LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril
07/2010
Bible Of the
Day
Ezekiel 34/3-11: "You eat the fat, and you clothe yourself with the wool, you kill
the fatlings; but you don’t feed the sheep. 34:4 You haven’t strengthened the
diseased, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up
that which was broken, neither have you brought back that which was driven away,
neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor you
have ruled over them. 34:5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd;
and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. 34:6
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my
sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who
searched or sought. 34:7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: 34:8
As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my
sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no
shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed
themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep; 34:9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the
word of Yahweh: 34:10 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against the
shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease
from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more;
and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for
them. 34:11 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search
for my sheep, and will seek them out."
Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Without security, the innocent suffer/Daily Star/April
05/10
Is Arizona's border a gateway for nukes?/Arizona
Republic/April 05/10
The blocked channel/Ha'aretz/April
05/10
Inviting the Syrian bazaar/By:
Sawsan Mehanna/Now Lebanon/April
05/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 05/10
At least 25 dead in West Virginia
coal mine blast/AP
Canadian dollar hits parity against
greenback/Reuters
Feltman
in Lebanon, Syria to Examine Improved Ties between the 2 Countries/Naharnet
Achouri to Naharnet: Bellemare Has
No Intention to Resign/Naharnet
Israeli
Arab Lands in Jail for Allegedly Giving Hizbullah Info on Ashkenazi/Naharnet
New al Qaeda Levant chief plans fresh assaults
from Gaza, Lebanon/DEBKA
file
Jordan-Israel ties at
all-time low'/Jerusalem Post
Al-Qaeda
says Hizbullah, LAF hindering terror/Daily
Star
Hariri is courting Hezbollah/GulfNews
On the track of Tehran's agents/The
Australian
Barry Rubin sends his regrets/Power
Line (blog)
LF bloc condemns verbal
attacks against party/Now Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc leader MP
Aoun speaks after bloc meeting in Rabieh/Now Lebanon
Gemayel calls on Sleiman and Hariri
to announce date of municipal elections/Now Lebanon
Hezbollah growing agitated in Lebanon/UPI.com
Reprieve for Lebanese man who was set to die for
'sorcery'/CNN
(blog)
In Lebanon, all roads lead once again to Damascus/AFP
Hizbullah, Amal finalize agreement on upcoming municipal polls/Daily
Star
Sleiman:
Israel not strong enough to attack Lebanon/Daily
Star
Hariri
to visit Damascus to 'ink new agreements/Daily
Star
Islamic
Sharia Council calls for STL cooperation/Daily
Star
Ex-Journalists Union secretary Mazboudi passes away/Daily
Star
ISF
contains Roumieh prison protests, frees officers/Daily
Star
Army
arrests four suspects in rocket attack on Bekaa citizens/Daily
Star
UN joins
in global day against mines/Daily
Star
Lebanon:
Spoiled
Medicine Shipment from Pakistan Stranded/Naharnet
Reprieve for Lebanese man who was set to die for
'sorcery'
CNN April 05/10
A Lebanese man who had been condemned by a court in Saudi Arabia to die last
week for "sorcery" has not been executed, his lawyer said Monday.
May El Khansa told CNN that she got confirmation from Ibrahim Najjar, Lebanon's
justice minister, that her client, Ali Hussain Sibat, was still alive.
She added that she had heard Saturday, from sources in Saudi Arabia with
knowledge of the case, that the beheading had not been carried out Friday, as
originally planned.
Also Saturday, she said, she sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah asking him to pardon her client.
She said she would send more letters of appeal Tuesday to Lebanese government
officials asking them to intervene.
Saudi government officials would not comment to CNN about the case.
Justice Minister Najjar said last week that he had urged the Saudi government
not to carry out the execution, and Sibat's wife made an emotional plea for
mercy from the kingdom's rulers during a CNN interview Thursday.
"All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy -
let him come back to his country and his family," Samira Rahmoon said.
Sibat used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television
network. He was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police and charged with
sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008 while on an Islamic pilgrimage,
El Khansa said. Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for
which Sibat has been condemned.
"We can't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him
to death," Rahmoon said. "It doesn't make any sense."
El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by
a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings.
Lebanon's government said it had no confirmation that his execution had been
set, but Najjar called the sentence "disproportionate."
Conflicting Stories on Burning to Death of A Pakistani Christian Man
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=12054&PHPSESSID=3ffb882f6c6105cd73b3fc5464a5200b
Washington, D.C. (April 5, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) issued a
press release on March 23 entitled “Pakistani Muslims Burn A Christian Man to
Death, Policeman Rapes His Wife.” Since the issuance of the press release, we
have since received several conflicting reports regarding this alleged incident.
Some sources confirm the report, while others say that Rashid Masih (our
previous report said his first name was Arshed) burned himself to death after
police tortured his wife.
ICC sent a team to Rawalpindi, Pakistan to investigate the incident ourselves.
Our team interviewed Rashid’s family and neighbors. According to their
statements, police arrested Rukhsana, Masih’s wife, after her Muslim employer,
Shafaqat Ali, accused her of stealing property and money worth more than $500.
According to several local sources the Muslim police officers did in fact
torture Rukhsana.
Extremist Muslims warned Masih that they would rape his wife and daughter unless
Rukhsana returned the stolen property.
To the best of our knowledge, on March 18, Rashid burned himself to death due to
the torture of his wife and threats that he received. He died from his injuries
on March 22.
Some sources still maintain that Masih was burned to death by Muslims. According
to the sources, Pakistani officials bribed Masih’s family to compel them not to
reveal the fact. Masih’s case attracted huge international attention and it’s
possible that the government or those facing prosecution bribed Masih’s family
to hide the truth. This is a common occurrence.
At this point, our press release from March 23 should be disregarded.
Feltman in Lebanon, Syria to Examine Improved Ties between the 2 Countries
Naharnet/ssistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman
will embark on a trip to the Middle East mid-April that would include both
Lebanon and Syria.
Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Tuesday said political circles in Lebanon pay special
attention to Feltman's upcoming tour and believed it indicates the U.S.
Administration's desire to follow-up on the successive developments in the
region, particularly the situation in Iraq in light of the elections' outcome
and the Palestinian-Israeli issue which is witnessing tension.
Ministerial and parliamentary sources told Al-Hayat that Feltman's visit to
Beirut and Damascus is aimed at examining the improved relations between the two
countries.
Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 09:11
Achouri to Naharnet: Bellemare Has No Intention to Resign
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's spokeswoman
Radhia Achouri said Tuesday that the court's Prosecutor has no intention to
resign and "is as committed to his mission as ever.""What has been reported by
the newspaper in question is absolutely false," she told Naharnet about a report
by the French-language daily L'Orient Le Jour.The newspaper quoted official
sources as saying that Bellemare has informed U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon about his
intention to resign over attempts by some parties to politicize the court at the
expense of the truth behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder. Sources close to
the secretary-general also told Naharnet that Ban has not received any signal
from Bellemare about his intention to resign. The sources stressed that the
tribunal is functioning in a systematic manner and its work is based on
professional legal standards.
Sources informed about the administrative work of Bellemare's office in Beirut
told Naharnet that the Prosecutor is intensifying his activities lately and is
satisfied with his work.
They said that reports about Bellemare's intention to resign reflect the wishes
of those leaking such information and not the status quo. They also warned that
the Prosecutor would expose the parties behind the obstruction of his mission if
he came under pressure.The denials came after Journalist Emile Khoury, quoted
official sources as saying that the U.N. secretary-general is making strong
efforts to convince Bellemare into staying in his post. The Prosecutor's doubts
over the retention of his post emanate from the campaign launched against the
tribunal and this "offensive" could delay the verdict against Hariri's suspected
killers, Khoury wrote.
The newspaper said it was necessary to take measures against false witnesses and
not to charge members of a certain party who had been called as witnesses. Such
members could be involved individually or could have been "bought or manipulated
by a third party." L'Orient Le Jour said that once a new U.N. Security Council
resolution is needed to extend the tribunal's three-year mandate, local, Arab,
regional and international parties would engage in a dispute that could delay
the financing of the court for the years to come.
The daily also warned that judicial proceedings could be transferred from the
STL to the Lebanese judiciary after a power crisis that could result from the
insistence of pro-Syrian ministers that the deal between the court and the
cabinet, which led to the establishment of the tribunal, was made at a time of
"an illegitimate government" that didn't have Shiite representation. Beirut, 06
Apr 10, 08:40
Suleiman Heads to Doha
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman flew to Doha on Tuesday to meet with the
Qatari emir and participate in the anniversary of the Federation of GCC
Chambers.
Suleiman will be a guest of honor at the ceremony marking 30 years since the
establishment of the federation's secretariat-general.
A ministerial delegation comprising Ali al-Shami, Adnan Kassar, Mohammed al-Safadi,
Abraham Dedeyan, Adnan Sayyed Hussein and Youssef Saadeh accompanied Suleiman in
his one-day trip. The president "will hold with (emir) Sheikh Hamad bilateral
talks that will focus on bilateral ties, Arab-Arab relations and the situation
in the Middle East," Suleiman's media office said in a statement. The head of
state will later address guests during a dinner banquet thrown by the emir, it
said. Earlier in the day, Suleiman met with Kazakhstan's prime minister, Karim
Masimov. The PM told reporters that his visit aims at finding ways to improve
ties between the two countries. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 10:21
1 Killed, 7 Wounded in Clashes between Football Fans, Army in Ansar
Naharnet/A teenager was killed and seven other people were wounded, including
two Lebanese army soldiers, in clashes between supporters and troops during a
football match in the southern town of Ansar. The state-run National News Agency
identified the victim as 17-year-old Kamel Mohammed Najem. In the 60th minute in
the game, NNA said, cheering between the two teams developed into a hassle and
soon into clashes at Ansar Stadium. The two teams were playing to decide which
team will play in Division 4. The referee stopped the game to give the army time
to get the fans out of the stadium, NNA said. It said things dramatically
developed outside the stadium, where fighting took place between a number of
fans and army soldiers tasked with keeping law and order at the arena. NNA said
shooting sparked stampede in which Najem was killed and five other fans were
injured. Two army soldiers also were wounded. Beirut, 05 Apr 10, 21:40
Arslan: Recovery of Lebanese-Syrian Ties Would Save Lebanon from 'Game of
Nations'
Naharnet/Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan said Tuesday that the
return of Lebanese-Syrian ties to the right track would save Lebanon from the
"game of nations."
During a press conference a day after his meeting with Syrian President Bashar
Assad in Damascus, Arslan said: "Corruption by some Lebanese deeply harmed"
Lebanese-Syrian ties.
He said he discussed with Assad demarcation of the border which according to the
Syrian president would start from the north and would go all the way to areas
that are still occupied by the Jewish state. "There is no way to discuss
demarcation at the Shebaa (farms area) because they are still under Israeli
occupation," the MP told reporters.
Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, said Monday that Assad and Arslan discussed
efforts exerted to consolidate Syrian-Lebanese relations. Addressing
politicians, Arslan said: "It's time to adopt serous policies" that would put
the interest of the people above anything else. He also criticized all-party
talks, saying the national dialogue's agenda, which is limited to the defense
strategy, is not enough. "The limitation of the topic to the resistance arms is
an Israeli demand." He said the Lebanese Democratic Party has finalized its
point of view on the defense strategy and would send it to President Michel
Suleiman on Wednesday. On ties with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid
Jumblat, Arslan said: "There is ongoing coordination and everything is going in
the right direction." Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:00
Jumblat, Arslan Confirm Electoral Alliance
Naharnet/PSP Secretary-General Sharif Fayyad announced Tuesday his group's
decision to "cooperate" at the regional and national levels as well as in all
fields with Talal Arslan's Lebanese Democratic Party, including cementing an
electoral coalition. "Together we will face up to upcoming challenges against
the region and we will confront difficulties at the national and regional
levels," Fayyad said during a meeting between the two parties held at the
Progressive Socialist Party headquarters in Beirut. "We shall work together in
Cabinet and join efforts in Parliament as well as cooperate in the forthcoming
municipal elections," Fayyad stressed. In turn, Democratic Party
Secretary-General Walid Barakat pointed to the historical role of Arslan and
Jumblat which "contributed to the establishment of a national unity government."
Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:53
Spoiled Medicine Shipment from Pakistan Stranded
Naharnet/Lebanese customs have confiscated a shipment of expired or spoiled
medicine imported from Pakistan. The daily As-Safir on Tuesday said the
container had been sitting at Beirut port since the beginning of March amid
repeated attempts by the Pakistani company to bring in the imported cargo into
Lebanon. It said that a previous bid to bring in the same drug shipment failed
after it was discovered. The company importing the shipment into Lebanon,
however, has made a second try.Meanwhile, a shipment of spoiled wheat from
Ukraine was still sitting at Beirut port, pending lab results to be announced on
Tuesday which would determine its fate. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 07:41
Hizbullah Declines Comment, UNIFIL Takes Qaida Threats Seriously
Naharnet/UNIFIL reportedly said that al-Qaida threats should be taken seriously
after one of Saudi Arabia's most wanted terrorists slammed the Lebanese army,
Hizbullah and Sunni leaderships in Lebanon for defending Israel's security and
hindering the infiltration of Qaida members into northern Israel. Saleh al-Qaraawi,
who is on the list of 85 most wanted terrorists, said in an interview published
Monday by Qaida-linked websites that his organization should have confronted
"the traitors in Lebanon, Hizbullah and UNIFIL." "All of them are protecting
southern Lebanon in favor of the security of the Jews," he said. Qaraawi also
criticized Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for "condemning" rocket
attacks on Israel "and, yet, vowing more attacks on the Jewish state." "We take
these threats seriously," a UNIFIL source said in remarks published Tuesday by
the daily Al-Mustaqbal. Qaraawi accused Lebanon's Shiites of controlling the
Lebanese army intelligence which "didn't defend Sunnis" during bloody clashes
that broke out May 7, 2008. The fighting was sparked by a government move to
shut down Hizbullah's telecommunication network and remove Beirut airport's
security chief Wafiq Shqeir over alleged ties to Hizbullah. Al-Mustaqbal said
that while Hizbullah declined comment, commander of the Palestinian Armed
Struggle in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Munir Maqdah, was surprised by the "timing" of
Qaraawi's statement. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 08:32
Abboud: Nightclubs Forbidden in Jemmayzeh
Naharnet/Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said nightclubs are forbidden in Jemmayzeh,
given that they are not allowed to be located within buildings. "I cannot give
permits for nightclubs or pubs in Jemmayzeh and, therefore, there is no legal
exit to open anything other than a restaurant," Abboud said in remarks published
Tuesday by the daily Al-Liwaa.
"Adherence to law is what is needed as well as shutting down at a specified
hour," Abboud said. He said clubs must be turned into restaurants with a pledge
not to disturb the population.
Abboud stressed that surveillance cameras will be installed on Jemmayzeh's main
street. He said Jemmayzeh Street will only be open to cars owned by Jemmayzeh
residents.
Abboud said visitors can either enter on foot or park their cars in Charles
Helou station. A Special means of transport will carry visitors to Jemmayzeh
Street, he also revealed.
Jemmayzeh residents have protested against the noise on the streets and of the
loud music nightclubs and pubs caused. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 13:02
Israeli Arab Lands in Jail for Allegedly Giving Hizbullah Info on Ashkenazi
Naharnet/An Israeli Arab was sentenced to five years and eight months in jail
for giving Hizbullah information on the Israeli army's chief of staff, Israeli
media reported.
Rawi Sultani, a 23-year-old resident of Tira attended the same gym as army
commander Gabi Ashkenazi, was charged late last year with collecting information
about the chief of staff's daily routine. Israeli Intelligence officials suspect
Hizbullah was seeking to assassinate Ashkenazi as a revenge for the Damascus
killing of the Shiite group's commander Imad Mughniyeh.
According to the indictment sheet, a Hizbullah agent named Slaman Hareb
established contact with Sultani during a trip to Morocco in 2008.
The man later allegedly gave the agent information via e-mail about the gym's
location, access roads and security arrangements, number of Ashkenazi's security
guards, what weapons they carried, as well as what the army chief wore and which
route he took to the gym. The indictment said Sultani allegedly met the agent's
brother, Sami, in Poland on December 23, 2008. The man asked Sultani to help
Hizbullah collect information on Israeli sites, military bases and public
figures. The Israeli Arab allegedly agreed. The prosecution said Sultani
conspired to give the enemy useful information and knowingly maintained contact
with a foreign agent. The verdict deems the information on Ashkenazi's personal
details "harmful to the chief of staff's personal wellbeing and security."
Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:59
Change
and Reform bloc leader MP Aoun speaks after bloc meeting in Rabieh
April 6, 2010 /Now Lebanon
- Lebanese actor Rodrigue Ghosn and his family were assaulted during Good
Friday’s ceremony in St. Mikhail’s church [in Chayyah]. The perpetrators were
identified. We hope the party they belong to will help turn them in to the
authorities.
- Drug trade has increased [in the country], especially within the youth. Drugs,
whether the type that was [confiscated] in Ouyoun Orgosh [on Saturday] or the
type whose use is spreading throughout schools and universities, should be
controlled.
- I call on all organisms that work against drug use to meet [here] in Rabieh on
Saturday to establish a political plan and find solutions to [drug-related]
issues.
- I call on [everyone] to give the matter high importance to resolve it
efficiently.
- We stand by our position that we want the draft municipal electoral law to be
approved [in the parliament] like it was approved in the cabinet. If not, we
will participate in the municipal elections [scheduled in May] according to the
current municipal electoral law.
- We call on women to join us. Women have the right to run [for municipal
elections] and should work for legal equality with men, because there are
discrepancies between men and women[‘s rights].
- A Middle East Airlines (MEA) employee recently briefed me on his unfair
treatment, and here I say that MEA chairman Mohammad al-Hout should give the
employee his rights.
- Lebanon overcame the period of instability, and neither Israel nor Al-Qaeda
can violate that.
- We want to increase national income and consider that investments are
profitable.
- There are many projects [we can make], and we do not need to increase the
Value Added Tax (VAT) by 5%.
- We are ready to create a beneficial project from the electricity for the
state, and the 2010 state budget should be issued [by the cabinet] without an
increase in taxes.
- Neither a possible alliance with MP Michel al-Murr [in the Metn] during the
municipal elections nor establishing the Tashnaq party as a mediator between
Murr and the Free Patriotic Movement have taken place yet.
- We will call on everyone to partake in a developmental project for each town
[during the municipal elections].
-We hope that competent people from all sects will be appointed. Not taking into
account a person’s political affiliation when hiring state employees would be a
significant progress.
-Setting a proper mechanism for the administrative appointments is possible,
however, if the state is unwilling to implement the adequate criteria, the
mechanism will fail.
Gemayel calls on Sleiman and Hariri to announce date of municipal elections
April 6, 2010 /Following his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros
Sfeir in Bkirki on Tuesday, Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel told reporters that
President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri should once and for all
officially announce the scheduled date of the upcoming municipal elections,
which are tentatively taking place in May.
Gemayel said that Minister of Social Affairs Selim Sayegh – who is also a Kataeb
member – will bring the issue forth for discussion during Wednesday’s cabinet
session.
He added that his discussions with Sfeir touched on the sectarian distribution
of civil servants in public institutions, voicing his deep concern on the
alleged underrepresentation of Christians in administrations. This comes after
the government decided last week to make 10,000 Internal Security Forces (ISF)
staff members full-time employees, two-thirds of whom are Muslims, as well as to
recruit 4,000 new members from both genders. “Such decisions do not serve
[Lebanon’s] interests,” said Gemayel, adding, “Sectarian balances should be
respected in all public institutions.” He commented on Lebanese-Syrian
relations, saying that he supports having the best possible ties with Damascus.
“However, they should be based on mutual respect.”
-NOW Lebanon
Inviting the Syrian bazaar
Now Lebanon
Sawsan Mehanna, April 6, 2010
During his latest interview on Al-Manar television, Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad epitomized – in part – Syria’s new policy in dealing with Lebanon. The
very choice of the television station, to begin with, bears witness to Syria’s
renewed interest in Hezbollah and its secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
During the interview, the Syrian president insisted that his country does not
interfere in Lebanon’s political details, yet he still dedicated approximately
two-thirds of the interview to discuss these details. This indicates, if
anything, that Syria’s former interest in Lebanese affairs remains unabated.
This interest in Lebanon comes as no surprise since that country was – and still
is – a mailbox used by Damascus to send messages to the whole world. The Syrian
regime tackles every crisis with an apparent “coolness” since it can vent from
the Lebanese stage.
Therefore, if one wants to know what is going on in Damascus, one merely has to
observe the various episodes of security instability in Lebanon and the media
campaigns, which usually serve as a decoy.
What is it that the Syrian regime is worried about these days? Why was this
interview held at this specific time? Why was Al-Manar singled out for it?
Any observer of Syria’s pragmatic behavior is quite aware that the Syrian regime
is keen to take measured political steps and keep its reactions under check,
“cooking” its policies on the desert sand.
Then what concern other than the Special Tribunal for Lebanon causes this
chronic headache plaguing the Syrian leadership for the past five years?
The Syrian president dubbed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as “the bazaar of
international tribunals.” Since bazaars usually go by the law of offer and
demand, is the Syrian regime thus trying to invite some kind of international
bazaar, the kind of which it masters and excels in? This question is relevant,
especially since the accusation of involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri’s assassination still hovers above the Syrian regime as long as no
indictment has been issued.
Hence, looking onto the media campaigns against the Lebanese president, the
security agreement with the United States, PM Saad Hariri and – as of late –
against the UNIFIL, are these campaigns tantamount to veiled threats, or are
they preemptive anticipation by Hezbollah to confront the indictment?
It may be that Syria wants to focus the spotlight on Hezbollah in an attempt to
invite the international bazaar and clear its own name. If accused of being
behind Hariri’s assassination, Hezbollah may brandish the threat of Sunni-Shia
strife, which – in turn – may result in covering up the investigation results.
In so doing, Damascus would have gotten rid of the STL sword hanging over the
head of its ruling regime by threatening to ignite a civil war in Lebanon. One
cannot help but ask: what is the price to be paid by Syria to Hezbollah? Or
rather, what price is likely to be paid to Syria by the international community?
**The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of NOW Lebanon
Without security, the innocent suffer
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
As the saying goes, the more things change … On Monday, militants attacked the
US Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, not long after a suicide bomber had
detonated himself at a political ceremony in nearby Dir. Over 40 people died in
both incidents, and scores more were wounded. The militants even used a truck
bomb and rocket launchers in the US Consulate attack, but they only managed to
knock down part of the building’s wall.
The day before, three suicide car bombs targeting the Iranian and Egyptian
embassies in Baghdad left about 200 people dead or wounded, although no embassy
personnel were reportedly among the casualties. Before that, some 30 Iraqis were
rounded and executed in a village just south of the capital.
Last week began, of course, with coordinated suicide bombings in the Moscow
subway, which also claimed the lives of more than 30 morning commuters.
With bodies of the innocent still piling up around Asia, it seems to us the
politicians in the affected countries do not have their priorities in the right
order. We see that they, like politicians everywhere, are focusing too much on
their own political fortunes and not putting the security of the citizens at the
top of their priorities.
Iraq’s political elite is enmeshed in post-election wrangling to form a cabinet,
while the country remains a ticking time bomb, threatening to explode again into
civil war. Russia might still be the second most-powerful nation on earth – it
most certainly has the second-largest nuclear arsenal – and yet it cannot
prevent female suicide bombers from striking in the heart of Moscow.
Pakistan – and the US – are making a concerted effort to battle militants, but
fighters can still mount operations against high-value targets and government
institutions.
Violence such as we have witnessed almost daily during the past week will simply
not be stamped out by one country acting alone. Agreements exist among many of
the nations hit for various forms of security cooperation, but borders
throughout Asia remain open to easy movement by Islamist militants.
There needs to be a much more intensive combined effort to fight against this
scourge of violence. Politicians of the affected countries must for once shelve
their personal interests and agendas and develop a comprehensive strategy to
protect their citizens. The politicians have their own individual interests, but
the terror appears to us much the same wherever it strikes. Many of the
militants float back and forth between the various battlefields, and their
grievances often sound similar.
In the end, however, it is the innocent civilians who pay. The militants cannot
reach ambassadors and high-ranking officials; militants merely send messages to
the elites with the blood of innocents. The message that the politicians need to
receive is that the security and stability of the people they supposedly
represent, needs to take precedence over all else.
New al Qaeda Levant chief plans fresh assaults from Gaza, Lebanon
DEBKAfile Special Report April 6, 2010, 11:38 AM (GMT+02:00)Tags: Al Qaeda Gaza
Lebanon Saleh Al-Qaraawi
New al Qaeda regional chief: Saleh Al-QaraawiIn introductory interviews to
Islamist websites, Saleh Al-Qaraawi, the newly-appointed al Qaeda chief in the
Levant (Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories)
threatens to loose a fresh wave of attacks on US and Israeli targets as well as
UN peacekeepers in South Lebanon. debkafile's counter-terror sources report that
Al-Qaraawi (aka Star of Piety), a Saudi aged 40, is on the oil kingdom's list of
85 most wanted terrorists. He is married to the daughter of another terrorist
high on the wanted list, Sheikh Hazeima.
Al Qaeda's sites present Al Qaraawi as Commander of the "Abdullah Azzam
Brigades," named for Osama bin Laden's precursor as the jihadi organization's
founding ideologue in the late 1980s.
He is thought to be a personal appointee of al Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman Zuwahri, who
is chief of operations for the Middle East region.
In one of the interviews, the new man says the time has come to intensify
attacks on Israel from two bases: the Gaza Strip, where al Qaeda has established
a stronghold, and Lebanon.
Our military sources report that the cluster of groups affiliated to al Qaeda,
which have sprung up in the Gaza Strip under the Jalalat umbrella, keep their
hand in with the occasional Qassam or mortar attack across the border into
Israel. But most of their energies go into building up their power base in the
southern areas of Khan Younes and Deir al-Balakh and pushing Hamas out. Building
on Al Qaraawi's rich operational experience in Saudi Arabia - high command of
the Saudi arena is said to be on his resume - his new job is to inject fresh
impetus into cross-border offensives from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
As for assaults on US targets in the Levant area, al Qaeda plans to use the
Kingdom of Jordan as its main arena, as it has in the past.
Al Qaeda's most ambitious operation from Gaza was mounted eleven months ago, on
June 8, 2009, when a large contingent of raiders, some on horseback, swept
across the border at several points from north to south.
An estimated 10 gunmen attacked a Golani infantry patrol and tried to kidnap
Israeli soldiers. In the ensuing battle, a back-up al Qaeda force fired mortars
from inside the Gaza Strip.
That operation failed in its purpose but demonstrated the scale of attacks the
Islamist organization is planning to mount from the Gaza Strip against southern
Israel.
Three months later, on Sept 11 2009, al Qaeda marked the date of its New York
atrocity by firing two 122mm Grad missiles from the Qlaileh area in South
Lebanon into Western Galilee, where they exploded on open ground near Kibbutz
Gesher Haziv.
The blocked channel
Haaretz/05/04/10
According to a special report commissioned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
there is no chance for negotiations between Israel and Syria in the near future.
The report, the main points of which were published in Haaretz on Sunday, bases
its pessimistic conclusions on the results of meetings between its two authors -
Sarkozy's adviser on Middle Eastern Affairs and the head of the Middle East desk
in the French Foreign Ministry - and senior Israeli officials. One does not have
to study a report, be it French, American or any other to conclude quickly there
is no chance at this time for talks between Syria and Israel. Israel is
unwilling to withdraw from the Golan Heights, and Syria is not prepared to
accede to Israel's demand to disengage from Hezbollah and from Iran. Thus,
ostensibly, the channel of communication between the two sides is blocked,
preventing any chance of a breakthrough. Advertisement
However, the concepts "at this time" and "in the near future" are misleading and
deceptive. Timetables depend on political priorities, and we have seen that
heads of state respond in times of need to international pressure that endangers
the status of their countries. Just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changed
his position on the principle of a two-state solution, under the right
circumstances withdrawal from the Golan Heights could stop being a vital
condition. Policy is a dynamic thing, as France knows, having changed its Middle
East policies several times, including its attitude toward Syrian President
Bashar Assad. Wisdom consists of preparing conditions for a change of policy and
creating a foundation for peace. That is also the mission of the French
president, who has been involved in steps in the Middle East. France is not an
observer nor a commentator; it is an important country in the European Union and
the partner of the United States in its moves against Iran. It must be hoped
that the report compiled by two of its top diplomats will present a challenge to
France and not bring efforts to move ahead on negotiations between Israel and
Syria to an end. Israel, for its part, should not wait for external pressure or
the next war. It must declare its intention to withdraw from the Golan Heights
and return the occupied territory to its owners under conditions to be achieved
during talks. The presentation of preconditions, like the demand that Syria
detach itself from Hezbollah and Iran, rather than discussing security
arrangements that would neutralize their impact, guarantees the failure of any
negotiations.
Is Arizona's border a gateway for nukes?
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2010/04/04/20100404davis-nukes.html
By:
Rich Davis
The Arizona Republic
April 06, 2010/
Viewpoints
Nuclear proliferation in far-off places like Iran and Pakistan threaten peace
and prosperity in Arizona. The math is simple. Iran and Pakistan are cozy with
extremist groups that are intent on using nuclear material against their
enemies. Arizona may not be the enemy of extremist groups like Hezbollah,
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and al-Qaida, but America is, and Arizona happens to have the
ideal porous border for nefarious activity. What's more, there is a growing
relationship between extremist groups and drug traffickers. The latter are well
entrenched at our southern border.For the past several years, the focus of our
border has been on illegal immigration, and rightfully so. But the proliferation
of nuclear material in Iran and Pakistan forces us to look anew at our border as
a national-security challenge that must be addressed.
Like an aircraft carrier on the high seas, we must be able to defend our last
major line of defense against aggression. For the carrier, it may be 250
nautical miles from the ship; for Arizona and America, it is our border. When I
served President George W. Bush at the White House as his director of terrorism
prevention, great effort was spent working to secure nuclear material around the
world. But recent events in Iran and Pakistan increase the likelihood that
nuclear material will, at some point, fall into the hands of extremist groups
that are intent on using it. Understanding the nuclear programs in Iran and
Pakistan and their corresponding relationships with extremist groups sheds more
light on the problem.
In defiance of the international community, Iran continues to enrich uranium.
According to Iranian President Ahmadinejad, Iran now has the capacity to enrich
uranium to 20 percent - demonstrating that weapons-grade enrichment is feasible.
Although a nuclear Iran creates many strategic problems for the world, it's that
nation's existing weapons transfers to Hezbollah that are game-changing.
According to Maj. Gen. (retired) Isaac Ben Israel, chairman of the Israeli Space
Agency and confidant to successive Israeli prime ministers, Iran has provided
unmanned aerial vehicles and seven types of rockets to Hezbollah. The most
sophisticated rockets have a range of 186 miles, the entire length of Israel.
Ben Israel also explained that Iran funneled Russia's most sophisticated
anti-tank weapons, the Kornet and Metis-M to Lebanese Hezbollah.
As a result, Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization, has some of the
most sophisticated battlefield weaponry available. If advanced weaponry can be
transferred from Iran to Hezbollah, so can nuclear material or devices. Pakistan
already has nuclear weapons and a growing amount of nuclear material. But, in
Pakistan, extremist groups are gaining strength. There are 30 terror groups,
including al-Qaida and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. These two groups are the most
ambitious extremist groups in Pakistan, and neither is seriously threatened by
the Pakistani government. In the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba
demonstrated its capability by using special-forces tactics, global positioning
systems, satellite phones and hijacked fishing vessels to coordinate
simultaneous attacks. We all know what al-Qaida did in 2001.
Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Hezbollah have declared interest in acquiring
and using weapons of mass destruction against their enemies.
Even more concerning is the growing relationship between extremist groups and
the drug trade. In recent years, extremist groups have been funding operations
through drug money. Further, known associates of terror groups have mixed with
some of the same document forgers and illicit service providers that drug
cartels use. This intersection of people is a major cause for concern.
Unclassified evidence of this problem can be seen through the development of new
offices in the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and State
where programs have been established to better understand and defend against the
nexus between terrorism and narcotics. Simply put, there is growing concern that
drug cartels, which are masters of smuggling, might decide to aid one of these
extremists groups.
According the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, "most of the (350-mile
Arizona/Mexican) border consists of inhospitable desert and steep mountain
ranges, which are sparsely populated, infrequently patrolled by law enforcement
and ideal for drug smuggling." Of course, a smuggling route for drugs can also
be used for people, weapons or nuclear devices.
In 2006, Congress passed legislation to develop a stronger southern border,
which was to include a fence, sensors and other technical measures. To date, the
border has yet to see these improvements.
The lack of progress has been the result of the deep division among our
political leadership and populace over the issue of immigration. But the march
of nuclear proliferation and extremism requires that all leaders redefine border
security as a matter of national security.
There is potency in approaching our southern border in this manner. Even ardent
opponents of border-security measures for reasons of illegal immigration are
willing to strengthen the border against extremist groups and nuclear smuggling.
As with any approach, a system capable of preventing the entry of a nuclear
device at our border must allow for and even foster legitimate commerce and the
cultural and economic benefits of trade between Arizona and Mexico. Both Mexico
and Arizona derive billions of dollars in economic benefit as a result of our
trade with each other, but this is not guaranteed.
God forbid, should an extremist group get their hands on highly enriched uranium
or plutonium and attempt to detonate a nuclear device in the United States, our
airports, land borders and seaports will close for an indefinite period. The
lives lost would be great, our way of life would be impeded far beyond what we
have seen since 9/11 and the economies of Arizona, the United States and Mexico
would be seriously weakened.
When it comes to the southern border, the key to advancement is in preventing
the smuggling of nuclear devices by extremist groups. And, yes, by addressing
this national-security threat at our borders, we will also reduce other illicit
activities such as trafficking of humans, weapons and drugs.
**Rich Davis is a visiting scholar with the School of Criminology and Criminal
Justice at Arizona State University. He is an associate member of the Permanent
Monitoring Panel on Terrorism, World Federation of Scientists, and CEO of ARTIS
Research. Reach him at
rdavis@artisresearch.com.
Hariri is courting Hezbollah
As ties improve between Saudi Arabia and Syria, the Lebanese prime minister
moves closer to the resistance movement
By Sami Moubayed, Special to Gulf News
Published: 00:00 April 6, 2010
During his upcoming visit to Damascus this month, Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri
will be reminded of the need to "protect and embrace" the arms of Hezbollah, in
light of recent media allegations linking the party to the 2005 assassination of
his father, Rafik Hariri.Image Credit: NINO JOSE HEREDIA/Gulf NewsDamascus has
recently made it clear that Hezbollah holds the key to harmony between Syria and
Lebanese officials. That explains why Walid Junblatt's Damascus visit came only
after he pledged unconditional support for the Lebanese resistance, while Hassan
Nasrallah accepted his apology and approved his visit. During his visit,
Junblatt was accompanied by a member of Hezbollah and told that all future
contacts with Syrian officials will be made through Nasrallah.
During his upcoming visit to Damascus this month, Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri
will be reminded of the need to "protect and embrace" the arms of Hezbollah, in
light of recent media allegations linking the party to the 2005 assassination of
his father, Rafik Hariri. Hezbollah is visibly pleased with these developments.
It wants to empower Hariri so that he can evolve into a reliable and sustainable
ally and, eventually, rid himself of unwanted alliances. In particular,
Hezbollah believes Hariri's alliance with the Lebanese Forces (LF) of former
Maronite warlord Samir Geagea, a staunch critic of Hezbollah, was forced on him.
In 2005, the LF and Hariri teamed up to achieve two short-term objectives:
taking power and getting the Syrians out of Lebanon. Apart from these aims, they
had nothing in common — as evidenced by the differences that erupted between
them after the June 2009 parliamentary elections. Hariri wanted a Lebanon
strongly allied to the Arab world and was willing to walk the extra mile to
bring Hezbollah on board, granting it veto power within the Cabinet, giving
certain posts to its ally Michel Aoun, and hammering out a Cabinet policy
statement that promised to protect Hezbollah's right to arms. The LF was furious
and behind closed doors its officials began to criticise the new prime minister.
In any event, the LF had never forgiven Rafik Hariri for seeing to it that
Geagea remained behind bars throughout his two terms as prime minister between
1992 and 2004. Regional heavyweights such as Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia were
glad to see the Hariri-Geagea alliance finally fall apart.
Jettison Lebanese Forces
Hezbollah is toying with the idea of an internal change within the Hariri
Cabinet — granting the prime minister enough ammunition to get rid of his two LF
ministers and replace them with co-operative Christians. The Christian umbrella
that Hariri needs has already been granted by Aoun, meaning he can effectively
rid himself of Geagea's men, with minimal damage to his Cabinet coalition and no
damage to his credibility in the Christian street. This might explain the sudden
emergence of a new coalition, the Popular Opposition Front, headed by staunch
Hezbollah and Syria ally and former prime minister Omar Karami. The front, which
hopes to serve as a "shadow Cabinet", includes Christian figures like Elias
Firizli, Albert Mansour and Elias Saba and is backed by strong Hezbollah ally
and former president Emille Lahoud. Karami, it must be noted, would never
approve of his allies joining a Cabinet that has Geagea's men in it, given that
the latter was convicted and jailed for the 1988 murder of his brother, former
prime minister Rashid Karami. No doubt, Hariri sees the Geagea alliance as an
embarrassment forced on him five years ago and would be happy to do away with
it.
Last week, the prime minister met with media officials at the offices of his
Future Television company. Hariri explicitly instructed that no anti-Syrian
material be broadcast on Future TV — a clear departure from the policy since
2005 — and that Syria be given the same respect as Saudi Arabia. More evidence
of the close relationship between Hezbollah and Hariri is the recent action of
his trusted Interior Minister Ziad Baroud. The latter was expected to send a
group of Lebanese soldiers from Internal Security for counter-terrorism training
with the US military in Jordan. Before signing off on the travel permits, Baroud
requested that all clauses in the Lebanese-US agreement signed by Hariri's
predecessor Fouad Siniora that make derogatory statements about Hezbollah are
removed.
On April 13, Hariri will visit Damascus in search of support to carry out his
coup against the LF. Saudi Arabia would like Hariri to remain in power. That
simply means giving in to all of the demands made by Syria and Hezbollah. The
more he gives in to what these two players want, the more likely it becomes that
Lebanon will stabilise, Saudi Arabia believes.
The Saudis feel indebted to Syria for helping them with the recent Iraqi
elections, which led to the defeat of the hated Nouri Al Maliki and victory of
Saudi Arabia's ally Eyad Allawi. Syria played a pivotal role in securing Al
Maliki's defeat by getting its allies in Sunni strongholds such as Anbar to vote
for Allawi. Syria is also pushing Moqtada Al Sadr, who won 40 out of 70 seats
for the Iraqi National Alliance, to say no to any comeback for Al Maliki or his
team. The Syrians have leverage over Al Sadr — leverage that Saudi Arabia lacks.
The price for the ‘Saudi' victory in Baghdad will apparently be collected in
Beirut, creating a perfect scenario for Hezbollah and Syria, at the expense of
Geagea.
**Sami Moubayed is editor-in-chief of Forward Magazine in Syria
'Jordan-Israel ties at all-time low'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
06/04/2010 06:51
King Abdullah says Jerusalem's actions on the ground make him extremely
concerned.
Jordan’s relationship with Israel is at an all-time low since peace was
established 15 years ago, Jordanian King Abdullah says in an interview with the
Wall Street Journal published Monday night.
When he met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a year ago, Abdullah told the
paper, “I was extremely optimistic by the vision he had for peace between the
Israelis and the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Arabs. However, I have to
say that over the past 12 months, everything I've seen on the ground has made me
extremely skeptical.
“There's been a lot of words, but the actions on the ground have made me
extremely concerned about how straightforward Israeli policy is,” he said. “And
I'm probably one of the more optimistic people you will meet in this part of the
world.”
Tensions revolving around holy place in Jerusalem and the West Bank, he said,
were particularly troubling, and “could ignite Muslim frustration and anger,
which we do not need today.”
“Unfortunately,” Abdullah noted, “for the first time since my father made peace
with Israel, our relationship with Israel is at an all bottom low. It hasn't
been as bad as it is today and as tense as it is today.
“The political trust is gone, there is no real economic relationship between
Jordan and Israel,” Abdullah said. “I mean, obviously there was the golden
period of the wonderful relationship between my father and Prime Minister
[Yitzhak] Rabin, and after the death of Rabin, again there was a resurgence with
[then-prime minister Ehud Barak], but it's just been a decline since then.”
Abdullah, who flies to Washington on Saturday for an official visit, will ask US
leaders to redouble peacemaking efforts in the region, especially
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
“I think wasting too much time is something that we all have to be very
concerned about because there is tremendous tension [in the region],” Abdullah
said. “The status quo is not acceptable. What will happen is that we will
continue to go around in circles until the conflict erupts, and there will be
suffering by peoples because there will be a war.”
“There are those out there on all sides unfortunately, rejectionists … who will
do everything they can to spoil the future of Israelis and the Palestinians.”
Abdullah said he was worried about Israel’s long-term future if a solution to
the conflict is not found in the next few years. Israel’s standing in the
international community is very low these days, he said, with the Europeans, the
Russians, the Chinese and even the Americans becoming increasingly frustrated
with Israeli politics.
And Israel’s real problems, he added, were from within: “The Arab-Israeli
population in Israel proper, in eight to ten years, will be 50% of Israel. The
Israelis have a major challenge on the future of their existence.
“Wouldn't it be better today when you're in a stronger position to make peace
not only with your neighbors but with the whole Arab-Islamic world than kicking
this problem down the road two or three years where your options become reduced?
“
Abdullah culminated by saying Syria, which has recently seen an improvement of
relations with Jordan, is interested in peace talks with Israel, but is
distrustful of Netanyauh’s government.
“Yes, they are ready to talk,” he said, “but again I think everyone is still
trying to decide what this Israeli government is all about. The rhetoric is
positive, but actions on the ground show us something completely different, so
there is frustration from Syria towards Israel
25 dead
in US coal mine blast, 4 still missing in country's worst mine disaster since
1984
By Lawrence Messina, The Associated Press
MONTCOAL, W.Va. - The death toll in a U.S. coal mine explosion rose to 25,
making it the country's worst mining disaster in more than two decades,
officials said Tuesday as they worked to clear the mine of poisonous gases so
they could try to find four missing miners.
Rescuers began drilling three deep holes to vent methane and carbon monoxide
from the mine, but it will take until evening to get the first hole done and see
if the mine air will allow rescue teams to enter, Governor Joe Manchin said.
The blast rocked Massey Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine, about 30
miles (50 kilometres) south of Charleston, Monday afternoon.
Manchin said at an early morning news briefing that while drilling on at least
one of the three holes was slated to begin soon, it would take perhaps 12 hours
before the drilling was complete and rescue teams could be sure of their safety
in the mine, meaning the search wasn't expected to resume before 6 p.m. (2200
GMT).
"It's going to be a long day and we're not going to have a lot of information
until we can get the first hole through," Manchin said.
The drills need to bore through about 1,100 feet (335 metres) of earth and rock,
he said.
"All we have left is hope, and we're going to continue to do what we can," Kevin
Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health
Administration, said at a news conference. "But I'm just trying to be honest
with everybody and say that the situation does look dire."
Though the cause of the blast was not known, the operation run by Massey
subsidiary Performance Coal Co. has a history of violations for not properly
ventilating highly combustible methane gas, safety officials said.
Stricklin said officials had hoped some of the missing survived the blast and
were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen
for them to live for four days. However, rescue teams checked one of two nearby
and it was empty. The buildup of toxic methane gas - a constant problem at the
mine - and of carbon monoxide prevented teams from reaching other chambers,
officials said.
A total of 31 miners were in the area during a shift change when the blast
happened, officials said. Some may have died in the blast and others when they
breathed in the gas-filled air, Stricklin said. Eleven bodies had been recovered
and identified, but the other 14 have not, said Manchin, who returned to the
state after being out of town. Names weren't released publicly, but Manchin said
three of the dead are all members of the same family.
"Everybody's just heartbroken over this and the impact on these families," said
mine safety director Joe Main, who was headed to West Virginia.
It is the most people killed in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire
at Emery Mining Corp.'s mine in Orangeville, Utah. If the four missing bring the
total to 29, it would be the most killed in a U.S. mine since a 1970 explosion
killed 38 at Finley Coal Co., in Hyden, Kentucky.
After a record low 34 deaths last year, Main said he and others believed coal
mining had turned the corner on preventing fatal accidents.
"There's always danger. There's so many ways you can get hurt, or your life
taken," said Gary Williams, a miner and pastor of a church near the southern
West Virginia mine. "It's not something you dread every day, but there's always
that danger. But for this area, it's the only way you're going to make a
living."
In Monday's blast, nine miners were leaving on a vehicle that takes them in and
out of the mine's long shaft when a crew ahead of them felt a blast of air and
went back to investigate, Stricklin said.
They found nine workers, seven of whom were dead. Others were hurt or missing
about a mile and a half inside the mine, though there was some confusion over
how many. Others made it out, Manchin said.
In a statement early Tuesday, Massey Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship offered
his condolences to the families of the dead miners.
"Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy," Blankenship said.
Massey Energy, a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Virginia, has 2.2
billion tons of coal reserves in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky,
southwest Virginia and Tennessee. It ranks among the top five U.S. coal
producers and is among the industry's most profitable. It has a spotty safety
record.
In the past year, federal inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for
repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at
Upper Big Branch. The violations also cover failing to follow the plan, allowing
combustible coal dust to pile up, and having improper firefighting equipment.
Methane is one of the great dangers of coal mining, and federal records say the
Eagle coal seam releases up to 2 million cubic feet of methane gas into the
Upper Big Branch mine every 24 hours, which is a large amount, said Dennis
O'Dell, health and safety director for the United Mine Workers labour union.
In mines, giant fans are used to keep the colorless, odourless gas
concentrations below certain levels. If concentrations are allowed to build up,
the gas can explode with a spark roughly similar to the static charge created by
walking across a carpet in winter, as at the Sago mine, also in West Virginia.
**Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Vicki Smith, Tom Breen and Tim Huber
in West Virginia and Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report.
Canadian
dollar hits parity vs. U.S. dollar
By Claire Sibonney
TORONTO (Reuters) The Canadian dollar rose to one-for-one footing with the U.S.
currency on Tuesday, hitting its strongest level since July 2008, boosted by
rising commodity prices and expectations for higher domestic interest rates. At
7:38 a.m. (1138 GMT), the Canadian dollar was at C$1.0008, or 99.92 U.S. cents.
Earlier, the currency rose to C$0.9999 to the U.S. dollar or $1.0001. "It's been
heading toward parity for weeks and it was inevitable. There's no surprise,"
said Jon Gencher, director of foreign exchange sales at BMO Capital Markets,
"We've been calling to have the prospect of higher rates in Canada. You have the
prospect of higher commodity prices and it's building to it."
The currency, nicknamed the loonie for the bird depicted on the one-dollar coin,
last reached parity with the greenback on July 22, 2008, when it hit C$0.9999 to
the U.S. dollar, or $1.0001. "This time seems to be a more of a sustainable
move. I think for the next little while, we are certainly going to hover around
parity," Gencher added.
Canadian economic fundamentals and an improving international economic outlook
have provided support for the Canadian dollar as a string of
stronger-than-expected data raised expectations for higher interest rates.
The Bank of Canada has a conditional pledge to hold the key interest rate at an
all-time low of 0.25 percent until the end of June, provided inflation stays
tame, but market players have begun to price in an earlier rate hike as the
economy heats up fast after the recession.
"The Canadian dollar remains better placed on almost every front, including the
monetary policy outlook, a healthy banking system and rising commodities," said
Audrey Childe-Freeman, strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.
The most recent favorable data was the report on Friday that showed employers in
the United States, Canada's largest trading partner, created jobs in March at
the fastest rate in three years as private firms stepped up hiring.
That followed a stronger-than-expected Canadian gross domestic product report
for January.
(Reporting by Claire Sibonney, Jennifer Kwan and London FX desk; Editing by
Padraic Cassidy)