Indonesian smoker loses six teeth to exploding cigarette

Jakarta - An Indonesian man has lost six teeth and received 51 stitches to his mouth after a cigarette he was smoking exploded, media reports said Tuesday. Andi Susanto, a resident of Bekasi near Jakarta, was riding a motorcycle when the cigarette exploded in his mouth on Thursday, The Jakarta Post newspaper reported.

Susanto, who admitted he had been a smoker since he was in elementary school, told the Post he was traumatized by the incident and would try to quit smoking.

"It had been always fine," the 31-year-old was quoted as saying by the Post. "The incident was all so unexpected."

Susanto's family is seeking compensation from the company that produced the cigarette, Nojorono Tobacco Indonesia.

The cigarette maker said its products did not contain any explosive materials.

Police are investigating the incident and had not yet established the cause of the explosion.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307052,indonesian-smoker-loses-six-teeth-to-exploding-cigarette.html.

Malaysia's Anwar to call premier as witness in sodomy trial - Update

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife were involved in bringing the current sodomy charges against him. After months of delays, the trial began at the High Court in the capital Kuala Lumpur, the second time Anwar has faced charges of sodomy.

Anwar, 62, is accused of sodomizing a 24-year-old male aide, a charge he denies.

Scores of supporters and reporters greeted Anwar, who arrived with his wife, daughters and lawyers.

The former deputy prime minister, dressed in a grey suit, smiled and waved at supporters, many of whom had been gathered for hours, before entering the court.

Less than an hour later, as the court adjourned for lunch, Anwar told reporters he was seeking to subpoena Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor as witnesses.

Anwar claimed that he had proof that his accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, had gone to meet Najib at the premier's residence days before the allegations were made public, and charged that the premier had a role in the accusations.

Najib had earlier admitted to meeting Saiful, but said the young man had only come to reveal that he had been sodomized by Anwar.

Najib claimed he did not know Saiful prior to the meeting, and that he had agreed to meet him in his "capacity as a leader and he as an ordinary citizen who wants to tell me something."

Anwar said the new sodomy charges were part of a political plot to undermine his three-party opposition alliance, which made major gains in the country's 2008 general elections.

In a previous case, Anwar was sentenced to prison for corruption and sodomizing his family's former driver in 1998. He was then released in 2004 after the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction.

Anwar has maintained that the charges at that time were designed to prevent him from challenging then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Officials have denied claims of a conspiracy.

Sodomy is a crime in mainly Muslim Malaysia, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307058,malaysias-anwar-to-call-premier-as-witness-in-sodomy-trial.html.

Southern Israeli coast closed off after floating bombs discovered

Tel Aviv - Israel's southern coastline was closed Tuesday, and police were on high alert, following the discovery of two barrels packed with explosives which washed ashore Monday. The two barrels were found near the resort city of Ashkelon, about 12 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip, and the port city of Ashdod, which lies approximately 30 kilometers north of the salient.

Security officials said the barrels were part of a carefully planned, coordinated attack originating from the Gaza Strip and targeting Israeli ships, ports and naval bases.

Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the coast south of Ashdod was closed off and police and security forces were on the lookout for further floating bombs.

The two barrels discovered Monday, which were filled with 15 kilograms of explosives, were made safe by police.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307062,southern-israeli-coast-closed-off-after-floating-bombs-discovered.html.

Germany, India discuss economic and security cooperation

New Delhi - German President Horst Koehler held talks with Indian leaders in New Delhi Tuesday to deepen the partnership between the two countries, including economic and security cooperation. Accompanied by a high-level business delegation, Koehler, 66, arrived in the Indian capital Monday to begin a week-long tour.

Koehler was welcomed with a ceremonial reception on the forecourt of the presidential palace where he was received by his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The German president later laid a wreath at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, pacifist leader of India's independence movement.

After a brief meeting with India's Foreign Minister SM Krishna, Koehler held key talks with Singh at the Hyderabad House.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry said the agenda included global challenges such as international terrorism, the financial crisis, climate change and poverty reduction.

Four pacts between India and Germany are under discussion including one on security and counter-terrorism measures and another on economic and technological cooperation.

"The key objective of President Köhler's visit is to open up new avenues for Germany and India to work together in developing a 21st-century world policy based on mutual cooperation," the German embassy in Delhi said.

"His first official visit to India underlines the increasing importance of the strategic partnership between Germany and India," it added.

The legislative power of the German president is limited - national government is headed by the chancellor - but the role carries symbolic weight, especially in diplomatic relations.

Koehler's schedule includes a meeting with top business leaders later Tuesday and a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi on Wednesday.

On Thursday he is to travel to the western state of Maharashtra, to visit the plants of German carmaker Volkswagen and Indian energy company Thermax in the town of Pune, before traveling to Mumbai to meet with Indian industrialists.

On Sunday, Koehler and the German delegation are scheduled to fly on to South Korea, the current chair of the G-20.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307065,germany-india-discuss-economic-and-security-cooperation.html.

American detainees say US, Pakistan trying to set them up

Islamabad - Five American nationals arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks accused US and Pakistani authorities of trying to frame them Tuesday. The detainees, believed to be in their 20s, made the allegation in a letter thrown to reporters from inside a prison van which took them to a special court in Pakistan's eastern town of Sargodha.

"Since our arrest the USA and the FBI and Pakistani police have tortured us," the men said in the letter written on tissue paper. "They are trying to set us up."

The suspects said they were innocent, and ended their letter with the phrase "help us."

Their counsel, Khalid Khwaja, told reporters that he was being prevented from meeting his clients and did not have access to the police reports.

Pakistani police and prison authorities rejected the torture charge, which was also made when the Americans were being driven away from the court on January 18.

Investigation officer Amir Abbas Shirazi said on Monday that the court had ordered the detainees to be medically examined.

The suspects were remanded in custody until February 16, the date set for the next hearing.

The media and public are not allowed to witness the trial, but two officials from the US embassy in Islamabad were present in court.

The American students were reported missing from the US state of Virginia in November, and arrested in a raid on a house in Sargodha in December.

Pakistani police claimed the five men were plotting terrorist attacks and tried to link up with Islamist extremist groups associated with al-Qaeda over the internet.

Two of the suspects are of Pakistani origin and the three others of Egyptian, Yemeni and Eritrean descent.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307071,american-detainees-say-us-pakistan-trying-to-set-them-up.html.

Egypt's steel wall along border with Gaza 'near completion'

Cairo (Earth Times) - Egypt has almost finished building an underground steel wall along its border with the Gaza Strip to curtail smuggling through tunnels, a leading Egyptian newspaper reported Tuesday. The barrier is "near completion" and is "in its final stages of construction," eyewitnesses told Cairo's al-Masry al-Youm daily.

They said there had been heightened construction activity in recent weeks, with as many as 45 shipments of steel arriving in the past two days alone.

Egypt has never explicitly confirmed it is building such a barrier, but President Hosny Mubarak last week defended "increased fortifications" along the border as a matter of "national sovereignty" that were "not up for debate."

His remarks were a response to rising domestic and regional criticism of Egypt and Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip since Hamas took control of the territory's security forces in 2007.

Smugglers have used cross-border tunnels to bring basic commodities, drugs and weapons into the Gaza Strip since the imposition of the blockade.

Egyptian security forces on Monday said they had discovered five tunnels which had been used to smuggle car and motorcycle parts, as well as paint, into the Gaza Strip.

Smugglers have dismissed the reported barrier as ineffective, saying they will simply tunnel deeper, and that many of the tunnels are, in any case, already deeper than the new wall's reported depth of 20 meters.

Moussavi condemns violent methods used against Iranian protesters

Tehran - The leader of Iran's opposition Green Movement, Mir-Hossein Moussavi, on Tuesday condemned the violent methods used against Iranian protesters. "This method of provoking people in using violence against others (protesters) recalls the methods used during the monarchy era," Moussavi said an interview with opposition website Kalameh.

"As before the 1979 revolution, also today the roots of dictatorship can be witnessed," the former Iranian premier said on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the revolution.

He deplored the characterization of protesters exercising their constitutional rights as "weeds and goats," as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had reportedly said.

The opposition has staged large protests against the president and accused him of fraud in last June's presidential election which gave Ahmadinejad a second term.

Ahmadinejad had also compared the demonstrators to football hooligans whose favorite team has lost in an important match.

Together with ex-presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi, Moussavi forms the opposition leadership quartet against Ahmadinejad.

According to opposition websites, Khatami also accused the government of perpetrating what he called "blind violence."

"This kind of blind violence will have unclear consequences," Khatami warned in a meeting Monday with reformist officials.

He was referring to two protesters, allegedly from monarchist groups, who were hanged last week and nine others sentenced to death for their involvement in the protests and alleged plans to topple the Islamic establishment.

"The correct reply to protests should not be suppression, jail and executions but allowing the people the legal right to say what they want," he was quoted as saying.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307079,moussavi-condemns-violent-methods-used-against-iranian-protestors.html.

New Zealand girl, 14, beats off shark attack

Mon, 01 Feb 2010

Wellington - A 14-year-old New Zealand girl told Tuesday how she beat off a shark which grabbed her in shallow water off a southern beach by hitting it with her body board. Lydia Ward said she stood on the 1.5- meter shark while body-boarding at Oreti Beach, near Invercargill, Monday evening and it lunged at her, wrapping its jaws around her hip.

As the sand shark's teeth penetrated her wetsuit and her skin she bashed it with her polystyrene body board until it let go.

She and her brother, who was swimming but not wearing a wetsuit, ran from the water and up the beach to her father, who did not believe her at first.

"But then I showed him my wetsuit with all the blood coming out and he believed me," she told Radio New Zealand.

She was not seriously hurt but her parents took her to hospital to get the deepest wound treated.

Police patrolled the beach after the attack but the shark was not seen again.

"It was an unfortunate incident but when sea creatures are stood on, people are always at risk,"Senior Sergeant Bruce Terry told the Southland Times newspaper.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307016,new-zealand-girl-14-beats-off-shark-attack.html.

NATO expects to station AWACS in Gulf long term, Rasmussen says

Mon, 01 Feb 2010

Brussels - NATO expects to soon be able to station an AWACS surveillance aircraft in one of the Gulf states on a long-term basis as a way of strengthening its missions in Afghanistan and off the Somali coast, the alliance's secretary general said Monday. NATO currently has an AWACS temporarily stationed in Oman to give its missions airborne early-warning cover, but it is keen to set up a longer-term arrangement in the strategically crucial area.

"I can confirm that we have ongoing talks about that, and I hope and expect to see a positive outcome," Anders Fogh Rasmussen told journalists in Brussels.

On Wednesday, the head of NATO's military committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, said that the alliance would be interested in basing an AWACS - essentially a long-range flying radar system - in the Gulf on a long-term basis.

Such a move would strengthen the mission in Afghanistan and the fight against piracy off Yemen, Di Paola said, but stressed that it would depend on its cost-effectiveness.

Separately, Rasmussen welcomed US plans to send anti-missile ships and systems to the Gulf as part of broader plans to prevent a possible Iranian missile attack.

"We are very much concerned with their security," he said, while stressing that the decision was a purely US one.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306977,nato-expects-to-station-awacs-in-gulf-long-term-rasmussen-says.html.

Russia, Venezuela conclude oilfield deal

Mon, 01 Feb 2010

Moscow - Russia and Venezuela signed an agreement for a joint venture to develop the South American country's Junin-6 oil field Monday. The Interfax agency cited Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as saying the Russian firms Lukoil and Gazprom aimed to invest some 600 million dollars in developing the field.

By Moscow estimates, over 10 billion dollars are slated for investment in developing Junin-6 with its estimated reserves of 53 billion barrels of oil.

The agreement represents a further deepening of Russian ties with Venezuela, with the two countries already having set up close military cooperation.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306992,russia-venezuela-conclude-oilfield-deal.html.

UN official praises China's aid efforts in Haiti

China's quick response to Haiti's quake and the hard work of Chinese aid personnel are very impressive and commendable, a UN official said Tuesday.

CHINA'S EFFORTS HIGHLY APPRECIATED

Edmond Mulet, acting special representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, noted in an interview with Xinhua that after the quake, China took the lead to come to Haiti's rescue.

"We are very appreciative and thankful that China became one of the first nations, in spite of the distance between China and Haiti, to arrive here with medical supplies and emergency relief," he said.

The official said he highly appreciated the fact that the Chinese rescuers helped to find remains of his missing colleagues in the ruins of the UN mission building, which was destroyed in the Jan. 12 quake.

"When the first Chinese team left, you sent a second team more dedicated to medical relief," he said.

Mulet also noted that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, "was the first to propose increasing the capacity of UN in Haiti's reconstruction," which demonstrated China's political support for the UN.

The Chinese medical team set up a field hospital and made a lot of efforts to treat the victims and prevent epidemics, said the official. In addition, the 5,000 tents provided by the Chinese government met the urgent needs of the population. "It is very much appreciated," he added.

The official also gave high marks to the Chinese peacekeepers and policemen in Haiti.

Mulet said he had a very close working relationship with the unit of Chinese policemen and peacekeepers when he was the head of the UN mission in Haiti several years ago.

At that time, the security situation in Port-au-Prince was unstable, and gangs and violence were everywhere, said the official.

Chinese peacekeepers took part in a series of anti-gang operations and played a key role in maintaining peace and stability in Port-au-Prince and the nation as a whole.

As the situation improved, Chinese peacekeepers patrolled the streets of Port-au-Prince, setting up checkpoints and maintaining social order.

After the quake, the workload of Chinese peacekeepers has doubled. They are not only maintaining public security but also are playing an important role in the rescue and relief operations, said Mulet.

"They endured the great loss of eight colleagues in the quake and fully committed themselves to the relief work. I am deeply grateful for that, " he said.

"My impression of the Chinese peacekeepers is that they are a professional, highly-efficient, fast-responsive and multifunction team, an important force to maintain the situation in Haiti and especially here in Port-au-Prince," said Mulet.

The official said although their barracks were damaged in the quake, the Chinese peacekeepers are still on duty, helping to "keep the situation under control, stable and secure."

They earned respect from the Haitians through hard work, he added.

DEATH TOLL TO GROW FURTHER

The death toll of Haiti's earthquake is estimated to exceed 200,000, and the number will grow further, said Mulet.

However, "we may never know how many died in the earthquake," he said. In the first days after the Jan. 12 earthquake, many bodies were buried by families and friends, said the official.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) didn't establish cremation facilities in the Haitian capital until the 4th day after the quake, when preliminary data of the death toll first came out, said the official.

After a supply of food and medicine for Haiti's quake zones has been secured on a preliminary basis, providing housing for the quake victims becomes the top priority for the UN mission in Haiti, Mulet said.

"What we need here is not any tents, but those solid tents strong enough to resist wind and water, since the Haiti's rain season is coming," Mulet said.

In rebuilding Haiti, he stressed that "we have to do things right."

The UN plan to turn refugee camps into well-planned communities with schools, churches and other facilities is a case in point.

According to the official, in the first phase of international relief operations, the focus is to find survivors and treat external injuries.

A total of 67 international rescue teams, including one from China, are participating in this phase of work, he added.

"Now we are in the phase of humanitarian assistance. The utmost priority is to provide medical assistance," said Mulet.

In the first days after the quake, distribution of international aid supplies in Haiti was quite slow because the UN mission itself was devastated and there are only one airport in Port-au-Prince and two harbors in the whole country.

But now, Mulet said, the Port-au-Prince airport is open on a 24-hour basis, while the neighboring Dominican Republic has opened its borders so that international aid supplies can be transported more smoothly.

The official said the UN mission's logistics and coordination work is now back on track while distribution of water and food can meet the basic demand of quake victims.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6886853.html.

Ahmadinejad: Iran, Qatar geared to expand regional, int'l coop

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted certain western countries for their attempts to bring the region into a state of havoc and insecurity to sow discord among regional countries.

"The Westerners do not want prevalence and rule of security over the region and (they don't want) friendly relations among the regional countries," Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday.

"They (the western countries) have always made attempts to keep the regional countries weak. Thus, their (the western countries') life depends on discord and insecurity (in the region)," he added.

Ahmadinejad further underlined that he was pleased to see that Tehran and Doha share a common understanding of the enemies' conspiracies in the region.

Referring to the two countries' cooperation potentials specially on the international scene, he stressed, "Enemies aim to spread war in the whole region in a bid to resolve their economic and political problems "and this requires us to side with each other more than before."

The Iranian president also hailed the truthfulness and vigilance of the Qatari officials in facing enemy plots in the region.

The Qatari crown prince, for his part, described Iran as a brotherly country and "our strategic power in the region".

He also stressed the necessity for the expansion and deepening of the two countries' constructive cooperation on regional issues.

Source: Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran News Service.
Link: http://president.ir/en/?ArtID=20185.

Iran launches new research rocket into space

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran announced Wednesday it has successfully launched a 10-foot-long research rocket carrying a mouse, two turtles and worms into space — a feat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said showed Iran could defeat the West in the battle of technology.

The launch of the Kavoshgar-3, which means Explorer-3 in Farsi, was announced by Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as part of Iran's ambitious space program. It comes a year after Iran sent its first domestically made telecommunications satellite into orbit.

The program has worried Western powers who fear the same technology used to launch satellites and research capsules could also deliver warheads.

Iranian state television broadcast images Wednesday of officials putting a mouse, two turtles and about a dozen creatures that looked like worms inside a capsule in the rocket before it blast off.

Vahidi gave no details on the research and the report did not disclose when or where the launch took place.

The rocket is the third in a series bearing the same name. Iran reported launching Kavoshgar-1, or Explorer-1, in Feb. 2008. The first section of the rocket detached after 90 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute. A second segment entered space for about five minutes, while the final section was sent toward orbit to collect data.

Later in 2008, a rocket entitled Kavoshgar-2, or Explorer-2, made it to the lower reaches of space and returned to earth 40 minutes later on a parachute. No details about that launch were reported.

Ahmadinejad praised the latest launch and said greater events would come in the future.

"The scientific arena is where we could defeat the (West's) domination," Ahmadinejad said in remarks broadcast live on state TV. He said the launch is a "very big event. This is the first presence of animals in space launched by Iran. It's the start of bigger achievements" to come.

Also Wednesday, Ahmadinejad unveiled a new domestically built light booster rocket, named Simorgh, as well as three Iranian-built satellites — Mesbah-2, Tolo and Navid-e-Elm-o-Sanat — all part of Iran's observing the National Day of Space Technology.

Officials said the Simorgh rocket can carry a satellite weighing 220 pounds (100 kilograms) up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) above the Earth.

As it seeks to expand its influence in the Middle East, Iran touts such technological successes as signs it can advance despite the threat of U.S. and U.N. sanctions over its controversial nuclear program.

The West is concerned Iran is trying to build an atomic weapon but Tehran denies the charge and says it's nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, such as electricity production.

Ahmadinejad said Iran built the Mesbah-2 with domestic technology after foreign partners refused to cooperate. He didn't name any country, but Iran said last year that it plans to launch a communications satellite by late 2011 with no outside help, after Italy and Russia declined to put it into orbit.

Its predecessor, the Mesbah-1 satellite, was first displayed in 2005. Iran planned to launch it the same year with Russian help but Moscow repeatedly delayed providing a satellite-carrier.

"Mesbah-1 had a sad fate ... they didn't have the courage to launch our satellite," Ahmadinejad said. He added that the Mesbah-2 would be launched using an Iranian-made rocket.

Iran's lofty space plans also include putting a man in orbit within 10 years.

In 2005, Iran launched its first commercial satellite on a Russian rocket in a joint project with Moscow, which is a partner in transferring space technology to Iran. That same year, the government said it had allocated $500 million for space projects for the next five years.

The ceremony Wednesday was part of 10-day celebrations leading up to 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which falls on Feb 11.

China Spying on Ex-Gitmo Uighurs

(Stockholm, Sweden) According to the Swedish Intelligence Service, SÄPO, foreign spies and espionage operations are rife in Sweden.

It's been revealed that between ten and twenty foreign government's are carrying out spying work in Sweden on refugees from their own country who live here.

Since 1995 ten foreign diplomats have been expelled from Sweden for carrying out unlawful spying activities, mostly directed against refugees.

Although it's been confirmed that up to a score of nations spy in Sweden, news reports have focused on the efforts of the Chinese who seem particularly obsessed with chasing and watching Uighurs (Uyghurs) worldwide.

A Chinese man will go on trial next week, charged with spying on Uyghur refugees in Sweden.

The man, a Swedish-based Uyghur journalist is accused of passing on detailed information to Chinese authorities regarding refugees in Sweden from China's Uyghur minority, including former prisoners of the US Guantanamo Bay facility who were found to be innocent.

The public prosecutor in the case says that preventing Uyghur’s released from US custody from getting asylum in Sweden has been a high priority for China which continues to treat the former prisoners as terrorists.

Since the Chinese Uighur population has been linked to al-Qaeda, it's logical to support China in its efforts to prevent terrorism. On the other hand, it's also reasonable to view the Uighurs as an oppressed segment of the Chinese population, similar to the Tibetans and the Christians, and thereby feel outrage on the denial of human rights.

In final analysis, however, the ChiComs going after the Uighurs is arguably a glass-half-full/glass-half-empty situation and America's interests are likely best served in the near-term by supporting and applauding the ChiCom suppression of Islamic fundamentalism.

In any event, having a spy infiltrate the Uighurs in Sweden indicates the global reach of Chinese espionage. It's a safe bet that Chinese spies are everywhere.

Source: Interested-Participant.
Link: http://interested-participant.blogspot.com/2010/02/china-spying-on-ex-gitmo-uighurs.html.

Turkish ambassador asks to leave Israel following humiliation

Following public humiliation orchestrated by Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol announces he wishes to leave Israel

Roni Sofer

Turkish Ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol has expressed a wish to leave Israel following the public humiliation he suffered at the hands of Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon, a telegram sent to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem from the Israeli embassy in Ankara said.

A senior official at the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Celikkol put in a request with the Turkish Foreign Ministry to leave his current post. Jerusalem estimates that the ambassador's reasons for leaving are personal.

Sources at the Foreign Ministry estimated that Celikkol will assume a post as ambassador in one of the European states. Jerusalem is thus awaiting an official announcement from Turkey, as well the identity of the new ambassador to replace Celikkol.

Ayalon expressed regret over the Turkish ambassador's departure but said he hopes this does not compromise the two countries' relations. According to him "it's an internal Turkish matter."

Last month Celikkol was summoned for a reprimand meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem following the broadcast of a Turkish television series slandering Israel. The reporters who came to cover the meeting asked the two to shake hands, however Ayalon refused.

"The important thing is that they see he's sitting lower and we're up high and that there's only one flag, and you see we're not smiling," the deputy foreign minister muttered in Hebrew with the ambassador right next to him.

Following the incident and at the insistence of Turkish President Abdullah Gul Ayalon issued a statement in which he promised never to behave in such a way in the future.

Ayalon wrote in the letter, "Although we have our differences of opinion on several issues, they should be discussed and solved only through open, reciprocal and respectful diplomatic channels between our two governments."

The letter also noted, "I had no intention to humiliate you personally and apologize for the way the demarche was handled and perceived. Please convey this to the Turkish people for whom we have great respect."

Source: Ynetnews.
Link: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3843161,00.html.

President Gül says Turkey no longer needs EMASYA

President Abdullah Gül has said Turkey is no longer in need of the Protocol on Cooperation for Security and Public Order (EMASYA), which authorizes the military to conduct operations and intelligence gathering in cities without the approval of the civilian administration.

“EMASYA is a protocol signed between the Interior Ministry and Turkish Armed Forces [TSK]. It has its own logic and legal ethics. I am of the opinion that Turkey no longer needs that protocol within the scope of its legal understanding and judicial standards,” the president told reporters after a press conference he held with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu.

The controversial protocol was signed by the General Staff and the Interior Ministry on July 7, 1997 and empowers the military to intervene in social incidents on its own initiative. In accordance with EMASYA, the military can gather intelligence against internal threats.

Though the protocol was met with harsh criticism by politicians and analysts over the years, it has remained in force.

Gül said the decision to abolish the protocol lies at the hands of the government. “It is the government which governs Turkey and it is responsible toward Parliament,” he added.

The debates over EMASYA returned Turkey’s agenda after the exposure of a suspected military plan to overthrow the government, titled the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) Security Operation Plan. Retired Gen. Çetin Doğan, who is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the plan, said the document was planned in accordance with EMASYA.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Sunday that his government was engaged in necessary efforts to get rid of the controversial protocol. “No such thing as the EMASYA protocol can exist. We are taking necessary steps to abolish it. We will conclude our work to that end soon. This is a protocol, not a law. We will make legal changes if necessary. We will abolish the protocol,” he said.

The president also said the National Security Policy Document (MGSB), a resolution that acts as a guideline for the military in situations of domestic conflict, could be revised. “The document is not a constitutional article or a law. It is right for Turkey, as is for any country, to have such a document. But it can be re-prepared in accordance with today’s needs. This is not something abnormal,” he remarked.

The MGSB, also known as the “Red Book,” is referred to as Turkey’s “secret constitution.” It lies behind many military interventions as it enables the military to plot against governments.

During yesterday’s press conference, Sejdiu said his country was grateful to Turkey for its contributions to Kosovo people’s struggle for independence.

“Turkey’s support for Kosovo’s independence and for our efforts to provide a better future for our citizens is a part of our history. And we hope that Turkey will continue to extend support to Kosovo’s recognition by other international actors and to our membership bid to join the European Union and NATO,” Sejdiu stated.

He also said Kosovo was grateful for Turkey’s contributions to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo. “Kosovo attaches great importance to Turkey as a country with a rapidly developing economy and increasing role in maintaining peace,” he added.

Source: Today's Zaman.
Link: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-200451-101-president-gul-says-turkey-no-longer-needs-emasya.html.

Shari'a in favor of minority rights in Egypt

by Sara Khorshid
02 February 2010

Cairo - Over the past decades, numerous polls have demonstrated that the majority of Egyptians want shari’a—or Islamic principles—applied to parts of their country's legal system. Egypt’s constitution reflects this: Article 2 of the constitution states that shari’a is the principle source of legislation.

Even with the popular support that Article 2 has in Egypt, it has also been the source of heated controversy. Voices from the Coptic Orthodox Christian community in Egypt, which makes up 12 per cent of the population, contest what they perceive as implied discrimination against the non-Muslim minority in this article. Secularist human rights and pro-democracy activists express similar views, saying that the application of Islamic law is incompatible with democracy, which they argue can exist only in a secular state.

They point, for example, to contentious court cases involving Egypt's family law—which is partly governed by Islamic law, as well as to restrictions on building churches and the question of whether a Copt may become president. They see these examples as reasons to limit the role of Islamic law in domestic policy, especially as it applies to non-Muslim religious minorities.

But in the midst of the public debates involving secularists and Coptic activists, on the one hand, and Islamic political groups—especially the Muslim Brotherhood, which is often in the media spotlight when it comes to discussions on Islamic law—on the other, there is an alternative middle way. In this middle way the concepts of shari’a, democracy and secularism would exist alongside one another as part of a united political system, without compromising the fundamental tenets of any of the three concepts.

Advocates of this approach believe in the rule of the people and the supremacy of law, and feel that lawmakers should be chosen by the people. They still see Islamic law as a frame of reference as long as it is accepted by the majority through a civil process in which elected officials have the final say. This approach would be different from other approaches, such as the Muslim Brotherhood’s, which requires the approval of religious scholars before laws are ultimately passed.

Along those lines, Egypt must frame its own model in accordance with its history, culture and, above all, the will of its people. Democracy and secularism are adopted in various ways in different nations: the French and Turkish models, which strictly regulate religion in public life in order to preserve democracy, are different from the US system, in which religion is relatively influential in politics. In each of these examples the unique relationship between religion and the political system suits the characteristics of the particular nation.

Within this framework, Egypt’s Christian minority must be entitled to all the civil rights that minorities enjoy in democracies, such as the right to run for presidential and parliamentary elections, the right to present bills to the parliament and the right to equality before the law. But this doesn’t mean that they will be granted all their demands, such as removing Article 2 from the Egyptian constitution, a demand would ignite resentment from the majority and fuel sectarian differences.

It is important to note that in no democracy have all minority requests been fulfilled. For instance, the hijab (headscarf) ban in schools in France is against the wishes of the country's Muslim minority, but it was supported by elected French lawmakers.

One of the symbolic issues when it comes to the relationship between minority rights and Islamic law in Egypt is whether a Copt may run for president. If a Copt wants to run for president of Egypt, he or she should have the right, pledging to conform to Egyptian laws and the will of the majority. It will be left up to the people to elect him or her, or not.

Contrary to what many might think, it is not shari’a that stands in the way. There are interpretations of shari’a that find the presidency, in modern times, to be a civil position that does not entitle the president to make major decisions unless they are in line with the people’s will and the country’s values.

It is Egypt's current political state of affairs—not shari’a—that has prevented anyone, other than President Hosni Mubarak—whether Muslim or Christian—from assuming the role of the presidency over the past 28 years. Democracy has not taken root in Egypt yet.

Copts should continue to fight for their rights, but without infringing upon the majority’s values by calling for the removal of Islamic principles from politics entirely. Democratic progress in Egypt does not necessitate the removal of shari’a, an essential element of the country’s identity, but requires reforms of the existing system and enhanced rights for the country’s minorities.

Copts and Muslims should unite in their call for democracy. Together, they can lead Egypt to a model that works for the country’s unique culture and society, and guarantees freedom for all.

Source: Common Ground.
Link: http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=27206&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0&isNew=1.

Senegalese president warns AU of Sahel terror threat

2010-02-02

A regional effort is necessary to fight al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and arms trafficking in the Sahel, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said on Monday (February 1st) in Addis Ababa. "Terrorism in the Sahel region is growing in power and taking troubling new forms," Journal Tahalil quoted Wade as saying on the sidelines of the 14th Summit of the African Union (AU).

"Countries such as Senegal and Mali can't do everything alone. Insofar as it is an international problem, Western powers must also intervene in the fight against AQIM," he explained.

In related news, Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré met Monday in Bamako with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to discuss the latest developments regarding the French hostage held since November by al-Qaeda. Last week-end, the terrorist organization extended its deadline to Mali and France for the life of Pierre Camatte.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/02/newsbrief-04.

EU to train Mauritania, Mali security forces

2010-02-02

European Union security experts concluded a 10-day visit to Mauritania to assess how more than 156m euros of unallocated EU funds can best support the country's counter-terrorism efforts, RFI reported on Monday (February 1st). Among the projects under consideration are training programs for investigators, magistrates, police and gendarmes. The EU funds are also expected to rehabilitate fifty-three border posts and strengthen crossing procedures by making identity documents more secure.

As part of the EU effort to stem al-Qaeda activity in the Sahel-Saharan region, the European Development Fund (FED) will also support training for Malian police and judicial officials, PANA reported on Tuesday.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/02/newsbrief-03.

Morocco rejects Ansar al-Mahdi terror cell appeal

2010-02-02

Morocco's Supreme Court rejected the appeal of 46 members of the Ansar al-Mehdi terrorist group, MAP reported on Monday (February 1st). In March, the Salé appeals court increased the prison sentence for group leader Hassan Khattab from 25 to 30 years. Cell members, including security officials, an imam, and two wives of Royal Air Maroc pilots, were convicted in 2008 of funding terrorist operations and planning a terror campaign against the Moroccan regime.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/02/02/newsbrief-02.

YouTube censorship roils Libyan blogosphere

Libyan authorities' decision to block YouTube, though welcomed by some, is raising fears that blogs could be next.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis — 02/02/10

Bloggers in Libya recently tackled a variety of topics, including the social cost of tribalism and the controversial decision to block access to YouTube by domestic internet subscribers.

Blogger Naji launches an attack on those he considers new extremists for clinging to the mentality of tribalism. "Europe and the West have completed their exploration of the moon and are starting to look to Mars and Saturn, while we're still immersed in tribalism", he writes. "This state of affairs has affected civilization and blocked the educated class and scientific competency through this tribal and familial prejudice. Even if my cousin is ignorant, and I know it between me and myself, he's better than anyone else who is expert and qualified."

"This is the Jahiliyya (pre-Islamic) era that has returned to us, with some of its abhorrent scenes," adds the blogger. "This path will only lead us to blind extremism and make us walk in the same vicious circle while people around us are making progress. In the meantime, we're overflowing our streets and lanes and other places with abominable tribalism and partiality that can go as far as blind extremism that divides and ruins more than you can imagine."

In her turn, blogger Ghaidaa Touati writes that a move to block YouTube by Libya Telecom and Technology (LTT) "is a dangerous indicator of the deterioration of freedom of expression. It will drag Libya backwards in terms of freedom of expression in the country."

The blogger fears that "this blocking will soon include Libyan blogs," and calls for "kicking off a media campaign rejecting the measure, which is part of the oppression of freedoms and violation of the rights to expression and freedom of opinion".

She cites the position of LTT as published on January 24th in Libya's al-Manara newspaper: "An informed source in [LTT] said in a special statement to al-Manara that the main reason behind denying users access to YouTube in Libya was to ease pressure on the internet by the users of the website inside Libya and to provide bandwidth to meet the provisions of service with ADSL users. In his statement, the source noted that LTT was committed to honoring the provisions of contracts signed by the company with large corporations in Libyan cities, which require LTT to provide certain bandwidth and high speed for users in those companies."

Meanwhile, blogger Bumedian believes that the blocking has several positive points, including protecting Libyan society from deviation. "Everyone is giving strange interpretations to the issue; some made an issue out of it and started talking about freedom and other similar topics," writes the blogger. "Many other people are wondering why the website was blocked and how, saying that it's a shock, as if we got up and found that we were denied air and oxygen."

"I support the blocking of websites if it involves public interest, yes, a very big interest," adds Bumedian. "Those who need YouTube to express their opinions can express their opinions as they did before the creation of YouTube, in whatever way it was. YouTube is not the optimal way to do that. Let's be objective; the website is wide open for all kinds of ideas, concepts, and all aspects and influences without any censorship."

In fact, Bumedian says he wishes for "greater censorship o f the internet and its websites, many of which have become a den of corruption and deviation for those who don't leave their homes".

"Is it true that life can't be lived without YouTube?" muses the blogger. "Or has it involved a lot of deviations? It's true that the website offers a lot of benefits and includes a lot of videos that I enjoyed watching. I even had a station there where I tried to find content that limits the flood of information directed towards users, but if blocking it involves greater benefit, then it's welcomed."

Naji also weighs in on the matter, writing about "Islamic YouTube versus YouTube, which is not committed to morals and values".

"Islamic YouTube has recently been launched; it's a clean website that matches the YouTube website, but doesn't allow any immoral videos that are contrary to the teachings of our Islamic faith to be uploaded," according to the blogger.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/blog/2010/02/02/feature-03.

Information pirates called threat to Arab world

Global criminal networks can spy on 7 million computers worldwide, which means the Arab world must step up its defenses, said participants in a recent Tunis conference.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 02/02/10

Arab states need to strengthen their information security in order to bolster e-commerce and beat online pirates, according to IT specialists who gathered January 25th-27th in Tunis under the auspices of the Arab League.

Conference participants discussed adopting e-signatures and developing public-key infrastructure (PKI), an internet data encryption method that protects consumers from fraud. They concluded that the region should embrace standardized security regulations and e-authentication infrastructure to cut the threat of internet attacks.

"Navigating [the internet] without control or safeguards may create risks for users. Hence there is a need for security applications and systems of government," George Sadowsky, a board member of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), told conference participants.

Sadowsky, whose not-for-profit corporation is dedicated to keeping the internet secure, called information piracy widespread, with criminal networks capable of spying on 7 million computers worldwide. He urged those taking part to create a plan of action to guarantee safe internet use.

The main problem concerns the lack of a "digital culture" in Arab countries, said Sadowsky. "We have to teach young people within a framework that puts internet security first," he said.

In addition to taking an overview of the current system of electronic certification structures, the conference also recommended the establishment of an Arab forum on PKI.

"The time is ripe for Arab countries to establish an entity to co-ordinate [our] efforts in the sector and to benefit from successful experiences", Dr. Fahd Houni of the Digital Verification Center in Saudi Arabia told participants.

Other participants stressed the need for regional collaboration in bridging internet security gaps.

"There must be co-operation between Arab nations to stimulate trade and increase security," said Arab Advisers Group general manager Jaoued Abassi, who added that "fears of e-commerce" have prevented the region from developing effective internet security systems.

The forum's final report also considered the use of mobile phones to conduct e-transactions, due to the high proliferation of mobile phones and the substantial penetration of mobile telephone systems throughout the Arab world.

Tunisia, who hosted the conference, underlined its ongoing commitment to its digital development.

"Tunisia has been at the forefront of this area by adopting a national development strategy for the next five years," said Tunisian Technology Minister Mohamed Naceur Ammar.

Ammar said that Tunisia was looking to expand internet bandwidth to 100 gigabytes per second by 2014 and create a third-generation telecommunications network.

The Tunis conference continued the work of a 2009 Kuwait event devoted to creating an information society in the Arab world.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/02/02/feature-02.

Russia sends space freighter to International Space Station

Russia launched on Wednesday a Progress cargo spaceship on a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), a spokesman for the Russian Mission Control said.

A Soyuz-U carrier rocket carrying the Progress M-04M freighter lifted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 06:45 Moscow time (03:45 GMT) and is expected to dock with the ISS on February 5.

"The launch and the separation of the cargo spaceship from the carrier rocket were successful. The docking of the freighter with the ISS is expected at 07:26 Moscow time [04:26 GMT] on Friday," the official said.

The digitally controlled Progress craft will deliver over 2.5 tons of food and water supplies, fuel and scientific equipment to the orbital station, which is manned by an international crew comprising 6 astronauts from Russia, the United States and Japan.

Progress-series freighters have been the backbone of the Russian space cargo fleet for decades. In addition to their main mission as cargo spacecraft, they are used to adjust the ISS orbit and conduct scientific experiments.

Russia "buried" its last analog space freighter, the Progress M-67, in the southern Pacific last September.

MOSCOW, February 3 (RIA Novosti)

Source: RIA Novosti.
Link: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100203/157758201.html.

Militants pledge to float more bombs toward Israel

By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM – Palestinian militants said Tuesday they had launched a large number of floating explosives into the Mediterranean Sea to avenge the death of a top Hamas commander, a day after two bomb-laden barrels washed up on Israel's coastline.

Israeli authorities launched an intensive search for new bombs, closing miles of beaches, deploying robotic bomb squads and ordering surfers out of the wintry waters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas and hinted at retaliation.

Abu Saed, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, a Gaza faction with close ties to Hamas, said the attack was meant to avenge the killing last month of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a veteran Hamas operative who Israeli defense officials say was involved in smuggling rockets into Gaza.

Hamas says Israeli Mossad agents ambushed al-Mabhouh in his Dubai hotel room, immobilized him with an electrical shock and strangled him to death.

Israel has refused to comment on the allegations.

"We confirm that there are still many of these charges in the ocean, and they haven't exploded yet," Abu Saed said, standing alongside five other gunmen in military fatigues.

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu accused Hamas, which rules Gaza, of being behind the operation, with support from Iran and Syria.

"We view with great severity the Hamas operation near the Gaza beach, and we will respond accordingly," he said, without elaborating.

On Monday afternoon, a barrel bomb washed up on the beach of Ashkelon, about nine miles (15 kilometers) north of Gaza. A few hours later, another one was found at Ashdod, six miles (10 kilometers) farther north.

Each had about 22 pounds (10 kilograms ) of explosives, police said. They said bombs of that size could cripple small civilian vessels but not Israeli warships.

The barrels should not pose a threat to shipping lanes in the east Mediterranean since the tides would just carry them back to shore.

The second barrel blew up as a police robot was examining it, sending the tractor-like device tumbling through the air, according to witnesses. A police bomb squad defused the other one. No one was hurt.

Maritime authorities warned sailors and fishermen to be alert to possible dangers in the waters. In Ashdod, a crane-like robot crawled along the beach, prodding suspicious objects.

The military linked the barrels to two explosions at sea on Friday, aimed at Israeli ships. Israeli analysts speculated that the beach barrels might have been meant for ships but floated ashore instead.

"The attack was an intended terrorist attack that failed," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. He did not refer to the Hamas threat of retaliation.

On Tuesday, Iran joined Hamas in publicly accusing Israel of carrying out the al-Mabhouh assassination, calling it "yet another example of state-sponsored Israeli terrorism."

Israel, the EU and the United States shun Hamas as a terror group. Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, expelling forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who now controls only the West Bank.

In response, Israel clamped a blockade on Gaza, allowing only essential humanitarian supplies to enter.

Late Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the West Bank and Gaza must be reunited under a single government, but he did not say how that would be done. Fayyad also told an Israeli security conference that Israel's blockade must be lifted. "It is wrong," he said.

Addressing the same conference, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said if Israel does not reach a peace deal to relinquish control of Palestinian population centers, "(Israel) will have to be either a binational or undemocratic (state). ... If this bloc of millions of Palestinians cannot vote, that will be an apartheid state."

Israel launched a three-week offensive in Gaza a year ago to try to stop years of near-daily rocket barrages by Palestinian militants. About 1,400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, were killed in the massive operation. Since then, rocket fire has dropped considerably, and Hamas has been seen to keep an informal cease-fire, though other groups have attempted to carry out attacks.

A rocket exploded in Israel on Tuesday, the military said, causing no damage. A previously unknown Palestinian militant group claimed responsibility on an Islamic Web site.

Pets help owners deal with tough economy

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Dogs and cats provide a service in helping their owners deal with personal pressures brought on by a tough economy, a U.S. survey indicates.

A study of 400 Americans, fielded by the independent digital direct agency Catalyst Direct, found a majority stated their pets' emotional support and non-judgmental attitude are key to helping them survive challenging times.

Pet owners are experiencing all kinds of stress due to the uncertain economy -- 73 percent say they are more worried about finances; 64 percent say they are more anxious; 59 percent say they are less confident and 32 percent say they believe it has impacted their sense of identity.

Conversely, pet owners credit their dogs and cats with helping them cope in a number of ways: 89 percent say their pets help them deal with the stresses of life; 83 percent value the steady presence their pets provide in an uncertain economy; and 86 percent value their pets' appreciation, despite their own concerns about finances and job security.

No survey details were provided.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/02/02/Pets-help-owners-deal-with-tough-economy/UPI-36391265093777/.

Russia plans airline mergers

MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said several regional airlines in Russia, including Rossiya, could be joined together to then merge with Aeroflot.

Rossiya, a state-owned carrier, is based in St. Petersburg and has been struggling to compete in a crowded market, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

The plan is to form a joint-stock company combining Rossiya with other regional carriers, then merge the new corporation with Aeroflot.

At that point, Aeroflot, which controls 42 percent of Russia's international market, would find its share of the domestic market rising from about 18 percent to about 33 percent.

Fifteen new airlines in Russia have started operations since 2008, but now "the process of the sector's consolidation is under way," a Russian transportation minister said.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/02/02/Russia-plans-airline-mergers/UPI-17431265121705/.

NASA picks firms for crew transportation

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it has awarded $50 million in agreements to fund private industry concepts supporting astronaut transportation.

The Space Act Agreements mark the first step since President Barack Obama's Monday release of his fiscal 2011 budget request that killed NASA's planned Constellation project that was to have returned humans to the moon. The new funding supports the president's direction to foster commercial human spaceflight capabilities.

"The president has asked NASA to partner with the aerospace industry in a fundamentally new way, making commercially provided services the primary mode of astronaut transportation to the International Space Station," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "We are pleased to be able to quickly move forward to advance this exciting plan for NASA."

Through an open competition for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, NASA awarded Space Act Agreements to Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., $3.7 million; The Boeing Co. of Houston, $18 million; the Paragon Space Development Corp. of Tucson, $1.4 million; the Sierra Nevada Corp. of Louisville, Colo., $20 million, and United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colo., $6.7 million.

The agreements are for development of crew concepts and technology demonstrations and investigations for future commercial support of human spaceflight, NASA said.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/02/02/NASA-picks-firms-for-crew-transportation/UPI-22851265117767/.

Eastern U.S. forests growing faster

EDGEWATER, Md., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've found evidence that forests in the Eastern United States are growing faster than they have during the past 225 years.

The Smithsonian Institution ecologists focused on the growth of 55 stands of mixed hardwood forest plots in Maryland. Geoffrey Parker, who has tracked the trees' growth for 20 years, said the plots range in size with some as large as 2 acres. Parker's research is based at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 26 miles east of Washington in Edgewater, Md.

Parker and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute postdoctoral fellow Sean McMahon said the forest is growing, on average, an additional 2 tons per acre annually. That's the equivalent of a tree with a diameter of 2 feet sprouting up over one year, the researchers said.

Parker and McMahon said their findings suggest the faster growth rate are due to climate change and, more specifically, rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, higher temperatures and longer growing seasons.

The scientists, who said their findings might have significant ramifications in weather patterns, nutrient cycles, climate change and biodiversity, report the research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/02/02/Eastern-US-forests-growing-faster/UPI-20051265125641/.