Maldini

U.S. set to discuss North Korea finances By BO-MI LIM, Associated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea - The main U.S. envoy to South Korea said Thursday that Washington will seek to resolve financial restrictions on North Korea that have hindered nuclear talks, after Pyongyang agreed to return to the negotiations following its nuclear test. U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said Washington has agreed to form a working group on the financial issue amid the six-nation nuclear talks that North Korea agreed this week to rejoin the first sign of a relaxation of tensions after the North's Oct. 9 test. "We want to resolve these issues because we do want to have a normal relationship with North Korea," Vershbow said in a lecture to university students, referring to the standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over U.S. moves to cut off the communist nation's access to foreign banks for alleged illicit activities like counterfeiting and money laundering. Pyongyang has said it will seek to have the financial restrictions lifted at the resumed talks, last held in November 2005. They involve the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S. No date has been set for the next round of talks, but South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Wednesday it would be held after the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC , scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in Vietnam. China said the sooner the talks resume, the better. "It is our belief that it would be better to hold the meeting as early as possible," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at a regular news briefing. Liu also said China would maintain United Nation sanctions on North Korea despite the latest breakthrough. President Roh Moo-hyun said South Korea would keep its relations with North Korea "friendly" despite the communist regime's nuclear test — a sign that Seoul will seek to mend ties that were strained by the North's missile tests in July and worsened after the North's Oct. 9 nuclear test. "We will continue to maintain the relations with North Korea in a friendly manner to safeguard our freedom and stability," Roh told a business forum. "We won't put anything above peace." The North's nuclear test increased security threats, but hasn't significantly shaken the balance of military power between the two Koreas, Roh said. South Korea has said it would take steps to punish North Korea under a U.N. sanctions resolution for its nuclear test, but has also voiced concern that harsh actions not worsen the situation. Vershbow, however, said the U.N. sanctions resolution "remains in force ... until North Korea denuclearizes." Japan's Foreign Ministry said two senior U.S. officials will visit Tokyo this weekend to discuss the six-party talks. One of the American diplomats will also visit Seoul next week, according to South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-ho. The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, rather than a peace treaty, but relations have significantly warmed since 2000 when their leaders held their first and only summit. The U.N. Security Council approved a list of hundreds of items that could be used to make nuclear, chemical and biological weapons or ballistic missiles, and that are banned from trade with North Korea. The sanctions also call for freezing the assets of businesses connected to the North's nuclear and ballistic weapons programs, restrictions on luxury goods sales to the country and travel bans on its officials. South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited unidentified government officials as saying the six parties to the disarmament talks want to hold "unofficial" preparatory meetings to lay the groundwork for significant progress when formal negotiations resume. But a senior South Korean official familiar with the nuclear issue dismissed the report, saying, "I don't think there is high possibility" of such a meeting. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the issue's sensitivity. South Korea's Foreign Ministry also announced that Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, the next U.N. secretary-general, will travel Sunday to Japan for talks with Japanese leaders on North Korea and other issues. Ban plans to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Aso, the ministry said.

China's Hu urges Sudan to seek solution over Darfur BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao has praised the efforts of Sudan President Omar al-Beshir to bring peace to the troubled Darfur region and urged him to seek a proper solution to the humanitarian crisis. "The Chinese side admires and supports Sudan in the realization of north-south peace and is willing to participate in the rebuilding," China Central Television quoted Hu as telling Beshir. "China understands the concerns of the Sudan government on this issue, and hopes that Sudan can maintain dialogue with all sides, adjust its position and strengthen efforts to reach a proper resolution to maintain a stable situation in Darfur and continue to improve the humanitarian situation." During the bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Beshir said the situation in Darfur was improving and that his government was seeking the help of the African Union to push forward the peace process, it said. Beshir is one of nearly 40 African leaders visiting Beijing for a three-day China- African forum starting Friday aimed at strengthening political and economic relations between the two regions. Darfur is a region the size of France where at least 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been left homeless since a rebellion against the Khartoum government broke out in early 2003. The fighting pits the regime in Khartoum and allied Arab militia against Darfur's mostly black African population, which is seeking autonomy for the region. Beshir's government has been widely held responsible for most of the violence, while fighting between rebel and government forces in the region has intensified, cutting off humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians. Hu's statements come as the United States looked set to pull back from its muscular approach to ending what it calls genocide in Darfur. President George W. Bush announced a policy review this week after repeatedly failing to obtain Sudanese government compliance with a US-sponsored UN resolution demanding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Darfur. "The United States is going to work with the international community to come up with a single plan on how to address this issue and save lives," Bush said Tuesday. Beijing has abstained from votes on sending in peacekeepers to Darfur and voiced opposition to UN sanctions on Sudan, which is a key supplier of oil to China. "We hold that the United Nation should and can play an active role in the settlement of this (Darfur) issue," China's foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told journalists Thursday. "But we believe that on the specific measures, the international community needs to respect the rational concerns of the Sudanese government and get the consent of the Sudanese government." The New York-based Human Rights Watch also Thursday urged China to pressure Sudan into accepting UN peacekeepers, while criticizing Beijing for engaging African nations who are accused of gross rights violations. "China's policies have not only propped up some of the continent's worst human rights abusers, but also weakened the leverage of others trying to promote greater respect for human rights," the group said in a statement.

Iran in first firing of longer-range missiles on exercise TEHRAN (AFP) Iran has fired its longer-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile on exercise for the first time as it began 10 days of war games amid a mounting standoff with the West over its nuclear programme. The hardline Revolutionary Guards fired the missiles, which have a range of up to 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) -- sufficient to threaten US bases in the Gulf -- during the first phase of the manoeuvres in the central desert, state television reported Thursday. "Shahab missiles, carrying cluster warheads, with a range of 2,000 kilometres, were fired from the desert near (Iran's clerical capital) Qom," it said. "Dozens of Shahab-2 and -3, Zolfaghar-73, Scud B, Fath-110 and Zelzal have been launched in the presence of (Guards chief) General Yahya Rahim Safavi, and other high-ranking commanders," the television said. "The cluster head of the Shahab-2 has the capability to disperse 1,400 bomblets with great destructive power." It was the first time that Iran had fired the longer-range Shahab-3 on exercise and commanders said they would also be employing other "new equipment" during the war games. Dubbed Great Prophet 2, the air, land and sea manoeuvres are to extend across 14 provinces "with the focus on the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman," Safavi said Wednesday. "The first and main goal of this exercise is to demonstrate power and national determination to defend the country against any possible threat," he said. "Heliport operations will be carried out in the Hormozgan region (on the Strait of Hormuz) and some of the Persian Gulf islands." The strategic Strait of Hormuz is the obligatory passage for tankers exiting the Gulf that carry much of the world's oil supply. The Iranian manoeuvres come hot on the heels of naval exercises launched in the Gulf on Monday by a US-led flotilla including warships from Australia, Bahrain, France, Italy and Britain. "That is a propaganda and political manoeuvre without military value," Safavi said then. "If forces from out of the region want to jeopardize Iran's security and interests, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij (volunteer militia) will use all their capabilities to strike their enemies and their interests," he warned. But the Guards commander insisted Iran's exercises were no threat to its neighbours. "This manoeuvre is no threat for the region or neighbouring countries," he said, adding: "Our neighbours are our friends and we consider our neighbours' enemies our enemies." The aim of the exercises was the "defence of sensitive centres, strategic bottlenecks and confrontation of possible troubles," he said. It is Iran's third round of war games this year. In August, the armed forces held country-wide manoeuvres dubbed Zolfaghar Blow. Iran also staged Great Prophet 1 exercises in April. The new war games come amid a mounting standoff between Iran and the West over its nuclear programme after EU pronounced at an end talks on a negotiated solution to Western concerns that Tehran is seeking the bomb.

Search for another club:laugh3:

Bush insult the military also, he insult them when he send them to Iraq without a plan or enugh amount of weapons, without even specific mission

It's dengerous and complexed situation and every party should cure this situation carfeully and they should put Lebanon favour in the first place

Republicans say Mr Kerry's words were demeaning to US troops Kerry apologizes for 'a botched joke' WASHINGTON - Sen John Kerry apologized for "a botched joke" about President Bush's Iraq policies that led Bush and fellow Republicans to accuse him of insulting U.S. troops. Even some Democrats assailed Kerry, who had some campaign appearances scratched Wednesday. "Of course I'm sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes?" Kerry said during an appearance on Don Imus' nationally syndicated radio program. "I mean, you know, it's pretty stupid." Kerry, D-Mass., said he meant no offense to troops. "You cannot get into the military today if you do badly in school," he said. But he said the White House was purposely twisting his words, and asserted that it is Bush who owes troops an apology for a misguided war in Iraq. "I'm sorry that that's happened," he said of his comment. "But I'm not going to stand back from the reality here, which is, they're trying to change the subject. It's their campaign of smear and fear." At issue is Kerry's speech to a group of California students on Monday, where he said people who don't study hard and do their homework would likely "get stuck in Iraq." Kerry aides said he mangled the delivery of a line aimed at Bush — according to aides, language which was originally written to say "you end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq But Republicans seized on it as evidence of troop-bashing by the Democratic Party's 2004 presidential nominee. Republican National Committee released a Web ad, to be e-mailed to GOP activists and state party officials, called "Apologize." If it was a botched joke, someone show me the punch line. I don't see how it was funny," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "I don't know how ... anybody could have taken them any other way." The fiery exchange evoked memories of Bush and Kerry's bitter 2004 race for the White House, and injected last-minute fireworks into a taut race between Republicans trying to cling to control of Congress in next week's elections and Democrats striving to win it back. With each party looking for any advantage in a campaign expected to turn in large measure on the unpopular war in Iraq, some Democrats joined Republicans in calling on Kerry to apologize Whatever the intent, Senator Kerry was wrong to say what he said," said Democratic Rep Harold Ford Jr., running for the Senate in Tennessee "Sen. Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid," said Montana Senate President Jon Tester, a Democrat trying to unseat GOP Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) "He owes our troops and their families an apology." I'm sorry he did what he did. But I think the issue ... we want to make sure it doesn't confuse the subject of the war in Iraq," Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin, running for Senate in Maryland, said on CNN. Meredith Salsbery, a spokeswoman for congressional candidate Tim Walz, said Kerry made the final decision but acknowledged campaign officials were worried that the controversy would distract from his effort to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht Kerry spokesman David Wade confirmed he no longer would appear at a Philadelphia rally on Wednesday for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Casey. "We made a decision not to allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as proxies in their distorted spin war," Wade said. Kerry, meanwhile, sought frantically to contain the damage — to his party in next week's elections and his own potential repeat run for the White House in 2008. He and some Democrats viewed the fracas as a key test of a lesson learned in the 2004 race — that he responded too slowly when hit with unsubstantiated allegations about his Vietnam war record from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Kerry's office released a supportive statement from retired Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy, the first female three-star general in the Army and a supporter of his 2004 bid against Bush. "When it comes to Iraq, he's right to stand up against baseless attacks, and right to keep fighting for a better course for our troops and our country," she said. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, head of the Democratic campaign effort, called the White House attacks on Kerry an effort by Bush "to divert attention from his failed Iraq policy." "Instead of going on television attacking John Kerry and everyone else under the sun, the president ought to be sitting at his desk coming up with a plan for Iraq," Schumer said. The head of the Democratic party also downplayed Kerry's remarks. "Kerry made a blooperBloopers happen," Howard Dean told reporters in Burlington, Vt Bush, campaigning in Georgia Tuesday night, said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful" hours after his spokesman, Tony Snow, unleashed a harsh attack on the Massachusetts senator. Kerry responded Tuesday with a harsh statement and in a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy." Sen. John McCain said Wednesday he wasn't sure "how you could construe" Kerry's comment as a joke. Calling Kerry "my friend," the Arizona Republican said, "I've found that if it is just a botched joke then apologize and move on."

Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish Rabbis Meet with Palestinian Leaders in Ramallah March 21, 2006 A delegation of anti-Zionist Jews in Jerusalem were invited by the new parliamentary leadership of the Palestinian Authority to visit them in Ramallah Rabbi Moshe Hirsch meeting with PLC Speaker Dr. Aziz Dweik. Members of the Neturei Karta delegation in their meeting with PLC Speaker Dr. Aziz Dweik. The Neturei Karta delegation arriving at the PLC offices. 4. The Jerusalem Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper interviewed Neturei Karta members. The delegation departs the PLC headquarters. Rabbi Moshe Hirsch and others of the delegation are greeted in Ramallah Neturei Karta members interviewed by the BBC Arabic service. 8. Hamas member of PLC, Muhammed Abu-Tir and other Palestinians warmly greeted the delegation of Neturei Karta.

Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews Protest at United Nations Headquarters, NYC, NY July 6, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined in a Palestinian Rally at UN Headquarters, 6 July 2006, against the recent Zionist attacks on Gaza. Anti-Zionist Rally Outside Israeli Consulate, NYC, NY July 6, 2006 Anti-Zionist Rally Outside Israeli Consulate, NYC, NY July 6, 2006

Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews Protest Outside Syrian Embassy, NYC, NY July 11, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews gathered outside the Syrian Embassy, New York City, to counter demonstrate against the recent Zionist attacks on Gaza. Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews Join Palestinian March in Bay Ridge, NY against zionist actions in gaza July 7, 2006 Palestinian Rally at Bay Ridge, NY July 7, 2006 protesting actions in Gaza

Protest Israeli consulate, NYC, NY July 18, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a pro Lebanon and Palestine rally protesting the ongoing atrocities being committed by the State of "Israel" Protest Israeli consulate, NYC, NY July 18, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews gathered outside the Syrian Embassy, New York City, to counter demonstrate against the recent Zionist attacks on Gaza.

5- Anti-Zionist Protest New York City, NY July 28, 2006 Anti Zionist Orthodox Jews protested in New York City, NY against the recent invasion of Lebanon and Gaza. PROTEST IN JERUSALEM, HOLY LAND July 27, 2006 Anti-Zionist Rally WAshington, D.C. July 25, 2006 Anti-Zionist Protest London, England July 22, 2006 Anti-Zionist Rally Toronto, Ontario Canada July 22, 2006 Anti-Zionist Rally Boston, MA July 21, 2006 Anti-Zionist Rally Boston, MA July 21, 2006

3- Anti-Zionist Protest Montreal, Que, Canada August 6, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews joined a protest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada against the attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. Rabbi Yisroel Weiss of Neturei Karta speaks to the crowd. Behind him the left banner reads 'Judaism condemns the State of 'Israel' and it's atrocities' - the right reads 'in the name of our Holy Torah, stop Zionist atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon Judaism Rejects Zionism Rabbi Weiss was with Imam Sayed Nabil Abbas (right) representative of the Islamic Chiite Supreme Council in Canada. 4-Anti-Zionist Protest London, England July 30, 2006 Anti Zionist Orthodox Jews protested in Trafalgar Square, London, England against the recent invasion of Lebanon and Gaza.

People against Zionism Myths and Lies Do you belive that Muslims hate Jews? They claims that Muslims hate Jews The real Jews love Muslims and real Muslims love Jews 1- Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews Counter Protest outside united nations Sept 20, 2006 2- Anti-Zionist Protest Washington, DC August 12, 2006 Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish Rabbis joined the protesters to condemn the violence and atrocities against Lebanon and Gaza by the Zionist state which calls itself 'Israel'.

Seven Palestinians killed in Gaza by Adel Zaanoun : BEIT HANUN, Gaza Strip (AFP) - Seven Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in Gaza when Israeli infantry backed by tanks seized control of a town in a major operation in the battered territory. Moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and prime minister Ismail Haniya, who heads an Islamist-led government boycotted by the West, displayed a rare show of agreement to condemn what they branded an Israeli "massacre". Medics said at least seven Palestinians, five of them militants, were killed and 40 wounded in the town that witnesses said was surrounded by some 60 Israeli tanks and armored vehicles. The ruling Hamas group said four of the dead were members of its military wing while Islamic Jihad said one of its fighters was also killed Wednesday. Israeli forces were also partially reoccupying the nearby refugee camp of Jabaliya and the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Soldiers, hunkered down on rooftops, exchanged fire with militants in Beit Hanun as helicopters and drones flew overhead. Israeli bulldozers razed three houses in the town and another dozen homes were hit by tank shells. The army said a soldier was killed by Palestinian fire in Beit Hanun, after the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they had killed an enemy serviceman in the besieged town. Militants also fired two rockets into Israel , one exploding near a public library in the southern town of Sderot, lightly wounding one man and causing a small fire. The other struck in the town's industrial zone, the army said. Meeting against the backdrop of violence to review operations underway in Gaza for the past four months, Israel's security cabinet ruled out any immediate larger-scale ground offensive. "The meeting ended without a decision being taken on expanding operations underway, in keeping with the recommendations of Defence Minister Amir Peretz," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Two days ago, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had warned Israel could expand its offensive in Gaza, as his chief ally, the United States, described Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory as an issue of "self-defence." On Wednesday, his office said only that "current security operations" would continue to increase pressure on Hamas and "other terrorist operations" to stop them from regrouping and to end rocket attacks. An army spokesman confirmed that a "major operation" was underway, codenamed "Operation Autumn Clouds", in which three air raids had been carried out and "30 armed Palestinians were hit". "Our goal is to significantly decrease the Qassam launching capability," Peretz was quoted as saying while touring Israeli units deployed near Gaza, even as more of the improvised rockets hit Israel. "This military operation targets terrorist elements. Army activities will continue until soldier Gilad Shalit is released," said one military broadcast on pirated radio frequencies in Arabic in Gaza. Shalit was captured in a June 25 raid by Gaza militants, including some from Hamas, that has sparked four months of Israeli operations that have killed some 270 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers. Troops were also operating around the closed international airport in southern Gaza and the nearby village of Shoka, security sources said. The Palestinian president and prime minister swiftly slammed the latest offensive in the battle-scared and impoverished territory. "President Mahmud Abbas has strongly condemned the Israeli massacre that has left six martyrs and nearly 40 wounded in Beit Hanun," his office said. Abbas called on the "occupation government to cease immediately all hostile actions against our people" and urged the international community to "intervene rapidly" to end the aggressions and stave off a "new deterioration". At the opening of an emergency cabinet meeting, Haniya charged: "The massacre is the first consequence of Lieberman joining the Israeli government." Hard-right politician Avigdor Lieberman, who became Israel's first strategic affairs minister on Monday, reportedly suggested to the cabinet in Jerusalem that Israel apply tactics used by the Russian army in Chechnya to Gaza Israel has repeatedly said it has no intention of reoccupying Gaza, from which it withdrew troops and settlers last year after a 38-year presence.

Over 40 Shiites said kidnapped in Iraq By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - More than 40 Shiites were abducted along a notoriously dangerous highway just north of Baghdad, police said Wednesday, and the death toll from a suicide bombing at a wedding party rose to 23, including nine children. At least eight other people were either found dead or slain in new attacks Wednesday, including one person killed in a car bomb attack in Baghdad's central market, which wounded five others, police Lt. Ali Hassan said. The death toll in the market attack was likely to rise, he said. The abductions Tuesday near the town of Tarmiyah were another outbreak of sectarian violence in a region where scores were killed last month in reprisal killings among formerly friendly Shiite and Sunni neighbors in the city of Balad. Unarmed men checked identification cards and seemed to be looking for familiar faces among travelers stopped in heavy traffic, said an eyewitness, who asked to be identified only by the pseudonym Abu Omar for fear of reprisals. Armed gunmen stood nearby during the abductions, just out of sight of U.S. soldiers who were disarming a roadside bomb nearby, Abu Omar said. He and other Sunni travelers were allowed to travel onward after showing their ID cards, he said. At least 40 travelers were missing and feared abducted, said an officer at the Joint Cooperation Center in the city of Tikrit, 80 miles north of Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Qassim al-Suwaidi, a doctor at Al-Sadr Hospital, said, meanwhile, that 12 victims of Tuesday's attack on a Shiite wedding in Baghdad had died from their injuries. Eleven were killed on the spot, he said. Another 19 were still being treated at the hospital. The attack, in which a bomber drove an explosives-rigged car into a crowd outside the bride's home, resembled recent killings aimed at sparking Shiite retaliation and pushing Iraq toward all-out civil war — a stated goal of the al-Qaida in Iraq extremist group. Police said U.S. and Iraqi forces on Tuesday night stormed an office in the southwestern hamlet of Ahrar belonging to the al-Sadr organization, sponsors of the feared Mahdi Army militia linked to sectarian murders and other violence. The troops, using U.S. air cover, and arrested five followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said Lt. Mohammed al-Shammari of the provincial police. There were no reports of casualties. The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the report. U.S. demands for a crackdown on the militia have been a sticking point in relations with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose coalition government is heavily dependent on al-Sadr's political support. On Tuesday, U.S. forces dismantled road blocks around the Mahdi Army's Baghdad stronghold, the Sadr City neighborhood, following an order from the prime minister that was the latest in a series of challenges to the U.S. designed to test Washington's readiness to give him a greater say in securing the world's most violent capital. Aides to the prime minister say he hopes to expand his authority by exploiting the pressure on President Bush over rising voter dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war and the rising U.S. death toll. Iraq has moved toward repairing a 24-year breach in formal diplomatic relations with neighboring Syria The Syrian foreign minister is considering a visit to Baghdad this month, a Syrian official said, in what would be the first trip by a top Syrian figure since Saddam Hussein's fall in 2003. Al-Maliki's government also reported progress expanding diplomatic ties, with eight countries agreeing to open Iraqi embassies in their capitals, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Commitments have been received from South Korea Ukraine, Denmark, Slovakia, Serbia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, the statement said. Insurgents and Shiite militia groups continued attacks on U.S. forces and Iraqis who work with them. An Iraqi translator with U.S. forces, Haidar Muhsin, was shot dead late Tuesday in front of his home in Diwaniyah, the second translator killed in the southern city in recent days. An Iraqi-American linguist with the U.S. army was abducted in Baghdad last week and remains missing. In fresh attacks Wednesday, unknown gunmen riding in a private car shot dead police officer Izzaddin Abbas in central Baghdad as he rode his motorcycle home, police Lt. Bilal Ali Majeed said. A clerk with the Ministry of Industry was shot and killed in northeastern Baghdad as he was driving to work, police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said. A police officer was among three people shot dead in the northern city of Mosul, said Brig. Sa'eed Ahmed of the provincial Police Information Office. Mosul police also discovered the charred body of an apparent murder victim, Ahmed said. The bodies of three people who were shot after being blindfolded and bound at the wrists were found dumped in the capital's eastern districts, Capt. Mohammed Abdul Ghani, of the city's Rashad Police Station said. Scores of such bodies have been found in recent months, most believed to have been abducted and tortured by sectarian death squads.

His fears depend on the awareness of American people If Amircan people aware enugh for what happening in Iraq, I think they will kick in the midterm elections

Hezbollah threatens protests in Lebanon By SAM F. GHATTAS, Associated Press Writer BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah is threatening street protests to force early elections in Lebanon if its demands are not met for a "national unity" Cabinet that would give the Islamic militants and their allies veto power over key decisions. The bold move reflects the Shiite group's push to consolidate the political power it gained following its self-proclaimed victory in its punishing summer war with Israel . The effort seems certain to further exacerbate an already tense political situation in Lebanon, where the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has refused earlier Hezbollah calls to step down and allow the formation of a new Cabinet. It could also lead to violence, with pro-government groups warning of a confrontation with militants in the streets. "Our concept of the national unity government is that all the basic forces in Lebanon be in it ... actual and serious participation, not an aesthetic participation," Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, said in a lengthy interview on Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV Tuesday night. In the same interview, Nasrallah said that "serious negotiations" were taking place over the two Israeli soldiers whose July 12 capture by his militant group sparked the 34-day war. He said a negotiator appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been meeting with Hezbollah and Israeli officials. He would not provide details about the negotiations, but told Al-Manar: "We have reached a stage of exchanging ideas, proposals or conditions." The Israeli government declined to comment on the assertion. "We don't comment about anything that has to do with the abducted soldiers. Israel will do all it takes to get their release without hurting Israel's security," spokeswoman Miri Eisin said. Nasrallah also warned that any attempts by the beefed-up U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah would transform the country into another Iraq or Afghanistan . He did not elaborate A U.N.-brokered cease-fire that ended the fighting on Aug. 14 does not give a direct mandate to the peacekeepers to take away Hezbollah's weapons by force, unless the guerrillas are caught in the buffer zone along the border with Israel. On the domestic front, Nasrallah said Hezbollah and its allies should comprise one-third of the 24-member Cabinet. That effectively means the guerrilla group and allies could veto key decisions. A two-thirds vote in the Cabinet is needed to pass decisions that are not made by consensus. A resignation of one-third of the Cabinet automatically brings down the government The move, if successful, would significantly raise Hezbollah's standing in the Cabinet, where it and its Shiite ally, Amal, currently have five ministers. Such veto power and influence in decision-making would also bolster their standing in the 128-seat parliament, where the group and its allies hold less than half the seats, compared to 70 seats held by the anti-Syrian majority. Saniora has repeatedly rejected the idea of a new government, contending that his Cabinet achieved much for the country and did its best to stop the war. His supporters say that Hezbollah and its backers, in pushing for greater political power, are doing Damascus' bidding and are trying to undermine the formation of an international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. The assassination sparked massive street protests and prmpted Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon under international pressure. The parliament, however, has lacked the strength to force pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud out of office or to eliminate Syria's proxy influence through local allies like Hezbollah. In the face of Nasrallah's ultimatum, government supporters have threatened popular counter-protests, raising fears of a repeat of the kind of sectarian clashes between Lebanon's Sunnis, Shiites, Druse and Christians that ravaged the country during its 15-year civil war. Leaders of Anti-Syrian factions have repeatedly warned of violence if Hezbollah supporters pour into the streets. Walid Jumblatt, a member of parliament, was quoted by Lebanese newspapers Wednesday as warning during a visit to Washington that "threats by some forces in Lebanon to resort to street (protests) in order to bring down the government" would "lead to anarchy." Nasrallah has played down any fears of violence in the threatened street protests, saying his campaign would be peaceful.

AC Milan of course:mellow:

I want to see Barca fans now:laugh3: :laugh3: :laugh3:

Everyone can change completely, but if he/she want to change

Poll has Democrat trailing in Tenn. race NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bob Corker has pulled ahead of Harold Ford Jr. in one of the races that could determine whether the Democratic Party takes control of the Senate, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. The survey of 541 likely voters found Corker favored by 52 percent, compared with 44 percent for Ford. The poll was conducted Thursday through Sunday by Opinion Research Corp. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. If Ford wins, he would become the first black senator elected in the South since Reconstruction and the first black candidate elected in a major statewide race in the South since Virginia's Douglas Wilder was elected governor in 1990. Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor, and Ford, a five-term congressman, are competing for the seat being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Frist is retiring at the end of the year. When registered voters overall — likely to vote or not — were asked about the race, Corker had the support of 47 percent to 45 percent for Ford. The margin of error in the larger sample of 1,015 registered voters was 3 percentage points. In the Tennessee governor's race, the CNN poll found Gov. Phil Bredesen with a commanding lead over GOP candidate Jim Bryson, a state senator. Bredesen was favored by 59 percent of likely voters in the poll, compared with 37 percent for Bryson.

Indian troops kill close associate of Hizbul rebel group chief JAMMU, India (AFP) - Indian troops have shot dead a top commander of Kashmir's dominant rebel group Hizbul Mujahedin, a defence spokesman said. The militant, a close associate of the group's leader Syed Salahuddin, was killed in a shoot-out in the disputed Himalayan region, he said on Monday. "A top commander of the Hizbul Mujahedin, Noor Mohammed alias Javed Burky, a former body guard of Syed Salahuddin was killed in a gunfight in Doda district," 240 kilometres (150 miles) from Kashmir's winter capital Jammu, the spokesman said. Indian troops were tipped off that "Noor Mohammed would be visiting his wife and his one yearold son in Panchraba village and a cordon was laid on the outer periphery of the village," he said. The rebel was active in Indian-Kashmir since 1992 and considered an expert in making bombs and other explosive devices. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the site of encounter. Kashmir is in the grip of a 17-year-old insurgency against Indian rule that has left at least 44,000 people dead by official count. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each hold part of Kashmir and claim it in full. Most of the militant groups want to fold Indian Kashmir into Pakistan. Violence continues in the Himalayan region despite a slow-moving peace process between India and Pakistan aimed at resolving all differences, including Kashmir which has triggered two of their three wars.

EU Commissioner thanks Abbas for role in freeing Spanish aid worker BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner has thanked Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas for his role in securing the release of kidnapped Spanish aid worker Roberto Vila. The phone call followed the release Monday of Vila, 34, who works for the media department of the Spanish aid group Cooperation Assembly for Peace. Ferrero-Waldner "thanked President Abbas and the Palestinian security forces for their part in the swift liberation of Mr Villa (sic), who works on a European Commission funded project in Gaza which supports young handicapped Palestinians," the European Union's executive arm said in a statment. Vila was snatched earlier in the day by four armed men from a car near the town of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza and bundled into a yellow car. There was little information on his release. His seizure was the latest in a string of abductions targeting foreigners in the increasingly lawless Palestinian territory. The gunmen who kidnapped him released Vila's French female colleague and two Palestinian assistants who had also been in the car with him. No claim of responsibility for the abduction was made

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