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Afghan Government: Air Strikes Kill 11 Taleban Fighters

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa17.cfm International
forces in Afghanistan have not confirmed the operation Afghanistan's
defense ministry says at least 11 Taleban fighters were killed in
overnight air strikes in southern Afghanistan.

But the police chief of Kandahar province, Esmatullah Alizai, puts the
death toll much higher, saying that 60 militants were killed in
strikes in Zhari district. He says the dead included three Taleban
commanders.

NATO officials say they are not aware of NATO involvement in any major
air strikes.

In a separate development, a Taleban spokesman says Mullah Bakht
Mohammad has been appointed the group's top military commander. He
replaces his older brother, Mullah Dadullah, who was killed in
southern Afghanistan Saturday in a battle with U.S. and Afghan forces.

The U.S. television network, ABC, has broadcast an interview with
Dadullah that was taped last week. In the interview, Dadullah said he
was training U.S. and British citizens to carry out suicide attacks in
their home countries.

Dadullah said such attacks are intended to make U.S. and British
people understand how hard it is for Afghans to endure foreign
occupation.

Some information for this report was provided by  AP and Reuters.

 

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Bomb Blast Kills at Least 25 in Pakistan

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa15.cfm Police chief says
message from bomber warns that anyone spying for America would meet
similar fate

Pakistani volunteers, security officials gather at the suicide bombing
site in Peshawar, 15 May 2007A powerful bomb blast in northwestern
Pakistan has killed at least 25 people and seriously injured more than
25 others. The explosion ripped through a crowded hotel lobby in the
city of Peshawar. The explosion occurred as the country was still
recovering from political violence that rocked the southern city of
Karachi on Saturday. From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand
reports.

Witnesses say dead bodies and building debris littered the street
outside the hotel in central Peshawar Tuesday.

The blast tore through the ground floor of the four-story Marhaba
Hotel.

Local officials suspect that the attack was a suicide bombing.

Provincial police chief Sharif Virk says investigators recovered
several body parts, one reportedly with a message from the bomber
attached.

He says a statement was taped to one of the alleged attacker's legs
warning that anyone spying for America would meet a similar fate.

Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province,
which borders Afghanistan.

Pro-Taleban and al Qaida extremists are active throughout the region.

Local militants have murdered scores of Pakistanis in the area after
accusing them of working for America or Pakistan's central government.

Last month, a suicide bomber targeted the country's interior minister,
Aftab Sherpao, following a political rally just outside Peshawar.

Sherpao escaped serious injury, but at least 28 people were killed.

The latest blast occurred while Pakistan was recovering from political
violence that rocked the southern city of Karachi on Saturday.

At least 41 people were killed when pro- and anti-government forces
squared off in the country's largest city. The point of contention was
President Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the country's chief justice
in March.

Pakistani officials say more violence is possible as public anger
continues to mount over the suspension.

Authorities say there is no apparent connection between the on-going
political crisis and the Peshawar explosion.

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Fighting Continues in Gaza Strip Despite Truce

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa9.cfm Hamas and Fatah
gunmen continued their battles in Gaza, a day after Palestinian
interior minister resigned, saying he was powerless to stop violence

An injured man is wheeled into a hospital in Gaza City following
factional clashes, 15 May 2007

Factional fighting continued for a third day in the Gaza Strip. At
least 10 people were reported killed, including eight in one incident,
during heavy fighting between Hamas and Fatah gunmen. VOA's Jim Teeple
has the latest from our Jerusalem Bureau.

Fighting sharply escalated when Hamas gunmen attacked Fatah forces
guarding the Karni Crossing - the main cargo crossing point between
Israel and the Gaza Strip. For the first time since fighting between
the factions began Sunday, Israeli troops at the crossing point fired
on Palestinian gunmen.

Hamas and Fatah gunmen also continued their battles in the streets of
Gaza, a day after the Palestinian interior minister resigned, saying
he was powerless to stop the violence.

The Palestinian cabinet, which is made up members from both factions,
has so far failed to settle on a replacement - agreeing Monday to give
temporary control of the Interior Ministry to Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh, a leading Hamas militant.

Spokesman Ghazi Hamad says, for now, the priority is to stop the
violence.

"The president has given orders to all security forces to withdraw
from the streets and I think Hamas and Fatah have both given orders to
their elements to stop all military conflict," said Hamad.

The latest fighting began after a senior Fatah commander was gunned
down, several days ago. Tensions have been high in Gaza for a week,
after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah, deployed
3,000 police under his control. Hamas has its own 6,000 member
militia, the so-called Executive Force in Gaza.

There are about 80,000 armed gunmen in the Palestinian territories
loyal to either Hamas or Fatah.

Fighting between the factions has been ongoing, since Hamas won
legislative elections, last year. Earlier this year, a Saudi
Arabian-sponsored diplomatic initiative, known as the Mecca Agreement,
managed to stop the fighting and led to the formation of a unity
government made up of both factions and independents.

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Iraq War Strains Ties Between Bush, Republicans

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-14-voa49.cfm Republicans
express concern, frustration about current results and direction of
President Bush's Iraq strategy

Senator Arlen Specter of PennsylvaniaFor the past six years, President
Bush has enjoyed strong support from Republicans in Congress for his
domestic and foreign policy agendas. But divisions over the war in
Iraq are beginning to strain that political alliance. VOA national
correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

Mindful of public opinion polls that indicate most Americans have
turned against the war in Iraq, some Republicans are taking a more
confrontational tone in hopes of forcing the White House to change
Iraq strategy in the months ahead.

 "There is a sense here, certainly by the Democrats and growing among
Republicans, that there has to be some progress, significant progress
to sustain it beyond September," said Republican Senator Arlen Specter
of Pennsylvania.

Another moderate Republican, Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine, has
joined with Democrats in sponsoring legislation that would link
continued U.S. military support to specific economic and political
benchmarks that must be met by the Iraqi government.

Snowe says a number of her fellow Republicans are concerned with the
current direction of the president's Iraq strategy.

"I think many of them are deeply frustrated, yes, yes. Absolutely, no
question, and troubled by the current direction and the lack of
results and the failure of the Iraqi government to bring about
progress," added Snowe.

But some of the Republican concerns go beyond Iraq.

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., center, flanked by Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., left, and Senate Armed
Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. Nebraska
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel is considering a run for president next
year. But Hagel told the CBS program Face the Nation that he has
become so disenchanted with his party that he might be open to running
as an independent candidate for the White House.

"The president may find himself standing alone sometime this fall,
where Republicans will start to move away and you are starting to see
trap doors and exit signs already with a number of Republicans. I am
not happy with the Republican Party today," he said.  "It has drifted
from the party of Eisenhower, of Goldwater, of Reagan, the party that
I joined. It is not the same party."

Similar complaints come from longtime Republican political strategist
Victor Gold. Gold has written a new book that blames neoconservative
foreign policy strategists and social conservative activists for
leading the Republican Party astray.

Gold's book is entitled, Invasion of the Party Snatchers, How the
Holy-Rollers and the Neo-Cons Destroyed the GOP (Republican Party).

"First, I say, the Republican Party has to die and be reborn. [We
need] a Republican Party that renders unto Caesar and unto God, but on
separate days of the week. A Republican Party that sees America as a
beacon, not the policeman for the world. A Republican Party that sees
family values as something for the family, not the state, to define,"
he said.

Eleven moderate House Republicans recently met with President Bush in
what they later described as a candid assessment of the uneasiness
many Republicans feel over the political fallout from the Iraq war.

The president described the encounter as a good exchange, but said
Republicans and Democrats need to give his new security plan for Iraq
more time to work.

"I spent time talking with them about what it meant to fail and what
it means when we succeed. They expressed their opinions. They are
obviously concerned about the Iraq war, but so are a lot of other
people," said Mr. Bush.

Democrats and their supporters are trying to exploit the strains
between the president and his fellow Republicans for their own
political gain.

"There is barely a third of the country that continue to support his
policies there. Now we are seeing the president being further and
further isolated from his own party," said Brad Woodhouse,
a spokesman for a pro-Democratic group called Americans United for
Change.

Political analyst Craig Crawford says some Republicans are getting
nervous that sticking with the president on Iraq could cost them the
White House and their own seats in Congress in 2008.

"Yes, there is great fear among Republicans about the next election.
And it is not a hypothetical [concern]. They saw it in the
[congressional] mid-term election last year. They lost control of the
House and Senate, largely over their alignment with President Bush,"
said Crawford.

During a recent debate among Republican presidential contenders in
California, most of the 10 candidates invoked the name of former
President Ronald Reagan much more often than President Bush.

"While it was interesting that the candidates did not criticize
President Bush, they certainly did not embrace him. The Republican
candidates in this electoral cycle are sort of feeling rather
awkward." said Commentator David Aikman, who is a regular guest on
VOA's Issues in the News program.

Analyst Craig Crawford says he expects the strains between President
Bush and Republicans in Congress to continue to play out through the
final year and a half of the president's term.

"So they face a bit of a dilemma. They want distance from the
president," he said.  "They want to change some of his policies. But
at the same time, if they participate in bringing him down and
scuttling his White House that does not help them either. So they are
in a bit of a straightjacket on this."

Complicating Republican efforts to stand by the president are Mr.
Bush's low public approval ratings. A recent Newsweek magazine poll
found the president's approval rating at an all time low of 28
percent.

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Rice Continues Missile Defense Talks in Moscow

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa11.cfm Russia's
resistance to American plans to deploy anti-missile defense shield is
expected to dominate Rice-Putin talks

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks during a press
conference after the closing session of the Expanded Ministerial
Conference for the Neighbors of Iraq, 04 May 2007U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at
the Kremlin, later Tuesday for talks aimed at improving ailing
U.S.-Russian relations ahead of next month's G-Eight Summit in
Germany, when President Putin will meet President George Bush. For
more on the story, we go to VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow.

Russia's resistance to American plans to deploy an anti-missile
defense shield in Poland, the Czech Republic and a third - as yet
unnamed - nation in the Caucasus is expected to dominate the
Rice-Putin talks at the Kremlin.

Also on the agenda, American concerns Russia, under Putin, is
back-tracking on democratic gains and about Russia's resistance to a
draft United Nations Security Council resolution supporting supervised
independence for Kosovo.

On all topics, the divide between the United States and Russia is
wide, according to the Director of the Heritage Foundation in Moscow,
Yevgeni Volk.

"I would not overestimate the feasible results of Ms. Rice's talks in
Moscow," he said. "I believe both sides will repeat their positions,
reiterate their claims, but, unfortunately, I don't believe, at
present, much success can be achieved at bringing each other's
positions closer to each other."

Volk says, with U.S.-Russian relations now at one of their lowest
points in the past two decades, disagreements will prevail over common
ground.

Rice was more optimistic, on arrival in Russia Monday. She told
reporters there is no reason to speak of a new "Cold War" between
Russia and the United States, although she acknowledges it is not an
easy time for the bilateral relationship.

Mr. Putin has accused the United States of making the world a more
dangerous place, while Ms. Rice terms the concentration of power in
the Kremlin "troubling."

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Philippine Exit Polls Indicate Unexpected Opposition Gains

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa12.cfm President Gloria
Arroyo still expected to keep control of House of Representatives,
where two attempts to impeach her were defeated by her allies Exit
polls in the Philippines are suggesting that the opposition did better
than expected in Monday's congressional elections. However, President
Gloria Arroyo is still expected to keep control of the House of
Representatives, where two attempts to impeach her were defeated by
her allies. Meanwhile, violence continues to take its toll on the
political process. Douglas Bakshian reports from Manila.

Public school teachers tally the votes on the floor during canvassing
of votes for Monday's local election held in a gymnasium at Marawi
city, Lanao Del Sur province in southern Philippines, 15 May
2007According to partial exit polls, opposition candidates are leading
in eight of the 12 Senate races, while administration candidates are
ahead in two, and independents in two others.

Before Monday's elections, analysts had forecast that the opposition
would win only six Senate seats.

Whatever the final results in the Senate, experts expect the Arroyo
administration to easily retain a two-thirds majority in the House of
Representatives, where her supporters have twice defeated impeachment
bids by the opposition.

One possible surprise to emerge from the Senate race is the projected
victory of former navy lieutenant Antonio Trillanes. Trillanes, who is
an opposition candidate, is in jail. He is accused of taking part in a
coup plot in 2003, but says he was only trying to expose military and
government corruption. He campaigned from prison, and apparently made
a strong impression in media interviews over the last few weeks.

A victory by Trillanes would go against the normal pattern in
Philippine politics, which is traditionally dominated by major
families and the occasional movie star or other celebrity. Analyst
Ramon Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms
says this shows the public is receptive to candidates who stand for
something.

"When people really have a real choice, as against a choice among the
lesser evils, so called - among the traditional politicians - then
they would prefer new faces, new people, who are promising or are
fighting for something. Rather than the old tired politicians," said
Casiple.

The Philippines is known for the "people power" movement that threw
out dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, and President Joseph Estrada in
2001. Casiple says this election shows that that spirit is still
burning.

"Democracy in the Philippines is not dead, it is alive. But
unfortunately, the one keeping it alive are the people, not yet their
leaders," he said.

Meanwhile, election-related violence continues to take its toll. Two
teachers died Tuesday in Batangas, south of Manila, when armed men
attacked the school where they were counting ballots and set it on
fire. At least 126 people have now been killed in election-related
incidents.

At least 75 percent of the nation's 45 million voters cast ballots,
which are being counted manually. Official results for the House are
expected within a week, for the Senate in two weeks, and the results
of thousands of local races are expected within days.

 

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Critics Say Cambodia Oil Revenues May Curse Rather Than Benefit

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-15-voa10.cfm Human rights
groups fear oil-rich government may ignore needs of public and give in
to authoritarian tendencies Revenues from large deposits of oil and
gas discovered in Cambodia's territorial waters are expected to start
flowing by the year 2010. The government says the funds will be used
to pay for much-needed infrastructure projects and to cut borrowing.
But as Rory Byrne reports from Phnom Penh, some critics are warning
that oil money could fuel corruption and undermine economic
development rather than benefit the country.

The exact amount of oil and gas lying off Cambodia's southern coast is
still being assessed, but it is substantial. Last month, a Chinese
exploration company announced it has found about 230 million barrels
of oil plus half a trillion cubic feet of natural gas in just one of
Cambodia's six exploration blocks. Other Asian companies and the U.S.
oil giant Chevron are also exploring.

The oil could mean millions, and perhaps billions, of dollars for
Cambodia's small economy each year. The government says the money will
go into the central budget for development projects, to pay civil
servants and to cut state borrowing.

But some development experts say there is a danger that Cambodia could
be dragged deeper into poverty and corruption by what some call the
oil curse.

Corruption is already widespread in Cambodia, and revenues from other
state-owned natural resources including timber and precious stones
have gone into private pockets. Ek Siden is the Development Issues
Program Coordinator for the NGO Forum on Cambodia, representing more
than 70 international and Cambodian non-governmental organizations.

"The institutions in Cambodia is very weak, and power is centralized -
just only with one-man-show - and we are afraid that the government
will use that budget in another way, not to serve the country and not
[to] benefit the society as a whole, it will benefit only a few
elites," said Siden.

Economists warn that if handled improperly, oil revenues can fuel
corruption and contribute to inflation, which could mean key
industries like garment manufacturing lose their competitive edge,
pushing up joblessness and poverty.

John Nelmes, the resident representative of the International Monetary
Fund in Cambodia, says an overhaul of the country's financial
management systems will be required.

"I think there are big challenges, there's a lot of work to be done.
One of the keys is that they have to put in place strong
macro-economic management, that means budgetary policy that is sound
and that directs money towards productive uses," said Nelmes. "Another
key is to ensure that inflation remains low and that the economy
remains competitive."

Cambodian Tang Solin, 59, pours gasoline into a smaller bottle at her
road-side store in the capital Phnom Penh, Cambodia (File)Human rights
groups fear an oil-rich government may ignore the needs of the public
and give in to authoritarian tendencies. Ek Siden of the NGO Forum
says economic disparities could lead to social unrest and political
instability.

"The government may spend a large amount on the military in order to
keep just one-man-show, or keep just in the power, so that is the
problem," said Siden. "It's also when there's no transparency of
management of the revenue, it also become a conflict in the society"

U.S. Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli says at this stage, it is unclear
what the oil revenue will mean for Cambodia.

"I think it's too early to say whether the oil is going to be a curse
or a blessing. The good news is that the Cambodian government is well
aware that it could be a curse. And just having that knowledge, being
aware of what has happened in other countries, may be enough to
forestall it here," said Mussomeli. "We are certainly talking to the
government, lots of other countries are also offering assistance and
guidance. But what it will take ultimately is political will and the
political realization that the oil could really destroy this country."

To prevent that from happening, the government says that all oil
revenue will be channeled through the central budget where it will be
used to cut state borrowing, to pay for projects like roads and
irrigation and to pay civil servants salaries. Sok Saravuth is the
Director of Cambodia's Budget Department. He says that the money will
be invested to improve the economy.

"A big lot of investment is needed to push the economy. Only about 5
to 10 percent of the investment required can be afforded by the
national revenue. On the order of 80 to 90 percent is funded by grants
or loans therefore I don't think we have to worry much that the
government has no clear plan or that the money will not [be] used
wisely," said Saravuth. "The prime minister has already agreed and
decided that this oil revenue will be put into the budget."

Some human rights groups are warning that Cambodia may already be on
the wrong path. They say there has been little transparency over the
awarding of oil exploration contracts and criticize the authorities
for not releasing information on the sums of money that oil companies
have already paid.

With two or three years to go before the real oil money begins to
flow, most agree that there is much work to be done to ensure that oil
money is a blessing for Cambodia and not a curse.

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Health Workers Worried About AIDS in Chad's Refugee Camps

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-14-voa41.cfm UN study indicates
refugee community knew little about disease that now surrounds it For
years, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese who fled fighting in Darfur
have received shelter in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. But having
survived the violence, they now face a new threat in the deadly AIDS
virus. Most had never heard of HIV or AIDS before they sought refuge
in eastern Chad. But they are learning quickly, and trying to tell
others in their community. Phuong Tran visited a camp 60 kilometers
from the Sudanese border, and has this report for VOA.

Doctor registers patient at health clinic near Gaga, Chad, 14 May
2007At Camp Gaga, where some 15,000 Sudanese have sought refuge,
Abdallah Abab talks to a group about HIV, the human immunodeficiency
virus that causes AIDS.

Abab holds up a plastic penis and puts a condom over it. He explains
how the condom helps prevent the spread of the virus during sex.

Abab is one of a team of educators trained by the United Nations
Children's Fund to reach out to other refugees.

In a tent next door, a group of women are also talking about the
deadly virus. Safia Souleymane, 22, has been trained to go out and
teach other women, most of whom are in polygamous marriages, how to
protect themselves.

Sudanese mother and child, Habile, Chad, 14 May 2007 Souleymane says
she knows HIV is a serious disease and says this is why she
volunteered to be an educator. She talks with women about condoms and
staying faithful, and tells them to go to the hospital for free
condoms.

Nanylta Madingue is UNICEF's HIV and AIDS program officer for eastern
Chad. She monitors the discussions in both tents to make sure everyone
understands.

Madingue says the women and men are taught separately to make sure
they feel comfortable talking openly about a sensitive topic most only
heard of after they crossed over into Chad.

The United Nations conducted a study about AIDS in Chad's refugee
camps shortly after the Sudanese first sought safety there from
Darfur's ethnic violence in June 2004.

The study indicated how little the mostly illiterate refugee community
knew about a disease that now surrounds it.

Madingue says some Sudanese refugees continue cultural practices in
Chad that increase the risk of infection. Among the practices are the
ritual cutting of young girls' sex organs, tattooing and polygamy.

She adds that the refugees' new environment, in eastern Chad presents
other risks.

"Before, these refugees lived in their own villages and had little
contact with people outside their communities," said Madingue. "But
now, they are in close contact with surrounding communities where
there are cases of HIV. There is a much higher risk of infection."

Woman seeks health services in eastern Chad, 14 May 2007Madingue says
the refugees in the camps are vulnerable to infections from outsiders
because of inter-ethnic violence and looting, which often leads to
rape. But she says the medical community still does not know how
serious the problem is.

"We need voluntary testing centers in the communities where refugees
live alongside Chadians to know how many are infected," she added.
 "But to do that, we need money. We have suspected cases and some
confirmed ones, but we fear the risk is extremely high. We want to act
quickly."

In the nearby community of Goz Beida, home to more than 25,000
Sudanese refugees, doctors at the local hospital recently tested 50
pregnant women to see how many of their babies were infected.

Ten percent of the tests came back positive.

The most recent HIV statistics for Chad were compiled before waves of
violence scattered thousands of Chadians into close quarters with
Sudanese refugees.

The UNAIDS office estimates that at the end of 2005 about four percent
of women were infected in Chad, slightly more than men.

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Kenya's Universal Education Policies Benefit from US Provider's
Computer-Equipped Schools

http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2007-05-15-voa6.cfm Non-profit
organization recruits corporate financing to construct new schools in
Maasai Mara Game Reserve Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki’s decision to
provide free compulsory education at the primary and upper school
levels has received a boost from a charitable American company that is
building schools in Kenya.  Freeflow, an American provider of
inventory asset management business solutions, has teamed up with the
non-profit organization, Build African Schools, to construct the first
of many primary schools in Kenya’s Maasai Mara game reserve. 
Retired technology executive and founder of Build African Schools,
Patrick O’Sullivan, recalls that a visit to Kenya two years ago
gave him the idea of partnering with corporations and individuals to
expand educational opportunities to thousands of boys and girls.

“I went there on my vacation two and a half years ago to write a
book, and during my time there, I kind of discovered this village, and
they were building extensions to their small school.  And I asked
them questions â€" how long will it take? And they said, about four
years.  And I asked, what would happen to the children meanwhile? 
And they said, well, they don’t go to school.  So I decided to help
them out, and we finished that school together.  And from that came
the question, ‘Gee, if I can do that on my own, can I persuade
others to do it?’  And as a result of that, we have built African
schools today,” he said.

From his base of operations in San Jose, California, O’Sullivan
explains how his concept has started to spread to many communities in
Kenya and to other African countries as well.

“We have at least eight other countries in Africa asking us to build
schools.  This is an enormous undertaking that, to be honest with
you, we discovered by accident.  And we’re so grateful for
companies like FreeFlow.  We have two of the biggest computer
companies here in Silicon Valley (in northern California) who are just
about to come on board with us.  One of them is going to be supplying
computers for the next three years.  For every school we build, they
will provide the training and the internet.  Another one is providing
the facilities and computers and money.  So we’ve been very
lucky,” he indicates.

From brick, block, struts for the roof, and a tin shed, Patrick
O’Sullivan admits that the building materials his local Kenyan
construction team employ are quite basic.  But he adds that modern
technology has brought along a lot of advantages as well.

“There are normally six to eight classes and they sit about 45 to 50
children in each classroom.  However, we actually installed
electricity through solar power and as a result of that, we can also
give them computers.  In our next school, which we just started, we
will be installing ten laptops, ten printers, and the internet,” he
says.

Not only are Kenyan children lining up in large numbers to qualify for
enrollment in the newly built school. But O’Sullivan says that
American universities and investors are also scouting out new
recruiting opportunities for gifted exchange students and talented
entrepreneurs with whom they can launch new commercial and community
service ventures in the popular Kenyan region.

“Already, I am inundated with schools and universities here in the
United States, who are looking for the best graduates from our
schools.  And one school in Seattle, in Washington state, are
currently organizing funds so they can bring over two of the high
school students to spend a year with them as part of their training in
school.  I’ve had a number of investors here in the US, who’ve
asked if we could help identify employment opportunities in the areas
where we build the schools,” he notes. 

O’Sullivan and FreeFlow representatives plan to be on hand in Maasai
Mara in July when the alliance’s first completed school building
will be dedicated with Kenya’s Education Minister in attendance. 

For further information on the project, you may consult Building
African Schools’ web page at: http://www.buildafricanschools.org

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Bush Pushes Plan to Reduce Auto Emissions

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-05-14-voa61.cfm US president
coming under increasing pressure to tackle America's energy woes
President Bush has ordered major government agencies to start work on
drafting new regulations to cut dangerous auto emissions. VOA's Paula
Wolfson has details from the White House.

George Bush speaks about CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)
standards and alternative fuel standards in the Rose Garden of the
White House, 14 May 2007 The president is coming under increasing
pressure to tackle America's energy woes.

The Supreme Court has ruled that carbon dioxide emissions from cars
and trucks must be regulated by the government. At the same time,
gasoline prices are rising to record levels across the country and
consumers are demanding action.

The president says his administration has already proposed a plan to
cut America's dependence on foreign fuels by 20 percent in 10 years by
setting fuel efficiency standards for certain vehicles and promoting
alternatives to gasoline. He says he is stepping up the process by
ordering all government agencies involved in energy policy to work
together to come up with new regulations.

"We now have reached a pivotal moment where advances in technology are
creating new ways to improve energy security, strengthen national
security and protect the environment," he said.

But the president cautions that change will not come overnight.

"This is a complicated legal and technical matter and it is going to
take time to fully resolve," he said. "Yet it is important to move
forward, so I have directed members of my administration to complete
the process by the end of 2008."

That means the new regulations will not be ready until the end of the
president's term in office

Democrats seeking their party's 2008 presidential nomination are
already making the president's record on the environment an election
issue.

Leading Democrats have criticized President Bush for his refusal to
sign the Kyoto Protocol - an international agreement that calls for
mandatory controls on emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere.
These gases have been labeled by many scientists as the primary cause
of the climate change phenomenon known as global warming.

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