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Sunday, October 3, 2010

Key NATO supply route hit again in Pakistan - The Associated Press

Key NATO supply route hit again in PakistanBy ZARAR KHAN (AP) – 40 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD — Suspected militants attacked and set fire to around 20 tankers carrying oil for NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan on Monday, the third such strike inside Pakistan in as many days, police said.

The attack took place on a supply line that has been closed by Pakistani authorities in protest at a NATO helicopter attack that killed three Pakistan troops on the border last week.

It will raise the stakes in the closure, which has exacerbated tensions between Washington and Islamabad but has been welcomed by Islamist groups opposed to Pakistan's support off the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.

Police officer Umer Hayat said two people were killed in the attack close to the capital Islamabad by what he called "terrorists." The attackers opened fire on trucks that were parked at a poorly guarded terminal before setting them afire, he and other officers said.

The trucks were en route or waiting to travel to the Torkham border crossing along the fabled Khyber Pass, which is used to bring fuel, military vehicles, spare parts, clothing and other non-lethal supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan's other main route into landlocked Afghanistan, in Chaman in the southwest, has remained open.

While NATO and the United States have alternative supply routes into Afghanistan, the Pakistani ones are the cheapest and most convenient. Most of the coalition's non-lethal supplies are transported over Pakistani soil after being unloaded at docks in Karachi, a port city in the south.

On Friday, a day after the closure of the Khyber Pass route to NATO and US traffic, there were two attacks on oil tankers headed to the country. The convoys take several days to reach the border after setting off from Karachi and make frequent stops.

Over the past two years they often have been attacked by militants, mostly in the northwestern border region where militants are strongest. They also have been targeted by criminals, who can sell the clothing, vehicles and other equipment they carry.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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US issues travel alert for Americans in Europe - Christian Science Monitor

• A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

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The US State Department issued a travel alert Sunday to urge Americans traveling to Europe to use caution and vigilance in the wake of a terrorist plot uncovered last week to attack major European cities.

"Current information suggests that Al Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks," warns the alert. "US citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling."

The alert also warns that terrorists might attack public transportation systems and "tourist infrastructure."

The alert is not a travel warning, which would advise Americans from traveling to Europe. But it underlines how seriously officials are taking the recent Al Qaeda threat against Europe.

The Associated Press reports that the US did not meet strong opposition from European leaders when it informed them of the plan to issue the alert. But the New York Times reports that European officials have been worried about the effect such an action could have on tourism and student travel to Europe.

A US official told the AP the travel alert is “a cumulative result of information the US has received over an extended period.” But it comes after the revelation last week that Western intelligence agencies had uncovered an Al Qaeda plot to wage attacks on European cities. The Monitor reported that the plan was reportedly to mimic the style of the deadly attack on Mumbai in 2008, with small teams of heavily-armed militants moving in teams to capture and execute Westerners in Britain, France, and Germany.

Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan were reportedly behind the attack, and intelligence agencies have said that Osama bin Laden was possibly involved personally. The plot may have been uncovered when authorities detained a German terror suspect in Afghanistan in July.

Media reports have linked the plot to US drone strikes in Pakistan. But it is unclear whether the Al Qaeda plot was an attempt to respond to the drone strikes, or whether the strikes were intended to disrupt the plot – or both. The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of reported drone attacks in Pakistan doubled in September, up to 22.

Regardless of the reason for the reported plot to attack Europe, officials appear to be reacting with seriousness.

In addition to the travel alert, Sweden announced Friday that it has raised its terror alert to the highest status, reports The Guardian. France has been hit particularly hard: the Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated twice in September after bomb threats and a warning was issued about a female suicide bomber targeting public transit. The Monitor reported that France has been unusually shaken by the recent threats.

The terror warnings have put Europe on alert and caused France, which prides itself in taking something of a phlegmatic view of the threat of terrorism, to increase its terror alert to “red plus” – the second-highest level. France's uncharacteristic cautiousness could signal the seriousness of recent threats, say security analysts, and suggests a new attitude emerging in France toward security.


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Rutgers honors late student at homecoming game - The Associated Press

Rutgers honors late student at homecoming game(AP) – 19 minutes ago

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers University paid a public tribute Saturday at a football game to a student who committed suicide last week after his sexual encounter was secretly streamed online.

Most in the crowd bowed their heads after a public address announcer requested a moment of silence for 18-year-old freshman Tyler Clementi before the start of the game against its homecoming gam against Tulane.

Clementi's name was shown on the stadium's huge scoreboard, and the crowd applauded politely after the observation ended.

Prosecutors say Clementi's roommate and another student used a webcam to broadcast on the Internet live images of Clementi having an intimate encounter with another man.

Clementi, a promising violinist, jumped off the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River three days later. His body was identified Thursday.

The homecoming tribute was the latest in a series of remembrances for Clementi at the university that included the establishment of a Facebook group, In Honor of Tyler Clementi.

On Friday, students wore black and were encouraged to leave flowers or mementoes at a makeshift memorial for Clementi. The Rutgers Glee Club also marched down to the memorial and performed an a capella rendition of "Rutgers Prayer," which is traditionally sung when an important member of the Rutgers community dies or a tragedy happens at the university.

The university will hold a vigil on Sunday.

Clementi's death was one of a string of suicides last month involving teens believed to have been victims of anti-gay bullying. On Friday, more than 500 people attended a memorial service for Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old central California boy who hanged himself after enduring taunts from classmates about being gay.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Tourists to be warned of Al Qaeda threat on Europe - ABC Online

Posted October 3, 2010 10:42:00

The United States Government is to issue a new travel alert for American tourists in Europe.

Travellers will be told to be vigilant while travelling because of what have been described as credible threats from Al Qaeda.

Security agencies have suggested that there are plans to mount attacks in European cities similar to those in Mumbai in November 2008.

Tourists are to be warned to stay away from crowded places.

There was no immediate indication when the alert might be issued.

News media in the last week reported that western intelligence agencies had uncovered an Al Qaeda plot to launch attacks in Britain, France, Germany and the United States.

The reports said well-armed, commando-style teams of jihadists planned to seize and murder Western hostages in a manner similar to the Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Two Indian hotels in Mumbai were besieged by 10 gunmen who killed 166 people and injured more than 300.

- BBC/AFP/Reuters

Tags: unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, france, germany, united-kingdom, united-states


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Brown, Whitman tangle over illegal immigration in debate - Los Angeles Times

Brown, Whitman debate: Brown, Whitman heatedly debate illegal immigration - latimes.com div.thumbnail span.credit { font-weight: normal !important;}div.article div.articlerail ul li.relatedTitle, div.storygallery div.storyGalleryRail ul li.relatedTitle { font-size: 12px !important;} Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds   latimes.com Local HOME Breaking iPhone Apps Weather Traffic Obituaries Join Now Community Crosswords Wine Club Local L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries Hot List U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion World Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Cars Sports Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels Kings/Ducks NFL USC UCLA Soccer High Schools Scores/Stats Entertainment Movies Television Music Celebrity Arts & Culture Company Town Calendar Envelope Books Hot List Health Booster Shots Fitness & Nutrition Medicine Mental Health Healthcare Reform Breast Cancer Hospitals Living Home Food Image Books Parenting Hot List Brand X Magazine Your Scene Cars Travel California Hawaii Mexico Las Vegas Europe Asia Australia Travel & Deal Blog Destinations Opinion Editorials Op-Ed Letters Endorsements Opinion L.A. More Corrections Readers' Rep Photos Video Blogs Data Desk Weather Traffic Puzzles & Games Mobile Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds In the News: One Nation Rally ucla-washington state usc-washington Weather Rick Sanchez Meg Whitman Brown, Whitman tangle over illegal immigration in debate Sparks fly at a Spanish-language debate between the candidates for California governor. Whitman says Brown was behind ex-housekeeper's emergence. Brown accuses Whitman of failing to take responsibility. Share Related A jumbled view of illegal immigrants A jumbled view of illegal immigrants Meg Whitman says she'd submit to polygraph Meg Whitman says she'd submit to polygraph Steve Lopez: Meg, let's get together for that lie-detector test Stories Whitman admits using undocumented immigrant as housekeeper Whitman admits using undocumented immigrant as housekeeper Brown and Whitman go head to head Brown and Whitman go head to head Brown leads Whitman 49%-44% in poll Brown leads Whitman 49%-44% in poll See more stories » X Whitman sets U.S. record for candidate's donation to campaign By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times October 2, 2010|2:21 p.m.

EmailE-mail printPrint increase text sizedecrease text sizeText Size la-me-1003-brown-whitman-debate-20101003 Reporting from Fresno — Gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown tangled in a blistering dispute Saturday over Whitman's employment of an illegal immigrant housekeeper as they met for the campaign's first and only Spanish-language debate.

The most intense exchange of the debate, held at Cal State Fresno, came when the moderator asked Whitman about the revelations earlier this week that she had employed Nicandra Diaz Santillan for nine years before firing her in 2009. Whitman has denied knowing that Diaz Santillan was undocumented until just before the dismissal.

Whitman turned to face Brown and accused Brown of being behind Santillan's emergence.

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"Jerry, you should be ashamed," she said, turning to Brown and shaking her finger. "You and your surrogates put her deportation at risk. You put her out there. You should be ashamed for sacrificing Nicky Diaz on the altar of your political ambitions."

Brown fired back, denying any involvement and accusing Whitman of failing to take responsibility.

"Let's be sympathetic and let's really empathize with the millions of people who are in the shadows and you want to keep them in the shadows and now you're trying to evade responsibility," he said. "Don't run for governor if you can't stand up on your own two feet and say, 'Hey I made a mistake, I'm sorry, let's go on from here.' You have blamed her, blamed me, blamed the left, blamed the unions but you don't take accountability."

Whitman said she fulfilled her obligations as an employer and fired the housekeeper when the woman disclosed her undocumented status last year.

The 60-minute debate was much more confrontational, and their accusations much more personal than their first meeting, which took place Tuesday night in Davis. Saturday's debate was sponsored by Univision, the Fresno Bee, the Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Cal State Fresno and the city of Fresno.

It was filmed at midday Saturday, with questions posed in Spanish and simultaneously translated for the candidates. It was to be aired later, after Spanish voiceovers were added to the candidates' responses.

The meeting was plagued by technical difficulties. Immediately after the exchange about the housekeeper, the translation system stopped working, and both candidates were taken off stage for several minutes and placed in separate holding areas.

Unemployment, home foreclosures, education and the water shortage in the Central Valley also played prominent roles in the clash, but illegal immigration provided the sharpest contrast between the candidates, with Brown supporting a path to citizenship for undocumented workers and Whitman opposing one. Brown repeatedly accused Whitman of "talking out of both sides of her mouth" as she appeals to Latinos. Whitman stood by her proposals, including a guest-worker program, and emphasized instead her plans to create jobs and improve education, two areas of considerable interest to Latinos since the economy has disproportionately affected them.

Latinos are an emerging political force in California, representing 21% of the electorate, compared with 10% two decades ago. In 2008, they made up 18% of general-election voters. Republicans have long seen an opportunity to regain ground because many Latinos share some of the core values of the party, such as social conservatism, and are small-business owners. But until now GOP candidates have lacked the resources to make an all-out push for their votes.

Whitman, who has put $119 million of her own money into her campaign, has launched an aggressive outreach effort, flooding Spanish-language radio and TV and opening neighborhood offices in cities with large Latino populations. Brown, on the other hand, ran a bare-bones campaign through the summer, relying on labor unions to carry his message until last month when he began airing his own ads.

michael.mishak@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

Email E-mail Print Print add to Digg Digg add to Twitter Twitter add to Facebook Facebook Read This Later Read This Later   Comments (62)Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ PauvrePapillon at 4:35 PM October 02, 2010

You really want an amnesty program? You really want to shake things up? You really want to live in a multi-cultural America? You really want social justice? You really want to show compassion for those less fortunate?

Here is my proposal.

If by age 30, you have not been able to figure out a way to make a living, if you are still drawing general welfare or AFDC or food stamps or Section 8 housing or any other means-tested taxpayer provided benefit, we trade you, your passport and citizenship to the highest-bidding foreigner who wants to move to America and make a go of it.

You get one-half of the funds paid by the highest bidder for your citizenship to help you get started in your new country. The taxpayers get the other half to help offset the monies you have drained out of the treasury.

vconcerned at 4:30 PM October 02, 2010



The Whitman family hired the illegal alien through an employment agency.  The illegal alien approached the Whitman family and confessed that she was in this country illegally.  The Whitman family fires the employment of illegal alien per California law.  I commend law abiding citizen's and can not blame the family for hiring an illegal alien they acquired through an employment agency that should have verified that the ss number matched the person.  The illegal alien stole an innocent US citizen's ss number, along as took a position that could have gone to a US citizen, is in this country illegally, and has not yet been deported, and some slum bag lawyer who happens to contribute to Jerry Brown's campaign for governorship not once, but twice in his career is representing the illegal alien.  There is enough evidence there for me to see that this is a smear campaign and Jerry Brown is the man behind the smear.  



FredLarsen at 4:29 PM October 02, 2010

These debates are a waste of time. Did anyone learn when the water will be turned back on in the CV ? No. Did we get any input on what they think, and will inherit, as result of the new budget ? No. The Dems just signed off on $7.5B in cuts to schools ? More cuts to "other". Your thoughts Jerry ? How can we afford any taxcuts? Meg ??? My wife's union, the AFL-CIO, just filled our mailbox with they're typical BS! Don't touch our pensions, blah, blah, blah. The sad part of it is that there are 8 illegals working in her store with Union cards. Safeway is a fine company!

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Liberals rally in Washington: Will it help Democrats? - Christian Science Monitor

The Democratic base gathered in Washington Saturday, seeking to rouse their party in the face of likely losses in the midterm elections just a month from now.

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Comparisons to Fox News commentator Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally at the same Lincoln Memorial site five weeks ago were obvious. National Park Service police stopped counting crowds years ago, and although tens of thousands (at least) gathered at Saturday’s “One Nation Working Together” rally it likely did match the tea party crowd who flocked to see Beck and Sarah Palin.

The full title of the event was “One Nation Working Together For Jobs, Justice and Education for All” – which covers just about everybody under the Democratic Party’s big tent, as well as its current effort to highlight differences with Republicans.

Sponsoring and participating organizations – some 400 in all – ranged from steelworkers and public employees unions to environmental groups, gay rights advocates, Hispanic organizations, and peace groups.

While Beck’s rally was more religious than overtly political, Saturday’s “One Nation” event focused specifically on next month’s elections.

"Today we march, tomorrow we vote,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson told the crowd.

Getting out that vote is a challenge.

“What's clear to me is that getting ourselves to the poll is truly up to us,” NAACP president Benjamin Jealous told NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Thursday. “A lot of folks who have invested in encouraging massive voter turnout – black voters, brown voters, students, working class whites – for whatever reason are not investing in it right now.”

From the top of the Democratic Party on down, leaders are trying to stir that base, particularly since many polls show Republicans – not to mention their tea party allies – much more enthusiastic about the upcoming elections.

“We have to get folks off the sidelines,” President Obama said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. “People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up.”

At a political fund-raiser in New Hampshire Monday, Vice President Joe Biden said Democrats must “remind our base constituency to stop whining.”

From the beginning, the White House has frequently found itself at odds with liberal activists pushing for a more progressive agenda – a public option as part of universal health care, for example. In August, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs famously complained about the “professional left.”

Such comments have brought some pushback.

“I can't for the life of me understand what the White House thinks it gains by continually poking the base – the people who actually vote in mid-term elections – only five weeks before the election,” wrote blogger John Aravosis. “Are they trying to convince the rest of Democrats – you know, the people who don't vote in mid-terms – that if they did vote, they should vote for Democrats because the people concerned about the state of the party, and the nation, are ‘whiners’?”

Saturday’s rally was an attempt to get beyond the party’s intramural squabbling, rouse the troops, focus on what’s politically doable, and reverse current trends showing congressional losses just a few weeks from now.


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Chicago mayor's race may be battle of shoe leather - The Associated Press

Chicago mayor's race may be battle of shoe leatherBy DON BABWIN (AP) – 1 hour ago

CHICAGO — It used to be that getting elected in Chicago meant relying on the ward boss, the precinct captain and the small armies they deployed to fix potholes, hand out frozen turkeys and even drive people to the polls.

Court rulings and corruption convictions have ended the primacy of the Machine, leaving get-out-the-vote efforts in the hands of what officials say are volunteers. But the city's first real mayor's race in more than two decades will test how far Chicago has advanced since the Machine's heyday, and how badly big-name, well-funded candidates like Rahm Emanuel still need that old street-level help.

"Never underestimate the power of the precinct worker," said Tom Manion, a longtime political operative who directed Mayor Richard M. Daley's first re-election campaign in 1991. "This is going to be a Generation X campaign with Facebook, Twitter and all that ... but you should never forget the power of friend talking to friend, neighbor talking to neighbor."

After resigning as White House chief of staff, Emanuel is expected to reintroduce himself to Chicago this week with visits to neighborhoods to meet voters. He has launched a new campaign website, ChicagoforRahm.com, with the promise of "a special video announcement" on Sunday. He easily has greater name recognition than other contenders, and he is among several candidates seeking the support of wealthy businessmen and politicians.

But election time in Chicago means the phones of ward committeemen and aldermen are ringing once again, with candidates asking how many volunteers they could put on the street and whether they would do so for them.

The modern campaign is a twist on the kind Chicago became known for, when city workers campaigned like their jobs depended on it — which they did — and ward bosses were expected to know how every firefighter and teacher was going to vote.

In the 1970s and '80s, court-backed agreements called the Shakman decrees made it illegal to hire and fire city employees for political reasons. So party officials now are careful to say volunteers are truly working out of sheer loyalty — though recent prosecutions prove the Chicago way of politics isn't completely gone. Some say it's just gone underground.

The jockeying for street help has already begun.

"I've talked to some folks in different campaigns," said David Fagus, the Democratic ward committeeman in the 49th ward on the city's North Side, who said he has about 100 volunteers at his disposal if and when he commits to a campaign.

Gery Chico, the Chicago School Board president and a close Daley ally who has announced he's in the race, said he has 500 volunteers working the streets, concentrating mainly on garnering the 12,500 signatures needed to secure a ballot spot. But, he said, those volunteers also send a message to larger ward organizations that a candidate has a strong campaign.

"They want to see if you have the resources," he explained.

Some candidates have enough support to put hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers on the street. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who has been telling allies that he's running, has the ability to quickly dispatch 250 or 300 volunteers, said Thom Serafin, a Chicago political analyst.

State Sen. James Meeks might have a lot more, thanks to his other job: pastor of a huge church on the city's South Side. "Meeks can go to his church; there are 20,000 people there," Fagus said.

After his time in Washington, Emanuel faces doubts about his support in the neighborhoods. Daley gave him street support when Emanuel ran for Congress from the North Side, but the mayor has so far has pledged neutrality.

With a political war chest of more than $1 million, there is little doubt Emanuel can hire plenty of people, said Dick Simpson, a University of Illinois at Chicago political scientist and former city alderman.

But it is unlikely the candidates will be able to field anywhere near the 10,000 volunteers that Manion said worked on Daley's first re-election campaign. Among the other changes is a parade of city workers charged with corruption in recent years — some of whom were brought down in an investigation that touched Emanuel.

In 2002, he and other candidates, including Daley, received campaign help from water department employees at the direction of their boss, who was convicted of corruption. Neither Emanuel nor Daley was accused of wrongdoing, but Emanuel's opponents will certainly mention the episode.

The biggest recent case involved Robert Sorich, Daley's "patronage chief," and three others, who were convicted of falsifying interviews and test scores of employment applicants to make sure jobs went to those who got out the vote.

"Any operations that survived the publicity (of those cases) have gone deep underground out of fear of the U.S. attorney," said lawyer Michael Shakman, whose crusade against patronage led to the court decrees.

But expect no shortage of door knocking and rides to the polls offered on a chilly February election day. "Friendly committeemen will be out there to encourage the senior citizen to vote early, and if they can assist with a cup of coffee and companionship while they vote, they'll do that," Serafin said.

Federal prosecutors will watch the process closely, but the real scrutiny will come after the election, said David Hoffman, a former inspector general at City Hall.

"The key issue will be if there is a link between political work and handing out ... jobs, contracts or something else," Hoffman said. "The first six to 12 months (after the election) will tell you a lot."

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Abbas on talks: 'We will continue to search for solutions' - Jerusalem Post

  Blair says peace within a year is a real possibility
Photo by: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post) By JPOST.COM STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PRESS 
10/03/2010 19:34 Talkbacks (16) Peace between Israel and the Palestinians within a year is possible, said Tony Blair on Sunday in an interview with Italian network RAI TV.

The Quartet envoy to the Middle East and former British prime minister outlined the reasons for his belief, saying that he felt people want peace and that US President Obama has made the issue an absolute priority.

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Following a meeting Sunday between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah II and US envoy George Mitchell, Abbas told reporters in Amman that despite serious issues blighting the peace talks, he would continue to "search for solutions."

According to news agency reports, he also reiterated that Israel's refusal to extend the settlement construction freeze was holding up negotiations, but that he would not stop discussions with the US as a result.

Of course, we are not going to sever ties with the Americans, and we will continue to have contacts with them to search for solutions, but the settlement building should stop and then we will return to the negotiating table," he said.

Earlier on Sunday during a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, US envoy George Mitchell said that the Palestinians are interested in peace talks with Israel continuing.

"Despite their differences, both the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have asked us to continue these discussions in an effort to establish the conditions under which they can continue direct negotiations," Mitchell told reporters after his meeting with Mubarak.

"They both want to continue these negotiations, they do not want to stop the talks," he added.

Directly after the meeting in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit backed the Palestinians' refusal to negotiate with Israel as long as it continues to build West Bank settlements, even as officials urged continued diplomacy Sunday to salvage the month-old talks.

"We understand the Palestinian position which calls for setting the appropriate environment and circumstances for negotiations to take place and continue," Aboul Gheit said. "The current conditions are not favorable."

Aboul Gheit said the focus now should be on continued US and international efforts to pressure Israel into agreeing to extending the settlement moratorium.

        Author:   RaoulCountry:   USA10/03/2010   23:15
Abbas is nothing more than Arafat in a suit and should be treated the same.


15. settlement actvity obsceneAuthor:   m. d'agostinoCountry:   italy10/03/2010   22:57
the continued settlement activity is obscene, and so is the the thousands of palestinians held in israeli jails. if palestinians and israelis cannot agree a peace deal, then one must be imposed with borders defined once and for all, and jerusalem shared.


Author:   H.AliCountry:   M.E.10/03/2010   22:13
If the world had guts and did not have double standards, it wouldn't have just told Israel to stop settlements but it would have asked it the following question: Who gave you the right to establish a state based on any racial or ethnic basis depriving thousands and millions of non-Jews of their homeland and locking them out of what used to be Palestine? No it isn't a question of settlements , the whole idea needs to be revisited, the whole concept. Lord Balfour or Harry Truman are no reference when it comes to basic human principles!nor is the holocaust a valid excuse!


13. it is entirely israel's fault.Author:   m. d'agostinoCountry:   italy10/03/2010   22:08
mr netanyahu thought it would have been an easy ride. he thought he would have easily got mr abbas inside his sleeve. not so, though. mr abbas is quite right to stand firm in his position, insisting, quite rightly, that if mr netanyahu is as genuine as he has publically claimed to be about a settled solution, he must stand firm against anyone trying to stop him from keeping his face. if mr netanyahu is genuine about a palestinian state, he must also consider on what land this state has to be established, and if he intends to leave any for the palestinians.the settlers are already there to take the lot.


Author:   steveCountry:   Israel10/03/2010   22:08
If the Arab League makes Abbas' decisions, shouldn't Israel be negotiating with it directly?


11. Continue the Search East of Jordan RiverAuthor:   Marc J. RauchCountry:   US10/03/2010   22:07
They could search all they want in Jordan or Syria or the Sinai, where there's plenty of land...muslim land. But there should be no muslims west of the Jordan River. Israel is for Jews.


Author:   SueCountry:   USA10/03/2010   21:34
In "peace" talks, it is not supposed to be that "the world" exert pressure on Israel so that the Palestinians get what they want. That is not peace. That is coersion.


Author:   PaulmaximusCountry:   10/03/2010   21:15
International Law is clear, the Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are illegal. The only issue for the 'peace' talks is to agree to a timetable where the illegal seyttlers leave the occupied territory and return to Israel or the USA according to their desire.


Author:   Mickey ObermanCountry:   Canada10/03/2010   20:52
Once again as Abba Eban once said, "The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." Abbas remains steadfast in maintaining a long standing Arab tradition.


7. Abbas on talks: 'We will continue to search for sAuthor:   By JPOST.COM STAFFCountry:   Canada10/03/2010   20:40
If Abbas had not broken the talks with Israel, it would have been as if one is talking to the thief asking him to return the stolen property while the thief is continuing to steal. Such talks do not make sense.



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Paul Accuses Conway of Flip-Flopping as Kentucky Senate Candidates Clash - FOXNews

The candidates for Kentucky's open Senate seat, one of the keystones in both parties' plans to hold the majority next year, clashed on "Fox News Sunday" over the nation's economy and over each other's personal integrity, with Republican Rand Paul accusing Democrat Jack Conway of flip-flopping on big issues. 

In a televised debate, Paul described the November midterms as a referendum on President Obama's legislative agenda. Suggesting voters are inclined to vote against that agenda, he accused his Democratic opponent of backing away from the Obama proposals he once supported. 

"What he needs to do is either defend his president or run away -- so far he's running away from President Obama and the agenda," Paul said. 

Paul, arguably the first Tea Party-backed Senate candidate to win a Republican nomination, is trying to cast his opponent as "ambivalent" on economic issues critical to his state. So far, most polls show Paul holding a considerable lead over the state's attorney general - the latest Rasmussen poll put Paul up 11 points. 

But Conway cast Paul as out-of-touch with state voters, particularly on the health care overhaul. Conway said hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents will have access to health care for the first time, warning that Paul's pledge to repeal the law would strip away premium assistance for low-income families and protections like a ban on denying coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions. 

"I want to fix health care. He wants to repeal it," Conway said. "I think that's a stark difference." 

Conway is standing by the health care law but offers mixed, and allegedly conflicting, reviews on other Obama priorities. Conway said he supported the tax cuts component of the stimulus package but that the "shovel-ready" infrastructure component has had mixed results. He said he would not have supported the bailouts -- which started under former President George W. Bush. 

But Paul said Conway has changed his tune entirely, and repeatedly, on the issue of tax cuts. 

After Congress adjourned without taking action on the looming expiration of the Bush tax cuts, Conway now says the Bush tax cuts should be extended. But he told the Courier-Journal editorial board in April: "I would favor letting expire probably the majority, the majority of the Bush tax cuts." 

Conway explained Sunday he was talking about "special interest provisions" that allow companies to ship U.S. jobs overseas. He stressed that he was originally for the Bush tax cuts in 2002. 

Paul accused Conway of simply changing his position time after time. "You were for them before you were against them before you were for them again," Paul said. 

He also accused Conway of being on "both sides" of the issue on the so-called "cap-and-trade" bill that would regulate greenhouse gas emissions. A local Kentucky news report last summer said Conway issued a statement in support of a House version of the cap-and-trade bill. Conway now says he's "against cap-and-trade" and "always have been." 

"Kentuckians are not going to tolerate someone who's ambivalent on cap-and-trade," Paul said. "Cap-and-trade will be a disaster to our economy." 

Conway says he's been consistent in standing up for Kentucky coal miners. 

Conway stressed his work battling pharmaceutical companies and criticized Paul repeatedly for controversial comments he made about the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said he would be focused "like a laser" on jobs creation if elected. 

Paul said his legislative work would be devoted to reducing spending and drawing down the national debt, pledging to introduce legislation to balance the budget. 

The national debt "is threatening the very foundation of our economy," he said. "It's incredibly dangerous. It's incredibly foolhardy." 

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Palestinians: Peace talks hinge on Israeli settlement construction - Washington Post

JERUSALEM - The Palestinian leadership said on Saturday that there would be no resumption of peace talks without a halt to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, backing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a dispute that has imperiled recently renewed negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded by appealing to Abbas to continue the negotiations. "The way to achieve an historic peace agreement between our two peoples is to sit around the negotiating table, seriously and continuously, and not to leave it, because that is the place to resolve our disagreements,'' he said in a statement.

Abbas met at his headquarters in Ramallah with members of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the central committee of his Fatah movement ahead of consultations at an Arab League summit in Libya next weekend.

"The leadership affirmed that the resumption of negotiations requires tangible steps that demonstrate their seriousness, first and foremost halting settlement without qualifications or exceptions," said a statement read out by Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior PLO official.

"The Palestinian leadership holds the Israeli government responsible for the suspension of the negotiations and the political process," the statement said, accusing Israel of seeking "to use the negotiations as a cover to pursue this settlement policy."

The U.S.-sponsored talks, renewed in early September, have foundered after a 10-month moratorium on new construction in Israeli settlements expired last Sunday and Netanyahu said it would not be renewed, despite pressure from Washington.

The U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, George J. Mitchell, failed to break the impasse on Friday after two days of shuttling between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. On Saturday he traveled to Qatar and Egypt to enlist the help of Arab leaders to broker a compromise.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Abbas, said that the Palestinian president would address Arab foreign ministers and leaders at the Arab League meeting, seek their advice "and then we'll come back to the Palestinian leadership in order to take the right decision." The Arab League had sanctioned the direct talks with the Israelis.

"The Palestinian position is clear: There will be no negotiations as long as settlement building continues," Abu Rudeineh said, adding that if the Israelis "are not restraining such activities, how are we going to agree on the final status issues?"

Palestinian officials assert that by expanding settlements, Israel is seizing land the Palestinians want for a future state before its fate is decided in negotiations. Netanyahu has argued that limited building in the settlements during the year allotted to reach an agreement would not affect the final drawing of borders, and that halting settlement construction was never a precondition for previous Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

"For 17 years the Palestinians conducted direct talks with Israeli governments while building went on in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said in response to the Palestinian statement, referring to the West Bank by its biblical names. "I hope that now, as well, they will not turn their backs on peace and continue the negotiations in order to reach a framework agreement within a year."

Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that there was a firm consensus among all factions at the Ramallah meeting that talks could not proceed as long as Israeli settlement building continued.

"How can you have a two-state solution if you are eating up the land of the other state?" Ashrawi said. "The Israelis have to understand once and for all that they just can't continue with this approach. . . .We can't afford it anymore. The two-state solution is disappearing."

Greenberg is a special correspondent.


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Three questioned in Nigeria terror attack that killed 12 - CNN International

The attack in Abuja came as the West African country celebrated 50 years of independence. The attack in Abuja came as the West African country celebrated 50 years of independence.NEW: Three people were arrested in connection to the terror attackNEW: MEND, which claims responsibility, says it gave the government five days noticeThe president says the attack was an attempt to disrupt independence celebrations

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Three people have been arrested in Nigeria and are being questioned in connection with the Friday blasts that killed 12 and injured 50 in the nation's capital, a spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan said Saturday.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, known as MEND, claimed responsibility for the attack in Abuja and said Saturday it had given the Nigerian government advance warning.

"The irresponsible attitude of the government security forces is to blame for the loss of lives," MEND said in a Saturday statement.

The group reported it had warned Nigerian security forces five days prior to the attack.

"The security forces were also warned one full hour to the first bomb blast ahead of the general alert sent to the media and told to steer the public from all parked cars which was not done," the statement continued.

The attack came as the West African country celebrated 50 years of independence.

The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed for blood donations to assist the wounded.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan later called the action a terror attack that was designed to "disrupt" the anniversary, said presidential spokesman Imo Niboro. But he said it had nothing to do with Niger Delta issues or MEND.

MEND, which represents militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta, is an umbrella organization of several rebel groups. It has been battling the government for years over fairer distribution of the country's oil wealth.

MEND said Henry Okah, who many say is an influential member of the group, had been harassed by authorities in South Africa, where he lives.

"Okah has never been involved in any MEND operations but has always been blamed for every attack which is strange to us," MEND's statement said.

"They (Nigerian security forces) were given 5 days prior notice (about the attack) which led to the harassment of Henry Okah on Thursday, September 30 in South Africa," the group said.


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'One Nation' rally draws thousands of Dem backers - Chicago Sun-Times

WASHINGTON -- Tapping into anger as the Tea Party movement has done, a coalition of progressive and civil rights groups marched by the thousands Saturday on the Lincoln Memorial and pledged to support Democrats struggling to keep power on Capitol Hill.

"We are together. This march is about the power to the people," said Ed Schultz, host of "The Ed Show" on MSNBC. "It is about the people standing up to the corporations. Are you ready to fight back?"

In his fiery speech, which opened the "One Nation Working Together" rally on the National Mall, Schultz blamed Republicans for shipping jobs overseas and curtailing freedoms. Borrowing some of conservative commentator Glenn Beck's rhetoric, he vowed to "take back our country."

"This is a defining moment in America. Are you American?" Schultz told the raucous crowd. "This is no time to back down. This is time to fight for America."

With a month of campaigning, the Democratic-leaning organizers hoped the four-hour program of speeches and entertainment would energize activists crucial to Democrats' chances of retaining their majorities in the House and Senate. The national mood suggests gains for the GOP, and Republicans are hoping to ride voter anger to gain control of the House and possibly the Senate.

More than 400 organizations, including labor unions, faith, environmental and gay rights groups, joined together for the event one month after Beck packed the same space with conservatives and Tea Party-style activists.

Organizers claimed they had as many participants as Beck's rally. But Saturday's crowds were less dense and didn't reach as far to the edges as Beck's crowd. AP


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Rutgers student Tyler Clementi's suicide spurs action across US - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Rutgers holds memorial for Tyler ClementiAmanda Brown/The Star-LedgerTasnia Ahamed (right rear) and Sarah Sakinah Abdullah, both Rutgers freshmen, sign a condolence cards to be sent to the family of Tyler Clementi on the steps of Brower Commons.

Relatively few people knew Tyler Clementi before he jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge, but the wake from that act is now felt around the world.

Within hours after the Rutgers University freshman’s body was discovered in the Hudson River last week, his name became known around the world.

MTV stars were lining up to film anti-suicide announcements in his name. Ellen DeGeneres posted a personal tribute to Clementi on her website. Almost every major media outlet in the country devoted time to the story and tens of thousands of people participated in internet memorials to the 18-year-old Ridgewood student.

A bill is already being drafted in New Jersey to stiffen criminal penalties for cyber harassment. Gay rights groups announced a series of New Jersey town hall meetings on Oct. 6 and 7 in Clementi’s memory.

Why has the case touched such a nerve?

"Intolerance is growing at the same time cyberspace has given every one of us an almost magical ability to invade other people’s lives," said Robert O’Brien, a Rutgers instructor who says he has, by default, become a spokesman for "overwhelmed" lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on campus.

No one knows why Clementi, a talented young violinist, took his life, but it came after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, used a webcam to watch Clementi having a sexual encounter with another man in their dorm room, prosecutors said.

Ravi had set up the webcam and was watching with a friend, Molly Wei, in her room in the same dormitory, according to authorities. Both have since been charged with invasion of privacy. Clementi appears to have found out about the webcast afterward and had filed a complaint with the resident assistant, according to comments posted on a website that seemed to be written by the Rutgers student, even though he didn’t use his name or name of his school.

He jumped on Sept. 22.

It took a week to find the body.

The memorials in his honor were arranged within hours, ironically, through the same social media used to torment him.

"Tyler is the fourth highly publicized gay teen to kill himself in four weeks and he did it the day after the release of the first major study of college campuses that found homosexual students are most likely to experience blatant oppression and hostility," O’Brien added. "I think many people are finally saying enough is enough."

The Clementi case also occurred on the eve of a series of weeklong events across the country in anticipation of "National Coming Out Day" on Oct. 11.

Another factor, several experts said, is Rutgers University is not a parochial little school in the middle of the Bible Belt. It is a diverse series of campuses in the heart of one of the most cosmopolitan regions in the nation.

"Rutgers is justifiably proud of its history as a very progressive, inclusive school. If things like what happened to Tyler Clementi could happen at Rutgers, then gays aren’t going to feel safe on any campus anywhere," said Shane Windmeyer, founder and executive director of Campus Pride, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a safer college environment for LGBT students.

"People worried about LGBT kids in high school, but figured they were safe once they got to college," Windmeyer added. "This is a national wake-up call."

tyler-clementi-violinist-musical-genius.jpgRYAN PIFHER/The RecordTyler Clementi performs with the Ridgewood High School Orchestra in April of 2009.

The College Pride study, entitled "The State of Higher Education for LGBT People," surveyed more than 5,000 students, faculty members and administrators at colleges and universities across the country.

Although the study was criticized because it was conducted by a gay organization and the respondents were limited to self-identified non-heterosexuals, it did reinforce earlier, smaller studies. It found gays are vastly more likely to experience discrimination on campus, more likely to drop out because of harassment and much more likely to fear for their physical safety.

"The climate on campus is better than, say, 20 years ago, but it still remains troubling," Windmeyer said. "People say sticks and stones won’t break your bones, but there’s only so much thick skin you can have."

Growing up in Kansas, Windmeyer, who came out at the University of Kansas in the 1990s, said, "I dreamed of going to a place like Rutgers, where it wasn’t a big deal to be gay. I wonder now, though, whether the administration there has been resting on its laurels."

Rutgers gay alumni have been wondering the same thing since the Clementi incident, said William Matthews, spokesman for the gay alumni association, which is recognized on the university website.

"We formed to act as role models for incoming LGBT students, to let them know you can be gay and successful and happy," said Matthews, a senior information scientist at Novo Nordisk in Princeton. "But we should have done more. We should have been mentoring those kids."

On Thursday, the same day Clementi’s family confirmed he committed suicide, Rutgers gay alumni posted an online petition to be sent to university President Richard McCormick.

The petition said, in part: "Rutgers University has a long-standing tradition of queer student activism — a tradition that has sustained us and made us proud to call Rutgers our alma mater.

"We call on all members of the Rutgers University community to protect, support, and respect its entire student body and in particularly those who are socially marginalized," continued the petition that has already been signed by 30 alumni, several of whom now teach at universities that include MIT, Temple, Columbia and NYU.

On Friday, McCormick released a statement, which noted: "This tragedy and the events surrounding it have raised critical questions about the climate of our campuses."

rutgers-football-blackshirt.jpgNoah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerStudents pause for a moment of silence during the homecoming football game for freshman Tyler Clementi.

Adding that students, alumni and parents have suggested Rutgers is "not fully welcoming and accepting of all students," McCormick said he will meet with student leaders of the LGBT community to identify "areas in which Rutgers can better support the needs of this community."

On the campus itself, there will be a candlelight vigil on the steps of Brower Commons on College Avenue in New Brunswick tonight.

Throughout the dining halls, student centers and dormitories last week, echoes of the same conversations could be heard again and again.

Yes, what Ravi did was wrong, but was it criminal? Why doesn’t the university have any "safe place" for students who might feel uncomfortable in their dorm rooms? Did anybody actually know Clementi, who had been at school for barely a month? Did anybody ever think that they might be spied on in their own rooms?

"The saddest thing is that there was help for Tyler, but he probably didn’t know where to go," said Aaron Schenkel, 18, a freshman who experienced being different growing up in St. Lucia. "It’s just so overwhelming to be a freshman anyway, and for Tyler, it seems like his private life came out in the worst possible way.

"I wish I had known him."


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Dems, GOP recalibrate strategy a month to election - The Associated Press

Dems, GOP recalibrate strategy a month to electionBy LIZ SIDOTI (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — Democrats have all but written off at least three Senate seats — in North Dakota, Indiana and Arkansas — and at least six House seats in Tennessee, Louisiana, New York and elsewhere as they embark on a final-weeks advertising push to minimize congressional election losses.

Emboldened by their prospects, Republicans are throwing at least $3 million into West Virginia in hopes of winning a Senate seat that was long thought out of reach. With polls showing a close race, the GOP decided late last week to boost its initial investment in the state — the party's latest move to expand a playing field already heavily tilting its way.

In the one-month dash to Election Day, both parties are zeroing in on races they have the best chances of winning, recalibrating strategies and shifting advertising money by the day. The state of play could change repeatedly between now and Nov. 2.

Democrats are especially worried about House districts in the economically troubled Midwest, and their chances of picking up GOP-held Senate seats have dwindled.

In the final stretch, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved at least $52 million to run TV ads in more than 60 districts, nearly all held by their own party. The National Republican Campaign Committee has set aside $35 million in airtime in 55 races, and officials say more is on the way.

The disparity is misleading.

Democrats consistently have had a cash advantage, but GOP-allied groups have weighed in and advertised in crucial contests for weeks.

The latest details emerged from campaign documents obtained by The Associated Press, as well as from interviews with more than a dozen Republican and Democratic operatives with knowledge of advertising plans, polling and strategy. All spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details publicly.

Control of Congress and the outlook for President Barack Obama's agenda is at stake this election. Some five dozen or more House races are competitive, mostly for seats now held by Democrats. Republicans need to win 40 to take control. Of the 37 Senate races, about a dozen are close. The magic number for the GOP is 10.

No one doubts that Democrats will lose seats in both chambers. The question is how many.

"The political environment is positive for us. I think our candidates are strong. And really it's going to be a resource issue now on how we can maximize the use of limited resources," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, chairman of the Senate GOP's campaign efforts.

His Democratic counterpart, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, predicted his party will retain its majority despite the tough landscape marked by "a lot of ups and downs." He added: "I don't think the roller coaster is ready to level out anytime soon."

While technology has changed politics, television advertising still is a powerful and necessary political tool to reach voters, and it's the best indicator of where party leaders think they have a shot at winning. Both sides have reserved millions of dollars of airtime and will decide whether to cancel those orders or send the check. Any movement from one side will force the other to change strategy.

In the Senate, the GOP goal of seizing control became tougher when Republican leaders' favored candidate in Delaware, Rep. Mike Castle, lost to tea party conservative Christine O'Donnell. It's doubtful national Republicans will advertise in the state now unless polls show Democrat Chris Coons' lead evaporating.

Just as that race was falling off the map, Republicans were buoyed by the surprisingly neck-and-neck nature of the West Virginia Senate race. Cornyn's team invested to help Republican John Raese, and Democrats were forced to go on the air to aid Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin.

In other Democratic-held Senate seats, however, the party hasn't reserved any airtime to protect incumbent Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas or help Rep. Brad Ellsworth win an open seat in Indiana. Both are trailing their Republican opponents in polls.

The Senate Democrats' campaign committee disputes the notion that it's given up on those races, noting that it continues to spend money on turnout programs in both states and doesn't rule out providing more resources.

North Dakota was never in the Democrats' fall plans. Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan is retiring in a solidly Republican state.

Elsewhere, Democrats are on TV defending seats in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois and Pennsylvania, and are going up on the air in Connecticut. They've reserved airtime if needed to help Democratic Sen. Patty Murray in Washington state, but Democrats have been feeling better about that race in recent days and even Republicans say she's improved her standing.

At this stage, no party money is going to other hotly contested states held by Democrats — California and Nevada among them — but only because candidates are sitting on their own cash. Operatives also are closely watching Wisconsin, where Sen. Russ Feingold is in trouble.

Democratic hopes of picking up a Republican-held Senate seat now appear to rest on Missouri, where the party is running ads, and, perhaps, Kentucky, where airtime has been reserved. But money could be diverted elsewhere if those races start to look out of reach.

Officials in both parties say Republican contenders appear ahead in New Hampshire, Florida, and especially Ohio. No TV ad money is set thus far for those states.

Democrats already appear resigned to losing at least six House seats.

They include four districts left open by retirements and where no advertising is planned: Tennessee's 6th, Louisiana's 3rd, New York's 29th and Kansas' 3rd. Airtime has been set aside for two other open seats — Arkansas' 2nd and Indiana's 8th — but Democrats expect party leaders to cancel those plans if polls continue to show their candidates trailing badly.

Democrats also are trying to determine whether to move forward with advertising plans to win open Democratic-held seats like Tennessee's 8th and to protect vulnerable incumbents such as Reps. Steve Driehaus in Ohio's 1st, Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio's 15th and Chet Edwards in Texas' 17th.

Dozens more races are extremely competitive including Reps. Travis Childers in Mississippi's 1st and John Spratt in South Carolina's 5th.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the House Democrats' campaign committee, said the environment was very fluid and Democrats were improving their standing. "There are a lot of races (Republicans) thought would be won by now but are not," he said.

Republicans, who are defending six competitive seats, expect to lose at least two: the open, at-large Delaware seat and Rep. Joseph Cao's 2nd district seat in Louisiana.

In the days ahead, Republican and Democratic leaders will determine where to deploy limited money, making decisions on which candidates to help and which to jettison.

"It's what we're doing every minute of every hour so we can very carefully place our resources and maximize our effectiveness. It's almost constant evaluation race by race," said Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, vice chairman of the House GOP's campaign effort. "There's a limited amount of money and a limited amount of time."

___

Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn, David Espo, Laurie Kellman and Julie Hirschfeld Davis contributed to this report.

___

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: http://www.dccc.org

National Republican Campaign Committee: http://www.nrcc.org/

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: http://www.dscc.org/

National Republican Senatorial Committee: http://www.nrsc.org/

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Housekeeper fracas mars California governor debate - Reuters

* Whitman says needs Latino vote to win California

* Debate gets personal over illegal ex-housekeeper

* Ex-CEO Whitman pro-business, AG Brown pro-government (Adds candidates' immigration policies, paragraph 11)

By Peter Henderson

FRESNO, Calif., Oct 2 (Reuters) - California's first Spanish-language debate in the race for governor turned into an angry exchange on Saturday when Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown traded charges of lies and deception over the case of an illegal immigrant who used to work for Whitman.

Both candidates spoke in English and their answers were simultaneously translated into Spanish for the audience in Fresno in the agricultural Central Valley, where unemployment is even higher than the state average of more than 12 percent.

Polls consistently show jobs and state finances to be the top issue for voters, but Whitman's former Latina housekeeper has become front page material in the last week.

Latinos make up roughly a third of California's population and a fifth of the electorate, and so could decide the race.

Whitman, 54, a billionaire and former chief executive of online auctioneer eBay Inc, said she fired housekeeper Nicky Diaz when Diaz said she was in the country illegally.

Diaz and her lawyer have said that Whitman and her husband knew the true state of affairs for years before the confession. Whitman denied that and the issue flared up during the debate when she called the affair dirty politics by Brown.

"You should be ashamed for sacrificing Nicky Diaz on the altar of your political ambitions," burst out Whitman, who usually is calm and reserved.

"You want to evade responsibility," shot back Brown, 72, the state attorney general and two-term former governor. He denied any involvement in the matter. "Don't run for governor if you can't stand up on your own two feet and say 'Hey, I made a mistake, I'm sorry, let's go on from here,'" he said.

"I did hold myself accountable. It's just a lie to say I didn't," Whitman later returned, turning to look at Brown.

Whitman has argued that one way to address illegal immigration is to hold employers accountable for hiring workers who are not in the country legally. Whitman says that Diaz originally showed her paperwork that later turned out to be false.

On the larger issue of what to do about illegal immigrants, Brown wants to offer the millions in the United States a path to citizenship, while Whitman supports a guest worker program but no citizenship for those in the country illegally.

IS IT THE ECONOMY?


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Bay Area Brazilians must turn out for election day today -- or else - San Jose Mercury News


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Afghan starts to close private security firms - The Associated Press

Afghan starts to close private security firmsBy HEIDI VOGT and RAHIM FAIEZ (AP) – 28 minutes ago

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan government said Sunday it has started dissolving private security firms in the country by taking steps to end the operations of eight companies, including the firm formerly known as Blackwater and three other international contractors.

"We have very good news for the Afghan people today," presidential spokesman Waheed Omar told reporters in the capital. "The disbanding of eight private security firms has started."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced in August that private security contractors would have to cease operations by the end of the year — wiping out an industry with tens of thousands of guards who protect military convoys, government officials and businesspeople.

Some security contractors have been criticized for operating more like private militias, and the government said it could not have armed groups that were independent of the police or military forces.

The eight companies include Xe Services — the North Carolina-based contractor formerly called Blackwater — Virginia-based NCL Holdings LLC, New Mexico-based Four Horsemen International and London-based Compass International, Omar said. Two large Afghan firms, White Eagle Security Services and Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, are also on the list. The remaining two companies are small operations with fewer than 100 employees, so he declined to name them.

Xe, at least, has been the subject of investigations. In February, U.S. Senate investigators said Xe hired violent drug users to help train the Afghan army and declared "sidearms for everyone" — even though employees weren't authorized to carry weapons. The allegations came as part of an investigation into the 2009 shooting deaths of two Afghan civilians by employees of the company.

Omar said many of the firms had turned in weapons, some voluntarily. He did not say why the eight firms had been chosen as the first to be closed down, and if any international firms had actually left the country. A statement issued by the president's office was more strongly worded, saying that the process of closing down the eight companies was "almost complete."

An owner of White Eagle, Sayed Maqsud, said his firm had handed over weapons for a contract that had finished but was still employing guards under another contract.

"We are not shut down. Only we gave up 340 weapons," Maqsud said, explaining that the company's contract to guard fuel convoys for American troops in southern Helmand province had ended. He said he fired 530 guards who had been working under that program when the contract finished and handed over the leftover guns to the government.

However, he said they have another 1,200 guards protecting cell phone towers for South Africa-based mobile phone company MTN, and said he plans to continue that unless the government says they have to close down.

"According to the decree of Karzai, still we have two months until December. We don't know what will happen after that," Maqsud said. He said he was angry at being lumped in with militias.

"We are not warlords. We are normal people. We started at the beginning from zero. After four years we had 2,000 people. I am very proud that I gave an opportunity to 2,000 people to work," he said. None of the employees Maqsud let go joined the police, he said — noting that the pay is low and police are targeted by insurgents in Helmand.

"I think most of them joined the Taliban," Maqsud said.

None of the other companies named could be immediately reached for comment.

Karzai's original decree gave an exemption to companies used to guard the compounds of international embassies or organizations, and Omar said the disbanding process does not apply to these organizations. It was unclear what this means for companies on the list that also have contracts to guard U.S. government installations or other diplomatic missions.

Omar said the government was focused on security companies who are providing protection for highways or convoys, not those training Afghan forces or guarding embassies.

"We would like to be able at some point to be able to provide security for embassies and international organizations," but the security forces are not yet able to do so, he said.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said it was looking into what the decision would mean for U.S. government contracts.

"We are looking closely at the implications of today's announcements. We are going to continue working closely with the government to ensure that the safety and security of our personnel is preserved as the decree is implemented," spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.

The Afghan government has estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 armed security guards are working in the country.

The Interior Ministry has 52 security firms licensed, but some older contracts are still being completed by unlicensed firms, according to the U.S. military. About half of the companies are Afghan-owned.

About 37 companies are working with the U.S. government, totaling about 26,000 armed security guards. The majority of those work for the military, though some are employed by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to the military.

NATO forces and Western diplomats have cautiously backed the Afghan plan to dissolve private security firms — praising the push by the Afghan government to take control of its security but warning that it should only happen as fast as conditions allow.

The gap left by the contractors will have to be filled by Afghan police or soldiers — putting more demands on forces that are pushing to expand substantially in the next few years so that they can take the lead in the country's security by 2014.

Afghan officials say the expansion is on track, but the Afghan army and police are still widely seen as hobbled by a lack of education, drug abuse and corruption.

The push also comes as much of the country has gotten more dangerous. The Taliban now regularly launch attacks in formerly peaceful northern provinces and a U.S. troop surge in the south has been accompanied by rising troop casualties and civilian deaths.

This has been the deadliest year for international troops in the nine-year conflict. The toll has shaken the commitment of many NATO countries, where there are rising calls to start drawing down troops quickly.

The Prime Minister of Australia — where parliament is expected to hold a debate soon on the country's role in the war — made Afghanistan her first state visit this weekend. Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited troops Saturday and had a private dinner with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and pledged continued backing, her office said in a statement Sunday.

Australia has 1,550 troops in Afghanistan, mostly in southern Uruzgan province. Twenty-one Australian soldiers have died since the war began.

On Sunday, NATO said two more service members were killed in weekend attacks, making seven killed in the first three days of October. One died in an insurgent attack in the north on Sunday and the other in a bomb attack in the south on Saturday. No other details were provided.

Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul and Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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