VOA News: USA: Year Later, Bin Laden Killing Still Colors Pakistan-US Ties

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Year Later, Bin Laden Killing Still Colors Pakistan-US Ties Apr 28th 2012, 05:04 One year ago, one of the most expensive manhunts in history ended when U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The secret U.S. raid and the exposure of bin Laden's hideout near Pakistan's premier military academy jolted relations between Washington and Islamabad. Ayaz Gul reports from the Pakistani capital on how the countries are still struggling to move on. Osama bin Laden's last abode in the heart of the garrison town of Abbottabad now lies in ruins. These next-door neighbors recall the fateful night when U.S. Special Forces killed the fugitive al-Qaida leader. <!--AV--> "I was out on my terrace after one of the helicopters crashed and I saw another one flying over the mansion and then descended swiftly along the perimeter. The wind blew in the main door of my house." After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the al-Qaida chief spent much of his time on the run in Pakistan before moving to what locals called the "Waziristan mansion." For five years, bin Laden, his three wives and their children lived here.     After months of international interest in the bin Laden home, Pakistani authorities razed the building in February. But former army officer Shaukat Qadir, one of the few investigators given access to the compound, says it will be harder to remove bin Laden's ideological legacy. "Pakistani Taliban has their ties with al-Qaida. We also know that al-Qaida still has a lot of following in Punjab, particularly in southern Punjab. So we have a problem, Pakistanis have a problem with al-Qaida," said former military officer Shaukat Qadir. Critics say Pakistani authorities often blame outside forces for domestic security problems while ignoring pro-military religious groups. In the months after the U.S. raid, religious groups rallied behind the military, which called the assault a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. In a VOA interview late last year, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter defended the operation as a benefit to both countries. "The attack against bin Laden was not an attack against Pakistan. It was an attack on a common enemy. And that what we need to do to right any sense of unhappiness on the Pakistani side is to work even more closely together," said Munter. Diplomatic talks in the months that followed struggled to regain trust. Relations fell to a new low when 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a cross-border U.S. airstrike. Recently there have been renewed efforts to mend ties as the U.S. prepares to draw down its forces in Afghanistan. "I don't think it would be the same the way they were before May 2nd or last year. But it has to be improved. If they cannot work together, the exit strategy of Obama, I don't think that it will be materialized," said Asad Munir, a former officer of the Pakistani spy agency. Analysts say that now that bin Laden is gone, the main security challenges are Pakistani and Afghan groups that idealize the al-Qaida leader as a symbol of Muslim resistance to the West. Media files: ap_pakistan_bin_laden_compound_480_26feb2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_pakistan_bin_laden_compound_230_26feb2012.jpg Pakistan_Bin_Laden_WEB_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__551128.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Asia: Year Later, Bin Laden Killing Still Colors Pakistan-US Ties

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Year Later, Bin Laden Killing Still Colors Pakistan-US Ties Apr 28th 2012, 05:04 One year ago, one of the most expensive manhunts in history ended when U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The secret U.S. raid and the exposure of bin Laden's hideout near Pakistan's premier military academy jolted relations between Washington and Islamabad. Ayaz Gul reports from the Pakistani capital on how the countries are still struggling to move on. Osama bin Laden's last abode in the heart of the garrison town of Abbottabad now lies in ruins. These next-door neighbors recall the fateful night when U.S. Special Forces killed the fugitive al-Qaida leader. <!--AV--> "I was out on my terrace after one of the helicopters crashed and I saw another one flying over the mansion and then descended swiftly along the perimeter. The wind blew in the main door of my house." After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the al-Qaida chief spent much of his time on the run in Pakistan before moving to what locals called the "Waziristan mansion." For five years, bin Laden, his three wives and their children lived here.     After months of international interest in the bin Laden home, Pakistani authorities razed the building in February. But former army officer Shaukat Qadir, one of the few investigators given access to the compound, says it will be harder to remove bin Laden's ideological legacy. "Pakistani Taliban has their ties with al-Qaida. We also know that al-Qaida still has a lot of following in Punjab, particularly in southern Punjab. So we have a problem, Pakistanis have a problem with al-Qaida," said former military officer Shaukat Qadir. Critics say Pakistani authorities often blame outside forces for domestic security problems while ignoring pro-military religious groups. In the months after the U.S. raid, religious groups rallied behind the military, which called the assault a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. In a VOA interview late last year, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter defended the operation as a benefit to both countries. "The attack against bin Laden was not an attack against Pakistan. It was an attack on a common enemy. And that what we need to do to right any sense of unhappiness on the Pakistani side is to work even more closely together," said Munter. Diplomatic talks in the months that followed struggled to regain trust. Relations fell to a new low when 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a cross-border U.S. airstrike. Recently there have been renewed efforts to mend ties as the U.S. prepares to draw down its forces in Afghanistan. "I don't think it would be the same the way they were before May 2nd or last year. But it has to be improved. If they cannot work together, the exit strategy of Obama, I don't think that it will be materialized," said Asad Munir, a former officer of the Pakistani spy agency. Analysts say that now that bin Laden is gone, the main security challenges are Pakistani and Afghan groups that idealize the al-Qaida leader as a symbol of Muslim resistance to the West. Media files: ap_pakistan_bin_laden_compound_480_26feb2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_pakistan_bin_laden_compound_230_26feb2012.jpg Pakistan_Bin_Laden_WEB_4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__551128.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Africa: Mali Youth Group Warns Against Inaction Against Rebels in North

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Mali Youth Group Warns Against Inaction Against Rebels in North Apr 28th 2012, 02:10 Nearly one month after northern Mali fell to Tuareg rebels and Islamic groups, youth activists say the country's failure to act combined with a push by the armed groups to win people's favor is creating a dangerous and irreversible situation. They say beyond the physical division of Mali, the continued occupation threatens to permanently divide a people. Members of a new youth coalition say unless the Malian state takes concrete steps immediately to show people in the north that they have not been forgotten, the fallout from the occupation will be dangerous and long-lasting. It's just short of a month since Tuareg rebels and allied Islamic groups took over Mali's three northern regions - Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.  While political leaders and the military junta have said that no job is more urgent than resolving the situation in the north, this resident of Timbuktu said even if leaders are working on the problem behind the scenes, the people are seeing no concrete signs, so they are left to conclude that they have been abandoned. Feelings of abandonment One man said that almost one month after the rebels took over, nothing has changed, nothing has improved. The state has abandoned us, he said. Malians in Bamako said they worry about reports from relatives in the north that the Tuareg rebels and militant Islamic groups are recruiting local youth. The man in Timbuktu said most youths are joining not for any ideological reasons, but simply because people are afraid and - seeing no signs from the government - are resigned to the fact that they must co-exist and get along with these groups who are in control. The regional bloc ECOWAS on Thursday said it would send troops to Mali, as part of efforts to help the country restore its territorial integrity. But it is not clear what the troops' role might be in retaking the north. "Ras" Bathily is member of the new coalition of young artists and other professionals formed the day after Mali's coup d'état on March 22.  He said people in the north are extremely vulnerable to manipulation by the occupying groups - one more reason the state's absence is increasingly dangerous. Inaction exacerbates problems He said someone with an empty stomach cannot analyze the situation.  In the current conditions, he said, people can't resist the manipulation being perpetrated by the occupiers. Ansar Dine, the Islamist Tuareg group seeking to impose Sharia law in Mali, is reportedly helping people recover looted items and claiming to protect the population against abuses by other armed groups. Mahamadou Diouara also is a member of the youth coalition. He said Ansar Dine is playing the role of savior, and as it stands it has all the time in the world to implant its philosophy among the population. He said the longer Mali waits to recover these regions, the more difficult it will be - and Malians risk fighting their own brothers and sisters, who are now being pulled to the side of these armed groups. International Crisis Group, in a recent report, said Mali's and Africa's response to the armed conquest of the north "must be as sophisticated and multifaceted as the various factors underlying the conflict, especially given the complicating presence of heavily armed Islamist groups whose objectives are uncertain but worrying." The youth group member Bathily said the status quo fuels social and cultural divisions, threatening the very existence of the Malian nation. He said the most dramatic consequence of the occupation of northern Mali is not the physical division of Mali - rather it's the complete breakdown of bonds and fraternity as Malians. He also said that once people in the north conclude that Tuareg rebels and Ansar Dine are more concerned about their welfare than the Malian state, then even if the land is recovered, the hearts and minds those in the north shall not be. Media files: palus_mali_timbuktu_man_480_23april2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) palus_mali_timbuktu_man_230_23april2012.jpg

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Africa: Former British PM Urges Action in South Sudan

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Former British PM Urges Action in South Sudan Apr 28th 2012, 02:43 <!--AV--> Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently launched an initiative calling on the international community to take urgent action to address education in South Sudan. In an exclusive VOA interview, he said the current situation is difficult and intense. But after years of war, he said, "Are we to say... that a child has to be denied the right to education through all their potential school years."   Brown also said that if the world gives up on education in South Sudan, then it will be "Letting down a whole generation and building up the seeds of discontent for the future and we should be very careful to avoid that." The former prime minister pointed out there are already  67 million children worldwide who are not in school. And he said there is the potential for that number to increase by 2015. If he can play a part in helping out, he said, he will not hesitate because global action in education has been neglected, and the world's future depends on children being literate. Media files: reuters_gordon_brown_file_230_jan2012.jpg Gordon_Brown_Int_WEB_UPDATED-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__953747.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: USA: US, Afghanistan Sign Draft of Strategic Partnership Agreement

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

US, Afghanistan Sign Draft of Strategic Partnership Agreement Apr 28th 2012, 00:26 The U.S. and Afghan governments have finalized the initial draft of a strategic partnership agreement. The deal insures American military and financial support for the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014, the deadline for most foreign combat forces to withdraw.   U.S. troops and Afghan security forces have fought on the front lines together. They have worked together to build up the Afghan Army and police force. And billions of dollars have poured into the country to boost the economy. Now the new strategic partnership agreement shows Afghanistan the U.S. will not completely leave the country after 2014. <!--AV--> "NATO and its partners cannot and will not abandon Afghanistan after 2014. Our ongoing support will be essential to preserving and building on the gains we've made thus far," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Western nations are negotiating how much to spend to support Afghan security forces following 2014. Analysts say whatever the cost, it will be far less than the more than $100 billion being spent this year. Lisa Curtis is a South Asia specialist at The Heritage Foundation. "Providing say two to three billion [dollars] to sustain Afghan security forces after 2014 seems like a pretty good bargain to ensure the U.S. is not attacked again - that we don't have another type of 9/11 attack on the U.S. homeland," she said. U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a strong critic of the Afghan government, was recently banned from traveling to Kabul by President Hamid Karzai. Rohrabacher said the strategic partnership agreement is an admission that a decade of nation-building has not worked. "One of the reasons we are in bad shape and have lost so many people already, is we have imported combat troops to try to force local people to accept Kabul as the legitimate power. And Kabul, of course, is run by a corrupt regime under Karzai," said Rohrabacher. But U.S. military officials say they will need to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014 to train local security forces. Major General John Toolan has spent the past year commanding troops in Afghanistan. "They will have to be in Afghanistan as long as it takes for the Afghan security forces to establish, particularly the police and I'll say specifically the police, to establish local security and credibility among the population," said Toolan. Earlier, officials signed agreements on the thorny issues of night raids by U.S. troops and the handover of detention facilities to Afghan authorities. Analysts say the strategic partnership sends a strong message to Pakistan and the Taliban that Americans will not abandon the region as they did in the 1990s after the Soviets were pushed out of the country. "I think what this agreement shows is that the U.S. is not desperate for a peace deal with the Taliban. Yes, certainly, some kind of settlement that involves the Taliban is desirable, but the U.S. is simply not desperate to reach some type of agreement in the next two years," said Curtis of the Heritage Foundation. A post-2014 military force could provide training, air power, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism operations in partnership with Afghan soldiers. Media files: reuters_brussels_clinton_480_18april2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_brussels_clinton_230_18april2012.jpg CN_US_AFGHAN_ANALYSIS_WEB4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__283294.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Asia: US, Afghanistan Sign Draft of Strategic Partnership Agreement

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

US, Afghanistan Sign Draft of Strategic Partnership Agreement Apr 28th 2012, 00:26 The U.S. and Afghan governments have finalized the initial draft of a strategic partnership agreement. The deal insures American military and financial support for the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014, the deadline for most foreign combat forces to withdraw.   U.S. troops and Afghan security forces have fought on the front lines together. They have worked together to build up the Afghan Army and police force. And billions of dollars have poured into the country to boost the economy. Now the new strategic partnership agreement shows Afghanistan the U.S. will not completely leave the country after 2014. <!--AV--> "NATO and its partners cannot and will not abandon Afghanistan after 2014. Our ongoing support will be essential to preserving and building on the gains we've made thus far," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Western nations are negotiating how much to spend to support Afghan security forces following 2014. Analysts say whatever the cost, it will be far less than the more than $100 billion being spent this year. Lisa Curtis is a South Asia specialist at The Heritage Foundation. "Providing say two to three billion [dollars] to sustain Afghan security forces after 2014 seems like a pretty good bargain to ensure the U.S. is not attacked again - that we don't have another type of 9/11 attack on the U.S. homeland," she said. U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a strong critic of the Afghan government, was recently banned from traveling to Kabul by President Hamid Karzai. Rohrabacher said the strategic partnership agreement is an admission that a decade of nation-building has not worked. "One of the reasons we are in bad shape and have lost so many people already, is we have imported combat troops to try to force local people to accept Kabul as the legitimate power. And Kabul, of course, is run by a corrupt regime under Karzai," said Rohrabacher. But U.S. military officials say they will need to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014 to train local security forces. Major General John Toolan has spent the past year commanding troops in Afghanistan. "They will have to be in Afghanistan as long as it takes for the Afghan security forces to establish, particularly the police and I'll say specifically the police, to establish local security and credibility among the population," said Toolan. Earlier, officials signed agreements on the thorny issues of night raids by U.S. troops and the handover of detention facilities to Afghan authorities. Analysts say the strategic partnership sends a strong message to Pakistan and the Taliban that Americans will not abandon the region as they did in the 1990s after the Soviets were pushed out of the country. "I think what this agreement shows is that the U.S. is not desperate for a peace deal with the Taliban. Yes, certainly, some kind of settlement that involves the Taliban is desirable, but the U.S. is simply not desperate to reach some type of agreement in the next two years," said Curtis of the Heritage Foundation. A post-2014 military force could provide training, air power, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism operations in partnership with Afghan soldiers. Media files: reuters_brussels_clinton_480_18april2012.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_brussels_clinton_230_18april2012.jpg CN_US_AFGHAN_ANALYSIS_WEB4x3-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHQFull__283294.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Europe: France's Presidential Frontrunner Gives Markets the Jitters

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

France's Presidential Frontrunner Gives Markets the Jitters Apr 27th 2012, 22:49 The eurozone's sovereign debt crisis has helped topple half a dozen European leaders. It looks like French President Nicolas Sarkozy may be next. Polls show Sarkozy's Socialist rival, Francois Hollande, winning France's May 6 runoff election.  But the prospect of an Hollande presidency is making markets - and analysts - nervous. It's been nearly 20 years since France had a Socialist president. That may change in just over a week. French polls all predict Socialist contender Francois Hollande will beat conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round of presidential elections on May 6. In press conferences and interviews - like one on French radio Friday - Hollande outlines an economic strategy that includes more taxes for the rich and more spending to stimulate growth. But Hollande says his first action would target the wider eurozone crisis that is now in its third year.  Hollande says he will renegotiate a European Union fiscal treaty agreed to last year in order to promote economic growth. The Socialist candidate is getting applause from his supporters - but not from markets, which briefly dipped after he won the first round of French elections last Sunday.  Analysts like economics professor Tomasz Michalski, of the HEC business school in Paris, also see little reason to cheer. "First of all, Hollande is going to increase very drastically taxes in France. In the short run the increase in taxes is going to lower the budget deficit," he said. "But in the long run it's not a good growth strategy…this is going to keep talent away. And France desperately needs new businesses, desperately needs entrepreneurs to keep the economy going." Other experts agree. Britain's leading The Economist magazine is even more critical, calling Hollande's economic prescriptions "dangerous." Analyst Philip Whyte, of the London-based Center for European Reform, says he understands why markets are jittery about an Hollande presidency. "But of course, once he's in office, he will very quickly be confronted by some of the constraints of office and some of those constraints might be imposed by the bond markets," he said." Hollande's growth prescription for Europe even got some support this week by European Central Bank Chief Mario Draghi, who called on governments to invest in jobs and growth along with spending cuts. Jobs and economic growth are top concerns of French voters like 54-year-old Fatna Chouaikh.  Chouaikh believes Hollande can turn things around.   She says Hollande is competent, hard-working and has what it takes to bring France out of its economic doldrums. Under current President Sarkozy, the economy shrank and unemployment soared to nearly 10 percent. Most analysts agree that Sarkozy is not to blame for a global crisis that has sent many other economies tumbling as well. Whyte, of the Center for European Reform, credits Sarkozy for pushing through a few key reforms - like raising the retirement age - and for his initial leadership in the eurozone crisis. But Whyte faults the French president for letting German Chancellor Angela Merkel dictate eurozone policies today. And overall, he gives Sarkozy's performance a mediocre review. "The problem with Sarkozy is that he really doesn't have an economic vision," Whyte said. "He's a man of action. But he has no real coherence to much of what he does. If you look at his performance over five years as president, there's not been a terribly clear economic path he's forged." Professor Michalski offers similar criticism. "The measures that Sarkozy is proposing in this campaign do not form a coherent long-term program," he said. "Rather, they're small measures addressed to particular issues. So I'm very skeptical." Ultimately, smaller parties may shape the economic policies of either an Hollande or a Sarkozy presidency.  Hollande is counting on far-left and centrist voters to win the May 6 runoff.  Sarkozy is courting those who voted for the far-right in the first round - and who are skeptical of the European Union and of taking economic orders from Brussels. Media files: AP1204230336.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) reuters_france_hollande_230_16april2012.jpg

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: USA: Hillary Clinton Recalls Raid That Killed Osama bin Laden

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Hillary Clinton Recalls Raid That Killed Osama bin Laden Apr 27th 2012, 21:50 Hillary Clinton says combat in Iraq and Afghanistan helped hone the SEAL Team Six assault on Osama bin Laden's compound one year ago. Recounting that night, the U.S. Secretary of State recalls a Special Forces officer speaking with administration officials outside a small room under the White House. "This may sound really exotic and scary to you all, but we've probably done something similar to this - helicopter in, take the target, look for who you're after, and get out of there - we have probably done it now 1,000 times," said Clinton. Walking through various scenarios Even with that experience on the ground, Clinton said President Barack Obama's advisors worked through every contingency they could think of in assessing the bin Laden raid: What if something went wrong with the helicopters, like in the failed effort to rescue hostages in Iran in 1980? When was the next moonless night? What would Pakistan do? "We did our very best to try to give the president our honest assessment," Clinton said. "Ultimately it was his decision. Which I fully supported because I believed that we had to take the risk - and it was a risk - that that large house in Abbottabad was the haven for Bin Laden." Clinton discussed the assault in an appearance at the U.S. Naval Academy. Uniformed men and women listened politely to her lecture on strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. But they sat forward in their seats when she was asked about her thoughts on the night of bin Laden's death. "We were attacked. And one of my goals as a senator and then as a Secretary of State was to do everything I could to try to bring bin Laden to justice," she said. Identifying Pakistan as haven She recalled her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state in 2009. "I can't believe that there isn't anybody in the Pakistani government who doesn't know where Bin Laden is. And that caused a little bit of a ruckus. But I believed that somebody had to of known where he was," said Clinton. When the U.S. intelligence community ran down the trail to Abbottabad, Clinton said a very small group began discussing whether to launch an air or a ground assault. Having decided on SEAL Team Six, U.S. officials gathered in a bunker beneath the White House and watched a live video feed from the helicopter as it landed. "We could see or hear nothing when they went into the house. There was no communication or feedback coming," Clinton said. "So it was during that timetable that everyone was particularly focused on trying to keep calm, prepare for what might happen. I'm not sure anybody breathed for 35 or 37 minutes." <!--IMAGE-LEFT--> Dangerous mission succeeds As the raid progressed, a helicopter damaged its tail section on a wall of the bin Laden compound, so another chopper was sent in from Afghanistan. SEALs moved women and children from the house to shield them from an explosion set off to destroy the damaged helicopter while other SEALs brought out what they hoped was bin Laden's body. "All of this is happening - the body is going out, the women and children are coming in, the reserve helicopter is on its way, but it's not there yet," Clinton says. "There was a lot of breath-holding." With the SEAL team finally on its way back to Afghanistan and a second DNA test confirming bin Laden's identity, Clinton walked with the president up to the East Room for his televised address to the nation. Afterward, along the Rose Garden colonnade, they heard cheering from George Washington University students who had come to the gates of the White House to celebrate. "Many of them, like many of you, were children when we were attacked," Clinton told the men and women of the Naval Academy. "This had been part of your consciousness for as long as you can remember." "So listening to those cheers, feeling the relief that came from knowing that it was a job very well done, and for me personally, having the sense that for many of those who lost their loved ones, who had been grievously injured during that attack, whom I knew personally, that they could - in a way that they had not been able to the day before - think about the future." Media files: reuters_pakistan_obl_compound_480_may2011.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_pakistan_obl_compound_230_may2011.jpg voa_compound_raid_diagram_480_April2012.jpg

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: USA: Security Issues Expected to Top Obama-Noda Meeting

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Security Issues Expected to Top Obama-Noda Meeting Apr 27th 2012, 22:26 An agreement to remove almost half the U.S. Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa could lead to progress on other issues when Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visits Washington on Monday.   Analysts say the disagreement over the U.S. forces on Okinawa has been an irritant in relations between Washington and Tokyo for years. The deal, reached Thursday, would move about 9,000 Marines from Okinawa to Australia, the U.S. territory of Guam or the state of Hawaii. A senior White House official said Friday that the breaking of the stalemate over Okinawa allows both countries' leaders to focus on other security issues. Japan's U.S. Ambassador, Ichiro Fujisaki, said Thursday at a forum sponsored by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies that  the agreement will improve U.S. protection of its Asia-Pacific allies. "There will be more distribution of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific, which will fortify the U.S. presence, I think, and which will add to the fortification of deterrents in that area, so we welcome that," he said. When President Obama and Prime Minister Noda meet in the Oval Office on Monday, North Korea and its nuclear ambitions are expected to be near the top of the agenda. The recent attempted rocket launch by Pyongyang caused concern in nearby Japan and other Asian neighbors. The U.S. and Japanese leaders may also discuss Tehran's nuclear ambitions.  Analyst Sheila Smith at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations says Tokyo has also been working to help tighten sanctions on Iran. "Japan's energy dependence on Iran has been slowly reduced since the sanctions in 2006," she said. "Forty percent of Japan's oil was imported from Iran.  Now I think it is less than 10 percent.  So Japan works very closely with us in terms of our U.N. Security Council conversation on Iran as well." Also likely to come up in Monday's meeting is Japan's role in helping to rebuild and stabilize Afghanistan. Another priority will probably be the state of the world economy, and Japan's recovery from last year's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Perhaps the ceremonial highlight of the prime minister's visit will be the U.S. gift of 3,000 dogwood trees to be planted in a park in Tokyo.   Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says the gesture comes on the 100th anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the United States. "And we hope that, as a gesture, it will be something that our children and our children's children, both in the United States and Japan, will have the opportunity to enjoy and treasure, just as we have had the opportunity to treasure the cherry trees," said Campbell. Despite some disagreements, such as the deployment of U.S. Marines in Okinawa, a senior Obama administration official says U.S.-Japan relations are strong. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in a statement Thursday, called Japan "not just an ally, but a close friend."   Media files: Reuters Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda 13Jan12 300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Asia: Hillary Clinton Recalls Raid That Killed Osama bin Laden

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Hillary Clinton Recalls Raid That Killed Osama bin Laden Apr 27th 2012, 21:50 Hillary Clinton says combat in Iraq and Afghanistan helped hone the SEAL Team Six assault on Osama bin Laden's compound one year ago. Recounting that night, the U.S. Secretary of State recalls a Special Forces officer speaking with administration officials outside a small room under the White House. "This may sound really exotic and scary to you all, but we've probably done something similar to this - helicopter in, take the target, look for who you're after, and get out of there - we have probably done it now 1,000 times," said Clinton. Walking through various scenarios Even with that experience on the ground, Clinton said President Barack Obama's advisors worked through every contingency they could think of in assessing the bin Laden raid: What if something went wrong with the helicopters, like in the failed effort to rescue hostages in Iran in 1980? When was the next moonless night? What would Pakistan do? "We did our very best to try to give the president our honest assessment," Clinton said. "Ultimately it was his decision. Which I fully supported because I believed that we had to take the risk - and it was a risk - that that large house in Abbottabad was the haven for Bin Laden." Clinton discussed the assault in an appearance at the U.S. Naval Academy. Uniformed men and women listened politely to her lecture on strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. But they sat forward in their seats when she was asked about her thoughts on the night of bin Laden's death. "We were attacked. And one of my goals as a senator and then as a Secretary of State was to do everything I could to try to bring bin Laden to justice," she said. Identifying Pakistan as haven She recalled her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state in 2009. "I can't believe that there isn't anybody in the Pakistani government who doesn't know where Bin Laden is. And that caused a little bit of a ruckus. But I believed that somebody had to of known where he was," said Clinton. When the U.S. intelligence community ran down the trail to Abbottabad, Clinton said a very small group began discussing whether to launch an air or a ground assault. Having decided on SEAL Team Six, U.S. officials gathered in a bunker beneath the White House and watched a live video feed from the helicopter as it landed. "We could see or hear nothing when they went into the house. There was no communication or feedback coming," Clinton said. "So it was during that timetable that everyone was particularly focused on trying to keep calm, prepare for what might happen. I'm not sure anybody breathed for 35 or 37 minutes." <!--IMAGE-LEFT--> Dangerous mission succeeds As the raid progressed, a helicopter damaged its tail section on a wall of the bin Laden compound, so another chopper was sent in from Afghanistan. SEALs moved women and children from the house to shield them from an explosion set off to destroy the damaged helicopter while other SEALs brought out what they hoped was bin Laden's body. "All of this is happening - the body is going out, the women and children are coming in, the reserve helicopter is on its way, but it's not there yet," Clinton says. "There was a lot of breath-holding." With the SEAL team finally on its way back to Afghanistan and a second DNA test confirming bin Laden's identity, Clinton walked with the president up to the East Room for his televised address to the nation. Afterward, along the Rose Garden colonnade, they heard cheering from George Washington University students who had come to the gates of the White House to celebrate. "Many of them, like many of you, were children when we were attacked," Clinton told the men and women of the Naval Academy. "This had been part of your consciousness for as long as you can remember." "So listening to those cheers, feeling the relief that came from knowing that it was a job very well done, and for me personally, having the sense that for many of those who lost their loved ones, who had been grievously injured during that attack, whom I knew personally, that they could - in a way that they had not been able to the day before - think about the future." Media files: reuters_pakistan_obl_compound_480_may2011.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) reuters_pakistan_obl_compound_230_may2011.jpg voa_compound_raid_diagram_480_April2012.jpg

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Asia: Security Issues Expected to Top Obama-Noda Meeting

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Security Issues Expected to Top Obama-Noda Meeting Apr 27th 2012, 22:26 An agreement to remove almost half the U.S. Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa could lead to progress on other issues when Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visits Washington on Monday.   Analysts say the disagreement over the U.S. forces on Okinawa has been an irritant in relations between Washington and Tokyo for years. The deal, reached Thursday, would move about 9,000 Marines from Okinawa to Australia, the U.S. territory of Guam or the state of Hawaii. A senior White House official said Friday that the breaking of the stalemate over Okinawa allows both countries' leaders to focus on other security issues. Japan's U.S. Ambassador, Ichiro Fujisaki, said Thursday at a forum sponsored by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies that  the agreement will improve U.S. protection of its Asia-Pacific allies. "There will be more distribution of U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific, which will fortify the U.S. presence, I think, and which will add to the fortification of deterrents in that area, so we welcome that," he said. When President Obama and Prime Minister Noda meet in the Oval Office on Monday, North Korea and its nuclear ambitions are expected to be near the top of the agenda. The recent attempted rocket launch by Pyongyang caused concern in nearby Japan and other Asian neighbors. The U.S. and Japanese leaders may also discuss Tehran's nuclear ambitions.  Analyst Sheila Smith at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations says Tokyo has also been working to help tighten sanctions on Iran. "Japan's energy dependence on Iran has been slowly reduced since the sanctions in 2006," she said. "Forty percent of Japan's oil was imported from Iran.  Now I think it is less than 10 percent.  So Japan works very closely with us in terms of our U.N. Security Council conversation on Iran as well." Also likely to come up in Monday's meeting is Japan's role in helping to rebuild and stabilize Afghanistan. Another priority will probably be the state of the world economy, and Japan's recovery from last year's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Perhaps the ceremonial highlight of the prime minister's visit will be the U.S. gift of 3,000 dogwood trees to be planted in a park in Tokyo.   Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says the gesture comes on the 100th anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the United States. "And we hope that, as a gesture, it will be something that our children and our children's children, both in the United States and Japan, will have the opportunity to enjoy and treasure, just as we have had the opportunity to treasure the cherry trees," said Campbell. Despite some disagreements, such as the deployment of U.S. Marines in Okinawa, a senior Obama administration official says U.S.-Japan relations are strong. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in a statement Thursday, called Japan "not just an ally, but a close friend."   Media files: Reuters Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda 13Jan12 300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Europe: Doctors Call for Tymoshenko to be Treated Abroad

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

Doctors Call for Tymoshenko to be Treated Abroad Apr 27th 2012, 22:04 German doctors who have examined jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko have appealed to the president to let her be moved abroad for treatment. Karl Einhaeupl, head of Berlin's Charite university hospital, told reporters Friday that his team is skeptical that  Tymoshenko can recover from her back problems if she remains in Ukraine. "One of the reasons for this press conference is that the Ukrainian government approached us through their Foreign Minister with the demand to treat Yulia Tymoshenko in the Ukraine," he said. "We believe that the hunger strike and the escalation of the situation have worsened the situation of Yulia Tymoshenko. Therefore we think that another judgement about Tymoshenko's current condition from our side is necessary." The Ukrainian leadership recently proposed Germany sending doctors to treat Ms. Tymoshenko in Ukraine, but Einhaeupl said Ukrainian hospitals have neither the equipment nor the expertise to handle her case. Tymoshenko has been on a hunger strike since last week, when she alleges she was beaten by prison guards. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said Thursday he has ordered a probe into the allegations.  Earlier this week, Ukraine's commissioner for human rights said a personal examination confirmed that Ms. Tymoshenko has bruises on her body. German President Joachim Gauck has canceled his planned attendance at a meeting in the Ukrainian Black Sea resort of Yalta next month to protest Tymoshenko's situation. And EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has announced she is "deeply preoccupied" with  Tymoshenko's health. The former prime minister has complained of severe back pain and asked for medical treatment monitored by foreign doctors.   Last year, she was sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of abuse of office in a 2009 gas deal with Russia.  She is now standing trial on tax evasion charges that could extend her jail time to 12 years. Tymoshenko denies the charges and argues they are part of a campaign by President Yanukovich to remove his strongest political rival. Media files: ap_Karl_Einhaeupl_Tymoshenko_eng_27apr12.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: Africa: Somalis, Yemenis Face US Prosecution for Khat

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Somalis, Yemenis Face US Prosecution for Khat Apr 27th 2012, 21:00 Thirteen natives of Somalia and Yemen are on trial in U.S. Federal Court near Washington for allegedly smuggling millions of dollars' worth of khat into the United States. Khat is a plant whose leaves and upper branches contain a mild stimulant and has been openly chewed in those and other countries for centuries, often while drinking tea. <!--AV--> Khat is chewed in social settings around the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa.  It is legal in Somalia and Yemen, and in Britain and the Netherlands, but not in the United States. Khat's green leaves and branches contain cathinone, a stimulant known to produce a mild high but considered a serious drug under U.S. federal law. Grant Smith with the Drug Policy Alliance says the government overreacted. "When people have taken a look at khat, they have found that it is really just a mild stimulant," said Smith.  "It is akin to a couple of cups of coffee or some energy drinks.  And while there may be some long term health effects from using it, that doesn't mean we should criminalize people who use it." But some believe khat is addictive and often leads to child abuse and domestic violence as depicted in this film by the Minneapolis based organization Somali Cause. "So, they stay up for maybe a day or two or so," noted Mohamed Hassan works with Somali Cause. "And then once they start feeling the sleepiness, then they crash for two or three days.  So there you can see that person cannot really be productive." Drug policy reform advocates argue that prosecuting people for khat is a waste of public resources.  They say the use of khat should be treated as a public health issue.   "We should have a reasonable response that is based on public education, that looks at health, the health effects that is reality-based education," Smith added.  "And not respond to the typical sort of response we usually have to drugs which is to criminalize first and ask questions later." Smith says people are less likely to seek help for khat use if using it is a crime.  But Mohamed Hassan says khat is not a recreational stimulant that can be used within reason. "I do think strongly that it is addictive.  I mean it makes people go beyond their means.   Obviously, it is not helping them," said Hassan. Hassan says khat use is not very common in the Somali-American community.  Attorneys for the 13 defendants say the case stems from concerns that smuggled khat is being used to fund terrorism, but that no evidence of that has turned up in court. Media files: HD_FOR_THE_WEB_Khat_Smuggling_US-desktop-FCPImportProResP101Tease.jpg Khat_Smuggling_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__569393.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

VOA News: USA: Somalis, Yemenis Face US Prosecution for Khat

VOA News: USA USA Voice of America

Somalis, Yemenis Face US Prosecution for Khat Apr 27th 2012, 21:00 Thirteen natives of Somalia and Yemen are on trial in U.S. Federal Court near Washington for allegedly smuggling millions of dollars' worth of khat into the United States. Khat is a plant whose leaves and upper branches contain a mild stimulant and has been openly chewed in those and other countries for centuries, often while drinking tea. <!--AV--> Khat is chewed in social settings around the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa.  It is legal in Somalia and Yemen, and in Britain and the Netherlands, but not in the United States. Khat's green leaves and branches contain cathinone, a stimulant known to produce a mild high but considered a serious drug under U.S. federal law. Grant Smith with the Drug Policy Alliance says the government overreacted. "When people have taken a look at khat, they have found that it is really just a mild stimulant," said Smith.  "It is akin to a couple of cups of coffee or some energy drinks.  And while there may be some long term health effects from using it, that doesn't mean we should criminalize people who use it." But some believe khat is addictive and often leads to child abuse and domestic violence as depicted in this film by the Minneapolis based organization Somali Cause. "So, they stay up for maybe a day or two or so," noted Mohamed Hassan works with Somali Cause. "And then once they start feeling the sleepiness, then they crash for two or three days.  So there you can see that person cannot really be productive." Drug policy reform advocates argue that prosecuting people for khat is a waste of public resources.  They say the use of khat should be treated as a public health issue.   "We should have a reasonable response that is based on public education, that looks at health, the health effects that is reality-based education," Smith added.  "And not respond to the typical sort of response we usually have to drugs which is to criminalize first and ask questions later." Smith says people are less likely to seek help for khat use if using it is a crime.  But Mohamed Hassan says khat is not a recreational stimulant that can be used within reason. "I do think strongly that it is addictive.  I mean it makes people go beyond their means.   Obviously, it is not helping them," said Hassan. Hassan says khat use is not very common in the Somali-American community.  Attorneys for the 13 defendants say the case stems from concerns that smuggled khat is being used to fund terrorism, but that no evidence of that has turned up in court. Media files: HD_FOR_THE_WEB_Khat_Smuggling_US-desktop-FCPImportProResP101Tease.jpg Khat_Smuggling_WEB_16x9-fixed-x264-Platform_YTHDFull__569393.mp4 (video/mp4)

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions