Maldini

Obama: Choice of Warren reflects diversity of ideas (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday defended his pick of evangelical pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration next month as one of "a wide range of viewpoints that are presented." President-elect Barack Obama has chosen pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. "And that's how it should be, because that's what America is about," Obama said responding to a question at a news conference about his and Warren's differences on social issues. "That's part of the magic of this country is that we are diverse and noisy and opinionated." Liberal groups and gay rights proponents had criticized the president-elect on Wednesday for choosing Warren, who opposes same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Those socially conservative stances put him at odds with many in Obama's Democratic Party, especially the party's most liberal wing. "[it's] shrewd politics, but if anyone is under any illusion that Obama is interested in advancing gay equality, they should probably sober up now," Andrew Sullivan wrote on the Atlantic Web site Wednesday. Obama in the news conference also defended his record on equality for gays. "I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans," he said. "It is something that I have been consistent on, and I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency." People for the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert told CNN she is "deeply disappointed" with the choice of Warren and said the powerful platform at the inauguration should instead have been given to someone who has "consistent mainstream American values." iReport.com: What do you think of the pick? "There is no substantive difference between Rick Warren and James Dobson," Kolbert said. "The only difference is tone. His tone is moderate, but his ideas are radical." Dobson, a social conservative leader, is founder and chairman of Focus on the Family. Linda Douglass, a spokeswoman for Obama, defended the choice of Warren, saying, "This is going to be the most inclusive, open, accessible inauguration in American history." "The president-elect certainly disagrees with him on [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] issues," Douglass said. "But it has always been his goal to find common ground with people with whom you may disagree on some issues." Douglass also noted that Obama and Warren agree on several issues, including advocating on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged and people who suffer from HIV/AIDS. Watch CNN's Anderson Cooper and his panel discuss the selection » Obama pointed out that Warren had invited him to speak at his Saddleback Church two years ago even though Warren knew that he had views "that were entirely contrary to his." "We're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere when we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans." Obama also pointed out that Southern Christian Leadership Conference co-founder the Rev. Joseph Lowery, "who has deeply contrasting views to Rick Warren on a whole host of issues," is also speaking. Warren's support of California's Proposition 8, a measure that outlaws same-sex marriage in the state, sparked the ire of many gay rights proponents earlier this fall. Warren, who has made it a practice not to endorse candidates or political parties, wrote in October that the issue of gay marriage is not a political issue, but instead "a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about." "For 5,000 years, every culture and every religion -- not just Christianity -- has defined marriage as a contract between men and women," Warren wrote in a newsletter to his congregation. "There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population." Warren also stirred controversy earlier this week when he told Beliefnet.com his grounds for opposing same-sex marriage lie primarily on his right of free speech. "There were all kinds of threats that if [Proposition 8] did not pass, then any pastor could be considered doing hate speech if he shared his views that he didn't think homosexuality was the most natural way for relationships, and that would be hate speech." In the 2008 election, Warren hosted Obama and Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, at a candidate forum held in his church. His book "The Purpose Driven Life" has sold more than 20 million copies since it was first published five years ago, and Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in 2005. "Many believe that Warren ... is the successor to the [Rev. Billy Graham] for the role of America's minister," Time wrote in 2005.

Inviting pro-Prop 8 Rev. Rick Warren to inauguration "disrespects" gays There's trouble on the inaugural podium for P-E Obama. And, no it's not about Yo-Yo Ma. Some gay folks and those who are gay-friendly are ticked that the Rev. Rick Warren, the conservative evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church, is giving the invocation. That's the same Warren who supported Prop 8, and opposes gay marriage and abortion rights ... and who has been a serious friend of President Bush. In a chat last week with the Wall Street Journal, Pastor Rick compared "gay marriage to incest, pedophilia and polygamy and repeated the inaccurate charge that without Prop 8, conservative preachers could be prosecuted for hate crimes. He described 'social gospel' Christians of the 20th century as closet Marxists." Yes, as we've noted, this is an example of The O trying to reach out to evangelicals of the conservative variety. Yes, he could have played it safe with a Rev. Jim Wallis type, but no. During the campaign, folks liked how Obama tried to connect with people who disagreed with him -- and now he's doing it... and seriously feeling the heat some of his most fervent supporters. Equality California is circulating a petition asking Obama to take back his invite.. "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign said in a letter to Obama. "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination." Sarah Posner in The Nation wrote that "Warren represents the absolute worst of the Democrats' religious outreach, a right-winger masquerading as a do-gooder anointed as the arbiter of what it means to be faithful," she added. The O responded Thursday saying "I'm a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans," but said it was also "important for Americans to come together despite disagreements on certain social issues." And Warren's Saddleback community has reached out to folks with AIDS, both in the U.S. and internationally. It's a hate the sin, not the sinner kinda thing. Here's Beliefnet.com's Steven Waldman's interview with Warren from last week, and his defense of Pastor Rick. Check out the video.

Obama defends choice of evangelical pastor WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday defended his choice of a popular evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, rejecting criticism that it slights gays. The selection of Pastor Rick Warren brought objections from gay rights advocates, who strongly supported Obama during the election campaign. The advocates are angry over Warren's backing of a California ballot initiative banning gay marriage. That measure was approved by voters last month. But Obama told reporters in Chicago that America needs to "come together," even when there's disagreement on social issues. "That dialogue is part of what my campaign is all about," he said. Obama also said he's known to be a "fierce advocate for equality" for gays and lesbians, and will remain so. Warren, a best-selling author and leader of a Southern California megachurch, is one of a new breed of evangelicals who stress the need for action on social issues such as reducing poverty and protecting the environment, alongside traditional theological themes. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization, said Warren's opposition to gay marriage is a sign of intolerance. "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination," the group said in a letter to Obama, asking him to reconsider. Obama's selection of Warren is seen as a signal to religious conservatives that the president-elect will listen to their views. During the campaign, Warren interviewed Obama and Republican John McCain in a widely watched television program that focused on religious concerns. Gay rights advocates say they are troubled that Obama would give Warren such a visible role at his swearing-in. "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table," the letter said. Obama, however, pointed out that a couple of years ago, he was invited to speak at Warren's church, despite their disagreements on a number of issues. The president-elect said a "wide range of viewpoints" will be presented during the inaugural ceremonies.

Obama Chooses Ultra-Conservative Rev. Rick Warren to Give Invocation by Catherine J. Member since: December 15, 2008 Barack Obama has been accused of being "ultra-liberal". Heck the entire Fox network scheduled and coached its talking heads around this basic idea. Obama has also been accused of being "black" then not "black enough", "American" but not "American" enough, and talented but not experienced enough. So what do you say about this LIBERAL President-elect asking an ultra-conservative Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration? I say "Hoorah ! I am so proud of our new President." Barack Obama said throughout his campaign he wanted to bring the country together. He stressed our needs to communicate, work, and respect each other's views. What better way to exemplify that than to bring the voice of Christian conservatives in the body of a brilliant speaker from Saddleback Church which hosted the election's town hall on "faith". (I am disappointed that it wasn't a Catholic Bishop but then I understand the Church.) I also understand the view of the gay community. Gay activists worked hard and donated alot to get Obama elected. They presumed he would be their knight in shining armor and their mouthpiece. With this one bold stroke he has said "You don't own me." and "Yes, I meant it when I said everyone will be called to participate in the renewal of America." That, is worth far more than worrying about any hurt feelings of one zealous minority group. Christians have been screaming that their voices are not being heard. I hope Rev. Warren realizes the opportunity he has been given, not to divide but to unite and lead America on a spiritual journey to "Love One Another". As for the gay community...get over it. This is a small thing. Don't throw a tantrum. It would be so unbecoming.

Yes Sir :policeman:

Obama picks education secretary Published: December 17, 2008 The Associated Press CHICAGO: President-elect Barack Obama named the head of the Chicago school system as education secretary Tuesday and declared that failing to improve classroom instruction is "morally unacceptable for our children." His choice, Arne Duncan, a longtime friend of Obama and a former professional basketball player in Australia who has a reputation as a reformer, called education "the civil rights issue of our generation." Also Tuesday, Democratic sources familiar with the selection process said Obama has selected former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary. Obama will announce the appointment of Vilsack on Wednesday, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the selection before the announcement. Vilsack will be the fourth former opponent of Obama in the 2008 Democratic primaries to join his new administration. Others include Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been tapped for secretary of state, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, selected to head the Commerce Department. Vilsack positioned himself in the presidential campaign as a Washington outsider with heartland appeal, but he dropped out after poor showings in early primaries. Obama combined his announcement of his choice of Duncan with a brief news conference in which he refused to say whether he supports the idea of a special election to fill the Senate seat he recently vacated. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has the power to make the appointment, but he was arrested last week accused of trying to enrich himself by appointing a new senator who could help him financially or politically. Some Democrats have called for a special election, while others prefer to wait for Blagojevich to resign, a step that would allow Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to appoint a new senator. The second alternative would ensure the seat remains in Democratic hands, and on a faster timetable than a special election would allow. Duncan would take over a sprawling department that has focused during the Bush administration in winning passage and then implementing the president's signature education program, which focuses on measuring performance through standardized testing. Obama praised Duncan for being flexible and practical as the Chicago press conference at a school that he said has made remarkable progress under Duncan's leadership. Duncan has run the third-biggest U.S. school district since 2001, pushing to boost teacher quality and to improve struggling schools and closing those that fail. "He's not beholden to any one ideology, and he's worked tirelessly to improve teacher quality," Obama said. The appointment of Duncan leaves a handful of Cabinet appointments yet to be made public. In response to a question, Obama hinted broadly a Republican would be among them. The posts yet to be filled include secretaries for the departments of Labor, Transportation, and Interior, where officials have said Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado has been tapped. Nor has Obama named leaders for the intelligence agencies, or a trade representative. So far, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration, is the only Republican member of the incoming Cabinet. On the economy, the president-elect said the Federal Reserve was "running out of ammunition" in terms of lowering interest rates to combat the recession. He said it was "absolutely critical" that his economic recovery program be put into place to deal with what he called the toughest time economically since the Great Depression. The central bank later said it had reduced the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, to a range of zero to 0.25 percent. That is the lowest level on record. _______ Associated Press Writer Mike Glover contributed to this report from Des Moines, Iowa

Santa and the elves should learn some Kung Fu:D

Jewish youth riot again in Hebron November 30, 2008 JERUSALEM (JTA) -- About 50 Jewish youth rioted in Hebron, damaging dozens of Palestinian cars. The group also slashed the tires of a border guard's car and threw stones at Palestinian homes during the night rampage on Nov. 29. The day before, Jewish activists and Palestinians threw stones at each other outside the disputed "Peace House," the four-story building located halfway between Kiryat Arba and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Three Palestinians and two Jewish youth were injured in the exchanges. The violence has been repeated on several occasions in the past two weeks, since Israel's High Court of Justice upheld a government order requiring Jewish families living in the disputed building to vacate pending the establishment of ownership. The families remain, along with Jewish activists who hope to prevent a forced evacuation. Four boys, ages 14 to 16, were arrested early Nov. 28 for cutting the fence around the Jewish community of Kiryat Arba, Ynet reported. A girl, 17, also was arrested for throwing stones at an Arab neighborhood in Hebron. The five teens arrested are not residents of Hebron.

They are not settlers they are gangsters:veryangry2:

Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron have been involved in further clashes with Israeli security forces and local Palestinians. Settlers refuse to leave the legally contested house in Hebron Tensions rose after Israel declared a large building occupied by settlers to be a "closed military area". Israeli forces then barred Jews from entering Hebron's Palestinian section. Israeli politicians say the building will be forcibly evacuated if no agreement can be reached with the settlers. Haaretz, the Israeli daily, reports that Defence Minister Ehud Barak is due to meet the settlers on Thursday, in a last-ditch effort to salvage a peaceful outcome. Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said on Wednesday: "It is clear to all of us, including the settlers, that this issue would be best solved in agreement. However, if need be, the security system will use force." 'House of contention' President Shimon Peres also weighed in, accusing the settlers of damaging the country. "Whoever throws a stone at a soldier attacks the state, and we cannot allow that." However, settlers insist that they will not go voluntarily. "We will refuse any compromise," said US-born settler David Wilder. "This expulsion is illegal." The violence began two days ago amid rumours that settlers were about to be evicted from the four-storey house. Jewish supporters have joined the settlers as they refuse to leave the house, in defiance of a court order. Hundreds of settlers and supporters continue to blockade the building, throwing stones at Palestinians and the police. Reports say some Palestinians have retaliated by throwing stones at the settlers and that a number of Palestinians and Israelis have been arrested. Several people are reported to have been injured. About 600 Jewish settlers live in the mainly Palestinian city, with several thousand more in surrounding settlements. Ownership of the building, known as the "house of peace", is in dispute. It has recently been dubbed the "house of contention" in the Israeli press. The Israeli military says Jewish settlers in other parts of the West Bank have also blocked roads and thrown stones at Palestinian cars. Several hundred hard-line religious settlers live in the centre of Hebron under heavy military guard amid some 150,000 Palestinians. The settlers say that they bought the house in question in a legal transaction from its Palestinian owner for nearly $1m (£660,000), but he says he pulled out of the deal. Israel's supreme court ordered the eviction in November but settlers have refused to leave. They have been involved in several clashes since the order was issued, and have desecrated a mosque and a Muslim cemetery. Hebron is holy to both Jews and Muslims as the site of the cave that Abraham bought as a burial site for his wife Sarah. All settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Congratulations for all Americans for the biggest robbery in the history.

Obama plans to name 4 more Cabinet posts on Monday By NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press Sunday, November 30, 2008; 3:39 PM WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama plans to announce longtime advisers and political foes alike as his picks for top administration jobs at a Monday news conference, nominating one-time political nemesis Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Obama's announcements include members of his national security team and beyond, completing the nominations for one-third of his Cabinet as he moves quickly to assemble the country's new leadership in times of war and a troubled economy. His selections include some of his most loyal campaign advisers and notably some who were not, including Democratic primary rival Clinton and President Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates, staying in his current post. Obama also planned to name Washington lawyer Eric Holder as attorney general and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary, according to Democratic officials. He also planned to announce two senior foreign policy positions outside the 15-member Cabinet: campaign foreign policy adviser Susan Rice as U.N. ambassador and retired Marine General James L. Jones as national security adviser. The Democratic officials disclosed the plans on a condition of anonymity Sunday because they were not authorized for public release ahead of the news conference. Those names had been discussed before for those jobs, but the officials confirmed Sunday that Obama will make them official Monday in his hometown. Last week, he named key members of his economic team, including Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as treasury secretary. Obama is not yet ready to name his intelligence advisers, one Democratic official said. Clinton's nomination is the latest chapter in what began as a bitter rivalry for the Democratic presidential nomination. After Obama defeated her, Clinton backed his general election campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain, and she now has agreed to give up her Senate seat to be his top diplomat. To make it possible for his wife to become secretary of state, party officials said, former President Clinton agreed: _to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997 and all contributors going forward. _to refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference. _to cease holding CGI meetings overseas. _to volunteer to step away from day-to-day management of the foundation while his wife is secretary of state. _to submit his speaking schedule to review by the State Department and White House counsel. _to submit any new sources of income to a similar ethical review. Bill Clinton's business deals and global charitable endeavors had been expected to create problems for the former first lady's nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to those activities. "It's a big step," said Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said he plans to vote to confirm Clinton. Lugar said there would still be "legitimate questions" raised about the former president's extensive international involvement. "I don't know how, given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite measures up to this who has such cosmic ties, but ... hopefully, this team of rivals will work," Lugar said. Obama and Clinton clashed repeatedly on foreign affairs during the primary. Obama criticized Clinton for her vote to authorize the Iraq war. Clinton said Obama lacked the experience to be president and she chided him for saying he would meet with leaders of nations such as Iran and Cuba without conditions. Advisers said Obama had for several months envisioned Clinton as his top diplomat, and he invited her to Chicago to discuss the job just a week after the Nov. 4 election. The two met privately Nov. 13 in Obama's transition office in downtown Chicago. Clinton was said to be interested and then to waver, concerned about relinquishing her Senate seat and the political independence it conferred. Those concerns were largely resolved after Obama assured her she would be able to choose a staff and have direct access to him, advisers said. Remaining in the Senate also may not have been an attractive choice for Clinton. Despite her political celebrity, she is a relatively junior senator without prospects for a leadership position or committee chairmanship anytime soon. Clinton "is known throughout the world, very smart, a little harder line than Senator Obama took during the campaign," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close McCain friend and adviser who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, said the Clintons will have to tread carefully to avoid the appearance of conflicts. "The presumption will be that both Secretary of State Clinton and former President Clinton will be very judicious in what they take on because there's a new dimension here," Reed said. "I think they've put up a good framework. This disclosure, this transparency is the right way to go." Lugar and Reed both spoke on ABC's "This Week." Graham was on "Fox News Sunday." ___ Associated Press writer Beth Fouhy contributed to this report.

India terror begins with corpses on train platform By TIM SULLIVAN and RAVI NESSMAN – 3 hours ago a gunman walks at the Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminal railway station in Mumbai, India MUMBAI, India (AP) — 9:21 p.m. Wednesday, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus __ Two young men walk casually through Mumbai's main railway station, a worn Victorian hulk bustling with late commuters heading home, scurrying past small food stands and juice bars and vendors selling newspapers. They enter near the taxi stand, where long lines of battered black and yellow cabs wait for fares. One wears khaki cargo pants and a blue T-shirt. A pair of small knapsacks are slung over a shoulder. He looks like a college kid. They are, says a photographer who follows them on part of their grim journey, "backpackers with assault rifles." The two — and other death squads working in pairs — are to wreak carnage in landmark after landmark across Mumbai over the next three days, creating panic in this normally unflappable city and killing at least 174 people, according to revised government estimates. ---- Sebastian D'Souza hears the gunfire at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus from his office across the street at the Mumbai Mirror tabloid. He follows the sound through the sprawling station, slipping unseen through parked trains. When he first catches sight of the young men, he doesn't realize they are the gunmen. They look so innocent. Then he sees them shooting. "They were firing from their hips. Very professional. Very cool," says D'Souza, the newspaper's photo editor. For more than 45 minutes he follows as they move from platform to platform shooting and throwing grenades. Often, D'Souza isn't even 30 feet away. The few police at the station are either dead, in hiding or had long fled. There are billboards everywhere, signs of India's economic boom. At one point, he photographs them standing beneath a tea company sign. They appear to be having a calm conversation. "WAKE UP!" the billboard reads. ---- They were 10 gunmen, well-trained and armed with assault rifles and grenades, officials say. They had scouted their targets ahead of time. The knew the hallways and the basements. They even carried bags of almonds for energy. Police say they were Muslim extremists from Pakistan, and may be tied to India's long-running insurgency in the disputed, largely Muslim, Himalayan region of Kashmir. They landed in an inflatable rubber boat not long after nightfall on a Mumbai beach, a semi-isolated stretch of sand and stone where fisherman bring in their boats during the daytime. From there, it was less than a 15-minutes walk to their major targets. The group fanned out across the city, hitting 10 spots in two hours. They chose some of the best-known landmarks, many popular with foreigners and the city's elite. Many of the attacks ended in minutes. But at two luxury hotels and a Jewish center they dug in, fending off hundreds of commandos for days. ---- About 9:30 p.m. Nariman House, Mumbai headquarters of the ultra-Orthodox Chabad Lubavitch movement. A gunshot startles the family of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and others inside the recently renovated five-story Jewish center on a bumpy, unpaved back road off a main street in Mumbai's trendy Colaba neighborhood. The pale yellow building, with its synagogue, kosher dining room and friendly rabbi, was a magnet for Israeli backpackers looking for a place to celebrate holidays while on vacation and an important religious center for Mumbai's small Jewish community. Someone must be lighting firecrackers, thought Sandra Samuel, a maid at the center. Then a gunman came up the stairs. She and another employee duck into a room and hid in terror as explosions and gunshots rattle the building through the night. "They destroyed everything, the lift, the dining room, everything," she says later. At about the same time Leopold Cafe and Bar The place known as Leo's is one of the city's famous tourist restaurants, a joint crammed with glass-topped tables, old travel posters and lounging backpackers drinking cheap beer. There are maybe 100 people inside when two gunmen appear in the entrances. One lobs in a grenade. Then they open fire. "It was total chaos ... People didn't know what was going on. Some hit the floor, some ran out of the side entrance or tried to find a place to hide," says Farzad Jehani, who owns the restaurant with his brother. The assault lasts, perhaps, two minutes. When it's over, at least four foreigners and three Indians are dead, though the brothers aren't sure because patrons quickly rush the casualties to hospitals in passing cars and taxis. By then the gunmen have left, jogging through the streets and apparently moving on to one of India's most famous hotels just a few blocks away. "They weren't aiming at anyone in particular. It was like they wanted to empty their magazines and do as much damage here as possible before heading to the Taj," Jehani says. ---- About 9:45 p.m. Taj Mahal hotel No one believes it's gunfire. Not at the Taj. Built more than a century ago by one of India's most powerful business families, the castle-like Taj Mahal is the crossroads of the city's elite. It has been the scene of countless society weddings, business meetings and expensive dates. It is an icon of Mumbai. But it is gunfire that two men are spraying across the ornate lobby, with its gray marble floor and Persian carpets the size of small swimming pools. Dalbir Bains, who runs a high-end Mumbai lingerie shop, is sitting down to a steak dinner by the pool with friends. They joke about hearing gunfire. Quickly, though, screams fill the hotel and her laughs turn to terror. She runs upstairs and huddles under a table in a restaurant with about 50 others, desperately trying to be quiet. "The gun shots were following us," says Bains. ---- 9:47 p.m. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus injured commuters and dead bodies lie at the Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminal railway station in Mumbai, India. The gunmen shoot toward a large glass-fronted restaurant. They are "firing at people waiting for the train. Luggage was spread everywhere. The place was full of blood. There were lots of people lying there dead," says manager Fongen Fernandes. Soon, though, everyone is dead or hiding. Except for corpses, the platforms are empty, d'Souza says. The worst of the carnage appears to be in a waiting room for out-of-town trains. It was filled with dozens of bodies, many shot in the head. Overall, authorities say, 53 people are killed. Eventually, the gunmen steal a truck and drive away. A little later, one is killed by police and another, the only gunmen taken alive, is captured. He is Pakistani. At the station, authorities use wooden baggage carts to clear the corpses. Says Fernandes: "They collected them away like sheep and goats." ---- About 10 p.m. Oberoi Hotel Joseph Joy Pulithara, a waiter, is working in the Chinese restaurant of this modern luxurious monolith when the gunfire starts, sending diners and staff scrambling. Pulithara is shot in the leg. A woman nearby him is shot in the head. The gunmen run into another restaurant and fire unrelenting bursts at the diners and waiters, says Andreina Varagona, an American meditation teacher shot in the arm and leg. At least a dozen people fall to the floor dead, including one of Varagona's friends. "There were bodies everywhere," Varagona says. "I felt like I was in a movie." The attackers herd dozens of survivors into a stairwell. One demands to see their IDs, saying he was looking for Americans and Britons. Then he forces them upstairs, says Alex Chamberlain, a British guest. Chamberlain and many others throughout the hotel dash out in the chaos. Staff in one restaurant spirit at least 60 diners into a back kitchen and then hustle them to another room where they are served refreshments and then escorted outside, according to the hotel's chairman P.R.S. Oberoi. Other guests barricade themselves in their rooms. The gunmen are taking hostages. ---- 10:35 p.m. Gunmen briefly attack a police station. A few minutes later they open fire at a hospital, then ambush a police car, killing five officers and driving away. Soon after, a bomb explodes in a taxi in the suburban neighborhood of Vile Parle. About 15 minutes later, a bomb goes off in another taxi inside the city. One person is believed killed. ---- Thursday morning The Oberoi A banner hanging from a window carries a simple but wrenching plea: "Save Us." Inside, hundreds are hiding in their rooms, or being held hostage. The gunmen, armed with rifles and grenades, push Egyptian businessman Osama Embabi into a room where four or five people — guests from other Arab countries and hotel workers — are already being held. "They shouted and warned us not to leave the room or we would be shot," he says. Meanwhile, Lo Hoei Yen, a 28-year-old Singaporean lawyer, calls her husband, Michael, from her cell phone. She is being held captive, she tells him, and the gunmen threaten to kill her if Indian forces storm the hotel, Singapore media reports say. After 9 a.m., Indian forces begin what will be a daylong operation to rescue the Oberoi hostages. Lo's body is found on the 19th floor. ---- Thursday Across the city, it seems the Indian police and military may never catch up. They are fighting gunmen in three locations, including two of the city's most famous landmarks, and hundreds of people are trapped. Fires burn occasionally in both hotels, and firefighters with water hoses and cherry pickers battle the blazes, but only when it's safe enough to approach the buildings. Gunshots and explosions have become the soundtrack of south Mumbai. Residents have faced terrorism before, but this time it seems different. "There is a limit a city can take," says Ayesha Dar, a 33-year-old homemaker. ---- 10:45 a.m. Nariman House Meeta Gohil, in green dress, and relatives and neighbors mourn as they attend the funeral of Haresh Gohil, who was killed by gunmen near Chabad-Lubavitch center The Jewish center is silent, except for the wailing of a child. Samuel, the maid, cracks open the door of her hiding place and sees a deserted staircase. She runs up one flight and finds the rabbi's 2-year-old son Moshe crying beside his parents and two Israeli guests who lay still on the floor. His pants are drenched with blood. She grabs the boy, bolts down the stairs and out of the building. ---- The soldiers who fought the gunman say they were tough, bitter opponents. "It's obvious they were trained somewhere ... Not everyone can handle the AK series of weapons or throw grenades like that," an unidentified member of India's Marine Commando unit, his face wrapped in a black mask, tells reporters after his units stormed the hotels. The attackers were "very determined and remorseless." ---- Friday About 7 a.m. Nariman House Black-clad commandos fan out on the rooftops of the evacuated buildings surrounding the Jewish center and begin laying down covering fire. A helicopter drops toward the roof. One after another, masked commandos slither down a rope. The helicopter returns with more commandos, then a third time with equipment. Slowly, the assault team descends an outside staircase and begins clearing the building. A small explosion erupts from the house. A few seconds later, two gunshots, a pause, then two more. For hours, a similar pattern is repeated. Holes are blasted in the building as hundreds of gawkers cheer from nearby streets. ---- Friday morning The Oberoi Dozens of hostages clutching passports are rushed from the hotel into waiting cars, buses and ambulances. At 3 p.m., the government announces it has killed the two gunmen inside and taken control of the building. The pair had killed 32 people — 22 hotel guests and 10 workers — and wounded many more. By evening, more than 100 former hostages have been escorted from the building. ---- 5:39 p.m. Nariman House Indian commandos launch a rocket at one of the Jewish center's upper floors, shaking the neighborhood and blowing out windows in neighboring buildings. ---- 6:15 p.m. Nariman House A small group of commandos appear in the street, raising their rifles in triumph. The crowd breaks through police barriers and floods the streets in celebration. Inside the building, nine people lay dead, including the rabbi and his wife. According to Israeli media reports, some are wrapped in prayer shawls. ---- Overnight Friday Taj Mahal fire engulfs a part of the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India Fighting continues at the seaside hotel. Authorities say one, perhaps two, gunmen are still inside. Explosions and gunfire ring out intermittently, intensifying at dawn. Fire, once again, streams out through broken windows, lapping at the stone sides of the building. Clouds of black smoke rise high above the Arabian Sea. Outside, dozens of reporters crouch in the seaside plaza in front of the Taj, and sometimes a half-dozen TV reporters can be heard at once providing breathless commentaries about the situation. Few bother to take cover. ---- 8:30 a.m. Saturday Taj Mahal. After so much destruction it ends quietly. There is no announcement of victory. One minute, there are explosions inside, and a few minutes later a man walks casually out into the plaza out front — a place where soldiers in body armor had been sprinting in fear — and waves for firefighters to come put out the remaining blazes. The Taj Mahal siege is declared over, ending three days of terror. It has been 60 hours since the first pair of gunmen walked into the train station. Outside, bits of burned debris fill the plaza. Strings of white bed sheets, tied together, hang from the windows, reminders of those who escaped. Almost a dozen buses are parked nearby, just a few feet from the Arabian Sea. They are filled with soldiers and commandos finally getting a break. Hundreds of people push their way toward the buses, pressing flowers into their hands. Tim Sullivan contributed to this story from New Delhi and Ravi Nessman from Mumbai. Associated Press writers Ramola Talwar Badam, Erika Kinetz, Anita Chang, Jenny Barchfield and Paul Peachey contributed to this report.

India terror attacks: British shipping tycoon killed in Mumbai massacre A British shipping tycoon has been shot dead in the Mumbai massacre which has so far claimed 125 lives By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter Last Updated: 8:55PM GMT 27 Nov 2008 Andreas Liveras suffered multiple gunshot wounds Andreas Liveras, 73, was gunned down moments after he phoned the BBC from inside the Taj Mahal hotel to give an eyewitness account of the terrorist attacks. He was one of dozens of Britons either injured or taken hostage by Islamic extremists during a series of co-ordinated raids on Western targets. Eyewitnesses said the terrorists, who indiscriminately gunned down anyone in their path and set fire to the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi hotels, specifically targeted British and American tourists when they began taking hostages. The killers demanded a list of the names and room numbers of all British and American guests at the Oberoi hotel, before rounding up hotel guests to begin a siege which has entered its second night with the fate of the hostages still unclear. Indian officials said they were unsure how many hostages remained in the hotels following 24 hours of gun battles with soldiers, nor was it clear how many people remain trapped in their rooms by the fires. Mr Liveras was pronounced dead on arrival at St George's Hospital in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, staff said. Before he was hit, Mr Liveras, who built a £315 million fortune from his eponymous luxury yacht charter business, told the BBC he had just sat down for dinner at the Taj Mahal when the shooting began. "We heard the machine gunfire outside in the corridor," he said. "We hid ourselves under the table and then they switched all the lights off. But the machine guns kept going, and they took us into the kitchen, and from there into a basement, before we came up into a salon. "There must be more than a thousand people here. Nobody comes in this room and nobody goes out, and we really don't know. Everybody is just living on their nerves." The Indian authorities blamed Kashmiri militants for the bloodbath, which left 125 dead and at least 327 injured after simultaneous attacks on at least seven targets in Mumbai. Officials said the death toll was likely to rise once burnt-out rooms in the hotels could be checked for bodies. Two retired teachers from Hexham in Northumberland were among those shot in the first of the attacks, in the Café Leopold, at 9.30pm local time (4pm GMT) on Wednesday, where at least 14 people died. Michael Murphy, 59, was shot in the ribs and is in intensive care after having his spleen removed. His wife Diane, 58, who was shot in the foot, said: "It was mayhem. There were so many casualties. It was carnage. There were obviously people injured and others who were dead." Mrs Murphy said there were at least 100 people in the café when the shooting began. "All of a sudden there was automatic gunfire," she said. "The whole place fell apart. It was tremendously loud. My husband and I were hit, as were lots of people. Everybody was down on the ground. The gunfire stopped for a few seconds then started again. "I stayed with my husband because I could tell he was seriously injured. He was losing consciousness." Mrs Murphy, who was due to return with her husband from their holiday on December 9, added: "When the police arrived with guns I could see them making their way into what was left of the café. I couldn't tell if they were police. I didn't know if it was still the people who had been shooting at us. They were very cautious because they didn't know if any terrorists were still in there." Alan Jones, from South Wales, was staying at the Oberoi Hotel on business when it was attacked. He said: "We took the lift to the lobby and heard bangs as the door opened. Two Japanese men riding with us got out, but immediately signalled for us to go back in the lift. As they got back in, a bullet hit one of the Japanese men in the back of the leg. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere. "I looked up to see one of the gunmen was approaching. I tried to close the door, but the injured guy's leg was preventing it from closing. "I frantically pressed the 'close door' button, but had to move the shot man's foot for the door to close." Mr Jones escaped after being guided by staff to a basement via another lift. Hugh Brown, who was staying at the Taj Mahal, took refuge in a library area with a large group of people, one of whom later turned out to be a terrorist. He told Sky News: "We were let out at one point at about 2.30am. There was a gunman who had been in among us in the room for the best part of the evening. He pretended to be one of us in the room. "When he got out with us, he started shooting some of the people as they were leaving the room. He was then dealt with by the security forces." Mumbai's central railway station, a hospital, police station, cinema and a Jewish centre were among other targets hit by the terrorists, who sailed by boat to the Mumbai peninsula before fanning out in several dinghies and landing on the shore close to their predetermined targets. One of the terrorists was quoted on Indian TV saying the purpose of the hostage-taking was to secure the release of all "mujahideen" held in Indian prisons.

Obama Names Volcker to Head Panel on Reviving Economy By Kim Chipman and Catherine Dodge Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama named former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to head a new White House economic board that will propose ways to revive growth as the U.S. grapples with an “economic crisis of historic proportions.” “At this defining moment for our nation, the old ways of thinking and acting just won’t do,” Obama said at a news conference in Chicago, his third in as many days. Volcker, 81, will be chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. The panel’s top staff official will be Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economist who will also be a member of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers. The panel, which will include experts from outside government, will meet about once a month and periodically brief Obama with advice on how to shore up financial markets. Volcker’s position will be part-time. “Sometimes policymaking in Washington can become too insular,” Obama said. “The walls of the echo chamber can sometimes keep out fresh voices and new ways of thinking, and those who serve in Washington don’t always have a ground-level sense of which programs and policies are working.” Treasury Secretary Volcker, who throttled the economy to crush inflation in the 1980s, was an adviser to Obama during the presidential campaign. He was a candidate for Treasury secretary, a job that went to Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Timothy Geithner. “He is one of the most independent-thinking guys you could find and brings massive reputation,” Ethan Harris, co- head of U.S. economic research at Barclays Capital Inc. in New York, said before today’s announcement. Volcker was appointed Fed chairman in August 1979 as the U.S. experienced what then-President Jimmy Carter called a “crisis of confidence.” With Carter hobbled by a hostage crisis in Iran, long lines at gas stations and inflation of more than 10 percent, Volcker unleashed interest rates and began to clamp down on the quantity of money in the banking system. Vilified at the time for causing one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression, Volcker was later lauded for his assault on runaway prices and became an icon for a generation of central bankers from New Zealand to South Africa. He resigned from the Fed chairmanship in 1987, before the stock market crash of that year, saying he hadn’t been fair to his family, could make more money outside public service and didn’t want a third term. ‘Pulls No Punches’ “Paul has served under both Republicans and Democrats and is held in the highest esteem for his sound and independent judgment,” Obama said. “He pulls no punches.” Volcker has voiced his contempt for Wall Street’s risk- management and is likely to come to the job ready to impose tougher restrictions. Banks have taken at least $685 billion in credit losses and write-downs in a crisis that began with soaring default rates on high-risk mortgages and ended up redrawing the entire U.S. financial landscape. Obama is signaling he wants his economic team in close proximity. In the new administration, the offices of the Council of Economic Advisers, a three-person panel established in 1946 to provide the president with independent economic analysis, will move into the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter. Right now, only the chairman has an office there. New Board Volcker’s panel will be modeled on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, which was set up in 1956 by then- President Dwight Eisenhower to track spying activities during the Cold War. Volcker will play a key role in shaping the new economic board, which will report directly to Obama. The aim is to bring in leaders from business, academia and elsewhere to provide an independent perspective. As top staff person, Goolsbee will act as a liaison between the panel and the administration. Obama said he will announce the remaining members of the economic board in the coming weeks. Consumer Confidence Among the board’s first concerns will be consumer confidence. A government report today showed consumer spending declined by the most since the 2001 recession. Asked about advice he’d give to anxious shoppers as they head into the holiday season, Obama said they should rest assured “that my administration intends to get this economy back on track.” Americans “understandably are nervous about their future,” Obama said. “It is important for the American people, though, to have confidence that we’ve gone through recessions before.” The president-elect today also addressed criticism that his Cabinet picks so far suggest a recycling of the Clinton administration that calls into question the central theme of Obama’s candidacy, his commitment to change. Obama rejected this idea, saying it’s only natural some people from the Clinton era would be part of his Cabinet and he’s seeking a combination of “experience with fresh thinking.” Experience Needed “The last Democratic administration that we had was the Clinton administration,” he said. “It would be surprising if I selected a Treasury secretary who had no connection with the last Democratic administration, because that would mean that the person had no experience in Washington whatsoever.” Obama announced in a separate statement that Jonathan Favreau, his chief speechwriter during the campaign, will hold that post at the White House. For his director of intergovernmental affairs, Obama has picked Cecilia Munoz, currently a senior vice president at the Washington-based Latino advocacy group National Council of La Raza. To contact the reporters on this story: Kim Chipman in Chicago at [email protected]; Catherine Dodge in Washington, at [email protected] Last Updated: November 26, 2008 13:19 EST