Majority of Americans want U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan now that Osama bin Laden is dead

8 Jun 2011 11:04 Africa/Lagos


52% - 35% Majority Believes U.S. Should Leave Afghanistan Faster Now That Bin Laden Is Dead

Majority also favors making aid to Pakistan conditional on cooperation on pursuing Al Qaeda and the Taliban

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, June 8, 2011

NEW YORK, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new BBC World News America/Harris Poll finds that a majority of Americans (52%) believe that the United States should move to get its troops out of Afghanistan now that Osama bin Laden is dead. However, 35% believe that U.S. troops should stay according to the existing plans. Reasons why most people favor withdrawing U.S. troops may be that a 51% to 14% majority of adults are not confident that U.S. policies in Afghanistan will be successful, and only 19% see the Afghan government as either an ally or a friend to the U.S. and 36% see it as unfriendly and an enemy.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO )

These are some of the findings of a new BBC World News America/ Harris Poll of 2,027 U.S. adults surveyed online between May 31 and June 2, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Other interesting findings in the poll include:

* A large 66% to 20% majority of adults believes that it was better to have killed Osama bin Laden than to have captured him;
* An even larger 66% to 18% majority believe that "if the United States has very reliable information that a nationally wanted terrorist or criminal like Osama bin Laden is located in a foreign country.... that we have the right to perform a military operation within that country without notifying the government";
* The public is split on the impact of the killing of bin Laden on world opinion, with 41% thinking that it has made the United States more respected and 41% thinking has made no difference. Only 7% believe that it has made the U.S. less respected;
* Israel continues to enjoy very strong support among Americans, with 41% of adults seeing it as a close ally and a further 30% as a friend;
* The fall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt have done nothing to improve U.S. attitudes to its government. In fact those who see the government of Egypt as a close ally or friend (43%) are somewhat lower now than when this question was asked in 2009 (52%) and 2010 (49%);
* More people see Pakistan as unfriendly and an enemy (29%) than as a friend or ally (20%); and,
* Many more people see the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan as unfriendly and enemies (38% and 36% respectively) than as friends or allies (22% and 19%). Attitudes to these two countries are only marginally less negative than they are to the government of Syria (16% friend or ally and 38% unfriendly and an enemy).


So What?

The killing of Osama bin Laden has done little to change the generally negative attitudes of Americans to the role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 14% of adults are confident that U.S. policies there will be successful, virtually unchanged since two Harris polls in June and October last year.

Perhaps the most surprising findings in this poll are that many more people regard the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq as unfriendly and an enemy than as friends or allies, even though they were brought to power as a result of the U.S. invasions and have been kept in power by the presence of US troops.


Click here for more details.

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E3 2011

When There Are Six Women Chasing One Man

When There Are Six Women Chasing One Man


Read the following extract from a recent report from the U.S.

Real life is more complicated, of course, but this simple model illustrates an important truth. In the marriage market, numbers matter. And among African-Americans, the disparity is much worse than in Mr. Harford’s imaginary example. Between the ages of 20 and 29, one black man in nine is behind bars. For black women of the same age, the figure is about one in 150. For obvious reasons, convicts are excluded from the dating pool. And many women also steer clear of ex-cons, which makes a big difference when one young black man in three can expect to be locked up at some point.

Removing so many men from the marriage market has profound consequences. As incarceration rates exploded between 1970 and 2007, the proportion of US-born black women aged 30-44 who were married plunged from 62% to 33%. Why this happened is complex and furiously debated. The era of mass imprisonment began as traditional mores were already crumbling, following the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the invention of the contraceptive pill. It also coincided with greater opportunities for women in the workplace. These factors must surely have had something to do with the decline of marriage.

But jail is a big part of the problem; argue Kerwin Kofi Charles, now at the University of Chicago, and Ming Ching Luoh of National Taiwan University. They divided America up into geographical and racial “marriage markets”, to take account of the fact that most people marry someone of the same race who lives relatively close to them. Then, after crunching the census numbers, they found that a one percentage point increase in the male incarceration rate was associated with a 2.4-point reduction in the proportion of women who ever marry. Could it be, however, that mass incarceration is a symptom of increasing social dysfunction, and that it was this social dysfunction that caused marriage to wither? Probably not. For similar crimes, America imposes much harsher penalties than other rich countries. Mr. Charles and Mr. Luoh controlled for crime rates, as a proxy for social dysfunction, and found that it made no difference to their results. They concluded that “higher male imprisonment has lowered the likelihood that women marry…and caused a shift in the gains from marriage away from women and towards men.”

http://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15867956

In Nigeria, there over 50,000 men in prison and these men left behind girlfriends and wives who are now desperately seeking companionship from other men. So they join the pool of hundreds of thousands of other single women who are searching for men to date and marry.

Let us add the girlfriends and widows of the thousands of Nigerian Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) soldiers killed during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Then include the thousands languishing in hellish police cells all over Nigeria. All these unfortunate victims of foreseen and unforeseen circumstances had sweethearts who must continue with their lives.

Then finally, how can millions of jobless single women date and marry millions of equally jobless single men in Nigeria?
Therefore, the millions of jobless single women are desperately chasing the gainfully employed single or married men to make ends meet.
So a gainfully employed single man is now facing 6 to 10 single women who have no other man available to date or marry.

There is scarcity of eligible bachelors and the cause has nothing to do with the SPIRIT OF LATE MARRIAGE or whatever many opportunistic pastors have been using to lure desperate single women to their churches and milk them dry of their hard earned money in the guise of sowing for the miracle of getting married.
Tell the pastors to go and set the bond men in jail free and then give jobs to the millions of jobless single men first and stop preaching lies to single women in Nigeria.

For every single woman who gets married, there is another woman with a broken heart caused by the same man you are calling husband.

There are more single women than single men in these interesting times of economic, social and political vicissitudes.
We cannot escape from the present realities in Nigeria and the U.S.

We do not have enough eligible single men for our single women.

Six single women may have to share one man or languish in loneliness.

SHARING IS CARING.


~ By Ekeneyerengozi Michael Chima

Oprah Winfrey is Searching for the Next TV Star'

14 May 2010 13:00 Africa/Lagos


OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK Announces Advertising Partnership With Leading Retailer Kohl's Department Stores for the Original Series 'Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star'

Auditions can be uploaded at Oprah.com beginning May 14 and in person at select Kohl's Department Stores in Four Major U.S. Cities in June

Oprah Winfrey



LOS ANGELES, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK has struck an advertising partnership with leading retailer Kohl's Department Stores for the original series "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star." OWN's new competition series, presented by Kohl's and executive produced by Mark Burnett ("Survivor," "The Apprentice"), is a nationwide search to discover television's next big star. The winner of the competition will be awarded his or her own studio talk show for the OWN network. Online auditions to participate in the series begin May 14 at Oprah.com, as announced today on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."


"Kohl's is the perfect partner for OWN and 'Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star,'" said Kathleen Kayse, executive vice president, sales, OWN. "We're really looking for strategic partnerships that bring something special to our audience and Kohl's can do that."


"We are incredibly excited to partner with OWN for this debut television series, 'Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star,'" said Julie Gardner, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Kohl's Department Stores. "This multi-faceted integration will span across several mediums and is designed to reach our shared consumer in a way that is fresh, fun and relevant."


The partnership with Kohl's will include a "Presenting Sponsorship" position for Kohl's for "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star," paid media, integrations, online and on-air exposure, tagged tune-ins and publicity. Unique to the partnership, a series of short, co-branded vignettes, specially created for the series, will air both within and outside of "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star."


To audition online, May 14 to June 26, contestants (who must be 21 to participate) can make a three-minute audition video and upload it to Oprah.com. A user-friendly editing toolkit, as well as tips and techniques from celebrities will.i.am, Lisa Ling and Peter Walsh, will help contestants enhance their audition video. Online submissions will be voted on by the public and the five individuals who get the most online votes will be flown to Los Angeles to audition for Mark Burnett Productions. Audience voting takes place at Oprah.com where the public can watch contestants' videos and vote for their favorite.


To audition in person, open casting calls (not part of the online voting process) will be held at four select Kohl's Department Stores in the following cities:


June 5: New York, NY
-------
June 12: Dallas, TX
--------
June 19: Los Angeles, CA
--------
June 26: Atlanta, GA
--------



For all details about auditioning for "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star," please visit: www.Oprah.com.


About OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK


A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, LLC, OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform, and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut on January 1, 2011 in approximately 80 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also will include the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own.


About Kohl's Department Stores


Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl's operates its 1,067 stores in 49 states with a commitment to environmental leadership. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $150 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares for Kids® philanthropic program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.


Source: OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK

CONTACT: Nicole Nichols, SVP, Communications & Strategy,
+1-323-602-5511, Nicole_Nichols@own.tv; Beth Gebhard, Director, Publicity &
Communications, +1-323-602-5516, Beth_Gebhard@own.tv; Janet Daily: OWN
Publicity, +1-323-602-5624, Janet_Daily-cw@own.tv, all of OWN: THE OPRAH
WINFREY NETWORK; or Vicki Shamion: Vice President of Public and Community
Relations of Kohl's Department Stores, +1-262-703-1464,
Vicki.Shamion@kohls.com


Web Site: http://www.oprah.com/own



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Iran Can Strike the U.S. in 2015

A photo of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM)

Iran can strike the U.S. in 2015


“Iran, with foreign assistance (North Korea), could have the ability to strike the U.S. homeland with an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) by 2015,” said Riki Ellison last Friday in Washington.

Ellison is the Founder and Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA). He was commenting on the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held on Capitol Hill Wednesday April 21, 2010.

The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony on ballistic missile defense policies and programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2011. Ellison is one of the foremost lay experts in the field of missile defense. Ellison's comments include the following statements:


The following is the complete statement made by Riki Ellison.


"Over the past week, Congress held three public hearings on missile defense plans for 2011 and beyond. Hearings were held by the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, the Senate Armed Service Committee led by Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and the Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) on Tuesday and most recently the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee led by the Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) on Wednesday.


"During these hearings, the testimony of President Barack Obama's appointees in the Department of Defense and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, exposed five fundamental elements of the administration's missile defense plan:

1. Iran, with foreign assistance (North Korea), could have the ability to strike the U.S. homeland with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by 2015.

2. In the current administration's plan, the Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA), there will be a second shot capability based in Europe to defend the U.S. homeland from an Iranian ICBM in 2020. This is dependent on the development, testing and deployment, of a new SM-3 Block 2B missile and the integration that allows for early intercept by launch and engage on remote sensors including basing Aegis Ashore platforms in
Europe.

3. The administration's current missile defense plan for the defense of the U.S. homeland is to rely on 30 Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI's), 26 based in Alaska and 4 in California until 2032. They would provide protection against a maximum of 15 incoming ICBMs, using two GBIs per ICBM with a shoot, look, and shoot doctrine. Due to distance, parts of Eastern United States will not have the same confidence of protection as the remaining U.S. Homeland from an ICBM threat from Iran.

4. There is a gap of protection and vulnerability against an ICBM launched from Iran at the U.S. homeland, especially to significant parts of the east coast, for a minimum of 5 years in the President's plan for missile defense, provided that Iran acquires ICBM capability by 2015.

5. In regards to a hedge for the existent gap in protection from an ICBM attack from Iran against the U.S. homeland, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly presented three options:

-- Fully outfitting missile field 2 in Fort Greely, Alaska with GBIs adding 8 more GBIs to the existing 30 GBIs,

-- Testing the two-stage GBI, the missile in June of this year, the same missile system intended to be deployed in Poland for the canceled 3rd site of the previous administration.

-- Having additional shot opportunities, against an ICBM from Iran, with two-stage missiles.

"The recent Congressional hearings on missile defense have made it abundantly clear to the American public that a gap exists in the missile protection of the U.S. homeland against Iran. It is also apparent that the administration's plans to develop and deploy a hedge to fill that gap have not adequately been addressed. The administration needs to move forward with urgency for a robust testing and deployment plan of the two-stage GBI on or before 2015 to ensure full protection of the U.S. homeland from Iran.

"The protection of the U.S. homeland from ballistic missiles is the declared and stated number one priority of President Obama's administration missile defense policy."

Source: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance


CONTACT: Barbara Maxwell of Missile Defense Advocacy, +1-703-299-0060
Web Site: http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/


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Iran's Ballistic Missile Program


Photo Credit: Capitalism Magazine


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Beyond the Diplomatic Tête-à-Tête Between Goodluck Jonathan and Barack Obama

President Barack Obama, right, meets with Nigeria's acting President Goodluck Jonathan, left, in advance of the Nuclear Security Summit, at Blair House in Washington, Sunday, April 11, 2010. Photo Credit: Associated Press/Daily Life

Beyond the Diplomatic Tête-à-Tête Between Goodluck Jonathan and Barack Obama


Acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was invited to the two-day Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington, D.C., on April 12 and 13, 2010. But before the crucial summit he met with President Barack Obama at the Blair House to discuss the bilateral relations between the U.S. and Nigeria, a week after both countries signed an agreement for the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission.


Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Nigeria have been strained for disclosed and undisclosed reasons of which the most apparent was the case of electoral malpractices masterminded and perpetrated by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP ) during the 2003 and 2007 elections in Nigeria. The U.S. rejected the results and found Prof. Maurice Iwu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wanting and would want electoral reforms to prevent electoral malpractices in future elections. Another problem was the critical case of the Nigerian al Qaeda underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab whose botched attempt to blow up an American plane on Christmas Day shocked the U.S. and increased the suspicion of Nigeria as a vulnerable target for recruiting al Qaeda foot soldiers. The last case actually culminated in the U.S. security warning to all her citizens to relocate from the predominantly Islamic northern states of Nigeria. Moreover, the protracted illness that incapacitated President Umaru Yar’Adua left the U.S. with no better choice but to support Acting President Jonathan in the amelioration of the bilateral relations between the two great countries.

President Barack Obama emphasized that the “United States places great importance on the US relationship with Nigeria and the Nigerian people” and “urged Acting President Jonathan to use his tenure to make historic and tangible progress in strengthening the Nigerian government's commitment to follow through on countering corruption."

Majority of Nigerian news media channels were carried away by the importance of their meeting and seemed to ignore the importance of the Nuclear Security Summit that was attended by 47 nations and was the largest meeting of top global leaders since1945. This was the first summit and will be a biennial event , and the next one comes up in Seoul in 2012. The Summit focused on how to better safeguard weapons-grade plutonium and uranium to prevent nuclear terrorism.

At the end of the summit, there was a communiqué with a seven page work plan.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

World leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit


Communiqué from Washington Nuclear Security Summit
Nations pledge to strengthen nuclear security, reduce nuclear terrorism

April 13, 2010

Communiqué of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit
Nuclear terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international security, and strong nuclear security measures are the most effective means to prevent terrorists, criminals, or other unauthorized actors from acquiring nuclear materials.


In addition to our shared goals of nuclear disarmament, nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, we also all share the objective of nuclear security. Therefore those gathered here in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2010, commit to strengthen nuclear security and reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. Success will require responsible national actions and sustained and effective international cooperation.


We welcome and join President Obama’s call to secure all vulnerable nuclear material in four years, as we work together to enhance nuclear security.
Therefore, we:


1. Reaffirm the fundamental responsibility of States, consistent with their respective international obligations, to maintain effective security of all nuclear materials, which includes nuclear materials used in nuclear weapons, and nuclear facilities under their control; to prevent non-state actors from obtaining the information or technology required to use such material for malicious purposes; and emphasize the importance of robust national legislative and regulatory frameworks for nuclear security;


2. Call on States to work cooperatively as an international community to advance nuclear security, requesting and providing assistance as necessary;


3. Recognize that highly enriched uranium and separated plutonium require special precautions and agree to promote measures to secure, account for, and consolidate these materials, as appropriate; and encourage the conversion of reactors from highly enriched to low enriched uranium fuel and minimization of use of highly enriched uranium, where technically and economically feasible;


4. Endeavor to fully implement all existing nuclear security commitments and work toward acceding to those not yet joined, consistent with national laws, policies and procedures;


5. Support the objectives of international nuclear security instruments, including the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, as amended, and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, as essential elements of the global nuclear security architecture;


6. Reaffirm the essential role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the international nuclear security framework and will work to ensure that it continues to have the appropriate structure, resources and expertise needed to carry out its mandated nuclear security activities in accordance with its Statute, relevant General Conference resolutions and its Nuclear Security Plans;


7. Recognize the role and contributions of the United Nations as well as the contributions of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the G-8-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction within their respective mandates and memberships;


8. Acknowledge the need for capacity building for nuclear security and cooperation at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels for the promotion of nuclear security culture through technology development, human resource development, education, and training; and stress the importance of optimizing international cooperation and coordination of assistance;


9. Recognize the need for cooperation among States to effectively prevent and respond to incidents of illicit nuclear trafficking; and agree to share, subject to respective national laws and procedures, information and expertise through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms in relevant areas such as nuclear detection, forensics, law enforcement, and the development of new technologies;


10. Recognize the continuing role of nuclear industry, including the private sector, in nuclear security and will work with industry to ensure the necessary priority of physical protection, material accountancy, and security culture;


11. Support the implementation of strong nuclear security practices that will not infringe upon the rights of States to develop and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and technology and will facilitate international cooperation in the field of nuclear security; and


12. Recognize that measures contributing to nuclear material security have value in relation to the security of radioactive substances and encourage efforts to secure those materials as well.


Maintaining effective nuclear security will require continuous national efforts facilitated by international cooperation and undertaken on a voluntary basis by States. We will promote the strengthening of global nuclear security through dialogue and cooperation with all states.


Thus, we issue the Work Plan as guidance for national and international action including through cooperation within the context of relevant international fora and organizations. We will hold the next Nuclear Security Summit in the Republic of Korea in 2012.


The list of world leaders and Heads of Delegation who attended the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 12-13:


People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
His Excellency Mourad Medelci
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria


Argentine Republic
Her Excellency Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
President of the Argentine Republic


Republic of Armenia
His Excellency Serzh Sargsyan
President of the Republic of Armenia


Australia
The Honorable Senator John Faulkner
Minister for Defense of Australia


Belgium
His Excellency Yves Leterme
Prime Minister of Belgium


Federative Republic of Brazil
His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
President of the Federative Republic of Brazil


Canada
The Right Honorable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada


Republic of Chile
His Excellency Sebastián Piñera
President of the Republic of Chile


People’s Republic of China
His Excellency Hu Jintao
President of the People’s Republic of China


Czech Republic
His Excellency Jan Fischer
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic


Arab Republic of Egypt
His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt


European Union
His Excellency Herman Van Rompuy
President of the European Council


Republic of Finland
Her Excellency Tarja Halonen
President of the Republic of Finland


French Republic
His Excellency Nicolas Sarkozy
President of the French Republic


Georgia
His Excellency Mikheil Saakashvili
President of Georgia


Federal Republic of Germany
Her Excellency Dr. Angela Merkel
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany


Republic of India
His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of the Republic of India


Republic of Indonesia
His Excellency Dr. Boediono
Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia


International Atomic Energy Agency
Mr. Yukiya Amano
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency


Israel
His Excellency Dan Meridor
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy of Israel


Italian Republic
His Excellency Silvio Berlusconi
President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic


Japan
His Excellency Yukio Hatoyama
Prime Minister of Japan


Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein
King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan


Republic of Kazakhstan
His Excellency Nursultan Nazarbayev
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan


Republic of Korea
His Excellency Lee Myung-bak
President of the Republic of Korea


Malaysia
The Honorable Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia


United Mexican States
His Excellency Felipe Calderon Hinojosa
President of the United Mexican States


Kingdom of Morocco
His Excellency Abbas El Fassi
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco


Kingdom of the Netherlands
His Excellency Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands


New Zealand
The Honorable John Key
Prime Minister of New Zealand


Federal Republic of Nigeria
His Excellency Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan
Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria


Norway
His Excellency Jens Stoltenberg
Prime Minister of Norway


Islamic Republic of Pakistan
His Excellency Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan


Republic of Philippines
Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic of the Philippines


Republic of Poland
His Excellency Radoslaw Sikorski
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland


Russian Federation
His Excellency Dmitry A. Medvedev
President of the Russian Federation


Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
President of the General Intelligence Presidency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


Republic of Singapore
His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore


Republic of South Africa
His Excellency Jacob Zuma
President of the Republic of South Africa


Spain
His Excellency José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
President of the Government of Spain


Sweden
His Excellency Fredrik Reinfeldt
Prime Minister of Sweden


Swiss Confederation
Her Excellency Doris Leuthard
President of the Swiss Confederation


Kingdom of Thailand
His Excellency Trairong Suwankiri
Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand


Republic of Turkey
His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey


Ukraine
His Excellency Viktor Yanukovych
President of Ukraine


United Arab Emirates
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

United Kingdom
The Right Honorable David Miliband, M.P.
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

United Nations
His Excellency Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations

United States
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States

Socialist Republic of Vietnam
His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung
Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

U.S. Two-Prong Strategy with Yemen Government to Provide Security and Thwart Terrorism on the Arabian Peninsula

26 Jan 2010 00:56 Africa/Lagos

U.S. Two-Prong Strategy with Yemen Government to Provide Security and Thwart Terrorism on the Arabian Peninsula

DATELINE CITY: 25 January, 2010/Washington, D.C.

FORMAT: (2) Soundbites


STORY SUMMARY: State Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Daniel Benjamin comments on the U.S. - Yemen strategy for success against the terrorism in the Arabian Peninsula.


RESOURCES More available at http://thedigitalcenter.com/projects/1442-us-two-prong-strategy-with-yemen-gov ernment-to-provide-security-and-thwart-terrorism-on-the-arabian-peninsula



http://www.state.gov/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2010/index.htm
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/speeches/2010/index.htm

(2) SOUNDBITES / VIDEO:
Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Soundbite (1)

Summary: Ambassador Benjamin says that the U.S. two-prong strategy with the Yemen government, aimed at security threats and very serious economic problems, will be fruitful for both countries.


IN: "It is very much a two prong strategy we have, first of all there's been a lot of attention paid to the work we're doing with the Yemeni Government to increase paid its ability to take care of its own Security threats and to take on in particular Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that is vitally important but we also know that if we're going to have a sustainable long-term engagement with Yemen if we're going to deal with the threat that it faces and we face as well. It's going to require a sustained engagement to deal with that country's very serious economic problems particularly the depletion of natural resources; it's got serious demographic challenges. Water, a depleting water table and also its governance problems and social issues and so our assistance is very much aimed at doing that very well." OUT TRT: 56


Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Soundbite (2)

Summary: Ambassador Benjamin says that the Obama Administration is very pleased by the strong stance Yemen has taken against Al-Qaeda.


IN: "We are very pleased by the strong stance that President Salih and his government have taken in terms of confronting Al-Qaeda, particularly since the December 17th engagements, operations that have continued through until this month. But I should also note that this is not - it may appear on the surface to be a suddenly new involvement in things Yemeni for the United States. But in fact, this Administration has been engaged on Yemen really since the very beginning. The new Administration came in and recognized early on that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was gaining strength and was going to pose a significant terrorist threat and ordered up a comprehensive policy review to ensure that we were using all the tools at our power to deal with the terrorist threat there. That review was completed in the fall. OUT TRT: 1:10


Total TRT: 2:19

VIDEO PROVIDED BY: U.S. Department of Defense and Department of State


FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION OR HARD COPY, PLEASE E-MAIL: digitalcenter@multivu.com


Media Contact: Ken Richards, +1-202-647-6251, richardskn@state.gov


/PRNewswire -- Jan. 25/


Video: http://thedigitalcenter.com/projects/1442-us-two-prong-strategy-with-yemen-government-to-provide-security-and-thwart-terrorism-on-the-arabian-peninsula
Source: U.S. Department of State

Web Site: http://www.state.gov/

Obama More Popular With Investors Outside U.S.: Bloomberg Poll

23 Jul 2009 14:32 Africa/Lagos

Obama More Popular With Investors Outside U.S.: Bloomberg Poll

NEW YORK, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama has overwhelming support among the world's most influential investors outside of his own country, according to the first-ever Bloomberg Global Poll, a quarterly survey of economic, financial and political attitudes among Bloomberg users around the world.


The first Bloomberg Global Poll interviewed a random sample of 1,076 subscribers to the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL(R) service, a universe of more than 300,000 decision makers in finance, the markets and economics. The survey provides a window on how this valuable community of investors views the prospects for economic recovery, investment opportunities and risks in the wake of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.


87 percent of investors surveyed in Europe and Asia say they approve of Obama, compared to just 49 percent in the U.S. Obama's standing among American investors is even lower on economic matters: Only a quarter of respondents rate his policies favorably, compared with more than half in Europe and Asia. Climate change also ranked differently for investors in the U.S. than investors elsewhere. 61 percent in Asia said higher global temperatures and sea levels are a major problem and 56 percent in Europe agreed, while almost two-thirds in the U.S. say climate change is a minor danger or no real threat, according to survey results, which are available at www.bloomberg.com.


The Bloomberg Global Poll was conducted by Selzer & Company, whose survey of Iowa Caucus voters in 2008 was the only one to accurately predict Barack Obama's victory. The firm has conducted surveys for more than two dozen major newspapers in the U.S., and was named the best of 32 polling firms ranked by polling Web site FiveThirtyEight.com.


About Bloomberg


Bloomberg is the source of critical information and tools with which to analyze, customize and use it. The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and Bloomberg's media services deliver data, news and analytics that create transparency and allow users to transform knowledge into success.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL Service


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service combines the best market intelligence and powerful analytics, allowing users to view, compare and contrast information in a way that they can tailor to their needs. The all-inclusive BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service delivers instantaneous data, prices, charting, searchable documents, workflow utilities and critical news integrated with analytics, trading, communication and order management tools. Subscribers can access their BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service from their desktops, laptops and mobile devices.


Bloomberg Media Services


Bloomberg's media services cover the world with more than 2,200 news and multimedia professionals at 145 bureaus in 68 countries. Five hundred media organizations subscribe to BLOOMBERG NEWS content, which is integrated onto the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service. The BLOOMBERG TELEVISION 24-hour network reaches more than 200 million homes around the world. BLOOMBERG RADIO services broadcast via XM, Sirius and WorldSpace satellite radio globally and on WBBR 1130AM in New York. The award-winning monthly BLOOMBERG MARKETS magazine, the BLOOMBERG.COM financial news and information Web site and BLOOMBERG PRESS books provide news and insight to investors. For more information, please visit http://www.bloomberg.com/.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and data products are owned and distributed by Bloomberg Finance L.P. (BFLP) except that Bloomberg L.P. and its subsidiaries (BLP) distribute these products in Argentina, Bermuda, China, India, Japan and Korea. BFLP owns and distributes Bloomberg Markets Magazine. BLP provides BFLP with global marketing and operational support and services. Bloomberg Tradebook is distributed by Bloomberg Tradebook LLC and its subsidiaries. BLP owns and distributes Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, the Bloomberg Website and Bloomberg Press.


BLOOMBERG, BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL, BLOOMBERG MARKETS, BLOOMBERG NEWS, BLOOMBERG ANYWHERE, BLOOMBERG TRADEBOOK, BLOOMBERG BONDTRADER, BLOOMBERG TELEVISION, BLOOMBERG RADIO, BLOOMBERG PRESS and BLOOMBERG.COM are trademarks and service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, or its subsidiaries. BTV is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. All rights reserved.


Source: Bloomberg

CONTACT: Angela Martin of Bloomberg LP, +1-212-617-1211,
angelamartin@bloomberg.net


Web Site: http://www.bloomberg.com/


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The Best Hospitals in America

16 Jul 2009 13:00 Africa/Lagos

U.S. News Media Group Announces 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals

-20th annual edition includes top hospitals 'Honor Roll,' rankings in 16 specialties, and exclusive web video series-

WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group, the nation's leading source of rankings and service journalism, today announced the 2009-10 publication of America's Best Hospitals, accessible today online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and on sale at newsstands Tuesday, July 21.


Now in its 20th year, the multi-platform 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals guide is the most extensive hospital ranking to-date. It includes rankings of 174 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties -- with full data available online for another 1,500 unranked hospitals. In addition, the Best Hospitals "Honor Roll" highlights 21 medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties.


The 16 ranked specialties are cancer; diabetes & endocrine disorders; digestive disorders; ear, nose, and throat; geriatric care; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; rehabilitation; respiratory disorders; rheumatology; and urology.


"When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for someone close to you," said Avery Comarow, health rankings editor. "These are hospitals that are used to getting the sickest patients."


The 2009-10 Best Hospitals guide also includes a web video series on USNews.com where visitors can watch HealthiNation Chief Medical Editor Dr. Holly Atkinson interview Comarow and Dr. Bernadine Healy, U.S. News health editor, to capture their expertise and insight into the Best Hospitals ranking process. The videos take viewers behind the scenes of the rigorous selection process, include profiles of top winners across categories, and reveal what it takes for a hospital to be named one of "America's Best."


"Over the past two decades, America's Best Hospitals has proven to be an essential resource for consumers facing difficult healthcare decisions," said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News & World Report. "With this year's Best Hospitals video series, we're not only bringing this topic to life, but also highlighting examples of hospital excellence and quality care."


Of the medical centers ranked in the 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals, 21 earned Honor Roll status, demonstrating excellence and breadth of expertise by ranking at or near the top in at least six specialties. The top hospitals in the 2009-10 Honor Roll* are:


1. Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
2. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
3. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
4. Cleveland Clinic
5. Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
6. New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
7. University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
8. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
9. Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis)
10. Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston)
10. Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)

*For the full "Honor Roll" list, visit www.usnews.com/besthospitals.


In addition to the hospitals that appear in one or more specialty rankings in the print magazine, the 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals package includes an online consumer guide where readers can find information on more than 1,500 hospitals that qualified for rankings, but did not score high enough to be ranked (fewer than one-third of the 4,861 U.S. hospitals evaluated did qualify).


Methodology


The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties -- all but ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology -- are predominantly driven by hard data. There are four components: reputation, death rate, patient safety (new this year), and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass through several gates to be ranked and considered a Best Hospital:


1. The first gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked at all by requiring that it must meet any of three conditions: be a teaching hospital; have at least 200 beds; or have at least 100 beds plus at least four out of eight key medical technologies such as current-generation CT scanners and precision radiation therapy.


2. The second gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked in a particular specialty. To be eligible, the hospital had to either have at least a specified volume of certain procedures and conditions over three years, or had to have been nominated by at least one physician in the last three years of our annual specialist survey.


3. The third gate is whether a hospital does well enough to be ranked, based on its reputation, death rate, patient safety, and factors like nurse staffing and technology.


In the four other specialties -- ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology -- ranking is based solely on nominations from the three most recent physician surveys.


About the U.S. News Media Group


The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, and Public Service/Opinion, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use brand of journalism and its "America's Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.


Source: U.S. News Media Group

CONTACT: Liz Putze, U.S. News & World Report, +1-202-955-2136,
eputze@usnews.com, or Lucy Byrd, U.S. News & World Report, lbyrd@usnews.com


Web Site: http://www.usnews.com/