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According to UN figures, some 250,000 people in the provinces of North and South Kivu have been displaced since mid-January following a military operation targeting the FDLR rebel group. This is the equivalent to the numbers displaced last autumn when intense fighting broke out, with the newly displaced hidden in far and remote areas, the international aid agency said.
Marcel Stoessel, Head of Oxfam in the Democratic Republic of Congo said:
"The war is far from over for ordinary Congolese. These terrible human tragedies are happening in remote areas far away from television cameras, but this does not make the suffering less real for those concerned.
"Homes and shops are being looted and ransacked, women and girls are being raped, and civilians are being forced to flee, many for the third or fourth time. We are helping them pick up the pieces by increasing our emergency work. It is tragic to see Congo's civilians caught up in this awful violence yet again."
There also have been reports of armed men committing reprisal killings of civilians, blocking off roadways, in some cases burning down houses and chasing people away. In parts of Lubero, where most people are subsistence farmers, civilians can barely access their fields to harvest due to widespread insecurity and looting.
With the operations against the FDLR set to expand to South Kivu, there are mounting concerns for civilians there, several tens of thousands of whom have already been forced from their homes. Although, according to the UN, some 300,000 other people have returned to their homes in parts of the North Kivu, the calm in some areas, such as Rutshuru, has been accompanied by renewed insecurity in others, such as Lubero and Walikale.
Oxfam is developing a flexible response to the new crisis that can provide water, sanitation and life-saving hygiene promotion to dispersed groups of people on the move, as well as larger groups of people sheltering in specific areas. Fighting and insecurity has hampered humanitarian access this year, and a quicker and lighter response is required to reach people during windows of opportunity. Throughout eastern DRC, Oxfam is already assisting half a million people, and as a result of the scale up the agency will reach 650,000 people, despite ongoing security challenges. Teams have been sent to Lubero in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu to plan the scale-up. In Lubero, Oxfam is already providing clean water and basic sanitation to 40,000 people newly displaced by the fresh fighting, especially to combat epidemics.
Stoessel continued:
"All parties to the conflict—including the government armed forces as well as militia groups—have to live up to their responsibility under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and to provide humanitarian agencies safe access to the civilians in need."
Oxfam said a lack of peacekeeping resources on the ground was also hampering efforts to protect civilians.
The Head of Oxfam International's New York office, Nicole Widdersheim, said, "More than four months after the UN Security Council approved 3,000 additional peacekeepers, not one extra soldier has arrived. Until the reinforcements come, MONUC needs to ensure that the troops on the ground are doing all in their power to protect people. Civilians need more foot patrols in towns and along the main roads in order to be kept as safe as possible."
With the UN Security Council set to discuss the MONUC peacekeeping force on Thursday this week, Oxfam is urging world leaders to mark the occasion by rapidly providing the extra troops needed. It also called on them to ensure that existing resources are deployed to the most insecure locations, so as to more effectively protect civilians.
]]>The team are training the hygiene promotion committees today in Mugunga camp today. The training is going well, but the team was called back into town early because of security concerns.
I wonder how many people died in the fighting over the last couple of days. The figure generally quoted of 5.4 million deaths (most due to the resulting lack of access to water and health services) due to the conflict over the last ten years just got bigger. The political history and current situation is very complex, with no simple solution.
We heard that the CNDP rebels have captured the Rumangabo army base and Virunga national park, which is home to the mountain gorillas, and today they attacked Kibumba, which is reported to be almost empty. The population of the town and the camps—around 30,000 people—has moved down to Kibati, 12 miles north of Goma. The Congolese government soldiers are fleeing, leaving MONUC [the United Nations mission in the Congo] to protect Goma. Many of the wounded are unable to get to the hospital.
The Mugunga camps currently have enough fuel to pump water until the weekend, but as there is a possibility that the security situation will deteriorate, so we're taking enough fuel out to them to last another week in case we get cut off from the camps.
Humanitarian agencies will need to get together tomorrow to decide how to act. Thousands of people demonstrated outside the MONUC base today, saying that the peace keepers are failing to protect the people here. We closed the office early. MONUC were told to stay in their base.
The MONUC commander has resigned.
This morning we have a security briefing. The shops and banks closed yesterday and are still closed today. The banks have removed all the money; they would be a prime target if Goma did get attacked. Our staff tell us they feel safer when they have some money in the house to give to the soldiers if their homes are targeted. When I stopped on the way home to buy bananas the women wanted to charge me extra because they thought I worked for MONUC.
I slept through the events of last night. Riots in the prison, where seven people were shot dead, about ten were recaptured and an unknown number escaped. I feel uneasy that escaped convicts could add to the unrest here! A doorman at a nightclub was also shot dead last night when he stopped someone with a firearm from entering. The situation in Goma could be described as tense!
We left work early again today. Only essential staff will be coming in tomorrow. Three international organizations have evacuated to Rwanda. This evening we hear that MONUC has retaken Kibumba and the situation now seems to be under control.
Today started as calmly as any other day. We went to the office as normal; there was less traffic and less staff, but otherwise it was a beautiful sunny day in Goma.
At 2:30pm, a message came over the radio that all NGO staff should remain in their bases. We immediately left the office, passing the gas station, which was full of Congolese army trucks filling up (then heading quickly in the opposite direction of the fighting). False rumors that the CNDP rebels had taken Goma airport created panic across Goma. MONUC have said they are protecting Goma as the Congolese government troops continue to flee. A vehicle, I think a taxi, lay on its side outside the hospital gate. I guess if you are going to have a nasty crash, that's not a bad place to do it.
All UN and international NGO staff are advised to go to the World Food Programme compound to plan a possible evacuation. I go home to pick up the bag that I packed last night (just in case!) and some food. As the afternoon passes and the sun goes down, the gunshots around the compound become more and more frequent. We are told that the fleeing army is looting town. I have never been this close to so much violence and gunfire. My mother phones, concerned; I hope that she cannot hear the fighting. I feel like we are a bunch of sitting ducks surrounded by armed troops. It is not safe to leave.
About 600 members of UN families, mainly women and children, are here with us. They take refuge in the large warehouse while we try, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep in the car. Before we settle down for the night, we hear that a ceasefire has been announced.
Thousands of the displaced are said to have fled to Kanyabayonga or to the Ugandan border. Oxfam will go and do an assessment to see what intervention is needed there.
Speaking to the public health team, they tell me that last night many people fled the camps where we work to hide in the fields. Nevertheless, there were still reports of rape and looting in the camps by the military. The health centers in the two Mugunga camps were reported to have been looted, though this has not been confirmed. Most people know someone who was killed in the violence last night in the town.
People continue to sleep in public buildings, with host families, and by the side of the road around Goma. We are busy planning how we can help them.
While the office in Goma remains closed, the staff that we have trained from the camps to pump and do water chlorination continue to do their work. The number of displaced people in the four Goma camps has remained stable—except for Mugunga 2, where some new arrivals are housed in large hangars—so our current water and sanitation provision is enough to provide for everyone living there. The water supply is fine and people in the camp continue to clean the toilets to stop the spread of disease.
But the army has set up four tents on the road to Buhimba camp; this is not good news for women there, who are often raped by armed men. I ask the public health team leader to ask the hygiene committee (made up of displaced people we work with in the camps) to broadcast by loud speaker the message that the women who have been raped have 72 hours to get to a health center to take anti-HIV medication.
Rather than spend another night in the car, international staff are temporarily relocated and spend the night in Rwanda.
The EU has pledged to send forces to reinforce the troops here. The Congolese are hopeful that they will arrive soon.
Some of the team attended a meeting in Goma to discuss the current humanitarian situation. Official UN figures are suggesting that 100,000 people have been displaced in the fighting of the past week.
The information that the IMC health center had been looted appears to be untrue, although both the Norwegian Refugee Council and ourselves have had supplies we keep in the camps stolen. Generally the camps seem to be returning to normal, although people are afraid.
Despite the American elections, the situation in the DRC is still the second news story on the television. The report shows the UN aid convoy that went to Rutshuru, an area under CNDP rebel control. There is also talk of the people starving due to the food crisis.
Despite the ceasefire, fighting continues in other parts of North Kivu, and although Goma is calm people are still nervous and afraid. The Prime Minister was in Goma today. We had a busy day planning our work and coordinating with the other agencies responding to the emergency in North Kivu.
For some strange reason there was only one news item all day today... The US has a new president! Joy and relief are visible across the globe.
Today we started our monthly soap distribution in the four camps where we work. We give soap to over 64,000 people as part of our cholera prevention work. We have also been visiting groups of displaced people in Goma and Kibati just a few hundred meters from the front line, home to thousands of people who have fled their homes and camps to escape the fighting in Kibumba. For many of them, this is the second or third time that they have been forced to flee.
Tomorrow we will find displaced people who were already community hygiene educators in their villages so that we can form new hygiene promotion committees here. Thousands of displaced people are staying with host families, in public buildings on porches, and under the stars (and we are in the rainy season!). When I spoke to the displaced people about their health, the illness they all talked about was diarrhea, particularly in young children. It is important that we start our hygiene promotion.
Today I am going south west to Kirotshe to do a public health assessment. Our first stop is a small camp of just over 4,000 people.
This camp looks different from the others. The latrines were full, so the people borrowed tools from the village and have started digging new pits, but there is a LOT of feces that are hard not to step in when you use the toilets. Our first job here will be to form hygiene committees who will teach their peers about why hygiene is important and mobilize this community to keep their latrines clean.
There is no source of water in the camp, but there is a tap in the village nearby, although it does not provide enough water for everyone so people here go to the lake to wash. We will need to train the community to construct private bathing areas and create a new water source.
People tell us that some women have been raped when they go to collect firewood for cooking. Where ever we go we see armed men: in the villages, on the road by the camps. While we walk around the camp we hear shooting and shelling from the hills behind. People seem nervous but they live with this every day. A visit to the health center shows that four cases of cholera have been diagnosed here in the past week.
On the way back to the office we stop at the health center in Sake. They have run out of the intravenous dehydration fluids needed to save the lives of people with severe diarrhea, so they have to send patients miles away to Kirotshe. I will follow this up tomorrow.
My day began with gruesome photos on the television of the bodies of people reportedly killed by CNDP rebels in Kiwanja. One woman gave the rebels the money they demanded but they still shot and killed her husband.
The public health team go out to Kibati to continue our work there, but they are forced to return to Goma by gunfire, which created huge panic amongst the displaced population there. Many were seen heading for the safety of Goma.
We are told by the UN to restrict movement and stay where we are.
]]>We had five staff there when the fighting broke out at 11:30 AM. They were beginning meetings with community members and were starting the digging of latrines. Then it happened. The shelling.
"It was between the volcano and the hill near the camp," said Herman, an Oxfam public health promoter, "about two kilometers away from the camp."
People were lining up to get their food distributions from the World Food Program and they suddenly scattered.
"They wanted to get to their shelters to grab their belongings," said Herman. "They knew they had to flee again."
The team reported that they saw one man in his forties crying. "I fled Kibumba camp and now they are chasing us again," he said. Another was more resigned, "We are used to this," he lamented. And sadly people are. Many people in the camp have fled for the third, fourth, fifth time.
Thousands ran toward Goma town. After a night of hiding with host families and in schools and churches, most have returned to the camp but remain scared and vulnerable. Even before this latest incident, the people in the camp were nervous. I can't even imagine the fear they feel now. The rebels have been pushed back northward, but there are just 700 meters between the positions of the rebels and the Congolese government forces. Oxfam is back there with teams today. These people need our help, but it is far from easy in the current insecure environment.
Last weekend, the UK Foreign Minister David Miliband and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner visited Goma. They came with much diplomatic fanfare and media attention, and they said good things. They called for urgent reinforcement of the UN peacekeeping troops, but they have failed to follow through and effectively protect civilians. Today, the European Union will meet to talk about the situation in the eastern Congo.
The people of Congo are still living on the edge with little protection. They urgently need the European Union to take action. Even before the fighting around Kibati, people were telling us about being attacked by armed groups when collecting firewood or food from the nearby fields.
While European Ministers are closeted in debating chambers today, hundreds of thousands of eastern Congolese will be eking out an existence in the region's squalid camps. They need real action, not another mountain of words. The EU must agree to send additional troops to support the UN in eastern Congo and must push for a ceasefire, so we can get aid to the people that desperately need it.
]]>Fidel had an 18-year-old brother who deserted the Mai-Mai, one of the eastern Congo's multitude of armed factions. Men from the group came looking for his brother at family home, but he wasn't there. Fidel was. They decided to take him instead.
"My mother begged and cried," he says. "The rebels said they'd spare me, if my mum paid them $100. But we were poor and didn't have the money."
As he was snatched away, his mother screamed. The soldiers said that they would kill her if she didn't shut up.
He still finds it difficult to play, he says. Even though he is now in safe place, he still has the memories.
"I used to carry ammunition for the soldiers as they fought on the front line. One day I saw 60 bodies dead in the battlefield. I knew then I needed to escape or I'd end up dead myself."
After six months of enduring beatings with sticks, Fidel managed to escape one night when the soldiers were sleeping. He ran two miles in darkness of the night until he reached the base of MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission for Congo.
From there, he was taken to CAJED, a Congolese NGO that rehabilitates child soldiers and other vulnerable children, and helps them reintegrate back into the community. I am at the transitional center run by CAJED and UNICEF that aims to help the children come to terms with their trauma.
After they leave the center, CAJED keeps in contact with the boys and helps them adapt to civilian life. This is a difficult stage. In a country with grinding poverty and few job prospects, many child soldiers get re-recruited. CAJED's community work aims to prevent that, and Oxfam supports CAJED at this stage.
Alongside Fidel in the transitional center, I meet Michel. Michel wears a T-shirt with a rhino on it, and has flecks of vibrant green paint on his arms and forehead. He's been painting. But despite the familiar childhood activity he was in the midst of, his mood seems much darker than Fidel's. He spent four years with a rebel group and was forced to fight.
His story starts simply. He was abducted when he left his house to get some milk. He never returned. But then the horror escalates. Michel was taught to fight. He shot people and remembers jumping over bodies in the battlefield. His friend was taken prisoner by another armed group. They discovered him hanging from a tree with blood pouring from his ears and his nose. It is horrible to learn that a 12-year-old child has seen such scenes.
The stories of children like Fidel and Michel painfully underscore why we need to find an end to horrific violence that has plagued the eastern Congo for too long. Child protection agencies have reported that Mai Mai militia in the town of Rutshuru recruited 37 children into military service the week before last. An estimated 150 children have been forcibly recruited since heavy fighting resumed in August.
Congo's armed men need to put their weapons down and find a peaceful solution to this conflict. Five millionfour hundred thousand people have died in Congo's decade-long war. The people of eastern Congo have suffered too much. We need to push our politicians to keep up the diplomatic pressure and find a political solution to this harrowing war. Only then will we be able to confine the stories of Fidel and Michel to the history books.
Names have been changed to protect identities.
]]>Thousands more abandoned their villages and the temporary camps in which some were sheltering when fighting intensified in late October around Goma, the capital city of North Kivu Province directly across the border from Rwanda. The violence culminated in an armed stand-off outside the city on Oct. 29, and CNDP's call for a ceasefire. By November 7, that ceasefire was no longer holding.
The crisis has left the longer-term peace process—and a January ceasefire between the government and 22 armed groups—in shambles. The CNDP has claimed that the January peace agreement, which had been violated numerous times, favored the Congolese government and its forces.
The latest fighting follows more than a decade of conflict in the eastern provinces and stems back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. But many other factors contribute to the ongoing violence as well: weak state authority, the illegal exploitation of Congo's vast natural resources, and the free flow of arms across porous borders.
The result is disaster for the Congolese caught in the crossfire and suffering from the deprivation constant conflict brings. Humanitarian needs are escalating: The fighting forced some aid groups to suspend their operations, preventing life-saving help from reaching those who needed it. Since 1998, an estimated 5.4 million people have lost their lives to the conflict and the hunger and disease it unleashes.
In early November, Oxfam was already helping about 85,000 people, including 65,000 camped in four temporary settlements around Goma. The organization planned to help an additional 100,000 people in areas to the north and west of the city. Assistance has included the provision of clean water and sanitation services—essential in preventing the spread of waterborne diseases-- to those in the four camps. Oxfam has also been trucking water to 20,000 people in Kanyabayonga north of Goma.
Oxfam is calling for:
My neighborhood was one of the worst affected by the fighting, which went on all last night. About two kilometers from my house, the gunmen went into a compound and killed seven innocent civilians. Our neighbors were attacked by gunmen who came into their compound and robbed them, taking mobile phones and money. We were okay, but I found some bullets in my compound.
I was in the Oxfam office when the panic started yesterday. People saw the national army troops leaving Goma with their tanks and vehicles, and at the same time they saw the UN troops shifting civilians to a safer compound. No one informed the population about what was happening, and they thought the rebels were going to take control of Goma. People panicked.
Many people took advantage of the panic yesterday to make trouble. They looted shops and robbed families. It was a mixture of people fighting, criminals, and undisciplined soldiers, using small arms like AK-47s. But in other areas there was a deployment of national army units who were disciplined and protected the people. I haven't seen UN soldiers anywhere myself.
Today, it's calm and very quiet. Usually the traffic here starts at six in the morning, but I looked out at 10AM and all I saw was one motorbike. The shops are all shut. Life hasn't started up yet.
A lot of people are displaced and are living in the suburbs of Goma in very harsh conditions, and the fighting is making those conditions even worse because there's no access for humanitarian workers.
In particular, one group of displaced people has now been forced to move for the third time in a couple of months. They are living in schools and hospitals, or with host families in and around Goma. They desperately need water, food, and shelter. There's no health care or medicines. People are living in the open air, and if they do get a little food it's not enough to feed the whole family.
This current crisis has made it harder for Oxfam to respond. We are watching the situation and I'm going out this afternoon to check out our work in the camps.
]]>In the DRC, increasing violence has forced people to flee from their homes, and led to the deaths of almost 1,500 people a day. Though no other conflict causes that kind of death rate, Oxfam's workers hear similar stories of murder, rape, and displacement from men and women from Colombia to Sudan every day. Sixty years after the main Geneva Conventions enshrined civilians' rights to protection, they are violated in every current conflict.
Some states and non-state actors choose to kill civilians, or pursue strategies in which civilians are too likely to die. Some governments choose to protect their citizens: to keep them safe. Some do not protect all of them, or not well enough. There are, however, successful examples of protecting civilians that show what governments and others can do when they choose to.
They have an interest in protecting civilians, because mass atrocities fuel the conflicts that, in an interdependent world, create security threats that cannot be contained. And an increasing number of governments have a "moral interest" too, because their electorates expect them to help prevent, not just condemn, the atrocities they see beamed around the world through modern information technology.
To do so, they need to make four key changes.
"I'm not famous," said the slogan on his T-shirt.
And that's probably why you haven't heard very much about Milongo's problem'or the problem of countless Congolese women caught in a war that has used their bodies as a battlefield. Rape has ruined their lives. And now, it's creeping into their villages, too, corroding what's left of community life after so many years of conflict.
But since it's happening in a place that's far away, in villages whose names we can hardly pronounce, we don't pay attention. We should—because it's a horror that stalks us, too. About 132,000 women a year in the United States report they are victims of rape, or attempted rape, says the National Organization for Women. That's one of the reasons Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994—to combat sexual assault.
Now, there's a new protection bill set for debate in Washington. This one would take the first steps toward guarding the safety of women everywhere—even in countries where governments are not up to the task. Proposed by US Senators Joseph R. Biden and Richard Lugar, the International Violence Against Women Act would require the development of a five-year strategy—supported by a $175 million annual investment—to support programs targeting violence against women. Among them would be public awareness campaigns and a strengthening of criminal and civil justice systems.
Additionally, through increased training for aid workers and expanded reporting requirements, the bill would tackle the violence women and girls suffer during humanitarian crises and conflict—times when women are particularly vulnerable. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Democratic Republic of Congo. John Holmes, the United Nations under secretary for humanitarian affairs, told a reporter last October that the sexual violence in Congo is the worst in the world.
But what makes these attacks even more insidious is the consequence of speaking out about them: There is danger in challenging Congo's culture of impunity. Justine Masika lives with it daily—behind the barbed wire wall erected around her house to keep her safe. She is the head of a Goma-based group that has helped more than 7,000 women who have suffered from sexual violence. Last year, soldiers punished her for her truth-telling and advocacy. They invaded her house and attacked her daughters.
But Masika is not alone. Others, like Lamia Milongo, are fighting back, too. When the soldier abducted his 12-year-old daughter to claim her as his "wife," Milongo put his own safety aside and went in pursuit. He rescued her and returned her home unharmed. But the daughter of his neighbor was not so lucky. Her rescue came too late. Now, at 15, she is pregnant, shamed, and facing a life of hardship and poverty since in Congolese culture women who have been raped are often cast off by their communities.
Sexual violence is a plague the world should be rid of. Mothers like Masika need our help. So do fathers like Milongo. We took an important step here in the US in 1994. Now it's time to take the next one—into our global community—with passage of the International Violence Against Women Act.
]]>The two agreements, together with recommendations from the Conference on Peace, Security and Development in North and South Kivu organized by the government in January 2008, form the basis of the Congolese government?s peace program for eastern Congo, known as the Amani Program, led by the national coordinator Abbé Apollinaire Malu Malu. The agreements provided an important foundation for peace. The signatories agreed to a ceasefire and committed to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian and human rights law.
In July 2008, a group of local and international non-governmental organizations established the Congo Advocacy Coalition to track progress on these commitments and focus attention on areas where improvements are urgently needed. Specifically the coalition decided to track six key commitments related to protection of civilians. These include:
Attacks against civilians and their property occurred at an alarming rate in the six months following the signing of the various peace agreements. Assessments conducted by different organizations in eastern Congo indicated that the civilian population continues to experience widespread attacks, sexual violence, looting, and forced labor.
More than 200 civilians were killed in indiscriminate firing by armed groups or as a result of summary executions in North Kivu, particularly in Masisi and western Rutshuru territories.
Sexual violence against women and girls has continued at its previous horrifying rate since the peace agreement was signed. Women and girls were raped by combatants of all armed groups and soldiers of the Congolese army, as well as by civilians. Over 2,200 cases were registered in June 2008 in the province of North Kivu. One community in Rutshuru reported over 150 cases of rape in April alone.
Fighting and targeted attacks on civilians led to the displacement of nearly 100,000 civilians in North Kivu since January 2008 with another 50,000 displaced in South Kivu. The UN estimates a total of 1.1 million people are currently displaced in both provinces, including those who fled previous fighting. Nearly half of the newly displaced people in North Kivu fled from the Bukombo administrative area in Rutshuru. New displacements have also been registered in Masisi and southern Lubero territory, all areas that have been subject to fighting.
Many displaced people expressed a desire to return to their villages if security permitted, but very few have been able to do so. Those who have returned often spend the night in the forests surrounding their villages as a protective measure. Some returned only temporarily, fleeing again days or weeks later.
There has been little return of refugees from Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi into North and South Kivu. The Congolese government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have not yet signed tripartite agreements with Rwanda, Uganda, or Burundi to facilitate the return of Congolese refugees from these countries. In July a working group was created to put in place the tripartite agreement with Rwanda and plan returns when the security situation permits.
Recruitment of combatants, both voluntary and forced, amongst a range of armed groups in North and South Kivu, continued despite the ceasefire and intensified during the past three months. Some of these groups were largely dormant before the peace talks. Former demobilized soldiers and combatants have been targeted for re-recruitment, raising concerns about the effectiveness and sustainability of previous demobilization programs.
While there are no reports of large-scale recruitment of children since the signing of the Goma agreement, sporadic recruitment by some armed groups has continued. Moreover, there has been limited progress on the demobilization of the estimated 2,500-3,000 children who remain in the ranks of armed groups and in some units of the Congolese army. Child protection agencies began screening troops for children in mid-April, but their activities stalled due to coordination issues between UN agencies, and only restarted in early July. Following two joint missions, a total of 47 children were separated from armed groups. Outside of these missions, at least a further 507 children have been demobilized since January. In June, the government launched a national program of ?zero tolerance? for the recruitment and use of children by armed groups and committed to taking further action on demobilizing all associated children.
Despite ongoing recruitment, 1,200 combatants in North Kivu responded to the call to lay down their weapons. From January to May 2008, according to officials in Goma, 282 CNDP combatants, 800 Mai Mai and PARECO combatants, and 156 Congolese combatants from the FDLR surrendered. Some were sent to army retraining (known as brassage) centers, but others, such as 334 Mai Mai Mongol combatants in the town of Bambu, were left for months without any assistance. Programs to assist demobilized combatants are not fully operational, contributing to serious delays in demobilizing combatants. A number who surrendered were sent to the military intelligence prison in Goma rather than being directed to demobilization programs. Many were detained for months without charge and were subjected to cruel and degrading treatment; a number were tortured.
Efforts have continued to encourage the remaining 6,000 FDLR combatants in eastern Congo to disarm and return to Rwanda. Since January, 301 FDLR combatants were demobilized. After talks with the Congolese government in Kisangani in late June, the FDLR splinter-faction, Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD), agreed to demobilize 400 troops and repatriate to Rwanda, with the option of temporary relocation for some combatants within Congo.
Civilians are not allowed to move freely and often encounter improvised road blocks erected by armed groups or the Congolese army where they are subject to various forms of extortion. Civilians are forced to pay money or a percentage of their produce, sometimes called ?taxes?, either at such road blocks, when they go to the market, or as they return to their fields. Army soldiers and armed groups also confiscate electoral cards (which also serve as identity cards in Congo), and demand money in exchange for the return of the card.
At least 36 attacks on humanitarian workers were recorded in North Kivu since the signing of the Goma agreement, the majority being ambushes at gunpoint on main and remote roads. A total of 15 humanitarian workers were injured in these attacks. Two humanitarian staff were caught in the crossfire and wounded by bullets when an armed group attacked the Kinyandonyi displacement camp in Rutshuru territory. Humanitarian activity is temporarily suspended in certain areas following a number of attacks.
Despite the ongoing clashes some previously inaccessible areas are now receiving emergency assistance. However, other areas remain inaccessible, particularly around front lines and buffer zones. The picture is not a static one and generally the degree of accessibility changes according to the level of military or criminal activity which flares up along ever shifting axes.
Since mid-June access from Goma to Masisi town is severely hampered following several armed robberies of humanitarian staff on the main road. An estimated 186,000 people in Masisi are not currently receiving assistance, including 33,000 displaced persons in camps and thousands others who have sought refuge in host families.
In Rutshuru territory, several enclaves within the Bwito area, west of Nyanzale, are particularly unsafe and problematic to access. The civilian population there is often too scared to sleep in their villages and instead hide in the surrounding forests at night.
Impunity for human rights abuses is widespread in eastern Congo. Since January only a small number of perpetrators have been arrested for crimes of sexual violence and only a small number of Congolese soldiers and policemen have been tried and prosecuted for their crimes. Many women do not seek justice for the crimes they have suffered because they are afraid that the perpetrators will target them again should they escape from prison. Those who live in remote areas frequently have no access to judicial services.
No high ranking officials have been held to account for the serious crimes they or soldiers under their command have committed.
The Congo Advocacy Coalition makes the following recommendations to the parties to the peace agreements, the international facilitators, coordinators of the peace process and international donors:


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About Me Practical, Stylish
Comments about ClassicFlame Cannes 23" Electric Fireplace Entertainment Center in Premium Cherry - 23MM378-C202:
I researched fireplace media console options on the internet and at local retailers. This web site impressed me with product description, delivery, customer support (which I did not need!), reviews and price. I assembled the console by myself in about 2 hours. I did have help putting the fireplace heater unit in, as suggested. It is heavy solid wood except for the back panel. The cherry finish is beautiful. The heater unit with remote creates the warmth and ambiance I desired. I really could not be more pleased. I recommend this product enthusiastically to everyone who visits my home! Thank you!(I would like to inquire as to the "life expectancy" of the heater unit?...especially as regards the flame image, which I enjoy for hours at a time!)
Great Product
By Linda
from Farina Il
About Me Bargain Hunter, High-End Shopper, Practical, Stylish
I bought this because we removed lowered ceilings in our lining room. We needed the extra heat as our 140 year old house was chilly. This unit provided the extra heat and is a great space saver ad is beautiful. I love it.
Great purchase
By Papa Pete
from Matawan, NJ
About Me Bargain Hunter, Practical, Stylish
Delivery was quick. Assembly instructions were very clear. Quality is excellent. The flame is the best I've seen in an electric unit. Very happy with this purchase.
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
By AspenWillow
from Sacramento, CA
About Me Midrange Shopper
Very happy with the look and functionality of this product. The cabinet is a gorgeous dark cherry color and the flame is surprisingly realistic looking. The remote control is easy to use and I really like the fact that it has a "memory" so you don't have to reset each function every time you turn it on. It really enhances the look of the room and is perfect for the TV and its components. You can barely hear the heater/fan but only if the TV is off. The amount of heat is adequate but not overpowering. I'm extremely happy with it.
A real fireplace without the work and me
By nana6play
from Palm Harbor,FL.
About Me Budget Shopper
My fireplace came in perfect condition...It is beautiful.
By Ms. Corvette
from St. Louis, MO
About Me Practical, Shopper with Style, Stylish
I love my fireplace, we use it everynight. The 23" fireplace screen is nice. And the cherry finish is just beautiful, definitely a add to nice cherry furniture. I am so glad though that I ordered the 23" fireplace screen over the 18" fireplace that I was looking at, the 18" would have been too small in size and probably heat!
Service and delivery comments:
The service and delivery from this company was top notch. The customer service was very helpful. Product arrived without a scratch and in a very-very short timeframe. We couldn't believe how quickly we rec'd after ordering ... less than 5 days.
Great purchase!
By Jude R.N.
from Philadelphia, Pa
About Me Stylish
I am very pleased with my electric fireplace! The flame is realistic in looks and the cabinetis solid and attractive. In a perfect world, it would be great to hear the sound of a crackling fireplace, so I am improvising with the sound of a crackling candle..
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Delivers as Advertised
By Happy Buyer
from Southern, NJ
We looked online and in stores for quite a while before we found this great fireplace. It serves our needs as hoped. It heats our familyroom and holds our 42" flatscreen and dvds well, and theres no clutter from too many furniture pieces. Just in time for the holidays this solid piece will provide a mantel for our Christmas stockings. The directions were fairly easy to understand,it took my husband and I about 2 1/2 hours to put together.Overall a great buy, would have given it five stars, but the left door doesnt close flush.(pretty sure its the hinge)
End result - Excellent!
By Susu
from Near San Diego, CA
When I ordered, there were no reviews. Didn't know what to expect. [...] total "assembly required" was not my expectation. However, instructions were very good, all the parts were there and I managed to complete the assembly in a couple of hours by myself. I did need help putting in the fireplace insert, but it now works perfectly. I only take one star away because of the assembly aspect and one door sticks a little. The cabinet is beautiful.

subset: commoncrawl


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Anybody watching?
Starting off with track tonight.
Anybody watching?
Starting off with track tonight.
Absolutely thrilled with Galen Rupp's silver medal!
The times those guys put in for a 10K is just mind boggling.. when I was at my peak of marathon training, my PB was over 48 minutes (aka 20 minutes slower than what they ran here )
Still 45 minutes away here. I'm looking at the spoiler results now. I predict we will end the evening with a whole lot of Michael Phelps. I'm not complaining. For tonight, he deserves it.
This must be a record for the number of fluff pieces that NBC has had in an Olympics.
Cool Usain Bolt fluff. Jamaica has such an amazing track and field tradition.
I always love the countries that are represented in track & field, it's fun to see that they really come from all corners of the globe
So glad that NBC showed Pistorius' race! And he advanced!
Oscar Pistorious
I REALLY hope that South Africa wins a medal in the 4 X 400 relay so he gets a medal.
I know this is bad for me to think, but I can't help but wonder that LaShawn Merritt withdrew from the 400m because of fear of failing a drug test. I live in Hampton Roads and his failed drug test was the biggest story here.
Commercials and fluff.. where are the sports?
Oh beach volley
I think we were spoiled with Kerri & Misty's first match against the Australians -- that was excitement from start to finish. This match hasn't had much to get excited about other than it looks like they're going to advance.
This match isn't very interesting.
So I'm not too irritated at all the interruptions to tell us about the severe thunderstorm warning! Take shelter! Dangerous lightning!
They're, their, and there. Get it right your in college.
Hitting a ball back into play that was clearly going out, serving into the net... Are Kerri and Misty trying to get in on the badminton scandal?
Watching volleyball brings back bad gym class memories for me.
Gibbs/Rosenthall's match earlier today was more exciting, although, I kind of like teams I want to win to do so without me having to pace around the room during the match. Apparently, Bill Gates is a big Misty/Kerri fan and dropped by to chat with them after the match. He also saw them in Athens and Beijing
STOP TALKING ABOUT STREAKS you've already blown one of them.
Your program sucks and your partner just fell: lay down and play dead or think Feck this and do a Th3A at the end of the program: Aliona Savchenko: Definition of a competitor
in gym i once broke one of the ceiling lights serving (badly)
that's all i think of when i see volleyball on tv
I feel like I'm in a dream. But it can't be a dream because there are no boy dancers!


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How to Make Charts with Flex 3
- Zach Dunn
- Dec 27, 2008
- 36 Comments
- Tutorials
Flex makes actionscript less of a chore and more of a design asset. One of the best demonstrations of this is the simplicity of charting with MXML.
In this tutorial we'll take test scores from XML files and make a dynamic bar graph out of the results in no time at all. You'll have impressed yourself by the end.
Flash Catalyst – Develop From Designs
Flash Catalyst looks good. Not enough enthusiasm for you? Try absolutely fantastic! Skinning Flash and Flex apps have gotten easier over the years, they still haven't reached the point where it actually feels right.
With the newly introduced Flash Catalyst, these design headaches look like they'll soon be a thing of the past.
Designer's Holiday Hangover Cure – Awesome Offices
- Zach Dunn
- Dec 25, 2008
- 1 Comment
- Motivation
Congratulations! You've made it through stage one of the holiday season, but are you losing the will to create to a hectic schedule and long lines everywhere? If so, you're probably suffering from a holiday hangover.
Don't worry, it's treatable and we're here to help. Grab a cup of cocoa, get comfortable, and take a look through this batch of holiday hangover cures to get some of that lost motivation surging again.
Today we'll be focusing on the offices, digs, and productivity pads of fellow web workers from around the world.
Color Scheme Inspiration – Bridges
- Zach Dunn
- Dec 24, 2008
- 4 Comments
- Motivation
Having trouble finding a good color scheme? Color scheme inspirations will aim to fix that! Each post, we'll pick out a topic and build color schemes out of it to inspire. This round of inspiration is from the architectural sector, with bridges around the world.
Photos are all found on Flickr, and color schemes are all available to download on COLOURlovers.
Quick Tip – Blur Links With jQuery
- Zach Dunn
- Dec 21, 2008
- 13 Comments
- Tutorials
This quick tip covers a quick usability upgrade for links on AJAX pages. By most browser's default a dotted line stays around the link after it has been clicked. This becomes a problem with AJAX because the pages are often not reloaded.
Turning it off is simple with jQuery without any impact to the functionality. Give your links some love now and make the appearance smoother for the user later!
Holiday Gift Ideas for the Web Crowd
- Zach Dunn
- Dec 20, 2008
- 2 Comments
- Articles
As some of you may or may not be aware of the holiday season is upon us. It's been coming for a while now, but the deadline is now only days away. If you're still struggling on those last minute gift ideas for a web developer or designer you know, here's a quick wish list that may help you out. You may even consider getting yourself one of these. We won't tell!
Photo by pagedooley via Flickr.


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** FILE ** A model presents an ensemble by French fashion house Guy Laroche, during the presentation of its Spring-Summer 2007 ready to wear collection in Paris, in this Oct. 7, 2006 file photo. France's lower house of parliament adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday April 15, 2008 that would make it illegal for anyone including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites to publicly incite extreme thinness. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)
A new Israeli law is taking on eating disorders.
It bans underweight models from catwalks and commercials.
The law uses Body Mass Index, a way of estimating healthy weight, to decide who can model, and who can't.
Anyone with a B-M-I less than 18-and-a-half, is out.
Spain and Australia have already set minimum weight limits for certain fashion shows.
Get the ingredients you need to cook with Rach all week long. | |
Full length exclusive concerts from hot artists. | |
Take a break! Classic Pacman, Frogger, Asteroids and more. |
FREE Listings Sell almost anything locally. |


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Beaches and Towns Network |
Places to Stay in Kimball - Reserve Hotels Online or Call 1-866-966-3043. |
Kimball Hotels Click Below or Call 866-966-3043.
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OC-USA.com is your Internet resource for online reservations; providing you with links and an efficient means to search for information and making reservations at the hotel or motel of your choice. Booking early, like right now, is the best way to ensure that you get "your" choice of the best places to stay.
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OC-USA.com is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents. Oh See the USA, The Beaches and Towns Network, Inc, is in our tenth year of serving you, the traveler, with the best hotels at the best rates across America. Alabama |


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Some say the Wildcat was the first performance car to be produced by Buick. This red 66 Wildcat convertible comes with a restored white... More
1964 Buick Special Convertible - 225 V6, automatic, AM radio, chrome wheels, billet steering wheel, leather inserts - Very Nice Restoration - Straight &... More
ALL OF OUR VEHICLES ARE BEING SOLD AT WHOLESALE PRICES AND, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THEY TEND TO SELL QUICKLY. CALL TODAY, YOU... More
1966 Buick Skylark Grand Sport Red with White top and intoner that show very nice. This is one of only 9934 produced and came... More
1966 Buick Gran Sport, This is a fully restored original, original 401 Nailhead 325 HP, original automatic transmission, original factory air which is very rare... More
An MZ-coded 425 ci V8 engine with factory-installed dual 4 bbl carburetors makes this beautiful classic a rarity, 1 of only 179! Additional features... More
1966 Buick Riviera 2 Door Coupe, Great Styling excellent performance. Extremely clean. One repaint. Medium yellow. Excellent black bucket seat interior. Every option available including 425ci-400... More
1966 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe, Wildcat 465 The original owners of this car kept meticulous records of this car, from the original window sticker to... More
1966 Buick Gran Sport Convertible, Very rare, restored real Buick GS convertible • numbers matching drive train • 44667 VIN • Original color of Lemonwood Yellow • Black... More
We are really excited to offer this 1966 Buick Custom Sport Wagon for consideration. The word ''rare'' gets thrown around a lot in the... More
1966 - Grand Sport Convertible - 401 CU.IN. V-8 - P.S.P.B. - Factory A/C - Rare - White - ($24,950) http://www.ellingsoncarmuseum.com/... More
1966 Buick Riviera 425ci, 4 Barrel Dual Exhaust, A/C, Power steering, Power brakes, Tilt steering, original AM radio, 17 inch polished aluminum American Racing Mags Dunlop radials For more details on... More
1976 Buick Le Sabre Custom 455ci, 4 Barrel only 4,273 original miles, Power steering, Power disc brakes, Power windows, Vinyl top, Vinyl interior For more details on this car please... More
BUICK: 1966 Electra 225 2-door, one owner, 77K, all original, great driver, Texas car, $4,500. 512-255-4556, TX; www.classicstreet.com... More
BUICK: 1966 Electra 225 4-door hardtop, with 445 Wildcat engine, maroon exterior, black interior, black vinyl top, power brakes and windows, power seats, AM... More


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Most of the search marketing advice currently available has a tendency to focus on those best practices that are easy to apply at a campaign or ad group level. This is because deploying best practice techniques, such as targeted ad-groups with relevant, keyword-specific ad copy, have proven they can generate great results.
However, while this may be the case, those search marketers who are tasked with running more complex, large-scale campaigns will know too well that being au fait with the best practices is merely a small part of their job.
Read more...
by Ed Stevenson 04 January 2011 09:52am 0 comments
Social media updates, email newsletters, promotions and vouchers for subscribers' favourite shops and services and other requested marketing emails are increasingly being pegged as spam by ISPs and consumers because email marketers are not following best practice.
Return Path's Email Deliverability Benchmark Report found one in eight emails requested by consumers from companies goes missing completely – not delivered to subscribers' spam folders or inboxes, but blocked by ISPs before reaching their subscribers – compared to one in nine in December 2009.
by Margaret Farmakis 19 October 2010 09:51am 2 comments
Affiliate marketing is thriving, with the sector expected to drive an estimated £4.62 billion in online retail sales during 2010 in the UK alone, according to Econsultancy's annual buyer's guide published last week.
It is important for publishers, merchants, networks and agencies alike to continue to innovate to add value to the customer journey and drive further growth in the sector. This post explores some of the latest trends in the industry covered in the report.
by Aliya Zaidi 23 August 2010 16:00pm 5 comments
A good landing page is one that reinforces 'conversion intent' by providing enough information to persuade customers to convert, but most importantly it has to be relevant to the paid ad that the user has just clicked on.
When shoppers enter a very specific phrase, such as a make and model number of a product, it suggests a clear intention to purchase, and so the landing page has to send the searcher straight to the product page and make it easy to complete the purchase.
by Graham Charlton 29 September 2009 16:04pm 10 comments
This article covers what I've learned from working with hundreds of customers on improving the results that they get from email marketing by optimising the subject line.
Whatever software you use for your email campaigns, these tips are worth reading...
by Marc Munier 16 September 2009 11:01am 11 comments
With brands and marketing agencies building their own, or joining existing, online spaces to exploit a growing social media audience, child safety should always, without doubt, be the number one priority for those managing social media projects.
Tempero MD Dominic Sparkes worked with Econsultancy on the recently released Child Protection Best Practice Guide, which looks at the legal and ethical considerations for brands and companies operating in this area.
We asked him about the issues involved in child safety online in general, and setting up and managing online communities for children...
by Graham Charlton 14 July 2009 15:13pm 1 comment
If ever a retailer could get away with having exceptional cross-selling and up-selling functionality, yet provide a new visitor checkout process and web forms that break many usability rules, Amazon is certainly one of them. On the other hand one of Amazon's competitors, The Book Depository, certainly appears to focus more on providing better usability throughout the buying journey, especially for new customers.
Following the recent e-commerce training course I delivered for Econsultancy, the usability benchmarking that is part of the course threw up some really interesting market insights. Although many retailers are featured in the course, providing examples of good and bad e-tail usability and best practice, I purposely refrained from including Amazon.
by Paul Rouke 07 May 2009 10:10am 13 comments
Now with our economy firmly in a recession, most retailers no longer have the types of budgets available to replatform. Instead, 2009 will be a year for improving their existing platforms, trying to increase conversion rates, average order values and returning visitor numbers.
So with this primary drive to improve performance, are retailers doing all that they can? Are retailers following best practice to help more visitors complete the buying process, and are retailers removing usability barriers to ensure that in such competitive times visitors aren't encouraged to find reasons why they shouldn't complete their purchase?
by Paul Rouke 23 March 2009 10:30am 18 comments
In the last twelve months, Econsultancy has started to get more involved in the social media space, with a presence now on several social networking sites, including Slideshare, Twitter, and YouTube. Here, we share learnings and best practices from twelve months of tweeting.
by Aliya Zaidi 24 December 2008 10:24am 2 comments


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How to give
Gifts to the SUU Ballroom Dance Company can be made online or by mail. For online donations, please fill out the online form. Be sure to list on the form under the line item "other", that your contribution will go to the Ballroom Dance Company. For donations made by mail, please print out the mailing form, and send either check or money order, made out to the SUU Ballroom Dance Company, to 351 W. University blvd, Cedar City, UT.


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The African and African American Studies (AAAS) Interdisciplinary Unit at Buffalo State College has the mission of maintaining, fostering, and promoting the study of the history, culture, and contemporary affairs of Africa and African people. The AAAS Unit houses an African and African American studies minor, incorporates faculty with expertise and experience in a wide range of scholarly areas, and organizes campus and community-wide programs and events.
The unit draws upon a diverse array of courses in Anthropology, Dance, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Music, Political Science, and Sociology that focus on Africa and the experience of African people on the African continent and in the Diaspora. Students acquiring an AAAS minor must complete 18 hours of coursework: 6 hours from specific required courses and 12 hours of electives.
In addition to providing African and African American Studies minors with a broad understanding of historical and contemporary African issues, the AAAS Unit sponsors conferences, speakers, events, and programs which educate the college and wider Buffalo community on issues relevant to African and African American Studies. The activities of the AAAS Unit contribute to the cross-cultural consciousness and awareness of the Buffalo State College Community.


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Assistant Professor Bent Hall, room 340 Queens Campus
Mailing Address St. John's University Bent Hall 340 8000 Utopia Pky Queens, NY 11439
(718) firstname.lastname@example.com
Educational Background Completed coursework for Ph. D. French Literature, New York University B.A., Magna Cum Laude, French Literature, Queens College (CUNY) M.A. French Literature, New York University Certificate on the European Union, Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce Certificate on Teaching Business French, Paris Chamber of Commerce
Areas of Specialization or Pedagogy: Commercial French, Study Abroad
She is active in the promotion of language education and serves on a number of boards, President of the Metropolitan Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French.


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On the Medellín road, at km 3 of Route 10, is a ranch measuring 5.7 hectares. In totally rural surroundings with excellent views of the José Ignacio lagoon but very near the sea, this ranch is the perfect place to create dream holidays . There is a house comprising three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living/dining room in good condition and barbecue/grill area, and pool. It has also a loft with kitchenette, and a bathroom with jacuzzi An excellent opportunity at a very reasonable price.
Availability upon agreement. This material is based upon information, which we consider reliable, but because third parties have supplied it, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, and change of price or withdrawal without notice. Taxes, notary and register fees must be paid by purchaser, the commission to E&V is 3% plus V.A.T. of the value, must also be paid by the buyer as stipulated by Uruguayan regulations.
Carogran S.A. ist Franchisenehmer der E&V Chile S.A.


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Can't find a collection you are looking for? Try using our Card Catalog to find a collection in Poland.
Search most popular collections for Poland databases:
MyHeritage Family Trees(1,015,579,686 names)
Poczet Szlachty Galicyjskej I Bukowinskiej (1857)(1,214 names)
Polish Pioneers of Virginia and Kentucky, Volume 2(5,662 names)
Scots in Poland, Russia and the Baltic States, 1550 - 1850(6,044 names)
Click here to view more Poland resources.


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Welcome to Six Strawberries! We are Seattle's first artisan ice-pops company and bicycle food cart. All of our ice-pops are dairy-free.
Our StoryOur flavors highlight ingredients from the Pacific NW. Along with rotating seasonal flavors, we have six flavors available year round.
Our FlavorsFrom weddings to corporate parties, music festivals, or promotions, Six Strawberries artisan ice-pops are always a hit!
Catering & Events


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Winner Ford - Winner's Circle BlogThe 2012 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI received the 2012 Car of the Year Award by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Given to five category winners, the 2012 Vehicle of the Year Awards honor new vehicles for sale in the Rocky Mountain region for their value, performance, fuel economy, comfort and safety. The award was presented yesterday to Audi of America during a special ceremony at the opening of the Denver International Auto Show. The field for the 2012 awards included every significant new car, pickup, crossover and SUV for sale in the Rocky Mountain West. More than 70 models received test-drive evaluations in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming over the past months by members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Chosen as the best new car to own and drive in the Rocky Mountain West, the all-new 2012 Audi A6 boasts an all-aluminum 3.0 L TFSI® supercharged V6 engine with 310 horsepower. One of Audi's most innovative and technologically-advanced models to date, the A6 makes up to 2,000 decisions per second to assist the driver. Safety in the all-new Audi A6 is enhanced by a thermal imaging camera with Night Vision Assistant, the Audi Pre-Sense Plus safety system and quattro® all-wheel drive technology. Other intelligent features include head-up display and a MMI® Touch pad that recognizes handwriting in multiple languages. Audi is the first company worldwide to feature factory-installed wireless internet, enabling features such as Audi connect™ for real-time weather, traffic news and live fuel prices, and MMI Navigation with 3-D Google Earth™ images. Rocky Mountain Automotive Press is a professional association of automotive media representing print, Web and broadcast journalists in the Rocky Mountain West. For more information on the Audi A6, please visit Audiusa.com/A6.
June 26, 2012 – Ford is delivering more fuel-efficient vehicle choices in 2012 than ever before and a fresher new vehicle lineup than any full-line automaker in the U.S. "Customers are starting to see the true benefits of our One Ford plan," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "With more new vehicle options and an even broader range of fuel-efficient cars, utilities and trucks, Ford is delivering real power of choice for millions of consumers who are paying more attention than ever to what happens at the pump – no matter what the price." Ford is offering eight vehicles that deliver 40 mpg or better by year-end – double its number versus 2011 and more than any other full-line automaker. In fact, Ford's eight-vehicle tally is more than the number of 40-mpg-or-better vehicles Toyota and General Motors offer combined. Ford also is tripling its electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013, growing its electrified vehicle lineup to six models – including the all-new C-MAX Hybrid. The compact hybrid utility vehicle, which arrives this fall, is expected to achieve 47 mpg, at least 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v with more performance and technology. Ford plans for 10 to 25 percent of its global sales to be electrified vehicles (hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles) by 2020, and continues to find ways to make more affordable, high-volume, internal-combustion engines even more fuel efficient. Ford has invested record amounts in its powertrains and new vehicles since launching its Blueprint for Sustainability. Since 2007, the company has improved fuel economy in its vehicles in all key segments, including:
Fuel-efficient EcoBoost powertrains are now a mainstay in Ford's lineup. In fact, Ford's annual EcoBoost production grows to nearly 1.6 million engines globally by 2013 – surpassing the company's original target for that time frame. A 1.0-liter EcoBoost – Ford's smallest, quietest engine ever – arrives in one of Ford's U.S. small cars next year. Already on sale in the European Focus, the 1.0-liter engine was named the 2012 International Engine of the Year this month. Additional 1.6-, 2.0- and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines are already available on Escape, Explorer, Edge, F-150, Flex, Focus ST, Fusion, Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicles, and Taurus. While EcoBoost offers up to a 15 percent reduction in CO2 versus larger-displacement, non-turbocharged engines, this technology can also save customers money on fuel. During a 7.5-year ownership period, for instance:
"Whether you are talking about new technologies, engines or vehicles themselves, customers increasingly are looking for good value," said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development. "Customers are telling us Ford is delivering what they truly want – including the newest vehicles to choose from in America." Ford has the freshest new lineup of passenger and commercial vehicles in the U.S. industry – surpassing Honda, Toyota and Hyundai, according to the recent 2012 Bank of America Merrill Lynch "Car Wars" study. This is just the beginning, Nair said. Globally, Ford plans to have the youngest portfolio of passenger vehicles for the next five consecutive years. Ford's move to truly global platforms enables the company to create more new models for customers more quickly. In 2011, the company had 22 distinct vehicle platforms in use around the world. That number drops to 10 by 2017, ahead of One Ford plan goals. Five of these will be manufactured in at least more than one region. By 2016, 80 percent of Ford's planned 8 million vehicles will be based on the five global platforms. "Even better new vehicles, faster – that is what we are committed to deliver for our customers," Nair said.
DEARBORN, Mich., May 30, 2012 – For sport compact fans, the only thing better than driving the new Ford Focus ST is driving the Focus ST on a course with professional instruction and timed autocross hot laps. That, and more, is what Ford is bringing to driving enthusiasts in New York; Washington, D.C.; Boston; San Francisco and Los Angeles this summer, beginning June 30 in New York. The events will happen on Saturdays in June, July and August in each market. Events will include 48-foot race trailers, a fleet of Focus STs for training, timed competition, as well as pre-event racing instruction. Events will open at 9 a.m. and run all day through 6 p.m. Locations and dates are:
Pre-registration is live at http://www.drivefocusst.com/. Participation will be limited and will be honored on a first-registered, first-served basis. "Our fans have expressed extremely high interest in this car, but we know the proof is in the pudding," said Lisa Schoder, Ford Focus ST Marketing manager. "We want ST fans, as well as drivers of competitive vehicles, to be able to taste this car firsthand. "What better way to do it," she added, "than to bring the car to the people with the help of professional driver instruction on closed courses." Focus ST, Ford's first global performance car, will integrate a collection of advanced and sport-oriented technologies previously unavailable to North American customers. The combination of these technologies into a refined, yet high-performance sport compact will elevate the category and further cement Focus as the most complete compact car range sold in North America. Among the more visible options will be the Tangerine Scream metallic color that will be offered exclusively on Focus ST, as well as race-inspired Recaro® seats with matching color accents. Ford is offering drivers who preorder a 2013 Focus ST the GoPro® HD Hero2 Motorsports Edition camera pack upon delivery. Already a staple in the motorsports and action sport communities, a GoPro is the ideal camera to capture a spirited drive or Focus ST track day. The first 1,000 presale orders placed between May 1 and Aug. 20 are eligible for the GoPro HD Hero2 camera system. Cameras will be sent after vehicle delivery. More information regarding Focus ST can be found at http://www.ford.com/cars/focus/focusst/ or https://www.facebook.com/OfficialFordST.
DEARBORN, Mich., June 12, 2012 – With the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang less than two years away, this summer is the time to begin restoring your classic pony car so that it can be ready for one of the most important milestones in American automotive history. "Working nights and weekends, and as your budget allows, it takes roughly two years to do a complete wheels-up classic car restoration," says Brian Martin, director of automotive restoration development at McPherson College in Kansas. McPherson is the only school in North America that offers a four-year bachelor's degree in automobile restoration. Martin says with careful project planning and outsourcing of some specialized jobs such as painting and transmission rebuilding, a father and son following a detailed plan can easily restore a first-generation Mustang in a good-sized home garage. What's needed are basic hand tools, proper manuals, good mechanical skills and a realistic budget. Restoring a classic Mustang is a great father and son project, and this Sunday, June 17, is Father's Day – a great day to kick off a Mustang restoration with the goal of having the car ready for its 50th anniversary on April 17, 2014. Jonathan Brand and his dad have restored three classic Mustangs in their home garage, a '65 coupe and two '69 models. It was an experience Brand says he will never forget. "My dad and I weren't as close before we restored the Mustangs," says Brand, an artist who now lives in New Haven, Conn. "It definitely brought us closer together, all those hours working on the cars. He taught me a lot about cars, and we had a lot of fun." Brand's advice: Have patience, manage the budget and use Ford-licensed restoration parts, especially for the sheet metal repairs. "We tried using panels from junkyards, but when you consider the time it takes to get them off and then to get them to fit properly on your car, it just isn't worth it. We found the new parts fit really well," Brand says. 95 percent of classic Mustang parts available America's love affair with the original Mustang is still going strong after nearly 50 years. Debuting in April 1964, the original Mustang sold more than 1.2 million units – including more than 174,000 convertibles – before its first redesign in 1967. The original Mustang has long been America's most popular classic car of the postwar era and is usually No. 1 or 2 on the list of most popular cars Hagerty Classic Car Insurance of Traverse City, Mich., insures. Ford Motor Company aggressively supports the original Mustang with thousands of high-quality, officially licensed reproduction parts available at www.fordrestorationparts.com. These replacement parts look, fit and perform exactly as the originals. Many Ford restoration parts are actually made from the original Ford tools that have been preserved for the restoration market. About 95 percent of all the parts needed to build a "new" classic '64 to '66 Mustang are available today. "We offer everything from a door handle to a complete Mustang body," says Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager. "We just recently launched a 1965 Mustang convertible body – the complete assembly, all the sheet metal from the hood to the trunk. It is designed to enable fans of the original Mustang to build the classic of their dreams using a body that is stronger than the original." Reproduction Mustang bodies are available in every classic model year from 1965 to 1970 along with the ever-popular 1965 and 1967 convertibles. All cars feature modern welding andassembly techniques and are made from high-strength, modern automotive-grade steel. Officially licensed fenders, bumpers, door skins and other body parts for project cars that have restorable bodies are available to replace parts susceptible to rust or damaged in accidents. Mondrach says it is nearly impossible to pluck a restorable 1964-66 Mustang or such parts as fenders, bumpers and grilles from scrapyards. Most have been wrecked, or rusted, and Mustangs with any parts good enough to be reused were long ago picked clean by restorers. Classic Mustang restoration: Easier than you might think Because the original Mustang uses technology that was state-of-the-art for mass-produced cars in the 1960s, the car is extremely easy to work on compared with today's vehicles. Also, the Mustang's mechanical components have always been easy to find and affordable, further adding to the car's appeal among collectors. In addition, the car can easily be modified with better suspension, performance and safety options that were unavailable at the time. Ford Racing, for example, offers many optional crate engines and performance options to meet the needs of every Mustang enthusiast. Mondrach suggests starting a restoration with a Mustang whose body is sound and not in need of major rust, welding or accident repairs. "The costs add up quickly when you are cutting out and replacing damaged body panels. It may be more cost effective to start with a complete new body and use the engine, transmission, suspension and major trim from a donor car," he says. Martin, of McPherson College, recommends refurbishing the drivetrain, suspension and other mechanical components before the body and paintwork. He says a reasonable budget for a complete restoration is between $30,000 and $50,000, but that would include a new or rebuilt performance engine, transmission, rear axle, brakes, suspension, cooling and electrical systems, as well as all the trim, paint and interior parts to be as good as new. Before starting a restoration, experts say, knowledge is the first and most important thing to attain. "Join a club. Buy the original Ford-issued repair manuals," Martin says. "Ford service manuals from that time were really good. They were designed to speak to mechanics with a high school education, not like today's repair manuals that assume you have an engineering degree." Other tips for restoring a classic Mustang
Professional cyclist Michael Chauner of West Chester and his Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA team will participate in the inaugural week-long Chesco Grand Prix, beginning June 28 in Oxford. Chauner began racing competitively on the road at age 14 and steadily improved through the junior ranks, collected state and national championship medals and developed a strong interest in both endurance track cycling events and international competitions on the road. In 2004, he was selected to compete with the Junior National Team in Belgium, France and Holland and later in the season helped his Pennsylvania team decisively win the National Team Pursuit Championship, qualifying him for that year's World Track Championships in Los Angeles. Chauner recently returned from Europe and has four wins to his credit this season, including a recent victory in Kalken, Belgium. "The Chesco Grand Prix will be through the downtowns of some beautiful sections of Chester County," said Crosby Wood of the Chesco Grand Prix. "The races are for elite and professional cycling teams that travel throughout the United States. Cycling is growing rapidly in the area and these races are perfect for individuals and families. We're expecting large crowds."
The Chesco Grand Prix is sanctioned by USA Cycling, the national governing body for the sport of competitive cycling. Chauner graduated from Bucknell University in 2008 and collected 11 collegiate cycling victories throughout his academic career making him the top Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference winner during 2004 through 2008. As a freshman in 2005, he became the ECCC Champion and achieved a top-5 performance in the Collegiate National Road Championships. He has a personal coaching business for other cyclists alongside his own racing career. After developing under the tutelage of Olympic silver medalist Brian Walton for seven years, Chauner now works with Sweden's top cycling coach and exercise physiologist, Mattias Reck. Chauner will join Bobby Lea. a member of the United States' 2012 Olympic Cycling Team, on the five-man squad from the Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA . Wood said, "This annual event is destined to become one of the prestigious bike races in the United States, especially when the national Velodrome is constructed in Coatesville." "We haven't forgotten the area leisure riders as we have a tour scheduled for Sunday, July 8," Wood said. "The county's back roads are wonderful places to explore by bicycle. Cyclists of all abilities and skill levels will be able to choose a 20 mile, 40 mile or 75 mile route, starting and finishing in the historic village of Marshallton. Each route will sample the quiet roads of the Brandywine Valley, ending at the Marshalton Inn and Four Dogs Tavern where Chef David Cox will serve award-winning food and refreshments." Six of the nine venues will host a card of multi-lap "criterium" races for amateurs, elite women and pro men with all races held on downtown circuits of between 1 and 3 kilometers (.6 to 1.5 mile). The featured pro races will all be 50 miles with shorter distances for amateurs and women. The time trial and road race on July 3rd and 4th will be held on circuits through West Marlborough Township, an area known for its preserved wide open spaces and expansive horse farms. The professional races will be invitational for 90 registered elite level and professional cyclists, most will be member of five-man teams. Points will be awarded for the top finishers toward overall team and individual prizes. A total of at least $25,000 in prize money will be awarded throughout the series. The Chesco Grand Prix is endorsed by the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Chester County whose mission is to promote Chester County and the Brandywine Valley as a tourism destination. Initial sponsors for the Chesco Grand Prix include the Sheraton Great Valley Hotel, PJ's All Natural Beef Steak and Victory Brewing of Downingtown. Sponsor interest is high and additional sponsors will be announced soon. The Greater Media's Philadelphia radio group will promote and cover the Chesco Grand Prix. The stations include WMMR, WMGK, BEN-FM and 97.5 The Fanatic/950 ESPN.
Just in time for the Memorial Day travel weekend that involve long-haul journeys for many Americans comes a reminder of the benefits of clean-diesel technology – one of which is the ability for a vehicle to go a long way on a tank of fuel, especially in highway-cruising mode.
With that as the backdrop, one of America's leading advocacy organizations for diesel technology is making the case that most of diesel's expansion in the auto market is still ahead of it, not behind. More than 10 new clean-diesel cars and light-duty trucks will be introduced in the U.S. market in the next two years by Audi, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes and Volkswagen, notes the Diesel Technology Forum. "The resurgence in new diesel autos in the U.S. market will greatly increase the popularity of clean diesels throughout the nation," said Allen Schaefer, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Forum, in a news release. Of course, Audi and Volkswagen have been at the forefront of the clean-diesel push in the U.S. market, with an increasing variety of clean-diesel versions of some of their most popular models comprising a rising portion of overall sales of those nameplates. Audi also has been instrumental in pushing for positive popular perceptions of diesel power through TV advertisements and other means. According to Schaeffer, the combination of capable and attractive diesel-powered cars, and advocacy of the technology, is working. Only 3 percent of U.S. sales so far are clean-diesel powertrains, compared with about half of all new sales in Europe. But diesel has been running about neck-and-neck with U.S. hybrid sales even though there are many more hybrid models available. And diesel sales increased for each of the last two years and then rose again, by 35 percent, in the first quarter of 2012, the Forum said. Clean diesel's edge of 20 to 40 percent in fuel economy over gasoline has been increasingly relevant to Americans at a time of near-$4-a-gallon gasoline, Schaeffer noted. And "in many parts of the country, diesel fuel prices are at or below the cost of premium unleaded" that is required in many of today's cars. "Diesel could well be the more economical choice."
Erratic weather, an extreme pace, tough competition, bitter setbacks and a great triumph: Audi emerged from a genuine emotional roller-coaster ride as victor of the Nürburgring 24 Hours. In the 40th running of the Eifel classic the brand recorded its first overall victory with the new Audi R8 LMS ultra. The German driver quartet Marc Basseng/Christopher Haase/Frank Stippler/Markus Winkelhock shared driving duties in the car entered by Audi Sport Team Phoenix. Christian Abt/Michael Ammermüller/Armin Hahne/Christian Mamerow from Team Mamerow Racing completed the one-two success.
Audi has achieved yet another milestone in endurance racing within just eleven months: in June 2011 the brand celebrated its tenth victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the R18 TDI LMP sports prototype. Last July the customer racing R8 LMS race car also won the 24 hour classic at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium for the first time. The Nürburgring triumph now rounds off the endurance record. The competition around the Nordschleife was regarded as a particularly brutal test of endurance this year. The pace of the eight different brands represented in the GT3 class was unusually high, many leading teams were struck by technical defects and numerous accidents whittled the field down still further. While the Audi GT3 race car, which is derived from a production line car, ran technically reliably for 24 hours, the Audi teams did not escape unscathed from accidents either. In this way, the Audi R8 LMS ultra with start number '2' driven by Christopher Mies at the time was hit by an opponent in the rain while leading. The repairs took 53 minutes and stole any chance of victory from him and his team mates Marcel Fässler and René Rast – they were fifth at the flag. In the night the car with number '4' from Speedhunters Team WRT lost a huge amount of time after a collision with a competitor damaged the steering. The Belgian team finished 32nd. Team Raeder Motorsport held a promising fifth position after 17 hours of racing when Thomas Mutsch was unable to avoid a lapped car as it changed line. After hitting the guardrail any it was impossible to contemplate driving further in start number 9. The Audi race experience finished in 17th place with Christian Bollrath/Pierre Ehret/Peter Venn/Marco Werner. The sister car driven by Luca Cappellari/Florian Gruber/Warren Luff/Alexander Yoong retired due to damage caused in an accident. In the closing stages the pressure to succeed in the overall classification weighed heavily on the start numbers 3 and 26. Audi Sport Team Phoenix won its home race thanks to a combination of balanced pace, clever driving and reliable pit work. It was overall victory number three for the team from Meuspath and the first with Audi. Almost simultaneously Ernst Moser's squad clinched third place as best Audi team in the third DTM race at Brands Hatch. Team Mamerow Racing also clinched an excellent result. Team director Peter Mamerow only changed his allegiance to Audi this year. With the support of Audi Sport customer racing the team fielded an R8 LMS ultra with Christian Abt/Michael Ammermüller/Armin Hahne/Christian Mamerow on board. Second overall is richly deserved for the private team from Castrop-Rauxel. "We are absolutely delighted about this long desired victory," explained Dieter Gass, Head of Racing Commitments at Audi Sport. "For three years the Audi R8 LMS was always the best GT3 car at the Nürburgring. Now we have taken overall victory in the fight with seven other brands. Over the last 24 hours nothing whatsoever was handed to us on a plate. Our victorious drivers and teams produced a fantastic, consistent and error free performance. My sincerest congratulations go to our winners. This victory in a race car closely related to the production based car once again proves that Audi Sport customer racing provides its customers with a well refined, versatile and successful race car." Race result 1. Basseng/Haase/Stippler/Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS ultra), 155 laps 2. Abt/Ammermüller/Hahne/Mamerow (Audi R8 LMS ultra) + 3m 35.303s 3. Frankenhout/Simonsen/Kaffer/Arnold (Mercedes-Benz) + 11m 31.116s 4. Leinders/Palttala/Martin (BMW) – 1 lap 5. Fässler/Mies/Rast/Stippler (Audi R8 LMS ultra) – 4 laps 6. Abbelen/Schmitz/Brück/Huisman (Porsche) – 4 laps 7. Müller/Müller/Alzen/Adorf (BMW) – 5 laps 8. Hürtgen/Schwager/Bastian/Adorf (BMW) – 5 laps 9. Klingmann/Wittmann/Göransson/Lamy (BMW) – 5 laps 10. Zehe/Hartung/Rehfeld/Bullitt (Mercedes-Benz) – 5 laps 17. Bollrath/Ehret/Venn/Werner (Audi R8 LMS ultra) – 10 laps 32. Jarvis/Piccini/Sandström/Simonsen (Audi R8 LMS ultra) – 20 laps
Porsche of Delaware, located on Ogletown Rd./Rt. 273 in Newark and a member of the Winner Automotive Group, has an immediate opening for a qualified sales consultant to join our team as a Porsche Sales Consultant.
The successfull candidate will have experience selling either high line vehicles, furniture or real estate. High line automotive sales experience a plus. Additionally, you should be detail oriented and willing to put the customer first. The responsibilities of the Salesperson are centered on the process of understanding and meeting customer needs. In order to sell, this person must have a basic knowledge of automotive systems and a thorough knowledge of prices, models, series, options, and other variations of the manufacturer's products, and should also know much about the competition's products and prices. Most importantly, this person should have sensitivity toward the customer and a strong interest in exceeding the customer's expectations. This person must have polished communication skills with customers, including the ability to present the company's products and the ability to discover, by questioning, exactly what the customer's needs are. The Salesperson must calculate cost allowances, fees, taxes, down payments, and discounts to arrive at the price of a vehicle, and, in addition, must work with the Sales Manager in completing a sales contract, which meets the customer's need. Additional Requirements
Interested candidates should apply online today! Go with a Winner! EOE It is no coincidence that in the same year Audi of America shattered its all-time sales record by selling over 117,000 units, it also hosted 60 local quattro Cup tournaments throughout the United States which drew a record-breaking 6,400 participants. As sales continue to accelerate, the demand for this unique brand experience is higher than ever, and Audi Wilmington is excited to announce it will be hosting the Audi quattro Cup 2012 local competition at Fieldstone Golf Club on June 18th, 2012. With over 79,000 competitors worldwide, 2011 proved the Audi quattro Cup is the largest amateur golf tournament in the world for a reason: participants raved about their experience, especially those fortunate enough to advance to the U.S. Final at the legendary Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI. This year, golfers will find even more competitive inspiration as the 2012 U.S. Audi quattro Cup finals will transpire at one of the world's most coveted golf destinations: the unrivaled Pebble Beach Resorts. The Pebble Beach Golf Links have hosted some of golf's most prestigious tournaments, including five U.S. Open Championships and the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Staged over two unforgettable days along the rugged coastline of the Pacific Ocean, the fairways of both The Links at Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach Golf Links will host the culmination of a tournament season defined by performance and the realization of countless amateur golf dreams. "The Audi quattro Cup immerses golfers in the absolute best of the brand," said Michael Hynansky. "Audi Wilmington is proud to bring this unique experience to Delaware and be part of something that really was created to celebrate the excitement of amateur golfing." Audi Wilmington is one of 80 dealerships hosting local competitions nationwide, a new record for the brand since the tournament was first played stateside in 1999. Each dealership will in turn advance its winning twosome to the U.S. Final (August 23–26) to decide which two amateur teams Audi of America will send to represent the United States in the World Final at the end of the year. Registration for the local competition ends June 8th,. Please contact Audi Wilmington at 302-661-2100 for more information or to register your twosome for play. To learn more about the Audi quattro Cup Experience, please visit audiusa.com/quattrocup.


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Now a quest is underway to find Tsarnaev a resting place in Massachusetts. But before, the body will undergo a second "independent" autopsy demanded by his relatives.
His parents in Dagestan decided not to fly the remains there for burial, said family spokeswoman Heda Saratova.
There is no gravesite yet for the 26-year-old, said Peter Stefan, the owner of the funeral home. If no cemetery is found after the second autopsy, he plans to ask the government to find a grave.
He read Tamerlan Tsarnaev 's death certificate to CNN over the phone Friday.
"Gunshot wounds of torso and extremities," Stefan said. "Blunt trauma to head and torso."
Authorities have said his younger brother may have run him over as they resisted arrest days after the marathon attacks.
Widow in hiding
Katherine Russell, Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow, remained largely out of view this week inside her parents' home.
According to her attorney, Amato DeLuca, the 24-year-old widow knew nothing of plans to bomb the race, and reports of her husband's involvement came as an "absolute shock" to Russell and her family.
But two sources familiar with the investigation told CNN that she spoke to her husband after his picture appeared on national television as a suspect.
The nature of the conversation remains under investigation, but the sources said there was some concern that Russell spoke with her husband but did not call authorities who were still seeking to identify the men in the photos.
Times Square foible
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has told investigators that he and his brother decided to try to bomb Times Square as they talked the night of April 18 in a Mercedes SUV they carjacked in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
They still had five pipe bombs and a "pressure-cooker bomb" left over.
But the plan dissolved, when the driver of the vehicle, whom they held hostage for 90 minutes, escaped and police were notified. The violent chase that cost Tamerlan Tsarnaev his life ensued.
The man, who CNN is describing only as Danny because of privacy and safety concerns, said there was a difference of personalities between the brothers.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev kept talking throughout the ordeal, barking out orders, detailing his hatred of Americans and asking Danny to remain calm.
"If you cooperate, I won't kill you," said Tamerlan Tsarnaev, according to Danny.
While the talkative Tamerlan took the lead during the carjacking, the quiet Dzhokhar responded to multiple orders, such as getting money from an ATM, he said.
Tsarni has claimed that a man known as "Misha" was responsible for radicalizing Tamerlan Tsarnaev. On Monday, a U.S. government official told CNN that FBI agents had interviewed Misha.
The man, whose real name is Mikhail Allakhverdov, denied ever encouraging a violent take on Islam and says he was not Tamerlan's teacher, according to a New York Review of Books writer who says he interviewed Misha.
Federal agents are also looking into possible links between Tamerlan Tsarnaev and a Canadian boxer-turned-jihadist killed by Russian troops in 2012, a source being briefed on the investigation said. William Plotnikov and six others died in a firefight with Russian forces in Dagestan in July 2012, while Tsarnaev was visiting the region, the source said.
The victims
Of the scores of people injured in the blasts, 12 remain in five Boston-area hospitals, though none is in critical condition, according to information the hospitals provided to CNN.


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Amy Wilentz, the author of Martyrs' Crossing, is writing a book on the recall and California. She opined in Sunday Opinion on the 9th Circuit.
More by Kevin Roderick:
Ralph Lawler of the Clippers and the age of AquariusRiding the Expo Line to USC 'just magical'
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LA Times writers revisit their '92 riots observations
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Bestselling books of the week in SoCal storesThe other horrible April 29 date in Los Angeles history
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Portrait of a Bookstore to close on Tujunga Avenue
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There's nothing my son hates more than getting a shot. Is there anything I can do to lessen his fear? - Laurie
Yes, there is. If your son is a toddler or younger child, try taking his mind off the shots by bringing a favorite toy or book to the doctor's office. You might have him count, sing a song with you, or look away (maybe at a picture on the wall). You might even let him wear headphones and listen to his favorite song during the shot.
You can also try holding your son's hand or letting him sit in your lap while he gets a shot, but try not to look upset or concerned. Children can pick up on your anxiety, and it can make them anxious as well. Also, don't forget to praise your child afterward. A little positive reinforcement can make the next trip to the doctor easier.
When feasible, try to do something fun after the appointment. A trip to the park or playground can make the overall immunization experience less unpleasant.
If your son is a teenager, encourage him to bring something — a game, book, or music player — that will distract him while he waits. When it comes time for the shot, he can try taking deep breaths, focusing on something else in the room, relaxing his arm, or coughing as the needle is inserted. Research has shown that these techniques can help reduce anxiety and make the shot less painful.
Let the doctor or nurse know ahead of time if you or your son are nervous. Medical professionals routinely deal with people who are afraid of shots, and they may be able help your son — and you — relax.
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD Date reviewed: September 2012