Current News on Current News Poll and National News and Current National Issues

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 US Army chief of staff: more troops needed in Afghanistan

The United States' army's chief of staff, General George Casey, said today that he believes more troops are needed in Afghanistan.

In a US television interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" programme, Casey said he believed additional forces are needed to cut the Taliban's successes and train Afghan security forces. He did not, however, say how many more troops he thought should be sent to the war.

"I believe that we need to put additional forces into Afghanistan to give General McChrystal the ability to both dampen the successes of the Taliban while we train the Afghan civilian forces," he said.

In CNN's State of the Union programme, Casey remarked that "[t]he Army remains out of balance. But we started in 2007 with a program to get ourselves back in balance by 2011. And since 2007, we have added 40,000 soldiers to the active force, which is a significant step forward."

President Barack Obama has been deliberating for weeks whether to deploy 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan, as requested by General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and NATO forces there.

Thirteen dead, several wounded in Fort Hood, Texas shooting

The United States Army has confirmed that thirteen people have been killed after a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood army base in Texas. An additional thirty are reported wounded, and the gunman is in stable condition after being shot by military police. Two other soldiers are in detention.

The incident took place at a deployment readiness center. According to local congressman John Carter, shooting broke out shortly before a graduation ceremony.

The gunman has been identified as an army officer, Major Malik Nadal Hasan. He is a mental health professional, presumably either a psychologist or psychiatrist, according to an unnamed defense official. Two other suspects were in custody, the base commander, Lieutenant-General Bob Cone, said. "Our investigation is ongoing, but preliminary reports indicate that there was a single shooter," Cone said at a news conference. "The shooter is not dead, but in custody in stable condition."

Initial reports said that the gunman had been shot to death by military police; however, General Cone now says that the man is in custody and is in the hospital with injuries, but is in stable condition. FOX40 News in Sacramento managed to record a military spokesperson commenting on why the media wasn't informed about the status of the gunman until four hours after the initial announcement was made that he had been fatally shot. That military spokesman replied, "the doctors didn't know who they were working on."

When asked at the conference whether Hasan's attack might have been a terrorist act, General Cone replied that "I couldn't rule that out, but I'm telling you that right now the evidence does not suggest that."

It is not currently clear if those killed and wounded are civilian or military. The gunman is reported to have been in uniform and using handguns. Eyewitnesses claim at least one man was armed with a high-power sniper rifle. The chief of media at the base, Christopher Hogue, said to reporters that "the only one we know who was shooting was killed and he had two handguns."

There may have been other people involved in the shooting, however. "We [...] have apprehended two additional soldiers that are suspects. There were eyewitness accounts that there may have been more than one shooter," General Cone said.
Cquote1.svg Effective immediately Fort Hood is closed. This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation." Cquote2.svg

—Fort Hood official website

The Killeen Independent School District said that all schools in the area were placed on lockdown. The base was closed down following the incident as well. "Effective immediately Fort Hood is closed," a statement on the Fort Hood website read. "This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation." The website appears to have gone down shortly after the announcement.

A serviceman at the base described his experiences to the BBC. "I heard the emergency announcement over the speakers outside and saw people rushing to get indoors. In our office we're okay but we're hearing about the deaths. [...] We are still on lockdown. I am hearing that at least nine people may be dead."

Greg Schannep, a retired colonel, was heading to the 2 P.M. graduation ceremony when he heard gunshots and saw an injured soldier run past him. "Initially, I thought it was a training exercise," he recounted, as quoted by the New York Daily News. "A soldier came running past me and said 'sir, there is someone shooting.' As he ran past me I saw blood on his back. I don't think he even knew he had been shot."
Location of Fort Hood within Texas

"It's chaotic," said the director of a local coffee shop near the base, as quoted by the Associated Press. "They're just saying that they're under attack they don't know what's going on. [...] The phones are jammed. Everybody is calling family members and friends. Soldiers are running around with M-16s."

The authorities are still gathering information about the shooting, according to Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban. "DoD [Department of Defense], DHS [Department of Homeland Security], FBI and other members of the intelligence community are assessing and gathering facts about the shooting. Because this is early in this event, we cannot at this time confirm motives behind these shootings," she said.

The Scott & White Memorial Hospital in the town of Temple received ten of the injured victims from the attack. Its website has posted an appeal for blood donations. "Due to the recent events on Fort Hood, we are in URGENT need of ALL blood types," it said. The hospital received 200 blood donations since 2:45 P.M. local time.

The hospital was soon closed to visitors after the wounded people were received. "[We are] no longer open to visitors as we focus our attention upon the victims and their families," a statement on the website said. The associate system chief medical officer said that they did not have specific information on their conditions. "We get patients like this, but not usually all at once," said director Glen Couchman.

Another health facility, the Metroplex Adventist Hospital, received seven other victims. The hospital stated that one of them was soon pronounced dead, and two others, including an EMS paramedic, are in surgery.

Fort Hood is situated in the town of Killeen. It is the largest military base in the world, houses around 40,000 US troops, and is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Austin. It has been compared to a small town, with its own schools, convenience stores, and even two museums.

This is not the first time Killen has witnessed a shooting spree. The town was the site of the worst shooting spree in American history until the Virginia Tech massacre, when on October 16, 1991, George Jo Hennard drove his truck through the front window of Luby's Cafeteria and proceeded to shoot and kill 23 people and wound another 20, before commiting suicide in what is know as the Luby's massacre. It should be noted Major Hasan is an alumnus of Virginia Tech.
Gunman's motives and background

Hasan's motives for the shooting spree were not immediately clear, however, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison told the FOX news agency that "I do know that he has been known to have told people that he was upset about going [to Iraq]."
Cquote1.svg [Going to Iraq] was probably his worst nightmare Cquote2.svg

—Gunman's cousin

A cousin of the gunman, Nader Hasan, told FOX that his cousin had been ordered to deploy to Iraq, but was unwilling to do so. "We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," he said.

According to Nader, Nidal is a US-born Muslim who had joined the military after finishing high school, and was a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He was also a member of the ROTC, and used to be a psychiatrist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

"He was a psychiatrist at Walter Reed dealing with the people coming back and [...] trying to help them with their trauma," Nader said.

Retired colonel Terry Lee told FOX that "[Hasan] said maybe Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor. At first we thought he meant help the armed forces, but apparently that wasn't the case. Other times he would make comments we shouldn't be in the war in the first place."

Security officials said that some Internet postings made half a year ago, discussing suicide bombings and other forms of violence, appeared to have been posted by Hasan, but this has not been officially confirmed.
"Isolated incident"

Some army bases around the US increased security measures following the attacks. "The bottom line for us is that we are increasing security at our gates because the threat hasn't yet been defined, and we're reminding our Marines to be vigilant in their areas of responsibility," said the public affairs officer for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona, Captain Rob Dolan.
Cquote1.png We don’t have reason to believe that this is anything other than an isolated incident Cquote2.png

—Army spokesman

However, a spokesman for the Department of Defense said that the attack appeared to be an isolated incident. "This is an isolated and tragic case and we're obviously in the process of obtaining more information as the events unfold," said Lieutenant Colonel Eric Butterbaugh.

"We don’t have reason to believe that this is anything other than an isolated incident," an army spokesman from Fort Lewis in the state of Washington, Joe Piek, commented. "We don’t normally discuss security operations at the post anyways, but I am sure this is something that our security law enforcement will be reviewing. As we are watching and listening, there is a lot we don't know."
Response
Cquote1.svg ...a horrific outburst of violence Cquote2.svg

—Barack Obama

President Barack Obama described the incident as "a horrific outburst of violence" in a press conference in Washington D.C., going on to say, "It is difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women abroad, but it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on US soil. [...] We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident. We are going to stay on this."

Texas Senator Hutchison released a statement regarding the incident. "I am shocked and saddened by today's outburst of violence at Fort Hood that has cost seven of our brave service members their lives and has gravely injured others. My heart goes out to their loved ones," she said.

"Our dedicated military personnel have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and it sickens me that the men and women of Fort Hood have been subjected to this senseless, random violence. I know all Americans share this concern for the soldiers and their families who are affected by this tragedy," the statement continued.

Robert Gates, the Defense Secretary, expressed his sympathy to those affected by the attack. "I can pledge that the Department of Defense will do everything in its power to help the Fort Hood community get through these difficult times," he said in a statement.

Vice President Joe Biden also offered his condolences. "We are all praying for those who were wounded and hoping for their full and speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the entire Fort Hood community as they deal with this senseless tragedy," he remarked.

"I was saddened to learn of the tragic incident at Fort Hood. Laura and I are keeping the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," wrote former president George W. Bush in a statement from his office in Dallas.

The state's governor, Rick Perry, ordered all flags in Texas to be flown at half-staff until Sunday. "[I am] keeping those affected by today's incidents in our thoughts and prayers," he said.

The junior senator from Texas, John Cornyn, also issued a statement. "My heart goes out to the victims of the tragedy that occurred today at Fort Hood, as well as their families. Fort Hood is one of our nation's finest and largest military installations, and a place that has long been a source of pride for Texans, and for all Americans who value the selfless service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform," the statement read.

"It is imperative that we take the time to gather all the facts, as it would be irresponsible to be the source of rumors or inaccurate information regarding such a horrific event. Once we have ascertained all the facts, working with our military leaders and law enforcement officials on the ground, we can determine what exactly happened at Fort Hood today and how to prevent something like this from ever happening again."

 Obama declares swine flu emergency in US

US president Barack Obama declared a swine flu emergency in the country on Saturday, according to a statement released by the White House.

Obama signed a declaration late on Friday, authorising health secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass some federal rules, in order to let health officials respond more efficiently to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. The move is aimed at making it less difficult for people affected by the virus to seek treatment, and allow medical providers to give it immediately, bypassing potential hurdles such as health privacy regulations.

"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," the president wrote in the declaration.

Swine flu has now been circulated in 46 of the 50 US states, and has resulted in at least 411 confirmed deaths since the end of August. Production of antiviral vaccines has been slower than initially predicted, and it is likely that the US government's targets for delivery won't be met by drug makers, according to Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventio

 US Supreme court to hear Guantanamo Bay cases

The United States Supreme Court accepted a request yesterday to hear a case from 13 ethnic Uighur (Chinese Muslim) inmates. Currently held at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, they are requesting release to the United States, contrary to a measure voted last week by the House of Representatives permitting the transfer of prisoners to the US for trial, but explicitly forbidding their release to the US. Congress passed the legislation yesterday.

The legislation requires an assessment of potential security risks, including what dangers are involved, how the threat can be diminished, legal arguments and assurances about the detainee's level of risk to the relevant state governor, to be provided 45 days prior to prosecution in the US. Under these measures, the President must provide Congress with the detainee's name, destination, a risk assessment, and transfer terms in order to release them to another country.

The Uighurs are still being detained, despite the Pentagon clearing them of all charges in 2004. A federal judge ruled in February that they be released to the US. However an appeals court overturned the decision in February saying that only the executive branch, not federal judges, had jurisdiction on immigration matters.

The Supreme Court will hear the case in early 2010 and will have to decide whether or not federal judges may order their release to US soil. However, President Barack Obama promised to close the detention centre by January 22, and the implications for cases pending review are unclear. Of the 220 remaining detainees, 80 are awaiting release and 60 prosecution.

The Uighurs have been detained at Guantanamo for over seven years. They are part of a group of 22 suspected terrorists who were captured in Afghanistan and Pakistan after the invasion in October 2001 to remove the ruling Taliban; after being held on charges of training in Al-Qaeda camps they were moved to the detention centre in Cuba.

The US government has made efforts to relocate the prisoners. Five went to Albania in 2006 and another four went to Bermuda in June. The island of Palau has said it will take twelve, leaving just one. However, some of the Uighurs are worried that Palau is too close to China, where the ethnic group suffers from religious and political discrimination and are treated as separatists in the Xinjiang region.

 Obama signs Pakistan aid bill worth US$7.5 billion

US president Barack Obama signed a bill that will give Pakistan US$7.5 billion worth of nonmilitary aid into law on Thursday.

The bill was signed by the president at the White House. The White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said that the law demonstrated the "tangible manifestation of broad support for Pakistan in the US."

The plan will provide money for projects to help fund energy generation, roads, schools, and water resource management in Pakistan, among other things. Congress, however, will still need to allot the money indicated in the bill, and the bill will need to be renewed annually.

Some members of the Pakistani parliament and military said that they felt some of the rules laid out in the plan might result in a breach of sovereignty. However, the Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said he believed that the US wasn't trying to take control over his country's internal politics.

 UK sending additional 500 troops to Afghanistan

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that an additional 500 British troops will be sent to Afghanistan. The UK currently has around 9,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

"I believe the decision we are announcing is consistent with what the Americans will decide," Brown stated yesterday. His decision was apparently made "to meet the changing demands of the campaign, which require greater concentration of our forces in central Helmand [Province]". A previous request for an additional 2,000 troops was denied.

After his statement media reports suggested that the decision was based on the United States agreeing in a discussion with Brown to send at least 45,000, but no more than 65,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The White House later denied that any agreement was reached or that President Barack Obama had come to a decision on sending additional troops.

"I would not put any weight behind the fact that a decision has been made, when the President has yet to make a decision. I've seen the report. It's not true, either generally or specifically. The president has not made a decision," said statement issued by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

In September it was reported that Commanding general in Afghanistan, Stanley A. McChrystal, requested an additional U.S. 40,000 troops be sent to Afghanistan stating, "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near term (next 12 months) — while Afghan security capacity matures — risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible." The Washington Post reports the request was sent to the White House In August and President Obama is currently reviewing it.

There are nearly 70,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan, and 35,000 troops from other nations.

 US Senate panel approves healthcare reform bill

The United States Senate Committee on Finance approved a proposal to reform health care on Tuesday, clearing it to move forward. The bill passed by a 14-9 vote, gaining support from the committee's thirteen Democrats, and one Republican.
United States Capitol (2007)
Image: Scrumshus.

Senator Olympia Snowe was the only senator from the Republican party to back the bill. However, she said this might change as the bill moves through Congress.
Cquote1.png There are many, many miles to go in this legislative journey Cquote2.png

—U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe

"There are many, many miles to go in this legislative journey. My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow," Snowe said.

President Barack Obama, who supports the bill as part of his effort to overhaul the country's health care system, welcomed the committee's vote. "We are closer than ever before to passing healthcare reform but we are not there yet. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back - now is the time to dig in further and get this done. In this final phase we should engage with each other with civility and seriousness that has brought us this far and that this subject deserves."

The bill, which contains a ten-year plan with an estimated cost of US$829 billion, is aimed at lowering healthcare costs and increasing the affordability of insurance. Proponents will now seek to merge it with another bill from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus emphasized, "Americans want us to craft a package that will get the 60 votes needed to pass." He argued that the Finance bill was the best candidate to attract needed the centrist support.

Critics, however, have said that the proposed plan is too costly, and will cause the government to interfere too much into the private healthcare sector.

"We can now see clearly that the bill continues its march leftward," said the senior Republican on the committee, Senator Charles Grassley. "This bill is already moving on a slippery slope to more government control of healthcare."

 Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated the award was "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples."

The award is widely viewed as surprising given that Obama has only been in office for nine months, having been inaugurated in January this year. He is also only the third U.S. President to receive the prize whilst still in office, after Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
HAVE YOUR SAY

Wikinews commentary.svg
Do you think Obama deserves the prize? What is your opinion?
Add comment - View comments

Head of the awarding committee, Thorbjørn Jagland, stated the prize was awarded so early "because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve." He particularly praised Obama's work on nuclear disarmament.

Obama was said to be "humbled" by the award.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901 by a committee elected by the Norwegian parliament. It was established by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, to be given to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses."

 China promises cut in carbon dioxide emissions

Hu Jintao, the president of China, has promised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions produced by his country, one of the largest polluters in the world.
Hu Jintao

In a speech to world leaders at the United Nations' climate change summit in New York on Tuesday, the president said that China plans to receive 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

"We will endeavour to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level," Hu said. He did not set a figure for the cuts, saying they will be made based on China's economic output.

Hu encouraged developing countries "to avoid the old path of polluting first and cleaning up later." He added that "they should not, however, be asked to take on obligations that go beyond their development stage, responsibility and capabilities."

Meanwhile, Japan's new Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, told world leaders at the summit that his nation plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020.

Prime Minister Hatoyama and President Hu also called for financial support from developed countries to help developing nations achieve climate change goals and sustainable development.

US President Barack Obama, who was also at the summit, encouraged all countries to work together to reduce their carbon emissions.

"Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it — boldly, swiftly, and together — we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe. The time we have to reverse this tide is running out," he said.

 U.S. and China in trade dispute

The United States (U.S.) and China this week initiated a trade dispute over tires, auto-parts, and poultry products just a week ahead of the 2009 G-20 trade summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The most recent trade policies enacted by the U.S. government includes a September 12 decision to impose a 35% trade tariff on Chinese tire imports as an anti-dumping measure. The trade policy came about as a result of a trade-complaint initiated by the United Steelworkers Union (USW) filed before the U.S. International Trade Commission. As reported by Steve Levine of BusinessWeek, "In [the USW's] trade complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the USW invoked a provision in China's 2001 accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) that allows protection from surging imports from the country [China]. The union documented a tripling of Chinese tire imports from 2004 to 2008 [...]" The Trade Commission initially recommended a 55% tariff however, President Obama agreed to only 35%. The trade tariff will be diminished by 5% per year for the next three years to 25%. The deadline for President Obama's decision was September 17. The trade tariff will take effect on September 26, pegging rates at the new level from the current 4%. The dispute will now move to the WTO where it can take up to 18 months for adjudication.

To quantify the impact of the tariff, in 2008 China supplied US$1.8 billion in tires to the U.S. or about one-third of the U.S. market, with two-thirds of U.S. companies producing their tires in China. It's likely that the effects of the suit will exceed $1 billion in trade costs, as reported by several other news agencies.

On the 14th of September, the Chinese government via its Ministry of Commerce website, announced that they would institute an investigation into the dumping of U.S. auto parts and chicken products; they are also filing a complaint at the WTO regarding this matter. A formal announcement of trade tariffs against U.S. goods has not occurred.

The two countries' executive and economic teams will meet in Pittsburgh for the G-20 meeting on September 24 and 25 to discuss these and other economic issues.

 White House predicts US debt will double in 10 years

The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is predicting that the national debt of the US will double in 10 years. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has raised its forecast of the 10-year cumulative budget deficit to US$7.137 trillion, due to increased spending. Both offices released reports on Tuesday.
Seal of the OMB

"Over all, it underscores the dire fiscal situation that we inherited and the need for serious steps to put our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path," wrote Peter R. Orszag, President Barack Obama's budget director.

"I know that there will be some who say this report proves that we cannot afford health reform. I think that has it backward," Orszag said in a conference call.

The CBO report predicts that public debt will exceed 61% of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2010 while continuing to rise to 68% of GDP by the end of 2019.

"If anyone had any doubts that this burden on future generations is unsustainable, they're gone," said Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader.

"Today's budget numbers send a clear signal that the time for putting off tough choices is over and the time to act is now," said the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Kent Conrad.

"While the U.S. health care system does need to be reformed, we cannot ignore the fiscal realities of our situation," said Senator Judd Gregg who is also on the Senate Budget Committee. "We must proceed with extreme caution before putting in place a huge and costly new program that will threaten our economy and the future of our children."

"The administration has always said that you have to get deficits under 3 percent of GDP to be safe. They now admit that they will not in the next 10 years," commented Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the CBO. "I'm stunned at how hard they have worked to bury this."