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Iraqis seek more ‘withdrawal’ talks; U.S. says they’re over
BAGHDAD – The United States delivered Nov. 6 what it said was the final text of the controversial accord on the stationing of U.S. forces in Iraq, but Iraq said more talks are needed before the government can accept it.
“We have gotten back to the Iraqi government with a final text. Through this step, we have concluded the process on the U.S. side,” Susan Ziadeh, the U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Baghdad said. “Iraq will now need to take it forward through their own process.”
The accord, which calls for complete withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of 2011, has been the subject of tense negotiations for the past seven months.
According to State Department officials, the United States yielded to several important Iraqi demands, including Baghdad’s proposal to inspect mail and cargo for U.S. forces in Iraq. One official said he did not know the details of how those inspections would be carried out, adding, “I don’t think it’s going to be overly intrusive.”
In Iraq, violence still smolders
BAGHDAD – The relative calm that has descended on Baghdad over the past year kept Iraq mostly off center stage as an issue in the U.S. presidential race. But the violence is still at a level that would be intolerable in any other society.
Take the sniper of Mansour, who has killed at least six Iraqi soldiers in recent weeks in an upscale neighborhood, shooting from a distance across crowded shopping streets and a busy traffic circle.
The U.S. military says the sniper is operating as part of a sophisticated, highly trained team affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq, the down-but-not-yet-out terrorist group that stubbornly persists in its efforts to stage a comeback.
In bustling Mansour, residents seem unconcerned, however.
“It is safe here, very safe,” Hussein Aamer, 25, who owns a fashion store near the scene of one recent shooting said. “Or at least, it’s 90 percent safe. It’s true there is a sniper, and we had some small bombs.”
National
Obama must weigh ‘sensible withdrawal’ plans for Iraq
WASHINGTON – In his campaign to win the White House, a cornerstone of Barack Obama’s campaign was a pledge that from day one in office he would work to end the war in Iraq.
But as Obama readies himself to take the reins as commander-in-chief, some military and foreign policy experts say Obama may show some flexibility in how he goes about withdrawing troops from Iraq. Any retreat from his campaign promises, however, runs the risk of displeasing the anti-war movement that backed him.
At the center of Obama’s plan for Iraq was a call to bring home all U.S. combat troops within 16 months of taking office, but on the campaign trail over the summer – and as conditions on the ground in Iraq improved – Obama’s tone on Iraq also shifted.
Obama increasingly spoke of a “sensible withdrawal” and underscored on the stump that no timetable should be “overly rigid.” He also has been open to keeping a residual force in Iraq for an undetermined length.
A bittersweet moment for Obama’s gay supporters
CHICAGO – She gave money to Barack Obama and sent out letters on his behalf, believing his election would move things forward for gays and lesbians around the country.
But Suzanne Dunne’s joy over his election is tempered by sorrow, as the country’s presidential choice came paired with the passage of several state measures to limit gay rights.
One of them may even jeopardize the status of her marriage, just weeks after she and her wife flew to California to get a license and marry on the beach. The same night California voters backed Obama, its citizens also voted to ban gay marriage.
As others celebrate the social progress they think Obama represents, many of his lesbian and gay supporters nurse a private sense of loss.
“It’s crushing,” Dunne, who lives with her spouse in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood said. “It’s just a really personal feeling of being discriminated against, a personal affront to who I am.”
Local/BSU
Time to ‘Can U of I’
Every year, during the week of the Boise State vs. Idaho football game, Boise State and Idaho face off to see who can raise the most canned food. The food is measured in weight, and benefits the Idaho Food Bank.
This year’s competition starts Monday, Nov. 10. Canned food can be dropped off in the Student Union Building by the game center, main stairs, patio entrance or the student activities desk.
Last year Boise State lost by more than 8,000 pounds of food.
The competition ends Friday, Nov. 14. Contact Associated Students of BSU Sen. Kelsey Ferrel for more information.
Apply for spring semester by Dec. 5
It might be cold outside, but spring semester is approaching fast. The admission deadline for degree-seeking students interested in enrolling at Boise State University this spring is Dec. 5.
This deadline applies to students who plan to take more than seven credits or apply for federal financial aid. The deadline for non degree-seeking students is Feb. 2.
For more information, contact the Boise State New Student Information Center at 426-1820 or visit the Web site at admissions.boisestate.edu.
Health Fair coming up
The 12th annual Boise State University REACH Health Fair will be from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the Jordan Ballroom in the Student Union Building. The health fair is free and numerous vendor booths will supply free information on health topics such as nutrition, fitness, environmental safety and massage.
The REACH Health Fair is an annual event that showcases the collaboration of efforts between health promotion Professor Caile Spear’s REACH Health Promotion Club, vendors and the
community.
Attendees will receive free healthcare information and giveaways.
A variety of vendors will represent many different aspects of health including financial, spiritual, physical, mental, social, sexual and environmental.
What the?
We were following the yellow brick road
A sheriff’s deputy in Denver, who pulled over a car full of teenagers, immediately suspected they had been smoking marijuana. His suspicions were confirmed when he asked the driver where they were coming from, and he replied, “It’s complicated.”
Drinking does not make your problems go away
Two men burglarized a home in Kitchener, Ontario, but police confronted them as they were walking out the front door. So they ran back in, locked the doors and proceeded to drink all the homeowner’s booze.
That’s the one thing we didn’t count on
Two men burglarized a video surveillance business in Pleasanton, Calif. They were caught because it did not occur to them that the company had video surveillance equipment.
COMPILED BY ARBITER STAFF