A day after announcing the beginning of a U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama on Thursday visited soldiers and their families at Fort Drum, New York, home to one of the most frequently deployed units in the U.S. military.
Fort Drum is home to the 10th Mountain Division, which is has seen several deployments in Afghanistan as well as in Iraq, where U.S. forces have formally ended their combat role. Members of the division have been among some of the most recent military deaths in combat operations in Afghanistan.
In 2009, President Obama posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest decoration for valor, to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jared Monti, a member of the Mountain Division, who was killed in Afghanistan.
Under President Obama's phased withdrawal plan, 10,000 soldiers will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year. At what he calls "a steady pace," another 23,000 will leave by September of next year.
At Fort Drum, the president told soldiers they have always been in the "toughest fights" and that it is their commitment that made possible the progress seen in Afghanistan.
"The only reason I was able to make that decision was because I knew we had the finest fighting force in the world, and that if I gave a command to our troops, they would be able to accomplish that mission," said President Obama.
Referring to his speech on Wednesday, Mr. Obama said U.S. forces will be drawn down steadily, not precipitously, to ensure that gains will be sustained.
He said it was the work of the U.S. military that made possible the operation against terrorist leader Osama bin-Laden in Pakistan.
"It is also because of you that we had the platform to be able to go after bin Laden and al-Qaida," said Obama. "And we have decimated their ranks."
In an interview with VOA on Wednesday, President Obama discussed the withdrawals, progress made against the Taliban and the path forward to turning security responsibilities over to Afghan government forces.
"We'll continue to transition as Afghan forces stand up, with the goal of completing this transition by 2014," said President Obama. "Beyond 2014, though, we want to make sure that we maintain the strong relationship with the Afghan people and the Afghan government. We won't have the same military presence, but what we hope on economic and development agendas that we're going to continue to work with Afghans as we have."
At a hearing on Capitol Hill, lawmakers questioned outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen about President Obama's withdrawal plan.
Mullen responded to a question about the 2014 target date for the United States and NATO to transfer all security responsibilities in the country to Afghan forces.
"As much advise and assist as is necessary by that point, but what we have watched in terms of both the growth rate and learning rate, they are on a pretty good glide slope right now in terms of ascendance to be able to do this - the Afghan security forces," said Admiral Mullen.
Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner urged the president to retain flexibility to alter the withdrawal plan based on conditions on the ground.
Boehner and the Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill.
Boehner: "I am generally supportive of the plan because there is enough flexibility in the withdrawal to take into consideration conditions on the ground."
Pelosi: "Many of us would like to see this go faster than the path that was laid out, however it may."
Some of the sharpest critics of the war in Afghanistan took to the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday, calling the withdrawal plan insufficient.
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President Barack Obama has discussed the current situation in Afghanistan in an interview with the Voice of America.
The president says his decision to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan does not mean the U.S. is abandoning that country.
"Keep in mind that we're talking about 10,000 troops by the end of this year, an additional 23,000 by the end of next summer - and we'll still have 68,000 troops there, in addition to the coalition partner troops," President Obama said. "So there is still going to be a substantial presence. But what it does signal is that Afghans are slowly taking more and more responsibility."
Phased transition
The president says his decision is consistent with what he called a phased transition process.
"Already there are Afghans out there every day who are fighting the fight, Afghans who are dying on behalf of their country, and their freedom, and their dignity," he noted. "And what we want to make sure of is that we continue to be a good partner with that process, but also want to send a signal to the Afghan people: this is your country ultimately and you are going to have responsibilities."
Common ground
In recent months, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been critical of the United States. But President Obama says overall, he shares the same goals.
"Obviously, there are going to be tensions in a difficult environment where we have a large number of foreign troops inside a country," Obama said. "It is true that there have been times where the tactics on the ground, day to day, result in tensions. But overall, his interest in making sure that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists, that there is an adherence to the Afghan constitution. Those commitments that he's made are the ones that are entirely consistent with what I see as U.S. interests."
Peace prospects
President Obama emphasized that there has to be a political settlement to bring about genuine peace in the region.
"But the terms of that political settlement are important, and we've been very clear in our criteria," he stressed. "We will encourage the Afghans, and we ourselves will talk to anybody. But they are going to have to break ties with al-Qaida, they are going to have to pledge to abide by the Afghan constitution and they will have to cease violence as a means of bringing about political power. If they take those steps, then I think there is a strong possibility of creating the kind of political settlement that would finally give Afghans relief from 30 years of war."
Pakistan
As for relations between the United States and Pakistan, Obama says that relationship has become more honest over time.
"That raises some differences that are real," the president said. "Obviously, the operation to take out Osama bin Laden created additional tensions, but I had always been very clear to Pakistan that if we ever found him [bin Laden] and had a shot, that we would take it."
President Obama says "Pakistan not only has a responsibility but also a deep interest in dealing with terrorist elements that are still in their territory."
Brookings analyst Michael O'Hanlon's reaction to President Obama's speech:
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Wednesday night at the White House, President Barack Obama announced the phased withdrawal of 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, with a target of removing the rest of a 33,000 surge force by next year.
There are now some 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan fighting a war that is nearly 10 years old.
The president said it is time to bring some of them home. He cited the strengthened position of U.S. and NATO forces and momentum achieved against the Taliban.
Pressuring al-Qaida
At the same time, Obama said al-Qaida in Pakistan is under more pressure than at any time since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, including the loss of its leader Osama bin Laden.
"Starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will bring home a total of 33,000 troops by next summer, fully recovering the surge I announced at West Point. After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan Security forces move into the lead," Obama explained.
Obama said Afghan forces have already assumed security responsibility in some areas.
He reiterated that the Taliban, now in talks with the government, must break ties with al-Qaida, abandon violence and abide by the Afghan Constitution.
Responsibility
Obama called the objective of an Afghanistan that is not an al-Qaida safe haven achievable, but he said the Afghan people must ultimately secure their own nation.
"We will not try to make Afghanistan a perfect place. We will not police its streets or patrol its mountains indefinitely. That is the responsibility of the Afghan government, which must step up its ability to protect its people; and move from an economy shaped by war to one that can sustain a lasting peace," Obama said.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen offered quick praise of the president's announcement and the efforts of U.S. and other NATO forces in Afghanistan.
"The tide is turning. The Taliban are under pressure. The Afghan security forces are getting stronger every day," said Rasmussen.
Mixed reaction
Here in Washington, reaction is mixed, with some lawmakers criticizing the president for withdrawing too many troops and others calling for a larger reduction of troops.
VOA Senior News Analyst Gary Thomas says Obama's decision needed to achieve two main objectives.
"The president needed a troop drawdown that was not going to be seen as pulling the rug out from under President Karzai, but still enough military pressure on the Taliban that they will come to the table," Thomas said.
Middle ground
Obama addressed the rising sentiment in the United States against the Afghan war amid a difficult economic recovery. But he urged a middle ground between isolationist tendencies and over-extending abroad.
"We must chart a more centered course. Like generations before, we must embrace America's singular role in the course of human events. But we must be as pragmatic as we are passionate; as strategic as we are resolute," stated Obama.
That resolve, the president said, will allow Afghan forces to take over full security of their country by 2014. The president said he will host a NATO summit in Chicago next May to discuss the road to that transfer.
Watch the full speech:
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Senators that President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw 33,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of next summer was a "tough call" that strikes the right balance amid competing interests. At a Senate hearing, Clinton heard complaints from members of both parties about the level of U.S. spending for Afghanistan.
Clinton was widely reported to have sided with U.S. military chiefs in urging a more cautious withdrawal policy.
But in Senate testimony, she said she fully supports the terms announced late Wednesday by the president, saying it was a "tough call" amid competing advice from members of his national security team.
"It will not surprise you that the views range across the spectrum about what should be done and what should not be done. But I think that the president, with his decision, has hit the mark. He has answered what is a very legitimate concern, not only of this Congress but of the American public, that this has been a very long conflict for the United States," she said.
Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told Clinton while they supported the U.S. decision to intervene in Afghanistan in 2001, the level of commitment now is disproportionate in terms of other foreign policy interests, and the need to cut the U.S. budget deficit.
The ranking committee Republican, Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, urged the Obama administration to more narrowly define its goals in Afghanistan, and to recognize the sources of threats to U.S. interests have migrated elsewhere during the past decade.
"Administration officials have testified that Yemen is the most likely source of a terrorist attack against American interests in the short term. Further we know that al-Qaida has a far more significant presence in Pakistan that in Afghanistan. To the extent that our purpose in Afghanistan is to confront the global terrorist threat, we should be refocusing resources on Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, parts of North Africa and other locations," Lugar said.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said the United States is expending the lives of hundreds of troops and $120 billion a year on a conflict less than critical to its strategic interests.
"I have a real skepticism about our mission in Afghanistan at this moment. I do not have great confidence in the leadership in Afghanistan, either in its competence or its honesty. I worry about the money that we are shoveling into this country in sums that are unimaginable in this poor and under-developed country," Durbin said.
Clinton said the president's plan will provide the security needed to build self-sufficient local Afghan security forces and facilitate a political solution to the conflict.
She said that would necessarily have to involve Taliban elements who renounce violence and al-Qaida, and she said the United States is involved in tentative outreach to insurgent figures.
"The United States has a broad range of contacts at many levels across Afghanistan and the region that we are leveraging to support this effort, including very preliminary outreach to members of the Taliban. This is not a pleasant business, but a necessary one," Clinton said.
Clinton said while the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan will end as planned in 2014, NATO, as agreed at its summit last November in Lisbon, will have a "continuing presence" in Afghanistan after that date, the nature of which is being negotiated.
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Many Afghans welcomed the announcement that U.S. troops will begin to leave their country but there is also widespread anxiety about how it will be done.
Local reaction
At the presidential palace in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai responded positively to the announcement to the withdrawal of 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of 2011.
Karzai said it is now up to the youth of Afghanistan to take over the responsibility for security in the country.
On the streets of Kabul some young men such as Ahmed Mustafa also said the decision is good because it clarifies where the country is headed.
"From one side it is very good for Afghan people because Afghans will know about their future," he said. "Americans if they go from Afghanistan so the people will know their selves, they will try best to make their armies more secure."
A Taliban spokesman responded by saying the American pronouncement is misleading the Afghan people and that the withdrawal is purely symbolic. The spokesman said the Taliban will continue to insist that they will not talk to the Afghan government until all foreign troops are gone.
Political solution
In his address, President Barack Obama said that there is a need for a political solution in Afghanistan that will include negotiations with Taliban who renounce violence and accept the Afghan constitution.
Former Pakistani Ambassador to Kabul Rustam Shah says both sides need to be more flexible. He says the Taliban need to accept that foreign troops are not going to leave unilaterally. But he also said that President Obama's precondition that the Taliban accept the Afghan constitution is also a stumbling block.
"He made this condition that the talks so far are open to those who would abide by Afghanistan constitution. That, of course, the militants have rejected a long time ago because they contend that they do not recognize the Afghan constitution because this constitution, in their view, has come into existence when the country was under occupation. So I think that a lot of hard work requires to be done. This is just a very small beginning but a welcome beginning," stated Shah.
Possible deterioration
There are concerns in some parts of Afghanistan that if foreign troops leave before the Afghan forces are fully capable of taking their place, they may lose ground against the Taliban.
Mirwais Adebyar in Kabul says that he does not want a complete pullout of the foreign troops at this moment.
He says he is hoping instead for a gradual withdrawal that waits until Afghanistan's security forces and economy are stronger.
The Afghan security forces face a key test of their capability next month, when NATO troops begin the official handover process in some areas of Afghanistan.
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The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan says President Barack Obama's timetable for withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan is more "aggressive" than he and other military officers had counseled, but achievable without undue risks to U.S. objectives. General David Petraeus, Obama's pick to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, spoke at his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill.
Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee quickly turned to military matters at Thursday's hearing, one day after President Obama announced a gradual drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Senators were eager to probe the thoughts of the man who oversaw America's troop surge in Afghanistan, launched 18 months ago.
Petraeus said the president opted for a more-rapid reduction in force strength than he and other commanders had suggested, but added that it was his prerogative to do so.
"That [Obama's decision] is understandable in the sense that there are broader considerations beyond those of a military commander," said Petraeus. "There has never been a military commander in history who has had all the forces he would like to have."
The general said the transition from U.S. to Afghan security forces has already begun in some parts of the country.
"We are taking out 33,000 U.S. forces over the course of a 15-month period," he said. "During that time, there will be some 70,000 additional Afghan forces added."
Petraeus was lauded by senators of both parties. Independent Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut introduced the general to the committee, noting Petraeus has held top command posts in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
"He is a true American hero who has twice been called upon by our commander-in-chief to assume leadership of a faltering war effort. And twice he led our forces out of the jaws of defeat, on to the path to victory."
If confirmed, Petraeus would shift from the military to the civilian branch of America's national security apparatus," said Lieberman. "Historically, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies like the CIA have worked closely together. But analysts say the branches feature different work cultures and mindsets, and operate in distinct manners.
Committee Chairwoman, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein expressed confidence Petraeus will make a successful transition to the CIA.
"He has been the commander for a portion of the world where intelligence operations play a key role," said Feinstein. "And he is especially aware of the coordination between military special operations and intelligence covert actions. So he comes to this nomination with a deep familiarity with the intelligence community and the CIA in particular."
Petraeus admitted his views about current conflicts were formulated during military service. But he pledged that, as CIA director, he would always present the agency's position and assessments to the president.
The ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Saxby Chambliss, seemed to speak of Petraeus' confirmation as CIA director as a foregone conclusion.
"I am asked quite often what I think should happen in Afghanistan," said Chambliss. "And my first response is, 'well, whatever General Petraeus says, that is the direction we ought to go.' I look forward to a continued close relationship as you assume the duties at the CIA."
Petraeus would succeed departing CIA Director Leon Panetta, who was confirmed unanimously by the Senate as America's next secretary of defense. Like Panetta, Petraeus is expected to receive overwhelming support when the full Senate votes on his nomination.
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Libya's rebel military is defending NATO after airstrikes killed a number of Libyan civilians. The show of support follows Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's condemnation of the alliance as murderers.
A rebel military spokesman called NATO a legitimate force that is doing its job, carrying out the United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians.
Colonel Ahmed Bani argued that anyone who speaks differently about the alliance or blames them for any shortcomings is against the freedom of the Libyan people. Operating from a United Nations mandate to protect Libyans, NATO's air operation has been a linchpin for the rebels seeking to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Listen to Elizabeth Arrott's debriefer with Susan Yackee about the current situation in Libyan rebel stronghold Benghazi:
NATO's mission has come under increased scrutiny in recent days, as strikes Sunday and Monday claimed the lives of several civilians, including children, in the west of the country.
Last week, alliance aircraft mistakenly fired on a rebel column in Brega, in the east. NATO expressed regret for the loss of civilian life.
In an audio message broadcast late Wednesday, Gadhafi condemned the strikes, saying NATO was killing "our children and grandchildren."
The Libyan government has repeatedly accused the alliance of deliberately targeting civilians, a charge NATO has called "outrageous."
Rebel spokesman Bani, addressing reporters in Benghazi Thursday, laid the blame for the recent deaths on Gadhafi, saying his attempt to cling to power by any means is the reason for the casualties.
Bani added his condolences for those killed, saying whoever dies, on either side, is Libyan.
The rebels' defense of the campaign comes as Italy seeks a halt in the fighting to provide a safe corridor for humanitarian aid. The call was reportedly echoed by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, quoted in British media as arguing the time is right for a political solution.
France rejected the suggestion, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the coalition must step up its pressure on Gadhafi. The official said a halt in the air campaign, now it its fourth month, would only give government forces time to regroup.
Meanwhile, International Criminal Court judges are scheduled to decide next week whether Gadhafi will face arrest for crimes against humanity. The court announced on Thursday that a hearing will take place in The Hague on Monday.
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Thailand's governing Democrat Party, lagging behind in national polls ahead of the July 3 general election, stepped up its campaign by staging a rally at the site of anti-government protests last year. The rally location is an emotional one.
Party officials say the Democrats chose to hold their biggest campaign rally at a major Bangkok shopping area to explain the government's side of last year's political unrest, which left more than 90 people dead and hundreds wounded.
Thousands of party supporters gathered Thursday evening at the Rajaprasong intersection.
For two months last year, the United Democratic Front Against Dictatorship, or Red Shirts, made Rajaprasong a protest zone. They set up a stage at the center of the intersection, and camped along the roads.
The military crushed the protests on May 19 last year after Red Shirt leaders rejected an offer for early elections.
"We think it's time for us to tell what really happened during the demonstrations of last year, because every day we keep on getting bombarded with all these signs from Red Shirts saying what happened to the 91 corpses and so on. So I think this is a perfect time to come and say 'hey this is what happened,'" said Isra Sunthornvut, the deputy secretary general to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
A recent Human Rights Watch report criticizes the government for not holding anyone responsible for the deaths and injuries caused by both security forces and protesters.
Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said that no one died at the center of Rajaprasong last year.
However, many of those killed were at the camp area or a Buddhist temple nearby.
He also showed a video in which armed protesters are seen attacking security forces.
UDD and their allies in the Pheu Thai party play down the role of the militants. They reject charges that protesters deliberately set fire to buildings after the military moved in.
The Red Shirts largely support former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006.
His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, now leads the Pheu Thai party and could become the country's first female prime minister.
Many Red Shirt leaders were angered by the Democrat's rally at Rajaprasong and called on supporters to avoid the area.
But Finance Minister Korn Chitikavanij says the party chose Rajaprasong as a gesture to the wider community.
"We don't want Rajaprasong to necessarily be remembered just as an intersection where Red Shirts held the rest of Bangkok and effectively the rest of the country hostage for two months. We want to use this as a symbolic place in order to send an important signal to all of Thailand that the events of last year must not be repeated," he said.
Voter polls put the Pheu Thai Party ahead of Mr. Abhisit's Democrats nationally. Election officials, however, say up to a third of eligible voters remain undecided.
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Frustrated with the lack of progress in direct negotiations with Israel, Palestinian officials have said they will ask the U.N. General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state in September. Their plan faces opposition from the United States, which wants to first see a resumption of direct talks. But even if a majority of countries recognize Palestine in the General Assembly, that does not mean it will be admitted to the United Nations.
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, says his government has many options available to it to reach the goal of statehood and admission to the United Nations, currently it holds observer status.
One option being seriously considered is a push in the U.N. General Assembly to seek recognition from member states. Mansour told reporters Thursday that nearly 120 of the 192 U.N. members have said they would recognize a Palestinian state. That is still a bit short of the two-thirds majority required to adopt certain resolutions in the General Assembly.
And, as American University professor David Bosco explains, recognition does not equal U.N. membership.
"But they [the Palestinians] cannot, it is fairly clear from the U.N. Charter, that they actually cannot be admitted to the U.N. just on the basis of a General Assembly vote," said Bosco. "They cannot be admitted to the U.N. without the approval of the Security Council. The process the U.N. Charter lays out is that Security Council recommends and the General Assembly then approves. And without that Security Council recommendation, which can be vetoed, you cannot be formally admitted as a member."
And that recommendation is highly unlikely in the face of U.S. opposition. But Ambassador Mansour said he believes that the more states that recognize a Palestinian state, the harder it will be for the United States to veto its membership in the club of nations.
"We are working on having many countries to recognize the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders," Mansour said. "We need to cross the 130 and the 140 [mark]. If we reach more than two-thirds majority, and we are going to reach two-thirds majority of the General Assembly before September, then we want to know if there is opposition in the Security Council of depriving us of our natural right and legal right to join the community of nations as a state. What would be the argument [against recognition]?"
The Palestinians may also be counting on something known as the Uniting for Peace Resolution, which was adopted in the General Assembly in 1950. Professor Bosco, who has authored a book on the Security Council, says the United States proposed the resolution as a way to get around Soviet stalemates in the council at the time.
"They created this idea that in the case of a veto that was paralyzing the Security Council, the General Assembly could take up an issue and could make decisions on it," Bosco said. "That was always legally very suspect, and it is not clear anyway that the United States' view was that the General Assembly can make binding determinations that have the force of a Security Council resolution."
Unlike in the Security Council, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding. But Professor Bosco says they still carry weight.
"General Assembly resolutions, because they are not binding, in general are about international public opinion and international legitimacy," Bosco added. "That matters, that matters a great deal and that is why Israel is so worried about this and the U.S. is so worried about it, because they know it matters."
Israel's new U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor says both sides are working toward returning to direct negotiations and he believes any Palestinian unilateral action would not be constructive.
But the Palestinian envoy counters that Israel declared its own independence in 1948, so why shouldn't the Palestinians?
"Our independence is the total domain of the Palestinian people in exercising self-determination," said Mansour. "So that is not a unilateral action. We are willing and ready to negotiate with our neighbors the Israelis, the six final status issues: borders, security, settlements, Jerusalem, refugees and water. Our independence is not one of these six final status issues."
If the Palestinian effort does win U.N. admission, the new state would be entitled to a vote in the General Assembly, it could run for one of the 10 rotating non-permanent seats on the Security Council and it would be assessed U.N. dues. But if the Palestinians succeed just in the General Assembly, Professor Bosco says the benefits to them are only in terms of legitimacy and political support.
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On Monday the United Nations-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh will open its hearing into the four surviving leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge movement.
Cambodians have waited three decades for this day: when the surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge movement appear in court charged with an array of crimes - genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder. The list is long.
The four defendants are Nuon Chea, also known as Brother Number Two, who is considered the movement's chief ideologue; Khieu Samphan, the head of state; Ieng Sary, the foreign minister and, his wife, Ieng Thirith, the social action minister.
The defendants in this case, the court's second, deny all charges.
That marks a change from Case One, where former security chief Kaing Guek Eav, known as Comrade Duch, admitted his role and pledged to cooperate with the court.
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Case One
Duch ran the notorious S-21 security center in Phnom Penh, where at least 14,000 men, women and children were held, tortured, and then executed as enemies of the revolution.
Duch was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was jailed for 30 years. He has appealed his conviction.
Duch was charged with implementing policy, in his case, that involved torture and executions to unmask so-called strings of traitors whom the regime believed were trying to undermine the revolution. But the four defendants in Case Two are effectively on trial for devising policy, which distances them from atrocities.
Clair Duffy monitors the tribunal on behalf of the Soros-funded Open Society Justice Initiative. She says that difference will likely feature in defense arguments.
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"When we have seen trials of this scope involving defendants at that level of leadership allegedly, that is the kind of defense that has typically been run - either that they were not present at meetings where these kinds of policies were devised or that they weren't aware of what actually was going to be the result of the policies that were being devised- i.e.: killings, torture, etc," said Duffy.
Complexities
When the court closed Case Two last year, tribunal officials said the case file of 350,000 documents would make this the most complex since the Nuremberg trials of the Nazis.
There are other complexities too. For a start the tribunal has recently been wracked by divisions over its handling of two more cases - known as Cases Three and Four. The Cambodian government has long said it would not permit those last cases to proceed because they could threaten the country's stability.
Investigating judges have been accused of deliberately undermining the cases because of political pressure. Several U.N. staff member recently quit the investigations office in response, and there are fears that the court's handling of Cases Three and Four could damage its legacy.
Another challenge is that all four defendants are elderly, between 79 and 85 years old, and none is in robust health. The trial will likely take several years, and there are fears one or more could die before it ends.
That is what happened in the trial of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic at The Hague, as well as with a number of defendants at the Rwanda tribunal.
OSJI's Duffy says a new rule will allow convictions or acquittals to be delivered against the accused as the trial proceeds. So unless a defendant dies very early on, they would either be convicted or acquitted of certain crimes prior to the trial's conclusion.
"The objective of that is potentially to shorten the trial into smaller bite-size pieces and render judgment progressively on each part rather than have one huge trial involving four accused that potentially goes on for years and judgment is never rendered in relation to one or even all of them," she said.
At 84, Nuon Chea, who was Pol Pot's deputy, is the second-oldest defendant. He has previously blamed Cambodia's age-old enemy Vietnam for much of what went wrong during his government's rule.
Fair trial
One of Nuon Chea's defense lawyers, Michiel Pestman, says he is not optimistic his client will receive a fair trial.
"The signs are on red as far as we are concerned. We are seriously worried that this court is unable to do what they are supposed to do, and that is deliver a fair trial," said Pestman.
Pestman accuses the investigation office, which is meant to be objective in its search for evidence of guilt or innocence, of deliberately favoring information that would convict, rather than acquit, his client.
He says that has undermined Nuon Chea's fair trial rights. "And we have tried to influence this investigation, but all our requests to hear certain witnesses were rejected," said Pestman. "And now we are hoping that the Trial Chamber will hear those witnesses. And we will hear on Monday whether they are willing to do so, but we are afraid that they are not as interested as we think they should be."
Much of the evidence against the four accused has come from a genocide research project in Phnom Penh called the Documentation Center of Cambodia. It provided around half a million documents to the tribunal.
DC-Cam's director is Youk Chhang, and along with millions of Cambodians, he has waited three decades for this day. Youk Chhang says Case Two has the potential to help Cambodians come to terms with their history.
"So I think case two is the most important for me," said Chhang. "I think also for many other survivors as well, because we all know these four guys. As we all know they have no acknowledgments about what happened. They put all the blame to their subordinates, and they blame others. So I think that is important that we have [it]. We want to hear what they have to say."
Whatever the outcome, and regardless of whether any or all of the defendants survive the trial, Monday is highly significant. The surviving leaders of one of the 20th century's most brutal political movements will stand trial for crimes committed in the name of their revolution.
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A U.S. envoy Thursday called for an "immediate" power transfer in Yemen
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, visited top Yemeni officials in the capital, Sana'a, to try to broker an end to Yemen's political crisis.
Feltman later told reporters that beleaguered President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is recovering in Saudi Arabia from injuries sustained in an attack, should leave office in an "immediate, peaceful, and orderly transition."
Feltman's statements come amid growing international pressure for Saleh to accept a Gulf Arab initiative to end a stalemate paralyzing Yemen's government. Saleh has waffled on the plan as protests continue in Yemen demanding his departure.
Saleh was flown to Riyadh for medical treatment after he was injured in an explosives attack as he prayed at his palace mosque on June 3.
There have been conflicting reports as to if or when Saleh would return to Yemen. Saleh's supporters have claimed that he will return to Yemen by week's end. But diplomats doubt his return and some supporters say he remains too sick to travel.
Washington is growing concerned about increased activity by Islamic militants in Yemen as the country struggles with a broader opposition uprising against Saleh. Insurgents have launched several attacks in southern Yemen during the country's political unrest.
On Wednesday, security officials in Yemen said about 60 al-Qaida-linked militants escaped from a southern prison after gunmen attacked the facility.
Officials say the attackers and escaping prisoners clashed with guards Wednesday at the prison in Mukalla, leaving one guard dead and two others wounded.
On Sunday, military officials said clashes killed 12 al-Qaida-linked militants and at least two Yemeni soldiers outside the city of Zinjibar.
>Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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A top Bollywood actor has launched a campaign against a new law that raises the legal drinking age from 21 to 25 in India's western Maharashtra state. The new law has not gone down well with many youngsters in India's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai, the state capital of Maharashtra.
The move to bar young people below the age of 25 from buying alcohol [whiskey, vodka, etc.] is part of the Maharashtra government's efforts to discourage what it calls "underage drinking and problem drinking."
The legal age for buying beer and wine has been raised from 18 to 21.
The law was passed earlier this month. The measures include fines for illegal drinking and a ban on serving alcohol at public functions.
But the law has raised the ire of many young people in Mumbai, considered to be India's most vibrant and cosmopolitan city. Many of the country's biggest companies, domestic and multinationals are based there. It also is home to India's famous Hindi film industry.
A top Bollywood actor, 28-year-old Imran Khan, has announced plans to challenge the law in court. He said the ban curtails freedom of choice for an age group considered mature enough to make many other important decisions.
"If you feel the person is responsible enough to choose the government, this person is responsible enough to choose a life partner, to have children, if this person is responsible enough to join the military, to defend the country, to give their lives, how can you say this person is not responsible enough to make their own decisions?" Khan asked.
The voting age in India is 18. Girls can legally marry at 18 and boys at 21, although the law is often flouted, especially in rural areas.
Khan's campaign is striking a chord among many young people in the city. Those under 25 say the new law is unlikely to do much to prevent them from having a drink, but only will turn something harmless into a crime.
"Honestly, I think its stupid," said one young person. "Anyway people start drinking after 18... I think it is better to legally allow it, then [otherwise] they will have to hide and drink."
"People are very upset with this. Even I think its not fair," said another person. "Only when cops are around the law will really apply, I think it will all be under the table, it will all happen."
It is not the first time that Maharashtra state is facing such a controversy. In 2005 it banned the city's ritzy dance bars, where women danced to Bollywood numbers, calling them dens for prostitution and crime. The ban was overturned after it was challenged by women's-rights activists, who said they provided clean entertainment and were an integral part of the city's night life.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said the law raising the drinking age is not an effort at moral policing, but at tackling a social problem, which he said "stresses the health system and destroys families."
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Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has unveiled an interactive website featuring new material about her fictional young wizard.
The Harry Potter adventures will also be sold as e-books for the first time through the new website, which will appear at the end of July on a limited basis.
Rowling told reporters in London Thursday she does not intend to write an eighth book in the Harry Potter series, but that she will develop the books' central characters further through new material she will publish on the Internet site.
The www.pottermore.com site will open July 31, with access limited to 1 million Potter fans who pass a special test. Full public access is expected in October, with versions in English, French, German and Spanish.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday recommended the permanent grounding of all Soviet-built Tupolev passenger airplanes, like the one that crashed this week.
The plane crashed on a road in heavy fog moments before its scheduled landing at Petrozavodsk airport in northwest Russia, killing 44 people. A young boy later died of his injuries, increasing the death toll to 45.
Medvedev said the Tupolev-134 should be withdrawn from operation starting next year. The Tupolev-134 and Tupolev-154 were built in the 1960s.
Russian officials said this week that initial information indicated pilot error caused the crash.
The plane was carrying 52 people, including nine crew, when it veered off course while coming in to land, clipped some trees and hit a power line before crashing.
Officials have recovered the aircraft's flight data recorders. The plane was flying from Moscow's Domodedovo airport to Petrozavodsk, some 650 kilometers northwest of the capital.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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Iran's president says Tehran is not interested in building a nuclear bomb, but will not be stopped by the West if it desires to create one.
State television quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Thursday as saying his government would tell the world if it was working on a nuclear weapon.
Ahmadinejad's comments are the latest in a long series of denials from Tehran about its nuclear aims. Iran says its nuclear projects are for peaceful purposes.
On Tuesday, Iran's nuclear energy chief met with the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog in Vienna.
Fereidoun Abbasi said he had a "good" discussion with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano.
Amano has been critical of Iran's suspected nuclear aims. Earlier this month, he said Iran may have carried out nuclear work with possible military purposes. He also chastised the country for not cooperating with international nuclear experts.
The meeting was part of a week-long conference on nuclear safety.
Western nations believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons capability under the cover of a civilian energy program. Tehran denies the allegations.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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The connection between the mind and body is a frequent subject in modern scientific study. Now researchers have concluded that an ancient Chinese exercise, based on mind-body techniques, is proving beneficial to heart patients.
They arrive, looking like ancient warriors, advancing slowly in the auditorium of a senior center in Wheaton, Maryland.
Their movements are based on the traditional Chinese exercise called Tai Chi: flowing and circular motions, balancing sometimes on one leg, always breathing deeply. The goal of these 100 or so movements is to achieve a state of physical and mental relaxation.
The origins of Tai Chi go back at least 2,000 years. While it looks like gentle exercise, it was developed in China as a martial art. Legend has it that a Chinese monk created the technique by watching a deadly dance between a snake and a crane.
"Lean forward, White Crane, spread the wings," explains instructor Fred Nee. The poses may sound romantic, but researchers have found that Tai Chi helps patients with chronic heart failure improve their quality of life, enhance their mood and it gives them confidence to try other forms of physical activity. <!--IMAGE-->
The researchers studied 100 patients with chronic heart failure. 50 were assigned to a Tai Chi class, like this one, twice a week for three months. The other 50 went to an educational class about heart health.
Dr. Gloria Yeh of Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston co-authored the study. "We know that chronic heart failure is this progressive chronic syndrome. There is no cure. And patients often suffer over time with their symptoms: a decrease in exercise tolerance, a shortness of breath and a decrease in quality of life because of this, and so, if we can make patients feel better overall and increase their well-being, this is a significant impact," she explains.
The elderly students in this particular class did not participate in the study, but they support the notion that Tai Chi helps them feel better.
The study found no differences between the two groups when they each took a six minute walk, but those enrolled in Tai Chi used up more calories when they participated in additional physical activity.
Previous studies have also shown that Tai Chi helps reduce symptoms of other ailments, such as high blood pressure, fibromyalgia and stress.
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A court in Egypt has sentenced an Egyptian businessman and two Israelis to 25 years in prison for spying for Israel.
The court on Thursday sentenced Tareq Hassan, who was accused of seeking to recruit telecommunications workers in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon to become Israeli spies.
Hassan, who runs an import-export company, was arrested last August.
The two Israelis were sentenced in absentia.
Egypt arrested a U.S.-Israeli citizen earlier this month, saying he was an officer with Israel's Mossad intelligence agency who had encouraged youths to clash with Egyptian military in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Israel's foreign minister said last week the man, Ilan Grapel, is not a spy. He was ordered to be detained for 15 days.
Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
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