health: Lincoln Tribune

الجمعة، 13 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

U.S. launches probe into video of U.S. Marines urinating on Afghan corpses
Myanmar signs ceasefire with Karen rebels
US Mormons Say They are Misunderstood Despite Romney Candidacy
U.S. jobless claims near 400,000 after holiday season
Pakistan: Militants kill 14 soldiers in Balochistan convoy ambush

U.S. launches probe into video of U.S. Marines urinating on Afghan corpses

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 05:01 PM PST

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- The United States government on Thursday announced it has launched an investigation into a YouTube video which shows U.S. soldiers urinating on the bodies of Afghans.

The 34-second video was uploaded to video-sharing website YouTube on Wednesday and appears to show four U.S. Marines, uniformed and equipped with combat gear, urinating on the bodies of three people, believed to be dead Taliban fighters.

About 20 seconds into the video, one of the Marines can be heard saying, "have a great day, buddy," apparently in a reference to one of the dead Taliban fighters. Another Marine then asks if a fifth person, filming the incident, got it on video. "Yup," he responds as another Marine is heard saying: "Golden, like a shower."

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) strongly condemned the actions depicted in the video, stating that the "disrespectful act is inexplicable and not in keeping with the high moral standards we expect of coalition forces."

The statement noted that the actions which appear in the video were conducted by a small group of Americans who are believed to be no longer serving in Afghanistan. "Nevertheless, this behavior dishonors the sacrifices and core values of every service member representing the fifty nations of the coalition," the ISAF said.

ISAF said a U.S. Criminal Investigatory agency has launched an investigation into the video, but gave no other details. "[The investigation] will be thorough and any individuals with confirmed involvement will be held fully accountable," the alliance said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps said its headquarters had been made aware of the video. "While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps. This matter will be fully investigated," a statement said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also denounced the act, saying he was deeply disturbed by the video. He went on to describe the actions shown in the video as 'inhuman and condemnable.' He also called for an investigation into the incident and punishment for those found responsible of the actions.

"We expressly ask the U.S. government to urgently investigate the video and apply the most severe punishment to anyone found guilty in this crime," Karzai said in a statement released by his office.

It was not immediately clear who appears in the video, who captured it and who posted it online, but it quickly received widespread attention and triggered protests in Kabul, the Afghan capital, as well as in Kandahar. The demonstrators accused the U.S. Marines of committing serious crimes.

The Taliban also criticized the video, describing it as 'barbaric' and questioning all of the other actions carried out during the past ten years that have not been captured on video and gone public through the media. "No religion that follows a holy text would accept such conduct," it said in a statement.

The release of the video comes just days after an Afghan commission set up by Karzai claimed that American forces have 'abused and tortured' numerous prisoners at Afghanistan's main prison, Bagram prison in Parwan Province. A U.S. embassy spokesman said it took the allegations seriously and said it investigates all allegations of detainee abuse.

Myanmar signs ceasefire with Karen rebels

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:38 PM PST

HPAAN, MYANMAR (BNO NEWS) -- The government of Myanmar (Burma) on Thursday signed a cease-fire agreement with Karen rebels in Hpaan, the capital of the eastern Karen state, a Burmese news organization in exile reported.

Under the agreement, both sides will cease fighting, effectively ending the country's longest-running civil war. However, in the past, the Karen National Union (KNU) has signed six cease-fire agreements with the government, all of which have been broken.

Both sides also agreed to have closer communication to prevent armed clashes and to work together in coordinating how government funds and programs will be established in the state. The KNU will also open liaison offices in designated cities.

The peace talks were led by Minister Aung Min, who has concluded several other cease-fires recently, and General Mutu Saipo of the KNU. Many delegates said there was a new atmosphere between the negotiators, but others said the cease-fire would depend on how future events unfold, according to Mizzima News.

The Karen civil war has been ongoing for more than six decades, forcing generations of Karen to flee to the jungle in fear of their lives. More than 100,000 Karen now live in refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border, and tens of thousands have moved to third countries through the help of international resettlement programs.

Thursday's cease-fire agreement may reduce some of the pressure on meeting the humanitarian needs of Karen refugees. International governments have been demanding unfettered access to the area before sanctions that have been imposed on Myanmar can be lifted.

Since the internal conflict began in 1948, an estimated 500,000 people have been killed.

US Mormons Say They are Misunderstood Despite Romney Candidacy

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:38 PM PST

It is story time at the Cook home. Two-year-old Tristan gets his work-weary father Dave Cook to read him one book after another before going to bed.

As Dave and his wife Andrea sit on the sofa with their two small children on their laps, the Cooks have the look of the all-American family. But they belong to one of the least understood faiths in America, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon church is officially known.

"Some people know a lot about our church. Some people don't know anything about our church," Dave Cook says. "There's a lot of misperceptions about Mormons."

Mormons make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, around 6 million people. Another 8 million Mormons live abroad. But in the United States, some of the misperceptions Dave Cook speaks of are being challenged.

With presidential hopeful and Mormon Mitt Romney gaining momentum in the bid for the Republican Party nomination, many LDS members are excited by the prospect of a president from their faith. They are also conscious of the attention their faith is getting from media coverage about the award-winning Broadway show, The Book of Mormon.

A new survey by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that Mormons on the whole are satisfied with their lives. "This is a group that in many ways is thriving," says researcher Greg Smith. "And this is a group that in many ways perceives a growing level of acceptance of themselves, of their faith on the part of other Americans."

But he adds that they are aware of the misgivings many Americans have about their faith. "Lots of Mormons tell us that Mormons are discriminated against in the United States. And two thirds of Mormons say they are not accepted, they are not seen as part of mainstream American society," Smith said.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in America in the 19th century. But Mormon prophet Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844 and his followers were persecuted.

Last year, Texas pastor Robert Jeffress made headlines when he suggested that Mitt Romney is not a Christian and that Mormonism is a cult. The latter comment reflects a view held by about one-third of Americans, mainly evangelical Protestants, according to the Pew Forum.

"To me, it's just mind-boggling why people would be that disrespectful of anyone," says Dave Cook, adding that a Mormon president would be good for America.

"We're very patriotic. In fact, we even believe that the Founding Fathers [of the United States] were inspired of God to found this country."

The Pew survey found that three-quarters of Mormon who are registered to vote lean toward the Republican Party and hold conservative social views. Nearly twice as many Mormons as other Americans prefer a family in which the husband is the wage earner and the wife takes care of the home and children.

U.S. jobless claims near 400,000 after holiday season

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:32 PM PST

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Initial claims for unemployment insurance in the United States rose significantly to almost 400,000 following the holiday season, the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) reported on Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims jumped to 399,000 in the week ending January 7, an increase of about 24,000 when compared to the previous week. The sharp rise comes after the job market ended the year with positive numbers as unemployment claims reached its lowest lowest level since April 2008.

The DOL report shows the 4-week moving average was 381,750, an increase of 7,750 from the previous week's revised average of 374,000. However, the department revealed that the number of unemployed with unemployment insurance for the week ending December 31 remained unchanged compared to the previous week at 2.9 percent.

There was also an increase of 19,000 in the number of workers who claimed benefits under regular state unemployment programs, totaling 3,628,000 during the week ending January 7, according to the latest DOL report. The 4-week moving average was 3,605,000, unchanged from the preceding week's revised average.

Meanwhile, a significant increase was seen in the unadjusted, advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, which totaled 642,381 in the week ending January 7, an increase of 102,314 from the previous week. Those were still well below the 773,499 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending December 24 were in Alaska (7.4), Oregon (4.5), Idaho (4.1), Montana (4.1), Pennsylvania (4.1), Puerto Rico (4.1), Wisconsin (4.1), Nevada (3.8), New Jersey (3.8), Arkansas (3.7), Illinois (3.7), Michigan (3.7), and Rhode Island (3.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending December 31 were in Michigan (+10,364), Wisconsin (+10,203), Pennsylvania (+8,135), New Jersey (+7,989), and New York (+7,746) while the largest decreases were in California (-23,969), Illinois (-4,696), Texas (-2,385), Nevada (-1,590), and Kansas (-1,341).

Pakistan: Militants kill 14 soldiers in Balochistan convoy ambush

Posted: 12 Jan 2012 04:28 PM PST

QUETTA, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- Fourteen Pakistani soldiers were killed on late Wednesday when militants attacked a convoy in the southwestern region of the country, officials said on Thursday. It is the latest in a series of deadly attacks against security forces.

The attack happened on Wednesday evening and targeted a convoy of Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) in the mountainous Wakai area near Nawano checkpoint, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Turbat city in Balochistan province.

Officials said the group of suspected insurgents ambushed two vehicles of the FC convoy and fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) before opening fire. The attack was described as 'intense and rapid' as the soldiers were unable to defend themselves.

All fourteen FC service members on the two vehicles were killed, including two Junior Commissioned Officers. Emergency teams recovered the soldiers' bodies and shifted them to the district headquarters hospital in Turbat.

Local television reports said the outlawed Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Monday, Pakistani authorities recovered the bodies of ten soldiers whose remains were taken during an attack by Taliban militants on December 21 when up to 100 Taliban militants attacked a military checkpoint located near Daboori in Orakzai Agency. The violent attack left thirteen Pakistani soldiers and several Taliban militants killed.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan previously claimed responsibility for the attack on December 21. The recovery of the bodies on Monday was the result of a negotiated deal which saw the bodies of the killed Taliban militants being handed over to the Taliban.

Last week, in an act to avenge the killing of militant commander Qari Kamran, militants killed 15 FC service members who had been kidnapped during an attack on a checkpoint in the town of Tank in North Waziristan on December 23.

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الجمعة، 13 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

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