Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6907
4B – Daily News – Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Taliban step up counterattacks against US forces MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters stepped up counterattacks Monday against Marines and Afghan soldiers in the mili- tant stronghold of Marjah, slowing the allied advance to a crawl despite Afghan gov- ernment claims that the insur- gents are broken and on the run. Taliban fighters appeared to be slipping under cover of darkness into compounds already deemed free of weapons and explosives, then opening fire on the Marines from behind U.S. lines. Also Monday, NATO said five civilians were accidental- ly killed and two wounded by an airstrike when they were mistakenly believed to have been planting roadside bombs in Kandahar province, east of the Marjah offensive. The airstrike happened one day after 12 people, half of them children, were killed by two U.S. missiles that struck a house on the outskirts of Marjah. Afghan officials said Monday that three Taliban fighters were in the house at the time of the attack. On the third day of the main attack on Marjah, Afghan commanders spoke optimistically about progress in the town of about 80,000 people, the linchpin of the Taliban logistical and opium poppy smuggling network in the militant-influenced south. Haiti's new boogeyman is fear of quake that could destroy capital PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Hundreds of houses that survived Haiti's killer quake still stand empty even as quake victims desperate for shelter crowd the streets. The reason is fear: Nobody is quite sure they can withstand another quake. At least 54 aftershocks have shuddered through Haiti's shattered capital since a Jan. 12 quake killed more than 200,000 people. They have toppled weakened build- ings faster than demolition crews can get to them, send- ing up new clouds of choking dust. On Monday, three chil- dren were killed when a school collapsed in the north- ern city of Cap-Haitien. It wasn't clear what caused the collapse, which occurred after a late-night tremor and heavy rains. ''I tried sleeping in the house for a night, but an aftershock came and I ran outside,'' said Louise Lafonte, 36, who beds down with her family of five in a tent beside her seemingly intact concrete house. ''I'm not going inside until the ground calms down.'' That may be awhile. Seis- mologists say more, damag- ing aftershocks are likely and there's even a chance of another large quake following quickly after the initial cata- strophe in the capital of 3 million people. In 1751, a large quake hit the island that Haiti shares with the Dominican Repub- lic. About a month later, another one destroyed Port- au-Prince. FAA: 2 dead, 3 missing in NJ plane crash WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A small plane preparing to land broke apart and nose-dived into a snowy field alongside a runway Monday, a witness reported. Two people are dead and three people are missing after the crash, which happened in an affluent section of the state, officials said. The crash was reported at 4 p.m. Monday at Monmouth Executive Airport, about 35 miles east of Trenton, said Federal Aviation Administra- tion spokesman Jim Peters. The weather was overcast, but no precipitation was falling. There's ''a very large debris field'' at the airport, Peters said. Details such as who was on the plane or even what kind of plane was involved were not immediate- ly available. Dana McNally, 39, of Wall, told the Asbury Park Press of Neptune that she wit- nessed the crash. McNally said it appeared the pilot was coming in for a landing and attempted to abort. But some- thing — possibly the tail of the plane — broke off, she said. The plane veered to the right and nose-dived into a snowy field alongside a run- way, McNally said. ''It hit face-first,'' McNal- ly said. ''It just went right in (to the field) nose first.'' Indiana's Evan Bayh announces he will retire from Senate WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Evan Bayh, a centrist Democrat from Indiana, announced Monday that he won't seek a third term in Congress, giving Republicans a chance to pick up a Senate seat. ''To put it in words I think most people can understand: I love working for the people of Indiana, I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love Congress,'' Bayh said at a news conference Indianapo- lis, where he was joined by his wife and two sons. The departure of Bayh, who was on President Barack Obama's short list of vice presidential candidate prospects in 2008, continues a recent exodus from Con- gress among both Democrats and Republicans, including veteran Democrats Christo- pher Dodd of Connecticut and Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island. The announcements have sprung up in rapid-fire fash- ion amid polls showing a ris- ing anti-incumbent fervor and voter anger over Washington partisanship, high unemploy- ment, federal deficits and lucrative banking industry bonuses. Obama thanked Bayh for his years of public service. At least 18 dead as Belgian train plows into 2nd commuter train BRUSSELS (AP) — A rush-hour commuter train sped through a red signal and slammed into an oncoming train as it left a suburban Brussels station Monday, killing at least 18 people and disrupting rail traffic in northern Europe. Investigations into one the worst accidents on the Bel- gian rails were likely to focus on whether human error was responsible or if it could have been influenced by the persis- tently freezing temperatures that have iced up the Euro- pean capital. Officials said 80 people were injured, 20 of them seri- ously, and the death toll — 15 men and three women — was not considered final. As dark- ness fell more than 10 hours later, rescuers were still look- ing for victims in the wreck- age, said Jos Colpin, the spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office. The fate of the two drivers was not immediately known, and officials said they were having difficulty identifying some of the victims. The trains, carrying a total of about 300 passengers, col- lided in light snow just out- side of the station at Buizin- gen about 9 miles (15 kms) from Brussels around 8:30 a.m. (0730 GMT). Clinton: Iran becoming a military dictatorship RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday Iran is sliding into a military dictatorship, a new assessment suggesting a rockier road ahead for U.S.- led efforts to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As the first high-level Obama administration offi- cial to make such an accusa- tion, Clinton was reflecting an ever-dimming outlook for persuading Iran to negotiate limits on its nuclear program, which it has insisted is intended only for peaceful purposes. The U.S. and others — including the two Gulf countries Clinton visited Sun- day and Monday — believe Iran is headed for a nuclear bomb capability. Clinton also was revealing the logic of the administra- tion's plan to target the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with a new round of international sanctions intended to compel Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions before it increases the likeli- hood of a military clash. Clinton flew to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, where Saudi Arabia's foreign minister expressed doubts about the usefulness of imposing more sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. In a joint appearance with Clinton, Prince Saud al-Faisal said that the threat posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions demands a more immediate solution than sanctions. He described sanc- tions as a long-term solution, and he said the threat is more pressing. The Saudi foreign minister didn't identify a pre- ferred short-term resolution. Clinton was driven in King Abdullah's private bus about 65 miles northeast to Rawdat Khurayim, a secluded royal hunting retreat where the vacationing king hosted her for lunch — and where a large-screen TV was on. Afterward they met privately in his elaborately appointed tent, which includes five crystal chandeliers in the reception room. Clinton also met with Saudi Foreign Min- ister Prince Saud al-Faisal in Riyadh and later was flying to Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. Relatives of slain professors question hiring alleged shooter HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Disclosures that an Alaba- ma professor accused of fatally shooting three col- leagues was twice questioned by criminal investigators years ago raised concerns Monday of why background checks didn't prevent her hir- ing at the school in 2003. University of Alabama in Huntsville officials were meeting privately to review the files concerning Amy Bishop, a Harvard-educated neurobiologist accused of pulling a gun at a Friday fac- ulty meeting and shooting six people, three fatally. Two of the survivors remained in critical condition Monday. Some victims' relatives questioned why UAH hired her in the first place after the disclosures about her involve- ment in the two criminal probes. She wasn't charged with a crime in either. An expert on background checks who's not involved in the case says the lack of charges made it less likely either case would have shown up when prospective employ- ers looked into her past. Professors who witnessed the shooting said Bishop had been ''unusually quiet'' dur- ing the meeting before pulling out a gun and firing, said professor Leland Cseke (CHEK'-ee). He joined them and other biology department colleagues at a gathering Sunday to mourn the dead and wounded. Hit squad killed Hamas leader DUBAI, United Arab Emi- rates (AP) — Dubai's police chief said Monday an 11- member hit squad carrying European passports and dis- guised in wigs, fake beards and tennis clothes was behind the mysterious killing of a Hamas commander in his hotel room last month. Authorities also released pho- tos of the 11. Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim did not directly impli- cate Israel, as the Islamic mil- itant group has. But the details he released at a news conference in the Gulf emi- rate are the most comprehen- sive accusations by Dubai authorities since the body of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found Jan. 20 in his luxury hotel room near Dubai's international airport. Tamim said it was possible that ''leaders of certain coun- tries gave orders to their intelligence agents to kill'' al-Mabhouh, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing. But he did not name any countries. Hamas has accused Israel and vowed revenge. Tamim sketched out a highly organized operation in the hours before the killing, clearly done with advance knowledge of the victim's movements, and said the killers spent less than a day in the country. He said forensic tests indicated al-Mabhouh died of suffocation, but lab analyses were still under way to pinpoint other possible fac- tors in his death. 34 deaths alleged in Toyotas WASHINGTON (AP) — Complaints of deaths con- nected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles have surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll reach- ing 34 since 2000, according to new consumer data gath- ered by the government. Complaints to a database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the popular Toyota Prius hybrid grew by nearly 1,000 in just over a week. On Monday, Transporta- tion Department spokes- woman Olivia Alair said NHTSA is quickly gathering information to help guide the government's examination of sudden acceleration, the Prius braking system and other safety issues. Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months because of problems with gas pedals, floor mats and brakes, threatening the safety and quality reputation of the world's No. 1 automak- er. The government typically receives a surge in complaints following a recall. None has yet been verified. The new complaints reflect the heightened awareness of the massive recalls among the public and underscore a flur- ry of lawsuits on behalf of drivers alleging deaths and injuries in Toyota crashes. Three congressional hearings are planned on the Toyota recalls. Scottie favored at top dog show NEW YORK (AP) — By noon, it had been quite a day for Razzle Dazzle. She'd already walked off with a repeat ribbon as the best bulldog at the Westminster Kennel Club show Monday, and now it was time for a catnap. So she put her big, wrinkled head down in her crate and tried to take a snooze. No luck. Minutes later, the backstage crowd at America's most prestigious dog show kept clamoring for a closer look. The 3-year-old bruiser woke, raised up and unleashed a full, throaty bark. Co-owner Robert Speiser did his best to shield her from all the commotion, pressing his body against the front of her crate. ''Go back to bed, honey,'' he whispered. WORLD BRIEFING