Obama Urges Israel, Palestinians to Seize Opportunity for Peace

Dan Robinson | White House 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

From left: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, President Barack Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan"s King Abdullah II at the White House, 01 Sep 2010

President Barack Obama says Israelis and Palestinians must seize the opportunity for achieving a lasting peace presented by the resumption of direct negotiations.  Mr. Obama sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and other key Mideast leaders ahead of Thursday"s formal opening of direct talks at the State Department.

One by one, Mr. Obama welcomed the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and Egypt to the Oval Office, in this his first intensive foray at making progress on issues that have been so intractable for previous U.S. presidents.

In one of three appearances before television cameras, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at his side, President Obama described some of what he told Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas.

"As I told each of them today, this moment of opportunity may not soon come again," said President Obama. "They cannot afford to let it slip away.  Now is the time for leaders of courage and vision to deliver the peace that their people deserve."

President Obama said the goal of the talks is resolution of all final status issues, and a negotiated settlement leading to an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living in peace and security with a Jewish state of Israel.

If both sides do not commit to the talks in earnest, the president said, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue to fester and consume another generation.

Earlier, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu denounced in strong terms Tuesday"s incident in Hebron in which four Israelis were killed by a Palestinian gunman.  The Islamist militant group Hamas claimed responsibility. President Obama vowed that such attacks would not be allowed to derail peace efforts.

Among key issues in resumed direct talks is the 10-month partial freeze on new settlement construction in the West Bank.  The freeze expires on September 26, and the Palestinian side has insisted that Israel extend its moratorium on construction.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has emphasized the need for Palestinian recognition of Israel and assurances of effective and durable security measures and an end to violence.

Before a working dinner, all five leaders appeared before the media in the White House East Room to address the central goal - achieving a final settlement within the next year of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Frequently turning to President Abbas, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he had come to find a historic compromise that will enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security and dignity.

"Let us not get bogged down by every difference between us," said Mr. Netanyahu. "Let us direct our courage, our thinking and our decisions at those historic decisions that lie ahead."

President Abbas said the time has come to make peace, end Israel"s occupation of the West Bank, and for both peoples to live side by side.

"It is time that an independent Palestinian state be established with sovereignty side by side with the state of Israel," said President Abbas. "It is time to put an end to the struggle in the Middle East."

Saying Middle East peace has been an elusive hope for two decades, Mr. Mubarak called on Israel to freeze new settlement activity, while Jordan"s King Abdullah spoke about the risk of failure.

MUBARAK: "It is no longer acceptable or conceivable on the verge of the second decade of the third millennium that we fail to achieve just and true peace."

ABDULLAH: "There are those on both sides who want us to fail, who will do everything in their power to disrupt our efforts today.  Because when the Palestinians and Israelis find peace, when young men and women can look to a future of promise and opportunity, radicals and extremists lose their most potent appeal."

At the State Department on Thursday, Secretary Clinton will formally open the re-launched direct negotiations, followed by additional public remarks by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas, before private talks begin.  Middle East Envoy George Mitchell plans to brief reporter later in the day.

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Low Budget Films Find Larger Market

Mike O"Sullivan | Los Angeles 01 September 2010

Photo: VOA - M. O"Sullivan

Vesuvio Entertainment Executive Producer Greg Sims, right

People often turn to entertainment in tough economic times and, as a result, Hollywood has been seen as recession-proof.  But, major studios are struggling to make a profit and some are closing production units.  One independent producer says the market has opened up for low budget films.

"Behind Your Eyes" is a psychological thriller - soon to be released.  It"s a low-budget production that, with clever marketing, could earn a good profit.

Vesuvio Entertainment, a small independent company, produced the film.  Executive Producer Greg Sims says good low-budget films are finding a growing  market.

"Now, people are saying it"s a little bit of a sexier business as you"re seeing the whole business model change and these bigger movies do not really work so well anymore, with a few exceptions," he said.

The exceptions are studio blockbusters like Avatar, the science fiction fantasy. It has earned over $2.5 billion worldwide.

But it cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make, and few producers can finance that kind of film these days.

Sims uses up-and-coming actors, thrills and action, like in his 1990 film, "Red Surf."   

The film starred a young George Clooney and rock star Gene Simmons.  The producer says it became a cult classic and a money-maker.

"Clooney with "Red Surf" was really an action film with these guys that go out on wet bikes," Sims said.  "They"re illegally running drugs.  They get into big boat fights, lots of explosions.  We did that film for, I think, at the time $1.2 million."

Horror is another genre that can be done on an even lower budget.  In 1997, Sims branched out into romance with the film, "Touch Me." 

He says new digital technology helps cut the cost.

"So what you"re seeing is people who are making a $1.5 million [or] $2 million movies are having trouble recouping those budgets now, and you"re seeing a whole slew of movies being made for $100,000, $200,000, a quarter of a million,"  he said.

He says the key is good production and marketing, and keeping track of trends in distribution.

"My job is to be nimble and to respond to changes in the marketplace, which are happening every hour, as opposed to every year," Sims said.

With films like "Behind Your Eyes," he says he can make a profit through DVD sales, digital downloads and international distribution.

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Pakistani Cricketers in Scandal Are Two Vets and a Rookie

VOA News 01 September 2010

Two of the three Pakistani cricket players embroiled in an alleged betting scam on their team"s tour of England are well-known veterans, while the third is a rising star.

Eighteen-year-old Mohammad Amir last week became the youngest cricket test bowler to take 50 wickets, bettering a 20-year-old mark held by compatriot Waqar Younis.  He did it on the second day of the final test against England last Friday, one day before allegations of the match-fixing scandal were revealed.

Amir is a left-arm fast bowler who has come up rapidly through the ranks after being spotted at age 11.  The youngest of seven children, he moved from his remote village of Gujjar Khan to a sports academy in Rawalpindi.

Amir played with Pakistan"s under-19 side and made his test debut with the national team in July of last year against Sri Lanka.  He has since played in 14 tests, taking 51 wickets for an average of 29.09

Salman Butt is 25-years-old and was appointed Pakistani cricket captain on July 17.  The left-handed batsman"s rise to the top came after Shahid Afridi announced his retirement from test cricket.   Butt is the team"s fifth skipper since January 2009.

After schooling in his home city of Lahore, Butt earned a place on the national under-17 team before selectors finally drafted him into the senior squad in 2003.  He made his debut against Bangladesh.

His breakthrough came in 2004 when he scored his first one-day century against India and then went on to notch his maiden test century in Sydney later in the year.  Butt has played in 33 Tests, scoring 1,889 runs at an average of 30.46, with a top score of 122.

27-year-old Mohammad Asif is a right-arm medium fast bowler.  This is not the first time he has been embroiled in scandal and controversy.

Asif, from the poor, remote village of Sheikhupura, got his break in January 2005 against Australia after impressive play in Pakistan"s domestic cricket league.  But after bowling 18 overs without taking a wicket he was dropped from the team, only to return a year later.

He played under a lucrative contract in 2006 with Leicestershire in the English county championship, but Asif struggled to handle the pressure and tested positive for a banned steroid.  He was given a one year ban but got it overturned on appeal.

Asif again failed a drug test in the inaugural Indian Premier League season in 2008 and this time a two-year ban stood.  After that ban ended, Asif"s career was hit by a scandal with a film star, who alleged he owed her huge amounts of money in debts.

But Asif promised he had reformed.  In recent months he rose to the top of the International Cricket Council bowlers" rankings.  In 23 career tests he has taken 106 wickets for an average of 24.36.

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Bob Bradley to Remain as US Soccer Team Coach

Parke Brewer 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

US national soccer team coach Bob Bradley reacts as he leaves a news conference in Irene, South Africa, 27 Jun 2010, one day after the US team was eliminated from World Cup competition by losing to Ghana 2-1 (file photo)

U.S. men"s national soccer team coach Bob Bradley has agreed to a four-year contract extension, ending speculation he might be replaced when his contract expires at the end of this year.

U.S. Soccer announced the deal late Monday, and on Tuesday federation president Sunil Gulati and Bob Bradley answered questions from the media via teleconference.

Gulati said Bradley"s experience and success as U.S. coach over the past four years outweighed any concerns about the team continuing to progress over the next four-year cycle leading up the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"We"ve talked about that," said Gulati.  "I think Bob"s aware of that concern and we think we can manage that.  We"re not going to look at simply the last cycle of the U.S.  Teams do well and teams go down.  It"s not just down to [the responsibility of] the coach.  Italy and France would attest to that after having been in the [World Cup] final [in 2006].  And the progress that we"re going to have is not going to be from every World Cup."

Italy defeated France in the 2006 World Cup final and both teams failed to make it out of first round group play at this year"s World Cup in South Africa.  Under Bradley, the U.S. men finished undefeated in their first round World Cup group for the first time in 80 years.  The team was knocked out in the round of 16, losing 2-1 in extra time to Ghana.

While waiting for the U.S. Soccer Federation to decide his future, the 52-year-old Bradley explored options for coaching in the English Premier League.  But ultimately he is excited to stay on as coach of his national team.

"I certainly believe that the work that went into the past four years, the experiences that we"ve had, will really work for us as we put one cycle behind us and begin the process of the next four years," said Bradley.

Bradley talked about what is needed to keep the American soccer program moving forward.

"The ability as a coach to continue every day, every year, to challenge your players the right way; to know how in some moments to reenergize yourselves, refocus yourselves, and in some ways reinvent yourselves."

Bradley guided the U.S. soccer team into its first final in a major FIFA tournament in 2009 at the Confederations Cup in South Africa.  His overall mark in four years is 38 wins, 21 losses and eight draws.

Next up for Bradley"s team are two friendly home matches: October 9 against Poland in Chicago, and October 12 against Colombia (in Chester) in suburban Philadelphia.

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US Formally Ends Combat Mission in Iraq

Al Pessin | Baghdad 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, left, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, 2nd left, attend the United States Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, 01 Sept, 2010

At a colorful ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein"s old palaces outside Baghdad, the U.S. military formally ended its combat role in Iraq and passed command of the remaining 50,000 American troops to a new four-star general.

A U.S. military band played as American and Iraqi flags flew, and American and Iraqi troops and civilians filled the cavernous atrium of the Al-Faw palace to watch U.S. Vice President Joe Biden preside over the ceremony.

"We have kept a promise, a promise made to the American people and to the people of Iraq by drawing down our forces to roughly 50,000, and we are on track to remove all of our troops by the end of next year, according to the agreement signed by President Bush, made with the Iraqi government," Biden said.

Biden noted the sacrifice of American and Iraqi forces, and of Iraqi civilians.  He noted that more than one million U.S. troops have been assigned to Iraq during the last seven-and-a-half years.  And the vice-president said American involvement with Iraq will continue, not only with the thousands of troops advising its military, but with a surge of diplomats and aid workers.

"Our goal is not just a physically secure Iraq, but an economically prosperous and stable one as well," Biden stated.

To that end, the vice president urged Iraqi politicians to end their nearly six-month impasse and form a new government.

Insurgent attacks continue in Iraq, some of them on a very large scale.  But Mr. Biden said overall violence in Iraq is at its lowest level since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

The outgoing commander, General Ray Odierno, who has spent a total of 55 months commanding troops in Iraq at various levels, said this is the right time to end the combat mission.  "Even today there are those who doubt that the Iraqi security forces are ready to take full responsibility for security," he said. "I stand before you today and say they are ready to do that task."

Odierno said Iraq will always be a part of him and he looks forward to coming back to visit.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who traveled from Washington for the ceremony, credited General Odierno with successfully implementing the surge and counterinsurgency strategy when it was adopted in 2007, and seeing the job through to the end.

"He helped craft, and implemented the strategy that led to the dramatic decreases in violence of the past three years.  Without Ray"s and his troops" ability to turn plans into results on the ground, we would be facing a far grimmer situation outside these walls today, and more broadly, a strategic disaster for the United States," Gates said.

The incoming commander, General Lloyd Austin was Odierno"s deputy a year ago, and comes directly from the top job on the joint military staff at the Pentagon. "Make no mistake, our military forces here and those of the Iraqi nation remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed, and we will demonstrate our commitment through a continued partnership with the Iraqis," Austin said.

The troops General Austin now commands are fully capable U.S. Army brigades, but their mission is to "advise and assist" the Iraqi Army and police.  That means they will sometimes go on patrol with the Iraqis, but their job will be to train and to call in support as needed, not to lead or fight.  

But the still substantial number of American troops here can help in an emergency, and analysts say they will also serve as a stabilizing influence to help prevent ethnic and sectarian tensions from again flaring into violence.

Related video report by Jeff Swicord:

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Ramadan Tests US Teen Athletes

Dora Hasan Mekouar | Washington, DC 01 September 2010

Photo: Natasha Yaqub

Samee Khan, 14, (second from left) abstains during a water break at football practice because he is observing the Ramadan fast.

When the George C. Marshall High School cross country team assembles each day for practice in Falls Church, Virginia, Maha Hassan is not among the runners.

Instead, the 16-year-old athlete walks around the school track on her own to try to keep her conditioning up.

Hassan is not running this summer because she is observing the Ramadan fast, which means she abstains from all food and drink during the daylight hours.

Added challenge

The timing of the Muslim fast changes each year. It occurs during the ninth lunar month of the year and begins with the sighting of the new moon. This year the holiday began on August 11, during one of the warmest months of the year.

“I would like to run but I have to remember that I am fasting. I have to remember that I would be too tired and wouldn’t be able to try my hardest,” says Hassan. “After Ramadan is over, I can run on my own until winter track in November.”

Hassan has fasted during Ramadan since the age of 13 and decided to observe the holy month this year instead of participating in cross country. Her decision to fast came after spending the summer with her cousins in Sudan.

“When I was talking to my family, I felt like it should be more important to me and that I should be more involved in my religion.”

Hard choices

Young Muslim athletes often try to participate in both fasting and their chosen sport. However, hot summer days have prompted many teen athletes at Marshall High School to reconsider.

Marshall football player Rakin Hamad, 17, is one of them. He fasted last year, enduring grueling practices in the heat without water.

“It was pretty hard. There were some points where it was just too hot. There were times I had to go to the trainer and just lie down.”

After learning that his coach planned to hold two practices a day, Hamad reluctantly decided not to fast this year.

He will start applying to colleges soon, and believes playing on the varsity team could bolster his chances of getting into the university of his choice.

“I just decided I couldn’t fast this year especially since it’s the middle of August when the heat is unbelievable and with two practices, it was just too much.”

Soccer player Carma Khatib has found a middle ground that works for her. She fasted for the first time last year, trying it for one day. Khatib felt the experience helped her empathize with the less fortunate, who often do not have food to eat.

This year, she’s figuring it out as she goes along.

“I’ve fasted a couple of days. During soccer, I either don’t fast or I fast but I drink water so I stay hydrated.”

Personal decisions

These different approaches to observing Ramadan are not unusual, according to Joshua Salaam, youth director at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, a mosque and community center in Sterling, Virginia.

“Some Muslim youth are not at the same religious level of others. Some youth don’t pray at all, some don’t fast.”

Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, director of the Minaret of Freedom Institute and a professor at Georgetown University and the University of Maryland, agrees.

“From my personal experience, Muslims are pretty good about fasting,” he says. “It is more common to see Muslims neglect their prayers rather than the fast because the five daily prayers cause more of an interruption during the day.”

Double devotion

Samee Khan is trying to maintain his dedication to both religion and football.

An observant Muslim, the 14-year-old prays five times a day and fasts every year.

He also plays on the freshman football team at Herndon High School in Virginia. As a child, Khan"s’s father used to take him to Redskins training camp to watch the professional football players practice.

“I’ve always wanted to play football,” he says. “It was my first love.”

The three-hour daily practices take place in the early afternoon, during the hottest part of the day, making Khan"s fast particularly challenging.

“It’s horrible. Sometimes you have trouble breathing. You have this terrible taste in your mouth,” he says. “The coaches don’t really cut us any slack.”

Having two fellow Muslims on the team helps, as does support and encouragement from his non-Muslim teammates, who admire Khan"s discipline.

It isn’t easy, but the teenager wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I have a love for football and a love for my religion. So I’ve got to do both.”

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Pakistan Cricketers to Meet Officials Amid Match-Fixing Scam

Selah Hennessy | London 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

Pakistani cricket fans burn effigy of Pakistani cricket players during a protest condemning them for their alleged involvement in match fixing, in Lahore, Pakistan, 31 Aug. 2010

Three Pakistani cricket players alledgedly involved in a betting scam have left the team"s training ground in southwest England for London, where they will meet with top Pakistani cricket and government officials.

Team captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are expected to be interviewed about charges of match-fixing first reported in the British newspaper News of the World.  On Sunday, the tabloid reported an agent for several Pakistan cricket players, Mazhar Majeed, took more than $200,000 to pre-arrange no-balls, which are illegal throws, during a test match last week in London.

Three people, all from London, have already been arrested by British customs officials on suspicion of money-laundering and are now free on bail.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said the three Pakistani players will not be suspended until the allegations are fully investigated.  But the London meeting means they will not be able to play in a scheduled match Thursday.

Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association in Britain, thinks the players will also be excluded from other upcoming games.

"I think it is sensible that the players who have charges to answer, whether they are guilty or not, are if possible taken out of the games at the weekend in order that those matches will be cricket matches, rather than a spectacle that focuses on some individuals,"  said Porter.  

The cricket world has been shaken by the scandal, he said. But Porter added that corruption is not unknown in the sport, which he said is designed in a way that makes betting on specific incidents common.  In most countries, the betting is well regulated, but not in all countries said Porter.

"Cricket attracts a huge following in the Indian subcontinent and there is a massive, unregulated, illegal betting market in those countries," he said.  "Therefore, I think there is lots of opportunity for people to make money with spot fixing.  But how widespread a problem it is we simply do not know," said Porter.

During a press conference earlier this week, Pakistan"s Team Manager Yawar Saeed said the Pakistan team will continue its England tour despite the allegations.

"All allegations, whether they are big or small, to us are serious," he said. "But I am not in a position to say what the final outcome is, but I think we should now, I would request, wait until the investigation is over."

The International Cricketing Council has said it thinks the players should not play on the tour while the allegations are under investigation and is preparing a report on the case.  The Pakistani team, meanwhile, is preparing to play several matches in England this month.   

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Pakistan Cricketers to Meet Officials Amid Match-Fixing Scam

Selah Hennessy | London 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

Pakistani cricket fans burn effigy of Pakistani cricket players during a protest condemning them for their alleged involvement in match fixing, in Lahore, Pakistan, 31 Aug. 2010

Three Pakistani cricket players alledgedly involved in a betting scam have left the team"s training ground in southwest England for London, where they will meet with top Pakistani cricket and government officials.

Team captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are expected to be interviewed about charges of match-fixing first reported in the British newspaper News of the World.  On Sunday, the tabloid reported an agent for several Pakistan cricket players, Mazhar Majeed, took more than $200,000 to pre-arrange no-balls, which are illegal throws, during a test match last week in London.

Three people, all from London, have already been arrested by British customs officials on suspicion of money-laundering and are now free on bail.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said the three Pakistani players will not be suspended until the allegations are fully investigated.  But the London meeting means they will not be able to play in a scheduled match Thursday.

Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association in Britain, thinks the players will also be excluded from other upcoming games.

"I think it is sensible that the players who have charges to answer, whether they are guilty or not, are if possible taken out of the games at the weekend in order that those matches will be cricket matches, rather than a spectacle that focuses on some individuals,"  said Porter.  

The cricket world has been shaken by the scandal, he said. But Porter added that corruption is not unknown in the sport, which he said is designed in a way that makes betting on specific incidents common.  In most countries, the betting is well regulated, but not in all countries said Porter.

"Cricket attracts a huge following in the Indian subcontinent and there is a massive, unregulated, illegal betting market in those countries," he said.  "Therefore, I think there is lots of opportunity for people to make money with spot fixing.  But how widespread a problem it is we simply do not know," said Porter.

During a press conference earlier this week, Pakistan"s Team Manager Yawar Saeed said the Pakistan team will continue its England tour despite the allegations.

"All allegations, whether they are big or small, to us are serious," he said. "But I am not in a position to say what the final outcome is, but I think we should now, I would request, wait until the investigation is over."

The International Cricketing Council has said it thinks the players should not play on the tour while the allegations are under investigation and is preparing a report on the case.  The Pakistani team, meanwhile, is preparing to play several matches in England this month.   

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Gaza Lessons Harden Israeli Views on Security, Ahead of Peace Talks

Luis Ramirez | Jerusalem 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

Palestinians chant slogans as they attend a rally to protest against Israeli Palestinian talks in Washington, in Gaza City, 01 Sept 2010

As Israelis and Palestinians head into U.S.-brokered negotiations, both sides are drawing lessons from Israel"s unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip, five years ago.  By removing thousands of Jewish settlers and Israeli troops, Israel hoped to ease tensions.   Israelis wanted security.  The Palestinians hoped greater autonomy would bring peace and prosperity.  Since the withdrawal, neither side has achieved its goals.  For Israelis, the violence of the last five years gave a lesson that has hardened their reluctance to agree to a total pullout from the West Bank - a key issue in the talks.

Hopes dashed

Aziz Aziz owns a clothing factory in the northern Gaza Strip.  Five years ago, he was full of hope that the end of the Israeli occupation was going to mean more business opportunity.

Aziz says that five years after the Jews left Gaza, he expected his situation to be better than it is.  He believed that life would be better and that the economy would grow.  But he says he has seen the opposite happen.  He says that, for the last five years, everything has gone backward.

Aziz had secured lucrative export contracts, but his dreams faded when fighting erupted between rival factions -- President Mahmoud Abbas" moderate Fatah and the militant Islamist group, Hamas.

Gaza descended into chaos, with members of both factions fighting in the streets.

What happened?

Israel imposed a tight embargo when Hamas seized control of Gaza and militants who oppose the existence of a Jewish state stepped up their rocket attacks at southern Israel.

Israel responded in late 2007 with a 22-day attack that leveled much of Gaza"s industrial infrastructure.

Even before the Israeli assault, the embargo had already choked fuel imports.  The isolation made exporting to world markets nearly impossible.  

Who is to blame?

With electricity off for up to six hours at a time, Aziz"s factory sits idle for much of the day.  He formerly had 70 employees. Now, he struggles to keep eight.

He says he blames the Palestinians" own leadership, be it Fatah or Hamas.  He says both of them should agree and not cause harm to ordinary people.  He says the two groups have destroyed themselves and they are destroying the people.

Israeli viewpoint

Israelis also blame themselves for the way the pullout was carried out.  Their goal was to guarantee their own security, following the failure of negotiations in 2000 and a bloody Palestinian uprising that followed.

Giora Eiland - former head of Israel"s National Security Council - was in charge of planning the pullout from Gaza five years ago, under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.  

He says the pullout was an expression of frustration.

"Prior to this decision, nothing clearly worked with the Palestinians," Eiland said.  "We tried to reach an agreement with them.  It didn"t work out.  We tried to fight them.  It didn"t succeed, as well, so the prime minister made a decision to try to divorce the Palestinians.  We thought, in quite a shallow way:  Let"s evacuate the area. Let"s build a fence around this area, and at the end of the day, they will be there and we will be here and this is the solution to the problem.  Obviously, it is not as simple as we thought."

Lessons learned

Israeli leaders perceive the 2005 pullout as a lesson that any kind of unilateral withdrawal will be viewed by the enemy as a sign of weakness that encourages extremists to attack.

"If Israel, as a result of a potential peace agreement with the Palestinians, will have to withdraw from a major part of the West Bank, I guess a lot of importance will be given to the security arrangements to make sure that this new vacated area would not turn out to be an area in which so many rockets and missiles and other advanced weapons are produced," Eiland said.

Security concerns

Going into the negotiations, Israel has made security its top priority.  It is demanding a demilitarized future Palestinian state and a continued Israeli presence on the border between the West Bank and Jordan -- two conditions that the Palestinians say amount to continued occupation.

Gaza"s Hamas rulers have condemned the negotiations and are not taking part.

Aziz Aziz says he is placing some hope on Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, that they will draw lessons from what he says is the tragedy of Gaza.  He hopes they will find a way to end the Israeli occupation while, at the same time, safeguarding the interests of all Palestinians.  

Aziz says that, if the Israelis pull out of the West Bank, he hopes it will not happen like it did in Gaza.  If it does, he says it means that the Palestinians will be destroyed.  

He says he has hope that President Mahmoud Abbas can negotiate and reach an agreement for the good of all people in Gaza and the West Bank.

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Gates Visits Birthplace of Iraqi Turnaround

Al Pessin | Ramadi, Iraq 01 September 2010

Photo: AP

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, center, arrives at Camp Ramadi in Iraq to visit troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, 01 Sep 2010

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Western Iraq Wednesday, the place where U.S. troops and local tribal leaders began an effort four years ago that helped turn the tide of the Iraq war.  Gates stopped in al-Anbar Province on his way to Baghdad to mark the formal end of U.S. combat operations in the country.

The secretary"s military 747 jumbo jet touched down at al-Asad Air Base shortly after sunrise - a moment reminiscent of his last visit here, when he came in on a military combat jet and was joined by then-President George W. Bush in his 747, known as Air Force One.

At that time, almost exactly three years ago, Mr. Bush and Gates were marking the Anbar Awakening, the decision by local tribal leaders to reject al-Qaida and join forces with the U.S. Marines, who had been struggling to establish security in the province. Wednesday, he was asked whether, with the new "advise and assist" mission, the United States is still at war in the country.

"No, I would say we"re not," he said. "Combat operations have ceased. We"re still going to work with the Iraqis on counterterrorism.  We are still doing a lot of training and advising and assisting.  That"s what this brigade is all about.  So, I would say we have moved into the final phase of our engagement in Iraq."

Gates says events in Ramadi played a key role in turning around the security situation in Iraq.

"Visiting Ramadi today is especially meaningful for me and my staff," he said. "We have very personal and enduring connections to this city and this province.  Many of us, like many of you, were touched first-hand by the terrible violence that not long ago consumed this area."

A commander at Camp Ramadi, Lieutenant Colonel Buddy Houston, says the mission now is very different from the mission the Gates visit in 2007.

"The purpose of our Advise and Assist Brigade is to enable Iraqi security forces to provide sustainable security in Anbar Province," said Houston.

Houston says that includes preparing the Iraqis to operate completely on their own after the remaining U.S. troops leave, which is scheduled for the end of next year.

Secretary Gates says the United States might be willing to keep some number of troops here to continue the training and assisting, but says any request to do so would have to come from a new Iraqi government.  Iraqi leaders have been arguing about the formation of a new government since parliament elections, five months ago.

The secretary was also asked whether the Iraq War was worthwhile for the United States.

"Figuring out, in retrospect, how you deal with the war - even if the outcome is a good one from the standpoint of the United States - it"ll always be clouded by how it began.  And so, I think that this is one of the reasons this war remains so controversial at home," he said.

Still, he says President Barack Obama has ensured that Iraq will continue to receive the attention it needs, even as focus continues to shift to Afghanistan, because he put Vice President Joe Biden in charge of Iraq policy and he regularly calls key officials together to monitor the situation.

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Iraqi Commanders Say They Are Ready to Handle Security

Jeff Swicord | Baghdad 31 August 2010

Photo: J. Swicord - VOA

An Iraqi soldier performs a drill at a military base near Baghdad under the supervision of US advisers, who provide guidance, surveillance equipment and air support, Aug 2010

As U.S. forces formally hand over control to the Iraqi Security Services, there are questions as to whether the Iraqi army is up to the challenge.  Iraqi troops have been training under U.S. guidance since 2004.

There are Iraqi Army soldiers training at a military base south of Baghdad, and it is soldiers like these that six U.S. Advise and Assist Brigades - part of the forces remaining in Iraq - will be helping to train in the coming year.

U.S. advisors will provide training, advice, and what they call "enablers" - such a surveillance equipment and air support.  Lieutenant Colonel Joe Corcitto is quick to point out, however, that Iraqi security forces are in full command.

"They have got the mission, they are very good at this," said Corcitto.  "We just help bring in the enablers, that are not yet [possessed by] the Iraqi Army."

Iraqi Army 17th Division Commander Ali Faragi is in charge of the South Baghdad area.  When asked if his men could handle the recent surge in violence he became defensive.  

Faragi said the level of violence has been taken out of proportion, and pointed out that four years ago, there were 100 attacks each week in central Baghdad, while there have been only 33 attacks in the last month.

U.S. commanders agree that rocket and mortar attacks have picked up in the past two months.  They said this is because a Shia militia group recently returned from training in Iran.  

In defense of the Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Brigadier General Ralph Baker said concern that the recent wave of violence is related to the U.S. drawdown is unfounded.

"It is simply not the case because the last almost nine months to a year, U.S. forces over here in the Baghdad province have not been actively involved in unilateral offensive operations against insurgents or terrorists.  We have been consistently advising and supporting and training the Iraqi forces and it is the Iraqis who have been conducting those operations," said Baker.

Many of these U.S. Advisors are on their 2nd and 3rd tours in an assistance role.  They said they have seen dramatic improvement in both the skill and professionalism of the Iraqi army.  Private First Class Gaudreau has been teaching marksmanship.  "They are doing pretty good sir.  They are drastically improving.  Yesterday they were all scattered throughout the target."

U.S. commanders here said they are fully confident the Iraqi security forces can handle the insurgents.  They point out that many of those involved in the recent bombings have already been apprehended.  They acknowledge there is a lot of room for improvement, but stress that building an army is a long-term endeavor.

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3 Arrests Made in Pakistan Cricket Scandal

Kate Woodsome | Washington, D.C. 31 August 2010

Photo: AP

Pakistan"s cricket team captain Salman Butt, who is under investigation over claims of match-fixing, in London, 25 Aug 2010

Three people were arrested by British customs officials in connection with a match-fixing investigation into Pakistan"s cricket team as three of its top players were called to London for questioning over the scandal.

Authorities arrested two men and a woman, all from London, as part of a probe into money laundering and are now free on bail, according to British officials.

The implicated Pakistani players had been practicing in southwest England amid a fury of controversy over the betting allegations. But the team"s manager, Yawar Saeed, said captain Salman Butt and star bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif will take a break Wednesday to be questioned by cricket officials and Pakistan"s ambassador to Britain.

The British newspaper News of the World says it paid a cricket agent nearly $230,000 to know when the bowlers would make illegal throws during a game against England.

The scandal is unprecedented in England and has shocked cricket fans there, said Scyld Berry, who covers cricket for London"s Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

"The situation is more serious than it has ever been for cricket in England because there have been many episodes of match-fixing and spot-fixing occurring in Asia, but it"s never really affected the English or British follower before," said Berry.

On a videotape of the undercover sting organized by the News of the World, the agent said he worked for a so-called "Indian party" that pays him for information. Scotland Yard investigators are looking into the identity of that person.

India"s role in illegal betting came further into focus Tuesday as two Australian Cricket stars said an Indian illegal bookmaker targeted them during last year"s tour of England.

Shane Watson told a press conference in Sydney that he immediately informed team managers after a man approached him at his hotel.

"And I actually didn"t think too much more of it until I found out a bit more information that he was actually one of the illegal bookmakers that was trying to sort of get involved," Watson said. 

India is the driving force behind the sport"s illicit betting trade, said the Sunday Telegraph"s Berry. Gambling is illegal in India, where much of the country"s money moves in what Berry called a "black economy."

"These factors combine to make sure that there"s a lot of money sloshing around in India, and that money can be turned into profit by betting on matches which are broadcast in India." Berry said.

Observers said the credibility of Indian and Pakistani cricket was tarnished 10 years ago in a major match-fixing scandal discovered by New Delhi police. Andrew Miller, the UK editor of ESPN"s cricinfo.com Web site, said that case was badly handled and essentially signaled that illicit gambling is tolerated.

"The teams involved more or less got away with it," said Miller. "There were three captains of international sides [who] were banned for life, and one bowler. But generally speaking, large portions of the people who were implicated largely got away with it."

Pakistani players are particularly susceptible to corruption because of the pressures of poverty and family, Miller added.

"When you consider that they have a finite period in which to really maximize on their athletic potential, from 18 to 33, that"s 15 years out of 70-80," said Miller. "Also, the nature of Pakistan society, families are very close knit. If you"ve got one guy that"s a superstar, that money that he earns is going to be spread across his family in a way that you wouldn"t possibly get in a Western society."

At the center of the latest scandal is 18-year-old Pakistani Mohammad Asif, one of the sport"s biggest stars. For him, cricket was a way out of poverty. He could be banned for life if found guilty of intentionally throwing a "no-ball" in exchange for money.

The International Cricket Council has promised "prompt and decisive action" if the allegations prove to be true. One lawyer in eastern Pakistan is already taking action. He filed a petition to the Lahore High Court, accusing the Cricket players of treason.

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Steven Tyler is New "Idol" Judge; Wyclef Disqualified as Haitian Presidential Candidate

Mary Morningstar | Washington 30 August 2010

Photo: AP

Haitian presidential candidate and hip hop singer Wyclef Jean, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his mother"s house in Croix de Bouquets, Haiti, 18 Aug 2010

Haiti"s electoral council recently ruled August 19 that Hip-Hop singer Wyclef Jean cannot run for president of the Caribbean nation.  Jean was among 15 of 35 candidates for the office who were ruled ineligible by the council, which offered no explanation for the decision. An unnamed council official told Reuters that Haiti"s electoral council ruled that Jean"s candidacy did not meet several legal requirements.  One could be Haiti"s law that requires candidates to live in the country for five consecutive years. Jean lived in Haiti until he was nine years old, when he moved to New Jersey.  Although Jean frequently visits Haiti, the country"s constitution requires a candidate to be a resident for five years. In 2005, he formed his Yele Haiti Foundation, which provides scholarships to Haitian children and humanitarian aid to his native country.

Brown Gets Positive Progress Report from Judge

Patricia Schnegg, the Los Angeles judge overseeing Chris Brown"s probation told the R&B singer that "You"re doing very well" at a August 26 hearing on Brown"s progress.  Brown was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community labor last year after being found guilty of assaulting then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna.

Jay-Z Tops Forbes" Hip-Hop Cash Kings List

Forbes magazine recently issued its annual "Hip-Hop Cash Kings" list.  Jay-Z tops the list by earning $63 million during the past year.  Rounding out the Top 5 money makers are Sean "Diddy" Combs ($30 million), Akon ($21 million), Lil Wayne ($20 million) and Dr. Dre ($17 million).

Steven Tyler Will Be New Judge on "American Idol"

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton told a New Jersey newspaper that the group"s lead singer, Steven Tyler, will be a judge on the upcoming 10th season of American Idol.  The Star-Ledger quoted Hamilton as saying, "The ink is dry on that.  Steven is someone who lives to be in front of an audience, and the people closest to him know how witty and entertaining he can be.  I don"t know if American Idol will be rock "n" roll enough for him, but it is an opportunity for millions of people to see another side of Steven Tyler."  American Idol producers haven"t confirmed who will replace former judges Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi.

Brooks & Dunn Wrap Up Concert Tour

On September 2, Brooks & Dunn will wrap up their "Last Rodeo Tour" with a charity concert in Nashville.  "Brooks & Dunn and Friends" will benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  The Museum"s director Kyle Young says, "The enormity of this gesture, including the endorsement it implies and the example it sets, is something the Museum"s board and staff will contemplate with gratitude for a very long time.  We are grateful to Kix (Brooks) and Ronnie (Dunn) for supporting our educational mission and for putting the museum on the radar screen of their nation of fans. The only word for them is magnificent!"

Ricky Martin to Publish Memoir November 2

Latin pop star Ricky Martin will have his memoir published on November 2.  In Me, Martin addresses such topics as his early childhood, his musical career, coming to terms with his sexuality, becoming a father to twins and his work with children"s charities throughout the world.  The memoir will be released in English and Spanish-language editions.

New Album Releases August 31:

"Now That"s What I Call Music! 35" - various artists
"Something For The Rest Of Us" - the Goo Goo Dolls
"Asylum" - Disturbed
"Red Velvet Car" - Heart
"Screaming Bloody Murder" - Sum 41
"Dream Attic" - Richard Thompson
"Junky Star" - Ryan Bingham
"Better Than I Used To Be" - Sammy Kershaw

Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits:

The 40th annual Bumbershoot: Seattle"s Music & Arts Festival will take place September 4-6 in Seattle, Washington.  Artists performing on the main stage include Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Drake, Weezer, Rise Against and Neko Case, among others.

Look Who"s Going On Tour!

On September 2, Eminem and Jay-Z will kick off their "Home And Home" tour in Detroit, Michigan.  A second show will take place in Detroit on September 3.  The tour also includes shows at New York"s Yankee Stadium on September 13 and 14.  Eminem new album, Recovery, has sold more than two million copies, making it the second best-seller of 2010.  Jay-Z"s upcoming anthology, The Hits Collection, Vol. 1, will be released on December 20.

Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan"s Donald Fagen and the Doobie Brothers" Michael McDonald are performing a U.S. tour together.  Billed as the Dukes of September, the supergroup is backed by a nine-piece band that features members from Steely Dan"s touring group.  They"ll be on the road through October 2.

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