Protest demo holds Petraeus ‘war criminal’

Friday, July 10, 2009 , SAN FRANCISCO: General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command in charge of the wars in the Middle East, and architect of the troop "surge" was target of a protest here for his part in torture and killing civilians, Geo News reported Friday.

A major demonstration was held when Petraeus spoke here at the Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., 2nd floor.

"Afghanistan is not the 'good war,'" said a spokesperson for World Can't Wait, an organizer of the demonstration. "General Petraeus should answer for his criminal role in the 'war on terror' and the huge escalation in Afghanistan."

Peace activists said that under Petraeus' command, pilotless drones have resulted in "mass murder" of civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"No amount of slick PR packaging can render Petraeus anything better than a war criminal. There is a huge blanket of lies and ignorance surrounding the killing in Afghanistan. Most Americans have no idea of the crimes being done in their name," said World Can't Wait in a statement.

During his hourlong speech, which included a PowerPoint presentation, Petraeus warned of a tough fight as Marines have recently gone deeper into Taliban areas of southern Afghanistan to "reverse the cycle of violence" there.

He described it as, "the longest campaign."

Petraeus added that it will take a "sustained and substantial commitment" to prevent the Taliban from making the area a hot spot for terrorists. He said it's especially important for troops to have a presence prior to presidential elections there next month.

He said about 68,000 American troops will be in Afghanistan by this fall — more than double the number from last year. He also mentioned armored Stryker vehicles, which were successful in Iraq, will be in Afghanistan and likely deployed in the troubled Kandahar province.

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India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

Tennis: Clijsters wins US Open, second time

NEW YORK: Kim Clijsters of Belgium won the US Open on Sunday by defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-5, 6-3 in the final.She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980, the victory coming just five weeks after she returned to the sport following a 27-month retirement. She was the first wildcard, man or woman, to win a US Open title in the history of the tournament.

42 killed in wave of Iraq bombings

BAGHDAD: At least 42 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded in a spate of bomb attacks near the restive northern Iraqi city of Mosul and in the capital Baghdad on Monday, police said. In the deadliest single attack, two booby-trapped lorries exploded before dawn in the village of Khaznah, east of Mosul, leaving 25 people dead and 70 others wounded. Thirty-five houses were destroyed in the village, which is home to members of the tiny Shabak community, a sect of Kurdish origin. In Baghdad, two car bombs went off as day labourers were gathering in the early morning hours looking for jobs.The first bomb exploded at Hay al-Amel, in the west of the capital, killing nine people and injuring 46. The second bomb attack in Shurta Arbaa in the north of the city killed seven people and wounded 35 others.

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