UN Observes Fourth Anniversary of Baghdad Headquarters Bombing

By Suzanne Presto New York 17 August 2007

Download

The United Nations held a ceremony Friday to mark the fourth anniversary of the deadly bombing of U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. Twenty two people were killed in the August 19 attack, and more than 150 others were wounded, leading the U.N. to substantially reduce its mission in Iraq. VOA's Suzanne Presto reports from the United Nations bureau in New York.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (l) and staff in New York, 17 Aug 2007, commemorate the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the headquarters in Baghdad

Behind the U.N. singers at the organization's headquarters, sunlight filtered through the Peace Window, a brilliant blue stained-glass work by the late Marc Chagall.

U.N. officials, staffers, loved ones of the victims and survivors gathered before a memorial plaque honoring those killed in the 2003 attack.

Nearby, the torn U.N. flag that once flew over the organization's Baghdad office is mounted on the wall.

Survivors laid a wreath of violet and yellow flowers before the plaque after victims' names were read out loud.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the August 19 attack was one of the U.N.'s "darkest days."

"Four years on, our hearts remain heavy," said the U.N. chief. "We have lost colleagues before in the line of duty. But this was the first time the United Nations was deliberately targeted on such a massive scale."

Mr. Ban says the attack shattered any illusion that U.N. ideals and impartiality would permit the body to escape violence in Iraq.

Still, he said, the U.N.'s commitment to peace remains unchanged.

"Today, those very ideals, the same resolve, guide our work for peace whether in Darfur or in Delhi, or in Beirut or in Baghdad," siad Mr. Ban.

Mr. Ban says such a commitment is evident in the U.N. plan to expand its role in Iraq through the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, or UNAMI. He says such work honors those who were killed in the terrorist attack, including top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

"The Security Council's recent decision to renew and strengthen UNAMI's mandate is an opportunity to carry forward the work of Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues," he said. "Yet I understand the fears and concerns some staff may have about any expansion. That is why I affirm to you today that any such measure remains strictly subject to conditions on the ground. Your safety is and always will be a a paramount concern."

Depending on the security situation, the U.N. Mission in Iraq is expected to increase from 55 to 95 international employees. The organization will play a larger role in brokering political dialogue inside Iraq and winning support from Iraq's neighbors for the country's security.

A U.N. spokeswoman Friday said an investigation into the August 2003 bombing is complete. She says the report identifies the attackers and explains how the bombing was carried out. She adds that findings will be made public after the victims' families are informed.

Yazidi, Muslim Leaders in Kurdistan Condemn Recent Bombing

By Brian Padden Irbil, Iraq 17 August 2007

Download

The death toll from a series of suicide attacks on Iraq's Yazidi sect on Tuesday continues to rise. Officials now estimate at least 400 people were killed and hundreds more wounded when four truck bombs exploded in this normally peaceful part of northern Iraq. U.S. and Kurdish officials say the attack is most likely an attempt to incite violence between the minority Yazidi sect and local Muslims. VOA's Brian Padden reports from the Kurdish city of Irbil.

Iraqi soldier videotapes the ruins of a coordinated suicide attack in the town of Qahataniya, 15 Aug 2007

The truck bombs flattened hundreds of homes, trapping hundreds of people in the rubble.

The director of operations for the senior military staff in Washington, Lieutenant General Carter Ham, told a Pentagon news conference U.S. forces are helping with search and recovery efforts in the wake of the attacks, and are providing medical treatment and supplies.

He says they are also working with Iraqi authorities to determine who is responsible.

"We don't yet know who did it, but certainly has the markings of an al-Qaida in Iraq type of attack," he said. "They've made it known that they wish to attack non-Muslims, so that may be a part of this. It may be in part [that] it is just their nature to attack [the] innocent and vulnerable as an effort, I suppose, to convey that there isn't security across the country."

Ido Babasheikh, Iraq's presidential advisor for Yazidien affairs, says this bombing is another example of Islamic extremists trying to incite violence among religious groups in Iraq.

"We think that this crime is not against the Yazidiens, just the Yazidiens, it's against all the communities of the Iraqi society and the Iraqi community and against all humanity in this region," he said.

Hadi Ali, with the Kurdistan Islamic Union, says this attack fits the Sunni militant pattern of trying to spark fighting among different groups.

Ali says just look at how they work. They set off many explosions in Baghdad and Kirkuk, and other places. He says they always find an excuse to attack.

Officials are concerned about increased tensions between Yazidi and Muslims in northern Iraq. The military presence in these areas has been increased and a curfew set in place.

US Iraq Commanders Plan Troop Drawdown Next April

By Al Pessin Pentagon 17 August 2007

Download

A senior U.S. commander in Iraq says he believes there will be a drawdown of U.S. troops starting next April, as long as the security situation continues to improve. Meanwhile, the officer says, coalition and Iraqi forces are focused on eliminating pockets of Sunni insurgent activity in the countryside, having already made it difficult for them to operate in the cities. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

General Ray Odierno

Speaking via satellite from Baghdad, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno said forces sent to Iraq as part of the surge will end their tours of duty starting in April, and the current plan is not to replace them.

"The decision is, if we decide to backfill those units," he explained. "Right now, our plan is not to backfill those units. But General Petraeus, as we continue to make assessments, will make that decision."

About one of the additional combat brigades will reach the end of its tour each month, which, along with support troops, would bring the U.S. troop total in Iraq down from the current level of 162,000 to about 132,000 by next August.

"The surge, we know, as it is today, goes through April of '08," he said. "We believe at some time around that time we will begin to reduce our forces down to pre-surge levels. And we are building our plans accordingly."

That will likely not be a fast enough withdrawal to satisfy critics of the war in the U.S. Congress, and among candidates running for president. But General Odierno says it is important to take a "deliberate" approach to any drawdown to ensure Iraqi forces can maintain order. And he stressed that the drawdown plan will not be final at least until later this year.

Meanwhile, General Odierno says the focus of coalition and Iraqi operations is a new effort to make a series of quick strikes against what he called "sanctuaries and staging areas" used by al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgent forces in rural areas around the country.

"We have been able to liberate the major population centers, provide more security," the general said. "And what we will do is conduct quick operational strikes all around the country to go after these remaining small pockets that are still remaining out there of al-Qaida, and also Shia extremists."

General Odierno says over time the coalition will be turning more toward fighting Shi'ite extremist groups, but for now al-Qaida in Iraq remains the main threat, and the main target of his forces.

"We also believe we've had some effect on them, and if we can we want to finish them off," he said. "And so we're not going to let them up, we want to stay after them. We want to make life as tough as possible here for them."

General Odierno says it is already difficult for the insurgents to operate in Iraq's cities, and he says that is one reason for the devastating attacks in two remote northern villages this week. Nationwide, he reports the overall number of attacks is down to the level of this time last year, attacks on civilians are at a six-month low and sectarian murders in Baghdad are down more than 50 percent since January.

But he acknowledges there is much more to do to solidify the gains, and he expressed concern that insurgents might try to increase their attacks during the coming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts in mid-September.

Negotiations Under Way for Peacekeeper Deployment, East Chad, CAR

By Phuong Tran Dakar 17 August 2007

Download

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging the U.N. Security Council to approve a new peacekeeping force for the volatile border region between Chad and Central African Republic. The newly revised proposal would address the concerns of Chadian President Idriss Deby, who opposed Mr. Ban's original proposal for deployment of a U.N. military force. Phuong Tran brings us this report from VOA's West African Bureau in Dakar.

Under the new proposal, a unit of Chad's police force would maintain law and order in refugee camps, key towns and areas that have large numbers of displaced civilians in eastern Chad.

U.N. staff would mostly offer support from the capital, N'Djamena, rather than be posted on the ground in eastern Chad.

The European Union would provide military forces, most likely to come from France, to serve with Chad forces on the border, for a period of at least one year.

Chad originally had rejected having U.N. peacekeepers on the border, saying it preferred to have its own security forces watch over the camps. But last month, President Idriss Deby agreed to an EU peacekeeping force.

Mr. Ban said the main cause of insecurity is not clashes between government troops and rebel forces, which have occurred only sporadically in recent months, but "widespread criminality and banditry and an associated breakdown in law and order."

The U.N.'s top official in Chad, Kingsley Amaning, says while leaders negotiate, the security of about 400,000 refugees and displaced persons living in Chad's poorly guarded camps suffer.

"What is important for us is that at least there is restoration of state protection," he said. "The state has becoming increasingly weak because of its military operations. Its focus has been diverted from state to regime protection. It is important for the international community to strengthen the capacity of the state to protect its citizens."

Humanitarian workers in eastern Chad report on-going inter-ethnic violence, even during heavy rains that usually halt fighting.

Amaning says the European Union is expected to send a delegation next week to Chad to decide whether it will deploy, how many troops, and which countries would participate.

He says the United Nations cannot move forward without this EU decision.

The U.N. and African Union are hoping to get all the rebel groups in Darfur and the Sudanese government to the peace table in September to try to end the four-year conflict that has claimed over 200,000 lives and uprooted 2.5 million people.

UN Says Massive Flooding Devastates Parts of North Korea

By Lisa Schlein Geneva 17 August 2007

Download

The United Nations reports massive flooding in North Korea has devastated the southern provinces, including the capital city and key agricultural regions. The U.N. reports that Pyongyang, in a departure from normal practice, has asked for international assistance to meet the emergency needs of the country's population. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

A building flooded with water from the Taedong River in Pyongyang, 14 Aug 2007

North Korean officials call these the worst rains to have hit the country in 40 years. And they see no let up as more rain is forecast in the coming days.

Official reports say more than 220 people have died and the homes of over 350,000 people have been destroyed or damaged, and tens of thousands of hectares of farmland have been flooded. Officials say there has been huge damage to roads, bridges, public buildings and other structures.

A U.N. team that did an initial assessment earlier this week has confirmed the serious situation being reported by the government. The World Food Program says it sent a rapid assessment team on Friday, with the permission of the government, to survey sites in eight flood-stricken areas.

On the basis of what already is known, WFP spokesman Simon Pluess says it appears there has been widespread flooding of arable land in the southern half of the country.

"It is important to know that the southern half of the country is the main food producing area," said Pluess. "The area inundated is part of what is called the rice bowl. So, it is very fertile and important for the food security of North Korea. As you know, North Korea is a food deficit country and our fear is really that this year's floods will exacerbate the already food insecure situation in the country."

Pluess says the agency has 4,000 tons of food available in the country, which can be rapidly distributed to flood victims. He says this is enough to begin immediately feeding some 350,000 people.

The World Health Organization says it does not know whether there have been any outbreaks of disease in the flood areas. But WHO Spokeswoman, Fadela Chaib, says it is likely that outbreaks will occur and it is important to be prepared.

"When we are facing floods in any country … the main problem will be water and sanitation because these problems will, without doubt, mean that we will have water and food-borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera and dysentery, etc," said Chaib.

Chaib says WHO has set up temporary clinics to help the sick. The U.N. Children's Fund reports it has pre-positioned supplies in government warehouses. Those supplies include kits of essential medicines and water.

Peru Working to Deliver Relief Aid to Quake Areas

By Brian Wagner Miami 17 August 2007

Download

Peru's government has appealed for calm as relief workers try to deliver aid to survivors of a massive earthquake that killed at least 500 people. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that immigrant groups in the United States are gathering donations and other supplies to send to the region.

Alan Garcia (file photo)

Peru's President Alan Garcia promised residents that relief aid is coming to towns along the nation's central coast that were hit by Wednesday's quake. The Peruvian leader began a tour of the disaster zone Thursday, where the 8.0 magnitude quake toppled buildings and mud-brick homes.

Some survivors have complained that relief supplies have been slow in arriving. Damage to highways, roads and power systems has impeded their delivery.

Rescue efforts have also been hampered by a series of strong aftershocks in the region, including a 5.9 magnitude quake early Friday. Officials said they were continuing to search for survivors in the rubble, but that time was running out to find people alive.

In Miami, Latin American community groups began appealing for donations of canned food, medicine, warm clothing and blankets for survivors. Carlos Pereira, head of the Immigration Orientation Center, which provides assistance to immigrants, said his group plans to send supplies on a chartered flight to central Peru on Tuesday. He added that Peruvian immigrants in Miami have been calling his group asking for information about family members in Peru.

Pereira says it is important to remain calm and patient in this situation and find ways to help.

In Washington, the United States has released $150,000 for emergency supplies, and is providing two medical teams. The Pentagon said one of the teams was on the ground in Peru when the disaster occurred and has begun working with Peruvian officials to assist survivors.

VOASE0817_In the News

17 August 2007

As Karl Rove Resigns, Democrats Wonder Where He Might Resurface
President's closest adviser says he wants to spend more time with his family.

Download
Download

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The news that Karl Rove will leave his job at the end of the month has the political world debating why and what effect it will have.

President Bush and his closest political adviser announced the resignation on Monday (pictured). The president called his deputy chief of staff a "dear friend" and thanked him for his service to the country.

The two men have known each other since the nineteen seventies. George W. Bush was elected governor of Texas in nineteen ninety-four and later re-elected by a bigger majority. Karl Rove led both campaigns.

He was influential in bringing widespread change in Texas politics. The state went from traditionally Democratic to governed by Republicans.

Karl Rove and George Bush went national with the presidential election of two thousand. Mister Bush campaigned as a "compassionate conservative" on issues like education, crime and family values. He won after the Supreme Court stopped a recount of disputed votes in Florida. The election was one of the closest in American history.

After that, Karl Rove worked state by state and issue by issue to expand the president's base of support. He worked with groups that traditionally vote Democratic such as Hispanics, women, and Catholics. He especially sought to build the conservative Christian base.

President Bush went on to re-election victory in two thousand four. In his acceptance speech he thanked Karl Rove and gave him a new nickname, "the Architect." Some call him "Bush's Brain."

From raising money to shaping political debate in America, and attacking opponents, Karl Rove made his mark. His hopes included a Republican majority in Congress that would last a generation.

Yet he leaves a weakened administration with less than a year and a half in office. Last November, Democrats retook both houses of Congress. Now, the continuing Iraq war raises their hopes to win the White House next year.

The war has brought down the president's approval ratings. But, as Karl Rove pointed out Monday, ratings for the Democratic-controlled Congress are even lower. And, he said, they got there a lot quicker.

Mister Rove says he is leaving to spend more time with his family. He also says he will write a book as the president has urged him to do.

Many Democratic leaders are happy to see Karl Rove go. But others worry that he could hurt their party more from outside the White House than inside.

Democrats in Congress could still call him to give evidence in their investigation into the dismissal of several federal prosecutors. Accusations of political misuse of federal agencies could also follow him.

Karl Rove says he expects the Democrats to keep coming after him. He compared it to Herman Melville's novel about the endless hunt by a sea captain for the great white whale that bit off his leg. Karl Rove says he is Moby-Dick and a few members of Congress are trying to act like Captain Ahab.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Caty Weaver. I’m Steve Ember.

VOASE0816_Economics Report

16 August 2007

Economics Not Such a Dismal Science for US High School Students
A newly released study finds that 79 percent of 12th-graders have at least a basic understanding.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

How much do American high school students know about economics? A new

report shows that seventy-nine percent of twelfth-graders have at least a basic level of understanding.

The results come from testing eleven thousand five hundred students last year in public and private schools.

In fact, students did better in economics than in history or science.

Only forty-seven percent of those tested reached the basic level in history. And fifty-four percent performed at or above the basic level in science.

This is the first time the federal government has measured economic understanding among high school students. The study was done as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, called the Nation's Report Card.

Only one-third of the fifty states require it, but most students these days study some economics in high school. In nineteen eighty-two, forty-nine percent of high school graduates had taken an economics class. By two thousand five it was sixty-six percent.

The study rated understanding at three levels: basic, proficient and advanced. Forty-two percent of students reached the proficient level. Three percent tested at the highest achievement level.

Students received a score with a point value between zero and three hundred. The report says male students scored an average of four points higher than female students. And students from schools in large cities did not do as well as those from other places.

Students answered questions in three major areas: market economy and national and international economy.

Seventy-two percent could describe the risks and possible rewards of leaving a job for more education. Fifty-two percent knew what happens to money deposited in banks. But only eleven percent understood how changes in the unemployment rate affect pay, spending and production.

The next economics testing will take place in two thousand twelve.

So what does happen to most of the money deposited in checking accounts at a commercial bank? A) It is used to pay the bank's expenses. B) It is loaned to other bank customers. C) It is kept in the bank's vault until depositors withdraw the funds. Or, D) It is paid to owners of the bank as return on their investment.

The correct answer: B) It is loaned to other bank customers.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. For a link to the full report, including other sample questions, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Mario Ritter.

VOASE0816_American Mosaic

16 August 2007

The Pierces: Two Sisters Who Put Their Imaginations Into Their Music
A question from Turkey about solutions to America’s traffic problems. And a look at the popularity of Ferris wheels.

Download
Download

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Barbara Klein. On our show this week:

We listen to music from the Pierces …

Answer a question about America's traffic problems …

And report about an old time amusement park ride that's become new again.

Ferris Wheels

HOST:

An amusement park ride invented more than one hundred years ago is becoming popular again. Cities all over the world are building new kinds of Ferris wheels. Steve Ember tells us more about the invention that has become much more than just a popular American amusement park ride.

STEVE EMBER:

The Ferris wheel at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California.

Ferris wheels are large circles that extend high into the air. People sit or stand in small boxes attached to the structure and are lifted into the air and back down to Earth. The first real Ferris wheel was built in eighteen ninety-three for the world's fair called the Colombian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France had been built for the Centennial Exposition in eighteen eighty-nine. Officials in Chicago wanted an exciting new structure that would interest large numbers of people as well.

American bridge builder and engineer George Washington Gale Ferris had the answer. He proposed a seventy-six meter high "observation wheel" for the fair. Some people said it could not be done. They said it was too big and too dangerous to lift people so high that they could be threatened by blowing wind.

Mister Ferris agreed to build the wheel with his own and other private money. His proposal was approved. His wheel operated for the first time at the fair in Chicago. It could carry more than one thousand four hundred riders. Each rider paid fifty cents to ride around the full circle two times for ten minutes. Reports said more than one million people rode that first Ferris wheel in the nineteen weeks it operated at the fair. People started calling it after the name of its inventor.

Today, Ferris wheels can be found in just about every amusement park in the United

South Korean firefighters rescue a student from a car of a Ferris wheel at the World Carnival Busan

States and in other countries. They are usually very safe. But accidents do happen. Just this week, a passenger box turned over on a Ferris wheel in South Korea. Five people were killed in the twenty-meter fall.

Next year, China is to open two new Ferris wheels. The Tianjin Eye will stand on a bridge where cars will pass around it. And the Great Beijing Wheel will be more than two hundred meters high. The wheels are to start turning in time for the two thousand eight Summer Olympic Games.

Traffic

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Turkey. Nadir Telli wants to know about possible solutions to America’s traffic problems.

Many big cities in the United States have serious traffic problems. Too many cars travel on the freeways to and from the city. This heavy traffic causes delays and lots of pollution from cars that are using their engines but not moving anywhere. Many cars going nowhere is called a "traffic jam."

Heavy traffic near Los Angeles

While many cities in the United States have traffic problems, some of the worst are in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles is a big city with a large downtown area. One of the reasons there is so much traffic is that almost everyone uses a car to get around instead of using public transportation. Many people live far from the city and drive many kilometers to work and back every day.

Experts say one possible solution to the traffic problem in Los Angeles would be to make people want to use the public transportation system of buses instead of their own cars. People say the buses should be made easier, faster, less costly and more dependable than driving a car.

One suggestion is to reduce the cost of riding the bus. People who usually drive their cars could save a lot of money on gas and parking costs. Also, Los Angeles could make the buses easier for people to use. The buses could travel to more places in the city. And there could be more special lanes on the freeways that only buses could drive in. These changes would make taking the bus faster and easier than driving a car.

The city of Los Angeles controls all of the public transportation. Some experts suggest permitting private bus companies to compete for riders. The private companies would find ways to make the buses more popular.

Other experts have said that the best way to ease traffic problems is to charge people money to drive on the freeways. These charges, or tolls, would be for the most crowded roads. The tolls would be in effect during the times of day when most people drive to work and home again. These times in the morning and late afternoon are called "rush hour." People would try to avoid driving on these roads, which would decrease the amount of traffic. Also, the money collected from these tolls could be used to improve the roads and public transportation system.

The Pierces

HOST:

The Pierces are a musical band of two sisters, Allison and Catherine Pierce. These two musicians were born and raised in the southern state of Alabama, but now live in New York City. Critics are praising the imaginative songs on their latest album, "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge." Mario Ritter has more.

(MUSIC)

MARIO RITTER:

That was the playfully serious song “Secret.” It is a good example of how the Pierces

The Pierces

mix a folk music sound with creative and funny storytelling.

Allison and Catherine Pierce's parents taught them at an early age to love music and the arts. The girls grew up listening to folk rock musicians like Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel. Their parents taught them to explore their creative sides by playing music, painting and cooking. But the girls did not start their careers in music. They both worked as professional ballet dancers before deciding to work on their music full time.

Here is the song “Boring.” The sisters jokingly sing about the things they think are uninteresting. They make fun of rich people who are not thankful for what they have.

(MUSIC)

This is the Pierces' third album. But they say it is the only record they are really happy with. Catherine and Allison have said that in the past they felt like they did not have a free voice. They were asked to make music that would make money instead of making music they loved. On this record, they made music their way. We close with the energetic song “Sticks and Stones.”

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Barbara Klein. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Erin Braswell, Dana Demange, and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Seeks to Expand Energy and Security Influence

By Peter Fedynsky Bishkek 16 August 2007

Download

The six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization has concluded its one-day summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, amid calls from two of its energy-rich members for the creation of an Asian energy club. VOA correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports, from the Kyrgyz capital, the summit's call for a multilateral approach to global problems is an indirect reaction to American influence, around the world.

From left, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, Kazakh President Nazarbayev, Chinese President Hu, Kyrgyz President Bakiyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 16 Aug 2007

Summit leaders highlighted the potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to address such common problems as terrorism and drug trafficking and to gain mutual advantage on matters of regional security and energy. The presidents of oil-rich Russia and Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin and Nursultan Nazarbayev, called for expanded energy ties among member states. Mr. Nazarbayev says the pipeline network that connects Russia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and China can serve basis for a common SCO energy market.

The Kazakh leader says meetings of SCO energy ministers and those of observer states should work as what he calls "an energy club," - a basic element of an Asian energy strategy."

Russian President Putin used the term "energy club" as well. Mr. Putin also highlighted the possibility of linking European and Asian trade corridors and urged development of information technologies among the member states. In addition, he called for the establishment of appropriate financial institutions. In an indirect-but-clear reference to American influence around the globe, Mr. Putin again called for the establishment of a multi-polar world.

Mr. Putin says a multi-polar international system would guarantee equal security and development potential for all countries. The Russian leader says a 'go-it-alone' approach to global and regional problems has no future.

The multilateral approach is written into the so-called Bishkek Declaration. Much of the document signed by leaders of the SCO nations is devoted to security, which is broadly interpreted as a sound global economy, a reduction in poverty, as well as economic, ecological and energy security.

The Bishkek Declaration also highlights the need to fight terrorism and singles out the negative regional influence of Afghanistan's illegal drug trade. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, an invited SCO guest, acknowledged the problem in his remarks to summit leaders.

Also invited was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad. He says he is prepared to organize a meeting of SCO oil ministers to discuss energy cooperation.

Representatives of India, Pakistan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan were present at the summit/ as observers.

After their formal summit, SCO leaders embarked on a trip to Chelyabinsk, Russia, to observe military maneuvers by armed forces of member states.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001. Its 2008 summit is scheduled to take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Poll: Clinton, Giuliani Lead US Political Party Nomination Races for President

By Michael Bowman Washington 15 August 2007

Download

A new poll of likely U.S. voters shows New York Senator Hillary Clinton maintaining her frontrunner status among Democratic voters in next year's presidential race, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leading the Republican field. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington.

Hillary Clinton (file photo)

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Senator Clinton with 36 percent backing among Democrats, up one percent from a survey in June, with strong support among women and working class voters. Illinois Senator Barack Obama is holding steady in second place, at 21 percent, and is favored among Democrats with college degrees.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who has stated he has no intention of running for office, polled third with 15 percent support, ahead of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards at nine percent.

Mrs. Clinton may lead the Democratic field, but the news is not all positive for the one-time first lady, according to the head of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, Maurice Carroll.

"Trailing her is a big 'Hillary hostility' factor which does raise questions, feeds those doubts about [whether she] can win in November [in next year's election]," he said. "Forty-eight to 43 percent, Americans tell the poll they have a favorable impression of her. But 43 is a big number, the negative side, and that is the highest of any of the candidates."

Months ago, some analysts predicted that Senator Obama, whose father was Kenyan, would eventually receive overwhelming backing from black and other minority voters. But the Quinnipiac poll shows no such trend to date, with Senator Clinton doing well among all racial and ethnic groups within the Democratic Party.

Rudy Giuliani (file photo)

Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani leads with 28 percent support, up one percent from June. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney comes in second with 15 percent, followed by actor and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson with 12 percent and Arizona Senator John McCain with 11 percent. Mr. Thompson has yet to formally announce his candidacy.

Carroll notes that Giuliani is pro-choice on abortion and favors legal rights for homosexual couples - positions that do not endear him with the socially-conservative base of the Republican Party. But he says the former mayor has one great strength that propels him to the top of the Republican field:

"It's 9/11. Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City when the terrorists attacked and destroyed the World Trade Center. His performance then in rallying the city, reassuring the city - and to an extent the nation, earned him all sorts of plaudits and that is his big pitch. Of those who are for him, more than a third cited his performance after 9/11, his anti-terrorist credentials," he said.

How would top Democratic and Republican contenders fare if the presidential election were held today? The Quinnipiac poll shows Hillary Clinton edging Rudy Giuliani 46 to 43 percent, and a draw between Giuliani and Barack Obama at 42 percent each. The poll did not pose a hypothetical match-up of Mitt Romney against a Democratic challenger.

Such polls provide only a snapshot of public opinion at the time they are conducted. The first contest of the presidential primary season is still months away, in January, and the general election is more than a year off.

US, Afghan Operation Targets Terrorists in Tora Bora

By Al Pessin Pentagon 15 August 2007

Download

The U.S. command in eastern Afghanistan is confirming that U.S. and Afghan forces are conducting an offensive against insurgents in the rugged Tora Bora region. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

A spokeswoman for the coalition task force in the region says the operation involves several hundred U.S. and Afghan troops and has been going on for a few days. Captain Vanessa Bowman says the force is targeting insurgent support bases and training sites near the Afghan-Pakistan border.

She says there have been no coalition casualties, and "no substantiated reports" of civilian casualties. Coalition and NATO forces have been criticized for accidentally killing too many Afghan civilians, but Captain Bowman says targets for the current operation were chosen, in part, with a view to avoiding civilian casualties.

Bowman could not confirm reports of a parallel, coordinated Pakistani operation on its side of the border.

"I do not have information on Pakistan operations," said Bowman. "All I know is it is an operation between the Afghan and U.S. forces within Afghanistan to disrupt the militants there in the Tora Bora region."

Bryan Whitman (file photo)

At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman described this effort as part of the normal "peaks and valleys" of what he called "aggressive offensive operations" by coalition forces in Afghanistan. And he also could not say whether Pakistani forces are conducting a parallel operation.

"Particularly along the border region, our cooperation with Pakistan is very good," said Whitman. "And we have mechanisms for ensuring that we exercise the necessary control measures to understand what is occurring on each side of the border because, as you can imagine, that is important."

Whitman said such operations are driven by intelligence, but neither spokesman could say whether senior Taleban or al-Qaida leaders were the targets. The insurgent leadership is believed to be hiding in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, and has been headquartered in Tora Bora in the past.

The operation is being conducted by what is called Combined Joint Task Force 82, the remnants of the U.S.-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan in 2001. The force is responsible for counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan, particularly in the east, while NATO forces now have general security responsibility throughout the country.

VOASE0815_The Making of a Nation

15 August 2007

American History Series: How Bill Clinton Became the Second President Ever to Be Impeached
He survived an effort to remove him from office for lying about his relationship with a young White House aide.

Download
Download

VOICE ONE:

This is Mary Tillotson.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States. Today, we continue telling about America's forty-second president, Bill Clinton He became only the second American president to be charged and tried for wrongdoing by Congress.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

For years, critics of Bill Clinton had accused him of financial wrongdoing before he became president. Some critics also accused his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Clintons denied any dishonest actions. However, unconfirmed reports repeatedly said that they were involved in illegal business activities in Arkansas during the nineteen eighties.

In January of nineteen ninety-four, the president asked Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint an independent lawyer to lead an investigation. Miz Reno named a Republican lawyer. However, some people said this man was too friendly to the Clinton administration. He was replaced by Kenneth Starr, also a Republican.

VOICE TWO:

Congress also investigated the president during his two terms in office. For example, the Senate Judiciary Committee began an investigation in nineteen ninety-five. The majority of Judiciary Committee members reported that the evidence did not show Mister Clinton responsible for a crime. But the majority belonged to his political party, the Democrats. Suspicion of the president continued.

The main cause of the suspicion developed from a financial investment made years earlier. Bill and Hillary Clinton had bought land in Arkansas in nineteen seventy eight. The Clintons formed the Whitewater Development Corporation with Susan and James McDougal. The goal was to sell holiday homes on a river. However, the company did poorly.

VOICE ONE:

James McDougal also owned a loan company. Hillary Clinton, a lawyer, did legal work for this company. The company failed during the nineteen-eighties. James McDougal and Susan McDougal were found guilty of wrongdoing in connection with the loan company.

Bill and Hillary Clinton’s business connection to the McDougals in the Whitewater Company helped make the Clintons targets of suspicion.

VOICE TWO:

A former judge also became linked to legal questions about the Whitewater Corporation. David Hale owned a savings and loan company that received public money. In nineteen ninety-six, Mister Hale said Bill Clinton had pressured him to loan money to Susan McDougal about eleven years earlier. The Whitewater Development Corporation received some of that money. Mister Clinton was governor of Arkansas at the time. So such an action would have been illegal. Bill Clinton denied the accusation.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Investigators asked Missus Clinton several times for records of her legal work for James McDougal during the nineteen eighties. Officials wanted to know how much time she had spent on legal advice for his loan company. She said she could not find the records. Then, in January of nineteen ninety-six, the records appeared in the White House. Missus Clinton could not explain their presence.

Bill and Hillary Clinton continued to deny wrongdoing. Some Americans did not believe them. Others, however, said Kenneth Starr was wasting millions of dollars on his investigation. They said Mister Starr was acting against the president for political reasons.

Media reports said Mister Starr had offered shorter prison sentences to David Hale and others involved with Whitewater if they cooperated with his investigation. Defenders of the president said this meant these people had good reason to lie.

Investigators said such offers are common. Other media reports said David Hale had received large amounts of money from a conservative organization that had strongly criticized Mister Clinton.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The president was threatened with removal from office after a sexual relationship with a young woman became public.

It started when a former Arkansas state employee named Paula Corbin Jones took legal action against President Clinton in nineteen ninety-four. She charged that he had asked her for sex while he was governor of Arkansas. A federal judge dismissed her case for lack of evidence. But Missus Jones appealed the case.

White House intern Monica Lewinsky

Her lawyers wanted to prove that Mister Clinton had had sex with several female workers. They suspected these included a young woman, Monica Lewinsky, who had worked as a White House assistant. They believed Miz Lewinsky had sexual relations with President Clinton between nineteen ninety-five and nineteen-ninety-seven.

VOICE ONE :

Kenneth Starr was still investigating the Whitewater case early in nineteen ninety-eight. He received permission to include Miz Lewinsky in his investigation.

A former friend of Miz Lewinsky had given Mister Starr tape recordings of her telephone calls with the young woman. On the recordings, Monica Lewinsky talked about her relationship with the president.

Earlier, Miz Lewinsky and Mister Clinton had separately answered questions from lawyers representing Paula Jones. Both Mister Clinton and Mizz Lewinsky denied having a sexual relationship. In January of nineteen ninety-eight, Mister Clinton also denied publicly that he had a sexual relationship with Mizz Lewinsky.

VOICE TWO:

Six months later, Mister Clinton agreed to answer questions before a federal investigating jury. He told the grand jury about his relationship with Miz Lewinsky. This meant he had lied during earlier official questioning. That night, the president admitted on national television that he had had a relationship with Monica Lewinsky that was wrong. He told the nation his actions were a personal failure. But he denied trying to get her to lie about the relationship.

Kenneth Starr sent his final report to the House of Representatives. The report suggested that Mister Clinton may have committed impeachable crimes in trying to hide his relationship with the young woman.

VOICE ONE:

In December, the House of Representatives impeached President William Jefferson Clinton. This meant the Senate would hold a trial and decide if he was guilty. If found guilty, Mister Clinton would be removed from office, as required by the Constitution.

Only one other president had ever been impeached. In eighteen sixty-eight, the House of Representatives had brought charges against President Andrew Johnson. The Senate had failed by one vote to remove him from office.

VOICE TWO:

Hillary Rodham Clinton as her husband thanks House Democrats who opposed his impeachment

The House of Representatives approved two charges against President Clinton to send to the Senate. One charge accused him of lying during the official investigation of his relationship with Mizz Lewinsky. The other accused him of trying to hide evidence.

Mister Clinton still had two years left to serve as president. Opinion studies showed the American public wanted him to finish his term. Two-thirds of the people asked said they opposed removing him from office.

VOICE ONE:

The Senate decided Mister Clinton’s future in February of nineteen ninety-nine. The one hundred senators held a trial to consider the charges and decide if Mister Clinton should be removed from office. The trial required sixty-seven votes for a judgment of guilt on each charge.

The Senators voted Mister Clinton not guilty on one charge. They evenly divided their votes on the other charge.

Bill Clinton remained president of the United States. But the forty-second president had hoped to be remembered for his leadership and the progress made during his administration. Instead, many people said he will be remembered for the charges against him.

In October, nineteen ninety-nine, Kenneth Starr resigned as the independent investigator. An assistant, Robert Ray, completed a final report on the Whitewater investigation. He issued his report in September, two thousand. No charges were brought against the Clintons. The report said there was not enough evidence to prove any wrongdoing by President or Missus Clinton.

Political experts disagree about what place in history William Jefferson Clinton will occupy. But the experts agree that Mister Clinton’s influence on the United States will be debated for many years to come.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by George Grow. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

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

VOASE0815_Education Report

15 August 2007

Teacher in Space Answers Questions From Students
Barbara Morgan and other astronauts take part in video link from International Space Station.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

SOUND: "Good morning, Discovery Center -- good afternoon. We're happy to be here with you. This is Al Drew, Clay Anderson, Dave Williams and I'm Barb Morgan. And we are ready for your first question. Welcome aboard the International Space Station."

Astronaut Barbara Morgan on the space shuttle Endeavour

That was teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, speaking from more than three hundred twenty kilometers above Earth.

CHILDREN: "Hello from Idaho!"

And those were the students she was greeting in the northwestern state of Idaho. They gathered at the Discovery Center in Boise on Tuesday to ask the astronauts questions by video link.

The astronauts already knew what the questions would be. One student asked what stars look like from space.

Basically the answer was that the space shuttle and the space station are kept brightly lit, so it is difficult to see a lot of stars.

BARBARA MORGAN: "In fact, one way to think about that when we're on the International Space Station and all the lights are on when we look outside, it's very much like trying to look at the stars when you're in Boise. You can see some, but then if you go up high in the mountains, up to McCall, and you have all the lights out, that's what it will be like once we undock from [the] station and we can turn all our shuttle lights out, and also for the station folks they can turn all their lights out."

Barbara Morgan taught elementary school in McCall, Idaho, before she trained for space. She and six other astronauts arrived Friday on the shuttle Endeavour to bring supplies and new equipment to the international station.

Barbara Morgan is fifty-five years old. She taught for many years before she became an astronaut.

QUESTION: "Hi, I'm Sarah Blum. How does being a teacher relate with being an astronaut on this mission?"

BARBARA MORGAN: "Well, actually, astronauts and teachers actually do the same things. We discover and we share. The great thing about being a teacher is that you get to do that with students. And the great thing about being an astronaut is you get to do it in space. And those are absolutely wonderful jobs."

Barbara Morgan first prepared for a shuttle flight more than twenty years ago. She trained in case NASA needed a substitute for Christa McAuliffe, its choice to become the first teacher in space.

Then, in nineteen eighty-six, Christa McAuliffe died with the Challenger crew when the shuttle exploded shortly after launch.

After the disaster, NASA officials barred other civilians from shuttle flights. But in nineteen ninety-eight, they created a new position for teachers to become fully trained astronauts. Barbara Morgan is NASA's first "educator astronaut" launched into orbit.

One of her first tasks was to operate Endeavour's robotic arm to inspect the shuttle for any launch-related damage. Cameras showed a small area hit by a piece of protective foam that fell off the fuel tank. NASA officials say the damage is not a safety threat but they are deciding what to do about it.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. For a link to NASA educational resources for the Endeavour flight, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Mario Ritter.

VOASE0814_Health Report

14 August 2007

Epilepsy: Mysterious and Sometimes Misunderstood
People are considered to have the condition if they suffer two unexplained seizures. America's top judge recently had his second one in 14 years.

Download
Download

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Epilepsy is a disorder where bursts of electrical activity in the brain result in seizures. A seizure can involve part or all of the brain. It can be minor and a few seconds long or severe and last for several minutes.

Victims can shake uncontrollably and have brief periods where they do not wake up. Many people misunderstand epilepsy. They may see it as a mental disability or even fear it as a sign of evil.

The World Health Organization says more than fifty million people have epilepsy. At least half of all cases develop in children and teenagers.

The Epilepsy Foundation in the United States says ten percent of adults will have a seizure sometime during their life. In most cases the cause is unknown.

On July thirtieth, the chief justice of the United States, John Roberts, had a

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts

seizure and fell near his summer home in Maine. A Supreme Court spokeswoman said neurological tests found no cause for concern. She said the fifty-two-year-old chief justice fully recovered from what doctors called a benign idiopathic seizure.

Benign and idiopathic mean there was no evidence of harm and no identifiable cause, like a growth or stroke.

But Mister Roberts had a similar event fourteen years ago. Experts say a person who has two or more unexplained seizures is considered to have epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation says more than three million Americans, or one percent, are treated for the condition. Anti-seizure medicines are the most common treatment. But side effects can include sleepiness and difficulty thinking clearly.

Some doctors advise a special diet called a ketogenic diet to help control seizures. Experts warn, though, that this high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet requires close medical supervision and is not for everyone.

Doctors may also try to control epilepsy through brain operations.

To help a person during a seizure, stay calm and try to time how long it lasts. Clear the area of any objects that could injure the person and loosen anything around the neck that could restrict breathing.

Turn the person gently onto one side to keep airways open. Put something flat and soft under the person's head. But do not try to put anything in the person's mouth.

You may have heard it said that people can swallow their tongue during a seizure. Not true, says the Epilepsy Foundation. In fact, it says trying to hold the tongue down could damage the teeth or jaw.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0814_Explorations

14 August 2007

It's a Zoo Up There in Space. Make That a Galaxy Zoo
Also: NASA's Dawn spacecraft will visit the asteroids Ceres and Vesta. And watch for the Perseid meteor shower.

Download
Download

VOICE ONE:

I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. This week, we tell about a project to identify images of one million galaxies that have been captured by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We also tell about the Perseid Meteor Shower.

We begin with NASA's new spacecraft that will visit two of the biggest asteroids.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

For many years, the United States space agency has studied the major planets in

An artist's picture of the Dawn spacecraft

detail. For example, NASA is observing Mars from orbit and also on its surface with the Mars Rovers. Jupiter has also been visited several times by Pioneer, Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. The Deep Impact mission even visited a comet.

But there are objects in our solar system that remain mysterious. These are the asteroids and dwarf planets.

Now NASA has designed a mission that will visit two of the important members of this group of objects. A new spacecraft called Dawn will visit Ceres and Vesta, two large bodies in what is known as the asteroid belt.

The asteroid belt took shape early in the formation of the solar system, about four and one-half billion years ago. Astronomers believe that the force of gravity from Jupiter prevented the rocky material between it and Mars from forming a planet. The result is that there are thousands of rocky bodies circling the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

VOICE TWO:

Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt. It is over nine hundred kilometers across. It was the first object of its kind ever discovered. In August of last year, however, astronomers changed the way they define Ceres. It is now a dwarf planet. Ceres shares this classification with two other objects: Pluto and Eris. But Ceres is a rocky world much closer to the sun.

Astronomers are interested in Ceres because it may hold water. Measurements of light reflected from the dwarf planet suggest this. Astronomers believe that the outer covering of Ceres may contain up to twenty-five percent water ice. This could mean that there is more water on Ceres than there is fresh water on Earth.

VOICE ONE:

Vesta was the fourth object of its kind discovered. Astronomers believe it is covered with rock that melted and then became solid again. There is also a giant hole, or crater, four hundred sixty kilometers across on the asteroid's south pole. Astronomers believe a massive crash took place between Vesta and another object. The force was so great that Vesta lost one percent of its total mass.

What happened to all this material? It spread throughout parts of the solar system. Five percent of all meteorites we find on Earth might be from this one event on Vesta. Meteorites are small pieces of space rock that fall to Earth.

VOICE TWO:

Now Dawn will explore these bodies in greater detail than ever before. Dawn is a new kind of spacecraft. It improves on technology used in NASA's Deep Space One mission. That spacecraft visited the comet Temple One and an asteroid. However, Dawn's mission will be much longer.

Dawn's engines use what is called an ion propulsion system. Ion engines use electrical current and fuel made of the element xenon to power the spacecraft through space. Electricity comes from two large solar arrays over eight meters long. The wide flat surfaces of the solar arrays gather sunlight and turn it into electricity.

VOICE ONE:

Dawn's eyes are two cameras that are exactly alike. They can measure light in seven different colors. There are two other instruments on Dawn. One is a Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector. This device measures a form of light, gamma rays, and neutrons, which are particles in the centers of atoms. The detector measures the light and particles, showing scientists what kind of substances make up the surface of the objects. This device will also show if there is water ice on Ceres.

NASA had planned to launch Dawn in July. But now the spacecraft is set to launch in September.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Researchers spend millions of dollars on equipment and tools they need to observe the universe. They are able to see and study objects that are millions of light-years away. However, people can observe some very interesting things with their own eyes. Any person who wants to know about the night sky can go outside, look up, and see some extraordinary sights.

A Perseid meteor

This month, people everywhere have the chance to see the Perseid meteor shower. The meteors seem to come out of the group of stars called Perseus.

The Perseids come every year, near the middle of August. The meteor shower comes from dust left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet takes about one hundred thirty years to go around the sun, and leaves dust in its path. When the Earth passes through this trail of material, the dust hits the Earth’s atmosphere.

This dust is moving very fast, about sixty kilometers a second. Because the meteors are moving so fast, they make bright streaks as they burn up in the atmosphere.

VOICE ONE:

The best way to see these meteors is to get away from cities with bright lights. People in big cities will be able to see the brightest meteors. But many, many more will be visible in the darkness of the countryside. The view this year will be especially good, because there will be very little moonlight.

There will be different kinds of meteors during different parts of the meteor shower. For example, there will be a few meteors called “earthgrazers” near the beginning of the shower. These appear early in the evening when the constellation of Perseus first rises into the sky. Earthgrazers are meteors that show up on the horizon and then trail overhead. A NASA official described them as “long, slow and colorful.”

There will be more and more meteors overhead as the night goes on. This year, the most meteors were visible extremely early on August thirteenth. At that time, scientists say as many as one meteor per minute crossed the sky. However, the Perseids can be seen for about one week after this time as well. This is a great time to get outside and see astronomy in action.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Professional astronomers have collected pictures of one million galaxies in our

A picture of the galaxy NGC 6070 from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

universe. These pictures came from a project called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Now, the astronomers want to sort the galaxies they have found by shape.

However, there are too many galaxies for professional astronomers to look at and sort on their own. This would take a very long time. So they have asked the public for help. Astronomers want people around the world to help look at the pictures of the galaxies on a Web site and classify them into different kinds. All you need is a computer with connection to the Internet. This project is called Galaxy Zoo.

Astronomers want people instead of computers to help because some of the pictures are very hard to recognize. They say that people are much better at identifying these patterns and shapes. Some of the images of galaxies are unclear and the human eye is the best tool to help decide what shape a galaxy really is.

Scientists say that knowing how many of each kind of galaxy there are will help them understand more about our universe. The information will help answer questions about how galaxies are made and how they change over time. It will also help answer questions about how the universe works and moves.

VOICE ONE:

Project Galaxy Zoo was first announced on July eleventh. In the first sixty hours after the announcement, the Web site had been visited almost seven million times. So far, more than eighty-five thousand people are exploring the universe on the Internet. People have sent more than twelve million galaxy classifications. However, astronomers say that they need even more people to help.

Scientists want between ten and twenty different people to sort each of the one million galaxies. This will take a long time, even with so many people working on it. However, more and more people are signing up to look at these galaxies every day. When the results help scientists answer important questions about the universe thousands of people will be able to say, "I helped." If you would like to join in, you can visit the Web site at www.galaxyzoo.org.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Erin Braswell and Mario Ritter who was also the producer. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Barbara Klein. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.