LAHORE, Pakistan – Leaders of Pakistan's minority Ahmadi sect demanded better government protection Saturday as they buried many of the 93 sect members killed by Islamist militants at two of the group's mosques.
The request could test the government's willingness to take on hard-line Islamists whose influence is behind decades of state-sanctioned discrimination against the Ahmadis in the Sunni Muslim-majority country.
The attacks occurred minutes apart Friday in two neighborhoods in the eastern city of Lahore. Two teams of gunmen, including some in suicide vests, stormed the mosques and sprayed bullets at worshippers while holding off police.
Thirteen people died overnight at hospitals, raising the death toll to 93, said Raja Ghalab Ahmad, a local sect leader. Dozens were hurt. Waseem Sayed, a U.S.-based Ahmadi spokesman, said it was the worst attack in the group's 121-year history.
Local TV channels reported that the Pakistani Taliban, or their Punjab province branch, had claimed responsibility.
Ahmad called on the government to take action against the militant group, which also has attacked security, government and foreign targets throughout the country in recent years.
"Are we not the citizens of Pakistan?" he asked at the site of the attacks in the Garhi Shahu section of Lahore. "We do have the right to be protected, but unfortunately we were not given this protection."
The Ahmadis are reviled as heretics by mainstream Muslims for their belief that their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was a savior foretold by the Quran, Islam's holy book. Many Muslims say Ahmadis are defying the basic tenet of Islam that says Muhammad is the final prophet, but Ahmadis argue that their leader was the savior rather than a prophet.
The sect originated in 1889 in Qadian, a village in British-ruled India. It spread into Muslim-majority Pakistan after British India was partitioned and now claims 160 million adherants in 180 countries, according to a spokesman, Aslam Daud.
Under pressure from Islamists, Pakistan in the 1970s declared Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority. Pakistani Ahmadis — who number between 3 million and 4 million — are prohibited from calling themselves Muslims or engaging in practices such as reciting Islamic prayers.
Mourners on Saturday began burying the victims of the attacks at a sprawling graveyard in Rabwa, a headquarters of the Ahmadi sect 90 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Lahore. Hundreds of men, women and children wept near bodies covered with white sheets and lined up in an open area for the funeral.
In a sign of the sensitivity surrounding the group, several Pakistani leaders who condemned the attacks did not refer specifically to the Ahmadis in their statements. TV channels and newspapers avoided the word "mosque" in describing the attacked sites, preferring "places of worship."
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the federal government had alerted Punjab province's administration about threats to the Ahmadi community, and that the latest warning was sent Wednesday.
Officials in Lahore, the provincial capital, said they were investigating Friday's assaults.
sâmbătă, 29 mai 2010
Maradona and Messi arrive in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi arrived in Johannesburg on Saturday with the Argentina squad to prepare for a World Cup they are among the favourites to win.
Clear skies and cool early morning autumn conditions greeted the third team to land in South Africa after Asia powerhouse Australia and five-time champions Brazil for the June 11-July 11 international football showcase featuring 32 national teams.
After a brief session with select TV crews and photographers, coach Maradona, Barcelona superstar Messi and a mix of foreign-based and domestic stars left in a brightly painted luxury coach for their Pretoria base.
Football legend Maradona - who is bidding to add World Cup glory as coach to the 1986 trophy he won as a player - drew huge crowds wherever he went during a pre-tournament inspection visit to South Africa and is set to be among the most colourful characters at the first African World Cup.
The 49-year-old considered by many critics the greatest footballer the game has seen created headlines this week by demanding a special heated loo seat and promising to run naked through central Buenos Aires if he lifts the Cup.
A 450-dollar heated loo seat with a warm-air blow dryer and front and rear bidet wands was ordered for the room where Maradona will stay, South African reports said.
And the naked-run boast came during an Argentine radio show the day after his team outclassed Canada 5-0 in a warm-up for World Cup Group B fixtures against Nigeria, South Korea and Greece.
He captained his country to World Cup glory in 1986 - the tournament in which he scored the 'Hand of God' goal against England - but had to be satisfied with a runners-up medal four years later.
Maradona, banned during the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for the banned substance ephedrine, succeeded Alfio Basile as coach halfway through a faltering Argentine campaign to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
The 49-year-old also battled to find a winning formula and Argentina secured a place in South Africa only in the final round with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Montevideo.
Argentina fell 2-1 away to European champions Spain and triumphed 1-0 away to 2006 World Cup hosts and bronze medalists Germany in high-profile warm-up matches.
But Maradona has yet to convince sections of the media he can take his country to a third title after winning at home in 1978 and in Mexico eight years later.
Criticisms include favouring an overly cautious system that includes only two strikers, usually Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, while leaving Champions League hero Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez and son-in-law Sergio Aguero on the bench, though Maradona did suggest after the mauling of Canada that he could deploy three strikers.
A huge challenge facing Maradona is to coax the best out of Messi, such a scourge to defenders when in the red and blue of Barcelona but too often ineffective when playing for Albiceleste (white and sky blue).
Denmark, Group E contenders with Netherlands, Cameroon and Japan, landed at Johannesburg international airport less than an hour after the South Americans.
Clear skies and cool early morning autumn conditions greeted the third team to land in South Africa after Asia powerhouse Australia and five-time champions Brazil for the June 11-July 11 international football showcase featuring 32 national teams.
After a brief session with select TV crews and photographers, coach Maradona, Barcelona superstar Messi and a mix of foreign-based and domestic stars left in a brightly painted luxury coach for their Pretoria base.
Football legend Maradona - who is bidding to add World Cup glory as coach to the 1986 trophy he won as a player - drew huge crowds wherever he went during a pre-tournament inspection visit to South Africa and is set to be among the most colourful characters at the first African World Cup.
The 49-year-old considered by many critics the greatest footballer the game has seen created headlines this week by demanding a special heated loo seat and promising to run naked through central Buenos Aires if he lifts the Cup.
A 450-dollar heated loo seat with a warm-air blow dryer and front and rear bidet wands was ordered for the room where Maradona will stay, South African reports said.
And the naked-run boast came during an Argentine radio show the day after his team outclassed Canada 5-0 in a warm-up for World Cup Group B fixtures against Nigeria, South Korea and Greece.
He captained his country to World Cup glory in 1986 - the tournament in which he scored the 'Hand of God' goal against England - but had to be satisfied with a runners-up medal four years later.
Maradona, banned during the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for the banned substance ephedrine, succeeded Alfio Basile as coach halfway through a faltering Argentine campaign to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
The 49-year-old also battled to find a winning formula and Argentina secured a place in South Africa only in the final round with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Montevideo.
Argentina fell 2-1 away to European champions Spain and triumphed 1-0 away to 2006 World Cup hosts and bronze medalists Germany in high-profile warm-up matches.
But Maradona has yet to convince sections of the media he can take his country to a third title after winning at home in 1978 and in Mexico eight years later.
Criticisms include favouring an overly cautious system that includes only two strikers, usually Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, while leaving Champions League hero Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez and son-in-law Sergio Aguero on the bench, though Maradona did suggest after the mauling of Canada that he could deploy three strikers.
A huge challenge facing Maradona is to coax the best out of Messi, such a scourge to defenders when in the red and blue of Barcelona but too often ineffective when playing for Albiceleste (white and sky blue).
Denmark, Group E contenders with Netherlands, Cameroon and Japan, landed at Johannesburg international airport less than an hour after the South Americans.
Big volcanic eruptions in Guatemala, Ecuador
GUATEMALA CITY – Explosive eruptions shook two huge volcanos in Central and South America on Friday, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and disrupting air traffic as ash drifted over major cities.
Guatemala's Pacaya volcano started erupting lava and rocks Thursday afternoon, blanketing the country's capital with ash and forcing the closure of the international airport. A television reporter was killed by a shower of burning rocks when he got too close to the volcano, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Guatemala City.
In the village of Calderas, close to the eruption, Brenda Castaneda said she and her family hid under beds and tables as marble-sized rocks thundered down on her home.
"We thought we wouldn't survive. Our houses crumbled and we've lost everything," Castaneda said while waiting for rescue teams to take them to a shelter at a nearby school.
Meanwhile, strong explosions rocked Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano, prompting evacuations of hundreds of people from nearby villages.
Ecuador's National Geophysics Institute said hot volcanic material blasted down the slopes and ash plumes soared 6 miles (10 kilometers) above a crater that is already 16,479 feet (5,023 meters) above sea level.
Winds blew the ash over the country's most populous city, Guayaquil, and led aviation officials to halt flights out of the Pacific port and from Quito to Lima, Peru.
Neither of the eruptions was expected to disrupt airports in neighboring countries like Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano did in Europe.
In Guatemala, the ash billowing from Pacaya has been thick and falls quickly to the ground, unlike the lighter ash that spewed from the volcano in Iceland and swept over much of Europe, disrupting global air travel, said Gustavo Chigna, a volcano expert with Guatemala's institute of seismology and volcanos.
In Ecuador, the ash cloud drifted out over the Pacific Ocean and was tapering off Friday evening.
Sandro Vaca, an expert at Ecuador's National Geophysics Institute, said Tungurahua's latest eruption was not in the same league with Iceland.
"The ash stretched for hundreds of kilometers, while the plume of ash from the volcano in Iceland covered nearly all of Europe for thousands of kilometers," Vaca said.
In Guatemala, at least 1,910 people from villages closest to the Pacaya volcano were moved to shelters. Some 800 homes were damaged in the initial eruption late Thursday. A second eruption at midday Friday released ash in smaller amounts from the 8,373-foot (2,552 meter) mountain, according to the Central American country's Geophysical Research and Services Unit.
The unit reported an ash plume 3,000 feet (1,000) meters high that trailed more than 12 miles (20 kilometers) to the northwest.
In Guatemala City, bulldozers scraped blackened streets while residents used shovels to clean cars and roofs.
The blanket of ash was three inches (7.5 centimeters) thick in some southern parts of the city. The government urged people not to leave their homes unless there was an urgent need.
The capital's La Aurora airport would be closed at least until Saturday, said Claudia Monge, a spokeswoman for the civil aviation agency. Flights were being diverted to Mundo Maya airport in northern Guatemala and Comalapa in El Salvador.
The television reporter who was killed, Anibal Archila, had appeared on Channel 7 broadcasts standing in front of a lava river and burning trees, talking about the intense heat.
David de Leon, a spokesman for the national disaster committee, confirmed his death.
The most active of Guatemala's 32 volcanos, Pacaya has been intermittently erupting since 1966, and tourists frequently visit areas near three lava flows formed in eruptions between 1989 and 1991.
In 1998, the volcano twice spewed plumes of ash, forcing evacuations and shutting down the airport in Guatemala City.
Eruptions at Tungurahua, 95 miles (150 kilometers) southeast of the Ecuadorean capital of Quito, buried entire villages in 2006, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.
Guatemala's Pacaya volcano started erupting lava and rocks Thursday afternoon, blanketing the country's capital with ash and forcing the closure of the international airport. A television reporter was killed by a shower of burning rocks when he got too close to the volcano, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Guatemala City.
In the village of Calderas, close to the eruption, Brenda Castaneda said she and her family hid under beds and tables as marble-sized rocks thundered down on her home.
"We thought we wouldn't survive. Our houses crumbled and we've lost everything," Castaneda said while waiting for rescue teams to take them to a shelter at a nearby school.
Meanwhile, strong explosions rocked Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano, prompting evacuations of hundreds of people from nearby villages.
Ecuador's National Geophysics Institute said hot volcanic material blasted down the slopes and ash plumes soared 6 miles (10 kilometers) above a crater that is already 16,479 feet (5,023 meters) above sea level.
Winds blew the ash over the country's most populous city, Guayaquil, and led aviation officials to halt flights out of the Pacific port and from Quito to Lima, Peru.
Neither of the eruptions was expected to disrupt airports in neighboring countries like Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano did in Europe.
In Guatemala, the ash billowing from Pacaya has been thick and falls quickly to the ground, unlike the lighter ash that spewed from the volcano in Iceland and swept over much of Europe, disrupting global air travel, said Gustavo Chigna, a volcano expert with Guatemala's institute of seismology and volcanos.
In Ecuador, the ash cloud drifted out over the Pacific Ocean and was tapering off Friday evening.
Sandro Vaca, an expert at Ecuador's National Geophysics Institute, said Tungurahua's latest eruption was not in the same league with Iceland.
"The ash stretched for hundreds of kilometers, while the plume of ash from the volcano in Iceland covered nearly all of Europe for thousands of kilometers," Vaca said.
In Guatemala, at least 1,910 people from villages closest to the Pacaya volcano were moved to shelters. Some 800 homes were damaged in the initial eruption late Thursday. A second eruption at midday Friday released ash in smaller amounts from the 8,373-foot (2,552 meter) mountain, according to the Central American country's Geophysical Research and Services Unit.
The unit reported an ash plume 3,000 feet (1,000) meters high that trailed more than 12 miles (20 kilometers) to the northwest.
In Guatemala City, bulldozers scraped blackened streets while residents used shovels to clean cars and roofs.
The blanket of ash was three inches (7.5 centimeters) thick in some southern parts of the city. The government urged people not to leave their homes unless there was an urgent need.
The capital's La Aurora airport would be closed at least until Saturday, said Claudia Monge, a spokeswoman for the civil aviation agency. Flights were being diverted to Mundo Maya airport in northern Guatemala and Comalapa in El Salvador.
The television reporter who was killed, Anibal Archila, had appeared on Channel 7 broadcasts standing in front of a lava river and burning trees, talking about the intense heat.
David de Leon, a spokesman for the national disaster committee, confirmed his death.
The most active of Guatemala's 32 volcanos, Pacaya has been intermittently erupting since 1966, and tourists frequently visit areas near three lava flows formed in eruptions between 1989 and 1991.
In 1998, the volcano twice spewed plumes of ash, forcing evacuations and shutting down the airport in Guatemala City.
Eruptions at Tungurahua, 95 miles (150 kilometers) southeast of the Ecuadorean capital of Quito, buried entire villages in 2006, leaving at least four dead and thousands homeless.
Iraq's al-Maliki says he's only party PM nominee
BAGHDAD – Iraq's prime minister said Saturday he is the only nominee from his political party to run the nation's next government, rejecting suggestions of a consensus candidate to satisfy those concerned about his leadership.
Nouri al-Maliki's comments revealed an unwillingness to budge in negotiations with his Shiite partners over forming Iraq's likely next government despite a process that has dragged on in the nearly three months since the March 7 election left the country without a clear winner.
Other Shiite political groups and religious leaders whose support al-Maliki is depending on have been lukewarm at best about him remaining in the job.
Asked by reporters if his State of Law political coalition would compromise on a candidate to satisfy the concerns, al-Maliki said there is "only one nominee to be a prime minister."
"No, the State of Law insists on its candidate," al-Maliki told reporters in the city of Najaf. It was clear he was talking about himself.
Al-Maliki's State of Law coalition came in second in the election behind a coalition backed by Iraq's minority Sunnis. But no single group won an outright majority, making a coalition government necessary.
The prime minister's party has joined up with the religious Shiite Iraqi National Alliance in hopes of capturing enough seats in parliament to run the next government.
The leader of one of the two main political parties that make up the alliance, powerful Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, has said he does not believe al-Maliki has enough Iraqi or international support to remain prime minister.
The other wing of the Iraqi National Alliance, led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, intensely dislikes al-Maliki because he crushed their Mahdi Army militia in 2008 and jailed thousands of them. The Sadrists initially rejected al-Maliki as head of a new government. But politicians involved in negotiations say Sadrists are now softening in the face of pressure by neighboring Shiite power Iran to back al-Maliki.
Al-Maliki, whose political coalition fell two seats behind his Sunni-backed rival, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, has demanded ballot recounts and other legal challenges in an attempt to stay in power.
Cementing a Shiite-dominated coalition government that excludes Sunnis could worsen violence, particularly attacks against the government and its security forces. Since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003, Sunnis have been marginalized, and disaffected Sunni Arabs formed the core of the insurgency.
Last week, Iraq's election commission sent the final vote results to the Supreme Court for certification, which could be a major first step toward ending a delay that has heightened tensions in the fragile democracy as American military forces prepare to go home. There is no deadline for the court to certify the results, but U.S. officials believe it will be soon.
Al-Maliki was in Najaf for a 90-minute meeting with the country's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. After the meeting, al-Maliki said al-Sistani urged him to work quickly to seat a new government as outlined by Iraq's constitution.
Al-Sistani voiced similar concerns last week to Allawi, who leads the Iraqiya coalition that won the most votes in the election.
"We are ready to meet the brothers in the Iraqiya list," al-Maliki told reporters.
In a website statement issued Saturday, Iraqiya called anew on the United Nations and international allies "to intervene quickly to protect the political process and the election results from being manipulated."
Iraqiya cited unnamed forces that it feared would try to pressure the Supreme Court to declare another political group the election victor — despite Iraqiya's win at the polls.
Nouri al-Maliki's comments revealed an unwillingness to budge in negotiations with his Shiite partners over forming Iraq's likely next government despite a process that has dragged on in the nearly three months since the March 7 election left the country without a clear winner.
Other Shiite political groups and religious leaders whose support al-Maliki is depending on have been lukewarm at best about him remaining in the job.
Asked by reporters if his State of Law political coalition would compromise on a candidate to satisfy the concerns, al-Maliki said there is "only one nominee to be a prime minister."
"No, the State of Law insists on its candidate," al-Maliki told reporters in the city of Najaf. It was clear he was talking about himself.
Al-Maliki's State of Law coalition came in second in the election behind a coalition backed by Iraq's minority Sunnis. But no single group won an outright majority, making a coalition government necessary.
The prime minister's party has joined up with the religious Shiite Iraqi National Alliance in hopes of capturing enough seats in parliament to run the next government.
The leader of one of the two main political parties that make up the alliance, powerful Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, has said he does not believe al-Maliki has enough Iraqi or international support to remain prime minister.
The other wing of the Iraqi National Alliance, led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, intensely dislikes al-Maliki because he crushed their Mahdi Army militia in 2008 and jailed thousands of them. The Sadrists initially rejected al-Maliki as head of a new government. But politicians involved in negotiations say Sadrists are now softening in the face of pressure by neighboring Shiite power Iran to back al-Maliki.
Al-Maliki, whose political coalition fell two seats behind his Sunni-backed rival, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, has demanded ballot recounts and other legal challenges in an attempt to stay in power.
Cementing a Shiite-dominated coalition government that excludes Sunnis could worsen violence, particularly attacks against the government and its security forces. Since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003, Sunnis have been marginalized, and disaffected Sunni Arabs formed the core of the insurgency.
Last week, Iraq's election commission sent the final vote results to the Supreme Court for certification, which could be a major first step toward ending a delay that has heightened tensions in the fragile democracy as American military forces prepare to go home. There is no deadline for the court to certify the results, but U.S. officials believe it will be soon.
Al-Maliki was in Najaf for a 90-minute meeting with the country's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. After the meeting, al-Maliki said al-Sistani urged him to work quickly to seat a new government as outlined by Iraq's constitution.
Al-Sistani voiced similar concerns last week to Allawi, who leads the Iraqiya coalition that won the most votes in the election.
"We are ready to meet the brothers in the Iraqiya list," al-Maliki told reporters.
In a website statement issued Saturday, Iraqiya called anew on the United Nations and international allies "to intervene quickly to protect the political process and the election results from being manipulated."
Iraqiya cited unnamed forces that it feared would try to pressure the Supreme Court to declare another political group the election victor — despite Iraqiya's win at the polls.
Kurdish rebel chief to abandon peace efforts
ANKARA, Turkey – Imprisoned Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan accused Turkey of ignoring his calls to establish dialogue with his rebels and said he would withdraw from the process, leaving his rebel command in charge, a Kurdish newspaper said Saturday.
Ocalan's announcement that he would formally abandon his efforts on Monday comes amid intensified clashes between Kurdish guerrillas and the Turkish military. Kurdish rebels on Saturday killed two soldiers and one pro-government village guard in a clash near the Iraqi border. Turkey's military killed at least 24 Kurdish rebels in an airstrike on rebel hideouts in northern Iraq last week and separate clashes this week.
"I am withdrawing after May 31 since I could not find an interlocutor," Ocalan was quoted as saying on the website of the Ozgur Politika newspaper.
Ocalan has been influential over his rebel command based in northern Iraq and unsuccessfully pressured Turkey to establish dialogue with his rebels, who are branded as terrorists by the United States and the European Union.
Ocalan said his rebel command would be in charge of the process, along with a pro-Kurdish political party that struggles for Kurdish rights.
"From now on, the PKK might reconcile with the state and find a solution or they might get stuck. Or it is possible that the PKK might be defeated and lose the war or be abolished," Ocalan said. "We can't know what would happen after the war."
The clashes picked up after Turkey's highest court shut down a pro-Kurdish party in December for links to Kurdish rebels, complicating the government's efforts to reconcile with the minority Kurds to end the 26-year-old conflict that killed tens of thousands of people.
Turkey often calls on Iraq to eradicate Kurdish rebel bases to prevent them from staging hit-and-run attacks on Turkish targets. The rebels took up arms in 1984.
Ocalan's announcement that he would formally abandon his efforts on Monday comes amid intensified clashes between Kurdish guerrillas and the Turkish military. Kurdish rebels on Saturday killed two soldiers and one pro-government village guard in a clash near the Iraqi border. Turkey's military killed at least 24 Kurdish rebels in an airstrike on rebel hideouts in northern Iraq last week and separate clashes this week.
"I am withdrawing after May 31 since I could not find an interlocutor," Ocalan was quoted as saying on the website of the Ozgur Politika newspaper.
Ocalan has been influential over his rebel command based in northern Iraq and unsuccessfully pressured Turkey to establish dialogue with his rebels, who are branded as terrorists by the United States and the European Union.
Ocalan said his rebel command would be in charge of the process, along with a pro-Kurdish political party that struggles for Kurdish rights.
"From now on, the PKK might reconcile with the state and find a solution or they might get stuck. Or it is possible that the PKK might be defeated and lose the war or be abolished," Ocalan said. "We can't know what would happen after the war."
The clashes picked up after Turkey's highest court shut down a pro-Kurdish party in December for links to Kurdish rebels, complicating the government's efforts to reconcile with the minority Kurds to end the 26-year-old conflict that killed tens of thousands of people.
Turkey often calls on Iraq to eradicate Kurdish rebel bases to prevent them from staging hit-and-run attacks on Turkish targets. The rebels took up arms in 1984.
Brazil's World Cup: The Worrying Starts Early
Consternation usually follows celebration when a country wins the right to host the World Cup. It is, after all, the most popular of sports championships and no one wants to be embarrassed throwing one of the biggest parties on the planet. It was Brazil's turn for anxiety after it won the rights to the 2014 Cup two and a half years ago. Critics were concerned about the country's ability to build or renovate 12 stadiums in time for the tournament and feared a repeat of the 2007 Rio Pan American Games, also hosted by Brazil, that were last-minute, hugely over-budget and left nary a legacy of improved living conditions for citizens.
Those fears were at the forefront when proposals for the dozen stadiums took forever to get ready. In fact, though building was supposed to have started on all 12 this spring, they only won the approval of FIFA, the game's governing body, earlier this week. (See what becomes of Olympic stadiums.)
FIFA has already been worrying out loud. Earlier this month, the organization's Secretary General Jerome Valcke noted that preparations were so far behind schedule that Brazil is considering reducing the number of host cities from 12 to 8. He lambasted Brazilian soccer bosses for ignoring the agreed deadlines - which the country's planners have refused to divulge - and said it ran the risk of having to build stadiums at the last minute. "I got a report on the status quo of the Brazilian stadiums. I have to say it is not very nice," Valcke told reporters. "It is amazing how Brazil is already late. The stadiums are the basic points we need to have a World Cup in Brazil; for the time being, most of the deadlines are already over and we have to work on new deadlines." Observers say it is surprisingly early for FIFA to be alarmed at the progress of a host country. (See how a blackout in Brazil raises more questions about the Olympics.)
Brazil should have had a head-start. It was the only candidate to host the 2014 tournament and was a popular choice when selected in October 2007. The home of many of the game's greatest teams and most outstanding players, it hadn't been the site of the tournament since 1950 and many fans felt the South American giant deserved to host it again. But while Brazil has continued to produce star after star on the field - it is the only nation to win the World Cup five times - its skills at organization have seemed almost amateurish. Officials waited more than a year after winning the bid to choose the 12 host cities (at least five of which must be ready for the 2013 Confederations Cup). What's more, it has done little to address the basic infrastructure of airports, ports and highways, which clearly cannot support the expected influx of fans. "We are now seeing the consequences of not doing what we could have done," said Jose Roberto Bernasconi, president of an architecture and engineering organization that is closely monitoring Brazil's preparations. "Huge improvements are necessary."
Bernasconi also said authorities have failed on the most basic transparency measures: refusing to publish details of the bid or a timeline for completion of the project's many parts. The government took two years just to draw up a responsibility paper outlining who is in charge of specific aspects of the enterprise. That document was eventually presented in January; it declared that the government would spend $7.4 billion on transport, infrastructure and oversight and that Brazilian states and municipalities in charge of hosting matches will spend $3.9 billion on stadiums and facilities.
But in comments echoing those of Valcke, Bernasconi questioned whether anyone will be taken to task over the recurring delays. Of the 12 stadiums, nine will be publicly owned. Those projects will be eligible for low-interest loans of up to 400 million reais (around $215 million) either to build a new structure or remodel an existing one. But no one has applied for a loan yet. Skeptics say both the nine local governments and three privately owned clubs involved in the bid are deliberately holding off, hoping that the government will be forced to jump in at the last minute and give them the money, allowing them to avoid taking out a loan altogether. "They're waiting to see who'll blink first," said Bernasconi. "Everybody wants to go to the party but no one wants to pay for it."
Those fears were at the forefront when proposals for the dozen stadiums took forever to get ready. In fact, though building was supposed to have started on all 12 this spring, they only won the approval of FIFA, the game's governing body, earlier this week. (See what becomes of Olympic stadiums.)
FIFA has already been worrying out loud. Earlier this month, the organization's Secretary General Jerome Valcke noted that preparations were so far behind schedule that Brazil is considering reducing the number of host cities from 12 to 8. He lambasted Brazilian soccer bosses for ignoring the agreed deadlines - which the country's planners have refused to divulge - and said it ran the risk of having to build stadiums at the last minute. "I got a report on the status quo of the Brazilian stadiums. I have to say it is not very nice," Valcke told reporters. "It is amazing how Brazil is already late. The stadiums are the basic points we need to have a World Cup in Brazil; for the time being, most of the deadlines are already over and we have to work on new deadlines." Observers say it is surprisingly early for FIFA to be alarmed at the progress of a host country. (See how a blackout in Brazil raises more questions about the Olympics.)
Brazil should have had a head-start. It was the only candidate to host the 2014 tournament and was a popular choice when selected in October 2007. The home of many of the game's greatest teams and most outstanding players, it hadn't been the site of the tournament since 1950 and many fans felt the South American giant deserved to host it again. But while Brazil has continued to produce star after star on the field - it is the only nation to win the World Cup five times - its skills at organization have seemed almost amateurish. Officials waited more than a year after winning the bid to choose the 12 host cities (at least five of which must be ready for the 2013 Confederations Cup). What's more, it has done little to address the basic infrastructure of airports, ports and highways, which clearly cannot support the expected influx of fans. "We are now seeing the consequences of not doing what we could have done," said Jose Roberto Bernasconi, president of an architecture and engineering organization that is closely monitoring Brazil's preparations. "Huge improvements are necessary."
Bernasconi also said authorities have failed on the most basic transparency measures: refusing to publish details of the bid or a timeline for completion of the project's many parts. The government took two years just to draw up a responsibility paper outlining who is in charge of specific aspects of the enterprise. That document was eventually presented in January; it declared that the government would spend $7.4 billion on transport, infrastructure and oversight and that Brazilian states and municipalities in charge of hosting matches will spend $3.9 billion on stadiums and facilities.
But in comments echoing those of Valcke, Bernasconi questioned whether anyone will be taken to task over the recurring delays. Of the 12 stadiums, nine will be publicly owned. Those projects will be eligible for low-interest loans of up to 400 million reais (around $215 million) either to build a new structure or remodel an existing one. But no one has applied for a loan yet. Skeptics say both the nine local governments and three privately owned clubs involved in the bid are deliberately holding off, hoping that the government will be forced to jump in at the last minute and give them the money, allowing them to avoid taking out a loan altogether. "They're waiting to see who'll blink first," said Bernasconi. "Everybody wants to go to the party but no one wants to pay for it."
China offers SKorea condolences for ship sinking
SEOGWIPO, South Korea – The premier of China, North Korea's main ally, offered condolences Saturday to South Korea for the sinking of a warship blamed on Pyongyang after promising that Beijing — under pressure to punish the North — would not defend any country guilty of the attack.
Premier Wen Jiabao later joined the leaders of South Korea and Japan in a three-way summit on the southern Korean island of Jeju, saying he hoped it would help achieve peace.
"I hope this summit will conclude with solid results and that we will try together to ensure that it will contribute to world peace," Wen said, according to a Korean-language transcript released by the South Korean president's office.
A multinational team of investigators said last week that evidence proved a North Korean torpedo struck the ship, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has pledged to take the North to the U.N. Security Council.
North Korea has denied responsibility and warned that any retaliation or punishment would mean war.
The two-day summit was expected to be overshadowed by the sinking in March of the 1,200-ton Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors in one of South Korea's worst military disasters since the 1950-53 Korean War. But the summit's first session Saturday focused on improving economic cooperation. The ship sinking was not discussed but is on Sunday's agenda, said Kazuo Kodama, a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Before the meeting, the three leaders observed a 10-second moment of silence for the Cheonan's dead crew members, a gesture proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Laying out the investigation results, Lee urged the Chinese premier during bilateral talks Friday to play an "active role" in convincing North Korea to admit its wrongdoing, the presidential Blue House said. Wen told Lee that his country "will defend no one" responsible for the sinking, Lee's office said.
As North Korea's main ally, China has faced growing pressure to take punitive action against Pyongyang for the sinking of the warship. But Beijing has been cautious about taking a stance, saying it still needs to examine the investigation results, Wen told Lee, according to a briefing by presidential adviser Lee Dong-kwan.
Wen offered condolences earlier Saturday to the South's people and the families of the dead sailors at a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, the prime minister's office said.
"China is a responsible nation which insists on justice and is seriously considering the findings of the multinational investigation," Wen said, according to Chung spokesman Kim Chang-young. "China has maintained consistent views on the stability of peace on the Korean peninsula and opposes acts that destroy it," he quoted Wen as saying.
Japan has already given its backing to Seoul, and Tokyo recently instituted new sanctions against North Korea.
South Korean President Lee met with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday in Jeju ahead of the three-nation summit.
Hatoyama reaffirmed Japan's "active support," pledging to play a leading role in backing South Korea's stance at the U.N. Security Council, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
A Japanese government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hatoyama paid his respects to the dead sailors earlier Saturday during a visit to the National Cemetery in Daejeon, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Seoul, en route to Jeju.
Tensions have been mounting after South Korea's leader announced a slate of punitive measures against the North, including cutting trade, resuming anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts across the border and launching large-scale naval exercises. U.S.-South Korean military drills are to follow in the coming months.
Also Saturday, some 20 South Korean military commanders met to discuss responses to the ship sinking, a Defense Ministry official said.
"They discussed how to cope with different types of North Korean military provocations and strengthen defense readiness against the North," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the meeting with the media.
South Korea's military reported no unusual moves by North Korean troops in the last week, he said.
North Korea has accused Seoul of fabricating evidence in the ship sinking.
"The South Korean puppet regime's faked sinking of the Cheonan has created a very serious situation on the Korean peninsula, pushing it toward the brink of war," Maj. Gen. Pak Rim Su, director of the powerful National Defense Commission's policy department, said at a rare news conference covered by broadcaster APTN in Pyongyang.
Premier Wen Jiabao later joined the leaders of South Korea and Japan in a three-way summit on the southern Korean island of Jeju, saying he hoped it would help achieve peace.
"I hope this summit will conclude with solid results and that we will try together to ensure that it will contribute to world peace," Wen said, according to a Korean-language transcript released by the South Korean president's office.
A multinational team of investigators said last week that evidence proved a North Korean torpedo struck the ship, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has pledged to take the North to the U.N. Security Council.
North Korea has denied responsibility and warned that any retaliation or punishment would mean war.
The two-day summit was expected to be overshadowed by the sinking in March of the 1,200-ton Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors in one of South Korea's worst military disasters since the 1950-53 Korean War. But the summit's first session Saturday focused on improving economic cooperation. The ship sinking was not discussed but is on Sunday's agenda, said Kazuo Kodama, a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Before the meeting, the three leaders observed a 10-second moment of silence for the Cheonan's dead crew members, a gesture proposed by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Laying out the investigation results, Lee urged the Chinese premier during bilateral talks Friday to play an "active role" in convincing North Korea to admit its wrongdoing, the presidential Blue House said. Wen told Lee that his country "will defend no one" responsible for the sinking, Lee's office said.
As North Korea's main ally, China has faced growing pressure to take punitive action against Pyongyang for the sinking of the warship. But Beijing has been cautious about taking a stance, saying it still needs to examine the investigation results, Wen told Lee, according to a briefing by presidential adviser Lee Dong-kwan.
Wen offered condolences earlier Saturday to the South's people and the families of the dead sailors at a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, the prime minister's office said.
"China is a responsible nation which insists on justice and is seriously considering the findings of the multinational investigation," Wen said, according to Chung spokesman Kim Chang-young. "China has maintained consistent views on the stability of peace on the Korean peninsula and opposes acts that destroy it," he quoted Wen as saying.
Japan has already given its backing to Seoul, and Tokyo recently instituted new sanctions against North Korea.
South Korean President Lee met with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Saturday in Jeju ahead of the three-nation summit.
Hatoyama reaffirmed Japan's "active support," pledging to play a leading role in backing South Korea's stance at the U.N. Security Council, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
A Japanese government spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hatoyama paid his respects to the dead sailors earlier Saturday during a visit to the National Cemetery in Daejeon, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Seoul, en route to Jeju.
Tensions have been mounting after South Korea's leader announced a slate of punitive measures against the North, including cutting trade, resuming anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts across the border and launching large-scale naval exercises. U.S.-South Korean military drills are to follow in the coming months.
Also Saturday, some 20 South Korean military commanders met to discuss responses to the ship sinking, a Defense Ministry official said.
"They discussed how to cope with different types of North Korean military provocations and strengthen defense readiness against the North," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the meeting with the media.
South Korea's military reported no unusual moves by North Korean troops in the last week, he said.
North Korea has accused Seoul of fabricating evidence in the ship sinking.
"The South Korean puppet regime's faked sinking of the Cheonan has created a very serious situation on the Korean peninsula, pushing it toward the brink of war," Maj. Gen. Pak Rim Su, director of the powerful National Defense Commission's policy department, said at a rare news conference covered by broadcaster APTN in Pyongyang.
Rwandan police asked to release US attorney
NAIROBI, Kenya – An international lawyers' group is demanding the release of an American lawyer charged with genocide denial in Rwanda.
The International Criminal Defense Attorneys Association on Saturday urged lawyers and organizations to demand Peter Erlinder's release. Erlinder is in Rwanda to defend presidential hopeful Victoire Ingabire against charges that include promoting genocidal ideology. He was arrested Friday.
ICDAA board member Alison Turner said in Kenya that the charges are political and lack legal foundation.
The U.S. National Lawyers Guild said Rwanda's government was trying to hamstring Ingabire's legal defense by arresting Erlinder. He heads an association of defense lawyers at the U.N. tribunal that is trying the masterminds of the 1994 genocide.
The International Criminal Defense Attorneys Association on Saturday urged lawyers and organizations to demand Peter Erlinder's release. Erlinder is in Rwanda to defend presidential hopeful Victoire Ingabire against charges that include promoting genocidal ideology. He was arrested Friday.
ICDAA board member Alison Turner said in Kenya that the charges are political and lack legal foundation.
The U.S. National Lawyers Guild said Rwanda's government was trying to hamstring Ingabire's legal defense by arresting Erlinder. He heads an association of defense lawyers at the U.N. tribunal that is trying the masterminds of the 1994 genocide.
Drone crew blamed in Afghan civilian deaths
KABUL, Afghanistan – Inexperienced operators of a U.S. drone aircraft ignored or downplayed signs that Afghan civilians were in a convoy blasted in a deadly American missile attack earlier this year, a military report released Saturday said.
At least 23 people were killed in the Feb. 21 attack in Uruzgan province. It was the deadliest missile strike for Afghan civilians in six months and occurred as NATO forces were redoubling efforts to avoid killing innocents.
The attack prompted a strong rebuke from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a quick apology from the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is struggling to gain the broad support among Afghans that is crucial to winning the almost 9-year-old war against the Taliban.
The insurgents claimed a victory Saturday when they captured a government outpost in a remote mountainous region near the Pakistan border.
Jamaludin Badar, governor of eastern Nuristan province, said government forces withdrew from the district headquarters in Bargi Matal early Saturday after a major assault by Taliban militants and a battle lasting several days.
Fighting was still going on and Afghan forces hoped to recapture the district center with the help of NATO airstrikes, Badar said. He could not provide casualties.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed in a phone message sent to reporters that insurgents had taken complete control of the district, captured three police vehicles and forced security forces to flee road checkpoints.
North of the capital, a senior Taliban leader in Baghlan province was killed in a NATO airstrike late Friday, the international force said in a statement. It said the man, who was not named, was the Taliban's "shadow governor" of the region and was responsible for organizing and directing attacks on coalition forces.
In the civilian deaths case, attack helicopters fired missiles and rockets into the convoy on a main road near Khod village, where U.S. Special Forces and Afghan troops were battling militants at the time, a summary of the investigation said. Commanders judged that the convoy contained fighters heading toward the village to reinforce the militants.
But the order to attack was based on inaccurate information from the crew at an Air Force base in Nevada that was remotely controlling a Predator drone monitoring the convoy and on flawed analysis of the situation by NATO commanders, Army Maj. Gen. Timothy McHale, who led the investigation, wrote in the report.
Poorly functioning command posts "failed to provide the ground force commander with the evidence and analysis that the vehicles were not a hostile threat and the inaccurate and unprofessional reporting of the Predator crew ... deprived the ground force commander of vital information," the report said.
"Information that the convoy was anything other than an attacking force was ignored or downplayed by the Predator crew," it said.
In a memo released Saturday accompanying the report, McChrystal said he had issued letters reprimanding four senior and two junior officers in Afghanistan over the attack. He also called on the Air Force to investigate the actions of the Predator crew.
The report said the convoy drew early suspicion because men in it appeared to be providing security as it was tracked for more than three hours. Its movements matched radio intercepts of militants calling on others to join the battle near Khod, about seven miles (12 kilometers) from the site of the attack.
No women were seen in the vehicles, but two children were spotted near them at one point. This was inaccurately reported by the drone crew, the report said.
After the initial salvo, the helicopter crews stopped firing because they spotted brightly colored clothing amid the convoy — a strong clue that women were present. Then, video shot from the drone showed women and children present.
McHale criticized the operation's commanders for failing to report the "ample evidence" of civilian casualties for nearly 12 hours after the attack, while they tried for confirmation.
U.S. forces spokesman Navy Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said the only people in the convoy that the drone crew could see was a handful of people traveling in the back of a pickup truck. Others were in closed cars. Smith said the Predator crew should have reported the possibility of civilians in those cars.
"They did not report the ambiguity of what they were seeing," Smith said. "They weren't clearly seeing a heavily armed threat."
Airstrikes accounted for about 60 percent of the nearly 600 civilians killed by NATO and Afghan forces in 2009, according to the United Nations. That percentage is significantly lower than the previous year, the U.N. said, attributing the drop to NATO directives to only conduct airstrikes as a last resort or if they are certain there are no civilians present.
"Our most important mission here is to protect the Afghan people," McChrystal said in a statement Saturday. "Inadvertently killing or injuring civilians is heartbreaking and undermines their trust and confidence in our mission. We will do all we can to regain that trust."
Human rights activists welcomed the report as a sign that NATO was being more open about admitting mistakes.
"But transparency and public accountability for the conduct of troops are still the exception rather than the rule," said Erica Gaston, a lawyer who works on civilian casualties issues for the New York-based Open Society Institute.
Unmanned aircraft are widely used in Afghanistan although they do not attract the attention here that they do across the border in Pakistan, where they have been used to attack extremist sanctuaries in the uncontrolled tribal areas. Those attacks have created huge outrage in Pakistan because of reports of large numbers of civilian deaths, as well as among insurgent leaders.
Meanwhile, militants ambushed an Afghan police convoy Friday in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan, killing five officers with a roadside bomb and opening fire before fleeing when NATO aircraft started a bombardment, local official Ghulam Dastagir said.
At least 23 people were killed in the Feb. 21 attack in Uruzgan province. It was the deadliest missile strike for Afghan civilians in six months and occurred as NATO forces were redoubling efforts to avoid killing innocents.
The attack prompted a strong rebuke from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a quick apology from the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is struggling to gain the broad support among Afghans that is crucial to winning the almost 9-year-old war against the Taliban.
The insurgents claimed a victory Saturday when they captured a government outpost in a remote mountainous region near the Pakistan border.
Jamaludin Badar, governor of eastern Nuristan province, said government forces withdrew from the district headquarters in Bargi Matal early Saturday after a major assault by Taliban militants and a battle lasting several days.
Fighting was still going on and Afghan forces hoped to recapture the district center with the help of NATO airstrikes, Badar said. He could not provide casualties.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed in a phone message sent to reporters that insurgents had taken complete control of the district, captured three police vehicles and forced security forces to flee road checkpoints.
North of the capital, a senior Taliban leader in Baghlan province was killed in a NATO airstrike late Friday, the international force said in a statement. It said the man, who was not named, was the Taliban's "shadow governor" of the region and was responsible for organizing and directing attacks on coalition forces.
In the civilian deaths case, attack helicopters fired missiles and rockets into the convoy on a main road near Khod village, where U.S. Special Forces and Afghan troops were battling militants at the time, a summary of the investigation said. Commanders judged that the convoy contained fighters heading toward the village to reinforce the militants.
But the order to attack was based on inaccurate information from the crew at an Air Force base in Nevada that was remotely controlling a Predator drone monitoring the convoy and on flawed analysis of the situation by NATO commanders, Army Maj. Gen. Timothy McHale, who led the investigation, wrote in the report.
Poorly functioning command posts "failed to provide the ground force commander with the evidence and analysis that the vehicles were not a hostile threat and the inaccurate and unprofessional reporting of the Predator crew ... deprived the ground force commander of vital information," the report said.
"Information that the convoy was anything other than an attacking force was ignored or downplayed by the Predator crew," it said.
In a memo released Saturday accompanying the report, McChrystal said he had issued letters reprimanding four senior and two junior officers in Afghanistan over the attack. He also called on the Air Force to investigate the actions of the Predator crew.
The report said the convoy drew early suspicion because men in it appeared to be providing security as it was tracked for more than three hours. Its movements matched radio intercepts of militants calling on others to join the battle near Khod, about seven miles (12 kilometers) from the site of the attack.
No women were seen in the vehicles, but two children were spotted near them at one point. This was inaccurately reported by the drone crew, the report said.
After the initial salvo, the helicopter crews stopped firing because they spotted brightly colored clothing amid the convoy — a strong clue that women were present. Then, video shot from the drone showed women and children present.
McHale criticized the operation's commanders for failing to report the "ample evidence" of civilian casualties for nearly 12 hours after the attack, while they tried for confirmation.
U.S. forces spokesman Navy Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said the only people in the convoy that the drone crew could see was a handful of people traveling in the back of a pickup truck. Others were in closed cars. Smith said the Predator crew should have reported the possibility of civilians in those cars.
"They did not report the ambiguity of what they were seeing," Smith said. "They weren't clearly seeing a heavily armed threat."
Airstrikes accounted for about 60 percent of the nearly 600 civilians killed by NATO and Afghan forces in 2009, according to the United Nations. That percentage is significantly lower than the previous year, the U.N. said, attributing the drop to NATO directives to only conduct airstrikes as a last resort or if they are certain there are no civilians present.
"Our most important mission here is to protect the Afghan people," McChrystal said in a statement Saturday. "Inadvertently killing or injuring civilians is heartbreaking and undermines their trust and confidence in our mission. We will do all we can to regain that trust."
Human rights activists welcomed the report as a sign that NATO was being more open about admitting mistakes.
"But transparency and public accountability for the conduct of troops are still the exception rather than the rule," said Erica Gaston, a lawyer who works on civilian casualties issues for the New York-based Open Society Institute.
Unmanned aircraft are widely used in Afghanistan although they do not attract the attention here that they do across the border in Pakistan, where they have been used to attack extremist sanctuaries in the uncontrolled tribal areas. Those attacks have created huge outrage in Pakistan because of reports of large numbers of civilian deaths, as well as among insurgent leaders.
Meanwhile, militants ambushed an Afghan police convoy Friday in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan, killing five officers with a roadside bomb and opening fire before fleeing when NATO aircraft started a bombardment, local official Ghulam Dastagir said.
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