| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
13 Aug 2007 07:46:06 PM |
| Object: |
OT: Not the Way to Intervene |
Not the Way to Intervene
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0811.html
By Paul J. Saunders
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A11
Ivo Daalder and Robert Kagan are frustrated that the United States has
not been able to count on the U.N. Security Council to provide
legitimacy for American military action, and they want the world's
democracies to decide when intervention is appropriate [" The Next
Intervention," op-ed, Aug. 6]. But the cure they propose is much worse
than the disease -- and it could undermine not only vital U.S.
interests but also American efforts to promote freedom.
First, Daalder and Kagan fail to offer a persuasive answer to what
they correctly call the "critical question" in winning international
legitimacy for military action: who decides. Their answer -- "the
world's democracies" -- is shallow. How will the world's democracies
decide to endorse American use of force? Not democratically -- that
would create a new General Assembly, a U.N. body even less willing to
do American bidding than the Security Council.
Poison Me Elmo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0812.html
By Christian Warren
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A11
In June, 1.5 million lead-tainted Thomas and Friends toys headed back
across the Pacific. This month, Fisher-Price announced that it was
recalling nearly a million toys for the same reason. As with past
discoveries of lead hazards, consumers should expect more toy recalls
and more calls for heightened vigilance by U.S. companies regarding
their overseas suppliers. Chastened companies and their wary
competitors are likely to proclaim robust new quality-control
measures, but don't expect a meaningful increase in federal oversight.
Each of these is a positive step toward reducing one source of lead
for American children. But they are secondary steps at best, slowing
an epidemic's spread rather than eliminating the underlying cause.
Each is also likely to be somewhat forgotten once the media coverage
subsides. For Thomas and Elmo, as with Ethyl and the Dutch Boy before
them, primary prevention requires purging the offending heavy metal
completely -- and globally.
House of Corruption?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0813.html
By Robert D. Novak
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A11
With the midnight hour approaching on Saturday, Aug. 4, near the end
of a marathon session, Democratic and Republican leaders alike wanted
to pass the defense appropriations bill quickly and start their summer
recess. But Republican Rep. Jeff Flake's stubborn adherence to
principle forced an hour-long delay that revealed unpleasant realities
about Congress.
Flake insisted on debating the most egregious of the 1,300 earmarks
placed in the defense money bill by individual House members that
authorize spending in their districts. Defending every such earmark
was the chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee:
Democratic Rep. John Murtha, unsmiling and unresponsive to questions
posed on the House floor by Flake. Murtha is called "King Corruption"
by Republican reformers, but what happened after midnight on Aug. 5 is
not a party matter. Democrats and Republicans, as always, locked arms
to support every earmark. It makes no difference that at least seven
House members are under investigation by the Justice Department. A
bipartisan majority insists on sending taxpayers' money to companies
in their districts without competitive bidding or public review.
The Pain, and Gain, of the Subprime Meltdown
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0815.html
By Sebastian Mallaby
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A11
The meltdown in financial markets may seem scary or mysterious, but
it's part of a time-honored story. In Chapter One, a new financial
instrument makes capital available to a new class of borrower, and the
result is profits for the innovator along with gains for consumers. In
Chapter Two, a group of not-so-smart investors misunderstands the
novel instrument and bids its price up too enthusiastically; when the
inevitable bust follows, the innovation is denounced as inherently
dangerous. Then, in Chapter Three, the complaints blow over. The not-
so-smart investors learn their lesson and the new instrument
stabilizes. Financial innovation turns out to be beneficial without
being scary, but by that time another newfangled instrument has
emerged to frighten people, and finance is hauled before the court of
public opinion -- again.
This is likely to be the story with the current subprime mortgage
meltdown, just as it was with subprime's close cousin, the junk bond.
Wrong Answer, Governor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0814.html
The Democratic Calculus On Gay Rights Issues
By Jonathan Capehart
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A11
Bloomberg News columnist Margaret Carlson and I were stealing glances
at each other when singer Melissa Etheridge asked New Mexico Gov. Bill
Richardson an easy question: "Do you think homosexuality is a choice,
or is it biological?" His response was quick: "It's a choice!" My
visible reaction to Carlson was equally quick: "Oh, no, he didn't!"
The occasion was Thursday's forum with the Democratic candidates for
president, hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group,
and Logo, the gay channel owned by Viacom. I served as a panelist at
the two-hour event in Los Angeles. It was a historic moment for gays
and lesbians nationwide, as many believed that one of the people who
came to offer their views on gay issues would be the next president of
the United States. (Plans for a Republican forum were scrapped after
GOP candidate Mitt Romney declined an invitation and John McCain and
Rudy Giuliani did not respond to invitations.)
Pulling Rank on Religion
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0968.html
An evangelical group and top officers cross a line.
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A10
THE PENTAGON'S inspector general has concluded that seven current or
former military officers, including two major generals and the
Pentagon chaplain, violated ethics rules when they appeared in uniform
in a promotional and fundraising video for the evangelical group
Christian Embassy. The report on Christian Embassy, an offshoot of
Campus Crusade for Christ that recruits diplomats, government leaders
and military officers, underscores the need for Pentagon officials,
both uniformed and civilian, to be more careful about mixing religious
activities with government duties.
English, S=ED?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0972.html
A common language takes more than a resolution.
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A10
L atinos forman una mayor parte de la populacion en Manassas Park.
IF YOU COULD not read that sentence, you probably aren't one of the
many Latinos who helped make that Virginia suburb a place where
minorities now outnumber non-Hispanic whites. And if you're anything
like many of the good people of Culpeper County, also in Northern
Virginia, you might feel the impulse to pass a resolution making
English the official language.
Upkeep Of Security Devices A Burden
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1244_pf.html
By Mary Beth Sheridan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; A01
In 2003, the FBI used a $25 million grant to give bomb squads across
the nation state-of-the-art computer kits, enabling them to instantly
share information about suspected explosives, including weapons of
mass destruction.
Four years later, half of the Washington area's squads can't
communicate via the $12,000 kits, meant to be taken to the scene of
potential catastrophes, because they didn't pick up the monthly
wireless bills and maintenance costs initially paid by the FBI. Other
squads across the country also have given up using them.
In Fundraising's Murky Corners
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1371_pf.html
Candidates See Little of Millions Collected by Linda Chavez's Family
By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; A01
Linda Chavez rose to prominence in the 1980s as a tart-tongued Reagan
administration official and candidate for the Senate, eventually
becoming a well-known Latina voice on social issues and President
Bush's choice to lead the Labor Department. With her conservative
celebrity came book deals, a syndicated column, regular appearances on
the Fox News Channel -- and a striking but little-known success at
political fundraising.
In the years since she was forced to pull her nomination as Bush's
labor secretary after admitting payments to an illegal immigrant,
Chavez and her immediate family members have used phone banks and
direct-mail solicitations to raise tens of millions of dollars,
founding several political action committees with bankable names: the
Republican Issues Committee, the Latino Alliance, Stop Union Political
Abuse and the Pro-Life Campaign Committee. Their solicitations promise
direct action in the "fight to save unborn lives," a vigorous struggle
against "big labor bosses" and a crippling of "liberal politics in the
country."
Unearthing Anguish In a Troubled Land
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1382.html
Scores of mass graves have been discovered across Afghanistan, holding
victims of decades of repression and war. The government has been
loath to act, but relatives for the first time are shedding their fear
and demanding justice.
By Pamela Constable
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A01
CHAM TALA, Afghanistan -- A dusty track winds through acres of used-
car lots, a vast municipal garbage dump and a cluster of abandoned
Russian bunkers just north of Kabul, the capital. Eventually it stops
at a steep sandy slope, marked off with police tape. At the bottom are
three caves, freshly sealed by bulldozers.
Ten weeks ago, acting on a citizen's tip, police excavated the caves,
where they found eight human skeletons and signs of others buried more
deeply. It was the latest of 88 mass grave sites across Afghanistan
charted in the last year by local and international human rights
groups, which believe they contain many thousands of victims.
Iowans Feel Snubbed, but Will It Matter?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0491_pf.html
By Michael D. Shear and Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, August 13, 2007; A01
DES MOINES, Aug. 12 -- If there was one thing that was plain at
Saturday's gathering of Republicans in Ames, Iowa, it was this: They
don't like to be dissed.
The GOP throng groaned and booed at any mention of the no-shows --
former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, former senator Fred D.
Thompson (Tenn.) and Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) -- and warned the
missing candidates that skipping the straw poll will be remembered.
Ney's Chief of Staff Wore Wire, Was Key To Boss's Conviction
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1287_pf.html
By James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; A01
When Will Heaton went to work for Rep. Robert W. Ney in 2001, he was
23 years old and still in awe of the members of Congress he had come
to know years earlier as a congressional page. Within six months, the
Ohio Republican promoted the fresh-faced neophyte to be the youngest
chief of staff in Congress.
For the next five years, Heaton stuck by Ney, even as the House
Administration Committee chairman accepted free meals at super-
lobbyist Jack Abramoff's downtown restaurant, sports tickets in his
arena skyboxes and luxurious junkets around the world. Heaton
accompanied Ney on a golf junket to Scotland with Abramoff, and he
helped Ney return the favors to Abramoff.
Microsoft Disputes FCC's Rejection of Web Devices That Use TV Airwaves
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1084.html
By Kim Hart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A02
Today Microsoft plans to try to convince regulators that it can
connect consumers to high-speed Internet over unused television
airwaves without interfering with existing broadcasts.
In a document that it plans to file today with the Federal
Communications Commission, Microsoft disputes the agency's recent
findings that prototype devices either interfered with TV signals or
could not detect them to avoid interference. Microsoft's first
prototype was defective, but the firm said another model worked
successfully in a demonstration it gave to the FCC last week.
U=2ES. Anti-Terrorism Laws Hold Up Asylum Seekers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1013.html
By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A03
More than seven months after the Bush administration promised help to
a group of foreign nationals whose applications for asylum or refugee
status have been hindered by strict interpretation of anti-terrorism
laws, only a handful of the applicants have had their cases resolved.
In January, officials in the departments of State, Justice and
Homeland Security said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would soon
sign waivers helping refugees in camps outside the United States who
had been barred entry under the USA Patriot Act and the Real ID Act
because they had provided "material support" to armed groups such as
the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka -- even though some of those groups have
not officially been designated terrorist organizations. The waivers
would also help applicants who were forced to aid some terrorist
groups under duress.
The Color of Health Care: Diagnosing Bias in Doctors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1048.html
By Shankar Vedantam
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A03
Long before word recently broke that white referees in the National
Basketball Association were calling fouls at a higher rate on black
athletes than on white athletes, and long before studies found racial
disparities in how black and white applicants get called for job
interviews, researchers noted differences in the most troubling domain
of all -- disparities in survival and health among people belonging to
different racial groups.
Black babies, according to the federal government's Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, have higher death rates than white
babies. Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to
die of cervical cancer. And in 2000, the death rate from heart disease
was 29 percent higher among African Americans than among white adults,
and the death rate from stroke was 40 percent higher.
Tommy Thompson Leaves Race After Poor Showing in Iowa Poll
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1451.html
By Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A05
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy G. Thompson dropped out of the race
for the Republican presidential nomination last night, a day after
finishing sixth in the straw poll in Ames, Iowa.
Thompson had pledged to leave the race if he did not finish first or
second in Saturday's straw poll. His showing reflected the fact that,
though he devoted considerable time to campaigning in Iowa, traveling
to all 99 counties, he never generated excitement among Republican
activists for his candidacy.
America Loses Its Stature as Tallest Country
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0809.html
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A06
Pundits often opine that America's stature is declining on the global
stage. It turns out that Americans -- literally -- are not standing as
tall, compared with the rest of the world, as they used to.
U=2ES. adults lost their position as the tallest people on Earth to the
Dutch, who average about two inches taller than the typical American.
In fact, American men now rank ninth and women 15th in average height,
having fallen short of many other European nations.
Maliki Aims To Reconcile With Cabinet
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0250.html
Iraqi Premier Plans Summit This Week to Address Crisis
By Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A07
BAGHDAD, Aug. 12 -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday expressed
optimism about the chances of reconciliation within Iraq's fractured
government, even as a political rival accused him of protecting
militias with ties to Iran.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced that five soldiers were killed
Saturday when a sniper shot one, then lured the others to a house
rigged to explode. It was the single deadliest attack against American
forces this month.
An Unhappy Holiday in Zimbabwe
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1086.html
Gas Shortages Cripple Transport System, Leaving Travelers Stranded
By Angus Shaw
Associated Press
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A07
HARARE, Zimbabwe, Aug. 12 -- Acute gasoline shortages crippled
transportation services in Zimbabwe on Sunday, stranding thousands of
weary travelers at bus stops before a two-day holiday honoring
guerrillas who fought against colonial-era white rule.
Zimbabwe is facing its worst gasoline shortages since the seizures of
thousands of white-owned commercial farms began in 2000, disrupting
the agriculture-based economy. Shortfalls in food, energy and other
sectors, along with the world's highest rates of inflation, have
devastated the country.
In Kabul, Musharraf Warns of Regional Extremism
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
0157.html
By Jason Straziuso
Associated Press
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A08
KABUL, Aug. 12 -- Working to soothe relations with neighboring
Afghanistan, Pakistan's president said Sunday that a "particularly
dark form" of terrorism confronts the region, while tribal leaders
called for engaging in dialogue with the Taliban to confront
extremism.
Speaking at the close of a four-day meeting of tribal leaders meant to
counter rising extremist violence, Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Pakistan
and Afghanistan face a great danger from fringe groups that preach
hate and radicalism. He also acknowledged that Taliban fighters seek
haven in Pakistan before crossing the border to launch attacks.
A Modern History Of White House Spin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1313.html
By Peter Baker
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A09
As a college professor, Martha Joynt Kumar studied and taught the art
of presidential communication for years. But one day, she did what few
of her colleagues in academia had: She showed up at the White House,
planted herself in the basement along with the reporters who covered
the president and started watching the whole process up close. That
was in 1995. Now we have the fruits of her labor.
After attending briefings and presidential events for most of the last
dozen years, Kumar has seen the sausage being ground for longer than
most of the officials and reporters she studies. Her new book,
"Managing the President's Message," published by Johns Hopkins
University Press, pulls back the curtain on the machinations and
recriminations that always seem to shadow the interactions between
presidents and the media.
A General Call for 'Strategic Patience' in Iraq, Plus Discomforting
Specifics
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR200708120=
1032.html
By Walter Pincus
Monday, August 13, 2007; Page A09
Here are some cold facts for those contemplating the future in Iraq:
The U.S. military has not only 160,000 troops and at least 100,000
contractors in that country, but also about 140,000 to 200,000 metric
tons of valuable equipment and supplies, as well as 15,000 to 20,000
military vehicles and major weapons. These are spread through many
cities and more than 100 forward operating bases.
Wrong Way Out of Iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/opinion/13mon1.html?_r=3D1&oref=3Dslogin
If anyone outside the White House truly believes that the U.S. can
stay in Iraq in reduced numbers, while ignoring the civil war and
expecting Iraqi forces to impose order, the British experience
demonstrates otherwise.
The No-Match Non-Solution
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/opinion/13mon2.html
Without more visas to clear backlogs and a path to citizenship for
undocumented immigrants, illegality will remain chronic.
Irresponsible Threats
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/opinion/13mon3-1.html
It is stupefying that some Chinese officials have been talking of
using China's enormous cache of American Treasury bonds as an economic
weapon.
Editorial Observer: The 17 Percent Problem and the Perils of
Domestication
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/opinion/13mon4.html
By VERLYN KLINKENBORG
What does it mean to go from a humanly ancient world in which only 17
percent of nature had been "tainted" to a world in which only 17
percent remains untainted?
Catch Me, I'm Falling
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/opinion/13schwartz.html
By SAMUEL I. SCHWARTZ
We must increase the frequency of bridge inspections and use and
develop technologies that predict problems.
Aiming for a New Pittsburgh, and Falling Short
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/americas/13venezuela.html?ref=3Dwor=
ld
By SIMON ROMERO
Envisioned as a "Pittsburgh of the tropics," Ciudad Guayana,
Venezuela, didn't turn out quite as planned, and that's casting doubts
on President Hugo Ch=E1vez's city-building ambitions.
China, Filling a Void, Drills for Riches in Chad
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/africa/13chinaafrica.html?pagewante=
d=3Dall
By HOWARD W. FRENCH and LYDIA POLGREEN
Chinese companies are investing heavily in impoverished African
countries like Chad, raising Western concerns.
From a Burmese Prison, a Chronicle of Pain in Paint
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/asia/13prisoners.html?ref=3Dworld
By JANE PERLEZ
Htien Lin's paintings and illustrations, smuggled from prison during
his years as a political prisoner, offer a rare vision of prison life
in Myanmar.
Head of Chinese Toy Company Said to Kill Himself
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/13cnd-toy.html?ref=3Dworld
By DAVID BARBOZA
Zhang Shuhong's company was behind the recall earlier this month of
more than a million Mattel toys.
Somalia and Ethiopia Are Accused of War Crimes
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/africa/13cnd-somalia.html?ref=3Dwor=
ld
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Human Rights Watch accused the transitional government in Somalia and
the Ethiopian troops that helped bring it to power of committing war
crimes in Somalia.
Iraqi Premier to Hold Talks in Search for Compromise
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13iraq.html?ref=3Dworld
By DAMIEN CAVE
Hoping to forge a compromise among warring factions, Nuri al-Maliki
said Sunday that he would meet as early as this week with leaders from
Iraq's major political parties.
Afghan Rebels Find Aid in Pakistan, Musharraf Admits
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/asia/13afghan.html?ref=3Dasia
By TAIMOOR SHAH and CARLOTTA GALL
In a reversal, Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan admitted that support
for militants emanating from Pakistan has caused problems for
Afghanistan.
East German Shoot-to-Kill Order Is Found
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/europe/13germany.html?ref=3Deurope
By JUDY DEMPSEY
It is the first written proof that border guards were told to shoot to
kill at anyone trying to escape to West Germany.
In Talks on Kosovo, Partition Becomes an Option
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/europe/13kosovo.html?ref=3Deurope
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Envoys from the U.S., E.U. and Russia indicated on Sunday that
partition of Kosovo could be an option if Serbs and Albanians agreed
to it.
Poland to Have Elections 2 Years Early
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/europe/13poland.html?ref=3Deurope
By JUDY DEMPSEY
After months of disagreements with two small, radical coalition
partners, the ruling Law and Justice party has moved to hold early
elections by November.
Regulator in Europe Proposes a Superagency to Wield Power Over Its
Phone Markets
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/worldbusiness/13telecom.html?ref=
=3Deurope
By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN
The European Commission is weighing a plan that could force some
former phone monopolies in Europe to open their networks to greater
competition.
Dutch Company Bets on Interactivity to Make G.P.S. Devices More Useful
in the U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/smallbusiness/13tomtom.html?ref=
=3Deurope
By ERIC SYLVERS
TomTom, the world's largest maker of car navigation devices, wants to
build its United States presence and create a constantly updating
digital map.
Troops Shelter an Unlikely Survivor in Baghdad
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13baby.html
By STEPHEN FARRELL
A 9-month-old girl is recovering in an American military hospital
after a death squad killed her mother and uncle.
Hamas and Fatah Disagree on Whether They're Talking
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13mideast.html?ref=3Dmid=
dleeast
By ISABEL KERSHNER
As tensions continue to simmer between Palestinian factions, Hamas
claims to be in talks with Fatah, a claim that Fatah says has "no
basis in truth."
Iranian Official Says Inquiry Into U.S. Scholars Has Ended
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13iran.html?ref=3Dmiddle=
east
By NAZILA FATHI
A senior Iranian judiciary official did not disclose the conclusions
of the investigation into Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh, two
Iranian-American scholars who have been held since May.
Iraqi Premier to Hold Talks in Search for Compromise
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13iraq.html?ref=3Dmiddle=
east
By DAMIEN CAVE
Hoping to forge a compromise among warring factions, Nuri al-Maliki
said Sunday that he would meet as early as this week with leaders from
Iraq's major political parties.
U=2ES. Market Seen for Iraqi-Made Clothes
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/world/middleeast/13factories.html?ref=3Dm=
iddleeast
By STEPHEN FARRELL
Iraqi and American officials are in talks with major U.S. retailers to
have clothing from Iraqi state-owned factories on sale in the U.S. by
the holiday season.
Off to Resorts, and Carrying Their Careers
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/13steamboat.html?pagewanted=3Dall
By JOHN LELAND
As technology enables people to work wherever they want, many are
clustering in resort playgrounds.
New Orleans Lawmaker Guilty in Bribe Case
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-New-Orleans-Corruption.html?ref=3Dus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The vice president of the City Council pleaded guilty today to taking
$15,000 in bribes from a prominent businessman.
In Study Abroad, Gifts and Money for Universities
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/education/13abroad.html?ref=3Dus&pagewant=
ed=3Dall
By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
As overseas study has become a prized credential for undergraduates, a
competitive industry has emerged.
Inspection Finds Debris Penetrated Shuttle's Tiles
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/science/space/13shuttle.html?ref=3Dus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A close-up laser inspection by astronauts on the space shuttle
Endeavour revealed a three-and-a-half-inch gouge.
From Housing Haven to Foreclosure Leader
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/13stockton.html?ref=3Dus
By JESSE McKINLEY
Once considered a safe alternative to the overheated Bay Area real
estate market, Stockton, Calif., is now filled with "For Sale" signs
and evidence of foreclosures.
Importing Chiefs, Detroit Reflects on Its 'Car Guys'
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/13auto.html?ref=3Dus
By MICHELINE MAYNARD
As a former Home Depot chief heads Chrysler, Detroit has completed a
new-model changeover of the executive suite.
Dodd Stops at Iowa State Fair
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/dodd-stops-at-iowa-state-fair/
The international press is descending on the early states.
Ils Aiment Ron Paul
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/ils-aiment-ron-paul/
At least one contender for the G.O.P. nomination has developed a
dedicated, if small, fan base in Paris.
Campaign Cash: An Early Caucus Dividend
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/campaign-cash-an-early-caucus=
-dividend/
There may be a loophole in campaign finance laws.
The T-Shirt Groups
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/the-t-shirt-groups/
Voters in Iowa come out to question candidates about their special
causes.
Straw Poll No-Shows Coming to Iowa
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/straw-poll-no-shows-coming-to=
-iowa/
Fred Thompson and other Republicans who weren't at last weekend's
carnival-like events in Ames, will be touring around the state, as
will Democrats.
2008: Plotting a Post-Straw Poll Strategy
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/2008-plotting-a-post-straw-po=
ll-strategy/
After his first place finish in this weekend's G.O.P. straw poll in
Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney declared that he
was "pleased as punch" and his campaign said the strong showing would
give him a lift.
The Rove Legacy
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/politics/13web-admin.html
Karl Rove's legendary reputation was diminished by the 2006 elections,
and has been eroded almost every day since then.
For a Joke-Telling Candidate, a Second-Place Finish
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/politics/13huckabee.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Mike Huckabee, who placed second in the Iowa Straw Poll, has
distinguished himself with his considerable humor.
Yes, the Fund-Raising Records Fell, Just Not as Far
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/politics/13donate.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By MIKE McINTIRE
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's big financing numbers might require
an asterisk.
If Thompson Runs for President, Don't Look for Him in Reruns
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/media/13order.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By BRIAN STELTER
NBC said it was ready to stop showing reruns of the episodes former
Senator Fred D. Thompson appears in because of federal equal time
regulations for presidential candidates.
Republicans' Debated YouTube Forum Is Back On
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/us/politics/13youtube.html?ref=3Dpolitics
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
It looks as if the Republican presidential candidates, at least most
of them, will be participating in a YouTube debate after all.
Pack Mentality Among Hedge Funds Fuels Market Volatility
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/13hedge.html?ref=3Dbusiness
By LANDON THOMAS Jr.
As the credit markets have dried up, some quantitative funds could
potentially have their worst year on record.
NBC Making a Clean Start in a House of Mixed Media
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/business/media/13ivillage.html?ref=3Dbusi=
ness&pagewanted=3Dall
By BROOKS BARNES
After it bought the Web site iVillage.com last year, NBC Universal
bragged that it had landed a digital darling. But few people are
boasting about iVillage now.
Action on a Very Small Scale
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/action-on-a-very-small-scale/
A new crop of games attempts to explain nanotechnology, but the
science may be better than the game play.
Manufacturers Find Ways to Navigate Web Retailing
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/13/technology/13ecom.html?ref=3Dtechnology
By BOB TEDESCHI
Manufacturers have realized that they can sell more aggressively
online, which puts them in stronger financial positions and allows
them to serve consumers more effectively.
Reconsidering the Role of the Warrior in Our Post-Enlightenment World
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/arts/06conn.html?ei=3D5070&en=3D8a6ffe2a7=
3eb8b3a&ex=3D1187150400&pagewanted=3Dall
By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN
Published: August 6, 2007
In one of the final events of the recent Lincoln Center Festival, a
lone Mongolian bard named Burenbayar came onstage and chanted "The
Secret History of the Mongols." He had memorized the 13th-century text
during long hours grazing animals on the steppes of Central Asia. And
as is true of many ancient sagas, he sang of arms and the man - that
is, of warfare and heroism.
Amnesty to defy Catholic church over rape victims' abortion rights
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2859077.ece
By Andy McSmith
Published: 13 August 2007
Amnesty International is set to defy the Vatican and risk the wrath of
Catholics around the world over its decision to back abortion for rape
victims.
Leaders of the international human rights group meeting in Mexico are
expected to reaffirm the policy adopted by its executive board in
April after two years of soul-searching within the organisation.
Islamists rally to demand creation of Muslim state
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2859070.ece
By Kathy Marks, Asia-Pacific Correspondent
Published: 13 August 2007
Shouting "Allah is great", and waving black and white flags, about
80,000 members of the radical Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir gathered
in a sports stadium in Jakarta yesterday to call for the creation of a
Muslim state spanning the Islamic world.
Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in several countries, including
France, Germany and the Netherlands, has a strong following in
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim state. Delegates at the
Bung Karno Stadium had also come from Europe, Africa and the Middle
East.
A pope who refuses to compromise
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2859087.ece
By Peter Popham in Rome
Published: 13 August 2007
The Church may change its mind about some things, but abortion is not
one of them. The latest development on the subject, under Pope
Benedict XVI, is nothing to do with the basic policy but rather with
its ramifications for politicians and organisations such as Amnesty
International.
The row with Amnesty marks a hardening of the Catholic Church's
resolve to take on liberal figures and organisations which have
formerly been seen as the church's natural allies; a greater readiness
to insist that its convictions on subjects such as abortion, where the
Church has no intention of compromising, are more important than
alliances with people and groups whose roots and values are secular -
values from which the church establishment feels estranged.
Musharraf tries to shore up government as domestic problems grow
deepen
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2859072.ece
By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
Published: 13 August 2007
Pakistan's embattled leader, General Pervez Musharraf, dramatically
intervened in a "peace council" meeting in Afghanistan yesterday,
declaring that the two countries would work together to fight the
extremism and hatred he said had held them back.
More than 600 Afghan and tribal leaders listened as General Musharraf
told them that the neighbouring countries were confronted with a
"particularly dark form" of terrorism. Speaking at the talks' closing
session, he said he had no doubt that Taliban militants found support
inside Pakistan and that they crossed between the two countries.
The human cost of the Games: Standing up to the Beijing bulldozers
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2859069.ece
Sun Ruoyo's family have been serving food at their restaurant for 160
years. Then came the Olympic developers - and now she is fighting to
save it from demolition.
By Clifford Coonan
Published: 13 August 2007
The floor needs sweeping, there is a pile of papers by the rice cooker
and dusty boxes are lined up by a table that holds the flour needed to
make Beijing speciality dumplings, jiaozi. Sun Ruoyu apologises for
the state of her restaurant in the Chinese capital's historic Qianmen
district but explains how she was forced to close rather hurriedly to
stop the wrecking ball from claiming her livelihood.
A Beijing-born Australian citizen, she is fighting to save the
restaurant her family has run for 160 years from being knocked down to
make way for the Olympics marathon route. Much of the surrounding
area, once a bustling mix of ancient Mongol, Manchu and Han
architecture, has been flattened and her restaurant stands out starkly
as the only building left on what used to be a busy commercial
district just south of Tiananmen Square.
Mbeki says minister was sacked for insubordination
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2859071.ece
By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor
Published: 13 August 2007
President Thabo Mbeki has released the letter in which he dismissed
South Africa's deputy health minister - on the ground that she was not
a team player - after her sacking was condemned by Aids activists, who
said it was a setback in the fight against the virus.
Mr Mbeki's unusual decision to go public was taken "in an effort to
prevent further speculation and misrepresentations of facts," said a
government spokesman.
Rape in Darfur persuaded charity to act
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2859079.ece
By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor
Published: 13 August 2007
When observers from Amnesty International visited Darfur in 2004, they
were appalled by the number of rape victims they encountered.
The women and girls fall victim to rape as they collect firewood
outside the refugee camps. Many have been gang-raped in front of their
families as the conquering Janjaweed militia burnt down their homes.
Britain's 'invisible army' of African slaves
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2859092.ece
By Emily Dugan
Published: 13 August 2007
Brought into the country under false identities and tricked into
leaving their families with the promise of an education and a better
future, hundreds of African children are being trafficked into the UK
for a life of servitude, according to human rights campaigners.
NGOs and human rights lawyers have sounded the alarm over the
"invisible children", illegally smuggled into Britain using false
visas and documents.
The chains of love and a Roman headache locks
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2859073.ece
By Peter Popham
Published: 13 August 2007
Rome in summer and it is the season of hallucinations. Everyone's gone
to the beach. Mirages shimmer on boulevards usually stacked with
traffic. I can sit on my terrace halfway up a block of flats in
Garbatella, south of the centre, and hear birdsong. Normally I can't
hear myself think for the moaning of diesels, the grinding of rubbish-
collecting lorries, the whining of mopeds. Now I hear a bird singing,
a cricket chattering in our city bamboo, the occasional purr of a car.
The living is easy.
I take my scooter for a spin along the empty roads. The long curling
stretch of Lungotevere, the road that hugs the Tiber right through the
middle of town, is like a single sweep of a calligrapher's brush when
you have it all to yourself. I arrive at the last bridge in the city
before the ornately Fascist one built by Mussolini in honour of his
march on Rome.
Margaret Busby: The enduring invisiblity of the black community
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2859058.ece
Where negative stereotypes are concerned, we remain the most visible
of the ethnic minorities
Published: 13 August 2007
You are walking along a busy London pavement when a stranger crashes
into you. Do you think: (a) just one of the many collisions of urban
life, or (b) that white person did not see me because I am black? This
dilemma confronts many black people every day in a culture that seems
either to render them highly visible and dangerous or, paradoxically,
totally invisible.
Fifty-five years ago the late African-American writer Ralph Ellison
wrote in his famous protest novel Invisible Man: "I am invisible,
understand, simply because people refuse to see me ... When they
approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of
their imagination - indeed, everything and anything except me ...
Peter Inson: Presentation, not content, is now the key to exams
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2859060.ece
Students are taught the use of headlines, without doing the more
important bit first
Published: 13 August 2007
The season of examination results is upon us. Within days politicians
will be telling us how much better qualified is this year's crop of
students and sceptics will be telling us how less demanding these
current exams are, with some justification - a physics teacher friend
can show me O-level questions from over 30 years ago now masquerading
as A-level questions.
Another acquaintance, a lecturer in engineering, has to teach remedial
maths to first year undergraduates with an A-level in the subject,
while employers continue to complain that young people lack literacy
and numeracy skills. It is all enough to confuse and infuriate the
most level- headed of teenagers.
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