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Geren, La Russa do lunch
Geren, La Russa do lunch Red Sox sign Drew, Lugo
John Shea, Chronicle Staff Writer
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(12-06) 04:00 PST Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- New A's manager Bob Geren isn't a know-it-all. He's open to all advice, especially when it comes from a future Hall of Fame manager.
Geren recently phoned Tony La Russa, who managed the Cardinals to the World Series title, and the East Bay residents went out to lunch.
"He respects a young manager trying to improve, and he said he did the same thing (solicit advice) when he started," said Geren, noting La Russa had looked up to Sparky Anderson and other successful managers. "He talked about constantly working ahead of the game so the game doesn't get too quick. He talked about 'what if' and how to use it in your normal thinking process. He was great. I mean, I owe him a lot for the experience. What a great resource."
La Russa seemed to enjoy the experience, too, saying, "It's stuff that was passed on to me years ago. For me, it was worth its weight in gold."
Geren was accompanied on his flight to Orlando by Karl Kuehl, a former A's executive who also offered advice.
Promoted from bench coach to replace Ken Macha, Geren said being a big-league manager hit home when he arrived at the winter meetings and found himself standing alongside Ron Washington, John Gibbons, Fredi Gonzalez and Manny Acta, all new or relatively new managers.
"That's when it sunk in," Geren said. "You're saying, 'OK, I'm one of these 30 now.' Pretty amazing."
This is a dream job for Geren, and he's not taking it lightly. He said he fell asleep Monday night reading a baseball rule book.
Ex-Dodgers signed: The Red Sox signed outfielder J.D. Drew for five years and $70 million after Drew opted out of the final three years and $33 million owed by the Dodgers. Another former Dodger, pitcher Greg Maddux, is bound for the Padres, apparently for one year and $10 million.
The Dodgers did keep closer Takashi Saito, who'll make $1 million next year.
Aside from Drew, the Red Sox also signed shortstop Julio Lugo to four years and $36 million.
Also Tuesday, the Rockies signed reliever LaTroy Hawkins, an ex-Giant, for one year and $3.5 million.
The signings came in the wake of Monday's activity in which pitcher Chris Carpenter re-signed with St. Louis for five years and $63.5 million and outfielder Jose Guillen joined Seattle for one year and $5.5 million.
Meantime, Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was cleared by doctors to end chemotherapy, and former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg will manage the organization's Class A affiliate (Peoria) in the Midwest League.
Robinson's scare: Don Robinson, who pitched for the Giants' 1989 World Series team, drove up from his home in Bradenton to renew acquaintances with old baseball friends, including Robby Thompson, who works for the Indians.
Robinson, 49, revealed he underwent surgery in remove an aortic aneurysm, the same thing that killed actor John Ritter in 2003. Robinson's golf game might have saved his life. He went to his doctor for some anti-inflammatory medicine for his shoulder, which ached when he swung. The doctor detected the abnormality near Robinson's heart and ordered the surgery.
Briefly: The late Bill King, a three-sport broadcaster who called A's games for 25 years, was selected one of 10 finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually at the Hall of Fame ceremony. For the second straight year, King finished first in an Internet voting and was added to the 10-person ballot that has Denny Matthews, Dave Niehaus, Dizzy Dean, France Laux, Tom Cheek, Tony Kubek, Ken Harrelson, Joe Nuxhall and Graham McNamee. The results of the Frick committee's vote will be announced Feb. 21. ... The A's say they'll open spring training one day earlier than normal to benefit pitchers. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the organization had a "slight leaning" toward using left-hander Jonathan Sanchez in the bullpen, another reversal of plans. Sanchez pitched 23 games in relief as a rookie in 2006 but was sent to the minors in late July to gain arm strength to start again. Bochy said Kevin Correia likely will pitch in relief, too, saying, "It's a case where he had success there, and you don't want to mess with it. ... The Giants' deal with catcher Bengie Molina, pending a physical, is worth between $15 million and $16 million, more than first reported.
Staff Writer Henry Schulman contributed to this report.
John Shea, Chronicle Staff Writer
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(12-06) 04:00 PST Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- New A's manager Bob Geren isn't a know-it-all. He's open to all advice, especially when it comes from a future Hall of Fame manager.
Geren recently phoned Tony La Russa, who managed the Cardinals to the World Series title, and the East Bay residents went out to lunch.
"He respects a young manager trying to improve, and he said he did the same thing (solicit advice) when he started," said Geren, noting La Russa had looked up to Sparky Anderson and other successful managers. "He talked about constantly working ahead of the game so the game doesn't get too quick. He talked about 'what if' and how to use it in your normal thinking process. He was great. I mean, I owe him a lot for the experience. What a great resource."
La Russa seemed to enjoy the experience, too, saying, "It's stuff that was passed on to me years ago. For me, it was worth its weight in gold."
Geren was accompanied on his flight to Orlando by Karl Kuehl, a former A's executive who also offered advice.
Promoted from bench coach to replace Ken Macha, Geren said being a big-league manager hit home when he arrived at the winter meetings and found himself standing alongside Ron Washington, John Gibbons, Fredi Gonzalez and Manny Acta, all new or relatively new managers.
"That's when it sunk in," Geren said. "You're saying, 'OK, I'm one of these 30 now.' Pretty amazing."
This is a dream job for Geren, and he's not taking it lightly. He said he fell asleep Monday night reading a baseball rule book.
Ex-Dodgers signed: The Red Sox signed outfielder J.D. Drew for five years and $70 million after Drew opted out of the final three years and $33 million owed by the Dodgers. Another former Dodger, pitcher Greg Maddux, is bound for the Padres, apparently for one year and $10 million.
The Dodgers did keep closer Takashi Saito, who'll make $1 million next year.
Aside from Drew, the Red Sox also signed shortstop Julio Lugo to four years and $36 million.
Also Tuesday, the Rockies signed reliever LaTroy Hawkins, an ex-Giant, for one year and $3.5 million.
The signings came in the wake of Monday's activity in which pitcher Chris Carpenter re-signed with St. Louis for five years and $63.5 million and outfielder Jose Guillen joined Seattle for one year and $5.5 million.
Meantime, Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was cleared by doctors to end chemotherapy, and former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg will manage the organization's Class A affiliate (Peoria) in the Midwest League.
Robinson's scare: Don Robinson, who pitched for the Giants' 1989 World Series team, drove up from his home in Bradenton to renew acquaintances with old baseball friends, including Robby Thompson, who works for the Indians.
Robinson, 49, revealed he underwent surgery in remove an aortic aneurysm, the same thing that killed actor John Ritter in 2003. Robinson's golf game might have saved his life. He went to his doctor for some anti-inflammatory medicine for his shoulder, which ached when he swung. The doctor detected the abnormality near Robinson's heart and ordered the surgery.
Briefly: The late Bill King, a three-sport broadcaster who called A's games for 25 years, was selected one of 10 finalists for the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually at the Hall of Fame ceremony. For the second straight year, King finished first in an Internet voting and was added to the 10-person ballot that has Denny Matthews, Dave Niehaus, Dizzy Dean, France Laux, Tom Cheek, Tony Kubek, Ken Harrelson, Joe Nuxhall and Graham McNamee. The results of the Frick committee's vote will be announced Feb. 21. ... The A's say they'll open spring training one day earlier than normal to benefit pitchers. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the organization had a "slight leaning" toward using left-hander Jonathan Sanchez in the bullpen, another reversal of plans. Sanchez pitched 23 games in relief as a rookie in 2006 but was sent to the minors in late July to gain arm strength to start again. Bochy said Kevin Correia likely will pitch in relief, too, saying, "It's a case where he had success there, and you don't want to mess with it. ... The Giants' deal with catcher Bengie Molina, pending a physical, is worth between $15 million and $16 million, more than first reported.
Staff Writer Henry Schulman contributed to this report.
France: Iran facing U.N. sanctions
France: Iran facing U.N. sanctions
POSTED: 5:30 a.m. EST, December 6, 2006
var clickExpire = "01/5/2007";
Story Highlights• NEW: Iran will face U.N. Security Council sanctions, French minister says • Major powers divided on exactly how far punishment should go• At talks in Paris, France and five other major powers failed to reach an accord
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PARIS, France (AP) -- Iran will face U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to halt its nuclear program, France's foreign minister said Wednesday, but major powers are still divided on exactly how far punishment should go.
"The question is about the scope of sanctions but there will be sanctions," Philippe Douste-Blazy said on RTL radio.
The measures would fall under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, Douste-Blazy added. The article authorizes the Security Council to impose nonmilitary sanctions such as completely or partially severing diplomatic and economic relations, transportation and communications links.
A day earlier, at closed-door talks in Paris, France and five other major powers failed to reach an accord on a U.N. resolution to punish Iran, although the French Foreign Ministry said there was "substantive progress" and that "we are now close to a conclusion of this process."
A senior European diplomat said the five permanent Security Council members, which include France, plus Germany remained split over key questions of visa bans and asset freezes for Iranians linked to nuclear development.
Douste-Blazy, however, played down differences, saying the talks confirmed major powers' desire to act in concert. "We agreed on one thing: There will be a resolution at the U.N. Security Council in a unified manner, including China and Russia," he said.
After months of diplomatic wrangling, the United States and France had hoped the talks would produce a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for defying U.N. demands to stop uranium enrichment. The process can produce material for atomic warheads as well as electricity.
Russia is resisting wide-ranging sanctions, but was said to have made some concessions. The Russians agreed to a measure prohibiting financial transfers to "problematic" Iranians linked to nuclear or ballistic programs, a European diplomat said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
Russia still opposes the broader asset freeze that the European players -- Britain, France and Germany -- proposed in a draft U.N. resolution presented in October, the diplomat said.
And the question of travel bans for those involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs remains "blocked," he said. The Europeans and Americans support the bans; Russia opposes them.
The Security Council has been at odds over how to deal with Iran's defiance of an Aug. 31 U.N. deadline to halt uranium enrichment. Western powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear bombs, while Tehran insists it only wants nuclear energy.
The Europeans and Americans want tough sanctions; Russia and China have pushed for dialogue, despite the failure of an EU effort to bring the Iranians to the negotiating table.
Currently, all are working off the European draft resolution and Russia's suggested amendments to it.
The resolution would order all countries to ban the supply of materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Russia has said its supports such measures. It also imposes a travel ban and asset freeze on people and companies involved in those programs -- both measures Russia wants deleted.
The Russians also remain resistant to a measure expanding the powers of the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor Iran's nuclear program, considering that a "provocation" to Iran, the diplomat said.
The draft resolution would exempt a nuclear power plant being built by the Russians at Bushehr in Iran, but not the nuclear fuel needed for the reactor. Russia wants to remove any mention of Bushehr.
The discussions now move to the U.N. in New York. The Americans and Europeans are pushing for a resolution by the end of the year.
Congress postpones vote on Gulf drilling
Congress postpones vote on Gulf drilling
By Erica Werner
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – As one of its last acts, the Republican-led Congress postponed a showdown vote on opening 8 million more acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Supporters were worried about achieving the two-thirds majority needed to pass the measure under rules allowing little debate. They said they might make another attempt before week’s end using different rules that allow broader debate but require only a simple majority.
Lawmakers returned Tuesday for only four days of work before Republicans call it quits after running Congress for 12 years. Democrats will control both houses for the first time since 1994 when a new Congress reflecting last month’s election starts up in January.
Republicans already have left the biggest unfinished tasks of 2006 – approving budgets for most federal agencies – to their successors.
Leaders in both parties, however, still have hopes of renewing three popular tax breaks before leaving town. They include $4,000 deductions for college students, a sales tax credit in states without their own income taxes and business research and development credits. All expired last December.
Late Tuesday, House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee negotiators were still working out final details of the tax bill.
But the Ways and Means panel did complete for floor action a comprehensive trade bill that grants permanent trade relations with Vietnam. The House rejected the Vietnam bill last month under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, but it is strongly backed by the White House.
The trade package also extends programs offering lower duties for Andean nations and promotes apparel industries in Haiti and sub-Saharan Africa. Lawmakers from textile states have voiced concerns that the bills, which allow some transshipments from China and other Third World countries, will result in further losses to American producers.
In other action as Congress moved toward adjourning for the year by week’s end:
•Senate Democrats from urban states ended a monthslong fight stalling passage of a $2.1 billion AIDS funding bill that shifts money to rural states, where the disease is spreading fastest now.
•The Senate passed a bill to create a new agency within the Health and Human Services Department to oversee the development of medicine and equipment to respond to a bird flu pandemic or a bioterrorism attack.
•The Senate scrapped a measure to provide $4.8 billion in disaster aid to drought-stricken farmers after Bush threatened to veto it. Conservative Republicans argued that it was to expensive.
•House and Senate negotiators worked on a final bill to allow shipments of U.S. civilian nuclear reactor fuel to India despite its development of nuclear weapons outside an international non-proliferation regime.
Regarding the oil drilling matter, House leaders gave no reason for canceling a scheduled vote on the bill that had passed the Senate earlier this year. But one congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because another attempt may be made, said some Republicans withdrew their support at the last minute, and sponsors didn’t want to risk losing the vote.
The drilling bill covers an area 125 miles south of the Florida Panhandle and is up to 300 miles from Florida’s Gulf Coast. The area is believed to contain 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, enough gas to heat 6 million homes for 15 years. The country uses about 21 million barrels of oil a day.
By Erica Werner
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – As one of its last acts, the Republican-led Congress postponed a showdown vote on opening 8 million more acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Supporters were worried about achieving the two-thirds majority needed to pass the measure under rules allowing little debate. They said they might make another attempt before week’s end using different rules that allow broader debate but require only a simple majority.
Lawmakers returned Tuesday for only four days of work before Republicans call it quits after running Congress for 12 years. Democrats will control both houses for the first time since 1994 when a new Congress reflecting last month’s election starts up in January.
Republicans already have left the biggest unfinished tasks of 2006 – approving budgets for most federal agencies – to their successors.
Leaders in both parties, however, still have hopes of renewing three popular tax breaks before leaving town. They include $4,000 deductions for college students, a sales tax credit in states without their own income taxes and business research and development credits. All expired last December.
Late Tuesday, House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee negotiators were still working out final details of the tax bill.
But the Ways and Means panel did complete for floor action a comprehensive trade bill that grants permanent trade relations with Vietnam. The House rejected the Vietnam bill last month under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, but it is strongly backed by the White House.
The trade package also extends programs offering lower duties for Andean nations and promotes apparel industries in Haiti and sub-Saharan Africa. Lawmakers from textile states have voiced concerns that the bills, which allow some transshipments from China and other Third World countries, will result in further losses to American producers.
In other action as Congress moved toward adjourning for the year by week’s end:
•Senate Democrats from urban states ended a monthslong fight stalling passage of a $2.1 billion AIDS funding bill that shifts money to rural states, where the disease is spreading fastest now.
•The Senate passed a bill to create a new agency within the Health and Human Services Department to oversee the development of medicine and equipment to respond to a bird flu pandemic or a bioterrorism attack.
•The Senate scrapped a measure to provide $4.8 billion in disaster aid to drought-stricken farmers after Bush threatened to veto it. Conservative Republicans argued that it was to expensive.
•House and Senate negotiators worked on a final bill to allow shipments of U.S. civilian nuclear reactor fuel to India despite its development of nuclear weapons outside an international non-proliferation regime.
Regarding the oil drilling matter, House leaders gave no reason for canceling a scheduled vote on the bill that had passed the Senate earlier this year. But one congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because another attempt may be made, said some Republicans withdrew their support at the last minute, and sponsors didn’t want to risk losing the vote.
The drilling bill covers an area 125 miles south of the Florida Panhandle and is up to 300 miles from Florida’s Gulf Coast. The area is believed to contain 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, enough gas to heat 6 million homes for 15 years. The country uses about 21 million barrels of oil a day.
Wounded men dispute police account of 50-shot incident
Wounded men dispute police account of 50-shot incidentBY ROCCO PARASCANDOLANewsday Staff WriterDecember 6, 2006
Trent Benefield said he thought he "was going to die" when an undercover detective opened fire on a car outside a Jamaica strip club, killing bridegroom Sean Bell.Benefield, who along with friend Joseph Guzman survived the police shooting that killed Bell on his wedding day, spoke out for the first time, telling a television reporter he had no idea the shooter was a detective -- a claim he and Guzman had previously made through their lawyers.
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"My friend's dead," Benefield, 23, told a reporter from NY1 in an exclusive interview. "Everyone's shot up. I'm shot up. We need justice. I don't want nobody to go through this."It was the first direct public comment Benefield has made about the incident since he was rushed to Mary Immaculate Hospital in the early morning hours of Nov. 25.Tuesday, sitting in a wheelchair, Benefield left the hospital without speaking for a meeting with his attorney.His release came as the New York Police Department braced for a rally outside police headquarters this afternoon by protesters angry that five officers fired 50 shots at the car. Guzman, 31, who was struck 13 times, mostly on the side of his body, is in stable condition at the same hospital and remained hospitalized as of Tuesday.Much about the fatal confrontation remains unclear as the Queens district attorney prepares to present the case to a grand jury.Police officials said they are not sure how big a crowd to expect at the rally, but several police sources say the NYPD is girding for at least several hundred protesters. Benefield attended a meeting where people were organizing today's rally and thanked the Rev. Al Sharpton for his support.The rally, officially titled "Resist Fascism and the Rise of the American Police State," is being held by the December 12th Movement, a Brooklyn-based group that campaigns against civil rights violations for black people and has pushed for slavery reparations. A number of those not connected to the group, including members of Bell's family, are expected to attend.Protests thus far have focused on what critics of the police department say is the systematic targeting and harassment of young black men.The five cops who fired their weapons are black, white and Hispanic.It was Guzman's statement that he was going to get a gun, police said, that prompted the undercover detective to follow Bell, 23, and Benefield out of Kalua Cabaret after Bell's bachelor party.As Bell got behind the wheel of his Altima the detective identified himself, but Bell hit the gas, striking the detective and twice hitting an unmarked police van as the detective and four colleagues opened fire, police said.Guzman and Beteman -- who was shot in both legs -- have claimed they thought they were being carjacked and that the detective never identified himself. They also repeatedly said through their attorney that there was never a fourth person, as police insist.When asked yesterday by NY1 whether there was a fourth man -- who might have been armed and fled the club after the shooting -- Benefield said no. "No fourth man," he told the reporter.The five cops who fired their weapons have been stripped of their guns and placed on administrative duty. Bell, Beteman and Guzman were at the club, unaware that it was being investigated by police for drugs and prostitution.Each of the shooting victims has a criminal record, and Bell had recently made at least one drug sale to an undercover officer, sources said. He was still under investigation at the time of his death.Community activists Tuesday were also calling for a march for justice on Dec. 16.
Trent Benefield said he thought he "was going to die" when an undercover detective opened fire on a car outside a Jamaica strip club, killing bridegroom Sean Bell.Benefield, who along with friend Joseph Guzman survived the police shooting that killed Bell on his wedding day, spoke out for the first time, telling a television reporter he had no idea the shooter was a detective -- a claim he and Guzman had previously made through their lawyers.
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plugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))
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"My friend's dead," Benefield, 23, told a reporter from NY1 in an exclusive interview. "Everyone's shot up. I'm shot up. We need justice. I don't want nobody to go through this."It was the first direct public comment Benefield has made about the incident since he was rushed to Mary Immaculate Hospital in the early morning hours of Nov. 25.Tuesday, sitting in a wheelchair, Benefield left the hospital without speaking for a meeting with his attorney.His release came as the New York Police Department braced for a rally outside police headquarters this afternoon by protesters angry that five officers fired 50 shots at the car. Guzman, 31, who was struck 13 times, mostly on the side of his body, is in stable condition at the same hospital and remained hospitalized as of Tuesday.Much about the fatal confrontation remains unclear as the Queens district attorney prepares to present the case to a grand jury.Police officials said they are not sure how big a crowd to expect at the rally, but several police sources say the NYPD is girding for at least several hundred protesters. Benefield attended a meeting where people were organizing today's rally and thanked the Rev. Al Sharpton for his support.The rally, officially titled "Resist Fascism and the Rise of the American Police State," is being held by the December 12th Movement, a Brooklyn-based group that campaigns against civil rights violations for black people and has pushed for slavery reparations. A number of those not connected to the group, including members of Bell's family, are expected to attend.Protests thus far have focused on what critics of the police department say is the systematic targeting and harassment of young black men.The five cops who fired their weapons are black, white and Hispanic.It was Guzman's statement that he was going to get a gun, police said, that prompted the undercover detective to follow Bell, 23, and Benefield out of Kalua Cabaret after Bell's bachelor party.As Bell got behind the wheel of his Altima the detective identified himself, but Bell hit the gas, striking the detective and twice hitting an unmarked police van as the detective and four colleagues opened fire, police said.Guzman and Beteman -- who was shot in both legs -- have claimed they thought they were being carjacked and that the detective never identified himself. They also repeatedly said through their attorney that there was never a fourth person, as police insist.When asked yesterday by NY1 whether there was a fourth man -- who might have been armed and fled the club after the shooting -- Benefield said no. "No fourth man," he told the reporter.The five cops who fired their weapons have been stripped of their guns and placed on administrative duty. Bell, Beteman and Guzman were at the club, unaware that it was being investigated by police for drugs and prostitution.Each of the shooting victims has a criminal record, and Bell had recently made at least one drug sale to an undercover officer, sources said. He was still under investigation at the time of his death.Community activists Tuesday were also calling for a march for justice on Dec. 16.
Fiji coup leader warns against dissent
Times Online
December 06, 2006
Fiji coup leader warns against dissentAdam Fresco and agencies
Fiji’s new military ruler declared a state of emergency today and warned he was prepared to use quick and decisive force to quell any dissent.
NI_MPU('middle');
The day after seizing power in Fiji’s fourth coup in 19 years, Commodore Frank Bainimarama used self-appointed powers to swear in a caretaker prime minister and remove the police chief who had defied his orders.
Armed troops surrounded the parliament and interrupted senators as they debated a motion condemning the toppling of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
"We have reasonable grounds to believe that the life of the state is being threatened," Mr Bainimarama said as he proclaimed a state of emergency and dissolved parliament.
"Should we be pushed to use force, let me state that we will do so very quickly," he told reporters, adding that "Qarase and his cronies are not coming back".
Mr Bainimarama’s coup, which has drawn outrage abroad, came after a year-long power struggle with the mild-mannered Mr Qarase, whom he accuses of corruption and being too soft on those behind Fiji’s last coup in 2000.
Mr Bainimarama said the planned appointment of a caretaker government "is now put on hold" because the Great Council of Chiefs, the influential group of tribal leaders who appoint the president, said they had cancelled a scheduled meeting next week amid growing opposition to the coup.
Military doctor Jona Baravilala Senilagakali, a Methodist lay preacher and political novice, was sworn in as caretaker prime minister at military headquarters.
"I work for the army. I’m obliged to do whatever my commander tells me to do," Mr Baravilala told reporters. He gave no timetable for fresh elections.
The deposed prime minister, who was taken by soldiers before sunrise and flown back to his home island in Fiji’s remote east, remained defiant and said he was still the country’s only legal ruler as he called for Fijians to stage non-violent demonstrations.
"I am still the legal prime minister of the country," Mr Qarase told the Legend radio network today from his home village on the outlying Lau group of islands. "There is no way the interim prime minister is going to be a legal prime minister, absolutely no way."
The capital, Suva, remained generally quiet as Mr Bainimarama, in an address broadcast nationally, said he had declared a state of emergency because intelligence indicated some people were planning civil disruption.
"For those who do not agree with what we are doing, we respect your opinion, but do not interfere with the process that is currently under way," he said. "There is no point in debating the legality or otherwise of our actions. Qarase and his cronies are not coming back."
He said the military wanted a peaceful transition to an interim administration and eventually elections that would restore democracy.
"But should we be forced to use force, let me state that we will do so very quickly," he said.
December 06, 2006
Fiji coup leader warns against dissentAdam Fresco and agencies
Fiji’s new military ruler declared a state of emergency today and warned he was prepared to use quick and decisive force to quell any dissent.
NI_MPU('middle');
The day after seizing power in Fiji’s fourth coup in 19 years, Commodore Frank Bainimarama used self-appointed powers to swear in a caretaker prime minister and remove the police chief who had defied his orders.
Armed troops surrounded the parliament and interrupted senators as they debated a motion condemning the toppling of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
"We have reasonable grounds to believe that the life of the state is being threatened," Mr Bainimarama said as he proclaimed a state of emergency and dissolved parliament.
"Should we be pushed to use force, let me state that we will do so very quickly," he told reporters, adding that "Qarase and his cronies are not coming back".
Mr Bainimarama’s coup, which has drawn outrage abroad, came after a year-long power struggle with the mild-mannered Mr Qarase, whom he accuses of corruption and being too soft on those behind Fiji’s last coup in 2000.
Mr Bainimarama said the planned appointment of a caretaker government "is now put on hold" because the Great Council of Chiefs, the influential group of tribal leaders who appoint the president, said they had cancelled a scheduled meeting next week amid growing opposition to the coup.
Military doctor Jona Baravilala Senilagakali, a Methodist lay preacher and political novice, was sworn in as caretaker prime minister at military headquarters.
"I work for the army. I’m obliged to do whatever my commander tells me to do," Mr Baravilala told reporters. He gave no timetable for fresh elections.
The deposed prime minister, who was taken by soldiers before sunrise and flown back to his home island in Fiji’s remote east, remained defiant and said he was still the country’s only legal ruler as he called for Fijians to stage non-violent demonstrations.
"I am still the legal prime minister of the country," Mr Qarase told the Legend radio network today from his home village on the outlying Lau group of islands. "There is no way the interim prime minister is going to be a legal prime minister, absolutely no way."
The capital, Suva, remained generally quiet as Mr Bainimarama, in an address broadcast nationally, said he had declared a state of emergency because intelligence indicated some people were planning civil disruption.
"For those who do not agree with what we are doing, we respect your opinion, but do not interfere with the process that is currently under way," he said. "There is no point in debating the legality or otherwise of our actions. Qarase and his cronies are not coming back."
He said the military wanted a peaceful transition to an interim administration and eventually elections that would restore democracy.
"But should we be forced to use force, let me state that we will do so very quickly," he said.
A puzzling poisoning
IT HAS all the hallmarks of a John le Carre novel or a James Bond film. A former Soviet spy is investigating the murder of a Russian journalist. He meets with a contact who may have information. But after they dine together, the former spy falls ill, and later dies.
He was poisoned with a rare radioactive substance, polonium-210.
Except, of course, that this isn't a spy novel, and neither George Smiley, Mr. le Carre's fictional character, nor 007 is on the case.
It's a real and deeply disturbing scenario playing out in London. Alexander Litvinenko, a naturalized British citizen and former KGB agent, died after being poisoned with polonium-210. Two other people, Mr. Litvinenko's wife, Marina, and Mario Scaramella, with whom Mr. Litvinenko met in early November, have tested positive for the same substance.
And that's just the start of the expanding fallout from what appears to have been a carefully planned and artfully carried-out execution of a critic of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Already traces of the radioactive substance have been found on two British Airways planes, and a third is to be tested. Traces also have been found elsewhere in London, and thousands of innocent travelers are calling hotlines, terrified that they may have somehow been tainted by polonium.
And the day after Mr. Litvinenko died, former Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar was poisoned in Ireland.
Those incidents bring to mind that in 1978 Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was killed by a poisoned dart fired from an umbrella after walking across Waterloo Bridge in London.
And in 2004 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned, but recovered.
British Home Secretary John Reid says authorities will follow the Litvinenko investigation wherever it leads. Right now, it appears as though it leads to Moscow.
Before his death, Mr. Litvinenko, a critic of Mr. Putin, accused the Russian leader of involvement in his poisoning. In the shadowy world in which he appeared to be operating, where there are enemies aplenty, both real and imagined, and paranoia may simply be a prudent admission that people are out to get you, that's not a surprising accusation.
Certainly it's possible that Mr. Litvinenko's investigation into the death of the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya - herself a critic of the Putin administration - may have played a part in his apparent assassination.
However, while speculation on what, if any, role the Russian leadership had in Mr. Litvinenko's death is tantalizing, it is also, at this juncture, fruitless.
Still, it doesn't take a mystery writer or a conspiracy theorist to surmise that if Mr. Litvinenko's inquiries were becoming troublesome and potentially embarrassing to the Russians, he was placing himself in harm's way.
He was poisoned with a rare radioactive substance, polonium-210.
Except, of course, that this isn't a spy novel, and neither George Smiley, Mr. le Carre's fictional character, nor 007 is on the case.
It's a real and deeply disturbing scenario playing out in London. Alexander Litvinenko, a naturalized British citizen and former KGB agent, died after being poisoned with polonium-210. Two other people, Mr. Litvinenko's wife, Marina, and Mario Scaramella, with whom Mr. Litvinenko met in early November, have tested positive for the same substance.
And that's just the start of the expanding fallout from what appears to have been a carefully planned and artfully carried-out execution of a critic of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Already traces of the radioactive substance have been found on two British Airways planes, and a third is to be tested. Traces also have been found elsewhere in London, and thousands of innocent travelers are calling hotlines, terrified that they may have somehow been tainted by polonium.
And the day after Mr. Litvinenko died, former Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar was poisoned in Ireland.
Those incidents bring to mind that in 1978 Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was killed by a poisoned dart fired from an umbrella after walking across Waterloo Bridge in London.
And in 2004 Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned, but recovered.
British Home Secretary John Reid says authorities will follow the Litvinenko investigation wherever it leads. Right now, it appears as though it leads to Moscow.
Before his death, Mr. Litvinenko, a critic of Mr. Putin, accused the Russian leader of involvement in his poisoning. In the shadowy world in which he appeared to be operating, where there are enemies aplenty, both real and imagined, and paranoia may simply be a prudent admission that people are out to get you, that's not a surprising accusation.
Certainly it's possible that Mr. Litvinenko's investigation into the death of the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya - herself a critic of the Putin administration - may have played a part in his apparent assassination.
However, while speculation on what, if any, role the Russian leadership had in Mr. Litvinenko's death is tantalizing, it is also, at this juncture, fruitless.
Still, it doesn't take a mystery writer or a conspiracy theorist to surmise that if Mr. Litvinenko's inquiries were becoming troublesome and potentially embarrassing to the Russians, he was placing himself in harm's way.
Defense secretary nominee appears golden
Defense secretary nominee appears golden
The full Senate today could approve Robert Gates, who says that as secretary he would be willing to alter course in Iraq.By Robert Burns the associated press
WASHINGTON -- Robert Gates, seemingly clinching confirmation as the new secretary of defense, said Tuesday that the United States is not winning in Iraq and that he's confident President Bush will listen to his ideas about forging a new war strategy.
He won speedy and unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee after five hours of testimony, a bipartisan show of support that suggested how eager many lawmakers are to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. The full Senate could seal Gates' confirmation as early as today.
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"In my view, all options are on the table, in terms of how we address this problem in Iraq," he told the committee. But he also acknowledged the complexity of the challenge.
"There are no new ideas on Iraq," he said of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which previewed its findings and recommendations to President Bush on Tuesday and will release them today. Gates was a member of the group until Bush announced his nomination for the Pentagon job last month.
The senators voted 24-0 to support the nomination to replace Rumsfeld, who has become a symbol of the Bush administration's steadfast course in a war that has soured with the public and much of the world.
"I voted yes because in both the substance of his answers and the tone of his answers, he seemed open to course correction," said Carl Levin, D-Mich., who will be the panel's chairman when Democrats control the Senate next month.
During his appearance, Gates would not commit to any specific course of action in the conflict. He said he would consult first with commanders and others.
Asked directly by Levin whether the U.S. is winning in Iraq, Gates replied, "No, sir." That response appeared to contradict Bush, who said at an Oct. 25 news conference, "Absolutely, we're winning."
Gates later said he thinks the United States is neither winning nor losing, "at this point."
His statements on the war -- and his professed openness to change -- underscored pressures heaped on Bush since Democratic victories in last month's congressional elections, votes widely read as a rejection of the administration's steadfast course in the war.
Unrelenting violence by insurgents and between ethnic groups, and a U.S. death toll that has soared past 2,900, have raised questions about the effectiveness of Iraq's government. Bush in recent weeks has expressed a willingness to consider a fresh course in the war, but has shown no sign of a willingness to heed Democratic calls to start withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops.
Bush has said he wants to keep U.S. forces there until Iraq is able to govern and defend itself without being a haven for terrorists."It seems to me that the United States is going to have to have some kind of presence in Iraq for a long time ... but it could be with a dramatically smaller number of U.S. forces than are there today," Gates said.
Iraq dominated the hearing, which began with Gates saying, "I am under no illusion why I am sitting before you today: the war in Iraq." Without mentioning Rumsfeld by name, Gates made clear that he hopes to find a more effective Iraq strategy.
After lunch, Gates told the committee he wanted to amplify on his morning remark about not winning in Iraq. He said he did not want U.S. troops to think they are being unsuccessful in their assigned missions.
"Our military wins the battles that we fight," Gates said. "Where we're having our challenges, frankly, are in the areas of stabilization and political developments and so on." He said other federal agencies should do more in Iraq.
Gates, a former director of the CIA, fielded questions with ease, acknowledging at times that he simply did not know the answer or needed more time for study.
There was little of the confrontational tone that sometimes emerged when Rumsfeld testified before the same committee.
The full Senate today could approve Robert Gates, who says that as secretary he would be willing to alter course in Iraq.By Robert Burns the associated press
WASHINGTON -- Robert Gates, seemingly clinching confirmation as the new secretary of defense, said Tuesday that the United States is not winning in Iraq and that he's confident President Bush will listen to his ideas about forging a new war strategy.
He won speedy and unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee after five hours of testimony, a bipartisan show of support that suggested how eager many lawmakers are to replace Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. The full Senate could seal Gates' confirmation as early as today.
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"In my view, all options are on the table, in terms of how we address this problem in Iraq," he told the committee. But he also acknowledged the complexity of the challenge.
"There are no new ideas on Iraq," he said of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which previewed its findings and recommendations to President Bush on Tuesday and will release them today. Gates was a member of the group until Bush announced his nomination for the Pentagon job last month.
The senators voted 24-0 to support the nomination to replace Rumsfeld, who has become a symbol of the Bush administration's steadfast course in a war that has soured with the public and much of the world.
"I voted yes because in both the substance of his answers and the tone of his answers, he seemed open to course correction," said Carl Levin, D-Mich., who will be the panel's chairman when Democrats control the Senate next month.
During his appearance, Gates would not commit to any specific course of action in the conflict. He said he would consult first with commanders and others.
Asked directly by Levin whether the U.S. is winning in Iraq, Gates replied, "No, sir." That response appeared to contradict Bush, who said at an Oct. 25 news conference, "Absolutely, we're winning."
Gates later said he thinks the United States is neither winning nor losing, "at this point."
His statements on the war -- and his professed openness to change -- underscored pressures heaped on Bush since Democratic victories in last month's congressional elections, votes widely read as a rejection of the administration's steadfast course in the war.
Unrelenting violence by insurgents and between ethnic groups, and a U.S. death toll that has soared past 2,900, have raised questions about the effectiveness of Iraq's government. Bush in recent weeks has expressed a willingness to consider a fresh course in the war, but has shown no sign of a willingness to heed Democratic calls to start withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops.
Bush has said he wants to keep U.S. forces there until Iraq is able to govern and defend itself without being a haven for terrorists."It seems to me that the United States is going to have to have some kind of presence in Iraq for a long time ... but it could be with a dramatically smaller number of U.S. forces than are there today," Gates said.
Iraq dominated the hearing, which began with Gates saying, "I am under no illusion why I am sitting before you today: the war in Iraq." Without mentioning Rumsfeld by name, Gates made clear that he hopes to find a more effective Iraq strategy.
After lunch, Gates told the committee he wanted to amplify on his morning remark about not winning in Iraq. He said he did not want U.S. troops to think they are being unsuccessful in their assigned missions.
"Our military wins the battles that we fight," Gates said. "Where we're having our challenges, frankly, are in the areas of stabilization and political developments and so on." He said other federal agencies should do more in Iraq.
Gates, a former director of the CIA, fielded questions with ease, acknowledging at times that he simply did not know the answer or needed more time for study.
There was little of the confrontational tone that sometimes emerged when Rumsfeld testified before the same committee.
Russia refuses to extradite suspects in ex-spy's poisoning
Russia refuses to extradite suspects in ex-spy's poisoning
By Peter Finn and Mary Jordan
Washington Post
MOSCOW - British detectives visiting Russia to investigate the poisoning death of a former Russian intelligence officer in London will face broad restrictions in their work here, a senior Russian official said Tuesday.
Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika said his subordinates would perform any interrogations, not the British. He ruled out the extradition of possible suspects who are Russian citizens and said British investigators could not meet an imprisoned lawyer and former officer in the FSB, a successor agency of the KGB, who claims to have vital information.
A key witness checked into a hospital Tuesday, creating questions about when -- and possibly whether -- investigators from Scotland Yard would be able to see him.
Some British politicians quickly criticized the restrictions. ``If they don't allow access, the world at large will wonder, why not?'' said British lawmaker David Davis, a leading member of the opposition Conservative Party, in an interview. But he cautioned it was too early to know exactly how much cooperation British investigators would get.
At a press conference in Moscow, Chaika smacked down any notion that the British police could go wherever their investigation leads them, as British Home Secretary John Reid put it in London on Sunday. Even allowing for the normal sensitivities in any country about allowing foreign police on home turf, Chaika was unequivocal in mapping out the secondary function of his British counterparts.
``They may participate with our consent, and we might also withhold our consent,'' said Chaika, who is the equivalent of the country's attorney general.
Several British detectives flew into Moscow on Monday night to probe any Russian connection to the Nov. 1 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210. The radioactive isotope brought on the former domestic security officer's death 23 days later after a slow and gruesome deterioration in his condition.
Litvinenko, 43, was part of a London circle of Russian exiles that is fiercely critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a deathbed statement, Litvinenko accused the Kremlin of ordering his killing, a charge that authorities here labeled as baseless and absurd.
Among those the British had planned to interview is Andrei Lugovoy, a Russian entrepreneur and former KGB officer who met with Litvinenko in a bar at the Millennium Hotel in London the day of the poisoning.
Lugovoy spoke to officials at the British Embassy in Moscow and denied any involvement in the poisoning. His attorney, Andrei Romashov, said he was tested last week for radiation contamination and got a clean bill of health in a Moscow clinic. But the Russian newspaper Kommersant, quoting the attorney, said Lugovoy had checked into a hospital with his wife and three children, who were with him in London, for fresh tests.
``I cannot say if he's ready to meet with the British investigators,'' Romashov said.
The British police officers are also interested in meeting with Dmitry Kovtun, a business consultant, and Vyacheslav Sokolenko, who heads an association of security agencies. Both men also met Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel with Lugovoy.
The British want also to meet Mikhail Trepashkin, a former FSB officer who is serving a four-year sentence on charges of divulging state secrets. Trepashkin, like Litvinenko, had investigated a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 that were one of the triggers for a second war between Russian forces and separatists in the southern republic of Chechnya.
Trepashkin accused his former colleagues in the security services of masterminding the bombings. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have expressed concern that he was prosecuted to stop his unsanctioned inquiry.
Trepashkin's attorneys released a letter in which the prisoner claimed that the FSB had created a list of people, including Litvinenko, who should be assassinated, and he requested a meeting with the British claiming he had relevant information about the case.
A representative of the Russian prison system told the Russian news agency Interfax that would not happen. ``The Federal Penitentiary Service will not allow a person convicted for divulging state secrets to remain a source of information for representatives of foreign special services,'' the official said.
By Peter Finn and Mary Jordan
Washington Post
MOSCOW - British detectives visiting Russia to investigate the poisoning death of a former Russian intelligence officer in London will face broad restrictions in their work here, a senior Russian official said Tuesday.
Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika said his subordinates would perform any interrogations, not the British. He ruled out the extradition of possible suspects who are Russian citizens and said British investigators could not meet an imprisoned lawyer and former officer in the FSB, a successor agency of the KGB, who claims to have vital information.
A key witness checked into a hospital Tuesday, creating questions about when -- and possibly whether -- investigators from Scotland Yard would be able to see him.
Some British politicians quickly criticized the restrictions. ``If they don't allow access, the world at large will wonder, why not?'' said British lawmaker David Davis, a leading member of the opposition Conservative Party, in an interview. But he cautioned it was too early to know exactly how much cooperation British investigators would get.
At a press conference in Moscow, Chaika smacked down any notion that the British police could go wherever their investigation leads them, as British Home Secretary John Reid put it in London on Sunday. Even allowing for the normal sensitivities in any country about allowing foreign police on home turf, Chaika was unequivocal in mapping out the secondary function of his British counterparts.
``They may participate with our consent, and we might also withhold our consent,'' said Chaika, who is the equivalent of the country's attorney general.
Several British detectives flew into Moscow on Monday night to probe any Russian connection to the Nov. 1 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210. The radioactive isotope brought on the former domestic security officer's death 23 days later after a slow and gruesome deterioration in his condition.
Litvinenko, 43, was part of a London circle of Russian exiles that is fiercely critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a deathbed statement, Litvinenko accused the Kremlin of ordering his killing, a charge that authorities here labeled as baseless and absurd.
Among those the British had planned to interview is Andrei Lugovoy, a Russian entrepreneur and former KGB officer who met with Litvinenko in a bar at the Millennium Hotel in London the day of the poisoning.
Lugovoy spoke to officials at the British Embassy in Moscow and denied any involvement in the poisoning. His attorney, Andrei Romashov, said he was tested last week for radiation contamination and got a clean bill of health in a Moscow clinic. But the Russian newspaper Kommersant, quoting the attorney, said Lugovoy had checked into a hospital with his wife and three children, who were with him in London, for fresh tests.
``I cannot say if he's ready to meet with the British investigators,'' Romashov said.
The British police officers are also interested in meeting with Dmitry Kovtun, a business consultant, and Vyacheslav Sokolenko, who heads an association of security agencies. Both men also met Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel with Lugovoy.
The British want also to meet Mikhail Trepashkin, a former FSB officer who is serving a four-year sentence on charges of divulging state secrets. Trepashkin, like Litvinenko, had investigated a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 that were one of the triggers for a second war between Russian forces and separatists in the southern republic of Chechnya.
Trepashkin accused his former colleagues in the security services of masterminding the bombings. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have expressed concern that he was prosecuted to stop his unsanctioned inquiry.
Trepashkin's attorneys released a letter in which the prisoner claimed that the FSB had created a list of people, including Litvinenko, who should be assassinated, and he requested a meeting with the British claiming he had relevant information about the case.
A representative of the Russian prison system told the Russian news agency Interfax that would not happen. ``The Federal Penitentiary Service will not allow a person convicted for divulging state secrets to remain a source of information for representatives of foreign special services,'' the official said.
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