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10A Daily News – Tuesday, March 13, 2012 WORLD BRIEFING Afghan man recounts US soldier shooting his father KAND AHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan man recounted Monday the harrowing tale of how an American soldier on a killing spree burst into his home in the middle of the night, searched the rooms, then dropped to a knee and shot his father in the thigh as he emerged from a bedroom. The staff sergeant is now in custody, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians, most of them children, and then burn- ing many of the bodies. The name of the 38- year-old soldier was not released because it would be ''inappropri- ate'' to do so before charges are filed, said Pentagon spokesman George Little. Sunday's attack in southern Kandahar province comes as anti- Americanism already is boiling over in Afghanistan after U.S. troops burned Qurans last month and a video of Marines urinating on alleged Taliban corpses was posted on the Inter- net in January. If the attack unleash- es another wave of anti- foreigner hatred, it could threaten the future of the U.S.-led coali- tion's mission in Afghanistan. The events have also raised doubts among U.S. political fig- ures that the long and costly war is worth the sacrifice in lives and money. NATO and member countries said the slay- ings were a blow to the alliance's efforts to cul- tivate trust but would not affect the timeline to hand over security oper- ations to Afghans by the end of 2014. The White House said U.S. objec- tives will not change because of the killings. Shootings are new blow to Americans' support for Afghan war WASHINGTON (AP) — The weekend mas- sacre of Afghan civil- ians allegedly carried out by a U.S. soldier newly undermined the rationale for a war that a majority of Americans already thought wasn't worth fighting. But the Obama administration and its allies insisted Monday the horrific episode would not speed up plans to pull out for- eign forces. President Barack Obama called the episode ''absolutely tragic and heartbreak- ing,'' and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called it ''inex- plicable.'' But she told reporters at the United Nations in New York, ''This terri- ble incident does not change our steadfast dedication to protecting the Afghan people and to doing everything we can to build a strong and stable Afghanistan.'' Administration offi- cials were reacting to the weekend killing of 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children asleep in their beds. A U.S. Army staff sergeant is accused of slipping away from his base in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar and shooting nearby vil- lagers in their homes. Despite the deaths, ''Our strategic objec- tives have not changed and they will not change,'' White House press secretary Jay Car- ney said. Alabama and Mississippi next up Tuesday BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Republican presiden- tial contenders and their super PAC supporters campaigned aggressive- ly on land, through the mail and over the air- waves Monday on the eve of primaries in Alabama and Mississip- pi with the potential to solidify or shake Mitt Romney's standing as front-runner. In the Deep South, one of the most conserv- ative regions of the country, Romney and his Republican rivals polished their creden- tials with attacks on President Barack Obama's handling of the economy and the nation's use of energy. ''The dangers of carbon dioxide? Tell that to a plant, how dangerous carbon dioxide is,'' said Rick Santorum. But those criticisms were mere warm-up for the candidates going after each other. Gin- grich is struggling for survival in Tuesday's GROWNEY MOTORS 530-527-1034 primaries, and Santorum is laboring to redeem his claim that Romney can't secure the support of conservatives, partic- ularly evangelicals who are part of the party's key base. ''If the opportunity provides itself in an open convention, they're not going to nominate a moderate Massachusetts governor who has been outspend- ing his opponent 10-1 and can't win the elec- tion outright,'' Santo- rum said in a television interview as he cam- paigned across Alabama and Mississippi. Romney countered, also on television. ''We're closing the deal, state by state, delegate by delegate,'' he said, emphasizing his lead in the category that mat- ters most. Activists say gunmen killed 16 civilians in Syrian city BEIRUT (AP) — Syr- ian activists said Mon- day that pro-government gunmen killed at least 16 people, including some children, in a rebel stronghold recaptured by the government, fuel- ing concerns the govern- ment is carrying out reprisals in territory it has taken back. State media in Dam- ascus, which often ignores activists' claims, confirmed killings in Homs but blamed ''armed terrorists,'' as it frequently calls those behind the yearlong uprising against Presi- dent Bashar Assad's regime. At the United Nations, the U.S. and Russia clashed after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to the divided Security Coun- cil to speak with one voice and help Syria ''pull back from the brink of a deeper cata- strophe.'' Washington and Moscow both called for an end to the bloody conflict — but on differ- ent terms, leaving prospects for U.N. action in doubt. The reports of killings in the battered city of Homs added to concerns that the hun- dreds of civilian deaths caused by the fighting would be compounded by reprisals against opposition supporters in recaptured towns and neighborhoods. IT'S TAX SEASON! 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Egyptian truce efforts appeared to stall, as both sides said they were willing to keep fighting. Israeli Prime Minis- ter Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would keep striking those trying to harm Israeli civilians and that Israel is ''ready to broaden its operation.'' Gaza militants insist- ed that Israel stop firing first and that it promise to halt airstrikes aimed at killing Gaza militants for good, a guarantee Israel is unlikely to give. 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Main St., Red Bluff 530-527-8264 Jiffy Lube, the Jiffy Lube design mark and Jiffy Lube Signature Service are registered trademarks of Jiffy Lube International, Inc. ©2011 Jiffy Lube International, Inc. All Star • DOMESTIC • FOREIGN • PICK-UPS the Palestinians in their demands. Ambitious health care blueprint stresses state flexibility WASHINGTON (AP) — Fifty million people in America lack health insurance and the law says most of them must soon be provided cover- age. But how to deliver? The Obama adminis- tration Monday final- ized an ambitious blue- print for new state- based markets that will offer consumers one- stop shopping along the lines of amazon.com. It may sound simple enough, but getting there will be like run- ning an obstacle course. The rule comes just two weeks before the Supreme Court takes up a challenge to the con- stitutionality of the law in a case brought by states. Many governors and legislators are on the sidelines awaiting the outcome, even as time is running out to act. Starting Jan. 1, 2014, new health insurance markets called ''exchanges'' must be up and running in every state, the linchpin of a grand plan to make health insurance acces- sible and affordable to those who now struggle to find and keep cover- age. Individual con- sumers and small busi- nesses will be able to shop online for compet- itively priced coverage, and many will receive government subsidies to help pay premiums. ''More competition will drive down costs and exchanges will give individuals and small businesses the same purchasing power big businesses have today,'' Health and Human Ser- vices Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. Israeli plan for Iran operation is years old JERUSALEM (AP) — For more than a decade, Israel has systematically built up its military specifically for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. It has sent its air force on long-distance training missions, pro- cured American-made ''bunker-busting'' bombs and bolstered its missile defenses. Prime Minister Ben- jamin Netanyahu's threats to strike Iran, voiced last week during a high-pro- file visit to the White House, were not empty bluster. Although a unilat- eral Israeli attack would probably not destroy Iran's nuclear program, it appears capable, at least for now, of inflicting a serious blow. ''If Israel attacks, the intention is more to send a message of determina- tion, a political message instead of a tactical move,'' said Yiftah Shapir, a former Israeli air force officer who is now a military analyst at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv. Israel, along with the United States and other Western countries, believes Iran has taken key steps toward develop- ing nuclear weapons. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency has cited this con- cern in reports, but notes its inspectors have found no direct evidence that Iran is moving toward an atomic weapon. Israeli leaders, howev- er, argue that time is quickly running out. They have grown increasingly vocal in their calls for tough concerted interna- tional action against Iran while stressing they are prepared to act alone if necessary. Fired NASA specialist alleges discrimination LOS ANGELES (AP) — A computer specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is going to court over allegations that he was wrongfully termi- nated because of his belief in intelligent design. Openings statements in the lawsuit by David Coppedge were expected Monday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court. 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