ALWATAN DAILY
WORLD sundAY, november 7, 2010
7
US seeks to boost NEWS IN BRIEF
UK to change
ties with Australia
law affecting state visits
LONDON: britain’s government has
promised to change a law that allows pri-
US Secretary vate groups and activists to obtain an ar-
of State Hillary rest warrant for visiting foreign officials
Rodham MELBOURNE: us secretary of state Hillary rodham Clinton is wrapping up regarding alleged war crimes. The prin-
Clinton, (left), a two-week tour of the Asia-Pacific in Australia where she and defense secretary ciple, known as “universal jurisdiction,”
and Australian robert Gates will see their Australian counterparts to boost counterterrorism coop- has been used by pro-Palestinian activists
eration and efforts to improve security in Afghanistan and Iraq. in britain to seek the arrest of Israeli of-
Foreign Minister
Clinton arrived in melbourne on saturday and has two days of meetings before ficials planning to visit britain, and that
Kevin Rudd has created tension between the uK and
take part Gates joins her on monday for strategic talks the foreign and defense ministers of Israel. britain’s Foreign office says the
in a news the two nations hold each year. proposed legal change has Parliament’s
conference Australia is the final foreign stop on Clinton’s seven-nation trip, which also support and will be adopted soon. Israel
on Nov. 6, in took her to vietnam, China, Cambodia, malaysia, Papua new Guinea and new this week suspended a special strategic
Melbourne, Zealand. she is to make a brief stop in American samoa on monday before return- dialogue with britain after pro-Palestin-
Australia. (AP) ing home. -AP ian activists jeopardized visits by Israeli
officials by using the universal jurisdiction
option.
Oakland protesters Hundreds abused during
Angola expulsions, UN says
slams LA court as having ‘racist criminal justice system’
LUBUMBASHI: more than 650 people
have suffered sexual violence during
mass expulsions from Angola to Congo in
the past two months, according to a un
agency report seen by reuters. The report
OAKLAND: Police made more than 150 but don’t break other people’s stuff,” said mo- by the un Children’s Fund unICeF said
6,621 people arrived in two territories of
arrests as a crowd broke windows and knocked hammed mofeed, who manages a liquor store Luiza and Tshikapa/Kamonia, in Western
down fences, protesting a Los Angeles court de- about a block from where a large of group of Kasai province, in two waves during oc-
cision to sentence a white former transit officer people were arrested. tober. “The conditions of expulsion are
to the minimum term for fatally shooting an He said that he didn’t agree with the sen- still terrible. In many cases, sexual vio-
unarmed black man. tence, but didn’t want to see his store or other lence is reported and even cases of tor-
Friday night’s unrest was the latest in the businesses damaged. “If you’re going to protest, ture,” said the report, citing 657 instances
case against defendant Johannes mehserle, protest right,” he said. “don’t vandalize other of sexual violence based on evidence col-
which has provoked periodic racial strife in people’s property” lated by welcome committees in the two
oakland since he shot and killed oscar Grant mehserle, 28, had faced a possible 14-year areas. -reuters
while trying to arrest him on an oakland train maximum term after being convicted of invol-
platform nearly two years ago.
The protests erupted hours after Los An-
untary manslaughter. At the time of the shoot-
ing, mehserle was a bay Area rapid Transit of-
Algeria acquits
geles superior Court Judge robert Perry sen- ficer responding to a report of a fight. ex-Guantanamo inmate
tenced mehserle to a two-year prison sentence, In making his decision during the highly
provoking immediate anger from the victim’s charged, 3 1/2-hour hearing, Perry threw out ALGIERS: An Algerian court has acquit-
family and friends who demanded a much a gun enhancement that could have added as ted a former Guantanamo inmate who
harsher punishment. much as 10 years in prison and said there was was facing terrorism charges after being
“oh my!” Grant’s mother Wanda Johnson overwhelming evidence that it was an acciden- returned to his native country, a news re-
port said Friday. The report, by Algeria’s
shouted. she burst out of the courtroom saying, tal shooting. official APs news agency, said sofiane Ha-
“He got nothing! He got nothing!” Perry said race would not factor into his de- darbache was tried on charges of belong-
Grant’s uncle, bobby Cephus Johnson, said cision and although mehserle had shown “tons ing to a terrorist group operating abroad
outside court: “I do believe it’s a racist criminal of remorse” for killing Grant, he would have to and counterfeiting. Prosecutors had asked
justice system.” but he added that the family account that a “young man needlessly died.” for a seven-year prison sentence for Ha-
was reacting calmly. A demonstrator lies on ground in protest after the sentencing in Oakland, Calif., Nov. 5, of “I did the best I could with this case,” Perry darbache, the report said. His lawyers
An oakland rally billed as a tribute to Grant former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle. (AP) told the courtroom. “my decisions today will demanded an acquittal, saying that us
turned into a march through the downtown area not be well-received by many people. I’m sorry officials had determined he didn’t rep-
with residences nearby, where demonstrators ter one officer had his gun taken from him in a said officers checking the backpacks of several for that.” resent a security threat before releasing
broke car and bus windows late Friday night. fight and another officer was hit by a car and of those arrested found hammers, pepper spray, Police said they were prepared in case there him into Algerian custody. Hadarbache
some carried a banner reading “Justice for os- suffered non-life-threatening injuries. switchblades and anti-freeze. some residents of was a replay of the rioting in oakland that fol- was picked up by us forces outside of the
car Grant.” Police helicopters hovered above, officers began making arrests about 8 p.m. the area expressed empathy with the protesters lowed the shooting on new Year’s day 2009. Afghan capital, Kabul, in 2001 and sent
shining spotlights on the crowd. and had detained and handcuffed 152 people but wished the demonstrators hadn’t taken out mayor ron dellums said he understood the to the us detention facility in Guantana-
oakland Police Chief Anthony batts said by the time the protest had died down about 90 it on their neighborhood. pain and disappointment sparked by the sen- mo bay, Cuba. He was held through July
2008, when he was sent back to Algeria,
the protest was declared an illegal assembly af- minutes later. Police spokesman Jeff Thomason “They have a right to be angry to an extent, tence. -AP the report said. -AP
Qantas says fleet safe after ‘unrelated’ mid-air incidents Kenyan court frees
17 suspected Somali pirates
SYDNEY: dramatic mid-air engine failures
that struck two Qantas aircraft in as many days are
unrelated, the airline said, adding it was confident
explosion to fireworks.
“It was pretty scary,” said swedish tourist Lisa
ogden, who was on board. “An engine on the wing
layed hundreds of passengers in Los Angeles, Lon-
don and Australia.
Among those delayed was the captain of the
of the safety of the planes it is flying. exploded. It looked like fireworks, a pretty big A380, richard Champion de Crespigny - praised
Qantas grounded its A380 super-jumbos on one,” she told reporters at the airport. by passengers for his calm handling of Thursday’s
Thursday after one carrying 466 passengers and “The plane jumped a bit and the cabin crew mid-air crisis - who was on board the 747 which
crew was forced to return to singapore after an en- were yelling ‘crisis’ and they told everyone to sit was forced back the following day.
gine exploded during ascent, raining debris onto down.” Also on that plane were his two co-captains
an Indonesian island. Asked whether he thought the 747 had been from the A380 flight, Qantas said.
The 90-year-old airline suffered a second en- sabotaged, Joyce said: “We do not believe this is The engine failures, which are front page news
gine failure the following day when a sydney- sabotage. It looks like a mechanical failure of the in Australia, were earlier described as “unrelated
bound boeing 747-400 jumbo carrying 412 pas- engine.” incidents” by Qantas spokeswoman olivia Wirth.
sengers and 19 crew experienced problems shortly Joyce has also said an engine design fault may Qantas said that while both aircraft operated
after take-off from singapore. have caused the other mid-air emergency involv- on rolls-royce manufactured engines, the strick-
unlike the A380 engine blast - which sent de- ing an Airbus A380 superjumbo. en boeing 747-400 was fitted with rolls-royce
bris flying, causing damage to the plane’s wing - the both planes landed safely in singapore, with rb-211 engines while the Qantas A380 uses rolls-
second incident was a “contained engine failure”, no injuries to any on board. royce Trent 900 engines.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said. Qantas has said it will investigate both inci- A Qantas boeing 747 engine failed on a flight
“We are not concerned about our 747 fleet,” dents, and that engine checks were still being car- from san Francisco to sydney in August, blowing a
he added. “Those engines have a long life... We’ve ried out on the airline’s six A380s, which Joyce hole in the engine casing and forcing an emergency
seen inflight shutdowns take place before... It’s... said he hoped to have back in use soon. landing. no one was injured in the incident.
not a safety issue.” “We are hopeful that within days we will have The latest unexplained engine failures have
He pointed to mechanical failure as the source our A380 fleet flying again,” he said. overshadowed Qantas’ birthday celebrations,
of the problem, which occurred six minutes into The airline has been using other aircraft to pick which kicked off at sydney airport on saturday
the flight, causing the engine to emit sparks and up passengers booked onto A380s - the world’s with a visit by the airline’s ambassador-at-large,
smoke and frightening passengers who likened the biggest passenger jets - but the problems have de- Hollywood star John Travolta. -AP
Mexico kills top drug lord at US border
UN Secretary-General calls piracy a ‘scourge’ ...and has called for a comprehensive
Moroccan court
and cohesive report on piracy. (Reuters)
NAIROBI: A Kenyan court on Friday in the Indian ocean off east Africa.
MONTERREY: mexican marines killed drug baron ezequiel “Tony Tormen-
ta” Cardenas in a ferocious gunfight at the us border on Friday, a fleeting vic- postpones trial of seven Sahrawis freed 17 somali men detained by the us
navy at sea and accused of piracy, say-
Kenya is among a handful of coun-
tries that have prosecuted pirates. one of
tory for President Felipe Calderon that is unlikely to quell raging violence. ing the navy didn’t provide the necessary the key concerns about jailing pirates is
Around 150 marines backed by helicopters and soldiers fought running bat- CASABLANCA: The trial of seven Western sahara activists ac- evidence to convict the suspects. what to do with them once their sentence
tles with members of the powerful Gulf cartel for hours in matamoros, across cused of threatening morocco’s security was adjourned Friday until The decision has left authorities in a is up.
from brownsville, Texas, terrifying residents and briefly shutting border bridges. december 17 after a heated row broke out in court, legal sources dilemma over what to do with the somali Kenya has previously said it is review-
dodging grenades and coming under heavy fire from gunmen hidden in houses said. men since the court did not order them ing agreements with the international
and shooting from trucks, the marines moved in on Cardenas, one of mexico’s “The judge proclaimed the adjournment to december 17 just repatriated back to their country, the community to prosecute pirates from
most-wanted traffickers, and killed him on Friday afternoon, the navy said. after the start of the trial of the seven sahrawi militants,” one of the men’s lawyer said. somalia, its east African neighbor. A key
“He died in a shootout with us,” a navy spokesman said. Three marines and sources said from the courtroom in Casablanca. Attorney Jared magolo said a magis- concern is the security threat somalis
four gunmen were killed, the navy said. A reporter was killed after being caught The sahrawis were arrested in october 2009 at Casablanca air- trate’s court in the coastal town of mom- suspected of piracy may pose if they are
in crossfire, local media reported. Cardenas, 48, was the brother of former Gulf port on their return from Tindouf, in southern Algeria, a base of the basa ruled that there was insufficient acquitted or after they have served their
cartel leader osiel Cardenas, who was extradited to Texas in 2007. He had a $5 Polisario Front independence movement. evidence to prove that the somali men jail term.
million bounty on his head in the united states and ran the powerful gang with They were accused of “endangering the internal security” of the attacked the mv Amira, an egyptian- Kenya wants other countries to share
his partner, Jorge eduardo Costilla, known as el Coss, who is still at large. north African kingdom. flagged ship, in may 2009. the burden of prosecuting pirates. The
Praised in drug ballads, Cardenas won his nickname of “Tony Tormenta” Three are in detention and the four others - including a woman, magolo said the magistrate blamed country currently has some 136 pirates
(Tony storm) for beheading and torturing rivals. dakcha Lachguer - have been out on bail since may. the loss of the case on the us navy, who among its 53,000 inmates.
The Gulf cartel, which dominates trafficking from northeastern mexico into An AFP correspondent said that shouting broke out inside the captured the somalis, for not providing Last may the us navy’s bahrain-
Central America and has cells across the united states, is pitted against its for- courtroom between the sahrawis and a group of moroccan lawyers. video and photographic proof that the based 5th Fleet said American sailors ap-
mer armed wing, the Zetas, in an unrelenting turf war. That violence has spread The independence activists shouted “Long live the sahrawi navy claimed to have. prehended the 17 somalis for allegedly
into mexico’s richest city of monterrey near the Texas border, in a escalation of people” and “Long live self-determination”, while the lawyers cried magolo said the magistrate court did attacking the egyptian-flagged merchant
the drug war that worries foreign investors with factories in the area. “The sahara is moroccan.” not order the men repatriated to soma- ship Amira in waters off Yemen.
more than 31,000 people have been killed across mexico since december “The conditions for holding a trial were not met because of these lia because international law prohibits The sailors from the guided-missile
2006, when Calderon took office and launched his army-led crackdown. The altercations,” said Abdelaziz nouaydi, the president of the associa- extraditing a person back to a country at cruiser uss Gettysburg also seized eight
government is under increasing pressure to contain the burgeoning death toll tion Adala (Justice), who attended the proceedings. war. assault rifles and a rocket-propelled gre-
across the country. drug gangs blocked roads and set fire to gas stations in the A group of spanish journalists were also attacked as they tried He said the police did know what to nade launcher when they boarded the
colonial city of morelia in western mexico on Friday evening after soldiers cap- to take pictures in the courtroom, according to eduardo marin, a do with the somalis since they cannot put pirates’ vessel.
tured a local drug gang leader, state news agency notimex said. reporter for spain’s Cadena sur radio. them back in prison without orders from The Gettysburg launched the opera-
Calderon’s national security chief Alejandro Poire lauded Cardenas’ killing “members of the moroccan police then intervened, conducted the court. tion with the help of the Korean destroy-
as a major success in weakening the cartels that generate up to $40 billion a year us outside and asked us politely to erase the photos,” marin added. somali pirates usually seize ships in er roKs munmu the Great after pirates
in narcotics sales in the united states. Amnesty International on Friday called on “moroccan authorities to the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busi- fired at the motor vessel Amira about 75
“Today, we are taking a significant step in dismantling the criminal gangs that free the three sahrawi activists still in detention in morocco.” -AP est waterways, for multimillion dollar ran- miles south of Yemen’s Al-mukalla port,
do so much damage to our country’s population,” Poire told reporters. -AP soms. Pirates have also increased attacks the navy said. -reuters