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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- One of five members of the Electoral Complaints Commission in Afghanistan has resigned amid the group's probe of allegations of voting fraud during the presidential election.
An Afghan woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Kabul on August 20.
Mustafa Barakzai, a Supreme Court judge, was one of two Afghan members of the commission. His departure on Monday comes as the commission nears completion in the investigation of allegations of fraud in the August 20 elections.
Local news reports have quoted Barakzai as saying that the commission is unduly influenced by foreigners and that it has not included him in the decision-making process.
The head of the commission, Grant Kippen, disputed both assertions.
"He was involved in our major decisions," Kippen told CNN. "We are only a five-member team. Every member is integral to our work."
Kippen is one of three non-Afghans on the Electoral Complaints Commission appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Kippen said the "vast majority of our decisions were consensus decisions."
The commission said in a statement that it is "disappointed at the resignation of an important member" at a crucial time in the process.
"The (commission) remains dedicated to the elections process and will continue to work openly and honestly in the implementation of its mandate under the Afghan Electoral Law," the statement said. "This will not distract the (commission) from continuing to focus on the task at hand."
Complaints of irregularities have dogged the presidential elections. The top United Nations official in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, admitted Sunday that the vote was marred by "widespread fraud."
Eide's recently fired deputy Peter Galbraith told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Monday that Eide earlier refused to share details of voting irregularities with Afghan election officials. Galbraith also said his former boss could have prevented some fraud by closing unsecured polling stations.
Eide on Sunday denied the allegations of withholding information and defended his decisions to open as many polling stations as possible, despite security concerns.
With findings of the fraud complaints investigation upcoming, Galbraith said he anticipates the commission will determine that Afghan President Hamid Karzai will not have enough votes to avoid a runoff.
"I think there's a very strong likelihood that the election complaints commission will find that he's below 50 percent, and then the question is whether Karzai will accept that decision and whether the Independent Election Commission, which is not independent but a pro-Karzai body, will accept that decision," Galbraith said. Watch Galbraith's reaction to Eide's acknowledgement of election fraud »
"If they don't, then the political crisis in Afghanistan, which has already done such damage to the overall effort there, will get much worse."
The Independent Election Commission is expected to soon finish an audit and recount of suspicious ballots; the results could be announced this week. The independent commission is a "constitutional body" that conducts "free and fair elections" in an "impartial way" according to its Web site.
Galbraith has also accused Barakzai of favoring incumbent Karzai, even though the Electoral Complaints Commission says that it is also an independent body.
Election tallies have yet to be certified because of the allegations. Last month, final uncertified results showed Karzai with 54 percent of the vote.
CNN's Tom Evans contributed to this report.
|
[
"who did barakzai say commision was unduly influenced by?",
"What did commission do according to barakzai?",
"What did a top un official say in afghanistan on sunday?",
"What does the commission head say Barakzai was involved in?",
"who was involved in major decisions?",
"what did the commision say about resignation?"
] |
[
[
"foreigners"
],
[
"it has not included him in the decision-making process."
],
[
"the vote was marred by \"widespread fraud.\""
],
[
"voting fraud during the presidential election."
],
[
"Mustafa Barakzai,"
],
[
"\"disappointed"
]
] |
Commission says it is "disappointed at the resignation of an important member"
Commission head says Barakzai "was involved in our major decisions"
Barakzai reported as saying commission is unduly influenced by foreigners .
Top U.N. official in Afghanistan admits on Sunday vote was marred by fraud .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Security remains a top concern, as Afghanistan holds its second-ever presidential election Thursday, prompting the government to ask for a ban on media coverage of violence. An Afghan police officer walks near a bank in Kabul where an armed robbery ended in a gunbattle. Afghanistan's government has ordered the media to refrain from covering possible attacks on election day in an effort to "ensure the wide participation of the Afghan people." "If anybody broadcasts or gives news about any movements or activities of terrorists, domestic media offices will be closed, and foreigners will be kicked out of the country," according to a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmad Zahir Faqiri. He said the order is in line with Afghanistan's constitution, which allows for such mandates "in exceptional situations" to protect "national interest and national security." Escalating violence in the capital, Kabul, this week has made some Afghans think twice about whether to venture out to vote. "If we are not at peace, why should we vote, who should we vote for?" asked Ferishta, 21, who last weekend lay in a blood-soaked shirt and was connected to an intravenous drip after a suicide bombing. But at least one independent news agency refused to heed a blackout on reports of violence. Restricting media freedoms has no basis in the Afghan constitution, said the Kabul-based Pajhwok News Agency. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul insisted that press freedoms are necessary to ensure credible elections. "While we recognize the sovereign rights of the Afghan government and note their intention to encourage Afghans to turn out and vote, we believe that free media reporting is directly linked to the credibility of the elections and continue to support the freedom of the press and responsible reporting," spokeswoman Fleur Cowan said in an e-mail. On the eve of the election, roadside bombs killed three Afghan election workers in the southern province of Kandahar, and four others were killed Tuesday in the northern province of Badakshan, Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor said. Amid the violence, the candidates wrapped up last-minute campaigning with the hope that the elections can showcase their country's fledgling democracy. "We're at a moment of truth," said Mark Schneider, senior vice president of the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. An incumbent president and about 40 challengers, including two women, are on the ballot, vying for the votes of what the election commission says are an estimated 17 million registered Afghans against a backdrop of war, graft, poverty and illiteracy. More than 3,000 donkeys, 3,000 cars and three helicopters will traverse harsh terrain to carry voting materials to remote polling stations, the election commission says. And 30 observer groups, domestic and international, will be on hand to help guard against fraud, it says. At the heart of every vote will be the two biggest impediments to progress in one of the poorest nations in the world: stifling corruption and an increasingly bloody Taliban insurgency. International donors are helping pay for the $223 million electoral undertaking, and hundreds of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers have moved into strife-torn southern Afghanistan to protect voters against possible Taliban attacks. The top U.S. envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, expressed optimism that Thursday's vote would be Afghanistan's moment to shine. It's tough to organize elections during a war, he said, but the reality is that violence during elections is commonplace in many parts of the world. "Afghanistan has never had a contested election," Holbrooke said. "So this is a remarkable experiment in democracy and something that Afghanistan needs to give legitimacy to the new government." That legitimacy has become a key issue in the campaign. Frontrunner President Hamid Karzai's chief challengers -- former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah -- have both lashed out at the incumbent for failing to rein in corruption. In its annual global corruption perception index in 2008, Transparency International ranked Afghanistan 176 out of 180 countries and said graft is "a
|
[
"Which country was the media blackout in?",
"What number of election workers died in roadside bombs?",
"How many election workers were killed?",
"Who is facing challenges from former ministers?",
"Where is the fresh violence in Afghanistan centred?",
"What are the voters top issues?",
"What killed the election workers?",
"Where is the the media blackout?"
] |
[
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"three Afghan"
],
[
"President Hamid Karzai's"
],
[
"Kabul,"
],
[
"Security"
],
[
"roadside bombs"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
]
] |
Afghan media blackout called amid fresh violence in Kabul .
Seven Afghan election workers killed by roadside bombs .
Corruption, insurgency expected to be voters' top issues .
President faces major challenges from two of his former ministers .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, met with American forces and, according to a U.S. official, is expected to meet Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Sen. Barack Obama attends a meeting in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Saturday.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was visiting the Central Asian nation before he embarks on a tour of the Middle East and Europe, a trip aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials.
The trip, which comes four months ahead of the presidential election, marks Obama's first visit to Afghanistan.
The trip has been shrouded in secrecy for security reasons, a standard precaution for most U.S. officials in conflict zones.
On Saturday, the senator from Illinois traveled to eastern Afghanistan to visit Americans forces under NATO's Regional Command East. Obama is accompanied by Sen. Charles Hagel, R-Nebraska, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island.
The senators met service members at Jalalabad airfield in Nangarhar province.
The governor of Nangarhar province, Gul Agha Shirzai -- formerly the governor of Kandahar province -- also met the senators at the air base. Shirzai and Obama embraced briefly at the end of the meeting. Watch Obama's visit to Jalalabad »
Upon arrival at Bagram Air Base, the senators were briefed by Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commanding general of the Regional Command East.
Ahead of the trip to Afghanistan, the senators stopped in Kuwait to visit U.S. troops, Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said. They left Washington on Thursday.
In Kuwait, the senators visited Camp Arifjan for about two hours to meet with U.S. Army Central leadership, take a brief tour of the base and talk with soldiers, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Nutter said.
They met in a gymnasium with about 1,000 military members, who cheered jubliantly at their arrival.
"America is unified in being so proud of the extraordinary, brilliant, dedicated professional service that is provided by all members of our armed services," he told the military personnel there.
Later, Obama shot baskets with some soldiers, drawing cheers with each basket he made. Watch Obama meet troops and play some hoops »
Soldiers were able to meet the senator on the basketball court later.
After, Obama said, "I am just very proud of the extraordinary work that the troops are doing here in Kuwait; you're providing all the logistical support that's needed for folks in the battlefield and without you this effort would not be successful."
Hagel agreed, saying, "We're here first to thank the troops."
After the events at the the gymnasium, they met with Lt. Gen. Jim Lovelace, the U.S. Army Central Commander, and senior leadership who gave them an overview of the command, Nutter said.
Obama spoke briefly to a pool reporter about his trip just before leaving Washington.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is," Obama said. "I want to, obviously, talk to the commanders and get a sense, both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of, you know, what the most, their biggest concerns are. And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they've been doing."
Asked whether he would have tough talk for the leaders of Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama said he was "more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking."
"I think it is very important to recognize that I'm going over there as a U.S. senator. We have one president at a time, so it's the president's job to deliver those messages," Obama said. Watch Obama's foreign policy adviser discuss overseas trip »
The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the political radar. Three times as many coalition soldiers and other military personnel have died this month in Afghanistan, compared with Iraq. July's death toll for coalition troops in Afghanistan reached 22 Saturday, after the Friday death of a Canadian soldier was announced.
The fight in Afghanistan has become a more pressing issue on the
|
[
"Where was Obama's first stop of a global tour?",
"Where else is Obama expected to visit?",
"Who is expected to visit several countires in middle east and Europe?",
"The first stop on global tour is where?",
"What is the first stop of Sen. Barack Obama global tour?"
] |
[
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"Jalalabad, Afghanistan,"
],
[
"Jalalabad, Afghanistan,"
]
] |
Sen. Barack Obama arrives in Afghanistan for first stop of global tour .
Obama's visit comes as U.S. officials want to send more troops to region .
Obama also expected to visit several countries in Middle East, Europe .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ten French soldiers were killed Tuesday in fighting near the Afghan capital of Kabul after 100 insurgents attacked a patrol, authorities said. French soldiers patrol in Afghanistan in May 2008. French and NATO authorities confirmed the deaths and said 21 other soldiers were wounded in the fighting in the Sarobi area in Kabul province, about 30 miles northeast of the capital. The clashes began late Monday afternoon and continued into Tuesday, when the casualties occurred, French officials said. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his "determination is intact" to continue "this battle against terrorism for democracy and liberty." "The cause is just. It is an honor for France and its armies to defend them," said Sarkozy, who will travel Tuesday night to Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said. Last month, nine U.S. soldiers were killed in fighting in eastern Afghanistan. U.S., British, Canadian and Dutch troops have been engaged in much of the combat in Afghanistan. The United States has been urging other countries in the NATO-led alliance to help ease the burdens of those troops on the front lines. About 1,670 French troops serve in Afghanistan under NATO's International Security Assistance Force, according to ISAF's Web site. Before this incident, a total of 12 French troops had died in several incidents during the Afghan war, mostly in combat. As for the latest fighting, NATO said the initial patrol -- which included Afghan forces -- had been "reinforced with quick reaction forces, close air support and mobile medical teams." It said "a large number of insurgents were killed." Gen. Zahir Azimi, an Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, said Tuesday that Afghan army forces rushed to the battle scene soon after the attack took place. He said 27 militants were killed and 14 were wounded in the fighting, and 13 of the bodies were recovered by the Afghan army. He said one of the dead militants was identified as a Pakistani national. The Taliban posted a Web statement saying its forces attacked an "American" convoy, killing 20 soldiers and destroying five military tanks. It also said foreign forces later Tuesday bombarded the region and killed five Taliban militants and several civilians. The fighting came after authorities tightened security on Monday in anticipation of militant attacks on the country's Independence Day. Several suicide bombers struck an American base about 12 miles from the border with Pakistan in Khost province on Tuesday, but U.S. and Afghan forces repelled the onslaught. Seven insurgents were killed in the attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno, including three suicide bombers who blew themselves up after forces from the base encountered them more than 3,000 feet from the base, ISAF said in a statement. U.S. and Afghan troops noticed the approaching militants by their "special behavior," the spokesman said. Helicopters flew in to attack them, the force said. ISAF said it suffered no casualties. Gov. Arsallah Jamal of Khost province said four commandos -- presumably Afghans -- were wounded when the militants struck late Monday. A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said 15 suicide bombers with small arms and machine guns entered the base and inflicted heavy casualties -- claims that the NATO-led force and Khost governor dismissed. That attack came after a suicide car bombing outside the same base killed 10 Afghan civilians and wounded 13 others Monday, the U.S. military said. Two other would-be bombers were killed before they could carry out attacks, Jamal said. Afghan forces stopped a second would-be car bomb near the base, performed a controlled detonation and detained a suspect, the NATO-led force said. This comes as a source from the Afghan Defense Ministry, who declined to be named, confirmed that Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani arrived in Kabul on Tuesday morning to meet with Afghan and NATO military officials. In southern Afghanistan, a suicide bomber struck a Canadian foot patrol on Tuesday in the Kandahar province district of Panjwayee, local police said. The bomber and an Afghan interpreter for NATO forces were killed and a NATO soldier and a child were wounded, police said. The attack
|
[
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"When will Sarkozy head to Afghanistan?",
"What did Sarkozy say?",
"Where will Sarkozy travel?",
"Who is the president of France?",
"How many suicide bombers did the Taliban claim there were?",
"Who dismissed the Taliban claim?",
"How many French soldiers were killed?",
"Where will Sarkozy travel to?",
"Who says the cause is just?",
"What Taliban claim was dismissed by officials?",
"How many French soldiers were killed?",
"Who is the president of France?",
"Who is heading to AfghanistanTuesday?",
"What Taliban claim did officials refute?",
"What were 10 French soldiers killed by?",
"Where did Sarkozy travel on Tuesday?",
"Who says the cause is just?",
"When is Sarkozy traveling to Afghanistan?"
] |
[
[
"Afghanistan,"
],
[
"Tuesday night"
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"French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his \"determination is intact\" to continue \"this battle against terrorism for democracy and liberty.\""
],
[
"Afghanistan,"
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[
"Nicolas Sarkozy"
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[
"15"
],
[
"NATO-led force and Khost governor"
],
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"Ten"
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[
"Afghanistan,"
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[
"Sarkozy,"
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[
"15 suicide bombers with small arms and machine guns entered the base and inflicted heavy casualties"
],
[
"Ten"
],
[
"Nicolas Sarkozy"
],
[
"Sarkozy,"
],
[
"15 suicide bombers with small arms and machine guns entered the base and inflicted heavy casualties -- claims that the NATO-led force and Khost governor dismissed."
],
[
"100 insurgents attacked a patrol,"
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"Afghanistan,"
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[
"Sarkozy,"
],
[
"Tuesday night"
]
] |
NEW: 'This cause is just,' French President Sarkozy says .
NEW: Sarkozy to travel to Afghanistan Tuesday night .
NEW: Officials dismiss Taliban claim of 15 suicide bombers entering base .
10 French soldiers killed as fighting flares around holiday .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The Afghan government will change a law that critics say legalizes rape within marriage for Shia Muslims, President Hamid Karzai told CNN Thursday. Critics had feared that Afghanistan's new Shiite law would set the nation backward. Karzai told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that he and others were unaware of the provision in the legislation, which he said "has so many articles." Karzai signed the measure into law last month. "Now I have instructed, in consultation with clergy of the country, that the law be revised and any article that is not in keeping with the Afghan constitution and Islamic Sharia must be removed from this law," Karzai said. The president's comments came one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off over the law, which critics say prevents women from declining their husband's request for sexual intercourse and essentially legalizes marital rape. The measure applies to the 20 percent of Afghans who are Shia Muslims. It was part of a nearly 270-page piece of legislation that was written to solidify the identity of the Shia minority in Afghanistan. The bill languished in the country's parliament for a year-and-a-half before it was recently pushed through in what one legislator called a "chaotic" vote. Women from various parts of Afghanistan marched in the capital Wednesday to protest the law, which has also been criticized by human-rights groups and Western leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama. Watch Karzai react to controversial law ahead of Thursday's comments » When the demonstrators reached a mosque housing a school run by a conservative Shia cleric who helped implement the law, students came out yelling and cursing and pelted the women with gravel, said Fawzia Koofi, a female member of the Afghan parliament. Koofi said police did little to protect the women, but a spokesman for the country's interior minister disputed that. "Police played a completely neutral role," said spokesman Zamarai Bashiri. "The police were able to control the demonstrations very well." About 300 to 500 women protested the law while 600 to 700 demonstrators marched in support of it, he said. The marchers who opposed the law included several female members of Afghanistan's parliament. "Both sides were able to express their thoughts and expressions," Bashiri said. The law has drawn much criticism. Watch a report on the law » "I think this law is abhorrent," Obama said recently. "We think that it is very important for us to be sensitive to local culture, but we also think that there are certain basic principles that all nations should uphold, and respect for women and respect for their freedom and integrity is an important principle." French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also weighed in. "We very much hope that the draft piece of legislation is to be withdrawn," Merkel has said.
|
[
"What does Karzai tell CNN?",
"When did comments come?",
"What does Karzai say about it?",
"Who is criticizing the planned law?",
"What does Afghan law appear to let a man do?",
"What does Afghan law appear to allow?",
"what did karzai tell Cnn?"
] |
[
[
"that he and others were unaware of the provision in the legislation, which he said \"has so many articles.\""
],
[
"one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off over the law,"
],
[
"\"Now I have instructed, in consultation with clergy of the country, that the law be revised and any article that is not in keeping with the Afghan constitution and Islamic Sharia must be removed from this law,\""
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"legalizes rape"
],
[
"legalizes marital rape."
],
[
"The Afghan government will change a law that critics say legalizes rape"
]
] |
Afghan law appears to let a man to have sex with his wife even when she says "no"
Karzai tells CNN he, others unaware of the provision due to the amount of legislation .
Comments came one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off in Kabul .
Many Western leaders, including U.S. president, have criticized the planned law .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The British journalist recently freed in a NATO military operation described his Taliban hostage-takers as "hopelessly inept," and praised his Afghan colleague who died in the rescue. Journalists carry flowers to the grave of Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi in Kabul on Thursday. New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell described his four days in captivity in a blog on the newspaper's Web site, posted late Wednesday just hours after he was freed. Taliban militants kidnapped Farrell and Afghan journalist, Sultan Munadi, on Saturday. During a pre-dawn raid Wednesday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force plucked Farrell to safety, but did not retrieve the body of Munadi, who died during a fierce firefight between troops and Taliban militants. A British commando was also killed, as were a woman and child. There has been criticism about the rescue operation as well as the initial decision to go into the region which Farrell points out in his blog, "was becoming more troubled by insurgents." International troops, including British forces, have expressed their unhappiness about having to extract a Western journalist from the area, a Western military source in Kabul told CNN. Meanwhile, NATO has come under fire from a coalition of Afghan journalists working for foreign news outlets who called the pre-dawn raid "reckless and double-standard behavior." The Media Club of Afghanistan issued a statement Thursday saying it "holds the international forces responsible for the death of Mr. Munadi because they resorted in military action before exhausting other nonviolent means." "There is no justification for the international forces to rescue their own national, and retrieve the dead body of their own soldier killed in action, but leave behind the dead body of Sultan Munadi in the area. The MCA deems this action as inhumane." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown intends to send a "private" letter of condolences to Munadi's family, a spokeswoman for his office told CNN. In his first-hand account of the kidnapping, Farrell praised Munadi for "trying to protect me up to the last minute." The two had gone from Kabul to the northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Friday to investigate reports of a NATO airstrike in a Taliban-controlled area. Farrell said he and his colleagues believed the attack, which destroyed two tankers, would be "a major controversy involving allegations of civilian deaths against NATO claims that the dead were Taliban." He said they took precautions, including waiting until the next day to drive along the main highway in daylight. While they were interviewing locals about what happened along the riverbank, Farrell said "a crowd began to gather, time passed, and we grew nervous." "I do not know how long we were there, but it was uncomfortably long," he said. "I am comfortable with the decision to go to the riverbank, but fear we spent too long there." All of a sudden, some of the villagers shouted, "Taliban" and their driver fled with the keys, he said. Farrell and Munadi tried to escape too, but they were captured. Munadi was struck with a Kalashnikov rifle, but Farrell said apart from that incident, the two were not "subjected to any beatings, torture or ill-treatment over the next four days." Their Taliban captors operated freely in the area southwest of Kunduz, and appeared to be the only armed presence, Farrell wrote. "It became a tour of a Taliban-controlled district of Afghanistan, and that control appeared total," he said. "At no point did we see a single NATO soldier, Afghan policeman, soldier or any check to the Taliban's ability to move at will." Farrell said he and Munadi were "paraded" around by their captors. "We were paraded to the children in the street: the infidel and his translator, to be laughed at and mocked," he wrote. The captors operated with relative impunity and, at times, "their operational security was hopelessly inept" -- using Farrell's name over their mobile phones "heedless
|
[
"What did the journalist say?",
"Who does he work for?",
"Who was killed?",
"What did the freed British journalist say about the Taliban hostage-takers?",
"Who was killed with British comando?",
"What does the freed journalist say?",
"Who is Stephen Farrell?",
"What is the name of the New York Times reporter that was freed by NATO>"
] |
[
[
"Farrell said he and his colleagues believed the attack, which destroyed two tankers, would be \"a major controversy involving allegations of civilian deaths against NATO claims that the dead were Taliban.\""
],
[
"New York Times"
],
[
"Sultan Munadi"
],
[
"as \"hopelessly inept,\""
],
[
"Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi"
],
[
"his Taliban hostage-takers as \"hopelessly inept,\" and praised his Afghan colleague who died in the rescue."
],
[
"New York Times reporter"
],
[
"Stephen Farrell"
]
] |
Freed British journalist: Taliban hostage-takers were "hopelessly inept"
New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell was freed by NATO forces in Afghanistan .
Afghan journalist killed with British commando; woman, child die in crossfire .
Media Club of Afghanistan: Action "reckless and double-standard behavior"
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution extending the mandate of NATO-led military forces in Afghanistan for a year, hours after a deadly bombing near the Indian Embassy in Kabul. The bomb exploded in the center of Kabul on the corner of Passport Lane and the Indian Embassy. The suicide car bomb attack on Thursday left at least 17 people dead, most of them civilians, and 63 wounded. "I think this is another reminder of the dangers that the Taliban pose to the Afghan population and to the international community in Afghanistan, and the importance of the continued international efforts there," said John Sawers, Britain's ambassador to the world body, after the resolution was passed. The council provides international legal approval for the deployment of NATO troops to assist in the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The resolution, however, did not address troop numbers, an issue that has generated controversy since the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, requested an additional 40,000 troops. The Security Council also condemned the attack, calling for the "perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism" to be brought to justice. In addition to extending the mandate, the resolution stressed the need to bolster Afghan security forces to help them become self-sufficient in protecting their country. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO's new leader, recently announced that NATO forces would begin training Afghan police and increase training of the Afghan National Army. Some 90,000 international forces are deployed in Afghanistan, with 35,000 serving with NATO and 65,000 with the United States. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Thursday bombing, saying an Afghan national in a sport utility vehicle carried out the attack. The bomber had intended to strike the embassy, Indian officials said. Watch what a local shopkeeper says about the area » "The suicide attack(er) ... attempted (to go) through one of the embassy gates," Vishnu Prakash, spokesman for India's external affairs ministry, told CNN on Thursday. "The embassy was the target." The bomb went off about 8:30 a.m., just as offices and shops were opening for the day. The force of the blast shattered some of the embassy's windows, according to Prakash. The bombing came a year after a similar deadly attack outside the Indian Embassy. The Thursday attack killed 17 -- most of them civilians -- and 63 were wounded, Interior Ministry spokesman Ezmary Bashary said. The Taliban said the attack killed 35 people, including high-ranking Indian Embassy officials, as well as international and Afghan police officers. The blast damaged a security checkpoint outside the the embassy, said staffer J.P. Singh, but "there were no casualties on the Indian side." The embassy is in the center of Kabul, in a shop-lined street across from the Interior Ministry and several other government buildings. The explosion shattered car windows and toppled restaurant walls. Paramedics dug through twisted metal and debris, looking for survivors. A statement from President Hamid Karzai's office called the blast an obvious assault on civilians and said "the perpetrators of this attack and those who planned it were vicious terrorists who killed innocent people for their malicious goals." About a year ago, another suicide car bomb detonated outside the embassy. Among the 58 people killed in the July 7, 2008, attack were two Indian diplomats and 14 students at a nearby school. More than 100 were wounded in that blast. Afghan and Indian officials accused Pakistan's spy agency of involvement in that attack. Pakistan denied the accusation. India is the sixth largest donor to Afghanistan, providing millions of dollars to help with reconstruction efforts there. CNN's Atia Abawi and Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many people were killed in bombing?",
"who condemns the attack?",
"how many were killed?",
"U.N. Security Council condemns what attack?",
"Kabul attack is condenmed by who?",
"Who is NATO's new leader?",
"what is the name of the new leader announced to train the afghan police?"
] |
[
[
"at least 17"
],
[
"The Security Council"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"deadly bombing near the Indian Embassy in Kabul."
],
[
"The Security Council"
],
[
"Anders Fogh Rasmussen,"
],
[
"Anders Fogh Rasmussen,"
]
] |
NEW: U.N. Security Council condemns Kabul attack, calls for justice .
NEW: Resolution does not address troop numbers; comes hours after Kabul attack .
Bombing near Indian Embassy in Kabul killed at least 17 people .
NATO's new leader Rasmussen recently announced training of Afghan police .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday in a dramatic show of force designed to break up the Taliban's connection to heroin. The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday. The air strike occurred mid-day in Helmand province and was observed by CNN's Ivan Watson, who is embedded with the U.S. Marines operating in that province. The military dropped a series of 1,000-pound bombs from planes on the mounds of poppy seeds and then followed with strikes from helicopters. Tony Wayne, with the U.S. State Department, said the strikes on poppy seeds, that can be used to make opium and heroin, is part of a strategy shift for the military to stop the Taliban and other insurgents from profiting from drugs. Watch U.S. military bomb poppy seeds » "There is a nexus that needs to be broken between the insurgents and the drug traffickers," Wayne said. "Also, it is part of winning the hearts and minds of the population because in some cases they are intimidated into growing poppies." In a bid to encourage Afghan farmers to swap out their poppy plants for wheat crops the U.S. Agency for International Development has been offering them seeds, fertilizers and improved irrigation. Observers have noticed a significant decline in the opium trade in Afghanistan, with the number of poppy-free provinces increasing from 13 in 2007 to 18 in 2008, according to a U.N. report released last year. Opium cultivation in the country, which has 34 provinces, dropped by about 20 percent in a year, the U.N. reported in August. "It's a challenge to deliver assistance in a war zone -- you can hear fighter jets flying above us right now," said Rory Donohoe, a USAID development officer. "At the end of the day, what we found is successful is that we work in areas that we can work," he told CNN in a recent interview in Helmand province. "We come to places like this demonstration farm where Afghans can come here to a safe environment, get training, pick up seeds and fertilizer, then go back to districts of their own." Watch Afghans speak about the change in their farming practices » Many of Afghanistan's northern and eastern provinces have already benefited from USAID alternative farming programs, which have doled out more than $22 million to nearly 210,000 Afghans to build or repair 435 miles (700 kilometers) of roads and some 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometers) of irrigation and drainage canals. Giving Afghan farmers improved access to markets and improved irrigation is successfully weaning them away from poppy production, according to officials at USAID. Over the years, opium and heroin -- both derivatives of the poppy -- have served as a major source of revenue for the insurgency, most notably the Taliban movement that once ruled Afghanistan. "If you can just help the people of Afghanistan in this way, the fighting will go away," said Abdul Qadir, a farmer in Lashkar Gah. "The Taliban and other enemies of the country will also disappear." Atia Abawi contributed to this report
|
[
"USAID did what?",
"What is a major source of revenue for the Taliban?",
"Who is encouraged to grow wheat?",
"What has been a major source of revenue?",
"Who offer seeds?",
"Who bombs poppy seeds in bid to break up the Taliban's heroin connection?",
"What is used to produce opium and heroin?",
"what are they hoping to encourage farmers to grow",
"what is a source of revenue for the taliban",
"What has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban?",
"what encourage afghan farmers to grow wheat?",
"what did the US bomb",
"poppy seeds are used to produce what?"
] |
[
[
"have doled out more than $22 million to nearly 210,000 Afghans to build or repair 435 miles"
],
[
"opium and heroin"
],
[
"Afghan farmers"
],
[
"opium and heroin"
],
[
"U.S. Agency for International Development"
],
[
"The U.S. military"
],
[
"poppy seeds,"
],
[
"swap out their poppy plants for wheat crops"
],
[
"heroin"
],
[
"opium and heroin"
],
[
"the U.S. Agency for International Development has been offering them seeds, fertilizers and improved irrigation."
],
[
"300 tons of poppy seeds"
],
[
"make opium and heroin,"
]
] |
U.S. bombs poppy seeds in bid to break up Taliban's connection to heroin .
Poppy seeds used to produce opium and heroin .
Opium, heroin has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban .
USAID offering seeds, other help to encourage Afghan farmers to grow wheat .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The death toll from Tuesday's fatal bomb blast in this country's northeast has increased to 75, Afghan officials said Friday.
Afghan women weep over the coffins of victims from Tuesday's bomb blast.
Zohur Afghan, a spokesman for Afghan Education Ministry, said that after a thorough investigation, officials determined that 59 schoolchildren and five teachers were killed and 93 children and three teachers were wounded.
In addition, the blast killed six legislators and five of their bodyguards. It was the deadliest-ever suicide attack since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001.
The victims were killed as they were visiting a sugar factory in northeastern Afghanistan's Baghlan province. The blast went off as schoolchildren lined the route where as many as 18 national lawmakers and dozens of local dignitaries walked on their way to visit a sugar plant as part of an economic assistance plan for the northeastern province.
The ministry spokesman said the age of the students ranged from 8 to 17 years old. Afghan officials also said that the education minister has issued a ban on students assembling for such events in all schools around the country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the attack a "heinous act of terrorism."
Among the lawmakers listed as dead was Mustafa Kazemi, the former commerce minister and spokesman for the opposition, who is also a top warlord in the region. Other lawmakers killed included Abdul Mateen, Alhaj Sahibur Rahman, Hajji Muhammad Aref Zarif and Sebghatullah Zaki, the statement said. E-mail to a friend
Journalist Farhad Piekar in Kabul contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many children died in the blast?",
"what is the number of deaths?",
"How many died in the sugar factory blast?",
"In what country did the even happen?",
"what is the number of schoolchildren dead?",
"When did the bomb occur?",
"What is the number of dead?",
"When did the fall of the Taliban happen?"
] |
[
[
"59"
],
[
"75,"
],
[
"75,"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"59"
],
[
"Tuesday's"
],
[
"75,"
],
[
"late 2001."
]
] |
Death toll from Tuesday's sugar factory bomb blast in Afghanistan reaches 75 .
Dead included 59 schoolchildren; 93 schoolchildren also injured in blast .
Attack was deadliest-ever suicide attack since fall of Taliban in 2001 .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The war in Afghanistan may no longer be forgotten but the true victims always are. Having been denied healthcare and education under the Taliban, Afghan women are now training as midwives Women and children in the landlocked Asian country have continuously paid the ultimate price throughout the decades of conflict and war. It is their lives that are considered not precious enough to save. A woman here dies every 29 minutes due to childbirth complications, according to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) -- one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. One in four children die before they reach the age of five because of the lack of health care and medical facilities in their cities and villages. But ignorance is also deadly. Misguided cultural pride prevents men from allowing their women to see a doctor, merely because the doctor could be male. And in many cases, it's not just women who die from childbirth-related issues. It is young girls forced into marriage before they even reach puberty. Their still-forming bodies cannot handle the complications of childbirth. But there are women in Afghanistan stepping up within the crowds of the forgotten and pushing past the barriers. They are training as midwives across the country to help bring change and save lives. "A woman can help a woman more," midwifery student Fariha Ibrahimi told CNN. "We have to introduce them with what to do, what foods to eat, how to take care of themselves. "[We] tell their husbands how to treat them. There are some husbands who beat their wives to the point where they can no longer even get pregnant." At the Ibni Sina Balkhi Midwifery Training Center in Kabul, dozens of future midwives study and practise in the hope of bringing a brighter future to their countrywomen. "It's very heartbreaking," Ibrahimi said of the situation women face. "Afghanistan has gone through so much war and most girls were not allowed to get an education, so I want to study and bring forth something new." Sympathy for Afghan women is the strongest motivating force among students in this field: Many know personally what is like to live in a society where pregnant women are ignored and forgotten. "We live in an area where we are far from any clinic or hospital and there are a lot of difficulties there for pregnant women," Nourzia, a student and mother, told CNN. "It's very difficult for them to reach a hospital. This is why I was so keen in learning this profession and helping these women; so in the future they are in less danger." All the women here are training with the permission and support of their families. They are leading the way to a brighter tomorrow for Afghan women -- one that may one day catch up with the rest of the world. "The world is moving forward and he didn't want me to sit around jobless," said future midwife, Maurina whose husband is supportive of her new career. "He wanted me to push ahead in this field, especially a field in which our people need help in." There are still many obstacles left and these women are still in the minority. According to the World Health Organization there are only about 2,000 trained midwives servicing Afghanistan's population of just under 33 million. But that is a giant leap from just eight years ago when most women were denied an education, medical care and the basic necessities of survival under the Taliban regime. It will take many years to change mindsets instilled by decades of brutality. But these women prove that maybe, just maybe, the next generation can fix the mistakes of the last.
|
[
"Which country has one of the highest rates of infant mortality?",
"How many children die before age 5?",
"What are dozens of women studying in Kabul?",
"Where is the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the world?",
"Where are women becoming midwives?",
"How many women are studying?",
"where are the women studying for this?",
"what is causing the high rates of death?"
] |
[
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"One in four"
],
[
"midwives"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"dozens"
],
[
"At the Ibni Sina Balkhi Midwifery Training Center in Kabul,"
],
[
"childbirth complications,"
]
] |
Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the world .
A woman dies in childbirth every 29 minutes, one in four children die before age 5 .
In Kabul, dozens of women are now studying to become midwives to help save lives .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Thirty-two Taliban insurgents and three Afghan soldiers were killed in fighting between security forces and militants in southern Afghanistan, a local government official told CNN Thursday.
The violence took place on Wednesday in the Khushal Khan village of Nad Ali district in Helmand province, said the provincial governor's spokesman, Dawood Ahmadi.
The district is where the U.S. Marines are cranking up plans for a major operation against the insurgency, a push targeting a swath of territory considered the last major stronghold of the Taliban in Helmand province.
The Wednesday flareup in Khushal Khan occurred during an Afghan-NATO-led joint operation. Along with the deaths, three Afghan soldiers and a soldier from NATO's International Security Assistance Force were injured.
The Marines plan to launch a big push on Marjah, a town with 80,000 to 100,000 people in the Nad Ali district, considered to be under Taliban control. The insurgency there has influence stretching to Pakistan and the bordering provinces of Nimruz and Farah.
The Marine-led operation will "alter the ecosystem of this area significantly," Col. George Amland, the deputy commander of Task Force Leatherneck, said at a briefing Wednesday.
Amland didn't say when the operation will start, but indicated it will be soon.
He noted that the backbone of the force will be made up of some of the 30,000 additional U.S. troops being sent to Afghanistan by President Obama and will include a large contingent of Afghan security forces.
The push will follow other big operations in Helmand -- Cobra's Anger in December and Khanjar last summer.
CNN's Matiullah Mati contributed to this report
|
[
"How many troops did Obama add?",
"Who added 30000 troops to the offensive?",
"Where U.S. were fighting with military offensive?",
"What has been number of added U.S. troops by Obama?",
"Where will the offensive take place?"
] |
[
[
"30,000"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"Khushal Khan village of Nad Ali district in Helmand province,"
],
[
"30,000"
],
[
"Marjah,"
]
] |
Fighting occurs as U.S. readies military offensive in Helmand province .
U.S. offensive targets Taliban with influence stretching to Pakistan .
U.S. troops coming from 30,000 added by President Obama .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Two airmen on a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle died when the plane crashed in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday, the U.S. military said.
A U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle similar to this one crashed Saturday in eastern Afghanistan.
The two-man fighter went down while it was conducting military operations, another source, Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson, said earlier.
"At this time, we are very comfortable in stating there was no hostile fire in the incident," Christopherson said.
He added that a board of officers will investigate the crash of the highly maneuverable, all-weather tactical fighter.
In a news release, the military said the incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. Kabul time and also noted that there was no "hostile fire."
"We mourn the loss of these two airmen and our thoughts are with their families, loved ones and their unit," the news release said. "Only after a deliberative and thorough investigation will we know what caused this event. "
A spokesman for the governor of Afghanistan's central Ghazni province, who goes by the single name Jihangir, confirmed that a U.S. plane crashed in Ghazni's Nawur district before dawn.
"The crash site was sealed off by coalition forces," Jihangir told CNN by telephone, "Afghan police were not allowed to have access to this area."
The Afghan official said the plane crashed in Ghazni, some 160 kilometers west of the town of Ghazni, between the communities of Qaracha and Bahari.
The jet crash comes in a bloody month in Afghanistan.
July's toll of international military fatalities stands at 50, the highest tally so far, a CNN count of official statistics shows.
CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report.
|
[
"Was the crash caused by hostile fire?",
"Who has been killed in the crash?",
"who kills both crew members?",
"What have Afghan police not done?",
"What type of plane crashed?",
"Who was prevented from going to the crash site?"
] |
[
[
"no"
],
[
"Two airmen"
],
[
"plane crashed"
],
[
"allowed to"
],
[
"U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle"
],
[
"\"Afghan police"
]
] |
Air Force F-15 Eagle crash kills both crew members, U.S. military says .
Crash was not caused by hostile fire, Pentagon spokesman says .
Afghan police prevented from going to crash site, local official says .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Two separate militant assaults Saturday in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika led to the deaths of two U.S. soldiers and at least 42 insurgents, military officials said. U.S. Marines, under fire from a building, move to take it Saturday in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The soldiers died when Taliban fighters attacked a base in Zerok that houses members of the U.S. military, Afghan national police and Afghan National Army, said the provincial governor's spokesman, Hamidullah Zawak. He said the Taliban first detonated a truck full of explosives, then attacked the base with missiles and rockets. The military responded by sending in aircraft and dropping bombs, killing 32 Taliban fighters and wounding many, Zawak said, without giving a number. Seven of the wounded Taliban fighters were arrested. Zawak said one U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded. Sgt. Chuck Marsh, however, a U.S. military spokesman, said two U.S. service members were killed and four wounded. Two soldiers from the Afghan National Army were also hurt, Zawak said. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack in a phone call to a CNN stringer in Kabul. Several hours later, at least 10 militants were killed and one detained in an assault on a combat outpost in the province. Insurgents attacked with indirect fire, including multiple rockets and mortars -- at least one of which contained white phosphorous -- small-arms fire and a car bomb, according to a statement from NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Soldiers from ISAF and the Afghan National Army fired back, aided by planes and attack helicopters. No civilian casualties were reported. In other developments in and around Paktika: • On Saturday, a suicide car bomb detonated near a private security company in Lashkar Gah city in Helmand province. One person was killed and five were wounded, said Assadullah Sherzad, Helmand provincial police chief. • The U.S.-led Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword, is targeting Taliban militants in Helmand province, near Paktika in southern Afghanistan. Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers are trying to rout the Taliban from strongholds in the Helmand River Valley. The operation began early Thursday. Helmand's poppy crop produces more than half of the opium cultivated in Afghanistan, the source of 90 percent of the global supply, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. The revenues help support the Taliban. • On Tuesday, a U.S. soldier was abducted in Paktika province. The Taliban claimed responsibility. A senior U.S. military official later said the soldier was being held by the militant Haqqani clan, a Taliban-affiliated network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani. The Haqqanis -- who operate on both sides of the Afghan and Pakistani borders -- are well-known to the U.S. military, which said it was using all means to locate the soldier, whose name has not been released. CNN's Atia Abawi and reporter Wahidullah Mayar contributed to this report.
|
[
"Where did the Taliban attack?",
"Where is the base?",
"What was on the truck?",
"How many Taliban fighters were killed?",
"Where were the Taliban attacks based?",
"What was the US response to the attack?"
] |
[
[
"a base in Zerok"
],
[
"Zerok"
],
[
"explosives,"
],
[
"32"
],
[
"Zerok"
],
[
"The military responded by sending in aircraft and dropping bombs,"
]
] |
Taliban attacks base in Paktika province; two U.S. troops killed .
Insurgents detonated explosives-laden truck, later launched rockets at base .
At least 32 Taliban fighters killed in response to attack .
Ten militants killed during assault on a combat outpost in Paktika province .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Up to 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan next year, military officials said Saturday. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, with its high mountain terrain. Roughly 31,000 U.S. troops currently are in Afghanistan. Of the additional troops, 20,000 will comprise four ground/maneuvering brigades, said Col. Gregory Julian, spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. That number is consistent with what Gen. David McKiernan, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, called for in October, he said. The additional 10,000 likely refers to support personnel, Julian said. McKiernan requested the additional 20,000 troops be sent to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country. On Friday, military officials said Defense Secretary Robert Gates signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year. Those troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade, the latest approved by Gates for the expected buildup of U.S. troops in the country in 2009. The brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region. Helicopters are the main mode of transportation for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies. The additional troops would nearly double the level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Troop levels are likely to be maintained at this increased level for three to four years, Julian said Saturday, as U.S. forces continue to try to "clear and hold" more parts of Afghanistan from insurgents and militants and train Afghan military and police to be self-sufficient.
|
[
"What are the additional forces for?",
"What happened on Friday?",
"What does 10000 refer to?",
"What day was the order made?",
"What country are they being sent to?",
"What are in the brigades?",
"What is the number of troops being sent?",
"Where have 3,000 troops been ordered?",
"Number of support personnel?",
"What type of personnel are the additional 10,000?",
"Who ordered additional troops for Afghanistan in the coming year?",
"What day did the Defense Secretary order 3000 troops to deploy?",
"Where are 3,000 troops being sent to next year?",
"Number of troops that's going to be in the four brigades?",
"Who is the Defense Secretary?",
"What role will the 10,000 probably fill?"
] |
[
[
"fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban"
],
[
"military officials said Defense Secretary Robert Gates signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year."
],
[
"support personnel,"
],
[
"Friday,"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"additional troops,"
],
[
"Up to 30,000"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"10,000"
],
[
"support"
],
[
"Gen. David McKiernan,"
],
[
"Friday,"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"30,000"
],
[
"Robert Gates"
],
[
"support personnel,"
]
] |
20,000 in four ground/maneuvering brigades, said U.S. forces spokesman .
The additional 10,000 likely refers to support personnel, said spokesman .
On Friday, Defense Secretary ordered 3,000 troops to Afghanistan for next year .
|
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Violence flared in southern Afghanistan, with a NATO-led service member killed Saturday and 20 suspected insurgents slain in Helmand province Friday, authorities said. U.S. Marines fire a 120mm mortar on a suspected Taliban position Friday in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The violence comes as NATO members meet in Europe to discuss the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said the service member died after being wounded by a roadside bomb. It did not specify the province where it happened or the victim's nationality. "On behalf of ISAF, I offer our condolences to the loved ones of this brave service member," said Brig. Gen. Richard Blanchette, ISAF spokesman. "We cannot lessen their pain, but we can, and do commit ourselves to honoring this sacrifice as we strive to bring security to the Afghan people." The U.S. military said the 20 suspected insurgents were killed in clashes with Afghan soldiers and coalition forces on Friday in the Kajaki district of Helmand province. "The combined forces were conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in a known Taliban stronghold in order to deny insurgents' freedom of movement when they were ambushed by numerous armed insurgents with mortar and small-arms fire," the military said. The fighting in Helmand's Kajaki district happened during operations targeting suspected Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, suspected of bomb-making, weapons smuggling, drug activity and attacks on Afghan and coalition soldiers, the U.S. military said in a statement.
|
[
"What was NATO members dicussed about?",
"how many insurgents died?",
"What are soldiers targeting?",
"What province was the service member killed in?",
"Who died on Friday?",
"How many died in clashes?",
"Who are Afghan and coalition forces targeting in the region?",
"who killed Saturday in Helmand province?",
"who discuss operations against Taliban, al Qaeda?"
] |
[
[
"fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda"
],
[
"20"
],
[
"suspected Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan,"
],
[
"Helmand"
],
[
"20 suspected insurgents"
],
[
"20"
],
[
"al Qaeda in Afghanistan,"
],
[
"NATO-led service member"
],
[
"NATO members"
]
] |
Twenty insurgents died Friday in clashes with Afghan soldiers, coalition forces .
NATO-led service member killed Saturday in Helmand province, south Afghanistan .
Afghan, coalition soldiers in region targeting bombmakers, weapons smugglers .
Clashes come as NATO members discuss operations against Taliban, al Qaeda .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- A fight between Ugandan and Libyan presidential guards sparked chaos during a ceremony attended by the heads of state from 11 African nations on Wednesday. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attend the opening of the mosque. Several of the guards to the visiting heads of state from Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Mali, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti sustained serious injuries in the fight, which included punches, kicks and the drawing of guns. No leaders were hurt in the melee, though several were knocked over. Several journalists also were caught up in the fracas and suffered injuries or lost their grips on cameras and recorders. The incident occurred at the opening of a massive Gadhafi National Mosque in Kampala, a structure begun by the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972 and completed with financing from Libya, according to African media reports. Minutes after Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and his host, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, jointly unveiled a plaque to mark the event, the Libyan guards pushed away the guards of other delegations at the mosque's entrance. The Ugandan guards -- who had traded hostilities with the predominantly-Arab Libyan guards at every joint event since Gadhafi's arrival in the country Sunday -- reacted with fury and fought back. Museveni briefly lost his balance when a hefty Libyan guard pushed him to a wall. Another Libyan guard pushed Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who also lost his balance but was caught by his own guards. The vice president of Tanzania was knocked over by fighting guards as he was taking his shoes off to enter the mosque. Guards to the rest of the visiting presidents and prime ministers kept their respective leaders out of the fray, with some drawing their guns as the dignitaries looked on in disbelief. Some leaders -- notably those from Somalia, Burundi and Djibouti -- were visibly uneasy as guns were drawn on all sides. By the time the fight was over more than six minutes later, about a dozen presidential guards were left bleeding from compound fractures and the Libyan and Ugandan protocol officials traded bitter accusations of disrespect and racism. "What are your people up to? Do you want to kill our leader?" a Libyan protocol official said to his Ugandan counterpart. The Ugandan official, who declined to be named, shouted back, "Why do think you're superior? What makes you think Uganda has any ill intention against Gadhafi?" The Ugandan official said Museveni's guards were simply doing their job as security for the host country and had a right to respond when the Libyan guards pushed them back. It has taken 36 years to complete the giant mosque on a hill in the heart of Kampala. It used to be a colonial fort named after British Capt. Frederick Lugard. The mosque can accommodate as many as 17,000 people at one time, according to the engineers, who call it the largest mosque in sub-Saharan Africa. Many Muslims interviewed said the mosque's opening evoked sweet memories of Amin, the deceased dictator. "It is a great day and thanks be to Allah for the completion," said Salim Abdul Noor, 39. "This should remind us that while Amin is demonized as Africa's worst dictator, there are many things he did for this country that successive governments largely depend on, and much of the completed installations and structures like this beautiful mosque was Amin's dream, may Allah rest him in peace." The Swedish vice president of the European Islamic Conference, Adly Abu Hajar, 57, said the mosque heals rifts in a religion introduced to Uganda in 1844 by Arab slave traders. "I find this complex has brought unity among Muslims in Uganda. There have been so many factions, but this attraction has brought them together, identifying themselves with a common home." The fight prompted a crisis meeting by Ugandan security authorities, after which invited diplomats from mainly the European missions in Uganda expressed dismay. "It's disgrace. It shows there is something wrong yet unknown between the two parties," said the head of one European mission in Kampala, who
|
[
"Where is the opening of the massive mosque?",
"Who was seen bleeding from compound fractures?",
"Who gathered for the opening of the mosque?",
"Who reports tensions?",
"Who gathered for opening of massive mosque?",
"Who reports tensions with Libyan leader's guards?",
"Where was the massive mosque?",
"Who does the Ugandan officer report tensions with?",
"What did leaders gather for?",
"What injuries did the presidential guards have?",
"What tensions have been reported?",
"Who was the tension between?",
"Where did the leaders gather?",
"where did leaders gathered",
"Where were they bleeding from?",
"Who was seen bleeding?",
"Where was the opening of a massive mosque?",
"What mosque did they visit?",
"what is the reason of their gathering"
] |
[
[
"Kampala,"
],
[
"a dozen presidential guards"
],
[
"Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni"
],
[
"African media"
],
[
"Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni"
],
[
"(CNN)"
],
[
"Kampala,"
],
[
"predominantly-Arab Libyan guards"
],
[
"the opening of the mosque."
],
[
"compound fractures"
],
[
"A fight between Ugandan and Libyan presidential guards"
],
[
"Ugandan and Libyan presidential guards"
],
[
"Gadhafi National Mosque"
],
[
"Gadhafi National Mosque"
],
[
"compound fractures"
],
[
"about a dozen presidential guards"
],
[
"Kampala,"
],
[
"Gadhafi National"
],
[
"opening of a massive Gadhafi National Mosque"
]
] |
Ugandan officer reports tensions with Libyan leader's guards during visit .
Leaders gathered for opening of massive mosque in Kampala, Uganda .
About a dozen presidential guards seen bleeding from compound fractures .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- At least 19 schoolgirls died when fire erupted in their dormitory west of the capital, Kampala, late Monday, say police and school officials. Villagers surround the gutted school building Tuesday. Authorities also found the bodies of two adults in the ashes of the blaze at Buddo Junior School in Mpigi. The school's headmaster said 42 girls survived. Police said they were investigating the cause, but children who lived in the dorm said they heard an explosion shortly before the fire broke out. There were conflicting reports of the doors of the living quarters being barred, trapping the children inside. School officials insisted that the doors weren't locked, while girls who lived there said they were. Mpigi is about 60 kilometers west of Kampala. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Were there any survivors?",
"What do they think caused the fire?",
"What was the primary school called?",
"Who died in primary school dormitory fire?",
"What is the police investigating?",
"What did the school deny?"
] |
[
[
"42 girls survived."
],
[
"explosion"
],
[
"Buddo Junior"
],
[
"At least 19 schoolgirls"
],
[
"the cause,"
],
[
"the doors weren't locked,"
]
] |
19 schoolgirls and two adults die in primary school dormitory fire, police say .
School denies pupils' claim that dormitory door was locked from the outside .
Police investigate cause of blaze at school 60 kilometers from Kampala .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- At least 21 people were killed and more than 80 others injured during three days of rioting here last week, a police spokeswoman said Monday. Ugandan police ride past a burning barricade in the Natete suburb of Kampala on Friday. Police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said 663 people had been arrested and 86 people had been injured. President Yoweri Museveni is to address the violence in a speech to parliament slated for Tuesday afternoon. Though the mood on the streets in the capital city was calm Monday, tensions between Museveni and the Buganda kingdom -- headed by King Ronald Mutebi II, the ruler of the Baganda tribe -- have intensified in recent years. They erupted into violence last Thursday, when the government said it would not allow the king to travel to an area inhabited by a renegade rival group. Kings in the east African nation are limited to a ceremonial role overseeing traditional and cultural affairs. Government officials and the Buganda kingdom have been at odds for years, sparring over land, sovereignty and political power. After the travel ban, mostly young Bagandans took to the streets, stealing ammunition from a police station and confronting officers, accusing them of harassment. "The government is wrong to undermine cultural institutions, which are the backbone of Uganda's heritage," said Mzamiru Balidha, a resident of Kampala. "Cultural leaders must be left alone since they are not interfering in politics." Rioters burned tires and cars, set buildings afire and looted stores. Streets in the capital were strewn with debris over the weekend, including torched cars and burned tires. By Sunday, police and the army were patrolling deserted streets as residents tried to return to normalcy after the protests. "I'm happy to see that there is peace now," said Harry Sagara of Kampala. "Now people can return to work." A government official said Sunday that the two leaders have pledged to meet and address their differences. "Both the central government and the king are still working out details of the meeting," said Daudi Migereko, the minister of parliamentary affairs. In Washington, the U.S. State Department cautioned Americans in Uganda about the potential for more violent demonstrations this week. "U.S. citizens should be aware that even peaceful gatherings and demonstrations can turn unexpectedly violent," the State Department travel alert states. Bagandans are the dominant ethnic group and one of four ancient kingdoms in the nation. Journalist Samson Ntale in Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who warns Americans in Uganda?",
"When will the Ugandan president address parliament",
"How many people have died in the rioting?",
"Who to address parliament Monday?",
"What is the death toll after three days of rioting?",
"What sparked the rioting?",
"What sparked by central government's travel ban?",
"What were the riots sparked by?",
"Who is going to address parliament on Monday?"
] |
[
[
"the U.S. State Department"
],
[
"Tuesday afternoon."
],
[
"21"
],
[
"President Yoweri Museveni"
],
[
"At least 21 people"
],
[
"the government said it would not allow the king to travel to an area inhabited by a renegade rival group."
],
[
"young Bagandans took to the streets, stealing ammunition from a police station and confronting officers,"
],
[
"tensions between Museveni and the Buganda kingdom"
],
[
"President Yoweri Museveni"
]
] |
NEW: Ugandan president to address parliament Monday on deadly riots .
NEW: Death toll from three days of rioting rises to 21; 86 injured, 663 arrested .
U.S. government warns Americans in Uganda of potential danger of more violence .
Rioting sparked by central government's travel ban on a tribal king .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- At least four people have been killed in two days of rioting in Uganda's capital after radio broadcasts encouraged listeners to violently take to the streets against the government, officials said Friday. Residents of the Kasubi suburb, west of Kampala, try to flee from violence as a soldier takes photos. The rioters heard "sectarian" broadcasts on Thursday that "systematically incited the listeners to cause chaos and destruction wherever they could," said a statement issued by Minister of Information and National Guidance Kabakumba Masiko. It described those who took part in the rioting in Kampala and its suburbs as "marauding thugs." The broadcasts aired in the Buganda Kingdom, said police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba. Ethnic and political tension between the kingdom and the central government had been escalating over the past few weeks. Police and army officers were injured and police-owned property also was damaged along with other vehicles and shops, said the nation's police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura. In Natete-Ndeba, a southwest suburb, a police station was looted of its ammunition and prisoners set free before rioters burned the prison, Nabakooba said. A curfew has been declared in the suburb, and in Kampala the army is providing support to police, said Kayihura. A doctor at a Kampala hospital said more than 50 people had sought care there, most with broken bones, but others had cuts and gunshot wounds. About 60 people were arrested in Kampala, but arrest totals in the surrounding areas were not available, Nabakooba said. Four radio stations were ordered shut down, Masiko said. Many of the rioters were Baganda between the ages of 18 and 35, Nabakooba said. The Baganda are Uganda's dominant ethnic group, making up about 16.9 percent of the population, according to The CIA World Factbook. The kingdom is one of the oldest monarchies in Africa. The people live mostly in central Uganda and along the shoreline of Lake Victoria. Tension between the Buganda Kingdom, headed by King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, and Uganda President Yoweri Museveni had been increasing recently over land laws, sovereignty and political power, issues over which the two sides have been in talks for years. The Uganda government sees Mutebi as a traditional leader only and does not allow him to participate in politics. Further estranging the two is a breakaway faction of the Buganda Kingdom, the Banyala. Some interpreted police forces' breaking up a group of Baganda amid preparations for festivities as support for the Banyala, especially after a Banyala demonstration opposing the Buganda Kingdom prompted no police action. It is unclear why the police broke up the Baganda group earlier in the week. Riots broke out after the incident, and again when radio announcers pushed Baganda to take to the streets again. Museveni said in a broadcast statement that he tried to contact Mutebi to discuss the issue as "mature people" but he could not reach him on the phone. The president also said that he had intelligence reports showing that the Buganda Kingdom has received foreign funding to carry out a hate campaign against the government. Asians, mostly of Indian origin, suffered severe losses when their business were attacked and looted, Nabakooba said. Although officials said the broadcasts encouraged listeners to put into action their contempt for the government, during such outbreaks of violence Asians are often targeted. Some view Asians as being most protected by the government because of special holidays or tax benefits they may get. In addition, reports of Asians mistreating natives have fueled tension between the groups. None of the four people killed were Asian or of Asian descent, Nabakooba said, but in the northern suburb of Kawembi about 30 Asians had fled to a police station for protection on Thursday and remained there Friday. Samson Ntale contributed to this report for CNN.
|
[
"What encouraged violent street action against the government?",
"What was being broadcast?",
"How many people sought care?",
"Who is Uganda's president?",
"What kingdoms had tension?",
"How many seek care?",
"who did radio broadcasts encourage violence against",
"What did the radio broadcast encourage?",
"What were the Kampala rioters described as?",
"How many people were injured?",
"how many sought hospital care afterwards"
] |
[
[
"radio broadcasts"
],
[
"radio"
],
[
"more than 50"
],
[
"Yoweri Museveni"
],
[
"Buganda"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"the government,"
],
[
"listeners to violently take to the streets against the government,"
],
[
"\"marauding thugs.\""
],
[
"50"
],
[
"more than 50 people"
]
] |
Radio broadcasts encouraged violent street action against the government .
Government statement describes Kampala rioters as "marauding thugs"?
Dozens seek care, many with broken bones, says doctor at Kampala hospital .
Tension between splintered kingdom and Uganda's president has been on rise .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- Gunshots rang out in Uganda's capital Saturday in a fresh burst of unrest after loyalists of a traditional kingdom battled with government forces for a third day. Residents of the Kasubi suburb, west of Kampala, try to flee from violence as a soldier takes photos. Local media reports put the death toll at 13 since the rioting started, but attempts by CNN to confirm with local authorities were unsuccessful. An uneasy calm had swept over Kampala early in the day as police and the army patrolled the city in military convoys. By midafternoon, witnesses reported gunshots and isolated cases of riots. The unrest Saturday started after rumors circulated by text messages that the king of the Buganda kingdom had been detained, said Judith Nabakooba, a police spokeswoman. But a Buganda kingdom official refuted the rumor. "It is not true -- the king has not been arrested, " David Mpanga said. Tensions between the Buganda kingdom -- headed by King Ronald Mutebi II -- and President Yoweri Museveni have intensified in recent years. The two sides spar over land, sovereignty and political power. Kings in the east African nation are limited to a ceremonial role overseeing traditional and cultural affairs. Museveni has accused the Buganda kingdom, which is made of of Bagandans, of receiving foreign funding to carry out a hate campaign against the government. Bagandans are the dominant ethnicity and one of four ancient kingdoms in the nation. Violence flared Thursday when the government said it would not allow the Buganda king to travel to an area inhabited by a renegade rival group. The president said he tried to contact the king to discuss the issue as "mature people," but he could not reach him by phone. After the travel ban, young Bagandans took the streets, stealing ammunition from a police station and confronting officers, whom they accused of harassment. Police and army officers were injured, and at least four people were killed, the nation's police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura said Friday. Rioters also burned tires and cars, set buildings on fire and looted stores, according to witnesses. The streets in the capital were strewn with debris Saturday, including torched cars and burned tires. "Soldiers are walking in a single file, waiting for rioters and ready to confront them," said Allan Mugabi, a resident of Kampala. Journalist Samson Ntale contributed to this report
|
[
"Violence flared on Thursday after what?",
"who burned tires",
"What's the death toll according to local media?",
"What does local media put the death toll as?",
"what is the death toll",
"when did violence flare"
] |
[
[
"loyalists of a traditional kingdom battled with government forces"
],
[
"Rioters"
],
[
"13"
],
[
"13"
],
[
"13"
],
[
"Thursday"
]
] |
Local media put death toll from riots at 13, CNN unable to confirm figure .
Violence flared Thursday after government imposed travel ban on Buganda king .
Witnesses say young Bagandans burned tires, cars and looted stores .
Tension between splintered kingdom and Uganda's president has been on rise .
|
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNN) -- Police in Uganda have arrested and extradited a man who is among the most wanted suspects from the Rwandan genocide. The 100-day killing rampage led to the loss of an estimated 10 percent of Rwanda's population. IIdephonse Nizeyimana was picked up at a hotel in Rubaga, a suburb of the capital, Kampala, by the National Central Bureau of Interpol, according to a news release from the U.N.-sponsored International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Tuesday. He was transferred Tuesday to a U.N. detention facility in Arusha, Tanzania, where the tribunal is based. Top officials who allegedly took part in the genocide, such as army generals and politicians, are tried by the tribunal. "Nizeyimana is one of the four top accused who are earmarked by the prosecutor to be tried by the tribunal in Arusha after their arrest as part of the ICTR completion strategy," the tribunal's news release said. Of a list of 13 fugitives, he is the second to be arrested in less than two months, it said. In the attacks that started in April 1994, Hutu militias and members of the general population sought out Tutsis and moderate Hutus, and went on a 100-day killing rampage. Civilians and children got incentives to take part in the atrocities, including promises of land belonging to their Tutsi neighbors. It was one of the most brutal genocides in modern history. Some figures put the number of dead at 1 million -- 10 percent of the population of the central African nation. Millions more were raped and disfigured. A whole generation of children lost their parents. Nizeyimana was a captain the Rwanda Armed Forces, the tribunal said. He is accused of exercising authority over soldiers and personnel through a chain of command, and allegedly sent a section of soldiers to execute of Rosalie Gicanda, a former queen of Rwanda who was a "symbolic figure for all Tutsis," it said. The tribunal noted this marks the second time Uganda has cooperated with it to make an arrest. "The tribunal has commended the Interpol and the Ugandan authorities for their close cooperation," the news release said. Samson Ntale contributed to this report for CNN.
|
[
"Who is one of the top three most-wanted suspects?",
"How many ethnic Tutsis were killed in the attacks?",
"Who was picked from the hotel?",
"How many were dead?",
"Where was he extradited to?",
"Who is among the top three most-wanted suspects?",
"Who was picked from a hotel?",
"Where is the tribunal based?"
] |
[
[
"IIdephonse Nizeyimana"
],
[
"1 million"
],
[
"IIdephonse Nizeyimana"
],
[
"1 million"
],
[
"Arusha, Tanzania,"
],
[
"IIdephonse Nizeyimana"
],
[
"IIdephonse Nizeyimana"
],
[
"Arusha, Tanzania,"
]
] |
IIdephonse Nizeyimana was picked from a hotel north of Ugandan capital .
Extradited to Tanzania, where International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda based .
Police: He (Nizeyimana) is among the top three most-wanted suspects .
Some figures put number of dead from attacks on ethnic tutsis at 1 million .
|
KANDARA, Kenya (CNN) -- Daniel Mungai's family keeps him locked in a room in a wooden shack that is just big enough to fit a bed, a cupboard, Daniel and his wheel-chair. His clothes and bed are soaked with his own waste -- and he's been living like this for 15 years. Daniel Mungai is kept locked away in a small wooden shack and has been for 15 years. Daniel, 35, started having seizures at a young age. He is sometimes given medicine for epilepsy and spent time at a mental hospital but his parents say they simply cannot afford to maintain proper care -- they are struggling to cope. Both his parents are also now too old to help him properly. They live in the same compound in Kandara, Kenya, but in a different building. His father, Ndung'u Joroge, said: "We don't lock him out of bad will. We lock him up because people have become very bad. He may come out here and then he is caught by young men, that is why we lock him in the house." The desperate measures Daniel's family has resorted to are not rare. African health services are often underfunded and overwhelmed -- no more so in the field of mental health. Watch more about the story » CNN visited rural Kenya -- a country where less than one percent of the health budget is allotted to mental health -- to investigate the extent of the problems. Edah Maina, who runs the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped, says the mentally disabled in Kenya have few options for long-term care and support. "The entire family is affected and especially when the mother sort of loses hope and resorts to locking up the child because they have to go out and earn a living or they have to chain them up because they might hurt themselves," said Maina. Social workers in Kenya searching for those in desperate need found a mother and child on the floor of a squalid kitchen hut. John is 17 and severely handicapped. He cannot speak and cannot properly hold his head up. He has been living like this his whole life. When CNN met with him, he and his mother were lying on a thin, filthy blanket. His mother, Jane, is mildly mentally disabled. She does what she can for her son, but John spends so much time on his side that he suffers from severe bedsores. They depend on help from their impoverished family and they haven't eaten for days. Maina said: "I think that some of these social needs are beyond the family capacity to handle the normal day to day life needs, and as you can see the burden of disability increased for this particular family when the son to this girl with mental disabilities was also born with mental disability and then the severity of mental disability of the son became more severe because the mother ... is herself with mental disability." She added: "First and foremost, nobody would want to live like this, it's inhumane, it is not what we want to see people live, it is not the lifestyle that anybody would want. What I am saying is that this home is suffering." Maina said that even with years of experience working with the vulnerable, the cases still shock her. Her poorly funded charity does what it can, sometimes acting on the tips of neighbors. The Director of Mental Health in Kenya told CNN that they were trying their best to help the mentally disabled and mentally ill, but that the needs were 'enormous' -- and the funding was far too little. Dr. David Kiima told CNN there are only 50 active psychiatrists in the country to serve a population of more than 30 million. It is hard to believe that 15-year-old Joseph could hurt himself or anyone else. But he is on powerful anti-psychotic drugs and his mother and grandmother struggle to handle him. Grandmother Prisca Njeri said: "When the drugs finish he beats himself and he bites himself when the drugs finish."
|
[
"Who says there's only 50 active psychiatrists?",
"Does the government assist?",
"How much is mental health covered in health budget?",
"Who struggle to cope?",
"What is the number of active psychiatrics in Kenya?",
"Who find themselves locked in shacks?",
"What did health officials say?",
"Where did this happen at?"
] |
[
[
"Dr. David Kiima"
],
[
"trying their best to help the mentally disabled and mentally ill, but that the needs were 'enormous'"
],
[
"less than one percent"
],
[
"Daniel Mungai"
],
[
"psychiatrists"
],
[
"Daniel Mungai"
],
[
"in Kenya told CNN that they were trying their best to help the mentally disabled and mentally ill, but that the needs were 'enormous'"
],
[
"Kandara, Kenya,"
]
] |
Mental health patients in Kenya find themselves locked in shacks by their families .
Relatives struggle to cope and get little government assistance .
Less than one percent of Kenya's health budget is allotted to mental health .
Senior health official says there's only 50 active psychiatrists in the country .
|
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (CNN) -- President Bush drew parallels between the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the potential costs of pulling out of Iraq in a speech Wednesday. President Bush draws parallels Wednesday between the cost of pulling out of Iraq and "the tragedy of Vietnam." "Three decades later, there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left," Bush told members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, at their convention in Kansas City, Missouri. "Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens, whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps' and 'killing fields,' " the president said. The White House billed the speech, as it did next week's address to the American Legion, as an effort to "provide broader context" for the debate over the upcoming Iraq progress report by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad. Bush also sought to shore up the perception of his support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, after voicing some frustration with him on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy -- good man with a difficult job and I support him," Bush said. "And it's not up to the politicians in Washington, D.C., to say whether he will remain in his position. Watch Bush reiterate his support for al-Maliki » Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, said Bush had drawn the wrong lesson from history: "America lost the war in Vietnam because our troops were trapped in a distant country we did not understand supporting a government that lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people," Kennedy said in a statement. Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, invoked his own Vietnam analogy in a statement released after the speech: "It's the president's policies that are pushing us toward another Saigon moment -- with helicopters fleeing the roof of our embassy -- which he says he wants to avoid." Biden said Bush continues to cling to the premise that Iraqis will rally behind a strong central government, but he believes that will not happen. "There's no trust within the Iraqi government; no trust of the government by the Iraqi people; no capacity of that government to deliver security or services; and no prospect that it will build that trust or capacity any time soon," Biden's statement said. But House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said more Democrats are "bucking their party leaders" in acknowledging progress in Iraq. "Many rank-and-file Democrats have seen this progress firsthand and are now acknowledging the successes of a strategy they've repeatedly opposed," Boehner said in a statement. "But Democratic leaders, deeply invested in losing the war, would rather move the goalposts and claim that a precipitous withdrawal is the right approach despite the overwhelming evidence of significant progress." Former presidential adviser David Gergen said Bush ran the risk of doing as much harm as good for his case. "By invoking Vietnam he raised the question, 'if you learned so much from history, how did you ever get us involved in another quagmire?' " Gergen said. Gergen said he did agree with Bush in one respect, though: "He's right, initially when we pulled back in Vietnam there were massive killings." On Tuesday, Bush had expressed frustration with the pace of progress toward political reconciliation in Iraq, saying if the Iraqi government doesn't "respond to the demands of the people, they will replace the government." Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday shot back at criticism of his government, including pointed remarks from a U.S. senator who called his administration "nonfunctioning" and urged Iraq's parliament to turn it out of office. Speaking at a press conference in the Syrian capital of Damascus, al-Maliki characterized such
|
[
"Where is the President withdrawing from?",
"what is the speech about?",
"Who is drawing the wrong lesson from history?",
"What will withdrawing from Iraq do?",
"what is president saying about withdrawing from Iraq?",
"What was wrong in the lesson from history?",
"What is the debate over?",
"what did Kennedy say about Bush?"
] |
[
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"and the potential costs of pulling out of Iraq"
],
[
"President Bush"
],
[
"rally behind a strong central government,"
],
[
"draws parallels Wednesday between the cost of pulling out of Iraq and \"the tragedy of Vietnam.\""
],
[
"\"America lost the war in Vietnam because our troops were trapped in a distant country we did not understand supporting a government that lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people,\""
],
[
"how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left,\""
],
[
"drawn the wrong lesson from history:"
]
] |
NEW: Kennedy: Bush drawing wrong lesson from history .
President says withdrawing from Iraq will embolden terrorists .
Speech is latest White House attempt to try to reframe the debate over Iraq .
|
KARACHI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Police in Pakistan arrested lawyers holding a public protest to demand that the government immediately restore judges the previous president had ousted, Karachi's police chief told CNN Thursday. Lawyers shout slogans Thursday in Karachi on the eve of a march to Islamabad. Among those detained were Muira Malik, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and leader of the Karachi lawyers movement, and retired high court justice Rasheed Razvi, police Chief Wasim Ahmed said. The lawyers were arrested under an order that outlaws public gatherings. The police chief also said authorities had credible information that there was a terror threat against the march and he had warned the lawyers before they started that it would be a public danger. Up to 500 lawyers in the Karachi group planned to join thousands of other demonstrators heading to the capital, Islamabad, as part of a four-day "Long March." The demonstrators plan a massive sit-in at the parliament building Monday. "Our movement is a peaceful movement," organizer Razvi, president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, said before his arrest. "When we protested the last time, there were hundreds of thousands of people and not one grass was broken, not one leaf was broken." The demonstrators began walking from the gates of the Sindh High Court, heading to a dozen buses that waited to ferry them to their next stop: the city of Hyderabad. "The rule of baton and bullets cannot last," the protesters chanted. They want President Asif Ali Zardari to live up to a promise to reinstate judges sacked by then-President Pervez Musharraf. Among the dismissed judges was the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. After sweeping into power in parliamentary elections last year, Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party promised to reinstate the judges within 30 days of taking office. The deadline came and went. The government responded to the recent intensification of protests by banning political demonstrations in two of the country's biggest provinces -- Punjab and Sindh. It also detained several hundred activists Wednesday. But the protesters said they will not be deterred. Their movement now, they said, isn't so much about reinstating Chaudhry as it is about restoring the office of the chief justice. "We will start the long march from the province as we have promised the nation," Razvi said. The country's largest opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), is backing the lawyers -- but for reasons of its own. Party head Nawaz Sharif accuses Zardari of being behind a February Supreme Court decision that bars Sharif from holding public office. The court also stripped Sharif's brother, Shahbaz, of his post as chief minister of Punjab -- the Sharif party's power center. Supporters of PML-N have responded by holding massive rallies, some of which have turned violent in recent days. CNN's Thomas Evans and Zein Basravi contributed to this report
|
[
"What did the protesters want?",
"Who has vowed to reinstate them?",
"What will happen after the election?",
"What did the president's party vow?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Who was arrested?",
"Where is the capital?",
"What do protestors want?",
"Who vowed to reinstate judges?",
"Where was the protest?",
"Who is heading to Islamabad?",
"Whose party vowed to reinstate judges?",
"Who did they want restored to office?",
"Who was arrested before the protest?"
] |
[
[
"President Asif Ali Zardari to live up to a promise to reinstate judges sacked by then-President Pervez Musharraf."
],
[
"President Asif Ali Zardari"
],
[
"Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party promised to reinstate the judges within 30 days of taking office."
],
[
"to reinstate the judges within 30 days of taking office."
],
[
"lawyers"
],
[
"lawyers"
],
[
"Islamabad,"
],
[
"the government immediately restore judges the previous president had ousted,"
],
[
"Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party"
],
[
"KARACHI, Pakistan"
],
[
"Lawyers"
],
[
"Zardari's Pakistan Peoples"
],
[
"judges the previous president had ousted,"
],
[
"lawyers"
]
] |
NEW: Lawyers arrested at start of 'Long March' protest to the capital, Islamabad .
Protesters heading to Islamabad to take their case to parliament .
They want judges removed by previous president be restored to office .
President Zardari's party had vowed to reinstate judges after winning election .
|
KARACHI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Some of the toughest criticism of Pakistan's pro-democracy movement comes from an unlikely source: the 25-year-old niece of Benazir Bhutto, who says Pakistani party politics do nothing but support military rule. It's an environment, she said, her late aunt is partly responsible for. Fatima Bhutto says she's not interested in "perpetuating a really ineffectual form of politics ... because of my name." "At this stage, we are in a state in Pakistan where so-called democratic forces are only interested in coming into office. So ultimately, they only prop up dictatorships," she told CNN from her home in Karachi. She raised her voice as she described what she feels is the core of Pakistan's political problems: the lack of a true democratic culture. Instead, she said, the country is run by power grabbers. "Ultimately to them, it's a game of revolving chairs. As long as they get to be in one, they don't care who's in the other one." Fatima Bhutto said her aunt played this "game of revolving chairs" at huge costs to the Bhutto family, shattering the clan's unity. In 1996, Fatima Bhutto's father, Murtaza Bhutto, was gunned down by Pakistani security forces in front of the family compound. His sister, Benazir, was prime minister at the time. His widow blames her sister-in-law for the killing, because Murtaza had become a political rival. Watch Fatima Bhutto say she's not "interested in being a symbol" » "We have to seriously look at her political legacy, which is deeply flawed," Fatima Bhutto said. "Both her governments were known for widespread corruption, for an abuse of human rights, and for an excess of police violence." Fatima Bhutto was estranged from her aunt and had not spoken to her since Benazir Bhutto returned to the nation for Pakistani elections. Benazir Bhutto was killed in a bloody December 27 attack. Her niece says now that Benazir Bhutto has herself been killed, she does not look back in anger. Watch a struggle over the Bhutto legacy » "We also have to take into account that Benazir Bhutto died bravely and that the attack on her is ultimately an attack on her country," she said. She added that she did attend her aunt's funeral. Some here in Pakistan believe Fatima Bhutto -- and not Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son, Bilawal -- is the true heir to the Bhutto political dynasty. Fatima Bhutto said she's a political person and does campaign for a splinter group of the Pakistan Peoples Party. That group is now run by her mother following the death of her father. She said her main political goal is to empower Pakistan's largely disenfranchised masses and end what she calls the perpetual cycle of "dynastic" cronyism. What her role would be in making that happen remains the great unknown. "What I think we need to do is open the field," said Fatima Bhutto, who went to college in the United States and graduate school in England. "It has to stop being this autocratic, dynastic environment. ... When that day comes and this happens -- that we have an open field -- if there's a way for me to serve this country, then I would be proud to." Until then, she said, she exerts her power from her writing. Fatima Bhutto is a successful columnist, author and poet; a staunch critic of Pervez Musharraf's government. And though her name would probably propel her to the highest levels of Pakistani politics almost instantly, she said that won't happen anytime soon. "I'm not interested in being a symbol for anyone," she said emphatically. "And I'm not interested in perpetuating a really ineffectual form of politics simply because of my name." She added, "I have never believed in dynastic politics, or the politics of birthright. ... I think that's dangerous to the cause of democracy in Pakistan, and ultimately doesn't serve
|
[
"Who is Fatima Bhutto's aunt?",
"Who is the country run by?",
"Who is the author critical of?",
"Whose government is in power?",
"Where is Fatima Bhutto from?"
] |
[
[
"Benazir"
],
[
"power grabbers."
],
[
"Pervez Musharraf's government."
],
[
"Pervez Musharraf's"
],
[
"Pakistan"
]
] |
Benazir Bhutto's niece: Pakistan's democratic forces only "prop up dictatorships"
Fatima Bhutto, who was estranged from aunt, says country is run by power grabbers .
Her goal: empower Pakistan's masses, end cycle of "dynastic" cronyism .
The columnist, author and poet is a critic of Pervez Musharraf's government .
|
KARBALA, Iraq (CNN) -- A female suicide bomber apparently targeting Shiite worshippers killed at least 40 people and wounded at least 65 in Karbala on Monday, according to an Interior Ministry official. Iraqi security forces gather around the site of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday. The incident occurred one-half mile from the Imam Hussein shrine of Karbala. Karbala is a Shiite holy city, and the Imam Hussein shrine is one of Shiite Islam's holiest locations. The shrine marks the burial spot of Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, who was killed in battle nearby in 680. No more information was immediately available about the blast southwest of the capital city, Baghdad. Earlier Monday, in Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol, killing one officer and wounding another, the Interior Ministry told CNN. A short time later, another roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad, wounding four bystanders, a ministry official said. The first attack took place about 8:30 a.m. in the upscale Mansour neighborhood, where law enforcement officials have come under frequent attacks in recent weeks. Also Monday, two American soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad, officials said. The incident occurred about 12:20 p.m. as the soldiers were "conducting a route-clearance combat operation north of Baghdad," according to a news release. The names of the soldiers were not immediately released. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in the Iraqi capital Monday on an unannounced visit. Cheney told reporters that the five years in Iraq since the war's start has been "well worth the effort." He said he met with top Iraqi officials. He appeared at a news conference with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the country. Cheney began a trip to the Middle East on Sunday with an official itinerary that listed stops in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and the West Bank, according to the White House. E-mail to a friend CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
|
[
"what happened due toi the bomb",
"what happened in karbala",
"Where were the 2 US soldiers from?",
"who died in roadside bomb",
"where was the explosion",
"Where was the roadside bomb?",
"where is karbala",
"What is the death toll in Karbala?",
"what is the count of deaths",
"What number of U.S. soldiers died?",
"Who is behind the bombings and explosions?"
] |
[
[
"killed at least"
],
[
"A female suicide bomber apparently targeting Shiite worshippers killed at least"
],
[
"U.S."
],
[
"at least"
],
[
"Karbala"
],
[
"Baghdad,"
],
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"at least"
],
[
"40 people"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"A female suicide bomber"
]
] |
NEW: 2 U.S. soldiers killed by roadside bomb in Baghdad on Monday, U.S. says .
NEW: Other roadside bombs in Baghdad kill one police officer, injure four people .
Death toll rises to 40 in explosion in Karbala, official says; 65 injured .
Explosion was near holy shrine for Shiite Muslims, burial spot of Hussein bin Ali .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- An unopposed former Communist leader was elected Nepal's new prime minister Saturday, ending nearly three weeks of political uncertainty. Madhav Kumar Nepal waves at his supporters at the country's parliament in Kathmandu. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was the only person to serve as a candidate for the post after he received backing from more than 20 of the 25 parties in parliament. Nepal, 56, is a former general secretary of the Communist Party, but had resigned after the party made a poor showing last year against another Communist movement. In that vote, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became the largest party, with 38 percent of the seats in the 601-member constituent assembly which also functions as parliament. Nepal had been general secretary since 1993 and served as the country's deputy prime minister for nine months in 1995. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Maoist chairman, resigned as prime minister May 4 after the president overturned the Cabinet's decision to sack the army chief. Nepal became a republic last year. The new government has two important tasks before it: the writing of a new constitution within a year, and integration of 19,600 Maoist combatants into the security forces. Without the support of the former Maoist rebels, these tasks cannot be achieved. The Maoists fought a 10-year insurgency aimed at abolishing the monarchy.
|
[
"what country is this?",
"who was the only candidate",
"Which political party did Nepal belong to?",
"What was Nepal's old job?",
"When did Pushpa Kamal Dahal resign ?",
"What is Nepal's age?",
"Who was the only candidate?",
"What is the age of Madhav Kumar Nepal?",
"Who resigned as Prime Minister?",
"When did the Maoist chairman resign?",
"What age is Madhav Nepal?"
] |
[
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"Madhav Kumar Nepal"
],
[
"Communist"
],
[
"former general secretary of the Communist Party,"
],
[
"May 4"
],
[
"56,"
],
[
"Madhav Kumar Nepal"
],
[
"56,"
],
[
"Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Maoist chairman,"
],
[
"May 4"
],
[
"56,"
]
] |
Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal was only candidate .
Nepal, 56, is a former general secretary of the Communist Party .
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Maoist chairman, resigned as prime minister May 4 .
Followed president's decision to overturn Cabinet's sacking of army chief .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Lawmakers in Nepal will vote Saturday to pick the country's first president since it became a republic. Nepal became a republic after the deposal of King Gyanendra Shah earlier this year. The country's newly elected Constituent Assembly abolished a 239-year monarchy following elections in April. But with no one party winning a majority of the seats, it is unclear who may become president. The position is largely ceremonial. But a president will swear in whoever is picked as the new prime minister. The three main political parties continued to negotiate over whom to name president. The Nepali Congress wants outgoing prime minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala for the position. The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) wants its leader. But the Maoists -- which won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority -- do not favor either of the two men. They want a non-political figure as president. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report
|
[
"Who is picking their country's first president?",
"Who wants a non-political figure as president?",
"Where are the lawmakers?",
"What has no party had?",
"Who won the most seats?",
"Where will lawmakers pick the first president?",
"What do Maoists want?",
"who won most seats",
"what did lawmakers do"
] |
[
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"Maoists"
],
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"majority of the seats,"
],
[
"Maoists"
],
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"non-political figure as president."
],
[
"Maoists"
],
[
"abolished a 239-year monarchy following elections in April."
]
] |
Lawmakers in Nepal to to pick the country's first president since it became a republic .
Unclear who may become president as no party had a majority in recent elections .
Maoists, who won most seats, want a non-political figure as president .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Like many Nepalese guides, Apa Sherpa started trekking to the top of Mount Everest in the shadow of more famous climbers -- including the son of the late Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb to the top of the world's tallest peak. Apa Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest more times than any other person. But the 49-year-old Nepali -- who now lives in the United States -- on Thursday morning became the only person in the world to summit Everest 19 times. Apa says his goals in climbing the 29,029-foot (8,848-meter) mountain have nothing to do with setting the world record for Everest summits, a title he has held since 1998. "Up to the 17th time in 2007 I climbed as a professional, as part of my occupation," Apa said, according to the Web site tracking the progress of his most recent expedition. "But last year I climbed to raise funds for a school in Thame, my village on the foot of Everest." In addition to raising money for Nepali schoolkids, Apa also plans to remove more than two tons of garbage from Everest. Over the past 55 years, some 2,000 mountaineers have climbed the peak, leaving behind a trail of trash that includes oxygen bottles, food cans, gas cylinders, paper, plastic and even tents. Everest -- known by Nepalis as Sagarmatha -- is considered sacred by the Nepalese people, and is worshipped as a goddess of wealth and power by the Sherpas, the inhabitants of the Everest region. Apa comes from the famed Sherpa community of mountain guides, who work as porters and climbing guides for mountaineers from all over the world. While Everest is not considered the most technically challenging climb by experienced mountaineers, the world's highest peak attracts an array of climbers who spend tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to make it to the top. However, the mountain is deadly for many climbers: More than 200 people have died trying to scale Everest. Apa began working as an expedition porter for Everest climbers to earn money after his father died when he was 12 years old, according to his biography on his team's Web site, SuperSherpas.com. Many of the mountaineers noticed the young Sherpa who, despite his small size, was able to carry large loads "with strength, quickness and a wide smile," according to his biography. But it wasn't until he was about 30 years old that Apa began climbing Everest as a guide. He made it to the top in 1990 with a team that included Peter Hillary, whose father first summited the peak along Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. That team also included Rob Hall, a New Zealander who lost his life on the mountain in 1996, the deadliest season for climbers in Everest's history. Eight climbers, including Hall, died trying to summit the peak on May 11, 1996, known as the "Everest disaster." The incident highlighted the pressure that mountaineering companies face when their clients -- who have paid as much as $60,000 -- want to make it to the top despite foreboding weather and their lack of experience. Hall had asked Apa several times during the 1996 season to work for him, but Apa refused in order to be with his family, according to Everestnews.com. Apa reached Everest's peak for the 19th time at 8 a.m. local time on Thursday, announcing over a crackling radio, "I am at the top and looking at all the prayer flags," according to the Web site tracking his progress. "I have just satisfied the deities and placed the Bhumpa on the summit." He was referring to an 8-inch-tall copper vase which is considered sacred and contains 400 elements, including precious metals, Buddhist relics, shreds of robes worn by venerated monks, holy water, and soil. Last month, Apa said that putting the vase on the mountain would be a prayer for world peace and prosperity. After spending 30 minutes at the top, he headed down. "It is so cold here ... I am heading down." Crowds of climbers
|
[
"Mount Everest is how tall?",
"What is the number of times he has climbed the mountain?",
"how many people have died trying to scale everest?",
"What is the tallest mountain in the world?",
"Who successfully climbed Mount Everest for the 19th day?",
"Where was Apa Sherpa from?",
"What is the height of the mountain?",
"How many people have died trying to climb Everest.",
"What is the age of the sherpa?"
] |
[
[
"29,029-foot"
],
[
"19"
],
[
"More than 200"
],
[
"Everest"
],
[
"Apa Sherpa"
],
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"29,029-foot"
],
[
"More than 200"
],
[
"49-year-old"
]
] |
Apa Sherpa, 49, of Nepal, successfully climbs Mount Everest for the 19th time .
Apa says he climbs to raise money for his village, at the foot of the mountain .
More than 200 people have died trying to scale Everest .
At 29,029 feet, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's Maoist government took the president to task Monday for ordering the country's army chief of staff to stay in office after they had fired him, calling the decision "unconstitutional."
General Rookmangud Katawal gestures after inspecting a guard of honor in New Delhi on December 12, 2007.
"Neither the constitution nor the Military Act gives the President the right to do anything besides supporting the government's decision," said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the minister for information and communication.
Late Sunday night, President Ram Baran Yadav ordered Gen. Rookmangud Katawal, who was sacked by the government Sunday morning, to continue in office.
Nepal's interim constitution gives the president powers as supreme commander of the army and guardian of the constitution.
"The president took the step after 18 parties in parliament requested the President to intervene," presidential spokesman Rajendra Dahal told CNN Sunday night.
The decision to fire Katawal touched off protests. Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets for demonstrations Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported.
The coalition government led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) -- better known as Maoist -- leads a minority government for which its largest coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), has withdrawn support.
It is unclear if the government will fall, since Madhesi Janadhikar (People's Rights) Forum, another coalition partner and the fourth largest party in parliament, is undecided about staying in the government.
Nepal's Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required.
The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces.
|
[
"What is the order considered by the government?",
"What did the Maoist government order?",
"What did the military refuse to do?"
] |
[
[
"to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required."
],
[
"country's army chief of staff to stay in office after they had fired him,"
],
[
"government's order"
]
] |
Government calls president's order to keep army chief in office "unconstitutional"
Maoist government ordered army chief of staff to be fired after recruitment issue .
Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels .
Dismissal touches off street protests and a split in Maoist-dominated ruling coalition .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's former king said Wednesday he is not going to leave his country even though the monarchy has been abolished. Gyanendra came to power in 2001 following the assassination of King Birendra and his family. Ex-King Gyanendra, 60, made remarks to reporters before departing the Narayanhiti royal palace in Kathmandu. He will live as a civilian in the former Himalayan kingdom that was made a republic last month, and he will reside in a summer palace on a forested hilltop outside the capital. A few hundred journalists crammed into the opulent palace's lobby entrance to hear Gyanendra's remarks. It was a chaotic and undeferential scene replete with pushing, shoving and scuffling -- even while the former monarch was speaking. While the former king spoke, reporters looked around at the lavish furnishings, including a huge crystal chandelier, stuffed tigers, stuffed rhino heads mounted on the walls and paintings of previous monarchs. Gyanendra, who expressed his "love" for "independent Nepal," said all of his property will remain in the country and that he has no property outside the nation. "I have no intention or thoughts to leave the country," he said. "I will stay in the country to help establish peace." The monarchy's end after 239 years of rule was the culmination of a two-year peace process in which Maoist insurgents in Nepal gave up their armed struggle, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly. The assembly is tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding the country's future political system and governing the nation. Gyanendra, who noted that the country is going through a "serious" stage now, said he accepts the new reality of a republic and reflected on the actions of the monarchy. "I have done all I can to cooperate with (the government's) directives," he said, and added that "the monarchy in Nepal has always been with the people of Nepal in good times and bad times." Gyanendra came to power in 2001 when his brother, King Birendra, and his family were massacred in the palace by the crown prince, who later shot himself. Gyanendra on Wednesday denied rumors that he had played a role in that event. The ex-monarch also discussed events of 2005, when he he took over the civilian government to take on the Maoist insurgency, an unpopular move that sparked protests. He said he hopes people "understand" he didn't intend to infringe on any of the rights of the people. He left the palace by a side entrance with pro-royalists and pro-republicans gathered outside to see his departure. His car had to stop momentarily as journalists took pictures of him. Gyanendra's royal scepter and a crown of peacock feathers, yak hair and jewels remain in the palace and have been handed over to the government. -- From CNN's Dan Rivers and Manesh Shrestha
|
[
"who is former king",
"What entrance did he use to leave?",
"What did Gyanendra say?",
"who decides future political system",
"where does gyanendra will stay",
"What has assembly been tasked with?",
"Where will the former king live?",
"What is the new status of the king?",
"What is the task of the assembly?"
] |
[
[
"Gyanendra"
],
[
"side"
],
[
"all of his property will remain in the country and that he has no property outside the nation."
],
[
"the Constituent Assembly."
],
[
"former Himalayan kingdom"
],
[
"rewriting the constitution,"
],
[
"Himalayan kingdom"
],
[
"civilian"
],
[
"is tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding the country's future political system and governing the nation."
]
] |
Former king will live as a civilian in a summer palace outside capital .
Gyanendra: Will stay in the country to help establish peace .
Left palace by side entrance while officials gathered outside to see his departure .
Assembly tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding future political system .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's government ordered the country's army chief of staff fired Sunday, touching off street protests and a split in Nepal's Maoist-dominated ruling coalition. General Rookmangud Katawal gestures after inspecting the guard of honour in New Delhi on December 12, 2007. But Gen. Rookmangud Katawal has refused to accept his dismissal, and Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav -- the constitutional commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces -- has told Katawal to remain in office, a presidential spokesman said. Nepal's Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required. The move prompted the Maoists' largest coalition partner to quit the government, the party's leader said. "Without consensus, the ongoing peace process will not reach its logical conclusion and the drafting of the new constitution will not be possible," said Ishwor Pokharel, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). "The consensus that existed so far has come to standstill." Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets for demonstrations Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported. The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces. But two weeks ago, the government asked Katawal to explain why he went to the Supreme Court to challenge the government's refusal to extend the tenure of eight brigadier generals in March. Government spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said Sunday that the government was not satisfied with Katawal's explanation and fired him -- three months before his scheduled retirement -- in a meeting that the Maoists' coalition partners boycotted. Pokharel said his party urged the Maoists not to fire Katawal without a consensus in the country's parliament. He said the Maoists, led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, ignored that advice. "We do not like the way the Maoists' way of functioning," Pokharel said. The Maoists hold 238 of the 601 seats in parliament, while Pokharel's party has 109. The Maoists could continue to hold power with the support of smaller parties, but Pokharel said his party is working to form a new ruling coalition. The Cabinet named an interim army chief, but presidential spokesman Rajendra Dahal told CNN that 18 parties in Nepal's parliament asked Yadav to keep Katawal on the job. There was no immediate reaction from the government on the president's decision.
|
[
"Who refused tp accept his dismissal?",
"What is it the military have refused to do",
"The army chief of staff of what nation was fired",
"What hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels?",
"Who refused to stop recruiting?",
"Which government fired its army chief of staff?",
"Who was fired?",
"what did military refuse to do?",
"What has Gen. Rookmangud Katawal refused to do?",
"what is the generals name?",
"which is the name of the general?",
"What did the military refuse to do?",
"who did government fire?"
] |
[
[
"Gen. Rookmangud Katawal"
],
[
"stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers"
],
[
"Nepal's"
],
[
"the military"
],
[
"military"
],
[
"Nepal's"
],
[
"General Rookmangud Katawal"
],
[
"stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers"
],
[
"accept his dismissal,"
],
[
"Rookmangud Katawal"
],
[
"Rookmangud Katawal"
],
[
"stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers"
],
[
"Gen. Rookmangud Katawal"
]
] |
Nepal's government orders army chief of staff fired after recruitment issue .
Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels .
Dismissal touches off street protests and a split in Maoist-dominated ruling coalition .
Gen. Rookmangud Katawal has refused to accept his dismissal .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's new government has converted its deposed king's opulent palace into a museum and unfurled the national flag on Sunday as a symbolic move to signify the end of monarchy. The Narayanthi Royal Palace has been converted into a museum. "The national flag is fluttering in the hands of the people in the royal palace now," said Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at a ceremony at the former palace Sunday. Ex-King Gyanendra, 60, left Narayanhiti Royal Palace on Wednesday. He will live as a civilian in a summer palace on a forested hilltop outside the capital. Gyanendra's departure came following the declaration of the former Himalayan kingdom as a republic last month. The monarchy's end after 239 years of rule was the culmination of a two-year peace process in which Maoist insurgents in Nepal gave up their armed struggle, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly. The assembly is tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding the country's future political system and governing the nation. Gyanendra came to power in 2001 when his brother, King Birendra, and his family were massacred in the palace by the crown prince, who later shot himself. Gyanendra last week denied rumors that he had played a role in that event.
|
[
"Which King's palace?",
"What is being converted into museum?",
"When did the monarchy begin?",
"What kingdom was declared a republic?",
"What was being ended?",
"what happened in nepal"
] |
[
[
"Narayanthi Royal"
],
[
"deposed king's opulent palace"
],
[
"239 years of rule"
],
[
"Nepal"
],
[
"The monarchy's end after 239 years of rule"
],
[
"new government has converted its deposed king's opulent palace into"
]
] |
Nepal's new government converts deposed king's palace into museum .
National flag unfurled over building in symbolic end to monarchy .
Himalayan kingdom was declared a republic last month .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's prime minister said Monday he will resign to save what he called the country's "infant democracy." Pushpa Kamal Dahal cited a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. It is the latest fallout over the status of Nepal's army chief, Gen. Rookmangud Katawal. The Maoist government sacked Katawal on Sunday. Hours later, President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated him. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, commonly known as Prachanda, resigned on Monday, citing a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. "The dual powers that have been unconstitutionally established in the country must end under any circumstance," Prachanda said in a televised address announcing he would resign from the country's Cabinet. Prachanda is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which had been the largest party in Nepal's coalition government until it recently withdrew. The former guerilla leader headed a decade-long bloody Maoist insurgency to abolish the country's monarchy before being sworn in as prime minister in August. In his address on Monday, Prachanda blamed certain political parties and "power centers" for "striking at our democracy, constitution and the peace process by putting the president in the forefront of the controversy over the chief of army staff." "This has raised concerns over our infant democracy and the peace process," he said. "I appeal to the people, civil society and political powers to be committed to the struggle for establishing a democratic Nepal." Nepal's interim constitution gives the president powers as supreme commander of the army and guardian of the constitution. Yadav's spokesman said the president had the support of 18 parties in parliament when he reinstated the army chief. The decision to fire Katawal touched off protests. Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets on Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported. The Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required. The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report.
|
[
"What does government call unconstitutional?",
"Who ordered the army chief of staff to be fired?",
"What is the Prime Minister's name",
"Who has resigned?",
"What did the Maoist government order?",
"What person resigned?",
"Who was unconstitutional?",
"What made the Prime Minister resign?",
"What does the government call \"unconstitutional\"?",
"Who resigns over order?",
"What person had refused?"
] |
[
[
"president's \"unconstitutional\" order."
],
[
"The Cabinet"
],
[
"Pushpa Kamal Dahal,"
],
[
"Pushpa Kamal Dahal"
],
[
"stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers"
],
[
"Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal,"
],
[
"the president's \"unconstitutional\" order."
],
[
"serious political crisis"
],
[
"order."
],
[
"Prachanda, resigned"
],
[
"the military"
]
] |
Government calls president's order to keep army chief in office "unconstitutional"
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigns over order .
Maoist government ordered army chief of staff to be fired after recruitment issue .
Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepalese authorities Thursday detained at least 650 Tibetan exiles protesting against China's policies in the province ahead of this weekend's Olympic torch relay in Tibet, security officials in Kathmandu said. A protester is grabbed by Nepalese police during a demonstration in Kathmandu. Police also arrested and charged three local Tibetan community leaders with organizing the protest, after seizing them from their homes Thursday morning. It is the largest single-day round-up of Tibetan protesters in Nepal since the demonstrations broke out in March following China's bloody crackdown on protesters in Tibet. It is also the first time that Nepalese authorities have charged any Tibetan exiles in connection with the protests. Nepalese police forcefully dragged some of the protesters to awaiting vans and drove them to police stations across the capital. Tibetan exile groups said 900 protesters were detained Thursday. Authorities said the three arrested leaders -- two women and a man -- were responsible for the near-daily protests since March and will be held for 90 days under Nepal's public security act. "They have been arrested for damaging the diplomatic relations between Nepal and China," said civilian security officer Jaya Mukunda Khanal. The two women arrested and charged for organizing the protests were Ngwang Sangmo, president of Tibetan Women's Association, and Tashi Dolma, vice president of the association. Also charged was Kelsang Chung, director of the Tibetan Reception Center, which helps Tibetan refugees in Nepal emigrate to India, where the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, lives in exile. While they are the first Tibetan exiles formally arrested, protesters have previously been detained and released hours later. The crackdown comes days before the Olympic torch relay in Tibet. The torch relay wrapped up in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, and will continue in Tibet's capital of Lhasa on Saturday, according to China's Olympic Web site.
|
[
"Who do Nepalese authorities arrest?",
"Who did police forcefully drag?",
"Who did Nepalese authorities arrest?",
"What are the China protests about?"
] |
[
[
"at least 650 Tibetan exiles"
],
[
"some of the protesters"
],
[
"650 Tibetan exiles"
],
[
"policies"
]
] |
Nepalese authorities arrest at least 650 Tibetan exiles over China protest .
Police forcefully dragged some of the protesters to awaiting vans .
Protestors voice opposition to China's policies in Tibet .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Pilot error caused the crash of a U.N. helicopter in March which killed 10 people, a Nepalese investigating official said Wednesday.
A U.N. worker at the site of the March helicopter crash that killed 10 people in Nepal.
The helicopter was traveling from a camp for former Maoist rebels in eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu, when it crashed on March 3.
The crew did not consult the weather forecast, nor did it plan a route before taking off, said Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, the joint secretary of the civil aviation ministry and part of the investigation commission.
Once the helicopter encountered bad weather, the pilot's unfamiliarity of local terrain compounded the problem, Ghimire said, summarizing the commission's findings.
"He thought that, 'If I climb into the clouds, I will be safe above the terrain and continue to Kathmandu,'" he said.
Instead, the crew found itself unable to control the aircraft. But the pilot kept the helicopter on auto-pilot mode.
"The pilot should have manually handled the aircraft to rotate safely to the ground," Ghimire said. "Unfortunately, he didn't."
The chopper crashed in a mountainous region near Bhawasa, about 145 km (90 miles) east of Kathmandu.
The U.N. mission said three victims were Nepalese citizens. The others included four international arms monitors from Gambia, Indonesia, South Korea and Sweden.
The air crew, from a Russian company, comprised of two Russians and one Belarussian, the U.N. mission said.
The helicopter was returning from inspecting a camp for former Maoist rebels who fought a 10-year civil war to end Nepal's monarchy. More than 13,0000 people died in the fighting.
The rebels signed a peace deal with the government in 2006, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly.
The victory transformed Nepal from a monarchy to a republic after 239 years of autocratic rule.
|
[
"What did the crew not consult",
"What caused the crash?",
"What caused the crash killing 10 people",
"How many Russians were on the crew?",
"How many people were killed?"
] |
[
[
"the weather forecast,"
],
[
"Pilot error"
],
[
"Pilot error"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"10"
]
] |
Pilot error caused U.N. helicopter crash killing 10 people, probe finds .
Crew did not consult weather forecast nor plan a route before taking off .
Air crew comprised of two Russians and one Belarussian .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- The leader of Nepal's former communist rebels was named as the country's new prime minister Friday. Prachanda is still the supreme commander of the Maoists People's Liberation Army. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was elected four months after elections in which his Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became the largest party in the 601-member constituent assembly. Prachanda received 464 votes of the 577 votes cast, while his rival Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party received 113 votes. Most of the parties in the assembly voted for the Maoist candidate. A simple majority was enough to be elected the prime minister. Prachanda's victory became certain on Thursday when the third and fourth biggest parties in Nepal's assembly decided to back him. He will now lead a coalition government, although talks are ongoing on about the allocation of ministerial portfolios. The Maoists signed a peace deal with the government in November 2006, joined an interim parliament and government in 2007 and fought multi-party elections in April this year. The Communist Party of Nepal unexpectedly became the largest party in the elections, winning 220 of the 575 elected seats in the assembly. The assembly declared Nepal a republic in May and in July elected Nepal's first president, physician Ram Baran Yadav. Prachanda, 54, entered politics when he was 17 but went underground in 1981, making his first public appearance after 25 years in 2006. The Maoists launched an insurgency to abolish the monarchy in 1996 and the ten-year conflict claimed more than 13,000 lives. According to the peace deal agreed in 2008, the estimated 19,602 Maoist combatants would be integrated into the country's security structure, the process of which is yet to be worked out. Prachanda remains the supreme commander of the Maoists People's Liberation Army. Besides completing the peace process, the new government has to face many challenges including inflation, lawlessness, impunity and ethnic aspirations.
|
[
"Who won the Communist Party of Nepal",
"Who declared Nepal as a republic?",
"Who won 464 out of 577 votes?",
"What declared Nepal a republic in May and in July elected first president?",
"What number of votes were won by Prachanda?",
"Who was being voted for?",
"What was needed to be elected prime minister?",
"Who voted in the election?",
"What month did Nepal elect their first president?",
"Who declared Nepal a republic?",
"how many votes were won?",
"Which Nepalese political leader holds executive powers?",
"Who won 464 out of 577 votes?",
"What was enough to be elected the prime minister?",
"How many votes did Prachanda win?",
"To which political party does Prachanda belong?",
"what month was first president elected?"
] |
[
[
"Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda,"
],
[
"The assembly"
],
[
"Prachanda"
],
[
"The assembly"
],
[
"464"
],
[
"the Maoist candidate."
],
[
"A simple majority"
],
[
"Most of the parties in the assembly"
],
[
"July"
],
[
"The assembly"
],
[
"464"
],
[
"Prachanda"
],
[
"Prachanda"
],
[
"A simple majority"
],
[
"464"
],
[
"Maoists People's Liberation Army."
],
[
"July"
]
] |
Prachanda, Communist Party of Nepal chairman, won 464 out of 577 votes .
A simple majority was enough to be elected the prime minister .
Assembly declared Nepal a republic in May and July elected first president .
The post of president is largely ceremonial. PM has executive powers .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Tibet's exile government said the death toll from protests in the Himalayan region over the past two weeks has reached about 140, but Chinese government restrictions have made it difficult confirm the number killed. People walk past burnt-out buildings in Lhasa on 16 March, 2008, after violent protests broke out. Chinese authorities have issued a much lower death toll and said most of those killed were "innocent" ethnic Han Chinese targeted by rampaging Tibetans. The Tibetan exiles published a list of 40 Tibetans they said are confirmed dead. Meanwhile, Tibetan exiles and monks protested for a second day outside of China's embassy visa office in Kathmandu, Nepal on Tuesday, resulting in 73 protesters arrested, Nepalese police said. Although police said they did not use force, protest organizers said as many as 12 people were hurt when police charged them with bamboo sticks. Watch demonstrator in tears as monks arrested ». Protests involving Tibet also dogged the Olympic flame, which was lit in a ceremony Monday in Olympia, Greece. The torch is scheduled to be carried to sites around the world on its way to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, and Tibetan activist say they plan anti-Chinese protests along the way. Another group of about 50 Tibetan exiles in India began their own torch relay Tuesday with a symbolic "Olympic" flame that will end in Tibet on the day of the Summer Games' opening ceremonies in Beijing, The Associated Press reported. On Monday, Greek police arrested some of the protesters along the first miles of the torch relay, but the demonstrations were peaceful and police reported no injuries or scuffles. At one point, a Tibetan woman covered herself with red paint and lay on the ground, forcing the torchbearer to weave around her as other protesters shouted "Flame of shame." Students for a Free Tibet, a Tibetan exile group, said its protesters would challenge police as the flame moves through 23 cities on five continents before passing throughout China. Tibetan activists will follow it through "London, Paris and everywhere else China's stained Olympic Torch goes," the group said. The group said the Chinese government "will pressure other governments to silence peaceful protesters who expose the truth behind China's Olympics propaganda campaign." "The Chinese government's long arm has already extended to San Francisco, where Tibetans are being told they cannot protest along the Torch Relay route," the group said in a news release. Also Monday, five Tibetans were arrested for deadly arson attacks stemming from the anti-China riots that erupted this month, China's government announced. A Chinese Ministry of public security official said the suspects have confessed to two arson incidents that killed 10 people in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua. Ministry spokesman Shan Huimin said three female suspects were detained for a March 14 fire at a shop, in which five female sales assistants were burned to death, Xinhua reported. In the second case, two males were detained for setting fire to a motorcycle shop on March 15, which resulted in five deaths -- including an 8-month-old boy and his parents, according to Xinhua. Shan said the violence in Lhasa between March 14 and 15 also injured 242 police officers, according to Xinhua. However, Shan added, peace has been restored to the area. Clashes between anti-Chinese protesters in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and other cities broke out earlier this month, and Chinese officials blamed the Dalai Lama's followers for the violence. The Tibetan government in exile said at least 80 people were killed by police, but Chinese officials put the death toll at 13. E-mail to a friend CNN's Manesh Shrestha in Nepal contributed to this report
|
[
"What is making it difficult to confirm the values?",
"Chinese restrictions make it difficult to do what?",
"Authorities from where are claimng that the toll is much lower?",
"What did chinese authorities claim?",
"What was the death toll?",
"Can the figures be confirmed?",
"What do Chinese authorities say?",
"How many people have died?",
"What is the death toll, according the the Tibet exile government?"
] |
[
[
"Chinese government restrictions"
],
[
"confirm the number killed."
],
[
"Chinese"
],
[
"a much lower death toll and said most of those killed were \"innocent\" ethnic Han"
],
[
"140,"
],
[
"dead."
],
[
"most of those killed were \"innocent\" ethnic Han"
],
[
"140,"
],
[
"140,"
]
] |
Tibet exile government claims death toll from unrest now 140 .
Chinese authorities say toll much lower, says victims are "innocent" Chinese .
Chinese restrictions mean it is difficult to confirm the figures .
|
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Two people were killed and about a dozen others were injured when a bomb exploded in a Catholic church in Kathmandu on Saturday morning, police said. The damage inside the church in Kathmandu following Saturday's bomb blast. The explosion in the Nepalese capital killed a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman. "The bomb exploded inside the church when the explosion happened," senior police officer Kedar Man Singh Bhandari told CNN over the phone. About 100 people were in the church when the bomb exploded, police said. Manish Amatya, who was injured, said the blast interrupted their prayers. "There was a loud explosion while we were praying and all of us ran out screaming," he said. Investigations are under way to determine who planted the bomb, which damaged the church. CNN's Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report.
|
[
"What is under way",
"Who was killed in the Nepalese explosion?",
"What investigations are underway?",
"Who was killed in expolosion",
"How many people were in the church when the bomb exploded?",
"How many in church",
"Were any people in the church when it exploded?",
"What killed a 15-year old girl and a 30-year old woman?",
"how many more injured",
"when did this happen",
"The explosion killed who?",
"Where did the explosion take place?",
"What are investigations underway to determine?",
"How many people were in the church?"
] |
[
[
"Investigations"
],
[
"a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman."
],
[
"to determine who planted the bomb,"
],
[
"a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old"
],
[
"About 100"
],
[
"About 100 people"
],
[
"About 100"
],
[
"a bomb"
],
[
"a dozen"
],
[
"Saturday morning,"
],
[
"a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman."
],
[
"Catholic church in Kathmandu"
],
[
"who planted the bomb,"
],
[
"About 100"
]
] |
Explosion in Nepalese capital killed 15-year-old girl, 30-year-old woman .
100 people were in the church when the bomb exploded .
Investigations are under way to determine who planted the bomb .
|
KAUHAJOKI, Finland (CNN) -- Police in Finland have identified the 10 victims in Tuesday's college shooting as eight female students, a male student and a male teacher. The bodies of the victims were also badly burned after being set on fire. The gunman -- identified by authorities as Matti Juhani Saari -- also died after turning the gun on himself. In addition, one woman was seriously wounded in the shooting. Finnish police had interviewed and released Saari a day before Tuesday's bloody rampage at a college in Kauhajoki in southwestern Finland, the country's interior minister said Tuesday. Finnish broadcaster YLE reported that police found a note at Saari's apartment saying he planned the attack since 2002 because he hated "people and the human race," according to Jari Neulaniemi of the National Bureau of Investigation. Neulaniemi told YLE that the shooting took place in a single classroom. Nine of the victims were found in the classroom and one in the corridor, the report said. Authorities say they became interested in the 22-year-old student after he posted four videos on YouTube. One of them showed him firing a pistol at a shooting range. Saari did not directly threaten anyone in the videos, so there were no grounds for further action, national police Commissioner Mikko Paatero told YLE. However, Interior Minister Anne Holmlund suggested the government will investigate how the police handled the case. Watch as the people of Kauhajoki mourn the victims » "It's clear that we have to carefully go through what should have been done and if we could have avoided this situation in some way," The Associated Press quoted her as saying. Finnish President Tarja Halonen, speaking from the United Nations' annual General Assembly in New York, also raised concerns about the YouTube videos. "We, parents and elderly people, have a little bit of feeling about the Internet," she said during an impromptu TV interview. "It's like a strange planet for us. But it's not so. It's part of our world, so we have to step in." However she praised efforts by police, who she said "were already on board" by interviewing Saari. Authorities hoped that was enough to take care of any threat, but "now we see that it was not," she said. The massacre in Kauhajoki, 290 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Helsinki, was Finland's second school shooting in less than a year and renewed calls for a review of the country's laws on gun ownership. Watch pictures from the scene » "We must considerably tighten them," Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen told YLE during a visit to the town early Wednesday. "We should consider whether to allow these small arms for private citizens at home. They belong on firing ranges." MTV-3's Foreign Editor Risto Puolimatka told CNN that Saari was issued with a temporary gun license last month. It was the gunman's first license, Puolimatka said. Authorities learned about the videos Friday but could not reach Saari until Monday, Paatero told YLE. Police also searched his home, YLE reported. Four videos of a man firing a pistol at a shooting range were posted by a "Mr. Saari" from Kauhajoki, where the college is based, according to his profile on video-sharing Web site YouTube. The profile also included a video tribute to the Columbine High School shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, at the top of the man's favorites list. The videos were posted over a three-week period this month. None was posted in the last week. Watch more about the YouTube videos » The account was suspended within hours of the shooting, which began about 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT.) Jukka Forsberg, a maintenance worker at the school, told YLE that the gunman was wearing a ski mask and walked into the building with a large bag. About 150 students were on campus Kauhajoki city's School of Hospitality in southwestern Finland. Forsberg said, "I heard several dozen rounds of shots. In other words,
|
[
"How many females were killed by the gunman?",
"What did the PM call for?",
"What was the gunman issued with?",
"When was the gunman issued a temporary gun license?",
"In what place were the shootings located?",
"How many people were killed?",
"What is the number of many females were killed during college rampage?",
"What does the Prime Minister call for after the shooting?",
"Who urged tighter gun controls following violence in Finland?",
"Who was the gunman interviewed by police prior to attack?",
"What isthe gender make up of those killed?"
] |
[
[
"eight"
],
[
"review of the country's laws on gun ownership."
],
[
"temporary gun license"
],
[
"last month."
],
[
"college in Kauhajoki in southwestern Finland,"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"\"We should consider whether to allow these small arms for private citizens at home. They belong on firing ranges.\""
],
[
"Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen"
],
[
"Matti Juhani Saari"
],
[
"eight female students, a male student and a male teacher."
]
] |
Eight females, two males killed after gunman rampaged through college .
PM calls for tighter gun controls after shootings in southern Finland .
Gunman was issued with a temporary gun license last month .
Govt. to probe the fact police interviewed gunman a day before the shootings .
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- A bat that apparently had trouble flying instead tried to hitch a ride on the space shuttle Discovery, NASA officials said. The free tail bat was last seen clinging to the space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank just before launch. The animal was last seen clinging on the foam of the external tank of the space shuttle moments before the Discovery launched, officials said. NASA officials had hoped the bat would fly away on its own, but admitted the bat probably died quickly during Discovery's climb into orbit. Discovery's seven-member crew, which lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, is on a 14-day mission to deliver supplies needed to expand the International Space Station. NASA officials noticed the bat before shuttle's liftoff and brought in a wildlife expert to look at video images of it. The expert said it appeared to be a free-tailed bat that probably had a broken left wing and an injured right shoulder or wrist. The launch pads at the space center are near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, so NASA has sirens to scare away animals that get near the shuttles. The bat isn't the first to try hitching a ride into space. NASA officials said they noticed one of the creatures on a tank of a shuttle in 1998. That bat flew away as the shuttle's massive engines ignited. The crew of the Discovery safely docked at the International Space Station on Tuesday. It was unclear whether its stowaway was still clinging to the shuttle.
|
[
"What had a broken wing?",
"How long is the mission?",
"what say experts of wildlife?",
"how many days discovery take?",
"What was clinging on the space shuttle?"
] |
[
[
"A bat"
],
[
"14-day"
],
[
"it appeared to be a free-tailed bat that probably had a broken left wing and an injured right shoulder or wrist."
],
[
"14-day"
],
[
"A bat"
]
] |
NASA: Bat was last seen clinging on space shuttle Discovery before launch .
Wildlife expert says bat appeared to have broken wing or injured shoulder .
Discovery is on 14-day mission to deliver supplies to International Space Station .
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- Just after midnight on July 16, 1969, Jack King kissed his wife goodbye at their Cocoa Beach, Florida home, jumped in his car, and drove to Dunkin' Donuts for a doughnut and a cup of coffee. Jack King became the voice of the Apollo 11 launch. "It was quite a thrilling time," he says. It was the start of a big day: the launch of a Saturn V rocket, lifting man from the face of the Earth to the face of the moon. King, the chief of public information at Kennedy Space Center, would become known that day as the voice of Apollo 11. In the wee hours of the morning, he followed his launch-day routine. But as he headed across the causeway to the space center, King lost sight of the lagoon he normally passed -- the view obstructed by RVs and trailers that had secured their spots for a view of the moon launch. "The town was very much alive; the vibrancy was entirely different. Three-quarters of a million people had come into the area to view the launch, so it was quite a thrilling time," says King, now 78. "When I'd cross the bridge over the Banana River heading to the Space Center, I'd pull off onto the side of the road, get out of the car, and there was the Saturn V, bathed in the floodlights, just glowing." Hear the voice of King, watch as Apollo took off for moon » "It was a just a very impressive, majestic rocket." Launch manager Paul Donnelly recalls, "We launched at 9:32 that morning." He reported for work the night before to oversee the hazardous and delicate operation of fueling the three-stage rocket. "Everything on Apollo 11 went just beautiful, no real problems." He says he always told the astronauts, "The launch crew wishes you good luck and Godspeed." As the hatch closed that day, he says he was thinking, "Go! Go! Go! Let's do it." See the men who've walked the moon » Forty years after America's launch of Apollo 11, the U.S. space program is at a different crossroads, challenged in recent years to return to the moon and to recapture the ambition that launched the space race in 1961. Back then, a dazzled nation heard the big dreams of a youthful Ivy League-educated, senator-turned president. "I believe," President John F. Kennedy told Congress, "that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." That was the same year Barack Obama was born. Forty-eight years later, Obama, a similarly youthful Ivy League-educated former senator, is now in charge, and the nation wonders what his vision is for the U.S. space program. Watch Buzz Aldrin: U.S. should go to Mars » Donnelly, now 86, says he recalls the launch of Apollo 11 as if it were yesterday. He also says he believes President Obama could re-energize the space program. Donnelly believed the moon mission would ultimately come to pass, even after Kennedy had been assassinated. "It didn't distract me or the people here," Donnelly said referring to the launch team. The pressure was on for the United States to get to that fateful launch day, especially given the intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. "It was a missile race before it was a space race," said King, a former reporter for The Associated Press. By the time Alan Shepard became the first American in space in 1961, the Russians had already flown two cosmonauts. The Russians, backed by Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev, were also working with a much more powerful rocket. "The challenges were tremendous. Khruschev appeared at the U.N., slammed his shoe and said -- 'We're going to bury you,'
|
[
"Who says \"It was quite a thrilling time\"?",
"How long ago did Apollo 11 take off for the moon?",
"What did Jack King say?",
"Who is the voice of Mission Control?"
] |
[
[
"Jack King"
],
[
"Forty years"
],
[
"\"It was quite a thrilling time,\""
],
[
"Jack King"
]
] |
Apollo 11 took off for the moon 40 years ago today .
Jack King, voice of Mission Control, says, "It was quite a thrilling time"
"Everything on Apollo 11 went just beautiful," says launch manager Paul Donnelly .
Donnelly says man should now head for Mars .
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- So, what's harder, steering a space shuttle or out-machoing Tom Cruise on the set of "Top Gun"? Scott Altman is commander of the current space shuttle mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Scott Altman laughs when he answers the question. "Flying a space shuttle is a little more challenging than what we did in the movie, although the flying was a lot of fun," said Altman, who knows more than a little about both. The retired Navy F-14 fighter pilot is the commander of the current space shuttle Atlantis mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. He also doubled for the actors, including Cruise, during the Southern California shoot of the 1986 hit movie. Then a young pilot, Altman had just gotten back from a 7½-month tour onboard an aircraft carrier when he got the "Top Gun" call from his commanding officer. "The skipper of our squadron picked four guys he thought he could trust to have this kind of carte blanche to break the rules a little bit," Altman said. That included a scene in which a brazen Navy pilot buzzes the base's control tower. That would never happen in real life, Altman said. The movie features Cruise as a young naval aviator, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, selected to attend fighter-pilot training school at the then-Miramar Naval Station north of San Diego. To prepare for the film, Cruise flew in the backseat of an F-14 several times, including once with Altman. "The actors were all pretty easy to get along with. Tom Cruise, for example, was very motivated," recalled Altman, who is making his fourth trip into space this week. "He enjoyed flying. He listened to what we told him and became a pilot himself after that." Altman is not one to brag about his flying in "Top Gun." The U.S. space agency, NASA, doesn't mention his film heroics, either. But Altman is in one of the movie's most memorable scenes. While flying upside down, inverted, Altman gives an obscene gesture to the pilot of an enemy plane. "They said go ahead and gesture at the other airplane," said Altman, 49, with a smile. "So when you're looking at the scene where he's communicating with the Russian, or the bad-guy pilots in the movie, that would be my finger." But the flying scenes with the actors didn't all work out as director Tony Scott had hoped. "The director had to pay $7,600 an hour to rent an airplane," Altman recalled. "But after a week of spending that much money on the airplanes, he decided he couldn't use the footage. The actors all looked a little green, he said." Altman and the other pilots earned $23 a day for their trouble. But his biggest disappointment was not getting to see the film as soon as it was released. He and the other pilots were invited to a preview screening, but a commanding officer would not let them go. And by the time the movie hit theaters, Altman was busy. He was overseas, on another seven-month tour of duty.
|
[
"Who worked alongside Tom Cruise?",
"Who did Altman work with in this film?",
"What profession did Scott Altman work for?",
"Was Scott Altman a fighter pilot?",
"Which 1986 hit film did Altman perform a stunt double in?"
] |
[
[
"Scott Altman"
],
[
"Tom"
],
[
"retired Navy F-14 fighter pilot"
],
[
"retired Navy F-14"
],
[
"\"Top Gun\""
]
] |
Ex-fighter pilot Scott Altman is commander of space shuttle Atlantis mission .
As a young pilot, Altman was a stunt double in the 1986 hit movie "Top Gun"
Altman worked with several actors on the film, including star Tom Cruise .
Altman on Cruise: "He enjoyed flying. He listened to what we told him"
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off successfully Monday afternoon on NASA's fifth and final repair visit to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Space shuttle Atlantis launched successfully from Florida Monday on its way to the Hubble telescope.
The spacecraft rocketed into mostly sunny skies right on schedule at 2:01 p.m. ET.
Atlantis will spend five days upgrading the Hubble, the orbiting observatory that's been scanning the universe for almost two decades.
For the seven members of the shuttle crew, that means added pressure.
"I think [this] is motivating us because we know there's nobody coming after us to do anything we don't get done," said Atlantis Commander Scott Altman. "This is it. We either get it done or it doesn't happen." Watch Atlantis lift off »
It's been seven years since NASA's last Hubble servicing mission in 2002, and the space telescope was designed to go only about three years between fixes. iReport.com: Share photos, video of the launch
NASA canceled an Atlantis mission to extend Hubble's operational life in January 2004 because the trip was considered too risky in the wake of the 2003 Columbia tragedy that killed seven astronauts. But public pressure and the development of safer shuttle technology led the U.S. space agency to reconsider. See shuttle astronauts discuss Hubble repair mission »
Still, some risks remain. NASA has estimated there's a 1-in-221 chance the shuttle could be struck by orbiting space debris from past missions. Thousands of objects hurtle through the heavens, some as large as several feet in diameter, and the Hubble's orbit is more crowded with space junk than that of the international space station, which orbits at a lower altitude, NASA said.
While the Atlantis's shields would likely deflect a small piece of debris, a larger object could cripple the spacecraft, NASA said. Space shuttle Endeavour is on standby in the unlikely event that NASA will need to rescue the Atlantis crew members during their 11-day mission.
During five grueling space walks some 350 miles up in space, a pair of two-man teams from the Atlantis will work on the Hubble inside Atlantis' cargo bay.
"This is going to be [like] running a marathon at a sprint pace," said Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld.
Grunsfeld and fellow Mission Specialists Drew Feustel, Mike Good and Mike Massimino will change out gyroscopes, batteries and cameras on the Hubble. Grunsfeld and Feustel will handle the first 6 1/2-hour space walk, or extravehicular activity, performing what Grunsfeld calls "surgery" on the Hubble. iReport.com: Share photos, video and tell us what this event means to you
The two men will change out Hubble's wide-field camera and a module that allows the telescope's science instruments to be commanded from the ground. The module failed just before Atlantis was supposed to launch last October. NASA delayed the mission until now so that scientists could work out the fix.
During another space walk, Grunsfeld and Feustel will repair another camera and install a new spectrograph. The work involves removing dozens of tiny bolts and replacing old circuit cards with new ones.
"It all has to line up just right so that I can go in the telescope and do all this work," Grunsfeld said. "We only have that one day to finish it."
The wonderful thing about the Hubble, said former astronaut Jeff Hoffman, is that when crews service the telescope it's not just a repair -- they leave it better. Learn more about the Hubble repairs »
"Every time we come from a Hubble mission, Hubble is essentially a new telescope -- much more powerful," said Hoffman, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who flew on the first Hubble repair mission in 1993.
"And when this crew finishes with it, it's going to be. . .like a thousand times more sensitive [for making new discoveries] than it was when it was first put in orbit, and that's incredible," he said.
Astronomers and cosmologists credit the Hubble with changing humans' understanding of the universe.
|
[
"who has changed our understanding of the universe?",
"Where will the shuttle visit?",
"how long will it take",
"who will complete five grueling space walks?",
"what is the mission",
"What blasts off monday?",
"How far up will astronauts be?"
] |
[
[
"Hubble"
],
[
"Hubble Space Telescope."
],
[
"five days"
],
[
"pair of two-man teams from the Atlantis"
],
[
"fifth and final repair visit to the Hubble Space Telescope."
],
[
"space shuttle Atlantis"
],
[
"350 miles"
]
] |
Space shuttle Atlantis blasts off Monday on final visit to the Hubble Space Telescope .
It's been seven years since NASA's last Hubble servicing mission in 2002 .
Astronauts will complete five grueling space walks some 350 miles up in space .
In its 19 years in orbit, the Hubble has changed our understanding of the universe .
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- With space shuttle Atlantis on its way to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, that leaves one shuttle, Endeavour, at the ready on the other launch pad here. Space shuttle Endeavour, in background, sits poised to launch in case Atlantis, in foreground, meets trouble. And that's where everybody at NASA wants it to stay. "We have high confidence that we're just having that thing over on pad B to make it look nice," said mission flight director Tony Ceccaci. Endeavour is far more than a postcard picture -- it's on standby in case something goes seriously wrong with the Atlantis mission. For example, NASA has estimated there's a 1-in-221 chance the shuttle could be struck and crippled by orbiting space debris. If such an incident were to thrust the seven Atlantis astronauts into danger, Endeavour would blast off within days in a last-ditch attempt to save them. Endeavour Cmdr. Christopher Ferguson believes his crew is up to the task. "I feel as confident about our ability to pull this off, if need be, as I would any other mission," he said. The idea of a standby rescue spacecraft grew out of the 2003 Columbia disaster, in which that shuttle disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. But until now, there's been no need. All the previous missions since Columbia have gone to the International Space Station. The crew of a damaged shuttle could take refuge there for months if need be until another shuttle was readied to retrieve them. But Atlantis is going to Hubble, whose orbit isn't anywhere near the space station. If their spacecraft malfunctioned, the seven-member Atlantis crew would have to survive aboard -- probably for days -- until they could be rescued. "In this case it's a much shorter fuse," Ferguson said. "Consumables like food and oxygen would run out quickly. So the reason we've gotten this crew trained and spooled up and ready to go on literally a moment's notice is because they [Atlantis's crew] have no place comfortable to go stay for a long period of time." But the rescue would be no cakewalk. Endeavour would need to pull up underneath Atlantis and hook on to the other shuttle using its robotic arm. Over the course of two days, the seven Atlantis astronauts would spacewalk over to Endeavour by holding on to a tether line strung between the two spaceships. Atlantis mission specialist John Grunsfeld would go first -- and, actually, twice. Grunsfeld would spacewalk to Endeavour, grab an extra EMU (extravehicular mobility unit) spacesuit and take it back to Atlantis. He would then return to Endeavour with one of the Atlantis astronauts not trained in spacewalking. With the Atlantis crew safely aboard, Endeavour would pull away and begin preparing to head home. Atlantis Cmdr. Scott Altman said that knowing Ferguson and the other three members of the Endeavour crew are ready in case of an emergency gives him peace of mind. "Even in the worst-possible imaginable case, we can stay up there and last until somebody comes up and gets us," Altman said. "So it feels like we have all our bases covered." So what would happen to Atlantis? Ferguson said mission leaders would prepare the crippled shuttle for what they call a "disposal burn" -- a safe, remotely controlled landing of Atlantis. "If it comes to it, we certainly don't want a space shuttle coming in over a populated area," he said. "So we want to control the burn so it does end up in the ocean." In all, eleven astronauts would be stuffed into Endeavour. A space shuttle has never carried that many. The four Endeavour crew members would hang out in the flight deck, while the seven Atlantis astronauts would squeeze into the mid-deck area. The journey back to Earth would be uncomfortable. But Ceccaci, the flight director, says that wouldn't matter as long as everyone was safe. "Wrap me in bubble
|
[
"what is the shuttle named?",
"Who is standing by?",
"how many spacewalks are there?",
"what is being upgraded?"
] |
[
[
"Endeavour,"
],
[
"Endeavour Cmdr. Christopher Ferguson"
],
[
"twice."
],
[
"Hubble"
]
] |
The shuttle Endeavour and its crew are standing by in case of a emergency in space .
Endeavour would blast off to rescue the crew of shuttle Atlantis .
Atlantis blasted off Monday to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope .
A rescue mission would involve two tricky days of spacewalks between shuttles .
|
KENNESAW, Georgia (CNN) -- Singing "Frosty the Snowman" and "Jingle Bells" may not seem like a big deal to most third-graders, but for Joey Finley, 8, doctors say it's a miracle. Joey Finley, 8, suffers from a rare condition that can prevent people from speaking normally. The blond, freckle-faced boy was unable to speak in a normal voice until about a year ago. "I thought I would sound bad," he said. Joey suffers from a rare virus that can get into the cells of the voice box. "He has a condition called recurrent papillomatosis," explained Dr. Steven Sobol, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. "It causes growths like warts that you would see in other parts of the body." Watch and hear Joey sing » Sobol said lesions in RRP (for the condition's full name, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis) are caused by the human papilloma virus, or HPV, the same condition that causes cervical cancer. An estimated 20,000 children and adults in the United States suffer from the disease. Not only can RRP rob patients of their ability to speak normally, it can create serious breathing problems if left untreated. "It can be rapidly fatal for somebody who completely blocks off their airway," Sobol said. "Try to imagine breathing through a coffee stirrer. That's what those children breathe like when they first come to our attention," Sobol described. Experts aren't sure exactly why some people contract the virus, but Sobol believes that "it's a combination of genetic factors and exposure either in utero or during early childhood." Joey's symptoms surfaced during infancy. His mother, Melanie Finley, recalled that when Joey was a year old, he would strain his neck muscles every time he tried to talk. She took the child to several doctors before they finally met with Sobol, who diagnosed the condition. Finley was relieved to get some answers, but Joey's medical journey was just beginning. Sobol reported that from the age of 4, Joey endured 16 surgeries to remove the growths from his vocal cords. "When I first met Joey ... he couldn't breathe," Sobol recalled. Treating the boy took time, the doctor explained. "Even though you remove the parts of the virus that you can visually see ... the virus will tend to regenerate the growths, so over time ... days or months, it will cause the growths to reoccur and obstruct the airways." RRP is not passed through casual contact, and there is no cure. Sobol is hopeful that one day, a vaccine may be used to help prevent the development of the disease. He said Gardasil, a series of three shots offered to adolescent girls for the prevention of cervical cancer, may be one of the drugs used to stop the spread of RRP. Ear, nose and throat specialists end up spending a lot of time with their patients with this condition, Sobol said. "I tell my parents once we diagnose a child, 'We're going to get to know each other really, really well. Coming to see me is like going to the dentist.' " But there's an obvious difference between removing laryngeal warts and cleaning teeth. "Certain children have a very tough time with this," Sobol acknowledged. "They're in the operating room every two weeks to save their life. ... Then, there are children like Joey who have the disease when they're very young and grow out of it by the time they are older adolescents or teenagers." Though he's required fewer operations during the last couple of years, the surgeries altered Joey's voice. He used to joke with his doctors that he had "frogs" in his throat. Between all the procedures that caused him to miss school and his shyness about his voice, Joey was reluctant to socialize. His mother said he was teased by his preschool classmates. "There is
|
[
"How many children and adults suffer from this disease?",
"Hw old was the child?",
"What is the condition caused by?",
"How many people suffer from this?",
"What was wrong with him?",
"What can happen if left untreated?"
] |
[
[
"An estimated 20,000"
],
[
"8,"
],
[
"human papilloma virus,"
],
[
"20,000"
],
[
"recurrent papillomatosis,\""
],
[
"create serious breathing problems"
]
] |
8-year-old left unable to speak normally by a rare virus in his voice box .
Lesions in a condition called recurrent papillomatosis are caused by HPV .
An estimated 20,000 children and adults in the U.S. suffer from the disease .
The condition can create serious breathing problems if left untreated.
|
KEY WEST, Florida (CNN) -- The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a retired U.S. Navy warship, embarked on a sedentary new career Wednesday on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. The USNS Vandenberg was intentionally sunk Wednesday to create an artificial reef for marine life. The decommissioned warship was scuttled in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary between 10:20 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. ET to become the world's second-largest artificial coral reef. The 17,250-ton ship sank in less than two minutes, said Andy Newman, spokesman for the Florida Keys Tourism Council. It is resting about 140 feet below the surface, but much of its bulk is only 40 to 70 feet below the surface. "It went down like a rock," he told CNN. "Everything looked very, very smooth." About 300 boats positioned themselves as close as possible to the site, and cheers went up when the Vandenberg slipped beneath the water seven miles south of Key West, the spokesman said. Watch the Vandenberg sink » Newman, who was circling in a helicopter above the 522-foot-long ship, said the Vandenberg appeared to rest in a level position on the Gulf floor. Divers were to assess its position Wednesday. Authorities said once final assessments of the ship are made, divers can begin exploring. The goal of the $8.6 million project is to divert fishing and diving pressure away from natural reefs, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The commission "estimates that the vessel's life span of at least 100 years will contribute stable, long-term habitat for scores of marine fish species, and provide exceptional diving and fishing opportunities for Florida residents and visitors," its Web site says. To sink the Vandenberg, holes were made above the waterline in the side of the ship and throughout various decks, Newman said. Explosive charges were embedded in the bilge area below the water. The explosives detonated inside the hull, blowing outward. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects that the Vandenberg artificial reef will result in an annual increase of about $7.5 million in expenditures in the economy of Monroe County, which includes Key West. Sinkthevandenberg.com -- a joint effort by Artificial Reefs of the Keys and Valeo Films -- had offered a live, online stream of the event, but the system apparently was overloaded, making the site inaccessible. The Vandenberg was built at the Kaiser shipyard in Richmond, California, in 1943. It was commissioned as a World War II troop transport ship. After Japan surrendered, the Vandenberg was the first Navy ship to return to New York Harbor. During the 1950s the ship was used to transport refugees from Europe and Australia to America. In the 1960s the Air Force used the Vandenberg to track missiles. It also was used to track rockets and early space shuttle launches. The ship was decommissioned in 1986 and was anchored with more than 25 other mothballed ships in Norfolk, Virginia. The Vandenberg was towed to Key West last month. The Vandenberg was chosen from among 400 decommissioned military vessels mainly based on appearance: "her topside structure, her smooth, interesting hull lines, big girth and her starring role in a motion picture," Newman said. The ship was featured in the 1999 movie "Virus," starring Donald Sutherland and Jamie Lee Curtis. Four men who had served on the Vandenberg traveled to Key West to see the ship go to its final resting place. Patrick Utecht worked for more than 20 years as a civilian contractor on the Vandenberg when it was used for missile and radar tracking and data collection. When he heard about its future as part of an artificial reef, Utecht said, "My feeling was one of elation." "I can say that many of us [crew members] were thrilled that where she was going, she would keep her name and place in history." "I think it's a far better use of her than being cut up," he added. The largest ship ever scuttled to create an artificial reef was the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, which
|
[
"What will create a long-term habitat for scores of marine fish species?",
"What was sunk off the Florida Keys?",
"What will it become?",
"When was it built?",
"When was the ship built?"
] |
[
[
"The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg,"
],
[
"The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a retired U.S. Navy warship,"
],
[
"the world's second-largest artificial coral reef."
],
[
"1943."
],
[
"1943."
]
] |
A decommissioned U.S. Navy warship was intentionally sunk off the Florida Keys .
The USNS Vandenberg will become the world's second-largest artificial reef .
The sunken ship will create a long-term habitat for scores of marine fish species .
The ship was built in 1943 and commissioned as a WWII troop transport ship .
|
KFAR CHABAD, Israel (CNN) -- Thousands of mourners and emissaries from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement poured into an Israeli village Tuesday for the funerals of two people killed in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Israeli girls mourn Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, who were killed in the Mumbai attacks.
There was a feeling of pain and anger at the funeral in Kfar Chabad, a village of 900 families just outside Tel Aviv. Speeches at the funeral said the gunmen sought out the Chabad House in Mumbai and targeted the victims because of their faith.
The two people laid to rest Tuesday were Chabad House directors Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka.
They lived and worked at the house in Mumbai, which served as both a home and Jewish center -- a place open to anyone who wanted a place to pray, eat kosher food, or celebrate Jewish holidays.
Three former Israeli prime ministers were at the funeral: Ehud Barak, who is now the defense minister; Shimon Peres, currently the Israeli president; and Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud Party. Watch Israeli funerals for those killed in Mumbai »
After the funeral, the bodies of the Holtzbergs were buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Another victim from Chabad House, kosher supervisor Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum of New York, was buried there earlier.
Separate funerals were held for Teitelbaum and another kosher supervisor at Chabad House, American-Israeli Rabbi Bentzion Kruman. They died in the siege along with Israeli grandmother Yocheved Orpaz and Mexican citizen Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich.
The building, also known as the Nariman House, was the local headquarters of the Chabad community, a Hasidic Jewish movement.
The Holtzbergs had two children, one of whom was in the house when terrorists stormed in. A woman who worked as a nanny and cook at the house managed to escape with the 2-year-old boy, Moshe. Watch report about nanny saving infant »
The couple's other son was not in Mumbai at the time, according to Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of the educational and social services arms of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The child has Tay-Sachs, a terminal genetic disease, The Associated Press reports.
In an emotional scene before flying from India to Israel on Monday, the boy repeatedly cried for his mother at a memorial ceremony at a Mumbai synagogue.
His cries were played repeatedly on Israeli TV stations. "You don't have a mother who will hug you and kiss you," Rabbi Kotlarsky said, adding that the community would take care of the boy, AP said. "You are the child of all of Israel."
The only other surviving member of the family, Moshe's brother, has Tay-Sachs, a terminal genetic disease, and is institutionalized in Israel, AP added. The Holtzbergs' eldest son died of the disease.
The Holtzbergs went to Mumbai five years ago to serve the city's small Jewish community and the thousands of Israeli visitors and business people who frequent the area, according to Chabad.org, the ultra-Orthodox group's Web site.
About 5,000 Jews live in India, according to the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. About 3,000 of them live in Mumbai, The Jewish Press reported. iReport.com: Share tributes to those who died
The Holtzbergs operated a synagogue and taught Torah classes. The rabbi also conducted weddings for local Jewish couples.
Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, was born in Israel and moved to Brooklyn, New York, when he was 9. He studied in New York and Argentina and traveled to Thailand and China as a rabbinical student. His wife, Rivka, 28, was a native of Israel.
In Mumbai, they ran the headquarters of the Chabad community, a Hasidic Jewish movement. The center, in a building known as the Nariman House, was open to anyone who wanted a place to pray, eat kosher food or celebrate Jewish holidays.
In footage filmed two years ago by the Chabad movement, Gavriel Holtzberg said anybody who visited the center was welcome. His wife said its doors were always open and that it
|
[
"What rabbi was killed?",
"What was the occupation of the man killed?",
"Who was the Rabbi who was killed?",
"How did the Rabbi's child escape?",
"When did the funerals take place?",
"Number of former Israeli PMs that attended the funeral?",
"Where did the attacks occur?",
"How many attended the funerals?"
] |
[
[
"Gavriel Holtzberg"
],
[
"Rabbi"
],
[
"Gavriel Holtzberg"
],
[
"nanny"
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Mumbai"
],
[
"Thousands of mourners and emissaries from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Chabad"
]
] |
Thousands attend funerals in Israel of two people killed in Mumbai attacks .
Three former Israeli prime ministers attend Tuesday's funeral .
Rabbi and wife killed; family's nanny helped couple's 2-year-old son to escape .
|
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- (CNN) -- Fighting resumed Tuesday in a disputed oil-rich town in Sudan, threatening to reignite a calamitous civil war which ended three years ago. Fresh fighting in Sudan over an oil-rich town has raised fears civil war could again erupt. Fresh fighting in Sudan over an oil-rich town has raised fears civil war could again erupt. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deplored the fighting between the Sudanese military and troops with the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The SPLA fought a rebellion against the government for more than 20 years until both sides signed a peace deal in 2005. The deal's Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended a north-south civil war that killed about 2 million people and displaced more than 4 million others. An impasse over the boundaries of the town of Abyei is a major reason the peace agreement has not been fully implemented. Fighting erupted in Abyei on May 13. It resumed Tuesday despite a cease-fire and has "resulted in the destruction" of the town "and the displacement of between 30,000 and 50,000 people," the secretary general said in a statement. Don't Miss Sudanese opposition leader arrested Sudan cuts ties with Chad after attack Darfur rebels advance on Sudan capital, their leader says "If the situation is not urgently addressed, the achievements thus far of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement could be placed at serious risk," he said. The civil war in Sudan, which started in 1983, pitted a northern government dominated by Arab Muslims against black Christians and animists in southern Sudan. That conflict was not directly related to ongoing violence in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Human rights groups and United Nations say the Sudanese military armed and trained Arab militias in Darfur after a rebellion erupted in 2003. They say the military and militias have engaged in widespread killing, rape and forced displacements in Darfur as they battle about rebels who have splintered into roughly a dozen groups. One of those groups staged a daring attack this month near the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The government said it quashed the attack. Nearly 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur in the last five years, the UN says.
|
[
"What were 50,000 people displaced because of>",
"what caused the fighting?",
"what is the reason for the fighting?",
"What is the number of people who were displaced by fighting?",
"What was destroyed?",
"What raises fear of return to civil war?"
] |
[
[
"the destruction\" of the town"
],
[
"an oil-rich town"
],
[
"over an oil-rich town"
],
[
"more than 4 million"
],
[
"the town"
],
[
"Fresh fighting in Sudan over an oil-rich town"
]
] |
Fighting in disputed oil-rich Sudan town raises fears of return to civil war .
Up to 50,000 people displaced by latest outbreak of fighting .
Despite cease-fire agreement Abyei has been destroyed and deal is at risk .
|
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- A Sudanese court found a British teacher guilty of insulting religion and sentenced her to 15 days in prison Thursday for allowing a teddy bear to be named "Mohammed," British authorities and her lawyer reported.
An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons, who has been found guilty of insulting religion.
Gillian Gibbons also faces deportation from Sudan after her prison term, her lawyer told CNN.
He said that he was "very disappointed" with the verdict and that Gibbons planned to appeal.
Gibbons was not convicted of two other charges brought against her -- inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, her lawyer said.
Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday after she asked her class of 7-year-olds in Khartoum to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project, the British Foreign Office said. She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred.
Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's founder, likenesses are considered highly offensive by Muslims. Watch latest developments in the case. »
Appearing somber and dazed, Gibbons arrived at the central courthouse in Khartoum for her closed hearing early Thursday. A staff member from the British Embassy in Khartoum and defense lawyers attended the hearing with her.
The courthouse was heavily guarded by police, who kept journalists -- and, for a while, even one of her attorneys -- away.
Gibbons could have faced a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine, or a jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office, which expressed Britain's dissatisfaction with the verdict.
"We are extremely disappointed that the charges against Gillian Gibbons were not dismissed," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict was announced.
"As I said this morning, our clear view is that this is an innocent misunderstanding by a dedicated teacher. Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons' welfare, and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her. I have called in the Sudanese ambassador, Omer Siddig, this evening to explain the decision and discuss next steps." Watch a report on reactions to the verdict »
The Foreign Office said Gibbons would be given credit for the four days since her arrest, meaning that the she has 11 days remaining on her sentence.
Earlier, Miliband had met with Siddig, who was summoned to the Foreign Office in London.
"I explained to him that we were very concerned by the case. We believe that this was an innocent misunderstanding," Miliband said in a statement released Thursday after the meeting.
"The Sudanese ambassador undertook to ensure our concerns were relayed to Khartoum at the highest level. He also said he would reflect back to Khartoum the real respect for the Islamic religion in this country," the statement added.
On the first floor of the courthouse, around 25 police linked arms and forced journalists and British officials away from the court entrance. Police detained some journalists, and confiscated a camera belonging to a freelance CNN cameraman.
Four vans filled with riot police were waiting outside the courthouse, but there were no signs of street disturbances or protests. Staff from Gibbons' school, including Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School, were present. The staff members refused to comment on their colleague's predicament.
On Wednesday, Boulos said he was "horrified" when he found out that the complaint about the naming of the bear came from a member of his own staff -- not from a parent, as originally thought. Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school.
Gibbons has been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool, England, this summer, Boulos said.
He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their
|
[
"What did the class name Mohammed",
"what is the age of Gillian Gibbons?",
"What is the teacher's name?",
"Who was found guilty of insulting religion in Sudan?",
"In what country was Gillian Gibbons working?",
"What was the name of the teacher found guilty in the Sudan for insulting religion?",
"Where was the teacher originally from?",
"What was the British teacher in Sudan found guilty of?",
"What was the teacher found guilty of?",
"Who is Gillian Gibbons?",
"What was the teachers name",
"who has refused access to the court?",
"where has the British teacher found guilty?",
"Who was found guilty of insulting religion?",
"Who was refused access to the court?",
"What did Gillian Gibbons' class name teddy bear?",
"What did the class name the teddy bear?",
"What age was Gillian Gibbons?",
"What charges were brought against Gillian Gibbons?",
"What did her class name the teddy bear?",
"What country did the incident occur in",
"What was the name of the teddy bear in question?",
"What was teddy bear named?",
"What was the controversial name of the teddy bear?"
] |
[
[
"teddy bear"
],
[
"54,"
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons"
],
[
"Sudan"
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"England,"
],
[
"insulting religion"
],
[
"of insulting religion"
],
[
"a British teacher"
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"journalists and British officials"
],
[
"Sudan"
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"journalists and British officials"
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"54,"
],
[
"insulting religion"
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"Sudan"
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
]
] |
British teacher in Sudan found guilty of insulting religion .
Gillian Gibbons, 54, arrested after her class named teddy bear "Mohammed"
Gibbons was not convicted of two other charges brought against her .
UK consular staff, Gibbons' defense team initially refused access to the court .
|
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- Hundreds of angry protesters, some waving ceremonial swords from trucks equipped with loud speakers, gathered Friday outside the presidential palace to denounce a teacher whose class named a teddy bear "Mohammed" -- some calling for her execution. An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons, who has been found guilty of insulting religion. The protesters, which witnesses said numbered close to 1,000, swore to fight in the name of their prophet. Gillian Gibbons, 54, was given 15 days in jail late Thursday after she was convicted of insulting religion. She was cleared of charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, her lawyer, Ali Ajeb, said. Ajeb said they planned to appeal the sentence, which begins from the date she was detained, Nov. 25. Including Friday, she has 10 more days in jail. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "extremely disappointed" that the charges were not dismissed. Meanwhile senior British lawmakers were en route to Khartoum to try to secure Gibbons' early release. The two members of the House of Lords were set to arrive in Khartoum about 5 a.m. Saturday (9 p.m. Friday ET), Time magazine reporter Sam Dealey told CNN, citing British and Sudanese sources. They will meet with government ministers and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, he said. Sources close to the British government and the Republican Palace in Sudan say it is expected that a deal will be reached, and Gibbons will be released, Dealey said. Visas for the two, he said, were granted "in record time ... by Sudanese standards." Friday's demonstrations began as worshippers spilled out of mosques in the capital after Friday prayers. They marched to the palace, which is on the same street as Unity High School, where Gibbons taught grade school students. Those who named the bear were 7 years old. A heavy police presence was maintained outside the school, but no demonstrators were there. Watch men brandish knives, shout » Armed with swords and sticks, the protesters shouted: "By soul, by blood, I will fight for the Prophet Mohammad." Western journalists who attempted to talk to the protesters were ushered away by men in plain clothes. Gibbons is being held in a women's prison in the Omdurman district of Khartoum, and she will be deported at the end of her prison term, British consular officials told CNN. British Embassy staff said they were giving the teacher -- from the northern British city of Liverpool -- full consular assistance. In leaflets distributed earlier this week by Muslim groups, the protesters promised a "popular release of anger" at Friday's protests. The leaflets condemned Gibbons as an "infidel" and accused her of "the pollution of children's mentality" by her actions. Omer Mohammed Ahmed Siddig, the Sudanese ambassador to Britain, was summoned for a second time to meet with the British foreign secretary late Thursday after the court's ruling. Miliband also spoke to the Sudanese acting foreign minister for 15 minutes on the telephone during the meeting, the British Foreign Office said. "Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons' welfare and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her," Miliband said in a statement. The Foreign Office said there would be further talks with the Sudanese government Friday. Gibbons was arrested Sunday after she asked her class to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project, the Foreign Office said. She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. She could have received a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine or jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office. British newspapers condemned Gibbons' conviction, with the Daily Telegraph calling for the recall of the British ambassador from Khartoum and sanctions against the heads of the Sudanese government. Watch a report on reactions to the verdict » In an editorial, the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, said Gibbons' jailing was a "grotesque insult to Islam" and called Gibbons
|
[
"Who was found guilty of insulting religion?",
"Did the class name the teddy bear Mohammed?",
"Who demands execution of Gillian Gibbons?",
"what did gillian do?",
"Teacher arrested after her class named teddy bear \"Mohammed\"",
"what was she found guilty of?",
"Who was arrested after her class named teddy bear \"Mohammed\"?",
"Was Gibbons found guilty of insulting religion"
] |
[
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"named a"
],
[
"Hundreds of angry protesters,"
],
[
"insulting religion."
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"insulting religion."
],
[
"Gillian Gibbons,"
],
[
"has been"
]
] |
Some demonstrators demand execution of Gillian Gibbons, 54 .
Gibbons found guilty of insulting religion, sentenced to 15 days in jail .
Teacher arrested after her class named teddy bear "Mohammed"
|
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- In an effort to shut down Khartoum's Unity High School, a disgruntled former employee alerted Sudanese officials that a British teacher had allowed her class to name a teddy bear "Mohammed," a British source and Sudanese presidential palace source told Time magazine's Sam Dealey. An undated amateur photo shows Gillian Gibbons, who was jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear "Mohammed". Gillian Gibbons, 54, was convicted last week of insulting religion and sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her from her prison sentence on Monday and she later left on a flight for England. The two sources said Sarah Khawad was fired as the school's secretary in November after an employment spat and threatened to shut down the school. The sources said Khawad did not appear to have a vendetta against Gibbons, but hoped that by bringing the teddy bear incident to the education minister's attention, he would close down the school for anti-Islamic teachings. Watch Time magazine's Sam Dealey's report on the pardon » The private school was shut down after the controversy came to light last week. It is unclear if it will reopen. Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's founder, some Muslims consider likenesses highly offensive. The sources said they have confirmed the account with Gibbons. Defense attorneys confirmed that it was Khawad who launched the initial complaint against Gibbons, not a parent as originally thought. Khawad also testified at Gibbons' trial. Before approaching Sudan's education minister, the two sources said Khawad tried to enlist two parents, who were also teachers at the school, to join in her protest against the teddy bear's name, but they declined. Gibbons had been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer, said the head of Unity High School, Robert Boulos. She had asked her class of 7-year-olds to come up with a name for the toy as part of a school project, he said. Classmates took turns taking the teddy bear home with them, accompanied by a diary with the bear's name written in the front of it, he said. She was taken into custody on November 25 and tried days later in a Sudanese court. She was cleared of other charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs. Gibbons had initially faced the possibility of 40 lashes and a six-month jail term for insulting Islam. The incident sparked a diplomatic row, with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband calling on his Sudanese counterpart to dismiss the charges. Two British lawmakers, both Muslims, traveled to Khartoum to help secure her release. It also resulted in angry protests in Khartoum, with some calling for the British woman's execution. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"Who is trying to shut down the school?",
"What is Gibbons convicted of?",
"Where was Gillian Gibbons going ?",
"What did class name teddy?",
"What did the class name the bear?",
"What school is Sarah Khawad trying to shut down?",
"What caused Gillian Gibbons to go to jail?",
"What was Briton Gibbons convicted of doing?"
] |
[
[
"Sarah Khawad"
],
[
"allowing children to name a teddy bear \"Mohammed\"."
],
[
"flight for England."
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"\"Mohammed,\""
],
[
"Khartoum's Unity High"
],
[
"name a teddy bear \"Mohammed\"."
],
[
"for allowing children to name a teddy bear \"Mohammed\"."
]
] |
Disgruntled ex-employee said teacher let class name teddy "Mohammed"
Sources: Sarah Khawad trying to shut down Khartoum's Unity High School .
Briton Gillian Gibbons convicted of insulting religion released from jail .
Gillian Gibbons taken to British Embassy in Khartoum to await flight home .
|
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- Sudan's entire state apparatus has been mobilized "to plan, commit, and cover up crimes" in the war-torn area of Darfur, a prosecutor for the International Criminal Court said Thursday. The United Nations estimates 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes in Darfur. The prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, made the observation in a progress report to the U.N. Security Council into its probe of crimes in Darfur and the status of two men indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of Sudan. He said the Sudanese government "has taken no steps to arrest" the men, one of whom is now in charge of the government's humanitarian affairs. The other is a militia leader. "For the last five years the whole Darfur area has been a crime scene. Girls are raped, schools are bombed. ... And they are covering up these crimes," Moreno-Ocampo said at a news conference at the United Nations Thursday. The court says Darfurians are attacked in their villages and in camps, citing rapes, bombings of schools and arrests of community leaders. "Crimes being committed today in Darfur cannot be denied, or minimized. Decisions to commit crimes, to deny crimes, to disguise crimes are taken at the highest level. Denial of crimes, by the authorities that vowed to protect Darfurians, is an additional harm to the victims," the report said. The ICC cases are against Ali Kushayb, a militia leader, and Ahmad Harun, former minister of state for the interior in Sudan, who is now in charge of humanitarian affairs for the Sudanese government. Both face charges of murder, rape, forced displacement and other offenses during the Darfur crisis, which the United States characterizes as a genocide. Harun's present role gives him power over how and whether aid agencies can deliver food, medicine and shelter to victims of chronic violence and deprivation in Darfur. "He attacks the people he has the responsibility to protect," the International Criminal Court said in a statement. "He hampers the delivery of relief to the victims. He is involved in obstructing deployment of the peacekeepers." Alleged crimes in the region stem from a brutal counter-insurgency campaign the Sudanese government conducted after rebels began an uprising in the Darfur region of western Sudan in 2003. The authorities armed and cooperated with Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur on a campaign of killing, torture and rape, according to the United Nations, western governments and human-rights organizations. The militias targeted civilian members of tribes from which the rebels draw strength. About 300,000 people have died in Darfur, the United Nations estimates, and 2.5 million have been forced from home. In 2005, the Security Council cleared the way for possible war crimes prosecutions by the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal set up to handle prosecutions related to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court is based on a treaty signed by 106 nations -- excluding Sudan. Prosecutors are investigating offenses in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and the Central African Republic. Once the court indicts someone, authorities in one country or another have the power to detain the indicted person for trial at The Hague. That has not happened in the case of Harun and Kushayb. An arrest warrant for Harun charges that he was involved in the murder, rape, torture and forced displacement of civilians. The court also says he encouraged such illegal acts in public speeches during his tenure as minister of state for the interior. The criminal court says Kushayb led several thousand militia members and personally participated in attacks against civilians. An arrest warrant outlines numerous cases of murder, rape and inhumane acts. In Sudan, however, senior government leaders told CNN that reports of atrocities in Darfur were exaggerated. "Yes, there has been a war and some people have died, but it's not like what has been reflected in the media," said Interior Minister Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid. Musa Halil, an adviser to Sudan
|
[
"When are the allegations from?",
"What government role has one of the suspects?",
"Who has Sudan not taken steps to arrest?",
"What is the number of causalities based on UN estimates?",
"When do allegations stem from?",
"What are the charges that occured in 2003",
"where have 300,000 people died?"
] |
[
[
"2005,"
],
[
"humanitarian affairs."
],
[
"two men indicted for war crimes"
],
[
"2.5 million"
],
[
"2003."
],
[
"the murder, rape, torture and forced displacement of civilians."
],
[
"Darfur,"
]
] |
International Criminal Court: Sudan "taken no steps" to arrest Darfur war criminals .
One suspect now in charge of humanitarian affairs for Sudanese government .
Allegations stem from 2003 counter-insurgency campaign by Sudanese government .
United Nations estimates about 300,000 people have died in Darfur region .
|
KIEV, Ukraine (CNN) -- A planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe poses no threat to Russia, President George Bush said Tuesday, responding to concerns that the U.S. might use interceptor missiles for offensive purposes. President Bush, with President Viktor Yushchenko, praised Ukraine's democratic and military reforms. "The missile defense system is not aimed at Russia," Bush said at a news conference in Kiev following talks with the Ukrainian president. "It's viewed as an anti-Russian device. Well, it's not." His comments came before he left Kiev for a NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, that is expected to highlight divisions over the plan. The summit begins Wednesday. Russia and some European countries have expressed concerns about the missile defense system. While Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to host parts of the system, others in Europe share Russian concerns that the defensive shield could be used for offensive aims. Outside the U.S. Embassy in Kiev on Monday, protesters gathered to denounce Bush's visit. They chanted, thrust signs into the air -- one reading, "Yankee Go Home" -- and burned an effigy of Bush in the street. Watch the demonstration » The U.S. has tried to dissuade opposition over the plan. Washington offered to allow Russian monitors at the missile sites and to negotiate limits to the system over time. The United States also told Russia the system would not be operational until Iran test-fires a missile that could threaten Europe. Many European countries don't believe the U.S. assertion that the system is needed to guard against imminent threats from Iran or North Korea. Europe is dependent on Russia for at least 40 percent of its oil and is reluctant to upset the Kremlin. The issue will likely be divisive at this week's three-day NATO summit, where Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to make a rare appearance. Putin normally declines invitations to attend. Bush is slated to meet Sunday with Putin in the Russian resort city of Sochi on the Black Sea, according to RIA Novosti. It will be the last meeting between the two men before the outgoing Russian president steps down, the Russian news agency reported. Russia also is unhappy with NATO's eastward march. The alliance has already welcomed former Soviet republics such as Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Bush is pushing hard for Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO as well. Before leaving Tuesday for Bucharest, Bush said that Russia will not be able to veto Georgia's or Ukraine's inclusion into NATO. Bush said that both countries should be able to take part in NATO's Membership Action Plan, or MAP, which is designed to help aspiring countries meet the requirements of joining the alliance. "I strongly believe that Ukraine and Georgia should be given MAP," Bush said. "And there's no tradeoffs, period." The U.S. president further said he was working "as hard as I can" to ensure the two countries are accepted into the MAP and that Russia will have no power to block their inclusion. In remarks last month, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer told the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe that NATO "has long made clear that any decision regarding membership is between NATO and the country concerned, and not subject to veto by any third party." Russia is not a NATO member but works with the alliance via the NATO-Russia Council. Russia's concerns also align with those of some NATO members who oppose welcoming Georgia and Ukraine into the fold. Pifer said last month that NATO should strive to maintain good relations with Russia, but "should not allow Moscow a veto, either explicit or tacit, over relations between the alliance and third countries." Allowing Russia a say, Pifer said, "would encourage those in Russia who wish to reassert a Russian-led post-Soviet bloc rather than develop a relationship of cooperation and full partnership with Europe and the West." Bush said he phoned Putin recently to reassure him on both issues. "NATO is an organization that's peaceful. NATO is an organization that
|
[
"What is Georgia supposed to join?",
"what do european countries do",
"what did bush say",
"What do European countries share?"
] |
[
[
"NATO"
],
[
"expressed concerns about the missile defense system."
],
[
"A planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe poses no threat to Russia,"
],
[
"Russian concerns that the defensive shield could be used for offensive aims."
]
] |
NEW: Bush: Russia can't veto Georgia's, Ukraine's inclusion in NATO's MAP program .
European countries share doubts that system is designed to deter Iran, North Korea .
U.S. president says he will push for Ukraine, Georgia to join NATO .
Analyst says both issues threaten to destabilize NATO .
|
KILLEEN, Texas (CNN) -- Spc. Logan Burnette arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, a week ago Wednesday to prepare for an upcoming tour of Iraq. The following day, he, like all deploying soldiers, reported to the "ready room" on post to fill out final paperwork. However, what was to be another day of the mundane erupted into hell on Earth. Burnette heard shots, though that's a sound to which soldiers grow accustomed. He had been hearing blanks for many months of training. But on November 5 at Fort Hood, he quickly understood that something was terribly wrong when he saw the blood -- crimson everywhere. "Seeing bullet wounds in the back of a friend's head, seeing friends grabbing their arms, and blood just everywhere. It's a pretty hard thing to see," Burnette recalled. "And not having any way to defend yourself." The gunman had been in the room for a while and had perfectly blended in with his Army combat uniform, his gold major rank emblazoned on his chest. No one had reason to pay him heed, Burnette said. When the madness began, the gunman popped up like a target at a shooting range. He just stood up and started firing methodically and with precision. He reloaded. And fired. Reloaded. And fired again. "He was very swift, very tactical," said Burnette, sitting in a wheelchair at the Metroplex Adventist Hospital near Fort Hood, his left arm and hand bandaged. The mass shooting last week was the deadliest ever on a U.S. military base. Twelve soldiers and one civilian were killed; more than 40 others were wounded. Fifteen soldiers remained hospitalized on Wednesday, four in intensive care, according to Fort Hood spokesman Col. James Rossi. They were victims of a soldier who turned on his own, authorities say. Burnette saw the laser sights on the gunman's weapon. The shooter looked serious, intent. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Allahu akbar," which means 'God is great' in Arabic. Burnette dropped to the floor, hugging the ground for dear life. His mind was spinning. What insanity was this? "Once I saw the blood, I realized I had to move," he said. "I had to get out of there." Burnette began to stand up and noticed the gunman was pointing in his direction. He picked up a folding table next to him -- it was the heaviest object he could see -- and hurled it toward the shooter. He knew it would draw the gunman's attention and divert his line of sight from others. Burnette said he wasn't trying to play a hero. "There are guys overseas doing more than what I did," he said. "I just happened to be at a certain place at a certain time in the world and hopefully I made a difference." But that's when he got hit. He took a round that pierced his hip on the left side and tore through his abdomen. "After the hit, I fell down, not even realizing I had been hit," he said. "As I tried to get back up, I was shot in the elbow on the left arm and ... the knuckle on the left pinky finger." He was like a wounded animal desperate to escape the hunter's aim. "He wanted to kill all of us," Burnette said. "We were all unarmed." Burnette's gut felt like a knife slicing through it. He couldn't feel his leg. His left arm was numb, too. He stared at it and thought of those dummy arms that people buy at Halloween. "Oh my God," he thought. "This guy shot me." Burnette began moving with every ounce of strength he could muster and hid in a nearby cubicle. The gunman had started moving to the other side of the building, reloading and shooting. Reloading and shooting. Burnette knew he had to
|
[
"What did Burnette say he threw at the shotter?",
"Where is Burnette being housed?",
"Where did the nightmare day take place?",
"How many people were shot on Spc. Logan Burnette's original day at Fort Hood?",
"Where did the shooting take place?"
] |
[
[
"folding table"
],
[
"Fort Hood, Texas,"
],
[
"Fort Hood,"
],
[
"Twelve soldiers and one civilian"
],
[
"Fort Hood"
]
] |
Spc. Logan Burnette's original day at Fort Hood turned to nightmare .
Burnette says he threw table at accused shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan .
Burnette is being transferred to same hospital that houses Hasan .
|
KINGLAKE, Australia (CNN) -- Two men, who were arrested Thursday in connection with the deadly wildfires that have swept through southeastern Australia, were released without being charged, police said. Bushfires have destroyed huge tracts of the Australian countryside. Victoria state police had told CNN that the two -- who had been taken into custody and were "assisting" police earlier -- had been behaving suspiciously in or near Marysville, a town where roughly 100 people have died in the fires. It was not immediately clear what the behavior was or why the men were released. Meanwhile, authorities said they fear the death toll from the fires, which sat at 181 on Wednesday, could reach as high as 300. Authorities are basing that figure on the number of people who remain missing and the number of homes that have been destroyed. Rescue workers have not been able to thoroughly investigate many of those homes because of the intense heat. Firefighters have battled blazes since Saturday -- including several new fires that broke out Tuesday night and which officials say almost certainly were the result of arson. About 35 separate fires continued burning Thursday morning, authorities said. But none of those blazes posed an immediate threat to villages and their intensity had lessened, according to police. Authorities were saying Wednesday that more than 500 people have been injured, nearly 1,000 homes destroyed, thousands left homeless and at least 365,000 hectares (901,935 acres) of the Australian countryside burned black. See a map of the area » Those numbers were expected to continue to rise Thursday. Arson is thought responsible for all the destruction in the towns of Marysville and Kinglake. As many as half the homes in Kinglake have burned to the ground, police say. Watch how survivors of the fires are facing looters, scammers and vandals » John Brumby, the premier of the hard-hit state of Victoria, said many of 20 fires burning Wednesday were suspected to have been started by arsonists -- an act described earlier by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as "mass murder." "There seems little doubt these were deliberately lit -- a number of them last night," Brumby said on national television. "I think words escape us all when it comes to describing deliberate arson." Seven Network reporter Sarah Cumming said two major fires blazing west of Melbourne at Healesville and Bunyip State Park were in danger of joining up despite being 18 kilometers apart. Watch as residents return home to destruction » Several fires started by lightning between the two blaze fronts were exacerbating the situation, she said. In Marysville, officials warned that as many as 100 people, or one-fifth of the town's population, might be dead, with many bodies believed to be still buried under debris. Photos: Bushfires leave path of destruction » Likely to add to the fatality figure was the discovery by forensic scientists that some skeletal remains initially thought to be single bodies were actually two people fused together by searing temperatures. iReport.com: Raging fire approaches home As efforts to help those affected by the wildfires gather pace, tent cities have sprung up in Whittlesea, just north of Melbourne. Relief agencies have pitched camps for those forced out of their homes. Many fire victims have grown increasingly frustrated, kept from returning home -- or to what is left of their homes -- by authorities because of safety concerns. Watch a koala bear being rescued » Fires were Wednesday threatening a gas plant and a reservoir supplying Melbourne, Cummings added. She said firefighters were counting on three days of relative calm weather before high winds were expected to fan flames again. CNN's John Vause contributed to this report
|
[
"What was the death toll?",
"Who started the fires?",
"What was responsible for the destruction?",
"What is arson?",
"what is the death toll?",
"Who was behaving suspiciously?"
] |
[
[
"which sat at 181 on Wednesday, could reach as high as 300."
],
[
"arsonists"
],
[
"Bushfires"
],
[
"new fires"
],
[
"181 on Wednesday, could reach as high as 300."
],
[
"Two men,"
]
] |
NEW: Released men had been behaving suspiciously .
NEW: Authorities say death toll may have jumped from 181 to around 300 .
NEW: About 35 separate fires continued burning Thursday morning .
Arson thought responsible for the destruction in the towns of Marysville and Kinglake .
|
KINGSTON, Tennessee (CNN) -- The Environmental Protection Agency has found high levels of arsenic and heavy metals in two rivers in central Tennessee that are near the site of a spill that unleashed more than a billion gallons of coal waste. Four days after the spill, the water is cloudy on the east bank of the Clinch River in Kingston, Tennessee. The agency said it found "several heavy metals" in the water in levels that are slightly above safe drinking-water standards but "below concentrations" known to be harmful to humans. "The one exception may be arsenic," the agency said in a letter to an affected community. "One sample of river water out of many taken indicated concentrations that are very high and further investigations are in progress." However, arsenic was not detected in a water intake facility near Kingston, Tennessee, where the spill happened, said EPA spokeswoman Laura Niles. The metals were found in the Emory and Clinch rivers, near the site of a major spill last week that unleashed enough sludge to fill 1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools. The EPA's letter comes as the head of the largest public power company in the nation pledged to clean up the massive spill. "This is not a time where TVA holds its head high," said Tom Kilgore, president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. "But we won't hang our head, either, because that won't get the job done. I'm here to tell you that we will clean it up, and we will clean it up right." The sludge is a byproduct of the ash from coal combustion. A retention site at the Tennessee Valley Authority's power plant in Kingston, about 40 miles west of Knoxville, contained the waste until a wall breached last Monday, sending the sludge downhill to damage 15 homes and cover at least 300 acres. All residents in the area were evacuated, and three homes were deemed uninhabitable, according to the TVA. The TVA's initial estimate for the spill tripled from 1.8 million cubic yards, or more than 360 million gallons of sludge, to 5.4 million cubic yards, or more than 1 billion gallons. The plant sits on the Clinch River, which is a tributary of the Tennessee River. Video footage from the river, a popular fishing site, reveals piles of dead fish on its banks. The TVA says that has nothing to do with the toxicity of the sludge, though environmental advocates say the ash contains concentrated levels of mercury and arsenic. TVA officials have said water quality tests from a nearby water treatment facility have shown that the water from the river intake meets federal and state guidelines for potable water. But coal operation critics remain concerned about the long-term effects of the spill, and residents have expressed concerns about drinking water, especially from wells. Roane County Emergency Management Director Howie Rose said the county has asked the state and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to monitor groundwater from wells around the area. He and Kilgore spoke at a town hall meeting Sunday. Rose said the county has also requested air quality tests from the state and federal agencies. Steve Ahlstedt, an independent aquatic biologist, told CNN that a spill of this magnitude probably will affect the area's ecological balance. "Once the ash has settled to the bottom of the rivers, all heavy metals will hang around for a long time," he said. "When coal releases into the water, the mussel population goes into deep freeze. They are the 'canary in the coal mine.' They are the main indicator of how healthy our water is." CNN's Helena DeMoura contributed to this report.
|
[
"What is happening to the residents?",
"How many homes were damaged?",
"What did TVA pledge?",
"What was found in higher levels in water?",
"What is the number of homes damaged?",
"Who pledges to cleanup?"
] |
[
[
"evacuated,"
],
[
"15"
],
[
"to clean up the massive spill."
],
[
"arsenic and"
],
[
"15"
],
[
"The Environmental Protection Agency"
]
] |
"Several heavy metals" found in levels above safe drinking-water standards .
TVA pledges cleanup; officials say treatment facility tests show water is potable .
Breach at retention site has released more than a billion gallons of coal waste .
15 homes damaged, at least 300 acres covered; area residents evacuated .
|
KRASNOYARSK, Russia (CNN) -- "It kept you alive," a tearful Dwight Griffith told his adopted son as the two looked at an infant incubator during a tour of the Russian hospital where he was born.
Alex Griffith, 16, raised more than $60,000 for a new playground at the Russian hospital where he was born.
More than a decade after L.S. Berzon City Clinical Hospital No. 20 cared for him, 16-year-old Alex Griffith wanted to show his gratitude.
"Russia is part of me and this hospital is part of me. They gave me life, so I [wanted] to give back to them, to give them a fun place to play," said Alex, who lives in Forest Hill, Maryland.
As part of a Boy Scout project, Alex donated hundreds of hours and raised tens of thousands of dollars to build a new playground for the hospital.
Alex -- originally named Sergey -- was abandoned by his parents shortly after he was born at the hospital in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. He weighed less than 2 pounds and doctors said he had a mild case of cerebral palsy.
His condition improved slightly over the next 11 months, when Dwight and Jenny Griffith adopted him.
"The first time we saw Alex, he had rickets and he was malnourished," remembered Dwight Griffith. "At first Alex did not smile and hardly moved." Watch Alex visit the hospital for the first time in 15 years »
Alex grew healthier throughout his childhood and became active in the Boy Scouts. In 2007, he set out to build a new playground at Hospital 20 as his service project to become an Eagle Scout, the highest earned rank of the Boy Scouts of America.
But the teenager had his work cut out for him. In photos his parents took when they traveled to Russia to adopt him, Alex saw that the existing playground had a single rusty swing with a rotten wooden seat and a sandbox that he described as "a mud pit because of all the rain."
"I was just like, 'Wow, that's a lot different,' " he said.
Alex devoted 2 ½ years to his Krasnoyarsk Playground Project. In addition to recruiting more than 500 volunteers in five countries, he raised more than $60,000 by soliciting help from local Rotary Clubs and joining forces with other Boy Scouts for candy sales, car washes and barbeque fundraisers. Alex oversaw every aspect of production, from designing and purchasing the playground to shipping equipment overseas.
The project is a hit. Young patients and their families now have at their disposal swings, a rock wall, a climbing bridge and 5-foot tall zip slides. The playground is painted red, white and blue and the entrance has two totem poles: a bear for Russia and an eagle for America. Watch children enjoy the state-of-the-art playground »
Alex and a small group of volunteers traveled to Hospital 20 in early August to set up the playground. A dedication ceremony was held there on August 12 -- Alex's birthday.
"It makes me feel awesome opening the playground on my 16th birthday," he said. "It's just made me really happy just being here."
The people of Krasnoyarsk have embraced the teenager, especially the children.
"I like this playground, because when you slide on it all the sadness goes away," said 11-year-old Sonja Sultanova. "I think that Alex is a noble person."
Alex no longer shows signs of cerebral palsy, but he does have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, impulsivity and a frail frame. His parents believe some of his conditions relate to his time in the hospital, due to a small staff with a lack of resources to provide enough care for the babies.
Still, he and his parents are thankful he is doing as well as he is, having grown into a typical suburban teenager alongside his four adopted siblings. He enjoys riding his dirt bike and playing video games.
Alex anticipates finding out if he becomes an Eagle Scout within the next couple
|
[
"How much money was raised for the new playground?",
"What project did Griffith raise money for?",
"Where was Alex Griffith adopted?",
"What was Griffith's quest?",
"How much money did Griffith raise?",
"How many yearsv old is Griffith?"
] |
[
[
"more than $60,000"
],
[
"a new playground at the Russian hospital where he was born."
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"build a new playground"
],
[
"more than $60,000"
],
[
"16,"
]
] |
Alex Griffith, 16, was adopted as a sickly baby from a Russian hospital .
To give back to his birthplace, he raised $60,000 to build a new playground .
The project was part of Griffith's quest to become an Eagle Scout .
The top 10 CNN Heroes will be announced on October 1 .
|
KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysia will swear in a new prime minister Friday -- one tasked with reuniting a multi-racial nation and shoring up an economy in dire straits.
Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, facing, hugs his successor, Najib Razak last week.
Until now, Najib Razak had served as the Southeast Asian country's deputy prime minister. He succeeds Abdullah Badawi who turned in his resignation after five years as leader.
Both are part of Malaysia's ruling party, the National Front Coalition, which has ruled the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957.
But last year, a loose coalition of opposition parties won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats in elections. It was only the second time in the country's history that the ruling party failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.
The election upset led to calls for Abdullah to step down. Various challenges await Najib:
In recent months, the country has seen riots with the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who accuse the government of passing laws that favor the Malay majority.
Najib has said he will do more to address their concerns.
The country, like other nations around the world, has been severely affected by the global economic downturn. Critics are demanding Malaysia diversify its technology-heavy economy.
Last month, Najib unveiled a multi-billion dollar stimulus plan for new spending, according to published reports.
Najib also brings with him a whiff of controversy. Two former bodyguards are facing charges in connection the murder of a Mongolian model. He has denied all links to the killing.
|
[
"Which country is Razak in?",
"Who has failed to secure majority?",
"What post will Abdullah Badawi step down from?",
"When will Razak become prime minister?",
"What is Najib Razak to become?",
"What caused him to step down?",
"What did the ruling party fail in?"
] |
[
[
"Malaysia"
],
[
"ruling party"
],
[
"prime minister"
],
[
"Friday"
],
[
"prime minister"
],
[
"The election upset"
],
[
"to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution."
]
] |
Najib Razak to become new prime minister for Malaysia on Friday .
Abdullah Badawi to step down from PM post .
Ruling party has failed to secure majority needed to amend constitution .
|
KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysia will swear in a new prime minister Friday -- one tasked with reuniting a multi-racial nation and shoring up an economy in dire straits. Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, facing, hugs his successor, Najib Razak last week. Until now, Najib Razak had served as the Southeast Asian country's deputy prime minister. He succeeds Abdullah Badawi who turned in his resignation after five years as leader. Both are part of Malaysia's ruling party, the National Front Coalition, which has ruled the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. But last year, a loose coalition of opposition parties won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats in elections. It was only the second time in the country's history that the ruling party failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution. The election upset led to calls for Abdullah to step down. Various challenges await Najib: In recent months, the country has seen riots with the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who accuse the government of passing laws that favor the Malay majority. Najib has said he will do more to address their concerns. The country, like other nations around the world, has been severely affected by the global economic downturn. Critics are demanding Malaysia diversify its technology-heavy economy. Last month, Najib unveiled a multi-billion dollar stimulus plan for new spending, according to published reports. Najib also brings with him a whiff of controversy. Two former bodyguards are facing charges in connection the murder of a Mongolian model. He has denied all links to the killing.
|
[
"what party is razak in?",
"Who will step down from their PM post?",
"What did the party fail to do?",
"What will Najib Razak become?",
"Did the ruling party fail to secure the majority needed to amend the constitution?",
"what caused him to step down",
"Who is becoming the new official?"
] |
[
[
"National Front Coalition,"
],
[
"Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,"
],
[
"gain the two-thirds majority"
],
[
"Prime Minister"
],
[
"failed"
],
[
"election upset"
],
[
"Najib Razak"
]
] |
Najib Razak to become new prime minister for Malaysia on Friday .
Abdullah Badawi to step down from PM post .
Ruling party has failed to secure majority needed to amend constitution .
|
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) -- Malaysia defended on Friday its practice of caning criminals after a disturbing video of a prison-yard caning session burst onto the Internet, reigniting criticism from lawyers and human rights advocates. In the video, a naked man is shown strapped to an upright wooden frame, his rear exposed to a uniformed official who lifts a meter-long rattan stick above his head before bringing it down on the prisoner's buttocks, tearing the flesh with each strike. The video, in which the moaning and shaking prisoner is struck six times, has spread quickly across the Internet, capturing headlines in the Web sites of some European newspapers and forcing the Malaysian government on to the defensive. "The government at this stage has no plans to abolish the cane as part of punishment," Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow told Reuters by telephone. He said the video was an official recording that had been leaked onto the Internet. The video had been produced for deterrent purposes, with excerpts shown during anti-narcotic education sessions to would-be drug dealers, he added. "This video was taken officially by us for a demonstration purpose, but it is not supposed to have the victim's face identified. Somehow somebody must have taped (copied) it." Malaysia is not alone in caning criminals, which critics say breaches human rights norms, including the U.N. Convention Against Torture. Neighboring Singapore also wields the rattan stick and caused a U.S. outcry 13 years ago when it caned an American teenager, Michael Fay, four times for vandalism. But Malaysia's Bar Council, which represents about 12,000 lawyers, recently called for a ban on caning, saying the "cruel" practice was rising in Malaysia, especially on illegal immigrants after hasty hearings arranged at crammed detention centers. "They have started imposing the caning sentence in a more rigorous way and it can affect anyone who comes in (to Malaysia) without a passport or papers, so it happens to asylum-seekers and refugees," said Latheefa Koya, of the council's Legal Aid Center. The government denied use of the cane was widespread against illegal immigrants and Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu said it was reserved mainly for the traffickers of illegal immigrants in addition to drug-traffickers and violent criminals. Fu said the government also faced calls from victims of crime for the use of the cane to be maintained or even increased for some serious crimes "in view of the crime rate in Malaysia". Crime is seen as a major electoral issue in the run-up to a possible early general election, expected early next year. "We respect the view of the Bar Council but there are many other views from the people and also from the victims of crimes that there should be an increase (in caning)," Fu said. E-mail to a friend
|
[
"what does Malaysia defend?",
"who wree the criminals",
"what country was involved",
"what does video clip show?",
"who leaked the video",
"how long are rattan sticks?"
] |
[
[
"practice of caning criminals"
],
[
"traffickers of illegal immigrants in addition to drug-traffickers and violent"
],
[
"Malaysia"
],
[
"a prison-yard caning session"
],
[
"onto the Internet."
],
[
"a meter-long"
]
] |
Malaysia defends caning of criminals after video hits Internet .
Clip shows naked man strapped to wooden frame being punished .
Meter-long rattan stick strikes prisoner's buttocks, tearing the flesh .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Kabul's police chief and chief of criminal investigations have submitted their resignations to the Afghan Interior Ministry, but the ministry ordered them to complete their probe into Friday's suicide attacks first, a ministry spokesman told CNN.
The ministry has not yet approved the resignations of Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahman and investigations chief Abdul Ghafar Sayed Zada, spokesman Ezmary Bashari said.
The two were ordered to continue their investigation into deadly blasts that targeted foreigners in the capital city Friday. At least 17 people were killed and many others wounded.
Once the investigation into the bombings is complete, the minister of interior will make a decision on the resignations, Bashari said.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks near the Safi Landmark Hotel in the Shahr-E-Naw neighborhood of Kabul. A number of government and United Nations offices are located there, as well as supermarkets, banks, diplomatic facilities and villas for well-to-do Afghans.
An employee at a Kabul hospital said eight Indians and one Pakistani were among the dead. Interior Ministry officials said an Italian was killed, and the Indian embassy said four Indians were killed.
The attack started with a suicide car bomb and four suicide bombers with explosive-laden vests, said Taliban spokesman Zaidullah Mujahid. Three of the bombers were killed, he said.
About 20 minutes later, a second large explosion occurred.
Journalist Matiullah Mati and CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who claimed responsibility for attacks near the Safi Landmark Hotel in Kabul?",
"When did deadly blasts that targeted foreigners happen?",
"where did Taliban claimed responsibility ?",
"who is Abdul Rahman Rahman?",
"Friday's deadly blasts targeted who?"
] |
[
[
"The Taliban"
],
[
"Friday."
],
[
"near the Safi Landmark Hotel in the Shahr-E-Naw neighborhood of Kabul."
],
[
"Police Chief"
],
[
"foreigners"
]
] |
Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahman, investigations chief Abdul Ghafar Sayed Zada quit .
Both to continue investigation into Friday's deadly blasts that targeted foreigners .
Taliban claimed responsibility for attacks near the Safi Landmark Hotel in Kabul .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The man believed to be the suicide bomber who killed seven CIA employees and contractors last year appears in a newly released video, claiming to have tricked Jordanian intelligence officers as a double agent. The 43-minute video, posted on various Islamic radical Web sites Saturday, shows Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, whom a former U.S. intelligence official identified as the suicide bomber. Family members have said that the man in the video, who uses the alias Abu Dajana Al-Khorasani, is al-Balawi. A much shorter version of the video was posted online in January. The December 30 bombing at a U.S. base in Khost, in southeastern Afghanistan, killed seven CIA operatives and a Jordanian army captain. The video posted Saturday is dated "Safar 1431" on the lunar calendar, which includes any day between January 16, 2010 and February 13, 2010. In the video, al-Balawi says killing the CIA team wasn't part of the initial plan. "We planned for something but got a bigger gift -- a gift from God -- who brought us ... a valuable prey: Americans, and from the CIA." The video opens with a montage of images -- including clips of torture and meetings of world leaders, such as former President George W. Bush with Jordan's King Abdullah and President Obama. A narrator criticizes the "infidel West," and talks of crimes against Muslims. Al-Balawi then appears on the video, vowing to bring down the CIA and saying how he deceived Jordanian officials into believing he worked for them. "Look, this is for you," he says to the camera, while sitting in a vehicle. "It's not a watch. It's a detonator to kill as many as I can, God willing." Later in the video, al-Balawi gives an interview to As-Sahab Media, the production wing of al Qaeda. He says he had tried to join "jihad" in Iraq after the start of the U.S.-led war there. He began to write on online forums about jihad, he tells an unidentified interviewer in a room. He says he found his opportunity to join the militant mission after being recruited by Jordanian officials as a spy in Afghanistan. Al-Balawi was recruited by Jordanian authorities as a counterterrorism intelligence source, a Jordanian official told CNN last month. "Actually, Jordanian intelligence -- may God send consecutive curses on it -- is the one who gave me a large amount of money, it is the one who paid for my ticket, and it is the one who helped me to forge some documents I needed to get a Pakistani visa," the man in the video says. Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed al-Balawi had been rehabilitated from his extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 figure, a former U.S. intelligence official said. Al-Balawi claims in the video that the Jordanian authorities paid him and that the money went to support the Mujahedeen. "So this is a new era for the Mujahedeen, God willing, in which the Mujahedeen will use intelligence-based tactics and methods which rival or even exceed those of the security apparatuses of the strongest of states, like Jordan and America, with the permission of Allah, Lord of the worlds," he says. Al-Balawi said he initially targeted a Jordanian official, referred to as Sharif Ali bin Zaid. The narrator said that Zaid, an army captain, was killed in the attack. "So it wasn't planned this way," al-Balawi said. "The target was Abu Zaid, but the stupidity of Jordanian intelligence and the stupidity of American intelligence is what has turned it into a valuable prey. It's a blessing from Allah." The man explained why he was choosing a suicide mission, or "martyrdom," for his attack on the U.S. base in Khost. "You can only get a maximum number of kills for a minimum number of martyrs and losses in
|
[
"How many CIA agents were killed?",
"Who was the bomber?",
"Who did al-Balawi fool?",
"What did Al-Balawi say?",
"How many agents were killed?",
"Was CIA a target?",
"What was released that showed al-Balawi describing his plan?",
"Who was ID'd as the bomber?"
] |
[
[
"seven"
],
[
"Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi,"
],
[
"Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies"
],
[
"killing the CIA team wasn't part of the initial plan."
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"wasn't part of the initial plan."
],
[
"43-minute video,"
],
[
"Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi,"
]
] |
Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi has been ID'd as bomber who killed 7 CIA agents .
Newly released video shows al-Balawi describing what led to suicide attack .
He says CIA team was not original target, but "a gift from God," who sent "valuable prey"
Al-Balawi says in video he fooled Jordanian officials into thinking he worked for them .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A British soldier who was reported missing from a checkpoint in Afghanistan early Monday was found dead later in the day, the British Ministry of Defense announced.
"It is with great sadness that I announce the death of a soldier from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland," said Lt. Col. Tim Purbrick, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, in a statement.
After an "extensive search," fellow members of NATO's International Security Assistance Force found his body in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province, Purbrick said.
The soldier had suffered gunshot wounds. His identity was not immediately released.
A spokeswoman for David Cameron said the British prime minister is "deeply saddened by this news."
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh contributed to this report.
|
[
"Where was he found dead?",
"Who found his body?",
"Where was the body of the soldier found?",
"When was the British soldier found?",
"What was the nationality",
"Where was he found",
"Who was found dead?",
"Who was searching for the missing soldier?"
] |
[
[
"Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province,"
],
[
"fellow members of NATO's International Security Assistance Force"
],
[
"Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province,"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"British"
],
[
"in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province,"
],
[
"British soldier"
],
[
"fellow members of NATO's International Security Assistance Force"
]
] |
British soldier was found dead after going missing from a checkpoint .
ISAF members found his body after an "extensive search"
He was found in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand province .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared to endorse talks between the United States and the Taliban that could lead to the opening of a Taliban liaison office in Qatar.
Karzai's announcement Wednesday followed news a day earlier from the Taliban that it tentatively agreed to open an office in Qatar's capital city of Doha to facilitate talks on the Afghan conflict.
It appears to be the first time the Taliban -- who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when they were ousted in a U.S.-led invasion -- have offered talks without the condition of an American withdrawal from the country.
"Afghanistan, to save the country from war, conspiracies, the killing of innocent Afghans and to reach peace, agrees with the talks between United States of America and Taliban that will end up in establishing an office for Taliban in Qatar," Karzai said in a palace statement.
In the statement, Karzai appeared to broadly endorse peace negotiations for a country that has been embroiled in more than 30 years of war.
It was unclear what, if any, outcome there would be in talks between the United States and the Taliban as Karzai, top Afghan peace officials and the Americans have all previously said that talks had to take place between Afghans.
"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with an emphasize on its firm position yet again, believes that talks and negotiation are the only way to reach peace and to come out of the atmosphere of war and imposed violence on Afghan nation," the palace statement said.
Recent media reports have said the United States and other foreign governments with a stake in the Afghan war may try to strike a separate deal with the Taliban.
The Washington Post reported in December that the Obama administration reached a tentative deal with Taliban negotiators that would have included the transfer of five Afghans from Guantanamo Bay, and the Taliban's public renunciation of international terrorism.
The deal collapsed, the Post said, because of Karzai's objections.
Any talk of a peace process slowed in September, when suicide bombers killed senior Afghan peace negotiator and former President Burhannudin Rabbani.
Ismail Qassemyar, a member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council has called peace talks "an Afghan process" and warned against the United States or other nations trying to strike their own peace deal with the group.
Qassemyar said a Taliban office in Qatar would by no means legitimize the Islamist group.
Karzai told CNN in December that the government cannot hold talks until the Islamic militia identifies a representative with the authority to negotiate.
|
[
"What do recent reports say?",
"What Karzai says?",
"Who endorses the opening?"
] |
[
[
"United States and other foreign governments with a stake in the Afghan war may try to strike a separate deal with the Taliban."
],
[
"\"Afghanistan, to save the country from war, conspiracies, the killing of innocent Afghans and to reach peace, agrees with the talks between United States of America and Taliban that will end up in establishing an office for Taliban in Qatar,\""
],
[
"President Hamid Karzai"
]
] |
Karzai appears to endorse opening of Taliban office in Qatar .
Karzai says talks are the only way to end violence in Afghanistan .
Recent reports say the U.S. and others may want to strike a peace deal with the Taliban .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai made an unannounced visit to Marjah on Sunday to see the gains made after a massive military offensive by Afghan and international troops to wrest control of the southern city from the Taliban. Karzai toured the city in Helmand province with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Marjah residents remain skeptical of U.S. troops and the newly installed local government that has moved in and taken over, said U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, who was in charge of the Marjah offensive. They want to know what Karzai's government is going to be able to do for them, he said. "We are in competition every day for the confidence and support of the population -- we're in competition with the Taliban," Nicholson told reporters last week. "We have a very narrow window of opportunity here in Marjah to make that first impression and you get one shot at it," he said. Dubbed Operation Moshtarak, the offensive was launched last month by an international coalition of 15,000 troops including Afghans, Americans, Britons, Canadians, Danes, and Estonians. The Marjah region has long been a bastion of pro-Taliban sentiment and is where the Taliban had set up a shadow government. It is a key area in Afghanistan's heroin trade and full of the opium used to fund the insurgency. The hope now is for the United States to persuade the locals to change their crops from poppies -- grown to produce opium for the Taliban's drug trade -- and instead grow crops like wheat, which can help them survive and provide income as well. Nicholson said for years, the Taliban-run town had no police force. Now, the Afghan government is in the process of recruiting Marjah citizens to join a new police force that would be trained by the Marines. The general had no timetable on how long it would take to truly secure the town. Meanwhile, in Baghlan province, about 50 insurgents, including more than a dozen Taliban, were killed in fighting between two rebel groups, the province's governor said Sunday. Some 35 fighters of the Hezb-e-Eslami, or Islamic Party, and 13 Taliban died in the fighting, which began Saturday and continued into Sunday, Mohammed Akbar Barikzai told CNN. Apparently some bystanders also were killed or wounded, Barikzai said, adding he could not put an exact number on the civilian casualties. More Afghanistan coverage on Afghanistan Crossroads blog Hezb-e-Eslami is an insurgent group loyal to warlord Gulbeddin Hekmatyar. They are enemies of the Taliban, but it is rare that the anti-government groups fight each other. A group of 25 Hezb-e-Eslami fighters including their commander surrendered to Afghan National Police on Sunday, the governor said. Separately, two children were killed and two were hurt in an explosion while they were playing in Kandahar province, provincial spokesman Zalmay Ayoubi said Sunday. The explosive device was in a bag that blew up while the children were playing, the Interior Ministry said in a press release. The injured children were transferred to a hospital for treatment. Two NATO service members were killed in southern Afghanistan in two separate incidents on Sunday, a NATO news release said. One was killed by small arms fire and the other by an improvised explosive device, NATO said. The identities and nationalities of the service members were not immediately released, pending notification of the relevant national authorities, the statement said. Journalist Matiullah Mati contributed to this report.
|
[
"What does a U.S. general say is the next goal?",
"What were two NATO service members killed in?",
"How many people were killed in the battle between two rebel groups?",
"What does the Afghan president tour?",
"About how many killed in battle between two rebel groups?",
"Next goal is to win what? (U.S. general says)",
"Afghan president tours where?",
"What site did the Afghan president tour?"
] |
[
[
"persuade the locals to change their crops from poppies"
],
[
"southern Afghanistan"
],
[
"50"
],
[
"Karzai toured the city in Helmand province with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan."
],
[
"50"
],
[
"confidence and support of the population"
],
[
"unannounced visit to Marjah"
],
[
"Marjah"
]
] |
Afghan president tours Marjah, site of massive operation to take control from Taliban .
Next goal is to win support of population, U.S. general says .
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, about 50 killed in battle between two rebel groups .
Two NATO service members killed in separate incidents .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office contacted the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan about reports the ambassador warned against sending more U.S. troops to the country, a Karzai spokesman told CNN Thursday. Two U.S. officials confirmed to CNN that Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sent two cables to Washington expressing reservations about troop increases amid uncertainty over Karzai's government. One official, who spoke on condition of not being identified because of the sensitive nature of the cables, said the two communications "expressed concern and reservations about troop increases in Afghanistan" until more is known about Karzai's government after his recent re-election. Separately, a senior U.S. official also confirmed the existence of two Eikenberry classified cables. The official said Eikenberry expressed reservations about troop increases because of lingering concerns about Karzai and uncertainties about the government he is going to put in place. The second official also asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the cables. In Kabul, Eikenberry's office would not confirm to Karzai's office the reports about the cables, Karzai spokesman Seyemic Herawi said. Herawi said Karzai will not comment on the reports without more information from the U.S. Embassy. Should more troops be sent to Afghanistan? Share your thoughts Eikenberry previously expressed worry about corruption in Karzai's government and its ability to partner with the United States to fight the Taliban. A senior State Department official told CNN that President Obama's administration has questions about Karzai's behavior, suggesting it has been inconsistent. Asked for an official response on reports of the cables, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said it does not comment on private messages, but did confirm that there had been correspondence between Eikenberry and the president. In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly declined to comment Thursday on Eikenberry's communications. "We are not going to get into the details of this kind of advice," Kelly said. "This is a privileged channel of communication. They have the right to receive this advice in a confidential way," Kelly said. "Ambassador Eikenberry has been providing this kind of advice and analysis to the president and secretary since he arrived," he said. "The president really deserves the right to be able to gather all of this information from all of the different principals, people involved in the shaping of this policy." Earlier, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said, "We won't discuss classified documents publicly, but, as we have said for months, success in Afghanistan depends on having a true partner in the Afghan government." Initial reports of cables sent by Eikenberry appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. All three newspapers attributed the reports to senior U.S. officials, without identifying them. The developments came as Obama told his war council Wednesday that the U.S. troop commitment to Afghanistan is not open-ended, and then asked for revisions to options he previously received for sending more troops, a senior administration official told CNN. The war council -- comprising top Cabinet, Pentagon and administration officials -- met with Obama for the eighth time to discuss a request by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan for up to 40,000 more troops. The meeting lasted more than two hours, according to the senior administration official. "The president and his team discussed the length of time that it would take to implement the options he's been presented," the senior official said. "The president believes that we need to make clear to the Afghan government that our commitment is not open-ended. After years of substantial investments by the American people, governance in Afghanistan must improve in a reasonable period of time to ensure a successful transition to our Afghan partner." In particular, Obama pushed for revisions in proposed plans for troop increases to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, the official said. Earlier, a senior administration official and a U.S. military official independently told CNN that one option presented to Obama calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country. The military official said
|
[
"Who warned Obama?",
"What did Ambassador do?",
"What does State Department say?",
"Who expressed concerns about Karzai government?",
"Does anyone oppose this rule"
] |
[
[
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai's"
],
[
"sent two cables to Washington expressing reservations about troop increases amid uncertainty over Karzai's government."
],
[
"President Obama's administration has questions about Karzai's behavior,"
],
[
"Eikenberry"
],
[
"Ambassador Karl Eikenberry"
]
] |
State Department says what ambassador tells president is confidential .
Hamid Karzai aides question U.S. ambassador's advice to Obama .
Ambassador reportedly warns Obama against sending more troops to Afghanistan .
Ambassador has expressed concerns about Karzai government in past .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan electoral officials Monday declared incumbent President Hamid Karzai the winner of another term in office, after canceling this weekend's second round of voting. U.S. President Barack Obama called Monday for a "new chapter" of improved governance in Afghanistan now that Karzai's re-election as president is complete. Observers say Karzai's real test will be whether he can form a government that is seen as legitimate in the eyes of the Afghan people and the international community. Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Commission announced Karzai's victory Monday after it canceled Saturday's presidential runoff because of the withdrawal of candidate Abdullah Abdullah. A runoff could have been held with just one candidate, but commission president Azizullah Lodin said electoral officials decided to cancel the second round of voting for several reasons, including security and money. The decision was made just a couple of hours before the announcement, according to commission deputy Zakria Barakzai. Afghans went to the polls on August 20, in a vote marred by widespread fraud. Karzai had initially claimed victory, but two months after the vote, a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly a third of his votes, citing fraud. That left Karzai short of a majority, and he eventually agreed to the runoff. Abdullah had called for the resignations of top election officials and politicians to avert electoral fraud in the runoff. He argued that the commissioners, who are hired by Karzai, cannot be impartial. But that request was not met, Abdullah said Sunday, and he did not believe a transparent election was possible. "I want this to be an example for the future so that no one again tries to use fraud to abuse the rights of the Afghan people," Abdullah told reporters. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Kabul on Monday hours before the commission's announcement. He issued a statement welcoming the decision, congratulating Karzai, and restating the U.N.'s commitment to supporting the new government. "This has been a difficult election process for Afghanistan and lessons must be learned," Ban said in the statement. "Afghanistan now faces significant challenges and the new president must move swiftly to form a government that is able to command the support of both the Afghan people and the international community." On Monday, Ban met with both Karzai and Abdullah, as well as U.N. officials, including Kai Eide, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul also issued a statement Monday welcoming the commission's decision and congratulating Karzai. In Washington, President Barack Obama told reporters in the White House that he had congratulated Karzai in a telephone conversation. "Although the process was messy, I'm pleased to say that the final outcome was determined in accordance with Afghan law," Obama said. He said he told Karzai "that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter based on improved governance, a much more serious effort to eradicate corruption, joint efforts to accelerate the training of Afghan security forces so that the Afghan people can provide for their own security." Obama added that Karzai assured him he understands the importance of the moment, "but as I indicated to him, the proof is not going to be in words, it's going to be in deeds." Despite the resolved election issue, Gibbs refused to put a firm timetable on when Obama would announce whether he would increase troop levels Afghanistan. Instead, Gibbs repeated past language that the decision would be made within weeks. "Now begin the hard conversations about ensuring credibility and ensuring improving governance, addressing corruption" in Afghanistan, Gibbs said. Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican defeated by Obama in last year's presidential race, said Monday that Karzai's re-election should encourage Obama to fulfill Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for up to 40,000 more troops. "The most urgent priority now is to support our Afghan partners in reversing what General McChrystal has rightly called the 'deteriorating' security situation," McCain said in a statement. "This requires a properly
|
[
"What did Obama call for",
"what has president obama called for",
"What is President Obama calling for?"
] |
[
[
"\"new chapter\" of improved governance in Afghanistan"
],
[
"\"new chapter\" of improved governance in Afghanistan"
],
[
"a \"new chapter\" of improved governance in Afghanistan now that Karzai's re-election as"
]
] |
NEW: President Obama called for "new chapter" of improved governance in Afghanistan .
Karzai made president following withdrawal of opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah .
Abdullah withdrew Sunday, saying he believed the second round would be as fraudulent .
Hamid Karzai has been president of Afghanistan since December 2004 .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Allied forces suffered a day of heavy losses in Afghanistan Friday after a helicopter crash killed six U.S. Marines and an attack killed four French soldiers, prompting Paris to consider an early troop withdrawal.
The Marines died after their CH-53 helicopter crashed in Helmand province, a U.S. military official said. The NATO-led force reported no enemy activity in the area, but the Taliban claimed credit for bringing down the chopper.
Separately, an Afghan soldier killed four French soldiers and injured 15 others, one critically, in eastern Afghanistan, French officials said. President Nicolas Sarkozy said he was suspending French training operations and combat help as a result.
"The French army is not in Afghanistan to be shot at by Afghan soldiers," he said.
France could bring its troops back early from Afghanistan if the necessary security is not restored, Sarkozy said. France has 3,935 troops in Afghanistan, according NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Sarkozy will send French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet to Afghanistan, he said.
"It was during a training session inside the base that a shooter killed four of our soldiers. This is unacceptable and demands a full investigation," Longuet said.
A French official told CNN the French troops were unarmed as they were inside their base, conducting normal training operations with their Afghan partners.
The official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said 15 soldiers were injured.
The attack in Kapisa province follows a similar shooting last month by an Afghan soldier that killed two French soldiers serving in an engineers' regiment, also in eastern Afghanistan.
Friday's suspected shooter, who was a member of the Afghan National Army, has been apprehended, according to an ISAF statement.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was deeply saddened by incident.
"France has been generous to provide extensive assistance to Afghanistan over the past 10 years," Karzai said. "Throughout history, the two countries have enjoyed a sincere relationship, which the Afghan people will always cherish."
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid called the attack "sensible."
"This was the latest attack by those sensible and zealous Afghans who have entered the enemy's army and it was also the best one so far as it killed more soldiers than any other such attacks before,' Mujahid said.
Responding to last month's shooting, Sarkozy stressed his country's "determination to continue working within the International Security Assistance Force to restore peace and stability in that country and contribute to its development."
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen paid tribute to those killed and injured Friday, saying it was a "very sad day" for ISAF troops in Afghanistan and for France.
"Such tragic incidents are terrible and grab headlines, but they are isolated," he said. "The reality is that every day, 130,000 ISAF troops from 50 nations fight and train with over 300,000 Afghan soldiers. That takes a lot of trust among a lot of soldiers.
"We have the same goal. An Afghanistan that is responsible for its own security. That is what Afghans want. And we remain committed to helping Afghans."
ISAF spokesman Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings also played down the threat, saying, "We train and are partnered with Afghan personnel every day, and we are not seeing any issues or concerns with our relationships."
Friday's shooting was the latest in a series of attacks on NATO forces by members of the Afghan army.
In October, a gunman wearing an Afghan army uniform turned his weapon on coalition forces during training, killing three and wounding several others. The shooter was killed in the incident in southern Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the cause of the helicopter crash, which happened around midnight Kabul time, is still under investigation, ISAF said.
There was no enemy activity in the area when the helicopter went down in Helmand, said Col. Gary Kolb, an ISAF spokesman.
The Taliban claimed responsibility Friday for bringing down the helicopter.
Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, told CNN via text message: "A Chinook
|
[
"Who are killed by an Afghan soldier?",
"How many died in the crash",
"Who paid tribute to the soldiers that were killed?",
"Who may bring home troops early",
"Who died in the helicopter crash?",
"Who pays tribute to four French soldiers?",
"Who died in helicopter crash?",
"What troops were killed",
"Who said troops may come home early?"
] |
[
[
"four French"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen"
],
[
"France"
],
[
"six U.S. Marines"
],
[
"NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen"
],
[
"six U.S. Marines"
],
[
"U.S. Marines"
],
[
"Sarkozy"
]
] |
Six U.S. Marines die in a helicopter crash, a U.S. military official says .
French troops are killed by an Afghan soldier were unarmed at the time, an official says .
President Nicolas Sarkozy: France may bring troops home early if security isn't restored .
NATO chief Rasmussen pays tribute to four French soldiers killed in Afghanistan .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An Afghan employee of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan who opened fire at a CIA annex there worked as part of a local guard force, a U.S. official said Monday.
Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall said the lone gunman killed a U.S. citizen and wounded another in the shootings Sunday. The wounded American was evacuated to a military hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Security personnel used a flash-bang round to stun the shooter and then killed him, according to another U.S. official who earlier provided details of the incident.
The gunman shot indiscriminately, and he is not believed to have targeted the victims, the second U.S. official said. One or two civilians suffered minor wounds as people went running for cover, the official added.
The American killed was a CIA employee, according to a third U.S. official. The official said the gunman fired toward the building but never entered it.
All the sources spoke on condition of not being identified.
The FBI is investigating the attack, along with other U.S. agencies and local authorities, a U.S. official said.
Another official said the FBI is the lead agency in the investigation. CIA and diplomatic security officials also are involved.
The first U.S. official said the shooter "is believed to have worked as part of the local guard force" and added that no motive has been established.
Investigators are looking into whether the shooter was a disgruntled employee or whether he was inspired by militants.
All Afghan employees go through a background security check and must pass through a metal detector each time they enter the Embassy, the second official said.
"We have no information as to whether the individual was authorized to carry a weapon or if he seized a weapon," the official said.
Afghan troops guard the outer perimeter of the Embassy, while embassy contractors and members of the U.S. military guard the inside.
The CIA building is several hundred yards from the Embassy compound and has its own entrance and security, according to another U.S. official.
Embassy personnel usually travel in armored cars for meetings in the CIA facility.
"It's not possible to stop everything from happening. You can only limit it, make it highly unlikely," said the official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "The job of soldiers and diplomats and spies is to be amongst the people, getting work done. You have to have some level of trust to get anything done."
"There is a calculated risk" for U.S. personnel working in countries like Afghanistan, the official said.
The annex area is known as a place where Embassy personnel both live and work, some in intelligence operations. A CIA spokeswoman declined to comment on the attack.
Afghanistan has been the site of several high-profile attacks of late, including strikes at the NATO headquarters and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Rabbani had been leading efforts for reconciliation talks.
The latest shooting is not believed to be related to any other recent attacks in Kabul, U.S. officials said.
In December 2009, a Jordanian informant detonated a suicide bomb at a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan, killing seven CIA employees and two others.
A CIA review of the incident found that some people within the CIA and the Jordanian intelligence service were skeptical about the attacker's reliability, but those concerns had not been passed on to officers on the base.
CNN's Barbara Starr, Nick Paton Walsh, Carol Cratty and Pam Benson contributed to this report.
|
[
"where did the attack happen?",
"Where did the American work?",
"Who was part of a local guard force?",
"what was the occupation of the american that was killed",
"who was the victim employed by?",
"Who was the gunman?",
"What nationality was the attacker",
"Who shot indiscriminately?",
"who did the gunman shoot at"
] |
[
[
"U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan"
],
[
"Kabul, Afghanistan"
],
[
"An Afghan employee of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan"
],
[
"a CIA employee,"
],
[
"U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan"
],
[
"An Afghan employee of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan"
],
[
"Afghan"
],
[
"gunman"
],
[
"U.S. citizen"
]
] |
A source says the Afghan attacker was part of a local guard force .
A U.S. official says the American killed was a CIA employee .
The gunman shot indiscriminately, an official says .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An attack in which the Taliban claimed to have infiltrated key government sites in downtown Kabul killed at least five people Monday morning, hospital and government officials said. Among the five were two policemen and one national security staff member, Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said at a news conference. Seventy-one others were injured, 36 of whom were police or security officers, he said. His report of the death toll conflicts with those of Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi, who said 13 died, and the Taliban, which claimed even more were slain. Seven attackers' bodies were recovered, with two or three of them burned beyond recognition, Azimi said. The Taliban said only five were killed. Four explosions and gunfire shook downtown Kabul about 9:15 a.m. Monday, with the Taliban saying it was conducting a militant operation. The attack started as 14 members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet were to be sworn in, said Parliament member Fawzia Koofi. About 20 Taliban insurgents entered the presidential palace; the ministries of Finance, Mines and Justice; and the Serena Hotel, said spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. NATO-led forces said "several small explosions" and gunfire were reported near the Feroshgah e Afghan Shopping Center and the Serena Hotel, and later added that "numerous" suicide bombers had attacked government buildings close to the presidential palace and the Ministry of Justice. Atmar said that the coordinated attacks struck the city over a span of two hours and 45 minutes and that they targeted civilians. And the threat continued at 1 p.m., when three attackers took over Bayman Hotel, Atmar said. More than two hours later, Afghan security forces killed the men, he said. At least two insurgents were killed at the shopping center, NATO-led forces said in a news release, which also said that Afghan national police had secured all roads in the area. A separate news release condemned the attack, which NATO-led forces said took place amid many civilians. Atmar, the Minister of Defense and chief of the National Security Department also condemned the violence. The Taliban claimed that they killed 31 officials and injured 31 people. Their account could not be immediately independently verified. The terrorist group also disputed the government on the number of its militants killed. Five militants had died and 13 had returned to their safe houses, the Taliban's Mujahid said, adding that two were still fighting. But Zmaray Bashari, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said security forces had restored Kabul to normalcy by Monday afternoon. Monday's assault followed weekend violence that killed at least three international troops and 14 militants in Afghanistan, authorities said. CNN's Dan Rivers and Atia Abawi contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many people were killed?",
"whos members sworn in?",
"where does the taliban enter?",
"Who were to be sworn in?",
"How many insurgents are dead?",
"how many persons died at the shopping center?"
] |
[
[
"five"
],
[
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet"
],
[
"Kabul"
],
[
"President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet"
],
[
"At least two"
],
[
"13"
]
] |
Five people killed; two insurgents dead at shopping center, NATO-led forces say .
Taliban insurgents enter presidential palace, ministry buildings, government says .
Karzai Cabinet members were to be sworn in, Parliament member says .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An explosion outside the home of Afghanistan's former vice president killed at least eight people Tuesday, government officials have said. The explosion was near the Kabul residence of former vice-president Ahmad Zia Massoud, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told reporters. Massoud was not harmed in the attack. Among those killed were one of Massoud's guards and an assistant, the former vice president's aide said. Forty others were wounded in the blast. The explosion broke windows in a hotel a few blocks away. Tuesday morning's explosion occurred as the Afghan president was at a nearby anti-corruption convention. Karzai issued a statement condemning the attack, calling it inhumane and cowardly. The president called for a full scale investigation. Massoud is a notable figure in Afghan politics. Not only was he a vice president of the county under Karzai, but his brother the late Ahmed Shah Massoud was heralded as a leader in the fight against the Taliban. Ahmed Shah Massoud, the leader of the Northern Alliance, the Taliban's main opposition, was killed September 9, 2001, by a bomb inside a video camera during an interview at his headquarters with Tunisian al Qaeda operatives posing as journalists. Meanwhile the International Committee of the Red Cross visited three Afghan security forces being held captive by the Taliban for the first time, the agency said Tuesday. The two visits occurred in late November in Badghis province in northwestern Afghanistan, the agency said. "This is the first time since the beginning of the current conflict that the ICRC has visited people detained by the armed opposition," said Reto Stocker, head of the ICRC's delegation in Kabul. "We plan to conduct and repeat visits in other regions, and hope to visit people held by other armed opposition groups, with the aim of ensuring that everyone detained in relation to the armed conflict is treated humanely." The ICRC says it regularly visits detained people in conflict zones to assess their conditions and treatment. The agency say it currently currently visits 136 places of detention in Afghanistan. -- CNN's Tim Schwarz and Fred Pleitgen contributed to this report
|
[
"Who is Hamid Karzai?",
"When did Red Cross visit captives?",
"When did the blast hit?",
"who was dead in the incident",
"what did the red cross say",
"When did the red cross visit the captives?",
"Was Massoud harmed?",
"was zia massoud hurt"
] |
[
[
"Afghan President"
],
[
"late November"
],
[
"Tuesday,"
],
[
"at least eight people"
],
[
"it regularly visits detained people in conflict zones to assess their conditions and treatment."
],
[
"in late November"
],
[
"not"
],
[
"not harmed in the attack."
]
] |
Dead included one of former Afghan VP's guards and an assistant .
Blast hit as Afghan President Hamid Karzai at nearby anti-corruption convention .
Former Vice President Ahmad Zia Massoud not harmed in the attack .
Red Cross says it visited three captives of the Taliban in November .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- An investigation into an attack that killed eight U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan last year said the combat outpost was an "attractive target" because protection improvements hadn't been made and intelligence assets had been diverted. These were main points in the findings released Friday by the U.S. military into the probe of the October 3 attack on Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. The attack killed eight U.S. service members and wounded 22 others. Based on the recommendations in the investigation, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top coalition military commander in Afghanistan, "took appropriate action regarding Army personnel involved." The report also praised soldiers of B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary for repelling the assault by a force of 300 militants. Commanders must regularly assess "the value and vulnerabilities" of combat outposts, said the report, which "made several recommendations to improve coalition tactics." The base had been scheduled to be closed before the attack occurred, and "needed force protection improvements (which) were not made" because of the imminent closure. "Critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets which had been supporting COP Keating had been diverted to assist ongoing intense combat operations in other areas," the report said. It also said "intelligence assessments had become desensitized to reports of massing enemy formations by previous reports that had proved false." All of these factors "resulted in an attractive target for enemy fighters." The military says militants had been planning the attack for days, hiding mortars, rockets and heavy machine guns in the mountains. The assault started around dawn as bullets and rockets peppered the remote outpost October 3 and lasted for 12 hours, pinning down the exhausted troops. One soldier said afterward the insurgency was so fierce that the troops couldn't get to their weapons to fire back. They called in air support to help thwart the militants. "They were under heavy enemy contact," Sgt. Jayson Souter said. Four servicemen -- Souter, a fellow soldier, an Apache helicopter pilot and a gunner -- talked to a military reporter about their roles during the Keating attack in an interview posted by the Department of Defense on Facebook and NATO's International Security Assistance Force YouTube Channel. Chief Warrant Officer Ross Lewallen, an Apache pilot, said a few aircraft were damaged in what was a "time-consuming endeavor" governed by tough terrain. He said the morning battle was "significant," but later troops were able to identify targets and eliminate larger weapons. "One of the primary reasons for the fight taking so long is that it is an extreme terrain," he said in the interview. The report said the troops killed 150 enemy fighters and "found that the soldiers and junior leaders fought heroically in repelling an enemy force five times their size. "Members of B Troop upheld the highest standards of warrior ethics and professionalism and distinguished themselves with conspicuous gallantry, courage, and bravery under the heavy enemy fire that surrounded them."
|
[
"who was attacking the base",
"where was the base located",
"what did Lack of protection improvements make?",
"where there any causualties",
"how long did attack on Combat Outpost Keating last?",
"Lack of protection made the combat outpost what?",
"when was attack on Combat Outpost Keating?",
"When was the attack on Combat Outpost Keating?"
] |
[
[
"300 militants."
],
[
"Kamdesh district"
],
[
"\"attractive target\""
],
[
"The attack killed eight U.S. service members and wounded 22 others."
],
[
"12 hours,"
],
[
"\"attractive target\""
],
[
"October 3"
],
[
"October 3"
]
] |
Lack of protection improvements made combat outpost an "attractive target"
Intelligence failures also made the base vulnerable to a strike from militants .
October 3 attack on Combat Outpost Keating lasted for 12 hours .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Conflicting accounts of a botched NATO raid that killed five Afghans in February have led to a new investigation ordered by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, a NATO military spokesman said Monday.
Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, a NATO spokesman, said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who oversees all U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, called for the review after receiving a briefing from Afghan officials in late March.
On Sunday, NATO acknowledged that its troops killed five Afghans in the nighttime raid in February, after initially saying the civilians may have been the victims of an "honor killing."
Although civilian casualties at the hands of NATO troops have fallen off in recent months, such incidents have strained the relationship between Afghanistan and the Western nations that make up the International Security Assistance Force.
According to two U.S. military officials, in the March briefing, Afghan officials from the Interior Ministry told McChrystal that after the incident, they visited the compound where the Afghans were killed and found evidence of bloodstained walls being washed down and bullets being dug out.
McChrystal wants a thorough review now to see why U.S. and Afghan accounts differ so greatly, according to one of the sources, a senior U.S. official familiar with the briefing.
The senior U.S. official said that by the time the Afghan investigators got to the compound, the people who lived there may have been attempting to clean it up. NATO officials believe the U.S. and Afghan troops may have dug some bullets out of the wall for purposes of the initial investigation, which is a common practice, the official said.
In March, the International Security Assistance Force released a statement denying a report by a British newspaper that NATO had covered up the involvement of troops in the incident.
U.S. officials continue to deny that there was any coverup of U.S. involvement. "We have no evidence to date anything improper was done," the senior U.S. official said.
At the time of the February 12 incident, NATO said its troops went to a compound in the village of Khatabeh in Paktia province, believing it to be a militant hideout. A firefight ensued, and several insurgents died, NATO said at the time.
When soldiers entered the compound, they found the bodies of two men and two women who had been shot "execution-style," a senior U.S. military official said then.
"It has the earmarks of a traditional honor killing," the official said, adding that the women were found bound and gagged.
An honor killing is a slaying carried out by a family or community member against someone thought to have brought dishonor to them.
The senior U.S. military official said that at the time, it wasn't clear whether dishonor in the case stemmed from accusations of acts such as adultery or even cooperation with NATO forces.
But on Sunday, NATO made an about-face from its earlier claims.
"International forces were responsible for the deaths of three women who were in the same compound where two men were killed by the joint Afghan-international patrol searching for a Taliban insurgent," NATO said in a statement. There was no explanation given for the cause of the third woman's death or why it wasn't mentioned previously.
The two armed men whom troops killed were not insurgents, NATO said Sunday.
"The force went to the compound based on reliable information in search of a Taliban insurgent and believed that the two men posed a threat to their personal safety," the NATO statement said. "We now understand that the men killed were only trying to protect their families."
NATO said a lack of forensic evidence made it difficult to determine how or when the three women died. But it concluded that they were killed when troops fired at the men.
As for the initial report about the women being found bound and gagged, the NATO statement said it stemmed from a cultural misunderstanding.
"The statement noted the women had been bound and gagged, but this information was taken from an initial report by the international members of the joint force who were not familiar with Islamic burial customs,"
|
[
"who was killed",
"How many were men and how many women?",
"How many civilians did NATO kill?",
"What did NATO say about the deaths?"
] |
[
[
"five Afghans"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"\"honor killing.\""
]
] |
NATO: Acknowledges killing 5 civilians in nighttime February raid .
At time, NATO said deaths had earmarks of honor killing .
Three women, two men were found killed in compound in village of Khatabeh .
Civilian casualties have strained Afghan relations with Western nations .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Deadly blasts targeting foreign nationals in the Afghan capital Friday killed at least 17 people and wounded many others. Authorities were trying to determine how many people died and the nationalities of those slain. Kabir Al-Amiri, an employee at Kabul hospital, said eight Indians and one Pakistani national were among the dead. Afghan Interior Ministry officials said an Italian was killed, and the Indian Embassy said four Indians were killed in the attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks near the Safi Landmark Hotel in the neighborhood of Shahr-E-Naw, where there are a number of government buildings and U.N. offices as well as supermarkets, banks, diplomatic facilities and villas for well-to-do Afghans. The force of the first explosion -- at about 6:30 a.m. (9 p.m. Thursday ET) -- shook parts of the Afghan capital as windows shattered and smoke billowed. The sound of gunfire filled the air. The attack started with a suicide car bomb and four suicide bombers with explosive-laden vests, said Taliban spokesman Zaidullah Mujahid. Three of the bombers were killed, he said. About 20 minutes later, a second large explosion occurred. Afghan police blocked off roads leading to the area of the blasts. CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report
|
[
"How many bombers were killed?",
"Who claimed responsibility for attacks?",
"What is the number of people killed in attacks in Kabul?",
"Were any of the bombers killed?",
"Who were killed?",
"Who claimed responsibility for the attacks?",
"How many were killed in attacks in Kabul?",
"How many people were killed in the Kabul attacks?"
] |
[
[
"Three"
],
[
"The Taliban"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"Three of the"
],
[
"at least 17 people"
],
[
"The Taliban"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"at least 17"
]
] |
17 killed in attacks in Kabul, nationalities still to be confirmed .
Taliban claim responsibility for attacks, which started with suicide car bomb .
Three bombers were killed, Taliban spokesman says .
Neighborhood has a number of government buildings and U.N. offices .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Four people found dead in a southeastern Afghan compound appear to be victims of an honor killing, a senior U.S. military official said on Friday.
The bodies were discovered during an operation by Afghan and NATO-led forces in Paktia province, a volatile region along the border of Pakistan.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force said the bodies of two men and two women were found, with the women bound and gagged, and the U.S. official said the people were shot "execution-style."
An honor killing is a murder carried out by a family or community member against someone thought to have brought dishonor onto them.
The U.S. official said it isn't clear whether the dishonor in this case stemmed from accusations of acts such as adultery or even cooperating with NATO forces.
"It has the earmarks of a traditional honor killing," said the official, who added the Taliban could be responsible.
Afghan and NATO officials are investigating the incident, which occurred in the village of Khatabeh in the province's Gardez district.
The operation unfolded when Afghan and international forces went to the compound, which was thought to be a site of militant activity. A firefight ensued and several insurgents died, several people left the compound, and eight others were detained.
Paktia is the same province where a military base was the target of an assault that wounded five U.S. soldiers on Thursday, authorities said. Both the U.S. official and a Paktia province spokesman confirmed that a suicide attacker, apparently wearing police garb, carried out the action.
The U.S. official said it may never be fully determined if the uniform was stolen or the bomber was a turncoat.
On December 30, a suicide attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan killed seven CIA officers and a Jordanian army captain. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, also on a base in eastern Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, more than 20 "enemy militants" were killed Friday by Afghan and international forces in the country's western region, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.
The deaths occurred during an operation in Farah province targeting a Taliban commander thought to be responsible for planning suicide attacks, the military said.
When a militant threw a grenade at troops approaching a building, the forces called for his surrender, it said. The troops tried to enter the building when the militant detonated a suicide vest.
After that blast, a large number of armed militants tried to confront troops, who killed the insurgents, the military said. One alleged militant was injured and five were detained, it said. Troops found weaponry, such as grenades, firearms and handheld radios.
Farah borders Helmand province, where international and Afghan troops are gearing up for a major assault on the Taliban.
CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
|
[
"what happened to bodies",
"what was found in compound",
"where were bodies found?",
"where were the bodies found?",
"how many bodies were found?",
"where were bodies hidden?"
] |
[
[
"were shot \"execution-style.\""
],
[
"Four people"
],
[
"a southeastern Afghan compound"
],
[
"southeastern Afghan compound"
],
[
"Four"
],
[
"southeastern Afghan compound"
]
] |
Bodies found in compound in southeast Afghanistan .
NATO: Two women and two men were shot "execution-style"
Bodies found hidden in a room after gunbattle .
Eight men held for questioning; authorities investigating .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fourteen Americans died in two helicopter crashes in Afghanistan on Monday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said: 10 in one incident and four in the other. Three Drug Enforcement Administration special agents were among the dead, according to the DEA, which did not identify them. The agents were first DEA agents to be killed in Afghanistan. "Like all those who give their lives in service to America, they were doing their duty, and they were doing this nation proud," President Obama said at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. "Now, it is our duty, as a nation, to keep their memory alive in our hearts and to carry on their work, to take care of their families, to keep our country safe," Obama said. It was the largest number of Americans killed in Afghanistan in a single day in more than four years, according to CNN records. The NATO force ruled out enemy fire in the crash that killed four Americans and said enemy action was not thought to be the cause of the other. A helicopter went down in the west of the country after a raid on suspected drug traffickers. Seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians were killed, according to an ISAF statement. Fourteen Afghan service members, 11 U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were injured in the crash. Monday's crash marked the second-deadliest incident in the agency's 36-year history, according to entries on the DEA's Web site. The deadliest incident for the DEA occurred August 27, 1994, when a plane carrying five special agents crashed in the Peruvian Andes during a reconnaissance mission, according to the DEA's Web site. One of Monday's helicopter crashes occurred after the helicopter was returning from a raid on a compound, ISAF said. The joint international security force killed more than a dozen enemy fighters while searching the compound, ISAF said. The site was thought to harbor insurgents tied to narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan. The militants were killed in a firefight when insurgents confronted the joint force. As the force was leaving, a helicopter "went down due to unconfirmed reasons," ISAF said. A recovery operation was launched. DEA Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart said the crash occurred as the agents and seven U.S. service members were returning "from a completed, joint counternarcotics mission." "DEA is an extremely tight family, and the death of these three brave agents is a devastating loss for us," she said in a written statement. Attorney General Eric Holder said the circumstances of the crash were under investigation. "I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of these heroic agents," Holder said in a written statement. "During this difficult time, the families of these agents are foremost in our thoughts and prayers." In Monday's other deadly crash, four U.S. service members were killed when two helicopters apparently collided in the air in southern Afghanistan. Two other NATO service members were injured. "The incident is currently being investigated, but it is confirmed that hostile fire was not involved," ISAF said. "Each and every death is a tremendous loss for the family and friends of each service member and civilian. Our grief is compounded when we have such a significant loss on one day," Col. Wayne Shanks, an ISAF spokesman, said in a written statement. ISAF is not announcing the names of the dead or which branch of the service they were in, pending the notification of their relatives. The DEA has had a presence in Afghanistan for four years. The agency said Monday that it is increasing its presence in Kabul to up to about 50 agents. CNN's Carol Cratty and Brooke Baldwin in Washington contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many service members and civilians were killed",
"Where was the helicopter flying to?",
"How many people died in the crash?",
"What type of vehicle crashed?",
"When did the helicopters collide?",
"How many Dea personnel were among the victims?",
"When did two copters collide?"
] |
[
[
"Fourteen"
],
[
"returning from a raid on a compound,"
],
[
"Fourteen Americans"
],
[
"helicopter"
],
[
"Monday,"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Monday,"
]
] |
Helicopter crash victims "gave their lives ... to protect ours," president says .
Three DEA personnel are among victims .
Seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians killed in one crash .
Four other U.S. service members killed when two copters collided Monday .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Military divers have found the body of a U.S. paratrooper who went missing last week in a river in western Afghanistan. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said the soldier was found close to where he disappeared November 4. Officials are continuing their search for a second paratrooper lost at the same time. Both men -- from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division -- disappeared in the Morghab River near Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. The men were on a routine resupply mission, the NATO group said. Family members identified the recovered body as that of Benjamin Sherman, 21, of Plymouth, Massachusetts. They said he jumped into the river when he saw a fellow soldier struggling in the water. "I know that day he jumped into the river to try to save his comrade was because he didn't just see another soldier in the water; he saw his brother," said Sherman's sister, Meredith, in a statement to CNN affiliate WCVB in Boston, Massachusetts. "He didn't jump in because he was trained to but because that's what his heart told him to do." Sherman's mother, Denise, said the family called him "the unstoppable one." "I raised him with the understanding that when you choose to do something, you do it to the best of your ability," she said in a statement to WCVB. "He was powerful, ingenuous and determined." CNN's Thomas Evans contributed to this report.
|
[
"Who identifis recovered body·?",
"Where was Benjamin Sherman from?",
"where were they lost",
"who went missing",
"What were lost in Morghab?",
"Where did two U.S. soldiers go missing?",
"when did they go missing",
"Who identified the recovered body?"
] |
[
[
"Family members"
],
[
"Plymouth, Massachusetts."
],
[
"Morghab River near Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan."
],
[
"U.S. paratrooper"
],
[
"Both men"
],
[
"in a river in western Afghanistan."
],
[
"last week"
],
[
"Family members"
]
] |
Two U.S. soldiers went missing in Afghan river on November 4 .
Both lost in Morghab River near border with Turkmenistan .
Family identifies recovered body as that of Benjamin Sherman of Plymouth, Massachusetts .
Search continues for the other paratrooper .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- NATO troops in Afghanistan launched their biggest offensive of the war early Saturday, attacking what they call the last Taliban stronghold in a war-scarred southern province.
Military officials said the offensive -- dubbed Operation Moshtarak -- got under way at 2 a.m. (4:30 p.m. ET Friday). Moshtarak, a Dari word for "together," symbolizes the fact that combined forces are serving alongside one another.
"Insurgents who do not accept the government's offer to reintegrate and join the political process will be met with overwhelming force," the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command said in a statement. "However, the strongest of measures will be taken to protect the civilian population."
Some of about 15,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Afghanistan and Canada attacked Taliban targets in and around Marjah, a city of 80,000 to 100,000 residents, where the Taliban has set up a shadow government, coalition military authorities said.
By about 8 a.m. (10 p.m. ET Friday) two firefights had erupted between the Taliban and U.S. Marines in Marjah.
"Marjah is the last enemy sanctuary in the Marine area of operations," said Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan commanding general. "This operation is designed to reconnect the people of Marjah with the legitimate government of Afghanistan. We are fully partnered with the Afghan government for this operation, and we have the resources we need to be successful."
The Afghan government described the offensive -- carried out in central Helmand with the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, ISAF Regional Command (South), and the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team -- as "clearing" operations.
The coalition said its troops expected to confront up to 1,000 entrenched Taliban fighters. It said they also expected foreign Taliban fighters to battle to the death but were prepared for local Taliban members in Marjah to try to escape.
"We will follow the enemies and bring them to justice," said Gen. Mohiyiden Ghori of the Afghan National Army.
In the past few days, forces from Afghanistan, Britain and other nations conducted air and ground operations to prepare for the assault and dropped leaflets in and around Marjah warning residents not to allow the Taliban to enter their homes.
The allies had been unusually vocal in describing their plans for the assault.
"I think there's a certain strength in the Pashtunwali culture just from laying it out there in saying, 'Hey, we are coming. Deal with it,'" U.S. Marine Gen. Larry Nicholson said.
Some of the 30,000 additional U.S. troops that President Obama sent to Afghanistan were taking part in the fight.
More on Operation Moshtarak from Afghanistan Crossroads blog
The goal is to force the Taliban from Marjah to free the opium-rich province of Taliban influence and drug traffickers. It's an example of a U.S. strategy to focus on population centers and separate the Taliban from Afghan civilians.
"It's about the security of the population, not fighting down insurgent numbers," British Gen. Gordon Messenger has said.
About 3,000 U.S. Marines were involved in the fight.
The advance notice given to residents was expected to help avert civilian casualties, a problem that has hurt the military's credibility among Afghans. They were also trying to get those Taliban who aren't hard-core to turn in themselves and their weapons.
Reaching the battleground was expected to be a big challenge for NATO and Afghan troops. The tough terrain is hard for tanks to traverse.
The town of Marjah is surrounded by roadside bombs, military officials said.
They said the Taliban has had months to plant the bombs, most of them homemade mixes of ammonium nitrate, shrapnel fuel, salt or flour.
Such bombs -- which are detonated remotely or by pressure plates -- have caused about 80 percent of the deaths in fighting in Helmand province, military officials said.
"This is possibly the largest IED threat NATO has ever faced," Nicholson has said.
Massive armored vehicles, called assault breacher vehicles, were to lead the charge into Marjah, coalition authorities said before the offensive
|
[
"How many troops take part in effort to attack Taliban?",
"In what way are the residents being warned?",
"What are the troops attacking?",
"what is the us strategy",
"what was the number of troops",
"What is nation doing to prepare for assualt?"
] |
[
[
"15,000"
],
[
"dropped leaflets in and around Marjah"
],
[
"last Taliban stronghold"
],
[
"focus on population centers and separate the Taliban from Afghan civilians."
],
[
"15,000"
],
[
"conducted air and ground operations"
]
] |
15,000 multinational troops take part in effort to attack Taliban in Marjah .
Nations prepared for assault, dropping leaflets to warn residents .
Operation is part of U.S. strategy to focus on population centers .
"This is possibly the largest IED threat NATO has ever faced," U.S. general says .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Nine people killed in a military action targeting militants in eastern Afghanistan apparently were members of an insurgent network, a U.S. military official told CNN on Tuesday.
"The operation was against a network of folks, who had been tracked for a while, involved in producing IEDs as well as some criminal activity," said the official, who asked not to be named.
"As a result of the action, the best info that we have is that nine of those militants in that network were killed. That's based on weapons and IED components at the scene," and it appears the nine were males, the official said.
IED is the acronym for improvised explosive device, which is a roadside bomb.
U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan said Monday they were investigating reports that 10 Afghan civilians, including eight students, were killed Saturday in a coalition operation in the Narang district of Kunar province.
Said Fazelayallah, governor of Kunar province, told CNN Monday that 10 civilians, in fact, were killed. Coalition forces said they killed their targets, he said, but a delegation sent by the governor to investigate reported the civilian casualties.
Civilian casualties in the Afghan war have stoked outrage among the citizenry and Afghan authorities. U.S. and other international forces have been working to stop such fatalities, and they have accused Taliban militants of putting civilians in harm's way.
The United Nations in Afghanistan said on Tuesday that from January to October of this year, 1,404 deaths have been caused by insurgents; 465 have been caused by pro-government forces, such as NATO's International Security Assistance Force; and other causes have led to 165 civilian deaths.
In this Kunar province incident, Fazelayallah said the operation was launched without the knowledge of government officials in the province.
The U.S. military source said it was "a joint operation with Afghan and U.S. forces."
The numbers of civilian casualties have fallen off in recent months, since Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal took over as U.S. commander in Afghanistan.
The military's goal is to protect population centers to enable the government to improve security and governance, McChrystal told CNN's Christiane Amanpour earlier this month. Civilian casualties, he said, make it less likely that the Afghans will support the coalition.
"It is better to miss a target than to cause civilian casualties," he said. "We can always target enemy leaders later. We can't make up for the fact that we killed civilians."
CNN's Atia Abawi contributed to this report.
|
[
"How many civilians were killed in the coalition operation?",
"what did the source say",
"how many civilians were killed",
"How many militants were killed?",
"Where did the U.S.-led operation take place?",
"How many civilians were killed in coalition operation?",
"did teh governor say something"
] |
[
[
"10"
],
[
"said it was \"a joint operation with Afghan and U.S. forces.\""
],
[
"Nine people"
],
[
"nine"
],
[
"Narang district of Kunar province."
],
[
"10"
],
[
"10 civilians,"
]
] |
U.S. source: Nine militants involved in building roadside bombs were killed .
Provincial governor says panel found 10 civilians were killed in coalition operation .
The U.S.-led operation took place in the Narang district of Kunar province on Saturday .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- November 28th last year passed pretty quietly here. But in some ways it was more significant a date than today. That was when, by my calculations, U.S.-led coalition troops had been in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union was.
Today, they've been here 10 years.
That's almost impossible to contemplate. The time has drifted by, measured more in sacrifice and expenditure: The numbers of young soldiers who risked a lot to join the military and won't be going home. The immeasurable amount of money spent here, on roads that will be hard to maintain once the coalition leaves, on homes in Dubai for Afghan officials who should have known better.
Cruder calculations suggest the money spent on war each month here could alternatively be given straight to Afghans -- hundreds of dollars each a month. That would have been something in 2001, but now the huge inflation of war makes it comparative small change.
General Stanley McChrystal, the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said Thursday the coalition is only 50 per cent of the way there.
It is likely McChrystal, who lost his job after he and his team were quoted extensively in Rolling Stone magazine, will be remembered as the great truth-teller of the war that ended his military career. For a little while, his bluntly pessimistic assessments felt like there was someone in charge who knew how bad and how complicated it was, and how long the road ahead would be.
As one of McChrystal's top aides, Maj. Gen Bill Mayville, told Rolling Stone in that same article: "It's not going to look like a win, smell like a win or taste like a win."
But after McChrystal's hasty departure, the war seemed to revert to crisis management again.
His replacement as commander of U.S. and ISAF troops in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus had little time in the job before the collapse in domestic support -- dare I even say comprehension -- of the war led Obama to begin thinking about the exit.
It has been curious to see Obama, the presidential candidate who seemed to understand the importance of leaving this country in a manageable state, become the drum beater for an exit. The war is not a vote-winner after Bin Laden's death, and there's simply no money left in the kitty.
Some things are better: there's money everywhere here; there's better healthcare in some places; there's technology the Taliban held at bay; there are hospitals and schools where before there were none.
But it's not a proper democracy; it's not safe; the vast majority of people here are still poor and illiterate; and it's still got the Taliban, al Qaeda and a lot of narco-traffickers in play.
Now the timetable is set, the battle of perception, as NATO called it, being fought with one unmistakable backdrop: The Americans want out.
The NATO message is being persistently and deftly put out there: We are making security good enough for the Afghans to handle. You hear that message, come hell or high water, almost independent of what's happening on the ground.
It's easy to understand why: It may be there's not much more America can do here, bar stay another 10 years.
|
[
"Who are still poor and illiterate?",
"What are the majority of people in Afghanistan subject to?",
"What do they have that is better than before?",
"Who has been in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union was?",
"Who have been in Afghanistan longer than Russia?",
"How long have US troops been in Afghanistan?"
] |
[
[
"vast majority of people"
],
[
"poor and illiterate;"
],
[
"healthcare in some places;"
],
[
"U.S.-led coalition troops"
],
[
"U.S.-led coalition troops"
],
[
"10 years."
]
] |
U.S.-led coalition troops have been in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union was .
The vast majority of people in Afghanistan are still poor and illiterate .
There's better healthcare and technology, but still no proper democracy .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday -- the eve of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's inauguration for a second term -- that now is a "critical moment" for Afghanistan, because Karzai has a "clear window" to demonstrate what kind of government he will lead. Speaking to staff members at the U.S. Embassy, Clinton said there is a careful and thoughtful review of U.S. policy going on "because we know this is a turning point." "We want to be a strong partner to people of Afghanistan," she said, "and to the government." Clinton met with embassy staff before meeting with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Afterward, she had dinner with Karzai. The two, flanked by their senior aides, met at a second-floor reception room at Karzai's palace. They spoke about Clinton's travel schedule and about the planning for Karzai's Thursday inauguration. They also spoke about the difficulty in accommodating all the Afghans who want to attend the ceremony. The government expects about 800 people to attend in all; some will have to stand. Clinton's attendance at the inauguration will show U.S. support for Karzai's government after an election that was tainted by fraudulent balloting. Karzai is under intense international pressure to clean up corruption within his government, and Clinton was to deliver a tough message on the need to show results, a senior U.S. official tells CNN. The senior U.S. official, who is not authorized to speak publicly about details of Clinton's meeting with Karzai, said the Obama administration already is discussing with the Karzai government specific "benchmarks" that will require Afghan ministries to be certified as "open and transparent" if they are to receive direct payments from the U.S. government. If ministries are not certified as open and transparent, they can continue to receive technical assistance, but not direct U.S. funding, the official says. If the assessments determine that the ministry needs additional specific technical assistance to be certified, the U.S. will provide it. Clinton's first visit to Afghanistan as secretary of state comes as President Obama is deciding whether to send up to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by McChrystal. A major factor in Obama's decision on how many troops to send to Afghanistan centers on the Afghan government's ability to partner with the United States to fight the Taliban. In the past several weeks, Eikenberry has sent two cables to Washington expressing reservations about troop increases amid lingering concerns about Karzai and the uncertainty about the government he will put in place. On Sunday, Clinton said she had "made it clear" that the United States won't provide civilian aid to Afghanistan's government agencies without an effective certification process that shows the money will be spent on its intended purposes. "We believe that President Karzai and his government can do better," Clinton said on the ABC broadcast "This Week," adding that Obama's administration was "looking for tangible evidence" that the Karzai administration would be more responsive to the needs of the Afghan people. She cited the need for the Karzai government to crack down on fraud and "demonstrate there's not impunity for those who are corrupt." The senior U.S. official says the United States has certified departments in the Ministries of Public Health, Communications and Finance to receive direct U.S. government assistance. During the next three months, he says, it will assess the Ministries of Education; Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock; and Rural Rehabilitation and Development. Two assessments will be carried out -- financial and procurement -- at each ministry. If those assessments determine that the procurement, financial, and expenditure systems are adequate, the U.S. will certify them as having the capacity to accept direct assistance. The Afghan government already has announced it is creating a commission that will investigate allegations of corruption. It also says it will create a tribunal in the Justice Ministry that will prosecute corruption cases that the commission has investigated. This U.S. official says the United States is not trying to "hector, lecture or look over the
|
[
"Who is Clinton meeting with?",
"What type of pressure is Karazi under?",
"What even will Clinton be attending?",
"What event will Clinton be attending?",
"What persons did clinton meet with?",
"What is under review?",
"Where is Clinton going?",
"What is Karzai under pressure to achieve?"
] |
[
[
"embassy staff"
],
[
"clean up corruption within his government,"
],
[
"Hamid Karzai's inauguration"
],
[
"Hamid Karzai's inauguration"
],
[
"U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan."
],
[
"U.S. policy"
],
[
"Afghanistan."
],
[
"clean up corruption within his government,"
]
] |
U.S. policy under review because "this is a turning point," she tells U.S. Embassy staff .
Clinton meets with U.S. ambassador, military commander in Afghanistan .
Clinton will attend President Hamid Karzai's inauguration for second term .
Karzai under pressure to clean up corruption in government .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took off her diplomatic gloves Thursday, challenging Pakistan to crack down on terrorist havens on its side of the border with Afghanistan.
In a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Clinton -- in unusually forceful language -- laid almost all of the blame for recent terror attacks on Pakistan.
The United States, she said, knows the Haqqani terrorist network operates out of havens in Pakistan.
"We intend to push the Pakistanis very hard," Clinton said, calling it a "time for clarity."
"Our message is very clear: We're going to be fighting, we're going to be talking, we're going to be building," she said. "And they can either be helping or hindering. But we are not going to stop our efforts to create a strong foundation for an Afghanistan free from interference, violent conflict and one that has a chance to chart its own future."
Clinton headed straight to Pakistan after her stop in Afghanistan, accompanied by CIA Director David Petraeus and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
She is expected to meet with Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, to stress that transitioning to Afghan security is in the interest of Pakistan, senior officials said.
Earlier Thursday, Clinton's focus was on Afghanistan, where she met with Karzai and other government officials for talks aimed at boosting reconciliation efforts in the nation.
The top U.S. diplomat said she was working toward a peaceful Afghanistan.
"No people in the world deserve it more," she said.
Shortly before taking off for Pakistan, Clinton told reporters that the death of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi, which at that time was not confirmed, would "add legitimacy and relief to the formation of a new government."
Her visit to Afghanistan followed a stop in Libya, the first by a Cabinet-level American official since the ouster of the longtime strongman. She landed under tight security as forces loyal to the transitional government continued to battle Gadhafi loyalists.
Earlier Thursday, Clinton met with representatives of Afghan civil society, including human rights activists who address various issues including education, gender-based violence and youth empowerment.
"These are some of my heroes," she said as she greeted them at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
Her visit comes as the nation pursues peace with the Taliban after years of insurgency.
The effort suffered a major setback following the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani, an Afghan political figure and former president who led the peace council.
Rabbani was killed at home last month by suicide bombers posing as Taliban peace mediators.
Clinton offered condolences to Salahuddin Rabbani, the oldest son of the slain leader, who was part of a roundtable Thursday.
"He tried to do the right thing," she said.
The United States supports Karzai and recognizes the blow to the peace effort since Rabbani's assassination, the official said.
In addition to the reconciliation efforts, Clinton also was to discuss Pakistan's relations with the nation and the upcoming Afghan transition.
Coalition forces are in the process of transferring security control to Afghan forces ahead of a U.S. drawdown set to be completed by the end of 2014.
The 33,000 additional American troops sent last year are scheduled to depart the war-torn country fully by September next year.
CNN's Jamie Crawford contributed to this report.
|
[
"What are they going to do in Pakistan",
"Where is Clinton?",
"In what country is she visiting?",
"Who is accompanying her",
"Who is working toward the peace?",
"What did she say?",
"Who arrived in Pakistan",
"Who is with her on the trip?"
] |
[
[
"to be talking, we're"
],
[
"Afghanistan."
],
[
"Pakistan"
],
[
"CIA Director David Petraeus and Gen. Martin Dempsey,"
],
[
"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"\"We intend to push the Pakistanis very hard,\""
],
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"CIA Director David Petraeus and Gen. Martin Dempsey,"
]
] |
NEW: Hillary Clinton arrives in Pakistan after stern words on the need to tackle terror .
Clinton: We're going to be fighting, talking and building in Pakistan .
CIA chief, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman accompanying her .
Clinton says she is working toward a peaceful Afghanistan .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Seven insurgents were killed when a group of more than a dozen men launched an early morning attack on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials said.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Clarence Counts said that five service members were wounded in the attack and a building suffered minor damage. He said the attack included rockets, small arms and grenades.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told CNN that 20 armed men wearing suicide vests stormed the base around 4 a.m. (7:30 p.m. Tuesday ET), with four of them detonating explosives at the entrances to allow the other men to move in. Mujahid said that a "major firefight" took place inside the base.
But Army Specialist Christina Dion, a spokeswoman who both lives an works on the base, told CNN that personnel were ordered to enter bunkers when the base came under attack and were allowed to return to their huts and tents about 90 minutes later.
"We're always prepared to deal with attacks on our base," Counts said. "The response this morning was immediate."
The fighting eventually tapered off about 7:30 a.m. local time, said NATO spokesman Lt. Col Todd Breasseale.
Another Bagram spokeswoman, Maj. Virginia McCabe, could not say if flights into and out of the air base had been stopped and said that authorities are investigating how the incident started.
"Established security procedures are in place," she said, adding that personnel with "mission-essential" responsibilities were continuing to work.
Bagram is a heavily fortified base, its perimeter guarded by high fences and thick, concrete walls. Dion said she didn't believe anyone could have made their way into the main portion of the base.
Taliban fighters have lobbed rockets into the base in previous attacks.
CNN's Adam Levine and Paula Hancocks contributed to this report.
|
[
"how many men in suicide vests stormed base in \"major firefight\"?",
"what does the Army spokeswoman says about the personnel?",
"Five members were hurt on what?",
"What did personnel order?",
"How many service members were hurt?",
"What does the Taliban spokesman say?",
"how many members hurt?",
"how many armed mens were in suicide vest according to a Taliban spokesman?"
] |
[
[
"20"
],
[
"five service members were wounded in the attack and a building suffered minor damage."
],
[
"Bagram Air Base"
],
[
"to enter bunkers when the base came under attack and were allowed to return to their huts and tents about 90 minutes later."
],
[
"five"
],
[
"20 armed men wearing suicide vests stormed the base around 4 a.m."
],
[
"five service"
],
[
"20"
]
] |
Five service members hurt, building damaged in attack using rockets, small arms, grenades .
Personnel ordered to bunkers for 90 minutes after airbase attacked, Army spokeswoman says .
Taliban spokesman says 20 armed men in suicide vests stormed base in "major firefight"
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The bodies of three American contractors who died in a plane crash in Afghanistan earlier this month have been recovered, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Tuesday. The C-12 plane went down in the mountains of Nuristan province October 13, but the military withheld information about it until the recovery operation was complete, ISAF said in a statement. The crew were subcontractors working for Lockheed Martin, the company confirmed. A spokesman named two of them as Jeff Lehner, a former Air Force member working for Sierra Nevada, and Randolph Bergquist, a former Marine working for Avenge. They are not releasing the third name at the family's request. Thomas Casey of Lockheed Martin confirmed the third victim was the co-pilot and also worked for Avenge. The cause of the crash that killed them is not yet clear, but it is not thought to be enemy action, ISAF said. A helicopter sent to recover the remains October 17 itself made "a hard landing" that required the crew to be rescued, ISAF said. The helicopter was stripped of sensitive parts Wednesday and destroyed in place Sunday, ISAF said.
|
[
"What is the cause of the crash?",
"Which crashed October 13?",
"Who worked for Lockheed Martin?",
"Who was sent to recover remains?",
"Where did the plane go down?",
"what happen to the crew of copter?"
] |
[
[
"not yet clear,"
],
[
"C-12 plane"
],
[
"three American contractors"
],
[
"A helicopter"
],
[
"mountains of Nuristan province"
],
[
"died in a plane crash"
]
] |
3 contractors killed when plane went down in mountains of Nuristan province .
Plane, a C-12, crashed October 13; crew worked for Lockheed Martin .
Cause of crash not yet clear, but it is not thought to be enemy action .
Crew of copter sent to recover remains had to be rescued after hard landing .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, expressed regret Monday after more than two dozen civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike.
Twenty-seven civilians died and 14 others were wounded in the incident Sunday in the central Daikondi province, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.
Ground forces at the scene found women and children among the casualties, the Afghan government and NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a joint statement.
The U.S military told CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr they "accept" the Afghan government's death toll. ISAF said it had ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, while the Afghan cabinet called the attack "unjustifiable."
"We are extremely saddened by the tragic loss of innocent lives," said McChrystal, who spoke to President Hamid Karzai Sunday evening to express his sorrow and regret over the incident.
"I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people, and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission. We will re-double our efforts to regain that trust."
Commanders ordered the daylight NATO airstrike because they had specific intelligence that a group of Taliban in vehicles was heading towards coalition forces on the ground, according to a senior U.S. military official.
"Air assets picked up the movement of the vehicles and after an extensive overhead monitoring, the ground force commander ordered the strike," said the official, who declined to be identified because of ongoing investigations.
The source would not discuss what activities the convoy took that led to suspicions it contained insurgents other than its location.
The convoy of three vehicles was traveling to Kandahar province when it was struck, said Zemeri Bashary, the spokesman for the interior ministry.
NATO confirmed its forces fired on the vehicles, believing that they were carrying insurgents.
In a statement published in Pashtun and Dari, the Afghan cabinet said it condemned "the repeated killing of civilians by NATO." An English version of the statement did not include that sentence.
Civilian casualties at the hands of U.S. and NATO troops have strained relations between Afghanistan and the United States.
In the last two weeks alone, more than 50 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed in more than half a dozen U.S. and NATO military operations.
The coalition is also investigating reports that several Afghan policemen were accidentally killed in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan on February 18.
McChrystal has made avoiding civilian casualties a top priority, and he has apologized to the Afghan government for recent incidents.
The numbers have dropped in recent months since McChrystal took over as U.S. commander.
The U.S. military official said McChrystal is updating a directive issued to troops last summer aimed at reducing civilian casualties.
The official said the intent now is to "make it more precise and understandable by the most junior member of the force."
Some forces have complained the directive has led to overly restrictive rules on conducting operations.
Meanwhile, an influential Afghan tribal leader was among 14 people killed in a suicide attack on a meeting of tribal elders on Monday in Nangarhar province's Khogyani district, Afghan police said according to Agence France-Presse.
Haji Zaman Ghamsharik was credited with bringing relative stability to Nangarhar compared to other provinces in Afghanistan's volatile eastern border region.
Elsewhere, an insurgent rocket struck a car in Kapisa province Monday and killed one civilian, officials said. Five others were wounded in the attack.
Earlier, Afghan officials had blamed the attack on a NATO ground-to-ground missile but later corrected the account.
CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report
|
[
"About what did the commander express regrets ?",
"who calls the attack unjustifiable",
"What is the name of the regretful commander?",
"How many civilians died in the attack ?",
"Over what does the US commander express regret?",
"who was saddened by the loss of lives",
"What was General McChrystal reaction to the airstrike ?",
"who expressed regret over the nato airstrike",
"How many civilians died?"
] |
[
[
"more than two dozen civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike."
],
[
"Afghan cabinet"
],
[
"General Stanley McChrystal,"
],
[
"Twenty-seven"
],
[
"two dozen civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike."
],
[
"McChrystal,"
],
[
"regret"
],
[
"General Stanley McChrystal,"
],
[
"Twenty-seven"
]
] |
U.S. commander in Afghanistan expresses regret over NATO airstrike .
Gen. McChrystal says "extremely saddened by tragic loss of innocent lives"
27 civilians died, 14 wounded in attack, Afghan Interior Ministry says .
Afghanistan calls attack "unjustifiable"; ISAF launches investigation .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The investigation into the suicide bombing that killed 17 people on Saturday suggests it was the work of the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, an Afghan official said Monday.
"We have some contacts and some evidence on the ground and some information about the vehicles used and the people used," Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said, stressing that the results of the investigation were preliminary.
"This is another sophisticated attack by the operatives of the Haqqani network, and we are also optimistic to arrest some of their operatives in Kabul in the days ahead," he said.
However, a spokesman for international forces in Afghanistan, which lost nine troops in the attack, said they have no indications yet that the Haqqani network was involved.
"All we have seen so far is that the Taliban have claimed responsibility. That doesn't necessarily mean that it was them, but we have no other indications," said Brig. Gen. Cartsen Jacobsen. "The case has to be looked at."
Another International Security Assistance Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, added that their intelligence at this point gave no indication of the involvement of the Haqqanis.
The Saturday attack killed 13 people in a NATO convoy and four Afghan civilians. Nine of the 13 were American, including five U.S. troops. The blast also claimed the lives of two British civilians, a Kosovo national and a Canadian soldier.
U.S. officials have been increasingly vocal about the threat posed by the Haqqani network in recent months, arguing the organization has ties to Pakistani intelligence and enjoys safe havens in the country from whence it is able to launch attacks across the border in Afghanistan.
In September, then-U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen called the Haqqani network a "veritable arm of Pakistan's intelligence."
A Pentagon report on the war in Afghanistan released last week said that the ability of insurgents to flee to safe havens in Pakistan was the biggest risk to the effort to stabilize Afghanistan after nearly a decade of war. The report singled out the Haqqani network as one that has carried out major attacks.
Founded in Pakistan to fight against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the Haqqani network has been blamed for killing more than 1,000 coalition and Afghan forces, including attacks on the U.S. Embassy and other targets in Kabul.
Pakistani officials have rejected claims that they support the group, but acknowledge that they are in contact with it.
This month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged that U.S. representatives met with Haqqani officials to discuss the possibility of negotiations that would end hostilities.
|
[
"U.S officials have sounded alarms about what network?",
"What does ISAF stand for?",
"What is the Haqqani network?",
"What were the vehicles used for?",
"Who said they have no indications Haqqani network was involved?"
] |
[
[
"Haqqani"
],
[
"International Security Assistance Force"
],
[
"\"veritable arm of Pakistan's intelligence.\""
],
[
"suicide bombing"
],
[
"a spokesman for international forces in Afghanistan,"
]
] |
NEW: ISAF spokesmen say they have no indications Haqqani network was involved .
Interior ministry spokesman cites evidence about vehicles used, people involved .
U.S. officials have sounded alarms about the network and its ties to Pakistan .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The top U.S. general in Afghanistan vowed that coalition forces "are absolutely going to secure Kandahar," as security efforts expand in the country's south. "We already are doing a lot of security operations in Kandahar, but it's our intent -- under President [Hamid] Karzai -- to make an even greater effort there," Gen. Stanley McChrystal told a joint news conference Monday with Mark Sedwill, the NATO senior civilian representative to the country. The news conference coincided with a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who was also to meet with Karzai. McChrystal indicated a military operation could begin in the volatile Kandahar province as early as this summer, but both Sedwill and McChrystal cautioned that much political groundwork lay ahead for NATO-led coalition troops before an offensive can begin. Just as in the recent Marjah operation, the goal, they said, is to gain the support of the Afghan people. "What I think we've learned about operations in Afghanistan ... is if you try to push against the culture, you have huge problems," McChrystal said. "What we're trying to achieve in Kandahar is to do the political groundwork so when it's time to do the military operation, the significant part of the population is pulling us in and supportive so we're not only doing what they want but we're operating in a way that they're comfortable with. That's the key to success here." McChrystal said the goal "is to demonstrate again that we can operate in a way where we've got strong resolve by the government of Afghanistan, effective performance by the Afghan military and coalition partners, and government partners, so that as we do an operation that shows the people of Kandahar, and the Taliban as well, that operations like this actually result in a better outcome for everyone." He declined to comment specifically on when the Kandahar offensive will begin, but said "our forces will be significantly increased around there by early summer." "There won't be a 'D-Day' that is climactic," McChrystal said. "It will be a rising tide of security as it comes." The push to secure Kandahar from what McChrystal calls a "menacing Taliban presence" is part of a larger counterinsurgency effort in the country's south, started last month in Marjah in southern Helmand province. Long a bastion of pro-Taliban sentiment and awash with the opium used to fund the insurgency, the Marjah region has been known as the heroin breadbasket of Afghanistan and as a place where the Taliban had set up a shadow government. The hope now is for the United States to persuade the locals to change their crops from poppies -- grown to produce opium for the Taliban's drug trade -- and instead grow crops such as wheat, which can help them survive and provide income as well. Sedwill and McChrystal praised the early stages of the Marjah offensive, with Sedwill calling it a "template for the way we want to take this campaign forward over the next year to 18 months." McChrystal said that in addition to the strategic importance of the Marjah offensive, the operation was a "demonstration to the Afghan people, to the international community, to the Pakistanis, and very important to the Taliban as well, that things have changed."
|
[
"Where is the planned military operation located?"
] |
[
[
"Kandahar,"
]
] |
McChrystal indicates a military operation could begin in Kandahar as early as summer .
Sedwill praises Marjah offensive as "template" for next year to 18 months .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Troops with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan have seized more than 6,000 pounds of illegal drugs, the force said. Troops found more than 5,300 pounds of processed opium, more than 1,000 pounds of wet opium paste, approximately 50 pounds of heroin, and multiple firearms with ammunition were found in the truck, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said. Authorities arrested two people and destroyed most of the drugs, though they kept some narcotics to analyze. The confiscation took place Wednesday in southern Afghanistan -- in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province -- after troops stopped a "suspicious" truck. Afghan opium kills 100,000 people a year worldwide -- more than any other drug -- and the opiate heroin kills five times as many people in NATO countries each year than the total number of NATO troops killed in combat in Afghanistan, a recent U.N. report said. About 15 million people around the world use heroin, opium or morphine, fueling a $65 billion market for the drug and also fueling terrorism and insurgencies. The Taliban raised $450 million to $600 million over the past four years by "taxing" opium farmers and traffickers, Antonio Maria Costa, head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, said in a report last autumn. Not all the money is going into the pockets of rebels or drug dealers, though. Some Afghan officials are making money off the trade as well, he said.
|
[
"Which drug kills more than any other worldwide?",
"where did they seize the drugs",
"How many pounds of illegal drugs were seized?",
"how much was found",
"what kind of drugs did they find",
"What number are killed every year?"
] |
[
[
"opium"
],
[
"southern Afghanistan -- in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province"
],
[
"6,000"
],
[
"more than 5,300 pounds of processed opium, more than 1,000 pounds of wet opium paste, approximately 50 pounds of heroin, and multiple firearms with ammunition"
],
[
"processed opium,"
],
[
"100,000"
]
] |
NATO-led troops in Afghanistan seized more than 6,000 pounds of illegal drugs .
Haul included more than 5,300 pounds of processed opium .
Troops stopped a "suspicious" truck in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province .
Afghan opium kills 100,000 people a year worldwide -- more than any other drug .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that the United States "will never turn our back" on Afghanistan. Gates, who is on an unannounced visit in the war zone, held a joint news conference with Karzai. "President Obama is sending 30,000 more U.S. troops, the first of which are scheduled to arrive within days," Gates said. "Afghanistan's international partners have pledged at least 7,000 additional troops; when all is said and done, some 43 nations will make up a force." Gates also was scheduled to meet with Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, as well as American military officials. Karzai has asked for patience as his nation struggles to take control of its own security. "A number of years Afghanistan will not be able to sustain our force with our own resources, " Karzai told reporters. "We hope the international community and the U.S. will help Afghanistan reach the ability to sustain our force with numbers and equipment." Obama has said that U.S. forces will begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in July 2011 -- at which point international troops would begin to turn over security responsibility to Afghan forces. Gates spoke about the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan on Tuesday. "Our relationship with Afghanistan is a long-term commitment," Gates said. "As security improves our relationship grows ... especially with economic and political development. As President Obama said, we will never turn our back on the region." Karzai also offered his own timeline goal, saying Afghanistan wants to be able to assume security control in some parts of the country in two years, and to lead security for the entire country by the end of his five-year term, which just started after his recent re-election. "We as Afghans will try our very best to reach that goal, and we hope our allies will back us to reach that goal," Karzai said. Building and developing Afghan security forces will be a continuing challenge, Gates said, and is an effort that has involved some trial and error. "One of the eye-openers for us was learning that the Taliban for the most part are better paid than the Afghan security forces, so that's something that we and the Afghans have already taken steps to correct," Gates told reporters on the way to Afghanistan. "I think, frankly, that's the biggest obstacle." The Afghan president is under intense pressure to clean up government corruption, a task he said is under way. "I have fired people and I will be firing people," Karzai said. Some of those changes will become known when Karzai announces his new Cabinet. The Afghan president said at the news conference with Gates that he would try to get a list to parliament by the middle of next week. Karzai was originally expected to submit the list on Tuesday.
|
[
"Gates acknowledges Taliban for what?",
"where the meeting occurred",
"Who met with Afghan president?",
"Karzai sets his own timeline goal for what?"
] |
[
[
"the most part are better paid than the Afghan security forces,"
],
[
"Afghanistan"
],
[
"U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates"
],
[
"to assume security control in some parts of the country in two years, and to lead security"
]
] |
NEW: U.S. relationship with Afghanistan "a long-term commitment," Robert Gates says .
NEW: U.S. defense secretary meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul .
Karzai sets his own timeline goal for security handover in Afghanistan .
Gates acknowledges Taliban "for most part" better paid than Afghan security forces .
|
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Zablon Simintov is always guaranteed the best seat in his local synagogue here, but the privilege comes with a downside: he's the last Jew in Afghanistan.
The country's 800-year-old Jewish community -- an estimated 40,000 strong at its peak -- is now a party of one.
But Simintov, for his part, isn't going anywhere soon. For more than a decade, he has refused to join his wife and two teenage daughters in Israel.
"My family call me all the time and say, 'Come here, you're the last Jew in Afghanistan, what are you doing there?' " he says.
Simintov, a former carpet dealer, refuses to answer that question. "I don't know why I'm still living here," he says. "It's God's will."
He hasn't seen his daughters -- now ages 14 and 16 -- since his one trip to Israel 12 years ago.
But the bald and bespectacled Simintov says he is content guarding a cupboard full of dusty prayer books -- one is 400 years old, he says -- spending holidays with visitors from Europe and the U.S. and surviving off donations from Jews around the world.
Historical evidence suggests a sizable Jewish community in Afghanistan since the Middle Ages, according to the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, a nonprofit group.
Afghanistan's Jewish population reached 40,000 in the mid-19th century, the group says, and began declining around 1870 with the passage of anti-Jewish measures.
Israel's creation in 1948 drew most of Afghanistan's remaining Jews.
Simintov's synagogue -- the last in Afghanistan's capital -- sits inconspicuously in a courtyard behind busy city streets, though a close inspection reveals Stars of David in second-story metal railings. The interior is adorned only by broken light fixtures and ceiling fans.
But Simintov says he is hardly in hiding. "They're all like my brothers here," he said of his fellow Afghans. "It doesn't make a difference whether I'm here or in Israel."
That wasn't the case under Taliban rule, which ended with the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, though Taliban forces have been resurgent in parts of the country.
Simintov says he was arrested four times under Taliban rule and that he was beaten while in custody.
"The Taliban was a problem," he says. "They interfered in everyone's business, but now they're gone, they're finished."
Which means that Simintov is more inclined than ever to stay put.
|
[
"will simintov join his wife",
"How many daughters does Simintov have?",
"who is zablon simintov",
"how many times was he arrested",
"how many jews are left"
] |
[
[
"he has refused"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"the last Jew in Afghanistan."
],
[
"four"
],
[
"one."
]
] |
Afghan Jews peaked at 40,000 in mid-19th century; now there's only one left .
Zablon Simintov won't join his wife and teen daughters in Israel .
Simintov spends holidays with visitors and survives off donations from Jews .
He was arrested four times and beaten while in custody under Taliban rule .
|
Kampala, Uganda (CNN) -- At least three men died from their wounds Wednesday after they were shot in a confrontation with Ugandan security forces at a destroyed historic site, the Ugandan government said.
The men were part of a group of Buganda tribe members who rushed to the site of the Tombs of the Buganda Kings which was destroyed by fire Tuesday night.
Exactly how many people were wounded remained unclear despite the government statement.
While the government statement listed three dead and five wounded, the Ugandan Red Cross said it had ferried 23 injured people from the site to a Mulago hospital, 11 of them with bullet wounds.
"There several other cases, whose number I can not establish, who were either carried away by their relative or friends after sustaining bullet wounds. Others were stampeded on as they ran," said Uganda Red Cross official Susan Kabwe, who was at the tombs site.
The tomb site is a UNESCO-listed cultural site of major significance to the country's largest tribe.
It was not clear what started the fire at the Tombs of the Buganda Kings, which was built in 1882 and lies near the capital, Kampala. It contained the tombs of four ancient kings of the Buganda people along with cultural relics, including the spears of past kings.
Tensions between the Buganda and the government have historically run high, in part because President Yoweri Museveni is not from the tribe. There have been claims Museveni favors his own people, a tribe in the west, and the Buganda have said they feel persecuted.
Both the central government and the tribe began separate investigations of the fire Wednesday.
"We saw a huge fire popping out of the tombs as it rained," said Jowelia Lunkuse, 49, who operates a kiosk at the edge of the site. "The flames kept increasing high in the air and we had to close and ran away, fearing it would spread to burn us."
Museveni visited the site Wednesday morning. King Ronald Mutebi arrived moments after Museveni left, along with Medard Ssegona, the Buganda kingdom's information minister.
Are you in Uganda? Share your view on the situation
"We are getting all sorts of testimonies from our people whom we will use in our independent investigations, but we do not rule out acts of foul play from our enemies," Ssegona said.
A tense atmosphere gripped Kampala hours later, with angry people lining the streets and armed soldiers on patrol.
The tombs were on a hilltop around the former Buganda palace, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884, according to UNESCO. The main building was low and circular, topped by a high conical dome.
UNESCO called the building "a major example of an architectural achievement in organic materials, principally wood, thatch, reed, wattle and daub. The site's main significance lies, however, in its intangible values of belief, spirituality, continuity and identity."
The tombs are where the reigning king, or kabaka, frequently carried out important rituals related to the Ganda culture, the largest ethnic group in the land-locked East African country.
The tombs were built in the "finest traditions" of local architecture and palace design, UNESCO said.
The palace with its tombs "reflects technical achievements developed over many centuries," the organization said. "It is a major spiritual center for the Buganda and is the most active religious place in the kingdom."
"The UNESCO World Heritage Centre expresses its dismay for this tragic event that devastated the site and its related symbolic values," the group said in a statement. "UNESCO is ready to mobilize international experts to help the Ugandan authorities in assessing the damage and envisaging remedial actions.
"The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001 and were recognized as a masterpiece of human creativity both in their conception and execution, bearing eloquent witness to the living cultural traditions of the Buganda."
Buganda kings have always built their palaces on strategic hills to control the major roads to the palace and find easy ways to escape in
|
[
"What were the tombs destroyed by?",
"what caused the destruction",
"When were the Tombs built?",
"what was destroyed",
"when were they built"
] |
[
[
"fire"
],
[
"fire"
],
[
"1882"
],
[
"Tombs of the Buganda Kings"
],
[
"1882"
]
] |
Tombs of the Buganda Kings in Uganda destroyed by fire Tuesday night .
Ugandan security forces shoot three Buganda tribe members in clash at site .
Site had major cultural, spiritual significance for Buganda tribe, Uganda's largest .
It was not clear who set fire to the Tombs, which were built in 1882 .
|
Kansas City, Missouri (CNN) -- A command post set up to investigate the disappearance of missing Missouri girl Lisa Irwin has been shut down, Kansas City police said Wednesday.
Investigators are back in their usual offices, but Detective Kevin Boehm said the case is still open and police continue to work on it.
Police told CNN affiliate KCTV that investigators also have to focus their attention on child abuse and neglect cases that have come in since Lisa's disappearance. But, they said, eight detectives remain assigned to the case.
Lisa, 1, has been missing since October 4, after her father arrived home from work to find the door unlocked, the lights on and a window tampered with. The girl's mother said she last saw Lisa at 6:40 p.m. the previous day.
Dozens of investigators, including police and FBI personnel, have conducted numerous searches for the missing girl -- but have come up empty.
Read more about this story from CNN affiliate KCTV.
|
[
"which is the name of Lisa?",
"How many detectives remain on the case?"
] |
[
[
"Irwin"
],
[
"eight"
]
] |
Eight detectives will remain assigned to the case .
Lisa Irwin disappeared from her Kansas City home on October 4 .
|
Kansas City, Missouri (CNN) -- Deborah Bradley appeared calm and joyful just hours before her baby daughter was reported missing, according to a supermarket clerk who sold her baby wipes, baby food and boxed wine.
"She had a smile on her face, like she always does when she comes in here," said clerk Rebecca Guerrero, whom FBI agents interviewed Saturday about conversations she'd had with Bradley.
Surveillance video recorded at a grocery store on October 3 shows Bradley and a man purchasing the items from Guerrero the day before 11-month-old Lisa Irwin was reported missing.
Police, who were joined in their search effort by federal authorities last week, have said they have no suspects or solid leads in Lisa's disappearance.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Guerrero described the FBI agents' questions.
"They pretty much asked me if she was depressed, ... how she acted around the baby, if she seemed stressed out," Guerrero said. "I told them she never looked depressed around me. You know, she always seemed to have a smile on her face when her kids were around."
Bradley and the girl's father, Jeremy Irwin, are friendly people who were thrilled to have a baby daughter, Guerrero said.
"When they're here, they're happy. They're smiling. They love their kids," she said.
After two years chatting with Bradley in the checkout line at Festival Foods in Kansas City, Missouri, Guerrero said she had learned a lot about the family.
"We would just pretty much talk about what they've been doing, stuff like that; the children, her two sons, and then when she found out she was pregnant with Lisa, that's all we talked about," Guerrero said.
The supermarket clerk said she also told FBI agents Lisa's parents never mentioned anyone wanting to harm them.
"From my interaction (with the parents), I really don't think that they have anything to do with this," she told CNN.
Authorities had expressed frustration recently after Lisa's parents had stopped cooperating with investigators, police Capt. Steve Young said. However, a family spokeswoman for Bradley and father Jeremy Irwin attributed the frustration to "miscommunication," and a subsequent meeting with the parents was held Saturday.
On Tuesday, Irwin's family announced they had brought in a prominent private investigator to help with the search -- a high-profile twist in a case that has gripped national headlines.
Flanked by family members wearing T-shirts with a picture of Lisa and the word "Kidnapped" above it, investigator Bill Stanton said Tuesday night that he wants a "happy ending" to the case.
He told CNN a family friend was paying for his services.
"I will be asking questions," he added. "I am here to seek the truth."
Stanton is a former New York City police officer who has served as a security consultant for several television networks. He said his role is to help "coordinate and focus the family" in both the investigation and in its dealings with the media.
"We are here to cooperate with anyone and everyone that will help us find the guilty party and return Lisa home safely," he said.
Stanton said the family, which remains united and strong despite the "tremendous hardship," will release more information soon. He did not elaborate.
"I know everybody's watching this family and watching this house, and that's fair," he said. "Keep one eye on them, but also keep the other eye out on the streets, in every place. Because there is a bad guy out there, or bad people, with this child. And we want to get this child home safe and sound."
Lisa was last seen around 10:30 p.m. October 3, asleep in her crib, police said. Authorities were called to the home about 4 a.m. October 4.
She turned 11 months old Tuesday, the eighth day of the search.
On Tuesday, authorities focused on
|
[
"When was she last seen?",
"In which location was Lisa last seen on October 3?",
"what does Bill Stanton want?",
"according to a supermarket clerk what did the mom never seem",
"What is the name of the Investigator?",
"What did the clerk say about her mom?",
"when was the missing child last seen",
"What did Stanton say?"
] |
[
[
"10:30 p.m. October 3,"
],
[
"asleep in her crib,"
],
[
"a \"happy ending\" to the case."
],
[
"looked depressed"
],
[
"Bill Stanton"
],
[
"face, like she always does when she comes in here,\""
],
[
"10:30 p.m. October 3,"
],
[
"he wants a \"happy ending\" to the case."
]
] |
NEW: Supermarket clerk: Mom of the missing baby never seemed depressed .
Investigator Bill Stanton says he wants a "happy ending"
Lisa turned 11 months on Tuesday, the eighth day of the search .
She was last seen in her crib the night of October 3 .
|
Karachi, Pakistan (CNN) -- Do not mistake eight-year-old Bilal Ahmed's skin-and-bones body, his beguiling smile and his big beaming eyes for weakness.
Bilal changes when he steps into a boxing ring.
When the pint-sized Pakistani fighter climbed into a shabby old ring at an outdoor youth center, his smile turned into a stone cold scowl.
At the sound of the bell that marked the start of round one, his tiny fists at the end of his stick-like arms turned into pain-inflicting projectiles, pounding away at his opponent.
"I want to hit my opponent," says Bilal, minutes before the fight. "All I think about is winning."
Bilal is obsessed with winning because, to him, boxing is more than a sport. It's the one chance he has to escape Lyari, one of the poorest, toughest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the sprawling southern port city of Karachi.
Drug and gang violence is rampant here, killing nearly 100 people this year alone.
"There is shooting at night," Bilal says. "I wake up and go to my mom. When I grow up I'm going to take my family away from here."
But for Lyari's boys, the future is often bleak. Many here blame the government for failing to keep neighborhoods safe and a broken school system for robbing children of the chance to succeed.
For decades boxing has given thousands of Lyari's kids what the government has not -- a safe place to grow, learn and chase a dream.
African immigrants brought boxing to Lyari in the 1940s, when Karachi was still part of British-ruled India. More than 70 years later, 22 boxing clubs, run by volunteers and private donations, have made this neighborhood Pakistan's boxing factory.
"This is the second Cuba," says the head of the local boxing association, Asghar Baloch, referring to the Caribbean nation that has produced some of the best boxers in the world.
"If these kids weren't here, they would be with guns and arms," he says. "If we continue our positive activities, we will get positive results."
Positive results at Lyari's boxing clubs aren't necessarily trophies and victories in the ring. They're polite, healthy children who laugh and play, children who finish school.
But on this night it's all about winning for Bilal, who's taking on a bigger and taller opponent at an important tournament.
His opponent overpowers him in the opening round but Bilal stands his ground.
Round two is too close to call but Bilal wins the third and final round with lightning quick combinations and powerful right hooks.
The referee raises Bilal's arm in victory and back comes the big smile on the skinny little kid whose dream for a better life lives on.
|
[
"How many people were killed this year?",
"Whats the name of the person?",
"what is rampant there",
"Where is Bilal Ahmed from?",
"Where is the person from?",
"When was boxing brought to Lyari?",
"is lyari a rich neighborhood",
"How many people have died this year?"
] |
[
[
"nearly 100"
],
[
"Bilal Ahmed's"
],
[
"Drug and gang violence"
],
[
"Lyari,"
],
[
"Lyari, one of the poorest, toughest and most dangerous neighborhoods in the sprawling southern port city of Karachi."
],
[
"1940s,"
],
[
"one of the poorest, toughest and most dangerous"
],
[
"nearly 100"
]
] |
Bilal Ahmed is from Lyari, one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Karachi .
Drug and gang violence is rampant here, killing nearly 100 people this year alone .
For decades boxing has given thousands of Lyari's kids a new focus .
African migrants brought boxing to Lyari in the 1940s when Karachi was part of British-ruled India .
|
Katherine Dvorak is a writer for the Daily Collegian, the leading news source for Pennsylvania State University. This article was brought to CNN.com by UWIRE, the leading provider of student-generated content. UWIRE aims to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience via professional media partners such as CNN.com. Visit UWIRE.com to learn more. (UWIRE) -- A Web site developed this year that allows students to share old exams online is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications. PostYourTest.com creator Demir Oral says the site is a tool for education, not for cheating. PostYourTest.com is an educational tool that lets students anonymously upload materials and tests from their previous and current classes, said Demir Oral, creator of the site. However, there are teachers who do not want their tests to be posted for every student to see. "I would not be happy if a student who had taken a class of mine had taken an exam and posted it online," Sarah Hall, graduate professor of psychology at Penn State University, said. "I know that some teachers reuse past exams and it would be hard to have to write a new test for every class." However, Mary Bojan, professor of chemistry at PSU, said she wouldn't mind if students posted her tests online. "For my classes I always write new exams every time, and I wouldn't object because I have some old exams up online that I've posted myself," Bojan said. Currently, there are no tests online for Penn State University, because the site was developed on the West Coast, Oral said. "Primarily the main audience is San Diego, but that's because I've only advertised around there," Oral said. He said he is looking into expanding the site more to include universities and colleges across the country. "Also, although I am still focused on the United States, in the future I would like to go global," Oral said. "I think it would be really effective worldwide." While studying for an exam in the HUB-Robeson Center, Christal Cozier (senior-nutrition) said she would consider using the site. "I think looking at an old exam helps -- it at least gives the student an idea of how the teacher poses questions," Cozier said. While she said she wouldn't go through the trouble of posting a test herself, Cozier said she didn't think students posting old tests online would be a problem. "Most teachers give out practice exams and old exams anyway," she said. "The only time I would think it would be a problem is if the teacher uses exams more than once." In response to criticism of the site from professors, Oral said he wants people to know the site is a tool for education and not a tool for cheating. He added teachers can ban their exams from the site if they don't want students sharing them online. "The first professor that banned his exams said he wanted to ban them because he was copyrighting them and publishing them in a book, and that made total sense to me," Oral said. Even with the option to ban tests, Tara Chismar said professors may not know the site exists and may not know to ban their exams from it. She said the site might be OK only if students get permission from their teachers to post exams online. Bojan said the biggest problem she saw with students posting material online would be putting up tests the teachers wanted handed back in. "Common sense needs to come into play with something like this because there's a student responsibility side to it," she said. "Having access to an exam you're not supposed to is cheating." Students shouldn't have to rely on old tests online to prepare for an exam from a new teacher, Hall said. "There are likely a lot of professors who would be happy to give students more of a sense of what the exam is going to be like --
|
[
"Where was it develped?",
"When was PostYourTest.com developed?",
"Is the site causing debate?",
"what is being debated",
"What is the site causing?",
"what can teachers do",
"what was developed this year"
] |
[
[
"on the West Coast,"
],
[
"this year"
],
[
"is"
],
[
"A Web site"
],
[
"debate among professors about its ethical implications."
],
[
"ban their exams from the site"
],
[
"A Web site"
]
] |
PostYourTest.com was developed this year, has mostly California tests .
Site is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications .
Teachers can ban exams from the site if they don't want students sharing .
Looking at an exam may not always be the best way to study, professor warns .
|
Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's parliament on Sunday elected a leader of the former Maoist rebels as the new prime minister with a simple majority.
Baburam Bhattarai, 57, vice-chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) will become the fourth prime minister since Nepal became a republic in 2008.
After his election Bhattarai said he would attempt to complete the peace process and the long-delayed new constitution.
Bhattarai received 340 votes in parliament, beating his rival Ram Chandra Poudel, 66, of the Nepali Congress, who received 235 votes.
Bhattarai, who has a degree in architecture and a doctorate in regional planning, was able to get the crucial support of the regional Madhesi parties from southern Nepal.
The 65 votes of the five parties of the Madhesi front were crucial for Bhattrai, whose party is the biggest in the 601-member parliament but lacks a majority.
Media reports say the Madhesi parties have been promised 12 ministerial posts in exchange for their support.
Bhattari is the second leader of the former rebels to become prime minister.
The Maoists became the biggest party in the 2008 elections and their chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was prime minister for nine months. He resigned in a dispute with the president, who reinstated an army chief Dahal had fired.
Earlier this month Jhalanath Khanal resigned as prime minister after he was unable to persuade the former Maoist rebels to demobilize and reintegrate their fighters in a deal that was agreeable to the other political parties.
The Maoists fought a ten-year insurgency from 1996 to 2006 in which about 16,000 people were killed.
According to the peace deal that ended the uprising, 19,602 United Nations-verified combatants should be integrated into the security forces, but the political parties are yet to agree on the number and the method.
Nepal also faces the challenge of preparing a republican constitution and political parties have twice extended the deadline to prepare the constitution.
The new deadline expires on Wednesday and political parties look likely to have to come to an agreement to extend the deadline a third time.
|
[
"Who is Bhattarai",
"Who won a majority",
"Did the last leader resign?",
"what happend to the last prime minister",
"What was the reason for previous resignation"
] |
[
[
"vice-chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal"
],
[
"Baburam Bhattarai,"
],
[
"Earlier this month Jhalanath Khanal resigned as prime minister"
],
[
"He resigned"
],
[
"unable to persuade the former Maoist rebels to demobilize"
]
] |
Baburam Bhattarai wins a simple majority with regional party backing .
He's a leader of the former Maoist rebels, and the second ex-Maoist prime minister since 2008 .
The last prime minister resigned over how to demobilize ex-rebels .
|
Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- The effort to rescue hundreds of trekkers stranded for six days in a town near Nepal's iconic Mount Everest due to bad weather continued Monday.
With weather conditions improving Monday, the process of transporting the tourists to the nation's capital was fully under way, the tourism ministry said.
"The target is to transport 1,500 tourists to Kathmandu today," Hari Basyal, spokesman of the Nepal Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation told CNN.
More than 2,200 tourists have been stranded in the village of Lukla since last week where food supplies are limited, Basyal said.
Lukla, a popular starting point for people on their way to the world's tallest peak, is located in northeast Nepal.
Stranded tourists took 48 flights and helicopter rides out of Lukla on Monday. A day earlier, at least 500 trekkers were flown to the capital.
Last week, some of the tourists began a four-day walk to the town of Jiri to take buses to Kathmandu.
|
[
"Who is stranded?",
"what is Nepal's capital?",
"Where were they stranded?",
"What has caused it?",
"What kind of weather conditions?",
"Who are being evacuated?"
] |
[
[
"hundreds of trekkers"
],
[
"Kathmandu,"
],
[
"near Nepal's iconic Mount Everest"
],
[
"bad weather"
],
[
"bad"
],
[
"1,500 tourists"
]
] |
Bad weather conditions have stranded hundreds of trekkers .
Tourists are being evacuated from the town of Lukla to Nepal's capital .
|
Kathryn Kolbert is president of People for the American Way, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports equality and freedom of speech and religion. An attorney who has been recognized as one of the most influential lawyers in America, she appeared frequently before the U.S. Supreme Court from 1986-1997, arguing in favor of retaining a legal right to abortion. Before joining People for the American Way, she was executive producer of Justice Talking, a radio show about law and American life and senior research administrator with the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Kathryn Kolbert says Rick Warren's selection upset activists who supported Barack Obama (CNN) -- The announcement that Pastor Rick Warren has been chosen to give the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony landed with a thud in my inbox. Many people who know Warren as the affable megachurch pastor and best-selling author may be confused about the anger and disappointment that his selection has generated among progressive activists who worked so hard to help elect Obama. Here's my explanation; you can find plenty of other voices online. Warren enjoys a reputation as a bridge-building moderate based on his informal style and his church's engagement on issues like AIDS in Africa. He took grief from some of his Religious Right colleagues when he invited then-Senator Obama to his church for a conference on AIDS a couple of years ago. And, in August he hosted presidential candidates Obama and McCain at his church. Warren has worked hard to cultivate a moderate public personality but his views are very similar to those of traditional Religious Right leaders.In an email sent before the 2004 election he wrote a Falwell-esque message proclaiming that, for Christian voters, the issues of abortion, marriage for same-sex couples, stem cell research, cloning and euthanasia were "non-negotiable." In fact, he said, they are "not even debatable because God's word is clear on these issues." And while some Religious Right leaders were nervous that Warren would give Obama a platform to talk about poverty and the environment at the August event, Warren thrilled them by eschewing those issues entirely in order to emphasize issues like abortion and marriage that worked to McCain's advantage with the evangelical audience. iReport.com: Your thoughts on Rick Warren Warren also campaigned for Proposition 8, the initiative that stripped same-sex couples in California of their right under the state constitution to get legally married. But it's not just his support for Prop. 8 that is so galling to equality activists. It's that Warren, in an interview with Beliefnet.com, has since equated allowing loving same-sex couples to get married with redefining marriage to permit incest and pedophilia. And he has repeated one of the Religious Right's big lies: that somehow allowing marriage equality to stand would have threatened the freedom of preachers like him to say what they thought about homosexuality. That's not remotely true, but it's a standard tool of Religious Right leaders trying to resist the public's increasing support for equality. In other words, Warren has been divisive and dishonest on the issues of marriage equality and religious freedom -- and on other issues important to many Obama supporters, as well. He adamantly opposes a woman's legal right to abortion and dismisses common-ground efforts to reduce the need for abortion by comparing them to accommodating the Holocaust. He is disrespectful of progressive people of faith, suggesting that they are tools of the Democratic Party or more Marxist than Christian. So much for the values of unity and respect, not to mention the constitutional principle of equality, on which President-elect Obama campaigned. Why exactly is he being given the high honor of delivering the invocation at one of the most historic ceremonies in American history? There is no shortage of religious leaders who reflect the values on which President-elect Obama campaigned and who are working to advance the common good. Rev. Joseph Lowery, who has been selected to give the benediction, is a lifelong advocate for justice. There are others like him, and in our increasingly diverse nation, they aren't all Christian. Rick Warren gets plenty of attention through
|
[
"what did Warren oppose",
"Who is the moderate religious leader",
"What did Kolbert say about Rick Warren's views?",
"Who opposed abortion and stem cell research",
"Whose views are closer to those of the Religious Right",
"what did Kathryn Kolbert say"
] |
[
[
"a woman's legal right to abortion and dismisses common-ground efforts to reduce the need for abortion by comparing them to accommodating the Holocaust."
],
[
"Rick Warren"
],
[
"selection upset activists who supported Barack Obama"
],
[
"Christian voters,"
],
[
"Pastor Rick Warren"
],
[
"Rick Warren's selection upset activists who supported Barack Obama"
]
] |
Kathryn Kolbert: Rick Warren has image of a moderate religious leader .
She says his views are closer to those of the Religious Right .
Kolbert: Warren backed Prop. 8 and opposed abortion and stem cell research .
She says he doesn't deserve position of honor at Barack Obama's inauguration .
|
Kenner, Louisiana (CNN) -- A "black rain" of drilling fluid and a roar of escaping gas erupted from the doomed Deepwater Horizon shortly before the explosion that sank the oil rig, the captain of a nearby ship testified Tuesday.
Alwin Landry's supply vessel Damon Bankston was alongside Deepwater Horizon at the time of the blast. Landry said the first sign of trouble was when drilling "mud" -- a mixture used to pressurize and lubricate the drills -- began falling onto the stern of his ship.
"We essentially closed the wheelhouse doors. I went to the port side, and I looked out up at the derrick. That's when I see the mud coming out of the top of the derrick," Landry told investigators Tuesday.
When he radioed the rig's bridge, Landry said, its captain told him there were problems with the well and he should move his ship away. Seconds later, he said, he heard "the percussion and the slight flash of green" of an explosion.
Deepwater Horizon sank April 22, two days after the explosion. The blast left 11 people aboard the rig presumed dead and uncorked a gusher of oil that has been spewing an estimated 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) of crude oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
Landry's testimony came on the first of two days of hearings by a joint Coast Guard-Interior Department panel.
His ship picked up the rig's survivors, and Landry said the rig's captain, Curt Kutcha, told him he had tried to activate a "kill switch" that would cut off the well before abandoning the structure.
The crew did not know whether it was working when they fled the burning rig, Landry told investigators.
The federal Minerals Management Service, the Interior Department agency that oversees offshore oil exploration, inspects drill rigs once a month, MMS inspector Eric Neal told the panel. Test results from the rig's blowout preventer, a massive device meant to cut off the well in an emergency, and drilling mud weights are reviewed as part of that process, he said.
Neal inspected the rig April 1 and found no violations, he testified. But he did not inspect the preventer's emergency disconnect system, he said.
The companies involved in the drilling process are blaming each other for the disaster.
The chairman of well owner BP's American subsidiary, Lamar McKay, told a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday that rig owner/operator Transocean was responsible for the rig's operation and for testing its blowout preventer.
But Transocean CEO Steven Newman told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the well's cementing, or the casing that holds the well in place, must have failed. BP, as the well's owner, was responsible for designing the casing, while oilfield services contractor Halliburton performed the cementing.
"Without a failure of one of those elements, the explosion could not have occurred," Newman said.
And Halliburton's chief safety and environmental officer, Tim Probert, told the committee that responsibility lay with either Transocean or BP.
During the cementing of the well, Halliburton simply followed BP's instructions, he said, and the blowout preventer was Transocean's responsibility.
|
[
"When did the rig sink?",
"What did Landry say?",
"who radioed rig's bridge?",
"what was alongside Deepwater Horizon at time of blast?",
"Whose supply vessel was alongside Deepwater Horizon?",
"Where was the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the blast?",
"Who is Alwin Landry?"
] |
[
[
"April 22,"
],
[
"\"We essentially closed the wheelhouse doors. I went to the port side, and I looked out up at the derrick. That's when I see the mud coming out of the top of the derrick,\""
],
[
"Landry"
],
[
"Alwin Landry's supply vessel Damon Bankston"
],
[
"Alwin Landry's"
],
[
"Kenner, Louisiana"
],
[
"the captain of a nearby ship"
]
] |
Alwin Landry's supply vessel was alongside Deepwater Horizon at time of blast .
Landry said first sign of trouble was when drilling "mud" began falling onto his ship .
Captain radioed rig's bridge and was warned he should move his ship away .
Rig sank April 22, two days after explosion; 11 presumed dead; oil still gushing into Gulf .
|
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