Rice Meets Arab Ministers in Advance of Riyadh Summit

By David Gollust Aswan, Egypt 25 March 2007

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met foreign ministers of four moderate Arab states in the Egyptian city of Aswan Saturday in advance of the Arab League summit next week in Riyadh. U.S. officials would like to see the Arab states renew their 2002 peace overture to Israel. VOA's David Gollust reports from Aswan.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt, 24 Mar 2007

Senior officials in the Rice party say they do not want to appear to be trying to tell the Arab League what to do.

But they are making clear they would like to see that organization reaffirm the 2002 peace initiative, and preferably supplement it with some sort of new political overture to Israel.

In the peace plan, initiated by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League member countries offered Israel normal relations, if it returned to 1967 borders and reached a two stage settlement with the Palestinian including the return of refugees.

But the 2002 initiative was overshadowed by the violence of the second Palestinian Intifada and later by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

In a talk with reporters, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said Secretary Rice told her foreign minister colleagues from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that U.S. efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process would be enhanced, if there was a parallel Arab-Israeli negotiating track. "The Secretary emphasized in the gathering with the foreign ministers the importance of Arab-Israeli reconciliation as an element in broadening peace, but also in helping to establish a track between the Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

A senior U.S. official who spoke to reporters said Rice was not preaching to her Arab colleagues about what needs to be done, but said none-the-less the United States views some sort of outreach to Israel by the Arab League to be of critical importance.

Rice also met with security and intelligence chiefs from the four countries of the so-called Quartet of moderate Arab states. The official said that conversation focused on, among other things, ways to curb arms smuggling to Hamas and other radical factions in the Palestinian areas, and to assure that aid flowing to those areas does not end up in the hands of extremists.

The senior official said the Arab Quartet members believe the Bush administration has struck the right balance on the new Palestinian unity government by continuing to back an international aid ban against it, but agreeing to continue contacts with non-Hamas members of the cabinet.

Rice continues her Middle East mission, her third thus far this year, with a meeting here Sunday morning with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

She then flies on to Israel where she will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem after talks in the West Bank city of Ramallah with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas.

UN Imposes New Sanctions Against Iran Over Nuclear Program

By Barbara Schoetzau New York 25 March 2007

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The 15-mmeber UN Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose new sanctions on Iran over its refusal to end its uranium enrichment program. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has the details.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki speaks (R) as Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Jared Zarif (L) listens after members of the Security Council voted to put new sanctions on Tehran

The resolution freezes the assets of more than 28 Iranian individuals, companies and institutions, including the state-owned Bank Sepah, commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and companies they control. It also places an embargo on arms exports and calls on members to voluntarily restrict loans and financial assistance to the government of Iran.

The resolution calls on Iran to comply with International Atomic Energy Agency requirements, halt its nuclear enrichment program and return to negotiations over its nuclear program.

Britain, France, and Germany drafted the original resolution. British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said the sponsors are pleased that the Council was able to act unanimously after weeks of negotiations to send a clear message to Iran that it must comply with its legal obligations. "This is a legal act by the Security Council requiring Iran to actually implement what we have said. We, therefore, incrementally increased pressure on Iran. It is an appropriate response, but our hope was, and our preference, was to see a negotiated outcome. That is to say that it is open to Iran if she accepts to suspend enrichment and research and development, then we want to get into negotiations, we want to find a better way forward. The choice is Iran's but the offer on the table includes undeniably the development of a civil nuclear capability in Iran," the British ambassador said.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, not producing nuclear weapons, and refuses to suspend the program as a precondition for negotiations. Speaking though an interpreter, Iran's Foreign Minister, Manoucheyhr Mottaki, told the Council that suspension is not an option or a solution. "Iran does not want confrontation nor does it want anything other than its own inalienable rights. I can assure you that pressure, intimidation will not change Iranian policy. The world must know, and it does, that even the harshest political and economic sanctions - or other threats - are far too weak to coerce the Iranian nation to retreat from their legal and legitimate demands," he said.

The new resolution tightens a measure passed in December that prohibited trade in sensitive nuclear materials and ballistic missiles and also froze the assets of individuals and institutions associated with atomic programs.

UN Secretary-General to Meet Israeli and Palestinian Leaders

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 25 March 2007

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The Secretary-General of the United Nations has arrived in Israel for separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the Middle East peace process and the fate of three kidnapped Israeli soldiers are topping the agenda.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, left, listens to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, upon the latter's arrival at Ben Gurion airport near Tel-Aviv, Israel

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hopes to give a boost to the stalled peace process during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He spoke upon arrival at the airport in Tel Aviv. "The United Nations has had crucial political and operational roles in the Middle East for more than 60 years. We were there at Israel's creation and I would dearly wish to be there again when a comprehensive solution to the conflict is achieved," he said.

Mr. Ban will hold separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But the Secretary-General disappointed both sides from the outset.

His decision not to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh drew angry reaction from the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas, which described it as "discrimination." Hamas agreed to share power with Mr. Abbas and other moderates in a national unity government that assumed power a week ago. The group said the new government represents the entire Palestinian people and the UN is supposed to be a non-political organization that represents all countries.

Israel, on the other hand, was hoping that Ban would boycott the Palestinian government. Israel refuses to deal with the new regime because Hamas rejects key international demands for lifting crippling sanctions--namely, renunciation of violence and recognition of the Jewish state.

Israel does not see the U.N. as a key mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a role that has traditionally been played by the United States. But Israeli officials believe the Secretary-General can play an important role in achieving the release of three kidnapped soldiers-one held by Hamas in Gaza and two others held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz made that clear when he greeted MR. Ban at the airport. Peretz said Israel is confident that Mr. Ban will do everything he can to implement U.N. Resolution 1701 which calls for the return of the captive soldiers to their homes in Israel.

Cautious Calm Returns to Democratic Republic of Congo

By Naomi Schwarz Dakar 25 March 2007

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Residents of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are relieved but bitter, as calm has returned after two days of brutal fighting between government forces and the guard of opposition leader and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba. Dozens are reported dead, and the death toll is expected to rise as more information becomes available. Naomi Schwarz has more on the story from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.

A man looks into a looted shop window, 24 March 2007, in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Jean-Tobie Okala, the deputy spokesman for the U.N.'s military mission in Congo, known by the French abbreviation MONUC, said he went outside for the first time this morning, after more than 48-hours of fighting. "The situation in the Congolese capital is calm. I went to the downtown. I can say that there are a lot of damages but social and economic activity are resuming," he said.

Okala said MONUC forces spent the past few days protecting and evacuating civilians and attempting to mediate between the government and Bemba.

The government issued a warrant for Bemba's arrest Friday, accusing him of treason and calling the clashes a rebellion. He has taken refuge in the South African Embassy in Kinshasa.

Local journalist Eddie Issango says many of Bemba's guard have fled across the river to neighboring Congo-Brazzaville or have turned themselves and their weapons into the U.N.

MONUC spokesman Okala says the government must once again look for ways to find solutions for the many challenges facing the DRC after decades of brutal war. "They have to secure the country. They have to reform security services. They have to promote social justice, promote women. So there is no time to waste," he said.

But Michel Nourredine Kassa, head of Kinshasa-based Leadership Training Initiative, said there remains a lot of anger over the events of the past few days. "There is a sense of relief, I guess, but beyond this sense of relief what I feel is a sense of extreme bitterness. Bitterness at how futile this chapter of this country's political life has been. Futile fighting when there were a thousand other options to settle this dispute than using violence," he said.

But despite the violence of the past days, all too familiar to Congolese who survived a civil war that left more than four million dead, Kassa says a sense of optimism remains. Mr Kassa added, "They are still hopeful because they know that they have voted and they know that their vote counts. It will never be like before."

Last year, the DRC held democratic elections that were widely hailed as an important step toward peace for the beleaguered nation. President Joseph Kabila won the vote, but the election was marred by violent clashes.

Kassa says looks he forward to a time of peace in the DRC, when the National Assembly will become a place for healthy - and peaceful discussion - by members of the government and a robust opposition.

VOASE0325_People In America

25 March 2007

Billie Holiday, 1915-1959: The Lady Sang the Blues
She was one of the greatest jazz singers in America.

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VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday

And I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, PEOPLE IN AMERICA. Every week we tell about a person important in the history of the United States. This week, we tell about Billie Holiday. She was one of the greatest jazz singers in America.

(MUSIC: "God Bless the Child")

VOICE ONE:

That was Billie Holiday singing one of her famous songs. She and Arthur Herzog wrote it. Billie Holiday's life was a mixture of success and tragedy. Her singing expressed her experiences and her feelings.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan in nineteen fifteen in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents were Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday. They were young when their daughter was born. Their marriage failed because Clarence Holiday was not at home much. He traveled as a musician with some of the earliest jazz bands.

Sadie Fagan cleaned people's houses. But she could not support her family on the money she earned. So she moved to New York City where the pay was higher. She left her daughter in Baltimore with members of her family.

VOICE ONE:

The young girl Eleanora Fagan changed her name to Billie, because she liked a movie star, Billie Dove. Billie Holiday loved to sing. She sang and listened to music whenever she could. One place near her home had a machine that played records. The building was a brothel where women who were prostitutes had sex with men for money.

Billie cleaned floors and did other jobs for the prostitutes so she could listen to the records. It was there that young Billie first heard the records of famous black American blues artists of the nineteen twenties. She heard Bessie Smith sing the blues. And she heard Louis Armstrong play the horn. Both musicians had a great influence on her.

VOICE TWO:

Billie Holiday once said: "I do not think I'm singing. I feel like I am playing a horn. What comes out is what I feel. I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That is all I know."

Here is Billie Holiday singing a popular song of the Nineteen thirties, "More Than You Know."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Billie Holiday had a tragic childhood. When she was ten, a man sexually attacked her. She was accused of causing the man to attack her and sent to a prison for children.

In nineteen twenty-seven, Billie joined her mother in Harlem, the area of New York City where African-Americans lived. Billie's mother mistakenly sent her to live in a brothel. Billie became a prostitute at the age of thirteen. One day, she refused the sexual demands of a man. She was arrested and spent four months in prison.

VOICE TWO:

Two years later, Billie's mother became sick and could not work. Fifteen-year-old Billie tried to find a job. Finally, she was given a job singing at a place in Harlem where people went at night to drink alcohol and listen to music.

For the next seventeen years, Holiday was one of the most popular nightclub singers in New York. She always wore a long white evening dress. And she wore large white flowers in her black hair. She called herself "Lady Day."

VOICE ONE:

In the early nineteen thirties, a music producer, John Hammond, heard Billie Holiday sing in a nightclub. He called her the best jazz singer he had ever heard. He brought famous people to hear her sing.

Hammond produced Holiday's first records. He got the best jazz musicians to play. They included Benny Goodman on clarinet, Teddy Wilson on piano, Roy Eldridge on trumpet and Ben Webster on saxophone. They recorded many famous songs with Billie Holiday. "I Wished on the Moon" is one of them.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In the late nineteen thirties, Billy Holiday sang with Artie Shaw's band as it traveled around the United States. She was one of the first black singers to perform with a white band. But racial separation laws in America made travel difficult for her.

During this time, a new nightclub opened in the area of New York called Greenwich Village. It was the first club that had both black and white performers. And it welcomed both black and white people to hear the performers. The nightclub was called Cafe Society.

It was here that Billy Holiday first sang a song called "Strange Fruit." A school teacher named Lewis Allan had written it for her. The song was about injustice and oppression of black people in the southern part of the United States. It told about how mobs of white men had killed black men by hanging them from trees.

Many people objected to the song. It was unlike any other popular song. But it was a huge hit. Here is Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In the nineteen forties, Holiday started using the illegal drug heroin. Soon her body needed more and more of the drug. It began to affect her health.

In nineteen forty-seven, Billie Holiday was arrested for possessing illegal drugs. She was found guilty and sentenced to nine months in prison. When she was released, New York City officials refused to give her a document that permitted her to work in any place that served alcoholic drinks. This meant Holiday no longer could sing in nightclubs and jazz clubs. She could sing only in theaters and concert halls.

Ten days after her release from jail, she performed at New York's famous Carnegie Hall. People filled the place to hear her sing. This is one of the songs she sang at that concert. It is called "I Cover the Waterfront."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-six, Billie Holiday wrote a book about her life. The book was called “Lady Sings the Blues.” A friend at the New York Post newspaper, William Dufty, helped her write the book. A few months later, she was arrested again for possessing illegal drugs. But instead of going to prison, she was permitted to seek treatment to end her dependence on drugs. The treatment was successful.

That same year, she performed her second concert at Carnegie Hall. Here is one of the songs Holiday sang that night. It is called "Lady Sings the Blues." She and Herbie Nichols wrote it.

(MUSIC: "Lady Sings the Blues")

VOICE ONE:

Billy Holiday's health was ruined by using illegal drugs and by drinking too much alcohol. Her last performance was in nineteen fifty-nine. She had to be led off the stage after singing two songs. She died that year. She was only forty-four. But Lady Day lives on through her recordings that continue to influence the best jazz singers.

(THEME)

VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. It was produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week at this time for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on VOA.