Lincoln Tribune

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• PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF QUAKE IN EASTERN TURKEY IS 7.5
• US Occupiers Turn To History, Art and Solidarity
• War crimes judge Antonio Cassese dies of cancer
• Insurgents kill NATO soldier in eastern Afghanistan
• Panetta on Asia Trip to Reassure Allies

PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF QUAKE IN EASTERN TURKEY IS 7.5 Posted: 23 Oct 2011 03:52 AM PDT ANKARA (BNO NEWS) -- Preliminary magnitude of earthquake in eastern Turkey is 7.5, seismologists say. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

US Occupiers Turn To History, Art and Solidarity Posted: 22 Oct 2011 05:44 PM PDT Participants getting classes in political activism from how to deal with police to learning tactics from recent upheavals in North Africa Participants in the multi-city Occupy movement in the United States are now getting classes in political activism, from how to deal with police to learning tactics from recent upheavals in North Africa. Protesters with the progressive Occupy movement, now in its second month, such as here in downtown Washington, are still holding occasional street rallies to get their messages across. They also try to block intersections. <!--IMAGE-RIGHT--> Now, they are also holding informal classes, such as this one about non-violence.  They have regular meetings to share best practices on dealing with police. They even teach each other how to play the guitar or paint. Paul Adler, a PhD candidate in history at a Washington university, is holding a talk about past U.S. social movements. "So the late 19th century, early 20th century, was this period of great foment. There was industrialization, the emergence of modern consumer capitalism and with that came great resistance, great social movements," he said. A union organizer who has joined the movement, Anthony Sluder, says everyone is learning to sharpen their arguments to make more of an impact. "We are having the conversations and we are developing what we need to develop so that we can change what needs to be changed," he said. Sluder would like to see much more government help on job creation. A sidewalk people's library has also been set up, with free books and Occupy movement newsletters and newspapers to read. One of those enjoying the education is John Graysquirrel. "Books should be free, literature should be free and it should be available to anybody who wants them," he said. There have also been scheduled talks on learning from recent upheavals in North Africa. The most peaceful movement unfolded earlier this year in Tunisia. Abdennaceur Chamakh, a Tunisian cab driver, now celebrating new elections in his home country, says he has been impressed with the U.S. occupy movement. "The good thing is it started with the young people like back home. But it should be supported by everybody. The American people should not leave them alone. They should support them," he said. The Occupy movement prides itself in having no leaders, and has sprung up spontaneously among a combination of friends, activists and unemployed in outdoor parks and squares in major cities across the United States. Goals of the protests have been varied, ranging from an end to U.S. foreign military action, raising taxes on the wealthy, more emphasis on government social spending and learning how to live in a donation-based outdoor community. Protesters said they hoped the movement would last until at least the next U.S. presidential and Congressional elections in November 2012.

War crimes judge Antonio Cassese dies of cancer Posted: 22 Oct 2011 05:09 PM PDT FLORENCE (BNO NEWS) -- Judge Antonio Cassese, who served as president of the United Nations-backed Lebanon and Yugoslavia tribunals, died at his home in Italy on Friday after a long battle with cancer, officials said on Saturday. He was 74. Cassese was one of the leading figures in international justice, serving as the first president of both the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He also had a long career in academia. Cassese, who was born in Italy in 1937, stepped down as president of the STL on October 9 due to his deteriorating health condition as a result of cancer. He was a serving Appeals Chamber judge when he died in Florence on Friday night. "The tragedy of Nino's departure is beyond words," said Judge Sir David Baragwanath, who was appointed president of the STL after Cassese stepped down. "For members of the Tribunal he was the Maestro, whose towering ability as a jurist and a statesman was equaled by the immense personal warmth and humanity which made him our dear friend." Baragwanath added: "He was a leader whom it was stimulating and a privilege to serve. He created and was the preeminent figure in modern international criminal law. His family extended across the globe to wherever there was injustice. His vision, intellect, dynamism and courage changed attitudes, institutions and lives." Besides serving as president of STL and ICTY, Cassese was also appointed chairman of the UN International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur in 2004. He was later also appointed as an Independent Expert to review the judicial efficiency of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Throughout his career Cassese worked to curtail extrajudicial killings, as well as to assert individual responsibility for international crimes in domestic and international jurisdictions. "Antonio Cassese has been a master of legal culture and an example of civic engagement, serving the cause of justice, democracy and human rights," Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

Insurgents kill NATO soldier in eastern Afghanistan Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:25 PM PDT KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A coalition service member was killed on Saturday as a result of an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. ISAF said one of its service members was killed as a result of an insurgent attack in Afghanistan's east. As usual, the multinational force gave no other details about the incident, including the exact location. The nationality of the service member was also not immediately disclosed by ISAF. "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities," a brief statement said. Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 10,000 American troops later this year, with another 23,000 U.S. troops to return home next year. So far this year, at least 488 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most troops are American and are killed in the country's south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians. The deadliest incident happened in August when a U.S. helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 U.S. troops, seven Afghan troops and an Afghan interpreter. (Copyright 2011 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

Panetta on Asia Trip to Reassure Allies Posted: 22 Oct 2011 01:10 PM PDT U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is on his way to Asia where he plans to offer reassurance to allies in the region. It is Panetta's first trip to the region since becoming secretary of defense and his aim is to strengthen ties with friends of the United States in the region. His first stop is Indonesia, followed by Japan and South Korea. The trip comes as the United States draws down its troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, and turns its attention to Asia, where a number of nations have disputes with China and concerns over Beijing's expanding military. Lawrence Korb, a defense analyst at the Center for American Progress research organization, said that although China is not on Panetta's itinerary, it looms large over the visit. "It's important to convey to our friends and allies in Asia that we will not let China take advantage of its military buildup to push other agendas, whether they're over disputed islands, disputed territories, access to markets; to let those people know that we're there to balance China if they should decide to use their power aggressively," said Korb. A senior U.S. defense official said China is not one of the stops due to scheduling, not political reasons. On the Indonesian island of Bali, Panetta meets with defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN.   In Japan, the defense secretary will discuss arms sales and plans to transfer a U.S. Marine Corps air station in Okinawa to another location on the island - a move opposed by many island residents. Panetta's visit to South Korea will come as the United States prepares to restart direct talks with North Korea about its nuclear ambitions.   Pyongyang walked out of multi-nation negotiations two years ago and there is no indication that the North is bringing any new proposals to the table that could move the process along. However, Korb said it will be useful for Washington to reassure its key partners in the region that it is keeping up the pressure on Pyongyang. "What Secretary Panetta has to assure the allies, particularly the South Koreans and Japanese, (is) that in these talks, the United States is going to continue to insist that North Korea be much more transparent about its nuclear program and not proceed any further, because the countries - specifically South Korea and Japan - are concerned that North Korea is on the road to getting a full-fledged nuclear weapons capability," said Korb. Since abandoning talks, North Korea has carried out a second nuclear test, test-fired missiles, and announced it has developed the ability to enrich weapons-grade uranium. Pentagon officials say the secretary of defense will stress what they say is Washington's determination to deter North Korea and to prevail in any conflict that breaks out should those deterrence efforts fail.

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