Italy has angrily denied a UK newspaper report that it paid Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to keep the peace.
Italy's defence minister said his country was planning to sue the Times newspaper over the claims.
French forces took over the area unaware of the policy, leaving them unaware of the risks, the paper says. Ten soldiers were killed within weeks.
In France, opposition socialists demanded the defence minister should answer questions on the claims.
The Times' report, quoting Western military officials, says the policy was operated by Italian secret services in Afghanistan's Sarobi area, east of Kabul.
A lot of Nato countries with troops operating in the rural areas of Afghanistan pay the insurgents so not to be attacked
Anonymous Afghan commander to AFP agency
Warlords as well as Taliban commanders were paid, the paper says, with the amounts running to tens of thousands of dollars.
France took over control of the region in 2008, apparently believing it to be a low-risk area, the paper says, as only one Italian had died in the previous year.
But within a month of the French take-over, 10 soldiers were killed and 21 injured in a mountain ambush.
An unnamed Afghan army officer also told French news agency AFP that Italy had paid the Taliban to avoid casualties.
"We knew that Italian forces were paying the opposition (fighters) in Sarobi so they would not be attacked. We have information on similar agreements made in the western Herat province by Italian soldiers under Nato command there," he said.
"A lot of Nato countries with troops operating in the rural areas of Afghanistan pay the insurgents so not to be attacked."
'Garbage'
But Italy, France and Nato dismissed the claims.
"These are rumours, and it is not the first time we have heard them," said French Admiral Christophe Prazuck.
If it does go on, it's the Afghan government (that does it) rather than international forces
Nato spokesman General Eric Tremblay
In Italy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office also rejected the report.
"The Berlusconi government has never authorised or allowed any form of payment of sums of money in favour of members of the insurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, and is not aware of similar initiatives by the previous government," it said in a statement.
Italian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa described the report as "garbage" and "offensive" and said staff were preparing a lawsuit against the newspaper.
Map
Nato spokesman General Eric Tremblay said he was "not aware" of Italy having paid off Taliban militants.
"If it does go on, it's the Afghan government (that does it) rather than international forces," he told French news agency AFP.
France's Socialist Party opposition said Defence Minister Herve Morin should appear before parliament's defence committee to provide an explanation.
Italy also denied a separate element of the Times' report, which said the US ambassador had submitted a formal complaint after discovering Italians had been buying off insurgents in the far-west Herat province.
A US spokeswoman in Rome said the embassy did not comment "on internal diplomatic conversations that may or may not have occurred".
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Man charged with attempted capital murder in 1990 abduction
(CNN) -- A man arrested in connection with the 1990 abduction, rape and attempted murder of an 8-year-old girl appeared before a judge Thursday on an attempted capital murder charge, according to CNN affiliate KTRK.
Dennis Earl Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested after DNA tied him to the crime, police say.
Dennis Earl Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested after DNA tied him to the crime, police say.
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1 of 2
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Dennis Earl Bradford waived his right to a court-appointed attorney when he appeared Thursday, saying he would retain his own. For security reasons, the hearing was held at the Galveston (Texas) County Jail and not in a courtroom, the station reported.
The judge ordered Bradford to undergo a physical and mental evaluation and set bail at $1 million. His next court appearance was set for Wednesday, according to KTRK.
Upon conviction, an attempted capital murder charge could result in a sentence of life in prison.
Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested early Tuesday in Little Rock, Arkansas, in connection with the 1990 incident involving Jennifer Schuett, who was abducted from her bedroom, raped and left for dead in Dickinson, Texas.
Schuett shared her story with CNN two weeks ago in hope of someday bringing her attacker to justice. CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Schuett decided to go public with her story to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker.
"It's not about me anymore," she told CNN in September. "It's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night. I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt. You have to fight back."
Bradford's arrest came after DNA and other forensic tests led police to him, authorities said.
"This is a huge day for me," Schuett told CNN on Tuesday. "And I want to see this through the end. The rest will come out during the trial."
Schuett said she was alone in her bed August 10, 1990, when a man crept in through a window. She remembers waking up in a stranger's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot. She said he told her he was an undercover cop and knew her family.
He drove her through the streets of Dickinson, pulling into a mechanic's shop next to her elementary school.
Don't Miss
* Suspect's DNA was clue waiting to be found
* Attacker slashed her throat but couldn't silence her
* A victim raises her voice
"Watch the moon. The moon will change colors, and that is when your mom will come to get you," she recalled him saying. "Oh, it looks like she is not coming."
Schuett said he drove her to an overgrown field next to the school and sexually assaulted her.
She passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was lying naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear and her voice box torn.
She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day after lying in the field for nearly 12 hours. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
"Three days after the attack, I started giving a description. The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again, but I proved them all wrong," Schuett said.
She believes that she got her voice back so she could tell her story.
Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison is one of the lead investigators in the case, along with Dickinson Police Detective Tim Cromie.
Both men were discussing the case when Rennison received a memo from the FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team, seeking child abduction cases that had gone cold and could be retested for DNA evidence. Schuett's was one of the cases selected.
"This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived," Rennison said. "The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive. In cases of child abduction, it is rare that the child is recovered alive. Frequently, you recover a body. And most times, you never find them."
The investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago, which was retested. It included the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing, as well as a man's underwear and T-shirt, which were found in the field where Schuett was found.
The clothes were tested in 1990, but the sample wasn't large enough for conclusive results. But now, modern techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell. They were still awaiting the results when CNN featured Schuett's story in late September
Dennis Earl Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested after DNA tied him to the crime, police say.
Dennis Earl Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested after DNA tied him to the crime, police say.
Click to view previous image
1 of 2
Click to view next image
Dennis Earl Bradford waived his right to a court-appointed attorney when he appeared Thursday, saying he would retain his own. For security reasons, the hearing was held at the Galveston (Texas) County Jail and not in a courtroom, the station reported.
The judge ordered Bradford to undergo a physical and mental evaluation and set bail at $1 million. His next court appearance was set for Wednesday, according to KTRK.
Upon conviction, an attempted capital murder charge could result in a sentence of life in prison.
Bradford, a 40-year-old welder, was arrested early Tuesday in Little Rock, Arkansas, in connection with the 1990 incident involving Jennifer Schuett, who was abducted from her bedroom, raped and left for dead in Dickinson, Texas.
Schuett shared her story with CNN two weeks ago in hope of someday bringing her attacker to justice. CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Schuett decided to go public with her story to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker.
"It's not about me anymore," she told CNN in September. "It's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night. I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt. You have to fight back."
Bradford's arrest came after DNA and other forensic tests led police to him, authorities said.
"This is a huge day for me," Schuett told CNN on Tuesday. "And I want to see this through the end. The rest will come out during the trial."
Schuett said she was alone in her bed August 10, 1990, when a man crept in through a window. She remembers waking up in a stranger's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot. She said he told her he was an undercover cop and knew her family.
He drove her through the streets of Dickinson, pulling into a mechanic's shop next to her elementary school.
Don't Miss
* Suspect's DNA was clue waiting to be found
* Attacker slashed her throat but couldn't silence her
* A victim raises her voice
"Watch the moon. The moon will change colors, and that is when your mom will come to get you," she recalled him saying. "Oh, it looks like she is not coming."
Schuett said he drove her to an overgrown field next to the school and sexually assaulted her.
She passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was lying naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear and her voice box torn.
She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day after lying in the field for nearly 12 hours. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
"Three days after the attack, I started giving a description. The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again, but I proved them all wrong," Schuett said.
She believes that she got her voice back so she could tell her story.
Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison is one of the lead investigators in the case, along with Dickinson Police Detective Tim Cromie.
Both men were discussing the case when Rennison received a memo from the FBI's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team, seeking child abduction cases that had gone cold and could be retested for DNA evidence. Schuett's was one of the cases selected.
"This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived," Rennison said. "The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive. In cases of child abduction, it is rare that the child is recovered alive. Frequently, you recover a body. And most times, you never find them."
The investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago, which was retested. It included the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing, as well as a man's underwear and T-shirt, which were found in the field where Schuett was found.
The clothes were tested in 1990, but the sample wasn't large enough for conclusive results. But now, modern techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell. They were still awaiting the results when CNN featured Schuett's story in late September
'Balloon boy' found alive at home
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TV news crews in the US tracked the balloon as it landed
A six-year-old boy thought to have been carried away by a helium balloon in Colorado was in fact hiding in a box in an attic at home, an official has said.
Larimer county sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters that apparently Falcon Heene had "been there the whole time".
Police had been searching for the boy after his brother said he thought Falcon had taken off with the balloon.
The drama was played out on TV, with US networks devoting their airtime to live footage of the balloon over Colorado.
'He yelled at me'
The balloon landed in fields and was surrounded by rescue vehicles after a two-hour flight.
Falcon Heene
Officials said Falcon Heene may have hid because he was scared
Police officers searched on the ground in the direction in which the balloon flew, as well as the neighbourhood where the family lives.
But Mr Alderden then announced that the boy had been found alive and well in a box in the attic of his family's house.
He said the house had been searched twice, but the search had obviously not been thorough enough. He also said that police had questioned the brother repeatedly.
"What he said was that he saw his brother climb into that apparatus and he was very adamant, they interviewed him multiple times and that was his consistent story," Mr Alderden said
"I can't tell you how many times this has happened over the course of my career," he added.
Sheriff Jim Alderden on the discovery of Falcon Heene at home
The boy's father, Richard Heene, apparently used the balloon to track the weather.
He said he got angry with Falcon for climbing into a compartment in the tethered balloon on Thursday before the balloon was accidentally released.
But in the meantime, Falcon had left the balloon.
"I was in the attic and he scared me because he yelled at me," Falcon said. "That's why I went in the attic."
Asked what he thought when the balloon had landed with no sign of his son, Richard Heene said: "The only thing I could think of was that he had fallen out."
"This is a relief, we're going to watch him a lot closer," he added.
The silver balloon, apparently made by the boy's father, reportedly reached heights of 7,000ft (2km).
It was floating about 40 miles north of Denver before it came down.
The basket was not attached to the balloon when it landed.
Flights at Denver international airport were disrupted by the incident.
The Heene family had previously appeared on the ABC reality show Wife Swap.
The channel described them as a "storm-chasing, science-obsessed family".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8309818.stm
TV news crews in the US tracked the balloon as it landed
A six-year-old boy thought to have been carried away by a helium balloon in Colorado was in fact hiding in a box in an attic at home, an official has said.
Larimer county sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters that apparently Falcon Heene had "been there the whole time".
Police had been searching for the boy after his brother said he thought Falcon had taken off with the balloon.
The drama was played out on TV, with US networks devoting their airtime to live footage of the balloon over Colorado.
'He yelled at me'
The balloon landed in fields and was surrounded by rescue vehicles after a two-hour flight.
Falcon Heene
Officials said Falcon Heene may have hid because he was scared
Police officers searched on the ground in the direction in which the balloon flew, as well as the neighbourhood where the family lives.
But Mr Alderden then announced that the boy had been found alive and well in a box in the attic of his family's house.
He said the house had been searched twice, but the search had obviously not been thorough enough. He also said that police had questioned the brother repeatedly.
"What he said was that he saw his brother climb into that apparatus and he was very adamant, they interviewed him multiple times and that was his consistent story," Mr Alderden said
"I can't tell you how many times this has happened over the course of my career," he added.
Sheriff Jim Alderden on the discovery of Falcon Heene at home
The boy's father, Richard Heene, apparently used the balloon to track the weather.
He said he got angry with Falcon for climbing into a compartment in the tethered balloon on Thursday before the balloon was accidentally released.
But in the meantime, Falcon had left the balloon.
"I was in the attic and he scared me because he yelled at me," Falcon said. "That's why I went in the attic."
Asked what he thought when the balloon had landed with no sign of his son, Richard Heene said: "The only thing I could think of was that he had fallen out."
"This is a relief, we're going to watch him a lot closer," he added.
The silver balloon, apparently made by the boy's father, reportedly reached heights of 7,000ft (2km).
It was floating about 40 miles north of Denver before it came down.
The basket was not attached to the balloon when it landed.
Flights at Denver international airport were disrupted by the incident.
The Heene family had previously appeared on the ABC reality show Wife Swap.
The channel described them as a "storm-chasing, science-obsessed family".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8309818.stm
Sweat lodge deaths investigated as homicides
(CNN) -- An investigation into the deaths of two people who spent up to two hours inside a "sweat lodge" at an Arizona retreat last week has been elevated from an accidental death investigation to a homicide inquiry, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh told reporters Thursday.
Self-help author James Arthur Ray has hired investigators to investigate two deaths at an Arizona sweat lodge.Self-help author James Arthur Ray has hired investigators to investigate two deaths at an Arizona sweat lodge.
Authorities said James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, New York, died Friday at the Angel Valley Resort after spending up to two hours in the sauna-like sweat lodge. Nineteen others were treated for injuries. One person remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition, Waugh said.
The dead and injured were attending a program by self-help author James Arthur Ray, authorities said.
A search warrant was executed Wednesday at the James Ray International offices in Carlsbad, California, the sheriff said. Authorities were attempting to determine whether documents exist on how to construct sweat lodges and on their proper use, as well as documents showing whether participants were advised of the risks of sweat lodges either before or during the program. They also were searching for rosters from past events, Waugh said.
Police would not say what, if anything, was found in executing the search warrant. Video Watch what goes on inside the 'sweat lodge' »
Asked why the deaths have been classified as homicides and the investigation upgraded, Waugh said, "We believe there are indications that it was not accidental, and ... we feel that there should be some culpability on some individuals."
Those individuals could include Ray and possibly others, he said.
Don't Miss
* Author hires investigators to review sweat lodge deaths
* 'Sweatbox' borrows from long tradition
* Victims were attending 'Spiritual Warrior' program
A spokesman for Ray said authorities should be focusing on the investigation rather than talking to reporters. "The Sheriff's Department is trying this case in the media," said Howard Bragman, noting that Thursday's news conference was the sheriff's second this week.
"There were no additional facts presented today; there were implications. I find words like 'homicide' -- when they don't have all the facts -- inflammatory and inappropriate at this time, and I think they're purposely inflammatory. ... Let's show as much zeal with the investigation and getting to the facts as they have in trying to tar my client," Bragman said.
The sweat lodge was meant to be a "spiritual awakening" exercise for the participants in the "Spiritual Warrior" program, Waugh said.
A sweat lodge is a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets. Hot rocks and water are used to create steam in the enclosed environment.
The owners of the resort built the sweat lodge, Waugh said, under Ray's direction. A nurse on Ray's staff was present during the event, police have said.
At least one of those who died was in the back of the structure, Waugh said. Ray was positioned near its door. There were no seats, he said; participants either sat or lay on the floor.
On Tuesday, Ray said he has hired his own investigators to determine what happened at his Arizona retreat, located in a secluded valley 20 minutes from Sedona. "I have no idea what happened. We'll figure it out," Ray said. "I've lost people I love and really care about."
Ray is the author of the best-selling book "Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want." Ray, described on his Web site as a "personal success strategist," has appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" and the "Oprah Winfrey Show," and is featured in the self-empowerment film "The Secret."
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The use of sweat lodges for spiritual and physical cleansing is a part of several Native American tribes' cultures.
A traditional Native American sweat lodge is a small dome-like structure made of willow branches carefully tied together and covered in canvas. Rocks are heated in a nearby fire pit and placed inside the lodge, and water is poured over them to create steam.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/10/15/arizona.sweat.lodge/index.html
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Obama 'may unveil Afghan surge'
US President Barack Obama may announce a substantial surge in US troops to Afghanistan, the BBC has been told.
The BBC's Newsnight said the increase could be announced next week.
However, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the report, saying the president had not yet made a decision on troop numbers.
Earlier, UK PM Gordon Brown said Britain would send 500 more forces personnel to Afghanistan - but only if key conditions were met.
They would be sent as long as they had the necessary equipment, if other Nato allies boosted their troop numbers and more Afghan soldiers were trained.
There are currently about 9,000 UK personnel in Afghanistan.
'Coordinated review'
Newsnight said the Obama administration had already told the UK government it would soon announce a substantial increase to its military forces in Afghanistan.
 |  All indications are that President Obama is honouring the request by Gen McChrystal 
Said Jawad, Afghan ambassador to US 
|
The programme said it understood an announcement could come next week, in time for a Nato defence ministers meeting in Bratislava.
On the programme, Said Jawad, the Afghan ambassador to Washington, was asked if he could confirm that the United States would be sending more troops.
"We should wait for the official announcement by the US government but all indications are that President Obama is honouring the request by Gen McChrystal."
He was asked if that meant 40,000 to 45,000 extra troops.
"This is part of the request, yes," he said.
But Mr Gibbs said the president had "not made a decision".
He added: "I think that you can assume that the BBC will not be the first outlet for such a decision."
However he did say the US had been "coordinating our review with our allies" and that Mr Brown had "communicated to us their decision to send more troops" in a phone call last week.
"Obviously, the British people and those that serve there have borne an enormous price in casualties. Obviously, we're thankful for a strengthening of the coalition," Mr Gibbs said.
Mr Brown said he was prepared, in principle, to send an extra 500 troops to Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan - where Nato troops are fighting fierce battles with the Taliban - in response to military advice.
He said the reinforcements would happen only if troops had the equipment and training necessary to perform the tasks asked of them.
Given the conditions placed on their deployment, the BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said it was unlikely the extra troops would be in Afghanistan soon.
But the announcement did send a clear message to the US as it reviews its Afghan strategy, she added.
Mr Obama has been considering future troop options after a request by Gen McChrystal, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, for what has been widely reported as up to 40,000 more Nato troops.
 Over 40 countries contribute forces to the international mission in Afghanistan. Isaf has full details of current contributing nations.
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Singer Leona Lewis attacked at bookstore, label says
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British singer Leona Lewis was "understandably shaken" after a man attacked her during a book signing in central London Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for her record label said.
Leona Lewis was signing copies of her book "Dreams" when a man assaulted her, police say.
A 29-year-old man was arrested after he punched Lewis at the Waterstones bookstore in Piccadilly Circus at 4:36 p.m. (10:36 a.m. ET), according to a Scotland Yard statement.
She was signing copies of her new autobiography "Dreams" when the "unprovoked attack" happened, said Sarah Weinstein Dennison of the RCA Music Group.
"The police were called immediately, and medical attention has been sought," Dennison said. "Leona is understandably shaken and apologizes to the fans she was unable to meet and complete signings."
There was no information released on how seriously she was hurt.
The police statement said the man was arrested on "suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm."
"He is currently in custody at a central London police station," police said.
Lewis, 24, got a career boost when she won the music talent competition on British television show "The X Factor" in 2006.
She got three Grammy nominations last year based on her debut album, "Spirit."
Her second album, "Echo," is set for release next month, according to her Web site.Wi-fi 'to get a whole lot easier'
The world of wi-fi is to become a whole lot easier thanks to a major technology upgrade, says an industry group.
The Wi-Fi Alliance said it would soon finish work on a new specification called Wi-Fi Direct.
It will let wi-fi devices like phones and laptops connect to one another without joining a traditional network.
The Wi-Fi Alliance - whose members include Intel, Apple and Cisco - hopes devices with the new technology will be on the market by the middle of 2010.
Owners of devices without Wi-Fi Direct will be able to upgrade through a software download, says the technology consortium.
The Wi-Fi Alliance's marketing director, Kelly Davis-Felner, told BBC News: "This is going to be a quick and convenient way to use wi-fi in future to print, synch, share and display.
"The consumer is going to experience this as a very easy-to-use mechanism that will be quite seamless."
Threat to Bluetooth?
Wi-Fi Direct will automatically scan for local existing hotspots and any wi-fi-enabled devices, such as cameras, phones and computers.
The Alliance says the specification will search for both consumer electronics and office applications, enabling devices to connect from across a home or workplace.
Victoria Foote, senior analyst at In-Stat, said it was a "terrific innovation".
Ben Parr, co-editor of Mashable.com, told BBC News the potential impact could be far-reaching.
But industry watchers also say the technology could pose a threat to the future of Bluetooth and perhaps do away with the need to use wi-fi routers in some places.
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