Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/408361
ByLolitaC.Baldor The Associated Press WASHINGTON Shocked and offended by explicit questions, some U.S. ser- vicemen and women are complaining about a new sexual-assault survey that hundreds of thousands have been asked to com- plete. The survey is conducted every two years. But this year's version, developed by the Rand Corp., is un- usually detailed, including graphically personal ques- tions on sexual acts. Some military members told The Associated Press that they were surprised and upset by the ques- tions, and some even said they felt re-victimized by the blunt language. None of them would speak pub- licly by name, but Penta- gon officials confirmed they had received com- plaints that the questions were "intrusive" and "in- vasive." The Defense Depart- ment said it made the sur- vey much more explicit and detailed this year in order to get more accu- rate results as the military struggles to reduce its sex- ual assaults while also en- couraging victims to come forward to get help. The survey questions, which were obtained by The Associated Press, ask about any unwanted sex- ual experiences or con- tact, and include very spe- cific wording about men's and women's body parts or other objects, and kinds of contact or penetration. Here is a sample ques- tion, one of a series of 11 graphic questions out of 34. Some are even more detailed: "Before 9/18/2013, had anyone made you insert an object or body part into someone's mouth, vagina or anus when you did not want to and did not con- sent?" "We've had a number of complaints," said Jill Lof- tus, director of the Na- vy's sexual assault preven- tion program. "I've heard second- and third-hand that there are a number of women, officers and en- listed, who have gotten to the point where they've read the questions and they've stopped taking the survey. They found them to be either offensive or too intrusive — 'intrusive, in- vasive' — those are the words they used." About 560,000 active duty, National Guard and Reserve members were in- vited to fill out the ques- tionnaire — about five times the number the sur- vey was sent to two years ago. Officials will not say how many responses they have received so far. Early last year, a re- port on the 2012 anony- mous survey results set off a furor when it esti- mated that 26,000 mili- tary members may have been sexually assaulted or subjected to unwanted sexual contact. Exasper- ated members of Congress complained that the De- fense Department wasn't doing enough to combat sexual assault and tried, largely unsuccessfully, to force changes in the Pen- tagon's legal and com- mand procedures. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who has pressured the military to deal with its sexual assault problem, said changing the ques- tions could skew the study over time. "I am concerned the new survey was done in a manner that not only prevents comparing ap- ples to apples from pre- vious years. ... I hope this isn't a case of, 'If you don't like the answer, change the question.'" In addition to the Rand questions, Loftus said the Navy sends its own survey to sailors and Marines that doesn't get as specific. She added, "We think we've done a very good job of try- ing to make people aware of what sexual assault is." But Rand analysts say the more detailed ques- tions are necessary. WASHINGTON Mi li ta ry s ex -a ss au lt survey draws complaints By Dan Perry The Associated Press UNDATED With the U.S.- led assault on the Islamic State group, the world com- munity is acting in Syria, but not in the Syrian civil war. When it comes to the issue that has undermined the region — the survival or fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad — there is still no plan. And that means the West's goal to defeat the militants of IS may also be doomed to fail. Syria's four-year civil war has killed hundreds of thou- sands and displaced mil- lions in what began as a movement to replace Assad with a more democratic state. As the government's control weakened, militants rallying around Islamic slo- gans carved out a vast safe haven for themselves — recruiting, training and building fighting capacity. From Syria this year, they then struck deep into Iraq, with devastating effect, and now also threaten Lebanon. Yet any concerted effort to oust Assad and restore stability to Syria does not appear to be on the horizon. What emerges instead from the actions and words of Western policymakers is a glum resignation that there is nothing that can be done about Assad for now, and the fight is only with the Islamic State. In an ideal world from a Western perspective, an army of "moderate" reb- els headquartered in Istan- bul would be an attractive choice to march into Syria and defeat both the Islamic State and the Syrian gov- ernment. There are some rebels who are pro-Western and largely secular. Some even can be heard on Israeli radio stations promising a future of regional peace. But upon inspection, these rebels are few, badly divided, and barely control the Free Syria Army, which purports to be their force on the ground and has lit- tle political support in- side Syria. In reality, Free Syria Army fighters are often militant Islamists; in some cases, they have fought alongside al-Qai- da's branch in the country, the Nusra Front, or other ji- hadi groups. On the whole, they are far more motivated to fight against Assad than against the Islamic State militants. The current reality is that Syria has been divided into three or four parts. Assad controls most of a strip of land from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast, where his Alawites and other mi- norities are dominant. The Islamic State group con- trols the river corridor to Iraq and much of the north- east; the Kurdish minority controls a corner near the Turkish border; and an ar- ray of other rebel groups in- cluding the Free Syria Army and various Islamists con- trol parts of the northwest. Here are four possible ways the conflict could go: Comprehensivesolution Believe it or not, there is a peace process that could be revived. The so-called Ge- neva communique, a road- map agreed on by major powers in June 2012, calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body for Syria. But the document is open for interpretation, and two rounds of peace talks between government and opposition represen- tatives in Switzerland this year ended in failure. Assad then orchestrated a vote in government-held areas of Syria and claimed another seven-year term in office. Assad stays A complete military vic- tory by Assad is highly un- likely. The Syrian army sim- ply does not have the fire- power or the manpower to reconquer all the territory lost to the rebels, and the Islamic State maintains a hold over much of the coun- try. But Assad can claim success just by continuing to hang on to his power base in Damascus, Homs and the Alawite stronghold on the Syrian coast. This could go on for some time, and essentially change the definition of what is Syria. Rebelsregroupwithhelp Congress has already ap- proved $500 million to train up to 5,000 Free Syria Army fighters. Some CIA-trained fighters have been gaining ground against Assad in southern Syria and in some places around Damascus. TurkeyandotherU.S.allies have proposed a no-fly zone inside Syrian territory, which could give pro-Western reb- els the seeds of their own se- cure buffer within Syria. But the rebels would also have to beprotectedbothfromAssad andIslamicStatefighters,and eventually defeat them both, which for now appears a re- mote possibility. The world steps in President Barack Obama has ruled out U.S. boots on the ground, at least for now, and no other nation has of- fered troops for a military solution to the civil war. But that could change if the sit- uation deteriorated. MIDDLE EAST Analysis: In Syria, no good options for West LEFTERISPITARAKIS—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Syrian Kurdish refugee children who fled Kobani with their families stand outside their tent at a refugee camp in Suruc, on the Turkey-Syria border. By Robert F. Bukaty The Associated Press FORTKENT,MAINE A Maine judge gave nurse Kaci Hickox the OK to go wher- ever she pleases, handing state officials a defeat Fri- day in their bid to restrict her movements as a precau- tion against Ebola. In a case that has come to encapsulate the clash in the U.S. between personal freedom and fear of Ebola, Judge Charles C. LaVerdiere ruled that Hickox must con- tinue daily monitoring of her health but said there is no need to isolate her or restrict her movements be- cause she has no symptoms and is therefore not conta- gious. The judge also decried the "misconceptions, mis- information, bad science and bad information" circu- lating about the lethal dis- ease in the U.S. After the ruling, a state police cruiser that had been posted outside Hick- ox's home left, and she and her boyfriend stepped out- side to thank the judge. Hickox, 33, called it "a good day" and said her "thoughts, prayers and grat- itude" remain with those who are still battling Eb- ola in West Africa. She said she had no immediate plans other than to watch a scary movie at home on Hallow- een. Gov. Paul LePage said he disagreed with the ruling but will abide by it. "As governor, I have done everything I can to pro- tect the health and safety of Mainers. The judge has eased restrictions with this ruling, and I believe it is un- fortunate," LePage said. Later in the day, the gov- ernor lashed out at Hickox, saying: "She has violated every promise she has made so far, so I can't trust her. I don't trust her. And I don't trust that we know enough about this disease to be so callous." Hickox was thrust into the center of a national debate after she returned to the U.S. last week from treating Ebola victims in West Africa as a volunteer for Doctors Without Bor- ders. On Thursday, after Hickox refused to stay home and abide by what Maine called a voluntary quaran- tine, the state went to court to try to impose restrictions on her until the 21-day incu- bation period for Ebola ends on Nov. 10. State health offi- cials were willing to let her go out on a jog or a bike ride, but wanted to bar her from crowded public places and require her to stay at least 3 feet from others. But the judge turned the state down. In his ruling, the judge thanked Hickox for her service in Africa and ac- knowledged the gravity of restricting someone's con- stitutional rights without solid science to back it up. "The court is fully aware of the misconceptions, mis- information, bad science and bad information be- ing spread from shore to shore in our country with respect to Ebola," he wrote. "The court is fully aware that people are acting out of fear and that this fear is not entirely rational." Hickox's quarantine in Maine — and, before that, in New Jersey, upon her ar- rival back in the U.S. — led humanitarian groups, the White House and many scientists to warn that au- tomatically quarantining medical workers is unnec- essary and could cripple the fight against Ebola by dis- couraging volunteers like Hickox from going to dan- ger zone. Hickox contended that confinement at her home in Fort Kent, a town of 4,300 people in far northern Maine along the Canadian border, violated her rights and was unsupported by sci- ence. She twice violated the quarantine by going outside her home — once to go on a bike ride and once to talk to the media and shake a re- porter's hand. DISEASE Judge rejects Ebola quarantine for recovering nurse in Maine ROBERT F. BUKATY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Kaci Hickox and her boyfriend Ted Wilbur come out of their house to speak to reporters on Friday in Fort Kent, Maine. Please help sponsor a classroom subscription Call Kathy at (530) 527-2151 to find out how. Through the Newspapers in Education program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day thanks to the generosity of these local businesses & individuals. • SHOFF ORTHODONTICS • DOLLING INSURANCE • GUMM'S OPTICAL SHOPPE • HOOKER CREEK INC. • CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMPANY • LEPAGE COMPANY INC. • MODERN CLEANERS • OLIVE CITY QUICK LUBE • WALMART • TEHAMA CO. DEPT. OF ED. • JOHN WHEELER LOGGING, INC. • DUDLEY'S EXCAVATING, INC. • HINKLE ROOFING & CONST. • BRETNEY SUTTERFIELD • ETZLER FINANCIAL & INSURANCE • OLIVE CITY TAX PROFESSIONALS • PLACER TITLE COMPANY • AIRPORT AUTO REPAIR • KAY STEPHENS, MD • GREENWASTE OF TEHAMA • LOUISIANA PACIFIC CORP. • NORTH MAIN AUTOMOTIVE • QRC • RED BLUFF VISION CENTER • STEVE'S BACKHOE SERVICE • WARNER ELECTRIC • TRIPLE R GAS • SCHOOL HOUSE MARKET • McDONALD'S THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N TY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 NEWSPAPERS NIE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 5 B