| Friends in Texas Question Allegations Against Iranian Terrorist Suspect Posted: 14 Oct 2011 09:57 PM PDT The man accused of plotting with Iranian government officials to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States has spent most of the past 30 years in the state of Texas. People who knew him there say it is hard to imagine Manssor Arbabsiar being involved in such a complex scheme. They describe him as being forgetful, disorganized and a joke.
Many people who knew Arbabsiar in the coastal city of Corpus Christi, say he lacked basic organizational skills.
Iranian immigrant Tom Hosseini, who runs a convenience store in Corpus Christi, has known Arbabsiar for more than 30 years.
"I am still in shock that he was able to pull something like that, which I do not believe. To my knowledge, he is not capable of doing anything like that," said Hosseini.
Hosseini said Arbabsiar was always losing his keys and other items. He did not speak Spanish, and Hosseini said it is hard to believe he would have gone to Mexico City to contact drug cartel killers, as the federal government alleges. He said his friend could be exasperating at times because of his irresponsible nature, but that most people liked him.
"He was a very nice guy, you know, he was a comic, always telling jokes for the Iranian community, he would make people laugh," said Hosseini.
He also said the arrest of his friend has brought shame to the 200 or so Iranians who live around Corpus Christi.
"If he would have told me he had something like this in mind, I would have stopped him myself. It makes us look bad. In the last 30 years, this is the first time that they accuse an Iranian of setting a plot to assassinate someone inside the United States," said Hosseini.
Judd Jones, who manages an automobile resale operation in which Arbabsiar once had a stake, said he never seemed like a terrorist.
"He was a nice guy. He never talked about no terroristic stuff [terrorism issues] and all this. He said a lot of foreign people get a bad rep [reputation] because everyone thinks they are terrorists, but he said, 'don't think I am like those guys because I am not like that,'" said Jones.
The business owner, David Tomscha., went into a partnership with Arbabsiar in the 1990s. But he soon took complete control because Arbabsiar failed to pay bills, properly handle sales and generally hold up his part of the deal.
Tomscha said his old partner may have been lured into the plot by the promise of quick riches.
"I think somebody used him. If he was going to do it, though, and blow up people, I am glad they caught him," said Tomscha.
Some acquaintances say Arbabsiar went back to Iran within the past year and returned with lots of money, talking about some lucrative business. But he never mentioned any connection with the Iranian government. The U.S. accuses members of Iran's elite Quds military unit of working with Arbabsiar in the plot.
Tomscha said it is hard for him to understand why a sophisticated organization would have worked with someone so incompetent.
"He didn't pay his bills. He was nice enough, but he wasn't organized. They say he was wiring money. I cannot believe he could even wire money. He could barely sign his name," said Tomscha.
Arbabsiar's estranged wife, Martha Guerrero, is not speaking to reporters now. But she told a local TV station earlier this week that she does not believe the charges against him. Echoing what others have said, she said he was not capable of doing it.
Experts on Iran and terrorism are divided on Arbabsiar's alleged role in the plot. While some say it seems unlikely that Iran would have worked with such a man, others say it fits a pattern of Iran sometimes using third parties to carry out plans hatched in Tehran.
Those who study Mexico's drug cartels also are skeptical, noting that drug traffickers would probably not want to be involved in a plot that would bring the wrath of the United States down on them.
Arbabsiar first came to the attention of U.S. law enforcement in May when he contacted a man in Mexico City who said he represented a cartel. The man was really an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which passed the information on to the FBI, leading to his arrest in September. Arbabsiar is jailed New York awaiting court proceedings. 
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| Civil Rights Pioneer Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth Is Remembered Posted: 14 Oct 2011 09:01 PM PDT One of the leaders of the the civil rights movement in America, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, died recently and will be buried later this month [October 24] in his home town of Birmingham, Alabama. Shuttlesworth was a fire-and-brimstone preacher who endured a bombing, and beatings.
Many prominent African Americans believe that without Shuttlesworth, the civil-rights movement would not have achieved what it did.
Mayor William Bell of Birmingham, Alabama, said, "Oh, I would not be the mayor of the city of Birmingham were it not for the courageous acts of Reverend Shuttlesworth, and I will forever be grateful."
As pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, Shuttlesworth was outspoken in his campaigning for civil rights and he aggressively confronted the Klu Klux Klan.
His home and church were bombed and he was beaten when he tried to enroll his daughters in an all-white high school.
Shuttlesworth formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. And in the early 1960s, he encouraged King to come to Birmingham and focus his efforts in the city.
"From that point on, the civil-rights movement gained international prominence, especially after the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, as well as Reverend Shuttlesworth's home itself," said Bell.
The death of four girls in the 16th Street Church bombing by the KKK, and the unleashing of police dogs and firehoses on civil rights demonstrators, shocked the nation and the world.
Bell first met Shuttlesworth in 1963 at a rally. He said the reverend often talked about how God had removed all fear from him.
"And he was a man that walked without fear, and it was very evident anytime you met him he just had this aura about him," remembered Bell.
Shuttlesworth was sometimes criticized for his confrontational attitude, in contrast to the conciliatory manner of Dr. King.
In an interview with the oral history project of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Shuttlesworth recalled encouraging his followers to form a new civil-rights group after Alabama outlawed the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
"I asked them, do they want to organize three or four different times. I said, 'Now if you want to organize you must remember that it may mean going to jail. It may mean death for some of us.' But if you do not have something that you would give your life for you may not find anything worth living for," said Shuttlesworth.
Shuttlesworth's death on October 5 was overshadowed by the passing of another transformational American figure, Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs. But those who knew Reverend Shuttlesworth say he was not out for recognition.
The funeral will be held October 24 at Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham.
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| Republicans, Democrats Put Own Spin on ‘Occupy’ Protests Posted: 14 Oct 2011 08:13 PM PDT The "Occupy" protests around the United States have provided another opportunity for the Democratic and Republican parties to voice their differences. To the dismay of the protesters, both parties show signs of trying to sway public sentiment about the demonstrations in their favor. <!--AV--> Four weeks after the "Occupy" protests began, both the Republican and Democratic parties are trying to use them for political advantage.
At first, Republicans were dismissive.
But then the Republican presidential candidates, such as Herman Cain, began blaming the protests on President Barack Obama.
"This is a distraction from the failed policies of the Obama administration," said Cain.
Political analysts say that strategy aims to energize voters and refocus anger into traditional Republican themes such as bloated government.
"The one effective line that I think they will continue to use is that those protesters should turn their sights not so much on Wall Street, but right down to the White House," noted John Fortier with the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Protesters like Ron Sanger say they expect the news media and politicians to distort their message.
"They keep denying or not addressing the real issues," said Sanger. "And these little sound bite thing. It's not going to sell. People are getting smarter than that. And that is why we are here."
Democrats were quick to sympathize with the demonstrators. Political analysts say party leaders see some themes they hope will lure voters, like higher taxes for the rich. Ruy Teixeira is with The Center for American Progress.
"So, I think they want to try and take advantage of it and it will fit nicely into a lot of the themes that President Obama is trying to develop for his campaign," said Teixeira.
But the protesters object. They are angry with President Obama on a number of issues, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and his treatment of Wall Street bankers. Vera Spohr voted for Obama, but is unhappy.
"He has always been owned by the money. He still is. Sure, he will take whatever he can from us and use it his way. But he is not going to make any substantive changes," said Spohr .
The protesters say they seek no political endorsements and will ignore the political spin. They plan to press on with their message: that they are the 99 percent of the population calling for economic justice. Spohr 
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| Death toll from flooding in southern Vietnam reaches 43 Posted: 14 Oct 2011 07:28 PM PDT HANOI (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll as a result of severe flooding in southern Vietnam has risen to at least 43, the government reported on Friday. Tens of thousands of homes have been inundated. The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control said flooding in the Mekong Delta region, which encompasses large parts of southwestern Vietnam, has claimed at least 43 lives during the current monsoon season. An estimated 70,000 homes have been flooded. In addition to homes, more than 18,000 hectares (44,480 acre) of rice and nearly 3,700 hectares (9,140 acre) of subsidiary crops have been flooded. The loss has been estimated at more than 1.1 trillion Vietnamese dong ($52.8 million), according to a preliminary assessment. Dong Thap province has been the hardest hit area, reporting at least 15 fatalities. Other provinces also hit hard include An Giang, Can Tho, Long An and Kien Giang. Among the 43 fatalities are at least 31 children. Earlier this week, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited the region and called on authorities to improve disaster-relief efforts. He also called for more efforts to create a sustainable living environment which can handle floods as the Mekong Delta region frequently experiences flooding. The ongoing floods are the worst to hit Vietnam in more than a decade. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) 
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| US Trying to Stop ‘Reverse Brain Drain’ Posted: 14 Oct 2011 07:16 PM PDT The U.S. Congress is debating how to overhaul the nation's immigration system in an effort to get foreign nationals who earn advanced degrees at American universities to stay and work in the country to help the U.S. stay globally competitive.
Some are calling it a "reverse brain drain."
Foreign students flock to American universities to earn master's degrees and Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math.
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But many, like 25-year-old Yifang Wei from Xian in central China, may not be able to get a visa to work in the United States after graduation.
"Yes, I am very worried, very worried," said Wei.
In 2009, foreign students earned up to two-thirds of the doctorates in physics and engineering awarded by U.S. schools of higher education.
Xiao Qin is from Beijing and is working toward his Ph.D. in computer science at Georgetown University in Washington. He would like to work for Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.
"Obviously, we prefer to stay here for several years, but if we cannot get any valid visa we have to leave," he said.
The United States limits the number of foreigners who can seek careers in the United States, and critics say restrictive immigration policies hurt America's ability to retain top students.
Representative Zoe Lofgren of California said, "While we once asked the brightest minds in the world to come and make their homes here, we now turn them away. Having educated and trained the world's best students in our universities, we no longer welcome them to enrich this nation."
High-tech companies recruit workers at the nation's top universities. But some, like Texas Instruments, say it can take 10 years for their foreign workers to become permanent U.S. residents.
Darla Whitaker, senior vice president at Texas Instruments, said, "This is not sustainable. It hurts our company and our industry, and it places burdens and stresses on our employees."
The United States now limits the number of immigrants from other countries on a country-by-country basis, meaning students from large nations generally have the longest wait.
A recent study by the National Foundation for American Policy says a highly skilled Indian national could wait 70 years for permanent status.
Vivek Wadhwa conducts research about immigrant entrepreneurs, and is on the faculty of Harvard and Duke Universities.
"We are out of touch. We are in a knowledge economy. It is all about competition. If we don't keep these people, if we don't compete, we are going to lose. We are going to become a third world country and they are going to become like us," said Wadhwa.
Congress is studying ways to change America's immigration policies.
So far there has not been a consensus, however, on how to reverse the brain drain and keep scholars like Yifang Wei and Xiao Qin in the United States once they graduate from one of America's top universities.
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