African Divorcees Conquer Social Taboo

By Phuong Tran Dakar 15 March 2007

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In some parts of Africa, divorce is still considered a scandal. But, as more couples move to Africa's rapidly growing cities, divorce has become less of a cultural shock. Although female divorcees in rural communities may still suffer blame for a failed marriage, women are fighting back in cities and telling their side of the story. Reporter Phuong Tran has more from Dakar, in this fourth report in a five-part series on the changing African family.

Khadija Sall, 34-year-old businesswoman and divorcee

Senegalese Khadija Sall, 34, leans into the mirror and applies blue eye makeup before clients arrive in the one-room salon she has owned for nine years.

She works long hours here, something she says her ex-husband was never able to accept.

"If you have a wife who wants to work to help you and your children, you need to support her," she said. "If you do not have money, then give her encouragement. My husband did absolutely nothing to help me, nothing. Why would I put up with a man like that? I love my job and he did not understand that."

After 16 years of marriage, four children and a fast-growing business, Sall left her husband.

"I was sick of him, sick of our constant fighting," she explained. "Every day, our children had to watch us fight. I left him because I did not want my children to go through that."

Khadija Sall working in her beauty salon

She says she has to work longer hours now to support her children. However, she says she is happier, and free to do the job she loves.

"Women want to be independent," she said. "Every woman works, if she can. If you do not have a job, you need to depend on a man for money. And, we both know that men are cheap and do not want to give us money. Work is good. I love my job. I respect my job, because I respect myself. Do you understand?"

Sociologist Djiby Diakhate says communities have dramatically changed how they view divorce - especially in urban areas.

"Marriage has always been a sacred contract between two families," he noted. "Now, with western concepts of individualism and personal liberty, it is more of a contract between two people. There is less family pressure to stay married, so divorced women are not looked down on, as before. Divorce is not only more common now, but also more accepted."

In the most recent Demographic Health Survey of Senegal's families, close to 300,000 women were divorced or separated in 2005.

A Senegalese woman who wants to divorce her husband needs to go to court, if her husband does not agree, whereas Islamic law in Senegal allows a man to divorce, regardless of what his wife says.

One of the 10 reasons women can file for divorce in court is if her husband is not able to support the family, financially.

Khadiya Sall's true love, her beauty salon

Sall prepares to close her beauty salon for the day.

When asked if she wants to marry again, she looks over her shop and its small piles of hair weaves, her receipt book of the day's earnings and tubs of leftover soapy water before she answers.

"Of course," she replies. She says when she meets a man who wants to encourage and help her with her work, she will marry him.

VOASE0313_The Making of a Nation

13 March 2007

History Series: Election of 1960 Brings a Close Race Between Kennedy, Nixon
After the first televised presidential debate, many people who had not considered voting for John Kennedy began to change their minds. To them, he looked like a president.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Richard Rael.

VOICE TWO:

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

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight Eisenhower was elected president in nineteen fifty-two. By nineteen sixty, he had served two terms. The twenty-second amendment to the Constitution said he could not be re-elected. Eisenhower was hugely popular when he first came to office. And his first term was considered successful.

He created a new government agency for education and health care. He led a congressional effort to improve the tax system. And, under his leadership, a peace treaty ending the Korean War was signed.

Eisenhower also met with Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev. This began a tradition of meetings between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union. Experts believe these meetings probably helped prevent a nuclear war between the two countries.

VOICE TWO:

At the end of Eisenhower's first term, he was still very popular. He had suffered a heart attack. But he felt strong enough to campaign again. His Democratic Party opponent was Adlai Stevenson. They had been the candidates in the presidential election four years earlier. This time, Eisenhower won almost ten million votes more than Stevenson. That was an even bigger victory than in nineteen fifty-two.

VOICE ONE:

Eisenhower's second term, however, presented problems. The Soviet Union launched the space age by putting the world's first satellite into earth orbit. Fidel Castro established a communist government in Cuba. Many white Americans were fighting the Supreme Court's decision to end racial separation in schools. And the American economy suffered a recession. Eisenhower's popularity dropped during his second term. This would make it more difficult for the Republican Party's next candidate for president.

VOICE TWO:

The delegates who attended the Republican nominating convention in the summer of nineteen sixty feared that the party would lose the election in November. They had to find the strongest candidate possible. Many believed that Richard Nixon was the strongest.

Vice President Richard Nixon with Republican senators on January 1, 1960

Nixon had been a senator and a member of the House of Representatives. He had been Eisenhower's vice president for eight years. When Eisenhower suffered several serious illnesses, Nixon had a chance to show his abilities to lead the nation. He showed great strength while facing an angry crowd during a trip to South America. He also gained support when he defended the United States in an unofficial debate with Khrushchev during a trip to the Soviet Union.

VOICE ONE:

Nixon's closest opponent for the Republican nomination was Nelson Rockefeller. Rockefeller was governor of New York. He came from one of the richest families in America. At the convention, Richard Nixon easily won the support of the Republican Party. The delegates elected him on the first vote. He accepted the nomination. And he called for new efforts for peace and freedom around the world.

VOICE TWO:

The race for the Democratic nomination was much more difficult. He Democratic Party thought it would have no problem winning the presidential election. Many candidates entered the competition for the nomination. One was Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. Another was Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Humphrey had been elected to the Senate three times. He was a strong activist for civil rights, peace, and social improvements. Kennedy was a Navy hero in World War Two. He was handsome and only forty-three years old. He also was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. And no catholic had ever been elected president of the United States.

VOICE ONE:

Kennedy and Humphrey began to enter local primary elections in different states. The purpose of the primaries is to test voter support for candidates. Kennedy won an important primary in the state of Wisconsin. However, the Protestant Christian areas of the state did not support him. The question then became: Could he win in West Virginia? Most of the voters in that state were Protestants.

VOICE TWO:

On the last night of the primary campaign in West Virginia, Kennedy spoke about his religion. He said the president of the United States promises to defend the Constitution. And that, he said, includes the separation of the government from any religion or church.

Kennedy won a large victory in West Virginia. He then went on to win many votes in other primary elections. He received the nomination on the first vote of the Democratic Party convention.

In his acceptance speech, he said he would ask Americans to help their country. He said he would ask them to sacrifice for their country.

VOICE ONE:

After the party conventions, the two candidates -- Kennedy and Nixon -- began to campaign around the nation. Nixon charged that Kennedy was too young to be president. He said Kennedy did not know enough about governing. Kennedy attacked the Republican record of the past eight years. He said president Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon had not done enough to bring progress to the nation.

Protestant groups expressed concerns about Kennedy's religion. They wondered if he would be influenced by the Pope. They asked if the leader of the Roman Catholic Church would try to make policy for the United States. Kennedy answered by repeating his strong support for the constitutional guarantee of separation of church and state.

VOICE TWO:

The first televised presidential debate took place September 26, 1960

Public opinion studies showed the election campaign to be very, very close. Then, the candidates agreed to hold four debates. The debates would be broadcast on television.

In the first debate, they showed they did not differ too widely on major issues. Kennedy, however, appeared calm and sure. Nixon, who did not feel well, appeared thin and tired. Many people who had not considered voting for Kennedy now began to change their minds. To them, he looked like a president.

VOICE ONE:

In the fourth debate, they expressed widely different opinions about whether the United States was making progress. Kennedy believed there had been little progress under Eisenhower and Nixon. He said:

KENNEDY: "Franklin Roosevelt said in nineteen thirty-six that that generation of Americans had a rendezvous with destiny. I believe in nineteen sixty and sixty-one and two and three, we have a rendezvous with destiny. And I believe it incumbent upon us to be defenders of the United States and the defenders of freedom. And to do that, we must give this country leadership. And we must get America moving again."

VOICE TWO:

Nixon disagreed sharply. He believed the United States had not been standing still. Yet he believed it could not rest, either. He said:

NIXON: "It is essential with the conflict that we have around the world that we not just hold our own, that we not keep just freedom for ourselves. It is essential that we extend freedom, extend it to all the world. And this means more than what we've been doing. It means keeping America even stronger militarily than she is. It means seeing that our economy moves forward even faster than it has. It means making more progress in civil rights than we have, so that we can be a splendid example for all the world to see."

VOICE ONE:

Another issue of the nineteen sixty presidential debates was the Chinese attack on the islands of Quemoy and Matsu in the Formosa [Taiwan] Strait. Another was how to deal with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Most people seemed to feel that Kennedy won the first debate. Experts thought Nixon probably won the second one. And both men did about the same in the last two.

VOICE TWO:

After the debates, the presidential candidates campaigned around the country again. Nixon proposed a trip to Eastern Europe and a meeting with Khrushchev, if he were elected. Kennedy proposed what he called a Peace Corps. The Peace Corps would be a program to send Americans to developing countries to provide technical aid and other help.

VOICE ONE:

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy giving his inaugural speech

On Election Day in November, the voters chose John Kennedy. His victory, however, was a close one. Almost sixty-nine million people voted. He won by fewer than one hundred twenty thousand votes. The United States now had its thirty-fifth president. He was the youngest and the first Roman Catholic. The beginning of John Kennedy's administration will be our story next week.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

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

VOICE ONE:

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

Rice Prepares for New Middle East Trip

By David Gollust Washington 15 March 2007

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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she will begin another trip to the Middle East late next week aimed at spurring Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Rice held talks late Wednesday with visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (l) and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Rice is not likely on her next trip to convene a three-way meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. But she is expected to meet top officials on both sides, and with moderate Arab leaders, in the region to try to further clear the way for a resumption of the regional peace process.

Rice, who had just returned from accompanying President Bush on his Latin American trip, announced her Mideast travel plans at a press appearance with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, who was concluding a private Washington visit.

Rice's meeting with her Israeli counterpart was preceded by press accounts of new interest by the U.S. and Israel in the 2002 Saudi Middle East peace plan, which basically offered Israel normal relations with the Arab world in return for a full withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967.

But under questioning, both appeared to downplay the notion that the Saudi plan might replace the peace road map of the international Middle East Quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations -- as the guide for regional peace efforts.

Rice said the plan by the then-Crown Prince Abdullah - now the Saudi king - was a commendable initiative but not basis for negotiations:

"The Arab initiative is not a negotiating document. It is a document that sets forward a position. And as I said I think very favorably about the idea the Arab League - starting as the Crown Prince initiative - would as a whole set forward a position on which perhaps reconciliation could take place between Israel and the Arab states. But obviously it is not a negotiating position, and I'm sure that Israel would have its own views of how that reconciliation could take place," she said.

Foreign Minister Livni, for her part, said the Saudi initiative as initially published was very positive, given that it was predicated on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But she said as later adopted by the Arab league in Beirut, it contained language on refugees that would threaten Israel's existence as a Jewish state.

She said prospects for peace with the Palestinians would be enhanced if Arab states did not wait until the end of the peace process to normalize ties with Israel:

"I would like to see Arab leaders, pragmatic, normalize their relations with Israel without waiting for the peace between Israel and the Palestinians to be completed. Maybe if they will take these kinds of steps, that can help the moderates in the Palestinian Authority to take other steps in order to achieve peace. So this is something that we're waiting for," she said.

Aides to Rice gave no details of Rice's travel plans but Egyptian officials have already said they expect a visit from the Secretary on the upcoming trip.

Rice hosted a joint meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas February 19th, which was billed as the first discussion in more than six years of final-status issues in the peace process.

The Israeli Prime Minister and Mr. Abbas followed up that meeting with bilateral talks last Saturday.

But efforts to re-start a formal peace process have been thwarted by the Palestinian power-sharing deal between Mr. Abbas' mainstream Fatah party and the radical Islamist Hamas movement, which the United States considers a terrorist organization.

Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai Scanned for Skull Fracture

By Delia Robertson Johannesburg 14 March 2007

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Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says police brutally beat him and other opposition leaders following their arrest on Sunday. Mr. Tsvangirai was interviewed by a radio reporter who was at the hospital where the opposition leader is awaiting the results of a scan to determine if he has a fractured skull and damage to the brain. Delia Robertson reports from Johannesburg.

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is seen in bed at a local hospital in Harare, 14 Mar 2007

Morgan Tsvangirai says that police started to beat him and his colleagues as soon as they arrived in police cells on Sunday.

"It was almost as if they were waiting for me," he said. "I was then sent inside where my colleagues were lined up inside the police cell. And before I could even settle down I was subjected to a lot of beatings. In fact, it was random beatings, but I think the intention was to inflict as much harm as they could."

Mr. Tsvangirai was among a group of around 50 people arrested when they attempted to attend a prayer meeting in Harare on Sunday. Several still had visible wounds when they appeared in court Tuesday, from Tsvangerai's stitched head to at least two with broken limbs and a woman who had to be carried on a stretcher.

Doctors say they are concerned that Tsvangirai's skull is fractured and that he has bleeding on the brain.

Leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, Morgan Tsvangirai is watched by a policeman outside the court in Harare, 13 Mar 2007

None of those arrested have as yet been charged. In two chaotic court appearances on Tuesday prosecutors were unable to produce a charge sheet. The accused were ordered back to court Wednesday morning, but waited in vain for the arrival of prosecutors and police. They returned to their homes or their hospital beds.

Following the incident on Sunday, other African countries appear for the first time, to be publicly distancing themselves from President Robert Mugabe and his government. The Zambian president has expressed concern and the South African government has urged the Zimbabwe government to abide by the rule of law.

Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told South Africa's national radio, the government stands by to help its neighbor resolve the crisis.

"Our views are clearly known to all in Zimbabwe that we are extremely concerned about what has happened and we want to assist to help bring about some movement forward in the Zimbabwe situation," he said.

One of the lawyers representing the opposition leaders told VOA that Zimbabwe's attorney general's office is reluctant to bring charges against Mr. Tsvangirai and others, because the office questions the legal validity of charging them.

关于空间的求助！！！！！！！！！！！！

我要疯了。。。G宝盒出了些问题。
文件上传后，却没了影。。。G宝盒的客户端软件也连接不上。。。
在疯狂寻找空间中。。。发现Mofile真TMD贵还黑。。。我继续找。。。
有朋友懂这个的麻烦给我解释下面几个问题：
1.为什么上传的文件到G宝盒里就不见了（IE、FF浏览器我都试了）
2.大家对G宝盒评价如何
3.有什么国内外速度不错运营稳定的空间，收费不要太离谱就好
谢谢！

正在测试Google Page Creator。。。今天的东西都放在那里，不知道速度和稳定性如何，就是容量很小，只有100MB。。。

最新补充：
G宝盒现已恢复正常。我给管理写了封信，答复很快，说是电信网路调整。现在已经没什么大问题了。

VOASE0314_Education Report

14 March 2007

A Military Education, Though Not Necessarily for a Military Life
Part 28 of our Foreign Student Series looks at two military colleges in the American South.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Our Foreign Student Series continues this week with two examples of military colleges in the United States.

One is the Virginia Military Institute. V.M.I. is a public, four-year military college in Lexington, Virginia. It accepts women as well as men. Its one thousand three hundred students are called cadets.

Older cadets teach new arrivals about the honor system at V.M.I. Cadets risk expulsion if they lie, cheat or steal -- or accept lying, cheating or stealing by any other cadet. V.M.I. officials say an important part of a college education is learning self-control.

Lieutenant Colonel Stewart MacInnis is associate director of communications and marketing at the Virginia Military Institute. He says V.M.I. this year has twenty-three cadets from countries including Britain, Egypt, Poland, Russia and Thailand. Most of them are studying engineering.

Cadet parade at Virginia Military Institute

The cost for one year at V.M.I. for someone from outside Virginia is about thirty thousand dollars. Graduates are not required to go into the military, but Colonel MacInnis says about fifty percent do. And twenty percent make it a career.

Another public military college in the South is The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina. It also accepts both men and women for its four-year program.

The Citadel says it offers a traditional military education to its more than two thousand students. Thirty-eight percent of its graduates choose to enter the military.

This year, The Citadel has forty-nine students from twenty-four countries outside the United States. They are mainly studying business and engineering. The Citadel costs about twenty-seven thousand dollars for the first year. After that, it drops to about twenty-four thousand.

You can find links to the V.M.I. and Citadel Web sites at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts and audio files of our Foreign Student Series. Next week, learn about the United States Military Academy at West Point.

We began our series on studying in the United States in September. So far we have dealt with the application process, college admissions tests, English language testing, financial aid and other subjects. In the weeks to come we will talk more about individual schools and programs. If you have a suggestion for our series, write to special@voanews.com. And please include your name and country.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

US Senate Approves Homeland Security Bill

By Deborah Tate Capitol Hill 13 March 2007

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The U.S. Senate, following the House of Representatives' lead, has approved a broad homeland security bill by a 60 to 38 vote. But President Bush says he will veto the legislature unless one particular provision is stripped from the measure. VOA's Deborah Tate explains from Capitol Hill.

US Capitol, Washington DC

The legislation aims to implement the remainder of the recommendations put forward by the bipartisan commission that probed the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The bill includes measures to improve rail, aviation and cargo security, as well as funds for state and local emergency communications systems. It also seeks to improve intelligence sharing among federal, state and local officials.

Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who calls himself an independent Democrat, is chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He appealed for bipartisan support of the bill ahead of the vote:

"America is safer than it was on 9/11 01, but not yet safe enough," said Joe Lieberman. " This bill, which I believe is non-controversial and ought to receive nonpartisan support, will make the people of America, in an age of terrorism, safer yet."

But the legislation includes a measure vehemently opposed by the Bush administration that would give federal baggage screeners at airports collective bargaining rights.

Majority Democrats argue that screeners have been denied such rights since joining the federal payroll after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Republican opponents of the provision say the Homeland Security Department needs flexibility in setting screeners' schedules and procedures.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, voted against the overall bill because of the collective bargaining amendment.

"It does have a fatal defect," said Mitch McConnell. "It has turned into, unfortunately, a reward to big labor by including a collective bargaining provision."

The Democratic-led House of Representatives has passed its own version of the homeland security legislation, with a similar provision extending collective bargaining rights to airport baggage screeners. The Senate and House bills must be reconciled before a final bill is sent to President Bush for his signature.

The president has vowed to veto the legislation if the collective bargaining measure is not removed.

Shi'ite, Sunni Split Feeds Iraq Conflict

By Margaret Besheer Washington 13 March 2007

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For the last year, Iraq has been consumed by violence that has pitted Shi'ite Muslims against Sunni Muslims. Some see the battle as religious, dating to the 17th century disagreement over who would succeed the Prophet Muhammad. Others say it is a modern day fight for political dominance.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (front) talks to Iraqi army soldiers in Baghdad, 9 Mar 2007

Sunnis and Shi'ites have more beliefs that unite them than divide them. They share the same holy book, the Koran, and practice the five pillars of Islam, including the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca.

Yet today in Iraq, they are fighting each other in a battle that Georgetown University Islamic History Professor John Voll says at its core is about the relationship between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunnis. The Shi'ites have been out of power and oppressed for a long time, while the Sunnis have been in power and do not want to share it.

Professor John Voll

"No politically dominant elite ever gracefully gives up power to a persecuted minority," he noted.

Professor Marius Deeb of The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies agrees.

"The conflict is really Saddamists versus anti-Saddamists. Unfortunately it took the form of the Sunnis, the old Saddamists, fighting the Shi'ites who come to be, unfortunately, pro-Iranian," he noted.

In February 2006, Sunni insurgents bombed a Shi'ite shrine north of Baghdad. That unleashed an all-out sectarian conflict in Baghdad and its surrounding areas that is still not under control.

Iraqis gather at the ruins of a shrine in Samarra in this 22 Feb, 2006 file photo

"You have the great symbols of the Shi'ite tradition and the great symbols of the Sunni tradition become the words and symbols for mobilizing," said Voll. "This is why the destruction of the Golden Mosque in Samarra was such an important event. It represented an image and a symbol of the Shi'ite identity itself, and by destroying, it was a way of trying to continue to show the vulnerability of the Shi'ites."

Iraq's government is dominated by Shi'ite Muslims and many of them are closely allied with Iran. That concerns Iraq's mostly Sunni neighbors. In 2004, Jordan's King Abdullah warned of what he called the potential for a new Shi'ite crescent of governments and movements stretching from Lebanon to Iran.

Professor Deeb says the concern should not be so much about a Shi'ite crescent, but rather about the rise of militant Islam in all its forms.

Professor Marius Deeb

"We can speak of a militant Islamic crescent which Iran and Syria are leading it with Hezbollah and Hamas and Islamic Jihad," he said. "They have the same agenda, an agenda which is destructive, unfortunately. Which will not lead to peace and reconciliation and end of conflict."

So what will bring the two sects together? Professor Voll says reconstruction of Iraq would be a good first step, providing areas where the two groups can cooperate.

"Economic reconstruction reduces the ability of Mehdi army and Sunni resistance militias to appeal to people," he said.

Professor Deeb says compromise and power sharing are important to reconciliation. Ultimately, he says, Iraqis need to discover again that they are part of one nation and let their national identity bind them together.

Iraq's Shi'ite PM Visits Sunni Stronghold of Ramadi

By Barry Newhouse Baghdad 13 March 2007

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Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has made his first visit to the Sunni stronghold city of Ramadi in western Iraq. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Baghdad the trip was promoted as a symbolic visit by the Shi'ite leader to the heart of al-Anbar province's Sunni insurgency.

Iraq's al-Anbar province governor Maamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani (L), Prime Minister Nur al-Maliki (C) arrive in Ramadi 13 March 2007

The prime minister's unannounced visit to Ramadi comes as U.S. forces continue to arrive in al-Anbar province as part of the expanding troop surge.

Mr. Maliki met with tribal leaders and al-Anbar's governor, saying the central government is working to solve the violent province's many problems.

The prime minister said Iraqi officials are focusing on improving security, government services and the economy in al-Anbar. He also said local officials told him there is a desperate need for many basic things such as food rations.

U.S. officials say al-Anbar, a vast province that stretches west of Baghdad to the Syrian and Saudi Arabian borders, is a key city in the country's Sunni insurgency and a stronghold for al-Qaida in Iraq. Several thousand of the more than 25,000 additional American forces being sent to Iraq are headed to al-Anbar, which has been the deadliest province for American forces in Iraq.

The U.S. military has fought a long-running Sunni insurgency in the area, despite massive military operations over the years in cities such as Fallujah and Ramadi.

Marine Captain Paul Duncan, who is based in Ramadi, says part of the problem in securing the area before was the military's tactics.

"For the longest time, al-Qaida was sending their fighting forces to Ramadi sort of towards their version of a boot camp for terrorism," he said. "And then the old school mentality of 'to go in, clear the area and then leave it' just didn't work. You need that sustained presence."

In recent months, with more coalition forces conducting daily operations throughout the city, Captain Duncan says Sunni tribes that had long fought U.S. forces in al-Anbar, are turning against local al-Qaida groups.

"When we first came in about a year ago, there were six tribes working with us, about 12 to 15 actively working against us and about three to four on the fence," he added. "Now, we have 16 tribes actively working for us, still about three on the fence and six working against us. But as soon as we are able to provide security in their areas, we believe they are going to flip as well."

Iraqi and U.S. officials credit part of their successes in al-Anbar province to Sheikh Abdul Satar Abu Risha, a Sunni tribal leader who has been instrumental in persuading tribes to turn against al-Qaida forces in the region.

Since tribal leaders decided to work with Iraqi and U.S. forces, military and police recruitment rates have increased and more police stations have sprung up in the Ramadi.

But as more Iraqi and U.S. forces enter Baghdad to try to stabilize the capital, American officials have predicted that insurgents leaving the city could try to destabilize regions further away. Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, has seen a spike in violence in recent months and worsening sectarian fighting between Sunni and Shi'ite militias. On Tuesday, 700 more U.S. troops arrived in Diyala to try to crack down on the fighting.

Bush in Mexico, Seeks to Repair Frayed Ties

By Paula Wolfson Merida, Mexico 14 March 2007

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President Bush spent Tuesday highlighting U.S. ties with Mexico, and his desire to find common ground on the controversial issue of immigration. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Merida - the last stop on his five nation Latin America tour.

Presidents George Bush (r) and Felipe Calderon touring Mayan city of Uxmal

President Bush spent much of the day behind closed doors with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

At the top of the agenda was what to do about the flow of illegal Mexican immigrants across their common border.

Speaking at an arrival ceremony in the sun-drenched grounds of a restored country estate turned luxury hotel, Mr. Bush promised action.

"And so Mr. President, my pledge to you and your government - but more importantly, the people of Mexico - is I will work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform," said President Bush.

But President Calderon made clear his country is impatient, noting the toll illegal immigration has taken on Mexico.

"Mexicans lose in each migrant, the best of our people, young people, working people, and audacious people, strong people - people that leave Mexico because they don't find the opportunities here in order to pull through with their lives," he said.

His public comments were direct - far more so than those uttered by any of the other Latin American leaders who met with Mr. Bush during his travels.

Mr. Calderon criticized a new U.S. law that authorizes funding for a fence along parts of the border. And he recalled the promise President Bush made shortly after taking office to make hemispheric relations a priority - a vow that was broken after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

"I believe that it is now time to retake the spirit of these words and to direct our relationship toward a path of mutual prosperity," said Felipe Calderon.

Dan Bartlett

A top aide to President Bush - White House Counselor Dan Bartlett - said Mr. Bush was not surprised by the criticism, noting immigration is a tough topic for all concerned.

"It's a very emotional debate," said Dan Bartlett. "It's an emotional debate in our own country, and I'm sure it's a very emotional debate in this country, because the lives - so many lives are affected, and children are affected, and moms and dads are affected."

Trade and development were also on the agenda for the Bush-Calderon talks, along with the growing threat of narco-trafficking.

It was the first meeting between the two men since Mr. Calderon's inauguration in December after a razor-thin election victory.

Following their talks, they took some time off to visit the remains of an ancient Mayan city at Uxmal. Throughout President Bush's visit, security was tight. But there were no signs of the kind of boisterous demonstrations seen earlier during his Latin America tour.

Mexico was the last stop in a journey that took the president to Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Guatemala. He returns to Washington on Wednesday.

VOASE0313_Health Report

13 March 2007

Laying the Roots for Healthy Teeth in Young Children
Experts say good dental care starts at birth by paying attention to a baby's gums.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

It might seem hard to imagine that a bad tooth could be deadly.

More than 41,000 students in the Philippines brushed their teeth at the same time last month to set a world record, organizers said. The record was 33,038 in the United Kingdom.

But doctors in the Washington area say a twelve-year-old boy died last month from a tooth infection that spread to his brain. They say it might have been prevented had the boy received the dental care he needed.

Experts at the National Institutes of Health say good dental care starts at birth. They say breast milk is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow bacterial growth and acid production in the mouth.

But dentists say you should clean your baby's gums and early teeth after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if you bottle feed your baby. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give your baby only water.

When baby teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies. And use them very gently.

The use of fluoride to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. This natural element is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel, the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes, or cavities, from forming.

But the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry points out that young children often swallow toothpaste when they brush. The group notes that swallowing fluoridated toothpaste can cause problems. So young children should be carefully supervised when they brush their teeth. And only a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, the size of a green pea, should be used.

Parents often wonder about what effect thumb sucking or sucking on a pacifier might have on their baby's teeth. Dental experts generally agree that this is fine early in life.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says most kids stop sucking their thumbs by the age of four. If it continues, the group advises parents to talk to their child's dentist or doctor. It could interfere with the correct development of permanent teeth.

Dentists strongly advise a first dental visit at least by the time a child is one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear.

Healthy teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Daily cleaning is important to preventing infections and other problems. We will talk more in the future about dental care for children and adults.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0313_Explorations

13 March 2007

Bungee Jumping: Stretching the Limits of Fear, Just for Fun
Some people call it crazy, but enough find it exciting to make it a popular sport around the world.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

Bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge in Zimbabwe

And I’m Shirley Griffith with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Imagine standing at the edge of a tall bridge. Hundreds of meters below you, river water rushes by. You take a deep breath and jump off the bridge, head first into thin air. As a reaction to such excitement and fear, the hormone adrenaline floods through your body.

There is nothing but a long rubber rope attached to your ankles, holding on to your very life. Some people call it crazy. Others say it is exciting. Whatever you may think, bungee jumping has become a popular extreme sport all over the world.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

A land diver climbs up a tower before his jump

Bungee jumping is not a new activity. Men on Pentecost Island in the South Pacific have been doing land jumping for hundreds of years. The men tie long vines from plants around their ankles. They spend days building tall towers out of vines and logs. Then they jump off these structures. It takes a great deal of skill to jump correctly and safely. Land diving for them is an important cultural activity.

According to their beliefs, the first land diver was a woman. She decided to run away from her abusive husband. So, she climbed up a tall tree and tied some vines around her feet. Her husband chased after her up the tree. He reached out to grab her, but the woman jumped and the man followed. The vines saved her life, but her husband died.

VOICE TWO:

A land diver jumps from a tower

Land diving has become a way in which these island men show their bravery in front of the women. People of the village sing loud songs to show their support for the brave divers. This tradition is also a way for the men to voice their troubles in public. For example, a man can discuss his marriage problems before he jumps. The villagers – including his wife - must stand and listen.

VOICE ONE:

This ancient custom caught the interest of some students at Oxford University in England. In the late nineteen seventies, they formed a group called the Dangerous Sports Club. They liked to invent risky and sometimes crazy activities. They were some of the first people to test several of what are now called extreme sports. They are said to have invented modern bungee jumping.

In the spring of nineteen seventy-nine, members of the group jumped off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. They were attached to the bridge by a bungee cord, a long elastic rope that stretches. They were dressed in black and white clothing and held bottles of Champagne wine. The press quickly reported on their wild activities. The group soon received even more attention when they organized a bungee jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

A man named A.J. Hackett of New Zealand later heard about this group. He decided to make the sport into a business. Mister Hackett worked with his friend Henry van Asch who was an expert at skiing. They started developing bungee ropes and materials. Scientists at Auckland University helped them. The two men knew that people would find bungee jumping exciting and fun. And they knew people would pay money for the experience.

To show the world about bungee jumping they held a major jump in nineteen eighty-seven off of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. They later got permission to open the first bungee jumping operation on the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Many people paid seventy-five dollars to jump off the bridge with a bungee cord attached to their ankles. Mister Hackett worked hard to make sure the public knew how safe his materials were. He developed a method to guarantee safety called the “Bungee Code of Practice.”

VOICE ONE:

Bungee jumping might seem frightening. But it is a very safe activity if you go to a well-established bungee jump company. People who work for bungee operators usually have a great deal of training and experience. They use very strong and carefully made rubber ropes. They choose a rope based on the jumper’s body weight. This is so they can manage how much the rope stretches when the person falls.

The rope attaches through a harness device tied around the jumper’s ankles. Often, operators use a body harness as well. This is so that you have twice the protection in case one harness breaks. Good bungee operators make sure all equipment is in excellent condition. They should also do several checks to make sure all ropes, harnesses and ties are correctly attached.

VOICE TWO:

It is important to remember that this sport is not safe for everyone. People who have high blood pressure or a heart condition should not try jumping. People with back or knee injuries or who suffer from epilepsy should also avoid this sport. And remember, if you do not feel like experiencing it yourself, you can always watch other people jump.

VOICE ONE:

Now you have jumped, bounced up and down several times on the rubber rope, and are hanging by your ankles in the middle of the air. You may be wondering what you are supposed to do now. Do not worry. The operators have different choices for getting you back to land right side up again. Often times, a bungee guide on a rope will attach to your rope and help you back up to the structure you jumped from. One extreme sports company gives a warning on its Web site. It warns that bungee jumping might lead to big smiles and deep feelings of happiness and excitement.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa

Since its beginnings in New Zealand, commercial bungee jumping has spread to countries everywhere. One of the highest bungee jumps in the world from a structure is near Locarno, Switzerland over the Verzasca Dam. The drop measures two hundred and twenty meters. In fact, you can see the character James Bond jump off this very bridge in the nineteen ninety-five movie “GoldenEye.” Or, there is the two hundred and sixteen meter jump from the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa. This is the highest single arch bridge in the world.

VOICE ONE:

Of course, not every place has a body of water with a bridge from which you can jump. Some amusement parks offer bungee jumping from crane machinery. In the Andes Mountains of Peru, you can visit Action Valley outside the city of Cusco. Visitors can jump from a metal box that hangs from cables high up in the air. Most of these companies can sell you video recordings or photographs of your jump. This way you can prove to your family back home that you were brave enough to bungee.

VOICE TWO:

Now, extreme sports companies are finding ways to make bungee jumping even more frightening. Some offer bungee jumps at night, or jumps where you fall off a structure backwards. There are also bungee jumps from flying helicopters and hot air balloons. You can also try bungee jumping for two. Some companies can harness two people together so you and a friend can experience twice the excitement. A.J. Hackett’s company even offers a sky jump off the tallest building in Macau. Just how far would you go to experience the fast rush of bungee fear?

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Hosiah Mudzingwa helps run a bungee operation on the Victoria Falls bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa. He has been jumping from this one hundred and eleven meter drop for many years. From the steel bridge you can see the giant waters of Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Mister Mudzingwa explains that every human being wants to feel the rush of adrenaline. He says when you bungee jump, you leave all stress and bad thinking behind. He says you come back up with a new mind.

VOICE TWO:

Preparing to jump; the Zambezi River is in the background

But what does a person who is new to bungee jumping think about this sport? Tim Rooney recently traveled to Victoria Falls. He only had twenty-four hours to spend in Zimbabwe. But he made sure he found time to jump off this famous bridge towards the powerful Zambezi River. Here is what he had to say about the experience.

(SOUND)

TIM ROONEY: “Hi, I’m Tim Rooney from Washington DC. Jumping off the bridge was one of the most spectacular, poetic moments of my life.

"The idea hadn’t really occurred to me until we got to the falls and we saw the view. I decided what better way to get to know this view than to jump into it.

"I think that the jump had more of a scary impact on my girlfriend who had to watch the whole thing. To an observer, a bungee jump looks like a terribly violent process. But the actual experience of it is one of floating. You jump and you don’t have any sensation of being tugged or falling or anything. You just are floating up and down. It is one of the most calm, wonderful things I have ever done. I recommend everybody do it.”

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Shirley Griffith. 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.

Merida, Mexico Will be Last Stop of Bush's Latin America Tour

By Greg Flakus Merida, Mexico 13 March 2007

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Merida, Mexico, is the last stop on President Bush's tour of Latin America. There he will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who shares many of Mr. Bush's views on free markets, trade and development. President Bush has been dogged by protests most of the way on his Latin American trip, but as VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Merida, he can expect a much calmer scene there.

Newspaper headlines refer to President Bush's visit

People dance on the streets at night in Merida and spend their days in the parks and plazas of this colonial city with its many monuments, old churches and municipal buildings. People here are also used to American visitors, many of whom come to see the nearby ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal, which President Bush will tour with his Mexican host, President Calderon, on Tuesday.

Many Merida residents have been impressed and, to some degree, annoyed by the tight security imposed by authorities for the Bush visit. Some protesters, mostly from Mexico City and elsewhere, are here, but no one expects the kind of violent clashes that occurred in South America.

Helen Torres

Sitting in the shade of palm trees at a downtown plaza, Helen Torres says she believes the visit will go well.

She says people here are very calm and do not get roiled up about political matters.

Merida, which is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan, is a city of just under a million people about one thousand kilometers southeast of Mexico City, but even farther from the hectic and conflictive Mexican capital in terms of its ambiance. Political turmoil and protest marches are not a common part of life here.

Eladio Cuello Quintana

As he sits in the plaza having his shoes shined, retired professional Eladio Cuello Quintana expresses minimal expectations for the Bush-Calderon meeting.

He says people here are not accustomed to such meetings and that they do not expect much. He says he does, however, hope that the two presidents can come to an agreement on immigration that will benefit Mexico.

Immigration reform is a goal President Bush has pursued for several years, but his attention was diverted by the terrorist attacks of September 2001 and the US Congress has been divided between those who favor the president's proposal for a guest worker program and those who want more effective enforcement at the border before any such program is considered. Some 12 million Mexicans live and work in the United States illegally, according to some estimates. Mexican immigrants send back more than $20 billion a year in remittances, the second largest source of income in Mexico next to oil.

During part of his trip, President Bush was shadowed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who seeks to displace US influence in Latin America with his brand of populist socialism. Chavez, an admirer of Cuba's communist leader, Fidel Castro, has referred to President Bush as "the devil" and the United States as "the empire."

Felipe Calderon would be a natural foil to Chavez in that he and President Bush agree on most economic issues. But Calderon has his own problems at home, having won election last July by the slimmest of margins.

One area where the two presidents can work together effectively is in fighting cross-border crime and drug smuggling. Calderon launched a far-reaching campaign against organized crime right after assuming office in December and he is expected to seek more US help in furthering that effort during his talks with President Bush.

Women Peacekeepers Can Work With Female Victims, Set Example for Male Colleagues

By Barbara Schoetzau New York 12 March 2007

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Just one month ago the United Nations deployed its first all-women peacekeeping unit, a group of trained policewomen from India now serving in Liberia. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports this team is a sign of the continuing evolution of women in peacekeeping missions.

The first all-female unit of UN peacekeepers arrives in Liberia

In 2000, the United Nations adopted a landmark resolution to address the impact of war on women and spur greater participation of women in peace keeping. The U.N. department of peacekeeping operations appointed Comfort Lamptey as a gender adviser to help increase the role of women peacekeepers and study gender issues within peacekeeping operations.

Lamptey says the resolution grew out of the advocacy of women in war-torn regions who wanted a greater voice. Their regional advocacy caught the attention of U.N. officials.

"During the 1990s, we saw a rise in levels of internal conflicts in different continents, in Africa, in Asia, Eastern Europe and all the former Soviet Union states," said Comfort Lamptey. "I think what was clear was that while many of them were not engaged in the processes leading up to the conflict, they were being adversely effected by the war through violence against women, through the fact that they have to be solely responsible for the upkeep for their communities when the men are out fighting, through the fact that many women are becoming widows and single heads of households. And yet when it comes to actually helping to find solutions to peace, in spite of the impact of the war on them and the responsibilities that they assume during war time, they are not being consulted."

The reaction to women peacekeepers has been mixed in some locations, but their supporters say the advantages are clear. In some traditional societies, it is more acceptable for women to work with women. Lamptey has no doubt that women peacekeepers are better able to deal with women who have been victims of violence.

"I think that in a lot of countries women who have been subject to gender-based violence feel more comfortable talking to a woman," she said. "In many countries where women have been raped by men in uniform, they are more comfortable talking to another woman than men in uniforms. Having women in the field who are well-trained may be able to respond to women who have been violated."

As a side benefit, U.N. officials hope that women can set an example for male counterparts and reduce the instances of sexual exploitation that occurred in some peacekeeping units in recent years.

"My personal view, it's not scientific, is that the presence of more women can actually help dilute a macho approach to peacekeeping," noted Comfort Lamptey. "This is my own personal belief that if you have a contingent of 50 peacekeepers that are all men, the dynamics will be different than if you suddenly have 15 women, and 35 men."

Lamptey notes that in many societies, women peacekeepers have provided an extra benefit: they have become role models.

"We had women from Timor Leste and Burundi attest to the fact that the fact that we had women peacekeepers helped them galvanize their own aspirations to either join the local police, which we were helping to build in the case of Timor, the few women who were there served as role models," she said. "Similarly, in Burundi we had the head of the U.N. mission who was a woman and the local Burundi women said they were very inspired that the head of the UN in the country was a woman and that strengthened their own aspirations."

Increasing the numbers of women serving in the military components of peacekeeping missions is an ongoing struggle. Lamptey says troop-contributing nations rarely meet the number of requests for women made by the U.N. peacekeeping department. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia are among the top troop contributing countries. Lamptey says women account for less than two percent of the military in peacekeeping operations. Women make up four percent of the police and almost 30 percent of the civilian staffs of missions.