Bush Again Rejects Timetable for Troop Withdrawal

By Scott Stearns White House 20 April 2007

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President Bush is again rejecting opposition calls for a timetable to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, saying his new strategy is beginning to reduce sectarian violence. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

President Bush 18 April 2007

President Bush says his decision to send more American soldiers to Iraq is so far meeting expectations by beginning to reduce sectarian violence in the capital.

"There are still horrific attacks in Iraq, such as the bombings in Baghdad on Wednesday, but the direction of the fight is beginning to shift," said Mr. Bush.

The president is trying to rally support for a war that a majority of Americans now believe is a mistake. A public opinion poll by CBS News says two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling the war.

Speaking in the Midwest state of Michigan Friday, Mr. Bush again criticized opposition Democrats for calling for a timetable for troop withdrawal, saying it undercuts U.S. forces at a time when there are signs of progress.

"They have passed bills in the House and the Senate that would impose restrictions on our military commanders and mandate a precipitous withdrawal by an arbitrary date," he added.

President Bush has vowed to veto any timetable for troop withdrawal. As both the House and Senate measures passed by close votes, it is highly unlikely Democrats can find the two-thirds majority needed to override the promised veto.

The president met with Democratic leaders this week to discuss their differences, but neither side showed signs of backing down.

Democrats want a timetable for troop withdrawal because they say it will force Iraq's government to take greater responsibility for its own security and will prevent the president from continuing what they say is an open-ended commitment in Iraq.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate Thursday, Majority Leader Harry Reid said it is time for a new direction.

"As long as we follow the president's path in Iraq, the war is lost. But there is still a chance to change course, and we must change course," said Mr. Reid.

Acknowledging that Democrats are unlikely to drop their demands for a troop withdrawal, President Bush says they should send him their legislation quickly so he can veto it and get Congress back to work on a spending bill without such a deadline.

US Defense Secretary Urges Iraq Leaders to Reconcile Shi'ites, Sunnis

By Challiss McDonough Cairo 20 April 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. military presence in Iraq is not open-ended. He has urged the Iraqi factions to ramp up their efforts for political reconciliation. Gates spoke on a surprise visit to Iraq at the end of his regional tour. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

Iraq Minister of Defense Abdel Qader al-Obeidi (L) walks next to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates

At a joint news conference with the Iraqi defense minister, Gates warned that the U.S. military presence in Iraq is not open-ended, and he urged the rival political factions to reconcile quickly and move forward. "Our commitment to Iraq is long-term, but it is not a commitment to have our young men and women patrolling Iraq's streets open-endedly," he said.

The U.S. defense secretary said the so-called "surge" in U.S. troops is aimed at, in his words, "buying time" for the Iraqi government to make progress on reconciliation. He said the Iraqis' progress toward political reconciliation could affect the decision on whether those troops stay.

He urged the Iraqi parliament not to adjourn the legislative session without passing new laws on political reconciliation and the sharing of petroleum revenues between religious and ethnic groups. "These measures will not fix all of the problems in Iraq, but they will manifest the will of the entire government of Iraq to be a government for all of the people of Iraq in the future," he said.

Gates said he "respectfully disagree[s]" with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who expressed a blunt assessment of the Iraq situation. Reid said on Thursday that he told President Bush the war in Iraq is "lost."

Gates said he is "moderately optimistic" that there will be "steady progress" toward ending the violence. But he also said tough times are likely ahead.

The defense secretary's surprise visit to Iraq - his third - comes amid a surge in violence that has been particularly deadly, even by Iraqi standards. More than 200 people have been killed since Wednesday in a series of massive car bombings.

Last week, a suicide bomber penetrated the intense security of Baghdad's Green Zone and blew himself up in the parliament's cafeteria as lawmakers were having lunch.

France Prepares For Close Vote in Sunday's Presidential Election

By Anita Elash Paris 20 April 2007

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Friday is the last day of campaigning before the first round of voting in the presidential election in France. The two leading candidates, former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Party candidate Segolene Royal, are running neck and neck. But record numbers of voters are still undecided. Anita Elash reports for VOA from Paris.

French President Jacques Chirac, right, walks behind French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy (File photo)

The latest opinion polls put two candidates well in the lead. Former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is in first place. His closest rival, Socialist Party candidate Segolene Royal, is just a few points behind. But the polls also show that with just two days to go, about 40 percent of voters still haven't decided. Of those who have, nearly half are wavering.

By law, the candidates must stop campaigning at midnight tonight. They've spent the last few days trying to win the votes of those who cannot make up their mind.

Segolene Royal is worried about a repeat of the last election, when the Socialist Party candidate lost to far right leader Jean Marie Le Pen in the first round. She was in the southern city of Toulouse last night.

Segolene Royal, 18 Apr 2007

"I'm asking everyone who believes in the same values as I do to come and vote for me starting with the first round," she told supporters.

Nicolas Sarkozy has been battling a concerted attack from his opponents. In Marseille last night, he continued with his message that he would restore French pride.

"The first round is just the first step," he said. "I'm asking you to make my fight your fight. I'm asking you to stand up for the silent majority that no longer wants someone else to speak for them. Long live the republic! Long live France!"

There are 10 other candidates in this election. They include a Communist, three Trotskyists, an anti-globalizaion campaigner, and a man who defends the rights of hunters and fisherman. Centrist Francois Bayrou, a historian and part-time horse farmer, is in third place, and Jean Marie Le Pen, the leader of the far right National Front, is in fourth.

Most analysts say Sarkozy and Royal will likely make it through to the second and final round of voting. But with so many candidates and so many undecided voters, either Bayrou or Le Pen could cause an upset.

Virginia Shooting Victims Mourned across the US

By Jim Malone Washington 20 April 2007

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Friday was a day of mourning in southern U.S. state of Virginia and across the United States in memory of the 32 students and teachers who died Monday at Virginia Tech University in the worst mass shooting incident in U.S. history. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

A crowd gathers to observe a moment of silence at Virginia Tech University to remember the victims of the massacre, 20 Apr 2007

Bells in Virginia's capital of Richmond tolled 32 times for each one of the victims in the Virginia Tech massacre.

Similar tributes in the forms of vigils, prayer services and memorials were held in state capitals and churches throughout the country.

There was silence at midday Friday on the Virginia Tech campus, as students reflected on the scope of the tragedy and those who lost their lives.

"They are just not here, and you cannot hug them and you cannot talk to them. It just hurts," a student said.

At a memorial service in Richmond, mourners read aloud the names of the 32 victims who died Monday at the hands of deranged gunman Cho Seung-Hui.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine said the feelings of grief evident on the Virginia Tech campus were shared by millions of people around the world, along with the hope for a brighter future.

"And that universality of hope is something that all around this world and I know here in this audience have embraced," he said. "We need to embrace that, we need to hold on to that spirit of hope and community, celebrating the lives of those who have been lost."

President Bush (l) and Laura Bush, second from left, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (r) participate in a convocation to honor the victims of a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, 17 Apr 2007

President Bush also focused on the tragedy at Virginia Tech in his weekly radio address.

"This week, we reflect on what has been lost and comfort those enduring a profound grief. And somehow we know that a brighter morning will come," said President Bush. "We know this because together Americans have overcome many evils and found strength through many storms."

"And we know there will be a day, as promised in Scripture, when evil will meet its reckoning and when every tear shall be wiped away," he added.

The president has asked officials from several government departments to make recommendations on how to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

Virginia Governor Kaine has also appointed an independent panel to look at how university officials handled the situation at Virginia Tech this week and what might be done to better secure colleges and universities.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is among those on the panel. He spoke to CBS television.

"We will never be able to eliminate the risk," he said. "But our goal is to be as comprehensive as we possibly can and then make some recommendations to reduce the risk that this could happen again."

Students and faculty at Virginia Tech said they were pleased that the focus of the tragedy in recent days had shifted back to the victims, and away from the gunman responsible.

Image received by NBC news of Cho Seoung-hui

In addition, U.S. television networks drastically cut back their airing of Cho's rambling video diatribe, which had received prominent media coverage earlier in the week.

Questions are also being raised about why university officials did not know more about Cho's psychiatric problems and what can be done to detect dangerous individuals in the future.

Jack Levin is a criminologist at Northeastern University who has studied mass murderers for the past 25 years.

"There are many warning signs," said Levin. "The problem is that they apply to hundreds of thousands of people who have not killed anyone and do not intend to. The warning signs tell us who is troubled, not who is troublesome."

Students have been invited to return to classes at Virginia Tech on Monday, but only if they feel emotionally ready.

VOASE0421_In the News

21 April 2007

Issues After Killings at Virginia Tech Go Beyond Debate Over Gun Laws
Friday was an official day of mourning in Virginia for the 32 victims. It was also the eighth anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Friday was a statewide day of mourning in Virginia for the people shot to

Mourners at a memorial in Blacksburg, Virginia

death Monday at Virginia Tech. But other Americans also honored the thirty-two students and teachers. Some of the victims at the university in Blacksburg were from other countries. The attack by a student, Cho Seung-hui, who also killed himself, was the deadliest shooting in modern American history.

The tragedy brought back memories of other school shootings, including what had been the worst. In fact, Friday was the eighth anniversary of the attack at Columbine High School in Colorado. Two young men killed twelve other students and one teacher, and themselves.

Often, when a shooting captures national attention, debate about gun control follows. This week some of the calls to restart that debate came from political leaders in other countries.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard spoke of the gun culture in the United States. He noted that his own country took action to limit the availability of guns after a man killed thirty-five people in Tasmania eleven years ago.

British Home Office minister Tony McNulty studied at Virginia Tech. If the tragedy starts a serious debate on gun laws, he says, then some good may come from it.

The White House said Friday that President Bush has ordered federal officials to study issues raised by the shooting. These include how to deal with people whose mental health problems can make them a danger.

On Monday, a spokeswoman said the president believes that people have a right to arms, but all laws must be followed.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution says: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Gun laws are not the only issue. Others involve privacy laws and disability rights that protect people with mental disorders.

Cho Seung-hui was born in South Korea but lived most of his life in the United States. He was known at Virginia Tech as a troubled person. He studied English and some of his writings were so violent they scared other students and his professors.

But schools may worry about legal action if they expel a student who has not made direct threats. Virginia Tech officials say they did what they could within the law.

The shooter was armed with two handguns that he recently bought after passing a criminal history check. There are federal laws but each state also has its own laws on buying and selling guns. Virginia is among the states with fewer restrictions than others.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says an estimated thirty-nine percent of American homes have a gun. The campaign points to national injury reports from two thousand four, the most recent year available. There were almost thirty thousand gun-related deaths. About forty percent were murders. Most of the others were suicides or accidents.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0419_American Mosaic

19 April 2007

Awards Recognize Young People Trying to Make the World a Better Place
Also: A museum in Baltimore, Maryland, tells the story of the first railway and shipyard owned by African-Americans. And a question from Zimbabwe about the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer a question about the Billboard Hot One Hundred …

Tell about an award that honors young people for social action…

And report about a historical museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

Douglass-Myers Museum

HOST:

The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum tells the history of the first railway and shipyard owned by African-Americans. Museum visitors do not only see the exhibits. They also learn by taking part in activities. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum (pictured) is in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. It is named after two of the city’s greatest leaders who lived during the eighteen hundreds.

Frederick Douglass was a former slave. He went on to become one of the most important African-American leaders in American history.

Isaac Myers had a very different life. His experiences tell the story of African-Americans who were not slaves.

Mister Myers was a leading businessman in Baltimore. In eighteen sixty-eight, he and fourteen other African-American businessmen founded the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company. The history of the dock and shipyard is the center of the Frederick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum.

The Living Classrooms Foundation led the development of the project. Dianne Swann-Wright is the director. She says the museum is different from many others because it urges visitors to touch and take part in activities throughout the exhibit.

Frederick Douglass worked for Isaac Myers at the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company. Mister Douglass was a ship repairman. The museum recreates the work area and tools Mister Douglass used to repair the ships. He filled in spaces between the wooden parts of the ship with a material called oakum. It stopped water from leaking into the large boats.

Visitors can use tools to strike a substance similar to oakum as if they too were repairing the ships. Visitors also can build a large model ship.

Objects throughout the museum are like those found in the old shipyard almost one hundred fifty years ago. Rare objects are protected in glass containers. One is a small boat built in the early eighteen hundreds. African American slaves used it to escape. It was also used for transportation and fishing.

Dianne Swann-Wright says visitors to the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum experience a part of history that once had been lost. She says she hopes they will say: “Wow. I did not know that story at all.”

BRICK Awards

HOST:

The BRICK Awards are given each year to young people who make our world a better place. These youth service awards were presented last week to twelve young people for their community action projects. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

For the first time, the BRICK Awards were presented on an American television show. The CW Network presented the award show last Thursday. Twelve people under the age of twenty-five from the United States and Canada won awards of ten thousand dollars to continue their work.

They were honored for their projects in four areas: public health, community building, education and environment, and global impact. Young people voted online for the top four winners. These people received Golden BRICK Awards, worth a total of twenty-five thousand dollars.

Jennifer Staple

One of these winners is Jennifer Staple of Newton, Connecticut. She created an organization called Unite for Sight. It provides eye care and education programs to more than four hundred thousand people around the world. The organization has provided more than six thousand sight-restoring operations. And it has provided thousands of people with treatment for infections, glaucoma and other eye disorders.

Kimmie Weeks is another Golden BRICK Award winner. He survived the civil war in Liberia and later sought political protection in the United States. Now he lives in Newark, Delaware. He started Youth Action International, a group that helps children affected by war. It operates humanitarian programs in several African nations.

Ashley Rhodes-Courter lived in fourteen different temporary homes before being adopted at the age of twelve. Now she lives in Crystal River, Florida. She works to improve the lives of children with no parents.

Divine Bradley

Divine Bradley is the fourth Golden BRICK Award Winner. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, he wanted to create a safe place where children could go after school. The result was Team Revolution, a community organization led by young people. It has provided after-school programs to more than five hundred young people.

The BRICK Awards are given by a nonprofit organization in New York City called Do Something. It seeks to activate young people to find an issue that is meaningful to them and do something to bring about social change.

Billboard Hot 100

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Simon Gondo in Zimbabwe. He wants to know what the Billboard Hot One Hundred music chart is all about.

Every week, Billboard Magazine publishes a list of the one hundred most popular singles in the United States. Billboard has a number of different charts for the music industry. Some list individual songs, others are for albums.

Most of the charts are based either on sales or on airplay by radio stations. But a few, including the Hot One Hundred, are based on a mix of sales numbers and airplay.

Billboard uses information collected by the Nielsen Company from radio broadcasts and music sellers. These include online stores like iTunes.

The song "Poor Little Fool" recorded by Ricky Nelson was the first number one single on the Billboard Hot One Hundred. That was back in August of nineteen fifty-eight.

(MUSIC)

The song that stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot One Hundred for the longest time was "Iris" from the Goo Goo Dolls. It was number one for eighteen weeks in nineteen ninety-eight.

(MUSIC)

Billboard Magazine releases a new Hot One Hundred chart every Thursday. Each chart is dated for the Saturday of the following week.

Timbaland

We leave you with the song that tops the Hot One Hundred for the week ending April twenty-first. It jumped forty-one places from last week to number one. Here is "Give It to Me" by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Lawan Davis, Natella Konstantinova and Shelley Gollust. Caty Weaver was the producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.