Yemen defense minister survives car bombing

Latest update: 11/09/2012 

An attack on the motorcade of the Yemeni defense minister claimed the lives of over a dozen people on Tuesday but left the minister himself unharmed, security officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

 

A powerful car bomb struck the Yemeni defense minister’s motorcade as he was driving through the nation’s capital Tuesday, killing at least 13 people but leaving the minister unharmed, security officials said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch has carried out several failed assassination attempts against the minister in the past.
The attack comes a day after Yemeni authorities announced the death of the No. 2 leader of the network’s Yemeni branch in an apparent U.S. airstrike.
Tuesday’s bombing hit the last vehicle in the minister’s three-car convoy as it was travelling through Sanaa’s al-Izaa neighborhood. The blast completely destroyed the car, and blew out the windows of nearby shops.
Eight of the minister’s security guards and five civilian bystanders were killed, the officials said on condition of anonymity .
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt, but al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the terror network’s Yemeni branch, has been locked in a fierce battle with the country’s military.
In May, the group carried out a suicide bombing that killed 96 soldiers and wounded at least 200 in a military parade in the capital. Al Qaeda said it had been targeting Ahmed, who was not hurt in the attack.
Last September, a suicide attacker driving an explosives-laden car blew himself up in the southern city of Aden next to the minister’s passing convoy. Ahmed escaped that attack unscathed as well.
A month earlier, the minister’s convoy also came under attack in the southern province of Abyan, which was an al Qaeda stronghold at the time.
Al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch is seen as the world’s most active, planning and carrying out attacks against targets in Yemen as well as in the U.S. The group took advantage of the political vacuum during unrest inspired by the Arab Spring last year against the country’s longtime authoritarian president.
The death on Monday of al-Qaeda in Yemen’s No. 2 leader is seen as a major breakthrough for U.S. efforts to cripple the terror network in Yemen. The impoverished nation on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula is on the doorstep of Saudi Arabia and fellow oil-producing nations of the Gulf and lies on strategic sea routes leading to the Suez Canal.
Also on Tuesday, more than 200,000 Yemenis took to the streets demanding the repeal of an amnesty for ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in the largest protest since the veteran leader stepped down in February, organizers said.
France 24 with wires

9/11 cancer victims to have treatment funded

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The US federal government has added about 50 types of cancer to the list of illnesses to be covered by a 9/11 health treatment programme.

The decision entitles 70,000 surviving emergency service workers and other survivors to free care.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety announced the change on the eve of the attacks' 11th anniversary.
Some 1,000 deaths have been linked to illnesses caused by toxic dust issuing from wreckage at Ground Zero.

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Construction workers, emergency workers, office cleaners and others all fell ill in the decade after the attacks.

The institute said last June that it was in favour of expanding the existing $4.3bn 9/11 health programme to include people with 50 types of cancer, following a recommendation from an advisory committee.
Cancers to be covered include lung, colorectal, breast, bladder, leukaemia, melanoma and all childhood cancers.
The medical coverage comes under the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama last year.
Until now, most of the health compensation was for respiratory diseases linked to the toxic dust and fumes from the fallen towers.
John Howard, administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program established by the Zadroga law, said Monday's announcement marked "an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors".
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement the decision would "continue to ensure that those who have become ill due to the heinous attacks on 9/11 get the medical care they need and deserve".
The compensation has been held up by a dispute over whether there was evidence of a direct link between the World Trade Center tragedy and cancer.

Pakistan 'blasphemy' family tell of fire threat

11 September 2012 Last updated at 20:42 GMT

Rimsha's family told the BBC's Orla Guerin she had done no wrong

The family of a young Pakistani Christian girl, known as Rimsha, who faces blasphemy charges, say their Muslim neighbours threatened to burn them alive inside their home.

Speaking to the BBC from a secret location outside Islamabad, Rimsha's father said he feared for their lives.
He insisted his daughter was innocent. Rimsha was released on bail on Saturday, but could still face charges.
She had been accused of burning pages of the Koran.
But a cleric who had accused her was arrested last week for allegedly planting evidence against her, and himself desecrating the Koran.
The case has sparked fresh concerns about the misuse of Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws.
Mob Rimsha's parents, who are not being named for their own safety, told the BBC's Orla Guerin that their daughter was a shy 11-year-old who was illiterate - like the rest of the family - and had always been slow.

“Start Quote

They were saying: 'We are going to burn you inside the house... then we will burn the homes of the other Christians'”

Rimsha's father quotes some of the family's Muslim neighbours

They said she was sitting quietly at home in their poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Islamabad when a crowd gathered outside, claiming she had burnt pages from an Islamic textbook. Her mother described trying to hold off the mob.

"A woman hit me," she said, "and slapped my face. People started running into the house to catch my daughter. I was scared they might kill us. We were all crying. My daughter was very upset."
The family said Rimsha survived by locking herself in the bathroom. Her 14-year-old sister, who was locked in the house with her, was also traumatised by the events.
"A lot of people had gathered," Rimsha's sister said, "and they were saying: 'We will cut off the hands of the people who burned the Koran.' Rimsha wouldn't come out of the bathroom. Later the police came and took her away."
The entire family was at risk, according to Rimsha's father - a slight man with a hunted look, who used to earn his living as a house painter. He told our correspondent that their Muslim neighbours had threatened to set them alight.
On the run "They were saying: 'We are going to burn you inside the house,'" he said. "'We are not going to spare you or your kids. Then we will burn the homes of the other Christians.'
"Even after we left the area they were saying: 'Bring the girl and the family to us. We want to kill them.'"
The family has been in hiding for weeks, moving from place to place under tight security. The government promised to protect them, but past history made them fearful, they said.
"We are worried that we can be attacked and killed any time," Rimsha's father said. "Before, when cases like this have arisen, people who were accused were killed."
Mobs or vigilantes have killed more than 30 people suspected of blasphemy in the past 20 years, according to Christian leaders.
The family insist that Rimsha did not burn any Islamic textbooks.
'Plot' "We don't have [Muslim] books in our home," Rimsha's father said. "We don't use them and none of us could read them."
Other Christians in their neighbourhood believe Rimsha was the innocent victim of a plot to rid the district of Christian families.
Christians say there were complaints about the noise they made when singing hymns at mass on Sundays.
The imam of the local mosque has been arrested, accused of fabricating evidence against Rimsha. His own deputy claimed the imam had added pages from the Koran to a bag full of ashes allegedly discarded by Rimsha.
Her arrest caused an international outcry and complaints from some senior Muslim clerics in Pakistan - a rare show of concern for a blasphemy suspect, our correspondent says.
Many believe the case against Rimsha will eventually be dropped, she adds.
But though she is out of jail, she may not be out of danger. Her family fear that while they remain in Pakistan, the blasphemy allegation could follow them wherever they go.

After 9/11, how we honored our son's memory

By Elizabeth Alderman and Stephen Alderman, Special to CNN

September 11, 2012 -- Updated 2203 GMT (0603 HKT)

Patrick, a former child soldier, received treatment at a PCAF clinic and was able to care for his family.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman: Our youngest son, Peter, was killed on 9/11
• After his death, they knew they had to leave a mark that Peter existed
• They set up the Peter C. Alderman Foundation to help people affected by terrorism
• Elizabeth, Stephen Alderman: Peter would be proud of the work that bears his name

Editor's note: Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman are the founders of the Peter C. Alderman Foundation.

(CNN) -- Our youngest child, Peter, was murdered on September 11, 2001, while attending a conference at Windows on the World at the World Trade Center. He was 25 years old when he died.

When the towers fell, we were in France, on vacation to celebrate Steve's 60th birthday. Peter, our daughter, Jane, and our son Jeff and his wife, Tobey, had all been with us for a week before flying back to the U.S. on September 8.

On the day of the attacks, we were terribly upset after hearing the news. But at first, we were not worried about our kids. Jeff and Tobey lived in Tulsa. Jane lived in D.C. but her job was nowhere near the Pentagon. Peter worked in midtown Manhattan for Bloomberg LP. But since he traveled throughout the city for his job, we became concerned.

Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman

Peter Alderman

We desperately tried calling our kids but could not get a line out of France. It wasn't until late in the day that we learned from Jeff that "Pete was there." The next day, Michael Bloomberg, who became mayor two months later, called to tell us that Pete was dead. My world stopped, and it still is totally out of kilter.

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Not Peter! Pete was all laughter and sunshine and love. He wasn't uncomfortable kissing his mother or father in public, or hugging his sister for no reason at all. He and Jeff traveled to fun places and laughed and laughed. Not Peter -- he was too full of life.

Our mark on this Earth is our children. After his death, we knew we had to leave a mark that Peter existed and the world would be a better place because he lived.

In searching for a way to honor his life, we learned that 1 billion people, almost one sixth of humanity, have directly experienced torture, terrorism or mass violence. Victims are left with lifelong emotional wounds preventing them from leading productive lives. In sub-Saharan Africa, the incidence of traumatic depression and PTSD exceeds that of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined.

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Peter loved life; he was compassionate and caring. There was nothing we could do for Pete, but returning survivors to life in his name was the perfect memorial. In March 2003, we created the Peter C. Alderman Foundation.

People often ask: "Why are you dealing with traumatic depression and PTSD when there are so many greater problems in the world?"

Our response is simple: Billions of philanthropic dollars go into fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and poverty. But if people don't care whether they live or die, they will not follow through with their medication regimens, walk that extra mile for potable water or take advantage of microfinance. If you can restore hope, a person is less likely to strap on dynamite and kill innocent people.

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Our foundation started by training indigenous health workers, but we quickly learned that training by itself was not sufficient. We needed to provide a framework in which professionals could work. To that end, our foundation runs eight trauma clinics in Cambodia, Uganda, Liberia and Kenya.

Establishing public-private partnerships with local governments, our foundation trains, supervises and pays its staff; the government provides clinic space, in-patient beds and psychotropic drugs. Our foundation's average annual cost per clinic is $30,000.

More than 30,000 children have been abducted in Uganda, and many of our patients are child soldiers, like Patrick. He has been treated in our Kitgum clinic for two years. Now he no longer has nightmares or flashbacks. He can sleep through the night and hold down a job. He no longer thinks of suicide. He has even named his new baby after his counselor at the clinic.

Our foundation sponsors an annual African training conference on traumatic depression.

Watch: The Alderman's talk to CNNMoney

At July's fifth annual conference in Tanzania, attended by 500 mental health professionals from 22 countries, an imam from Somalia rose to say the opening prayer. He only spoke Arabic. When translated, we learned that he had said a prayer for Peter. Tears streamed down my face as I realized we were truly on the way to leaving that mark for Peter.

The work has kept us functioning and given us a reason to get out of bed every day. Nothing can erase our pain, but our passion to leave a profound and indelible mark that Peter existed on this Earth has propelled us forward.

Peter would be very proud of the foundation that bears his name.

Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion

Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Elizabeth Alderman and Stephen Alderman.

Saudi Arabia to grant Egypt US$1.5 billion in loans

Al-Masry Al-Youm

Tue, 11/09/2012 - 17:54

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Reuters

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ashraf al-Araby said Tuesday that talks have started with the Saudi delegation currently visiting Cairo to secure an aid package of US$1.5 billion.

US$1 billion would be soft loans, bonds and treasury bills to support the state budget, and US$500 million would be allocated to development projects, particularly the Suez Canal, East Port Said, North West Suez Gulf and New Valley, where the infrastructure allows fast returns on investment and helps create new job opportunities.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that wants to support Egypt at the current stage,” Araby said. “It has also credited us US$250 million to import petroleum products from it.”
“Their other loan of US$200 million will improve the small projects market,” the minister said, adding that foreign and Arab investors are optimistic about the Egyptian economy.
He also said tourism is an important sector for the economy, pointing to Qatar, which he said was interested in investing US$1.8 billion in the North Coast and East Port Said.
“Our strategy is to encourage investment opportunities,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egyptian doctor detained in Lebanon expected to be released Wednesday

Al-Masry Al-Youm

Tue, 11/09/2012 - 21:23

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D.P.A

The Doctors Syndicate said Tuesday that the Lebanese authorities would release Mohamed al-Hamshary, an Egyptian doctor who was detained earlier this week on charges of possessing communication device connected to satellite, on Wednesday.

The Lebanese military is examining the device and verifying Hamshary’s papers in preparation for his departure.
The Egyptian embassy in Beirut is closely following up the issue with the Lebanese authorities, as the syndicate has asked the Foreign Ministry to intervene. Also, a syndicate member called a Lebanese parliamentarian to intercede and press for the doctor’s release.
Hamshary was arrested upon arrival at Rafik Hariri Airport coming from London, where he attended a conference on psychiatry.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Report: Egypt's ex-PM Ahmed Shafik faces arrest, extradition order

By the CNN Wire Staff

September 11, 2012 -- Updated 1610 GMT (0010 HKT)

Egypt's former prime minister Ahmed Shafik, pictured in Cairo on February 21, 2011.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Shafik tells Egyptian newspaper he expected charges
• NEW: The corruption probe includes Mubarak sons, two generals
• Shafik is suspected of involvement in alleged corrupt real estate dealings
• He left Egypt in June for the United Arab Emirates

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Prosecutors in Egypt have ordered the arrest and extradition of ex-prime minister and presidential runner-up Ahmed Shafik, along with other Mubarak-era officials, according to Egypt's state-run Middle East News Agency.

The move is tied to an investigation into alleged corrupt real estate dealings involving the illegal sale of state property to the sons of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Shafik, a former air force chief and the last prime minister to serve under Mubarak, lost a June presidential runoff to Mohammed Morsy. He left Egypt for the United Arab Emirates after the vote, but his attorney told CNN at the time that he was not fleeing the country.

And in an interview with Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper on Tuesday, Shafik said he expected the charges and would await the results of an investigation.

The judge ordered Shafik held in connection with the sale of 40,000 square meters (9.9 acres) of land in the lakeside city of Ismailia to Mubarak's sons, Gamal and Alaa. The judge also referred allegations against Gamal Mubarak, two Egyptian generals and a member of the country's pilot officer's association to a criminal court for investigation.

The allegations against them include profiteering, facilitating the seizure of public property, forging official documents and deliberately damaging public property, MENA reported. Four of the counts involve Shafik alone.

Legal petitions accusing Shafik of corruption were submitted in April, but prosecutors had taken no action against him when he left for the UAE, his attorney, Showee Elsayed, told CNN at the time.

CNN's Aroub Abdelhaq and John Defterios contributed to this report.