Feb 21, 2011
- 6:56 -
Power panel on Wisconsin protests
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Monday, February 28, 2011
DNC Encouraging Protesters to Violate Contracts?
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4548547/dnc-encouraging-protesters-to-violate-contracts
Anti-Abortion Billboard in Soho Sparks Controversy
SOHO, NY (PIX 11) —
Pro-life leaders unveiled a controversial billboard in Soho this week that features the face of a young African American girl. The billboard, funded by pro-life ad group Life Always, focuses on abortion in the black community, and claims that "the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb."
"There is a battle being waged in the United States that has taken more lives than any foreign war or act of terrorism. The enemy is abortion. Its'(sic) supporters include the main stream media, liberal representatives in government, and Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion provider," Life Always writes on a website connected to the billboard, thisisabortion.com.
Life Always says that the campaign is meant to raise public awareness of what they consider to be Planned Parenthood's agenda to target minority neighborhoods.
Pastor Stephen Broden with Life Always says, "Abortion is outpacing life in our community even here in New York." Broden admits his group chose Soho as the location for the first billboard because , "We believe that is the best way to get attention."
The group also states on their site, thatsabortion.com, that "Planned Parenthood targets minority neighborhoods as they perform over 300,000 abortions a year."
"This billboard is nothing but a pathetic attempt to discredit Planned Parenthood," said Speaker Christine Quinn in a statement. "To refer to a woman's legal right to an abortion as a 'genocidal plot' is not only absurd but it is offensive to women and to communities of color. Every woman deserves the right to make healthcare decisions for herself and I will continue to fight to protect this basic right and against this sort of fear mongering."
According to Planned Parenthood, abortion makes up 3 percent of the organization's health services, while 84 percent are devoted to preventing unintended pregnancies.
The divisive ad has New York politicians speaking out strongly -- both for and against it.
Pro-life State Senator Ruben Diaz, of the Bronx, called the abortion statistics an attack on minorities.
City Council Member Leticia James released a strongly-worded statement denouncing the billboard.
"It is misguided to use Black History Month as a tool to promote this message," James said. "Every woman has the right to make personal choices in regards to her body, and I respect many different points of view, but to compare abortion to terrorism and genocide is highly offensive."
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood said, "Planned Parenthood believes that racism is wrong and has absolutely no place in the delivery of healthcare. Our doors are open to everyone."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
WHIPS (4 Inch Dagger Discovered in Man's Head)
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dagger-in-skull-4-years,0,1674369.story
CHINA -- Doctors in China have solved a mystery that had been plaguing a man for years, They discovered a 4 inch dagger in the man's head that had been lodged there for four years.
Mr. Ni told doctors that he had been suffering from a severe headache but was unable to figure out why.
After a careful examination, doctors discovered a metal substance in his head that turned out to be a knife.
"We checked his mouth, but no wound or scar has been found. It is very strange as to how the blade got into his head," said Xu Wen, deputy director of the stomatology department of the People's Hospital in Yuxi city.
Mr. Ni was stabbed in the lower right jaw when fighting with a robber four years ago, according to officials. After the attack, he began to suffer from frequent headaches, bleeding in his mouth and had difficulty swallowing food. His voice also became hoarse and spoke gibberish. He had been to the hospital several times but no one could find out what was causing the symptoms.
"As time goes on, I used injections to kill pains in head and ears. It is now already four years," Mr. Ni told doctors.
The rusty blade did not touch the brain artery nor did it affect important facial nerves, doctors said. That's what kept him alive.
He is now recuperating at the hospital and is expected to survive.
Father Gets 4-Year-Old Drunk & Kills Her
A 4-year-old little girl is dead in Georgia after collapsing and being rushed to the hospital. After failing to revive her, the doctors who tried to save the toddler's life were shocked when they discovered the cause of the little girl's death: extreme alcohol poisoning.How in the world does that happen to a 4-year-old? While the details have not been released regarding how much alcohol she ingested, the father and the aunt of the little girl have been arrested and charged with felony cruelty to children and felony murder. Four other children in the home have been removed, as the implication is that the father "plied" the little girl with alcohol.
I never thought it was "cute" to let your little ones drink from your beer can, and I think most people can agree that giving your baby a bong hit is crossing the line as well. But some people, apparently, think, "Hey, what's it going to hurt?" A lot, actually.
Alcohol isn't meant for tiny people with tiny bodies, who cannot metabolize the way full-grown adults can. Even adults need an hour to metabolize an average alcoholic beverage. Someone 1/3 your size is not going to be okay sipping on your brewski. And "plieing" a toddler with alcohol, as the report says, is the same as poisoning your child.
Even a small amount can have an adverse effect, and honestly, why would you do that? To see a toddler topple around drunk? That is seriously messed up. You wouldn't give your toddler a smidgen of rat poison just to see what happens, so why give any other toxic substance?
Do you ever let your toddler have a sip?
Sprinter Ida Keeling Is 95, But Could Probably Outrun You
And I thought my nonagenarian grandmother had her act together! As it turns out, 95-year-old Ida Keeling might be Superwoman. She set a world record at a track meet in northern Manhattan last week, running 60 meters in 29.86 seconds. Did your eyes just bug out of your head?? I thought so! Ida's the oldest woman to achieve this record. Measuring in at only 4-foot-6 (wow, way to make me feel tall at 4'11, Ida!) and 83 pounds, she says she's always been the oldest person at her meets. (She also always wears a trademark T-shirt and yellow sneakers.) When ABC News sat down (and ran around) with the great-grandmother from the Bronx, it said of Ida:
She also told ABC News that when she's in the flow of a run, she just closes her eyes and repeats:
Just goes to show that happiness and health at 95 years old is completely relative! In fact, Ida says she wants to "make it to 108," and I don't doubt she could!
She takes only one prescription drug, and recalls names and dates with the speed of someone half her age. Active and healthy and living alone in her Bronx, N.Y., apartment, she could pass for 75. She says she feels even younger.
"Like a puppy," she declares. "I feel younger now than when I was in my 30s and 40s and had all those problems. Then I was aged!"Okay, I, for one, LOVE this story! What an inspiration. Ida started running when she was 67 and trained with teenagers! She told ABC News how she felt after that first experience with running:
It felt good, and I felt uplifted. I said, 'Well, gee, this is for me!'That's just so cool. I've heard people in their early 30s whine and complain, "Oh, man, I could never go back to school/run a 5K/make a film/change careers -- I'm just too old to start something new at this point." First of all, they really need a reality check ... and clearly, they could take a tip from Ida. Wow!
She also told ABC News that when she's in the flow of a run, she just closes her eyes and repeats:
Count your blessings, Ida, count your blessings. Stay alert, stay focused, and that's it ... My secret is, feel good about yourself [and] have a good attitude about yourself.Hearing that, I can't help but be reminded of my grandfather, who I called Papa, who passed away several months before he would have turned 95. He used to have mantras of his own, like, "So, this is your life!" He would also rarely miss a chance to go for a walk or use his hand-weights. Fitness went hand-in-hand with his optimistic view on the world, and I think it contributed HUGELY to his long, healthy life.
Just goes to show that happiness and health at 95 years old is completely relative! In fact, Ida says she wants to "make it to 108," and I don't doubt she could!
Sprinter Ida Keeling Is 95, But Could Probably Outrun You
Posted by Maressa Brown on February 22, 2011 at 4:42 Pm
Fullerton woman arrested for hate graffiti
ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- A woman was arrested on Monday for allegedly painting disturbing racist and anti-Catholic messages on churches and other buildings around Orange County.
Police allege Kim Henry, a 53-year-old Fullerton resident, is behind the hateful messages filled with spelling errors, threatening violence against Mexicans, Asians, blacks and Catholics. "She's painted some very hateful and damaging messages out there that have affected a lot of members of the community," said Sgt. Rick Martinez of the Anaheim Police Department.
There have been nine separate cases of vandalism last month - hurtful words spray painted on or near businesses in Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Brea. The businesses targeted included two Catholic churches and the Orange County Housing Authority.
Police say surveillance video from the church parking lot in Anaheim seen exclusively on Eyewitness News helped identify Henry after a viewer called police.
Records show Henry had unrelated outstanding warrants from last year for assault and battery and hit and run. Now, she faces felony vandalism and hate crime-related charges.
Henry has been booked at the Orange County Jail, with bail set at nearly $70,000. Police say it is unknown what her motive may have been.
"She's obviously disturbed, troubled and very hateful by the messages that she has already conveyed," Martinez said.
Cops: Man Lived with Dead Uncle for Month, Spent His Money
MERCED (KTLA) -- A man from Merced is accused of living with his dead uncle for almost 30 days while spending his money.
Authorities say Patrick Lara was supposed to be taking care of his 63-year-old uncle.
But police believe Lara left him in his bed to die, and then hatched a plan to profit from it.
Lara's mother eventually got into the house and found her brother dead.
Investigators say Lara used his uncle's ATM card and visited casinos.
They're still looking into possible murder charges, but an autopsy showed no clear cause of death.
Authorities say Patrick Lara was supposed to be taking care of his 63-year-old uncle.
But police believe Lara left him in his bed to die, and then hatched a plan to profit from it.
Lara's mother eventually got into the house and found her brother dead.
Investigators say Lara used his uncle's ATM card and visited casinos.
They're still looking into possible murder charges, but an autopsy showed no clear cause of death.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Woman, 61, gives birth to own grandchild
Her daughter had tried for years to have a baby
Almost 39 weeks ago, Kristine Casey set out on an unusual journey to help her daughter and answer a spiritual calling.
Her goal was achieved late Wednesday when she gave birth to her own grandson at age 61.
Casey, possibly the oldest woman to give birth in Illinois, served as a surrogate for her daughter, Sara Connell, who had been trying for years to have a baby. Connell and her husband, Bill, are the biological parents of the child Casey carried, which grew from an embryo created from the Chicago couple's egg and sperm.
Crying and praying, Connell and her mother held hands as Finnean Lee Connell was delivered by cesarean section at 9:47 p.m.
When the baby let out a cry, "I lost it," said Sara Connell, the first family member to hold him. "It's such a miracle."
The doctor who delivered Finnean said there wasn't a dry eye in the crowded operating room.
"The surgery itself was uncomplicated, and the emotional context of this delivery was so profound," said Dr. Susan Gerber, obstetrician and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Childbirth remains a rare event for post-menopausal women, but the number of such births has risen in recent years due to wider use of in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies. According to state health department records, the oldest woman to give birth in Illinois was 58 when she had her baby in 2006. But data on births after 2008 are not yet available.
Older women face greater risks during pregnancy and delivery, and experts say many women would not be good candidates.
"It's going to be more risky for somebody who's got underlying conditions," said Dr. Alan Peaceman, chief of maternal-fetal medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, one of Casey's doctors. "Because of that, we recommend that patients have a cardiac evaluation."
The Connells decided in 2004 to try to have a baby, but Sara, now 35, soon discovered she wasn't ovulating. After undergoing infertility treatment at the Reproductive Medicine Institute in Evanston, she got pregnant but delivered stillborn twins, and later she suffered a miscarriage.
Casey's previous three pregnancies — her last was 30 years ago — went smoothly, resulting in three daughters. After Casey retired in 2007, she filled her time walking, meditating, taking classes and socializing with friends. But she felt she had a deeper calling.
"At the beginning of 2009," she said, "I decided for once in my life to take some time to think about my life and find something that seemed right for me — where there was no pressure to do a specific thing."
During a visit to Chicago — she lives in Virginia — Casey participated in a workshop led by Connell, a life coach, writer and lecturer on women's empowerment. In one class exercise, she used pictures cut from a magazine to create a collage depicting a life's goal. One picture grabbed her attention: an ostrich with an expression of wonder and joy.
Casey wanted to experience the exuberance captured in the picture.
Around the same time, a walking partner mentioned a story she had read about a post-menopausal woman who gave birth.
"I thought, 'Wow, three of the happiest days of my life were giving birth to my daughters,' and I thought I could choose to do this for someone I love," Casey said.
Casey later wrote a letter to the Connells offering to be Sara's surrogate.
"I found something that would make me feel like that ostrich," she wrote. "What do you think of this?"
8-year-old Boy Delivers Baby Brother
Kimberly went into labor at 2 a.m. without enough time to get to the hospital.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma third-grader got a crash course in the 'birds and the bees' when he helped his mom deliver his own baby brother.
Kimberly Tennyson knew she was close to giving birth, but she thought she still had a few days to go.
"Two o'clock in the morning I had no idea he was coming, none whatsoever, until I had contractions," she said.
"I just went into labor and he came within 15 minutes."
Ready or not, the baby was going to be born at home.
While Kimberly's grandmother walked her through labor over the phone, and 8-year-old Demarry Love would help deliver his baby brother.
"He did everything, he didn't panic," Tennyson said.
"In a time of need, that type of situation, having a baby at home with your kids. Especially an 8-year-old, it tells a lot."
Mom and baby are said to be doing just fine.
CNNWoman Arrested after Brawl Over Girl Scout Cookies
NAPLES, Fla. (KTLA) -- A woman in Naples, Florida is behind bars for allegedly beating up her roommate in a dispute over Girl Scout cookies.
Hersha Howard, 31, has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Police say she busted into Jasmin Wanke's room while she was sleeping, and accused Wanke of eating her Thin Mints.
Howard allegedly jumped on Wanke and hit her in the face.
Wanke's husband separated the two women, but after he left the room, Howard allegedly chased Wanke downstairs with a pair of scissors and bit her in the breast.
The two women made their way outside, where Howard allegedly hit Wanke with a sign.
Wanke's husband tackled Howard and subdued her until deputies arrived.
Hersha Howard, 31, has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Police say she busted into Jasmin Wanke's room while she was sleeping, and accused Wanke of eating her Thin Mints.
Howard allegedly jumped on Wanke and hit her in the face.
Wanke's husband separated the two women, but after he left the room, Howard allegedly chased Wanke downstairs with a pair of scissors and bit her in the breast.
The two women made their way outside, where Howard allegedly hit Wanke with a sign.
Wanke's husband tackled Howard and subdued her until deputies arrived.
Woman's weave stops a bullet
Briana Bonds literally came within a hair's breadth of dying after her tightly-woven wig somehow stopped a bullet. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/sns-viral-video-weave-stops-bullet,0,4868548.htmlstory
Man Killed for Eating Popcorn Too Loudly During "Black Swan"
LATVIA (KTLA) -- A man in Latvia was arrested for allegedly shooting a fellow moviegoer who was eating popcorn too loudly during a screening of "Black Swan," the Telegraph reports.
The shooting happened Saturday night at the central multiplex cinema in the Latvian capital of Riga.
The film's end credits were rolling, when a 27-year-old man confronted a 42-year-old man about how loudly he was eating his popcorn, according to the Telegraph.
The 27-year-old man allegedly shot and killed the other man.
The alleged shooter was taken into police custody.
The shooting happened Saturday night at the central multiplex cinema in the Latvian capital of Riga.
The film's end credits were rolling, when a 27-year-old man confronted a 42-year-old man about how loudly he was eating his popcorn, according to the Telegraph.
The 27-year-old man allegedly shot and killed the other man.
The alleged shooter was taken into police custody.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
my reflection on life
After yesterday, wow i had a real reflection on life...bad things happen to the best people...that 15 year old girl that got hit by the metro link was a straight A student... a lot of us dont appreciate life and all we do is screw around...im including myself because i do the same thing. that girl who was a straight A student was on a great path in life and she got taken off the planet in less than a second, and thieves, murderers,convicts and what not live i dont know how long on the run. life is very unfair and there always has to be some sort of tragedy to get some people to open their eyes and see what its really like. i myself lost 2 very good friends in less than 4 weeks last year. i was distraught. so this brings back memories...i cried when i heard about this girl. my heart goes out to her family and friends...i can only imagine what they are going through.
Teen killed by Metrolink train was straight A student
Friends today identified the girl struck and killed by a Metrolink train Tuesday as Alana Kerr, a bright sophomore at Norte Vista High School in Riverside who volunteered at an animal shelter.
The Riverside County coroner’s office still has not officially identified the victim, though her relatives have been notified, according to the coroner’s website.
Tony and Judy Collora said her son, Jack, his friend, Andrew, and Alana, Andrew’s former girlfriend, carpooled together to school, where they are in the International Baccalaureate program for advanced college-bound students.
“She was sweet, she was smart, she was nice,” Judy Collora said in a telephone interview this morning. “She’s such a smart girl, I can’t believe she would walk in front of the train.”
The Colloras learned about Alana’s death about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. They then went to a 24-hour store and bought purple flowers, which they laid around 1 a.m. near the railroad tracks on Buchanan Street in Riverside where Alana was killed. They also left a photo of Alana that they use as a screensaver on their home computer. On it, they inscribed, “Alana – May God’s love guide you home and comfort your family and friends. We’ll miss you! The Colloras.”
“We had to do something,” Judy Collora said. “We had to put those flowers out there to show respect.”
The photo shows Alana dressed in a Halloween costume in 2009 that reflects her love of the Disney “Nightmare Before Christmas” movies and the character Jack Skellington, a spooky skull. Alana liked to wear Jack Skellington-themed T-shirts, pins and fashion accessories.
Collora said that her son texted her that some of Alana’s classmates are wearing Jack Skellington pins today.
Tony Collora said his family and Alana went to Disneyland several times together.
Witnesses told police that the girl waited for an eastbound freight train to pass on tracks crossing Buchanan Street near Magnolia Avenue and then, despite the crossing gate being down and the lights continuing to flash, started across, not seeing a westbound Metrolink train on a parallel track.
The incident shut down two tracks and portions of Magnolia and Buchanan while authorities investigated the collision.
Five Metrolink trains waited at down-line stations for the tracks to reopen, said Sherita Coffelt, a spokeswoman for the commuter rail service. About 45 passengers on the train that hit the girl were taken by bus to their destinations, she said.
The death echoes one that happened in April 2009, when Arlington High School student Samuel Sung-Jae Shin, 14, was killed when he was hit by an eastbound Metrolink train at the Jackson Street crossing in Riverside on his way to school.
That death prompted the city to install signs at rail crossings warning people of multiple tracks with trains coming from both directions. The signs are posted at the Buchanan Street crossing.
Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson said during a break at a City Council meeting Tuesday night that pedestrian warning signs can't stop people from going around the gates if they are determined to do so.
"Our hearts go out to the family. It's very tragic," Hudson said. "We're going to continue to do everything we can to improve safety."
The Riverside County coroner’s office still has not officially identified the victim, though her relatives have been notified, according to the coroner’s website.
Tony and Judy Collora said her son, Jack, his friend, Andrew, and Alana, Andrew’s former girlfriend, carpooled together to school, where they are in the International Baccalaureate program for advanced college-bound students.
“She was sweet, she was smart, she was nice,” Judy Collora said in a telephone interview this morning. “She’s such a smart girl, I can’t believe she would walk in front of the train.”
The Colloras learned about Alana’s death about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. They then went to a 24-hour store and bought purple flowers, which they laid around 1 a.m. near the railroad tracks on Buchanan Street in Riverside where Alana was killed. They also left a photo of Alana that they use as a screensaver on their home computer. On it, they inscribed, “Alana – May God’s love guide you home and comfort your family and friends. We’ll miss you! The Colloras.”
“We had to do something,” Judy Collora said. “We had to put those flowers out there to show respect.”
The photo shows Alana dressed in a Halloween costume in 2009 that reflects her love of the Disney “Nightmare Before Christmas” movies and the character Jack Skellington, a spooky skull. Alana liked to wear Jack Skellington-themed T-shirts, pins and fashion accessories.
Collora said that her son texted her that some of Alana’s classmates are wearing Jack Skellington pins today.
Tony Collora said his family and Alana went to Disneyland several times together.
Witnesses told police that the girl waited for an eastbound freight train to pass on tracks crossing Buchanan Street near Magnolia Avenue and then, despite the crossing gate being down and the lights continuing to flash, started across, not seeing a westbound Metrolink train on a parallel track.
The incident shut down two tracks and portions of Magnolia and Buchanan while authorities investigated the collision.
Story continues below
Terry Pierson/The Press-Enterprise
Emergency personnel look for belongings of a female teenager who was killed Tuesday afternoon when she crossed the tracks after a freight train and was hit by Metrolink train coming from the other direction.
The death echoes one that happened in April 2009, when Arlington High School student Samuel Sung-Jae Shin, 14, was killed when he was hit by an eastbound Metrolink train at the Jackson Street crossing in Riverside on his way to school.
That death prompted the city to install signs at rail crossings warning people of multiple tracks with trains coming from both directions. The signs are posted at the Buchanan Street crossing.
Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson said during a break at a City Council meeting Tuesday night that pedestrian warning signs can't stop people from going around the gates if they are determined to do so.
"Our hearts go out to the family. It's very tragic," Hudson said. "We're going to continue to do everything we can to improve safety."
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Mom Who Killed Crying Baby For Interrupting Facebook Game Gets Max
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ( KTLA) -- A 22-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to shaking her baby to death for crying while she was playing a game on Facebook is going to prison for a long time.
Alexandra V. Tobias was sentenced to 50 years in prison Tuesday afternoon -- the maximum penalty on the second-degree murder charge.
Tobias was arrested after her 3-month-old son, Dylan Lee Edmondson, died last January.
Prosecutors said Tobias admitted to becoming angry because the baby would not stop crying while she was playing Farmville on Facebook.
"I am trying to say this is not a plea about pity. I'm asking for mercy," Tobias told the judge before he sentenced her.
"I realize I do deserve consequences, but the death of my son is a life sentence in itself. So could you please consider that I am still young and I have ambitions, potential, hopes and dreams."
Alexandra V. Tobias was sentenced to 50 years in prison Tuesday afternoon -- the maximum penalty on the second-degree murder charge.
Tobias was arrested after her 3-month-old son, Dylan Lee Edmondson, died last January.
Prosecutors said Tobias admitted to becoming angry because the baby would not stop crying while she was playing Farmville on Facebook.
"I am trying to say this is not a plea about pity. I'm asking for mercy," Tobias told the judge before he sentenced her.
"I realize I do deserve consequences, but the death of my son is a life sentence in itself. So could you please consider that I am still young and I have ambitions, potential, hopes and dreams."
Alexandra Tobias (Florida Times-Union)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
WikiLeaks Document Reveals Four Unknown 9/11 Suspects
NEW YORK (WPIX) —
A recently released WikiLeaks document reveals that before 9/11 the U.S. was monitoring four men who are now suspected of helping carry out the attacks on Sep. 11.The leak, published Wednesday by the Daily Telegraph, states that the three boarded a British Airways flight in London and came to New York three weeks before 9/11 to conduct a surveillance mission at the World Trade Center, the White House and the Pentagon and CIA headquarters in Virginia.
The men continued on to Los Angeles where they checked into a hotel paid for by a "convicted terrorist" and set up an information headquarters, according to FBI accounts.
The same "convicted terrorist" purchased airline tickets for the men to fly from Los Angeles to Washington on Sep. 10, but they didn't board the plane. That Boeing 757 was later commandeered by five terrorists who would crash it into the Pentagon.
The leaked file sheds light on their time in Los Angeles, stating that the hotel cleaning staff became suspicious after discovering airline pilot uniforms, printed flight data, laptops and cell phones in the room.
Before authorities were able to act, the three men, all from Qatar, flew back to London and then to their home state. The FBI is now hunting for the men -- Meshal Alhajri, Fahad Abdulla and Ali Alfehaid -- as well as for a fourth man, Mohamed Al Mansoori, who supported the three while in the United States, according to the document.
The role of the three men is still unclear -- they may have been planning to carry out a fifth attack, or could have been acting solely as support for the other hijackers.
Al Mansoori, from the United Arab Emirates, reportedly lived in Long Beach, Los Angeles, but at this time his whereabouts are unknown.
The 9/11 Commission report, released in July 2004, did mention that two hijackers had spent some time in Los Angeles, but contained no other details from the WikiLeaks document.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the leaked document is a US embassy cable written by Mirembe Nantongo, deputy chief of mission in Doha, and was sent to the office of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the CIA.
Only one person - Zacarias Moussaoui - has been tried and convicted over involvement in the 9/11 attacks as all the terrorists died in the crashed planes. Moussaoui, accused of being the twentieth hijacker, was sentenced to life in prison.
Only one person has been tried and convicted after the 9/11 attacks -- Zacarias Moussaoui, claimed to have been ordered to fly a plane into the White House. The other 19 hijackers all died on the day of the attack.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sources: Obama envoy urged Mubarak to drop re-election plans
Washington (CNN) -- A U.S. envoy sent by President Barack Obama urged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to announce he won't run for re-election later this year, sources told CNN on Tuesday.
Mubarak announced on state television Tuesday night that he won't run and would work to bring about some of the reforms sought by the protesters in his remaining months in office.
The U.S. move signaled a major shift in its foreign policy regarding Egypt, the main Arab ally of the United States and a vital partner in the Middle East peace process because of its 1978 treaty with Israel.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of not being identified by name, former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner conveyed the message to Mubarak in Egypt. It was unclear if the meeting was Monday or Tuesday.
Until now, the weeklong street demonstrations in Egypt demanding Mubarak's ouster had drawn a measured U.S. response that advocated step-by-step reforms for pro-democracy changes while maintaining stability.
This week, though, calls increased for the Obama administration to push for Mubarak to announce he would not be a candidate in the next presidential election scheduled for September.
One of Egypt's leading opposition figures, Mohamed ElBaradei, warned Monday that the United States needs to "let go" of its longtime ally.
"You need to review your policy," ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" in an interview Monday night. "You need to let go of Mubarak. You shouldn't be behind the curve, and you need to start building confidence with the people and not with the people who are smothering the people."
The unrest in Egypt presented Obama with a complex issue that lacked easy answers.
Egypt -- the main Arab ally of the United States -- is inexorably linked to neighboring Israel -- the main U.S. ally in the Middle East -- by a peace treaty that guarantees more than $1 billion a year in U.S. military aid to Mubarak's government.
Egypt also provides vital logistical and intelligence assistance to the United States, which has urged Mubarak for years to implement democratic reforms but always put the strategic benefits first.
Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001, said the administration wants to both support "an exceedingly strong ally" and promote democratic reform and more openness in "a closed authoritarian society."
"The United States is trying to find comfortable ground in which we can argue for both without abandoning an ally and without abandoning our principles," Kurtzer told CNN on Monday.
The unrest in Egypt follows years of social, political and economic grievances that fueled the street protests that began last week and have since escalated. After ruling with an iron fist for three decades, Mubarak has given no indication of giving up power.
Demonstrators in Egypt question why Obama, who championed human rights and democracy in a 2009 speech in Cairo, isn't condemning Mubarak and applying pressure to help bring the changes they seek.
ElBaradei, who returned to his native Egypt last week as an opposition figure last week, said Egyptians need to see that the United States is supporting their aspirations.
"People need to see that you not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, and people need to understand and believe that you really, seriously take democracy, rule of law, freedoms seriously," ElBaradei said Sunday. Asking "a dictator" to implement democratic reforms "is an oxymoron, frankly."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined the administration's stance in separate interviews Sunday with five television networks, saying the "complex, very difficult" situation in Egypt requires careful progress toward a peaceful transition to democracy rather than any sudden or violent change that could undermine the aspirations of the protesters.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Egypt's government should engage in "meaningful negotiations with a broad section of civil society, including opposition groups," and hold "free and fair elections" in September.
The transition called for by Clinton "means change, and what we've advocated from the very beginning is that the way Egypt looks and operates must change," Gibbs told reporters.
At the same time, he said it is not the place of the United States to support or oppose the possible ouster of Mubarak.
Allies concurred, with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calling Monday for future "free and fair elections" in Egypt.
"We are also interested in a stable situation in the Middle East because, of course, Egypt is a key player for the whole region," Westerwelle said.
Even administration critics such as conservative Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona have backed the U.S. response so far.
"I hope we all understand how important Egypt is as an ally, as a center of culture," McCain said Sunday on CNN, later adding that "what we need to do now is to lay out a plan for Mubarak to lift the state of emergency, announce that elections -- free and fair -- will be held in September, which were already planned, allow an open and free democratic process -- which I think we could have some confidence (in) if it was an open process that you would see a free and fair election -- and that we make sure that the aspirations of the Egyptian people are realized finally."
But some U.S. politicians disagreed. Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said Monday that "Mubarak will have to go -- but not without an exit strategy that prevents the government from falling and leaving the door open for extremists."
To Marina Ottaway, director of the Middle East program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the unrest in Egypt showed that the U.S. policy of backing Mubarak despite his poor record on political and human rights has failed to bring desired stability.
Instead of what she labeled "subtle" language such as endorsing an orderly transition, the United States should call for a government of national unity to take over until fully democratic elections for both the presidency and the parliament, Ottaway told CNN on Monda
CNN's John King, Elise Labott and Tom Cohen contributed to this story
Mubarak announced on state television Tuesday night that he won't run and would work to bring about some of the reforms sought by the protesters in his remaining months in office.
The U.S. move signaled a major shift in its foreign policy regarding Egypt, the main Arab ally of the United States and a vital partner in the Middle East peace process because of its 1978 treaty with Israel.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of not being identified by name, former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner conveyed the message to Mubarak in Egypt. It was unclear if the meeting was Monday or Tuesday.
Until now, the weeklong street demonstrations in Egypt demanding Mubarak's ouster had drawn a measured U.S. response that advocated step-by-step reforms for pro-democracy changes while maintaining stability.
This week, though, calls increased for the Obama administration to push for Mubarak to announce he would not be a candidate in the next presidential election scheduled for September.
One of Egypt's leading opposition figures, Mohamed ElBaradei, warned Monday that the United States needs to "let go" of its longtime ally.
"You need to review your policy," ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" in an interview Monday night. "You need to let go of Mubarak. You shouldn't be behind the curve, and you need to start building confidence with the people and not with the people who are smothering the people."
The unrest in Egypt presented Obama with a complex issue that lacked easy answers.
Egypt -- the main Arab ally of the United States -- is inexorably linked to neighboring Israel -- the main U.S. ally in the Middle East -- by a peace treaty that guarantees more than $1 billion a year in U.S. military aid to Mubarak's government.
Egypt also provides vital logistical and intelligence assistance to the United States, which has urged Mubarak for years to implement democratic reforms but always put the strategic benefits first.
Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001, said the administration wants to both support "an exceedingly strong ally" and promote democratic reform and more openness in "a closed authoritarian society."
"The United States is trying to find comfortable ground in which we can argue for both without abandoning an ally and without abandoning our principles," Kurtzer told CNN on Monday.
The unrest in Egypt follows years of social, political and economic grievances that fueled the street protests that began last week and have since escalated. After ruling with an iron fist for three decades, Mubarak has given no indication of giving up power.
Demonstrators in Egypt question why Obama, who championed human rights and democracy in a 2009 speech in Cairo, isn't condemning Mubarak and applying pressure to help bring the changes they seek.
ElBaradei, who returned to his native Egypt last week as an opposition figure last week, said Egyptians need to see that the United States is supporting their aspirations.
"People need to see that you not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, and people need to understand and believe that you really, seriously take democracy, rule of law, freedoms seriously," ElBaradei said Sunday. Asking "a dictator" to implement democratic reforms "is an oxymoron, frankly."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined the administration's stance in separate interviews Sunday with five television networks, saying the "complex, very difficult" situation in Egypt requires careful progress toward a peaceful transition to democracy rather than any sudden or violent change that could undermine the aspirations of the protesters.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Egypt's government should engage in "meaningful negotiations with a broad section of civil society, including opposition groups," and hold "free and fair elections" in September.
The transition called for by Clinton "means change, and what we've advocated from the very beginning is that the way Egypt looks and operates must change," Gibbs told reporters.
At the same time, he said it is not the place of the United States to support or oppose the possible ouster of Mubarak.
Allies concurred, with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calling Monday for future "free and fair elections" in Egypt.
"We are also interested in a stable situation in the Middle East because, of course, Egypt is a key player for the whole region," Westerwelle said.
Even administration critics such as conservative Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona have backed the U.S. response so far.
"I hope we all understand how important Egypt is as an ally, as a center of culture," McCain said Sunday on CNN, later adding that "what we need to do now is to lay out a plan for Mubarak to lift the state of emergency, announce that elections -- free and fair -- will be held in September, which were already planned, allow an open and free democratic process -- which I think we could have some confidence (in) if it was an open process that you would see a free and fair election -- and that we make sure that the aspirations of the Egyptian people are realized finally."
But some U.S. politicians disagreed. Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said Monday that "Mubarak will have to go -- but not without an exit strategy that prevents the government from falling and leaving the door open for extremists."
To Marina Ottaway, director of the Middle East program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the unrest in Egypt showed that the U.S. policy of backing Mubarak despite his poor record on political and human rights has failed to bring desired stability.
Instead of what she labeled "subtle" language such as endorsing an orderly transition, the United States should call for a government of national unity to take over until fully democratic elections for both the presidency and the parliament, Ottaway told CNN on Monda
February 1, 2011 5:31 p.m. EST
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