CLG News

2010-03-08T03:43:26Z

The Black Church Must Do More Than "Just Say No" to Homosexuality, By Gwen Richardson

2009-06-30T04:38:37Z

Over the past two months, I have waded into the national debate regarding gay marriage by writing two widely distributed editorials. These op-eds largely addressed the false comparison between African-American oppression and the push for gay rights. I am neither a member of a pro-family organization nor an official advocate for traditional marriage. I am a Christian, an Independent voter and private citizen who felt compelled to speak out in support of the African-American legacy and the traditional, nuclear family. But my experience over the past two months may be instructive for other Christians, the church in general and the Black church specifically as the fight to protect the next generation of children wages on.

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About 16 years ago, I was editor of a national public affairs magazine called "Headway," which was sold on newstands in major cities, including here in Houston. Our first edition focused on the issue of gays in the military, as President Clinton was poised to sign the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legislation. At that time, gays had started comparing themselves to Black people in terms of the discrimination faced by both groups and this angered me. Our first edition took issue with that comparison.

The magazine was published monthly and, a couple of weeks after it hit the newsstands, the distributor called us and said that one of the major supermarket chains in the affluent areas of Houston had pulled it from their shelves. Apparently, gays in the area complained to the management and our magazine was pulled, simply because we challenged the prevailing position advanced by homosexuals. So much for free speech and freedom of the press.

That incident taught me three things:

1) That gays tend to reside in high-income areas and have a lot of financial clout;

2) That they have political/economic influence and will not hesitate to exert it to silence anyone who opposes their point of view; and

3) That those in authority will often acquiesce to their demands.

I knew then that gay activists were a force to be reckoned with. The magazine ceased publication in 1999 and I have not written publicly on homosexuality since then. However, when Carrie Prejean, Miss California, was treated so shabbily and defrocked simply because she answered a direct question honestly, stating her belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, I could no longer sit on the sidelines. I realized that if gay activists would so viciously attack a Miss U.S.A. contestant -- a blonde-haired, beauty queen who is supposed to be a symbol of wholesomeness and American values -- and get away with it, then all of us who believe in traditional marriage are subject to the same treatment (or worse) if we don't start fighting back.

In the course of wading into this debate, I have reached the following conclusions regarding gay activists and the gay rights movement. One, it is nearly impossible to have a reasonable debate with gay rights activists. The usual rules for a reasoned debate are completely thrown out the window. Most resort to name-calling and personal attacks, an intimidation tactic that has been widely successful for them in the media and elsewhere.

Since my op-eds were published, I have been called everything but a child of God by gay activists, including an anti-gay bigot, a right-wing nut, a cow, a sow, a liar, a supremacist, an opportunist, ignorant, uneducated, filled with hate, backwards, and, of course, the "b" word. One gay Web site added me to its "enemies list" and encouraged its cohorts to bombard me with negative e-mails and harassing phone calls, all for merely exercising my right to free speech.

The few gay activists who attempt to provide some semblance of rationality operate under the assumption that whatever information they present is valid and whatever information the opposition presents is invalid. If one argues anything from the Biblical perspective, the response is that the Bible is a book that is thousands of years old and has no relevance to modern times. Gay activists also claim that the Bible supports slavery, which means they must not have read the book of Exodus where God brought several plagues upon the Egyptians for holding Hebrew slaves until they were freed, and then drowned Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea after the slaves were pursued.

If one argues that there is no scientific evidence of a gay gene or a biological basis for homosexuality, those scientific claims are deemed bogus. Yet, the pseudoscience gay activists bring forth, which is too new to be reliable and is biased because the researchers are largely pro-gay, has complete validity in their eyes. Gay activists will say that every gay person they know was born that way and is homosexual for life. But if one presents an opposing view, that there are homosexuals who were molested as children or experimented with homosexuality as adolescents and have subsequently been delivered by the power of Jesus Christ, the experience of these ex-homosexuals is merely anecdotal. After a certain point, I had to conclude that, as a Christian, I was throwing "pearls before swine" and these conversations were counterproductive.

The second, and most important, thing I learned is that the dramatic increase in the amount of homosexuality in our society is really a symptom of a larger problem: Because of the dissolution of the family, the absence of a positive male role model, and the self-centered approach many parents have toward child-rearing, too many of our children are left to their own devices, unsupervised and unmonitored by adults, and have become vulnerable to sexual predators and perversions. A series of online interviews with a group of young people called the Passion For Christ Movement (www.p4cm.com) is very enlightening.

Members of this youth group were previously involved in homosexuality or bisexuality and have been delivered through the power of Jesus Christ. During the interviews, they are very open about what led them down this road, without being graphic. Some of them were raised in homes where church attendance was expected, but most were not. Many of them say they were molested as children, some as early as 5 years old. The molestation opened the door to sexuality at a time when children should have all of their innocence intact.

Many of these young people then moved on to watching pornography, either on the Internet or with friends, while in middle school. As teenagers, some went online to chat rooms and dating sites and engaged in one-time sexual encounters, threesomes and orgies. Several said that they had to consume drugs or alcohol to relax their level of resistance. The media, with its 24/7 promotion of homosexuality, bisexuality and an "anything goes" attitude toward sex, fed their idea that what they were doing was the latest thing, even though many said their conscience told them otherwise. The MTV network was singled out as a channel which aggressively promotes both homosexuality and bisexuality. By the time they were in their early 20s, most of these young people felt as though they were in bondage and unable to break free. The entire time I was watching the interviews, my thought was: Where were the parents when all of this activity occurred?

The members of P4CM say they each, individually, cried out to God to save them and give them a heart that sought God's will for their lives. They were able to get support from the P4CM organization and have been able to stay free from homosexuality for several years. The young people also provided another insight regarding the quest to get free from the lifestyle: For the most part, the church offered nothing but condemnation and there was no support other than to say that homosexuality is an abomination.

I believe there are three things the church in general, and the Black church specifically, should do to address the issue of homosexuality:

Be informed. Because there are many aspects of this issue that believers may find distasteful, some may shy away from an awareness of the current culture that is pervasive throughout our society. In my opinion, this is a mistake, particularly for leaders of youth groups within the church. We, as believers, cannot put our heads in the sand and act as though these things are not happening. Our children and youth are confronting a powerful lure in terms of sexual perversion of all types and, because of the electronic age we live in, the opportunities to get involved in this are growing exponentially. Perhaps teens can partner with each other to form pacts to stay celibate. This was something that was tried successfully in the 1990s, and needs to be rekindled. We must have some knowledge about the cultural challenges our children are facing. To paraphrase the Bible: We must not be ignorant of Satan's devices.

Be supportive. As believers, we must offer homosexuals more than simply condemnation. Young people who are looking for a way out of the homosexual and bisexual lifestyles should be able to seek refuge and support at a Christian church. Just as many churches have programs for those who are seeking deliverance from alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking and other human frailties, a program for those who no longer wish to be bound by sexual sins should be considered. Those who have been delivered from sexual sins are going to be the best spokespeople to help others because they have the life experience to relate to those seeking help.

However, be prepared to be attacked by gay groups, who seem to be adamant about their stance that every homosexual was born gay. It is certainly true that some homosexuals have a predisposition toward this behavior, for whatever reason, but it is obvious that a substantial number of practicing homosexuals were either molested as children or started experimenting and simply got "caught up." Why should victims of molestation and people who simply made a mistake by experimenting be forced to continue to do something they no longer want to do? Indeed, it is our duty as Christians to offer a way of escape for those bound by this lifestyle.

Be vigilant. Despite the statements made by most gay activists to the contrary, they are indeed targeting churches for legal challenges to gay marriage and gay partnerships. Here are a few examples: In New York, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, an orthodox Jewish institution, refused to allow same-sex couples to live in married student housing. In 2001, the New York State Supreme Court forced them to do so.

In Massachusetts, Catholic Charities were ordered to accept homosexual couples in their adoption service or close down. They chose to shut down this service.

To the north of us in Canada, once gay marriage was legalized, it became illegal for religious leaders to say that homosexuality is a sin. If they do so, they are fined thousands of dollars by the government. If gay marriage is legalized in America, the same thing could happen here.

A Methodist church in New Jersey was sued by a gay couple who wanted to use one of the church's facilities for a wedding ceremony. The church declined the building's use, but the couple filed a discrimination complaint with the state's civil rights division and the church lost its tax exempt status.

The challenge to the Methodist church's tax exempt status was done on the grounds that the building used was open to the public. It appears that gay organizations have found the Achilles heel of the Christian church: Since a major tenet of the Christian faith is that the church's doors are open to the public to bring people to Christ, virtually any church building or property can be deemed a "public facility."

Churches regularly have youth rallies, barbecues, picnics, carnivals, concerts, etc., on their grounds to attract non-members and non-believers. This means that all churches are vulnerable to legal challenges from gay organizations. Churches may need to go on the offensive and counter-sue when these legal challenges are brought, arguing on the basis of the separation of church and state. The state should not force religious institutions to implement practices that are against their faith's principles - period.

Christian believers, and those of other faiths, must know that this is not going to be an easy fight, but it is a necessary one. Being attacked and called names simply for standing up for one's beliefs is never pleasant. But the early Christians had a much tougher fight than we have. We are blessed in that we do have the constitutional right to free speech without fear of government persecution. The persecution directed towards us by gay activists will be worth it, once we see that millions of young people have been saved from making potentially life-altering mistakes.

Gwen Richardson is an author and entrepreneur who resides in Houston, Texas.

Contact Info:

Gwen Richardson

grichardson@cushcity.com

God is Black?

2009-01-17T14:00:37Z

In the 1950s and '60s, god was a man named Alexander Scourby. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., of Greek immigrant parents and attended college in West Virginia, but he spoke in a "deep and resonant voice" (as Wikipedia puts it) and--here is the key point--with more than a touch of a British accent. Long after Britain had exhausted its resources in World War II and lost its empire, a British accent conveyed authority, dignity, power.

In Hollywood, they sometimes refer to an omniscient but unseen narrator as a VOG, short for voice of God. Scourby was the leading VOG of his day, in documentaries like Victory at Sea and numerous commercials. His was the voice in the first ever recording of the entire Bible, made in the 1940s. At that time, it was as natural to assume that God spoke with a British accent as it was to assume that he had a beard--or, for that matter, that he was a he.

Scourby died in 1985, after at least two complete recordings of the Bible and one of the Koran. Yes, in those days, even the Prophet Muhammad had a British accent. So who is God today? The answer is clear: he is James Earl Jones. Jones' voice is best known for five immortal syllables: "THIS [pause] is CNN." Jones is also the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. And his recording of the King James Version of the Bible has sold more than 400,000 copies. Jones' voice is even deeper and more resonant than Scourby's, but there is only a trace of a British accent. Jones is African American and sounds it.

The currently best-selling audio Bible, Inspired by ... the Bible Experience, has an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson and Forest Whitaker--all African American. Meanwhile, Jones' only real competition for the role of God--at least until Denzel Washington gets a bit older--is Morgan Freeman. Jones is the Old Testament God, fierce and forbidding. Freeman is the New Testament version, all wise and all knowing, to be sure, but more approachable. He has done it twice in movies, has been the VOG in commercials for Listerine and Visa cards, among other products, and was the inevitable choice as narrator for that excruciatingly adorable movie about penguins. Freeman told an Associated Press reporter a few months ago that he is "tired of playing God." Who can blame him? At least as Freeman plays him, God is a bit hard to take: so full of tough love and wry wisdom that you long to wear a wire and catch him soliciting $8 million bribes to admit you into heaven.

Brits and pseudo-Brits, in sum, have lost this franchise. If you're a casting director looking for a voice whose very timbre communicates authority, dignity, power, you might even go to Queen Latifah before you resort to Jeremy Irons. The reasons aren't hard to speculate about. The roots of this development go back at least to the 1930s and Paul Robeson's singing "Ol' Man River" in Showboat. The therapeutic notion that suffering confers dignity and authority has spread just as the suffering of African Americans over generations has become universally acknowledged. Above all, black American ministers have replaced British politicians, at least in perception, as the world's most eloquent public users of the English language. Our homegrown Martin Luther King Jr. has knocked Winston Churchill off his perch as the ideal.

What's most inspiring about this development is that it can't be faked. There is no element of affirmative action here. Sidney Poitier won't do. The point is not to be black but to sound black. And unlike the integration and near domination of African Americans in professional sports, this is not even a matter of genuine talent breaking down the floodgates. Plenty of white or white-sounding actors could say "THIS [pause] is CNN" as well as Jones. Most people who have heard that phrase a hundred times don't know whose voice it is and--unless the question is raised specifically--they aren't even consciously aware that the person is black. They relate to the voice on a subconscious level, and they associate it with power and authority.

Starting Jan. 20, the most powerful person in the world actually will be a black man. Although President Barack Obama is one of the greatest public speakers now practicing that art, he probably couldn't get hired as the anonymous voice-over spokesman for a brand of cereal because he doesn't sound black enough. Nevertheless, he is a beneficiary of this development. When God turned into an African American, it became less unthinkable that the President might be African American as well.

Source: TIME

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Rick Warren Praises Invitation of Homosexual Bishop for Inaugural Prayer

2009-01-17T13:57:08Z

Rick Warren, who has been under a cloud of controversy since it was announced that he will deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration, applauded the President-elect this week for also inviting the openly gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson to pray at the inaugural opening ceremony. ]]> "President-elect Obama has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground," Warren said in a statement. "I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen."

Warren, in recent weeks, has been barraged with criticism from gay rights advocates because of his support for the anti-gay marriage measure Proposition 8 and for comparing same-sex marriage with incest and pedophilia in an interview, although he later clarified that he doesn't believe gay partnerships are the same as the other two sexual behaviors.

Critics have called Obama to rescind his invitation to Warren, accusing the evangelical pastor of being a "homophobe." They also argue that the invitation contradicts Obama's promise to support greater gay and abortion rights.

Obama has, however, defended his selection of Warren saying that the inauguration will feature "a wide range of viewpoints" and one of the trademarks of America is its diversity.

Robinson was among the critics, calling the Warren invitation a "slap in the face," according to The Washington Post.

In 2003, Robinson became the first openly gay clergy to be elected bishop in The Episcopal Church. His appointment as bishop, among other issues, has sparked severe division in the Anglican Communion with conservative Episcopal churches and dioceses splitting off from the denomination.

The controversial bishop will give the prayer on the first day of formal inaugural events in Washington this Sunday.

In preparation for the event, the bishop said he has read inaugural prayers throughout history and was "horrified" at how "specifically and aggressively Christian they were," according to the New York Times.

For his prayer, Robinson said he is "very clear" that it "will not be a Christian prayer, and I won't be quoting Scriptures or anything like that."

"The texts that I hold as sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer," he said.

Robinson said he might make the prayer out to "the God of our many understandings."

He also said his partner of more than 20 years, Mark Andrew, would accept an invitation from the Obama team to join him in several inaugural events, according to the NY Times. The two had a civil union ceremony last summer in a New Hampshire church.

Source: Christian Today

Judge Won't Order Obama Not to Use 'So Help Me God' in Oath

2009-01-17T13:56:30Z

A federal judge on Thursday refused to order the words "so help me God" taken out of President-elect Barack Obama's oath of office next week or to prevent ministers from praying at the inauguration celebration.

]]> U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton turned down a request from a group of atheists and agnostics to force Chief Justice John Roberts not to add those words to the 35-word inaugural oath outlined in the Constitution.

The group, led by California atheist Michael Newdow, also wanted to prohibit Obama's chosen inaugural ministers, the Revs. Joseph Lowery and Rick Warren, from offering prayers at Tuesday's inauguration.

Newdow, who lost a Supreme Court battle to get the words "under God" taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance, has failed in similar challenges to the use of religious words and prayers at President George W. Bush's inaugurations.

The presidential oath of office dictated by the Constitution is 35 words long and reads: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The National Archives says George Washington added the words "so help me God" when he took the oath at his 1789 inaugural, and most presidents have used it since. However, some have argued that the first eyewitness account of a president using those words came at President Chester Arthur's inauguration in 1881.

Obama already has told Roberts he wants to use the words "so help me God" when he takes the oath.

Walton said he didn't have the authority to order Obama not to say the words, saying the president-elect had a right to free speech. The judge also questioned whether he had the authority to give the chief justice an order not to say "so help me God" after the oath.

Newdow argued that the inclusion of those words was an unconstitutional intrusion of religion into government. Roberts is acting in his capacity as a constitutional officer in giving the oath, he argued, so it didn't matter that Obama has asked him to alter it to include "so help me God."

"He has no right to do what the president-elect has asked him to do when it violates the Constitution," Newdow said.

Walton also said he didn't think that prayer at the ceremony "is somehow going to give the impression that the government is endorsing religion."

Walton also complained about the lateness of the filing, saying that there was not enough time to get the case litigated and appealed before next week's inauguration. He did not throw the case out, however, instead only refusing to stop the inauguration.

Source: Christian Post

Where Will the Obamas Worship?

2009-01-17T13:55:55Z

Where will President Barack Obama attend church in Washington? Thanks to revelations about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ (UCC) in Chicago, Mr. Obama's church shopping requires more careful political contemplation than a new president typically needs.]]> But his ultimate choice likely will be a noncontroversial church, suitable for young children, with a brief commute and tightly scheduled worship that gets the president back home early on Sunday mornings.

Even so, Washington provides such a wealth of opportunities that more factors than those will come into play. Mr. Obama's own background could point him in several possible directions. His mother, Ann Dunham, was a spiritual seeker drawn to many religions. Both of her husbands were nominal Muslims. Mr. Obama's maternal grandparents were Unitarians.

Mr. Obama's early Chicago activism took him to Trinity. At an altar call, he professed faith in Christ. Trinity is a black congregation within the nearly all white 1.2 million United Church of Christ. Although it originated with New England's Puritans, the UCC has mostly shed its strict Calvinism of past centuries and arguably is America's most liberal mainline Protestant denomination.

A UCC church in Washington could be a comfortable fit for a former member of Chicago's Trinity. Trinity's social liberalism -- on issues of gay rights and abortion rights, for instance -- is more like that of other UCC congregations than of historically black denominations, which typically are theologically conservative. The 2.5 million member African Methodist Episcopal Church, for instance, voted unanimously in 2004 to prohibit same-sex unions. Pastor Wright's flamboyant preaching style echoes that seen in many black churches. But his radicalized Social Gospel more resembles that of white mainline Protestants.

Mr. Obama seems to share the cool rationalism of the UCC's liberal New England roots more than the evangelistic and emotive black church tradition. Talking to the Chicago Sun-Times about his faith in 2004, he cited his "suspicion of dogma" and "too much certainty," and said he preferred a "dose of doubt" in religion. Somewhat deflecting questions about prayer, Jesus and the afterlife, Mr. Obama defined sin as "being out of alignment with my values."

In 2007, Mr. Obama addressed the UCC's governing synod. "Doing the Lord's work is a thread that's run through our politics since the very beginning," he told an enthusiastic audience of 9,000. Despite Mr. Obama's resignation from Trinity after the Wright controversy, John Thomas, president of the UCC, wrote to him after his November win, speaking of the denomination's pride and hope in the president-elect and offering him the "hospitality" of its congregations in Washington.

All this suggests that Mr. Obama could choose one of the UCC's seven churches in the nation's capital, two of which are predominantly black. Or, will he gravitate instead to one of the city's historically black denominations in a majority black city? Whatever denomination attracts him, will he choose a white or racially diverse church?

The guessing game has been going on for a while now, but it often ignores the importance of location and duration. Presidential churches usually lie within one short mile of the White House, and have short, one-hour services. Typical black-church worship is longer. Newly inaugurated George W. Bush learned this when he attended an exuberant two-hour service at a black congregation on Capitol Hill. Though he is a Methodist, Bush settled on convenient St. John's Episcopal, one block from the White House.

Time magazine has suggested that President Obama might attend the multiracial Grace Episcopal, only three blocks away, noting that several members of Abraham Lincoln's cabinet worshiped there. But perhaps Time forgot that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was also a regular at Grace in the days before the Civil War. Now liberal and socially progressive, Grace Episcopal nevertheless uses a liturgy that may seem too formal for Mr. Obama, accustomed to the UCC's minimal use of ritual.

So, how about First Congregational UCC, where Calvin Coolidge worshiped? Only six blocks from the White House, it was founded by abolitionists, is liberal politically, and has a multiracial congregation. But the old sanctuary is being replaced with a glass office building, whose ground floor will house worship in the future. President Obama may prefer a more settled venue.

If so, he could worship at Grace Reformed UCC, where Teddy Roosevelt attended services, just seven blocks away. The stately original sanctuary is now surrounded by a neighborhood of hip, condo-owning yuppies. A special room displays Roosevelt relics, and undoubtedly the church would like to add some artifacts of a more recent president to its collection.

A few blocks closer to the White House stands the imposing Washington City Church, which Lyndon Johnson frequented. Part of the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), its nonritualistic, low-church worship resembles the UCC's. The church hosts annual rallies by liberal evangelical Jim Wallis, a strong Obama promoter.

Mr. Obama probably is not likely to attend Foundry United Methodist, where the Clintons worshiped (and whose then-pastor defended Bill during Monicagate). But nearby is First Baptist, where Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter prayed. More liberal than most Baptist churches, it has a female interim pastor.

If Mr. Obama prefers a black congregation, Asbury United Methodist Church, just seven blocks from the White House, promises a 55-minute, 8:30 a.m. service. Like Chicago's Trinity, Asbury is a black church in a 90% white denomination. But Asbury's clergy are traditional black preachers who mostly avoid controversy. And it touts a popular Sunday school that might suit Mr. Obama's daughters well.

My prediction? Even closer to the White House is New York Avenue Presbyterian, where Abraham Lincoln's original pew still sits. In Lincoln's day, the church was nonpolitical and traditionalist. Today, its liberal perspective might suit Mr. Obama well. And sitting where the Great Emancipator often sat might provide symbolism and inspiration that are impossible for the new president to resist.

Source:

Israel Puts Pressure on Hamas Before Truce Vote

2009-01-17T13:50:21Z

Israeli forces pounded dozens of Hamas targets early Saturday as the army kept up pressure on the Islamic militant group ahead of a crucial vote on whether to end Israel's punishing three-week-long campaign against Gaza's rulers.]]> The military said it struck some 50 Hamas targets. In one attack, a shell struck a United Nations school packed with refugees fleeing the fighting, witnesses and the U.N. said, killing two Palestinians and drawing a sharp condemnation from the U.N.

Israel had no comment on the incident, the latest in a string of attacks to hit a U.N. installation.

Israel was pressing ahead with its offensive hours before a vote by its leaders late Saturday on whether to accept an Egyptian-brokered truce.

The vote followed Friday's signing of a "memorandum of understanding" in Washington between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that calls for expanded intelligence cooperation to prevent Hamas from rearming. Livni called the deal, reached on the final working day of the Bush administration, "a vital complement for a cessation of hostility."

Israel's 12-member Security Cabinet was expected to approve the Egyptian proposal, under which fighting would stop immediately for 10 days. Israeli forces would remain in Gaza and the territory's border crossings with Israel and Egypt would remain closed until security arrangements are made to prevent Hamas arms smuggling.

Under the deal, Egypt would shut down weapons smuggling routes with international help and discussions on opening Gaza's blockaded border crossings--Hamas' key demand--would take place at a later date.

It remained unclear whether Hamas supports the proposal, sending mixed signals about whether it would accept the cease-fire proposal. In Turkey, a spokesman for the movement, Sami Abu Zuhri, said Saturday that militants would keep fighting.

Hamas "will not bow to invading forces, will not raise the white flag," he said.

But after weeks of heavy losses, leaders inside Gaza have signaled they are ready for a deal. A Hamas delegation was headed to Cairo on Saturday for more negotiations.

"Our movement is a main player and it cannot be ignored," said Ghazi Hamad, a Gaza-based Hamas official.

Hamas, which overtook the Gaza Strip in a violent coup in June 2007, has demanded an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the opening of blockaded border crossings.

Israel launched the offensive on Dec. 27 to try to halt near-daily Hamas rocket attacks against southern Israel. Palestinian medics say the fighting has killed at least 1,140 Palestinians--roughly half of them civilians--and Israel's bombing campaign caused massive destruction in the Gaza Strip. Thirteen Israelis have been killed, four by rocket fire and nine in ground battles in Gaza, according to the government.

Israel Radio reported that a truce summit could be held in Cairo as early as Sunday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Israeli leaders in attendance.

In the meantime, there was no slowdown in the offensive. A total of 11 Palestinians were killed in battles throughout Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian medics said.

Israeli warplanes dropped bombs throughout the night on suspected smuggling tunnels in the southern border town of Rafah. The bombs could be heard whistling through the air, shook the ground upon impact and left a dusty haze in the air.

In the northern town of Beit Lahiya, an Israeli shell struck a U.N. school where 1,600 people had sought shelter to flee the fighting, said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

He said several shells struck the school compound, including a direct hit on the top floor of the building. The shell killed two boys, and turned a room on the building's into a blackened mess of charred concrete and twisted metal bed frames. Near Gaza City, Palestinian officials said three more civilians were killed by a naval shell, and a militant was killed in an airstrike.

Gunness condemned the school attack, saying the U.N. has given Israel the coordinates of all its operations in Gaza to avoid such violence. "There have to be investigations to see if war crimes have been committed," he said.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment, saying the matter was still under investigation. But in similar instances, including an attack that heavily damaged the U.N. headquarters in Gaza earlier this week, Israel has accused Hamas militants of staging attacks from U.N. and other civilian buildings.

The military said its planes struck 50 Hamas locations overnight, including rocket-launching sites, smuggling tunnels, weapons storehouses, bunkers and minefields. Some five rockets were fired into Israel, causing minor damage but no injuries, the army said.

Israeli troops entered a small central Gaza town and nearby housing project, taking over houses and positioning on rooftops. Hamas militants fired assault rifles, mortars and rockets at the Israeli forces in tanks and military vehicles, the sound of clashes audible from Gaza City. Warplanes fired missiles at buildings and nearby farms, witnesses said.

"A shell landed in my bedroom and we are now sitting in the kitchen. We are 17 people here," said Jihan Sarsawi, a resident of the housing project. Speaking by telephone, she said residents were trapped in their homes.

The violence followed Israeli envoy Amos Gilad's journey to Cairo on Friday. He returned to report "substantial progress" in truce talks with Egyptian mediators, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office announced. The Israeli vote comes ahead of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, and Israeli elections next month.

In an interview with the Israeli YNet news Web site, Livni indicated that Israel would renew its offensive if Hamas militants continued to fire rockets at Israel even after a truce agreement was reached.

"This campaign is not a one-time event," she said. "The test will be the day after. That is the test of deterrence."

Speaking in Washington, she said the deal with the U.S. was meant "to complement Egyptian actions and to end of the flow of weapons to Gaza."

The agreement outlines a framework under which the United States commits detection and surveillance equipment, as well as logistical help and training to Israel, Egypt and other nations to be used in monitoring Gaza's land and sea borders.

Earlier, Rice said she hoped European countries would work out similar bilateral agreements with Israel.

Source: AP

Mayor Accused in Sex Sting to Skip Inauguration (Video)

2009-01-17T13:45:41Z

Racine Mayor Gary Becker's plans to attend Tuesday's inauguration have been canceled after he was charged in an Internet sex sting.]]> Becker had planned to attend a U.S. Conference of Mayors event in Washington over the weekend and then stay for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

But that was before he was arrested Tuesday night at a suburban Milwaukee shopping mall. Authorities said he went there to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl but actually was a state agent.

A criminal complaint filed against him Thursday included sexually explicit chats he had with the other person. He faces six felony charges and has been freed on $165,000 cash bond.

Becker's defense attorney did not return a message left Thursday seeking comment on the charges.

City Administrator Ben Hughes said canceling Becker's airline ticket and a four-night stay in an expensive D.C. hotel will cost the city hundreds of dollars. He said city officials learned this week that Becker chose the most expensive of three options -- at $550 a night -- when booking hotel accommodations.

The money for three nights will be refunded, and Midwest Airlines agreed to allow the city to use Becker's $400 ticket for another official's travel in the next 12 months, Hughes said.

The city also has removed Becker's picture that had greeted visitors to the Racine Web site.

"With everything going on I felt it was not appropriate for his picture and his welcome to remain on the Web site," said City Council President David Maack on Friday. Maack is serving as acting mayor.

Top city officials are planning to discuss Tuesday removing Becker from office if he does not resign.

Source: Freep.com

Obama Gets Mixed Evangelical Reaction

2009-01-17T13:40:19Z

Nearly halfway through his victory speech on Election Night in Chicago's Grant Park, Barack Obama reached out to those Americans who had voted for his opponent, John McCain. "I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too."

One demographic that Obama did not win over that night was evangelical Christians. According to exit polls, McCain won them, 74%-24%.

Just four days until the inauguration, it has become a reality that for millions of evangelicals, the incoming president who -- despite his controversial decision to have mega-church pastor Rick Warren deliver the inaugural invocation -- was not their candidate of choice.

So how are they anticipating the start of an Obama administration? As it turns out, the response to the president-elect is across the board -- in fact, as diverse as the members of the evangelical church in America are.

Even the term "evangelical" makes a number of their leaders bristle. They're quick to point out that the movement today reflects a broad range of views that mobilizes its members as easily around environmental activism and Darfur, as it does abortion and gay marriage.

And in that diversity, there are some early signs that despite their overwhelming support for McCain, evangelical leaders are not monolithically opposed to Obama or his incoming administration.

Indeed, even with their anti-abortion views, there seem evangelicals who are willing -- for the time being at least -- to give Obama a chance to lead, before mobilizing against his administration.

"This is an interpretative moment for evangelicals," said Tony Carnes, a writer for Christianity Today and a sociologist at the Values Institute in New York. "They are asking -- what does the unpopularity and performance of George W. Bush, the defeat of McCain and the victory of Obama mean for them?"

Rick Warren -- an early signal

Obama's choice of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the inauguration has been an encouraging early sign of inclusion to many evangelical leaders.

Richard Land, outspoken evangelical leader with the Southern Baptist Convention who was named "God's lobbyist" by Time magazine's list of 25 most influential evangelicals, brimmed with pride at Warren's selection. "It was a good indication to evangelicals and others [that the] president-elect meant what he said when he wanted to build bridges," he said.

Land says he received a call from Obama's religious affairs director, Joshua DuBois, after Warren had been chosen. "Dubois told me that this was very intentionally done and that he, the president-elect, was the originator of the idea. He wanted to send the signal that you can disagree with him on some issues but still have a place with him at the table and work together on other issues of agreement."

Those sentiments were shared by Florida mega-church pastor Joel Hunter, the author of "A New Kind of Conservative."

"I have been very encouraged with how President-elect Obama has taken the initiative to include evangelicals in the conversation. He's listened with an attentive ear." In fact, Hunter, a registered Republican, delivered the benediction at the Democratic National convention and joined fellow ministers to pray with Barack Obama on Election Day.

Obama also scores high marks for how he handled the criticism from gay rights activists after the Warren announcement. "He didn't get too defensive. He said this is a picture of how we're going to operate. I don't think he betrayed the gay and lesbian deferences that he has. In all his speeches, he stands up for gay and lesbian rights," Hunter said.

Waiting and seeing

Other evangelical leaders, however, are taking a wait-and-see approach to see exactly how candidate Obama actually wields power in the White House.

Pastor Tony Evans from the Dallas Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship is well accustomed to the intersection of presidential politics and faith. He was one of the first spiritual leaders whom then-Gov. George W. Bush reached out to -- seeking prayer and counsel -- before he launched his first presidential bid.

"From an evangelical standpoint, there was great affinity for [President Bush's] spiritual priorities. In my case, he's a friend, and because I knew of his faith, there is that sense of loss. But I'm not ready to say that all of that is gone with Obama. I don't want to pre-judge him."

Yet Evans says it's important for the evangelical church in America to soberly take in the message of November 4. "It is a wake up call... It means we can't be totally committed to politics. I don't believe our answers will ultimately come in on Air Force One."

"From a Christian perspective," he added, "God is an independent. He doesn't ride the backs of elephants or donkeys."

And indeed, there are those leaders who seem to giving Obama a chance to lead before making a judgment.

John Hagee, the San Antonio based televangelist and founder of Christians United for Israel, says he is respecting the wishes of the American people and their choice of Obama. "Sen. Barack Obama is our president-elect, and we are commanded to pray for him. We must pray that God will give him the wisdom of Solomon to lead America through our present crisis," he said.

Hagee was last in the spotlight after the McCain campaign sought his endorsement, only to later publicly reject it after Catholic leaders, among others, expressed outrage and accused Hagee of waging a war against the Catholic church.

Yet even Hagee's own words hint at the prospect of a future showdown. "Our respect and prayers do not prevent us from continuing to speak out and speak out strongly when we disagree on Biblical issues with the president. Like all other Americans, we evangelicals must continue to be engaged in the democratic process even after Election Day."

Hagee isn't alone in foreshadowing that the new president will encounter some rough stretches when it comes to social conservatives and evangelicals in the days ahead.

Jay Sekulow, a constitutional lawyer with the American Center for Law and Justice and ardent advocate of conservative and evangelical causes, puts it far more bluntly: "I wouldn't call it fear and loathing. I think it's a realization that things are going to be different and significantly different."

"He's not one of us"

Weeks ago, Obama responded to criticism about Warren's invitation from the left and gay activists by stressing his philosophy of inclusion, even with those he disagreed with. "That's part of the magic of this country is that we are diverse and noisy and opinionated," he said.

But there are those in the evangelical tent who aren't exactly angling for a place at the table, even though a good number of prominent evangelicals are at least willing to wait and see.

Joe Watkins -- an ordained minister, MSNBC political analyst, and former White House aide to the first President Bush -- describes it this way: "The concern for evangelicals is that he either doesn't share their core beliefs in God's infallible word or he isn't willing to support Christian faith and values issues as president. While he doesn't appear to be openly hostile to evangelicals, effectively opposing the issues that they care about has the same effect."

George Barna, the evangelical pollster and researcher of the Barna Group, echoes that sentiment. "His first act in office would be to sign an executive order that allows abortion," he said. "That, more than anything, has sent the signal to evangelicals -- he's not one of us, he will not be one of us, we've got to do something."

And Barna points not only to immediate actions, but also the real fears he claims evangelicals have about Obama's election. "He may be in office maybe four years or eight years, but his impact will be felt for 30 years. he will change the Supreme Court. They realize this going to be a long, hard stretch. I don't know if fear or it's distaste or mistrust. But certainly, they realize that they have very little in common."

Abortion, the defining moral issue

And over and over again, many evangelicals say it comes down to one moral issue that prevents them from wholeheartedly embracing the 44th president: abortion.

Obama's pro-choice position remains a nearly insurmountable obstacle for some evangelicals, such as Chuck Colson who said he responded "with joy that we have elected our first African-American president."

Colson, the former Nixon aide who went to prison for his role in Watergate, now leads Prison Fellowship, a Christian ministry that supports prisoners and their families. "I pray for him every day, ever since he was elected. I want him to succeed. I like a lot of his cabinet picks," he said.

"But do I consider him an evangelical? No. If he's comfortable with his faith, I wouldn't challenge him on it. But I have reservations about how serious a Christian he is and not treat life as sacred. The Bible is unequivocal about it."

Jay Sekulow predicts that any forward movement on Obama's part to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) as he's pledged to do will "cause a revolt in the evangelical community."

Obama's not the center of the universe

Despite some of this angst and opposition in evangelical quarters, there are still others, like Franklin Graham -- eldest son of "the nation's pastor" Billy Graham -- who are urging Christians to look less toward the White House and further out into the world.

"Some Christians have gotten sucked into analyzing political polls and cultural issues," said Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "This is not a true picture of Christianity. Christians are called to exemplify the love of God that compels mankind to consider their past, their present, and their future."

Source: MSNBC

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What's Next for the Anti-Abortion Movement? (Audio)

2009-01-17T13:35:39Z

Barack Obama's election dealt a blow to abortion opponents, who now have less hope of overturning Roe v. Wade during his term. Experts weigh in on the possibility of shifting the movement's strategy from court battles to a focus on services to reduce or eliminate abortions.

Guests:

Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice

The Rev. Thomas Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theologiocal Center at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue

Click Here to Listen

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President Atta Mills of Ghana and Pulpit Wisdom

2009-01-17T11:00:23Z

The continent's man of the moment and President of Ghana, Prof. John Atta Mills, must be a typical African afterall. There is a place for God and the spiritual in his life.

]]> But it is not significant, even negligible to attribute any gains in Africa, moral or scientific, to its reliance on the god-factor; and as such seeing Atta Mills waxing lyrical at a media conference inside the Synagogue Church of All Nations, in Lagos, last Sunday, was somewhat representative of Africa's over-reliance on things of the spirit in ordinary civil matters.

From Abuja where he had attended the meeting of the Presidents of the Economic Community of West African States, the Ghanaian president flew straight to Lagos to meet with his new spiritual mentor, Prophet Temitope Joshua, for a thanksgiving service.

We did not see him roll on the floor, with hands lifted up in a pious display of submission and gratitude, as Adebayo Alao-Akala did in Ibadan after emerging as the governor of Oyo State in 2007. But crediting God with his electoral victory and claiming that his election as president, on the strength of Joshua's prediction, was a "lesson for those who did not believe in God" as Atta Mills did was, frankly, rather improper and un-presidential.

Granted that religious belief or non-belief has always been an important part of people's life, but prescriptive and judgmental views on faith, especially from elected officials, should be discouraged, lest such public officials are accused of faith advertising.

It is not sufficient an argument that he won simply because it had been predicted; or that the predictor automatically qualifies as a mentor on the basis of assuring a former vice-president who had lost twice that his hour had come.

To go with such an argument would amount to suggesting that almost half of the Ghanaians who voted for the opposition candidate but who might be religious, or even those who voted for Atta Mills but may not subscribe to any religious creed would be expected to take their president's faith lesson as infallible wisdom.

He may be a product of a vaunted electoral process, but to reduce such an important civic accomplishment to prophetic genuflections is to be uncharitable to the development that took place in his country.

But rather than be swayed by His Excellency's sermons, the Ghanaian Daily Guide online news service would, instead, want the world to believe that his spiritual sojourn in Nigeria, first undertaken early in 2008, was to overcome some challenges.

"Prof. Atta Mills has taken his case to a church in Nigeria for spiritual cleansing, following revelations that he was under spiritual siege," the publication wrote in its February 26, 2008 edition.

For a man who allegedly once visited China on 'medical vacation' and spent four weeks in South Africa receiving treatment for certain ailments, Atta Mills' affinity to prophetic christianity may just be health-induced, even though he had only confessed to receiving treatment for sinusitis and cataract.

I confess that I do not understand the brand of charismatic faith that obtains at the Synagogue in Lagos; I wish I did. And on that basis, I cannot debate its veracity on any ground. But being aware that the whole concept of spiritual tourism gained grounds there, with hundreds of foreigners coming on a daily basis for either healing or what is euphemistically described as spiritual tourism, the news from that part of Lagos has always kept the media rather intrigued.

Whites now outnumber blacks, at least on television. Celebrated visitors keep rising. From Liberia's ex-warlord, Yormie Johnson, to an American ex-Mr. Universe, and even to Paul Dhanakran, an Indian but internationally acclaimed evangelist and mentor to world Pentecostal leaders, had visited to receive healing. It is even said, as I heard in South Africa at a time, that if any member of the ruling class in Swaziland had a mosquito bite and felt feverish, he would be on the next available flight to Nigeria for healing.

So, when a national honour was extended to the man in the Synagogue lately, it could be insinuated that it might be the reward for either the contribution to the country's GDP from religious tourists or for being identified as a potent candidate that can bring the kind of healing that is desperately needed in the seat of power in Abuja. Such is the importance, albeit often mired in controversy, that Atta Mill's spiritual mentor attracts.

It could be asked, therefore, if Nigerians should feel honoured that the Ghanaian President, a Methodist, Professor of Law and former Fulbright scholar, has joined in crediting us with some achievement as the custodian of a rare servant to whom foreigners can run for guidance and mentorship, even if we are unable to hold free and fair elections or provide stable electricity.

In other words, should Nigeria through Joshua, accept the honour of being a 'point of contact' for Ghana in selecting its president?

But by so doing, it may be instructive to note that Atta Mills not being the first president to seek assistance from the Synagogue, a plea for caution may be necessary. In 1999, Frederick Chiluba, who led Zambia as the president between 1991 and 2001, once spent a weekend under Joshua's care in Lagos and declared that his post-presidential era would be dedicated to God. It is, of course, needless to remind Atta Mills that allegations of corruption and protracted litigation, on Chiluba and his wife, Regina, have kept him away from the promised pupilage in Lagos.

The argument for caution might even be stretched to accommodate celebrated cases of short-lived romance between spiritual mentors and politicians. The case between Barack Obama and his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, readily comes to mind. In the heat of electioneering, when Wright's church in Chicago was perceptibly preaching afrocentrism and George Bush-bashing, Obama had to take his leave.

Just in case there is a doubt as to why Obama had to denounce the church that described itself as "unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian," Wright's views on the Clintons might help: "Some argue that blacks should vote Clinton (Hillary) because her husband was good to us," he once said while preaching, "that's not true, he did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky."

In leaving the church, Obama rejected needless moral judgments, inspired by religion.

Therefore, Joshua may be right in his elementary appraisal of what governance should be, when he urged Atta Mills to remember the downtrodden and the destitute in his administration. But, another viewpoint worth considering for him is that though they have never been separated, politics and religion make poor bedfellows. And in Nigeria, especially, which he now relies on for spiritual mentorship, bringing God into governance often stirs the hornet's nest.

Source: PunchNG.com

Inspirational Deaf-Blind Teacher, Poet Retires

2009-01-17T10:57:52Z

His memories of Helen Keller are vivid, if not entirely favorable: She had big hands, a forceful personality, and not much of a sense of humor.

]]> But none of that kept Bob Smithdas from working with Keller, icon of the deaf and blind, to persuade Congress to create and fund the Helen Keller National Center in the 1960s. At the Sands Point facility, people who are deaf and blind -- as is Smithdas -- are taught a range of life skills from communicating to cooking so they can live wherever they want to.

Smithdas, 83, retired Friday as the center's director of community education, a post that capped a 65-year-career as an inspiration and an instigator for improvements in the way deaf and blind people lead their lives.

"There have been two giant role models for the deaf-blind person over the last century: Helen Keller and Bob Smithdas," said Carl Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind.

In honor of his retirement, Smithdas has been cited in a congressional resolution sponsored by Rep. Gary Ackerman. In addition, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has declared Friday "Robert Smithdas Day" in honor of the western Pennsylvania native.

Smithdas was the first deaf-blind man to receive a college degree, graduating from St. John's University 50 years after Keller got her bachelor's from Radcliffe. He was the first deaf-blind person to earn a master's degree (NYU, 1953). He has four honorary degrees from universities around the country.

In 1965, he was named "Handicapped American of the Year" by the President's Committee on Employment of People Who Are Disabled. A decade later, he married Michelle Craig, who also is deaf and blind; she works as an instructor at the Keller Center.

"I feel that what I was doing was creating a pathway for other deaf-blind people to follow," he said during an interview at a diner near his Port Washington home. An interpreter used hand-in-hand signals to communicate with him.

Smithdas lost his nearly all his hearing and sight when he was about 4 after contracting cerebrospinal meningitis. The language he had learned up to then deteriorated, and he was taught Tadoma, a method of communication in which the deaf-blind person places his thumb on the speaker's lips and his fingers along the jawline to understand what is being said.

It led to an unhappy encounters with Keller.

"I had heard that Helen could speak and I wanted to feel her speak, so I reached out to put my hands on her face, hoping that she would speak to me that way," Smithdas recalls. "But to my surprise she slapped my hand away. I wasn't amused. I thought it was a crude gesture."

Smithdas began writing poems as a youngster and has published two collections, "City of the Heart" (1966) and "Shared Beauty" (1983). The Poetry Society of America named him Poet of the Year for 1960-61.

He has also written an autobiography, "Life at My Fingertips."

"I was a model, a representative of the deaf-blind community," he says. "Even if I didn't know it."

Smithdas said he and others had been arguing for a decade for a place like the Keller Center, but it took a rubella outbreak in 1963 and 1964, which produced thousands of deaf-blind babies, to get the center opened.

Joseph McNulty, executive director of the Keller Center, remembers meeting a mother who was touring the facility.

"She came out of Bob's office crying. She told me that when her daughter was born, and she learned she was deaf-blind, reading Bob's life story kept her sane. She said, `Finally meeting him brought me to tears.'"

Journalist Barbara Walters, who spoke at Smithdas' retirement luncheon Friday, said Smithdas was remarkable.

"Truly, the most memorable person I had ever met was Robert Smithdas," she said. "I remember going to Bob's house, and he cooked me a meal. I was amazed he was able to do this and didn't burn his hands."

Source: AP

Major Troop Decisions for Afghanistan War Await Obama

2009-01-17T10:55:29Z

Lingering decisions on how quickly the Pentagon can get U.S. forces out of Iraq and into Afghanistan are being pushed off until after the Obama administration takes over next week as military commanders continue to wrangle over where the troops are needed most.

]]> By the end of this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to approve sending more Marines to southern Afghanistan, effectively lowering their numbers in Iraq's western Anbar province, and he may also endorse deploying an Army brigade equipped with armored Stryker vehicles. Senior military officials say there is general agreement to cut back on the 22,000 Marines in Iraq, but Army officials have concerns about how to free up the Stryker unit.

As the Pentagon looks to double the existing force in Afghanistan, the overall cast of the military's growing force in Afghanistan is becoming clearer: Commanders want to beef up the expeditionary units and trainers in the south and east with enough new troops to stem the violence without becoming an occupying force that would alienate the Afghan population.

Their challenge, however, is to get troops out into the hundreds of tiny villages in the volatile southern region, where the Taliban insurgency has been centered. To do that, Gen. David McKiernan, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has asked for more mobile forces and believes the strykers will allow soldiers to move more easily along the rugged trails to the widely dispersed tribal enclaves.

Stryker brigades come outfitted with several hundred eight-wheeled, 19-ton Stryker vehicles, which offer greater protection than a Humvee and are more maneuverable than the heavily armored mine-resistant vehicles that are being used across Iraq.

With generals heading the Iraq war reluctant to give up troops, and those in Afghanistan demanding more help, Pentagon officials have been struggling to stretch an already-strained force to meet both needs. But as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office, there is already increasing pressure to more rapidly reduce forces in Iraq, to meet Obama's stated intention to make Afghanistan a higher priority.

A key unanswered question -- which will ultimately determine the size and makeup of the force -- is what the Obama administration's goal in Afghanistan will be.

Will he continue President George W. Bush's emphasis on spreading freedom and democracy? That would create the need for an extensive, lengthy and diverse effort to stabilize and modernize the weak Afghan government, build infrastructure and require a commitment for decades or more.

Or will he say the mission is simply to do enough military damage there to ensure that Taliban, al-Qaida and other terror groups in Afghanistan and along the Pakistan border are dismantled or defeated enough to prevent another attack on America?

In an interview during his final days in office, Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, told The Associated Press that he believes the fight for democracy must go on, and that more special operations forces are needed in Afghanistan.

"I think it's important for this new administration not to lose the emphasis on the importance of freedom and democracy as an element of succeeding in Iraq and Afghanistan, and succeeding in the war on terror," Hadley said.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters that Obama and his national security team are still discussing their Afghanistan strategy and how it will take shape.

Fundamentally, Morrell said, it will be a counterinsurgency fight and the next president, advised by Gates and his military leaders, "will ultimately come to some understanding about where this president wants to lead the mission in Afghanistan."

A second challenge, is how to meet the need for various support forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under a U.S.-Iraq security agreement, American combat forces must be out of Iraqi cities by June, and out of the country by 2011. But support forces -- ranging from intelligence and surveillance experts to engineers and logistics personnel -- are specialists the Iraqis don't have and will continue to need.

At the same time, those are the same forces McKiernan needs in Afghanistan to build the infrastructure for his growing force and to enhance surveillance, particularly along the Pakistan border.

Pentagon officials have said they plan to send up to 30,000 additional troops to the Afghan war, including four combat brigades and thousands of support forces. Of those, Gates said three brigades and some of the support troops will go in by summer. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops.

Even as decisions on major units have been delayed, Gates this week approved the deployment of about 2,000 new support troops to Afghanistan, including about 660 Navy sailors from a construction and engineering unit based in Gulfport, Miss. The others include military police, medical personnel and other logistics specialists, senior military officials said.

The sailors -- known as Seabees -- can deploy quickly for emergencies or disasters to build roads, bridges and other facilities. A few hundred Seabees serving in Kuwait have already been transferred to Afghanistan, according to the Navy.

There are currently 33,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, including 15,000 with the NATO-led coalition and 18,000 fighting insurgents and training the Afghan army and police. There are 142,000 U.S. troops in Iraq -- still more than the total there before the force build-up which began in early 2007, and is credited in part for the decline in violence.

Future troops levels also depend on the outcome of several military reviews of the Afghanistan strategy that are under way or recently completed, including a key administration study that Bush officials expect to deliver to the Obama White House.

By the end of the month, Gates is expected to approve the deployment of the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade to Afghanistan. But senior officials say they are still working out the numbers. A MEB can vary in size and makeup, and can swell to as many as 20,000 Marines, although a total that high is unlikely.

Source: AP

Tampa Bay Bucs Fire Jon Grudon, Set to Hire Raheem Morris

2009-01-17T10:50:51Z

Jon Gruden is out, replaced by another young rising star as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

]]> Within hours of dismissing their Super Bowl-winning coach, the Bucs turned to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as the successor -- a move confirmed Friday by a person familiar with the decision who requested anonymity because the team had not yet scheduled an announcement.

Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were fired earlier in the day, three weeks after the team completed one of the biggest collapses in NFL history, losing four straight games following a 9-3 start to miss the playoffs.

Director of pro personnel Mark Dominik, who has been with the Bucs for 14 seasons, will replace Allen.

A news conference to announce the moves could be held as early as Saturday.

Gruden was one of the league's hottest commodities when he was hired seven years ago to get a team built by Tony Dungy to the Super Bowl. But Gruden only guided the Bucs to the postseason twice after becoming the youngest coach to win the NFL title in January 2003.

That wasn't nearly enough for the sons of owner Malcolm Glazer, who took their time before deciding they had seen enough of aging quarterbacks, mediocre drafts and a coach and general manager who often pinned the blame for poor finishes on injuries.

Morris has been a fast climber, too. He was the Bucs' defensive backs coach the past two seasons, and was promoted to defensive coordinator on Christmas Day, filling a vacancy that opened for next season when Monte Kiffin decided to join his son, Lane, at the University of Tennessee.

The former Hofstra player and assistant coach, who recently interviewed for the opening to replace Mike Shanahan with the Denver Broncos, has been with Tampa Bay for six seasons over two stints.

Morris initially joined Gruden's staff as a defensive quality assistant in 2002, was a defensive assistant in 2003 and assistant defensive backs coach for the next two seasons before spending one year as defensive coordinator at Kansas State.

Dominik joined the Bucs in 1995 and served in a number of personnel and scouting positions before becoming director of pro personnel eight years ago.

Gruden, who was 39 when the Bucs beat Oakland in the Super Bowl, went 60-57 in seven seasons, including 3-2 in the playoffs. Allen was general manager for the last five seasons in a reunion of a relationship that began when both were with the Raiders.

"These decisions are never easy. This is the toughest decision you can make for an NFL franchise. ... Jon and Bruce are consummate professionals. They've poured their heart and soul into this franchise," Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said. "It's really been an honor to work with them. They gave their all."

The Bucs were tied for first place in the NFC South heading into December, but finished with losses to Carolina and Atlanta on the road and San Diego and Oakland at home, where they had been 6-0. One more win would have landed a NFC wild-card berth.

The 9-7 record this season gave Gruden consecutive winning records for the first time since arriving in Tampa Bay, yet still left the Bucs out of the playoffs for the fourth time in six years and prompted the Glazer family to reevaluate the direction of the franchise.

"After taking a lot of time to look at our franchise, look where it's been, look where it is, look where we want to go, we just felt this was the time for a change," Glazer said.

The Glazers fired Dungy after consecutive first-round playoff losses in Philadelphia and used four high draft picks -- two No. 1s and two No. 2s -- and $8 million cash to pry Gruden away from the Raiders following the 2001 season.

The hiring produced immediate dividends, with Gruden retooling an inept offense and riding a defense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL to the Super Bowl in his first season.

Coincidentally, his firing came four days after Dungy announced his retirement following a successful seven-year run that included one NFL title with the Indianapolis Colts.

Gruden, who had three years remaining on a contract extension he received after winning the NFC South in 2007, leaves as the winningest coach in franchise history.

But since going 15-4, including the Super Bowl, in his first season with Tampa Bay, Gruden went 45-53 and made quick exits from the playoffs at home after winning division titles in 2005 and 2007.

"This isn't a decision that's made on one play or one game or one week or one thing," Glazer said. "You look at the totality of the situation, evaluate it, look at where your franchise is. For us, the goal is to build a championship team that can compete year in and year out."

Source: AP

Big Chill Blast of Arctic Paralyzes Eastern US

2009-01-17T07:45:09Z

Cathy Luo, from Taiwan but now a student in Tacoma, Wash., covers her ears with mitten-covered hands as she stands to have her photo taken by a friend during record cold Monday, Dec. 15, 2008, in Seattle.

]]> Icy driving conditions that from Saturday night to Sunday evening resulted in 110 collisions on state highways between the Seattle area and Canada and the low at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dropped to 19 degrees at 4 a.m. Monday, breaking the old record of 20 for the date set in 1964. The National Weather Service said much of the state will receive snow Wednesday, and the cold will last through the week.

One week before the official start of winter, much of the nation is mired in a bitter cold snap.

Arctic air has found its way into Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, with snow hitting those areas. Plunging temperatures and heavy snow has also blanketed the Pacific Northwest.

And in the upper Midwest and the Plains, much of the region is facing temperatures well below zero, reports Early Show meteorologist Dave Price. Denver set a record at minus 19.

Twelve deaths nationwide have been blamed on the latest storms and ensuing cold, including a Ski Patrol member killed in an avalanche in Colorado.

A California Highway Patrol officer directing traffic around an accident in Hacienda Heights, east of Los Angeles, was hit by an out-of-control car, said patrol Officer Terry Liu. One person was killed in the San Diego area when an armored truck slid off a wet highway and rolled down an embankment.

Exposure probably killed an 87-year-old man found outside his Montana nursing home. Weather-related car accidents were responsible for a death in Illinois, two deaths each in Minnesota and Missouri, and three in Oklahoma.

Authorities said the storm also contributed to the death Sunday of a 61-year-old man who was washed off a jetty by large waves in Crescent City, Calif.

At its height Monday, the storm triggered hundreds of fender-bender traffic accidents on freeways, highways and surface streets across California, Washington and Nevada.

Las Vegas got its first snowfall in five years, and the interstate leading into Vegas was shut down by a blizzard.

Los Angeles, with just two inches of rain since July, saw two inches fall in one day. Part of a roof collapsed at a trade school injuring 10 people.

And in Oregon, snow and bitter cold paralyzed downtown Portland, shutting down schools.

Among the record low temperatures yesterday: Bismarck, North Dakota (minus 18, with a wind chill of minus 42); Glasgow, Montana (31 below zero, and if you factor in the wind-chill, 45 below); and 15 degrees in Portland, Oregon.

One Death In Colorado Avalanche

In Denver, with temperatures dropping to 19 below zero (breaking the previous Dec. 15 record of minus 6 set in 1951), school buses couldn't start up, so thousands of students couldn't make it to class.

Even hardened residents can't believe it.

"I'm prepared," one person told CBS Station KCNC. "But I'm still freezing."

A weekend storm left more than a foot of snow in the mountains. The Pitkin County Sheriff's Department said the body of Ski Patrolman Cory Brettman, 52, was found in an avalanche 100 yards long and 30 yards wide outside the boundaries of the Aspen Mountain Ski area Sunday, where 14 inches of snow fell. The incident was under investigation.

The center said Monday that the current avalanche danger is "considerable" or higher in all of Colorado's mountain areas.

Another storm was headed for Colorado, and it could drop another foot or two of snow in parts of the mountains. The state's southwestern corner was expected to get the most.

Authorities said the extreme cold may have been the culprit behind a natural gas leak that prompted authorities to evacuate about 75 people from their homes in the small town of LaPorte, 60 miles north of Denver.

The Poudre Fire Authority said a valve malfunction caused the high-pressure line to vent gas into the air. No injuries were reported and residents were allowed to go home about 3 1⁄2 hours later.

Denver's Road Home, a partnership between the city and county of Denver and Mile High United Way, announced Monday afternoon it was opening an emergency shelter for homeless men because of the extremely low temperatures expected this week. The shelter will be open in the evenings through Sunday.

Cold, Rain And Snow Cover California

Rains that pummeled California have eased into light showers and clearer conditions for much of the state this morning. But chilly temperatures rare for the region and the season remain.

And another round of rain is expected this afternoon.

About 20,000 customers lost power across the state, utilities reported.

In Anaheim, students and teachers fled a trade school when the roof of a classroom collapsed during heavy rain Monday. Twelve students and two staff members were hospitalized with mostly minor injuries, and all but one were released by afternoon, said Lynn Porter, assistant superintendent of educational services.

In Yorba Linda, where 100 homes were lost to a wildfire last month, hundreds of residences in the canyon areas were ordered evacuated Monday morning because of the threat of mudslides. But the threat eased later in the day.

The area was one of several placed under a flash-flood watch because hillsides and canyons had been stripped of vegetation by recent wildfires, increasing the chances of severe flooding and mudslides.

A section of the Pacific Coast Highway in the Sunset Beach area was closed in both directions by flooding.

Midwest Hit Hard

The Midwest has been hit especially hard by snow and record cold. Fargo, N.D. is digging out from a weekend snowstorm with temperatures between 8 and 15 below zero - and the wind chill makes it feel like 30 below.

The St. Francis House shelter for the homeless in Sioux Falls, S.D., where Monday's low was minus 11, was a lifesaver, said Richard Byrd.

"I would be probably huddled up right now under a bunch of blankets because this was my only alternative. If it wasn't for the St. Francis house, I'd be in a scary, scary situation," he said.

Major highways in Minnesota, and North and South Dakota reopened after Sunday's blizzard dropped as much as 14 inches of snow, but hundreds of schools were closed in the three states.

Monday morning lows in North Dakota included minus 18 in Bismarck, with a wind chill factor of minus 42. The smaller communities of Bowbells and Berthold reported wind chill factors at around 50 below.

In Williston, N.D., Penny Groth acknowledged: "It's just darn cold right now." She said the Gramma Sharon's Family Restaurant she owns had been closed since Saturday night because of the snow and cold.

A woman was arrested on child abuse charges after her 2-year-old son was found outside a Grand Forks mobile home dressed only in a shirt, shorts and boots when the temperature was 15 below zero, police said.

Monday's cold was an abrupt change for many areas. Illinois had unseasonable warmth Sunday with temperatures in the 50s, but Monday morning lows were in the single digits across the northern part of the state. Rockford had a low of just 3, and 20 mph wind made it feel like minus 18, the National Weather Service said.

"Right now it looks like it's about 14 degrees," cashier Mike Kanise said Monday afternoon as he checked a weather station at Hannel's Amaco truck stop in Jacksonville, Ill. "Feels like it's minus 1."

Hundreds of Illinois schools were closed because of ice-covered roads. More schools were closed in Michigan, where northern areas had blizzard conditions as wind gusting to more than 50 mph caused whiteouts and generated wind chills as low as 30 below.

In central Arkansas, the morning commute has turned risky with ice glazing bridges and overpasses.

The National Weather Service says a quarter-inch of ice could accumulate in central Arkansas, with the possibility of up to a half-inch in the northeastern part of the state.

State offices are delaying openings, and several school districts in the northern part of the state canceled classes yesterday. Final exams scheduled for today at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and its law school were postponed until tomorrow.

In Wyoming, authorities on Sunday morning rescued two men stranded overnight on an island in a reservoir where they had been fishing. The freezing cold and high winds prevented them from returning to shore.

Northeast Still Reeling From Ice Storm

Hundreds of thousands remain without power four days after a devastating ice storm swept through several Northeastern states. .

"In my 26 years here it's the worst I've ever seen," one worker told CBS station WBZ.

Central Maine Power says the number of its customers still in the dark is down to 30,000, and it hopes to have everyone back in service by tomorrow.

SOURCE: CBS/AP