Afghan war chief faces political, timeline challenges

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, and commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan U.S. Gen. David Petraeus talk during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, July 3, 2010. (AP / Massoud Hossaini)

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Afghan war chief faces political, timeline challenges

Gen. David Petraeus, the new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, speaks during a ceremony in which he formally assumed the command in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 4, 2010. (AP / Dusan Vranic)

Updated: Mon Jul. 05 2010 06:52:12

CTV.ca News Staff

The latest U.S. general to take the helm in the Afghan war is facing major political challenges and tight timelines in his latest posting, says a retired Canadian major-general.
U.S. Gen. David Petraeus formally took command of U.S. and NATO forces on the weekend, days after U.S. President Barack Obama turfed his predecessor -- U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal -- after he gave a controversial interview to Rolling Stone magazine.
Retired Canadian Forces major-general Lewis MacKenzie says Petraeus is being thrust into a combat theatre where his allies are losing their resolve to continue the mission and his commander-in-chief is keen to see real progress in the near future.
Petraeus is also tasked with working with Hamid Karzai, the controversial Afghan leader whose shaky relationship with the U.S. government has been recently rattled by Obama's renewed intention to withdraw American troops from the war-torn country as soon as next year.
"The relationship is important, but it is fragile these days because of the unfortunate statement by the president of the United States that they would look at starting to thin out in 2011," MacKenzie told CTV's Canada AM during an interview on Monday morning.
Obama has said a troop pullout decision would be based on improved security.
MacKenzie said the word on the ground is that American military leaders will now "take a look at the situation in 2011 and see whether in fact they can start to thin some American forces out."
Combined with the fact that the Canadians are set to end their combat role in Afghanistan next year, while the Dutch and U.K. forces are looking at drawing down their own forces in the near future, Karzai is facing "a very tenuous situation" as he works out how he will handle the aftermath of the eventual NATO pullout, said MacKenzie.
That means that the Americans are left with little time to get their mission back on track, as Obama watches the results following his change of command in Afghanistan.
"President Obama has got some challenges to put together a team that can get along, have a common strategy and common objectives and start to see some success," said MacKenzie.
"Right now, we're at a very, very serious tipping point in that entire conflict in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan."
CTV's South Asia Bureau Chief Janis Mackey Frayer said Obama needs to have something he can point to as a measure of success, or at least progress, as he heads into mid-term elections later this year.
"Public opinion polls in the United States are showing that people are turning against the war and certainly the Obama administration wants to be able to see something decisive in this campaign by the end of the year," she told CTV's Canada AM by telephone from Kabul on Monday morning.
Support for the Afghan war has also dropped in Canada and the United Kingdom, as the conflict drags into its ninth year and casualties continue to mount.
"There are some 130,000 troops who are going to be on the ground here by the end of the summer and the insurgency seems to be getting stronger," said Mackey Frayer.
MacKenzie said Petraeus will likely follow the counterinsurgency strategy employed by McChrystal, which the incoming general helped to shape when he helmed the U.S. war in Iraq.
"I don't think anybody down the chain of command will notice a change in strategy," said MacKenzie, noting that some small changes in tactics could be possible.

Source:CTV ca
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Washington, D.C. shoppers face nation's first fee for using plastic bags

A first-of-its-kind law is hitting Washington shoppers, who must pay 5 cents for every plastic or paper disposable bag they use when buying food or alcohol.


Washington passed the first-of-its-kind law in the USA to charge shoppers for disposable plastic and paper bags as a way to cut back on trash and clean up the Anacostia River.
CAPTIONhandoutMost of the money raised from the new law, which passed the D.C. Council unanimously in June and took effect New Year's Day, will go toward cleaning up the city's Anacostia River. City research has found plastic bags are a major source of the river's trash.

"We want everyone to know that you can save the river, and 5 cents, if you bring your own reusable bag to the store instead," said Mayor Adrian Fenty in announcing the "Skip the Bag, Save the River" initiative. The city and stores are kicking it off by handing out free reusable bags.

Bag-fee proposals have been popping up elsewhere in the USA, but Washington says it's the first to pass one. They've been introduced in state Legislatures in California, Maryland and Virginia.

In February, Colorado's state Legislature rejected a proposed bill that would have charged shoppers 6 cents per plastic bag used, according to the Denver Daily News. In August, Seattle voters rejected by a wide ratio (58% to 42%) a 20-cent grocery bag fee. (More info on the effort is available here.) In New York City, Mayor Mike Bloomberg sought a 5-cent-a-bag fee last year but, facing opposition, backed down.

San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi hands out canvas shopping bags in San Francisco, which became the first city in the USA in 2007 to ban plastic shopping bags. It required large supermarkets and pharmacies in the city to replace non-biodegradable plastic bags with reusable or recyclable bags.
CAPTIONBy Ben Margot, APYet some plastic bag restrictions have passed. In 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban the use of disposable plastic bags in large supermarkets and pharmacies. In July, North Carolina approved a bill to ban single-use plastic and non-recyclable bags in the Outer Banks counties of Hyde, Currituck and Dare. The ban took effect in September. ( Here's a description of Bill 1018.)

How has the fee gone over in the nation's capital?

"It's stupid," Daniel Dyson, 22, a clerk for the U.S. Marshals Service, told The Washington Post. "I don't want to pay for bags. It's too much." The newspaper got reaction from a few other shoppers:

"They got to raise money some kind of way, and people will change their habits and that's a good thing," said Orlan Sharpe, 50, a construction worker shopping Friday at the Giant in Columbia Heights.

Paige Sharpe, 34, a lawyer who was shopping later Friday at the same Giant, said she has been using reusable shopping bags for about two years but opposes the measure. "I think it's ridiculous," she said. "I don't think you should force people to pay a tax to go to the grocery store, especially in this economy."

Readers: What do you think of Washington's unprecedented 5-cents-a-bag fee?

Source:usatoday.com/

Washington, DC sues AT&T over calling cards

The attorney general for Washington, DC has filed a lawsuit against an AT&T Inc unit, seeking to recover consumers' unused balances on prepaid calling cards.

The suit claims that AT&T should turn over unused balances on the calling cards of consumers whose last known address was in Washington, DC and have not used the calling card for three years.

"AT&T's prepaid calling cards must be treated as unclaimed property under district law," the attorney general's office said in a statement.


According to the attorney general's office, that sum, known in the industry as "breakage," represents some 5 to 20% of the total balances purchased by consumers who use the calling cards.

States and municipalities have often similarly used unclaimed property laws, known as escheat laws, to claim ownership of unused retail gift card balances.

Representatives for AT&T were not immediately available to comment after business hours on on Thursday.

The case is: District of Columbia vs. AT&T Corp, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Source:moneycontrol.com/

Obama Disapproval Jumps after Furtive Senate Health Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rasmussen Reports' Daily Presidential Tracking Poll has showed a spike in disapproval of President Obama's job performance following Monday's 1 am cloture vote on the Senate health care bill.

On Wednesday 44% of voters said they "strongly disapprove" of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President, while 26% say they "strongly approve," giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -18. On Tuesday, the divide was 46%-25%, giving an index of -21 - the highest strong disapproval and lowest index yet recorded for the President.

55% at least somewhat disapproved of Obama's job performance, the same percentage that disapproved of the health care bill Democrats are currently pushing through the Senate.

In addition, only 29% of U.S. voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, the lowest level measured since early February, according to Rasmussen. 65% believe America is "heading down the wrong track."

Source:lifesitenews.com/

Washington DC approves gay marriage

Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL)
:: JAY SHAFF::

Washington, DC — The District of Columbia's city council today approved a marriage equality bill by a vote of 11-2. This is a preliminary vote, the final tally to take place in mid-December.

Following an expected signature from Washington DC's mayor, Adrian M. Fenty (D), the bill must be approved by Congress before taking effect.

Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) issued this comment:

"The struggle for equality has won a great victory in the shadow of our Capitol today. After a setback in Maine last month, the D.C. City Council has renewed this nation's commitment to civil rights for every American—no matter who they love. The significance of this vote carries historical implications."

The District will join Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont in legalizing gay marriage when the resolution becomes law.

Source: chicagopride.com/