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6B – Daily News – Monday, July 5, 2010 WORLD BRIEFING Petraeus rejects defeatism KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — ‘‘We are in this to win,’’ Gen. David Petraeus said Sunday as he took the reins of an Afghan war effort troubled by waning support, an emboldened enemy, government corrup- tion and a looming commit- ment to withdraw troops even with no sign of vio- lence easing. Petraeus, who pioneered the counterinsurgency strat- egy he now oversees in Afghanistan, has just months to show progress in turning back insurgents and convince both the Afghan people and neighboring countries that the U.S. is committed to preventing the country from again becom- ing a haven for al-Qaida and its terrorist allies. ‘‘We are engaged in a contest of wills,’’ Petraeus said as he accepted the com- mand of U.S. and NATO forces before several hun- dred U.S., coalition and Afghan officials who gath- ered on a grassy area out- side NATO headquarters in Kabul. Petraeus, widely credited with turning around the U.S. war effort in Iraq, said the Taliban and their allies are killing and maiming civilians — even using ‘‘unwitting children to carry out attacks’’ — in an attempt to undermine public confidence in the Afghan government and the interna- tional community’s ability to prevail. ‘‘In answer, we must demonstrate to the people and to the Taliban that Afghan and international forces are here to safeguard the Afghan people, and that we are in this to win,’’ Petraeus said on the Fourth of July, U.S. Independence Day. VP urges fast and peaceful government transition BAGHDAD (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden urged rival Iraqi politicians Sunday to end months of delays and select new lead- ers for their wobbly democ- racy, predicting a peaceful transition of power even as suicide bombers struck gov- ernment centers in two major cities. The attacks in Mosul and Ramadi underscored persis- tent fears that insurgents will exploit Iraq’s political uncertainty to stoke wide- spread sectarian violence. Four people were killed and 25 injured in the two blasts that occurred hundreds of miles apart. The twin explosions on the Fourth of July illustrated the vexing nature of the U.S. involvement in Iraq and its efforts to nudge the country toward stability and democracy. At least five mortar rounds also fell in the Green Zone late Sunday when Biden was there, said Iraqi police officials. The Green Zone is the sprawling pro- tected area in the heart of Baghdad that is home to the U.S. Embassy as well as the Iraqi parliament and prime minister’s office. There were no reported casualties, said the officials, who did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. Mortars and rockets are periodically fired into the Green Zone but rarely result in casualties or damage. 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Through the Newspapers in Education program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day oil cleanup NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cleanup crews across the Gulf of Mexico sur- veyed damage done by last week’s hurricane while con- tending Sunday with chop- py seas that idled many of the boats dedicated to keep- ing oil from hitting vulnera- ble beaches and marshes. Offshore skimming ves- sels were able to operate in Louisiana waters, but not off the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, officials said. ‘‘We’ve got our guys out there and they’re docked and ready, but safety is a huge concern for us, espe- cially with the smaller ves- sels,’’ said Courtnee Fergu- son, a spokeswoman for the Joint Information Com- mand in Mobile, Ala. The offshore skimming in those states has essential- ly been curtailed for nearly ★★ ★ a week, thanks to weather generated earlier by Hurri- cane Alex, even though it was never closer than 500 miles or so to the spill. Komorowski likely winner in Polish vote WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Interim president Bro- nislaw Komorowski appeared to have held off a last-minute surge from the identical twin brother of the late president, who died in an April plane crash that shocked the country and forced Sunday’s early elec- tion. Exit polls showed Komorowski with a slight edge over Jaroslaw Kaczyn- ski, who essentially conced- ed defeat in the presidential run-off by declaring before supporters, ‘‘I congratulate the winner.’’ A poll released Sunday by the TNS OBOP institute predicted Komorowski win- ning 53.1 percent of the vote, and Kaczynski win- ning 46.9 percent. A sepa- rate poll, by Millward Brown SMG/KRC, shows Komorowski with nearly 52 percent and Kaczynski with just over 48 percent. The exit polls have a small margin of error, and official results are not expected until Monday. Komorowski, who wants to smooth the way for the government to continue pri- vatizing state-run compa- nies and trim welfare bene- fits, didn’t formally claim victory, noting that the votes were still being counted. Mexico’s old ruling party seeks elections CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — More than a dozen Mexican states held elections Sunday after cam- AMERICAN SELF-STORAGE 64 Mulberry Ave., Red Bluff • 527-1755 • Fully Fenced • Onsite Manager • Well Lit Property website: www.americanselfstorage.biz • RV & Vehicle parking now available LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEED! Call now for rates. paigning besieged by assas- sinations and scandals that displayed drug cartels’ power. The party that ruled Mexico for 71 years hoped to capitalize on frustrations over the bloodshed and gain momentum in its bid to regain the presidency in two years. The elections for 12 gov- ernors, 14 state legislatures and mayors in 15 states are the biggest political chal- lenge yet for the govern- ment of President Felipe Calderon, who is deploying troops and federal police to wrest back territory from drug traffickers. The Institutional Revolu- tionary Party, which held on to power for seven decades through a system of largess and corruption that many considered a quasi-dictator- ship, has recovered popular- ity amid frustration with Mexico’s surging drug gang violence. The party, known as the PRI, held up the assassina- tion of its gubernatorial can- didate in the northern state of Tamaulipas as evidence Calderon has failed to bring security despite the pres- ence of tens of thousands of troops in drug trafficking hot spots. Leaders of Calderon’s conservative National Action Party, in turn, have insinuated the PRI protects drug traffickers in Tamauli- pas, the birthplace of the Gulf cartel, and in the north- ern state of Sinaloa, the cra- dle of the cartel by the same name. Horses run amok during Iowa parade BELLEVUE, Iowa (AP) — Two horses that injured 24 people at a Fourth of July parade in eastern Iowa became uncontrollable after one of them rubbed its head against the other, removing that horse’s bridle, police and fire officials said. The horses and the wagon attached to them took off for six blocks Sun- day, running into children and adults seated and stand- ing along the streets watch- ing the parade in Bellevue, about 25 miles south of Dubuque on the Iowa-Illi- nois border. Bellevue police and fire officials said the victims were as young as 2 years old and suffered injuries ranging from multiple frac- tures to collapsed lungs and bruises and abrasions. 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