stations. At full strength, an Iraqi battalion numbers about 700 troops.

Oregon and Kentucky: Two more primaries today, in Oregon and Kentucky, have Barack Obama set to reach a milestone in the presidential race, perhaps amassing a majority of pledged delegates. Regardless of results, Obama has said he would not declare victory against Sen. Clinton or suggest the Democratic primary should end before the last primaries on June 3. Obama has said, “We still have a number of contests, including Montana, before we’re able to secure the nomination. Senator Clinton has run a magnificent race, and she is still working hard, as am I, for all of these last primary contests.” Clinton's view, “This is nowhere near over. None of us is going to have the number of delegates we’re going to need to get to the nomination." Check back here for results as soon as they're called tonight.

French Workweek: Calls to expand the French 35-hour workweek have been squashed. Though the leader of France’s governing party called yesterday for a definitive end to France’s 35-hour workweek, he was almost immediatley contradicted by other party figures and by President Nicolas Sarkozy. The decision to shorten the workweek is ten years old, and expected to stay put for the present.

Front Page: Al-Qaeda Killed in Somalia, McCain Qualified For President, Maliki Is "Depraved"

CitizenSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:55 -0700

Al-Qaeda Killed in Somalia: One of al-Qaeda’s top agents in East Africa was killed this morning by a US airstrike, according to officials. Aden Hashi Ayro was the leader of the Islamist comeback in Somalia and a military commander for the Shebab - an Islamist militia recently classified by the US as a terrorist group. His removal is seen as the turning point for the war against extremists who've seized towns recently. Consul for Somalia’s embassy in Nairobi said, "this will definitely weaken the Shebab. This will help with reconciliation. You can’t imagine how many Somalis are saying, ‘Yes, this is the one.’ The reaction is so good.”

McCain Qualified For President: The US Senate voted on the question of John McCain being a natural-born citizen because of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone. The detail is one of the qualifications for the job of president. The Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution recognizing that McCain is indeed a natural-born citizen.
Maliki Is "Depraved": A bloc of Iraqi MPs have denounced the government and used a passage from the Koran to describe Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as "depraved." The MPs support the Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Iraqi troops and US-led foreign forces have fought those loyal to Muqtada al Sadr in recent weeks. Nine people died today in a Baghdad bomb blast aimed at US troops, and in recent weeks, more than 400 have been killed and 2,500 injured in Sadr City.

Front Page: Tornadoes in VA, Militants Killed in Sadr City, UN Food Task Force

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:47:41 -0700

Tornadoes in VA: Three tornadoes raced through southern Virginia yesterday afternoon, leaving more than 200 people hurt. One of the twisters left a 25-mile path of destruction. A man who works for a tree removal service and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads said, "it's just a bunch of broken power poles, telephone lines and sad faces.'" About 3,000 residents remain without power. Gov. Tim Kaine has declared a state of emergency in some areas. He will be touring the hardest hit regions today.

Militants Killed in Sadr City: The US military reports that at least 28 militants have been killed during battles in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. Intensified fighting between militants loyal to Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr and US and Iraqi forces in the Iraqi capital sparked after militia members attacked coalition positions Sunday during a sandstorm. Last week Muqtada al Sadr instructed his supporters that they should continue "resisting" the US "occupation" of Iraq, but they should not fight Iraqis.
UN Food Task Force: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is setting up a task force to tackle the global food crisis. Blaming soaring food prices, Ban said the world faces "widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale." The first priority to get food to the hungry is to close this year's $755 million funding gap for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). He urged countries pledging money to make the funds available now. The WFP believes 100 million people currently don't have enough food.

Front Page: Not Guilty in Bell Case, al-Sadr Calls Truce, Syria Secret Nuclear Program

CitizenSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:03:45 -0700

Not Guilty in Bell Case: Three New York City police officers have just been found innocent of all charges in the shooting death of an unarmed black man, Sean Bell, who was killed by 50 bullets on his wedding day. Bell, 23, was shot along with two friends, after a bachelor party at a strip club in November 2006. The case has generated outrage in New York's black community. A New York State Supreme Court judge cleared two officers of manslaughter and other charges and a third of reckless endangerment in the death.

al-Sadr Calls Truce: Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr this morning called for an end to fighting between his militia and Iraqi troops. al-Sadr declared that his threat of an "open war" will be carried out only on US-led foreign forces. al-Sadr urged Iraqi soldiers and policemen "not to support the occupiers in combating your brothers." In other Iraq news, the largest Sunni bloc has just agreed to return to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet after a boycott of almost a year. A recently passed amnesty law and the government’s crackdown on Shiite militias were cited as reasons for the move.
Syria Secret Nuclear Program: The United States has accused North Korea of helping Syria build a nuclear reactor that "was not intended for peaceful purposes." The US released photographs it said linked North Korea to a plutonium-producing reactor under construction in Syria. The accusation was an effort to put pressure on Pyongyang to come clean about proliferating nuclear technology. Though the accusations are not expected to derail international talks aimed at ending the communist state's own nuclear arms program, Japan is concerned saying, "of course, if North Korea was helping Syria's secret. . . nuclear activities, then this is a serious issue."

Front Page: Ceasefire in Basra, Tibet Trouble, HUD Resignation

CitizenSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:00:38 -0700

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called for his followers to end fighting in Basra, the ceasefire coming after six days of violence in the port city. In return, al-Sadr is demanding concessions from Iraq’s government. Those concessions include general amnesty for his followers, release of all imprisoned members of the Sadrist movement who have not been convicted of crimes, and a return of “the displaced people who have fled their homes as a result of military operations.” In participating in negotiations with al-Sadr, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has seen a serious blow to his political reputation because he had vowed to see an end to the Basra campaign through to a military victory. The violence and ceasefire called by al-Sadr served to showcase his political and military power.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the first world leader to announce a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. She will not be attending the games, a decision made as Tibetan protests still rage, and some residents of China itself are becoming critical that their government is not being strict enough against the protesters. One Chinese woman, appalled that the Chinese government isn't acting more forcefully, said, “we couldn’t believe our government was being so weak and cowardly. The Dalai Lama is trying to separate China, and it is not acceptable at all. We must crack down on the rioters.” China reports so far it has arrested 414 protesters, with an additional 289 turning themselves in.
Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson is expected to resign today. In the midst of the growing mortgage crisis, the resignation removes a key administration player. Jackson has been under investigation by the Justice Department over questions that he gave lucrative housing contracts to friends.

Do You Agree With the US Approach to al-Sadr?

LibertySugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Yesterday, hard-line Shiite cleric and leader of the Mahdi Army militia, Muqtada al-Sadr threatened to declare war on the US and Iraqi forces, unless they ended their crackdown on his followers.

Al-Sadr renounced Secretary Condoleezza Rice's surprise visit to Iraq as the entrance of terrorists. Rice dismissed the man as a coward, mocking him:

I guess it's all-out war for anybody but him. I guess that's the message; his followers can go to their deaths, and he's in Iran.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki, also a Shiite, is demanding that al-Sadr disband the Mahdi army, or face the disqualification of al-Sadr followers from elections this fall. Thus, the anti-American cleric is accusing the Iraqi government of exploiting his truce to stifle his political influence.

Al-Sadr's power lies in his control of the militia, which led four deadly rebellions against US forces in 2004. But, his followers also control 30 of the 275 Iraqi parliament seats. Last August, he declared a unilateral truce, contributing to reduced violence in Iraq.

Meanwhile, military clashes accompany the tense rhetoric. The US maintains that the Basra military campaign - which al-Maliki commenced without the US and that resulted in 40 militia deaths just yesterday - is not aimed at the mainstream Sadrist movement, but against criminals and Iranian-backed extremist groups.

Source

Front Page: Female Bombers, UK Citizenship, Cease-Fire to Expire

CitizenSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:57:05 -0800

American officials are now saying that two female suicide bombers, who detonated Feb. 1 killing 100, had medical files that showed no signs of Down syndrome. It was originally thought immediately after the attack that al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia was using mentally disabled people as suicide bombers. The women's charts do show depression and schizophrenia, but no official record of Down syndrome. Rear Admiral Smith, top American spokesman in Baghdad, said, “we know that we got their complete records, their case files, and we know they had in-patient treatment as recently as the last month or two.”
The UK is set to make the transition for immigrants wishing to earn British citizenship more difficult. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the increased testing and fees would show a "demonstration of commitment" and create a more "more exacting" method by which to earn citizenship. Brown said the new method is hoped to be "far more explicit about the ties - indeed the shared values - that make us more than a collection of people but a country."
The cease-fire that has been credited with the reduction of violence in Iraq since August could end soon. Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Shiite militia, is set to decide on the extension of the cease-fire on Saturday. If Muqtada al-Sadr doesn't issue a statement by Saturday extending the cease-fire, the freeze will be over Sunday. Though US forces don't have direct contact with the cleric, Rear Admiral Smith said that extending the cease-fire is "a productive and positive step" in rebuilding Iraq.

Iraqi Hit Squads to Target Officials and Troops Training in Iran

CitizenSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:00:52 -0700

Iraqi Shi'ite assassination teams are being readied in four locations in Iran, with the mission to return to Iraq and kill specific Iraqi officials before targeting US and Iraqi troops. The info comes from captured militia fighters and sources within Iraq. A senior US military intelligence officer confirmed the story under the condition of anonymity, acknowledging that disclosing the info is an attempt to pressure Iran to suspend the training and prevent militia fighters from returning to Iraq. To this end, "Wanted" posters picturing the men thought to be involved.

The fighters are expected to return to Iraq between now and October, and the US is encouraging the Iraqi government to confront Iran on the issue. It's thought that part of the reason violence has declined is that the militants have moved from Basra and Sadr City to Iran. The fighters are thought to be offshoots of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia having made their own groups after al-Sadr declared a cease-fire with the Iraqi government in August 2007.

Are the training pockets small and isolated incidents, or does it put the notion that the surge has worked to quell violence into question?

Source

Front Page: Antarctica Melting, 72-Hour Deadline in Iraq, US Warned in Pakistan

CitizenSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:52:56 -0700

An island-sized chunk of ice has started to break away from Antarctica, prompting scientists to say it is further evidence of a warming climate. Though it's been stable for most of the century, it has been retreating since the 1990s, and satellite images suggest that part of the ice shelf will soon crumble away. A professor from the British Antarctic Survey said, "I didn't expect to see things happen this quickly. The ice shelf is hanging by a thread - we'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be." He added, "this is not a sea level rise issue, but is yet another indication of climate change in the Antarctic Peninsula and how it is affecting the environment."

Today, Iraq's prime minister gave Shiite militants battling security forces in Basra a 72-hour deadline to surrender their weapons. The death toll after two days of fighting nears 50 and the conflict threatens to undo efforts to stabilize Iraq. The clashes in Basra are between Iraqi and US security forces and fighters sympathetic to the Mehdi Army - the militia of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The new fighting comes on the heels of a seven-month, much-praised cease fire called by al-Sadr that, according to the U.S. military, has decreased violence across Iraq.
Pakistan's new Prime Minister Yousaf Gillani was sworn in yesterday. Members of the new government met with top State Department officials responsible for the area and gave the US a stern warning. The Pakistani government told the two American diplomats that it was unacceptable that Pakistan had become a “killing field.” The leader of the second biggest party in Parliament said, “if America wants to see itself clean of terrorists, we also want that our villages and towns should not be bombed,” adding that he was unable to give “a commitment” on fighting terrorism.

Front Page: HRC Fire, London Trial, Iraq, Arrest in Mexico

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:02:31 -0700

A fire has destroyed the Terre Haute, Indiana campaign office of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The flames broke out just after midnight. There were no injuries, and the incident is under investigation.
The trial began yesterday for three British Muslims accused of helping the suicide bombers in the attacks on London’s transportation system in July 2005. It's the first case against people accused of helping plan those attacks. The men on trial were arrested in March 2007 and are accused with carrying out a preparatory mission seven months before the July attacks on three subways and a bus. The men have all denied the charges.

A relative and follower of radical Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr has been killed in the Iraqi city of Najaf. Police have imposed an indefinite curfew in the city following the shooting. The Sadr movement has been recently involved in violent clashes with government forces. Also in Iraq, today saw US air strikes on suspected Shiite militiamen planning to launch attacks on security forces, killing at least 12 people in Baghdad and Basra, according to US and British officials. A British spokesman said, "the air strike was launched after positively identifying a mortar team that was engaging the Iraqi troops on the ground."
According to the FBI, US Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, was captured last night in Mexico, three months after fleeing North Carolina. Laurean is the main suspect in the killing of a 20-year-old pregnant Marine, Maria Lauterbach.