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السبت، 5 نوفمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

U.S. commander fires Army general for criticizing Afghan leaders
LA Protesters Blast Income Gap
Ireland to close embassies in Vatican City and Iran
Six killed after flash flooding hits northern Italy
Thousands of far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis mark Russia’s National Unity Day

U.S. commander fires Army general for criticizing Afghan leaders

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 11:36 PM PDT

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. Marine Corps General John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, fired a senior U.S. Army general on Friday after he criticized Afghan leaders during an interview.

Major General Peter Fuller, Deputy Commander of the NATO effort to train and equip Afghan security forces, told the U.S. political website Politico this week that senior Afghan officials have not fully recognized the sacrifices in "treasure and blood" the United States is making for their security.

U.S. military officials said he showed 'extremely poor judgment' during the interview, which led Allen to relieve him of his duties. "These unfortunate comments are neither indicative of our current solid relationship with the government of Afghanistan, its leadership, or our joint commitment to prevail here in Afghanistan," he said.

Allen added: "The Afghan people are an honorable people, and comments such as these will not keep us from accomplishing our most critical and shared mission - bringing about a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan."

Fuller had expressed irritation over remarks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai who recently said that Afghanistan would side with Pakistan in a war against the United States. American officials, however, have previously said Karzai had been misquoted or misunderstood.

"Why don't you just poke me in the eye with a needle! You've got to be kidding me. I'm sorry, we just gave you $11.6 billion and now you're telling me, 'I don't really care'?" the two-star general was quoted as saying by Politico.

Fuller, who was visiting the United States to attend a conference, added: "When they are going to have a presidential election, you hope they get a guy that's more articulate in public."

The general also said he told Afghan generals during a strategic review of the U.S. mission that they don't understand 'the sacrifices' being made by the United States. "I said, 'You guys are isolated from reality.' The reality is, the world economy is having some significant hiccups. The U.S. is in this [too]," he told Politico.

"If you're in a very poor country like Afghanistan, you think that America has roads paved in gold, everybody lives in Hollywood. They don't understand the sacrifices that America is making to provide for their security. And I think that's part of my job to educate 'em."

Fuller said he believes the problem is a mentality left behind by the Soviets. "We didn't buy them a lot of things that they had seen bought previously by the Soviets, the tanks and the jets. So they asked for them. They say, 'Well, the Russians gave us this.'"

The general said he told the Afghans: "You're telling us that you're not appreciative of $11.2 billion from the U.S. this year? We have challenges going on in our own country, and this is our national treasure.'"

The senior U.S. official also revealed that the Afghan government had made requests for multiple F-16 fighter jets and tanks, without the budget to use or maintain them. "All I want to do is put them on a flat bed and drive them around in a parade," a senior Afghan official told Fuller, he said.

The general told Politico he often needs to beat back 'overzealous' demands from Afghan officials. "You can teach a man how to fish, or you can give them a fish. We're giving them fish while they're learning, and they want more fish! [They say,] 'I like swordfish, how come you're giving me cod?' Guess what? Cod's on the menu today."

But not everyone agreed with Allen's decision to fire Fuller, and some criticized the U.S. military for not allowing Fuller to give his opinion. "Give that man another star!" said Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

It is not the first time that a senior military figure has been fired over comments made to the media. In July 2010, Rolling Stone magazine published a history-making piece that prompted President Barack Obama's dismissal of U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal as commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the position now held by Allen.

The explosive magazine piece revealed the strategic discrepancies and political infighting that underlies the American military mission in Afghanistan. It depicted Gen. McChrystal as an outsider who didn't get along with many top officials in the Obama administration.

"How'd I get screwed into going to this dinner?" McChrystal was cited as saying by Rolling Stone magazine. He made the comments in Paris where he was going to meet a French minister. "I'd rather have my ass kicked by a roomful of people than go out to this dinner."

The Rolling Stone reporter, after McChrystal left, asked one of his aides who he was going to dinner with. "Some French minister. It's fucking gay," he was told.

Other comments made fun of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. "Are you asking about Vice President Biden? Who's that?" McChrystal said as he laughed. A top adviser replied: "Biden? Did you say, 'Bite me'?"

LA Protesters Blast Income Gap

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:07 PM PDT

Protests by the Occupy Wall Street movement are continuing in the financial district of New York and other American cities. Community leaders say the anger reflects the gap between rich and poor in the United States.

Oakland erupted over the past week as police fired tear gas at protesters downtown, and 3,000 demonstrators forced the temporary closure of the city's port.

Hundreds of protesters are camped outside Los Angeles city hall, complaining that the top one percent of the population is getting the income gains and the other 99 percent has been left out.

A husband and wife, both lawyers, joined the protesters this week. Jerry Manpearl said the income gap is too great.

"[If] you destroy the middle class, you destroy the working class, you destroy this county," he said.

His wife, Jan Goodman, said the rich are not spending enough money to boost the economy.

"There's not enough boats and yachts and houses to buy. They save it," she said.

Los Angeles religious leaders complain that the banks aren't lending either. A number of leaders from various faiths rallied outside the Bank of America regional headquarters on Tuesday, complaining that the bank has foreclosed on the homes of too many families with delinquent mortgages, and has done too little to invest in the inner city.

Shakeel Syed of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California sees a widening gap between rich and poor.

"When we visit certain neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles, you will see every second house being foreclosed, and the homes that are not foreclosed, the families are unable to meet the very basic needs," said Syed. "And then you cross town, and you see Ferraris and Corvettes and Lamborghinis parked in the driveways. There seems to be a major ethical disparity in this scenario."

Protesters are urging Los Angeles officials to take the city's investments out of the major banks. Some religious congregations are already doing that.

And others notified Bank of America of their plans to divest this week.

Bank of America dropped a plan to impose fees on automated teller machines after customers protested the idea. The bank says it is working to help homeowners keep their houses, has made billions of dollars in new loans to small businesses, and is investing in low-income communities.

Catholic priest George Wanser isn't convinced. He works in an immigrant parish in San Jose, California, where struggling families live near high tech millionaires. He said families live together several to a house to pay the mortgage.

"In my area, there are four, five, sometimes six adults bringing home a salary to help pay for their mortgages. They're good people, they're hardworking, they're immigrants and they're responsible. It's a shame, what's happened," said Wanser.

These protesters say they are part of a movement that is growing.

Ireland to close embassies in Vatican City and Iran

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:06 PM PDT

DUBLIN (BNO NEWS) -- The Irish government on Friday announced it will close its embassies in Vatican City and the Iranian capital of Tehran to meet its cost-cutting targets under the European Union (EU)-International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

A statement issued by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFA) said it had been forced to implement cuts across a wide range of public services. "No area of Government expenditure can be immune from the need to implement savings," the department said.

DFA said it conducted a review of overseas missions which gave particular attention to the economic return from bilateral missions. It recognized the Embassy to the Holy See as one of Ireland's oldest missions, but noted that it yields no economic return.

"The Government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident Ambassador," the statement said. "The Government will be seeking the agreement of the Holy See to the appointment of a senior diplomat to this position."

Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. said it had taken note of Ireland's decision. "Of course, any State which has diplomatic relations with the Holy See is free to decide, according to its possibilities and its interests, whether to have an ambassador to the Holy See resident in Rome, or resident in another country," he said. "What is important are diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the States, and these are not at issue with regard to Ireland."

In regards to the Irish Embassy in Tehran, DFA said the trade volumes with Iran have fallen short of expectations. "In light of the current pressures on public finances, the Government has decided to close this mission and to seek Iran's agreement to a non-resident accreditation," DFA explained.

In addition to the closure of the two embassies, the Irish government also decided to close its Representative Office in Timor Leste (East Timor). It had been opened in 2000, prior to independence in 2002, to administer Ireland's aid program.

"The Office is headed by a Chargé d'Affaires with the Ambassador resident in Singapore. Timor Leste has made substantial progress and, while the aid program in that country will continue, it is no longer necessary to maintain a resident office in Dili," DFA said. "Our Ambassador in Singapore will continue to be accredited to Timor Leste."

The Irish government said it would continue to review Irish overseas missions but did not say whether it is seeking to close more embassies. "[The Government] will consider reshaping and expanding the network in light of developments and opportunities, as economic circumstances allow," DFA said.

Six killed after flash flooding hits northern Italy

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:41 PM PDT

ROME (BNO NEWS) -- At least six people were killed and several others are believed to be missing after torrential rains hit the Italian port city of Genoa on Friday, the ANSA news agency reported.

Flash floods caused by heavy rains struck the city and the surrounding Liguria region, sweeping away cars and affecting hundreds of homes and businesses. Local authorities said at least six people had been killed, including four adults and two children.

The ANSA news agency said several people were believed to be missing, but gave no specific number. The report said a 15-year-old girl was feared to be among those unaccounted for.

The Cinque Terre coastal region, which is popular among tourists, had already been hit hard by recent flooding and mudslides. Schools were closed in the area on Friday and residents were completely evacuated from flood-stricken Vernazza and the Vara Valley on Thursday amid fears that the region would be hit again.

Last week, at least ten people were killed in severe floods after torrential rains hit Italy's northwestern and central regions of Liguria and Tuscany, sweeping away roads and bridges. The Environment Minister, Stefania Prestigiacomo, said on Thursday that more than 6,600 Italian communities were affected.

Thousands of far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis mark Russia’s National Unity Day

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 08:29 PM PDT

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Tens of thousands of far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis participated in public celebrations of Russia's National Unity Day on Friday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

More than 32,000 people took part in the public celebrations, which included events ranging from neo-Nazi marches to antifascist rallies in different parts of Moscow. According to police, no serious incidents were reported during the celebrations.

Neo-Nazis and far-right nationalists marched through the working-class Lyublino neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital, chanting "Russia for Russians, Europe for Whites!" and calling on ethnic Russians to "take back" the country. The nationalist Russian March was held amid rising resentment over the influx of migrants from Russia's North Caucasus.

In a separate march organized by the pro-Kremlin group Nashi, participants chanted "I love Russia" and the names of the cities they hailed from. Nashi said they had invited everyone "who has Russian passport, knows Russian language, abides the country's laws and wants to live in Russia despite his or her ethnicity."

Russians also paraded along Moscow's Taras Shevchenko Embankment in an antifascist march to mark the National Unity Day, which marks the ousting of the Polish-Lithuanian occupation force from Moscow in November 1612.

National Unity Day was introduced by the Kremlin in 2005 to replace the celebrations of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Thousands of skinheads, neo-Nazis and far-right nationalists usually participate in the celebrations.

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السبت، 5 نوفمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

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