TRIPOLI, Libya — Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi "pulled back" from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and two other towns after U.N.-authorized airstrikes, a U.S. national security official said Monday.
The official, who declined to be identified by name, said advances by Gadhafi's forces against Benghazi, Ajdabiya and Misrata had "stalled" as a consequence of the military action by U.S. and European forces that began Saturday.
But he said Gadhafi's forces remained active and the United States does not believe the Libyan leader is fulfilling promises to implement a cease-fire.
A senior U.S. military official said Monday the effectiveness of a weekend strike on Libyan leader Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli remains unclear.
The official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the strike launched by British forces on Sunday had targeted Gadhafi's military command ability. U.S. officials have said they are not targeting Gadhafi personally.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tokyo stocks rebound
The rebound comes after intense selling in the previous two sessions. On Tuesday, the index plunged 10.6%, marking the third worst one-day plunge in the Nikkei's history.
Investors in Japan have been stunned by the devastation caused by last week's earthquake and tsunami, including an increasingly dire situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
A second fire was discovered Wednesday at the stricken nuclear facility located about 138 miles north of Tokyo. A handful of workers have been struggling to contain a dangerous radiation threat there following three explosions and another fire on Tuesday.
The plant was crippled after a 9.0-earthquake, the fifth-largest worldwide since records began, struck off Japan's coast on March 11. Within an hour, a wall of water measuring up to 30 feet high swept across the Japanese coast, destroying entire towns and villages in its path.
The death toll has risen to 3,373, according to Japan's National Police Agency. At least 7,558 people were still missing as of Wednesday morning, and 1,990 were injured.
Investors in Japan have been stunned by the devastation caused by last week's earthquake and tsunami, including an increasingly dire situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
A second fire was discovered Wednesday at the stricken nuclear facility located about 138 miles north of Tokyo. A handful of workers have been struggling to contain a dangerous radiation threat there following three explosions and another fire on Tuesday.
The plant was crippled after a 9.0-earthquake, the fifth-largest worldwide since records began, struck off Japan's coast on March 11. Within an hour, a wall of water measuring up to 30 feet high swept across the Japanese coast, destroying entire towns and villages in its path.
The death toll has risen to 3,373, according to Japan's National Police Agency. At least 7,558 people were still missing as of Wednesday morning, and 1,990 were injured.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Earthquake in Japan spurs tsunami
The morning after Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake to hit the island nation in recorded history and the tsunami it unleashed -- and even as the earth continued to twitch with aftershocks -- the disaster's massive impact was only beginning to be revealed.
Rescue efforts began with the first light as military helicopters plucked survivors from roofs and carried them to safety.
The 8.9-magnitude temblor, which was centered near the east coast of Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns, dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys. Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast.
Rescue efforts began with the first light as military helicopters plucked survivors from roofs and carried them to safety.
The 8.9-magnitude temblor, which was centered near the east coast of Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns, dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys. Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Proposed Texas law to immigrants: Keep out ... or clean my house
There you have the great contradiction that lies at the heart of the U.S. immigration debate -- one that must be confronted and reconciled if it is ever going to be resolved.
Speaking of solutions, I heard a whopper a while back. I had just given a speech to a group of retirees in a well-to-do town near San Diego. After complaining that Mexican immigrants were hurting the quality of life and changing the culture, a woman suggested a high-speed rail that could, every morning, carry men and women from Tijuana, Mexico, 20 miles into San Diego County, where they would work as nannies, housekeepers and gardeners in wealthy neighborhoods before boarding the train at dusk to head back into Mexico.
It was a goofy and obscene idea. But I was glad to hear it because it illustrates clearly how some Americans see Mexico as a giant temp agency that exists to make their lives easier.
Now, a Texas state representative offers more clarity. Republican Debbie Riddle has proposed a bill that creates harsh punishments for those who hire illegal immigrants. House Bill 1202 calls for up to two years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
Speaking of solutions, I heard a whopper a while back. I had just given a speech to a group of retirees in a well-to-do town near San Diego. After complaining that Mexican immigrants were hurting the quality of life and changing the culture, a woman suggested a high-speed rail that could, every morning, carry men and women from Tijuana, Mexico, 20 miles into San Diego County, where they would work as nannies, housekeepers and gardeners in wealthy neighborhoods before boarding the train at dusk to head back into Mexico.
It was a goofy and obscene idea. But I was glad to hear it because it illustrates clearly how some Americans see Mexico as a giant temp agency that exists to make their lives easier.
Now, a Texas state representative offers more clarity. Republican Debbie Riddle has proposed a bill that creates harsh punishments for those who hire illegal immigrants. House Bill 1202 calls for up to two years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Libya's helicopter forces are greatest threat, U.S. Marine chief says
Libya's helicopter forces are its greatest threat, the head of the Marine Corps said Tuesday.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, asked Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos about Libya's air capabilities during a committee hearing held to discuss the Navy's portion of the 2012 Defense budget request.
"I think it's modest," Amos responded. "I think probably their greatest threat are their helicopter-type forces."
Helicopters would be more difficult to target if the international community set up a no-fly zone. Such a zone would typically be enforced by fighter jets whose speed and altitude make it difficult to target helicopters, which move low and slow.
Amos didn't know how many helicopters and fixed wing aircraft the Libyan government has but said the forces are predominately concentrated in four airbases around Tripoli.
"Has it been your experience in combat if the enemy controls the air above, particularly in terrain like Libya, it gives them an enormous advantage," McCain asked.
Amos would not answer the question directly, calling the environment where the Gadhafi forces are located "very complex."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/08/senate.hearing.libya/index.html?hpt=T2
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, asked Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos about Libya's air capabilities during a committee hearing held to discuss the Navy's portion of the 2012 Defense budget request.
"I think it's modest," Amos responded. "I think probably their greatest threat are their helicopter-type forces."
Helicopters would be more difficult to target if the international community set up a no-fly zone. Such a zone would typically be enforced by fighter jets whose speed and altitude make it difficult to target helicopters, which move low and slow.
Amos didn't know how many helicopters and fixed wing aircraft the Libyan government has but said the forces are predominately concentrated in four airbases around Tripoli.
"Has it been your experience in combat if the enemy controls the air above, particularly in terrain like Libya, it gives them an enormous advantage," McCain asked.
Amos would not answer the question directly, calling the environment where the Gadhafi forces are located "very complex."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/08/senate.hearing.libya/index.html?hpt=T2
Saturday, March 5, 2011
David Birney Denies Abuse Claims by Meredith Baxter
Breaking his silence, David Birney issued a forceful denial of ex-wife Meredith Baxter's allegations he abused her during their 16-year marriage.
In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, the actor, 71, calls her claims "an appalling abuse of the truth" and derided her new memoir, Untied, as "a kind of fairy tale."
After their divorce 20 years ago, he says, Baxter "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" for eight years against their shared custody of their three children in what he called an attempt "to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20471466,00.html?hpt=T2
In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, the actor, 71, calls her claims "an appalling abuse of the truth" and derided her new memoir, Untied, as "a kind of fairy tale."
After their divorce 20 years ago, he says, Baxter "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" for eight years against their shared custody of their three children in what he called an attempt "to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20471466,00.html?hpt=T2
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
U.S. mulling military options in Libya
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Senate panel Wednesday that "there may well be a role for military assets to get equipment and supplies into areas that have a need for them" and in areas where the United States is welcome.
But she noted the Arab League statement issued Wednesday that rejected "any foreign interference within Libya on behalf of the opposition, even though they have called for Gadhafi to leave."
"The tough issues about how and whether there would be any intervention to assist those who are opposing Libya is very controversial within Libya and within the Arab community," Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "So we are working closely with our partners and allies to try to see what we can do and we are engaged in very active consideration of all the different options that are available."
Two senior officials in the Arab League said the group's members have agreed not to accept any foreign intervention in Libya; they also agreed that they will consult with other Arab League members in order to protect Libyans' security.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/02/libya.military.options/index.html?hpt=T2
But she noted the Arab League statement issued Wednesday that rejected "any foreign interference within Libya on behalf of the opposition, even though they have called for Gadhafi to leave."
"The tough issues about how and whether there would be any intervention to assist those who are opposing Libya is very controversial within Libya and within the Arab community," Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "So we are working closely with our partners and allies to try to see what we can do and we are engaged in very active consideration of all the different options that are available."
Two senior officials in the Arab League said the group's members have agreed not to accept any foreign intervention in Libya; they also agreed that they will consult with other Arab League members in order to protect Libyans' security.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/02/libya.military.options/index.html?hpt=T2
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)