Top Local News Stories for Cibolo, Texas.

Top San Antonio Area Local News Stories

ICE agent killed after shootout with colleague

A dispute between two immigration agents erupted into a shootout that left one dead and one injured at a federal building in southern California, authorities said early Friday. The unspecified confrontation between the two agents occurred Thursday evening in Long Beach. Reports indicate the two agents work with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, the agency said. "The situation began ... as an incidence of workplace violence involving two federal agents in their office space," said Steven Martinez, assistant director of the FBI office in Los Angeles. "When the incident escalated, one agent fired several rounds at the other agent, wounding him." The agent shot suffered multiple injuries and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Martinez said a third colleague intervened and fired at the shooter, killing him. "At this time, we believe this is an isolated incident and we believe the shooter was acting alone," he said. Authorities withheld the names of the agents until their families can be notified. The investigation includes officers from the ICE, the Long Beach Police Department and the FBI. Officials from the agencies declined to provide more information, citing ongoing investigations.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:05:05 GMT

Rising gas prices drive inflation

Inflation picked up only slightly last month, even as rising gas prices took a bigger bite out of consumers' wallets. The government's key measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index, showed prices rose 0.2 percent from December to January. In the past 12 months, prices were up 2.9 percent, barely changed from a 3 percent annual inflation rate in December. Rising prices at the gas pump were a key factor, increasing 0.9 percent during the month. Improving U.S. economic data, including stronger job growth, and tension with Iran have been driving the price of oil and gasoline higher. While gas prices vary by region, they ended January at a national average of $3.443 a gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. The CPI report also showed food prices rose .2 percent in January, and are up 4.4 percent over a year ago. Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy, showed consumer prices rose 0.2 percent in January, and 2.3 percent year-over-year. Core inflation is now at its highest level since September 2008, when the rate was 2.5 percent.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:04:23 GMT

Amanda Knox signs book deal with Harper Collins

Amanda Knox has signed a deal with Harper Collins to write a memoir about her trial, conviction and acquittal for murder in Italy, the publisher said Friday. The book, based in part on journals she kept, will give never-before heard details about her "harrowing experience" while in custody there, Harper Collins said. "For the very first time since her trial for murder, her four-year incarceration in Perugia, Italy, and her appeal and acquittal of all charges, Amanda Knox will share the truth about her terrifying ordeal," the publisher said in a statement. "Knox will give a full and unflinching account of the events that led to her arrest in Perugia and her struggles with the complexities of the Italian judicial system." The memoir will show how Knox drew on her inner strength and strong family ties to cope with the challenge, the statement adds. Jonathan Burnham, who negotiated the deal for Harper Collins, is quoted as saying: "Many accounts have been written of the Amanda Knox case, and countless writers and reporters have speculated on what role, if any, was played by Knox in that tragic and terrifying sequence of events. "No one has yet heard Amanda Knox's own account of what happened, and this book will give Knox an opportunity to tell the story in full detail, for the first time." The deal comes after prosecutors in Italy lodged an appeal Tuesday of the acquittal of Knox, now 24, and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Knox was 20 and Kercher was 21 when the two shared a home as they studied at the university for foreign students in Perugia, Italy. Kercher's semi-naked body was found in November 2007 at the home, with her throat slashed. The case has gripped the attention of the public in the United States, Italy and Britain ever since. The filing of the appeal of her acquittal raised the question of whether an arrest warrant or extradition order could be issued for Knox if her acquittal is annulled, or if she could be made to serve the remainder of her initial 26-year prison term. But Knox's family said in a statement issued through a spokesman that the prosecutors' appeal was unwelcome, but no cause for concern. Knox is herself currently appealing her conviction for defaming Patrick Lumumba, a club owner whom she falsely accused of killing Kercher.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:49:05 GMT

German President Wulff resigns amid scandal

Germany's President Christian Wulff announced his resignation Friday following a series of scandals that prompted calls for him to stand down. The German presidency is a largely ceremonial office, but Wulff's resignation is seen as a blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel, who supported his candidacy as president. In a brief televised statement, Merkel said she accepted his resignation with the "utmost respect and deepest personal regret." Wulff had put the interests of the general public to the fore in deciding to resign, Merkel said. In a separate televised statement, Wulff said Germany "needs a president who can devote himself completely to national and international challenges" -- and one who commands the trust of a wide majority of citizens. "The developments of the past days and weeks have shown that this trust and therefore confidence in my ability to serve have been adversely affected," he said. "For this reason, it is no longer possible for me to continue in my role as president." The scandal involves alleged political favors and financial impropriety while he was state premier of Lower Saxony. The Hanover prosecutor's office called Thursday for the government to waive the president's immunity from prosecution, in light of the evidence it had gathered. "Following extensive analyses of new documents and the evaluation of further media reports, the Hanover Public Prosecutor's Office now has sufficient factual evidence and therefore grounds for initial suspicion of receiving bribes or being granted advantages," it said in a statement. "(The Office) therefore proposes to the president of the German Parliament that immunity for the federal president be waived." The Hanover prosecutors are investigating David Groenewold, a German film producer, alongside Wulff. Merkel said Wulff's presidency would be remembered for his efforts to promote a modern, tolerant Germany. "He gave us important impetus and made it clear that the strength of this country lies in its diversity," she said. "With his resignation, President Wulff reiterated his conviction that he always behaved legally correctly in office and in service to the people of our country. I express my utmost respect for this position." The members of her governing coalition would now discuss who should stand for election in his place, she said, in consultation with other political parties. Merkel had been due to meet Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in Rome to discuss the eurozone crisis but canceled the trip amid the political storm over Wulff, who belongs to her party. Merkel had no involvement in any of the scandals, but Wulff's resignation may cause her embarrassment and some collateral damage in political terms, analysts say. Wulff, who was the state premier of Lower Saxony for seven years, was one of Merkel's biggest rivals within the Christian Democrats before being elected to the presidency in 2010. It took three rounds of voting in the Reichstag, or German parliament, before he won enough backing from lawmakers to assume the role. Wulff was born in Osnabruck, Lower Saxony, in June 1959 and went on to become a lawyer, according to the official website of the presidency. He first entered local politics as a member of the CDU party in 1986 and was elected to Lower Saxony's parliament in 1994. He was chosen as state premiere by lawmakers in his party following elections in 2003. He was the 10th president to serve in the Federal Republic of Germany. He has been married twice and has two children of his own and a stepson.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:01:19 GMT

IRS: Beware of 'dirty dozen' tax scams

As the tax season kicks off this year, the IRS is keeping an eye out for scam artists who steal identities, lie about charitable donations and hide income in offshore accounts, among other abuses. The IRS released its annual list of "dirty dozen" tax scams on Thursday, outlining the most common ways taxpayers are cheating the system. "Scam artists will tempt people in-person, online and by email with misleading promises about lost refunds and free money," said IRS commissioner Doug Shulman. "Don't be fooled by these scams." Here are the 12 scams to be most wary of this year: 1. Identity theft A growing number of identity thieves are using other taxpayer's personal information to file fraudulent tax returns and claim undeserved refunds, the IRS warns. In 2011, the agency stopped more than $1.4 billion in refunds from getting into the wrong hands, and it plans to weed out more identity thieves this year. If you believe someone stole your personal information for tax purposes, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. 2. Phishing Scammers can steal your personal information from emails, phone calls, text messages or social media like your Facebook page. Some fake websites are also set up to dupe potential victims into giving out their information. If you see anything suspicious or receive a message from someone claiming to be from the IRS, don't open any attachments or click on links included in the e-mail. Instead, forward the message to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. 3. Sketchy tax preparers With about 60 percent of taxpayers expected to use professionals to prepare and submit their taxes this year, be careful about who you entrust with personal information. There are many preparers out there who will take a portion of a client's refunds, charge more than they should for services and lure taxpayers to their offices by promising unattainable refunds. Federal courts have issued hundreds of injunctions ordering tax professionals engaging in these scams to stop preparing returns, and the Department of Justice has issued many complaints against preparers as well. This year, all paid preparers are required to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number so customers can verify that they are legitimate. Be wary if your preparer doesn't sign the return or put their PTIN on it, doesn't give you a copy of your return, promises unusually large refunds, charges a percentage of the refund amount as a fee, adds forms to the return you've never filed before, or encourages you to include false information on your return, the IRS says. 4. Hiding income offshore Taxpayers who have an offshore bank account, brokerage account, credit card or even an offshore insurance plan, are urged to come forward voluntarily in order to limit the possibility of criminal prosecution. As part of its ongoing crackdown on hidden offshore accounts, the agency announced another initiative this year that gives taxpayers a reduction in penalties -- and no jail time -- if they fess up to any undisclosed overseas accounts. Since starting the crackdown in 2009, about 30,000 individuals have come forward and voluntarily disclosed their offshore accounts. 5. No such thing as "Free Money" Flyers and advertisements have been showing up in community churches claiming that taxpayers can file returns with little or no documentation and receive big amounts of money, the IRS said. These ads typically target low-income individuals and the elderly and often promise non-existent Social Security refunds or rebates. Inevitably these returns get rejected by the IRS. But by the time that happens, the scam artists have already disappeared with the victims' money. The IRS warned that intentionally filing incorrect returns can result in a $5,000 penalty. 6. Inflating income and expenses Claiming income you didn't actually earn or expenses you didn't pay to boost credits and refunds is another common scheme taxpayers attempt. If the IRS catches you in the act, you could end up repaying the extra money you claimed, along with interest and penalties -- and, in some cases, you could even be subject to prosecution. 7. Filing false forms Some scam artists are filing fraudulent forms with their returns that contain fabricated information in order to get fatter refunds. "Don't fall prey to people who encourage you to claim deductions or credits to which you are not entitled or willingly allow others to use your information to file false returns," the IRS said. "If you are a party to such schemes, you could be liable for financial penalties or even face criminal prosecution." 8. Picking a bone with the IRS There are even people who charge money in exchange for advice on how to argue with the IRS in order to avoid paying taxes. The agency has a list of legal positions that have been "thrown out of court" and cannot be used against the IRS, including the argument that filing a tax return is voluntary and that the IRS must prepare a return for anyone who fails to file. So pick your fights carefully this tax season. 9. Falsely claiming zero wages In an attempt to lower the amount of taxes they owe, some taxpayers file phony wage-related information returns instead of the required returns. This is typically done by filing Form 4852 (a substitute W-2 form) or a "corrected" Form 1099 to fraudulently lower a person's taxable income to zero. 10. Exaggerating charitable donations It can be tempting to overvalue the items you give to charity when reporting them on a return -- especially for non-cash donations such as furniture or artwork -- but the IRS is keeping an eye out for suspiciously high-valued donations this year. The agency is also looking out for taxpayers who abuse charitable deductions by temporarily donating money or items to tax-exempt organizations, just to shield the money from getting taxed. 11. Disguising corporate ownership It's time to fess up to that business you own. The IRS is currently working with state authorities to identify corporations and other entities that are hiding ownership of a business. Often these businesses are hidden because the true owner uses a third party with its own employer identification number, whose businesses or financial services can be used for the underreporting of income, fictitious deductions, money laundering, financial crimes and even terrorist financing. 12. Misuse of trusts Beware of anyone that tries to convince you to transfer money into a trust in order to reduce your taxable income, deductions for personal expenses and/or estate taxes. The IRS has seen an increase in the number of taxpayers improperly using trusts -- especially private annuity trusts and foreign trusts -- to skip out on tax liabilities. "While there are legitimate uses of trusts in tax and estate planning, some highly questionable transactions promise reduction of income subject to tax, deductions for personal expenses and reduced estate or gift taxes," the IRS said. "Such trusts rarely deliver the tax benefits promised and are used primarily as a means of avoiding income tax liability and hiding assets from creditors, including the IRS."

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:54:42 GMT

Key moments in Whitney Houston's life

Whitney Houston, who ruled the pop charts during the 1980s and '90s, will be laid to rest Saturday following a funeral at her childhood church in Newark, New Jersey. A look back at key moments in Houston's life as well as her last days: August 9, 1963 Houston is born in Newark to gospel singer Cissy Houston. Her cousins include Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick; Houston's godmother was "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin. She honed her vocal skills as a child at New Hope Baptist Church, where her mother was director of sacred music. "Whitney's mother and cousins nurtured her passion for gospel music since birth," according to a biography on Houston's website. "As a teenager, Whitney was already singing on the scene in New York." Also while in her teens, Houston sang backup for Chaka Khan on "I'm Every Woman," a song Houston would re-record in 1992 that went on to become one of her biggest hits. 1983 Arista Records' Clive Davis is taken to a New York nightclub to see Houston perform; he signs her on the spot. March 1985 Houston's debut album, "Whitney Houston" is released. It yields three consecutive No. 1 singles, "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know" and "The Greatest Love of All." The album sold more than 12 million copies in the United States and more abroad, according to Houston's website, and set the record as the biggest-selling debut album by a solo artist. June 1987 Houston's second album, "Whitney," is released and entered the Billboard album charts at No. 1, according to Houston's website. The nine-times-platinum album contains four No. 1 singles and establishes Houston and the only artist ever to have seven consecutive No. 1 hits. November 1990 Houston's third album, "I'm Your Baby Tonight," is released, selling some 8 million copies worldwide. January 27, 1991 Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV before a record 79 million viewers. July 18, 1992 Houston marries R&B singer Bobby Brown. November 1992 Houston appears with Kevin Costner in "The Bodyguard." The film's soundtrack, featuring Houston's smash hit -- a remake of the Dolly Parton single "I Will Always Love You" -- went 17-times platinum, making it the biggest-selling motion picture soundtrack album in history. "I Will Always Love You" becomes the biggest-selling commercial single in history. Houston's film work continued, as she appeared in 1995's "Waiting to Exhale" and 1996's "The Preacher's Wife." The soundtrack to "The Preacher's Wife" becomes the biggest-selling gospel album in history, according to Houston's website. In 1997, she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in a made-for-television version of "Cinderella." March 4, 1993 Houston gives birth to her daughter with Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown. 1998 Houston releases "My Love Is Your Love," which earns her a Grammy but does not match the performance of her previous albums, according to Biography.com. Late 1990s and early 2000s Reports about Houston's struggles with drug addiction, health problems and her rocky marriage with Brown begin to surface. Album sales drop off, and her voice begins to show signs of wear. 2002 In a now-infamous interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Houston admitted to using drugs but denied using crack. "Crack is wack," she said, quoting a line from a mural painted in 1986. In the same interview, Houston told Sawyer, "The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy." 2004 Filming begins on the short-lived reality show "Being Bobby Brown," featuring Brown and Houston, which aired in 2005. "The show aired during the worst years of the couple's crumbling marriage; drug use, lifestyle excess and bad behavior were all caught on tape, and Houston's reputation sunk to new lows," according to Biography.com. Houston later said she did the show to try to save her marriage. At some point, Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, steps in. Houston told Oprah Winfrey in a 2009 interview that her mother arrived on her doorstep with sheriff's officers and a court order for drug intervention. "She walks in with the sheriff and she says: 'I have a court injunction here. You do it my way or we're not going to do this at all,'" Houston recalled in the interview. "'You're going to go on TV and you're going to retire. And say you're going to give this up because it's not worth it.'" Houston enters rehab and takes a long hiatus. 2006 Houston and Brown separate. They divorce the following year, and Houston receives sole custody of Bobbi Kristina. 2009 Houston releases "I Look To You," her first album in seven years. 2011-12 Houston works to turn her career around, working on the movie "Sparkle," the remake of a 1976 film said to be loosely inspired by the Supremes. The movie is set for release this summer. February 7, 2012 Houston visits Dr. Shawn Nasseri, a Beverly Hills ear, nose and throat specialist, according to a source familiar with her visit. February 8 and 9 Houston is seen ordering and consuming considerable quantities of alcohol at the Beverly Hilton hotel before 10 a.m., according to a source briefed on her behavior and activity in the days before her death. Guests on both days overhear Houston complaining loudly about her drinks, accusing bartenders of "watering down" or "putting too much ice" in them, the source said. Guests express concern about Houston's erratic behavior, according to the source; her disheveled appearance, including mismatched clothing, suggested to them that she was intoxicated. Houston is seen jumping in and out of the pool and doing somersaults in the pool area, the source said. February 9 Houston attends a pre-Grammys party to celebrate singer Kelly Price's nominations. At one point, she joins Price on the stage and sings a hoarse rendition of "Jesus Loves Me." (Price said Monday that Houston was not behaving erratically and "I didn't see someone who was high" although she said Houston did drink champagne. Photos of Houston leaving the party appeared to show her sweaty and somewhat disheveled, although Price attributed her "messy" appearance to partygoers' singing and dancing until the wee hours of Friday morning.) February 10 Investigators are aware of Houston's partying at the hotel and other venues the night before her death, a source close to the death investigation told CNN. February 11 Houston is set to attend Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party at the Beverly Hilton. She is seen drinking at the hotel pool in the morning, according to the source briefed on her behavior and activity, but witnesses report she was not behaving erratically. 3:43 p.m.: Police and fire officials are summoned to Houston's room after she is found unconscious in the room's bathtub. 3:55 p.m.: Houston is pronounced dead at age 48 after efforts to revive her are unsuccessful. February 12 An autopsy is performed on Houston's body. The Los Angeles County coroner's office has said a cause of death is undetermined pending the results of toxicology tests. February 13 Houston's body is flown back to her native New Jersey for funeral services, set for noon Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:15:58 GMT

Iran says it is ready for nuclear talks

Iran is offering to resume talks over the country's nuclear program as soon as possible, according to a letter that the nation's nuclear negotiator sent to the European Union. "We voice our readiness for dialogue on a spectrum of various issues, which can provide ground for constructive and forward-looking cooperation," Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili wrote in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. CNN obtained a copy of the translated letter as Iran announced new steps in its nuclear program. The letter was a response to an October letter from Ashton, who is leading contacts between Iran and the so-called "P5 plus one" group of nations, inviting Iran to a new round of talks aimed at forging an agreement to address international concerns over Iran's nuclear program. Western nations believe Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, and tensions are high amid speculation that Israel may launch a preemptive strike to set back Iran's nuclear program. Jalili welcomed Ashton's statement of respect for Iran's right to peaceful nuclear program, saying "by committing to this approach, our talks for cooperation based on step-by-step principles and reciprocity on Iran's nuclear issue could be commenced." A "constructive and positive attitude towards (the) Islamic Republic of Iran's new initiatives in this round of talks could open (a) positive perspective for our negotiation," Jalili wrote. "Therefore, within this context, I propose to resume our talks in order to take fundamental steps for sustainable cooperation in the earliest possibility, in a mutually agreed venue and time." It was unclear whether Iran's desire for negotiations was a play for time to continue its nuclear development, or a response to pain the regime feels over tough economic sanctions against Iran, which have disrupted the nation's economy. In response to the latest European Union sanctions on the energy and banking sectors, Iran is cutting oil exports to six European countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal, Iran's state-run Press TV reported Wednesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said U.S. officials would discuss the letter with members of the P5-plus-one group -- U.N. Security Council permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus Germany -- to determine the next steps. "We have always maintained that it's in our interest to try to resume talks with Iran, assuming that those talks are constructive. ... But in order for that to happen, Iran has to meet its international obligations, it has to join the international community, and it has to engage in a sincere and constructive way to achieve a diplomatic resolution," Panetta said. In Vienna, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe called the letter "ambiguous," but said it "constitutes the start of opening up from Iran, which says it is ready to talk about its nuclear program." The letter was sent Tuesday, the day before Iran flaunted a new generation of centrifuges and mastery of the nuclear fuel cycle. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, clad in a white lab coat, was on hand to load domestically made fuel rods into the core of a Tehran reactor. Officials said the first Iranian nuclear fuel rods, produced by Iranian scientists at the Natanz facility in central Iran, would be used at the Tehran Nuclear Research Center, which Iran says is used primarily for medical purposes. Also announced was an intent to start production of yellowcake, a chemically treated form of uranium ore used for making enriched uranium. United Nations sanctions ban Iran from importing yellowcake. Domestic production would further Iran's nuclear self-sufficiency. In a speech, Ahmadinejad hailed the developments as major scientific advancements for the Islamic republic. He said Iran was willing to share its nuclear knowledge with other nations that subscribe to the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The U.S. State Department, however, dismissed Iran's Wednesday announcements as bluster for a domestic audience. "We frankly don't see a lot new here. This is not big news," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "In fact, it seems to have been hyped. The Iranians for many months have been putting out calendars of accomplishments and based on their own calendars they are many, many months behind. A November IAEA report found "credible" information that Tehran has carried out work toward nuclear weapons -- including tests of possible bomb components and the IAEA's governing council has adopted a resolution expressing "deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program." Despite Iran's drift away from the international community, Tehran's leaders have refused to bow down, insisting its nuclear program is intended for civilian energy purposes. Iran called the November IAEA report a fabrication aimed at bolstering U.S. accusations that Iran is working toward making a bomb. "We will never ever suspend our enrichment," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's permanent envoy to the IAEA, said in November. Juppe said Iran must resolve international concerns that it is seeking a nuclear weapon before any easing of sanctions, and that Iran's sincerity would be tested when IAEA inspectors hold talks in Tehran next week. "If Iran is really ready to discuss and show its sites and documents, then the conditions will be there to restart negotiations," Juppe said.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:15:32 GMT

UK pledges help to Libya deal with militias

British Foreign Secretary William Hague pledged Thursday to help Libya improve human rights and boost stability, as rights groups and analysts warned that urgent action is needed to tackle the problem of lawless militia groups. Libya has achieved much in the year since the start of the popular uprisings that helped bring Moammar Gadhafi's 42-year rule to an end, Hague said in a statement, but challenges remain. Chief among them is how to deal with the many armed groups that took part in the uprising and now continue to exercise power, analysts say. Rights group Amnesty International said in a report Thursday that armed militias are committing human rights abuses with impunity, threatening to destabilize the country and hindering its efforts to rebuild. Detainees at 10 facilities used by militia in central and western Libya told representatives from Amnesty International this year that they had been tortured or abused, and at least 12 detainees held by militias have died after being tortured since September, the human rights group said. The Libyan authorities have not effectively investigated the torture allegations, it added. Hague said Britain would host a conference in the spring to look at ways the government "can take urgent steps to implement commitments made on upholding human rights and ensure reports of detainee abuse are being addressed." It will also provide "practical expertise to promote the rule of law," he said, with British experts offering advice to the interior ministry, Libyan police and lawyers. Britain will also fund a six-month program to engage young people in civic society, Hague said. "The work to rebuild Libya is just beginning and there are undoubtedly challenges ahead. But it is important to remember what has been achieved," he said. However, the armed groups -- mostly made up of young men without regular jobs -- are showing little inclination to give up their weapons, analysts say. Jane Kinninmont, an analyst for the London-based think tank Chatham House, said the militias were one of the main challenges the National Transitional Council, the country's transitional government, now faces as it tries to extend its authority. "They are far more important than alleged remnants of pro-Gadhafi forces -- there are more of them, they can legitimately claim that they helped in the revolution, and indeed they can argue that they did more to remove Gadhafi in practical terms than the lawyers and academics that are running the NTC," she told CNN via e-mail. Kinninmont said militia members now need jobs if they are to be integrated into civic society. "Most of those jobs will probably have to come from the public sector in the first instance, as Libya is an extremely state-dominated economy," she said, adding that an estimated 70% of the workforce is employed by the state at present. "Of course, westerners are advising Libya to focus on diversifying the economy away from oil and reduce dependence on the public sector, but realistically the experience of other oil exporters in the region suggests this will take a long time," she said. However, the government has made faster progress than many expected in terms of restoring the functioning of the economy, she said, and oil money could help with the reintegration of former fighters. Noman Benotman, a senior analyst at the Quilliam Foundation and a former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which aimed to overthrow Gadhafi, said everything he has heard suggests the militia groups have no real intention of laying down their arms. The thousands of militia members countrywide do not view the NTC as being a legitimate political entity, he said. As a result, they argue that they need their weapons to ensure the future security of Libya. Meanwhile, the transitional government has done too little to speak to the Libyan people and instill confidence in the mostly good work it is doing to establish a functioning state, Benotman said. Some militias are forming powerful coalition blocs, making it even harder for the defense and interior ministries to deal with them and enforce the rule of law, he said. David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former senior adviser on the Middle East at the U.S. State Department, agrees that some of the competing regional militias have more power than the government itself. They are using that power "for extortion, for settling scores, tribal or personal, or otherwise generally for asserting their control over parts of the country," he said. He believes the Libyan government needs to strengthen the centralized military, while at the same time devolving some civic power to the tribal and regional groups and spending oil money to aid development outside the capital. This would help to defuse the long-standing tensions that exist between Tripoli and regional power bases, he said. The authorities' efforts to integrate militia members into a regular national army were a good step, he said, but much harder to achieve in practice than in theory. Pollock also points out that while any abuse is unwelcome, the large-scale atrocities committed under the Gadhafi regime were far worse than what is now being reported. Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a U.K.-based think tank, argues that the transitional government had few options when it assumed power. It lacked the military capability or the cohesion to take on the militias after the fall of Gadhafi's regime, he told CNN, and still lacks the capacity to force them to disband. "It's obviously a major problem that we have abuses committed on this scale... but at the same time there's nothing Libyans can really do," he said. "All they can really do at the moment is take on some of the most egregious violations, some of the people who have committed abuses on the biggest scale." A form of post-conflict justice is also needed, so that those militia members who have committed major abuses do not end up in positions of power, he said. The dangers of allowing armed leaders to assume power in a new government can be seen in the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan, Joshi said. "Libya shouldn't allow these people to have a free pass," he said. "Even if they can't be taken on or disarmed, they can at least be disempowered." The European Union, United States and other international bodies could aid the Libyan authorities by imposing financial and travel sanctions on those who commit abuses, he added. The international community is guilty of taking its eye off the ball in Libya, Pollock said, and must ensure it backs up the struggling NTC or risk watching Libya "tip toward more violence instead of getting gradually better." A spokesman for the Tripoli Military Council told CNN Wednesday that civilian leaders in Libya must do more to assert their authority, holding accountable militia members who perpetrate abuses. "If the Libyan state is being built, these guys who committed this need to be brought to justice, whether they are revolutionary fighters or not, otherwise the whole world will ask, 'What changed in Libya?' The same systemic abuse and torture is continuing, and this is dangerous for the new Libya," council spokesman Anes Alsharif said. "The only solution is for the government to take over. You cannot let these guys keep holding the prisoners." Civilian authorities have been slow to step in, Alsharif said, even though some prisoners have been held for months without facing official charges. "When you talk to the government they say, 'keep them, we don't have time yet,' and this is wrong," he said. A process for government takeovers of prisons has begun, Libya's interim prime minister said in a televised address last month. Libya's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammed Shalgham, told the world body last month that Libya does not approve of any abuse of detainees and was working to stop any such practices. Libyan Interior Minister Fawzy Abdilal told CNN this month that the country's interim government had not yet succeeded in integrating militias from different cities into a national security force. Other organizations have also raised concerns about the militias. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said last month it was halting its work in detention centers in Misrata because detainees were tortured and were denied urgent medical care. Human Rights Watch said earlier this month that the torture and killing of detainees is an ongoing practice among Libyan militias and will continue unless the militias are held to account.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:15:43 GMT

Hezbollah denies role in recent bombings

The head of Hezbollah denied involvement Thursday in attacks this week on Israeli targets in India, Georgia and Thailand. "We are not afraid to say that we had nothing to do with these explosions," Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address from an undisclosed location in Lebanon. He denied that the death of a Hezbollah commander in 2008 in an explosion in Damascus, Syria, inspired the attacks. "The blood of Imad Mogniyeh will always haunt the Israelis," he said, referring to the commander whose death Hezbollah blamed on Israel, and Israeli denied. Hezbollah has longstanding close ties with Iran and Syria. "It is quite insulting to accuse Hezbollah of plans to kill average Israeli civilians in retaliation of killing our leaders," Nasrallah continued. "Those who we will take our revenge from know themselves very well and they will need to keep taking precautions for their safety." Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization. Nashrallah's remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Tehran for the attacks. "Iran is a threat to the stability of the world; they are targeting innocent diplomats," he said. "The international community has to denounce the Iranian actions and to indicate red lines concerning the Iranian aggression." But Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, "condemned the blasts and said that Israeli agents are often the perpetrators of such terrorist acts," Iran's state-run Press TV said on its website. And state-run Iranian news agency IRNA quoted an analyst as saying the Israeli allegations against Iran involving the bombings in India and Thailand represent "a prelude to terrorist attacks against the Islamic Republic." Thai state-run MCOT Television said Thursday that the country's criminal court had issued arrest warrants for four Iranians on charges related to Tuesday's Bangkok bomb incidents. The approval came after police submitted closed-circuit television pictures, explosive devices seized from their rented house and testimony of witnesses, MCOT reported. Thai authorities said they are holding three Iranian suspects -- Saeid Moradi, 28, whose legs were blown off by his own bomb -- and Mohammad Hazaei, 42, who was taken into custody Tuesday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport as he tried to board a plane to Malaysia. Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, 31, was arrested Wednesday by Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur, MCOT said. All three face charges that include joint assembling of explosive devices, joint possession of explosive devices without permits and causing an explosion injuring other persons. Moradi also faces charges of attempted killing of state officials on duty and the intentional attempted killing of other persons, it said. A fourth Iranian, a woman identified as Rohani Leila, remained at large. She is suspected of renting the house where the first device exploded, apparently by accident, MCOT said. A Thai police official said Wednesday that Israeli diplomats were the intended target of the Bangkok blasts. "I can tell you that the target of the operation of this group is specifically aimed at Israeli diplomats," Police Gen. Priewpan Damapong told CNN affiliate Channel 3. His comments came after a senior Thai security official had drawn a tentative link between the Bangkok blasts and attacks aimed at Israeli officials in India and Georgia, saying the materials used in the explosive devices were similar. Last month, Thai authorities charged a Lebanese man they said they believed was a member of Hezbollah with possession of explosive materials. The police charged the man, Atris Hussein, after finding outside Bangkok "initial chemical materials that could produce bombs." The authorities said they believed Hussein was trying to attack spots in Bangkok popular with Western tourists. In the events Monday, a device attached to an Israeli Embassy van in New Delhi exploded, wounding four people. Another device, found on an embassy car in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, was safety detonated. Indian police said Thursday that they have not established an Iranian tie to the New Delhi bombing. The materials used in the Bangkok bombs were similar to those used in India, the Thai National Security Council said. The attacks and accusations come amid tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel had made clear it is considering attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel, the United States and other countries have expressed concern that Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons, despite Tehran's insistence that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes. Iranian officials have openly antagonized Israel, and Israeli officials have described the regime in Tehran as an existential threat.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:59:09 GMT

Syrian opposition infiltrated by al-Qaida

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad will not leave or change course short of a coup, mostly because of the president's need to "emulate his father," U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Thursday. Clapper said the Syrian opposition, while mostly local, has been infiltrated by al-Qaida elements, maybe without the opposition knowing about it. His comments about the situation in Syria were the most detailed assessment to date of the U.S. intelligence read on Syria, and came during testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee about threats to the United States. Last week, CNN's Barbara Starr reported that the United States had intercepted communications of operatives of al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) who are now in Syria. U.S. intelligence suggests a small groups of AQI operatives have been "pushed into Syria" by their commanders and are able to carry out intelligence and reconnaissance against Syrian targets and subsequent bombing attacks. In describing the opposition, Clapper said it is very fractured, "not a national movement," comprised of both those from the local population and "exiles and the like." The director of national intelligence said the Free Syrian Army is feuding internally about who will lead it and in "another disturbing phenomenon," has been infiltrated by al-Qaida. He said the Free Syrian Army is made up of disparate groups with no centralized "command and control." "The opposition groups in many cases may not be aware they (al-Qaida operatives) are there," Clapper told the committee. He said recent bombings in Aleppo and Damascus against security and intelligence buildings "had all the earmarks of an al-Qaida-like attack." "We believe that al-Qaida in Iraq is extending its reach into Syria. Complicating all of this is -- and this is another contrast with Libya, where we had one or two or three sites that had chemical warfare components -- is a much more complex issue in Syria, which has an extensive network of such installations," Clapper observed. Clapper said the al-Qaida infiltration will undoubtedly affect discussion about offering aid and assistance to the opposition. The presence of al-Qaida and lack of clarity about what will happen ultimately in Syria has raised concerns about the country's extensive chemical weapons stockpiles. The United States has increasing concerns about the security of Syria's chemical weapons, according to a defense official who did not want to be identified while discussing intelligence matters. The official says while the US "continues to monitor the overall situation in Syria," there are "ongoing discussions specific to the location of, and security around, the various components of their chemical weapons program." The official says United States is paying particular attention to the possibility of the weapons falling into the hands of extremists, in the event the government loses control of certain areas or splinters among itself. The cities of Hama, Homs, al-Safira and the port city of Latakia are all believed to house production facilities. There are additional storage sites and research centers around the country as well. Clapper said Thursday there is particular concern should the al Assad regime fall. "There would be kind of a vacuum that would lend itself to extremists operating in Syria, which is particularly troublesome in light of the large network of chemical warfare, CBW (chemical-biological weapons), weapon storage facilities and other related facilities that there are in Syria," Clapper said. The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, said the extremists elements appear already to be in country. "But what we haven't seen so far and what we have not assessed yet, is whether there would be what I would call, a clarion call to outsiders coming in, to augment. We haven't seen much of that up to this time, so basically the team that's on the ground is playing with what it has," Burgess said at the same hearing. Recently, the head of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released a statement calling for support of those rising in opposition of Assad. In speaking of the regime, Clapper said there is little indication al-Assad will stop his crackdown on the opposition and at the moment all signs point to the regime holding together its support internally. Clapper played amateur psychologist in assessing al Assad's true motives for holding steady. "Assad himself probably, because of his psychological need to emulate his father, sees no other option, but to continue to try to crush the opposition," Clapper said. Hafez al-Assad, President Bashar al-Assad's father and predecessor, ruled Syria for three decades before his death in 2000. Clapper detailed how the U.S. intelligence community sees the state of Syria's regime. He said while there have been desertions, about "80% of their maneuver units (have taken part in) assaults on the civilian population." The economy has taken "some hits" and is "going south," including spiking gas and food prices, Clapper said. There are also signs that senior members of al Assad's regime are making contingency plans to evacuate and move their families and finances. Still, Clapper said, "to this point they've held together" and said a continued stalemate is likely. "Short of a coup or something like that, Assad will hang in there and continue to do as he's done," including continued massacre of civilians, Clapper said. Clapper also noted Iran has a presence in Syria. Iran is working to prop up al Assad's government and is sending "help in terms of trainers, advisers and equipment, mostly riot suppression equipment," Clapper said. CNN's Chris Lawrence contributed to this report.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:57:35 GMT

U.N. endorses Arab League plan for Syria

The United Nations General Assembly passed Thursday by an overwhelming margin a nonbinding resolution endorsing the Arab League plan for the Syrian president to step down. The vote was 137 in favor and 12 against, with 17 abstentions. "Today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message to the people of Syria: the world is with you," said U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice in a statement. "Bashar al-Assad has never been more isolated. A rapid transition to democracy in Syria has garnered the resounding support of the international community. Change must now come." "For France, this is a new step towards the end of the martyrdom of the Syrian people," said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe in a statement. "With our partners, we will do our utmost in all instances to make sure this resolution is fully implemented." "This is an unambiguous message to the Syrian regime that the violence must stop, they must withdraw the armed forces from the towns and cities of Syria, they must stop the repression of their people and they must allow for the possibility of a political dialogue to start and for a political transition to democracy in Syria," said British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant. "We hope that the regime will listen to this overwhelming message from the international community today." The symbolic resolution that condemns President Bashar al-Assad's violent crackdown in Syria was introduced into the assembly after China and Russia blocked the Security Council from approving enforceable measures aimed at curbing the violence. China and Russia were among the no votes on Thursday. Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari lashed out at the vote, calling the League of Arab States "broken, both politically and morally." He added that, "If things continue in this manner ... the United Nations will collapse -- morally first and entirely second." Asked after the vote about the possibility that Syria would implement a 24-hour ceasefire in the besieged city of Homs to let women, children and the wounded depart the city, he said, "Ceasefire? We are not in a civil war! We are not in an armed conflict!" The resolution marks the strongest U.N. statement to date condemning al-Assad's regime. It calls on Syria to end human rights violations and attacks against civilians immediately, and condemns violence by al-Assad's forces and the opposition. For nearly a year, al-Assad has denied reports that his forces are targeting civilians, saying they were fighting armed gangs and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the government. But the vast majority of accounts from within the country say that Syrian forces are slaughtering civilians as part of a crackdown on anti-government opposition calling for al-Assad's ouster. It is unclear what, if any, effect the resolution will have on what many world leaders see as a relentless campaign by al-Assad's forces to stamp out opposition. The General Assembly's vote followed news that France is bringing another resolution before the U.N. Security Council. "We are currently renegotiating a resolution at the U.N Security Council to see if we can persuade the Russians," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told radio station France Info on Wednesday. Russia is seen as the linchpin in winning passage of a resolution that could force change in Syria because it could open al-Assad's regime up to U.N. sanctions. It also could expose the president and his inner circle to possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Syria is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC's authority. The Security Council is the only world body that can refer crimes against humanity to the international court. Russia, a Soviet-era ally with trade and arms ties to Syria, has been adamantly opposed to a resolution that calls for al-Assad to step down, saying it amounts to a mandate for regime change. Russia has given mixed messages as to whether it would accept a U.N. arms embargo or economic sanctions, even though it has said it is concerned about the prospect of a Syrian civil war. Meanwhile, China announced Thursday that it was sending an envoy to Syria in an attempt to help defuse the crisis, according to state-run China National Radio (CNR). Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun is scheduled to travel Friday to Syria for a two-day visit, CNR said. The report did not say with whom the minister would meet. The diplomatic developments come amid reports Thursday that Syrian forces shelled the flashpoint city of Homs for a 13th consecutive day, targeting the opposition stronghold neighborhoods of Bab Amr, Inshaat and Khailidya, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition activist group. But Syrian security forces appeared to be losing their tight grip in the northern region. Government troops were stretched thin in their effort to control all fronts in the volatile country, where the revolt has entered its 12th month. Heavy sustained bombardment that resumed around 5 a.m., and dozens of injuries were reported. In Idlib province in the northwest, people appeared to be preparing for the possibility of a military offensive. Much of the region is in open revolt with villages and towns in the north out of government control for months. At least 70 people died Thursday across several provinces, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group. They include 38 in Idlib, 12 in Hama, and others in Rif Damashq -- the Damascus suburbs, Homs, Daraa , Deir Ezzor and Raqqah. The LCC said the casualties included 36 unidentified bodies, 13 soldiers and three women, at least one of whom was pregnant. Col. Malek Al Kurdi, deputy head of the Free Syrian Army, reported shelling by government forces in Hama and Daraa province. He cited civilian and FSA casualties. Among the dead are 10 military defectors in Hama, activists say. Ahmed, an activist in Damascus who said he had been in contact with LCC members in Hama, said about 100 people were arrested in the city, where bread, gasoline, electricity and medical supplies were in short supply. He said some 60 people had been killed in the area during the prior 11 days, 47 of them on Thursday in the village of Kafranbode village outside Hama. The approximately 200 people who were wounded were not taken to hospitals for fear that security forces would abduct them, he said. In Idlib, the bodies of 19 people who had tried to flee to Turkey were found. The LCC said they were arrested and executed by security forces. The LCC also said security forces and pro-government militias attacked mourners at a funeral in Damascus. Security forces raided homes in the city of Zabadani, outside Damascus, and arrested more than 250 people. Shops were looted, houses were burned and regime gunfire rang out in the city, in its 20th day without access to medicine, water or electricity, the LCC said. The LCC said a father and son died in Zabadani after regime forces burned their home. CNN cannot independently confirm opposition and government reports of violence because the Syrian government has severely restricted the access of international journalists. Arrests in central Damascus on Thursday reportedly targeted local journalists. The regime's security forces raided the office of activist and journalist Mazen Darwish, the director of the Syrian Center for Media and Free Expression, the LCC said. Darwish, his wife, U.S.-born blogger Razan Ghazzawi, and freelance journalist Hanada Zahlout, blogger Hussein Ghreir and 10 others were arrested. The Committee to Protect Journalists voiced alarm at the arrests and said the group has played a "key role in getting out information about daily developments in Syria, as foreign journalists are virtually banned from the country." "These arrests are a blatant attempt to close off a vital source of information not only for Syrians but for the international media," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "Anyone, whether a professional journalist or citizen with a mobile phone, who dares to report on the unrest in Syria is in danger of arrest or physical violence. Damascus should immediately release all those detained and stop its brutal crackdown." The uprising in Syria -- influenced by the Arab Spring movement that forced regime change in Egypt and Tunisia -- was sparked about a year ago in the southern city of Daraa with demonstrators angered by the arrests of young people who scrawled anti-government graffiti. Their grievances and calls for reforms were met with a violent security crackdown, and the unrest there served to catalyze anti-government protests across the nation. Thousands have died in the crackdown -- more than 5,000, according to the United Nations, but the LCC puts the toll at more than 7,000. Syria's actions have been denounced around the world. But international powers have backed the Arab League's efforts to deal with the uprising and some countries and groups, such as the Arab League, Turkey, the United States and the European Union, have initiated sanctions against al-Assad's government. James Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, predicted that Syria's president will not leave or change course, short of a coup. Clapper testified Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying the regime, despite economic problems, continues to have the support of the military. Prior to Thursday's vote, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he "is now considering all the necessary options once either the General Assembly or the Security Council takes a decision on Syria." He met Thursday with Juppe. Ban said the top priority was to stop the violence and establish humanitarian access. He said all relevant U.N. agencies were coordinating efforts to provide humanitarian help to the people of Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has indicated Moscow may be open to supporting a Security Council resolution that stipulates -- under certain conditions -- that peacekeepers could be deployed to Syria. "If the issue is about stopping gunfire, everything is possible," Lavrov said at joint a news conference with his Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal, according to state-run RIA-Novosti news agency.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:56:08 GMT

New York Times reporter dies in Syria

Anthony Shadid, who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his reporting from Iraq, died Thursday while reporting in eastern Syria, apparently of an asthma attack, the New York Times said. He was 43. The newspaper said it was not immediately known how or where he died. Tyler Hicks, a Times photographer who was with Shadid, carried his body over the border to Turkey. Hicks said Shadid, who was carrying medication for his asthma, displayed symptoms Thursday morning, when they joined guides on horseback for the trip out of the country. The animals may have triggered the asthma, Hicks said. He had suffered an asthma attack the week before, when they entered the country and met with guides on horseback, Hicks told The Times. The Syrian government, which limits international journalists' access to the country, had not been told by The Times that Shadid was there, the newspaper said. He had been inside Syria for a week collecting information for a story on the Syrian resistance, it added. Shadid, who was fluent in Arabic, had covered the Middle East for nearly 20 years as a reporter for The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Associated Press. Shadid had been working on a book about his family's ancestral home in Lebanon. He traveled there after years of covering conflict to rebuild his grandmother's home, according to his website. "He found a story of hope, healing, but perhaps most powerfully, loss, in a Middle East whose future rests in understanding its past," it said. The book, "House of Stone," is to be published next month by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He wrote two other books, "Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats and the New Politics of Islam" and "Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War." In an interview last December on NPR's "Fresh Air," Shadid recalled entering without a visa the Syria ruled by President Bashar al-Assad. "I've done things that maybe I wouldn't have done in hindsight, and this maybe would have been one of them," he said. "It was scarier than I thought it would be. I had had a bad experience in Libya earlier in the year, [but] I did feel that Syria was so important, and that story wouldn't be told otherwise, that it was worth taking risks for. But the repercussions of getting caught were pretty dire." After several days in Hama, he crossed safely back across the border. "I don't think I'd ever seen something like what I saw in Syria," he said. "You're dealing with a government that's shown very little restraint in killing its own people to put down an uprising. ... And I got to spend a lot of time with [the activists] because I spent a lot of time in safe houses. And it reminded me of an old story in Islamic history, when the Muslim armies are crossing to Gibraltar. And the general who was leading them burned the ships after they crossed into Spain. And the idea was there was no turning back. And that story, I felt, resonated [with] almost every conversation I had." He did not always emerge unhurt from his reporting. In 2002, while working for The Boston Globe, he was shot in the shoulder in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Last year, Shadid and Hicks and two other Times journalists, Stephen Farrell and Lynsey Addario, were arrested by pro-government militias in Libya and held for more than a week, during which all were physically abused. Their driver, Mohammad Shaglouf, died. In its 2004 citation, the Pulitzer Board praised "his extraordinary ability to capture, at personal peril, the voices and emotions of Iraqis as their country was invaded, their leader toppled and their way of life upended." In 2010, the board praised "his rich, beautifully written series on Iraq as the United States departs and its people and leaders struggle to deal with the legacy of war and to shape the nation's future." His last story for The Times, on Libya, ran on Feb. 9. At 1,600 words, it was long, which was typical for him, the newspaper said. "It was splashed on the front page of the newspaper and the home page of the Web site, nytimes.com, which was also typical," it said. "Anthony died as he lived --- determined to bear witness to the transformation sweeping the Middle East and to testify to the suffering of people caught between government oppression and opposition forces," wrote Jill Abramson, executive editor of the Times, in an e-mail to the newspaper's staff. Shadid leaves his wife and two children.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:05:58 GMT

Groups hit back against billionaire's birth control comment

Women's advocacy groups fired back after a major Rick Santorum donor stirred controversy Thursday with a now-viral comment about contraception. Calling his comments "insulting and irresponsible," Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said "birth control is basic health care and used almost universally by women. It is not something to belittle on national TV." Foster Friess, a billionaire mutual fund manager, made headlines earlier in the day when he joked women used Bayer aspirin as birth control "back in (his) days." "The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn't that costly," Friess said on MSNBC. He has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a pro-Santorum super PAC, the Red, White, and Blue Fund. Later Thursday night, Friess said in another interview on MSNBC that it was merely a joke and denied that he was giving any medical advice for birth control. "A lot of people who are younger than 71 didn't get the context of that joke," he said. "Back in my days, they didn't have the birth control pill, so to suggest that Bayer aspirin could be considered a birth control is pretty ridiculous and quite funny. So I think that was the gist of that story." Meanwhile, National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill called on Friess to "immediately apologize" to woman. "Mr. Freiss' comments today on MSNBC that women use aspirin between their knees for contraception were not only offensive, but demeaning and disrespectful to women," O'Neill said in a statement to CNN. "Santorum should also use this time to renounce his anti-birth control stance." Asked Thursday night in an interview on Fox News, Santorum called the comment a "stupid" and "off-color" joke that does not reflect on him or his campaign.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:38:11 GMT

Poll: Half oppose Obama birth control insurance plan

Half of all Americans say they oppose the Obama administration's new policy concerning employer-provided health insurance plans and their coverage of contraceptive services for female employees including those at religiously affiliated institutions, according to a new national survey. The push by the White House has been sharply criticized by Catholic Church officials, and many political pundits have said that the controversy could hurt President Barack Obama's re-election chances with Catholic voters. But a CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday also indicates that the vast majority of Catholic Americans say they don't always follow church teachings on such issues as abortion and birth control, and few Americans Catholics believe artificial means of birth control are wrong. According to the survey, 50% of the public disapproves of the Obama administration policy, with 44% saying they approve of the plan. The margin is right at the edge of the poll's sampling error. Surveys on this topic tell a mixed story because many Americans know little about the issue. Recent CBS and Fox polls indicate support for the new policy, using questions that describe the new policy in some detail. But in the CNN poll, when asked their opinion of the Obama policy with no details spelled out, support was much less and a large partisan divide emerged. A recent Pew poll also suggests Americans are closely divided, and that poll may hold the key to the differences. Nearly four in ten Americans say they have heard nothing at all about this controversy. "The CNN poll illustrates the road ahead for the White House," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "If the administration can't inform more Americans about the details of the policy - details that some other polls show to be popular - the public is likely to split along party lines. Many will dislike the plan simply due to the fact that this is an Obama initiative." "It's a lot like President Obama's overall health care measure, which most Americans say they oppose even though they approve of many of the specific programs in the new law - opponents can use it against the president as long as they can keep the focus on who made the policy rather than what the policy actually does," adds Holland. The President announced an accommodation Friday in the dispute. Under the new plan, religiously affiliated universities and hospitals will not be forced to offer contraception coverage to their employees. Insurers will be required, however, to offer complete coverage free of charge to women who work at such institutions. Female employees at churches themselves will have no guarantee of any contraception coverage -- a continuation of current law. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops denounced Obama's compromise last week soon after the president's announcement, saying the proposal raises "serious moral concerns," according to a statement posted on its website. But the poll indicates that Americans, including American Catholics, are unconcerned about contraception and birth control. Roughly eight in ten disagree with the belief that using artificial means of birth control is wrong, and nearly nine in ten American Catholics say that they don't feel the need to obey Church teachings on moral issues like abortion and birth control. "This is not a new phenomenon," says Holland. "Polls have found widespread support for artificial means of birth control since the 1980s, and since the 1990s, polls have found that American Catholics believe that they should make up their own minds on moral issues rather than always following Church teachings on those issues." According to the survey, there's also a partisan divide on the issue, with seven out of ten Democrats supporting the new Obama administration policy, independent voters divided, and the vast majority of Republicans opposed. Both congressional Republicans and the GOP presidential candidates have been critical of the president and the White House on this issue. The CNN poll was conducted by ORC International from February 10-13, with 1,026 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:37:15 GMT

NORAD intercepts drug plane in restricted airspace

If you're planning to transport marijuana in a private plane, you may want to check the president's schedule before taking off. That was the apparent lesson Thursday when two fighter jets under the direction of the the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a general aviation plane that had flown Thursday into temporarily restricted air space over Los Angeles, NORAD said. The restriction of the airspace coincided with travel to the West Coast by President Barack Obama. The F-16s were scrambled from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, and intercepted the errant Cessna 182 around 11:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. ET), said NORAD. Accompanied by the F-16s, the Cessna 182 landed without incident, where it was met by local law enforcement, NORAD said. A law enforcement official said 10 kilograms of what appeared to be marijuana were found on the plane. Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said only that "some type of narcotics" was found. The Secret Service concluded that the pilot was "of no protective interest to us," meaning the individual was not considered a threat, and was therefore turned over to the Long Beach Police Department. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, which helped question the pilot, said police were expected to refer the case to state prosecutors. The White House had no comment.

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:45:49 GMT

CiboloTexas.com HOTELS • REAL ESTATE • JOBS