ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010
INTERNATIONAL 43
Consumers will be required to produce identification
US lawmakers crack down on prepaid cells
NEW YORK, June 8, (AP): Alarmed by the use Prepaid phones can be a lifeline for people linked to suspected terror activity — including “If law enforcement has a legitimate need to Tien also noted that many people, especially “We are living in a time when unfortunately
of hard-to-track prepaid cell phones by terror with limited incomes or poor credit, allowing that by Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American surveil, let them surveil,” Schumer told The younger ones, regularly swap phones and SIM our public safety rquires small gives by every-
suspects, two US senators have introduced leg- them to purchase a device and a limited amount accused of plotting to bomb Times Square. Law Associated Press, adding, “you can make sure cards and buy used cell phones, further blurring one,” Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said.
islation requiring consumers to produce identifi- of calling time without commiting to a costly enforcement officials said Shahzad had used a privacy is protected.” the identity of the phones’ users and owners. Still, Jack Cloonan, a former FBI special
cation before buying such phones. contract. Phone companies sold $16 billion prepaid cell phone to purchase a car in which to That’s not a view necessarily shared by civil “For a variety of reasons, this doesn’t sound agent and counterterrorism specialist, said the
The bill has been praised by law enforcement worth of prepaid cell phones last year, and the hide the bomb and to communicate with co- liberties groups and other advocates of digital like a `get off the ground’ kind of idea,” he said. legislation would not prevent terror plotters
and has bipartisan support, even as civil liberties devices are hugely popular in both the US and conspirators in Pakistan. privacy, who say they have both legal and prac- Schumer disagreed, saying the identity of from getting access to the communication tools
groups have raised privacy concerns and some countries around the world. A handful of states and several countries tical objections. prepaid cell purchasers would be kept private by they need.
terror experts say it won’t deter bad behavior. But since the phones can be purchased require registration to purchase a prepaid cell “The Supreme Court has always upheld the phone companies in the same way the identities “The bottom line is the terrorists, whether
Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and John anonymously and are thrown away after use, phone. In an interview, Schumer said the principle that you have the right to speak anony- of regular cell and landline phone owners are they’re the Pakistani Taliban or whether they’re
Cornyn, a Republican, are hoping to schedule they’ve long been a favored tool of drug dealers, Shahzad case, combined with the growing use mously — that the decision to identify yourself protected. closely aligned with al-Qaida, use technology to
hearings on the bill through the Judiciary gang members and even white-collar criminals of prepaid cell phones in criminal cases, had as a speaker is an aspect of speech itself,” said So far, no major phone company has object- their advantage,” Cloonan said. “They try to
Committee. Schumer has urged Attorney looking to cover their tracks. persuaded him that federal regulation was need- Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the ed to the legislation and some say they fully stay ahead of us and we’re always playing catch
General Eric Holder to back the measure. In recent years, such phones also have been ed. Electronic Frontier Foundation. embrace it. up.”
interpellation requests against the premier which US Defence Secretary Robert Gates
With Saudis in and ministers in the future as the bloc will said would happen “very soon”.
never tolerate the government’s misdeeds. “I’m optimistic a resolution will be passed
Continued from Page 1 On the other hand, Al-Barrak lamented it is very soon,” Gates told a press conference in
disheartening to see everything being dis- London.
misdeeds. Although his achievements remain cussed behind closed doors, particularly The UN Security Council was to hold
a source of pride for the Kingdom, as well as issues on expenditures, cheques, weapons, new closed-door consultations Tuesday on
the Muslim and Arab worlds, he still regards aircraft and national security. He stressed the the new sanctions after its 15 members
it as part of his responsibilities. He is a firm need to hold the grilling in an open session failed to reach a consensus on a meeting on
believer in the Holy Quran, which states that for the Umm Al-Haiman residents to hear the Monday.
human beings should work for God, the Holy steps taken by the government to address The council’s five permanent members —
Prophet (PBUH) and worshippers must bear their problem. He stressed the bloc will not Britain, France, China, Russia and the United
witness to the power of the Almighty. This is stop presenting grilling requests until their States — are co-sponsoring the sanctions
why it is extremely difficult to talk about a demands are met. draft and believe they have the votes to secure
man like King Abdullah as he does not want Al-Tahous added he was hoping for an its passage.
publicity. open session as he wants the public to see the
The directives of the Custodian of the Two evidence he intended to present, but since a
Holy Mosques to state officials are concise
and meaningful, leaving no room for forget-
majority in the Parliament agreed on a closed Twelve Americans
door discussion he opted to walk out. He
fulness or delay. The effect of close monitor-
ing is reflected in changes made to the Saudi
denounced the government for its negligence, Continued from Page 1
which poses a grave threat to the health of the a 24-year-old French man who travelled to
administration over the last few years. The
fifth anniversary of the pledge of allegiance residents in Umm Al-Haiman. Yemen in October from Egypt to study
to King Abdullah has placed us — the media Al-Barrak told reporters that the deputies Arabic, even though he was fluent in the lan-
outlets which monitor every activity in Saudi withdrew from the session because of the guage.
Arabia — in front of a virtuous man. The decision to hide important information from In Washington, State Department
Gulf and Arab nationals regard him as a king the Kuwaiti people. spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters
with laudable initiatives. “Our demand is to have an open discussion Yemeni authorities had 12 US citizens in cus-
We all witnessed how he held himself in the parliament chamber” to allow the tody but declined to provide further informa-
accountable during the Economic Summit in Kuwaiti people to hear the truth, Barrak said. tion about them.
Kuwait last year when he publicly said, “We “All we want is for the residents in that area Asked if the United States had provided
are all wrongdoers”. His initiative has to breathe clean air.” information that led to the detention of the 12
become the foundation of a new era for He announced that the Popular Action Bloc US citizens, Crowley replied: “We have ...
Arabs, so the region has been reaping the group headed by Al-Saadoun will demand to great cooperation with the government of
fruits of his labor as manifested in its stabili- grill the premier once again over the same Yemen.”
ty. We all remember his distinguished state- issue, but he did not give a date. “Together, we are doing our best to help
ment to the GCC leaders. This statement led Tahoos had repeatedly warned that he Yemen ... reduce the threat posed by al-Qaeda
to the normalization of ties between Bahrain would grill the prime minister if the govern- in the Arabian Peninsula. That’s a threat to
ment did not shut several polluting industrial This imaginary image, illustrated by Akihiro Ikeshita and released from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shows Japan’s Yemen. It’s a threat to the United States. But
and Qatar. Above all, he has doused tensions space probe ‘Hayabusa’ (Falcon) and an asteroid, called Itokawa in space. The Hayabusa, the first spacecraft to bring home raw
— too numerous to mention here. facilities. beyond that, I’m not going to talk about
He later told a news conference that the material from an asteroid, is to release a canister expected to contain asteroid dust near the Earth. The capsule is to make a para-
This great man has successfully construct- chute landing on June 13 in the Australian outback. (AFP) specifics,” he said.
ed a bridge of love between Saudi Arabia and government asked for a secret debate because
other nations in the Gulf and the entire Arab “it wants to protect highly influential people”
world. Arab, Gulf and Saudi nationals cannot who own the plants that cause the pollution. UK English test
ignore this achievement as we commemorate Residents of the Ali Sabah Al-Salem area,
55 kilometers (35 miles) south of Kuwait
Japan’s canister due to land before midnight on Sunday
this remarkable occasion. He has initiated Continued from Page 1
several relief operations for the Arab, Gulf City, have often complained that excessive
and Saudi nationals, including the separation
of Siamese twins and many other charity
activities in the region.
pollution from oil and chemical facilities in
the area pose a serious health hazard.
According to Tahoos, a 1994 government
Scientists hope probe will return space dust New Prime Minister David Cameron made
tightening up Britain’s immigration rules a
key campaign pledge ahead of the May 6
We join the Saudis in celebrating the fifth report called on the government not construct SYDNEY, June 8, (AFP): Scientists hope and Earth again aligned. rights to it for the first year, he said anyone elections, after which his Conservative Party
anniversary of the pledge of allegiance to the town because of high pollution, but the that a battered Japanese probe which But NASA scientist Michael Zolensky the world over would be entitled to study it forged a coalition with the centrist Liberal
King Abdullah. We will always remember his government ignored the report and began touched down on an asteroid will bring back said he was confident that the car-sized after that. Democrats.
determination to leave an indelible mark in construction work in 1998. a big enough sample to provide valuable probe would send back enough of a sam- Any dust that was recovered from the The new requirement will apply to spous-
the history of governance. Everybody attests The lawmaker claimed that out of 156 insights into outer space, NASA said ple to provide researchers with valuable potato-shaped Itokawa, which is 2.9 billion es, civil partnerships, unmarried couples,
to his remarkable achievements through chemical and industrial plants around the Tuesday. clues on how the solar system has devel- kilometres from Earth, could also furnish same sex partners and fiances, and will be
expressions of support and commendations, area, 17 of them are operating without a A canister containing asteroid dust eject- oped. valuable information about potential aster- compulsory for people applying from within
especially among Saudis, Arabs and Muslims. licence and many of the others have been ed from the Hayabusa, or Falcon, is due to “It probably is going to return less than a oid impacts with Earth. Britain, as well as visa applicants from
The fifth anniversary of the pledge of alle- asked to comply by the law. land in Australia’s remote desert outback gram of sample, at the most a couple of “If you want to mitigate that hazard you abroad.
giance to the Custodian of the Two Holy The government said it has repeatedly cau- just before midnight on Sunday, ending a grams, possibly much less than that,” have to know about the physical properties
Mosques ushers in a new era for Saudis, tioned factories with high toxic emissions and seven-year, 5 billion kms (3 billion miles) Zolensky told reporters in Australia. of asteroids, what they are made of, so they
Arabs and Muslims. sometimes shut them temporarily, but the pol- odyssey to a distant space rock. “Even if the sampler did not work ... as it are important for that reason as well,” he
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com lution has persisted.
Almost all the oil facilities and the chemi-
Australian authorities have been tracking
the Hayabusa since its launch in May 2003
was planned to do, there is good reason to
expect that just the process of landing on the
said.
Hayabusa’s engines are broken, its posi-
Newswatch
cal and industrial plants, which emit highly and will help Japan’s space agency, JAXA, asteroid would have coated the inside of the tional adjusters are wonky and its batteries
Day by Day toxic gases, lie to the north of the residential
area, in a country where wind blows south-
recover the canister from its touchdown site
in an off-limits military rocket-testing
spacecraft with dust,” he added.
“When we open it up, I think it is not
are faulty. After launching the dust-bearing
canister, it will be incinerated as it smashes
PARIS: A teenage boy damaged his eyes while
playing with a handheld laser pointer that he had
ward for most of the year. range. going to be empty.” into the atmosphere. bought over the Internet, according to a case
Continued from Page 1 Following is the breakdown of votes on the Hayabusa’s mission was beset with tech- Even a “microscopic grain” of an aster- The spacecraft has attracted a cult fol- reported on Wednesday by the British Medical
wanted a closed-door grilling to conceal the request of the government to hold a closed nical troubles. It lost communication with oid could be divided with a diamond knife lowing in Japan, where a computer-graphics Journal (BMJ).
facts. door session: Earth for seven weeks, delaying its return into 100 samples or more, Zolenky said. movie about it has drawn some 150,000 vis- The lad suffered dark spots, known as central
The lawmaker’s argument was absurd In favor for three years until the asteroid, Itokawa, Though Japan would have exclusive itors to planetariums across the nation. scotomas, and loss of image sharpness after
because everybody knows there is no secret shining the green diode laser beam into his eyes,
in Kuwait. With the advent of the Internet, Saadoun Hammad, Mohammed Huwailah, a trio of specialists from the Royal Liverpool
details of any closed door discussion are pub- Khalid Al-Adwah, Hussein Al-Qallaf, University Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye
lished on various websites even before the Hussein Mezyed, Hussein Al-Huraiti, Dulaihi Hospital concluded. (AFP)
Al-Hajri, Rola Dashti, Saad Zunaifir, Saad Blockade chief Ban Ki-moon insisted on Tuesday. Security sources said this week Egypt
end of the session. Therefore, Al-Tahous’ jus- Ban’s view is that “credible international would keep its Rafah border open indefinite- ❑ ❑ ❑
tification was illogical as he himself would Khanfour, Salwa Al-Jassar, Shuaib Al- The UN humanitarian chief on Tuesday
Muwaizri, Saleh Ashour, Ali Al-Rashed, said Israel needs to be persuaded to ease its involvement is crucial to a prompt, credible, ly, barring security threats, a move seen as an WASHINGTON: For those who don’t have mil-
have disclosed details of the closed-door ses- impartial and transparent investigation” of the attempt to deflect criticism of its role in the lions to pay to become a space tourist, Nasa has
sion through his mobile phone. Ghanem Al-Mai’e, Faisal Duwaisan , blockade of the Gaza Strip, calling it “inflam-
Mubarak Khurainej, Khalid Al- Azmi, matory” in the wake of last week’s deadly deadly May 31 raid on an aid flotilla, UN blockade imposed by Israel in 2007. rolled out a quirky souvenir that lets you to send
Some MPs often make such lame excuses spokesman Farhan Haq told journalists. Five pro-Palestinian activists arrested by your face (your picture and name, that is) blast-
to project a positive image in front of the vot- Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Naji Al-Abdulhadi, commando raid on an aid flotilla. ing into space.
Yousuf Al-Zalzalah, Jassem Al-Khorafi and “We cannot make Israel do that ... we have Asked about reports that Israel has rejected Israeli forces after attempting to break the
ers. Apparently, they are oblivious to the fact an international inquiry into the incident that blockade of Gaza said Monday on their return To catch a ride (almost) on a rocket, all you
that most citizens are now fed up with the Adnan Al-Mutawwa. to persuade Israel that it’s in her interest,” have to do is head to faceinspace.nasa.gov,
John Holmes told the Australian Associated left nine Turkish pro-Palestinian militants to Dublin they were determined to try again.
frivolous acts of their elected representatives. Against dead, Haq said: “We have not yet heard an upload your photo and choose which of the last
Kuwaitis have outrightly rejected the dete- Aseel Al-Awadhi, Saifi Mubarak Al-Saifi, Press during a visit to the capital, Canberra, Hamas two shuttle missions will carry around what is
for a meeting of donors. official response.” The Palestinian Hamas movement said
riorating political situation in the country. Khalid Al-Sultan, Salem Namlan Jamaan Al- sure to become a memorable little memento
He said the 3-year-old blockade “is an Earlier Tuesday, Israel outlined plans to Tuesday it was “not opposed” to European once it is back on Earth. (AFP)
They have also started inquiring into the Harbash, Faisal Al-Muslim, Waleed Al- hold its own limited probes into the raid
causes of this recurrent problem. Forgive us! Tabtabaei, Falah Al-Sawagh, Marzouq Al- extra inflammatory aspect of the Middle East monitoring of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing ❑ ❑ ❑
crisis. The effects it’s having on the popula- launched to enforce the Jewish state’s block- with Egypt or Gaza-bound ships.
By Zahed Matar Ghanem, Saleh Al-Mullah, Hassan Jowhar, ade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. GENEVA: The head of the World Health
Abdul Rahman Al-Anjari, Abdullah Al tion of Gaza ... is devastating. There is a bit of “We are not opposed to the presence of a
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com a tinderbox there.” The probes will look exclusively into the European monitoring body at the Rafah Organization on Tuesday defended the agency’s
Roumi, Adnan AbdulSamad, Mubarak Al- legality of Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza handling of the swine flu pandemic, rejecting a
Waalan, Ali Al-Omair, Daifallah Buramiya, Gaza has been under an Israeli and crossing on the condition that there is no
and the raid on the aid flotilla, Israeli minister top medical journal claims that it was marred by
Walkout aborts Mohammed Hayef and Adel al- Sarawi Egyptian blockade since Hamas militants
seized power in a violent takeover of the sea- without portfolio Benny Begin told public
Israeli interference in this matter,” spokesman
Sami Abu Zuhri said.
commercial interests.
Abstained radio. “At no time, not for one second, did commer-
side strip in 2007. Egypt said Monday that it EU Checks cial interests enter my decision-making,” said
Continued from Page 1 Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Musallam Al-Barrak, will leave its border with the Palestinian terri- Israel on Tuesday outlined plans to hold its
own limited probes into its deadly raid on a Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, in a
Speaking to reporters after adjourning the Ali Al- Deqbasi and Khaled Al-Tahoos tory open indefinitely for humanitarian aid letter sent to the British Medical Journal, fol-
Gaza-bound flotilla, defying world pressure Tuesday gave a cool response to a French call
session, Al-Khorafi admitted that if given a and restricted travel. for the European Union to take charge of the lowing the publication’s article. (AFP)
Arab League Secretary General Amr for an international inquiry into the widely
choice he would have preferred holding the
grilling and no-confidence sessions behind
Kuwait joins 21 Moussa affirmed in Cairo Tuesday that the condemned operation. Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the
Gaza Strip.
❑ ❑ ❑
closed doors, pointing out that Abdullah Al- Arab League is serious in its efforts to break The probes will look exclusively into the JERUSALEM: Rabbi Jacob Milgrom, consid-
legality of Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza Frattini, speaking in Berlin after talks with ered by many as the world’s foremost authority
Salem Hall is not a football stadium. Continued from Page 1 Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip and that his his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle,
planned visit within a few days to Gaza and the May 31 raid on an aid flotilla that on the biblical book of Leviticus, has died. He
Meanwhile, Minister of Communications would have condemned it, forcing Turkey to sought to break it, minister without portfolio noted that the Palastinian movement Hamas, was 87.
and State Minister for National Assembly issue a separate statement. comes within these efforts. which controls Gaza, had in the past ended
Moussa said in press statements that the Benny Begin told public radio on Tuesday. Milgrom wrote a three-volume series on
Affairs Dr Mohammad Al-Busairi contended Israel says its soldiers acted in self-defense EU checks carried out at the border. Leviticus, interpreting Jewish dietary and purifi-
the premier’s willingness to stand on the in May 31 and began shooting only after a inter-Palestinian reconciliation file will be Killed
disscussed during his visit to Gaza. Moussa The bodies of two Palestinians killed by Also: cation rituals as well as the Bible’s position on
grilling podium twice in the current legisla- mob of activists attacked them after the com- BEIRUT: Lebanese activists called Tuesday homosexuality. He concluded the ban on homo-
tive round only proves his commitment to mandos boarded the ship. said that the Arab League contemplated send- Israeli fire in the seas off Gaza washed ashore sexuality applies only to Jewish men. (AP)
ing aid to Gaza Strip, and that Arab convoys on Tuesday, bringing to six the total number for a boycott of British rock band Placebo on
democracy. He affirmed the government’s Raid the eve of its Lebanon gig for performing in ❑ ❑ ❑
request for a closed door session is not new as of relief existed and were ready for that pur- of alleged militants killed by the navy in a
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pose. On the timing of his visit, he said it fell raid off the coast. Israel in the wake of the deadly raid on a CAIRO: Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox pope on
it had previously taken a similar step. He said Tuesday his country would raise the con- Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
within the framework of solidarity with the The bodies of two men in their 20s who Tuesday urged a high court to review its deci-
went on to say the grilling of Sheikh Nasser is troversial issue of who should investigate “You are not welcome in Lebanon,” sion to allow Coptic Christians to remarry fol-
not a solution to the problem in Umm Al- besieged Palestinians in Gaza. had each been shot in the head washed ashore
Israel’s deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla at Goods and were collected by local medics, the head Lebanese writer and editor Samah Idriss said lowing divorce, which is forbidden by the
Haiman, confirming the government has the United Nations. at a news conference jointly held by five non- church.
taken the required measures to address the An Israeli rights group on Tuesday said the of Gaza emergency services, Muawiya
“Unfortunately, this act happened in inter- Hassanein, said. governmental organisations on the eve of the “The decision must be reviewed, otherwise it
issue. national waters, which is another source for military is still preventing basic goods like concert in Beirut. would mean that Copts have been suffering and
Al-Busari hopes the opposition MPs will vinegar, coriander and toys from entering On Monday, Israel attacked a boat carrying we are putting pressure on them through reli-
concern,” Putin said during a press confer- what it said was “a squad of terrorists wearing
respect the democratic process in accordance ence on the sidelines of an Istanbul summit Gaza as part of a crippling embargo on the gion,” Pope Shenuda III said. (AFP)
with the Constitution and standing order of on security in Asia. Hamas-run territory. diving suits on their way to execute a terror
attack.”
‘Iran sanctions ❑ ❑ ❑
the Parliament. Nine Turks were killed in last week’s The report by the Gisha Legal Centre for
In the meantime, the Popular Labor Bloc Freedom of Movement marking three years Trial HOUSTON: Court documents say a Texas man
Israeli raid on a six-vessel international flotil- Continued from Page 1 accused of trying to help al-Qaeda referred to
organized a press conference immediately la shipping relief supplies to the Gaza Strip since closures were tightened said Israel per- Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
mits just 97 different items to enter, as com- called Monday on the Israelis who carried out then sit down to talk with us, such a thing will members of the terrorist group as his “brothers”
after its members stormed out of the session which is under an Israeli embargo. and wanted to die fighting alongside them.
hall. Putin stressed the need for calm and for a pared to more than 4,000 that entered before last week’s deadly attack on the Gaza aid not happen,” Ahmadinejad told a news con-
ference here. Barry Walter Bujol was set to be in court
Al-Saadoun clarified that even prior to the thorough and comprehensive investigation at June 2007. flotilla to be brought to justice. Tuesday for arraignment on charges he tried to
session, the bloc agreed on walking out of the the press conference also attended by Turkish A large Israeli supermarket, by compari- “The attackers of the humanitarian convoy “We will talk to everyone if there is respect help al-Qaeda by trying to supply the terrorist
session in case the Parliament decides to hold counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. son, would be stocked with 10,000 to 15,000 must be judged” for carrying out the “abject and fairness but if someone wants to talk to us organization with personnel, currency and other
the session behind closed doors. He affirmed “We can’t allow a new flame to flare up in different items, the group said. and inhuman act,” he said in an interview rudely and in a domineering manner the items. (AP)
Al-Tahous and the bloc have documents to the Middle East.” Putin added: “This is why Israel has said the closures imposed in June with French television TF1. response is known already,” added the Iranian ❑ ❑ ❑
prove that the government is responsible for (the incident) must be specifically investigat- 2006 and tightened after Hamas violently Israel sparked international outrage when leader, who is in Turkey for the summit of an
the deteriorating environmental situation in ed.” seized power a year later are needed to con- its commandos attacked the fleet of aid ships Asian security grouping. WASHINGTON: One American and five
tain the Islamist group and that the humani- bound for Gaza and killed nine people. A Turkish diplomat told AFP on condition Iranians have been charged with helping Iran
Umm Al-Haiman as it has failed to imple- “We will raise the issue at the United acquire satellite technology that allowed Tehran
ment the law but this should be discussed in Nations, we’re working at it,” said Putin, who tarian needs of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents Brotherhood of anonymity that Ankara was trying to per-
are being met. to launch a camera-equipped satellite in 2005,
an open session for all the citizens to see the discussed the raid with Erdogan “in detail”. Egypt allowed lawmakers from the Muslim suade Iran not to abandon talks if sanctions justice officials said Tuesday.
evidence. Putin said the “tragic incident with the Probe Brotherhood and other opposition groups to were imposed. The six are accused of creating a front com-
Al-Saadoun asserted the bloc can use other humanitarian flotilla for the Gaza strip, the The international community must be enter the blockaded Gaza Strip on Tuesday, In Moscow, a high-ranking Russian official pany to circumvent restrictions on providing
means to reveal the truth to the people. He loss of peaceful civilians has caused a new given a “credible” role in Israel’s probe of its but barred construction material contained in said the latest sanctions had been fully agreed “satellite hardware and technology” to Iran.
also hinted on the possibility of submitting exacerbation of the situation. deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, UN an accompanying aid convoy. and no problem remained for their adoption, (AFP)