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swedes <tsp> yelena isinbayeva , the golden girl of russian sport , has sought to clarify her controversial comments about gay rights and her apparent criticism of fellow athletes for highlighting the issue at the world championships in moscow . isinbayeva reclaimed the women 's pole vault title in front of her adoring public on tuesday , then two days later defended her country 's anti-gay propaganda law after receiving her medal . if we allow to promote and do all this stuff on the street , we are very afraid about our nation because we consider ourselves like normal , standard people , ' isinbayeva said in english at a press conference . we just live boys with woman , women with boys . everything must be fine . it comes from history . we never had any problems , these problems in russia , and we do n't want to have any in the future . ' she criticized two swedish athletes who defied the anti-gay law by sporting what could be seen as propaganda ' under the new regulations . high jumper emma green tregaro and sprinter mao hjelmer wore rainbow-colored fingernails in their events in support of the gay rights movement . green tregaro posted a picture on her instagram account captioned : nails painted in rainbow sign # pride # moscow2013 . ' it 's unrespectful to our country , ' isinbayeva told reporters . it 's unrespectful to our citizens because we are russians . maybe we are different from european people and other people from different lands . we have our home and everyone has to respect ( it ) . when we arrive to different countries , we try to follow their rules . ' however , on friday isinbayeva released a statement via athletics'ruling body claiming that she had been misunderstood . ' english is not my first language and i think i may have been misunderstood when i spoke yesterday , ' said the 31-year-old , who is an ambassador for the international olympic committee and will be mayor of the athletes'village at the winter games in the russian city of sochi next year . cnn ireport : what it 's like to be gay in russia ' what i wanted to say was that people should respect the laws of other countries particularly when they are guests . but let me make it clear i respect the views of my fellow athletes and let me state in the strongest terms that i am opposed to any discrimination against gay people on the grounds of their sexuality ( which is against the olympic charter ) . ' russia 's recently implemented law , which bars propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations to minors , ' has led to calls to boycott the winter olympics in sochi . russia hosts another massive sporting event in 2018 , soccer 's world cup . u.s. president barack obama spoke about the issue last week , saying that nobody 's more offended than me ' by the anti-gay legislation you 've been seeing in russia , ' and some bars around the world have also stopped serving russian vodka in protest of russia 's stance . u.s. runner nick symmonds was quoted in the new york times criticizing isinbayeva 's comments . it blows my mind that such a young , well-traveled , well-educated woman would be so behind the times , ' said symmonds , who spoke out against the law after winning a silver medal in tuesday 's 800 meters event . he told the bbc thursday that he had wanted to compete wearing a rainbow sticker , but was afraid of being arrested . in his blog for runner 's world prior to the world championships , symmonds said he disagreed with the laws that russia has put in place . ' thrilling finish on the track , trinidad and tobago 's jehue gordon edged american michael tinsley in thursday 's 400-meter hurdle final in a finish reminiscent of the women 's 400m three days earlier . in the latter race , britain 's christine ohuruogu chased down botswana 's amantle montsho and won by four-thousandth of a second . gordon 's margin of victory was a little greater but not by much -- 47.69 seconds compared to 49.70 . felix sanchez , the 36-year-old from the dominican republic who was seeking his third title , came fifth . kenya 's ezekiel kemboi claimed his third consecutive world title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase -- adding to his two olympic gold medals -- with a time of eight minutes , 6.01 seconds . had there been 10 more meters , he might have been caught by younger countryman conseslus kipruto but kipruto had to settle for the silver .

isinbayeva had criticized two swedes for highlighting gay rights issues

ali khamenei <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- nearly 90 professors at iran 's oldest and largest university signed a letter to supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei , criticizing the government 's violent handling of student protesters . the issue that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the devout muslim and patriots of this land is the violent and above the law [ illegal ] encounters , particularly with university students and faculty members of this land , ' says the letter , which was posted on the reformist web site rahesabz , ' or green path . ' in fact , the nightly attacks on the dormitories and living quarters of innocent students and daily assaults on them ... are not testaments to the power of the system , just as the violent beatings and imprisonments are not testament to its faith and piety . ' the professors ask khamenei to order revolutionary guards , government-sanctioned militiamen and others who have engaged in campus violence to vacate the university . the letter also calls for official apologies for beatings of university members and the unconditional release of detained students and faculty . there was no immediate government response to the letter . the 88 professors -- all of whom are considered employees of the islamic republic -- who signed the letter are risking their jobs and god knows what else , ' said ali alfoneh , a research fellow at the washington-based american enterprise institute who has researched the relationship between iranian civilians and the islamic revolutionary guard . some of them may end up arrested , ' he added . the letter , posted on a reformist web site monday , is a rare and significant showing of discontent among tehran university 's academics . student unrest has only increased since thousands of protesters turned out on the streets of iran to oppose the country 's disputed presidential election , in which hardline incumbent president mahmoud ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner . unfortunately and sadly ; all of this takes place under the veil of safeguarding islam and the representation of the supreme leadership and , even more sadly , no institution or organization accepts responsibility for this savagery ! ' the anti-government demonstrations began following the disputed june 12 presidential vote , which re-elected hardline president mahmoud ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate mir hossein moussavi . last month marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out this summer . at least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested as they took to the streets on ashura , a shiite muslim holy day . one university researcher told cnn he was one of many beaten by police , struck with a baton 11 times . iranian interior minister mostafa-mohammad najjar warned saturday that the government will not show leniency to protesters in the future . it does n't surprise me that professors wrote this letter , because universities have been one of the first victims of increased government pressure , ' alfoneh said . in the aftermath of the election , tehran university and other institutions quickly became hotbeds of violence , with members of the government 's basij militia attacking young protesters on campus , including dormitories . in august , khamenei addressed a group of university professors from all over , noting that academics would be held to a higher standard of accountability -- especially after the elections . naturally , the expectations that we have of the professors and faculty is much greater than what we expect from the students , ' khamenei was quoted by iranian media as saying on august 30 . the students are the young officers on the front lines of this war and the professors are the commanders [ against ] this'soft war'-- the professors who can fulfill this role will be worthy of the islamic republic . ' the iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence . at times , video has shown protesters apparently turning on security forces . still , the letter serves as another blow to iran 's islamic leadership , which reformists say has lost credibility in its handling of the post-election unrest . several critics , including cleric and former presidential candidate mehdi karrubi have compared the tactics of the current government to those of the shah of iran , who was overthrown by the same fervent followers of islam more than 30 years ago . alfoneh noted that numerous petitions were drafted and published in the days leading up to the overthrow of the shah , who was also slammed with allegations of injustice and human rights violations under his watch . he said it 's no surprise that academics today are taking a similar approach as it becomes increasingly harder to teach amid the violence . the opposition and even ordinary citizen are trying to duplicate the events of 30 years ago -- they 're trying to play to the memory of the public , ' alfoneh said . cnn 's samira simone contributed to this report .

nearly 90 tehran professors sign letter to supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei

honolulu <tsp> ( cnn ) -- was barack obama really born in america ? a new cnn investigation reveals what most analysts have been saying since the birther ' controversy erupted during the 2008 presidential campaign : obama was born in hawaii on august 4 , 1961 . period . while the president has made light of the controversy , the question remains political red meat for some of his critics . a recent cnn/opinion research corp. poll showed that nearly 75 % of americans believe obama was definitely or probably born in the united states . more than four in 10 republicans , however , believe he probably or definitely was not born in america . evidence again shows obama born in hawaii the u.s. constitution says only natural born ' citizens can become president -- a vague clause that some members of the birther movement contend disqualifies obama because , they insist , he was born outside the united states . skeptics contend , among other things , that obama was born in his father 's home country of kenya . potential gop presidential candidate donald trump recently seized on the issue , saying he had doubts about obama 's background . zakaria : the fantasy of donald trump cnn investigators in honolulu found nothing to reinforce those doubts . dr. chiyome fukino , a former director of the hawaii department of health and a republican , told cnn in her most extensive comments to date that she has no doubt ' obama was born in the state . obama 's 2008 campaign produced a certification of live birth , a document legally accepted as confirmation of a birth and routinely used for official purposes . fukino went one step further , taking advantage of a state law that allows certain public officials to examine a person 's actual birth certificate if there is a direct and tangible interest . ' the president 's certificate , she said , is stored in a vault in the building that houses the department of health . ironically , unlike the certificate of live birth , it is no longer accepted for official usage . obama 's certificate is absolutely authentic , ' she said . he was absolutely born here in the state of hawaii . ' arizona governor criticizes birther distraction ' to see what happens when someone born in hawaii requests a birth certificate , cnn asked a current resident of the state -- stig waidelich -- if he could get a copy of the document . waidelich was born hours after obama in august 1961 . like obama , waidelich 's birth was announced at the time in the honolulu star-bulletin newspaper . waidelich , like obama in 2008 , was given a certification of live birth in response to his request . could obama 's 1961 birth announcement in the honolulu star-bulletin be a fake ? some conspiracy theorists say yes . longtime honolulu newspaper reporter dan nakaso says no . it 's not possible , ' nakaso said . under the system that existed back then , there was no avenue for people to submit information that way . ... the information came directly from the state department of health . ' indeed , as cnn confirmed , all birth announcements at the time came directly from hospital birth records . trump questions birth certificate could obama , a self-proclaimed christian , be preventing the distribution of copies of the original birth certificate because it identifies him as a muslim ? fukino says no . the original certificate includes no mention of the president 's religion . and indeed , other original certificates from that time do n't mention faith . obama could file a freedom of information act request to view his original birth certificate and make copies . but at this point , the white house maintains , nothing will satisfy the doubters . rick smethurst , a 2008 john mccain voter who now lives in obama 's childhood home in hawaii , counts himself among the doubters . he said he wants to find someone who saw obama immediately after the president was born . hawaii gov . neil abercrombie said he did . abercrombie , a democrat , was friendly with ann dunham , obama 's mother , and remembers celebrating the birth . of course , we had no idea at the time that the future president of the united states was that little boy , that little baby , ' abercrombie recalled . but we are very , very happy ... that took place . ' professor alice dewey of the university of hawaii was a faculty adviser to dunham and also knew the future president when he was a child . she called the controversy funny . ' she said there is no way ' obama was n't born in the state . dewey remembered a conversation in which dunham compared the birth of obama with that of his sister , maya , who was born overseas . she said ,'when i had maya , it was a lot of more difficult because indonesia does n't believe in painkillers while you 're giving birth . ... of course , in the united states , giving birth to barry ( obama 's childhood nickname ) was quite different and much more comfortable ,' dewey recalled . waidelich 's mother , monika , said she believes she saw obama in honolulu 's kapi'olani medical center next to her son in 1961 . in those days , there were hardly any other black babies , ' she said . the hospital would n't show patient records from 1961 , but the state 's african-american population was less than 1 % at the time . regardless of the evidence , there may be no convincing some of those who question the president 's origins . i find it a bit amusing in the sense that ( the issue ) keeps resurfacing over and over again , ' fukino said . it really tells us that the whole conspiracy notion is out there ( and ) that if there is an issue that needs a following , they will find one . no matter what you do or say , it make no difference , ' she said . abercrombie , who tried to put an end to the controversy when he became governor , said he hopes that people who have this political orientation toward the president respect us here in hawaii . ' respect his mother and father , ' the governor urged . respect the people i loved and the people that i knew , and the little boy who grew up here in paradise and became president . ' that , the evidence suggests , may be easier said than done . cnn 's alan silverleib contributed to this report . watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 8pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here .

ex-hawaii health official says she has no doubt ' president obama was born in honolulu

al-aqsa <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- israeli soldiers and several dozen palestinians clashed in jerusalem saturday , exchanging volleys of rocks , tear gas , fire bombs , and rubber bullets , according to eyewitnesses and the israeli military . hundreds of palestinians gathered in the northern jerusalem neighborhood of al-ram for the burial of 25-year-old palestinian man , talat ramiyeh . he was shot the day before by israeli security forces in a protest opposing israeli police entering the compound that houses jerusalem 's al-aqsa mosque , palestinian officials said . after the funeral , about 60 palestinians began throwing rocks and fire bombs at an israeli military position near the entrance to the neighborhood , an israeli military spokesman said . the soldiers responded with tear gas and rubber bullets . there was no immediate word of injuries . the death of ramiyeh prompted a condemnation from palestinian authority prime minster salam fayyad . he implored the the international community to hold israel responsible for what he described as the concerted use of violence against peaceful protests . ' the military spokesman said ramiyeh 's death was still under investigation , but a preliminary report suggested that he had been engaged in a violent riot ' and aimed fireworks at israeli security personnel who responded with live fire . the investigation suggested that ramiyeh was hit in the shoulder , the spokesman said . saturday 's protest marked the latest in a series of disturbances connected to the compound that holds jerusalem 's al-aqsa mosque . during the past week , clashes around the sensitive religious site known the noble sanctuary to muslims and the temple mount to jews erupted on multiple occasions amid rumors that israeli authorities were allowing right-wing jewish activists access to the compound in order to stoke tensions with palestinians . israeli police spokesman micky rosenfeld denied the reports and said access to the location was being administered under normal guidelines .

there 've been disturbances tied to jerusalem 's al-aqsa mosque

palestinian <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- israeli soldiers and several dozen palestinians clashed in jerusalem saturday , exchanging volleys of rocks , tear gas , fire bombs , and rubber bullets , according to eyewitnesses and the israeli military . hundreds of palestinians gathered in the northern jerusalem neighborhood of al-ram for the burial of 25-year-old palestinian man , talat ramiyeh . he was shot the day before by israeli security forces in a protest opposing israeli police entering the compound that houses jerusalem 's al-aqsa mosque , palestinian officials said . after the funeral , about 60 palestinians began throwing rocks and fire bombs at an israeli military position near the entrance to the neighborhood , an israeli military spokesman said . the soldiers responded with tear gas and rubber bullets . there was no immediate word of injuries . the death of ramiyeh prompted a condemnation from palestinian authority prime minster salam fayyad . he implored the the international community to hold israel responsible for what he described as the concerted use of violence against peaceful protests . ' the military spokesman said ramiyeh 's death was still under investigation , but a preliminary report suggested that he had been engaged in a violent riot ' and aimed fireworks at israeli security personnel who responded with live fire . the investigation suggested that ramiyeh was hit in the shoulder , the spokesman said . saturday 's protest marked the latest in a series of disturbances connected to the compound that holds jerusalem 's al-aqsa mosque . during the past week , clashes around the sensitive religious site known the noble sanctuary to muslims and the temple mount to jews erupted on multiple occasions amid rumors that israeli authorities were allowing right-wing jewish activists access to the compound in order to stoke tensions with palestinians . israeli police spokesman micky rosenfeld denied the reports and said access to the location was being administered under normal guidelines .

palestinian pm salam fayyad condemned ramiyeh 's death

segel <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- they 've been called bromances ' : those buddy films and tv shows , such as the movies pineapple express ' and the 40-year-old virgin , ' that feature non-sexual but deep friendships between two or more males . jason segel and paul rudd star in i love you , man , ' which opens friday . the forthcoming i love you , man , ' which opens friday , appears to fit the bill . in the film , paul rudd plays a man who needs a best man for his wedding but has never made any male friends . enter jason segel as sydney fife , whom rudd 's character , peter klaven , pursues on several man-dates ' that end up threatening his relationship with his fiancée ( rashida jones ) . but do n't call the film a bromance ' in the presence of rudd and segel . we hate that word , ' segel told cnn . it was not part of the lexicon while we were filming , ' added rudd . still , both actors have plenty of experience in the , uh , guy-pal genre . rudd has been in several comedies written , directed or produced by judd apatow , considered one of the leaders of the bromance ' trend with his softer , more openly emotional male characters . segel has also been in apatow projects -- including last year 's forgetting sarah marshall ' -- and he stars in the tv series how i met your mother , ' which finds plenty of humor in male bonding . segel observes that what helps the films work is the discomfort of two men trying to talk about their emotions while hoping to maintain a dispassionate , hard-edged , prototypically manly façade . and he knows he 's good at bringing out that discomfort in his co-stars . judd apatow told me that my special skill was that i am able to maintain my likability while getting incredibly close to the creepy line , and that 's what i should try to cultivate , ' he said . that 's what he does , ' rudd noted . he just holds [ the moment ] a little too long . ' it 's the fraction of a second too long that makes people uncomfortable , ' segel added . in i love you , man , ' segel 's character is rougher and looser than his characters in sarah marshall ' and how i met your mother . ' he welcomed the change . it was a real treat for me , to be honest for a minute , to play this character , because i 've played sort of a puppy dog guy in'forgetting sarah marshall ,'and on ['mother'] i play a husband , you know , a loving husband , ' he said . so to get to play a character who is a bit more of a man of mystery was very exciting for me . ' in real life , claims segel , he even has a man cave . it 's filled with puppets , ' he said . and i keep wondering why i do n't have a girlfriend . i 'm like ,'hey , this is my house ; come check it out . this is where i keep my 40 puppets .'... i think that i have a reputation for being weird because of that . ' but he quickly turns serious and maintains that i love you , man ' does have a message to go along with its comedy . i think we both had something to learn from each other , ' he said . paul 's character had to learn that it 's all right to take a little distance from your significant other and have some dude friends and someone to vent to about things you ca n't necessarily talk about with your girl . ' sometimes buddies hold a mirror up to the way you behave in ways that relationships with the opposite sex do n't , ' rudd said . yeah , and my character had to learn that maybe it 's time to grow up a little bit , ' segel added . so , this bromance ' thing , allowing a few feelings to show . perhaps it 's not so bad after all ? rudd says that the idea has its upside , despite its name . and he 's glad it 's been successful . that 's us in a nutshell , not macho , not tough , ' he said . i think that we 've all been kind of drawn to real stories , you know , characters that hopefully people can relate to and what 's funny about just certain insecurites and just certain things in life . they could easily be dramatic , ' he pointed out . just less fart jokes . '

comedy makes some serious points about friendship , segel says

segel <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- they 've been called bromances ' : those buddy films and tv shows , such as the movies pineapple express ' and the 40-year-old virgin , ' that feature non-sexual but deep friendships between two or more males . jason segel and paul rudd star in i love you , man , ' which opens friday . the forthcoming i love you , man , ' which opens friday , appears to fit the bill . in the film , paul rudd plays a man who needs a best man for his wedding but has never made any male friends . enter jason segel as sydney fife , whom rudd 's character , peter klaven , pursues on several man-dates ' that end up threatening his relationship with his fiancée ( rashida jones ) . but do n't call the film a bromance ' in the presence of rudd and segel . we hate that word , ' segel told cnn . it was not part of the lexicon while we were filming , ' added rudd . still , both actors have plenty of experience in the , uh , guy-pal genre . rudd has been in several comedies written , directed or produced by judd apatow , considered one of the leaders of the bromance ' trend with his softer , more openly emotional male characters . segel has also been in apatow projects -- including last year 's forgetting sarah marshall ' -- and he stars in the tv series how i met your mother , ' which finds plenty of humor in male bonding . segel observes that what helps the films work is the discomfort of two men trying to talk about their emotions while hoping to maintain a dispassionate , hard-edged , prototypically manly façade . and he knows he 's good at bringing out that discomfort in his co-stars . judd apatow told me that my special skill was that i am able to maintain my likability while getting incredibly close to the creepy line , and that 's what i should try to cultivate , ' he said . that 's what he does , ' rudd noted . he just holds [ the moment ] a little too long . ' it 's the fraction of a second too long that makes people uncomfortable , ' segel added . in i love you , man , ' segel 's character is rougher and looser than his characters in sarah marshall ' and how i met your mother . ' he welcomed the change . it was a real treat for me , to be honest for a minute , to play this character , because i 've played sort of a puppy dog guy in'forgetting sarah marshall ,'and on ['mother'] i play a husband , you know , a loving husband , ' he said . so to get to play a character who is a bit more of a man of mystery was very exciting for me . ' in real life , claims segel , he even has a man cave . it 's filled with puppets , ' he said . and i keep wondering why i do n't have a girlfriend . i 'm like ,'hey , this is my house ; come check it out . this is where i keep my 40 puppets .'... i think that i have a reputation for being weird because of that . ' but he quickly turns serious and maintains that i love you , man ' does have a message to go along with its comedy . i think we both had something to learn from each other , ' he said . paul 's character had to learn that it 's all right to take a little distance from your significant other and have some dude friends and someone to vent to about things you ca n't necessarily talk about with your girl . ' sometimes buddies hold a mirror up to the way you behave in ways that relationships with the opposite sex do n't , ' rudd said . yeah , and my character had to learn that maybe it 's time to grow up a little bit , ' segel added . so , this bromance ' thing , allowing a few feelings to show . perhaps it 's not so bad after all ? rudd says that the idea has its upside , despite its name . and he 's glad it 's been successful . that 's us in a nutshell , not macho , not tough , ' he said . i think that we 've all been kind of drawn to real stories , you know , characters that hopefully people can relate to and what 's funny about just certain insecurites and just certain things in life . they could easily be dramatic , ' he pointed out . just less fart jokes . '

neither rudd nor segel likes the term bromance '

segel <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- they 've been called bromances ' : those buddy films and tv shows , such as the movies pineapple express ' and the 40-year-old virgin , ' that feature non-sexual but deep friendships between two or more males . jason segel and paul rudd star in i love you , man , ' which opens friday . the forthcoming i love you , man , ' which opens friday , appears to fit the bill . in the film , paul rudd plays a man who needs a best man for his wedding but has never made any male friends . enter jason segel as sydney fife , whom rudd 's character , peter klaven , pursues on several man-dates ' that end up threatening his relationship with his fiancée ( rashida jones ) . but do n't call the film a bromance ' in the presence of rudd and segel . we hate that word , ' segel told cnn . it was not part of the lexicon while we were filming , ' added rudd . still , both actors have plenty of experience in the , uh , guy-pal genre . rudd has been in several comedies written , directed or produced by judd apatow , considered one of the leaders of the bromance ' trend with his softer , more openly emotional male characters . segel has also been in apatow projects -- including last year 's forgetting sarah marshall ' -- and he stars in the tv series how i met your mother , ' which finds plenty of humor in male bonding . segel observes that what helps the films work is the discomfort of two men trying to talk about their emotions while hoping to maintain a dispassionate , hard-edged , prototypically manly façade . and he knows he 's good at bringing out that discomfort in his co-stars . judd apatow told me that my special skill was that i am able to maintain my likability while getting incredibly close to the creepy line , and that 's what i should try to cultivate , ' he said . that 's what he does , ' rudd noted . he just holds [ the moment ] a little too long . ' it 's the fraction of a second too long that makes people uncomfortable , ' segel added . in i love you , man , ' segel 's character is rougher and looser than his characters in sarah marshall ' and how i met your mother . ' he welcomed the change . it was a real treat for me , to be honest for a minute , to play this character , because i 've played sort of a puppy dog guy in'forgetting sarah marshall ,'and on ['mother'] i play a husband , you know , a loving husband , ' he said . so to get to play a character who is a bit more of a man of mystery was very exciting for me . ' in real life , claims segel , he even has a man cave . it 's filled with puppets , ' he said . and i keep wondering why i do n't have a girlfriend . i 'm like ,'hey , this is my house ; come check it out . this is where i keep my 40 puppets .'... i think that i have a reputation for being weird because of that . ' but he quickly turns serious and maintains that i love you , man ' does have a message to go along with its comedy . i think we both had something to learn from each other , ' he said . paul 's character had to learn that it 's all right to take a little distance from your significant other and have some dude friends and someone to vent to about things you ca n't necessarily talk about with your girl . ' sometimes buddies hold a mirror up to the way you behave in ways that relationships with the opposite sex do n't , ' rudd said . yeah , and my character had to learn that maybe it 's time to grow up a little bit , ' segel added . so , this bromance ' thing , allowing a few feelings to show . perhaps it 's not so bad after all ? rudd says that the idea has its upside , despite its name . and he 's glad it 's been successful . that 's us in a nutshell , not macho , not tough , ' he said . i think that we 've all been kind of drawn to real stories , you know , characters that hopefully people can relate to and what 's funny about just certain insecurites and just certain things in life . they could easily be dramatic , ' he pointed out . just less fart jokes . '

i love you , man ' stars paul rudd , jason segel as two men trying friendship

fbi <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi has one more opening on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . tune into cnn 's campbell brown ' at 8 p.m . et wednesday to find out who fills the final slot . alleged cartel hit man eduardo ravelo has been added to the fbi 's most wanted list . el paso , texas ( cnn ) -- eduardo ravelo is described as a ruthless killer ' who has gone to great lengths to avoid law enforcement while contributing to the bloodshed that terrorizes the border between texas and mexico . authorities say the suspected hit man with close ties to the juarez drug cartel has shaved his head , undergone plastic surgery and even manipulated his fingerprints to elude capture . he heads the barrio aztecas gang , but ravelo is n't flashy , fbi agents say . he keeps a low profile , living modestly . on tuesday , ravelo was named to the fbi 's ten most wanted fugitives list , taking the second of three vacant slots . watch the fbi discuss ravelo 's alleged crimes » officially , he 's wanted on federal racketeering charges , but the fbi says ravelo 's criminal activities run much deeper . he is believed to be responsible for dozens of murders and assaults , as well as drug trafficking , extortion , weapons offenses and money laundering , fbi agent samantha mikeska said . watch the latest on ravelo » ' he has no respect for human life , ' she said . mikeska is leading the hunt for ravelo , who goes by the nickname tablas , ' which is spanish for wooden plank . he 's also called two-by-four ' and is believed to be hiding with his wife and children , probably in a barrio aztecas-controlled neighborhood in juarez , mexico , just across the border from el paso , texas . eduardo ravelo rose to power within the barrio aztecas criminal enterprise because of his connections with the juarez cartel and also [ because ] he 's a ruthless killer and will basically carry out what the juarez cartel wants him to do , ' mikeska said . barrio aztecas started as a texas prison gang in the 1980s . federal authorities say the profits from drug sales are often transferred to the commissary accounts of gang members in prison . ravelo came to his position atop the gang violently , the fbi agent said , killing the person whose place he took . his power comes from his close ties to the juarez cartel . he has spent the past 15 years cultivating relationships with some of the highest-ranking cartel members . drug cartel leaders often align themselves with street gangs , employing gang members to carry out some of the cartel 's most vicious work . u.s. authorities say the commanders of the juarez cartel often call on ravelo to execute their enemies . in exchange , ravelo and his barrio aztecas comrades get drugs to sell on the streets of mexico and the united states . fbi investigators say they believe that in march 2008 , ravelo carried out a hit on a captain in his own gang . mikeska believes ravelo stabbed him several times and shot him in the neck . shortly after the murder , he became a barrio aztecas capo , ' or captain . in recent years , federal agents have arrested dozens of barrio aztecas'3,500 members , with six of its leaders sentenced to life in prison . but ravelo has eluded authorities . he holds both u.s. and mexican citizenship , federal authorities say , helping him escape across the border into mexico with his wife and children . while he may be staying out of sight , he 's keeping up his violent work , mikeska says , and he has the resources to do so . he has an entourage , he has bodyguards , he has armored vehicles to protect him from rival gangs and rival cartels , ' mikeska says .

fbi says ravelo may be hiding just across border in juarez , mexico

fbi <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi has one more opening on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . tune into cnn 's campbell brown ' at 8 p.m . et wednesday to find out who fills the final slot . alleged cartel hit man eduardo ravelo has been added to the fbi 's most wanted list . el paso , texas ( cnn ) -- eduardo ravelo is described as a ruthless killer ' who has gone to great lengths to avoid law enforcement while contributing to the bloodshed that terrorizes the border between texas and mexico . authorities say the suspected hit man with close ties to the juarez drug cartel has shaved his head , undergone plastic surgery and even manipulated his fingerprints to elude capture . he heads the barrio aztecas gang , but ravelo is n't flashy , fbi agents say . he keeps a low profile , living modestly . on tuesday , ravelo was named to the fbi 's ten most wanted fugitives list , taking the second of three vacant slots . watch the fbi discuss ravelo 's alleged crimes » officially , he 's wanted on federal racketeering charges , but the fbi says ravelo 's criminal activities run much deeper . he is believed to be responsible for dozens of murders and assaults , as well as drug trafficking , extortion , weapons offenses and money laundering , fbi agent samantha mikeska said . watch the latest on ravelo » ' he has no respect for human life , ' she said . mikeska is leading the hunt for ravelo , who goes by the nickname tablas , ' which is spanish for wooden plank . he 's also called two-by-four ' and is believed to be hiding with his wife and children , probably in a barrio aztecas-controlled neighborhood in juarez , mexico , just across the border from el paso , texas . eduardo ravelo rose to power within the barrio aztecas criminal enterprise because of his connections with the juarez cartel and also [ because ] he 's a ruthless killer and will basically carry out what the juarez cartel wants him to do , ' mikeska said . barrio aztecas started as a texas prison gang in the 1980s . federal authorities say the profits from drug sales are often transferred to the commissary accounts of gang members in prison . ravelo came to his position atop the gang violently , the fbi agent said , killing the person whose place he took . his power comes from his close ties to the juarez cartel . he has spent the past 15 years cultivating relationships with some of the highest-ranking cartel members . drug cartel leaders often align themselves with street gangs , employing gang members to carry out some of the cartel 's most vicious work . u.s. authorities say the commanders of the juarez cartel often call on ravelo to execute their enemies . in exchange , ravelo and his barrio aztecas comrades get drugs to sell on the streets of mexico and the united states . fbi investigators say they believe that in march 2008 , ravelo carried out a hit on a captain in his own gang . mikeska believes ravelo stabbed him several times and shot him in the neck . shortly after the murder , he became a barrio aztecas capo , ' or captain . in recent years , federal agents have arrested dozens of barrio aztecas'3,500 members , with six of its leaders sentenced to life in prison . but ravelo has eluded authorities . he holds both u.s. and mexican citizenship , federal authorities say , helping him escape across the border into mexico with his wife and children . while he may be staying out of sight , he 's keeping up his violent work , mikeska says , and he has the resources to do so . he has an entourage , he has bodyguards , he has armored vehicles to protect him from rival gangs and rival cartels , ' mikeska says .

eduardo ravelo added to fbi 's ten most wanted fugitives list

ten most wanted fugitives list <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi has one more opening on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . tune into cnn 's campbell brown ' at 8 p.m . et wednesday to find out who fills the final slot . alleged cartel hit man eduardo ravelo has been added to the fbi 's most wanted list . el paso , texas ( cnn ) -- eduardo ravelo is described as a ruthless killer ' who has gone to great lengths to avoid law enforcement while contributing to the bloodshed that terrorizes the border between texas and mexico . authorities say the suspected hit man with close ties to the juarez drug cartel has shaved his head , undergone plastic surgery and even manipulated his fingerprints to elude capture . he heads the barrio aztecas gang , but ravelo is n't flashy , fbi agents say . he keeps a low profile , living modestly . on tuesday , ravelo was named to the fbi 's ten most wanted fugitives list , taking the second of three vacant slots . watch the fbi discuss ravelo 's alleged crimes » officially , he 's wanted on federal racketeering charges , but the fbi says ravelo 's criminal activities run much deeper . he is believed to be responsible for dozens of murders and assaults , as well as drug trafficking , extortion , weapons offenses and money laundering , fbi agent samantha mikeska said . watch the latest on ravelo » ' he has no respect for human life , ' she said . mikeska is leading the hunt for ravelo , who goes by the nickname tablas , ' which is spanish for wooden plank . he 's also called two-by-four ' and is believed to be hiding with his wife and children , probably in a barrio aztecas-controlled neighborhood in juarez , mexico , just across the border from el paso , texas . eduardo ravelo rose to power within the barrio aztecas criminal enterprise because of his connections with the juarez cartel and also [ because ] he 's a ruthless killer and will basically carry out what the juarez cartel wants him to do , ' mikeska said . barrio aztecas started as a texas prison gang in the 1980s . federal authorities say the profits from drug sales are often transferred to the commissary accounts of gang members in prison . ravelo came to his position atop the gang violently , the fbi agent said , killing the person whose place he took . his power comes from his close ties to the juarez cartel . he has spent the past 15 years cultivating relationships with some of the highest-ranking cartel members . drug cartel leaders often align themselves with street gangs , employing gang members to carry out some of the cartel 's most vicious work . u.s. authorities say the commanders of the juarez cartel often call on ravelo to execute their enemies . in exchange , ravelo and his barrio aztecas comrades get drugs to sell on the streets of mexico and the united states . fbi investigators say they believe that in march 2008 , ravelo carried out a hit on a captain in his own gang . mikeska believes ravelo stabbed him several times and shot him in the neck . shortly after the murder , he became a barrio aztecas capo , ' or captain . in recent years , federal agents have arrested dozens of barrio aztecas'3,500 members , with six of its leaders sentenced to life in prison . but ravelo has eluded authorities . he holds both u.s. and mexican citizenship , federal authorities say , helping him escape across the border into mexico with his wife and children . while he may be staying out of sight , he 's keeping up his violent work , mikeska says , and he has the resources to do so . he has an entourage , he has bodyguards , he has armored vehicles to protect him from rival gangs and rival cartels , ' mikeska says .

eduardo ravelo added to fbi 's ten most wanted fugitives list

el salvador <tsp> madrid , spain ( cnn ) -- human rights groups from the united states and spain filed a lawsuit in a spanish court thursday , charging el salvador 's former president , alfredo cristiani , with covering up crimes against humanity . alfredo cristiani in 1994 shortly after he voted during the country 's second round presidential runoff . the case involves the killing of six jesuit priests , their housekeeper and her teenaged daughter nearly two decades ago during el salvador 's civil war . in addition , 14 former salvadoran military officers are accused of war crimes , murders and state terrorism in connection with the massacre dating back to november 1989 . most of the slain jesuits were born in spain . they were killed at their residence at the prestigious central american university , in el salvador 's capital , san salvador . reports at the time said they were tortured and then shot . it has become one of the most notorious episodes of el salvador 's 12-year civil war that pitted leftist guerrillas against the u.s.-backed conservative government . some 75,000 people died . the case filed by two human rights groups in madrid argues that justice was never done in el salvador . two military officers were convicted of murder in 1991 in the deaths of the jesuits , but were pardoned in 1993 under an amnesty law approved by the national assembly . the case was taken to spain 's national court , because of its involvement in other high-profile human rights cases . the same spanish court issued an arrest warrant for former chilean dictator augusto pinochet in 1998 , while he was in a london hospital . for the rest of his life he fought legal battles -- first in england and later in chile -- to avoid convictions . the spanish court has also taken on human rights cases from other countries , including argentina and guatemala , testing a relatively new international legal principle known as universal jurisdiction . it contends that if justice for human rights abuses is not served in the country where the crime occurred , then a court in another country can intervene . the groups filing suits are the san francisco-based center for justice and accountability and the spanish association for human rights . family members from at least two of the slain jesuits will join the lawsuit later , the groups said . it could take the national court weeks or even months to determine if it will accept the case . spain and el salvador have an extradition treaty . but a lawyer for the center for justice and accountability told cnn that the most immediate practical effect of the case might be an effective ban on cristiani and the 14 former officers from leaving el salvador , for fear of arrest . if they were ever tried before a spanish court and convicted on the charges , they could serve up to 30 years in prison . in an interview with cnn a few months before he was killed , university rector ignacio ellecuria praised then-president cristiani , whom the human rights groups now accuse of covering up the crime . we have to recognize that cristiani is a man of his word , who keeps his promises , ' ellecuria told cnn . personally i consider cristiani an ethical , responsible person who will not offer to do what he ca n't or does n't wish to do . ' ignacio martin-baro , another slain jesuit , spoke at the time about the chilling effect of the long-running salvadoran civil war . we have become used to violence , ' martin-baro said . we have become used to living in a very dangerous world . we have learned to live , accepting death , extraordinary abnormal death into our lives . ' for years , the extreme right in el salvador had accused the jesuits of siding with the leftist guerrillas , according to a cnn report shortly after the killings . uniformed troops were seen searching the living quarters of the priests at central american university two days before they were killed , cnn reported .

one of the most notorious episodes of el salvador 's 12-year civil war

pakistani <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the northern pakistani school where a teenage boy died while tackling a suicide bomber last week will be renamed in his honor , a top provincial official announced monday . the school will be named after aitazaz hassan bangash , the 14-year-old boy who authorities say saved an untold number of fellow students by sacrificing himself at the building 's main gate , khyber pakhtunkhwa province 's chief minister said during a provincial assembly session . the ninth-grader was on his way to school january 6 in the province 's hangu district when the bomber , dressed in a school uniform , asked him where the school was , the teen 's cousin musadiq ali bangash said . aitazaz challenged the bomber and tried to catch him , and the bomb detonated when the two scuffled , the cousin said . aitazaz and the bomber died at the scene . witnesses said the blast injured two other people . iftikhar ahmed , a hangu district police officer , confirmed the details of the attack to cnn . hangu is a troubled district bordering pakistan 's tribal areas . it is rife with sectarian violence , with attacks against shia and sunni muslims . on friday , pakistani prime minister nawaz sharif nominated aitazaz for the sitara-e-shujaat -- the country 's top civil award for bravery . the same honor was given to malala yousafzai , a pakistani schoolgirl who survived being shot in the head in 2012 by the taliban for her efforts to promote education for boys and girls . the award is worth about $ 50,000 to aitazaz 's family . a separate civilian martyr package provides another $ 5,000 in compensation . cnn 's saima mohsin and karen smith contributed to this report .

pakistani teenage boy died while tackling a suicide bomber

cape verde <tsp> ( cnn ) there 's an old saying which states the cape verde islands are home to a greater number of musicians per square kilometer than any other country in the world . in truth , such a definitive claim may be nigh on impossible to prove . but there is a certain factual accuracy behind the legend : the important and proud relationship the atlantic island country of just 500,000 people has with music . situated roughly 350 miles off the west coast of africa , cape verde has long been a mesh of cultures , history and races . the former portuguese territory was once a key location for the transatlantic slave trade , a target for 16th century pirates and a refuge for exiled jews . from this diverse melting pot were born the unique sounds of the batuque , morna , funana and other distinct musical styles . now , cape verde is seeking to tap-into the spoils of this rich cultural heritage in a bid to help its economy flourish . bereft of oil , gas , gold , diamonds or the conventional natural resources that have fueled growth in many other african countries , cape verde has had to look for alternative sectors to aid its development . and what 's more alternative than a jiving , swinging , musical economy ? besides fish , it is pretty common ( for cape verde ) to say'our biggest richness is in music and culture ,'' said christine semba of womex , an international networking platform for the world music genre . the economic potential of music has been also acknowledged by cape verde 's prime minister , jose maria neves , while the country 's ministry of culture is run by mario lucio de sousa , himself a popular musician . the future of our country lies in our capacity to create , our capacity to innovate , ' neves said in reference to the music and the arts at a world trade organization conference in 2013 . other elements of the creative economy include handicrafts , fashion and visual arts to name but a few . however , a 2013 report from the un conference on trade and development noted that cape verde 's creative sector remained a relatively small part of its economy with much room for improvement and long term planning . but that does n't mean there has n't been some promising early signs that music has the potential to play a key role in the future . one early musical success has been the kriol jazz festival . the event , which is celebrating its seventh edition , took place in the capital city of praia this past weekend . artists including grammy-winning u.s. singer esperanza spalding have been invited to perform , as have acts from the likes of luxembourg , brazil and , of course , cape verde . according to harold taveres , a liaison to the mayor of praia involved with promoting the festival , kjf has become one of the most spectacular events in cape verde . we breathe the music in cape verde , we live with the music , ' he added . now the festival has brought people from every corner in the world ( to share in this ) . ' during the festival , bars , hotels and restaurants are full to the brim while taxi drivers are seldom unable to find a fare during what locals refer to as the week of party . ' it 's a lucrative trade , for sure . yet in order to take full advantage of this bustling scene the country 's ministry of culture , alongside some enterprising private sector figures , thought a deeper relationship with the music business was required . enter the atlantic music expo , a three-year-old conference and networking event that seeks to help cape verdean artists secure international exposure . this year 's ame took place in the days before the kriol jazz festival . delegates , local musicians and their management teams were exposed to roundtables , workshops and talks on the intricacies of the global music business . we try to invite lots of producers and a lot of journalists from around the world to see the festival and the musicians from cape verde , ' said jose da silva , long time manager of the late cape verdean songstress cesaria evora . da silva is one of the driving forces behind ame as well as being the founder of the lusafrica and harmonia record labels that aim to discover a new generation of artists from cape verde . he hopes that by exposing musicians to a range of experienced industry professionals and top-level musicians , they will become equipped with the tools and ambition to take the music of cape verde across the globe . not only will this help launch the careers of artists and musicians ( with all the respective behind the scenes business structures such developments require ) but it will garner valuable attention for the country . this is where the greatest potential economic benefits lie . tourism is expected to account for 20 % of the country 's gdp by 2024 , according to research from the world travel and tourism council . getting cape verde 's name out on the world stage through recognition of its rich musical culture is therefore increasingly important . economically it 's beneficial for the country because the money we would have to spend on the market to give the country this exposure in the world would be too big , ' da silva said . this way it costs less money . ' semba agrees with this , and highlights the joined up thinking of the government and private sector actors like da silva for special praise . in the long term , the whole country is behind this event , ' semba said , adding this is a very innovative approach which we would like to see in many more countries . ' it must be noted , however , that few countries have the same natural resources for music as cape verde . more from marketplace africa

cape verde seeking to tap-into rich cultural heritage

nato <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama will announce the u.s. troop strategy for afghanistan in a speech at 8 p.m . et tuesday at the u.s. military academy at west point , new york , white house spokesman robert gibbs said wednesday . in the speech , obama will explain why the united states is in afghanistan , its interests there and his decision-making process , gibbs said , but the president does not see this as an open-ended engagement . our time there will be limited , and i think that 's important for people to understand , ' he said . we are in year nine ' in afghanistan , gibbs told reporters . we 're not going to be there another eight or nine years . ' obama will meet with members of congress at the white house on tuesday afternoon before the speech . cost issues are among the topics the president will address , gibbs said . it 's a million dollars a troop for a year , ' he said . ten thousand troops is $ 10 billion . that 's in addition to what we already spend in afghanistan and pakistan . that also does not include training , and it does n't include the maintaining of a security force . it 's very , very , very expensive . ' but , gibbs added , i think the president , throughout this process , has talked about the cost in terms of american lives and in terms of the cost to our treasury , and i think he 'll continue to talk about it . ' the president ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to afghanistan in march . gen. stanley mcchrystal , the u.s. commander in afghanistan , reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the taliban , the islamic militia originally ousted by u.s. military action in 2001 . obama has weighed several options for bolstering the american contingent , ranging from sending a few thousand troops to the 40,000 mcchrystal requested . a defense official told cnn earlier this week the pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more troops to afghanistan in anticipation of obama 's decision on the 8-year-old war . there had been no final word on obama 's decision as of tuesday , said the defense department official , who has direct knowledge of the process . but the official said planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional american troops to afghanistan with the expectation that obama was leaning toward approving that many . ireporters sound off ; share your views on sending more troops in afghanistan defense secretary robert gates is expected to receive the paperwork thursday to approve orders to deploy 1,000 marines from camp lejeune , north carolina , to afghanistan in late december -- the first of the new troops to be sent , a u.s. military official told cnn on wednesday . the official is not authorized to talk about the plans because they have not been officially announced . the 1,000 marines are part of a battalion task force that has been preparing and training for the deployment , the official said . the president held a lengthy meeting with top advisers monday night , and he told reporters tuesday that he would announce new plans for afghanistan after thanksgiving . mcchrystal took part in the meeting monday , along with vice president joe biden , gates , joint chiefs of staff chairman adm. michael mullen and karl eikenberry , the u.s. ambassador in kabul , afghanistan . obama said tuesday that the deliberations had been comprehensive and extremely useful . ' it 's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there [ in afghanistan ] , you 've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts , ' he said at a news conference tuesday with visiting indian prime minister manmohan singh . the defense official said tuesday that the military is planning to send three u.s. army brigades , totaling about 15,000 troops ; a marine brigade with about 8,000 troops ; a headquarters element of about 7,000 ; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of about 34,000 troops . cnn reported last month that this was the pentagon 's preferred option . however , the official said wednesday that the marines are expected to deploy 8,000 combat , aviation and support troops , plus 1,000 to 1,500 marines as part of a headquarters unit -- a total of between 9,000 and 9,500 . they will be in addition to the 11,000 marines already in afghanistan . after the first deployment , the remaining marines will deploy over the next three to four months , the military official said . the troops would be dispatched throughout afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces , where much of the recent fighting has taken place . currently , brigades from fort drum in upstate new york and fort campbell in kentucky are among those next in line to deploy . about 68,000 u.s. troops are in afghanistan , along with about 45,000 from the nato alliance . two u.s. military officials have told cnn that nato countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the pentagon expects obama to send and the 40,000 mcchrystal wants . the request is expected to come during a december 7 meeting at the alliance 's headquarters in brussels , belgium . secretary of state hillary clinton will travel to brussels next week to meet with allies , state department sources told cnn . pentagon spokesman geoff morrell would not discuss specific numbers , but he said nato would be asked for additional help . obama 's afghanistan plan will include very broad terms ' that show how and where the united states is succeeding in the nation , a senior u.s. military official told cnn . those points will be used to determine how and when troops can be brought home . another senior military official said mcchrystal will take his orders from obama and will do the best he can with what he has . the question , he said , is not the number of troops , but is whether the united states has the right resources to do what we need to do . ' we ca n't just go and blow people up and win this war , ' the official said . we have to gain the trust of the people , and that is a major part of the plan here . ' u.s.-led troops invaded afghanistan in response to the al qaeda terrorist network 's september 11 , 2001 , attacks on new york and washington . the invasion overthrew the ruling taliban , which had allowed al qaeda to operate from its territory -- but most of the top al qaeda and taliban leadership escaped the onslaught . taliban fighters have since regrouped to the mountainous region along afghanistan 's border with pakistan , battling u.s. and afghan government forces on one side and pakistani troops on the other . al qaeda 's top leaders , osama bin laden and ayman al-zawahiri , remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region . the conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 900 americans and nearly 600 allied troops . cnn 's jill dougherty , deirdre walsh , elaine quijano and mike mount contributed to this report .

nato allies will also be asked to send more troops , officials say

marines <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president obama will announce the u.s. troop strategy for afghanistan in a speech at 8 p.m . et tuesday at the u.s. military academy at west point , new york , white house spokesman robert gibbs said wednesday . in the speech , obama will explain why the united states is in afghanistan , its interests there and his decision-making process , gibbs said , but the president does not see this as an open-ended engagement . our time there will be limited , and i think that 's important for people to understand , ' he said . we are in year nine ' in afghanistan , gibbs told reporters . we 're not going to be there another eight or nine years . ' obama will meet with members of congress at the white house on tuesday afternoon before the speech . cost issues are among the topics the president will address , gibbs said . it 's a million dollars a troop for a year , ' he said . ten thousand troops is $ 10 billion . that 's in addition to what we already spend in afghanistan and pakistan . that also does not include training , and it does n't include the maintaining of a security force . it 's very , very , very expensive . ' but , gibbs added , i think the president , throughout this process , has talked about the cost in terms of american lives and in terms of the cost to our treasury , and i think he 'll continue to talk about it . ' the president ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to afghanistan in march . gen. stanley mcchrystal , the u.s. commander in afghanistan , reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the taliban , the islamic militia originally ousted by u.s. military action in 2001 . obama has weighed several options for bolstering the american contingent , ranging from sending a few thousand troops to the 40,000 mcchrystal requested . a defense official told cnn earlier this week the pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more troops to afghanistan in anticipation of obama 's decision on the 8-year-old war . there had been no final word on obama 's decision as of tuesday , said the defense department official , who has direct knowledge of the process . but the official said planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional american troops to afghanistan with the expectation that obama was leaning toward approving that many . ireporters sound off ; share your views on sending more troops in afghanistan defense secretary robert gates is expected to receive the paperwork thursday to approve orders to deploy 1,000 marines from camp lejeune , north carolina , to afghanistan in late december -- the first of the new troops to be sent , a u.s. military official told cnn on wednesday . the official is not authorized to talk about the plans because they have not been officially announced . the 1,000 marines are part of a battalion task force that has been preparing and training for the deployment , the official said . the president held a lengthy meeting with top advisers monday night , and he told reporters tuesday that he would announce new plans for afghanistan after thanksgiving . mcchrystal took part in the meeting monday , along with vice president joe biden , gates , joint chiefs of staff chairman adm. michael mullen and karl eikenberry , the u.s. ambassador in kabul , afghanistan . obama said tuesday that the deliberations had been comprehensive and extremely useful . ' it 's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there [ in afghanistan ] , you 've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts , ' he said at a news conference tuesday with visiting indian prime minister manmohan singh . the defense official said tuesday that the military is planning to send three u.s. army brigades , totaling about 15,000 troops ; a marine brigade with about 8,000 troops ; a headquarters element of about 7,000 ; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of about 34,000 troops . cnn reported last month that this was the pentagon 's preferred option . however , the official said wednesday that the marines are expected to deploy 8,000 combat , aviation and support troops , plus 1,000 to 1,500 marines as part of a headquarters unit -- a total of between 9,000 and 9,500 . they will be in addition to the 11,000 marines already in afghanistan . after the first deployment , the remaining marines will deploy over the next three to four months , the military official said . the troops would be dispatched throughout afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces , where much of the recent fighting has taken place . currently , brigades from fort drum in upstate new york and fort campbell in kentucky are among those next in line to deploy . about 68,000 u.s. troops are in afghanistan , along with about 45,000 from the nato alliance . two u.s. military officials have told cnn that nato countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the pentagon expects obama to send and the 40,000 mcchrystal wants . the request is expected to come during a december 7 meeting at the alliance 's headquarters in brussels , belgium . secretary of state hillary clinton will travel to brussels next week to meet with allies , state department sources told cnn . pentagon spokesman geoff morrell would not discuss specific numbers , but he said nato would be asked for additional help . obama 's afghanistan plan will include very broad terms ' that show how and where the united states is succeeding in the nation , a senior u.s. military official told cnn . those points will be used to determine how and when troops can be brought home . another senior military official said mcchrystal will take his orders from obama and will do the best he can with what he has . the question , he said , is not the number of troops , but is whether the united states has the right resources to do what we need to do . ' we ca n't just go and blow people up and win this war , ' the official said . we have to gain the trust of the people , and that is a major part of the plan here . ' u.s.-led troops invaded afghanistan in response to the al qaeda terrorist network 's september 11 , 2001 , attacks on new york and washington . the invasion overthrew the ruling taliban , which had allowed al qaeda to operate from its territory -- but most of the top al qaeda and taliban leadership escaped the onslaught . taliban fighters have since regrouped to the mountainous region along afghanistan 's border with pakistan , battling u.s. and afghan government forces on one side and pakistani troops on the other . al qaeda 's top leaders , osama bin laden and ayman al-zawahiri , remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region . the conflict has so far claimed the lives of more than 900 americans and nearly 600 allied troops . cnn 's jill dougherty , deirdre walsh , elaine quijano and mike mount contributed to this report .

official : papers seeking orders to deploy 1,000 marines next month are expected thursday

george harrison <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the legacy of u.s. sen. edward kennedy , who died on tuesday , spreads far and wide , and across the ocean to now-independent bangladesh . there , he is still revered for calling attention to what many deemed an unfolding genocide . massachusetts sen. ted kennedy , known as the lion of the senate , ' died tuesday at 77 . it may have started as a politically prudent move by a democratic senator eyeing the white house during a republican regime . but kennedy stood up to the nixon administration in 1971 and alerted the world to the bloodshed that was engulfing then-east pakistan . in 1971 , there were very few leaders from the so-called free world who were paying any attention to what was going on in bangladesh . and for ted kennedy to come forward and to personally visit , the impact was huge , ' said akku chowdhury , founder and director of bangladesh 's liberation war museum . and that 's one thing bangladeshis have always remembered . ' at the time , the u.s. policy -- directed by president richard nixon and his national security adviser henry kissinger -- was to resolutely support pakistan , from which bangladesh was trying to secede . the administration 's reasons : the soviet union and india had just signed a treaty of friendship , and nixon was concerned about the expansion of soviet influence in the region . thus , it made strategic sense for the united states to align itself with india 's neighbor , pakistan . the united states turned a blind eye to reports of atrocities committed by the pakistani army to suppress the independence movement -- even as u.s. diplomats urged the administration to speak up . our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy . our government has failed to denounce atrocities , ' consul general archer blood wrote in one of many telegrams from dhaka to the u.s. state department questioning american policy . but we have chosen not to intervene , even morally , on the grounds that the ... conflict , in which unfortunately the overworked term'genocide'is applicable , is purely an internal matter of a sovereign state . ' the blood telegram , ' as it came to be known , was reclassified as secret , and blood transferred out of dhaka . soon after , kennedy traveled to east india to gauge the plight of displaced bangladeshis -- more than 10 million of whom had sought refuge there . on his return , he issued a scathing report to the senate judiciary committee on refugees . the report , crisis in south asia , ' spoke of one of the most appalling tides of human misery in modern times . ' nothing is more clear , or more easily documented , than the systematic campaign of terror -- and its genocidal consequences -- launched by the pakistani army on the night of march 25th , ' he wrote . all of this has been officially sanctioned , ordered and implemented under martial law from islamabad . america 's heavy support of islamabad is nothing short of complicity in the human and political tragedy of east bengal . ' the nixon administration maintained its stance . but kennedy 's focus on the mass killings came as everyday americans began to share in the outrage . for instance , beatle george harrison 's concert for bangladesh , the first benefit event of its kind , was staged to further highlight the plight of bangladeshi refugees . besieged , the u.s. congress pushed through a bill to ban arms sales to pakistan . on december 16 , 1971 , bangladesh gained independence after a 10-month struggle , in which 1 million to 3 million bengalis were killed . when the fighting was over , there were vultures almost too fat to fly , and bangladesh was a land with few of the sinews of nationhood left unsevered , ' the national geographic said in a piece about the birth of the country . two months later -- in february 1972 -- kennedy flew to bangladesh and delivered a speech at dhaka university , where the killing rampage had begun a year earlier . about 8,000 jubilant students crowded into the university courtyard and jammed lecture hall balconies and roofs , greeting him with chants of joi kennedy ' -- a variation on the independence slogan of joi bangla . ' in his speech , kennedy drew parallels between the liberation of bangladesh and the american revolution . he said america had prospered despite predictions that it would collapse following independence , and so would bangladesh . even though the united states government does not recognize you , the people of the world do recognize you , ' kennedy told the crowd . on the university campus stood a banyan tree where bengalis student leaders had planted the seeds for the independence movement -- and which the pakistani army had destroyed as a symbolic gesture . during his visit , kennedy planted a new tree there . it still stands today -- a testament to a country that overcame long odds to survive and one man who helped champion it .

beatle george harrison also highlighted refugees'plight with benefit concert

slipknot <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slipknot bassist paul gray 's death two months ago was from an accidental morphine overdose , the polk county , iowa , medical examiner said monday . gray , 38 , was found dead by staff at a hotel near des moines , iowa on may 24 , said sgt . dave disney of the urbandale police department . toxicology test results showed a fatal level of morphine and fentanyl -- a synthetic morphine -- in gray 's body , said dr. gregory schmunk . schmunk also noted the presence of significant heart disease , according to a police statement monday . the autopsy did show that gray had been dead for several hours before his body was found , schmunk said . grammy-winning metal band slipknot -- whose fans are affectionately known as maggots ' -- was formed in des moines in late 1995 and became immediately recognizable for the dark and often grotesque homemade halloween masks its nine members wore on stage . the band won a grammy award in 2006 for best metal performance for before i forget . ' slipknot 's self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000 . its fourth album , all hope is gone , ' spent 69 weeks on billboard 's top 200 charts , debuting at no . 1 its first week in 2008 . gray was arrested in iowa in 2003 on drug possession charges when police found small amounts of marijuana , two syringes and a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine after he was involved in a wreck with another motorist . cnn 's denise quan contributed to this report .

slipknot bassist was found dead may 24

gray <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slipknot bassist paul gray 's death two months ago was from an accidental morphine overdose , the polk county , iowa , medical examiner said monday . gray , 38 , was found dead by staff at a hotel near des moines , iowa on may 24 , said sgt . dave disney of the urbandale police department . toxicology test results showed a fatal level of morphine and fentanyl -- a synthetic morphine -- in gray 's body , said dr. gregory schmunk . schmunk also noted the presence of significant heart disease , according to a police statement monday . the autopsy did show that gray had been dead for several hours before his body was found , schmunk said . grammy-winning metal band slipknot -- whose fans are affectionately known as maggots ' -- was formed in des moines in late 1995 and became immediately recognizable for the dark and often grotesque homemade halloween masks its nine members wore on stage . the band won a grammy award in 2006 for best metal performance for before i forget . ' slipknot 's self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000 . its fourth album , all hope is gone , ' spent 69 weeks on billboard 's top 200 charts , debuting at no . 1 its first week in 2008 . gray was arrested in iowa in 2003 on drug possession charges when police found small amounts of marijuana , two syringes and a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine after he was involved in a wreck with another motorist . cnn 's denise quan contributed to this report .

autopsy showed morphine overdose killed gray

gray <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slipknot bassist paul gray 's death two months ago was from an accidental morphine overdose , the polk county , iowa , medical examiner said monday . gray , 38 , was found dead by staff at a hotel near des moines , iowa on may 24 , said sgt . dave disney of the urbandale police department . toxicology test results showed a fatal level of morphine and fentanyl -- a synthetic morphine -- in gray 's body , said dr. gregory schmunk . schmunk also noted the presence of significant heart disease , according to a police statement monday . the autopsy did show that gray had been dead for several hours before his body was found , schmunk said . grammy-winning metal band slipknot -- whose fans are affectionately known as maggots ' -- was formed in des moines in late 1995 and became immediately recognizable for the dark and often grotesque homemade halloween masks its nine members wore on stage . the band won a grammy award in 2006 for best metal performance for before i forget . ' slipknot 's self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000 . its fourth album , all hope is gone , ' spent 69 weeks on billboard 's top 200 charts , debuting at no . 1 its first week in 2008 . gray was arrested in iowa in 2003 on drug possession charges when police found small amounts of marijuana , two syringes and a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine after he was involved in a wreck with another motorist . cnn 's denise quan contributed to this report .

gray also sufffered significant heart disease '

french <tsp> yaounde , cameroon ( cnn ) -- french military and intelligence officers have entered northern cameroon in search of a family of seven french tourists kidnapped tuesday from a national park , a cnn affiliate reported wednesday . the paris-based private network bfmtv did not cite its source ; it posted a team of journalists wednesday in paris at the french foreign ministry crisis center , which is handling the country 's response to the crisis . bfmtv , citing the french defense ministry , said gendarmes had been sent to the site in northern cameroon where the abduction occurred to investigate . but a cameroonian official said wednesday that he believed the family had been taken across the border into neighboring nigeria within hours of their abduction . joseph dion ngute , the foreign ministry official in charge of ties with commonwealth nations , said tuesday 's incident marked the first time foreigners in cameroon had been taken captive by suspected islamic militants of nigeria 's boko haram movement . the intentions of the kidnappers are yet to be known , ' he said . french officials blamed the incident on boko haram , which has taken advantage of nigeria 's porous borders with chad and cameroon in its three-year campaign . boko haram has waged a war against nigeria 's government and its christian population in an effort to establish a strict islamic state in northern nigeria . the family was kidnapped from waza national park , a thickly forested area of northern cameroon popular among tourists and located near the border with nigeria . the incident has raised fears of westerners being targeted by islamist militant groups in africa in the wake of france 's military intervention in mali . but french president francois hollande said tuesday that he did n't believe the seizure was linked to his government 's intervention in mali , where french troops have joined government forces to battle islamic militants linked to al qaeda . i am aware of the presence of boko haram in that part of cameroon , and that 's worrying enough , ' hollande said . the abductees include four children ages 5 to 12 , their parents and an uncle , the cameroon 's state broadcaster crtv reported . fonkam azu , governor cameroon 's northern region of maroua , told reporters that residents saw the hostages being driven into nigeria on motorcycles . the father works for the french company gdf suez and is based in yaounde , the capital in southern cameroon . gdf suez , which is developing a natural gas liquefaction project in cameroon , said it was working closely with the french foreign ministry . concerns about border security in northern cameroon grew early last year , when sudanese poachers on horseback invaded the bouba ndjida park and killed more than 300 elephants for their ivory . afterward , the government temporarily replaced park guards with a special anti-terrorist squad of the military . in a statement , cameroon 's ministry of external relations said wednesday that security has been tightened to guarantee the safety of expatriates and tourists , especially in volatile regions . abductions are common in cameroon , especially in natural resource-rich regions . in january , kidnappers killed one chinese national and abducted three others from the betare oya gold mine in the country 's south . the military freed the surviving hostages . and several abductions targeting foreigners have occurred in the oil-rich bakassi peninsula , on the country 's atlantic coast . amanpour : nigeria battles to stop al queda chaos in africa man in cameroon jailed for love text to another man

new : french gendarmes have been sent to the abduction site , cnn affiliate reports

french <tsp> yaounde , cameroon ( cnn ) -- french military and intelligence officers have entered northern cameroon in search of a family of seven french tourists kidnapped tuesday from a national park , a cnn affiliate reported wednesday . the paris-based private network bfmtv did not cite its source ; it posted a team of journalists wednesday in paris at the french foreign ministry crisis center , which is handling the country 's response to the crisis . bfmtv , citing the french defense ministry , said gendarmes had been sent to the site in northern cameroon where the abduction occurred to investigate . but a cameroonian official said wednesday that he believed the family had been taken across the border into neighboring nigeria within hours of their abduction . joseph dion ngute , the foreign ministry official in charge of ties with commonwealth nations , said tuesday 's incident marked the first time foreigners in cameroon had been taken captive by suspected islamic militants of nigeria 's boko haram movement . the intentions of the kidnappers are yet to be known , ' he said . french officials blamed the incident on boko haram , which has taken advantage of nigeria 's porous borders with chad and cameroon in its three-year campaign . boko haram has waged a war against nigeria 's government and its christian population in an effort to establish a strict islamic state in northern nigeria . the family was kidnapped from waza national park , a thickly forested area of northern cameroon popular among tourists and located near the border with nigeria . the incident has raised fears of westerners being targeted by islamist militant groups in africa in the wake of france 's military intervention in mali . but french president francois hollande said tuesday that he did n't believe the seizure was linked to his government 's intervention in mali , where french troops have joined government forces to battle islamic militants linked to al qaeda . i am aware of the presence of boko haram in that part of cameroon , and that 's worrying enough , ' hollande said . the abductees include four children ages 5 to 12 , their parents and an uncle , the cameroon 's state broadcaster crtv reported . fonkam azu , governor cameroon 's northern region of maroua , told reporters that residents saw the hostages being driven into nigeria on motorcycles . the father works for the french company gdf suez and is based in yaounde , the capital in southern cameroon . gdf suez , which is developing a natural gas liquefaction project in cameroon , said it was working closely with the french foreign ministry . concerns about border security in northern cameroon grew early last year , when sudanese poachers on horseback invaded the bouba ndjida park and killed more than 300 elephants for their ivory . afterward , the government temporarily replaced park guards with a special anti-terrorist squad of the military . in a statement , cameroon 's ministry of external relations said wednesday that security has been tightened to guarantee the safety of expatriates and tourists , especially in volatile regions . abductions are common in cameroon , especially in natural resource-rich regions . in january , kidnappers killed one chinese national and abducted three others from the betare oya gold mine in the country 's south . the military freed the surviving hostages . and several abductions targeting foreigners have occurred in the oil-rich bakassi peninsula , on the country 's atlantic coast . amanpour : nigeria battles to stop al queda chaos in africa man in cameroon jailed for love text to another man

the kidnapping raises fears of retaliation for french military action in mali

stanley <tsp> ( cnn ) -- normally , its viewers do n't associate eurovision ' with global politics . the annual singing show is a camp retread of the cultural wasteland of the 1970s -- all crashing ballads , gaudy europop and singing penguins . britain has signaled its contempt for the contest by sending 76-year-old engelbert humperdinck as its representative , a man once regarded as a stud but who now looks eerily like one of those mexican mummies . the crooner was born two decades before eurovision even started , and it 's touch and go whether he 'll survive the weekend . however , this year the contest , which holds its finals saturday , has taken on an unexpected degree of controversy . it is being held in the oil-rich tyranny of azerbaijan , and while contestants were warming up their acts this week , pro-democracy demonstrators were getting beaten in the streets of baku . the annual singing contest draws an audience of 125 million across europe , so the dictatorial regime of ilham aliyev had hoped to use it as an opportunity to sell his country to the world . instead it has been a public relations disaster . explainer : what is eurovision ? arguably , the outrages in azerbaijan have exposed a hidden dimension of eurovision . it is and always has been a very political event . that 's more obvious this year than most because the politics of europe are so blatantly and unavoidably polarized . the most obvious problem is one of definition . what on earth , you might ask , is a central asian country like azerbaijan doing in a contest called eurovision ? nothing about contemporary azerbaijan marks it out as distinctly european -- it 's islamic , undemocratic and many , many miles away from the continent . it 's in the contest by an accident of history : azerbaijan used to be part of the soviet union . its leaders desperately wish to claim some european identity because they want to participate in capital and labor markets -- something that should , theoretically , encourage democracy . but ilham aliyev also wants to retain the integrity of a classic asian despotism . as the european union engages farther eastward , through turkey , it has to deal with nations and cultures like these that do n't precisely fit its western , liberal template . there are plenty of divides within continental europe itself . voting has always been political . britain 's 1997 victory was widely interpreted as a thumbs up ' for having elected the popular liberal leader , tony blair ; its defeat in 2003 was punishment for the iraq war . likewise , eurovision has traditionally operated a buddy system . nordic countries often vote for each other and cyprus typically favors greece . in a way , that 's a good thing , because it means that no matter how awful an entry is , someone is duty bound to vote for it . britain has been bailed out by faithful little malta several times . but the end of the cold war dramatically enhanced the role of politics and favoritism in voting . for many of the new , eastern participants -- particularly in the war-torn balkans -- eurovision became an extension of diplomacy , used to cement alliances with russia or make amends with former enemies . songs about regional reconciliation were touching when they debuted in the early 1990s . but now they elicit groans from west european voters because they are interpreted as a plea for geographic solidarity . the results support the contention that this has become an eastern group hug . from 2001 to 2011 , seven out of 11 winners have been eastern , with a strong preference for the former soviet bloc ( the pattern is just as pronounced in the junior contest ) . such is the frustration of western countries that many of them have opted to send novelty acts . sometimes that accidentally works ( finland 's hard rock hallelujah was surely a joke , yet it came in first in 2006 ) , but it often means the folks back home end up humiliated . britain 's longstanding eurovision presenter , terry wogan , quit the show in disgust after the uk 's entrant , who was black , received only 14 points in 2008 . blaming the result on east european racial prejudice , wogan observed that a contest invented in the 1950s to forge a sense of unity in the cold war era has actually become a symbol of how polarized the new europe is . and how poor , too . spain 's entrant , pastora soler , has admitted that it would be better if she did n't win on saturday because she was n't sure that her country could afford to host the contest . struggling with soaring debt and unemployment , this former economic miracle is now a pauper state . directors from spain 's broadcaster , tve , sent a message to soler that read , please , do n't win ! ' never has a sadder truth been spoken in jest . eurovision was probably at its most hopeful and exciting in the early 1990s , when europe was emerging from the nightmare of the cold war and it had fantasies of a prosperous , democratic , unified future . but azerbaijan in 2012 offers a very different vision . modern europe is struggling to integrate countries that have little cultural affinity for it , it is divided by regional loyalties and it is still a long , long way from recovering from the credit crunch . the european dream has ended ; the fat lady stopped singing years ago . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of timothy stanley .

timothy stanley : eurovision is campy , unserious and this year has taken on more controversy

stanley <tsp> ( cnn ) -- normally , its viewers do n't associate eurovision ' with global politics . the annual singing show is a camp retread of the cultural wasteland of the 1970s -- all crashing ballads , gaudy europop and singing penguins . britain has signaled its contempt for the contest by sending 76-year-old engelbert humperdinck as its representative , a man once regarded as a stud but who now looks eerily like one of those mexican mummies . the crooner was born two decades before eurovision even started , and it 's touch and go whether he 'll survive the weekend . however , this year the contest , which holds its finals saturday , has taken on an unexpected degree of controversy . it is being held in the oil-rich tyranny of azerbaijan , and while contestants were warming up their acts this week , pro-democracy demonstrators were getting beaten in the streets of baku . the annual singing contest draws an audience of 125 million across europe , so the dictatorial regime of ilham aliyev had hoped to use it as an opportunity to sell his country to the world . instead it has been a public relations disaster . explainer : what is eurovision ? arguably , the outrages in azerbaijan have exposed a hidden dimension of eurovision . it is and always has been a very political event . that 's more obvious this year than most because the politics of europe are so blatantly and unavoidably polarized . the most obvious problem is one of definition . what on earth , you might ask , is a central asian country like azerbaijan doing in a contest called eurovision ? nothing about contemporary azerbaijan marks it out as distinctly european -- it 's islamic , undemocratic and many , many miles away from the continent . it 's in the contest by an accident of history : azerbaijan used to be part of the soviet union . its leaders desperately wish to claim some european identity because they want to participate in capital and labor markets -- something that should , theoretically , encourage democracy . but ilham aliyev also wants to retain the integrity of a classic asian despotism . as the european union engages farther eastward , through turkey , it has to deal with nations and cultures like these that do n't precisely fit its western , liberal template . there are plenty of divides within continental europe itself . voting has always been political . britain 's 1997 victory was widely interpreted as a thumbs up ' for having elected the popular liberal leader , tony blair ; its defeat in 2003 was punishment for the iraq war . likewise , eurovision has traditionally operated a buddy system . nordic countries often vote for each other and cyprus typically favors greece . in a way , that 's a good thing , because it means that no matter how awful an entry is , someone is duty bound to vote for it . britain has been bailed out by faithful little malta several times . but the end of the cold war dramatically enhanced the role of politics and favoritism in voting . for many of the new , eastern participants -- particularly in the war-torn balkans -- eurovision became an extension of diplomacy , used to cement alliances with russia or make amends with former enemies . songs about regional reconciliation were touching when they debuted in the early 1990s . but now they elicit groans from west european voters because they are interpreted as a plea for geographic solidarity . the results support the contention that this has become an eastern group hug . from 2001 to 2011 , seven out of 11 winners have been eastern , with a strong preference for the former soviet bloc ( the pattern is just as pronounced in the junior contest ) . such is the frustration of western countries that many of them have opted to send novelty acts . sometimes that accidentally works ( finland 's hard rock hallelujah was surely a joke , yet it came in first in 2006 ) , but it often means the folks back home end up humiliated . britain 's longstanding eurovision presenter , terry wogan , quit the show in disgust after the uk 's entrant , who was black , received only 14 points in 2008 . blaming the result on east european racial prejudice , wogan observed that a contest invented in the 1950s to forge a sense of unity in the cold war era has actually become a symbol of how polarized the new europe is . and how poor , too . spain 's entrant , pastora soler , has admitted that it would be better if she did n't win on saturday because she was n't sure that her country could afford to host the contest . struggling with soaring debt and unemployment , this former economic miracle is now a pauper state . directors from spain 's broadcaster , tve , sent a message to soler that read , please , do n't win ! ' never has a sadder truth been spoken in jest . eurovision was probably at its most hopeful and exciting in the early 1990s , when europe was emerging from the nightmare of the cold war and it had fantasies of a prosperous , democratic , unified future . but azerbaijan in 2012 offers a very different vision . modern europe is struggling to integrate countries that have little cultural affinity for it , it is divided by regional loyalties and it is still a long , long way from recovering from the credit crunch . the european dream has ended ; the fat lady stopped singing years ago . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of timothy stanley .

stanley : contest also reflects polarization of europe

azerbaijan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- normally , its viewers do n't associate eurovision ' with global politics . the annual singing show is a camp retread of the cultural wasteland of the 1970s -- all crashing ballads , gaudy europop and singing penguins . britain has signaled its contempt for the contest by sending 76-year-old engelbert humperdinck as its representative , a man once regarded as a stud but who now looks eerily like one of those mexican mummies . the crooner was born two decades before eurovision even started , and it 's touch and go whether he 'll survive the weekend . however , this year the contest , which holds its finals saturday , has taken on an unexpected degree of controversy . it is being held in the oil-rich tyranny of azerbaijan , and while contestants were warming up their acts this week , pro-democracy demonstrators were getting beaten in the streets of baku . the annual singing contest draws an audience of 125 million across europe , so the dictatorial regime of ilham aliyev had hoped to use it as an opportunity to sell his country to the world . instead it has been a public relations disaster . explainer : what is eurovision ? arguably , the outrages in azerbaijan have exposed a hidden dimension of eurovision . it is and always has been a very political event . that 's more obvious this year than most because the politics of europe are so blatantly and unavoidably polarized . the most obvious problem is one of definition . what on earth , you might ask , is a central asian country like azerbaijan doing in a contest called eurovision ? nothing about contemporary azerbaijan marks it out as distinctly european -- it 's islamic , undemocratic and many , many miles away from the continent . it 's in the contest by an accident of history : azerbaijan used to be part of the soviet union . its leaders desperately wish to claim some european identity because they want to participate in capital and labor markets -- something that should , theoretically , encourage democracy . but ilham aliyev also wants to retain the integrity of a classic asian despotism . as the european union engages farther eastward , through turkey , it has to deal with nations and cultures like these that do n't precisely fit its western , liberal template . there are plenty of divides within continental europe itself . voting has always been political . britain 's 1997 victory was widely interpreted as a thumbs up ' for having elected the popular liberal leader , tony blair ; its defeat in 2003 was punishment for the iraq war . likewise , eurovision has traditionally operated a buddy system . nordic countries often vote for each other and cyprus typically favors greece . in a way , that 's a good thing , because it means that no matter how awful an entry is , someone is duty bound to vote for it . britain has been bailed out by faithful little malta several times . but the end of the cold war dramatically enhanced the role of politics and favoritism in voting . for many of the new , eastern participants -- particularly in the war-torn balkans -- eurovision became an extension of diplomacy , used to cement alliances with russia or make amends with former enemies . songs about regional reconciliation were touching when they debuted in the early 1990s . but now they elicit groans from west european voters because they are interpreted as a plea for geographic solidarity . the results support the contention that this has become an eastern group hug . from 2001 to 2011 , seven out of 11 winners have been eastern , with a strong preference for the former soviet bloc ( the pattern is just as pronounced in the junior contest ) . such is the frustration of western countries that many of them have opted to send novelty acts . sometimes that accidentally works ( finland 's hard rock hallelujah was surely a joke , yet it came in first in 2006 ) , but it often means the folks back home end up humiliated . britain 's longstanding eurovision presenter , terry wogan , quit the show in disgust after the uk 's entrant , who was black , received only 14 points in 2008 . blaming the result on east european racial prejudice , wogan observed that a contest invented in the 1950s to forge a sense of unity in the cold war era has actually become a symbol of how polarized the new europe is . and how poor , too . spain 's entrant , pastora soler , has admitted that it would be better if she did n't win on saturday because she was n't sure that her country could afford to host the contest . struggling with soaring debt and unemployment , this former economic miracle is now a pauper state . directors from spain 's broadcaster , tve , sent a message to soler that read , please , do n't win ! ' never has a sadder truth been spoken in jest . eurovision was probably at its most hopeful and exciting in the early 1990s , when europe was emerging from the nightmare of the cold war and it had fantasies of a prosperous , democratic , unified future . but azerbaijan in 2012 offers a very different vision . modern europe is struggling to integrate countries that have little cultural affinity for it , it is divided by regional loyalties and it is still a long , long way from recovering from the credit crunch . the european dream has ended ; the fat lady stopped singing years ago . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of timothy stanley .

he says azerbaijan not even in europe , contest marred by politics , skews to eastern bloc

azerbaijan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- normally , its viewers do n't associate eurovision ' with global politics . the annual singing show is a camp retread of the cultural wasteland of the 1970s -- all crashing ballads , gaudy europop and singing penguins . britain has signaled its contempt for the contest by sending 76-year-old engelbert humperdinck as its representative , a man once regarded as a stud but who now looks eerily like one of those mexican mummies . the crooner was born two decades before eurovision even started , and it 's touch and go whether he 'll survive the weekend . however , this year the contest , which holds its finals saturday , has taken on an unexpected degree of controversy . it is being held in the oil-rich tyranny of azerbaijan , and while contestants were warming up their acts this week , pro-democracy demonstrators were getting beaten in the streets of baku . the annual singing contest draws an audience of 125 million across europe , so the dictatorial regime of ilham aliyev had hoped to use it as an opportunity to sell his country to the world . instead it has been a public relations disaster . explainer : what is eurovision ? arguably , the outrages in azerbaijan have exposed a hidden dimension of eurovision . it is and always has been a very political event . that 's more obvious this year than most because the politics of europe are so blatantly and unavoidably polarized . the most obvious problem is one of definition . what on earth , you might ask , is a central asian country like azerbaijan doing in a contest called eurovision ? nothing about contemporary azerbaijan marks it out as distinctly european -- it 's islamic , undemocratic and many , many miles away from the continent . it 's in the contest by an accident of history : azerbaijan used to be part of the soviet union . its leaders desperately wish to claim some european identity because they want to participate in capital and labor markets -- something that should , theoretically , encourage democracy . but ilham aliyev also wants to retain the integrity of a classic asian despotism . as the european union engages farther eastward , through turkey , it has to deal with nations and cultures like these that do n't precisely fit its western , liberal template . there are plenty of divides within continental europe itself . voting has always been political . britain 's 1997 victory was widely interpreted as a thumbs up ' for having elected the popular liberal leader , tony blair ; its defeat in 2003 was punishment for the iraq war . likewise , eurovision has traditionally operated a buddy system . nordic countries often vote for each other and cyprus typically favors greece . in a way , that 's a good thing , because it means that no matter how awful an entry is , someone is duty bound to vote for it . britain has been bailed out by faithful little malta several times . but the end of the cold war dramatically enhanced the role of politics and favoritism in voting . for many of the new , eastern participants -- particularly in the war-torn balkans -- eurovision became an extension of diplomacy , used to cement alliances with russia or make amends with former enemies . songs about regional reconciliation were touching when they debuted in the early 1990s . but now they elicit groans from west european voters because they are interpreted as a plea for geographic solidarity . the results support the contention that this has become an eastern group hug . from 2001 to 2011 , seven out of 11 winners have been eastern , with a strong preference for the former soviet bloc ( the pattern is just as pronounced in the junior contest ) . such is the frustration of western countries that many of them have opted to send novelty acts . sometimes that accidentally works ( finland 's hard rock hallelujah was surely a joke , yet it came in first in 2006 ) , but it often means the folks back home end up humiliated . britain 's longstanding eurovision presenter , terry wogan , quit the show in disgust after the uk 's entrant , who was black , received only 14 points in 2008 . blaming the result on east european racial prejudice , wogan observed that a contest invented in the 1950s to forge a sense of unity in the cold war era has actually become a symbol of how polarized the new europe is . and how poor , too . spain 's entrant , pastora soler , has admitted that it would be better if she did n't win on saturday because she was n't sure that her country could afford to host the contest . struggling with soaring debt and unemployment , this former economic miracle is now a pauper state . directors from spain 's broadcaster , tve , sent a message to soler that read , please , do n't win ! ' never has a sadder truth been spoken in jest . eurovision was probably at its most hopeful and exciting in the early 1990s , when europe was emerging from the nightmare of the cold war and it had fantasies of a prosperous , democratic , unified future . but azerbaijan in 2012 offers a very different vision . modern europe is struggling to integrate countries that have little cultural affinity for it , it is divided by regional loyalties and it is still a long , long way from recovering from the credit crunch . the european dream has ended ; the fat lady stopped singing years ago . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of timothy stanley .

he says host azerbaijan has squelched pro-democracy protests , made bad pr

african <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- their faces and darker skins make them look different . they are routinely called slave ' by the majority , whatever their profession . but iraq 's black population hopes that barack obama 's rise to the white house will mark a turning point for minorities not just in the united states , but also in their country . jalal thiyab thijeel quotes barack obama , saying it is time for change . ' jalal thiyab thijeel , general secretary of the movement of free iraqis , ' followed every detail of obama 's election campaign . inspiring , ' he calls it . inspiring politically , and personally . like obama , thijeel has family roots in africa . we told our people , inshalla , god willing , obama is going to win , and if he wins , it will be a victory for all black people in the world , ' he recalls . we 're going to make him a model to follow . even our old women were praying for him to win . ' when news broke that obama had won the election , it was early in the morning of november 5 in basra -- but thijeel excitedly called a fellow member of his political party . it was a moment , he tells me as we talk on a street in baghdad , that he 'll never forget . now we , the dark-skinned people , feel even closer to the american people because obama is one of us . ' thijeel 's organization estimates there are approximately 2 million black iraqis . the country 's total population is more than 28 million , most of them ethnic arabs . it 's impossible to verify thijeel 's estimate , since the government does not keep statistics on race , but there is no denying there are many black iraqis in the southern city of basra . their history goes back 1,000 years to the time when africans were brought as slaves to the south of iraq to drain marshes and build basra . many iraqis still call blacks abed , ' an arabic word that means slave . ' thijeel grimaces when he pronounces it . it 's demeaning , he says , and he wants the government to forbid its use . many white iraqis claim the word is n't meant to offend , but thijeel says they have no idea how hurtful it is . i never want my son to go through this , ' he says . watch what obama means to some iraqis » he also wants his son -- and his daughters -- to have access to good jobs , something that is not the case now , he says . in basra , many black iraqis have menial jobs . although no one can point to any official discrimination , there are no black members of the iraqi parliament . the movement of free iraqis was founded two years ago and on january 31 it will run the first slate of black candidates in iraq 's modern history . thijeel hands me the party 's documents that spell out its demands . foremost is that the government recognize blacks as an official minority in iraq . this is key , because power in iraq is apportioned along ethnic , religious and even tribal lines . the party also wants an apology for slavery , although it is not asking for financial reparations . the movement also wants laws to combat racial discrimination . the party has found some nonblack political allies . awad al-abdan of the national dialogue front says , there 's been social oppression for a long time . we have a tribal-based society and , according to traditions and customs , the black man is considered to have lower status . ' some white iraqis say that founding a political party on racial lines is divisive , especially when iraqis of different communities need to pull together . but thijeel , quoting barack obama , says it 's time for change . although he 's speaking in arabic , he uses the english word change . ' there 's a change in international politics , ' he tells me . obama won , and not that long ago , in his country , black people were marginalized , so this event has shattered all barriers . '

iraqis of african descent are marginalized by society , called slave '

greene <tsp> ( cnn ) -- so , when can we expect our refund checks ? because two can play this game . on the one side of the federal government shutdown are the people whose job it is to run that government : the congress and the white house . democrats , republicans , conservatives , liberals -- no one forced any of them to take those jobs . they wanted them . then ran for them . they got them . on the other side -- at least in a rational world , which this is n't -- is us . the taxpayers . congress still gets paid -- it 's in the constitution we pay federal income tax with one solitary and bedrock expectation : we are handing our money over so that the federal government will run . some people may not like how the government operates ; some may not care for a particular president or a particular member of congress or a particular government program . we accept that , as we pay our taxes . we pay those taxes because we have to . we know that we do n't get to withhold those taxes just because we may dislike some of the people or programs the taxes are funding . but when we are told that the government has been shut down -- that it has been closed for business -- that 's different . we paid for that service . we had no choice . americans hurt as dc'squabbles like kids' if we had paid for an airline ticket , and in the middle of our trip the airline informed us that one leg of our journey had been canceled , we would justifiably demand a refund . if we ordered an annual subscription to 52 weeks of a magazine , and then , a few months into it , the magazine told us that its new policy was to publish only 26 issues a year , we would , with good reason , ask for half of our money back . if we paid for a one-year membership in a health club , and the club announced that it would have to close for repairs for three months , we would expect a 25 % refund . so ... exactly when can we expect to see our refund checks from the federal government ? we have paid for it to operate . and -- with the exception of what , for now , are being deemed certain essential functions -- it is not operating . opinion : shutdown could be shock therapy the people we have paid to operate it can blame each other all they want for what has happened . they can point fingers and say that it 's all the other guys'fault . but whoever ultimately shoulders the blame , the fact is that the people who hired them -- the american taxpayers -- are not getting what they paid for . so the refunds , for the portions of government operations that have been shuttered , are owed . or at least they should be owed , in any other kind of sane business . the longer the shutdown continues , the larger the refunds should logically become . as if logic has had anything to do with any of these developments . congress and the white house might hear this request and say : that 's preposterous . the government is hurting for funds -- it needs the money . well , many of the people who pay for the government to run are hurting for funds , too . they need the money , too . the government , no matter what anyone thinks of its various policies , no matter where anyone positions himself or herself along the political and ideological continuum , is expected to do one thing : open its doors each morning . when it does n't , the people who paid for it to do just that have a right to propose that they are owed -- for services not rendered -- their money back . with interest . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of bob greene .

it 's taxpayers who finance government operations , writes bob greene

greene <tsp> ( cnn ) -- so , when can we expect our refund checks ? because two can play this game . on the one side of the federal government shutdown are the people whose job it is to run that government : the congress and the white house . democrats , republicans , conservatives , liberals -- no one forced any of them to take those jobs . they wanted them . then ran for them . they got them . on the other side -- at least in a rational world , which this is n't -- is us . the taxpayers . congress still gets paid -- it 's in the constitution we pay federal income tax with one solitary and bedrock expectation : we are handing our money over so that the federal government will run . some people may not like how the government operates ; some may not care for a particular president or a particular member of congress or a particular government program . we accept that , as we pay our taxes . we pay those taxes because we have to . we know that we do n't get to withhold those taxes just because we may dislike some of the people or programs the taxes are funding . but when we are told that the government has been shut down -- that it has been closed for business -- that 's different . we paid for that service . we had no choice . americans hurt as dc'squabbles like kids' if we had paid for an airline ticket , and in the middle of our trip the airline informed us that one leg of our journey had been canceled , we would justifiably demand a refund . if we ordered an annual subscription to 52 weeks of a magazine , and then , a few months into it , the magazine told us that its new policy was to publish only 26 issues a year , we would , with good reason , ask for half of our money back . if we paid for a one-year membership in a health club , and the club announced that it would have to close for repairs for three months , we would expect a 25 % refund . so ... exactly when can we expect to see our refund checks from the federal government ? we have paid for it to operate . and -- with the exception of what , for now , are being deemed certain essential functions -- it is not operating . opinion : shutdown could be shock therapy the people we have paid to operate it can blame each other all they want for what has happened . they can point fingers and say that it 's all the other guys'fault . but whoever ultimately shoulders the blame , the fact is that the people who hired them -- the american taxpayers -- are not getting what they paid for . so the refunds , for the portions of government operations that have been shuttered , are owed . or at least they should be owed , in any other kind of sane business . the longer the shutdown continues , the larger the refunds should logically become . as if logic has had anything to do with any of these developments . congress and the white house might hear this request and say : that 's preposterous . the government is hurting for funds -- it needs the money . well , many of the people who pay for the government to run are hurting for funds , too . they need the money , too . the government , no matter what anyone thinks of its various policies , no matter where anyone positions himself or herself along the political and ideological continuum , is expected to do one thing : open its doors each morning . when it does n't , the people who paid for it to do just that have a right to propose that they are owed -- for services not rendered -- their money back . with interest . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of bob greene .

greene : government is expected to open its doors ; if not , give us our taxes back

kabul <tsp> ( cnn ) it is a city transformed , swollen in size but shrunken in scope , anxiously awaiting what comes next . on kabul 's streets , you can easily find the uneasy legacy of america 's longest war . outside one mosque -- mixing with other men desperate for a day 's worth of casual manual labor -- are five men who months ago had one valuable skill nato depended upon : they speak english . now however , their world has turned upon them . they were , each for a different reason -- each for a reason they do not understand -- all fired from their jobs and then blacklisted , they say , meaning they can no longer get work with other government groups or ngos here . the skill they once thrived off has left them isolated , and fearing reprisals . they sleep in market stalls , and avoid traveling to see their families in case the threats they face are visited upon them . my family is still living in the provinces , ' one of the men tells me . i can not go there . i am living in a market , in one of the empty shops . ' another adds : my family , everybody , give up on me , they are nervous . ' a third man -- all requested anonymity -- says : right now i sleep here , on the street , in this mosque area . ' we are in prison in afghanistan , ' a fourth says . the u.s. embassy and nato declined to comment for this story . exclusive : the last americans in afghanistan helicopters still buzz around the capital . its population is five times what it was when nato arrived here , even by the most conservative estimates , and the violence in the provinces means people swell it further still -- arriving in kabul 's dusty , mountainous bowl of a city in order to avoid the fighting . neighborhoods that were once massively over-priced cliques of foreigners living in poppy palaces ' -- villas allegedly bought from profiteers of the opium trade -- are now empty . one road , forever pot-holed in the past decade , is now being covered over by afghans who , it seems , are finally reclaiming that street . even chicken street , the hackneyed pedestrian shopping road where new western arrivals would buy carpets or local trinkets , is more or less deserted . one shopkeeper says it could be the embassy security warnings that are keeping people away now . it is the same for the restaurants here that used to brim with contractors and ngo workers . they are now empty , the sound of their heavy metal doors echoing across deserted tables . it is immeasurably different to three years ago when i lived there . drive out east -- past the women in burqas who sit on road bumps , holding their children , hoping drivers will slow enough to throw them change -- and you see roads lined with the detritus of america 's war here . huge lines of excavators , cherry-pickers , and forklift trucks sit idle . at times it seemed there was little america would n't do , or try , to meets its often fluid goals in the country . yet today , the machines that could have once moved small mountains do little more than gather dust . exclusive : afghan woman forced to marry her rapist further down the road too are more winners-turned-losers of the nato presence here . vast supply chains once kept 120,000 troops fed and watered . trucks lined the roads and climbed up to the military bases . now the bases are gone , and the trucks that once supplied millions sit still . their bosses may have fled abroad with their winnings , yet the drivers have been left behind , stuck with vehicles that cost them $ 30,000 to buy -- and $ 1,000 a year just to keep on the road -- but that would fetch just a tenth of that price now . the contracts were with big businessmen and commanders who were giving us very little and made themselves very rich and are now living comfortably in dubai , ' one truck driver tells us . yet still the wedding palaces proliferate . along one stretch of road their endless , multiplying lights throb . each night the houses seem packed -- the commitment to the future still is popular here , despite the uncertainty -- even if the lights that decorate them seem more and more like a symbol of leaving . one set actually replicates the shape of an expensive hotel in dubai . the city 's lights do shine staggeringly and often constantly -- something the taliban never achieved during their rule here . nato 's efforts to keep them on are reported to have involved diesel power stations that cost billions but were barely switched on . the question many surely ask here -- as the last american troops prepare to retreat inside the u.s. embassy by the end of next year -- is how much longer the lights will continue to glow . read more : nick paton walsh answers your questions about afghanistan

kabul faces uncertain future as nato presence -- and the money that came with it -- fades away

nato <tsp> ( cnn ) it is a city transformed , swollen in size but shrunken in scope , anxiously awaiting what comes next . on kabul 's streets , you can easily find the uneasy legacy of america 's longest war . outside one mosque -- mixing with other men desperate for a day 's worth of casual manual labor -- are five men who months ago had one valuable skill nato depended upon : they speak english . now however , their world has turned upon them . they were , each for a different reason -- each for a reason they do not understand -- all fired from their jobs and then blacklisted , they say , meaning they can no longer get work with other government groups or ngos here . the skill they once thrived off has left them isolated , and fearing reprisals . they sleep in market stalls , and avoid traveling to see their families in case the threats they face are visited upon them . my family is still living in the provinces , ' one of the men tells me . i can not go there . i am living in a market , in one of the empty shops . ' another adds : my family , everybody , give up on me , they are nervous . ' a third man -- all requested anonymity -- says : right now i sleep here , on the street , in this mosque area . ' we are in prison in afghanistan , ' a fourth says . the u.s. embassy and nato declined to comment for this story . exclusive : the last americans in afghanistan helicopters still buzz around the capital . its population is five times what it was when nato arrived here , even by the most conservative estimates , and the violence in the provinces means people swell it further still -- arriving in kabul 's dusty , mountainous bowl of a city in order to avoid the fighting . neighborhoods that were once massively over-priced cliques of foreigners living in poppy palaces ' -- villas allegedly bought from profiteers of the opium trade -- are now empty . one road , forever pot-holed in the past decade , is now being covered over by afghans who , it seems , are finally reclaiming that street . even chicken street , the hackneyed pedestrian shopping road where new western arrivals would buy carpets or local trinkets , is more or less deserted . one shopkeeper says it could be the embassy security warnings that are keeping people away now . it is the same for the restaurants here that used to brim with contractors and ngo workers . they are now empty , the sound of their heavy metal doors echoing across deserted tables . it is immeasurably different to three years ago when i lived there . drive out east -- past the women in burqas who sit on road bumps , holding their children , hoping drivers will slow enough to throw them change -- and you see roads lined with the detritus of america 's war here . huge lines of excavators , cherry-pickers , and forklift trucks sit idle . at times it seemed there was little america would n't do , or try , to meets its often fluid goals in the country . yet today , the machines that could have once moved small mountains do little more than gather dust . exclusive : afghan woman forced to marry her rapist further down the road too are more winners-turned-losers of the nato presence here . vast supply chains once kept 120,000 troops fed and watered . trucks lined the roads and climbed up to the military bases . now the bases are gone , and the trucks that once supplied millions sit still . their bosses may have fled abroad with their winnings , yet the drivers have been left behind , stuck with vehicles that cost them $ 30,000 to buy -- and $ 1,000 a year just to keep on the road -- but that would fetch just a tenth of that price now . the contracts were with big businessmen and commanders who were giving us very little and made themselves very rich and are now living comfortably in dubai , ' one truck driver tells us . yet still the wedding palaces proliferate . along one stretch of road their endless , multiplying lights throb . each night the houses seem packed -- the commitment to the future still is popular here , despite the uncertainty -- even if the lights that decorate them seem more and more like a symbol of leaving . one set actually replicates the shape of an expensive hotel in dubai . the city 's lights do shine staggeringly and often constantly -- something the taliban never achieved during their rule here . nato 's efforts to keep them on are reported to have involved diesel power stations that cost billions but were barely switched on . the question many surely ask here -- as the last american troops prepare to retreat inside the u.s. embassy by the end of next year -- is how much longer the lights will continue to glow . read more : nick paton walsh answers your questions about afghanistan

kabul faces uncertain future as nato presence -- and the money that came with it -- fades away

nato <tsp> ( cnn ) it is a city transformed , swollen in size but shrunken in scope , anxiously awaiting what comes next . on kabul 's streets , you can easily find the uneasy legacy of america 's longest war . outside one mosque -- mixing with other men desperate for a day 's worth of casual manual labor -- are five men who months ago had one valuable skill nato depended upon : they speak english . now however , their world has turned upon them . they were , each for a different reason -- each for a reason they do not understand -- all fired from their jobs and then blacklisted , they say , meaning they can no longer get work with other government groups or ngos here . the skill they once thrived off has left them isolated , and fearing reprisals . they sleep in market stalls , and avoid traveling to see their families in case the threats they face are visited upon them . my family is still living in the provinces , ' one of the men tells me . i can not go there . i am living in a market , in one of the empty shops . ' another adds : my family , everybody , give up on me , they are nervous . ' a third man -- all requested anonymity -- says : right now i sleep here , on the street , in this mosque area . ' we are in prison in afghanistan , ' a fourth says . the u.s. embassy and nato declined to comment for this story . exclusive : the last americans in afghanistan helicopters still buzz around the capital . its population is five times what it was when nato arrived here , even by the most conservative estimates , and the violence in the provinces means people swell it further still -- arriving in kabul 's dusty , mountainous bowl of a city in order to avoid the fighting . neighborhoods that were once massively over-priced cliques of foreigners living in poppy palaces ' -- villas allegedly bought from profiteers of the opium trade -- are now empty . one road , forever pot-holed in the past decade , is now being covered over by afghans who , it seems , are finally reclaiming that street . even chicken street , the hackneyed pedestrian shopping road where new western arrivals would buy carpets or local trinkets , is more or less deserted . one shopkeeper says it could be the embassy security warnings that are keeping people away now . it is the same for the restaurants here that used to brim with contractors and ngo workers . they are now empty , the sound of their heavy metal doors echoing across deserted tables . it is immeasurably different to three years ago when i lived there . drive out east -- past the women in burqas who sit on road bumps , holding their children , hoping drivers will slow enough to throw them change -- and you see roads lined with the detritus of america 's war here . huge lines of excavators , cherry-pickers , and forklift trucks sit idle . at times it seemed there was little america would n't do , or try , to meets its often fluid goals in the country . yet today , the machines that could have once moved small mountains do little more than gather dust . exclusive : afghan woman forced to marry her rapist further down the road too are more winners-turned-losers of the nato presence here . vast supply chains once kept 120,000 troops fed and watered . trucks lined the roads and climbed up to the military bases . now the bases are gone , and the trucks that once supplied millions sit still . their bosses may have fled abroad with their winnings , yet the drivers have been left behind , stuck with vehicles that cost them $ 30,000 to buy -- and $ 1,000 a year just to keep on the road -- but that would fetch just a tenth of that price now . the contracts were with big businessmen and commanders who were giving us very little and made themselves very rich and are now living comfortably in dubai , ' one truck driver tells us . yet still the wedding palaces proliferate . along one stretch of road their endless , multiplying lights throb . each night the houses seem packed -- the commitment to the future still is popular here , despite the uncertainty -- even if the lights that decorate them seem more and more like a symbol of leaving . one set actually replicates the shape of an expensive hotel in dubai . the city 's lights do shine staggeringly and often constantly -- something the taliban never achieved during their rule here . nato 's efforts to keep them on are reported to have involved diesel power stations that cost billions but were barely switched on . the question many surely ask here -- as the last american troops prepare to retreat inside the u.s. embassy by the end of next year -- is how much longer the lights will continue to glow . read more : nick paton walsh answers your questions about afghanistan

interpreters are out of work , nato trucks sit idle on roads , restaurants are empty

mtv <tsp> ( cnn ) -- notre dame athletic director jack swarbrick compared the alleged hoax about a girlfriend ' that ensnared linebacker manti te'o with the documentary catfish . ' catfish ' is no longer simply a river dweller , but rather a verb defined as to pretend to be someone you 're not online by posting false information , such as someone else 's pictures , on social media sites usually with the intention of getting someone to fall in love with you , ' according to the mtv show of the same name . the show grew from the documentary in which filmmakers henry joost and ariel schulman follow ariel 's brother nev and his budding online relationship with megan , ' according to the website iamrogue.com . the three started to suspect that something was n't quite right with megan , and they set out to solve the mystery , capturing everything on film . the documentary was a hit at the 2010 sundance film festival , iamrogue says . on the tv show , nev schulman , a photographer , guides others who suspect that their online loves are not what they seem . so someone will reach out to me and say ,'i 'm really into this guy , we 've been talking online for months . he lives far away , we ca n't afford to meet but we definitely want to , i think he is the one . can you help ?'' nev schulman said in an interview with iamrogue . will they find love or heartache ? ' the show 's introduction asks . in one episode , tyler ' wants to meet amanda ' after months of corresponding via facebook . amanda always has an excuse for not meeting or talking , such as not having a cell phone or having a broken webcam . suspicious , tyler writes to schulman . through a reverse photo search , schulman discovers that amanda 's pictures belong to someone else . schulman follows the trail and finds that amanda ' is really aaron , who is having trouble coming to terms with being gay . for many people the life that they lead on the internet , which can be exciting , interesting , and can be filled with hopes and dreams that are perhaps outside of the actual range of their situation , is a big distraction and keeps them from living their real lives , ' schulman said in the iamrogue interview .

mtv show of the same name uncovers possible fake relationships

key house <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- three weeks until funding starts to dry up for bridge and road projects across the united states , house and senate committees thursday put congress on track toward a deal to avoid construction shutdowns and to keep the federal highway trust fund operating until early next summer . but even as republicans and democrats drew closer together , some in the transportation industry decried the nearly $ 11 billion proposals as short-term fixes that leave the nation 's bigger infrastructure issues untouched . house and senate day of action without an infusion of cash to the highway fund , the department of transportation has warned that road projects may have to start shutting down in august . after months of failed negotiations , key house and senate committees passed proposals thursday that were relatively close in scope and content . previous drafts had differed in the source and size of funding , as well as how long that funding would last . thursday both the republican-led house ways & means committee and the democratic-led senate finance committee passed bills with the same central dollar figure , $ 10.8 billion . that 's enough to keep the fund in business until roughly next summer . the two sides also moved closer on where to get the money . the senate committee adopted a house idea , including something called pension smoothing , which allows employers to set aside less money for long-term pension funding . one key difference -- the house bill has a more expanded version of the money-raiser , bringing in three times as much money from pension-smoothing than the senate . the bills are much closer on the amount of money they 'd raise from an extended increase in customs fees . and they would each transfer $ 1 billion out of funds for underground storage leaks . republican and democratic senators stressed they had made compromises . finance chairman ron wyden had previously insisted on a long-term deal . colleagues , i want it understood that ( pushing for a longer-term solution ) was my position at the beginning of the negotiations , ' the oregon democrat said to his committee . but it was clear that it would not be possible to reach a bipartisan agreement ( for a longer-term deal ) . ' his republican counterpart echoed the story of tradeoffs . while i wo n't say i 've gotten everything i wanted , ' ranking republican orrin hatch admitted , i will say i think we 've reached a deal that can satisfy both democrats and republicans . ' differences remain both bills passed their respective committees on relatively easy voice votes thursday . but even as they issued warm statements across the north-south axis of the capitol , lawmakers warned of the remaining differences ahead . i commend chairman wyden and senator hatch for putting together a bill that provides roughly $ 11 billion , as we did , ' wrote house ways & means chairman dave camp in a statement . however ... it is inconceivable that the house would , as the senate proposes to do , grant the irs additional authority to audit and investigate taxpayers simply so washington can spend more money . ' camp 's office would not confirm it , but the michigan republican seemed to be objecting to a senate provision that would increase the amount of time the irs has to audit taxpayers who incorrectly estimate property values , from three years now to six years . that measure alone raises over $ 1 billion . each bill is expected to pass its respective chamber , with the house planning to vote on its version next week . then the two sides must quickly agree to a compromise bill if they want to keep money flowing and avoid construction slowdowns starting in august . transportation group fires back as lawmakers breathe a cautious sigh of relief and move toward avoiding another crisis , some in the road construction industry see little reason to celebrate . these actions are the latest'punt and leave the stadium'strategy that has plagued the federal surface transportation program for far too long , ' wrote pete ruane , president of the american road and transportation builders association . his group and others have been clamoring for a long-term fix , after 11 stopgap measures in five years . but the politics are a problem . the highway fund currently relies on six types of taxes , including the federal gas tax . and republicans'anti-tax mantra has prevented all but a few from supporting any increase in those fees . hence , what could be a rare ahead-of-deadline deal in congress looks like continued instability and lack-of-decision to those in road construction . our message to congress is simple : your job is n't close to being done , ' ruane concluded . feds warn states : road construction money running out

key house and senate committees pass proposals to avoid that

michelle obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- your twitter profile is about to have a new look . calling the changes a whole new you , ' twitter announced tuesday that it will be rolling out a fresh design and new features to user profile pages . the company says the changes will make self-expression on the social network even easier ' and more fun . ' the new design gives twitter users a much larger profile photo and a customized header image . twitter says the new profile will highlight specific tweets and allow people searching through profile pages to find the kind of tweets they want . for example , followers can choose to see just tweets with photos and videos or replies in twitter conversations . a user can pin a favorite tweet to the top of his or her profile page , while tweets with the most retweets and replies will appear slightly larger so they are easier for others to find . the new profile pages are currently available only to a small group of existing users as well as those new to twitter . the social media company says the new features will be available to everyone in the coming weeks . among the first twitter users to get the new profile design : first lady michelle obama ( @ flotus ) , boxer floyd mayweather ( @ floydmayweather ) , actress kerry washington ( @ kerrywashington ) , and the band weezer ( @ weezer ) .

michelle obama among first to get the new profile design

welch <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in february 2009 , president barack obama gave this stern warning to bailed-out banks : ' you are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you 've paid taxpayers back , ' obama said at a town hall meeting . you ca n't get corporate jets , you ca n't go take a trip to las vegas or go down to the super bowl on the taxpayers'dime . ' he should have added : ... unless you work for the federal government . ' twenty months later , as we all now know , a government agency called the general services administration rolled into vegas on $ 822,000 worth of taxpayers'dimes so that 300 federal employees could enjoy a luxury spa , a clown show and a mind-reader , among other over the top ' entertainments at a regional training conference . the revelation , unearthed by an internal inspector general , has resulted in two senior-level firings and the resignation of gsa chief martha johnson , while triggering the usual amount of political japery in washington . but it 's worth lingering on the contrast between this incident and obama 's original bank target . the bailed-out bank that had been planning to send its most valuable employees to vegas -- as it had been doing for years -- was wells fargo . one fact largely overlooked in the national shaming campaign that proved effective enough to derail the trip was that wells fargo did n't want the bailout . or at least said it did n't when then-treasury secretary hank paulson summoned the nation 's top nine private bankers to washington on october 13 , 2008 . here 's how time magazine described the scene : [ t ] he nine bank bosses , assembled in the treasury 's imposing boardroom , were each handed a piece of paper with the terms : $ 25 billion of preferred shares each from citigroup , jpmorgan chase , wells fargo and bank of america . in return for the capital , the u.s. would collect a 5 % dividend in the first five years . although wells fargo chairman richard kovacevich resisted , paulson gave the bankers no choice . ' newsweek 's michael hirsh put it even more explicitly , and presciently : richard kovacevich had a point . why should his company , wells fargo , sign its freedom ( and his compensation ) away to the u.s. treasury when , unlike many other banks , it had n't overloaded itself with risky , mortgage-backed securities ? the wells fargo chairman eventually agreed monday to treasury secretary hank paulson 's capital injection plan -- it was , frankly , an offer he could n't refuse -- but kovacevich 's objections still resonate . amid the continuing market turmoil , there is a sense that all of us are being asked to assume collective guilt for the large , but still identifiable , group of rogues and villains who got us into this mess . and then we 're supposed to just forget about it . ' a funny thing about collective shame -- we are happy to administer it on ceos who get their arms twisted by the feds , yet we shy away from applying it to one of the only truly collective entities we have : taxpayer-funded government . we love to bash goldman sachs for trading exotic mortgage-backed derivatives , but we are far less likely to even point out that the government-sponsored enterprises fannie mae and freddie mac were trailblazers on the derivatives-trading fronts . it should n't be surprising in this climate that federal employees would assume they get to play under different ethical rules and public scrutiny than fat-cat bankers . after all , senate majority whip dick durbin , d-illinois , said last month that discretionary spending has been cut to the limit , ' and obama just this week thundered that the house gop 's recently proposed budget -- which , by the way , increases spending from $ 3.5 trillion to $ 4.9 trillion over the next decade -- amounts to social darwinism ' that deliberately guts the middle class . and let 's not forget what the gsa does : as the new york times puts it , the agency is essentially the government 's personal shopper for big-ticket items , like buying and leasing buildings and cars . ' these are precisely the people tasked with making sure taxpayer dollars are spent most wisely . we have a federal government on autopilot , borrowing 40 cents on every dollar , after a decade-plus bipartisan spending binge that has doubled the budget in nominal terms . washington is a boomtown , gentrifying rapidly as the rest of the country eagerly awaits the appearance of green shoots . the surprise is n't that a federal agency went wild , or even that it got caught . what remains a genuine stumper is that the rest of the country has n't quite figured out that the real sin city has relocated 2,500 miles east . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matt welch .

welch : vegas junket not as surprising as americans not seeing real sin city is d.c .

welch <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in february 2009 , president barack obama gave this stern warning to bailed-out banks : ' you are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you 've paid taxpayers back , ' obama said at a town hall meeting . you ca n't get corporate jets , you ca n't go take a trip to las vegas or go down to the super bowl on the taxpayers'dime . ' he should have added : ... unless you work for the federal government . ' twenty months later , as we all now know , a government agency called the general services administration rolled into vegas on $ 822,000 worth of taxpayers'dimes so that 300 federal employees could enjoy a luxury spa , a clown show and a mind-reader , among other over the top ' entertainments at a regional training conference . the revelation , unearthed by an internal inspector general , has resulted in two senior-level firings and the resignation of gsa chief martha johnson , while triggering the usual amount of political japery in washington . but it 's worth lingering on the contrast between this incident and obama 's original bank target . the bailed-out bank that had been planning to send its most valuable employees to vegas -- as it had been doing for years -- was wells fargo . one fact largely overlooked in the national shaming campaign that proved effective enough to derail the trip was that wells fargo did n't want the bailout . or at least said it did n't when then-treasury secretary hank paulson summoned the nation 's top nine private bankers to washington on october 13 , 2008 . here 's how time magazine described the scene : [ t ] he nine bank bosses , assembled in the treasury 's imposing boardroom , were each handed a piece of paper with the terms : $ 25 billion of preferred shares each from citigroup , jpmorgan chase , wells fargo and bank of america . in return for the capital , the u.s. would collect a 5 % dividend in the first five years . although wells fargo chairman richard kovacevich resisted , paulson gave the bankers no choice . ' newsweek 's michael hirsh put it even more explicitly , and presciently : richard kovacevich had a point . why should his company , wells fargo , sign its freedom ( and his compensation ) away to the u.s. treasury when , unlike many other banks , it had n't overloaded itself with risky , mortgage-backed securities ? the wells fargo chairman eventually agreed monday to treasury secretary hank paulson 's capital injection plan -- it was , frankly , an offer he could n't refuse -- but kovacevich 's objections still resonate . amid the continuing market turmoil , there is a sense that all of us are being asked to assume collective guilt for the large , but still identifiable , group of rogues and villains who got us into this mess . and then we 're supposed to just forget about it . ' a funny thing about collective shame -- we are happy to administer it on ceos who get their arms twisted by the feds , yet we shy away from applying it to one of the only truly collective entities we have : taxpayer-funded government . we love to bash goldman sachs for trading exotic mortgage-backed derivatives , but we are far less likely to even point out that the government-sponsored enterprises fannie mae and freddie mac were trailblazers on the derivatives-trading fronts . it should n't be surprising in this climate that federal employees would assume they get to play under different ethical rules and public scrutiny than fat-cat bankers . after all , senate majority whip dick durbin , d-illinois , said last month that discretionary spending has been cut to the limit , ' and obama just this week thundered that the house gop 's recently proposed budget -- which , by the way , increases spending from $ 3.5 trillion to $ 4.9 trillion over the next decade -- amounts to social darwinism ' that deliberately guts the middle class . and let 's not forget what the gsa does : as the new york times puts it , the agency is essentially the government 's personal shopper for big-ticket items , like buying and leasing buildings and cars . ' these are precisely the people tasked with making sure taxpayer dollars are spent most wisely . we have a federal government on autopilot , borrowing 40 cents on every dollar , after a decade-plus bipartisan spending binge that has doubled the budget in nominal terms . washington is a boomtown , gentrifying rapidly as the rest of the country eagerly awaits the appearance of green shoots . the surprise is n't that a federal agency went wild , or even that it got caught . what remains a genuine stumper is that the rest of the country has n't quite figured out that the real sin city has relocated 2,500 miles east . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matt welch .

matt welch says obama told bailed-out banks in 2009 to curb corporate junket spending

christmas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lawmakers in uganda are preparing to vote on a new anti-homosexuality bill that proposes tough jail sentences for consensual same-sex behavior . homosexual acts are already illegal in the east african nation , where most gays and lesbians face physical attacks and are treated as social outcasts , but the new bill proposes harsher penalties . uganda 's maximum penalty would be life in prison . amnesty international said it was extremely concerned ' about the bill and called on the ugandan parliament not to pass it . the bill would have lasting , harmful effects on ugandans who are thought to breach its far-reaching provisions and it would significantly hamper the work of human rights defenders and public health professionals , ' the rights group said . although amnesty international has been informed that some provisions of the bill have been amended , the content of these amendments have not been made publicly available . this bill violates the principle of nondiscrimination as guaranteed under international and regional treaties to which uganda is a party . ' we are outraged , ' said noel kututwa , the rights group 's director for southern africa . this goes beyond the principle of nondiscrimination . it goes against the principle of privacy of individuals . and sexual orientation is really a question of the right of an individual to choose how they want to live their lives . ' uganda 's parliamentary speaker has reportedly said she wants the legislation to pass before christmas . world leaders condemned the anti-gay legislation when it was first proposed in 2009 . some nations have also threatened to withhold aid to uganda over its record on same-sex rights . prominent gay rights activist david kato was beaten to death in the country in 2011 , a slaying that rights activists believe was motivated by homophobia . a british producer was also briefly jailed in uganda in september this year for staging without permission a play about the challenges facing homosexuals in the african nation . if convicted , david cecil could be imprisoned for two years , his lawyer said . homosexuality is illegal in most countries in africa , where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism . the death penalty can be imposed in a handful of nations worldwide for consensual same-sex relations , including nigeria , sudan , mauritania , saudi arabia and iran , according to the international lesbian , gay , bisexual , trans and intersex association . rebel leader in uganda for congo crisis talks cnn 's victoria eastwood contributed to this report .

uganda 's parliamentary speaker has reportedly said she wants the bill to pass before christmas

woods <tsp> ( cnn ) -- golfer tiger woods tuesday addressed a racially-tinged remark made by his former caddy , telling reporters steve williams apologized and is not a racist . it was a wrong thing to say , something that we both acknowledge , ' woods said , speaking at the lakes golf club in sydney , site of this week 's australian open , according to his website . woods and williams met earlier in the day , and shook hands after williams apologized , the website reported . williams -- who was fired by woods in july -- was being presented with a satirical award friday night at an awards dinner in shanghai , china , for comments he made after his new boss , golfer adam scott , defeated woods at the bridgestone invitational in ohio in august . should williams be punished for his remarks ? according to media reports , when asked about those comments during his acceptance speech friday night , williams said : i wanted to shove it up that black a -- . ' shortly afterward , the new zealander issued a contrite statement on his website . i apologize for comments i made last night at the annual caddy awards dinner in shanghai , ' the statement said . players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun . i now realize how my comments could be construed as racist , ' williams'statement said . however i assure you that was not my intent . i sincerely apologize to tiger and anyone else i have offended . ' woods said tuesday that williams did apologize . it was hurtful , certainly , but life goes forward . ' but he said he does not believe williams is a racist . there 's no doubt about that , ' woods said , according to his website . it was a comment that should n't have been made and certainly one that he wished he did n't make . ' both the pga tour and the european tour condemned williams'comment , but he will not face sanctions . scott said earlier he had discussed the matter with williams and accepted his apology . there is absolutely no room for racial discrimination in any walk of life , including the game of golf , ' scott said , according to the article on woods'website . williams said in july he was shocked and disappointed that woods had severed their 12-year relationship , especially after he remained loyal to the golfer during the sex scandal in which he was embroiled for several months . given the fact of my loyalty and the way that i stood by this guy through thick and thin ... ' williams told cnn affiliate mediaworks in new zealand at the time . and the timing of it is very poor , from my perspective . ' williams said the sex scandal had caused him to lose respect for woods . well , i think when you 're great friends with somebody and a situation like this occurs , you obviously lose some kind of respect , ' williams said . in announcing he would no longer be working with williams , woods said it was time for a change . ' stevie is an outstanding caddy and a friend , and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments , ' woods said in july . i wish him great success in the future . '

it was a wrong thing to say , ' woods said about williams'comment

woods <tsp> ( cnn ) -- golfer tiger woods tuesday addressed a racially-tinged remark made by his former caddy , telling reporters steve williams apologized and is not a racist . it was a wrong thing to say , something that we both acknowledge , ' woods said , speaking at the lakes golf club in sydney , site of this week 's australian open , according to his website . woods and williams met earlier in the day , and shook hands after williams apologized , the website reported . williams -- who was fired by woods in july -- was being presented with a satirical award friday night at an awards dinner in shanghai , china , for comments he made after his new boss , golfer adam scott , defeated woods at the bridgestone invitational in ohio in august . should williams be punished for his remarks ? according to media reports , when asked about those comments during his acceptance speech friday night , williams said : i wanted to shove it up that black a -- . ' shortly afterward , the new zealander issued a contrite statement on his website . i apologize for comments i made last night at the annual caddy awards dinner in shanghai , ' the statement said . players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun . i now realize how my comments could be construed as racist , ' williams'statement said . however i assure you that was not my intent . i sincerely apologize to tiger and anyone else i have offended . ' woods said tuesday that williams did apologize . it was hurtful , certainly , but life goes forward . ' but he said he does not believe williams is a racist . there 's no doubt about that , ' woods said , according to his website . it was a comment that should n't have been made and certainly one that he wished he did n't make . ' both the pga tour and the european tour condemned williams'comment , but he will not face sanctions . scott said earlier he had discussed the matter with williams and accepted his apology . there is absolutely no room for racial discrimination in any walk of life , including the game of golf , ' scott said , according to the article on woods'website . williams said in july he was shocked and disappointed that woods had severed their 12-year relationship , especially after he remained loyal to the golfer during the sex scandal in which he was embroiled for several months . given the fact of my loyalty and the way that i stood by this guy through thick and thin ... ' williams told cnn affiliate mediaworks in new zealand at the time . and the timing of it is very poor , from my perspective . ' williams said the sex scandal had caused him to lose respect for woods . well , i think when you 're great friends with somebody and a situation like this occurs , you obviously lose some kind of respect , ' williams said . in announcing he would no longer be working with williams , woods said it was time for a change . ' stevie is an outstanding caddy and a friend , and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments , ' woods said in july . i wish him great success in the future . '

tiger woods met with steve williams and the two shook hands

ncaa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the university of north dakota is one step closer to retiring its nickname and mascot , but changing the school 's 90-year-old native american moniker -- the fighting sioux -- has not been without complications . the school faces a monday deadline to comply with the ncaa 's policy on mascots deemed hostile or abusive toward native americans . ' school officials were in the process of coming up with a new name and mascot this year until north dakota legislators passed a law ordering them to stop , according to und spokesman peter johnson . the rock and the hard place the school finds itself between marks the last gasp of a decades-long fight not just in north dakota , but in all of college sports -- the climax ( or nadir , depending on some people 's perspective ) of a nostalgia-imbued resistance to political correctness on the playing field . the kerfuffle at hand dates to 2007 , when the north dakota board of higher education agreed to retire the fighting sioux nickname by august 15 , 2011 , in accordance with the ncaa 's then-2-year-old policy on native american mascots . if they ultimately chose not to do so , costly ncaa sanctions were promised , including the inability to host any championships and a ban on the use of the school 's logo or nickname at any championship events . after gov . jack dalrymple signed house bill 1263 into law this year , the school was left with the dilemma of having to either disobey the government that controls its purse-strings or to flout the rules of the ncaa , the entity that controls the arguably mightier purse-strings of college football . the nickname controversy appeared to be closer to a resolution friday when dalrymple and other state officials traveled to indianapolis to meet with ncaa officials in a last-ditch effort to resolve the matter . it 's our understanding coming out of this meeting that the fighting sioux nickname and logo will be dropped , ' the ncaa quoted its vice president for communications bob williams as saying friday . the contingent from north dakota made it clear that they were committed to changing the legislative action that would require retention of the fighting sioux nickname and logo . however , our settlement agreement remains in effect , and , as a result , the university of north dakota will be subject to the policy effective aug . 15 . ' doug fullerton will be paying close attention to what happens monday . as commissioner of the big sky conference , he is overseeing north dakota 's ascent from division ii obscurity to the far more lucrative stage of division i football . when we invited ( north dakota 's football team ) into the ( big sky ) conference this was not an issue , ' he said . citing the conference 's close , close ties to native american tribes ' and the promise of boycotts from other division i schools if the name goes unchanged , he says the school 's membership in the conference could be in jeopardy . ' the school is set to join the conference july 1 , 2012 . according to an ncaa press release , dalrymple said at the friday meeting that he would appeal to the state legislature to allow legislation to be introduced during a special session on nov. 7 that will transfer the responsibility for the logo and nickname from the legislature back to the board of higher education . ' i have come to the conclusion that the cost of retaining the sioux logo is too great , ' the ncaa press release quoted dalrymple as saying . there 's no question that the settlement agreement will stand according to the ncaa , and there will be no further negotiations . ' the usage of native american imagery in college athletics has been a long-simmering controversy . such schools as stanford university and new york 's st. john 's university , elected to drop their nicknames ( the stanford indians became the cardinals in 1972 , then the cardinal in 1981 ; the st. john 's red men became the red storm in the mid-'90s ) , while others , like the university of north dakota , balked . in 2000 , for example , then-und president charles kupchella tried to retire the fighting sioux until a wealthy alum threatened to withhold a $ 100 million donation for a new hockey arena , an episode chronicled by author deni elliot in her book the kindness of strangers : philanthropy and higher education . ' today , the school 's state-of-the-art rink not only bears that donor 's name , it 's decorated with more than 2,000 fighting sioux logos . in 2005 , the ncaa sought to end the controversy surrounding native american mascots once and for all by ordering nearly 20 schools whose nicknames and mascots they deemed abusive in terms of race , ethnicity or national origin ' to either get native american permission to use their name and likeness , or to come up with a new one . the resulting actions among the targeted schools were varied . the arkansas state indians became the red wolves ; the indiana university of pennsylvania indians became the crimson hawks . other schools satisfied the mandate by tweaking their name , like southeastern oklahoma state , where the savages are now known as the savage storm . others , like the bradley university braves , whose name does not affiliate with a specific tribe , were allowed to keep their name so long as native american logos and imagery were eschewed . schools with higher-profile athletic programs fared better . the florida state seminoles , university of utah utes and the central michigan university chippewas each obtained permission from their respective namesake tribes to stay the course . but the fighting sioux of the university of north dakota -- winners of seven national championships in men 's ice hockey -- was denied such an endorsement from the tribal council of the standing rock sioux .

the school faces ncaa sanctions if it continues to use the native american mascot

ncaa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the university of north dakota is one step closer to retiring its nickname and mascot , but changing the school 's 90-year-old native american moniker -- the fighting sioux -- has not been without complications . the school faces a monday deadline to comply with the ncaa 's policy on mascots deemed hostile or abusive toward native americans . ' school officials were in the process of coming up with a new name and mascot this year until north dakota legislators passed a law ordering them to stop , according to und spokesman peter johnson . the rock and the hard place the school finds itself between marks the last gasp of a decades-long fight not just in north dakota , but in all of college sports -- the climax ( or nadir , depending on some people 's perspective ) of a nostalgia-imbued resistance to political correctness on the playing field . the kerfuffle at hand dates to 2007 , when the north dakota board of higher education agreed to retire the fighting sioux nickname by august 15 , 2011 , in accordance with the ncaa 's then-2-year-old policy on native american mascots . if they ultimately chose not to do so , costly ncaa sanctions were promised , including the inability to host any championships and a ban on the use of the school 's logo or nickname at any championship events . after gov . jack dalrymple signed house bill 1263 into law this year , the school was left with the dilemma of having to either disobey the government that controls its purse-strings or to flout the rules of the ncaa , the entity that controls the arguably mightier purse-strings of college football . the nickname controversy appeared to be closer to a resolution friday when dalrymple and other state officials traveled to indianapolis to meet with ncaa officials in a last-ditch effort to resolve the matter . it 's our understanding coming out of this meeting that the fighting sioux nickname and logo will be dropped , ' the ncaa quoted its vice president for communications bob williams as saying friday . the contingent from north dakota made it clear that they were committed to changing the legislative action that would require retention of the fighting sioux nickname and logo . however , our settlement agreement remains in effect , and , as a result , the university of north dakota will be subject to the policy effective aug . 15 . ' doug fullerton will be paying close attention to what happens monday . as commissioner of the big sky conference , he is overseeing north dakota 's ascent from division ii obscurity to the far more lucrative stage of division i football . when we invited ( north dakota 's football team ) into the ( big sky ) conference this was not an issue , ' he said . citing the conference 's close , close ties to native american tribes ' and the promise of boycotts from other division i schools if the name goes unchanged , he says the school 's membership in the conference could be in jeopardy . ' the school is set to join the conference july 1 , 2012 . according to an ncaa press release , dalrymple said at the friday meeting that he would appeal to the state legislature to allow legislation to be introduced during a special session on nov. 7 that will transfer the responsibility for the logo and nickname from the legislature back to the board of higher education . ' i have come to the conclusion that the cost of retaining the sioux logo is too great , ' the ncaa press release quoted dalrymple as saying . there 's no question that the settlement agreement will stand according to the ncaa , and there will be no further negotiations . ' the usage of native american imagery in college athletics has been a long-simmering controversy . such schools as stanford university and new york 's st. john 's university , elected to drop their nicknames ( the stanford indians became the cardinals in 1972 , then the cardinal in 1981 ; the st. john 's red men became the red storm in the mid-'90s ) , while others , like the university of north dakota , balked . in 2000 , for example , then-und president charles kupchella tried to retire the fighting sioux until a wealthy alum threatened to withhold a $ 100 million donation for a new hockey arena , an episode chronicled by author deni elliot in her book the kindness of strangers : philanthropy and higher education . ' today , the school 's state-of-the-art rink not only bears that donor 's name , it 's decorated with more than 2,000 fighting sioux logos . in 2005 , the ncaa sought to end the controversy surrounding native american mascots once and for all by ordering nearly 20 schools whose nicknames and mascots they deemed abusive in terms of race , ethnicity or national origin ' to either get native american permission to use their name and likeness , or to come up with a new one . the resulting actions among the targeted schools were varied . the arkansas state indians became the red wolves ; the indiana university of pennsylvania indians became the crimson hawks . other schools satisfied the mandate by tweaking their name , like southeastern oklahoma state , where the savages are now known as the savage storm . others , like the bradley university braves , whose name does not affiliate with a specific tribe , were allowed to keep their name so long as native american logos and imagery were eschewed . schools with higher-profile athletic programs fared better . the florida state seminoles , university of utah utes and the central michigan university chippewas each obtained permission from their respective namesake tribes to stay the course . but the fighting sioux of the university of north dakota -- winners of seven national championships in men 's ice hockey -- was denied such an endorsement from the tribal council of the standing rock sioux .

governor has indicated he will comply with ncaa , ask legislature to change law

native american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the university of north dakota is one step closer to retiring its nickname and mascot , but changing the school 's 90-year-old native american moniker -- the fighting sioux -- has not been without complications . the school faces a monday deadline to comply with the ncaa 's policy on mascots deemed hostile or abusive toward native americans . ' school officials were in the process of coming up with a new name and mascot this year until north dakota legislators passed a law ordering them to stop , according to und spokesman peter johnson . the rock and the hard place the school finds itself between marks the last gasp of a decades-long fight not just in north dakota , but in all of college sports -- the climax ( or nadir , depending on some people 's perspective ) of a nostalgia-imbued resistance to political correctness on the playing field . the kerfuffle at hand dates to 2007 , when the north dakota board of higher education agreed to retire the fighting sioux nickname by august 15 , 2011 , in accordance with the ncaa 's then-2-year-old policy on native american mascots . if they ultimately chose not to do so , costly ncaa sanctions were promised , including the inability to host any championships and a ban on the use of the school 's logo or nickname at any championship events . after gov . jack dalrymple signed house bill 1263 into law this year , the school was left with the dilemma of having to either disobey the government that controls its purse-strings or to flout the rules of the ncaa , the entity that controls the arguably mightier purse-strings of college football . the nickname controversy appeared to be closer to a resolution friday when dalrymple and other state officials traveled to indianapolis to meet with ncaa officials in a last-ditch effort to resolve the matter . it 's our understanding coming out of this meeting that the fighting sioux nickname and logo will be dropped , ' the ncaa quoted its vice president for communications bob williams as saying friday . the contingent from north dakota made it clear that they were committed to changing the legislative action that would require retention of the fighting sioux nickname and logo . however , our settlement agreement remains in effect , and , as a result , the university of north dakota will be subject to the policy effective aug . 15 . ' doug fullerton will be paying close attention to what happens monday . as commissioner of the big sky conference , he is overseeing north dakota 's ascent from division ii obscurity to the far more lucrative stage of division i football . when we invited ( north dakota 's football team ) into the ( big sky ) conference this was not an issue , ' he said . citing the conference 's close , close ties to native american tribes ' and the promise of boycotts from other division i schools if the name goes unchanged , he says the school 's membership in the conference could be in jeopardy . ' the school is set to join the conference july 1 , 2012 . according to an ncaa press release , dalrymple said at the friday meeting that he would appeal to the state legislature to allow legislation to be introduced during a special session on nov. 7 that will transfer the responsibility for the logo and nickname from the legislature back to the board of higher education . ' i have come to the conclusion that the cost of retaining the sioux logo is too great , ' the ncaa press release quoted dalrymple as saying . there 's no question that the settlement agreement will stand according to the ncaa , and there will be no further negotiations . ' the usage of native american imagery in college athletics has been a long-simmering controversy . such schools as stanford university and new york 's st. john 's university , elected to drop their nicknames ( the stanford indians became the cardinals in 1972 , then the cardinal in 1981 ; the st. john 's red men became the red storm in the mid-'90s ) , while others , like the university of north dakota , balked . in 2000 , for example , then-und president charles kupchella tried to retire the fighting sioux until a wealthy alum threatened to withhold a $ 100 million donation for a new hockey arena , an episode chronicled by author deni elliot in her book the kindness of strangers : philanthropy and higher education . ' today , the school 's state-of-the-art rink not only bears that donor 's name , it 's decorated with more than 2,000 fighting sioux logos . in 2005 , the ncaa sought to end the controversy surrounding native american mascots once and for all by ordering nearly 20 schools whose nicknames and mascots they deemed abusive in terms of race , ethnicity or national origin ' to either get native american permission to use their name and likeness , or to come up with a new one . the resulting actions among the targeted schools were varied . the arkansas state indians became the red wolves ; the indiana university of pennsylvania indians became the crimson hawks . other schools satisfied the mandate by tweaking their name , like southeastern oklahoma state , where the savages are now known as the savage storm . others , like the bradley university braves , whose name does not affiliate with a specific tribe , were allowed to keep their name so long as native american logos and imagery were eschewed . schools with higher-profile athletic programs fared better . the florida state seminoles , university of utah utes and the central michigan university chippewas each obtained permission from their respective namesake tribes to stay the course . but the fighting sioux of the university of north dakota -- winners of seven national championships in men 's ice hockey -- was denied such an endorsement from the tribal council of the standing rock sioux .

the school faces ncaa sanctions if it continues to use the native american mascot

iranian <tsp> lausanne , switzerland ( cnn ) a roller-coaster series of talks wrapped up thursday in lausanne as a group of world powers known as the p5+1 reached a framework agreement with iran over the country 's nuclear program . the success of that agreement remains to be seen . the parties have until the end to june to work out the details and put the plan to paper . but the talks this week were , nevertheless , historic , particularly for the otherwise frozen u.s.-iranian relationship . but that 's not to say they were glamorous . in fact , the negotiations this week provided a modern demonstration of diplomacy at its best , but also at its most hectic . tucked amid the swiss alps on the shores of lake geneva , lausanne is certainly one of the more scenic places to be trapped for talks -- a sort of camp david for the rich and famous . but make no mistake : the site of these negotiations is also a gilded cage . over the course of the eight-day round of talks , negotiators , their delegations , their security details and reporters were confined primarily to the immediate area around the five-star beau-rivage palace hotel , which played host to the negotiations . this is n't the first time the hotel has provided a backdrop to a major diplomatic event . in 1923 , the treaty of lausanne was signed there , breaking up the ottoman empire and defining the borders of modern-day turkey . more recently , the hotel has been a getaway for wealthy tourists and the occasional celebrity . coco chanel famously lived there in the late 1940s and early 1950s , and even had her dog buried on the hotel grounds , some reports say .'it was tough , very intense at times' the setting is idyllic , and the grounds are beautifully maintained . the first-floor terrace even features a large-scale chess board , which served this week as an artful analogy for the game of nuclear chess going on just inside . for the negotiators , the past week was marked by a marathon run of meetings , sometimes lasting throughout the night . in an interview with cnn shortly after the framework agreement was announced , secretary of state john kerry said , i think there was a seriousness of purpose ' in meetings with the iranians . people negotiated hard , ' he added . it was tough , very intense at times , sometimes emotional and confrontational . ' that sentiment was echoed by iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif even as the talks were still going on . over the past 18 months since talks began , zarif said , negotiators have developed personal respect ' for one another , even though serious mistrust still exists between iran and the western powers . we have a very serious problem of confidence -- mutual lack of confidence we need to address -- and we hope that this process will remedy some of that , ' he added . media give-and-take zarif made these comments to reporters who swarmed him during an afternoon walk along the lake thursday . such ambushes were a frequent occurrence during the talks as reporters tried to supplement what little information was being circulated through official channels . kerry was seen riding a bike on at least one occasion and dining at a nearby crepery on another , with both occasions prompting a cacophony of camera flashes . reporters briefly followed chinese foreign minister wang yi as he took a morning jog shortly after his arrival in lausanne on sunday . and zarif took several lakeside walks with advisers and security personnel , perhaps just hoping to take in the view , but certainly not making any effort to bypass the area where television cameras were staked out around the clock . the officials sometimes bemoaned the media circus , but they also used the attention to bolster their demands during negotiations , making statements to reporters that they hoped strengthened their footing in talks with their foreign counterparts . people often use you guys to deliver messages to the negotiation , ' a senior administration official who asked not to be named told reporters on the flight back to lausanne , as do the iranians . ' i think they 're quite skilled , actually , at using the media to deliver messages and to try to shape the frame of the negotiation , ' the official said . different orbits more than 600 reporters were credentialed to cover the talks this week . many of these were based in a large workspace at the nearby olympic museum . meanwhile , the traveling press corps covering the foreign ministers were given coveted red badges , allowing them access to the hotel , where the talks took place . while these journalists had a bit more access to officials , they were usually cordoned off inside a couple of claustrophobic media rooms and barred access to most of the building , including the hotel 's reception desk , the first-floor restrooms and the two-michelin-star restaurant 's entrees , costing 200 francs or more . many journalists found refuge in the more comfortable downstairs bar , a shorter walk from the cameras and satellite trucks used around the clock by television reporters on a rolling deadline . for meals , the crowd dispersed to a dozen or so nearby restaurants , where they could enjoy 25-franc pizzas and 60-franc hamburgers , washed down with 8-franc bottles of water , of course . also popular : a thai place around the corner that offered quick takeout -- a plus for reporters on a deadline .'we 'd all take deep breaths and try again' in the closed-off wings of the beau-rivage , the pace of meetings was frantic as different subsets of delegates gathered in ornate conference rooms . there was a sense of urgency , both before and after the initial march 31 deadline passed , to reach a final understanding so the foreign ministers could leave switzerland ahead of other time commitments , not to mention the easter holiday . the process was further complicated by restrictions on the flight crew for kerry 's plane , which could stay on standby at the airport for only a limited number of hours in a given time period . we 'd get close , we kept on changing the plane schedule , ' a senior administration official told reporters . it would go , it would n't go ; we had to reset the clock . ' on the evening the understanding was finally announced , the window had already lapsed , requiring kerry and his team to depart at 3 a.m. friday . there were many moments ( throughout the negotiations ) when we thought we 'd call it a day , call it a night , decide we 'd gone as far as we could go , ' said the official , who briefed reporters on kerry 's plane . then we 'd all take deep breaths and try again . ' but perhaps the most difficult night for negotiators was between wednesday and thursday , just before the final sticking points were resolved for a deal . it was a very , very intense , ' said the official . it went from 9 -- about 9 in the evening until 6 in the morning when we all decided we 'd reached a couple of roadblocks , did n't know whether we 'd be able to get past them , and we were all utterly , utterly exhausted . ' so we all went to sleep by maybe 7 , got up again and started again about 9:30 , and engaged on what we thought were the really final issues , ' the official added . rushing to report the agreement that morning , the deal began to solidify , and plans for the announcement were set into motion . the announcement that an agreement had been reached sparked some chaos . it was first sent out by the european delegation , which spread the word to its traveling press corps even as negotiators were still meeting . as news began to get out , one european reporter ran frantically into the media area at the hotel , urging everyone to listen . his message : there 's going to be an announcement . there are buses waiting to take you to the auditorium of a nearby university where it will take place . and with that , the room devolved into chaos as journalists ran for the doors . the eight-day-long diplomatic event had hit its crescendo before finally subsiding . by midday friday , the delegations had left lausanne , along with most of the media , returning the scenic swiss city to its more tranquil pace .

this week 's talks on an iranian nuclear deal framework are historic

washington university <tsp> ( cnn ) it was a typical practice day for the washington university of rowing team , but then danger came from beneath . the scene was creve coeur lake outside of st. louis early friday morning . the team 's boat got near the dock , when suddenly a swarm of asian carp emerged from the water and went on the attack , some even going into the boat . team member devin patel described the moment of terror : the fish was flopping on my legs . it was so slippery that i could n't get a grip on it . ' patel screamed at teammate yoni david , yoni , get it off me ! ' thankfully , no rowers were injured during the ordeal , but the strong smell of fish lingered in the moments afterward . watch ireporter benjamin rosenbaum 's video above .

rowing team at washington university attacked by flying carp

michigan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators involved in the case of serial killing suspect elias abuelazam went to louisville , kentucky , on monday to retrieve two of his bags , michigan police said . abuelazam is suspected of slashing 18 victims in michigan , virginia and ohio , killing five . he was arrested at hartsfield jackson international airport in atlanta , georgia , last week as he was attempting to board a flight to israel . abuelazam has agreed to be sent back to michigan to face charges , but he remains in custody in atlanta . michigan authorities have some two weeks to pick him up . as of monday afternoon , police said they do not know how , or when , abuelazam will be transported . he traveled last week from detroit , michigan , to louisville , before heading to atlanta , police said . the airline company misplaced his luggage and the bags never made it to atlanta , they added . michigan authorities said they took the two bags back with them . lt. steven sipes of the michigan police declined to say what was in the luggage , but he added the bags are now part of the department 's investigation . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report .

authorities are working to transfer him to michigan

michigan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators involved in the case of serial killing suspect elias abuelazam went to louisville , kentucky , on monday to retrieve two of his bags , michigan police said . abuelazam is suspected of slashing 18 victims in michigan , virginia and ohio , killing five . he was arrested at hartsfield jackson international airport in atlanta , georgia , last week as he was attempting to board a flight to israel . abuelazam has agreed to be sent back to michigan to face charges , but he remains in custody in atlanta . michigan authorities have some two weeks to pick him up . as of monday afternoon , police said they do not know how , or when , abuelazam will be transported . he traveled last week from detroit , michigan , to louisville , before heading to atlanta , police said . the airline company misplaced his luggage and the bags never made it to atlanta , they added . michigan authorities said they took the two bags back with them . lt. steven sipes of the michigan police declined to say what was in the luggage , but he added the bags are now part of the department 's investigation . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report .

he is linked to 18 stabbings in michigan , virginia and ohio , police say

atlanta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators involved in the case of serial killing suspect elias abuelazam went to louisville , kentucky , on monday to retrieve two of his bags , michigan police said . abuelazam is suspected of slashing 18 victims in michigan , virginia and ohio , killing five . he was arrested at hartsfield jackson international airport in atlanta , georgia , last week as he was attempting to board a flight to israel . abuelazam has agreed to be sent back to michigan to face charges , but he remains in custody in atlanta . michigan authorities have some two weeks to pick him up . as of monday afternoon , police said they do not know how , or when , abuelazam will be transported . he traveled last week from detroit , michigan , to louisville , before heading to atlanta , police said . the airline company misplaced his luggage and the bags never made it to atlanta , they added . michigan authorities said they took the two bags back with them . lt. steven sipes of the michigan police declined to say what was in the luggage , but he added the bags are now part of the department 's investigation . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report .

elias abuelazam remains in custody in atlanta , georgia

virginia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators involved in the case of serial killing suspect elias abuelazam went to louisville , kentucky , on monday to retrieve two of his bags , michigan police said . abuelazam is suspected of slashing 18 victims in michigan , virginia and ohio , killing five . he was arrested at hartsfield jackson international airport in atlanta , georgia , last week as he was attempting to board a flight to israel . abuelazam has agreed to be sent back to michigan to face charges , but he remains in custody in atlanta . michigan authorities have some two weeks to pick him up . as of monday afternoon , police said they do not know how , or when , abuelazam will be transported . he traveled last week from detroit , michigan , to louisville , before heading to atlanta , police said . the airline company misplaced his luggage and the bags never made it to atlanta , they added . michigan authorities said they took the two bags back with them . lt. steven sipes of the michigan police declined to say what was in the luggage , but he added the bags are now part of the department 's investigation . cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report .

he is linked to 18 stabbings in michigan , virginia and ohio , police say