US Defense Chief Links Tehran to Arms in Afghanistan

By Al Pessin Ramstein Air Base, Germany 13 June 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he believes Iran's government is aware of the shipment of significant quantities of Iranian weapons and explosives to Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan. Gates spoke in Germany Wednesday. VOA's Al Pessin is traveling with Secretary Gates and filed this report from Ramstein Air Base.

Secretary Gates speaks to reporters in Germany, 13 June 2007

Secretary Gates says he has seen new intelligence since his last, cautious, comments on this issue two weeks ago. He says the new reports make "pretty clear" that what he calls "fairly substantial" quantities of weapons and explosives are flowing from Iran to Taleban fighters in Afghanistan.

"I haven't seen any intelligence specifically to this effect, but I would say given the quantities that we're seeing, it is difficult to believe that it's associated with smuggling or the drug business, or that it's taking place without the knowledge of the Iranian government," he said.

Secretary Gates' comments came after State Department officials issued somewhat contradictory remarks on the subject.

State Department Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told CNN there is what he called "irrefutable evidence" Iran's government is involved in shipping weapons to the Taleban. Later, State Department spokesman Sean McCormick said the United States has evidence of Iranian arms flowing to Afghanistan but it does not have hard evidence of Iranian government involvement. The spokesman added that given Iran's past behavior it would be difficult to believe the government was not aware of such shipments.

Iran has denied shipping weapons to the Taleban.

In Germany, Secretary Gates said it is difficult to know why the Iranian government would help the Taleban, while also maintaining good relations with the Afghan government.

"Whether Iran is trying to play both sides of the street, hedge their bets, what their motives are, other than causing trouble for us, I don't know," he added.

Secretary Gates said he has seen no evidence that Iran's elite Quds Force is operating in Afghanistan, as the United States says it is in Iraq. And he also said he has not seen evidence from Afghanistan of the kind of Iranian-made high-powered roadside bombs that have taken a deadly toll on American forces in Iraq.

Secretary Gates made the comments on his way to Brussels for a NATO defense ministers meeting, where the situation in Afghanistan and the Iranian missile threat to Europe are expected to be major topics of discussion.

Iraq Insurgents Repeat Attack on Shi'ite Shrine

By Margaret Besheer Irbil 13 June 2007

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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has moved quickly to prevent any escalation of sectarian violence following the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine north of Baghdad. An attack on the same shrine last year triggered the current cycle of Sunni-Shi'ite violence that has engulfed parts of the country. From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

A picture shows destroyed Shiite Imam Askariya shrine in the restive city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, 13 June 2007

Early Wednesday, at least two explosions at the Askariya shrine collapsed the mosque's two minarets within minutes of each other.

An attack last February on the same shrine, in the city of Samarra some 95 kilometers north of Baghdad, damaged its famed golden dome and propelled the country into its current cycle of sectarian killings.

There were no casualties in Wednesday's blast, but the government acted quickly to prevent possible reprisal attacks. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, addressed the nation calling for restraint and said security has been tightened at all of Iraq's religious sites.

Mr. Maliki called on all Iraqis - ordinary citizens, leaders and religious figures - to talk to the people and to urge them to show restraint and to be vigilant so those that are trying to harm the country will not succeed.

The prime minister announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the attack. The shrine was heavily guarded by the country's Shi'ite-dominated police forces, raising questions as to how the attackers circumvented them.

Mr. Maliki said those guarding al-Askariya have been arrested and are being questioned. He said the government's action would be severe against anyone involved in this crime.

In Samarra, a curfew was imposed indefinitely, while in the capital, vehicle traffic was banned after 3 o'clock local time. But despite the crackdown, a Sunni Muslim mosque in northern Baghdad was set on fire.

Fears are high that the bombing might further inflame the sectarian violence that swept Baghdad and other parts of Iraq following the destruction of the shrine's golden dome on February 22 last year. Those sectarian attacks continue, despite Iraqi and U.S. efforts to increase troops in the worst affected areas.

Mr. Maliki blamed the attack on Saddamists, extremists and al-Qaida.

He said all those who stand with the Saddamists and al-Qaida should pay the price and Iraqis should stand hand-in-hand with the security forces.

The American ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and the commander of forces here, General David Petraeus, issued a joint statement condemning the attack calling it "a deliberate attempt by al-Qaida to sow dissent and inflame sectarian strife."

Anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr also condemned the blast and urged restraint. In a statement, he called for three days of mourning and peaceful protests and for the shrine to be rebuilt.

The Askariya shrine is important to Shi'ite Muslims because it contains the tombs of two ninth century Shi'ite imams. It is also the place where Shi'ites believe their last imam, Mohammed al-Mahdi, disappeared.

In the immediate aftermath of last year's attack, Shi'ites struck against Sunni Muslim mosques and worshippers. In Baghdad alone, angry crowds attacked at least 27 mosques and killed dozens of people. The United Nations says sectarian inspired violence in 2006 killed nearly 35,000 Iraqis.

S. African Public Sector Strike Expands

By Delia Robertson Johannesburg 13 June 2007

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Tens of thousands of workers marched Wednesday in major South African centers in support of a strike by public servants wanting a pay raise. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from Johannesburg that government workers were joined by sympathy strikers from other unions.

Public sector workers march with a mock coffin carrying a portrait of Frazer Moleketi, S. Africa's Minister for Public Service

Union leaders said they would shut South Africa down, but support for a general stay-away was mixed, with most services functioning at a reduced level.

Strongest support came in KwaZulu-Natal, where taxi operators joined in the action, leaving many commuters without means of getting to work, even if they wished to do so.

Schools and hospitals are hardest hit, with most schools closed across the country. Many hospitals continue to refuse to accept new patients, and emergency cases are being referred to private facilities.

While the strike in its 13th day has been generally peaceful, there have has been some intimidation and violence reported at schools. Some teachers and students have been assaulted, and in an incident that may be linked to the strike, one teacher was shot dead in her home.

There have been reports from some hospitals that more very sick people are dying than is usual; and some family members say their relatives died because of a lack of care.

This week, the unions lowered their demand for a basic salary increase from 12 to 10 percent, and the government accepted a proposal from a mediator that includes a 7.25 percent increase.

Labor lawyer Priyesh Daya says he expects the parties to eventually meet somewhere between the two.

"Where I see this going is that both parties will meet in the middle. At this point there is 7.25 on the table, and the unions are asking for 10," he noted. "I would think maybe 8.5 would be that middle figure, that middle ground, that common ground that may be reached."

Daya, a director of the Wright, Rose-Innes firm in Johannesburg, notes that the current strike is the largest since 1994. He says it could drag on indefinitely unless both sides work hard toward finding common ground.

"I think both parties must just ensure that bargaining is always done in good faith, and that both parties commit to try to reach an understanding or compromise as soon as possible," he said.

The strike will likely give both parties an indication of their negotiating strength. Already, union leaders are calling for indefinite sympathy strikes from unions not involved in the current dispute. Talks are to resume Thursday.

VOASE0613_Education Report

13 June 2007

'America's Oldest University': Why Penn Can Make Claim
The University of Pennsylvania was recognized a year before Harvard. Yet Harvard came first. We explain in Part 41 of our Foreign Student Series.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

We continue our Foreign Student Series this week with questions from three listeners.

Thu Ya Naing from Burma wants to know how many colleges and universities are in the United States. Alexander Romashchenko in Russia wonders which university in the United States is the oldest. And Mohamad Firouzi in Iran would like to know more about Harvard University.

The National Center for Education Statistics says more than four thousand two hundred colleges and universities award degrees. These include two-year schools as well as four-year schools.

Harvard Hall

The oldest institution of higher learning in the country is Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in sixteen thirty-six as Harvard College. Massachusetts was an English colony at the time.

The school was named for a Puritan religious leader. John Harvard gave the college all his books and half his property when he died.

At first, Harvard had one teacher and nine students. Today it has almost twenty thousand students. Nearly four thousand of them this past year were from outside the United States.

There are fourteen schools at Harvard. They include Harvard College and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Harvard College is the undergraduate division of the university and Radcliffe is a former college for women.

So Harvard came first. Later, in seventeen eighty, the Massachusetts Constitution went into effect and officially recognized Harvard as a university. Some Harvard materials call it America's oldest university.

College Hall at the University of Pennsylvania

But the University of Pennsylvania calls itself America's oldest university. Penn officials note that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognized their school as a university in seventeen seventy-nine. That was one year before Harvard.

Yet the history gets a little complex. Penn considers its anniversary date to be seventeen forty. That was when the Charity School of Philadelphia was established, though it never opened. Benjamin Franklin later presented his ideas for a learning institution that included the Charity School. It opened in seventeen fifty-one and became the university.

Today, more than twenty-three thousand students attend the University of Pennsylvania. Four thousand of them come from other countries.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Our series about studying in the United States is online at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0613_The Making of a Nation

13 June 2007

US History: Fuel Prices, Iran Hostage Crisis Weigh on Carter's Presidency
Jimmy Carter brought Israel and Egypt together to end 30 years of conflict. But he lost support at home, in part because of his administration's failure to free Americans seized after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Stan Busby with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we tell about the administration of the thirty-ninth president of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

VOICE ONE:

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in the inaugural parade

It is January twentieth, nineteen seventy-seven. Inauguration Day. America's newly elected president, Jimmy Carter, is on his way to the White House after his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol building.

But the new president is not riding in a car. He is walking. His wife, Rosalynn, and his daughter, Amy, walk with him. Crowds along Pennsylvania Avenue cheer. Bands play.

On this cold day in Washington, Americans look to the future. Watergate -- the crisis that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon -- is several years in the past. The Vietnam War is history, too.

VOICE TWO:

Republican Gerald Ford served the remaining years of Nixon's term. Many people believe he brought respect and order back to the government. Yet he lost the office to Democrat Jimmy Carter in the election of Nineteen-Seventy-Six.

The nation still has problems. Unemployment is high. So is inflation. But the future of the nation looks bright. Jimmy Carter feels sure about his future, too. On the day before his inauguration, he said:

CARTER: "I do feel that the people of this nation and, I think, the entire world wish me well and want to see me succeed as president. And that gives me a sense of reassurance and confidence. I think I'm ready now to be president."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

During the election campaign, Carter often said he would be different from other presidents. He was not a member of the Washington political establishment. So he would do things in his own independent way.

Carter was from Georgia -- the "Deep South" of the United States. There had not been a president born in the South in more than one-hundred years. Carter studied nuclear engineering and attended the United States Naval Academy. He planned to stay in the Navy. Then his father died. And he decided to return to Georgia to operate the family peanut farm.

VOICE TWO:

Carter began his political life on the committee that supervised schools in his hometown. He also served in other local offices. In nineteen sixty-six, he failed to win the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia. For the next four years, he traveled around the state gathering support. He won the next election.

As governor, Carter earned praise for reorganizing the state government. He also reformed state programs dealing with prisons and mental health care. In nineteen seventy-two, he offered himself as a candidate for vice president with presidential candidate George McGovern. But the Democratic Party chose someone else.

VOICE ONE:

Carter did not wait long to begin his next political move. He would try to win the Democratic presidential nomination in nineteen seventy-six.

Jimmy Carter was not well-known outside the state of Georgia. Political experts gave him little chance. Even his mother was surprised to learn that he wanted to be president. "President of what?" she asked.

VOICE TWO:

The farmer and former governor had a plan, however. He would try to win his party's primary elections in the South. He believed this would give him enough support at the party convention to win the nomination.

Other Democratic candidates tried to stop him, but his plan worked. By the time of the convention, he had enough support to win the nomination on the first ballot.

The Carters at Camp David

In the general election, Carter defeated President Ford by about two percent of the popular vote. He lost in the West and Middle West, but won the South and Northeast.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

President Carter believed strongly in human rights. He hoped he could use his new position to support human rights throughout the world. On this and other issues, he was not afraid of being criticized when he believed he was right.

For example, he believed it was right for the United States to end its control of the Panama Canal. He won Congressional support for treaties to give control to Panama by the year two thousand. He believed it was right to give diplomatic recognition to Communist China. And he believed it was right to continue negotiations with the Soviet Union about limiting nuclear weapons, even though he denounced human rights violations there.

In nineteen seventy-nine, Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT Two treaty. However, Carter decided not to send the treaty to the Senate for approval after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan later that year.

VOICE TWO:

Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin at their first meeting at the Camp David summit

One of the finest moments of his presidency took place at Camp David. That is the holiday home of American presidents. There, in March nineteen seventy-nine, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt met with Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel. They signed a peace treaty ending thirty years of war between their countries. Both men said the treaty would not have been possible without President Carter's help.

VOICE ONE:

President Carter was not as successful in dealing with the economy. High unemployment and inflation continued. The federal deficit increased, although he had promised to end it. And there was a shortage of gasoline.

The shortage resulted when oil-producing countries limited production and exports. Carter urged American companies to develop new sources of energy, in addition to oil. He said the United States must do this, because it could not always depend on getting enough oil from other countries.

VOICE TWO:

During the gasoline shortage, Americans had to wait in long lines to buy fuel. They did not like it and were angry. Many were even more angry about a different situation. Like the gasoline shortage, it was a result of actions in another place.

In November nineteen seventy-nine, Muslim extremists in Iran seized the American Embassy in Tehran. They took many hostages, including more than sixty Americans. The extremists said they were punishing the United States for being friendly with ousted Iranian leader, Shah Reza Pahlavi.

VOICE ONE:

The extremists refused to negotiate. They refused to release the hostages. In early April nineteen eighty, President Carter broke relations with Iran. He then ordered American military forces to try to rescue the hostages in Tehran. The operation failed. A sandstorm caused two of the aircraft to crash into each other. They went down in the desert hundreds of kilometers away.

VOICE TWO:

The failed rescue attempt had a major effect on the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Many Americans felt it showed that he could not do the job. Their respect for him continued to decrease as the hostages continued to be held.

Other things were beginning to go wrong, too. The president's younger brother admitted receiving a large amount of money from Libya. He took the money in exchange for supporting Libyan interests with American lawmakers. His mistake was that he did not list his name as a representative of a foreign government.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Nineteen eighty was a presidential election year in the United States. President Carter was expected to be the candidate of the Democratic Party. He almost ruined his chances, however, because of the situation in Iran. Carter hoped that concern for the hostages would unite the country behind him. Instead, support turned to blame.

Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts believed he could defeat Carter for the nomination. Kennedy won several important Democratic primary elections. It was not enough. The party re-nominated Carter. Kennedy offered Carter his support, but not very strongly. This left the party divided.

VOICE TWO:

The Republicans got ready to win back the White House. They hoped to do it with a strong appeal to American voters. The appeal came from a man who would become one of America's most popular presidents -- Ronald Reagan.

That will be our story next time.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Stan Busby. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.