US Dismisses Iranian Spy Charges as Absurd

By David Gollust State Department 29 May 2007

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The United States Tuesday dismissed as absurd charges by Iran that three Iranian-Americans visiting that country were involved in spying. The charges were announced only a day after U.S. and Iranian diplomats held a rare face-to-face meeting in Baghdad. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The State Department says none of the three Iranian-Americans directly worked for the United States government or was engaged in U.S. government business on their visits to Iran, and that the spy charges by Tehran authorities are absurd.

The comments followed an announcement from Iranian judicial authorities that the three dual citizens, who had been prevented from leaving the country after routine visits, are now accused of espionage.

Haleh Esfandiari

The most prominent of the three is academic Haleh director of the Middle East program of Washington's Woodrow Wilson center for scholars.

She had been barred from leaving Iran since last December after visiting her ailing mother and has been held since earlier this month at Tehran's Evin prison, which has been linked in the past to human rights abuses.

Also reported to be in custody is Kian Tajbaksh, a social scientist and urban planer for the New York-based Open Society Institute, which says he was jailed about two weeks ago.

The third Iranian-American, journalist Parnaz Azima of the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, has not been jailed. But her passport was confiscated and she has been barred from leaving Iran since January after also going to there for a family visit.

At a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said the United States has not been officially notified of the espionage charges and that Iran has not responded to requests for consular access to the three by the Swiss government, which looks after U.S. interests in Tehran.

Casey insisted the charges against them are without substance.

"These are individuals who are private citizens," he said. "They are not party to any of the policy disputes between the government of the United States and the government of Iran. It's absolutely absurd to think that they in any way, shape or form pose a threat to the Iranian regime. And we continue to urge the Iranian government to let them go, to let them go back to visiting their families, to come back home to be with their families here, and to continue with the very basic people-to-people kind of work that they've been pursuing in Iran for many years."

In addition to the three Iranian-Americans now accused of spying, the United States has been seeking information about the fate of a former U.S. FBI agent, , who went missing after arriving in March at Iran's Kish Island resort in the Persian Gulf.

Iran has denied, in messages conveyed by the Swiss, any knowledge of Levinson's whereabouts but U.S. officials are skeptical, pointing to press reports that he may have been detained shortly after his arrival in Iran.

There have been news accounts Iran may intend to use the U.S. citizens it holds as bargaining chips for the release of five Iranians detained in northern Iraq since January for alleged involvement in attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces.

However, Spokesman Casey said he is unaware of any linkage between the five Iranians the United States says were lawfully detained in Iraq and the cases of the three dual citizens facing spy charges.

Ambassador Ryan Crocker, (r), and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Kazemi Qomi, (l), attend a meeting in Baghdad, 28 May 2007

Casey said the issue was not raised by either side Monday in U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker's Baghdad meeting Monday with Iranian diplomats. He said only Iran can explain why it is engaged in a "pattern of harassment" against private American citizens.

The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since 1979 and interaction between the two governments has been rare.

Monday's talks in Iraq were limited to Iraqi security issues. Though no substantive advances were announced, the two sides were said to have agreed on the general need for a stable and peaceful Iraq.

Lebanese Army, Militants Engage in Heavy Clashes

By Margaret Besheer Beirut 29 May 2007

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Sporadic gunfire during the day between Lebanese soldiers and Islamic militants in a Palestinian refugee camp ended in heavy clashes just before sunset near the northern port city of Tripoli. From the Lebanese capital, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more on the day's developments.

Lebanese army's armored personnel carrier behind a shattered wall in Tripoli, 29 May 2007

A Lebanese soldier was killed Tuesday when Sunni militants allied with Fatah al-Islam fired on a Lebanese Army position outside the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp.

The soldier's death raises to 34 the number of Lebanese troops killed since fighting erupted nine days ago.

Sporadic clashes during the day Tuesday gave way to heavy fighting just before sunset, with the Lebanese army firing artillery to silence the militants' fire.

Several hundred al-Qaida inspired militants are believed to be holed up inside the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp.

Most of the camp's residents have now evacuated to the nearby Beddawi refugee camp, where displaced Palestinians protested Tuesday against their poor living conditions and to show their desire to return home.

Mohammed Akra, a displaced resident, said Nahr el-Bared residents are demanding to return to their homes in the camp because they are suffering more than anyone can imagine.

Nahr el-Bared has been a no-go zone for journalists and civilians for the last nine days. Only evacuating residents have been allowed out after they have been screened by the Lebanese Army to be sure they are not escaping militants or smuggling weapons.

Lebanon's government has vowed to root out the militants, while the militants have vowed to fight to the death.

Muslim cleric Walid Abu Haider urged all parties to act quickly to reach a political understanding that would guarantee the displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, in an upscale Christian neighborhood of Beirut, a man suspected of belonging to Fatah al-Islam was arrested Tuesday after police raided the apartment where he was staying.

Police officials said the man had rented the apartment using a forged Lebanese name and passport and had in his possession several other forged foreign passports. Police also confiscated several CDs and other material that appeared to be related to the group's work.

Venezuela's Chavez Threatens Another Private Television Station

By Michael Bowman Washington 29 May 2007

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Two days after forcing a private Venezuelan television station off the air, President Hugo Chavez has threatened to crack down on another non-governmental TV broadcaster. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington.

A demonstrator holds a sign against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a protest against the closure of private network RCTV (Radio Caracas Television) in Caracas, 29 May 2007

It has been two days since opposition-allied Radio Caracas Television ceased transmission, replaced by a state-funded network called Venezuelan Social Television. Protests against the move continue to grow and expand across Venezuela, with students and others taking to the streets in many cities.

Government backers have mounted counter-demonstrations in the capital. President Hugo Chavez has brushed aside concerns voiced by international press freedom groups that liberty of expression is under attack.

At the same time, however, officials have launched an investigation of another broadcaster, Globovision, accusing the opposition private television station of using subliminal messages to incite an assassination attempt on the president.

Hugo Chavez

Addressing supporters, Mr. Chavez delivered a direct message to Globovision, which has provided extensive coverage of anti-government demonstrations.

He says, "To the people of Globovision, if you want to continue calling for disobedience and inciting a presidential assassination as was done openly two nights ago, when Globovision clearly urged that I be killed - then I am warning you in front of the entire nation that you calm down because I will apply the minimum."

The president did not elaborate, but Venezuelan media experts say Mr. Chavez' rhetorical use of the word "minimum" is meant to suggest the opposite, that the maximum sanction would be applied. Moments later, the president said he is prepared to die to defend his beliefs and he asked if opposition media outlets are similarly prepared.

Globovision's director, Alberto Frederico Ravell, called government accusations against his station "ridiculous."

The Inter-American Press Association has labeled Mr. Chavez' crackdown on Venezuela's private news media "undemocratic."

Mr. Chavez acknowledged increasingly fierce protests in the country, but said upheaval is normal during revolutionary times. The self-proclaimed socialist leader said student demonstrators are being manipulated in defense of Venezuela's capitalistic oligarchy.

US Responds to Putin's Call for Meeting on Forces in Europe

By Al Pessin Washington 29 May 2007

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A Pentagon spokesman says the United States would be "disappointed" if Russia stopped meeting its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty. The comment came the day after Russia called for a meeting of the treaty's signatory nations next month. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Vladimir Putin (file photo)

At his daily briefing, Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman responded to President Putin's call for a meeting. "The U.S. position on this is that we would be disappointed at any suggestions that Russia might cease to implement its obligations under the CFE Treaty. NATO, as you know, places a high value on the treaty's contribution to European security," he said.

At the State Department, a spokesman told reporters the Conventional Forces treaty has served the international community well, but that it is Russia's right to call a meeting and U.S. officials will be happy to attend.

Russia wants a three-day meeting starting on June 12 in Vienna.

The 1990 treaty regulates the size and composition of conventional military forces in Europe. It resulted in a reduction of Cold War era forces facing off against each other on the continent. The treaty was amended in 1999, but some countries have refused to ratify the amended version until Russia withdraws its forces from Georgia and Moldova.

Russia rejects the idea of connecting those two issues, but President Vladimir Putin has said he wants to suspend Russia's participation in the treaty and has threatened to withdraw from it permanently. The statement Monday calling for the meeting said Russia has been adhering to the amended treaty, while other signatories have refused to ratify it. The statement also cites the expansion of NATO into areas formerly under the influence of the Soviet Union.

Russia's concerns about the treaty are also widely seen as related to its opposition to U.S. plans to put parts of its new missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The White House reports President Bush and President Putin spoke about several issues during a phone conversation on Monday, but did not say whether missile defense or the Conventional Forces treaty were among them. The two men will meet next week in Germany during the annual Group of Eight summit.

Refugees Intent on Return to Bhutan Thwarted in Attempt to Cross Border Into India From Nepal

By Steve Herman New Delhi 29 May 2007

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Refugees in Nepal trying to make their way back home to Bhutan via India have clashed with Indian border troops. Casualties are reported on both sides after Indian forces opened fire. VOA's Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.

After being refused permission by India to transit through the country to get to Bhutan, a group of refugees in Nepal turned violent as they tried to force their way across the border.

Bhutanese refugees carry injured and shout slogans, as Indian policemen are seen in background, in border town of Karkarvitta, 29 May 2007

A top police official in the Indian state of West Bengal, Raj Kanojia, says the initial attack by thousands of refugees on Indian border guards took place Monday at Karkavitta and continued on Tuesday.

"They attacked them with bricks, and they threw acid bombs at them," he said. "This morning the whole thing started again and there have been some injuries, especially on the security forces' side. We arrested about 30 to 35 people but regarding the injuries (to the refugees) we won't be able to comment because they are all in Nepal."

The senior police official told VOA News that he could not confirm media reports that Indian forces fired on the refugees on the Nepalese side of the border. Both sides of the border are under curfew and it has been difficult to verify the number of injured refugees and their condition.

The director of the Asian Center for Human Rights, Suhas Chakma, says it is not surprising that refugees would be fired upon by Indian personnel.

"The Indian security forces are always known for using disproportionate force, so when somebody is trying to cross the river the Indian security forces resorting to firearms cannot be ruled out," Chakma said.

The United States has offered to re-settle 60,000 of the more than 100,000 refugees who have languished in Nepal for 15 years after being kicked out of Bhutan. The refugees are mostly ethnic HIndu Nepalese. Some insist on going back to Bhutan, although the Buddhist kingdom has given no indication it will accept them despite requests by American and other diplomats that Bhutan take a token number.

Human rights expert Suhas Chakma says many of those who do not want to go the United States are allied with the Maoists.

"Some of the refugees, which are being guided by the Communist Party of Bhutan, they believe they should be returned to Bhutan instead of being resettled in third countries," Chakma said.

The tension between those who want to go to America and others hoping to return to Bhutan led to a clash Sunday in a refugee camp in Nepal. Officials say two refugees were killed when police opened fire in an attempt to quell the violence between the two factions.

An estimated 10,000 refugees in Nepal timed their march to the Indian border to coincide with a second round of mock elections in Bhutan. The small kingdom, which did not begin to build a modern infrastructure until the 1960s, is transitioning from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy. The mock elections are a dress rehearsal for voting scheduled for next year.

Bush Orders New US Sanctions on Sudan

By Paula Wolfson White House 29 May 2007

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The United States is imposing tough new sanctions on Sudan in an effort to end the bloodshed in its troubled Darfur region. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports President Bush is also calling for stronger international pressure on the Sudanese government.

US President Bush speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, 29 May 2007

President Bush says the genocide in Darfur must stop.

"For too long, the people of Darfur have suffered at the hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder and rape of innocent civilians," he said.

In an unusual early morning appearance at the White House, the president announced a tightening of U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan. He said Americans will be barred from dealings with 31 companies with ties to the Sudanese government, including some involved in the country's growing oil business.

Mr. Bush said U.S. sanctions are also being imposed against certain individuals deemed responsible for the violence.

"These sanctions will isolate these persons by cutting them off from the U.S. financial system, barring them from doing business with any American citizen or company, and calling the world's attention to their crimes," said President Bush.

The president is imposing these sanctions by executive order. At the same time, he said the United States will work with its allies to draft a new U.N. Security Council resolution designed to increase international pressure on Sudan's leaders.

"It will impose an expanded embargo on arm sales to the government of Sudan," he said. "It will prohibit the Sudanese government from conducting any offensive military flights over Darfur. It will strengthen our ability to monitor and report any violations."

The announcement came roughly six weeks after the president warned the Sudanese government that its intransigence on Darfur could result in stiff penalties.

Mr. Bush had been expected to announce the enhanced sanctions last month in a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. But he held off at the last minute, after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked for more time for diplomacy to work.

The secretary-general had hoped to convince the Sudanese government to allow international peacekeepers into Darfur, to bolster an overwhelmed all African force. Mr. Bush said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has taken a different course.

"President Bashir's actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods for obstruction," he said.

Sudan quickly condemned the actions ordered by President Bush, calling the sanctions unjustified. There was also a strong negative reaction from China - a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, and a major consumer of Sudanese oil.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and more than two million more have been displaced since 2003, when rebels launched an uprising. Government-backed militias are accused of atrocities against civilians in battling the rebels. The United States labeled it "genocide" in 2004.

VOASE0529_Health Report

29 May 2007

Multivitamins Urged for All Pregnant Women in Developing Countries
Scientists report a drop in low birth-weight babies in pregnant women in Tanzania who took vitamins every day.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A recent study in Tanzania found that when pregnant women took vitamins every day,

fewer babies were born too small.

Babies that weigh less than two and one-half kilograms at birth have a greater risk of dying. Those that survive are more likely to experience problems with their development. And experts say that as adults they have a higher risk of diseases including heart disease and diabetes.

The World Health Organization estimates that every year twenty million babies are born with low birth weight. Nine out of ten of them are born in developing countries.

The new study took place in Dar es Salaam. Four thousand two hundred pregnant women received multivitamins. The pills contained all of the vitamins in the B group along with vitamins C and E. They also contained several times more iron and folate than the levels advised for women in developed nations. Pregnant women especially in poor countries may find it difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals from the foods in their diet.

The scientists compared the findings with results from a group of four thousand women who did not receive the vitamins.

A report by the scientists, from the United States and Tanzania, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Wafaie Fawzi of the Harvard University School of Public Health led the study.

None of the women in the study had H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. The scientists reported earlier that daily multivitamins were a low-cost way to reduce fetal deaths in pregnant women infected with H.I.V.

The earlier work in Tanzania also found improvement in the mothers in their number of blood cells known as lymphocytes. Lymphocytes increase the body's immunity against infection.

The new study in pregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitamins reduced the risk of low birth weight. Just under eight percent of the babies born to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than two thousand five hundred grams. The rate was almost nine and one-half percent in the group of women who received a placebo, an inactive pill, instead of the vitamins.

But the vitamins did not do much to reduce the rates of babies being born too early or dying while still a fetus. Still, the researchers say multivitamins should be considered for all pregnant women in developing countries.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0529_Explorations

29 May 2007

What Keeps Works of Shakespeare So Alive and Well After 400 Years?
How events and cultural influences shaped his writing, and how his art, in turn, has influenced language and popular culture. Second of two programs.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein with Explorations in VOA Special English. Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. They remain very popular today.

VOICE TWO:

Last week, we talked about Shakespeare's history, his plays and his poems. Today, we talk about the events and cultural influences that affected Shakespeare and his art. We also discuss the countless ways his works have influenced language and popular culture.

(SOUND)

Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes in ''Shakespeare in Love''

GWYNETH PALTROW: "Master Shakespeare. Good sir, I heard you are a poet. But a poet of no words?"

VOICE ONE:

That was part of a dancing scene from the popular nineteen ninety-eight movie "Shakespeare in Love." The film suggests one way in which Shakespeare might have been influenced to write "Romeo and Juliet:" because of his relationship with a brave and lovely woman. The movie is only very loosely based on real events, but it is a wonderful story.

VOICE TWO:

Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings. During this time, students would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in his play "The Comedy of Errors" Shakespeare borrows certain structural details from the ancient Roman playwright Plautus.

VOICE ONE:

For his tragic play "Macbeth," Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. It is also no accident that this play about a Scottish king was written a few years after James the First became King of England in sixteen-oh-three. This new ruler was from Scotland and London was alive with Scottish culture. Shakespeare may have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity of his imagination and language made the plays his own.

VOICE TWO:

Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He describes the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about current political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city's tradesmen and other professionals.

Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.

VOICE ONE:

Shakespeare became a well-known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off. Over the years, he invested income from his acting company by purchasing land and other property. He retired to the countryside a wealthy man. William Shakespeare died in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon in sixteen-sixteen at the age of fifty-two. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare's works have influenced world culture. But we can give a few important examples. The first example would have to include his great effect on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added.

VOICE ONE:

Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the verb "to torture" and the noun forms of "critic," "mountaineer" and "eyeball." Many common expressions in English come from his plays. These include "pomp and circumstance" from "Othello"; "full circle" from "King Lear", and "one fell swoop" from "Macbeth."

VOICE TWO:

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is the home of the largest collection of Shakespearean materials in the world. The Library also has many other fine examples of books and art from this early modern period. In March of two thousand seven the Folger organized an exhibit called "Shakespeare in American Life" to celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary.

VOICE ONE:

The many objects on display show some expected as well as some surprising ways in which Shakespeare has influenced past and present culture. You can learn about the many Shakespeare societies that have formed over the years in the United States. You can see which famous American politicians liked to quote his works.

Or, you can read about the many movie versions of his plays. One vegetable company even named itself after the Shakespearian character Falstaff to sell its brussels sprouts.

VOICE TWO:

The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare is well represented. For example, the nineteenth century "Otello" by Giuseppe Verdi is an opera version of the tragic play "Othello." It is about a ruler who believes wrongly that his wife has been with another man. One famous song from this opera includes the wife, Desdemona, mournfully singing "Ave Maria."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Over a century later, the American songwriter Cole Porter transformed the Shakespeare comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" into the musical play "Kiss Me Kate." The musical was later made into a movie. Songs like "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" are popular favorites.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-seven the famous jazz musician Duke Ellington released "Such Sweet Thunder." In the song "The Telecasters" Duke Ellington musically recreates the three witches in Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Ellington uses three trombone instruments. His use of silent breaks adds a special tension to the song.

(SOUND: "The Telecasters")

VOICE ONE:

Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim

worked together on a modern version of "Romeo and Juliet." Their popular musical play took place on the West Side of New York City. The opposing groups are a gang of young people and a group of new immigrants. The award-winning movie version came out in nineteen sixty-one. Here the main character Maria sings about the happiness of being in love in "I Feel Pretty."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

A poster from the 1976 Shakespeare Festival of Dallas

It is not just new versions of the plays that live on in popular culture. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world. All across the United States, the plays are performed in schools, theaters and festivals. There are over one hundred Shakespeare festivals and many permanent theaters that perform his works. In Washington, D.C. alone two theaters perform the plays of Shakespeare and other writers of his time.

We leave you with words of praise by Ben Jonson, a playwright who lived during Shakespeare's time. Mister Jonson knew long ago that the works of Shakespeare would hold their magic through the ages.

(MUSIC)

VOICE THREE:

"Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show
"To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe.
"He was not of an age, but for all time!"

VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein. Our reader was Shep O'Neal. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.