But prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is also facing charges of pursuing selective justice, with critics asking why the court is not undertaking similar investigations in Syria, Bahrain or Yemen, where government forces are also accused of widespread abuses.
Mr Ocampo wants to show the Libyan leader had "command responsibility" for the alleged killing and torture of demonstrators during Libya's February uprising.
That may sound obvious, Custom Soccer Jerseys but lawyers say it can be hard to prove a clear chain of command between a leader like Col Gaddafi and security forces which directly commit any crimes.
Political impact
The Spanish prosecutor says he has evidence from witnesses and documents that Gaddafi "personally ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians".
However, the political impact of this case may be more significant in the end.
Western governments and Libyan rebel figures hope the prospect of arrest will further isolate Col Gaddafi and the other two men, persuading more of his supporters to defect before they end up on the ICC's list too.
If the Hague-based court's three ac milan jersey judges approve the arrest warrant for Col Gaddafi it will be the second time they have gone after a sitting head of state.
Three years ago they approved a warrant for the arrest of Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, on genocide charges in relation to Darfur.
But with no police force of its own the court has been unable to detain him, and Mr Bashir has managed to travel to several African states which do not recognise the ICC.
The same could happen with Col Gaddafi.
Libyan officials dismissed the court even before the ICC prosecutor announced he was seeking his arrest, calling it irrelevant.
They have mocked the court as being a creature of the Europeans which only pursues African leaders and officials.
It is a criticism the ICC has faced before. arsenal jersey Its website shows that all its current cases involve African states.
While welcoming the request for Col Gaddafi's arrest, the campaign group Amnesty International raised concerns about double standards, pointedly calling for the international community to pursue justice elsewhere in the Middle East.
Deadlock
It was the UN Security Council which initially set the ICC investigation in motion.
But it has made no moves in that direction for Bahrain or Syria, despite the brutal tactics their governments have employed in trying to crush their own uprisings.
Yet, england soccer jersey with Nato facing growing questions over its nearly two-month-old bombing campaign, some Western officials hope the ICC's involvement could help break the deadlock on the ground - regardless of whether Col Gaddafi is ever arrested or even faces trial.
While Libyan officials have tried to shrug off Mr Ocampo's move, it may be they are more worried by the court than they admit.
The prosecutor's office says it has been receiving calls from unnamed officials offering evidence for the investigation, perhaps hoping to avoid any inquiry themselves.
But there is also concern the court could complicate matters.
If the current stalemate continues a negotiated settlement may be the only solution, spain soccer jersey say analysts at the International Crisis Group, an influential think-tank.
That would mean talking to senior figures in Col Gaddafi's inner fold.
But those figures may be less willing to speak if they are facing the threat of future prosecution.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Controversies Keep IMF Chief in Spotlight
In France's polarized political scene, Dominique Strauss-Kahn is seen as a politician who appeals to the left and right of the governing spectrum.
Though he has been affiliated with the Socialist Party since 1976, Mr. Strauss-Kahn's financial experience—he helped France enter Europe's single currency and is now head of the IMF—often appeals to conservative voters as well.
He gained international credibility in the late 1990s when, Authentic Soccer Jerseys as finance minister, he helped prepare France's entry into Europe's common currency, the euro.
The expectation that he would run in next year's French presidential elections quickly propelled him to the top of the country's political polls.
Yet Mr. Strauss-Kahn's arrest on Saturday in New York on allegations of attempted rape follows other controversies. Months after Mr. Strauss Kahn took over as IMF managing director in 2007, he acknowledged having had an affair with a subordinate, Hungary-raised Piroska Nagy, who was at the time a senior official in the IMF's Africa department.
The IMF's board ordered an investigation into whether Mr. Strauss-Kahn abused his position by pressuring Ms. Nagy into a sexual relation when the two were at an international conference in Davos, Switzerland. While the board cleared Mr. Strauss Kahn of the abuse-of-power charge, it said he had committed a "serious error of judgment."
The IMF chief said the incident "constituted an error of judgment on my part, chelsea jersey for which I take full responsibility." But he added, "I firmly believe that I have not abused my position."
Ms. Nagy hasn't commented publicly on the case. But in a letter written at the time of the investigation, she described a man "ill-equipped" to lead an institution that employed women.
"Despite my long professional life, I was unprepared for the advances of the Managing Director of the IMF. I did not know how to handle this; as I told you I felt "I was damned if I did and damned if I didn't," Ms. Nagy wrote the lead investigator in the case in a letter reviewed recently by The Wall Street Journal. She ended her letter to Robert Smith, an attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius: "I fear that he is a man with a problem that may make him ill-equipped to lead an institution where women work under his command."
William Taylor, an attorney for Strauss-Kahn, barcelona jersey said of the case, "The board conducted a long and thorough investigation and determined the event was completely consensual. It considered her interview as well as numerous emails she sent to him."
Mr. Strauss-Kahn also has faced turbulent political times. In 1999, he resigned as France's finance minister after being put under investigation in a corruption case. He was eventually cleared.
In 2002, he was expected to become prime minister, brazil soccer jersey but then the Socialist Party candidate lost the presidential election. In France's 2007 presidential elections, Mr. Strauss-Kahn lost the party's presidential primaries to a back-bencher, who went on to lose to Nicolas Sarkozy.
When the IMF job opened up unexpectedly that year, Mr. Sarkozy strongly endorsed Mr. Strauss-Kahn for the post, in what was widely seen as a move to get a rival out of the way.
Since then, Mr. Strauss-Kahn has been praised for his work at the IMF, which has included increasing the voting shares held by developing nations and playing a key role in the tackling the European debt crisis.
The case involving Ms. Nagy, however, resonated in France. In 2009, the IMF chief, who has been married three times, was a guest on a news program on French radio. Before he spoke, French humorist Stéphane Guillon said that to prevent any case of sexual harassment in the studio, where the program host was a woman, the broadcasting regulator had ordered a TV camera be installed under the table.
On the show, Mr. Strauss-Kahn said: "Humor is not funny when it's essentially mean."
Recently, Mr. Strauss-Kahn faced public-relations bungles. Last week, French media published a photo showing the IMF chief and his wife entering a Porsche Panamera, property of a French spokesman, during a layover in Paris. The photos rekindled a debate over whether Mr. Strauss-Kahn, known for a taste for fine food and luxurious vacations, was a true Socialist.
The IMF chief often has been described in the French press as a "champagne socialist" or "caviar gauche." Anne Sinclair, Mr. Strauss-Kahn's wife, a French television journalist, comes from a renowned art-dealing family.
Last week, argentina soccer jersey French magazine L'Express devoted a cover story to a review of Mr. Strauss-Kahn's and his wife's multiple real-estate assets, including some in France and Morocco. Ms. Sinclair couldn't be reached for comment, though she issued a statement on Sunday saying she was sure her husband would be "proven innocent."
In a separate article, Le Parisien newspaper wrote that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had a suit cut at a Washington tailor where the prices range between $7,000 to $35,000. Aides to Mr. Strauss-Kahn said the information was wrong.
Allies to Mr. Strauss-Kahn defend the IMF chief, saying he is equally at easy with decision makers and ordinary French people.
"We need a statesman who can talk to everybody," said French Socialist lawmaker Christophe Cambadélis.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
1949: Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine
1971: Graduated from France's HEC business school
1977: Earned a Ph.D. in economics with a concentration in household economics. Started a career as an economics professor
1986: Elected as a Socialist candidate to National Assembly
1991-1993: Trade minister in Socialist administration of President Fran?ois Mitterrand.
1993: Set up corporate law firm
1997-1999: Finance minister in the Socialist government of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
November 2006:Lost to Ségolène Royal in the Socialist Party primaries
November 2007: Appointed managing director of IMF
October 2008: IMF investigates harassment and abuse of power allegations. Mr. Strauss-Kahn was later cleared.
Though he has been affiliated with the Socialist Party since 1976, Mr. Strauss-Kahn's financial experience—he helped France enter Europe's single currency and is now head of the IMF—often appeals to conservative voters as well.
He gained international credibility in the late 1990s when, Authentic Soccer Jerseys as finance minister, he helped prepare France's entry into Europe's common currency, the euro.
The expectation that he would run in next year's French presidential elections quickly propelled him to the top of the country's political polls.
Yet Mr. Strauss-Kahn's arrest on Saturday in New York on allegations of attempted rape follows other controversies. Months after Mr. Strauss Kahn took over as IMF managing director in 2007, he acknowledged having had an affair with a subordinate, Hungary-raised Piroska Nagy, who was at the time a senior official in the IMF's Africa department.
The IMF's board ordered an investigation into whether Mr. Strauss-Kahn abused his position by pressuring Ms. Nagy into a sexual relation when the two were at an international conference in Davos, Switzerland. While the board cleared Mr. Strauss Kahn of the abuse-of-power charge, it said he had committed a "serious error of judgment."
The IMF chief said the incident "constituted an error of judgment on my part, chelsea jersey for which I take full responsibility." But he added, "I firmly believe that I have not abused my position."
Ms. Nagy hasn't commented publicly on the case. But in a letter written at the time of the investigation, she described a man "ill-equipped" to lead an institution that employed women.
"Despite my long professional life, I was unprepared for the advances of the Managing Director of the IMF. I did not know how to handle this; as I told you I felt "I was damned if I did and damned if I didn't," Ms. Nagy wrote the lead investigator in the case in a letter reviewed recently by The Wall Street Journal. She ended her letter to Robert Smith, an attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius: "I fear that he is a man with a problem that may make him ill-equipped to lead an institution where women work under his command."
William Taylor, an attorney for Strauss-Kahn, barcelona jersey said of the case, "The board conducted a long and thorough investigation and determined the event was completely consensual. It considered her interview as well as numerous emails she sent to him."
Mr. Strauss-Kahn also has faced turbulent political times. In 1999, he resigned as France's finance minister after being put under investigation in a corruption case. He was eventually cleared.
In 2002, he was expected to become prime minister, brazil soccer jersey but then the Socialist Party candidate lost the presidential election. In France's 2007 presidential elections, Mr. Strauss-Kahn lost the party's presidential primaries to a back-bencher, who went on to lose to Nicolas Sarkozy.
When the IMF job opened up unexpectedly that year, Mr. Sarkozy strongly endorsed Mr. Strauss-Kahn for the post, in what was widely seen as a move to get a rival out of the way.
Since then, Mr. Strauss-Kahn has been praised for his work at the IMF, which has included increasing the voting shares held by developing nations and playing a key role in the tackling the European debt crisis.
The case involving Ms. Nagy, however, resonated in France. In 2009, the IMF chief, who has been married three times, was a guest on a news program on French radio. Before he spoke, French humorist Stéphane Guillon said that to prevent any case of sexual harassment in the studio, where the program host was a woman, the broadcasting regulator had ordered a TV camera be installed under the table.
On the show, Mr. Strauss-Kahn said: "Humor is not funny when it's essentially mean."
Recently, Mr. Strauss-Kahn faced public-relations bungles. Last week, French media published a photo showing the IMF chief and his wife entering a Porsche Panamera, property of a French spokesman, during a layover in Paris. The photos rekindled a debate over whether Mr. Strauss-Kahn, known for a taste for fine food and luxurious vacations, was a true Socialist.
The IMF chief often has been described in the French press as a "champagne socialist" or "caviar gauche." Anne Sinclair, Mr. Strauss-Kahn's wife, a French television journalist, comes from a renowned art-dealing family.
Last week, argentina soccer jersey French magazine L'Express devoted a cover story to a review of Mr. Strauss-Kahn's and his wife's multiple real-estate assets, including some in France and Morocco. Ms. Sinclair couldn't be reached for comment, though she issued a statement on Sunday saying she was sure her husband would be "proven innocent."
In a separate article, Le Parisien newspaper wrote that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had a suit cut at a Washington tailor where the prices range between $7,000 to $35,000. Aides to Mr. Strauss-Kahn said the information was wrong.
Allies to Mr. Strauss-Kahn defend the IMF chief, saying he is equally at easy with decision makers and ordinary French people.
"We need a statesman who can talk to everybody," said French Socialist lawmaker Christophe Cambadélis.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
1949: Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine
1971: Graduated from France's HEC business school
1977: Earned a Ph.D. in economics with a concentration in household economics. Started a career as an economics professor
1986: Elected as a Socialist candidate to National Assembly
1991-1993: Trade minister in Socialist administration of President Fran?ois Mitterrand.
1993: Set up corporate law firm
1997-1999: Finance minister in the Socialist government of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
November 2006:Lost to Ségolène Royal in the Socialist Party primaries
November 2007: Appointed managing director of IMF
October 2008: IMF investigates harassment and abuse of power allegations. Mr. Strauss-Kahn was later cleared.
Cajuns told to leave home, but some hold out hope
HENDERSON, Louisiana - Army Corps of Engineers workers opened more floodgates at the Morganza Spillway in Louisiana Sunday, just upriver from New Orleans, bringing the total to four.
They're diverting millions of gallons per minute into the Atchafalaya Basin, Custom Soccer Jerseys sparing New Orleans while flooding thousands of square miles of Cajun country.
CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds reports that this is the moment of truth for a lot of folks in low lying areas around the basin. Officials say it's time to go, but for the people of Cajun country, it's not that simple.
In Butte La Rose, Randy Moncrief had one eye on the grill and the other on the water lapping at his dad's home.
"Everybody's gone. It's gonna be like a ghost town around here in the next day or two," Moncrief said.
Moncrief, ac milan jersey a retired tugboat operator, expects the second floor of the home to stay dry, but that's all.
Video: How spillways protect cities
Photos: Mississippi River flooding
Miss. River closing would cost U.S. $300m per day
Down the street at a cabin named "Last Dance," Pierre Watermeyer wrapped the building in plastic, ringed it with sandbags, and hoped for the best.
"I'm hoping. I'm really hoping it's going to prevent it from being ruined," Watermeyer said.
Butte La Rose is one of the scattered Cajun communities in the Atchafalaya River Basin, arsenal jersey an area of farm fields, fishing camps and free spirits, where water from the Morganza Spillway is now running, diverted from the Mississippi.
The diversion is supposed to lessen river pressure at the Baton Rouge and New Orleans flood walls. Unfortunately, to make that happen, communities like Butte La Rose may go under.
Four gates are open now at the spillway. Just one releases nearly 75,000 gallons per second, 4.5 million gallons per minute, a rate that would fill an Olympic-sized pool in nine seconds.
Downstream, St. Landry Parish issued a mandatory evacuation order: everyone out by Sunday afternoon.
"We are anticipating seeing some water in this area around 9 p.m. this evening," said Donald Menard, St. Landry Parish president on Sunday.
In Butte La Rose, england soccer jersey Randy Moncrief says they can issue all the evacuation orders they want. He's spent months remodeling this home, and has no intention of leaving it. But he's keeping a boat handy, just in case.
The people of Cajun country are refusing to leave for two reasons: One is emotional, and the other is skepticism - they just don't believe the Army Corps when officials say the water will ruin their homes.
It will be at least a week before the Mississippi River crest arrives at the Morganza Spillway. The Mississippi has broken river-level records that had held since the 1920s in some places.
The Army Corps of Engineers has taken drastic steps to prevent flooding. Engineers blew up a levee in Missouri -- inundating an estimated 200 square miles (520 square kilometers) of farmland and damaging or destroying about 100 homes -- to take the pressure off floodwalls protecting the town of Cairo, Illinois, population 2,800.
The Morganza flooding is more controlled, spain soccer jersey however, and residents are warned each year that the spillway could be opened. A spillway at the 7,000-foot Bonnet Carre structure in Louisiana also has been opened.
It seemed animals didn't want to be stuck anywhere, either: Deer, hogs and rabbits have started running from the water flowing near the floodgates, said Lt. Col. Joey Broussard of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. An electronic sign on Interstate 10 warned of a possible animal exodus: "Wildlife crossing possible. Use caution," it read.
They're diverting millions of gallons per minute into the Atchafalaya Basin, Custom Soccer Jerseys sparing New Orleans while flooding thousands of square miles of Cajun country.
CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds reports that this is the moment of truth for a lot of folks in low lying areas around the basin. Officials say it's time to go, but for the people of Cajun country, it's not that simple.
In Butte La Rose, Randy Moncrief had one eye on the grill and the other on the water lapping at his dad's home.
"Everybody's gone. It's gonna be like a ghost town around here in the next day or two," Moncrief said.
Moncrief, ac milan jersey a retired tugboat operator, expects the second floor of the home to stay dry, but that's all.
Video: How spillways protect cities
Photos: Mississippi River flooding
Miss. River closing would cost U.S. $300m per day
Down the street at a cabin named "Last Dance," Pierre Watermeyer wrapped the building in plastic, ringed it with sandbags, and hoped for the best.
"I'm hoping. I'm really hoping it's going to prevent it from being ruined," Watermeyer said.
Butte La Rose is one of the scattered Cajun communities in the Atchafalaya River Basin, arsenal jersey an area of farm fields, fishing camps and free spirits, where water from the Morganza Spillway is now running, diverted from the Mississippi.
The diversion is supposed to lessen river pressure at the Baton Rouge and New Orleans flood walls. Unfortunately, to make that happen, communities like Butte La Rose may go under.
Four gates are open now at the spillway. Just one releases nearly 75,000 gallons per second, 4.5 million gallons per minute, a rate that would fill an Olympic-sized pool in nine seconds.
Downstream, St. Landry Parish issued a mandatory evacuation order: everyone out by Sunday afternoon.
"We are anticipating seeing some water in this area around 9 p.m. this evening," said Donald Menard, St. Landry Parish president on Sunday.
In Butte La Rose, england soccer jersey Randy Moncrief says they can issue all the evacuation orders they want. He's spent months remodeling this home, and has no intention of leaving it. But he's keeping a boat handy, just in case.
The people of Cajun country are refusing to leave for two reasons: One is emotional, and the other is skepticism - they just don't believe the Army Corps when officials say the water will ruin their homes.
It will be at least a week before the Mississippi River crest arrives at the Morganza Spillway. The Mississippi has broken river-level records that had held since the 1920s in some places.
The Army Corps of Engineers has taken drastic steps to prevent flooding. Engineers blew up a levee in Missouri -- inundating an estimated 200 square miles (520 square kilometers) of farmland and damaging or destroying about 100 homes -- to take the pressure off floodwalls protecting the town of Cairo, Illinois, population 2,800.
The Morganza flooding is more controlled, spain soccer jersey however, and residents are warned each year that the spillway could be opened. A spillway at the 7,000-foot Bonnet Carre structure in Louisiana also has been opened.
It seemed animals didn't want to be stuck anywhere, either: Deer, hogs and rabbits have started running from the water flowing near the floodgates, said Lt. Col. Joey Broussard of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. An electronic sign on Interstate 10 warned of a possible animal exodus: "Wildlife crossing possible. Use caution," it read.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Cannes 2011: Festival fetes Woody Allen and 'Midnight in Paris'
A Woody Allen premiere is as much a fixture of the Cannes Film Festival as paparazzi and overpriced hotels. This year, the prolific director landed a high-profile slot, with his "Midnight in Paris" chosen as the opening-night movie.
Allen's film, a whimsical romantic comedy, Authentic Soccer Jerseys stars Owen Wilson as a nostalgia-minded writer who, while on a trip to the City of Light, finds himself transported from the present day back to the 1920s, where he meets period figures ranging from Gertrude Stein to Salvador Dali. Wilson is struggling through a bad relationship with his shrew of a fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and finds solace in an idealized past. (Said idealization, incidentally, allows Allen to film numerous beauty shots of Paris both past and present.)
At the festival Wednesday evening, Allen's film played to the tuxedoed mix of cinephiles and society types who populate the gathering's opening night, with festival head Thierry Frémaux and jury chief Robert De Niro among those who took the stage before "Paris" premiered.
The movie then screened to an appreciative crowd, chelsea jersey which no doubt enjoyed the gauzy tones in which the director paints their capital.
Earlier in the day, after his film screened to a largely warm reception for media, Allen spoke at a news conference about his own attitude toward the past.
"[It] sounds seductive but it's a trap," barcelona jersey said Allen, now 75. "There was no air conditioning; when you went to the dentist there was no Novocaine. There weren't a lot of the things we've gotten used to that make life bearable."
Of her off-putting character, McAdams told the news conference that she "was so excited when Woody told me, 'You won't be playing the object of desire.' "
Marion Cotillard, brazil soccer jersey who plays a period muse but was not at the news conference, said in an earlier interview with The Times that, despite the neurotic and sometimes dark tone in Allen's work, little of that was in evidence on the set.
"He has this vision of things that's a mix of humanity, love, humor and sarcasm," she said. "Most of it is this smile he has in everything he does, the smile he has in his eyes when he looks at someone, with tenderness and humor."
Allen's last two releases, argentina soccer jersey "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" and "Whatever Works," were relatively low profile after his 2008 hit "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." "Midnight in Paris" will open in the United States on May 20.
As for his inspiration, Allen said that "I was going to do a film set in Paris and first I thought of the title, which sounded romantic. But I didn't know what was going to happen at midnight. Months went by and I couldn't think of anything," he said. "Then it occurred to me one day that a car would pull up and take him someplace. This time I was lucky -- I could have thought of something foolish or I could have thought of nothing and changed the title."
Allen's film, a whimsical romantic comedy, Authentic Soccer Jerseys stars Owen Wilson as a nostalgia-minded writer who, while on a trip to the City of Light, finds himself transported from the present day back to the 1920s, where he meets period figures ranging from Gertrude Stein to Salvador Dali. Wilson is struggling through a bad relationship with his shrew of a fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and finds solace in an idealized past. (Said idealization, incidentally, allows Allen to film numerous beauty shots of Paris both past and present.)
At the festival Wednesday evening, Allen's film played to the tuxedoed mix of cinephiles and society types who populate the gathering's opening night, with festival head Thierry Frémaux and jury chief Robert De Niro among those who took the stage before "Paris" premiered.
The movie then screened to an appreciative crowd, chelsea jersey which no doubt enjoyed the gauzy tones in which the director paints their capital.
Earlier in the day, after his film screened to a largely warm reception for media, Allen spoke at a news conference about his own attitude toward the past.
"[It] sounds seductive but it's a trap," barcelona jersey said Allen, now 75. "There was no air conditioning; when you went to the dentist there was no Novocaine. There weren't a lot of the things we've gotten used to that make life bearable."
Of her off-putting character, McAdams told the news conference that she "was so excited when Woody told me, 'You won't be playing the object of desire.' "
Marion Cotillard, brazil soccer jersey who plays a period muse but was not at the news conference, said in an earlier interview with The Times that, despite the neurotic and sometimes dark tone in Allen's work, little of that was in evidence on the set.
"He has this vision of things that's a mix of humanity, love, humor and sarcasm," she said. "Most of it is this smile he has in everything he does, the smile he has in his eyes when he looks at someone, with tenderness and humor."
Allen's last two releases, argentina soccer jersey "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" and "Whatever Works," were relatively low profile after his 2008 hit "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." "Midnight in Paris" will open in the United States on May 20.
As for his inspiration, Allen said that "I was going to do a film set in Paris and first I thought of the title, which sounded romantic. But I didn't know what was going to happen at midnight. Months went by and I couldn't think of anything," he said. "Then it occurred to me one day that a car would pull up and take him someplace. This time I was lucky -- I could have thought of something foolish or I could have thought of nothing and changed the title."
Taliban Leaders Aid Hunt For al Qaeda, Afghans Say
KABUL—Senior Afghan officials say some Taliban leaders are offering intelligence about al Qaeda to prove they are serious about peace talks with the Afghan government.
The Afghan claims represent another sign of the new state of play in the region following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces. Amid suspicions of Pakistani complicity in providing a haven for bin Laden, the claims of Taliban outreach serve to assert Afghan authority in peace efforts and play down the notion that only Pakistan can bring Taliban leaders to the table.
The Afghan officials who Custom Soccer Jerseys described the outreach said intelligence provided by Taliban leaders aided in the capture of Umar Patek, the suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings. Mr. Patek, an Indonesian, was arrested earlier this year by Pakistan's intelligence service in Abbottabad, the same town where bin Laden was killed last week.
The Afghan assertions were ridiculed by an official with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, who dismissed them as an Afghan attempt to "impress" America. A Taliban spokesman denied the claims.
A U.S. defense ac milan jersey official voiced skepticism that Mr. Patek's arrest was facilitated by Afghan intelligence. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul declined to comment.
But a U.S. official with knowledge of the outreach to the Taliban said some "relatively senior" Taliban leaders have been providing useful information on al Qaeda, although he couldn't confirm the claim regarding Mr. Patek.
"We don't know if it's part of a reconciliation deal or a splinter group worried about Special Forces coming after them," the U.S. official said. Reconciling with the Taliban has been a priority of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Since bin Laden's death, Afghan and American officials have made public appeals to the Taliban to join peace talks or face an end similar to his.
A major U.S. arsenal jersey precondition for those talks is for the Taliban to sever its ties to al Qaeda.
Bin Laden's death is a "golden opportunity" for the Taliban to cut that connection, said Afghan deputy national security adviser Shaida Mohammad Abdali.
"There are important people that are coming and joining the process," said Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai, who advises Mr. Karzai on the outreach to the insurgency.
Afghan officials have complained that the Pakistani intelligence service, with an interest in maintaining Pakistani control over the peace process through its links to the Taliban, has repeatedly interfered to derail Kabul's attempts to talk with insurgent leaders. But suspicion that elements of Pakistan's military gave bin Laden refuge in Abbottabad has provided Afghan officials with new leverage.
One of the Taliban members speaking to Kabul, england soccer jersey Afghan officials say, is Mawlawi Mohammed Abdul Kabir, a deputy prime minister during the Taliban regime who is now considered to be a senior member of the Quetta Shura, the insurgency's leadership council.
Senior members of the Afghan government said Mr. Kabir has been helping tip off Afghan officials about al Qaeda members since being released from Pakistani custody last year. Pakistan's government never confirmed that they detained him.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied that Taliban leaders have been providing information on al Qaeda. He said Mr. Kabir remains an active member of the insurgency and maintains no contacts with Kabul. The Taliban say they won't join any peace talks until all foreign forces leave.
The Taliban have announced a spring offensive and stepped up deadly attacks in recent days. Mr. Stanekzai said the violence was a tactic for the insurgency to position themselves as peace negotiations unfold to get more of their demands met.
The Taliban, spain soccer jersey while condemning bin Laden's killing, insist that the Afghan insurgency is a homegrown movement fully independent of al Qaeda, and say the death of al Qaeda's founder will have no effect on their struggle.
Some former Taliban who have already reconciled with Kabul also cast doubt on the Afghan government's claims, describing them as a deliberate attempt to sow discord within the insurgency.
"This is the rule of spy agencies to divide and rule," said Abdul Hakim Mujahid, the former Taliban representative to the U.N. who is now part of the government's High Peace Council.
The Afghan claims represent another sign of the new state of play in the region following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces. Amid suspicions of Pakistani complicity in providing a haven for bin Laden, the claims of Taliban outreach serve to assert Afghan authority in peace efforts and play down the notion that only Pakistan can bring Taliban leaders to the table.
The Afghan officials who Custom Soccer Jerseys described the outreach said intelligence provided by Taliban leaders aided in the capture of Umar Patek, the suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings. Mr. Patek, an Indonesian, was arrested earlier this year by Pakistan's intelligence service in Abbottabad, the same town where bin Laden was killed last week.
The Afghan assertions were ridiculed by an official with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, who dismissed them as an Afghan attempt to "impress" America. A Taliban spokesman denied the claims.
A U.S. defense ac milan jersey official voiced skepticism that Mr. Patek's arrest was facilitated by Afghan intelligence. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul declined to comment.
But a U.S. official with knowledge of the outreach to the Taliban said some "relatively senior" Taliban leaders have been providing useful information on al Qaeda, although he couldn't confirm the claim regarding Mr. Patek.
"We don't know if it's part of a reconciliation deal or a splinter group worried about Special Forces coming after them," the U.S. official said. Reconciling with the Taliban has been a priority of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Since bin Laden's death, Afghan and American officials have made public appeals to the Taliban to join peace talks or face an end similar to his.
A major U.S. arsenal jersey precondition for those talks is for the Taliban to sever its ties to al Qaeda.
Bin Laden's death is a "golden opportunity" for the Taliban to cut that connection, said Afghan deputy national security adviser Shaida Mohammad Abdali.
"There are important people that are coming and joining the process," said Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai, who advises Mr. Karzai on the outreach to the insurgency.
Afghan officials have complained that the Pakistani intelligence service, with an interest in maintaining Pakistani control over the peace process through its links to the Taliban, has repeatedly interfered to derail Kabul's attempts to talk with insurgent leaders. But suspicion that elements of Pakistan's military gave bin Laden refuge in Abbottabad has provided Afghan officials with new leverage.
One of the Taliban members speaking to Kabul, england soccer jersey Afghan officials say, is Mawlawi Mohammed Abdul Kabir, a deputy prime minister during the Taliban regime who is now considered to be a senior member of the Quetta Shura, the insurgency's leadership council.
Senior members of the Afghan government said Mr. Kabir has been helping tip off Afghan officials about al Qaeda members since being released from Pakistani custody last year. Pakistan's government never confirmed that they detained him.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied that Taliban leaders have been providing information on al Qaeda. He said Mr. Kabir remains an active member of the insurgency and maintains no contacts with Kabul. The Taliban say they won't join any peace talks until all foreign forces leave.
The Taliban have announced a spring offensive and stepped up deadly attacks in recent days. Mr. Stanekzai said the violence was a tactic for the insurgency to position themselves as peace negotiations unfold to get more of their demands met.
The Taliban, spain soccer jersey while condemning bin Laden's killing, insist that the Afghan insurgency is a homegrown movement fully independent of al Qaeda, and say the death of al Qaeda's founder will have no effect on their struggle.
Some former Taliban who have already reconciled with Kabul also cast doubt on the Afghan government's claims, describing them as a deliberate attempt to sow discord within the insurgency.
"This is the rule of spy agencies to divide and rule," said Abdul Hakim Mujahid, the former Taliban representative to the U.N. who is now part of the government's High Peace Council.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pakistan grants U.S. access to bin Laden widows
CBS News confirms Pakistan has informed the United States that the ISI will allow access to Osama bin Laden's three widows who were left behind in the raid that killed the terrorist near Islamabad. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports it will be "direct access," meaning U.S. government agents will be able to interview them, and not just submit questions.
The relationship between Pakistan and Authentic Soccer Jerseys the U.S. has seen ups and downs since the CIA-coordinated raid that killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad.
Despite the back-and-forth relationship in the wake of the bin Laden raid, in his interview with "60 Minutes", President Barack Obama said: "We've been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else. We could not have done that without Pakistani cooperation."
CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports that Pakistan's prime minister said recently that, soccerjerseysmall.com/team-soccer-jerseys/chelsea-jersey.html">chelsea jersey in the future, any unauthorized raids within Pakistan will be met with "full force." He, of course, didn't find out about the raid that killed bin Laden until it was over, and the American commandos were safely out of the country.
"60 Minutes": Obama on the raid that killed bin Laden
Pakistan PM: Don't blame us for bin Laden
Special section: the killing of Osama bin Laden
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani faced parliament to explain how Pakistan could have missed both bin Laden and the U.S. raid that killed him. Gilani said his government was proud of the armed forces, and that there was an intelligence failure, but no collusion with al Qaeda. He called allegations of complicity or incompetence "absurd. "
Simple denial isn't enough though. barcelona jersey
Pakistan's political opposition wants to see a thorough investigation of the whole fiasco.
"The most serious fallout, apart from feeling the worst humiliation ever, is of credibility. No one will trust what Pakistan says anymore," said Imran Khan, a Pakistani opposition politician.
The U.S. brazil soccer jersey didn't trust Pakistan last Monday when SEALs raided bin Laden's hideout without telling the ISI intelligence service.
Additionally, argentina soccer jersey a report in the Pakistani media outed a senior CIA operative last Friday, apparently in an attempt to blow his cover.
So far there's been no comment from the American embassy, and it's far from clear who leaked the information. However, it's widely seen as a humiliated and angry ISI taking revenge on the CIA.
Pakistan was a prickly partner for the U.S. in fighting terrorism, last Monday's raid torpedoed that good will, putting the whole
The relationship between Pakistan and Authentic Soccer Jerseys the U.S. has seen ups and downs since the CIA-coordinated raid that killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad.
Despite the back-and-forth relationship in the wake of the bin Laden raid, in his interview with "60 Minutes", President Barack Obama said: "We've been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else. We could not have done that without Pakistani cooperation."
CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports that Pakistan's prime minister said recently that, soccerjerseysmall.com/team-soccer-jerseys/chelsea-jersey.html">chelsea jersey in the future, any unauthorized raids within Pakistan will be met with "full force." He, of course, didn't find out about the raid that killed bin Laden until it was over, and the American commandos were safely out of the country.
"60 Minutes": Obama on the raid that killed bin Laden
Pakistan PM: Don't blame us for bin Laden
Special section: the killing of Osama bin Laden
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani faced parliament to explain how Pakistan could have missed both bin Laden and the U.S. raid that killed him. Gilani said his government was proud of the armed forces, and that there was an intelligence failure, but no collusion with al Qaeda. He called allegations of complicity or incompetence "absurd. "
Simple denial isn't enough though. barcelona jersey
Pakistan's political opposition wants to see a thorough investigation of the whole fiasco.
"The most serious fallout, apart from feeling the worst humiliation ever, is of credibility. No one will trust what Pakistan says anymore," said Imran Khan, a Pakistani opposition politician.
The U.S. brazil soccer jersey didn't trust Pakistan last Monday when SEALs raided bin Laden's hideout without telling the ISI intelligence service.
Additionally, argentina soccer jersey a report in the Pakistani media outed a senior CIA operative last Friday, apparently in an attempt to blow his cover.
So far there's been no comment from the American embassy, and it's far from clear who leaked the information. However, it's widely seen as a humiliated and angry ISI taking revenge on the CIA.
Pakistan was a prickly partner for the U.S. in fighting terrorism, last Monday's raid torpedoed that good will, putting the whole
Jury Selection Opens in Casey Anthony Murder Trial
Jury selection started Monday in the trial of an Orlando woman charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter.
Casey Anthony's trial will take place in Orlando, Custom Soccer Jerseys but jurors are being selected at a courthouse about 100 miles away because of the intense media coverage. The first panel of potential jurors met with the judge and attorneys Monday morning in Clearwater.
Chief Judge Belvin Perry hopes to have 20 jurors — including eight alternates — in place by the end of the week so the trial can begin May 17. Potential jurors will undergo two rounds of questioning and be asked if they could recommend the death penalty for Anthony.
She is charged with first-degree murder, and any juror who couldn't recommend death would be disqualified.
Anthony, 25, ac milan jersey has pleaded not guilty to killing her daughter Caylee and says a baby-sitter kidnapped her. After a massive search, the girl's body was found seven months after her June 2008 disappearance. It was discovered by a meter reader in some woods about a quarter of a mile from the home mother and daughter had shared with Anthony's parents and brother. Detectives said residue of a heart-shaped sticker was found on duct tape over the mouth of her skull.
Monday was spent identifying jurors who have personal issues that would preclude them from serving the six to eight weeks the trial is expected to last. Those not dismissed for those reasons must come back later for more questioning.
Defense attorney Jose Baez objected to the first panel of about 100 people in its entirety, saying that it wasn't representative of Orlando's demographics because it had only two Hispanic and four African-American jurors.
Perry denied the objection and questioning of the panelists began.
Of the potential jurors available, arsenal jersey 66 were questioned Monday and 43 jurors were dismissed for various hardship reasons.
Among them, one male juror was given a pass after he said he faced a deployment in the U.S. Coast Guard. Another woman was dismissed who said she was the sole caretaker for her elderly father. Some citing financial concerns were dismissed from jury duty, but Perry asked others to see if employers would compensate them during the trial. Jurors will only be paid a $30 daily stipend for their service.
In another instance, england soccer jersey a Hispanic man said he'd purchased non-refundable tickets to Puerto Rico in June to pick up the ashes of his wife's mother. The judge asked him to see if his airline would waive a date change fee. And possibly the most candid admission came from a man who was dismissed after he admitted to prejudging Anthony guilty on the basis of pretrial publicity.
Perry also issued an order Monday morning denying a defense request to exclude air tests from carpet sample taken from Anthony's car. Tests for odors associated with a body's decomposition were run on the carpet sample and the tests identified chloroform in the sample.
Chloroform is a spain soccer jersey chemical associated with decomposition but also can be used to render a person unconscious.
The tests have never been admitted in a trial in the United States.
Jury selection will continue Tuesday morning.
Casey Anthony's trial will take place in Orlando, Custom Soccer Jerseys but jurors are being selected at a courthouse about 100 miles away because of the intense media coverage. The first panel of potential jurors met with the judge and attorneys Monday morning in Clearwater.
Chief Judge Belvin Perry hopes to have 20 jurors — including eight alternates — in place by the end of the week so the trial can begin May 17. Potential jurors will undergo two rounds of questioning and be asked if they could recommend the death penalty for Anthony.
She is charged with first-degree murder, and any juror who couldn't recommend death would be disqualified.
Anthony, 25, ac milan jersey has pleaded not guilty to killing her daughter Caylee and says a baby-sitter kidnapped her. After a massive search, the girl's body was found seven months after her June 2008 disappearance. It was discovered by a meter reader in some woods about a quarter of a mile from the home mother and daughter had shared with Anthony's parents and brother. Detectives said residue of a heart-shaped sticker was found on duct tape over the mouth of her skull.
Monday was spent identifying jurors who have personal issues that would preclude them from serving the six to eight weeks the trial is expected to last. Those not dismissed for those reasons must come back later for more questioning.
Defense attorney Jose Baez objected to the first panel of about 100 people in its entirety, saying that it wasn't representative of Orlando's demographics because it had only two Hispanic and four African-American jurors.
Perry denied the objection and questioning of the panelists began.
Of the potential jurors available, arsenal jersey 66 were questioned Monday and 43 jurors were dismissed for various hardship reasons.
Among them, one male juror was given a pass after he said he faced a deployment in the U.S. Coast Guard. Another woman was dismissed who said she was the sole caretaker for her elderly father. Some citing financial concerns were dismissed from jury duty, but Perry asked others to see if employers would compensate them during the trial. Jurors will only be paid a $30 daily stipend for their service.
In another instance, england soccer jersey a Hispanic man said he'd purchased non-refundable tickets to Puerto Rico in June to pick up the ashes of his wife's mother. The judge asked him to see if his airline would waive a date change fee. And possibly the most candid admission came from a man who was dismissed after he admitted to prejudging Anthony guilty on the basis of pretrial publicity.
Perry also issued an order Monday morning denying a defense request to exclude air tests from carpet sample taken from Anthony's car. Tests for odors associated with a body's decomposition were run on the carpet sample and the tests identified chloroform in the sample.
Chloroform is a spain soccer jersey chemical associated with decomposition but also can be used to render a person unconscious.
The tests have never been admitted in a trial in the United States.
Jury selection will continue Tuesday morning.
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