Karl Zinsmeister Named Domestic Policy Adviser

Editor to be Bush’s domestic policy aide (NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press) 11:56 AM ET

In the latest White House personnel changes, the editor of a conservative magazine will replace Claude Allen, the domestic policy adviser who left in February amid a shoplifting investigation. The White House announced the appointment Wednesday of Karl Zinsmeister, who has been editor-in-chief of The American Enterprise magazine for 12 years. “Karl has broad policy experience and a keen insight into many of the issues that face America’s families and entrepreneurs, including race, poverty, welfare, and education,” President Bush said in a statement. “He is an innovative thinker and an accomplished executive. He will lead my domestic policy team with energy and a fresh perspective.”

According to The American Enterprise Web site, Zinsmeister has traveled toIraq as an embedded journalist, writing three books about his experience there and writing and producing a forthcoming PBS film called “Warriors” that profiles U.S. troops.

Fire at Istanbul Ataturk Airport

CNN Breaking News: Huge fire engulfs cargo section of Istanbul’s international Ataturk airport, blocking air traffic, television reports say.

Huge fire breaks out at Istanbul airport (BENJAMIN HARVEY, Associated Press)

A huge fire engulfed the cargo section of Istanbul’s Ataturk International airport on Wednesday, blocking air traffic and causing hundreds of panicked people to flee, television reports said. Authorities evacuated thousands of people from nearby terminals and moved away parked cargo planes as black smoke, mixed with flames, billowed 100 feet into the air. A firefighter atop a tall ladder poured a stream of water on the fire, and a plane flew overhead, dropping a payload onto the flames — apparently fire retardant chemicals. But the flames rose above the building.

The cause of the fire was not known. Cihan News Agency said a short-circuit may have caused the fire and private NTV television said the fire began in a section where fuel depots were located.

NTV said some cargo workers may have been trapped inside the blazing two-story cargo building, which was used to store international freight arriving in Istanbul. Private Sky-Turk television reported occasional explosions at the building and said chemicals may have caused the fire.

The building was located close to a hangar housing military aircraft.

Blaze engulfs Istanbul airport (CNN) 12:26 p.m. EDT

A massive fire that engulfed part of Istanbul’s international airport left three people injured but did not cause major air traffic delays, Turkish officials say. A Transport Ministry official said Wednesday’s blaze, which broke out in the cargo section of Ataturk Airport, was under control and that flights were continuing.

Turkey’s Deputy Gov. Fikret Kasapoglu private NTV television that three people suffered smoke inhalation but there were no other casualties. He said the fire was believed to have been caused by a short circuit of electrical systems in a cargo area of the airport, and may have caused secondary explosions causing the fire to quickly spread.

U.S. Endorses Israeli West Bank Plan

U.S. praises Israeli West Bank plan (AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press)

In a policy shift, the White House is praising Israel’s plan to set its borders with the Palestinians and is convinced those boundaries could create side-by-side states if a negotiated solution proves elusive. Yet the course that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert outlined to President Bush is detested by the Palestinians and avoids the contentious issues that have made peace and establishment of a Palestinian state unrealized goals.

Olmert, continuing his rounds in Washington with a speech Wednesday to a joint meeting of Congress, pronounced himself “very, very pleased” with both the atmosphere and the content of his talks with U.S. officials. Likewise, the president said in a news conference after his White House meeting with Olmert that the Israeli leader had “bold ideas” for unilateral action should talks founder on the internationally backed “road map” peace plan.

Before Olmert arrived Sunday, the Bush administration had urged him to negotiate with the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and bypass the new Hamas leadership. Hamas, branded a terrorist group by the U.S., rejects Israel’s right to exist and has refused to renounce violence. A negotiated solution is the preferred route both for Bush and Olmert, though the president found merit to the prime minister’s alternative approach. “These ideas could lead to a two-state solution if a pathway to progress on the road map is not opened in the period ahead,” Bush said.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, an Abbas ally, welcomed Bush’s call for negotiations. But he rejected the notion of an imposed solution. “President Bush said the first option is negotiation,” Erekat told The Associated Press. “There is no other option.”

Olmert, making his first visit to the U.S. since winning election in March, said he intended to “exhaust every possibility to promote peace with the Palestinians according to the road map.” “I extend my hand in peace to Mahmoud Abbas, the elected president of the Palestinian Authority. I hope he will take the necessary steps which he committed to in order to move forward,” Olmert said. But, he warned, “We cannot wait indefinitely for the Palestinians to change. … If we come to the conclusion that no progress is possible, we will be compelled to try a different route.”

In Jerusalem, a senior Cabinet member close to Olmert said if Hamas does not recognize Israel and renounce violence within six months Israel will move ahead with plans to unilaterally draw its final borders by 2010. “If these things don’t happen, we won’t wait for years, but rather we will wait until the end of this year,” Haim Ramon told Israel Radio. “This will be a year of diplomacy.” “First negotiations, and after the negotiations, if it doesn’t succeed and it becomes clear that there is no (Palestinian) partner, we will move ahead with the consolidation plan,” Ramon said.
[...]

A senior U.S. official said the administration became more comfortable with the unilateral alternative because it grew convinced Olmert was serious about trying to negotiate with Abbas. It also thinks that if efforts to negotiate fail, then Olmert’s ideas could be compatible with the ultimate goal of a viable Palestinian state, even if the Palestinians had little hand in creating it, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was describing private talks.

[...]

On Capitol Hill, the House voted Tuesday to ban U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority and to bar diplomatic contacts with Hamas. The Senate is considering a less restrictive bill. Bush opposes the legislation on the ground that it goes too far.

Wisconsin Passes Abstinance Law for Unmarried Couples

Wis. Governor Signs Abstinence Bill (RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press) May 23, 8:47 PM ET

Sex education teachers must present abstinence as the preferred behavior for unmarried people under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Jim Doyle. The legislation means teachers must emphasize that refraining from sex before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A spokesman for the governor, a Democrat, said most Wisconsin school districts already take that approach. “The governor thinks that abstinence should be an important part of the message that kids hear from adults as part of their classes,” spokesman Dan Leistikow said.

Republican Sen. Mary Lazich, a bill’s sponsor, said sex education teachers can still teach about birth control, but must emphasize that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method to avoid health risks.

Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, called the bill, which takes effect July 1, shortsighted. “They ignored the overwhelming public testimony, support and expert information about the importance of comprehensive sex education that talks about abstinence as well as contraceptive use,” she said. “Abstinence is an important part but it is not the only part.”

The birth rate among Wisconsin teens ages 15-19 decreased by 27 percent between 1993 and 2004, from 41 to 30 births per 1,000 females, according to the most recent government survey. But the overall infection rate of the four top sexually transmitted diseases increased by 3 percent among teens during that time

.

Category 6 Hurricanes

Category 6 Hurricanes? They’ve happened. (BILL BLAKEMORE, ABC News) May 21, 2006

There is no official Category 6 for hurricanes, but scientists say they’re pondering whether there should be as evidence mounts that hurricanes around the world have sharply worsened over the past 30 years — and all but a handful of hurricane experts now agree this worsening bears the fingerprints of man-made global warming.

In fact, say scientists, there have already been hurricanes strong enough to qualify as Category 6s. They’d define those as having sustained winds over 175 or 180 mph. A couple told me they’d measured close to 200 mph on a few occasions.

The Saffir-Simpson hurricane category scale is based on wind speed: A Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds from 74 to 95 mph, Category 2 has sustained winds from 96 to 110 mph, Category 3 has sustained winds from 111 to 130 mph, Category 4 has sustained winds from 131 to 155, and a Category 5 storm has sustained winds greater than 155 mph.

The categories run in roughly 20 mph increments, so a Cat 6 would be greater than 175 or 180 mph.

To put this all in perspective, Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane out over some hot spots in the Gulf. But when it hit New Orleans, scientists now know, Katrina had winds at a low Category 3, and much of them Category 2, including the “left side winds” that then came down from the north and pushed the surge-swollen waters of Lake Pontchartrain over and through NOLA’s levees. (Hurricanes spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, so when Katrina came ashore just east of New Orleans, its winds hit the city from the north.)

Lloyd Bentsen, Former Senator and Treasury Secretary, Dies at 85

Lloyd Bentsen, former senator and treasury secretary, dies at 85 - Texan ran for vice president in 1988 (AP-CNN) 11:13 a.m. EDT

Lloyd Bentsen, a courtly Texan who represented the state in Congress for 28 years and served as President Clinton’s first treasury secretary, died Tuesday morning, his family said. He was 85.

Bentsen, also the Democratic 1988 vice presidential nominee, died at his home in Houston. It was during that campaign that he told rival Dan Quayle in a debate, “You’re no Jack Kennedy.”

His distinguished political career took him from the humble beginnings of a county office in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the U.S. House, 22 in the U.S. Senate and two in the Clinton Cabinet, where he was instrumental in directing the administration’s economic policy.

Former Democratic Sen. Lloyd Bentsen Dies (AP-WaPo) 11:36 AM additional text:

A shrewd legislative operator, the silver-haired politician maneuvered with ease in Democratic and Republican circles alike on Capitol Hill, crafting deals behind the scenes in a dispassionate, reserved fashion.

Chairman of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee for six years, Bentsen was a solidly pro-business Democrat who compiled a record as a staunch advocate of international trade and protector of the oil and gas industry.

Former U.S. Rep. Ken Bentsen described his uncle’s life as incredible.

“He not only achieved a lot but took advantage to make his state, his nation and the world better,” Bentsen said in a December 2003 interview.

The scion of a wealthy Rio Grande Valley family, Bentsen first distinguished himself in World War II, where he flew 50 bomber missions over Europe. Returning home as a decorated veteran, the 25-year-old was elected Hidalgo County judge in 1946. Two years later, he moved to the House.

In his first House term, Bentsen was one of a handful of Southern congressmen voting against the poll tax, which was used to keep blacks from voting.

Despite the prediction of one of his mentors, legendary House Speaker Sam Rayburn, that he, too, could one day become speaker, Bentsen decided not to seek re-election in 1954. Instead, he opted to return to private life in Houston and build his own fortune, using several million dollars in seed money from his family.

Flush with corporate success, the millionaire felt the call of politics anew and decided in 1970 to challenge liberal Democratic Sen. Ralph Yarborough. After winning a bitter primary, Bentsen went on to defeat his Republican rival, Congressman George Bush, for the first of four Senate terms.

The moderate-to-conservative Democrat, who preferred to work away from the limelight, quickly built a reputation as a bipartisan coalition builder.

National ambitions led him to seek the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, a race he quickly abandoned after gaining little support. Returning his attention to the Senate, Bentsen cemented his expertise in tax, trade and economic issues as well as foreign affairs.

By 1988, Bentsen was one of the Senate’s most respected voices. That year, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis tapped the elder statesman as his running mate. The Dukakis-Bentsen ticket went down hard, losing 40 states _ including Texas _ to the Bush-Quayle team.

U.S. Airstrike Kills Dozens of Taliban

U.S. Airstrike Kills Dozens of Taliban (NOOR KHAN, Associated Press)

Angry villagers dug graves Tuesday to bury dozens of suspected militants and civilians killed in one of the deadliest U.S. airstrikes since the American-led invasion in 2001. Another 19 people were killed in new violence. Taliban fighters ambushed a police patrol in southern Afghanistan, killing three police but leaving 12 militants dead, officials said. Also Tuesday, three health workers and their driver were killed by a land mine near the capital.

The deaths brought to 305 the number of people killed in fighting during the last week. Most of the dead were militants. It’s the deadliest spate of fighting in four years and comes ahead of preparations for the U.S.-led coalition to hand over security operations in southern Afghanistan to NATO by July.

The coalition said 20 Taliban were confirmed killed in the airstrike on the village of Azizi in Kandahar province late Sunday or early Monday, while up to 60 more may have died. Local officials said 17 civilians also were killed, but one villager, Haji Ikhlaf, told The Associated Press that 26 civilians had been buried by early Tuesday. “We’ve buried women. We’ve buried children,” Ikhlaf, 40, said by cell phone from the area, which has been closed off to reporters by local security forces. “They are killing us. We are so angry.” Villagers also dug graves of slain Taliban rebels, he said.

U.S. commander Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry told The Associated Press on Monday that the military was “looking into” reports of civilian deaths. Other coalition officials said they were confident they had hit a Taliban compound.

Tuesday’s ambush against police occurred in Helmand, a province neighboring Kandahar and heartland of the country’s multibillion dollar heroin trade. Ghulam Muhiddin, the provincial administrator, said dozens of Taliban fled after the attack, leaving the bodies of 12 fighters behind. Police reinforcements were rushed to the area and also found several assault rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers.

The medical workers were killed Monday about 25 miles west of Kabul on a busy road often frequented by foreigners, said Bashar Gul, a local deputy police chief. The blast killed a doctor, two nurses and their driver, he said. The four worked for the local Afghan Health Development Services. Militants have repeatedly targeted aid workers, including doctors and teachers. Last month, gunmen stormed a medical clinic in a northwestern province and killed five doctors and nurses. The Taliban opposes the presence of the development workers because they believe they bolster the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.

Personal Data of 26.5 Million Veterans Stolen

Thieves Steal Personal Data of 26.5M Vets (HOPE YEN, Associated Press) 2:23 AM ET

Thieves took sensitive personal information on 26.5 million U.S. veterans, including Social Security numbers and birth dates, after a Veterans Affairs employee improperly brought the material home, the government said Monday. The information involved mainly those veterans who served and have been discharged since 1975, said VA Secretary Jim Nicholson. Data of veterans discharged before 1975 who submitted claims to the agency may have been included.

Nicholson said there was no evidence the thieves had used the data for identity theft, and an investigation was continuing. “It’s highly probable that they do not know what they have,” he said in a briefing with reporters. “We have decided that we must exercise an abundance of caution and make sure our veterans are aware of this incident.”

Veterans advocates expressed alarm. “This was a very serious breach of security for American veterans and their families,” said Bob Wallace, executive director of Veterans of Foreign Wars. “We want the VA to show leadership, management and accountability for this breach.” Ramona Joyce, spokeswoman for the American Legion, agreed that the theft was a concern. “In the information age, we’re constantly told to protect our information. We would ask no less of the VA,” she said.

Nicholson declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, which involved a midlevel data analyst who had taken the information home to suburban Maryland on a laptop to work on a department project. The residential community had been a target of a series of burglaries when the employee was victimized earlier this month, according to the FBI in Baltimore. Local law enforcement and the VA inspector general were also investigating.

“I want to emphasize there was no medical records of any veteran and no financial information of any veteran that’s been compromised,” Nicholson said, although he added later that some information on the veterans’ disabilities may have been taken.

Nicholson said he does not know how many of the department’s 235,000 employees go thorough background investigations. He said employees who have access to large volumes of personal data should be required to undergo such checks, but he does not believe the VA employee was involved in the theft. “We do not suspect at all any ulterior motive,” he said.

The department has come under criticism for shoddy accounting practices and for falling short on the needs of veterans. Last year, more than 260,000 veterans could not sign up for services because of cost-cutting. Audits also have shown the agency used misleading accounting methods and lacked documentation to prove its claimed savings. “It is a mystifying and gravely serious concern that a VA data analyst would be permitted to just walk out the VA door with such information,” Illinois Rep. Lane Evans, the top Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement signed by other Democrats on the panel.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who is a Vietnam veteran, said he would introduce legislation to require the VA to provide credit reports to the veterans affected by the theft. “This is no way to treat those who have worn the uniform of our country,” Kerry said. “Someone needs to be fired.”

The VA said it was notifying members of Congress and the individual veterans about the burglary. It has set up a call center at 1-800-FED-INFO and Web site, http://www.firstgov.gov, for veterans who believe their information has been misused.

It also is stepping up its review of procedures on the use of personal data for many of its employees who telecommute as well as others who must sign disclosure forms showing they are aware of federal privacy laws and the consequences if they’re violated. Deborah Platt Majoras, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, said her task force has reached out to the three major credit bureaus to be alert to possible misuse.

Palestinian Intelligence Head Wounded in Assassination Attempt

Blast Wounds Palestinian Intelligence Head (IBRAHIM BARZAK, Associated Press)

A bomb blast seriously wounded the Palestinian intelligence chief at his headquarters Saturday, in what security officials called an assassination attempt against a key ally of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. A bodyguard was killed and nine other people were wounded in the explosion in an elevator shaft of the heavily guarded compound. There was no claim of responsibility. The attack came at a time of growing friction between Abbas and the Hamas-led government over control of Palestinian security forces. Recent clashes between rival groups of gunmen have deepened tensions. The intelligence chief, Tareq Abu Rajab, who survived an assassination attempt two years ago, is a top official in Abbas’ Fatah movement.

Fatah did not openly accuse the Islamic militant Hamas of being behind the blast, but some Fatah members demanded that Abbas dissolve the Hamas-led government and call early elections. Abbas called the blast “unfortunate” and said it posed a “grave danger” to the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas canceled all appointments for Saturday and formed a committee to investigate the attack, said government spokesman Ghazi Hamad. “We are asking not to make early judgments, accusations or responses that might lead to tension in the Palestinian streets,” said Hamad, in apparent anticipation of Hamas being held responsible.

Abu Rajab and six aides and bodyguards got into an elevator and were close to the second floor when the bomb exploded before noon at the intelligence headquarters in northern Gaza City. One of the bodyguards was killed, and Abu Rajan and five others in the elevators were seriously wounded. Three others were also hurt, including a secretary riding in an adjacent elevator, doctors said.

The wounded were driven to nearby Shifa Hospital in cars of the intelligence service. Fellow agents fired in the air from the car windows to clear the way. Several members of a new Hamas militia fired toward the vehicles, possibly because they believed they were coming under attack, witnesses said. Abu Rajab underwent surgery at Shifa. Gaza doctors said they stopped the bleeding and stabilized him, but decided to send him to an Israeli hospital to try to save his leg.

The explosion caused extensive damage and bomb experts were sent to the scene to investigate. Khaled Abu Hilal, spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry, initially suggested the blast was set off when one of Abu Rajab’s bodyguards inadvertently dropped a hand grenade. But he later said his comment was based on inaccurate information. The intelligence service said the blast was caused by a bomb and that Abu Rajab was the target of an assassination attempt.

Some Fatah members demanded that Abbas dissolve the government and call a new election. A group calling itself the Fatah Protection Unit also demanded that Hamas disband its 3,000-strong militia within three days. The militia was deployed earlier this week, despite Abbas’ vehement opposition. If the militia is not removed, “we are ready to deploy our men and our fighters in the streets … to protect Fatah men and all of Palestinian society,” the statement said.

Iraqi Parliament Approves New Cabinet

Iraqi Parliament Approves New Cabinet (AP)

Iraq’s parliament approved a national unity government on Saturday, achieving a goal the U.S. hopes will reduce widespread violence so that U.S. forces can eventually go home. But as the legislators met, at least 27 people were killed and dozens wounded in a series of attacks.

[...]

In a show of hands, the 275-member parliament approved each Cabinet minister proposed by incoming Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The new ministers then took their oaths of office in the nationally televised session in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. That completed a democratic process that began following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

In his first address, al-Maliki told parliament that he would make restoring stability and security the top priority of his new administration. He said he would “work fast” to improve and coordinate Iraqi forces so they can reduce attacks by insurgent groups and militias. Al-Maliki said he would set “an objective timetable to transfer the full security mission to Iraqi forces, ending the mission of the multinational forces.”

But his failure to fill the top two security porfolios illustrated the challenges ahead. Al-Maliki, a Shiite, said he would be acting interior minister for now, and he made Salam Zikam al-Zubaie, a Sunni Arab, the temporary defense minister. That angered some legislators, and before the Cabinet was approved by a show of hands, parliament turned down a motion by Sunni Arab leader Saleh al-Mutlaq to postpone the session. Al-Mutlaq then walked out with about 10 other Sunni deputies. The defense ministry oversees the army, while the interior ministry is responsible for police.

The United States hopes the new national unity government of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds can calm the violence and pave the way for Washington to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

“This is a historic day for Iraq and all its people,” deputy parliament speaker Khalid al-Attiyah said at a nationally televised news conference as the legislators gathered. “It is the first time that a full-term, democratically elected government has been formed in Iraq since the fall of the ousted regime. This government represents all Iraqis,” said al-Attiyah, a bearded Shiite cleric wearing a white turban.

The legislative session began at about 1:30 p.m., two and a half hours later than planned as al-Maliki held last-minute meetings with other politicians, apparently to hammer out final agreements on some of the Cabinet portfolios.

U.S. and Iraqi forces didn’t impose day time curfews or ban traffic in Baghdad and major cities, as they did during previous national elections and constitutional referendum. But security was heavy in the Green Zone and the capital’s airspace was closed to commercial flights at Baghdad’s international airport. The government and U.S. officials declined to say why.

Senate Sends Mixed Signals on English

Senate Sends Mixed Signals on English (DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent) May 18 8:00 PM US/Eastern

The Senate voted Thursday to make English the national language of the United States. Sort of.

Moments after the 63-34 vote, it decided to call the mother tongue a “common and unifying language.” “You can’t have it both ways,” warned Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., a fan of “national” but not “common and unifying.” Two dozen senators disagreed and voted for both as the Senate lumbered toward an expected vote next week on a controversial immigration bill.

[....]

Inhofe led the attempt to declare English the national language, a campaign he said began more than a century ago. The Oklahoma Republican quoted President Theodore Roosevelt as having said that among other things, those living in the United States “must also learn one language and that language is English.” “If you’ve got any rights now you’ve still got them under this amendment” added Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.

Democrats disputed that, and said the proposal would curtail rights established by an executive order President Clinton issued to extend language assistance to individuals not proficient in English. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada went further. “I really believe this amendment is racist. I think it’s directed basically to people who speak Spanish.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Inhofe replied. “I don’t think people will buy into it.” The Senate didn’t, including 11 Democrats who joined 53 Republicans to support the proposal.

Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., advanced the alternative that declared English to be a “common and unifying language.” It passed, 58-39, leaving the outcome of the symbolic debate uncertain.

Senate says English is national, unifying tongue (Donna Smith, Reuters) Thursday, May 18, 2006; 9:33 PM

The Senate agreed on Thursday to make English the national language of the United States and moments later also adopted a milder alternative calling English the country’s “unifying language.” Which amendment ends up in the final version of an overhaul of U.S. immigration law will depend on negotiations with the U.S. House of Representatives. Neither would bar the use of Spanish or other languages in government services.

The Senate immigration plan couples tightened border security and enforcement and a guest-worker program with measures giving a path to citizenship to some of the 12 million illegal immigrants, most from Spanish-speaking nations. “This is not just about preserving our culture and heritage, but also about bettering the odds for our nation’s newest potential citizens,” said Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe, who sponsored the national language amendment, which passed by a vote of 63-34.

The United States currently has no official language and some lawmakers said they feared Inhofe’s amendment would lead to discrimination against people who are not proficient in English. They also said it could hurt efforts to promote public health and safety in other languages. “Although the intent may not be there, I really believe this amendment is racist. I believe it is directed at people who speak Spanish,” Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.

The issue is politically popular, and in a congressional election year lawmakers strongly supported both measures. Inhofe said opinion polls showed 84 percent of Americans supported making English the national language. The Senate, by 58-39, also agreed to an alternative offered by Sen. Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat, stating “English is the common and unifying language of the United States that helps provide unity for the people of the United States.”

Senate Votes English as ‘National Language’ (Jonathan Weisman and Jim VandeHei, Washington Post) Friday, May 19, 2006; A01

After an emotional debate fraught with symbolism, the Senate yesterday voted to make English the “national language” of the United States, declaring that no one has a right to federal communications or services in a language other than English except for those already guaranteed by law. The measure, approved 63 to 34, directs the government to “preserve and enhance” the role of English, without altering current laws that require some government documents and services be provided in other languages. Opponents, however, said it could negate executive orders, regulations, civil service guidances and other multilingual ordinances not officially sanctioned by acts of Congress.

That vote, considered a defeat for immigration-rights advocates, was followed last night by an important victory: By 58 to 35, the Senate killed an amendment that would have blocked eventual citizenship for future immigrants who arrive under a temporary work permit. Democrats and Republicans agreed that the amendment would have destroyed the fragile, bipartisan coalition backing the Senate bill.
[...]

The English language vote continued the conservative turn that a major overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws has taken since the Senate began debate this week. The comprehensive legislation would strengthen border security, allow illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or more to remain and eventually become citizens, and create a guest-worker program.

[...]

The English-language debate has roiled U.S. politics for decades and, in some quarters, has been as controversial and important as an amendment to ban flag burning. The impact of the language amendment was unclear even after its passage. The wording negating claims to multilingual services appears straightforward. It also sets requirements that immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship know the English language and U.S. history. The amendment would require more thorough testing to demonstrate English-language proficiency and knowledge of U.S. history and elements of U.S. culture such as the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. But its author, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), made two last-minute changes that some opponents said would reduce its effect significantly. By stipulating that the English-only mandates could not negate existing laws, Inhofe spared current ordinances that allow bilingual education or multilingual ballots. By changing the amendment to label English the “national language” rather than the “official language” of the country, Inhofe may have lessened its symbolic power. “In my view, we had it watered down enough to make it acceptable,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), one of the chief architects of the immigration bill.

But pro-immigration groups and some Democrats said the amendment would obliterate executive orders issued by President Bill Clinton that mandated multilingual services and communications in a variety of federal agencies, and could undermine court orders, agency regulations, civil service guidances, and state and local ordinances that call for multilingual services. Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) called the amendment “racist,” and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) dismissed it as divisive and anti-American.

Further complicating the picture, moments after approving the Inhofe amendment, the Senate voted 58 to 39 to approve a competing amendment by Salazar. It declared English the “common unifying language of the United States,” but mandated that nothing in that declaration “shall diminish or expand any existing rights” regarding multilingual services. Senators said the conflict will have to be worked out in negotiations with the House.

Palestinian Rival Forces Clash

Hamas-Led Government Deploys Security Force, Defying Abbas (Greg Myre, NYT) May 18

The Hamas-led Palestinian government on Wednesday deployed a new security force in the Gaza Strip, a direct challenge to the authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, who last month vetoed the creation of the force. Mr. Abbas, who has been traveling in Europe this week, responded Wednesday night by ordering a large number of members of the security forces under his command to be placed on the streets in Gaza, Reuters reported.

In another sign of Palestinian infighting, a Hamas militant was killed in a drive-by shooting near Gaza City, the second such killing of a Hamas member in two days. No one claimed responsibility, though Hamas and Mr. Abbas’s Fatah movement are waging an increasingly open power struggle.

With Mr. Abbas and the Hamas-led government jockeying for power, control over the security forces is a potentially explosive issue. In theory, the Palestinian president is to share responsibility for the security forces with the prime minister and his cabinet. But Mr. Abbas and Hamas have not been able to agree on their roles, and the developments on Wednesday reflected the mounting tensions.

The Palestinian interior minister, Said Siam, who is also a Hamas leader, announced plans for the new security force in April, shortly after Hamas took control of the government. A day later, Mr. Abbas said he would use his presidential powers to veto it. But Mr. Siam said he was proceeding with the force, which was to have several thousand members and was intended to help the police. The new force is expected to include many members of Hamas, which is not widely represented in other security forces. Most members of those security forces have ties to Fatah, which dominated Palestinian politics for decades until Hamas won the Palestinian elections in January. At a news conference in Gaza City, Mr. Siam said the new force was being sent into the streets to end the “state of chaos and anarchy and the increasing assaults on our people.”

Civil war feared as Palestinian factions flex muscle (Adel Zaanoun, AFP) Thu May 18, 12:52 PM ET

Hamas and Fatah paramilitaries staged mass shows of strength amid warnings that the Islamists’ decision to deploy its gunmen on the streets of Gaza could trigger a Palestinian civil war. Thousands of security officers denounced a rival militia, dispatched by the Hamas government a day earlier in a bid to restore order to the territory, and pledge support for beleaguered Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya insisted the unit was “set up in keeping with the law, the basic law and direct agreement with president Abbas” — illiciting flat denials from the presidency. “You were in the resistance. Today you are protecting the nation, security and the people,” Haniya told hundreds of recruits of the new paramilitary.

Tensions spread beyond Gaza, as Hamas deputy premier Nasserdine al-Shaer cut short a tour in the West Bank when Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades gunmen, loosely affiliated to Abbas’s Fatah faction, opened fire and blocked his vehicle. Al-Aqsa supporters have said they will have no truck with the new force which began its operations in Gaza on Wednesday, despite Hamas interior minister Said Siam’s insistence that its ranks were open to all-comers. Abbas, as Palestinian Authority president, is meant to be overall commander of the security services. Their main branches are dominated by Fatah supporters despite Hamas’s victory in a January parliamentary election.

Abbas’s office made clear the president’s anger at the deployment of the Hamas forces at a time when he was in Europe — ironically to lobby for an end to the international community’s isolation of the Hamas-led government. “Any situation in which two different forces, seemingly taking orders from separate authorities, are attempting to take charge of maintaining law and order in Gaza, is untenable,” his office said.

Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina denied there was any agreement with Hamas over creating a new force, only on incorporating gunmen into the existing security forces commanded by the Palestinian Authority. “There was no agreement between president Abbas and prime minister Haniya on forming a special security force of armed Palestinian factions. It is impossible under Palestinian basic law to form a new force,” he told AFP. A senior official in Abbas’s office went further by warning that the deployment of the new force “could lead to a civil war” and demanding that the force withdraw to allow the security services to carry out their duties.

Around 3,000 members of the security services — drawn from the ranks of the national and preventive security forces as well as Abbas’s own elite Force 17 unit — rallied in downtown Gaza City to denounce the new force. Another 1,500 supporters of Fatah and leftist Palestinian parties later marched through Gaza City shouting: “We will not be led by masked men. Down with the militia. Up with the law”.

Hamas force battles police in Gaza, 4 hurt (Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters) Thu May 18, 7:32 PM ET

Palestinian police fought gunbattles in Gaza City on Friday with a new Hamas-led security force set up by the Islamist government in defiance of President Mahmoud Abbas. At least four people were wounded in the first fighting since Hamas deployed the force on Wednesday. Two police, one Hamas member and a gunman from Abbas’s Fatah movement were hurt.

Clashes sent terrified residents fleeing from the night-time streets of Gaza City, where tension has soared amid fears of civil war. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the emergence of rival security forces a “dangerous situation.”

Members of the Hamas force, mostly bearded young militants who fought Israel in an uprising for years, surrounded the main police station in Gaza City and traded fire with security men taking cover inside.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said fighting subsided after contacts between the forces. He accused unidentified “suspicious gunmen” of opening fire to instigate the clash. “There is no reason for the two forces to fight. There is no dispute of authority,” said Khaled Abu Hilal. Police accused Hamas of starting the clashes by opening fire on the police station.

The 3,000-strong Hamas-backed force, formed under the authority of Interior Minister Saeed Seyam, was deployed in a challenge to the authority of Abbas, whose Fatah movement was defeated by Hamas in elections in January.

In response, Abbas ordered the deployment of a Fatah-loyal police unit. The decision marked the latest step in a deepening power struggle between Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas movement took power in March.

The rival deployments followed growing insecurity in Gaza, with at least five rival gunmen killed this month.

“It seems that the civil war has begun,” said one medic, who did not want to give his name. Gunfire echoed as he spoke.

The Fatah gunman was shot in front of the hospital as he pleaded that he was nothing to do with the clashes. Gunmen with weapons cocked peered warily around street corners in the densely populated seaside city.

Abbas loyalists have far more forces under their control than Hamas, but many of them are poorly equipped.

Tensions have been exacerbated by a financial crisis since Hamas took control. Western donors have cut funding to the aid-dependent Palestinian Authority to try to force Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.

Hamas is formally committed to destroying the Jewish state, though it has largely followed a truce for more than a year. Abbas seeks to revive negotiations for a Palestinian state in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The United States, leading the campaign to isolate Hamas, has put its faith in Abbas, who was elected in 2005 on a platform of peacemaking. Rice said in Washington that she hoped the situation of rival security forces could be resolved.

“We obviously believe that President Abbas, who we believe has the confidence of the Palestinian people, should be able to exercise his responsibilities as president of the country,” she told reporters.

Gaza has grown accustomed to bloodshed during years of clashes with Israeli forces, who withdrew from the territory in 2005, but internal strife is a more horrifying prospect for many residents.

(Additional reporting by Matthew Tostevin in Gaza, Sue Pleming in Washington)

Morgellons Disease Hits South Texas

A strange and controversial disease is spreading throughout South Texas, reports Deborah Knapp of San Antonio’s KENS 5 Eyewitness News.

D.C. Vote’s Stars Are Aligning, Davis Says

I predict years of controversy on this one, until the Supreme Court makes a decision.
Co-Sponsor Sees Enough Support On House Panel

By Lori Montgomery and Elissa Silverman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, May 12, 2006; Page A01

A bipartisan proposal to give the nation’s capital a vote in Congress has “more than enough votes” to win approval in one House committee, the panel’s chairman said yesterday, the first step in a process that could add two seats to the House and permanently expand its membership for the first time in nearly 100 years.

U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said he will push the measure through his Committee on Government Reform as soon as next week. It would then move to the Judiciary Committee, where its fate is less certain. Davis said judiciary chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) has pledged to stage a vote on the bill. But a committee spokesman said yesterday that Sensenbrenner may only conduct a hearing.
If both panels approve the bill, which would add seats for the District and Utah, Davis said, House leaders have signaled that they will let it proceed to the floor.

But a House leadership aide last night said the bill has “not a shot whatsoever.” Davis is “doing his own thing here,” said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because leadership members had not cleared his statement.

In the Senate, a spokesman for Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said last night that the proposal has received little attention. The White House declined to comment, but Davis said the bill “is not something the president would veto.”

Is that supposed to be a joke, something the President would veto?

Al Qaeda in Iraq Disorganized, Worried

Disorganization Worries al-Qaida in Iraq (TAREK EL-TABLAWY, Associated Press) May 8, 6:12 PM ET

Al-Qaida in Iraq is concerned about disorganization within its cells in the Baghdad area, with one extremist describing them as simply a “daily annoyance” to the Iraqi government, according to documents released Monday by the U.S. military. The military said the documents were seized during April 16 raids in the Youssifiyah area, 12 miles south of the capital. The documents indicate the group is worried that its forces are unable to secure solid footholds within Baghdad, U.S. military officials said.

Notably absent from the documents were the usual derogatory references to Shiites as heretics, and the Americans as either “crusaders” or “occupation forces” — language common to most militant postings that appear on the Internet. “This information confirms what the government of Iraq, coalition forces and ultimately the people of Iraq already know — that al-Qaida in Iraq’s role only attempts to impede Iraqis in following the road to prosperity, security and national unity,” U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Rudy Wright said in a statement.

In one document as released by the U.S., an unidentified al-Qaida member writes that the influence and power of Iraq’s Shiite majority cannot be taken lightly, especially in Baghdad, “particularly when the power of the ministries of Interior and Defense is given to them, compared to the power of the mujahedeen” in the city. The document says that the Baghdad cells are capable of only “hit and run” operations, leading the public to conclude that “the Shiites are stronger in Baghdad and nearer to controlling it, while the mujahedeen … are not considered more than a daily annoyance to the Shiite government.”

Release of the documents appears part of a U.S. campaign to deflate the image of al-Qaida in Iraq and its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The documents were released four days after the U.S. military aired what it said were clips cut from a previously released al-Qaida in Iraq video which showed a bumbling al-Zarqawi fumbling with an unfamiliar, American-made machine gun. The version of the tape posted on the Web showed al-Zarqawi as a confident, skilled warrior.

The other document released Monday outlined the group’s strategy in Baghdad. It said al-Qaida should focus on the capital while reducing attacks on Sunni areas “in order to reduce pressure on the Sunnis … while cleansing (Sunni areas) of spies and Shiites.”

U.S. military officials have said that militants are expected to mount more attacks in Baghdad as lawmakers struggle to form the country’s first democratically elected national unity government — a process that has been rife with sectarian and ethnic tension mirroring the violence around Iraq.

Focusing on Baghdad, as explained by the strategy document, would force the U.S. military to shift resources there and allow militants to regroup in their traditional bases, including Anbar province, which includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. It also reiterates al-Zarqawi’s long-stated goal of targeting the country’s majority Shiites. But the strategy document complains that “the strength of the brothers in Baghdad” is based mostly on car bombs and “groups of assassins lacking any organized military capabilities.”

The writer complains that the Americans and the Iraqi government forces “were able to absorb our painful blows,” raise new recruits and “take control of Baghdad as well as other areas, one after the other.” “This is why every year is worse than the previous year, as far as the mujahedeen’s control and influence over Baghdad,” the document said.

It also charged that the major Sunni groups — the Iraqi Islamic Party and the clerical Association of Muslim Scholars — have “anesthetized” the Sunni population. It warned that “we will have a problem” if the government succeeds in raising all-Sunni army units. Insurgents have recently targeted recruits from the first all-Sunni unit, killing at least seven of them in two separate attacks last week. “Either we let them go beyond the limits, or fight them and risk inciting the Sunnis against us through the channels of the party and the association,” the document says.

CENTCOM TRANSLATION, 3 MAY

Page 1 of 4

A glance at the reality of Baghdad in light of the latest events (sectarian turmoil)

1. It has been proven that the Shiites have a power and influence in Baghdad that cannot be taken lightly, particularly when the power of the Ministries of Interior and Defense is given to them, compared with the power of the mujahidin in Baghdad. During a military confrontation, they will be in a better position because they represent the power of the state along with the power of the popular militias. Most of the mujahidin power lies in surprise attacks (hit and run) or setting up explosive charges and booby traps. This is a different matter than a battle with organized forces that possess machinery and suitable communications networks. Thus, what is fixed in the minds of the Shiite and Sunni population is that the Shiites are stronger in Baghdad and closer to controlling it while the mujahidin (who represent the backbone of the Sunni people) are not considered more than a daily annoyance to the Shiite government. The only power the mujahidin have is what they have already demonstrated in hunting down drifted patrols and taking sniper shots at those patrol members who stray far from their patrols, or planting booby traps among the citizens and hiding among them in the hope that the explosions will injure an American or members of the government. In other words, these activities could be understood as hitting the scared and the hiding ones, which is an image that requires a concerted effort to change, as well as Allah’s wisdom.
2. The strength of the brothers in Baghdad is built mainly on booby trapped cars, and most of the mujahidin groups in Baghdad are generally groups of assassin without any organized military capabilities.
3. There is a clear absence of organization among the groups of the brothers in Baghdad, whether at the leadership level in Baghdad, the brigade leaders, or their groups therein. Coordination among them is very difficult, which appears clearly when the group undertake a join operations
4. The policy followed by the brothers in Baghdad is a media oriented policy without a clear comprehensive plan to capture an area or an enemy center. Other word, the significance of the strategy of their work is to show in the media that the American and the government do not control the situation and there is resistance against them. This policy dragged us to the type of operations that are attracted to the media, and we go to the streets from time to time for more possible noisy operations which follow the same direction.

This direction has large positive effects; however, being preoccupied with it alone delays more important operations such as taking control of some areas, preserving it and assuming power in Baghdad (for example, taking control of a university, a hospital, or a Sunni religious site).

Page 2 of 4

At the same time, the Americans and the Government were able to absorb our painful blows, sustain them, compensate their losses with new replacements, and follow strategic plans which allowed them in the past few years to take control of Baghdad as well as other areas one after the other. That is why every year is worse than the previous year as far as the Mujahidin’s control and influence over Baghdad.

5. The role that the Islamic party and the Islamic Scholars Committee play in numbing the Sunni people through the media is a dangerous role. It has been proven from the course of the events that the American investment in the Party and the Committee were not in vain. In spite of the gravity of the events, they were able to calm down the Sunni people, justify the enemy deeds, and give the enemy the opportunity to do more work without any recourse and supervision. This situation stemmed from two matters:

n First, their media power is presented by their special radio and TV stations as the sole Sunni information source, coupled with our weak media which is confined mainly to the Internet, without a flyer or newspaper to present these events.

n Second, in the course of their control of the majority of the speakers at mosques who convert right into wrong and wrong into right, and present Islam in a sinful manner and sins in a Muslim manner. At the same time we did not have any positive impact or benefits from our operations.

6. The mujahidin do not have any stored weapons and ammunition in their possession in Baghdad, particularly rockets, such as C5K Katyosha or bomber or mortars which we realized their importance and shortage in Baghdad. That was due to lack of check and balance, and proper follow-ups.

7. The National Guard status is frequently raised and whether they belong to the Sunnis or Shiites. Too much talk is around whether we belong to them or not, or should we strike and kill their men or not?

It is believed that this matter serves the Americans very well. I believe that the Committee and the Party are pushing this issue because they want to have an influence, similar to the Mujahidin’s. When and if a Sunni units from the National Guard are formed, and begin to compete with the mujahidin and squeeze them, we will have a problem; we either let them go beyond the limits or fight them and risk inciting the Sunnis against us through the Party’s and the Committee’s channels.

Page 3 of 4

I believe that we should not allow this situation to exist at all, and we should bury it before it surfaces and reject any suggestion to that effect.

8. (Salah), the military commander of Baghdad (he used to be the commander of the Rassafah County and still is) is a courageous young man with a good determination but he has little and simple experience in the military field and does not have a clear vision about the current stage and how to deal with it Most of his work at al-Rassafah County is to take cars to the Jubur Arab Tribes, convert them into booby traps and take them back inside Baghdad for explosion. And the more booby trap cars he makes, the more success he has. This alone is not a work plan and we do not benefit from it in the medium range let alone the long range.

9. (Salah): The current commander of Northern al-Karkh (Abu-Huda) is very concerned because of his deteriorating security situation caused by being pursued by the Americans, since they have his picture and voice print. Therefore, his movement is very restricted and he is unable to do anything here. We should remove him from Baghdad to a location where he can work easier; otherwise he is closer to become totally ineffective. I know nothing about his past military experience or organizational skills.

10. (Salah): Northern al-Karkh groups are estimated at 40 mujahid, so is the Southern Karkh. They could double that number if necessary. Al-Rassafah groups in general is estimated at 30 mujahidin as I was informed by the commander of al-Rassafah. These are very small numbers compared to the tens of thousands of the enemy troops. How can we increase these numbers?

Page 4 of 4

Rep. Kennedy To Enter Rehab

The story is changing on his early morning car accident, now admitting addiction to painkillers.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday he was entering treatment for addiction to prescription pain medication, a decision made after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol that the congressman said he cannot recall.

Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, said he would seek immediate treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

He announced his decision to reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. He walked in alone, gripped the lectern, cleared his throat and began haltingly.

Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression, said he had checked into the Mayo Clinic over the Christmas holidays and returned to Congress “reinvigorated and healthy.”

“Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said his lack of memory of the car accident is what triggered him to seek professional help, reports CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano.

“I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions,” Kennedy said. “That’s not how I want to live my life. And that’s not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.”

As he was leaving the room, Kennedy was asked whether he might resign, and he shook his head no. “I need to stay in the fight,” he said. He did not take other questions.

Stay in the fight?

Sudan, Main Rebel Group Sign Peace Deal

Sudan, Main Rebel Group OK Peace Deal (AP)

Sudan’s government and the main Darfur rebel group signed a peace plan Friday, marking major progress in an internationally backed effort to end the death and destruction in western Sudan.

Two rebel groups, though, rejected the accord backed by the African Union, United States, Britain, the European Union and the Arab League and skipped the signing ceremony in a hall at a Nigerian presidential villa. Optimism was muted by that and a history of failure to live up to agreements struck over two years of negotiations in the Nigerian capital.

Observers broke into applause and whoops of joy as the parties signed the last page and then proceeded to initial each of the 85 pages of a document written by the African Union and then revised by U.S., British and other envoys to meet rebel concerns. The hall was filled with traditional leaders in white turbans, fighters in camouflage turbans, diplomats and journalists.

Sudan, Main Rebel Group Sign Peace Deal (Glenn Kessler and Emily Wax, Washington Post) 2:03 PM

The government of Sudan and the biggest Darfur rebel faction signed a peace deal today, declaring an end to three years of bloody conflict that has left tens of thousands of people dead and 2 million homeless.

The agreement was signed in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, by the Sudanese government’s top negotiator and the leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army. However, two other rebel groups — a rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement — refused to sign the peace accord, contributing to doubts about whether it would actually end the violence in Darfur.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo hailed the deal but added a note of caution. “Unless the right spirit is there, the right attitude, this document will not be worth the paper it’s written on,” he said at his presidential compound, Reuters news agency reported. “The spirit that led to the signing should continue to guide the implementation.”

The Sudanese government and the SLA said they were signing the agreement to end years of suffering in Darfur despite reservations over power sharing and security.

Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick,