Memorial Day Concert Honors Sacrifice

By Mike O'Sullivan Los Angeles 22 May 2007

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Memorial Day (May 28th) is a US holiday that honors members of the armed forces who have died in the service of their country. The three-day Memorial Day weekend also marks the unofficial start of summer, with picnics and family events. But in Washington D.C., a concert Sunday evening will remind the nation of the holiday's meaning. Mike O'Sullivan spoke with actor Joe Mantegna, who will co-host the commemoration.

Joe Mantegna

The concert is a huge event, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the West Lawn of the Capitol building in the heart of Washington. It will be seen throughout the United States on public television, and around the world on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

Joe, a versatile actor known for his work on stage, film and television, was asked six years ago to take part in the ceremony. It was just eight months after a national trauma, the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th, 2001.

Mantegna says the commemoration that year made clear for him the meaning of Memorial Day.

"I wasn't familiar with the concert," he said. "I hadn't seen it at that point. I go up on the stage. In front of me is the Capitol Building, the United States Capitol, lit beautifully. The American flag is flying on top. In front of me is a live audience of about 300-thousand people."

Mantegna says his job was to read the words of four New York firemen who were in the audience with their wives. All had lost sons on September 11th.

"And I was speaking the words of these four men about what it was like to look for the bodies of their sons in the rubble," he added. "Behind me, the Washington Symphony Orchestra is playing Mozart's Requiem."

That moment brought home to Mantegna the meaning of heroism and sacrifice.

For most American families, Memorial Day weekend is a time for picnics and watching a celebrated auto race, the Indianapolis 500, on television.

Many families also display flags on their homes, and some take time to visit a veterans' cemetery. Since 1990, some have made the annual concert a part of their weekend.

Mantegna says he often encounters fans at charity events, and expects them to talk about roles they have seen him in.

Joe Mantegna (left) and Gary Sinise, actors dedicated to veterans’ causes, will once again co-host the National Memorial Day Concert

"But when they say, 'We just want you to know we watch that Memorial Day concert every year. It's a big part of our life, and we just appreciate so much you being part of it.' And I say, oh no, thank you. You have no reason to thank me. I'm privileged and honored to be part of it, which I am," he said.

The concert has a serious purpose, but it is also a celebration. There is lively entertainment from Broadway hits to jazz and country music.

Mantegna says it brings together people of divergent viewpoints - "red" voters, that is, Republicans, and "blue" voters, or Democrats - in a musical celebration that transcends politics.

"I don't care what a person's political feelings are," he noted. "I have my own, and everyone is entitled to their own. But this is not about that. And it shouldn't be confused in thinking that this is either a red concert or a blue concert. It's a red, white and blue concert."

The concert has a special segment that changes each year. This year's will focus on the many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who have survived the war, but must now cope with traumatic injuries.

US Calls Iranian Charges Against Washington Academic 'Absurd'

By David Gollust State Department 22 May 2007

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Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center

The U.S. State Department said Tuesday charges from Tehran that an Iranian-American academic has sought to topple Iran's Islamic government are "absolutely absurd." Officials say scholar Haleh Esfandiari had no link with any U.S. government programs on Iran and should be released as soon as possible. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Officials here say it is unclear whether an Iranian government statement Monday accusing Esfandiari of subversion amounts to a formal charge against her, but they say they are operating under the assumption that she is now accused of criminal activity.

The 67-year-old Esfandiari, director of the Middle East program at Washington's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, has been jailed for two weeks after having been barred from leaving the country since late last year. She had been visiting her ailing mother.

Esfandiari, who holds both U.S. and Iranian citizenship, left Iran after that country's 1979 Islamic revolution but has traveled there frequently to visit her mother, who is 93 years old.

In a statement read on state television Monday, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said she is accused of setting up a network acting against the sovereignty of Iran and trying to bring about a "soft revolution" in that country, an apparent allusion to activism that brought down autocratic governments in recent years in Ukraine and Georgia.

The Wilson Center has already rejected the charges against Esfandiari. In a talk with reporters, State Department Deputy spokesman Tom Casey said it is "incredible" to think that Esfandiari's work, which involved trying to increase mutual understanding between the two peoples, could pose a threat to the Iranian government.

News reports have suggested that Iran's move against Esfandiari and others may reflect Iranian anger over a $75 million Bush administration program announced late last year to boost Iranian civil society and U.S. broadcasting to that country. Casey said Esfandiari's work was not connected in any way to that initiative.

"Maybe if Ms. Esfandiari had any association with any of those programs, you might be able to make a claim like but," Casey says. "But she doesn't, and I think it's been very clear. And again, she's been back and forth to Iran for many, many years. She's an Iranian-American. She has substantial family ties back there. Go ask the Iranians why they think stuff that she has been doing for years and years and years without any problems, suddenly now represents a threat to their government. It's not something that's understandable in any practical terms to us."

Former Democratic Congressman Lee Hamilton, director of the Wilson Center, said Esfandiari was not involved in activities to undermine any government, and that there is "not one scintilla of evidence" to support what he termed the outrageous claims against her.

Hamilton and former Secretary of State James Baker co-chaired the bipartisan commission which in December recommended greater U.S. engagement with Iran as part of a new strategy on the Iraq war.

Spokesman Casey said the State Department has been in close contact with Esfandiari's family and has raised her case with the Swiss government, which represents U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations.

There have been similar inquiries in the case of another Iranian-American, Radio Farda journalist Parnaz Azima, who has been barred from leaving Iran since January, and on Robert Levinson, a former U.S. FBI agent who went missing in Iran in March.

Despite the problems, U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, is due to meet Iranian diplomats there May 27 for a discussion of Iraqi security issues. Casey said Tuesday Crocker has not yet been told who the Iranian participants in the dialogue will be.

Paradox of Oil-Rich Nigeria: Little Fuel in a Land of Plenty

By Nico Colombant Port Harcourt 22 May 2007

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Refinery workers in one of the main cities in Nigeria's Niger Delta have started a protest action over the last-minute sell-off of refineries by the outgoing government. Meanwhile, motorists line up for hours to get gasoline, wondering why there is plenty of oil for export from this region, but so little turned into gas for their own cars. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Port Harcourt.

Motorists line up for hours to get gasoline in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

For some drivers at gas stations like this one in Port Harcourt, the waiting seems endless.

"More than three hours now in the line here," one driver said. "So, we are suffering for the fuel too much. Look at the line here. It is full everywhere. We just want the government to take care of all these things for us, to buy fuel normally, as we are buying before, because we are suffering too much."

Another driver waiting in line, who asks to be called William, says he is already four hours late for work as a safety engineer for an oil company.

"They do not manage what we have properly," he said. "Therefore, most of the fuel we [have] in Nigeria, they export it to other countries, and other things. All the refineries are down. They are not working. Therefore, that is the problem we are having."

Although Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers, the country has long suffered from a lack of refining capacity. The government, which has held a controlling stake in the four main oil refineries, admits they are poorly run, inefficient and plagued by maintenance issues. Officials say that privatization of the refineries offers the best hope for an infusion of foreign investment and improved efficiency.

Illegal gas is sold on side of a road in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

On the streets, people are more concerned with where to find enough fuel for their cars, and many are forced to buy on the black market, where the price is nearly double. But buying black market fuel can also bring problems.

These men are checking to see if the gasoline here is good. One buyer says, you have to be very careful.

"Some of those ones on the road, they mix it up," he said. "Instead of the real quality, they add to it, something, on top of it, so it is not exactly the good petrol to buy. If you buy that one on the road, your car may stall."

Refinery workers are also upset by the government's privatization scheme.

Just outside Port Harcourt, refinery workers, wearing red protest outfits, are angry with the outgoing government's decision to sell off plants to private investors.

Last week, the Nigerian Bureau of Public Enterprises sold 51 percent of the federal government's equity in one refinery to a consortium for over $500 million, in an attempt to cut losses and improve performance.

Nigeria's refineries have struggled

Union leaders complain of a lack of transparency in the deal, and fear thousands of job cuts.

Union branch chairman for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association Adamu Abubakar Umaru says workers were not consulted properly, as promised in an earlier memorandum of understanding.

"If they want to privatize, we have agreed that the process can commence as from June, when we have a new government, said Umaru. "We believe that the government that is transiting should not be interested in selling national assets like the refineries at this time, when they have barely less than 10 days to go."

The government says the sale will get people back to work and ease suffering.

Union leaders are warning of a total shutdown of the refineries on Thursday morning, if new negotiations with the union do not begin.

Umaru says he understands this could cause even more shortages for motorists.

"In any struggle, people must suffer, but at the end of it, the result that will come out of it would be for the betterment of the Nigerian people," he said.

Other unions have called for a stay at home strike to coincide with the May 29 handover of power to new governors and the next president, the ruling party's Musa Yar'Adua, following elections marred by violence and widespread fraud, in Africa's most populous and biggest oil producing country.

Central African Republic Rebels Negotiate Child Soldier Demobilization

By Phuong Tran Dakar 22 May 2007

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In Central African Republic, one of the main rebel groups is negotiating to disarm hundreds of its child soldiers. This comes one month after it signed a peace deal with the government to put down its weapons and join the national army. The lead United Nations negotiator on the child-soldier deal hopes this is the first step toward reconciliation between the warring sides. But analysts say this may be just a rebel tactic to get more power. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West and Central Africa Bureau in Dakar.

Simplice Tolmbaye, a 14-year-old rebel fighter, poses for a picture in the bush near Ouandago, Central African Republic (Dec 2006)

After last week's negotiations with the rebel group L'Union des Forces Démocratiques pour le Rassemblement - UFDR - U.N. negotiator Jean-Claude Legrand, received a verbal agreement from the rebel chief to release 400 child soldiers.

Legrand, a U.N. regional advisor for child protection, says UFDR's agreement shows the rebels are ready to obey laws.

"They realize that if they want to get out of the bush, if they want to get into regular politics in the country, they have to comply with international standards," said Legrand.

Hundreds of thousands of Central Africans in the north have fled violence and burning homes during years of clashes between the rebels, who are seeking more power in the government and the military.

Government officials have asked for U.N. peacekeepers to be stationed where the borders of Chad, Sudan and Central African Republic meet.

Analyst Richard Reeve, with London-based Chatham House, says UFDR seems to be cooperating on the issue of child soldiers because it hopes this good behavior will keep away international peacekeepers.

"It would have severely hampered their ability to retake territory and achieve their military goals," said Reeve. "And secondly, it would have allowed the U.N. to investigate a bit more about where the UFDR is based, where it comes from and who is supporting it."

The Central African government has accused the Sudanese government of funding Central African rebel movements, including UFDR. The Sudanese government denies the accusation.

Regardless of the rebels' motives, U.N. negotiator Legrand wants to act quickly.

"We are not sure if this opportunity will last very long," said Legrand. "This is why we are moving as fast as we can to release the children. This is the start of the rainy season in Central Africa, so this area is already extremely difficult to reach."

The U.N. Children's Fund is waiting for the rebels to gather all the names of its child soldiers, who live in dozens of small, often remote communities, so the U.N. agency can start meeting with them.

Legrand says the next step is to reopen schools and start non-military activities for the children.

He says possibly thousands of children voluntarily join the army here because there is little else for them to do.

The U.N. negotiator expects all the names by next week, followed by an official agreement signing with UFDR at the beginning of June.

Fighting Rages in Lebanon for Third Day

By Challiss McDonough Cairo 22 May 2007

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Fighting between the Lebanese army and an Islamic extremist group raged on for a third day in a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon. At least 66 people are reported killed since the battles began Sunday, but some estimates put the death toll much higher. A brief ceasefire allowed aid agencies to get assistance to camp residents for the first time, but a U.N. aid worker was wounded when the convoy came under fire. Later, thousands of civilians started fleeing camp, taking advantage of a lull in the fighting late Tuesday. VOA correspondent Challiss McDonough has details from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

Lebanese special brigades patrol a street inside the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in north Lebanon, 22 May 2007

On the third day of heavy fighting, militants from the Fatah al-Islam group announced a unilateral ceasefire at mid-afternoon. Some residents of the Nahr al-Bared camp, who had been anxiously sheltering in their homes, seized the opportunity to flee. Aid groups scrambled to try to get assistance into the Palestinian refugee camp. But, in less than an hour, the truce fell apart and the gunfire and shelling started again.

A United Nations official said a U.N. convoy carrying food and medicine came under fire. A number of U.N. aid workers were stranded inside the camp as the trucks retreated.

There was more fighting in the port city of Tripoli, near the refugee camp, where one of the Fatah al-Islam militants blew himself up during a raid by security forces. There were no casualties other than the bomber.

A spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Virginia de la Guardia, said she is concerned about the civilians who remain trapped in the camp.

"So, we are very concerned about the situation of the people who are inside, lacking of water, lacking of medicines, lacking of electricity," she said. "So, our main concern, what we are really asking, is that they facilitate access to the humanitarian organizations to bring relief."

Two Lebanese army vehicles patrol the entrance of the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared in the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon, 22 May 2007

There are some 30,000 people who live in the Nahr al-Bared camp, which is outside Tripoli. The army has so far not entered the camp itself. Palestinian refugee camps have been off-limits to Lebanese authorities since 1969 under an international agreement.

Human rights groups have criticized the Lebanese army for using artillery to target such a heavily populated area. They say it is nearly impossible to avoid civilian casualties.

Scores of Palestinian refugees in two other camps marched through the streets and burned tires in protest against the army's shelling of Nahr al-Bared. That fueled concerns that the violence could spread to other parts of the country.

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a member of the parliament's majority coalition, urged the country's divided politicians to unite in support of the army, despite their political differences. He also called on mainstream Palestinian factions to take action against Fatah al-Islam.

"It is the responsibility of the state, the army and the responsibility of the Palestinian organizations to stop sheltering [this group], either politically or physically," he said. "Hamas and Fatah should hand over this criminal gang that has no relationship with the Palestinian cause."

All mainstream Palestinian groups have disavowed Fatah al-Islam, saying they want nothing to do with the group's al-Qaida-inspired ideology. The Lebanese government has accused Fatah al-Islam of loyalty to Syria. But Syrian officials have strongly denied any ties to the group, and say its leader was imprisoned in Damascus over his extremist views.

In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Snow read a statement of support for the Lebanese government as it "faces down the threat of terrorism and political violence."

Druze leader Jumblatt also told reporters he expects more bombings in Beirut, where two large bombs have exploded since Sunday, one in a Christian neighborhood and the other in an upscale shopping district. Fatah al-Islam leaders have denied responsibility for those attacks.

Israel Calls for International Effort to End Weapons Flow to Hamas

By Jim Teeple Jerusalem 22 May 2007

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Israeli officials have called for an international effort end what they describe as the anarchy in the Palestinian territories. They also threatened further retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks that killed an Israeli woman, late Monday, in southern Israel. VOA's Jim Teeple reports Israeli air strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 30 Palestinians, in the past few days.

Israeli officials say they will step up their attacks against Palestinian militants, if the Qassam rocket attacks against southern Israel do not stop.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz

Defense Minister Amir Peretz says, for the time being, Israel is holding back from launching a major ground invasion of Gaza. However, he says the international community must do more to end what he describes as "anarchy" and the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev says Israel wants the international community to do more to stop weapons from reaching the Gaza Strip.

"This is an intolerable situation and it has to stop. But no one can doubt the fact that it is not just the Qassams [rockets] themselves. There is the larger issue of the import into the Gaza Strip of illicit weapons, including missiles, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, explosives and so forth," he said. "What we are talking to the international community about is to beef up [strengthen] the international border, from Egyptian Sinai into Gaza. That must be part of any understanding."

About 80 European Union security personnel monitor the Gaza-Egypt border, but they have little enforcement authority and, on several occasions, have had to leave their posts because of violence.

Saeb Erekat (file photo)

Meanwhile, some Israeli politicians continue to call for targeting leading Hamas figures for assassination, if the rocket attacks continue. Saeb Erekat a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Israel needs to stop its attacks in Gaza, saying Palestinians are also trying to stop the Qassam attacks.

"I urge the Israeli government to stop such attacks and, from our side, we are doing everything possible to insure that we sustain a cessation of all sorts of violence including the firing of Qassams, howitzers and anything else," said Erekat. "Violence will destroy any attempt to revive the peace process.

Heavy factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah forces in Gaza, which led to the current crisis, has largely subsided, in the past few days.

Israel and Palestinian militant groups had been observing a largely successful ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, since last November.

Hamas officials have said they would stop the Qassam attacks against Israel, if the ceasefire was extended to the West Bank. Israeli officials have rejected the overture, saying Hamas would use any ceasefire to rearm.

VOASE0522_Health Report

22 May 2007

Ear Care: Do-It-Yourself Wax Removal
Advice from experts about what to do -- and not to do -- when your ear is blocked with wax.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose.

Experts say it protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter and keep insects out. Doctors think it might also help protect against infections. And the waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.

So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have "dry" earwax.

But you can have too much of a good thing.

The glands in the ear canal that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax is normally expelled; it falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form a blockage that interferes with sound waves and reduces hearing.

People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears -- but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary. But you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.

Experts at N.I.H., the National Institutes of Health, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. They say the wax can be softened with mineral oil, glycerin or ear drops. They say hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide may also help.

Another way to remove wax is known as irrigation. With the head upright, take hold of the outer part of the ear. Gently pull upward to straighten the ear canal. Use a syringe device to gently direct water against the wall of the ear canal. Then turn the head to the side to let the water out.

The experts at N.I.H. say you may have to repeat this process a few times. Use water that is body temperature. If the water is cooler or warmer, it could make you feel dizzy. Never try irrigation if the eardrum is broken. It could lead to infection and other problems.

After the earwax is gone, gently dry the ear. But if irrigation fails, the best thing to do is to go to a health care provider for professional assistance.

You should never put a cotton swab or other object into the ear canal. But you can use a swab or cloth to clean the outer part of the ear. The experts agree with the old saying that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOASE0522_Explorations

22 May 2007

All the World Still a Stage for Shakespeare's Timeless Imagination
First of two programs about the British playwright and poet, who is considered by many to be the greatest writer in the history of the English language.

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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 tell about one of the most influential and skillful writers in the world. For more than four hundred years, people all over the world have been reading, watching and listening to the plays and poetry of the British writer William Shakespeare.

(SOUND)

JULIET: "Ay me!"
ROMEO: "She speaks:
"O, speak again, bright angel!"
JULIET: "O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
"Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
"Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
"And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

VOICE ONE:

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of 'Romeo and Juliet'

You just heard part of a famous scene from a movie version of “Romeo and Juliet." This tragic play remains one of the greatest, and perhaps most famous, love stories ever told. It tells about two young people who meet and fall deeply in love. But their families, the Capulets and the Montagues, are enemies and will not allow them to be together. Romeo and Juliet are surrounded by violent fighting and generational conflict. The young lovers secretly marry, but their story has a tragic ending.

"Romeo and Juliet" shows how William Shakespeare’s plays shine with extraordinarily rich and imaginative language. He invented thousands of words to color his works. They have become part of the English language. Shakespeare's universal stories show all the human emotions and conflicts. His works are as fresh today as they were four hundred years ago.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

William Shakespeare was born in fifteen sixty-four in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of eighteen. The couple had three children, two daughters and a son who died very young. Shakespeare moved to London in the late fifteen eighties to be at the center of the city's busy theater life.

Most people think of Shakespeare as a writer. But he was also a theater producer, a part owner of an acting company and an actor. For most of his career, he was a producer and main writer for an acting company called the King's Men.

VOICE ONE:

The rebuilt Globe Theatre in London was officially presented in April 1997 for Shakespeare's 433rd birthday

In fifteen ninety-nine Shakespeare's company was successful enough to build its own theater called The Globe. Public theaters during this time were usually three floor levels high and were built around a stage area where the actors performed. The Globe could hold as many as three thousand people. People from all levels of society would attend performances.

The poorer people could buy tickets for a small amount of money to stand near the stage. Wealthier people could buy more costly tickets to sit in other areas.

Often it was not very important if wealthy people could see the stage well. It was more important that they be in a seat where everyone could see them.

VOICE TWO:

A drawing of the Globe Theatre on a British postage stamp

It was difficult to light large indoor spaces during this time. The Globe was an outdoor theater with no roof on top so that sunlight could stream in. Because of the open-air stage, actors had to shout very loudly and make big motions to be heard and seen by all. This acting style is quite different from play-acting today. It might also surprise you that all actors during this period were men. Young boys in women's clothing played the roles of female characters. This is because it was against the law in England for women to act onstage.

Shakespeare’s theater group also performed in other places such as the smaller indoor Blackfriars Theater. Or, they would travel around the countryside to perform. Sometimes they were asked to perform at the palace of the English ruler Queen Elizabeth or, later, King James the First.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Shakespeare is best known for the thirty-nine plays that he wrote, although only thirty-eight exist today. His plays are usually divided into three groups: comedies, histories and tragedies. The comedies are playful and funny. They usually deal with marriage and the funny activities of people in love. These comedies often tell many stories at the same time, like plays within plays.

VOICE TWO:

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a good example of a Shakespearian comedy. It tells the story of two couples. Benedick and Beatrice each claim they will never marry. They enjoy attacking each other with funny insults. Their friends work out a plan to make the two secretly fall in love.

Claudio and Hero are the other couple. They fall in love at once and plan to marry. But Claudio wrongly accuses Hero of being with another man and refuses to marry her. Hero's family decides to make Claudio believe that she is dead until her innocence can be proved. Claudio soon realizes his mistake and mourns for Hero. By the end of the play, love wins over everyone and there is a marriage ceremony for the four lovers.

VOICE ONE:

Shakespeare's histories are intense explorations of actual English rulers. This was a newer kind of play that developed during Shakespeare's time. Other writers may have written historical plays, but no one could match Shakespeare’s skill. Plays about rulers like Henry the Fourth and Richard the Third explore Britain’s history during a time when the country was going through tense political struggles.

VOICE TWO:

Laurence Olivier in the 1948 film ''Hamlet''

Many Shakespearian tragedies are about conflicting family loyalties or a character seeking to punish others for the wrongful death of a loved one. “Hamlet” tells the story of the son of the king of Denmark. When Hamlet's father unexpectedly dies, his uncle Claudius becomes ruler and marries Hamlet’s mother. One night a ghostly spirit visits Hamlet and tells him that Claudius killed his father.

Hamlet decides to pretend that he is crazy to learn if this is true. This intense play captures the conflicted inner life of Hamlet. This young man must struggle between his moral beliefs and his desire to seek punishment for his father’s death. Here is a famous speech from a movie version of "Hamlet." The actor Laurence Olivier shines in this difficult role.

(SOUND)

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

VOICE ONE:

Shakespeare also wrote one of greatest collections of poems in English literature. He

A 1926 version of Shakespeare's sonnets

wrote several long poems, but is best known for his one hundred and fifty-four short poems, or sonnets. The English sonnet has a very exact structure. It must have fourteen lines, with three groups of four lines that set up the subject or problem of the poem. The sonnet is resolved in the last two lines of the poem.

If that requirement seems demanding, Shakespeare’s sonnets are also written in iambic pentameter. This is a kind of structure in which each line has ten syllables or beats with a stress on every second beat.

VOICE TWO:

Even with these restrictive rules, the sonnets seem effortless. They have the most creative language and imaginative comparisons of any other poems. Most of the sonnets are love poems. Some of them are attacks while others are celebrations. The sonnets express everything from pain and death to desire, wisdom, and happiness.

Here is one of Shakespeare's most famous poems. Sonnet Eighteen tells about the lasting nature of poetry. The speaker describes how the person he loves will remain forever young and beautiful in the lines of this poem.

(SOUND)

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE

Next week, we will explore the many ways that Shakespeare’s work has influenced world culture over time. This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein. 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.

Am I a Spam Blog?

今天中了头奖，我发布每一份帖子都要字符确认，内容如下：

Your blog requires word verification 您的博客要求字符确认

Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.

Blogger 的反垃圾邮件漫游器已检测到您的博客具有垃圾博客的特征。不过由于您本人正在阅读该信息，您的博客可能不是垃圾博客。自动垃圾邮件检测难免存在误差，对于这一误报我们深表歉意。

We received your unlock request on May 22, 2007. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam.

我们于 2007年5月22日 收到您解除锁定的请求。 我们的漫游器将您的非垃圾博客锁定，对此我们深表歉意。 我们需要检查一下您的博客，以验证它并非垃圾博客，请您耐心等待。

-_-! 冤枉啊，就算认我是VOA的垃圾站也不够格吧
今天发布的内容还特别多，打验证码打得我累死了。。。
不过我的恶趣味又犯了，借此机会，把Google关于spam blog 的中英文内容贴贴，也算是顺便学习下PoEnglish。
还有，这样的“美事”，我想也不是各位大侠都能碰上的吧。。。wu~wu~wu~

About Spam Blogs 关于垃圾 Blog

What Are Spam Blogs? 什么是垃圾 Blogs？

As with many powerful tools, blogging services can be both used and abused. The ease of creating and updating webpages with Blogger has made it particularly prone to a form of behavior known as link spamming. Blogs engaged in this behavior are called spam blogs, and can be recognized by their irrelevant, repetitive, or nonsensical text, along with a large number of links, usually all pointing to a single site.

借助于许多得力的工具，博客服务既可被人们有效利用，也可能被滥用。由于 Blogger 用户能够轻松地创建和更新网页，因此往往会产生一种称为链接垃圾的行为。通过此行为创建的 Blog 被成为垃圾 Blog，它的主要特征是文字不切主题、内容重复或荒谬，并且其中充斥着大量的链接，所有这些链接通常都指向同一站点。

Spam blogs cause various problems, beyond simply wasting a few seconds of your time when you happen to come across one. They can clog up search engines, making it difficult to find real content on the subjects that interest you. They may scrape content from other sites on the web, using other people's writing to make it look as though they have useful information of their own. And if an automated system is creating spam posts at an extremely high rate, it can impact the speed and quality of the service for other, legitimate users.

垃圾 Blog 会带来各种问题，而不仅仅是您偶然遇到它时浪费几秒钟时间那么简单。它们可能阻塞搜索引擎，使您无法找到感兴趣主题的实际内容。它们从别的网站上抓取内 容，利用别人的创作将自己乔装打扮成有用信息的来源。此外，如果自动系统以极高的速度创建垃圾帖，则会影响其他合法用户享受服务的速度及质量。

What We're Doing About Spam 我们如何对付垃圾 Blog

Needless to say, we do not approve of spamming here at Blogger. Below are some of the things we've implemented to remove and reduce spam on our service. We will update this list as we continue our efforts.

• Automated spam classifying algorithms keep spam blogs out of NextBlog and out of our "Recently Published" list on the dashboard.
• The same classifiers are used to require an extra word verification field on the posting form for potential spam blogs. This makes it harder for spammers to set up automated systems to do their posting, since a human needs to complete this step.
• The Flag as Objectionable button in the Navbar lets you notify us of problem blogs that you find, so we can review them and take appropriate action.

毫无疑问，我们坚决反对在 Blogger 上制造垃圾。下面列出了我们为减少甚而消除服务中的垃圾而采取的一些措施。随着我们的不断努力，这一列表将会更新完善。

• 自动垃圾分类算法将垃圾 Blog 排除在 NextBlog 之外，同时也将其从控制台的"最近发布"列表中排除。
• 对可疑的垃圾 Blog，上述同一分类程序会在张贴表单上要求额外的字词验证字段。该措施使垃圾制造者难以设置自动系统进行张贴，因为此步骤需要人工完成。
• 您可使用 Navbar 中的标记为有害按钮将您发现的可疑 Blog 告诉我们，以便我们检查并采取相应措施。

Bush Defends Gonzalez Ahead of Congressional No-Confidence Vote

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 21 May 2007

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President Bush is accusing Democrats in Congress of playing politics as they prepare to take a no-confidence vote this week on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, controversy involving Gonzalez and his handling of the dismissals of eight U.S. prosecutors, will also be in the spotlight when one of his former aides testifies before a House committee.

President Bush, 21 May 2007

President Bush Monday reiterated his support for his embattled attorney general, who has admitted to mishandling the process in which the U.S. attorneys were dismissed, while denying any political motives were behind it.

"He has got my confidence," said President Bush. "He has done nothing wrong. There's been enormous amount of attention on him. That there's been no wrongdoing on his part. He has testified in front of Congress. And I, frankly, view what's taking place in Washington today as pure political theater."

The president's passion in defending Gonzalez indicates that if the attorney general is to leave, it won't be the result of any decision from the White House.

Alberto Gonzales, 15 May 2007

But while the president believes political motivations are behind the move by Senate Democrats to schedule an unusual no-confidence vote on the attorney general, Gonzalez has lost the backing of five key Senate Republicans.

Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation last Sunday, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested Gonzalez might choose to resign before the no-confidence debate.

Designed to escalate pressure on Gonzalez to step down voluntarily, the effort by Senate Democrats will have some help from the House, where Democrats plan to bring up their own no-confidence resolution.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (l) and Adam Schiff

Democrats Adam Schiff and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz appeared at a news conference late Monday to preview that effort.

SCHIFF: "We take this step reluctantly, but we take it with the conviction that something is broken at the Department of Justice and Mr. Gonzalez is not the man to fix it.

SCHULTZ: This is not about partisan politics. This is about an individual who has lost the confidence of the Congress and the American people and needs to step aside."

If approved, both Senate and House measures, would be non-binding.

Adding to pressure on Gonzalez, Monica Goodling, the former Department of Justice liaison to the White House and a key figure in the U.S. attorneys matter, comes to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.

One of four key justice department officials to resign so far in connection with the controversy, Goodling initially declined to testify, citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination.

But lawmakers on the judiciary committee later voted to give her limited immunity in exchange for her appearance this Wednesday.

Testifying before the panel earlier this month, Attorney General Gonzalez apologized, as he did in an earlier Senate hearing, that the matter had become an unfortunate and undignified public spectacle.

However, he reiterated the position he has taken since the controversy began.

"It would be improper to remove a U.S. attorney to interfere with, or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain," said Gonzales. "I did not do that. I would never do that."

John Conyers, the Democratic panel chairman, had this observation as part of his opening remarks.

"One asks whether the administration is trying to cover up two simple truths: who created the list [of attorneys] and why," said John Conyers.

Adding to the pressure on Gonzalez was recent testimony to Congress by James Comey, a former deputy attorney general, who said Gonzalez tried in 2004 to persuade then Attorney General John Ashcroft, seriously ill at the time in a hospital, to approve an extension of President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program.

The key sponsor of the Senate no-confidence resolution on Gonzalez, Democrat Charles Schumer, says he expects it to draw support from at least 60 senators.

Niger Delta Militants, Villagers Plead For Help From Incoming Administration

By Nico Colombant Okrika Island, Nigeria 21 May 2007

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Militants and villagers in Nigeria's restive, oil-rich and lawless Niger Delta are pleading for help from the incoming government that takes power next week. They say dialogue and development are needed, rather than the security crackdown that has created more violence, and a large number of groups conducting criminal business. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from the creeks around Okrika island, near Port Harcourt.

Militants whiz by on speedboats in oil-rich creeks trying to avoid security forces and rival gangs, all of which compete in oil bunkering and other illegal activities.

Militant commander wants change of policies

Speaking from a safe place on Okrika Island, Commander Marcus Appolos, from the militant Ijaw Youth Council, says the incoming president and new state governors should break from past policies.

"Whatever has passed, if really they want to serve the people, they should take corrections of the past and bring everybody together, and put people in places where they are supposed to be, to take a new dimension, a better emancipation for the people," he said.

The 28-year-old commander says it is just not fair for so many people to suffer, while so much oil is being taken from their region, making money for just a few officials and foreign-owned oil companies and their shareholders.

"The government has all the money. We do not have the money," he said. "We have the resources but we do not have anything to do with it. So the government uses their own money to oppress us. So that is just the difficulties."

The sounds of a small market are interrupted by the arrival of members from a rival militant group, the Niger Delta Vigilante.

The group's second in command, Ebel Tomma Amakiri, also known by his nickname Kpottoi, which means bad noise, says the government's first priority should be establishing dialogue between armed groups.

"Without any peace, without any cooperation, there is nothing you can do. So that the best thing that we have to agree on a point is that there should be peace. Without peace, you cannot progress, you cannot do anything."

In fishing villages across the water, villagers complain of a lack of piped water, electricity, schools, hospitals and being at the receiving end of violence from rival gangs trying to control different areas.

Fisherman Samuel in hut attacked by gangs

One fisherman, Samuel Tamuno, says he was recently attacked by a gang known as the Germans.

"All my things are lost. My house is burned, my canoe, all the nets are finished. I just stay empty. I do not have anything to manage, to get money. I just struggle," he said.

Another fisherman, Emmanuel, speaking in Okrika through an interpreter, explains oil has made his life much worse.

Fisherman Emmanuel complains of oil pollution

"Look at ships, the ships are very close to them," he said. "Sometimes, they are polluting the water. There is no fish here in the sea. Things are very difficult for them. They need the incoming government to assist them to alleviate their suffering."

Asked to comment on the allegations, oil companies said they were too busy dealing with the dozen foreign oil workers currently being held hostage for ransom by militants.

Newly-elected ruling party officials were returning from Abuja, where they concluded a seminar on better governance, including for places like here.

Labor unions have called for a stay at home strike to coincide with the swearing-in of the next president, Musa Yar'Adua and new governors on May 29, following elections marred by fraud and violence.

US, NATO Pledge Support for Afghanistan

By Paula Wolfson White House 21 May 2007

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The situation in Afghanistan dominated talks between President Bush and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the Bush family ranch in Texas. VOA's Paula Wolfson, reports the president wants NATO to do more.

President Bush, (r), and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer take part in a joint news conference at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, 21 May 2007

The meeting at the ranch came at a time of growing concern over mounting civilian casualties in Afghanistan - a concern that has prompted some members of NATO to reconsider the depth of their support for the military mission.

President Bush says the alliance must remain heavily involved.

"I pledged to the secretary-general we'll work with our NATO allies to convince them that they must share more of the burden and must all share the risks in meeting our goal," he said.

That goal is to defeat extremist threats to democracy in Afghanistan and enable that violence ridden country to finally thrive.

Speaking to reporters after the talks at the Bush ranch, de Hoop Scheffer stressed the stakes are far too high to quit.

"Afghanistan is still one of the front lines in our fight against terrorism," he said. "And it is my strong conviction that that front line should not become a fault line."

President George Bush (l) walks with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, 20 May 2007

The secretary-general acknowledged that innocent civilians have lost their lives in U.S. and allied air strikes on Taleban insurgents. President Bush said he grieves with the families of the innocent Afghans caught in the crossfire and accused the Taleban of deliberately surrounding themselves with civilians as a military tactic.

"They do not mind using human shields because they devalue human life," he said.

A series of recent incidents involving the killing of Afghan civilians has sparked growing outrage around the country. Earlier this month President Hamid Karzai summoned foreign military commanders to tell them his people's patience was wearing thin.

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO is doing everything in its power to keep civilian casualties down, and downplayed the notion the casualties are eroding support for the military operation.

"We still have very much the hearts and minds of the Afghan people because they do see that their nation, their own nation has no future under Taleban rule," he said. "I only have to refer to the kind and type of Afghanistan we saw under Taleban rule - a regime of the most gross human rights violations the world has seen."

NATO has about 37,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan - its largest deployment ever outside Europe.

Nepal's Government Agrees to Pay Maoist Fighters in Camps

By Liam Cochrane Kathmandu 21 May 2007

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Nepal's government has agreed to begin making monthly payments to Maoist former rebels now living in U.N.-supervised camps. In return, the Maoists will allow the United Nations to resume efforts to verify the former fighters' identities, and check for child soldiers in the camps. Liam Cochrane reports from Kathmandu.

Members of a UN monitoring team observe as Maoist fighters register themselves, during a weapons and personnel registration function, at a camp in Chitwan (File)

For seven months the former fighters of Nepal's Maoist party have stayed at 28 camps across the country, as part of a peace deal made last year.

Under the deal the Maoists agreed to abandon their armed rebellion and join an interim government and parliament.

The United Nations has registered more than 31,000 Maoist fighters, but has yet to verify that all troops are over 18 years old. It also wants to check to be sure new fighters were not recruited after the peace process began.

Last month, the Maoists blocked U.N. verification until conditions were improved in the camps and salaries were paid to their fighters.

Nepal's Cabinet decided Monday to give a monthly allowance, equal to $46, for each Maoist fighter in the camps, which are also known as cantonments.

"I think we have solved a major problem with cantonments," said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the spokesman for the government and also a senior Maoist leader.

Mahara said the monthly payments would be given to all 31,000 Maoists currently in the camps, not just those verified by the U.N. to be legitimate soldiers.

The Cabinet decision on allowances could mean a breakthrough for the U.N. verification process - a key part of last November's peace deal.

"UNMIN has been ready to do this process now for the last couple of months, so this would be very good news and we would seek to meet with the Maoist leadership very soon so that we can iron out the details and commence that process," said Kieran Dwyer, the spokesman for the U.N. Mission in Nepal.

The United Nations says it can begin verification within days. Final arrangements must first be cleared by the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee, a body made up of representatives from the U.N., Nepal government and Maoist army.

Israel Says It Will Target Hamas Leaders

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 21 May 2007

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Israel confirms that it is targeting the leaders of the Islamic militant group Hamas, hours after a deadly attack on the home of one of its lawmakers in the Gaza Strip. At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes during the past 24 hours. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Hamas is threatening harsh retaliation.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (2nd L), Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya(C),Hamas MP Ahmed Bahar(L) attend mass funeral for nine victims of al-Haya family killed in Israeli air strike

Israel says both the political and military leaders of Hamas will be targeted because militants in Gaza fired more than 130 rockets across the border since Wednesday.

Cabinet Minister Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio that Hamas political leaders are inciting the Palestinian public and giving the orders to attack the Jewish state. Therefore, he said, they are legitimate targets.

Ezra made the comments hours after an Israeli aircraft fired a missile that hit the home of a Hamas lawmaker. He was not there, but Palestinians say eight people were killed, including several of his relatives and two militants. The army said it was targeting a group of five Hamas gunmen near the house.

Hamas was outraged by the air strike and promised revenge. The Hamas military wing called for a renewal of suicide bombings in Israeli cities.

A Hamas leader in Gaza, Nizar Iyan, said the group will fight until the last Jew is expelled from Israel.

Iyan told Hamas Television that Israel must be wiped off the map and replaced with a Palestinian state.

So the threats and the fighting continue. In another air strike, Israel targeted a car carrying Islamic Jihad militants, killing four of them. And more rockets have been falling on the Israeli side of the border.

Violence Continues in Iraq After Deadly Weekend

By Al Pessin Pentagon 21 May 2007

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Violence continued in Iraq Monday, after a particularly deadly weekend for U.S. troops, and the killing of a key insurgent leader. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

A wounded Iraqi woman is wheeled into a hospital in Baquba, capital of the violent province of Diyala, 21 May 2007

Reports from Iraq indicate that attackers killed seven civilians, including a child, near the town of Baquba, north of Baghdad. In other incidents, a roadside bomb killed three Iraqi soldiers in the western part of the capital and a mortar shell hit the parliament building, but no one was injured.

Meanwhile, coalition forces say troops freed five Iraqis held captive and tortured in the town of Karmah, and captured more than two dozen insurgents elsewhere, including three men it believes were terrorist cell leaders.

The White House reports President Bush called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to mark the end of his first year in office and urge him to move forward with political reconciliation, which U.S. officials say is as important as security operations in the effort to bring stability to Iraq.

Iraqi patrol in Baghdad, 21 May 2007

Those developments followed a weekend in which 15 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq, a particularly high death toll that Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman says is the result of increased coalition operations as part of the troop surge and the new security plan.

"Coalition forces are aggressively taking the fight to the insurgents that are out there to bring stability and security throughout areas of Iraq," said Bryan Whitman. "The very nature of our offensive operations puts us out there where the insurgents are."

The U.S. command in Iraq is also reporting the killing of a key insurgent leader. Whitman says Azhar al-Dulaymi was responsible for a dramatic attack on U.S. forces in January near the town of Karbala, south of Baghdad.

"He was the terrorist tactical commander of the Karbala attack, not only on the scene, but he was believed to be the ring leader for the January 20 attack on Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center, the incident in which one soldier was killed and four other U.S. soldiers were kidnapped and murdered," he said.

Whitman says coalition forces attacked a house in Baghdad on Saturday where al-Dulaymi was hiding. He fled to the roof and U.S. troops chased him from rooftop to rooftop before he surrendered. But Whitman says he was killed when he attacked a soldier who was arresting him.

"When coalition soldiers attempted to detain him, he pushed the soldier and grabbed for the soldier's weapon," said Whitman. "The soldier shot him with a pistol and an over-watching soldier fired at him with a rifle."

Whitman says al-Dulaymi received military training in Iran, and was involved in smuggling weapons from Iran into Iraq, including material used to make high-powered roadside bombs called Explosively Formed Penetrators.

Also on Monday, the Pentagon released the first audio from hearings held in recent months for 14 newly arrived detainees at the Guantanamo detention center.

TRIBUNAL RECORDER: "All rise."

TRIBUNAL PRESIDENT: "This hearing shall come to order. Please be seated."

This hearing, for Abu Faraj al Libi, was held on March 9. The U.S. military calls al-Libi "a senior al-Qaida facilitator," and says he helped recruit and train al-Qaida fighters, and took care of their families in Pakistan. At the hearing, the presiding military officer noted that al-Libi declined to participate in the process of determining officially whether he is an 'enemy combatant.'

TRIBUNAL PRESIDENT: "Personal Representative, you have advised the tribunal that the detainee elected not to participate in this tribunal proceeding. Is that still the situation?"

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: "Yes sir."

TRIBUNAL PRESIDENT: "Please explain."

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: "Sir, Faraj al-Libi has decided that his freedom is far too important to be decided by an administrative process."

Al-Libi and the 13 other men transferred to Guantanamo last year from secret U.S. prisons elsewhere, have had their initial hearings. The results of the reviews are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Renewed Fighting Rages Around Palestinian Camp in Lebanon

By Challiss McDonough Cairo 21 May 2007

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Fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamic extremists has been raging around a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon. The death toll has climbed to more than 50 since the gunbattles started Sunday. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

Smoke billows from Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, 21 May 2007

The sound of intense automatic gunfire and exploding artillery shells could be heard from several kilometers away as renewed fighting erupted around the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli. Huge plumes of black smoke were rising from the camp as the battle raged on.

The fighting between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam militants began early Sunday and has intensified dramatically. The army sent in hundreds of reinforcements, and tanks pounded the camp with artillery shells.

A spokesman for the Sunni militant group told Western news agencies that they would expand the battle outside Tripoli if the army did not stop bombardment of its stronghold.

Reports from inside Nahr al-Bared said camp residents were taking shelter in their homes as the fighting raged on.

[Meanwhile, an explosion has rocked a Muslim neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, as Lebanese troops and Islamic militants continue to fight fierce battles at a Palestinian refugee camp to the north.

Television footage showed widespread damage late Monday in the Muslim district of Verdun in western Beirut. Witnesses say the blast set cars ablaze and damaged buildings.

Police say at least six people were wounded.

On Sunday, an explosion in a Christian sector of Beirut killed one person and wounded at least 10 others.]

It is not clear how many civilians have been caught in the crossfire. A brief cease-fire was called to allow ambulances to reach some wounded people, but it quickly came to an end as fighting flared again.

Sami Baroudi is a political science professor at the American University in Beirut. He says for months there have been concerns about Lebanon's fragile security situation and reports that extremist groups have been arming themselves and infiltrating the area.

"Somehow we were expecting something like this to happen, but not at all at this scale," he said. "I think even the army, the intelligence, have been really surprised by the scale of it, by the extent of the coordination. So while clearly this is the work of a terrorist group, I think everybody underestimated how much it could do in one blow."

Smoke is seen above Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr Al-Bared near Tripoli in northern Lebanon, 21 May 2007

This is the worst outbreak of internal violence since the end of Lebanon's civil war.

It comes at a time when, most analysts say, the Lebanese government is extremely weak. Politics have been deadlocked for six months over a proposed international court to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Several Lebanese cabinet ministers have said they believe Fatah al-Islam is trying to derail the court on behalf of Syria, which opposes it.

The government has previously leveled that same allegation at Lebanese political opposition parties, led by the armed Shiite group Hezbollah.

The 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have been off-limits to Lebanese authorities since 1969 under an agreement with Palestinian leaders. That has created a security vacuum in the camps, which has been exploited by a growing number of extremist groups.

Baroudi says Palestinians living in the camps - and their Lebanese neighbors - have been ripe for recruitment.

Given the overall situation among the Palestinians, if you deal with one fundamentalist group, then in a couple of months it will reappear under a different name, there will be other groups as long as you have thousands of Palestinians who are armed, in camps, who do not have much hope of returning to Palestine, who are heavily ideologized...," he said. "So given the socio-economic political conditions in and surrounding the camps, they are really fertile grounds for the appearance of groups like Fatah al-Islam and dozens of other movements.

The Lebanese government has accused Fatah al-Islam of having ties to both al-Qaida and the Syrian intelligence service. Syria is denying any connection to the group, and Fatah al-Islam denies that it is serving any country's agenda.

The group's leader, Shakir al-Abssi, was apparently released from a Syrian prison last year before moving to Lebanon and setting up the group's base in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp.

Abssi and the Jordanian-born al-Qaida militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were both convicted in absentia in Jordan last year and sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of a U.S. diplomat.