UK soldier slain in south Afghanistan

A British soldier in Afghanistan (file photo)

A British soldier has been killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in southern Afghanistan in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province.

The soldier was from 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, the state-run BBC reported on Saturday.

The death brings the death toll for British soldiers deployed in Afghanistan to 352 since the war began in 2001.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are by far the most lethal weapon Taliban militants use against foreign troops, Afghan forces as well as civilians.

The latest death brings to 38 the number of fatalities among foreign troops in Afghanistan so far in 2011.

However, last year was the deadliest year for foreign military casualties with a death toll of 711. The figure eclipsed the previous record of 521 in 2009.

Despite the presence of 140,000 NATO forces in the Central Asian country, the militant attacks have not abated.

Britain has about 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, making it the second-largest contributor to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force after the United States.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163844.html

Two US-led soldiers killed in Afghan war

At least two US-led soldiers have been killed in the latest spate of attacks against foreign troops in southern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) says.

According to a statement released by the NATO-led alliance on Saturday, the soldiers lost their lives in separate bombings in volatile southern Afghanistan, bringing the death toll among foreign troops in the war-ravaged country since the beginning of this year to 36.

Five US-led soldiers with the international coalition have been killed so far in February.

The identities of the soldiers and the exact locations of Saturday's blasts were not immediately disclosed.

Last year saw a considerable spike in the number of attacks on US-led soldiers in Afghanistan with more than 710 troops killed.

US President Barack Obama has said US forces would begin pulling out of Afghanistan in July 2011.

On Jan 6, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered an extra 1,400 Marines to southern Afghanistan in an attempt to fend off an anticipated spring offensive by Taliban militants returning from neighboring Pakistan.

The surge comes despite an earlier promise by Obama to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan by July 2011.

The upsurge in the number of casualties among US-led foreign forces in tandem with the heavy civilian casualties have provoked a barrage criticism from countries which have contributed troops to the prolonged Afghan mission.
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2 injured in US copter crash near Kabul

At east two pilots have been injured after a helicopter belonging to the US-led foreign forces crashed in Afghanistan's eastern district of Lateh Band near the capital Kabul.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has confirmed the incident, which took place on Saturday as the combat helicopter was escorting transport helicopters from a French base in the Surobi district of Kabul province back to the capital, a Press TV correspondent reported.

According to eye witnesses, foreign troops have sealed off the crash scene and are looking into the incident, the correspondent added.

2010 was the bloodiest year of the nine-year conflict in Afghanistan, with casualties steadily soaring among both civilians and foreign troops, mainly due to a rise in Taliban attacks.

The number of US-led troops killed in 2010 in war-wrecked Afghanistan also hit new record highs with more than 710 casualties reported, far more than the 521 killed in 2009.

In September 2010, nine US soldiers were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.

On January 6, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered an extra 1,400 Marines to southern Afghanistan to fend off an anticipated spring offensive by Taliban militants returning from neighboring Pakistan.

The surge comes despite an earlier promise by US President Barack Obama to withdraw American forces from war-ravaged Afghanistan by July 2011.
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Militants kill 4 in NW Pakistan

Militants have killed four people who were allegedly spying for Indian and Jewish intelligence agencies in Karak town in northwestern Pakistan.

Officials and local sources told Press TV that police have found four bullet-riddled bodies with notes from militants in their pockets outside Karak, a northwestern town near the lawless North Waziristan tribal district on Saturday.

The note said that those killed were spying for Indian and Jewish intelligence agencies.

This is the first such incident in Karak.

Militants frequently kidnap and kill people in the tribal regions of South and North Waziristan, accusing them of spying for the Pakistani government or for US-led forces in Afghanistan.
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Jordan opposition rejects new govt.

Jordanian opposition protesters shout slogans and carry the Islamic Action Front's flag during an anti-government protest in the capital, Amman on Friday, February 4, 2011.

Jordan's main Islamic opposition group refuses to join a new government led by Prime Minister Marruf Bakhit, calling for new parliamentary elections.

"Taking part in this government under the current circumstances is out of the question," Hamzah Mansur, who leads the political arm of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Action Front, told AFP on Sunday.

"Acceptable participation for us is the one that comes through national consensus and parliamentary elections," he added.

Jordanian King Abdullah II replaced former Premier Samir Rifai with Bakhit on Tuesday, after three weeks of anti-government protests.

The monarch has instructed his choice to "take practical, quick and tangible steps to launch true political reforms."

Members of major tribes in Jordan, however, have condemned what they call rampant corruption in the country.

The tribal citizens have criticized what they call interference in executive decisions by those who have no constitutional powers -- an apparent reference to Queen Rania.

The opposition has warned of a popular uprising similar to the Egyptian revolution -- which entered its 13th day on Sunday -- should no reforms take place.

Jordanians have also held demonstrations in support of the popular uprising in the North African country, hailing the outraged Egyptian's cause of toppling the regime of their three-decade-long President Hosni Mubarak.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163985.html

Cuba seeks 20 years in prison for American accused of spying

In a statement released through the Communist Party newspaper Granma Friday, the Cuban government has requested a 20-year prison term for US contractor Alan Gross who was arrested in 2009 for "crimes against state security."

AFP - Cuba has requested a 20-year prison term for US contractor Alan Gross who was arrested in 2009 on spying charges, a government statement said, as Washington slammed the move as an "injustice."

In a statement released through the Communist Party newspaper Granma Friday, Cuba said Gross was being charged with violating Cuba's "independence and territorial integrity," and said a trial date will be fixed "shortly" in a case that has created a new diplomatic tension between Washington and Havana.

The charges against Gross, 61, are in the category of "crimes against state security" and suggest that Havana is taking a hard line in the high-profile case.

"The US government has been informed of this and duly notified through the diplomatic channels that its consular representatives, Mr Gross's relatives and his family lawyers will be allowed to attend the trial," the statement said.

Washington swiftly criticized the action.

President Barack Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs said Gross "has been unjustly detained and deprived of his liberty and freedom for the last 14 months."

But instead of releasing him, the White House said the decision Friday "compounds the injustice suffered by a man helping to increase the free flow of information, to, from, and among the Cuban people."

US State Department spokesman Charles Luoma-Overstreet said: "We deplore the Cuban government's announcement... (Gross) has been held without charges for more than a year, contrary to all international human rights obligations and commitments regarding justice and due process.

"He should be home with his family now," he said.

The contractor's wife Judy Gross told AFP that she would spend the weekend processing the possible implications for her husband and their family.

"I'm trying to digest the news myself," she said, declining further comment.

US authorities have argued that Gross worked for a non-government organization contracted by the State Department to supply computer and communications material to civil society groups on the island, and that he should be freed.

Washington officials said that Gross, an international development worker, visited Cuba to help members of the Jewish community in Havana link up with other Jewish communities throughout the world.

In December, a State Department spokesman said Gross had "languished in a Cuban jail for a full year" with no explanation or charges filed against him and that the actions "violate international standards of due process and judicial procedure."

On Friday the company that contracted Gross to work in Cuba, Development Alternatives Inc., described the threat of a 20-year prison sentence as an "outrage."

The company said in a statement released to AFP that it called on "principled leaders within our government and in the international community to stand up for Alan and step up their efforts to bring him home to his family."

The United States and Cuba have not had formal diplomatic ties since 1961, though Washington is represented by a US interest section in Havana.

On January 13, Cuba allowed a senior US diplomat to visit Gross, whose incarceration had become an obstacle in efforts to work towards normalized relations.

Arturo Valenzuela, the top US State Department official for Latin America, said recently that Washington had made it "very clear" to Havana that it will be difficult to reach any major agreements as long as Cuba is holding Gross.

Cuba has been pressing meanwhile for the release of five of its nationals held in prison since 1998 in the United States on espionage charges.

Obama presses Hosni Mubarak to make 'right decision' and step down

Embracing an Egyptian future without Ho

sni Mubarak, President Barack Obama pressed the embattled leader to consider his legacy and leave his office in a way that would give his country a true chance for peace and democracy

REUTERS - President Barack Obama on Friday appealed to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to make the "right decision" as the United States kept up its push for an orderly transition of power in the face of mass protests.
Obama stopped short of calling for Mubarak to immediately resign -- the demand of the thousands of protesters on the streets of Cairo. But Obama pointedly noted that the Egyptian president has already made a decision not to run re-election.
Obama told reporters that in their two conversations since mass protests against Mubarak's 30-year rule began 11 days ago he stressed the need for an orderly transition to democracy in the country, long a cornerstone of U.S. Middle East strategy.
"Having made that psychological break, that decision that he will not be running again, I think the most important thing for him to ask himself ... is how do we make that transition effective and lasting and legitimate," Obama said at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"The key question he should be asking himself is: how do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period?' And my hope is ... that he will end up making the right decision," Obama said.
In what may have been an effort to quash a New York Times report that U.S. and Egyptian officials discussed Mubarak's immediate resignation in favor of Vice President Omar Suleiman, Obama said, "The future of Egypt will be determined by its people."
Egypt has been a U.S. ally throughout Mubarak's reign and it is strategically vital to American interests because of its peace treaty with Israel, its control of the Suez Canal and its opposition to militant Islam.
After two days of clashes between Mubarak loyalists and anti-Mubarak protesters and efforts to cut off news coverage of the demonstrations, Obama said the rights of protesters, human rights activists and journalists must be respected.
"Going back to the old ways is not going to work. Suppression's not going to work. Engaging in violence is not going to work. Attempting to shut down information flows is not going to work," he said.
"The only thing that will work is moving (an) orderly transition process that begins right now, that engages all the parties, that leads to democratic practices, fair and free elections, a representative government that is responsive to the grievances of the Egyptian people," he added.
http://www.france24.com/en/20110205-obama-presses-hosni-mubarak-leave-office

Poll: Record disapproval rate for Obama

President Barack Obama's second year in office has polarized the US as a 68 point gap divides the two major political camps in the country over his performance, a recent Gallup poll shows.

In fact, no president since President Dwight Eisenhower, over 50 years ago, has had a more polarizing second year than Obama.

Results revealed that 81 percent of Democrats and only 13 percent of Republicans have expressed their approval of the condition, indicating a whopping 68 point approval gap between the two parties.

The poll linked Obama's disapproval rating to the poorly performing economy, adding that "the other presidents with low second-year averages also took office during difficult economic times," reports Newsroom America.

Two years into President Obama's presidency, he has failed to deliver on a significant number of his campaign slogans including upending the lobbying culture in Washington, bolstering the US economy, and bringing transparency to Washington.

"[Obama] completely ignored the fact that the country is mired in a grinding recession, with basically 25 percent -- one in four Americans -- out of work or working at a part time job… and he talked about the country having broken the back of the recession as though it's over," Dave Lindorff - author and investigative journalist - told Press TV in an exclusive interview.

“Housing prices are still going down, unemployment is stagnant at these very high levels, and there is nothing being done to stimulate the economy," Lindorff added.

President Ronald Reagan's second year approval gap at 56 points comes in second highest, while Clinton's 54 point gap comes in third; George W. Bush holds the record for the most polarized year of any year, and the most years in the top ten.
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'Perfect storm of unrest in Mideast'

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that the status quo in the Middle East is unsustainable and the region is going towards instability.

Speaking at an international security summit in Munich, Germany, Clinton admitted that economic problems and long-standing discontent with autocratic regimes threaten global stability.

"The Middle East is facing a perfect storm of unrest," she said at the summit while referring to the current situation in Egypt and Tunisia.

Referring to the protests in troubled Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, the US official said that high unemployment, depleting oil and water reserves, and simmering discontent towards autocratic regimes could threaten global stability.

She further pointed out that transition to democracy can be chaotic, but in the end "free people govern themselves best."

Clinton urged Europe to back the United States' push for wide-scale reform, saying incremental steps that do not offer people full freedom will only breed further discontent.

She also called on the international support for the reforms proposed by Egypt's embattled leaders so that extremists do not hijack the country's political transition.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163860.html

Snowstorm buries one-third of US

America's Midwest and Northeast have been hit by one of the worst snow storms in the modern US history, with over 30 states affected.

Called the Big Freeze of 2011, over 2,000 miles of landscape -- from the Rocky Mountains to New England -- have experienced temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius and blizzard winds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour, a Press TV correspondent reported.

According to meteorologists, more blinding blizzards and North Pole like conditions are forecasted for the next week.

At least 12 people have died from the massive snowstorms. Some of them have frozen to death stranded in their cars, while others have died in car crashes on snow-covered streets.

Doug Kammerer -- a TV weatherman for NBC's Washington station WRC Television -- says there's never been so much snow and ice blanketing in the middle and eastern half of the country since the late 1800's.

“This year the Arctic is playing a certain role in allowing a lot of cold air to filter down into the eastern portion of the country… you're talking about some of the coldest temperatures ever in Colorado, coldest temperatures ever in Texas, and you look down at Florida and you're dealing with some of the coldest temperatures they've seen,” Kammerer told Press TV.

In Chicago, millions have lost power and heat, power lines are down, communications cut, and emergency services have been unable to operate in the third worst snowfall of its history,

“We're just not use to the severity of these storms. This is a historic storm. A storm like this that brings one to two feet of snow and 70-mile an hour winds is a storm that you just do not see very often,” Kammerer added.

The storm, which has caused an estimated one billion dollars-damage in properties, is bankrupting city and state budgets for snow removal.
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US veterans hit hard by housing crisis

More than 20,000 veterans, active-duty troops and reservists who have taken out special government-backed mortgages have lost their homes.

Foreclosures near military bases increased more than 30 percent in the last two years, nearly 10 percent higher than the national foreclosure rate, according to RealtyTrac.

Last year's foreclosures on US veterans were the highest recorded since 2003.

The Homeless Veterans Initiative estimates that one out of every four homeless men in America is a veteran and that roughly 155,000 veterans live on the streets.

“To not be concerned about this is pretty callous especially in a time when we still have two ongoing wars,” Geoffrey Millard, director of Homeless Veterans Initiative, told Press TV.

Experts said the housing crisis is especially difficult for military families because of transfers, loss of civilian jobs left behind by reservists, and multiple deployments.

Millard added another hardship is that many vets like him are dealing with physical or mental issues which are an immediate priority over finances.

“This might be a time period in a returning veteran's life when they're just starting to struggle with things like post-dramatic stress, physical injuries and illnesses that are related to the war,” he told Press TV.

“The financial end of things is the last thing they're thinking about when they have day to day chronic pain. I can tell you with my chronic pain, some days I don't really care if the electricity is going to get shut off,” he added.

“Anytime you have multiple deployments, that also means then you have multiple points of obligation,” Saleem Abdul-Mateen of the Muslim American Veterans Association told Press TV.

Millard went on to say that some vets don't realize there are programs which can help, adding that if the Department of Veterans Affairs had not helped an estimated 66,000 families avoid foreclosure last year, the number of military and veterans losing their homes would have been much higher.
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Bush avoids Switzerland over arrest fear

Bush has cancelled his planned visit to Switzerland following outcry that he be tried over the torture of prisoners. EPA Photo

Former US President George W Bush cancels his trip to Switzerland amid mounting pressure to arrest him over allegations of ordering the torture of prisoners.

Bush had been scheduled to speak at a fundraiser for Keren Hayesod -- a Zionist organization which supports and finances Israel -- in Geneva on February 12.

Human rights groups in the country and around the world have called on him to stand trial for sanctioning the use of torture against prisoners held in overseas military bases.

Court officials in Geneva said criminal complaints have been filed against Bush, Sky News reported.

The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights and several European groups say they intended to file a formal complaint against Bush and would urge Swiss prosecutors to open a criminal case upon his arrival in the country, The Washington Post stated.

Activists were also planning to stage a protest outside of the fundraising event during his visit.

Organizers had called for people to bring a shoe to the rally outside the Hotel Wilson where the dinner is to be held. The shoe was meant to serve as a tribute to the Iraqi journalist, who threw his shoe at Bush during a news conference in Iraq in 2008.

Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in an e-mailed statement, "President Bush was looking forward to speaking about freedom and offering reflections from his time in office."

In his memoir Decision Points, released last November, Bush made it clear that he had approved the use of water boarding in interrogation of so-called "terror suspects."

He recalled in the memoir that when the CIA asked him whether it could proceed with water boarding of Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- the alleged plotter of the 9/11 attacks -- he had replied "damn right."
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