War on Terror is far from over...

Four people have been arrested in connection to what US authorities believe was a serious plan to launch a terror campaign in and around New York. Three of the persons have been named as James Cromitie (also known as Abdul Rahman), David Williams (aka Daoud and DL), and Onta Williams (aka Hamza). They were brought to court on Thursday and were ordered to be detained until the 5th June for a preliminary hearing. The three and a fourth man, Laguerre Payen (aka Amin and Almondo), have been accused attempts to bomb a synagogue and planning to target military jets at an airfield [BBC / Sky News / CNN].

The threat is being taken extremely seriously by authorities despite the group being infiltrated early on in their planning the attacks and supplied with fake explosives. According to reports the group attempted to detonate the explosives outside two synagogues in New York.

The foiling of the alleged terror plot comes as the US senate rejected an appeal by Obama for money to close Guantanamo Bay and will serve to reinforce the argument that the terror threat remains strong enough to maintain the camp. On Thursday it was also announced that the first trial for a former Guantanamo Bay detainee will take place in New York in the coming weeks. Ahmed Ghailani, who is suspected of taking part in al-Qaeda plots to bomb US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, will be the first former detainee to face trial in the United States [CNN].

Meanwhile terror attacks have continued in Iraq today. Scores have been killed in Baghdad and Kirkuk in an upsurge of violence that has swept the country in recent weeks. April was the bloodiest month since September, and despite reassuring statements from both the Iraqi government and the US military that things were getting better, most ordinary citizens are increasingly concerned [BBC / CNN].

In Kirkuk at least five were killed and 3 US soldiers were amongst 12 killed in a blast that struck in central Baghdad. Today’s attacks which left at least 23 dead came a day after 40 were killed in north-west Baghdad. More than 250 died in a series of attacks in April leading many to believe that insurgents may be regrouping as US troops prepare to downsize their operations [BBC].

Plane crashes in Japan & US

A plane has crashed at Tokyo's Narita airport an burst into flames. The McDonnell Douglas cargo aircraft came into land in high winds and appeared to bounce before exploding into flames. The resulting fire has almost completely destroyed the Fed-Ex cargo plane which had just completed a flight from Guangzhou in China. The fate of the two pilots on board the plane is as yet unknown [CNN].

In another incident a single propeller aircraft crashed in the town of Butte in the state of Montana, USA. At least 17 people have been confirmed dead and reports suggest many children were on board the plane. The crash happened at 15:27 local time [21:27 GMT] as the Pilatis PC-12 Swiss-made turboprop came into land [BBC / Sky News / CNN].

Brown & Obama - an awkward relationship

The British press have ridiculed Gordon Brown's US visit

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in the United States on Tuesday with the hope of discussing a “global new deal”. But his effort to gather support to kick-start the world economy seemed to be getting a cold reception before it had even begun.

Snubs and criticism

Besides it being his first visit to the U.S. since Barack Obama became president, the Prime Minister’s itinerary was being downsized and rescheduled. Hopes of a joint press conference in the Rose Garden evaporated due to the heavy snow in Washington, though officials did not explain why the event was not moved inside. Some saw the move as a snub to the Prime Minister who has been particularly critical of the U.S. financial regulatory system.
During his monthly press conference last month [Feb 18th], Gordon Brown called for “an international system of regulation”, something he said was “absolutely essential”.
But his attempts of persuading others to join his plan have so far fallen on deaf ears. And it has not been helped by continued criticism of other countries. In his February statement he said there was a “failure in the American regulatory system.”

“If you take the sub-prime mortgage market in the United States of America, sub-prime mortgages, half of them were sold to Europe. So they were sold on by providers in the United States of America to Europe. But they were regulated by the American system and they were called Triple A. So the people who were buying these investments from America were buying what they were told was the most worthy investment of them all, Triple A rated, and there was a failure in the American regulatory system.”

However, while he said Britain was more tightly regulated, he conceded there was still room for improvement. “Our regulatory system has been a better system but it is still not good enough to meet the changing challenges of the times,” Gordon Brown said.

Despite his criticism of America, the Prime Minister has also praised Obama for his efforts in tackling the financial crisis saying they were doing “similar things” to what Britain was doing.
The atmosphere of Brown’s visit has already been soured by what some see as pointed gestures about the state of Britain’s so called “special relationship”. Barack Obama has already removed a bust of Winston Churchill that once sat in the Oval Office. And in what might be seen as another snub, former Prime Minister Tony Blair was invited to the national prayer breakfast in Washington last month and referred to by Obama as a “good friend”.

The White House insisted that a special relationship still existed between Britain in an attempt to brush off speculation. On his arrival at Andrews Airforce base the Prime Minister did receive a rather frosty reception in the form of extremely cold temperatures reportedly as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.

'The special relationship'

His meeting with Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation was somewhat warmer. During the visit Brown insisted the downturn could “only be resolved by people working together”. The Rabbi gave him a pot of honey in the shape of an apple in recognition of Britain’s work in tackling world poverty. But the Prime Minister will need more than a pot of honey to help him save global markets which have crashed to all time lows in recent days.
In an earlier interview with National Public Radio [NPR] he said that the priority was to “clean up the banking system”. But most of his discussions with Barack Obama were held behind closed doors. In a short question and answer session after the meeting Obama reaffirmed his belief in the special relationship between the U.S and Britain. “Rest assured it is not only strong but will get stronger as time goes on,” Obama said. He added that the relationship was important to the U.S and Great Britain. “It’s not just important to me but also the American people,” he emphasized.

Obama echoed the words of the British Prime Minister saying a “global new deal” was important. But he said the US banking sector had been dealt a heavy blow and economic recovery would not happen overnight.

Brown thanked Obama referring to their “partnership of purpose” which was founded on shared values and a need to solve world economic problems. He said that a “Big regulatory change” was needed. He was nonetheless positive saying, “There is a possibility of a global new deal in the next few months”.

Both leaders emphasized the need to work together with Obama declaring, “In this world we need to build alliances and not act unilaterally”. It was also important that all major G20 countries worked together with a common set of principles he said [BBC].

Despite much press speculation it appeared, that at least publicly, the two leaders were affirming their strong alliance.

'Weird and sinister'

However, Brown is certainly not running in the footsteps of his predecessor who was much admired in the US. Although he was welcomed by strong applause during his speech to congress, it was not in league to that seen in Tony Blair’s day.

The BBC’s Nick Robertson talked of 17 standing ovations, two less than that received by Prime Minister Blair. However not all pundits saw the reception as being so rapturous. Sky’s Adam Boulton described the so-called standing ovations as merely “seventeen bursts of applause”.
Blair was often described as Bush‘s poodle and recent cartoons have depicted Gordon Brown similarly as a dog sniffing at the butt of America. One could even descibe his speech as somewhat sycophantic. But his apparent obsequiousness did not go down well in the UK. Indeed his performance was even described as “dysfunctional” by one politician on the BBC’s Question Time. Shadow International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the interviews in the Oval Office were “rather dysfunctional and rather needy”, though he thought that the Prime Minister’s call to avoid protectionism was important. Writer and feminist Germaine Greer was less than impressed by Gordon Brown’s delivery at Congress saying it was “Weird and sinister”. She said the speech was full of clichés and described it as “over the top”.

Indeed, he had barely begun his address before the praise for America drooled from his lips. "The US is and always will be an inspiration to me and the whole world," Brown said in his opening remarks. And the praise didn’t stop there. “America is an irrepressible nation" he said. "America is a nation with the vision to protect & preserve our planet Earth", a nation whose “spirit” would not be destroyed by terrorists, Brown declared. And of course there was the obligatory tribute to the "sacrifice of American soldiers who have given their lives" in two world wars, as well as Afghanistan & Iraq.

After the praise, and the announcement that Senator Edward Kennedy had been awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen, Brown then launched into his bidding.

'Building for the future'

He said it was a "time for renewal“ and “ building for the future". "Let us agree rules and standards of accountability and transparency," he said and called on America to “renew our special relationship” and get “every continent playing their part for a global new deal”.
He may well find it an uphill struggle to get the full support of America despite his stated optimism. "I have never before seen a world willing to come together so much," Brown said, while insisting that it was time to “seize this moment” and “build tomorrow, today” [Full speech]

'Saving the world..'

While the reception was generally warm there were moments when some members abstained from applauding the British leader. In fact he received only half-hearted applause when he called for agreement on overhauling the world of international finance at the G20 talks in April.
It should perhaps also be noted that several dozen members of Congress failed to attend the speech. Their seats in the chamber were taken by House and Senate staff and other guests.
In December as the world recession was just beginning to bite, Brown was mocked for his slip-up in Parliament when he said, “The first point of recapitalization was to save the banks that would have otherwise collapsed. And we not only saved the world...”. His attempts to correct himself by saying “save the banks” were drowned out with laughter. The faux pas was then capitalized upon by opposition leader David Cameron who exclaimed, “Well, it's now on the record. He is so busy talking about saving the world, he has forgotten about the businesses of this country.”
There are many who now feel he forgot about “this country” as he fawned for America and its new charismatic, but seemingly disinterested, leader.

'printing money'

Back home the Bank of England announced another interest rate cut and a plan to inject billions of pounds into the economy in the form of “quantitative easing”. It was not met with huge enthusiasm except perhaps by politicians. Twitter, the micro-blogging service, was alive with comments suggesting the proposal to effectively print money could lead to rampant inflation and risked a Zimbabwe style economy developing. The interest rate cut, which was halved to 0.5%, has also created consternation amongst many Britons. Savers will see little point in putting money into banks which give so little return on their investment.

It remains to be seen if Brown’s global new deal and other initiatives will have any effect on the economy, or if he can pull nations together in fighting the global recession.

China's war of words over human rights

In the week following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first visit to China a war of words has brewed over human rights. It is a subject that is never far away whenever China is mentioned. But this year is particularly poignant as the 20th anniversary to the pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square approaches.

Mothers who lost their children in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 have called for compensation, a full inquiry and a publication of those killed. In addition they have called on the Chinese government to punish those responsible for the deaths. The call comes as the twentieth anniversary to the protest approaches.

But the parents’ calls are likely to be ignored by authorities as China prefers to look towards the future instead of the past. In an open letter to the government the call is made to “break the taboo”.
The letter acknowledges the decision will be difficult for the government but insist it was important for everyone to know the truth. "This will require each deputy to demonstrate extraordinary courage and resourcefulness, political courage and wisdom, to break the taboo and face head-on the unspeakable tragedy that took place 20 years ago and resolve 'June Fourth' with the truth," part of the letter reads. "China has become like an airtight iron chamber and all the demands of the people about June 4, all the anguish, lament and moaning of the victims' relatives and the wounded have been sealed off" [BBC].

In 2006 it was reported that one mother had received some 70,000 yuan in compensation [BBC] Tang Deying had been given the money as a “hardship allowance”. Tang’s 15 year old son, Zhou Guocong, died in police custody in Chengdu days after the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests. But he is only one of many killed or maimed on the 4th June 1989. Chinese authorities have defended their actions and say 241 died in the clampdown. However, although number remain disputed, it is widely believed the number of dead exceeds 2,000 [Wikipedia].

Protests still take place but have never reach the scale of those seen twenty years ago. Following the milk scandal there have been protests by parents calling for investigations and compensation. Even when some of those involved in contaminating milk with the industrial chemical melamine were found guilty, some parents were angry they were not all give death sentences. In the aftermath of the devastating Beichuan earthquake last year parents called for the government to investigate why so many schools collapsed. Private concerns are also voiced, sometimes with tragic consequences.

This week three protesters set themselves alight as police approached their car which was parked at the junction of Wangfujing and Chang'an Avenue, near to Tiananmen Square. One witness said an incendiary device exploded when police opened the door of a small silver-grey car which was bedecked with three small Chinese flags. The motive behind their apparent protest was not clear, though authorities say they were petitioners with “personal grievances” [BBC]. Signatories to the Charter 08 document have also been detained, questioned by the police and put under pressure at work. The charter calls for a radical overhaul of China's political system by introducing elections, a new constitution and an independent judiciary [BBC].

Many activists have been jailed or placed under house arrest. Even party members have not been immune to Beijing’s crackdown on dissent. Bao Tong, an adviser to the Communist Party's general secretary Zhao Ziyang at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, was jailed for seven years after opposing the crackdown. Zhao Ziyang, who also voiced his opposition to the military crackdown, lost his position as party boss and replaced by Jiang Zemin. Even years after the protests, those reporting on events have felt the long arm of the law. Journalist Shi Tao was jailed for 10 years in 2005 after publicising the authority’s efforts in censoring news in the run up to the 15th anniversary [BBC].

The BBC and other western media often gives the impression that China is like living in a totalitarian police state. However, while it is true that raising voices of dissent will attract attention from authorities, most Chinese people get on with their daily lives without any direct interference. Not that everyone is entirely happy with their lot. Just as in many developed countries in the world there are grumbles about the government, the recession and domestic issues.

This week a US state department report said that in 2008 Chinese authorities had "committed extrajudicial killings and torture, coerced confessions of prisoners, and used forced labour". Its publication came a week after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited China. During her trip Clinton had “candid discussions on human rights issues” but many human rights organisations said she had failed to go far enough in criticising China’s abuse of human rights. China meanwhile has condemned the US state department report. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma ZhaoXu said the US should “stop acting as a human rights guardian" and “reflect on its own human rights problems” [BBC / Xinhua].

The report [PDF] says China “continued to limit citizens' privacy rights and tightly controlled freedom of speech, the press (including the Internet), assembly, movement, and association”. In particular it accused Chinese authorities of committing “extrajudicial killings and torture, coerced confessions of prisoners, and used forced labour”. Amongst those who were subject to increased detention and harassment were “dissidents, petitioners, human rights defenders, and defense lawyers” according to the report. The 27 page document also singled out many African states including Zimbabwe, the DRC and Sudan. Other Asian countries were criticised for their abuse of human rights. Amongst them were Burma [Myanmar], Malaysia and Thailand where child labour and extrajudicial killings were said to be carried out. The Russian Federation also met with much criticism from the US report. But of some 40 countries mentioned in the document, it was the section on China [US govt] that the media focused upon.

Xinhua, the state news agency, dismissed the findings in the report saying it "turned a blind eye to the efforts and historic achievements China has made in human rights". And in a sharp response to the US report, China has released its own critique of America. Published in part by the state owned news agency Xinhua, the 9,000 word report says the US is gripped with an epidemic of crime, racism and social problems. Americans’ social, economic or cultural rights were not protected, the article claims, and says that many suffer from “personality disorders”. And with reference to this week’s report issued by the State Department, the article accuse the US of hypocrisy. The criticism of other countries by the US amounted to the “practice of throwing stones at others while living in a glass house”, Xinhua said.

The report, entitled Human Rights Record of the United States in 2008, was published by the Information Office of the State Council and is critical of the one-sidedness of the US report. "As in previous years, the reports are full of accusations of the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions, including China, but mention nothing of the widespread human rights abuses on its own territory" the report says.

The report was scathing of America’s social situation. “People in the United States saw their pension plans shrink, health insurance cut and school tuition increase, while drugs, suicide and other social problems prevailed” it states. The Chinese report also highlighted issues of civil rights saying that US government surveillance of online activities had increased and new legislation on wiretapping had been written into law. China also focused on the increasing crime rates across the US. Quoting figures published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the report said crime was growing with over 1.4 million violent crimes, including 17,000 murders and 9.8 million property crimes in 2007 alone [report - full text / report - full text in Chinese].

China, is not itself in the habit of publishing crime figures, so it is difficult to make comparisons. But it is clear the US have certainly rattled some cages within China. The tit for tat in this propaganda war is however likely to continue for some time [BBC].

Eyes on China as Clinton arrives

US Secretary of State arrives in Beijing on Friday evening

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that both China and the United States need to “work together” during the current economic downturn. Speaking to CNN prior to her arrival in Beijing she showed optimism that the two countries could overcome previous difficulties. There have been a rise in tensions between the two superpowers over product safety and on issues such as human rights over the past year. However, Michael Santoro, author of China 2020, told CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout on Asia Today, that a new model needs to be fleshed out for the partnership to work.

China has suffered too from the economic crisis. Millions of migrant workers, once employed in factories across the country, have been made jobless. To get the country back on track China recently announced a $600 billion economic stimulus package and there are plans to boost its steel and auto industries, including about $1.5 billion to develop alternative-fuel vehicles. But with concerns of product safety, China has to address these problems as it moves into other areas of manufacturing. "It's no longer sufficient for China to become a manufacturer of sneakers or toys and the like," Santoro told CNN]. "Now they're looking to become players in the area of pharmaceuticals and foods and other high value-added products, where safety and quality are important characteristics for improving in the global economy."

While China’s economy has passed Germany and closed ranks with Japan, it has not been immune to the effects of the recession. The Chinese government has revised its growth figures for 2007 from 11.9 percent to 13 percent, bringing its estimated gross domestic product to $3.4 trillion, around 3% larger than Germany's $3.3 trillion for the same year, based on World Bank estimates. Beijing is expected to release its 2008 GDP figures next week [BBC / CNN / Xinhua].

Hillary Clinton arrives in a country still wary about Western attitudes towards it. President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech rattled some nerves in Beijing after he mentioned the word “communism”. During his address, Obama said, "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." China Central Television aired the speech live with a simultaneous Chinese translation, but when the translator got to the part where President Obama talked about facing down communism, her voice suddenly faded away. The programme suddenly cut back to the studio, where an off-guard presenter had to quickly ask a guest a question. Versions of Obama’s speech have also been cut on news websites, though English language versions remain intact [BBC].

English output from Chinese news services often differs from Chinese language versions. On CCTV’s China Today, human rights and the environment were mentioned as subjects the US Secretary of State was set to discuss with Chinese leaders. Professor Chu Shulong of Tsinghua University described the meeting as a positive move. But it will be a tight schedule on the last day of her Asian tour. She is set to meet with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Clinton’s visits to Japan, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have made few headlines other than concerns over North Korea. However, many will be watching closely as she visits this growing economy which become so inextricably linked to so many others.

US plane crash leaves 49 dead

Forty nine people have died after a commuter plane crashed into a house in New York state in the United States. Continental flight 3407 was heading to Buffalo from Newark when it came down around 8 km [5 miles] north east of the airport. All 44 passengers and 4 crew have died and one person on the ground was also killed after their house was struck. There was low visibility and snow at the time of the crash which occurred at around 10:20 pm local time. Witnesses say they saw the plane coming down vertically and others say they saw a massive fireball. The intensity of the fire was mostly due to the large amount of fuel on board, estimated at 2,500 Kg. One resident described the impact as like “a mini earthquake”. All contact was lost with the flight shortly before the crash and one NTSB insider described the crash as a mystery. The Bombardier dash 8 Q400 has a relatively good safety record though there have been issues with fuel lines and landing gear in the past. The crash is the first fatal commuter plane crash since August 2006 [CNN / Fox News / ABC / CBS / BBC / Sky News].

All safe after A320 crashes in NYC river

A US Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River in New York City. The Airbus 320 came down shortly after taking off from La Guardi Airport. According to reports the aircraft ran into trouble after hitting birds. There were 148 passengers and 5 crew on board the stricken plane, flight 1549 which was heading to North Carolina. Live pictures broadcast on television news showed passenger standing on the wings prior to being rescued. Dozens of boats could be seen surrounding the aircraft. All the passengers are said to be safe and there are no reported injuries.