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Headline News 7-02-09
Odierno: Troop levels to drop to 120,000
Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq says U.S. troop levels in Iraq should drop to 120,000 by the end of the year, adding:"We want to make sure that we have enough forces on the ground to ensure .. legitimate ..elections in January.” Read more
Iraqi Civilian Toll Nearly Tripled in June
In Iraq 373 civilians were killed in June, nearly three times the number killed in May. 395 were killed in April, the deadliest month in a year. Virtually all the attacks targeted Shi’ite neighborhoods and religious sites. Many victims in April were Shi’ite pilgrims from Iran. The violence has been blamed on al-Qaeda and remnants of the Ba’athist regime. Read more
Taliban Seize U.S. Soldier in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan a Taliban commander told CBS News Thursday militants had captured a U.S. soldier and three Afghan nationals near the Pakistani border. The commander said Taliban leaders would consider a prisoner swap. Read more
Mousavi, Khatami Declare Iranian Government ‘Illegitimate’
Former Iranian Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi claims to have documents proving he won the election, and plans to present them to a committee of scholars. Read more
Newsweek reporter in Iran reportedly 'confesses'
Maziar Bahari, a Newsweek reporter recently arrested in Tehran, has reportedly admitted filing false reports during the elections, a charge the magazine has rejected. Read more
Analysis: Hopes fading for Iran nuke talks
Analysts say continued turmoil over Iran's disputed presidential election is dimming prospects of meaningful negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. On Tuesday, Iran said the EU had relinquished the right to sit down to talks because it was supporting anti-government rallies. Read more
Amnesty: Israeli Troops Used Children as Human Shields in Gaza
Amnesty International in a new report Wednesday detailed war crimes committed by the Israeli military during its 22-day offensive against the Gaza Strip. The attack killed over 1,400 Palestinians, wounded 5,000 others and destroyed 3,000 homes. The report described much of the destruction as “wanton” and attacks as “indiscriminate” that failed to distinguish between military targets and civilian objects.” Read more
Israel to deport Cynthia McKinney, others
Israeli authorities plan to deport former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney after seizing the ship she and 20 others were using in an attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. McKinney and friends, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, were on board the Spirit of Humanity, operated by the Free Gaza Movement. Read more
Israel's Barak links settlement freeze to regional peace drive
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday Israel would consider a limited moratorium on new construction in Jewish settlements. The offer fell short of Washington's call for a total halt to building in settlements, a demand that has opened the most serious rift US-Israeli relations in a decade. Read more
Pakistani Army Rules Out Military Operation in North Waziristan
The Pakistani military said Wednesday it would continue to honor the 2008 peace accord it had with tribes and not launch any military operations in North Waziristan. With the offensive in the Swat Valley still going on, the military had expressed concern about its ability to fight a large-scale war. Read more
Pakistan tribes request army aid against Taliban
Tribesmen attacked Taliban hide-outs in northwestern Pakistan Wednesday, killing 28 militants and suffering seven fatalities themselves. The intensified battles prompted tribesmen to ask for army troops for help. An opinion poll released Wednesday said more than 80 percent of Pakistanis view the Taliban as a critical threat to the country. Read more
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Staffer at SEC Had Warned of Madoff
Domestic
According to Securities and Exchange Commission documents, an SEC investigator warned superiors in 2004 about irregularities at Bernie Madoff's management firm, but was told to focus on an unrelated matter. Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot, a lawyer in the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, e-mailed a supervisor, saying information provided by Madoff didn't add up and suggested a set of questions to ask his firm. Several of these questions challenged Madoff activities that later turned out to be elements of his massive fraud. But with the agency under pressure to look for wrongdoing in the mutual fund industry, she wasn't able to continue pursuing Madoff.
Walker-Lightfoot's supervisors were Mark Donohue, and his boss, Eric Swanson, an assistant director of the department. Swanson later married Madoff's niece, and their relationship is now under review by the agency's inspector general.
New Poll: Majority Supports Government-Run Health Option
Domestic
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows 69 percent believe Americans should have the option to purchase government-run health insurance. But only 28 percent said they would take advantage of government-run insurance, suggesting a lack of confidence in Washington's ability to administer coverage. The poll also showed 72 percent of respondents would not pay more than $500 a year to finance a health care overhaul.. The poll's respondents said they trusted Barack Obama more than Congressional Republicans to take on the issue, with 53 percent favoring Obama to 33 percent preferring Republicans. By a showing of 52 to 42 percent, respondents agreed with Obama that a public plan will "keep private insurance companies honest." However, by a margin of 58 to 32 percent, respondents said that government-run health care generally would be a "bad thing." The poll also found tepid support for mandating that everyone acquire health insurance.
Thousands of US Marines Launch Operation in Afghanistan
International
In Afghanistan, thousands of US Marines launched a massive offensive in the Helmand River Valley to clear it of insurgents before the August 20 presidential election. The offensive is the first major operation of the Obama Administration’s revamped strategy, which includes an intention to remain in the area.
It is unclear how the Marines intend to operate in Afghan villages, considering General Stanley McChrystal’s order to stop fighting near the homes of Afghan civilians. Recently US troops operating in and around populated areas have called in air strikes, killing enormous numbers of civilians. Despite repeated calls from commanders for the US to commit even more troops to the conflict, National Security Adviser James Jones declared Thursday he had told commanders the administration won’t consider adding more troops beyond the planned surge this year. However, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen said the administration hadn’t limited McChrystal on what he could ask for.
