Israeli, Palestinian Leaders to Hold Summit Tuesday

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 27 August 2007

Download

Israeli and Palestinian leaders will hold a summit meeting on Tuesday in a fresh bid to advance the peace process. But as Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel's "go-slow" approach has left the Palestinians disappointed.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas here in Jerusalem. Both Israel and the United States want to strengthen Mr. Abbas after the violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by the Islamic militant group Hamas two months ago. Hamas routed the forces of the rival Fatah faction, led by Mr. Abbas, who now heads a moderate government in the West Bank.

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas (R) meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, (File)

President Abbas and Mr. Olmert have met regularly since the civil war in Gaza. They are trying to hammer out principles for the creation of a Palestinian state ahead of an international peace conference in the United States this fall.

"Ultimately, the Israeli government and the Palestinian government, we share a common view of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace," said Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman.

But Israel has been reluctant to discuss the thorniest issues of the conflict, creating skepticism among Palestinians.

"It is very essential to see and hear some concrete steps taken towards talking about a timeframe for solving the five permanent status issues of the Palestinian cause, namely Jerusalem, refugees, water, borders and settlements," said Palestinian analyst Wadia Abu Nasser. "And without that the people are talking about [a] peace process but not necessarily peace."

Israel's reluctance to discuss those issues may point to a lack of confidence in Mr. Abbas. His forces collapsed during the factional fighting in Gaza, earning him the reputation of a moderate Palestinian leader who cannot deliver.

Greece Battles Unchecked Wildfires for Fourth Day

By VOA News 27 August 2007

Download

A man looks at blazes burning a mountain next to the village of Theologos in Evia island, 27 Aug 2007

Greece is battling unchecked wildfires for a fourth day and has charged four suspects with starting fires that have killed at least 63 people since Friday.

New fires broke out Monday on the fringes of Athens, triggering a rush of firefighters and airplanes to the suburb of Papagou, where flames swept through brush.

The blazes have cut a swath of destruction from the southern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula to the far northern town of Ioannina, destroying hundreds of villages and leaving thousands homeless. Firefighters and equipment from a half-dozen European countries are helping Greek fire brigades battle the inferno.

With an estimated half of the country on fire today, a top Greek prosecutor said he will determine whether the presumptive arson attacks fall under the country's anti-terrorism statutes. Authorities say such a move would give investigators broader powers to investigate and make arrests.

Since Saturday, government officials have been saying they suspect arson in at least some of the attacks.

Many local officials have accused rogue land developers of setting fires to clear forests and farmland for new construction.

In southern Greece Sunday, the fires stopped just short of Ancient Olympia - the World Heritage site where the first Olympic games were held. A fire protection system started just in time to save the ancient ruins and other priceless artifacts from incineration.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns

By Paula Wolfson Washington 27 August 2007

Download
Download

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announces his resignation at a press conference at the Department of Justice, in Washington, 27 Aug 2007

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports his two-year tenure as head of the Justice Department was marked by controversy.

The official announcement from the attorney general was brief.

"Yesterday, I met with President Bush and informed him of my decision to conclude my government service as attorney general of the United States effective as of September 17th, 2007," he said.

Alberto Gonzales gave no reason for his decision, and there was no direct mention of the controversies surrounding his tenure, only praise for the Justice Department staff, and an expression of gratitude to President Bush.

"Public service is honorable and noble. And I am profoundly grateful to President Bush for his friendship and the many opportunities he has given me to serve the American people," said Gonzales.

Gonzales's friendship with the president dates back to Mr. Bush's tenure as governor of Texas. He served first as White House legal counsel, and was nominated to be attorney general in 2005, the first Hispanic ever chosen to become the nation's top law enforcement officer.

President Bush stood by Gonzales as questions were raised in Congress about his integrity and competence. And as recently as three weeks ago, the president reaffirmed his confidence in his attorney general.

But when Gonzales offered to leave, the president did not persuade him to stay on. Instead, Mr. Bush went before reporters in Texas and accepted the resignation with regret.

"It is sad. But we live at a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons," said President Bush.

Gonzales' decision to step down comes at a time when Congress is stepping up its scrutiny of the Justice Department. Lawmakers are looking into accusations federal prosecutors were fired largely for political reasons. They are also investigating the Justice Department's handling of a domestic spying program that was used to help track down terrorists.

Democrat Charles Schumer, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says President Bush now has an opportunity to name an attorney general who can be a real leader.

"Unlike the last time, he needs to pick the best person, not his best friend," said Schumer.

Schumer says Democrats will support any nominee who puts the rule of law before political considerations.

"We beseech, we implore the administration to work with us to nominate someone who Democrats can support and who America can be proud of," he added.

There is no word yet on just who that nominee might be. The government's top lawyer, Solicitor General Paul Clement, will fill the post on a temporary basis until a new attorney general is named by the president and confirmed by the senate.

Tsunami Museum Sparks Debate in Indonesia

By Chad Bouchard Jakarta 27 August 2007

Download

This poster displays the winning design of tsunami museum by architect Ridwan Kamil in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 21 Aug 2007

Indonesia has picked an architect to design a museum in Aceh province in memory of the close to 170,000 people who died there during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. But as Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, the project is not without controversy.

The more than $7.4 million museum project in Banda Aceh will mark one of the most devastating natural disasters of modern times.

Aceh province was decimated nearly three years ago when an undersea earthquake - registering nine on the Richter scale - pushed towering waves onto its shores. The giant tsunami touched a dozen nations ringing the Indian Ocean - but Indonesia suffered the most casualties with 170,000 people dead and missing.

Adamy Aulina, assistant manager for public facilities and building at the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, says she hopes the museum will help survivors heal.

"Aceh Tsunami Museum is a symbol. Respecting the victims and spirit of the survivors," she said. "It would be nice if Acehnese people were proud with the building. It facilitates for people who want to remind their family, friends, or colleagues who died because of the tsunami."

But the museum has its critics who are concerned the project comes too soon after the disaster, and could draw resources away from thousands of people who are still battling to rebuild their lives.

Aceh Heritage Community Foundation co-founder, Yeyen Rahmayati, says a less expensive commemoration would be more appropriate.

"The idea is good, but I think the timing is not right at the moment because there are many tsunami survivors that still need a house, job and something like that," said Rahmayati.

Another issue is the building's location. Museum planners selected a site high on a hill in the middle of Banda Aceh, where hundreds of residents scrambled to escape the waves. But Rahmayati says that hill has historic significance.

"The location is very strategic in the heart of the city center," said Rahmayati. "There was a colonial heritage used as a railway station office, and they already demolished that building, they plan to demolish another building next to the first building, so there will be two heritage buildings demolished to build the tsunami museum, and for me it's an irony, I think."

Reconstruction officials say one of the historic buildings at the site was damaged beyond repair. But, in response to concerns, the museum committee is discussing ways to incorporate remaining structures into the museum design.

The building will be raised on stilts, using an element of traditional Acehnese houses.

Ridwan Kamil, the architect who won a contest to design the museum, says the elevated structure will also incorporate an evacuation center in case of another disaster.

"That escape hill in the future can be used for an emergency situation, in case there is a flood of tsunami people can use that hill as an escape space," he said.

Kamil adds that he wanted to create a structure that would serve as more than a storage place for artifacts or exhibits.

"For me, the tsunami museum has to reflect also the psychology that people went through during these terrible times," he said.

Kamil says the entrance to the museum, called the tsunami passage, is designed to evoke cathartic emotions for survivors and visitors.

"It's a very tight corridor but very high walls with a waterfall from the left and the right, so people walk through the first space to experience how desperate the victims of the tsunami," he added. "The sound of the water will remind them of the situation."

The names of Acehnese who died in the tsunami will be inscribed in the atrium. The museum will also feature a scientific exhibition on earthquakes and tsunamis, with a before-and-after display demonstrating changes to Aceh's coastline.

Adamy Aulina, with the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, says the building signals a transition in the community's recovery, from focusing on immediate needs to exploring hopes for the future.

"It's also a message. We have to learn from the past," she said. "Well we can learn also what is a tsunami, how we can avoid it. That we can respect and learn nature, yeah? Because with that I hope we can make a better environment and a better life."

Museum officials plan to begin construction on the museum by the end of the year, and hope to have it completed for inauguration on the fourth anniversary of the disaster in December 2008.